This Week in Gaming (Week 34)

As we enter the second to last week of August, we finally have a massive new AAA release that involves a magical Chinese monkey. As for the rest of this week's upcoming new games, we have a cyberpunk co-op looter shooter, a dusty story-driven action-adventure, a wholesome narrative game, wizards with guns and a game named after a very fast airplane, even though it doesn't even seem to involve any airplanes.

Black Myth: Wukong / This week's AAA release / Tuesday 20 August
Black Myth: Wukong is an action RPG rooted in Chinese mythology. The story is based on Journey to the West, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. You shall set out as the Destined One to venture into the challenges and marvels ahead, to uncover the obscured truth beneath the veil of a glorious legend from the past. Steam Link Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/325684/this-...ng-week-34

Path Tracing Makes its way to DOOM II in GZDOOM Community Mod

A GZDOOM community mod called "DOOM II: Ray Traced" has done the unthinkable—added path-traced lighting, shadows, and reflections to DOOM II. The mod uses high-resolution voxel models and other game assets from the Voxel DOOM Project, which replaces the game's 2D sprites as fully-fledged 3D models. Pretty much all of the game's textures also see an improvement. Where "DOOM II: Ray Traced" comes to light is its path-traced lighting, which uses ray tracing hardware of modern GPUs—nothing is pre-baked. The mod also supports NVIDIA DLSS 3 Frame Generation and AMD FSR 3.0 Frame Generation, to help step up performance. A gameplay video sees a GeForce RTX 4080 break a sweat rendering it at 4K. And to think the original DOOM II could run on an 80386—a processor simpler than a single NVIDIA CUDA core. Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/325615/path-...munity-mod

ASUS Readies Warhammer 40000: Space Marine 2 Radeon RX 7000 TUF Gaming Graphics Card

ASUS is readying a limited edition TUF Gaming Radeon RX 7000 series graphics card themed after Warhammer 40000: Space Marine 2. AMD last week announced the Q3-2024 edition of its "This is Why We Game" bundle that sees the company give away the latest Warhammer 40000 title and Unknown 9 Awakening with select RX 7000 series graphics cards, select Ryzen 7000 series desktop processors, and prebuilts. The ASUS TUF Gaming Warhammer 40000: Space Marine 2 Radeon RX 7000 sees the card draped in colors of the Space Marine armor, including the backplate, and cooler shroud. This isn't a sticker job, but actual metal embellishments. Even the fan impellers come in Space Marine blue, and bear insignia on the impeller hubcaps. At this point we don't know which exact GPU model ASUS is using—our guess looking at the level of detail into the board design, is the very top-end RX 7900 XTX, so ASUS can get the most margins out of it to cover the product design costs. ASUS will launch this graphics card (which will include the game), on August 20, 2024. The teaser trailer follows.Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/325544/asus-...phics-card

(PR) KLEVV Introduces CRAS V RGB ASUS ROG-certified DDR5 Memory Kits

KLEVV, the premier consumer memory and storage brand introduced by Essencore, proudly presents all-new CRAS V RGB ROG-certified DDR5 Gaming Memory. Engineered by the masterful collaboration of KLEVV and ROG (Republic of Gamers)'s expert team, the CRAS V RGB ROG-certified DDR5 memory is purpose-built to unleash mind-bending performance with supreme stability. Available in 16 GB x2 and 24 GB x2 kits with a base clock speed of DDR5-7200, it is tailored for hardcore gamers and PC enthusiasts who demand the best.

