soundcore, the premium audio brand of Anker Innovations', today launched the Space Q45 over-ear headphones and the Space A40 earbuds under the newly renovated "Space" moniker. With an upgraded noise cancelling system, the Space series offers a leap forward in the customizable, noise-free listening experience, while delivering ultra-long playtime and impressive audio performance in two different form factors.

"Two of the most requested features by consumers are better battery life and stronger noise cancelling performance," said Rock Gao, General Manager, Headphones for soundcore. "When designing the Q45 and A40, our engineers wanted to offer consumers a no-compromise listening experience, not only with remarkable ANC performance, and industry-leading battery life but improved sound reproduction that is perfect for traveling or everyday usage."

ASUS today announced a new generation of AMD-based motherboards to accompany the ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme and support the latest Ryzen 7000 processors: the ROG Crosshair X670E Hero, the ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming WiFi, and the TUF Gaming X670E-Plus WiFi. Introducing the new generation of AMD ROG motherboards: the X670E series. Featuring support for DDR5 memory modules and PCIe 5.0 devices, the ROG Crosshair X670E Hero, ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming WiFi, and TUF Gaming X670E-Plus WiFi is equipped with improved bandwidth capabilities, stability, and overall connectivity.

All three boards feature the latest ASUS Q-Design innovations. The ROG Crosshair X670E Hero and ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming WiFi includes the PCIe Q-Release button, a feature that lets users release their graphics card from the PCIe slot with one press. In addition, all three featured motherboards will include the single-sided Q-DIMM latching design to ensure ease of installation and allowing memory sticks to hold firmly in place. Lastly, the boards include the M.2 Q-latch, allowing users to secure or loosen an M.2 drive with just their fingertips.

EAR Micro and Klipsch Audio proudly announce the launch of T10 Bespoke Ear Computers at the Motorlux Event, Monterey Jet Center, August 18-19, 2022, to coincide with the 71st Concours D'Elegance.

T10 Bespoke represents an entirely new category of advanced hearables technology—tiny in-ear computers about a third of the size of traditional wireless earphones, yet significantly more advanced. T10 Bespoke Ear Computers seamlessly blend high-style luxury materials and hand craftsmanship typical of fine jewelry and watchmaking with state-of-the-art wireless hi-fi audio. The audio signal path boasts a stunning 96kHz/24-bit audio resolution rendered through the LDAC codec, further enhanced by twin Cadence/Tensilica Hi-fi DSP's, passed next through ultra-efficient class-D amplifiers, and finally into your ears through acoustically accurate Sonion precision balanced-armature transducers.

Creative Technology today launched Sound Blaster X1, the ultimate USB DAC and headphone amplifier which offers the heralded Sound Blaster Acoustic Engine technology, together with the multiple award-winning Super X-Fi Headphone Holography first seen in the iconic SXFI AMP. As small as a finger, it serves up a huge treat of multi-channel, high-resolution and immersive audio, with authentic reproductions down to the last detail, powered by a high-end 128dB AKM4377 32-bit DAC and Ti/Burr-Brown INA1620 dual audio operational amplifier.

Sound Blaster X1 is best used with PC and Mac, and with the Creative desktop app, users gain access to the Sound Blaster Acoustic Engine, where they can tap on the full suite of sound processing technologies to enhance their experiences for both work and play.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today hosted the ROG Phone 6: For Those Who Dare virtual launch event to reveal the new ROG Phone 6 series of gaming smartphones, along with new models in the ROG Cetra series of True Wireless gaming headphones and ROG Delta series of gaming headsets, plus a collection of ROG Phone 6 accessories. The event concluded with an all-star showmatch, where 14 well-known influencers from 8 different countries competed on PUBG MOBILE to showcase their skills on the world's premium gaming smartphone.

The new ROG Phone 6 series includes the ROG Phone 6 and the ROG Phone 6 Pro, the most powerful ROG Phones ever made. They are powered by the latest flagship Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Mobile Platform with up to 3.2 GHz CPU clock speeds, up to 18 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and up to 512 GB of storage. The upgraded GameCool 6 cooling system features novel 360° CPU cooling technology to unleash maximum sustained performance. A monster 6000 mAh battery capacity provides extended battery life for long game sessions. Supreme visuals are delivered by a 6.78-inch Samsung AMOLED HDR10+ display that uses exclusive ROG tuning technology to achieve an amazing 165 Hz refresh rate, an industry-leading 720 Hz touch-sampling rate and a world-beating 23 ms ultra-low touch latency. The new series is accompanied by a full array of exclusive ROG Phone 6 accessories, including the new AeroActive Cooler 6 and ROG Phone 6 Glass Screen Protector.

