AMD Vega Pricing Scandal! HBM Compatibility Concerns! Rise in GPU Memory Prices!

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. The Rumored Vega Pricing
3. Concerns with GPU and HBM Heights
4. Updates on Overclocking Efforts with Vega 56
5. Rise in GPU Memory Prices
6. Announcement of Intel's 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs
7. Compatibility of Coffee Lake with 200-series Boards
8. Rumored Quad Core i3 CPUs in Coffee Lake
9. X399 Motherboard News
10. EK Water Blocks for Vega
11. Lick Tech TR for a IO LCS Closed-loop Liquid Coolers
12. Ongoing NAND Shortage

💡 Highlights

• The rumored price increase for AMD Vega products raises concerns about retailer profits and board partners' reliance on bundle packs.
• Differences in GPU and HBM heights on Vega may affect compatibility with aftermarket coolers.
• Overclocking efforts with Vega 56 and concerns about rising GPU memory prices.
• Intel's announcement of 8th generation Coffee Lake CPUs, including rumored quad-core i3 CPUs.
• X399 motherboard updates from MSI, ASRock, and ASUS.
• Introduction of EK Water Blocks for Vega and new Entermax Liquid Coolers.
• Ongoing NAND shortage expected until mid-2018, affecting SSD prices and availability.

🎯 Introduction

Welcome to another episode of Hardware News! In this article, we will cover the latest developments in the tech industry, including updates on AMD Vega pricing, concerns with GPU and HBM heights, overclocking efforts, rising GPU memory prices, announcements from Intel regarding Coffee Lake CPUs, X399 motherboard news, the introduction of EK Water Blocks for Vega, and finally, the ongoing NAND shortage.

📜 The Rumored Vega Pricing

One of the burning questions in the tech community is the pricing of AMD Vega products. Rumors have circulated that the initial MSRP for Vega 54 and 56 would only last for a day before a price increase. While there hasn't been any official confirmation from AMD, reports suggest that rebates provided by AMD to retailers might be the reason for this price increase. This situation poses concerns regarding retailer profits versus AMD's profits, with board partners potentially relying on bundle packs for better margins.

⛰ Concerns with GPU and HBM Heights

Another aspect of Vega that has sparked discussion is the difference in Height between the GPU and HBM on the Vega cards. These differences might cause compatibility issues with aftermarket coolers. While there is speculation about the height difference being due to the type of adhesive used, further investigation is required to confirm this. Gamers Nexus has initiated steps to measure the height of HBM and the GPU on Vega cards to Gather more data for comparison.

💪 Updates on Overclocking Efforts with Vega 56

Gamers Nexus has been actively testing and overclocking Vega 56, and they will be sharing their findings in a future video. Overclocking potential and performance metrics will be discussed, shedding light on the capabilities of Vega 56 and its performance compared to stock settings.

📈 Rise in GPU Memory Prices

In unfavorable news for consumers, GD's video card memory prices, particularly for NAND and HBM, have increased by approximately 30.8% for orders placed in August. These higher prices may potentially affect consumer prices, although the impact may not be apparent for another few months. It remains challenging to differentiate the pricing impact caused by increased mining demand from that caused by rising memory prices.

📣 Announcement of Intel's 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs

Intel has announced the official release date for its 8th generation Coffee Lake CPUs as August 21st. The primary focus of this announcement will be the quad-core i3 parts, while other models will also be unveiled. Coffee Lake CPUs will be fabricated on Intel's 14nm process, marking another step in their transition to 10nm Cannon Lake.

🔌 Compatibility of Coffee Lake with 200-series Boards

One important consideration when upgrading to Coffee Lake CPUs is the compatibility with existing 200-series motherboards. Reports indicate that Coffee Lake will not support 200-series boards, necessitating the purchase of a new motherboard. This aligns with Intel's typical approach of requiring new motherboards for new CPU generations.

🔥 Rumored Quad Core i3 CPUs in Coffee Lake

Rumors suggest that Coffee Lake will introduce quad-core i3 CPUs, which seems likely given recent discussions. Additionally, there has been speculation about the possibility of six-core CPUs being included in the lineup. Tech reports have provided detailed analysis of the alleged i3 8300 and i3 8250K CPUs, providing insightful information for readers seeking more in-depth coverage.

