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When Intel launched Lunar Lake (Core Ultra 200V) in 2024 we gave you the technical details and followed up with a review of the Asus Zenbook S 14 which has incredible battery life. In the following month we discussed Intel Arrow Lake (Core Ultra 200S) and how we considered it was unfit for review in a situation that was not resolved until February 2025. On the one hand we have Lunar Lake which we like, while on the other hand we have Arrow Lake which is troubled, yet both families of processors run on Lion Cove P-cores and Skymont E-cores and have a huge amount in common.

Another point which we mentioned in our reviews but didn't cover in much depth is that Lion Cove ditches SMT or Hyper-Threading which has been a feature since Pentium 4 in 2002. We are familiar with an eight-core CPU with 16 threads but we now have to get used to the idea of 8P+16E=24T. We figured the best way to understand this significant change was to ask, Ori Lempel, the leader of the team that designed Lion Cove.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro and set-up
02:56 How far ahead do designers work when they design a CPU core?
08:28 Are decisions about power, clock speed, cache and cost handed to designers as parameters
12:17 Exactly who is the customer for a particular CPU core
14:03 Are the choices of memory controller, storage and PCI Express deeply exciting for a core designer?
15:26 Fubs (Functional Blocks) and large partitions – core designs move from 300 cells to six
20:33 AI as part of the CPU design process
23:59 The removal of SMT from Lion Cove
25:30 Ori does maths to explain when SMT becomes a problem
35:13 Thread Director is still hard at work
35:40 Windows 10, Windows 11 and Linux
36:52 Quantum Computing
38:58 How did Intel conjure up Raptor Cove from Golden Cove
41:48 Sign off

KitGuru would like to thank:

Ori Lempel, Senior Principal Engineer in Core Design Team
Robert Hallock, VP and General Manager, Client AI and Technical Marketing

KitGuru says: Thanks to Intel for their time and be sure to let us know your thoughts on the interview.

The PCIe 5.0 SSD market is heating up, with increasing competition and a wider variety of controller technologies entering the fray. Kingston, through its Fury brand, has entered the PCIe 5.0 arena with the Fury Renegade G5 SSD, a drive that boasts impressive sequential read speeds of up to 14,800 MB/s.

Based on VideoCardz's report, the first thing that caught our attention about the upcoming Fury Renegade G5 is its controller. Unlike many existing PCIe 5.0 SSDs, which rely on Phison-based controllers, Kingston has opted for Silicon Motion's SM2508 SSD controller (based on a 6nm process node). Silicon Motion touts the SM2508 as being up to 70% more power-efficient than competing controllers, a benefit that translates to lower heat generation and cooler operating temperatures for the SSD.

Kingston plans to offer the Fury Renegade G5 SSD in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities. All three variants will adhere to the industry-standard M.2 2280 form factor and utilise 3D TLC NAND flash memory. Moreover, these SSDs use a 12-layer PCB to enhance signal integrity, an independent Buck IC for consistent power draw, and low-power DDR4 DRAM as cache to further reduce power consumption.

Sequential read speeds can reach up to 14,800 MB/s, pushing the PCIe 5.0 interface to the limit. Sequential write speeds can reach 14,000 MB/s. Achieving speeds significantly higher than this would require either more PCIe lanes or a transition to the faster PCIe 6.0 standard. All models in the series can exceed 2.15 million read and write IOPS and offer a massive TBW of up to 4 Petabytes.

KitGuru says: Assuming it has comparable performance to the current top PCIe 5.0 SDs, how much would you be willing to pay for the upcoming Fury Renegade G5 SSDs?

Nvidia has announced the latest round of games to get DLSS 4 upgrades. This week, both Cyberpunk 2077 and FragPunk get updated to Nvidia's latest DLSS transformer AI models, and gain the ability to switch on Multi-Frame Generation, allowing users to boost frame rates even further.

