Last year 2022 was quite eventful in terms of technology: new lines of processors, video cards, improvement of neural networks, and more. Many expect that this year will be no less interesting. What to expect from 2023 – read more in our material.
Budget RTX 4000 and RTX 5000 News
The start of sales of a new series of video cards from Nvidia passed with less excitement than last time. Mining came to almost nothing, and a catastrophic shortage never happened. However, there were some embarrassments – the main topic of the end of last year was burning connectors in 12VHPWR for top-end video cards.
Many gamers were looking forward to more affordable solutions – one of them appeared already in January 2023. Nvidia introduced the RTX 4070Ti model, which is already on sale in Russia. The novelty overtakes the RTX 3080 and is one of the best solutions for 4K gaming. However, it was the price/performance ratio that disappointed many.
This year, everyone is waiting for “popular” solutions in the face of the RTX 4070 and 4060 Ti. Mass production is planned to begin only in February, but sales will not start until autumn. At the same time, some experts expect the RTX 4060/4060 Ti to be priced at $400-500 with performance somewhere on par with the RTX 3070.
The RTX 5000 series has high hopes for one of the biggest jumps in performance yet. It is likely that Nvidia will also switch to a new process technology by 2024. Recall that the RTX 4090 is based on the AD102 graphics core, made on the basis of a 4 nm process technology.
Mass production of chips on a 3-nanometer process technology
The transition to a thinner process technology will also help ensure the growth of chip performance in the coming year. There are already concrete successes in this direction.
Last year, TSMC announced a line of 3nm process technology. The first production line was already launched in January this year, so the finished products can be expected in 2023.
At the same time, TSMC will not be the only ones on the market. Samsung has also mastered the limit of three nanometers and achieved more than 50% yield of successful chips from a single plate. This is less than TSMC. However, given the busy lines of the latter, Samsung is counting on a lot of orders. By the way, according to preliminary information, the company has already signed a contract with Nvidia, so the RTX 5000 will most likely be on the 3-nanometer process technology.
Neuralink – human trials
Brain chipping has already begun, and one of the leading companies in this direction is the brainchild of Elon Musk, Neuralink. Experts have achieved good results on monkeys. In particular, the primate was able to play ping-pong with the power of thought, as well as control the cursor of a computer mouse.
We talked more about brain chipping in our material. The most interesting thing is that the engineers made an announcement about testing the technology on humans in the next six months. However, there are no details about how safe it is to introduce such chips and what consequences a person will face. It is not known what kind of reaction such an experiment would cause from an ethical point of view. Neuralink has already been accused of being too cruel to monkeys – the rush of scientists has cost the lives of several primates.
A new round in quantum computing
Despite the relatively modest use of quantum computers compared to classical ones, scientists continue to improve the technology. In 2022, one of the most advanced developments was the IBM Osprey processor with a record 433 qubits. And this is a huge breakthrough, considering that back in 2006, a calculator for a modest 5 qubits was available.
However, this requires computers with several thousand qubits. However, the problem remains in quantum algorithms, which, due to their imperfection, do not yet allow to cope with this task even with a large number of available qubits.
This year, quantum systems can move to a new level of accessibility. For example, the Chinese company SpinQ Technology has begun selling home quantum computers. The most powerful Triangulum system costs $58,000 and offers two qubits. It is based on the effect of nuclear magnetic resonance, so that cooling to extremely sub-zero temperatures is not required.
New from Apple
In September, a presentation from Apple is to be held, where new products will be presented. Among them are the iPhone 15, as well as its possible Plus, Pro and Ultra versions. There is no exact information, but experts suggest that the new items will receive up to 8 GB of RAM, as well as the same new A17 chip using the 3 nm process technology. Do not forget about the decision of the European Commission, according to which Apple should switch to using USB Type-C in its gadgets.
Also, with a high probability, the presentation of the iPad Pro 2023 at 11 inches will take place. The key feature is the latest OLED screen with LTPO support. They also allow the presentation of extra-large iPads of 14 and 16 inches.
A major update is waiting for the Apple Watch. The Series 9 will presumably start using the latest processor (3 nm), which will provide even greater autonomy. Also, fans are expecting the presentation of the first AR / VR headset from Apple and brand new MacBooks, including those based on the M2 Pro and M2 Pro Max.
The future of cryptocurrencies
It is difficult to make any forecasts in this area, but already now we can say about some trends.
First, control by the state authorities will be significantly tightened. On the one hand, this will reduce interest in cryptocurrencies, and on the other hand, it will allow them to be introduced into various financial instruments already “officially”.
Secondly, the decline in interest in mining can only become temporary. The cost of the most popular coins, including bitcoin, is not high enough right now. The return on investment is too long, so it is dangerous to enter the market. But the situation may change radically with the growth of the exchange rate: a sharp rise in price will lead to another “gold rush”. Considering that crypto winters have already happened, the rise in price of bitcoin and other altcoins may just begin in 2023.