Latest hardware news and stories
Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 2 AMD Review: Powerful Business Laptop with Ryzen 5 Pro 215
The Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 2 AMD, powered by the AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 215, is a powerful and affordable business laptop ideal as a desktop replacement for desk use. It stands out for its repairability, upgradability, and quiet cooling, though it lacks an NPU and is less suited for mobile use. Despite missing AI support, the six-core processor delivers up to 4.7 GHz, making it well-suited for everyday tasks.
ASRock has launched the NUC Ultra 300 Box Series, a new line of mini PCs powered by Intel's Core Ultra Series 3 'Panther Lake' processors. The devices feature up to 16 CPU cores, 128 GB of DDR5 RAM, and are designed for professional and industrial applications. They include advanced connectivity such as Wi-Fi 7, USB4, and Thunderbolt 4, along with multiple display outputs and are available in various chassis sizes.
Citizen has unveiled several new limited edition watches, including the Tsuyosa x seconde/seconde/ with a katana-inspired hand and blue sunburst dial, and the Ana-Digi Temp ‘Record Label Playground Edition’ with retro-futuristic styling. Meanwhile, Seiko has introduced two limited-edition Prospex watches honoring baseball star Shohei Ohtani, featuring his jersey number and signature. The releases reflect a blend of mechanical craftsmanship and cultural tributes.
HP and Asus Unveil High-Performance Laptops with OLED Displays and AI Support
HP offers the OmniBook 5 NGAI 16-bf0377ng with a 16-inch 2k-OLED display, Snapdragon X Plus processor, 32 GB RAM, and 1 TB SSD for €799, supported by a powerful NPU for AI applications. Meanwhile, Asus presents the VivoBook 15 OLED X1505VA-MA884W, featuring a 2.8k OLED display (120 Hz, DCI-P3, 600 nits), Core i9-13900H processor, 16 GB RAM, and 1 TB SSD for €849. Both laptops combine high-quality screens with powerful components, catering to demanding users. The devices highlight the trend toward efficient, AI-enhanced laptops with advanced display technology.
Intel Nova Lake-S and AMD Olympic Ridge: Next-Gen CPUs Set for 2027 Launch
Intel and AMD have delayed the launch of their next-generation CPUs to 2027. Intel plans to debut its Core Ultra Series 4 processors, codenamed 'Nova Lake-S', likely at CES, while AMD will release its Zen 6-based Ryzen desktop CPUs under the name 'Olympic Ridge'. Both generations are expected to deliver higher performance, larger cache sizes, and continued support for the AM5 socket. The delay is attributed to ongoing silicon and DRAM shortages affecting the broader PC industry.
Intel Announces Unified Core Design and High-Performance Embedded CPU with Up to 12 P-Cores
Intel is transitioning away from its hybrid performance and efficiency core architecture, returning to a unified core design that could redefine future processors. Meanwhile, the 'Bartlett Lake-S' Core 200E family has been leaked, featuring up to 12 P-cores and a 5.9 GHz single-thread boost. These CPUs are designed exclusively for edge and embedded applications with LGA-1700 sockets and support vPro and ECC memory in high-power SKUs.
Thermal Grizzly Launches Delidded Ryzen 7 9850X3D for €749 with Two-Year Warranty
Thermal Grizzly has released a delidded version of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, enabling direct-die cooling for a 13 to 15°C temperature reduction and enhanced overclocking potential. Priced at €749 ($876.33), it offers a 270-euro premium over the standard model and includes a two-year warranty covering defects and overclocking within manufacturer guidelines, excluding physical or liquid damage. The product targets enthusiasts seeking optimal thermal performance for gaming and high-performance computing. It highlights a unique combination of performance, reliability, and long-term support.
Linux 7.0 Prepares for PCIe 7.0 and Upcoming AMD Zen 6 & Intel Nova Lake Hardware
The Linux 7.0 kernel is introducing early preparations for PCIe 7.0, including register definitions, speed detection, and power efficiency improvements, though no hardware is available yet. It also brings key updates for upcoming AMD Zen 6 and Intel Nova Lake processors, along with new CPU and GPU driver features. Performance optimizations and enhanced support for embedded, mobile, and high-performance computing systems are also included. These developments highlight the Linux kernel’s ongoing adaptation to future hardware and performance demands.
AMD has delayed the release of its next-generation Ryzen processors, codenamed 'Olympic Ridge' with Zen 6 architecture, to 2027 due to challenges with DDR5 memory supply and supply chains. The processors will use the AM5 socket, feature up to 24 cores, 48 MB of L3 cache per CCD, and support AVX-512 for consumer applications. Meanwhile, AMD is also developing the Ryzen 500-Series 'Medusa Point' APU, which will include a mobile-optimized RDNA 4m integrated GPU with FSR 4 support and LPDDR6 memory, with the 'Medusa Halo' variant expected to use the more powerful RDNA 5 architecture.
AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT Sets New GPU Overclocking World Record at 4,769 MHz
AMD, in collaboration with overclocking experts Samson and Splave, has set a new GPU overclocking world record with the Radeon RX 9060 XT, achieving a core clock of 4,769 MHz using liquid nitrogen cooling. The result, which pushed the GPU from its base frequency of 2.53 GHz to unprecedented levels, demonstrates the immense potential of AMD’s RDNA-4 architecture, though it remains a technical demonstration with no direct impact on consumer markets. The record was achieved using AMD’s proprietary OC tool and specialized cooling, despite no official submission to HWBot.
