Techreport

GlobalFoundries announced today that its present CEO, Sanjay Jha, is stepping down. Dr. Thomas Caulfield, until today a GlobalFoundries senior vice president and general manager of the company's Fab 8 facility, will be succeeding him in the position. Caulfield assumes control of a worldwide operation with at least 10 manufacturing facilities and a number of other design and development locations.

Update Saturday, March 10 12:00 PM: Our original story suggested that Tsinghua Unigroup would license Intel technology to produce its own NAND flash. That conclusion was incorrect, and we have updated our article accordingly. We apologize for the error.We're all feeling the sting of paying the same prices for SSDs now that we did two years ago thanks to short supplies of flash, and Intel may be poised to benefit from even further demand. A report from BusinessKorea indicates that Tsinghua Unigroup and Intel are entering a ...Read more...

We're all feeling the sting of paying the same prices for SSDs now that we did two years ago. Fortunately, that era may soon come to a close. A report from BusinessKorea indicates that Tsinghua Unigroup and Intel are entering a long-term relationship that will allow the Chinese company to manufacture flash memory products based on Intel's technologies. That includes the 64-layer 3D NAND flash that the company uses in its own SSD 760p series.This news is the latest development in a string of events involving Tsinghua Unigroup and American flash producers. Back in 2015, Tsinghua had expressed interest in buying Micron . That deal apparently never actually made it to ...Read more...

When it comes to laptops that stretch the definition of the word as far as it will go, there are few contenders more suited for the title than MSI's GT83VR-SLI Titan. Just look at the thing. It even has a Blu-ray burner. That machine's getting a little long in the tooth at this point, though. MSI is apparently planning to update the GT83VR Titan, according to a listing that appeared at a Greek shopping site. The store page has been taken down along with almost all references to it, but Google snagged a copy. Notably, the new 18.4" laptop will purportedly pack a Coffee Lake "Core i7-8850H" CPU. ...Read more...

Howdy, fair gerbils! If you're in a state or city that's experiencing or might experience a drought, hit me up. I've got plenty of water, as lately around here it's been rain, rain, and more rain. The week-long forecast does say that I'll get more... rain. Fantastic. I don't even need to move to England anymore—I can experience miserable weather right were I am. Oh, right, the deals. Almost forgot about those. ...Read more...

Some folks are willing to pay for a monitor with the highest-possible level of image quality and color accuracy. The Asus ProArt PA32UC should fit the bill and then some. The display's pro aspirations start with its 3840x2160 resolution, continue with its 1000 cd/m² max brightness rating, and finish with factory color calibration for an average Delta-E value guaranteed to be less than 2. ...Read more...

Whatever component might be holding up your next PC build, it doesn't have to be a quality motherboard or CPU if you can act today. Start with the award-winning combo of Intel's Core i7-8700K and Gigabyte's Z370 Aorus Gaming 7 motherboard for $556.98 from Newegg, a $33 savings over buying those parts separately. Add promo code NENG6 to take another $80 off the Z370 Aorus Gaming 7 and promo code NENN7 to lop off another $10 from your shopping cart. Newegg will include a $20 promotional gift card in your cart for the Core i7-8700K, and Gigabyte is offering a $20 mail-in rebate for the motherboard on top of all that.That's $163 in savings on a killer combo, for a final price of ...Read more...

We first wrote about MSI's Optix MPG27C and Optix MPG27CQ monitors a couple of months back at CES, but details were scarce. The manufacturer has now spilled the beans on the pair of gaming displays, and one of them is available for sale now. The headlining feature on both monitors is integration with SteelSeries' Engine software for RGB LED illumination effects across the five lighting zones on the front of the monitor. MSI says the lights can respond to in-game timers, stats, and Discord notifications. ...Read more...

TR editors don't use red pens, they publicly shame you in Slack and then replace your words with better ones.

