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Sega creates the fastest PC in the world reaching 100km / h

Sega collaborated with Intel and ASRock to create the “world’s fastest PC,” literally. This system not only has some of the best components available on the market today but it is also mounted on a remote control car that reaches a top speed of 100 km / h.

This system includes an Intel Core i9-12900K processor, an ASRock Radeon RX 6900XT OC Formula board, 32GB of dual-channel RAM, and a 2TB M.2 SSD. All of this was assembled into a short, yet compact chassis adorned with images of Sonic to represent its high speed and includes classic Sega Atlus titles for PC.

Sega explained that this project is intended to celebrate Steam’s winter sales, which last until January 5, and include many discounted Sega titles. In addition, the company is running a competition on social media, and the winner (who must be a resident of Japan, sadly) will receive “the fastest PC in the world” as a gift.

Its design may not be the most elegant globally, but it has the power and speed combined to claim the title of fastest. Let’s hope that the winner of this particular vehicle is a good driver or that they take out some insurance since it is likely that the components will not withstand the impacts at 100KM / h.

How about the fastest PC in the world from Sega? Would you like to have such a PC?

January 2, 2022
Intel Arc Alchemist desktop GPUs coming as early as March

It seems that the start of 2022 will be exciting than we expected, and that is that the Intel Arc Alchemist GPUs for desktops will arrive as soon as March, according to the latest rumors from the industry.

Officially, Intel indicated that its first dedicated Arc Alchemist GPUs would arrive during the first quarter of 2022. Still, they were expected to only be in their portable variants, to the point that we know that these GPUs will be announced next week, on January 4, in CES 2022 in Las Vegas.

According to the report, Intel would initially launch two models: the one known for now as Intel Arc A780 with 512 Execution Units (4096 cores) with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and a TDP of 225W, which would perform as an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, and an Intel Arc A5XX with 384 Execution Units (3072 cores) with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory that would perform like an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti.

Now we only have to wait until next week to find out if Intel plans to finally announce the launch of its first family of dedicated GPUs and add some competitiveness in a business that is not going through its best moments due to the market cryptocurrencies and the shortage of chips.

December 30, 2021
Optical processors: a promising future

Although when we talk about chips, we always think about semiconductors, the research of optical processors is another branch that, as we have been able to verify in recent years, may have a great future, in which it could even replace, in the medium term, silicon-based chips for specific uses.

However, although the big technology companies have this technology on their radar, other companies, the specialized ones, are achieving the most significant advances. And it is logical, of course, at the end of the day they have turned into that specific area and, therefore, they are the most normal that they surprise us with their advances in optical processors.

Such could, without a doubt, be the case with Lightelligence, and that is, as we can read in Techpowerup, this company has managed to create an integrated capable of multiplying the performance of the GPUs by one hundred for certain complex mathematical operations. This fully functional prototype shows that the evolution of optical processors is progressing at a perfect pace. Therefore, we can already be relatively close to devices designed for specific purposes based on this technology.

Specifically, the Lightelligence proposal regarding optical processors has been used to perform calculations based on the Ising Model, a physical model dedicated to studying the behavior of ferromagnetic materials. In this case, it has been used to understand phase transitions. With this test, the development demonstrated that in solving class of complexity, NP-complete could be 100 times faster than a GPU RTX 3080, which is already tremendously efficient in this field.

There are more and more voices that affirm that optical processors, and later optical computing systems, will be great allies of artificial intelligence, precisely because of their extraordinary capacity to solve complex mathematical operations, thus ahead of integrated FPGAs in a matter of performance (not so in price, of course, at least in the short and medium-term). And it is that, no matter how fast semiconductors and superconductors are, the speed of transmission of photons remains, and as far as we know, this will not change, unattainable by any other means.

December 20, 2021
The best processors you can buy in 2021
There is no doubt that one of the essential launches that 2021 has left us has been the Intel Alder Lake-S processors, a generation with which the chip giant has finally managed to return to the right path, and that it has done that the competition between this and AMD is fiercer than ever.

As I have told you on other occasions, this is good for consumers, regardless of “which side” they prefer, and for two reasons that are very easy to understand. If you are a fan of Intel processors, you can now find chips that outperform most AMD Ryzen processors at a very competitive price. On the other hand, they offer excellent performance if you are a fan of AMD processors. The Ryzen 9 5950X is still the most powerful in the market, and little by little, they are falling in price thanks to increasing competition from Intel.

That Intel has succeeded with Alder Lake-S is suitable for everyone. The competition always is because, thanks to it, we can buy higher quality products at reasonable prices. When there is no competition, or when it is insufficient, that balance is broken, and this ends up hurting the user because progress slows down, the quality of new products is not always as good as it should be, and their price ends up being, on top of that, very high.

Indeed, 2021 has not been a good year to buy a graphics card. Still, we have the consolation that, at least, it has been the opposite for the general consumer processor sector, not only because that competition between Intel and AMD has left us a great variety of processors with very high performances, but also because this has made their prices very attractive.

As we are in the final stretch of 2021, I think it is an excellent time to share with you a selection of the best processors that we can buy today. This guide will not only allow you to put everything I have said in the previous paragraphs into perspective, but it will also help you to be clear about which processor best suits your needs and which would be, therefore, the most successful purchase.

1. Intel Core i3-10105F: Best economic option

Thanks to the evolution that the general consumer processor sector has experienced in recent years, it is possible to find powerful chips at very contained prices today, and the Intel Core i3-10105F is undoubtedly one of the best examples.

