Latest news with #AMD-powered
Tom's Guide
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I tried the updated Zotac Zone handheld and one big change makes it a true Steam Deck rival
One of my favorite handheld gaming PCs from last year's show is back at Computex 2025 in a big way with seriously more powerful internals and a sleek all-white colorway. While we did get to go hands-on with the new AMD-powered MSI Claw A8 BZ2EM, this particular handheld is from Zotac. Last year at Computex, the Zotac Zone really impressed me with its symmetrical thumbsticks, gorgeous 7-inch AMOLED display, Hall Effect thumbsticks and triggers and a few other nifty features I hadn't seen before. In fact, I liked it so much, I even considered picking one up for myself. However, it was hard to come by and all of that initial hype died down quickly since the original Zotac Zone arrived quite late in the AMD Ryzen 7 8840U's life cycle. Now though, Zotac is back with a brand new version of its Zone handheld that builds upon what worked with the original while making one major change that won't only potentially make it cheaper but will also help when it comes to game performance. Everything I liked about the original Zotac Zone is still here from its symmetrical thumbsticks to the trackpads below them like on the Steam Deck. Likewise, both thumbsticks also have a turnable dial at their base which you can use to quickly adjust things like the device's volume without having to reach around to the volume buttons up top. One thing that I thought was particularly cool about the original Zotac Zone is how I was able to use the dial underneath the right thumbstick to scroll through menus in Horizon Forbidden West. These dials can also be customized to your liking and I'm sure this new powerful Zone will retain this unique feature. Another thing that immediately set the Zotac Zone apart from other handhelds is that — just like on the PS Vita — it has a front-facing camera. From taking video calls to live streaming while you play, I always thought this was a neat addition that I'd like to see other handheld gaming PCs copy. One difference between the original and this new model though is that the camera has been moved from the handheld's left to right side which feels a bit more natural, at least to me. Processor AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 Graphics AMD Radeon 890M RAM 24-32GB LPDDR5X Storage 1TB NVMe M.2 2280 SSD Display 7-inch AMOLED Resolution 1920 x 1080 Battery 48.5 Wh Connectivity Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 Ports 2 x USB4, 1 x 3.5mm audio jack, microSD card reader Dimensions 12.2 x 5.3 x 1.6 inches OS Manjaro Linux, Steam Gaming Mode Besides its new all-white design, the biggest change hardware-wise when it comes to this updated Zone handheld is that Zotac is giving its internals a major refresh. It sports a much faster Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 chip with Radeon 890M graphics, a 48.5Wh battery, 1TB SSD, a microSD card reader and a pair of USB4 ports. While the new Zotac Zone's specs are pretty much finalized, a company rep on the show floor asked me what I thought would make more sense memory wise: 24GB or 32GB of RAM. There are now several handheld gaming PCs like the Asus ROG Ally X and the new MSI Claw A8 BZ2EM that ship with 24GB of RAM. However, at the moment, only the Lenovo Legion Go and the MSI Claw 8 AI+ Polar Tempest Edition can be outfitted with up to 32GB of RAM. There could very well likely end up being two models of the new Zone but with 32GB of RAM and a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 Chip, this updated handheld is going to be able to run almost everything you throw at it, especially considering the other big change Zotac is making. Let's face it, putting Windows 11 on a handheld is expensive for manufacturers and it also makes using the device to play games a whole lot more tedious. Microsoft's latest operating system just wasn't designed with handheld gaming in mind whereas Valve built SteamOS for this very purpose from the ground up. Well, with the new Zone, Zotac is ditching Windows for Linux and this could be a game changer for the updated handheld. Not only is Linux a more lightweight operating system overall, tons of the best PC games have already been optimized for it thanks to the Steam Deck. Unlike the Steam Deck which is based on Arch Linux, the new Zotac Zone will run Manjaro Linux. While Arch is more bleeding edge and gets updates faster, Manjaro has a more user-friendly experience. Similar to the Steam Deck, you'll be able to access a full Linux desktop environment on the Zotac Zone. Then when you want to game, you can switch over to Steam Gaming Mode where you'll have a more game-friendly UI which is almost identical to the one on the Steam Deck. With the two buttons under the touchpad on the right of the Zotac Zone, you'll be able to bring up a quick menu while playing games. The Home button brings up Zotac's own quick menu while the button with three dots brings up the same quick menu you'll find on the Steam Deck. It's always nice to have options right? The decision to make the switch from Windows to Linux is a welcome one and with all that extra power under the hood, this updated Zotac Zone handheld is already looking really promising. The original Zotac Zone was one of my favorite devices at Computex last year. In fact, we even gave it our award for best gaming handheld since the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus was locked away in a glass case and I didn't actually get a chance to go hands-on with it until CES 2025. Keep in mind that the upgraded Zotac Zone I got to try this year at Computex is still a prototype, so we might see some changes in the final model. I'm just hoping that this time around, it will be more readily available as it could easily end up being one of the best Steam Deck alternatives if it's priced competitively. Still, with no Steam Deck 2 currently in the works or on the way, the Zotac Zone running Linux will give you the Steam Deck-like experience with a lot more power for all the latest games.I'll be keeping a close eye on this one myself as I've always wanted to put the Zotac Zone through its paces in a home environment and not on the crowded C
