Anandtech News

**FEED** · 08-21-19, 03:11 PM

Among the many laptop families receiving updates today in line with the launch of Intel's 10th gen Core CPUs, Dell has introduced its all-new Inspiron 13 7391-series laptop. The latest Inspiron 13 brings together Intel’s Comet Lake processors, NVIDIA’s discrete GPUs, a spill-resistant keyboard, and an ultra-low weight. In a bid to keep the laptop weight at 955 grams, Dell had to omit usage of a touch-enabled or a 4K display panel, but those who need the lightest notebook possible should find the trade-off worth it.
At the heart of the Inspiron 7391-series is Intel’s 10th gen Core i5/i7 processors, accompanied by NVIDIA’s GeForce MX 250 graphics processor with 2 GB vRAM, up to 8 GB of soldered-down system DRAM, and an M.2 PCIe SSD featuring capacities ranging from 128 GB to 1 TB. The laptop has multiple sensors to determine whether it is used on the desk, in hands, or on lap tops, in a bid to apply appropriate thermal profile to the situation.

The Inspiron 7391 laptop is equipped with a 13.3-inch Full-HD non-touch display panel with thee-sided narrow bezels as well as Dell’s TrueLife LED backlighting. Dell does not disclose the type of LCD it uses, yet it says that it features wide viewing angles. One interesting feature of the monitor is its lid-open sensor that turns on the laptop even when it is completely shut down.

When it comes to connectivity, Dell's latest laptop offers 802.11ac Wi-Fi, one USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port with DisplayPort, one USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, one HDMI 1.4 port, a microSD card reader, a 3.5-mm connector for headsets, and a power plug. Multimedia capabilities of the notebook include a Windows Hello-capable webcam, stereo speaker, a microphone array, a Windows Hello-supporting fingerprint reader, and other essentials.
The Dell Inspiron 7391-series comes in a chassis made of a painted magnesium alloy that is only 14.9 mm thick. Depending on configuration, the Dell Inspiron 7391 will come with a 45 Wh or 52 Wh battery, so its weight will start at 955 grams, but will get higher depending on the spec.

Unfortunately, however, European and North American customers won't be able to buy the Inspiron 7391, at least initially. As it turns out, Dell is initially launching the machine in Brazil, China, and Japan. Considering how popular ultralight laptops are in Japan and China, it is not surprising that Dell wants to sell the Inspiron 7391 in these countries. That said, since the market of sub-kilogram notebooks is not crowded in Europe and the US, I would not be too surprised if these machines eventually made it elsewhere after they become available in China (August 23), Japan (September 3), and Brazil (December 11).

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Source: Dell

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**FEED** · 08-22-19, 10:04 AM

ASUS has quietly added three ZenBooks based on AMD’s Ryzen Mobile 3000-series APUs to its lineup. One of the machines is a convertible ZenBook Flip 14, the other two are traditional ZenBook 14 notebooks. All three mobile PCs offer what you come to expect from ZenBook-branded laptops: stylish design, sleek aluminum chassis, high performance components, robust connectivity, and various premium features like Harman Kardon-badged audio or a NumberPad touchpad.

The lineup of ASUS ZenBook notebooks powered by AMD’s 15 Watt Ryzen 7 3700U Mobile or Ryzen 5 3500U Mobile with integrated Radeon Vega graphics currently includes three models: the relatively basic ZenBook 14 UM431DA, the more premium ZenBook 14 UM433DA, and the convertible ZenBook Flip 14 UX462DA.

All the ASUS ZenBook systems based on AMD’s Ryzen Mobile APUs feature a 14-inch InfinityEdge Full-HD display with or without touch support that cover 100% of the sRGB color gamut. While all of the mobile PCs feature thin bezels, the UM433DA seems to feature the thinnest bezels, whereas the UM431DA has the thickest. Meanwhile, the ZenBook Flip 14 UX462DA naturally supports touch, can work with the ASUS Pen (1024 pressure levels, 10-300 grams pen-tip force, Windows Ink, etc.), and features the company’s 360-degree ErgoLift hinge

When it comes to internals of the ZenBook 14 UM431DA, ZenBook 14 UM433DA, and ZenBook Flip 14 UX462DA, they are all powered by AMD’s quad-core Ryzen Mobile 3000-series APUs with integrated Radeon Vega graphics that are paired with 8 to 16 GB of DDR4-2400 memory as well as an SSD ranging from 256 GB to 1 TB (see exact specs in the table below). In a curious move (perhaps for cost-cutting reasons) ASUS decided to use SATA or PCIe 3.0 x2 SSDs on most SKUs; only the most expensive 1 TB SSD features a full PCIe 3.0 x4 interface.

