Anandtech News

**FEED** · 10-29-19, 10:10 AM

Kicking off the first of a series of video card launches for this holiday season is NVIDIA, who is announcing their GeForce GTX 1660 Super. This is a relatively minor, but none the less interesting revision to the GTX 1660 family that adds a 1660 (vanilla) SKU with faster GDDR6 memory for improved performance. Along with the GeForce GTX 1650 Super (shipping in late November), these two cards are going to be the backbone of NVIDIA’s mainstream efforts to close out the year. And while NVIDIA’s other GTX 1660 cards aren’t going anywhere, as we’re going to see today, with its $229 price tag, the GDDR6-equipped GTX 1660 Super is pretty much going to make the other 1660 cards redundant.

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**FEED** · 10-29-19, 02:16 PM

Dynabook, formerly Toshiba, has introduced its new entry-level business laptop that promises to offer an attractive balance between performance, portability, and price. The Tecra A40 is a typical ‘working horse’ type of notebook with a 14-inch Full-HD display, a mainstream CPU, a battery life of over 10 hours, and a three-year on-site warranty for select configurations in the US.
The Dynabook Tecra A40 is aimed at a wide audience and attempts to find the right balance of peculiarities to offer something for everyone. To that end, the notebook is equipped with a 14-inch Full-HD monitor with or without touch support. The mobile PC comes in an a modest chassis made of black plastic and featuring a slip resistant coating. The chassis is 19.9 mm thick and the computer weighs 1.47 kilograms (3.24 pounds), which is in line with other cheaper laptops.

At the heart of Dynabook’s Tecra A40 is Intel’s 8^th Generation Core processor with up to four cores and UHD Graphics 620 that is paired with 8 GB of on-board DDR4-2400 memory (there is an additional SO-DIMM slot for upgrades) as well as a 256 GB M.2 PCIe SSD.

Being a mainstream notebook, Dynabook’s Tecra A40 offers a typical set of wireless interfaces and ports, including Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 4.2, one USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port, two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A connectors, one HDMI output, a microSD card reader, a 3.5-mm connector for headsets, and a power plug. Meanwhile, like many other business-oriented laptop, the Tecra A40 comes equipped with a spill-resistant keyboard, Synaptics’ SecurePad touchpad with integrated fingerprint reader, and a webcam with IR sensors for facial recognition. On the multimedia side of things, the laptop has stereo speakers and a microphone array.
As far as battery life is concerned, Dynabook equips its Tecra A40 mobile PCs with a quad-cell 42 Wh Li-ion battery that is rated for up to 11.5 hours battery life based on MobileMark 2014 productivity test according to the company.

Dynabook's Tecra A40-E
		A40-E1420 PMZ10U-01000X
Display		14" 1920×1080 14" 1920×1080 with multitouch
CPU		Intel Core i5-8250U
Graphics		HD Graphics 620 (24 EUs)
RAM		8 GB DDR4-2400
Storage		256 GB SSD (M.2, PCIe)
Wi-Fi		Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
Bluetooth		Bluetooth 4.2
USB 3.0		2 × Type-A 1 × Type-A
GbE		1 × GbE
Card Reader		MicroSD
Fingerprint Sensor		Yes
Other I/O		HDMI, webcam with RGB + IR sensors, microphone, stereo speakers, audio jack
Battery		42 Wh
Thickness		19.9 mm (0.78 inches)
Weight		Starting at 1.47 kg (3.24 lbs)
Price		Starting at $899.99

Dynabook will start selling its Tecra A40 notebooks this November starting at $899.99. Besides the default configuration, the manufacturer will offer Build-to-Order machines featuring specifications defined by customers.

