M42: The Great Nebula in Orion

The Great Nebula in Orion, an immense, nearby starbirth region, is probably the most famous of all astronomical nebulas. Here, glowing gas surrounds hot young stars at the edge of an immense interstellar molecular cloud only 1500 light-years away. In the featured deep image in assigned colors highlighted by emission in oxygen and hydrogen, wisps and sheets of dust and gas are particularly evident. The Great Nebula in Orion can be found with the unaided eye near the easily identifiable belt of three stars in the popular constellation Orion. In addition to housing a bright open cluster of stars known as the Trapezium, the Orion Nebula contains many stellar nurseries. These nurseries contain much hydrogen gas, hot young stars, proplyds, and stellar jets spewing material at high speeds. Also known as M42, the Orion Nebula spans about 40 light years and is located in the same spiral arm of our Galaxy as the Sun.

Weekly Tech Roundup: October 28 - November 3, 2024: AMD Ryzen 9000 Series Delayed, Intel Raptor Lake Stability Issues, and More

Weekly Tech Roundup: October 28 - November 3, 2024

PC Hardware

• AMD Ryzen 9000 Series Updates:

  • AMD has delayed the launch of their Ryzen 9000 series desktop processors by 1 to 2 weeks due to chip quality issues. This delay affects the highly anticipated Zen 5 architecture-based desktop chips.
  • There are rumors that AMD might be changing how the 3D V-Cache is mounted to the silicon for the upcoming Ryzen 9000X3D CPUs, potentially improving performance.

• Intel Raptor Lake Stability Issues:

  • Intel has addressed stability issues with their Raptor Lake desktop chips, attributing the problems to excessive voltage from microcode. A fix is expected to be rolled out soon.

• New CPU Reviews and Benchmarks:

• Reviews of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 9 9900X, based on the Zen 5 microarchitecture, have highlighted their performance capabilities and some limitations. These CPUs are part of AMD's flagship lineup for desktop users.

• Power Supply Updates:
  • The Corsair RM750e ATX 3.1 power supply has been reviewed, showcasing its simplicity and effectiveness in meeting the new ATX 3.1 standard.

Gaming News

• Upcoming Game Releases:

  • Several notable games are set to release in the coming weeks, including:
    • Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered on October 31 for PC and PS5.
    • Dragon Age: The Veilguard on October 31 for PC, PS5, and Xbox.
    • Red Dead Redemption PC version on October 29.
    • Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream on October 4 for PC, PS5, Xbox, and Switch.

• Game Remakes and Remasters:

  • Silent Hill 2 PC and PS5 remake is scheduled for release on October 8.
  • Until Dawn 2024 remake will be available on October 4 for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox, and Switch.

• Valve on Steam Deck:

• Valve has expressed no interest in annually iterating the Steam Deck, focusing instead on software updates and improvements rather than frequent hardware revisions.

Streaming Updates

• No Major Streaming Platform Updates:
  • There have been no significant updates or changes in streaming platforms over the past week. However, the focus on hardware and gaming news suggests that any major streaming developments might be tied to upcoming hardware releases or gaming events.

Other Notable News

• ARM vs. Qualcomm:

  • There are rumors that ARM might be canceling Qualcomm's license, which could have significant implications for the mobile and semiconductor industries.

• Battlemage Appearance:

  • Intel's Battlemage has been spotted in media drivers, hinting at potential future CPU developments from Intel.

This week has been marked by significant updates in the PC hardware and gaming sectors, with a focus on upcoming CPU architectures, game releases, and minor adjustments in the streaming landscape. As we move into November, we can expect more detailed reviews and benchmarks for the latest hardware and games.

Jupiter Abyss

What's that black spot on Jupiter? No one is sure. During one pass of NASA's Juno over Jupiter, the robotic spacecraft imaged an usually dark cloud feature informally dubbed the Abyss. Surrounding cloud patterns show the Abyss to be at the center of a vortex. Since dark features on Jupiter's atmosphere tend to run deeper than light features, the Abyss may really be the deep hole that it appears -- but without more evidence that remains conjecture. The Abyss is surrounded by a complex of meandering clouds and other swirling storm systems, some of which are topped by light colored, high-altitude clouds. The featured image was captured in 2019 while Juno passed only about 15,000 kilometers above Jupiter's cloud tops. The next close pass of Juno near Jupiter will be in about three weeks.