GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, introduced the latest all-round B650E AORUS PRO X USB4 motherboard. Built-in with Dual USB4 ports and comprehensive leading features, B650E AORUS PRO X USB4 enables users to enjoy the most affordable next-gen AM5 platform in advance.

With blisteringly fast and reliable transfer speeds, extensive compatibility, efficient charging, and ultra-HD display connectivity, USB4 has evidently become an essential specification on the coming next-gen AM5 platform. Among the increasing number of USB4-ready devices on the market, the B650E AORUS PRO X USB4 exclusively features dual native USB4 ports, providing up to 40 Gbps on each port with support for all Ryzen processors. Uniquely, this total 40 Gbps bandwidth can be fully used for data transferring, unlike Thunderbolt 4, which shares bandwidth between data and video. Aside from the full 40 Gbps USB4, B650E AORUS PRO X USB4 also offers superb connectivity with Wi-Fi 7 using GIGABYTE's Ultra-High Gain antenna and 2.5 GbE LAN.

ADATA Technology, the world's leading brand for memory modules and flash memory, will team up with its gaming brand XPG and industrial-grade embedded storage brand ADATA Industrial for Computex Taipei 2024 from June 4 to June 7. ADATA's theme for 2024 is "Innovate Today, Embrace Tomorrow." At the show, ADATA will present products in three major categories tied to their vision and commitment to leading innovation and sustainable initiatives. These categories include "AI Computing," "Sustainability and Innovation," and "Immersive Reality."

ADATA and XPG brand ambassador Mera will make a surprise appearance in the "AI Computing" section. ADATA will showcase the world's first AI gaming laptop equipped with an SSD of up to 24 TB and 96 GB of DRAM, overclocked DDR5 8000 R-DIMM for handling massive computing workloads and data processing, and a complete line of Express Card storage solutions that promote AI mobile devices. ADATA will also display various high performance products that continue to lead sustainability trends in the "Sustainability and Innovation" section including the industry's only comprehensive innovative cooling solutions, and a full range of green storage products made of recycled materials. Other highlights will include the 2024 iF Design Award winning INVADER X family of gaming chassis, and gaming components that combine optimized heat dissipation, environmental awareness, and the application of future technologies. The "Immersive Reality" section features a new gaming handheld PC, the XPG NIA, a full range of gaming products and peripherals, and the industry's most powerful external SSD solutions and mobile peripherals. In order to make it easier for consumers around the world to participate in the exhibition, ADATA will simultaneously launch its online COMPUTEX event from June 4, allowing consumers to experience ADATA's full range of industry-leading products.

BoostR is an Indiegogo crowdfunded project that seeks to integrate a multi-functional I/O dock with an external GPU. It's a rather brilliant idea—the dock draws connectivity from a USB4 (40 Gbps) connection, which it uses to connect an AMD Radeon RX 7600M GPU, an M.2-2280 NVMe SSD slot, a 1 GbE networking interface, an SD 4.0 card reader, and a bunch of USB 3.2 downstream ports.

The device comes with a power brick, and by default draws 100 W for all its functions, including the eGPU. You can boost the power limit to 120 W, which should improve the GPU's performance. The GPU puts out a couple of HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.0 connectors. BoostR was briefly available on Indiegogo at an early-bird price of $499, at which it would undercut the Ayaneo OneXGPU, a similar contraption of an eGPU+M.2+port dock that's priced at $699. One area where the BoostR has an edge over the OneXGPU is its 120 W mode that give the GPU improved boost frequency residency. It remains to be seen what the regular price of BoostR will be, but the company is offering a 5% discount on the final price if you sign up for their newsletter.

USB4 hasn't exactly taken off as yet, largely due to a shortage of devices in the market and with a limited number of device controllers, the competition in the market is also slow. With Thunderbolt compatibility, there are plenty of USB4 compatible hosts out there though, even though you only get 32 Gbps rather than 40 Gbps of data throughput when a USB4 device is connected to Thunderbolt 3 or 4, although Thunderbolt 5 will allow for the full 40 Gbps. A company called ADT-Link has launched a product it calls the UT3G which is pretty much a retail ready bridge solution that allows techies and tinkerers to try out whatever PCIe devices they have over USB4. The adapter has a full-length PCIe x16 slot, but it's limited to a four lane PCIe interface which is compatible with PCIe 4.0, albeit not at the full 64 Gbps that such an interface can deliver.

