AMD entry-level 16-core Threadripper could cost US $849

A lot of bang for the buck

According to a fresh report, AMD's entry-level 16-core Threadripper CPU could cost as low as US $849.

According to the report coming from eTeknix.com , the entry-level 16-core/32-threads Threadripper SKU, also known as the Threadripper 1998, which works at 3.2GHz base and 3.6GHz Turbo clock, lacks eXtended Frequency Range (XFR) feature and has a 155W TDP, could launch with a US $849 price.

If this rumor turns out to be true, AMD will significantly hurt Intel as this Threadripper will end up cheaper than Intel's 10-core 7900X, which has a US $999 price tag (tray 1KU).

Although it could end up being slower than Intel's 10-core chip in some scenarios, like gaming, the sheer number of cores and threads it offers would make it a great CPU for some CPU intensive tasks.

Hopefully, AMD will manage to bring more competition to the CPU market as it would both drive the prices down as well as most likely bring better CPUs in the future.

source: ChinaReview.mobi

ZTE Nubia Z17 sold out in under a minute

All three versions

According to a report, the first batch of 10,000 ZTE Nubia Z17 units sold out in just 51 seconds at a Chinese online store.

According to the report coming from Playfuldroid.com , Chinese online retailer, JD.com managed to sell a 10,000 batch of ZTE Nubia Z17 smartphones in just 51 seconds.

The deal included the Nubia Z17 version with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, priced at CNY2,799 (around US $410) and the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage version, priced at CNY3,399 (around US $500), both in Black Gold version. There were apparently a couple of 8GB+128GB versions on sale as well with a price set at CNY3,999 (around US $590).

In case you missed it, ZTE Nubia Z17 is based on Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 835 SoC and comes in various RAM and storage options, including 6GB+64GB, 6GB+128GB and 8GB+128GB. It features a rear dual-camera with 23+12-megapixel sensors as well as a 16-megapixel front camera with a wide-angle lens.

The rest of the specifications include Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS with Nubia UI 5.0 on top of it, usual connectivity options, IP67 certification, Dolby Atmos speaker, and a 3,200mAh battery. The Nubia Z17 is actually one of the first smartphones to support Qualcomm's Quick Charge 4+.

According to the same report, the fresh batch and the next sale of the Nubia Z17 is scheduled for June 12th.

source: ChinaReview.mobi

Korea replaces Taiwan as leading chip nation

Second only to Scotland where chips are very important

Taiwan is now longer the world's top manufacturer of computer chips and lost its crown to South Korea.

Beancounters at SEMI have added up some numbers and divided by their shoe size and decided that Taiwan has to hand over the crown to South Korea, at least in the first quarter.

Equipment billings in Korea came to $3.53 billion in the first quarter of 2017, up 110 per cent from a year earlier, while equipment billings in Taiwan increased 84 per cent on year to $3.48 billion.

China saw the largest sequential growth among all regions in the first quarter of 2017 with equipment billings surging 74 per cent on quarter to $2.01 billion, SEMI said. China was the third largest semiconductor equipment market during the quarter.

Equipment billings in North America grew three per cent while Japan grew 19 oer cent Europe slipped 1 per cent to a fairly miserable $920 million, according to SEMI.

Worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings reached a record $13.1 billion in the first quarter of 2017, according to SEMI. The billings figure was 14 per cent higher than the prior quarter, and 58 per cent than last year.

source: ChinaReview.mobi

HTC hopes to wow Apple fanboys with VR

Well they do have more money than sense

HTC has said its virtual reality (VR) headset will be compatible with Apple High Sierra operating system (OS), which is scheduled for release later this year.

The Vive headset works in conjunction with Valve's SteamVR virtual reality system, and Apple is working with Valve to make SteamVR compatible with its new OS.

The big idea is that a partnership with Apple would expand HTC's VR reach, having so far focused on personal computers such as ones powered by Microsoft's Windows 10. Apple users have the advantage of having more money than sense and are likely to splash out on a VR if it receives Apple's blessing.

David Dai, a senior analyst of Asian Emerging Technologies at researcher Sanford C. Bernstein said that the deal is also good for the fruity cargo cult.

"With this, Apple brings support for HTC Vive and SteamVR to the 100 million active Mac users. "That's certainly good for the company."

Of course all that means that Apple has to give up its desire to have everything in house and admit that it needs other companies to get it into the market.

