Anandtech News

**FEED** · 11-07-19, 04:07 PM

Intel this week initiated end-of-life plan for two of its 2^nd Generation Xeon Scalable (Cascade Lake) processors, possibly in a bid to reduce the number of SKUs in the new family. The CPUs in question are the Xeon Gold 6222 as well as Xeon Gold 6262 and Intel recommends to use different versions of these products instead.
Intel’s 20-core Xeon Gold 6222 (1.80/3.60 GHz, 27.5 MB cache) and 24-core Xeon Gold 6262 (1.9/3.6 GHz, 33 MB cache) processors with two UPI links were not officially a part of the Cascade Lake family introduced in April and were probably available to select customers only. Meanwhile, Intel’s lineup did include the Xeon Gold 6222V and Xeon Gold 6262V products that featured the same specification in terms of core count, frequency, cache size, TDP, and other, but had three UPI links to enable more versatile 4P configurations. In fact, according to Intel’s ARK database, the CPUs even carry the same tray pricing as the V counterparts.

Intel Xeon Scalable 6222 & 6262 Vs. 6222V & 6262V
		Cores	Base Freq	Turbo Freq	L3 Cache (MB)	TDP (W)	Optane DCPMM	UPI Links	Price (1ku)
Xeon Gold 6200
6262	V	24	1.9	3.6	33.0	135	Yes	3	$2900
6262		24	1.9	3.6	33.0	135	Yes	2	$2900
6222	V	20	1.8	3.6	27.5	115	Yes	3	$1600
6222		20	1.8	3.6	27.5	115	Yes	2	$1600

By EOLing the Xeon Gold 6222 and Xeon Gold 6262 CPUs, Intel reduces pressure on its manufacturing network as it no longer has to disable an additional UPI link inside these chips or even find silicon that has a broken UPI interface. Ultimately, having fewer SKUs is easier to manage.
Those Intel customers who need the Xeon Gold 6222 and Xeon Gold 6262 processors are advised to place their orders by December 27, 2019. The final CPUs will be shipped by November 6, 2020. Meanwhile, the Xeon Gold 6222V and Xeon Gold 6262V will continue to ship onwards.
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Source: Intel

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**FEED** · 11-07-19, 04:07 PM

Having released multiple docking stations for working in studios and offices, OWC this week introduced a new dock designed for digital imaging technicians who need a vast collection of connection options. The 10-in-1 Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock has all the ports necessary to attach devices commonly used by creative professionals, including displays, DAS, and high-speed local networks.
According to OWC, their Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock was designed primarily for digital imaging professionals, so it has a DisplayPort 1.2 connector as well as an additional Thunderbolt 3 port to plug in two 4K monitors (or one 5K display). The docking station also has a CFast 2.0 and a SD 4.0 card reader to extract data from appropriate memory cards speeds at up to 370 MB/s. Furthermore it can connect to an eSATA (with port multiplier support) or TB3 DASes using appropriate headers.

The dock also comes with a 10 GbE port and three USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) connectors to plug in various peripherals like a mouse, a keyboard, and specialized controllers.

Meanwhile the dock comes with an external 150 W PSU, giving it ample power to drive all of the devices connected. This includes the host notebook, where the dock can provide up to 60W – which is plenty for a 13.3-inch machine, but under load will be right on the knife's edge for 15.6-inch laptops, which typically ship with ~80W adapters. Meanwhile, to ensure stable operation under high workloads, the device has a fan, which can be temporarily turned off using a switch to eliminate unwanted noises during filming.
OWC’s Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock is available now directly from the company and from Amazon for an MSRP of $339.99.

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Source: OWC

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**FEED** · 11-07-19, 09:52 PM

Razer has announced its new flagship Basilisk Ultimate wireless gaming mouse aimed at esports and FPS gamers. The Basilisk Ultimate uses Razer’s latest sensor, latest optical switches, and features a HyperSpeed wireless connectivity technology that promises an ultra-low lag. To make the mouse catch eyes, it features 14 RGB lighting zones that can be programmed using the company’s software.
The Razer Basilisk Ultimate is based on the company’s in-house designed Focus+ optical sensor featuring a 20,000 SPI precision, a 650 IPS maximum speed, and a 50G acceleration. The sensor is paired with an SoC that enables multiple features which improve its accuracy and cut down response time of this wireless mouse. In particular, the Smart Tracking capability automatically calibrates the sensor across different surfaces; the Motion Sync aligns polling rates of the host PC, receiver, and sensor to reduce input lag; whereas the Asymmetric Cut-off further improves precision by setting an accurate lift-off distance.

