The Eurocom 780W AC Power Adapter Review: Big Power For Big Laptops
While desktop PC power supplies receive the bulk of enthusiasts’ attention for good reasons – not the least of which being the vast selection of options that comes from being a standardized part – power supplies as a whole aren’t just a concern for big PCs. With the majority of PC sales having flipped to notebook sales some years ago, notebook power supplies already lead the market in volume. And while most laptops don’t need the kind of massively powered PSUs that dominate the desktop space, even that is slowly changing as desktop replacement-class laptops increasingly grow in performance and power consumption.
Perhaps the poster-child for the high-performance, high-powered laptop is Eurocom, who has a long history of developing heavy-duty DTR laptops that are all but portable desktop systems. Following recent trends in GPU power consumption and in GPU popularity for both gaming and AI workloads, the company has been selling a range of “mobile supercomputers”, which are practically large, tailor-made laptops that rival even the best of desktop computers – and have the power requirements to match.
In order to power their own high-end laptops, Eurocom has developed a rather unusual 780W AC adapter for high-performance laptops. Intended to power the most powerful of powerful laptops, their latest power adapter can supply over three-quarters of a kilowatt of DC power; a desktop-like wattage for a desktop-like device. It’s a laptop power adapter that’s unique in its scale, and with some room to scale up even further.
| Eurocom 780W AC Adapter Power specifications |
|
| RAIL | +20V |
| MAX OUTPUT | 39A |
| 780W | |
| DIMENSIONS | 325 x 110 x 40mm, 1.38kg |
| AC INPUT | 90 - 264 VAC, 50 - 60 Hz |
| MSRP | PSU: $299, Cable: $129+ |
Eurocom has offered this adapter for a few years now. But it’s taken on a new life as more laptops have been released that use such a large adapter (or two smaller 300W-ish power adapters). And, critically, Eurocom has made additional DC cable/connector sets for other manufactuers’ laptops, significantly increasing the number of systems it’s compatible with. Currently, Eurocom offers DC cables for the following laptops:
- Alienware M17x M18x; 1x DC Cable ; w/ barrel AW connector; 193cm/6.4ft
- Alienware AREA 51m; 1x DC Cable + Splitter Box w/ 2x barrel AW connectors; 152cm/5ft
- ASUS ROG G18 Strix; GX501V; GM501; GM501GM; GX531GM; 1x DC Cable; w/ barrel ROG connector
- ASUS G703GX, GZ700GX; 1x DC Cable w/ 2x ROG barrel connectors; 152cm/5ft
- CLEVO, OriginPC, Sager, XMG, EUROCOM laptops; 1x DC Cable; w/ 4-pin round connector; 182cm / 6ft
- CLEVO X370SNx; 1x DC Cable; w/ square connector; 120cm / 3.8ft
- CLEVO X170SM/X170KM; 1x DC Cable; w/ dual square connectors; 152cm / 5ft
- Dell Precision 7720/7710; 1x DC Cable; w/ barrel Dell connector; 120cm / 3.8ft
- MSI GE76, GT76, GT77, GE78HX Raider, Titan 18HX 1x DC Cable; w/ single square connector; 120cm / 3.8ft
- MSI laptops & MSI Trident AS Gaming Desktops; 1x DC Cable; w/ 4-pin round connector; 182cm / 6ft
The Eurocom 780W AC Adapter
Externally, the Eurocom 780W AC adapter looks like a hybrid between a PC PSU and a laptop adapter. It is shaped like an oversized laptop AC adapter but has a metallic body and cooling vents/fans. Eurocom advertises that it weighs “only 1.34kg”, which is the weight of an entire 14-inch laptop by comparison, but is relatively lightweight for a PSU with that kind of power output. The company logo is debossed across the top side of the adapter, with four round anti-slip pads found at its bottom. Care needs to be taken while moving it around because the metallic edges and weight can spell trouble for wooden surfaces.
Eurocom installed a small information display on the AC adapter, which shows the current, voltage, and power output, as well as the temperature of the adapter. It is not perfectly accur... Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Posted by The Techinical Support
Intel Sells Its Arm Shares, Reduces Stakes in Other Companies
Intel has divested its entire stake in Arm Holdings during the second quarter, raising approximately $147 million. Alongside this, Intel sold its stake in cybersecurity firm ZeroFox and reduced its holdings in Astera Labs, all as part of a broader effort to manage costs and recover cash amid significant financial challenges.
The sale of Intel's 1.18 million shares in Arm Holdings, as reported in a recent SEC filing, comes at a time when the company is struggling with substantial financial losses. Despite the $147 million generated from the sale, Intel reported a $120 million net loss on its equity investments for the quarter, which is a part of a larger $1.6 billion loss that Intel faced during this period.
In addition to selling its stake in Arm, Intel also exited its investment in ZeroFox and reduced its involvement with Astera Labs, a company known for developing connectivity platforms for enterprise hardware. These moves are in line with Intel's strategy to reduce costs and stabilize its financial position as it faces ongoing market challenges.
Despite the divestment, Intel's past investment in Arm was likely driven by strategic considerations. Arm Holdings is a significant force in the semiconductor industry, with its designs powering most mobile devices, and, for obvious reasons, Intel would like to address these. Intel and Arm are also collaborating on datacenter platforms tailored for Intel's 18A process technology. Additionally, Arm might view Intel as a potential licensee for its technologies and a valuable partner for other companies that license Arm's designs.
Intel's investment in Astera Labs was also a strategic one as the company probably wanted to secure steady supply of smart retimers, smart cable modems, and CXL memory controller, which are used in volumes in datacenters and Intel is certainly interested in selling as many datacenter CPUs as possible.
Intel's financial struggles were highlighted earlier this month when the company released a disappointing earnings report, which led to a 33% drop in its stock value, erasing billions of dollars of capitalization. To counter these difficulties, Intel announced plans to cut 15,000 jobs and implement other expense reductions. The company has also suspended its dividend, signaling the depth of its efforts to conserve cash and focus on recovery. When it comes to divestment of Arm stock, the need for immediate financial stabilization has presumably taken precedence, leading to the decision.
CPUs
Intel Sells Its Arm Shares, Reduces Stakes in Other Companies
Intel has divested its entire stake in Arm Holdings during the second quarter, raising approximately $147 million. Alongside this, Intel sold its stake in cybersecurity firm ZeroFox and reduced its holdings in Astera Labs, all as part of a broader effort to manage costs and recover cash amid significant financial challenges.
The sale of Intel's 1.18 million shares in Arm Holdings, as reported in a recent SEC filing, comes at a time when the company is struggling with substantial financial losses. Despite the $147 million generated from the sale, Intel reported a $120 million net loss on its equity investments for the quarter, which is a part of a larger $1.6 billion loss that Intel faced during this period.
In addition to selling its stake in Arm, Intel also exited its investment in ZeroFox and reduced its involvement with Astera Labs, a company known for developing connectivity platforms for enterprise hardware. These moves are in line with Intel's strategy to reduce costs and stabilize its financial position as it faces ongoing market challenges.