Apple used the Vive headset in a demonstration at the Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, the first day of a five-day event, a HTC spokesperson said.

source: ChinaReview.mobi

IBM, GlobalFoundries and Samsung come up with 5nm process

Will cost about the same as 10nm

IBM, GlobalFoundries (GloFo), and Samsung said yesterday that they have found a way to make 5nm  transistors, which may well enable them to pack 30 billion switches onto a microprocessor chip.

The tech industry has been fuelled for decades by the ability of chipmakers to shoehorn ever smaller, faster transistors into the chips that power laptops, servers, and mobile devices. But industry watchers have worried lately that technology was pushing the limits of Moore's Law -- a prediction made by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore in 1965 that computing power would double every two years as chips got more densely packed.

The next generation will shrink that dimension to 7nm, and now the IBM-Samsung development goes one generation beyond that to 5nm.

Huiming Bu, IBM's director of silicon integration and device research, said that all this means transistors can be packed four times as densely on a chip compared with today's technology.

"A nanosheet-based 5nm chip will deliver performance and power, together with density," he said.

There is a slight problem with all this though because currently most chipmakers don't agree on what exactly they're measuring about transistors. And there's also a long road between this research announcement and actual commercial manufacturing.

IBM believes this new process won't cost any more than chips with today's transistor designs, but its approach requires the use of extreme ultraviolet light to etch chip features onto silicon wafers. ALthough this has been put off for years, many are starting to install the gear for 7nm processes.

source: ChinaReview.mobi

EU moans that Qualcomm is playing hardball

No concessions over NXP deal

US smartphone chipmaker Qualcomm has not offered any concessions so far in its $38-billion bid for NXP Semiconductors, the EU competition authority has said.

The watchdog growled the lack of concessions from Qualcomm means that there will be a lengthy investigation into the deal. Forms may have to be filled in, some of which will involve attachments.

Qualcomm, which supplies chips to Android smartphone makers and Apple had until 1 June to propose concessions to allay possible competition concerns over the biggest-ever deal in the semiconductor industry.

The EU competition authority's preliminary review of the deal ends on 9 June . It can either clear the deal unconditionally or open an investigation lasting up to four months.

During an investigation, Qualcomm could seek to convince regulators that the deal was not anti-competitive. Failing that, it might have to offer concessions.

Rivals had urged the European Commission to ensure they would still be able to use NXP technology known as Mifare once the deal is done, people familiar with the matter said..

The technology is embedded in access cards for buildings and public transport, as well as mobile phones which double as electronic wallets. Competitors also want Qualcomm to agree to fair licensing practices, the people said.

source: ChinaReview.mobi

Qualcomm introduces Quick Charge 4+ technology

Faster, cooler and more efficient

Qualcomm has announced the new version of its Quick Charge 4 technology, the Quick Charge 4+, promising faster, cooler and more efficient charging with full support on the same chipset.

The Qualcomm Quick Charge 4 technology was introduced with the new flagship Snapdragon 835 SoC but the new updated Quick Charge 4+ version brings impressive improvements .

According to Qualcomm, Quick Charge 4+ brings three enhancements, Dual Charge, Intelligent Thermal Balancing and Advanced Safety Features. Of course, it also includes all the benefits of the original Quick Charge 4.

The Dual Charge was already present in earlier Quick Charge versions but now it has become more powerful. It includes a second power management IC in the device and divides the charge current allowing for both lower thermal dissipation and reduced charge time.

The Intelligent Thermal Balancing further enhances the Dual Charge feature and is engineered to move current via the coolest path autonomously. The Advanced Safety Features include built-in safety protocols which monitor both the case and connector temperature levels simultaneously and should protect against overheating and short-circuit or damage to the Type-C connector.

Based on Qualcomm's internal tests done on 2750mAh battery, the Quick Charge 4+ is up to 3 degrees Celsius cooler, up to 15 percent faster and up to 30 percent more efficient. To make it even better, the Quick Charge 4+ supports the same Snapdragon 835 chipset.

All is not that great as this is not a software update but rather a hardware update, which means that manufacturers will have to make certain changes in order to get the QC 4+ logo on their device.

Currently, the only device that supports the Quick Charge 4+ is the recently announced ZTE Nubia Z17 5.5-inch smartphone, which is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC with 8GB of RAM, has a 3200mAh battery and QC 4+ logo.

We are quite sure that these further enhancements will push smartphone makers to make those changes and include Quick Charge 4+ on their smartphones.

source: ChinaReview.mobi