Customer demand for AI and HPC processors is driving a much greater use of advanced packaging technologies, particularly TSMC's chip-on-wafer-on-substrate (CoWoS) services. As things stand, TSMC is just barely meeting the current demand for this packaging method – never mind future demand – which is why last year the company announced plans to more than double CoWoS capacity by the end of 2024. But as it turns out, just doubling capacity once won't be enough, and the world's largest contract maker of chips is going to have to keep scaling up at a rapid pace.

At its European Technology Symposium last week TSMC announced plans to expand CoWoS capacity at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 60% till at least 2026. As a result, TSMC's CoWoS capacity will more than quadruple from 2023 levels by the end of that period. And keeping in mind that TSMC is prepping additional versions of CoWoS (namely CoWoS-L) that will enable building system-in-packages (SiPs) of up to eight reticle sizes, increasing CoWoS capacity by four-fold in three years may still not be enough. The good news is that the various third-party off-site assembly and testing (OSAT) providers are also expanding their CoWoS-like capacity, so the demand for advanced packing isn't a problem that TSMC is facing (or resolving) on their own.

And CoWoS isn't the only advanced packaging technology line whose capacity TSMC is looking to rapidly expand. The company also has its system-on-integrated chips (SoIC) 3D stacking technology which adoption is poised to grow in the coming years. To meet demand for its SoIC packaging methods TSMC will expand SoIC capacity at a 100% compound annual growth rate by the end of 2026. As a result, SoIC capacity will grow by eight-fold from 2023 levels by late 2026.

Overall, TSMC itself expects leading-edge SiPs for demanding applications like AI and HPC will adopt both CoWoS and SoIC 3D stacking technologies in the coming years, which is why it needs to increase capacity for both methods to be able to build those highly-complex processors.

Ever since AMD re-emerged as a major competitor within the x86 CPU scene, one of AMD’s top priorities has been to win over customers in the highly lucrative and profitable server market. It’s a strategy that’s paid off well for AMD, as while they’re still the minority player in the space, they’ve continued to whittle away at what was once Intel’s absolute control over the market, slowly converting more and more customers over to the EPYC ecosystem.

Now as the Zen 4 CPU architecture approaches its second birthday, AMD is launching one final line of EPYC chips, taking aim at yet another Xeon market segment. This time it’s all about the entry-level 1P server market – small scale, budget-conscientious users who only need a handful of CPU cores – which AMD is addressing with their new EPYC 4004 series processors.

Within AMD’s various product stacks, the new EPYC 4004 family essentially replaces Ryzen chips for use in servers. Ryzen for servers was never a dedicated product lineup within AMD, but none the less it has been a product segment within the company since 2019, with AMD aiming it at smaller-scale hosting providers who opted to use racks of consumer-scale hardware, rather than going the high-density route with high core count EPYC processors.

With the upgrade to EPYC status, that hardware ecosystem is being re-deployed as a proper lineup with dedicated chips, and a handful of additional features befitting an EPYC chip. Consequently, AMD is also expanding the scope of the market segments they’re targeting by a hair, roping in small business (SMB) users, whom AMD wasn’t previously chasing. Though regardless of the name on the market segment, the end result is that AMD is carving out a budget-priced series of EPYC chips with 4 to 16 cores based on their consumer platforms.

Underlying the new EPYC 4004 series is AMD’s tried and true AM5 platform and Raphael processors, which we know better as the Ryzen 7000 series. Their new EPYC counterparts are an 8 chip stack that is comprised almost entirely of rebranded Ryzen 7000 SKUs, with all the same core counts, clockspeeds, and TDPs as their counterparts. The sole exception here being the very cheapest chip of the bunch, the 4 core 4124P.

Since these are all based on AMD’s consumer discrete CPUs, the underlying architecture in all of these chips is Zen 4 throughout. So despite being positioned below the EPYC 8004 Siena series, you won’t find any Zen 4c CPU cores here; everything is full-fat Zen 4 CCDs. Which means that while there are relatively few cores overall (for an EPYC processor), they are all high-performing cores, with nothing turboing lower than 5.1GHz.

Notably here, AMD is mixing in some of their 3D V-Cache chip SKUs as well, which are signified with the “PX” suffix. Based on the 7950X3D and 7900X3D respectively, both of these chips have 1 CCD with V-Cache stacked on top of them, affording the chip a total of 128MB of L3 cache. The remaining 6 SKUs all get the “P” suffix – indicating they’re 1 socket processors – and come with TDPs ranging from 65 Watts to 170 Watts.

This does mean that, by EPYC server standards, the 4004 series is not particularly energy efficient. This is a lineup that is intended to be cost-effective first and foremost. Instead, energy efficiency remains the domain of the EPYC 8004, with its modestly-clocked many-core Zen4c designs.

The reuse of Zen 4/AM5 means that the EPYC 4004 series comes with all of the features we’ve come to expect from the platform, including 28 lanes of PCIe 5.0, 2 channels (128-bits) of DDR5 memory at speeds up to DDR5-5200, and even integrated graphics. Since this is a server part, ECC is officially supported on the chips – though do note that like the Ryzen Pro workstation chips, this is UDIMM-only; registered DIMMs (RDIMMs) are not supported.

AMD isn’t disclosing the chipset being paired with the EPYC 4004 processors, and while it’s undoubtedly going to be AMD’s favorite ASMedia-designed I/O chipset, it’s interesting to note that it’s at the motherboard level where the new EPYC platform’s real server credentials are at. Separating itself from rank-and-file Ryzens, the EPYC 4004 platform is getting several additional enterprise features, including baseboard management controller (BMC) support, software RAID (RAIDXpert2 for Server), and official server OS support. To be sure, this is still a fraction of the features found in a high-end enterprise solution like the EPYC 9004/8004 series, but it’s some additional functionality befitting of a platform meant to be used in servers.

AMD’s new chips, in turn, are designed to compete against Intel’s entry-level Xeon-E family. Itself a redress of consumer hardware (Raptor Lake), the Xeon-E family is a P-core only chip lineup, with Intel offering SKUs with 4, 6, or 8 CPU cores. This leaves the EPYC 4004 family somewhat uniquely positioned compared to the Xeon-E family, as Intel doesn’t have anything that’s a true counterpart to AMD’s 12 and 16 core chips; after Xeon-E comes the far more capable (and expensive) Xeon-w family. So part of AMD’s strategy with the EPYC 4004 family is to serve a niche that Intel does not.