Despite the divestment, Intel's past investment in Arm was likely driven by strategic considerations. Arm Holdings is a significant force in the semiconductor industry, with its designs powering most mobile devices, and, for obvious reasons, Intel would like to address these. Intel and Arm are also collaborating on datacenter platforms tailored for Intel's 18A process technology. Additionally, Arm might view Intel as a potential licensee for its technologies and a valuable partner for other companies that license Arm's designs.
Intel's investment in Astera Labs was also a strategic one as the company probably wanted to secure steady supply of smart retimers, smart cable modems, and CXL memory controller, which are used in volumes in datacenters and Intel is certainly interested in selling as many datacenter CPUs as possible.
Intel's financial struggles were highlighted earlier this month when the company released a disappointing earnings report, which led to a 33% drop in its stock value, erasing billions of dollars of capitalization. To counter these difficulties, Intel announced plans to cut 15,000 jobs and implement other expense reductions. The company has also suspended its dividend, signaling the depth of its efforts to conserve cash and focus on recovery. When it comes to divestment of Arm stock, the need for immediate financial stabilization has presumably taken precedence, leading to the decision.
CPUs![Rapidus Wants to Offer Fully Automated Packaging for 2nm Fab to Cut Chip Lead Times <p align="center"><a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21525/rapidus-2nm-fully-automated-chip-packaging-to-cut-lead-times"><img src="https://images.anandtech.com/doci/21525/intel-foundry-wafer-semiconductor-fab-ifs-678_575px.jpg" alt="" /></a></p><p><p>One of the core challenges that Rapidus will face when it kicks off volume production of chips on its 2nm-class process technology in 2027 is lining up customers. With Intel, Samsung, and TSMC all slated to offer their own 2nm-class nodes by that time, Rapidus will need some kind of advantage to attract customers away from its more established rivals. To that end, the company thinks they've found their edge: fully automated packaging that will allow for shorter chip lead times than manned packaging operations.</p>
<p>In an interview with <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/Interview/Japan-s-Rapidus-to-fully-automate-2-nm-chip-fab-president-says">Nikkei</a>, Rapidus' president, Atsuyoshi Koike, outlined the company's vision to use advanced packaging as a competitive edge for the new fab. <a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21411/rapidus-adds-chip-packaging-services-to-plans-for-32b-2nm-fab">The Hokkaido facility</a>, which is currently under construction and is expecting to begin equipment installation this December, is already slated to both produce chips and offer advanced packaging services within the same facility, an industry first. But ultimately, Rapidus biggest plan to differentiate itself is by automating the back-end fab processes (chip packaging) to provide significantly faster turnaround times.</p>
<p>Rapidus is targetting back-end production in particular as, compared to front-end (lithography) production, back-end production still heavily relies on human labor. No other advanced packaging fab has fully automated the process thus far, which provides for a degree of flexibility, but slows throughput. But with automation in place to handle this aspect of chip production, Rapidus would be able to increase chip packaging efficiency and speed, which is crucial as chip assembly tasks become more complex. Rapidus is also collaborating with multiple Japanese suppliers to source materials for back-end production. </p>
<p>"In the past, Japanese chipmakers tried to keep their technology development exclusively in-house, which pushed up development costs and made them less competitive," Koike told Nikkei. "[Rapidus plans to] open up technology that should be standardized, bringing down costs, while handling important technology in-house." </p>
<p>Financially, Rapidus faces a significant challenge, needing a total of ¥5 trillion ($35 billion) by the time mass production starts in 2027. The company estimates that ¥2 trillion will be required by 2025 for prototype production. While the Japanese government has provided ¥920 billion in aid, Rapidus still needs to secure substantial funding from private investors.</p>
<p>Due to its lack of track record and experience of chip production as. well as limited visibility for success, Rapidus is finding it difficult to attract private financing. The company is in discussions with the government to make it easier to raise capital, including potential loan guarantees, and is hopeful that new legislation will assist in this effort.</p>
</p> Semiconductors](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sSTLt7P5MY5RHqr9EDrMu5H1htFkogrQbjNFco6yqEir8DoS7N_JHXlubtQ-NqIJ1G93bWustwnjCJV3S37pjNHl7SUkAYalsotBPhqKDkN0XHlTTmth2ZDpjwCmCcfe3_RzjOMZGp4z5wsdoT694Z8X9quVBPNSS46qy84psDHD0V=w72-h72-p-k-no-nu)
Rapidus Wants to Offer Fully Automated Packaging for 2nm Fab to Cut Chip Lead Times
One of the core challenges that Rapidus will face when it kicks off volume production of chips on its 2nm-class process technology in 2027 is lining up customers. With Intel, Samsung, and TSMC all slated to offer their own 2nm-class nodes by that time, Rapidus will need some kind of advantage to attract customers away from its more established rivals. To that end, the company thinks they've found their edge: fully automated packaging that will allow for shorter chip lead times than manned packaging operations.
In an interview with Nikkei, Rapidus' president, Atsuyoshi Koike, outlined the company's vision to use advanced packaging as a competitive edge for the new fab. The Hokkaido facility, which is currently under construction and is expecting to begin equipment installation this December, is already slated to both produce chips and offer advanced packaging services within the same facility, an industry first. But ultimately, Rapidus biggest plan to differentiate itself is by automating the back-end fab processes (chip packaging) to provide significantly faster turnaround times.
Rapidus is targetting back-end production in particular as, compared to front-end (lithography) production, back-end production still heavily relies on human labor. No other advanced packaging fab has fully automated the process thus far, which provides for a degree of flexibility, but slows throughput. But with automation in place to handle this aspect of chip production, Rapidus would be able to increase chip packaging efficiency and speed, which is crucial as chip assembly tasks become more complex. Rapidus is also collaborating with multiple Japanese suppliers to source materials for back-end production.
"In the past, Japanese chipmakers tried to keep their technology development exclusively in-house, which pushed up development costs and made them less competitive," Koike told Nikkei. "[Rapidus plans to] open up technology that should be standardized, bringing down costs, while handling important technology in-house."
Financially, Rapidus faces a significant challenge, needing a total of ¥5 trillion ($35 billion) by the time mass production starts in 2027. The company estimates that ¥2 trillion will be required by 2025 for prototype production. While the Japanese government has provided ¥920 billion in aid, Rapidus still needs to secure substantial funding from private investors.
Due to its lack of track record and experience of chip production as. well as limited visibility for success, Rapidus is finding it difficult to attract private financing. The company is in discussions with the government to make it easier to raise capital, including potential loan guarantees, and is hopeful that new legislation will assist in this effort.
Semiconductors
The Endorfy Fortis 5 Dual Fan CPU Cooler Review: Towering Value Standard CPU coolers, while adequate for managing basic thermal loads, often fall short in terms of noise reduction and superior cooling efficiency. This limitation drives advanced users and system builders to seek aftermarket solutions tailored to their specific needs. The high-end aftermarket cooler market is highly competitive, with manufacturers striving to offer products with exceptional performance.
Endorfy, previously known as SilentiumPC, is a Polish manufacturer that has undergone a significant transformation to expand its presence in global markets. The brand is known for delivering high-performance cooling solutions with a strong focus on balancing efficiency and affordability. By rebranding as Endorfy, the company aims to enter premium market segments while continuing to offer reliable, high-quality cooling products.