Besides the proprietary Focus+ sensor, the Razer Basilisk Ultimate also uses the company’s own HyperSpeed wireless technology that uses a 4 GHz band and a special dongle as well as features the Adaptive Frequency Hopping that scans interconnection channels and switches to the one with the lowest interferences to ensure the lowest lag. Meanwhile, it is possible that HyperSpeed also optimizes lag on the software side of things, though Razer does not talk about it.

When it comes to ergonomics, the Basilisk Ultimate is a right-handed mouse with a scrolling wheel as well as 11 programmable controls (onboard or cloud storage). Sensitivity of the device can be adjusted on the fly using a special paddle on the left side of the unit, a common feature on contemporary gaming mice.

Razer’s Basilisk Ultimate will be available directly from the company as well as from its retain partners starting from November 6. The mouse itself will cost $149.99/€169.99, the mouse with its dock will be priced at $169.99/€189.99, whereas the dock sold separately will carry a $49.99/€59.99 price tag. Without the dock, the Basilisk Ultimate can be charged using a micro-USB cable that also enables the mouse’s wireless mode for the lowest lag possible.
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Source: Razer

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**FEED** · 11-07-19, 09:52 PM

We’re back with another giveaway for the month of November, this time from Patriot memory. For this latest giveaway, the company has put together a prize pack containing several items from their Viper Gaming product family, including a mechanical keyboard and an audio headset.
Headlining the package is Patriot’s Viper V765 keyboard. The mechanical keyboard is based on Kailh switches and ticks all of the features you’d expect for a gaming-focused keyboard, including programmable macro keys and an aluminum chassis. And of course, the keyboard features copious amounts of RGB lighting to round out its feature set.

RGB lighting can also be found on the Viper V370 headset, which is also a part of the prize package. This is a USB headset with a fold-down boom mic, as well as 7.1 channel virtual surround. And to go with the headset, Patriot is also including their USB hub-equipped headset stand.
Finally, rounding out the package is a 256GB Viper Fang USB flash drive. The USB 3.1 Gen 1 drive is rated for write speeds up to 200 MB/second.
The giveaway is running through November 22^nd and is open to all US residents (sorry, ROW!). You can enter below, and you can find more details (and the full discussion) about the giveaway over on the AnandTech Forums.
AnandTech Patriot Viper Gaming Giveaway

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**FEED** · 11-08-19, 09:47 AM

Earlier this year, Alienware launched its Area 51m laptop, a high end desktop replacement (DTR) class laptop. Now, living up to the idea of being a proper replacement to a desktop, the company has started selling GeForce RTX 2070/2080 GPU upgrade kits for the laptop. The graphics modules come in Dell’s proprietary Dell Graphics Form-Factor (DGFF) and include a cooler as well as installation by the company’s technician.
Upgrading laptops is always a challenge for many reasons, but upgrading notebooks that use proprietary components has always been particularly tricky, especially due to a lack of standardization. Early this year Alienware introduced its 17-inch Area 51m machine that can challenge many desktops in terms of performance and upgradeability as it uses a socketed desktop-class CPU, regular SO-DIMMs, standard storage devices, but it also a proprietary form factor GeForce RTX graphics module. Fortunately, this week Dell fulfilled its promise and started selling upgrade kits for the DTR notebook.
Right now, Dell offers two upgrade kits based on NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 2070 and RTX 2080 GPUs, which are aimed at laptops that originally came with GeForce RTX 2070 or RTX 2060. Each kit contains a DGFF module with the GPU and memory, an advanced CryoTech 2.0 cooling system with seven heat pipes, and a matching power brick. Furthermore, the price includes installation service by a Dell technician.

