BlackBlaze has published its Q1 2020 stats reguarding HDD failures:

https://www.backblaze.com/blog/backblaze-hard-drive-stats-q1-2020/

The Annualized Failure Rate (AFR) for Q1 2020 was 1.07%. That is the lowest AFR for any quarter since we started keeping track in 2013. In addition, the Q1 2020 AFR is significantly lower than the Q1 2019 AFR which was 1.56%.

During this quarter 4 (four) drive models, from 3 (three) manufacturers, had 0 (zero) drive failures. None of the Toshiba 4TB and Seagate 16TB drives failed in Q1, but both drives had less than 10,000 drive days during the quarter. As a consequence, the AFR can range widely from a small change in drive failures. For example, if just one Seagate 16TB drive had failed, the AFR would be 7.25% for the quarter. Similarly, the Toshiba 4TB drive AFR would be 4.05% with just one failure in the quarter.

On the contrary, both of the HGST drives with 0 (zero) failures in the quarter have a reasonable number of drive days, so the AFR is less volatile. If the 8TB model had 1 (one) failure in the quarter, the AFR would only be 0.40% and the 12TB model would have an AFR of just 0.26% with 1 (one) failure for the quarter. In both cases, the 0% AFR for the quarter is impressive.

*Edit*

Oh! And thanks to the guys at Videocardz, we have the first pic of Nvidia's Tesla A100 chip:

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-tesla-a100-with-ga100-ampere-gpu-pictured

Only 4 more hours.

be very carefull it might be that 120hz is for its 1080p mode and that the 4k mode is 60hz

There is no reason why it would be. It's not 2010 anymore. Image processors don't have to be crazy strong, they're still limited by the cable standards. I'm more concerned of next gen GPUs featuring HDMI 2.1 and DP 2.0.

We'll know more in an hour.

Exactly. PC is always pushing itself, which is why I laughed at Timmy's words, because it reminds me of his old ways of talking, back when he was running Gears, and when he was with the console sector. I Mean, when you really look at his games roster, all he's doing so far is buying or making multiplat games, putting focus on porting an already existing game to next gen, while UT is still left unfinished and with no such game putting focus on the platform he started out on. Meanwhile, CDPR is making a game that's likely to melt some PC's, while Steam has a good number of games with a PC focus and support, so I can see why Timmy boy's aligning himself with Sony, much like how MS has chosen to align itself with Valve. 

I do hope it doesn't mean future PS games going exclusively to EGS, because that's one way to not earn my money and just earn ire instead, but then again, all of the big 3 manage to earn that from me over time (Trying to cancel fan games on PC, charging stupidly high rices for their games, their recent remasters, inventing DRM, looking at you Sony, as well as forgetting us for years and mucking up with a store, looking at you MS).

I am interested in seeing what Samsung is going to pull. I'm not entirely sure about Intel's discreet GPU's, since they are mucking things up on their CPU side, it really makes it hard for me to put any faith in them atm. 

I'm fairly sure Sony will do what the other big publishers have done, too: open up their own store. And then optionally maybe offering their games on other storefronts, too.

As for Intel's GPUs, I have very little faith for another reason on top of that: Their poor driver support when it comes to graphics. The iGPUs get an update every quarter at best, and even those are very bare-bones. That's not enough to compete with the likes of NVidia or AMD on any front.

Hm... a bunch of pretty videos but no specs. I guess they'll trickle out in the coming days.

What this press conference tells us other than things that are way above our heads is that the original leak:



Is most likely correct because the leaker of that also correctly leaked things like the Die size of the the GA100 back in February.

GA102 = 3080 Ti

GA103 = 3080

GA104 = 3070

GA106= 3060

GA107= 3050

In case you weren't aware, it's Thursday and these are the news:

SALES & DEALS

Confirmed: Grand Theft Auto 5 will be available for free on Epic Games Store until May 21st
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/confirmed-grand-theft-auto-5-will-be-available-for-free-on-epic-games-store-until-may-21st/
In a deleted tweet, Epic Games confirmed that this week’s free Epic Games Store game will be Grand Theft Auto 5. And while Epic Games was quick to react, Wario64 was able to capture the deleted tweet ad.
Grand Theft Auto 5 will be available in twelve hours from now. Obviously someone at Epic Games got confused between AM and PM, and that’s why the tweet went live earlier. Still, it’s good knowing which game Epic will be giving away.
>> This is a big one. Looks like I'll finally be able to play this game, for less than I wanted to pay.

