While the all-in-one CPU cooler industry is dominated, at least in mindshare, by flagship coolers from the industry’s biggest brands, the market segment overall has grown over the years to cover a much larger gamut of users. From flagship coolers to sub-$100 specials, effective AIO coolers have become available and affordable for most mid-range and higher builds. Thanks in part to some intensive competition in this space, we’ve seen several vendors bring down even 360mm coolers to the sub-$100 market in an effort to get in an edge over their competitors, and a sale in the process.
Looking at an opportunity to grow their own customer base, even the normally premium-focused AlphaCool has opted to get into this action with their Core Ocean lineup of coolers. And today, we're taking a closer look at the Core Ocean T38 360mm, AlphaCool's latest entry-level AIO cooler.
At a high level, the Core Ocean T38 has been designed to balance performance with manufacturing costs, allowing the company to put together an effective cooler that can still be priced low enough to reach budget-conscious consumers. Sticking with an aluminum radiator and keeping the frills such as RGB lighting to a minimum, the T38 is primarily aimed at system builders who require straightforward, effective cooling solutions – and without the complexity of AlphaCool's renowned open-loop custom liquid cooling kits. As we'll see, nothing comes for free, but AlphaCool has been able to put together a rather effective CPU cooler for $100 that's hard to ignore.
Cases/Cooling/PSUsAMD has recently expanded its Ryzen 8000 series by introducing the Ryzen 7 8700F and Ryzen 5 8400F processors. Initially launched in China, these chips were added to AMD's global website, signaling they are available worldwide, apparently from April 1st. Built from the recent Zen 4-based Phoenix APUs using the TSMC 4nm node as their Zen 4 mobile chips, these new CPUs lack integrated graphics. However, the Ryzen 7 8700F does include the integrated Ryzen AI NPU for added capabilities in a world currently dominated by AI and moving it directly into the PC.
The company's decision to announce these chips in China aligns with its strategy to offer Ryzen solutions at every price point in the market. Although AMD didn't initially disclose the full specifications of these F-series models, and we did reach out to the company to ask about them, they refused to discuss them with us. Their listing on the website has now been updated with a complete list of specifications and features, with everything but the price mentioned.
| AMD Ryzen 8000G vs. Ryzen 8000F Series (Desktop) Zen 4 (Phoenix) |
|||||||||
| AnandTech | Cores/Threads | Base Freq |
Turbo Freq |
GPU | GPU Freq |
Ryzen AI (NPU) |
L3 Cache (MB) |
TDP | MSRP |
| Ryzen 7 | |||||||||
| Ryzen 7 8700G | 8/16 | 4200 | 5100 | R780M 12 CUs |
2900 | Y | 16 | 65W | $329 |
| Ryzen 7 8700F | 8/16 | 4100 | 5000 | - | - | Y | 16 | 65W | ? |
| Ryzen 5 | |||||||||
| Ryzen 5 8600G | 6/12 | 4300 | 5000 | R760M 8 CUs |
2800 | Y | 16 | 65W | $229 |
| Ryzen 5 8400F | 6/12 | 4200 | 4700 | - | - | N | 16 | 65W | ? |
The Ryzen 7 8700F features an 8C/16T design, with 16MB of L3 cache and the same 65W TDP as the Ryzen 7 8700G. Although the base clock speed is 4.1 GHz, it boosts to 5.0 GHz; this is 100 MHz less on both base/boost clocks than the 8700G. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 5 8400F is a slightly scaled-down version of the Ryzen 8600G APU, with 6C/12, 16MB of L3 cache, and again has a 100 MHz reduction to base clocks compared to the 8600G. Unlike the Ryzen 5 8400F, the Ryzen 7 8700F keeps AMD's Ryzen AI NPU, adding additional capability for generative AI.
The Ryzen 5 8400F can boost up to 4.7 GHz, 300 MHz slower than the Ryzen 5 8600G. AMD also allows overclocking for these new F-series chips, which means users could potentially boost the performance of these processors to match their G-series equivalents.
Pricing details are still pending, but to remain competitive, AMD will likely need to price these CPUs below the 8700G and 8600G, as well as the Ryzen 7 7700 and Ryzen 5 7600. These CPUs offer, albeit very limited, integrated graphics and have double the L3 cache capacity, along with higher boost clocks than the 8000F series chips, so pricing is something to consider whenever pricing becomes available.
