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Bitspower at 2024 CES: Griffin Radiator Fans, Summit Blocks, New Water Cooling Gear, Enigma Light Panels
Saturday, January 13th 2024

INNOCN Gaming Monitors at 2024 CES: OLED and Fast IPS with MiniLED Dominate

INNOCN brought its latest gaming monitors to the 2024 International CES; it didn't waste out time with monitors based on 15 year old tech; but rolled out the very latest—IPS with miniLED backlighting, and OLED. The Titan Army P27A6V is a 27-inch planar display with 4K Ultra HD resolution and a blistering 144 Hz refresh rate (which is high, considering this is 4K). This display uses an IPS panel with miniLED backlighting, and meets DisplayHDR 1000 spec. Display connectivity include HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4, both of which provide enough bandwidth of 4K HDR @ 144 Hz. Brilliant stuff, but this is "only" a 27-inch display, which will incur Hi-DPI scaling. Need something bigger? Check out the Titan Army P32A6V, which has identical specs to the P27A6V, but in a larger 32-inch planar format. Both these displays come in gunmetal gray and matte-white body color variants.

Switching up gears is the INNOCN M27E6V, a 27-inch planar display with a Fast IPS panel paired with miniLED backlighting. This one provides 4K Ultra HD with even faster 160 Hz refresh rate, and support for HDR 1400, and 99% coverage of DCI-P3. Inputs include DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1, and USB type-C (DisplayPort passthrough). You can use the monitor in single cable mode if the USB-C connection is capable of delivering 90 W. The next premium display is the Titan Army G27E8S, a 26.5-inch planar display that uses an OLED panel, and meant for performance gaming. You get a lower WQHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution than the other three displays we mentioned so far; but at higher 240 Hz refresh rate, and under 0.5 ms GTG response time, thanks to the OLED panel. Inputs include DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.1. The display meets HDR10 spec.
Friday, January 12th 2024
CORSAIR iCUE LINK QX120 RGB 120 mm Fan Review

CORSAIR iCUE LINK QX120 RGB 120 mm Fan Review

CORSAIR's iCUE Link QX120 RGB fans are unlike anything else on the market. Each fan uses a USB bus-based connection to have easy grouping and cable-less connections, sports 34 RGB LEDs with novel lighting effects, and even has a temperature sensor for extensive fan control using iCUE software.

Monokei Shows New Monokei Systems Low-profile, Modular, and Wireless Keyboard at CES 2024

Monokei is not a well-known name on the keyboard market, but its latest Monokei Systems certainly caught our attention at the CES 2024 show in Las Vegas. In addition to the new Monokei Systems, which is a modular low-profile mechanical keyboard, the company had its previous Monokei Standard keyboard on display as well, in both standard and Yuji and Megumi Edition designed by Jujutsu Kaisen.

As said, the star of the show is the Monokei Systems, a low-profile, modular, mechanical and wireless 75% keyboard with a choice between Kailh Choc v2 Silent or Choc v2 Tactile switches. The modular part is quite interesting as you can change pretty much everything, including switches, keycaps, gasket socks, top and bottom case and faceplate, all aluminium, can be easily replaced as these are held magnetically. You can even replace a PCB, which means endless possibilities and future upgrades. Monokei also offers new Series 2 keycaps as an optional purchase. The standard options are Cupertino Silver and Stockholm Night colors. As it is a 75% design there are no special keys other than a dial up knob.

Selection of ZOTAC GeForce RTX 40-series SUPER Cards Set at NVIDIA MSRP

Renowned PC hardware sleuth, momomo_us, has noticed that ZOTAC Gaming had recently revised its GeForce RTX 40-series Super press material with new information that details pricing for a slew of models. Their custom-designed SUPER Trinity Black Edition and Twin Edge 12 (non-OC) editions are designated as conforming to NVIDIA's official guide MSRPs—this will inevitably put pressure on competing AIB partners, who often add a little bit extra when charging for their stock-clocked models.

A handful of PC hardware publications have contacted ZOTAC regarding non-disclosed premium pricing of their overclocked range of Ada Lovelace-based SUPER GPUs, but the manufacturer is staying schtum for the moment. We will have to wait until NDAs expire, and a lifting of embargoes on reviewers + influencers. The latest information seems to confirm that ZOTAC will price their RTX 4070 SUPER 12 GB models—in Twin Edge or Trinity Black Edition guises—at the MSRP of $599. A single GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER Trinity Black Edition 16 GB is coming in at $799. ZOTAC's GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER Trinity Black Edition 16 GB is set at $999.

Momodora: Moonlit Farewell Out Now on Steam

Moonlit Farewell is the culmination of the Momodora series, and takes place 5 years after the events of Momodora III. Momo, a high priestess of Koho Village, is tasked to set off on a journey to save the world from demons, who were summoned by the ringing of a mysterious bell. Explore an enchanting pixel art world with flashy attacks and other skills such as melee combos, dodging, and ranged attacks. By activating "Sigils", you can strengthen your attack or your healing, or even summon magic swords to smite your enemies. After you obtain a Sigil, you can activate or deactivate it whenever you like, so you can swap them on the run and customize your abilities to match your playstyle.

Official Soundtrack Also Available Now!
The Official Soundtrack, which includes the music tracks used in the game, is also now available on Steam. Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is currently 10% OFF for the first week of release, until January 18, 2024. What's more, players who already own Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, the previous game in the series, can purchase the game with the "Momodora Collection" bundle for a further 10% discount!

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League PC Spec Requirements Unleashed

Built by Rocksteady Games...here are your PC System Requirements (see below) for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. From the creators of Batman: Arkham, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a genre-defying third-person action shooter where the ultimate band of misfits must do the impossible: Kill the Justice League. Join the newly "recruited" members of Amanda Waller's infamous Task Force X (aka the Suicide Squad), Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang and King Shark, as they set out on an impossible mission to Kill the Justice League. Drop into an expansive and dynamic open-world Metropolis ravaged by Brainiac's invasion and terrorized by the heroes who once protected it.

Good news for our Closed Alpha participants!
Back in November, we held a Closed Alpha Test for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League where players agreed to a Non-Disclosure Agreement and got a chance to check out an early section of the game. Now that there is more news out on the game and players are asking, we're no longer enforcing a portion of the NDA and we're allowing players to talk about their experience from the Closed Alpha Test. We've heard the community requests and want to give players an opportunity to discuss what it's like to explore Metropolis as Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark.

Cooler Master Demos Prototype "Project VGA Cooler" at CES

Cooler Master's research and design team seems to be up to all sorts of shenanigans lately—company representatives at CES 2024 had the joyful experience of hyping up a curiosity/prototype bearing the moniker "Project VGA Cooler." It certainly is a tough sell to explain to punters how an aftermarket part can usurp the performance offered by a manufacturer's standard fitting of triple-fan arrays on already pricey custom high-end GeForce RTX 40xx cards. The plucky Project VGA Cooler was showcased in white or dark silver forms, accompanied by twin Mobius 120 mm fans. The spec sheet states that these utilize special loop dynamic bearings, although we are not certain whether the special Mobius fans are customized for this project specifically.

TPU staff witnessed an ASUS GeForce RTX 4090 TUF graphics card getting the refit treatment—its original triple-fan array was removed, and the experimental aftermarket part was attached to the TUF's remaining heatsink and shroud. Cooler Master's demonstration proceeded smoothly, but this publication questions whether these prototype GPU cooling units are truly prepared for a universal fit across a wide variety of expensive current generation GeForce RTX models, or Radeon RX equivalents. Cooler Master's design team likely has to be careful in choosing specific or popular GPU models, once "Project VGA Cooler" exits the conceptual phase of development and approaches final retail form.

PlayStation 5 Slim Deep Earth Cover Collection Debuted at CES

Sony PlayStation has surprised attendees at CES 2024 with the unveiling of custom color slim console covers—the molten metallic finishes on display at their booth are Volcanic Red, Cobalt Blue, and Sterling Silver. The presence of matching DualSense controllers confirms that Sony is likely rolling out another batch of its Deep Earth Collection, fashioned specifically for its youthful PS5 Slim refresh (launched back in November 2023). Owners of the standard PlayStation 5 were granted access to the shiny and colorful cover and controller range last Autumn.

The Verge reckons that the Deep Earth Slim covers will go on sale for $54.99 MSRP—which is the same price point given for the standard PS5 customization option. They also note some aesthetical differences: "Unlike the standard white PS5 slim, these don't have the glossy / matte split between the top and bottom plates. I prefer matte all the way, so I'm happy to see that...There's no avoiding dust on that black center section of the PS5, unfortunately." It is encouraging to see Sony rolling out these optional extras so soon after the release of their PS5 Slim model, although they are probably eager to make a bit of profit on accessory sales (margins are tighter when selling core hardware).

Hi-Rez Studios Reveals SMITE 2

Titan Forge Games and Hi-Rez Studios have made the biggest announcement in SMITE history—SMITE 2! Become a god and wage war in SMITE 2, the Unreal Engine 5-powered sequel to the legendary third-person action MOBA. If you love rewarding teamwork, challenging competition, intense action, ability-driven third-person combat, or godly mythology, you'll see why 40+ million players love SMITE.

SMITE, EVOLVED
More than 40 million players have enjoyed SMITE. Now the next generation of action MOBA begins, with immersive next-gen visuals powered by UE5, more impactful combat, and new creative gameplay options to shape the game in your own way.

MSI Shows Off Monster Hunter 20th Anniversary Products at CES

MSI and CAPCOM announced a Monster Hunter-themed product partnership last week—this popular Japanese-made gaming franchise is celebrating its twentieth year in 2024. As promised in last week's declaration, MSI managed to exhibit their concept prototypes at an exclusive booth, in close proximity to everything else they had going on at the Las Vegas Convention Center. TPU staffers had a lot of items on their proverbial plates chez MSI, so not everything MH 20th Anniv. related was captured in glorious detail.

The MSI MPG GUNGNIR 300 Monster Hunter Edition case was prominently placed at the front of MSI's special booth; TPU was surprised to see that a full system had been put together inside of it. Naturally, franchise-themed hardware was visible through a glass side panel—including MH-themed case fans. The fully operational gaming system was hooked up to a MAG 274QRF QD E2 Monster Hunter Edition gaming monitor.

Diablo IV Devs to Preview Season 3 on January 18

Our next Developer Update Livestream begins on January 18 at 9 a.m. PST and will unearth details about the next season's gameplay features, Season Journey, and quality-of-life updates. Plus, we'll also share information about the new competitive leaderboard system—The Gauntlet. Join associate director of community Adam Fletcher, game design manager Daniel Tanguay, quest designer Madeleine James, and lead class designer Adam Jackson, as they delve into the danger awaiting you in Diablo IV's third season.

We'll also hold a Q&A segment at the end of the stream for players to field their questions directly to the team. Visit our official Diablo Twitch and YouTube channels to watch live! Following the Developer Update Livestream's conclusion, we'll post another article with a video of the livestream so you can still catch up on the details if you miss them.

Cooler Master Showcases MasterKeys & MasterMouse Products at CES '24

Cooler Master presented its upcoming MasterKeys hybrid wireless gaming keyboard at CES 2024—the MK770 was debuted at last year's event, but has not reached retail in the iterim period. A variety of chassis and keycap color sets were showcased at CES '23, but that tally has decreased at Cooler Master's 2024 convention exhibit—Space Gray and Macaron are the two consolidated choices. The feature set presented a year ago seems to be largely intact—TPU noted that the MK770 is still advertised as having a hot-swappable mechanical switch system, gasket structure (for noise and vibration reduction), coupled with a noise-absorbing design plus silicone dampers. Kailh Box V2 switches are part of this customizable package, plus US and TC regional versions will get high-purity PBT double shot keycaps, for increased durability and long-lasting colors.

The MasterMouse MM712 Wired Gaming mouse also made a re-appearance at CES 2024. We last witnessed this small + lightweight (sub 50 grams) pointing device at Cooler Master's Computex 2023 booth, alongside its fancier MM712 PRO wireless sibling. The wired version sits alone at this year's event; we are not sure why the PRO version is absent. The MM712 Wired is presented as a permanently Ultraweaved cable-equipped alternative to Cooler Master's existing MM712 hybrid model, although the shell and main buttons have been redesigned to eliminate uncomfortable pinching of skin. The spec sheet confirms that Pixart's top-flight PAW3395 optical sensor has been integrated into the MM712 Wired, granting a maximum 26,000 DPI setting.

GAMDIAS Cases at 2024 CES: Neso P1 Elite, Atlas P1, and More

GAMDIAS has a vast lineup of gaming cases that's nearly 50 individual models strong. At the 2024 International CES, the company brought some of its latest case models that it plans to launch throughout the year; including some of its recent cases that came out no sooner than Q4-2023. The New Neso P1 Elite is an upscale model based on GAMDIAS's unique Neso P1 case that can be oriented both as a tower, or as a pedestal case, where you can take advantage of its single-piece curved tempered glass panel to provide a great view from the top at your gaming PC built. With the Neso P1 Elite, the company made improvements to the design of the motherboard tray over the original; added new magnetic modular pedestals that are easier to swap between the two case orientations than something you bolt-onto the panel; the addition of top-panel air vents with an elevated glass top panel; and improvements to the usability of the side-facing radiator. This is, for all intents and purposes, a vertically-partitioned case; except the right side partition doesn't come all the way to the front; but roughly two inches beyond the motherboard tray. This way the right side panel has not just a broad crawlspace, but also room for your PSU and storage.

Next up, is the Atlas P1, which is a conventional horizontally-partitioned mid-tower, but where the bottom partition has some useful feature additions such as a programmable display that puts out real-time fan-speed and temperature monitoring. Although the the front- and left side panels are flush, with no steel pillars in the way; they are not one continuous piece of glass, a mechanical push-type lock releases the side panel along hinges. The top panel can be removed without any tools, which makes working on the liquid-cooling setup is easier. The case has enough room for two radiators as large as 420 mm x 140 mm, one at the top panel, and the other facing the right side. GAMDIAS has both the Atlas P1 and Neso P1 Elite. The Aura GC4 is a unique-looking mid-tower case that features a real oak Scandinavian style front-panel.

City Builder "New Cycle" Arriving via Early Access on January 18

New Cycle is a dieselpunk-inspired city-builder with an emphasis on survival. It will launch into Early Access on Steam on January 18th, 2024! You are the leader of a small group of settlers seeking refuge after a catastrophic solar flare desolated the Earth. You start with only a basic settlement, a few hungry workers, and many unfulfilled needs. Over time, as your population grows, new challenges for your colony will emerge—fluctuations in morale, disease outbreaks, power losses, and resource demands will all test your capabilities as a leader. Nothing is ever certain, but each new day is another opportunity to rebuild what was lost and return humanity's dominion over the earth.

Looking into the bright dawn of Early Access in January, Turkish developers Core Engage and Daedalic Entertainment are excited to inject fresh energy into the survival city-building genre by elevating tried and true hallmarks both narratively and mechanically. With the unique crisis component around the sun and climate changes reminiscent of today's ecological concerns, New Cycle honors the existing elements while entertaining innovation in light of the new world and circumstances. Early Access will feature two different gameplay modes (campaign and sandbox), three different biomes, 54 buildings, 47 producible resources, three classes of society, eight different stages of development, and an inventory of 3D assets divided into three main eras and art style approaches.

Cooler Master Presents New Case Designs at CES - Updates NR200P Series

Cooler Master has showcased a wide variety of new case designs, as well refreshed versions of enthusiast favorites at CES 2024—the NR200P Vision was given special placement on a purple lit podium. This striking revisement of CM's original NR200P model presents itself as a futuristic concept—a crowd of attendees was drawn to this compact spectacle. Cooler Master states that NR200P Vision's feature set would normally be reserved for high-end or studio-level enclosures, but they have worked on integrating these into a space-saving profile. Support for 240 and 280 mm liquid coolers is mentioned on their interactive tablet display, as well as a provision for large GPUs (356 mm long, 160 mm high) via a vertical mounting system. An extra holder will be included to keep everything firmly in place. TPU staffers noticed that the Vision was fitted with wood (effect?) feet, suggesting that some style notes have been taken from Fractal Design's book.

The NR200P Vision features vented steel construction and striking tempered glass side panels—Cooler Master claims that this headliner has the performance to match its good looks. The Taiwanese hardware manufacturer made some room at their booth for another NR200-series refresh—a NR200P V2 model was presented in black or white options. Past feedback has been taken onboard; the chassis design team has made sure to update the front I/O panel with a much requested USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type C port (offering up to 20 Gb/s transfer speeds). It seems that the NR200P Vision has received the same front-facing connectivity treatment.

Jackery Shows Off Solar Generators for RVs, Campers, and Offroad Living

Jackery, a brand focused on providing solar-powered solutions, has again set the bar high with its latest range of solar generators designed for professional work and home backup. The company's product portfolio was showcased at CES 2024 recently, where the TechPowerUp team went to check it out. Starting off with the product for professionals on the go, the Jackery Solar Generator (4 kWh + 200 W*2) offers a gigantic 4.08 kWh capacity, expandable up to 24 kWh, ensuring that power needs for heavy-duty devices are met with ease. The generator boasts a 3000 W output, peaking at 6000 W, and is powered by a long-lasting LiFePO4 battery that can endure up to 4,000 charge cycles. Remarkably, the advanced IBC technology allows for ultra-fast solar charging in just 4 hours, and users can monitor and control the system via a smartphone app.

Hisense Presents Laser, Mini-LED, and Canvas Displays at CES 2024

Chinese consumer electronics giant Hisense showcased its latest audio-visual innovations at the 2024 CES show in Las Vegas this week. The company unveiled massive, ultra-high-end televisions as well as advances in its Laser TV lineup. Headlining Hisense's CES showcase was the 110UX, a 110-inch television with 40,000 backlighting zones and a searing 10,000 nits peak brightness. With unmatched contrast and brightness, Hisense calls it one of the most impressive 100+ inch TVs ever made. Also on display was the 98UX, a 98-inch set capable of 144 Hz refresh rates alongside over 10,000 local dimming zones. Beyond these flagship models, Hisense also introduced its thinnest Mini LED TV to date - the 75UX. At just 14 millimeters thin, Hisense claims it sets a new industry benchmark for slim design without compromising picture quality.

Alienware Unveils New Pro Wireless Mouse and Keyboard at CES 2024

For the first time in our history, we are breaking into the competitive gaming peripheral scene with the new Alienware Pro Wireless Mouse and Alienware Pro Wireless Keyboard. These advanced wireless products debut at CES 2024 alongside new gaming laptops and first of their kind QD-OLED monitors to satisfy competitive players and esports professionals. Our team knew that to make a premier mouse and keyboard tailored for pros, we needed input from pros. Throughout the development process, we collaborated with over 100 esports athletes from across the globe, including Team Liquid, our longtime partner and the most successful team in esports history. Guided by their insights, our expert engineers and designers meticulously crafted our most advanced peripherals ever.

Tuned for performance and comfort, welcome the Alienware Pro Mouse
Pro gamers are in consensus - a tournament-ready mouse needs to be responsive, comfortable and offer long battery life. We pushed the limits in these areas then combined them with thoughtful conveniences to make the Alienware Pro Mouse a great choice for anyone - from esports athletes to tech enthusiasts. We started by packing the Pro Mouse with the highest performance components. You are probably familiar with DPI, but another key performance characteristic is polling rate. Polling rate is the frequency in which data is sent from a mouse to a device.

Cooler Master Brings New PSUs to CES 2024, Including 2800 W X Might and and 1100 W X Silent Edge

Cooler Master had plenty to show at the CES 2024 in Las Vegas, including a full lineup of its power supply units. The star of the show were the new X Silent Max, X Silent Edge, and the X Mighty PSU series, all featuring ATX 3.1 support and 12VHPWR outputs. In addition, Cooler Master also showcased a couple of SFX PSUs and V- and GX-series power supplies.

The Cooler Master X Mighty PSU series will be available in 2800 W and 2000 W outputs, and comes with a total of four 12VHPWR connectors on the 2800 W model, providing a total of 2,400 W power. As said, it comes with ATX 3.1 support, use only high-quality and reliable components, and have 80 Plus Platinum power efficiency. It supports MasterCTRL software where you can monitor temperature, load, and overall performance. The X Silent Max is going to be available in 1300 W version, and has ATX 3.1 support and comes with a single 12VHPRW output, It uses ultra-quiet Cooler Master Mobius fan keeping the noise level at up to 20dB. It comes with patented single-piece heat dissipation structure which uses a direct contact heatsink with heatpipes combined with the casing in order to keep the temperatures down. It also uses active bridge rectifier and Infineon IC chips for high quality performance, as well as has support for MasterCTRL software.

EK Expands Quantum Magnitude sTRX4 Lineup - for STR5 & SP6 Sockets

EK, the leading provider of premium liquid cooling solutions, is excited to announce the expanded compatibility of its esteemed EK-Quantum Magnitude sTRX4 water blocks. These flagship cooling solutions, known for their high performance and quality, are now fully compatible with the latest AMD sTR5 and AMD SP6 CPU sockets. This advancement ensures that users of the new sTR5 and SP6 platforms can experience the same superior cooling and craftsmanship that EK-Quantum Magnitude sTRX4 users have long come to trust.

The EK-Quantum Magnitude sTRX4 series, including the Full Nickel, Nickel Acetal, and Nickel Plexi models, maintains its renowned design and efficiency while embracing the evolving landscape of CPU technology. Customers can continue to rely on these solutions for their cooling needs without any changes in product naming or design. Refer to the EK Compatibility Configurator and EK Custom Loop Configurator database for a detailed compatibility list.

ASUS Announces Triple 4K Thunderbolt 4 Dock DC500

ASUS today announced the Triple 4K Thunderbolt 4 Dock DC500, an all-in-one docking station designed for creators. It's also the world's smallest 12-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 dock available on the market, and requires just a single USB-C cable to connect to multiple 4K displays, peripherals, and memory card readers to create a complete, highly-efficient creative workstation. DC500 offers Thunderbolt 4 connectivity and two HDMI 2.1 ports, allowing users to create a triple 4K display setup, or if preferred, a single 8K monitor at 60 Hz. Additionally, the Thunderbolt 4 port offers up to 40 Gbps data transfer speeds. It features two UHS II card slots to accommodate SD 4.0 and microSD cards for quick data transfers. For added convenience, DC500 includes a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port and up to 100-watt passthrough to power the connected laptop. To ensure a tidy workspace, DC500 has an adjustable stand with locking knob that allows it to be secured on the back of a monitor or onto the edge of a desk.

GAMDIAS AIO Liquid Coolers at CES 2024: Aura GL V2 and Chione P3

Besides bringing out new feature updates to its Boreas line of air coolers, GAMDIAS showcased its latest AIO liquid CPU coolers, the Aura GL V2 series, and the Chione P3 series. The Chione P3 series features an innovative pump-block design that features a small ~60 mm fan that generates some airflow around the CPU socket, to help cool the VRM heatsinks, memory modules, and the NVMe SSD closest to it. Right above this fan, suspended on armatures is a round LCD display that displays coolant temperature by default, but can be made to display just about anything, using the Chione Cast app. The Chione P3 comes in two sizes—240 mm (P3-240U), and 360 mm (P3-360U). The P3 series also introduces an updated hydraulic bearing PWM fan, and Teflon-coated coolant tubes.

The Aura GL V2 series are positioned to be a little more affordable than the Chione P3 series, There are several improvements to the V2 over the original Aura series, such as an updated pump with a 12-slot, 10-pole motor, an updated copper cold-plate, an updated coolant channel, cable concealment, and some design touch-ups, such as the ability to rotate the top plate of the pump-block. The Aura GL V2 series comes in 360 mm, 240 mm, and 120 mm sizes; and their sub-variants of black and white.