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Source: Tecra

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**FEED** · 10-29-19, 02:16 PM

NVIDIA has introduced new versions of its SHIELD TV set-top-boxes featuring an all-new design as well as based on an improved Tegra X1+ SoC. The new STBs support all the features its predecessors do and add support for Dolby Vision HDR, Dolby Atmos audio, as well as a new AI-powered upscale algorithm. With the launch of the new devices NVIDIA somewhat changes concept of its STBs as they no longer come with a gamepad.
The new NVIDIA SHIELD TV devices use the company’s new Tegra X1+ SoC that is said to be 25% faster when compared to the original one launched over four years ago. The chip essentially has the same feature set and Maxwell graphics, so games developed with the original SoC in mind will work with the new one without any problems. Meanwhile, since the Tegra X1+ is made using a more advanced process technology, this allows NVIDIA to offer the new SHIELD TV in a more compact form-factor. At the same time, the new SoC is paired with 2 GB of RAM (down from 3 GB) as well as 8 GB of NAND flash storage (down from 16 GB previously), which can be expanded using a microSD card. The SHIELD Pro has 3 GB of RAM as well as 16 GB of NAND storage, but no longer has a hard drive.

NVIDIA made its new SHIELD TV smaller than the predecessor in a bid to better compete against compact streaming media device, such as Google’s Chromecast/Chromecast Ultra. From connectivity standpoint, the new STB features Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, a GbE port, an HDMI 2.0b output with HDCP 2.2, and a microSD card slot. Meanwhile, it no longer has USB 3.0 ports, possibly to save space and simplify design. Those who need USB 3.0 should buy the SHIELD Pro with two USB Type-A ports.

NVIDIA SHIELD STB Family
		SHIELD TV (2019)	SHIELD TV Pro (2019)	SHIELD TV (2017)	SHIELD TV Pro (2017)	SHIELD Android TV (2015)
SoC		Tegra X1+		Tegra X1 (4 × Cortex A57 + 4 × Cortex A53, Maxwell 2 SMM GPU)
RAM		2 GB	3 GB	3 GB LPDDR4-3200
Storage		8 GB NAND microSD	16 GB NAND microSD USB	16 GB NAND USB	16 GB NAND 500 GB HDD microSD USB	16 GB NAND 500 GB HDD (Pro only) microSD USB
Display Connectivity		HDMI 2.0b with HDCP 2.2 (4Kp60, HDR)
Dimensions	Height	40 mm 1.57 inch	?	98 mm 3.858 inch	130 mm 5.1 inch
Width	40mm 1.57 inch	?	159 mm 6.26 inch	210 mm 8.3 inch
Depth	165 mm 6.5 inch	?	26 mm 1.02 inch	25 mm 1 inch
Weight		137 grams	?	250 grams	654 grams
Power Adapter		integrated	?	40 W
I/O	Wireless	2x2 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.1/BLE
USB	-	2 × USB 3.0		2 × USB 3.0 1 × micro-USB 2.0
IR	-	-	-	IR Receiver
Ethernet	Gigabit Ethernet
Launch Product Bundle		Shield Remote		Shield Controller Shield Remote		Shield Controller
Launch Price		$149.99	$199.99	$199.99	$299.99	Basic: $199.99 Pro: $299.99

When it comes to decoding capabilities, the new SHIELD TV can decode H.265/HEVC, VP8, VP9, H.264, MPEG1/2, H.263, MJPEG, MPEG4, and WMV9/VC1 video. Meanwhile, the STB does not support AV1 as well as VP9.2 codecs because they are not widespread at the moment. The new SHIELD TV can playback 4Kp60 HDR, 4Kp60, Full-HD 60 fps content, and can upscale 720p and 1080p content to 4Kp30 using an AI-enhanced algorithm. It is unclear whether the algorithm relies on a new hardware block that is present only inside NVIDIA’s Tegra X1+, or uses a combination of hardware and software, which means that it could be enabled on previous-generation SHIELD TV consoles too

NVIDIA's 2019 SHIELD TV STBs
Video
4K HDR at 60 FPS	H.265/HEVC
4K at 60 FPS	VP8, VP9, H.264, MPEG1/2
1080p at 60 FPS	H.263, MJPEG, MPEG4, WMV9/VC1
HDR	HDR10, Dolby Vision
Containers	Xvid/ DivX/ASF/AVI/MKV/MOV/M2TS/MPEG-TS/MP4/WEB-M
Audio
Audio Support	AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, MP3, WAVE, AMR, OGG Vorbis, FLAC, PCM, WMA, WMA-Pro, WMA-Lossless, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD (pass-through), DTS-X (pass-through), and DTS-HD (pass-through)
High-Resolution Audio Playback	up to 24-bit/192 kHz over HDMI and USB
High-Resolution Audio Upsample	up to 24-bit/192 kHz over USB

The new SHIELD TV STBs come with a redesigned SHIELD remote with improved ergonomics and more buttons. The unit has a built-in microphone for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa; motion-activated backlit buttons; Bluetooth connectivity to connect to the player; and an IR blaster to control volume and power on TVs, soundbars or receivers.