After a successful launch of its MOONRIVER 2 portable DAC/amplifier (review coming up on TechPowerUp), MOONDROP announced a cut-down version using the same dual Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC chips and dual crystal oscillators, but in a dongle form factor. Making the DAWN quite novel in the dongle market is the output adopting a 4.4 mm balanced TRRS connector rather than the usual 3.5 mm audio jack, meaning you will have to get adapters or go with headphones/earphones that use 4.4 mm cables. In return, this fully balanced connection provides some truly excellent and independently verified metrics including an SNR of 132 dB and THD+N 0.00017% with up to 4 Vrms output in high gain that translates to an output power of 230 mW@32 Ω and 54 mW@300 Ω to easily drive the vast majority of consumer headphones even, let alone earphones/IEMs. The MOONDROP DAWN with its aluminium alloy shell weighs under 14 g, measures 120 x 16.4 mm, can decode PCM playback up to 32-bit/768 kHz and native DSD256, and costs $70 from the likes of HiFiGo and SHENZHENAUDIO for those interested.

SteelSeries has released a pair of new headsets that builds on its well known Arctis-series, but brings with it a much more modern and premium looking design. Besides the overhaul of the design, SteelSeries has added support for 360 degree spatial audio and the company has also updated its GameDac, which is built around the ESS Sabre 9218PQ40 Quad-DAC. Other new features include an "AI-powered" noise cancelling microphone and a new headband design that's meant to be more comfortable. The wired Arctis Nova Pro comes in a PC and Xbox version, both sporting multi-system connect with dual USB inputs, although 3.5 mm jack input is also supported. A nice touch is that the ear pads are attached with magnets and should as such be easy to replace.

The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless on the other hand comes in three different versions, with a dedicated Xbox and Playstation version, as well as a PC version. Here, SteelSeries has also added active noise cancelling, which is not a feature you find on many gaming headsets. The ANC is using a 4 microphone hybrid system and has support for transparency mode. SteelSeries has replaced the GameDac with a wireless base station for the three wireless versions, which also charges the batteries, as SteelSeries has gone for user swappable battery packs. A 15 minute charge gives you three hours of usage, and a fully charged battery is good for up to 44 hours. Interestingly there's also an eight second power buffer, which allows you to hot swap the batteries, if you're fast. The wireless side of things consists of a proprietary low latency 2.4 GHz radio, as often is the case for wireless gaming headsets, as well as Bluetooth 5.0 support. There's support for simultaneous use of both wireless standards, which is a nice touch and something we've seen from a couple of SteelSeries competitors. The Arctis Nova Pro has an MSRP of US$249.99, with the wireless version costing US$349.99.

Although AMD didn't provide too many details during its Computex 2022 keynote speech about the upcoming AM5 platform, the company did announce that there will be at least three chipsets for the platform and showed pictures of some upcoming motherboards. ASUS has kindly filled in some more details about its upcoming ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme, which will be one of its higher-end models. Sadly the pictures posted are kind of tiny and the company didn't provide a shot of the rear I/O. That said, ASUS did point out some of its new features that we can expect to find on the ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme.

For starters, the board will have a pair of PCIe 5.0 x16 slots, although each slot is likely to only have eight lanes each, when both slots are in use, but ASUS doesn't mention any details here. The board has support for up to five M.2 NVMe SSDs, four of which support PCIe 5.0. Only two are onboard, with the other three being via ASUS' proprietary ROG PCIe 5.0 M.2 card and ROG GEN-Z.2 card. ASUS also promises USB4 support, as well as a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 header with Quick Charge 4+ as well as up to 60 W charging support, for cases with a front USB-C port. On top of the rear I/O is an AniMe Matrix LED display that can be user customised.

