Tom's Hardware Premium released its weekly roundup on August 7, 2026, featuring updates to its Bench 2.0 benchmark database, roadmaps for co‑packaged optics from TSMC, Intel, Samsung and GlobalFoundries, China's progress on lithography equipment and DRAM expansion, Samsung’s announcement of three new memory technologies, and recent price cuts by major AI model providers amid a lawsuit between OpenAI and Apple.

The Bench redesign lets Premium subscribers search and compare individual benchmark results, expanding detail beyond aggregated review lists. Co‑packaged optics aim to shorten electrical paths in data centers, improving speed and power efficiency as AI accelerators demand higher bandwidth. China is developing domestic DUV immersion lithography tools to produce 7nm chips by 2030, with a multi‑billion‑dollar effort involving thousands of workers, while also seeking to increase DRAM output through CXMT’s new fab. Samsung introduced zHBM, zNAND‑O and BV‑NAND, which rely on advanced wafer‑bonding techniques and target AI data‑center markets, with BV‑NAND closest to commercialization. AI model competition has led to significant price reductions by OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others, putting pressure on profit margins. Additionally, OpenAI is contesting Apple in court over alleged trade‑secret theft related to unannounced products.

Bench 2.0, exclusive to Premium subscribers, enables granular search of all benchmark data run by the site, allowing detailed product comparisons. TSMC’s COUPE roadmap extends to 2030 with 400 Gb/s lane speeds; Intel’s CPUs will integrate OCI chiplets; Samsung plans a turnkey CPO solution; GlobalFoundries offers a vendor‑agnostic OCI‑MSA platform. China’s roadmap targets five DUV machines per year and an EUV prototype without chips, while its “Manhattan Project” employs over 3,000 workers to build domestic lithography capability; Huawei seeks to leverage the technology for its Ascend AI accelerators. CXMT aims to boost DRAM production via a new fab, targeting 30 % market share by 2030, though its progress may be limited by access to advanced chipmaking tools. Samsung’s new memory technologies include zHBM, which promises eight times the performance of HBM5; zNAND‑O, enabling four or eight NAND stacks atop logic dies; and BV‑NAND, the 10th‑generation V‑NAND, nearing commercial availability. The AI market has seen price cuts of up to 80 % after the launch of lower‑cost Chinese models such as Kimi K3 and DeepSeek V4, prompting Western labs to lower token prices and adjust strategies. OpenAI’s lawsuit against Apple alleges that 13 former Apple employees disclosed trade secrets concerning unannounced products, while Apple counters that OpenAI did not seek the information and that the accusations are inaccurate.

The roundup concludes the week’s technology coverage, with further details available through a Premium subscription, and a return expected next week.