NVIDIA today launched the third and final high-end GPU in its GeForce RTX 40-series SUPER refresh. The new GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is being launched at an attractive $999 price, compared to the $1,199 that the RTX 4080 originally launched at. Besides this huge 20% cut in pricing, there's also more performance on offer, as the company chose to max out the 5 nm AD103 silicon that it's based on. If you recall, the RTX 4080 has 76 out of 80 streaming multiprocessors of the AD103 enabled, and its memory runs at an odd 22.4 Gbps speed. The RTX 4080 SUPER gets all 80 SM, and a well rounded 23 Gbps memory speed.

With 80 SM on tap, you get 10,240 CUDA cores, 320 Tensor cores, 80 RT cores, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. The memory size is unchanged at 16 GB, across the 256-bit wide memory interface of the AD103; as is the total graphics power (TGP), at 320 W. All cards will include an NVIDIA-designed adapter that converts three 8-pin PCIe power connectors into a 12VHPWR that's capable of delivering 450 W of power. The target audience for this card is the same as that of the RTX 4080—maxed out 4K Ultra HD gaming with ray tracing. At $999, the RTX 4080 SUPER allows NVIDIA to better compete with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX that's sometimes spotted for prices as low as $900. Don't forget to catch our exhaustive review coverage from the links below!

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER Founders Edition | ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4080 SUPER OC | ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4080 SUPER OC | MSI RTX 4080 SUPER Expert | Gigabyte RTX 4080 SUPER Gaming OC | PNY RTX 4080 SUPER Verto | Galax RTX 4080 SUPER SG 1-click OC | Palit RTX 4080 SUPER GamingPro OC | Zotac RTX 4080 SUPER AMP Extreme AIRO

ASUS China has distributed Tianxuan 5 Pro laptop review samples to media outlets in the region—a video evaluation was uploaded to Bilibili yesterday, as discovered and shared by 9550pro. The reviewer, "Wheat Milk Mitsu," put his sampled laptop's AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX processor through the proverbial wringer—with benchmarking exercises conducted in Cinebench R23, PCMark 10, Counter Strike 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Metro Exodus and more. The Ryzen 9 7940HX "Dragon Range" APU was last spotted in the specification sheets for ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2024) laptop models—the mobile processor is essentially an underclocked offshoot of Team Red's Ryzen 9 7945HX. AMD's Ryzen 8040 "Hawk Point" series has received most of the attention in Western markets—we only see occasional coverage of older Zen 4 "Dragon Range" parts.

AMD's slightly weaker Ryzen 9 7940HX processor is no slouch when compared to its higher clock sibling, despite a lower base clock (2.4 GHz) and Turbo (5.2 GHz)—the Tianxuan (China's equivalent to TUF Gaming) branded laptop was outfitted with a GeForce RTX 4070 mobile GPU and 16 GB of DDR5 5600 RAM. Synthetic benchmark results in Cinebench R23 indicate a marginal 3.7% difference, and multi-core figures show an even smaller difference; 1%. The two Dragon Range APUs exhibited largely the same performance in gaming scenarios, although the 7945HX pulls ahead in Counter-Strike 2 frame rate stakes—328 vs. 265 at 1440p, and 378 vs. 308 at 1080p. AMD's convoluted naming schemes make it difficult to keep track of its many mobile offerings—a 7840HX SKU could join the Dragon Range family in Q1 2024. A few Western media outlets believe that a smattering of these parts are destined for global markets, but Team Red's Marketing HQ has not bothered to announce them in any official capacity. Strange times.

Technical specifications for ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2024) laptops have appeared online, and sleuths were intrigued by the inclusion of a new entry in AMD's "Dragon Range" mobile processor series. The autumn 2023 rumor mill had a number of lower positioned Ryzen 7045 models lined up in Team Red's future release schedule. Chinese hardware channel—Golden Pig Upgrade—named the Ryzen 9 7940HX processor as a leaked prime candidate within this batch of unreleased SKUS; their prediction has emerged as accurate—thanks to 2024 TUF Gaming portable PCs appearing with this choice of Dragon Range chip.