In addition to the USB4 Type-C port on the PCB there's a standard 24-pin ATX power supply connector for power, which means that this isn't really a portable solution. However, the company has tested the UT3G with various graphics cards from both AMD and NVIDIA to make sure you can use it as an external graphics card dock. The UT3G has also been tested to be compatible with Windows, Linux and macOS, although macOS is limited to AMD GPUs. The board is built around the ASMedia ASM2464PD USB4 to PCIe 4.0 bridge and this shouldn't come as a surprise, as so far this is the only such device controller. ADT-Link doesn't appear to be selling the UT3G to consumers, but it can be picked up online from DFRobot starting at US$129 for a single unit.

ASUS today announced a new generation of AI-powered computing at its online-only Next Level. AI Incredible. launch event, dedicated to the launch of the ASUS Vivobook S 15 (S5507). Powered by the Snapdragon X Elite, the device is the company's first Copilot+ PC, with Windows AI features and a collection of exclusive ASUS AI apps that aim to improve the user's work and play.

"As ASUS embarks on this journey, marked by the launch of our first AI PC, we stand at the beginning of a new era of personal computing." ASUS Co-CEO S.Y. Hsu said, speaking at the event, "The launch of our first Copilot+ PC powered by Snapdragon X Elite is an important milestone for us, and we believe that these devices are the future of consumer PCs and will drastically change the way we will work, study, create, and play."

Later today we're expecting to see several Arm based notebooks running Windows 11 being announced, at least based on launch event announcements by some of the manufacturers. Two upcoming Samsung models have leaked ahead of the product launches and it appears that Samsung will at least offer a pair of different models with either a 14-inch or a 16-inch display as the Galaxy Book4 Edge 14 and Galaxy Book4 Edge 16. The latter is also said to come in a Pro model. According to Winfuture, all three models will feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon X processors, although the specific SKUs are currently unknown.

Both the 14-inch and 16-inch models are said to come with AMOLED displays with a 3K resolution, which is at least 2880 by something, but could be higher. The displays are said to have a brightness of up to 400 nits, but little else is known about the displays. Other known features include USB4 support—as it's part of the Qualcomm specs—and both sizes appear to feature two Type-C ports, plus a regular USB Type-A port of unknown speed and a micro SD card slot on the 16-inch models. There's also an HDMI port and a headset jack on both sizes of the Galaxy Book4 Edge. Winfuture claims the base model will start at around €1,800.

Targus, the number one third-party docking station and laptop bag brand in the US1 and a leader in laptop cases and mobile computing accessories, today announced the availability of its new USB4 Triple Video Docking Station with 100 W Power (DOCK460). With full USB4 (and Thunderbolt) speeds in a triple video enterprise-grade dock, this Alternate Mode dock packs all of the ports and power necessary to support and power a wide variety of laptop brands and various platforms.

"Our new DOCK460 is an outstanding docking solution for enterprise users who want more power, speed, and performance than previously available, while offering ultra-compatibility with a wide variety of laptop brands and platforms," explains David Dorantes, Director, Product Marketing, Targus. "With this powerful dock, users can enjoy a native triple-video workstation that stays charged and ready with 100 W power delivery, plus the addition of a USB4 connection and 2.5G Ethernet."

The GEEKOM XT12 Pro, a new mini PC that rocks an incredible Intel Core i9-12900H processor, is now available for pre-orders! The unit with 32 GB of DDR4 RAM, a 1 TB SSD, and licensed Windows 11 Pro is priced at only $699, making the XT12 Pro arguably the best-bang-for-the-buck i9 powered mini PC ever.

The GEEKOM XT12 Pro employs a uni-body aluminium chassis that measures 117 x 111 x 38.5 mm (0.5 liter). The anodized matte finish gives the mini PC a refreshingly gorgeous look, and the minimalist design makes it DIY customization easy. As small as it is, the XT12 Pro still packs a wide array of I/O, including two full-function 40 Gbps USB4, four USB-A, two HDMI 2.0, a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port, and a 3.5 mm audio jack.