The Alienware Area 51m DGFF upgrade kits are far from cheap as we are dealing with low volume products that require professional labor to install. The GeForce RTX 2070 upgrade is available for $1,038.99, whereas the GeForce RTX 2080 is officially priced at $1,638.99 – though it is currently available for $1,138.99.
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Source: Alienware

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**FEED** · 11-08-19, 02:03 PM

Nixeus this week took the wraps off its latest curved ultrawide NX-EDG34 gaming display, which blends together a large size, a WQHD resolution, a 144 Hz maximum refresh rate, and AMD’s FreeSync dynamic refresh rate technology. At present, only a few monitors can boast the same combination of features that the EDG34 has to offer, so it will be in a rather unique position when it becomes available.
The Nixeus NX-EDG34 display builds upon a curved VA panel with a 3440×1440 resolution, and is capable of reaching 350 nits typical brightness (400 nits in HDR mode), a 3000:1 contrast ratio, a 21:9 aspect ratio, 178°/178° viewing angles, and a 4 ms GtG response time. In terms of refresh rates, the monitor's maximum rate is 144 Hz, and in variable refresh mode it operates in a 48 Hz – 144 Hz range. The LCD can display 16.7 million colors and supports an HDR mode, which suggests a wider-than-sRGB color gamut.

Because the Nixeus NX-EDG34 is designed for gamers, it naturally features multiple inputs to connect a PC (or two) and a couple of game consoles, so it has two DisplayPorts 1.4 and two HDMI 2.0 ports. It is also equipped with a headphone jack.

From design standpoint, the Nixeus NX-EDG34 has very thin bezels on three sides as well as red LEDs on the backside to emphasize gaming nature of the device. Nixeus will offer two versions of its new monitor: the NX-EDG34S with a stand that can adjust tilt as well as the NX-EDG34 that can adjust both tilt and height.

Nixeus NX-EDG34 Displays
	NX-EDG34 NX-EDG34S
Panel	34" VA
Native Resolution	3440 × 1440
Brightness	350 cd/m² typical 400 cd/m² HDR
Contrast	300:1
Maximum Refresh Rate	144 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate	AMD FreeSync 48 Hz ~ 144 Hz
Response Time	4 ms GtG
Viewing Angles	178°/178° horizontal/vertical
Curvature	1500R
Pixel Pitch	0.233 mm
Pixel Density	110 ppi
Anti-Glare Coating	?
Inputs	2 × DisplayPort 2 × HDMI 2.0
USB Hub	No
Stand	NX-EDG34: height and tilt adjustable NX-EDG34S: tilt adjustable 75x75 VESA mount
Audio	headphone output
Launch Price	$500 ~ $550

Nixeus will start shipments of its NX-EDG34S display in late November or early December, depending on the retailer. At present, the monitor can be pre-ordered for $499.99 from Newegg or for $551.15 from Amazon.
As an aside, while 34-inch ultrawide WQHD displays are gaining traction, there are just a few gaming monitors from popular brands that feature a 3440×1440 resolution with high refresh rate (i.e., 100 and higher). In fact, the only product that has the same specs as the EDG 34 is Xiaomi’s Mi Surface Display that was introduced back in October, but that is only available in China (and we do not know if and when it will be sold in other countries). Another, similar monitor is MSI’s Optix MAG341CQ, that has just a 100 Hz refresh rate and is priced at $428.99. Finally, there is Dell’s latest Alienware 34 LCD with as an IPS panel and a 120 Hz refresh rate, but it is priced at a whopping $1499.99. All things considered, the Nixeus NX-EDG34 will be in a unique position in the US at least for a while before other makers adopt the same LCD panel.
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Source: Nixeus

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**FEED** · 11-08-19, 02:03 PM

Dynabook, formerly Toshiba's PC division, has been pretty energetic with announcements recently, marking its return to active life and attempt to address certain market segments with unique products. This week the company introduced its new T8 and T9 laptops for multimedia enthusiasts, which feature a rare 16.1-inch display as well as an integrated Blu-ray/DVD burner.
Dynabook’s T8 and T9 notebooks come in Stylish Blue or Satin Gold chassis made of thick plastic that measures 379×256.5×23.7 mm — similar dimensions to a mainstream 15.6-inch class laptop. The laptop features a 16.1-inch Full-HD IPS display, which offers a larger screen real estate that the company hopes will provide a slightly more immersive entertainment experience. To further improve the system's multimedia capabilities, Dynabook’s T8 and T9 systems are equipped with stereo speakers by Onkyo that are located under the display and are enhanced with DTS software that adds Dynamic Wide Sound capability.

