Back after a LONG break

Apologies to those who have visited the site and noticed a lack of updates or new content. Sometimes, life comes at you from all different directions and free time trends closer to being non-existent. During other times, Murphy’s Law rears its ugly and costly head. Since the last post, there have been many developments on products and topics that we’ve historically discussed and analyzed:

• Intel resolved its firmware-related issues pertaining to 13th and 14th Generation Core-series processors: Zak Killian over at HotHardware has covered the newest firmware tweak which further reduces the potential for damage on currently healthy processors.
• AMD is experiencing some early-life failures of their latest gaming CPU, the 9800X3D, when paired with AsRock motherboards. Initial reports from users on Reddit have not instilled confidence in the updated firmware being a true fix for the issue.
  • We’ve had our AsRock X670E Pro/RS fail this year after pairing it with a Ryzen 7 9700X and the latest firmware. Said system is being resurrected with an ASUS TUF Gaming B650 motherboard. Thankfully, the processor was not damaged but the board is inoperable after less than two years of service.
• Competition in the 3D Printing space has heated up and provided alternatives at reasonable prices.
  • Elegoo has taken their shot at Bambu Lab courtesy of the Centauri Carbon printer. Check out Denise Bertacchi’s review for a deeper analysis of this product.
  • Creality has released a traditional FDM (Creality Hi Combo 3D Printer) and a CoreXY printer model (Creality K2 Plus) which enable the company to better compete against Bambu Lab offerings.
  • Sovol has revamped their SV06 line with the ACE moniker; the overhaul of the design and use of stock Klipper aid in addressing deficiencies that manifest when proprietary modifications are made to proven solutions.
• Intel’s second generation Battlemage GPU addresses some of the limiting design decisions which were implemented in the first generation Alchemist GPU product.
  • We have an Onix B580 in house and have been putting it through its paces. Initial Day 1 reviews from Gamers Nexus and Hardware Unboxed were favorable. Intel’s done a very decent job of addressing bugs and providing support for newer titles as they’re released. The overall product stack has come a long way from the flawed Alchemist launch. Consumers will continue to benefit from the newest entrant in the GPU ring so long as Lip-Bu Tan doesn’t axe the product line due to margin requirements.