Being based on Android TV/Android 9.0 (Pie) platform, the SHIELD TV ships with a variety of content deliver apps, including Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Vudu, Google Play Movies & TV, Plex, Google Play Games, NVIDIA Games, and Google Games. End-users may install additional apps themselves if they need to.

Because of the simplified design and the lack of bundled gamepad, the new NVIDIA SHIELD TV media players are cheaper than their predecessors: the base model costs $149.99 (down from $199.99), whereas the Pro model is priced at $199.99 (down from $299.00).
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Source: NVIDIA

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**FEED** · 10-29-19, 10:42 PM

Today AMD announced their third quarter earnings for the 2019 fiscal year, and AMD has not seen revenue like this for a long time – in fact this is the highest quarterly revenue since 2005 for the company. AMD’s revenue jumped 9% year-over-year to $1.8 billion, and at least as importantly, AMD had gross margins of 43%, which is up 3% over last year, and the highest margins they’ve seen since 2012. Operating income was up 24% to $186 million, and net income was up 18% to $120 million. This resulted in earnings-per-share of $0.11, up 22% from Q3 2018.

AMD Q3 2019 Financial Results (GAAP)
	Q3'2019	Q2'2019	Q3'2018
Revenue	$1801M	$1531M	$1653M
Gross Margin	43%	41%	40%
Operating Income	$186M	$59M	$150M
Net Income	$120M	$35M	$102M
Earnings Per Share	$0.11	$0.03	$0.09

This is the first full quarter for AMD since the launch of their 7 nm Zen 2 processor, and AMD attributes the revenue growth to the Computing and Graphics, but offset by lower revenue in Enterprise, Embedded, and Semi-Custom. Revenue for the Computing and Graphics segment was up 36% year-over-year to $1.28 billion, thanks to both increased volume and Average Selling Price (ASP) for Ryzen on the desktop. GPU ASP also increased year-over-year thanks to higher channel sales. The Computing and Graphics segment had operating income of $179 million, which is up 79% from a year ago.

AMD Q3 2019 Computing and Graphics
	Q3'2019	Q2'2019	Q3'2018
Revenue	$1276M	$940M	$938M
Operating Income	$179M	$22M	$100M

Enterprise, Embedded, and Semi-Custom had revenue of $525 million for the quarter, down 27% year-over-year, mostly attributed to semi-custom sales, which makes sense since a large chunk of that is for the AMD APU powering both the Sony PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One, both of which are scheduled for new models in the next calendar year. Offsetting this was higher EPYC processor sales, although not enough of an offset to cover the semi-custom drop. Operating income for this segment was $61 million, down 29% from a year ago.

AMD Q3 2019 Enterprise, Embedded and Semi-Custom
	Q3'2019	Q2'2019	Q3'2018
Revenue	$525M	$591M	$715M
Operating Income	$61M	$89M	$86M

Finally, AMD’s All Other category reported an operating loss of $54 million, which is a 50% larger loss than a year ago.
AMD had some big news in Q3, with multiple design wins for both Ryzen and EPYC, including Cray’s Shasta supercomputer leveraging 2nd Generation EPYC, and AMD getting a big design win in the PC space with the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3.
Looking ahead to Q4, AMD is expecting revenue of $2.1 billion, plus or minus $50 million, with a Non-GAAP gross margin of approximately 44%.
Source: AMD Investor Relations

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**FEED** · 10-30-19, 10:54 AM

