Thread: Anandtech News

Just a couple of days ago, Windows 10 was launched for the PC and the rollout is underway. But that is just a single aspect of Windows 10, and one of the other devices that will get the Windows 10 treatment is the Xbox One. The latest generation gaming console from Redmond originally launched with Windows 8 at its core, and like all Windows 8 devices it is going to get the Windows 10 treatment.
Microsoft fist showed off the new interface back at E3, and today at gamescom 2015 a release date was announced for November. This will bring a lot of new capabilities to the Xbox One, but the most obvious will be the new user interface. The style has certainly morphed from the Windows 8 Metro design language to what is now available in Windows 10, and the new look is certainly sharp.

There will also be some changes to some of the Xbox One’s experiences, such as the OneGuide. I do run my cable box through my Xbox One, but I have never been happy with the OneGuide that is available now, so I’m looking forward to seeing these changes. The new guide will be a key piece of the Xbox DVR functionality coming next year. Xbox One will also have a Watch section in select regions where it will pull together movies and TV shows across services, including live TV, Netflix, and HBO Go, to make discovery easier.
The Store is also getting a makeover, as it did in Windows 10. With the new Windows 10 framework, Xbox One should be able to install Microsoft’s apps created with the universal app platform, assuming the dev does the UI work to make it function on the Xbox One and its unique inputs of a controller, and possibly Kinect.
With Windows 10 on Xbox One, Cortana will also be making her way to the console to let you do natural language inputs on the Xbox One, though this will require the Kinect for the audio input. Cortana will first be available in the USA and UK on the Xbox One, but the number of countries slated to get Cortana on Windows 10 has been increased over the last couple of weeks so it would make sense for it to then roll out to the Xbox.
For those that need to do a lot of text chat, the Xbox One is also getting a new accessory called the Xbox Chatpad which lets you snap a keyboard onto the Xbox One controller.

The Xbox One has been getting some pretty solid monthly software updates since it was launched, and the November update should be the biggest yet.
Source: Xbox Wire

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Today Seagate is announcing a new product aimed squarely at the console market, and specifically at the Xbox brand. Seagate partnered with Microsoft to create the Xbox branded Game Drive for Xbox. Console games have been getting larger and larger, with games like Call of Duty coming in around 55 GB with expansions and add-ons. The original Xbox One was released with only 500 GB of internal storage, and of that, only about 360 GB is usable.

Seagate has a solution, and one that comes at a perfect time since the Xbox One is gaining the ability to record television, and that can burn up a lot of space in a hurry. The 2TB Game Drive for Xbox is a USB 3.0 based external drive. Now, before we get any further, it needs to be pointed out that the Xbox One will work with any USB 3.0 based hard drive, but Seagate is the only company to provide one that is licensed and endorsed with the Xbox branding.

The distinctive Xbox green means that you will never be in doubt what this drive is for, and the capacity should let you store around 50 or more games on it, and then you can take them with you if you need to play on another console.
The 2TB model will have a MSRP of $109.99, and be available from GameStop, Best Buy, Amazon, and other retailers. If you want to add some Xbox branding to your storage, the price premium over a less attractive model should not be too much.
Source: Seagate

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We’re back again for the final phase of our inaugural Build-A-Rig Challenge, the performance showdown. For the showdown we have run the assembled Zotac and Corsair systems through our benchmark suite in order to document their performance and crown a winner. With a $1500 price tag and a loosely defined goal of putting together a solid gaming system, Zotac and Corsair have submitted designs that are both alike and divergent at times, an excellent showcase of the many different ways one can build a gaming system. Now we get to see how they perform, and better yet give them away.

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It’s the Intel review you’ve been waiting for. Today is the launch of the first two CPUs from Intel’s Skylake architecture, the 6^th Generation Core i7-6700K and the Core i5-6600K. With the new processors we get a new architecture, a new socket, the move to DDR4 and the potential to increase both performance and efficiency in one. A lot of readers have asked the question – is it time to upgrade? We had a CPU or two in to test to answer that question.