SilentiumPC became very popular in the value/mainstream segments of the PC market with their products, the spearhead of which probably was the Fera 5 cooler that we reviewed a little over two years ago and had a remarkable value for money. Today’s review places Endorfy’s largest CPU cooler, the Fortis 5 Dual Fan, on our laboratory test bench. The Fortis 5 is the largest CPU air cooler the company currently offers and is significantly more expensive than the Fera 5, yet it still is a single-tower cooler that strives to strike a balance between value, compatibility, and performance.
Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Intel Sells Its Arm Shares, Reduces Stakes in Other Companies
Intel has divested its entire stake in Arm Holdings during the second quarter, raising approximately $147 million. Alongside this, Intel sold its stake in cybersecurity firm ZeroFox and reduced its holdings in Astera Labs, all as part of a broader effort to manage costs and recover cash amid significant financial challenges.
The sale of Intel's 1.18 million shares in Arm Holdings, as reported in a recent SEC filing, comes at a time when the company is struggling with substantial financial losses. Despite the $147 million generated from the sale, Intel reported a $120 million net loss on its equity investments for the quarter, which is a part of a larger $1.6 billion loss that Intel faced during this period.
In addition to selling its stake in Arm, Intel also exited its investment in ZeroFox and reduced its involvement with Astera Labs, a company known for developing connectivity platforms for enterprise hardware. These moves are in line with Intel's strategy to reduce costs and stabilize its financial position as it faces ongoing market challenges.
Despite the divestment, Intel's past investment in Arm was likely driven by strategic considerations. Arm Holdings is a significant force in the semiconductor industry, with its designs powering most mobile devices, and, for obvious reasons, Intel would like to address these. Intel and Arm are also collaborating on datacenter platforms tailored for Intel's 18A process technology. Additionally, Arm might view Intel as a potential licensee for its technologies and a valuable partner for other companies that license Arm's designs.
Intel's investment in Astera Labs was also a strategic one as the company probably wanted to secure steady supply of smart retimers, smart cable modems, and CXL memory controller, which are used in volumes in datacenters and Intel is certainly interested in selling as many datacenter CPUs as possible.
Intel's financial struggles were highlighted earlier this month when the company released a disappointing earnings report, which led to a 33% drop in its stock value, erasing billions of dollars of capitalization. To counter these difficulties, Intel announced plans to cut 15,000 jobs and implement other expense reductions. The company has also suspended its dividend, signaling the depth of its efforts to conserve cash and focus on recovery. When it comes to divestment of Arm stock, the need for immediate financial stabilization has presumably taken precedence, leading to the decision.
CPUs
Intel Sells Its Arm Shares, Reduces Stakes in Other Companies
Intel has divested its entire stake in Arm Holdings during the second quarter, raising approximately $147 million. Alongside this, Intel sold its stake in cybersecurity firm ZeroFox and reduced its holdings in Astera Labs, all as part of a broader effort to manage costs and recover cash amid significant financial challenges.
The sale of Intel's 1.18 million shares in Arm Holdings, as reported in a recent SEC filing, comes at a time when the company is struggling with substantial financial losses. Despite the $147 million generated from the sale, Intel reported a $120 million net loss on its equity investments for the quarter, which is a part of a larger $1.6 billion loss that Intel faced during this period.
In addition to selling its stake in Arm, Intel also exited its investment in ZeroFox and reduced its involvement with Astera Labs, a company known for developing connectivity platforms for enterprise hardware. These moves are in line with Intel's strategy to reduce costs and stabilize its financial position as it faces ongoing market challenges.
Despite the divestment, Intel's past investment in Arm was likely driven by strategic considerations. Arm Holdings is a significant force in the semiconductor industry, with its designs powering most mobile devices, and, for obvious reasons, Intel would like to address these. Intel and Arm are also collaborating on datacenter platforms tailored for Intel's 18A process technology. Additionally, Arm might view Intel as a potential licensee for its technologies and a valuable partner for other companies that license Arm's designs.
Intel's investment in Astera Labs was also a strategic one as the company probably wanted to secure steady supply of smart retimers, smart cable modems, and CXL memory controller, which are used in volumes in datacenters and Intel is certainly interested in selling as many datacenter CPUs as possible.
Intel's financial struggles were highlighted earlier this month when the company released a disappointing earnings report, which led to a 33% drop in its stock value, erasing billions of dollars of capitalization. To counter these difficulties, Intel announced plans to cut 15,000 jobs and implement other expense reductions. The company has also suspended its dividend, signaling the depth of its efforts to conserve cash and focus on recovery. When it comes to divestment of Arm stock, the need for immediate financial stabilization has presumably taken precedence, leading to the decision.
CPUs
Rapidus Wants to Offer Fully Automated Packaging for 2nm Fab to Cut Chip Lead Times
One of the core challenges that Rapidus will face when it kicks off volume production of chips on its 2nm-class process technology in 2027 is lining up customers. With Intel, Samsung, and TSMC all slated to offer their own 2nm-class nodes by that time, Rapidus will need some kind of advantage to attract customers away from its more established rivals. To that end, the company thinks they've found their edge: fully automated packaging that will allow for shorter chip lead times than manned packaging operations.
In an interview with Nikkei, Rapidus' president, Atsuyoshi Koike, outlined the company's vision to use advanced packaging as a competitive edge for the new fab. The Hokkaido facility, which is currently under construction and is expecting to begin equipment installation this December, is already slated to both produce chips and offer advanced packaging services within the same facility, an industry first. But ultimately, Rapidus biggest plan to differentiate itself is by automating the back-end fab processes (chip packaging) to provide significantly faster turnaround times.
Rapidus is targetting back-end production in particular as, compared to front-end (lithography) production, back-end production still heavily relies on human labor. No other advanced packaging fab has fully automated the process thus far, which provides for a degree of flexibility, but slows throughput. But with automation in place to handle this aspect of chip production, Rapidus would be able to increase chip packaging efficiency and speed, which is crucial as chip assembly tasks become more complex. Rapidus is also collaborating with multiple Japanese suppliers to source materials for back-end production.
"In the past, Japanese chipmakers tried to keep their technology development exclusively in-house, which pushed up development costs and made them less competitive," Koike told Nikkei. "[Rapidus plans to] open up technology that should be standardized, bringing down costs, while handling important technology in-house."
Financially, Rapidus faces a significant challenge, needing a total of ¥5 trillion ($35 billion) by the time mass production starts in 2027. The company estimates that ¥2 trillion will be required by 2025 for prototype production. While the Japanese government has provided ¥920 billion in aid, Rapidus still needs to secure substantial funding from private investors.
Due to its lack of track record and experience of chip production as. well as limited visibility for success, Rapidus is finding it difficult to attract private financing. The company is in discussions with the government to make it easier to raise capital, including potential loan guarantees, and is hopeful that new legislation will assist in this effort.
Semiconductors
The Endorfy Fortis 5 Dual Fan CPU Cooler Review: Towering Value Standard CPU coolers, while adequate for managing basic thermal loads, often fall short in terms of noise reduction and superior cooling efficiency. This limitation drives advanced users and system builders to seek aftermarket solutions tailored to their specific needs. The high-end aftermarket cooler market is highly competitive, with manufacturers striving to offer products with exceptional performance.
