Thermaltake, a leading PC DIY brand for premium hardware solutions, is excited to launch the Dr. Power III, an enhanced portable power tester that supports the latest ATX12V v3.1 standard. This tester simplifies the process of checking the operational status of different PSU connectors. Compared to its predecessor, the Dr. Power III additionally supports a 12+4pin connector, enabling it to test the next-gen power supplies which are designed for high power consumption GPU.

Whether pre-build checks or troubleshooting existing setups, the Dr. Power III can offer straightforward voltage and PG value detection. To initiate testing, easily use cables to attach connectors between the power supply and the Dr. Power III, press the check button, and the test will begin. The Dr. Power III supports various connectors, including the latest 12+4pin, 24pin, PCIe 6/8pin, SATA, CPU 4/8pin, and peripheral connectors. It is compatible with all contemporary ATX PSU, Dr. Power III meticulously detects the SENSE0/SENSE1 sideband signals of the latest PCIe 12+4pin connector, distinguishing power levels of 150 W, 300 W, 450 W, and 600 W.

Online hardware communities continue to discuss the 12VHPWR connection standard's troubled existence, while revised technology gets worked on—quietly—in the background. PCI-SIG's 12V-2x6 connector was first revealed last summer, signalling an alternative power delivery method for high-wattage graphics cards. Past TPU reports show that the 12V-2x6 16-pin design has already popped up on select NVIDIA Founders Edition cards, GeForce RTX 40 SUPER custom graphics card designs, and various new generation power supplies. Earlier today, Алексей (AKA wxnod) took to social media and posted an image of the freshly deshrouded "H++" 12V-2x6 (total design limit: 675 W) socket, as well as a shot of the familiar "H+" 12VHPWR (max. 600 W).

This fifth generation socket design largely rolled out with Team Green's GeForce RTX-40 SUPER card series, although wxnod notes that exceptions do exist: "Some AIC GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER, 4070 Ti SUPER and 4080 SUPER cards are still using the H+12VHPWR interface." The H++ identified 12V-2x6 design's power limit peaks at 675 W—a technical breakdown from last July revealed that 75 W comes from the expansion slot, while the big 600 W portion flows through the 16-pin connector. As mentioned before, 12V-2x6 debuted on a few Non-SUPER cards back in 2023, but last month's SUPER series product launch marked a more comprehensive rollout. AMD has indicated that it is considering an adoption of Gen 5 H++ in the future, but we have not heard much on that subject since last August. A new generation 16-pin PCIe 6.0 power connector design was linked to the upcoming NVIDIA RTX 50-series of "Blackwell" GPUs, but Hardware Busters has refuted rumors generated by Moore's Law is Dead. Team Green is expected to remain faithful to "H++" 12V-2x6 with the launch of next generation graphics cards.

NVIDIA is reportedly looking to change the power connector standard for the fourth successive time in a span of three years, with its upcoming GeForce RTX 50-series "Blackwell" GPUs, Moore's Law is Dead reports. NVIDIA began its post 8-pin PCIe journey with the 12-pin Molex MicroFit connector for the GeForce RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 Founders Edition cards. The RTX 3090 Ti would go on to standardize the 12VHPWR connector, which the company would debut across a wider section of its GeForce RTX 40-series "Ada" product stack (all SKUs with TGP of over 200 W). In the face of rising complains of the reliability of 12VHPWR, some partner RTX 40-series cards are beginning to implement the pin-compatible but sturdier 12V-2x6. The implementation of the 16-pin PCIe Gen 6 connector would be the fourth power connector change, if the rumors are true. A different source says that rival AMD has no plans to change from the classic 8-pin PCIe power connectors.

Update 15:48 UTC: Our friends at Hardware Busters have reliable sources in the power supply industry with equal access to the PCIe CEM specification as NVIDIA, and say that the story of NVIDIA adopting a new power connector with "Blackwell" is likely false. NVIDIA is expected to debut the new GPU series toward the end of 2024, and if a new power connector was in the offing, by now the power supply industry would have some clue. It doesn't. Read more about this in the Hardware Busters article in the source link below.

Update Feb 20th: In an earlier version of the article, it was incorrectly reported that the "16-pin connector" is fundamentally different from the current 12V-2x6, with 16 pins dedicated to power delivery. We have since been corrected by Moore's Law is Dead, that it is in fact the same 12V-2x6, but with an updated PCIe 6.0 CEM specification.

As the Philips 49B2U6900CH makes its debut, it brings a plethora of new features along with it that increase collaboration and aid teamwork in the modern digital workplace. In addition to these new features, the Philips 49B2U6900CH also boasts a large 48.8-inch screen and 5120 x 1440 DQHD resolution for a wide viewing and high-quality setup that would otherwise be comprised of two separate monitors.

