The time draws near to Reign in Hell when DOOM: The Dark Ages releases May 15, 2025, on Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC. Preorder your copy today! For PC players, check that your setup is battle-ready by consulting our PC Requirements below, including listings for Minimum, Recommended and even Ultra 4K settings.

A NEW GENERATION OF IDTECH
id Software's most ambitious title yet, DOOM: The Dark Ages pushes new standards in visual fidelity and performance with the power of idTech8. Taking full advantage of modern hardware on all platforms, idTech8 ushers in a new era of gameplay performance and visual fidelity featuring all-new dynamic interactive ray-traced lighting and shadows, higher-fidelity image quality, increased gore and destruction and so much more. With the largest environments ever in a DOOM game, DOOM: The Dark Ages delivers an epic experience full of worlds to explore, hordes of demons to destroy and an action story worthy of the Slayer's legend. Whether soaring through the air with his dragon or smashing giant Titan-sized demons using his Atlan mech, the Slayer is taking on his biggest battles yet - all beautifully rendered and running at a buttery-smooth 60 frames per second on all platforms.

CD Projekt RED has released the latest Patch 2.21 for Cyberpunk 2077, which is available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. The new patch brings various fixes on all platforms, but also adds support for DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards.

According to details provided in the release notes, the feature "boosts FPS by using AI to generate up to three times per traditionally rendered frame." It also introduces faster single Frame Generation which should bring reduced memory usage on RTX 50 and RTX 40 Series graphics cards. The patch also adds an option to choose between the CNN model or the new Transformer model for DLSS Ray Reconstruction, DLSS Super Resolution, and DLAA on all NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics cards. According to CD Projekt RED, the new Transformer model should enhance stability, lighting, and detail in motion.

AMD has released its latest Adrenalin Edition 25.1.1 Radeon beta driver today, supporting additional gaming titles, improvements, and bug fixes. In this release, AMD has brought driver game support for the newly released FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, released today, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2, which is finally coming to PCs after being console-exclusive for years. AMD has brought day-one support and has managed to fix some software issues along the way. First in line is the improvement in performance while playing Apex Legends with DirectX 12 API, which has been a pain point for AMD's drivers. Previously, some AI enthusiasts experienced lower-than-expected performance while using LM Studio on AMD Ryzen AI and Radeon products, which is now also fixed.

However, some issues persist. Users can experience a partial black screen problem in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 when using Radeon Anti-Lag 2 and Ray Tracing on AMD Ryzen 7000 series processors, intermittent crashes in FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, driver timeouts in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, and performance stuttering in Marvel Rivals with AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 frame generation. Additionally, users may encounter an intermittent AMD Bug Report Tool appearance after using the AMD Cleanup Utility and potential HEVC encoding issues with OBS Studio's Twitch-enhanced broadcasting, which will hopefully be fixed soon.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Software Adrenalin 25.1.1 Beta

B&H Photo Video—a Manhattan, NY-based electronics retailer—has leaked out a possible late March launch date for AMD's opening salvo of RDNA 4 graphics cards. Four ASUS Radeon RX 9070 series SKUs are currently visible (via a search) on the shop's webstore—all listings sport a tag stating: "pre-order starts at 09:00 a.m ET, Sunday Mar 23." VideoCardz reckons that the product pages have been freshly updated—changing the previously listed date: January 23. Officially, Team Red has moved its Radeon RX 9070 XT and Radeon RX 9070 (non-XT) launch windows into March, but a specific date was not set.

B&H's listings could contain placeholder information—product launches and opening of pre-orders do not (under normal circumstances) occur over weekends. In this case, potentially on a Sunday. The New York City retailer has prepared very basic product pages for two TUF Gaming cards and two PRIME models—names and SKU codes appear to correspond with previous leaks. Artline, a Ukrainian PC hardware store, opened up an ASUS TUF GAMING Radeon RX 9070 XT OC package. MyGear took similar steps with a PRIME Radeon RX 9070 model.

Hi everyone, Assassin's Creed Shadows is launching March 20, inviting you to experience the intertwined stories of Naoe, an adept shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a powerful African samurai. Today, you can pre-order the game on console and PC, and read up on Shadows' upcoming expansion, Claws of Awaji, which brings 10 hours of additional content free with your pre-order.

For those of you playing on PC, we've got all of Assassin's Creed Shadows' recommended PC specs listed in this article. Assassin's Creed Shadows will support raytraced global illumination and reflections, and will feature an in-game benchmark tool for performance analysis, ultra-wide resolutions, an uncapped framerate, and more. Check out all the specs chart below.

We're happy to give you a bit more info about the launch of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage! First, the price of the game will be 39,99€/$39.99/£35.89 when Tape 1 "Bloom" launches on February 18, 2025. This price includes both Tapes, so when Tape 2 launches on April 15 it will simply become an update that you can download which will allow you to play through the rest of the girls' story at your convenience. The game will also be launching with a limited-time discount of 10% until March 4!

You also might have noticed we've changed the date of Tape 2's launch - while Tape 1 is still on schedule, we're postponing the release of Tape 2 by four weeks, from March 18 to April 15, 2025. This game is very special to us, and we want to ensure that you get the experience you deserve while playing, with the extra time going towards additional optimization for a truly immersive continuation of the journey.

Yesterday evening (GMT), Overclockers UK's product purchasing manager set expectations for his store's day one inventory of GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 graphics cards. Taking to the OCUK forum, Gibbo (aka Andrew Gibson) revealed that the flagship stock count was in: "single digits at present, maybe double for launch." His "TDLR" also pointed to the store having a "few hundred" RTX 5080 models ready for launch day, with pre-orders starting on January 30 (for both Blackwell GPU product tiers). Gibbo warned potential customers about anticipated tight conditions: "we are expecting greater demand than (the RTX) 40 series, but with the launch just prior to CNY and lots of other rumors circulating initial waves of supply are poor and will probably take some time to build up. So the stock we have will be made available from the launch via the webshop, but I know what we have is likely to last only seconds, minutes at most."

Similar (predicted) circumstances have been reported across Europe and the Far East—certain outlets believe that GeForce RTX 50 series shortages will last up to three months post-launch. Potential "Blackwell" GPU customers are very likely dreading a forthcoming buying experience riddled with scalper bots, price gouging and all sorts of shady shenanigans. OCUK's product manager recommends taking a pragmatic approach when faced with a chaotic state of affairs: "to put it simply patience and expectations need to be realistic if the UK has—say 10,000 cards, and 500,000 people want one—well it is going to take time so plan ahead and also act like adults. I shall try and keep these forums updated with stock drops with heads up on the site etc. Do not call Sales or Customer service for any info or try to place orders, it shall be strictly via website only and all information will be posted on forums and on product display pages for the products as and when we have it."

Geometric Future launched its Model 0 Flamingo "folding box" chassis series, half a year after it was showcased at the Computex 2024 Taipei Computer Show. The Model 0 Flamingo is a Mini-ITX chassis with a unique feature: it wraps around your system like a cardboard box. The chassis has a compact format measuring 81 × 206 × 208 mm with a volume of 3.47L. It is built from 1.2 mm thick steel plates coated with anti-static, fire-proof, and mildew-proof fabric in black color with touches of gold-like elements. For cooling, it relies on a giant mesh top circle and numerous ventilation holes. There is no room for additional fans, except it can host a 60 mm height CPU cooler. The chassis comes equipped with a compact custom Guitarra 200 W power supply manufactured by Quanhan that measures 70 × 35 × 170 mm.

As we said, the Geometric Future Model 0 unique feature is the ability to be folded without the need for any tools, with magnets included in the material of the case itself keeping it together. Additionally, detachable magnetic feet allow users to orient the case in both vertical and horizontal modes. However, as interesting as it looks, the Model 0 has some drawbacks: it is only compatible with ITX motherboards and does not support PCIe expansion (no graphics card can be added). Currently, there is no information about pricing. However, it should be around $100 if Geometric Future would like to attract SFF/HTPC users.

Sony Japan's Recording Media department has announced the retirement of several physical media formats—most notably Blu-Ray Disc—in a very brief notice addressed to "valued customers." Mid-last year, the Japanese multinational conglomerate revealed that it would stop production of consumer-grade recordable Blu-ray discs (BD-RE and BD-R)—citing a decline in demand and the format's inability to meet "business goals." As pointed out by Tom's Hardware, today's announcement indicates (via machine translation) that both "regular and recorded" product lines are affected—the publication has reached out to Sony for comment/clarification.

Optical media enthusiasts/preservationists will, undoubtedly, be angered by this news—manufacturing activities will cease at some point next month. The corporation's message contains a lot of finality: "thank you for your continued patronage of Sony products. We will end production of all models of Blu-ray Disc media, MiniDiscs for recording, MD data for recording, and MiniDV cassettes as of February 2025. There will be no successor models. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our many customers for their patronage to date."

Hey everyone, I've got some sad news today to ring in 2025. Late last month, Noel and I made the difficult decision to cancel Earthblade. Yes, we are opening the year with a huge, heartbreaking, and yet relieving failure. I want to outline in this post what lead to this decision, and what it means for the future of EXOK.

Before I get into it however, I want to acknowledge that this news will likely come as a shock to fans who have been eagerly anticipating the game. We made this decision in December and felt it best to wait until now to announce it. For us on the inside we've had some time to process, grieve, and work toward accepting this, although that process is nonlinear and still ongoing. For those only reading this now who might be emotionally invested in this project, we're sorry to disappoint you.

PC hardware enthusiasts located in Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom have stumbled upon amusingly out-of-date AMD Radeon RX 9070 series GPU advertising. Earlier today, examples were presented on the Radeon subreddit—the social media-sourced announcements provide another look at Team Red's new reference design (Made-By-AMD/MBA) for the RDNA 4 generation, but the accompanying text (translated to English) implies that gamers can "play now" on not-yet-released Navi 48 GPU-based hardware. AMD has officially delayed its launch of Radeon RX 9070 XT and Radeon RX 9070 (non-XT) cards into March, but older leaked information pointed to a possible January 23 (today) rollout.

This marketing campaign has seemingly kicked off prematurely—perhaps initiated by mistake. VideoCardz reached out to retail sources for comment—their report indicates that promotional material was ready to go, but embargoes are reportedly still in place. They reckon that a basic specification teaser could emerge online in the near future. Board partners have already distributed products across retail networks, and finalized units have been unboxed—today's advertised claim of "immediate availability" is no longer valid, but many folks hoped for a pre-January 30 kick-off. NVIDIA will be launching its GeForce RTX 50 series at the end of this month, but industry soothsayers believe that things will not go smoothly.

We have witnessed quite a few affordable laptops hit shelves in the past few weeks, including offerings from Acer and ASUS. For those who are more interested in tablets but prefer a full-fledged Desktop OS will likely find the newly launched Lenovo S130 2-in-1 quite enticing, but there exists a major hurdle - the Lenovo S130 is China-only, for now at least. However, an international launch is not entirely out of the question.

At its core, the Lenovo S130 is powered by the Intel N100 processor. With four cores, four threads, and a maximum boost clock of 3.4 GHz, the 6-watt N100 is far from a powerhouse chip. That said, it should likely be enough for casual web-browsing and media consumption, but expecting anything more from the chip would be futile. The S130 does feature an impressive 13.3-inch display, with a resolution of 3000 x 2000 with a maximum brightness of 420 nits, making the S130 quite ideal for content consumption indeed.

⚙️Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3 coming May 29th, 2025! The new journey reaches for the sky! Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3 offers a new and exhilarating strategy-based battle system for its epic conclusion! Unveil the Source of the World's Despair! Check out the official website for details and future updates! Also, the game's Steam store page is open! Add to your wishlist and follow for the latest info!

The Fuga: Melodies of Steel series has reached its epic conclusion! Dive into this dramatic RPG featuring a brand-new, strategic battle system, enhanced Taranis training during intermission, and tactical route progression and event battles! Unveil the Source of the World's Despair!

Earlier this week, Taiwan experienced a magnitude 6.4 earthquake—this seismic event interrupted manufacturing activities at several TSMC chip-making facilities. As a precaution, foundry employees in both Central and Southern Taiwan were evacuated. Production resumed fairly quickly following inspections of crucial infrastructure—no major damage to facilities or equipment was noted. The latest reports suggest that a relatively minor number of TSMC wafers have been affected by the recent quake, while some recalibration of instrumentation is required to get things back on track.

Inside sources reckon that up to 20,000 wafers (possibly 10,000 at a minimum) could be scrapped—assessments are reportedly still underway, but a small proportion of client shipments could be disrupted. News articles point to this total being spread across three affected locations. Fab 18 is a key 3 nm production hub—situated in Taiwan's Southern Science Park, Tainan's Fab 14 specializes in 4 nm and 5 nm processes, and Fab 8 (Hsinchu) takes care of 200 nm. Industry experts believe that TSMC will bounce back quickly, and that the damaged wafer count represents a minor dent in the proverbial armor—on a good day, manufacturing output can reach up to 37,000 units.

HTC Corp. and Google LLC announced today a definitive agreement under which HTC will receive US$250 million in cash from Google, and certain HTC employees from its XR team will join Google. As part of the transaction, Google will receive a non-exclusive license for HTC's XR intellectual property (IP). Following this agreement, HTC and Google will explore future collaboration opportunities.

This agreement reinforces HTC's strategy of continued development around the XR ecosystem, enabling a more streamlined product portfolio with a focus on platforms, greater operational efficiency and financial flexibility. HTC's commitment to delivering innovative VIVE XR solutions such as the VIVE Focus Vision remains unchanged, with existing product lines and solutions to be supported and developed without interruption.

Corsair announces the immediate availability of the EX400U USB4 External SSD, delivering outstanding data transfer speeds and exceptional portability, setting a new standard in external storage devices. Leveraging the high bandwidth of USB4, this external SSD offers blazing-fast sequential read speeds of up to 4,000 MB/sec and sequential write speeds of up to 3,600 MB/sec. Whether you're editing high-resolution videos, working on large-scale projects, or transferring files, the EX400U significantly reduces wait times, helping you focus on what matters most.

The EX400U's USB4 compatibility maximizes its performance potential while also supporting USB 3.x Type-C and Thunderbolt 4, making it a versatile addition to any tech setup. Users can integrate the EX400U with their PC, Mac, or iOS devices, enjoying effortless plug-and-play connectivity with a single USB Type-C cable (included) for both power and data transfer.

GeForce NOW is expanding mod support for hit game Baldur's Gate 3 in collaboration with Larian Studios and mod.io for Ultimate and Performance members. This expanded mod support arrives alongside seven new games joining the cloud this week.

Level Up Gaming
Time to roll for initiative—adventurers in the Forgotten Realms can now enjoy a range of curated mods uploaded to mod.io for Baldur's Gate 3. Ultimate and Performance members can enhance their Baldur's Gate 3 journeys across realms and devices with a wide array of customization options. Stay tuned to GFN Thursday for more information on expanding mod support for more of the game's PC mods at a later time.

Team17 Group plc, a leading global independent games developer and publisher of premium video games, working simulation games and children's edutainment apps, is today announcing the rebrand of the Company to everplay group plc.

everplay - the next chapter of the evolution of the Group
The Group's change in name reflects the evolution of the business following its IPO - its London Stock Market listing - in 2018. The Group now comprises of three distinct divisions operating across complementary markets within the video games and apps industry. everplay provides the Group with a name that reflects its purpose to never stop playing, as well as its creative drive to deliver a lifetime of play.

fSeason 02 arrives next week, upending the new order of Avalon. Engage with a massive amount of new content, including five Multiplayer maps, more than six new weapons, a new Zombies map, limited time Valentine's Day-themed modes, and more. Gear up, train up, and deploy to Season 02 arriving Tuesday, January 28. The Hunter Becomes the Hunted: Black Ops 6 Season 02 is Here!

