CORSAIR, a world leader in PC gaming peripherals and enthusiast components, today announced the launch of the NIGHTSWORD RGB and M55 RGB PRO, two brand-new gaming mouse designs that join the company's portfolio of high-performance gaming peripherals. The NIGHTSWORD RGB boasts the latest cutting-edge technology, including an 18,0000 DPI optical sensor and a smart tunable weight system that tracks the current mouse weight and center of gravity in real-time. The M55 RGB PRO is a new ambidextrous gaming mouse, with a symmetrical design optimized for multiple grip styles. The new mice broaden CORSAIR's already formidable lineup, adding even more options to suit players of all kinds, from esports professionals to newcomers to PC gaming.

UL Benchmarks via its 3DMark product have announced that they'll be introducing a new, comprehensive test that aims to test PCIe bandwidth across generations. Citing the introduction of PCIe 4.0 to the masses - soon available in the consumer market via AMD's Ryzen 3000 series release - UL wants users to be able to know what a difference this makes towards allowing for more complex games and scenarios that aren't data-constrained by PCIe 3.0.

The 3D Mark PCIe Performance Test will be made available this summer for free for 3DMark Advanced Edition and for 3DMark Professional Edition customers with a valid annual license.

AMD and Samsung today announced a key strategic partnership in high performance graphics technologies for the mobile space. The agreement means that Samsung will license AMD's Radeon graphics IP in its latest RDNA iteration, no less, for integration on smartphone graphics processing. Let me stress how impressive this can be: that AMD developed a graphics architecture that can scale from a high-performance GPU down to a nimble, fast, power-sipping module for mobile graphics processing.

This is a huge strategic win for AMD, in that more and more products will be infused with their technology. As Lisa Su puts it, the Radeon user base and development ecosystem will be greatly increased with this Samsung integration - as will AMD's revenue, for sure. Perhaps we'll see a "Powered by AMD Radeon" sticker or engraving in our future Samsung smartphones, as we do with Leica partnerships, for example.)

Apple has advised users that they should disable Intel's Hyper-Threading feature on the company's computers due to the recently exposed MDS vulnerabilities. Citing internal testing, Apple said that users can expect an up to 40% performance loss in such a scenario (depending on system and workload, naturally) in various benchmarks and multithreaded workloads. The performance loss is understandable - you're essentially halving the number of threads available for your CPU to process data.

Like Intel said, it becomes an issue of how much users value their performance compared to the security risks involved: a classic risk/benefit scenario, which shouldn't ever be in the equation, after all. If users buy a system with a CPU that has known performance levels, they will obviously expect those to be valid for the longevity of the product, unless otherwise stated and considering operational variances that fall within a margin of error/product obsolescence. Halving your performance because of a design flaw that resulted from an effort to achieve higher and higher IPC increases doesn't strike as a way to inspire confidence in your products.

AMD today released the latest in their driver suite, which brings about improved performance and support for Mortal Kombat 11 - that means gory details in full GPU-acceleration for the best possible gaming experience. Apart from that, not much to see here: there's a fixed issue relating to AMD Link and Radeon Settings sometimes displaying incorrect parameters. The list of known issues is slightly larger, and follows after the break. Follow the link below for your latest AMD driver download.DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 19.4.3

Much like NVIDIA's MX150 graphics cards before them, the new MX 2250 have been silently separated into two different SKUs. The difference, which is almost impossible to tell by comparing two MX250-powered solutions in a brick-and-mortar store (let alone in an online marketplace), can only be differentiated via their version ID (unless the vendor specifies what wattage version they're using, which isn't very likely). A low-power, 10 W MX250 carries the '1D52' ID, while the faster, 25 W rated part carries the '1D13' identification.

The power envelope difference on these parts means that performance is being gated at the clock speed level, and if the MX250 SKUs go any way close to their MX150 predecessors, we're looking at some 30% difference between parts. Now, if vendors do discriminate which version they've installed - the 10 W or the 25 W one - then all is good - the consumer knows what he's buying (or at least has the info to do a quick Google check), and manufacturers are free to choose which version to implement on their designs, whether favoring performance or battery longevity. If not, well... You should use GPU-Z on your laptop as soon as you can, because you might be carrying a 10 W part while counting on 30% more performance. And not knowing that before purchase really is a light kick in the proverbial for users, especially if it's done only via version number,s which the majority of prospective PC buyers won't be aware of.

Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) announced today that the 2019 COMPUTEX International Press Conference will be held with a Keynote by AMD President and CEO Dr. Lisa Su. The 2019 COMPUTEX International Press Conference & CEO Keynote is scheduled for Monday, May 27 at 10:00 AM in Room 201 of the Taipei International Convention Center (TICC) in Taipei, Taiwan with the keynote topic "The Next Generation of High-Performance Computing".

"COMPUTEX, as one of the global leading technology tradeshows, has continued to advance with the times for more than 30 years. This year, for the first time, a keynote speech will be held at the pre-show international press conference," said Mr. Walter Yeh, President & CEO, TAITRA, "Dr. Lisa Su received a special invitation to share insights about the next generation of high-performance computing. We look forward to her participation attracting more companies to participate in COMPUTEX, bringing the latest industry insights, and jointly sharing the infinite possibilities of the technology ecosystem on this global stage."

Let's give credit where it is due- Microsoft was quick in admitting that their Windows 10 update (KB4482887) from March 1 had a detrimental effect on performance, especially as it related to specific gaming scenarios. Under a week later, we now have a public fix available as well. The latest update from today, March 12, is version KB4489899 (OS Build 17763.379) and claims to address "an issue that may degrade graphics and mouse performance with desktop gaming when playing certain games, such as Destiny 2, after installing KB4482887", among other things.

Other listed improvements and fixes include improved HoloLens tracking and device calibration, solving a bug that caused some users to get "Error 1309" when dealing with some .MSI and/or .MSP files, and a host of general security updates to various Microsoft software solutions. There remain some issues with this update, however, which are listed in the source page linked below. The update should be available for download and install automatically via Windows Update, as of the time of this post.

Microsoft has confirmed that their latest Windows 10 update (KB4482887), which released on march 1st, can actually degrade graphics and mouse performance in some games. As Microsoft themselves put it, "After installing KB4482887, users may notice graphics and mouse performance degradation with desktop gaming when playing certain games (eg: Destiny 2)."

There's no word yet on a definitive listing of games that suffer this performance degradation, but Microsoft is hard at work fixing this for the next Windows release. Until then, users facing graphics and mouse performance degradation can simply uninstall the KB4482887 update.

Plugable, the leading developer of USB, Thunderbolt, Bluetooth and power-related devices, launches the 10Gb USB-C (USB 3.1 Gen 2) NVMe SSD Enclosure, the first high performance NVMe enclosure to feature a completely tool-free, spring-loaded design for inserting and removing a compatible SSD, along with advanced thermal management to maximize performance and device lifespan.

With a sleek and slim profile, a rugged aluminum body for improved heat dissipation, and USB Type-A and Type-C host compatibility, the Plugable USB-C NVMe Enclosure is an optimal solution for safeguarding SSDs when moving from the workplace to the home office and achieving maximum transfer performance speeds on PCs, Macs and Linux devices.

NVIDIA is in the process of rolling out the first implementations of its RTX 2000 series GPUs in mobile form, and if the going is as is being reported, it's going to be a little rough for users to actually extrapolate their performance from product to product. This is because manufacturers are apparently getting a whole lot of leeway in how to clock their products, according to their solution's thermal characteristics and design philosophy.

What this means is that NVIDIA's RTX 2080 Max-Q, for example, can be clocked as low as 735 MHz, which is a more than 50% downclock from its desktop counterpart (1,515 MHz). The non-Max-Q implementation of NVIDIA's RTX 2080, for now, seems to be clocked at around 1,380 MHz, which is still a close to 200 Mhz downclock. Of course, these lowered clocks are absolutely normal - and necessary - for these products, particularly on a huge chip such as the one powering the RTX 2080. The problem arises when manufacturers don't disclose clockspeeds of the GPU in their particular implementation - a user might buy, say, an MSI laptop and an ASUS one with the exact same apparent configuration, but GPUs operating at very different clockspeeds, with very different levels of performance. Users should do their due research when it comes to the point of choosing what mobile solution sporting one of these NVIDIA GPUs they should choose.

G.SKILL, the world's leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and gaming peripherals, is delighted to announce high-frequency, high-capacity RGB memory kits at DDR4-4266MHz CL18-22-22-42 with 64GB (8x8GB) capacity. These ultimate specification memory kits are built with high performance Samsung B-die components and will be available under both Trident Z RGB and Trident Z Royal series.

INNO3D, a leading manufacturer of pioneering high-end multimedia components and various innovations including the recent addition high performance gaming iCHILL Memory. Its introduction to the market has been very well received due to the various capacities that the iCHILL memory series offers including 4GB to 16GB at speeds of 2400MHz to 4000MHz and with ultra-low latencies up to 15CL.