(As a side bonus, AMD’s core counts also end up playing well with Windows Server 2022 licensing. The Standard license covers up to 16 cores, so a top-end EPYC 4004 chip lets server owners max out their license, amortizing the software cost over more cores)

With regards to performance, Raptor Lake versus Zen 4 is largely settled by now. So I won’t spend too much time on AMD’s (many) benchmark slides. But suffice it to say, with a significant core count advantage, AMD can deliver an equally significant performance advantage in highly multi-threaded workloads (though in that scenario, it does come with a similar spike in power consumption compared to the 95 Watt Intel chips).

Wrapping things up, AMD is launching the new EPYC 4004 product stack immediately. With many of AMD’s regular server partners already signed up – and the core hardware readily available – there won’t be much of a ramp-up period to speak of.

Gallery: EPYC 4004 Press Deck

The next few weeks in the PC industry are going to come fast and furious. Between today and mid-June are multiple conferences and trade-shows, including Microsoft Build and the king of PC trade shows: Computex Taiwan. With all three PC CPU vendors set to present, there’s a lot going on, and a lot of product announcements to be had. But even before those trade shows start, Intel is looking to make the first move this afternoon with an early preview on its next-gen mobile processor, Lunar Lake.

While Intel hasn’t said too much about what to expect from their Computex 2024 keynote thus far, it’s clear that Intel’s next-gen CPUs – Lunar Lake for mobile, and Arrow Lake for Mobile/Desktop – are going to be two of the major stars of the show. At this point Intel has previously teased and/or demoed both chips (Lunar more so than Arrow), and this afternoon the company is releasing a bit more information on Lunar Lake even before Computex kicks off.

Officially, today’s reveal is a preview of Intel’s next Tech Tour event, which is taking place at the end of May. Unofficially, this is the exact same date and time as the embargo on Qualcomm Snapdragon X laptop announcements, which are slated to hit retail shelves next month. Lunar Lake laptops, by contrast, will not hit retail shelves until Q4 of this year. So although the additional technical details from today’s disclosure are great to have, looking at the bigger picture it’s difficult to interpret this reveal as anything less than a bald-faced effort to interdict the Snapdragon X launch (not that Qualcomm hasn’t also been crowing about SDX for the last 7 months). Which, if nothing else, goes to show the current tumultuous state of the laptop CPU market, and that Intel isn’t nearly as secure in their position as they have traditionally been.

While we've been expecting the availability of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor to be around the middle of this year, Lenovo has announced two new 'AI-powered' notebooks for the Windows on Arm platform. Announced is the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 14 and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 both feature Qualcomm's latest 12-core Snapdragon X Elite processor, ushering in a new era for Microsoft's Windows on Arm platform. Lenovo aims to target content creators and business professionals with these new models.

Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X Elite processor looks set to try to change the adoption of the Windows-on-Arm devices, with a critical focus on providing AI capability on device, which promises up to 45 TOPs of performance solely from the Hexagon NPU. Powered by the Oryon CPU cores, the Snapdragon X Elite is designed to deliver exceptional performance and efficiency, achieving up to 3.8GHz in all-core turbo in intensive workloads. The processor also includes the latest Hexagon NPU, offering 45 TOPS of performance for INT8 tasks, making it well-suited for handling complex AI tasks on devices such as Generative AI. 

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 14 Notebook for Windows on Arm

Starting with the slimmer of the two models, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x is primarily tailored for creators. It is designed to be thin, lightweight, and portable and has a 70 Wh battery, making it ideal for creators on the go. The device is powered by the latest Snapdragon X Elite processor, featuring Qualcomm's integrated Hegaxon NPU designed to power GenAI-based text-to-image capabilities, sophisticated photo and video editing tools, and intelligent text creation and editing feedback.

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 14 is just 12.9 mm thick.

For connectivity, it only uses Type-C, with three USB 4 Type-C ports for the fastest 40 Gbps-capable devices. It also has a single audio jack with an HDMI 2.1 video output. Built into the top bezel is a 1080 webcam with four microphones, and it also supports IP MIPI with an integrated privacy shutter. Additional features include Dolby Atmos audio, while it also comes with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity incorporated within the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor. It weighs just 1.28 kg, with a slim 12.9 mm profile, making the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x perfectly light for users on the go.

The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 notebook

On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s is optimized primarily for business users. It is designed to deliver optimal performance and efficiency with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite 12-core processor. As with the Yoga Slim 7x, the ThinkPad T14s uses the integrated Qualcomm Adreno GPU for graphics capabilities, and it powers the 14" display, which can come in 1920 x 1200 IPS or 2.8K with an OLED panel. The on-device Hexagon NPU primarily handles AI inferencing tasks on chips and ensures seamless integration with Microsoft 365 applications. This model is designed to provide robust device management, enhanced collaborations on the go, and integrated chip-to-cloud security for professional environments.

On the connectivity front, it has dual USB 3.2 G2 Type-A ports and two USB 4 Type-C ports for the fastest 40 Gbps-capable devices. It also has a single audio jack with an HDMI 2.1 video output. Built into the top bezel is a 1080 webcam with dual microphones, and it also supports IP MIPI with an integrated privacy shutter. Additional features include a fingerprint reader within the power button and dTPM. Lenovo uses the integrated Wi-Fi 7 within the Snapdragon X Elite for wireless connectivity, providing Bluetooth 5.3 support.

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x 14 Gen 9 and ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 can support up to 1TB of PCIe 4.0 x4 storage, while memory capability depends on the model. The Yoga 7x 14 Gen 9, a slimmer model, is limited to 32 GB of LPDDR5X-8448 memory in a dual-channel configuration. At the same time, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 can accommodate up to 64 GB of slightly faster LPDDR5X-8533 memory.

Additionally, Lenovo offers deployment services through its Lenovo TruScale platform to support the efficient management of next-generation AI PC devices such as these models. These services include customizable security features, tailored deployment processes, enhanced control over the deployment process, and services designed to align with specific business objectives.

Both the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 will be available starting June 2024, with the Yoga Slim 7x starting at $1,199 and the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 priced starting at $1,699.

