• A cybersecurity researcher has discovered a major vulnerability in a popular PC speaker
• The Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2X speakers can reportedly be used to hack users' PCs via Bluetooth
• Creative won't provide a patch as it's not viewed as a vulnerability, but a temporary third-party fix is available

Discovering potential PC vulnerabilities is undoubtedly of high importance for any user, especially with hackers finding new and easier ways of exploiting systems — and unfortunately, there's one way a popular peripheral can apparently lead attackers to hit PCs.

As reported by Notebookcheck, a cybersecurity researcher, Rasmus Moorats, has discovered that the Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2X speakers can reportedly be used to hack a user's PC via a Bluetooth Low Energy exploit, which has been dubbed Pwnd Blaster.

All that is required, according to the researcher, is for a PC user to have the Katana V2X connected to their PC via USB, and anybody within 15 meters (and with the know-how) can use Bluetooth and the Creative app to connect to the speaker.

All is possible, it seems, without having to ever pair beforehand, and ultimately turn the speaker into a covert keystroke injector by flashing the speaker's firmware, allowing changes to be made to the HID descriptor.

Effectively, what this does is allow a potential hacker to use the speaker as a keyboard and, therefore, execute malicious code — and in a real-world scenario, this would likely be done via PowerShell, serving as a significant threat to PC security.

Comment from r/netsec

What makes matters worse is that there is no dedicated way to disable Bluetooth functionality on the Katana V2X, essentially leaving it open and vulnerable to any nearby attackers who know how to execute this exploit.

Moorats reached out to Creative to see if this could be patched, but reports he was told it wasn't considered a vulnerability, as it "does not present a cybersecurity risk", so no patch will arrive to stop this from occurring.

Fortunately, the handicap of Bluetooth is involved here, where an attacker would need to be close by up to 15 meters, and most importantly, Moorats has already created a partial fix via a tool available on GitHub. So, it's not the end of the world, especially because the chances of a hacker being within 15 meters (at least at home) are slim.

Perhaps the bigger concern is the potential vulnerabilities that may be present among many other peripherals, particularly those that are connected via Bluetooth and USB — and that's a scary thought for any PC user.

• Nvidia's rumored RTX 5000 Super refreshes are seemingly back on track, and could be out this year
• As well as the previously rumored variants, we could also see an RTX 5060 Super with 12GB
• This goes against existing rumors insisting that Nvidia isn't producing any new GeForce GPUs at all this year

Nvidia's long-rumored RTX 5000 Super refreshes might just be back on track, according to the latest from the GPU grapevine — and there could be an interesting twist here.

Namely, we could see a lower-tier GeForce graphics card get the Super treatment, as there's, in theory, an RTX 5060 12GB model inbound that could carry this naming.

As VideoCardz flagged, according to MegaSizeGPU, a regular leaker on X, this new refresh and the other previously rumored RTX 5000 models are "back on track" and may be released in 2026.

To recap, those earlier rumors pointed to an RTX 5080 Super and RTX 5070 Ti Super with 24GB of VRAM, and an RTX 5070 Super with 18GB. So, you can possibly add to that an RTX 5060 Super with 12GB. Nvidia has produced xx60-class graphics cards in Super variations before, of course (indeed, I have an RTX 2060 Super myself).

Analysis: is 'Kicker' back in play?

This is an about-face from the previous rumor mill chatter, which had floated the theory that Nvidia wasn't going to release anything in the way of new Blackwell GeForce GPUs this year. Of course, that could still be true as MegaSizeGPU isn't certain about the 2026 release timeframe – but the leaker seems fairly confident that these refreshes (supposedly codenamed 'Kicker') are back on the table for Nvidia.

Still, all of this should be taken with a good deal of seasoning, especially as this is a lone rumor for now. When other leakers back up the idea, we can start to become a bit more ready to believe that Nvidia may indeed have these Super GPUs in the works again. For now, though, I remain highly skeptical.

The reason why Nvidia seemingly shelved the RTX 5000 Super refreshes (and remember, these GPUs have only ever been rumors) is due to the cost of RAM, which is particularly applicable to these models as they pack so much video memory.

So, what changed? Nothing, according to MegaSizeGPU, it's just that Nvidia "can always get what it wants!" and therefore this won't be an issue as such. Team Green will still provide its card-making partners with GPU chips and VRAM bundles, we're told (meaning they won't make those board manufacturers source their own video RAM).

It still doesn't make a huge amount of sense that Nvidia might want to go ahead here, because with the higher-end VRAM configurations, those RTX 5000 Super refreshes are going to end up very costly, there's no two ways about that.

Okay, so maybe Nvidia simply won't make many of them – perhaps Team Green just wants to keep the GeForce range ticking over so gamers can't accuse the company of abandoning them this year (for greener AI pastures). In that case, though, stock will end up thin on the ground, and the GPUs will be potentially even pricier as a result.

We shall see, but if heavyweight RTX Super refreshes are incoming, I expect them to be wallet-damagingly priced. An RTX 5060 Super with 12GB, on the other hand, would be very welcome in helping address one of the major stumbling blocks with this particular lower-end model. Again, though, would Nvidia want what would effectively be a lower-end RAM drain that's (relatively) not very profitable? Again, time will tell...

Computex can always be relied on to deliver some truly inventive custom PC builds, and this year has been no exception.

One of the things I love about being a PC gamer is building my own desktop rig to play on, as the process enables me to optimize the specs to suit my needs and my budget, as well as giving me the chance to get creative. In the past, I've built a Star Wars-themed PC, a compact console-like PC housing an RTX 5090, and much more.

My attempts, however, pale in comparison to those of the professional PC builders and modders who are showing off their creations at Computex, and helping component makers display their products in eye-catching ways. Below I've picked out some of the coolest, and weirdest, custom PCs I've seen on the show floor this year.

Brass Wing Sentinel by Mark's Fabrications

Specs:

• RAM: KLEVV CRAS V RGB DDR5
• Motherboard: ASRock B650E PG-ITX WiFi
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
• PSU: FSP Dagger Pro 850W

Entryopy-Core by AK

Specs:

• RAM: KLEVV CRAS V RGB DDR5
• Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix B850-I Gaming WiFi
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X
• GPU: Asus TUF Gaming Geforce RTX 5060 OC
• PSU: Lian Li SP0850P
• Water cooling: Bitspower

The Arm by Mark's Fabrications

Specs:

• RAM: Teamgroup XTREEM DDR5 16GB x 2
• Storage: Teamgroup T-FORCE GE PRO GEN5 2TB
• Motherboard: ASRock Phantom Gaming X870E Nova WiFi
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X
• GPU: Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 5090 Articstorm AIO
• PSU: FSP MEGA TI MIT 1650W
• Water cooling: Bitspower

Mechanical Chameleon by Modding Cafe

Specs:

• RAM: G.Skill DDR5
• Storage: Lexar Play X 1TB
• Motherboard: Asus ROG Z890
• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
• GPU: Palit GeForce RTX 5090 Gamerock
• PSU: FSP Dagger
• Water cooling: Bitspower and Deltamine