Acer today announced the new Nitro 14 and Nitro 16 gaming laptops, powered by AMD Ryzen 8040 Series processors with Ryzen AI[1]. With up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060[2] Laptop GPUs supported by DLSS 3.5 technology, both are backed by NVIDIA's RTX AI platform, providing an array of capabilities in over 500 games and applications, enhanced by AI. Gamers are immersed in their 14- and 16-inch NVIDIA G-SYNC compatible panels with up to WQXGA (2560x1600) resolution.

Whether in call or streaming in-game, Acer PurifiedVoice 2.0 harnesses the power of AI to block out external noises, while Acer PurifiedView keeps users always front and center of all the action. Microsoft Copilot in Windows (with a dedicated Copilot key) helps accelerate everyday tasks on these AI laptops, and with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate included with every device, players will enjoy hundreds of high-quality PC games. To seamlessly take command of device performance and customizations, one click of the NitroSense key directs users to the control center and the library of available AI-related functions through the new Experience Zone.

Intel Core Ultra "Lunar Lake-MX" will be the company's bulwark against Apple's M-series Pro and Max chips, designed to power the next crop of performance ultraportables. The MX codename extension denotes MoP (memory-on-package), which sees stacked LPDDR5X memory chips share the package's fiberglass substrate with the chip, to conserve PCB footprint, and give Intel greater control over the right kind of memory speed, timings, and power-management features suited to its microarchitecture. This is essentially what Apple does with its M-series SoCs powering its MacBooks and iPad Pros. Igor's Lab scored the motherlode on the way Intel has restructured the various components across its chiplets, and the various I/O wired to the package.

When compared to "Meteor Lake," the "Lunar Lake" microarchitecture sees a small amount of "re-aggregation" of the various logic-heavy components of the processor. On "Meteor Lake," the CPU cores and the iGPU sat on separate tiles—Compute tile and Graphics tile, respectively, with a large SoC tile sitting between them, and a smaller I/O tile that serves as an extension of the SoC tile. All four tiles sat on top of a Foveros base tile, which is essentially an interposer—a silicon die that facilitates high-density microscopic wiring between the various tiles that are placed on top of it. With "Lunar Lake," there are only two tiles—the Compute tile, and the SoC tile.

ASUS today announced the official release of ASUS NUC 14 Pro, one of several mini PCs unveiled at CES 2024. ASUS NUC 14 Pro delivers best-in-class performance thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 7 or 5 processor powered by three AI engines—a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), and a Central Processing Unit (CPU). Offering high throughput, low power consumption, and fast response, ASUS NUC 14 Pro delivers robust computing capabilities. It also features WiFi sensing for intelligent energy efficiency, along with exceptional security, manageability and stability enabled by Intel vPro Enterprise.

Featuring a 4 x 4 matte black textured chassis constructed of recycled plastic, a replaceable lid, and a VESA mounting plate, this ultra-small-form-factor (uSFF) desktop PC integrates into any workspace, offering maximum functionality without compromising style. Each device comes individually packaged and includes a three-year limited warranty.

Other World Computing, the leading provider of computer hardware, accessories, and software that bring artistic expression and the digital world together for creative professionals and consumers of technology, today unveiled SoftRAID 8, a groundbreaking new software release that redefines RAID management for Mac and Windows environments.

Quickly accessing data with the right safeguards is a difficult balance. Whether it is enhancing multimedia production workflows, protecting critical business files, or ensuring uninterrupted access to valuable data, OWC's SoftRAID is the ideal solution to manage RAID arrays. SoftRAID implements the latest performance technology unleashing remarkable speeds on a RAID system. Simply connect the drive array, format the preferred RAID level, and experience the breakneck speeds first-hand. RAID management has never been this powerful and easy to use.

Over the weekend, there have been a series of leaks from sources such as Golden Pig Upgrade, and High Yield YT, surrounding Intel's next-generation desktop processor, the Core Ultra 2-series "Arrow Lake-S." The lineup is likely to continue the new client processor naming scheme Intel introduced with the Core Ultra 1-series "Meteor Lake" on the mobile platform. "Arrow Lake-S" is rumored to debut the new Socket LGA1851, which retains cooler-compatibility with LGA1700. Although Intel has nucleated all I/O functions of the traditional PCH to "Meteor Lake," making it a single-chip solution on the mobile platform; and although the mobile "Arrow Lake" will continue to be single-chip; the desktop "Arrow Lake-S" will be a 2-chip solution. This is mainly because the desktop platform demands a lot more PCIe lanes, for a larger number of NVMe storage devices, or high bandwidth devices such as Thunderbolt and USB4 hubs, etc.

