NVIDIA today released the latest version of its GeForce Game Ready drivers. Version 466.27 WHQL adds optimization for Metro Exodus PC Enhanced Edition. This includes additional raytraced effects, and support for DLSS 2.1. Optimization is also added for Mass Effect Legendary Edition and Resident Evil Village. The drivers also add support for the DirectX 12 Agility SDK, and Shader Model 6.6.

The drivers also confirm the existence of a new hardware revision of the GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB graphics card, which will be generally available from mid-May, 2021. These cards will require at least GeForce 466.24. The revision will likely come with a different device ID from the original RTX 3060 12 GB, and will re-engage the hash-rate limiter. Read more about this card in our article from earlier this week, here. A handful bugs were also fixed. These include performance issues related to NVIDIA Reflex and Rainbow Six Siege; an artificial FPS cap when V-Sync is off on displays connected via HDMI 2.1; and an application crash with RigidGems Prepar3D. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 466.27 WHQL

In response to the growing need for data protection, ATP Electronics, the global leader in specialized storage and memory solutions, has launched the SecurStor microSD cards - the latest in its line of secure NAND flash storage products for the Internet of Things (IoT), education, automotive, defense, aerospace and other applications requiring confidentiality and reliability.

"Removable storage media such as microSD cards provide great convenience and versatility for storing and transporting data. However, such convenience also exposes them to risks of unauthorized access," said Chris Lien, ATP Embedded Memory Business Unit Head. "In many instances, the boot image may be compromised, corrupting the operating system or rendering the system unusable. Malware may be introduced, or private information may be disclosed and used for damaging intents. Amidst such dangerous scenarios, we have made security a key priority for all ATP products."

Editor's note: This is not a part of April Fools.

NVIDIA has separated professional users and regular gamers with the company's graphics card offering. There is a GeForce lineup of GPUs, which represents a gaming-oriented version and its main task is to simply play games, display graphics, and run some basic CUDA accelerated software. However, what would happen if you were to start experimenting with your GPU? For example, if you are running Linux, and you want to spin a virtual machine with Windows on it for gaming, you could just use your integrated GPU as the GeForce card doesn't allow for virtual GPU passthrough. For these purposes, NVIDIA has its professional graphics card lineup like Quadro and Tesla.

However, this specific feature is about to arrive in even the GeForce lineup offerings. NVIDIA has announced that the company is finally bringing the basic virtual machine passthrough functions to the gaming GPUs. While the feature is representing a step in the right direction, it is still limited. For example, the GeForce GPU passthrough supports only one virtual machine and SR-IOV feature is still not supported on GeForce. "If you want to enable multiple virtual machines to have direct access to a single GPU or want the GPU to be able to assign virtual functions to multiple virtual machines, you will need to use NVIDIA Tesla, Quadro, or RTX enterprise GPUs.", says the NVIDIA FAQ. GeForce virtualization, which is now still in beta, is supported on R465 or higher drivers.The full content from NVIDIA's website is written below.

EVGA GeForce RTX 30 Series utilizing NVIDIA Resizable BAR gives gamers an extra boost in gameplay framerate on select titles by letting the CPU directly access the GPU's entire frame buffer memory. EVGA Precision X1 simplifies the upgrade process and makes it more intuitive, so you can spend less time updating software and firmware and get back to your gaming! All EVGA GeForce RTX 30 Series now feature support for NVIDIA Resizable BAR after updating a brand new EVGA VBIOS.

Axiomtek - a world-renowned leader relentlessly devoted in the research, development and manufacture of series of innovative and reliable industrial computer products of high efficiency - is proud to introduce its extremely compact fanless embedded system, the eBOX560-52R-FL. This palm-sized embedded system is powered by the onboard Intel Core i5-8365UE or Intel Celeron 4305UE processors (codename: Whisky Lake-U). It provides high-performance, power-efficient, and abundant I/O interfaces in a compact device. The eBOX560-52R-FL is highly suitable for space-constrained applications with strict performance requirements such as industrial equipment computers, in-cabinet equipment integration, collaborative robots, and more.

"Axiomtek's eBOX560-52R-FL is designed to provide customers with flexible, convenient, and simplified solutions for industrial and embedded applications. The fanless yet low-power embedded system can operate under wide temperatures ranging from -10°C to 50°C with 0.7 m/s airflows and endure up to 50G shock and 3Grms vibration. Moreover, it features two independent 4K Ultra HD displays through its DisplayPort++ and HDMI for multi-display applications," said Janney Lee, a product manager of Product PM Division at Axiomtek. "Its compact size, excellent computing power, and ability to function in harsh environments making it ideal for diverse industrial applications such as factory, machine, and logistics automation, station gate controls, and ticket vending machines."

