GIGABYTE today announced the WRX90 AI TOP workstation motherboard, supporting AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO series processors and engineered specifically for local AI workloads and intensive computing. The motherboard features seven PCIe 5.0 x16 slots and two MCIO 8i connectors, offering bandwidth capable of supporting up to nine GPU devices through compatible expansion hardware; it provides eight-channel DDR5 memory support accommodating up to 2 TB of ECC RDIMM, along with enterprise-grade BMC remote management and ECC memory that automatically detects and corrects data corruption, enabling professionals to deploy dedicated local AI platforms and manage model development on-premises. This is a product announcement with no price or supply changes reported, and the source does not state the cause beyond the product launch itself.
WRX90 AI TOP workstation motherboardGIGABYTETechPowerUp
Murata plans to invest about JPY 1 trillion (about EUR 5.7 billion) over five years, from fiscal 2026 to fiscal 2030, to expand its global production capacity for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), and expects MLCC sales in fiscal 2030 to be at least double those of fiscal 2025. According to Murata's press release, roughly JPY 350 billion is for buildings and JPY 650 billion for production equipment, directed at new production buildings at existing sites in and outside Japan, new equipment, upgrades to existing lines and some land purchases. Murata says the expansion is aimed at growing demand from data centres in the near term, while also building the production base it will need after 2030, when it expects AI to have spread into edge devices, mobility and robotics. The largest project disclosed so far is in Okayama Prefecture: Okayama Murata Manufacturing in Setouchi will become the company's third MLCC production site in Japan, alongside Fukui Murata Manufacturing and Izumo Murata Manufacturing. Murata will put about JPY 150 billion (about EUR 850 million) into two new buildings there — an MLCC production building with construction starting in April 2027 and completion planned for the end of 2028, and a building for MLCC sheets and raw materials due in 2030 — and aims to employ 1,500–2,000 people in Okayama by then. Izumo Murata will also build a new plant for electronic components, including MLCCs, in Yasugi, Shimane Prefecture, though neither the timing nor the investment has been decided. Outside Japan, the plan includes a new production building at Murata Electronics (Thailand) due for completion in 2030 and new equipment and infrastructure in an unused part of an existing building in the Philippines by 2027, with investment amounts for both to be announced later; Murata will also add equipment and capacity yearly at existing plants in Japan, ASEAN and China without disclosing individual plans. Murata has not said how the remaining roughly JPY 850 billion will be split between its sites.
Power Electronics News published a roundup of this week's must-read articles covering Wafer-Level Burn-In Improves WBG Device Reliability, Automotive and Aerospace WBG Device Testing, and Direct Dielectric Cooling for Power Converters. Items include: wafer-level burn-in screens SiC and GaN devices for infant mortality failures before packaging, improving module yields and reliability; direct dielectric cooling brings insulating liquid closer to SiC/GaN devices, shortening thermal paths but complicating insulation design; and WBG device test methodologies covering dynamic characterization, short-circuit ruggedness, thermal cycling, and gate oxide reliability. Other items: Infineon and NVIDIA advance GaN-based intermediate bus converters to improve power density and efficiency in 800 VDC AI data centers; Enphase and Infineon are integrating 900 V GaN bidirectional switches into SST systems designed for AI data center power conversion; Vertical Semiconductor targets $73M in proposed CHIPS funding to advance vertical GaN transistors aimed at improving AI data center power efficiency and density (proposed); Murata developed the world's smallest 008004-inch NTC thermistor, with the NCU01 series maintaining ±1% resistance and B-constant tolerances, initial samples planned for October 2026 and production in 2027; Flex completed the EPC Power acquisition, adding more than 15 GW of deployed power conversion technology and strengthening grid stabilization and backup power capabilities; SemiQ launched 750 V and 1200 V Gen4 SiC MOSFETs. The source is a news roundup and provides no price movement data.
