Zen probably won't hit my time window when I'm gonna buy. Which is probably either around August or November the latest. I don't sweat PCIe 4 too much since I won't upgrade my storage without getting a new CPU and mobo anyway. 4GB/s on an SSD should be plenty enough for the next few years.

I'm actually not sure anymore when I want to do my upgrade. I wanted to do it after the worst of corona is over and maybe when we're getting proper 4k monitors, but it seems like I might not be getting any good monitors at all. And I've been pushing this planned update for quite some time now. My CPU and GPU are 4 years old now and they weren't even the best when they were new. Then again, there aren't many games I would need the GPU for. The most important one probably being AC Valhalla, which would really benefit from 4k and HDR if it has that.

It's just a really weird time right now. If Zen 3 comes out soon and completely fucks up Intel then I'll consider it.

Well, looks like these new processors have no real IPC improvement over the previous parts. They simply rely in more cores and higher clocks, at the cost of power consumption.

Good PCs for those that will only use it for gaming, but for anything else, AMD offers better performance, better price or both.

It looks like pretty much all LGA1200 boards will have PCIe 4 m.2. So no issue on that front.

That's because Rocket Lake, the successor of Intel's 10th Gen Core processors, will have PCIe 4.0 support, 20 lanes, and will be compatible with the socket 1200 boards.

Basically those M.2 ports will work at PCIe 3.0 speeds with the 10900K and at 4.0 speeds with the 11900K (or whatever it's called).

Then why aren't they doing the same with the extension slots? No optional PCIe 4 there.

Because then they wouldn't have any good selling point for the new mobos that will launch with those chips.

That said, it wouldn't surprise me if some cards to have those extension slots. After all, some of AMD's X370 motherboards vendors claimed that their top PCIe 3.0 slots could actually deliver PCIe4.0, something that AMD "asked nicely" to not allow (and they didn't allow it).

Looks like Nvidia and AMD's next gen GPUs will be launching in September!

https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20200521VL200.html

Let's go with the Thursday news:

SALES & DEALS

GTA5 has sold 130 million units, The Outer Worlds 2.5 million, Borderlands 3 10 million & RDR2 31 million
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/gta5-has-sold-130-million-units-the-outer-worlds-2-5-million-borderlands-3-10-million-rdr2-31-million/
Take-Two has announced new sales figures for its games. According to the company, Grand Theft Auto 5 has now surpassed 130 million sales on all platforms worldwide.
Furthermore, Red Dead Redemption 2 has sold 31 million units, whereas NBA 2K20 has sold 12 million units. On the other hand, Borderlands 3 has sold 10 million units. Lastly, The Outer Worlds has sold 2.5 million units.
>> Nautilus made a thread about this yesterday.

GOG sees the release of Neversong with a 15% discount until June 15th: https://www.gog.com/game/neversong

Steam has two new deals:

• The Early Access title Volcanoids is 25% off until May 27: https://store.steampowered.com/app/951440/Volcanoids/
• And the publisher Artifex Mundi has put its games up to 90% off for the next 3 days: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/artifexmundisale/

Fanatical has two new sales:

• The Star Deal is Judgment: Apocalypse Survival Simulation + Free Soundtrack, 55% off for the next 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/judgment-apocalypse-survival-simulation-plus-free-soundtrack
• And there's a new bundle, the Quantum Bundle, with 9 games and 3 DLCs with a 97% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/quantum-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

G2A has paid Factorio studio nearly $40,000 over sale of illegitimate keys
https://www.pcgamer.com/g2a-has-paid-factorio-studio-nearly-dollar40000-over-sale-of-illegitimate-keys/
Grey market key reseller G2A came under renewed scrutiny last year, with several devs saying they'd prefer users to pirate their games rather than purchase them on the marketplace. In response, G2A launched an initiative: the company would pay developers ten times the money lost on any chargebacks related to illegally obtained keys sold on the storefront.
Shortly after, Factorio studio Wube Software announced that it would take G2A up on the offer. Ten months later the results are in: G2A has paid Wube Software $39,600 in compensation for the sale of 198 illegitimate keys through its marketplace, according to GamesIndustry.biz.
In a statement , G2A said Wube has been the only company to take part in the "limited-time" offer. The studio initially handed G2A a list of 321 keys it claimed had been sold illegitimately, with 198 of those ultimately attributed to G2A (the others must have been sold on other marketplaces, the statement claims).

MODS/EMULATORS

-empty-

GAMING NEWS

id Software announces that Doom Eternal Update 1.1 will remove the Denuvo anti-cheat system
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/id-software-announces-that-doom-eternal-update-1-1-will-remove-the-denuvo-anti-cheat-system/
id Software has just announced that a new update for Doom Eternal will remove the Denuvo anti-cheat system. The Denuvo anti-cheat system used a kernel-mode driver that aims to protect BATTLEMODE. However, and after a huge backlash, id Software has decided to remove it.