In the last few year’s we’ve seen an increasing amount of talk about RISC-V and it becoming real competitor to the Arm in the embedded market. Indeed, we’ve seen a lot of vendors make the switch from licensing Arm’s architecture and IP designs to the open-source RISC-V architecture and either licensed or custom-made IP based on the ISA. While many vendors do choose to design their own microarchitectures to replace Arm-based microcontroller designs in their products, things get a little bit more complicated once you scale up in performance. It’s here where SiFive comes into play as a RISC-V IP vendor offering more complex designs for companies to license – essentially a similar business model to Arm’s – just that it’s based on the new open ISA.
Today’s announcement marks a milestone in SiFive’s IP offering as the company is revealing its first ever out-of-order CPU microarchitecture, promising a significant performance jump over existing RISC-V cores, and offering competitive PPA metrics compared to Arm’s products. We’ll be taking a look at the microarchitecture of the new U8 Series CPU and how it’s built and what it promises to deliver.

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**FEED** · 10-30-19, 09:22 PM

Cray on Wednesday introduced its new ClusterStor E1000 highly-scalable storage system, which is designed for next generation exascale supercomputers as well as future datacenters that will require massive storage performance while running converged workloads. The ClusterStor E1000 uses Cray’s new global file storage system as well as a variety of storage media, including all-flash setups and mixes of hard drives and SSDs.
From a hardware point of view, Cray’s ClusterStor E1000 relies on a proprietary highly-parallel internal architecture, which in turn is based around uses purpose-engineered AMD EPYC (Rome)-based PCIe 4.0 system with 24 NVMe U.2 SSDs. The cluster then connects to an external HPC system using Cray’s 200 Gbps Slingshot, Infiniband EDR/HDR, or 100/200 Gbps Ethernet. The key peculiarity of the ClusterStor architecture is its flexibility and scalability: it can use a wide variety of hardware and storage media to offer the a range of different performance and capacity options. The highly-parallel architecture also enables ClusterStor E1000 to be used for converged workloads without any performance degradation.
On the software side of things, the ClusterStor E1000 uses Cray's next-generation global file storage system as well as their ClusterStor Data Services system, which automatically aligns the data flow in the file system with the workflow by shifting I/O operations between different tiers of storage as appropriate. At all times, applications ‘think’ that they are dealing with a high-performance all-flash array, whereas ClusterStor E1000 uses both SSDs and HDDs to offer high-enough levels of performance and maximum storage capacity. The CDS supports scripted, scheduled or policy driven placement of data to provide optimal performance for different workloads.
Cray’s entry-level ClusterStor E1000 will offer about 60 TB of usable capacity while providing around 30 GB/s throughput. When scaled to its highest performance levels, the ClusterStor E1000 will deliver up to 1.6 TB/s sequential read/write speed and up to 50,000 IOPS per rack. Clients with more than one rack will naturally get higher performance.
For general customers, Cray’s ClusterStor E1000 systems will be available starting Q1 2020. Pricing will depend on exact configurations. Specially configured ClusterStor E1000 external storage systems will be used by Cray’s upcoming Aurora, Frontier, and El Capitan exascale supercomputers, which will feature over 1.3 ExaBytes of total storage space. Furthermore, the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) will use a 30 PB all-flash ClusterStor E1000.
By launching its new ClusterStor E1000 storage platform, Cray concludes a complete redesign of its product portfolio that also encompasses Shasta supercomputers, Slingshot interconnects, and software.
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Source: Cray

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**FEED** · 10-30-19, 09:22 PM

In addition to announcing its Galaxy Book Ion notebooks, Samsung this week also introduced its convertible Galaxy Book Flex laptops. Unlike their classic counterparts, the Galaxy Book Flex PCs use Intel’s 10nm Ice Lake processors, and offer a slightly different feature set to better suited to convertibles.

Set to be available in 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch versions, Samsung’s Galaxy Book Flex convertibles come in an CNC-machined aluminum chassis with a proprietary 360-degree hinge as well as a Royal Blue finish. Typical for 2-in-1 class machines, the Galaxy Book Flex are slightly heavier when compared to conventional laptops of the same size: the 13.3-inch model weighs 1.15 kilograms, whereas the 15.6-inch model weighs starting from 1.52 kilograms. The mobile PCs are equipped with a quantum dot-enhanced QLED touch-enabled LCD featuring 600 nits brightness along with a wider-than-sRGB color gamut. Furthermore, the machines support Samsung’s Wireless PowerShare capability to charge smartphones and other Qi-compatible devices.