Another key finding in this latest series of leaks, is that unlike "Meteor Lake," the desktop "Arrow Lake-S" will do away with low-power island E-cores located in the SoC tile of the processor. All CPU cores are located in the Compute tile, which is expected to be built in the Intel 20A foundry node—the company's first node to implement GAAFETs (nanosheets), with backside power delivery; as well as an advanced 2nd generation EUV lithography. Intel's 1st Gen EUV is used on the current FinFET-based Intel 4 and Intel 3 foundry nodes.

Other World Computing—the leading end-to-end ecosystem solution provider of computer hardware, accessories, and software for both consumers and professionals—today introduced the new time redefining Atlas USB4 CFexpress Type B memory card reader at CP+ Camera & Photo Imaging Show in Yokohama, Japan. While conventional USB-C (10 Gb/s) readers are fast, users of the OWC Atlas USB4 CFexpress 4.0 Type B Card Reader are in for a transformative experience, witnessing time savings that not only redefine work processes but also freeing up more time for other passions and projects.

The Atlas USB4 CFexpress Type B card reader can slash minutes from transfers, and when paired with OWC Atlas CFA 4.0 memory cards, users can achieve real-world transfer speeds of over 3300 MB/s which translates into valuable time savings in managing data and backing it up during, or after, a shoot. The compact design of the Atlas USB4 card reader makes it an ideal travel companion, able to seamlessly fit into any camera bag. The sturdy aluminium enclosure houses cutting-edge technology like a highly effective new heat sink to prevent thermal throttling and ensure fast, reliable transfers and an innovative Innergize switch enabling users to fully leverage the capabilities of OWC Innergize software while it can boost USB 3.2 transfer rates by over 30% compared to previous generation of USB 3.2 products.

Recently, MINISFORUM updated the CPU of V3 to AMD's latest Ryzen7 8840U on its official website. Previously, the preview page for V3 went live on January 3rd. It is understood that MINISFORUM is expected to hold the V3 and Spring New Product Launch Event at the end of March 2024. MINISFORUM V3 is the world's first high-performance AMD AI 3-in-1 tablet, featuring AMD's latest Ryzen7 8840U, built on a 4 nm process, with Zen 4 CPU and RDNA3 GPU architecture, 8 cores 16 threads, a base frequency of 3.30 GHz, and a maximum boost frequency of 5.10 GHz, with a TDP of 15-30 W, and a 16 MB L3 cache. It integrates Radeon 780M graphics. V3 also boasts a dual-fan and four-copper-pipe cooling system, achieving 28 W sustained performance release, providing sustained power for AI model training, graphic rendering, video editing, and gaming entertainment.

The AMD 8840U is also paired with a proprietary XDNA AI processor, with NPU computing power up to 16TOPS and processor computing power up to 38TOPS. Based on this, V3 is equipped with a new AMD Ryzen AI, creating an AI Windows triple-in-one tablet PC with the highest security level from Microsoft, supporting Microsoft Real-time Communication, and hardware design supporting Microsoft Copilot, which can be called upon with a single click, providing real-time intelligent suggestions and assistance, helping users easily complete tasks in various scenarios for efficient office work.

Lenovo has released a pair of new ThinkVision displays, namely the P27pz-30 and the P32pz-30. These office monitors not only have 1,152 local dimming zones and a peak brightness of 1,200 nits, but they also incorporate a USB4 input. Somewhat unusually for Mini LED monitors, Lenovo has gone for IPS panels and both models sport a 3840 x 2160 resolution, a typical brightness of 650 nits, DisplayHDR 1000 certification, a contrast ratio of 1000:1 and a 4 or 6 ms response time depending on mode. There's also support for 99 percent Adobe RGB and 98 percent DCI-P3 colour gamut, although the panel is still an 8-bit+FRC panel and not a true 10-bit panel. The downside you ask? A 60 Hz refresh rate, which almost feels like a crime, despite the fact that these are productivity focused displays.