INNO3D has done wonders with the iCHILL series over the last decade in the graphics department so wanted to apply the same principles, intricacies and devotion to creating a series of performance gaming memory with the ice cool touch. The iCHILL memory modules are equipped with a unique heat spreader design that optimizes system performance for smoother gaming experience with that extra kick to your PC.

It would appear AMD's 7nm Vega 20 has been benchmarked in Final Fantasy XV. While the details are scarce, what we do know is the hardware device ID 66AF:C1 can be linked to Vega 20 via the Linux patches back in April. Now considering AMD has not confirmed any 7nm Vega graphics cards for consumers, It is more likely this version is an engineering sample for the new Radeon Instinct or Pro series cards.

Real time ray tracing won't be cheap. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 20 Series graphics cards are quite expensive, but even with that resources the cost to take advantage of this rendering technique will be high. We didn't know for sure what this cost would be, but the developers at Remedy have shown some preliminary results on that front. This company is working on Control, one of the first games with RTX support, and although they have not provided framerate numbers, what we do know is that the activation of ray tracing imposes a clear impact.

It does at least in these preliminary tests with its Northlight Engine. In an experimental scene with a wet marble floor and a lot of detailed furniture they were able to evaluate the cost of enabling RTX. There is a 9.2 ms performance overhead per frame in total: 2.3 ms to compute shadows; 4.4 ms to compute reflexions; and 2.5 ms for the global denoising lighting. These are not good news for those who enjoy games at 1080p60.

The release of Windows 10 October 2018 Update has had the side-effects of new driver releases from a variety of manufacturers. NVIDIA released its GeForce 416.16 WHQL drivers today, and now Intel has also released the first driver update for its graphics chips following the release of this major Windows 10 update. This WDDM 2.5 driver introduces HDR10 on internal displays, support for Wide Color Gamut on capable displays, as well as improvements in EDR Quality.

The driver also introduces performance improvements for Microsoft WinML-based applications on 7th Generation Intel Core processors and higher. Power optimizations are also included even when the display is in standby. This driver also has performance improvements for Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 (DirectX 11 version) on 6th Generation Intel Core processors or higher.

In a continued effort to support the PC platform, BANDAI NAMCO previously announced they would be releasing Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown on PC. At the time, there was no mention of what the game's system requirements would be. However, thanks to an NVIDIA blog post, we now know not only the game's system requirements but an estimate on system performance as well- at least with their own graphics solutions.

Overall, the minimum and recommended requirements appear to be quite reasonable. BANDAI NAMCO even went so far as to make note that the recommended requirements are representative of what is needed to run the game at the 1920x1080 resolution with max settings. NVIDIA's own testing backs up those claims with the GeForce GTX 1060 offering a comfortable 100 FPS at 1920x1080, and 60 FPS at 2560x1440 resolutions. Meanwhile, those wanting to push the game at 4K will need a GeForce GTX 1080 Ti or better which should offer a steady 60+ FPS.

The online results database for the Final Fantasy XV Benchmark has been partially updated to include NVIDIA's RTX 2080 and 2080 Ti. Scores for both standard and high quality settings at 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 are available. While the data for 1920x1080 and lite quality tests are not.

Taking a look at the RTX 2080 Ti results, show it beating out the GTX 1080 Ti by 26% and 28% in the standard and high quality tests respectively, at 2560x1440. Increasing the resolution to 3840x2160, again shows the RTX 2080 Ti ahead, this time by 20% and 31% respectively. The RTX 2080 offers a similar performance improvement over the GTX 1080 at 2560x1440, where it delivers a performance improvement of 28% and 33% in the same standard and high quality tests. Once again, increasing the resolution to 3840x2160 results in performance being 33% and 36% better than the GTX 1080. Overall, both graphics cards are shaping up to be around 30% faster than the previous generation without any special features. With Final Fantasy XV getting DLSS support in the near future, it is likely the performance of the RTX series will further improve compared to the previous generation.

New consumer electronics products continue expansion of Silicon Power's diverse line following the success of several key products including memory modules, headphones, and portable SSDs. SP, a leader in memory storage solutions, is introducing four PCIe SSDs to customers to top off an exciting summer for technology and electronic companies.

Superior Storage Performance for Performance Gaming, Modification, and Upgrades
As the company recently expanded and innovated its product line, it returns to its area of expertise by releasing the P34A80/PCle Gen3x4 & NVMe 1.2, the P34M85/PCle Gen3x4 & NVMe 1.2 with an added heat sink, and upgrades to the P32A80/PCle Gen3x2 & NVMe 1.2 and P32M85/PCle Gen3x4 & NVMe 1.2 with added heat sink.

