ASUS started selling its premium Mini-ITX motherboard based on the AMD X570 chipset, the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Strix X570-I Gaming. The board was announced as part of ASUS' X570 motherboard lineup back in July, but is only now reaching selves, with an MSRP of USD $220. The board features an elaborate thermal solution that cools the CPU VRM, the fiesty X570 chipset, and an M.2-2280 SSD over a network of interconnected heatsinks that are ventilated by two 30 mm fans. Despite crippling space constraints, ASUS managed to cram in a 10-phase VRM to power the socket AM4 CPU, which is wired to two DDR4 DIMM slots, an M.2-2280 slot, and the board's sole expansion slot, a PCI-Express 4.0 x16.

Storage connectivity on the ASUS ROG Strix X570-I Gaming includes not one, but two M.2-2280 slots, one wired to the AM4 socket, and the other from the X570 chipset. The two M.2 slots are stacked one on top of the other, with a metal heatspreader between them, pulling heat from the drive below to the board's heatsink network. Four SATA 6 Gbps ports make the rest of the storage connectivity. Networking includes WiFi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.0 from an Intel "Cyclone Peak" AX200 card; and 1 GbE wired Ethernet pulled by an Intel i211-AT chip. The onboard audio solution features a Realtek ALC1200A CODEC with dual OPAMPs.

At IFA 2019 Audio-Technica is introducing its ATH-CKS5TW and its ATH-CK3TW truly wireless in-ear headphones, which eliminate all connecting wires for the ultimate in comfort and on-the-go listening convenience. Both models combine Audio-Technica's 57 years of audio engineering expertise with compact, lightweight designs, long-lasting battery life, Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology and outstanding audio quality.

The ATH-CKS5TW and ATH-CK3TW both feature a new Auto Power On/Off feature that automatically turns the headphones on and connects to a paired smartphone, portable digital audio player or other compatible device when they're removed from their case. Both models will also turn off automatically when placed back in their case. Both headphones are charged via an included USB-C connection and the cases feature LED battery status indicators.

Three all-new Bluetooth 5.0 wireless headsets from LG Electronics combine a slim, seamless design with stunning sound performance thanks to built-in Meridian Audio technology. These latest additions to the popular LG TONE family of wearable audio systems (models HBS-XL7, HBS-SL5 and HBS-SL6S) are available for purchase on LG.com starting today and coming soon through major wireless providers nationwide. Prices and availability will vary by provider and retailer.

For music lovers, each model, backed by a Hi-fi Sound Solution with Meridian Audio, comes with improvements to the design of the original LG TONE, crafted for a clearer and more balanced sound. A composite diaphragm inside the speaker unit produces clarity in high and low ranges. The high-strength metal layer creates accurate treble, while a plastic layer produces rich, deep bass.

Motherboard vendors are betting big on the success of AMD's "Valhalla" desktop platform that combines a Ryzen 3000-series Zen 2 processor with an AMD X570 chipset motherboard, and have responded with some mighty premium board designs. GIGABYTE deployed its full spectrum of Aorus branding, including Ultra, Elite, ITX Pro, Master, and Xtreme. The X570 I Aorus Pro WiFi mini-ITX motherboard is an impressive feat of engineering despite its designers having to wrestle with the feisty new PCIe gen 4 chipset. It draws power from a combination of 24-pin and 8-pin connectors, and conditions power for the SoC with an impressive 8-phase VRM that uses high-grade PowIRstage components. A rather tall fan-heatsink cools the X570 chipset, with a 30 mm fan.

Connectivity options on the X570 I Aorus Pro WiFi are surprisingly aplenty. The sole expansion slot is a PCI-Express 4.0 x16, but the storage connectivity includes not one, but two M.2-2280 slots (reverse side of the PCB), each with PCI-Express 4.0 x4 and SATA 6 Gbps wiring. Four SATA 6 Gbps ports make for the rest of the storage connectivity. Networking options include 2.4 Gbps 802.11ax WLAN, Bluetooth 5.0 (Intel , and 1 GbE, all pulled by Intel-made controllers. USB connectivity includes six 5 Gbps USB 3.2 gen 1, and two 10 Gbps USB 3.2 gen 2 ports (of which one is type-C), and two 5 Gbps ports by headers. The onboard audio solution has 6-channel analog output, but is backed by a premium Realtek ALC1220VB Enhance CODEC (114 dBA SNR).

We were pleasantly mistaken when we thought ASRock would stop at the X570 Phantom Gaming X or the X570 Taichi for AMD's new "Valhalla" enthusiast desktop platform. It turns out that they have a roughly-$1,000 monster motherboard in the pipes, called the X570 Aqua. Pictured below, the board is based on a slight variation of the X570 Phantom Gaming X PCB. The biggest change of course is the aluminium shroud that covers most of the board's front side. There's also a metal back-plate.

