TechPowerUp Hiring: Reviewers Wanted for Motherboards, Laptops, Gaming Handhelds and Prebuilt Desktops

TechPowerUp has four open positions in our team that we'd like to fill with talented and motivated PC gamers and enthusiasts like you! We are looking for a motherboard reviewer, a pre-built gaming PC reviewer, a gaming handheld reviewer and a laptop reviewer—that's four separate positions, for four individuals. Applicants will be required to regularly publish detailed hardware reviews in their respective roles, at a frequency that's most suitable for the type of hardware being reviewed. The position is open to individuals from the US, Canada, the UK, the EU, Japan, or Taiwan.

Besides product evaluation skills, we expect our reviewers to possess good literary skills. We're not exactly looking for over-the-top creative writing, but content that's engaging and insightful to our readers, who come to us for our detailed yet straightforward writing style. The four are remote working positions, which will require you to perform hardware testing and photography in-house. Ideally you'll already have some equipment, but we can definitely help with that, also with streamlining your testing workflow, and creating the testing setup. Our team is also always here for you to discuss testing methodologies, presentation of results, etc. This is a paid, and part-time position, our role will be to keep you busy with samples of the hardware assigned to you. There are no static quotas per month, but depending on the hardware category we expect a certain minimum number of reviews we can publish, to maintain a regular cadence that keeps up with the latest developments.
Tuesday, April 16th 2024
James Donkey R2 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard Review

James Donkey R2 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard Review

The James Donkey R2 is a premium keyboard that looks and feels like a much more expensive one. It has all the features you might expect out of an enthusiast wireless mechanical keyboard and yet manages to impress further with the use of a high quality aluminium chassis that comes in different colors, including matching keycaps too.

NVIDIA GeForce 552.22 WHQL Game Ready Drivers Released

NVIDIA today released the latest GeForce 552.22 WHQL drivers. These come Game Ready for "Manor Lords," and "No Rest for the Wicked." For "Manor Lords," which goes live on April 26, the drivers add not just day-zero optimization, but also support for DLSS 2. The drivers also fix a couple of bugs, notably, stability issues for PUBG seen in extended gameplay sessions on Intel 12th Gen Core platforms. A bug that caused RTX 20-series and GTX 10-series GPUs to freeze with Hardware-accelerated GPU Scheduling and SLI enabled has been fixed. A system crash with bug-check on machines with HTC Vive Pro 2 and multi-displays has been fixed.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 552.22 WHQL

AMD Expands Commercial AI PC Portfolio to Deliver Leadership Performance Across Professional Mobile and Desktop Systems

Today, AMD announced new products that will expand its commercial mobile and desktop AI PC portfolio, delivering exceptional productivity and premium AI and connectivity experiences to business users. The new AMD Ryzen PRO 8040 Series are the most advanced x86 processors built for business laptops and mobile workstations. In addition, AMD also announced the AMD Ryzen PRO 8000 Series desktop processor, the first AI enabled desktop processor for business users, engineered to deliver cutting-edge performance with low power consumption.

With AMD Ryzen AI built into select models, AMD is further extending its AI PC leadership. By leveraging the CPU, GPU, and dedicated on-chip neural processing unit (NPU), new Ryzen AI-powered processors provide more dedicated AI processing power than previous generations, with up to 16 dedicated NPU TOPS (Trillions of Operations Per Second) and up to 39 total system TOPS. Commercial PCs equipped with new Ryzen AI-enabled processors will help transform user experience, offering next-gen performance for AI-enabled collaboration, content creation, and data and analytics workloads. With the addition of AMD PRO technologies, IT managers can unlock enterprise-grade manageability features to simplify IT operations and complete PC deployment faster across the organization, built-in security features for chip-to-cloud defense from sophisticated attacks, as well as unprecedented stability, reliability and platform longevity for enterprise software.

Micron First to Production of 200+ Layer QLC NAND in Client and Data Center

Micron Technology, Inc., today demonstrated its continued NAND technology leadership by announcing that its 232-layer QLC NAND is now in mass production and shipping in select Crucial SSDs, in volume production to enterprise storage customers and sampling to OEM PC manufacturers in the Micron 2500 NMVe SSD.

Micron 232-layer QLC NAND delivers unparalleled performance for use cases across mobile, client, edge and data center storage by leveraging these important capabilities:
  • Industry-leading bit-density, up to 28% more compact than leading competitors'1 latest products
  • Industry-leading NAND I/O speeds of 2400 MT/s, a 50% improvement over the prior generation
  • 24% better read performance over the prior generation
  • 31% better programming performance over the prior generation

Lenovo Embraces the AI PC Era with New ThinkCentre Desktops Powered by AMD Ryzen PRO 8000 Series Desktop Processors

Lenovo has unveiled a selection of ThinkCentre desktops powered by AMD Ryzen PRO 8000 Series desktop processors with up to 16 TOPS (trillion operations per second) of integrated NPU capability dedicated to process AI workloads, including the performance focused ThinkCentre M75t Gen 5, the flexible ThinkCentre M75s Gen 5, and the compact ThinkCentre M75q Gen 5. Designed to meet the diverse needs of modern business, the ThinkCentre M75 Gen 5 family of desktops harnesses the AI capability of its component while optimizing its energy efficiency to deliver impressive results.