CBE Software removes content from Someday You’ll Return in order to improve the overall game
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/cbe-software-removes-content-from-someday-youll-return-in-order-to-improve-the-overall-game/
Now here is something really unusual. CBE Software has removed content from Someday You’ll Return in order to improve the overall experience. According to the team, this is something that its fanbase demanded.

Command & Conquer Remastered Collection will support mods, will not support LAN at launch
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/command-conquer-remastered-collection-will-support-mods-will-not-support-lan-at-launch/
Jim Vessella, producer of Command & Conquer Remastered Collection, has announced that the collection will support mods. However, Vessella has also announced that the game will not support LAN at launch.

Artifact Beta 2.0 has been launched and here are 8 minutes of gameplay footage from it
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/artifact-beta-2-0-has-been-launched-and-here-are-8-minutes-of-gameplay-footage-from-it/
Valve has announced that Artifact Beta 2.0 has been launched. After a lukewarm reception, the team has decided to re-design the game. As such, Artifact 2.0 promises to be a big overhaul of Valve’s card game.

Tencent will officially now lead the development of System Shock 3
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/tencent-will-officially-now-lead-the-development-of-system-shock-3/
OtherSide Entertainment has just announced that Tencent will now lead the development of System Shock 3. Tencent will be the main team working on it, with OtherSide Entertainment providing additional help.

New official screenshots released for WRC 9
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/new-official-screenshots-released-for-wrc-9/
NACON and KT Racing have released three new screenshots for WRC 9. These in-game screenshots will give you an idea of the visuals that you can expect from this upcoming rally racing game.

New trailer released for Serious Sam 4
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-trailer-released-for-serious-sam-4/
Devolver and Croteam have released a brand new trailer for Serious Sam 4. Serious Sam 4 will be an action first-person shooter that promises to have hordes of enemies. As such, it will be interesting to see whether it will be more action than Doom 2016 or Doom Eternal.

Brand new screenshots and more gameplay trailers for Serious Sam 4
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/brand-new-screenshots-and-more-gameplay-trailers-for-serious-sam-4/
Alongside the cinematic trailer, Croteam released some brand new screenshots and gameplay trailers for Serious Sam 4. These screenshots will give you an idea of the graphics that this new FPS will feature.

Anime RPG, FAIRY TAIL, has been delayed once again, now releasing on July 30th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/jrpg-fairy-tail-has-been-delayed-once-again-now-releasing-on-july-30th/
KOEI Tecmo has announced that its upcoming RPG, FAIRY TAIL, has been delayed once again. According to the publisher, the game will mist its June 25th release, and will now target a July 30th release. This is the second time that KOEI Tecmo has delayed this anime RPG.

Part two of the news:

Watch RoboCop fight the Terminator in Mortal Kombat 11
https://www.pcgamer.com/watch-robocop-fight-the-terminator-in-mortal-kombat-11/
With RoboCop heading to Mortal Kombat 11 next week, we'll soon be able to put him in a classic match-up with another heavy metal brawler: the Terminator.
This isn't the first time the two universes have collided. In a Dark Horse miniseries and the subsequent games, RoboCop discovers that the tech made to create the cop of tomorrow would eventually be adapted to build Skynet, so he travels to the future to destroy it while it's busy wiping out humanity.

Destiny 2's 'The Lie' quest is bugged, preventing completion (Updated)
https://www.pcgamer.com/destiny-2s-the-lie-quest-is-bugged-preventing-completion/
Perhaps the name should have been a clue, but it's been a rough road for players undertaking 'The Lie', the questline closing out Destiny 2's current season. For those who haven't been following, here's a recap: The Lie will ultimately lead to Felwinter's Lie, a reprise of a shotgun from the original game with a set of perks that make it eye-wateringly OP for PvP.
Update: The good news is that Bungie has identified the issue that's been preventing players from completing The Lie quest and claiming their shiny new shotgun. The less good news is that the hotfix won't arrive until Thursday May 21, so you've still got another day to wait at time of writing.

Bethesda confirms Fallout 76 seasons will be free
https://www.pcgamer.com/bethesda-confirms-fallout-76-seasons-will-be-free/
Last week Bethesda announced that a "Season Pass style system" was coming to Fallout 76 this summer, which would introduce new progression features, ranks, and rewards. There were concerns from players, however, due to the wording of Bethesda's unveiling of the seasons system.
The new Fallout 76 roadmap laid out the upcoming summer, fall, and winter seasons, with Bethesda's post stating all players would be able to "take part in our inaugural Summer Season for free." Some players inferred that the wording could mean the fall and winter seasons might not be free, but today Bethesda confirmed that, yes, all seasons are free for everyone.