From connectivity standpoint, we have a fairly standard machines with 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB Type-A and USB Type-C connectors, an HDMI display output, and a 3.5-mm audio jack. Meanwhile, only the model UM433DA supports USB 3.1 Gen 2 despite the fact that AMD’s mobile platform fully supports the technology.
As far as battery life is concerned, the ZenBook 14 UM431DA and the ZenBook 14 UM433DA are equipped with 47 Wh and 50 Wh batteries rated for up to 12 hours of work on one charge. By contrast, the convertible ZenBook Flip 14 UX462DA comes with a 42 Wh battery rated for 9 hours.

Specifications of the ASUS ZenBook PCs Based on AMD's Ryzen APUs
		ZenBook 14 UM431DA	ZenBook 14 UM433DA	ZenBook Flip 14 UX462DA
LCD	Diagonal	14" NanoEdge
Resolution	1920×1080
Anti-glare	Yes	?	?
Bezels	6.45-mm bezels	2.9-mm side bezels 3.3-mm bottom bezel	4.3-mm bezels
Color Gamut	100% sRGB
Touch Support	No		Yes ASUS Pen supported
Protective Glass	?	?	?
CPU		AMD Ryzen 7 3700U - 4C/8T, 6MB, 2.3/4 GHz - Radeon RX Vega 10 AMD Ryzen 5 3500U - 4C/8T, 6MB, 2.1/3.7 GHz - Radeon Vega 8
Graphics		Radeon RX Vega 10 Radeon Vega 8
RAM (maximum)		8 or 16 GB DDR4-2400	8 or 16 GB DDR4-2400 soldered down	8, 12, or 16 GB DDR4-2400 soldered down
Storage	SSD	256 GB PCIe 3.0 x2 512 GB PCIe 3.0 x2 1 TB PCIe 3.0 x4		256 GB SATA 256 GB PCIe 3.0 x2 512 GB PCIe 3.0 x2
Card Reader	SD card reader	MicroSD card reader
Wireless	Wi-Fi	802.11ac
Bluetooth	BT 5.0	BT 4.2
USB	3.1 Gen 2	-	1 × Type-A 1 × Type-C	-
3.0	1 × Type-A 1 × Type-C	-	1 × Type-A 1 × Type-C
2.0	1 × Type-A
Display Output		1 × HDMI
Camera		720p	720p + IR camera for face authentication
Fingerprint Sensor		Optional	?	?
Other I/O		Microphone, stereo speakers, audio jack
Other Sensors		?	?	Accelerometer, gyroscope, etc.
Battery		47 Wh 12 hours	50 Wh 12 hours	42 Wh 9 hours
Dimensions	Width	34.2 cm \| 12.7 inches	31.9 cm \| 12.6 inches	32.2 cm \| 12.37 inches
Depth	21.2 cm \| 8.34 inches	20.5 cm \| 8.07 inches	21 cm \| 8.27 inches
Thickness	1.59 cm \| 0.62 inches	1.58 cm \| 0.62 inches	1.89 cm \| 0.74 inches
Weight		1.39 kilograms 3.06 pounds	1.25 kilograms 2.76 pounds	1.6 kilograms 3.53 pounds
Launch Price		?	?	?