As for connectivity there's little lacking as besides the USB4 input which also supports DP Alt mode and 140 W USB PD, both displays also sport two HDMI 2.1 and one DP 1.4 input and one DP 1.4 output. Furthermore there is one USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 input, one USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 output with 15 W USB PD support, four USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, one Gigabit Ethernet port and a 3.5 mm audio output. The USB4 solution appears to be based on VLI's VL830 or VL832 endpoint devices due to lack of any kind of USB4 output. Both models also feature built-in KVM functionality, a smart sensor and an internal power supply, as well as a height adjustable stand that also tilts and pivots. The kicker is the asking price, as Lenovo wants no less than €1,699 for the 27-inch P27pz-30 and €1,999 for the 32-inch P32pz-30.

erial leaker @yuuki_ans on X/Twitter has released details on Intel's upcoming Barlow Rridge Thunderbolt 5 controller which will be known as the JHL9580 or JHL9540 depending on the SKU. The good news is that Intel has finally moved to PCIe 4.0 for the bus interface, which was expected due to the increased bandwidth on offer by Thunderbolt 5 over Thunderbolt 3 and 4. Barlow Ridge will use a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface to connect to the host and it appears that the earlier leak that suggested native Thunderbolt support in Arrow Lake-S might be incorrect, as there are diagrams showing Barlow Ridge connected to Arrow Lake-S CPUs.

Besides the faster bus, Thunderbolt 5 brings asymmetrical data transmission support which means that for display applications there will be a 120/40 Gbps mode, whereas for data only applications Thunderbolt 5 will deliver a symmetrical 80 Gbps mode. We should point out that this only appears to apply to the JHL9580 SKU, which also supports 40 Gbps USB4 speeds, whereas the JHL9540 for some reason remains a Thunderbolt 4 controller. That said, both of the Barlow Ridge SKUs get support for 20 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, something that was lacking in previous Thunderbolt implementations. There will also be support for DisplayPort 2.1 via DP Alt Mode with full UHBR20 support when used with a DP80 certified cable. Actual data transfers are limited to the 64 Gbps PCIe 4.0 interface to the host system, just like USB4, but this does at least give Thunderbolt 5 extra head room for display data even in symmetrical mode. The Barlow Ridge controllers appear to be connected directly to the Arrow Lake-S CPUs via the PCIe 4.0 x4 interface, much in the same way USB4 host controllers connect to AMD's Ryzen 7000-series CPUS.

AMD has revealed the full specs of its upcoming Ryzen 8000G APUs and it turns out that the Zen 4c cores aren't clocking as high as the Zen 4 cores in the Ryzen 5 8500G and Ryzen 3 8300G. We should point out that the 8300G has a singular Zen 4 core and three Zen 4c Cores here, so there's no confusion. The Zen 4 cores in the 8500G have a base clock of 4.1 GHz, while the 8300G comes in at 4.0 GHz, with both of the APU's Zen 4c cores having a base clock of 3.2 GHz. Oddly enough, AMD lists the overall base clock of the 8500G as 3.5 GHz and the 8300G as 3.4 GHz with a notice that reads "Represents the average effective base frequency of all cores." AMD is in other words averaging the clock speeds of the two different cores to come up with an approximate base clock.

The Zen 4 cores in the 8500G boost up to 5 GHz, with the 8300G boosting to 4.9 GHz, whereas the Zen 4c cores in the 8500G boost up to 3.7 GHz and in the 8300G to 3.6 GHz. Here AMD doesn't provide an estimated frequency equivalent. Despite being budget models in the Ryzen 8000G-series of APUs, both SKUs get two USB4 ports with full 40 Gbps capabilities, plus a pair of USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) ports. Furthermore the Radeon 740M GPU will be clocked at 2.8 GHz in both APUs, but both SKUs are limited to a mere four graphics cores, whereas the Ryzen 5 8600G gets eight at the same clock speed and the Ryzen 7 8700G gets 12 at 2.9 GHz. All four APUs also support DisplayPort 2.1.