This processor has a configuration of four cores and eight threads, which means that it reaches the minimum level to move most of the current games with guarantees. Its IPC is also relatively high, as it uses the Comet Lake-S architecture (based on Skylake), and it is manufactured in 14nm ++ process.

The Intel Core i3-10105F works at a frequency of 3.7 GHz-4.4 GHz, standard and turbo mode has 6 MB of L3 cache, and is compatible with the LGA1200 socket, which means that we can use it with equipped motherboards. With 400 series and 500 series chipsets.

Yes, with this processor, we can play most of the current games with all the guarantees, and we will not have severe problems in those already optimized to work with six cores and twelve threads. Its price is only 99.99 USD, so it is clear that it offers excellent value for what it costs.

Intel Core i3-10105F Specifications
- Comet Lake-S architecture in the process of 14 nm ++.
- Four cores and eight threads at 3.7 GHz-4.4 GHz, normal and turbo mode.
- Integrated GPU is not functional.
- 6MB L3 cache.
- 65-watt TDP. Includes fan.
- LGA1200 socket (400 or 500 chipsets).
- It does not support overclocking.
Reasons to choose the Intel Core i3-10105F
- Excellent single wire performance.
- It can move eight strings, a minimum recommended for games.
- It’s economical.
- Good price-performance value.
Other interesting options

Within its range, this chip is, without a doubt, the most interesting that we can find right now, since, for less than 110 dollars, it has no rival from AMD, at least at the time of writing this article.

However, within the Intel catalog, we could also opt for the Core i3-10100F, a chip almost identical to the Core i3-10105F and whose only difference is that it works at 3.6 GHz-4.3 GHz. Its price is a little lower, 90 USD.

2. Intel Core i5-10400F: Best CPU for gaming

One of my favorite processors and one of the most highly recommended for obvious reasons. This chip also uses the Comet Lake-S architecture (with Skylake base). It has a high IPC, and thanks to its configuration of six cores and twelve threads, it is prepared to move optimally any current game and any future title.

In effect, by that, I mean that the Core i5-10400F will be able to move the next-generation games that will arrive when the final transition to PS5 and Xbox Series X-Series takes place. This means that this processor is an excellent investment because It offers excellent value both in the present and future. Above all, it is very economical, since it only costs 163 dollars.

If we accompany it with DDR4 memory at 2,666 MHz, its performance is practically identical to that of a Ryzen 5 3600, a chip that far exceeds 224 dollars. If we mount it with a motherboard that supports RAM at a higher speed, the Intel Core i5-10400F will offer even higher performance.

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In summary, with the Intel Core i5-10400F, we will have more than enough power, both single and multithreaded, to play with all the guarantees “today and tomorrow” and with a minimum investment. The best processor you can buy today for less than 168 dollars.

Intel Core i5-10400F Specifications
- Comet Lake-S architecture in the process of 14 nm ++.
- Six cores and 12 threads at 2.9 GHz-4.3 GHz, normal and turbo mode.
- Integrated GPU is not functional.
- 12MB L3 cache.
- 65-watt TDP. Includes fan.
- LGA1200 socket (400 chipsets).
- It does not support overclocking.
Reasons to choose the Intel Core i5-10400F
- Excellent single wire performance.
- Six cores and twelve threads recommended levels for present and future games.
- It’s economical.
- Excellent price-performance value.
Other interesting options

On the part of AMD, we do not have any attractive option because the direct rival of the Intel Core i5-10400F, the Ryzen 5 3600, is priced too high (around 280 dollars, although it performs almost at the same level).

However, in the Intel catalog, we have an exciting option, the Core i5-11400F, which also has a configuration of six cores and twelve threads but uses a more advanced architecture and offers slightly higher performance. It is also a bit more expensive, costing 190 dollars (at writing this article).

3. Intel Core i5-12600K: Best CPU for gaming

It has been, without any doubt, the best of the processors that Intel has launched in its first batch of Alder Lake-S CPUs in price-performance ratio. As I told you in the review we published not long ago, this chip offers fantastic single-wire performance. It is unrivaled in this regard. Thanks to its configuration of six high-performance cores, four high-efficiency cores, and 16 threads in total, it is prepared to move any present and future game optimally.

This sounds great, but what exactly makes the Intel Core i5-12600K? There is no more, its high performance and its reasonable price. This chip easily outperforms the Intel Core i9-11900K and the Ryzen 7 5800X, two processors priced at 620 dollars and 527 dollars, although the latter is available in a temporary offer for 426 dollars. When writing, the Intel Core i5-12600K price is 347 dollars, also on quick offer (403 dollars without a request).

The price difference between the three is noticeable, and it allows us to see that the Intel Core i5-12600K is the cheapest, but it is also the most powerful in games. This has been possible thanks, above all, to the leap that Intel has made to the 10nm process and the introduction of the Golden Cove architecture in high-performance cores, which improves the IPC by up to 19% compared to the previous generation.

The Intel Core i5-12600K is mighty and has an excellent price, but we must also bear in mind that, thanks to its four highly efficient cores, it is prepared to offer a perfect experience if we decide to stream while we play. The four high-efficiency cores will take over that workload, and the six cores and twelve threads will be completely free and can be dedicated to the game.

