Latest news with #CPUs
Gizmodo
4 days ago
- Gizmodo
Intel May be Prepping a Massive Apology to Gamers
If the rumors are to be believed, Intel may be gearing up for a major apology to gamers in the form of a suite of gaming-specific CPUs. Intel has suffered through multiple crises, a CEO ouster, sweeping layoffs, and a dour outlook on the future of the once-massive chipmaker. To make its case to consumers, Intel needs goodwill, and who better to get it from than the outspoken gamer crowd? Multiple semi-reliable leakers have come out of the woodwork to talk about Intel's plans to copy what makes AMD's best gaming CPUs so reliable. The CPU could best be described as the PC's brain, as it handles all the major processes for a computer to function. For gaming, a CPU has to calculate the game logic or run physics simulations, while the GPU—or graphics processing unit—handles the complex tasks of rendering a scene. AMD's best gamer-specific CPUs use what the chipmaker calls its '3D V-Cache.' That boils down to a larger section of memory that the CPU can access for quick turnaround of complex gaming tasks. Several posts first noted by Videocardz claim Intel is planning a few chips with a similar cache layout on its next desktop chip series—dubbed Nova Lake. A notable Intel leaker who goes by Raichu on X claimed that some Nova Lake chips could have a special tile called a Big Last-Level Cache, shortened to bLLC. Fellow leaker Haze also made claims earlier this month about the upcoming Intel microarchitecture having bLLC. It's unclear how big this cache would be or whether it will be bigger or smaller compared to AMD's current slate. Either way, it suggests Intel would tip the scales way beyond today's current top-end Intel CPUs for gamers. PC players looking for the latest and greatest gaming CPUs have largely written off Intel over the past few years. First, there was the SNAFU with its 13th- and 14th-gen chips. Several of those chip models experienced major instability issues caused by the chips sending incorrect voltage requests. Intel would later patch that issue and extend warranties for the impacted chips, though the scandal didn't help its status among U.S. chipmakers. The following generation of Intel Core Ultra desktop-level chips—dubbed Arrow Lake—only added insult to injury. The chips were noticeably less capable in gaming tasks than Intel's own 14th-gen CPUs. Intel released a patch in February to help address some of those concerns, but by then, AMD had already launched its most powerful gaming-specific chips. The cream of the crop is still the Ryzen 7 9800X3D with the touted 96MB V-cache. Arrow Lake's performance seemed more geared toward non-gaming tasks, and more particularly, AI. Sure, the market for gaming CPUs is smaller than those looking for business-end processors, but gamers are the most vocal of all Intel's longtime customers. So what's 'Team Blue' to do, other than try to claw back its standing among PC owners? I've personally used several gaming laptops sporting Intel's latest mobile Arrow Lake HX chips, and on the whole, they've seen much better gaming improvements gen-on-gen than the desktop series. The reason Intel's prospects are down in the dumps isn't as much to do with its consumer-end hiccups and more with how it missed out on the AI gravy train. Nvidia has soaked up mountains of money thanks to being ahead of the curve in building AI training chips. AMD has more recently pushed its ultra-expensive Threadripper processors, like the most recent Threadripper Pro 9000 WX series, as another option for AI fine-tuning. Unless you're a chip nerd, these AI processors don't set the imagination on fire. Gamers simply want the best for pushing the most frames from their games. All Intel has to do is show players higher fps in their games, and they may be willing to forgive a few of its past missteps.