GAMDIAS Next Gen Boreas M2-51D and E2-410D Tower Type Coolers with Digital Displays Snapped

GAMDIAS at the 2024 International CES showed off its updates to the Boreas M2-51 and E2-41 lines of tower-type CPU coolers. The new M2-51D and E2-410D, along with their white variants M2-51DWH and E2-410DWH, come with a digital segment display along the top plate. The aluminium fin-stack is slightly recessed, creating room for a tiny bit of electronics, which are wired down to the base. Besides fan RPM, this display puts out CPU temperature, although we're not sure how it goes about doing this.

The easiest way would be to have this display plug into one of the USB 2.0 headers, and for an app to read CPU temperature and fan RPM off the super I/O chip; although we'd be surprised if it's taking the difficult route of localized fan control and its own thermal measurements using a thermistor. Both the M2-51D and E2-410D are nearly identical heatsinks, but differ in heatpipe count—5 versus 4, respectively; and so while the M2-51D is rated for thermal loads of up to 240 W, the E2-410D is rated up to 230 W. The display is hidden behind a tinted polycarbonate panel, so it looks flush. Although not on display at CES, GAMDIAS revealed that it's working on a high-end dual fin-stack cooler that uses the vast top-plate area available to sneak in a true-color LCD screen.

Alphacool APEX Skeleton Case and Fans at 2024 CES

Alphacool at the 2024 CES debuted its APEX line of premium DIY liquid cooling products; and we've covered the Alphacool APEX 1 CPU water block, CPU+VRM monoblock, and memory cooler in our older article focusing on the company's new liquid cooling products. Here we have the star attraction at Alphacool's CES booth, the new APEX Skeleton full-tower case. This case features an open-cage design, with minimal body paneling to favor ventilation, a high degree of modularity, and all the features you need to build a DIY liquid cooled enthusiast PC powered by the company's APEX and Core liquid cooling hardware. Its struts, motherboard tray, front-, top-, and bottom-panels are made of real carbon fiber, while the frame remains steel. Both its side panels are tinted tempered glass. Alphacool includes a Distroplate reservoir with the case that's perfectly aligned with its design and location of core components; but you pair it with your own D5 pump and fittings.

Next up, is the APEX Stealth line of case fans. These are premium fans with their frames made of metal. The frame is a combination of an outer metal body that takes the familiar square shape, while there's an inner polycarbonate frame that makes up the bore of the frame. This structure makes contact with the motor and fluid-dynamic bearing. The impeller remains polycarbonate, and is webbed toward the end for 100% axial airflow. The inner frame is isolated from the outer metal frame through a series of vibration absorbing standoffs, washers, and O-rings. With these in place, Alphacool claims comparable noise levels the some of the quietest high-end fans in the industry. The outer metal frame comes in several trims, including silver chrome, matte black, gold, and matte white. Available now, the APEX Stealth 120 mm fans are priced around 30€ a piece.

EK at CES 2024: Quantum-X NoCase, Velocity² 1700 Special Edition Waterblock, and Other Water Cooling Components

The TechPowerUp team visited the EK water blocks booth at the CES 2024 international show. We previously covered the company's latest direct-die all-in-one (AIO) water cooler, but many more products were on display. First in line is EK's Quantum-X NoCase chassis, which contradicts traditional PC enclosures with its open, no outer shell design. This radical departure from convention results in a nearly invisible frame crafted from aluminium for a featherlight weight of approximately 3 pounds. Its design is meticulously engineered to be as airy and lightweight as possible without compromising the support needed for essential hardware and liquid cooling components. The case integrates the advanced Reflection² distro plate, equipped with dual D5 pumps to facilitate separate cooling loops for both the CPU and GPU, ensuring optimal thermal management in a minimalist aesthetic.

Alphacool at 2024 CES: APEX, Core Full Copper Radiators, Distro-Reservoirs, LT Water Blocks

Alphacool at the 2024 International CES showed us their latest full-copper radiators, distribution plate reservoirs, and CPU water blocks, under its new Core brand that it debuted with the Core 1 series CPU blocks. The Core XT45 radiator series come in popular sizes, and are noticeably heavy since they're based on a heavier metal than aluminium. Besides the use of copper, the Core XT45 also features a denser fin structure, while their steel frames feature a silicone diffuser for RGB lighting.

Next up, are the Core 1 LT series CPU water blocks. These are a "lite" version of the Core 1 series blocks Alphacool announced in 2023; featuring less elaborate tops, but without compromising on quality or cooling performance. While the Core 1 series comes with premium brushed metal or carbon fiber finish tops; the Core 1 LT uses simpler LED-studded acrylic tops, some of which have vinyl panels and other inserts. The block underneath remains nickel-plated copper, with the same cross-slot base and 3D jet-plate. Since the top has close to no role to play in the cooling except structural, the performance is unchanged.

EK Shows Nucleus AIO CR360 for Direct-Die Water Cooling at CES 2024

During the CES 2024 show, EK unveiled an exciting new addition to their premium all-in-one (AIO) CPU cooler lineup—the EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 Direct Die D-RGB. As the name suggests, this new 360 mm AIO water cooler is purpose-built for direct die cooling of delidded Intel LGA1700 CPUs. The EK-Nucleus Direct Die stands out with its custom cold plate and mounting mechanism, which are exclusively engineered for exposed CPU dies. The nickel-plated copper base ensures compatibility with liquid metal TIMs like the included Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut, which comes in the package. EK has worked with der8auer to provide delidding service kits and tools to facilitate easy DIY removal of the integrated heat spreader (IHS).

The package also contains a contact frame and protective foam for safe liquid metal application. At the heart of the cooler is a powerful AIO pump EK co-developed with the OEM manufacturer, meaning it is not an off-the-shelf pump found in other AIOs and is capable of up to 500 L/h flow rate. The reinforced, sleeved rubber tubing is fitted with aluminium covers for durability. Integrated omnilink connectors allow daisy chaining of the three included 120 mm D-RGB fans for cable management. The EK-Nucleus Direct Die offers extensive RGB lighting customization with illuminated circle accents on the removable pump top covers. The diamond-cut brushed aluminium side panels and radiator cowl add to the premium aesthetic. The new AIO will be available for the Intel LGA1700 platform, with hopefully more versions later. The EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 Direct Die D-RGB is now available for pre-order at €202.90 MSRP price tag.

Cooler Master's MasterHub is Every Streamer's Dream

Every gaming lifestyle brand has a stream-control device in its lineup these days, but none even functionally close to the MasterHub by Cooler Master. This is a modular, highly customizable stream control panel, in which you can swap out modules to alter its layout and functionality. A base plate roughly the size of a 7-inch tablet has various contact points on top; you pick and choose the modules you need, and mount them on top of this dock.

Among the modules available are everything from a 15-key Lebdev pad, to one with a 5-pole fader, to one with rotary knobs, to another with drum rollers, to another with a puck-shaped touchscreen. You can mix and match them as you need, and everything is programmable using the MasterHub app. You can even have multiple modules of the same kind—think two Lebdev pads worth 30 keys; or as many MasterHubs as you want. The base plate aggregates all modules into a single USB-C connection to your PC.

LINSOUL ThieAudio IEMs and Accessories at 2024 CES

The EPOMAKER x LINSOUL booth at the 2024 International CES had a lineup of ThieAudio in-ear monitors. We begin our tour with the Hype 10. The name apparently stands for "hybrid performance." Each of these IEMs comes with two 10 mm composite diaphragm drivers arranged in an isobaric design to make a subwoofer. These offer a broad frequency response range from 10 Hz to 40 kHz with 105 dB/Vrms @ 1 kHz sensitivity. ThieAudio has these priced at $900 a pair. Next up, is the more feature-packed Prestige LTD, with 1DD + 4BA + 4EST Tribrid setup, and an electrostatic driver that provides a broad 10 Hz to 20 Hz frequency response. Each earphone contains 4 Sonion electrostatic drivers, plus 2 Knowles mid-treble balanced armatures, plus 2 Sonion low-mid balanced armatures, and a 10 mm dynamic subwoofer. The maximum frequency response thanks to this setup is as high as 80 kHz. Sensitivity tops out at 98 dB @ 1 kHz. ThieAudio prices these at $1,300.

While ThieAudio focuses on audiophiles, the Kiwi Ears series is for the mass market that just wants better sound. Kiwi Ears Forteza is an entry-level IEM by ThieAudio, with a much simpler 1 High-Mid balanced armature (BA) + 10 mm Mid-range dynamic driver (DD) + 10 mm Bass DD setup; a regular 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response, with 103 dBSPL/mW @ 1 kHz sensitivity; at an attractive price of just $59. Winding things up is the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite, a more premium product positioned above the Forteza; with an 8 BA multi driver setup consisting of Kiwi Ears customized HI x2 + Kiwi Ears Customized MID x4 + Knowles LOW x2, per earphone. Available for pre-order now, the Orchestra Lite is priced at $249. Lastly, we ran into a number of face-plate customizations by Kiwi Ears.

Retro Games Announces Atari 400 Mini, Arriving March 28

We are proud to announce that THE400 Mini—a modern day mini recreation of the pioneering home computer that first appeared in 1979, will be launching worldwide on 28th March 2024. Retro Games Ltd., one of the world's leading producers of re-imagined home computers, is proud to reveal that our modern day mini recreation of a pioneering home computer is now available to pre-order.

For those looking to relive the gameplay experiences of the 1970s and 1980s, included with THE400 Mini is our THECXSTICK, an enhanced, updated recreation of the iconic CX40 Atari joystick for that added touch of nostalgia. This new controller comes with an additional seven seamlessly integrated function buttons and USB, making it compatible with a wide range of platforms.
Thursday, January 11th 2024
Ducky ProjectD Tinker 75 Mechanical Keyboard Review

Ducky ProjectD Tinker 75 Mechanical Keyboard Review

Ducky adds to its promising ProjectD keyboard line with the Tinker 75. This is more affordable than the Outlaw series thanks to the use of a two piece plastic chassis but otherwise retains the use of new Cherry MX2A switches as well as the gasket mount and open-source nature of the keyboard that impressed us before.

AMD Believes NVIDIA is Behind in Driver-Based Upscaler Development

AMD is readying its Fluid Motion Frames (AFMF) technology for public release later this month (January 24 to be exact). Aaron Steinman, a Senior Radeon Manager, believes that arch rival NVIDIA will need to take some drastic steps once AFMF arrives due to its more open nature. He stated in a short interaction with PC Gamer: "I would be curious to know if NVIDIA feels now they have to match what we've done in making some of these solutions driver-based." His software engineering buddies have already released the Radeon Super Resolution (RSR) technology, which functions via in-driver operation.

Unlike Team Red's heavily marketed FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) system, AFMF and RSR are not reliant on official support from games developers. The driver-based solutions will be packaged within an upcoming version of AMD's HYPR-RX feature set. Steinman continued with his statement: "I think what we're gonna start seeing, DLSS is only available on certain solutions, so either NVIDIA is going to have to benefit from our solution because we did make it open-source and cross-vendor, or they're probably going to need to do something similar." The publication points out that Team Green has something in the same ballpark—NVIDIA Image Scaling—but its nowhere near as advanced as their headlining "AI-infused" DLSS tech. Steinman conceded to PC Gamer that his main opponent will inevitably pull ahead in the future: "I mean, the competition will never end, right? We'll have new technologies, they (NVIDIA) will have new technologies."

Samsung Demos AI-Powered Galaxy Book4 Series at CES 2024

Samsung Electronics showcased its AI-strengthened Galaxy ecosystem at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 in Las Vegas from January 9-12. The dedicated Mobile Experience Zone at Samsung's booth pulled attendees in for one last glimpse at the company's top innovations where visitors could experience the latest Galaxy products, including the Galaxy Book4 Series, and view how they are strengthened by partnerships with industry leaders. Samsung Newsroom visited the site and summarized the main highlights of the event. Read on to learn how the company is driving the hyper-connected mobile experience of the future.

New, Exciting AI Capabilities With the Galaxy Book4 Series
The new Galaxy Book4 Series was spotlighted near the entrance of the zone. Attendees could experience the strong AI performance and the incredibly responsive touchscreen display of the Galaxy Book4, released on January 4 in Korea. The Galaxy Book4 series is equipped with the new Intel Core Ultra Processor, offering expanded connectivity and a high-performance AI experience. The zone featured up-close demonstrations of the laptop's increased processing power, made possible by a newly-added Neural Processing Unit (NPU).

NVIDIA Giving Away Jensen Huang Signed RTX 4080 SUPER FE Cards

NVIDIA's presence at CES 2024 has focused mainly on the introduction of new GeForce RTX 40-series SUPER graphics cards—TPU spent some quality time over at Team Green's Las Vegas Convention Center booth where a plethora of the latest Ada Lovelace gaming products were on display. To coincide with this event, interested punters on social media or in-person can enter a competition—NVIDIA is giving away two Founders Edition GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER graphics cards (valued at $999 per unit) with something extra courtesy of the technology company's esteemed CEO.

The competition page states: "We have two Founders Edition GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER graphics cards signed by NVIDIA's founder and CEO, Jensen Huang, that we're giving away, one for our social channels and one for CES attendees. The first chance to win is by following our GeForce social channels on X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and by looking for key prompts and instructions (please check the complete set of rules for the giveaway here)."

Alienware Redesigns m16 R2 with Stealth Mode, Supercharges x16 R2 and m18 R2

Alienware is entering new arenas at CES 2024 with the debut of notebooks, peripherals and monitors that were inspired by our community and developed to appeal to all gamers. Whether you play to compete, play to get immersed in the game or play to socialize, Alienware can outfit your gaming needs. From the beginning, Alienware has offered high-performance hardware and software to the most demanding gamers. And here's what I can tell you: our focus on the enthusiast gamer hasn't changed. At the same time, the gaming landscape has evolved and is becoming more diverse than ever.

That's why we're eager to introduce products designed for wider audiences, from students who play dorm room sessions with friends, to working professionals who wind down the evening with a relaxing indie title, and pro athletes who game for a living. While these products reach new audiences, their DNA remains distinctly Alien, meaning they deliver the latest innovations in technology, performance and design. Meet Alienware's latest product portfolio:
  • Three new gaming notebooks debut - the redesigned Alienware m16 R2, the ultra-premium x16 R2, and our performance juggernaut, the m18 R2.
  • We've doubled our QD-OLED family by adding the Alienware AW3225QF and AW2725DF - two first of their kind QD-OLED monitors.
  • Built in collaboration with 100+ esports athletes, our new Alienware Pro Wireless Keyboard and Pro Wireless Mouse mark our breakthrough into the pro gaming peripherals space.

Alienware Unveils Two New QD-OLED Gaming Monitors at CES 2024

Today at CES 2024, Alienware is building on our legacy of display innovation with two new world's-first QD-OLED gaming monitors. Introducing the Alienware 32 4K QD-OLED Gaming Monitor (AW3225QF) and Alienware 27 360 Hz QD-OLED Gaming Monitor (AW2725DF) - two new, advanced gaming displays that expand our celebrated, award-winning QD-OLED family which first debuted at CES 2022.

These new models are the first of their kind. On the left, you're looking at the world's first 4K QD-OLED gaming monitor with Dolby Vision HDR designed for you to see every detail in astounding color and contrast. On the right, beauty and speed come together in the world's first 360 Hz QD-OLED gaming monitor, providing you with 360 Hz refresh rate and QD-OLED infinite contrast in QHD resolution (2560x1440). All these features combined into a single package helps position any gamers with a clear competitive advantage. (For a quick refresher on QD-OLED technology, click here.) No matter whether you are playing racing games where speed is of the essence, or simulation and action-adventure games where sharp visual fidelity is key, there is now an Alienware QD-OLED gaming monitor perfect for you.

CD Projekt Red Teases Project "Orion" - Cyberpunk 2077's Sequel

CD Projekt Red released the final chunks of post-launch content for their blockbuster action role-player last autumn—Cyberpunk 2077 was handsomely padded-out with a significant Update 2.0 as well as the well received Phantom Liberty campaign expansion. Company leadership confirmed in October that CDPR development departments would be focusing on a full-blown sequel, rather than produce further DLC add-ons for the first entry in the series. Igor Sarzyńsk, the sequel's narrative director, announced earlier this week that he had arrived at CD Projekt Red's recently established office in Boston, Massachusetts. This new outfit appears to be separate from CD Projekt's other East Coast studio: The Molasses Flood.

Sarzyńsk's tweet establishes that CDPR's new-ish North American team is working on Cyberpunk 2077 Part Deux: "First day in the Boston office! So good to meet old friends and officially kickstart our Orion journey. I couldn't be more excited for this project and I'm sure we can make it something special. 2077 was just a warm-up 🔥." Gaming news outlets have focused a lot of attention on Sarzyńsk's (slightly premature) implication that the CP2077 sequel is going to be greater in scope. The original game had a troubled development cycle, so it will be interesting to see how a combination of studio veterans and new staff get a handle on the successor—especially with a switch over to Epic's Unreal Engine 5. Cyberpunk 2077 was the final game to utilize the company's proprietary REDengine.

Frore Systems Announces AirJet Mini Slim at CES 2024

At CES 2024, Frore Systems, the pioneering developer of AirJet Mini, the world's first Solid-State Active Cooling Chip, unveiled the AirJet Mini Slim - a thinner, lighter, smarter and even more advanced solid-state active cooling chip.

Building on the success of the original AirJet Mini, which garnered widespread recognition, including the prestigious COMPUTEX 2023 Golden Award and CES 2024 "Best of Innovation" Award, Frore Systems continues to accelerate the pace of innovation in thermal management. The AirJet Mini Slim, featuring the same groundbreaking solid-state active cooling design of its predecessor, includes three new features, while remaining silent, lightweight and delivering superior heat removal compared to traditional fans.

Intel Fellow Confirms Arc Battlemage GPU on Track for 2024 Launch

PC World's Adam Patrick Murray and Brad Chacos sat down with a key figure representing Intel's Arc engineering team at CES 2024—Tom "TAP" Petersen was happy to answer queries regarding Team Blue's next-gen GPU offerings. The former long-tenured NVIDIA marketer + engineer confirmed in a video interview (see below) that Intel's Arc hardware department has already moved onto developing the Celestial Xe3 GPU family, while a significant chunk of staff are dedicated to getting software ready for a 2024 Battlemage Xe2-HPG GPU series launch. The latter info tracks with internal presentation material from late last year. The rumor mill has discrete Battlemage GPUs linked to a 4 nm-class TSMC foundry node.

Tom Petersen stated: "It's coming, I am excited about it, and all our engineers you know how they are constantly doing their engineering things. I'd say about 30% of our engineers are working on Battlemage, mostly on the software side because our hardware team is on the next thing (Celestial), so think about it as the Battlemage has already has its first silicon in the labs which is very exciting and there's more good news coming which I can't talk about right now...We hope we are going see it before the next CES in 2025." VideoCardz reckons that Battlemage could reach retail shelves alongside Team Blue's Lunar Lake CPU generation later this year, while Celestial has possible ties to a Panther Lake CPU release in 2025.

EPOMAKER Keyboards at 2024 CES: V87, RT100, and Alice 98, and Corded Cables

EPOMAKER at the 2024 International CES showed off its recent gaming peripherals. The company specializes in retro-futuristic looking keyboards that look like they're from the 1980s, but are backed by modern tech. Our tour begins with the CIDOO V87, a TKL wireless keyboard with matte linear key switches, an aluminium unibody chassis, a programmable metal rotary knob, and dye-sublimation PBT keycaps. It supports RF + Bluetooth + USB-C connectivity, and a 3,000 mAh battery with fast charging can run the keyboard for days with its lighting.

Next up, is the RT100, a 95% (97-key) format mechanical keyboard, featuring a gasket-mounting ergonomic design, flexible choices of key switches between Gateron and EPOMAKER (in-house); and 3 connectivity options. Pay attention to the stub near the Esc key—it has a little multi-color LED display that can be used to put out real-time monitoring stats. The EPOMAKER Feker Alice 98 is modeled after the early-1990s Microsoft Ergonomic keyboard that sees the main key cluster split and angled into two; except with all the "modern amenities," such as pre-lubed mechanical key switches, RF + Bluetooth + USB-C interfaces, and more. There is a variant with an off-white CNC aluminium top-plate, and another with a small programmable screen. Lastly, EPOMAKER displayed its MIX Pro retro-futuristic USB-C cable meant to mimic the coiled cord look of keyboards from the 1980s.

ASUS Showcases ZenWiFi BQ16 and BQ16 Pro WiFi 7 Mesh Routers

ASUS today displayed the ZenWiFi BQ16 and ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro mesh routers at CES 2024, featuring next-gen quad-band WiFi 7 speeds of up to 30 Gbps and coverage of up to 8000 sq. ft. (2pk) for future-ready smart homes. Dual 10 Gbps ports empower wired gaming as well as ultimate work-from-home productivity and 4K HDR entertainment streaming. ASUS ZenWiFi mesh routers won the coveted PC Magazine 2023 Readers' Choice Award. The authoritative publication reported that "ASUS takes a clear lead in this category," with the highest scores "for both overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend." PCMag also stated, "ASUS scores exceptionally high for mesh coverage, WiFi speed and network management."

ASUS also announces the availability of its ROG Rapture GT-BE98 and GT-BE98 Pro WiFi 7 gaming routers. Each router is equipped with powerful quad-band AiMesh, cutting-edge technology and innovative design, ensuring that users can enjoy ultimate performance.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden Previewed in Intimate New Trailer

As we're getting closer to Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden's release on February 13, we—Focus Entertainment and DON'T NOD—are thrilled to share with you the touching new trailer for our game in which Antea and Red reveal the depth of their relationship. Delve into an intimate tale of love, death, and sacrifice that binds two lovers together. Navigate the challenges of being haunted ghost hunters and make tough decisions with profound consequences for the living, the dead, and your departed lover.

Life to the living, death to the dead
New Eden, 1695: Antea and Red are lovers and Banishers, trained spirit-hunters, protecting people from lingering specters. But when tragedy strikes and Antea herself becomes a ghost, you face a choice. Will you honor your Banisher oath or sacrifice the living in a desperate bid to bring your beloved back? Be prepared to face a tragic twist of fate when Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden releases on February 13th, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Pre-orders are open on all platforms.

The Crew Motorfest Season 2 Content Shaped by Hoonigan Partnership

The Crew Motorfest Season 2 kicked off on December 6, marking the start of the game's partnership with Hoonigan, a brand focused on building custom cars capable of performing difficult and precise driving - and looking cool while doing it. Hoonigan is known for their series of Gymkhana films, which feature rally driver and Hoonigan co-founder Ken Block performing incredible stunts in major cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and more. They also created a YouTube series called This vs. That, which pits two customized cars against one another in a best-of-three drag race, and will frequently post new videos highlighting new and upcoming car builds. According to Hoonigan co-founder Brian Scotto, the company's mission statement (other than not to have a mission statement) is to be nimble and have fun, all in service of entertaining their audience (and themselves).

For Season 2, Hoonigan has completely taken over The Crew Motorfest, bringing a new Playlist, Gymkhaha Grid Masters, as well as curated weekly events on the Main Stage, monthly challenges, a car playground just offshore of the main island, and, of course, bespoke Hoonigan cars that can be earned by completing challenges or purchased from the in-game store. Some of the vehicles include Scotto's 1993 Porsche 911 Turbo TWB, Scotto's 1990 Audi Coupé Quattro, the 1965 Ford Hoonicorn Mustang, the 1988 Chevrolet Big Block ZZ632 Camaro, and the Audi S1 E-Tron Quattro Hoonitron 2021, among many others.

Sony PS5 V2 DualSense Controller Leaked by Best Buy

Best Buy Canada's site listed—by mistake—an entry for a Version 2.0 of Sony's venerable PlayStation 5 DualSense controller—the retailer proceeded to remove the leaked information and imagery, but several news outlets have preserved crucial details. The nixed page advertised a yet to be released "PlayStation 5 V2 DualSense Wireless Controller," that looks identical in appearance to Version 1.0—it even shares the same pricing of CA$89.99. Hooray for no price hiking, if this info is indeed accurate. A couple of internet sleuths have noticed that a Swiss retailer has listed V2 controllers (in white or camo)—these web pages became active back in December 2023.