Microsoft is testing a user-interface refresh with an upcoming update to Windows 10. Released for testing with Insider Preview Build 21343, the refresh includes new system icons that are of a significantly different design scheme from the ones you have now. System folders (Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music, etc.,) now come with color-coded icons resembling something from a Windows-knockoff Linux desktop environment. The graphics of the icons appear simpler, and this simplicity probably has something to do with the emergence of remote-desktop/virtual-desktop, where simpler graphics are easier on the network bandwidth, particularly on the side of the VDI server. The current system icons of Windows 10 are evolved from those of previous Windows versions.

Displays are all around us, from home use to office environments and public spaces, and many of them meet different needs and serve different applications. Geared towards specific requirements are touch displays. Philips' monitors provide for a comfortable, fast and responsive touch experience, ready to boost anyone's productivity. However, there are some scenarios that require highly specific, durable and even more versatile touch monitors: Points of Information, kiosks and in-store applications. For such purposes, Philips monitors launches its new open-frame touch monitors (B1TFL Series), interactive displays designed for installation in places accessed by the public.

The new B1TC Series includes two models: the 23.8" (60.5 cm) 242B1TC and the 21.5" (54.6 cm) 222B1TC. They rely on Advanced In-Cell Touch (AIT) technology and on projected capacitive touch, which ensure better transmittance and outstanding response rates, for a faster touch experience on up to 10 points simultaneously. The in-cell touch technology allows a slim, 3-side frameless design, while the IPS technology ensures wide viewing angles. The display features an anti-glare coating, which, combined with the Full HD resolution, always offers great images. Its 3H resistance protects it against scratches. The more natural, fluid and fast touch responsiveness meets the needs of any home, office or educational application - also thanks to the plug & play compatibility with Windows 10 and different Android and Linux versions.

In 2019, AMD and Samsung have announced that they will be joining forces to develop a new class of mobile SoCs, carrying the Exynos name and having a Radeon GPU inside. These Exynos SoCs could be used for almost everything that needs a low-power processor. While the original plan was to have these processors run inside Samsung's mobile phone offerings, it seems like there is another application for them. If the rumors coming from ZDNet Korea are correct, we are in for a surprise. According to the source, Samsung is preparing to use the Exynos SoC with Radeon graphics in the company's next-generation laptops lineup.

While there is little to no information regarding the specifications of the said system, we can expect it to be a fully Samsung-made laptop. That means that Samsung will provide display, RAM, storage, battery, and other components manufactured by the company or its divisions. This laptop is expected to replace Samsung's Galaxy Book S, which currently uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx SoC. The new PC is going to be Windows 10 based system. For more details, we have to wait for the announcement.

When we were designing Xbox Series X|S, we wanted to ensure that games feel true-to-life, load incredibly fast, and sound as if you were dropped in the middle of the action. We embraced spatial sound processing by including custom audio hardware to offload audio processing from the CPU, dramatically improving the accessibility, quality, and performance of these experiences. Having a high-quality set of headphones at an affordable price for your new console or existing Xbox One will help you feel immersed, react faster to the action, and connect further with your gaming worlds.

With each new generation of our Xbox accessories, we've raised the bar for innovation by focusing on performance, stand-out features, quality, and accessibility to deliver immersive experiences across console, PC, and mobile devices. We are excited to build on this legacy with the latest accessory to join the family: the new Xbox Wireless Headset.

NVIDIA has stopped recommending "V-Sync OFF" as a global setting, starting with its GeForce 461.09 WHQL drivers. The NVIDIA Control Panel utility, which lets users configure global- and application-specific 3D settings, uses a tiny NVIDIA logo to denote recommended settings. Its V-Sync settings let you select between "Use 3D Application Settings," global Off, global On, and "Adaptive V-Sync."

NVIDIA explains that it changed this recommendation as the GeForce drivers since 461.09 support MPO (multiple plane overlay). Prior to 461.09, the Windows 10 DWM (desktop windows manager) would composit the contents of all windows into a single plane and presented at display refresh-rate cadence, so tearing was avoided even with V-Sync globally off. With MPO, applications are allowed to present their contents independently, each with their own V-Sync setting. The OS, outside of driver control, decides which apps get promoted to their own MPO plane. This would lead to screen-tearing if V-Sync is globally off, even in Windowed or Windowed-Maximized (pseudo-fullscreen) modes.