Intel ANV Driver Gains Performance Boosts and H.265 Encoding Fixes in Mesa 26.1
The Intel ANV Vulkan driver receives several updates in Mesa 26.1, including a one-line change enabling compute BTI prefetch by default, resulting in up to 3% performance gains in select games. Additionally, multiple fixes for H.265 video encoding in Vulkan Video have been implemented, improving encoder parameters and compatibility. Led by Hyunjun Ko from Igalia, these updates may be backported to Mesa 26.0 to further enhance video acceleration on Intel graphics hardware.
Linux 7.0 delivers significant PostgreSQL performance improvements on AMD EPYC Turin servers compared to Linux 6.19, with benchmark results achieved using identical hardware and software configurations for reliability. Additionally, Jens Axboe discovered a 50- to 80-fold performance boost in Linux's IO_uring by using AI-assisted debugging in AHCI/SCSI code, resolving a major bottleneck in idle systems with a single line of code. The fix is now being prepared for inclusion in the mainline kernel. These advancements highlight AI's growing role in kernel optimization and the enhanced performance of modern Linux releases.
Refurbished Deals: Powerful Business Laptops with LTE, 16GB RAM, and Windows 11 Pro from €189
Several powerful refurbished business laptops, including the Lenovo ThinkPad T490, Dell Latitude 5410, Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 2, and HP EliteBook 840 G6, are currently available at attractive prices. These devices feature strong processors, 16GB RAM, LTE connectivity, and Windows 11 Pro, making them ideal for office tasks, web browsing, and light photo editing. Despite minor flaws like worn-out batteries, weak displays, or low screen brightness, they offer robust build quality, excellent keyboards, and modern ports such as Thunderbolt 4 or 3. Priced between €189 and €333, they provide a great balance of performance and affordability for office users.
AMD Unveils Zen-6 with RDNA 4m and Up to 24 Cores for Next-Gen Ryzen APUs
AMD is developing its next Ryzen generation with the Zen-6 architecture, featuring processors with 6 to 24 cores, enabled by a chiplet design with up to two CCDs. Alongside this, the RDNA 4m, a refresh of the RDNA 3 architecture, is being designed for these APUs and will support FSR 4 (FSR Redstone). The architecture introduces enhanced AI and GPU processing capabilities through FP8/BF8 conversion and WMMA instructions, improving performance for AI and GPU workloads. These advancements position AMD to better compete with Intel's Nova Lake.
NZXT H2 Flow: Compact Mini-ITX Case with Enhanced Airflow and Liquid Cooling Support
The NZXT H2 Flow is a compact Mini-ITX tower case featuring enhanced airflow, increased space for components like large graphics cards and SFX-L power supplies, and a clear separation of fresh air and exhaust zones. It supports up to 280 mm AIO coolers, graphics cards up to 33.1 cm in length, and is specifically optimized for liquid cooling with a hybrid glass and mesh side panel. The case offers tool-free access, pre-installed fans, and is sold without a power supply or cooler, while also being part of a premium mini-PC with an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D or Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and GeForce RTX 5080 for $3,499. Additionally, NZXT introduced the C850 SFX power supply with ATX 3.1 certification and 80 Plus Gold efficiency, complementing the case for high-performance SFF builds.
A Look at Computer Hardware History: From the iAPX 432 to the Pentium 4 Prescott
On February 19, 1981, Intel introduced the iAPX 432, its first 32-bit processor, which failed due to high costs and low performance. On the same date in 1990, Adobe Photoshop 1.0 was released for the Macintosh, becoming a leading tool for digital image editing. In 2008, Toshiba announced the discontinuation of HD-DVD, sealing Blu-ray Disc's victory in the high-definition format war. A year later, on February 20, 2005, Intel launched the Pentium 4 Prescott 2M, a processor reaching up to 3.8 GHz, but it was one of the most inefficient due to high power consumption and heat output, marking the final step in the NetBurst architecture before Cedar Mill.
Meta Strikes Multi-Billion Dollar Deal with Nvidia for AI Chips and Infrastructure
Meta has signed a multi-year, up to $50 billion deal with Nvidia to procure millions of Blackwell and Rubin GPUs, along with additional components such as CPUs, switches, and Vera processors for its AI data centers. The partnership also includes the development of complete rack systems and strengthens Meta's position in the AI race, displacing AMD as the primary supplier. This comprehensive agreement highlights Nvidia's strategic dominance in AI infrastructure.
Two GeForce RTX 5060 Gaming Laptops Compared: Medion and Captiva with Different Specs
The Medion Erazer Deputy 15 P1 and the Captiva Advanced Gaming I95-043GE are two GeForce RTX 5060 gaming laptops currently available at competitive prices. The Medion model features a Core 5 210H, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, and a 15.6-inch IPS display with 144 Hz, while the Captiva model boasts a more powerful Core i7-14650HX, 64 GB RAM, 2 TB SSD, and a 16-inch 2.5k display with 180 Hz. Both laptops support FHD gaming, streaming, and rendering, include USB 4 and Power Delivery, and run on Windows 11 Home. The Medion is available for €999.99 at Medion, and the Captiva for €1,329.50 at Jacob.de.
Graphics Card Showdown: GeForce RTX 5090, Radeon RX 9070, and Arc B580 Compared
A comprehensive comparison of current graphics cards from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel evaluates the performance, price, and use cases of the GeForce RTX 5090, Radeon RX 9070, and Arc B580 models. The GIGABYTE Radeon RX 9070 GAMING OC 16G, featuring 16 GB GDDR6 memory, RDNA-4 architecture, and a powerful WINDFORCE cooling system, is tailored for ambitious gamers seeking high frame rates and ray tracing in WQHD and 4K gaming. Key considerations include memory size, cooling efficiency, and energy consumption, with the Radeon RX 9070 available from €625.