If you've got an Oculus Rift and you've tried to use it in the last 24 hours, you probably ran into some trouble. Early yesterday morning, folks on Reddit reported an inability to launch the Rift software. Five hours after the trouble started, Oculus made a post in its own forums acknowledging and apologizing for the problem, although it still wasn't completely clear at that point what the issue was. ...Read more...

There are no two ways about it right now: it is a dismal time to be a PC builder. Between cryptomining-related shortages of graphics cards and high-end power supplies, sky-high RAM prices, and costly SSDs, the TR staff has been considering some dark avenues for gaming and computing satisfaction of late. $500 consoles and prebuilt systems have both seemed like appealing recommendations in the past couple of months as we cope with this grim new reality.We imagine many gerbils have parts lists gathering dust until the day that graphics cards or other components become widely available again, so ...Read more...

Android handset lovers, rejoice. Good ol' master Google has just let loose the developer preview of Android P, the next version of the operating system. Developers can get cracking right away as there are system images available, though only for Pixel devices for the time being. The release has no name yet, but we're betting on Pizza or maybe even Pepsi, or its equivalent PoorCoke. Meanwhile, let's take a look at the user-facing highlights in this release. ...Read more...

An old proverb asserts that a squeaky wheel gets the grease. Asus' latest Prime J4005I-C mini-ITX motherboard comes with passive cooling devoid of any moving parts that might require lubrication. The board sports a soldered Intel Celeron J4005 two-core, two-thread Gemini Lake SoC. There's a pair of DDR4 DIMM slots, but the PCIe Express connector found on most Mini-ITX boards is missing. Instead, the motherboard has an M.2 E-keyed slot for adding a wireless card and an M-keyed PCI Express 2.0 x2 slot for an NVMe storage device. ...Read more...

Hot on the heels of the Khronos Group's announcement of Vulkan 1.0 tools for Apple's macOS and iOS comes the release of version 1.1 of the cross-platform, low-level graphics API. The new version adds 16-bit data type support and new Protected Content and Subgroup Operations functions, and it integrates capabilities previously found in extensions into the core of the API. Along with Vulkan 1.1 comes Standard Portable Intermediate Representation (SPIR-V) 1.3, an update to Khronos' binary intermediate languge for parallel compute and graphics. ...Read more...

It's a little early for our traditional three-month TR BBQ reminder, but that's what happens when the date is June 23, early in the summer. What I'm trying to say is that the BBQ is just over three months away, even though I'm telling you about it as soon as I can! ...Read more...

Tempered-glass side panels started out as a premium option for cases, but they're now available in chassis from well-respected manufacturers for under $70. What is one to do if they love the look of glass but need something that makes them stand out from the plebes? Cougar likely thinks the answer is its Panzer-G ATX chassis and its four tempered glass panels. ...Read more...

We've got some more juicy gossip from South Korea for you today, gerbils. Hardware news and benchmark comparison site Hardware Battle posted some benchmarks of what appears to be an upcoming Ryzen 7 CPU based on the "Zen+" architecture. HWBattle's now put the info behind a password, so that link won't really get you anywhere. Fortunately, VideoCardz re-hosted the relevant information for the peanut gallery to pore over.

NZXT's Kraken line of liquid AIO coolers has gained its share of customers over the years, but the series curiously hasn't included a model with a 120-mm radiator configuration. The company is covering that gap in its catalog with the 120-mm Kraken M22 and adding an XXXL option in the form of the 360-mm Kraken X72. Both coolers have RGB LED illumination on the pump housing and offer full fan, pump, and lighting control through the manufacturer's CAM software. Both coolers' radiators are topped off with NZXT's static-pressure-optimized Aer P fans. ...Read more...

Howdy, folks. I'm writing this piece with bloodshot eyes, after probably beating the world record of number of sneezes per minute. I might have a little cold. Feeling sore and tired isn't helping any, too. At least I have e-tailer shop windows to browse, and sweet hardware to rest my tired eyes on. Take a look at today's fine selection of deals. ...Read more...