Team Red's Ryzen 9 7940HX retains the usual characteristics of Dragon Range—Zen 4 architecture, 16 cores + 32 threads, and 64 MB of L3 cache—but arrives with a 200 MHz lower turbo clock speed (max. 5.2 GHz) when compared to the slightly more potent Ryzen 9 7945HX (max. 5.4 GHz). The ASUS TUF Gaming laptop specification sheets do not provide any information about the 7940HX's base clock. Various media outlets believe that a Ryzen 9 7840HX (12-core) processor could arrive alongside the 16-core model, but have expressed confusion over AMD's nomenclature for Dragon Range product launches in Q1 2024. Team Red's system (see below) suggests that "8940HX and 8840HX" would be more appropriate monikers—perhaps various delays have resulted in certain 2023 products being pushed into the new year.

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

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

EK, the leading manufacturer of premium liquid cooling gear, is bearing good news for liquid cooling enthusiasts, announcing the availability of compatible GPU water blocks for the OG Editions of the ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards. Due to the physical differences in the PCB of the OG Edition GPU, it requires a different GPU water block than what would usually fit the 4090 Strix and TUF models.

After researching the market and examining the GPU itself, EK's RnD team has concluded that the OG Edition 4090 TUF is compatible with the EK-Quantum Vector² Strix/TUF RTX 3090 Ti water block and EK-Quantum Vector² Strix/TUF RTX 3090 Ti ABP (Active Backplate) Set. The models of the GPU are not to be confused with the "OC" marking but with the newly added "OG" suffix in the product name. Here, EK would like to thank the Reddit community as a useful source of information.

V-COLOR Technology Inc. is proud to announce the launch of a new TUF Gaming Alliance Memory, available in both DDR5 XPrism and DDR4 Prism Pro series, showcasing a striking design and exceptional performance. This collaboration with the ASUS TUF Gaming Alliance ensures that components bearing this badge undergo testing that surpasses the industry's standard norms. This rigorous testing is implemented to ensure superior compatibility, stability, and durability, catering to the specific needs of gamers and PC enthusiasts globally.

The new memory kits are offered in configurations of 32 GB (2x 16 GB) with speeds ranging from 5600 MHz to 6400 MHz for DDR5, and 16 GB (2x 8 GB) to 32 GB (2x 16 GB) with speeds ranging from 3200 MHz to 3600 MHz for DDR4 memory. The memory modules are equipped with powerful SK Hynix chips. DDR5 memory is compatible with Intel XMP, and DDR4 is compatible with both INTEL and AMD platforms.

ASUS has expanded its TUF White lineup with the new TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti White OC Edition graphics card. The new graphics card is pretty much the same version of the popular TUF Gaming 4070 Ti OC Edition, just with a white color scheme, which includes the shroud, fans, the backplate, and even the standoffs.

In terms of specifications, the new TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti White is still an OC Edition graphics card, which means the GPU is factory overclocked to 2,730 MHz Boost clock in default mode and 2,760 MHz in OC Mode. The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is based on the AD104-400 GPU with 7,680 CUDA cores and it comes with 12 GB of 21 Gbps GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit memory interface, leaving it with a maximum memory bandwidth of 504 GB/s.

During the Computex 2023 show, ASUS had some interesting designs to showcase. Specifically, ASUS has made a GeForce RTX 4070 GPU concept without an external power connector. With NVIDIA's reference 16-pin power connector melting due to an insufficient connection, ASUS has decided to experiment by removing the connector from its GPU and placing the power source as an extra bus connector on the motherboard. Called GeForce RTX 4070 Megalodon, ASUS has made a custom power connector that goes hand-in-hand with the ASUS TUF Gaming Z790 BTF motherboard that supports this connector, and the PSU cables go on the backside of the board.

Similarly to NVIDIA's 16-pin 12VHPWR connector, this custom design is also rated for up to 600 Watts of power delivery. This results in a design that facilities the user error of not correctly pushing the 16-pin connector and causing melting. For now, the connector is referred to as GC_HPWR, but there will be an official name at launch as the company plans mass production of this concept. You can see the design of the RTX 4070 Megalodon alongside the accompanying ASUS TUF Gaming Z790 BTF motherboard.

Expanded Core Cooler Compatibility for RTX 4080/4090 GPUs! Alphacool delivers the usual high quality, amazing performance as well as functional design for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080/4090 graphics cards in custom designs with the new coolers.