Gallery: Lenovo Unveils Yoga Slim 7x and ThinkPad T14 Gen 6 Powered By Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite

Although TSMC can't claim to be the first fab to use extreme UV (EUV) lithography – that title goes to Samsung – they do get to claim to be the largest. As a result, the company has developed significant experience with EUV over the years, allowing TSMC to refine how they use EUV tooling to both improve productivity/uptime, and to cut down on the costs of using the ultra-fine tools. As part of the company's European Technology Symposium this week, they went into a bit more detail on their EUV usage history, and their progress on further integrating EUV into future process nodes.

When TSMC started making chips using EUV lithography in 2019 on its N7+ process (for Huawei's HiSilicon), it held 42% of the world's installed base of EUV tools, and even as ASML ramped up shipments of EUV scanners in 2020, TSMC's share of EUV installations actually increased to 50%. And jumping ahead to 2024, where the number of EUV litho systems at TSMC has increased by 10-fold from 2019, TSMC is now 56% of the global EUV installed base, despite Samsung and Intel ramping up their own EUV production. Suffice it to say, TSMC made a decision to go in hard on EUV early on, and as a result they still have the lion's share of EUV scanners today.

Notably, TSMC's EUV wafer production has increased by an even larger factor; TSMC now pumps out 30 times as many EUV wafers as they did in 2019. Compared to the mere 10x increase in tools, TSMC's 30x jump in production underscores how TSMC has been able to increase their EUV productivity, reduce service times, and fewer tool downtimes overall. Apparently, this has all been accomplished using the company's in-house developed innovations.

TSMC says that it has managed to increase wafer-per-day-per-tool productivity of its EUV systems by two times since 2019. To do so, the company optimized the EUV exposure dose and the photoresist it uses. In addition, TSMC greatly refined its pellicles for EUV reticles, which increased their lifespan by four times (i.e., increases uptime), increased output per pellicle by 4.5 times, and lowered defectivity by massive 80 times (i.e., improves productivity and increases uptime). For obvious reasons, TSMC does not disclose how it managed to improve its pellicle technology so significantly, but perhaps over time the company's engineers are going to share this with academia. 

EUV lithography systems are also notorious for their power consumption. So, in addition to improving productivity of EUV tools, the company also managed to reduce the power consumption of its EUV scanners by 24% through undisclosed 'innovative energy saving techniques.' And the company isn't done there: they are planning to improve energy efficiency per wafer per EUV tool by 1.5 times by 2030.

Considering all the refinements that TSMC has managed to achieve with Low-NA EUV lithography by now, it is not terribly surprising that the company is quite confident that it can continue to produce cutting-edge chips in the future. Whereas rival Intel has gone all-in on High-NA EUV for their future, sub-18A nodes, TSMC is looking to leverage their highly-optimized and time-tested Low-NA EUV tooling instead, avoiding the potential pitfalls of a major technology transition so soon while also reaping the cost benefits of using the well-established tooling.

Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Taiwan, Sunon (aka Sunonwealth Electric Machine Industry Co., Ltd.), stands out as a prominent global producer of fans, blowers, and thermal management systems. The company has made a name for itself in the fan industry with a comprehensive product line that includes DC brushless fans, micro blowers, CPU coolers, and various other cooling technologies. They are one of the oldest and most renowned fan manufacturers on the world – and not just for PC applications, but for just about anything in need of something smaller than a ceiling fan, spanning from IT to automotive and industrial sectors.

Within the PC space, the company is best known for its proprietary MagLev (Magnetic Levitation) technology, which uses magnetic forces to levitate the rotor shaft, drastically reducing friction and wear. This innovative design improves the durability and performance of their fans, particularly in reducing operational noise and improving high-temperature performance. Sunon introduced the patent and their first MagLev products all the way back in 90s.

The 120mm Sunon MagLev fan that we are reviewing today – MFC0251V2-1Q02U-S99 – is a new, high-performance fan engineered primarily for PC applications, with an emphasis on longevity and functionality. It features Sunon's advanced Vapo-Bearing MagLev Engine, which allegedly ensures a quieter operation and longer lifespan by minimizing friction. This particular fan has a maximum speed of 1900 RPM and all of the bells and whistles of advanced cooling fans, including a wide range PWM speed control (10-100%).

Distinguished by its crisp white color and unique frame design, this fan is aimed PC builders going for a clean and modern aesthetic. The "gaming" designation by the manufacturer clearly divulges their intentions regarding their targeted audience. By default, these fans have both a 4-pin connector and also a Molex connector for their direct connection to the PSU.

Fan Testing Methodology

We are testing fans using an Extech HD350 differential manometer, an Extech AN200 velocity meter, and a custom 3D printed apparatus designed for this specific purpose. The apparatus features a simple but effective shutters mechanism that allows us to test the unobstructed (maximum) volume flow of a fan, the fully obstructed (maximum static) pressure of the fan, and multiple points in between, allowing us to compose the actual P-Q performance chart of any fan. The RPM reading is taken with the fan unobstructed (maximum flow), as the fan speed varies depending on the airflow impedance in conjunction with the design of the fan’s blades.

For noise measurements, we are using an Extech HD600 high sensitivity SPL meter. The noise of the fan is measured from 15 centimeters away, not one meter as IEC certifications require, as that would be far too great a distance to measure differences between nearly silent products. Note however that we are measuring the noise level of a fan with its flow unobstructed and the fan, to the best possible degree, uncoupled from the environment. The addition of fan grills, the installation on a cooler, and any other form of obstruction will increase the generated noise, as both aerodynamic and vibration noise will be added into the environment.

Test Results & Conclusion

The Sunon MFC0251V2-1Q02U-S99 is a robust performer across the entirety of the performance chart. At its maximum speed of 1900 RPM, it offers an airflow of 58.9 CFM and a static pressure of 2.48 mmH₂O. However, that performance comes with a noise output of 41.3 dB(A), which is quite noticeable and, in most cases, not really ahead of its competition. When compared to the Corsair ML120, another fan with a magnetic levitation engine, the Sunon model tends to offer significantly better performance by running about 300 RPM faster while generating about the same level of noise.

Overall, Sunon's 120mm MagLev fan stands out as a high-quality part, and better still it's priced competitively at around $11, offering substantial value for those looking for robust cooling solutions within budget constraints. When it's used correctly, the fan easily competes with, and generally outperforms, the best 120 mm products currently available – albeit not immensely so.

However "used correctly" is the operative term, as the MagLev engine makes the fan particular about its orientation. In short, these fans are not meant to be installed with the engine facing upwards, as this can jeopardize the integrity of the Vapo mechanism. As a result, Sunon's MagLev fan is really only good for horizontal airflow – front and back air intake/exhaust – and shouldn't be used for vertical airflow at the top and bottom of computer cases.