Wrapping things up, the ZenBook Flip 14 with AMD's processors is available in many countries in different configurations and at various price points. Meanwhile, the ZenBook 14 UM431DA and the ZenBook 14 UM433DA notebooks will be available shortly, with prices to be determined.
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Source: ASUS (1, 2, 3), NotebookCheck, Liliputing

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**FEED** · 08-22-19, 01:21 PM

Living up to its status as a high-end, botique system builder, back in early 2019 Alienware rolled out its "Legend" industrial design. Intended to set the brand apart from competitors, the futuristic design ended up being rather different from other gaming PCs available today. Initially Dell used the new industrial design for laptops and monitors, and this week the company rolled out its first Legend-designed mATX desktop in the Alienware Aurora R9.
The Aurora R9 comes in a Lunar Light or Dark Side of the Moon chassis that isn't quite like anything that we have seen before. In fact, it looks more like an item from Portal rather than a desktop computer. It still has AlienFX RGB lighting (two or three zones) for additional personalization, but even out-of-box the system looks unique.

Inside the new Aurora is a Micro-ATX motherboard based on Intel’s Z370 chipset and is compatible with Intel’s 9^th Gen Core i3/i5/i7/i9 processors, with the unlocked K-series parts coming factory overclocked to 4.4 GHz - 4.7 GHz depending on the model. Cooling these chips is in turn is a custom Alienware-badged closed-loop liquid cooling system. Meanwhile, as is traditional for Alienware, the chassis features well-thought airflows, allowing the system to keep up with the cooling requirements of the overclocked processors.
Rounding out the package, the CPU can be paired with up to 64 GB of Kingston HyperX DDR4-3200 memory, either an M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD with capacities up to 2TB or Intel’s Optane Memory caching SSD, and a 2 GB 7200 RPM HDD.

Being aimed at demanding gamers, the Alienware Aurora R9 can be equipped with a wide range of current-generation AMD Radeon RX and NVIDIA GeForce GTX/RTX video cards. The top-of-the-range models will come with either one GeForce RTX 2080 Ti or two GeForce RTX 2080 cards.

When it comes to connectivity, the Alienware Aurora R9 features a GbE port (enabled by the Killer E2500 controller), a Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 adapter (Qualcomm’s DW1810/DW1820 or Rivet’s Killer AX1650), USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A and Type-C connectors, and 7.1-channel audio.

As usual for Alienware, the Aurora R9 can be easily upgraded by the end user, with the case feature toolless access. It is worth noting, however, that Alienware only equips the lower-end models with a 460 W PSU, so upgrade options are a little more limited on those models without a PSU upgrade as well.

The Alienware Aurora R9 is available now, with basic configurations starting at $969.99.

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Source: Dell

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**FEED** · 08-22-19, 01:21 PM

Philips and 3B Tech this week have begun to sell Philips-branded computer peripherals in the USA. The lineup of products includes relatively inexpensive keyboards and mice aimed at gamers and featuring appropriate aesthetics like RGB backlighting. Philips-branded keyboards and mice have been available in China for a while, and now they are formally available in the USA
At present, Amazon sells 13 Philips-branded peripherals: wired or wireless keyboards, mice, and combos. All of the products are aimed at gamers and carry either entry-level or mainstream price tags. Numerous keyboards feature mechanical switches, which are rare in these segments, which will attract attention of those who want quality tactile feedback, but aren't necessarily looking for a premium-priced device.

The top-of-the-range Philips-trademarked keyboard currently on sale is the SPK8614. The unit uses custom "Blue" switches that are either made by Philips, or are produced by a switch maker specially for the brand’s keyboards. The switches feature a 2-mm actuation and require 60G/58.8 CN of force. The keyboard also has a detachable wrist rest, Ambiglow Chroma FX RGB accent lighting, customizable key lightmaps, media controls as well as an aluminum top plate. The Philips SPK8614 keyboard is now available from Amazon for $39.99.

The most advanced Philips-branded gaming mouse sold officially in the USA is the SPK9413, which is equipped with a 2,400-DPI optical sensor and features a 500 Hz polling. The mouse has six programmable buttons as well as Ambiglow RGB breathing light effects. The product is sold for $16.99 at Amazon. Meanwhile, Newegg also offers an advanced Momentum SPK9842 mouse featuring a 16,400 DPI laser sensor, seven programmable buttons, and RGB lights. The product can be ordered via Newegg from China for $96.09.
Being among the best-known high-tech brands, Philips produces a variety of products and also licenses its name to third parties for goods that it does not make itself. This is exactly the case with the peripherals carrying the trademark: the products are made by Shenzhen Youyuan Hongye Electronic based in China that holds an appropriate license. Previously, these devices officially were available only in China, but now the company is expanding their availability to other markets.
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Source: Philips/3B Tech