"The AI PC era is already here and at Lenovo we are embracing it to unlock new possibilities," said Sanjeev Menon, vice president and general manager, Worldwide Desktop Business in Intelligent Devices Group, Lenovo. "The need for businesses to integrate AI into their operations continues to grow and our ThinkCentre M75 family of desktops, with a strong and stable power supply, the ability to upgrade components when needed, and the space to expand memory and optimize thermal management are the ideal options to enhance productivity with AI without heavy investments. Lenovo and AMD have a long-standing partnership focused on delivering value to our customers and we know users will be delighted by the leap in performance of our new desktops."

Corsair Announces the HS35 V2 Series Gaming Headsets

Corsair proudly announced the launch of its new series of all-essential gaming headsets: HS35 v2 and HS35 SURROUND v2. Boasting exceptional wide-ranging audio and universal 3.5 mm connectivity, HS35 v2 and HS35 SURROUND v2 deliver game-changing sound, across multiple platforms. The HS35 v2 series opens up a rich world of audio. A pair of custom-tuned 50 mm neodymium drivers produces a powerfully wide range of sound, enabling you to detect new details within your games. And with a multiplatform 3.5 mm connection, these headsets aren't limited to PC gaming - plug in and play on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and more.

For an even more immersive experience, HS35 SURROUND v2 adds another dimension to your games' soundscapes. The included USB receiver unlocks industry-leading Dolby Audio 7.1 surround sound on PC and Mac, placing in-game music, dialog, and audio cues all around you. Pinpoint the direction of enemy movements and abilities in competitive games such as Overwatch 2, or let yourself become completely engulfed in lush atmospheric titles like Starfield.

Secure Your Browsing With This $30 Data Privacy Tool

If you're looking for reliable data privacy tools that you can use across multiple devices, AdGuard VPN may be the way to go. This comprehensive VPN subscription lets you browse anonymously, connect to dozens of servers around the world, and share that security with multiple devices of your own or with other members of your family. VPNs can get pretty pricey, but AdGuard has a deal where you can get a one, three, or five-year subscription for a major markdown. The five-year AdGuard VPN Subscription is only $49.99, and the others are even cheaper.

AdGuard VPN is a comprehensive security solution to help you improve your online security. AdGuard gives you access to over 60 locations worldwide, so you can seamlessly bypass geographical restrictions and access international content, whether it's on streaming services or social media. There's more than just third party entities online to watch out for when you're trying to keep your data private. AdGuard has a zero-logging policy, so even they don't collect your data or monitor your internet traffic. That's what makes AdGuard such a worthwhile data privacy tool. And you can connect up to 10 devices, which means you can browse privately on multiple devices of your own or share the anonymity with the rest of your household.

Guard your privacy on 10 devices. For a limited time, get:

Cougar Intros FV270 Case with Unique Three-sided Front and Panoramic Pillarless Design

Cougar today introduced the FV270, a unique take on the trend of cases with a pillar-less front-left corner. This case features a 5-sided body (excluding the top and bottom); with the tempered glasshouse wrapping around three sides, giving you a more panoramic view of the insides. Toward the front of the bottom compartment, is a uniquely positioned 120 mm intake fan that points diagonally. The entire case is positioned at a slight tilt. The upper compartment with the motherboard tray serves up room for graphics cards up to 45 cm in length, and CPU coolers up to 18 cm in height. Since there's no vent along the front-panel, the entire clearance of the graphics card is always available. The expansion slots can be rotated 90°, letting you vertically orient graphics cards (riser not included). The motherboard tray includes a graphics card anti-bending mechanism.

Besides the uniquely positioned front-bottom fan, two 140 mm fan vents are positioned along one the front-right diagonal side. Additionally, there is a massive 420 mm x 140 mm vent along the top-panel, letting you mount up to three 140 mm fans (or smaller). A 240 mm x 120 mm radiator can also be mounted along the bottom of the top compartment. The bottom compartment serves up clearance of up to 25 cm for PSUs, and a drive cage with two 3.5-inch/2.5-inch drive bays. Two additional 2.5-inch drives can be mounted behind the motherboard tray. The case comes in two variants—the FV270 RGB with five pre-installed RGB fans, and the FV270 base model, with just two included non-illuminated fans. The two each have color-based sub-variants of black and white. The case measures 268 mm x 512 mm x 530 mm (W x D x H). Front-panel connectivity includes two USB 3.2 type-A, and a USB 3.2 type-C (20 Gbps-capable). The company didn't reveal pricing.