CPUsAMD has recently expanded its Ryzen 8000 series by introducing the Ryzen 7 8700F and Ryzen 5 8400F processors. Initially launched in China, these chips were added to AMD's global website, signaling they are available worldwide, apparently from April 1st. Built from the recent Zen 4-based Phoenix APUs using the TSMC 4nm node as their Zen 4 mobile chips, these new CPUs lack integrated graphics. However, the Ryzen 7 8700F does include the integrated Ryzen AI NPU for added capabilities in a world currently dominated by AI and moving it directly into the PC.
The company's decision to announce these chips in China aligns with its strategy to offer Ryzen solutions at every price point in the market. Although AMD didn't initially disclose the full specifications of these F-series models, and we did reach out to the company to ask about them, they refused to discuss them with us. Their listing on the website has now been updated with a complete list of specifications and features, with everything but the price mentioned.
| AMD Ryzen 8000G vs. Ryzen 8000F Series (Desktop) Zen 4 (Phoenix) |
|||||||||
| AnandTech | Cores/Threads | Base Freq |
Turbo Freq |
GPU | GPU Freq |
Ryzen AI (NPU) |
L3 Cache (MB) |
TDP | MSRP |
| Ryzen 7 | |||||||||
| Ryzen 7 8700G | 8/16 | 4200 | 5100 | R780M 12 CUs |
2900 | Y | 16 | 65W | $329 |
| Ryzen 7 8700F | 8/16 | 4100 | 5000 | - | - | Y | 16 | 65W | ? |
| Ryzen 5 | |||||||||
| Ryzen 5 8600G | 6/12 | 4300 | 5000 | R760M 8 CUs |
2800 | Y | 16 | 65W | $229 |
| Ryzen 5 8400F | 6/12 | 4200 | 4700 | - | - | N | 16 | 65W | ? |
The Ryzen 7 8700F features an 8C/16T design, with 16MB of L3 cache and the same 65W TDP as the Ryzen 7 8700G. Although the base clock speed is 4.1 GHz, it boosts to 5.0 GHz; this is 100 MHz less on both base/boost clocks than the 8700G. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 5 8400F is a slightly scaled-down version of the Ryzen 8600G APU, with 6C/12, 16MB of L3 cache, and again has a 100 MHz reduction to base clocks compared to the 8600G. Unlike the Ryzen 5 8400F, the Ryzen 7 8700F keeps AMD's Ryzen AI NPU, adding additional capability for generative AI.
The Ryzen 5 8400F can boost up to 4.7 GHz, 300 MHz slower than the Ryzen 5 8600G. AMD also allows overclocking for these new F-series chips, which means users could potentially boost the performance of these processors to match their G-series equivalents.
Pricing details are still pending, but to remain competitive, AMD will likely need to price these CPUs below the 8700G and 8600G, as well as the Ryzen 7 7700 and Ryzen 5 7600. These CPUs offer, albeit very limited, integrated graphics and have double the L3 cache capacity, along with higher boost clocks than the 8000F series chips, so pricing is something to consider whenever pricing becomes available.
CPUsOn Tuesday, Noctua introduced its second-generation NH-D15 cooler, which offers refined performance and formally supports Intel's next-generation Arrow Lake-S processors in LGA1851 packaging. Alongside its NH-D15 G2 CPU cooler, Noctua also introduced its NF-A14x25r G2 140mm fans.
The Noctua NH-D15 G2 is an enhanced version of the popular NH-D15 cooler with eight heat pipes, two asymmetrical fin-stack and two speed-offset 140-mm PWM fans (to avoid acoustic interaction phenomena such as periodic humming or intermittent vibrations). According to the manufacturer, these key components are tailored to work efficiently together to deliver superior quiet cooling performance, rivalling many all-in-one water cooling systems and pushing the boundaries of air cooling efficiency.
Noctua offers the NH-D15 G2 in three versions to address the specific requirements of modern CPUs. The regular version is versatile and can be used for AMD's AM5 processors and Intel's LGA1700 CPUs with included mounting accessories. The HBC (High Base Convexity) variant is tailored for LGA1700 processors, especially those subjected to full ILM pressure or those that have deformed over time, ensuring excellent contact quality despite the concave shape of the CPU. Finally, the LBC (Low Base Convexity) version is tailored for flat rectangular CPUs, providing optimal contact on AMD's AM5 and other similar processors.
While there are three versions of NH-D15 G2 aimed at different processors, they are all said to be compatible with a wide range of motherboards and other hardware. The new coolers' offset construction ensures clearance for the top PCIe x16 slot on most current motherboards. Additionally, they feature the upgraded Torx-based SecuFirm2+ multi-socket mounting system and come with Noctua's NT-H2 thermal compound.