Beneath the metal shroud is what gives the board its name: a massive liquid-cooling monoblock that cools not just your processor (including heavyweights such as overclocked Ryzen 9 3900X chips), but also the CPU VRM, and the feisty AMD X570 chipset. The coolant channel first goes over the CPU through a large micro-fin lattice, then onto the X570 chipset, and finally over the CPU VRM on its way out. Much like the Phantom Gaming X, this board features daisy-chained dual-channel DDR4 memory slots designed to make the most OC out of 2-module setups.

ASRock is ready with its own mini-ITX motherboard based on the AMD X570 chipset, the X570 Phantom Gaming-ITX TB3. This tiny powerhouse one-ups other mini-ITX motherboards in its category by offering 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 3 connectivity over USB type-C, in addition to USB 3.2. This Thunderbolt port also includes a DP pass-through from your discrete graphics card.

Expansion includes one PCI-Express 4.0 x16. Storage connectivity includes one M.2-2280 with PCI-Express 4.0 x4 and SATA 6 Gbps connectivity; and four SATA 6 Gbps ports. Networking options include 2.4 Gbps 802.11ax WLAN, Bluetooth 5.0, and 1 GbE driven by Intel i211-AT. The board pulls power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS connectors, conditioning it for the SoC with a 6+2 phase VRM. A chunky fan-heatsink cools the chipset, shedding some of its heat to the enlarged VRM heatsink cloaked under the I/O shroud.

Razer , the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the release of their redesigned and reconfigured 17" gaming laptop, the Razer Blade Pro 17. Razer's new flagship gaming laptop has been rebuilt from the ground up. With its innovative design, best-in-class components, and abundant ports, the Razer Blade Pro 17 is the pinnacle of laptop gaming prowess.

"The new Blade Pro is the most powerful and versatile Razer laptop ever, capable of replacing the most powerful desktop computers," says Razer's Co-Founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan. "It is the perfect laptop for gamers who demand a large display, an insane amount of connectivity options, and excellent performance with no room for compromise."

Rivet Networks announced general availability of its Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) capable Killer WiFi 6 AX1650 WLAN network controllers for sale to PC motherboard and notebook manufacturers. The AX1650 is based on Intel "Cyclone Peak" PHY, mated with a custom firmware and drivers by Rivet Networks that are optimized for competitive online multiplayer gaming. The controller supports 2x2 MU-MIMO with 160 MHz channels, delivering up to 2.4 Gbps theoretical maximum WLAN bandwidth over the card's main PCIe gen 3.0 x1. It also supports Bluetooth 5.0 over a separate USB 2.0 connection.

Besides minimizing CPU overhead, Killer drivers provide a highly specialized QoS solution called Killer Intelligence Engine, which shapes the Internet traffic of your game and streaming software ahead of other apps that seek Internet access. Advanced Stream Detect 2.0 can detect Internet traffic from thousands of games and gaming websites to optimize your Internet access on the fly. GameFast Technology works to reduce the Wi-Fi controller's CPU overhead by up to 10 percent compared to other WLAN solutions. The controller is also DoubleShot Pro (teaming) capable. The controller ships in M.2-2230 and 1216 modules, with PCIe and USB interfaces.

Intel is giving final touches to a "Crimson Canyon" fully-assembled NUC desktop model which combines the company's first 10 nm Core processor, and AMD Radeon discrete graphics. The NUC8i3CYSM desktop from Intel packs a Core i3-8121U "Cannon Lake" SoC, 8 GB of dual-channel LPDDR4 memory, and discrete AMD Radeon RX 540 mobile GPU with 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory. A 1 TB 2.5-inch hard drive comes included, although you also get an M.2-2280 slot with both PCIe 3.0 x4 (NVMe) and SATA 6 Gbps wiring. The i3-8121U packs a 2-core/4-thread CPU clocked up to 3.20 GHz and 4 MB of L3 cache; while the RX 540 packs 512 stream processors based on the "Polaris" architecture.

The NUC8i3CYSM offers plenty of modern connectivity, including 802.11ac + Bluetooth 5.0 powered by an Intel Wireless-AC 9560 WLAN card, wired 1 GbE from an Intel i219-V controller, consumer IR receiver, an included beam-forming microphone, an SDXC card reader, and stereo HD audio. USB connectivity includes four USB 3.1 type-A ports including a high-current port. Display outputs are care of two HDMI 2.0b, each with 7.1-channel digital audio passthrough. The company didn't reveal pricing, although you can already read a performance review of this NUC from the source link below.

