Security defenders are girding themselves in response to the disclosure of a maximum-severity vulnerability disclosed Wednesday in React Server, an open-source package that’s widely used by websites and in cloud environments.
The vulnerability is easy to exploit and allows hackers to execute malicious code on servers that run it. Exploit code is now publicly available.
React is embedded into web apps running on servers so that remote devices render JavaScript and content more quickly and with fewer resources required. React is used by an estimated 6 percent of all websites and 39 percent of cloud environments. When end users reload a page, React allows servers to re-render only parts that have changed, a feature that drastically speeds up performance and lowers the computing resources required by the server.
When I build a PC, I like it to look like a stylish little refrigerator, or possibly a mid-century speaker with wood paneling. But just because I don’t do the RGB-bedazzled, action-figures-behind-the-tempered-glass thing for myself doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate it when I see it—and this new Cooler Master case might be perfect for such a build.
The Cooler Master MasterFrame360 isn’t exactly new. We spotted a version of it at Computex 2025, showing off PC guts from almost every angle. But Cooler Master is now selling a limited edition, pre-configured PC with a Ryzen 9800X3D and RTX 5080 setup, and according to a leak from Hardware & Co via VideoCardz, the company is preparing to sell the ATX case on its own very soon. That means it’s time to dust off your most impressive and most financially devastating Gundam showpiece and stick it right in that featured front compartment.
The case comes with a dedicated display area, RGB spotlights, and on the upgraded model, a 15-inch LCD screen backing.
Cooler Master
The MasterFrame 360 will reportedly come in three flavors: the fully transparent “panorama” edition we saw at Computex, a “Stage Mirror” version with a more standard black enclosure, and a “Stage LCD” version with a big 15.6-inch screen backing the “stage” area. Whatever you’re showing off on that front shelf—I’m picturing Hatsune Miku with the LCD-bedecked version, specifically—it’ll be lit up by dedicated RGB spotlights. A transparent front panel appears to be optional if you need some extra space for, say, protruding plastic guns or wings.
Aside from the stage, it looks like a fairly standard case design, with an included GPU riser and a triple-slot area for dedicated vertical mounting. It can handle cards up to 430mm long.
Reportedly, pricing will be $200 USD for the transparent and mirror versions and $300 for the LCD-packing edition, with shipping planned for later this year… which should give you juuuuuuust enough time to finish up that MG Epyon EW Special Coating and track down all the matching Asus parts you can.
Welcome to The Full Nerd newsletter—your weekly dose of hardware talk from the enthusiasts at PCWorld. Missed the latest topics on our YouTube show or burning news from across the web? You’re in the right place.
I never thought I’d think on laptops with envy. But here I am, writing these words.
It comes on the heels of Intel’s deep reveal of Panther Lake, which is what Adam, Will, and Mark were learning about last week. (Such is the super sekret life of tech journalists.)
Mark’s quick rundown of the facts is extensive, as overviews go—there’s just that many details to cover. I highly recommend reading his deep dive as well, but among the highlights: Three chip families represented by one 8-core and two 16-core processors, with a claim of 50 percent better multithreaded performance over previous generations. The top-tier 16-core CPUs pack juggernaut-level integrated graphics, including dedicated support for ray-tracing. Said integrated graphics take the form of Xe3 GPU cores touted as 50 percent faster on average compared to last gen. Multiframe generation support (yep, “fake frames”).
Intel is also cramming in upgrades to the “image processing unit” in its integrated laptop processors to boost clarity and color fidelity of video during webcam calls. Inaccurate skin tones and grainy low-light calls should be less of a problem on a Panther Lake chip. But the feature I want in all chips, including desktop? Auracast, which not only lets you wirelessly play videos across two devices simultaneously, but also use the onboard Bluetooth radio to triangulate the location of a lost item—whether the laptop itself or a connected device, like earbuds.