The standout revelation from this leak appears to be much improved battery life—the Best Buy Canada website entry mentioned V2 being capable of lasting 12 hours on a single charge. Folks familiar with the current PS5 DualSense controller are accustomed to around six hours of usage, before a wired recharge session is required. The listing also outlined a Dual Sense charging station being bundled with Sony's V2 game controller. The sleuths also noted that the next iteration has an advertised weight of 280 g—CFI-ZCT1W AKA "V1" comes in at 360 g. Several online publications have contacted Sony PlayStation for a comment on the situation.

CORSAIR Pledges PSU Support for GeForce RTX 40 SUPER Series GPUs

Corsair Gaming, Inc., a leading global provider and innovator of high-performance gear for gamers, streamers, content-creators, and gaming PC builders, today announces full support for NVIDIA's RTX 4080 Super, RTX 4070 Ti Super, and RTX 4070 Super graphics cards with its latest power supply ranges. These new GPUs offer impressive performance boosts, particularly when using AI-powered DLSS 3.0, making it a great time for enthusiasts to build a new gaming PC or upgrade their current system. Corsair recommends the , SF850L, and HX1000i PSUs for users looking to integrate these new cards into their builds, as they provide the necessary power, even for the top RTX 4080 Super, and include a compatible PCIe 5.0 12VHPWR GPU power cable for trouble-free operation.

In addition to its PSUs, Corsair offers a range of world-class hardware ideal for PC builds featuring these new graphics cards - from its extensive lineup of cases and fans to Dominator Titanium DDR5 DRAM and iCUE LINK water cooling solutions. Corsair will also shortly be offering fully assembled high-performance Vengeance gaming PCs and custom-built ORIGIN PCs with NVIDIA's full range of RTX 4000-series Super graphics cards.

YEYIAN Gaming Desktops and Monitors at CES 2024

Continuing on with the YEYIAN CES tour, we were shown the company's in-house gaming monitors, and pre-built gaming PCs. There were no empty cases or cases that you can purchase separately in YEYIAN's lineup as such; some of these case feature unique design elements; but you're supposed to choose it along with pre-built gaming hardware. YEYIAN offers the full range of systems integration, letting you choose from the company's in-house and external brands; which are then built to order. On eof the pre-builts shown had an Intel Core i7-14700K, paired with an OEM-favorite ASUS Prime Z790-P, and a ROG Strix RTX 4090 graphics card, all combined with YEYIAN's in-house case, power, and cooling hardware. The company's monitor lineup shown at CES begins with 25-inch Proact series Fast IPS displays that blaze Full HD (1080p) at 360 Hz with 1 ms GTG response time. Next up is the 27-inch Palette series; a premium OLED monitor with QHD (1440p) resolution, fast 240 Hz refresh rate, 0.1 ms response time, and 800 nits brightness. The monitor requires DisplayPort 1.4 or HDMI 2.1 connection to provide its specs.

ASUS Announces RT-AX57 Go Tri-Mode Travel Router

ASUS today announced the RT-AX57 Go tri-mode travel router, a dual-band model that offers ultra-fast WiFi 6 up to 3,000 Mbps. It provides tri-mode connectivity for travel, work and home, including 4G and 5G mobile tethering, public WiFi mode (WISP), router mode, subscription-free security and multiple VPN features. With support for 160 MHz WiFi channels, RT-AX57 Go can also support up to 70 devices, four times the capacity of previous models.

Frequent travelers often face situations where no WiFi is available. The RT-AX57 Go can provide an easy and secure connection through the mobile hotspot feature that can share WiFi with multiple devices. Travelers may also experience a limit on the number of devices that can connect to hotel or airport WiFi, and expensive connection fees. RT-AX57 Go can help sidestep these hassles by letting users easily set up private WiFi connections anywhere, whether in a hotel room, on a cruise ship, at an airport terminal, or even a recreational vehicle at a camp site.

Thermaltake Shows CTE C200 Case Range & Hydrangea Blue Editions at CES

Thermaltake continued its unveiling of new CTE C-series chassis models at CES 2024—TPU staff took a closer look at the C200 the other day. This is a dual-chamber ITX chassis available in black or "Snow" white; it utilizes Thermaltake's Centralized Thermal Efficiency (CTE) Form Factor design. According to the C200 spec sheet, PC builders can customize the interior with (up to) 6 x 120 mm case fans, there is also enough room for a single 280 mm AIO radiator.

The showcased black CTE C200 was configured with an array of Thermaltake SWAFAN EX14 ARGB fans, TOUGHLIQUID Ultra 280 All-In-One Liquid Cooler and a TOUGHPOWER GF3 ARGB 850 W PSU. The contained build included an Intel Core i5-13500 CPU, Thermaltake TOUGHRAM XG RGB D5 DDR5 memory, and an ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 12 GB graphics card.

YEYIAN AIO Liquid Coolers and PSUs at CES 2024: Behold the 480 mm Radiator

YEYIAN at the 2024 International CES displayed some really wacky cooling and power solutions. Over in the cooling front, was got to see a super rare 480 mm AIO. This cooler has a 480 mm x 120 mm radiator, which requires four 120 mm in a row. We're not sure if there are any cases that support this radiator size, but we're sure it could become a thing. It would be interesting to compare the cooling performance of a 480 mm x 120 mm AIO with that of a 420 mm x 140 mm (a much more popular form-factor). YEYIAN's AIO coolers come in three sizes—360 mm x 120 mm, 480 mm x 120 mm, and 420 mm x 140 mm. The pump-blocks feature a 2.1-inch IPS LCD display with 480 x 480 pixels resolution, which can be programmed to display anything. Each of the included fans turn at speeds of up to 2600 RPM, pushing up to 72 CFM of airflow, with as high as 23 dBA noise.

Next up, YEYIAN showed off its Orion series full modular ATX 3.1 power supplies. These meet the latest ATX 3.1 and PCIe Gen 5 spec; and offer a native 12V-2x6 power connector, the successor to 12VHPWR with more mechanical durability, which can deliver 600 W of continuous power. The YEYIAN Orion series comes in 850 W, 1300 W, and 1600 W capacities, with the 1300 W and 1600 W models meeting 80 Plus Platinum efficiency; while the 850 W model meets 80 Plus Gold. All three are equipped with a 600 W-capable 12V-2x6; the top 1600 W offers two of these in case you have one of those crazy GALAX HOF RTX 4090 cards.

EK Introduces New Nucleus AIO - Strictly for Direct Die CPU Cooling

EK, the renowned leader in computer cooling technology, is proud to announce a groundbreaking addition to its AIO lineup: the EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 Direct Die D-RGB - 1700. This trailblazing product, a first-of-its-kind in the industry, marks a significant milestone in cooling solutions. The latest Direct Die AIO, while closely resembling the acclaimed 360 mm Lux model in many ways, stands apart with its unique application—it's expertly designed for direct die cooling. This innovative pump-block combo distinguishes itself with a custom-designed cold plate, exclusively engineered for cooling delidded Intel LGA 1700 socket CPUs. EK's latest offering expands its esteemed AIO portfolio and sets a new benchmark in specialized cooling performance.

This unique AIO cooling solution is bringing the advantages of direct die cooling to more PC enthusiasts since delidding was mainly reserved for custom loop liquid cooling applications. It required a complete custom loop setup, which was not affordable or attractive to every user. With the launch of the latest AIO, EK is bringing direct die cooling to the mainstream market. The Direct Die AIO now guarantees a seamless experience and a more budget-friendly entry into direct die liquid cooling. Key elements of the new AIO, like its backplate and die-guard, were co-developed with Der8auer, the famous German overclocker and a pioneer in extreme CPU cooling.

YEYIAN Streaming Hardware at CES: Stream Deck, XLR Microphone with Boom Stand

YEYIAN isn't just into prebuilt gaming PCs, DIY gaming PC hardware and gaming peripherals, but also gear for game streamers and creators. The company showed off its latest gear that includes a programmable command center in the form of the Stream Deck; and the dual-connection XLR/type-C mic, with its boom stand. The Stream Deck has a combination of eight programmable OLED keys, four physical knobs, and a monochrome OLED display that lets you dynamically label those knobs. YEYIAN's mic supports XLR and USB-C connections, features a little touch panel, and an aluminium stand. Both type-C and XLR cables come included with the mic. The company hasn't revealed the analog specs of the mic yet.

ENERMAX Introduces All-New PC Cases at CES 2024

In addition to the new AIO coolers and PSUs, ENERMAX brought a full lineup of new PC cases to the CES 2024 show, including the new ENERPAZO lineup, the new EK98, and the SK30 V2 PC cases. The ENERPAZO lineup with the ENERPAZO EP33 mid-tower and the ENERPAZO EP23 mini-tower PC cases, and the EK98 mid-tower PC case, all come with built-in USB 3.2 Gen 1 and USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C ports and reusable PCIe slots, as well as feature recognizable ENERMAX design with grill front and glass side panel.

The ENERPAZO EP33 supports up to an E-ATX motherboards, has support for a 420 mm AIO liquid CPU cooler and up to 11 fans, while the ENERPAZO EP23, as mini-tower PC case, supports up to a micro-ATX motherboard and a 360 mm AIO liquid CPU cooler and up to 8 fans. The EK98 supports up to a 360 mm AIO liquid CPU cooler and up to 9 fans, as well as comes with vertical GPU installation support with rotatable PCIe slots and pre-installed 4 ARGB PWM fans. ENERMAX also showcased the new SK30 V2 PC case mid-tower PC case which also comes with USB 3.2 Type-C ports, supports up to 360 mm AIO liquid CPU cooler ass well as comes with the same vertical GPU installation support and couple of pre-installed ARGB PWM fans.

YEYIAN Gaming Peripherals at CES 2024: Transparent Keyboards, Ultra Lightweight Mice, New Mouse Mats

YEYIAN is an up and coming gaming lifestyle brand that's spreading to new markets around the globe. The company made its CES debut this year with a host of new gaming peripherals and PC hardware. We begin our coverage with their peripherals. We first went hands on with an interesting new 65% format keyboard called simply the "Ultra Compact Transparent Keyboard." Nearly all its body panels of this wireless keyboard is transparent, letting you see the PCB underneath holding all the user-replaceable key switches. The keyboard gives you the option of a low-latency 2.4 GHz RF, and Bluetooth. In Bluetooth mode, the keyboard supports 3 simultaneous channels. It uses a rechargeable battery that can fast-charge in a hour, providing up to 10 days of stand-by time.

The next keyboard is more premium, and wired. It's called the "Mechanical Keyboard_Cherry Switch." It's probable that YEYIAN will come up with new names for these keyboards that are easier to recall. The wired keyboard comes in a 75% (82-key) format in a compact body size. The start attraction here is its latest generation CHERRY MX2A switches, which are pre-lubricated. YEYIAN has opted for the MX2A Speed Silver switch with integrated RGB lighting. Next up, are two ultra lightweight wireless mice, the YEYIAN Drift and YEYIAN Dominate.

ENERMAX Shows New PSUs at CES 2024, Including the Smallest ATX 3.1 PSUs at 122mm

ENERMAX has showcased its new power supply lineup at the CES 2024 show in Las Vegas, including the new PlatiGemini and REVOLUTION D.F. 12 PSU series. The new PlatiGemini series is certified with Intel ATX 3.1 and ATX12VO compliance and features 80 Plus Platinum efficiency. What makes it special is the fact that it comes with both 24-pin ATX and 10-pin 12VO connectors, ensuring support for both current and future updates as well as bridging the gap between specifications. The ENERMAX PlatiGemini is a full modular PSU that comes will initially be available with 1200 W power output, uses 135 mm dual-ball bearing fan with patented Dust-free Rotation (D.F.R.) function, and comes with individually sleeved cables.

In addition to the new PlatiGemini PSU series, ENERMAX new REVOLUTION D.F 12 series which has been announced at CES 2024 show is one of the smallest ATX 3.1 power supply units on the market, where the 750 W version measures just 122 mm in depth. This means that it can also be installed in a Mini-ITX case without an additional SFX to ATX mounting bracket. As said, the REVOLUTION D.F 12 series meets Intel's ATX 3.1 standard, has 80 Plus Gold efficiency, and comes with native 600 W 12VHPWR connector. It uses a 115 mm dual-ball bearing fan with the same Dust-free Rotation (D.F.R.) function, features a silent mode where the fan is switched off below 50 percent power load.

EasySMX Shows New K10 Gaming Keyboard and X10 Mechanic Master controller at CES 2024

EasySMX, a leading brand in the gaming accessories industry, is excited to announce its participation in the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024, to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Renowned for offering high-quality and affordable gaming peripherals, EasySMX is set to unveil its latest range of products, promising to elevate the gaming experience for enthusiasts worldwide. At CES 2024, located at Venetian Expo. Booth No. 50465, from 9th January to 12th January, EasySMX is proud to unveil the K10, a pioneering gaming keyboard.

Tailored for PC gamers and streamers, the K10 incorporates extraordinary modularity and advanced Hall Effect Switches, setting a new standard in gaming technology. And it will officially launched early 2024. "Stephen, CEO of EasySMX, remarks, "With the K10, we're not just creating a product; we're revolutionizing the gaming experience for PC gamers. Our aim is to meet the evolving needs of gamers across the globe." In addition, the X10 Mechanic Master, a new game controller, is set to make waves with its full-sized mechanical tactile buttons to deliver the latest impression with the controller on your hand. Equipped with all Hall Effect Sensor Systems (Dual Joysticks & Dual Triggers), X10 has superior durability & guaranteed reliability. And with 3 swappable magnetic components, gamers can explore more fun of customization.

CORSAIR Launches New K55 CORE Keyboard

CORSAIR, a world leader in high-performance gear for gamers and content creators, today announced the launch of a new keyboard that introduces PC gaming performance and RGB to all players: the K55 CORE. A key companion in your gaming journey, the K55 CORE sets you on the pathway to victory. Play, have fun, and start racking up wins on the K55 CORE, a full-size keyboard that sports a slim, modern profile, designed specifically with PC gaming in mind. Execute precise movements, perform critical actions, and type in chat on quiet responsive membrane keys, while controlling volume and playback easily via four dedicated media buttons - making you a master of video, music, and more. The K55 CORE also resists spills of up to 300ml, so your keyboard can withstand years of use without quitting.

Ten-zone RGB makes the K55 CORE - and your games - truly stand out. And CORSAIR iCUE software ignites your keyboard's full potential, giving you the ability to customize lighting effects, program macros, remap keys, and sync your keyboard's RGB to the rest of your gaming setup. The K55 CORE brings all the right features and abilities to the fight. Dedicated Win Lock prevents accidental Windows Key presses from ever breaking your combos again, and RGB brightness can be adjusted with the press of a button. For the most frenetic key smashes, 12-key rollover ensures that your actions get through, all at a snappy 1,000 Hz polling rate. No matter what your games throw at you, the K55 CORE can keep up and then some, giving you everything you need to start your winning streak.

NVIDIA Shows Off GeForce NOW with G-SYNC, Day Pass

NVIDIA GeForce NOW game streaming service got some major feature upgrades this season. On the commercial side of things, NVIDIA announced the GeForce NOW Day Pass, a low-cost per day payment. Don't play games all that often and don't need a running monthly subscription? No worries, pay per day as you go with Day Pass. This should be especially useful for those that just want to play the campaign of the latest AAA game that hit GeForce NOW. On the tech side of things, NVIDIA debuted G-SYNC for GeForce NOW. This works on any client device that has a G-SYNC capable display, where the GeForce NOW app collaborates with the cloud G-SYNC server to ensure smooth frame-rates. GeForce NOW Ultimate users, who experience performance and eye-candy comparable to an RTX 4080-powered machine; can also engage Reflex in supported titles at 4K 60 or 4K 120 streaming modes.

NVIDIA also used the moment to show off a suite of hardware capable of playing games on GeForce NOW. This includes thin-and-light ultraportable notebooks that shouldn't normally be able to offer gaming performance comparable to an RTX 4080; large format monitors; tablets, and even handheld consoles like the ASUS ROG Ally. If you have a reliable Internet connection with under 80 ms pings to a GeForce NOW server, it makes more sense to combine the service with the ROG Ally, as you'll get frame-rates and quality of an RTX 4080 with the Ultimate tier; and game streaming in fact takes less power than having the Radeon 780M render a game.

ASRock Launches AMD FP6 Series Thin Mini-ITX Motherboard

The leading global motherboard, graphics card, and small form factor PC manufacturer, ASRock, proudly announces its new AMD FP6TM-ITX Thin Mini-ITX motherboard which is compatible with All-in-One PC, Mini ITX, and some of Thin Mini ITX chassis.

ASRock FP6TM-ITX is powered by AMD 7 nm FP6 series mobile processors, providing immersive computing power. It supports two DDR4 memory, four storage slots including two SATA ports and two M.2 slots for expandability. FP6TM-ITX has rich connectivity and provides customized options of rear IO such as one USB Type-C, two DisplayPort to enlarge the flexibility. Moreover, the FP6TM-ITX also offers the version equipped with DASH LAN and TPM functionality tailored for enterprise applications.

Thermaltake Unveils New ASTRIA Series Air Cooler Lineup at CES 2024

Thermaltake has unveiled and launched its newest ASTRIA Series air coolers at CES 2024 show, including ASTRIA 200, ASTRIA 400, and ASTRIA 600 ARGB coolers. The entire ASTRIA ARGB series is equipped with the new CT120 ARGB fans. According to Thermaltake, the CT102 ARGB fan can provide an airflow of 65 CFM with 2.56 mm-H2O static pressure at a maximum noise level of 26.8 dBA. The ASTRIA ARGB Series is based on the standard tower design, where the ASTRIA 200 ARGB and ASTRIA 400 ARGB stick to a single-tower, single-fan design, while the ASTRIA 600 ARGB uses a dual-tower, dual-fan design. The ASTRIA 200 ARGB uses four 6 mm U-shaped heatpipes, while ASTRIA 400 ARGB and ASTRIA 600 ARGB feature six of the same heatpipes.

The entire lineup support the latest Intel and AMD sockets, and can support up to 210 W, 230 W, and 265 W TDP CPUs, respectively. What makes the ASTRIA ARGB cooler lineup special is th fact that you can adjust the fan position to align it with the height of memory, providing some additional flexibility with installation. The ASTRIA ARGB cooler lineup also features the new Meteor Shower lighting effects, thanks to 18 LEDs located on the top cover and sync them with 9 LEDs on the CT120 ARBG fans.

Phison Embraces 7 Nanometer: Cooler PCIe Gen 5 SSDs Incoming With New Controller

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

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

ENERMAX Demoes AIO Coolers with Detachable Displays and Workstation-Class Liquid Cooling at CES 2024

At the CES 2024 international show, Taiwanese company ENERMAX unveiled new all-in-one (AIO) CPU liquid coolers targeting both mainstream and high-end markets. First in line is the AQUAFLO LCD, which features a removable 5-inch 800x480 resolution magnetic LCD display, allowing monitoring of temperatures, fan speeds, and pump RPM, with the ability to stick on cases or use it as a desktop display. Supporting up to 400 Watt TDPs, the dual-chamber pump design provides flow rates up to 450 liters per hour. The 240 mm and 360 mm radiators use flat 20 mm-thick cooling tubes and ENERMAX Shunt Channel cooling technology for efficient heat transfer. This enables handling the latest overclocked gaming CPUs.

For professional workstations and servers, the LIQTECH XTR 280 and 360 models offer full coverage and 500 Watt+ TDP capacity for the latest AMD Threadripper Pro and Intel Xeon CPUs using larger CPU sockets. An integrated 2.4-inch digital OLED screen directly on the block reports real-time core temperature readings and warnings. A ceramic bearing pump design also pushes 450 liters per hour for cooling under heavy rendering or data center workloads. The LIQTECH XTR ensures professionals can rely on enhanced durability for mission-critical hardware. The new AIO coolers will be available in Q2 2024 through major retailers.

CORSAIR Fans and Coolers at 2024 CES: Air A115, AF120 MAX Thick, and RX Series Fans

CORSAIR at the 2024 International CES unveiled three new air cooling products; the A115 air CPU cooler, the AF120 MAX fans, and the RX Series Fans. We begin our tour with the AF120 MAX. These 120 mm fans come with a thickness of 30 mm, above the 25 mm industry standard. This 5 mm increase allows for a significantly bigger impeller, which results in a static pressure of 4.14 mm H₂O at its top speed of 2,000 RPM. The company hasn't disclosed its airflow and noise numbers, yet. It is also planning such thick fans in the 140 mm size. The fan is recommended for applications such as liquid cooling radiators, where the high static pressure comes handy. Next up, is the RX Series, a set of mid-range fans that come in RGB and non-RGB variants, and in sizes of 120 mm and 140 mm. The RGB ones support iCUE Link.

The star attraction is the new A115 air CPU cooler. This is a high-end D-type (dual fin-stack) CPU cooler, which uses six 6 mm-thick copper heatpipes that make indirect contact with the CPU through a copper base; 90 nickel-plated fins, a pair of included AF140 Elite PWM 140 mm fans; and an innovative new fan-installation mechanism that puts the two fans on rails, and has them slide into place from the top, with the heatsink installed, so you don't wrestle with clips and get cut. This sliding mechanism also ensures clearance for memory near the first "push" fan. The company's "Hold Fast" retention module is designed for easy installation of the heatsink; among the CPU socket types supported are LGA1700 (and by extension the upcoming LGA1851), AM5, and AM4.

Blacklyte Shows Athena Gaming Chair and Atlas Gaming Desk at CES 2024

During CES 2024, Blacklyte, a new Canadian brand of gaming chairs, accessories, and desks, has unveiled an inaugural Athena gaming chair granting the user complete mastery over each meticulous stitch. The Athena chair features an exclusive pattern of intertwined threads inspired by fashion-forward footwear. With plushier and more breathable Skinsense fabric, the chair allows one to keep cool throughout the day. It also provides exceptional durability and smooth gliding on a reinforced base. The intricate details of the stitching patterns, high-end fabric, and sturdy construction position this as a premium, fashionable gaming chair built for comfort during extended periods of use. It also features adjustable arm rests and adjustable positions of tilting. The Athena chair comes with an MSRP of $499.99

Next, the new company has also displayed its Atlas gaming desk, which optimizes space utilization while providing flexibility and convenience. Its design includes an earphone hook and wire wrangler tray to neatly organize accessories without infringing on the desktop area. The desk also features electric height adjustment from 600 mm to 1250 mm for quick transitions between sitting and standing. Powered by a single concealed column through the leg, the built-in electrical socket can charge a few devices simultaneously. Advertised with its ability to "carry the world" of your electronics on its shoulders, Atlas is a sustainable desk built for adaptability and tidy cable management. The Atlas desk should be available soon with an unknown price tag.

CORSAIR Cases at 2024 CES: 6500X and 2500X

CORSAIR had a brisk 2024 International CES announcements, and we begin our coverage with two new cases the gaming lifestyle brand debuted this year—the 6500X and the 2500X. The 6500X is a new vertically partitioned case with, or it looks that way from the front. The right-size partition begins from behind the motherboard tray, so the extra width toward the front of the case can be used to neatly slot in a 360 mm radiator in a manner that it doesn't obstruct long graphics cards; as shown in the example build below. There is no front-left pillar. There are plenty of fan vents, including three along the right side, along the bottom, the top, and the rear. As you can see, even an RTX 4080 ROG Strix can stretch itself without a side-facing radiator coming in the way—again, because the vertical partition begins behind the motherboard tray and doesn't extend all the way to the front.

