It was only last week that Saber Interactive revealed some major features that will be coming soon to Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 in updates. Already, a massive patch containing many of those features, changes, and content has been pushed out to all players. Dubbed the 6.0 Datavault update, it carries a new way for players to unlock cosmetics, a PVP map, a new enemy, and more.

The new Datavault is a new area players can enter in the Battle Barge, where players can accept and complete minor objectives in missions to earn a new type of currency. These can be used to unlock fresh cosmetic rewards at the Datavault.

At the same time, PvP enjoyers can now jump into the Necron-themed PvP map Tomb. This close-quarters-focused experience is being called the smallest map to be featured in the PvP playlist, offering fast flanking routes and a central battle zone to concentrate fights in.

As for PvE players, the studio has added the new Biovore to spice things up. Described as a "mobile living-artillery creature," it can fire deadly spore mines at its enemies while also posing as a very valid threat up close to Space Marines thanks to its deadly melee swipes.

For PC players, an FOV slider has finally been implemented into the game, which the developer says was a "challenging" development experience. This will be especially useful for ultra-wide monitor users. Over on consoles, a cross-play toggle can now be found in network options to block being matched up with PC players when matchmaking in PvP.

Other additions to this update include an in-game emote system, an exchange point for swapping different tiers of Armory Data, the Absolute difficulty mode that touts even more diverse enemy packs and fewer resources, as well as new finishers for killing various enemies.

The update is now available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. The complete changelog for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Patch 6 Datavault, which includes details on the balance changes, can be found here.

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The studio announced the number via social media today. "Over a million of you have stepped into our world," says the post on X. "We're beyond grateful for your support - thank you for making #KCD2 a triumph"

The game released across PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 consoles yesterday, February 4. Unfortunately, no platform-specific sales numbers have been shared just yet. On Steam though, the one platform that shows concurrent player numbers, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is currently enjoying a massive number of PC gamers.

At the time of writing, Steam has almost 164,000 users playing the game, putting it in the top five most played games list on the platform, beaten only by free-to-play experiences like Marvel Rivals and Dota 2. That number will probably increase over the weekend too as more players get the time to jump into the adventure set in the early 15th century. Steam user reviews are also painting a very positive picture, with many praising the slow and authentic gameplay as well as graphics optimizations.

While the massive RPG is now in the hands of players, Warhorse Studios has big plans for the future of the game too. Spring will bring a free update, adding a barber for more customizations, horse racing, and a Hardcore Mode. Following that, three expansion packs are planned to land throughout 2025. Find complete details on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 post-launch plans here.

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As soon as I saw the first trailer for Assassin's Creed Shadows, I knew that this was going to be the first Assassin's Creed in a long time to really get my interest. After all, I have a lot of respect for Ubisoft Quebec which is leading the game's development since this team has previously brought us some of my favorite Ubisoft games including Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Assassin's Creed Syndicate, and Immortals Fenyx Rising.

But before you can dive into this dual-protagonist adventure that's finally coming out on March 20, 2025, you'll need to make sure your gaming laptop or gaming PC can handle Assassin's Creed Shadows system requirements. I'll go over what those requirements are and then will offer helpful tips for upgrading your PC if you need to do so.

• Buy Standard Edition (PC): $52.09 at CDKeys | $69.99 at GMG
• Buy Gold Edition (PC): $77.49 at CDKeys | $109.99 at GMG
• Buy Ultimate Edition (PC): $115.59 at CDKeys | $129.99 at GMG

Assassin's Creed Shadows specs: System requirements

The exact Assassin's Creed Shadows PC file size hasn't been revealed yet, but we'll update the page when this info is made known. Otherwise, here are the minimum and recommended system requirements for this RPG.

Assassin's Creed Shadows PC Minimum system requirements for Windows

• OS: Windows 10/11
• Processor: Intel Core i7-8700k / AMD Ryzen 5 3600
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB or AMD Radeon RX 5700 8GB / Intel Arc A580 8GB
• Storage: SSD mandatory
• DirectX: DirectX 12

The CPU and GPU requirements listed here aren't very demanding and they aren't all that modern either. Of the processors listed, the Radeon RX 5700 is the newest with its July 2019 launch date. As such, as long as you've upgraded your gaming PC or purchased a decent gaming laptop within the last few years you'll more than likely be able to play Assassins' Creed Shadows at its minimum system requirements.

Assassin's Creed Shadows PC Recommended system requirements for Windows

• OS: Windows 10/11
• Processor: Intel i5-22600k / AMD Ryzen 5 5600x
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060Ti 8GB / AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT 12GB / Intel Arc B580 12GB
• Storage: SSD mandatory
• DirectX: DirectX 12

Even Assassin's Creed Shadows' recommended system requirements aren't that strenuous. As long as you're computer has been upgraded to a decent CPU and GPU within the last five years (or you've purchased a decent gaming laptop within that time), then you should be able to play Shadows as it was intended.

How do I see my computer configuration to see if it can run Assassin's Creed Shadows?

AMD announced its fourth-quarter earnings yesterday, and the numbers were mostly rosy: $7.7 billion in revenue and a 51 percent profit margin, compared to $6.2 billion and 47 percent a year ago. The biggest winner was the data center division, which made $3.9 billion thanks to Epyc server processors and Instinct AI accelerators, and Ryzen CPUs are also selling well, helping the company's client segment earn $2.3 billion.

But if you were looking for a dark spot, you'd find it in the company's gaming division, which earned a relatively small $563 million, down 59 percent from a year ago. AMD's Lisa Su blamed this on both dedicated graphics card sales and sales from the company's "semi-custom" chips (that is, the ones created specifically for game consoles like the Xbox and PlayStation).

Other data sources suggest that the response from GPU buyers to AMD's Radeon RX 7000 series, launched between late 2022 and early 2024, has been lackluster. The Steam Hardware Survey, a noisy but broadly useful barometer for GPU market share, shows no RX 7000-series models in the top 50; only two of the GPUs (the 7900 XTX and 7700 XT) are used in enough gaming PCs to be mentioned on the list at all, with the others all getting lumped into the "other" category. Jon Peddie Research recently estimated that AMD was selling roughly one dedicated GPU for every seven or eight sold by Nvidia.

But hope springs eternal. Su confirmed on AMD's earnings call that the new Radeon RX 9000-series cards, announced at CES last month, would be launching in early March. The Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT are both aimed toward the middle of the graphics card market, and Su said that both would bring "high-quality gaming to mainstream players."

An opportunity, maybe

"Mainstream" could mean a lot of things. AMD's CES slide deck positioned the 9070 series alongside Nvidia's RTX 4070 Ti ($799) and 4070 Super ($599) and its own RTX 7900 XT, 7900 GRE, and 7800 XT (between $500 and $730 as of this writing), a pretty wide price spread that is still more expensive than an entire high-end console. The GPUs could still rely heavily on upscaling algorithms like AMD's Fidelity Super Resolution (FSR) to hit playable frame rates at those resolutions, rather than targeting native 4K.