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Intel Core i5-12600K Specifications
- Golden Cove architecture on high-performance cores, and Gracemont on high-efficiency cores.
- Manufactured on Intel Node 7 (10nm SuperFin).
- Six high-performance cores and twelve threads at 3.7 GHz-4.9 GHz, regular and turbo mode, and four high-efficiency cores at 2.8 GHz-3.6 GHz, standard and turbo mode.
- GPU Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Xe Gen12).
- Supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory.
- Unlocked multiplier (supports overclocking).
- 20MB L3 cache.
- 9.5 MB L2 cache.
- 125-watt base power.
- Compatible with LGA 1700 socket and 600 series chipset.
Reasons to choose the Intel Core i5-12600K
- Top-of-the-range single-wire performance.
- Six cores and twelve threads are recommended levels for present and future games.
- Four high-efficiency cores that drive multithreaded performance.
- Outstanding gaming and streaming performance.
- It outperforms other much more expensive processors.
- Balanced price.
- More efficient than the previous generation.
- It is integrated into the most advanced platform that exists.
Other interesting options

We can find other attractive options with lower prices, although we must bear in mind that the performance of these will also be lower. In this sense, the Intel Core i5-11600KF is an excellent alternative since it maintains the configuration of 6 cores and 12 threads, comes with the multiplier unlocked, and is priced at 270 dollars. Its IPC is, however, lower, it lacks the four high-efficiency cores, and its integrated GPU is disabled.

I don’t find any exciting options on the AMD side because the prices are too high. However, if you are a fan of the Sunnyvale giant, the most reasonable offered in this range is the Ryzen 5 5600X, priced at 341 dollars.

4. Intel Core i7-12700KF: Best price-performance CPU for gaming and productivity

We are facing an absolute beast, so much so that it has little to envy the Intel Core i9-12900K. The Intel Core i7-12700KF maintains the high-performance 8-core, the 16-thread configuration of its bigger brother but reduces the high-efficiency core pool from 8 to 4. This change has a real impact on applications that make heavy use of multitasking, but even in those scenarios, the difference it makes is not too significant.

The Intel Core i7-12700KF offers top-of-the-line single-threaded performance; thanks to the Golden Cove architecture, it is ready to move the most demanding games that will arrive in a few years, and it also has multithreaded performance so good that it is capable of surpassing, in some scenarios, to the Ryzen 9 5900X, a chip that has 12 threads and 24 cores, and which is much more expensive. Intel’s chip is also superior in single-wire and is built into a more advanced platform.

When writing this article, the Ryzen 9 5900X was priced on sale at 594 dollars, while the Intel Core i7-12700KF cost 455 dollars without any offer applied. The latter is superior in multithreading and performs almost on the same level as the AMD chip in multithreading, so it is easy to understand why we say that the Intel Core i7-12700KF is the best processor in its class for gaming and productivity, because it offers a price-performance value superior to its direct and indirect rivals.

The Intel Core i9-12900K, or the “KF” version, the Intel Core i7-12700KF is also a more attractive option because it offers slightly lower performance but maintains its excellent IPC fantastic gaming performance. It is a perfect option for productivity and costs 247 dollars less.

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Intel Core i7-12700KF Specifications
- Golden Cove architecture on high-performance cores, and Gracemont on high-efficiency cores.
- Manufactured on Intel Node 7 (10nm SuperFin).
- There are eight high-performance cores and sixteen threads at 3.6 GHz-5 GHz, regular and turbo mode, and four high-efficiency cores at 2.7 GHz-3.8 GHz, standard and turbo mode.
- GPU disabled.
- Supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory.
- Unlocked multiplier (supports overclocking).
- 25MB L3 cache.
- 12MB L2 cache.
- 125-watt base power.
- Compatible with LGA 1700 socket and 600 series chipset.
Reasons to choose the Intel Core i7-12700KF
- Top-of-the-range single-wire performance.
- Twelve cores and twenty threads, plenty for gaming and adequate for productivity.
- Outstanding gaming and streaming performance.
- Multithreaded performance is similar to the Ryzen 9 5900X, which is considerably more expensive.
- Reasonable price for what it offers.
- More efficient than the previous generation.
- It is integrated into the most advanced platform that exists.
Other interesting options

The closest in raw performance is the Ryzen 9 5900X. Still, as we have said, this one is quite a bit more expensive and is only slightly more potent in multithreading under specific scenarios, so there is no natural alternative to the Intel Core i7-12700KF other than really worth it, at least within its price range.

Other processors, like the Intel Core i9-11900K or the Intel Core i9-10900K, are also not a good option because they offer inferior performance in every way, and on top of that, they are more expensive than the Intel Core i7-12700KF. This is common in older generation processors, which continue to be marketed with low stock levels.

5. Ryzen 9 5950X: Best CPU for intensive productivity and gaming

Intel has achieved a perfect position in the market for general consumer processors thanks to two great keys: the low price and good performance of the Comet Lake-S series and the excellent performance, and adjusted price, of the new processor’s Alder Lake-S. However, AMD is still quite competitive and would only have to lower costs to improve its current situation.

Let’s look at the top, at the top of the high-performance processors for general consumption. We find that the Ryzen 9 5950X is still the most powerful on the market and therefore remains the best option for productivity focused on multithreading. Thanks to its configuration of 16 cores and 32 threads and its high IPC, it was very intensive.

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It’s an expensive chip, but it makes up for it by offering fantastic performance. With this processor, we will carry out demanding workloads without giving up excellent single-wire performance, something essential in games.

That nuance is essential because most HEDT (High-Performance Computing) processors prioritize multithreaded performance to the detriment of single-threaded, which makes, in the end, a much less attractive choice than the Ryzen 9 5950X if we want to unify work and leisure.