The Lab by SamCa Studios

Specs:

• RAM: PNY DDR5 ARGB 32GB
• Storage: PNY CS2340 M.2 Gen4 1TB
• Motherboard: ASRock X870 LiveMixer WiFi
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700
• GPU: PNY GeForce RTX 5060 16GB Limited Edition
• PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower PT 1000W
• Water cooling: Custom Thermaltake

Turbo D by MSCS

Specs:

• RAM: UD858 Dan Da Dan UDIMM
• Storage: AI828 Dan Da Dan
• Motherboard: MSI MEG Z890 Unify-X
• CPU: Intel Ultra 7 265KF

Untitled liquid nitrogen-cooled rocket PC by ShaggySVK

Specs:

• RAM: G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5
• Motherboard: Asus ROG Maximus Z890 Apex
• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
• GPU: PNY GeForce RTX 5060 16GB Limited Edition
• Cooling: ElmorLabs LN2 block prototype

Untitled Matrix-style PC by WMP

Specs:

• RAM: G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5
• Motherboard: ASRock Z890I Nova WiFi
• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 265K
• GPU: Palit GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GamingPro
• PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower SFX 1000W - TT Premium Edition
• Cooling: Thermal Grizzly

Untitled shark-themed PC by Modding Cafe

Specs:

• RAM: G.Skill Trident Z5 Royal DDR5
• Storage: Lexar NM790 1TB
• Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix X870-I Gaming WiFi
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9800X3D
• GPU: Palit GeForce RTX 5080
• PSU: FSP Dagger Pro 850W
• Cooling: Bitspower

• Check out our Computex 2026 hub for all the latest news out of Taipei.

I've been stalking the halls of Computex 2026, the huge computing-focused tech event that's currently running in Taipei, Taiwan, in search of the best laptops that will be coming soon to consumers.

While one of the big themes of this year's event is, inevitably, AI, there's a lot of excitement around new laptops running the latest hardware from Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm (Nvidia's new RTX Spark chip, and the laptops that run on it, are coming later this year).

However, arguably the biggest impact on laptops at this year's Computex comes from a company that isn't even there: Apple and its affordable MacBook Neo.

The Neo's shadow looms large over many laptops at this year's event — and that's great news for consumers. With Apple offering a well-built and great-performing laptop for $599, it's pushed Windows 11 laptop makers to make their own affordable laptops that don't feel cheap or underpowered. Read on to see the best laptops I've seen at Computex 2026 — and you can be sure I'll be calling all of these in (plus lots more) for full reviews when they are available.

1. Dell XPS 13 (2026)

Dell's decision to revive its XPS brand, only a year after it killed it off, has been welcome, and the latest Dell XPS 13 model is particularly exciting, as unlike previous models (many of which dominated our best laptops list for years), which were expensive flagship devices, the new Dell XPS 13 is an affordable laptop aimed to directly compete with the MacBook Neo.

In fact, Dell is so confident about the XPS 13's Neo-killing prowess, it had one of Apple's laptops on hand to help us directly compare the two. From what I've seen and heard, Apple will have a real fight on its hands.

Selling for the same $599 price, the XPS 13 (2026) offers a stunning aluminum chassis, a bright and vibrant touch-screen, and it's both thinner and lighter than the Neo.

It comes with two USB-C ports, and unlike the Neo, both offer the same Thunderbolt 4 speeds. The ports are on either side of the XPS 13, which I think is better than the Neo, which has both ports on the left-hand side, and it makes it more convenient when charging.

Another plus it has over the Neo is that the keyboard is backlit. The MacBook Neo's reign as the best budget laptop could soon be over.

2. Acer Swift Air 14 (2026)

The Acer Swift Air 14 (2026) is another MacBook Neo challenger that will launch at the same $599 price. It comes with an all-metal chassis, so again, this is an affordable laptop that looks and feels more expensive than you might expect.

It runs on the latest Intel Core Series 3 processors and should offer around 19 hours of battery life, which is a similar ballpark to the MacBook Neo.

Its 14-inch WUXGA display features a 120 Hz refresh rate and accurate 100 percent sRGB color reproduction — so I have a feeling it could also give the screen of the MacBook Neo a run for its money. The screen can be pushed back 180 degrees as well, which the Neo can't do.

3. Acer Aspire Go 15

The Acer Aspire Go 15 is the first laptop powered by the Snapdragon C chip, which was also announced at Computex 2026, and this could be incredibly exciting, as it's aimed at the entry-level market, so around the $400 range.

While very cheap, the Acer Aspire Go 15 won't be like previous cheap and flimsy laptops, and will feature an 8-core CPU as part of the Qualcomm Snapdragon C chip, a 1080p 15.6-inch display, and two USB-C ports.

4. MSI Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition Draco Epic

MSI always makes beautiful, if not always affordable, gaming laptops, and the MSI Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition Draco Epic really is a sight to behold, thanks to the stunning artwork that adorns almost every inch of this laptop.

This is a new dragon for MSI (which has an iconic red dragon as its mascot), and is named 'Draco' and is based on the Greek myth about the North Star.

The artwork on the back of the lid is slightly raised and looks gorgeous in person, and it comes with a limited edition coin, mousepad, and gaming mouse, all bundled in a stylish box to celebrate MSI's 40th anniversary.

The hardware inside is no slouch, either — you get an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus processor, Nvidia RTX 5090 laptop GPU, an 18-inch UHD+ MiniLED screen with 240Hz refresh rate, and a whole lot more.

5. Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra

Nvidia's announcement at Computex 2026 of its RTX Spark 'super chip', which is an Arm-based chip with CPU and GPU, has been one of the biggest bits of news to come out of Taipei this year, and while MSI, HP, and Acer all have RTX Spark-powered laptops coming out later this year, the one that really caught my eye was the Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra.

For a start, Microsoft's Surface devices have felt a bit neglected recently. Once flagship devices that were aimed at competing with Apple, the past few years have seen them largely relegated to business products.

While the Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra likely won't be a mainstream product, as I have a feeling all RTX Spark-powered laptops are going to be pretty pricey, it's great to see a Surface product once again act as a flagship showcase for the latest software and hardware, and both Nvidia and Microsoft have made a big deal of how their partnership with RTX Spark will transform Windows 11 laptops.

Also, while the other RTX Spark laptops were on display at Computex 2026, we weren't allowed to touch them or turn them on. However, the Surface Laptop Ultra was in use in tightly-controlled demos by Nvidia, so I was able to get a closer look and get an idea of the kind of performance we should expect.

AI tasks, which the RTX Spark has been primarily designed for, were shown off, as well as 3D rendering and creative tasks. I also got to play some games on the Surface Laptop Ultra, including Alan Wake 2, which has been ported to ARM. Impressively, even the games that were running via emulation, such as Marvel Rivals, ran great, and Nvidia suggested we should expect the kind of gaming performance the RTX 5070 laptop GPU provides.

We'll find out more about RTX Spark laptops closer to their launch later this year, but I'm pretty impressed so far. An extortionate price, however, could easily ruin things.