Much of the secret sauce that made Intel processors faster than AMD is going sour, as the cybersecurity community is finding gaping security vulnerabilities by exploiting features such as speculative execution. Intel's microcode updates that mitigate these vulnerabilities impact performance. Intel isn't too happy about public performance numbers put out by its customers, which it fears could blunt the competitive edge of its products. The company has hence updated the license terms governing the microcode update distribution to explicitly forbid its users from publishing comparative "before/after" performance numbers of patched processors.

The updated license for the microcode update has this controversial sentence (pay attention to "v"):

"You will not, and will not allow any third party to (i) use, copy, distribute, sell or offer to sell the Software or associated documentation; (ii) modify, adapt, enhance, disassemble, decompile, reverse engineer, change or create derivative works from the Software except and only to the extent as specifically required by mandatory applicable laws or any applicable third party license terms accompanying the Software; (iii) use or make the Software available for the use or benefit of third parties; or (iv) use the Software on Your products other than those that include the Intel hardware product(s), platform(s), or software identified in the Software; or (v) publish or provide any Software benchmark or comparison test results."

MSI, a world leader in high performance computing hardware, today announces its new WS65 mobile workstation. The WS65 shows MSI's continued investment in its workstation lines with a commitment to users searching for sophisticated products that blend performance and portability. Additionally, the PS42 professional laptop and Optix MAG241C and MAG271C gaming monitors are now available. MSI will have the WS65 on display at Siggraph 2018 at the NVIDIA Booth number 801.

MSI's new WS65 mobile workstation features a similar chassis to the GS65 Stealth Thin, with attractive styling and 15.6-inch, ultra-thin bezel display. With up to Intel's 8th Generation Core i9 processor and up to NVIDIA Quadro P4200 graphics, the WS65 is up to 40 percent faster than the previous generation. While it was designed for portability, the WS65 also features an 82Whr battery for up to eight hours of battery life.

Continuing its #SummerOfFlight, Thrustmaster today announced that its new T.Flight U.S. Air Force Edition Gaming Headset will be available for pre-order on August 16th prior to its official release this fall on October 31. A great end to the summer is guaranteed for flight simmers!

Currently on display at the Thrustmaster Gaming Hangar B in booth 2162 at the EAA AirVenture 2018 in Oshkosh WI, the new headset meets the exacting standards needed to carry the official license of the United States Air Force, one of the most respected military air wings in modern aviation history. Including its tremendous design, the headset itself introduces several outstanding features to the high-quality fidelity and components that come from over 25 years of audio experience. These features make the T.Flight U.S. Air Force Edition Gaming Headset an ideal solution for flight sims, aerial combat games, esports and multiplayer games.

Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, announced today a 256 GB capacity addition to its 'Canvas' React Flash memory microSD card line. With the new capacity consumers will now have a complete range from 32 GB to 256 GB to fit their storage and performance needs.

Kingston's Canvas React line of microSD cards are designed to be the solution shooters need when capturing photos continuously in burst mode or stunning 4K video where the action does not stop. It gives users the flexibility to experience more and worry less about running out of space on their device. The cards are designed to deliver the speed, capacity, and durability needed for life's memories, even in the most extreme conditions. With Class 10 UHS-I U3 speeds up to 100 MB/s read and 80 MB/s write, users have the freedom to capture adventures in full HD or record in 4K on their DSLR, mirrorless camera or premium smartphone.

A performance preview of sorts for Monster Hunter World has surfaced via a post on Resetera, where user FluffyQuack posted his initial performance results with an advance copy of the PC version of the game. Initial impressions don't scale very well; performance isn't monstrous, but it isn't exactly pretty either. The game does look good, granted; however, there are some texture and fur processing quality issues that could be much better implemented.

Performance figures for a system equipped with 16 GB of RAM, an i7-4790k and a GTX 1080 are delivering a minimum of 44 FPS on the highest preset, 60 FPS on High settings, 65 FPS on Medium, and 108 FPS on Low. Of course, a day-one patch could optimize settings further, but there are some visually impressive games that both look and perform better. Still, the game looks good, and should be an interesting experience for the long summer.

The folks over at Computerbase.de have took it into their hands to study exactly how much of an impact >(if any) would activating HDR on a 4K panel affect performance cross different hardware configurations. Supposedly, HDR shouldn't impose any performance penalty on GPUs that were designed to already consider that output on a hardware level; however, as we know, expectations can sometimes be wrong.