🌟 X399 Motherboard News

The X399 motherboard market has seen growth recently, with several vendors unveiling new boards. MSI has introduced the X399 Gaming Pro Carbon, ASRock has announced the Fatal1ty X399 Professional Gaming and X399 Taichi, while ASUS brings the ROG Zenith Extreme and ROG Strix X399 II Gaming to the table. Other vendors are also working on new X399 motherboard models, further expanding the options available to consumers.

💦 EK Water Blocks for Vega

EK Water Blocks continues to produce a wide range of cooling solutions, with the latest addition being water blocks for AMD's Vega GPUs. These blocks come in either a very electrolytic copper base or a nickel-plated base for the cold plates. They are designed as full-coverage blocks, offering efficient cooling for Vega cards. The blocks can be paired with a clear or black top, providing customization options for users. Orders are already live, and shipments are expected to commence alongside the launch of RX Vega.

❄️ Lick Tech TR for a IO LCS Closed-loop Liquid Coolers

Entermax has introduced its new CLC, called "Lick Tech TR," offering 100% IHS coverage for Threadripper CPUs. This Entermax CLC features 240 or 360mm radiators, 3000 RPM pumps, and a TDP rating of 500 watts. These closed-loop liquid coolers are priced at $130-160 and are set to be available in late August. The CLC CLC products from Entermax and LefTech are manufactured by a company named Pol Tech, known for producing various cooling solutions in the industry.

🚧 Ongoing NAND Shortage

Lastly, there is still an ongoing NAND shortage expected to persist until mid-2018. This shortage affects consumer pricing and availability of SSDs, as well as multiple market segments such as data centers, laptops, and mobile Internet of Things devices. Despite the growth in demand for NAND technology in various devices like smartphones and business PCs, the shortage continues, making it challenging for prices to stabilize.

FAQ:

Q: What are the speculated reasons behind the rumored price increase for AMD Vega products? A: The rumored price increase for AMD Vega products might be due to the rebates provided by AMD to retailers. This could impact retailer profits and board partners' reliance on bundle packs.

Q: Are there any concerns regarding aftermarket coolers for Vega GPUs? A: There are concerns about GPU and HBM heights on Vega and their compatibility with aftermarket coolers. Differences in height, potentially due to the adhesive used, might pose challenges when applying aftermarket coolers.

Q: What updates can we expect on overclocking efforts with Vega 56? A: Gamers Nexus will be sharing their findings on overclocking Vega 56 in an upcoming video. They will discuss the overclocking potential and performance metrics of this GPU.

Q: Is there any information on the rise in GPU memory prices? A: Unfortunately, GPU memory prices, specifically for NAND and HBM, have increased by approximately 30.8% for orders placed in August. This may affect consumer prices in the future.

Q: Are there any details about Intel's 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs? A: Intel's official announcement for the 8th generation Coffee Lake CPUs will be on August 21st. The focus will be primarily on quad-core i3 parts, with the possibility of other models being unveiled as well.

Q: Will Coffee Lake CPUs be compatible with existing 200-series boards? A: Coffee Lake CPUs will not be compatible with existing 200-series motherboards. Users planning to upgrade to Coffee Lake will need to purchase new motherboards.

Q: What rumors are circulating about the inclusion of quad-core i3 CPUs in Coffee Lake? A: It is rumored that Coffee Lake will introduce quad-core i3 CPUs, which seems highly likely. Additionally, there is speculation about the possibility of six-core CPUs being included in the lineup.

Q: What X399 motherboard models have been announced recently? A: Several vendors have announced new X399 motherboard models, including MSI's X399 Gaming Pro Carbon, ASRock's Fatal1ty X399 Professional Gaming and X399 Taichi, and ASUS' ROG Zenith Extreme and ROG Strix X399 II Gaming. Other vendors are also working on new X399 motherboard options.

Q: What cooling solutions are available for AMD's Vega GPUs? A: EK Water Blocks offers water blocks for AMD's Vega GPUs, either with a very electrolytic copper base or a nickel-plated base for the cold plates. These full-coverage blocks can be paired with a clear or black top, providing customization options for users.

Q: Are there any new liquid coolers available for Threadripper CPUs? A: Entermax has introduced the Lick Tech TR, a closed-loop liquid cooler offering 100% IHS coverage for Threadripper CPUs. These coolers are compatible with Noctua air coolers, and their effectiveness will be tested in comparison to previous circular-cold-plate designs.

Q: Is there any improvement in the current NAND shortage situation? A: Unfortunately, the ongoing NAND shortage is expected to persist until mid-2018. This shortage impacts the availability and pricing of SSDs in various market segments, including data centers, laptops, and mobile devices.