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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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