With AMD out of the high end market because of its poor CPU performance, Intel hasn't had to worry about pushing the power of their chips and instead focused on lowering their power consumption and improving efficiency trying to get into the mobile industry in fear of what ARM could do.

The sad thing is they got Gothic IP back some 5 years ago...I still find Gothic 1/2 to be pinnacle of open-world action RPGs, and even liked a lot Gothic 3 and Risen 1, but after watching some of ELEX footage I'm starting to think they finally lost their way...and unfortunatelly, there's no one out there to replace them...at least for my idea of what makes a great game in said genre.

To be fair though... Clock for Clock AMD's initial Bulldozer based chips would loose to the Phenom 2 and the Core 2 Quad based chips.
Especially when you pushed the Phenom 2's NB clock and base clock hard. (I think I have a few Phenom 2 x6's laying around still actually.)

AMD needed to make up ground against Nahelem - The 980X released in 2010 is able to beat every AMD CPU on the market in 2016 and that wasn't even Intel's fastest First generation i7.
The FX 9590 could beat it by a little, but using like 75% more power and requiring 1.4Ghz extra clockspeed.
The 980X could also be overclocked, whilst the 9590 had minimal headroom left, which meant the 980X could beat the 9590 by a considerable margin and still use less energy.

There are some benchmarks where the Intel i7 6950X is beating the AMD FX 9590 by a good 50-60%.
We don't know if AMD's Zen is 40% better than the 9590 or the 8120 and that's the real issue, because that's massive differential in performance.

If it's 40% better than the 8120... Then you are probably looking at half the performance of Intels i7 6950 or less, which to be fair... Is also a $2500 AUD processor. :P

We just need more information from AMD.

However... From an overall architecture standpoint, AMD's Zen is looking allot like Intel's more modern CPU's, which is *good* sign. Very good sign... And it has given me similar levels of hope that I had before the Phenom 2 launched where-as before I was wary.

During the Hot Chips conferences, Micron, SK Hynix and Samsung have talked about the future memory standards : GDDR6, HBM2 & 3 and Low Cost HBM.

http://videocardz.com/63391/hot-chips-26-first-details-about-hbm3-and-gddr6

http://wccftech.com/sk-hynix-samsung-micron-hbm-hmc-ddr5-hot-chips/

GDDR6

GDDR6 is currently planned for 2018, around the same period as DDR5 reaches personal computers. The GDDR5X is currently offered with 10 Gbps bandwidth. Soon, it should be offered with 12 Gbps bandwidth, but that is still less planned 15 Gbps for GDDR6. Initial plans were to offer GDDR5X with the speed up to 16 Gbps, but at that point GDDR6 will probably take over the race for even higher speed and power efficiency.

HBM2

At the same symposium, SK Hynix clarified their plans for HBM2. The company is already looking forward to expanding HBM technology into three different markets: HPC&Servers, Network&Graphics and Client-DT&Notebooks. Each segment would benefit from different configuration of HBM stacks as shown on the slides below.

Hynix also confirmed that HBM2 will offer capacities up to 32 GBs through 4 stacks of 8 Hi modules, however this configuration is planned only for HPC and Servers. The graphics segment gets HBM2 ‘cubes’ with capacities up to 4GB. If GPU manufacturers were to use HBM2, they would use up to 4 stacks on one interposer. In fact, NVIDIA already did just that with Pascal GP100.

HBM3

Samsung shares more details about HBM Gen3. It’s currently expected in 2019 or 2020, and it should offer more than double the capacity of HBM2 and even more stacks. The bandwidth should also increase more than twice.

Low Cost HBM

The low cost HBM solution is presented by Samsung and is explained to be more cost effective. It is faster than HBM1 but slower than HBM2 however, it’s supposed to be significantly cheaper. Comparing both HBM2 and HBM (low cost), it is seen that the latter comes with lesser TSVs. TSV standards for through silicon vias which are used to handle the I/O on the DRAM die. The number is reduced from 1024 on an HBM2 stack to 512 on a low cost stack.