But the promise at least implies that AMD is confident in the value that the RX 9000-series cards are going to provide. And Nvidia's next-generation lineup suggests that AMD has its best opportunity in years to grab some attention and some market share with a fast, reasonably priced GPU.

Aside from the powerful GeForce RTX 5090, none of the 50-series graphics cards that Nvidia has announced so far look like massive upgrades over the 40-series. That's especially true for the $549 GeForce RTX 5070, which comes with significantly fewer CUDA cores than last year's RTX 4070 Super.

The RX 7000 series usually came in a bit cheaper than comparable Nvidia cards, but never by enough to decisively offset Nvidia-exclusive advantages like DLSS upscaling, better power efficiency, and superior performance in games with heavy ray-tracing effects. It seems as though AMD's efforts kept some of Nvidia's price increases under control—the 4060 was a shade cheaper than the 3060, and the mid-generation refreshes of the 4070 and 4080 cards all improved their value quite a bit. But it was (apparently) never enough to make the 7000 series actually appealing to GPU buyers.

The right cards at the right prices could help the Radeon RX 9000-series cards succeed where the 7000-series fell short. Of the few details we currently have about the 9070 and 9070 XT, they all seem designed to address the 7000 series' biggest deficits: A new 4 nm TSMC manufacturing process should improve power efficiency; ML-powered upscaling for AMD's Fidelity Super Resolution (FSR) 4 could help close the quality gap between FSR and DLSS; and the cards will have next-generation ray-tracing accelerators that could help with the 6000- and 7000-series cards' weak ray-tracing performance.

Of course, it's also possible that the real 9070 cards aren't as good as they look on paper. Either way, we'll know more in a month or so.

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As Microsoft's 50th anniversary edges closer, there's a lot of nostalgia in the air. Depending on how you look at a half-filled glass, there are plenty of amazing moments we've reveled in as longtime Microsoft watchers. There have been bitter moments, too. For instance, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella admitted that killing Windows Phone was a strategic mistake.

Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder, recounted the early days of founding and running the day-to-day company operations in a detailed, dated article by The New York Times from 1995 (via Fortune). Shockingly, the Microsoft co-founder revealed that he hadn't always been confident about his abilities.

In a separate report, Bill Gates admitted to CNBC that "I wouldn’t say that I felt comfortable that we were successful until about 1998 or so." For context, this was 11 years after Microsoft had gone public, raising over $61 million in a single day.

At the time, the software giant had enjoyed considerable success, brushing shoulders with major tech players like Apple. It's worth noting that Gates had already attained billionaire status despite his woes to propel Microsoft to a new realm of success.

According to Bill Gates:

“Not until the late-90s did I feel like, ‘Wow, we can even make a few mistakes and still be okay. I thought I was one mistake away from death until then. That was just my mentality.”

Fast-forward to 2025, Microsoft is arguably one of the most successful companies in the world. In 2024, Microsoft's big bet on AI and multi-billion partnership with OpenAI briefly propelled the software giant to the top spot, ahead of Apple and NVIDIA as the world's most valuable company with over $3 trillion in market capitalization.

During Alphabet's earnings call on Tuesday, Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, stated that its biggest product, Google Search, was in the midst of a journey around artificial intelligence.

AI is nothing new for Google. The Transformer model that powers chatbots like ChatGPT started as a research project at Google and was published back in 2017. During the earnings call, Pichai said:

As AI continues to expand the universe of queries that people can ask, 2025 is going to be one of the biggest years for search innovation yet.

He also outlined the next steps for integrating AI into Google Search, aiming to make it behave more like an AI assistant.

The shift from a traditional search box that returns a list of links and snippets started with the introduction of AI Overviews in May 2024. However, its launch was rocky, with the feature generating incorrect and sometimes dangerous answers. Speaking on the evolution of Google Search, Pichai said:

You are really dramatically expanding the types of use cases for which Search can work—things which don’t always get answered instantaneously, but can take some time to answer.

 

Those are all areas of exploration, and you will see us putting new experiences in front of users through the course of 2025.

He sees an opportunity to allow users to ask follow-up questions in Google Search, similar to what platforms like Perplexity AI already offer.

Google is also working on projects like Project Mariner and Project Astra, which it plans to integrate into Search. Mariner provides AI agents that can take control of a browser, click buttons, and fill out forms. Astra, on the other hand, is a multimodal AI system that Google describes as its vision for future AI assistants.

Another potential addition is Gemini Deep Research, which was introduced last month. This tool generates detailed reports based on research questions, including key findings, source links, and related content that can be exported to Google Docs.

Traditionally, users looking for research papers might search Google Scholar or use advanced search filters like "[topic] filetype:pdf" in Google Search. Now, it seems Google aims to automate that process and generate complete reports.

Source: TechCrunch

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The prolonged wait for new Radeon RDNA 4 graphics cards will soon be over: AMD's next-gen GPUs are launching in "early March" according to AMD CEO Lisa Su in the most recent AMD Q4 2024 Earnings Call.

With NVIDIA's recent launch of RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 flagship GPUs without any real availability — not to mention relatively minor gains in terms of raw performance compared to RTX 40-series hardware — AMD's opportunity to capture the mid-range market has never been better.

In the call, Su specifically called out AMD's GPU revenue decline in 2024 as the company sold off its last-gen RDNA 3 stock to make room for the new Radeon hardware. Here's the full section regarding RDNA 4:

"In Gaming Graphics, revenue declined year over year, as we accelerated channel sellout in preparation for the launch of our next-gen Radeon 9000 series GPUs. Our focus with this generation is to address the highest volume portion of the enthusiast gaming market with our new RDNA 4 architecture. RDNA 4 delivers significantly better rate tracing performance and add support for AI-powered upscaling technology that will bring high-quality 4K gaming to mainstream players when the first Radeon 9070 series GPUs go on sale in early March."

This news, spotted by PCGamer, comes just a couple of weeks after AMD VP and GM of Ryzen and Radeon David McAfee took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a similar launch date. McAfee only mentioned "March" as a launch time, so at least we now know we won't have to wait quite as long. That's especially great news for anyone who's been waiting to upgrade and didn't manage to land an NVIDIA card.

The long seven-year wait for Warhorse Studios' historical RPG sequel is finally over, as Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has arrived at long last. And to the surprise of nobody, it's absolutely blowing up the Steam charts on Windows PC right now.

As I write this, the newly released 100+ hour open-world epic has 127,139 concurrent players on Valve's PC gaming platform, with a peak player count of 159,351 earlier today according to SteamDB data. That makes it the fifth most-played Steam game right now — fourth if you don't count the drop-farming clicker game Banana — with the RPG surpassing popular titles like PUBG: Battlegrounds and Grand Theft Auto 5. Compared to the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance's peak of 96,069, the follow-up's is over 50,000 higher.