Minisforum V3 High-Performance AMD AI 3-in-1 Tablet Starts at $1199 Pre-Sale

Minisforum has unveiled a game-changing device that blurs the lines between tablets and laptops: the Minisforum V3. Today, the V3 laptop has hit the Minisforum store. This innovative 3-in-1 tablet is powered by the high-performance AMD Ryzen 7 8840U processor, offering a unique blend of portability and computing power. Unlike its traditional Mini PC design, Minisforum has adopted the popular form factor of Microsoft Surface and Lenovo Yoga tablet PCs with the V3. This versatile device can be a handheld tablet, a laptop with an included magnetic attachable keyboard, or a solo kickstand. At the heart of the Minisforum V3 lies the 8-core, 16-thread Ryzen 7 8840U processor, capable of delivering exceptional performance for demanding tasks. The tablet features a stunning 14-inch 2560 x 1600 IPS screen with a 165 Hz refresh rate and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage, making it an ideal choice for creative professionals and content creators.

The V3's standout feature is its advanced cooling system, which allows the Ryzen 7 8840U and onboard Radeon 780M iGPU to operate at a stable 28 watts. This ensures smooth and efficient performance even under heavy workloads, making it a reliable device for all your tasks. The tablet's screen boasts a remarkable 500 nits of brightness, and its high color gamut coverage makes it perfect for professionals who require accurate color representation. Minisforum has priced the V3 competitively at $1199 at the pre-sale offering, making it an attractive option for those seeking a powerful and versatile device that can adapt to various scenarios. This primary option includes 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB SSD for storage. For early birds, Minisforum offers a V Pen, tempered glass screen protector, and laptop sleeve as a gift. Here is the link to the Minisforum V3 store.

Demand for NVIDIA's Blackwell Platform Expected to Boost TSMC's CoWoS Total Capacity by Over 150% in 2024

NVIDIA's next-gen Blackwell platform, which includes B-series GPUs and integrates NVIDIA's own Grace Arm CPU in models such as the GB200, represents a significant development. TrendForce points out that the GB200 and its predecessor, the GH200, both feature a combined CPU+GPU solution, primarily equipped with the NVIDIA Grace CPU and H200 GPU. However, the GH200 accounted for only approximately 5% of NVIDIA's high-end GPU shipments. The supply chain has high expectations for the GB200, with projections suggesting that its shipments could exceed millions of units by 2025, potentially making up nearly 40 to 50% of NVIDIA's high-end GPU market.

Although NVIDIA plans to launch products such as the GB200 and B100 in the second half of this year, upstream wafer packaging will need to adopt more complex and high-precision CoWoS-L technology, making the validation and testing process time-consuming. Additionally, more time will be required to optimize the B-series for AI server systems in aspects such as network communication and cooling performance. It is anticipated that the GB200 and B100 products will not see significant production volumes until 4Q24 or 1Q25.

Sharkoon Unveils Rebel C20 ITX Mini-ITX PC Case

Sharkoon Technologies is an international supplier of high-quality, high-performance PC components and peripherals and is now launching the Rebel C20 ITX. Even though this PC case is primarily designed for Mini-ITX mainboards as well as SFX and SFX-L PSUs, the Rebel C20 ITX should also be able to accommodate the largest graphics cards and radiators. In addition, the case can be positioned either vertically or horizontally and is available either as a version without fans or as a version with pre-installed addressable RGB fans for cooling.

Made for High-End Hardware
Despite its dimensions of just 45.7 x 20.8 x 30.1 centimeters, the Rebel C20 ITX should also be able to accommodate the largest modern graphics cards of the RTX 4090 series as well as radiators of up to 360 millimeters.

Intel Xeon 6 "Beechnut City" Validation Platform for Granite Rapids and Sierra Forest Pictured

Intel's next-generation Xeon 6 processors, codenamed Granite Rapids and Sierra Forest, are poised to shake up the CPU market with its cutting-edge architecture and features. Hardware leaker YuuKi_AnS has provided the first glimpse of Intel's upcoming platform, revealing images of the vibrant red-colored validation platform dubbed Beechnut City. Beechnut City serves as a crucial testing ground for the forthcoming Xeon 6 series, which will comprise both the Granite Rapids (P-Core architecture) and Sierra Forest (E-Core architecture) processors. Although not intended for commercial release, this validation platform is designed to rigorously test and validate the new CPUs. The dual-socket LGA-4710 platform boasts the capability to support up to two Sierra Forest or Granite Rapids CPUs simultaneously, promising a significant performance boost for data centers and other high-performance computing applications.