Endorfy, previously known as SilentiumPC, is a Polish manufacturer that has undergone a significant transformation to expand its presence in global markets. The brand is known for delivering high-performance cooling solutions with a strong focus on balancing efficiency and affordability. By rebranding as Endorfy, the company aims to enter premium market segments while continuing to offer reliable, high-quality cooling products.
SilentiumPC became very popular in the value/mainstream segments of the PC market with their products, the spearhead of which probably was the Fera 5 cooler that we reviewed a little over two years ago and had a remarkable value for money. Today’s review places Endorfy’s largest CPU cooler, the Fortis 5 Dual Fan, on our laboratory test bench. The Fortis 5 is the largest CPU air cooler the company currently offers and is significantly more expensive than the Fera 5, yet it still is a single-tower cooler that strives to strike a balance between value, compatibility, and performance.
Cases/Cooling/PSUs
MediaTek to Add NVIDIA G-Sync Support to Monitor Scalers, Make G-Sync Displays More Accessible
NVIDIA on Tuesday said that future monitor scalers from MediaTek will support its G-Sync technologies. NVIDIA is partnering with MediaTek to integrate its full range of G-Sync technologies into future monitors without requiring a standalone G-Sync module, which makes advanced gaming features more accessible across a broader range of displays.
Traditionally, G-Sync technology relied on a dedicated G-sync module – based on an Altera FPGA – to handle syncing display refresh rates with the GPU in order to reduce screen tearing, stutter, and input lag. As a more basic solution, in 2019 NVIDIA introduced G-Sync Compatible certification and branding, which leveraged the industry-standard VESA AdaptiveSync technology to handle variable refresh rates. In lieu of using a dedicated module, leveraging AdaptiveSync allowed for cheaper monitors, with NVIDIA's program serving as a stamp of approval that the monitor worked with NVIDIA GPUs and met NVIDIA's performance requirements. Still, G-Sync Compatible monitors still lack some features that, to date, require the dedicated G-Sync module.
Through this new partnership with MediaTek, MediaTek will bring support for all of NVIDIA's G-Sync technologies, including the latest G-Sync Pulsar, directly into their scalers. G-Sync Pulsar enhances motion clarity and reduces ghosting, providing a smoother gaming experience. In addition to variable refresh rates and Pulsar, MediaTek-based G-Sync displays will support such features as variable overdrive, 12-bit color, Ultra Low Motion Blur, low latency HDR, and Reflex Analyzer. This integration will allow more monitors to support a full range of G-Sync features without having to incorporate an expensive FPGA.
The first monitors to feature full G-Sync support without needing an NVIDIA module include the AOC Agon Pro AG276QSG2, Acer Predator XB273U F5, and ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG27AQNR. These monitors offer 360Hz refresh rates, 1440p resolution, and HDR support.
What remains to be seen is which specific MediaTek's scalers will support NVIDIA's G-Sync technology – or if the company is going to implement support into all of their scalers going forward. It also remains to be seen whether monitors with NVIDIA's dedicated G-Sync modules retain any advantages over displays with MediaTek's scalers.
Monitors
Silicon Motion Demonstrates Flexible Data Placement on MonTitan Gen 5 Enterprise SSD Platform
At FMS 2024, the technological requirements from the storage and memory subsystem took center stage. Both SSD and controller vendors had various demonstrations touting their suitability for different stages of the AI data pipeline - ingestion, preparation, training, checkpointing, and inference. Vendors like Solidigm have different types of SSDs optimized for different stages of the pipeline. At the same time, controller vendors have taken advantage of one of the features introduced recently in the NVM Express standard - Flexible Data Placement (FDP).
FDP involves the host providing information / hints about the areas where the controller could place the incoming write data in order to reduce the write amplification. These hints are generated based on specific block sizes advertised by the device. The feature is completely backwards-compatible, with non-FDP hosts working just as before with FDP-enabled SSDs, and vice-versa.
Silicon Motion's MonTitan Gen 5 Enterprise SSD Platform was announced back in 2022. Since then, Silicon Motion has been touting the flexibility of the platform, allowing its customers to incorporate their own features as part of the customization process. This approach is common in the enterprise space, as we have seen with Marvell's Bravera SC5 SSD controller in the DapuStor SSDs and Microchip's Flashtec controllers in the Longsys FORESEE enterprise SSDs.
At FMS 2024, the company was demonstrating the advantages of flexible data placement by allowing a single QLC SSD based on their MonTitan platform to take part in different stages of the AI data pipeline while maintaining the required quality of service (minimum bandwidth) for each process. The company even has a trademarked name (PerformaShape) for the firmware feature in the controller that allows the isolation of different concurrent SSD accesses (from different stages in the AI data pipeline) to guarantee this QoS. Silicon Motion claims that this scheme will enable its customers to get the maximum write performance possible from QLC SSDs without negatively impacting the performance of other types of accesses.
Silicon Motion and Phison have market leadership in the client SSD controller market with similar approaches. However, their enterprise SSD controller marketing couldn't be more different. While Phison has gone in for a turnkey solution with their Gen 5 SSD platform (to the extent of not adopting the white label route for this generation, and instead opting to get the SSDs qualified with different cloud service providers themselves), Silicon Motion is opting for a different approach. The flexibility and customization possibilities can make platforms like the MonTitan appeal to flash array vendors.