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Axiomtek - a world-renowned leader relentlessly devoted in the research, development and manufacture of series of innovative and reliable industrial computer products of high efficiency - is proud to announce the launch of iNA100, a DIN-rail industrial-grade network appliance designed for industrial IoT security applications. The iNA100 is powered by the Intel Atom processor x5-E3930 (Apollo Lake) and has one DDR3L-1866 SO-DIMM slot for up to 8 GB of non-ECC/ECC memory. In addition, this fanless IIoT edge computing platform has four 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN ports, sufficient storage and high expandability making it suitable for use in industrial cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection and other OT security fields.

"Security is the most important key to the transformation of Industry 4.0. More devices within OT systems are being connected to IT systems and networks. While this convergence drives significant efficiency improvements, it also exposes OT environments to more cyber-attacks. Axiomtek's iNA100 is created especially for cybersecurity applications. It supports various forms of internet and SCADA connections, including Ethernet, Wi-Fi, 3G/LTE, and serials," said Gordon Cho, a product manager of Network Computing Platform Division at Axiomtek." The durable iNA100 is built to withstand harsh operating environments with a wide operating temperature range of -20°C to 60°C and vibration endurance for up to 2 g. In addition, it also supports Trusted Platform Module 2.0 (TPM 2.0) to securely store critical data."

NVIDIA today released the latest version of GeForce Game Ready drivers. The drivers add optimization for "The Medium," including support for RTX raytracing and DLSS. The drivers also introduce support for the Mobile GeForce RTX 30-series "Ampere" graphics. Among the issues fixed with this release include game crashes and broken HUD with "X4: Foundations" on RTX 30-series GPUs; game crashes for games based on the RE2 game engine in DirectX 11 mode; "Error 707" application crash with DaVinci Resolve; an application freeze with MPE GPU acceleration in Adobe Premiere Pro; a problem with color distortion in Zoom meetings with NVENC enabled; random crashes with "Detroit: Become Human;" and stuttering/lagging with game launches in Steam VR. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 461.40 WHQL

Windows OS security is taken seriously, as the OS is wide-spread across millions of PCs around the world, however, there may be issues where OS has some security flaw that is found by external researchers. Due to the sheer code base of the new OS like Windows 10, there are a plethora of bugs and security flaws waiting to get discovered by someone. And today, thanks to the team of cybersecurity researchers, we have found out that in Windows 10 file-system called NTFS, there is a bug that corrupts your hard drive by simply triggering a specific variable name in a file.

If the end-user inside Windows 10 tries to access the NTFS attribute called "$i30" in a specific way, the flaw is exploited. The NTFS search index attribute, specifically the string "$i30", is containing a list of files and subfolders in a directory, and there is even a log of deleted files and folders. After running a specific command inside the command line (CMD) or inside the browser, Windows will start to display warnings of "File or directory is corrupted and cannot be read". After that, the OS will prompt a user to restart the machine and repair the damaged drive, so the Windows disk check utility will start. Once corrupted, Windows 10 will start displaying a notification indicating that the main file table (MFT) on the particular disk is corrupted and thus can not operate. Starting from the build Windows 10 Build 1803 the OS is vulnerable until the current version and a possible fix is expected to be released soon.

Dynabook Americas, Inc., a leading provider of professional-grade laptops, today introduced the Satellite Pro laptop series. The company also announced a strategic relationship with SYNNEX Corporation (NYSE: SNX), a leading provider of distribution, systems design and integration services for the technology industry, to handle the United States distribution of its new Satellite Pro laptops and expand its reach into the small and medium business sectors. At launch, the Satellite Pro series will consist of three new models, including the 14-inch Satellite Pro C40, 15.6-inch Satellite Pro C50 and 15.6-inch Satellite Pro L50 with prices starting at $499.99 (MSRP).

Dynabook's Satellite Pro laptop series feature modern designs, a unique commitment to quality and all-round computing capabilities that deliver exceptional value ready for the most demanding tasks required by both professionals and students. Dynabook will offer multiple configurations of the three new Satellite Pro laptops featuring a mix of 10th Gen Intel Core processors and Windows 10 choices, including four Satellite Pro C50 and three Satellite Pro C40 options with prices starting at $499.99 (MSRP). The Satellite Pro L50 configuration will feature a 10th Gen Intel Core processor, Windows 10 Pro, NVIDIA graphics and priced at $899.99 (MSRP).

ZOTAC Technology, a global manufacturer of innovation, today announces an all-new ZBOX Mini PC of the E Series line, MAGNUS ONE. It boasts a high-performance, versatile design made to empower all end-user computing needs. MAGNUS ONE packs the most capable high-end hardware within the 8.3-liter compact chassis to deliver a powerful experience for daily tasks, gaming, entertainment, demanding workloads, and creative workflows.