Furthermore, when paired with a compatible ROG motherboard, the CRAS V RGB ROG-certified DDR5 can achieve blazing clock speeds of DDR5-7400, enabled by ROG's superior hardware synergy and software tuning, making them the ideal choice for high-end AAA games and power-hungry software. Inspired by KLEVV's award-winning CRAS V RGB series, which won the Red Dot and iF Design Awards in 2024, this special edition memory stands out with its unique and striking duotone color design. Rocking a sleek black-and-white aesthetic, complemented by an eye-catching advanced RGB light array, the CRAS V RGB ROG-certified DDR5 memory perfectly matches an all-ROG system that exudes undeniable power at a glance. Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/325506/klevv...emory-kits

This Week in Gaming (Week 33)

As we enter the middle of August, this week's major upcoming release is a 4X space strategy game, where your goal is to rule the galaxy. If that's not your cup of tea, then maybe a fast-paced military RTS or a tactical FPS shooter might be more of your thing. Alternatively you could be cleaning up other people's mess, build a massive production line or kick an inflated pig's bladder around a field. In other words, half of this week's release is some kind of strategy game.

Sins of a Solar Empire II / This week's major release / Thursday 15 August
Sins of a Solar Empire II is the sequel to the critically acclaimed space strategy game that seamlessly blends real-time battle tactics with the depth of 4X. As both emperor and battle commander you must lead one of six playable factions to victory against the threat of extinction! There are no turns. There is no battle mode. There is no strategic mode. It's all one mode and it's all in real-time. Steam Link Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/325463/this-...ng-week-33

Thermalright Intros Royal Knight 120SE CPU Cooler with Design Focus on Memory Cleara

Thermalright introduced the Royal Knight 120SE, a dual fin-stack CPU cooler with a design focus on clearance with the memory area of your motherboard. It does this by offsetting its two fin-stacks away from the memory area, with one of them being almost directly above the CPU base, and by using a slim 15 mm-thick intake fan. The heatsink measures 122 mm × 114 mm × 155 mm (DxWxH), with the intake fan adding another 15 mm depth. The cooler features a nickel-plated copper base, from which six 6 mm-thick copper heatpipes pass through, skewering the two aluminium fin-stacks on both ends.

The intake fan is a Thermalright TL-C12015B. This 15 mm-thick 120 mm spinner features a 2nd generation fluid dynamic bearing, turns at up to 1,800 RPM, pushing up to 59 CFM of airflow at 1.24 mm H₂O static pressure, and 26.1 dBA maximum noise. The second fan is meant to be installed between the two fin-stacks. It is a TL-C12B V2, a 120 mm fan of conventional 25 mm thickness, and featuring a fluid dynamic bearing. It turns at speeds of up to 1,500 RPM, pushing up to 66.17 CFM of airflow, at 1.53 mm H₂O static pressure, and 25.6 dBA maximum noise. Both fans lack any kind of lighting, and use a standard 4-pin PWM power input. Among the CPU socket types supported are LGA1851, LGA1700, AM5, and AM4. The company didn't reveal pricing.


https://www.techpowerup.com/325321/therm...-clearance

(PR) Phison Showcases New Low-Power Gen 4, Mainstream Gen 5, and USB4 Controllers at

Phison, a global leader in NAND controllers and storage solutions, is set to showcase its cutting-edge technologies at the Future of Memory and Storage (FMS) 2024. The event will highlight the new Pascari D-Series D200V, a datacenter SSD with up to 61.44 TB alongside the latest capabilities of aiDAPTIV+ Pro Suite, the company's end-to-end on-premises generative AI solution. Each solution is purpose-built to meet the demands of modern, data-intensive workloads, from small to medium-sized businesses looking to leverage GenAI through aiDAPTIV+, to enterprises scaling quickly with Pascari Data Center storage. These solutions allow users the necessary storage, scalability and processing power for data-hungry AI workloads.

The Pascari D200V is the latest addition to Phison's renowned D-Series product family. This SSD is designed for data centers and comes in the most popular form factors. "Pascari's new D200V scales to 61.44 TB today with Kioxia BiCS FLASH generation 8 QLC flash memory," says K.S. Pua, CEO of Phison Electronics. "The D-Series also allows room to scale beyond 100 TB, providing data centers with the large capacity options needed to reduce operating costs." Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/325284/phiso...ers-at-fms

Puget Systems Releases CPU Failure Report: AMD CPUs Achieve Higher Failure Rate Than