So why the envy, when desktop could get Auracast (and likely will)? When kickass integrated graphics matter less, given the flexibility for discrete GPU support? When desktop processors outstrip performance on laptops?
Memory issues.
I mean of course the ominous reports of anticipated shortages and sharper rising costs for memory. In a recent interview, Phison’s CEO thought that demand from AI data centers for NAND-based products could create a dearth lasting as long as 10 years.
A whole-ass decade.
Blake Patterson
It’s not just NAND, either. DRAM is also expected to suffer from the same shortages and price hikes as demand skyrockets. (You can read Luke James’s excellent article over at Tom’s Hardware for more of a dive into the factors contributing to this bleak outlook.)
Here’s my thinking: CPUs and GPUs will continue to improve on desktop, yes. It’s likely features like Auracast will come to desktop processors, yes. But what good will that do me if I can’t afford to build a PC around those chips?
These days, I think of storage and memory as basic staples among hardware components—no different than the potatoes, rice, or bread of a meal. The idea of RAM and SSDs becoming both scarce and expensive makes me start to question what I can take for granted about desktop PCs and DIY building.
I wonder if interest in DIY building will slow a bit, due to the extra burden on budgets. If that will then lead to an equal slowdown in consumer CPU and GPU innovations. If that then increases the withdrawal from DIY building, leading vendors to pull back on the innovation and variety in cases, fans, and other such components.
I’m not predicting a death spiral, but I fear a period of dormancy that returns us to the mood and vibe of past eras—when desktop PCs were boring, bland, and not highly performant unless you had serious spare cash to drop.
For now, I’m preparing for austerity even as I look forward to seeing what else could come from Intel’s Panther Lake, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite and Elite Extreme, and future laptop processors. I love the idea of powerful mobile chips. I hate the idea that they could supplant desktop PCs as the only reasonable option for consumers.
In this episode of The Full Nerd
In this episode of The Full Nerd, Adam Patrick Murray, Will Smith, and special guest Edward Crisler, NA PR Manager at long-time GPU maker Sapphire Technology, discuss the current state of GPUs, including manufacturing challenges and benchmarking changes.
I should talk more about the actual episode here, but honestly, Ed always has great insights and you should definitely check out the whole conversation. More to the point, I’m still extremely preoccupied by the lollipop scorpions that Adam brought back as a souvenir for Willis.
Surely…that’s an HR violation? Isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be? (Willis, be careful!)
Willis Lai / Foundry
Missed our live show? Subscribe now to The Full Nerd Network YouTube channel, and activate notifications. We also answer viewer questions in real-time!
Don’t miss out on our NEW shows too—you can catch episodes of Dual Boot Diaries and The Full Nerd: Extra Edition now! (Adam just dropped a new episode of Extra Edition related to Panther Lake!)
And if you need more hardware talk during the rest of the week, come join our Discord community—it’s full of cool, laid-back nerds.
This week’s packed nerd news
Intel’s Panther Lake chips definitely made the biggest waves in tech news this week, but other interesting, quirky, and downright unsettling tidbits popped up, too. I’m predictably wary after reading a new report about AI models being easily corrupted, but balancing out the scales is a rather delightful DIY take from Google on a keyboard.
Also, we got word of it a few weeks ago, but now it’s time to bring out the bugle—AOL’s dial-up service is now officially dead. Rest in peace, old friend.
It’s unusual, but I want one.
Google
Expect Thread Director changes in Intel’s Panther Lake: Mark wasn’t the only one who dug deep into Panther Lake while at the press briefings in Arizona. Will took a dive with Intel Fellow Rajshree Chabukswar into the upcoming improvements Intel is making to Thread Director for Panther Lake, too.
The only RAM config that PC gamers need? This advice from our colleagues over at PCWelt takes the pressure off to spend more to get better performance. But will the internet agree to a sensible take?
Keep it secret. Keep it safe: Google’s allowing end-to-end encrypted emails to be sent to non-Gmail recipients. It’s only available to Workspace users, but I like what it could mean for personal accounts down the road.