According to YuuKi_AnS's leaks, the Xeon 6 series may feature SKU names such as Xeon 6 6900E/P (Platinum), Xeon 6 6700E/P (Gold), Xeon 6 6500P (Silver), and Xeon 6 6300P (Bronze). One of the platform's standout features is its support for 32 DIMMs in 16-channel memory system, similar to the previously discussed Avenue City platform, which can accommodate up to 24 DDR5-6400 DIMMs in 12-channel memory. The Sierra Forest variant with 144 cores is expected to launch in the first half of this year, while the 288-core variant is slated for release in the second half. Notably, the Xeon 6 series will mark a significant shift in Intel's CPU lineup, as it will be the first CPU series to feature only Efficient cores, akin to AMD's Zen Dense cores (such as Bergamo). This move aligns with Intel's strategy to cater to the growing demand for high-performance computing and data center applications, where energy efficiency and performance are essential.
There is also a picture of server configuration of Avenue City was pictured a while ago, thanks to the previous leak of Yuuki_Ans, which can be seen below in addition to Beechnut City platform.
Monday, April 15th 2024

Today's Reviews

CPU Coolers
Gaming PC
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Keyboards
Memory
Mouse
NAS
Networking
Notebooks
PSUs
SSD
Storage
Rapoo VT9 Air Review

Rapoo VT9 Air Review

The ambidextrous Rapoo VT9 Air comes with PixArt's PAW3395 sensor, Omron switches for the main buttons, and a 61 g lightweight build. In addition, it is capable of both 8000 Hz wired and 4000 Hz wireless polling, and up to 160 hours of battery life are cited.
I\OAudio VOLARE In-Ear Monitors Review - Very Impressive Debut!

I\OAudio VOLARE In-Ear Monitors Review - Very Impressive Debut!

I\OAudio is a new brand entering the highly competive IEM market with the VOLARE—a tribrid set that aims to shake things up with what it offers both inside and out. Featuring a superb unboxing experience with great accessories, a clean-yet-fancy design, and a very competent sound signature, the VOLARE is worthy of attention, if not also your money.

KLEVV Announces CRAS C925 M.2 Gen 4 NVMe SSD

KLEVV today announced the CRAS C925 line of mid-range M.2 NVMe SSDs. Built in the M.2-2280 form-factor, these drives take advantage of the PCI-Express 4.0 x4 host interface, to provide sequential transfer speeds of up to 7400 MB/s reads, and up to 6500 MB/s sequential writes, depending on the model. There are three of these based on capacity—500 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB. All three offer up to 7400 MB/s sequential reads, while the maximum write speeds are up to 6200 MB/s for the 500 GB model, up to 6300 MB/s for the 1 TB model, and up to 6500 MB/s for the 2 TB model. Both the 500 GB and 1 TB models offer up to 670,000 IOPS 4K random reads, and up to 980,000 IOPS random writes; while the 2 TB model does up to 700,000 IOPS random reads, with up to 1 million IOPS random writes.

The KLEVV CRAS C925 combines a MaxioTech MAP1602 DRAMless controller with an unspecified brand of 3D TLC NAND flash memory. The drive features a single-sided design, in that even the top 2 TB model has all its components on one side of the PCB. You can use the included aluminium heat-spreader that reduces temperatures by 12%, or the heatsink your motherboard includes. KLEVV rates the write endurance of these drives at 600 TBW for the 500 GB model, 1,200 TBW for the 1 TB model, and 2,400 TBW for the 2 TB model. The company is backing the drives with a 5-year warranty. The company didn't reveal pricing, but mentioned that the drives will be available from May 2024.

Pimax Reveals Two New High-end VR Headsets at its Frontier Event, Starting at US$699

Pimax, a leading innovator in the Virtual Reality industry, announced two new high-end VR headsets at its Frontier 2024 event, held on YouTube this Monday. The Crystal Super is an ultra-high-end headset, packing 29.5 million pixels and the world's first changeable optical engine, allowing users to swap between QLED and micro-OLED panels. The Crystal Light offers the same 16.6 million pixels as the Pimax Crystal, but is much more budget-friendly, starting from 699 USD. Additionally, Pimax unveiled the 60G Airlink module, which leverages WiGig technology to enable true high-fidelity wireless PCVR.

The Crystal Super represents a substantial leap forward from the highly successful Crystal, with its greatly increased number of pixels, enabling a much larger field of view (FOV) and higher pixels per degree (PPD) simultaneously.

Sony PlayStation 5 Pro Specifications Confirmed, Console Arrives Before Holidays

Thanks for the detailed information obtained by The Verge, today we confirm previously leaked details as Sony gears up to unveil the highly anticipated PlayStation 5 Pro, codenamed "Trinity." According to insider reports, Sony is urging developers to optimize their games for the PS5 Pro, with a primary focus on enhancing ray tracing capabilities. The console is expected to feature an RDNA 3 GPU with 30 WGP running BVH8, capable of 33.5 TeraFLOPS of FP32 single-precision computing power, and a slightly quicker CPU running at 3.85 GHz, enabling it to render games with ray tracing enabled or achieve higher resolutions and frame rates in select titles. Sony anticipates GPU rendering on the PS5 Pro to be approximately 45 percent faster than the standard PlayStation 5. The PS5 Pro GPU will be larger and utilize faster system memory to bolster ray tracing performance, boasting up to three times the speed of the regular PS5.