However, keep in mind that of all the processors that we have listed, the Ryzen 9 5950X is the most powerful. Still, it is also the most expensive and therefore represents a significant investment that we must be sure of making profits. He is prepared to move any present and future game optimally. It has a price of 789.89 euros (on temporary offer).

Ryzen 9 5950X Specifications
- Zen architecture three at 7 nm.
- Sixteen cores and 32 threads at 3.4 GHz-4.9 GHz.
- No integrated GPU.
- 64MB L3 cache.
- 105-watt TDP. Does not include fans.
- Socket AM4 (B450 chipset or higher).
- Supports overclocking.
Reasons to choose the Ryzen 9 5950X
- Very high performance in a single wire.
- Sixteen cores and 32 threads, plenty for games and very good for productivity.
- Outstanding performance in leisure and work.
- Price more adjusted than its HEDT equivalents.
- More efficient than the previous generation.
- It is integrated into an advanced platform.
December 19, 2021

M.2 NVMe and SATA SSD: Features and Differences

M.2 port

Desktop and laptop storage systems have changed a lot in recent years. In the past, large, noisy, and slow units increased their capacity over time. Currently, we have much smaller units with different types of buses to reach the incredible speeds that dominate the current market for notebook and desktop PCs, M.2 SSDs. This guide will show you the characteristics and differences of M.2 SATA and NVMe SSD drives.

We will start by counting that it is M.2. The M.2, formerly called NGFF (from Next Gen Form Factor), is a connection for expansion cards included in the most recent desktop or notebook PCs. M.2 cards can be of different sizes. Generally, most miniature cards are expansion cards, such as Wi-Fi cards, while M.2 SSDs are usually of different sizes according to needs.

This M.2 connector can use the PCI Express (NVMe) interface compatible with the latest version depending on the PC model, the SATA 3.0 interface, or even USB 3.0. The M.2 connector can be compatible with any of these interfaces or even 3, which depends on the manufacturer and the type of compatibility that the equipment presents. The M.2 standard is compatible with NVM Express and AHCI that give rise to these PCI Express or SATA interfaces.

The M.2 connector, whether you use a PCI Express or SATA interface, is backward-compatible. Thus, an M.2 PCI Express 4.0 SSD disk can be installed in an M.2 connector with a PCI Express 3.0 bus, and its speed will be limited to the maximum of the bus. You can also connect an M.2 PCI Express 3.0 SSD disk in an M.2 PCI Express 4.0 slot; the unit sets the speed limit.

Let’s see in detail the characteristics of each type of connection available in M.2.

NVMe connectivity

M.2 NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) drives are the fastest type of memory currently available for home desktop and laptop computers. It is associated with the PCI Express bus and is a type of memory, as its name suggests, non-volatile. We can store data, and it will not be erased, even if it stops receiving current.

With NVMe overload, I / S is reduced compared to older drives as SATA M.2. Thanks to this specification, it is possible to take advantage of the virtues presented by the new storage units composed mainly of memory chips.

These drives are generally cards that use the PCI Express bus. Several sizes are made up of specific length and width, although one is used as a standard size, 2280, 22 corresponds to the width and 80 to the distance. The rest of the usually smaller measures are used in specific devices with a more contained size, such as the Steam Deck. We leave you a table with the different specifications and speeds in MB / s and GB / s, but don’t get confused; use our guide to determine the equivalences between the storage units.

NVMe version	PCI Express	4x speed	2x speed	1x speed
1.1	1.0 / 1.1	1 GB / s	500 MB / s	250 MB / s
1.2	2.0 / 2.1	2 GB / s	1 GB / s	500 MB / s
1.3	3.0	3.94 GB / s	1.97 GB / s	985 MB / s
1.4	4.0	7.88 GB / s	3.94 GB / s	1.97 GB / s
2.0	5.0	15.76 GB / s	7.88 GB / s	3.94 GB / s

The NVMe has its specification, starting at 1.0 in January 2013, and the latest available as of the date of this guide is 2.0a in July 2021. Each revision is updated to offer existing improvements in technology and adapt to new ones. Units are available and thus can take advantage of their full potential. The NVMe is also tied to the open PCI Express bus reaching higher speeds when the specification is more recent.

The NVMe 1.3 with PCI Express 3.0 bus can reach up to 3500 MB / s. However, the next NVMe 1.4 with PCI Express 4.0 bus goes up to 7000 MB / s or can reach 3500 MB / s using half of the available lanes of PCI Express. This also depends on the lines open on the unit, and there are x1 x2 and x4 units. The x2 teams have two lines that, with a PCI Express 3.0 bus, would be a maximum of 1970 MB / s while x4 the most would be 3940 MB / s, a total of 985 MB / s for each line.

SATA connectivity

M.2 drives with SATA (Serial ATA) connectivity are older. This was the first bus associated with this type of M.2 drive to replace 2.5-inch SSDs. The SATA interface began in 2001 and has evolved in the same way to adapt to new technologies until it reaches the current and more modern SATA III bus, also called SATA 6, because of the amount of GB / s it can move.

Thus, three types of speeds give a name to this type of bus: SATA 1.5 Gb / s, SATA 3 Gb / s, and SATA 6 Gb / s.