Storage
Kioxia Demonstrates RAID Offload Scheme for NVMe Drives
![](https://twitter.com/share?url=https://compbuddey.blogspot.com/2024/04/the-eurocom-780w-ac-power-adapter_45.html&text=The Eurocom 780W AC Power Adapter Review: Big Power For Big Laptops <p>While desktop PC power supplies receive the bulk of enthusiasts’ attention for good reasons – not the least of which being the vast selection of options that comes from being a standardized part – power supplies as a whole aren’t just a concern for big PCs. With the majority of PC sales having flipped to notebook sales some years ago, notebook power supplies already lead the market in volume. And while <em>most</em> laptops don’t need the kind of massively powered PSUs that dominate the desktop space, even that is slowly changing as desktop replacement-class laptops increasingly grow in performance and power consumption.</p>
<p>Perhaps the poster-child for the high-performance, high-powered laptop is Eurocom, who has a long history of developing heavy-duty DTR laptops that are all but portable desktop systems. Following recent trends in GPU power consumption and in GPU popularity for both gaming and AI workloads, the company has been selling a range of “mobile supercomputers”, which are practically large, tailor-made laptops that rival even the best of desktop computers – and have the power requirements to match.</p>
<p>In order to power their own high-end laptops, Eurocom has developed a rather unusual 780W AC adapter for high-performance laptops. Intended to power the most powerful of powerful laptops, their latest power adapter can supply over three-quarters of a kilowatt of DC power; a desktop-like wattage for a desktop-like device. It’s a laptop power adapter that’s unique in its scale, and with some room to scale up even further.</p>
<table border="0" style="text-align:center" width="88%">
<tbody>
<tr class="tgrey">
<td colspan="2">Eurocom 780W AC Adapter<br />
Power specifications</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tlblue">
<td>RAIL</td>
<td>+20V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tlgrey" rowspan="2">MAX OUTPUT</td>
<td>39A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>780W</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tlgrey">DIMENSIONS</td>
<td>325 x 110 x 40mm, 1.38kg</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tlgrey">AC INPUT</td>
<td>90 - 264 VAC, 50 - 60 Hz</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tlgrey">MSRP</td>
<td>PSU: <a href="https://eurocom.com/ec/configure(2,404,0)780W">$299</a>, Cable: <a href="https://eurocom.com/ec/pricelist(2,404)780W">$129+</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Eurocom has offered this adapter for a few years now. But it’s taken on a new life as more laptops have been released that use such a large adapter (or two smaller 300W-ish power adapters). And, critically, Eurocom has <a href="https://eurocom.com/ec/release(409)ec">made additional DC cable/connector sets for other manufactuers’ laptops</a>, significantly increasing the number of systems it’s compatible with. Currently, Eurocom offers DC cables for the following laptops:</p>
<ul>
<li>Alienware M17x M18x; 1x DC Cable ; w/ barrel AW connector; 193cm/6.4ft </li>
<li>Alienware AREA 51m; 1x DC Cable + Splitter Box w/ 2x barrel AW connectors; 152cm/5ft </li>
<li>ASUS ROG G18 Strix; GX501V; GM501; GM501GM; GX531GM; 1x DC Cable; w/ barrel ROG connector </li>
<li>ASUS G703GX, GZ700GX; 1x DC Cable w/ 2x ROG barrel connectors; 152cm/5ft </li>
<li>CLEVO, OriginPC, Sager, XMG, EUROCOM laptops; 1x DC Cable; w/ 4-pin round connector; 182cm / 6ft </li>
<li>CLEVO X370SNx; 1x DC Cable; w/ square connector; 120cm / 3.8ft </li>
<li>CLEVO X170SM/X170KM; 1x DC Cable; w/ dual square connectors; 152cm / 5ft </li>
<li>Dell Precision 7720/7710; 1x DC Cable; w/ barrel Dell connector; 120cm / 3.8ft </li>
<li>MSI GE76, GT76, GT77, GE78HX Raider, Titan 18HX 1x DC Cable; w/ single square connector; 120cm / 3.8ft </li>
<li>MSI laptops & MSI Trident AS Gaming Desktops; 1x DC Cable; w/ 4-pin round connector; 182cm / 6ft </li>
</ul>
<h2>The Eurocom 780W AC Adapter</h2>
<p>Externally, the Eurocom 780W AC adapter looks like a hybrid between a PC PSU and a laptop adapter. It is shaped like an oversized laptop AC adapter but has a metallic body and cooling vents/fans. Eurocom advertises that it weighs “only 1.34kg”, which is the weight of an entire 14-inch laptop by comparison, but is relatively lightweight for a PSU with that kind of power output. The company logo is debossed across the top side of the adapter, with four round anti-slip pads found at its bottom. Care needs to be taken while moving it around because the metallic edges and weight can spell trouble for wooden surfaces.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21331/the-eurocom-780w-ac-power-adapter-review-big-power-for-big-laptops"><img alt="" src="https://images.anandtech.com/doci/21331/EUROCOM_780W_AC_DC_ADAPTER_01b_575px.jpg" /></a></p>
<p>Eurocom installed a small information display on the AC adapter, which shows the current, voltage, and power output, as well as the temperature of the adapter. It is not perfectly accur... Cases/Cooling/PSUs){kind=link}
![](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://compbuddey.blogspot.com/2024/04/the-eurocom-780w-ac-power-adapter_45.html&media=https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vKC4Ro9kUyOyh8tYXuWCpw-94bQtdiOriOg71cdy8sS_9AVa06CPvhpVvpy-L80Y_gVQCsvGViaQIGbB8xTuhOUymf6IioE6A0Ee2I-yMbI9pTjQeb-lvIrCvg9nUG925yuSSWbvDdUJylFp2J9G9qt7wA&description=The Eurocom 780W AC Power Adapter Review: Big Power For Big Laptops <p>While desktop PC power supplies receive the bulk of enthusiasts’ attention for good reasons – not the least of which being the vast selection of options that comes from being a standardized part – power supplies as a whole aren’t just a concern for big PCs. With the majority of PC sales having flipped to notebook sales some years ago, notebook power supplies already lead the market in volume. And while <em>most</em> laptops don’t need the kind of massively powered PSUs that dominate the desktop space, even that is slowly changing as desktop replacement-class laptops increasingly grow in performance and power consumption.</p>
<p>Perhaps the poster-child for the high-performance, high-powered laptop is Eurocom, who has a long history of developing heavy-duty DTR laptops that are all but portable desktop systems. Following recent trends in GPU power consumption and in GPU popularity for both gaming and AI workloads, the company has been selling a range of “mobile supercomputers”, which are practically large, tailor-made laptops that rival even the best of desktop computers – and have the power requirements to match.</p>
<p>In order to power their own high-end laptops, Eurocom has developed a rather unusual 780W AC adapter for high-performance laptops. Intended to power the most powerful of powerful laptops, their latest power adapter can supply over three-quarters of a kilowatt of DC power; a desktop-like wattage for a desktop-like device. It’s a laptop power adapter that’s unique in its scale, and with some room to scale up even further.</p>
<table border="0" style="text-align:center" width="88%">
<tbody>
<tr class="tgrey">
<td colspan="2">Eurocom 780W AC Adapter<br />
Power specifications</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tlblue">
<td>RAIL</td>
<td>+20V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tlgrey" rowspan="2">MAX OUTPUT</td>
<td>39A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>780W</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tlgrey">DIMENSIONS</td>
<td>325 x 110 x 40mm, 1.38kg</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tlgrey">AC INPUT</td>
<td>90 - 264 VAC, 50 - 60 Hz</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tlgrey">MSRP</td>
