CES News, RTX 3090 Ti Controversy, and Intel Updates

CES 2022 Tech News and NVIDIA Updates

The episode kicks off by discussing the dead atmosphere at CES 2022, despite a significant amount of tech news. Linus addresses the NVIDIA RTX 3090 Ti, focusing on the industry giant's reticence to discuss details. A heated humorous debate persists throughout the episode regarding the pronunciation of "Ti":

• The hosts argue that "Ti" (for Titanium) should be pronounced as the letters T-I, while NVIDIA reportedly insists on the phonetic pronunciation "Tie" (or "Thai").
• Additional discussions cover the RTX 3050, which is positioned as a budget-friendly option for 1080p gaming, finally addressing the long-standing need for affordable modern cards.

Intel's Resurgence and Competition

Intel is showing renewed vigor, aiming to challenge the competition with aggressive product releases and strategies:

• The ARC Alchemist GPUs are beginning to ship to OEMs, utilizing the N6 process to introduce much-needed new GPU capacity into the market.
• Intel has unveiled the Core i9-12900KS, a binned, high-performance SKU capable of reaching 5.5GHz. Linus notes this is clearly a reaction to the competitive pressure from AMD's upcoming Ryzen 7 5800X3D.

Product Developments and Industry Standards

"The difference between a sufficiently complex science and magic is indistinguishable."

• The hosts discuss the absurdity of modern naming conventions, specifically criticizing the HDMI 2.1a certification mess, which obscures actual performance capabilities from consumers.
• Wi-Fi 6 Release 2 is covered, focusing on improvements like uplink multi-user MIMO and enhanced low-power modes for mobile devices.

Merch Updates and Personal Anecdotes

• Updates on LTTStore products include the WAN pants, shipping logistics, and the development process of future items like non-hooded sweaters and Darn Tough sock comparisons.
• Personal stories are shared about the early days of their career, lessons learned from poor management practices at NCIX, and memories of growing the Floatplane platform.