As noted above, Samsung’s Galaxy Book Flex notebooks are based on Intel’s 10^th Generation Core processors (Ice Lake) with UHD or Iris Plus graphics, and are accompanied by up to 16 GB of LPDDR4X memory, an NVMe/PCIe SSD with capacities up to 1TB, and an optional NVIDIA GeForce MX 250 discrete GPU with 2 GB of memory in case of the 15.6-inch model.

Being a Project Athena convertible PCs, the Galaxy Book Flex support modern connectivity and multimedia technologies, though you won't find older connectors such as GbE, USB Type-A, or DisplayPort/HDMI. On the wireless side of things, the machines offer Wi-Fi 6 as well as Bluetooth. The wired department offers two Thunderbolt 3-enabled USB-C ports, one regular USB 3.0 port, a microSD/UFS card reader, and a 3.5-mm audio jack for headsets. Samsung’s notebook also comes with a fingerprint reader, a 720p webcam, a microphone array, and stereo speakers co-designed with AKG and enhanced with an amplifier.

General Specifications of Samsung's Galaxy Book Flex
		Galaxy Book Flex 13.3-inch	Galaxy Book Flex 15.6-inch
Launch		Q4 2019	Q4 2019
Display	Type	13.3"	15.6"
Resolution	1920×1080
Brightness	600 nits	600 nits
CPU		10th Gen Intel Core (Ice Lake)
Graphics		Intel UHD Graphics Intel Iris Plus Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics Intel Iris Plus Graphics Optional: NVIDIA GeForce MX 250 2 GB
Memory		up to 16 GB DDR4
Storage	SSD primary	up to 1 TB PCIe/NVMe SSD
Card	UFS + microSD card reader
Wireless Connectivity		2x2 Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) BT
Thunderbolt 3		2 × Thunderbolt 3
USB		1 × USB 3.0 Type-C
Display Outputs		-
Webcam		720p webcam
Battery		69.7 Wh
Audio		Stereo speakers with Smart Amp 1 × microphone 1× TRRS jack
Dimensions	Width	302.6 mm \| 11.91"	355 mm \| 13.97"
Depth	202.9 mm \| 7.98"	227.2 mm \| 8.94"
Thickness	12.9 mm \| 0.5"	14.9 mm \| 0.58"
Weight		1.15 kg \| 2.53 lbs	1.52 kg \| 3.35 lbs 1.57 kg \| 3.46 lbs (w/ dGPU)

Samsung did not touch upon prices of its Project Athena-verified convertibles, but said that the notebooks will be available this December in select countries.

Source: Samsung

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**FEED** · 10-31-19, 09:14 AM

Intel has quietly added two new inexpensive processors into its Comet Lake-U lineup. The Pentium Gold 6405U and Celeron 5205U CPUs will be used for entry-level thin-and-light laptops that need one of the latest-generation processors, but are not designed for performance-demanding workloads.
Intel’s Pentium Gold 6405U and Celeron 5205U are dual-core processors that run at 2.4 GHz and 1.9 GHz, respectively. Both CPUs have TDPs of 15 Watts – the same as the rest of the Comet Lake-U family – and include 2 MB of L3 cache, Intel UHD Graphics, a dual-channel DDR4/LPDDR3 memory controller, and feature 12 PCIe 2.0 lanes for expansion. Both SKUs are considerably cheaper than the rest models in the Comet Lake series (which start at $281): the Pentium Gold 6405U processor carries a $161 recommended customer price, whereas the Celeron 5205U costs $107 when purchased in 1000-units quantities.

