Ryzen test: 8 old cores vs 4 new cores, China's ambitious plan, the Half-Life 3 that wasn't

[TechSpot Weekly Newsletter] Latest in tech July 14 CPU [Ryzen 7 1700 vs. Ryzen 3 3300X: GPU Scaling, 8 Old Cores vs. 4 New Cores]( AMD's old-time favorite, the Ryzen 7 1700 seems to have aged rather well. Budget PC builders right now can choose between a Ryzen 3 3300X or a second hand R7 1700 for $130. The 3300X is a 4-core/8-thread CPU that enjoys all the advantages of the Zen 2 architecture, while the R7 1700 has [twice as many cores](, but older Zen ones. So which wins? AMD's old-time favorite, the Ryzen 7 1700 seems to have aged rather well. Budget PC builders right now can choose between a Ryzen 3 3300X or a second hand R7 1700 for $130. The 3300X is a 4-core/8-thread CPU that enjoys all the advantages of the Zen 2 architecture, while the R7 1700 has [twice as many cores](, but older Zen ones. So which wins? Look ma, no cashier [Amazon's Dash Cart will detect your items, let you skip checkout]( The supermarket trolley remains an indispensable tool for grocery shopping, which Amazon is now reimagining with its high-tech, sturdier-looking Dash Cart. The smart trolley is essentially Amazon's Go cashier-free experience on wheels and is packed with weight sensors and cameras… The supermarket trolley remains an indispensable tool for grocery shopping, which Amazon is now reimagining with its high-tech, sturdier-looking Dash Cart. The smart trolley is essentially Amazon's Go cashier-free experience on wheels and is packed with weight sensors and cameras… Industry [SMIC's $7.6 billion share sale reveals China's ambitious plan for technological self-sufficiency]( With the trade war between the US and China raging on, the latter country is working hard to reduce its dependence on American chips and intellectual property related to semiconductors. Last year, the Chinese government poured no less than $29… With the trade war between the US and China raging on, the latter country is working hard to reduce its dependence on American chips and intellectual property related to semiconductors. Last year, the Chinese government poured no less than $29… Ultra Settings [Even the RTX 2080 Ti struggles with Watch Dogs: Legion at 60fps in 1080p]( Ubisoft showed off some more gameplay footage of Watch Dogs: Legion at its Forward event yesterday, the same day that Digital Foundry uploaded a video of an early preview build on PC.The game is set at locked at 30 fps… Ubisoft showed off some more gameplay footage of Watch Dogs: Legion at its Forward event yesterday, the same day that Digital Foundry uploaded a video of an early preview build on PC.The game is set at locked at 30 fps… Mobile Tech [Apple handed almost $1 billion to Samsung after failing to order enough OLEDs]( In last month’s earnings guidance, Samsung predicted that its operating profit rose 23 percent for the three months ending in June, and that was despite a 7.4 percent year-on-year decline in sales. The Korean giant noted that the figures included… In last month’s earnings guidance, Samsung predicted that its operating profit rose 23 percent for the three months ending in June, and that was despite a 7.4 percent year-on-year decline in sales. The Korean giant noted that the figures included… Gaming [Watch Dogs: Legion has millions of procedurally-generated characters who are all playable]( To start the Ubisoft Forward Watch Dogs showcase, the company presented a short film by Spanish director Alberto Mielgo. The sequence shows a DedSec agent running from authorities. Eventually, a London cab driver rescues her and drives her to a… To start the Ubisoft Forward Watch Dogs showcase, the company presented a short film by Spanish director Alberto Mielgo. The sequence shows a DedSec agent running from authorities. Eventually, a London cab driver rescues her and drives her to a… (Lack of) Security [Details of over 142 million MGM hotel guests discovered on dark web]( Back in February, it was reported that the personal details of more than 10.6 million people who stayed at MGM Resorts hotels had been published on a hacking forum. But it’s been discovered that the actual figure is much higher… Back in February, it was reported that the personal details of more than 10.6 million people who stayed at MGM Resorts hotels had been published on a hacking forum. But it’s been discovered that the actual figure is much higher… Console [The PlayStation 5 could be the second-heaviest console ever]( Redditor u/likkyball spotted a listing for the upcoming PS5 on Amazon’s German store. It has the machine’s weight down as 4.78 kg, which is a hefty 10.54 pounds. Assuming the listing is accurate, that would make the PS5 one of… Redditor u/likkyball spotted a listing for the upcoming PS5 on Amazon’s German store. It has the machine’s weight down as 4.78 kg, which is a hefty 10.54 pounds. Assuming the listing is accurate, that would make the PS5 one of… Apple Silicon [Kuo: Apple might release two ARM-based MacBooks this year]( Apple has made it official that it will transition its entire Mac lineup from Intel processors to its own custom silicon based on the ARM64 architecture. The company hinted that the new CPUs will debut in a Mac later this… Apple has made it official that it will transition its entire Mac lineup from Intel processors to its own custom silicon based on the ARM64 architecture. The company hinted that the new CPUs will debut in a Mac later this… Tech Culture [Lego is launching a 2,646-piece Nintendo Entertainment System]( The five-second teaser video only shows a shadowy figure in front of what appears to be a CRT television. By taking a