Tech News
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TSMC Chairman: Fabs Would Be ‘Not Operable’ If China Invades
Published: Wednesday, August 10, 2022 | By: DennisI caught this story over at Extremetech.
As of this news posting the tensions are pretty high over Taiwan and the threat of Chinese invasion. For the past year the Chinese have been invoking cold war tactics by flying missions close to Taiwan, this causes the Taiwanese military to react and allows China to map out response times and locations of assets.
It also costs money, which can be a critical weapon during a war of attrition.
Right now, the question is "What if.." Currently the Chinese are holding military drills near the island and even launching missiles directly over which, is not only unsafe but is also careless and giving the impression that China wants to go to war but, doesn't want to be seen as the aggressor.
Liu said China’s dependency is “not a bad thing,” indicating he’s confident China wouldn’t invade solely for selfish reasons. Fears over the disruption of the Taiwanese chip supply and the resulting economic damage have been termed a “Silicon Shield” by analysts. It wouldn’t just be a Chinese problem though; US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo warned about it recently as well. She stated the US would go into a “deep and immediate” recession if US firms were abruptly cut off from TSMC’s supply. Apple, AMD, Nvidia, and Intel all depend on TSMC for their most advanced products. It’s one of the primary reasons the CHIPS Act was passed this week. It seeks to bolster US silicon manufacturing in order to reduce our dependence on China and Taiwan.
It will be interesting to see how things play out. Right now, the stalemate will continue, at least until some planned accident happens to disrupt the peace.
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G.SKILL Announces MD2 Mid-Tower PC Case
Published: Saturday, August 6, 2022 | By: Dennis(5 August 2022) - G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd. is excited to announce the MD2 mid-tower PC case, a stylish ATX case designed for high-performance builds, featuring a sleek front panel design. Available in black or white, the MD2 mid-tower case is designed for versatile cooling options, a spacious interior, and comes with a 4mm tempered-glass side panel to show off the internal system hardware.
Stylish Front Intake Panel
The MD2 case front panel design is inspired by the S-curves of race tracks and incorporates side vents for improved airflow to keep internal components cool. The front panel RGB lighting is designed with a spring-loaded contact, in place of wiring, for easy removal and easy access during front fan installation or cleaning the front magnetic filter.Versatile Cooling Options
The roomy interior of the MD2 case offers a multitude of cooling configuration options to help keep internal components stay cool, with space for up to 7 case fans along the front, top, and rear of the case, or simultaneously up to two 360mm water-cooling radiators.
Spacious Interior Design
Designed to accommodate high-end hardware components, the MD2 case supports graphics cards of up to 395mm in length and supports CPU air coolers of up to 170mm in height. The MD2 case also offers ample storage drive installation options with up to two 2.5” SSD mounts and two convertible 2.5”/3.5” drive bays.About G.SKILL
Established in 1989 by PC hardware enthusiasts, G.SKILL specializes in high performance memory and gaming peripherals designed for PC gamers and enthusiasts around the world. Combining technical innovation and rock solid quality through our in-house testing lab and talented R&D team, G.SKILL continues to create record-breaking memory for each generation of hardware and hold the no. 1 brand title in overclocking memory. -
GIGABYTE Announces Cloud-Native Solutions, First to Launch an Arm-Based Motherboard with 256 CPU Cores
Published: Saturday, August 6, 2022 | By: DennisJuly 28, 2022 – GIGABYTE Technology, (TWSE: 2376), an industry leader in high-performance servers and workstations, today became the first-to-market with a dual-socket motherboard, MP72-HB0, that supports up to 256 Arm cores, making it ideal for cloud native workloads. Also, the launch includes two more servers, G242-P35 and G242-P36, to offer up to 120TB of NVMe (Gen4) storage capacity paired with Ampere® Altra® or Ampere® Altra® Max processors. These GPU-centric servers and motherboard will quickly find a home with hyperscaler and cloud workloads. Altra Max processors have predictable high-performance by having a high core count CPU with one thread per core, 128 threads on a monolithic 128-core chip. Multi-socket support and a wealth of PCIe/CCIX lanes make the platform highly scalable. At the same time, there is industry-leading power efficiency/core, which is highly sought after by our customers.
