Apple Mac Studio with 512GB RAM now costs $22,299, memory upgrade alone is $15,500

https://videocardz.com/newz/apple-mac-studio-with-512gb-ram-now-costs-22299-memory-upgrade-alone-is-15500

Decommissioned NVIDIA supercomputer with 9,600 A100 GPUs hits eBay for $60 million, free shipping included

https://videocardz.com/newz/decommissioned-nvidia-supercomputer-with-9600-a100-gpus-hits-ebay-for-60-million-free-shipping-included

Complete Dell workstation with 96GB NVIDIA GPU may cost less than graphics card alone

https://videocardz.com/newz/complete-dell-workstation-with-96gb-nvidia-gpu-may-cost-less-than-graphics-card-alone

Intel Moon Lake leak reveals four LP-E cores, no P-cores and 6W TDP

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-moon-lake-leak-reveals-four-lp-e-cores-no-p-cores-and-6w-tdp

AMD releases FSR Redstone SDK 2.4 with Vulkan support and improved frame pacing

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-releases-fsr-redstone-sdk-2-4-with-vulkan-support-and-improved-frame-pacing

Apple launches touchscreen MacBook Pro with 2000-nit tandem OLED, starting at $2,899

https://videocardz.com/newz/apple-launches-touchscreen-macbook-pro-with-2000-nit-tandem-oled-starting-at-2899

Microsoft Unveils Biggest DirectX Raytracing Upgrade Since 2018, Bringing More Efficient Ray Tracing To NVIDIA, AMD & Intel GPUs

https://wccftech.com/microsoft-unveils-biggest-directx-raytracing-upgrade-since-2018-bringing-more-efficient-ray-tracing-to-nvidia-amd-intel-gpus/

Former Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger Backs Breakthrough New Memory Technology That Could Resolve Big AI Chip Bottleneck

https://wccftech.com/former-intel-ceo-patrick-gelsinger-backs-breakthrough-new-memory-technology-that-could-resolve-big-ai-chip-bottleneck/

Samsung Says Memory Shortages Will Get Worse in 2027 & Supply Constraints Will Persist Into 2028, Up To 70% Capacity Secured By Long-Term Agreement Customers

https://wccftech.com/samsung-memory-shortages-worse-in-2027-supply-constraints-persist-into-2028/

Samsung SDI reiterates mass production of 900Wh/L all-solid-state battery in H2 2027, with initial applications targeting luxury vehicles and humanoid robots

https://news.metal.com/newscontent/104186617-solid-state-battery-samsung-sdi-reiterates-mass-production-of-900whl-all-solid-state-battery-in-h2-2027-with-initial-applications-targeting-luxury-vehicles-and-humanoid-robots

Tape is so not dead that Fujifilm will increase production capacity 5x

https://www.theregister.com/storage/2026/10/29/tape-is-so-not-dead-that-fujifilm-will-increase-production-capacity-5x/5306189

Finally other than cyberpunk, the frame pacing issue has been fixed on RDNA 4 cards. Wouldn't be surprised if RDNA 3 cards get fixes eventually though.

Kind of a part 2 cause the article is interesting but locked behind a paywall. However reddit as a tldr and boy, in many ways, I am glad that memory manufacturers are getting their revenge on apple if all this is true:

The Beleaguered Chip Sellers Getting Their Revenge on Apple

https://www.reddit.com/r/hardware/comments/1xigeim/the_beleaguered_chip_sellers_getting_their/

1. Apple is the largest buyer of flash memory in the world

2. It used the leverage to force nand manufacturers into deals that ensured it was the most favored customer and no other customer got a better deal

3. $0.80 of every dollar consumers paid apple for memory upgrades went to apple's profits, only $0.20 were spent on supplies. Apple was making big money by squeezing not just the manufacturers but also its customers

4. Apple would order memory at already rock bottom prices and refuse delivery without communication, leaving manufacturers with loads of unused inventory which forced them into voluntarily lowering prices again

