Month: August 2022

AMD’s upcoming Ryzen 7000 Desktop CPUs based on the Zen 4 core architecture have started appearing on online retailers. All four CPUs were listed at Canadian retailer, PC-Canada, with a preliminary price list.

AMD Ryzen 7000 “Zen 4” CPUs Show Up In Preliminary Price Listing – Flagship Ryzen 9 7950X Listed For $892 US

The prices were spotted by Momomo_US and list the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, Ryzen 9 7900X, Ryzen 7 7700X, and the Ryzen 5 7600X in both Tray and No-Cooler SKUs. Following are the chips along with their preliminary prices by the retailer:

These prices are definitely on the high side which is to be expected since we are looking at early listings but previous rumors have mentioned that while the 8 and 6-core models might end up cheaper than their predecessors, the high-core count variants within the Ryzen 9 lineup may cost higher.

AMD Ryzen 7000 “Zen 4” Desktop CPU Lineup Preliminary Listing By PC-Canada:

Comparing the prices to the existing processors from the same retailer, we can note that the Ryzen 9 7950X is priced $158 CAD higher than the Ryzen 9 5950X. The Ryzen 9 7900X is priced $13 CAD lower than the Ryzen 9 5900X, the Ryzen 7 7700X is priced $216 CAD higher than the Ryzen 7 5700X while the Ryzen 5 7600X is priced at $15 CAD lower than the Ryzen 5 5600X. With that said, we should definitely wait for the final prices which only AMD knows right now but we can expect them to be finalized for full disclosure on the 29th of August.

So before getting into the core specifications, we have to point out that the AMD Zen 4 architecture brings with it an 8-10% IPC uplift but the majority of the performance benefit comes from the higher clock speeds and a higher TDP that is supplemented to each chip versus the previous generation. AMD has highlighted a >15% Single-Threaded, >35% Multi-Threaded and >25% Perf/Watt increases when comparing Zen 4 to Zen 3 cores.

The CPUs will come with an optimized cache restructuring, featuring double the L2 cache (1 MB vs 512 KB), a shared L3 cache like the previous generation, support for DDR5 memory with EXPO (AMD’s Extended Profiles For Memory Overclocking), PCIe Gen 5.0 graphics card, and M.2 SSD support. So with all of that said, let’s get on with the specifications.

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 16 Core “Zen 4” Desktop CPU

Starting with the flagship of them all, we have the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X which retains its healthy 16 core and 32 thread count from the previous two generations. The CPU will feature an impressive base frequency of 4.5 GHz and a boost clock of up to 5.7 GHz which should make it 200 MHz faster than Intel’s Alder Lake Core i9-12900KS which has a boost frequency of 5.5 GHz on a single-core. It looks like AMD is extracting every ounce of Hertz that it could within that 170W TDP (230W PPT) for the Ryzen 9 chips. As for the cache, the CPU comes with 80 MB of that which includes 64 MB from L3 (32 MB per CCD) and 16 MB from L2 (1 MB per core).

We don’t know the pricing or performance of the Ryzen 9 7950X yet but based on the clocks alone, it should be a worthy successor to the Ryzen 9 5950X and will easily be able to topple Intel’s current Core i9-12900K CPU.

AMD Ryzen 9 7900X 12 Core “Zen 4” Desktop CPU

Next up, we have another AMD Ryzen 9 chip, the 7900X, which as the name suggests, would come equipped with 12 cores and 24 threads. The CPU comes with an even higher base clock of 4.7 GHz and a boost clock adjusted at 5.6 GHz across a single core. The CPU retains its 170W TDP and gets 76 MB of cache (64 MB L3 + 12 MB L2). The CPU will be positioned in the same ballpark as the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X but with performance that would shake the ground from below the Core i7-12700K.

AMD Ryzen 7 7700X 8 Core “Zen 4” Desktop CPU

Moving over to the Ryzen 7 family, here we have the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X, an 8-core and 16-thread part. AMD positions this as the sweet spot for gamers and as such, the CPU will feature base clock of 4.5 GHz and a boost clock of 5.4 GHz but at a lower 105W TDP (142W PPT). The CPU will get a 40 MB cache pool which consists of 32 MB L3 from the singular CCD &8 MB L2 from the Zen 4 cores.

Now one interesting thing to mention is that there is so far no update by AMD on a Ryzen 7 7800X chip. It is likely that AMD wants to replace that part with a successor to the Ryzen 7 5800X3D with Zen 4 cores (3D V-Cache). If that was the case, we can expect an update later this year to the CPU lineup since the V-Cache parts have been confirmed for a late Q4 2022 launch by AMD themselves. Also, based on the segmentation alone, it looks like the Ryzen 7 7700X will be priced really well in the mainstream segment.