The eye-catcher of the copper cooler is the unit of connector terminal and cooler, which is milled from one piece of copper. The very good workmanship paired with the hard and resistant chrome plating of the entire copper cooler meet the highest quality standards. A key design element of the new Core series are the brass G1/4" threads, which are left in chrome and are integrated on both sides. They stand out visually from the terminal.

TUF Gaming M3 Gen II is an ultralight 59-gram mouse designed for comfort, even in the most frantic gaming marathons. This durable mouse is ready for whatever the day throws at it, with IP56 water and dust resistance, plus ASUS Antibacterial Guard protection. Play your own way with six programmable buttons, three onboard memory profiles and Aura Sync RGB lighting.

The 8000 dpi optical sensor delivers pixel-precise tracking, with a DPI button to switch between four sensitivity levels on the fly. The PTFE mouse feet ensure swift and smooth glide for complete control. Armoury Crate software allows for intuitive configuration and infinite illumination possibilities for easy configuration.
Pricing and availability to be confirmed by ASUS TUF Gaming.

Back in October of last year, pictures from an ASUS event in China appeared online, showing off a pair of mATX motherboards that had most of its peripheral and power connectors on the reverse side of the motherboard. Now it appears that ASUS has decided to launch such a product, in the shape of the unforgettably named TUF Gaming B760M-BTF WiFi D4. The BTF part in the model name stands Back To (the) Future, although ASUS is most likely not allowed to use that term due to copyright restrictions, so it had to make do with BTF. Regardless of naming, the interesting part here is that all of the power connectors, the four SATA ports, the USB-C and USB 3.0 headers, as well as multiple other headers and one of three M.2 slots, are on the reverse side of the motherboard. This is all done to allow for cleaner cable management.

Other noteworthy features on the board include a single PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, one PCIe 4.0 x4 and one x1 slot, three USB-C ports, of which one is capable of 20 Gbps speeds and 2.5 Gbps Ethernet. As this is a mid-range board, we presume ASUS wants to test the waters so to speak, to make sure there's a market for such a product. However, one major hurdle is the small fact that there aren't any suitable chassis in the market and the product page even mentions that "This motherboard is compatible with specific case models", without going into any details. Presumably, ASUS will offer a suitable chassis, or have some partner(s) lined up that will provide a suitable chassis. Gigabyte announced something similar in May last year, but decided to team up with system integrators, something ASUS might be planning on as well.

Eiswolf 2 AiO - now also for custom designs of RTX 4080/4090 and RX 7900XT/XTX GPUs! Alphacool presents additional innovative solutions for cooling Nvidia's Geforce RTX 4080 and 4090 and AMD's RX 7900XT/XTX graphics cards.

The enormous waste heat of the new graphics card generation is excellently dissipated with these coolers. The very good water flow and the large cooling surface are due to the particularly filigree fin structure. The jet plate with revised inflow engine also distributes the water perfectly on the cooling fins. The complete chrome plating of the cooler not only provides resistant protection against acids, scratches and damage, but also achieves a beautiful homogeneity and remarkable shine. The Aurora design of the cooler is kept visually calm and simple. This is evident not only in the cooler's design, but also in the wonderfully even lighting achieved via digitally addressable RGB LEDs.

EK, the premium water-cooling gear manufacturer, is launching the EK-Quantum Vector² water block for the ASUS TUF models of the new AMD Radeon RX 7900 GPUs. This water block has been engineered to fit both versions of these GPUs, the XTX and the XT. The EK-Quantum Vector² TUF RX 7900 XTX D-RGB is a fully EK-Matrix7 compatible liquid cooling solution engineered exclusively for ASUS TUF Radeon RX 7900 XT and XTX GPUs. It encompasses a Vector² series water block and a black-anodized aluminum backplate in the same package. Like the rest of the Vector² series water blocks, its looks are dominated by minimalistic straight lines and the backplate coming around the side of the GPU to cover the PCB in its entirety.

What differs from all other Vector² water blocks is that the cooling engine for this water block has been rotated by 90°, making the fins perpendicular to the die. For optimal delta, the coolant flows over the Graphics Core Die first and Memory Cache Die after. Consequently, all MCDs get the same coolant temperature thanks to the high-precision 3D-machined acrylic jet insert.