Season 02 Overview: Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide
As Sevati "Sev" Dumas toasts a new era of Avalon, her short-lived victory over the Luttazzi crime family comes to an abrupt end. During a celebration in the French Syndicate Penthouse, an urgent notice arrives for all attendees: the Luttazzis have placed a lucrative bounty on the entire Rogue Team as payback. This is the price for working with criminals: In the dog-eat-dog world of Avalon, will money speak louder than loyalty?

FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, winner of over 40 Game of the Year awards globally, is now available worldwide on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. The award-winning RPG is also available now on the PlayStation 5 (PS5) console, with enhanced support for the PlayStation 5 Pro. Heralded as "the best Final Fantasy of the century" by The Washington Post and recipient of over 110 perfect review scores, FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH comes to the PC platform with a variety of new features and customizations that deliver a new level of realism and immersion to the unknown journey including:

• Improved lighting across the entire game renders the adventure with even greater beauty and clarity.
• 4K resolution and 120 FPS are supported on top-spec PCs.
• Greater polygon and texture density can be achieved through optional settings. FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH has never looked better.
• With DualSense controller support, enjoy the same controls and immersive haptic feedback as on the PS5 console.
• NVIDIA DLSS allows for upscaled image quality and enhanced framerates.
• Variable refresh rate (VRR) enables smoother gameplay with compatible hardware.
• Full control rebinding, plus mouse and keyboard support. Freely customize controls between world exploration and combat or mini-games.
• FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH is Steam Deck Verified for an optimized handheld experience.

Intel's Core Ultra 3 205 processor's spec sheet appeared online for a short period of time—members of the Team Blue subreddit discovered an official product page (now removed) and other related details. In part, discussion focused on the alleged lower-end "Arrow Lake-S" (ARL-S) desktop CPU being "reserved for OEMs." Previously, this SKU's existence was leaked out at various points back in 2024. VideoCardz has kindly preserved the latest set of information, prior to its removal from Intel's official web presence—showing a potential new addition to the Core Ultra 200S (Series 2) lineup.

The Core Ultra 3 205 model appears to slot into a segment previously occupied by (now retired) budget-oriented Pentium and Celeron products—based on the specification sheet listing of a 57 W TDP (aligning with past ratings). The Maximum Turbo Power limit is 76 W. Team Blue has inadvertently revealed that this is an eight-core processor, comprised of four Lion Cove P-Cores and four Skymont E-Cores—so 8 (4P + 4E). The performance-oriented cores can (Max Turbo) boost up to 4.9 GHz, while the efficiency-focused units are capable of reaching up to 4.4 GHz. The on-board AI Boost NPU is rated for a peak rating of 13 TOPS (Int8). The Core Ultra 3 205's GPU seems to only utilize two out of the four available Arc Xe-LPG cores. The product page mentioned that the Core Ultra 3 205 is due for launch in Q1 2025, although the "Market Status = Launched" segment adds to the confusion surrounding this now de-listed SKU.

Fujitsu is a name that we hear less often nowadays, at least in the consumer technology sector. However, the prominent Japanese brand is by no means dormant, and has now unveiled a brand-new laptop that is shockingly light - in fact, it is the lightest laptop available on the market right now that features CoPilot+ functionality. Dubbed the FMV Note U, the ultra-light laptop tips the scales at just around 848 grams, which roughly equates to around 1.87 lbs.

The laptop is powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V or 258V "Lunar Lake" processors, paired with 16 or 32 GB of LPDDR5X-8533 memory. The chip is plenty fast, and will easily suffice for almost any moderately intensive workload thrown its way. There is, unsurprisingly, no room for discrete graphics, which means the admirably performant Arc 140V iGPU has to bear all the weight for GPU tasks. A 64 Wh battery is also present, which, paired with Lunar Lake's commendable efficiency, should allow for decently long runtimes away from the wall.

Ayaneo has been teasing the Ayaneo 3 gaming handheld for what seems like an eternity now. The handheld was among the first to be powered by the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 "Strix Point" APU with the extremely potent Radeon 890M iGPU, promising impressive performance potential. However, the 7-inch gaming handheld is yet to see the light of day, and we still have no clue when it finally will.

However, Ayaneo has gone ahead and teased the Ayaneo 3 once again, showing off a new colorway for the gaming handheld. This edition, dubbed "Retro Power", utilizes a beige-themed design with red accents on some of the controls. The device will also be available in black and white colorways, making the "Retro Power" variant a fun alternative for those who prefer something other than black or white for their handheld gaming console. That is, when the Ayaneo 3 finally ships, of course.

Companies and organizations are increasingly using AI to protect their customers and thwart the efforts of fraudsters around the world. Voice security company Hiya found that 550 million scam calls were placed per week in 2023, with INTERPOL estimating that scammers stole $1 trillion from victims that same year. In the U.S., one of four noncontact-list calls were flagged as suspected spam, with fraudsters often luring people into Venmo-related or extended warranty scams.

Traditional methods of fraud detection include rules-based systems, statistical modeling and manual reviews. These methods have struggled to scale to the growing volume of fraud in the digital era without sacrificing speed and accuracy. For instance, rules-based systems often have high false-positive rates, statistical modeling can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, and manual reviews can't scale rapidly enough.

LG Display today reported unaudited earnings results based on consolidated K-IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) for the three-month period ending December 31, 2024.

• Revenues in the fourth quarter of 2024 increased by 15% to KRW 7,833 billion from KRW 6,821 billion in the third quarter of 2024 and increased by 6% from KRW 7,396 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023.
• Operating profit in the fourth quarter of 2024 recorded KRW 83.1 billion. This compares with the operating loss of KRW 80.6 billion in the third quarter of 2024 and with the operating profit of KRW 132 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023.
• EBITDA profit in the fourth quarter of 2024 was KRW 1,306 billion, compared with EBITDA profit of KRW 1,162 billion in the third quarter of 2024 and with EBITDA profit of KRW 1,272 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023.
• Net loss in the fourth quarter of 2024 was KRW 839 billion, compared with the net loss of KRW 338 billion in the third quarter of 2024 and with the net income of KRW 50.5 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Transcend Information Inc. (Transcend), a global leader in storage solutions, is proud to announce its new DDR5 6400 CUDIMM DRAM modules. Designed specifically for gamers, content creators, DIY PC enthusiasts, and demanding professionals, these modules offer enhanced performance and stability to meet varying speed and capacity requirements. Optimized from standard DIMMs, CUDIMMs include a Client Clock Driver (CKD) for stable and efficient operation, making them ideal for high-performance desktop systems that require greater bandwidth and reliability.

With data transfer rates of up to 6400 MT/s, Transcend's DDR5 6400 DRAM modules significantly boost gaming performance, video editing smoothness, and large file processing speeds. Whether you are tackling the latest AAA gaming titles, editing high-resolution videos, or multitasking across multiple applications, these modules keep your system running smoothly even under extreme load and deliver an exceptional user experience. Plus, built-in on-die Error Correction Code (ECC) technology ensures data integrity, safeguarding important files, game progress, and creative content.

Logitech International announces the availability of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) replacement parts for more than 20 Logitech devices on the Logitech Repair Hub, hosted by iFixit. This action marks a significant global expansion, with spare parts and repair guides now offered in multiple languages to enhance repairability worldwide. A range of Logitech and Logitech G mice, keyboards, and headsets are supported by iFixit across 62 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Europe.

"Our products are designed for exceptional quality and longevity. Repairability extends their lifespan further - enhancing value and customer satisfaction," said Prakash Arunkundrum, chief operating officer at Logitech. "Normal wear and tear is inevitable, which is why we strive to make it simpler for people to access original Logitech replacement parts for their devices. Having global iFixit community repair guides in multiple languages encourages more people to do straightforward repairs, saving them money and reducing waste."

MSI proudly announces the launch of the MSI STRIKE 600, a groundbreaking mechanical keyboard that redefines silent performance, durability, and style. Designed for gamers, creators, and professionals alike, the STRIKE 600 delivers an unmatched typing experience with cutting-edge features and premium materials.

Silent Yet Satisfying Performance
The STRIKE 600 is equipped with Kailh Midnight Pro Silent Tactile switches, offering whisper-quiet operation with a satisfying tactile bump. Perfect for late-night gaming sessions or focused work environments, these switches achieve noise levels below 35dB, ensuring you stay productive without disturbing others. With 1.9 mm pre-travel and 3.7 mm total travel, these switches provide smooth, precise input, rated for an impressive 70 million keystrokes.

The Alphacool International GmbH, based in Braunschweig, Germany, is a pioneer in PC water cooling technology. With the most comprehensive product portfolios in the industry and over 20 years of experience, Alphacool is now expanding its lineup with the Apex Distro Plate for the be quiet! Dark Base Pro 901 case. Specifically designed for this case, the distro plate replaces the front cover and elevates any custom water cooling setup to the next level.

The Apex product line stands for premium quality, featuring high-end materials and innovative technology. To prevent potential leaks caused by cracks, the chrome-plated G1/4" brass fittings are equipped with an O-ring and securely embedded into the acrylic. Crafted from high-quality acrylic glass and enhanced with aRGB lighting, the Apex Distro Plate not only offers a clear view of the water cooling loop but also impresses with stunning lighting effects. Available in black and white, the distro plate seamlessly complements the design of the Dark Base Pro 901.

Advantech, a global leader in embedded IoT computing, is excited to launch its latest Edge AI solutions featuring the advanced AMD Ryzen Embedded 8000 Series processors. The SOM-6873 (COMe Compact), AIMB-2210 (Mini-ITX motherboards), and AIR-410 (AI Inference System) deliver exceptional AI performance leveraging the first AMD embedded devices with integrated Neural Processing Units. These integrated NPUs are optimized to enhance AI inference efficiency and precision. Together with traditional CPU and GPU elements, the architecture delivers performance up to 39 TOPS. They also support dual-channel DDR5 memory and PCIe Gen 4, providing ample computing power with flexible TDP options and thermal solutions.

Within value-added software services, such as the Edge AI SDK that integrates the AMD Ryzen AI software, the model porting procedure is accelerated. These features make the solutions ideal for edge applications such as HMI, machine vision in industrial automation, smart management and interactive services in urban entertainment systems, and healthcare devices such as ultrasound machines.

NVIDIA has unveiled a radical graphics card prototype that never reached production, offering insight into its design process. In a YouTube video called "Designing the Founders Edition | GeForce RTX 5090", NVIDIA showcases an unreleased design that would have occupied four PCIe slots, featuring a "three-thirds flow-through" cooling system with an unconventional three-fan stair-step configuration. NVIDIA ultimately rejected the quad-slot concept as impractical for most computer systems.
Engineers refined the cooling approach for the RTX 50-series, developing a more streamlined "two-thirds flow-through" design that maintains thermal performance while reducing the card's footprint to two PCIe slots.

Technical challenges emerged during development, particularly in connector design. The team struggled to create a ribbon cable supporting high-bandwidth UHBR20 DisplayPort 2.1b and HDMI 2.1b connections. Their solution involved infusing glass fibers into the cable, enabling support for three DisplayPort and one HDMI connector. Critical engineering focus was placed on the liquid metal thermal interface material. Extensive stress testing ensured reliability across various orientations, with particular attention to preventing oxidation. Given the electrically conductive nature of liquid metal, an air-tight seal around the GPU die became crucial to prevent potential hardware failure.

When AMD announced its upcoming Radeon RX 9000 series of GPUs based on RDNA 4 IP, we expected the general availability to follow soon after the CES announcement. However, it turns out that AMD has scheduled its Radeon RX 9000 series availability for March, as the company is allegedly optimizing the software stack and its FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4) for a butter smooth user experience. In a response on X to Hardware Unboxed, AMD's David McAfee shared, "I really appreciate the excitement for RDNA 4. We are focused on ensuring we deliver a great set of products with Radeon 9000 series. We are taking a little extra time to optimize the software stack for maximum performance and enable more FSR 4 titles. We also have a wide range of partners launching Radeon 9000 series cards, and while some have started building initial inventory at retailers, you should expect many more partner cards available at launch."

AMD is taking its RDNA 4 launch more cautiously than before, as it now faces a significant problem with NVIDIA and its waste portfolio of software optimization and AI-enhanced visualization tools. The FSR 4 introduces a new machine learning (ML) based upscaling component to handle Super Resolution. This will be paired with Frame Generation and an updated Anti-Lag 2 to make up the FSR 4 feature set. Optimizing this is the number one priority, and AMD plans to get more games on FSR 4 so gamers experience out-of-the-box support.

Recent shipping manifests suggest that NVIDIA works on a graphics card with 96 GB of GDDR7 memory. Documents reveal a product utilizing a 512-bit memory bus and a clamshell (memory on both PCB sides) design that combines two 3 GB modules per memory controller. This setup effectively doubles the memory capacity of existing workstation-oriented cards. The product is believed to use the GB202 chip, the only Blackwell desktop GPU with a 512-bit interface. The documents refer to a board labeled PG153, a designation not seen in any of NVIDIA's existing consumer GPUs. This finding points toward a professional or workstation model rather than a gaming product. There is a possibility that it could be part of the RTX 6000 Blackwell or RTX 8000 Blackwell series.

NVIDIA's current top workstation card, the RTX 6000 "Ada," features 48 GB of memory. A move to 96 GB would be a substantial jump, enabling more complex workloads for content creation, data analysis, and AI. This GPU could carry a significantly higher power target than current workstation models. However, professional GPUs often maintain lower clock speeds to keep power consumption within limits that accommodate more stable operation in professional environments. There is no confirmed information regarding the card's official name or final specifications, such as core count or actual clock frequencies. NVIDIA's workstation GPUs have historically provided a higher core count than their gaming counterparts. If the rumored 96 GB GPU follows this pattern, it may surpass even the potential GeForce RTX 5090, which comes with 32 GB of GDDR7. NVIDIA is expected to hold its annual GPU Technology Conference in March. This event is viewed as a likely venue for official announcements. Until then, these details remain unverified.

AAEON, a leader in industrial IoT and AI Edge solutions, has announced the release of two new SMARC modules, the uCOM-IMX93 and uCOM-ASL, powered by the NXP i.MX 93 Applications Processor Family and Intel Atom x7000RE Processor Series for the Edge, respectively. This news comes following the revival of AAEON's SMARC product line last year, which has since brought a range of x86 and RISC-based options to the market. The uCOM-IMX93 is equipped with the relatively low-power Arm Cortex -A55 and M33 processors as part of its NXP i.MX 93 platform, from which it also provides two native CAN 2.0 FD interfaces and integrated NXP 2D Graphic Acceleration functionality.

The module offers dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, one of which supports time sensitive networking, multiple GPIO and HDMI options, as well as optional TPM 2.0, making it well-suited to deployment in portable edge solutions like industrial HMI and smart building control solutions. Moreover, the module's extensive UART interfaces and -40°C to 85°C temperature range provide a low maintenance, efficient, and more easily deployed module suited to users that require low maintenance, rugged operation on the edge, with AAEON noting its Universal Update Utility (UUU) Serial Download Mode and aforementioned environmental specs as conducive to fleet management solution integration.