The CORSAIR 2500X is a miniaturized version of the 6500X design concept, where the case is vertically partitioned, but the partitioning doesn't extend all the way to the front; creating space for the side-facing radiator, so it doesn't obstruct a long graphics card. This case is designed for Micro-ATX (or smaller) motherboards. The 2500X has a cozy, wood-like accents along the top, front-right, and top-right edges. It lacks a left pillar just like the 6500X. Perhaps the most interesting aspect about the 2500X and 6500X is that they support both MSI Project Zero and ASUS BTF motherboard types, with their backside connectivity. The 2500X has enough room for up to three 120 mm fans along the bottom and top panels; and two along the side panel. Corsair is expected to launch the 6500X and 2500X toward the end of February, 2024. The company hasn't finalized pricing. The company also showed off some user-replaceable body panels for these cases.

InWin Shows Modular, AI Workstation, and New F5/D5 Case Series

At CES 2024 in Las Vegas, case maker InWin displayed several innovative new models for custom PC builds. The company continues its reputation for eye-catching designs with the debut of the adjustable flatpack POC One case and highly modular Mini Mod-II and Mod-III chassis. The POC One features interlocking panels for easy snap-together assembly, an advancement over the original April-launched POC line. It includes repositionable top or side handles for portable or horizontal setups. Using a mix of aluminium, other metals, and acrylic, the POC One initially comes in black/orange or blue/silver styles. Despite its minimalist flatpack form, it fits full-size components like 335 mm long triple-slot GPUs, 140 mm tall CPU coolers, and standard ATX power supplies. Three PCIe slots and an included riser allow vertical graphics card mounting.

A Quick Stroll Through Elgato at 2024 CES

Elgato is one of the smartest acquisitions of CORSAIR, as it gave them access to a large portfolio of game streaming and content creator hardware; and CORSAIR is executing a bold plan to reorient itself as a gaming lifestyle brand from its roots as a core memory and PC hardware company. At the 2024 CES, Elgato showed off two of its popular video capture and streaming devices.

The Elgato 4K Pro is an internal PCIe video capture card that takes up a PCI-Express 3.0 x4 slot. It is a successor to the 4K60 Pro Mark II that's already in the market; and allows you to capture 4K with HDR10 video. The new card supports HDMI 2.1, allows 8K passthrough, with simultaneous 4K60 or 1080p @ 240 Hz recording. Also shown is the 4K X External capture card, which succeeds the HD60 external card that's been in the market since 2019. This new device supports HDMI 2.1, and recording up to 4K144 or 1080p @ 240 Hz. Play in HDR10 while capturing SDR including VRR passthrough. When they go on sale from February 1, the 4K Pro internal card will be priced at $280, and the 4K X External card at $230.

Team Group Launches the Industrial P745 Gen 4 SSD

The leading industrial memory and storage provider, Team Group has employed its advanced R&D capabilities and manufacturing processes to launch the industrial P745 SSD, which combines 112-layer 3D NAND flash memory, PCIe Gen 4x4 level speeds, and 8-channel controllers. Emphasizing high transfer speeds, power efficiency, and low latency, the P745 SSD delivers sequential read and write speeds of up to 7,000 MB/s and 6,200 MB/s, respectively, delivering excellent IOPS performance. To meet the demands of AI applications, temperature control was enhanced to maintain stable and high-speed performance. In the rapidly developing era of AI and high-performance computing, Team Group continues to provide the best industrial storage solutions.

The P745 SSD is available in both standard temperature (0 to 70°C) and wide temperature (-40 to 85°C) models. It integrates Team Group's cooling technology, the patented graphene and fin heat sinks, resulting in a significant temperature reduction of about 8-15% compared to common products without fin heat sinks. The P745 can be configured to meet the needs of different application environments, enabling the product to maintain stable operation at high temperatures and high performance. The P745 is also equipped with advanced firmware that protects data by automatically adjusting speeds when temperatures exceed the safe range. With a maximum capacity of 4 TB, the P745 is an NVMe 1.4 drive that uses the PCIe Gen 4x4 interface and is backward compatible with PCIe 3.0 platforms. It features a built-in DRAM cache buffer for high-speed AI computing that enhances system loading and data caching, reducing NAND flash wear and increasing product life span. In addition, the P745 is equipped with an LDPC error correction function and AES 256-bit high-level encryption technology to ensure the accuracy and security of data transmission.

VESA at CES Showcases Longer UHBR Cables, DisplayPort 2.1a, eDP 1.5a, and Adaptive Sync

VESA, the organization behind consumer display standards, showcased some recent technological advancements at the 2024 International CES. To begin with, VESA unveiled the new DisplayPort 2.1a specification, which, among other things, enables longer UHBR10 and UHBR13.5 capable cables. The current DP 2.1 is limited by cable length to meet the ability to stream 8K2K 240 Hz, or 8K4K 120 Hz over 4 length. This comes in the form of the new DP54 cable standard. While VESA is retiring DP40, the cables that have been already shipped have been tested and re-certified by VESA as DP54. The DP80 UHBR cable continues to be supported. How much longer? The current UHBR13.5 link could only be serviced using DP80 cables. Now, instead of being restricted in length by a DP40 cable, users can opt for a DP54 cable, that can be twice the length of DP40 to enable UHBR13.5.

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

Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.5122 WHQL Released

Intel released the latest version of its Arc GPU Graphics drivers. Version 101.5122 WHQL comes with support for the 14th Gen Core HX and Desktop 65 W series processors with their Intel UHD 770/730 series integrated graphics based on the Xe-LP architecture. The drivers also add optimization for "Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown." The company hasn't fixed any issues with this particular driver release, but identified a handful new issues to fix with future releases. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.5122 WHQL

Feast Your Eyes on These NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40-series SUPER Cards, We'll Be Reviewing Most of These

We were at NVIDIA's CES booth earlier today, and snapped a constellation of brand new GeForce RTX 40-series SUPER graphics cards, waiting to hit the shelves, starting January 17. The RTX 4070 SUPER, RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, and RTX 4080 SUPER, will form the bulwark of NVIDIA's premium GeForce RTX product line, and will see the company through for much of 2024. If you're building a premium 1440p or 4K UHD gaming PC for the Spring-Summer, you might want to check out our reviews. We have close to three dozen custom design graphics card reviews lined up just this month!'

We already went hands on with the RTX 4080 SUPER Founders Edition yesterday at the iBUYPOWER booth, we caught another one of these on display, next to the RTX 4070 SUPER FE. There won't be an RTX 4070 Ti SUPER FE, which will be a custom-only launch. Every single NVIDIA board partner that sells in the West had their models on display at the booth, spanning all three of the new GPUs.

Iceberg Thermal Brings New Air, Liquid, and Er..Drink Coolers to CES

Iceberg Thermal specializes in CPU cooling and fans, with elaborate tower-type, and dual-tower type air coolers, and AIO liquid CPU coolers. It brought practically the entire lineup to 2024 CES, including some interesting bits of hardware. The IceSleet G3 and G4 series are single fin-stack CPU coolers. The IceSleet G3 is at the entry-mid range, capable of thermal loads of 160 W. It uses a single aluminium fin-stack heatsink to which heat drawn from a direct-touch base is fed by three 6 mm-thick copper heat pipes. A single 120 mm fan ventilates it. The IceSleet G4 OC is a step up, and although it's recommended for the same 160 W thermal loads as the G3, it has four 6 mm-thick heatpipes, which should improve heat transfer, allowing you to lower the fan speed. It uses a single 120 mm fan that features addressable RGB lighting. The cooler comes in ice blue+white and black+ice blue 2-tone color variants.

The IceSleet G4 Silent is a further step up, with a cooling capacity of 170 W, a higher density heatsink, four 6 mm-thick copper heatpipes, and a fan tuning that's optimized for low noise. The IceSleet G4 Midnight is similar in characteristics to the G4 OC, but comes in an all-black that includes black anodized aluminium fins, heatpipes, plastic cladding, and of course the fan frame. Although tinted dark, the fan impeller is studded with addressable RGB. The company also unveiled its new IceGale Lightning ARGB series 120 mm fan, with noise levels under 28.9 dBA. These 120 mm spinners of conventional thickness turn at speeds ranging between 200 to 2,200 RPM, pushing 76.74 CFM of airflow, at 2.8 mm H₂O static pressure. The fan comes with a fluid dynamic bearing that's rated for over 70,000 hours by its designers.

XPG Innovates with MOJO Wireless Gaming Ecosystem at CES

ADATA's XPG department has been working on a consolidated solution for wireless gaming peripherals—and the resultant MOJO Ecosystem has been revealed to attendees at CES 2024. It is advertised as the world's most advanced wireless system for gaming mice, keyboards and headsets. Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology has been utilized—this avoids the classic cases of narrowband signals being interfered with or jammed entirely. XPG demoed a single dongle solution alongside a lightweight MOJO Wireless Mouse (8000 Hz polling rate, with low latency), MOJO Wireless Headset and what we presume to be a MOJO Wireless TKL gaming keyboard.

XPG has devised a patented positional tracking algorithm that they reckon allows for easy setups and real time effect updates in 3D space. Their detection system is said to allow a greater number of adaptive lighting effects based on player movement. The XPG MOJO Wireless Headset is capable of controlling in-game fields of view (FOV) via tracking of head orientation, it also boasts a 5 ms response time.

MSI Reveals STRIKE PRO WIRELESS Gaming Keyboard at CES

MSI has unveiled a brand new gaming keyboard at CES 2024—the STRIKE PRO WIRELESS looks to be their next flagship peripheral. Its features include an aircraft-grade aluminium top plate, a premium memory foam-outfitted wrist wrest and MSI's snazzy looking Clearcaps. Interested buyers will be offered a choice of proprietary Sonic Series Mechanical Red switches (35 g actuation force, linear typing experience) or Blue switches (45 g actuation force, "smooth + clicky" typing experience). Tri-mode connectivity is present—via MSI's SWIFTSPEED 2.4 GHz receiver, traditional Bluetooth (pairing with a maximum of three devices), or an old fashioned wired USB connection. Dedicated media keys, a volume wheel and a triple-profile M-key setup complete this package.

MSI introduced the VIGOR GK50 Elite TKL model last autumn, with options for Kailh Blue (50 g—smooth + clicky), Red (50 g—linear) and Box White (45 g—crisp) switches. The Elite compact tenkeyless board has not reached every territory around the world, so it is not surprising to see it being exhibited to interested punters in Las Vegas. MSI has also chosen to introduce a new high-end gaming mouse and game controller at this year's CES—hopefully a TPU team member will drop by the booth again, and get familiar with these peripherals: Versa Pro Wireless 8K mouse and Force Pro Wireless gamepad.

ASUS Announces Zenbook S 13 OLED

ASUS today announced the 2024 version of the premium Zenbook S 13 OLED (UX5304), now powered by up to the latest AI-powered Intel Core Ultra 7 processor. Zenbook S 13 OLED is the world's slimmest 13.3-inch OLED laptop, and it's also the most eco-friendly Zenbook ever. It takes the brand's signature qualities of ultraportable design, sustainability and on-the-go performance to a new level, proving conclusively that less can be more.

With a world-beating super-slim 1 cm profile and a super-light 1 kg chassis, the sophisticated Zenbook S 13 OLED delivers no-compromise performance, connectivity and battery life, making it the epitome of ultraportable design, and finished in brand-new Basalt Gray or classic Ponder Blue. It's also designed with the environment and carbon neutrality firmly in mind, using recycled metals and plastics in its construction, FSC Mix-certified packaging, an elegant new eco-friendly plasma ceramic aluminium for the Basalt Gray model, and halogen-free electronics, to make this the most eco-friendly Zenbook model we've ever produced. The Zenbook series excels at delivering unrivaled on-the-go performance, and Zenbook S 13 OLED is no exception, harnessing the power of up to the AI-ready Intel Core Ultra 7 processor with 32 GB of LPDDR5x RAM and a 1 TB PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD. There's a full set of I/O ports for on-the-go connections, and a long-lasting 63 Wh battery. The 2024 Zenbook S 13 OLED additionally features a dedicated Windows Copilot key for instant access to the new AI-powered Windows 11 assistant. For immersive true-to-life visuals, Zenbook S 13 OLED has a gorgeous 16:10 3K ASUS Lumina OLED display that's Dolby Vision certified, with Pantone Validated color rendering and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 600 certification, ensuring incredible detail and the deepest black levels.

Minecraft Legends Receives Final Post-Launch Content, Official Development Ends

Since launch, we—Mojang—have been working hard together with Blackbird Interactive to bring improvements and new features to Minecraft Legends based on your feedback. With Minecraft Legends, we took a completely new approach to gameplay, so much so that we had to make up a new genre for it (kind of): action strategy. Our community has always helped us shape our games and that's something we value greatly, especially when launching a completely new game. The latest title update brought the fearless frog, witches, clangers, air choppers and a host of enhancements to the game's mechanics, making the battles in Minecraft Legends even more intense. And, thanks to your input, we've made various tweaks to the gameplay and interface, from enhanced pathfinding to a more comprehensive Battle View UI.

A DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
Since launch, we've listened to community feedback and implemented a series of changes and tweaks to make the game better. With that complete, we're now going to take a step back from development. While we won't be releasing any new content (i.e. updates, Lost Legends, or Marketplace DLC) for Minecraft Legends, the fun doesn't stop here. We'll continue having a blast playing the game alongside our community because those rowdy piglins are showing no signs of slowing down. Plus, we're leaving you one last freebie: the Bright-Eyed Hero skin, which you can claim now on Minecraft Legends Marketplace. Illuminate your path forward and continue fighting the good fight!

Lexar Exhibits New Portable SSD Models at CES 2024

Lexar previewed part of their CES lineup late last week—we got a quick briefing that outlined various upcoming portable SSDs, M.2 NVMe SSDs, and professional CFExpress cards. TPU staffers spent some quality time at the storage specialist's booth in Las Vegas—they have reported back that emphasis has been placed on Lexar's portable SSD products. The headliner appears to be the prominently placed ARMOR 700 Portable SSD—this boasts an extra rugged design, thus providing the level of on-the-go protection that is required by modern professionals.

The ARMOR 700 will be available in three capacities: 1 TB, 2 TB and 4 TB. Maximum read and write speeds of 2000 MB/s are advertised on Lexar's wall-mounted exhibit, with support for 6K RAW video files. The rugged and durable housing has been certified at IP65, with drop-resistant properties. The already released SL660 BLAZE Gaming Portable SSD was showcased at CES, but it was joined by a similar looking (non-RGB equipped) sibling—the new SL600 is a more sober looking option, aimed at professional types. The SL500 Portable SSD sports credentials for a wide range of purposes: mobile devices, laptops, cameras as well as gaming on current generation games consoles. Lexar states that the SL500 is powered by Silicon Motion Technology portable SSD controllers—with speeds up to 2000 MB/s read and 1800 MB/s write. Capacities noted on the exhibit wall are 1 TB, 2 TB and 4 TB—this applies to the SL600 specification as well.
Wednesday, January 10th 2024

MSI & Opera GX Partner Up on Special GX MSI Edition Browser

The world's leading PC gaming hardware brand, MSI, has partnered with Opera GX, the browser for gamers to create a unique browser and interactive content experience for fans of MSI's and Opera GX's products and services. "Our partnership with MSI has enabled us to once again create a truly engaging branded browser experience for one of the most renowned hardware brands in gaming," said Mattijs de Valk, VP of Business Development Gaming at Opera, adding: "The GX MSI browser ensures that users stay connected with MSI brand and its products and services in a fun and engaging way - while browsing the internet with the best browser for gamers."

The partnership with Opera GX is just the beginning of a series of upcoming activities. First is the GX MSI Edition—a special co-branded version of the Opera GX gaming browser, including exclusive MSI-themed interactive backgrounds, music, sounds and content. GX MSI Edition comes packed with game-changing features, including CPU, RAM, and Network limiters, hundreds of customization options via GX Mods, and seamless integration with popular platforms like Discord and Twitch.

Microsoft Highlights Top Partner Windows PC Gaming Devices at CES

CES always gives us an exciting look at what's next for hardware, and with gaming at the forefront of technological innovation, it's no surprise that CES 2024 has revealed some truly next-generation Windows 11 gaming PCs. Microsoft and our partners are leading the way in combining traditional power with advancements in AI, and this selection of new announcements are a perfect way to future-proof your gaming experience on PC.

Every PC on this list is designed to run the latest games - including those on PC Game Pass, which will help you to jump into some of the greatest games on the platform the moment you switch on your new machine. Even better, every single computer listed below comes with at least one free month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, giving players access to hundreds of high-quality PC, console and cloud games.

MSI Presents Lots of Custom GeForce RTX 40 SUPER Designs at CES

MSI has fielded a plethora of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 SUPER Series custom designed graphics cards at CES 2024—TPU staffers had their work cut out when documenting and taking photos of the many options on display. As announced on Monday, MSI is introducing a wide range of SUPER cards—in SUPRIM, EXPERT, GAMING TRIO, GAMING SLIM and VENTUS flavors. We were unable to track down a couple of these models, but the absence of SUPRIM and GAMING TRIO cards at CES was a relatively minor thing when exploring everything else positioned on MSI's extended table.

First up is the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER 16G GAMING X SLIM model, available in standard black or white. Despite the "SLIM" moniker, this topflight SUPER model is still a substantial prospect in terms of dimensions (refer to the photos below)—it houses MSI's trusty TRI FROZR 3 thermal system and a triple TORX FAN 5.0 array. We also see the very intriguing new GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER 16G EXPERT model—PC enthusiast community members had their interests piqued by a recently previewed design that echoes NVIDIA's Founders Edition aesthetic, albeit with a quirkier spin.

CHERRY and Xtrfy at 2024 CES: MX 3.1 Keyboard, M68 Mouse Series, NGALE Microphone

CHERRY and its new Xtrfy gaming peripherals brand is a great match of underlying technology and knowing what gamers want. The combine came to 2024 CES with an entire new portfolio of keyboards, mice, and streaming hardware. First up, is the MX 3.1 keyboard series, a collaborative design effort between CHERRY and Xtrfy. The keyboard introduces CHERRY's new MX2A switches, which introduce a new lubricant and spring design that can take over 100 million keystrokes. The MX2A is available across CHERRY's entire portfolio of linear and tactile switches.

At CES, we've come across at least 9 new MX 3.1 family keyboards branded by Xtrfy, of various form-factors (size based), various layouts, keycap selection, and lighting. Some of these key sets are designed to match the prints on Xtrfy's GP5 series Amnis Blue Edition mouse mats. The CHERRY MX 3.1 keyboard and Xtrfy keyboards incorporating the MX2A switches, are expected to be released some time in Q2-2024, with a starting price of $130 for the MX 3.1.

EK-PRO CPU Water Blocks Readied for LGA 7529 Socket

EK, the leading liquid cooling gear manufacturer, is announcing the availability of two high-performance liquid cooling solutions for the Intel "Sierra Forest" processor family. EK-Pro CPU WB 7529 and 7529 Rack water blocks are specially designed to cool the Sierra Forest CPUs, a codename for Intel's first-generation E-core Xeon server processors based on the LGA 7529 socket. These CPUs are expected to launch in the first half of 2024 and feature up to 288 cores per socket for 576 cores per server. Naturally, with such a high core count, liquid cooling presents a sensible solution to heat management.

The Sierra Forest architecture design aims to achieve ultra-high core counts for greater compute density that would benefit cloud and HPC server applications. However, with greater compute density comes greater requirements for cooling. Even with the E-cores that use less power per core, their staggering density in the CPU will indeed present unique challenges for traditional air cooling.

GIGABYTE Flaunts Custom GeForce RTX 40 SUPER Graphics Cards at CES

GIGABYTE revealed its GeForce RTX 40 SUPER graphics card range earlier this week, and TPU staff in attendance at CES 2024 were most pleased to see some of these models on display at the manufacturer's Las Vegas Convention Center booth. The existing EAGLE OC shroud design was the first to attract our photographer's attention—it has been reused to house and temper NVIDIA's latest GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER 16 GB GPU.

The futuristic aesthetic—comprised of cosmic-themed graphics, symbols, and geometric shapes—and protective metal backplate encase GIGABYTE's WINDFORCE cooling system. We see three (alternate spinning) 80 mm unique blade fans, along with eight composite copper heat pipes, and a copper plate directly touching the GPU. The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER EAGLE OC 16G has an integrated RGB lighting system.

MediaTek Announces its First Wave of Wi-Fi Alliance Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 Products

MediaTek, one of the first adopters of Wi-Fi 7 technology, today announced that it is working closely within Wi-Fi Alliance to launch a complete first wave of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 products, which will be featured as part of MediaTek's global ecosystem showcase at CES 2024. In an era where people rely on artificial intelligence to improve their lives and productivity, a fast and reliable network ensures consumers and professionals have the connectivity needed to utilize the latest AI tools. These devices, powered by MediaTek Filogic Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 chipsets, represent fast, reliable and always-on connected experiences for a wide variety of consumer and enterprise products, including residential gateways, mesh routers, televisions, streaming devices, smartphones, tablets, laptops, and more.

"As a technology leader, we make significant investments in formulating the standards that drive the industry, in addition to developing products that utilize those standards," said Alan Hsu, corporate vice president at MediaTek. "The recent announcement of our family of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 chipset solutions has enabled us to work with Wi-Fi Alliance to provide testbeds for devices on both the access point and client sides, streamlining the product certification process for manufacturers."

MSI Spatium M580 Liquid Frozr is an M.2 SSD with a Self Contained Liquid Cooling Loop

MSI Spatium M580 Liquid Frozr is easily one of the most interesting SSDs we've come across in CES 2024. Picture this—an M.2-2280 SSD that has a self-contained liquid cooler, complete with a fan, radiator, a pump-block, and coolant channels. This is both cute and a little sad. M.2 SSDs were supposed to stay out of sight and be completely cable-free, like DIMMs. This isn't MSI's fault, they have to use the fastest controllers in the market, which are built on older 12 nm foundry nodes. PCI-Express 5.0 x4 is comparable bandwidth to PCI-Express 3.0 x16, and moving this kind of data is bound to generate heat for an SSD controller. Enough banter—the Spatium M580 uses the fastest Phison E26 Max14um controller, with Micron's fastest B58R 232-layer 3D NAND flash chips that deliver 2400 MT/s per flash channel.

The combination of Phison Max14um and B58R results in sequential transfer speeds beyond the 14 GB/s mark, which is where most PCIe Gen 5 x4 drives will end up accounting for the interface+protocol overhead. The theoretical max bandwidth of Gen 5 x4 is 16 GB/s. The drive comes in capacities of up to 4 TB. As for the cooler's design, the bare drive makes contact with a copper cold-plate, which has the block+reservoir, with a tiny pump. This sends coolant through a real aluminium heat-exchanger—this is probably the smallest radiator we've ever seen. The radiator is held up, a supporting structure has a tiny 20 mm lateral-flow fan, which blows air through the radiator. We can't wait to review this thing!

ASUS Extends the BTF Cable-Free Ecosystem to the ROG Product Line

ASUS at the 2024 International CES expanded the lineup of BTF apparently cable-free hardware to its premium ROG product line. The company had debuted BTF with its mid-range TUF Gaming product line, which we've extensively covered here. While the TUF Gaming BTF built showcased an all-white scheme, the ROG BTF line makes no such deviations from its main scheme. First up, we have the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero BTF motherboard, a variant of the Z790 Hero with its connectors and headers facing the reverse side of the PCB; and a power slot for BTF graphics cards.

Next up, we have the BTF-ready variant of the ROG Hyperion GR701 case. A compatible case is needed for BTF to work, because the motherboard tray needs to have cutouts in the right places for the ports and connectors of the motherboard to stick out. There's a little extra crawlspace behind the motherboard tray in the ROG Hyperion GR701, so some of the higher gauge power cables can make tight bends. The crown jewel of the ASUS ROG BTF series has to be the graphics card. ASUS has done the unthinkable—to get a GeForce RTX 4090 to run off its BTF power connector. It's a remarkable feat considering that the RTX 4090 is a 425 W TGP graphics card, and the overclocked ROG Strix version only draws more power than the average RTX 4090.