Built for the Professional Work Environment
Perhaps one of the most powerful and useful features of the Philips 49B2U6900CH are those that pertain to the professional work environment, and it is safe to say that it is built for it.

ASUS and Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced an exciting lineup of displays for gaming, professional content creation, hybrid work, and entertainment at CES 2024. ROG continues to drive gaming display innovation with the introduction of the 39-inch ROG Swift OLED PG39WCDM 800R-curved monitor, the 32-inch PG32UCDP—the world's first dual-mode gaming monitor with a Frame Rate Boost feature that lets users switch between 4K 240 Hz and FHD 480 Hz modes - and the PG27AQDP, the world's fastest 27-inch OLED monitor. In addition, ROG also unveiled the award-winning ROG Aura Monitor Light Bar ALB01 and ROG Ergo Monitor Arm AAS01 to upgrade any gaming setup.

Content creators will appreciate the latest ProArt Display PA278CFRV, an eco-friendly QHD (2560 x 1440) IPS monitor featuring 95% DCI-P3 and USB-C with 96 W power delivery—perfect for Windows laptop and MacBook users. ASUS unveiled a trio of portable displays including ZenScreen Fold OLED MQ17QH—the world's first foldable OLED portable display—and the 21.5-inch, 100 Hz ZenScreen MB229CF with several versatile stand options, along with the 15.6-inch ZenScreen MB166CR featuring a 360° kickstand that doubles as a wall mount.

Bluetti shows us a unique new portable power solution in its 2024 International CES booth, and it has to do with space-saving, hot-swappable batteries. The AC180T packs two slots, each holding a 716 Wh solid-state battery. The battery has a grab-handle on top, and can be swapped out during operation. The grab handle has a basic LED-based charge state read-out. This solution saves you from having to lug a second enclosed battery expansion pack. Rather just carry several of these battery modules, and swap them out as needed. The AC180T delivers 1.8 kVA over four AC connectors, a number of USB-C and USB-A power delivery ports; and a 120 W DC car port. The unit supports fast-charging over an AC power source, but also takes in DC solar. The AC240 lacks battery hot-swapping, but features a single enclosed 1536 Wh battery, and can deliver 2.4 kVA. The AC240 has its claim to fame being IP65 water resistance, and concealed connectors.

Could a power bank be more than just a little paperweight with ports on it? Sharge is out to answer just this, with its innovative ultra compact power banks. Some of these are as small as a TWS headset's charging case, but carry enough charge to bail your phone or tablet out in crunch time. A unique design element with all Sharge products is their see-through polycarbonate bodies. The Starship Seer is a copper-colored portable charger that's about the size of a hockey puck, and packs a 10,000 mAh battery, with USB type-A and type-C outputs, along with support for 35 W USB-PD fast charging. It also has a little segment display on top that gives you discharging status, and doubles up as an alarm clock. If made to stay on its own with its fully charged 10,000 mAh battery, this thing might run a whole decade, if not more. Sharge is pricing this at $80. We also came across the keyfob sized Sharge Disk, an M.2-2230 NVMe SSD enclosure that can survive 6-foot drops, meets IP54 resistence, has an active cooling fan for the SSD, and offers a 10 Gbps USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface for the drive, along with UASP. Sharge is pricing this at $60.

The Sharge Internet Hostkey is a retro-futuristic looking power bank that comes in two variants, a 130 W-capable variant packing a 20,000 mAh battery; and a 40 W variant powered by a 10,000 mAh battery. You can charge up to 3 devices at once, with USB-PD of 135 W or 40 W, depending on the variant. It even has a retro-looking 7-segment display that reads out charging and date/time. The 130 W / 20 Ah variant is priced at $199, and the 40 W / 10 Ah variant at $99. Just be careful taking this thing through airports, it might not exactly look like a harmless power bank.

Introducing the X Silent Edge PSU from Cooler Master, available in 850 W and 1100 W. These fanless power supplies offer a pleasing noise-free experience. Featuring advanced heat pipe technology, a modular thermal structure and Infineon IC chips, the X Silent Edge guarantees top-tier performance and reliability.

Why Choose the X Silent Edge PSU
The X Silent Edge PSU is not just a power supply; it's a commitment to silent operation, efficiency and cutting-edge technology. Whether you're a gamer, content creator, or PC enthusiast, these PSUs cater to your need for quiet and reliable power delivery.

Raising the bar and becoming a CES 2024 Innovation Award Honoree, Dell Technologies is introducing the world's first 40-inch 5K monitor certified for five-star eye comfort, the Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U4025QW). Marking nine years of being an industry leader in PC monitors, Dell continues to push the boundaries of display innovation, bridging the gap for those who demand ultimate performance with the best technology and design.

