Sunday, March 23rd 2025

This Week in Gaming (Week 13)

Welcome to the last full week of March and it's jam-packed with new releases, with this week's major release coming out of South Korea and it should appeal to all the single player RPG fans out there. The week continues with driving really really far away, a modern take on an early arcade game, some more RPG action, although this time based on a popular TV show, which is followed up by an open world post-apocalyptic first person shooter that takes place in the UK and the week finally ends with a life sim that is not from EA. There's also a bunch of other games launching this week.

The First Berserker: Khazan / This week's major release / Thursday 27 March
Experience the brutal action of The First Berserker: Khazan, a hardcore Action RPG adventure set 800 years before the events of the Dungeon Fighter Online (DNF) Universe. You will experience the vast universe and journey to the continent of Arad and discover the untold story of General Khazan. Master deep and immersive combat mechanics while you engage in strategic battles against a diverse array of foes and bosses. Will you embrace the path of the First Berserker and embark on Khazan's path of revenge? Steam link
Friday, March 21st 2025

Today's Reviews

Cooling
Graphics Cards
Monitors
Motherboards
Mouse
Other
SSD
ASUS ProArt X870E-Creator Wi-Fi Review

ASUS ProArt X870E-Creator Wi-Fi Review

Arguably one of the best-looking motherboards out there, but what does the latest ProArt motherboard for AMD Ryzen CPUs bring to the table considering its high price tag? Is it worth it compared to the competition, even for creators?
Assassin's Creed Shadows Performance Benchmark Review - 30 GPUs Compared

Assassin's Creed Shadows Performance Benchmark Review - 30 GPUs Compared

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is finally here, transporting players to feudal Japan in an open-world adventure filled with stealth, combat, and exploration. Shadows finally brings RT support to the series and delivers stunning visuals but also demands powerful hardware. In our performance review, we examine its graphical fidelity, VRAM usage, and how well it runs on a variety of modern GPUs.

Remedy Entertainment Showcases FBC: Firebreak's Altered Augments System

Hi everyone, I'm Julius Fondem, Community Manager here at Remedy Entertainment. Today I'm very excited, jazzed even, to talk to you about a brand-new feature in our upcoming game FBC: Firebreak—Altered Augments. If you're not familiar with FBC: Firebreak, it's a cooperative first-person shooter for three players set within a mysterious federal agency under assault by extradimensional forces, in the iconic Control universe. Battle through hordes of otherworldly monsters with up to two friends, customize your gear and level up as you fight back against this ever-growing threat.

This being our first multiplayer, we're very excited to bring it to you, the community, and to that end, we've designed FBC: Firebreak to be as easy as possible to get into. This is a game best played together with your friends, having a great time laughing while chaotic and wacky things happen! This isn't a new hobby that you need to log onto every day for rewards. None of that FOMO stuff here. Just get together with your friends over the weekend for a good time.

GoDeal24 Spring Software Sale Rolls On: Great Deals on Genuine Software

GoDeal24 is an international merchant of genuine software, bringing you great deals on the software you need as you build your next-generation gaming rig. Get Genuine Windows 11 Pro at just $13.55 with a TechPowerUp-exclusive coupon. Supercharge your domestic productivity with Genuine Office 2021 Professional Plus at $29.99. Even better—bundle the two at just $41.99. Check out great deals on other editions of Windows and Office, their combos, and multi-PC deals.

Buy Office 2021 Professional Plus at $29.99 | Buy Office 2019 Professional Plus at $25.29 | Buy Windows 11 Pro + Office 2021 Professional Plus at $41.99 | Buy Windows 10 Pro + Office 2021 Professional Plus at $36.99

Please use the coupon code TCP50 on the following items to avail the prices you see here.
Buy Windows 11 Pro at $13.55 | Buy Windows 11 Home at $13.25 | Buy Windows 10 Pro at $8.65 | Buy Windows 10 Home at $8.61

AMD Introduces GAIA - an Open-Source Project That Runs Local LLMs on Ryzen AI NPUs

AMD has launched a new open-source project called, GAIA (pronounced /ˈɡaɪ.ə/), an awesome application that leverages the power of Ryzen AI Neural Processing Unit (NPU) to run private and local large language models (LLMs). In this blog, we'll dive into the features and benefits of GAIA, while introducing how you can take advantage of GAIA's open-source project to adopt into your own applications.

Introduction to GAIA
GAIA is a generative AI application designed to run local, private LLMs on Windows PCs and is optimized for AMD Ryzen AI hardware (AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series Processors). This integration allows for faster, more efficient processing - i.e. lower power- while keeping your data local and secure. On Ryzen AI PCs, GAIA interacts with the NPU and iGPU to run models seamlessly by using the open-source Lemonade (LLM-Aid) SDK from ONNX TurnkeyML for LLM inference. GAIA supports a variety of local LLMs optimized to run on Ryzen AI PCs. Popular models like Llama and Phi derivatives can be tailored for different use cases, such as Q&A, summarization, and complex reasoning tasks.

BLEACH Rebirth of Souls Available Now on PC & Consoles

Bandai Namco Entertainment today announced the launch of BLEACH Rebirth of Souls, a new action game where players fight in iconic battles based on the legendary anime franchise and experience an original story created by Tite Kubo. The title is available now in Standard, Digital Deluxe, and Digital Ultimate Editions on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

In BLEACH Rebirth of Souls, players can engage in thrilling battles and experience their favorite characters as they relive the main story of BLEACH and immerse in the anime universe via multiple exciting game modes. The game's Story Mode features an epic journey spanning from Ichigo's rise as a Soul Reaper in the Substitute Soul Reaper Arc to the climactic battle against Sosuke Aizen in the Arrancar Arc. In Free Match, players can test their pride and skills in intense battles against other players worldwide. Versus mode enables local multiplayer battles with friends or offline CPU. Players can also unlock deeper insights into the characters of BLEACH with Secret Story Mode, revealing the moments that shaped their personalities.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti GPU "Full Specification" Leaks Out

A ramped up flow of early-to-mid March period leaks—regarding upcoming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5060 graphics cards—suggested an official pre-GTC 2025 unveiling of lower-end Blackwell gaming GPUs. Speculative specifications appeared online earlier in the month, but some key technical talking points seemed to be missing. As reported yesterday, insiders believe that Team Green has adjusted its new product release schedule. Leaked roadmaps have outlined GeForce RTX 5060 Ti cards arriving by mid-April 2025, with less potent RTX 5060 models launching around the middle of May. Despite the alleged delay, VideoCardz has continued its investigation into pre-launch conditions. Their latest report points to full GeForce RTX 5060 Ti specifications being distributed to board partners, at least in the recent past.

Leaked details seemingly reconfirm the existence of 16 GB and 8 GB variants (on a 128-bit memory bus); both utilizing the same GB206-300-A1 GPU with 4608 CUDA cores. VideoCardz disclosed a couple of finer (new) details:"based on the specs we have, both models will ship with 28 Gbps memory. This means that the bandwidth is 448 GB/s, which is 55% higher than the last-gen model. Moving on to GPU clocks, NVIDIA has set a 2407 MHz base clock and a 2572 MHz boost clock for this GB206-based model. This means that the base clock is 97 MHz and the boost is 37 MHz higher than the RTX 4060 Ti." The fresh leak suggest that a few of Team Green's AIBs will be configuring their custom designs with 8-pin power connectors; sufficient for a reported 180 W TDP-rated product. VideoCardz anticipates that the vast majority of GeForce RTX 5060 Ti models will utilize 16-pin connectors. Unfortunately, finalized price guides were not discovered during recent sleuthing sessions.

Office Scanner? Toss It. This App Handles Everything

Fussing with a traditional scanner in 2025 is like still using a flip phone—it gets the job done, but there's a much smarter way to handle things. The iScanner is a professional-grade scanning app that turns your iPhone or iPad into a full-fledged document scanner, editor, and organizer.

Whether you're working remotely, running a business, or just need to digitize receipts and notes on the go, iScanner lets you scan, edit, and manage files anywhere—no bulky equipment required. For a limited time, you can grab a lifetime subscription to iScanner for just $24.99 (reg. $199.99) with code SCAN. That's a one-time payment for unlimited access.

iScanner can turn paper into searchable PDFs, extract text using AI-powered OCR, and even help you solve math problems by scanning equations. You can edit documents, add e-signatures, mark up text, and merge multiple files without ever touching a desktop computer.
Get lifetime access to the iScanner app for just $24.99 (reg. $199.99) with code SCAN through March 30 only.

Capcom Schedules March 25 Monster Hunter Wilds Showcase

Hunters! Join us on Tuesday March 25th at 7:00AM PDT / 14:00 GMT for a Monster Hunter Wilds Showcase stream, presented by Monster Hunter Wilds producer, Ryozo Tsujimoto! The stream will be approximately 15 minutes with news on the next free title update that we're looking forward to sharing with you! Please note that actual stream time is subject to change.

The unbridled force of nature runs wild and relentless, with environments transforming drastically from one moment to the next. This is a story of monsters and humans and their struggles to live in harmony in a world of duality. Fulfill your duty as a Hunter by tracking and defeating powerful monsters and forging strong new weapons and armor from the materials you harvest from your hunt as you uncover the connection between the people of the Forbidden Lands and the locales they inhabit. The ultimate hunting experience awaits you in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Insiders Posit that Samsung Needs to Finalize Exynos 2600 SoC by Q3 2025 for Successful Galaxy S26 Deployment

Last week, South Korean semiconductor industry moles let slip about the development of an "Exynos 2600" mobile chipset at Samsung Electronics. This speculative flagship processor was linked to the manufacturer's (inevitable) launch of Galaxy S26 smartphone models in early 2026. Despite rumors of the firm's Foundry service making decent progress with their preparation of a cutting-edge 2 nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) node, certain critics reckon that Samsung will be forced into signing another (less than ideal) chip supply deal with Qualcomm. According to The Bell SK's latest news report, Samsung's LSI Division is working with plenty of determination—an alleged main goal being the next wave of top-end Galaxy smartphones deployed next year with in-house tech onboard.

Inside sources propose that Samsung's Exynos 2600 SoC needs to be "finished by the middle of the third quarter of this year," thus ensuring the release of in-house chip-powered Galaxy S26 devices. It is not clear whether this forecast refers to a finalized design or the start of mass production. The latest whispers regarding another proprietary next-gen mobile processor—Exynos 2500—paint a murky picture. Past leaks indicated possible avenues heading towards forthcoming Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Fold 7 smartphone models. The latest reports have linked this design to a mature 4 nm process and eventual fitting inside affordable "Galaxy Z Flip FE" Enterprise Edition SKUs. The Bell contacted one of its trusted sources—the unnamed informant observed that everything is in flux: "Exynos 2500 production plan is constantly changing...I thought it was certain, but I heard that the possibility has recently decreased slightly." Reportedly, Samsung employees have their plates full with plenty of simultaneous projects in 2025.

Mars Attracts Demo Is Here

The upcoming park management sim Mars Attracts has just released a playable demo of the game on Steam. The demo release coincided with the release of an all-new trailer featuring an in-depth look at the gameplay, which sees the player building whacky rides, managing the needs of fickle Martian guests, and abducting humans to serve as the star attractions. This latest trailer reveals all new experiments and amenities for messing with the unfortunate human captives.

In the demo, players will be able to push their humans to the limits of sanity in the name of Martian science, and get a real taste for the management systems and darkly mischievous gameplay that Mars Attracts has to offer. Throughout the development journey, Outlier has encouraged fans to contribute to the direction of Mars Attracts - and the demo is just the latest step in this journey, ahead of an Early Access release later this year.

Ruffy and the Riverside Launches on PS5 June 26, Release on PC "Coming Soon"

My name is Patrick, and I am the Art Director for Zockrates Laboratories, the indie studio currently developing Ruffy and the Riverside. Together with our publisher, Phiphen Games, we are proud to announce that Ruffy and the Riverside will be released on PlayStation 5 on June 26, 2025. We are happy to contribute to Playstation's tradition of representing innovative and unique gameplay.

A platformer adventure with unique gameplay
Ruffy and the Riverside is a platformer adventure with truly unique gameplay. When Ruffy isn't jumping, running, skating, or gliding, he is using his unique Swap ability. With the Swap, you can copy and paste textures to change the game world, solve puzzles, beat enemies, and eventually save the world. Just grab a texture and throw it somewhere else, and the world will change! It is as easy as it sounds and has huge impacts: Transform water into ice to cross an ocean. Throw a climbing vine onto a waterfall, and you can climb up. With the Swap, you can exchange materials, symbols, the sun for the moon, and all colors. If you color birds the same color, they might end up as a couple. Apples are more yummy when they are red, and some bushes will drop coins if they have a golden look. Of course, the Swap can help in combat, too. Why not freeze an enemy or catch him in flight by turning him into stone? The elements are on your side if you swap them wisely. Use your imagination and make it happen. It really feels magic to swap things.

Owners of GIGABYTE X870E AORUS XTREME AI TOP Boards Report 100 °C+ Chipset Temps

A member of GIGABYTE's gaming subreddit has shared a worrying HWiNFO diagnostics readout accompanied by a simple title: "X870E AORUS XTREME AI TOP Chipset with AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D—Chipset 2 (xHCI) 109.9 °C." Xabiro's initial post attracted replies that disclosed additional feedback regarding higher than expected temperature measurements. Another member—RyanOCallaghan01—exclaimed in the comments section: "damn. I am having the same problem, Chipset 2 is almost reaching 100 degrees Celcius, and I have not even got a high-powered GPU installed. I have seen your image and starting to suspect mine may be the same." The original poster proceeded to disassemble their thermally-challenged X870E AORUS XTREME AI TOP specimen, and quickly identified the root cause—affecting one of the board design's two daisy-chained Promontory 21 chipsets.

Xabiro described this problem-solving process: "I removed the heat sink and actually the top AMD chipset is not touching the heat sink no matter what I do...I didn't have any GPU installed yet, but I just solved (the temperature problem) yesterday, with thermal paste combined with Thermal Grizzly (TG) KryoSheet, just because I didn't have TG Putty Pro. Now the maximum temperature is 65 °C—also on the bottom one was just changed to TG Kryonaut, and it is under 50 °C. Quite ironically, GIGABYTE recently engaged in some public mocking of a troubled ASUS motherboard feature. Xabiro suspected that the X870E AORUS XTREME AI TOP mainboard's EZ Latch Plus GPU quick release system is preventing good contact between surfaces. They observed that: "the plastic ornament which goes from the PCIe to the release button is too high and the top part of the heat sink stays on it, and just simply cannot touch the chipset die."

Xbox Opens Doors to a Billion Players - Xbox App Mockup Hints at Steam Library Detection

At Xbox, our mission is clear: bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet. We believe that gamers should be able to play the games they want, with the people they want, anywhere they want. Central to this vision is empowering game creators to deliver exceptional content across all platforms seamlessly. Our goal is simple: to make every screen in the world an Xbox.

Since the original Xbox debuted as the first game console equipped with a built-in hard drive, this kernel of innovation has been at the core of our identity. With Xbox Live, we reshaped multiplayer gaming, establishing an industry standard for online connectivity, community building, and digital distribution. Furthering our commitment to accessibility and choice, Xbox Game Pass introduced a subscription model that redefined how players discover and engage with games, creating new opportunities for developers to connect with audiences worldwide. Since our earliest explorations in the console space, we're proud to have led the way in ensuring that hardware and services can best meet the changing needs of the gaming audience.

Japanese Retailers Start Selling ASRock B650M Pro X3D WiFi Motherboards

Last month, ASRock added two "brand-new" B650M Pro X3D motherboard models to its global website. The Taiwanese manufacturer did not release any press material at the time, so the low-key additions were only spotted by watchful PC hardware news outlets. At the time, ASRock signalled that the eventual launch of "Pro X3D" mainboards would be restricted to certain market regions. Roughly a month later, momomo_us has stumbled across fresh listings in Japan. Yodobashi and Dospara are ready to ship out the ASRock B650M Pro X3D WiFi SKU to local customers. Respective price points—including VAT—are 26,640 yen (~$179 USD), and 23,980 yen (~$161 USD).

