Intel's next-generation Arc "Battlemage" GPU is expected to numerically-double its shader counts, according to a report by RedGamingTech. The largest GPU from the Arc "Battlemage" series, the "BMG-G10," aims to power SKUs that compete in the performance segment. The chip is expected to be built on a TSMC 4 nm-class EUV node, similar to NVIDIA's GeForce "Ada" GPUs, and have a die-size similar to that of the "AD103" silicon powering the GeForce RTX 4080.
Among the juiciest bits from this report are that the top "Battlemage" chip will see its Xe Core count doubled to 64, up from 32 on the top "Alchemist" part. This would see its execution unit (EU) count doubled to 1,024, and unified shader counts at 8,192. Intel is expected to give the chip clock speeds in excess of 3.00 GHz. The Xe Cores themselves could see several updates, including IPC uplifts, and support for new math formats. The memory sub-system is expected to see an overhaul, with a large 48 MB on-die L2 cache. While the memory bus is unchanged at 256-bit wide, the memory speed could see a significant increase up from the 16-17.5 Gbps on the Arc A770. As for when customers can actually expect products, the RedGamingTech report puts launch of the Arc "Battlemage" series at no sooner than Q2-2024. The company is expected to launch refreshed "Alchemist+" GPUs in 2023.
Among the juiciest bits from this report are that the top "Battlemage" chip will see its Xe Core count doubled to 64, up from 32 on the top "Alchemist" part. This would see its execution unit (EU) count doubled to 1,024, and unified shader counts at 8,192. Intel is expected to give the chip clock speeds in excess of 3.00 GHz. The Xe Cores themselves could see several updates, including IPC uplifts, and support for new math formats. The memory sub-system is expected to see an overhaul, with a large 48 MB on-die L2 cache. While the memory bus is unchanged at 256-bit wide, the memory speed could see a significant increase up from the 16-17.5 Gbps on the Arc A770. As for when customers can actually expect products, the RedGamingTech report puts launch of the Arc "Battlemage" series at no sooner than Q2-2024. The company is expected to launch refreshed "Alchemist+" GPUs in 2023.
(PR) Galacticare Unveiled in Announcement Trailer, From the Makers of War for the Overworld
Sun, 26 Mar 2023
Galacticare is a hospital management game in a weird and wacky sci-fi universe. In a colorful world rife with death and disease, design and manage perfectly functioning hospitals orbiting volcanic planets, deep-space graveyards, and psychic alien deities! With an offbeat narrative that twists together a ragtag group of eccentrics, the game takes you on a journey beyond managing a hospital.
From your assistants - a dejected AI bureaucrat and Medi, a tireless janitorial robot - to the variety of consultants you'll hire and bring along on your journey, the characters will grow beside you as you progress deeper through the story.
From your assistants - a dejected AI bureaucrat and Medi, a tireless janitorial robot - to the variety of consultants you'll hire and bring along on your journey, the characters will grow beside you as you progress deeper through the story.
This Week in Gaming (Week 13)
Sun, 26 Mar 2023
Lucky number 13 is also the last week of March and this time around there are a lot of new releases, some of which are highly anticipated console ports, least not courtesy of an HBO TV show, but it doesn't stop there. We also have a WWI strategy game, a slow pace environmental strategy game, a game where you fight bugs and a rather different fishing game in this week's lineup. In fact, it's such a busy week of releases that we've thrown in a few extra games, just because we can.
The Last of Us Part I / This week's AAA title / Tuesday 28 March
Experience the emotional storytelling and unforgettable characters in The Last of Us, winner of over 200 Game of the Year awards. In a ravaged civilization, where infected and hardened survivors run rampant, Joel, a weary protagonist, is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie out of a military quarantine zone. However, what starts as a small job soon transforms into a brutal cross-country journey.
The Last of Us Part I / This week's AAA title / Tuesday 28 March
Experience the emotional storytelling and unforgettable characters in The Last of Us, winner of over 200 Game of the Year awards. In a ravaged civilization, where infected and hardened survivors run rampant, Joel, a weary protagonist, is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie out of a military quarantine zone. However, what starts as a small job soon transforms into a brutal cross-country journey.
AMD Hybrid Phoenix APU Comes With Performance and Efficiency Cores
Sun, 26 Mar 2023
According to the latest leak, AMD's upcoming Phoenix accelerated processing units (APUs) could feature a hybrid design, featuring Performance and Efficiency cores. While there are no precise details, the latest AMD processor programming guide, leaked online, clearly marks these as two types of cores, most likely standard Zen 4 and energy-efficient Zen 4c cores.