SATA	Maximum speed	Bandwidth
SATAI	150 MB / s	1.5 Gb / s
SATA II	300 MB / s	3 Gb / s
SATA III	600 MB / s	6 Gb / s

The M.2 SATA drives support a maximum of 600 MB / s theoretical both in reading and writing, although in reality it hardly passes 560 MB / s, at first they were an ideal solution for computers where it is not possible (or it is complicated ) fit a 2.5-inch form factor drive. An M.2 card with SATA bus was the ideal solution, a small card with the possibility of inserting a large amount of storage without taking up extra space since it even goes directly to the motherboard.

But the SATA standard was built to take advantage of the benefits of mechanical disk drives, and it didn’t have much of a future when it came to flash storage. M.2 SATA drives were used initially but were soon replaced by the first NVMe that used the much faster PCI Express bus.

This is why M.2 drives began to lower their cost, and it is cheaper to find M.2 SATA drives than PCI Express having the same storage capacity. Also, keep in mind that it is an older technology, and M.2 SATA drives are slower than M.2 NVMe drives. Although nowadays they are deprecated for new equipment, and it is more profitable to use an older and cheaper standard NVMe drive.

M.2 NVMe vs. SATA SSD: Which is better?

Units M.2 SATA has become old, and everything is compatible with NVMe. Currently, devices that only have an M.2 connector with a SATA connection are not sold, the PCI Express has been standardized and is included in all boards to connect cards in standard format (such as graphics cards) or in M.2 format, where you can also connect an M.2 SATA.

If you have a somewhat older PC or laptop and want to give it a new life using a mechanical disk drive, you can check if it has an M.2 slot to connect SATA devices. By adding an M.2 SATA drive, you will get a higher speed than your current hard drive that can reach 160 Mb / s compared to the 550 MB / s offered by a SATA 6 Gb / s drive in M.2 format.

In addition, you can take the opportunity to leave your current hard drive as a storage unit. In this way, you can add the space you already had on your existing hard drive to the new M.2 SATA drive. It is advisable to install Windows and boot it from the fastest drive for speed reasons. In this case, you will have to migrate or clone your current installation to the new M.2 SATA disk.

You can also try saving and installing an M.2 SATA drive, even if you have the option to use M.2 NVMe available. However, these days you can also find cheaper M.2 NVMe drives if you use an older generation or two. Remember that the slowest NVMe drive is twice as fast as an M.2 SATA drive. So it is not profitable to install an M.2 SATA drive compared to an M.2 NVMe, in the price they are the same, or you can even find the cheaper M.2 NVMe, and they are all advantages.

Bus type	Maximum speed
SATAI	150 MB / s
SATA II	300 MB / s
SATA III	600 MB / s
NVMe 1.0 / 1.1	1 GB / s
NVMe 1.2	2 GB / s
NVMe 1.3	3.94 GB / s
NVMe 1.4	7.88 GB / s
NVMe 2.0	15.76 GB / s

On the other hand, if you are looking for speed and performance, the M.2 NVMe drive is what you will get. The higher the specification, the better result it will give you, but this already depends on the limitation of your hardware. It is not possible to use an M.2 PCI Express 5.0 SSD if your motherboard is PCI Express 4.0 (actually yes, but it will run at 4.0 speed ), and also, the drive with the latest bus will always be more expensive.

In this case, the ideal is to look for an M.2 SSD unit according to your hardware. If you have a PCI Express 3.0 bus, it is better to put an M.2 NVMe SSD with a PCI Express 3.0 bus (the NVMe 1.3) and make sure that it offers the maximum speed since, as we have mentioned before, it can be x1, x2 or x4 and vary the rate being the same bus.

You can also use a faster M.2 NVMe drive for the primary purpose where you have the operating system and programs and use a slower (and cheaper) drive for extra storage. With a smaller capacity unit for Windows and the main programs, the storage unit can be more extensive and slower, with the consequent economic savings without affecting performance .

Conclusion

In summary, M.2 SATA drives are recommended only if your computer is somewhat older and does not support an M.2 NVMe drive. These are faster and so widespread that previous generations are even cheaper than M.2 SATA. If you want to have the highest speed and performance, you should opt for an NVMe with the latest PCI Express bus. In this way, you will ensure you have the highest reading and writing speed that will give you an advantage in games and the management of your PC.

December 19, 2021

Beelink SER3 – Micro-PC with AMD Ryzen 7 3750H APU Review

If you do not use the PC to play, but if you use office automation and multimedia, equipment such as the Beelink SER3 is a success since they combine an ultra-compact format with more than enough power for both functions, even for some simple games.

Let’s see to begin the technical specifications of the Beelink SER3 barebone:

Beelink SER3
Chassis	126 x 113 x 40 mm (length, width, height) / 0.57 liters Active dissipation VESA mount
Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 3750H 4 cores / 8 threads 2.3 – 4.0 GHz TDP: 35W
Memory	8/16 GB SO-DIMM DDR4 @ 2400 MHz
Graphics	AMD RX Radeon Vega 10 @ 1400 MHz 2 HDMI video outputs
Storage	M.2 NVMe SSD 256/512 GB 2.5-inch bay SATA III
Networking	Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) WiFi 5 Bluetooth 4.0
Other connections	Front: 1 x USB-C 2 x USB 3.0 1 x TRRS Jack (headphones and microphone) Rear: 2 x USB 3.0 2 x HDMI Power
Feeding	19V / 3A transformer
Operating system	Includes Windows 10 (upgradeable to 11)

Before starting the review, we want to thank Beelink for giving us the Beelink SER3 barebone analysis.