It appears that ASRock got a little bit too excited and posted a Computex video earlier today that contained a brief glimpse of its upcoming X670E Taichi motherboard. The screenshot that was captured by Wccftech doesn't give away too much details, but the board appears to have at least three M.2 slots and a pair of PCIe x16 slots, of which at least one is meant to be of the PCIe 5.0 variety. The rest of the board is covered in heatsinks and various shrouds. The board will feature Realtek's ALC4082 USB attached audio codec, as well as a ESS ES9218 DAC. It is also said to sport a 26-phase VRM setup. The board is also expected to have Thunderbolt 4 support. The video has unfortunately been taken down, so we'll have to wait until next week to find out more details.

In related news, @momomo_us has leaked details of several upcoming AM5 motherboards, of which four models are from ASRock and two from ASUS. The ASRock models are the X670E Taichi mentioned above, the X670 PG Riptide, X670 Phantom Gaming 4 and the X670 Steel Legend. The two ASUS models are the ProArt X670E-Creator WiFi and the ProArt B650-Creator. Finally Gigabyte has revealed that the company will be displaying its X670 Aorus Xtreme, X670 Master, X670 Pro AX and X670 AERO D at Computex next week. The company mentions PCIe 5.0 for both graphics and the M.2 interface, which pretty much cements the earlier rumors about AMD offering PCIe 5.0 support for the M.2 interface on the AM5 platform.

Sony Electronics Inc. today announced their newest addition to the LinkBuds series: LinkBuds S. The latest model empowers a new sound experience through Sony's sensing technology and partner collaboration, while retaining a "Never Off" wearing experience perfect for staying connected to online and offline worlds due to their ultra-small and lightweight design with natural ambient sound. By leveraging sensor and spatial sound technology, they deliver new and immersive sound for AR games such as Niantic's game Ingress. for consumers looking for new options for entertainment beyond music and calls. The model also makes music listening easier than ever with a new and unique "Auto Play" feature. By detecting the listener's environment, such as wearing LinkBuds S, the feature enables their music to play automatically, delivered accordingly to their activity.

LinkBuds S are perfect for streaming content all day long. Consumers can enjoy music, video, or social media content just as the creator intended with Sony's highly acclaimed noise canceling technology and high-resolution capability. Sony Electronics has engineered these remarkably small and lightweight truly wireless headphones with comfort in mind. LinkBuds S combine a shape that matches the human ear with an ergonomic design for a more stable fit to avoid discomfort in the ear that gets in the way of entertainment.

Creative Labs is a name that's as old as PC gaming itself—pioneering PC audio since its formative years. The Creative Sound Blaster line of sound cards helped generations of gamers realize the power of high-quality audio in competitive gaming—when you can hear what your rivals don't. Your GPU will only show you what's on the screen, but not enemies hidden around the corners. Most competitive games have audio cues such as footsteps, reload sounds, or taunts. This is where Creative's engineering steps in—the highest quality DACs, paired with the best DSPs fine-tuned for various genres of games; and a purpose-designed set of analog components that present that best possible sound-stage for gaming, as well as high-resolution lossless music listening for audiophiles.

Creative Labs partners with TechPowerUp to bring gamers special discounts on its entire range of gaming DACs and sound cards. The Sound BlasterX G6 is best suited for game consoles, such as the Xbox One/Series, PlayStation 4/5, Switch, and PCs. It takes in analog or digital (optical) input from your device, and processes it for high-quality amplified analog output, along with Game Voice Mix, Scout Mode, and more. The Sound Blaster GC7 supercharges game streamers' desktops, with studio-quality audio mixing controls right at your fingertips, along with Creative's top-of-the-line Super X-Fi audio circuitry. The Sound Blaster X4 is a powerful, well-priced USB DAC that works with all consoles and PCs, including most essential DSP controls right on the device. Still in two minds about whether you even need special gaming audio hardware? Check out our post on the topic aptly named USB Sound Cards Explained: Tech, Benefits, Do I Need One?.

Use the TechPowerUp-exclusive coupon code POWERUP15 to avail 15% Off on the entire range of DACs and sound cards from Creative, on the Creative United States online store. Offer valid until July 31, 2022.

