Intel's upcoming Core Ultra 4000 "Nova Lake-S" desktop processors will reportedly cap their maximum core frequency at 5.1 GHz whenever they run above 90°C, according to Intel leaker Jaykihn on X. He says the limit applies to the entire Nova Lake-S desktop lineup, works separately from regular TjMax throttling at 100°C, and can't be raised. He also notes that the information is still preliminary. In practice, it looks like a safety net that sits between normal boost behavior and full thermal throttling. Below 90°C, the chips should presumably boost as usual, and models that don't exceed 5.1 GHz in the first place wouldn't be affected at all.

Final Nova Lake clocks aren't official yet, though the current Core Ultra 9 285K already boosts up to 5.7 GHz, so a high-end Nova Lake chip that runs hot could lose a sizable chunk of its peak frequency. A 100°C TjMax would also be lower than Arrow Lake's 105°C, which can be manually raised to 115°C on the 285K. That puts more weight on cooling, since the 28-core Core Ultra 9 4970K BFC was reportedly set to pull up to 296 W at PL2 despite its 125 W rating, and staying under 90°C at that kind of power draw will probably take a really capable cooler. Nova Lake-S is currently expected to arrive in Q1 2027, and Intel hasn't confirmed any of this yet.

Intel has released the latest Product Change Notice (PCN) document, stating that the company's mobile "Arrow Lake-H" and "Arrow Lake-U" processors, with the Core Ultra 200H and Core Ultra 200U naming schemes, will no longer be offered as standard parts for consumer products. Instead, Intel plans to transition some of these SKUs to the embedded sector, meaning these processors will continue to exist but under a different licensing agreement. For laptop manufacturers purchasing these processors, Intel has set May 21, 2027, as the final date for submitting orders, with the last shipments scheduled for November 19, 2027. After this date, these SKUs will cease commercial shipments.

The list includes the Intel Core Ultra 5 235H, Core Ultra 5 225U, Core Ultra 5 235U, Core Ultra 7 255U, Core Ultra 5 225H, Core Ultra 7 265U, Core Ultra 7 255H, Core Ultra 7 265H, and Core Ultra 9 285H processors.

It looks as though the upcoming Intel Nova Lake-S CPU family will launch soon, headed-up by a 28-core Core Ultra 9 CPU. A new PassMark benchmark spotted by VideoCardz now purports to show expected performance of that 28-core Nova Lake-S CPU in two separate benchmark runs. The CPU, which is listed as "Nova Lake Client Platform," with the motherboard model giving it away as "NVL-S Embedded CRB 1 Fab2 Board," appears alongside an eight-core NVL-S CPU, and both CPUs achieve decent scores in the single-threaded performance benchmarks.

According to the PassMark database scores, the eight-core NVL-S scores up to 5,085 points, while the 24-core variant tops out at 5,210 points. Meanwhile, the 28-core—ostensibly the Core Ultra 9 4970K BFC—scores as high as 61,509 points in the multithreaded CPU test, and the eight-core variant, likely a Core Ultra 3 or 5 CPU, scores 23,478 points. If these PassMark scores are accurate, this puts the Core Ultra 9 4970K BFC at around 85% of the performance of an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D in multicore performance, while the CPU beats out the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K on single-threaded performance but misses out on matching the outgoing Intel chip by 5,721 points or around 8.5%.

NVIDIA's Founders Edition graphics cards are generally restricted to its own retail channels, but it seems as though CyberPowerPC has a limited run of RTX 50-series GPUs available in its pre-built gaming PCs for a GeForce Week event, which is slated to run until September 27. The CyberPowerPCs are currently available at Walmart with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Founders Edition, RTX 5080 Founders Edition, or RTX 5090 Founders Edition, with CPU configs including both AMD and Intel variants.

There are two versions of the RTX 5070-powered gaming PCs at Walmart. Both feature 32 GB of DDR5-6000 RAM, 1 TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage, 360 mm closed-loop liquid coolers, and the aforementioned NVIDIA RTX 5070 Founders Edition GPUs inside a CyberPowerPC MA-01 case. The only difference between them is that the $1,599 variant comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, while the version featuring an Intel Core i7-14700KF comes in at $1,549.

