Hardware
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Blog
Microsoft Releases Largest 1-Bit LLM, Letting Powerful AI Run on Some Older Hardware
Microsoft researchers claim to have developed the first 1-bit large language model with 2 billion parameters. The model, BitNet b1.58 2B4T, can run on commercial CPUs such as Apple’s M2. “Trained on a corpus of 4 trillion tokens, this model demonstrates how native 1-bit LLMs can achieve performance comparable to leading open-weight, full-precision models of similar size, while offering substantial…
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AMD’s Ryzen 7 7800X3D hardware bundle at Micro Center is $80 off
Building (or rebuilding) a gaming PC can be difficult. It’s complex stuff, making sure everything’s compatible and whatnot. The next toughest part is finding a deal — and having the patience to wait for price drops without getting so antsy you buy everything at full price (shamefully raises hand). If you’re considering an AMD build, Micro Center has a great…
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Should AI PCs be part of your next hardware refresh?
Whether your next hardware refresh should include AI PCs will arguably be the biggest question for IT decision makers in 2025, as businesses prepare for a landmark year of hardware spending. Business PCs tend to be refreshed every five years, though it can be a shorter period if major trends drive the need for change. For example, 2020 and 2021…
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Windows 11 installation on unsupported hardware using an unattended answer file
If your computer’s hardware doesn’t meet the requirements to run Windows 11, you can still install the operating system using an answer file to perform an unattended setup that bypasses the requirements. As part of the tools for network administrators, Microsoft offers an “answer” (or “unattend”) file, which is an XML file containing the answers to the prompts you would…
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China’s rare earth export controls threaten enterprise IT hardware supply chains
China has announced immediate export controls on seven more rare earth elements critical to enterprise IT hardware manufacturing, firing a fresh salvo in the ongoing tech trade war. This move could significantly impact tech giants including Dell Technologies, HP, Apple, and IBM, along with semiconductor leaders such as Intel, Samsung, and TSMC. The new controls issued by China’s State Council require export…
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Windows 11 will soon let you know why your PC hardware sucks
Microsoft is working on a new feature in Windows 11 that will help explain how less RAM or a weaker GPU might affect your PC performance. The latest preview builds of Windows 11 include a new frequently asked questions section in the system settings, with answers related to GPU memory, system RAM, and even OS versions. Windows watcher phantomofearth discovered…
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Repairable future-proofed laptops? The new Framework Laptop 12 can be continually refurbished and upgraded – and it could be a game changer for sustainable hardware
Modular computer manufacturer Framework has unveiled the latest addition to its range of future-proofed sustainable laptops with a new 12in touchscreen convertible notebook. The Framework Laptop 12 is billed as a durable, repairable, and upgradeable alternative to the other small form-factor laptops on the market. The new laptop will feature 13th generation Intel Core processors in both i3 and i5…
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Building a Budget PC? 4 Reasons Why Last-Gen Hardware Still Rocks
Summary Last-gen hardware can offer competitive performance at a fraction of the price of current-gen components. New hardware doesn’t always bring substantial performance benefits, so slightly older components provide excellent value. Combine last-gen hardware with newer GPUs to get excellent performance and access to new features. Building your dream PC on PCPartPicker is exciting—until the final cost wipes the smile…
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At CES, PC makers aim for business, highlight AI-ready hardware
Enterprise computers are often the ugly ducklings of the PC world, viewed as dull, slow and less feature-rich than their consumer counterparts. But vendors at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show launched a selection of business machines (alongside their consumer offerings) hoping to capitalize on the rise of generative AI (genAI). Despite the focus on AI PCs or Copilot+ PCs, analysts…
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Data center hardware spending surged last year
Last year saw record worldwide spending on data center hardware and software – and the boom is set to continue. Spending grew by a third, according to analysis from Synergy Research Group, but while there was growth across the board, the rise was mostly down to a 48% jump in spending on public cloud infrastructure, which now accounts for 55%…
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