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Evercore ISI remains bullish on Dell after annual user conference
-- Evercore ISI reiterated its bullish stance on Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) following the company's annual user conference, 'Dell World,' highlighting the company's growing momentum in enterprise artificial intelligence. 'We continue to believe that DELL is well positioned to benefit from the acceleration of enterprise Gen AI adoption,' Evercore ISI wrote in a note recapping Day 1 of the Las Vegas event. The firm maintained its Outperform rating on the stock, citing Dell's comprehensive AI portfolio and technical expertise. CEO Michael Dell kicked off the conference with a keynote that introduced several new products, including Blackwell- and AMD-powered AI servers, a revamped AI PC lineup, and new networking and managed AI service offerings. According to Evercore ISI, the keynote focused on the growing trend of enterprises shifting AI workloads on-premise, as 'DELL expects 85% of enterprises expect to move Gen AI workloads on-prem in the next 24 months due to better costs with on-prem inferencing compared to on public clouds.' The firm noted that Dell's experience designing next-generation AI systems for service providers and model builders has positioned it to now serve enterprise clients effectively. This 'has given the company invaluable technical expertise that it can bring over to the enterprise level,' the firm said. Among new products highlighted was the Dell Pro Max Plus, described as 'the first mobile-workstation with an enterprise-grade NPU,' enabling edge inferencing in a laptop form. On the infrastructure side, Dell introduced servers featuring Nvidia's B300 and GB300 chips for improved AI inference performance. 'With today's announcements, we think DELL can be an enterprise customer's 'one-stop shop' for all its AI infrastructure needs through the lifecycle,' Evercore ISI concluded. Related articles Evercore ISI remains bullish on Dell after annual user conference BYD shares soar to record high; Citi hikes PT on export strength Ford to share US battery plant with Nissan amid further EV pullback – WSJ Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TensorWave secures $100m in Series A funding
TensorWave, an AMD-powered AI infrastructure solutions provider, has raised $100m in Series A funding to fuel growth. The funding round was led by Magnetar and AMD Ventures, with continued support from Maverick Silicon, Nexus Venture Partners, and new investor Prosperity7. The funding builds on TensorWave's earlier SAFE round and supports the deployment of more than 8,000 AMD Instinct MI325X GPUs for a dedicated training cluster. The company said it is on track to close the year with a revenue run rate exceeding $100m, marking a 20x year-over-year increase. The new capital will also be directed towards expanding TensorWave's team and accelerating the deployment of its Instinct MI325X-powered training cluster. This growth is timely as the demand for AI computing resources continues to outstrip supply, prompting organisations to seek alternatives to limited infrastructure options. TensorWave president Piotr Tomasik said: 'The $100m we've secured will transform how enterprises access AI computing resources. 'Our Instinct MI325X cluster deployment isn't just about adding capacity, it's about creating an entirely new category of enterprise-ready AI infrastructure that delivers both the memory headroom and performance reliability that next-generation models demand.' AMD Ventures' investment in TensorWave is part of its plans to enhance its footprint in the AI infrastructure space. This will ensure that AMD's new technologies are available in the cloud and at scale for leading AI companies and enterprises. TensorWave offers high-bandwidth, memory-optimised infrastructure powered by AMD Instinct Series GPUs, catering to the most demanding models in training or inference. "TensorWave secures $100m in Series A funding" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TensorWave raises $100M to grow its AMD-powered cloud infrastructure
TensorWave, a data center provider building facilities primarily with AMD hardware, has raised $100 million as it seeks to further build out its data center infrastructure. The funding round was led by Magnetar and AMD Ventures, and brings the company's total capital raised to $146.7 million, according to Crunchbase. Maverick Silicon, Nexus Venture Partners and Prosperity7 also participated in the round. It's a precarious time for data center projects. Tariff-related price hikes on components like server racks and chips could contribute to overall data center build costs increasing by 5% to 15%, per an analysis by TD Cowen. Investors are also wary of such projects accumulating too much capacity, particularly as the number of cheap AI services continues to grow. Overcapacity is reportedly one of the factors delaying OpenAI's ambitious $500-billion Stargate data center project. Las Vegas, Nevada-based TensorWave claims that it hasn't seen a slowdown in business, however. The company is on track to end the year with run-rate revenue of more than $100 million, which would mark a 20x increase from a year earlier, according to CEO Darrick Horton (pictured above; in the middle). Nvidia is the favored hardware vendor for data centers that are used for training and