Maxsun has officially shown off its new iCraft Z890 ITX motherboard at Computex, with active chipset and VRM cooling in an ITX form factor. The Z890 ITX is built for the Intel LGA-1851 socket, with support for Intel's Core Ultra 2 series CPUs in mind. Maxsun claims that the Z890 ITX is capable of powering a CPU with a 250 W TDP, thanks to an 8+1+1 power circuit design, making it powerful enough even for the likes of the Core Ultra 9 285K at stock clocks, according to the testing in the TechPowerUp Core Ultra 9 285K in-depth technical review. Pricing and a launch date have not yet been revealed for the Maxsun iCraft Z890 ITX Wi-Fi motherboard.


Physically, the new motherboard sports a full-length PCIe 5.0 ×16 slot and two DDR5 memory slots for dual-channel memory configurations, and it has active cooling on both the VRM and in the M.2 heat sink under the PCIe slot. It supports 1× PCIe 5.0 ×4 M.2 SSD on the front of the motherboard, 1× PCIe 4.0 ×4 M.2 SSD in a rear-mounted M.2 slot, and 4× PCIe 4.0 Slim SAS SFF-8654 4i SSDs. As for network connectivity, the motherboard sports Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 7, as well as Realtek 5G LAN, and the rear I/O has both DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.1, 3× USB Type-C 20 Gbps ports, 6× USB Type-A 10 Gbps ports, 2× USB 5 Gbps ports, and 4× USB 2.0 ports. The motherboard also features a built-in 5 v ARGB connector for case and fan customization purposes.

Intel today announced the launch of its new Intel Core Ultra 200HX Plus series mobile processors, giving gamers and professionals new high-performance options in the Core Ultra 200 series family. Optimized for advanced gaming, streaming, content creation, and workstation use, the Intel Core Ultra 200HX Plus series introduces two new processors - Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus and Intel Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus. These processors add new features and architectural refinements, including support for the new Intel Binary Optimization Tool, a first-of-its-kind binary translation layer optimization capability that can improve native performance in select games.

"With the introduction of the Intel Core Ultra 200HX Plus series, we're pushing mobile computing performance even further for the gamers, creators, and professionals who demand the best. With higher die-to-die frequencies and our new Intel Binary Optimization Tool, the new Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus and Ultra 7 270HX Plus deliver meaningful, real-world performance gains so users can experience smoother gameplay, faster creation workflows, and more responsive workstation performance", Josh Newman, General Manager and Vice President of Product Marketing, Client Computing Group.

Intel's upcoming "Arrow Lake Refresh" Core Ultra 7 270K Plus processor has made its debut on HP's website, as discovered by @momomo_us. HP has installed this unreleased processor in its HyperX OMEN desktop gaming PC. The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus represents the pinnacle of the "Arrow Lake Refresh" generation, featuring 8 performance cores and 16 efficiency cores, along with 36 MB of shared L3 cache. However, it operates at slightly lower clock speeds than the flagship Core Ultra 9 285K. Recently, a new rumor suggested that Intel might unveil the full specifications of these chips on March 11, with reviews following on March 23. Retail availability of the new generation is expected shortly after.

This is the top SKU that will appear with the "Arrow Lake Refresh," as Intel has reportedly decided not to launch the rumored "Core Ultra 9 290K Plus," which would have been a more powerful version of the 285K with even higher clock speeds. The main reason for canceling this SKU is product overlap. The flagship Core Ultra 9 290K Plus would have had the same core configuration as the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, just with slightly higher clock speeds. Additionally, Intel already offers a Core Ultra 9 285K SKU from the regular "Arrow Lake" family, which means the company would have three similar SKUs at the top of the stack. By maintaining only two products, Intel can simplify manufacturing and supply chain logistics, allowing more focus on preparing for the next-generation "Nova Lake" launch later this year.