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
USPS Closing Locations in Multiple States: What We Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States Postal Service (USPS) is closing several of its contract post offices across several states. Why It Matters Numerous independent postal units are closing down after receiving notice from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), according to local reports. Contract postal units (CPUs) are independent businesses under contract to the USPS to provide postal products and services to the public. Such contracts can be terminated with 120 days notice from the USPS - but many sites impacted by the decision have warned the closures could negatively impact the local community and their businesses. Some have been operating in their local community for decades. Newsweek has contacted the USPS for comment and a full list of nationwide closures via email. What To Know While confirmation has not been given directly to Newsweek on which sites will be closing down, reports have emerged from local news outlets in Arizona, Illinois, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Washington. According to the USPS, termination notices have been given "in some cases where nearby post offices that are operated by the Postal Service are capable of serving the community directly," reads a statement given to Fox 10. One CPU located in Rankos Stadium Pharmacy in Tacoma, Washington, which is due to close at the end of September, has organized a petition in a bid to stop the closure. File photo: A USPS logo on a mail box. File photo: A USPS logo on a mail box. GETTY In March, former U.S. Postmaster Louis DeJoy said in a letter to Congress that several cost-cutting measures had been agreed with Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) officials, but this did not include the closures of CPU sites. The independent federal agency has struggled financially in recent years and, in 2021, launched a 10-year "Delivering for America" plan aimed at restoring the Postal Service's financial stability and ensuring consistent service to its 169 million delivery addresses nationwide. In the fiscal year ending September 2024, the agency reported a $9.5 billion loss, an increase from the $6.5 billion net loss recorded in 2023. What People Are Saying A representative for the USPS told Fox 10: "The United States Postal Service sometimes contracts with suppliers to host Contract Postal Units, or CPUs, within a retail establishment, operated by the supplier or supplier's employees. Through these contracts, CPUs can provide communities with additional access to some postal services, but they are independent businesses not directly operated by the Postal Service. Under the CPU contract terms, the Postal Service and CPU operators both agreed that either party can terminate the contract upon giving 120 days' notice. We have exercised our right to do so in some cases where nearby post offices that are operated by the Postal Service are capable of serving the community directly. Doing so better enables us to fulfill our commitment to serve our communities with efficient and reliable access to retail services." Rankos Stadium Pharmacy, in a statement on its petition page, wrote: "We do NOT accept termination of our agreement. We serve people who need our mailing and postal services and we are committed to decreasing all barriers to equitable access to our care and the services we provide. This is a SERVICE. We do it to serve our community. We are committed to assuring all concerns are addressed and people with any access issues, limitations, anyone in the local area, has access to a local, postal station." What Happens Next Reports indicate many of the closures will happen at the end of the business day on September 30. Are you the owner of a CPU that has had its contract with the USPS terminated? Get in touch at
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD): I'm Not Betting Against It, Says Jim Cramer
We recently published . Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer recently discussed. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) is a semiconductor designer that makes and sells CPUs and GPUs. It is one of the key players in the AI market by being the only company, apart from NVIDIA, that sells AI accelerators. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD)'s shares have gained 33% year-to-date as analysts and investors have become increasingly bullish about the firm's ability to compete with NVIDIA. Cramer discussed the firm in the context of its benefiting from strong earnings results from Taiwan's TSMC: 'I will say, by the way, that some people are going to say it's also good for AMD. And I'm not betting against AMD here, it's got great momentum. Great momentum.' Previously, Cramer discussed Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD)'s presence in the AI PC market and how it could benefit from recent events: 'People don't realize Sanjay [Sanjay Mehrotra, Micron's CEO], I know that Sanjay was a bit verbose, in his answers. . .look I've known Sanjay for years, you can tell him after this, but I think what you have is, you have a PC market that could be exploding. And I didn't think that. . .but it also makes sense with AMD going up every single day. Because that could be PC.' A close up of a complex looking PCB board with several intergrated semiconductor parts. 'Lisa Su has that, she always told me that she could get these inference chips and she got them. And once you have them, you have a little bit of a dogfight. While we acknowledge the potential of AMD as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the . READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Intel jumps to HBM4 with Jaguar Shores, 2nd Gen MRDIMMs with Diamond Rapids
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Intel and its partners revealed a number of new details about the company's upcoming products, such as Diamond Rapids CPUs for data centers as well as Jaguar Shores accelerators for AI at its AI Summit in Seoul, South Korea. Both products are set to rely on next-generation memory technologies, such as 2nd-generation MRDIMM modules and HBM4 stacks, according to Intel's next-generation Gaudi AI accelerator, codenamed Jaguar Shores — this is the first time Intel has confirmed that this processor will carry the Gaudi brand — will use HBM4 memory from SK hynix, according to a slide shown by the company at Intel's AI Summit. Intel's Jaguar Shores was intended to succeed the company's Falcon Shores GPU in 2026, but since the latter has been cancelled, the company's 2026 Gaudi accelerator for AI will be its first AI GPU since the ill-fated Ponte Vecchio. It is not particularly surprising that Intel's Jaguar Shores will rely on HBM4 memory in 2026, considering it needs high bandwidth to enable AI training and inference for advanced LLMs and LRMs. However, for now, it is impossible to determine how many HBM4 stacks Jaguar Shores will use, as we know nothing else about the product. Another product that we don't know much about is Intel's next-generation Xeon, codenamed Diamond Rapids. This CPU will utilize SK hynix's 2nd-generation 64 GB (16 GB-based) and 128 GB (32 GB-based) MRDIMM modules, although the primary difference between 1st Gen and 2nd Gen MRDIMMs is expected to be performance. Multiplexed rank dual inline memory modules (MRDIMMs) are memory modules that integrate two DDR ranks operating in a multiplexed mode to effectively double performance. To support this, each module includes additional memory devices, an MRCD chip for simultaneous access to both ranks, and MDB chips for multiplexing and demultiplexing data. The CPU communicates with the 1st Gen MRDIMM at 8,800 MT/s transfer rates, but future versions are expected to reach 12,800 MT/s. Internally, all components run at half the external speed, which helps reduce latencies and keeps power consumption under control. These lower latencies significantly improve memory subsystem performance. According to Intel and Micron, a 128GB DDR5-8800 MRDIMM delivers up to 40% lower loaded latency than a 128GB DDR5-6400 RDIMM. With 2nd Gen MRDIMMs, we can expect further performance bumps without significant latency increases. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Globe and Mail
30-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
AMD is Pursuing Product Line Expansion: Will Margins Sustain?
