AMD just released their EPYC Milan chips... and it's a bloodbath.

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=epyc-7003-linux-perf&num=1

AMD beats the Xeon Platinum 8280 in every single test, and generally does so by a country mile. It also trashes it's own Rome predecessor, coming out ~25% ahead in performance.

In fact, the performance uplift is so great that all 3 tested chips in their 1P configuration beat the more expensive Xeon Platinum 8280 in it's 2P configuration. By extension this also means that AMD's 2P setups should beat Intel 4P configurations at a much cheaper price in terms of chips and cooling.

If Ice Lake SP doesn't uplift Intel's performance very significantly, I fear that AMD will strongly increase the pace at which they steal server market share from Intel

Yeah, but if you look at the review from Anandtech, you see that AMD isn't on top. That goes to the ARM based servers.

The one from Phoronix also includes ARM Server, and it's very depending on the workload.

If you have a workload that can be very parallelized, ARM comes on top due to it's core advantage (160 cores). But if that's not the case, the ARM server tends to get crushed as then it's only on par with either Rome or in some even gets dominated by the the Xeon processor.

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=epyc-7003-linux-perf&num=10

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=epyc-7003-linux-perf&num=11

SPEC is also pretty optimized for the ARM chip; Phoronix tests in a way to not let the compilers get any "unfair" advantage and tries to have every competitor at equal arms to really find out what the CPU is capable for, not it's compiler.

With the Xeon being too slow and the ARM more dependent on the workload, the EPYC is the perfect Allrounder when it comes to performance imo. For the ARM chip, I also don't know how it is positioned in terms of PCI-E lanes and memory support, which can be very important questions for a server.

Intel announces 11th Gen Core Rocket Lake-S desktop CPUs

https://videocardz.com/press-release/intel-announces-11th-gen-core-rocket-lake-s-desktop-cpus

The i7 and i5 prices are pretty competitive, especially with the 11700F being 8 cores 16 threads at $300 MSRP but granted it's not overclockable. The i9 is a bit of a joke.

Intel i7-11700K Memory Benchmarks: Gear 1 vs. Gear 2 on 3200MHz

Looks like the i7 can indeed do the 3200 mhz in Gear 1 and it's a few % faster than gear 2. Similar to Anandtech's benchmark, the 10700k is quite competitive. No comparison to 5800X or any other CPUs however.

NVIDIA confirms it accidentally released a driver without RTX 3060 Ethereum hash rate limiter

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-confirms-it-accidentally-released-a-driver-without-rtx-3060-ethereum-hash-rate-limitier

The Tuesday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Steam has a new deal and also a new range of weeklong deals:

• Haven is going to be 20% off until March 29: https://store.steampowered.com/app/983970/Haven/
• And here are some of the weeklong deals:
  • Barony is 20% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/371970/Barony/
  • Startup Company is 33% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/606800/Startup_Company/
  • Mad Bullets gets a 50% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/452860/Mad_Bullets/
  • Little Big Adventure 2 is 60% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/398000/Little_Big_Adventure_2/
  • And Primal Light is 80% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/771420/Primal_Light/

The Humble Store has two new sales:

• The 2K Sale brings up to 80% discounts during the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/2k-sale/
• The Cowboys & Aliens Sale comes with up to 90% discounts during 6 days. The keys are for Steam, GOG and the Epic Store: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/cowboys-aliens-sale/

With the Spring Sale over, Fanatical has a new Star Deal: Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling is 40% off during the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/bug-fables-the-everlasting-sapling