SK hynix Inc. announced today that it recorded best-ever yearly performance with 66.1930 trillion won in revenues, 23.4673 trillion won in operating profit (with an operating margin of 35%), and 19.7969 trillion won in net profit (with a net margin of 30%). Yearly revenues marked all-time high, exceeding the previous record in 2022 by over 21 trillion won and operating profit exceeded the record in 2018 during the semiconductor super boom.

In particular, fourth quarter revenues went up by 12% to 19.7670 trillion won, operating profit up 15% to 8.0828 trillion won (with an operating margin of 41%) from the previous quarter and net profit recorded 8.0065 trillion won (with a net margin of 41%). SK hynix emphasized that with prolonged strong demand for AI memory, the company achieved all-time high result through world-leading HBM technology and profitability-oriented operation. HBM continued its high growth in fourth quarter marking over 40% of total DRAM revenue and eSSD also showed constant increase in sales. With remarkable product competitiveness based profitability-oriented operation, the company established a stable financial condition which led to improved outcome.

BIOSTAR a leading manufacturer of IPC solutions, motherboards, graphics cards, and PC peripherals, proudly unveils the MS-N97 industrial computer, a cutting-edge solution designed to meet the diverse needs of industrial automation, edge computing, digital signage professionals, system integrators, and more.

Powered by Intel's Alder Lake-N N97 quad-core processor, the MS-N97 sets a new benchmark for adaptability and performance in industrial applications. With dual 2.5G GbE Intel LAN for ultra-fast networking, versatile expansion slots, and effortless integration with legacy equipment, it enables businesses to operate with unmatched efficiency while staying ahead of technological advancements.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25, setting a new standard towards a true AI companion with our most natural and context-aware mobile experiences ever created. Introducing multimodal AI agents, the Galaxy S25 series is the first step in Samsung's vision to change the way users interact with their phone—and with their world. A first-of-its-kind customized Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy chipset delivers greater on-device processing power for Galaxy AI plus superior camera range and control with Galaxy's next-gen ProVisual Engine.

"The greatest innovations are a reflection of their users, which is why we evolved Galaxy AI to help everyone interact with their devices more naturally and effortlessly while trusting that their privacy is secured," said TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. "Galaxy S25 series opens the door to an AI-integrated OS that fundamentally shifts how we use technology and how we live our lives."

Reports from last November suggested that Samsung Electronics had semi-abandoned its second-generation 3 nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process, due to missed production goals. Disappointing production yields—as low as 20%—have been floated by industry insiders, they believed (at the time) that the South Korean's foundry teams had simply moved onto developing a next-gen 2 nm manufacturing process. A freshly published news article, courtesy of Business Korea, provides further evidence of a shift to 2 nanometer processes—Samsung's S3 plant in Hwaseong is reportedly in the process of being upgraded (from 3 nm GAA). Insiders believe that new equipment will be installed across the existing production line, requiring a small-scale investment of funds.

The Pyeongtaek 2 (P2) plant is supposedly being prepared for a 1.4 nm test line—targeting a manufacturing capacity of 2000 to 3000 wafers per month. Inside track information suggests that trials will begin within the year. Business Korea's report suggests that Samsung has halved its foundry facility investment budget for 2025—around 5 trillion won, instead of last year's 10 trillion won. The article puts a spotlight on alleged "sluggish customer orders"—the primary factor behind Samsung's decision to slash its chip-making budget by 50%. Competition is fierce at this point in time—TSMC leads the way with its cutting-edge technologies. Taiwan's premier foundry has attracted many high-profile clients away from rival manufacturers. In contrast, industry watchdogs believe that Samsung's struggles have caused "big tech" customers to seek alternate channels.

Acer today expanded its line of Chromebook offerings for education with three new laptops plus one tablet model, all with brand new features to enhance reliability, versatility, and total cost of ownership, alongside performance technology to positively impact the school environment and promote student success.

"Acer Chromebooks have become an integral part of the school day for K-12 students," said James Lin, General Manager, Notebooks, Acer Inc. "Our new line of Acer Chromebooks for school settings continues to build on the promises of collaboration, tech-readiness and access to information students need, while ensuring teachers and administrators provide the tools needed for students to succeed.

Thanks to everyone's support, we were able to release the full version of ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist. We have received a lot of feedback and opinions from players during the game's early access phase, and would like to thank everyone for sharing your views on the game. As an early access game, if you bought the game already—the conversion to full version will be done automatically at no charge.

ENDER MAGNOLIA is a dark fantasy 2D side-scrolling action RPG where you venture through the desolate Land of Fumes trying to save both humans and Homunculi. At the forefront of magical and mechanical development, the kingdom is comprised of hierarchical societal structures. Here, you'll come across abandoned cities, discover laboratories oozing with heinous mysteries, a grand Sorcerer's Academy, colossal factories, and much more. The hauntingly beautiful yet gruesome world of ENDER MAGNOLIA will unfold before you.

Acer today announced the new Acer TravelMate B5 14, TravelMate B3 11, and the convertible TravelMate Spin 12 at the 2025 BETT Show in London, all featuring advanced technology, rugged designs, and reliable features to support students in both in-class and hybrid learning environments.

The devices are equipped with up to Intel Core 3 processors, offering smooth performance and low power consumption. Fast internet connection is ensured with up to Wi-Fi 7 connectivity to give students the extra boost they need to excel during online collaborations and classes. Each model includes the Acer User Sensing software that sends usage alerts including screen distance and study break reminders, and modular designs for seamless device maintenance.

NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50 Series of "Blackwell" GPUs are set to launch at the tail end of this month, but market conditions are not looking favorable for day one customers. Recent news articles have highlighted alleged regional supply issues, and industry insiders believe that it will be very difficult to obtain the two higher-end models (RTX 5090 and RTX 5080). Monday's report posited that delays could result in stock not turning up until a month after Team Green's official kick-off on January 30. VideoCardz has pointed to a root cause; Team Green's alleged late issuing of finalized BIOSes—board partners were reportedly not able to prepare stock until very late in 2024.

Unfortunately, further disappointing disclosures have trickled out mid-week—PowerGPU's social media account sent out a stern warning: "the launch of the RTX 5090 will be the worst when it comes to availability. Already being told to expect it to be that way for the first three months." Benchlife piled on with more bad news—their report suggests that problems will emerge further down in Team Green's "Blackwell" product stack: "we can confirm that there are not many supplies on the market. This is mainly due to some communication issues between NVIDIA and AIC partners, as well as the Spring Festival Factors are expected to improve in February. In addition, we expect to see the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti starting to appear on the channel in mid-to-late February. As for the $549 GeForce RTX 5070, we may have to wait until early March."

Before we get into offering our perspectives about Ted Price's long-planned and extremely well-deserved retirement, we want to sincerely thank everyone who has checked in with Insomniac about the state of our employees and Burbank studio during the terrible Los Angeles-area fires. The fires have devastated the communities around us. We continue to focus on supporting each other and communicating daily with Sony Interactive Entertainment to provide the latest information and resources to everyone affected.

Sharing the news that Ted is retiring from Insomniac Games is still just as emotional to type as it has been to think about. The three of us—Chad, Jen and Ryan—have worked closely with Ted for many years. He's not just our leader, he's our longtime friend. And a great one at that. Ted will be missed for so many reasons. One of the great things about Ted is his ability to inspire everyone around him to grow. Ted has also set the ultimate example of how to not just say the right thing, but to do it too. Both with our games and how we behave as leaders and as a studio.

Hua Hong Semiconductor (HHS) is China's second-largest chip manufacturer; trailing just behind its main rival: Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC)—a recent recruitment drive has signalled the company's desire to advance further. Nikkei Asia believes that the recruitment of a former Intel executive—Bai Peng—will boost the development of logic chips, and in turn generate greater revenue. A late 2024 reshuffling of leadership positions produced a notable vacancy: company president—Bai Peng assumed this role, effective January 1. His career at Intel spanned three decades—by 2015 he became Team Blue's corporate vice president, although his tenure ended at some point in 2022 (according to a LinkedIn profile).

Industry watchdogs reckon that Hua Hong Semiconductor's freshly established chief will be tasked with advancing semiconductor production technologies. Peng's experience—being a former co-director of Logic Technology Development at the Intel Technology and Manufacturing Group—is cited as a crucial factor in diversifying the firm's product portfolio. HHS foundries produce a lot of 100+ nm-based designs—mostly in the fields of power semiconductors, analog chips, and embedded memory—but two locations are capable of churning out relatively complex silicon via a 40 nm process node. A new plant—based in Wuxi—is supposedly ready to push into sub-forty digits. The latest industry reports suggest that Peng and his colleagues will be focused on improving HSS's manufacturing processes—targeted advancements could open up new product lines: high-end enterprise and AI processors.

GameMax, an emerging brand of PC gaming components including gaming cases and power supply units, is thrilled to announce the FN12A-N2 Series fans featuring vibrant ARGB lighting and color options between black and white to color-match your gaming PC build. The FN12A-N2 fans supports motherboard RGB sync technologies offering full customization using the motherboard's proprietary RGB software and synchronize with the rest of the PC.

Aside from the standard version, the FN12A-N2-R (Reverse) features an inverted fan blade delivering a reversed airflow. The FN12A-N2-R is perfect for mounting at the bottom and side of cases while ensuring the aesthetic side of the fan remains visible.

Element Six (E6), a pioneer in the development of synthetic diamond advanced material solutions, will launch an innovative Cu-diamond product at Photonics West 2025. Cu-Diamond is a copper plated diamond composite material that has a high thermal and electrical conductivity. Designed to address the increasingly critical thermal management challenges in advanced semiconductor devices, this cost-effective solution enables greater performance and reliability for applications such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), and GaN RF devices.

As semiconductor devices have grown larger and more powerful, managing heat dissipation has become a significant challenge for the industry. More than 50 percent of all electronic device failures are heat-related, and data centers, which today consume 3.7 percent of total U.S. power demand, are predicted to reach 10 percent by 2029. As a result, thermal management innovation is critical to enabling next-generation performance and energy efficiency.

TrendForce's latest research report highlights that the NAND Flash industry will continue to face dual pressure from weak demand and oversupply in 2025. In response, manufacturers including Micron, Kioxia/SanDisk, Samsung, and SK hynix/Solidigm have similar plans to cut production—a move that could accelerate industry consolidation in the long term.

TrendForce reports that NAND Flash manufacturers are primarily implementing production cuts by lowering utilization rates and delaying process upgrades. These actions are driven by three major factors:

Cadence today announced that MediaTek has adopted the AI-driven Cadence Virtuoso Studio and Spectre X Simulator on the NVIDIA accelerated computing platform for its 2 nm development. As design size and complexity continue to escalate, advanced-node technology development has become increasingly challenging for SoC providers. To meet the aggressive performance and turnaround time (TAT) requirements for its 2 nm high-speed analog IP, MediaTek is leveraging Cadence's proven custom/analog design solutions, enhanced by AI, to achieve a 30% productivity gain.

"As MediaTek continues to push technology boundaries for 2 nm development, we need a trusted design solution with strong AI-powered tools to achieve our goals," said Ching San Wu, corporate vice president at MediaTek. "Closely collaborating with Cadence, we have adopted the Cadence Virtuoso Studio and Spectre X Simulator, which deliver the performance and accuracy necessary to achieve our tight design turnaround time requirements. Cadence's comprehensive automation features enhance our throughput and efficiency, enabling our designers to be 30% more productive."

Dear Operator, to maintain a fair gaming environment and improve your experience, G.T.I. Security is committed to fighting every kind of cheat. We previously announced our efforts against DMA cheats. Now, we're introducing our measures against VT cheats.

How VT Cheats Differ from Traditional Cheats
Unlike DMA cheats, VT cheats operate at the hypervisor level and leverage virtualization technology, giving them higher privileges than the security systems. As a result, VT cheats can virtualize the operating system before the game even starts, thus leaving no traces in the computer's actual operating environment. With its built-in KernelBase anti-cheat toolkit, Delta Force is able to detect and neutralize VT cheats quickly and accurately.

This morning, an official Yeston social media account boasted about receiving a brand new Navi 48 GPU-equipped model: "🌸got my Sakura Atlantis RX 9070 XT today!! It's shiny!🧜‍♀️" This message was accompanied by four photos, showcasing the card in an outdoor setting. This particular custom design (with white PCB and I/O bracket) was first revealed around mid-January—also via a photo shoot, albeit indoors—with the full moniker: "Radeon RX 9070 XT-16G Sakura Atlantis." Many press outlets jumped onto the presence of "16G" in that name—indicating 16 GB of VRAM—a specification point that AMD was reportedly wanting hidden from public view. Unlike certain Team Red board partners, Yeston has not set up a dedicated product page for the new Sakura Atlantis.

A March launch window has been set—made official by AMD's David McAfee—for the Radeon RX 9070 XT and Radeon RX 9070 (non-XT). VideoCardz has observed a slow-down in promotional activities from AIBs over the past couple of days—bizarrely, GIGABYTE has chosen to scrub all Radeon RX 9000 series products from its website. Hardware Busters believes that AMD will be taking notes during the GeForce RTX 5070 GPU's launch week—they allege that the gathering of performance data (from NVIDIA hardware) is crucial in revising strategies for the March launch of RDNA 4 cards. In the meantime, Yeston will likely continue to post pretty pictures of its cute Sakura Atlantis design—also lined up for attachment on their upcoming "Blackwell" GPU-equipped lineup.

INNOCN, a leading innovator in monitor technology, is raising the bar in the OLED curved monitor market with its all-new 49-Inch 5K OLED Curved Gaming Monitor (49Q1R). This cutting-edge display is set to revolutionize the way gamers and professionals experience ultra-wide viewing, offering an unbeatable combination of performance, clarity, and immersive technology.

The INNOCN 49-Inch 5K OLED Curved Monitor (49Q1R) stands out with its 5120x1440p resolution, a significant step up from the standard QHD UW1440p that most competitors offer. The monitor's ultra-wide 5120x1440p resolution provides extensive screen space and high pixel density, delivering a sharper and more detailed image. Whether gaming, streaming, or working on complex creative projects, this resolution ensures that every image is crisp and vibrant, giving users a superior viewing experience that puts it ahead of the competition.

Developer_Direct returns this Thursday, January 23 at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK, and will bring you a deep-dive into some of the incredible games on the way for Xbox players this year. The show will include new, extended gameplay and developer insights for DOOM: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and a mystery fourth game, from inside the studios working on them. We're sure you want to know more, so here are all the details on how to tune in and what to expect.

The show will also be streamed simultaneously on regional Xbox and Bethesda channels around the globe, as well as on Steam. It will also air on China's Bilibili platform. The YouTube stream will be broadcast in 4K/60, and as with any live broadcast, there may be dips in streaming quality based on your bandwidth.

AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 9900X3D "Zen 5" processors are scheduled for launch around March time, with many a hardcore PC enthusiast salivating at the prospect of an increase in core counts over already released hardware—the ever popular Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU makes do with eight cores (and sixteen threads). Under normal circumstances, higher core counts do not provide a massive advantage in gaming applications—over the years, Team Red's 8-core 3D V-Cache-equipped models have reigned supreme in this so-called "sweet spot." Many have wondered whether new-gen 12 and 16-core SKU siblings had any chance of stealing some gaming performance thunder—a recently published VideoGamer article provides a definitive answer for the "Granite Ridge" generation.