GOG celebrates the 10th anniversary of Alan Wake with a 90% discount to the game. It's a great time to get it if you still haven't: https://www.gog.com/game/alan_wake

Steam has two new sales:

• The new daily deal is Kenshi, 40% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/233860/Kenshi/
• And the Early Access title CHKN will be 35% off for the next 10 days: https://store.steampowered.com/app/420930/CHKN/

Fanatical's new Star Deal is The Jackbox Party Pack 5, 60% off for the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/the-jackbox-party-pack-5

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Epic's multiplayer systems are now available for other devs to use for free
https://www.pcgamer.com/epics-multiplayer-systems-are-now-available-for-other-devs-to-use-for-free/
Epic announced in 2018 that it would make the multiplayer systems it developed for Fortnite available free for every developer to use, and today it's completed that task. The full software development kit is now available, providing the "essential framework" for friends lists, matchmaking, lobbies, and other cross-platform multiplayer services for games made in any engine and distributed on any store.

MODS/EMULATORS

-empty-

GAMING NEWS

First screenshots for Mafia Remake/Remaster leaked online
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/first-screenshots-for-mafia-remake-remaster-leaked-online/
A few hours ago, we informed you about Mafia Trilogy. While we don’t know much about this trilogy, we do know that the publisher will reveal more details on May 19th. However, it appears that the first screenshots for Mafia Remake/Remaster have been leaked online.
>> So this is the best of the three, right?

Here are the first screenshots for Mafia 2 Definitive Edition
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/here-are-the-first-screenshots-for-mafia-2-definitive-edition/
A few hours ago, we informed you about the first screenshots for the Mafia Definitive Edition. And it appears that Microsoft has also leaked the first screenshots for Mafia 2 Definitive Edition.
Mafia Definitive Edition is basically a remake that will be using the Mafia 3 Engine, and looks absolutely gorgeous. On the other hand, Mafia 2 Definitive Edition seems more like a remaster of the original version. Therefore, don’t expect the same graphical quality between these two games. I also find it ironic that the first game will look better than the second.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order May 13th Update released, address a few minor bugs, full patch notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/star-wars-jedi-fallen-order-may-13th-update-released-address-a-few-minor-bugs-full-patch-notes/
Electronic Arts and Respawn have released a brand new update for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. According to the teams, this new patch addresses a few minor bugs that appeared after the release of the May 4th Update.

After months of silence, Warner Bros Montreal is ready to talk about… the studio
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/after-months-of-silence-warner-bros-montreal-is-ready-to-talk-about-the-studio/
In January 2020, Warner Bros shared some teasers about its upcoming Batman game. Unfortunately, and after releasing those teasers, the team went silent. Until today. Warner Bros has finally broken its silence, claiming that it’s ready to talk about… the studio.
>> They're such teasers... they better be careful or it will backfire and bite them in the ass.

The Division 2 Title Update 9.1 releases today, brings NPC & AI improvements, fixes bugs & FPS drops
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-division-2-title-update-9-1-releases-today-brings-npc-ai-improvements-fixes-bugs-fps-drops/
Ubisoft has announced that the Title Update 9.1 for The Division 2 will come out later today. In addition, the team has detailed this new patch. According to the changelog, Title Update 9.1 will bring major improvements to NPCs.

Milestone announces RIDE 4, releases on October 8th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/milestone-announces-ride-4-releases-on-october-8th/
Milestone has announced RIDE 4; the latest chapter of its beloved franchise dedicated to all two-wheel lovers. The game will release on October 8th, and below you can find its announcement trailer.
>> While there's still some hope for some real races happening later this year, this may be the only motorbike racing MotoGP and Superbike fans will get this year.

DOOM Eternal Update 1 is bringing optimizations, new event content, bug fixes and more
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/doom-eternal-update-1-is-bringing-optimizations-new-event-content-bug-fixes-and-more/
According to a recent post by Bethesda, id Software is working on a major update for the title. The update will be adding a host of optimizations, new event content, bug fixes and more. Furthermore, the update will add Empowered Demons, BATTLEMODE enhancements, single-player quality-of-life improvements and an ‘add a friend’ feature via Bethesda.net.

Thursday news, part two:

Open-world RPG Tainted Grail is heading to Early Access on June 25
https://www.pcgamer.com/open-world-rpg-tainted-grail-is-heading-to-early-access-on-june-25/
Following its Kickstarted board game in 2018—which raised nearly $5 million—Awaken Realms is turning Tainted Grail, its gloomy Arthurian co-op adventure, into an open-world RPG. It's hitting Steam Early Access and GOG on June 25, with a snippet of the campaign and a new roguelike mode with randomly-generated maps.

Rainbow Six Siege players are terrifying their teammates with this image
https://www.pcgamer.com/rainbow-six-siege-players-are-terrifying-their-teammates-with-this-image/
Rainbow Six Siege is as much a horror game as an FPS, in my eyes. In my 50-or-so hours with the game over the past few years, I could never play it too close to bedtime. Rounds just get so tense even on Casual—I haven't yet dared try my luck in Ranked—that I need to read a book, drink something warm/alcoholic, or just stare at a blank wall for a while afterwards to calm down. Some players, evidently, are aware of the scaredy-cats like me out there and get a kick out of giving us sensitive souls even more debilitating heebie-jeebies. Snowball-XD is one of those people, as you can see from his Reddit post above. In it we can see them using his drone to zoom in on a real-life picture of what is presumably one of the developer's children smiling in a park.