• Check out our Computex 2026 hub for all the latest news out of Taipei.

• AMD's David McAfee has hinted that a Ryzen 5 9600X3D could be in the cards for later this year
• This follows the launch of the Ryzen 7 7700X3D as a response to pricing pressures
• McAfee said that "we know the pressures that are there in building systems aren't going away anytime soon"

AMD appears to be considering making a new addition to the family of current-gen Zen 5 CPUs in the form of a wallet-friendly 3D V-Cache (X3D) processor.

Tom's Hardware spoke to AMD's VP and general manager of Ryzen CPU and Radeon Graphics, David McAfee, at Computex, and questioned the exec on why the company decided to release a past-gen X3D chip rather than one from the Zen 5 (Ryzen 9000) range.

The backdrop here is the launch of the Ryzen 7 7700X3D, which has just happened, and Tom's is essentially wondering why Team Red didn't go for a Ryzen 5 9600X3D.

McAfee responded that the launch of such a contemporary CPU "may be something that we look at doing… later this year."

The exec elaborated: "I think as we go through the rest of this year, I mean we're always looking for ways to, you know, create as many options as we can, and that may become… maybe something that we look at doing as a runway product later this year, simply because you know we know the pressures that are there in building systems aren't going away anytime soon."

Analysis: under pressure

Obviously this is far from a confirmation that AMD will produce a new budget X3D chip for Zen 5, but the admission that it's possible the CPU maker could start rolling such a product off the assembly lines is a hopeful nugget that Team Red is still looking to further ease the pressure on PC builders.

Right now, building a new computer is a depressing task consisting of shopping for various components, most of which have had substantial price increases applied. (And the price hikes for certain parts, notably RAM and storage, are positively astronomical in some cases). A wider choice of more affordable processors obviously won't hurt for those carrying out a DIY build, and for that matter, it'll help with pre-built computers too, as another option for PC makers looking at building cheaper gaming rigs.

Of course, McAfee's comments don't come without an element of concern, namely the casual acknowledgement that "we know the pressures that are there in building systems aren't going away anytime soon". In other words, don't expect PC component pricing pressures to ease for quite some time, and that's a prediction that has been widely made elsewhere. Most notably in recent times by the major RAM chip manufacturers – with one especially bleak forecast.

Indeed, AMD's CEO, Lisa Su, recently predicted that demand is going to wane on the consumer and gaming side for Team Red due to "higher memory and component costs" in the second half of 2026. Adding to that is further uncertainty around the global shipping situation, as continued disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is now affecting the RAM supply chain in other ways.

All in all, it's not a pretty picture, and we'll take what relief we can in terms of the prospect of more affordable components.

• The newly announced Asus ROG Thor 3000W Titanium III Edition 20 has a dual-voltage mode, able to switch between its full 230W output and a more conventional 1600W setting at 115W.
• True to its namesake, it's 80 Plus Titanium rated, meaning you can expect between an 89-94% load percentage when under stress, enough for intensive gaming and workstation tasks. It's the highest rating currently available for consumer-level PSUs.
• Actual use cases for the Asus ROG Thor 3000W Titanium III Edition 20 are fairly limited, as it's more so a case of having (seemingly) unlimited overhead rather than meeting the demands of today's current gaming/productivity tech.

Asus has announced a mammoth new behemoth of a power supply at Computex 2026. It's called the ROG Thor 3000W Titanium III Edition 20, and it's aimed at power users who demand the most out of their machines.

Unique to this new power brick is the dual-voltage adaptive design, switching between the full 3000W (230V) and a more conventional 1600W at 115V.

Specifically, Asus' new 3000W PSU has support for up to four RTX 5090 graphics cards. In case you're wondering, that would, theoretically be a rig with support for 96GB GDDR7 VRAM. Considering the unsubtle near-600W power draw of those high-end Blackwell video cards, running four times is certainly demanding... and very, very expensive.

With all that power comes a substantial amount of heat, as components work overtime when under heavy loads. Said to be a "GPU first", the Asus ROG Thor 3000W Titanium III Edition 20 has what's been described as an "intelligent voltage stabilizer", which is said to ensure peak stability and performance when switching between the two voltage modes.

This new 3000W PSU is 80 Plus Titanium certified, meaning that you can expect between an 89-92% load percentage when tested between 20-100% power usage. That's the best that you'll get from a consumer-level power supply, which is up to 94% rated when under load. That gives this brick a USP when weighed up against its more-conventional workstation sibling, the 80 Plus Platinum-rated WS 3000W.

Other current PSU standards are enforced as you would hope for, including PCIe 5.1 and ATX 3.1 for the latest bandwidth and connectivity options, essential for running this much hardware through one core workstation in 2026.

A key element of the projected lower thermal performance is the patented ROG equalizer PCIe power cable, which is etched and can deliver more balanced power with its higher current-carrying capacity. This also means the machine is far less likely to struggle under stress. The threads are also embossed and rated at 50 degrees lower than the maximum safety limit, too.

It seems to be far more than just a gamer-centric version of the company's Pro WS 3000W, which was released back in November 2025, and likely to be just as pricey. That workstation-focused power brick can be bought now for $800 / £840; however, Asus' ROG lineup tends to demand a higher sticker price, so we wouldn't be surprised to see a starting MSRP crossing the four-digit mark.

Does anyone really need a 3000W PSU?

There's no shortage of high-performance and high-capacity power supplies on the market, as the likes of the previous front-runner, the Asus Pro WS 2200W, can attest. Other manufacturers have muscled in on this territory as well, such as Silverstone, Cooler Master, and Seasonic. It can be argued that most workstations don't need up to 3000W, but it's hard to imagine a gaming rig that can really benefit from such a high power draw as well.

It's worth remembering that SLI has been dead since 2021, so having multiple RTX 5090 graphics cards (or an AMD equivalent) won't boost gaming performance. Instead, having more available VRAM in your machine is best used for local AI and deep/machine learning, 3D rendering and content creation, and heavy multi-tasking.

It's a niche product for an incredibly small minority of people who could actually utilize this level of power, but it remains an option for those who want (seemingly) unlimited overhead.

Depending on the MSRP, you can weigh the ROG Thor 3000W Titanium III Edition 20 against the Pro WS 3000W to see if the dual-voltage mode is worthwhile or not. Either way, your power bill may go through the roof.

• Check out our Computex 2026 hub for all the latest news out of Taipei.

I've just spent the afternoon with Nvidia at Computex 2026, where the company went into more detail about its freshly announced RTX Spark chip, and the upcoming laptops that will be powered by it. One of the most pressing questions I had — as did many of our readers — is what kind of battery life we can expect with an RTX Spark laptop.

I put this question to an Nvidia executive, who said that while they can't provide firm numbers just yet (we'll have to wait until closer to the Fall launch of the first wave of RTX Spark laptops), we should "expect all-day battery life" when using these laptops for regular workloads.

Unplugged power

While this answer is a bit vague, it's good to know that we can expect laptops that you can work on for over an entire work (or school) day without needing to plug them in.