I’d try this rotary dial keyboard: It would be slow, yes. But I like what it could mean for accessibility options. (Though maybe voice typing is faster. Assuming it recognizes what you’re saying with any accuracy. And it’s not always necessarily as private as I’d like.)
Catch you all next week—if I manage to escape the boxes I’ll be swimming in, after taking inventory of my October Amazon Prime Day purchases. None of it is exciting, but I’m excited that I got a good deal on “boring” stuff. Yeah, I’ve reached that age.
~Alaina
This newsletter is dedicated to the memory of Gordon Mah Ung, founder and host of The Full Nerd, and executive editor of hardware at PCWorld.
For those of us looking to upgrade our PCs, time isn’t on our side. Over the course of the year, prices have gone up on components, including SSDs…and reports say they’re set to rise further. (I miss the golden months of 2023, for sure.)
So if you’ve been itching to jump on an SSD deal, now’s your last chance to check out big discounts—Amazon’s October Prime Day sales end on Wednesday, October 8 at 11:59pm. But as always, these counters to higher component prices can sell out before then. If you see something you like, grab it ASAP.
SATA SSD pricing has been hit the hardest by current market forces, in part due to the greater popularity of NVMe SSDs. But if all you’re seeking is an upgrade to an old PC’s hard disk drive, you’ve got options.
SSD prices have been rising gradually—so while the best prices now don’t match historical all-time lows, you can still find good prices on well-regarded drives. The 2TB Samsung 990 Pro is a particularly nice find, with superb performance and a discounted price just $10 more than its all-time low.
Best October Prime Day 2025 deals on external storage
Crucial X9 Pro, 1TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 portable SSD – $75 (26% off)
Samsung T9, 1TB, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 portable SSD – $95 (32% off)
SK Hynix Tube T31, 2TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 slim portable SSD – $119 (26% off)
Samsung T7, 2TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 portable SSD – $130 (31% off)
Samsung T9, 2TB, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 portable SSD – $160 (33% off)
External storage sales are a surprising bright spot for discounts during October Prime Day. Samsung’s speedy T9 models in 1TB and 2TB capacities are down to all-time lows, as is the similarly zippy Crucial X9 Pro.
Other great October Prime Day deals
These aren’t the only October Prime Day deals being tracked by the PCWorld team. If you’re looking to supercharge your home setup with the juiciest tech sales, hit the links for only the best expert-curated picks we’ve found.
The balance between demand and supply has shifted. Most recently, data centers have begun buying up SSDs, shrinking the number of drives available to consumers. But while you can’t expect to see the incredible prices of 2023, deal periods like Prime Day help counteract cost increases.
2.
Do brands matter for SSDs and storage?
Yes, but only to a point. Major manufacturers are generally reliable—think Samsung, Crucial, Western Digital (aka WD), SK Hynix, Corsair, Kingston, and even newer players like TeamGroup and Solidigm. Outside of that, you may be playing a bit fast and loose with your data’s longevity.
However, everyone has that one horror story about a hard-disk drive that failed, and why they’ll never use, say, WD or Crucial again. That’s less commonly a manufacturing error, and more so a matter of luck. No drive is guaranteed to meet its life expectancy, which is why you should perform regular backups.
3.
Is an SSD better than a HDD?
SSDs are faster and take less room in a PC than a hard-disk drive (HDD), which gives them a strong edge. If you only have one storage drive in your PC, it should ideally be an SSD so you get faster boot times and quicker access to your files. A HDD as your primary drive will feel much slower.
But HDDs still have their advantages. First, they’re much cheaper. The going price of a 2TB HDD is about the same as the sale price for a 1TB SSD. You also can get them in higher capacities than SSDs. If you work with huge files, you can pick up an 18TB or 20TB HDD (and as mentioned, since HDD cost less, you’ll spend as much or even less as a 4TB SSD). If you need secondary storage and you don’t need it to be fast, HDDs are a fantastic option.
