AMD has launched the Radeon Pro W7700 graphics card to complete their RDNA 3 series lineup aimed at professional workstations. The Radeon Pro W7700 is designed to provide a balance of performance and power efficiency, catering to professionals such as graphic designers, engineers, and architects who require reliable and potent graphics capabilities for their computationally intensive workflows.
Valve Revamps the Steam Deck
In a significant upgrade to its portable gaming platform, Valve has introduced a new model of the Steam Deck, which features an OLED display, a new system-on-chip (SoC), faster memory modules, and expanded storage options. Despite the enhancements, Valve assures users that they can expect the same level of gaming performance that they have come to expect from the current Steam Deck models. This advancement is a response to a growing demand for high-quality portable gaming experiences.
Industry Updates: Micron and Samsung Innovations
Micron has announced the introduction of 128 GB DDR5-8000 registered dual inline memory modules (RDIMMs) utilizing monolithic 32 Gigabit dies. This development represents a significant step forward in memory technology, offering greater memory capacity and higher speeds which are crucial for high-performance computing environments.
Samsung is on schedule to begin mass production of its next-generation 3nm and 4nm semiconductor nodes in the second half of 2024. These new nodes are expected to deliver improved performance and energy efficiency, furthering Samsung's competitive edge in the semiconductor market.
Market Movements: Intel, Seagate, and Western Digital
Intel has decided to discontinue its efforts to develop sub-ambient temperature cryo-cooling technology, marking a strategic shift in its approach to cooling solutions for high-performance computing systems. Meanwhile, Seagate has provided an update on its heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology; the company anticipates releasing 32 TB hard drives in early 2024 and aims to exceed 40 TB capacity within two years.
Furthermore, in a major corporate restructuring effort, Western Digital has revealed plans to separate its hard disk drive (HDD) and NAND flash memory businesses. This move is designed to allow each unit to focus on its specific market segments more effectively, optimizing their operations and innovation strategies.
AMD's GPU Lifecycle and Arm's Strategic Investment
AMD has begun the retirement process for its older Polaris and Vega GPUs, reducing the frequency of driver updates as the company transitions its focus towards newer graphics architectures. Concurrently, AMD's EPYC 7003 series, codenamed “Milan,” will have an extended lifecycle with availability guaranteed until 2026, including six additional product SKUs.
In a strategic partnership development, Arm has taken a minority stake in Raspberry Pi. This investment by Arm, a leader in microprocessor intellectual property, underscores the significant role that the Raspberry Pi platform plays in education, hobbyist, and emerging markets.
