AMD
AMD business and news from across the web.
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Midday Tech Bits
AMD's account payables increased by $2.36 billion last quarter, partially obscuring a squeeze in free cash flow despite record earnings. Separately, Amazon is reportedly cracking down on 'CPU waste'.
AI Yi-Yi!
AMD has acquired Taalas, a startup focused on integrating artificial intelligence models directly into silicon. The article also touches on the current limitations of AI chatbots, particularly in crisis situations, and mentions a new AI chatbot that is presented as a person.
Midday Safety Dance
Researchers at MIT have developed the TONTOU attack, which bypasses Spectre defenses on Intel and AMD CPUs. Additionally, N-able has confirmed a "god mode" flaw allowed attackers to reach customer networks, with a second hotfix now available.
If your AMD chipset drivers are mysteriously failing to install like mine, you'll need to manually update instead
Users experiencing issues with AMD's chipset driver installation manager can resolve the problem by manually downloading and installing the drivers from a separate package. The AMD Install Manager has been failing for many users, but a manual update package is available on the release notes page.
Sony is Testing PS5 Pro Update That Enables Enhanced PSSR By Default – Rumor
Sony is reportedly testing a beta system software update for the PlayStation 5 Pro that will enable the "Enhance PSSR Image Quality" feature by default for all supported games. While users can still disable the feature, it will be automatically applied to games that support even the older version of PSSR. This move suggests Sony's growing confidence in its AI-based image upscaling technology, which has seen improvements and is being developed in collaboration with AMD.
16GB VRAM now Steam's most common spec, as gamers snap up high-end Nvidia and AMD GPUs
Steam's July 2026 hardware survey reveals that 16GB of VRAM is now the most common GPU specification among surveyed users, surpassing 8GB configurations. This trend is driven by the increasing popularity of high-end Nvidia and AMD graphics cards, with specific models like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB VRAM) remaining popular despite the rise in higher VRAM capacities. While no games currently list 16GB as a minimum requirement, titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 can utilize this much VRAM at max settings.
AMD data center sales top $6.7B as gaming revenue slides 31%
AMD reported a significant increase in data center sales, reaching $6.7 billion and more than doubling year-over-year, driven by AI demand. Conversely, the company's gaming revenue declined by 31% to $779 million, attributed to industry-wide component shortages and higher prices affecting consoles like the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5, as well as the Steam Deck.
Morning Tech Bits
AMD CEO Lisa Su expressed optimism about the future importance of AI PCs, despite current market pricing influenced by the AI industry. The article briefly mentions a high-priced order for a ROG Astral RTX system.
'AI PCs will become more important': AMD's Lisa Su remains optimistic about the market despite runaway pricing caused by *checks notes* the AI industry
Despite rising hardware costs driven by the AI industry, AMD CEO Lisa Su remains optimistic about the future importance of AI PCs for consumers. She highlighted AMD's product portfolio, including the Ryzen AI Halo, and noted record-breaking revenue driven by data center demand, even as the PC gaming segment has shrunk due to high hardware costs.
AMD made over 8 times as much revenue on data centers as it did gaming last quarter
AMD reported record-breaking revenue of $11.5 billion in Q2, with data centers contributing $6.7 billion, doubling last year's figures. In contrast, the company's gaming revenue saw a 31% year-over-year dip, amounting to $779 million. This shift is attributed to strong demand in the AI sector and a decline in sales of custom chips for consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, alongside broader market factors affecting PC hardware.
Evening Reading - August 4, 2026
This edition of Evening Reading covers various gaming news, including earnings reports from companies like Snapchat, SpaceX, and AMD. It also touches on updates for games such as Dead by Daylight, Marvel Rivals, and Destiny, alongside mentions of indie titles like Ugoku Sushi Bar and the Fire Emblem franchise. The article also highlights industry figures and business developments.
Games Inbox: Will single-player video games go extinct?
This article discusses the current sales trends of single-player games, with readers expressing concern over their perceived decline in popularity compared to multiplayer titles. The piece also touches on the future of VR gaming, the potential for reboots of classic games like Elite, and the rising costs of GPUs and consoles.
AMD expects a 'softer PC market' for the second half of its fiscal 2026
AMD anticipates a downturn in the PC market for the latter half of its fiscal year 2026, citing higher component costs. Despite this projection, the company believes its client business, driven by Ryzen processors, will outperform the general market. AMD is also increasing its focus on AI technology development, planning to release new AI rack-scale systems annually.
AMD Helios AI rack system on track for initial shipments in Q3 2026
AMD's Helios rack-scale AI system is on track for initial shipments in Q3 2026, with significant demand expected in 2027, driven by customers like Microsoft, Meta, OpenAI, and Anthropic. Despite these promising updates shared by CEO Dr. Lisa Su during the Q2 2026 earnings call, AMD stock saw a decline in after-hours trading.
AMD plans to launch new rack-scale AI platforms every year, says Lisa Su
AMD CEO Lisa Su announced the company's intention to launch a new rack-scale AI platform annually, starting after the Helios system ships before Q3 2026. Each new generation will aim to deliver significant performance, efficiency, and total cost of ownership gains for AI workloads.
AMD Q2 2026 earnings results beat on revenue expectations, but miss on EPS whisper number
AMD announced its Q2 2026 earnings results, exceeding Wall Street's revenue expectations with $11.53 billion but falling slightly short of the Earnings Whisper EPS estimate, reporting $1.66 per share against a $1.69 target. Despite challenges with component price increases, the company demonstrated a solid quarterly performance and remains a significant competitor in the AI technology sector, supplying products for AI model development.
Listen to the AMD Q2 2026 earnings call here
AMD is scheduled to hold its Q2 2026 earnings call later today, August 4, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET. The call will provide a detailed discussion of the company's financial results and allow for questions from investors. The broadcast will be available on the AMD Investor Relations page.
Is 8GB VRAM enough for a graphics card in 2026? Yes, but GPU makers should still try harder
This analysis discusses whether 8GB of VRAM is sufficient for PC graphics cards in 2026, concluding that while playable for many games, it requires compromises and that GPU manufacturers should offer more VRAM. The article cites experiences with games like Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, and Alan Wake 2 on an 8GB RTX 4060 Ti, noting that while playable, higher settings and resolutions can lead to stuttering.
Games Inbox: Will the Xbox reset work for Microsoft?
Readers express concern over recent price increases for Xbox consoles and PC GPUs, questioning Microsoft's strategy and the future of console gaming. Discussions also touch on Nintendo's Direct presentation approach and the ongoing debate about digital versus physical game sales, with a focus on potential EU intervention regarding Sony's digital store practices.
No Matter Which You Choose, Graphics Cards Are About To Get A Lot More Expensive
Graphics card prices are set to increase significantly, with both Nvidia and AMD implementing hikes of 20-30% and at least 10% respectively. This rise is attributed to increased demand and pricing from memory suppliers like Samsung. The price increases are expected to impact consumers as partners are unlikely to absorb the costs, and console manufacturers like Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony have already adjusted or are planning to adjust their own hardware prices.