There are a few pervasive trends in vogue for modern case design right now. One of them is a minimalist style, of which Corsair's newest mid-tower Carbide Series 275R is a perfect exemplar. Compared to the older Carbide 270R, the new chassis extends the power supply shroud to the full length of the case, moves the front panel ports to the top, and upgrades the side window to a full-coverage transparent panel. The 275R also eschews ostentatious RGB LEDs. ...Read more...

I'm not going to sugarcoat it, this caption is terrible.

We wrote yesterday about AMD's Radeon Software 18.3.1, a release that includes performance improvements in popular multiplayer title Dota 2. That optimization is part of the red graphics team's just-announced Project ReSX (Radeon eSports Experience) effort to boost e-sports titles on the company's Radeon graphics chips. The company says the team has been working behind the scenes on these improvements for the last few months. ...Read more...

Radeon owners looking forward to ride chocobos in Final Fantasy XV or hunt down some pesky rats in Warhammer: Vermintide 2, rejoice. Just in case you were feeling left out by AMD, the company recently released the Radeon Software 18.3.1 with support for those two titles. ...Read more...

With each passing day, we seem to get a new development in Broadcom's attempt to take over Qualcomm. Yesterday, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) asked Qualcomm to delay its annual shareholder meeting, originally scheduled for tomorrow, so it can investigate the possibility that the takeover from Singapore-based Broadcom Limited (the umbrella organization that controls Broadcom) poses a threat to national security.This new turmoil emerges as Broadcom pushed to elect six members of its choosing to the Snapdragon maker's board of directors at the meeting. If that ...Read more...

The uninitiated may not realize that Valve's ridiculously-successful content delivery platform Steam collects data about their hardware every month. Put down your pitchforks, privacy nuts—it's all anonymous. The company publishes the data, too, which occasionally makes for interesting reading. February's numbers are out now, and it's been a while since we last looked at them. Let's take a peek. ...Read more...

Dell wasn't a part of the Acer-HP-Lenovo triumvirate of manufacturing partners on board for the first round of Ryzen APU laptops. The Texas-based megavendor is nevertheless bringing Raven Ridge to its Inspiron 17 5000-series laptops today. The company seems to be tiptoeing into the waters of mobile Ryzen, as these machines are entry-level offerings built around AMD's latest APUs. Let's take a look. ...Read more...

Have you ever thought "I'd really like a closed-loop liquid cooler, but none of the available options have enough RGB LEDs for me?" I know I sure have. If you're in that boat, Enermax is here to rescue you from bland all-in-one coolers with its latest model, called LiqFusion. This is a closed-loop cooler with a 240-mm radiator that's blinged out all over. Three LED diffusers surround each of the 120-mm fans, and the waterblock has an RGB LED flow rate indicator. ...Read more...

Fans of both Ubisoft's Far Cry series and RGB LED lighting can rejoice, as the upcoming Far Cry 5 will support reactive lighting on Corsair hardware. The companies claim that Corsair RGB LED-equipped products will react to "more than 35" in-game events and adjust their lighting effects to improve in-game immersion. ...Read more...

Typically when we hear "ultra-wide" in the context of monitors, we think of the 21:9 aspect ratio. LG's new 38WK95C curved IPS monitor takes things a bit further and stretches out to 24:10, or 12:5 if you're mathematically-inclined. This display is identical to LG's own 38UC99-W in almost every way, but it adds a USB Type-C input and nominal HDR support on top of that monitor's already-luxurious specs. ...Read more...

Liquid cooling keeps getting easier and more affordable, but for some people (myself included), the reliability and lifespan of old-fashioned heatsink-and-fan combinations are hard to beat. Cooler Master says its dual-tower, dual-fan MasterAir MA620P cooler can deliver the performance of a liquid AIO unit without the worries about permeation, pump failure, or leaks. The styled top shrouds and included pair of RGB LED-bedazzled fans give it some style to flaunt, as well. ...Read more...

