HW News - "Microslop" Censored, NVIDIA Unlaunches Drivers Again, RAM & SSD Prices Ruin Game Archive

Nvidia recently launched and then retracted a driver update (version 595.59) due to a critical bug that prevented GPU fans from spinning, raising concerns about potential hardware damage. This issue follows a year of unstable drivers from Nvidia, suggesting AMD might have more stable options currently. Meanwhile, Microsoft's official Discord server for Co-pilot has censored the term "Microslop" after users started using it to refer to AI-generated content critically. This led to users flooding the server with variations of the term, resulting in Microsoft locking down the server.

The 390TB Myria Archive, a significant online public archive for video game preservation, will shut down on March 31st due to rising memory and storage costs, which have increased web hosting fees. The archive aimed to make video game content available without monetization, focusing on older, inaccessible games. The owner cited paying over $6,000 out of pocket monthly and the dramatic surge in RAM, SSD, and HDD prices, driven by demand from AI data centers, as unsustainable. The community is attempting to back up the data before the shutdown. This highlights the impact of AI data center demand on consumers and preservation efforts.

Following a significant increase in DRAM prices since October, a new Gartner forecast predicts an additional 130% hike in DRAM and SSD prices by the end of 2026. This surge is expected to cause a 10.4% decline in PC shipments and an 8.4% drop in smartphone shipments in 2026 compared to 2025. PC prices are projected to increase by 17% and smartphone prices by 13%. Gartner also suggests the sub-$500 entry-level PC segment will disappear by 2028. This will disproportionately affect low-income consumers, forcing longer upgrade cycles and reducing access to affordable technology.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced a partnership with the US Department of Defense, or as he termed it, the 'Department of War.' This controversial move follows OpenAI President Greg Brockman's significant donations to Trump's super PAC. Altman called for 'empathy' for the DoD, even as a joint US-Israel strike hit civilian infrastructure shortly after his announcement. OpenAI states its commitment to AI safety and responsible use of force, but users have widely criticized the partnership and begun canceling their ChatGPT subscriptions. This raises concerns about the military-industrial complex's influence on AI development and its impact on consumer hardware availability and affordability.

Amazon AWS data centers in the UAE and Bahrain experienced outages due to drone strikes, causing structural damage, power disruption, and water damage. Amazon initially referred to the cause as "objects that struck the data center" but later confirmed they were drone strikes. This incident highlights the fragility of global communications infrastructure and the vulnerability of consolidated data centers to external conflicts, posing risks beyond consumer harm as more services rely on such infrastructure.

Lenovo unveiled a new Legion Go device featuring a 7.7-inch PLED screen that can expand to 11.6 inches via rollable screen technology. The handheld is powered by an Ultra 7 258V Intel CPU with ARC 140VGP and 32GB of LPDDR5X, which will be expensive due to the high demand for memory in AI servers. The device includes detachable controllers with various buttons, a D-pad, analog sticks, and a circular LCD on the right controller. This innovation offers a glimpse into future handheld gaming technology amidst broader industry challenges.

The speaker concludes by emphasizing the increasing intersection of technology and global events, such as war and economic shifts. He argues that it's crucial to discuss these broader implications rather than solely focusing on hardware. The rising costs of components due to AI demand and military-industrial complex involvement directly affect consumer affordability and access to technology. Ignoring these issues would be a disservice to the public, as it threatens the future of an accessible consumer tech market, making essential devices unaffordable for many.