GoKawiil
Tech News
Microsoft has acknowledged that a memory-management change in Windows Server 2025 is causing crashes, memory corruption, and access violations in applications using Address Windowing Extensions (AWE), including SQL Server instances with Lock Pages in Memory enabled. Affected systems may show error code 0xC0000005, failed database maintenance tasks, crash dumps, and unexpected service restarts.
Rising memory chip prices driven by the AI boom are pushing up the cost of new smartphones, even as many flagship models already exceed $1,000. This is prompting consumers who damage their phones to weigh repair costs, often under a few hundred dollars, against the appeal of new features found only in devices like the Pixel 11 and iPhone 17.
Chinese memory chipmaker CXMT told investors it is expanding its foothold in premium memory-chip segments, pointing to progress in smartphone and AI-related chip technologies as evidence. The company framed these advances as proof it is closing the gap with established global memory manufacturers.
Apple's upcoming iPhone launch is expected to carry higher prices, driven by a persistent global shortage of memory chips. Industry data shows hundreds of companies flagging memory costs and shortages last quarter, reversing decades of falling memory prices that once let devices grow more powerful without becoming pricier.
A new open-source tool called Engrim gives AI coding assistants persistent, project-level memory stored in a local SQLite database rather than tied to any single vendor's cloud. It lets developers switch between tools like Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf and Google Antigravity mid-project while retaining architectural decisions and constraints, using a hybrid search combining SQLite FTS5 keyword search with lightweight vector embeddings. The creator reports it was validated over 105 sessions on a 50,000-line trading codebase with zero regressions and no loss of context across model switches.
Samsung Electronics showed mockups of two new 3D memory designs, zHBM and zNAND-O, at the FMS 2026 conference in California. zHBM vertically stacks high-bandwidth memory directly on top of AI accelerator chips along the z-axis, cutting the distance data travels between memory and processor compared to today's side-by-side layouts.
Computer memory listed as 16GB or 32GB RAM refers to DRAM, the temporary working memory that loses its contents once power is cut, requiring constant electrical refreshes to hold data while running. SRAM, used in processor caches like AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X3D with 144MB of cache, is also volatile but doesn't need refresh cycles and offers faster access due to its transistor-based latching design. Both differ fundamentally from non-volatile storage, which retains data without power.
Jon Peddie Research found standalone GPU shipments rose 12.2% quarter over quarter and 14.1% year over year in Q2, even as the broader client CPU market shrank 1.1% annually and desktop PC demand softened. Total consumer PC GPU shipments, including integrated graphics, hit 75.5 million units, with notebook GPU shipments up 16.8% while desktop GPU shipments dropped 4%. Intel led the overall GPU market with 56% share from integrated graphics, followed by Nvidia at 23% and AMD at 21%.
Windows includes a pre-installed Memory Diagnostic utility that checks whether a computer's RAM is reliably storing and retrieving data. It works by repeatedly writing information to memory and reading it back, flagging any mismatches that suggest faulty hardware. This can help explain symptoms like crashes, freezes, and the Blue Screen of Death without needing a technician.
Corsair is offering discounts of up to 23% on its Vengeance RGB DDR5-6400 memory kits in 32GB and 64GB capacities. The 64GB kit uses four 16GB modules running at DDR5-6400 with 32-40-40-84 timings and 1.4V, while the 32GB kit shares the same specs and comes in white, black, and RGB variants. All kits support Intel XMP and are backed by Corsair's limited lifetime warranty.
Tirias Research founder Jim McGregor argues that AI is not one workload but millions of varied ones, meaning data centers can no longer treat memory and storage as secondary hardware. He says inference and agentic AI demand purpose-built systems capable of continuous, real-time data ingestion, caching, and movement rather than legacy infrastructure designed for training workloads.
Personal computer manufacturers are shipping fewer units but charging more per device, and the strategy is currently paying off financially. The shift is being driven by a shortage of memory chips, whose prices have surged due to massive demand from AI infrastructure buildouts.