Intel's "Arrow Lake Refresh" has not even been released, but the company has already canceled its flagship SKU planned for this refresh cycle, according to a report from VideoCardz. Two sources close to the media note that Intel's flagship Core Ultra 9 290K Plus might not roll out at all, despite the massive hype and leaked benchmarks indicating that Intel is releasing this CPU SKU as part of the "Arrow Lake Refresh" generation expected to arrive in March or April. Reportedly, Intel will instead focus on delivering value with its Core Ultra 7 270K Plus SKU, which carries 8 P-Cores and 16 E-Cores and a 5.5 GHz maximum turbo boost. For individual boosting frequency, P-Cores top out at 5.4 GHz, while the base runs at 3.7 GHz. For E-Cores, the boost frequency is set to a maximum of 4.7 GHz, while the base is set at 3.2 GHz.

As for a possible reason why Intel would cancel this SKU, the sources close to VideoCardz note that product overlap is the main issue, as the flagship Core Ultra 9 290K Plus would have the same core configuration as the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, just with slightly higher clock speeds. Additionally, Intel already maintains a Core Ultra 9 285K SKU from the regular "Arrow Lake" family, meaning that the company would have three similar SKUs at the very top of the stack. This way, it would only have to maintain two products, which would simplify manufacturing and supply chain logistics, allowing Intel to spend more time preparing for the next-generation "Nova Lake" launch later this year.

Intel's next desktop "Arrow Lake Refresh" CPU upgrade is inching closer to reality. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has been spotted in a new Geekbench run, adding to the evidence that the "Arrow Lake Refresh" will indeed offer a meaningful performance improvements over its predecessors. The test system used an ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming Wi-Fi board with 64 GB of DDR5-6800 memory. The processor achieved scores of 3,535 in the single-core test and 25,106 in the multicore test. Compared to the Core Ultra 9 285K's typical scores of around 3,200 and 22,560, this represents improvements of approximately 10.5% and 11.3%, respectively. These results place the 290K Plus at the top of Intel's consumer CPU rankings in Geekbench's database. An earlier leak on different hardware showed slightly lower results, suggesting that this newer test run benefits from better optimization rather than just faster memory.

The 290K Plus SKU keeps the same 24-core layout as its predecessor with 8 P-Cores and 16 E-Cores, plus identical power limits of PL1 of 125 W and PL2 of 250 W. The gains come from higher clock speeds. According to rumors, the efficiency cores now boost to 4.8 GHz, up 200 MHz, while the performance cores get an extra 100 MHz on both turbo and thermal velocity boost. The benchmark registered the chip running at 5.7 GHz during testing. Intel has confirmed the ARLR is coming but has stayed quiet on specific models and dates. Leaks suggest a March or April release, and since these chips use the same LGA 1851 socket, they should work as drop-in upgrades for current Z890 motherboards. As with any pre-release numbers, may not reflect final CPU performance, so final performance data and gaming results that come from third-party reviews will show the real-world situation.

Intel has updated the retail packaging for its flagship Core Ultra 9 285K "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processor, as detailed in a recent product change notice (PCN). Initially reported by @momomo_us, the PCN indicates that the previous packaging, which featured visuals suggesting a rock-like product inside, will be replaced by a plain, dark box displaying only the product name on the front. Intel explains that this change will alter the packaging's appearance and reduce its dimensions, thereby improving pallet density. The primary objective is to optimize pallet density, allowing Intel to ship more CPUs at a lower cost.

The old packaging measured 165x150x64 mm, with a volume of approximately 1.58 liters, while the new packaging measures 116x101x44 mm, totaling about 0.55 liters. This represents a reduction of roughly 65%, enabling Intel to package significantly more units in its parcels. It's important to note this PCN for consumers who have seen unboxing videos of these CPUs online, as they might now encounter a different box at retail stores, helping to prevent any potential confusion. Finally, Intel notes that its Material Master (MM) number won't be changing with this box "rebrand."

Intel revealed the Panther Lake Core Ultra Series 3 mobile CPUs headed up by the Core Ultra X9 388H, at CES 2026 earlier this year. Intel promised that the flagship CPU would deliver up to 60% better multi-thread performance than the predecessor. While laptops with the Core Series 3 CPUs are only slated to arrive on January 27, some early benchmarks have appeared online ahead of the official launch date, courtesy of x86 is dead&back on X. According to the PassMark benchmark results, the Core Ultra X9 388H scored 37,904 points in the multi-thread benchmark and 4,451 points in the single-thread benchmark. This is a good 10% faster than the Core Ultra 9 285H (34,436 points) it is replacing and a solid 29% faster than the aging Core Ultra 9 185H in the multicore benchmarks. When it comes to single-core benchmarks, the Core Ultra X9 388H is basically only on-par with the 285H, but around 20% faster than the Core Ultra 9 185H.