At CES 2019 Audio-Technica is exhibiting an unprecedented number of new products. The wide variety of products on exhibit include the company's standard-setting ATH-M50xBT wireless studio monitor headphones, an all-new turntable lineup, the new top-of-the-line QuietPoint ATH-ANC900BT wireless noise-cancelling headphones and much more. The recently introduced ATH-M50xBT wireless over-ear headphones (SRP: US$199, available now) bring Bluetooth wireless technology to one of the world's most acclaimed pro audio and consumer headphones, the ATH-M50x. The ATH-M50xBT offers the same sonic signature that has made the ATH-M50x an audio industry standard, along with the convenience of on-the-go wireless operation.

The closed-back ATH-M50xBT's 45 mm large-aperture driver, rare-earth magnets and copper-clad aluminum wire (CCAW) voice coils deliver studio-quality sonic accuracy and musical enjoyment. The ATH-M50xBT utilizes Bluetooth 5.0 and is compatible with aptX and AAC codecs for the best-possible wireless audio reproduction. Controls mounted on the left earcup provide easy handling of phone calls and music listening. An internal battery provides up to 40 hours on a full charge, and the headphones can also be used in wired mode. Like all of Audio-Technica's new wireless headphones, the ATH-M50xBT is compatible with Audio-Technica's new Connect smartphone app, which provides an array of convenient tools and features.

It appears that releases from CES are already making their way in the press even before the year ends. We learned of LG's new "Ultra" series monitors recently, and now we get to know about their plans from the laptops business unit. Their Gram lineup was developed to feature lightweight portable laptops with enhanced user experience in mind, and joining the series in 2019 are the 14-inch LG Gram 2-in-1 (model 14T990) and the new LG Gram 17 (model 17Z990), both of which are 2019 CES Innovation Award winners.

The 14" Gram 2-in-1 is a convertible, shifting from tablet to laptop at the whim of the user. It features a 360° hinge coupled with a touch screen to add more use cases in between. This by itself is not necessarily new or unique to the market, but a welcome addition to fans of the LG brand nonetheless. The company wants to also assure the customer that the laptop is built to last, having met the U.S. military MIL-STD-810G standard for durability. Part of this no doubt comes from the incorporation of Corning's Gorilla Glass 5 on the touch screen, and the display underneath uses LG's IPS technology. More information on this, and the Gram 17, following the break.

GIGABYTE introduced an Aorus-branded, quasi-premium mini-ITX motherboard based on AMD B450 chipset, for socket AM4 processors, the B450-I Aorus Pro WiFi. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS, conditioning it for the SoC with a lean 4+2 phase VRM. The AM4 SoC is wired to two DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory; and the board's lone PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot.

Storage connectivity on the B450-I Aorus Pro WiFi includes an M.2-2280 slot with PCI-Express 3.0 x4 and SATA 6 Gbps wiring; and four SATA 6 Gbps ports. USB connectivity includes six USB 3.0 ports (four on the rear panel, two by headers); and two USB 3.1 gen 2 (both on the rear panel). With just 6-channel jacks, the onboard audio solution may look cheap, but is redeemed by Realtek ALC1220 CODEC. The Intel 9260 adapter is at the helm of wireless networking, with 802.11ac + Bluetooth 5.0, while GbE is handled by Intel i211AT. There's also some RGB LED fun to be had, with two 4-pin ARGB headers, and a small 8-pixel diffuser behind the PCB. GIGABYTE could price this board around $120.

Intel is giving final touches to a new generation of pre-built NUC (next unit of computing) kits codenamed "Bean Canyon." These tiny desktops are based on the company's new wave of "Coffee Lake-U" SoCs. The family includes five models, two each based on the Core i3-8109U and Core i5-8259U, and one based on the Core i7-8559U. The NUC8i3BEH, NUC8i5BEH, and NUC8i7BEH are more compact, with just an M.2-2280 (with both PCIe x4 and SATA wiring) slot in charge of storage, while the NUC8i3BEK and NUC8i5BEK are slightly taller, with room for a 2.5-inch SATA drive in addition to the M.2-2280 slot.

What's common between all five models is the display connectivity, which not just includes an HDMI 2.0b, but also a USB 3.1 type-C port with Thunderbolt 3.0 (40 Gbps) and DisplayPort 1.2 wiring. Networking, which includes a 1 GbE interface driven by the trusty i219-V, and a new-generation Intel 9260 WLAN card with 802.11ac and Bluetooth 5.0 wireless networking. Prices for the Core i3 model could start at $299, the Core i5-based ones could be $399, and the Core i7 based one at $599.

Cougar launched three new gaming headsets and an external DAC this Computex, including the Phontum Pro, Immersa 2, Havoc BT, and Dive. The Phontum Pro is a step up from the original Phontum headset the company launched at CES 2018. While its design is practically unchanged from the original, the Phontum Pro features a circular RGB LED diffuser that lights up the grille of the cans. You also get virtual 7.1 surround DSP. It's compatible with Cougar's proprietary UIX software, which gives you virtual 7.1 processing, a graphic equalizer, and controls for the RGB LED illumination. The audio specs are otherwise unchanged from the original.