Despite that, the 120mm MagLev fan does excel when it's in its niche, especially at its price. The biggest hurdle, in that case, is just acquiring a fan, as Sunon is primarily geared up to target the bulk OEM market and doesn't sell their fans in individual retail units. So prospective buyers will need to skip the Neweggs and Amazons of the world, and look instead at electronic and industrial suppliers like Digikey and Mouser.

UPDATE 5/17, 6 PM: Western Digital has confirmed that the new 2.5-inch T GB HDDs uses 6 SMR platters

The vast majority of laptops nowadays use solid-state drives, which is why the development of new, higher-capacity 2.5-inch hard drives has all but come to a halt. Or rather, it almost has. It seems that the 2.5-inch form factor has a bit more life left in it after all, as today Western Digital has released a slate of new external storage products based on a new, high-capacity 6 TB 2.5-inch hard drive.

WD's new 6 TB spinner is being used to offer upgraded versions of the company's My Passport, Black P10, and and G-DRIVE ArmorATD portable storage products. Notably, however, WD isn't selling the bare 2.5-inch drive on a standalone basis – at least not yet – so for the time being it's entirely reserved for use in external storage.

Consequently, WD isn't publishing much about the 6 TB hard drive itself. The maximum read speed for these products is listed at 130 MB/sec – the same as WD's existing externals – and write performance goes unmentioned.

Notably, all of these 6 TB devices are thicker than their existing 5 TB counterparts, which strongly suggests that WD has increased their storage capacity not by improving their areal density, but by adding another platter to their existing drive platform (which WD has since confirmed). This, in turn, would help to explain why these new drives are being used in external storage products, as WD's 5 TB 2.5-inch drives are already 15mm thick and using 5 platters. 15mm is the highest standard thickness for a 2.5-inch form-factor, and already incompatible with a decent number of portable devices. External drives, in turn, are the only place these even thicker 2.5-inch drives would fit.

WD's specifications also gloss over whether these drives are based on shingled magnetic recording (SMR) technology. The company was already using SMR for their 5 TB drives in order to hit the necessary storage density there, and WD has since confirmed that this is exactly the case. Which is likely why the company isn't publishing write performance specifications for the drives, as we've seen device-managed SMR drives bottom out as low as 10 MB/second in our testing when the drive needs to rewrite data.

Depending on the specific drive model, all of the external storage drives use either a USB-C connector, or the very quaint USB Micro-B 3.0 connector. Though regardless of the physical connector used, all of the drives feature a USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) electrical interface, which is more than ample given the drives' physically-limited transfer speeds.

Wrapping things up, according to WD the new drives are available at retail immediately. The WD My Passport Ultra and WD My Passport Ultra for Mac with USB-C both retail for $199.99; the WD My Passport and WD My Passport for Mac are $179.99; the WD My Passport Works With USB-C is $184.99; the gaming-focused WD_Black P10 Game Drive sells for $184.99, and the SanDisk Professional G-Drive ArmorATD is $229.99. All of Western Digital's external storage drives are backed with a three-year limited warranty.

With all the new fabs being built in Germany and Japan, as well as the expansion of production capacity in China, TSMC is planning to extend its production capacity for specialty technologies by 50% by 2027. As disclosed by the company during its European Technology Symposium this week, TSMC expects to need to not only convert existing capacity to meet demands for specialty processes, but even build new (greenfield) fab space just for this purpose. One of the big drivers for this demand, in turn, will be TSMC's next specialty node: N4e, a 4nm-class ultra-low-power production node.

"In the past, we always did the review phase [for upcoming fabs], but for the first time in a long time at TSMC, we started building greenfield fab that will address the future specialty technology requirements," said Dr. Kevin Zhang, Senior Vice President, Business Development and Overseas Operations Office, at the event. "In the next four to five years, we actually going to grow our specialty capacity by up to 1.5x. In doing so we actually expanding the footprint of our manufacturing network to improve the resiliency of the overall fab supply chain."

On top of its well-known major logic nodes like N5 and N3E, TSMC also offers a suite of specialty nodes for applications such as power semiconductors, mixed analog I/O, and ultra-low-power applications (e.g. IoT). These are typically based on the company's trailing manufacturing processes, but regardless of the underlying technology, the capacity demand for these nodes is growing right alongside the demand for TSMC's major logic nodes. All of which has required TSMC to reevaluate how they go about planning for capacity on their specialty nodes.

TSMC's expansion strategy in the recent years has pursued several goals. One of them has been to build new fabs outside of Taiwan; another has been to generally expand production capacity to meet future demand for all types of process technologies – which is why the company is building up capacity for specialty nodes.

At present, TSMC's most advanced specialty node is N6e, an N7/N6 variant that supports operating voltages between 0.4V and 0.9V. With N4e, TSMC is looking at voltages below 0.4V. Though for now, TSMC is not disclosing much in the way of technical details for the planned node; given the company's history here, we expect they'll have more to talk about next year once the new process is ready.

As modern high-performance CPUs generate more heat, there's been a noticeable increase in the demand for powerful air coolers capable of managing these thermal challenges. Traditional stock air coolers, while sufficient for regular use, are typically designed to be cheap and relatively compact, leaving further improvements to noise control and peak cooling efficiency on the table. This gap has long prompted advanced users and system builders to opt for high-quality aftermarket coolers that designed to better handle the heat output from top-tier processors.

Known for their innovative approach to PC hardware, Arctic Cooling has stepped into this competitive market with a product aimed at delivering effective cooling at a very low retail price. The Freezer 36 A-RGB, a dual fan tower cooler, is designed to support the cooling demands of the latest CPUs while also offering customizable RGB lighting for visual flair. This review will explore the features, performance, and value of the Arctic Cooling Freezer 36 A-RGB, comparing it with other leading products in the market to see how it stacks up in providing efficient and effective cooling for modern CPUs.

Of the several major changes coming with HBM4 memory, one of the most immediate is the sheer width of the memory interface. With the fourth-generation memory standard moving from an already wide 1024-bit interface to a ultra-wide 2048-bit interface, HBM4 memory stacks won't be business as usual; chip manufacturers are going to need to adopt more advanced packaging methods than are used today to accommodate the wider memory.

