This week’s Harbor news covers hardware updates including Nvidia’s upcoming ARM-based N1 laptop SOC, AMD’s 9950 X3D2 CPU launch, and Valve’s Linux kernel improvement for better VRAM usage, alongside industry challenges like supply disruptions and rising prices. Additionally, policy debates on data center tax breaks and right to repair laws unfold, while community stories highlight impressive hardware repairs and NASA’s software struggles in space.
This week’s Harbor news recap covers a wide array of hardware and tech industry updates, starting with Nvidia’s N1 laptop motherboard spotted in the wild, signaling an upcoming ARM-based SOC collaboration with MediaTek expected to debut in laptops from Dell and Lenovo soon. AMD has announced the price and release date for its 9950 X3D2 CPU, set to launch on April 22nd at $900, featuring increased L3 cache and simplified chiplet prioritization. Meanwhile, Microsoft has raised Surface PC prices by up to $500, citing rising RAM costs, and ASUS has increased prices on its RX 970 XT GPUs significantly, likely due to inflation and supply chain expenses.
The semiconductor industry faces challenges with helium and liquefied natural gas supply disruptions linked to geopolitical tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, impacting Taiwan and TSMC. Taiwan’s semiconductor association is urging stockpiling of these critical materials and supports reopening nuclear power plants to stabilize energy supplies. On the policy front, Texas continues to offer substantial tax breaks to data centers, which could cost the state billions in lost revenue, sparking public opposition and calls for policy reevaluation amid the AI data center boom.
Colorado is considering a contentious bill, SB26-090, that would exempt critical infrastructure IT equipment from right to repair laws, a move heavily backed by corporations like Cisco and IBM. Critics argue the bill’s vague definition of critical infrastructure could allow manufacturers to restrict repair rights broadly, effectively undermining consumer rights under the guise of cybersecurity. This issue has drawn attention from right to repair advocates and is poised for further scrutiny and possible in-depth coverage.
On a more positive note, Valve contractor Natalie Vach has developed a Linux kernel improvement that enhances VRAM usage for gaming, particularly benefiting GPUs with 8 GB or less memory by prioritizing game processes over background tasks. This improvement, however, is currently not compatible with Nvidia’s proprietary drivers but is expected to support AMD and Intel GPUs running the XE kernel driver. Additionally, South Korea is implementing initiatives to improve computer affordability amid rising DRAM prices, including reusing retired government computers and providing subsidies to low-income students.
In community and consumer news, Brazilian modder Paulo Gomez successfully resurrected a damaged MSI RTX 4090 by disabling a faulty memory channel and rerouting power lines, demonstrating impressive hardware repair skills. Lastly, NASA’s Artemis 2 mission made headlines not just for its lunar journey but for the astronauts’ struggles with Microsoft Outlook in space, humorously highlighting ongoing frustrations with software reliability even in high-tech environments. The episode closes with reminders to support the channel through merchandise and Patreon.