These two set of cores will features a different feature set, and the latest document gives software designers guidelines. Such hybrid CPU design, similar to ARM's BIG.little architecture, will allow AMD to be more competitive with Intel's similar P- and E-core design, allowing it to achieve certain performance levels while also maintaining power efficiency.
These two set of cores will features a different feature set, and the latest document gives software designers guidelines. Such hybrid CPU design, similar to ARM's BIG.little architecture, will allow AMD to be more competitive with Intel's similar P- and E-core design, allowing it to achieve certain performance levels while also maintaining power efficiency.
NVIDIA Enables More Encoding Streams on GeForce Consumer GPUs
Sun, 26 Mar 2023
NVIDIA has quietly removed some video encoding limitations on its consumer GeForce graphics processing units (GPUs), allowing encoding of up to five simultaneous streams. Previously, NVIDIA's consumer GeForce GPUs were limited to three simultaneous NVENC encodes. The same limitation did not apply to professional GPUs.
According to NVIDIA's own Video Encode and Decode GPU Support Matrix document, the number of concurrent NVENC encodes on consumer GPUs have been increased from three to five. This includes certain GeForce GPUs based on Maxwell 2nd Gen, Pascal, Turing, Ampere, and Ada Lovelace GPU architectures. While the number of concurrent NVDEC decodes were never limited, there is a limitation on how many streams you can encode by certain GPU, depending on the resolution of the stream and the codec.
According to NVIDIA's own Video Encode and Decode GPU Support Matrix document, the number of concurrent NVENC encodes on consumer GPUs have been increased from three to five. This includes certain GeForce GPUs based on Maxwell 2nd Gen, Pascal, Turing, Ampere, and Ada Lovelace GPU architectures. While the number of concurrent NVDEC decodes were never limited, there is a limitation on how many streams you can encode by certain GPU, depending on the resolution of the stream and the codec.
Microsoft has been quick to respond to a backlash from gamers who have been angered by reports of the company's prevention of a PlayStation 5 version of Redfall being developed by an internal studio - Arkane. The game's creative director, Harvey Smith, has been busy with press duties this week and might have slipped up by revealing too much about the Xbox Division's directives. In an interview with IGN France, Harvey stated that Microsoft held a policy of "no PlayStation 5" in the times following an acquisition of ZeniMax (parent group of Bethesda Softworks) in 2021. He elaborated on the regime change: "They came in and they said 'we're focusing on Xbox, PC and the Game Pass." Smith indicated that he embraced the decision since it was: "one less platform to worry about, one less complexity."
A Microsoft spokesperson provided a statement to Eurogamer: "We haven't pulled any games from PlayStation. In fact, we've expanded our footprint of games that we've shipped on Sony's PlayStation since our acquisition of ZeniMax, and the first two games we shipped after closing were PlayStation 5 exclusives. We did the same thing since our closing of Minecraft as we extended the reach of that franchise. All of the games that were available on PlayStation when we acquired ZeniMax in March 2021 are still available on PlayStation, and we have continued to do content updates on PlayStation and PC. We have always said that future decisions on whether to distribute ZeniMax games for other consoles will be made on a case-by-case basis."
A Microsoft spokesperson provided a statement to Eurogamer: "We haven't pulled any games from PlayStation. In fact, we've expanded our footprint of games that we've shipped on Sony's PlayStation since our acquisition of ZeniMax, and the first two games we shipped after closing were PlayStation 5 exclusives. We did the same thing since our closing of Minecraft as we extended the reach of that franchise. All of the games that were available on PlayStation when we acquired ZeniMax in March 2021 are still available on PlayStation, and we have continued to do content updates on PlayStation and PC. We have always said that future decisions on whether to distribute ZeniMax games for other consoles will be made on a case-by-case basis."
Intel LGA 7529 Socket Photographed Again, Comparisons Show Gargantuan Physical Footprint
Sat, 25 Mar 2023
A set of detailed photos has been uploaded to a blog on the Chinese Bilibili site, and the subject matter is an engineering sample of a motherboard that features Intel's next generation LGA 7529 socket. Specifications and photos relating to this platform have cropped up in the past, but the latest leak offers many new tidbits of information. The Bilibili blogger placed a Sapphire Rapids Xeon Processor on top of the the new socket, and this provides an interesting point of reference - it demonstrates the expansive physical footprint that the fifth-generation platform occupies on the board.