As part of its European Technology Symposium 2024 presentation, TSMC offered some fresh details into the base dies it will be manufacturing for HBM4, which will be built using logic processes. With TSMC planning to employ variations of their N12 and N5 processes for this task, the company is expecting to occupy a favorable place in the HBM4 manufacturing process, as memory fabs are not currently equipped to economically produce such advanced logic dies – if they can produce them at all.

For the first wave of HBM4, TSMC is preparing to use two fabrication processes: N12FFC+ and N5. While they serve the same purpose — integrating HBM4E memory with next-generation AI and HPC processors — they are going to be used in two different ways to connect memory for high-performance processors for AI and HPC applications.

"We are working with key HBM memory partners (Micron, Samsung, SK Hynix) over advanced nodes for HBM4 full stack integration," said Senior Director of Design and Technology Platform at TSMC. "N12FFC+ cost effective base die can reach HBM for performance and N5 base die can provide even more logic with much lower power at HBM4 speeds."

TSMC's base die made on N12FFC+ fabrication process (12nm FinFet Compact Plus, which formally belongs to a 12nm-class technology, but it lays its roots from TSMC's well-proven 16nm FinFET production node) will be used to install HBM4 memory stacks on a silicon interposer next to system-on-chips (SoCs). TSMC believes that their 12FFC+ process is well-suited to achieve HBM4 performance, enabling memory vendors to build 12-Hi(48 GB) and 16-Hi stacks (64 GB), with per-stack bandwidth well as over 2 TB/second. 

"We are also optimizing CoWoS-L and CoWoS-R for HBM4," the Senior Director said. "Both CoWoS-L and CoWoS-R [use] over eight layers to enable HBM4's routing of over 2,000 interconnects with [proper] signal integrity."

HBM4 base dies on N12FFC+ will be instrumental in building system-in-packages (SiPs) using TSMC's CoWoS-L or CoWoS-R advanced packaging technology, which offer interposers up to 8x reticle size – enough space for up to 12 HBM4 memory stacks. At present, HBM4 can achieve data transfer rates of 6 GT/s at currents of 14mA, according to TSMC figures.

"We collaborate with EDA partners like Cadence, Synopsys, and Ansys to certify HBM4 channel signal integrity, IR/EM, and thermal accuracy," the TSMC representative explained.

Meanwhile, as an even more advanced alternative, memory manufacturers will also have the option of tapping TSMC's N5 process for their HBM4 base dies. N5-built base dies will pack even more logic, consume less power, and will offer even higher performance. But arguably the most important benefit is that such an advanced process technology will enable are very small interconnect pitches, on the order of 6 to 9 microns. This will allow N5 base dies to be used in conjunction with direct bonding, enabling HBM4 to be 3D stacked right on top of logic chips. Direct bonding stands to allow for even greater memory performance, which is expected to be a big boost for AI and HPC chips that are always scrounging for more memory bandwidth.

We already know that TSMC and SK Hynix collaborate on HBM4 base dies. It is likely that TSMC will also produce HBM4 base dies for Micron. Otherwise, we'd be more surprised to see TSMC working with Samsung, as that conglomerate already has its own advanced logic fabs via its Samsung Foundry unit.

As part of the second leg of TSMC's spring technology symposium series, the company offered an update on the state of its 3nm-class processes, both current and future. Building on the back of their current-generation N3E process, the optical shrink of this process technology, N3P, is now on track to enter mass production in the second half of 2024. Thanks to that shrink, N3P is expected to offer both increased performance efficiency as well as increased transistor density over N3E.

N3E in Production, Yielding Well

With N3E already in volume production, TSMC is reporting that they're seeing "great" yields on the second-generation 3nm-class process note. According to the company, the D0 defect density of N3E is at relative parity with N5, matching the defect rate of the older node for the same point in its respective lifecycle. This is no small feat, given the additional complexities that come with developing one last, ever-finer generation of FinFET technology. So for TSMC's bleeding-edge customers such as Apple, who just launched their M4 SoC, this is allowing them to reap the benefits of the improved process node relatively quickly.

"N3E started volume production in the fourth quarter of last year, as planned," a TSMC executive said at the event. "We have seen great yield performance on customers' products, so they did go to market as planned."

TSMC's N3E node is a relaxed version of N3B, eliminating some EUV layers and completely avoiding the usage of EUV double patterning. This makes it a bit cheaper to produce, and in some cases it widens the process window and yields, though it comes at the cost of some transistor density.

N3P on Track For Second-Half 2024

Meanwhile, looking towards the immediate future at TSMC, N3P has finished qualification and its yield performance is close to N3E, according to the company. Being an optical shrink, the N3P node is set to enable processor developers to either increase performance by 4% at the same leakage or reduce power consumption by 9% at the same clocks (previously the range was between 4% ~ 10% depending on design). The new node is also set to boost transistor density by 4% for a 'mixed' chip design, which TSMC defines as a processor consisting of 50% logic, 30% SRAM, and 20% analog circuits.

While it looks like the original N3 (aka N3B) will have a relatively muted lifecycle since Apple has been its only major customer, N3E will be adopted by a wide range of TSMC's customers, which includes many of the industry's biggest chip designers. 

Since N3P is an optical shrink of N3E, it is compatible with its predecessor in terms of IP blocks, process rules, electronic design automation (EDA) tools, and design methodology. As a result, TSMC expects the majority of new tape outs to use N3P, not N3E or N3. This is logical as N3P provides higher performance efficiency than N3E at a lower cost than N3.

The most important aspect of N3P is that it is on track to be production ready in the second half of this year, so expect chip designers to adopt it straight away. 

"We have also successfully delivered N3P technology," the TSMC executive said. "It has passed qualification and yield performance is close to N3E. [The process technology] has also received product customer tape outs and will start on production in the second half of this year. Because of [PPA advantages] of N3P, we expect the majority of tape outs on N3 to go to N3P."

Single-board computers in the 3.5-inch form-factor have become extremely popular for embedded applications involving a mix of high performance requirements as well as extended peripherals support. Typical use-case scenarios include digital signage, edge inferencing solutions, retail applications, and IoT gateways. The requirements in these segments call for processors and components that can operate in a wide temperature range. The chassis and cooling solution handle other duties such as ruggedness and avoidance of moving parts. The Supermicro X13SRN-H-WOHS is a 3.5-inch SBC with a soldered-down Intel Core i7-1370PE - a Raptor Lake-P embedded processor with vPro support. It has plenty of I/O support, including a SlimSAS PCIe expansion slot. Supermicro also offers a ready-to-deploy solution using the SBC in the actively-cooled SYS-E102-13R-H box PC. This review takes a detailed look at the features and performance profile of the SYS-E102-13R-H, along with an evaluation of the thermal solution.