SiC devicesGaN devicesvertical GaN transistorsInfineon, NVIDIA and 8 totalPower Electronics News
TDK Corporation (TSE:6762) has launched the TDK-Lambda EDC series of programmable DC-DC power supplies, developed to support growing demand for DC-grid architectures as the use of renewable energy sources and battery storage increases. The compact, high-power series includes 1.5 kW and 3 kW models with constant-voltage (CV) and constant-current (CC) operation; up to three units can be connected in series and up to ten in parallel for scalable system integration. Features include leader/follower functionality, RS-485 (Modbus RTU) communication with remote monitoring and diagnostics, programmable CV/CC control, automatic ID assignment, and analog programming via 1–5 V and 4–20 mA interfaces, in a compact 270 × 150 × 61 mm enclosure. Main applications include hydrogen generators, high power battery chargers, switchgear for distribution boards in data centers, and solid oxide fuel cell systems. The article also notes that TDK posted total sales of USD 16.6 billion in fiscal 2026 and employed about 107,000 people worldwide.
programmable DC-DC power suppliesTDK Corporation, TDK-Lambda CorporationEE Journal
This is a background article describing how AI is reshaping semiconductor design and manufacturing. It relays the message from the recent Global Semiconductor Alliance European Executive Forum that scaling AI requires more than smaller transistors, and also requires addressing power delivery, connectivity, advanced packaging, and supply chain resilience. According to a presentation by Prashanth Aprameyan, Intel Foundry supports this strategy on two fronts: advanced process and packaging technologies, and AI-enabled manufacturing that improves quality and accelerates yield learning. Specific technologies cited include Intel 18A using RibbonFET Gate-all-around technology to improve electrostatic control and support scaling beyond traditional FinFET architectures; PowerVia routing power through the back of the wafer to reduce resistance, voltage drop, and power delivery noise; UCIe providing standardized, high-bandwidth, low-latency die-to-die connections; and a packaging portfolio including EMIB-T, Foveros, and Foveros Direct. The article also states that Intel Foundry's factories collect nearly a billion images each week, generating petabytes of manufacturing data, which machine learning analyzes to detect defects, classify failure patterns, and identify yield risks. The article contains no specific price, output change, or directly tradable event.
Reported on October 30, 2026: Wolfspeed has announced a multi-year supply agreement for Wolfspeed silicon carbide devices to support BorgWarner's next-generation 800V silicon carbide-based inverter platform, with Wolfspeed acting as a strategic partner. According to a press release, the agreement is designed to provide BorgWarner with consistent, uninterrupted access to Wolfspeed silicon carbide devices and strengthens the companies' longstanding collaboration for next-generation EV and power conversion applications. BorgWarner is leveraging Wolfspeed's 1200V silicon carbide technology for its 800V inverter platform, and Wolfspeed's Gen 5 silicon carbide technology is designed to support the efficiency, performance and reliability requirements of next-generation automotive power electronics. Wolfspeed also cited its scaled 200 mm manufacturing capabilities. The source does not state deal value or supply volumes.
SemiQ Inc. has announced its fourth-generation QSiC™ silicon carbide (SiC) power devices, including 1200 V and 750 V MOSFETs and bare dies, and the devices are available immediately. Gen4 technology uses an optimized cell topology with a 36% reduction in cell pitch, along with refinements to JFET and P-well implantation, delivering a reported 23% reduction in specific on-resistance compared with previous generations. The 1200 V devices achieve a 21% reduction in drain-source on-resistance (RDS(on)) compared with Gen3, from 14 mΩ to 11 mΩ; total switching energy is reduced by more than 11%, from 1,677 µJ to 1,491 µJ, while retaining the same 5 × 5 mm die size as the previous-generation 1200 V devices. The newly introduced 750 V SiC MOSFET offers an RDS(on) of 9 mΩ and a total switching energy of 871 µJ. The Gen4 MOSFET dies undergo wafer-level gate-oxide burn-in screening at voltages exceeding 1,400 V for the 1200 V devices and 800 V for the 750 V devices, and both device types are avalanche-tested to 800 mJ. The MOSFETs are available in a four-pin TO-247-4L package and as bare dies. SemiQ plans to showcase the Gen4 portfolio at Electronica 2026, scheduled for November 10–13, at Alfatec's booth A6.620. Target applications include electric vehicle charging infrastructure, solar inverters, high-voltage DC/DC and DC/AC converters, switch-mode power supplies, uninterruptible power supplies, induction heating, welding equipment and motor drives. The source does not state the cause beyond the product announcement itself.