Curiously, the B650M Pro X3D series registers as an almost perfect visual match when compared to ASRock's "slightly older" B850M Pro RS mainboard family. Dospara's current price for the B850M Pro RS WiFi SKU is 27,800 yen (~$186.61 USD). This "refreshed" B650M design is up-to-date enough with PCI-E 5.0 support for mounted graphics cards and SSDs. According to the brand's product description: "(our Pro X3D motherboard series) is optimized for AMD Ryzen (9000 and 7000) X3D processors, delivering superior stability, compatibility, and enhanced performance, making it ideal for gaming and creating." Due to apparent confusion between "Pro X3D" and the latest "Pro RS" aesthetic, ASRock is not expected to roll out of with a wide release (of the former).

Bloober Team Dives Deep into the World of "Cronos: The New Dawn"

What if the world ended in the 1980s? The answer remains a mystery, but Bloober Team is offering a sneak peek of the first episode of the Cronos: The New Dawn dev diary. Premiering during the Future Game Show at the 2025 Game Developers Conference, this electrifying behind-the-scenes video takes you through the making of Bloober Team's all-new survival horror experience. Get ready to uncover some of the secrets lurking within this post-apocalyptic vision of 1980s Poland. In October 2024, Bloober Team, the masterminds behind Layers of Fear, The Medium, Observer, and the SILENT HILL 2 remake, unveiled their newest horror IP, Cronos: The New Dawn. This high-stakes survival horror adventure immerses players in a deadly struggle against overwhelming and relentless foes, all while unraveling the mysteries of a twisted and fractured time travel narrative.

The game's enigmatic premise has sparked intense curiosity, and now, developers and co-directors Wojciech Piejko and Jacek Zięba have addressed some of the most pressing questions from the community. This exciting video takes a deeper dive into the world of Cronos, revealing more about the game's determined protagonist, the hauntingly desolate future landscape, and the terrifying monsters players will encounter. What's exciting for players is that the Dev Diary offers an exclusive first look at new gameplay clips showcasing the mechanics that will define the player experience in the upcoming game.

Intel Sparks Foundry Succession: Dr. Ann Kelleher to Retire After 30 Years of Work at Intel

Intel just started a succession of its Foundry division management. According to an Intel spokesperson for Tom's Hardware, Dr. Ann Kelleher is heading for retirement after spending 30 years at Intel. Dr. Kelleher is the executive vice president of Intel Foundry and has been the head of foundry technology development since 2020. For the past 30 years, Dr. Kelleher has been there for Intel's ups and downs, overcoming many challenges for the company. This year, Dr. Kelleher's impressive 30-year run at Intel is coming to an end as she heads to a well-deserved retirement. While not being active, her immense knowledge and education are still valuable, and she will remain a board advisor.

Succeeding her at the head of the Foundry front-end division will be Naga Chandrasekaran, who brings over three decades of semiconductor experience, 20 of which have been spent at Micron. Assisting Naga Chandrasekaran with back-end foundry operations like packaging will be Navid Shahriari, who spent over 35 years at Intel and is currently a senior vice president. In a statement for Tom's Hardware, Intel noted: "As previously announced, Dr. Ann Kelleher plans to retire later this year following a distinguished career spanning over 30 years with Intel. With a strong foundry leadership team in place and Intel 18A progressing well ahead of our first product launch and external customer tape-outs, this is a well-planned transition as we continue to advance our Foundry priorities in service to customers."

MSI & Taiwanese Shop Run RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC LE Promo that Involves Trade In of 9 Lucky Dragons

Taiwan's Original Price House and MSI are running a compelling promotion; involving the trade in of the manufacturer's signature "Lucky Dragon" figurines for a GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC graphics card. As reported by HKEPC Hardware, five lucky participants have managed to exchange completed sets—of nine individual toys—for GB203 GPU-based flagships. According to MSI's "Blind Box Of Lucky" landing page, ten exclusive designs—including a rare Maoi secret edition—were produced and then (randomly) bundled into VANGUARD Launch Edition packages. HKEPC outlined conditions: "applicable models include GeForce RTX 5070, RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5080 and RTX 5090. It is limited to only 1,000 pieces worldwide." VideoCardz reckons that majority of Lucky Dragon VANGUARD boxes were sent to reviewers and influencers, so it could be challenging for mere mortals to accumulate a qualifying tally of cute plastic mascots.

As disclosed by HKEPC (a Hong Kong-based organization), one individual has gone to great lengths to complete the set: "a Taiwanese netizen posted in the HKEPC DIY group, hoping to purchase the 'Lucky Dragon' at a high price of NT$4,000 ($121 USD). After inquiry, it was learned that this is related to an event currently being held in Taiwan. As long as you collect 9 different Lucky Around the World Dragons before May 31, 2025 and keep the outer box, Taiwan Original Price House will exchange them for an MSI RTX 5080 VANGUARD graphics card worth NT$43,990 ($1332 USD), and there is no limit to the number of cards you can exchange." As of late January, the editor of Cool PC—a Taiwanese media outlet—was seeking to complete their set of MSI "Lucky Around The World" dragon collectibles. They used their news section to send out a personal request to readers: "when he has collected 9 of them, he can exchange them for a GeForce RTX 5080 at Original Price House!..The editor likes it very much, and is willing to exchange it with the lucky person who has collected a set of 9 different Lucky Around the World Dragons."

Epomaker Launches Magcore 87 Keyboard Equipped with Inductive Switches

At the 2025 CES, Epomaker officially introduced its latest innovation, the Epomaker Magcore 87 keyboard. Equipped with inductive switches, which offer precise and adjustable actuation points, the keyboard quickly became a focal point for global tech media and keyboard enthusiasts.

More than a testament to Epomaker's commitment to advancing the keyboard, the Epomaker Magcore 87 further reinforces the brand's core philosophy "From the community, For the community." With user needs at its core, this keyboard delivers a more precise, stable, and highly customizable typing and gaming experience.

Kioxia's 122.8 TB NVMe SSD Based on BiCS NAND Flash Memory Pictured

Kioxia's LC9 Series 122.88 TB NVMe SSD was photographed on the show floor at NVIDIA's GTC 2025 by Tom's Hardware, revealing the first production-ready implementation of the company's BiCS FLASH generation 8 3D QLC technology with 2 Tb die density. The 2.5-inch form factor drive delivers immense storage density in the enterprise SSD market on a PCIe 5.0 connection. The LC9 Series features a dual-port design providing 32 GT/s throughput via PCIe 5.0 1x4 or 2x2 configurations, with NVMe 2.0 and NVMe-MI compliance. Built specifically to address density requirements for AI workloads, the drive leverages CMOS directly Bonded to Array (CBA) technology in its flash architecture. The enterprise-class unit is rated at 0.3 drive writes per day (DWPD) and 67,000 TBW endurance, positioning it for read-intensive applications rather than write-heavy workloads. The reported read speeds are around 15 GB/s, as demonstrated at the booth.

The LC9 supports vector database operations through Kioxia's AiSAQ technology implementation, which transfers vector database operations from DRAM to SSD storage. This approach significantly reduces system-level costs while maintaining acceptable latency profiles for AI RAG operations. Kioxia demonstrated the SSD at booth #1811 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center through March 21, with live performance demonstrations highlighting its capabilities in AI dataset retrieval operations. The drive represents a critical advancement for enterprise AI infrastructure where data density and retrieval speeds are becoming bottlenecks in scaled LLM deployments. A massive capacity will allow entire enterprises to operate AI LLMs on top of company data with RAG and at low latency and high endurance.

Kaiserpunk Now Available - Build, Industrialize, and Conquer in the Grand City Builder

Kaiserpunk, the highly-anticipated grand city-builder, from Overseer Games and co-published by Elda Entertainment, is now available on Steam for $29.99. Kaiserpunk challenges players to build thriving cities, maximize industrial power, and lead military campaigns across an alternate-history Interbellum Era (1918-1945). Combining large scale city-building, deep production chains, and global conquest, Kaiserpunk offers a unique blend of creativity and strategy. Players can shape their empire through military might or diplomacy—creating a city-state that will rise from the ashes of war and leave its mark on history.

"Kaiserpunk has been a journey of ambition and passion," said Danijel Mihokovic, game director on Kaiserpunk and co-founder of Overseer Games. "We set out to create a city-builder that not only lets you construct a metropolis but also challenges you to shape its destiny on a global scale. We're beyond excited to see players dive into the world and make history their own."

Nightdive Studios Announces June 26 Launch of System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster

Developers at Nightdive Studios will be the first to tell you no two projects are alike. Nowhere is this more true than the soon-to-be-released remaster of System Shock 2. Announced six years ago as System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition, Nightdive reannounced the project under a new name—System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster. This name change offered eagle-eyed fans a clue as to the remaster's release window, which is only accurate preceding August 11 when System Shock 2 celebrates its 26th birthday. Sure enough, during today's MIX Spring Showcase, Nightdive shared the exciting news that System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster will release on June 26. As exciting as it's been for System Shock fans to hear they'll soon be able to play Nightdive's long-awaited System Shock 2 remaster, one key question remains: why did it take six years?

Good things take time
Nightdive has been chipping away at its remaster of System Shock 2 in the years following its announcement, working on it in conjunction with other projects. While many of these harbored their fair share of challenges, System Shock 2 was unique in regards to the number and type of complexities the team encountered. One of the biggest according to Nightdive developer Alex Lima was a lack of access to the game's complete source code. To piece everything together, "extensive reverse engineering" was required. "The codebase is a complex amalgamation of various legacy libraries developed by Looking Glass, along with some more recent contributions from both Irrational Games and Looking Glass," Lima explains. "There's virtually no consistent coding standard. As a result, we had to depend extensively on debugging and breakpoints to understand its functionality."

NVMe Hard Drives: Seagate's Answer to Growing AI Storage Demands

Seagate is advancing in NVMe technology for large-capacity hard drives as the growing storage needs in AI systems and apps continue to rise. Old and current storage setups struggle to handle the huge datasets needed for machine learning, which now reach petabyte and even exabyte sizes. Today's storage options have many drawbacks for AI tasks. SSD-based systems offer the needed speed however it is not cost-effective for storing large AI training data. SAS/SATA hard drives are cheaper however, the interfaces rely on proprietary silicon, host bus adapters (HBAs), and controller architectures that struggle with the high-throughput, low-latency needs of AI's high data flow.

Seagate's "new idea" is to use NVMe technology in large-capacity hard drives. This creates a solution that keeps hard drives cost-effective and dense while boosting performance for AI apps. NVMe hard drives will not need HBAs, protocol bridges, and additional SAS infrastructure, allowing seamless scalability by integrating high-density hard drive storage with high-speed SSD caching in a unified NVMe architecture.

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9975WX and 9965WX Powered by "Zen 5" Surface

We've known for a while now that AMD is preparing a comprehensive lineup of HEDT and workstation processors powered by the "Zen 5" microarchitecture under the Ryzen Threadripper 9000WX series, codenamed "Shimada Peak." Engineering samples of these chips are moving around for industry and regulatory validation, and so they're being sniffed out in shipping manifests by NBD. Among the models detected are entry-level SKUs, the Threadripper 9975WX and the Threadripper 9965WX. The 9975WX is a 32-core/64-thread part; while the 9965WX is 24-core/48-thread. Both chips feature regular "Zen 5" CCDs with 32 MB on-die L3 caches, each. As a WX-series SKU, the chips are expected to come with 8-channel DDR5 memory interfaces and 128 PCIe Gen 5 lanes.

Raijintek Intros Cyclops Lite Series AIO Liquid CPU Coolers

Raijintek today introduced the Cyclops Lite line of all-in-one liquid CPU coolers. These come in black and white color trims, and in radiator size variants of 360 mm and 240 mm. These are characterized by a pump-block that features a propeller-like ornament that's illuminated by ARGB LEDs. You get two or three 120 mm fans depending on the variant, these come with easy daisy-chaining to minimize cable clutter around the radiator. The pump-block features a copper cold-plate, and a ceramic axis for the pump bearing, which is rated for 50,000 hours. The radiator channels are made of aluminium.

Each of the included Raijintek Ageras Xtreme 120 mm fan comes with hydraulic bearing, and takes in a 4-pin PWM connection for its main function. It turns at speeds ranging from 800 RPM to 2,200 RPM, pushing up to 67.38 CFM of airflow, at 2.57 mm H₂O static pressure, and a maximum noise output of 33 dBA. The fan bearing is rated for 40,000 hours. The proprietary daisy-chaining connection of these fans combine 4-pin PWM and 3-pin ARGB connections. Among the CPU socket types supported are AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700, and LGA1200/LGA115x. The company didn't release pricing information.

CHERRY XTRFY Launches Its First Multi-Platform Wireless Gaming Headset

CHERRY, leading manufacturer of high-quality computer peripherals, is expanding its portfolio with a significant innovation in the audio sector: With the CHERRY XTRFY H3 Wireless, the company is launching its first wireless all-round gaming headset. The combination of gaming-optimized sound, additional EQ modes for everyday use, and multiple wireless connectivity options makes it the ideal choice for professional gamers and casual users alike.

With the H3 Wireless headset, CHERRY is expanding the range of its gaming brand CHERRY XTRFY with its first wireless headset. Through its gaming-optimized sound, gamers are immersed even deeper into the action on the screen. The H3 Wireless headset builds on the H1 and H2's esports-focused soundscape and offers audio precision developed in collaboration with experienced professional gamers. The 53 mm drivers amplify important in-game sounds to stay one step ahead of the action.

PCI-SIG Ratifies PCI Express 7.0 Specification to Reach 128 GT/s

The AI data center buildout requires massive bandwidth from accelerator to accelerator and from accelerator to CPU. At the core of that bandwidth bridge is PCIe technology, which constantly needs to evolve to satisfy massive bandwidth requirements. Today, PCI-SIG, the working group behind the PCI and PCIe connector, is releasing details about the almost ready 0.9 version of the PCIe 7.0 connector and its final specifications. The latest PCIe 7.0 will bring 128 GT/s speeds, with a bi-directional bandwidth of 512 GB/s in the x16 lane configuration. Targeting applications like 800G Ethernet, AI/ML, cloud, quantum computing, hyperscalers, military/aerospace, and cloud providers all need massive bandwidth for their respective applications and use cases to work flawlessly.

Interestingly, as PCIe doubles bandwidth over the traditional three-year cadence, high bandwidth for things like storage is becoming available on fewer and fewer lanes. For example, PCIe 3.0 with x16 lanes delivers 32 GB/s of bi-directional bandwidth. And now, PCIe 7.0 delivers that same bandwidth on only a single x1 lane. Some other goals of the new PCIe 7.0 include significant improvements in channel parameters and signal integrity while enhancing power efficiency and maintaining the protocol's low-latency characteristics. All while ensuring complete backward compatibility with previous generations of the standard. Notably, the PCIe 7.0 standard uses PAM4 signaling, which was first presented for PCIe 6.0. Here is a nice PAM4 signaling primer if you want to learn more about PAM4 signaling. Below are the specifications of PCIe generations and their respective characteristics. We expect to see final version v1.0 by end of the year, and some PCIe 7.0 accelerators next year.
PCIe 7.0 PCIe 7.0 PCIe 7.0

Microsoft DirectX Raytracing 1.2 and Neural Rendering Brings up to 10x Speedup for AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA GPUs

Microsoft's DirectX Raytracing (DXR) 1.2 announcement at GDC 2025 introduces two technical innovations that address fundamental ray tracing performance bottlenecks. Opacity micromaps (OMM) reduce the computational overhead in alpha-tested geometry by storing pre-computed opacity data, eliminating redundant ray-geometry intersection tests. Shader execution reordering (SER) tackles the inherent GPU inefficiency caused by incoherent ray behavior by dynamically grouping shader invocations with similar execution paths, minimizing thread divergence that has historically plagued ray tracing workloads. The real-world implications extend beyond Microsoft's claimed 2.3x OMM and 2x SER performance improvements. Both techniques are shifting development from brute-force computational approaches toward more intelligent resource management. Notably, both features require specific hardware support.