Notably, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is also at the top of Steam's Top Sellers list, and has been for over 24 hours now; before that, it held a very high position on the chart, with only a few games above it. Right now, it's getting more sales and downloads than Civilization 7, Counter-Strike 2, Destiny 2, Marvel Rivals, and many other recent and live-action titles.

The game's explosive success on PC so far is undeniably impressive, and while we don't have any official console data to draw from right now, I'm sure the game is having a stellar launch day on Xbox Series X|S and PS5, too. As I said, though, it's hardly surprising; going into 2025, it was clear that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was going to be one of its biggest and most ambitious games, with Warhorse promising a doubled open-world size, more nuanced reactivity to the player's actions, deeper roleplaying systems, improved combat mechanics, and a grander story with a script so large it even surpasses the one in Baldur's Gate 3.

All of that undoubtedly sparked quite a bit of hype, as did the fact that reviewers all largely agree that the sequel makes good on its promises. Across the board and all three of its platforms, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is getting rave reviews and has a "Generally Favorable" Metacritic score of 88, with most analyses finding very little to criticize. Compared to the original Kingdom Come, for example, KCD2 has far better performance and much more "active" combat with more opportunities for offensive maneuvers and combos.

I reviewed Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 myself, and consider it to be "the perfect RPG sequel." You'll find my detailed thoughts in the full piece, but overall, it's "an undeniable triumph from Warhorse Studios" and "one of the best RPGs I've ever played." I have no doubt in my mind that this will stand tall as one of 2025's best Game of the Year contenders, and right now, it's the clear frontrunner. So far, players seem to agree, as on Steam, it's got a "Very Positive" rating with 93% of the title's 2,199 user reviews giving it a thumbs up.

During the Monster Hunter Wilds Showcase portion of today's Capcom Showcase livestream, it let loose a metric ton of new gameplay information and an exciting cinematic trailer for Monster Hunter Wilds revealing original and classic monsters, a new region to hunt in, some cool gameplay features, and more information regarding its second Open Beta Test.

Here's all the important details you need to know from the Monster Hunter Wilds Showcase.

The Showcase kicked things off with Monster Hunter Wilds' 6th cinematic trailer. The trailer revealed a new icy locale that players will be hunting called the Iceshard Cliffs and it will be filled with disturbing giant monsters. These include flying creatures called Hirabami, a giant unnamed dragon-looking monster that looks like a reptilian sea horse, and Nerscylla a giant spider monster that debuted in Monster Hunter 4

The trailer then shows snippets of the game's story along with gameplay of the player hunting the game's flagship monster, Arkveld, a large dragon-like creature that attacks with chain-like appendages.

The trailer then ends with a spine-tingling teaser that Gore Magala, the demonic flagship monster of Monster Hunter 4 will be joining Monster Hunter Wilds' ever-growing list of monsters.

The Spotlight then proceeds to present more information regarding Monster Hunter Wilds' upcoming second Open Beta Test, which is scheduled to take place at the following dates:

• From February 6th 2025, 7:00pm to February 9th, 2025, 6:59pm (P.T. time)
• From February 13th, 2025. 7:00pm to February 16th, 2025, 6:59pm (P.T. time)

The second Open Beta Test will mostly be the same as the first but with additional features like being able to hunt the recently announced Gypceros and the flagship monster, Arkveld.

Age of Mythology: Retold's first expansion was already known to be Immortal Pillars, but now, fans have a March 4 launch date to wait for. The expansion will explore Chinese mythology, adding a new pantheon of gods with 12 fresh faces, new legendary units, a nine-level campaign, new building types, biomes, and more.

Pre-orders for Age of Mythology: Retold - Immortal Pillars are now available across the Microsoft Store and Steam with a $19.99 price tag. Retold Premium Edition owners will receive this expansion for no extra charge though.

Next, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition has another expansion heading its way in 2025. Unfortunately, no information about this has been released just yet, with the announcement only saying that the DLC will be "packed with fresh new content, new civilizations for Ranked play, and ready for all players to enjoy together across all platforms."

Lastly, it's the Age of Empires IV players that are slated to receive the most content in 2025. Instead of the single expansion pack that was announced previously, the development team at Relic will now be delivering two pieces of DLC.

Once again, no specific details have been announced, but the studio did say that adding more variant civilizations is a focus. Adding fresh game modes focused on "shorter and repeatable experiences" will be one of the objectives of these DLCs too.

Knights of Cross and Rose will be the first DLC pack from the duo, and it will release this spring for Age of Empires IV. This pack will carry two new armies to take into battles, as well as a solo mode that will present a challenge for even highly skilled players.

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Despite uncertainties in the global economy, Alphabet was able to turn in strong financial results—revenue reached $96.47 billion, representing a 12% increase compared to the same period last year. During the quarter, net income for the company went up over 28% to $26.54 billion.

Alphabet's CEO Sundar Pichai said the quarter reflected its leading position in AI, adding to growth momentum in the businesses. "We are building, testing, and launching products and models faster than ever, and making significant progress in compute and driving efficiencies," he said.

Q4 was a strong quarter driven by our leadership in AI and momentum across the business... In Search, advances like AI Overviews and Circle to Search are increasing user engagement. Our AI-powered Google Cloud portfolio is seeing stronger customer demand, and YouTube continues to be the leader in streaming watchtime and podcasts. Together, Cloud and YouTube exited 2024 at an annual revenue run rate of $110 billion.

The search giant's core businesses, including Google Search and YouTube, continued to deliver strong results. Advertising revenue rose to $72.46 billion from $65.52 billion a year ago. YouTube also saw an increase in ad revenues, reaching $10.47 billion from $9.2 billion in the same quarter last year.

Revenue from Alphabet's cloud computing business, Google Cloud, arrived at $11.96 billion, representing a 30% increase over last year. Revenue arrived below expectations that had called for $12.19 billion.

The Other Bets segment, including projects such as Verily and Waymo, continued to be a drag on Alphabet's overall performance, recording revenue of $400 million from $657 million in the same quarter of 2023.

Looking ahead, the company plans to invest $75 billion in capital expenditures for 2025, above analysts' estimates on Wall Street at $58.84 billion.

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Meanwhile, both the new SKUs, especially the RTX 5090, have been extremely limited in stock. Major retailer Overclockers UK confirmed this on its official X handle and added that restocking could take up to 16 weeks for the RTX 5090 and up to six weeks for the 5080. It stated:

RTX 50 Series Stock Update 31/01/2025

 

Stock Update

 

• RTX 5090 sold out and pre-orders ceased
• RTX 5080 sold out and pre-orders ceased

 

Due to incredibly high demand and limited stock, all 50 Series cards sold shortly after launch with some pre-orders taken in restricted quantities. Stock ETAs are as follows:

 

• RTX 5090 ETA: 3-16 Weeks
• RTX 5080 ETA: 2-6 Weeks

 

If you have not received a dispatch confirmation email, your order is now in a pre-order queue. We are working with our supply chain to fulfil these within the ETAs above, or sooner if possible. As always, anyone who does not wish to wait is welcome to cancel for a full refund. Future Availability We have no plans to take pre-orders for any 50 Series cards until we have greater clarity on availability and have fulfilled the pre-orders we have taken. For up-to-date information, please sign up with stock notification emails of the product you are interested in via the product page, as well as keep an eye on our Discord server and forums to be the first to hear when more stock lands.