For newer titles, both Steel Seed and STORROR Parkour Pro are both launching with DLSS 4 support. Steel Seed is a new stealth-action game set in a dark sci-fi world where humanity stands on the brink of extinction. RTX 50 users can enhance the game with Multi-Frame Generation, while RTX 40 users can use standard Frame Generation. STORROR Parkour Pro comes from Sleeve Game Studios and is an Early Access multiplayer parkour game.

Cyberpunk 2077 & FragPunk are two already-released but ever-popular titles getting updated with DLSS 4 this week, enabling the new, more precise upscaling algorithm, alongside RTX 50-exclusive feature, Multi-Frame Generation.

At this point, DLSS is present in over 700 games and applications. Despite only being a few months old, the latest version, DLSS 4, is already making good progress in being adopted by developers.

KitGuru Says: Do many of you regularly play games with DLSS enabled, or do you prefer to switch it off?

During today's Nintendo Direct, a few first-party exclusives were confirmed for the Switch 2, but there was a much bigger wave of third-party games announced. From promising indie titles to massive AAA ports of next-gen titles, we've rounded up all 22 third-party games announced for the Switch 2 so far.

As there were so many games to cover, Nintendo had to split up the spotlight trailer into two parts. Here is Part 1, including reveals for Elden Ring, Hogwarts Legacy, Hitman and more:

And here is Part 2, including reveals for Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy 7 Remake and more:

Here is the full list of third-party games revealed for Switch 2:

• DELTARUNE
• Borderlands 4
• Sid Meier’s Civilization VII – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
• WWE 2K
• NBA 2K
• Survival Kids
• Enter the Gungeon 2
• STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions
• Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
• FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE
• ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition
• Hades II
• Street Fighter 6
• Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
• SPLIT FICTION
• EA SPORTS FC
• EA SPORTS MADDEN NFL
• Hogwarts Legacy
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4
• HITMAN World of Assassination – Signature Edition & Project 007
• BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster
• Yakuza 0 Director's Cut

As some of these games don't have release dates yet, they won't all be available at launch. The next NBA 2K game for instance, won't come out until September, and Borderlands 4 does not yet have a release date yet. Others like Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, will be available on Switch 2 from day-one.

KitGuru Says: I was impressed by how good the Cyberpunk gameplay looked for the Switch 2. While we don't have the deep-dive technical specs for the chip under the hood, it does appear to be a powerful one.

The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack will be carrying forward to the Switch 2 console, and those picking up Nintendo's next-gen console will get brand new benefits – starting with a wave of GameCube classics. 

Nintendo GameCube is the latest console to get backwards compatibility support as part of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription and its Expansion Pack. The GameCube titles will be exclusively available on the Switch 2, but the initial line-up is very good:

Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Strikers are the two stand-out Mario games of the GameCube generation and both will be playable on Switch 2. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Luigi's Mansion are two other classics joining the GameCube library. Pokémon fans will be pleased to learn that both Pokémon Coliseum and Pokémon XD Gale of Darkness will be part of this wave of supported titles as well.

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, F-Zero GX and Soul Calibre 2 (complete with Link cameo) are also confirmed.

Nintendo GameCube will be available to Switch Online Expansion Pack owners on the Switch 2 at launch. More GameCube titles will be added to the library at a later date.

KitGuru Says: I'm sure these games would have run on the original Switch, but still, it is one more incentive to try and push people towards the new hardware. 

Nintendo has confirmed the first six first-party Switch games to get upgrades for the Nintendo Switch 2. This includes new upgrades for both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, as well as still upcoming titles like Metroid Prime 4 and Pokémon Legends Z-A. 

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond gets one of the most impressive upgrades from a technical standpoint. Players will be able to run the game at 120Hz in handheld and TV modes on Switch 2. The game also has a 4K/HDR mode with the console docked.

For the Zelda titles, the updates go further beyond. You will get enhanced resolutions and frame rates, alongside faster loading times. However, you'll also get access to new features, like the companion app, Zelda Notes, which also acts as a hub for players to export and share blueprints for interesting crafts.