Buy Creative Sound Blaster Sound Cards and Gaming DACs

Sharkoon Technologies, an international supplier of high-performance quality PC components and peripherals, now presents the SB2. This is a successor to its popular sound card and features an accessible microphone mute and the quick and simple control of the volume. The sound card requires no drivers, enabling fast and easy use on all computers and laptops. In addition, thanks to the sound card, any headset or headphones with 3.5 mm audio plugs can be connected. The personalized configuration of the audio is made possible using the 10-band equalizer available with the software. The extra-large buttons allow quick and simple volume control and microphone mute.

An optional software to configure the audio according to personal taste and requirements can be downloaded from the manufacturer's website. In addition to virtual 7.1 sound, configurations can also be made using a 10-band equalizer. In addition, quick settings are available in the form of 12 preset equalizer modes. These can be used to tailor the audio to, for example, different styles of music.

ASUS has today announced two new gaming headsets during their ROG CES 2022 livestream with the ROG Fusion II 500 and ROG Fusion II 300. The headsets both feature the high-resolution ESS 9280 Quad DAC paired with 50 mm ASUS Essence drivers to deliver a virtual 7.1 surround sound experience. They also feature addressable ASUS Aura RGB lighting and integrated beamforming microphones featuring AI noise-cancellation. The Fusion II 500 features extensive connectivity options including 3.5 mm, USB-C and USB-A along with a dedicated game volume chat control wheel while the Fusion II 300 is limited to USB-C and USB-A. The ROG Fusion II 500 (179 USD MSRP) and ROG Fusion II 300 will both be available to purchase worldwide in Q1 2022.

Although we're going to try and cover all the newly launched Intel Z690 based motherboards more thoroughly before the retail availability date, we had a quick look already on what's on offer and we were struck by something rather odd when it comes to Gigabyte, most of their new boards only have two 3.5 mm audio jacks around the back. This is not limited to their cheaper SKUs, but is found through the entire product stack.

We're not entirely sure what's going on here and will check with Gigabyte once someone is awake that we can talk to about it, but we're fairly certain that this is going to cause a bit of a backlash from their customers. This was actually something we kind of saw in the leaked image of one of the Aero boards, as it didn't look like it had any audio jacks at all, but that wasn't the case. Instead, it seems to have something to do with Gigabyte's move away from the Realtek ALC1220 Intel HD audio based codecs that the company have been using for the past few generations of boards.

LG has gained a pretty good reputation for its UltraGear monitors and the company has now launched its first accessory, the matching GP9 gaming speaker. At first glance, it just looks like a compact soundbar, but looks can be deceiving and that's very much the case here, as not only is it a portable, battery powered speaker, but it hides quite a few features that aren't apparent at first glance.

For starters, LG has incorporated what they call a "Quad DAC" with some help from ESS in the shape of the 9038Pro, which is ESS' flagship 32-bit DAC. LG uses this to deliver virtual 7.1-channel audio and the GP9 is Hi-Res Audio certified. The GP9 also has a built-in noise cancelling microphone, so you can use it for voice chat or online meetings if so inclined.

Creative Technology today announced the release of Sound Blaster GC7, the first premium gaming DAC and Amp in a new product series specially designed to enhance the user experience of avid gamers, aspiring content creators and streamers. Users can take full control of the gameplay easily with intuitive one-handed controls and fully programmable buttons, and enjoy the award-winning Super X-Fi and Sound Blaster technologies, in Creative's most comprehensive external sound card yet.

Creative today has announced an updated to their Sound Blaster Z discrete sound card. The updated Sound Blaster Z SE keeps the up to 116 dB SnR and 24-bit/192 kHz sound of the sound card it updates, but adds 7.1 support for headphones and 5.1 discrete audio on speakers. The new dedicated sound card also features additional gaming profiles (it has specially-designed profiles for PUBG and Fortnite, for example), and new equalizer presets.

If you suppose most of these features could have been added via a software/firmware update, you'd be right; Creative is releasing most of these features via a software update for the Sound Blaster Z as well. Other specifications remain the same, with the Sound Blaster Z SE sound card featuring Creative's Sound Core 3D audio processor. Whether or not there is a requirement for discrete soundcards in this day and age of integrated sound quality is another discussion, as is the option for users to connect and process their audio via an external DAC.