SiC MOSFETsbare diesSemiQ Inc.Power Electronics News
At an investor conference on October 29, Realtek Semiconductor quantified its AI business for the first time and set a target for high-performance computing (HPC) and edge AI revenue—including automotive and robotics applications—to exceed 30% of total revenue by 2030. According to the source, these businesses currently account for a high-single-digit percentage of revenue, as AI expands into infrastructure and edge devices. This is a company target (planned status), not an achieved result; the source does not state the cause.
high-performance computing (HPC)edge AIRealtek SemiconductorDigiTimes Asia
According to a Reuters report, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to bar all Chinese labs from testing electronic devices such as smartphones, cameras and computers for use in the US. The prohibitions are slated to take effect in December 2028 and will bar test labs and certification bodies in countries including China that deny reciprocal treatment to US-based test labs. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said these labs are a critical gateway into American communications infrastructure and that their privileged role gives them access to sensitive and confidential information about electronic products often months before the devices enter the market. In 2025, the FCC banned testing of US electronics by labs owned or controlled by the Chinese government.
Wolfspeed Inc of Durham, NC, USA, a maker of silicon carbide (SiC) materials and power semiconductor devices, has announced the commercial introduction of its proprietary transparent silicon carbide (TSiC) technology, expanding the potential of SiC to enable next-generation augmented reality (AR), quantum computing and advanced optical applications. This is an announcement of commercial introduction covering the expansion of TSiC technology into AR, quantum computing and advanced optical applications.
Nordic Semiconductor has demonstrated the upcoming Bluetooth High Data Throughput (HDT) feature in silicon through a video demonstration. With support for longer packets, Bluetooth HDT will let wearables, smart home devices, PC accessories, hearing aids, and other Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) products transfer data significantly faster while retaining Bluetooth LE's energy efficiency. Bluetooth HDT is expected to be released in late 2026 by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). Nordic will bring Bluetooth HDT to developers through the standard software, tools, and developer experience used by customers today, meaning product designers can add faster data transfer without starting over on a new stack, new tools, or with a new supplier. The company will show the technology at electronica 2026 in Munich, Germany, at booth C6 159; until then, its demonstration is viewable in a video, and designers can register interest at nordicsemi.com/BluetoothHDT.
Bluetooth High Data Throughput (HDT) featureNordic SemiconductorElectronics Weekly
Shin Seung-cheol, vice president of Samsung Electronics' System LSI Business under its Device Solutions (DS) division, said during the company's third-quarter earnings conference call on Oct. 29 that the Exynos 2700 has improved AI and gaming performance and that development and mass production are proceeding without disruption, with Samsung expecting to further expand market share by continuously strengthening SoC competitiveness. According to Counterpoint Research, Samsung Electronics held a 9% share of the global smartphone AP market by shipment volume in the second quarter of this year, up 2 percentage points from 7% in the previous quarter and up 3 percentage points from a year earlier; the Exynos 2600, used in the Galaxy S26 series, drove the increase in shipments. The Exynos 2700, which recently entered mass production, has increased production volume 10% compared with the previous generation and has been confirmed for use in the new Pro model of the Galaxy S27 series, scheduled for release next year, in addition to the standard and Plus models for South Korea and Europe. Samsung's System LSI Business has also secured a new custom SoC project by establishing a business partnership with a new customer. The source does not state the cause.
VeriSilicon has developed GLTiny, a lightweight 3D GPU programming model. According to EE Times Asia, it reduces driver memory requirements and CPU overhead while supporting 3D rendering on resource-constrained wearable devices. The source does not state the cause, provides no specific date, and gives no quantitative metrics or commercialization timeline.
3D GPU programming model (GLTiny)VeriSiliconEE Times Asia
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted rules that will effectively bar Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices intended for the US market. The move expands Washington's restrictions on Chinese technology companies and supply chains. The source does not state the cause.
Anthropic's "multi-platform resource pool" strategy, disclosed in its S-1 filing, is sending an important signal to the AI chip industry. The company uses Amazon Trainium, Google tensor processing units (TPUs), Nvidia GPUs, and AMD GPUs, integrating computing capacity from different partners into a unified resource pool through software and allocating it across chip platforms based on task requirements. The source states this strategy pressures Nvidia's pricing power.
AI chipsNvidia GPUsAMD GPUsAnthropic, Nvidia and 5 totalDigiTimes Asia
Samsung Electronics has secured a 2nm foundry order from Taiwan-based ASIC design house Faraday Technology. This win expands the application scope of Samsung's 2nm process from mobile devices to cloud AI and high-performance computing (HPC), and is expected to help broaden its advanced-process customer base and strengthen the competitiveness of its foundry business. the source does not state the cause.