TP-Link Showcases Next-Generation Wi-Fi 7 Solutions at CES 2024, Including New Gaming Router

TP-Link, a leading global provider of consumer and business networking products, and the first-to-market Wi-Fi 7 brand, is proud to announce its latest line of Wi-Fi 7 innovations at CES 2024. This exciting lineup features a more robust collection of Deco Mesh Wi-Fi systems, next-gen Archer routers, and the industry's most powerful gaming router, along with the debut of the world's first Wi-Fi 7 client adapter. TP-Link is committed to delivering an unparalleled connectivity experience for homes of any size and internet access type.

Wi-Fi 7 Whole Home Mesh All-Scenario Solution
Deco offers a seamlessly integrated and comprehensive mesh Wi-Fi solution, allowing users to effortlessly create a whole home mesh Wi-Fi system. Whether consumers have a small apartment or a spacious residence with expansive floor plans and outdoor requirements, Deco ensures a robust and reliable network with faster speeds, lower latency, and more capacity than ever before. At CES 2024, TP-Link will unveil an impressive end-to-end range of Deco solutions that fit any scenario, including the BE95, BE65 Pro, BE63, BE65-5G, BE65-PoE, BE25, BE25-Outdoor, and more.

IOGear Unveils Thunderbolt 5 and TB4 Docks, Video Stream Mixers, and Related Accessories at CES

IOGear unveiled a handful products relevant to content creators and creative professionals on the move, at the 2024 International CES. The star attraction here is the Quantum Thunderbolt 5 Dock Pro. It plugs into a Thunderbolt 5 upstream port, putting out three Thunderbolt 5 downstream ports, with display passthrough of dual 8K @ 60 Hz or triple 4K @ 120 Hz. The dock doesn't support the 120 Gbps Bandwidth Boost feature being mooted by Intel, but you'll definitely get 80 Gbps per direction. Also shown was the Quantum Thunderbolt 4 Mini Dock, which supports up to one 8K @ 30 Hz display stream or dual 4K @ 60 Hz, within its 40 Gbps switching bandwidth. Both docks are TAA compliant.

Next up, we have the IOGear Upstream Pro 4-port HDMI to UVC mixer, which mixed and captures non-DRM HDMI inputs to PGM UVC video at resolutions of up to 4K @ 30 Hz. The Upstream Pro Seamless 2-port webcam matrix lets you switch between multiple web cameras within a live stream, so you can change the shot while you're live. There are also some handy adapters and cables. IOGear specializes in ports, cables and adapters of all shapes and sizes.

ADATA Shows Prototype XPG HYBRID COOLER at CES 2024

ADATA has showcased a rather interesting XPG HYBRID COOLER at CES 2024 which actually integrates an AIO solution into the size of your standard air cooler, packing pump, loop, and a radiator into a single unit. The new cooler promises to be smaller and lighter than a standard AIO cooler but more efficient than an air cooler.

The new HYBRID COOLER is a patented dual-fan CPU cooler that can cool CPUs with TDP of up to 280 W. It will support both standard as well as Intel Xeon and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO sockets, and uses two high-performance 120 mm VENTO PRO PWM fans by Nidec. The entire unit is slightly taller than a 120 mm fan and looks pretty neat, but unfortunately, it is still just a concept and ADATA did not have it running inside a system. Hopefully, we'll see it officially launched soon and to see how well it compares to standard AIOs and standard air coolers.

UGREEN Power Adapters and Fast Chargers at CES 2024

We already snapped UGREEN''s frankly unexpected debut of its NASync family of home and SMB NAS servers, earlier this week. Today we take a closer look at its power adapters and fast chargers. We begin our tour with the UGREEN Home EV Charging Station. This is simply an adapter that converts 3-phase 240 V domestic power to a Type-1 (JI772) AC-only socket, with a connecting cable. The adapter is capable of delivering 240 V AC at 32 A, or roughly 7 kVA. Its main function, though is access control. You unlock power using an RFID access keycard, or an app, using an NFC/Bluetooth capable smartphone. This device is hence targeted at large apartment blocks with multi-level car parks, with each parking slot having one of these.

Next up, is the Nexode RG GaN 65 W wall charger, which puts out a couple of USB-C ports, and a type-A port. One of the type-C can deliver 65 W continuous, the other one up to 30 W, and the type-A maxes out at 22.5 W. The total switching capacity is 65 W, if you plug in multiple devices, they're shared accordingly. One of its surfaces has an LED segment display that has some cool retro graphics, and monitoring. There are also a couple of UGREEN DigiNest series power strips. The S780 plugs into a single AC wall mount, puts out two downstream AC plugs, and contains a 200 W GaN based DC fast charger that drives four type-C and one type-A. One of these put out 140 W, the other 100 W, the third one 65 W, and the rest 22.5 W. The CD270 is a more compacted version of this, with just 100 W switching capacity, and one of its type-C ports delivering 100 W. Lastly, there were also a handful power banks from UGREEN, including a 25 Ah space-saving bank that can put out 140 W, and a 20 Ah bank that has 145 W PD and a wireless charging surface,

Razer Launches New 11-port USB C Dock at CES 2024

Razer also unveiled its new 11-port USB C Dock at CES 2024 show, and while it might not be interesting as the new Blade laptops or high-end gaming chairs, Razer is keeping up with the theme, making a simple USB C Dock feel like a premium device with its lightweight cnc aluminium chassis.

Razer USB C Dock comes with a total of 11 ports, including two standard USB 2.0 Type-A ports, two USB 3.2 Type-A ports, one standard USB 3.2 Type-C port and one USB Type-C Power Delivery port with support for 20 V USB PD 3.0 charging of up to 100 W, HDMI port with support for 4K @ 60 Hz output, Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 port, microSD UHS-I and SD UHS-I card slots, and 3.5 mm audio combo jack powered by Razer 7.1 Surround Sound. The Razer USB C Dock is now available in Black and Mercury color options and priced at $119.99.

Wacom Takes Care of Artists with Digital Rights Management and the new Cintiq Pro 27 and Wacom One Tablets

During the CES 2024 international show, Wacom, one of the leaders in the digital design space, unveiled the new Wacom Cintiq Pro and Wacom One tablets. The company also showcased its digital rights management software, Yuify, and introduced Wacom Bridge, a tool designed to enhance remote collaborative workflows for studios. The new Wacom Cintiq Pro line, including the Pro 27, 22, and 17, was developed in collaboration with professionals in virtual production, VFX, CG, and animation. The latest Wacom Cintiq Pro 27, with its precision and best-in-class color fidelity, is poised to take virtual production workflows to the next level. Color accuracy is crucial in virtual production workflows, and the Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 delivers 100% Rec. 709 and 98% DCI-P3 color accuracy. Its 4K display, with 10-bit color, offers high color performance and calibration options, reducing the traditional setup footprint without compromising performance.

The new Wacom Pro Pen 3, redesigned for ergonomic comfort and customization, complements the Cintiq Pro 27's eight Express Keys and multi-touch screen, offering a harmonious workflow. Wacom Bridge, developed in partnership with AWS NICE DCV and Splashtop, is a technology solution that enhances the use of Wacom products on supported remote desktop connections, catering to the needs of remote and hybrid work environments. The Wacom One line, first launched in 2019, has been redesigned and upgraded, offering more options and customization opportunities. The line includes the Wacom One 13 and 12 displays and the Wacom One Medium and Small pen tablets. Finally, Wacom's commitment to protecting artists' work is embodied in "Yuify", a service that allows artists to protect their artwork, manage usage rights, and establish legally binding license permissions. This digital rights management platform enables creators to conveniently manage their authorship records and sign licenses and contracts.

Razer Shows New Iskur V2 Gaming Chair and Unveils Project Esther Sensa HD Haptics Gaming Cushion at CES 2024

Razer launched a couple of gaming chair lines and the latest Iskur V2 gaming chair is being announced at the CES 2024 show in Las Vegas. Coming as a direct successor to the original Razer Iskur, the new Iskur V2 version promises to set a new standard in that industry thanks to feedback from esports players and ergonomic experts. In addition, Razer has announced Project Esther, the world's first haptic gaming cushion powered by Razer Sensa HD Haptics, which promises next-gen immersion with realistic tactile sensations.

As said, the Razer Iskur V2 gaming chair comes with adaptive and adjustable lumbar support system, allowing user to no only adjust both height and depth of the back support, but it actually swivels and responds to the users movements. It also features reactive seat tilt and up to 152-degree recline, has 4D armrest adjustments, memory foam head cushion, and comes in leather and fabric material options. The Project Esther is a rather interesting concept of bringing haptic to any chair. Powered by Razer Sensa HD Haptics, the Project Esther gaming cushion has 16 haptic actuators that should provide direction, distance and location to the user. Thanks to the aforementioned Razer Sensa HD Haptics, the feedback can adapt to the displayed content and provide different intensity, speed, and duration. Unfortunately, Project Esther is still just a concept but hopefully it will make it to the market eventually, while the Razer Iskur V2 is already available at $649.

be quiet! at 2024 CES: White Editions of Dark Base 701 and Dark Base Pro 901, Fans, and More

The theme at be quiet! this CES is all about RGB lighting and white color variants. This is a big aesthetic departure from be quiet! which tends to have understated, mostly black product styling, with minimal use of RGB. Ah well, as long as it's all quiet. Among the cases, we saw all-white editions of the Dark Base 701, and Dark Base Pro 901 cases. The Dark Base 701 white retains its essential design and functionality, but now gets two addressable RGB silicone diffusers along the sides of the front panel. The interiors are all white, as are the included fans. The Dark Base Pro 901 white lacks any such RGB lighting elements, it's more of just a whitewash.

As we said, be quiet! is betting big on RGB and white color scheme this year, and has unveiled white variants of its Silent Wings 4, Light Wings, and Pure Wings 3 fan series, across all available sizes. These see white take over the frames and impellers. be quiet! collaborated with SignalRGB, the experts in elaborate RGB lighting, to create an art piece—a wall of 192 Light Wings White fans, all controlled through a single machine. The fans work like a mosaic to create actual images when viewed from a distance. Very creative!

ASUS Shows New NUC 14 Pro and NUC 14 Pro+ at CES 2024

While the ASUS ROG NUC was certainly the star of the show at CES 2024, ASUS is clearly serious about getting behind NUC design that it acquired from Intel since it had a few standard NUC designs, including NUC 14 Pro and NUC 14 Pro+. Both are equipped with Intel's 14th Gen CPUs and use a more familiar NUC chassis design in low-profile and taller option that has an internal expansion tray for storage options.

The NUC 14 Pro is based on a standard 4x4 NUC form-factor with low-profile or 14 mm taller option that has a storage expansion tray. It will be limited to Intel Core Ultra 7 CPUs, but still supports up to 96 GB of DDR5 RAM and has two M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 slots (one 2.5-inch SATA SSD support in taller chassis), Intel WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 and 2.5 Gb Ethernet. It comes with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two HDMI 2.1 outputs, and a couple of USB ports, including 10 Gbps ones. The NUC 14 Pro+ is quite similar but can be equipped with up to Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU. ASUS actually went for a slightly different design with a whole new 5x4 NUC anodized aluminium chassis, mostly to give it a premium look but also give that Core Ultra 9 CPU a bit more room to breathe.

ADATA Brings New Smaller XPG PYMCORE and CORE REACTOR II MINI PSUs to CES 2024

While it has only recently announced its CORE REACTOR II GOLD ATX 3.0 PSUs, ADATA has brought a couple of new smaller and quite interesting XPG PSUs to CES 2024 show, including the PYMCORE and the CORE REACTOR II MINI.

The XPG PYMCORE is an SFX form factor power supply measuring at 125x100x63 mm and will be available in 850 W and 1000 W versions. The XPG PYMCORE is a fully modular SFX PSU, is ATX 3.0 compliant and comes with 12VHPWR (600 W) power connector. It uses a premium FDB fan and comes with all the usual protections and a 10-year warranty. Although slightly bigger at 150x122x86 mm, the CORE REACTOR II MINI is quite similar but might come in higher power outputs, as ADATA is still keeping a tight lid on that information. It is also ATX 3.0 compliant, comes with 12VHPWR connector, and uses 100% Japanese capacitors as well as a slightly larger premium 115 mm FDB fan. It also has all the usual protections and is backed by a 10-year warranty.

ASUS TUF Gaming BTF Cable-Free Gaming PC Build Up Close: Bye Bye Cable Management

The ASUS TUF Gaming BTF cable-free gaming PC build on display at the 2024 International CES really looks like someone either forgot to plug in the cables, or aced at cable management. BTF is an effort to reduce or eliminate most of the visible cables in a gaming PC build, with the aim to improve aesthetics and airflow. BTF isn't some swanky new specification by Intel such as ATX 3.1, it's an ASUS-invented acronym for—we're not kidding—"back to the future." The "back" here refers to the reverse side of the motherboard's PCB, which is where all the connectors and headers actually open out, so you make your connections in the 3-inch wide crawlspace behind the motherboard tray, in an ASUS BTF compatible case. Case compatibility is a must, because the cutouts in the motherboard tray need to align with the connectors.

ASUS goes a step further from similar efforts by companies such as MSI with its Project Zero; by even making its graphics cards cable free. The motherboard has a PCIe power input on the reverse side, which is wired out to a power-delivery slot that connects to second gold finger besides the standard PCI-Express x16; which delivers up to 300 W of power. This brings back memories of EISA addon cards with that VLB extension. The more things change, the more they stay the same. The only thing sticking out in ASUS's build are the coolant tubes of the ROG Ryujin III White AIO cooler. That one can't be avoided.

ADATA Shows New Invader X, Invader X Pro and Battlecruiser II Cases at CES 2024

ADATA brought a total of four new XPG PC cases to the CES 2024 show, including the Valor Mesh, Invader X, Invader X Pro, and Battlecruiser II. All of the cases are mid-tower, except for Battlecruiser II, which is a super mid-tower case.

As the new flagship PC case from ADATA, the Battlecruiser II focuses on the XPG exosceleton design, features four tempered glass panels, and it is compatible with up to 420 mm radiators. It comes with integrated XPG Prime Box for fan control and ARGB synchronization, and has USB4 Type-C port. The ADATA XPG Valor Mesh PC case is focused on airflow and cooling with magnetic mesh front panel design and rather compact dimensions for a mid-tower PC case. Despite is smaller dimensions, it still supports up to 305 mm long graphics cards and 180 mm long PSUs, as well as plenty of fans and 360 mm radiator support.

ASUS ROG NUC for Gaming Pictured at CES 2024

During the CES 2024 show, the ASUS booth had a wide variety of products on display. Among the more interesting solutions was the highly-anticipated ROG NUC. Initially, Intel sold the NUC design and manufacturing license to ASUS, and we were left wondering how ASUS would adapt its compact design. We had a booth tour and took pictures of the new design in person. The ASUS ROG NUC can be configured with Intel's flagship Meteor Lake-H Core Ultra 9 185H processor, a 16-core/22-thread CPU with a 115 W maximum turbo TDP that boosts up to 5.1 GHz. It features six performance cores, eight efficiency cores, and two low-power performance cores. The system can be equipped with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU for graphics.

A more affordable option pairs the Core Ultra 7 155H processor with an RTX 4060 Laptop GPU. Other key specifications include support for up to 32 GB of DDR5 memory across two SO-DIMM slots, three M.2 PCIe Gen 4 x4 SSD slots, Intel Killer WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, 2.5G LAN, Thunderbolt 4, as much as six USB ports, HDMI and DisplayPort outputs, and a choice of Windows 11 Home 64-bit, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, or no pre-installed OS. The 2.5-liter chassis shows that miniature size can equal big performance and can easily provide great gaming and productivity results.

Thermaltake SFX PSUs at CES 2024: Dr Power III Gets 12VHPWR, ATX 3.1 and Native 12V-2x6 Connectors

A refreshing change with Thermaltake's power supply exhibition this CES was that it brought out all its mid-range capacities ranging between 750 W to 1000 W. This is the only narrow band in which you can expect 12VHPWR or 12V-2x6 connectors that are rated for 450 W or above, which is needed if you plan on GPUs such as the RTX 4080 SUPER or above. The new Toughpower SFX Platinum series comes in the traditional SFX form-factor, and in high wattage models such as 750 W, 850 W, and 1000 W. It fully meets the latest ATX 3.1 specification, and comes with a native 12V-2x6 connector (a more mechanically sound 12VHPWR successor). The Toughpower SFX has broadly two variants, Gold and Platinum, aligning with their respective 80 Plus ratings.

Thermaltake shows us their third generation of Dr Power, the hardware-based in-line PSU tester. The new Dr Power III is aware of ATX 3.1, and has a native 12V-2x6 connector that's compatible with 12VHPWR. With this, you can check for faults in any of the voltage domains. The 24-pin connector should tell you if any of the smaller voltage domains such as 5 V, 5 Vsb, and 3.3 V, has suffered a fault.

ASRock at CES 2024: New Phantom Gaming Monitors, Recent Motherboard and VGAs

ASRock brought a selection of its recently launched gaming monitors, motherboards, and graphics cards, to the 2024 International CES. The company had recently refreshed its Intel 700-series chipset motherboard family to align with 14th Gen Core desktop family launch, and we see boards such as the Phantom Gaming Z790 NOVA, a full-featured ATX motherboard positioned just a notch below the Z790 Taichi series; and the the Z790I and B760I PG Lightning WiFi Mini-ITX boards. Toward the end of 2023, AMD had launched its Ryzen Threadripper 7000 series, with two distinct platforms in play—HEDT and workstation. We got a close look at the WRX90 EVO, a gargantuan board that wires out nearly all 128 PCIe Gen 5 lanes of the Threadripper; along with 8-channel DDR5 memory. Notice the two large VRM heatsinks that are actively cooled by 40 mm fans. Even after giving each of the PCIe Gen 5 slots full x16 wiring, the platform has enough to spare on some NVMe slots.

Thermaltake Shows TOUGHLIQUID EX Pro AIO Water Coolers and TOUGHFAN EX Pro Fans

At the CES 2024 show, Thermaltake announced new additions to its cooling lineup—the TOUGHLIQUID EX Pro all-in-one liquid coolers and TOUGHFAN EX Pro high static pressure fans. The new releases incorporate Thermaltake's latest MagForce 2.0 magnetic quick-connect system for simplified installation and flexible component layouts. Available in a range of sizes spanning 240 mm to 420 mm radiator sizes, the TOUGHLIQUID EX Pro leverages large copper radiators and industrial mirror finish water blocks to tame high-TDP CPUs like Intel's 14th gen Core i9 models. TOUGHFAN EX Pro series fans complement the liquid coolers with detachable blades, allowing flow direction swapping based on mounting orientation.

For example, chassis top-mounted radiator fans can be inverted to intake cool air rather than recirculate hot interior air. The TOUGHFAN EX Pro uses enhanced steel motor hubs and copper motor housing for robust performance under pressure. Models push over 70 CFM airflow at noise levels under 30 dBA. By using evolving magnetic-based modular cooling, Thermaltake aims to simplify complex builds and accommodate flexible orientations that are not feasible with wired connections. Combined with extreme static pressure fans, the new TOUGHLIQUID EX Pro and TOUGHFAN Pro EX enable users to cool today's most powerful components efficiently without compromising system aesthetics. The TOUGHFAN EX12 Pro - Swappable Edition comes with an MSRP of $79.99/$89.99 and TOUGHLIQUID 240/280/360/420 Pro ARGB comes at $119.99/$129.99/$139.99/$169.99 pricing structure. The OLED-enabled TOUGHLIQUID OLED 360 Pro comes with a slight premium and is priced at $299.99.

Audio-Technica at 2024 CES: Sound Burger, TWX7 Earphones

Audio-Technica brought its deadly cute Sound Burger wireless turntable. It simply holds your record in place like buns hold a patty. It plays 33 1/3 and 45 RPM records, with an internal battery that provides up to 12 hours of playback. It features an in-house design ATN3600L stylus that is user-replaceable. You can plug it right in, or it streams to Bluetooth headphones. The Sound Burger is selling for $199. The new ATH-TWX7 is a new line of true-wireless earphones designed for up to 25 hours of playback (earphones+case), and features active noise cancellation. The earphones support Bluetooth 5.2. ATH didn't mention driver-sizes but these seem like 10 mm. The ATH-M50xSTS is a mid-range headset featuring 45 mm drivers on the headphones, and a noise-cancelling mic.

DeepCool Cases at CES 2024: CH160 Digital and CH360 Series

DeepCool at the 2024 International CES unveiled two new case lines, the CH160 Digital, and the CH360. The company has, in the past, used the "Digital" moniker to refer to a little displays on its CPU coolers putting out simple info, such as temperature. That's exactly the case here, too, with the base panel of the CH160 featuring a set of 7-segment digits displaying real-time monitoring info. The CH160 is a vertical SFF case with airy mesh panels on 3 sides, along which you mount radiators, or align your graphics card, which can be as long as 305 mm, and 3 slots thick. The case also has room for a 140 mm-long ATX or SFX-L power supply. It takes a Mini-ITX case. Don't need the digital read-out? DeepCool has a regular CH160 for you.

The DeepCool CH360 is a larger Micro-ATX tower-type case, with a slight design focus on width. This is basically a shrunk down CH560 (which is meant for regular ATX motherboards). The front panel is a whole mesh, with two 140 mm intakes; the side panel is a partial mesh that allows a radiator to breathe; with two-thirds of the area being tempered glass. There are Digital and regular sub-variants of the CH360, the Digital one comes with a few 7-segment readouts in the bottom one-third of the side panel that has the mesh intake, which again, puts out real-time monitoring info.

DeepCool Cooling Products at CES 2024: Assassin 4S Cooler, FT Slim Fans, Mystique AIOs

DeepCool brought a handful innovative new cooling and case products to the 2024 International CES, and we begin our coverage with their new cooling gear. On a side note, we'd like to compliment them for only getting their new and unannounced stuff. The new Mystique and Mystique Plus AIOs retain much of the understated, minimalist, and geometric styling that DeepCool has been up to since it retired the GamerStorm brand, bringing things under its main marquee. There are actually two new AIO cooler series—Mystique and Mystique Plus. The Mystique series includes 240 mm and 360 mm radiator sizes; while the Mystique Plus is exclusively a 420 mm (for now). What also sets the two apart is the larger pump-block and display on the Mystique Plus.

The Mystique 240 and Mystique 360 come with a somewhat cubical pump-block featuring a 2.8-inch IPS LCD display with 480 x 640 pixels resolution. This can be made to display anything, or real-time monitoring. The AIO uses DeepCool's 4th Gen in-house pump design. The coolers use the company's FT12 SE fans with fluid dynamic bearings. The Mystique Plus 420 is a beast, with a larger pump-block that has a 3.4-inch 480 x 480 pixels display (which is actually of a lower res than the Mystique). The block underneath is larger, as the cooler is recommended for high-Wattage overclocked processors. As its name suggests, the cooler features a 140 mm x 420 mm radiator, with a trio of FT14 FDB fans keeping things cool.

Thermaltake Shows CTE E600 MX, Tower 300, and Ceres 330 TG Cases at CES 2024

During the CES 2024, Thermaltake announced the CTE E600 MX series of cases, in addition to the Tower 300 micro-ATX design shown at the company booth. Firstly, The Thermaltake CTE E600 MX mid-tower chassis focuses on exceptional cooling, customization, and tidy cable management. Its dual-chamber layout separates hot components from cables, with 12 potential fan mounts and 420 mm radiator support. Interchangeable front panels allow configuring for either maximum airflow or sleek tempered glass viewing. A bundled 400 mm PCIe 4.0 riser cable uniquely enables three GPU orientation options - standard, vertical, or a "floating" centered mount showcasing your graphics card. Anchor points and included ties facilitate organizing wiring neatly out of sight in the partitioned cable chamber. With outstanding flexibility tailoring both form and function, the CTE E600 MX empowers users to build their perfect customized system matching individual style and cooling demands. The CTE E600 comes with an MSRP of $179.99.

