Samsung's 8Gb LPDDR4 Chip Brings 4GB DDR4 to Mobile

Looks like 4 GB DDR4 memory chips are heading to future mobile devices.

On Sunday night Samsung Electronics announced that it developed the industry's first 8 gigabit (Gb), low power double data rate 4 (LPDDR4) mobile DRAM. Fabricated using 20 nm class process technology, the new chip now makes possible 1 Gigabyte (GB) on a single die. Four 8 gigabit chips create one 4 GB LPDDR4 package.

"This next-generation LPDDR4 DRAM will contribute significantly to faster growth of the global mobile DRAM market, which will soon comprise the largest share of the entire DRAM market," said Young-Hyun Jun, executive vice president, memory sales & marketing, Samsung Electronics.
Samsung says the new 8 Gb chip uses a Low Voltage Swing Terminated Logic (LVSTL) I/O interface, allowing the chip to transfer data at 3200 megabits per second (Mbps) per pin. That's twice the amount the 20nm-class LPDDR3 DRAM can achieve, which is now in mass production. The new chip also consumes around 40 percent less energy at 1.1 volts.

"With the new chip, Samsung will focus on the premium mobile market including large screen UHD smartphones, tablets and ultra-slim notebooks that offer four times the resolution of full-HD imaging, and also on high-performance network systems," the company announced on Sunday.

News of the 8 Gb chip arrives after Samsung began mass producing 3 GB LPDDR3 mobile DRAM modules back in July. The 3 GB module uses six 20 nm class 4 Gb LPDDR3 chips in a symmetrical structure of two sets of three chips stacked in a single package only 0.8 millimeters high. The module is capable of data transfer speeds of up to 2,133 Mbps per pin.

"We will continue introducing the most advanced mobile DRAM one step ahead of the rest of the industry so that global OEMs can launch innovative mobile devices with exceptional user convenience in the timeliest manner," Young-Hyun Jun added.

Posted By Get Beat3:09 AM

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Windows 8.1 Causing Wi-Fi Connectivity Issues

Apparently, Softpedia is still trolling the Microsoft Community forums, as the site has come across another problem Windows 8.1 upgraders are experiencing: limited or no Wi-Fi connectivity. The site reports that the problem was first related to the Surface tablets, but customers on PCs and other non-Microsoft Windows 8.1 tablets are facing the same issues.

"I have the same problem. Did everything. Read the web. Installed 8.1 twice. Now back to factory settings. Have all the latest updates on everything. I too believe it is a hardware issue," reads one complaint. "I own a laptop I bought at BestBuy only 6 months ago. It drops on me after several minutes. I reset my router, called the cable company, called Microsoft and still no fix."

"Same computer system as the user above however, I cannot connect AT ALL unless I plug straight into the router. Makes having a laptop very inconvenient," reads another complaint. "I have reinstalled drivers, updated my IP settings, run an IPConfig - very frustrating. I am at the restore point which is obviously a last resort."

A Microsoft rep explains that a limited connection means the device has connected to a router, but the PC wasn't assigned a valid IP address. However, Internet connection problems are most commonly caused by disconnected cables or by routers and modems that aren't working correctly, the rep says. The rep then points to links for wired and wireless network problems, and why users can't connect to the Internet.

"This is horrible response and I've seen it given by other MS engineers," another complaint reads. "Thousands of people are having this problem since the 8.1 release. I highly doubt all of us had our routers go bad at the same time. Own up to this Microsoft and please fix it. The standard response will not cut it anymore."

On a personal note, I had wireless connectivity issues after upgrading to Windows 8.1; the operating system would not recognize the 5 GHz spectrum. To fix this, I did the following:

• Downloaded and installed the adapter's latest drivers
• Entered "Network and Sharing Center"
• Clicked "Changed Adapter Settings"
• Right-clicked on the adapter in "Network Connections" and its "Properties"
• Clicked on the "Configure" button and clicked on the "Driver" tab
• Chose "Update Driver," "Browse My Computer" and then "Let Me Pick..."
• Here there should be two drivers: the Windows 8.1 version and the new ODM drivers
• Chose the ODM drivers and suddenly the 5 GHz network appeared

Granted, this won't help everyone, as most of the problems listed in the thread seem to be Intel Centrino related. Still, this seems to be an ongoing issue, with suggestions including installing an old driver, disabling Bluetooth to changing the channel in the wireless router.

Posted By Get Beat3:07 AM

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AMD Delays Battlefield 4 Mantle Patch

AMD hasn't offered a new release date beyond next month.

 

AMD has announced that its Mantle API has been delayed. The patch, originally set for release this month, is now expected in January of 2014. AMD has not offered a more specific release date than 'January 2014,' but it sounds as though the reason for the delay is on the side of BF4 dev, DICE. AMD released a statement on the delay of the Mantle patch for Battlefield 4, the first title to support Mantle. The statement reads as follows:

"After much consideration, the decision was made to delay the Mantle patch for Battlefield 4. AMD continues to support DICE on the public introduction of Mantle, and we are tremendously excited about the coming release for Battlefield 4! We are now targeting a January release and will have more information to share in the New Year."

AMD announced its low-level high performance graphics API back in September. The API allows developers to ‘speak the native language’ of AMD’s Graphics Core Next architecture, which is present in modern AMD GPUs and APUs.

Posted By Get Beat3:05 AM

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Report: Graphics Cards to Receive 10-15% Price Increase

As a result of increases in the cost of DDR3 memory, a number of graphics card vendors have reportedly increased prices by 10 to 15 percent.

According to a report published by DigiTimes, the recent increases in the price of memory has prompted several graphics card vendors to hike the retail price of products using DDR3 memory by 10 to 15 percent. Given that this price increase seems specific to this form of memory, we expect the impact to be restricted to the budget or entry-level market.

DigitTimes' unnamed sources also noted that they believe that prices are unlikely to return to their previous levels in the next six months unless manufacturers decide to offer promotions for specific models or bring forward the release of next-generation graphics cards.

The report further stated that since PC demand is still comparatively weak, the impact will not "upset consumers or channel retails greatly in the same run" and that the "PC replacement trend" that is expected to follow the release of Intel's Haswell platform in June may be compromised by these increased costs and the expected rise of motherboard ASP.

Posted By Get Beat2:56 AM

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InterTech Working on Dynatron MARS T1 CPU Cooler

InterTech's Dynatron MARS T1 CPU cooler is almost here.

InterTech is releasing a new CPU cooler, the MARS T1, which is part of the Dynatron series of components.

The cooler is built with a narrow aluminum fin stack using 48 fins, to which heat is fed through two 5-mm thick U-shaped copper heat pipes. The heat is dissipated by a red 120 mm fan, and can spin at speeds ranging from 600 RPM to 1500 RPM. The cooler weighs 660 grams and measures 135 x 150 x 80 mm. It is said to dissipate 160 W of thermal energy.
Socket compatibility is as good as any modern-day CPU socket, including AMD's AM3+, FM2, as well as Intel's LGA1150 and LGA2011 sockets.

There was no word on pricing or a release date yet.

Posted By Get Beat2:21 AM

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