It is, however, worth noting that these numbers are based on the average between two benchmarking runs, which varied greatly. During one benchmarking session, the Core Ultra X9 388H scored a whopping 40,523 points, although the hardware configurations don't seem to have changed from run to run. The test laptop, memory, and CPU clocks all appear to be the same, suggesting that environmental differences or software configuration may be to blame. The high score was actually the second one registered, so while these early benchmarks should still be taken with a pinch of salt, the numbers indicate that the new Intel Panther Lake CPUs might be impressive performers. For reference, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX Pro 470 scored 36,591 points in the PassMark multicore tests and 4,216 points in the single-score tests. The iGPU in the X9 388H was also previously benchmarked in Cyberpunk 2077, effectively doubling the performance of AMD's Strix Halo Radeon 890M iGPU. These latest results show reasonable performance gains, although we have yet to see the mid-range Panther Lake CPUs, which showed middling results in early benchmarks in late 2025.

Despite no-showing at CES 2026, leaks still predict that Intel will launch the Arrow Lake Refresh mobile CPUs sometime in March or April 2026, and one of the CPUs slated to launch then is the mobile flagship Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, which has incidentally showed up in a recent PassMark CPU benchmark (via X86isdeadandback on X). According to the PassMark listing, the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, which was supposedly tested in an MSI laptop equipped with an RTX 5090 and 32 GB of Samsung DDR5-5600 memory, the upcoming CPU will handily outpace the former flagship mobile CPU by around 7.5% in single-thread performance and a healthy 12.8% in the multicore benchmark. If the Core Ultra 9 285HX is anything to go by, there may still be some performance on the table with faster DDR5-6400 memory.

The Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus scored 66203 in the multicore benchmark and 5009 in the single-core benchmark. This performance puts it less than 2% away from the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K desktop CPU (which scored 67430 and 5093, respectively), which is certainly an impressive feat. Of course, all the usual caveats apply when it comes to early CPU benchmarks—especially leaked benchmarks. For starters, the official launch is still a while away, and clock speeds and microcode may not be entirely dialed-in yet. This is also a sample size of one, and CPU performance can often vary greatly between different configurations. The new CPU first appeared in a previously leaked Geekbench benchmark of an Acer Predator laptop, which also revealed that the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus will use the same P-core and E-core layout as the older 285HX, meaning eight P-cores and 16 e-cores.

Minisforum had a quite a presence at CES 2026 with mini PCs ranging from Intel to AMD solutions, even with a mix of Arm-based SoCs. Interestingly, the systems come in various shapes and sizes, but our focus starts with the M2 Pro mini PC. Shaped like a NUC, the mini PC is powered by top-of-the-line Intel Core Ultra X9 388H "Panther Lake" processor with 16 cores, and Arc B390 integrated GPU for new gaming performance tier in the iGPU space. The system is equipped with a maximum of 96 GB of LPDDR5X memory, which runs at the 9,600 MT/s transfer rate, making the system run incredibly fast and feeding the powerful CPU+iGPU configuration.

At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Digital Storm unveiled its latest pre-built PCs featuring custom chassis that rethink system layouts. One of the new models, the "Vector," redesigns the traditional setup by positioning the GPU at the top of the PC. The chassis measures 18x13x4 inches and accommodates an NVIDIA RTX 6000 Pro Blackwell GPU within its slim four-inch thickness. Perforations on both sides ensure adequate airflow for the GPU and radiator. The system is built on a Mini-ITX motherboard, compatible with either an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X or an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor. The Vector PC's exterior is adorned with vertical perforated stripes, and a tempered glass panel elegantly showcases the AIO cooler's ring that manages the CPU's temperature. Vector will start at $2,000 with planned availability in Q2 of 2026.