The end result is a faster pin speed of 3 GB/s (+) that can deliver 200 GB/s compared to 256 GB/s on HBM2. The lower 512-bit interface across 2 / 4 stacks would equate to 1024 / 2048. Samsung believes that they can easily produce these chips in larger quantity and ship it to a mass market.

Time for the news. By the way, I post the news in chronological order, from older to newer, but after the talk this weekend I moved one to the first place as it may be of interest to a few of you.

1-Fan Projects/Mods

• Fan-made Halo PC game, Installation 01, gets new trailer (you know there's a video inside) http://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/fan-made-halo-pc-game-installation-01-gets-new-trailer/
• This total conversion mod transforms Resident Evil 4 into a 2D side-scrolling action game for GZDooM (really weird video inside) http://www.dsogaming.com/news/this-total-conversion-mod-transforms-resident-evil-4-into-a-2d-side-scrolling-action-game-for-gzdoom/

2-Gaming News

NEW ELEX DETAILS – ANIMATIONS TO BE FURTHER IMPROVED, 1,5X THE MAP-SIZE OF GOTHIC 3, NO DLCS PLANNED

http://www.dsogaming.com/news/new-elex-details-animations-to-be-further-improved-15x-the-map-size-of-gothic-3-no-dlcs-planned/

In an interview with ‘Rocket Beans TV’, Piranha Bytes’ Björn Pankratz & Harald Iken revealed some new information about their upcoming action RPG. According to them, the game will last around 50-80 hours, there are currently no plans for DLCs, there will be equal emphasis on melee and long-range combat, and the animations will be improved until the very last day.

>>Check the full story for a list of the features revealed in the interview and a video of such interview.

CRYENGINE 5.2 WILL FULLY SUPPORT DX12, CRYENGINE 5.3 WILL SUPPORT VULKAN

http://www.dsogaming.com/news/cryengine-5-2-will-fully-support-dx12-cryengine-5-3-will-support-vulkan/

CRYENGINE fans, we’ve got some interesting news for you today. According to Crytek’s roadmap, CRYENGINE 5.2 (which will be made available in mid-August) will fully support DX12. Not only that, but the next version of CRYENGINE (5.3) – that is currently planned to be made available in mid-October – will support the Vulkan API.

HERE IS 30 MINUTES OF GAMEPLAY FOOTAGE FROM FORZA HORIZON 3

http://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/here-is-30-minutes-of-gameplay-footage-from-forza-horizon-3/

Microsoft showcased Forza Horizon 3 at this year’s Gamescom, and below you can find a video featuring almost 30 minutes of gameplay footage. Forza Horizon 3 will be released for both Xbox One and PC this September and will support cross-play between the two platforms.

AGONY, FIRST-PERSON SURVIVAL HORROR GAME POWERED BY UNREAL ENGINE 4, GETS TWO NEW TRAILERS

http://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/agony-first-person-survival-horror-game-powered-by-unreal-engine-4-gets-two-new-trailers/

Madmind Studio has released two new trailers for its upcoming first-person survival horror game, Agony. Agony is powered by Unreal Engine 4 and is planned for a 2017 release.

WARHAMMER 40K: ETERNAL CRUSADE RELEASES ON SEPTEMBER 23RD

http://www.dsogaming.com/news/warhammer-40k-eternal-crusade-releases-on-september-23rd/

Bandai Namco has announced that Warhammer 40,000 Eternal Crusade will be launching for PCs on September 23rd. In order to celebrate this announcement, Behavior Interactive has released a new trailer that can be viewed below.

DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2 – NEW MULTIPLAYER MODES AND GAME DETAILS REVEALED

http://www.dsogaming.com/news/dragon-ball-xenoverse-2-new-multiplayer-modes-and-game-details-revealed/

Bandai Namco has revealed new some details about Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2. The big publisher has also released a new trailer, showcasing the new 6vs1 Expert Mission multiplayer mode of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2.