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**FEED** · 08-22-19, 06:16 PM

Among the many manufacturers launching new or updated laptops this week alongside the release of Intel's new Comet Lake processors is MSI. This week the company is introducing its new compact Prestige 14 and Prestige 15 laptops, which feature Intel’s 10th gen Core CPUs, NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 16-series GPUs, and a factory-calibrated 4K display. The notebooks are aimed at power users running multiple threads at once – such as content creators and photographers – particularly with the machines' top-end hex-core configurations.

MSI’s Prestige 14 and 15 laptops are based on Intel’s 10^th generation Core "Comet Lake-U" processors, which come with up to six CPU cores. Accompanying the CPUs at the high-end is NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1650 in Max-Q design configuration. Officially, MSI labels this as an "up to" configuration, however looking at the SKU specs, even the cheapest Prestige 15 inclucdes the 1650. Details on the Prestige 14, on the othe rhard, are harder to come by, and it's not clear what the baseline configuration is there.
Meanwhile in terms of memory and storage, the 14-inch notebook comes with up to 16 GB of LPDDR3-2133 memory onboard and one M.2 SSD featuring a SATA or PCIe 3.0 x4 interface, whereas the 15-incher can be equipped with up to 64 GB of memory as well as two M.2 drives (see exact specifications in the table below).

The Prestige 14 and the Prestige 15 laptops from MSI come in sleek sandblasted aluminum chassis with blue accents that are only 16 mm thick in both cases. The bodies house a 14 or 15.6-inch ‘IPS-level’ panel (which probably means AHVA or something similar), with MSI offering 1920x1080 and 3840x2160 options. All panel options cover 100% of the Adobe RGB color gamut and come factory calibrated to Delta-E

**FEED** · 08-23-19, 10:00 AM

Taking us into the final weeks of the summer, we have a new giveaway courtesy of the always awesome Supermicro. The company has sent our community team one of their Z390 ATX motherboards, the SuperO C9Z390-CGW, and one lucky reader is going to win it. So if you’re angling to build a new gaming system around one of Intel’s Socket 1151 9^th Gen Core CPUs, then this may be just the part you need to get started.
The C9Z390-CGW is a premium version of Supermicro’s well-regarded ATX sized C9Z390-CG, taking the important elements from that board while adding some additional features. There are a pair of full-length PCIe 3.0 x16 slot with steel slot reinforcement, as well as an unreinforced PCIe 3.0 x4 slot and a trio of x1 slots. The board also includes two PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slots, placed above and below the x16 slots respectively. Also included are the usual six SATA ports, which are angled towards the front of the board.

Supermicro C9Z390-CGW ATX Motherboard
Product Page	Link
Price	$290
Size	ATX
CPU Interface	LGA1151
Chipset	Intel Z390
Memory Slots (DDR4)	Four DDR4 Supporting 128 GB Up to DDR4-3866
Video Outputs	1 x HDMI 1.4b 2 x DisplayPort 1.2
Network Connectivity	Intel I219-V Gigabit Aquantia AQC107 10G Dual Band 802.11ac + BT 5.0
Onboard Audio	Realtek ALC1220
PCIe Slots for Graphics (from CPU)	2 x PCIe 3.0 x16
Onboard SATA	6 x
Onboard M.2	2 x PCIe 3.0 x4
USB 3.1 (10 Gbps)	3 x Type-A Rear Panel 1 x Type-C Rear Panel 1 x Type-C Header
USB 3.0 (5 Gbps)	2 x Type-A Rear Panel 2 x Type-A Header
RGB	2 x 12v
Power Connectors	1 x 24-pin ATX 1 x 8pin CPU

Controller-wise the board is using a Realtek ALC1220 HD audio codec to power the five 3.5 mm audio jacks and S/PDIF optical output on the rear, an Intel I219V Gigabit controller for the GigE LAN port, and a dual-band 802.11ac wireless networking adapter is also included. Unique to this board as a premium feature is a 10GigE controller in the form of Aquantia's popular AQC107 controller, feeding the board's high-speed Ethernet port. The rest of the rear panel is comprised of three USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A ports, one USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port, two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, a PS/2 combo port, and a trio of display outputs consisting of two DisplayPort 1.2 outputs and an HDMI 1.4b port.