For numerous generations of their desktop processor releases, Intel has made available a selection of high-performance special edition "KS" CPUs that add a little extra compared to their flagship chip. With a lot of interest, primarily from the enthusiasts looking for the fastest processors, Intel's latest Core i9-14900KS represents a super-fast addition to its 14th Generation Core lineup with out-of-the-box turbo clock speeds of up to 6.2 GHz and represents the last processor to end an era as Intel is removing the 'i' from its legendary nomenclature for future desktop chip releases.

Reaching speeds of up to 6.2 GHz, this sets up the Core i9-14900KS as the fastest desktop CPU in the world right now, at least in terms of frequencies out of the box. Building on their 'regular' flagship chip, the Core i9-14900, the Core i9-14900KS is also using their refreshed Raptor Lake (RPL-R) 8P+16E core chip design with a 200 MHz higher boost clock speed and also has a 100 MHz bump on P-Core base frequency. 

This new KS series SKU shows Intel's drive to offer an even faster alternative to their desktop regular K series offerings, and with the Core i9-14900KS, they look to provide the best silicon from their Raptor Lake Refresh series with more performance available to unlock to those who can. The caveat is that achieving these ridiculously fast clock speeds of 6.2 GHz on the P-Core comes at the cost of power and heat; keeping a processor pulling upwards of 350 W is a challenge in its own right, and users need to factor this in if even contemplating a KS series SKU.

In our previous KS series review, the Core i9-13900KS reached 360 W at its peak, considerably more than the Core i9-13900K. The Core i9-14900KS, built on the same core architecture, is expected to surpass that even further than the Core i9-14900K. We aim to compare Intel's final Core i series processor to the best of what both Intel and AMD have available, and it will be interesting to see how much performance can be extrapolated from the KS compared to the regular K series SKU.

Coming out of the dark times that preceded the launch of AMD's Zen CPU architecture in 2017, to say that AMD has turned things around on the back of Zen would be an understatement.  Ever since AMD launched its first Zen-based Ryzen and EPYC processors for client and server computers, it has been consistently gaining x86 market share, growing from a bit player to a respectable rival to Intel (and all at Intel's expense).

The first quarter of this year was no exception, according to Mercury Research, as the company achieved record high unit shares on x86 desktop and x86 server CPU markets due to success of its Ryzen 8000-series client products and 4^th Generation EPYC processors.

"Mercury noted in their first quarter report that AMD gained significant server and client revenue share driven by growing demand for 4th Gen EPYC and Ryzen 8000 series processors," a statement by AMD reads.

Desktop PCs: AMD Achieves Highest Share in More Than a Decade 

Desktops, particularly DIY desktops, have always been AMD's strongest market. After the company launched its Ryzen processors in 2017, it doubled its presence in desktops in just three years. But in the recent years the company had to prioritize production of more expensive CPUs for datacenters, which lead to some erosion of its desktop and mobile market shares.

As the company secured more capacity at TSMC, it started to gradually increase production of desktop processors. In Q4 last year it introduced its Zen 4-based Ryzen 8000/Ryzen 8000 Pro processors for mainstream desktops, which appeared to be pretty popular with PC makers.

As a result of this and other factors, AMD increased unit sales of its desktop CPUs by 4.7% year-over-year in Q1 2024 and its market share achieved 23.9%, which is the highest desktop CPU market share the company commanded in over a decade. Interestingly, AMD does not attribute its success on the desktop front to any particular product or product family, which implies that there are multiple factors at play.

Mobile PCs: A Slight Drop for AMD amid Intel's Meteor Lake Ramp

AMD has been gradually regaining its share inside laptops for about 1.5 years now and sales of its Zen 4-based Ryzen 7040-series processors were quite strong in Q3 2023 and Q4 2023, when the company's unit share increased to 19.5% and 20.3%, respectively, as AMD-based notebook platforms ramped up. By contrast, Intel's Core Ultra 'Meteor Lake' powered machines only began to hit retail shelves in Q4'23, which affected sales of its processors for laptops.

In the first quarter AMD's unit share on the market of CPUs for notebooks decreased to 19.3%, down 1% sequentially. Meanwhile, the company still demonstrated significant year-over-year unit share increase of 3.1% and revenue share increase of 4%, which signals rising average selling price of AMD's latest Ryzen processors for mobile PCs.

Client PCs: Slight Gain for AMD, Small Loss for Intel

Overall, Intel remained the dominant force in client PC sales in the first quarter of 2024, with a 79.4% market share, leaving 20.6% for AMD. This is not particularly surprising given how strong and diverse Intel's client products lineup is. Even with continued success, it will take AMD years to grow sales by enough to completely flip the market.

But AMD actually gained a 0.3% unit share sequentially and a 3.6% unit share year-over year. Notably, however, AMD's revenue share of client PC market is significantly lower than its unit share (16.3% vs 20.6%), so the company is still somewhat pigeonholed into selling more budget and fewer premium processors overall. But the company still made a strong 3.8% gain since the first quarter 2023, when its revenue share was around 12.5% amid unit share of 17%.

Servers: AMD Grabs Another Piece of the Market

AMD's EPYC datacenter processors are undeniably the crown jewel of the company's CPU product lineup. While AMD's market share in desktops and laptops fluctuated in the recent years, the company has been steadily gaining presence in servers both in terms of units and in terms of revenue in the highly lucrative (and profitable) server market.

In Q1 2024, AMD's unit share on the market of CPUs for servers increased to 23.6%, a 0.5% gain sequentially and a massive 5% gain year-over-year driven by the ramp of platforms based on AMD's 4^th Generation EPYC processors. With a 76.4% unit market share, Intel continues to dominate in servers, but it is evident that AMD is getting stronger.

AMD's revenue share of the x86 server market reached 33%, up 5.2% year-over-year and 1.2% from the previous quarter. This signals that the company is gaining traction in expensive machines with advanced CPUs. Keeping in mind that for now Intel does not have direct rivals for AMD's 96-core and 128-core processors, it is no wonder that AMD has done so well growing their share of the server market.

"As we noted during our first quarter earnings call, server CPU sales increased YoY driven by growth in enterprise adoption and expanded cloud deployments," AMD said in a statement.