Hullo, gerbils. You'll be happy (I think) to know that the massive cold, snow, and ice that's hitting most of Europe hasn't made its way to this little corner planted by the sea. All the ice in England is sure to give the Brits a new meaning to "stiff upper lip." Anyway, I have time aplenty to hunt down the hardware that you're dying for. Get your credit cards out and let's get this going right away. ...Read more...

Gerbils, I'm sure I don't have to remind you about Kaby Lake-G. The marriage of Intel's "Lake" architecture with a recent Radeon seems fit to make the smallest PC-gaming powerhouses we've seen yet, and systems bearing it are supposed to launch this month. The first such machine appears to be Intel's NUC8i7HVK—more easily identified by its codename, Hades Canyon. We're as eager to learn how Kaby Lake-G runs as any of you are, and we found what appears to be the first review of a Hades Canyon NUC over on Korean hardware and gaming site Playwares. ...Read more...

Hot on the heels of fleshing out its Meshify C ATX chassis lineup with two new side panel variations, the company is applying the tesselated mesh front panel treatment to its well-liked Define C Mini microATX chassis. The result is the Meshify C Mini, which we'll explore immediately. ...Read more...

In the mobile SoC world you mostly hear about Samsung's Exynos, Qualcomm's Snapdragon, and Apple's A-series SoCs. Those companies aren't the only ones making miniature microprocessors for mobile systems, though. At MWC, MediaTek announced its Helio P60 SoC. The new chip seems aimed to compete with the heavywights discussed above, as it comes with an AI accelerator not unlike those found in recent ARM-based offerings. ...Read more...

One of the more concerning details in the ongoing story of Spectre-related system patches has been how users would get said updates. Per Intel's announcement, distribution of the new CPU microcode is up to the whims of motherboard manufacturers, system integrators, and OEMs who may or may not find the time to push out updated firmware for motherboards many years old. Microsoft is stepping up to the plate to service potentially put-out customers.The company has begun including microcode updates for Skylake systems on the Microsoft Update catalog, and says it will expand its offerings as Intel supplies further microcode patches for older CPUs. For now, the ...Read more...

Every gerbil is beautiful. *sniff*

I'd normally point folks looking for small-form-factor gaming to Zotac's Zbox Magnus line. Those machines aren't the smallest options around, though, and Zotac hasn't updated them to Coffee Lake CPUs yet. If you're after something with serious CPU grunt and gaming performance, maybe step over here to glance at ASRock's latest DeskMini GTX and DeskMini RX systems. The new micro-barebones pack a Z370 motherboard and dedicated graphics in an STX-form-factor package occupying just 2.7 L. ...Read more...

Jon Peddie Research has released its latest graphics Market Watch report, and the firms' conclusions match with what frustrated graphics card shoppers have seen over the last few months. The new report covers graphics card shipments in the fourth quarter of 2017, and as the company has typically found in final three months of any given year, shipments are down compared to the holiday shopping-fueled third quarter.Overall graphics shipments dropped 1.5% compared to the previous quarter, with a 4.8% drop in total discrete graphics shipments compared to Q4 2016. Fans of the red team will doubtless delight in knowledge that AMD's graphics market share and overall shipments jumped by just over 8%, with a market ...Read more...

We got our first look at Cooler Master's MicroATX Q300 line of cases back at Computex last June, and we saw two of the three prototypes again at CES in January. Those same two models, the MasterBox Q300L and MasterBox Q300P, are now ready to ship to those builers that don't need a full ATX motherboard's expandability but aren't ready for the human oragami needed for most Mini-ITX builds.The MasterBox Q300L is a rather understated case with a dark color scheme, a full-size transparent window, and an optional handle. The MasterBox Q300P uses the same core chassis but adds RGB LED illumination, a transparent front panel, and four ...Read more...

Remember those Intel Spectre-busting patches that caused spontaneous reboots in Haswell and Broadwell systems? They should be fixed now, at least judging by the Microcode Update Guidance that Intel updated the past Monday. According to the document, OEMs now have updated Broadwell and Haswell microcode patches available to them. Additionally, Intel's prepping updates for a good number of older CPU architectures.For now, here's the list of Intel ...Read more...