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Along with the launch of the two Skylake-K processors today, we also have a raft of new motherboards to go with them. The Skylake processors use the LGA 1151 socket (which is new) combined with the Z170 chipset, meaning every motherboard manufacturer has been developing and putting together a whole stack of products to meet different price points and demand. The Z170 chipset itself represents a large jump in terms of IO design, driven by the growing need for diversification and utility on modern platforms.


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Security updates on mobile operating systems have typically been bundled inside larger patches that include other bug fixes and improvements. Unfortunately, the world of security exploits isn't tuned to a company's release schedule, which can leave devices and platforms vulnerable to exploits for long periods of time. Microsoft recognized this issue long ago and has since used Windows Update to roll out regular security patches when needed. With the growth of mobile, more attention is now being placed on the security of smartphones and tablets.
Google appears to have come to the same realization as Microsoft, and today they announced that they will start pushing monthly security updates over the air to Nexus devices that are still within their support timeframe. The list of supported devices includes the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 7 (both generations), Nexus 10, and Nexus Player. In addition to security fixes, the monthly OTA updates will include general bug fixes, but the focus is primarily on security improvements.
The first monthly patch for Nexus devices is rolling out today, although as usual it may take some time to get to your device due to Google's staged rollout system.

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Most of our US and Canada based readers that are involved with PC gaming are highly likely to have heard of ORIGIN PC, the company that specializes on building custom systems exclusively focused on gaming. They are also known for their US-based operation and support. Our first review of their products systems was the Genesis gaming PC, over four years ago. Ever since then, Origin PC expanded to the design of professional systems and laptops, as well as the marketing of gaming peripherals. It is one of these new peripherals that we will be having a look at in this capsule review, the Origin PC BlackWidow Chroma gaming mechanical keyboard.

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After a very public development process over the last couple of years, this year we have seen the consumer release of virtual reality headsets become a matter of when, not if. The launch of the first generation of consumer VR headsets is now just a quarter away, and as software and hardware developers move out of the experimentation phase and into the production phase, we are seeing the complete VR ecosystem take shape. The hardware is coming along, the games are in development, and now the first benchmarks are being announced.
This morning benchmark developer Basemark and game engine developer Crytek are announcing that the two of them are partnering together to develop a new dedicated VR benchmark. In a presentation aptly named “Can it Run VR?” Basemark and Crytek have laid out their goals for the benchmark, which will be built around Crytek’s CRYENGINE. The two companies will be developing a full AAA quality VR benchmark for PCs running on top of DirectX 12, with the end product to be a “real-world” benchmark thanks to its use of a commercial game engine. Crytek for their part are no strangers to VR, with CRYENGINE already powering the Back to Dinosaur Island VR Tech demo.

For their benchmark, Basemark and Crytek are looking to evaluate several aspects of VR. Along with the expected look at framerates – Oculus has been pushing 90Hz – Basemark has also stated that the VR benchmark will have the capability to measure latency, both for inputs and displays. Latency has been a big focus point for the first generation headsets due to the fact that it is so crucial in causing/combating motion sickness, so the fact that the benchmark will incorporate testing for it may very well be the most important feature of this benchmark. Having a neutral 3^rd party provide a standardized latency test will go a long way towards not just comparing headsets, but helping manufacturers improve them as well. Meanwhile, Basemark and Crytek have also mentioned that they will be looking at additional tests further down the line, including headset image quality and dynamic range.