5. Apple schedules negotiations so that competing manufacturers would run into each other and dragged these evening meetings past midnight without dinner as a form of psychological tactic

6. To enforce this it forced expensive and lengthy audits on memory manufacturers to look into their books to reveal how much competitors were paying and how much each manufacturer was outputting to identify the struggling companies so that they could be squeezed even harder

7. Apple once threatened to have sandisk's ceo "crawl on his knees" when sandisk sold to higher paying customers instead of apple. When western digital required a fee for capacity reservation, apple sent a picture of the date written on a whiteboard to western digital and promised "payback"

8. As revenge, apple demanded that western digital pay them "testing fees" if they wanted their products considered, without any purchase commitment. They then got the security to escort the western digital executive out to humiliate him

9. Apple's spending on memory has quadrupled since the rampocalypse as manufacturers have rejected apple's past negotiation tactics. Apple was caught off guard because they were drunk on their leverage power over memory manufacturers and didn't expect them to push back. Memory manufacturers are now "gleeful" at apple's state

The Thursday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

The Epic Store is giving away Sorry We're Closed: https://store.epicgames.com/p/sorry-were-closed-724c86.
Next week, the free games will be Flotsam and something related to Dungeons & Dragons for the free to play title Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms.

Steam has three new deals and two sales/events:

• The newly released The Boss Gangster: Criminal Empire is going to be 20% off until the 10th of November. And it has a demo: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2774040/The_Boss_Gangster_Criminal_Empire/
• Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection gets a 60% discount until the 11th of November: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3454980/Mortal_Kombat_Legacy_Kollection/
• Vampire's Fall: Origins will be 90% off until the same 11th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1167950/Vampires_Fall_Origins/
• These are the Sales/events:
  • In a somewhat Déjà Vu, there’s the Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show, with upcoming releases, demos and games with up to 85% discounts. The length of the deals varies, with some deals ending tomorrow and others lasting until the 4th of November: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/gamescomasiaxThailandGameShow2026
  • IGDC 2026 Steam Showcase has upcoming titles, demos and one game on sale, Huntin' Buddies, that will be 38% off until November 2: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/IGDC2026

Humble Bundle presents the Horror Trifectas Bundle, , with up to 16 items to get (15 games + 1 DLC( during the next 20 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/horror-trifectas

Fanatical works today and has these deals:

• The Star Deal is Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, with a 48% discount during the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/moonlighter-2-the-endless-vault
• Warhammer Day Sale has games up to 93% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/franchises/warhammer
• The FrightFest Ripper Bundle features 18 games and it’s 87% off. There’s no mention of how long it will last: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/frightfest-ripper-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

-Surprising, but nothing today-

GAMING NEWS

Mass Effect-Style Sci-Fi Action RPG, EXODUS, Gets a 40-Minute Gameplay Video
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/mass-effect-style-sci-fi-adventure-exodus-gets-a-40-minute-gameplay-video/
Archetype Entertainment has released a 40-minute gameplay video for its upcoming Mass Effect-inspired sci-fi adventure, EXODUS. This gameplay video showcases the Liberating the Kay Mission. It obviously contains spoilers. So, consider this your warning.

The second part of the Thursday gaming news:

If you love horror but hate actually being scared, I've got the perfect Halloween game for you
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/puzzle/if-you-love-horror-but-hate-actually-being-scared-ive-got-the-perfect-halloween-game-for-you/
I used to enjoy horror movies and games a lot, but as I get older I find I'm not that interested in being scared out of my wits. I love all the trappings of horror: the tension, the atmosphere, the monsters. But the actual scary stuff? I'd rather pass, honestly.
That's one of many reasons that Creature Kitchen is the perfect game for me to play this Halloween week. It's spooky, it's unsettling, it's occasionally startling, but it's not really scary at all. It's actually downright sweet, the perfect treat for any fellow scaredy cats this Halloween.