The full list of first-party titles confirmed to be getting Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrades includes:

• Super Mario Party Jamboree
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Kirby and the Forgotten Land
• Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
• Pokemon Legends Z-A

Unfortunately for those who already own a game on the Switch 1, upgrades to the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition are not free. You will have to pay for an ‘upgrade pack', similar to Sony's PS5 Edition upgrades for certain PS4 titles.

KitGuru Says: There are a lot of games I want to see looking and running better on Switch 2, but I don't really want to have to pay for all of these upgrades when a resolution bump and frame rate boost should be free by virtue of the stronger hardware. 

During today's Nintendo Direct, the gaming giant confirmed its launch plans for the Switch 2. The new console is launching in June, proving the accuracy of a retail leak from earlier this week. 

The Nintendo Switch 2 will be available from the 5th of June. Mario Kart World has already been announced as one of the major launch-day titles for the new console. However, Nintendo has also announced other features, like GameChat, game sharing functionality and even a Switch 2 camera accessory.

The Nintendo Switch 2 will be as thick as the original Switch, however, it has a larger 7.9-inch display with FHD resolution, and up to 120Hz in supported games the new LCD display also supports HDR. The new Switch 2 Dock has 4K support for those wanting to play at higher resolutions on the TV.

The new Joy-Cons have been redesigned to be more comfortable to use in two-handed mode. The Joy-Cons are now magnetically attached to the console, removing the previous rail system. On top of that, a new sensor within the Joy-Cons allow them to be used in mouse mode.

The console has dual USB-C ports, so you can charge your console and connect accessories at the same time. As standard, the Switch 2 comes with 256GB of storage space.

The Nintendo Switch 2 will be available starting on the 5th of June. Pre-orders will be available starting on the 8th of April, priced at £395.99 for the Switch 2, or £429.99 for the Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle.

KitGuru Says: Are you planning on upgrading to the Switch 2 when it launches? 

While Nintendo made great strides with its online services in the Switch era, there were still some crucial things missing, such as console-level party chat. That is now changing with the Switch 2, which will offer GameChat and even the ability to share games within chat lobbies. 

The Switch 2 Joy-Con now has a C button, which is a shortcut to the new Chat functionality. Players will be able to set up chat lobbies of up to four players and share gameplay. A microphone within the console has functionality similar to RTX Voice, allowing for background noises to be removed and keeping communications clear.

Aside from game screen sharing, some games will be sharable with up to three friends in a GameChat lobby, so the whole group can play together without having to buy multiple copies of the game. Some of the games confirmed to support this functionality include Super Mario Odyssey, Big Brain Academy: Brain Vs. Brain, Club House Games, Super Mario 3D World + Bowsers Fury and Captain Toad Treasure Tracker.

An accessory Nintendo Switch 2 Camera is also going to be sold separately from the console for those who would prefer to video chat.

KitGuru Says: While we can meme on Nintendo for taking this long, it does appear that they put a lot of time and effort into polishing up the chat experience. It essentially seems like an improved version of Discord thanks to the game sharing functionality. 

The first big launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2 has been revealed. Mario Kart World will be releasing later this year exclusively for Nintendo's new console. 

The trailer showcases a large level design, in which players can drive from race course to race course, and go off-road to discover secret areas and new routes.

Mario Kart World will also boast the largest races in series history, with up to 24 players per race, and that includes the off-road drives between courses in a Grand Prix. In some ways, it takes inspiration from the likes of Forza Horizon with its bigger and more interactive world and multiplayer.

Mario Kart World will be available for the Switch 2 on day-one.

KitGuru Says: Mario Kart is a good way to kick off a new console generation, although it isn't quite as hype as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Still, this Nintendo Direct has only just begun, so we expect to see some more game announcements. 

Nintendo has announced a double feature of Treehouse Live sessions scheduled for later this week, offering fans an extended look at upcoming Switch 2 gameplay. While the duration of each presentation remains undisclosed, Nintendo has confirmed that both will showcase “hands-on gameplay of Nintendo Switch 2 games”, providing a more detailed look at the software library for the upcoming Nintendo console.