<td>PSU: <a href="https://eurocom.com/ec/configure(2,404,0)780W">$299</a>, Cable: <a href="https://eurocom.com/ec/pricelist(2,404)780W">$129+</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Eurocom has offered this adapter for a few years now. But it’s taken on a new life as more laptops have been released that use such a large adapter (or two smaller 300W-ish power adapters). And, critically, Eurocom has <a href="https://eurocom.com/ec/release(409)ec">made additional DC cable/connector sets for other manufactuers’ laptops</a>, significantly increasing the number of systems it’s compatible with. Currently, Eurocom offers DC cables for the following laptops:</p>
<ul>
<li>Alienware M17x M18x; 1x DC Cable ; w/ barrel AW connector; 193cm/6.4ft </li>
<li>Alienware AREA 51m; 1x DC Cable + Splitter Box w/ 2x barrel AW connectors; 152cm/5ft </li>
<li>ASUS ROG G18 Strix; GX501V; GM501; GM501GM; GX531GM; 1x DC Cable; w/ barrel ROG connector </li>
<li>ASUS G703GX, GZ700GX; 1x DC Cable w/ 2x ROG barrel connectors; 152cm/5ft </li>
<li>CLEVO, OriginPC, Sager, XMG, EUROCOM laptops; 1x DC Cable; w/ 4-pin round connector; 182cm / 6ft </li>
<li>CLEVO X370SNx; 1x DC Cable; w/ square connector; 120cm / 3.8ft </li>
<li>CLEVO X170SM/X170KM; 1x DC Cable; w/ dual square connectors; 152cm / 5ft </li>
<li>Dell Precision 7720/7710; 1x DC Cable; w/ barrel Dell connector; 120cm / 3.8ft </li>
<li>MSI GE76, GT76, GT77, GE78HX Raider, Titan 18HX 1x DC Cable; w/ single square connector; 120cm / 3.8ft </li>
<li>MSI laptops & MSI Trident AS Gaming Desktops; 1x DC Cable; w/ 4-pin round connector; 182cm / 6ft </li>
</ul>
<h2>The Eurocom 780W AC Adapter</h2>
<p>Externally, the Eurocom 780W AC adapter looks like a hybrid between a PC PSU and a laptop adapter. It is shaped like an oversized laptop AC adapter but has a metallic body and cooling vents/fans. Eurocom advertises that it weighs “only 1.34kg”, which is the weight of an entire 14-inch laptop by comparison, but is relatively lightweight for a PSU with that kind of power output. The company logo is debossed across the top side of the adapter, with four round anti-slip pads found at its bottom. Care needs to be taken while moving it around because the metallic edges and weight can spell trouble for wooden surfaces.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21331/the-eurocom-780w-ac-power-adapter-review-big-power-for-big-laptops"><img alt="" src="https://images.anandtech.com/doci/21331/EUROCOM_780W_AC_DC_ADAPTER_01b_575px.jpg" /></a></p>
<p>Eurocom installed a small information display on the AC adapter, which shows the current, voltage, and power output, as well as the temperature of the adapter. It is not perfectly accur... Cases/Cooling/PSUs){kind=link}
![](https://web.whatsapp.com/send?text=The Eurocom 780W AC Power Adapter Review: Big Power For Big Laptops <p>While desktop PC power supplies receive the bulk of enthusiasts’ attention for good reasons – not the least of which being the vast selection of options that comes from being a standardized part – power supplies as a whole aren’t just a concern for big PCs. With the majority of PC sales having flipped to notebook sales some years ago, notebook power supplies already lead the market in volume. And while <em>most</em> laptops don’t need the kind of massively powered PSUs that dominate the desktop space, even that is slowly changing as desktop replacement-class laptops increasingly grow in performance and power consumption.</p>
<p>Perhaps the poster-child for the high-performance, high-powered laptop is Eurocom, who has a long history of developing heavy-duty DTR laptops that are all but portable desktop systems. Following recent trends in GPU power consumption and in GPU popularity for both gaming and AI workloads, the company has been selling a range of “mobile supercomputers”, which are practically large, tailor-made laptops that rival even the best of desktop computers – and have the power requirements to match.</p>
<p>In order to power their own high-end laptops, Eurocom has developed a rather unusual 780W AC adapter for high-performance laptops. Intended to power the most powerful of powerful laptops, their latest power adapter can supply over three-quarters of a kilowatt of DC power; a desktop-like wattage for a desktop-like device. It’s a laptop power adapter that’s unique in its scale, and with some room to scale up even further.</p>
<table border="0" style="text-align:center" width="88%">
<tbody>
<tr class="tgrey">
<td colspan="2">Eurocom 780W AC Adapter<br />
Power specifications</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tlblue">
<td>RAIL</td>
<td>+20V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tlgrey" rowspan="2">MAX OUTPUT</td>
<td>39A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>780W</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tlgrey">DIMENSIONS</td>
<td>325 x 110 x 40mm, 1.38kg</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tlgrey">AC INPUT</td>
<td>90 - 264 VAC, 50 - 60 Hz</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tlgrey">MSRP</td>
<td>PSU: <a href="https://eurocom.com/ec/configure(2,404,0)780W">$299</a>, Cable: <a href="https://eurocom.com/ec/pricelist(2,404)780W">$129+</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Eurocom has offered this adapter for a few years now. But it’s taken on a new life as more laptops have been released that use such a large adapter (or two smaller 300W-ish power adapters). And, critically, Eurocom has <a href="https://eurocom.com/ec/release(409)ec">made additional DC cable/connector sets for other manufactuers’ laptops</a>, significantly increasing the number of systems it’s compatible with. Currently, Eurocom offers DC cables for the following laptops:</p>
<ul>
<li>Alienware M17x M18x; 1x DC Cable ; w/ barrel AW connector; 193cm/6.4ft </li>
<li>Alienware AREA 51m; 1x DC Cable + Splitter Box w/ 2x barrel AW connectors; 152cm/5ft </li>
<li>ASUS ROG G18 Strix; GX501V; GM501; GM501GM; GX531GM; 1x DC Cable; w/ barrel ROG connector </li>
<li>ASUS G703GX, GZ700GX; 1x DC Cable w/ 2x ROG barrel connectors; 152cm/5ft </li>
<li>CLEVO, OriginPC, Sager, XMG, EUROCOM laptops; 1x DC Cable; w/ 4-pin round connector; 182cm / 6ft </li>
<li>CLEVO X370SNx; 1x DC Cable; w/ square connector; 120cm / 3.8ft </li>
<li>CLEVO X170SM/X170KM; 1x DC Cable; w/ dual square connectors; 152cm / 5ft </li>
<li>Dell Precision 7720/7710; 1x DC Cable; w/ barrel Dell connector; 120cm / 3.8ft </li>
<li>MSI GE76, GT76, GT77, GE78HX Raider, Titan 18HX 1x DC Cable; w/ single square connector; 120cm / 3.8ft </li>
<li>MSI laptops & MSI Trident AS Gaming Desktops; 1x DC Cable; w/ 4-pin round connector; 182cm / 6ft </li>
</ul>
<h2>The Eurocom 780W AC Adapter</h2>
<p>Externally, the Eurocom 780W AC adapter looks like a hybrid between a PC PSU and a laptop adapter. It is shaped like an oversized laptop AC adapter but has a metallic body and cooling vents/fans. Eurocom advertises that it weighs “only 1.34kg”, which is the weight of an entire 14-inch laptop by comparison, but is relatively lightweight for a PSU with that kind of power output. The company logo is debossed across the top side of the adapter, with four round anti-slip pads found at its bottom. Care needs to be taken while moving it around because the metallic edges and weight can spell trouble for wooden surfaces.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21331/the-eurocom-780w-ac-power-adapter-review-big-power-for-big-laptops"><img alt="" src="https://images.anandtech.com/doci/21331/EUROCOM_780W_AC_DC_ADAPTER_01b_575px.jpg" /></a></p>
<p>Eurocom installed a small information display on the AC adapter, which shows the current, voltage, and power output, as well as the temperature of the adapter. It is not perfectly accur... Cases/Cooling/PSUs | https://compbuddey.blogspot.com/2024/04/the-eurocom-780w-ac-power-adapter_45.html){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=The Eurocom 780W AC Power Adapter Review: Big Power For Big Laptops <p>While desktop PC power supplies receive the bulk of enthusiasts’ attention for good reasons – not the least of which being the vast selection of options that comes from being a standardized part – power supplies as a whole aren’t just a concern for big PCs. With the majority of PC sales having flipped to notebook sales some years ago, notebook power supplies already lead the market in volume. And while <em>most</em> laptops don’t need the kind of massively powered PSUs that dominate the desktop space, even that is slowly changing as desktop replacement-class laptops increasingly grow in performance and power consumption.</p>