AMD Ryzen 5 7600X 6 Core “Zen 4” Desktop CPU

Last up, we have the most budget-tier chip (if you can call it that but the pricing won’t be reflective of that), the Ryzen 5 7600X. This will be a 6-core and a 12-thread part that features a high 4.7 GHz base clock and a 5.3 GHz single-core boost frequency. The CPU will also run at a 105W TDP (142W PPT) which is much higher than its 65W predecessor though once again, that’s the sacrifice you’ve to pay to achieve the faster clock speeds. The CPU will carry 38 MB of cache that comes from 32 MB of L3 and 6 MB of L2 on the die.

AMD Ryzen 7000 ‘Raphael’ Desktop CPU Specs:

The AMD Ryzen 7000 “Zen 4” Desktop CPUs are expected to launch on the 15th of September with a pre-launch announcement planned for the 29th of August where the final prices and specs are going to be disclosed. We already leaked the specs a few days ago so it looks like the main focus should be the performance figures and the value (prices) these chips have to offer.

$1.6M worth of in-game CS:GO cosmetics have been stolen by hackers from popular skin trading site CSMoney.

Counter-Strike is well-known for not only for being a competitive FPS, but also for its cosmetic marketplace, where players can buy, sell and trade skins that are sometimes worth more than a house.

Some skins have been valued at outrageous amounts. One of the most sought out being the Dragon Lore AWP, which typically sells for anywhere between $10k-20k.

Another example is the pattern 387 factory new Case Hardened Karambit knife. Although it hasn’t been sold, experts value the knife at over $1.5 million, and the owner turned down an offer of €1.2m.

The owner of this Case Hardened Karambit knife turned down an offer of €1.2m.

Sadly, the trading community has now taken a big hit. According to skin enthusiast Arrow in a tweet on August 13, over $1.6M worth of skins were stolen from CSmoney – the game’s most popular skin trading website.

Thousands of high-tier skins and knives were stolen, with some being sent to popular Counter-Strike content creators Steam inventories according to Arrow.

“Well over $1,600,000 was just STOLEN from CSmoney,” he wrote on Twitter. “We have found 30+ accounts that are linked to the hackers (there are more we haven’t found) – I suspect that the hackers sent skins to high tier traders as a distraction.”

“This is the largest website hack we’ve ever seen,” Arrow added.

following the attack, CSmoney revealed the site will temporarily go down while they look to fix the issue and return to normal functionality.

Currently, the website is still down, and its unclear if Valve will assist in returning the skins to the site, or if the accounts will be banned.

Given that Valve’s relationship with third-party sites isn’t the greatest, it’s anyone’s guess what’ll happen going forward. But, hopefully we’ll see the skins returned to their owners.

Foldables, smartwatches, and a premium set of earbuds — there’s a little something for everyone

Image source: Samsung

After months of anticipation, Samsung finally held Galaxy Unpacked this week. Although the event itself didn’t hold too many shocking moments — no rollables or other hardware surprises — that’s not to say it was a complete disappointment. Between revised foldables, a new generation of smartwatches, and a successor to two pairs of Samsung’s best earbuds to date, it’s a promising lineup, no matter how iterative it might seem.

Although we’re just four generations into the Z-series of foldables, they’re really starting to feel like any other smartphone. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 build on the successes of last year’s hardware, offering small changes to improve the overall experience of both. The Z Fold 4, in particular, feels like a half-step in a generation. The displays are a little wider, the crease is a little more invisible, and the hardware is faster, but overall, early impressions suggest it’s not too different from the 2021 model.

There is one space where both phones might make huge leaps: battery life. The Z Flip 3 really struggled to get through a day last year, but with a more power-friendly chip — not to mention a larger battery — this new model could match Samsung’s smaller S-series phones, setting up plenty of consumers to finally make the jump to foldables. A whole bunch of fun colors and customizable options won’t hurt, either.

To me, the watches are more exciting. The Galaxy Watch 5 comes in two sizes, each with a larger battery — a recurring theme this year — and a refined design. All Watch 5 models also feature sapphire screens, which should make them far more durable to drops, falls, and as AP’s Stephen Schenck pointed out in his hands-on, doorknobs. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is the one I’m excited about, though. It takes Garmin head-on with a ton of runner-friendly features, including the ability to chart a course for back home in the middle of a run. It’s big as hell, but that space allows Samsung to squeeze in a 590mAh battery. On paper, that screams multi-day battery life — though we’ll have to put it through its peace to be sure.

Finally, we have the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. As a successor to both of Samsung’s 2021 earbuds — the Galaxy Buds 2 and the Galaxy Buds Pro — it feels like these earbuds could be major winners for those not won over by recent efforts from Google and Sony. You’ll have to wait for our official review to learn just how good that hi-fi sound really is.

Pre-orders for all five products are now open, with trade-in values ​​offering potential buyers solid deals for their old hardware. All that’s left is for you to tell us what you bought. Did you opt for one of the new foldables, or are you finally returning to Wear OS after a years-long hiatus? Maybe you’ve had your eye out for some new earbuds, and you’re taking a chance on the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, or perhaps it was a combination of all three. Even if you passed on all of Samsung’s new gadgets, let us know in the poll below.