Additionally, the console will employ a more powerful ray tracing architecture, backed by PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), allowing developers to leverage graphics features like ray tracing more extensively. To support this endeavor, Sony is providing developers with test kits, and all games submitted for certification from August onward must be compatible with the PS5 Pro. Insider Gaming, the first to report the full PS5 Pro specs, suggests a potential release during the 2024 holiday period. The PS5 Pro will also feature modifications for developers regarding system memory, with Sony increasing the memory bandwidth from 448 GB/s to 576 GB/s, enhancing efficiency for an even more immersive gaming experience. To do AI processing, there is an custom AI accelerator capable of 300 8-bit INT8 TOPS and 67 16-bit FP16 TeraFLOPS, in addition to ACV audio codec running up to 35% faster.

GameSir Launches Nova and Nova Lite Controllers

GameSir, a leading brand in gaming peripherals, introduces the GameSir Nova and Nova Lite, two revolutionary multi-platform gaming controllers that redefine the gaming experience. Featuring cutting-edge technology, including anti-drift Hall effect sticks and tri-mode connectivity, these controllers offer unparalleled precision, versatility, and affordability. Embracing the motto "Just In Game", GameSir is dedicated to providing gamers with a superior gaming experience through its exceptionally cost-effective controllers. The GameSir Nova is available for £39.99/$35.99 from Amazon UK, Amazon and the GameSir website, whilst the Nova Lite is available for £29.99/$24.99 from Amazon UK, Amazon and the GameSir website.

The GameSir Nova stands as the epitome of unrestricted gaming experience, seamlessly adapting to the Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, Steam and Android devices. This cross-platform adaptability makes it the go-to gaming controller for users seeking a versatile and immersive gaming experience. With anti-drift Hall effect sticks for precision and consistency, the Nova provides unparalleled consistency and smoothness, maximizing gaming performance with specially optimized algorithms. It also includes interactive motion controls to tilt, shake, or rotate the controller for ultimate gaming immersion.

EK Updates Quantum Vector² Water Blocks for Nitro+ and Pulse RX 7900 XT and RX 7900 XTX

EK, the leading manufacturer of premium liquid cooling gear, is doing a midlife upgrade of its Quantum Vector² graphics card water blocks. In order to ensure readiness with the latest technologies and upgrades for upcoming GPU launches, this midlife refresh will be implemented only on certain Vector² water blocks. The first product to implement these improvements is the new Vector² EVO water block for Radeon RX 7900 XT (Sapphire Nitro+ and Pulse) and Radeon RX 7900 XTX GPUs that come with unique memory cache dies (MCD) next to the main chip - the Graphics Compute Die (GCD). The special cooling engine of the new Vector² EVO water blocks cools the MCDs, aside from the usual GPU components like VRM, VRAM, Voltage Controllers, and the chip die.

Acer's 57-inch Predator Z57 Lands in Retail

For those unhappy with the resolution of most ultrawide displays on the market, Acer's new addition to its Predator line should please most of you, as it has a DUHD resolution which is better known as 7680 x 2160 pixels, aka dual 4K. The Predator Z57 also sports a 2304 zone MiniLED backlight which equals 1152 zones on a standard 4K display. Thanks to the MiniLED backlight, the Predator Z57 also gets a VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification. However, the 120 Hz VA display panel might not be to everyone's liking, alongside the 1000R curvature.

Other features include support for AMD FreeSync Premium, 98 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour space, an HDMI 2.1 port, a USB Type-C port with 90 W USB-PD support, integrated KVM support, but seemingly no support for DP 2.1. The stand offers height, tilt and swivel adjustments and the display also sports a pair of built in 10 W speakers. Acer hasn't released the full specs of the display, but it retails for US$1,999.99 and can be ordered from Acer in the US now with Europe seemingly following shortly.

KingSpec Introduces the Yansen 2.5-inch Enterprise SSDs

At Embedded World 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany, industrial grade storage brand KingSpec (also known as YANSEN) presented its 2.5" SSD specialized for in-vehicle storage solutions. Embedded World serves as a global platform gathering industry-leading enterprises, technologies, and experts. At this exhibition, YANSEN showcased a solution specifically designed for in vehicle, rail transit and surveillance industries. With the rapid growth of electric vehicles and intelligent connected cars, the demand for reliable, high-capacity in-vehicle data storage is soaring. Secure storage solutions are becoming more essential. YANSEN's 2.5" in-vehicle SSD is engineered specifically for challenging transportation applications.

Rail transit operations face challenging conditions, requiring storage hardware capable of enduring wide temperature ranges, vibrations, and humidity. The 2.5" in-vehicle SSD has undergone rigorous testing beyond industry standards, with an operating temperature range of 0°C to 70°C and an MTBF exceeding 2 million hours. The product features conformal coating and underfill dispensing design to ensure data integrity even in extreme environments.

GIGABYTE Unveils XTREME Prestige Limited Edition Motherboard and Graphics Card Series

GIGABYTE Technology announces the launch of its highly anticipated XTREME Prestige Limited Edition series, featuring the Z790 AORUS XTREME X ICE Motherboard and the AORUS GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER XTREME ICE 16G Graphics Card. This exclusive release merges top-tier performance with unparalleled design, catering to the discerning tastes of gaming enthusiasts and collectors alike.

