Optimization matters: Ryzen gets a performance boost in Ashes of the Singularity

Ashes of the Singularity was the first PC game to come out with full DirectX 12 support and now it has also become the first Ryzen optimized title out there. In an interesting turn of events, Oxide Games – the studio which created Ashes of the Singularity – has released a patch update to improve the game’s performance on AMD’s recently launched Ryzen processors. Independent reviewers with access to game’s latest beta version have already run benchmarks and results demonstrate a performance boost of around 20%. This not only improves the in-game standings of Ryzen 7 CPUs but more importantly, it gives us an idea of what could be done if game developers are willing to tap into Ryzen’s ample resources.

“PREPARE FOR BATTLE” bundle now includes GeForce GTX 1060: Free games for midrange Pascal

NVIDIA has some good for performance-mainstream gamers. According to its website, the company’s “Prepare for Battle” gaming bundle now includes the GeForce GTX 1060 graphics cards. What it means is that if you buy a GTX 1060, you also get to download a free copy of “For Honor” or “Ghost Recon: Wildlands” by using the promotional code. Prior to this, the “Prepare for Battle” bundle was exclusive to the GTX1080ti, GTX 1080 and GTX 1070 – the upper-tier Pascal based GPUs. So, it’s good to see the free goodness trickling down to the midrange of things. The offer is also available on laptops and pre-built systems equipped with aforementioned parts.

AMD’s rumored super-HEDT platform: 16-core/32-thread Ryzen CPU on its way?

It’s becoming increasingly difficult these days to keep AMD’s Ryzen out of the limelight. The latest rumor to hit the inter-web speaks of an upcoming and yet unnamed 16-core desktop processor from AMD with an accompanying new socket. According to these unconfirmed speculations (originally from Chinese tech-site Chiphell), the new processor would be pitted squarely against Intel’s HEDT champion i7-6950X – a 10-core/20-thread behemoth. If the rumors are to be believed, AMD’s answer to that is going to be an even larger chip, accommodating 16 physical cores with equal number of logical ones by virtue of SMT.

Corsair releases Vengeance RGB DDR4 Memory

Burning red or nobler blue, corsair makes it sure that Vengeance comes in many shades! Corsair, The renowned maker of PC components and memory products, has just launched Vengeance RGB DDR4 Memory  modules. Rated for high bandwidth performance and compatibility, these new memory modules also feature effortless and exciting RGB lighting for ultimate customization of your gaming rig. Vengeance RGB comes in 16GB, 32Gb and 64GB packages with each module having a capacity of 8GB. It's available in both dual-channel and quad-channel kits.

AMD Ryzen 5 CPUs: Here comes the mainstream - specs, features and performance expectation

With the Ryzen 7 series of desktop processors AMD has made its much awaited return to the high-performance computing market and what a come-back story it has been! After years of frustration and misfiring, the perennial underdog has finally delivered a truly competitive x86 core design that can, in most cases, give Intel a good run for its money. But the Ryzen saga is just beginning and after launching the initial salvo comprising the flagship trio of Ryzen 7 1800X, 1700X and 1700, AMD wants to shift its attention to the mainstream. The result is Ryzen 5 which forms the mid-range of AMD’s new processor line-up and brings the same Zen goodness to a more affordable package.

NVIDIA announces GTX 1080 Ti: A smaller Titan-X for $699

We were expecting it and now it’s official. Yesterday, at the GDC (Game Developers Conference) NVIDIA made the announcement regarding its upcoming high-end consumer graphics card – the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. Based on the company’s highly successful “Pascal” architecture and build on a cutting edge 16nm process, this new flagship should deliver almost 35% higher performance gain over the existing GTX 1080, according to the presentation slides. The card is expected to hit the stores worldwide during the first week of March, 2017 with a price tag of ~$700 and sits in-between the GTX 1080 and the prosumer GTX Titan-X.

Intel core i3-7350K performance analysis: unlocked, overclockable and overpriced?