Razer Updates Blade 16 With the First 16-inch 240 Hz Laptop Display, Blade 14 and Blade 18 also Get an Update

At CES 2024, Razer has updated its Blade laptop family spanning across various sizes, and even got a chance to present a "world's first" feature in a gaming product. The star of the Razer booth is the company's flagship Blade 16 laptop, which now supports 240 Hz refresh rate in its 16-inch OLED display format. Being the first to get there, Razer offers a high refresh rate at 2560 x 1600 QHD+ resolution. In addition to 0.2 ms response time and DCI-P3 100% color gamut, the display had VESA ClearMR 11000 and DisplayHDR True Black 500 certifications. At the center of the laptop is the 14th Gen Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, paired with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU with 175 Watt TGP. Pricing starts at $2999 for lower-end configurations and is available now.

NVIDIA RTX 4080 SUPER Founders Edition Pictured, Thanks to iBUYPOWER

We recently did an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER Founders Edition unboxing preview; and although NVIDIA has announced all three of its RTX 40-series SUPER graphics cards, including the RTX 4080 SUPER that goes on sale this January 31; nobody in the press has an RTX 4080 SUPER Founders Edition sample yet. At the iBUYPOWER booth, we caught one. As a major OEM/SI, the company has access to these, and there's no NDA in place preventing us from picturing it. We just can't show you what it drives like, until later this month.

So then, the RTX 4080 SUPER comes in a similar big black box to the one the RTX 4070 SUPER came in, which opens out along a diagonal axis, to reveal the card. The card is huge, triple slot-thick, and bears geometric resemblance to the original RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 Founders Edition cards. What's new is that the magnesium-alloy outer frame of the cooler is now matte-black, and contrasted with diamond-cut edges that are glossy black (though not silver-chrome). The heatsink remains matte black thanks to its ceramic surface treatment; the body panel behind the PCB has the RTX 4080 SUPER embossed logo. The RTX 4080 SUPER starts selling from January 31, at a starting price of $999.

HYTE Keeb TKL Keyboard Hands On

The HYTE Keeb TKL design is, in many ways, reminiscent of early-2000s Apple iMacs that used clear polycarbonate to frame everything from the monitors to their keyboards; albeit they didn't have any lighting to go with it. That's not the case with the Keeb TKL, though. Called the "Crystal Bubble," a large overarching polycarbonate frame surrounds the main keyboard top-plate. this is studded with 155 qRGB LEDs, with the polycarbonate acting as a diffuser. Another stand-out feature is the dual magnetic rollers, that are programmable using the HYTE Nexus software. You can use this to quickly cycle weapons in a game, or so. The main switches are Krytox lubed HYTE Fluffy Lavender Linear types; while the media/macro keys located near the magnetic roller assembly are low-profile Flappy Paddle Tactile ones. When it goes on sale later this year, the HYTE Keeb TKL will be priced at $180.

HYTE THICC Q60 AIO Liquid CPU Cooler Eyes-on: It's Not the Block You Should be Looking At

"Dude, why do you have a phone stuck to your CPU?" could be a natural first reaction the HYTE THICC Q60 AIO CPU cooler. HYTE figured that people like to have little screens on their AIO pump-blocks, and decided to give them a big one—a rectangular 5-inch 720p IPS display that it very likely scored from a smartphone parts bin. The block underneath is a regular-size water block designed for maximum clearance around the CPU socket area. The screen hangs in the air above the block, over an armature.

Behind the display is a silicone diffuser with an array of 42 qRGB LEDs, for even more lighting, as bright as 300 nits. Perhaps why HYTE didn't go with a square screen has to with clearance around the memory area. This screen is fully programmable, plugs into your graphics card over DisplayPort, and can be made to display just about anything. To your PC, this is just another monitor. HYTE is already into oddly-shaped screens with its award-winning Y70 Touch case, and has the HYTE Nexus app that makes use of the screen to display useful real-time monitoring or Windows 11 widgets. The same HYTE Nexus app will control this display.

Acer Predator and Lenovo SSDs at 2024 CES

BIWIN is a major memory and SSD OEM that manufactures products for leading PC brands, including Lenovo, HP, and Acer. These include everything from USB flash drives, to portable SSDs; and even memory DIMMs. Acer has been trying to enter the DIY hardware market in a big way with its Predator brand, it's tapping into BIWIN for the memory side of things. We've had the Acer Predator Hermes DDR5 RGB series at the high-end; and the Pallas II DDR5 series at the entry level, and Acer is looking to fill the gap with the Vesta II DDR5 series. The original Vesta II series won a Red Dot design award in 2022. The Vesta II comes in certain upper mid-range speeds of DDR5-6000, DDR5-6400, DDR5-6600, and DDR5-6800; with capacities that include 32 GB (2x 16), and 64 GB (2x 32 GB). We also ran into some SSDs that strick to Acer's main marquee, which includes the FA200, a PCIe Gen 4 drive, which is based on a high-end Gen 4 platform, with speeds of up to 7.2 GB/s sequential reads, and up to 6.2 GB/s sequential writes. The drive comes in capacities of up to 4 TB.

Switching gears, we see the first Lenovo-branded DIY client SSDs in the retail channel. The LN960 is a fairly premium M.2-2280 drive with a Gen 4 x4 interface, capacities of up to 4 TB, sequential speeds of up to 7.4 GB/s, and a graphene-based heatspreader. The LN860 is an entry-level NVMe drive based on a Gen 3 x4 interface, with sequential speeds of up to 3.5 GB/s. The LS800 is is being offered more as an upgrade option for those still on older machines with a 2.5-inch SATA 6 Gb/s drive bay. It comes in capacities of up to 1.92 TB, has modern SLC caching technology, and offers sequential speeds of up to 520 MB/s.

KIOXIA Brings Data Center SSDs to 2024 CES

KIOXIA brought a handful of its latest data center SSDs to the 2024 International CES. The lineup begins with the CD8P series designed for a balance in data-heat (frequency of access) and capacity, with applications that include CDN, compute, read-intensive use-cases, and data streaming. The drive comes in the 2.5-inch 18 mm U.2 and EDSFF E3.8 form-factors. The CD8P features a PCI-Express 5.0 x4 host interface, and comes in capacities ranging between 1.92 TB, going all the way up to 15.36 TB. Write endurance recommended is between 1 DWPD to 3 DWPD, so this really isn't a major write-intensive drive, for that, you'll need to pay attention to our next drive, the KIOXIA FL6.

The FL6 from KIOXIA is a scribe par none. It's aimed at write heavy applications such as server caching, and the hottest tiers in tiered storage; and Big Iron database machines. The FL6 comes in capacities of up to 3.2 TB, but offers a mammoth 60 DWPD write endurance. It comes in the 2.5-inch 18 mm form factor with PCI-Express 3.0 x4 interface. Security features include SIE, SED, and FIPS 140-2.

Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus Wireless Over-ear Headset Pictured

The ACCENTUM line of wireless headsets by Sennheiser target power users and professionals, with its main segment competitors coming from the likes of Jabra Evolve 2 series. The European pro-audio brand punched into the segment with the original ACCENTUM Wireless, and now brings its generational upgrade, the ACCENTUM Plus. What's changed, is a whole suite of touch based controls, including touch gestures, which replace the tiny physical buttons on the original. Another major upgrade is support for Bluetooth Multipoint. Other features include wind reduction and an adjustable side tone. Sennheiser also made some improvements to the adaptive ANC system of the headset. When it goes on sale on February 20, the Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus will be priced at $230.

GameSir Shows Off G8 and X2S Type-C Mobile Game Controllers

Gaming peripherals brand GameSir showed off a couple of interesting mobile game controllers. These convert your smartphone into a handheld game console by wrapping a game controller around them. The X2S Type-C is a generational update to the popular X2, and comes with support for the iPhone 15 series. Its thumb sticks and analog triggers feature Hall effect sensors with anti-drift. In addition to the main body being adjustable telescopically to acommodate phones of different lengths, the USB-C connector itself moves sideways, so it can take phones where the USB-C port isn't perfectly in the center. The G8 features much of the same thing, including the Hall effect sticks and triggers; but comes with a more ergonomic design, and magnetic detachable face-plates.

ASUS Unveils 2024 Vivobook Classic Series Powered by the Intel Core Series 1 Processors

Today marks the debut of five updated models in the popular ASUS Vivobook Classic series of everyday laptops, led by the ASUS Vivobook 14 X1404 and X1405, ASUS Vivobook 15 X1504, ASUS Vivobook 16 X1605 and ASUS Vivobook 17 X1704.

Smooth performance is delivered by up to the latest Intel Core 7 processors (Series 1) with 16 GB RAM and up to a 1 TB SSD. Quiet and efficient cooling is provided by the dual-vented cooling system with an IceBlade fan and up to two heat pipes. The long-lasting up to 50 Wh battery gives users more freedom, and there's up to WiFi 6 for ultrafast connectivity. Other helpful design features include the latest ASUS AI noise-canceling audio technology for crystal-clear communications, and there are bundled productivity-enhancing ASUS apps including GlideX, MyASUS and ScreenXpert.

ASUS Announces Radeon RX 7600 XT DUAL and TUF Gaming Graphics Cards

ASUS today announced the TUF Gaming AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT and the ASUS Dual AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT graphics cards, two new members of the Radeon RX 7000 product family. Featuring 16 GB of high-speed GDDR6 memory, the new graphics cards offer fast, smooth, and visually stunning gaming and ray tracing experiences at 1080p and beyond, ready to unleash users' creativity in next-gen AI and content creation workloads. These cards offer excellent gaming performance and serious affordability, making them the perfect addition to a new or current gaming PC build.

The TUF Gaming AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT graphics card is an incredible addition to any gaming arsenal, thanks to its large heatsink, vented backplate, and tri-fan design. With its incredible cooling efficiency, gamers will never be distracted in-game, and the fans even turn off entirely during light loads like web browsing for truly silent operation with our 0 dB technology. A Dual BIOS switch allows gamers to easily prioritize performance or silent operation, and an all-aluminium backplate offers bold TUF styling and additional structural support, for a card that will stand the test of time in any gaming rig.

Patriot Memory at 2024 CES: 14GB/s Gen 5 SSDs, USB4 Prototypes, DDR5 Memory with CKD

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

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

MSI Claw Handheld Game Console Hands On: Smooth Operator

MSI made a really bold move building a handheld game console around an Intel Core Ultra processor, when traditional logic would've pushed them to the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme. The Claw is powered by a Core Ultra 7 155H processor with some tight power management by MSI. The 155H comes with a maxed out Arc Xe-LPG integrated graphics, with 8 Xe cores, worth 128 EU (1,024 unified shaders). In comparison, the Ryzen Z1 Extreme has a maxed out Radeon 780M with 12 CU worth 768 stream processors. Specs are just half the story, the design win the Arc Graphics gets from MSI as the primary GPU, over the Radeon 780M that comes from company that's been designing GPUs for close to 3 decades, is the main story here.

The MSI Claw is about the same size as an ASUS ROG Ally (powered by the Ryzen Z1), with a 16:9 1080p, 120 Hz touchscreen in the middle, flanked by two halves of the main controller. The MSI Center M is the main user interface, which runs on top of Windows 11. This has a game launcher, a platform aggregator (though not with a storefront), and will probably get some gamer social media features down the line. There are two variants of the Claw, the $749 main variant powered by the Core Ultra 7 155U, and a cheaper $699 variant that rocks a Core Ultra 5 135H (with 4P+8E CPU). Both come with a 53 Wh battery that's larger than the 40 Wh on the ROG Ally. The demo piece is the $749 model powered by the 155H, and was shown running "Assassin's Creed: Mirage" with XeSS enabled. Gameplay was butter smooth, and with reasonably good settings. The Claw is a much needed vote of confidence for the Arc Graphics team, more than anything.

HYTE Releases its First All-in-One Liquid Cooler THICC Q60

HYTE, a leading manufacturer of cutting-edge PC components and peripherals, is excited to release its first all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooler, THICC Q60. Previously announced during Computex 2023, THICC Q60 is redefining the modern liquid cooling experience with the largest digital IPS display on an AIO and is expected to have one of the highest performance-to-noise ratios among the competition.

"The THICC Q60 delivers ginormous thermal performance and obscene amounts of digital innovation," said Rob Teller, Product Director of HYTE. "This 240 will destroy any 360 AIO from our competition."
Tuesday, January 9th 2024

Xbox Schedules Developer_Direct Event - Kicks Off January 18

You're about to get an exciting look at some of the incredible games ahead with Xbox, as we present a new edition of Developer_Direct. On Thursday, January 18 at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm UK, fans will get an inside look at a selection of highly anticipated games coming to Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Game Pass. Shortly after, ZeniMax Online Studios will host The Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal at 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm UK to preview 2024's biggest update.

Presented by the game creators themselves, Developer_Direct offers an in-depth look at upcoming titles, how they're being created, and who's creating them. We'll visit MachineGames in Sweden to check in on their Indiana Jones game, swing by Obsidian's Irvine offices to see more from Avowed, head to Oxide Games' Maryland home to learn about Ara: History Untold, and take a trip to Cambridge, England to see Senua's Saga: Hellblade II from Ninja Theory. Please note that while this show won't have updates on games from Activision Blizzard, you can look forward to news from those teams later this year.

DeepCool Introduces FT Fan Series at CES

DeepCool has unveiled a brand new cooling fan series at CES 2024—an intriguing selection of models include the high-performance FT12 and FT14 offerings. The company's engineers have designed these to be low-noise cooling solutions with excellent durability credentials. Their latest 120 mm and 140 mm models feature powerful 3-phase, 10-pole, 12-slot FOC closed-loop control motors with MQ magnets, and true high-grade fluid dynamic bearings. DeepCool is keen to highlight impressive specifications—namely (up to) 80,000 operating hours and a 5-year long limited warranty period.

The FT12's airflow performance is rated at a maximum of 79 CFM. According to the specification sheet on display at CES, the FT12 has static pressure rated at 4.2 mm/H20, while its noise level has been measured at around 29.9 dB(A). The F14's airflow also sits at 79 CFM, static pressure is 3.6 mm/H20 and noise level is similarly around the 29.9 dB(A) mark. DeepCool summarizes that the standard-sized FT fans are powerful, quiet and durable. Black or white color options were on display at the company's booth.

GIGABYTE Shows Off White AORUS PRO X Motherboards at CES '24

GIGABYTE has continued to push a white aesthetic (ICE) across a good number of displayed products on the show floor at this year's CES. The TPU crew got a close peek at a couple of new motherboard offerings—first up is the Taiwanese manufacturer's Z790 AORUS PRO X model with a white PCB and matching livery. The "X" designation denotes that this motherboard is good-to-go with Intel's latest 14th gen desktop CPU offerings. Their AORUS Z790 X Gen Motherboards boast "leading performance in DDR5 memory, the upgraded DIY-friendly innovations, and the all-new BIOS redesigned as user-centered, the AORUS Z790 X Gen Motherboards are built to fully unleash the next-gen power."

According to GIGABYTE's placard this white Z790 model features a 18+1+2 Twin Digital VRM design on an eight-layer PCB, VRM Thermal Armor Advanced with an 8 mm heatpipe, as well as Thermal Guard XL and Ext. for M.2 slot cooling purposes. EZ-Latch Click and M.2 EZ-Latch Plus are present, therefore creating a "seamless" DIY experience. Wi-Fi 7 connectivity (with an Ultra-high gain antenna) ensure that cutting-edge wireless standards are catered for.

AMD Announces New Socket AM4 Desktop Processors—5700X3D and 5000GT APUs

AMD Socket AM4 continues to be relevant even in 2024, nearly seven years since its introduction, with the company announcing several new processor models at CES. AMD has extended Ryzen 5000 series "Zen 3" support across all three desktop chipset series, including the oldest AMD 300-series, and since all Socket AM4 motherboards feature USB BIOS Flashback, users have the full spread of Socket AM4 processors to upgrade to. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D continues to be a popular final upgrade destination for gamers on Socket AM4 who may have spent a pretty penny building a high-end gaming desktop in 2020-21. The 5800X3D offers gaming performance comparable to an Intel Core i9-12900K "Alder Lake," despite being based on the older "Zen 3" microarchitecture, since it enjoys a large 96 MB L3 cache, thanks to AMD's innovative 3D Vertical Cache technology. The 5800X3D commands a $360 street price, which may be a little steep for some users, and so AMD is increasing choice, with the introduction of the new Ryzen 7 5700X3D.

The Ryzen 7 5700X3D is an 8-core/16-thread Socket AM4 processor, which is practically the same silicon as the 5800X3D, but with lower clock speeds, and more importantly a 30% lower price. While the 5800X3D commands $360 in the market, the new 5700X3D is coming in at an attractive $250. The 5700X3D comes with a base frequency of 3.00 GHz, and maximum boost frequency of 4.10 GHz. In comparison the 5800X3D has a 3.40 GHz base frequency, and 4.50 GHz boost. Both chips enjoy the same power limits, with a TDP of 105 W. The 5700X3D gets the same 96 MB of L3 cache that includes 64 MB of 3D Vertical Cache; and 512 KB of L2 cache per core. The I/O is identical, too, with a 24-lane PCI-Express Gen 4 interface, and dual-channel DDR4 memory, with DDR4-3600 being the sweetspot frequency.
Update Jan 9th: AMD clarified the specs of the Ryzen 5 5500GT in an updated slide. It is indeed a 6-core/12-thread processor.

XGIMI at CES: A Projector that Looks like a Downlight, World's First Portable IMAX Projector

Portable projectors specialist XGIMI brought several new innovations to the 2024 International CES. First up, is the Horizon Max, which the company claims is the world's first portable IMAX smart projector. This is an official IMAX licensed product, featuring a high-intensity dual lamp light source. The Horizon Max projects in the 1.9:1 and 1.43:1 aspect ratios, and is suitable for 100-inch screens, making it fit for home-theater setups, if you can find screens in this aspect ratio.

Next up, is the XGIMI Alladin. This thing looks like a downlight and a vacuum robot had a baby, but is actually a projector that you ceiling-mount in a room. It doubles up as a downlight, a Full HD smart projector capable of 100-inch screens across 8 ft, and a fairly powerful integrated speaker system that's backed with some clever spatial audio DSPs to give you the feel of surround sound.

ASUS Unveils BTF Motherboards and Graphics Cards with Hidden Connectors

ASUS today announced the ROG BTF and TUF Gaming BTF White ecosystems, each designed to hide cables so builders can achieve a clean and organized aesthetic with PCs built for a wide variety of scenarios. This innovation is realized through a PCIe high-power connector on graphics cards compatible with the graphics card high-power slot on BTF motherboards.

BTF vs. Advanced BTF
The ASUS ecosystem of BTF components gives users plenty of options as they are planning a hidden-connector build. With the combination of a BTF chassis and a BTF motherboard like the TUF Gaming B760M-BTF WiFi D4, users can tuck away all the cables that connect directly to the motherboard, including the cables that supply power to it, connect 2.5-inch SATA drives, connect case fans, and connect to front-panel buttons and I/O ports.

ASUS and Republic of Gamers Unveil Innovative Monitor Lineup at CES 2024

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

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

Crucial Shows Off First USB4 Portable SSD Prototypes, LPCAMM2 Memory at CES

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

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

Helldivers 2 PC Specifications Published, Crossplay With PS5 Confirmed

We know it's been a long wait but it's finally time to reveal more about the PC release of Helldivers 2. We know what's on your mind, first and foremost: Is it crossplay? And we're pleased to announce that Helldivers 2 supports crossplay! That means your teammates on PC can play with you on PS5 and vice versa. Community and teamwork are the most important pillars of Helldivers 2, and so it is essential to ensure players can work together regardless of the system they choose to use. Together we can celebrate victories, mourn losses, and liberate the galaxy without platform boundaries.

As part of this announcement, we're also finally able to provide you with the minimum, recommended, performance, and ultra system specifications for PC players to ensure that no matter what kind of equipment your squad uses to play - PS5 or PC with a broad range of supported PC hardware - you'll be able to spread Managed Democracy together.

EK Rolls Out New Velocity² 1700 Special Edition CPU Water Blocks

EK, the global leader in premium PC water cooling, is proud to unveil something extraordinary for enthusiasts and builders alike. With an unyielding pursuit of excellence in liquid cooling aesthetics, EK once again sets new standards in design with its latest Quantum line product - the EK-Quantum Velocity² Edge D-RGB - 1700 Black and Silver Special Editions.

These Special Edition water blocks are a bold declaration of EK's commitment to aesthetic excellence. At the forefront of this design revolution is the top cover, featuring a striking assembly of irregular tetrahedrons that transform each water block into a piece of modern art. These tetrahedrons create a captivating interplay of light and shadow, adding a dynamic and sophisticated visual appeal to the water blocks. Designed specifically for the Intel socket LGA 1700-based platform, they fit Intel's 12th, 13th, and 14th generation Core CPUs. The cold plate, precisely machined of the highest-grade 99.99% pure electrolytic copper, ensures unparalleled heat transfer.

EK Confirms Compatibility with GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER GPUs

EK, the renowned pioneer in premium liquid cooling, announces full compatibility with the newly launched GeForce RTX 40 SUPER series graphics cards powered by NVIDIA Ada Lovelace architecture. With the launch of the new GPU and all vendor partners announcing their complete lists of the upcoming graphics cards, EK has also updated all the water block compatibility lists found on the EK Compatibility Configurator and EK Custom Loop Configurator database.

The latest RTX 4080 SUPER promises competitive pricing and a lower entry point for PC users, and with that, it represents a more attractive product for custom-loop liquid cooling enthusiasts. RTX 4080 SUPER is bound to go on sale on January 31 with a price of $999 (MSRP), which is $200 less than the launch price of the original RTX 4080. With the release of the NVIDIA Ada Lovelace architecture, we have seen a plethora of new GPUs announced by the custom board partners, and EK strongly suggests using EK Compatibility Configurator or EK Custom Loop Configurator tools to find a suitable water block. EK is updating the compatibility database with newly released hardware from various manufacturers, adding compatible graphics cards to the list daily.

Schenker-built Tuxedo Sirius 16 Notebook Powered by Ryzen 7040 Showcased

Back at the Schenker booth, we also spied the Tuxedo Computers Sirius 16. Schenker is the OEM/SI for this brand, which specializes in notebooks, mobile workstations, mini-PCs, commercial desktops, and large workstations; with the singular design goal of making them 100% compatible with and optimized for popular PC Linux distributions, hence the name. These Linux-friendly PCs are designed and assembled in Germany. The Tuxedo Sirius 16, as its name suggests, features a 16-inch 16:10 1600p display; and an illuminated keyboard. All its ports, connectors, audio, and networking interfaces have been tested for 100% compatibility and performance on Linux.

Under the hood is an AMD Ryzen 7840HS "Phoenix" processor, with its 8-core/16-thread "Zen 4" CPU, and a cTDP set by Tuxedo at 54 W. This is paired with dual-channel DDR5 SO-DIMM slots, with options going all the way up to 96 GB. Graphics is care of a discrete AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT with 8 GB of memory, and 130 W configured power limit. The notebook features an all-metal chassis, and since the cooling solution isn't as elaborate on the XMG 17 with its bulky 150 W CPU and 175 W GPU; Schenker used the space to cram in an 80 Wh battery. The 40 Gbps USB4 from the "Phoenix" SoC is wired out. Neato.