Whether you're a content creator, data scientist or engineer, or you just need a monitor to keep you in your flow—a device with the best value in precision and efficiency is critical to keeping you productive in any work environment. Known for outstanding visuals, the U4025QW is a must-have for professionals who require clarity and remarkable color. This ultrawide curved VESA DisplayHDR 600 certified monitor comes with IPS Black Panel technology for greater color contrast and intricate detail in 5K resolution (5120x2160).

With a new arsenal of features to compliment its release, Philips will add a new monitor to their B2B 5000 series product line on 20 November, 2023. The Philips 49B2U5900CH is equipped with a 32:9 (48.8 inches) SuperWide display, which is one of the key aspects of this monitor, and it brings new features such as the Busylight and a tilting Earphone Hook that has never before been seen on a Philips monitor.

All of these new features, along with the Philips 49B2U5900CH's USB-C docking with RJ45 and TUV Rheinland Eyesafe certification, make this monitor ideal for office professionals looking to increase productivity in the workplace as well as those who work from home and require a highly-collaborative product to facilitate their workday. Please check out the product page here.

What's New: Intel today announced one of the industry's first glass substrates for next-generation advanced packaging, planned for the latter part of this decade. This breakthrough achievement will enable the continued scaling of transistors in a package and advance Moore's Law to deliver data-centric applications.

"After a decade of research, Intel has achieved industry-leading glass substrates for advanced packaging. We look forward to delivering these cutting-edge technologies that will benefit our key players and foundry customers for decades to come."
-Babak Sabi, Intel senior vice president and general manager of Assembly and Test Development

In a recent interaction with the community on Chinese social platforms, Tony Yu, better known as Uncle Tony and serving as the General Manager of ASUS China, shed light on several questions concerning ASUS's products. One question that captured attention was about the ROG Z790 APEX motherboard, a premium offering from ASUS designed explicitly for overclocking. Tony clarified that the motherboard is currently out of production as ASUS gears up to unveil an updated version. This move is in line with industry trends, with rivals like Gigabyte and MSI also refreshing their respective Z790 lineups. The updated motherboards from ASUS are expected to align with Intel's next-generation Core series known as Raptor Lake Refresh, featuring incremental improvements such as WiFi-7 standard integration, new color options, enhanced power delivery mechanisms, and advancements in memory overclocking capabilities.

Launched initially in November of the previous year with a price tag of $699, the ROG MAXIMUS Z790 APEX motherboard stood out for its superior features aimed at overclocking enthusiasts. These include 24 power supply modules, dual 8Pin power connectors, AI-driven overclocking technology, and support for DDR5 memory with speeds exceeding 8000 MT/s. It also offers a plethora of connectivity options, like five M.2 interfaces, a 2.5G network card, WiFi 6E, and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C, along with 60 W QC 4+ fast charging. This motherboard gained popularity in December when it was used to set a world record CPU frequency of 9008.82 MHz using an Intel i9-13900K processor. Looking forward, the next generation of Intel Core processors could enable even higher overclocking frequencies. Apart from this, Tony tantalizingly hinted that ASUS is experimenting with innovative design changes, such as introducing connectors on the reverse side of motherboards, although this feature may not debut in the APEX series.

Twitter/X user @momomo_us has unveiled official documentation detailing a new GC-HPCE power connection standard to supply additional GPU power throughout motherboard. This connector can deliver over 600 Watts of power, surpassing 12VHPWR connector's capacity. The GC-HPCE power connector features four groups of pins. Sixteen pins are dedicated to power delivery, while the remaining twelve facilitate communication between the motherboard and the graphics card. Its size is comparable to the regular PCIe x1 connector. Positioned in alignment with the primary PCIe x16 slot on a motherboard, the GC-HPCE power connector is situated behind the x16 slot, typically where the motherboard chipset heatsink is found. This strategic placement ensures the graphics card can be easily slotted into both connectors, simplifying installation. The connector's design negates the need for an additional locking mechanism, as the x16 slot's existing lock sufficiently secures the graphics card.

First showcased at Computex, this connector was featured in several prototype motherboards and graphics cards, emphasizing its potential to enhance cable management and aesthetics. By eliminating supplementary power cables from the graphics card and channeling power through the motherboard, the graphics card's appearance remains uncluttered, and cable management behind the motherboard tray becomes more streamlined. Intriguingly, this connector is a familiar design. It's a modified version of the High Power Card Edge (HPCE) standard prevalent in the server industry. While ASUS has been the primary proponent of this connector, it remains to be seen if other companies will adopt this standard for their consumer products. Additionally, routing power throughout the motherboard will require manufacturers to include additional power regulating circuitry, potentially driving motherboard costs up. It is also not an agreed upon industry standard, which could block some future GPU upgrades from happening.You can check out ASUS'es implementation of the Back-to-Future (BTF) motherboard that supports this connector below.