The XTREME Prestige Limited Edition sets a new standard in the realm of gaming hardware. It is crafted to perfection, embracing the latest Current White Gaming Builds trend. Each component showcases white iridescence, accented with crystallized titanium textures and adorned with a 99% Au gold serial plaque, embodying luxury and exclusivity. The series not only dazzles with its aesthetic appeal but also promises exceptional gaming and computing performance.

MSI Showcases GPU Servers for Media and Entertainment Industry at 2024 NAB Show

MSI, a leading global server provider, is showcasing its latest GPU servers powered by AMD processors at the 2024 NAB Show, Booth #SL9137 in the Las Vegas Convention Center from April 14-17. These servers are designed to meet the evolving needs of modern creative projects in Media and Entertainment industry. "As AI continues to reshape the Media and Entertainment industry, it brings unprecedented speed and performance to tasks such as animation, visual effects, video editing, and rendering," said Danny Hsu, General Manager of Enterprise Platform Solutions. "MSI's GPU platforms empower content creators to execute every project with efficiency, speed, and uncompromising quality."

The G4101 is a 4U 4GPU server platform, purpose-built to unleash the full potential of creative professionals in the Media and Entertainment industry. It supports a single AMD EPYC 9004 Series processor equipped with a liquid cooling module, along with twelve DDR5 RDIMM slots. Additionally, it features four PCIe 5.0 x16 slots tailored for triple-slot graphic cards with coolers, ensuring increased airflow and sustained performance. With twelve front 2.5-inch U.2 NVMe/SATA drive bays, it offers high-speed and flexible storage options, catering to the diverse needs of AI workloads. The G4101 combines air flow spacing and liquid closed-loop cooling, making it the optimal thermal management solution for even the most demanding tasks.

MSI First with Motherboard BIOS that Supports Ryzen 9000 "Zen 5" Processors

In yet another clear sign that we could see some action from AMD on the next-gen desktop processor front this Computex, motherboard maker MSI released its first beta UEFI firmware update that packs an AGESA microcode that reportedly supports the upcoming AMD Ryzen 9000 "Granite Ridge" processors. The "7D74v1D2 beta" firmware update for the MSI MPG B650 Carbon Wi-Fi motherboard encapsulates AGESA ComboPI 1.1.7.0 patch-A, with the description that it supports a "next-gen CPU," a reference to the Ryzen 9000 "Granite Ridge."

A successor to the Ryzen 7000 Raphael, the Ryzen 9000 Granite Ridge introduces the new "Zen 5" microarchitecture to the desktop platform, with CPU core counts remaining up to 16-core/32-thread. The new microarchitecture is expected to introduce generational increase in IPC, as well as improve performance of certain exotic workloads such as AVX-512. The processors are said to be launching alongside the new AMD 800-series motherboard chipset. If AMD is using Computex as a platform to showcase these processors, it's likely we might see the first of these motherboards as well.

Samsung Readies 290-layer 3D NAND for May 2024 Debut, Planning 430-layer for 2025

Samsung is preparing to launch its 9th Generation V-NAND (3D NAND flash) memory next month, Korean publication Hankyung reports. The 9th Gen 3D NAND flash memory by Samsung is expected to offer 290 layers, a step-up from the 236-layer 8th Gen V-NAND that the company debuted in 2022. Samsung reportedly achieved the 290-layer vertical stacking density through improvements in its flash layer stacking techniques that relies on increasing the layer counts through more memory holes in the flash layer. The cost here is data density per wafer, but a net gain from the increase in layer counts.

The same source behind the 9th Gen V-NAND story also reports that the company is targeting a rather early 2025 launch for its successor—the 10th Gen V-NAND. This is expected to be a mammoth 430-layer 3D NAND flash, a jump of 140 layers over the 9th Gen (which itself jumped by 54 layers over its predecessor). This would put Samsung back on track along with its competitors, Kioxia, SK Hynix, Micron Technology, and YMTC, as they gun for the ambitious goal of 1000-layer 3D NAND flash by 2030.
Many Thanks to TumbleGeorge for the tip.
Sunday, April 14th 2024

This Week in Gaming (Week 16)

As we enter the third week of April, things are looking up a bit when it comes to new game releases, at least if you're into RPG or adventure games. The major release this week is a new take on the action RPG genre that comes from a German developer. The rest of this coming week's releases involves episode two of a more humorous take on the zombie apocalypse, a halibut in space, some mildew, Waterworld in all but name and finally an eyeball.