The publication managed to extract key quotes from Martijn Boonstra—a Team Red product and business development manager—providing a slightly tepid outlook for the incoming Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D models. The company executive stated: "(our) new chips will provide similar overall gaming performance to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. There will be some games that perform a bit better—if the game engine utilizes more cores and threads—and some games will perform a little worse (if the game engine favors a single CCD configuration), but on the whole, the experience is comparable." Boonstra did not reveal any details regarding forthcoming prices—the Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an MSRP of $479 (if you are lucky enough to find one)—but he hinted that finalized digits will be announced "closer to launch." He signed off with standard marketing spiel: "Ryzen 9000X3D Series desktop processors are perfect for gamers and content creators alike...whether you are already on the AM5 platform, on AM4 or another platform, these products are sure to impress."

TeamSpeak, the veteran voice communication platform, has launched TeamSpeak 6 (TS6), marking its most significant update in years. The release introduces screen-sharing capabilities, a modernized interface, and simplified server hosting options as the company adapts to evolving user expectations. The new version offers screen sharing at 1440p/60 FPS without subscription fees, contrasting with Discord's premium-only approach to high-quality screen sharing. TeamSpeak's interface update maintains its core functionality while adopting a more contemporary design. Server hosting options now include direct purchasing through myTeamSpeak accounts, with rental prices starting at $3.99 monthly for five slots. Users can still self-host servers on their hardware, a feature unavailable on Discord's platform.

Improvements include channel user previews, expanded language support, and various bug fixes targeting stability issues. The update addresses performance optimization and user interface consistency across the platform. Despite these updates, TeamSpeak faces significant market challenges. While it maintains advantages in audio latency and quality—factors valued in competitive gaming—adoption hurdles remain. Early user feedback indicates concerns about certain features, including image sharing and cross-channel communication tools. The platform's self-hosting capabilities continue to appeal to privacy-conscious users seeking alternatives to centralized services. However, competing with Discord's established social features and free core services presents ongoing challenges for TeamSpeak's market position. Nonetheless, competition is appreciated, and constant improvements of TeamSpeak software are much valued.

SEGA has launched SEGA Account, an online profile that gives you access to a host of benefits when playing SEGA and ATLUS titles and using their online services. By creating a SEGA Account, you'll receive the latest news about SEGA/ATLUS games, events, and promotions. Additionally, your SEGA Account grants you access to exclusive bonuses and the ability to link accounts on various gaming platforms!

SEGA Account is Here!
Players who create an account and fulfill the specified requirements by March 7, 2025, will receive an in-game bonus for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, which launches on February 21. Create a SEGA Account today so you can take advantage of the various new services and features coming soon!

MSI's Claw 8 AI+ and Claw 7 AI+ handheld gaming PCs were unveiled late last year—these new models have been rolled out quite quickly; launching within a year of first-generation Claws. The successors feature many improvements—across hardware (Intel Lunar Lake), software and physical properties—when compared to the Meteor Lake-powered originals. MSI appeared ready to not repeat past mistakes—the Claw 8 AI+ and Claw 7 AI+ were showcased at CES 2025 earlier this month, with press material pointing to a North American market launch on January 15. VideoCardz was in the process of preparing a special launch article for the 8-inch model, but many customers have reportedly not received their orders.

Hands-on impressions started to appear on the internet earlier this year, possibly only emerging via Chinese press outlets—today's article claims that international publications have not yet received review samples. According to VideoCardz, MSI had lined up the Claw 8 AI+ and Claw 7 AI+ for an Asian market launch on December 26. Several retailers in the USA have revised shipping dates for the Claw 8 AI+—the likes of Amazon, Newegg and B&H are expecting first shipments next month, somewhere around the 4th to the 12th. MSI's official online store has removed release date information from product pages, and Best Buy has followed suit. Activity on the MSI Claw subreddit provides evidence of lucky customers getting their mitts on first wave units—early impressions (post-unboxing) are promising, but one customer was left puzzled by the absence of extra items. Many handheld enthusiasts have expressed anger about finding it difficult to obtain the basic hardware, but BigShotBosh took issue with MSI's aftermarket extras: "...looks like the travel case, screen protector and dock for the Claw 8 won't be available until March of this year. Talk about a botched rollout."

E-ink displays have an undeniable advantage over traditional monitors when it comes to a select few tasks. E-ink displays do not emit their own light, making them far easier on the eyes, especially for longer workloads. However, E-ink displays have always suffered from extremely slow refresh rates, which makes them borderline unusable for anything apart from reading. However, technology always catches up with expectations, and it appears that we will soon have 60 Hz E-Ink displays on the market. Prominent brand Dasung has already unveiled its offering with a 60 Hz panel, dubbed the Paperlike 103.

The 10.3-inch E-ink display sports a 4:3 aspect ratio with a resolution of 1,874 vs 1,404, and features a 60 Hz refresh rate. The panel can only display grayscale images, and boasts an integrated front light to allow usage in low-light conditions without any hassle. This is necessary for usability when an external light source is not available, because as previously mentioned, E-ink displays do not emit their own light. Of course, since E-ink displays have typically only offered less than half the refresh rate of the Paperlike 103, the display is expected to be far more power hungry. Like other E-ink displays, the paperlike 103 is impressively thin, at just 5 mm. The monitor is already available in China for a price of around $280, although an international launch is not in sight for now.

The Beelink SER9 Pro made headlines a few months ago as one of the first mini PCs with AMD's Strix Point APUs. Powered by the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 APU with the powerful Radeon 890M iGPU, the SER9 Pro promised impressive performance and efficiency in a commendably compact form factor. Now, the brand has unveiled a new variant of the SER9 Pro, powered by the slightly less-powerful Ryzen AI 9 365 APU. This variant will likely be more affordable than its higher-tier sibling, which currently starts from $999 in the US.

The differences between the Ryzen AI HX 370 and the Ryzen AI 365 are actually more substantial than one might think. Both the APUs sport four Zen 5 cores, while the AI 365 gets only six Zen 5c cores compared to the HX 370's eight. The AI 365 also gets a 100 MHz lower boost clock, and a notably slower Radeon 880M iGPU with fewer shaders. Beelink had equipped the HX 370 variant with a 65 watt TDP, but has not disclosed the TDP value for the AI 365 variant yet. That said, going by synthetic benchmark scores, the Ryzen AI 9 365 variant will likely be roughly 20% and 10% slower in CPU and GPU performance respectively than the Ryzen AI HX 370 variant.

Hey Jotunnslayers! The gates of Hel are open—Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel is finally here! Step into the chaos of Norse mythology in this epic roguelike horde-survivor, available now in Early Access (on Steam). Claim your spot in Hel now at a time-limited discounted price!

What's Next for Jotunnslayer?
This hot topic is covered in detail! Matej, our publishing director, takes you through the regular updates planned on the road to the 1.0 launch. Remember, Early Access is just the beginning—one key milestone on our journey to delivering the full Jotunnslayer experience!

The RTX 50-series gaming GPUs have the gaming community divided. While some appreciate the DLSS 4 and MFG technologies driving impressive improvements in FPS through AI wizardry, others are left disappointed by the seemingly poor improvements in raw performance. For instance, when DLSS and MFG are taken out of the equation, the RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 are around 33%, 15%, and 20% faster than their predecessors respectively in gaming performance. That said, VideoCardz has tapped into its sources, and revealed the 3DMark scores for the RTX 5090 GPU, and the results certainly do appear to exceed expectations.

In the non-ray traced Steel Nomad test at 4K, the RTX 5090 managed to score around 14,133 points, putting it roughly 53% ahead of its predecessor. In the Port Royal test, which does utilize ray tracing, the RTX 5090 raked in 36,667 points - a 40% improvement over the RTX 4090. The results are much the same in the older Time Spy and Fire Strike tests as well, indicating at roughly a 31% and 38% jump in performance respectively. Moreover, according to the benchmarks, the RTX 5090 appears to be roughly twice as powerful as the RTX 4080 Super. Of course, synthetic benchmarks do not entirely dictate gaming performance, and VideoCardz clearly mentions that gaming performance (without MFG) will witness a substantially more modest improvement. There is no denying that Blackwell's vastly superior memory bandwidth is helping a lot with the synthetic tests, with the 33% extra shaders doing the rest of the work.

Montage Technology today announced the customer sampling of its PCIe 6.x/CXL 3.x Retimer -- M88RT61632, which is designed to enhance connectivity performance for demanding high-bandwidth applications such as AI and cloud computing. This milestone extends the company's PCIe product portfolio, building upon its successful PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 5.0/CXL 2.0 Retimer solutions.

The PCIe 6.x/CXL 3.x Retimer delivers excellent performance with data rates up to 64 GT/s, twice that of PCIe 5.0. Powered by Montage Technology's proprietary PAM4 SerDes IP, the chip achieves superior signal integrity with link budget up to 43dB while maintaining low latency. Its innovative DSP architecture effectively addresses PCIe 6.x system design challenges including crosstalk and signal reflection. In addition, the chip features advanced link training and enhanced telemetry, enabling comprehensive link monitoring and fault diagnostics for high-reliability AI cluster deployments.

ASUS today announced the next-generation ASUS Chromebook CR series of laptops, tailored to meet the needs of K-12 students. The ASUS Chromebook CR series stands out as the ideal companion for students, whether engaged in in-person classroom learning or remote education. The rugged and modular design, featuring replaceable internal parts, guarantees both durability and longevity. With 11.6-inch or 12.2-inch Corning Gorilla Glass touchscreens and a 180° lay-flat or 360°-flippable hinge, the laptops offer flexibility for enriched educational experiences. This design fosters the adventurous mindset of modern students, ensuring an enjoyable and secure learning journey, whether they're engaging in online courses or in-class sessions - ready for every learning journey.

A trusted study partner
For K-12 students, an everyday-use laptop should be invincible. With lively and active users, scratches and knocks are an almost-inevitable part of their daily routine, so the ASUS Chromebook CR series features an all-round rubber bumper for extra peace of mind. The laptops also feature a rugged design that's tested to meet or exceed the MIL-STD-810H US military-grade standard, and use tough Corning Gorilla Glass to protect the touchscreen from scratches. Additionally, the spill-resistant keyboard can cope with minor water spills without harm, so minor splashes on the desk or at the dinner table can be easily drained, cleaned, and dried. Finally, the special fingerprint-resistant finish keeps the laptop cleaner for longer.

ASUS today announced the global launch of its latest education-focused laptops, the BR and CR series, at BETT 2025. Designed to address the evolving needs of modern classrooms, these devices combine upgraded performance, rugged durability and innovative features to empower K-12 students and educators in both in-classroom and hybrid learning environments.

ASUS BR series (BR1204CTA, BR1204FTA, BR1104CTA and BR1104FTA) and CR series (CR1104CTA, CR1104FTA, CR1204CTA, and CR1204FTA) are designed specifically for the needs of K-12 students, educators and IT administrators. Built with reliability and versatility in mind, these laptops enhance classroom learning by supporting diverse teaching methods, streamlining IT management, and empowering students with tools for creativity and collaboration. With new Intel processors, AI-powered features like Microsoft Copilot and thoughtful, student-centered designs, they are set to upgrade digital learning for the next generation.

SilverStone Technology, a trusted manufacturer of innovative PC enclosures, is excited to announce the launch of the Lucid 04, the latest addition to its high-end Lucid series chassis lineup. Inspired by the aquarium-seque trend, the Lucid 04 features tempered glass panels that elegantly showcase internal components, and is meticulously engineered to deliver exceptional cooling performance without compromise.

The Lucid 04 is a Micro-ATX chassis featuring tempered glass front and side panels, offering a 270° panoramic view of internal components. With a volume of 38.25 liters, it supports Micro-ATX motherboards and most triple-fan graphics cards up to 350 mm in length. For effective cooling of the CPU and GPU, the Lucid 04 is equipped with multiple internal fan mounts, ensuring optimal airflow and efficient heat dissipation for critical components.

SilverStone's iconic GD09 HTPC chassis has been a beloved industry favorite since its debut in 2012. Even with technological advancements that have led to larger components and increased heat output to support more demanding tasks, the GD09 remains celebrated as the top choice for HTPC setups.

At Computex 2023, SilverStone delighted attendees by showcasing the GD09 in a retro-inspired design. Taking cues from the NEC PC-9800—a Japanese PC introduced in 1982—the chassis was reimagined with a beige cream aesthetic, evoking nostalgia while seamlessly blending into any living room environment.

During a recent press event in South Korea, NVIDIA addressed concerns about power connector safety for their upcoming RTX 5090 graphics card. The new GPU will consume 575 watts of power, marking a massive 225-watt increase from its predecessor, the RTX 4090. The previous generation RTX 4090 faced significant issues with melting 12VHPWR power connectors, especially with third-party adapters, where incomplete connections led to overheating and connector damage. When questioned about potential risks with the RTX 5090's higher power draw, NVIDIA representatives stated they've implemented an updated 12V-2×6 power connector across the RTX 50 series. Unlike the 12VHPWR 16-pin connector, the new 12V-2x6 has sense pins having recessed further back to ensure proper contact before the GPU can request higher power outputs.

"It is expected that such issues will not occur with the RTX 50 series," a company representative explained during the Q&A session. "After about two years, we believe these problems have been resolved." While the company maintains that user error was the leading cause of failures, the extended timeframe required for developing and shipping revised connectors raised questions about the initial design's reliability. Despite NVIDIA's assurances, the RTX 5090's exceptional power requirements could potentially amplify any unexpected technical issues. The company's previous experience showed that problems became more pronounced in cards with higher power demands, as demonstrated by the RTX 4090 having more incidents than the lower-powered RTX 4080 series. So, more power means more trouble, but the company has worked on it to ensure no future problems arise.

Axiomtek - a world-renowned leader relentlessly devoted to the research, development, and manufacture of a series of innovative and reliable industrial computer products of high efficiency - is proud to announce the NA346B, a fanless and power-efficient network appliance designed for small office VPN setups and a versatile customer premises equipment (uCPE) solution. With software-defined flexibility, customers can configure the device as a firewall or router, tailoring it to their unique networking needs. Overall, the NA346B delivers reliability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in a compact form factor, making it an excellent choice for secure connectivity solutions in space-constrained environments.

Key Features and Advantages of the NA346B: Power-Efficient, Space-Saving Secure Connectivity Solutions for Small Business Networks

• Compact Palm-Sized Form Factor - The NA346B combines a sleek, space-saving design with flexible functionality, ideal for small offices and areas with limited space. Its compact, aesthetic appearance enhances the ease of installation in various settings.
• Low-Power Consumption Design for a Sustainable Future - Powered by the Intel Celeron processor N3350, the NA346B combines performance with exceptional energy efficiency. Featuring a dual-core architecture and a TDP of under 6 W, this power-efficient processor is ideal for sustainable operations, reducing energy costs while supporting robust performance.

SMART Modular Technologies, Inc. ("SMART"), a Penguin Solutions, Inc. brand (Nasdaq: PENG) and a global leader in integrated memory solutions, solid-state drives, and hybrid storage products, today announced that its 4-DIMM and 8-DIMM CXL (Compute Express Link ) memory Add-in Cards (AICs) have successfully passed CXL 2.0 compliance testing. These products are now officially listed on the CXL Consortium's Integrators' List, marking a significant milestone in the company's commitment to delivering high-quality, interoperable memory solutions.

The inclusion of SMART Modular Technologies' products on the CXL Integrator's List underscores the company's dedication to adhering to industry standards and ensuring compatibility across a wide range of computing environments. The CXL Compliance Program, developed by the CXL Consortium, provides members with opportunities to test the functionality and interoperability of their products as defined in the CXL specification. This achievement not only highlights SMART Modular Technologies' technical expertise, but also reinforces its role as a leader in advancing integrated memory technology.