And for those who managed to pick up the cards, you may not be out of your troubles as users online are reporting various issues like Windows failing to recognize the GPU, cards bricking, and PCIe 5.0 compatibility problems.

Overclocking guru and YouTuber der8auer EN (YouTube link) already discussed the PCIe 5.0 issues in his launch review. Essentially, the 5090 for some reason does not run properly on Windows, even with the right driver, on PCIe Gen5, but changing the PCIe version to 4.0 in the BIOS seemingly resolves the freezing, black screen, and all sorts of display issues users are encountering on their system.

Besides those, Windows can also fail to recognize the RTX 5090 and this bug is not fixed by changing the PCIe version either.

The RTX 5090D which is a China-only cut-down variant of the 5090 has many users complaining that their cards were bricked after Windows and BIOS failed to recognize the GPU.

Nvidia assured that it did not "expect" power connectors to melt, and so far that has held true. Hopefully, the GeForce RTX 50 series launch does not get any worse than this.

Via: Wccftech

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At long last, Henry's come to see us once again. Seven long years after developer Warhorse Studios impressed players around the world with its debut historical 2018 RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance, the sequel is finally upon us. This review has gone live one day ahead of its highly anticipated arrival on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5 — a launch that's expected to be one of the biggest in all of 2025.

The first Kingdom Come was a great game, to be sure, but it wasn't without major issues. Out of the gate, its performance was quite poor and criticized widely, though it was eventually fixed with post-launch updates. The same can't be said of its combat and story problems, however; the former, while enjoyable in solo duels, was frustratingly clunky in group fights, and the latter's strong characters and premise were undermined by chaotic narrative pacing. I had concerns about these drawbacks rearing their ugly heads again in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 when I started playing it for this review, though I was hopeful the better part of a decade in the development oven would see them taken care of.

Now that I've spent several weeks playing through this meaty medieval adventure, I can confirm that it's indeed the sequel I was hoping for — bigger, better, and bolder than its predecessor, complete with effective solutions for Kingdom Come's worst issues and major refinements to its best qualities. Put simply, it's everything a sequel should be, and an absolute must-play delight for RPG fans that cements itself as one of 2025's strongest Game of the Year contenders.

The growth saw semiconductor vendors changed their market share rankings, with 11 of the top 25 seeing double-digit growth, while just eight of the 25 recorded declines. Samsung leapfrogged Intel to become the number one vendor, while Nvidia jumped from fifth to third place. Micron Technology pulled off the biggest leap, going from 12th to sixth.

Big names like Intel, Qualcomm, Broadcom, AMD, and Apple, all fell lower in the ratings in 2024, compared to 2023. In terms of actual revenue growth, the leader was SK hynix, reporting 86% growth in revenue.

“Graphics processing units (GPUs) and AI processors used in data center applications (servers and accelerator cards) were the key drivers for the chip sector in 2024,” said George Brocklehurst, VP Analyst at Gartner. “The rising demand for AI and generative AI (GenAI) workloads led data centers to become the second-largest market for semiconductors in 2024, behind smartphones. Data center semiconductor revenue totaled $112 billion in 2024, up from $64.8 billion in 2023. Memory and AI semiconductors will drive near-term growth, with high-bandwidth memory (HBM) projected to account for an increasing share of DRAM revenue, reaching 19.2% in 2025. HBM revenue is estimated to increase 66.3% in 2025, reaching $19.8 billion.”

It'll be interesting to see what happens in this market going forward. The new reasoning models that are becoming more accessible, thanks to DeepSeek R1, could drive the need for more power. At the same time, the demand may not end up being so great if companies like DeepSeek have found ways to make their models much more efficient.

Image via Depositphotos.com

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Gamers Nexus (2.39M subscribers)

February 3, 2025

Video length: 24m 16s

00:00 - Recapping the Week

01:05 - RTX 50 Series Doesn't Exist

07:01 - RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5070 Rumors

07:42 - Strange 230F IHS

10:40 - AMD Security Vulnerability in Microcode Leaked by ASUS

13:10 - Ayaneo 3 Modular Handheld

15:45 - Steam Brick - Modded Steam Deck

17:01 - NVIDIA's Massive Stock Drop

19:05 - Steve's Beef with Costco's Bagels

19:30 - Back to the Stock Drop

21:30 - Intel Nova Lake 2026

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Table of contents:

1. Surface event
2. Windows 10 and 11 news
3. Windows Insider Program
4. Updates are available
5. Reviews are in
6. Gaming news

Surface event

Here is the hardware that Microsoft announced this week.

Microsoft had a special Surface event this week where the company announced the Surface Laptop 7 for Business and the Surface Pro 11 for Business. Both devices are near identical copies of their Snapdragon-powered siblings, with the biggest change being Intel's new Core Series 2 processors. Also, the Surface Laptop 7 for Business is the first Surface Laptop with optional 5G connectivity.

In addition, Microsoft announced the Surface USB4 Dock, a more affordable docking station that expands the number of available ports and peripherals that you can connect to your Surface device equipped with a USB Type-C port.

If you want to learn more about these devices, check out our fresh Specs Appeal articles (here and here) comparing new Surface devices in detail to their predecessors.

Windows 11 and 10

Here we talk about everything happening around Microsoft's latest operating system in the Stable channel and preview builds: new features, removed features, controversies, bugs, interesting findings, and more. And of course, you may find a word or two about older but still supported versions.

Windows 11 and Windows 10 version 22H2 received their first non-security updates in 2025. Windows 11 24H2 got KB5050094 with new taskbar animations and new features (plus a fix for USB audio device issues and Auto HDR issues), Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2 received KB5050092, and Windows 10 received the new Outlook and a few minor changes in KB5050081.

Also, Microsoft released new recovery updates for Windows 11 version 24H2 and Windows Server 2025.

Moving from Windows updates to Windows stats, we have Statcounter and its latest data for January 2025. According to the findings, Windows 11 reached a new all-time high. Right now, the OS sits at 36.65%, which is a 2.53-point increase over December 2024. Windows 10, on the other hand, is declining, and it is now about to cross the 60% on its way down.

Finally, Microsoft posted a detailed blog post to explain in detail what feature deprecation means in the Windows world.

Windows Insider Program

Here is what Microsoft Released this week for testing in the Windows Insider Program:

Windows Insiders in the Dev and Canary Channels can try the updated Phone Link pane in the Start menu. The most important change in the latest version is iPhone support. Now, Windows 11 can work with Apple's smartphones and display battery levels, calls, messages, contacts, and even let you send files. Previously, all those features were Android-exclusive.

Updates are available

This section covers software, firmware, and other notable updates (released and coming soon) delivering new features, security fixes, improvements, patches, and more from Microsoft and third parties.