Battery life (and lack of) is one of the biggest pain points for Windows 11 laptops, especially compared to the best Chromebooks and MacBooks. And while the situation has improved — mainly thanks to more efficient chips from Intel and Qualcomm — battery life improvements are always welcome. That's especially true if Nvidia wants to deliver on its promise to reimagine the PC with RTX Spark.

According to the Nvidia employee I spoke to, the longer battery life is thanks to the fact that the RTX Spark chip combines both CPU and GPU, which is far more efficient than having separate chips for those components.

Later on, another Nvidia employee told me that RTX Spark laptops will maintain their performance when running on battery life, so users shouldn't see a dip when they unplug their device.

Again, this has mainly been a concern with Windows 11 laptops. In the past, laptop performance has been throttled to prevent the batteries from draining too fast (less power used by the components means less battery life used), so this is great to hear, especially as Nvidia is pitching the initial wave of RTX Spark laptops as mobile productivity machines.

Nvidia also confirmed to me that we should expect a similar level of performance as the laptop version of the RTX 5070 graphics card. Hopefully as the launch of RTX Spark laptops approaches, we'll get more in-depth details about what to expect from this new breed of PC.

• Check out our Computex 2026 hub for all the latest news out of Taipei.

• AMD has announced it will be supporting Socket AM5 for CPUs through 2029
• It's following in the same footsteps of its decade-long support for Socket AM4
• The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D has also returned for the AM4 socket platform

AMD has consistently supported its Socket AM4 for CPUs over the last decade, with new additions to its Ryzen CPU lineup — and, fortunately, its current CPU socket platform is receiving the same treatment.

Announced at Computex 2026, AMD is set to extend its support of the Socket AM5 platform through 2029, after the launch of the new Ryzen 7 7700X3D processor. This comes after Team Red has offered a decade of support for AM4, as the manufacturer adheres to longevity.

It's also worth noting that the popular AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D has returned as a '10-Year AMD AM4 Anniversary Edition', serving as AMD's way of celebrating its lengthy AM4 support — and frankly, it's one of the best gaming CPUs available, and the best AM4 gaming CPU.

"For gamers, the support extension represents more time to build, upgrade, and improve a system around the same platform," AMD says in its blog post.

"A longer platform roadmap can reduce the need for full system replacements and gives PC builders more confidence when choosing AMD Ryzen processors, AM5 motherboards, and compatible memory."

Both announcements are great news for AM4 and AM5 CPU users; not only is AM5 confirmed to have at least three more years of support, but it's highly likely we'll see irregular cases of new CPUs launch for Socket AM4.

The latter means PC gamers, like myself, using AM4 motherboards can continue doing so comfortably, especially since AMD's AM6 platform doesn't seem to be launching any time soon — and it's probably better if it doesn't release for another few years, at least until this RAM crisis disappears.

Nvidia has just announced its new Arm-based laptop chip at Computex 2026, firing a warning shot across the bow of Apple (who has found great success with its own Arm-based M-series chips), as well as Intel and AMD.

While Nvidia has been mainly associated with graphics cards, and AI, in the past, the announcement of its RTX Spark chip, which will power future Windows 11 laptops, could be a real game-changer. While there are a growing number of Windows 11 laptops running on Arm chips, primarily from Qualcomm, the fact that Nvidia, one of the biggest companies in the world, is throwing its hat into the ring is certainly exciting. As Nvidia claimed ahead of the reveal, alongside Microsoft and Arm, a 'new era of computing' has begun.

Despite working closely with Qualcomm on Arm-based Windows 11 laptops, Microsoft has failed to match the success that Apple has had with its modern Macs, which ditched Intel processors back in 2020 for its incredibly popular M-series chips, including the latest M5 variant.

Nvidia's entry into laptop CPUs could prove to be a major shake-up of the industry - and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Game on?

The Nvidia RTX Spark comes with 20 CPU cores (the CPU has been custom-designed by Nvidia and MediaTek) and 6,144 CUDA cores based on Blackwell architecture. Talking to representatives of MSI, one of the first hardware manufacturers to make an RTX Spark-powered laptop, this means the integrated GPU is roughly equivalent to an Nvidia RTX 5070 GPU.

That's a pretty exciting proposition, and could pave the way for exceptionally thin and light gaming laptops in the future. For the time being, however, it's important to note that RTX Spark laptops won't be aimed at gamers, but rather content creators.

That's because this is still an Arm-based chip, and native compatibility with PC games remains scarce without an emulation layer such as Prism, which might allow PC games designed for traditional Intel and AMD hardware to run on Arm, but has an impact on performance.

Instead, RTX Spark laptops will be aimed more at content creators, and Dell, MSI and Lenovo are major laptop makers that will be making those laptops.

Rumors suggest the Nvidia RTX Spark will have a TDP of 45 - 80W, and because the chip includes both CPU and GPU, I'm a bit concerned that this could mean the N1X struggles in pure gaming performance. A lot will ride on how power-efficient the chip is.

The RTX Spark will also support up to 128GB of LPDDR5X memory, and can use Nvidia's gaming tech, such as DLSS upscaling, ray tracing effects and G-Sync.

What about the rumored Nvidia N1?

Rumors had suggested that Nvidia would also announce a lower-powered chip witheither 12-core (2,560 CUDA cores) and 10-core (2,048 CUDA cores) configurations and supports up to 64GB of LPDDR5X memory, but this wasn't announced at the keynote.

Laptop makers team up

Jensen Huang also showed off RTX Spark-powered laptops on stage from MSI, Lenovo, and other major laptop makers, with a promise of these landing in 'the fall' - so don't expect anything before September, I guess.

These laptops will be thin and light, with some sporting tandem OLED screens with G-Sync.

These will be premium laptops, and this is perhaps my biggest concern: how much will RTX Spark laptops cost? No details have been released, but they could end up being very expensive. This will likely limit their appeal and popularity, and I hope it doesn't mean a return to Windows on Arm laptops that cost a fortune, which is what happened a few years ago.

If these laptops are more expensive than M5 Max-toting MacBooks (which launched at $2,199 / £2,199 / AU$3,499), then they are going to struggle. Time will tell, then, how scared Apple will be by Nvidia's new RTX Spark chip.

These are all the announced RTX Spark laptops so far:

• Asus ProArt P14
• Asus ProArt P16
• Dell XPS 16
• HP OmniBook X 14
• HP OmniBook Ultra 16
• Lenovo Yoga Pro 9n
• Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra
• MSI Prestige N16 Flip AI+

Jensen Huang will join Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, on stage at Build 2026 tomorrow, June 2, where he'll go into more detail about RTX Spark.

• Check out our Computex 2026 hub for all the latest news out of Taipei.

• A stick of Corsair RAM has been spotted using CXMT memory chips
• If genuine, this leak suggests Corsair is trying to shore up its chip supply lines elsewhere, away from Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix
• It aligns nicely with a prediction from earlier this week which contends that Chinese memory chip makers are cranking up production in a big way

Corsair DDR5 RAM has been spotted, which has seemingly made use of Chinese memory chips, in what could be a sign that a major RAM vendor is adapting to the current crisis by using alternative suppliers.