More than 700 games and applications feature RTX technologies, and each week new games integrating NVIDIA DLSS, NVIDIA Reflex, and advanced ray-traced effects are released or announced, delivering the definitive PC experience for GeForce RTX players. On January 30th, we're upgrading DLSS once again with the release of DLSS 4, featuring DLSS Multi Frame Generation for GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards and laptops, and upgrades to all other DLSS technologies. 75 DLSS games and apps featuring Frame Generation can be upgraded to DLSS Multi Frame Generation on GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs via the NVIDIA app. And several games and apps will be updated with native in-game support for DLSS Multi Frame Generation.

In the meantime, there are new games arriving that you can accelerate and enhance with our suite of AI-powered DLSS technologies, including Eternal Strands, Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel, Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap, and Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. - full details below.

MSI's Business and Productivity Series lineup has long focused on aesthetic design. This time, driven by the rising awareness of sustainability and environmental protection, we are delighted to announce a collaboration with #DAMUR, the Germany-based designer Shih-Shun Huang. Combining the designer's ingenious creativity and aesthetic sense into the upcycling packaging design of MSI Business and Productivity Series monitors demonstrates how PC hardware can be infused with renewed vitality and a sense of modern style.

Seagate Technology Holdings plc (the "Company" or "Seagate"), a leading innovator of mass-capacity data storage, today reported financial results for its fiscal second quarter ended December 27, 2024. "Seagate ended calendar 2024 on a strong note as we grew revenue, gross margin and non-GAAP EPS successively in each quarter of the year.

Our results demonstrate structural improvements in the business and our focus on value capture in an improving demand environment, highlighted by decade-high gross margin performance exiting the December quarter," said Dave Mosley, Seagate's chief executive officer. "We are advancing our technology roadmap to meet our customers' growing need for scalable, cost efficient and sustainable storage solutions in the age of AI. We began ramping HAMR-based Mozaic products to our lead cloud customer in the December quarter and are already sampling in capacities of up to 36 terabytes. Looking ahead, we believe Seagate is in a great position to deliver profitable growth in fiscal 2025," Mosley concluded.

SUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the immediate pre-order availability of the ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM, the world's first 27-inch 4K OLED gaming monitor, at an MSRP of USD$1,099. The new display features the latest fourth-generation ROG QD-OLED technology, providing a pixel density of 166ppi to deliver sharper images and clearer text for exceptional visuals and infinite contrast, as well as the latest ROG OLED Anti-Flicker 2.0 technology to further minimize onscreen flicker during intense gaming.

For user convenience, the new monitor benefits from the ROG DisplayWidget Center, offering quick access to monitor settings and OLED Care Pro features. It also features the new ROG OLED Care Pro technology that includes the Neo Proximity Sensor to accurately measure a user's distance to the monitor using wavelength detection.

On Tuesday, the newly inaugurated United States president, Donald Trump, announced a massive AI infrastructure expansion in the US called Stargate Project. Stargate is an idea that brings private investments across the US land, with up to 500 billion US dollars committed to the project over the next four years. This is single-handedly one of the most significant infrastructure projects ever planned, and this time it is all about AI and data centers. The initial phase involves deploying 100 billion US Dollars immediately, while the remaining 400 billion will be deployed periodically over the next four years. OpenAI and SoftBank are leading this project, with Softbank's CEO Masayoshi Son being the project's chairman. Major equity partners include SoftBank, OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX. Major technology partners who will supply the know-how, planning, software, and hardware are Arm, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle, and OpenAI.

Leading the entire operation will be up to OpenAI, who is gaining operational lead in the project, while Softbank oversees financial planning. Interestingly, the buildout has already begun. OpenAI is currently exploring a few sites in Abilene, Texas, which includes ten 500,000 sq. ft. data centers with 20 planned for the future. Interestingly, the infrastructure expansion will most likely be present in every US state that can provide ample land and power capacity. OpenAI is looking for partners to help with the massive data centers' power, land, and construction. The most significant impact of this project will be on the power grid, which will require additional buildout and implementation of small nuclear reactors running locally nearby to satisfy the power draw from hundreds of thousands and even millions of GPUs. OpenAI is praising NVIDIA for its almost decade-long partnership, meaning that most GPUs will likely be NVIDIA-sourced.

Team Group Inc., a global leader in memory solutions, has unveiled the 2 TB T-CREATE EXPERT SDXC UHS-II U3 V90 Memory Card, establishing a new benchmark as the industry's first to offer this capacity level. Designed for professional photographers and videographers, this memory card features robust protection for reliable performance even in extreme environments. It also includes a data recovery service, offering comprehensive data protection to enhance creators' efficiency and creative experience.

The T-CREATE EXPERT SDXC UHS-II U3 V90 Memory Card delivers outstanding read and write speeds of up to 300 MB/s and 260 MB/s, respectively. Certified with the V90 video speed class, it supports seamless 8K, 4K Ultra-HD, 3D, and RAW file recording without frame drops. As the first V90 SDXC card in the market to offer a massive 2 TB capacity, it is ideal for professional equipment, including cinema-grade digital cameras, full-frame cameras, mirrorless cameras, and DSLRs. For example, when used with the Canon EOS C400 cinema-grade digital camera, the 2 TB card can record at the highest 6K, 59.94P format for up to two hours and eight minutes, demonstrating its superior stability and capacity to be a video creator's go-to memory card.

Starforge Systems, the leading pre-built PC company preferred by streamers worldwide, has unveiled a myriad of high-end upgrades to their premium line of gaming PCs, as well as several new artfully designed custom PC components for PC builders. In addition, Starforge Systems revealed the latest addition to their ever-expanding range of licensed PCs, with the all new Starforge Systems x Kaiju No. 8, inspired by the globally beloved anime series.

"At Starforge Systems, our mission is to build the best PCs in the universe, and we pride ourselves on providing our customers the most cutting-edge components at a competitive pricepoint across all of our PCs," said Nicholas Dankner, CEO of Starforge Systems. "We're constantly looking for ways to add value into our PCs, and we're excited to reveal several new additions to our line that set Starforge Systems PCs apart, like our new embossed printing technique for added texture and durability. We're also thrilled to continue expanding our licensed collection of PCs this year with Kaiju No. 8 leading the way and more gaming IPs to come!"

Introducing the newest iteration of the Cipher series, Xbox Wireless Controller—Pulse Cipher Special Edition! Like its predecessors, Sky Cipher and Ghost Cipher, Pulse Cipher provides players with a nostalgic transparent look infused with a futuristic twist. Despite being third in the series, this controller is special in its own right. Players can catch a glimpse of the silver midframe through the red transparent top case to reveal the mysteries found within. This vibrant design and colorway make a bold statement where modern gaming meets enduring nostalgia.

Energize your play with the Pulse Cipher controller and all its features, including red, diamond-shaped rubberized grips, dark red accents across the bumpers, buttons, and two-toned thumbsticks, a metallic hybrid D-pad, and matching metallic triggers. You can easily swap button input profiles through the Xbox Accessory Hub, where you can also preview any of the screenshots or videos you take using the dedicated Share button found in the middle of the controller.

An industry mole—familiar with internal NCSOFT activities—believes that three game development projects have been cancelled: Pantera, H, and J. Past speculation has pointed to "Project H" being an announced Horizon MMO title—based on evidence that emerged shortly after the announced formation of a "strategic global business partnership" between Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and NCSOFT (back in 2023). Reportedly, Jim Ryan—the now former CEO and chairman of SIE—spearheaded PlayStation's concerted push into multi-faceted "live service" development cycles. Industry oracle, Jason Schreier, questioned the prioritization of "games as a service"—his late 2023 predictions seem very prescient, when looking at the present day landscape.

Last week, reports suggested two unannounced Sony-owned live-service games being placed on the proverbial chopping board. Bluepoint's much rumored "God of War" project was quietly canned according to Schreier's Bloomberg column, as well as a mysterious Bend Studios-produced title. NCSOFT's Project H—also known as "Skyline"—appears to be the victim of an internal "feasibility review." Target platforms were reported to be PC and mobile—therefore placing Project H/Skyline in a separate tranche; distinct from another online-oriented Horizon game. Franchise originator—Guerrilla Games—is reportedly still toiling away (with Bungie's guidance) on an upcoming multiplayer-focused release for PlayStation 5 home consoles.

SilverStone unveiled a new addition to its expansion card with the ECM40 PCIe 4.0 x16 to 4x M.2 NVMe SSD adapter card. This device supports 4x M.2 SSDs (M Key) in 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280 form factors. The expansion card comes in a single slot format measuring 147.74 x 181 x 21.59 mm and is equipped with a 40 mm dual ball-bearing fan spinning at 7000 RPM to ensure better cooling of the SSDs. The fan can be turned on and off using the included power switch. A two-mode LED indicator provides additional operating status based on signals from the motherboard and SSD. The top cover is made from aluminium and acts as a radiator to dissipate heat. Moreover, thermal pads are included.

In terms of performance, the SilverStone product page informs us that the ECM40 is capable of achieving speeds up to 7,351 MB/s for continuous reads and up to 6,845 MB/s for write speed. These results were achieved using Kingston Fury 2T SSDs on a system built around an ASRock X570 Pro4 motherboard, with an AMD R9 5900X CPU and Micron Crucial DDR4 2133/8G (4Gx2) memory modules. The motherboard or add-on card must support PCIe bifurcation, allowing the PCIe x16/x8 slot to be split into 4x4 or 4x2 configurations. Currently, there is no information about pricing.

Sparkle's Arc B580 TITAN Luna OC graphics card model—featuring an all-white design—was discovered via leaked renders around mid-December. By that point in time, the Taiwanese company had already sent Intel Arc B580 "Battlemage" GPU-based products to market—most notably in the form of its Arc B580 TITAN OC SKU, bearing a signature blue design. W1zzard—TechPowerUp's resident evaluator of GPUs—honored this particular model with two awards: "Highly Recommended" and "Great Value." We expect the newly announced "Luna" (almost all-white) counterpart to perform nigh identically—Sparkle has simply rolled out a different color option for customers who favor pale-tinted PC builds.

The inclusion of a differently shaded I/O ruins the overall effect, but snow-white enthusiasts will be happy to discover that Sparkle has produced a white PCB design for its TITAN Luna lineup. Similarly, certain Chinese brands have consistently delivered many white-hued boards. Western PC gaming hardware enthusiasts have often admired the (more recognized) PowerColor Hellhound "Spectral White" aesthetic. A limited edition GPU holder will be bundled in the Arc B580 TITAN Luna OC's retail package—unfortunately, Sparkle has seemingly settled on including this all-blue accessory.

Polish your armor and sharpen your sword: Warhorse Studios and PLAION have released details of the post-launch roadmap for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. The game's upcoming February 4 launch signifies the start of an epic journey through medieval Bohemia, with a range of additional free and paid content set to arrive throughout 2025. From Horse Racing and Hardcore Mode to mastering blacksmithing and exploring compelling new quests, there is plenty for players to look forward to as they continue their adventure with Henry.

Alongside these expansions will be a number of free quality of life updates to further enhance the game experience. Unlock the full experience with the Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Gold Edition, which includes the base game, the Gallant Huntsman Kit and the Expansion Pass, which includes Shields of Season Passing and all three paid story expansions. The Gold Edition is truly the ultimate way to enjoy everything the game has to offer.

There are a substantial number of people who prefer to use an iPad for certain light-weight tasks over traditional laptops. For such folks, Apple's iPad lineup has always promised great performance and efficiency at reasonable prices, considering that they are willing to deal with the limitations of iPadOS. A plethora of recent reports have shed light on the expected release schedule for this year's iPads, including the entry-level budget iPad, the iPad Air, and the highest-end iPad Pro.

Of course, the iPad Pro is easily the most exciting among the bunch, although that does not seem to be the case this year. Multiple reports have pointed at a spec-bump for the iPad Pros, which will likely boast the Apple M5 SoC when it sees the light of day. Considering that the iPad got a major design overhaul just last year, no other major upgrades are anticipated for 2025. The entry-level iPad and iPad Air will witness a similar treatment, both getting an SoC upgrade to the A17 Pro and M3 respectively. This is particularly big deal for the entry-level iPad, which will now get to reap the benefits of 8 GB of memory, double that of the current generation, making the already budget-friendly iPad an even better value.

Vince "Kingpin" Lucido's latest "Let's Talk" video blog has revealed difficult circumstances—affecting the development of a new-generation "KP Card." The extreme overclocker has announced a planned move back to North America (prioritizing his family) around mid-2025—he has lived in Taiwan for fifteen years—along with a sad project cancellation. Kingpin stated that: "there's no 'my card' this generation. It can't come for Gen 5. It's impossible. There are just too many issues over here, and it would create a lot of problems if I jumped on board so quickly." Mid-last year, Kingpin partnered with PNY—this collaboration reached a "wishlist" phase following tests performed in 3D Mark, according to today's VLOG.

Timing is cited as a major factor in his decision-making—he did not want to sign a Taiwanese vendor's contract and commit significant man-hours during a trying life period. He reckons that he has options further down the line—potentially with US-based companies. His next Kingpin card design (skipping a generation) could be something "unbelievable" and he hinted about it being a surprise. On this subject he stated: "I can't really say much about that. Well, because it has to do with my previous contractual stuff. I love graphics cards. I love making graphics cards, and for sure, I don't think that's going to die. But I think we'll have to wait-still have to wait for another generation. And who knows? Maybe it won't be Team Green; maybe it'll be another color."

Phanteks is thrilled to officially release the Evolv X2 after unveiling it at Computex 2024. This innovative chassis redefines how a PC sits on a desk, blending cutting-edge functionality with premium aesthetics. Designed for PC enthusiasts and gamers, the Evolv X2 combines sleek design, superior cooling, and seamless hardware integration.

Revolutionary Design with a See-Through Appeal
The Evolv X2 features a tri-panel glass chassis for a clear view of your system's components. With an aluminium interior and vertical cooling solution the X2, efficiently draws in air from the bottom of the chassis and exhausts heat through the top. The chassis is designed to not only look stunning but also ensure optimal airflow for your components.

Numem, an innovator focused on accelerating memory for AI workloads, will be at the upcoming Chiplet Summit to showcase its high-performance solutions. By accelerating the delivery of data via new memory subsystem designs, Numem solutions are re-architecting the hierarchy of AI memory tiers to eliminate the bottlenecks that negatively impact power and performance.

The rapid growth of AI workloads and AI Processor/GPUs are exacerbating the memory bottleneck caused by the slowing performance improvements and scalability of SRAM and DRAM - presenting a major obstacle to maximizing system performance. To overcome this, there is a pressing need for intelligent memory solutions that offer higher power efficiency and greater bandwidth, coupled with a reevaluation of traditional memory architectures.

Global technology powerhouse Lenovo Group Limited (together with its subsidiary, "Lenovo" or the "Group") has announced that its subsidiary has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Infinidat Ltd. ("Infinidat"), a global provider of high-end enterprise storage solutions. The acquisition is part of Lenovo's growth strategy to bring differentiated technology solutions to market. This move will further strengthen Lenovo's enterprise storage offerings globally and underscores a commitment to delivering innovative storage solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern data centers.

With the strong storage solutions and research & development capabilities of Infinidat, the transaction will create strategic synergies with the Group's infrastructure solutions business and enterprise storage capabilities.

