China's National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund has reportedly approached GlobalFoundries about possible acquisition or cooperation. Chinese investors intend to take over GlobalFoundries in order to significantly improve Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) and make it one of the world’s largest contract makers of semiconductors. China-based Hua Capital Management, which …
Read More »Intel pins a lot of hopes on small form-factor personal computers
Even though the market of personal computers has slowed down in the recent years, the PC continues its rapid development. Not only PCs are becoming more powerful, but they also change their form-factors. According to market analysts, one of the most promising segments of the PC market is the segment of highly …
Read More »AMD readies faster A8 and A10 accelerated processing units
Advanced Micro Devices is working on two new A8 and A10 accelerated processing units for desktop systems. The new chips will be based on the code-named “Kaveri” design and will not bring tangible performance improvements compared to existing APUs. Nonetheless, the new processors will help AMD to maintain average selling …
Read More »Deepcool introduces Lucifer K2 high-end CPU cooler
Deepcool, a well-known producer of high-end coolers and computer cases, on Tuesday introduced its new-generation Gamer Storm Lucifer K2 cooler, which supports all microprocessors available today, including the latest Intel Core i7/i5 “Skylake” central processing units in LGA1151 packaging. The Deepcool Gamer Storm Lucifer K2 processor cooler features massive aluminium …
Read More »Intel: Our foundry business is well, we have new customers
Brian Krzanich, chief executive officer of Intel Corp., claims that despite of lack of any announcements concerning its contract semiconductor manufacturing business unit, the latter is growing and is still an important opportunity for the chip giant. Moreover, it has new customers that Intel just cannot name. Intel established its …
Read More »Intel to release 22-core Xeon E5 v4 “Broadwell-EP” late in 2015
Intel Corp. this week reaffirmed plans to release the next generation of its multi-core Xeon E5 v4 central processing units code-named “Broadwell-EP”, which were rumoured to be cancelled earlier this year. The new chips will emerge later this year, they will increase core-count, memory bandwidth and will also feature micro-architecture-level improvements. …
Read More »Intel Core i7-6700K ‘Skylake’ hits nearly 7GHz
A professional overclocker has set a new record for Intel Core i7-6700K microprocessor frequency. This time the new code-named “Skylake” processor hit nearly 7GHz, which is among the highest frequencies ever achieved by any Intel Core i-series microprocessors. Chi-Kui Lam, a professional overclocker from Hong Kong-based HKEPC web-site, has managed …
Read More »Intel releases Quark microcontroller with 0.025W thermal design power
Intel Corp. has quietly released its new Quark D1000 microcontroller designed for smart electronics and embedded applications. The chip sports ultra-low power consumption and features x86 architecture. The Intel Quark D1000 microcontroller has one 32-bit x86 core clocked at 33MHz, lacks cache and has TDP of 0.025W. The Quark D1000 …
Read More »Intel ‘Skylake’ processors feature ‘reverse Hyper-Threading’ technology – report
Although Intel Corp. already sells its code-named “Skylake” microprocessors commercially, the company has not disclosed a lot of details about the new micro-architecture. Apparently, Intel’s new processors feature technology, which speeds up performance in single-threaded workloads using multiple cores. Heise.de reports that Intel’s new Core i7-6700K processor with four cores …
Read More »Asustek and Intel confirm global shortage of Intel “Skylake” chips
Chief executive officer of Asustek Computer confirmed on Friday that there is a shortage of Intel Corp.’s “Skylake” processors in the market. Last month a Sweden-based retailer warned enthusiasts about short supply of Intel’s new central processing units with unlocked multiplier. As it appears, the problem is not limited to …
Read More »Intel ‘Skylake-U’ processor lineup for notebooks detailed
A web-site has published complete specifications of Intel Corp.’s upcoming “Skylake-U” microprocessors for low-power laptops. The new central processing units will have thermal design power of around 15W and promise to significantly increase performance of ultra-thin notebooks. As reported, Intel will release its code-named “Skylake-U” processors in September. The Core …
Read More »AMD: We have very strong roadmap for GCN architecture
Despite of ongoing problems and lowering research and development budget, Advanced Micro Devices maintains optimism and claims that it will keep financing development of key products. In the recent months, Advanced Micro Devices has been criticized heavily for re-introducing its previous-generation graphics processing units under new names. The release of …
Read More »Intel to release ‘unlocked’ Core i7 CPUs for enthusiast notebooks
High-performance laptops aimed at gamers have been available on the market for many years. Moreover, it is not a secret that it is possible to overclock mobile processors using BIOS settings. This week Intel announced plans to release mobile central processing units with unlocked multiplier that will be designed specifically …
Read More »Samsung to offer its Exynos SoCs to other smartphone makers
Samsung Electronics may become a new rival for Qualcomm, MediaTek and other suppliers of mobile system-on-chips as the company reportedly plans to sell its Exynos 7420 processors to third parties. For a long time, Samsung Electronics used application processors from Qualcomm inside its premium smartphones, but in the recent years …
Read More »Intel Core i7-6700K hits 6.8GHz with all cores active on MSI ‘Titanium’ platform
A professional overclocker this week managed to push Intel Corp.’s latest Core i7-6700K “Skylake-S” microprocessor to whopping 6.80GHz without disabling any cores or Hyper-Threading technology. The record was set on MicroStar International’s flagship MSI Z170A XPower Gaming Titanium mainboard. Toppc, a professional overclocker from Taiwan, this week overclocked an engineering …
