(PR) BIOSTAR Introduces the BIAST-PAT Industrial Motherboard

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, storage devices, and IPC products, is excited to introduce the all-new BIAST-PAT industrial motherboard solution. The BIAST-PAT motherboard is expertly designed to meet the diverse needs of System Integration (SI) businesses and industry professionals seeking to build robust, efficient, and future-proof systems for business and industrial applications. It is a highly versatile platform, perfectly suited for applications in AIOT machines, automation systems, edge computing devices, HMI machines, and digital signage.

The BIOSTAR BIAST-PAT motherboard, with its robust wide temperature and broad voltage support, is engineered to excel in a variety of demanding environments, making it a prime choice for numerous outdoor applications. Its design incorporates M.2 Key-M, Key-B, and Mini-PCIe slots, offering exceptional versatility in connectivity options. This compatibility extends to Hailo AI acceleration cards, further enhancing its edge AI utility. Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/324164/biost...otherboard

Intel Arc "Battlemage" Xe2 GPUs with 448 EUs (56 Xe cores) Spotted in Transit

Intel very much does intend to make discrete gaming GPUs based on its Xe2 "Battlemage" graphics architecture, which made its debut with the Core Ultra 200V "Lunar Lake-MX" processor as an iGPU. With its next generation, Intel plans to capture an even bigger share of the gaming graphics market, both on the notebook and desktop platforms. "Battlemage" will be crucial for Intel, as it will be able to make its case with Microsoft and Sony for semi-custom chips, for their next-generation consoles. Intel has all pieces of the console SoC puzzle that AMD does. A Xe2 "Battlemage" discrete GPU sample, codenamed "Churchill Falls," has been spotted making its transit in and out of locations known for Intel SoC development, such as Bangalore in India, and Shanghai in China.

Such shipping manifests tend to be incredibly descriptive, and speak of an Arc "Battlemage" X3 and Arc "Battlemage" X4 SKUs, each with 448 execution units (EU), across 56 Xe cores. Assuming an Xe core continues to have 128 unified shaders in the "Battlemage" architecture, you're looking at 7,168 unified shaders for this GPU, a staggering 75% increase in just the numerical count of the shaders, and not accounting for IPC increase and other architecture-level features. The descriptions also speak of a 256-bit wide memory bus, although they don't specify memory type or speed. Given that at launch, the Arc A770 "Alchemist" was a 1440p-class GPU, we predict Intel might take a crack at a 4K-class GPU. Besides raster 3D performance, Intel is expected to significantly improve the ray tracing and AI performance of its Xe2 discrete GPUs, making them powerful options for creative professionals.


https://www.techpowerup.com/324120/intel...in-transit

Microsoft Closer to Removing Local Accounts from Windows 11, Removes Help Page on Ho

Microsoft really wants you to use Windows 11 with an online Microsoft Account. This lets the operating system integrate the single login for Microsoft Store, all the apps on it, Office or 365, Teams, OneDrive, Outlook, and more importantly, put a face to your name (making you and your machine identifiable to it). Some users, particularly power-users, tend to avoid this, by preferring local accounts—an account that's authenticated and maintained locally by the machine. Microsoft is viewed as making it increasingly difficult for users to create local accounts, particularly on the client versions of Windows, such as Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro.

The Windows Setup by default flows you into creating a Microsoft Account, or logging in from one. Over the past several versions of Windows, Microsoft has made it harder, if not impossible, to create a local account during Setup. In what could be a step closer by the company to wean the market off local accounts, Microsoft removed the online Help page that guides users on how to switch from a Microsoft Account to a local one, as Tweaktown found out. The publication dug the page out using the Wayback Machine. Will Microsoft completely remove the ability to create local accounts? We don't know. All versions of Windows 11 and Windows 10 sit on the Windows NT architecture, which requires some form of local accounts. The Microsoft Account itself is layered on top of a local account. So, the ability to create a local account shouldn't go away for those who really want one, but it will be close to impossible for the vast majority of users trained by Google and Apple to have online accounts on their phones.


https://www.techpowerup.com/324020/micro...tch-to-one

Slovenian Retailer Puts AMD's Ryzen 9000-series up for Pre-order

As we're getting close to the launch of AMD's 9000-series Ryzen processors, local retailers have already started to put the new CPUs up for pre-order and this gives us a first glimpse into the pricing we can expect. The first company to do so in Europe is Slovenian retailer Funtech, which has put up all four SKUs on its site. For those not familiar with European pricing, Slovenia has a VAT or sales tax rate of 22 percent, which obviously makes the pricing higher than in the US and some other countries. As Funtech also sells AMD's current CPUs, we can also get an idea of how much more the new CPUs will cost, at least compared to what the online retailer sells the equivalent 7000-series models for.