Courtesy of X/Twitter user @yuuki_ans, we now have what should be very detailed information on Intel's next generation consumer desktop platform, assuming the leaked information is real. The leaker not only provided confirmation on the CPU specs of the Arrow Lake-S desktop CPUs, which will feature up to an 8+16+1 core configuration. However, it appears that it's not all smooth sailing for Intel to get Arrow Lake-S up and running, as a note points out that the pre-alpha hardware has the performance cores disabled due to a hardware bug that is expected to be fixed in a future hardware revision. We can also see that the official memory support is DDR5-6400 from the block diagram, which is quite a jump from DDR5-5600 which is what the current 14th gen CPUs officially support.

That said, the rest of the documentation shared is very detailed and provides us with a ton of details in terms of the various platform interfaces we can expect. For starters, the Arrow Lake-S CPUs will feature native Thunderbolt 4/USB4 support (once again an odd mistake here stating USB4.0), as well as DisplayPort 2.0 (UHBR20 only) and HDMI 2.1 support. The CPU is said to deliver 24 PCIe lanes, of which 16 are PCIe 5.0 lanes for the GPU and the remaining eight are for NVMe SSDs, with half being PCIe 5.0 and half PCIe 4.0.

Back at Computex last year we got a look at the first USB4 add-in card, which was from MSI. Some six months later, ASUS has finally revealed its USB4 add-in card that simply goes by the name of USB4 PCIe Gen4 Card. The general design of the two cards appear to be more or less identical, at least in terms of outputs and inputs. As such, both cards feature two USB4 outputs and two DP 1.4 inputs for those that want to use the USB4 ports to connect to a display. Other inputs include a USB 2.0 header, a custom USB4 header for communication with the motherboard—similar to Thunderbolt add-in cards—and a 6-pin graphics card type power input. The card supports up to two monitors and three devices or one monitor and four devices when daisy chained.

ASUS has gone for a shroud on its card, so it's impossible to make out any real details, but based on the manual, ASUS has installed a heatsink on the ASM4242 USB4 host controller from ASMedia, albeit a smaller one than MSI. However, ASUS has only gone for 60 W USB Power Delivery compared to 100 W for the MSI card. If this makes any useful difference in a desktop PC is up for discussion though and would depend on specific use cases. On the other hand, ASUS allows for 60 W through both ports, whereas MSI only delivers 27 W through its secondary port. The card should work with any ASUS motherboard that has a TB/USB4 header. As ASUS has only just put up the product page, there's no word on pricing.

The current crop of PCIe Gen 5 based M.2 NVMe SSDs run scorching hot to deliver sequential transfer speeds of 10 GB/s, requiring some massive cooling solutions with tiny fans. All this might change, as Phison, a leading SSD controller manufacturer, unveiled three new controllers at the 2024 International CES. One of these that stands out, is the PS5031-E31T, which is built on the 7 nm node, and could power the first Gen 5 SSDs delivering 10 GB/s without elaborate cooling solutions. This is a big upgrade from the 12 nm node used by their first Gen 5 controllers. The PS5031-E31T is a DRAMless controller meant for mainstream Gen 5 SSDs. This controller has a 4-channel flash interface (16 CE), a PCI-Express 5.0 x4 host interface, supports capacities of up to 8 TB, and is claimed by Phison to offer sequential transfer rates of up to 10.8 GB/s, and up to 1500K IOPS random access; exceeding the fastest Gen 4 SSDs.

Phison also updated its high-end controller lineup with the new PS5026-E26 Max14um. This is a variant of the E26 that's designed for the upcoming Micron B58R NAND flash chip that offers 2400 MT/s per channel transfers. Over the 8-channel interface of the E26, this finally unlocks sequential transfer speeds exceeding 14 GB/s reads, and 12.7 GB/s sequential writes. This is merely a revision of the existing E26 with updated power-optimized firmware, the underlying silicon is identical. The E26 Max14um is the first controller to surpass 1000 MB/s in all three PCMark 10 storage tests. We have a sample of an SSD powered by the E26 Max14um in our labs, and will post our review soon.

VESA, the organization behind consumer display standards, showcased some recent technological advancements at the 2024 International CES. To begin with, VESA unveiled the new DisplayPort 2.1a specification, which, among other things, enables longer UHBR10 and UHBR13.5 capable cables. The current DP 2.1 is limited by cable length to meet the ability to stream 8K2K 240 Hz, or 8K4K 120 Hz over 4 length. This comes in the form of the new DP54 cable standard. While VESA is retiring DP40, the cables that have been already shipped have been tested and re-certified by VESA as DP54.