The Havoc BT is a pair of wireless in-ear gaming headphones, which you can use over Bluetooth 5.0. You get up to 8 hours of listening on a full battery charge, with each of the two earbuds embedding its own battery. Under the hood, these pack 10 mm graphene diaphragm drivers. The tips are made of memory foam that retain the unique shape of your ears. The Immersa 2 is an evolution of the original Immersa headset, which got an RGB LED upgrade with last year's Immersa Pro launch. What's changed are the new titanium-coated diaphragms inside the 50 mm drivers which produce a "unique" sound-stage; 35 mm thick ear-pads that are now made from memory foam, and a larger 9.7 mm microphone.

MSI introduced the Cubi N 8 GL line of compact mini-PCs powered by Intel "Gemini Lake" Celeron and Pentium Silver SoCs. These include variants with Celeron J4005 and Pentium Silver J5005. Despite "Gemini Lake" chips featuring dual-channel memory support, the Cubi N 8 GL only features one DDR4 SO-DIMM slot, which supports up to 8 GB of DDR4-2400 memory. Storage options include either an M.2-2280 slot with both SATA 6 Gbps and PCIe 2.0 x2 wiring, or a 2.5-inch drive bay with SATA 6 Gbps. An interesting inclusion here is the Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 9461 WLAN card, which gives you 802.11ac (up to 433 Mbps), but Bluetooth 5.0. Other connectivity includes four USB 3.0 ports, HDMI 2.0 and D-Sub display outputs, and gigabit Ethernet. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Intel today released two new barebones NUCs based on its latest "Gemini Lake" Pentium Silver and Celeron SoCs, the NUC 7 PJYH, and the NUC 7 CJYH. As their names might suggest, the PJYH is based on Pentium Silver J5005, while the CJYH implements Celeron J4005. The Pentium Silver J5005 packs a "Goldmont Plus" quad-core CPU clocked at 2.80 GHz, 4 MB of cache, and UHD Graphics 605 iGPU, while the Celeron J4005 features a dual-core "Goldmont Plus" CPU clocked up to 2.70 GHz, 4 MB cache, and UHD Graphics 600 iGPU.

As a barebones NUC, you're supposed to add your own memory, populating its two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots (up to 8 GB), and a 2.5-inch SSD or HDD. Networking connectivity includes 802.11ac WLAN, Bluetooth 5.0, and gigabit Ethernet. Display outputs include two HDMI ports. USB connectivity includes two each of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0, from which one of the front USB 3.0 ports (yellow) has high-current (10A). There's also an SD card slot. A 65W power-brick runs the NUC. The two could be priced in the range of $299-$399.

Intel seems to be addressing key platform limitations with its 8th generation Core "Coffee Lake" mainstream desktop platform. The first Core i7 and Core i5 "Coffee Lake" processors will launch later this year, alongside motherboards based on the Intel Z370 Express chipset. Leaked company slides detailing this chipset make an interesting revelation, that the chipset itself puts out 24 PCI-Express gen 3.0 lanes, that's not counting the 16 lanes the processor puts out for up to two PEG (PCI-Express Graphics) slots.

The PCI-Express lane budget of "Coffee Lake" platform is a huge step-up from the 8-12 general purpose lanes put out by previous-generation Intel chipsets, and will enable motherboard designers to cram their products with multiple M.2 and U.2 storage options, besides bandwidth-heavy onboard devices such as additional USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt controllers. The chipset itself integrates a multitude of bandwidth-hungry connectivity options. It integrates a 10-port USB 3.1 controller, from which six ports run at 10 Gbps, and four at 5 Gbps.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) officially adopted Bluetooth 5 as the latest version of the Bluetooth core specification this week. Key updates to Bluetooth 5 include longer range, faster speed, and larger broadcast message capacity, as well as improved interoperability and coexistence with other wireless technologies. Bluetooth 5 continues to advance the Internet of Things (IoT) experience by enabling simple and effortless interactions across the vast range of connected devices.

"Bluetooth is revolutionizing how people experience the IoT. Bluetooth 5 continues to drive this revolution by delivering reliable IoT connections and mobilizing the adoption of beacons, which in turn will decrease connection barriers and enable a seamless IoT experience," said Mark Powell, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. "This means whole-home and building coverage, as well as new use cases for outdoor, industrial, and commercial applications will be a reality. With the launch of Bluetooth 5, we continue to evolve to meet the needs of IoT developers and consumers while staying true to what Bluetooth is at its core: the global wireless standard for simple, secure, connectivity."