The innards of Dynabook’s T8/T9 laptops are pretty typical for this class of machines (except for the ODD, of course). The notebooks pack Intel’s quad-core Core i7-8565U processor with UHD 620 Graphics, 8 GB or 16 GB of DDR4-2400 memory (T8 and T9 models, respectively), a 256 GB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD, a 1 TB 5400 RPM hard drive, and a Blu-ray drive that is compatible with BD XL discs.

On the connectivity side of matters, the Dynabook T8/T9 features Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5, GbE, three USB 3.0 Type-A connectors, a USB Type-C port, an HDMI 1.4 output, an SD card reader, and a 3.5-mm audio connector for headsets. The laptop also offers a 720p webcam with IR sensors for Windows Hello face recognition, a microphone array, a full-size keyboard with a 19-mm key pitch and a numpad.

When it comes to battery life, Dynabook claims that its T8/T9 laptops will work for up to 9 hours on one charge based on JEITA 2.0 run time measurement method.

Dynabook's T8 and T9
	T8	T9
Display	16.1" 1920×1080
CPU	Intel Core i7-8565U
Graphics	HD Graphics 620 (24 EUs)
RAM	8 GB DDR4-2400	16 GB DDR4-2400
SSD	256 GB SSD (M.2, PCIe 3.0 x4)
HDD	1 TB 5400 RPM HDD
ODD	Blu-ray burner, compatible with DVD, BD, BD XL media
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5
USB 3.0	3 × Type-A 1 × Type-C
GbE	1 × GbE
Card Reader	SD
Other I/O	HDMI 1.4, 720p webcam with RGB + IR sensors, microphone, stereo speakers by Onkyo, audio jack
Battery	up to 9 hours
Dimensions	Width: 379 mm Depth: 256.5mm Thickness: 23.7 mm
Weight	Starting at 2.4 kg
Price	$1,920 without VAT in Japan

Dynabook will start sales of its T8 and T9 laptops in Japan some time in mid-December. The T9 model will cost ¥210,000 without tax (about $1,920). It is unclear whether Dynabook will offer T8 and T9 machines outside of Japan as the unique value proposition offered by the laptop — an enlarged 16.1-inch Full-HD IPS display and Blu-ray disc playback — makes a great sense in Japan, but may get a lackluster welcome in other countries.
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Sources: Dynabook, PC Watch

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**FEED** · 11-11-19, 09:30 AM

Microsoft has started sales of its HoloLens 2 mixed reality smart glasses. Aiming to be a significant upgrade over its predecessor in both field and overall performance, the second generation of the company's head-mounted computer is geared primarily towards enterprise organizations, where Microsoft and its partners are continuing to experiment with and develop practical applications for augmented reality in the workplace.
From a tech perspective, Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 isn't a radical departure from the original HoloLens in terms of features and basic design goals, but as a second-generation product Microsoft has put a lot of work into improving the technology and the user experience. HoloLens 2's visual system offers a 52º diagonal field-of-view (up from 34º) with a resolution of 47 pixels per degree on its MEMS display. Under the hood, it is based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 850 as well as Microsoft’s custom holographic processing unit (HPU) 2.0 chips, which should offer a drastically higher performance than the previous-generation hardware. Finally, the product features better ergonomics and revamped interaction model with full-blown hand tracking and improved visuals.

As noted above, the HoloLens 2 is still focused primarily on businesses and organizations that can take advantage of the device in their workflows. Microsoft will continue to support the original HoloLens, but customers can now deploy the improved version.

Microsoft offers three options to buy its HoloLens 2. The a stand-alone HoloLens 2 device with Windows 10 Holographic is available from select resellers for $3,500. The HoloLens Development Edition with Windows 10 Holographic, a $500 credit for Azure (including mixed reality services), and Unity Pro & PiXYZ Plugins (with a three-months license) pre-installed can be purchased for $3,500 (or $99 per month). Finally, there is HoloLens 2 with Remote Assist version for enterprises that comes with Windows 10 Holographic and Dynamics 365 Remote Assist that can be had for $125 per user per month.