Schenker Unveils XMG Neo Notebooks Powered by 14th Gen Core HX

Schenker, one of Europe's leading PC OEM and systems integrators, updated its XMG line of premium mobiile workstations, with the XMG Neo 16 and XMG Neo 17, powered by 14th Gen Intel Core HX "Raptor Lake Refresh" mobile processors, which released on January 8. Both are power-packed beasts that offer maxed out gaming with ray tracing at their respective display resolutions. Both feature the top-of-the-line Core i9-14900HX 8P+16E processor, along with dual-channel DDR5 SO-DIMM memory. The machine supports user-configured processor undervolting, and Intel XMP 3.0 overclocked memory support. Out of the box, the i9-14900HX is configured for over 100 W base power, although the maximum turbo power can go over 150 W as per Intel specifications. Graphics sub-system is led by an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU with 16 GB 256-bit memory, and 175 W power tuning.

XMG's innovative OASIS air+liquid cooling solution tackles heat from the beastly i9-14900HX and RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. Connectivity includes a 100 W PD USB-C port. The notebook has an elaborate aluminium channel heatsink with multiple flat heatpipes, but there's also a liquid coolant channel with exterior fittings. The XMG OASIS accessory (purchased separately), can be quick connected to this, which contains a liquid cooling loop with a pump, reservoir, radiator, and probably something to deal with the residual air in the loop. You can opt for a CHERRY-sourced RGB-illuminated mechanical keyboard. The XMG 16 packs mostly the same hardware, except GPU choices offered between an RTX 4080 Laptop GPU and the top RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. It comes with a gorgeous 500 nits 16:10 display.

CHERRY XTRFY Reveals Entire Range of New Gaming Products at CES

CHERRY, a world-renowned brand in gaming in general and in the field of mechanical keyboard switches in particular, today announced one of their most extensive product launches to date, including high-performance gaming keyboards, mice, microphones and more, at CES 2024. CHERRY initially introduced its global effort within gaming peripherals with the acquisition of the Swedish gaming gear specialist XTRFY and the launch of CHERRY XTRFY in 2023.

"We've spent 2023 working diligently to build CHERRY XTRFY and create a new generation of gaming gear under a common banner. As we enter 2024, we're extremely proud to introduce more than 10 new gaming products that will be released over the upcoming months. With innovative products that are at the forefront of performance, and expansions into new product segments, CHERRY XTRFY is building a complete range for professional and casual gamers alike," says Joakim Jansson, Head of Product & Portfolio at CHERRY and Managing Director for CHERRY XTRFY.

Micron First to Market With LPDDR5X-based LPCAMM2 Memory

Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), today unveiled the industry's first standard low-power compression attached memory module (LPCAMM2) available in capacities from 16 GB to 64 GB, which delivers higher performance, energy-efficiency, space savings and modularity for PCs. Sampling now with production in the first half of 2024, LPCAMM2 is the first disruptive new form factor for client PCs since the introduction of small outline dual inline memory modules (SODIMMs) in 1997. Micron's LPDDR5X DRAM incorporated into the innovative LPCAMM2 form factor will provide up to 61% lower power and up to 71% better performance for PCMark 10 essential workloads such as web browsing and video conferencing, along with a 64% space savings over SODIMM offerings.

As generative artificial intelligence (GAI) use cases proliferate to client PCs, performance of the memory subsystem becomes more critical. LPCAMM2 delivers the required performance to process AI workloads on PCs and provide the potential to scale to applications needing a high performance and low power solution in a compact and modular form factor, with the ability to upgrade low power DRAM for the first time, as customer needs evolve.

Epomaker Reveals a Cutting-Edge Designed Product - DynaTab 75X

Combining sleek design with top-notch functionality, the Epomaker DynaTab 75X compact mechanical keyboard is set to redefine the user experience for professionals and gamers alike.

Compact 75% Desk-saving Layout
The Epomaker DynaTab 75X boasts an array of features that cater to the diverse needs of keyboard enthusiasts. The compact 75% layout strikes a perfect balance between space efficiency and functionality, offering a seamless typing experience without compromising on key functionality. The keyboard is equipped with customizable RGB backlighting, allowing users to personalize their setup and create an immersive gaming or work environment.

Lenovo Showcases New Yoga and Other Consumer Devices at CES 2024

Today, at CES 2024, Lenovo showcased its latest repertoire of new consumer devices: A selection of Yoga AI laptops that supercharge the creative process, a tablet that invites users to play and learn, IdeaPad laptops designed for the everyday user, and peripherals for the modern world. "Modern consumers need solutions that adapt to their evolving needs, and our latest selection of portable devices addresses those needs with thoughtful technologies, including AI," said Jun Ouyang, Lenovo's Vice President and General Manager of the Consumer Business Segment, Intelligent Devices Group. "Our vision of delivering 'AI for all' places the individual user at the center, while emphasizing privacy and security."

Seeing is Believing - The Power and Flexibility of AI
Ushering in a new era, Lenovo's newest lineup of Microsoft Windows 11 Lenovo Yoga laptops come with Lenovo Yoga Creator Zone, an exclusive new software for creators, artists, and anybody looking to harness the power of generative AI in a simple and private way with security in mind. As an imagination sparkplug, Lenovo Yoga Creator Zone offers image generation, which transforms text-based descriptions or even sketches into stunning visuals without complex prompts, codes, or setups. Users simply type whatever they want to see, and the system instantly creates a visual representation.

Cooler Master Introduces the Ncore 100 Max. A Revolutionary Leap in SFF PC Case Design

Cooler Master, a leading provider of PC components, gaming peripherals, and tech lifestyle solutions, has today announced the launch of its groundbreaking Mini-ITX case product, the Ncore 100 Max. This launch marks a pivotal moment in small form factor (SFF) PC case design, blending high performance with a remarkably compact footprint. The Ncore 100 Max is engineered for enthusiasts, gamers, and creative professionals who prioritize both space efficiency and performance.

The Ncore 100 Max is more than just a PC case; it's a paradigm shift in SFF design. The Max is made of aluminium alloy with a volume of only 15.7 liters, and it integrates both a 38 mm custom AIO liquid cooling system and a V SFX Gold ATX 3.0 850 W PSU. The Max's width can extend from 155 mm to 172 mm and accommodate a 3.9-slot GPU, perfect for the latest 40 series cards. The Ncore 100 Max is a revolutionary product.

GIGABYTE Shows its Monitor Lineup at CES 2024, Including New AORUS FO48U and CO49DQ OLED Gaming Monitors

GIGABYTE certainly came to the CES 2024 show in force and big part of its showcase were existing and new monitors, including the 48-inch OLED AORUS FO48U and the 49-inch OLED AORUS CO49DQ gaming monitors. During the show, GIGABYTE revealed a bit more information about its current monitor lineups, including gaming oriented AORUS, as well as multimedia, and standard G- and GS-series gaming monitors.

The flagship offer and the star of the monitor show at GIGABYTE's CES 2024 event was certainly the AORUS OLED monitor lineup, including the CO49DQ, MO34WQC2, FO32U2P, and the FO48U. The big 34-inch AORUS MO34WQC2 OLED monitor with 3440x1440 WQHD resolution and 240 Hz refresh rate is certainly a sight to behold. It is AMD FreeSync Premium certified, has 0.03 ms GTG response time, has integrated KVM switch, and offers two DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.1 inputs. The CO49DQ is also another one that peaked our interest, and although it does not include the KVM switch, this 49-inch 10-bit OLED monitor with 5120x1440 resolution offers impressive picture quality with 99% DCI-P3 but sticks with 144 Hz refresh rate. It is also AMD FreeSync Premium certified and has two DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.1 inputs, but lacks integrated KVM switch.

Yoshino Unveils 6000-Watt B6000 SST Solid State Battery Power Station

During the CES 2024, Yoshino unveiled its flagship solid-state battery power station, dubbed B6000 SST. The number in the naming directly corresponds to its capacity. The B6000 SST delivers 6000 Watts of continuous AC output and up to 9000 Watts of surge capacity, powered by a massive 4730 Wh battery bank. Its proprietary solid-state lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide (NCM) cells provide advertised longevity of 4000 cycles while still maintaining over 80% of original capacity. During a power outage, the B6000 SST power station automatically switches to uninterruptible power supply (UPS) mode, which allows for devices to keep functioning for a while longer.

Additional capabilities like an AC coupling to combine with solar, DC fast charging inputs, and Bluetooth/Wi-Fi app connectivity make the B6000 one of the most advanced and versatile lithium battery storage systems on the market. Unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries use a solid electrolyte and are non-flammable, so the B6000 SST offers extreme temperature resilience and advanced protective circuitry. Yoshino also adds the "Infinity" ability, which allows an infinite number of additional Yoshino 2562 Wh batteries to expand capacity to meet almost any application.

Framework Demonstrates Laptop 16 Customization and Expansion Modules at CES 2024

Modularity takes center stage in Framework's latest laptop innovation—the Laptop 16—showcased at their CES 2024 booth. The TechPowerUp team was there to look at the modules that the company showed. As a bigger brother to their popular Laptop 13, the 16-inch model amps up the modularity with new expansion systems for unrivaled customizability. The showstopper is the laptop's graphics modularity, realizing the long-sought dream of upgradeable discrete GPUs in a laptop. Gamers and creators can swap graphics modules to keep up with the latest technology. The laptop also introduces a modular keyboard deck with interchangeable parts for full input flexibility. Framework's expansive modularity translates to sustainability. Components can be reused, reducing e-waste. The company is open-sourcing designs and engaging partners to participate in the ecosystem.

Starting at $1399 for the DIY edition, the choice is either AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS or Ryzen 9 7940HS CPUs, along with Radeon RX 7700S graphics configured at 100 Watt TGP. A variety of modules and various keyboard positions can be seen in the pictures below, including the configuration with LED matrix spacer, color shifting spacer, different color screen bezels, and much more. Additional modules like SD Card expansion module are coming soon as well.

The Wi-Fi Alliance Introduces Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 is here, introducing powerful new features that boost Wi-Fi performance and improve connectivity across a variety of environments. Cutting-edge capabilities in Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 enable innovations that rely on high throughput, deterministic latency, and greater reliability for critical traffic. New use cases - including multi-user AR/VR/XR, immersive 3-D training, electronic gaming, hybrid work, industrial IoT, and automotive - will advance as a result of the latest Wi-Fi generation. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 represents the culmination of extensive collaboration and innovation within Wi-Fi Alliance, facilitating worldwide product interoperability and a robust, sophisticated device ecosystem.

Wi-Fi 7 will see rapid adoption across a broad ecosystem with more than 233 million devices expected to enter the market in 2024, growing to 2.1 billion devices by 2028. Smartphones, PCs, tablets, and access points (APs) will be the earliest adopters of Wi-Fi 7, and customer premises equipment (CPE) and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) equipment will continue to gain early market traction. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 pushes the boundaries of today's wireless connectivity, and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED helps ensure advanced features are deployed in a consistent way to deliver high-quality user experiences.

Lenovo Shows New ThinkBook Laptops and ThinkCentre neo Desktops at CES 2024

Today at CES 2024, Lenovo announced new ThinkBook products, ThinkCentre desktops, and accessories for the small and medium sized business (SMB) market, with innovative features, smart designs, and AI PC enhancements. The new ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid is a flexible hybrid solution with a laptop base system and a tablet that can work independently or together and seamlessly switch between laptop and tablet. The solution offers a unique innovation providing a Hybrid experience between Windows and Android system.

The ThinkBook 13x Gen 4 is a beautiful and powerful Intel Evo Edition laptop with fantastic battery life, a built-in Copilot key, and is Lenovo's first carbon-neutral laptop for SMBs. The ThinkBook 14 i Gen 6+2 is a powerful, versatile, and smart laptop with up to stunning 14.5-inch 3K display and includes a Graphics Extension (TGX) port that supports the new ThinkBook Graphics Extension (TGX) dock boosting AI computing power. Lenovo is also introducing its updated ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 combining power and elegance with support for the new Magic Bay Studio that incorporates a 4K camera and integrated speakers. The ThinkCentre neo Ultra exploits the very latest technology to deliver a new generation of ultra small form factor AI PC, and the ThinkCentre neo 50a Gen 5 all-in-one desktop will be available in 24- and 27-inch form factors. The Lenovo ThinkBook laptops, ThinkCentre neo desktops, and the Magic Bay Studio are the latest products and accessories that showcase Lenovo's innovation and leadership in the SMB market.

EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra Whole-Home Portable Power Station Unveiled

EcoFlow at the 2024 International CES unveiled the Delta Pro Ultra. This battery inverter-generator is roughly the size of a mid-large travel bag, and is lugged around with wheels and a retractable handle; but in order to power a whole home, there is a static component to it in the form of a wall-mount distribution board. The unit itself puts out four standard 110-230 VAC sockets, a large 16/32 A socket, and a single-phase input for recharging the battery. An LED segment display puts out realtime usage/recharging stats. We are working to get its battery and electrical stats, but we're getting to learn that for a mobile home or a camper, this thing has the battery capacity to power things for days, including some high-wattage appliances such as a microwave oven or a washer. We expect its continuous power output to be in the 5-6 kVA range, with three of these adding up to a typical 18 kVA 3-phase household load.

Lenovo Unveils New Legion Laptops, Desktops, and Peripherals at CES 2024

Lenovo's new gaming ecosystem debuted at CES 2024, with Microsoft Windows 11-based PCs, peripherals, software, and services that deliver on power, thermals, graphics, AI-powered advantages, and the freedom to build the ultimate system to game. The new PC portfolio includes the following new 9th generation Lenovo Legion 16-inch gaming laptops and towers:
  • The Lenovo Legion 7i (16", 9), Lenovo Legion 5i (16", 9), and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 (16", 9) are for gamers who need a laptop that can handle their favorite games as well as their STEM apps.
  • The Lenovo Legion 9i (16", 9) is for those who will settle for nothing less than the best in their gaming and content creation pursuits.
  • The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (16", 9) and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (16", 9) are for gamers who need the ultimate in FPS, style, and screen.
  • Legion Tower 7i and Legion Tower 5i are for those who need the extra horsepower of a top-tier gaming tower PC.
    Also new this year are the Lenovo LOQ 15IRX9, Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9I, Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9, and Lenovo LOQ 15AHP9 laptops and Lenovo LOQ Tower 17IRR9 for gamers beginning their journey up the leaderboards. New accessories, such as the Lenovo Legion M410 Wireless RGB Gaming Mouse and Legion K510 Pro Mini Keyboard, along with a new Lenovo AvatarMaster PC software app round out the upgraded ecosystem.
At the core of this new gaming lineup is the family of Lenovo's proprietary hardware AI chips—called LA AI chips-and the advantages they bring to both Lenovo Legion and Lenovo LOQ gaming laptops. First introduced last CES, this year's LA AI chips are mightier than ever, enabling Lenovo Legion and Lenovo LOQ laptops to achieve even higher FPS, increased power efficiency, and more. And with a selection of gaming laptops, towers, monitors, accessories and even the handheld Lenovo Legion Go announced last IFA, the new Lenovo gaming ecosystem lets gamers choose the exact setup they need to achieve gaming greatness and reach their "impossible".

Acer Refreshes Predator Helios Gaming Laptops with Intel Core 14th Gen Processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series Laptop GPUs

Acer unleashes a series of powerhouse gaming laptops, headlined by the refreshed models of the Predator Helios 18 and Predator Helios 16. Acer also announced the new Predator Helios Neo 18 gaming laptop and major updates to the Predator Helios Neo 16, all outfitted with the latest Intel Core 14th gen processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series Laptop GPUs with DLSS 3.5 technology and NVIDIA Advanced Optimus. NVIDIA RTX Laptop GPUs are packed with specialized AI Tensor Cores enabling unmatched AI performance and accelerations in creative apps, ultra-efficient productivity, blistering fast gaming, and more. The Predator laptops feature Microsoft's Copilot in Windows 11 and a dedicated Copilot key for quick access to AI-powered task assistance. They also come with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, giving gamers access to hundreds of high-quality PC games.

Gamers seeking a competitive edge will be thrilled with the Predator Helios 18 and Predator Helios 16 laptops as they come with options for captivating Mini LED panels, MagKey 3.0 swappable mechanical switch for shorter key travel and response time, and lightning-fast network speeds with Wi-Fi 7 compatibility.

Acer Announces New Nitro 17 Gaming Laptop with Latest Intel Core 14th Gen Processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series Laptop GPUs ​

Acer today announced the Acer Nitro 17 (AN17-72) gaming laptop, unlocking improved performance, immersive experiences, plus essential features for playing and multi-tasking on the go. The device is powered by the latest Intel Core 14th gen processors, featuring Intel's Performance Hybrid Architecture with improved power and core frequencies to manage workloads efficiently. At the same time, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs with DLSS 3.5 technology. NVIDIA RTX Laptop GPUs are packed with specialized AI Tensor Cores enabling unmatched AI performance in creative apps, ultra-efficient productivity, blistering fast gaming, and more. Built with Microsoft Copilot and the next wave of computing, the Nitro laptop provides access to Copilot in Windows via a dedicated Copilot key, making it even easier to harness the power of AI to assist with productivity and creativity tasks.

Users can feast their eyes on immersive visuals and pristine colors on the device's 17-inch QHD display with a fast 165 Hz[1] refresh rate and support for the NVIDIA Advanced Optimus feature. The Nitro 17 is further supported by an advanced cooling system, AI-assisted communication features, and NitroSense software for full device control. To top it all off, the Windows 11 gaming laptop is shipped with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, providing access to a library of hundreds of high-quality games to be explored with friends on PC, console, or cloud.

ASUS Details the New ROG NUC at CES 2024

During its "Transcendence Virtual Launch Live Event at CES 2024, ASUS has finally revealed a bit more details about its new ASUS Republic of Gamers NUC, codenamed Scorpion Canyon. The ROG NUC will be powered by up to Intel's Core Ultra 9 CPU and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, all packed in a 2.5-liter chassis.

The flagship CPU choice is the Intel Meteor Lake-H Core Ultra 9 185H CPU, a 16-core/22-thread CPU (6 P-cores, 8 E-cores, and 2 low-power P-cores) which has a 115 W maximum Turbo TDP and Boosts up to 5.1 GHz. The ASUS ROG NUC can also be equipped with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. The less expensive SKU pairs up the Core Ultra 7 155H with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU. The rest of the specifications include two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots with support for 32 GB of memory, three M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 x4 slots, Intel Killer WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, 2.5G Intel LAN, single Thunderbolt 4 port and plenty of other USB ports, HDMI and DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, and choice between Windows 11 Home 64-bit, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, or no OS.

GIGABYTE Launches New AI Gaming Laptop Series, the G6X, G6 and G5

GIGABYTE Technology, a leading global brand in the computer industry, debuts AORUS and GIGABYTE Gaming AI gaming laptops at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the United States, marking its entry into the new battleground of AI PCs. Today, the company launches the latest AI gaming laptops: G6X, G6, and G5, featuring up to the 13th gen. Intel Core HX series processors and NVIDIA RTX 40 Laptop GPUs. All three models the highest configuration come equipped with a Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, delivering robust AI generative content computing power.

The G6X, featuring the Intel Core i7-13650HX processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, excels at running diverse gaming titles and professional applications for creative content creation. It offers a quicker computing experience for AI generative content creation, enabling real-time and seamless realization of creative content. The laptops integrate with Microsoft's AI assistant, Copilot, assisting users in easier task creation and completion, thereby reducing daily workload and unlocking limitless productivity. In terms of audio, the entire series incorporates Dolby Atmos technology, delivering an unprecedented sense of depth, clarity, and detailed soundscapes. This not only enables gamers to accurately locate sounds and make precise strikes but also provides an unparalleled immersive experience.

ASUSTOR Launches the Drivestor Pro Gen2 NAS

Today marks the launch of not just two new incredibly well-designed NAS devices, but also two new features brand new to the ASUSTOR line of NAS devices with ARM processors. The introduction of the Drivestor 2 Pro Gen2 and Drivestor 4 Pro Gen2 come with an upgraded SoC, providing 21% more performance, which increases read and write speeds and performance for the features and apps available for the Drivestor Pro Gen2. The Drivestor Pro Gen2 series comes with 2.5-Gigabit Ethernet, hot-swappable hard drive bays, hardware transcoding, tool-free design and more! The upgraded iGPU found in the Drivestor Pro Gen2 now gives even better performance when transcoding multimedia.

The all-new Drivestor Pro Gen2 series comes with a new killer feature. Btrfs is now supported on the Drivestor Pro Gen2, a first for ASUSTOR NAS devices running ARM CPUs. Btrfs helps protect data by enabling snapshots of data at certain points in time and is able to rewind the clock should any unintentional modifications be made and restore data if needed.

ASUS Republic of Gamers Announces an Arsenal of Gaming Peripherals and Gear at CES 2024

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced an arsenal of gaming peripherals and gear at CES 2024. ROG strives to transcend the limits of what's currently possible and its latest offerings are designed to empower gamers with the tools to dominate gaming worlds. These offerings include the ROG Keris II Ace ultralight gaming mouse, ROG Falchion RX Low Profile 65% gaming keyboard, ROG Cetra True Wireless SpeedNova gaming headphones, ROG Carnyx USB condenser microphone, and the ROG Archer ErgoAir Gaming Backpack.

ROG Keris II Ace
The ROG Keris II Ace is an ultralight gaming mouse made for competitive gamers and esports athletes. Designed with input and feedback from esports professionals, the Keris II Ace's sleek, minimalist aesthetic offers the perfect balance of functionality and form. Its environmentally friendly, bio-based nylon shell is derived from renewable castor oil, giving it an overall weight of just 54 grams to significantly reduce wrist fatigue during marathon gaming sessions. The optical micro switches used in the Keris II Ace offer consistent actuation and are extremely durable with a 100-million-click lifespan.

Republic of Gamers Unveils ROG Strix LC III Series and ROG Ryujin III WB at CES

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the ROG Strix LC III series and ROG Ryujin III WB, two CPU liquid-cooling solutions tailored to diverse user needs, at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The ROG Strix LC III AIO cooler series is designed to be easy to install, and it offers excellent cooling performance and a variety of models suited to different scenarios. Meanwhile, the ROG Ryujin III WB creates a one-of-a-kind gaming PC experience for users pursuing ultimate customization and extreme cooling performance.

Introducing the ROG Strix LC III series
The ROG Strix LC III series of 240 mm and 360 mm coolers features an Asetek-designed cold plate and 7th gen V2 pump armed with a robust motor that delivers premium cooling performance. This cooling innovation iterates on previous designs with new Turbulence-Channel cold plate technology to provide greater thermal performance than is possible with traditional split-flow cold plates.

ASUS Republic of Gamers Announces Completely Redesigned Zephyrus G14 and G16

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the 2024 Zephyrus G14 and Zephyrus G16, the latest in an illustrious lineup of supremely powerful thin-and-light gaming laptops. These machines feature a new CNC-machined aluminium chassis, a customizable Slash Lighting array, and a brand-new Platinum White colorway, while cutting-edge AI accelerated silicon from Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA stand ready to push gamers and creators to new heights of performance. Both the Zephyrus G14 and G16 come equipped with the ROG Nebula Display, stunningly color-accurate OLED panels that are also G-SYNC capable for incredible gaming experiences. Ultra-efficient cooling technology, including tri-fan technology, liquid metal, and vapor chambers on select models enable the Zephyrus G14 and G16 to breathe easily despite their ultra-portable designs.

Brand-new chassis design
The 2024 Zephyrus G14 and Zephyrus G16 have been completely redesigned inside and out. Both machines boast all-new and all-aluminium CNC-machined chassis for the perfect mix of weight reduction, structural rigidity, and increased chassis space. This allows for an edge-to-edge keyboard design, as well as the inclusion of larger and louder speakers with superior bass response down to 100 Hz. The speakers are 25% larger than the previous generation, with a 47% volume increase for more immersive audio experiences than ever before. The Zephyrus G14 and G16 also come with larger individual keycaps and a larger touchpad, for superior typing, precision scrolling, and fluid gaming. Both the 2024 Zephyrus G14 and Zephyrus G16 ship with three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, providing access to a library of hundreds of great games.

