This week on Tom's Hardware Premium: August 7, 2026 — Inside China's lithography efforts, co-packaged optics get a spotlight, and Samsung debuts next-gen memory tech
A redesigned Bench tool, inside China's domestic Chipmaking efforts, breaking, and we offer a free technical breakdown of Samsung's latest memory-related announcements.
This week's Tom's Hardware Premium articles cover a range of topics, including a redesigned Bench database, co-packaged optics, China's lithography efforts, and Samsung's next-gen memory technologies.
Bench 2.0, a new version of the browsable hardware benchmarks database, allows for granular searching and comparison of benchmarks between products. With Bench, subscribers gain access to detailed information about every benchmark run during hardware reviews.
The roadmaps for foundries making co-packaged optics (CPO) are explored in depth. TSMC, Intel, Samsung Foundry, and GlobalFoundries are all working on next-generation scale-up connectivity. CPO shortens electrical paths, increasing data rates, shortening electrical paths, and reducing power consumption as data centers demand faster signalling speeds.
Turning to China's chipmaking tool roadmaps, Beijing aims to produce DUV immersion lithography machines capable of manufacturing 7nm chips by 2030. The country currently relies on ASML's DUV machines, subject to export controls, and has over 3,000 workers working on what is now called China's "Manhattan Project." China also plans to expand its DRAM output via CXMT, targeting a 30% market share by 2030. However, challenges remain in procuring the necessary tools and expanding wafer capacities.
Samsung has debuted three new memory technologies: zHBM, zNAND-O, and BV-NAND. zHBM promises 8x the performance of HBM5, while zNAND-O and BV-NAND are both built upon advanced wafer bonding techniques. BV-NAND, Samsung's 10th-generation V-NAND, is the closest of the three to commercialization.
In the artificial intelligence space, companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google are facing competitive pressures and cutting prices to stay relevant. OpenAI is now facing a lawsuit from tech giant Apple over alleged theft of trade secrets, as OpenAI develops its own AI hardware. Other AI companies, such as Anthropic and Google, are also pushing out competitive, affordable models to maintain market share.
Written by urgent.news from Tom's Hardware's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