Silicon Motion will expand its MonTitan lineup of SSD controllers—for datacenters and enterprise platforms—with the upcoming addition of a truly next-generation model. Wallace C. Kou (the company's founder and CEO) contributes to ChinaFlashMarket.com with a regular written column—his latest feature (posted on January 17) includes a short sentence dedicated to announcing his firm's new SM8466 design. This appears to be their first foray into PCIe 6.0-based interface territories—details are minimal (at this point in time), but the CEO divulged the very basics. Silicon Motion's engineering team is currently in the "development stage" with the SM8466 project—a: "4 nm PCIe Gen 6 SSD master chip."

It is not clear whether this next-gen PCIe 6.0 SSD controller will be heading to market anytime soon, but Kou's column mostly focused on current plans—likely signalling where priorities lie. Silicon Motion's "built-in PCIe Gen 5 SSD enterprise-level master chip" (SM8366) is in mass production—industry experts believe that the company's MonTitan PCIe 5.0 family has had a tough time keeping up with equivalent Phison products—in particular, the market leading PS5026-E26 (PCIe 5.0 x4) controller. The SM8366 could be potent enough to take the crown in higher-end enterprise segments, but the existence of a PCIe 6.0-based successor is bound to attract extra attention.

Blue Cheetah Analog Design today announced the successful tape-outs of its next generation BlueLynx die-to-die (D2D) PHY on Samsung Foundry's SF4X 4 nm advanced manufacturing process. The latest PHY supports both advanced and standard chiplet packaging with an aggregate throughput exceeding 100 Tbps while achieving industry-leading silicon area footprint and power consumption. BlueLynx D2D subsystem IP enables chip architects to meet the bandwidth density and environmental robustness necessary to ensure production deployment success while preserving use case flexibility.

Using Samsung Foundry's SF4X 4 nm advanced process, the latest BlueLynx PHY supports both standard 2D and advanced 2.5D packages and enables system designers to seamlessly change packaging technologies in current and future implementations. Customer deliveries started in 2024 with silicon characterization in both advanced and standard packaging applications expected in early Q2 2025.

We're back with the next wave of Game Pass reveals for January—and I hope you've cleared your schedule! If you're looking for day one releases, some fan favorites, or ready to discover your next favorite game, I come prepared. And while we're making room on schedules, I hope to see you all on January 23 for our Developer Direct for an inside look at a few upcoming games (not to mention those coming day one with Game Pass!). Now let's get to the news!

Available Today:
Lonely Mountain: Snow Riders (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)—Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available on day one! Crash over and over until you master the mountain in the snowy follow up to Lonely Mountains: Downhill. Now supporting up to 8 players via cross platform multiplayer - work your way down the slopes as a group sharing a small number of checkpoints, or risk it all in a breakneck race to the base!

Shipping manifests at NBD.ltd have revealed the presence of Intel's "Nova Lake" test chips, providing insight into the development timeline of the company's 2026 processor platform. The discovery comes as Intel prepares for the launch of its "Panther Lake" CPUs on the 18A process node in late 2025. Nova Lake is positioned to replace both Panther Lake for mobile devices and "Arrow Lake" for desktop systems. The manufacturing process remains unconfirmed, with Intel potentially using either its in-house 14A node or TSMC's 2 nm technology. Following recent practices, Intel may split production between its own facilities and TSMC for different components. Rumored specifications show that Nova Lake will use Coyote Cove performance cores and Arctic Wolf efficiency cores.

Unlike Lunar Lake, it will not incorporate on-package memory, maintaining a more conventional design approach. The test chip's appearance suggests Intel is adhering to its development schedule. This timing aligns with the company's plans for Panther Lake's mass production in the second half of 2025, a structured transition between generations. Documents point to "Razor Lake" as Nova Lake's eventual successor, though detailed specifications are not yet available. Panther Lake, the immediate predecessor to Nova Lake, will focus primarily on mobile computing, with desktop variants limited to Mini PC implementations. This approach mirrors the Meteor Lake generation, which saw limited desktop release through the "PS" series for Edge platforms. The Nova Lake platform is expected to support DDR5 memory and may introduce PCIe Gen 6.0 compatibility, with final specifications unconfirmed.

Hello Riders, welcome back to the Lonely Mountains! After four years of hard work Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders is finally out today for Steam and Xbox! Thank you to everyone who showed us your support on this journey! The base price for the game is €24.99/$24.99, and it comes with a one-week 10% Launch Discount for you. If you like the game, please leave us a review. It would mean the world to us and it really makes a difference for the Steam recommendation algorithm. If you experience any bugs, have feedback or any other questions please let us know on the Steam Forums or even better in our Discord.

One important note: a lot of people wished for a better way to speedrun the game and while we have been working on a "Hot Start" feature, unfortunately, it didn't make it in time for release. We hope we are able to release it soon but of course, we will first take care of all high-priority bugs that come in. We—at Megagon Industries—really hope you all enjoy our snowy Lonely Mountains and see you on the slopes!

ENDORFY is unveiling the Crystal Series Mousepads as a new lineup of high-quality, visually stunning mousepads designed to elevate the gaming and workspace setups. These new mousepads not only mark ENDORFY's venture beyond the flagship Cordura series but also bring fresh designs and impeccable quality to the table, setting a new benchmark for affordable style and performance.

Eye-catching designs for every taste
The Crystal Series features an array of vibrant, printed graphic patterns, including the sleek Crystal Black, the elegant Crystal Onyx White, the vibrant Crystal Spectrum, and the soothing Crystal Blue, available in two versatile sizes (L and XL). Whether the user is into minimalist aesthetics or bold visuals, the Crystal Series adds a splash of personality to the desk while ensuring functionality remains paramount.

Earlier today, reports pointed to an intriguingly discounted Intel "Battlemage" GPU-based graphics card on the Mindfactory.de webstore—ASRock's Arc B570 Challenger OC 10 GB model was priced at €249. European retailers would normally charge €279 for this specific SKU, but the Germany-headquartered PC hardware retail outlet offered a discount of €30, albeit briefly. VideoCardz noted that the fairly new Arc B570 Challenger OC model has been listed on Mindfactory's site since late last year—following Team Blue's early December unveiling of second wave Battlemage GPUs.

The timing of this special offer is a tad surprising, given that Arc B570-based graphics cards only reached global markets late last week. A compelling discount could have been implemented to entice buyers away from more expensive (€299 MSRP) Arc B580-equipped products, but Team Blue and its board partners have struggled—as-of-late—to keep these items in stock. Budget-minded gamers have seemingly embraced the slightly less potent B570 GPU family, and German customers surely had a great opportunity to save some Euros (over the past day or two). Mindfactory's time-limited sale produced a €50 gulf between the ASRock custom design and Intel's Limited Edition B580 model.

The video game industry may be preparing for significant pricing transformation, with the prediction that Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) could set a new precedent for game pricing when it launches in the fall of 2025. According to a recent industry analysis by Epyllion Group CEO Matthew Ball, the current standard price point of $70 for premium games is becoming unsustainable given the escalating development costs of major AAA titles. Ball suggests that GTA 6, one of the most anticipated releases in gaming history, may need to retail for at least $91 to reflect its production value. The potential price increase could have ripple effects throughout the industry, with other developers and publishers likely to follow suit. Anticipated are price points between $80 and $100 for premium titles, with cascading effects on lower-priced games that could see increases of around $10 across different price tiers.

Michael Douse, Publishing Director at Larian Studios, has voiced support for price adjustments, noting that game prices have remained relatively stagnant despite inflation. "A good company raises salaries in line with inflation so that their staff don't die or something, but games prices haven't risen with inflation. This isn't the reason the industry is in the shit for now, but it is an uncomfortable truth. On the other hand, the responsibility for a game developer is to make sure that the game they show lives up to that promise, and that investment from the player," Douse stated on X. While development costs and employee salaries have risen with inflation, game prices have seen only minimal increases. Even multimillion-dollar productions maintain the $70 price point, a model the industry now views as unsustainable.

All hands, battle stations! 🚨 Tempest Rising pre-orders are now live! We are also very excited to announce that we are participating in the Steam Real-Time Strategy Fest with a new demo. Play the multiplayer demo NOW until February 3! Prepare for war games, Commander! Get ready to dive into the global battlefield during the Tempest Rising multiplayer demo—as a part of the Steam Real-Time Strategy Fest!

Classic RTS action meets modern production and performance in Tempest Rising. Inspired by RTS greats of the 90s and 2000s, Tempest Rising is a classic, base-building real time strategy game set in a modern day alternative history war scenario. It features 3 unique factions, each with its own approach to combat and economy and offering a variety of strategies for players of all stripes, deep and rewarding gameplay that keeps a focus on strategy while rewarding skill, and built-in customization options that allow players to approach the game their way in both single player and multiplayer game modes.

Is NVIDIA reviving the RTX TITAN brand of halo-segment graphics cards with "Blackwell"? A curious-looking GB202-200-A1 spy-shot making rounds on ChilHell hints at the possibility. The upcoming GeForce RTX 5090 is the company's flagship product from the RTX 50-series "Blackwell" generation, although it does not max out the 4 nm "GB202" silicon on which it is based. The RTX 5090 enables 170 out of the 192 SM (streaming multiprocessors) physically present on the "GB202." This leaves NVIDIA with a lot of room to carve out either a halo-segment SKU such as the RTX TITAN Blackwell, or a Pro-Vis (professional visualization) product that also targets the AI research community.

NVIDIA's top Pro-Vis product tended to have more SMs enabled than the top GeForce RTX product, while having lower clock speeds, so its target users have access to more FP64-capable CUDA cores, more Tensor cores, etc. However, over the past two generations, NVIDIA discontinued the practice of giving its RTX GPUs large numbers of FP64 cores that are disabled on GeForce RTX products, to make die-space for the Tensor cores. This hence makes it more likely that a maxed-out "GB202" is the RTX TITAN Blackwell, and not a Pro-Vis product.

AMD has finally made an official announcement regarding the much anticipated launch of RDNA 4 graphics cards. The first wave of next-generation models—Radeon RX 9070 XT and 9070 (non-XT)—are lined up for a loose "around March" release, thus conforming to recent company statements that pointed to a first quarter (of 2025) rollout. The rumor mill had Team Red strategizing a launch for later this month—potentially beating NVIDIA to the next-gen GPU punch, but "price hurdles" and other factors have allegedly contributed to a revision of tactics.

Yesterday, David McAfee—Vice President and General Manager of Ryzen and Radeon products—ended speculation with a social media post: "Radeon 9000 series hardware and software are looking great, and we are planning to have a wide assortment of cards available globally. Can't wait for gamers to get their hands on the cards when they go on sale in March!" Hardcore PC hardware enthusiasts will likely be left confused by this fresh proclamation—a steady flow of January leaks have provided evidence of Navi 48 GPU-based products sitting in retail storage facilities, unboxing of certain partner models, and insiders playtesting early samples. Industry watchdogs posit that AMD's "aggressive pricing approach" has rubbed retailers the wrong way—the extra wiggle room could be spent on negotiating wholesale costs.

In the early hours of Tuesday, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck near a remote mountainous region roughly 24 miles southeast of Chiayi in Taiwan, causing temporary operational halts at multiple TSMC facilities. The tremor occurred at 12:17 AM local time and was felt in Tainan, home to four of TSMC's manufacturing sites. Workers in both Central and Southern Taiwan were evacuated as a precaution, following standard company protocols designed to ensure employee safety. TSMC initiated thorough structural inspections immediately after the quake. According to company representatives, all crucial infrastructure, such as water supply and power systems, remained fully functional. With no significant damage detected during safety assessments, TSMC has gradually restarted its production lines, minimizing any long-term impact on its global client base.

Despite the relatively brief disruption, the incident exposes the fragility of the semiconductor manufacturing process. Taiwan's frequent seismic activity has the potential to affect the complex manufacturing processes crucial for producing silicon. Given the company's massive consumption of chemicals and silicon ingots, any significant production setbacks at TSMC can resonate through global supply chains. To reduce these geographical and nature-inspired risks, TSMC is investing heavily in new manufacturing facilities elsewhere, notably in Arizona. Although these sites are expected to enhance the company's resilience, they will only account for around 10% of TSMC's total production capacity. Additionally, as TSMC doesn't plan to bring state-of-the-art production to other sites, the company must implement safety features against earthquake protection in its Taiwan facilities to continue production. A minor manufacturing hiccup can equate to billions of losses across the supply chain.

The world of mini PCs keeps on growing, thanks to a boost in popularity made possible by the impressive efficiency and performance improvements brought to the table by the silicon giants, allowing compact systems to function just as well as full-fledged towers. The Morefine M6S Plus is yet another addition to the list of mini PCs, and it appears that the system prioritizes portability and compactness over raw performance. For a sizeable chunk of casual desktop users, even entry-level processors pack enough computing grunt to ease through their workloads, and that demographic is exactly what the M6S Plus targets.

With dimensions of 7.2 x 7.2 x 4.2 cm, the Morefine M6S Plus is commendably compact indeed. As mentioned, the computing horsepower offered is very limited, thanks to the quad-core Intel N150 processor that lacks Hyper-Threading. The memory is, unfortunately, not user upgradeable, so customers are will have to stick the 12 GB of LPDDR5-4800 memory on offer. The storage however, is upgradeable, thanks to the M.2 2242 slot which can accommodate up to 4 TB of storage. In terms of connectivity, the options are acceptable, including dual Type-C ports with DP, gigabit ethernet, triple USB 3.2 Gen 1Type-A ports (two on the front), HDMI 2.1, as well as a headphone jack.

On April 17, 2025, Origin will shut down, as Microsoft has stopped supporting 32-bit software. If you use Origin, you need to upgrade to the EA app, which requires a 64-bit version of Windows. Find out how to update your Windows operating system to get the most out of the EA app.

What is the EA app?
The EA app is our enhanced platform for PC games. Optimized for the best user experience, it lets you easily find what you need and get into the game quicker than ever. Don't have it yet? Download the EA app here. The EA app doesn't support 32-bit versions of Windows. You'll need to upgrade to a 64-bit operating system on your device to play your games. See if the version of Windows you're running is 32 or 64-bit.

Another day, another Blackwell performance leak. As we inch closer to their official release, more and more benchmark results keep popping up on the internet. Now, a fresh Geekbench OpenCL listing seemingly sheds light on the performance brought to the table by the RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, housed in a Razer Blade 16 alongside a Strix Point APU. However, be warned - the following results depict the RTX 5090 laptop running at only 1515 MHz, which makes it significantly slower than what it is capable of when allowed to run at full tilt, likely to be somewhere around 2100 MHz.

As such, the RTX 5090 Laptop managed a score of only around 91,000 points - almost half that of its predecessor's typical score of 179,000 points according to Geekbench. This likely indicates that the laptop was running on battery power, which would make sense considering the abysmal result. At least, thanks to this listing, we do get to confirm the specifications of the RTX 5090 Laptop GPU - 82 SMs, which means a total of 10,496 CUDA cores, and 24 GB of GDDR7 VRAM. The RTX 4090 Laptop, on the other hand, packs 9728 CUDA cores, putting the RTX 5090 Laptop ahead by around 7.87%. The 150-watt RTX 5090 Laptop also clocks at 1455 MHz at an 80-watt TGP, and 2040 MHz at 150 watts. This does align with what we are witnessing from the aforementioned RTX 5090 Laptop listing, confirming that it is indeed in some kind of low-power mode.

