Daily Tech News 10 April 2023

• You can't buy a Flipper Zero on Amazon anymore. (Bleeping Computer)
  
  This is a device for testing short-range communications protocols like RFID, NFC, and Bluetooth, and finding security vulnerabilities. Which is very important given the number of vulnerabilities out there in the wild needing to be fixed. but a bit of a worry in the hands of the wrong people, like, for example, Apple, Samsung, or Kia.
  
  
  

• AMD's 9474F is faster than AMD's 5995WX. (Notebook Check)
  
  The 5995WX was the world's fastest CPU for some time, with 64 Zen 3 cores and high clock speeds, since it's a workstation CPU and not a thermally-constrained server chip.
  
  The 9474F is a thermally-constrained server chip, and only has 48 cores. and runs at a lower clock speed. But with Zen 4 cores and 5nm vs. 7nm production, it's just plain more efficient.
  
  The fastest Intel CPUs on Passmark now start at #28 on the chart, with AMD Zen 4, Zen 3, and even Zen 2 chips occupying the top 27 slots.
  
  There are no scores yet for Intel's Sapphire Rapids server or workstation chips, but since anyone can submit a score, that just means there aren't chips around for people to benchmark. I'm not seeing the new W-2400 desktop chips on sale anywhere, or even being reviewed, and they were due last month.
  
  
  
• Intel's second-generation graphics cards, codenamed Battlemage, are expected next year - and probably won't suck. (TechSpot)
  
  In fact, following driver updates and price cuts, Intel's first generation cards don't suck. The A750 for example is pretty comparable to AMD's 6700, and cheaper.
  
  When first released they were bad on older game titles (particularly running DirectX 9) but that has largely been resolved, and early driver bugs are reportedly pretty much resolved.
  
  If Intel remains on track for two more generations - expected in 2024 and 2026 - they may end up with something genuinely good. And given Nvidia's 4000-series pricing, more competition is very welcome.

posted by Pixy Misa at 04:00 AM

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