Bots and ranked matches have arrived in PUBG
https://www.pcgamer.com/bots-and-ranked-matches-have-arrived-in-pubg/
After a week on the test server, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds update 7.2 is now live, most notably adding a ranked mode for players who want to take their fights over chicken dinners a bit more seriously.

Fortnite update 12.60: PC aim assist, Agency Storm event, new Spy Game
https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnite-12-60-patch-notes-update/
Epic has officially announced Fortnite update 12.60 and shared the limited patch notes, which promises to bring some significant new changes for PC players, plus a new batch of challenges that offer some neat cosmetic items and XP. 12.60 will be one of the last big updates before Fortnite Season 3 rolls around on June 4.

EVE Online players will soon be able to choose sides in the alien invasion
https://www.pcgamer.com/eve-online-players-will-soon-be-able-to-choose-sides-in-the-alien-invasion/
Last summer, EVE Online was rocked by a sudden, all-out alien invasion. Player alliances had to drop what they were doing to defend their starbases from an overwhelming attack that lasted days, even calling off in-progress wars. It was a dramatic twist in a sprawling narrative developer CCP Games has slowly unveiled over the past year, involving multiple alien factions that have all set their sights on claiming a little slice of EVE Online's virtual galaxy for themselves. And, starting today, players can choose which side of that war they want to fight on.

Amazon's free-to-play PvP shooter Crucible is now live on Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/amazons-pvp-shooter-crucible-is-now-live-on-steam/
Crucible, the team-based PvP shooter from Amazon Games, is now live and open to all on Steam, and to mark the moment the studio has dropped a new trailer showcasing the game's oddball cast of "hunters," which includes aliens, robots, and a cat packing heat.

Sega, SNK, Koei Tecmo, and more are holding a new online event in June
https://www.pcgamer.com/sega-snk-koei-tecmo-and-more-are-holding-a-new-online-event-in-june/
2020 may not give us an E3, a Gamescom, or a Tokyo Game Show, but it's certainly not lacking for replacement digital extravaganzas. The PC Gaming Show will return on June 6, publishers including Microsoft, Electronic Arts, and Ubisoft are holding their own events, Guerrilla Collective promises a big indie blowout, and today publishers including Sega, Atlus, SNK, and Grasshopper Manufacture announced that they'll be coming together in June for an online event called New Game+ Expo.

Kerbal Space Program 2 now aiming for launch in late 2021
https://www.pcgamer.com/kerbal-space-program-2-now-aiming-for-launch-in-late-2021/
Last we heard, a delay moved the release window of Kerbal Space Program 2 from March of 2020 to sometime in late 2020 or early 2021. But that launch window has shifted again, and the sequel to beloved rocket science sim Kerbal Space Program is going to take a bit longer still. KSP 2 is expected to release sometime in the fall of 2021, according to a tweet from the official KSP account.

Rainbow Six Siege mobile clone shut down following Ubisoft lawsuit
https://www.pcgamer.com/rainbow-six-siege-mobile-clone-shut-down-following-ubisoft-lawsuit/
When a mobile game that closely resembled Rainbow Six Siege appeared on Google and Apple's app stores, Ubisoft aimed its lawyers at both companies along with the game's developer, Alibaba-owned Ejoy.
It looks like Ejoy has given in without a fight: Area F2 has been shut down effective today (via analyst Daniel Ahmad). Those who spent money on the game can apply for refunds.

Take-Two has 93 games planned for the next five years, but no news on GTA
https://www.pcgamer.com/take-two-has-93-games-planned-for-the-next-five-years-but-no-news-on-gta/
Take-Two Interactive is best known for the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption games, but it's looking to broaden those horizons considerably. President Karl Slatoff said during today's earnings call that the publisher has 93 "full game" releases planned for the next five years, a lineup he described as "the strongest in our company's history."
>> They're actually SKUs, not games, so the real number of games is a lot smaller.

Here's footage from the Artifact 2.0 beta
https://www.pcgamer.com/heres-footage-from-the-artifact-20-beta/
As Valve prepares to welcome players into Artifact's 2.0 beta, gameplay footage of the revamp has emerged. That video above is what you'll see if you happen to gain access to the beta later this month, which for the moment at least, is only available to people who purchased the original Artifact before March 30.

Warcraft 3: Reforged's first balance update is coming soon
https://www.pcgamer.com/warcraft-3-reforgeds-first-balance-update-is-coming-soon/
It feels like a year since Warcraft 3: Reforged launched, but according to the date of my review it was only a few months ago. Blizzard's not had a lot to say about it since then, but now it's broken radio silence to share what it's working on, as well as promising a roadmap.

It's worth keeping in mind that the article talks about GPUs, not gaming GPUs. There's a chance that some of those could be enterprise products.

But I hope they're the gaming parts because... well, it's always interesting and it would also be about time!