No Rest for the Wicked / This week's major release / Thursday 18 April
From Moon Studios, the award-winning developers of Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps comes No Rest for the Wicked, a visceral, precision Action RPG set to reinvent the genre. The year is 841 - King Harol is dead. As word of his death echoes throughout the kingdom, the crown passes to his arrogant, yet untested son Magnus. Even worse, the Pestilence, an unholy plague not seen for a thousand years, has returned. It sweeps across the land, corrupting everything and everyone it touches. Madrigal Seline, a ruthlessly ambitious figure in the church, sees the Pestilence as a chance to prove herself in the eyes of her god. Steam Link
Friday, April 12th 2024

Today's Reviews

Cases
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Keyboards
Multimedia
Notebooks
Processors
PSUs
ASUS Radeon RX 7900 GRE TUF OC Review

ASUS Radeon RX 7900 GRE TUF OC Review

The ASUS Radeon RX 7900 GRE TUF OC comes with a dual BIOS feature and a premium all-metal cooling solution that runs whisper-quiet. The TUF also offers adjustable RGB lighting, and cooling performance that's among the best of all the GRE cards that we've tested.

EK Announces Several New Direct-Die CPU Cooling Solutions

Over a year ago, EK Water Blocks introduced its first mainstream CPU water block, designed explicitly for delidded Intel CPUs. Since its debut, there has been a significant increase in users opting to delid their CPUs to enhance performance. Building on this trend, EK just recently released the market's first-ever All-In-One CPU cooler tailored for delidded Intel CPUs, a product that has received highly positive feedback and reception. EK, as the market leader in high-performance PC liquid cooling, is committed to constant innovation and bringing the best user experience on the market. They're reaffirming this commitment by announcing several upcoming products designed for direct die cooling. For those unfamiliar with delidding and direct die cooling, we recommend checking out EK's blog post on the topic.

First up is the highly anticipated EK Direct Die solution for Socket AM5 AMD Ryzen CPUs. Countless hours of engineering and testing were invested into these products to ensure consistent performance results and a user-friendly installation process. Unlike other solutions that require modifying an existing cold plate, this water block features a cold plate specifically designed for delidded AM5 Ryzen 7000 Series CPUs. The mounting mechanism differs from the Velocity² Direct Die water block, as it relies on standoffs at the four corners of the water block instead of the cold plate making contact with the die guard. The entire fin structure has been adjusted to direct 100% of the flow over the chiplets themselves, but more details on this topic will be available in the following days when these AMD-specific Direct Die CPU water blocks become available for order.

Baseus Launches New Spacemate Series 11-Port USB-C Docking Station

Baseus Technology is a respected global consumer electronics brand that is excited to announce the launch of the latest and greatest product, the Baseus Spacemate Series 11-Port USB-C Docking Station. This professional, adaptable, and innovative docking station makes streaming, transfers, charging, and so much more a seamless and simple experience.

One-Stop Dock Solution: The Baseus Spacemate Series 11-Port USB-C Docking Station provides a high-grade docking solution with 11 different ports to fit a variety of needs and applications.

NVIDIA Points Intel Raptor Lake CPU Users to Get Help from Intel Amid System Instability Issues

According to a recently published help guide, spotted by the X/Twitter user @harukaze5719, NVIDIA has addressed reported stability problems users are experiencing with Intel's latest 13th and 14th generation Raptor Lake Core processors, especially the high-performance overclockable K-series models. In a recent statement, NVIDIA recommended that owners of the affected Intel CPUs consult directly with Intel if they encounter issues such as system instability, video memory errors, game crashes, or failures to launch certain applications. The problems seem particularly prevalent when running demanding workloads like gaming on Unreal Engine 5 titles or during shader compilation tasks that heavily utilize the processor and graphics capabilities. Intel has established a dedicated website to provide support for these CPU instability cases. However, the chipmaker still needs to issue a broad public statement and provide a definitive resolution.

The instability is often attributed to the very high frequencies and performance the K-series Raptor Lake chips are designed to achieve, which are among the fastest processors in Intel's lineup. While some community suggestions like undervolting or downclocking the CPUs may help mitigate issues in the short term, it remains unclear if permanent fixes will require BIOS updates from motherboard manufacturers or game patches.

Update: As the community has pointed out, motherboard makers often run the CPU outside of Intel's default spec, specifically causing overvolting through modifying or removing power limits, which could introduce instabilities into the system. Running the CPU at Intel-defined specification must be assured with a BIOS check to see if the CPU is running at specified targets. Intel programs the voltage curve into the CPU, and when motherboard makers remove any voltage/power limits, the CPU takes freedom in utilizing the available headroom, possibly causing system instability. We advise everyone to check the power limit setting in the BIOS for the health of their own system.

ASUS Unveils ProArt Display and PC Solutions for AI, XR, and Virtual Production at NAB Show 2024

ASUS today announced its participation in the upcoming NAB Show 2024, themed "A Glimpse into Tomorrow's Tech." Visitors to the ASUS booth (C2934, LVCC Central Hall, Exhibition Time: April 14-17, 2024) will have the opportunity to explore the future of content creation with hands-on experiences and demonstrations of groundbreaking innovations. The ASUS showcase will highlight a range of cutting-edge technology ideal for the challenges of XR and virtual production, including the ProArt Display PA32KCX, the world's first 8K Mini LED professional monitor, in addition to AI-powered workstations and color management solutions.