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Windows 10 crashing when you try to print? There's now an official fix
https://www.pcgamer.com/windows-10-patch-printer-blue-screen-error-fix/
Recently an issue occurred that caused "certain printers using some apps" to crash Windows completely when printing. After the rollout of a recent Windows Patchday update on March 9th: KB5000802, users began reporting the error for which, until now, the only workaround had been to revert Windows to a previous state.
(...)
Now, thankfully, there are fixes available to the public that don't involve reverting back to previous update versions. The solution comes in the form of optional updates, so you will have to install them manually.
>> Since I posted the warning last week, it's only fair to also post the fix.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Black Mesa: Blue Shift – Chapter 1: Living Quarters Outbound available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/black-mesa-blue-shift-chapter-1-living-quarters-outbound-available-for-download/
Last month, we informed you about a fan remake of Half-Life: Blue Shift in Black Mesa. And today, we are happy to report that HECU Collective has released the first chapter for this fan remake.
In Black Mesa: Blue Shift, players will relive the Black Mesa Incident as Gordon Freeman’s best friend, Barney Calhoun. This first chapter will show you the start of what looked like a typical workday at Black Mesa. Additionally, this chapter is a showcase of the team’s current capabilities in mapping, soundtrack and voice acting.
>> You'll find it at ModDB.

Batman: Arkham Origins Community Patch restores multiplayer, adds new skins
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/batman-arkham-origins-community-patch-restores-multiplayer-adds-new-skins/
Rockunsteady, a team of modders, has released a community patch for Batman: Arkham Origins. According to the team, this community patch aims to restore the game’s multiplayer functionalities, restore cut content and add new skins for its single-player mode.
PC gamers can use this mod in order to go online and find matches again. Additionally, this patch adds Joker as a playable character for combat challenges. It also adds the Extreme Environments Batsuit, as well as Bruce Wayne’s Formal and Training suits.
>> Available from Nexus Mods.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in 8K with Ray Tracing Reshade
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-in-8k-with-ray-tracing-reshade/
Digital Dreams has shared an amazing video, showcasing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild running in 8K with Ray Tracing Reshade. Thus, this video shows how PC gamers can experience this Zelda game via Nintendo WiiU emulators.
>> It looks amazing.

Smash apart this Counter-Strike mapper's destructible Inferno remake
https://www.pcgamer.com/smash-apart-this-counter-strike-mappers-destructible-inferno-remake/
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive's maps are quite hardy, surviving countless bombing runs with nary a scratch. But thanks to one modder's new, destructible version of Inferno, CS:GO's explosive antics could send entire buildings tumbling down.
Appearing on the Steam Workshop this weekend, Destructible Inferno is exactly that. Granted, this is still the Source Engine—don't expect to be smashing apart every loose brick and wall, Red Faction: Guerrilla style. But as noted by YouTuber 3KliksPhilip, mapper Lion Doge has gone to great lengths to make Inferno as breakable as possible.

GAMING NEWS

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Update 1.2.0 releases tomorrow, full patch notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/assassins-creed-valhalla-update-1-2-0-releases-tomorrow-full-patch-notes/
Ubisoft has announced that a new update for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Update 1.2.0, will release tomorrow. In addition, the publisher revealed its full patch notes that you can find below.

New official screenshots released for Gothic Remake
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/new-official-screenshots-released-for-gothic-remake/
THQ Nordic has launched the Steam store page for Gothic Remake, revealing some new official screenshots from it. Gothic Remake promises to be a faithful full remake of the original Gothic on next-gen platforms.

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is a new game that is heavily inspired by Jet Set Radio
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/bomb-rush-cyberfunk-is-a-new-game-that-is-heavily-inspired-by-jet-set-radio/
Team Reptile has announced a new game that is heavily inspired by SEGA’s Jet Set Radio, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk. In this game, players will start their own cypher and dance, paint, trick, face off with the cops and stake their claim to the extrusions and cavities of a sprawling metropolis in an alternate future.

New gameplay video for DEATHLOOP showcases all of its weapons
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-gameplay-video-for-deathloop-showcases-all-of-its-weapons/
GameInformer has shared a new gameplay video for DEATHLOOP, showcasing all of its weapons. Players will have at their disposal a variety of weapons, from dual pistols to knives and turrets.