For those looking to upgrade existing coolers like the NH-D15, NH-D15S, or NH-U14S series, Noctua is also releasing the NF-A14x25r G2 fans separately. These round-frame fans are fine-tuned in single and dual fan packages to minimize noise levels while offering decent cooling performance.
Finally, Noctua is also prepping a square-frame version of the NF-A14x25 G2 fan for release in September. This variant targets water-cooling radiators and case-cooling applications and promises to extend the versatility of Noctua's cooling solutions further.
All versions of Noctua's NH-D15 G2 coolers cost $149.90/€149.90. One NF-A14x25 G2 fan costs $39.90/€39.90, whereas a package of two fans costs $79.80/€79.80. The cooler is backed with a six-year warranty.
Cases/Cooling/PSUsSolidigm's D5-P5336 61.44 TB enterprise QLC SSD released in mid-2023 has seen unprecedented demand over the last few quarters, driven by the insatiable demand for high-capacity storage in AI datacenters. Multiple vendors have recognized and started preparing products to service this demand, but Solidigm appears to have taken the lead in actual market availability.
At FMS 2024, Solidigm previewed a U.2 version of their upcoming 122 TB enterprise QLC SSD. The proof-of-concept Gen 4 drives were running live in a 2U server, and Solidigm is preparing them for an early 2025 release.
Given the capacity play, Solidigm will be relying on QLC technology. However, the company was coy about confirming the NAND generation used in the product.

Source: The Advantages of Floating Gate Technology (YouTube)
The 61.44 TB D5-P5336 currently utilizes Solidigm's 192L 3D QLC based on the floating gate architecture. This has a distinct advantage for QLC endurance compared to the charge trap architecture also available to Solidigm from SK hynix. That said, SK hynix's 238L NAND also has a QLC avatar, which gives Solidigm the flexibility to use either NAND for the production version of the 122 TB drive. Solidigm expects to confirm this by the end of year in preparation for volume shipment in the first half of 2025.
StorageOn Tuesday, Noctua introduced its second-generation NH-D15 cooler, which offers refined performance and formally supports Intel's next-generation Arrow Lake-S processors in LGA1851 packaging. Alongside its NH-D15 G2 CPU cooler, Noctua also introduced its NF-A14x25r G2 140mm fans.
The Noctua NH-D15 G2 is an enhanced version of the popular NH-D15 cooler with eight heat pipes, two asymmetrical fin-stack and two speed-offset 140-mm PWM fans (to avoid acoustic interaction phenomena such as periodic humming or intermittent vibrations). According to the manufacturer, these key components are tailored to work efficiently together to deliver superior quiet cooling performance, rivalling many all-in-one water cooling systems and pushing the boundaries of air cooling efficiency.
Noctua offers the NH-D15 G2 in three versions to address the specific requirements of modern CPUs. The regular version is versatile and can be used for AMD's AM5 processors and Intel's LGA1700 CPUs with included mounting accessories. The HBC (High Base Convexity) variant is tailored for LGA1700 processors, especially those subjected to full ILM pressure or those that have deformed over time, ensuring excellent contact quality despite the concave shape of the CPU. Finally, the LBC (Low Base Convexity) version is tailored for flat rectangular CPUs, providing optimal contact on AMD's AM5 and other similar processors.
While there are three versions of NH-D15 G2 aimed at different processors, they are all said to be compatible with a wide range of motherboards and other hardware. The new coolers' offset construction ensures clearance for the top PCIe x16 slot on most current motherboards. Additionally, they feature the upgraded Torx-based SecuFirm2+ multi-socket mounting system and come with Noctua's NT-H2 thermal compound.
For those looking to upgrade existing coolers like the NH-D15, NH-D15S, or NH-U14S series, Noctua is also releasing the NF-A14x25r G2 fans separately. These round-frame fans are fine-tuned in single and dual fan packages to minimize noise levels while offering decent cooling performance.
Finally, Noctua is also prepping a square-frame version of the NF-A14x25 G2 fan for release in September. This variant targets water-cooling radiators and case-cooling applications and promises to extend the versatility of Noctua's cooling solutions further.
All versions of Noctua's NH-D15 G2 coolers cost $149.90/€149.90. One NF-A14x25 G2 fan costs $39.90/€39.90, whereas a package of two fans costs $79.80/€79.80. The cooler is backed with a six-year warranty.