New technology eliminates background noise for clear voice communication with ASUS AI Noise-Canceling Mic Adapter, ROG Strix Go, ROG Theta 7.1 headsets and more. ASUS today announced new AI Noise-Canceling Microphone (AI Mic) technology that intelligently eliminates unwanted background noise for clear voice communication for work or play. The new technology uses chipset-based machine learning to filter out and remove other human voices and ambient sounds like wind or traffic noise. This new technology is now available on the ASUS AI Noise Canceling Mic Adapter and the latest ROG headsets.

ASUS AI Noise-Canceling Mic Adapter is the world's first USB-C to 3.5 mm adapter with integrated AI Mic technology. It connects to any headset via a 3.5 mm audio jack to provide users with crystal-clear voice communication. The built‑in chipset handles all of the sound processing, so the adapter does not affect the performance of the mobile device, PC or laptop it is connected to. Weighing just 8 grams, the AI Noise-Canceling Mic Adapter includes exclusive ASUS Hyper-Grounding technology to prevent electromagnetic interference for noise-free audio. In select markets, it is available with a USB Type-C-to-Type‑A adapter.

ASRock introduced the W480 Creator premium motherboard for creators, which supports 10th Gen Core and Xeon W-1200 series processors in the LGA1200 package, based on the "Comet Lake" microarchitecture. Built in the ATX form-factor, the board draws power from a 24-pin ATX and two 8-pin EPS power connectors, conditioning it for the CPU with a 16-phase VRM cooled by large aluminium fan-heatsinks. The LGA1200 socket is wired to four reinforced DDR4 DIMM slots supporting up to 128 GB of dual-channel DDR4-4800 (OC) memory, including ECC unbuffered DIMM support when paired with Xeon W-1200 processors; and two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x8/x8 with both populated, else x16). These slots are gen 4.0 capable with future processors that offer PCIe gen 4.0 support. Storage connectivity includes three M.2 NVMe slots with PCIe gen 3.0 x4 wiring, each; and six SATA 6 Gbps ports.

Much of this board's serious "creator" USP begins with its connectivity. It offers two Thunderbolt 40 Gbps ports via type-C connectors, each with its own mini-DisplayPort 1.4 passthrough input that you connect to your graphics card. Networking connectivity includes a 10 GbE wired network connection powered by an AQuantia AQC107 controller; a second 2.5 GbE connection driven by Intel i225-LM controller, and an 802.11ax WLAN connection by an Intel AX201 adapter that also provides Bluetooth 5. The onboard audio solution packs some serious hardware, with an ESS Sabre 9218 DAC handling the front-panel headphones out (130 dBA SNR), a Realtek ALC1220 HDA codec handling the other channels (120 dBA SNR), WIMA capacitors for the front outputs, and the right and left audio channel wiring being routed through distant PCB layers to minimize crosstalk. The company didn't reveal pricing.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphic cards, continuing the success co-branding their Z390 product line with G2 Esports, is launching the latest Z490 AORUS ULTRA G2 motherboard. In order to satisfy the high-performance low temperature needs of professional gaming teams, the Z490 AORUS ULTRA G2 uses direct 12 phases digital power design and tantalum capacitor array, providing strong and stable power delivery and minimizing oscillation, bringing you the 10th gen Intel Core i9-10900K excellent high-class processor.

Daisy Chain memory routing and anti-interference design deliver improved memory overclocking and stability. As for Fins-Array II, Direct-Touch Heatpipe II and 7.5 W/mK LAIRD thermal conductivity pad alongside G2 Esports optimizations, we bring you an improved efficacy stabled user experience. In addition to ESSential USB DAC's vocal cohesion and immersive sound, it makes the Z490 AORUS ULTRA G2 Motherboard a must have for every pro player, even more so the best pick for any gamer at home assembling their own gaming PC.