PowerToys, everyone's favorite set of utilities for Windows 10 and 11, received its first feature update in 2025. Version 0.88 arrived with one new utility, a lot of fixes for existing modules, and one removed tool. The new module is ZoomIt (it will help you with presentations), and the removed utility is Video Conference Mute. Also, a future PowerToys update will bring big improvements to the Advanced Paste module.

Windows Auto Dark Mode is another useful utility for Windows 10 and 11 users, especially those upset about the system's lackluster dark mode. Version 10.4.2.29 arrived this week with native ARM support, additional image type support, and other important fixes.

Microsoft has some bad news for those using the Dev Home app on Windows 10 and 11. In May 2025, Dev Home will go six feet under, and most of its features will spread across other parts of the operating system. Although the idea was neat, developers mostly agree that the Dev Home offers little to no benefit to them, and its demise will not upset many of them.

Dev Home is not the only thing Microsoft is killing. Microsoft sent out emails to Microsoft 365 subscribers to notify them that the built-in VPN service in Microsoft Defender is going away. Instead of it, Microsoft promises to "invest in new areas that will better align with customer needs."

Microsoft is now testing a new tool to help Edge users stay away from scareware or tech scam websites. The new scareware blocker is available in preview, and it works by blocking full-screen websites and showing you a warning that the website is potentially malicious.

If Microsoft Edge is not your cup of tea and you prefer the ol' reliable Chrome, be aware that Google is killing Chrome Sync on older browser versions. How old? If your Chrome is over four years old, first of all, what is wrong with your PC? Second, get ready to upgrade because Chrome Sync will soon stop working on your device.

If you use the classic Outlook app, beware of a couple of known issues. Microsoft revealed that Outlook 2016 has some problems with search and offered a workaround via Windows Registry. Another bug is related to clicks and scrolls when reading emails.

Files, our favorite third-party file manager for Windows 11, received a massive update this week. Version 3.9 arrived with a new layout, improvements for tags, tabs, archive support, thumbnails, and many more.

Other notable updates include the following:

• Microsoft announced the results of the second quarter of the 2025 fiscal year with a $69.6 billion revenue
• Microsoft is once again in talks to buy TikTok's US operations
• Microsoft Translator Pro is now available on iOS
• OpenAI's o1 reasoning model is now available for free to everyone via Copilot
• Microsoft brought DeepSeek R1 to Azure AI Foundry and GitHub

And here are the newest drivers and firmware released this week:

• Nvidia updated its Nvidia app with new display settings and more
• Nvidia 572.16 with RTX 5090 and 5080 support
• Intel 32.0.101.6557 Non-WHQL and 32.0.101.6262 Non-WHQL with Spider-Man 2, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and Civilization VII support
• Surface Book 3 received new firmware with fixes for camera performance issues
• Surface Go 3 received new firmware with fixes for audio and microphone issues

Reviews are in

Here is hardware and software we reviewed this week

This week, we have only one review with a very specific topic. If you have ever wondered about the difference between a clean Windows 11 installation and an in-place upgrade in 2025, check out this article by Sayan Sen.

On the gaming side

Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, freebies, deals, discounts and more.

This week's gaming section kicks off with a major one: Microsoft finally acknowledged rumors and announced the release of Forza Horizon 5 on the PlayStation 5. The game is now available for preorder, and it will be coming to the PlayStation Store sometime this spring, with Panic Button responsible for porting the game over to the Japanese console.

As expected, Electronic Arts revived the first two original The Sims games. Both titles, along with their DLCs and expansions, are now available for purchase with optimizations for modern platforms. The first part costs $19.99, while the second one is $29.99. Hardware requirements are pretty modest, so you can expect to have a good time even on very old hardware like the AMD FX-6300, 4GB of RAM, and a GTX 600 Series graphics card.

Larian Studios is finally adding split-screen support to Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox Series S. After months of delay and plenty of concerns about performance issues, the studio has finally managed to address all problems and prepare split-screen support for Microsoft's lower-end console. It will arrive as part of the game's Patch 8 update.

There is some good news for those who miss the good old days of the first two installments of The Sims. According to a new report, Electronic Arts and Maxis are getting ready to re-release The Sims and The Sims 2 on PC with support for modern systems and all the additional content. There is no word about consoles, though.

Nvidia revealed new games that are now available on GeForce NOW. The latest titles that you can play in the company's cloud include Avowed, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Civilization VII and many more.

Finally, Microsoft released an update for the Xbox app on Windows 10 and 11, adding several improvements, such as the ability to run games from the system tray, session recaps, updated social widgets, and more.

Other gaming stories from this week include the following:

• Hogwarts Legacy is getting official modding support this week on PC

• PlayStation exclusive Rise of the Ronin to launch on PC soon with new features

• Sony revealed PC hardware requirements for Marvel's Spider-Man 2

• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is getting an FOV slider, PVP cross-play toggle, new enemy type, and more

• Dino Crisis 1 and 2 are now available on the GOG store with Windows 10/11 support and enhancements

• No Man's Sky Worlds Part II expanded its universe with gas giants, water worlds, and more

Microsoft Weekly background image by AJS1 on Pixabay

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Paul's Hardware (1.5M subscribers)

February 2, 2025

Video length: 13m 46s

0:00 Welcome to Paul’s Tech News - Feb 2, 2025

2:00 RTX 5080/5090 go up for sale, sell out instantly, stock very limited

4:21 RTX 50 GPU Launch Shortage - Whose Fault is It?

6:37 5080 Reviews were Very Critical, can’t even beat the 4090

9:06 5070 Ti Next To Launch in February

TECH BRIEFS

10:32 AMD denies leaked $899 9070 XT prices

11:40 Linux leak reveals three new Intel Arc Battlemage GPUs

12:28 Newly spotted asteroid has small chance of hitting Earth in 2032

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If you're looking forward to the next iteration of id Software's demon-obliterating first-person shooter franchise, then this is a deal you'll want to pay attention to. Right now, you can grab the Premium Edition of DOOM: The Dark Ages for $88.49 via CDKeys on Windows PC, an 11% discount from what you'd usually pay for that version of the game.

There's no way of knowing how long this sale will be active, so if you're interested in the extras that come by grabbing the Premium Edition of DOOM: The Dark Ages, act fast!

DOOM: The Dark Ages unleashes medieval warfare

The original Kingdom Come: Deliverance that released back in 2018 was widely regarded as one of the best RPGs of the 2010s, with fans falling in love with its authentic simulation of medieval Bohemia, engaging combat inspired by techniques of the era, the rich story of protagonist Henry as he embarks on a journey of revenge and personal growth, and more. As such, there's always been plenty of excitement for its upcoming sequel, but the wait for it has been a painfully long one. Now, though, it's just a few days from its highly anticipated release.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is poised to be one of 2025's biggest releases, and also one of its best Xbox games and best PC games. With that in mind, it's not surprising that the hype for it has sharply risen in recent days, with players all over the world curious to learn when they'll finally be able to get their hands on the title. Luckily, developer Warhorse Studios has announced Kingdom Come 2's release date and exact launch times ahead of the game's launch, all of which I've included in the guide below. Additionally, the below sections go over when you can preload the RPG and how much hard drive space you'll need to install it on your system.