VideoCardz reports that leaker Wxnod on X flagged up this development, and there's photographic evidence provided of a 16GB stick of Corsair Vengeance DDR5 memory.

The CPU-Z utility identifies the RAM as having chips made by CXMT, a major player in the Chinese market.

Obviously, we must take this leak with a good deal of seasoning, but assuming it's genuine, this indicates that Corsair is at least making samples of RAM using Chinese chips, rather than its usual sources (namely, the three major chip makers outside of China: Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix).

Analysis: a major change on the horizon?

As VideoCardz observes, the serial number shown on the RAM stick ends in 'CN,' which could mean it's a sample for the Chinese market.

Whatever the case, if this leak is genuine, Corsair is seemingly experimenting with Chinese alternatives to keep its RAM production rolling and to make up for the lack of supply from Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix when it comes to consumer RAM (due to AI production being more heavily favored).

This is interesting timing, because we've heard from other sources that Chinese memory chip makers are ramping up their production to fill gaps in the market. Indeed, the ex-chief of Samsung's semiconductor business observed earlier this week how Chinese companies like CXMT are "aggressively expanding" their RAM production capacity, to the point where this could change the market as soon as the second half of 2027.

That ex-Samsung exec also forecast that the AI boom is set to cool, and with Chinese chip makers helping to boost supply to meet that falling demand more readily, he theorizes that RAMageddon may not last nearly as long as some predictions claim.

Obviously, it's way too early to jump to that conclusion, but this glimpse of Corsair DDR5 RAM certainly does nothing to dispel the notion. We'll need to keep our eyes peeled for further evidence of memory chips from China being used by major RAM vendors.

• Nvidia just announced its Q1 fiscal 2027 results
• This came with a change in the way GPU sales are reported
• They won't be detailed separately any more, but buried in another category — Edge Computing — and there are reasons to be nervous

Nvidia is flying with the revelation of its latest financial results, hitting a record-breaking quarter. But hidden among the trumpeting of success there was a move which I find somewhat disturbing regarding Team Green's gaming GPUs.

Tom's Hardware noticed that aside from the record revenue in Q1 fiscal 2027 – which hit a staggering $81 billion – Nvidia is making a change to the way the company reports its financials going forward.

From this quarter and in the future, Nvidia won't separately report sales of client graphics cards, meaning consumer (GeForce) and professional (RTX Pro and others) GPUs. Instead, sales of those graphics solutions will be absorbed into another bigger category: Edge Computing.

So, Nvidia will have just two main categories with its financial reports: Data Center (which encompasses cloud, AI and supercomputing) and Edge Computing (which is PCs, workstations, consoles, as well as robotics, automotive and telecoms). We won't get a breakdown of sales of graphics solutions at all.

Analysis: shifting priorities

All this sounds mightily dull, of course, so why does it matter to gamers? And why might it worry them, more to the point? Well, what it means is that it'll no longer be possible to see how the GeForce and RTX side of Nvidia's business is performing.

In short, it's effectively draping a cloak of obscurity (I found one in Baldur's Gate 3, I think) over Nvidia's graphics revenue so nobody can easily see how this side of the business is doing.

Of course, this is a reflection of a few things: most certainly that Nvidia has become an AI juggernaut. And also that all investors really care about is AI now, and Team Green doesn't feel that graphics are important enough to report directly. The various RTX graphics cards that Nvidia sells — whether GeForce, or non-consumer RTX models — can just be filed away quietly, in the background.

The worry for me is that this is also a way of keeping graphics sales out of the limelight if Nvidia is going to deprioritize its GeForce lineup going forward. With no visibility in the financial reporting, there's going to be no easy way to spot gaming GPUs dwindling.

That may seem like a leap to a conclusion, but it isn't just this latest move with the financial reports to consider — there's also Nvidia's wider attitude towards GeForce in recent times. With the RAM crisis, we've seen GPU price hikes and concerns over production and stock. On top of that, there have been rumors of GeForce models that were supposed to be released: RTX 5000 Super refreshes, which were heavily rumored, and supposedly designed and readied, but have now been shelved.

The chatter from the grapevine is that we won't see any new GPUs from Nvidia this year at all — not one — and that's very rare (in fact it hasn't happened in three decades). This is because Nvidia needs all the chips it can get — and perhaps more to the point, all the video RAM — for AI graphics cards, which are far more profitable than consumer models.

And let's not forget that Nvidia's keynote at CES 2026 — a show that's about consumer electronics — didn't mention anything to do with GeForce GPUs. (Not the hardware, anyway, although we did hear about DLSS 4.5, but that's not quite the same — the only hardware touched on was gaming monitors).

There's an increasing feeling among gamers that priorities are shifting more radically towards the AI side of the market for Nvidia, and away from gaming GPUs, and I can't blame people for thinking this way. This latest move to bury graphics sales in Nvidia's financial reports feels like another step on this path of marginalizing the GeForce family, and yes, I agree, we can't be jumping to conclusions, but it's all adding up and feeling rather ominous to me.

• RAM could soon get more expensive
• This is due to the disruption of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz
• Specifically it pertains to problems with the supply of hydrofluoric acid, used for etching and cleaning in RAM production

There could be another complication for the RAM supply chain coming soon, bringing the prospect of even pricier memory sticks.

We've heard before that disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz are a problem for the supply of certain vital chemicals used in memory production. And now, The Elec reports (via Tom's Hardware) that this ongoing situation is going to usher in further price hikes which are described as an 'Iran-linked supply shock'.

The Elec notes that hydrofluoric acid, which is used for etching and cleaning in RAM production, is increasing in price due to the core ingredient, anhydrous hydrogen fluoride, becoming more expensive – it's leapt by 40% since 2026 began.

The upshot is that while the increases have been absorbed and not passed on thus far, this won't continue to be the case. Come late June or July, South Korean memory chip makers Samsung and SK Hynix will be paying more for this acid – and the price hike will be a 'significant' one.

As The Elec explains, the supply problems here can be traced back to a shortfall in sulfur, with the global supply of that element dropping by almost a third due to the issues with the Strait of Hormuz. The core ingredient for hydrofluoric acid requires sulfuric acid for its production, hence the knock-on effect from the major supply wobble with sulfur.

Analysis: under pressure (yet again)

With the suppliers of hydrofluoric acid charging memory chip makers more due to their rising costs, the RAM manufacturers will naturally be passing those costs on, and the bill will, in the end, land in the hands of buyers out there.

In short, with manufacturing set to become more expensive in about a month's time, we'll see more RAM price increases. (Of course, there'll be a delay in terms of the memory chips being made, and then actually deployed in sticks, and shipped to retailers, OEMs and the like).

Unfortunately, this is another lesson in how the disruption of global trade and shipping can, and inevitably does, have far-reaching effects. Of course, the last thing the RAM industry and consumers need is yet another pricing pressure on the cost of memory, which has got stupidly expensive as it is.