Cases/Cooling/PSUsWestern Digital's FMS 2024 demonstrations included a preview of their upcoming PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 2280 NVMe SSDs for mobile workstations and consumer desktops. The Gen 5 client SSD market has been dominated by solutions based on Phison's E26 controller. The first generation products launched with slower NAND flash, while the more recent ones have exceeded the 14 GBps barrier by utilizing Micron's 2400 MT/s 232L 3D TLC. Western Digital has been conservative over the last year or so by focusing more on the mainstream / mid-range market in terms of new product introductions (such as the WD Blue SN5000, WD_BLACK SN770M, and the WD Blue SN580). Their SSD lineup is due for an update with Gen 5 drives being sorely missed. The SSDs being demonstrated at FMS 2024 will end up doing just that.
Western Digital's technology demonstrations in this segment involved two different M.2 2280 SSDs - one for the performance segment, and another for the mainstream market. They both utilize in-house controllers - while the performance segment drive uses a 8-channel controller with DRAM for the flash translation layer, the mainstream one utilizes a 4-channel DRAM-less controller. Both drives being benchmarked live were equipped with BiCS8 218-layer 3D TLC.
Western Digital is touting the power efficiency of their platform as a key differentiator, promising south of 7W (performance drive) and 5W (mainstream DRAM-less drive) for the complete SSD under stressful traffic. This makes it suitable for use in mobile workstations, but a good fit for desktops as well.
Demonstrated performance numbers indicate almost 15 GBps sequential reads and 2M+ random read IOPS for the performance drive, and 10.7 GBps sequential reads for the mainstream version. Western Digital might have missed the Gen 5 bus as it started out slowly. However, the technology demonstrations with the in-house controller and NAND indicate that WD has caught up just as the Gen 5 market is about to take off.|
StorageAMD has recently expanded its Ryzen 8000 series by introducing the Ryzen 7 8700F and Ryzen 5 8400F processors. Initially launched in China, these chips were added to AMD's global website, signaling they are available worldwide, apparently from April 1st. Built from the recent Zen 4-based Phoenix APUs using the TSMC 4nm node as their Zen 4 mobile chips, these new CPUs lack integrated graphics. However, the Ryzen 7 8700F does include the integrated Ryzen AI NPU for added capabilities in a world currently dominated by AI and moving it directly into the PC.
The company's decision to announce these chips in China aligns with its strategy to offer Ryzen solutions at every price point in the market. Although AMD didn't initially disclose the full specifications of these F-series models, and we did reach out to the company to ask about them, they refused to discuss them with us. Their listing on the website has now been updated with a complete list of specifications and features, with everything but the price mentioned.
| AMD Ryzen 8000G vs. Ryzen 8000F Series (Desktop) Zen 4 (Phoenix) |
|||||||||
| AnandTech | Cores/Threads | Base Freq |
Turbo Freq |
GPU | GPU Freq |
Ryzen AI (NPU) |
L3 Cache (MB) |
TDP | MSRP |
| Ryzen 7 | |||||||||
| Ryzen 7 8700G | 8/16 | 4200 | 5100 | R780M 12 CUs |
2900 | Y | 16 | 65W | $329 |
| Ryzen 7 8700F | 8/16 | 4100 | 5000 | - | - | Y | 16 | 65W | ? |
| Ryzen 5 | |||||||||
| Ryzen 5 8600G | 6/12 | 4300 | 5000 | R760M 8 CUs |
2800 | Y | 16 | 65W | $229 |
| Ryzen 5 8400F | 6/12 | 4200 | 4700 | - | - | N | 16 | 65W | ? |
The Ryzen 7 8700F features an 8C/16T design, with 16MB of L3 cache and the same 65W TDP as the Ryzen 7 8700G. Although the base clock speed is 4.1 GHz, it boosts to 5.0 GHz; this is 100 MHz less on both base/boost clocks than the 8700G. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 5 8400F is a slightly scaled-down version of the Ryzen 8600G APU, with 6C/12, 16MB of L3 cache, and again has a 100 MHz reduction to base clocks compared to the 8600G. Unlike the Ryzen 5 8400F, the Ryzen 7 8700F keeps AMD's Ryzen AI NPU, adding additional capability for generative AI.
The Ryzen 5 8400F can boost up to 4.7 GHz, 300 MHz slower than the Ryzen 5 8600G. AMD also allows overclocking for these new F-series chips, which means users could potentially boost the performance of these processors to match their G-series equivalents.
Pricing details are still pending, but to remain competitive, AMD will likely need to price these CPUs below the 8700G and 8600G, as well as the Ryzen 7 7700 and Ryzen 5 7600. These CPUs offer, albeit very limited, integrated graphics and have double the L3 cache capacity, along with higher boost clocks than the 8000F series chips, so pricing is something to consider whenever pricing becomes available.
CPUs
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