Of all the metrics we commonly discuss at ExtremeTech, we’d argue TDP (Thermal Design Power) is easily the worst. If clock speed, core counts, IPC, and memory bandwidth are imperfect methods of comparing the capabilities of two processors, TDP — at least as it’s communicated on current Intel desktop processors — has moved past imperfection and is now downright bad. Anandtech a deep dive into the power consumption and behavior of two different Intel Comet Lake processors. The Core i7-10700K (8C/16T, 3.8GHz base, 5.1GHz peak, 4.7GHz all-core, 125W TDP) was compared against the Core i7-10700 (8C/16T, 2.9GHz base, 4.8GHz peak, 4.6GHz all-core, 65W TDP).
Today you can save $3890 on a gaming desktop from Dell that comes equipped with an Intel Core i5 processor and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super graphics card. This makes the system well suited for gaming at 1080p resolutions. Intel Core i5-10400 Gaming Desktop w/ Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super GPU, 8GB DDR4 RAM and 256GB NVMe SSD for $599.99 from Dell with promo code DTXPSAFF125 (List price $989.98) for $199.98 from Amazon (List price $249.00) 1080p Streaming Media Player for $21.99 from Amazon (List price $29.99) External HDD for $189.99 from Amazon (List price $254.99) QHD 49-Inch Monitor for $1,160.99 from Dell with promo code STAND4SMALL (List price $1,619.99) Intel Core i7-10510U 13.3-Inch Laptop w/ 8GB LPDDR3 RAM and 256GB M.2 NVMe SSD for $1,049.99 from Dell with promo code 50OFF699 (List price $1,508.99)
TSMC recently announced it would spend an extra $10 billion on capital expenditures in 2021, and it sounds as if Samsung may approximately match the increase. There are new reports that the Korean giant could build a new $10B foundry in Texas to handle advanced logic manufacturing at the 3nm node and below. Samsung and TSMC get compared a lot — they’re the only two foundries currently operating on the leading edge — but the markets they serve are rather different. Samsung’s foundry business handles manufacturing its own Exynos smartphone chips, alongside any other custom SoC work the company has shipped for other markets.
There’s a rumor going around that Intel and Nvidia have conspired to block AMD’s Ryzen Mobile 4000 series from high-end gaming laptops. This information has supposedly been provided by an unnamed OEM, and claims that a secret agreement between Intel and Nvidia specifies that top-end RTX GPUs can only be paired with Intel 10th Generation CPUs. Intel and Nvidia have both denied the allegations. The conspiracy theory that Intel and Nvidia formed an alliance to keep AMD out of the mobile gaming market by denying it access to top-end GPUs. This, in turn, would keep AMD out of the highest-priced and most lucrative mobile market.
Intel reported record-breaking 2020 revenue after the close of business on January 21. The pandemic has been nothing short of disastrous for the global economy, but if you laser-focus in on the semiconductor industry, it’s been a massive growth event. Intel reported $77.9 billion in revenue for 2020, up 8 percent from 2019. The Q4 figures are nuanced, and not quite so positive. Intel logged a substantial increase in client computing sales (desktops, notebooks), alongside declining sales in data center, IoT, MSG, and PSG. Intel no longer considers personal computing to be a defining pillar of its business, but personal computing remains the largest percentage of its business by far.
Want to learn a programming language in 2021? As we continue to stay safer at home as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, it’s the perfect time to start learning the top programming and coding languages. If you’re brand new to computer programming, you might not know where to begin — but have no fear! Use this guide to find out what makes each programming language unique and the best place to start to master each one. Google Go Thinking about learning Google Go? This programming language is also known as Golang, and was made for programmers working on large projects.
Today you can take advantage of ongoing sales from Dell to snag a large format 49-inch QHD monitor with a $459 discount that drops the price to just $1,160. You can also pick up a high-end Dell XPS laptop with an Intel Core i7 processor and a 4K display that’s also been discounted by the same amount. Featuring a large format 49-inch display panel that has a resolution of 5,120×1,440, this monitor is excellent for multitasking on work projects. The monitor is curved and can easily accommodate multiple windows on screen at the same time.
NASA attempted an important ground test of the Space Launch System (SLS) last weekend, aiming to fire the vessel’s main engines for eight minutes to simulate a real launch. Unfortunately, the test . NASA has now analyzed the test and says there’s no physical problem with the rocket. It may even re-run the test, which is one of the final pieces of the puzzle before NASA begins assembling the first flight-ready SLS stack. The SLS has been in development for more than a decade with a total bill of more than $17 billion so far. NASA will eventually use the SLS to return to the moon for the Artemis program, as well as to launch large payloads into the outer solar system.
Intel’s new CEO is already putting his own stamp on the company, even if he doesn’t formally take power until February 15. News broke today that Intel will rehire former Intel Senior Fellow Glenn Hinton to work on an “exciting high-performance CPU project.” Hinton spent 35 years with Intel and led development on the Pentium Pro (P6) microarchitecture, the Pentium 4 microarchitecture, and Nehalem. He also worked on Intel’s i960 project. Nehalem is what he’s best known for. A quick bit of history: Nehalem was Intel’s follow-up to the Core 2 Duo family. It debuted in late 2008 (I reviewed it, ) and not long before the launch of AMD’s 45nm Phenom II.