Hardware vendors' implementation timelines remain undefined despite NVIDIA's announced support across RTX GPUs, raising questions about broader ecosystem adoption rates. Microsoft's Shader Model 6.9 introduces cooperative vectors. This hardware acceleration architecture drastically improves matrix computation performance, enabling a 10x speedup in neural texture compression while reducing memory footprint by up to 75% compared to traditional methods. It bridges the gap between conventional rendering and neural rendering, with Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA already demonstrating implementations that combine path tracing with neural denoising algorithms, potentially making computationally intensive graphics accessible on mid-range consumer hardware by late 2025. While the technical merit of these advancements is clear, the April 2025 preview release timeline for the Agility SDK means developers face at least several months before these features can be meaningfully implemented in production environments.

NVIDIA Plans US Supply Chain Investment Worth Hundreds of Billions, "Blackwell" Already Manufactured in Arizona

NVIDIA's CEO Jensen Huang made some interesting commentary for the Financial Times, stating that the company will procure over half a trillion US Dollars worth of electronics over the next four years, and it it plans to keep hundreds of billions from the supply chain procurement in the US. "Overall, we will procure, over the course of the next four years, probably half a trillion dollars worth of electronics in total. And I think we can easily see ourselves manufacturing several hundred billion of it here in the US," said Jensen for FT. NVIDIA currently manufactures its silicon at TSMC's facilities, as well as electronics like motherboards and servers at Foxconn. However, the geopolitical situation is making NVIDIA reconsider its supply chain dependencies, and the company is looking for more US-based manufacturing.

NVIDIA confirmed that its latest "Blackwell" series of GPUs, including the latest Blackwell Ultra, are being manufactured at TSMC's Arizona facilities. TSMC announced a $100 billion investment in its Arizona expansion, and NVIDIA is ready to take up more of TSMC's capacity to meet its ever-growing demand for GPUs. During the GTC 2025 event, Jensen noted that only four cloud service providers will use 3.6 million GPUs this year. That is without any AI labs and enterprises, which are massive consumers of GPUs (xAI only has 200,000 GPU clusters). To continue manufacturing excellence so customers won't suffer, NVIDIA is also looking at other options for supply chain manufacturing partners. Intel, the only US-based company capable of producing advanced silicon, is a potential target for NVIDIA. "We evaluate their foundry technology on a regular basis, and we are ongoing in doing that... We look for opportunities to be a customer of theirs... I have every confidence that Intel can do it," added Jensen, who also stated that NVIDIA is interested in silicon manufacturing and chip packaging services, as Intel's Foveros 3D packaging and other technologies are attractive for Team Green.

Micron Technology Reports Results for the Second Quarter of Fiscal 2025

Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU) today announced results for its second quarter of fiscal 2025, which ended February 27, 2025.

Fiscal Q2 2025 highlights
  • Revenue of $8.05 billion versus $8.71 billion for the prior quarter and $5.82 billion for the same period last year
  • GAAP net income of $1.58 billion, or $1.41 per diluted share
  • Non-GAAP net income of $1.78 billion, or $1.56 per diluted share
  • Operating cash flow of $3.94 billion versus $3.24 billion for the prior quarter and $1.22 billion for the same period last year
"Micron delivered fiscal Q2 EPS above guidance and data center revenue tripled from a year ago," said Sanjay Mehrotra, Chairman, President and CEO of Micron Technology. "We are extending our technology leadership with the launch of our 1-gamma DRAM node. We expect record quarterly revenue in fiscal Q3, with DRAM and NAND demand growth in both data center and consumer-oriented markets, and we are on track for record revenue and significantly improved profitability in fiscal 2025."

3D Realms Reveals Painkiller, Modern Reimagining of the Classic FPS Franchise

Prepare for pain! During today's Future Games Show, Saber Interactive's 3D Realms label and developer Anshar Studios announced Painkiller, an intense new spin on the classic action-shooter launching in fall 2025 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam. Experience fast-paced gameplay set to a powerful metal soundtrack with heart-pounding combat and brutal weapons in solo or co-op. Check out the game's debut trailer for a first look at the gruesome terrors and gothic torment that await in this modern reimagining of the infamous franchise.

Welcome to Purgatory! You've been sentenced for your transgressions against Heaven, but the Voice of the Creator is giving you one chance to redeem yourself. Wield an arsenal of infernal weapons, including nods to the original Painkiller plus totally new creations to discover. Blast your way through hordes of demons and titanic terrors - solo or in online co-op for up to three players - across gruesomely detailed gothic environments to stop the fallen angel Azazel's invasion of Earth and earn your salvation.
Thursday, March 20th 2025

Today's Reviews

CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Keyboards
Monitors
Motherboards
Mouse
Speakers
Quick Look: Jelly Key Mystic Snake Artisan Keycaps

Quick Look: Jelly Key Mystic Snake Artisan Keycaps

Jelly Key welcomes the zodiac year of the snake with its Mystic Snake series of artisan keycaps. These come in three sizes, nine designs, and even a cool naked profile option to better appreciate the intricate designs and sculpting done of the snake and various other elements on these handcrafted keycaps.
MSI MAG B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi Review

MSI MAG B860 Tomahawk Wi-Fi Review

With a sub $200 price tag, the latest MSI B860 Tomahawk aims to give your Intel Core Ultra processor an affordable home while still offering cutting edge features. The Tomahawk has a solid reputation but can it deliver on B860 or should you point your wallet at the Z890 version?
Zaopin Z2 Mini Review

Zaopin Z2 Mini Review

Smaller and lighter at 57 g than the original Z2, the right-handed ergonomic Z2 Mini comes with PixArt's PAW3395 sensor, hot-swappable main button switches, and 4000 Hz wireless polling, along with support for both 2.4 GHz wireless and Bluetooth.

PowerColor Red Devil AMD RX 9070 To Get Fresh Coat of Paint with Leaked Spectral White Edition

The ominously named PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT looks to be getting the same treatment as the Hellhound Spectral White edition with an all-white Spectral Edition refresh. While the design has yet to be confirmed by PowerColor, it has seemingly leaked on Amazon ahead of the official announcement. While the page seems to have been taken down by the retail giant, VideoCardz managed to grab some images of the new white AMD RX 9070 XT GPU before it was removed.

Much like the Hellhound Spectral Edition, the Red Devil Spectral Edition has been completely drained of color. Even the hallmark Red Devil logo on the cooling fins in the backplate cutout and the illuminated Hellstone at the end of the RX 9070's shroud seems to have a clearer acrylic cover, as opposed to the smoky acrylic cover on the standard issue Red Devil card. Everything else on the Red Devil Spectral White edition seems to be identical to the regular Red Devil RX 9070 XT. Pricing also seems to be identical to the original, at $899 or €929. A launch date for the Spectral White RX 9070 XT Red Devil is unclear at the time of writing, but it will likely be soon, given its appearance on Amazon.

ID@Xbox Fund Helps Indie Developers of All Sizes, including Team Cherry - Hollow Knight: Silksong Coming Soon?

With GDC kicking off, our team is in San Francisco to celebrate with independent developers who continue to inspire us every day with their ambition, creativity, and passion. In the past year alone, ID@Xbox has seen over 1,000 games launch, including fan favorites like Balatro, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, and Phasmophobia, bringing new experiences to console and PC communities. Since ID@Xbox was launched in 2013, more than $5 billion have been paid to independent developers from all over the world. We're also proud to offer developers the ability to use our platform to maximize the opportunity to reach an audience across multiple screens.

As announced last week, over 1,000 titles are now supporting Xbox Play Anywhere (XPA). When players purchase an XPA game, they can play on Xbox and Windows 10/11 PCs at no additional cost, bringing their saves, progress and achievements across devices. This means players can access their favorite games in more places which has led to these titles getting 20% more play time. Today, Xbox offers more places than ever to play independent games: Xbox consoles, gaming PCs, and laptops, Windows handhelds like the ASUS ROG Ally X or Legion Go, mobile phones, tablets, Samsung and Amazon FireSticks enabled by the Cloud - all of these are an Xbox, and all a potential home for your next favorite ID@Xbox title like Another Crab's Treasure, Neva, and Animal Well.

Ken Kutaragi Kept "Nintendo PlayStation Prototype" Stashed Away in Closet for Decades

Ken Kutaragi—the former chairman and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE)—met with retro PlayStation enthusiasts earlier this month. Almost three weeks later, news outlets have just familiarized themselves with Julian Domanski's happy (March 1) social media post. The Tokyo-based professional videographer/photographer spent some time with the "The Father of the PlayStation," as well as an extremely rare piece of console gaming history: "I never thought I'd see something so rare, but today I actually got to fondle a Nintendo PlayStation! The last one in existence was believed to have sold at auction for $300,000. Turns out the ex-CEO of Sony CEI has one in his closet. Ken Kutaragi, top bloke. Signed my PS1 too!" Back in the late 1980s, Sony and Nintendo started work on a CD-ROM version of the 16-bit Super Famicom (international SKU: SNES). Sony unveiled a prototype "Play Station" at the 1991 Consumer Electronics Show; apparently Nintendo's internal reference name was simply "SNES-CD."

Famously—a day later—the House of Mario broke away from this partnership and ended up working with Philips; resulting in the extremely underwhelming CD-i home entertainment system. Kutaragi and colleagues formed Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) in late 1993, and proceeded with the development of their first-gen proprietary 32-bit RISC-based console design. Ultimately, the PlayStation would far surpass Nintendo's N64 (expensive cartridge format) gaming platform in terms of sales by the late nineties. Since then, hardcore collectors have spent countless hours tracking down Nintendo PlayStation prototypes. Rumors had spread about only two-hundred units being produced back in the day. Domanski's mentioning of a $300K+ winning bid harkens back to another former SCEI executive; Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson. As reported by VGC, the other example: "was once owned by the first CEO of Sony's games division." This BBC article does a good job of describing a bizarre chain of events; ending with Ólafsson's prototype being sold for $360,000, including a $60,000 buyer's premium fee. Kutaragi's variant seems to be in much better condition, and sports slightly different external markings—most notably; a strong blue PlayStation logo.

Commandos: Origins Releases on April 9, Pre-Orders Now Open

Marching orders from the Green Beret: Pre-order now! We offer fans the opportunity to secure their digital Commandos: Origins copy ahead of the game's release to get an exclusive discount of 10% on Steam, the Kalypso Store, Epic Games Store, and GOG. Microsoft Store offers a discount of 10% on the Standard Edition and 15% on the Deluxe Edition on Xbox Series X|S, and 10% on both editions on Windows PC.

With the Deluxe Edition, aspiring recruits gear up for the battlefield with six iconic Commando skins from Commandos 2 adapted for Commandos: Origins, a 3D printing template for the Green Beret, a digital Commandos: Origins calendar, and the Commandos: Origins Original Soundtrack with 15 symphonic tracks.

Amplitude Reveals the Kin of Sheredyn Faction from the Upcoming Endless Legend 2

The war for Saiadha is about to begin, and Hooded Horse and Amplitude are excited to offer an in-depth look at one of ENDLESS Legend 2's playable factions - The Kin of Sheredyn. Descended from interstellar explorers, this hardened society will defend its lands at all costs while searching for its lost leader.

The Kin of Sheredyn are strangers to the world of Saiadha. Descendants of an expedition sent by a mighty interstellar empire, they arrived decades ago to explore the ocean planet and establish a new colony. Instead, they found themselves stranded, beset on all sides by devastating storms and relentless Necrophage attacks. Their charismatic leader, Commander Garin, disappeared many years ago and has ascended into myth - the lost hero who will one day return to save the Kin from their enemies.

Ubisoft Delves into Assassin's Creed Shadows Launch Day Conditions on Steam

Assassin's Creed Shadows is out now on Steam, inviting you on a journey with the stealthy shinobi Naoe and powerful samurai Yasuke as they explore Feudal Japan and discover a shared destiny. As you recruit allies, expand your Hideout, and use your network to gather knowledge about the world, Steam offers a number of additional ways to enjoy the game—let's take a look at what you need to know about playing Assassin's Creed Shadows on Steam.

Achievements
There are many Steam achievements available for Assassin's Creed Shadows and all of them can be earned in a single playthrough, regardless of story choices or difficulty level. They are earned not only by playing through the main story, but also by exploring the world, completing different activities, upgrading the Hideout, meeting allies, and more. Check the full list here.

Leak Indicates Nintendo Switch 2 Utilizing 120 Hz LCD Screen with VRR & HD Capabilities

As expected, Nintendo has kept quiet about the upcoming Switch 2 hybrid console's feature set and internal makeup. The next-gen portable gaming system's debut presentation served as a mostly surface-level teaser. News outlets have relied heavily on leaks for "insider" reportage, going back to the early 2020s—starting off with kopite7kimi's discovery of a mysterious NVIDIA "T239" chipset. As reported last week, Famiboards—a Nintendo-centric online forum—has served as a somewhat reliable source of inside track information. Earlier in the year, one member started to share NDA-busting details about Switch 2's display technology: "I've heard that the screen supports 120 Hz and VRR, which should help a lot in handheld." Weeks later, SecretBoy elaborated on the benefits of this setup: "developers can optimize the handheld profiles of their games with VRR and 40 FPS in mind."

The GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit views SecretBoy's leaks as being fairly accurate/legitimate: "(they) called out the GPU performance before the clock speeds were leaked; 10 days later back in January (3 TFLOPS docked, 1.4/1.5 TFLOPS handheld)." Earlier today, the tipster's latest musings were compiled into a Reddit summary—another set of quotes reads as follows (in condensed form): "I will reiterate that the screen is 120 Hz with HDR and VRR support. That's what I'm personally most excited for...No idea about the actual quality of the screen, but I think OLED was always going to be too expensive for this feature set, which they needed to get into the first iteration of the hardware so that developers could optimize their games around it (speculation)." Screen technology connoisseurs have expressed much disappointment about Nintendo's alleged selection of an "inferior" panel—many will point out that Valve was inspired by the Switch OLED model (2021); their Steam Deck handheld was famously upgraded/refreshed in 2023 with a fancier screen. Invited guests will get to experience Switch 2's "hugely revelatory" LCD tech at various Nintendo-hosted international preview events in April.

Wreckfest 2 Smashes into Early Access, Bugbear & THQ Nordic Reveal Launch System Requirements

Vienna, Austria / Helsinki, Finland, March 20th, 2025: Ladies and Gentlemen, the next generation of demolition derby madness is here. Wreckfest 2 is crashing into Early Access on Steam today, bringing next-level car destruction, slicker graphics, improved physics, and a whole lot of new features to fuel your inner petrolhead. And yes, it's once again developed by Bugbear Entertainment—the masters of metal-mangling mayhem.

Just like its predecessor, Wreckfest 2 will keep evolving throughout Early Access, with fresh content and features rolling in regularly. Bugbear and THQ Nordic are all about making this a game for the players, shaped by the players. We want your feedback - tell us what you love, what you want more of, and what crazy ideas we absolutely need to implement. We've got a truckload of ideas (and an actual truck), but we want to hear which ones you like the most!

ASUS ROG RTX 5090 ROG Astral Dhahab OC Edition Blessed with Jensen Huang Signature, Card Will be Auctioned Off for Charity

The "standard" ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5090 OC Edition is already a really an "astronomically expensive" prospect (if you can find available stock); launch MSRP was $2800, but retailers pushed that figure beyond the $3000 mark. An even fancier golden variant exists—as a reminder; news outlets picked up on the existence of a "Dhahab" model early last month. This luxuriously decorated collector piece was likely introduced as a regional exclusive, for MENA (Middle-East and North Africa). This week, ASUS managed to sneak one gold encrusted sample out to San Francisco, California.

