Mixed Herb Edition
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<h2>Top Story</h2>
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<li>I mentioned before how PCIe switches - at least ones operating faster than PCIe 3.0 - are prohibitively expensive and reserved for enterprise customers <span style="font-style: italic;">except</span> for the ones built into every mainstream PC motherboard. All but the cheapest models have a chipset, and that chipset's primary function is to act as a PCIe switch.<br />
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And hobbyists have started tinkering with using AMD's B650 chip, which is a serviceable and reasonably priced example - plus one that already works because every operating system has drivers to support it.<br />
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[url=https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/chipsets/amd-b650-expansion-cards-hit-retail-starting-at-usd199-add-four-m-2-pcie-4-0-slots-and-11-usb-ports-to-any-pc-with-a-pcie-slot]Now it's moving beyond a hobby.[/url] (Tom's Hardware)<br />
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Raspberry Pi shop WisdPi announced its PROM21 All In Expansion Card - the codename for the chip in the B650 chipset is Promontory 21. For $199 - not cheap, but it's a small production run - you get four extra M.2 slots, five 10Gb USB 3 ports, a selection of USB 2 headers, and an OCuLink header that can provide four PCIe 4.0 lanes or through an adaptor cable four SATA ports (the magic happens in the chipset, so the cable is easy). And it's a single slot half-height half-length card so it will fit easily into any PC.<br />
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Minisforum is preparing a similar card.<br />
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This would have been much more interesting before storage prices went into orbit, but at least it exists.</li>
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<h2>Tech News</h2>
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<li>[url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/ZimaCube-2-review-This-home-server-is-more-than-just-a-NAS-a-self-hosting-powerhouse.1316114.0.html]Speaking of things more interesting in the Before Times, the Zima Cube 2 is a worthy successor to the old Cobalt Cube, though a little larger and disappointingly unblue.[/url] (Notebook Check)<br />
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It has an Intel 1215U or 1235U processor, two DDR5 SODIMM slots (so up to a nominal 64GB and a theoretical 128GB), one M.2 slot on the motherboard for the boot device, four more M.2 slots in a removable bay for storage, 6 3.5" drive bays for more storage, two 2.5Gb Ethernet ports plus a 10Gb port in the Pro model, HDMI, DisplayPort, and Thunderbolt 4, two regular USB ports, and two PCIe slots, all in a compact, roughly 9" cube.<br />
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The Qube was a little less than 8" on a side so the newer device beats it in every respect except that.<br />
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$799 for the basic model with 8GB RAM; $1299 for the Pro model with 16GB.<br />
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Also, the power supply is pretty limited so if you want to add a graphics card you need one that doesn't require any more than the 70W it can draw from the motherboard.<br />
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<li>[url=https://wccftech.com/amd-brings-new-zen-architectures-products-to-am5-through-2029-but-next-socket-will-only-arrive-when-ddr6-pcie-make-sense/]AMD has expanded on its continued support for its current AM5 motherboards, stating that new products will arrive for that standard until 2029.[/url] (WCCFTech)<br />
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AM6 with support for DDR6 memory and the PCIe 6.0 bus will arrive only when it "makes sense". PCIe 6.0 devices for the enterprise are trickling out now, but DDR6 isn't expected to appear until 2028.<br />
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<li>[url=https://wccftech.com/cxmt-cheap-ddr5-is-a-myth-memory-vendors-tell-us-prices-match-samsung-sk-hynix-micron/]CXMT is coming to the rescue in the memory drought.[/url] (WCCFTech)<br />
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Unfortunately it is rescuing itself, raising prices to match the Big Three.<br />
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<li>[url=https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ram/lexar-regional-manager-says-that-ram-prices-are-expected-to-double-by-the-end-of-the-year-discounts-and-stabilized-prices-result-from-distributors-getting-rid-of-old-stock-or-sourcing-products-from-other-regions]And Lexar's regional manager for Australia and New Zealand says that memory prices are expected to double by the end of the year.[/url] (Tom's Hardware)<br />
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On top of the already 5x increase, making the 128GB kit I bought a year ago one of the most valuable items I own.</li>
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<h2>Musical Interlude</h2>
<div>[ytlite=R_-8Ja2IgjQ]</div>
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<div><span style="font-style: italic;">Disclaimer: Orange-lemon.</span></div>