Read More »Snapdragon 820 specs leak ahead of next week’s announcement
Just before next week's Qualcomm event, at which the company is expected to reveal its new flagship mobile chip, the Snapdragon 820, we have had a leak, apparently showing off the specs of the new SoC and giving us a rough idea of performance ahead of time. The announcement event …
Read More »KitGuru Complete Guide to PC Workstations – Part 3
In the second part of this series, we presented some initial tests to illustrate how CPU and graphics can affect different types of performance in a PC workstation. In this third part, we focus down on one particular, industry-standard benchmark that puts a workstation through a range of tests with …
Read More »Intel Core i7-6700K & i5-6600K Skylake CPU Review
While Intel's High-End Desktop (HEDT) CPUs are fast and fun, it's on the mainstream platform where the chip manufacturing company really shifts volumes to gamers and DIY enthusiasts. Multiplier-unlocked Core i5 and i7 variants of the latest mainstream micro-architecture are the popularity champions on an annual basis; an affordable platform …
Read More »Prices of Intel “Skylake” processors for desktops revealed
A web-site has published the finalized prices of Intel Corp.’s “Skylake-S” processors for desktops. The new central processing units will cost about the same amount of money as existing chips, the world’s largest maker of microprocessors will not increase prices of its products. The flagship Intel Core i7-6700K (four cores …
Read More »AMD is researching multi-core ‘exascale heterogeneous processor’
Advanced Micro Devices has confirmed that it is researching a multi-core accelerated processing unit based on “Zen” micro-architecture, which will eventually power supercomputers with extreme performance. At present the company is only considering a concept design and it is unclear when AMD decides to actually develop such processor. AMD, just …
Read More »Intel Core “Skylake-S” CPUs to sport advanced power supply circuitry
Intel Corp.’s “Devil’s Canyon” processors have demonstrated that it is possible to significantly improve overclocking potential of a central processing unit without re-spinning it by revamping its power supply circuitry. As it appears, Intel’s new “Skylake-S” microprocessors with unlocked multiplier will also feature a very advanced power supply circuitry, which …
Read More »Intel divides desktop market into six segments
In a bid to offer the right solutions for different classes of desktop personal computers, Intel Corp. recently presented its vision of desktop platforms to makers of PC components. Apparently, the world’s largest maker of microprocessors sees as many as six distinctive segments of today’s desktop market. Sales of personal …
Read More »Intel ‘Skylake’ processors to be in short supply initially – report
Intel Corp. will formally introduce its Core i5 and Core i7 “Skylake-S” processors with unlocked multiplier next week and will start to sell such chips to end-users. The new central processing units are expected to become rather popular among enthusiasts, but far not all of them will be able to …
Read More »Intel: ‘Skylake’ to have 10–20% higher performance than ‘Broadwell’
It is not a secret that Intel Corp.’s upcoming “Skylake” processors will have a number of micro-architecture-related advantages over predecessors. Various leaks point to different kind of performance gains, but Intel itself, apparently, expects its new central processing units to be 10 – 20% faster than “Broadwell” products depending on …
Read More »Samsung adds 10nm FinFET tech to roadmap, mass production in 2016
Samsung Foundry this week said that it had officially added its 10nm FinFET fabrication technology into its foundry roadmap. The company also clarified that it will start mass production of chips using its third-generation manufacturing process with FinFET transistors in late 2016, which means that the first 16nm commercial chips …
Read More »ARM develops ‘Kite’ processor core for embedded real-time applications
ARM Holdings, the company whose microprocessor IP powers the vast majority of smartphones, consumer electronics products, printers, cameras, hard drives and a lot of other applications, this week announced development of its first ARMv8-R processor core for real-time embedded apps. The new core will belong to the ARM Cortex-R family …
Read More »Qualcomm cuts jobs, may break itself up
Qualcomm has been one of the more disruptive companies in the technological industry over the past few years, with its chips beating AMD and Intel to the punch in many mobile scenarios. However that may not be the case in the future, as the American firm has announced that it's …
Read More »Qualcomm to cut jobs and costs, mulls to split itself
Qualcomm, the world’s largest supplier of application processors for smartphones and other portable electronics, on Wednesday announced a strategic realignment plan, under which the company plans to cut-down its costs, reduce headcount and consider spinning off its technology licensing business. Qualcomm plans to implement a cost reduction action to reduce …
Read More »Intel Core i7-6700K ‘Skylake’ overclocked to 6.50GHz with LN2
A computer enthusiast has managed to set a new record in overclocking of Intel Corp.’s Core i7-6700K processor. The chip was pushed to 6.50GHz about a month ago, which is the highest frequency achieved by a “Skylake” microprocessor so far. While the record was set using liquid nitrogen cooling, this …
Read More »TSMC plans to use EUV lithography for 5nm process technology
For quite a while, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has been talking about using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography for its advanced 10nm process technology. However, since appropriate scanners are not ready and will not be for at least a couple of years, the company will be unable to take advantage of …
Read More »