RTX 5080 reviews, Deepseek, Qwen2.5 Max + more!

Summary

TechLinked Episode Summary: "RTX 5080 Reviews, Deepseek, Qwen2.5 Max + More!"

Release Date: January 30, 2025
Host/Author: Linus Media Group
Description: A thrice-weekly news show about tech + gaming culture

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1. GeForce RTX 5080 Reviews

The episode kicks off with an in-depth analysis of Nvidia's latest graphics card, the GeForce RTX 5080. While Nvidia markets it as an AI-powered successor to traditional GPUs, initial reviews from tech enthusiasts, including Linus Tech Tips' Sebastian, indicate mixed performance results.

• Performance Metrics:

  • 1440p Rendering: The RTX 5080 shows a modest 10% improvement over the RTX 4080 Super and 7% over AMD's RX 7900 XTX. However, this falls short for enthusiasts expecting significant gains.
  • 4K Rendering: Performance gains increase to 20% over the RTX 4080 Super and 10% over the RX 7900 XTX, yet it remains behind the RTX 4090. A key factor is Nvidia's decision to limit VRAM to 16GB, compared to the RTX 4090's 24GB, impacting high-resolution performance.

• Price Point:

  • Priced at $1,000, the RTX 5080 undercuts the RTX 4090 by $200, but due to lower performance metrics, it may disappoint those seeking maximum GPU efficiency.

• Market Reception:

  • Despite mixed reviews, the RTX 5080 faces limited availability due to high demand, particularly driven by the ongoing AI boom. Nvidia warns of supply constraints, making the card a coveted item among tech enthusiasts.

Notable Quote:
"The RTX 5080 is missing a whole $200 worth of GPU juice, apparently." — Unnamed Host [01:15]

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2. Alibaba's Qwen2.5 Max vs. Deepseek v3

The discussion shifts to the competitive landscape of AI models, highlighting Alibaba's Qwen2.5 Max, which claims to surpass Deepseek v3 in performance. However, Qwen2.5 Max has a significant limitation: it cannot be run locally, raising concerns about accessibility and control.

• Deepseek Controversy:

  • Deepseek's model exhibited erratic behavior, notably confusing itself with ChatGPT, leading to scrutiny over its training data.
  • OpenAI's Stance: OpenAI revealed to the Financial Times that Deepseek's models were trained on data generated by ChatGPT, which contradicts OpenAI's original data policies focusing on original text by Sam Altman.

• Industry Impact:

  • Microsoft's investigation into these claims underscores the tension between major AI developers.
  • The episode touches on the broader implications for US investors amid fears of Nvidia's dominance, given that Deepseek reportedly utilizes Huawei's AI chips instead of Nvidia's, challenging the perceived monopoly.

Notable Quotes:
"It's artisanal." — Unnamed Guest [02:28]
"But no matter how mid reviewers say the RTX 50 series cards are so far, they're still gonna be hard to find." — Unnamed Host [01:50]

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3. Google's Open-Sourcing of Pebble OS

Google has taken a notable step by open-sourcing Pebble OS, the operating system behind the once-popular Pebble smartwatches. This move aims to revitalize the Pebble ecosystem and foster community-driven innovation.

• Pebble's Legacy:

  • Originally launched by Pebble Technology, the company was acquired by Fitbit, which was subsequently acquired by Google in 2021.

• Future Developments:

  • Eric Migakovsky, the original founder of Pebble, announced plans to relaunch Pebble with a focus on an open-source smartwatch. This device will emphasize a core set of customizable features, allowing users to personalize their experience without relying on corporate updates.

• Community Benefits:

  • The open-source approach aims to eliminate common issues such as the "blue triangle of death" experienced by Garmin wearables, ensuring greater reliability and user autonomy.

Notable Quote:
"They made it up." — Unnamed Host [04:53]

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4. US Tariffs on Computer Chips and Semiconductors

In a significant policy announcement, US President Donald Trump declared the imposition of tariffs on imported computer chips and semiconductors. This move seeks to relocalize production of these essential components within the United States.

• Policy Context:

  • The Biden administration's Chips Act aimed to invest $52 billion in domestic chip foundries to bolster US manufacturing capabilities.

• Trump's Critique:

  • Contrary to the Chips Act's investment strategy, Trump argues that chip companies require incentives instead of financial aid. He suggests implementing tax rates between 25% to 100% to discourage companies from relying on foreign production.

• Global Implications:

  • Trump's strategy involves international collaboration to ensure other countries also impose similar tariffs, thereby pressuring major manufacturers like TSMC to shift operations back to the US.