Ernest Cheng—Director of Marketing at the firm's North American branch—shared a photo (via LinkedIn) of the very unique ROG Astral RTX 5090 Dhahab OC Edition model; freshly scribbled on by Jensen Huang during GTC 2025. The ASUS exec commented on this blessing: "graphics card is one of a kind when it's been anointed. But it says a lot more when it's a Golden ROG RTX 5090 Astral." Press outlets reckon that this extremely special item will be auctioned off for charity; the presence of Team Green CEO's autograph and slogan ("RTX ON!") will boost its value severalfold. A Jensen Huang-signed ROG MATRIX RTX 4090 PLATINUM card attracted a top bid of $16,000; Der8auer (aka Roman Hartung) was officially congratulated as the winner back in late 2023.

Update 18:02 UTC: ASUS has confirmed that it will be supporting a local charity: "we are extremely honored to have this special edition ROG Astral RTX 5090 Dhahab OC graphics card, signed by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang. This card will be officially auctioned to support relief efforts for the California wildfires in Los Angeles."

Industry Analyst Walks Back Claim about Apple A20 SoC Using N3P, Repredicts TSMC 2 nm

Earlier in the week, Apple specialist press outlets picked up on a noted industry analyst's technological forecast for a future iPhone processor design. Jeff Pu—of GF Industries, Hong Kong—predicted that the next-generation A20 SoC would be produced via a TSMC 3 nm (N3P) nodes process. Despite rumors of Apple gaining front row seats at the "2 nm ballgame," the partnership between fabless chip designer and foundry could potentially revisit already covered ground. The A19 chipset was previously linked to N3P (by insiders), with Pu expressing the belief that A20 would utilize the same fundamental lithographic underpinnings; albeit enhanced with TSMC's Chip on Wafer on Substrate (CoWoS) packaging technology (for AI improvements).

This morning, MacRumors followed up on their initial news article—they reported that "wires were crossed" at GF Industries, regarding projections for the (2026) iPhone 18 generation. The publication received direct feedback from the man of the hour: "Jeff Pu (lead Apple analyst) has since clarified that he believes the A20 chip will be manufactured with the N2 process, so the information about the chip using the N3P process should be disregarded. Earlier reports had said the A20 chip would be 2 nm, so rumors align again. This is ultimately good news, as it means the A20 chip should have more substantial performance and power efficiency improvements over the A19 chip." Cutting-edge smartphone processor enthusiasts expressed much disappointment when A20 was (regressively) linked to N3P; the latest revisement should instill some joy. According to industry moles, TSMC is making good progress with its cutting-edge 2 nm node process—mass production is expected to start at some point within the second half of 2025.

"The Truth Lies Hidden" - New Atomfall Pre-Launch Trailer Is Live Now

With the release of the highly anticipated Atomfall just days away Rebellion, the independent video game studio behind the smash hit Sniper Elite and Zombie Army franchises, has today revealed the new pre-launch trailer that raises the question 'What Truth Lies Beneath?' Available to watch here, the new trailer offers a further glimpse of the mysterious riddles and environments players will encounter within Atomfall's quarantine zone. Whoever you are, whatever path you choose, you need to get to the bottom of what happened at the Atom Plant.

A UK-based post-apocalyptic survival-action game, Atomfall is inspired by the real life Windscale nuclear incident in the 1950s. Players will embark on a fictionalised adventure meeting a cast of weird and wonderful characters as they try to uncover the mystery and escape the quarantine zone. Atomfall will launch on 27 March 2025, coming day one to Game Pass. It is available to pre-order now on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Windows PC and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. Atomfall is also Certified on Steam Deck. Players who purchase the Deluxe Edition will also enjoy 3 days early access.

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Performance Boost: MSI BIOS Optimizations Deliver up to 14.5% Gain

AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X3D processor with 16 cores, 32 threads, and 3D V-Cache is an exceptional content creation and gaming workload machine. However, MSI's proprietary BIOS features reportedly enable substantial performance headroom beyond stock settings. MSI's latest internal testing confirms that specific firmware configurations can deliver up to 14.5% performance improvements in demanding titles like Monster Hunter Wilds. The performance uplift hinges on firmware update, with MSI recommending the installation of chipset driver v7.01.08.129 or higher, which includes the critical AMD Application Compatibility Database driver. Users who update to BIOS versions featuring AGESA 1.2.0.3 or newer may encounter an "Unknown Device" in Device Manager, which can be resolved by installing the AMD Application Compatibility Database driver included in the latest chipset package. When paired with AGESA 1.2.0.3+ BIOS implementations, this configuration yields measurable framerate improvements of approximately 10% in Metro Exodus and 8% in Far Cry 6 at 1080p resolution compared to legacy firmware.

MSI's BIOS feature suite provides several optimization pathways. Memory Try It! delivers pre-configured memory timing profiles, while High-Efficiency Mode optimizes graduated memory bandwidth across four performance tiers. The X3D Gaming Mode modifies core and SMT configurations and provides additional gaming-specific enhancements, though potentially at the expense of multi-threaded application performance. Benchmark data from MSI demonstrates that implementing DDR5-8000 CL38 Memory Try It! profiles alongside "Tighter" High-Efficiency Mode settings and X3D Gaming Mode activation delivers a 14.5% performance uplift in Monster Hunter Wilds compared to baseline DDR5-4800 configurations, and approximately 8% over XMP DDR5-7200 settings. Titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Far Cry 6 both recorded approximately 6% performance gains under similar test conditions. MSI cautions that memory overclocking implementations may impact system stability, while X3D Gaming Mode's thread management modifications could reduce performance in heavily multi-threaded workloads. Performance benefits will necessarily vary based on GPU capabilities and system configuration.

Naughty Dog Details "The Last of Us Part II Remastered" PC Features & Spec Requirements

We're just a few weeks away from The Last of Us Part II Remastered arriving on PC on April 3, and we here at Naughty Dog wanted to make sure players were prepared for the journey ahead. Whether it's your first time experiencing Ellie and Abby's acclaimed stories, or you've previously played and are excited to jump in via a new format, we have plenty of quality-of-life features and even new content in store.

PC features detailed
The PC version of The Last of Us Part II Remastered brings with it all the improvements and new features added in the PlayStation 5 version released in 2024, such as the roguelike survival mode No Return, Guitar Free Play, and hours of developer commentary. And in partnership with our friends at Nixxes Software and Iron Galaxy, Part II Remastered has been brought to PC with plenty of PC-centric quality-of-life features that further bring the snow-covered mountains of Jackson, Wyoming, and the rainswept streets of Seattle, Washington to beautiful life.

NVIDIA GTC 2025 Merchandise Truck Slinging Limited Quantities of GeForce RTX 5090 & 5080 Cards

Yesterday evening, the NVIDIA AI Developer social media account sent out a red alert regarding a time limited sale of flagship-tier Blackwell gaming hardware: "GeForce RTX 5090s are available at the Gear Store in the park right now at GTC 2025. 90 units are available for the next 30 minutes, with more coming tomorrow. Come say hi!" PC hardware news outlets have picked up on Team Green's latest stock bulletin, with Tom's Hardware disclosing some extra details. Under normal circumstances, NVIDIA's Gear Store Mobile Truck would be selling fairly standard merchandise—e.g. T-shirts, sweaters, hats, etc. According to the latest reports, the company's mobile pop-up store is taking orders for add-in-boards (AIB) GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 models. An information placard advertises old school/launch day guide prices of $1999 and $999 (respectively).

Tom's Hardware noted several caveats: "the graphics cards must be purchased from NVIDIA's van from 7 AM to 12 PM on Thursday or Friday and then picked up at South Hall main entrance the same day. The graphics boards are available to conference pass ($1145 for one day, or $2295 for five days) and exhibit pass holders only; with a limit of one card per person." According to folks on the ground, Team Green and its board partners have stockpiled a thousand of each highly-desirable GPU model at the San Jose Convention Center. The first waves of time-limited batches were made available yesterday (March 19). Demand for flagship and top-end GeForce RTX 50 series cards has far exceeded supply, starting back in late January. Following an absorption of plentiful feedback, NVIDIA revived its "Verified Priority Access" scheme a couple of weeks ago. This anti-scalping initiative was advertised as offering: "a limited number of verified GeForce gamers and creators in the United States the opportunity to purchase one GeForce RTX 5090 or RTX 5080 Founders Edition graphics card from the NVIDIA Marketplace."

MySims: Cozy Bundle Available Now on PC, Maxis Working on Steam Deck Compatibility

Pick up MySims: Cozy Bundle and rediscover the charm of two classic MySims games. Use your imagination to rebuild a town in MySims and help a cute magical land become an even better place in MySims Kingdom. There are stories to uncover, locations to explore, and lots of characters with big personalities to have fun with. Meet funny, friendly characters filled with personality! Some will be with you the whole time, and others you'll meet as you play and explore. Help them, give them gifts, and become friends (or even BEST friends!) as they inspire you to get even more creative. You're not only building houses, you're building communities of memorable, adorable townies!

Sul Sul, MySimmers! MySims is now available on Steam! We have loved bringing this game to you on Switch, so we're excited that PC gamers now get to enjoy the same levels of cozy customization. But we aren't done *just* yet. We have also been working hard on a couple new additions that will be coming to PC soon…. Stay tuned for more updates…

Western Digital Black SN7100 4 TB Variant Due for Imminent Release

Last November, Western Digital introduced its WD_BLACK SN7100 NVMe SSD series—advertised as utilizing their: "latest TLC 3D NAND." This new SSD design offers: "speeds up to 7,250 MB/s read and 6,900 MB/s write (for 1 and 2 TB models), providing up to a 35% performance boost over our previous generation SSD." The manufacturer's official press material did not explicitly state that the SN7100 would serve as a natural replacement for their well-regarded SN770 (2022) product family, but W1zzard's recent glowing review (of the 2 TB variant) refers back to the forebear on multiple occasions.

As low-key teased by last November's press announcement, a 4 TB WD_BLACK SN7100 model is arriving in 2025—freshly updated listings indicate an imminent launch at retail/e-tail. Interestingly, WD's SN770 range never reached beyond a 2 TB barrier. Search engine results—when inputting the "WDS400T4X0E-00CJA0" identifier—point to a "March 2025" SN7100 series data sheet, and SanDisk's UK store accepting pre-orders for £255.99 (~$332 USD). Availability status is currently designated as: "within 1 week." Western Digital's spec comparison table (see below) proudly showcases the 4 TB variant's impressive endurance (TBW) credential: 2400. Its lower capacity siblings (1 TB and 2 TB) hold slight advantages in terms of read and write speeds. TechPowerUp's resident SSD reviewer deemed the SN7100 2 TB model worthy of an "Editor's Choice" badge, but wished for a larger capacity option. We hope that a 4 TB evaluation sample will make its way to W1zz HQ in the near future.

"Lunar Remastered Collection" Producer Discusses Improvements & New Aspects

When Lunar debuted in North America in 1993, it was a standout in the emerging Western market for Japanese RPGs. Lunar featured detailed, animated cinematic cutscenes, plenty of voice acting, high-quality music, and-most importantly-an endearing story packed with engaging and memorable characters. While it wasn't the first CD-ROM-based JRPG to hit the market, it was one that left a powerful impact on everyone who played it. A sequel, two PlayStation remakes, a PSP outing and more further broadened the audience for Lunar. More than 30 years after the series' debut, Lunar and Lunar 2 are coming back to the realm of PlayStation with the Lunar Remastered Collection. To give some insight into what makes the Lunar games special—and to stir fond memories among longtime fans—we talked to Matthias Pergams, producer over at GungHo Online Entertainment America.

Silver Standard
"LUNAR was one of the first JRPGs on the CD-ROM format, with animated cutscenes, in-game voice acting, and even an opening theme song," Pergams explains. "The series gained a dedicated following both within and outside Japan, paving the way for the genre as a whole. It's a work that has a unique historical significance." The original Lunar has been remade and re-released a few times for various platforms (along with Lunar 2, to a lesser degree), so we were curious as to why the PlayStation 'Complete' versions of the two games were chosen as the base for the remasters. "Each version is different and possesses unique merits, so we actually struggled quite a bit with this question. Ultimately, the choice came down to which version we felt represented the series best. For us, it was the PlayStation version."

Razer Intros Huntsman V3 Pro Mini - White Edition

The Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Mini White Edition is a combination of performance and style. Engineered with cutting-edge Razer Analog Optical Switches Gen-2, it delivers lightning-fast actuation and unmatched responsiveness, ensuring every keystroke is as flawless as its design. This keyboard sets a new standard for both form and function.

Huntsman V3 Pro Mini - White Edition
By hitting the appropriate key combination, gamers can access quick onboard adjustments on-the-fly to fine-tune actuation point and Rapid Trigger settings instantly, with real-time feedback displayed via a number row. Similarly, Razer Snap Tap, which is disabled by default, can easily be toggled with a key combination since this feature is built into the keyboard. Gamers can unlock even deeper customization through Razer Synapse and save their custom settings directly to multiple profile slots on the keyboard.

AMD Software Adrenalin 25.3.2 Beta Drivers Released

AMD today released the latest version of the AMD Software Adrenalin drivers. Version 25.3.2 Beta comes with optimization for "Assassin's Creed Shadows," and "The Last of Us Part II Remastered." The drivers also come with a number of important fixes. To begin with, a bug that causes incorrect gamma when playing "Counter Strike 2" with MSAA 8x on Radeon RX 9070 series graphics cards, has been fixed. An intermittent application crash seen in "Indiana Jones and the Great Circle" with very high settings and path tracing enabled, has been fixed. The drivers come with fixes for the ADL SDK that ensure that the correct ROP count is displayed for third party tools.

Lower than expected performance noticed with "Assetto Corsa Competizione" on RX 9070 series graphics cards, has been fixed. An intermittent crash noticed when pressing Alt+Tab during gameplay on GPUs such as the RX 6000 series, has been fixed. A system or application crash noticed when running multiple high refresh rate monitors (> 120 Hz) with HDMI connectors, has been fixed. And lastly, a bug that causes Windows 11 to override the latest installed AMD-provided drivers with older ones on RX 9070 series, has been fixed.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Software Adrenalin 23.5.2 Beta

Fractal Expands North XL PC Case Series to Improve Compatibility with Reverse-Connector Motherboards

Introducing an additional version of our North XL series, designed for builds with reverse connector motherboards.

In North XL RC, the interior has been reconfigured to accommodate ATX motherboards with rear-facing connectors. This includes motherboard series such as ASUS Back to the Future, GIGABYTE Stealth, and MSI Project Zero. By reducing cables and clutter from the main chamber, with compatible components connecting through the reverse side, users can effortlessly achieve a finish to their system that looks clean and accomplished.

GeForce Now Announces New Additions: Assassin's Creed Shadows, Fable Anniversary, & more...

Time to sharpen the blade. GeForce NOW brings a legendary addition to the cloud: Ubisoft's highly anticipated Assassin's Creed Shadows is now available for members to stream. Plus, dive into the updated version of the iconic Fable Anniversary—part of 11 games joining the cloud this week.

Silent as a Shadow
Explore 16th-century Japan, uncover conspiracies and shape the destiny of a nation—all from the cloud. Assassin's Creed Shadows unfolds in 1579, during the turbulent Azuchi-Momoyama period of feudal Japan, a time of civil war and cultural exchange. Step into the roles of Naoe, a fictional shinobi assassin and daughter of Fujibayashi Nagato, and Yasuke, a character based on the historical African samurai. Their stories intertwine as they find themselves on opposite sides of a conflict.

Nokia Launches FastMile Gateway 4, Enhancing its Wi-Fi 7 Enabled FWA Portfolio

Nokia today announced the launch of the FastMile Gateway 4, a new compact 5G indoor gateway with Wi-Fi 7 that enables operators to deliver 5G speeds throughout the home for the ultimate consumer experience.

The new Nokia FastMile 5G gateway features high-gain antennas (up to 8 dBi), and dual-band Wi-Fi 7 in a compact design that can be self-installed by the consumer in the home. With 4 carrier aggregation and up to 300 MHz of bandwidth, the 5G gateway conserves radio capacity, improves coverage and maximizes throughput. The 5G Gateway 4 also supports 8RX and 3TX capabilities for improved spectrum efficiency, coverage and greater speeds along with Wi-Fi 7's multi-link operation (MLO), delivering up to 4 Gbps of Wi-Fi capacity in the home. This technology boosts connection speeds by enabling devices to send and receive data simultaneously across multiple frequency bands and channels.