Ampere Altra Max advantages:
- High performance: Up to 128 cores with 128 threads
- High throughput: 128 PCIe 4.0 lanes (192 lanes in 2P)
- Optimized CCIX for inter-socket communication
- High performance-per-watt: 128 cores with 250W TDP
- High bandwidth and memory capacity: 8-channel and DDR4-3200
- Applications from Cloud to Edge
G242-P35 & G242-P36:
The -P35 and -P36 join the G242 family of single-socket Arm-based GIGABYTE servers designed to support dual-slot GPUs, by adding exclusive support for NVMe (Gen4) U.2 SSDs. Prior G242 servers focused on SATA only or SATA/SAS drive support; nonetheless, customer feedback proved a need to support NVMe U.2 drives. The major difference between the two new G242 servers is that the -P35 can support four dual-slot GPUs, while the -P36 is designed for NVIDIA Arm HPC Developer Kit and supports at max two dual-slot GPUs. Based on the Ampere Altra platform, there are 128 PCIe Gen4 lanes per socket, and of them, four Gen4 x16 lanes support CCIX for low-latency and cache coherency for the benefit of GPUs, FPGAs, network & storage adapters, and more. CCIX benefits and enables efficient heterogeneous computing by bettering the transfer speeds of PCIe 4.0 while leveraging the PCIe lanes. Applications for the new servers will definitely take advantage of this benefit.In terms of operating system support, all these new GIGABYTE products support OS from Red Hat, SUSE, Ubuntu, Fedora, Oracle, and Debian.
The product development spirit has always been a key factor in the growth and decisions of GIGABYTE. As a hardware focused company, it has been supporting in-house Arm solutions for nearly a decade. The Arm ecosystem is very familiar to and well-designed by our engineers to optimize new product offerings with a highly competitive proposition that expands the product portfolio and reaches every enterprise niche. The new motherboard and servers add to this spirit of invention offering our customers cloud-native solutions that are in demand.
Remote and Multiple Server Management:
As part of GIGABYTE’s value proposition, GIGABYTE provides GIGABYTE Management Console (GMC) for BMC server management via a web browser-based platform. Additionally, GIGABYTE Server Management (GSM) software is free to download and used to monitor and manage multiple servers. GMC and GSM offer great value while reducing license and customer maintenance costs. -
MONTECH Launches High Airflow ATX Case SKY ONE LITE
Published: Friday, August 5, 2022 | By: DennisJuly 25, 2022, Taipei, Taiwan – MONTECH, an innovative PC components and peripherals brand, announces the SKY ONE LITE. The newest addition to the SKY series offers top cooling performance at a great value with a fine mesh front panel, 3 pre-installed 120mm high airflow fans, and an all-around anti-dust design. The SKY ONE LITE is equipped with modern and functional features such as a removable quick connect ARGB front panel, top I/O including a USB Gen 2 Type C port, and an easy swivel tempered glass side panel. And for the first time, a Frost White edition, which is completely white themed with white duster filters, grommets and silver screws. The SKY ONE LITE is available in Black US$69.99 and Frost White US$72.99.
High-End Performance
The SKY ONE LITE’s design provides the best airflow for high-end PC hardware. At the front, the fine mesh panel consists of 1.5mm diameter mesh holes spaced at 2.25mm apart, providing a 40.3% open area ratio for higher airflow yet prevents dust from entering the case. In addition to unrestricted openings at the top (filtered) and back of the case, 3 pre-installed 120mm high airflow fans (2 at the front, 1 at the rear) for ideal cooling performance. Users also have the option to upgrade cooling with up to 3x 120/140mm fans or up to 360mm radiator at the front, 2x 120/140mm fans or up to 280mm radiator at the top, 2x 120mm fans above the PSU shroud, and 1x 120mm fan or radiator at the rear.Compelling Front Panel and I/O
The SKY ONE LITE’s front panel balances functionality and aesthetics. In addition to its fine mesh design, the panel sports an 18 LED ARGB embedded vibrant light strip at the center, and an ARGB backlit MONTECH logo at the top. Powered via a contact pad, this means no messy cables for easy removal of the panel. Located at the top of the case, users can find the LED control buttons to quickly change between the 21 built-in light effects, or pass the lighting control to the motherboard RGB software. Located at the top of the front panel, the SKY ONE LITE offers a modern array of I/O including 2x USB 3.0, 1x Audio, and 1x mic port, as well as 1x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port.Hinged Tempered Glass and Hardware Compatibility
Displaying the PC gracefully, the left side of the SKY ONE LITE is equipped with a tempered glass panel featuring a zero drill hole design to improve its sturdiness. Mounted on hinges, the panel can be quickly swiveled open and even removed for complete and safe access to the PC’s high-end hardware, which includes support for graphics cards of up to 350mm in length, CPU coolers of up to 170mm in height, ATX PSUs of up to 180mm, and up to 3x 2.5” SSDs and 2x 3.5” HDDs.Frost White Edition