Intel Comet Lake-U SKUs
AnandTech	Cores	Base GHz	1C Turbo GHz	AC Turbo GHz	L3 Cache	TDP PL1	IGP UHD	IGP MHz	DDR4	LPDDR4X	Cost
i7-10710U	6C/12T	1.1	4.7	3.9	12 MB	15W	620	1150	2666	2933	$443
i7-10510U	4C/8T	1.8	4.9	4.3	8 MB	15W	620	1150	2666	2933	$409
i5-10210U	4C/8T	1.6	4.2	3.9	6 MB	15W	620	1100	2666	2933	$297
i3-10110U	2C/4T	2.1	4.1	3.7	4 MB	15W	620	1000	2666	2933	$281
Pentium 6405U	2C/4T	2.4	-	-	2 MB	15W	610?	950	2400	?	$161
Celeron 5205U	2C/2C	1.9	-	-	2 MB	15W	610?	900	2400	?	$107

Up until now, Intel’s Comet Lake-U family included only four CPUs, three of which were aimed at premium laptops. The addition of considerably cheaper processors allows Intel to address more market segments with its Comet Lake products by equipping its partners to build cheaper systems using the latest motherboard designs.
Otherwise, as is almost always the case for low-end Core SKUs, these are presumably salvage chips from Intel's operations. The new Pentium and Celeron chips are clocked lower than the Core i3-10110U, allowing Intel to put to work silicon that otherwise wouldn't have been usable as a Core i3. Which for Intel is particularly important at a time where demand for inexpensive U-series mobile CPUs is running high, helping the company please its partners who have suffered from tight supply of Intel’s 14 nm processors in the recent quarters.
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Source: Intel ARK (via SH SOTN)

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**FEED** · 10-31-19, 11:00 AM

Razer this year has been on the rampage of new product announcements, bringing dozens of devices to the market and entering new categories. Adding to the company's lineup, this week the company introduced its Hammerhead wireless earbuds, which promise to reduce the audio lag that Bluetooth headphones are typically known for. The headset is compatible with all Bluetooth devices and supports touch controls to control calls, music, and virtual assistants.
Razer’s Hammerhead True Wireless earbuds use a 13-mm driver with a 20 Hz – 20 KHz frequency response, a 32 ± 15% Ohms impedance, and a 91 ± 3 dB @ 1 kHz sensitivity; as well as an omnidirectional MEMS microphone with a -42 ± 3 dB sensitivity, a ≥55 dB signal-to-noise ratio, and a 300 Hz – 5 kHz frequency response. Each earbud is equipped with a 275 mAh rechargeable Li-Po battery, with Razer touting a battery life of up to three hours.

The headset connects to smartphones (or other devices) using ‘a customized ultra-low latency’ Bluetooth 5.0 connection that reduces lag in Gaming Mode (enabled in a special app that accompanies the product) down to 60 ms. Low latency is particularly useful for playing games and watching movies as audio that is lagging behind video is clearly annoying. Razer does not say whether the fast BT connection is enabled by a special piece of hardware, though it looks like the manufacturer has customized its BT-enabling chip and radio using firmware tweaks.

Form-factor wise, the Hammerhead are black in-ear earbuds with silicon ear sleeves that are IP4X rated for sweat and splash protected. The earbuds are not meant to block all the environment noises and they also do not feature active noise cancellation, so they perform like the majority of headsets available today. As for controls, the earbuds can detect single press, double tap, triple tap, triple tap & hold last tap, and hold for two seconds gestures to control various aspects of their operation. The gestures can be customized in a companion app for Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems.

The Hammerhead True Wireless headset comes in a charging case that can charge it for up to four times, enabling up to 16 hours of total battery life, according to the manufacturer. The case connects to its power brick using a USB Type-C cable.

Razer’s Hammerhead wireless earbuds are now available directly from the company for $99.99 in the US and €119.99 in Europe.
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Source: Razer

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**FEED** · 10-31-19, 11:00 AM

Intel likes 5.0 GHz processors. The one area where it claims a clear advantage over AMD is in its ability to drive the frequency of its popular 14nm process. Earlier this week, we reviewed the Core i9-9990XE, which is a rare auction only CPU but with 14 cores at 5.0 GHz, built for the high-end desktop and high frequency trading market. Today we are looking at its smaller sibling, the Core i9-9900KS, built in numbers for the consumer market: eight cores at 5.0 GHz. But you’ll have to be quick, as Intel isn’t keeping this one around forever. Read on for the full review.

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