A fleet of recent reports have highlighted stability issues affecting Intel's 13th and 14th-generation desktop processors, raising concerns among consumers and industry professionals. The problem, which has gained significant attention over the past few months, is related to the processors' physical degradation over time. Custom PC builder Puget Systems has shared insights from its experience with these processors, revealing a nuanced perspective on the issue. While it has observed an increase in CPU failures, particularly with the 14th-generation chips, its failure rates remain notably lower than those reported by some game development studios and cloud gaming providers, who have cited failure rates as high as 50%. An interesting observation is that Puget Systems recorded a higher failure rate with AMD Ryzen 5000 and Ryzen 7000 series than Intel's 13/14th generation, with most failures happening at Puget's shop rather than the "field" in customers' hands.

Puget Systems attributes their more modest failure rates of Intel processors to their conservative approach to power management settings. By adhering strictly to Intel's specifications and developing their own power settings that don't hurt performance, they've managed to mitigate some of the stability issues plaguing other users. Intel has acknowledged the problem and announced plans to release a microcode patch by mid-August, with extended warranty program. This update is expected to prevent further degradation but may not reverse existing damage. Despite the elevated failure rates, Puget Systems' data shows that the issue, while concerning, still needs to be at critical levels for their operations. The company reports that failure rates for 13th and 14th gen Intel processors, while higher than ideal, are still lower than those they experienced with Intel's 11th gen chips and some AMD Ryzen processors. In response to the situation, Puget Systems is taking several steps, including maintaining its current power management practices, promptly validating Intel's upcoming microcode update, and extending warranties for affected customers. Below, you can see failure rates by month, by Intel's Core generation, as well as by "shop" vs "field" testing.


https://www.techpowerup.com/325250/puget...generation

Design Issues May Postpone Launch of NVIDIA's Advanced Blackwell AI Chips

NVIDIA may face delays in releasing its newest artificial intelligence chips due to design issues, according to anonymous sources involved in chip and server hardware production cited by The Information. The delay could extend to three months or more, potentially affecting major customers such as Meta, Google, and Microsoft. An unnamed Microsoft employee and another source claim that NVIDIA has already informed Microsoft about delays affecting the most advanced models in the Blackwell AI chip series. As a result, significant shipments are not expected until the first quarter of 2025.

When approached for comment, an NVIDIA spokesperson did not address communications with customers regarding the delay but stated that "production is on track to ramp" later this year. The Information reports that Microsoft, Google, Amazon Web Services, and Meta declined to comment on the matter, while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) did not respond to inquiries.Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/325190/desig...l-ai-chips

Intel Core Ultra 200V "Lunar Lake" CPUs Arrive on September 3rd

Intel has officially confirmed the upcoming Core Ultra 200V "Lunar Lake" CPU generation is arriving on September 3rd. The official media alert states: "Ahead of the IFA 2024 conference, join Michelle Johnston Holthaus, Intel executive vice president and general manager of the Client Computing Group, and Jim Johnson, senior vice president and general manager of the Client Business Group, and Intel partners as they launch the next generation of Intel Core Ultra processors, code-named Lunar Lake. During the livestreamed event, they will reveal details on the new processors' breakthrough x86 power efficiency, exceptional core performance, massive leaps in graphics performance and the unmatched AI computing power that will drive this and future generations of Intel products."

With IFA happening in Berlin from September 6th to 10th, Intel's Lunar Lake launch is also happening in Berlin just a few days before, on September 3rd at 6 p.m. CEST (9 a.m. PDT). We expect to see nine SKUs: Core Ultra 9 288V, Core Ultra 7 268V, Core Ultra 7 266V, Core Ultra 7 258V, Core Ultra 7 256V, Core Ultra 5 238V, Core Ultra 5 236V, Core Ultra 5 228V, and Core Ultra 5 226V. All of the aforementioned models feature four P-cores and four E-cores, with varying Xe2 GPU core counts and clocks. We also expect to see Intel present its design wins and upcoming Lunar Lake devices like laptops during the launch.


https://www.techpowerup.com/325079/intel...tember-3rd