Starting from the bottom, the Ryzen 5 9600X goes for €310 (US$332) and the shop has the Ryzen 7 7600X up for sale at €212. The Ryzen 7 9700X goes for €400 (US$429), whereas the Ryzen 7 7700X is sold for €305. The Ryzen 9 9900X is listed at €500 (US$536) with the Ryzen 9 7900X at €392. Finally the Ryzen 9 9950X is listed at €660 (US$707), compared to €510 for the Ryzen 9 7950X. This is in line with earlier leaked pricing from the Philippines and with the VAT removed, we end up close to proposed MSRP pricing by various leakers over the past couple of months, or even somewhat lower. If anything, it doesn't look like AMD is going to increase the MSRP over the 7000-series of Ryzen processors.


https://www.techpowerup.com/324010/slove...-pre-order

(PR) Essencore KLEVV Announces the FIT V Line of DDR5 Memory

KLEVV, the premier consumer memory and storage brand introduced by Essencore, is excited to unveil the brand-new FIT V DDR5 gaming memory with a sleek, ultra-low-profile design. KLEVV's FIT V DDR5 gaming memory modules are available in 16 GB (16 GB x1) and 32 GB (16 GB x2) kits, with diverse clock speeds of 5600MT/s, 6000 MT/s, and 6400 MT/s. Meticulously crafted for gamers, content creators, and casual users on a budget, these modules offer cutting-edge features and top-tier performance at an attractive price. They boast a streamlined, ultra-low-profile 33 mm form factor, made possible by an innovative aluminium heat spreader with a contemporary minimalist aesthetic, finished in an eye-catching white hue. This design significantly boosts performance and enhances the visual appeal of any build.

The FIT V DDR5 gaming memory modules offer cutting-edge features at an attractive price. Superior KLEVV memory technology, including a built-in PMIC, ensures consistent performance with efficient power delivery and dependability. KLEVV's signature multilayer PCB design improves signal strength and robustness. The FIT V DDR5 modules also incorporate a precision thermal sensor for optimal performance calibration and on-die ECC for effective error correction, ensuring peak functionality and reliability. The FIT V DDR5 gaming memory readily supports Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO technology to extract maximum performance. Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/323930/essen...dr5-memory

Intel Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake Family Leaks: Nine Models with One Core 9 Ultra SKU

During Computex 2024, Intel announced the next-generation compute platform for the notebook segment in the form of the Core Ultra 200V series, codenamed Lunar Lake. Set for release in September 2024, these processors are generating excitement among tech enthusiasts and industry professionals alike. According to the latest leak by VideoCardz, Intel plans to unveil nine variants of Lunar Lake, including Core Ultra 7 and Core Ultra 5 models, with a single high-end Core Ultra 9 variant. While exact specifications remain under wraps, Intel's focus on artificial intelligence capabilities is clear. The company aims to secure a spot in Microsoft's Copilot+ lineup by integrating its fourth-generation Neural Processing Unit (NPU), boasting up to 48 TOPS of performance. All Lunar Lake variants are expected to feature a hybrid architecture with four Lion Cove performance cores and four Skymont efficiency cores.

This design targets low-power mobile devices, striking a balance between performance and energy efficiency. For graphics, Intel is incorporating its next-generation Arc technology, dubbed Battlemage GPU, which utilizes the Xe2-LPG architecture. The leaked information suggests that Lunar Lake processors will come with either 16 GB or 32 GB of non-upgradable LPDDR5-8533 memory. Graphics configurations are expected to include seven or eight Xe2 GPU cores, depending on the model. At the entry level, the Core Ultra 5 226V is rumored to offer a 17 W base power and 30 W maximum turbo power, with performance cores clocking up to 4.5 GHz. The top-tier Core Ultra 9 288V is expected to push the envelope with a 30 W base power, performance cores boosting to 5.1 GHz, and an NPU capable of 48 TOPS. You can check out the rest of the SKUs in the table below.


https://www.techpowerup.com/323900/intel...-ultra-sku

(PR) Intel Foundry Announces Reference Workflows from Ansys, Cadence, Siemens, and S

Today marks a new milestone in the growth of Intel Foundry's design ecosystem as key partners Ansys, Cadence, Siemens, and Synopsys have announced the availability of reference flows for Intel's embedded multi-die interconnect bridge (EMIB) advanced packaging technology. This comes on the heels of recent announcements where those same partners declared readiness for Intel 18A designs. "Today's news shows how Intel Foundry continues to combine the best of Intel with the best of our ecosystem to help our customers realize their AI systems ambitions," said Suk Lee, vice president for Ecosystem Development, Intel Foundry.