4.
How do I know if an SSD deal is good?
Here’s the guideline we use for picking deals: First, it should be for an SSD that performs well (or in select cases, performs well for its MSRP), and is a reasonable price when not on sale. The discount should also be significant for that particular model. Ex: For SSDs that almost never go on sale, a reduction of $5 to $10 is already hefty. For others, that might be closer to $20 to $30.
5.
Have tariffs affected SSD and storage prices?
Tariffs have caused small increases on computer components, but SSD pricing has been more affected by data centers. Demand has grown enough that supply available to consumers have shrunk, driving up prices. That said, tariffs could begin to affect SSDs and storage more notably after the holidays, which is when retailers’ pre-tariff stockpiles of goods is expected to run out—which means any new stock imported into the U.S. will be taxed at higher rates.
For those of us looking to upgrade our PCs, time isn’t on our side. Over the course of the year, prices have gone up on components, including SSDs…and reports say they’re set to rise further. (I miss the golden months of 2023, for sure.)
So if you’ve been itching to jump on an SSD deal, now’s a good time to check out your options—Amazon’s October Prime Day sales have a few good counters to higher component costs. The discounts last until Wednesday, October 8 at 11:59pm PT, but can sell out before then. If you see something you like, grab it ASAP.
SATA SSD pricing has been hit the hardest by current market forces, in part due to the greater popularity of NVMe SSDs. But if all you’re seeking is an upgrade to an old PC’s hard disk drive, you’ve got options.
SSD prices have been rising gradually—so while the best prices now don’t match historical all-time lows, you can still find good prices on well-regarded drives. The 2TB Samsung 990 Pro is a particularly nice find, with superb performance and a discounted price just $10 more than its all-time low.
Best October Prime Day 2025 deals on external storage
Samsung T9, 1TB, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 portable SSD – $95 (32% off)
Crucial X9 Pro, 1TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 portable SSD – $75 (26% off)
SK Hynix Tube T31, 2TB, USB 3.2 Gen 2 slim portable SSD – $119 (26% off)
Samsung T9, 2TB, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 portable SSD – $160 (33% off)
External storage sales are a surprising bright spot for discounts during October Prime Day. Samsung’s speedy T9 models in 1TB and 2TB capacities are down to all-time lows, as is the similarly zippy Crucial X9 Pro.
Other great October Prime Day deals
These aren’t the only October Prime Day deals being tracked by the PCWorld team. If you’re looking to supercharge your home setup with the juiciest tech sales, hit the links for only the best expert-curated picks we’ve found.
The balance between demand and supply has shifted. Most recently, data centers have begun buying up SSDs, shrinking the number of drives available to consumers. But while you can’t expect to see the incredible prices of 2023, deal periods like Prime Day help counteract cost increases.
2.
Do brands matter for SSDs and storage?
Yes, but only to a point. Major manufacturers are generally reliable—think Samsung, Crucial, Western Digital (aka WD), SK Hynix, Corsair, Kingston, and even newer players like TeamGroup and Solidigm. Outside of that, you may be playing a bit fast and loose with your data’s longevity.
However, everyone has that one horror story about a hard-disk drive that failed, and why they’ll never use, say, WD or Crucial again. That’s less commonly a manufacturing error, and more so a matter of luck. No drive is guaranteed to meet its life expectancy, which is why you should perform regular backups.
3.
Is an SSD better than a HDD?
SSDs are faster and take less room in a PC than a hard-disk drive (HDD), which gives them a strong edge. If you only have one storage drive in your PC, it should ideally be an SSD so you get faster boot times and quicker access to your files. A HDD as your primary drive will feel much slower.
But HDDs still have their advantages. First, they’re much cheaper. The going price of a 2TB HDD is about the same as the sale price for a 1TB SSD. You also can get them in higher capacities than SSDs. If you work with huge files, you can pick up an 18TB or 20TB HDD (and as mentioned, since HDD cost less, you’ll spend as much or even less as a 4TB SSD). If you need secondary storage and you don’t need it to be fast, HDDs are a fantastic option.