One of the more interesting highlights of the Kaby Lake launch was the introduction of a multiplier unlocked core i3-7350K. Traditionally, the “K”-stamping which denotes the unlocked status of an Intel CPU is reserved for much costlier chips, namely the highest range i5s and i7s; dual-core i3 processors on the other hand represent excellent value thanks to their lower prices. So, when the news broke of an overclockable i3 - many enthusiasts, especially those on a budget, thought they’d found the dream chip. After all, not everybody can afford a 21K i5-7600K to entice their overclocking urge! We however wasn’t particularly captivated by its price tag and decided to hold our opinion for a later day. Meanwhile some of the leading hardware review-sites have recently published benchmark results of i3-7850K and that gives us ample reasons to go back and tackle the question of whether or not this is the right processor for you.

Intel HEDT beware: Ryzen Benchmark leaks suggest strong multithreaded performance and remarkable IPC gain

As we eagerly approach the launch of Ryzen processors, benchmark leaks continue to pour in like cats and dogs. Every tech forum member and their mod is out posting (or reading) leaked benchmarks; Chinese, Greek, Nordic – any website would do as long as the Google translator can spot the word “Ryzen”! Here, at the Technoprozium, we don’t usually take fondly to rumors and leaks as those often turn out to be false, exaggerated or even artificial. The fervor surrounding Ryzen however is quite real and compelled us to gather a few latest and interesting leaked benchmarks to share with you.

Ryzen countdown: list of new CPUs, specs, price and release date

AMD Ryzen processors are ready for shipment, image credit Videocardz, click to enlarge

The wait for AMD’s long waited Ryzen microprocessors is almost over. According to many sources worldwide, at least some of these next-gen high-end chips are going to be released within February 28^th – March 2^nd timeframe. With the NDA being lifted at the end of the current month, we can expect to see the reviews and benchmarks on the launch date too. The reports suggest that it’ll be the flagship 8-core/16-thread models coming out first, followed closely by the others members of what is supposed to be a family of no less than 17 brand new CPUs. Various tech publications seem to have already gotten their hands on review samples; which means Ryzen is being put through its paces as I write this!

Sapphire readies unlocked RX 460: Nitro 1024 SP edition

RX 460 may not be the fastest offering based on AMD’s Polaris GPU but this graphics card is quickly becoming the darling of gaming crowd. With a price tag of around 10K Indian Rupees for the 2GB version and 12K for the 4GB ones, RX 460 can handle anything HD and scores some respectable FPS even in FHD/1080p. In a land of budget constrained gamers with mostly 20” 1600x900 monitors, those are clear signs of a winner. But as it turns out, there is more to little Baffin (code name of RX 460) than eyes could see in the first glance. According to news from WCCFTECH, Sapphire, one of the largest vendors of Radeon graphics cards, is offering a special edition of the gpu with all 1024 SPs (Stream Processor) unlocked! The standard variant of Rx 460, the one you’d normally find in the market, features 896 SPs – so that’s an increment of 128 SPs. The card in question is “Nitro - OC” branded – one of Sapphire’s elite performers and comes with factory overclocked frequency of 1250 MHz out-of-the-box. All the other specifications remain identical with no word on pricing.

Kaby Lake comes to desktop: here is what you need to know

Intel has finally taken the veils off of its 7^th generation core Kaby Lake processors. The announcement came at the grand floors of CES and with it, the immediate availability of Intel’s latest family of desktop processors. From what Technoprozium has learnt, retail availability can be expected around halfway through January 2017 with e-tailer already offering the parts online. We have already covered the Kaby Lake architecture andperformance expectation in detail, it’s time to get things official. Here, we’ll try to sum-up the most important aspects of this launch and pass the verdict. Let’s go.

Happy new year 2017

Dear friends and readers of Technoprozium, the new year is here and we're looking forward to it with a great deal of anticipation and excitement. 2016 was a very good year and we bid a fond farewell to it. Now is time to move on to a brand new 2017 which has all the makings of big year. As we start our journey anew, lots of exciting events are in store for us. As always, We'll kick-start things in the new year with CES where we'll hopefully see Intel's Kaby Lake processors in action. Then there is AMD's potential come-back with Ryzen and AM4. At some point, we also expect Vega to make an appearance and battle things out in the high-end of desktop graphics. But the best part is TPZ will be there to cover all the happenings in the world of computer hardware and bring the best to you! Have a very happy and prosperous new year!