True to the Treehouse format, these broadcasts are expected to feature game developers and potentially key Nintendo personnel, who will play and discuss the featured titles, offering valuable insights into their design and gameplay.

The Treehouse Live sessions will likely offer extended gameplay demonstrations of any new titles revealed during the preceding Direct Showcase, providing a deeper dive into the console's launch lineup.

These Treehouse Live sessions will follow the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct Showcase, scheduled for April 2nd at 6 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. BST. The first broadcast is set to air on April 3rd at 7 a.m. PT / 3 p.m. BST, with a second session following at the same time on April 4th.

KitGuru says: Are you interested in getting the new Switch console? Will you be watching the Nintendo Direct and the Treehouse streams?

Rebellion, the UK-based studio famed for the Sniper Elite series, has announced that its latest release, Atomfall, has become the developer's “most successful launch” in its 32-year history.

Atomfall, a post-apocalyptic survival game inspired by the real-world Windscale nuclear disaster of the 1950s, launched on March 27th. It quickly amassed a substantial player base, exceeding 1 million players within its opening weekend and reaching over 1.5 million in the following days. The game's inclusion in the Xbox and PC Game Pass libraries undoubtedly contributed significantly to its impressive player numbers. However, Rebellion did not disclose the number of actual units sold.

In addition to the 1.5 million player milestone, the studio announced other achievements from the community, including:

• 316,000 players chose to eliminate the scientist early in the game.
• The humble cricket bat has been wielded for a staggering 3.7 million kills.
• Players have consumed over 4 million pastries and 300,000 cups of tea.

Over at Opencritic, the game sits at a decent 75, with 65% of the critics recommending it. In general, critics have enjoyed the story, but some gameplay issues and design hurdles somewhat deter it from becoming a better game.

KitGuru says: Have you already tried Atomfall? What's your opinion of it?

Known for their work on the somewhat charming Sherlock Holmes series of games, Frogwares’ single most high-profile title is likely The Sinking City. Released back in 2019, this H. P. Lovecraft inspired 3rd person action-adventure game is perhaps known best for its messy distribution – with the devs eventually obtaining full rights to the IP. Now, in anticipation of its sequel, The Sinking City is getting a free remastered upgrade.

Making the announcement on Steam, the team at Frogwares officially unveiled The Sinking City: Remastered, writing: “Charles Reed returns to Oakmont, a city drowning in supernatural mystery and eldritch terror – now fully remastered with Unreal Engine 5! Coming soon to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series, including a free upgrade for existing owners.”

Though we have not gotten a full breakdown of all the changes / improvements coming with this remaster, the team have promised lighting enhancements thanks to Unreal Engine 5. Whether this means ray-tracing is involved however is still unknown.

Beyond this, The Sinking City: Remastered will also benefit from:

• Enhanced locations with additional levels of detail and objects
• 4K textures and improved reflections
• Addition of a Photo Mode
• Support for DLSS, FSR and TSR upscaling

No price nor release date has been given for this remaster, however, as mentioned above, those who already own the game will be entitled to a free upgrade – which is always welcome to see.

In case you missed it, Frogwares is currently running a Kickstarter campaign for The Sinking City 2 with just a few days left to go. The full details can be found HERE.

KitGuru says: What did you think of The Sinking City? Will this remaster suffer from common UE5 issues? How much do you think the game will cost if you don’t already own it? Let us know down below.

Nightdive Studios has amassed a solid reputation for their work on remastering many classic titles from history across PC and old-gen consoles. Following the likes of System Shock; DOOM; Quake; Turok and much more, Nightdive looks set to tackle the 7th generation next with PS3 and Xbox 360 remasters.

In an interview conducted by VGC, Nightdive Studios founder and CEO Stephen Kick (alongside director of business development Larry Kuperman) spoke on their future plans for the team. According to the two, Nightdive is gearing up to remaster games from the 7th generation of consoles – meaning PS3 and Xbox 360.