ASUS today announced the all-new TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition, an all-AMD gaming laptop with a redesigned chassis and an incredibly immersive 16-inch display. The TUF Gaming A15, A17, F15 and F17 laptops also make a triumphant return, sporting the latest silicon from AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA to power players into the next generation of gaming performance.

TUF A16 Advantage Edition announced
Built for serious gaming with subtle styling, the TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition is a sleek gaming laptop built to demolish the competition. Powered completely by AMD, the TUF Gaming A16 features up to an AMD Ryzen 9 Zen 4 processor and AMD Radeon RDNA 3 mobile graphics. "AMD and ASUS have partnered to deliver our latest 'Zen 4' and RDNA 3 technologies into the most innovative form factors," said Jason Banta, CVP and GM OEM PC. "The TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition delivers blistering gaming performance and outstanding power efficiency in a sleek portable chassis."

More performance for GeForce RTX 4090! With the Eisblock Aurora, Alphacool presents new, innovative coolers for active water cooling of Gigabyte, ASUS, Palit as well as Gainward graphics cards. In order to dissipate the enormous waste heat of this graphics card generation as effectively as possible, numerous optimizations have been made to the water cooler compared to the previous models. The fin structure has been adapted and allows a very effective water flow while simultaneously increasing the cooling surface. The modified jet plate with improved inflow engine ensures optimum distribution of the water on the cooling fins.

The fully chrome-plated copper base is resistant to acids, scratches and damage. Additionally, the chrome plating provides homogeneity and shine that cannot be achieved by nickel plating. The illumination from the digitally addressable RGB LEDs is even better distributed throughout the cooler thanks to the chrome plating. The Aurora design of the GeForce RTX 40XX Eisblock Generation is visually quiet and sleek because only one O-ring runs around the entire cooler. Also, the design around the cooling fins and jetplate makes for a cleaner look.

A January 5, 2023 release date is being mooted by retailers for NVIDIA's upcoming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti graphics card, which is widely expected to be a re-branding of what would have been the RTX 4080 12 GB. Italian retailer Drako started a countdown for an ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4070 Ti O12G custom-design graphics card, which winds down to January 5, and aligns with the rumored January 3 announcement of the card. It is also expected that reviews of the RTX 4070 Ti will be allowed to go live on January 4.

The GeForce RTX 4080 12 GB was supposed to max out the 4 nm AD104 silicon, featuring 7,680 CUDA cores across 60 SM (streaming multiprocessors), 60 RT cores, 240 Tensor cores, 240 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. The GPU features a 192-bit wide GDDR6X memory interface, to which NVIDIA is giving 21 Gbps-rated memory, yielding 504 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Its most interesting aspect is its power configuration, with a typical board power of 285 W, which makes it technically possible for board partners to use two 8-pin PCIe power connectors, unless they've been asked nicely to implement the 16-pin 12VHPWR connector.

ASUS today announced new versions of the TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and the Dual GeForce RTX 3060 Ti graphics cards that now feature GDDR6X memory for greater performance. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has been an excellent sweet spot between price and performance for the past generation of graphics cards, and it has now been improved. The GDDR6X memory further boosts the capabilities of the 3060 Ti and expands the options available to the discerning PC DIY builder. ASUS is also updating the GeForce RTX 3060 with a new model featuring 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM to add even more possibilities for upgrading and assembling.

The ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8 GB GDDR6X features the same triple Axial Tech fan design, solid aluminium backplate, and 2.7-slot form factor as its predecessor, as well as support for NVIDIA G-SYNC and GPU Tweak III. Supplementing that rock-solid foundation is the introduction of GDDR6X ultra-high-speed and error-correcting VRAM, setting up the GPU to deliver more frames per second than the previous iteration. A factory-overclocked version is also available, tuned in-house to make sure users get the absolute best performance right out of the box.

The most expensive custom-design NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 will be priced at $1,550, putting it just $50 short of the $1,600 baseline MSRP of the much faster RTX 4090, according to a pricing leak of custom-design cards on popular PC components retailer MicroCenter. The most interesting takeaway from this leak is that there will actually be RTX 4080 cards at the NVIDIA-set baseline MSRP of $1,200. These include the GIGABYTE Eagle, ZOTAC Trinity, ASUS TUF Gaming, and PNY XLR8 Verto. NVIDIA appears to be telling its partners to sell at least one custom-design RTX 4080 SKU at the baseline price.