Rockstar is working on an official patch for GTA Online that will significantly reduce loading times [UPDATE]
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/rockstar-is-working-on-an-official-patch-for-gta-online-that-will-significantly-reduce-loading-times/
Earlier this month, we informed you about a fan patch for GTA Online that could reduce loading times by up to 70%. And today, we are happy to report that Rockstar is working on an official patch that will incorporate those fixes/improvements.
UPDATE:
Grand Theft Auto 5 Patch 1.37 is now available for download and reduces the loading times on PC.

Part two of the Tuesday news:

Call of Duty: Warzone player notices neo-Nazi symbol in paid emblem
https://www.pcgamer.com/cod-warzone-neo-nazi-symbol-chimera-bundle/
A symbol used in a Call of Duty: Warzone emblem bears a striking resemblance to a symbol adopted by neo-Nazi groups. Specifically, the CoD symbol in question appears to be directly inspired by a logo used by the Azov Battalion, a far-right nationalist regiment of the Ukrainian national guard originally formed in the early months of the Russo-Ukrainian war in 2014.

Somehow, 2020 was Star Citizen's most successful year to date
https://www.pcgamer.com/somehow-2020-was-star-citizens-most-successful-year-to-date/
Star Citizen is still breaking crowdfunding records, having now raised over $350 million following one of its most successful years so far.
GamesIndustry.biz reports that Cloud Imperium Games passed the latest milestone in February, bringing in an additional $5 million in that month alone. That follows the game's biggest year so far—even seven years after its initial Kickstarter campaign, 2020 netted CIG approximately $77 million.

Evil Genius 2 trailer explains how to achieve world domination, free and paid post-launch content confirmed
https://www.pcgamer.com/evil-genius-2-trailer-explains-how-to-achieve-world-domination-free-and-paid-post-launch-content-confirmed/
I'm gonna say it again: March has been pretty sleepy for PC games. Apart from the lovely Loop Hero, and the still-unfolding Viking fun of Valheim, we don't have a whole lot upcoming, as https://www.pcgamer.com/the-start-of-2021-looks-sleepy-for-pc-gaming/" target="_blank">I mentioned back in January.
This dry spell makes Evil Genius 2's March 30 release date stand out even more on the horizon. With two weeks to go, Rebellion (typically known for its third-person shooters Zombie Army and Sniper Elite) today revealed a substantial slab of footage for its cartoonish villain sim and tycoonish, Dungeon Keeper-style management game.

Regretfully, Call Of Duty: Warzone's infinite stim glitch is back
https://www.pcgamer.com/regretfully-call-of-duty-warzones-infinite-stim-glitch-is-back/
Remember a few weeks back, when we reported that Call Of Duty: Warzone's stim glitch might have been buried for good? Unfortunately, it looks like we were wrong on that one—though it seems to be a little less potent this time around.
Charlie Intel reports that the infamous recurring exploit has once again been popping up. But while it's still reportedly fairly easy to pull off, Raven's recent changes to Warzone as a whole have made the exploit far less effective at ruining matches.

Alright so... Those prices that I listed above were wholesale prices (According to Gamers Nexus)... It seems that the retail prices to the consumers are... Much worse for Rocket Lake! Least for the i9 that is....

Newegg US (and other retailers in the US) are listing the pre-order prices as:

https://www.newegg.com/promotions/intel/21-0473/index.html?cm_mmc=snc-facebook-trf-_-productlaunch-_-intel-rocket-lake-CPUs-pre-order_-031521

$613 USD for a 8 core 16 thread part in 2021...

I'm not denying that AMD's new chips are the best allrounder, just that they're not "the best" because for some tasks, the ARM ones will be better a better choice.

It's a matter of knowing what you'll use it for and then decide what you need, but that has always been the way to go.

So there is a small, but noticeable, difference between both gears, but most users won't notice because motherboard vendors will sett Gear 2 as default unless Intel gets in the way. Only low-end buyers with low end CPUs and mobos could actually be affected by it.

Well, we have to see how the i5 fare but it's good to know.

As a side note, I'd like to say that five different skus for each 11900 and 11700 are just too much.

That price is really ugly. Though not nearly as much as it's packaging is. Seriously, what's with Intel and their aversion to clean, cubic packaging???