MAGNUS ONE makes its debut with the opening of CES 2021, introducing an all-new vertically-positioned design that supports a desktop ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 30 Series GPU for the ultimate performance. It is the first ZBOX Mini PC equipped with a GeForce RTX 30 Series desktop graphics card, built with 2nd Gen raytracing Cores and Tensor Cores for high-fidelity gaming. The new system also houses an Intel Core i7 processor, upgradable memory and storage support, and robust connectivity options.

AMD late Monday released the latest version of Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020 Edition. Version 20.11.3 beta adds support for Vulkan Ray Tracing Extensions. Khronos had recently finalized the Vulkan RT specification. Additionally, the drivers add optimization for Immortals: Fenyx Rising. The drivers also address a fairly long list of issues. For starters, it addresses lower performance observed for the RX 6800 series GPUs on Watch Dogs Legion and DiRT 5; and low performance noticed for the RX 5000 and older GPUs on Godfall. Some character models facing display corruption in Crysis Remastered on RX 6800 series has been fixed. Intermittent game crashes with Troy: A Total War Saga, and WoW Shadowlands have been fixed.

A bug that caused WoW Shadowlands to fail to launch on Windows 7 machines with DirectX 12 renderer selected, has been fixed. Some intermittent game crashes seen in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War with DXR enabled on RX 6800 series, have been fixed. Doom Eternal with HDR enabled disabling HDR on Windows 10, has been fixed. Certain issues found with Adobe Illustrator and AIDA 64 have been fixed. Some display corruption issues with RDR2 using RX 6800 series at 1080p, has been fixed. Grab the driver from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 20.11.3 beta

HTC VIVE, the leader in premium virtual reality (VR), announced today a host of new and enhanced capabilities available now for the VIVE Focus Plus, the all-in-one headset designed with the enterprise in mind. In the biggest update since the headset came to market in 2019, the features rolled out today specifically address the key operational and security concerns of businesses worldwide in deploying VR solutions.

Notably, the support of device management solutions by VMware and MobileIron enables organizations to remotely manage devices, applications and settings, and use existing licenses—or obtain them directly—with no middle-man applications or portals required. Users can also connect to corporate networks remotely using built-in VPN, or stay offline if needed, to comply with security regulations.

The security of PCs has been an issue in the past few years as cyber-attack methods have been undergoing a transformation to hardware-specific malware that exploits different vulnerabilities of CPUs. That is why Microsoft, the developer of the most popular operating system, Windows 10, decided to engineer a hardware processor that will protect the OS and its user by having a specific job of maintaining the platform security. In collaboration with AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, Microsoft is today introducing the Pluton security processor. The collaborator companies are going to integrate the new Pluton processor inside their CPUs and thus embed a new level of security in their PCs.

MicrosoftOur vision for the future of Windows PCs is security at the very core, built into the CPU, where hardware and software are tightly integrated in a unified approach designed to eliminate entire vectors of attack. This revolutionary security processor design will make it significantly more difficult for attackers to hide beneath the operating system, and improve our ability to guard against physical attacks, prevent the theft of credential and encryption keys, and provide the ability to recover from software bugs.

CORSAIR, a world leader in high-performance gaming peripherals and enthusiast components, today announced the launch of its first officially licensed headset for Microsoft Xbox, the HS75 XB WIRELESS Gaming Headset. Compatible with Xbox One and the upcoming next-generation Xbox Series X and Series S, the HS75 XB WIRELESS delivers the fantastic sound and comfort that the CORSAIR HS Series is known for, connecting directly to your Xbox console via Xbox Wireless without the need for a wireless receiver, or to a Windows 10 PC via the Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows (sold separately). Complete with immersive Dolby Atmos for precise three-dimensional sound and a noise-cancelling uni-directional microphone, the HS75 XB WIRELESS is the perfect companion for your current or future Xbox console.

Great sound starts with great audio drivers, which is why the HS75XB WIRELESS utilizes custom-tuned 50 mm neodymium drivers with the range to hear everything you need on the battlefield. Coupled with Dolby Atmos spatial audio - a first for a CORSAIR headset - you'll feel closer to the action than ever before. To ensure clear communication with your teammates, the HS75 XB WIRELESS is equipped with a uni-directional microphone, along with on-ear game audio and chat mix controls so you can easily switch focus from hearing the action to hearing your squad, and vice versa.