The SKY ONE LITE is available in Frost White edition, an all-white design on the interior and exterior. The chassis has a high-quality white coating that is whiter than the standard white cases. The interior features white rubber grommets, white fans, and white dust filters. On the exterior, the SKY ONE LITE features a white frame, a white pull-tab for the side glass panel, and even silver screws.For more information
SKY ONE LITE Black:
https://www.montechpc.com/en/products_detail.php?nid=281&s_ok2=SKY ONE LITE Frost White:
https://www.montechpc.com/en/products_detail.php?nid=283&s_ok2= -
US Senate passes CHIPS Act 2022, bans recipients from expanding advanced chip capacity in specific countries
Published: Sunday, July 31, 2022 | By: DennisThis is really big news and is designed to help companies design and manufacture the technology that is developed in the US. Currently many semiconductor designs are actually produced in Taiwan and China which not only increases the chance of Intellectual Property theft but also removes an important revenue stream from the United States.
The chips act is designed to change that.
The Senate on July 27 passed CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, bipartisan legislation in a vote of 64-33. A total of US$52.7 billion will be spent as a 5-year incentive for developing domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities and other programs.
In the legislation, section 103 stipulates that recipients of Federal incentive funds are prohibited from expanding or building new manufacturing capacity for "certain advanced semiconductors in specific countries that present a national security threat to the United States." Though China is not specifically mentioned therewithin, media such as CNBC and Reuters have interpreted that the CHIPS Act is to boost US production in competition with China.
Within the US$52 billion funding, US$39 billion is allocated over 5 years to subsidize the domestic chip manufacturing capacities; US$2 billion is provided to focus on legacy chip production to advance economic and national security interests; US$6 billion may be used for the cost of direct loans and loan guarantees.
As with most things in the US, this is just a loan so, it will eventually need to be paid back making the whole process more of an investment for the future with a "bail out" option when things eventually go sideways.
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Huge Discounts on be quiet! Anniversary FX Hardware
Published: Sunday, July 31, 2022 | By: DennisAct fast! These discounts are only valid until the end of September while supplies last!
It is hard to believe that it is the 20th anniversary for be quiet!. It seems like just yesterday I was meeting with them during Computex and excited to hear about another case and cooler brand breaking into the US market. At the time I knew they had been around for a while but, didn’t realize how established the brand really was.
For the 20th Anniversary be quiet is launching the FX line of products and consist of the following:
Discounts of up to $30 USD can be found on the Pure Base 500 FX and Pure Loop 2 FX AIO cooler. A $13 USD discount can be found on the popular Pure Rock 2 FX if running an AIO isn’t your thing.
Pure Base 500 FX:
MSRP: $149.90 USD- Based on the acclaimed Pure Base 500DX
- Four preinstalled be quiet! Light Wings 120mm high-speed fans
- External and internal ARGB LED lighting
- ARGB and PWM fan hub included
- Great air flow
- USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C
- Fits radiators up to 360mm
- Space for high-end GPUs
Pure Loop 2 FX
MSRP: $129.90/139.90/154.90 USD depending on configuration- Based on Pure Loop, but with new and improved pump that supports PWM control
- Available with 240mm, 280mm, 360mm radiator and up to 3 Light Wings PWM high-speed fans
- ARGB illumination on the cooling block replaces white LED ring
- Easy-to-access refill port with coolant bottle included in scope of delivery
Pure Rock 2 FX:
MSRP: $52.90 USD- Based on Pure Rock 2 Black
- Light Wings 120mm PWM high-speed fan replaces Pure Wings 2 fan
- 150W TDP
- Four 6mm heat pipes
- Asymmetrical tower construction to keep memory slots free
- Easy top mounting
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Funky Kit Review - Kingston Fury Beast RGB 32GB DDR5-6000 Memory Kit
Published: Saturday, July 30, 2022 | By: DennisWait, hold the presses! What the heck is this?? Kingston actually making "good" memory?? First, we have Micron abandoning a well-recognized retail brand with numerous world records all because their DDR5 DRAM is literal junk. And, here we have Kingston stepping up with 6000Mhz DDR5 memory modules that are actually pretty good.