ASUS Reveals a Range of New ROG Strix Laptops at CES 2024

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the 2024 Strix family of laptops, including the Strix SCAR 18, the first 18-inch ROG laptop equipped with the mini LED ROG Nebula HDR Display. As the vanguard of gaming laptops, all 2024 Strix machines feature the latest flagship Intel Core i9 processor 14900HX, with the Strix SCAR 16 and SCAR 18 sporting up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU with 175 W max TGP. Paired with a complete suite of the latest intelligent cooling improvements, including Tri-Fan technology and Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal on both the CPU and GPU, the 2024 Strix family of laptops has arrived to dominate the competition.

Brilliant detail
This year marks the introduction of the first ROG 18-inch display powered by Mini LED technology. HDR content and games have arrived on the big screen with the arrival of the 2024 Strix SCAR 18, with its Nebula HDR Display boasting over 2000 discrete dimming zones and 1100 nits of peak brightness. On an 18-inch panel, this dimming zone density coupled with the ROG Nebula HDR Engine minimizes blooming and haloing even in challenging scenes, giving the Strix SCAR 18 incredibly vivid HDR performance.

Intel APO Coming to 12th Gen and 13th Gen Core Processors After All?

Intel is reportedly bringing Application Optimization (APO) to its 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" and 13th Gen Core "Raptor Lake" processors after all, PC Gamer reports. APO is currently restricted to 14th Gen Core i9 and Core i7 "Raptor Lake Refresh" processors, and the upcoming 14th Gen HX Core i9 and Core i7 mobile processors based on this silicon. An extension of the Dynamic Tuning Technology (DTT), APO is an application-specific scheduler optimization that makes hardware resources of Intel's Hybrid processors "correctly" available to the application. This requires Intel to study the application itself, and validate its optimization on a per-processor model basis (which is Intel's explanation as to why it isn't available across all its Hybrid processors). On optimized games—of which there are currently 7—APO is found to offer frame rate uplifts ranging between 10% to 16%. At this point we don't know exactly which other 12th and 13th Gen processors Intel plans to extend APO to, but it's likely only to the Unlocked K or KF SKUs, as PC Gamer notes.

BIOSTAR Outs Ryzen 8000G Series Socket AM5 Motherboard Firmware Updates

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices today, announces a new BIOS update for its AMD AM5-based motherboards, specifically tailored to ensure flawless compatibility with the newly released AMD Ryzen 8000 series processors, designed to optimize system performance and reliability, allowing users to fully harness the advanced capabilities of AMD's latest Ryzen processors. Consisting of Ryzen 7 8700G, Ryzen 5 8600G, Ryzen 5 8500G, and the Ryzen 3 8300G, AMD's latest processors bring unrivaled performance at affordable price points. These cutting-edge APUs, grounded in the robust Zen 4 architecture, seamlessly blend high performance with versatility.

Moreover, these processors are equipped with an RDNA 3 GPU, offering superior graphics performance for gaming and content creation. Additionally, Ryzen 7 8700G and Ryzen 5 8600G feature an innovative XDNA Neural Processing Unit (NPU), a significant advancement that directly boosts artificial intelligence processing capabilities at the hardware level. This integration positions these APUs as a formidable choice for users seeking a blend of performance, AI-enhanced capabilities, and affordability.

GIGABYTE AORUS WATERFORCE X II and WATERFORCE II Liquid Coolers Up and Running at CES 2024

GIGABYTE also brought its new AORUS WATERFORCE X II and WATERFORCE II Liquid Coolers to CES 2024, showing all those new features including the Fan EZ-Chang for fans, rotatable water block design, all new upgraded pump and more.

Available in 360 mm and 240 mm versions, both the AORUS WATERFORCE X II and WATERFORCE II will be available in black and the popular white color option (ICE), feature universal design for fan and pump RPM control which makes them compatible with all motherboard brands, new fan blade design increases both airflow and pressure while reducing noise, and the Fan EZ-Chain feature, which allows fan daisy-chaining for easier connectivity and much better cable management. The AORUS WATERFORCE X II comes with LCD Edge View, which is a circular LCD screen on top of the pump while the AORUS WATERFORCE II sticks with the RGB AORUS logo.

Dangbei Atom is a Powerful Mini-PC Sized Projector

The Dangbei Atom is barely the size of small, ultraportable projectors that tend to put out 200-400 ANSI Lumens, but don't be fooled by its size, its designers claim a maximum brightness of 1200 ISO Lumens (around 1500 ANSI Lumens)! It does so using a laser light source, and is able to project a Full HD display head onto a large 100-inch screen over a roughly 8-foot distance. The only drawback is that this isn't quite a portable projector, it lacks a battery, and you rely on a 12 V DC wall wart. 5 W stereo speakers make for the rest of it. Google TV comes pre-installed, so all your streaming apps from the Play Store just work. Besides Wi-Fi, the projector takes in an HDMI source, and a USB 2.0 (for mass storage). Dangbei is pricing the Atom at $899.

Bluetti Shows off AC180T and AC240 Power Stations with Hot-Swappable Batteries

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

GIGABYTE AORUS 17X and AORUS 16X 2024 Laptops With WINDFORCE Infinity Cooling Showcased at CES 2024

GIGABYTE has unveiled its new AORUS 17X and AORUS 16X 2024 laptops at CES 2024, showing off the new WINDFORCE Infinity cooling system and giving them a refresh with Intel 14th Gen CPUs and NVIDIA RTX 40 series GPUs. Both models come with up to Intel Core i9-14900HX 24-core CPU, GIGABYTE's AI Nexus technology, and the new WINDFORCE Infinity cooling system, which has all new fans, 0 db cooling, and 3D VortX technology, which uses four air outlets and two inlets combined with five sets of heatpipes.

The larger AORUS 17X laptop can be equipped with up to 17.3-inch QHD 240 Hz display, and in addition to the Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU, it can be also equipped with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. The smaller AORUS 16X laptop gets up to 16-inch WQXGA 165 Hz display with slim bezels, but sticks with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. Both also support Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, Copilot hotkey button, and a hefty 99Wh maximum battery capacity.

1MORE Fit Open S50 and PistonBuds Pro Q30 TWS Earbuds Pictured

1MORE brought the Fit Open S50 and PistonBuds Pro Q30 TWS (true wireless) headphones to the 2024 CES. A common feature between the two is diamond-like carbon (DLC) diaphragms on their 10 mm drivers. The S50 features 1MORE's Pure Power DLC drivers; and features an around-the-pinna design. An unnamed, Grammy Award winning sound engineer has fine-tuned the S50. The Piston Buds Pro Q30 is a more conventional set of TWS earbuds, featuring 1MORE's QuietMax active noise-cancellation (ANC) tech; some spatial audio DSPs, and of course that diamond-like carbon driver.

Gigabyte Shows its PSU Lineup at CES 2024

While it was keen to show off its full NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 SUPER series lineup at CES 2024, Gigabyte also had a few new PSUs displayed at CES 2024, including the PG5 series, which also comes in white, and the AORUS Platinum Modular 1200 W PSU with Edge LCD view.

The star of the Gigabyte PSU lineup at CES is the AORUS P1200W 80+ Platinum modular PSU with 140 mm double ball bearing fan, and digital LCD edge monitor. It also comes with special fan dust removal function, support for Gigabyte's RGB Fusion 2.0, and has a rather compact design for a 1200 W PSU, measuring at 150x160 mm. The rest of the PSU lineup include Gigabyte Ultra Durable PG5 lineup which include 1600 W, 1300 W, and a smaller 850 W model. The entire PG5 lineup features a fully modular design, supports ATX 3.0, and PCIe 5.0 graphics cards. The 1600 W and 1300 W models are based on a single +12V rail design.

GoalZero Shows Off Yeti 300, Yeti 500, and Yeti 700 Power Stations

GoalZero came to the 2024 CES with its new Yeti 300, Yeti 500, and Yeti 700 portable power stations. The 2024 Yeti series of power stations come with a more handy user interface, with a pop-out power connector and display panel, and segment-wide updates to capacity. These power stations are designed for anywhere between 2 to 5 AC power connectors, with power outputs starting from 180 W for the Yeti 300, ranging into several kW for the larger models. There's also a unique contraption that combines a power station with an energy efficient freezer/refrigerator. All the AC connectors, the multiple USB-PD type-C and type-A ports, and the information display, are concealed behind a convenient see-through door.

Anker SOLIX Showcases its Latest Portable Energy Solutions at CES

Anker SOLIX is the company's biggest consumer brand, dealing in off-grid and portable energy solutions, of nearly all shapes and sizes. At CES, the company debuted the SOLIX X1 Home Energy solution, The SOLIX F3800 portable power station; C800 Plus portable power station; and the C1100. The X1 Home Energy Solution is a highly modular, scalable power solution that out to eat the lunch of the Tesla Powerwall. A set of high capacity lithium ion batteries connect to an AC inverter with a 6 kVA continuous output, and 12 kVA surge for 10 seconds. Each of its up to 3 battery modules can range between 5 kWh to 30 kWh. Anker worked on keeping the noise down, and the fans ventilating the switching machinery in the power module put out under 40 dBA of noise. Three of these X1 units (one for each phase); paired with a separate solar power source, and you're ready to go off-grid (assuming 18 kVA for a typical household).

The Anker SOLIX F3800 is about the size of an ATX mid-tower case, is wheeled, and backs a large enough battery pack to power every appliance in your kitchen, thanks to its 6 kVA single phase AC output. Under the hood is a 3.84 kWh battery pack. Among its numerous low-voltage DC and AC plugs, is a NEMA 14-50 RV port, so you can run power tools off of it. If you've beached our EV, this thing can deliver 240 V single-phase AC power to your car at 6,000 W, giving it an up to a 140 km of range with its six expansion batteries.

Nebula by Anker Presents a Range of Portable Projectors

Anker and its constellation of lifestyle consumer electronics brands brought in a trove of new gear to the 2024 International CES. There's a lot to cover, and we begin with Nebula, a brand focused on portable audio and projectors. The Capsule 3 is a 6-inch tall cylindrical "pocket cinema" projector that's slightly larger than a portable speaker (it encloses one, too). Besides an 8 W Dolby Digital speaker set, it included a 52 Wh battery that can offer around 2.5 hours of playtime on battery power. It takes in USB-PD, and has a type-C USB port for power. The Capsule 3 throws a 200 ANSI Lumens beam as a DLP, with its lamp rated for 30,000 hours. The projector's resolution is Full HD (1080p), and is suitable for short-range projections (within 6 ft), with automatic keystone correction. Display inputs include HDMI, and playback from USB mass-storage devices. On the software side of things, the Capsule 3 packs Google TV, so all apps from the Play Store should work here.

Next up, we have the larger Nebula Mars 3 Air, a picnic basket-sized projector with a grab handle. This may be a Full HD DLP just like thew Capsule 3, but with double the brightness, of 400 ANSI Lumens, the same 8 W Dolby Digital speakers, and a 64.8 Wh battery for up to 2.5 hours of playback (more if you reduce the brightness). The higher brightness means that you can project onto larger screens, around the 80-inch to 100-inch range, from a distance of roughly 8 ft. The connectivity options and software loadout is exactly the same as the one on the Capsule 3. Available for pre-order, the Capsule 3 is priced at $549, and the Mars 3 Air at $599.

Poly Voyager Free 60 and Voyager Free 20 TWS Headsets Pictured

HP brand that focuses on video conferencing hardware, Poly, is extended into peripherals and accessories targeting the modern professional on the move; and released a pair of true wireless (TWS) earbuds. These are designed as lifestyle products, and it shows in their premium design. The Voyager Free 20 comes in a glossy metallic charging case with a USB-C power input, and support for Qi wireless charging. The earbuds themselves come with powerful 10 mm drivers, adaptive ANC (active noise cancellation), and "triple noise canceling" mics with a high degree of engineering involved in getting your voice right in a noisy environment. The Poly Lens app lets you set-up and control your pair of earbuds. Battery life claimed is 20 hours including the case. Available from May 2024, the Voyager Free 20 is expected to be priced at $149. The Voyager Free 60 by Poly is a more premium offering, designed for both work and play (as a somewhat music/audiophile friendly pair). It comes with adaptive ANC, a higher-spec earphone set, a higher capacity battery with up to 24 hours including the charging case, and up to 18 hours of talktime; and a smart case that has a touchscreen for battery stats.

Samsung Freestyle Looks Like a Studio Lamp, But is a Projector

Samsung Display at the 2024 International CES showed off its latest Freestyle line of projectors. You can have these set up on the floor, or have them mounted on the ceiling, with the device automatically correcting the keystone (tilt in the projection). You can also have it paired with a battery base that aligns almost flush with the base of the Freestyle. Other accessories include a canister that lets you safely transport it, a frosty white lens cover, and a lightbulb socket adapter. As a projector, you get a short-through Full HD output up to 8.8 feet away, for screens as large as 100-inch. This is a smart projector, and is backed by a Samsung in-house OS based on Android, which comes with Bixby AI voice assistant. On our way out of the brief stroll in this pre-CES booth, we also spied Music Frame, which is quite literally a square photo frame with an in-built Bluetooth speaker set.

Synology Shows Off New Personal Cloud and Surveillance Products at CES 2024

NAS major Synology showcased its latest consumer NAS, personal cloud, and surveillance solutions at the 2024 International CES. Starting things off are the company's latest TC500 and BC500 high-resolution wired cameras; and the CC400W wireless cameras, enhanced with AI. This may sound nebulous, but upon detecting movement, the cameras automatically move to zoom in on faces or vehicle license plates, and automatically dial up video resolution and probably bitrate (image quality). The wired cameras come with 5 MP sensors, while the wireless ones have 4 MP (capable of 1440p @ 30 FPS). Each of these comes with a dark light that can illuminate up to 30 m. They also come with microSD slots, to in the event of network failures, recording continues onto a memory card. You don't need a Synology Surveillance Station device license to use these.

Moving on to the stuff Synology is best known for, NAS, and we have the upgraded DiskStation DS1823xs+, an 8-bay business grade NAS with a combined RW throughput of 3100 MB/s reads, with 2600 MB/s writes; over 173,000 IOPS random reads, and over 80,800 IOPS random writes. The main networking interface is a 10 GbE, but with an additional PCIe Gen 3 x4 slot to drop in more NICs. The NAS can pair with DX517 expansion units over USB 3.1 to scale up to 18 drives. The DS423+ is a compact 4-bay NAS powered by a Celeron J4125 quad-core CPU, 2 GB of RAM, and room for two M.2-2280 NVMe SSDs besides the four 3.5-inch HDDs. The maximum rated throughput is still around 226 MB/s, but the main networking interfaces are two 10 GbE. The DS224+ is nearly the same device, but with just two 3.5-inch bays, and two 2.5 GbE interfaces.

HyperX at 2024 CES: Alloy Rise 75, HyperX Cloud Mini, Pulsefire Haste 2 Mini, and Slick Panel Sets

HyperX, now an HP brand, made a big splash this 2024 CES, with the new Alloy Rise 75, and some groovy keysets. The Alloy Rise 75 is a slick 75% keyboard with various key switch options, a programmable rotary dial, and pudding keycaps. The company also showed off top-plate accessories for the full-sized Alloy Rise keyboard. They pudding keycaps on these are easy to replace with one of many new keysets and panel kits HyperX brought out this year.

A panel kit consists of keycaps, headset body mounts along the headphone cans; and additional mounts along the headband. Among the panel kits we spied were Valkyrie—the one with the angelic wings on the headset panel; Mythical—the one with the orc ears and teeth; Werewolf—the one with the claws; and Something (literally that), but a mix of elements such as mushrooms and dragon claws.

Gainward Launches the GeForce RTX 40 SUPER Series Graphics Cards

As the leading brand in the enthusiast graphics market, Gainward proudly introduces its latest lineup, the GeForce RTX 40 SUPER Series video cards. The launch showcases Gainward's commitment to innovation across its diverse product lineups- Ghost, Panther, Phoenix, and Phantom series. Each variant embodies a distinct personality, offering remarkable advancements in cooling, power efficiency, and immersive gaming experience.

"The new GeForce RTX SUPER GPUs are the ultimate way to experience AI on PCs. Specialized AI Tensor Cores deliver up to 836 AI TOPS to deliver transformative capabilities for AI in gaming, creating and everyday productivity. PC gamers demand the very best in visual quality, and AI-powered NVIDIA Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) Super Resolution, Frame Generation and Ray Reconstruction combine with ray tracing to offer stunning worlds. With DLSS, seven out of eight pixels can be AI-generated, accelerating full ray tracing by up to 4x with better image quality."

Intel Core i5-14600 65W Processor Gets a Generational Cache Uplift

The mid range of Intel's 14th Gen Core desktop processor series finally sees some excitement. Announced on January 8, from the pile of 65 W 14th Gen Core processor models, the one chip that caught our eye was the Core i5-14600 (non-K). This isn't just a speed bump over the previous generation Core i5-13600, but comes with a cache upgrade. The i5-14600 6P+8E processor is based on the largest "Raptor Lake Refresh" die, just like the i5-14600K/KF.

What this means, is that each of its six P-cores now has 2 MB of L2 cache, compared to 1.25 MB of it on the i5-13600. What's more, each of its two E-core clusters that house its eight E-cores, gets a 4 MB L2 cache, compared to the 2 MB per cluster on the i5-13600. The six P-cores and two E-core clusters share a 24 MB L3 cache—no changes here, but there are clock speed uplifts. The P-cores boost up to 5.20 GHz, while the E-cores go up to 3.90 GHz. In comparison, the i5-13600 with a 5.00 GHz maximum P-core boost, and 3.70 GHz maximum E-core boost. Interestingly, the maximum turbo power value is unchanged between the i5-14600 and i5-13600, at 154 W. Intel is pricing the Core i5-14600 at $255. There is no Core i5-14600F SKU, which lacks integrated graphics, letting you save a further $20. The other 14th Gen Core i5 processors, namely the i5-14500, i5-14400, and i5-14400F, continue to be based on the older C0 silicon, with 1.25 MB L2 cache per P-core, and 2 MB of L2 cache per E-core cluster.

Palit's New GeForce RTX 40 SUPER Series Unveiled

Palit Microsystems Ltd, a leading graphics card manufacturer, is proud to announce the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 SUPER series. Consisting of the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER, GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER and GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, this release introduces three outstanding SKUs, each promising exceptional performance, innovation, and gaming excellence.

"The new GeForce RTX SUPER GPUs are the ultimate way to experience AI on PCs. Specialized AI Tensor Cores deliver up to 836 AI TOPS to deliver transformative capabilities for AI in gaming, creating and everyday productivity. PC gamers demand the very best in visual quality, and AI-powered NVIDIA Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) Super Resolution, Frame Generation and Ray Reconstruction combine with ray tracing to offer stunning worlds. With DLSS, seven out of eight pixels can be AI-generated, accelerating full ray tracing by up to 4x with better image quality."

MSI Adds 14th Gen Core 65W CPU Support Across 700- and 600-series Motherboard Lineup

MSI is announcing today the latest series of Intel Core 14th gen processors that focuses on 65 W and 35 W processors. With the latest models have a lower TDP compare to their "K" Series models, performance will not be a slouch, while retaining the same amount of P-Cores and E-Cores. There will be 18 additional models added to the Intel Core 14th gen processor family, which will include under the Intel Core i9, Core i7, Core i5, Core i3, and 300(T) Series.

The B760 platform has many amazing features accompanied by MSI's MPG, MAG, and PRO Series, for example, an All-aluminium and Extended Heatsink that sits on top of the VRM helps to dissipate heat a lot faster while maintaining a high performance level under loads. M.2 Shield Frozr to help increase the thermal solution on the SSD to ensure that it is safe with incredible performance.

MSI Unveils PROJECT ZERO Series for Cleaner, More Attractive, and User-Friendly PCs

The process of assembling a computer is a great joy for gamers, but cable management can be complex and troublesome. MSI's newly introduced PROJECT ZERO series aims to eliminate these issues. The PROJECT ZERO motherboards relocate most of the cable connectors to the back of the motherboard, allowing cables to hide behind it. This not only enhances the cleanliness and aesthetics in the front but also reduces the difficulty of cable management, making the assembly an enjoyable experience. At the same time, we have introduced the PROJECT ZERO compatible chassis that complements the design philosophy, emphasizing simplicity and elegance when used together.

The PROJECT ZERO series motherboards feature a silver-white design with an extensive heatsink, exuding a clean and sleek appearance. You can choose from a variety of chipset options: Z790 PROJECT ZERO, an ATX motherboard with a 14+1 Duet Rail Power System, Lightning Gen 5 PCIe slot, 4x M.2 slots, and Wi-Fi 7. B760M PROJECT ZERO, a Micro-ATX motherboard with a 12+1 Duet Rail Power System, Lightning Gen 5 PCIe slot, 2x M.2 slots, and Wi-Fi 6E. B650M PROJECT ZERO features a 10 + 2 direct out power system, Lightning Gen 4 PCIe slot, 2x M.2 slots, and Wi-Fi 6E.

MSI Unveils the Claw, World's First Gaming Handheld with Core Ultra

With the zeitgeist of AI technology taking the world by storm, MSI, a world-leading premium laptop brand, has taken it in stride through its professionalism over luxurious aesthetics, extreme performance and innovative technology. Announcing the world's first gaming handheld powered by Intel Core Ultra Processor - the Claw. Equipped with ARC graphics featuring up to 8 Xe cores and advanced XeSS technology, the Claw ensures smooth gameplay across various AAA titles. Its robust HyperFlow cooling system and a large 53Wh battery, coupled with Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, make it an exceptional handheld gaming device for gamers.

"In our commitment to enhancing the gaming experience for our users, we aim to address market pain points and dedicate efforts to the handheld space," said Eric Kuo, the Executive Vice President& NB BU GM of MSI. "We have fine-tuned specific designs tailored exclusively for gamers, debuting our very first handheld, Claw, which redefines the standards in the handheld market."

Intel Unveils "Arrow Lake" for Desktops, "Lunar Lake" for Mobile, Coming This Year

Intel in its 2024 International CES presentation, unveiled its two new upcoming client microarchitectures, "Arrow Lake" and "Lunar Lake." Michelle Johnston Holthaus, EVP and GM of Intel's client computing group (CCG), in her keynote address, held up a next-generation Core Ultra "Lunar Lake" chip. This is the Lunar Lake-MX package, with MOP (memory on package). You have a Foveros base tile resembling "Meteor Lake," with on-package LPDDR5x memory stacks. With "Lunar Lake," Intel is reorganizing components across its various Foveros tiles—the Compute and Graphics tiles are combined into a single tile built on an Intel foundry node that's possibly the Intel 20A (we have no confirmation); and a smaller SoC tile that has all of the components of the current "Meteor Lake" SoC tile, and is possibly built on a TSMC node, such as N3.

"Lunar Lake" will pick up the mantle from "Meteor Lake" in the U-segment and H-segment (that's ultraportables, and thin-and-light), when it comes out later this year (we predict in the second half of 2024), with Core Ultra 2-series branding. Intel also referenced "Arrow Lake," which could finally bring light to the sluggish pace of development in its desktop segment. When it comes out later this year, "Arrow Lake" will debut Socket LGA1851, "Arrow Lake" will bring the AI Boost NPU to the desktop, along with Arc Xe-LPG integrated graphics. The biggest upgrade of course will be its new Compute tile, with its "Lion Cove" P-cores, and "Skymont" E-cores, that possibly offer a large IPC uplift over the current combination of "Raptor Cove" and "Gracemont" cores on the "Raptor Lake" silicon. It's also possible that Intel will try to bring "Meteor Lake" with its 6P+8E Compute tile, Xe-LPG iGPU, and NPU, to the LGA1851 socket, as part of some mid-range processor models. 2024 will see a Intel desktop processor based on a new architecture, which is the big takeaway here.
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