This year's Sapphire Rapids LGA 4677 (Socket E) is already considered to be a sizeable prospect - measuring at 61 × 82 mm. The upcoming Mountain Stream platform (LGA 7529) is absolutely huge in comparison, with eyeball estimates placing it possessing rough dimensions (including the retention arm) of 66 × 92.5 mm. The fifth generation platform is designed to run Intel's Granite Rapids and Sierra Forest CPUs - this family of Xeons featuring scalable microarchitecture is expected to launch in 2024. The code name "Avenue City" has been given to a reference platform that features a dual socket configuration.
This year's Sapphire Rapids LGA 4677 (Socket E) is already considered to be a sizeable prospect - measuring at 61 × 82 mm. The upcoming Mountain Stream platform (LGA 7529) is absolutely huge in comparison, with eyeball estimates placing it possessing rough dimensions (including the retention arm) of 66 × 92.5 mm. The fifth generation platform is designed to run Intel's Granite Rapids and Sierra Forest CPUs - this family of Xeons featuring scalable microarchitecture is expected to launch in 2024. The code name "Avenue City" has been given to a reference platform that features a dual socket configuration.
Intel and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation announced today that company co-founder Gordon Moore has passed away at the age of 94. The foundation reported he died peacefully on Friday, March 24, 2023, surrounded by family at his home in Hawaii. Moore and his longtime colleague Robert Noyce founded Intel in July 1968. Moore initially served as executive vice president until 1975, when he became president. In 1979, Moore was named chairman of the board and chief executive officer, posts he held until 1987, when he gave up the CEO position and continued as chairman. In 1997, Moore became chairman emeritus, stepping down in 2006.
During his lifetime, Moore also dedicated his focus and energy to philanthropy, particularly environmental conservation, science and patient care improvements. Along with his wife of 72 years, he established the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, which has donated more than $5.1 billion to charitable causes since its founding in 2000.
During his lifetime, Moore also dedicated his focus and energy to philanthropy, particularly environmental conservation, science and patient care improvements. Along with his wife of 72 years, he established the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, which has donated more than $5.1 billion to charitable causes since its founding in 2000.
Revamp Your Productivity with KeysOff Mid-Season Sale
Sat, 25 Mar 2023
Spring-clean your IT setup. Small businesses and home-offices, it's time to upgrade hardware and get the latest Windows 11 and Office 2021 to supercharge your productivity. Get them at the prices extremely large organizations pay. Get Genuine Windows 11 Pro at just $10.45, and the top-of-the-line Office 2021 Professional Plus at $26.25. Better yet combine the two at just $32.99. Got more than one PC? Check out great deals on multi-PC packs for your preferred editions of Windows and Office. Also check out great deals on the system utilities you may want!
Buy Windows 10 Pro at $7.35 | Buy Windows 10 Home at $7.25 | Buy Windows 11 Pro at $10.45 | Buy Windows 11 Home at $10.25 | Buy Office 2021 Professional at $26.25 | Buy Office 2019 Professional Plus at $24.25 | Buy Office 2016 Professional Plus at $20.25 | Buy Windows 10 Pro + Office 2021 Professional Plus at $29.99 | Buy Windows 10 Pro + Office 2019 Professional Plus at $27.99 | Buy Windows 11 Pro + Office 2021 Professional Plus at $32.99 | Buy Windows 11 Pro + Office 2019 Professional Plus at $30.99 | Buy Windows 10 Pro 2-PC at $12.45 | Buy Windows 10 Pro 5-PC at $34.18 | Buy Windows 10 Home 2-PC at $12.41 | Buy Windows 11 Pro 2-PC at $20.65 | Buy Windows 11 Home 2-PC at $20.48 | Buy Office 2021 Professional Plus 2-PC at $41.25 | Buy Office 2021 Professional Plus 3-PC at $58.25 | Buy Office 2021 Professional Plus 5-PC at $69.25
Please use the coupon code SKK50 on the following items to avail the prices you see here.
Buy Windows 10 Enterprise 2019 LTSC at $9.14 | Buy Windows 10 Enterprise 2021 LTSC at $12.81 | Buy Office 2021 Home and Business for Mac at $90.34 | Buy Project Professional 2021 at $33.82
Check out great deals on system software.