What kind of world is this? Oh, right. it is the real world where the brave and intelligent actually get ahead.
Kingston Fury Beast RGB 32GB DDR5-6000 memory kit delivers high performance, excellent stability, great overclocking potential, and you get all that in an aesthetically pleasing form, with amazing RGB illumination that gives a soul to your PC. Whether you are a gamer or PC enthusiast, you will be fully satisfied with what this memory series has to offer.
The Kingston (formally HyperX, buy not HyperX cause HP) Fury Beast RGB appear to use heatspreaders from the previous generation and look pretty good. I wonder if they have the IR Sync feature or, if they figured out how to actually get all of the RGB lights to blink at the same time.
Maybe Funky Kit has that answer, check out the review!
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Antec DF800 FLUX Computer Case Review @ APH Networks
Published: Thursday, July 14, 2022 | By: DennisThere was a time when I loved Antec computer cases. They were some of the best money could buy, the styling was spot on and the construction could rival some of the greatest projects in the known world.
Sadly, things went a little sideways for Antec and when they started to lose market share we started to see the company scramble to catch up and they never quite recovered. In my opinion their designs were either crap or worthless garbage so it makes me wonder what kind of case the Antec DF800 really is..
The Antec DF800 FLUX is an airflow-focused performance case with flashy RGB LED case fans.
APH Networks has a great review of the Antec DF800 where they talk about all of the major features and try to cover the critical points that most YouTube channels are famous for. In the end they give the chassis a decent score.
I'm not sure I would be so nice and call out the super thin metal used to build the chassis and the super lazy expansion card slot retention screws being on the OUTSIDE of the chassis. It might be able to move air around and you might be able to build in it but this case (and others like it) are the epitome of putting lipstick on a pig, it may look good but it is still rolls in its own crap.
Be sure to check out the review for more information
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Funky Kit Review - Desklab Ultralight Portable 4K Touchscreen Monitor
Published: Thursday, July 14, 2022 | By: DennisOk, so the "hook" phrase got me interested enough to click on the link and then the photo of the product got me interested to find out what the heck it is.
If you find yourself needing a portable monitor and don't want to miss out on any features, then the monitor from Desklab is a great option to take a look at!
Basically, it is a Microsoft Surface tablet, without the tablet and options to allow for touch support and external video input. e.g. a Monitor.
What a novel idea. Check out the review for more details.
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eufy Security Video Doorbell Dual @ LanOC Reviews
Published: Thursday, July 14, 2022 | By: DennisI have a love and hate relationship with smart home devices. From the technical standpoint I love the automation aspects and the ability to program certain systems to react to situations and report back what they find.
However, I do take issue with "how" smart home devices are being handled. Most require an internet connection, even more require a service agreement and almost every one of them calls home so the data can be stored in the cloud. Sadly, most smart home devices exist as a way for a company to make money and to do that you have to accept that certain aspects of what you are paying for will be out of your hands.
Seems that is the world we live in and, if you are curious about what is happening in that world you can pick up a video doorbell camera thing and keep one eye on the prize while the other is casually looking out the window.
It’s interesting how over the years the number of smart home devices in our home has grown with a majority of our lighting integrated, smart speakers in key rooms to control things and for music/questions, and we have a good set of security cameras outside to keep an eye on things all of the time and some inside for when we are away. But one of the most quintessential “smart home” devices the video doorbell still hasn’t been added into the mix. It isn’t that I haven’t wanted one, but for a long time I was holding out trying to find one that could integrate without Blue Iris camera setup but there haven’t been much for options, and companies have been trending more and more to their own ecosystems so I decided why wait any longer let's make the step. So let’s check out the eufy Security Video Doorbell Dual camera which has a second downward-facing camera to keep an eye out for and on packages.
I find that video seems to be an integral part of the smart home package and for those living in "less than desirable" locations it is nice to finally record thieves in the act. Sadly, you still cannot shoot them but, until then you can get an answer to that burning question of who stole my inanimate bedtime companion.