The success of Intel Foundry is rooted in collaboration with a vibrant design ecosystem. This ensures customers can access our leading process and packaging technologies. Now, in collaboration with our ecosystem partners, we are making it as easy and as fast as possible for companies to optimize, fabricate and assemble their system-on-chip designs through our foundries, while enabling their designers with validated EDA tools, design flows and IP portfolios for silicon-through-package design. This systems foundry approach allows our customers to innovate at every layer of the stack so they can meet the complex computing demands of the AI era, where chip architectures increasingly rely on multiple CPUs, GPUs and NPUs in a package to achieve performance requirements. Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/323858/intel...d-synopsys

This Week in Gaming (Week 26)

As we enter the last week of June and head towards darkness again in the Northern Hemisphere (remember, it's only six months until Christmas), we can look forward to another slow week of new releases. This week's major release is a remake of a puzzle adventure game from 1997. There's also a strategy game DLC, a shootout, a time travel adventure, some racing and some chasing to look forward to, if that's your kind of thing.

Riven / This week's major release and remake / Tuesday 25 June
Riven takes you on a journey through dense jungles, awe-inspiring caverns, and monolithic structures. Explore a world bent to the whims of a man who sees himself as a god and where every corner will immerse you in an otherworldly adventure. Uncover a story of intrigue, betrayal, and a civilization teetering on the brink of collapse as you solve intricate puzzles to unlock the secrets of Riven. Built from the ground-up and expanded from the award-winning original game released in 1997. Steam Link Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/323818/this-...ng-week-26

AMD Cuts Prices of its Ryzen 8000G Desktop APUs—8600G Now at $199

Prices of AMD Ryzen 8000G "Hawk Point" desktop APUs in the Socket AM5 package saw reductions over the week. The Ryzen 7 8700G, the fully unlocked part, is now available for $299, a $30 cut from its launch price of $329. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 5 8600G has now slipped under the $200-mark, with a $199 price-tag. The chip had originally launched at $229. Both these chips feature a 16 TOPS NPU, and are the first desktop processors that are capable of on-chip AI acceleration. Both processors are based on the 4 nm "Hawk Point" monolithic silicon, and feature "Zen 4" CPU cores. The 8700G packs an 8-core/16-thread CPU with an RDNA 3 iGPU that has 12 compute units (CU); while the 8600G is 6-core/12-thread, with an iGPU that has 8 CU.

Things get interesting with the Ryzen 5 8500G, which is now down to $159 from its launch price of $179. This new price makes the processor competitive with the 13th Gen Core i3 and the lower end of the Core i5 lineup. Unlike the other two 8000G series chips, the 8500G lacks an NPU, and is based on the 4 nm "Phoenix 2" silicon that has two "Zen 4" and four "Zen 4c" CPU cores for a 6-core/12-thread CPU configuration. Both kinds of cores share a 16 MB L3 cache. It has a heavily cut-down RDNA 3 iGPU with just 4 CU. The Ryzen 8000G desktop APU series only features PCIe Gen 4 (no Gen 5), which may not mean much for today's discrete GPUs, but limit your SSD upgrade path to Gen 4 (Gen 5 SSDs will be limited to 7 GB/s).


https://www.techpowerup.com/323778/amd-c...at-usd-199

(PR) Discover Fractal Mood, A New Streamlined PC Case

Presenting the release of Fractal Mood, a PC case designed to streamline the gaming station. It is a low-volume case in a space-saving pillar design format, which minimizes the footprint of the PC on the desk. Its outer body features breathable fabric in a clean shape and color palette to harmonize with the home.

For access to the interior, users can pop out the back panel and simply slide off the fabric-covered enclosure for full access to their build. Inside, Mood can house a graphics card up to 325 mm in length, which is easily connected through the included PCIe 4.0 riser cable. Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/323723/disco...ed-pc-case