This kind of news makes you wonder whether the RAM crisis will ever end, and current predictions are that it's likely to make its presence felt until 2028 (at the very least). That said, we heard a more optimistic take from an ex-Samsung boss just yesterday, but this runs against the grain.

• The ex-chief of Samsung's semiconductor business has made a more optimistic prediction about the RAM crisis
• The memory situation will improve thanks to a surge in RAM production from Chinese companies, and some deflation in the AI bubble
• Due to those factors combined, we're told, "There is a possibility that the market will change starting from the second half of next year or the first half of 2028."

Could the RAM crisis be over sooner than you thought — and maybe even in not much more than a year? An ex-Samsung exec has stated that this could be a possibility.

Wccftech flagged a report from Seoul Economic Daily (via PC Gamer), which quoted Kye-hyun Kyung, who was head of Samsung's semiconductor business until a couple of years ago.

In a keynote at the National Academy of Engineering of Korea in Seoul, Kyung observed that "Chinese companies are aggressively expanding their production capacity" for making RAM.

He then added: "There is a possibility that the market will change starting from the second half of next year or the first half of 2028, when memory supply surges." (Bear in mind that this is translated from Korean).

The ex-Samsung boss further noted that there was also a chance that the "return on investment for Big Tech" could decrease relative to the capital ploughed into AI, and that this could lead to a weakening of the AI boom. This, combined with the mentioned surge in RAM production in China, could mean a swifter than expected correction in the balance of supply and demand.

Or at least swifter than the predictions up until now, in which no one has stuck their neck out to forecast that the RAM crisis could be over before 2028.

Analysis: some welcome optimism — but it goes against the grain

Granted, Kyung has only indicated that we may see the beginning of the end (as it were) of sky-high RAM pricing when the second half of 2027 comes around, but that's still a more optimistic line of thinking than we've seen before. And I'll take that sentiment, certainly.

I'm not convinced that the currently booming AI industry is going to start to turn into a nosedive anytime soon, mind, but the observation about the amount of money being slung at AI heavily outweighing any profits that are made is a fair point.

Other feedback we've had this month on the RAM crisis has been distinctly gloomier. Indeed, we've witnessed warnings of one kind or another from all three big memory chip makers — including Samsung — which are predicting the crisis will last until at least 2028, and in one case, possibly until 2030. And they should be in a pretty good position to know.

So for now, talk of a recovery sparking off in just over a year feels like gazing through rather rosy-tinted spectacles, but I'm happy to entertain the thought — and to hope that other more positive forecasts may be imminent.

• The FBI has remotely reset thousands of routers
• The Russian GRU had compromised end-of-life devices
• Routers that have been reset should be replaced, and network setting checked

The FBI have remotely reset thousands of home and small office routers after releasing a joint press release detailing how Russia has been compromising devices.

Some brands of routers are known for lasting upwards of a decade, and while that's great for the consumer, the developers will often stop releasing updates to keep the router secure.

This leaves them open to compromise by attackers, specifically Russia’s Main Directorate of the General Staff (GRU), tracked as APT28 or Fancy Bear, which has been snooping on unsecured routers since at least 2024, the FBI said.

Time to replace your router

If your device is included in the list of compromised devices (listed below), and you have found that it has been reset, the FBI and NSA recommend that you replace your router as soon as possible.

The GRU could be snooping on unsecured routers to intercept sensitive internet traffic, including credentials and authentication tokens that can be used to compromise personal and work accounts. In particular, GRU has been targeting routers belonging to workers in the military, government, and critical infrastructure industries.

“The FBI, NSA, and co-sealing agencies encourage SOHO router users to change default usernames and passwords, disable remote management interfaces from the Internet, update to latest firmware versions, and upgrade end-of-support devices. Users should also carefully consider certificate warnings in web browsers and email clients,” the NSA said.

Additionally, the FBI and NSA recommended that employees use a VPN when accessing sensitive information. Those that suspect they may have been compromised by the GRU should contact their local FBI field office and file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

A press release published by the US Justice Department detailed that the FBI had created a series of commands that, with court-authorization, it could send to compromised routers.

The commands were “designed to collect evidence regarding the GRU actors’ activity, reset DNS settings (i.e., remove GRU DNS resolvers and force routers to obtain legitimate DNS resolvers from their Internet Service Providers (ISP)), and to otherwise prevent the GRU actors from exploiting the original means of unauthorized access.”

The Justice Department added that the operation did not interfere with the normal functions of the router, nor did it collect any legitimate user data.

The full list of targeted routers includes:

• TP-Link TL-WR841N
• TP-Link LTE Wireless N Router MR6400
• TP-Link Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router Archer C5
• TP-Link Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router Archer C7
• TP-Link Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WDR3600
• TP-Link Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WDR4300
• TP-Link Wireless Dual Band Router WDR3500
• TP-Link Wireless Lite N Router WR740N
• TP-Link Wireless Lite N Router WR740N/WR741ND
• TP-Link Wireless Lite N Router WR749N
• TP-Link Wireless N 3G/4G Router MR3420
• TP-Link Wireless N Access Point WA801ND
• TP-Link Wireless N Access Point WA901ND
• TP-Link Wireless N Gigabit Router WR1043ND
• TP-Link Wireless N Gigabit Router WR1045ND
• TP-Link Wireless N Router WR840N
• TP-Link Wireless N Router WR841HP
• TP-Link Wireless N Router WR841N
• TP-Link Wireless N Router WR841N/WR841ND
• TP-Link Wireless N Router WR842N
• TP-Link Wireless N Router WR842ND
• TP-Link Wireless N Router WR845N
• TP-Link Wireless N Router WR941ND
• TP-Link Wireless N Router WR945N

The Justice Department included a list of remediations for all routers:

1. Replace End-of-Life and End-of-Support routers;
2. Upgrade to the latest available firmware;
3. Verify the authenticity of DNS resolvers listed in router settings; and
4. Review and implement firewall rules to prevent the unwanted exposure of remote management services.

“Operation Masquerade – led by FBI Boston – is the latest example of how we’re defending our homeland from Russia’s GRU which weaponized routers owned by unsuspecting Americans in more than 23 states to steal sensitive government, military, and critical infrastructure information,” said Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks of the FBI’s Boston Field Office.

“The FBI utilized cutting edge technology and leveraged our private sector and international partners to unmask this malicious activity and remediate routers. Now we’re asking everyone who has a router to secure it, update its firmware, and replace it if needed. By working together, we can guard against nefarious nation state actors trying to compromise our national security.”

• The FCC is considering a ban on "cellular modules" manufactured in China
• These modules send and receive communications on mobile networks
• The ban could effect devices of all kinds across IoT, industrial controls, and cars

The Trump administration is considering adding Chinese “cellular modules” to its list of electronics that could be banned over national security concerns.

Previously, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had imposed a ban on Chinese labs testing products bound for the US.

Now, the FCC has included drones and routers in expansions to the ban, with the agency mulling over whether to include “cellular modules” in the ban, the Financial Times reports.

