Thread: Anandtech News

For everyone who has been eagerly waiting for the first laptops incorporating AMD’s monolithic Zen 4 mobile CPU, AMD sends word on a Friday afternoon that you’ll be waiting a little longer. Laptops based on AMD’s Ryzen Mobile 7040HS series CPUs have officially been delayed by a month, pushing their expected availability from March to April.
First detailed during AMD’s CES 2023 keynote, the Ryzen Mobile 7040HS series (codename Phoenix) is AMD’s first mobile-focused, monolithic die CPUs based on the Zen 4 architecture, and will be their flagship silicon for mobile devices for 2023. Besides incorporating AMD’s latest CPU architecture, Phoenix also adds into the mix an updated RDNA3 architecture iGPU, and for the first time in any AMD CPU, a dedicated AI processing block, which AMD has aptly named the Ryzen AI. All of which, in turn, is fabbed using TSMC’s 4nm process – making it the single most advanced piece of silicon out of AMD yet.

At the time of its announcement, laptops based on Phoenix were expected in March of this year (i.e. this month). However AMD has sent over a brief announcement on a sleepy Friday afternoon stating that devices based on the new chips have been pushed back a month, to April, citing “platform readiness.” AMD’s complete announcement is below:

To align with platform readiness and ensure the best possible user experience, we now expect our OEM partners to launch the first notebooks powered by Ryzen 7040HS Series processors in April.

Source: AMD PR

More...

Softened demand for PCs and smartphones coupled with NAND memory bits oversupply has sent prices of 3D NAND memory into a dive in recent quarters. In Q4, global NAND flash revenue dropped staggering 45% year-over-year and 25% quarter-over quarter, according to recent data by TrendForce. And while that dive appears to be leveling off some – TrendForces' analysts forecast that NAND prices declined more modestly in Q1 – it's still bringing NAND to its lowest per-bit costs ever. All of which has meant that SSD prices for end users have been taking a much-welcomed dive, as the core costs of building SSDs continue to decline.

More...

Aruba Instant On hardware provides an easy way to build and maintain a network to keep your retail business running smoothly.



More...

The latest Gram Style series laptops, which LG announced at CES, are available as of today at the company's website or select authorized retailers. The LG Gram Style series comes in 14-inch (14Z90RS) and 16-inch (16Z90RS) configurations, starting at $1,499 and $1,799, respectively. Renowned for their svelte and elegant exterior, LG's Gram laptops are among the best options for consumers who want a powerful and lightweight device they can carry around.
As the model name insinuates, LG's Gram Style laptops undoubtedly arrive in style. The manufacturer opted for a nano-magnesium alloy base and added flair to the keyboard and lid with Gorilla Glass 3, resulting in an iridescent finish. The disappearing touchpad is a nice touch as well. LG stuck to the same design philosophy with the Gram Style series as its previous Gram laptops. The 14-inch model has a footprint of 14 x 9.5 x 0.63 inches, whereas the larger 16-inch model checks in at 12.3 x 8.42 x 0.63 inches. Both variants weigh under 3 lbs; their dimensions and weight are comparable to the previous generation. LG only offers the Gram Style series with 16-inch and 14-inch displays, so there's no 17-inch option like prior models. The 16-inch Gram Style rocks a 16-inch panel with a 3K (3200 x 2000) resolution, while the smaller 14-inch model has a 2.8K (2880 x 1800) resolution. Both devices employ OLED displays with a DCI-P3 100% color gamut and VESA DisplayHDR 500 True Black certification; however, only the 16-inch panel comes with a 120 Hz refresh rate.
In addition to the aesthetic makeover, LG brought the LG Gram Style's hardware up to date. While previous LG Gram devices were leveraging Intel's 12th Generation Alder Lake chips, the Gram Style takes advantage of the newer Raptor Lake parts, specifically the Core i7-1360P. The Core i7-1360P is a 12-core processor with four P-cores, eight E-cores, and 18MB of L3 cache. In addition, the chip flaunts a 5 GHz boost clock on the P-cores and a 3.7 GHz boost clock on the E-cores. The Core i7-1360P belongs to Intel's Raptor Lake-P family of processors designed for ultra-thin devices, making it the perfect fit for the LG Gram Style. In addition, the Core i7-1360P has a PBP of 28W and an MTP of 64W, so it's not over-demanding on the battery.