Semiconductor Industry Calls for Stronger European Strategy

Seeking to explore semiconductor policy measures that can strengthen the industrial policy in the European Union, SEMI and the European Semiconductor Industry Association (ESIA) have successfully held a high-level roundtable event in the European Parliament under the auspices of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Bart Groothuis (Renew Europe), Oliver Schenk (European People's Party) and Dan Nica (Socialists and Democrats Party).

The 2023 European Chips Act marked an important milestone for Europe's semiconductor industry and overall industrial ecosystem, providing concrete measures to enhance competitiveness and technological capabilities. In order to build on the success of the Chips Act, after the roundtable, MEPs signed a joint declaration to the European Commission's Executive Vice President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, calling for an ambitious follow-up to the Chips Act that adds new research and development (R&D) funds, attracts new investments, and increases European competitiveness.

Sennheiser Announces HD 550 Hi-Fi Headphones

The Sennheiser brand today unveiled the HD 550, a Hi-fi headphone that balances revealing performance with effortlessly smooth tuning. Boasting sprawling stereo imaging and an ultra-light build, the HD 550 is an open invitation to unpack the lush layers of today's music and games for hours on end.

"Audiophiles looking for featherlight headphones with honest voicing and deep bass extension are in for a treat," said Klaus Hanselmann, Sennheiser Audiophile Product Manager. "While the HD 550's airy detail is obvious, customers will fall in love with its delightfully polite touch - perfect for listening for hours on end."

iiyama Unveils the TE13A Series Interactive Displays

At a time when seamless digital collaboration is vital for educators and entrepreneurs, iiyama proudly unveils the TE13A Series - the next evolution in interactive display technology designed to transform both corporate and educational environments. With Google EDLA, improved touch technology, and user-friendly interface, the TE13A Series sets a new benchmark for interactivity and productivity.

Building on previous models, the TE13A Series is Google EDLA-certified (Enterprise Device License Agreement), providing full access to Google Play Store, Google Mobile Services, and Google Play Protect for a secure and app-rich experience. Microsoft 365 integration allows for seamless workflow management across platforms.

CHIEFTEC Announces New VEGA M ATX 3.1 80 Plus Gold PSU Series

Today we are delighted to present you the newly launched VEGA M from CHIEFTEC, which boasts 80 Plus Gold certified efficiency, ATX 3.1 compliance and native PCI-E Gen 5 connector.

Features
  • Compliant with ATX 12 V 3.1
  • Support PCIe GEN 5 (12 V - 2x6)
  • 80 Plus Gold certified efficiency
  • LLC Half-Bridge converter with DC to DC technology
  • Fully modular cable management

Thrustmaster Unveils Sol-R 1 Flightstick and Sol-R 2 HOSAS Space Sim Duo

Thrustmaster is thrilled to be making its official debut in space simulation by unveiling Sol-R 1 Flightstick and Sol-R 2 HOSAS Space Sim Duo, both expressly created with space combat and exploration in mind. Active in the market for more than 25 years now, over the decades Thrustmaster has established itself as the leading manufacturer of accessories for civil and military flight simulation. Its T.16000M joystick, however, has built a reputation as a must-have for beginner SpaceSimmers. Today, Thrustmaster is strengthening its presence in this segment with Sol-R - the range of joysticks specially designed to meet the needs of interstellar spacecraft pilots.

THE PERFECT JOYSTICK FOR CONQUERING THE STARS
Whether you're a space dogfighting fan or love nothing more than exploring distant galaxies in your spare time, the Sol-R 1 Flightstick is the joystick for you! With 44 assignable actions on its ambidextrous grip and base, the Sol-R 1 Flightstick allows for more efficient and intuitive management of your spacecraft. The Sol-R 2 HOSAS Space Sim Duo is a pack of two joysticks, meeting the needs of advanced space simmers for total control of their ships.

NVIDIA Pushes GeForce RTX 5060 Ti Launch to Mid-April, RTX 5060 to May

NVIDIA is reportedly pushing the launch dates of its upcoming mid-range GeForce RTX 5060-series graphics cards by a couple of weeks, each. The faster RTX 5060 Ti is now expected to launch some time in mid-April 2025, while the RTX 5060 is now slated for a month later in mid-May, just before the media gears up for the 2025 Computex later that month. The RTX 5060 Ti comes in 16 GB and 8 GB memory variants, and both are expected to launch around the same time, if not on the same day; while the RTX 5060 is expected to come in just 8 GB.

Both SKUs are expected to be based on the "GB206" silicon, which probably features 36 or 40 streaming multiprocessors, from which the RTX 5060 Ti is configured with 36, to yield 4,608 CUDA cores. The RTX 5060 is significantly cut down, enabling 30 SM for 3,840 CUDA cores. The silicon features a 128-bit GDDR7 memory interface, and both SKUs are expected to be configured with 28 Gbps memory speeds, giving them 448 GB/s memory bandwidth.

Intel Releases Arc GPU Graphics Driver 101.6651 Beta

Intel has released its latest version of the Arc GPU Graphics Driver, version 101.6651 Beta. The latest GPU graphics driver update brings Game On driver support for the latest Ubisoft Assassin's Creed Shadows game on Intel Arc B-series, A-series Graphics GPUs and Intel Core Ultra with built-in Intel Arc GPUs, as well as improves performance in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Intel Arc B-series Graphics GPUs. According to Intel's release notes, you can expect up to 15 percent improvement on 1080p resolution and up to 12 percent improvement on 1440p resolution, both with Extreme Settings.

The new GPU graphics driver also fixes an issue in Black Myth: Wukong game on may experience application crash while running benchmark with Full Ray Tracing turned on Intel Arc B-Series GPUs, where the game might experience application crash while running benchmark with full ray tracing turned on. There are several new known issues which you can check out in the full release notes below.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.6651 Beta

ViewSonic Launches Gaming Monitor with Switchable Refresh Rates

ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual and edtech solutions, launches its next generation of gaming desktop monitor with the XG275D-4K. Engineered with various unique features, the ViewSonic XG275D-4K delivers exceptional functionality and performance for gamers and gaming enthusiasts.

With the press of a button, users of the ViewSonic XG275D-4K can select an ultra-fast 320 Hz refresh rate at Full HD 1080p resolution or have a superfast 160 Hz refresh rate at 4K Ultra HD resolution. The XG275D-4K provides super smooth performance that can be customized to just about any gaming need, whether it's FPS or single player games on a PC or console. The monitor can also switch to a 24.5-inch view for competitive gaming.

SoftBank Group to Acquire Ampere Computing

SoftBank Group Corp. today announced that it will acquire Ampere Computing, a leading independent silicon design company, in an all-cash transaction valued at $6.5 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, Ampere will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank Group and retain its name. As part of the transaction, Ampere's lead investors—Carlyle and Oracle Corp.—are selling their respective positions in Ampere.

As SoftBank Group broadens its AI infrastructure investments in ventures such as Cristal intelligence and Stargate, the acquisition will help enhance SoftBank Group's capabilities in key areas and accelerate its growth initiatives. "The future of Artificial Super Intelligence requires breakthrough computing power," said Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group Corp. "Ampere's expertise in semiconductors and high-performance computing will help accelerate this vision, and deepens our commitment to AI innovation in the United States."
Wednesday, March 19th 2025

Today's Reviews

Cases
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Keyboards
Monitors
Motherboards
Mouse
Processors
PSUs
SSD
Storage
ASUS GeForce RTX 5070 TUF OC Review

ASUS GeForce RTX 5070 TUF OC Review

The ASUS GeForce RTX 5070 TUF OC is a factory overclocked custom design that comes with the strongest cooler of all the RTX 5070 models that we've tested. It runs whisper-quiet and at very low temperatures out of the box. Once you turn on the quiet BIOS, the card will be inaudible even at full gaming load.
be quiet! Pure Base 501 LX Review

be quiet! Pure Base 501 LX Review

The be quiet! Pure Base 501 LX is a refresh of the 500 series and replaces the FX series. The refresh uses the same frame, but with a slew of updates and improvements. These modernizations go a long way to keep the Pure Base 501 LX relevant, but even so, its age does become apparent in some aspects.

Over 200,000 Sold Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT GPUs? AMD Says No Number was Given

AMD's Radeon RX 9000 series of GPUs spent just a few days on the retail market, and they are already sold out. If you are wondering just how many have been sold, AMD has a number for you. According to the information shared at the AI PC Innovation Summit in Beijing, AMD claims that it has sold as many as 200,000 Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT graphics cards in the first wave. Current retail channels show severely constrained inventory for AMD's latest GPUs, though supply chain forecasts indicate normalization expected by early Q2. Board partners have implemented significant price premiums across their custom-designed variants, with RX 9070 XT models commanding up to $200 above AMD's reference pricing structure. While AMD has issued statements advocating for adherence to suggested retail figures, the company maintains a hands-off approach to partner pricing strategies, acknowledging the market dynamics of premium component allocation.

The initial allocation bottleneck should resolve as manufacturing capacity scales to meet demand, potentially stabilizing both availability and price points by mid-April. Yeston, one of AMD's longest-standing AIBs, has suggested that "now the supply is unstable, but we will restock every week. Please don't be frustrated if you didn't get it. The supply will become stable and continue to be available after April." However, we still don't understand how AMD is counting these sales. The company noted that the first wave has been sold, and that is likely their first shipment of Navi 48 SKU from TSMC. When TSMC ships more chips, AMD distributes them to its AIB partners for assembly. That could be the second wave. As these GPUs are ordered months in advance, AMD's AIBs are likely already shipping the next wave of GPUs to retail stores.

NVIDIA & Storage Industry Leaders Unveil New Class of Enterprise Infrastructure for the AI Era

At GTC 2025, NVIDIA announced the NVIDIA AI Data Platform, a customizable reference design that leading providers are using to build a new class of AI infrastructure for demanding AI inference workloads: enterprise storage platforms with AI query agents fueled by NVIDIA accelerated computing, networking and software. Using the NVIDIA AI Data Platform, NVIDIA-Certified Storage providers can build infrastructure to speed AI reasoning workloads with specialized AI query agents. These agents help businesses generate insights from data in near real time, using NVIDIA AI Enterprise software—including NVIDIA NIM microservices for the new NVIDIA Llama Nemotron models with reasoning capabilities—as well as the new NVIDIA AI-Q Blueprint.

Storage providers can optimize their infrastructure to power these agents with NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs, NVIDIA BlueField DPUs, NVIDIA Spectrum-X networking and the NVIDIA Dynamo open-source inference library. Leading data platform and storage providers—including DDN, Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Hitachi Vantara, IBM, NetApp, Nutanix, Pure Storage, VAST Data and WEKA—are collaborating with NVIDIA to create customized AI data platforms that can harness enterprise data to reason and respond to complex queries. "Data is the raw material powering industries in the age of AI," said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. "With the world's storage leaders, we're building a new class of enterprise infrastructure that companies need to deploy and scale agentic AI across hybrid data centers."

Square Enix Taking Legal Action to Prevent US Release of "Front Mission-style" Game

Square Enix's long-running Front Mission franchise was set to expand with an all-new entry—Front Mission 2089: Borderscape—first revealed back in April 2022. The Japanese multinational publisher announced BlackJack Studio as their chosen development partner on this fledgling project, destined for launch on mobile platforms (Android and iOS). Months later, this collaboration was terminated. Video game news outlets have picked up on a new-ish lawsuit; filed on March 13 in a Seattle, Washington court. Contained information indicates that Square Enix ended a licensing agreement and canceled development in October 2022. The 26-page legal document alleges that HK Ten Tree Limited (aka BlackJack Studio) had produced a "Front Mission-style" game that reuses assets from the shelved "2089: Borderscape" title.

BlackJack's Mecharashi IP is advertised on Steam as a: "mecha-themed tactical turn-based game. The game adopts a Front Mission-style combat system, where you can assemble mechas however you want, equip a wide selection of weapons, and choose your favorite pilots to engage in battle." According to the latest reports, Mecharashi/Metal Storm has already launched in China and Japan—a Western release is "coming soon." Square Enix seems intent on preventing the game from reaching a wider audience. According to Polygon, the Japanese video game giant has: "sent multiple DMCA takedown notices to get the game removed from storefronts; it was removed from Steam, but is back after a counter-claim was submitted. Square Enix said it also filed a lawsuit in Japanese court." Additionally, Square is seeking "maximum statutory damages of $150,000 for each copyright infringed." The Front Mission IP lives on in the shape of remakes—under license, Forever Entertainment S. A. developed and published Front Mission 1st: Remake (2022). Front Mission 2: Remake arrived roughly a year later, with Storm Trident S.A. taking care of development duties. Front Mission 3: Remake was unveiled last year at the Tokyo Game Show 2024.

Monster Hunter Wilds Tops February and 2025-to-Date Sales Charts Simultaneously

Despite some minor complaints about in-game performance and optimization, it's plain to see that Monster Hunter Wilds has been a successful launch for Capcom, but it has now been confirmed that Monster Hunter Wilds is topping both sales charts for February and 2025 so far. This is according to a report by Circana (via VG247), which claims that Monster Hunter Wilds managed to secure the top spot in February's and game sales across all the platforms where it is available, at least for the US market. Given the game series's popularity in Asia, it's likely a similar story played out there. SteamDB's data indicates that Monster Hunter Wilds has sold between 4.47 million and 5.96 million copies on Steam alone, with the peak concurrent player count reaching a whopping 1,384 608 players. Still, Wilds is currently in eighth position on the Steam Charts top sellers list or fourth if you consider the year to date. Previously, Monster Hunter Wilds also managed to surpass 8 million copies sold in just 3 days after release. All that said, these records are unlikely to last, since 2025 is stacking up to be a monumental year for gaming.

Both GTA VI and Borderlands 4 are slated for launch later this year, and while Borderlands 4 itself is hotly anticipated, GTA VI's announcement trailer broke YouTube's view records in the first 24 hours when it was first published. Since then, GTA VI's trailer has attracted 245 million views on YouTube. While GTA VI is slated to launch sometime in late 2025, it will be a console exclusive, meaning Monster Hunter Wilds and Borderlands 4 will likely be some of the biggest franchise launches for Steam this year. GTA VI has been rumored to be launching on PC in early 2026, although it's unclear if it will be launched to Steam at that time. Ubisoft also just launched Assassin's Creed Shadows to a somewhat mixed reception. While it remains to be seen how sales play out for Shadows, it is currently second on the top sellers chart on SteamDB.

MSI Outlines Claw 8 AI+ & Claw 7 AI+ Upgrades, Based on Original Claw User Feedback

The first MSI Claw was designed for ergonomic comfort and seamless gaming across platforms like Steam, Ubisoft, and Xbox. It even handled mobile games effortlessly. Now, thanks to valuable feedback from our community, we've made significant improvements in both hardware and software for the next generation—introducing the Claw 8 AI+ and Claw 7 AI+, powered by the latest Intel Lunar Lake processor for enhanced performance and efficiency.

Key Upgrades Based on Community Feedback
1) Enhanced Connectivity with Dual Thunderbolt 4 Ports. Both the Claw 8 AI+ and Claw 7 AI+ now feature two Thunderbolt 4 ports, allowing you to connect an external SSD without unplugging the power cord. This ensures greater flexibility and seamless gameplay.

Pat Gelsinger Repeats Observation that NVIDIA CEO "Got Lucky" with AI Industry Boom

Pat Gelsinger has quite bravely stepped into the belly of the beast this week. The former Intel boss was an invited guest at NVIDIA's GTC 2025 conference; currently taking place in San Francisco, California. Technology news outlets have extracted key quotes from Gelsinger's musings during an in-person appearance on Acquired's "Live at GTC" video podcast. In the past, the ex-Team Blue chief held the belief that NVIDIA was "extraordinarily lucky" with a market leading position. Yesterday's panel discussion provided a repeat visit—where Gelsinger repeated his long-held opinion: "the CPU was the king of the hill, and I applaud Jensen for his tenacity in just saying, 'No, I am not trying to build one of those; I am trying to deliver against the workload starting in graphics. You know, it became this broader view. And then he got lucky with AI, and one time I was debating with him, he said: 'No, I got really lucky with AI workload because it just demanded that type of architecture.' That is where the center of application development is (right now)."