Erying, a Chinese PC hardware manufacturer, specializes in Mobile on Desktop (MoDT) motherboards. TechPowerUp has covered the emerging OEM's past efforts; notably an Intel "Alder Lake-H" APU-powered range. Yesterday, the company introduced its second generation "Ultra MoDT" product line. As is tradition, these desktop format mainboards are based on mobile silicon—normally utilized in laptops/notebooks (BGA platforms). This hybrid configuration has proved popular across international budget-conscious PC building communities, due to attractive price points and "all-in-one" convenience. Erying's latest release seems to be marketed with "young" customers in mind. Their late 2025 release has launched as a Micro-ATX-sized board, featuring Intel Core Ultra 200H "Arrow Lake-H" processors.

A JD.com listing immediately defaults to Erying's range-topping variant, carrying Team Blue's 16-core Core Ultra 9 285H chip. Priced at 2699 RMB (~$381 USD), this option could form the basis of a fairly potent compact gaming system. The entry-point model—tagged with 1799 RMB (~$254 USD) price point—runs on a Core Ultra 5 225H processor. Erying's two middle ground alternatives are based on Ultra 5 235H and Ultra 7 255H APUs—priced at 1899 RMB and 2199 (respectively). The company has released initial gaming and production benchmark results, in written article form (in Mandarin) and on YouTube (see below).

Intel's "Arrow Lake" Core Ultra 200S series of processors were launched over a year ago, and Phoronix recently conducted Linux tests to compare their original performance and power consumption to the current situation. The results are promising for Intel's CPUs, which have not been particularly popular among DIY PC builders. According to the geometric mean of all benchmarks, Phoronix found that the high-end Intel Core Ultra 9 285K has shown a noticeable performance improvement of approximately 9% after a year of software optimizations.

What's particularly interesting is that this performance gain was achieved while using only 85% of the power that was consumed in October last year, representing a 15% reduction. This suggests that Intel has optimized the software to not only reduce power consumption and heat output but also to extract an additional 9% performance from the "Arrow Lake-S" silicon. In these Linux tests, no workload experienced any regressions, indicating consistent results across a wide range of use cases, including code compilation, compression, web performance, HPC, simulation, and many others. We hope that the same optimizations are trickling into Windows software, so more gamers can enjoy everyday performance optimizations

If you're in the market for a new laptop and notice that the Dell Pro Max 16 Plus boasts more TOPS than usual, it's because Dell is equipping its latest models with a discrete Neural Processing Unit (NPU) from Qualcomm. The Dell Pro Max 16 Plus features a Qualcomm AI-100 Ultra NPU, delivering 870 INT8 TOPS within a 150 W TDP envelope, along with 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory. This provides enough computing power and memory capacity to run local AI models with up to 120 billion parameters on the NPU alone, without needing additional memory or computing resources.

Dell is outfitting these laptops with robust internals, including up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX vPro CPU with 24 cores. Notably, Dell has removed the discrete GPU to accommodate the NPU, which offers more computing power and VRAM capacity than a traditional GPU. For local AI development, the system utilizes this NPU for all necessary tasks, paired with a CPU and 64 GB of memory. For graphics output, the system relies on the integrated GPU within the "Arrow Lake-HX" chip, which handles basic graphics tasks but isn't suitable for gaming. This design choice is logical, as the dedicated NPU is intended for AI developers and occupies the space, power, and heat dissipation capacity that a GPU would typically use.

MINISFORUM, a technology pioneer dedicated to high-performance AI Mini PCs development, proudly announces that its flagship Mini Workstation, the MS-02 Ultra, has been honored with a CES 2026 Innovation Awards in the Computer Hardware & Components category. This recognition celebrates MS-02 Ultra's breakthrough in combining enterprise-grade power, expandability, and intelligent design within a compact 4.8-liter form factor.

Multi-Engine Compute Core, Effortless Control
Powered by the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX processor with 24 cores (8P + 16E) and a built-in 13 TOPS NPU, the system delivers the perfect balance of performance and intelligent efficiency. The CPU and NPU work in harmony to accelerate AI inference, media processing, and multitasking, ensuring smooth responsiveness even under heavy workloads. With support for PCIe GPU expansion, users can scale compute power for demanding creative, engineering, and AI applications - all within a compact and responsive desktop experience.