screenshot of the video and playing with the levels, one can clearly make out the console, a gamepad… The five-second teaser video only shows a shadowy figure in front of what appears to be a CRT television. By taking a screenshot of the video and playing with the levels, one can clearly make out the console, a gamepad… Featured Story [AMD's Ryzen 7 3700X is now just $260 and comes with Assassin's Creed Valhalla]( We praised the Ryzen 7 3700X in our review, giving it a score of 90 and placing it on our “Best CPUs of 2020” list. The chip boasts eight cores and sixteen threads, has a base clock of 3.6GHz, a… We praised the Ryzen 7 3700X in our review, giving it a score of 90 and placing it on our “Best CPUs of 2020” list. The chip boasts eight cores and sixteen threads, has a base clock of 3.6GHz, a… Gaming [Half-Life 3 was one of many projects Valve canceled over the last decade]( The revelation came in ‘Half-Life: Alyx – Final Hours,’ an interactive storybook written by Geoff Keighley that examines the last decade of game development by Valve Software. It lists several canceled games that Valve worked on between the end of… The revelation came in ‘Half-Life: Alyx – Final Hours,’ an interactive storybook written by Geoff Keighley that examines the last decade of game development by Valve Software. It lists several canceled games that Valve worked on between the end of… [The Blade Stealth and more Razer gear is on sale today]( The 2020 [Razer Blade Stealth]( sporting a 1650 Ti Max-Q can be yours for [$1,450]( today only. Other highlights include a multitude [of Razer peripherals](, including the [Basilisk X]( wireless mouse and the [BlackWidow Elite]( mechanical keyboard are up to 50% off. [Researchers develop new cathode coating that extends lithium-ion battery life and boosts safety]( As the Argonne National Laboratory highlights, lithium batteries have utilized cathode coatings for more than 15 years albeit in a limited capacity. Existing implementations only blanket a small part of the outside of the cathode particle and aren’t effective when… [Death Stranding arrives to PC, here's some initial reviews]( Death Stranding on PC debuts today, and you can read the initial reviews highlighting the same bizarre formula and the excellent visuals. [Mozilla temporarily shuts down Firefox Send in response to malware sharing concerns]( Unfortunately for fans of the service (myself included), Firefox Send has been down lately. If you've attempted to visit the Send website anytime in the past week, you probably saw the following message in place of the traditional file uploading… [Report: Nvidia has ended production of its top Turing RTX cards]( The claim, which comes from Chinese publication IThome (via Tom's Hardware), does carry some weight. Mass production of the Ampere cards is expected to begin next month, with some of the products rumored to launch in September. Nvidia will likely… [$25,000 'Game Boy' gadgets used to steal cars by imitating key fob signals]( Keyless entry and ignition systems may be convenient, but they offer criminals a high-tech way of stealing cars. One popular method is the relay box technique, which involves holding one box to the wall of a house so it can… [Microsoft Flight Simulator launches on PC on August 18]( The next installment of Microsoft’s popular Flight Simulator is set to take off on August 18 and will be available in three different editions featuring a varying number of planes and airports. [Master big data with the Microsoft Power BI training bundle, currently 91% off]( Microsoft Power BI is a powerful Business Intelligence (BI) tool that lets people with a limited technical background perform complex analysis in just a few clicks. Big data is how you can empower your team to discover insights hidden in… [Rare sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. sold for record $114,000 at auction]( An extremely rare and highly graded copy of Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System just set a new record for a video game sold at public auction. [Microsoft is urging publishers to offer next-gen game upgrades at no cost]( To accomplish this task, the tech giant has allegedly placed restrictions on how publishers are allowed to handle next-gen upgrades. As we said, they are not required to use Smart Delivery to grant customers next-gen game upgrades, but according to… [Amazon bans TikTok citing "security risks," then says it was all a mistake]( Amazon apparently had planned to request its employees to delete TikTok from their phones according to a company-wide email obtained by The New York Times. The company cited "security risks" as the primary reason. The email specifically requested that employees… Software Downloads - [Discord 5.14.2018]( - [Google Duo 94.0.320326]( - [Adobe Flash Player 32.0.0.403]( Drivers - [Intel Driver Update Utility 20.7.26.7]( 2020-07-13 16:31:42 - [GoPro HERO8 Black Webcam Driver 8.01.01.90.10]( 2020-07-09 13:21:49 Tech Pic of the Day [Intel's CPU packages create a continuous image when put next to each other. Taken from r/DesignPorn]( Credit: [Reddit]( Hot discussion [News and Comments]( [U.S. government consider a ban on TikTok, other Chinese social media apps]( [News and Comments]( [Ford employees want company to stop making police vehicles, CEO refusess]( Follow TechSpot TechSpot: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Steam]( [Flipboard]( [YouTube]( [RSS]( [View this email in your browser]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [We only send these emails with your permission after you've registered on TechSpot.com]( [Click here to unsubscribe]( © 2020 TechSpot, Inc.