In the anticipation of the AMD Ryzen 5000 series of CPUs launch based on Zen 3 architecture, AMD has just released the updated drivers for its chipsets. Covering a wide selection ranging from B350, A320, X370, X399, B450, X470, X570, B550, and TRX40 Chipset, the updated chipset drivers include some bug fixes and new features. Now there is an updated power plan for AMD Ryzen CPUs that coordinate with chipsets, which means that AMD engineers have developed a new plan for Windows 10 OS which provides the best performance and power usage. You can check out the fixes listed below and you can go to the download link to install the new drivers.Download: AMD Ryzen Chipset Driver 2.10.13.408.

TechPowerUp today released the latest version of TechPowerUp GPU-Z, the popular graphics sub-system information and diagnostic utility. Version 2.35.0 adds support for new GPUs, and fixes a number of bugs. To begin with, GPU-Z adds support for AMD Radeon RX 6000 series GPUs based on the "Navi 21" silicon. Support is also added for Intel DG1 GPU. BIOS extraction and upload for NVIDIA's RTX 30-series "Ampere" GPUs has finally been introduced. Memory size reporting on the RTX 3090 has been fixed. The latest Windows 10 Insider Build (20231.1000) made some changes to DirectML, which caused GPU-Z to report it as unavailable, this has been fixed.

TechPowerUp GPU-Z 2.35.0 also makes various improvements to fake GPU detection for cards based on NVIDIA GT216 and GT218 ASICs. Hardware detection for AMD Radeon Pro 5600M based on "Navi 12" has been fixed. Among the other GPUs for which support was added with this release are NVIDIA A100 Tensor Core PCIe, Intel UHD Gen9.5 graphics on the i5-10200H, and Radeon HD 8210E and Barco MXRT-6700. Grab GPU-Z from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z 2.35.0The change-log follows.

AMD's RDNA2 graphics architecture features hardware-accelerated decoding of the AV1 video format, according to a Microsoft blog announcing the format's integration with Windows 10. The blog mentions the three latest graphics architectures among those that support accelerated decoding of the format—Intel Gen12 Iris Xe, NVIDIA RTX 30-series "Ampere," and AMD RX 6000-series "RDNA2." The AV1 format is being actively promoted by major hardware vendors to online streaming content providers, as it offers 50% better compression than the prevalent H.264 (translating into that much bandwidth savings), and 20% better compression than VP9. You don't need these GPUs to use AV1, anyone can use it with Windows 10 (version 1909 or later), by installing the AV1 Video Extension from the Microsoft Store. The codec will use software (CPU) decode in the absence of hardware acceleration.

The idea of working and learning from home, which at one point felt temporary, has for many of us started to feel more permanent. Even as some people in cities around the world return to work and schools in person, many others have found themselves reorganizing homes to create makeshift offices and classrooms. Whether your commute is across the house or across town, the PC continues to play an integral role in keeping all of us connected to our work, school, and lives - and each person in the household needs one.

As we continue to expand our Surface family of devices with the new Surface Laptop Go and updates to Surface Pro X, our goal is to design a Surface for every person, work style and location. To give every person in your household or organization a laptop that's not just something you need to use, but something you want to use. A virtual office you want to be in, a virtual classroom that engages you to learn, a place you can play your favorite game or watch a movie - with a bright vibrant screen, a fluid and comfortable keyboard, high quality cameras and mics, and the versatility of touch screens.

Microsoft has announced that they will be pushing x64 app support on their Windows 10 on Arm operating system. This is part of a move by Microsoft to mainstream adoption of their OS (and related services) on Arm-based platforms, ensuring that the company has a foothold in that market - especially as competition between Arm and x86-x64 architectures increases further and reaches more and more areas. Whereas before, Arm was relegated to low-power, relatively low performance designs, recent years have seen Arm's design performance (and philosophy) looking for higher performance use-cases both in the consumer and server/supercomputing spaces. One needs not look further than NVIDIA's plans to acquire Arm to see how much stock is being placed in Arm's future,

The x64 application support for Windows 10 on Arm will first be enabled for Windows Insiders come November, and will support all Windows 10 on Arm system released in the last couple of years, no matter the processor. This support works through emulation, though, so it remains to be seen exactly how well - and at what performance - these applications run. Microsoft has already improved tools and SDKs for application porting efforts to its Windows 10 on Arm ecosystem, and the company will be releasing custom-tailored versions of the Edge Browser, Microsoft Teams, and Visual Studio that play on the platform's strengths. Interesting times lie ahead of us - and if NVIDIA is able to go through with its Arm acquisition (which is a long way from being a guarantee), we might be looking at NVIDIA-branded laptops that run Windows 10 on Arm alongside branded Arm CPUs and NVIDIA GPUs.