The summary of ‘HW News – Noctua Responds, FTC Slaps Hardware Manfs, Another NVIDIA Anti-Trust Investigation’

00:00:00

In this part of the video, the presenter provides a recap of recent hardware news. They mention there are two episodes because one was delayed due to the Nocta NH-D15 G2 review. Updates include Nocta’s improvements and the washer mod discussion. Key topics covered are the FTC’s notice to Asrock, Gigabyte, and Zotac about warranty issues, Nvidia facing anti-trust charges in France, and rumors about Ryzen 9000 X3D processor overclocking capabilities. The segment also includes an advertisement for NZXT’s C500 Platinum power supply. Additionally, the presenter details their recent projects, highlighting their review of the Nocta G2 cooler, including laser scanning and acoustic chamber usage, and the debut of their 14900 KF test bench for high-end air cooler evaluations, as well as future plans for testing with the upcoming AMD 9000 series CPUs.

00:03:00

In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses updates to the Gamers Nexus website, including the addition of “Mega Charts” that compile several years of cooler data for comparative analysis. These charts lack third-party ads and are a resource for users to compare cooler performance across different platforms like AM4 and AM5 easily. Additionally, the speaker mentions the recent work on the “Fractal Mood Test,” which had disappointing thermal performance despite promising initial designs. The website now also features written coverage of Computex news. The speaker highlights that the website remains ad-free and encourages support via their store or Patreon, mentioning the availability of new merchandise like skeleton foil T-shirts.

00:06:00

In this part of the video, the host discusses issues related to the FTC putting ASRock, Gigabyte, and Zotac on notice for potential violations of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. The video explains that these companies may be using warranty void stickers and restrictive language that could unlawfully prevent customers from repairing their products. The FTC expressed concerns about the warranty terms used by the companies, which may nullify warranties if products are opened, modified, or tampered with. The segment covers how such practices are considered unenforceable and mentions that substantial fines and penalties could be imposed on these companies if they are found violating the act. The host references previous discussions on right-to-repair with experts to provide more context.

00:09:00

In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the topic of right-to-repair laws, highlighting a recent piece from Lewis Rossman and mentioning that some related laws are starting to take effect. The main focus then shifts to their detailed review of the NH-D15 G2 cooler. They discuss a specific issue with the Intel washer mod included with the cooler, which places four 1 mm washers under the ILM to improve performance. The difficulty in threading these washers led to concerns about novice users potentially stripping the threads or improperly completing the mod. Noctua, the cooler manufacturer, responded to these concerns by updating the washer mod manual with additional guidance, including applying counter-pressure to help the screws catch the thread and offering longer screws if necessary. The video concludes by discussing the balance required to get the performance uplift without having the screws too loose or too tight and the presenters’ dissatisfaction with the amount of bite left to the screws after adding the washers.

00:12:00

In this segment, the speaker discusses the potential issue with longer screws for a product and how the manufacturer, Nak, is prepared to provide them on a case-by-case basis if needed. The response is seen as a positive, addressing a primary criticism effectively. They also mention that, while the product is well-engineered and has a good manual, it may not be suitable for the majority due to its higher cost compared to similar performance options.

The segment then transitions to Nvidia facing antitrust charges in France. The French antitrust regulator plans to charge Nvidia for anti-competitive practices following a raid on their offices. The concern centers on Nvidia’s dominant position in the AI chip market and its impact on the cloud computing sector. The investigation could potentially limit the European Commission’s preliminary review of Nvidia. The segment concludes with a commentary on the widespread concern over Nvidia’s influence.

00:15:00

In this segment, concerns are discussed regarding Nvidia’s investments in AI-centric cloud service providers potentially infringing on French anti-trust rules, risking fines up to 10% of their global yearly revenue, which could amount to nearly $8 billion. Companies may make concessions to avoid penalties, mirroring actions taken with the FTC and Justice Department’s antitrust inquiries. Attention then shifts to AMD’s upcoming Ryzen 9000 x3D processors which reportedly will support more overclocking than previous models, easing restrictions previously in place due to the sensitive 3D V-Cache design. The Ryzen 9000 series is expected to launch by July, with 800 series motherboards releasing throughout the year. Additionally, Sony is ceasing Blu-ray production for consumers but will continue for business, impacting those who archive data on Blu-rays. This decision follows job cuts at Sony’s optical media plant in Japan, offering early retirement to employees.

00:18:00

In this part of the video, the discussion begins with Sony continuing to produce and sell Blu-Rays despite a downturn in their storage media business, which has underperformed due to lower-than-expected growth in the cold storage market. Sony plans to review its business structure to improve profitability. The segment then shifts to a study by Valve, revealing that controller usage on Steam has tripled since 2018, with Xbox controllers being the most popular, followed by PlayStation controllers and the Steam Deck. This rise may be due to an increase in console ports and improvements in Steam’s controller support. Next, the video highlights a new internet speed record set in Japan by NICT, achieving 402 terabits per second using commercially available fiber optic cables, showcasing advanced technology and methods.

00:21:00

In this part of the video, the speaker discusses vulnerabilities in Intel’s Alder and Raptor Lake CPUs, which are similar to the Spectre vulnerabilities revealed in 2018. These vulnerabilities involve indirect branch prediction attacks that can potentially reveal sensitive data. The researchers indicated that these attacks work by exploiting the indirect branch predictor, which is used for CPU performance optimization but poses security risks if manipulated.

Intel responded to these findings by stating that their existing mitigations for similar issues are effective against this new vulnerability, and no new actions are required. The researchers acknowledged Intel’s steps to integrate new fields into their branch predictor design but noted that potential attack surfaces still exist.

The video also mentions that the channel is ramping up CPU testing, refreshing benchmarks, and incorporating new games in anticipation of new CPU launches from AMD. As a result, video uploads may slow down to two to four per week. The speaker encourages viewers to check their store for merchandise and watch their technical reviews for more content.