Ban could cause major supply chain disruptions

President Donald Trump is today meeting his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing, in a seismic meeting where the pair are expected to discuss everything from trade and sanctions to the relationship between the two superpowers.

Cellular modules are electronic components that allow a device to send and/or receive cellular signals, such as those transmitted on 4G and 5G networks. These devices are included in a wide range of electronics, from Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as those included in smart home tech, medical systems, cars, and industrial control systems.

The potential ban of Chinese cellular modules is likely strategically timed, aimed at putting pressure on China and Xi to contribute productively during the meeting with President Trump.

The Trump administration has seen devices and software manufactured in China as a potential national security risk, gradually stepping up bans and restrictions on products manufactured in China from being used by government contractors and federal agencies. Now, that ban could extend to the domestic market.

Speaking to FT, Charles Parton, a retired UK diplomat and Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), who is an expert on modules, said that up to 70% of the global market for cellular modules is controlled by a few Chinese groups, including Quectel, Fibocom, China Mobile, Sunsea and MeiG.

Like any other electronic device with an internet connection, these devices must be periodically updated in order for them to function and remain secured against threats. However, the FCC fears that these subsequent updates could result in covert surveillance software or harmful malware being installed on devices.

Should the ban go ahead, the fallout for the cellular module supply chain would be enormous as manufacturers seek alternative sources. These sources would likely be unable to cope with the sudden increase in demand, leading to prices for cellular modules to skyrocket, subsequently increasing the costs of goods themselves for consumers.

• Nintendo announced the Switch 2's price will increase in the US, Canada, Europe, and Japan
• It will now cost $499.99, effective from September 1, 2026
• All Switch hardware prices will increase in Japan, including Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions

Nintendo has held strong amid the memory crisis, successfully avoiding price hikes for its Switch 2 hardware — but all good things come to an end.

Nintendo announced it will increase the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 handheld; in the US, the price will rise from $449.99 to $499.99, effective September 1, 2026, as a 'response to various market conditions'.

A $50 price increase will also be replicated in Canada, seeing it cost $679.99, while Europe will see a 30 euros increase, also effective on the same date. Unlike other regions, Japan's price increase will apply to all Switch hardware, taking effect on May 25, 2026, with the Switch 2 costing 59,980 yen instead of the previous 49,980 yen.

Japan is easily the most impacted, as the Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions will also face price hikes, notably for its 12-month family plan, rising from 4,500 yen to 5,800 yen.

There is no confirmation on price increases in other European regions, notably the UK, but according to Nintendo Life, Nintendo states they will be shared at a later date.

This shouldn't come as a surprise, as the RAM crisis is causing havoc across PC and console hardware, due to shortages and increased demand from AI data centers. Sony and Microsoft have recently increased prices for PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles, respectively.

It was only a matter of time for Nintendo to follow suit, especially considering the general economic struggles. Fortunately, though, Nintendo has given most consumers (except for those in Japan) plenty of time to beat the price hike, which won't come into effect for another four months.

The warning signs have been around via several rumors and suggestions that Nintendo wouldn't be able to avoid adjusting the MSRP, and there's a decent chance that this won't be the last price hike we see for the Switch 2.

• The RAM crisis has reportedly resulted in a motherboard manufacturer crisis, according to Digitimes
• Digitimes' report suggests motherboard shipments have plummeted for four major Taiwanese manufacturers
• Consumers no longer have the incentive to buy motherboards for new PC builds due to unaffordable RAM kits

The AI boom and ongoing economic struggles continue to leave the PC hardware market in disarray, and a recent development suggests matters are only getting worse.

As reported by PC Gamer, a new Digitimes report indicates a 'collapse' for motherboard manufacturers and their shipment targets for 2026, due to the memory crisis.

Unsurprisingly, RAM shortages and price hikes have effectively discouraged consumers from building new PCs, which has a knock-on effect of leaving motherboards on the shelves.

Notably, the report states that Asus is among the four major Taiwanese motherboard manufacturers that lowered shipment targets at the end of 2025, and has still experienced a collapse in shipments. It also claims that Asus has only managed to ship 5 million motherboards in the first half of 2026, despite aiming for 10 million overall.

Frankly, those numbers are regarded as one of the worst for Asus, as it's said to mark the 'lowest point in Asus's motherboard shipments since the company split in 2008', and also worse than the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A similar case applies to MSI, which was reportedly estimating 11 million motherboard shipments but has fallen to 8.4 million for 2026.

Yes, these cases don't directly impact consumers, especially given the lack of consumer incentive to buy motherboards (which is part of the issue, but not to blame), but in theory, low motherboard sales could lead to a drop in production for the major manufacturers.

If the RAM crisis does dissolve, there will likely be a sudden demand for motherboards where production has been severed, ultimately leading to skyrocketing prices and shortages. It's quite evident that the AI boom has done immense damage to the PC hardware market, but we can only hope that it isn't irreparable.

• AMD has announced its Q1 results, with booming revenue driven by AI
• There's bad news for the gaming division, though, due to 'higher memory and component costs, ' AMD's CEO Lisa Su observed
• AMD's CFO has forecast 'gaming revenue to decline by more than 20%' in the second half of 2026 compared to the first half of the year

AMD just revealed its latest financial results, with good news for investors in the form of a major surge in revenue, but bad news for consumers, with more RAM-related worries looming on the horizon.

Tom's Hardware reports that AMD's Q1 2026 fiscal results witnessed a new record for data center revenue, as the AI boom drove further growth, but CEO Lisa Su warned of PC component price spikes going forward.

Su predicted that demand is going to wane with its client and gaming businesses – essentially the consumer side of AMD's hardware – in the second half of 2026 due to "higher memory and component costs".

So, yes, that means AMD's chief executive believes that after next month, as we head into Q3, RAM and other components are only going to get pricier.

With gaming, the damage done by price hikes could be quite considerable, as AMD's Chief Financial Officer, Jean Hu, observed: "We expect second half [of 2026] demand in gaming to be impacted by higher component and memory cost. We now expect second half gaming revenue to decline by more than 20% compared to the first half."

Analysis: Radeon price hikes – or indeed pricier consoles?

In other words, compared to the first half of the year (of which less than two months now remain – with time flying by, as ever), the second half of 2026 is going to be considerably more sluggish for AMD's gaming revenue. The expectation isn't just a 20% drop, but a more than 20% fall, so that could be a quarter less money raked in, or maybe more, up towards 30%, even.

This would seem to indicate that AMD's Radeon graphics cards are going to be in shorter supply in Q3 and Q4, and that there may be further price hikes on RX 9000 models. Clearly, AMD is expecting things to slow down with these graphics cards as 2026 rolls on, but its gaming revenue isn't just about Radeon, of course – Team Red also makes the semi-custom GPUs for the PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

Sales of those consoles are softening naturally, mind you, given that they're in the later stages of their expected lifespan now, so we're reaching saturation levels for would-be buyers. What could also be factored in here is the price hikes for console hardware, causing further unwillingness to buy – or possibly, AMD is anticipating further PS5 or Xbox price rises later this year, compounding the misery.