Finally, while the benchmark is being announced today, the nature of the announcement makes us believe that the benchmark is still in early development. As part of their press release Basemark is including a call to action, inviting interested companies to sign up and participate in the development of the benchmark. As a result no firm date is attached to the project right now, but it’s a safe bet that this is going to be a 2016 release.
Gallery: Basemark VR Benchmark Presentation





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After languishing in relative obscurity for a few decades, mechanical keyboards have exploded in popularity in recent years. Almost every maker of input devices for computers has joined the trend with at least one or two mechanical keyboards, several new suppliers have introduced their own brands of key switches, and the existing players have updated their products to suit the needs of their new customers.
The leading supplier of mechanical keyboard switches is Cherry, whose MX switches have been on the market since 1983. The different variants of MX switches offer differences in stiffness, tactile response, and audible clicking. All the switches share common interfaces for mounting the switches to the keyboard and attaching the keys themselves to the switches, so a keyboard manufacturer can easily produce several similar products to suit different tastes. The switch variants are identified by the color of the plastic stem that key caps attach to; blue, brown, black, and red are the most common.
This week Cherry is introducing quieter versions of some of their switches. In these quieter switches the colored plastic slide at the heart of the switch will now be made with a double-shot injection molding process to integrate a shock absorber made from a rubbery thermoplastic elastomer. This will soften the impact and dampen the noise produced when the key stroke bottoms out or springs back to the top. Previously, users bothered by the noise of bottoming out could add rubber O-rings or foam pads around the key stem to catch the key on its way down, but installing them as an aftermarket modification is tedious and it slightly reduces the key's range of travel.

Cherry MX Switches
	MX Black	MX Black Silent	MX Red	MX Red Silent
Activation Force	60cN	60cN	45cN	45cN
Key Travel	4mm	3.7mm	4mm	3.7mm
Actuation Rating	50M	50M	50M	50M

The Cherry MX Silent switches will reduce or eliminate the need for O-rings and also provide the first effective way to reduce the click that can occur when a key is released. Cherry will initially be making Silent versions of the MX Black and MX Red switches, both of which feature a linear actuation force, with activation thresholds of 60 cN and 45 cN respectively. The Silent switches will be available with both the traditional opaque plastic housing and the newer translucent housing designed to allow surface-mounted LEDs to shine through on boards that offer customizable RGB backlighting. Key travel is reduced from 4mm to 3.7mm, but the other specs are unchanged, including the rating for 50 million actuations.

Corsair was Cherry's exclusive partner for the introduction of the Cherry MX RGB switches in 2014, and for this launch Corsair gets six months of exclusive access to the Silent switches. The first product using the new MX Silent switches will be the Corsair STRAFE RGB Silent, which will be available for pre-order this month with a MSRP of $159.99 and will ship in October.
Gallery: Corsair and Cherry Introduce New, Quieter Mechanical Keyboard Switches

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Today NVIDIA released its quarterly results for the second quarter of their fiscal year 2016 (yes, 2016) and they had excellent sales of their GeForce GPUs, but have decided to write down their Icera modem business, which hit their operating expenses to the tune of around $90 million. Revenue for the quarter was up 5% though as compared to Q2 2015, and came in at $1.153 billion for the quarter. On a GAAP basis, gross margin was 55%, down 110 bps over last year and down 170 bps since last quarter. Net income was just $26 million, down 81% sequentially and 80% year-over-year. This resulted in diluted earnings per share of $0.05, down 77% from Q2 2015’s $0.22.

NVIDIA Q2 2016 Financial Results (GAAP)
	Q2'2016	Q1'2016	Q2'2015	Q/Q	Y/Y
Revenue (in millions USD)	$1153	$1151	$1103	flat	+5%
Gross Margin	55.0%	56.7%	56.1%	-1.7%	-1.1%
Operating Expenses (in millions USD)	$558	$477	$456	+17%	+22%
Net Income	$26	$134	$128	-81%	-80%
EPS	$0.05	$0.24	$0.22	-79%	-77%

A big factor in this was the write down of their Icera modem division. NVIDIA had been looking for a buyer for their modem unit, but was unable to find a suitable buyer for the business and is therefore winding down operations in this unit. This caused a hit of $0.19 per diluted share. Also during the quarter, NVIDIA announced a recall of their SHIELD tablets due to overheating batteries, and there have been two cases of property damage due to this. This caused another hit of $0.02 per diluted share. They also had $24 million in expenses related to the Samsung and Qualcomm lawsuit.