The gaming-focused board also includes a pair of 12v headers for RGB lighting. The motherboard itself is also equipped with RGB LEDs, offering numerous lighting options. Control is provided via SuperMicro's SUPERO Booster software.
The giveaway is running through September 6^thand 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 Supermicro Giveaway

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**FEED** · 08-23-19, 02:09 PM

Among the monitor announcements to come out this week, HP has introduced a new display aimed at hardcore gamers and esports professionals. With a 240 Hz max refresh rate, FreeSync 2 support, and HDR, the Omen X 27 is designed to be a jack of all trades for gaming monitors.
HP's new gaming monitor is based around a high-performance QHD TN panel, sporting a 240 Hz refresh rate, 300/400 nits brightness (SDR/HDR), and a 90% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut. Seeing a TN panel show up in a (marginally) HDR-capable monitor like the Omen is a relatively recent advancement; for years, TN displays have lagged IPS monitors when it comes to the color space that could be represented. However, recently developed TN panels and new types of backlighting have significantly improved the ability of such LCDs to cover wide color gamuts, a core requirement for HDR support.

The Omen X 27 is also an AMD FreeSync 2-certified monitor, which means that it not only supports a variable refresh rate technology, but also features Low Framerate Compensation (LFC), HDR, and allows select games to tone map directly to the monitor's native dynamic range. In accordance with its HDR support, the monitor also features zoned backlighting, with 16 edge-lit zones across the monitor.

Being aimed at hardcore PC gamers and esports professionals, the HP Omen X 27 has only two display inputs: a DisplayPort 1.4 input and an HDMI 2.0 port. The monitor also features a headphone output, which is common for gaming monitors these days, but it does not have built-in speakers. In addition, the Omen X 27 has a dual-port USB 3.0 hub and an adjustable stand with a headset rest, and a red ambient light.

The combination of a variable refresh rate of up to 240 Hz, HDR, and wide color gamut support will naturally be the key selling point of the monitor. Unfortunately, since HP has not disclosed all the specs of the display, we do not know whether it actually supports the HDR10 transport format, which is important for many. That said, while the monitor is full of interesting features, the whole picture is something that remains to be seen.

The HP Omen X 27
	General Specifications
Panel	27-inch 8-bit TN
Native Resolution	2560 × 1440
Maximum Refresh Rate	240 Hz
Response Time	1 ms GtG with Overdrive 3 ms GtG
Brightness	SDR: 300 cd/m² HDR: 400 cd/m²
Contrast	1000:1
Backlighting	16-zone bottom edge lit
Viewing Angles	170°/160° horizontal/vertical
Curvature	none
Aspect Ratio	16:9
Color Gamut	90% DCI-P3 sRGB
DisplayHDR Tier	N/A
Dynamic Refresh Rate Tech	AMD FreeSync 2
Pixel Pitch	0.2335 mm²
Pixel Density	109 PPI
Inputs	1 × DisplayPort 1.4 1 × HDMI 2.0
Audio	Headphone output
USB Hub	2 × USB 3.0 Type-A connectors 1 × USB 3.0 input
Adjustments	Height: 0-130 mm Tilt: -5 to +23 degrees
MSRP	$649

HP’s Omen X 27 will be available starting from September in the US at $649 and starting from November in the UK for $£579.99.
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**FEED** · 08-23-19, 02:09 PM

ASUS has quietly added two low-profile GeForce GTX 1650 graphics cards to its products lineup. The boards come with a dual-slot dual-fan cooling system and offer a similar set of essential display connectors.
Like other GTX 1650 cards, the ASUS GeForce GTX1650-4G-LP-BRK and the ASUS GeForce GTX1650-O4G-LP-BRK are based on NVIDIA’s TU117 GPU (896 CUDA cores) and are paired with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory. The two cards are nearly identical, with the O4G version featuring a factory overclock for a bit more performance. Both share the same PCB design with a DisplayPort 1.4 output, HDMI 2.0b port, and even a DVI-D port. They also use the same cooling system comprising of an aluminum heatsink, two IP5X-gradeed dust-resistant fans, and a protective backplate, a rare element in this price segment.