Raijintek introduced the MGA-68 line of 65% wired mechanical keyboards. It features a 65% layout (69 keys), and uses magnetic key switches sourced from Hejin, with switch characteristics resembling MX Yellow, and a claimed endurance of 50 million keystrokes. These are capped by PBT+SUB keycaps. The keys are illuminated by an addressable-RGB LED setup. The star attraction with these keyboards is their CNC milled all-aluminium bodies, with some diamond cut edges. The keyboard comes in two color variants, black and silver. These are purely wired keyboards, with their USB interface providing a polling rate of 8000 Hz. The keyboard has a type-C receptacle, and a 2 m USB-C to USB-C cable, with a type-C to type-A adapter included. It measures 313 mm x 104 mm. The company didn't reveal pricing.

GAMDIAS, a premier brand in high-performance gaming PC hardware, is excited to announce the launch of the ATLAS P2 CG curved glass panoramic case. As the first product launch of 2025, the case embodies GAMDIAS's annual slogan, "GAMING REIMAGINED," redefining gaming setups with a sophisticated design and unmatched functionality. "The ATLAS P2 CG reflects our vision for 2025, offering gamers a seamless blend of cutting-edge design and exceptional performance that will transform their gaming experience," said Stimson Wang, CEO of GAMDIAS. Part of the highly acclaimed ATLAS series, the case features a striking fish-tank-inspired design with a seamless one-piece curved glass panel and an integrated system display, engineered to deliver limitless potential alongside a refined visual experience.

Immersive Panoramic View
The ATLAS P2 CG case features a stunning 270-degree curved tempered glass panel, offering an immersive panoramic view of the interior. This innovative design eliminates corner obstructions, creating a seamless showcase of internal components. Additionally, the case also supports connector-hidden motherboard (BTF motherboard), enabling cables to plug in from the rear for a clean and flawless front appearance.

Transcend Information Inc. (Transcend), a leading global manufacturer of memory storage solutions, introduces the ETD410T, a new U.2 enterprise solid-state drive (eSSD) designed for high-performance computing environments. Tailored to meet the stringent demands of enterprise users for ultra-fast data transfer and reliability, the ETD410T adopts the PCIe Gen 4 x4 high-speed interface and U.2 15 mm form factor, featuring a DRAM cache for exceptional performance and robust data protection. It is an ideal solution for data centers and enterprise applications.

Durable and Stable for High-Frequency Workloads
The Transcend ETD410T is a professional solution optimized for read-intensive workloads. Compliant with JESD219 standards, it offers a durability of up to 7,000 Program/Erase (P/E) cycles to withstand frequent use over long periods. With Quality of Service (QoS) consistently maintained between 99.9% and 99.99%, it delivers stable and reliable operation even in demanding enterprise environments, ensuring consistent and dependable data access.

Seagate Technology Holdings plc, an innovator of mass capacity data storage, today announced shipments of Exos M hard drive samples to select customers in industry-leading capacities up to 36 terabytes (TB). Based on Mozaic 3+, the company's breakthrough heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology platform, Exos M delivers unprecedented storage scale for large-scale data center deployments.

Key Takeaways

• Adopted by Cloud Service Providers: Seagate is currently ramping Exos M to volume shipments on capacity points up to 32 TB with a leading cloud service provider. Separately, Seagate is also sampling drives on the Exos M platform of up to 36 TB.
• Mozaic 3+ and HAMR Innovation: Based on Seagate's Mozaic 3+ technology platform, the industry's first implementation of heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR), Exos M offers data center operators significant scale, total cost of ownership (TCO), and sustainability advantages, including 300% more storage capacity within the same data center footprint, a 25% cost reduction per terabyte and 60% reduction in power consumption per terabyte.
• Unrivalled Areal Density: Exos M, powered by HAMR-based Mozaic 3+ platform, now delivers capacity points up to 36 TB through a highly efficient 10-platter product design. Seagate is the only data storage company that can achieve areal densities of 3.6 TB per hard drive platter today, with a pathway to increasing per-platter capacity to 10 TB.

Global leader in storage solutions, Patriot Memory, proudly announces the launch of the iLuxe Stick, the latest addition to the iLuxe series of digital lifestyle products following the iLuxe Cube. Combining sleek design with high performance, the Patriot iLuxe Stick is a portable storage device that ensures you'll never miss capturing a precious moment due to insufficient storage. With the iLuxe app, photos and videos are seamlessly transferred to the iLuxe Stick in real time, providing effortless storage expansion for iPhones and iPads. The device also simplifies cross-platform file transfers.

The iLuxe Stick features a dual-connector design with both Type-C and Lightning interfaces, ensuring compatibility with Apple iPhones from the iPhone 6 to the latest iPhone 16. Its innovative Trust Circle encryption system supports up to 16 encrypted members, allowing users to select sharing permissions while maintaining privacy and security.

EasySMX, the Gamer's Choice for advanced gaming peripherals, is thrilled to introduce the D05 Gaming Controller. Engineered for peak performance and versatility, the D05 brings enhanced precision, seamless charging, and more customizable vibrant RGB style to gamers on PC, Switch, Android, and iOS.

"The D05 was designed to meet gamers' demands for precision, durability, and ease of use," said Gavin, Product Director at EasySMX. "We've created a controller that enhances gameplay across platforms while addressing the most common frustrations like stick drift and inconvenient charging."

Recent MAXSUN activities have been very Intel Arc "Battlemage" B-series GPU-focused—most notably, a leaked design that leverages dual M.2 slots. Earlier today, ITHome reported on the fresh retail release of two sort-of-new MAXSUN graphics cards in China (on JD.com)—MS-GT730 PH 4 GB (¥359/~US$49) and MS-GT730 PH 2 GB (¥329/~US$45). These super low budget offerings signal a dip back into technologies of old: NVIDIA's GK208 "Kepler 2.0" GPU—of 2014 vintage. This is a curious choice, given that Team Green's "Kepler" GPU generation has not received new drivers since the release of R470 (back in 2021), and the last security update arrived with NVIDIA's 473.47 WHQL driver.

ITHome reckons that MAXSUN has simply recycled its existing MS-GT730 Heavy Hammer 4G and MS-GT730 Heavy Hammer 2G card designs for an early 2025 market launch—TechPowerUp's GPU database produces another very similar looking model: the GT 730 Transformers III 2G. The online publication reached out to MAXSUN's JD storefront customer service for comment on the apparent refresh of old products. ITHome discovered that the renamed reissues are a result of demands generated by "internal supply chain management." MAXSUN stated that its production batch have changed, and it: "emphasizes that the performance (of their new models) is consistent with the old version(s)."

Manli announced in a recent press release, which somehow went unnoticed most likely due to the CES 2025 event, that new Gallardo, Stellar, Polar Fox, and Nebula series graphics cards based on the NVIDIA Blackwell series are ready to join the GeForce RTX 50 lineup. While Manli didn't yet provide exact specifications, they showcased a bit more details regarding the design and the Drag Reduction System (DRS) feature that equips its Gallardo RTX 50 series.

The company seems to be a bit secretive at this moment, however, they say that the Drag Reduction System (DRS) has its inspiration in motorsports. Most likely this implies a dedicated design that use the heatsinks and spoilers to direct airflow towards specific areas. Manli Stellar, Polar Fox, and Nebula RTX 50 series are all based on a dual-slot format with triple fans on top. Although the press release mentioned that the new Manli 50 series graphics cards are available, there's no information about the exact lineup or pricing, and currently, the cards are not listed on the company website.

MicroProse, the legendary developer and publisher known for its mastery of simulation and strategy games, is thrilled to announce its partnership with Divio to publish Liquidation. This explosive real-time strategy (RTS) game thrusts players into the war-torn world of Veá, where advanced technology clashes with arcane power, creating a rich and dynamic battlefield for RTS fans to conquer.

Starting today—January 20—players can sign up for the upcoming open playtest via Liquidation's Steam page. This first-time event will offer players who sign up the opportunity to be among the first to command their forces and explore the game's unique blend of genres, offering invaluable feedback that will help shape the final release.

MSI is preparing a new selection of yellow-tipped 16-pin power adapters—as reported by VideoCardz earlier today—for inclusion with certain GeForce RX 50 series "Blackwell" GPU-based graphics card models. An official announcement has not been released—regarding the latest color coding for power connectors—but new product photos have appeared on the MSI website. The yellow sections provide a clear "visual guide" when hooking the relevant adapter up to a graphics card—full insertion is achieved when the yellow tip is fully obscured by its surroundings. MSI's latest image uploads indicate that dual 8-pin to single 16-pin adapters will likely be bundled with MSI's GeForce RTX 5070 models. The RTX 5070 Ti and 5080 product tiers will be getting three 8-pin ended adapters. A very busy-looking 4-way splitter is seemingly reserved for flagship GeForce RTX 5090 cards.

The MAG GL PSU series debuted back in 2023, featuring a similarly-tinted "dual color" safety measure—based on customer and community feedback. At the time, MSI stated that it had reacted to: "reported cases of power supply connectors being burnt when paired with high-end graphics cards. We've identified the main reason: the connectors not being plugged in properly and the connector pins suffering from fall outs. With this new cable, we successfully tackle both issues head-on." Manufacturers have continued to release new products that utilize the "problematic" 12VHPWR standard, even years after the introduction of a successor: 12V-2x6. NVIDIA and several of its board partners are reported to be sticking with the first iteration PCIe Gen 5 16-pin connector for upcoming GeForce RTX 50-series graphics cards. The TechPowerUp team inspected ZOTAC's new 12WHPWR "Safety Light" feature at the recently concluded CES trade event—a visual warning will be displayed in the event of a connection problem being detected.

Energizer is a brand that is best known for its batteries, as the name would suggest. However, it now appears that the brand wants a piece of the consumer technology pie as well, but not exactly. The thing is, well-known brands often license out their brand name to other manufactures who make completely unrelated products, which are then sold with their branding. Energizer has done something similar, and licensed out its brand name to Avenir Telecom, who now plans on making and selling laptops with the "Energizer" brand. There are no concrete details on specifications yet, although we do know that the laptop lineup will be named "EnergyBook", and will ship in 15- and 17-inch sizes with either 128 or 256 GB of storage.

Clearly, the laptops are by no means aimed at users with heavy workloads, but rather casual users with extremely modest performance expectations from their machines. Unsurprisingly, the pricing reflects this strategy rather well, with the EnergyBook lineup being expected to start from just $199. We have no exact date in sight, although Avenir Telecom has revealed the laptops should be available in the first quarter of this year. That said, it should be noted that with laptops from prominent brands getting cheaper every year, ultra-low-end laptops from lesser-known manufacturers are often not very good deals, at least in terms of longevity or quality. Of course, the EnergyBook lineup might end up being a glaring exception to that rule, although that remains to be seen.

Recently, we covered a rumor arising from PCGH which stated that the RTX 5090, and perhaps even the RTX 5080, are gearing up to face an extremely stock-limited launch in Germany. Now, it appears that customers in North America will likely face very similar circumstances, if the claims made by tipster Moore's Law is Dead's sources are taken to be true. MLID spoke with several sources, including distributors and AIBs, all of whom had the same thing to say - it is going be quite hard to snag an RTX 5090 or RTX 5080 at launch.

One of the distributors that MLID apparently spoke with, went as far as to comment that they simply won't be having any RTX 5090s at all in the first month of launch. Further, while they received almost 200 RTX 4080s during the previous launch season, they only expect to get 20 units of the RTX 5080 this time around. As for the RTX 5090, they do not foresee inventory before late Q1, or even Q2 of this year. A second source, who claimed to be from an AIB partner, stated that while they will have RTX 5080s ready at launch, they are "only a fraction" of the RTX 4080s they had last time. Moreover, the number of RTX 5090s they claim to have matches that of the RTX 3090s they had, which, for those who don't remember, suffered from severe supply shortages at launch.

Bonfire Studios, an independent video game developer, is finally coming out of stealth mode, unveiling the name and first details of its debut project, Arkheron. Founded by industry veterans responsible for iconic franchises including Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo, Overwatch, StarCraft and World of Warcraft, the Bonfire team draws on the expertise and design principles honed on those titles to craft an innovative new PvP game. Private playtesting for Arkheron is already underway and will be expanding in the coming months with rolling invites. Players who love fast-paced PvP combat are encouraged to sign up now for a chance to be among the first to play Arkheron and help shape its later stages of development.

Bonfire has been playing and iterating on Arkheron behind-the-scenes for years and began private playtesting sessions with a small community in 2024. While players will find familiar ideas and concepts in Arkheron, it isn't about combining genres—it's about creating something entirely new; a dynamic, fast-paced PvP gameplay experience set in a dark and foreboding world. The team at Bonfire playtests the game every day, and attributes this aspect of their development process to helping them create a fun and unique game they believe will resonate with players.

A pre-launch unboxing the ASUS TUF GAMING Radeon RX 9070 XT OC graphics card model has been shared and documented online—courtesy of a video uploaded to social media over the past weekend. Artline, a computer hardware retailer based in Ukraine, seems to have at least one model in their possession—similarly, stock (from other brands) has been distributed across supply networks to locations around Europe.

AMD and its retail partners are reportedly at loggerheads over proposed launch pricing strategies—the first wave of RDNA 4-equipped products appear to be ready for launch, but debates over "excessive wholesale costs" could delay matters. VideoCardz has reached out to its contacts across distribution and insider networks—they believe that an official AMD announcement could be delivered at some point this week. Team Red representatives recently teased a forthcoming special launch event, but chose to not divulge a specific start date.

Hello everyone, check out the latest game from The Outer Zone and 11 bit studios. Journey the sorrowful spirit world in souls-like deck builder, Death Howl. Craft cards and claim powerful totems to defeat the woeful spirits lurking in the mystical lands. Unravel the tale of a grieving mother in her desperate attempt to defy death and bring back her son.

In forgotten lands shrouded by myth, Ro—a hunter from a small tribe—is overcome by grief following the death of her beloved son. Guided by voices from another world, she transcends into the realm of spirits, in hopes of bringing him back. Death Howl weaves an atmospheric tale of grief, healing, and resilience. As Ro, you'll face relentless spirits in turn-based battles that challenge your tactical sense and adaptability. To succeed, you must craft and master decks of powerful cards and use shamanic totems while unearthing forgotten tales and secrets that shape Ro's path.

Noted technology tipster, Kepler L2, believes that the Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) engineering team has finalized the design of a PlayStation 6 (PS6) system-on-chip (SoC)—insider information was shared on the NeoGAF forum (a popular computer game discussion board) late last week. It would be natural to assume that Sony's gaming division is deep into the process of developing a follow-up to its PlayStation 5 home console, but Kepler L2's fresh revelation points to surprisingly advanced progress. Insider sources point to the PS6's chip design being: "complete and in pre-silicon validation already, with A0 tapeout scheduled for late this year."

Industry experts have analyzed PlayStation development cycles of days past—history has demonstrated a pattern of the A0 tapeout phase reaching completion around two years before the rollout of finalized products at retail. Kepler L2 reckons that this pattern will be repeated—indicating a possible launch of PlayStation by 2027. The rumored PS6 chipset has been linked to AMD's "gfx13" target—everyone's favorite Team Red tipster posits that Sony engineers are working with a "fork" of this next-gen "UDNA" graphics technology. The rumor mill has generated additional PS6 SoC-related internet chatter—last Friday, Chiphell alleged a possible adoption of Team Red's X3 V-cache technology.

