This week on Tom's Hardware Premium: August 7, 2026

This week's Tom's Hardware Premium coverage highlights several key developments in the semiconductor industry, including advancements in Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) technology, China's chipmaking tool ro... Read original →

Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) is reshaping data center interconnects, with TSMC, Intel, and others pushing ahead, signaling a future where AI accelerators integrate optical engines directly for higher bandwidth and efficiency. China’s chip tool development is accelerating, despite DUV-to-EUV hurdles, with a clear roadmap toward 7nm production by 2030, reflecting strategic supply chain resilience. Samsung’s zHBM and zNAND-O innovations further solidify its AI data center edge. The legal conflict between OpenAI and Apple underscores growing IP risks in AI hardware, intensifying global competition. In the next 12–24 months, CPO will become standard in high-end chips, while China’s semiconductor sector will pursue dual-track strategies—autonomous tooling and advanced process nodes—to gain both technological and market leverage.