NVIDIA Q2 2016 Financial Results (Non-GAAP)
	Q2'2016	Q1'2016	Q2'2015	Q/Q	Y/Y
Revenue (in millions USD)	$1153	$1151	$1103	flat	+5%
Gross Margin	56.6%	56.9%	56.4%	-0.3%	+0.2%
Operating Expenses (in millions USD)	$421	$425	$412	-1%	+2%
Net Income	$190	$187	$173	+2%	+10%
EPS	$0.34	$0.33	$0.30	+3%	+13%

NVIDIA’s non-GAAP results “exclude stock-based compensation, product warranty charge, acquisition-related costs, restructuring and other charges, gains and losses from non-affiliated investments, interest expense related to amortization of debt discount, and the associated tax impact of these items, where applicable” which means that they do not reflect either the Icera write-down, nor the tablet recall. On a non-GAAP basis, gross margin was up 20 bps to 56.6%, with net income up 10% to $190 million. Diluted earnings per share were $0.34, up 13% from Q2 2015’s $0.30 non-GAAP numbers. Despite a significant write-down and a recall, the core business is still doing very well.
For the quarter, NVIDIA paid out $52 million in dividends and repurchased $400 million in stock.
What is driving growth right now is its GPU business. Revenue for GeForce GPUs grew 51%, and NVIDIA has continued to see strength in the PC gaming sector. Fueled by the release of the GTX 980 and GTX 980 Ti, sales of high-end GTX GPUs “grew significantly” year-over-year. The Titan X would certainly fall in there as well, although unlikely at as high of volume. Maxwell has been a very strong performer, and gamers tend to go where the performance is. Souring the results somewhat is a decline in Tesla GPU sales, as well as Quadro GPU sales. Overall, GPU revenue was up 9% year-over-year to $959 million. Even as NVIDIA has tried to diversify with SoCs, their GPU business is still almost 85% of the company.
NVIDIA has found a niche in the automotive infotainment world, and that that area is still strong for them. Tegra has not taken off in the tablet or smartphone space in any meaningful way, but there was still growth in the automotive sales for Tegra. Overall Tegra processor revenue was down 19% year-over-year, which is mainly due to Tegra OEM smartphones and tablets. NVIDIA’s own Tegra sales in the Shield helped offset this loss somewhat, but as the recall filings showed, they only sold 88,000 SHIELD tablets. Margins are likely helped by the fact that they run their own SoC in it though.
NVIDIA’s “Other” segment is a fixed 66 million licensing payment from Intel, and as always, that is flat and does not change. This is from the 2011 settlement of a licensing dispute, and will end in 2017.

NVIDIA Quarterly Revenue Comparison (GAAP)
In millions	Q2'2016	Q1'2016	Q2'2015	Q/Q	Y/Y
GPU	$959	$940	$878	+2%	+9%
Tegra Processor	$128	$145	$159	-12%	-19%
Other	$66	$66	$66	flat	flat

For Q3 2016, NVIDIA is expecting revenue to be $1.18 billion, plus or minus 2%, with margins of 56.2% to 56.5%.
NVIDIA is obviously a giant in the GPU space, and that is going very well for them. Sales are very strong, and PC gaming has been a strong point in an otherwise weakening PC market. They are attempting to diversify to mobile, but have found out just how difficult that can be, and had to write down their modem division completely. Without a good integrated modem, it will be difficult to gain traction in the smartphone space, but NVIDIA’s current SoC offerings don’t seem well suited to smartphones anyway. Their strength in GPU knowledge has certainly helped them with the GPU side of the equation, but their first attempt at CPU design has not been as strong. We shall see what their plans are for the SoC space going forward, but for now they are riding a wave of strong GPU sales, and that is a good thing for NVIDIA.
Source: NVIDIA Investor Relations

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