Most factory-overclocked custom-design RTX 4080 SKUs are within $125 of the $1,200 baseline, with the GIGABYTE Eagle OC priced at $1,240, GIGABYTE Gaming OC at $1,280, MSI Ventus 3X OC at $1,280, and the premium MSI Gaming X Trio at $1,325. The top-tier custom-design cards start here, with the GIGABYTE AORUS Master priced at $1,350, the MSI SUPRIM X (air-cooled) at $1,400, the ZOTAC AMP Extreme AIRO at $1,400, ASUS TUF Gaming OC at $1,500; and the ASUS ROG Strix OC at $1,550, which is just $50 short of the cheapest RTX 4090 (baseline-spec). Will anyone pick the ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4080 O16G over the cheapest RTX 4090 (assuming availability of both)? That's a social experiment to watch out for.

ASUS introduced the TUF Gaming GT502, a dual-chambered case for building the ideal "tough" looking battlestation. The case features a vertically-partitioned layout, with the larger left chamber housing the motherboard tray; and the right one with PSU- and drive bays. The left-side and front panels feature tempered glass surfaces, while the partition and top feature vents that let you mount radiators. The case measures 285 mm x 450 mm x 446 mm (WxDxH), and is made of steel. Front-panel connectivity includes two USB 3.x type-A, a USB 3.2 type-C, and a headset jack.

The main chamber has room for graphics cards up to 40 cm in length, and CPU coolers up to 16.3 cm in height. There are 8 conventional, and 3 vertical expansion slots (riser not included), with the latter possible by rotating the expansion slot layout. Ventilation options include either 3x 120 mm or 2x 140 mm top vents; 3x 120 mm bottom vents, 3x 120 mm vents along the partition that vent through the right-side panel, and a 120 mm rear vent. You can mount a 360 mm or 280 mm radiator along the top, and 360 mm radiators along the bottom and side panels. There are four 3.5/2.5-inch drive mounts along the partition. The company didn't reveal pricing.

TEAMGROUP today announced the worldwide release of the T-FORCE DELTA TUF Gaming Alliance RGB DDR5 DESKTOP MEMORY and T-FORCE CARDEA Z440 TUF Gaming Alliance PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD at the end of this month. The first batch will be available on the North American Amazon store. Created in collaboration with ASUS TUF Gaming Alliance, the two products combine military gaming style and top-notch performance. The addition of the co-branded series to the hardcore gaming alliance means higher quality products and more pleasing, cohesive setups for the gaming enthusiast market.

The T-FORCE DELTA TUF Gaming Alliance RGB DDR5 DESKTOP MEMORY is the first ASUS TUF Gaming Alliance certified and rigorously tested DDR5 RGB gaming overclocking memory. The design merges stealth fighter-inspired aesthetics with TUF Gaming Alliance's unique gaming elements to create a distinctive look that features an ultra-wide 120° angle heatspreader and striking RGB lighting. It supports ASUS Aura Sync lighting control software, allowing gamers to adjust its RGB effects however they like to create custom and eye-catching gaming rigs. The product's first release will have speeds of 5,200 MHz and come in a 2x 16 GB dual-channel kit.

AMD this CES announced the Radeon RX 6500 XT graphics card, its product to debut on the TSMC-N6 (6 nm) silicon fabrication process. Armed with just 4 GB of memory, the card is launched with an SEP of $199, although its real-world pricing tells a different story, according to retail prices leaked of two upcoming ASUS-branded custom-design RX 6500 XT cards.

The ASUS TUF Gaming RX 6500 XT is priced around 340€ including taxes, while the DUAL RX 6500 XT goes for 299€; a far-cry from the roughly 220€ pricing. The RX 6500 XT is purported as an entry-mid category product, designed for 1080p AAA gaming with Fidelity FX Super Resolution unlocking some more eye-candy. It is based on the same RDNA2 graphics architecture as the rest of the RX 6000 series.

It looks like GeForce RTX 3090 Ti is indeed the name of the maxed out "Ampere" GA102 silicon, and NVIDIA did not go with "RTX 3090 SUPER" for its naming. A picture emerged of an ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3090 Ti graphics card that confirms the naming. The board design of the card looks similar to the RTX 3090 TUF Gaming, except that the Axial-Tech fans have changed, with more blades on the impellers.