GET EVEN – GAMESCOM 2016 DEMO PLAYTHROUGH

http://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/get-even-gamescom-2016-demo-playthrough/

Bandai Namco and The Farm 51 showcased Get Even at this year’s GDC, and pressakey has captured almost five minutes of gameplay footage. Get Even is described as a psychological thriller movie genre made video game; blurring lines and blending the frantic tension of the FPS genre with the oppressive intimacy of a complex personal investigation. The game is planned for a Spring 2017 release.

PHANTARUK – FIRST IMPRESSIONS + FIRST 10 MINUTES PLAYTHROUGH

http://www.dsogaming.com/first-impressions/phantaruk-first-impressions-first-10-minutes-playthrough/

Phantaruk is a new game that combines survival horror with adventure and stealth mechanics. Polyslash has provided us with a key for it, and below you can read our first impressions of it, accompanied by a 10-minute playthrough that shows off its first mission.

>>I didn't post it for the impressions, but the gameplay.

KINGDOM COME: DELIVERANCE TRAILER SHOWS STEALTHY SLAUGHTER

http://www.pcgamer.com/kingdom-come-deliverance-trailer-shows-stealthy-slaughter/

Since its announcement the best part of three years ago, Warhorse Studios’ forthcoming non-fantasy RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance has outlined its desire to portray realism. We’ve since learned that means no dragons or magic, and many of its trailers have demoed its sophisticated sword fighting mechanics and robust armour system.

>>I don't know why, but I remembered it this time and, as I said, I've put it in the first post. Don't get used to it, you know who.

F1 2016 & NO MAN’S SKY ARE THIS WEEK’S BEST SELLING PC GAMES

http://www.dsogaming.com/news/f1-2016-no-mans-sky-are-this-weeks-best-selling-pc-games/

The latest PC UK retail and Steam Digital charts have been revealed and as we can see, F1 2016 and No Man’s Sky are this week’s best selling games in UK and on Steam.

Even more news in the second post:

NEW EUROPA UNIVERSALIS IV EXPANSION WILL BRING THE RIGHTS OF MAN TO RENAISSANCE EUROPE

http://www.pcgamer.com/new-europa-universalis-iv-expansion-will-bring-the-rights-of-man-to-renaissance-europe/

It's been just a hair over three years since we awarded the grand strategy game Europa Universalis IV a 91% in our review, which makes this a fine time for Paradox Interactive to announce that a new expansion, “Rights of Man,” is on the way.

UBISOFT ANNOUNCES LAUNCH DATE FOR STEEP, THE OPEN WORLD EXTREME SPORTS MOUNTAIN GAME

http://www.pcgamer.com/ubisoft-announces-launch-date-for-steep-the-open-world-extreme-sports-mountain-game/

Ubisoft's Steep is basically an open-world mountain upon which you and other online Nordic sport enthusiasts can get extreme, with things like skiing, snowboarding, paragliding, wingsuiting, and (probably) wiping out a lot. You can create your own paths down the mountain, fulfill skill-testing challenges, and create and share replays “across all social media.” It was slated for a December launch when it was announced in June, and today Ubisoft nailed that down to December 2.

TOXIKK OUT NEXT MONTH, ALONG WITH A DEMO VERSION

http://www.pcgamer.com/toxikk-out-next-month-along-with-a-demo-version/

Toxikk, or TOXIKK, or We Had a Spare K Lying Around, and I'll Be Damned If I'm Going to Waste It, is an old-fashioned FPS that wants you to "frag like it's 1999". Appealing to folks turned off by cinematic shooters, more realistic character physics, and RPG-style levelling systems, it's instead an arena FPS just like mama, or indeed mama's parent company Epic, used to make.