Packaging and Accessories

The Beelink SER3 comes to us in a black cardboard box that shows us its main specifications on the back and two QR codes that send us to an installation tutorial and the forum for doubts.

Inside, it is well protected by the packaging itself and is accompanied by the manual, the current transformer of 19V / 3A, an HDMI cable of 1 meter and another of 20 cm, making it perfect the latter if we choose to use the plate metal that allows it to be placed behind a monitor, on the VESA mount.

Beelink SER3

Once we have the Beelink SER3 in our hands, we are faced with an ultra-compact device in a black metallic chassis that offers dimensions of only 126 x 113 x 40 mm (length, width, height) so it cubes 0.57 liters. The top grill lets in hot air thanks to a built-in fan that helps keep system temperatures at bay.

We find a pair of USB 3.0 ports and a USB-C that allows both the connection of peripherals and the video output on its front. It also has a TRRS jack connector for headphones and a microphone, a power button, and a small recessed button to reset the BIOS if necessary.

On the backside, we find the air outlet of the internal aluminum finned radiator and the rest of the connectivity. In addition to the power connector, we have 2 HDMI 1.4 video outputs, another 2 USB 3.0 ports, and an RJ-45 connector that gives it Gigabit Ethernet connectivity. This is complemented by the WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.0 connection.

By removing four screws from the base, we can access the interior of the Beelink SER3, which has a tray for 2.5-inch drives in the lid itself, an M.2 slot occupied by an SSD that we will talk about later, and 2 DDR4 slots in SO-DIMM format for RAM.

Hardware and Performance

We begin to list the hardware included in the compact Beelink SER3 with its AMD Ryzen 7 3750H processor, a mid-range model from a few years ago with four cores and eight threads at frequencies that start at 2.3 GHz and reach the 4.0 GHz. Its TDP is 35W, perfect to be refrigerated with solvency in such compact equipment.

This is accompanied by 8/16 GB memory DDR4 to 2400 MHz, which offers a bandwidth around 30 GB / s, although very substantial latencies around 120 ns.

It should be noted that this combination offers a reasonably simple performance, as the terminology of its processor must not fool us.

The processor itself has integrated graphics AMD Radeon RX Vega October to 1400 MHz, commonly known as an APU. This allows you to play 4K video without any problems, although, in games, they do not offer excellent performance, having to go down to 720p for these to at least work. For modern titles, it is insufficient.

In addition, it has an SSD in M.2 NVMe format of 256/512 GB signed by Gsemi that, as we see below, is around 2 / 1.6 GB / s of sequential read / write, figures that are more than correct for its task. The inclusion of an SSD allows the performance of the equipment to be notably higher than it would have with a mechanical disk, being even more critical the significant improvement in terms of random access compared to the one offered by these.

Finally, we must talk about its consumption and sound, the first being around 40W, a really low figure for such a functional team. On the other hand, the loudness at rest is practically zero, while it is around 42 dB at the entire performance, which is not annoying.

Conclusion

The Beelink SER3 is an excellent HTPC, as it offers good performance for multimedia and office tasks in an ultra-compact format of only 0.57 liters of volume. Indeed, its power does not give to play any modern title, but to classics or emulators of equally classic consoles. Its active dissipation keeps temperatures at bay without being annoying, while the possibility of adding a 2.5-inch drive gives it just the suitable expansion capacity, in the most exciting aspect. It also offers excellent connectivity with WiFi 5, GbE, multiple ports USB 3.0, and 2 HDMI outputs, placing it behind a screen compatible with VESA support.

We can find the Beelink SER3 for sale in stores such as Geekbuying for about $579.99 in the analyzed 16/512 GB version, with an 8/256 GB version for about €450. It is a reasonable price if we are looking for an ultra-compact PC, although we can find a desktop with greater expansion capacity for the same price. It will already depend on individual needs, but it is an option to consider.

Main advantages
+	Ultra-compact chassis, only 0.57 liters
+	Enough power for smooth multimedia and office tasks
+	Extra 2.5-inch bay
+	Very controlled loudness
+	2 HDMI video outputs
+	4 x USB 3.0 + USB-C
+	Wi-Fi 5 + GbE
+	VESA mount compatible
+	Windows 10 upgradeable to Windows 11

Negative Aspects
–	Many cheaper options, with not much less performance
–	Minimal gaming performance

December 16, 2021

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050: 8GB / 4GB GDDR6 with different graphics chips

Nvidia will launch two different variants of the GeForce RTX 3050. Just as it did with the GeForce GTX 1060, we will have two variants of varying capacity, where the higher capacity model has an additional improvement, a more powerful graphics chip. Of course, the progress is not that great, so there is still a gap for a possible and rumored GeForce RTX 3050 Ti.

We will thus come across an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 8GB that will feature the GA106-150 graphics chip, which will offer 2560 CUDA Cores along with 20 RT Cores and 80 Tensor Cores and TMUs. On the other hand, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 4GB will use the GA106-140 graphics chip, 2304 CUDA Cores, 18 RT Cores, and 72 Tensor Cores and TMUs. Both GPUs will share the same 128-bit memory interface.