Intel Arrow Lake refresh is getting closer with new details starting to appear, and this time is about a CPU reportedly named Core Ultra 7 270K Plus. According to a recent Geekbench 6 entry, the processor features 8 P-cores and 16 E-cores, which aligns it more closely with the current Core Ultra 9 285K rather than the 20-core (8P+12E) Ultra 7 265K it was rumored. The benchmark lists a 3.7 GHz base clock and 5.5 GHz boost, matching the 265K, and shows the chip paired with an RTX 5090D GPU, hinting that it was tested on a new Lenovo desktop system in China. Performance results came in at 3215 points (single-core) and 22,720 points (multicore), essentially on par with the Ultra 9 285K.

While Intel hasn't confirmed any of this information, the leak also suggests potential official memory support up to 7200 MT/s, possibly part of a broader Arrow Lake refresh expected in Q1 2026. Other rumored models include a Core Ultra 9 290K Plus (24 cores) and Core Ultra 5 250K (14 cores). Intel is unlikely to change core configurations dramatically but may introduce new SKU names and tuned frequencies to align with the refreshed lineup. However, we still don't know for sure Intel's complete plan for Arrow Lake Refresh. For now, all we can hope for is something like Intel's Application Performance Optimizations (APO) applied out of the box for Arrow Lake Refresh. The current APO stack targets modern Intel Core desktop and mobile processors with six or more performance cores. It requires BIOS enablement of Intel Dynamic Tuning Technology and Windows 11. Advanced Mode unlocks wider compatibility for other 12th-generation and newer processors when Intel DTT version 11405 or later is present. Intel cautioned that real-world responsiveness may vary based on system configuration and graphics hardware. Additionally, Intel's promise back in August was to deliver more APO tuning. The latest update introduces 15 new titles, which can yield up to a 14% FPS increase, and as much as a 21% increase in 1% lows.

Intel this month released a presentation updating its channel partners and end-users how its Core Ultra 200-series "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processors stack up against AMD Ryzen 9000 series "Zen 5" processors, including the latest 9000X3D series chips with 3D V-Cache. The company claims a superior balance of gaming and productivity performance at comparable prices. These performance claims take into account the various software and microcode updates the platform received since its October 2024 debut—nearing a year in the market—particularly taking into account advances Intel made to its APO (application performance optimization) software in this time.

Intel begins its presentation by layout out its entire Socket LGA1851 desktop processor lineup. The maxed-out Core Ultra 9 8P+16E processors are shown as being competitive to the entire Ryzen 9 9000 series high core-count processors. The Core Ultra 7 265K/KF 8P+12E chips are compared to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which remains the fastest processor for PC gaming. The non-K Core Ultra 7 265 and 265F are compared to the Ryzen 7 9700X. And then the bulk of the Core Ultra 5 6P+8E and 6P+4E lineup is compared to the Ryzen 5 9600X and 9600.

ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the leading esports and video game entertainment company, in partnership with Acer and Intel, is proud to announce that the Predator Orion 7000 has been named the Official 2025 Tournament PC of Intel Extreme Masters (IEM). Debuting at IEM Cologne 2025, this marks the first time in IEM history that fans can now play on and purchase the hardware used by the world's top Counter-Strike professionals.

The Predator Orion 7000 is built for elite gaming performance, powered by an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor, up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, and support for up to 128 GB of DDR5 memory. Its advanced Predator CycloneX 360 cooling system ensures optimal thermal performance, while transparent tempered glass side panels showcase its cutting-edge internals. Designed for 4K gaming, streaming, and competitive play, the Predator Orion 7000 delivers the speed, thermal efficiency, and visual edge trusted by the best esports athletes.

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading brand of performance overclock memory and PC components, is pleased to announce that CENS from Germany has once again claimed the title of OC Champion and the grand cash prize of $10,000 USD in the OC World Cup 2025 extreme overclock competition held live at Computex 2025. After an intense series of extreme overclocking challenges, CENS emerged victorious, demonstrating unmatched overclocking knowledge and technical skill with liquid nitrogen cooling, using the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor and ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Apex motherboard. This is his second consecutive OC Champion title, after his victory last year at the OC World Cup 2024.