In discussing their approach, Kuperman said “I would begin asking a couple of questions. Was it Xbox 360 exclusive, or was there a PC version out too? Because that also changes things, the little preservation that’s available. Do we have source code? If so, what’s the quality of the source code? How about the assets? Those are the kinds of considerations that we have there. That being said, there were some really good games that came out in that era that shouldn’t be lost.”

In talking about the PlayStation 3 specifically and its unique CELL architecture (which is the reason why there is no backwards compatibility on PS4/5 with PS3), Kick stated:

“If we get to that – or I should say when – we get to the PS3 era games, it will be a challenge that we have to face. But I think that we’ve had enough experience to where we can do a serviceable job on a PS3 remaster”. The full interview can be found HERE.

All in all, there still remains plenty of 7th-gen titles trapped on these older systems – especially on the PS3 front. With Sony recently working more and more alongside 3rd-party developers to remaster their old games, hopefully Nightdive could be tasked with bringing the classic inFAMOUS duology, Killzone or even Resistance back.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Nightdive’s work? What PS3-era games would you like to see remastered? What one game would you want to be their top priority? Let us know down below.

Over the course of this generation, we’ve seen an increasing number of titles offer crossplay between all consoles and PC, opening up the potential pool of players greatly. Interestingly, we’ve now started to see a bit of back-sliding in this regard. As part of Season 3 for Call of Duty Black Ops 6, console players will now be able to opt out of crossplay with PC entirely.

Alongside the launch of Black Ops 6 Season 3 today, console players across both Xbox and PlayStation will now be able to toggle a new option in the settings. Previously, players could enable or disable crossplay, however there was no in-between.

Starting with Season 3, those on console across both regular multiplayer and ranked mode will be able to toggle between full crossplay, console-only crossplay or of course no crossplay – meaning you’ll only match with others on the same platform.

While this new toggle could cause potential matchmaking issues in the future, the move has been met with support from fans, owing to a cheating issue experienced by some console players when engaging with PC folk online.

Though a more permanent solution to the cheating would be preferable, this serves at least as somewhat of a solid plaster on the issue for now.

KitGuru says: Are you excited for Season 3? What do you think of this change? Have you encountered many cheaters when playing Black Ops 6? Let us know down below.

Each month, all those with a Humble subscription are privy to a select number of titles for ‘free’ as part of the company’s Humble Choice service. For the month of April, subscribers can obtain a strong and varied choice of titles, including the remasters for Tomb Raider I-III; Dredge and one of last year’s hottest indie games: 1000xRESIST.

Available to add to your library from now until the end of April, this month’s Humble Choice line-up features the following:

• Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered
• Dredge
• Aliens Dark Descent
• 1000xRESIST
• Nova Lands
• Diplomacy is Not an Option
• Distant Worlds 2
• Nomad Survival

Beyond this, subscribers can also get their hands on a couple coupons, namely:

• 30% off Dredge – The Pale Reach
• 30% off Dredge – The Iron Rig
• 30% off Dredge – Blackstone Key

As mentioned, 1000xRESIST is viewed by many as one of the best indie games of last year, offering a “thrilling sci-fi adventure” set 1000 years after humanity was almost entirely wiped out. A story-focused adventure title, 1000xRESIST received overwhelmingly positive reviews upon its release last year, with comparisons being made to the works of auteurs such as Kojima and Yoko Taro,

Beyond this, Dredge is a well-loved indie cosmic-horror fishing game and Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is of course a remaster of Lara Croft’s classic trilogy.

As always, a portion of the proceeds will be going towards charity, with this month’s subscription supporting One Tree Planted, an organisation which “empowers global reforestation with a simple yet powerful model: $1 equals one tree planted.”

KitGuru says: What do you think of this month’s offerings? Have you heard of 1000xRESIST? Which of the original 3 Tomb Raider games is your favourite? Let us know down below.

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