4.
How do I know if an SSD deal is good?
Here’s the guideline we use for picking deals: First, it should be for an SSD that performs well (or in select cases, performs well for its MSRP), and is a reasonable price when not on sale. The discount should also be significant for that particular model. Ex: For SSDs that almost never go on sale, a reduction of $5 to $10 is already hefty. For others, that might be closer to $20 to $30.
5.
Have tariffs affected SSD and storage prices?
Tariffs have caused small increases on computer components, but SSD pricing has been more affected by data centers. Demand has grown enough that supply available to consumers have shrunk, driving up prices. That said, tariffs could begin to affect SSDs and storage more notably after the holidays, which is when retailers’ pre-tariff stockpiles of goods is expected to run out—which means any new stock imported into the U.S. will be taxed at higher rates.
Between data centers sprouting up like daisies and formerly affordable DDR4 memory finally fading into the sunset, we’re looking at some rough times ahead for memory and storage prices—and that’s before general economic turmoil and tariffs complicate things even further. Now, one major flash hardware producer’s CEO is even warning that we could be looking at a decade-long shortage.
Said CEO is Pua Khein-Seng of Phison Electronics. Phison doesn’t get a lot of visibility in the consumer space, but it’s one of the planet’s biggest manufacturers of NAND memory controllers. (Pretty good odds that there are Phison chips in the gadget you’re using to read these words.) In an interview with Tech Taiwan, Pua predicted that we’ll be in a full-on memory shortage next year, with data centers made for increased capacity in general and “AI” products in particular creating an industry-wide dearth of hardware. That’s especially true as large data centers transition from conventional hard drives (the last major holdout for the decades-old tech) to solid-state drives.
That would inevitably push the price for flash-based memory and storage higher, and by extension, raise prices on more or less all consumer electronics, including phones, PCs, and graphics cards. Even devices with mostly “invisible” integrated electronics, like monitors or headphones, would be affected. With a wind-down of investment following the pandemic, immediately followed by surging demand for the AI bubble, Pua estimates that we could see a shortage that lasts as long as a decade, according to TechPowerUp.
I should note that the CEO of a major memory controller supplier isn’t exactly an unbiased source of information on the matter. Phison could be trying to spur investment or account for some rocky times in its own future. But speaking as someone who’s definitely on the consumer side of this equation, I don’t see anything that’s obviously wrong about a shortage prediction. Most other analysts are already predicting higher prices in the short term, and it’s certainly possible that the shortage could be sustained for multiple years.
Welcome to The Full Nerd newsletter—your weekly dose of hardware talk from the enthusiasts at PCWorld. Missed the shocking topics on our YouTube show or freshest news from across the web? You’re in the right place.
Skepticism is normal. But cynicism is different. It blocks receptivity—as I realized after this week’s discussion about Qualcomm’s launch of its Snapdragon X2 Elite and Elite Extreme processors.
TFN regular and my colleague Mark Hachman joined us to chat about the press briefings he attended last week, which included a reveal of phenomenal benchmark results. According to its numbers, Qualcomm’s second-gen Snapdragon Elite chips don’t just smash the baseline set by its predecessors. They smoke Intel and AMD’s laptop CPUs, too. In Cinebench 2024, the X2 Elite Extreme outpaced rival silicon like the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and Core Ultra 7 155H by as much as 56 percent in single-core performance. Meanwhile, in multi-core performance, the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme posted a lead of over a 200 percent.
Qualcomm claims this insanity extends to gaming as well, teasing a doubling of performance in games—which would boost the expected output from 1080p 30fps at Low settings to 60fps. For the thin-and-light laptops that Snapdragon Elite chips would power, this shot in the arm for gaming would be impressive.