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan confirmed on the company's Q3 2026 earnings call that the next-gen Nova Lake desktop processors will be the first client product to use Intel's enhanced 18A-P node, that Nova Lake is tracking ahead of schedule with design wins expecting to be twice those of Panther Lake at launch, and that more details will be shared at CES in January (confirmation/planning stage, not an implemented capacity result). CFO David Zinsner said Intel intends to take 18A wafers — which were generally going to build Panther Lake products — offline to put Intel 3 into Oregon, using some of the freed-up capacity to produce more data center wafers (Granite Rapids); this reallocation is a stated plan/intent, not yet a completed action. Background figures: 18A-P offers a 9% speed improvement at iso-power or an 18% power reduction at iso-speed versus 18A; 18A products now make up a third of client CPU revenue, up from less than 5% in Q1; Tan said demand for Wildcat Lake is outstripping supply; OEM partners are aggressively managing inventory to match softer sell-through, and the company expects its client business to decline by more than 20% in the next quarter; Zinsner expects the 2026 PC unit TAM to decline approximately 12% with second-half units down more than 20%, plans a roughly 10% PC unit TAM decline for 2027, and does not expect a sustained recovery until memory availability improves and pricing begins to normalize.
Nova LakePanther LakeGranite RapidsIntelTom's HardwareCapacity Change
The article examines whether Texas Instruments' (TXN) share price, now at US$309.83, can be justified by expected future cash flows: over the past 3 years the stock has gained 133.7%, latest twelve-month free cash flow is about $5.2b, and the DCF model assumes growing cash generation with undiscounted forecasts rising into the mid-teens of billions by 2030, yet the DCF output comes in substantially below the current share price of $309.83, implying the market is baking in richer cash flow or lower risk. The article cites Texas Instruments' strong Q3 2026 earnings and upbeat Q4 outlook, along with community narratives: a bull case (29% undervalued, citing a multiyear capacity-expansion cycle that is temporarily suppressing free cash flow while enhancing long-term competitive position) and a bear case (9% overvalued, questioning whether the 14.2% growth input may be reading an analog cycle recovery as secular growth), and notes the planned Silicon Labs acquisition and expanding manufacturing capacity could affect how quickly future cash flows arrive and how much reinvestment they require. The source does not state the cause.
Microsoft reported Q3 2026 results with $92.3 billion in revenue, up 19% year-over-year, but the Windows 11 OEM licensing and Surface PCs segment generated $3.6 billion this quarter, a significant drop from the $4.6 billion last year, a 22% year-over-year decline, making it the only business unit, alongside Xbox, to experience a downturn. The causes stated in the source include: a drop in consumer PC demand caused by rising prices, which directly resulted in fewer Windows 11 licenses sold to major PC OEMs like ASUS, HP, Dell, and Lenovo; Surface PC shipments have seemingly declined, as these products are historically priced for mid-tier to high-end buyers; and recent increases in memory and storage supply chain costs affected Microsoft's procurement, general price increases followed, and consumers are opting to wait for another opportunity to purchase a PC.
Windows 11 OEM licensingSurface PCsmemoryMicrosoft, ASUS and 5 totalTechPowerUp
Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723) announced the RL78/G21, a new member of its RL78 family and an ultra-low-power 16-bit MCU optimized for smart appliance system control. According to the announcement, the RL78/G21 achieves an operating current of just 34 μA/MHz, nearly half that of the leading RL78/G13 MCU products, achieves top ULPMark-PeripheralProfile benchmark scores, adds ±4 kV HBM ESD tolerance for reliability, operates over a 1.6V to 5.5V voltage range, and integrates a high-speed on-chip oscillator (HOCO) with ±1.0% accuracy and 4KB of data flash; it is positioned with strong price competitiveness in the class of products with 128KB or 256KB of code flash memory. Renesas also expanded its existing RL78/G23 lineup with the RL78/G23 (R7F104G): compared with the existing RL78/G23 (R7F100G), which provides 14 touch channels in the 44-pin version and 16 touch channels in the 48-pin version, the new devices increase touch channels to 24 and 25 respectively. The RL78/G21 is pin and function compatible with the existing RL78/G13 and RL78/G23. This is a new product announcement; the source does not state any supply, demand or price impact.