Shooting in 8K gives creators at the cutting-edge of XR and virtual production exceptionally high-resolution footage, affording them wide flexibility in post-production without sacrificing the ability to produce final products in a full 4K resolution. To allow these creators to work with raw 8K footage in full detail, ASUS today announced the ProArt Display PA32KCX, the world's first 8K Mini LED professional monitor. This 32-inch 8K (7680 x 4320) offers an average ΔE value of less than one for world-leading color accuracy, and it covers 97% of the cinema-grade DCI-P3 color gamut for beautifully saturated color reproduction. With its 4096-zone Mini LED backlight capable of 1200 nits peak brightness and industry-leading 1000 nits full-screen sustained brightness, the ProArt Display PA32KCX is an ideal candidate for HDR workflows. It supports multiple HDR metadata formats, including HLG and HDR10, allowing creators to check how content will appear for a wide range of target displays before it is sent off for final delivery.

Apple Preparing M4 Chips with AI Capabilities to Fight Declining Mac Sales

While everyone has been focused on shipping an AI-enhanced product recently, one tech giant didn't appear to be bothered- Apple. However, according to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, Apple is readying an overhaul of its Apple Silicon M-series chips to embed AI processing capabilities at the processor level. As the report indicates, Apple is preparing an update for late 2024 and early 2025 with the M4 series of chips, which will reportedly feature AI processing units similar to those found in other commercial chips. There should be three levels of the M4 series, with the entry-level M4 codenamed Donan, the mid-level M4 chip codenamed Brava, and the high-end M4 chip codenamed Hydra.

Sales of Apple Macs peaked in 2022; the following year was a sharp decline, and sales have continued to be flat since. The new AI PCs for Windows-based systems have been generating hype from all major vendors, hoping to introduce AI features to end users. However, Apple wants to be part of the revolution, and the company has already scheduled the World Wide Developer Conference for June 10th. At WWDC this year, Apple is supposed to show a suite of AI-powered solutions to enable better user experience and increase productivity. With M4 chips getting AI enhancement, the WWDC announcements will get extra hardware accelerations. However, we must wait for the exact announcements before making further assumptions.

NVIDIA GeForce NOW Gets Bethesda's Fallout Titles

Welcome to the wasteland, Vault Dwellers. Bethesda's Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 are bringing post-nuclear adventures to the cloud. These highly acclaimed action role-playing games lead 10 new titles joining GeForce NOW this week. Announced as coming to GeForce NOW at CES, Honkai: Star Rail is targeting a release this quarter. Stay tuned for future updates.

Vault Into the Cloud
Adventurers needed, whether for mapping the irradiated wasteland or shaping the fate of humanity. Embark on a journey through ruins of the post-apocalyptic Commonwealth in Fallout 4. As the sole survivor of Vault 111, navigate a world destroyed by nuclear war, make choices to reshape the wasteland and rebuild society one settlement at a time. With a vast, open world, dynamic crafting systems and a gripping storyline, the game offers an immersive single-player experience that challenges dwellers to emerge as beacons of hope for humanity's remnants.

BIOSTAR Becomes an Intel Arc Board Partner, Introduces Arc A750 OC Graphics Card

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices today, is thrilled to introduce the brand-new Intel Arc A750 OC Graphics card. BIOSTAR proudly presents the Arc A750 OC graphics card, a true game-changer for content creators and professional gamers. It is meticulously designed to cater to a wide range of computing needs, seamlessly accommodating content creation and gaming at every level. The Arc A750 OC graphics card harnesses the cutting-edge Intel Arc graphics technology, offering a unique blend of unmatched performance and innovative features that sets it apart in the competitive market.

With its impressive 28 Xe-Cores and a graphics clock speed of 2200 MHz, the BIOSTAR Arc A750 OC is a powerhouse designed to deliver robust gaming and content creation performance. It comes packed with a substantial 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, operating at a lightning-fast speed of 16 Gbps, and utilizes a 256-bit memory interface for efficient data transfer and processing. With a total board power (TBP) of 225 W, this graphics card is engineered to balance power consumption with high-end performance, making it an exciting option for users looking for a powerful yet efficient GPU solution.

GoDeal24 Software Super Sale: Get the Software You Need at New Low Prices

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Alphacool Unveils ES Quick Release PushIn Sets

Alphacool expands the product range and introduces the new ES Quick Release BLH1A PushIn Set. This quick release is optimized for use in server and workstation systems. Characterized by precise manufacturing quality and excellent water flow, it seals with a secure click mechanism. Compared to other quick couplings, this new quick coupling hardly affects the water flow in the cooling loop. The maximum flow rate is virtually maintained. Thanks to the convenient operation, complex systems can be connected quickly and easily. To open the quick connector, the outer ring is pulled back. The seal closes immediately and prevents coolant from escaping.
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