Cougar today rolled out the Immersa Pro Prix gaming headset. A variant of the Immersa Pro from 2017, the Pro Prix features an upgraded C-Media sourced CMI6533X1 USB DAC with Xear3D 7.1-channel virtual surround, an upgraded pair of 50 mm drivers with a wider 10 Hz to 20 kHz frequency-response range (vs. 20 Hz to 20 kHz on the original), an upgraded headband design with better cushioning, an improved microphone muffler, and a slightly longer 2.5 m cable (vs. 2 m on the original). The headset is still driven by Cougar's UIX software that provides audio- and RGB lighting control. The headset's dimensions are otherwise unchanged. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Creative rolled out the Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus, a discrete internal sound card with PCIe interface. The card is a step up from the Sound BlasterX AE-5, and is positioned below the AE-7 the company debuted in June 2019. The new AE-5 Plus uses the same Sound Core 3D audio processor as the rest of the AE series, but with an ESS Sabre Ultra DAC carried over from the AE-5, which offers 122 dB SNR, sound resolution of 32-bit 384 kHz, and 0.00032% total harmonic distortion. Much like the AE-5, it lacks user-replaceable OPAMPs. What sets the AE-5 Plus apart is support for Dolby Digital Live and DTS encoding, just like the AE-7 and AE-9, which is something the original AE-5 lacks. It also only comes in a black color-scheme, unlike the AE-5. The company didn't reveal pricing, although we expect it to be around 10-15% pricier than the $149 AE-5.

ASUS today rolled out the ROG Theta Electret, a premium stereo variant of the ROG Theta headset from 2019, featuring a hi-fi grade 120 mm electret driver in charge of reproducing extremely precise high and mid frequency sound; while a conventional 45 mm neodymium driver handles lows (bass). Both drivers sit in an airtight chamber. The headset is purely analog, and features conventional 3.5 mm jacks, and ASUS made sure to get rid of all digital components, such as the USB DAC and even the RGB-illuminated ROG logo. Thanks to the electret driver, the headset enjoys a wide frequency-response of 20-40,000 Hz. The detachable microphone, too, is fully analogue. The headset supports both single headphones+mic jack, and split 3.5 mm jacks. ASUS didn't reveal pricing.

Ausounds is a newcomer to the audio market as a retail product provider, but the founders have decades of experience in the music industry, and have been creating audio solutions for musicians for a while now. The company invited us to check out the brand, as well as their new products, at CES 2020 and we obliged as we usually do in an attempt to shine more light on relatively unknown companies in addition to the mainstream ones. They took the time to introduce their new AU-X active noise cancelling planar magnetic driver headphones to us, which feature 54 mm planar drivers on each earcup and four noise cancelling microphones working in a hybrid mode to allow up to 28 dB of ANC. The headphones are tuned for a transparent frequency response combined with a large soundstage and, in my limited testing, offered excellent discerning of the mid-high tones, especially when it comes to jazz and classical music.

The AU-X ANC Planar headphones have dual microphones also for calling/audio out, an included battery of 800 mAh for a rated 25 hours of battery life which the company claims is on the conservative side (think closer to 28 hours), and touch controls on the earcups for volume and media playback. Bluetooth 5.0 and 3.5 mm aux inputs complement the headphones for portability, and AptX-HD + Hi-Res certification round off the headphones which are rated for a 20 Hz-40 KHz frequency response, 32 Ω impedance, an SPL of 98 +/- 3 dB, and 280 grams in mass with protein leather earpads similar to those in the Bose QC35. The AU-X headphones cost $299.95 and will ship in March 2020. Read past the break for more on their equally new AU-Stream Hybrid earbuds.

At the 2020 International CES, Thermaltake unveiled a plethora of new gaming peripherals that include keyboards, mice, surfaces, and headsets. The star attractions here were the TK5 RGB keyboard and mouse. The keyboard has a dual-tone face-plate design that looks refreshingly new. You get a detachable cushioned palm-rest. The face-plate around the main key cluster and function keys are silvery aluminium, while one surrounding the numerical cluster, arrow and editing keys is contrasting dark aluminium. The TK5 uses a floating keycap design, with RGB LED element of each individual key producing a glow around the key. There's an acrylic RGB LED diffuser that runs along the periphery of the keyboard, too. Thermaltake is using Cherry MX Blue or MX Speed Silver switches.

The TM5 mouse is wireless, but can also be used as a wired mouse. As a wireless mouse, it supports 2.4 GHz RF (needs a dongle, but provides 10 m range and lower latency) and Bluetooth 5.0 (no dongle needed). The mouse features a palm-grip optimized ambidextrous design with 8 buttons in total. RGB LED embellishments include the scroll-wheel and an RGB element that runs along the periphery of the underside of the mouse. Under the hood is a 16,000 dpi PixArt PMW3335 sensor and Omron-made switches.