Model	GeForce RTX 3060	GeForce RTX 3050 8GB	GeForce RTX 3050 4GB
GPU	GA106-400	GA106-150	GA106-140
CUDA Cores	3584	2560	2304
RT Cores	28	twenty	18
Tensors / TMUs	112	80	72
Memory	12GB GDDR6	8GB GDDR6	4GB GDDR6
Freq. Mem	15 Gbps	N / A	N / A
Intrz. Mem	192 bits	128 bit	128 bit
TGP / TBP	170W	N / A	N / A
Launch	February 2021	January 2022	January 2022

December 16, 2021

Another version of Windows, Windows 11 SE for schoolchildren, has been released

The new method is designed for incredibly low-cost machines. Third-party programs can be installed. However, the typical Microsoft Store is missing.

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Microsoft has announced a version of Windows 11 tailored exclusively for educational institutions; they claim that the stripped-down system would not strain assets and include several valuable changes. The widget area was removed from significant version 11 because Microsoft feared it would confuse pupils.

The Microsoft Store is also missing from the 11 SE, but third-party apps can still be installed on the interface. The system also backs up to OneDrive, and these backups are accessible offline, that is, without access to the Internet.

© Microsoft

Programs in the new Windows start in full-screen mode by default, but students may utilize them side by side – in a single window. Google Chrome and Zoom are among the supported programs (both may be downloaded), but the business has not revealed the whole list.

According to Microsoft, Windows 11 SE will be accessible on less expensive computers. Acer, Asus, Dell, Dynabook, Fujitsu, HP, JK-IP, Lenovo, and Positivo will produce such devices. However, the purchase price has yet to be determined.

In addition, Microsoft will release a gadget with this interface, which will cost $249. The Surface Laptop SE’s base model has an Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of eMMC storage, and an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) touchscreen.

Microsoft’s latest announcement may also be construed as a declaration of war. The company has been attempting for a long time to get into the market for less expensive notebooks, where Chromebooks and Chrome OS on such devices have previously dominated, but it has been unsuccessful.

November 10, 2021
Nvidia has built a new brain for robots

Three years after the previous robot hub, Nvidia has announced another one that can perform 200 trillion operations per second.

In 2018, Nvidia unveiled Jetson AGX Xavier’s development, a computing unit with artificial intelligence for robots. The company has now come up with a newer version of this, Jetson AGX Orin, which the company says has six times more computing capacity than Xavier.

Nintia has announced that Orient has designed it to be an energy-efficient supercomputer based on artificial intelligence. In addition to robotics, the palm-sized device is intended for automotive devices and medical devices, as well as for solutions based on artificial intelligence that still seem impossible to implement today.

© Nvidia

According to Nvidia, Orin can perform 200 trillion operations per second. The platform is based on the manufacturer’s architecture for Ampere’s graphics processors. The Arm Cortex-A78AE processors provide the soul. The memory can run at 204 GB / s, and the entire system is complemented by 32 GB of DRAM.

In terms of software, Nvidia has provided Orin with algorithms that make machine vision and machine learning faster and better than ever before. The company will also provide access to applications such as Isaac Sim by purchasing the structure. This allows developers to realistically map the real-world physical environment to test the robot they are making.

The company has not revealed how much Orin will cost yet, but we can expect its pricing to be roughly the same as we could see with Xavier. It costs $1,100, or about $342,000. The unit may be launched in the first quarter of 2022

November 10, 2021
This laptop stays on for 24 hours on a single charge

Dell has introduced its latest Latitude machines. The models in the Rugged portfolio are designed for particularly extreme conditions: the company promises to withstand extreme temperatures, constant vibrations, dust, and high humidity.

The new Dell Latitude 5430 Rugged and Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme are laptops that stand their ground on oil rigs or battlefields, Dell said in a press release. Presumably not because the company wants to sell the machines exclusively to this narrow audience, but only to show how durable the new models are.

Laptops that can be requested with 11th generation Intel Core processors – even with the vPro version – can order wifi six and 5G mobile internet connection, so they are also capable in the field. According to the manufacturer, their great advantage is that they can be read in direct sunlight, with a touch screen with a brightness of up to 1400 nites, which can even be operated in gloves.

Dell said the new models would run for 24 hours on a single charge. This was measured using MobileMark 14 performance tests by company experts, who, of course, note the actual battery life from this screen brightness, the number of applications running concurrently, and extreme environmental conditions. Fast charging will be attractive when the battery is low, with the Express Charge Boost function achieving up to 35 percent charge in 20 minutes.

Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme

© Dell

Security in the new Dell Latitude 5430 Rugged and Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme laptops is ensured by TPM 2.0 ControlVault technology authentication. Integrated cryptographic keys and an optional touch and non-touch SmartCard reader and fingerprint reader provide additional protection.

The manufacturer notes in a statement that the two new laptops will be Dell’s first two devices pre-installed with Windows 11. To enhance system performance, the new Rugged laptops also come with Dell Optimizer, software based on artificial intelligence and machine learning that optimizes performance for use.

The Dell Latitude 5430 Rugged laptop screen is 14 inches and weighs 1.97 kg. During the crash test, it was not damaged when dropped from a height of almost one meter, and the level of protection against intrusion is IP53, which means it is highly dust and water-resistant, the company said.

The 13-inch Dell Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme was dropped from 1.8 meters without damage during the crash test and is rated IP659, making it particularly dust and water-resistant.

Dell’s new laptops will be available worldwide from December 9, 2021. There is no news about the goods yet.

October 27, 2021
How much RAM does a computer require to work smoothly?

Gaming is one of the most memory-intensive computer hobbies because as games get more lifelike, they demand more and more memory to run. Kingston specialists have figured out how much kraft is required for each popular game.

What is a RAM?

RAM (Random Access Memory) is a type of computer memory that stores data that the computer needs to access temporarily. A computer’s HDD or SSD, on the other hand, is a long-term memory that saves data for a long time.