Arc Raiders' executive producer was 'a bit skeptical' about adding PvE, but after the successful test the team needs to decide 'what we want to do going forward'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/arc-raiders-executive-producer-was-a-bit-skeptical-about-adding-pve-but-after-the-successful-test-the-team-needs-to-decide-what-we-want-to-do-going-forward/
I enjoyed having the palate cleanser that was Arc Raiders limited-time PvE test for the short week it was here. It provided a chill alternative to the usual chaos and cheater-laden PvP, where I could fight some tough arcs, enjoy the map, and interact with players without the fear of getting ratted. And clearly I'm not the only one who enjoyed it, as Embark confirmed over 30 million PvE sessions were played during the test period.
But running the test was only half the battle, now Embark needs to decide whether it's worth adding a dedicated PvE mode to the game. Previously, the team has confirmed that it'll need some extra time to get its ducks in order ahead of making any concrete decisions, but now executive producer Aleksander Grøndal has given us a little bit more information concerning the decision process.

Witchbrook is delayed again, now set for release in 2027
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/witchbrook-is-delayed-again-now-set-for-release-in-2027/
One year after the cozy witch-life sim Witchbrook was delayed from 2025 to 2026, it's happened again, as the game is now slated to come out in 2027.
The good news is that unlike that previous delay, this one comes with a solid release date, and it's not too far off: The game is now slated to come out on January 28, 2027.

WoW: Forever's update schedule will be 'a little more laid back' than the main MMO
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/wow-forevers-update-schedule-will-be-a-little-more-laid-back-than-the-main-mmo/
A major draw for World of Warcraft: Forever is how much slower it will be compared to the modern version of the MMO. Traveling across the world takes longer, quests take longer, and even fighting enemies takes considerably longer than most players have gotten used to.
(...)
According to a recent interview with IGN, WoW: Forever's update schedule will accommodate how much longer it takes to do things. Principal game designer Kris Zierhut says it'll be "a little more laid back" than the modern game.
>> One update you’ll see is shiny lighting and water changes (link).

Phantom Blade Zero dev says don't get the latest Nvidia drivers
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/phantom-blade-zero-dev-says-dont-get-the-latest-nvidia-drivers/
Phantom Blade Zero, the highly anticipated wuxia action RPG, is finally out in the world, and if you're planning on playing it on an Nvidia graphics card, maybe consider skipping the latest Nvidia driver update. Yes, that's the opposite of developer S-Game's pre-launch advice.
Today, the Phantom Blade Zero devs took to the Steam page with a post titled "Reason and Madness" recounting the history of the dev team, previous works, and how Phantom Blade Zero came to be. This is followed up with three announcements: a recommendation to download the 5 GB day one patch, encouragement to try the game on handhelds and lower-end/mid-range PCs, and, finally, advice not to use the latest Nvidia driver, 621.01.
>> It’s the same driver that got the hotfix Jizz posted yesterday.

And here’s the third part:

Valve admits Steam has an AI slop and cloning problem, but says 'we don't want to be gatekeepers telling developers which tools they should or shouldn't use'
https://www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/valve-admits-steam-has-an-ai-slop-and-cloning-problem-but-says-we-dont-want-to-be-gatekeepers-telling-developers-which-tools-they-should-or-shouldnt-use/

Epic Games chief Tim Sweeney claims 'Valve has held gaming back for years'
https://www.pcgamer.com/software/platforms/epic-games-chief-tim-sweeney-claims-valve-has-held-gaming-back-for-years/
>> It’s the usual rant and BS he usually says. Nothing new, really.

Phantom Blade Zero's best weapon might just be the first one you get
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/phantom-blade-zero-best-weapon-jagged-steel/

'Morale has been terrible' at EA, workers claim, saying that AI mandates and mismanagement have left the company 'a cold dead place that's slowly decaying as leadership pilfers every last cent'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/morale-has-been-terrible-at-ea-workers-claim-saying-that-ai-mandates-and-mismanagement-have-left-the-company-a-cold-dead-place-thats-slowly-decaying-as-leadership-pilfers-every-last-cent/