The GeForce RTX 3090 Ti is expected to max out the GA102 silicon, featuring all 10,752 CUDA cores, 84 RT cores, and 336 Tensor cores, physically present on the silicon. The memory size is unchanged over the RTX 3090, with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory. What's new is that NVIDIA is reportedly using faster 21 Gbps-rated memory chips, compared to 19.5 Gbps on the RTX 3090. The typical board power is rated at 450 W, compared to 350 W on the RTX 3090. NVIDIA is expected to announce this card at its January 4 press event along the sidelines of the 2022 International CES.

T-FORCE, TEAMGROUP's gaming sub-brand, today announced the launch of the T-FORCE DELTA TUF Gaming Alliance RGB DDR5 Gaming Memory in collaboration with ASUS TUF Gaming Alliance, the industry's first co-branded DDR5 gaming memory. Samples have been sent to TUF Gaming for testing with future DDR5 motherboards to ensure optimal compatibility and reliability. The T-FORCE DELTA TUF Gaming Alliance RGB DDR5 Gaming Memory is set to create another splash for its speed and style that combines TUF Gaming's signature military aesthetics and T-FORCE's unique gaming elements.

The T-FORCE DELTA TUF Gaming Alliance RGB DDR5 Gaming Memory maintains the RGB lighting along the top edges and its geometric wide-angled contour. With the addition of stealth fighter design elements to enhance the overall look, this new version is more striking than ever before. TEAMGROUP, in collaboration with TUF Gaming Alliance, gave the heatspreader a special camouflage pattern that showcases the unique gaming style of the TUF co-branding, which is sure to be a hit among fans of TUF. The dazzling RGB effects of the T-FORCE DELTA TUF Gaming Alliance RGB DDR5 Gaming Memory can be synchronized using ASUS Aura software, allowing gamers to easily create their own lighting setup. In terms of specifications, the memory clocks in at an impressive 6000 MHz and comes in a 2X16GB dual-channel memory kit. This memory will satisfy gamers looking for the latest-gen hardware and give them a whole new feeling of extreme speed.

So you finally fork out four-figures for a performance-segment graphics card that had a $350 predecessor a couple of generations ago, and what do you find? Misaligned thermal pads, poorly installed cooling, and other build quality flaws. Reddit and other social media platforms show a noticeable increase in people with fairly premium graphics cards that have manufacturing defects that can lower the product life. One such user, kamaloo92, posted pictures of an ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3080 Ti OC with a missing block of thermal pads over a row of memory chips. GDDR6X chips are capable of heating in the high-90s Celsius, and a poorly cooled block of memory can cause artifacting in the long run. This, from a company that prides itself in its manufacturing standards.

Another horror story comes from obamaprism3, who posted pictures of an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition with a poorly installed memory thermal pad that was so placed so far off, that it overlapped with the cooler's main base, posing severe risk of overheating and performance loss to the GPU. Staying with Founders Edition, a user named antonyjeweet discovered a worker's finger cot stuck under a memory thermal pad of their insanely expensive RTX 3090 Founders Edition card. Recently, we did the story of a PowerColor RX 6700 XT with protective film over thermal pads still in place.

ASUS today via its TUF Gaming brand introduced the VG32AQL1A monitor, which is sure to tick a lot of boxes for many people looking for a gaming monitor. The 32" diagonal may put some off due to the typical distance users sit away from the monitor. The 2560 x 1440 Fast IPS panel features a 1 ms response time and 170 Hz refresh rate - as well as support for FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA's G-Sync Compatible program. In addition to the fast response time and refresh rates, the ASUS TUF Gaming VG32AQL1A also features ELMB sync (for black frame insertion and motion blur reduction) as well as a smart, "variable overdrive" setting that dynamically changes monitor overdrive values according to the current frame rate so as to further reduce motion blur.

Typical brightness is set at a standard 300 cd/m², with peak brightness achieving the 400 cd/m² that enables this monitor to boast of VESA's Display HDR 400 certification. Contrast ratio is 1,000:1, and color coverage stands at 99% of the DCI-P3 standard. I/O is ensured by 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, 1x earphone jack, and 2x 2 W stereo speakers. Usability is improved by the stand's support for -5 to 20 ° tilt, -10 to 10 ° swivel, and 0 to 90 mm height adjustments. No pricing information was available at time of writing.