We've been salivating for Intel's Coffee Lake silicon to appear in laptops ever since we tested the desktop Core i7-8700K in early October. Benchmarks for laptops using a purported six-core, 12-thread Core i7-8750H chip are now starting to trickle into Geekbench's online database, and the results are what one would expect for a clock-speed bump and a 50% increase in core and thread counts. ...Read more...

Greetings, gerbildom at large. Europe's being hit by some really odd weather variations, but I'm pretty okay in my little corner with only some rain to deal with. Since going out and enjoying the sun isn't much of an option right now, I can perform my almost-second-favorite activity: hunting for hardware deals. Here's today's catch. ...Read more...

Sometimes it's easy to forget that laptops are also "mobile," even if we usually reserve that term for smartphones and tablets. Over at Mobile World Congress 2018, Lenovo revealed two new asanas: the Yoga 530 and Yoga 730. These machines are based on Kaby Lake-R CPUs and include IPS touchscreens with support for Lenovo's Active Pen 2. More unusually, they also include far-field microphones to work with the Alexa and Cortana assistants.

Some monitors are specifically designed for photo editing, while others are meant for chugging through spreadsheets, emails, and memos. The new members of BenQ's E-Series display family are made for "video enjoyment," which we take to mean a combination of different entertainment-related uses. The EL2870U, EW3270U, and EX3501R monitors all offer big panels with high resolutions and AMD's FreeSync adaptive-refresh rate technology. ...Read more...

Do you loathe Apple but secretly adore the iPhone X? Alternatively, do you openly desire the $1000 device but find its price too dear for your means? If you're in either of those boats, Asus has exactly the phone for you. Just a bit ago at Mobile World Congress 2018, Asus announced three flavors of Zenfone 5: the Zenfone 5 Lite, the standard Zenfone 5, and the flagship Zenfone 5Z. While the Zenfone 5 Lite has a simpler design, the standard and 5Z models take obvious design cues from Apple's flagship handset.

Cooler Master first launched the MasterCase H500P with little fanfare last September. In case you missed it then, it's a mid-tower case that takes full-sized PC hardware and cools it using a pair of 200-mm RGB LED fans. At that time, your color options were the same as those of the Ford Model T: any shade you wanted, as long as it was black. Some people prefer a lighter aesthetic, so Cooler Master is now offering the H500P in white in service of that stylistic decision. ...Read more...

Wacom is expanding its Cintiq Pro lineup of pen displays with the Cintiq Pro Pen Display 24, a 24" pen-sensitive screen with a resolution of 3840x2160. The company isn't kidding around when it says the display is made for creative pros, touting the 10-bit IPS panel's color accuracy and 99% coverage of the Adobe RGB color space. Along with that bit of kit, Wacom also announed the Cintiq Pro Engine docking-station-esque PC that slots into the back of the Pro Pen Display 24. Buyers can pick between versions built around Intel's Core i5-7300HQ or Xeon E3-1505 v6 processors, along with Nvidia Quadro P3200 graphics.

The Lua abides.

Today at the Mobile World Congress 2018, Qualcomm announced a forthcoming series of Snapdragon SoCs. Perhaps obviously, the new Snapdragon 700 series chips are intended to slot in between the 600- and 800-series offerings to fill the yawning performance chasm between those two. To that end, Qualcomm says it will outfit the 700-series SoCs with "features and performance" previously exclusive to the top-tier 800 series units. ...Read more...

Removing the shroud from case fans seems to be emerging as a trend, starting with the fans strapped to EVGA's CLC 120 and CLC 280 and continuing now with Deepcool's MF120 Gamer Storm fan package. The set comes with three "frameless" aluminum 120-mm fans and a Wi-Fi-enabled controller box that gives users the ability to change fan speeds and RGB LED illumination by way of a mobile app. ...Read more...