Exhilarating Competition with G.SKILL DDR5 24 GB Modules
This year at the live competition, the contestants are only allowed to use G.SKILL's high-performance 24 GB DDR5 module. It gave the contestants a new challenge to explore the 24 GB module's overclocking behavior and benchmarking potential. These 24 GB modules, built with SK hynix ICs, showcased exceptional headroom on Intel Z890 chipset platforms, allowing CENS to achieve up to DDR5-10266 CL32 2x24GB for benchmarking under LN2 cooling. At the same time, Seby, a rival overclocker contestant in the G.SKILL OC World Cup 2025, achieved DDR5-12666, which was the fastest memory frequency validation throughout the live competition.

ADATA's XPG sub-brand is best known for producing gaming hardware, but Project INFINITY signals a significant diversification. Two demonstration sample DDR5 UDIMMs were mounted on an open plan build, at the company's Computex booth. Despite bearing XPG branding and gaming-oriented aesthetics, these memory modules are not wholly related to a freshly presented Lancer Neon DDR5 product line. Instead, ADATA has deemed Project INFINITY worthy of inclusion in their "AI Revolution" portfolio.

Impressive credentials are outlined in PR material: "XPG pushes overclocking to new heights with memory solutions that blend extreme performance, bold design, and sustainable materials. Project INFINITY delivers up to 9200 MT/s with 48 GB capacity per module, featuring RGB lighting and an infinity mirror heatsink for a stunning visual effect. For professional workloads." According to an accompanying placard, XPG's bare build utilizes an ultra-expensive ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero mainboard foundation. Intel's Arrow Lake-S flagship CPU—Core Ultra 9 285K—drives the Project INFINITY-centric PC system. Appropriately, the XPG team has selected an ADATA Mars 980 BLADE Gen 5 M.2 SSD, for ultra-fast storage purposes. Hopefully, additional/refined Project INFINITY examples will turn up in the near future.

At its Computex booth, MSI's MEG VISION X AI 2nd was a center of intelligent gaming desktops, based on MSI's new AI human-machine interface (HMI) that integrates a 13-inch FHD touchscreen as a dynamic control hub, running proprietary MSI AI applications and enabling voice-based interaction via a built-in microphone and speaker to adapt performance on-the-fly and simplify hardware monitoring and peripherals management. It leverages a dedicated NPU within Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors to accelerate AI-driven tasks and intelligently optimize system tuning based on user scenarios.

Under the hood, MSI's Silent Storm Cooling AI orchestrates a multi-chamber airflow design with AI algorithms that continuously adjust fan speeds for optimal thermal levels across the CPU, GPU, SSD, and VRM. At the same time, Glacier Armor heatsinks further reduce component temperatures even under marathon workloads. For the system base specification, MSI put Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs (including RTX 5080 and 5090), supported by up to 192 GB of DDR5-6000 memory and fast PCIe Gen 5 NVMe SSD storage starting at 2 TB. It also features a Killer 5 GbE and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, and runs on Windows 11 Home or Pro. With the system featuring over 3,400 collective TOPS, its ready for adoption of commercial AI applications.

GIGABYTE, the world's leading computer brand, announces the launch of the AI TOP 100 Z890, a desktop PC tailored for both gaming and AI computing, now available in the US and Canadian markets. Designed to deliver extreme performance, the AI TOP 100 Z890 is powered by the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor, the Z890 AI TOP motherboard, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card, optimizing for AI workloads and high-performance gaming. Combined with the pre-installed Windows 11 operating system, users can access AI computing with a standard power setup and plug-and-play convenience.

At the core of the AI TOP 100 Z890 is an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU featuring built-in AI Boost NPU, paired with D5 Bionic Corsa technology-enhanced GIGABYTE 128 GB DDR5 memory, and the GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5090 WINDFORCE graphics card that supports NVIDIA DLSS 4.0 and Multi Frame Generation. The system also includes an ultra-fast AORUS Gen 4 7300 SSD and a GIGABYTE 320 GB AI TOP 100E cache drive offering up to 150x TBW compared to standard SSDs and ideal for high-volume data training. The cooling system plays a crucial role under heavy workloads, while the AORUS WATERFORCE II 360 liquid cooler and AORUS AC500G ST AI TOP chassis offer stable operation even under intensive loads.