According to a recent, global Recon Analytics survey commissioned by Seagate Technology, business leaders from across 15 industry sectors and 10 countries expect that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) applications will generate unprecedented volumes of data, driving a boom in demand for data storage, in particular cloud-based storage. With hard drives delivering scalability relative to terabyte-per-dollar cost efficiencies, cloud service providers rely on hard drives to store mass quantities of data.

Recently, analyst firm IDC estimated that 89% of data stored by leading cloud service providers is stored on hard drives. Now, according to this Recon Analytics study, nearly two-thirds of respondents (61%) from companies that use cloud as their leading storage medium expect their cloud-based storage to grow by more than 100% over the next 3 years. "The survey results generally point to a coming surge in demand for data storage, with hard drives emerging as the clear winner," remarked Roger Entner, founder and lead analyst of Recon Analytics. "When you consider that the business leaders we surveyed intend to store more and more of this AI-driven data in the cloud, it appears that cloud services are well-positioned to ride a second growth wave."

C.C. Wei, TSMC CEO and Chairman, has shared his latest views regarding his company's North American manufacturing center—Reuters cornered him for comment during a mid-week appearance at a National Taiwan University-held event. The Taiwanese government has recently lowered its "silicon shield"—following much (reported) deliberation over "legal restrictions on transferring leading-edge process technology overseas." This relaxation of rules has TSMC considering a new set of investments for operations outside of Taiwan—with an expansion into advanced node process manufacturing. Currently, 2 nm (N2) is a home turf-speciality—industry experts estimate an expenditure of $28-30 (USD) billion to bring this production technology over to the States. TSMC's CEO has described additional challenges—on top of (and impacting) finances—local bureaucracy is a big one.

Wei stated: "every step requires a permit, and after the permit is approved, it takes at least twice as long as in Taiwan." According Reuters, he reckons that it would be difficult for their North American sites to access the latest technologies ahead of teams in Taiwan. He detailed his company's recruitment of several experts—tasked with talking to local government; about regulatory issues. This was not a cheap undertaking: "we ended up establishing 18,000 rules, which cost us $35 million." TSMC's Arizona production hub will (eventually) consist of three large factories—despite long-term teething problems, Fab 21 is reported to be churning out the first wave of "Made in America" product for a very important client: Apple. Wei expressed positives views when asked about the USA site's prospects—during an earnings conference (Jan 16)—he believes that it will eventually produce the "same quality of chips as in Taiwan," through a "smooth ramp-up process."

NVIDIA has released urgent security patches addressing eight vulnerabilities in its GPU drivers and virtual GPU software that affect both Windows and Linux systems. The January 16 update targets multiple security flaws that could enable attackers with local access to execute malicious code, steal data, or crash affected systems. Two high-severity vulnerabilities stand out among the patches. The first (CVE-2024-0150) involves a buffer overflow in the GPU display driver that could lead to system compromise through data tampering and information disclosure. The second critical issue (CVE-2024-0146) affects the virtual GPU Manager, where a compromised guest system could trigger memory corruption, potentially leading to code execution and system takeover. For Windows systems, users must update to version 553.62 (R550 branch) or 539.19 (R535 branch). Linux users need to install version 550.144.03 or 535.230.02, depending on their driver branch.

The updates cover NVIDIA's RTX, Quadro, NVS, and Tesla product lines. Enterprise environments using NVIDIA's virtualization technology face additional risks. One vulnerability (CVE-2024-53881) allows guest systems to launch interrupt storms against host machines, potentially causing system-wide outages. To patch these security holes, virtual GPU software users must update to version 17.5 (550.144.02) or 16.9 (535.230.02). The vulnerabilities specifically target systems where attackers have local access, which means remote exploitation is unlikely. However, in virtualized environments where multiple users share GPU resources, these flaws pose a significant security risk. System administrators can download the security updates from NVIDIA's Driver Downloads page, while enterprise vGPU customers should obtain patches through the NVIDIA Licensing Portal. NVIDIA recommends immediate installation of these updates across all affected systems.

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. today announced the launch of TALES OF GRACES f REMASTERED, bringing the remastered version of the timeless action RPG to current generation consoles and PC. The title enhances a memorable entry in the Tales of series, letting players experience this classic with stunning visuals and new features. TALES OF GRACES f REMASTERED also adds more than 80 DLC packs and items released for the original, now included in the base game. The title is available now in Standard and Deluxe Editions for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam.

TALES OF GRACES f REMASTERED is a remastered version of TALES OF GRACES f that released in 2010. Players will follow the adventures of Asbel and his friends as they embark on a world-spanning quest filled with unforgettable characters, shocking revelations, and unique companions brought together through promises made across time. Set in the lush and vibrant planet of Ephinea, players embark on a journey of intrigue across a world ruled by three great nations, each with the power of Eleth.

ONIX has quietly added Intel Arc B580 GPU-based models to its Newegg brand store—signalling the brand's arrival on North American's e-tail landscape. TechPowerUp first picked up on this new manufacturer's existence during Team Blue's introduction of Arc B-series "Battlemage" graphics cards—soon followed up with an updated version of TechPowerUp GPU-Z; adding "PCI vendor detection for ONIX." The emerging Chinese manufacturer's Odyssey OC and Lumi OC models are currently "out of stock" on the Newegg store, but compelling pricing ($10 above Intel's baseline MSRP) has attracted press coverage.

It is not clear whether initial supplies of the two ONIX cards were snapped up quickly, but Newegg states on both listings: "this product is temporarily out of stock because of high demand, we will replenish it as soon as possible." Currently, the Arc B580 Odyssey OC 12 GB (black) model is priced at $259.99, while its Lumi OC (white) sibling goes for $269.99—note: Newegg demands a $9.99 fee for shipping. VideoCardz reckons that ONIX is competing closely with Sparkle—a veteran Intel GPU board partner—and charging less than GUNNIR for equivalent specs/fittings. ONIX's official website features a product page for an Odyssey B570 10 GB model—not listed by Newegg, but we expect it to turn up soon. Intel and its AIBs declared B570's retail availability last week.

TechPowerUp and Chieftec brought our readers in the EU the Winter 2024 Mega Giveaway. Up for grabs were a Chieftec Iceberg 360 RGB AIO liquid CPU cooler; a Chieftec Iceberg 360 Black AIO liquid CPU cooler; a Chieftec APEX E-ATX mid-tower case, a Chieftec M2 Micro-ATX tower case; a Chieftec PowerPlay 1200 W power supply; and a Chieftec Atmos 850 W power supply—a comprehensive list of prizes spanning the company's cases, power supplies, and cooling products. The Giveaway closed recently, and we have our winners!

• Parham from France—wins a Chieftec Iceberg 360 AIO CLC-360-RGB cooler
• Arne from Germany—wins a Chieftec Iceberg 360 AIO CLC-360-BLK cooler
• Kristijan from Croatia—wins a Chieftec Apex Case GA-01B-TG-OP case
• Andreas from Denmark—wins a Chieftec M2 Case GM-02B-OP Micro-ATX case
• Pepe from Spain—wins a Chieftec PowerPlay PSU GPU-1200FC power supply, and
• MonteCristo from Greece—wins a Chieftec Atmos PSU CPX-850FC power supply

A huge Congratulations to the winners! Chieftec and TechPowerUp will return with more such interesting Giveaways.

Colorful Technology Company Limited, a leading brand in gaming PC components, gaming laptops, and Hi-fi audio products, proudly presents our lineup of Intel B860 Series motherboards in the ULTRA, CVN GAMING FROZEN, and BATTLE-AX models.

The Intel B860 chipset is aimed at the mid-range level price segment for the Intel Core Ultra 200 series desktop processors. The COLORFUL B860 motherboards features DDR5 memory support, support for up to PCIe Gen 5 SSDs, high-speed 40 Gbps USB4 ports, fast Wi-Fi 7 wireless networking, and more.

Level up your 2025 setup with MSI's latest and most powerful products! Purchase selected MSI products and unlock free Steam codes to elevate your gaming experience. Don't miss MSI's Power Up to New Era promotion to kick off an epic gaming year! MSI introduces a new range of DIY-friendly products — motherboards, liquid cooling systems, PC cases, and power supplies—making PC building easier than ever for both beginners and experienced builders!

The B860 & B850 motherboards offer greater convenience, featuring the EZ M.2 Clip II for effortless, tool-free M.2 SSD installation. Paired with the EZ PCIe Release, users can securely remove their graphics cards with just a single press, eliminating the usual hassle.

Accused of murdering her former mentor, Werner Von Croy, Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness follows Lara Croft as a fugitive, unraveling an intricate web of secret societies locked in a centuries-long shadow war. Though initially divisive, The Angel of Darkness has developed a cult following over the years, with fans becoming digital archaeologists, delving into its cut content and unrealized potential.

Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered aims to realize the full potential of The Angel of Darkness by restoring much of the content originally envisioned for the game. The developers from Saber and Aspyr have focused on reintroducing elements that fans have long celebrated, enhancing the experience of this cult classic.

A fake AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor was recently discovered through AMD's after-sales service inspection in China after a customer reported their CPU wouldn't boot. The counterfeit unit revealed several technical discrepancies that distinguish it from genuine processors, though these differences are difficult to spot without detailed examination. While authentic Ryzen 7 9800X3D processors use PCB number 33050, the counterfeit unit featured PCB number 32546—a designation typically associated with Ryzen 7000 series R7 or R9 processors. This suggests the counterfeiters may be repurposing older generation chips or PCBs to create fake 9000 series processors. The physical appearance of the counterfeit unit showed additional inconsistencies.

Genuine Ryzen 9000 series processors feature a distinctive blue PCB, while the fake unit displayed a dark green coloration characteristic of older models. Component patches adjacent to the PCB also failed to match the standard configuration of the Ryzen 9000 series. In a notable error, some counterfeit units were mislabeled as "Ryzen 9 9800X3D"—a model number that doesn't exist in AMD's product lineup. For comparison, legitimate Ryzen 7 9800X3D units can be identified by their blue-tinted PCB, while older models like the R9 7900X and R7 7700X feature dark green PCBs. The information was initially shared on Chiphell by sources within the PCB manufacturing industry, who provided side-by-side comparisons of authentic and counterfeit units. AMD's after-sales service has confirmed that processors purchased outside official distribution channels will not receive warranty support or service protection. Buyers should buy CPUs only thought official sale distributors to avoid such cases.

NVIDIA's deep learning super sampling (DLSS) has undergone many iterations to the current version 4 with the transformer model, delivering new technologies such as DLSS Multi Frame Generation, predicting multiple frames in advance to generate the upcoming frame, and increasing the frame output per second. However, not every NVIDIA GPU generation supports these more modern DLSS technologies. In an interview with Digital Foundry, Bryan Catanzaro, VP of Applied Deep Learning Research at NVIDIA, commented on trickling down some DLSS technologies to older GPU generations. For example, DLSS Ray Reconstruction, Super Resolution, and Deep Learning Anti-Aliasing (DLAA) work on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 20/30/40/50 series GPUs. However, the RTX 40 series carries an exclusive DLSS Frame Generation, and the newest RTX 50 series carries the DLSS Multi Frame Generation as an exclusive feature.

However, there is hope for older hardware. "I think this is primarily a question of optimization and also engineering and then the ultimate user experience. We're launching this Frame Generation, the best Multi Frame Generation technology, with the 50 Series, and we'll see what we're able to squeeze out of older hardware in the future." So, frame generation will most likely arrive on the older RTX 30 series, with even a slight possibility of the RTX 20 series getting the DLSS frame generation. Due to compute budget constraints, the multi-frame generation will most likely stay an RTX 50 series exclusive as it has more raw computing power to handle this technology.

AMD's upcoming Radeon RX 9070 series graphics cards have hit an unexpected roadblock, according to recent reports from PC Games Hardware. Despite physical units already reaching select retailers, the launch appears to be delayed due to ongoing pricing negotiations. Industry insider and forum moderator "pokerclock," known for accurate predictions about NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50 series, reveals that AMD's initial pricing strategy has created tension with retail partners. While boxes bearing the RX 9070 branding have been spotted in retail channels, disagreements over costs have prevented an official release. The core issue stems from AMD's aggressive pricing approach for both the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT models. Retailers have pushed back against what they consider excessive wholesale costs, forcing AMD to reconsider its strategy.

The company now faces the complex task of potentially reducing prices while compensating retailers who have already purchased inventory at higher rates. Sources suggest AMD may offer marketing funds or cashback incentives to bridge the price gap, though negotiations have reportedly stalled. For example, we recently reported on the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT AIB model costing around $549. However, NVIDIA has announced its GeForce RTX 5070 at the same $549 price point, with potentially equal or higher raster, ray tracing, and AI capabilities across the board. For AMD to make the value case, the company would need to undercut NVIDIA's pricing. Until that is resolved, retailers aren't allowed to place RDNA 4 GPUs in general sale yet.

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading brand of performance overclock memory, is excited to announce two historical overclock achievements of reaching DDR5-12052 and DDR5-12054 memory overclock speed records under air cooling with the G.SKILL Trident Z5 series DDR5 memory. Previously, reaching the DDR5-12000 milestone required a more extreme cooling method, such as liquid nitrogen or dry ice. These incredible achievements with air cooling demonstrate the amazing overclock potential of modern hardware. The DDR5-12052 memory overclock speed is achieved by "saltycroissant", an extreme overclocker from Canada, using the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K desktop processor and ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF motherboard. Meanwhile, the DDR5-12054 memory overclock speed is achieved by "speed.fastest", an extreme overclocker from Indonesia, using the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K desktop processor and ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Apex motherboard.

In earlier overclock records on the Intel Z890 platform, only extreme sub-zero cooling with liquid nitrogen or dry ice was used to achieve overclock speeds of over DDR5-12000. These memory overclock records, achieved with CPU on water cooling and memory on air cooling, is an incredible milestone for the overclock community. Both overclocking records on air cooling were achieved with one module from a G.SKILL Trident Z5 series DDR5-8000 CL38 2x48GB (F5-8000J3848F24GX2-TZ5K) memory kit.

AAEON (stock code: 6579), a leading provider of edge AI platforms, has announced the release of the BOXER-8654AI-KIT, a development kit equipped with either an 8 GB or 16 GB NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX module. While AAEON's BOXER series has become synonymous with NVIDIA-powered embedded AI systems, the BOXER-8654AI-KIT provides its customers with an avenue to develop embedded solutions from the ground up.

The BOXER-8654AI-KIT's module is accompanied by an advanced carrier board featuring a full-function I/O boasting six USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, an Out-of-Band (OOB) management box header, and four LAN ports with optional power boards for PoE functionality. For display, the kit's carrier board offers one physical HDMI Type-A port, as well as two MIPI CSI connectors, each equipped with four lanes to allow for two MIPI cameras to be installed per interface. Other physical I/O features that stand out are its two DB-9 ports, one of which offers an RS-232 (RX/TX/GND)/422/485 signal, with the other providing a CANBus interface. Additionally, an NVIDIA Jetson-compatible 40-pin header offers I2C, SPI, UART, and other serial interfaces.

HAVN brings a breath of fresh air in the PC case market with its new HS 420 line of cases aimed to maximize the view of your gaming PC build. The lineup is led by the HAVN HS 420 VGPU series, and the regular HS 420 series. We had both cases and their color variants up for grabs in our recent Giveaway, for a total of four amazing prizes for our readers in the US and most of Europe. After a great response of over 3,000 entries, we have four lucky winners, and here they are!

• Paolo from Italy
• Lucian from Romania
• Boyan from Bulgaria
• Marcin from USA

Huge congratulations to the four of you! TechPowerUp and HAVN will return with more such interesting giveaways.