The American businessman and electrical engineer reckons that AI hardware costs are climbing to unreasonable levels: "today, if we think about the training workload, okay, but you have to give away something much more optimized for inferencing. You know a GPU is way too expensive; I argue it is 10,000 times too expensive to fully realize what we want to do with the deployment of inferencing for AI and then, of course, what's beyond that." Despite the "failure" of a much older Intel design, Gelsinger delved into some rose-tinted nostalgia: "I had a project that was well known in the industry called Larrabee and which was trying to bridge the programmability of the CPU with a throughput oriented architecture (of a GPU), and I think had Intel stay on that path, you know, the future could have been different...I give Jensen a lot of credit (as) he just stayed true to that throughput computing or accelerated (vision)." With the semi-recent cancelation of "Falcon Shores" chip design, Intel's AI GPU division is likely regrouping around their next-generation "Jaguar Shores" project—industry watchdogs reckon that this rack-scale platform will arrive in 2026.

4A Games Celebrates Metro Franchise's 15th Anniversary, Hints at Direction of Next Title

Hello everyone, we shared with you—earlier this month—that we wanted to tell you more about the status of our team and our future; so what better opportunity to do so as a celebration of Metro's 15th anniversary. In honor of the incredible 15 years of Metro, we've created a video to celebrate our journey throughout the tunnels of the metro system, made possible by our devoted community—always supporting us along the way. This is our thanks to you, the players.

Metro turns 15
The legacy and success of Metro over the past decade and a half is something we at 4A Games are incredibly proud of. It actually started 20 years ago when 4A Games was founded, and inspired by Dmitry Glukhovsky's then online novel, we began to work on our inaugural title of the same name, Metro 2033. Our partnership has continued, and he is working with us on our next Metro title, but more on that later. Many of the development team here at 4A Games have seen Metro evolve over the past 15 years. It is amazing to see the advancement from the pages of a novel, into a fully-realized game, through ever-improving sequels, and now into a global franchise with millions of players. We have loved being able to grow and foster an incredible community which has gone from strength to strength along with us. What we are achieving now was a far distant dream all those many years ago, and we are lucky to have so many dedicated, talented developers who are as passionate about the series as you, the players.

LG Develops Custom "EXAONE Deep" State of The Art Reasoning AI Model

LG AI Research, yes, that LG, which develops consumer electronics, has launched EXAONE Deep, a high-performance reasoning AI that demonstrates exceptional capabilities in mathematical logic, scientific concepts, and programming challenges despite its relatively small parameter count. The flagship 32B model achieves performance metrics rivaling substantially larger models like GPT-4o and DeepSeek R1. In contrast, the 7.8B and 2.4B variants establish new benchmarks in the lightweight and on-device AI categories. The EXAONE Deep 32B model registered a 94.5 score on the CSAT 2025 Mathematics section and 90.0 on the AIME 2024, outperforming competing models while requiring only 5% of the computational resources of larger alternatives like DeepSeek-R1 (671B).

In scientific reasoning, it achieved a 66.1 score on the GPQA Diamond test, which evaluates PhD-level problem-solving capabilities across physics, chemistry, and biology. The model's 83.0 score on MMLU establishes it as the highest-performing domestically developed model in South Korea, showing LG's approach to creating efficient, high-performance AI systems. Particularly notable is the performance of the smaller variants: the 7.8B model scored 94.8 in MATH-500 and 59.6 in AIME 2025, while the 2.4B model achieved 92.3 in MATH-500 and 47.9 in AIME 2024. These results position EXAONE Deep's smaller models at the top of their respective categories across all major benchmarks, suggesting significant potential for deployment in resource-constrained environments. With sizes of up to 32 billion parameters, it will excel in single-GPU deployments. Interestingly, these models can run on a range of discrete GPUs, laptop GPUs, and some edge systems that don't have massive computational power.

Tencent Will Launch Hunyuan T1 Inference Model on March 21

Tencent's large language model (LLM) specialist division has announced the imminent launch of their T1 AI inference model. The Chinese technology giant's Hunyuan social media accounts revealed a grand arrival, scheduled to take place on Friday (March 21). A friendly reminder was issued to interested parties, regarding the upcoming broadcast/showcase: "please set aside your valuable time. Let's step into T1 together." Earlier in the week, the Tencent AI team started to tease their "first ultra-large Mamba-powered reasoning model." Local news reports have highlighted Hunyuan's claim of Mamba architecture being applied losslessly to a super-large Mixture of Experts (MoE) model.

Late last month, the company released its Hunyuan Turbo S AI model—advertised as offering faster replies than DeepSeek's R1 system. Tencent's plucky solution has quickly climbed up the Chatbot Arena LLM Leaderboard. The Hunyuan team was in a boastful mood earlier today, and loudly proclaimed that their proprietary Turbo S model had charted in fifteenth place. At the time of writing, DeepSeek R1 is ranked seventh on the leaderboard. As explained by ITHome, this community-driven platform is driven by users interactions: "with multiple models anonymously, voting to decide which model is better, and then generating a ranking list based on the scores. This kind of evaluation is also seen as an arena for big models to compete directly, which is simple and direct."

HYTE Reveals New Product Line Themed After Hoshimachi Suisei

Following its latest collaboration with hololive, represented by the COVER Corporation from Japan, as a sponsor of their hololive SUPER EXPO 2025 & hololive 6th fes. Color Rise Harmony, HYTE - a leading manufacturer of cutting-edge PC components and peripherals - is eager to announce it is continuing to work together with hololive on an all-new product line themed after Hoshimachi Suisei, one of hololive's most popular VTuber talents with over two million YouTube subscribers and over one billion views on her channel.

Starting today, hololive and VTuber fans can now pre-order the latest collaboration products from HYTE, which include the following:
  • HYTE Y70 Hoshimachi Suisei Limited Edition - This all-new collaboration case features a premium colorway for HYTE's Y70 modern aesthetic case, and a three-tone matching trim with elegantly designed gold text and iconography themed after Hoshimachi Suisei's visual style. The front and side panels also feature wholly original artwork that reflect Hoshimachi Suisei's ephemeral and gallant personality made exclusively for HYTE's hololive collaboration by the famed artist Rosuuri.
  • HYTE Hoshimachi Suisei Keycap and Desk Pad Bundle - This keycap set comes with 153 individual keycaps that are fully compatible with ANSI / ISO / JIS WW keyboards. The set features a lovingly crafted Hoshimachi Suisei-inspired blue and gold gradient design, integrated iconography VTuber fans are sure to recognize, and a HYTE 'Hoshimachi Suisei' desk pad.

Microsoft Launches Xbox Adaptive Joystick

Accessibility is a fundamental right for people with disabilities and makes technology easier for everyone. We see this reflected in how customers are using Microsoft technologies around the world. Copilot for Microsoft 365 is unlocking workplace productivity like never before, more than 10 million people use Edge each month to have the web Read Aloud, over 1 million people use Immersive Reader to make webpages easier to read and partners like Tobii Dynavox and Special Olympics are bringing AI to people with disabilities globally. And these are just some of the highlights of what we shared today! Here's a quick summary of the new accessibility products, features and programs announced at the 2025 Ability Summit.

What's new in 2025?
We announced that the Xbox Adaptive Joystick is now available for purchase exclusively at Microsoft Store. With more than 429 million players with disabilities worldwide, we know each player has unique needs and preferences for how they choose to play. The Xbox Adaptive Joystick is a singular, wired controller primarily designed to meet the needs of players with limited mobility. Its versatility helps players seamlessly incorporate it into their existing gaming setups. Built with the Gaming and Disability community who inform the development of Xbox products from the beginning. The joystick joins our family of adaptive accessories including the mouse, pen, adaptive kit and Xbox Adaptive Controller. For more details visit Xbox Support.

TerraMaster Launches D4-320U Ultra-Short 4-Bay Rackmount USB3.2 10Gbps Expansion Enclosure

TerraMaster, a trusted leader in innovative storage solutions, proudly introduces the D4-320U, a compact 1U 4-bay direct-attached storage (DAS) enclosure
designed for small offices, home users, and IT environments. Combining a space-saving rackmount design, massive 88 TB storage capacity, and lightning-fast 10 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 performance, the D4-320U delivers unmatched versatility and efficiency for modern data demands.

D4-320U Key Features
Compact Design for Seamless Deployment
The D4-320U redefines convenience with its miniaturized 1U rackmount form factor. Measuring just 241 mm (9.49 inches) in depth, 50% shorter than traditional chassis and weighing 3.2 kg, this sleek enclosure fits effortlessly into standard server racks without the need for rails, simplifying installation. Its space-efficient design maximizes room utilization in data centers, storage closets, stairwells, or offices, making it an ideal choice for small businesses and SOHO users seeking centralized storage solutions.

Analogue 3D Launch Window Pushed into July, FPGA-powered Console Previously Delayed into Q1

Analogue's modern reimagining of Nintendo's N64 home console has hit another pre-release obstacle. Their Analogue 3D model was first revealed in 2023, with a projected 2024 launch on the cards. The system has experienced a series of setbacks—prior to the latest official announcement, customers were expecting to receive finalized hardware by now (first quarter of 2025). Once again, the company has revised release timeframes for its $249.99 FPGA-powered console—according to an official "3D Preorder FAQ": "Analogue 3D was originally available for pre-order at the end of 2024, (and) scheduled to ship Q1 2025. Shipping is delayed (as of March 18th, 2025) and is now shipping by July 2025. We are working hard to get your 3D order in hands ASAP, and appreciate your patience. If you have an open pre-order no action is needed. As always, if you'd like to cancel your pre-order at any time, Analogue has always had a no questions asked, 100% refund policy for pre-orders."

Analogue's promotional materials showcase a very slick-looking premium reinterpretation (in black or white) of the classic N64 system. The R&D team spent: "nearly four years engineering it in FPGA. No more incompatibilities found in software emulation like input lag, graphic/audio inaccuracies, timing/frame rate issues and more. For the first time, you can re-experience the N64 exactly as it was meant to be, without compromise." According to product pages, a controller is not bundled in with the Analogue 3D package. Authentic front panel connectors indicate customers having to reuse original "trident-shaped" N64 (NUS-005) controllers, or third-party equivalents. Certain promo shots show off 8BitDo's recently introduced 64 Bluetooth Controller. Given Analogue's revised schedule, this wireless gamepad is expected to arrive weeks ahead of its natural partner piece.

Drop Introduces Hansker Performance Gaming Vertical Mouse

A vertical mouse is an ergonomic choice for your desk setup, because it helps to keep your wrists in their natural, in-line position rather than flattened and twisted.
The Hansker Performance Gaming Vertical Mouse achieves this verticality without compromising on any of the high-performance functions you'll need to keep yourself competitive. The onboard PixArt PAW3395 sensor delivers top-tier precision matched by a 1000 Hz polling rate, so you know that your movements and tracking are right where they need to be.

THE GAMER'S VERTICAL MOUSE
The mouse connects through USB-C, Bluetooth, or high-performance wireless dongle for excellent flexibility—and thanks to Windows, Mac, or Linux customization, you can dial in your settings from virtually any system. There's also Low-Force Huano Switches for speed and comfort, as well as a 51-degree ergonomic angle to keep your hands positioned just right. And of course, the sleek, all-black design will look just as at home in a gamer's setup as it would in a more professional space.

Razer Reveals WYVRN: AI-Powered Gaming Ecosystem

Razer, the world's leading lifestyle brand for gamers, today unveiled WYVRN, a groundbreaking developer platform meticulously designed to empower game creators to redefine the development process and deliver the best and most immersive gaming experiences.

Built for game developers, it delivers futuristic directional and realistic tactile sensations, Razer's customizable cutting-edge AI capabilities, Sensa HD Haptics immersive experiences, vibrant RGB Chroma lighting effects to match in-game events, and leverage THX Spatial Audio+ to immerse gamers in a 3D soundscape. WYVRN will help create standout AI-powered games that captivate players by transforming titles and standing out in the competitive gaming industry. This is also enhanced by seamless Unreal Engine integration, enabling developers to build products and experiences that will define the future of AI gaming with a single SDK.

ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Extreme Motherboard Listings Appear in Europe, Leaks Suggest €1200+ Price Point

At CES 2025, ASUS unveiled their elite-tier ROG Crosshair X870E Apex motherboard design. Additionally, early January press material teased another top contender: "ROG Crosshair X870E Extreme is also waiting in the wings, with details to be shared on the way to its expected release in the first quarter (of 2025)." As reported by VideoCardz, the Taiwanese manufacturer seems to be readying its mysterious ultra-premium model for an imminent launch. Last week, HWiNFO v8.23-5685 Beta release notes turned up—revealing the existence of "enhanced sensor monitoring on ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Extreme." Concurrently, a smattering of retail/e-tail listings have turned up in Europe. The lowest observed asking price (including VAT) was €1202.80, courtesy of Max ICT's (Netherlands) premature publishing of a product page.

Hopping across the Atlantic, industry watchdogs noted that Newegg was demanding a cool $749 for ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Apex pre-orders. Potential European customers will likely be greeted by a ~€827 (inc. VAT) price point. Since January, the Republic of Gamers marketing team has kept quiet on the X870E Extreme front. Their fancily-appointed board is still an unknown quantity in many regards; recent retail leaks lack technical information and visual representation. As noted by VideoCardz, time is running out for a Q1 2025 launch. As we head into April, Q2 looms in the near distance.

Supermicro Introduces a New Petascale All-Flash Storage Server Using NVIDIA Grace CPU Superchip

Supermicro, Inc., a Total IT Solution Provider for AI, Cloud, Storage, and 5G/Edge, announced a new optimized storage server for high-performance software-defined storage workloads. This first-of-its-class storage server from a major Tier 1 provider utilizes Supermicro's system design expertise to create a high-density storage server for software-defined workloads found in AI and ML training and inferencing, analytics and enterprise storage workloads. Supermicro worked closely with NVIDIA and WEKA to enable customers to create power-efficient high-performance storage systems for their AI factories.

"The Supermicro Petascale server with the NVIDIA Grace CPU Superchip highlights Supermicro's focus on innovation and customer choice," said Charles Liang, president and CEO of Supermicro. "We have developed the Petascale storage server using the NVIDIA Grace CPU with 144 Arm Neoverse V2 cores enabling high-performance I/O for software-defined storage workloads. We have demonstrated that the system can fully unleash the system's PCIe Gen 5 performance SSD bandwidth with linear scalability. Supermicro continues to bring to market the most advanced and optimized storage solutions available."

Playtonic Games Presents Yooka-Replaylee Extended Gameplay Featurette

Remastered, remade, remixed, this is the definitive version of Yooka-Laylee! With shiny, new 4K graphics and visual effects, a brand-new control scheme, entirely new moves and the ability to swiftly chain moves together, it's a quicker, slicker platforming experience. Yooka-Replaylee builds on our nearing 10 years of growth and experience since making Yooka-Laylee, as well as taking on board a whole bunch of community feedback over the years. It's jam-packed with brand new content that we think platforming fans new and old will love! Each world in Yooka-Replaylee has been expanded by default, no longer requiring players to do that themselves, giving us the opportunity to fill each world with new challenges, new collectibles, and new THINGS added to every corner!

Quills!
Quills have new purpose in Yooka-Replaylee! Now, each world has its own Quill colour, and with all of Yooka & Laylee's abilities now unlocked from the start, Trowzer has had to up his game and provide some new goodies! Quills can be traded to Trowzer for things like level exclusive cosmetic items and health/energy upgrades!