THIMBLEWEED PARK TRAILER EXPLORES THE CHARACTER OF DELORES

http://www.pcgamer.com/thimbleweed-park-trailer-explores-the-character-of-delores/

Thimbleweed Park, the point-and-click adventure from some of the people behind Maniac Mansion, continues to impress, not least because of the extraordinary pixel art of Mark Ferrari and Octavi Navarro. The latest trailer, released to coincide with Gamescom, features that pixel art aplenty, while focusing on one of the game's multiple playable characters: Delores Edmund, heiress to a pillow factory. But it's a pretty good setup for the game as a whole, its central mystery of a murdered person teased, oh but also there are ghosts.

BRUT@L IS A CO-OP DUNGEON CRAWLER, WITH AN INTERESTING LOOK

http://www.pcgamer.com/brutl-is-an-ascii-co-op-roguelike-em-up-with-an-interesting-look/

The @ symbol contains a lowercase a, you see, hence the title, and indeed the aesthetic, of third-person action-RPG-dungeon-crawling-roguelike-thingy Brut@l. The following trailer contains a nice bit of history, tieing the game into the ascii-based Rogue, before an impressive spot of editing suggests Brut@l as a successor of sorts to that historic game.

SURPRISE FEZ PATCH ADDS SPEEDRUN MODE

http://www.pcgamer.com/surprise-fez-patch-adds-speedrun-mode/

We probably won't ever see Fez 2, but we can console ourselves, maybe, with this surprise, whopping patch for the original game, which has just been uploaded to Steam, three years after the game launched on PC. Update 1.12 whacks in a speedrun mode, better music streaming, and various other tweaks and fixes, as elaborated in this news post over on Steam.

NO MAN'S SKY GOT TWO NEW PATCHES OVER THE WEEKEND

http://www.pcgamer.com/no-mans-sky-got-two-new-patches-over-the-weekend/

Following a rocky launch, No Man's Sky was quickly patched up last week, though problems still lingered. Since then, Hello Games has issued two newer patches, which should fix "around 70%" of the game's reported problems.

NO MAN’S SKY – PATCH #3 CHANGELOG REVEALED, NEW MAJOR PATCH COMING NEXT WEEK

http://www.dsogaming.com/news/no-mans-sky-patch-3-changelog-revealed-new-major-patch-coming-next-week/

Hello Games has released a new patch for No Man’s Sky, and revealed its complete changelog. According to the release notes, this patch fixes the most common crashes that have been reported, and addresses the corrupted saves files that players have been experiencing.

FACEBOOK IS WORKING ON AN "ALL-NEW PC GAMING PLATFORM" WITH UNITY

http://www.pcgamer.com/facebook-is-working-on-an-all-new-pc-gaming-platform-with-unity/

Facebook is set to get an "all-new PC gaming platform" powered by a publishing partnership with Unity, the company has announced. Basically, Facebook and Unity are working together to streamline the development process for games published on Facebook's forthcoming platform, meaning exporting and publishing to Facebook from Unity should be easier.

PUZZLE PLATFORMER LITTLE NIGHTMARES IS AS CUTE AS IT IS TERRIFYING

http://www.pcgamer.com/puzzle-platformer-little-nightmares-is-as-cute-as-it-is-terrifying/

Do you remember Hunger? You know, the sidescrolling “suspense adventure” puzzle platformer that Shaun suggested was more like Silent Hill than other genre similars? Well it’s been renamed Little Nightmares, it’s set to arrive in Spring of next year, and it has a new official trailer.

DIVINITY: ORIGINAL SIN 2 LAUNCHES ON STEAM EARLY ACCESS NEXT MONTH

http://www.pcgamer.com/divinity-original-sin-2-launches-on-steam-early-access-next-month/

Following in the footsteps of the first game, Divinity: Original Sin 2 will be launching into Steam Early Access on September 15th, less than a month away. The sequel will feature up to four-player co-op, a competitive mode, and five playable races: Human, Elf, Dwarf, Lizard, and Undead.

Oh, one more thing, for the lulz

"condition: like new"

Yeah, it has AGP 48X

LOOOOL!!!! Built with cassette cover!!!

"1.5 gigs of VISUAL memory" LOLLLLLLL da faq is visual memory