According to Kingston in a statement, all critical data that the PC may need to access throughout the game is loaded into RAM when we start a game. Continuous data retrieval from a hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD) is inefficient and time-consuming. Because RAM is significantly faster than these, it can load and read games in less time.

It’s also vital to remember that memory isn’t the only aspect of enhancing the overall game experience. The operating system, SSD, CPU, and graphics card influence performance.

Because each program format has various memory needs, the actual amount of memory required for games is primarily dependent on the type of program. It’s ideal to think about how many other applications are operating in the background simultaneously. The Can You Run It website can assist you in determining the optimal memory size, and you should also review the game’s system requirements.

A few years ago, 4GB of RAM was plenty for an ideal gaming experience. Still, games have changed significantly since then, getting more complicated, and this amount of memory is now limited. To Kingston’s advice, we’ll add: 4GB of RAM is insufficient for Windows, even for basic web browsing. Whether you’re playing or not, you should have at least 8GB of RAM. Games like League of Legends (LoL), Minecraft, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive System, DOTA 2, and GTA 5 can be played with 4GB of RAM, but only in a limited capacity.

8GB of RAM

We can now run the most regularly used games almost without difficulties with 8GB of RAM, although some of them will not display in the finest quality, and we may need to shut down other applications. With 8GB of RAM, you can play Cyberpunk 2077, Fortnite, Apex Legends, Rainbow 6 Seige (R6), and World of Warcraft Shadowlands, among other games.

16 GB of memory is suggested for most games, which provides a significant performance boost over 8 GB. We can run other applications in the background without any concerns with this much memory. 16 GB of RAM is suggested for games like Call of Duty Warzone and Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG).

The 32GB capacity may appear to be excessive. Even so, it’s becoming a more popular choice among gamers, as the frame rate will already be much higher at this level of performance than at 16GB.

The graphics game presentation is better with so much RAM, and more things can run in the background, such as live streaming, browser, system software, or music streaming applications.

However, the game will almost certainly never require 32GB, so if you want to save money or utilize the computer for gaming, keep it above 16GB, according to Kingston, who also claims that 32GB will make the PC future-proof.

October 16, 2021
Intel’s new Loihi-2 chip uses 1 million neurons

The Loihi 2 is smaller, more efficient, and faster than its predecessor, thanks to brain-enhancing Intel chip enhancements. The first version of the chip, designed for so-called neuromorphic computing, was introduced in 2017. The second version, now released, shows improvements in all areas as Intel has significantly improved its architecture and manufacturing.

While the Loihi was manufactured using the 14nm process, the Loihi 2 is based on a pre-release version of the upcoming Intel 4 (formerly known as the 7+nm EUV) technology. The chip’s surface area is 31 nm instead of 60 nm, which means that the structure has been reduced by half, but it still has one million neurons compared to 128 thousand.

The internal structure contains 128 neuronal nuclei in a two-dimensional 8×16 mesh, eight times the number of neurons. An additional 128 Kbyte of local SRAM is available for each core, but this can now be flexibly partitioned. The new compression also has excellent benefits, for example, in the state of neurons or axon routing.

Off-chip communication is also essential as Intel uses the Loihi 2 on multiple systems. Therefore, instead of 2D, a 3D array is used, which together with the compression of the message is said to increase the speed tenfold. For the time being, Intel is offering the Loihi 2 as a chip development board (Oheo Gulch), followed later by a version with eight neuromorphic computing processors (Kapoho Point).

Because the hardware alone is of little use, Intel has also upgraded the software in parallel with the Loihi 2. The Lava framework was created from the previous Nx-SDK (Software Development Kit) and will be available as an open-source license in the future (BSD-3 / LGPL-2.1 license) on Github, for example.

Among other things, Lava integrates a Python interface and can be used on CPU / GPU platforms, which significantly simplifies development. Frameworks like Nengo, Pytorch, Robot Operating System (ROS), Tensorflow, or Yarp are also easy to integrate.

October 13, 2021
This Asus computer is the size of a card

It’s the same size as the Raspberry Pi. ASUS’ long-awaited card computer, the turbocharged successor to the Tinker Board, has been revealed. It’s powerful, easy to configure, and even upgradeable.

The Raspberry Pi single-card PC has posed a significant challenge: ASUS has launched the Tinker Board 2S, a successor to the previous edition. The small token is legal tender: the card measures 85mm by 56mm and weighs 340 grams.

However, it came with a lot of information: a Rockchip RK3399 chipset with two ARM Cortex-A72 cores, four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, and an 800 MHz ARM Mali-T860 MP4 GPU.

The motherboard has 2 GB or 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 16 GB of internal storage (eMMC flash memory) that may be upgraded with a microSD card. The number of connectors is impressive: four USB ports, a full-size HDMI port, an RJ45 Gigabit LAN port, and an M.2-2230 slot for a Bluetooth / wifi card.

© ASUS

Wifi 802.11 ac and Bluetooth 5.0 are also included on the motherboard. There are also 22-pin MIPI DSI, 15-pin MIPI CSI-2, DC fan, and RTC battery connections available in addition to the 40-pin GPIO.

For data management and analysis and FOTA (firmware over-the-air) upgrades, ASUS has provided an essential setup tool and an IoT Cloud Console.

The 2GB version will set you back $120, while the 4GB version will set you back $135. Here is the documentation for a single-card computer.

September 28, 2021