Welcome to this week's DC tech news! We’ll run down some of the most exciting news that dropped this week.
Hardware
Confirmation: Nvidia confirmed release date for Geforce RTX 4060
image credit: Twitter (@NVIDIAGeForce)
It’s official: in a tweet from Nividia, they have confirmed that their GeForce RTX 4060 will now be available to order from June 29th, bringing the release forward from the originally planned release month of July.
This confirms the rumours by reputable leaker MEGAsizeGPU of the new release date.
According to Nvidia’s official website, the GeForce RTX 4060's 3072 CUDA core count is a little lower than the 4352 of the 4060 Ti, but it also has a more TDP (thermal design power) 115W compared to the 160W of the RTX 4060 Ti, meaning its power efficiency and performance per watt will likely be impressive. The early release may be to mitigate the somewhat lukewarm reception of the RTX 4060 Ti, as many gamers have opted to skip it because of its price tag, and it shows in the reported weak sales.
The RTX 4060 will have competition in the likes of AMD’s Radeon RX 7600, and even its own last generation cards as they get cheaper towards their end-of-life.
Intel switches packaging to slimmer alternative
Image credit: Intel
More and more, companies are opting to change their usual packaging to something a little more ergonomic. For their Core i9-13900K and Core i9-13900KS, some of the best CPUs currently available on the market. Intel has notified their customers of their new retail packaging. This packaging change is mainly due to decrease the volumetric storage of the processors, and ultimately will lower Intel’s international shipping costs.
Intel has downgraded the Core-i9-13900K and Core i9-13900KS packaging from a “Tier 2” box to a “Tier 4”, meaning it will replace the current packaging with a standard folding carton.
All these changes are superficial; the technology hasn’t been affected by the recent changes to the packaging. However, historically Intel have often simplified their packaging in the wake of the release of a new upgrade. This could mean that the rumours regarding the Raptor Lake Refresh could indeed be true. So we’ve got our ears to the ground just in case Intel decides to surprise us.
Gigabyte releases RTX 4090 with new smart power connector placement
Image credit: Gigabyte
Gigabyte has shadow dropped a revised version of its RTX 4090 Windforce graphics card, but it hasn’t changed its innards: it’s repositioned the 12VHPWR power connector common to Nvidia’s high end RTX 40 cards.
So why the change? It was first spotted by Twitter user Haruka5719, and it makes so much sense: it’s certainly more aesthetically pleasing, as the cables can be discreetly routed out behind the motherboard tray, which leaves a much cleaner looking build.
Additionally, this minor change can also minimise bending of cables and connectors, especially if the previously outward facing connector is pressed up against a case side panel or window. This is a great for people worried about their expensive GPUS accidentally catching fire or melting into a plastic and metal mess. It’s important to note that a portion of the heatsink was removed to accommodate the new positioning of the connector, which will result in slightly high temperatures but fortunately, the 4090 is very efficient with its temperature management.
Would you be interested in this new change? Do you reckon it could make your build even prettier?
GPU sales hit a new low
Image credit: Unsplash
It seems the pandemic is still affecting us in ways we might not have anticipated.
The scalping and scarcity of graphics cards during lockdown is a distant memory. GPUS have seen a dip of almost 13% since the last quarter, and fallen by 40% compared to the same time last year. Analyst for JPR C. Robert Dow says of the situation:
“Oversupply in the market for graphics cards caused by pandemic-era supply chain inconsistencies and orders… The second half of 2023 promises to be brighter. AMD reported that channel sales grew sequentially for the Radeon 6000 and Radeon 7000 series GPUs. Intel, once again, committed to their next-generation Battlemage family of GPUs, bringing more competition into the gaming add-in board market, and Nvidia released its first 60-series add-in board in the Ada Lovelace family. The 60-series line of AIBs are traditionally Nvidia’s most popular with gamers."
This could indicate that consumers are opting to hold onto their technology longer or buying second hard, mentioned in the JPR’s report that GPUs inside PCs has actually increased by 8% compared to last quarter.
Perhaps your technology could use a spruce up? We can help with our DC Renew service.
Software and gaming news
US Federal Trade Commission files temporary restraining order against Microsoft Activision Acquisition
Image credit: Unsplash
In new developments concerning the Microsoft acquisition of Activision, the US Federal Trade Commission has been granted a temporary restraining order against it, meaning the deal is officially on hold until the courts can rule on the latter’s request for a preliminary injunction against the closure of the deal.
This temporary restraining order was filed by the FTC on June the 12th, perhaps to detain Microsoft closing the deal despite the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocking it earlier this year. The deal has since been approved throughout the European Union and China as Microsoft have appealed the UK ruling. Microsoft’s apparent attempt to close the deal:
“despite pending administrative litigation and the CMA order.” And the FTC are concerned that Microsoft may “consummate the proposed acquisition at any time.”
Source: FTC official documentation
The case continues to develop.
Summer Game Fest is over: what were your highlights?
What a week it's been for gaming! Among some amazing announcements right from day one such as Mortal Kombat 1 and Nicolas Cage in Dead by Daylight (we were shocked too!), we've had our eyes glued to our screens with every single exciting update. Some of our highlights include:
- Sonic Superstars
- Sandland from the mind of legendary Dragonball creator Akira Toriyama
- Alan Wake 2
- Palworld
- Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man who Erased his Name
- Call of Duty Season 4
- Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake
- Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
Not to mention:
Starfield direct blows expectations out of the water
Image credit: Starfield official images
In a blow-out 45 minute presentation, Bethesda showed us brand new footage of the highly anticipated Starfield, including combat, a brand new city and even ship building to an impressive level of creative freedom. We saw a tease at this kind of creativity in Nintendo’s Tears of the Kingdom released last month, among the many… interesting shaped contraptions people were making (no we won’t be linking them here). Are we expecting Skyrim in space? Partially. But a Skyrim for this new generation of gaming, with seemingly updated combat as you blast space bugs instead of dragons. We’re excited to see that the freedom of Skyrim seems to have transported over to Starfield, and it looks fantastic. You can watch the presentation in full here:
And that about covers this week's tech news! What are you most looking forward to? If you want any advice about upcoming releases and wanting to add them to a build you're thinking of or need to add an upgrade to your existing hardware, don't forget to get in touch or browse our custom gaming PC range!