What is Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2?

You'll already know how Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 will play if you tried out the original game, but if you're a newcomer to the series, you won't know what to expect. If you're one of the latter folks, give this section a read for a brief overview.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is an open-world medieval RPG from developer Warhorse Studios and publisher Deep Silver. Set in Bohemia (what is now part of the Czech Republic) in 1403 at the dawn of the 15th Century, the story takes place in the midst of the real-world civil war between those loyal to the kidnapped King Wenceslaus IV and the supporters of his captor and half-brother, Sigismund of Luxembourg. In it, you play as Henry — the son of a noble knight whose adoptive parents were murdered when Sigismund's forces sacked his hometown at the start of the first game — as he travels with his friend Sir Hans Capon to deliver an important message to the lord of Trosky, picking up where Kingdom Come: Deliverance's cliffhanger left off.

Like the original, the sequel delivers an open-world RPG experience within the context of an authentically recreated medieval society, with multiple reactive systems that constantly intersect with one another and work together to determine how you fit into the setting. Everything from how you're dressed and your personal hygiene to your dialogue choices and overall reputation have a significant impact on how persuasive or intimidating you are; these things also influence criminal activities like lockpicking and pickpocketing, including how well you're able to perform them and how effectively you can talk your way out of a bind if you happen to get caught.

Fans of Obsidian Entertainment's 2010 hit Fallout: New Vegas — often lauded as one of the best RPGs of all time — will likely be happy to learn that John Gonzalez, the game's lead writer and lead creative designer, has returned to the Xbox Game Studios developer after 14 years.

The news comes from Gonzalez's LinkedIn profile, which recently revealed that he's back with Obsidian to serve as a creative director. Gonzalez commented that he's come back "for exciting times," though he hasn't mentioned anything that he's working on specifically.

A natural assumption to make is that he's probably working on a Fallout sequel to New Vegas, but Gonzalez actually got out ahead of things and confirmed this isn't the case, directly stating that "No, it's not FNV2." With that said, it is likely he's contributing on an upcoming single player RPG from Obsidian, as the developer is known for these and Gonzalez has worked on several of these before.

In addition to being "the lead story guy" on Fallout: New Vegas, Gonzalez was also the lead narrative designer on Monolith Productions' 2014 ARPG Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and the narrative director for Guerilla Games' open-world Horizon: Zero Dawn and Horizon: Forbidden West titles. He also contributed to Outrage Entertainment's 2003 adventure title Alter Echo, its cancelled Rubu Tribe action game, Ubisoft's 2008 strategy game Tom Clancy's EndWar, and the team at Fantastic Pixel Castle.

Visuals

The Surface Laptop 7 for Business is nearly identical to the Surface Laptop 7 for regular consumers. However, there are several important changes, such as different processors, additional ports, better connectivity, and more. Also, the computer is only available in two colors: Platinum and Black.

Processors, RAM, and NPU

Unlike the Qualcomm-powered Surface Laptop 7, the Surface Laptop 7 for Business has Intel's latest Core Series 2 processors with NPUs. They deliver faster performance than the previous-gen model and better compatibility than ARM-powered Windows PCs. Also, the Core Series 2 enables Copilot+ PC features like Recall, Click To Do, semantic Windows Search, Windows Studio Effects, Live Captions, and more. They also support more modern connectivity standards, such as Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

Displays

Microsoft also upgraded displays in the new Surface Laptop lineup. The smaller variant is now bigger (13.8-inch instead of 13.5-inch), and both variants operate at 120Hz for a much smoother experience. They also have narrower bezels and rounded corners, and the brightness peaks at 600 nits.

Ports

The smaller version of the Surface Laptop 7 for Business received another USB4/Thunderbolt 4 Type-C port, while the larger variant now features a microSDXC card reader. Type-A ports were bumped to the USB 3.2 Gen 2 spec.

Connectivity and 5G

Another important thing about the Surface Laptop 7 for Business is that it is the first Surface Laptop with optional 5G connectivity. Previously, cellular connection was only available in Surface Pro models, but now, Microsoft is giving this convenience to Surface Laptop users (oddly, there is no 5G option in the Surface Pro 11 for Business).

Not-so-great changes

There are some odd changes as well. For one, Microsoft removed the 64GB option, leaving business customers to choose between 16GB and 32GB. Also, the Surface Laptop 7 for Business is notably more expensive: it now starts at $1,499 for the base configuration, while the Surface Laptop 6 for Business costs $1,199 and up.

Summing it up

Here are key changes in a short list:

• Bigger display in the smaller model
• Smaller display bezels with rounded corners and a smaller overall footprint
• 120Hz displays with higher brightness
• Intel's latest Core Ultra Series 2 processors with NPUs
• Copilot+ PC AI features support
• Fewer RAM options: only 16GB and 32GB, 64GB variant is gone
• Better connectivity: Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
• Optional 5G support
• Better battery life
• More ports
• More expensive

Here are detailed spec-by-spec comparisons:

	Surface Laptop 7 for Business		Surface Laptop 6 for Business	Surface Laptop 5
Size	13.8-inch:   11.85 x 8.67 x 0.69" 301 x 220 x 17.5mm 2.97lbs (1.35kg)   15-inch:   12.96 x 9.41 x 0.72" 329 x 239 x 18.26mm 3.66lbs (1.66kg) 3.64lbs (1.65kg) with smart card reader		13.5-inch:   12.1 x 8.8 x 0.66" 308 x 223 x 16.7mm 3.06lbs (1.38kg)   15-inch:   13.4 x 9.6 x 0.67" 340 x 244 x 16.9mm 3.70lbs (1.68kg) 3.71lbs (1.68kg) with smart card reader	13.5-inch:   12.1 x 8.8 x 0.57" 308 x 223 x 14.5mm 2.8lbs (1.272kg) Fabric 2.86lbs (1.297kg) Metal   15-inch:   13.4 x 9.6 x 0.58" 340 x 244 x 14.7mm 3.44lbs (1.545kg)
Display	13.8" 2,304 x 1,536 PixelSense Flow with Adaptive color 15" 2,496 x 1,664 PixelSense Flow with Adaptive color   3:2 aspect ratio 600 nits brightness 120Hz 1300:1 contrast ratio Corning Gorilla Glass 5 with anti-reflective coating		13.5" 2,256 x 1,504 Pixel Sense display with Adaptive color 15" 2,496 x 1,664 Pixel Sense display with Adaptive color   3:2 aspect ratio 400 nits brightness (SDR) 60Hz 1300:1 contrast ratio Corning Gorilla Glass 5 with anti-reflective coating	13.5" 2,256 x 1,504 Pixel Sense 15" 2,496 x 1,664 Pixel Sense   3:2 aspect ratio 400 nits brightness (SDR) 60Hz 1300:1 contrast ratio Corning Gorilla Glass 5
CPU	Intel Core Ultra 5 236V Intel Core Ultra 5 238V Intel Core Ultra 7 266V Intel Core Ultra 7 268V		Intel Core Ultra 5 135H Intel Core Ultra 7 165H	Intel Core i5-1235U Intel Core i7-1255U
NPU	Intel AI Boost 40 TOPS in Core Ultra 5 48 TOPS in Core Ultra 7		No
Copilot+	Yes		No
GPU	Intel Arc Graphics		Intel Graphics (8GB configurations) Intel Arc Graphics	Intel Iris Xe
RAM	16GB, 32GB LPDDR5x		8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB LPDDR5x	8GB, 16GB, 32GB LPDDR5x
Storage	User-replaceable PCIe 4.0 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB			User-replaceable SSD 256GB, 512GB, 1 TB
Battery	13.8-inch:   - Wh of nominal capacity Up to 20 hours of video playback Up to 12 hours of active web usage 39W charger included   15-inch:   - Wh of nominal capacity Up to 22 hours of video playback Up to 14 hours of active web usage 65W charger included		13.5-inch:   47Wh of nominal capacity Up to 18.5 hours of typical use 39W charger included   15-inch:   47Wh of nominal capacity Up to 19 hours of typical use 65W charger included
Ports	13.8-inch:   2x USB4/Thunderbolt 4 Type-C 1x USB-A 3.2 1x 3.5 mm headphone jack Surface Connect port   15-inch:   2x USB4/Thunderbolt 4 Type-C 1x USB-A 3.2 1x 3.5 mm headphone jack microSD card reader Surface Connect port Optional smart card reader		13.5-inch:   1x USB4/Thunderbolt 4 Type-C 1x USB-A 3.1 1x 3.5 mm headphone jack Surface Connect port   15-inch:   2x USB4/Thunderbolt 4 Type-C 1x USB-A 3.1 1x 3.5 mm headphone jack Surface Connect port Optional smart card reader	1x Thunderbolt 4/USB-C 4.0 1x USB-A 3.1 1x 3.5 mm headphone jack Surface Connect
Camera	1080p Full HD camera with Windows Hello			720p HD front-facing camera with Windows Hello
Sound	Dual Studio microphones with voice focus Omnisonic Speakers with Dolby Atmos			Dual Studio microphones Omnisonic Speakers with Dolby Atmos
Sensors	Ambient light sensor
Network	Wi-Fi 7 Bluetooth 5.4 Optional 5G		Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.3	Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax Bluetooth 5.1
OS	Windows 11 Pro		Windows 11 Pro Windows 10 Pro	Windows 11 Home
Colors	Platinum and Black			Platinum, Sage, Matte Black, Sandstone
Price	$1,499+		$1,199+	$999+

The Surface Laptop 7 for Business will be available starting February 18, 2025, alongside the Surface Pro 11 for Business. You can check its Specs Appeal article here.

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The Surface Laptop 7 for Business will be available in two traditional sizes: 13.8-inch and 15-inch. There are rumors that Microsoft is preparing a smaller-sized Surface Laptop, but for now, the company is sticking to the old formula with a few improvements. The smaller variant has a larger display, and both sizes now feature a 120Hz refresh rate and rounded corners. They also boast a new anti-reflective coating for reduced glare and support HDR with 600 nits of peak brightness.

In its new laptop made for business customers, Microsoft decided to swap Qualcomm's ARM chips in favor of Intel's Core Ultra 5 and Ultra 7 Series 2 processors. Microsoft will offer four CPU variants: Core Ultra 5 236V, 238V, Core Ultra 7 266V, and 268V. Interestingly, memory options include only two variants: 16 GB and 32 GB. The 64 GB option that was available in the Surface Laptop 6 for Business (announced in March 2024) is now gone. Storage remains unchanged with 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB user-removable SSDs.

Microsoft says the new Surface Laptop 7 for Business is 26% faster in multitasking than the Surface Laptop 5, has two times faster graphics performance, and up to three times better battery life in Teams calls. Speaking of battery life, the computer is rated for up to 22 hours of local video playback and 14 hours of "active web usage" (15-inch variant).

Thanks to the built-in neural processing unit, the Surface Laptop 7 for Business is eligible for the Copilot+ PC program. That means the computer has access to AI-powered features like Recall (currently available for Windows Insiders only), Windows Studio Effects, Live Captions, the new Windows Search, and more.

Another major change in the Surface Laptop 7 for Business is the optional 5G. It is the first Surface outside the Pro lineup to receive cellular connectivity. Still, those wanting a 5G-enabled Surface Laptop will have to wait a little longer—Microsoft says the Surface Laptop 7 for Business with 5G will arrive later in 2025, and the price is currently unknown. Interestingly, there is no 5G support in the Surface Pro 11 for Business.

The Surface Laptop 7 for Business has a 1080p Windows Hello webcam with an optional smart card reader. The latter, however, will only be available in the 15-inch Black variant with mid and upper-range specs (not available in the cheapest configuration).

The Surface Laptop 7 for Business will be available on February 18, 2025, with a starting price of $1,499.99.

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The Surface Pro 11 for Business is basically the regular Surface Pro 11 with a few changes and different processors. It has the same design (minus the vivid colors) as the consumer variant and the Surface Pro 10 for Business. The display and dimensions are the same, with the biggest change being the optional OLED configuration with higher brightness and HDR support.

The new model also has Intel's latest Core Series 2 processors with powerful NPUs, which, besides better performance and energy efficiency, enable Copilot+ PC features like Recall, Click To Do, semantic Windows Search, Windows Studio Effects, Live Captions, and more. They also support more modern connectivity standards, such as Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

There are some odd changes as well. For one, Microsoft removed the 64GB option, leaving business customers to choose between 16GB and 32GB. Also, there is no more optional 5G connectivity—it is only available in the Surface Laptop 7 for Business, the first Surface Laptop with cellular support, and the Surface Pro 10 for Business.

Finally, the Surface Pro 11 for Business is notably more expensive: it now starts at $1,499 for the base configuration, while the Surface Pro 10 for Business costs $1,199 and up.