And yet, while guiding the conversation, I poked at the shadows lurking on the periphery of this information. I wanted to know: Where’s the PC vendor support? The software support? (Especially games…) Why didn’t Qualcomm focus more on its battery life performance, where it already stands strong?
I still believe these are fair questions. But after the show, I thought back to when another semiconductor company made a fresh push into laptops. We think of this company with positivity today, but five years ago, AMD faced a tough uphill battle.
Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chip looks like it’ll zoom.
Mark Hachman / Foundry
At the time, Intel held around 90 percent of the market. AMD mobile chips also carried the reputation of being low-performance, found only in cheap budget laptops. So while Team Red had turned around its desktop reputation, this initiative met with reserve and even cynicism.
We now know that such unwillingness to consider success for AMD was unfounded. AMD’s mobile chips now sit comfortably shoulder-to-shoulder with Intel’s best—and even set the bar for expectations in high performance (i.e., Strix Halo). AMD has also steadily gained ground in the market—Intel’s now down to just under 80 percent for laptop share, according to recent reports.
So yes, my questions were fair. Qualcomm still needs more robust software support. And it can be confident in the Snapdragon Elite reputation for long battery life. But I think it’s worth calling myself out here. I didn’t shine light on these areas with an attitude of curiosity. I was wary—and it’s not yet justified.
Because that last piece of the puzzle—PC vendor support—never happens in a vacuum. Laptop makers won’t offer Qualcomm models without interest. And I don’t have independent benchmark results yet to warrant anything more than reserve.
If I want to see more innovation, I can’t let skepticism get the better of me. It’ll turn into cynicism, blocking the spirit of The Full Nerd. Gordon always championed the idea of companies pushing into the unknown. In this era of economic turbulence, such an approach is even riskier. It’s up to us in the stands to remain open. We could otherwise accidentally kill off incredible hardware with indifference, before it ever launches.
In this episode of The Full Nerd
In this episode of The Full Nerd, Alaina Yee, Brad Chacos, and Mark Hachman dig into the details of Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X2 Elite and Elite Extreme chips (including the Elite Extreme’s eye-popping benchmarks) and if Windows 10’s looming death is really a big deal. With Will out this week, I take up the mantle of indignant chicken over Microsoft’s [censored] promise of 500 rewards points for using the Bing app.
(Yes, yes, I know, more fool me.)
I also lowered Brad’s respect for me by confessing I like rubber domes better than mechanical switches. Why? You’ll have to tune into the Q&A section to get the full context. (Also, shoutout to the homies on our Discord server, who’ve been offering great advice about my issues with using a mechanical ergo keyboard.)
I had strong feelings this week.
Willis Lai / Foundry
Missed our live show? Subscribe now to The Full Nerd Network YouTube channel, and activate notifications. We also answer viewer questions in real-time!
And if you need more hardware talk during the rest of the week, come join our Discord community—it’s full of cool, laid-back nerds.
This week’s confounding nerd news
I did a double-take when I heard of Microsoft’s unexpected Game Pass price hike. Same for the idea that the world’s getting literally darker (but not colder).
At least we still have pieces of joy out there to take comfort in—like the wonderful hit of nostalgia I got from imagining the sound of 12 56K modems all blaring at once.
These keycaps sound so good: I might have unusual switch preferences (or unnatural, depending who you ask), but I still enjoy the sound of mechanical keyboards. Mike Crider, our resident keyboard guru, recently tested one with ceramic keycaps. I could listen to it on repeat for a while, to be honest. It’s soothing.
Earth is getting darker, NASA warns: So we’re gonna roast in perpetual twilight at some point? Cool cool cool. (Read the article; it’s not actually this outcome. Yet.)
I’m still wary of AI browsers: But I have to admit, I found it interesting reading someone else’s hands-on experience with one. If you ignore the security and privacy concerns of such an AI browser, the potential to help people with accessibility challenges is cool.
Life on Mars, discovered soon? Honestly, I don’t care which country snags a viable sample first. I’m more curious about what we’ll find out.