NVIDIA Adjusts GeForce RTX 50 Series Pricing in Europe; Slight Reduction Result of Favourable Exchange Rate

Graphics card price watchers have highlighted refreshing downward motion in Europe, apparently affecting three out of the four GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards. VideoCardz received a couple of email tip-offs from its pan-European audience, prompting the publication of a short investigative piece. NVIDIA's slight adjustment of official pricing for GeForce RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 models is the result of a strengthened Euro. The US dollar's value has dropped by roughly 3.9 %; according to recent detective work, focusing on German trends. Team Green's "generous" reductions have arrived roughly two weeks after a stabilization of the USD-EUR exchange rate.

Curiously, the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is an outlier here—NVIDIA did not reduce its German guide price (€879 + VAT) for this upper-mid-range offer. A Founders Edition does not exist at this GPU level, so Team Green has tasked its board partners with the creation of so-called "MSRP conformant" alternatives. One of VideoCardz's tipsters has observed various GeForce RTX 50 series models simply "rotting on shelves," due to potential buyers balking at unreasonable retailer-implemented price hikes. NVIDIA's minor changes (4.3 to 4.6 %) are unlikely to make a noticeable impact across the Euro zone.

AMD "Medusa Point" APU with Zen 6 Confirmed to Use RDNA 3.5, RDNA 4 Reserved for Discrete GPUs

AMD's next-generation Zen 6-based "Medusa Point" mobile APUs will not feature RDNA 4 graphics as previously speculated, according to recent code discoveries in AMD GPUOpen Drivers on GitHub. The Device ID "GfxIp12" associated with RDNA 4 architecture has been reserved only for discrete GPUs, confirming that the current Radeon RX 9000 series will exclusively implement AMD's latest graphics architecture. Current technical documentation indicates AMD will instead extend RDNA 3.5 implementation beyond the Zen 5 portfolio while potentially positioning UDNA as the successor technology for integrated graphics.

The chiplet-based Medusa Point design will reportedly pair a single 12-core Zen 6 CCD manufactured on TSMC's 3 nm-class node with a mobile client I/O die likely built on N4P. This arrangement is significantly different from current monolithic mobile solutions. Earlier speculation indicates the Medusa Point platform may support 3D V-Cache variants, leveraging the same vertical stacking methodology employed in current Zen 5 implementations. The mobile processor's memory controllers and neural processing unit are expected to receive substantial updates. However, compatibility limitations with AMD's latest graphics features, like FSR 4 technology, remain a concern due to the absence of RDNA 4 silicon. The Zen 6-powered Medusa Point processor family is scheduled for release in 2026, targeting premium mobile computing applications with a performance profile that builds upon AMD's current Strix Halo positioning.

Samsung 9100 PRO Series SSD with up to 14.8 GB/s Read Speed is Now Available

Samsung has officially released its next-generation 9100 PRO series solid-state drives to the masses, with availability starting today. The drives leverage PCIe 5.0 technology to deliver sequential read/write speeds of up to 14,800/13,400 MB/s—twice as fast as previous generation offerings—while random read/write performance reaches 2,200K/2,600K IOPS. The series, available in standard and heatsink variants, marks Samsung's first consumer NVMe offerings to reach 8 TB capacity. The 9100 PRO line integrates Samsung's 5 nm controller architecture, yielding up to 49% improved power efficiency compared to prior models. This efficiency gain comes without compromising the form factor, with the drives maintaining a slim 0.35-inch profile. The heatsink variant provides additional thermal regulation capabilities for sustained performance under demanding workloads, making it particularly suitable for AI content generation, 8K video editing, and high-performance gaming applications.

Currently available configurations include 1 TB, 2 TB, and 4 TB capacities, with pricing starting at $199.99 for the standard 1 TB model and $219.99 for the heatsink-equipped equivalent. The 2 TB models are priced at $299.99 and $319.99, respectively, while 4 TB variants command $549.99 and $569.99. Samsung has announced that 8 TB models will enter the market in H2 2025. Compatible with desktop PCs, laptops, and PlayStation 5 consoles featuring appropriate PCIe 5.0 slots, the drives incorporate Samsung's V-NAND TLC (V8) technology and LPDDR4X cache memory—ranging from 1 GB in the 1 TB model to 8 GB in the 8 TB version. Samsung's Magician Software suite provides management capabilities, including performance optimization and firmware update notifications.

Google Making Vulkan the Official Graphics API on Android

We're stepping up our multiplatform gaming offering with exciting news dropping at this year's Game Developers Conference (GDC). We're bringing users more games, more ways to play your games across devices, and improved gameplay. You can read all about the updates for users from The Keyword. At GDC, we'll be diving into all of the latest games coming to Play, plus new developer tools that'll help improve gameplay across the Android ecosystem.

We're sharing a closer look at what's new from Android. We're making Vulkan the official graphics API on Android, enabling you to build immersive visuals, and we're enhancing the Android Dynamic Performance Framework (ADPF) to help you deliver longer, more stable gameplays. Check out our video, or keep reading below.

G.Skill Unveils High-Capacity, Low-Latency DDR5-6000 CL26 48GBx2 Memory Kit for AMD AM5 Platform

G.Skill International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading brand of performance overclock memory and PC components, is announcing a new high-capacity, low-latency DDR5 specification of DDR5-6000 CL26 with a total of 96 GB (48 GB x2) kit capacity, intended for the AMD AM5 platform. Designed for PC enthusiasts, gamers, professionals, and AI applications who are looking for high performance, this new memory kit enables low-latency performance at high kit capacities on the latest AMD computing platforms.

High-Capacity & Low-Latency Performance DDR5 Memory for AMD AM5
G.Skill continues to push the limits of DDR5 memory with the new DDR5-6000 CL26 at a high kit capacity of 96 GB (48 GB x2). Featuring a very low latency timing of CL26-36-36-96, this memory kit is engineered to provide efficiency and responsiveness for high-performance computing tasks, such as content creation, 3D modeling, or AI applications, on the latest AMD AM5 platforms. See below for a Memtest validation screenshots on the ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR X870E HERO motherboard with the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D desktop processor, as well as on the MSI MPG X870E CARBON WIFI motherboard with the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X desktop processor.

HP Reveals Omen 16 Slim Gaming Laptop with Intel Ultra 9 285H and NVIDIA RTX 5070

HP announced a new addition to its OMEN 16 lineup—the OMEN 16 Slim. HP claims that the thinnest part of the 2025 Omen 16 Slim is only 19.9 mm, which is 16% thinner than the standard Omen 16. Display options include a 16-inch screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio, available in either 1920 x 1200 resolution (with 144 Hz or 165 Hz refresh rate options) or 2560 x 1600 resolution (featuring 250 Hz refresh rate). The processor lineup starts with the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H, with options to upgrade to the Core Ultra 7 255H or even Ultra 9. Memory configurations include 16 GB, 24 GB, or 32 GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, paired with 512 GB or 1 TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD storage.

For graphics, the NVIDIA RTX 5070 is currently the only discrete GPU listed, though HP's "up to" note suggests additional options may arrive later. HP also mentioned that when using "Unleashed Mode," the system can reach up to 105 W TPP while the "advanced cooling technology" can run the laptop at 46 decibels. On the connectivity side, it features one USB-C port, three USB Type-A ports (one 10 Gbps, two 5 Gbps), Ethernet, a 3.5 mm audio jack, and HDMI 2.1. Wireless options include either Intel's Wi-Fi 6E or Realtek's Wi-Fi 6 cards (no Wi-Fi 7 support). HP hasn't yet announced any pricing information, however, they say the Omen 16 Slim should be available this spring.

Supermicro Adds Portfolio for Next Wave of AI with NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra Solutions

Supermicro, Inc., a Total IT Solution Provider for AI, Cloud, Storage, and 5G/Edge, is announcing new systems and rack solutions powered by the NVIDIA's Blackwell Ultra platform, featuring the NVIDIA HGX B300 NVL16 and NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 platforms. Supermicro and NVIDIA's new AI solutions strengthen leadership in AI by delivering breakthrough performance for the most compute-intensive AI workloads, including AI reasoning, agentic AI, and video inference applications.

"At Supermicro, we are excited to continue our long-standing partnership with NVIDIA to bring the latest AI technology to market with the NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra Platforms," said Charles Liang, president and CEO, Supermicro. "Our Data Center Building Block Solutions approach has streamlined the development of new air and liquid-cooled systems, optimized to the thermals and internal topology of the NVIDIA HGX B300 NVL16 and GB300 NVL72. Our advanced liquid-cooling solution delivers exceptional thermal efficiency, operating with 40℃ warm water in our 8-node rack configuration, or 35℃ warm water in double-density 16-node rack configuration, leveraging our latest CDUs. This innovative solution reduces power consumption by up to 40% while conserving water resources, providing both environmental and operational cost benefits for enterprise data centers."

ASUS Announces NUC 15 Pro+

ASUS today announced NUC 15 Pro+, a mini PC that marries cutting-edge technology with sophisticated design. Powered by up to the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 processors (Series 2) and Intel Arc Graphics, NUC 15 Pro+ delivers unparalleled speed and breathtaking visuals. It boasts Intel WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and an array of I/O ports to ensure unrivalled connectivity and compatibility, including the ability to support up to four 4K displays. Inside its premium aluminium chassis is an advanced cooling design to ensure whisper-quiet performance.

AI-enhanced power
Featuring up to the Intel Core Ultra 9 processor (Series 2) with up to 99 TOPS, NUC 15 Pro+ delivers an 18% performance boost over previous-generation NUC models for faster and more efficient processing. This mini PC makes light work of the most demanding workloads, enabling seamless multitasking and exceptional energy efficiency. Ideal for professionals and creators, NUC 15 Pro+ ensures remarkable speed and reliability, whether handling everyday tasks or the most intensive applications.

MiTAC Computing Unveils Advanced AI Server Solutions Accelerated by NVIDIA at GTC 2025

MiTAC Computing Technology Corporation, a leading server platform design manufacturer and a subsidiary of MiTAC Holdings Corporation, will present its latest innovations in AI infrastructure at GTC 2025. At booth #1505, MiTAC Computing will showcase its cutting-edge AI server platforms, fully optimized for NVIDIA MGX architecture, including the G4527G6, which supports NVIDIA H200 NVL platform and NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition to address the evolving demands of enterprise AI workloads.

Enabling Next-Generation AI with High-Performance Computing
With the increasing adoption of generative AI and accelerated computing, MiTAC Computing introduces the latest NVIDIA MGX-based server solutions, the MiTAC G4527G6, designed to support complex AI and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads. Powered by Intel Xeon 6 processors, the G4527G6 accommodates up to eight NVIDIA GPUs, 8 TB of DDR5-6400 memory, sixteen hot-swappable E1.s drives, four NVIDIA ConnectX -7 NICs for high-speed east-west data transfer, and an NVIDIA BlueField -3 DPU for efficient north-south connectivity. The G4527G6 further enhances workload scalability with the NVIDIA NVLink interconnect, ensuring seamless performance for enterprise AI and high-performance computing (HPC) applications.

Lenovo Announces Hybrid AI Advantage with NVIDIA Blackwell Support

Today, at NVIDIA GTC, Lenovo unveiled new Lenovo Hybrid AI Advantage with NVIDIA solutions designed to accelerate AI adoption and boost business productivity by fast-tracking agentic AI that can reason, plan and take action to reach goals faster. The validated, full-stack AI solutions enable enterprises to quickly build and deploy AI agents for a broad range of high-demand use cases, increasing productivity, agility and trust while accelerating the next wave of AI reasoning for the new era of agentic AI.

New global IDC research commissioned by Lenovo reveals that ROI remains the greatest AI adoption barrier, despite a three-fold spend increase. AI agents are revolutionizing enterprise workflows and lowering barriers to ROI by supporting employees with complex problem-solving, coding, and multistep planning that drives speed, innovation and productivity. As CIOs and business leaders seek tangible return on AI investment, Lenovo is delivering hybrid AI solutions that unleash and customize agentic AI at every scale.

Supermicro Expands Enterprise AI Portfolio With Support for Upcoming NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition and NVIDIA H200 NVL Platform

Supermicro, Inc., a Total IT Solution Provider for AI/ML, HPC, Cloud, Storage, and 5G/Edge, today announced support for the new NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs on a range of workload-optimized GPU servers and workstations. Specifically optimized for the NVIDIA Blackwell generation of PCIe GPUs, the broad range of Supermicro servers will enable more enterprises to leverage accelerated computing for LLM-inference and fine-tuning, agentic AI, visualization, graphics & rendering, and virtualization. Many Supermicro GPU-optimized systems are NVIDIA Certified, guaranteeing compatibility and support for NVIDIA AI Enterprise to simplify the process of developing and deploying production AI.

"Supermicro leads the industry with its broad portfolio of application optimized GPU servers that can be deployed in a wide range of enterprise environments with very short lead times," said Charles Liang, president and CEO of Supermicro. "Our support for the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPU adds yet another dimension of performance and flexibility for customers looking to deploy the latest in accelerated computing capabilities from the data center to the intelligent edge. Supermicro's broad range of PCIe GPU-optimized products also support NVIDIA H200 NVL in 2-way and 4-way NVIDIA NVLink configurations to maximize inference performance for today's state-of-the-art AI models, as well as accelerating HPC workloads."

GIGABYTE Z890 AORUS TACHYON ICE Shatters Records with DDR5-12752

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, thrilled to announce an extraordinary overclocking milestone achieved by the Z890 AORUS TACHYON ICE motherboard paired with the latest Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) processor. Leveraging its proprietary LN2 SWITCH technology - the critical innovation behind this breakthrough—and V-COLOR Manta XFinity RGB DDR5 memory, legendary overclocker HiCookie has established a groundbreaking world record of DDR5-12752. This remarkable achievement solidifies GIGABYTE's position at the forefront of extreme Overclocking performance.

⁠The Z890 AORUS TACHYON ICE is a motherboard designed exclusively for overclocking enthusiasts, offering exceptional capabilities with its advanced all-digital power design. Equipped with overclocking toolkit, convenient shortcut keys, toggle switches, and voltage detection functions, Z890 AORUS TACHYON ICE empowers overclockers to push beyond their boundaries effortlessly. This extraordinary achievement showcases GIGABYTE's ongoing commitment to the overclocking community.

PNY Announces Support for the New NVIDIA RTX PRO Blackwell Graphics Card Family

PNY announced today it is adding the new NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Workstation Edition, RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q Workstation Edition, RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell, RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell, and RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell graphics cards to its lineup of NVIDIA RTX PRO GPU offerings for professionals.

Built for professionals and the future of work, NVIDIA RTX PRO Desktop GPUs based on the revolutionary NVIDIA Blackwell architecture deliver exceptional performance for AI-enhanced creative, design, and engineering workflows. Featuring the latest generation Tensor Cores, RT Cores, and up to 96 GB of ultra-high-speed GDDR7 memory, they enable groundbreaking advancements in AI, ray tracing, and neural graphics technology. Supercharge workstations for the next era of AI-driven workflows with the ultimate tools for professionals.

Dell Technologies Accelerates Enterprise AI Innovation from PC to Data Center with NVIDIA 

Marking one year since the launch of the Dell AI Factory with NVIDIA, Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) announces new AI PCs, infrastructure, software and services advancements to accelerate enterprise AI innovation at any scale. Successful AI deployments are vital for enterprises to remain competitive, but challenges like system integration and skill gaps can delay the value enterprises realize from AI. More than 75% of organizations want their infrastructure providers to deliver capabilities across all aspects of the AI adoption journey, driving customer demand for simplified AI deployments that can scale.

As the top provider of AI centric infrastructure, Dell Technologies - in collaboration with NVIDIA - provides a consistent experience across AI infrastructure, software and services, offering customers a one-stop shop to scale AI initiatives from deskside to large-scale data center deployments.