In terms of clockspeeds, the base model sports a boost clock of 1665/1695 MHz depending on the mode (Gaming/OC), whereas the factory overclocked O4G hits 1710/1740 MHz (~3% faster).

Since the cards consume no more than 75 W of power even when working in OC mode, they do not need an auxiliary PCIe power connectors, which means that they are compatible with entry-level desktops from well-known OEMs that usually do not have any spare power plugs inside. Furthermore, being small, energy-efficient, and supporting hardware-accelerated decoding and encoding of HEVC (H.265) and VP9 video at 4Kp60 as well as HDR10, both cards are also well-geared for use in HTPCs.
As is often the case for a quiet, low-profile announcement, ASUS did not disclose recommended prices of the new cards. Keeping in mind that we are talking about mainstream products with some perks, expect them to cost slightly more than NVIDIA’s recommended $149.
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Source: ASUS (1, 2)

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**FEED** · 08-26-19, 12:17 PM

GlobalFoundries has filed a lawsuit against TSMC and its clients in the USA and Germany alleging the world’s largest contract maker of semiconductors of infringing 16 of its patents. Among defendants, GlobalFoundries named numerous fabless developers of chips, including Apple, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and many others. The plaintiff seeks damages from TSMC and wants courts to ban shipments of products that use semiconductors allegedly infringing its patents into the USA and Germany.
GlobalFoundries says that TSMC infringed 16 of its patents covering various aspects of chip manufacturing (for details, please see the table below), including those chips that use FinFET transistors. In particular, the company claims that TSMC’s 7 nm, 10 nm, 12 nm, 16 nm, and 28 nm nodes use its intellectual property. Considering the fact that the said manufacturing processes are used to make more than a half of TSMC’s chips (based on revenue share), potential damages seeked by GlobalFoundries may count billions of dollars.
GlobalFoundries filed complaints in the US International Trade Commission (ITC), the U.S. Federal District Courts in the Districts of Delaware and the Western District of Texas, and the Regional Courts of Dusseldorf, and Mannheim in Germany. In its lawsuits GlobalFoundries demands damages from TSMC and wants courts to bar products that allegedly infringe its rights from being imported into the U.S. and Germany.
Among the defendants, GlobalFoundries names multiple designers of SoCs, resellers of semiconductors, as well as suppliers of actual devices. Among the big names accused of using GlobalFoundries IP are Apple, ASUS, Broadcom, Cisco, Google, NVIDIA, Lenovo, Motorola, and Motorola. Assuming that the courts take GlobalFoundries’ side, they may ban sales of Apple’s iPhones, NVIDIA GeForce-based graphics cards, smartphones running Qualcomm's chips made by TSMC, various routers, as well as devices (e.g., PCs, smartphones) by ASUS and Lenovo containing chips made by TSMC.

GlobalFoundries vs. TSMC et al
Fabless Chip Designers	Makers of Consumer Products	Distributors of Electronic Components
Apple Broadcom Mediatek NVIDIA Qualcomm Xilinx	Arista ASUS BLU Cisco Google HiSense Lenovo Motorola TCL OnePlus	Avnet/EBV Digi-key Mouser

GlobalFoundries says that it wants to protect its IP investments in the US and Europe. Here is what Gregg Bartlett, SVP of engineering and technology at GlobalFoundries, had to say:

“While semiconductor manufacturing has continued to shift to Asia, GF has bucked the trend by investing heavily in the American and European semiconductor industries, spending more than $15 billion dollars in the last decade in the U.S. and more than $6 billion in Europe's largest semiconductor manufacturing fabrication facility. These lawsuits are aimed at protecting those investments and the US and European-based innovation that powers them. For years, while we have been devoting billions of dollars to domestic research and development, TSMC has been unlawfully reaping the benefits of our investments. This action is critical to halt Taiwan Semiconductor’s unlawful use of our vital assets and to safeguard the American and European manufacturing base."