Notable Quote:
"It's like he's here." — Unnamed Guest [05:27]
"It's foolproof." — Unnamed Guest [05:38]

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5. Comcast's Ultra Low-Lag Connectivity Initiative

Comcast is rolling out a new technological standard in select cities, promising to reduce network latency by 78%. This initiative is part of their commitment to delivering an "ultra low lag connectivity experience."

• Technological Details:

  • The enhancement leverages L4S (Low Latency, Low Loss, Scalable Throughput), a standard designed to optimize internet performance for high-demand applications.

• User Impact:

  • Lower latency can significantly improve experiences in areas such as online gaming, real-time communication, and streaming services.

• Regulatory Context:

  • This rollout coincides with the new FCC chair's policies, which override previous proposals and make it easier for renters to switch internet service providers, potentially increasing competition and service quality.

Notable Quotes:
"L4S sounds like a Craigslist list." — Unnamed Host [05:39]
"Love the one you're with. Is that so hard?" — Unnamed Host [06:05]

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6. Introduction of Nepenthith: An Open-Source Tar Pit Tool

Addressing the issue of AI training web crawlers consuming excessive website resources, a new open-source tool named Nepenthith has been introduced. Inspired by the carnivorous Nepenthes plants, this tool acts as a digital trap for overzealous bots.

• Functionality:

  • Nepenthith generates an infinite, randomly linked maze of web pages, effectively ensnaring web crawlers in a loop and preventing them from exploiting server resources.

• Developer Insights:

  • The tool's creator draws parallels between its functionality and the natural predatory mechanisms of Nepenthes plants, emphasizing its role in safeguarding web infrastructure.

• Community Response:

  • While innovative, some commenters humorously critique the tool by referencing bot flies, indicating a desire for more robust solutions without unintended side effects.

Notable Quotes:
"The tool is just like those, except while tropical insects are scary and huge, they're not known for hitting the same servers a million times in 24 hours." — Unnamed Host [06:06]
"I just really want to reference these bot flies." — Unnamed Guest [06:57]

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Conclusion

This episode of TechLinked navigates through a spectrum of contemporary tech topics, from the latest GPU releases and AI developments to significant policy changes and innovative tech solutions. Despite some disappointments, such as the RTX 5080's underwhelming performance, the tech landscape continues to evolve with robust competition, strategic policy shifts, and community-driven initiatives shaping the future.

Final Notable Quote:
"Keep it coming." — Unnamed Host [03:30]

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For more detailed discussions and updates on the latest in tech and gaming culture, stay tuned to TechLinked by Linus Media Group.

Transcript

[Susan Ettlinger]

The PC gave us computing power at home, the Internet connected us, and mobile let us do it pretty much anywhere. Now, generative AI lets us communicate with technology in our own language, using our own senses. But figuring it all out when you're living through it is a totally different story. Welcome to Leading the Shift, a new podcast from Microsoft Azure. I'm your host, Susan Ettlinger. In each episode, leaders will share what they're learning to help you navigate all this change with confidence. Please join us, listen, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

[Unnamed Host]

Sorry I haven't been hosting for a while, guys. I was busy growing this mustache.

[Unnamed Guest]

I'm uncomfortable.

[Unnamed Host]

Reviews are up for the GeForce RTX 5080, Nvidia's latest AI product formerly known as a GPU, and for many, including Linus Tech Tip Sebastian it's falling a bit flat in native rendering performance at 1440p, which is a lot of pee. The RTX 5080 is roughly 10% better than the 4080 super and 7% better than AMD's RX 7900 XTX. Those leads increased to 20% and 10% respectively, at 4K, but the 5080 is still well behind the 4090, thanks in no small part to Nvidia keeping the VRAM limited to 16 little gigabytes, while the 4090 has 24 gigabytes and it does not like to share. This release is disappointing to enthusiasts who remember that the RTX 4080 outperformed the 3090 and 3090 Ti at launch. Although Nvidia gave it a $1200 price tag, the 5080 only costs a thousand, so it's missing a whole $200 worth of GPU juice, apparently. But no matter how mid reviewers say the RTX 50 series cards are so far, they're still gonna be hard to find. Nvidia has warned of availability issues to significant demand, probably because people just love AI so much and the bubble is definitely not popping. Can't do that solid. I'll be over here AI ing guys. Speaking of which, there's a fresh new Chinese AI model to give US investors more panic attacks. E commerce giant Alibaba has released Quen 2.5 Max, which the company says outperforms DeepSeek v3, although it can't be run locally. How are they doing this? Well, after Deepseek's own model indicated to Redditors that it was sometimes confuses itself with ChatGPT, OpenAI told the Financial times. It has evidence that Deep Seq trained models on Data generated by ChatGPT, which was famously trained only on original text handwritten by Sam Altman. The manifesto, we call it.