<p>Perhaps the poster-child for the high-performance, high-powered laptop is Eurocom, who has a long history of developing heavy-duty DTR laptops that are all but portable desktop systems. Following recent trends in GPU power consumption and in GPU popularity for both gaming and AI workloads, the company has been selling a range of “mobile supercomputers”, which are practically large, tailor-made laptops that rival even the best of desktop computers – and have the power requirements to match.</p>
<p>In order to power their own high-end laptops, Eurocom has developed a rather unusual 780W AC adapter for high-performance laptops. Intended to power the most powerful of powerful laptops, their latest power adapter can supply over three-quarters of a kilowatt of DC power; a desktop-like wattage for a desktop-like device. It’s a laptop power adapter that’s unique in its scale, and with some room to scale up even further.</p>
<table border="0" style="text-align:center" width="88%">
<tbody>
<tr class="tgrey">
<td colspan="2">Eurocom 780W AC Adapter<br />
Power specifications</td>
</tr>
<tr class="tlblue">
<td>RAIL</td>
<td>+20V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tlgrey" rowspan="2">MAX OUTPUT</td>
<td>39A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>780W</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tlgrey">DIMENSIONS</td>
<td>325 x 110 x 40mm, 1.38kg</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tlgrey">AC INPUT</td>
<td>90 - 264 VAC, 50 - 60 Hz</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tlgrey">MSRP</td>
<td>PSU: <a href="https://eurocom.com/ec/configure(2,404,0)780W">$299</a>, Cable: <a href="https://eurocom.com/ec/pricelist(2,404)780W">$129+</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Eurocom has offered this adapter for a few years now. But it’s taken on a new life as more laptops have been released that use such a large adapter (or two smaller 300W-ish power adapters). And, critically, Eurocom has <a href="https://eurocom.com/ec/release(409)ec">made additional DC cable/connector sets for other manufactuers’ laptops</a>, significantly increasing the number of systems it’s compatible with. Currently, Eurocom offers DC cables for the following laptops:</p>
<ul>
<li>Alienware M17x M18x; 1x DC Cable ; w/ barrel AW connector; 193cm/6.4ft </li>
<li>Alienware AREA 51m; 1x DC Cable + Splitter Box w/ 2x barrel AW connectors; 152cm/5ft </li>
<li>ASUS ROG G18 Strix; GX501V; GM501; GM501GM; GX531GM; 1x DC Cable; w/ barrel ROG connector </li>
<li>ASUS G703GX, GZ700GX; 1x DC Cable w/ 2x ROG barrel connectors; 152cm/5ft </li>
<li>CLEVO, OriginPC, Sager, XMG, EUROCOM laptops; 1x DC Cable; w/ 4-pin round connector; 182cm / 6ft </li>
<li>CLEVO X370SNx; 1x DC Cable; w/ square connector; 120cm / 3.8ft </li>
<li>CLEVO X170SM/X170KM; 1x DC Cable; w/ dual square connectors; 152cm / 5ft </li>
<li>Dell Precision 7720/7710; 1x DC Cable; w/ barrel Dell connector; 120cm / 3.8ft </li>
<li>MSI GE76, GT76, GT77, GE78HX Raider, Titan 18HX 1x DC Cable; w/ single square connector; 120cm / 3.8ft </li>
<li>MSI laptops & MSI Trident AS Gaming Desktops; 1x DC Cable; w/ 4-pin round connector; 182cm / 6ft </li>
</ul>
<h2>The Eurocom 780W AC Adapter</h2>
<p>Externally, the Eurocom 780W AC adapter looks like a hybrid between a PC PSU and a laptop adapter. It is shaped like an oversized laptop AC adapter but has a metallic body and cooling vents/fans. Eurocom advertises that it weighs “only 1.34kg”, which is the weight of an entire 14-inch laptop by comparison, but is relatively lightweight for a PSU with that kind of power output. The company logo is debossed across the top side of the adapter, with four round anti-slip pads found at its bottom. Care needs to be taken while moving it around because the metallic edges and weight can spell trouble for wooden surfaces.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21331/the-eurocom-780w-ac-power-adapter-review-big-power-for-big-laptops"><img alt="" src="https://images.anandtech.com/doci/21331/EUROCOM_780W_AC_DC_ADAPTER_01b_575px.jpg" /></a></p>
<p>Eurocom installed a small information display on the AC adapter, which shows the current, voltage, and power output, as well as the temperature of the adapter. It is not perfectly accur... Cases/Cooling/PSUs&body=https://compbuddey.blogspot.com/2024/04/the-eurocom-780w-ac-power-adapter_45.html){kind=link}
At FMS 2024, Kioxia had a proof-of-concept demonstration of their proposed a new RAID offload methodology for enterprise SSDs. The impetus for this is quite clear: as SSDs get faster in each generation, RAID arrays have a major problem of maintaining (and scaling up) performance. Even in cases where the RAID operations are handled by a dedicated RAID card, a simple write request in, say, a RAID 5 array would involve two reads and two writes to different drives. In cases where there is no hardware acceleration, the data from the reads needs to travel all the way back to the CPU and main memory for further processing before the writes can be done.
Kioxia has proposed the use of the PCIe direct memory access feature along with the SSD controller's controller memory buffer (CMB) to avoid the movement of data up to the CPU and back. The required parity computation is done by an accelerator block resident within the SSD controller.
In Kioxia's PoC implementation, the DMA engine can access the entire host address space (including the peer SSD's BAR-mapped CMB), allowing it to receive and transfer data as required from neighboring SSDs on the bus. Kioxia noted that their offload PoC saw close to 50% reduction in CPU utilization and upwards of 90% reduction in system DRAM utilization compared to software RAID done on the CPU. The proposed offload scheme can also handle scrubbing operations without taking up the host CPU cycles for the parity computation task.
Kioxia has already taken steps to contribute these features to the NVM Express working group. If accepted, the proposed offload scheme will be part of a standard that could become widely available across multiple SSD vendors.
Storage
Rapidus Wants to Offer Fully Automated Packaging for 2nm Fab to Cut Chip Lead Times
One of the core challenges that Rapidus will face when it kicks off volume production of chips on its 2nm-class process technology in 2027 is lining up customers. With Intel, Samsung, and TSMC all slated to offer their own 2nm-class nodes by that time, Rapidus will need some kind of advantage to attract customers away from its more established rivals. To that end, the company thinks they've found their edge: fully automated packaging that will allow for shorter chip lead times than manned packaging operations.
In an interview with Nikkei, Rapidus' president, Atsuyoshi Koike, outlined the company's vision to use advanced packaging as a competitive edge for the new fab. The Hokkaido facility, which is currently under construction and is expecting to begin equipment installation this December, is already slated to both produce chips and offer advanced packaging services within the same facility, an industry first. But ultimately, Rapidus biggest plan to differentiate itself is by automating the back-end fab processes (chip packaging) to provide significantly faster turnaround times.
Rapidus is targetting back-end production in particular as, compared to front-end (lithography) production, back-end production still heavily relies on human labor. No other advanced packaging fab has fully automated the process thus far, which provides for a degree of flexibility, but slows throughput. But with automation in place to handle this aspect of chip production, Rapidus would be able to increase chip packaging efficiency and speed, which is crucial as chip assembly tasks become more complex. Rapidus is also collaborating with multiple Japanese suppliers to source materials for back-end production.