LG Gram Style Specifications
Component	16Z90RS	14Z90RS
CPU	Intel Core i7-1360P	Intel Core i7-1360P
GPU	Intel Iris Xe	Intel Iris Xe
Display	16" 3K (3200 x 2000), 120 Hz OLED	14" 2.8K (2880 x 1800), OLED
RAM	Up to 32 GB LPDDR5 (Dual-Channel, 6000 MHz)	Up to 32 GB LPDDR5 (Dual-Channel, 6000 MHz)
Storage	Up to 1 TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD	Up to 1 TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD
Networking	Intel Wireless AX211	Intel Wireless AX211
I/O	1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 2 x USB 4 Gen 3x2 Type-C	1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 2 x USB 4 Gen 3x2 Type-C
Battery	80 Wh Li-ion	72 Wh Li-ion
Camera	FHD IR Webcam	FHD IR Webcam
Operating System	Windows 11 Home	Windows 11 Home
Dimensions (inches)	14.0 x 9.5 x 0.63	12.3 x 8.42 x 0.63
Weight	2.76 lbs (1.25 kg)	2.2 lbs (1kg)
Starting Price (USD)	$1,999 (32 GB), $1,799 (16 GB)	$1,799 (32 GB), $1,499 (16 GB)

LG lets consumers pick between 16 GB and 32 GB of memory on the LG Gram Style. The laptop utilizes LPDDR5 memory clocked at 6,000 MHz, regardless of the model. Soldered memory means there's no option for expansion; therefore, buyers must pick wisely. The LG Gram Style only comes with 1 TB of storage via an unspecified PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD. The 14-inch model with 16 GB of memory has a 512 GB SSD.
The LG Gram Style isn't generous on connectivity, but the laptop has the necessary ports. Consumers receive one USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 port and two USB 4 Gen 3x2 Type-C ports. However, LG doesn't equip the Gram Style with a discrete graphics card. As a result, the Core i7-1360P's Iris Xe iGPU takes care of the graphics duties. The iGPU still features 96 EUs, but they boost to 1.5 GHz, 100 MHz higher than the previous variant. The LG Gram Style utilizes Intel's AX211 module to offer consumers Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 wireless connectivity. The 14-inch and 16-inch LG Gram Style sport 72 Wh and 80 Wh Li-ion batteries, respectively. According to LG-provided metrics, the former offer up to 15 hours of video playback, whereas the latter drops to 12.5 hours due to the higher-specced panel.
The 14Z90RS with 16 GB and 32 GB configurations retail for $1,499 and $1,799, respectively. On the other hand, the 16Z90RS 16 GB model sells for $1,799, and the 32 GB version will set consumers back $1,999. For a limited time, consumers can purchase the 32 GB variants with the same screen size for the price of a 16 GB model. The promotion runs from March 20 to April 16.

More...

In a combination of a press release and series of tweets from CEO Pat Gelsinger, Intel this afternoon has announced a pair of significant corporate leadership changes at the company, which will impact both their Intel Foundry Services (IFS) and graphics/accelerator business segments. In brief, IFS is getting new leadership, while Intel GPU guru and chief architect Raja Koduri is leaving the company for new pastures.

More...

Along with their server part announcements today, NVIDIA is also using the backdrop of GTC to do a wholesale update of their professional visualization product stack. NVIDIA’s laptop lineup, which to date has not received any parts based on NVIDIA’s new Ada Lovelace architecture is finally getting its due, with a nearly top-to-bottom update of their whole product lineup. Altogether NVIDIA is introducing 5 new SKUs for professional laptops, from the RTX 5000 down to the RTX 2000. Meanwhile, desktop users aren’t being left out in the cold either, as NVIDIA is preparing to launch a low-profile, small form factor optimized desktop RTX 4000 Ada Generation card.



More...

In a world that has seen various security breaches at several top companies and supposedly secure companies through hackers and exploiters, the onus isn't only on software developers to keep users and businesses safe but also at the hardware level. In contrast, hardware vendors have different levels of platforms for users, workstations, servers, and whatnot; Intel's key and integrated security platform for desktops is called vPro. Intel's vPro platform isn't a new feature for their desktop and mobile platforms. Still, as ransomware and malware become more sophisticated, the underlying technologies within the platform designed to protect valuable data must also keep up.
Every time Intel launches a new desktop or mobile platform, they typically roll out an updated Intel vPro platform to match, and their 13th Gen Core series is no different. Designed to offer updated hardware-level securities to their existing 13th Gen Core series SKUs, Intel also has a new initiative that they are calling 'Ready for Refresh,' where through an in-house commissioned analysis, vPro users looking to upgrade can save up to 14% on the 5-year cost of operations per PC. Intel's 13th Gen vPro also claims up to 93% efficacy in detecting ransomware attacks in real-time through its new Intel Threat Detection technology and promising users and businesses a smooth transition to Microsoft's Windows 11 from the previous Windows 10 operating system.


More...

As the chip industry develops more sophisticated processors with higher heat dissipation requirements, some firms have moved on to chiplet-based designs. This not-so-gradual shift has resulted in chip packaging technologies becoming increasingly important. Large and highly complex chips such as Nvidia's H100 and advanced multi-chip solutions like Intel's Data Center Max GPU (Ponte Vecchio) present new requirements for packaging materials. To that end, Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) is showcasing a new development for semiconductor packages – Glass Core Substrate (GCS) – which it says can address many of those challenges.
Typically, modern chips are installed on fine pitch substrates (FPS), which are then put on multi-layer high-density interconnect (HDI) substrates. The most advanced CPU/GPU HDI substrates these days use Ajinomoto Build-up Film(ABF), which combines organic epoxy resins, hardener, and inorganic microparticle filler, according to the manufacturer. It is easy to use, and it can achieve high-density pitching (thus enabling high density metal wiring), it has insulation properties that are good enough for modern chips, high rigidity, high durability, and low thermal expansion, among other factors.