Advanced Micro Devices AMD is benefiting from sustained gross margin expansion, driven by a richer mix of high-end Ryzen processors within its client segment and a higher percentage of data center product sales, leading to expanded gross margins for the fifth consecutive quarter. In the first quarter of 2025, Non-GAAP gross margin expanded 140 basis points (bps) on a year-over-year basis to 53.7%. Strong demand for high-end Ryzen CPUs in both gaming and commercial PCs is contributing to a favorable product mix that supports margin expansion. The data center segment, which includes EPYC CPUs and Instinct GPUs, continues to deliver strong revenue growth and higher margins, driven by increased adoption by hyperscalers and enterprise customers. AMD's latest Ryzen CPUs, particularly those based on the Zen 5 architecture, have seen strong demand, especially for gaming and high-performance desktops and laptops. The launch of new products, like the Ryzen 9 9950 X3D, helped set sellout records and boosted the client segment. The sales of higher-end products, including Ryzen processors for both desktop and mobile, led to higher average selling prices, which continue to positively impact gross margins. AMD expects gross margins to remain strong as demand for its high-performance products continues to grow. For the second quarter of 2025, AMD has guided a gross margin of approximately 54%, excluding an $800 million inventory-related charge tied to the MI308 export controls. Advanced Micro Devices Face Stiff Competition AMD faces intense competition from NVIDIA NVDA and Intel Corporation INTC in the data center and client segments. While both NVIDIA and Intel Corporation have recently seen declines in gross margin, AMD continues to expand its margin through a favorable product mix and strong demand for high-end offerings. NVIDIA's gross margins declined in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, with non-GAAP gross margin slipping 12.5 percentage points sequentially to 61%. This decline was primarily due to a $4.5 billion charge related to H20 inventory and purchase commitments that became unsellable following the new U.S. export restrictions on H20 chip shipments to China. Intel Corporation's non-GAAP gross margin declined to 39.2% from 45.1% a year ago in the first quarter of 2025. Margins were significantly impacted by impairment charges and restructuring costs associated with a structural and operational realignment across the company. AMD's Share Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates Advanced Micro Device shares have gained 19% year to date, outperforming the broader Zacks Computer & Technology sector's return of 6.1%. AMD Stock Performance AMD stock is trading at a premium, with a forward 12-month Price/Sales of 6.78X compared with the industry's 3.87X. AMD has a Value Score of F. AMD Valuation The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2025 earnings is currently pegged at 54 cents per share, implying an 8.4% decline over the past 30 days. This indicates a 21.74% decrease year over year. The consensus mark for 2025 earnings is pegged at $3.92 per share, which has declined 2.4% over the past 30 days, suggesting 18.43% year-over-year growth. AMD currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor Stock It's only 1/9,000th the size of NVIDIA which skyrocketed more than +800% since we recommended it. NVIDIA is still strong, but our new top chip stock has much more room to boom. With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $803 billion by 2028. See This Stock Now for Free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Intel Corporation (INTC): Free Stock Analysis Report NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA): Free Stock Analysis Report