That's just guesswork, but clearly the outlook isn't great for the second half of 2026, and this is the latest in a quickfire round of pessimistic RAM crisis predictions, two of which have come from memory chipmakers themselves. Micron has warned of growing AI demand and more pressure on RAM supply, while Samsung has observed that 'significant shortages' of memory will continue to plague us through 2027 as a best-case scenario.

There isn't much faith out there in Reddit-land that RAM pricing will recover anytime soon, or indeed that prices will ever reach the levels we saw last year, before the memory hikes started coming thick and fast.

As one Redditor put it in reaction to this news from AMD: "My prediction is that over 2027 prices will drop from an insane 400% [price increase] to a nice and summerly 200%. But they'll never fall lower than that ever again. The RAM economy will permanently change and data centers will be a nuisance for the rest of recorded time."

• Micron's CEO has been talking about the gravity of the RAM supply situation
• Sanjay Mehrotra said that 'AI is in very early innings' and that AI will need a lot more memory to 'scale up' going forward
• This follows similar warnings from the other two big memory chip makers

We've had another warning from a major memory chipmaker that the RAM crisis will only worsen, and rumors continue to circulate that Nvidia could bring back an old GPU – from two generations ago – to help deal with video RAM woes.

Wccftech reports that Micron just posted record Q2 revenue, fuelled by AI demand, and the company's CEO, Sanjay Mehrotra, observed that this demand isn't going away – and in fact will only get stronger.

In an interview, Mehrotra told CNBC that: "AI is in very early innings; you just saw at GTC how much advances are being made in AI. And memory is a strategic asset; you need more memory, you need faster performance memory in order for AI to be able to deliver its full capabilities."

"This is inference inflection. As inference broadens, it will scale up the need for tokens, and those tokens need to be fast, and guess what, you need more memory, you need faster memory in order to deliver the full potential of memory."

"And memory today is very tight supply, and supply cannot be brought up that easily, and you are seeing that in our results."

Meanwhile, as VideoCardz recently pointed out, there are continued rumors that the RTX 3060 is going to be resurrected in its 12GB incarnation. This is according to the Board Channels, a source of supply chain rumors over in China, and we're told production of the RTX 3060 could be fired up in June.

Add some seasoning with this one for sure, but assuming it's genuine, why might this happen? It is, in theory, a move to provide some relief and additional choice, with more wallet-friendly Nvidia GPUs.

It's very much a reflection of the situation with video RAM, and while 12GB is a considerable loadout for a budget graphics card, it's GDDR6 memory rather than the current generation, which uses GDDR7. Therefore, it won't interfere with the inventory of the latter.

Even though the RTX 3060 is an old GPU, the 12GB configuration will be tempting for some gamers looking for a cheaper card with more video memory.

Analysis: a trio of ominous warnings

The key comment from the Micron CEO is that AI is in its "very early innings", and that we can expect AI to gobble up more memory, with the suggestion being that it might be a lot more.

What's also worrying is that Micron isn't saying this in isolation. In fact, both the other major players in terms of RAM manufacturers, Samsung and SK Hynix, have issued similar (or more dire) warnings of their own.

Samsung recently said that it expects "significant shortages" across its memory products to last through to 2028 (at least), and SK Hynix previously warned that we could be dealing with the fallout from the RAM crisis until as late as 2030.

With all three memory-making giants issuing these kinds of ominous statements, and the likes of Nvidia rumored to be resurrecting old GPUs to get around video RAM supply constraints, the prospect of the RAM crisis easing off any time soon doesn't seem likely.

• Apple's CEO has warned of "significantly higher memory costs"
• From June, we're told the cost of RAM will "drive an increasing impact" on Apple's Macs
• Samsung has also warned on the memory crisis, and that "significant shortages" will continue through 2027 at the very least

Apple is warning on the impact of increasingly expensive RAM with its products, and a major memory chip maker has also contributed to the gloomy news when it comes to RAM supply and pricing.

MacRumors reports that Apple just had its quarterly earnings call and CEO Tim Cook observed that memory costs rose during the March quarter (Q2 of its fiscal year). Moreover, Cook said that in the next (June) quarter, Apple is anticipating "significantly higher memory costs" and that from June 2026, the cost of RAM will "drive an increasing impact" on Apple's products.

Sounds ominous, doesn't it? Part of the problem is that Apple's substantial stock of RAM that it had built up — paid for in the past when prices were still at more normal levels — is starting to run dry, so naturally, something will have to give regarding pricing.

Quite what, we don't know, and all the CEO would be drawn to say is that Apple is exploring a "range of options" for dealing with potential prices hikes due to having to pay more (much more, no doubt) for RAM.

9 to 5 Mac further chipped in to observe that Cook also commented on the stock issues with two of Apple's Macs that have been seen of late. The CEO said: "On the Mac mini and the Mac Studio, both of these are amazing platforms for AI and agentic tools, and the customer recognition of that is happening faster than what we had predicted, and so we saw higher than expected demand."

This is down to the popularity of running local AIs on a device which has lots of memory such as the beefier configurations of those Macs (driven by the success of AI agent OpenClaw).

Cook also noted that demand for the new MacBook Neo has been "off the charts", and that for all these Macs, it may take Apple a few months to address the shortfall in supply.

Elsewhere away from Apple, Tom's Hardware noticed that Samsung, one of the big memory chip makers, just released its own earnings report, with executive VP Kim Jaejune warning that "significant shortages" across its memory products are expected to persist through at least 2027 (meaning until 2028). We're told demand fulfillment rates are now at record lows, meaning Samsung is struggling to fulfill the level of demand like never before.

Analysis: treacherous waters ahead

Samsung isn't alone in ringing the memory alarm bells, because one of the other three big chip makers in this arena, SK Hynix, warned in March that the RAM crisis is going to be a long haul – possibly making its effects being felt as far into the future as 2030. Whichever way you look at it, there are cautions that the RAM crisis will continue until 2028 or maybe longer. Only the third major player in terms of memory manufacturers, Micron, hasn't issued a warning yet.

Apple's plight obviously reinforces this messaging, and it'll be interesting to see what kind of 'options' Tim Cook is mulling over in terms of combating the lack of RAM supply and avoiding having to jack up prices on its Macs. Clearly Apple does have a lot of weight to throw around in terms of getting the best prices out of the supply chain, but at this point I'd imagine there's little room to maneuver with contract negotiations even for the tech giants of the world.

Then again, having set out the stall of the MacBook Neo as a truly affordable laptop, Apple can't exactly backtrack and hike prices on that particular offering, so it seems like these could be tricky waters to navigate for Captain Cook — or more to the point, Captain Ternus, as it'll soon be. It's an interesting time to be taking control of Apple, that's for sure.

Some denizens of Reddit are certainly bracing for the worst, namely Mac price hikes. As the most upvoted comment on this thread in the Apple subreddit stated: "Oh come now, we all know how Apple plans to 'deal with the problem'. No one needs the CEO to spell out the price increases that Apple will be doing in the not too distant future."