This sleeper build jolted me awake: I admit, I was nodding off a bit while scrolling through r/sffpc this week. Then I saw this one my feed. I rarely take to sleeper builds, but I dig this one’s understated retro flavor. (Also cute: this “itty bitty” $25 build with seasoned parts.)
Maybe gamers don’t hate Windows 11: You know, I actually forgot to consider how motivated people are by deadlines. Now I’m wondering what the October and November Steam surveys will look.
Will Adam sniff this next? I’m not sure how I feel about an SSD with a built-in oil diffuser. But I am sure Adam would give this a go.
Welcome to The Full Nerd newsletter—your weekly dose of hardware talk from the enthusiasts at PCWorld. Missed the shocking topics on our YouTube show or freshest news from across the web? You’re in the right place.
This momentous alliance spans both consumer and enterprise, for starters. It marks several major firsts, too. Each company will integrate the other’s technology into their chips—Nvidia embedding Intel CPUs into its AI data center platforms, and Intel joining Nvidia RTX graphics with its consumer processors. Nvidia also is now an Intel shareholder, taking a roughly 4 percent stake in the company after an investment of $5 billion. And Nvidia makes its first foray into x86 as well.
The announcement caused a flurry of surprise and interest. The Full Nerd crew speculated plenty on the implications of the partnership, as did our Discord members. More than one person wondered: Is AMD screwed?
This question is a half-joke, a reference to what Gordon used to ask about Intel over the years (and even turned into a series of videos with Steve Burke of Gamers Nexus). It’s also a fair question, as joint Intel-Nvidia silicon could result in juggernaut chips.
A joint Intel-Nvidia SoC could result in Nvidia graphics powering handhelds beyond the Switch.
Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd
But it can’t be answered yet—not when so many other questions sit on the table as well:
Where can we expect to see these chips? Laptops seem most likely, but we don’t know yet in which segments. Brad wants to see them in $500 to $1,000 mainstream laptops. But they could appear in cheaper gaming laptops as well (or just instead). Mini-PCs also could end up spreading the love, too.
Would mini-PCs benefit more than laptops? Interest in mini-PCs has steadily climbed in recent years, with more vendors producing them — and the vast majority run on AMD’s Radeon-infused Ryzen APUs. This space could become hot with addition of RTX-infused processors, as affordable gaming for the masses slips further out of reach. I’d love to see a return of gaming NUCs the size of VHS tapes. (Shout out to Hades Canyon and its Kaby Lake-G processor, the hybrid SoC that temporarily united Intel and AMD in similar fashion as this Intel-Nvidia venture.)
What happens now for Qualcomm? Qualcomm is still chiseling at a foothold in laptops—will its ambitions be limited to reigning as the battery life champ? Though, that fate wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing, as it carves a clear spot for the company to rule. AMD would have the more awkward position, without a distinctive lane it yet owns for notebooks.
Will budget discrete graphics get a boost…or a nerf? I’d love to see laptops in the $500 to $700 range get RTX integrated graphics, both thin-and-light or gaming models alike. But what if that results in the abandonment of RTX 50-class graphics (e.g., 5050)? Would an Intel CPU with RTX integrated graphics perform as well? Or would the 50-class discrete mobile GPUs disappear and result in a downgrade of performance at the same prices?
Is Arc dead? I heard this question the most last week, more than any concerns about AMD’s future. We ended up debating this idea during this week’s show, with most signs pointing to “No”—if for no other reason than Intel avoiding too much dependence on Nvidia.
The catchphrase “Wait for Arc” could take on a whole different meaning in the near future.
Adam Patrick Murray / Foundry
Ultimately, the fruits from this partnership won’t show for a few years. That gives AMD time to continue gaining ground and entrenching against Intel. It’s not in a weak position—Team Red is currently estimated to reach about 40 percent market share for data centers in 2025, and it has long-standing relationships with Microsoft and Sony. AMD’s modern Ryzen CPUs are simply better than Intel’s right now; because of that, Ryzen desktop adoption surged in recent years, and the company enjoys a virtual stranglehold in handhelds. Plus, AMD could use its competitors’ ramp-up period to make further inroads on the laptop front.