Unreal Engine games no longer owe royalties on their first $1M in revenue
https://www.pcgamer.com/unreal-engine-games-no-longer-owe-royalties-on-their-first-dollar1m-in-revenue/
On top of unveiling Unreal Engine 5 today, Epic Games announced that developers who build games with the Unreal Engine will no longer pay royalties on their first $1 million in revenue.
The Unreal Engine has been free for anyone to use for a while, but until this change, 5 percent royalties were due on commercial Unreal Engine games once they made $3,000 in a quarter. This new $1 million threshold in is measured in lifetime revenue.

Play Fallout 76 for free this weekend
https://www.pcgamer.com/play-fallout-76-for-free-this-weekend/
There have been a lot of big changes to Fallout 76 lately, from the major expansion of Wastelanders to its arrival on Steam. And Bethesda is encouraging you to check out all of what's new for free this weekend.
From Thursday, May 14 (starting at 12 pm EDT) to Monday, May 18 (ending at 12 pm EDT), you can download and play Fallout 76 without spending a penny. Meet the new human NPC factions, build yourself a nice base (or a crappy one), and maybe scarf down a few dozen pepperoni rolls while you're at it.

Robocop's Mortal Kombat 11 fatality pays tribute to a great shot from the film
https://www.pcgamer.com/robocops-mortal-kombat-11-fatality-pays-tribute-to-a-great-shot-from-the-film/
Remember that scene in Robocop where the future of law enforcement deals with a pair of would-be rapists by shooting one of them in the junk? It was a memorable moment, disturbing on a few levels, and soon you'll be able to recreate it in Mortal Kombat 11.

You can watch a new Hearthstone card back get created from scratch next week
https://www.pcgamer.com/you-can-watch-a-new-hearthstone-card-back-get-created-from-scratch-next-week/
No Hearthstone card collection is complete without an enormous collection of swanky card backs, those snazzy special designs that Blizzard occasionally hands out for completing specific tasks, or just showing up and playing five games each month. There are an awful lot of them out there (143, at last count), and while they all share the same basic design characteristics—a bordered rectangular field with the Hearthstone symbol in the center—there's real variety to the mix: This one has rainbows and clouds, for instance, while this one is feathered, and this one is a pizza. (One was even infectious.)
If you've ever been curious about what goes into the making of those card backs, next week is your chance to find out. Blizzard will be holding a series of "card back creation livestreams" on Twitch, beginning on May 18, in which senior concept artist Luke Mancini will run through the entire process of creating the monthly card back for September.

Super Mega Baseball 3 launches with a free demo
https://www.pcgamer.com/super-mega-baseball-3-launches-with-a-free-demo/
While its original release window slipped a few weeks from April to May, it was absolutely worth the extra wait: Super Mega Baseball 3 is great. And now it's here! Super Mega Baseball 3 launched today on Steam, bringing a fantastic new franchise mode and other new features to the lively and cartoony—yet surprisingly deep—baseball series from Canadian developer Metalhead Software.

Phil Spencer says next year's games are more likely to be hit by coronavirus delays than this year's
https://www.pcgamer.com/phil-spencer-says-next-years-games-are-more-likely-to-be-hit-by-coronavirus-delays-than-this-years/
More people are turning to gaming to help pass the time spent in quarantine, and while we've seen a few delays, games are still releasing and getting updates even while developers are working from home. But speaking with Business Insider, head of Xbox Phil Spencer said that the coronavirus pandemic's effect on game development schedules won't be felt in full until early 2021.

EVO 2020 has become an online event
https://www.pcgamer.com/evo-2020-has-become-an-online-event/
Brawlers won't be meeting in person for this year's EVO, but the massive fighting game tournament will still be carrying on as an online event. The new format was introduced in an announcement trailer, which you can watch above.
Competitors will duke it out across five weekends, accompanied by special exhibitions, four open tournaments and more from the physical show's original lineup. Seven games will be featured, which is one down from what was previously announced.
>> shikamaru has made a thread about this.

Blightbound is a three-player co-op dungeon crawler from the makers of Awesomenauts
https://www.pcgamer.com/blightbound-is-a-three-player-co-op-dungeon-crawler-from-the-makers-of-awesomenauts/
Well over a year after the release of Swords and Soldiers 2 Shawarmageddon for the PC (it originally came out for the Wii U in 2015), and nearly a decade since the excellent Awesomenauts, developer Ronimo Games has revealed what's coming next: Blightbound, a three-player dungeon crawler set in a fantasy realm where the death of a legendary beast that was plaguing the land just made things worse.