While DP80 UHBR cables continues to be supported, the current UHBR13.5 link could only be serviced using DP80 cables. Now, instead of being restricted in length by a DP80 cable, users can opt for a DP54 cable, that can be twice the length of DP80 to enable UHBR13.5.

At the VESA booth, we were also given Adaptive Sync dual-mode gameplay demos at 240 Hz and 480 Hz; a set of gaming notebooks that implement Adaptive Sync displays, including a GIGABYTE AERO 16 notebook that implements DisplayHDR 1000; some notebooks that demonstrate the ClearMR technology; the new Dell AW252HF Adaptive Sync display that's certified for Full HD at 480 Hz; a new VIA Labs chipset that tunnels DisplayPort over USB4; and reference designs for DisplayPort 2.1 docking stations. Many of these technologies are already being implemented, and we should expect to see DisplayPort 2.1a implemtation over the course of 2024.

Patriot Memory brought their latest ware to the 2024 International CES that use recent advancements in tech on both the SSD and memory fronts. On the SSD front, this year sees 14 GB/s capable PCIe Gen 5 NVMe SSDs thanks to Phison's E26 Max14um controller; and a new crop of USB4 portable SSDs; while the memory front sees DDR5 speeds go far north of DDR5-6000, thanks to on-module CKDs. Patriot showed us examples of each.

First up, there's the Patriot Viper PV573 Gen 5 NVMe SSD. This thing comes in capacities of up to 4 TB, and combines a Phison E26 Max14um controller with Micron's latest B58R TLC NAND flash chips that offer 2400 MT/s per flash channel. The controller also gets some incremental thermal optimizations, which means the cooling solution for the PV573 is a 16.5 mm-tall fan-heatsink. The drive offers up to 14 GB/s sequential reads, with up to 12 GB/s sequential writes. There's also a slightly de-rated version of this drive, the Viper PV553, which has the same combination of controller and NAND flash, but with transfer speeds of up to 12.4 GB/s reads, with up to 11.8 GB/s writes.

Crucial, the client-focused brand of memory giant Micron Technology, showed off a handful new innovations at its booth along the sidelines of the 2024 International CES. First up, is a prototype USB4 portable SSD and prototype desktop SSD. These are proofs of concept, and not actual products. With this, Crucial is testing the waters with USB4 and its delicious 40 Gbps bidirectional bandwidth, which unlocks a new generation of fast removable storage devices. The prototype USB4 portable SSD comes in a tiny chassis about the size of a burner phone. It is a PCB with an M.2-2280 slot with PCIe Gen 4 x4 wiring, connected to an ASMedia ASM2464PD USB4 bridge chip. An OEM Micron Gen 4 SSD with 232-layer 3D TLC NAND flash and LPDDR4 DRAM cache, is installed on this drive. The CDM reading for this drive is 3821 MB/s sequential reads, with 885 MB/s sequential writes.

Next up, is a larger desktop SSD prototype (which again, isn't an actual product but a proof of concept). Its metal chassis is about the size of a 3.5-inch HDD. Inside is at least one M.2-2280 Gen 4 slot (there are probably more); with a preinstalled drive. An ASMedia ASM2464PD handles things here, too. The performance is mostly similar, at 3792 MB/s sequential reads, but with significantly increase 3803 MB/s sequential writes. This may seem unspectacular because Thunderbolt 4 has been delivering 40 Gbps for many years now, and we've had TB4-based external SSDs; but USB4 somewhat democratizes this kind of bandwidth.

GIGABYTE Technology, a leading global powerhouse in motherboards, graphics cards, and cutting-edge hardware solutions, proudly unveils the world's first motherboard designed to seamlessly support the native USB-C 40 Gbps signal when paired with the cutting-edge AMD Ryzen 8000 series processors.

"We are thrilled to introduce a motherboard that not only supports the cutting-edge AMD Ryzen 8000 series processors but also incorporates advanced features that cater to the evolving needs of our users. This marks a significant leap forward in terms of performance, user-friendliness, and design aesthetics." Said Jackson Hsu, Director of the GIGABYTE Channel Solutions Product Development Division.