Sabrent tends to get into news when it launches ultra-high-performance SSDs for enthusiast-grade desktops, but this week the company introduced a completely different type of product: a small form-factor M.2-2242 SSD aimed at Lenovo's Legion Go handheld and ultra-thin laptops that don't accomodate M.2-2280 drives. And even though it's not an enthusiast-grade drive, the Rocket Nano still boasts with quite decent performance and capacity.

The Sabrent Rocket Nano 2242 (SB-2142) drive is based on the Phison E27T platform, a PCIe 4.0 x4 controller that is that is designed for mainstream DRAM-less SSDs, and in the case of the Rocket Nano, is paired with 3D TLC memory. The SSD is available in a single 1TB configuration, and is rated for read speeds up to 5 GB/s. Interestingly, the Phison E27T controller itself is rated for read speeds up to 7 GB/s, so it appears that the petite Rocket Nano isn't making full use of the controller's performance.

Sabrent positions its Rocket Nano 2242 SSD as drives for upgrading Lenovo's Legion Go portable game console, select Lenovo ThinkPad laptops, and other M.2-2242-sized PCs that can't accomodate larger 2280 drives. Keeping in mind that most devices shipping with M.2-2242 SSDscome with pretty slow stock drives, Sabrent solution seems to be a viable product for such upgrades. All the while, Sabrent's Rocket Nano 2242 will also work in systems with a PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slots, so the market for these drives is pretty wide.

Sabrent's Rocket Nano 2242 SSD 1 TB (SB-2142-1TB) SSD has a recommended price of $99.99, which is more or less in line with other 1 TB drives in the same form-factor and offering comparable performance. The SSD is currently available at Amazon for $101.

Sources: Tom's Hardware, Sabrent

As LPCAMM2 adoption begins, the first retail memory modules are finally starting to hit the retail market, courtesy of Micron. The memory manufacturer has begun selling their LPDDR5X-based LPCAMM2 memory modules under their in-house Crucial brand, making them available on the latter's storefront. Timed to coincide with the release of Lenovo's ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 laptop – the first retail laptop designed to use the memory modules – this marks the de facto start of the eagerly-awaited modular LPDDR5X memory era.

Micron's Low Power Compression Attached Memory Module 2 (LPCAMM2) modules are available in capacities of 32 GB and 64 GB. These are dual-channel modules that feature a 128-bit wide interface, and are based around LPDDR5X memory running at data rates up to 7500 MT/s. This gives a single LPCAMM2 a peak bandwidth of 120 GB/s. Micron is not disclosing the latencies of its LPCAMM2 memory modules, but it says that high data transfer rates of LPDDR5X compensate for the extended timings.

Micron says that LPDDR5X memory offers significantly lower power consumption, with active power per 64-bit bus being 43-58% lower than DDR5 at the same speed, and standby power up to 80% lower. Meanwhile, similar to DDR5 modules, LPCAMM2 modules include a power management IC and voltage regulating circuitry, which provides module manufacturers additional opportunities to reduce power consumption of their products.

Source: Micron LPDDR5X LPCAMM2 Technical Brief

It's worth noting, however, that at least for the first generation of LPCAMM2 modules, system vendors will need to pick between modularity and performance. While soldered-down LPDDR5X memory is available at speeds up to 8533 MT/sec – and with 9600 MT/sec on the horizon – the fastest LPCAMM2 modules planned for this year by both Micron and rival Samsung will be running at 7500 MT/sec. So vendors will have to choose between the flexibility of offering modular LPDDR5X, or the higher bandwidth (and space savings) offered by soldering down their memory.

Micron, for its part, is projecting that 9600 MT/sec LPCAMM2 modules will be available by 2026. Though it's all but certain that faster memory will also be avaialble in the same timeframe.

Micron's Crucial LPDDR5X 32 GB module costs $174.99, whereas a 64 GB module costs $329.99.

Further to our last piece which we detailed Intel's issue to motherboard vendors to follow with stock power settings for Intel's 14th and 13th Gen Core series processors, Intel has now issued a follow-up statement to this. Over the last week or so, motherboard vendors quickly released firmware updates with a new profile called 'Intel Baseline', which motherboard vendors assumed would address the instability issues. 

As it turns out, Intel doesn't seem to accept this as technically, these Intel Baseline profiles are not to be confused with Intel's default specifications. This means that Intel's Baseline profiles seemingly give the impression that they are operating at default settings, hence the terminology 'baseline' used, but this still opens motherboard vendors to use their interpretations of MCE or Multi-Core Enhancement.

To clarify things for consumers, Intel has sent us the following statement:

Several motherboard manufacturers have released BIOS profiles labeled ‘Intel Baseline Profile’. However, these BIOS profiles are not the same as the 'Intel Default Settings' recommendations that Intel has recently shared with its partners regarding the instability issues reported on 13th and 14th gen K SKU processors.

These ‘Intel Baseline Profile’ BIOS settings appear to be based on power delivery guidance previously provided by Intel to manufacturers describing the various power delivery options for 13th and 14th Generation K SKU processors based on motherboard capabilities.

Intel is not recommending motherboard manufacturers to use ‘baseline’ power delivery settings on boards capable of higher values.

Intel’s recommended ‘Intel Default Settings’ are a combination of thermal and power delivery features along with a selection of possible power delivery profiles based on motherboard capabilities.

Intel recommends customers to implement the highest power delivery profile compatible with each individual motherboard design as noted in the table below:

Click to Enlarge Intel's Default Settings

What Intel's statement is effectively saying to consumers, is that users shouldn't be using the Baseline Power Delivery profiles which are offered by motherboard vendors through a plethora of firmware updates. Instead, Intel is recommending users opt for Intel Default Settings, which follows what the specific processor is rated for by Intel out of the box to achieve the clock speeds advertised, without users having to worry about firmware 'over' optimization which can cause instability as there have been many reports of happening.

Not only this, but the Intel Default settings offer a combination of thermal specifications and power capabilities, including voltage and frequency curve settings that apply to the capability of the motherboard used, and the power delivery equipped on the motherboard. At least for the most part, Intel is recommending users with 14th and 13th-Gen Core series K, KF, and KS SKUs that they do not recommend users opt in using the Baseline profiles offered by motherboard vendors.