Giga Computing Showcases Rack Scale Solutions at NVIDIA GTC 2025

Giga Computing, a subsidiary of GIGABYTE and an industry leader in generative AI servers and advanced cooling technologies, today announced participation at NVIDIA GTC 2025 to bring to the market the best in GPU-based solutions for generative AI, media acceleration, and large language models (LLM). To this end, GIGABYTE booth #1409 at NVIDIA GTC showcases a rack-scale turnkey AI solution, GIGAPOD, that offers both air and liquid-cooling designs for the NVIDIA HGX B300 NVL16 system. Also, on display at the booth is a compute node from the newly announced NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 rack-scale solution. And for modularized compute architecture are two servers supporting the newly announced NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition.

Complete AI solution - GIGAPOD
With the depth of expertise in hardware and system design, Giga Computing has combined infrastructure hardware, platform software, and architecting service to deliver scalable units composed of GIGABYTE GPU servers with NVIDIA GPU baseboards, while running GIGABYTE POD Manager, a powerful software suite designed to enhance operational efficiency, streamline management, and optimize resource utilization. GIGAPOD's scalable unit is designed for either nine air-cooled racks or five liquid-cooled racks. Giga Computing offers two approaches for the same goal, one powerful GPU cluster using NVIDIA HGX Hopper and Blackwell GPU platforms at scale to meet demand for all AI data centers.

NVIDIA Commercializes Silicon Photonics with InfiniBand and Ethernet Switches

NVIDIA has developed co-packaged optics (CPO) technology with TSMC for its upcoming Quantum-X InfiniBand and Spectrum-X Ethernet switches, integrating silicon photonics directly onto switch ASICs. The engineering approach reduces power consumption by 3.5x. It decreases signal loss from 22 dB to 4 dB compared to traditional pluggable optics, addressing critical power and connectivity limitations in large-scale GPU deployments, especially in 10,000+ GPU systems. The architecture incorporates continuous wave laser sources within the switch chassis, consuming 2 W per port, compared to the 10 W required by conventional externally modulated lasers in pluggable modules. This configuration, combined with integrated optical engines that use 7 W versus 20 W for traditional digital signal processors, reduces total optical interconnect power from approximately 72 MW to 21.6 MW in a 400,000 GPU data center scenario.

Specifications for the Quantum 3450-LD InfiniBand model include 144 ports running at 800 Gb/s, delivering 115 Tb/s of aggregate bandwidth using four Quantum-X CPO sockets in a liquid-cooled chassis. The Spectrum-X lineup features the SN6810 with 128 ports at 800 Gb/s (102.4 Tb/s) and the higher-density SN6800 providing 512 ports at 800 Gb/s for 409.6 Tb/s total throughput. The Quantum-X InfiniBand implementation uses a monolithic switch ASIC with six CPO modules supporting 36 ports at 800 Gb/s, while the Spectrum-X Ethernet design employs a multi-chip approach with a central packet processing engine surrounded by eight SerDes chiplets. Both architectures utilize 224 Gb/s signaling per lane with four lanes per port. NVIDIA's Quantum-X switches are scheduled for availability in H2 2025, with Spectrum-X models following in H2 2026.

NVIDIA to Build Accelerated Quantum Computing Research Center

NVIDIA today announced it is building a Boston-based research center to provide cutting-edge technologies to advance quantum computing. The NVIDIA Accelerated Quantum Research Center, or NVAQC, will integrate leading quantum hardware with AI supercomputers, enabling what is known as accelerated quantum supercomputing. The NVAQC will help solve quantum computing's most challenging problems, ranging from qubit noise to transforming experimental quantum processors into practical devices.

Leading quantum computing innovators, including Quantinuum, Quantum Machines and QuEra Computing, will tap into the NVAQC to drive advancements through collaborations with researchers from leading universities, such as the Harvard Quantum Initiative in Science and Engineering (HQI) and the Engineering Quantum Systems (EQuS) group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

NVIDIA Unveils Vera CPU and Rubin Ultra AI GPU, Announces Feynman Architecture

NVIDIA at GTC 2025 announced its next-generation flagship AI GPU, the Rubin Ultra. A successor to the Blackwell Ultra unveiled this year, Rubin Ultra is slated for the second half of 2027. A single Rubin Ultra package contains four AI GPU dies joined at the hip with die-to-die bonding and a fast interconnect that enables cache coherency. The package also features a whopping 1 TB of HBM4e memory. NVIDIA is claiming a performance target of 100 petaFLOPs FP4 per package.

The company also unveiled its next-generation CPU for AI supercomputers, called simply the Vera CPU. A successor to Grace, Vera comes with 88 Arm CPU cores. These are custom high-performance cores designed by NVIDIA, and aren't carried over from the reference Arm Cortex family. The cores support SMT, giving the CPU 176 logical processors. The chip comes with a 1.8 TB/s NVLink C2C connection. Lastly, the company announced that the architecture succeeding Rubin will be codenamed Feynman, after Richard Feynman. The company is looking to debut the first silicon based on Feynman in 2028.

SK hynix Ships World's First 12-Layer HBM4 Samples to Customers

SK hynix Inc. announced today that it has shipped the samples of 12-layer HBM4, a new ultra-high performance DRAM for AI, to major customers for the first time in the world. The samples were delivered ahead of schedule based on SK hynix's technological edge and production experience that have led the HBM market, and the company is to start the certification process for the customers. SK hynix aims to complete preparations for mass production of 12-layer HBM4 products within the second half of the year, strengthening its position in the next-generation AI memory market.

The 12-layer HBM4 provided as samples this time feature the industry's best capacity and speed which are essential for AI memory products. The product has implemented bandwidth capable of processing more than 2 TB (terabytes) of data per second for the first time. This translates to processing data equivalent to more than 400 full-HD movies (5 GB each) in a second, which is more than 60 percent faster than the previous generation, HBM3E.

NVIDIA Releases GeForce 572.83 WHQL Game Ready Drivers

NVIDIA today released the latest version of the GeForce graphics drivers. Version 572.83 WHQL comes with support for the new mobile GPU versions of the GeForce RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 Ti. The drivers also come with Game Ready (day zero) optimization for the new "Half Life 2 RTX" Demo, which includes support for RTX Neural Shaders, and DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation. The drivers also come with optimization for "inZOI," a life simulator game, which includes support for NVIDIA Ace characters. Support is also added for "Warhammer 40,000: Darktide" DLSS 4 MFG update. Lastly, NVIDIA introduced overrides for DLSS 4 MFG to now support 100 titles. You use the NVIDIA App to override DLSS support for a given game. The 61 new titles supported are listed below.

Among the bugs fixed with this release are a glaring one that caused GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 cards to not run at full speeds on system reboot if manually overclocked. More instances of RTX 50-series GPUs crashing with black screens have been fixed. Some NVIDIA App and Control Panel settings getting immediately reset or throwing up errors have been fixed. A BSOD during gameplay with HDR enabled, has been fixed. An OptiX compile error with VRED 2026 has been fixed. Application stability for Derivative TouchDesigner has been improved.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 572.83 WHQL

MSI Unveils Next-Level AI Platforms Powered by NVIDIA MGX at GTC 2025

MSI, a leading global provider of high-performance server solutions, showcased its cutting-edge 4U and 2U AI platforms built on the NVIDIA MGX reference architecture at GTC 2025, held from March 18-21 at booth 909. Designed to meet the diverse demands of AI, HPC, and data-intensive applications, MSI's MGX-based AI servers deliver scalable performance and robust resilience. These platforms cater to the needs of enterprise and cloud data centers, leveraging modular, building-block features to optimize the strengths of AI workloads and drive next-level high-performance computing.

"AI adoption has become a critical focus for enterprise data centers, as organizations look to harness advanced AI capabilities to gain competitive advantages," said Danny Hsu, General Manager of Enterprise Platform Solutions at MSI. "MSI's AI servers are designed to meet these evolving needs, offering the scalability, flexibility, and resilience required to keep pace with rapidly growing AI workloads. By integrating the NVIDIA MGX reference architecture, we empower enterprises to build future-proof infrastructure that maximizes performance while minimizing complexity and downtime."

ASUS Unveils the Latest ASUS AI POD Featuring NVIDIA GB300 NVL72

ASUS today joined GTC 2025 as a Diamond sponsor to showcase the latest ASUS AI POD with the NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 platform. The company is also proud to announce that it has already garnered substantial order placements, marking a significant milestone in the technology industry. At the forefront of AI innovation, ASUS also presents the latest AI servers in the Blackwell and HGX family line-up. These include ASUS XA NB3I-E12 powered by NVIDIA B300 NVL16, ASUS ESC NB8-E11 with NVIDIA DGX B200 8-GPU, ASUS ESC N8-E11V with NVIDIA HGX H200, and ASUS ESC8000A-E13P/ESC8000-E12P supporting NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition with MGX architecture. With a strong focus on fostering AI adoption across industries, ASUS is positioned to provide comprehensive infrastructure solutions in combination with the NVIDIA AI Enterprise and NVIDIA Omniverse platforms, empowering clients to accelerate their time to market.

By integrating the immense power of the NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 server platform, ASUS AI POD offers exceptional processing capabilities—empowering enterprises to tackle massive AI challenges with ease. Built with NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra, GB300 NVL72 leads the new era of AI with optimized compute, increased memory, and high-performance networking, delivering breakthrough performance.

QNAP Upgrades AMIZcloud Platform to Support Remote Switch Monitoring

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading computing, networking, and storage solutions innovator, has enhanced its AMIZcloud management platform with support for remote switch monitoring, significantly simplifying enterprise network management and reducing equipment maintenance costs. Currently, supported switch models include: QSW-M3224-24T, QSW-IM3216-8S8T, QSW-M3216R-8S8T, QSW-M3212R-8S4T and QSW-M7308R-4X, with more switches to be supported in the future.

AMIZcloud is a cloud-based centralized control system, allowing IT administrators to manage QNAP NAS, switches, and other VNF network devices from a single interface, eliminating the need for additional management servers and reducing hardware management burdens. AMIZcloud also supports hierarchical structures for "Organizations" and "Sites," making it easy to visualize and manage devices within various departments, particularly suitable for enterprises with multi-site architecture and numerous devices, providing secure, efficient, and cost-effective multi-device management.
Tuesday, March 18th 2025

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ASRock Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi OC Review - Excellent Cooling

ASRock Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi OC Review - Excellent Cooling

The ASRock Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi features the most powerful cooler of all the models that we've tested so far, resulting in a whisper-quiet gaming experience. It also comes with the highest power limit and biggest factory overclock, which makes it the fastest RX 9070 XT.
Team Group MP44Q 2 TB Review

Team Group MP44Q 2 TB Review

The Team Group MP44Q comes at a highly attractive pricing of $120 for the reviewed 2 TB model. Thanks to the MAP1602 controller, performance is impressive and can match famous drives like the Samsung 980 Pro. Only when the SLC cache is exhausted, this QLC-based SSD will fall behind.

Micron Innovates From the Data Center to the Edge With NVIDIA

Secular growth of AI is built on the foundation of high-performance, high-bandwidth memory solutions. These high-performing memory solutions are critical to unlock the capabilities of GPUs and processors. Micron Technology, Inc., today announced it is the world's first and only memory company shipping both HBM3E and SOCAMM (small outline compression attached memory module) products for AI servers in the data center. This extends Micron's industry leadership in designing and delivering low-power DDR (LPDDR) for data center applications.

Micron's SOCAMM, a modular LPDDR5X memory solution, was developed in collaboration with NVIDIA to support the NVIDIA GB300 Grace Blackwell Ultra Superchip. The Micron HBM3E 12H 36 GB is also designed into the NVIDIA HGX B300 NVL16 and GB300 NVL72 platforms, while the HBM3E 8H 24 GB is available for the NVIDIA HGX B200 and GB200 NVL72 platforms. The deployment of Micron HBM3E products in NVIDIA Hopper and NVIDIA Blackwell systems underscores Micron's critical role in accelerating AI workloads.

ASUS Introduces Ascent GX10 AI Supercomputer Powered by NVIDIA GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip

ASUS today announces its groundbreaking AI supercomputer, ASUS Ascent GX10, powered by the state-of-the-art NVIDIA GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip. This revolutionary device places the formidable capabilities of a petaFLOP-scale AI supercomputer directly onto the desks of developers, AI researchers and data scientists around the globe.

As the size and complexity of generative AI models grow, local development efforts face increasing challenges. Prototyping, tuning and inferencing large models require substantial memory and compute performance. To address these needs, Ascent GX10 is designed to provide developers with a powerful, economical desktop solution for AI development.

Solidigm Develops Liquid-Cooled Enterprise SSDs for AI Deployments

Solidigm, a pioneer in enterprise data storage, unveiled at the GTC AI Conference today one of the world's first liquid-cooled enterprise solid state drives (eSSDs)—helping remove the fans historically needed for storage devices and enabling future fully liquid-cooled artificial intelligence (AI) servers. Until now, the ability to deploy a completely liquid-cooled training server has been hampered by challenges with certain components. Traditional SSD direct liquid cooling (DLC) designs cool only one side of each SSD and prevent hot swapping. To enable more compact designs and decrease cooling costs, it is imperative these servers adopt a complete liquid-cooling approach to enable more compact designs while addressing architectural needs for all the components.

Solidigm has worked with NVIDIA to address eSSD liquid-cooling challenges, such as hot swap-ability and single-side cooling constraints. At GTC 2025, Solidigm is demonstrating the first cold-plate cooled eSSDs featuring the Solidigm D7-PS1010 E1.S 9.5 mm form factor. "Solidigm shows how the combination of an innovative Solidigm E1.S SSD and liquid cold-plate kit—both first-to-market innovations—deliver significant benefits in thermal efficiency while maintaining data center grade serviceability," said Kevin Noh, Co-CEO of Solidigm.

Phison Expands aiDAPTIV+ GPU Memory Extension Capabilities

Phison Electronics (8299TT), a leading innovator in NAND flash technologies, today announced an array of expanded capabilities on aiDAPTIV+, the affordable AI training and inferencing solution for on-premises environments. aiDAPTIV+ will be integrated into a ML-series Maingear laptop, the first AI laptop PC capable of LLMOps, utilizing NVIDIA GPUs and available for concept demonstration and registration this week at NVIDIA GTC 2025. Customers will be able to fine-tune Large Language Models (LLMs) up to 8 billion parameters using their own data.

Phison also expanded aiDAPTIV+ capabilities to run on edge computing devices powered by the NVIDIA Jetson platform, for enhanced generative AI inference at the edge and robotics deployments. With today's announcement, new and current aiDAPTIV+ users can look forward to the new aiDAPTIVLink 3.0 middleware, which will provide faster Time to First Token (TTFT) recall and extend the token length for greater context, improving inferencing performance and accuracy. These expansions will unlock access for users ranging from university students and AI industry professionals learning to train LLMs, or researchers uncovering deeper insights within their own data using a PC, all the way to manufacturing engineers automating factory floor enhancements via edge devices.

KIOXIA Flash Memory and SSD Solutions Empower AI Applications at NVIDIA GTC 2025

This week at NVIDIA GTC 2025, the Kioxia group, a world leader in memory solutions, will highlight the critical role of high-performance storage in AI solutions - including its ability to scale these applications up and out. Visitors to the KIOXIA booth will discover how, as organizations develop their AI strategies, flash memory can maximize performance and efficiency, helping to make the most of AI investments.

Product and technology demonstrations will be given in the KIOXIA booth #1811 on the show floor of the San Jose McEnry Convention Center from March 17-21 and include:
  • Broad lineup of KIOXIA SSDs - Including the recently announced KIOXIA LC9 Series 122.88 terabyte (TB) capacity NVMe SSD in a 2.5-inch form factor - Kioxia's first enterprise QLC SSD using BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory 8th generation technology 2 terabits (Tb) QLC die.
  • Live demo of new KIOXIA All-in-Storage ANNS with Product Quantization (KIOXIA AiSAQ ) technology - Featuring KIOXIA CD8P Series PCIe 5.0 NVMe Data Center SSDs.
  • Live demo of High Capacity QLC Storage for fast retrieval of large datasets - Featuring KIOXIA LC9 Series Enterprise NVMe SSDs.
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Mar 23rd, 2025 16:08 CDT change timezone

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