Will ABF and other organic resin-based substrates still be good enough for chiplets? Well, it's quite a challenge, as these multi-chiplet designs will be more power-hungry (and thus hotter) and require metal writing of a higher density due to the widening of memory and I/O interfaces. This increase in power requirements puts added pressure on the outlying substructure of the circuitry. Finding new materials to use within the core makeup of chips within the semiconductor industry has been a hot pursuit for many years.
One such company in the semiconductor industry is Dai Nippon Printing (DNP), and they claim that their HDI substrates with a glass core have superior properties compared to organic resin-based substrates. According to Dai Nippon, using a glass core substrate (GCS) can enable finer pitching and, therefore, extremely dense wiring because it is stiffer and less prone to expansion due to high temperatures. A schematic drawing demonstrated by DNP even omits the fine pitch substrate from the packaging altogether, implying that this part may no longer be needed.

Perhaps, most notably, DNP claims its glass core substrate can offer high through glass via (TGV) density (compatible with FPS) with a high aspect ratio. The aspect ratio, in this case, is the ratio between the thickness of the glass and the diameter of the via. As the number of vias increases and the ratio increases, the processing of substrates gets harder, and maintaining the rigidity gets more challenging.
Glass is considered more rigid than organic resin-based substrates and has several advantages, but the adhesion between glass and copper (or other metal wires) is still a major challenge in regard to bonding. The DNP-developed glass substrate has an aspect ratio of 9 and ensures adhesiveness to enable fine pitch-compatible wiring. Since there are only a few GCS thickness constraints, there is a lot of freedom when it comes to maintaining a balance between thickness, warpage, stiffness, and smoothness, the company says.

Dai Nippon Printing produces out-coupling enhancement structures for LCDs and scattering for backlighting modules, so it has vast experience with the mass production of glass-based structures. Meanwhile, DNP is not the only specialist in rigid glass applications looking ahead to the future in making HDI substrates for advanced chips or multi-chiplet solutions. Corning has been exploring this area for quite a while, though it does not look like its technology is used commercially for high-volume chips or in multi-chip-modules.
Source: Dai Nippon Printing



More...

While many components used to build a new system have and are coming down in price (except graphics), it's an excellent time to build that new gaming PC. Going prebuilt is the way forward for those who want to plug in and play without all of the hard work, and there are plenty of options on the market, from the entry-level to the high-end. One such example that looks to bridge the gap between both and aims down the middle is Lenovo, with their latest LOQ Tower 17IRB8 gaming system.
Although Lenovo is a more prominent force in their notebook offerings, at CES 2023, they unveiled their range of prebuilt Legion gaming PCs for the high-end market. For those without deep pockets but still looking to play the latest PC titles, Lenovo has a new gaming-focused range called LOQ. Lenovo LOQ targets the mid-range market and has unveiled its first new prebuilt gaming PC from the series, the Lenovo LOQ Tower 17IRB8.

Catering to the mid-range with a more accessible price point for most users, the LOQ Tower 17IRB8 can be customized with support for up to an Intel Core i7-13700. While the LOQ Tower 17IR8B doesn't feature any overclockable K-series chips, the svelte 17-liter blue accented black micro-ATX frame combined with more affordable parts means that cooling could pose an issue. Instead, the LOQ Tower 17RB8 opts for up to and including Intel's 65 W Core i7-13700 processors and can be paired with 32 GB of DDR4-3200 memory.
Focusing on graphics support, Lenovo advertises NVIDIA's latest GeForce RTX 4000 series graphics but hasn't mentioned which cards it will support; this will likely be around the GeForce RTX 4070 level or maybe the RTX 4070 Ti. For storage, the Lenovo LOQ 17RB8 can be equipped with up to 1 TB of PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 and two 2TB SATA HDDs, although this will add extra cost to the overall price.
Regarding I/O options, the Lenovo LOQ 17RB8 includes four USB 2.0, one 2.5 GbE, one HDMI 1.4b video output, and a single green 3.5 mm audio out jack. There's one 3.5 mm combo audio jack on the front panel, one USB 3.2 G2 Type-C, and two USB 3.2 Type-A ports. The LOQ 17RB8 also features a Wi-Fi 6E CNVi supports the 6 GHz band and BT 5.2 devices.
Gallery: Lenovo Launches LOQ Tower 17IRB8: An Affordable Pre-Built With Intel 13th Gen


As with all of Lenovo's Legion desktops, Windows 11 comes preinstalled as standard, with three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to sweeten the deal. Pricing on the Lenovo LOQ 17RB8 starts at $980 and isn't expected to hit retail shelves in North America until the fall.



More...

Intel and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation have announced this evening that Gordon Moore, Intel’s famous co-founder and grandfather to much of the modern chip industry, has passed away. According to the company he passed peacefully at his home in Hawaii, surrounded by his family.


More...