running AI models. But TensorWave embraced AMD early on, aiming to provide cloud services at lower prices. TensorWave recently deployed a "dedicated training" cluster of around 8,000 AMD Instinct MI325X GPUs. The new capital will enable the company to grow that cluster, as well as expand headcount and support "operational growth," said Horton. TensorWave has a team of around 40 people at present, and expects headcount to reach over 100 by the end of the year. "This $100 million funding propels TensorWave's mission to democratize access to cutting-edge AI compute," Horton added. "Our 8,192 Instinct MI325X GPU cluster marks just the beginning as we establish ourselves as the emerging AMD-powered leader in the rapidly expanding AI infrastructure market." Other data center providers placing bets on AMD's AI chips range from startups like Lamini and Nscale to larger, more entrenched cloud providers such as Azure and Oracle. Horton co-founded TensorWave with Jeff Tatarchuk (pictured above; on the left) and Piotr Tomasik (pictured above; on the right) in 2023. Tatarchuk had previously launched cloud vendor VMAccel with Horton, and sold another startup, Lets Rolo, to digital identity firm LifeKey. Horton co-founded crypto mining company VaultMiner Technologies, VMAccel's corporate parent. As for Tomasik, he co-launched influencer marketer site Influential, and is the second co-founder of Lets Rolo. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TensorWave Secures $100 Million Series A Funding Co-Led by Magnetar and AMD Ventures
Funding Fuels Rapid Deployment of Massive AMD Instinct MI325X GPU Training Cluster and Supports Scaling for Surging AI Infrastructure Needs LAS VEGAS, May 14, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TensorWave, the emerging leader in AMD-powered AI infrastructure solutions, today announced it has raised $100 million in Series A funding. Magnetar and AMD Ventures led the round, with continued support from Maverick Silicon, Nexus Venture Partners, and new investor Prosperity7. This funding builds on the company's earlier SAFE round and positions TensorWave to capitalize on the growing demand for next-gen AI compute infrastructure. The investment aligns with TensorWave's deployment of over 8,000 AMD Instinct™ MI325X GPUs for a dedicated training cluster, establishing the company as a key player in the AI infrastructure ecosystem. TensorWave is on track to close the year with a revenue run rate exceeding $100 million — a 20x year-over-year increase. "This $100M funding propels TensorWave's mission to democratize access to cutting-edge AI compute," said Darrick Horton, CEO of TensorWave. "Our 8,192 Instinct MI325X GPU cluster marks just the beginning as we establish ourselves as the emerging AMD-powered leader in the rapidly expanding AI infrastructure market." The new capital will fuel TensorWave's operational growth, team expansion, and the accelerated deployment of its Instinct MI325X-powered training cluster. This growth comes at a pivotal moment, as demand for AI computing resources continues to outstrip supply and organizations seek alternatives to limited infrastructure options. "The $100 million we've secured will transform how enterprises access AI computing resources," said Piotr Tomasik, President of TensorWave. "Through careful cultivation of strategic partnerships and investor relationships, we've positioned TensorWave to solve the critical infrastructure bottleneck facing AI adoption. Our Instinct MI325X cluster deployment isn't just about adding capacity, it's about creating an entirely new category of enterprise-ready AI infrastructure that delivers both the memory headroom and performance reliability that next-generation models demand." "Our focus is to continue to expand the ecosystem and support developers with the tools, infrastructure, and performance they need to create, scale, and ship production-ready AI," shares Jeff Tatarchuk, TensorWave's Chief Growth Officer. AMD Ventures' strategic investment in TensorWave reinforces the commitment of AMD to expand its footprint in the AI infrastructure space and ensures its latest technologies are available in the cloud and at-scale for leading AI companies and enterprises. "TensorWave is a key player in the growing AMD AI ecosystem," said Mathew Hein, SVP Chief Strategy Officer & Corporate Development, AMD. "Their expanding portfolio of AI and enterprise customers coupled with their expertise in deploying AMD compute infrastructure is driving demand for access to their cutting-edge AI compute services. We're excited to support their next phase of growth." "We continue to be highly impressed by what the TensorWave team has built in just a short period of time. TensorWave is not just bringing more compute but rather an entirely new class of compute to a capacity-constrained market. We think this will be highly beneficial to the AI infrastructure ecosystem writ large, and we're thrilled to continue our support of the company," said Kenneth Safar, Managing Director at Maverick Silicon. The funding comes at a time when the AI infrastructure market is experiencing unprecedented growth, with recent industry reports projecting the AI infrastructure market to exceed $400 billion by 2027. TensorWave's focus on technology-powered solutions and continued partnerships with firms like TECFusions positions the company to capture a significant portion of this expanding market. For additional information please visit: About TensorWave TensorWave is the AI and HPC cloud purpose-built for performance. Powered exclusively by AMD Instinct™ Series GPUs, we deliver high-bandwidth, memory-optimized infrastructure that scales with your most demanding models—training or inference. For more information please visit View source version on Contacts Media Contact: press@ Sign in to access your portfolio