Buy Windows 10 Pro at $7.35 | Buy Windows 10 Home at $7.25 | Buy Windows 11 Pro at $10.45 | Buy Windows 11 Home at $10.25 | Buy Office 2021 Professional at $26.25 | Buy Office 2019 Professional Plus at $24.25 | Buy Office 2016 Professional Plus at $20.25 | Buy Windows 10 Pro + Office 2021 Professional Plus at $29.99 | Buy Windows 10 Pro + Office 2019 Professional Plus at $27.99 | Buy Windows 11 Pro + Office 2021 Professional Plus at $32.99 | Buy Windows 11 Pro + Office 2019 Professional Plus at $30.99 | Buy Windows 10 Pro 2-PC at $12.45 | Buy Windows 10 Pro 5-PC at $34.18 | Buy Windows 10 Home 2-PC at $12.41 | Buy Windows 11 Pro 2-PC at $20.65 | Buy Windows 11 Home 2-PC at $20.48 | Buy Office 2021 Professional Plus 2-PC at $41.25 | Buy Office 2021 Professional Plus 3-PC at $58.25 | Buy Office 2021 Professional Plus 5-PC at $69.25
Please use the coupon code SKK50 on the following items to avail the prices you see here.
Buy Windows 10 Enterprise 2019 LTSC at $9.14 | Buy Windows 10 Enterprise 2021 LTSC at $12.81 | Buy Office 2021 Home and Business for Mac at $90.34 | Buy Project Professional 2021 at $33.82
(PR) Thrustmaster Introduces its Forza Horizon 5 Edition ESWAP XR PRO Controller to the World
Fri, 24 Mar 2023
What if you drastically changed the way that you play Forza Horizon 5? ESWAP X PRO CONTROLLER — the gold standard for professional gamepads - is heading to Mexico and sporting the colors of the game Forza Horizon 5. To celebrate the occasion, it includes a world-first feature: RACING WHEEL MODULE. Dubbed ESWAP XR PRO CONTROLLER FORZA HORIZON 5 EDITION, this gamepad provides next-level immersion and a truly exceptional racing experience. It's all about precision, speed and control!
A GAMEPAD CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FORZA HORIZON 5 DEVELOPER TURN 10
Officially licensed by both Forza Horizon 5 and Xbox, ESWAP XR PRO CONTROLLER FORZA HORIZON 5 EDITION is a true collector's-edition gamepad to be treasured. Customized with the official colors of Forza Horizon 5, you'll enjoy all of the precision and responsiveness that have made Thrustmaster's ESWAP X PRO CONTROLLER a worldwide smash hit.
A GAMEPAD CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FORZA HORIZON 5 DEVELOPER TURN 10
Officially licensed by both Forza Horizon 5 and Xbox, ESWAP XR PRO CONTROLLER FORZA HORIZON 5 EDITION is a true collector's-edition gamepad to be treasured. Customized with the official colors of Forza Horizon 5, you'll enjoy all of the precision and responsiveness that have made Thrustmaster's ESWAP X PRO CONTROLLER a worldwide smash hit.
For those unfamiliar with Jelly Key, I highly encourage going through our previous coverage of the Vietnamese artisan's works wherein we've seen several different examples of highly detailed themes which get put to life on your keyboard courtesy artisan keycaps that use a resin pour over a layer-by-layer assembly incorporating individually molded tiny pieces. In particular, we've covered a keycap before from a previous 8-Bit Series and that is probably my favorite theme from Jelly Key to date. This time round, we have a new group buy that builds upon the previous work called 8-Bit Series—Gaismas Kingdom. The company was kind enough to provide a prototype keycap to examine and show off here for interested users.
This happens to be another of Jelly Key's fascinating Droplet profile keycaps in the so-called Izchili theme. I immediately thought of Amiga games the minute I had this in my hands, and please note that the final keycaps should be done to an even higher standard of finish. The current group buy is set to end in a few hours so those who are eager to buy one need to decide sooner than later! These are available in four designs, four keycap profiles including the naked profile that doesn't have a resin pour, and 11 sizes while costing $55-105 each. There are further discounts and free shipping for those buying multiple keycaps and TechPowerUp readers also get a nice 5% discount code: 5p-w02hfav. See past the break for photos of my prototype space bar keycap, including under the microscope.
This happens to be another of Jelly Key's fascinating Droplet profile keycaps in the so-called Izchili theme. I immediately thought of Amiga games the minute I had this in my hands, and please note that the final keycaps should be done to an even higher standard of finish. The current group buy is set to end in a few hours so those who are eager to buy one need to decide sooner than later! These are available in four designs, four keycap profiles including the naked profile that doesn't have a resin pour, and 11 sizes while costing $55-105 each. There are further discounts and free shipping for those buying multiple keycaps and TechPowerUp readers also get a nice 5% discount code: 5p-w02hfav. See past the break for photos of my prototype space bar keycap, including under the microscope.