Here are key changes summed up in a list:

• OLED configuration
• New Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors with Intel AI Boost NPUs
• Copilot+ PC with AI-powered features
• Fewer RAM options: only 16GB and 32GB (8GB and 64GB are no longer available)
• Improved battery life
• Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 support
• Notably more expensive

And here are detailed spec-by-spec comparisons:

	Surface Pro 11 for Business	Surface Pro 10 for Business	Surface Pro 9
Size	11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37" 287 x 209 x 9.3 mm 1.92 lbs (872g)	11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37" 287 x 209 x 9.3 mm 1.95 lbs (885g)	11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37" 287 x 209 x 9.3 mm 1.94 lbs (879g)
Display	13" 2,880 x 1,920 Pixel Sense Flow with Adaptive color LCD / OLED 3:2 aspect ratio 600 nits brightness (SDR) 900 nits brightness (HDR, OLED) 120Hz dynamic refresh rate 1300:1 contrast ratio (LCD) 1M:1 contrast ratio (OLED) Corning Gorilla Glass 5 with anti-reflective coating	13" 2,880 x 1,920 PixelSense Flow display with Adaptive color 3:2 aspect ratio, 600 nits brightness (SDR) 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, 1300:1 contrast ratio Corning Gorilla Glass 5 with anti-reflective coating	13" 2,880 x 1,920 PixelSense Flow display 3:2 aspect ratio, 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, 1200:1 contrast ratio Corning Gorilla Glass 5
CPU	Intel Core Ultra 5 236V Intel Core Ultra 5 238V Intel Core Ultra 7 266V Intel Core Ultra 7 268V	Intel Core 5 Ultra 135U Intel Core 7 Ultra 165U	Intel Core i5-1235U Intel Core i7-1255U   Microsoft SQ3 ARM processor
NPU	Intel AI Boost 40 TOPS Intel AI Boost 48 TOPS	No	NPU (SQ3)
Copilot+	Yes	No
RAM	16GB, 32GB LPDDR5x	8GB, 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB LPDDR5x	8GB, 16GB, and 32GB LPDDR5 8GB and 16GB LPDDR4x
Storage	PCIe 4.0 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB		128GB, 256Gb, 512GB, and 1TB
Battery	- Wh Up to 14 hours of video playback Up to 10 hours of "active web usage" 39W charger included	48 Wh of nominal capacity Up to 19 hours of "typical use" 39W charger included	47.7 Wh of nominal capacity Up to 15.5 hours (Intel) and 19 hours (ARM) of "typical use"
Ports	2x USB 4/Thunderbolt 4 Type-C Surface Connect Port Surface Pro Keyboard Port		2x USB 4/Thunderbolt 4 Type-C Surface Connect Port Surface Type Cover Port
Cameras	1440p front-facing Surface Studio camera with Windows Hello 10.5MP UHD rear-facing camera		1080p front-facing camera with Windows Hello 10.0MP UHD rear-facing camera
Sound	Dual Studio microphones with voice focus Dual 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos
Sensors	Ambient Color Sensor Accelerometer Gyroscope Magnetometer NFC		Ambient Color Sensor Accelerometer Gyroscope Magnetometer
Network	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3	Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and optional 5G (coming later in 2024)	Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1, and optional 5G (ARM versions)
OS	Windows 11 Pro	Windows 11 Pro or Windows 10 Pro	Windows 11 Home
Colors	Platinum and Black		Platinum, Sapphire, Forest, Graphite
Price	$1,499+	$1,199+	$999+

The Surface Pro 11 for Business will be available on February 18, 2025, alongside the Surface Laptop 7 for Business. You can check out its Specs Appeal article here to learn how the laptop compares to the Surface Laptop 6 for Business and the Surface Laptop 5.

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The Surface Pro 11 for Business is basically the same Surface Pro 11 but with a processor from another manufacturer. Instead of the Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite chips, the new tablet is powered by the Core Ultra 5 236V, 238V and Core Ultra 7 266V and 268V. Unlike Snapdragon models, which have the same neural processing unit with 40 TOPS across all variants, the Core Ultra 7 variants have more capable NPUs—48 TOPS over 40 TOPS in the Core Ultra 5 models.

With the new chips, Microsoft promises significant performance and battery life updates in the new Surface Pro 11 for Business. The company claims that the tablet has double the battery life of the Surface Pro 9 in Teams calls. Overall, the Surface Pro 11 for Business is rated for 14 hours of local video playback and 10 hours of "active web usage."

Also, having a powerful NPU enables Copilot+ PC features like Windows Studio Effects, Recall (currently available only to Windows Insiders), improved Windows Search, Paint Cocreator, Live Captions, and more.

Memory and storage options are the same as those found in the consumer version of the Surface Pro 11. Customers can pick between 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR5x memory, with storage including 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB (user-removable SSD).

Like the Surface Pro 11 with Snapdragon processors, the Surface Pro 11 for Business comes with two display variants: LCD and OLED. Both have the same aspect ratio and resolution, but the OLED variant has a much higher contrast ratio and HDR support, plus a better anti-reflective coating that reduces glare and reflections.

In addition to a 1440p Windows Hello-compatible webcam, the Surface Pro 11 for Business has an NFC reader for authentication with security keys like YubiKey 5C NFC or NFC-enabled badges. The tablet is also compatible with all the existing accessories for the previous-gen models, including the Surface Pro Flex keyboard and the Surface Slim Pen 2.

Interestingly, unlike the Surface Pro 10 for Business, which was announced in March 2024, the Surface Pro 11 for Business does not have optional 5G connectivity. This time, Microsoft reserved that feature only for the Surface Laptop 7 for Business, which is the first Surface Laptop to ever come with a cellular connection.

Finally, the Surface Pro 11 for Business comes with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed and only two colors: Black and Platinum. If you want more vivid and bright colors, your only choice is to opt for the Snapdragon-powered Surface Pro 11.

The Surface Pro 11 for Business will be available on February 18, 2025, with a starting price of $1,499.99 for the Intel Core Ultra 5 236V variant with an LCD display, 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD.

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Optimize your workspace with Surface USB4 Dock, the essential dock for productivity and connectivity. Connect and power your device and accessories with 65W power delivery, ensuring peak performance throughout the workday. Surface USB4 Dock offers fast data transfer of up to 40 Gbps1 in a compact design that keeps your desk space neat, while dual 4K monitor2 support via USB-C or HDMI transforms your workspace into a three-screen powerhouse.

The Surface USB4 Dock connects via a USB4 Type-C port to your Surface and requires additional power via its bundled 100W power supply. This allows the dock to charge Surface devices up to 65W and deliver the needed power for peripheral devices.

Available ports include one front-facing USB4 Type-C with display output, one front-facing USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, one rear-facing USB4 Type-C with display output, one rear-facing HDMI 2.1, one Gigabit Ethernet port, and one rear-facing USB-C for power deliver only. With USB4 and HDMI ports, you can connect two external 4K 60Hz displays for better productivity.

The Surface USB4 Dock is compatible with all Surface devices equipped with USB4 Type-C ports. It can also work with older USB-C-enabled Surface devices, but its capabilities will be limited by the port's throughput. Microsoft also clarifies that the dock does not work with the Surface Duo devices, Surface Hub, Surface Hub 2S, Surface Laptop SE, Surface Studio 2+, and Surface Laptop Studio.

Like the Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock, the Surface USB4 Dock has tactile indicators for each port to help customers find and identify each port. Also, the new accessory has more recycled materials, such as 100% recycled tin and gold and 50% recycled plastic.

The Surface USB4 Dock will be available on February 18, 2025, with a price tag of $199.99. For reference, the Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock costs $299.99.

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