VisionTek Products LLC (VisionTek), a recognized leader in the field of high-performance upgrades and accessories for PCs and Macs, today announced the introduction of the VisionTek VT4950 KVM docking station. This innovative product is the upgraded successor to the previously celebrated VT4900 KVM docking station and is designed to enhance the workflow of users in today's professional and remote work environments. The VT4950 enables users to seamlessly swap between two connected Windows, Mac, or Chromebook host systems with up to three 4K displays, accessories, and peripherals through a single USB-C connection to each.

"The VT4950 simplifies the process of switching between systems, saving users valuable time and making their workflow more efficient," said Nick Bill, director of product development and product marketing. "This frees these users from the tedium of unplugging and reconnecting everything as they switch between systems, resulting in significant time savings."

ATEN Technology, Inc., the technology leader and global manufacturer of KVM and AV/IT connectivity and management solutions, today announced its newest desktop KVM switch solution, which initially debuted at InfoComm 2023 in Orlando, Florida, which took place June 10-16. Taking desktop KVM switches to a new level, the "US3311" is a 2-port 4K DisplayPort USB-C KVM dock switch with power pass-through. It enables plug-n-play via a single USB-C connection, enabling two laptops to share one monitor and one keyboard and mouse set with SuperSpeed connectivity.

Built to deliver easy control and seamless switching between dual USB-C hosts, the US3311 2-in-1 solution combines a KVM switch and multiport dock with 4x USB Type-A ports, 1x DisplayPort, 1x USB-C PD input and 1x DC jack input. The solution is ideal for anyone looking to integrate a keyboard, video and mouse switching solution with multiple USB-C devices, and is recommended for small office home office users, hybrid workspaces and for use in hotdesking environments.

Baseus has just launched their new product, an ultra-thin yet compact laptop battery pack—the Baseus Blade HD Series 100 W Power Bank. Baseus introduced upgrades to its ultra-slim battery pack, incorporating more advanced battery cells for higher efficiency and redesigning the entire circuit layout to reduce the size by ⅓. It supports PD 100 W fast charging, and houses a 20,000mAh capacity just like its predecessor, making it an ideal backup power source for your laptop whether you are on a business trip or out and about.

Ultra-Slim Form Factor
Above all, the 0.7 inches laptop-thin design of this power bank sets it apart from its competitors with the same power output and capacity. As a laptop power bank to tuck in your bag, eliminating bulkiness is the key concept behind.

On June, 15th—the Philips 40B1U6903CH business monitor hit the market. It is equipped with a large, 39.7-inch screen (100 cm diag.), 5K2K (5120 x 2160) resolution, and a speedy, multifunctional Thunderbolt 4 docking solution.

A New Way of Working
The Thunderbolt 4 docking solution is flexible and versatile; allowing data to transfer at a speed of 40 Gbps with a bidirectional bandwidth and is also compatible with previous Thunderbolt cable connections, USB, and DisplayPort. With the Philips 40B1U6903CH being equipped with this technology, it is an ideal solution for professionals looking for fast data transfer, fast (1 Gbit/s) Ethernet connection, and 90 W power delivery capability to connected devices.

Framework has been going in-depth with the hyping up of its latest "Laptop 16" model - the modular hardware specialist has issued a new blog post this week that focuses on a "brand new custom high-efficiency 180 W USB-C power adapter," co-developed with Chicony. This unit is touted as a significant upgrade over the existing 60 W model that is bundled with their Laptop 13 system - Nirav Patel, Framework's CEO and co-founder explains: "The (180 W) adapter body is just 116.6 x 58.2 x 27 mm, and the enclosure is made of 30% post-consumer-recycled plastic. That's exactly the thickness and depth and twice the length of our 60 W power adapter, while outputting 3x higher wattage. Pretty incredible! Our PFC plus asymmetrical half-bridge flyback architecture uses ON Semi NCP1622 and JoulWatt JW1556 controllers along with latest generation GaN switching parts from both GaN Systems and Navitas, peaking at an amazing 93% efficiency."

The Framework Laptop 16 has some hidden potential according to Patel - he reveals that this flagship model is now future-proofed with support for 240 W power adapters: "We needed to solve for the tricky task of creating an adapter small and portable enough to be a great fit for the Framework Laptop 16 in an integrated graphics configuration while also outputting enough power to handle the Graphics Module with a discrete GPU. 180 W covers the majority of use cases while still being extremely compact. If you have a Graphics Module installed, set your OS to maximum performance mode, and run a sustained heavy load, it is possible to draw from the battery while plugged in. If that doesn't sound like a good tradeoff to you, the Framework Laptop 16 supports 240 W USB PD 3.1 power adapters too, so you can configure your DIY Edition without a power adapter and bring your own 240 W one instead."