"In the past, Japanese chipmakers tried to keep their technology development exclusively in-house, which pushed up development costs and made them less competitive," Koike told Nikkei. "[Rapidus plans to] open up technology that should be standardized, bringing down costs, while handling important technology in-house."
Financially, Rapidus faces a significant challenge, needing a total of ¥5 trillion ($35 billion) by the time mass production starts in 2027. The company estimates that ¥2 trillion will be required by 2025 for prototype production. While the Japanese government has provided ¥920 billion in aid, Rapidus still needs to secure substantial funding from private investors.
Due to its lack of track record and experience of chip production as. well as limited visibility for success, Rapidus is finding it difficult to attract private financing. The company is in discussions with the government to make it easier to raise capital, including potential loan guarantees, and is hopeful that new legislation will assist in this effort.
Semiconductors
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's.
Intel Sells Its Arm Shares, Reduces Stakes in Other Companies
Intel has divested its entire stake in Arm Holdings during the second quarter, raising approximately $147 million. Alongside this, Intel sold its stake in cybersecurity firm ZeroFox and reduced its holdings in Astera Labs, all as part of a broader effort to manage costs and recover cash amid significant financial challenges.
The sale of Intel's 1.18 million shares in Arm Holdings, as reported in a recent SEC filing, comes at a time when the company is struggling with substantial financial losses. Despite the $147 million generated from the sale, Intel reported a $120 million net loss on its equity investments for the quarter, which is a part of a larger $1.6 billion loss that Intel faced during this period.
In addition to selling its stake in Arm, Intel also exited its investment in ZeroFox and reduced its involvement with Astera Labs, a company known for developing connectivity platforms for enterprise hardware. These moves are in line with Intel's strategy to reduce costs and stabilize its financial position as it faces ongoing market challenges.
Despite the divestment, Intel's past investment in Arm was likely driven by strategic considerations. Arm Holdings is a significant force in the semiconductor industry, with its designs powering most mobile devices, and, for obvious reasons, Intel would like to address these. Intel and Arm are also collaborating on datacenter platforms tailored for Intel's 18A process technology. Additionally, Arm might view Intel as a potential licensee for its technologies and a valuable partner for other companies that license Arm's designs.
Intel's investment in Astera Labs was also a strategic one as the company probably wanted to secure steady supply of smart retimers, smart cable modems, and CXL memory controller, which are used in volumes in datacenters and Intel is certainly interested in selling as many datacenter CPUs as possible.
Intel's financial struggles were highlighted earlier this month when the company released a disappointing earnings report, which led to a 33% drop in its stock value, erasing billions of dollars of capitalization. To counter these difficulties, Intel announced plans to cut 15,000 jobs and implement other expense reductions. The company has also suspended its dividend, signaling the depth of its efforts to conserve cash and focus on recovery. When it comes to divestment of Arm stock, the need for immediate financial stabilization has presumably taken precedence, leading to the decision.
CPUs
Intel Sells Its Arm Shares, Reduces Stakes in Other Companies
Intel has divested its entire stake in Arm Holdings during the second quarter, raising approximately $147 million. Alongside this, Intel sold its stake in cybersecurity firm ZeroFox and reduced its holdings in Astera Labs, all as part of a broader effort to manage costs and recover cash amid significant financial challenges.
The sale of Intel's 1.18 million shares in Arm Holdings, as reported in a recent SEC filing, comes at a time when the company is struggling with substantial financial losses. Despite the $147 million generated from the sale, Intel reported a $120 million net loss on its equity investments for the quarter, which is a part of a larger $1.6 billion loss that Intel faced during this period.
In addition to selling its stake in Arm, Intel also exited its investment in ZeroFox and reduced its involvement with Astera Labs, a company known for developing connectivity platforms for enterprise hardware. These moves are in line with Intel's strategy to reduce costs and stabilize its financial position as it faces ongoing market challenges.
Despite the divestment, Intel's past investment in Arm was likely driven by strategic considerations. Arm Holdings is a significant force in the semiconductor industry, with its designs powering most mobile devices, and, for obvious reasons, Intel would like to address these. Intel and Arm are also collaborating on datacenter platforms tailored for Intel's 18A process technology. Additionally, Arm might view Intel as a potential licensee for its technologies and a valuable partner for other companies that license Arm's designs.
Intel's investment in Astera Labs was also a strategic one as the company probably wanted to secure steady supply of smart retimers, smart cable modems, and CXL memory controller, which are used in volumes in datacenters and Intel is certainly interested in selling as many datacenter CPUs as possible.
Intel's financial struggles were highlighted earlier this month when the company released a disappointing earnings report, which led to a 33% drop in its stock value, erasing billions of dollars of capitalization. To counter these difficulties, Intel announced plans to cut 15,000 jobs and implement other expense reductions. The company has also suspended its dividend, signaling the depth of its efforts to conserve cash and focus on recovery. When it comes to divestment of Arm stock, the need for immediate financial stabilization has presumably taken precedence, leading to the decision.
CPUs
Rapidus Wants to Offer Fully Automated Packaging for 2nm Fab to Cut Chip Lead Times
One of the core challenges that Rapidus will face when it kicks off volume production of chips on its 2nm-class process technology in 2027 is lining up customers. With Intel, Samsung, and TSMC all slated to offer their own 2nm-class nodes by that time, Rapidus will need some kind of advantage to attract customers away from its more established rivals. To that end, the company thinks they've found their edge: fully automated packaging that will allow for shorter chip lead times than manned packaging operations.
In an interview with Nikkei, Rapidus' president, Atsuyoshi Koike, outlined the company's vision to use advanced packaging as a competitive edge for the new fab. The Hokkaido facility, which is currently under construction and is expecting to begin equipment installation this December, is already slated to both produce chips and offer advanced packaging services within the same facility, an industry first. But ultimately, Rapidus biggest plan to differentiate itself is by automating the back-end fab processes (chip packaging) to provide significantly faster turnaround times.
Rapidus is targetting back-end production in particular as, compared to front-end (lithography) production, back-end production still heavily relies on human labor. No other advanced packaging fab has fully automated the process thus far, which provides for a degree of flexibility, but slows throughput. But with automation in place to handle this aspect of chip production, Rapidus would be able to increase chip packaging efficiency and speed, which is crucial as chip assembly tasks become more complex. Rapidus is also collaborating with multiple Japanese suppliers to source materials for back-end production.
"In the past, Japanese chipmakers tried to keep their technology development exclusively in-house, which pushed up development costs and made them less competitive," Koike told Nikkei. "[Rapidus plans to] open up technology that should be standardized, bringing down costs, while handling important technology in-house."
Financially, Rapidus faces a significant challenge, needing a total of ¥5 trillion ($35 billion) by the time mass production starts in 2027. The company estimates that ¥2 trillion will be required by 2025 for prototype production. While the Japanese government has provided ¥920 billion in aid, Rapidus still needs to secure substantial funding from private investors.
Due to its lack of track record and experience of chip production as. well as limited visibility for success, Rapidus is finding it difficult to attract private financing. The company is in discussions with the government to make it easier to raise capital, including potential loan guarantees, and is hopeful that new legislation will assist in this effort.
Semiconductors
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