That last point is a tall order, with Intel holding close to 80 percent of the laptop market. But AMD has shown a consistent ability to execute its roadmap, as evidenced by Intel’s decline—it used to hold over 90 percent for mobile CPUs. If AMD focuses even more attention there before Intel rights its ship, those numbers could change more dramatically.
Because AMD also has one more key factor in its corner: Intel and Nvidia remain separate companies. They could stay aligned for just a handful of years. Any threat to AMD may not be permanent.
Intel and Nvidia’s surprising partnership is a strategic response. Intel has struggled as of late, yes. But without the stress of current geopolitics, this historic agreement likely would have never come to pass. Such turbulence apparently makes strange bedfellows.
In this episode of The Full Nerd
In this episode of The Full Nerd, Adam Patrick Murray, Brad Chacos, Alaina Yee, and Will Smith dive into Nvidia’s $5 billion investment in (and partnership with) Intel, as well as security aggravations sparked by Microsoft’s beef with the WinRing0 driver. Apparently, Microsoft knows how to push Will’s buttons, because I’ve never seen him so indignant about anything.
(How indignant? I might have described him as looking like an angry, fluffy chicken to audio listeners of the show.)
But despite the theatrics from me and Will, Adam stole the show with this quote: “Windows—it’s trying its best.” Someday, I’ll learn the art of damning others with kind words.
Alex Esteves / Foundry
Missed our live show? Subscribe now to The Full Nerd Network YouTube channel, and activate notifications. We also answer viewer questions in real-time!
And if you need more hardware talk during the rest of the week, come join our Discord community—it’s full of cool, laid-back nerds.
This week’s uplifting nerd news
What crossed my desk this week had a practically rosy tinge, with fun gems spanning both science and technology. (One exception was yet another security hazard, but such are the times we live in.)
Plus, I found an excuse to have cake. Doesn’t have to be my birthday to celebrate, right?
I genuinely can’t imagine having more than even a few hundred games in my backlog.
Eugen Wegmann
Why YTX? I can see the appeal of an expanded (wider) version of mini-ITX for some builders. I’m not one of them yet. Still thinking on it.
Qualcomm is still scrapping: Qualcomm wants the focus to be on performance for its new Snapdragon X2 Elite chips, but “multi-day” battery life is still what stands out for me, due to software support.
Dogs can sort their toys by function: I love cats. But dogs win my heart in far less destructive ways. (Yes, I know I should probably rethink my fondness for furry jerks who destroy glass tumblers, vases, and even Brad’s personal laptop.)
I don’t feel as bad about my Steam backlog now: I can’t imagine owning 40,000 games. I can’t imagine spending $250,000 on games. I can’t imagine dropping $250K on games alone, not including DLC. Holy cow.
Careful, malware in games wants your crypto: A Twitch streamer lost $30,000 of crypto to malware, pushed through what was a legitimate game. This kind of attack is on the rise—so be careful of not just what you download, but what you keep installed on your system.
You can now relive early 2000s case design: Silverstone’s retro FLP02 PC case is out. It’ll cost you a lot of money if you live in the U.S. I’m pretty sure if you’re buying this, you won’t care.
Happy birthday, Windows NT! I’m still grateful you paved the way for Windows 2000. (Hands-down my vote for the GOAT of all Windows versions — I still reminisce about my legendary uptimes.)
Catch you all next week—hopefully by then, I’ll be able to show off a new PC case I’ve been excited about. This little aesthetic upgrade is just in time for the change of the seasons.
~Alaina
This newsletter is dedicated to the memory of Gordon Mah Ung, founder and host of The Full Nerd, and executive editor of hardware at PCWorld.
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