[Unnamed Guest]

It's artisanal.

[Unnamed Host]

Microsoft says they're investigating these claims. In case you forgot, they're best friends with OpenAI, which we know because thanks to social media we can follow the friendships and rivalries of tech CEOs like they're Minecraft YouTubers. Now, as we said on Monday, the US stock market panicked in response to the release of Deep seq AI's models. But does that make sense? I mean, there are some reports that while Deepseak's chat bots were trained on Nvidia GPUs, when you use one on the web, now it's running on AI chips made by Huawei, which would give US investors some reason to be worried about Nvidia's monopoly. However, whether these Chinese models are actually as cheap to train and use as deepsea claims is being debated by analysts, and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei argues the fact Chinese companies have to turn to less powerful hardware is proof that American restrictions on the export of AI chips are working. But let's say, sure, Deepseek is way more efficient, as explained by Sam Altman. That doesn't mean AI companies are going to buy less hardware.

[Unnamed Guest]

Ah, that $500 billion server, we could do 250.

[Unnamed Host]

Keep it coming. And it doesn't mean that you shouldn't check out our sponsor, the drop BMR1V2 near field monitors.

[Unnamed Guest]

They're compact speakers that can be customized with drop BMR1 grills in laser purple Shinnai Sage and white minimalism. But despite their small size, they use Balanced Mode Radiation or BMR drivers to deliver powerful full range audio while running 25% cooler than its predecessor. Plus its Bluetooth capability has been updated to allow several devices to be stored and its input jack has been redesigned with automatic muting to stop those pesky plug insertion noises. Purchase the drop BMR1 V2 near field monitors at the link in the description.

[Unnamed Host]

I thought that was all the stories, but it turns out I saved a quick bit in my mustache Mustache. Mustache enough. Google has open sourced pebble os, the operating system that powered pebble smartwatches, which you may not be old enough to remember they were bought by Fitbit, which was bought by Google in 2021. Well, the original founder of pebble and Super Gigachad Eric Migakovsky says the open sourcening means he's bringing pebble back. His new team is working on an open source smartwatch with a focused core set of features that users can tinker with so they don't have to depend on companies to fix stuff like the blue triangle of death that briefly afflicted Garmin wearables this week. I mean, blue triangle? That's not even a thing.

[Unnamed Guest]

They made it up.

[Unnamed Host]

What's next? Pink tetrahedrons? US President Donald Trump said in a speech on Monday that his government will place tariffs on the import of computer chips and semiconductors to return production of these essential goods to the United States. The Biden administration's Chips act tried to do this by Planning to invest $52 billion in domestic chip foundries, but Trump says they had it the wrong way around. Chip companies don't need money, they need an incentive to not pay what Trump says could be a 25, 50, even 100% tax. Wow.

[Unnamed Guest]

It's like he's here.

[Unnamed Host]

And that's why the US Is collaborating with every country in the world to make sure they all place those tariffs too. That way, TSMC will have no choice.

[Unnamed Guest]

It's foolproof.

[Unnamed Host]

Comcast is rolling out new tech in select cities that it says could reduce latency by 78% in what the telecom giant calls an ultra low lag connectivity experience. They put experience on the end. It makes it funny. The experience uses a tech standard that's been in the works for a while called L4S, which stands for low latency, low loss, scalable throughput, Girl Boss L4S sounds like a Craigslist list. You know, you tell me in the comments what it means.

[Unnamed Guest]

Well, I give you an S. Eh.

[Unnamed Host]

I'm an L. I'm looking for an S. If Comcast claims are true, this might make you happier with your existing Internet, which is good, because the new chair of the FCC is killing his predecessor's proposal, making it easier for renters to switch Internet service providers. Love the one you're with. Is that so hard?

[Unnamed Guest]

No one commits anymore, and a coder.

[Unnamed Host]

Has published a new open source tar pit to tool that tackles the problem of AI training web crawlers hogging websites resources by trapping those web crawlers in an infinite randomly generated maze of linked pages. The tool is called Nepenthith, as in the biological name for a genus of carnivorous plants. The tool is just like those, except while tropical insects are scary and huge, they're not known for hitting the same servers a million times in 24 hours. Although whoever wrote this has clearly never been to Botswana. No bot flies, though. Just keep your carapaces out of my skin.

[Unnamed Guest]

I just really want to reference these bot flies.