Digesting the contrast between the two statements, the key differential is that Intel's priority is reducing the current going through the processor, which for both the 14th and 13th Gen Core series processors is a maximum of 400 A, even when using the Extreme profile. We know those motherboard vendors on their Z790 and Z690 motherboards opt for an unrestricted power profile, which is essentially 'unlimited' power and current to maximize performance at the cost of power consumption and heat, which does exacerbate problems and can lead to frequent bouts of instability, especially on high-intensity workloads.

Another variable Intel is recommending is that the AC Load Line must match the design target of the processor, with a maximum value of 1.1 mOhm, and that the DC Load Line must be equal to the AC Load Line; not above or below this recommendation for maximum stability. Intel also recommends that CEP, eTVB, C-states, TVB, and TVB Voltage Optimizations be active on the Extreme profile to ensure stability and performance are consistent.

Given Intel is essentially recommending users not to use what motherboard vendors are offering to fix, we agree that when motherboards come out of the box, they should operate at 'Default' settings until asked otherwise. We understand that motherboard vendors have the desire to showcase what they can do with their wares, features, and firmware, but ultimately there is some real lack of communication between Intel and its partners regarding this issue.

Following Intel's statement, they do recommend customers implement the highest power delivery profile which is compatible with the caliber of motherboard used by following the specification and design. According to Intel, this isn't open for interpretation despite what motherboard vendors have offered so far, and we do expect that there is likely to be more to come in this saga of constant developments regarding the instability issue.

Asus on Tuesday said that it would announce its first 'AI PC' based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite system-on-chips later this month. The new laptop is set to be introduced at the Next Level. AI Incredible virtual launch event on May 20.

The launch of Asustek's new Vivobook S 15 will be hosted by Asus and will be joined by representatives of Qualcomm and Microsoft, who will reveal how they collaborated with PC maker to develop the first notebook based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite processors. These new SoCs promise to have a significant impact on the PC market in the coming quarters as they are based on the Arm instruction set architecture and are expected to bring together high performance, on-device AI acceleration, and long battery life. 

Qualcomm itself calls systems powered by its Snapdragon processors as AI PCs, which is exactly how Asus calls it Vivobook S15 as well. Meanwhile, the only things we know about the machine for now is that it will be based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite or Snapdragon X Plus processors with 12 or 10 Oryon CPU cores (originally developed by Nuvia), a high-end Adreno GPU, and a 45 TOPS NPU; will come in a metallic chassis, and will feature a 15-inch display.

"The launch event, which will feature a collaboration between Microsoft, Qualcomm, and Asus, celebrates the first of the new-era Asus AI PCs, which are set to redefine the very fabric of computing," a statement by Asus reads. "The new laptop will usher in a new era of Asus AI PCs, breaking traditional boundaries and harnessing advanced AI capabilities. With comprehensive support for the latest AI functionality from Asus and Microsoft, it offers personalized AI experiences tailored to individual requirements."

Asus is also scheduled showcase its Vivobook laptops based on Qualcomm's processors at Computex in June. Actual systems will be available later this year.

In what appears to be a mistake or a jump of the gun by ASUS, they have seemingly published a list of specifications for one of its key notebooks that all but allude to the next generation of AMD's mobile processors. While we saw AMD toy with a new nomenclature for their Phoenix silicon (Ryzen 7040 series), it seems as though AMD is once again changing things around where their naming scheme for processors is concerned.

The ASUS listing, which has now since been deleted, but as of writing is still available through Google's cache, highlights a model that is already in existence, the VivoBook S 16 OLED (M5606), but is listed with an unknown AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 170 processor. Which, based on its specificiations, is certainly not part of the current Hawk Point (Phoenix/Phoenix 2) platform.

The cache on Google shows the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED with a Ryzen AI 9 HX 170 Processor

While it does happen in this industry occasionally, what looks like an accidental leak by ASUS on one of their product pages has unearthed an unknown processor from AMD. This first came to our attention via a post on Twitter by user @harukaze5719. While we don't speculate on rumors, we confirmed this ourselves by digging through Google's cache. Sure enough, as the image above from Google highlights, it lists a newly unannounced model of Ryzen mobile processor. Under the listing via the product compare section for the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED (M5606) notebook, it is listed with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 170, which appears to be one of AMD's upcoming Zen 5-based mobile chips codenamed Strix Point.

So with the seemingly new nomenclature that AMD has gone with, it has a clear focus on AI, or rather Ryzen AI, by including it in the name. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 170 looks set to be a 12C/24T Zen 5 mobile variant, with their Ryzen AI NPU or similar integrated within the chip. Given that Microsoft has defined that only processors with an NPU with 45 TOPS of performance or over constitute being considered an 'AI PC', it's likely the Xilinx (now AMD Xilinx) based NPU will meet these requirements as the listing states the chip has up to 77 TOPS of AI performance available. The HX series is strikingly similar to AMD's (and Intel's) previous HX naming series for their desktop replacement SKUs for laptops, so assuming any of the details of ASUS's error are correct, then this is presumably a very high-end, high-TDP part.

AMD Laptop Roadmap from Zen 2 in 2019 to Zen 5 on track for release in 2024

We've known for some time that AMD plans to release AMD's Zen 5-based Strix Point line-up sometime in 2024. Given the timing of Computex 2024, which is just over four weeks away, we still don't quite have the full picture of Zen 5's performance and its architectural shift over Zen 4. AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su also confirmed that Zen 5 will come with enhanced RDNA graphics within the Strix Point SoC by stating "Strix combines our next-gen Zen 5 core with enhanced RDNA graphics and an updated Ryzen AI engine to significantly increase the performance, energy efficiency, and AI capabilities of PCs,"

While it's entirely possible as we lead up to Computex 2024 that AMD is prepared to announce more details about Zen 5, nothing is confirmed. We do know that the CEO of AMD, Dr. Lisa Su is scheduled to deliver the opening keynote of the show, Dr. Lisa Su unveiled their Zen 4 microarchitecture at Computex 2022 during AMD's keynote and even unveiled their 3D V-Cache stacking, which we know today as the Ryzen X3D CPUs back at Computex 2021.

With that in mind, AMD and Dr. Lisa Su love to announce new products and architectures at Computex, so we just have to wait until the beginning of next month. How AMD denotes the nomenclature for the upcoming Zen 5 mobile and desktop processors remains to be seen, but hopefully, all will be revealed soon. Regarding the ASUS Vivobook S 16 OLED (M5606), we currently don't know any of the other specifications at this time. Still, we expect them to be available once AMD has updated us with information on Zen 5 and Strix Point.