ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) is proud to announce a collaboration with world-renowned game studio KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS, as well as the launch of the ROG Flow Z13-KJP along with a new lineup of KJP peripherals. ROG and KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS are driven to create products and experiences tailored for gamers.

Cutting-edge gaming hardware meets visionary storytelling
At the heart of this collaboration is 'Ludens'—the belief that humans are not only thinkers, but also players and creators. The collaboration combines the spirit of the ROG motto For Those Who Dare with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS' vision From Sapiens to Ludens. Ludens are the ones who experiment, mod, create, and challenge what games—and gaming hardware—can be. By uniting cutting-edge ROG hardware with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS' visionary storytelling, this partnership is a tribute to that spirit: everything we build, every detail we design, is for gamers everywhere—For Ludens Who Dare.

AMD has reportedly stopped driver updates for its Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU solution for handheld consoles, according to the latest Lenovo Korea update. This means that only after 2 and a half years, AMD is pulling support for its SoC, leaving many enthusiasts in a difficult spot. Confirmation from multiple sources are piling up as Reddit users and customers of other handheld consoles are stating that support for their specific devices, based on the Ryzen Z1 Extreme SoC, are also stuck using drivers that are several months old. For example, a user has commented that his ASUS ROG Ally non-X version based on the Ryzen Z1 Extreme SoC has been stuck with six-month-old SoC drivers from August 2025. This means that AMD has effectively placed the Ryzen Z1 and Ryzen Z1 Extreme chips into a periodic update window, with no latest driver support coming to this 2023 SoC.

However, the situation is quite complex. OEMs like Lenovo and ASUS receive drivers from AMD and test them for their specific configurations. AMD offers configurable TDP (cTDP) for the Z1 Extreme with values ranging from 9 to 30 W. This means that OEMs can get a SoC with reduced clocks and power settings to match their desired handheld designs, or simply run the most aggressive 30 W configuration that will sacrifice some battery life but deliver overall higher CPU and GPU clocks. Hence, drivers must be tested to ensure they work properly on the specific TDP configuration by the OEM before they are installed by the user. Finding the "blame" is proving to be difficult, as it could be that AMD is not bothering with new updates, or OEMs are not eager to test their specific configurations.

It was revealed in a recent leak that the next-gen AMD Zen 6 Ryzen CPUs would be delayed until 2027, and it has now emerged, that the upcoming Intel "Nova Lake-S" Core Ultra Series 4 CPUs may be joining AMD for an early 2027 launch, when previous reports placed the launch in late 2026. The news comes by way of ubiquitous leakers, HXL on X and Golden Pig Upgrade on Weibo, who say that a CES 2027 launch seems likely for both new CPU generations.

Previously, we got a taste of what to expect from Nova Lake-S in a series of leaks and rumors, which pointed to increased NPU performance as well as core counts that range from 12 on the low-end (4 P-cores, 4 E-cores, 4 LP-cores) to 52 on the high-end (16 P-cores, 32 E-cores, 4 LP-cores). Obviously, these are early leaks, and the official launch is still a way out, so dates may still change, but it seems as though the current silicon and DRAM shortages may result in the lengthening of product launch cycles across the PC industry in general—an outcome that was previously predicted.

AMD has released its latest Ryzen Chipset Software version 8.01.20.513 driver, which includes general bug fixes and performance improvements. These updates should provide Ryzen CPU owners with some quality-of-life enhancements. In the release highlights, AMD mentions that the installer file has been updated with a new installation wrapper called Install Shield. Interestingly, AMD notes that this latest package does not include the AMS Mailbox and S0i3 filter drivers, which now need to be installed independently on systems that require them or may produce errors without them. Finally, AMD acknowledges that some issues persist, such as the regression from branch version 7 to the earlier chipset driver branch version 6, but the company offers a workaround, which is listed below. We have included the entire changelog below, as well as a download option on TechPowerUp's download section page.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Chipset Software 8.01.20.513

As the demand for local data management continues to grow among households and small teams, storage devices are no longer just file containers. They are expected to deliver computing capability, scalability, and long-term operational stability. The Acemagic N3A Mini PCNAS combines Mini PC performance with NAS storage in an integrated design, bringing computing power and multi-drive storage into a compact form factor. It enables users to build an efficient and reliable local storage and collaboration environment within limited space.

Stable Performance for Multi-Scenario Applications
Powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 3750H processor, the N3A features a 4-core, 8-thread architecture with boost speeds of up to 4.0 GHz, delivering a balanced combination of performance and power efficiency within a 35 W TDP. Whether handling simultaneous file access from multiple devices, everyday multimedia workloads, or containerized applications such as Docker, the system maintains consistent responsiveness, supporting long-term, stable use for both home users and small teams. Integrated Radeon RX Vega graphics with 4K@60 Hz display output ensures smooth content playback and flexible support for media-centric and display-oriented use cases.

With the increasing price of gaming memory and silicon in general, it was only a matter of time before we saw gaming laptop manufacturers lean into hardware rentals as a business model, for better or worse. HP seems to be leading the pack with a newly announced hardware subscription service, called the Omen Gaming Subscription, that offers gamers rentals of HP Omen gaming laptops and even gaming accessories, like monitors, headphones, microphones, USB hubs, and HyperX gaming mice. The subscription is charged monthly, but HP locks you into a 12-month minimum contract term, with cancellation fees between $549.99 and $1,429.99 after two months of use with a device return. If you want to keep the device, you'll need to pay a flat rate of $1,199 for the Victus 15 and $3,299 for the Omen Max 16, seemingly regardless of how long you've been subscribed to the service.

The subscription starts at $49.99 with the "Everyday Gaming with Great Performance" HP Victus 15 with an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS, 16 GB of DDR5-5600, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU; the $79.99 "Immersive Gaming Experiences" plan gets you an Omen 17 laptop with a Ryzen AI 7 350, RTX 5060 8 GB Laptop GPU, 32 GB of DDR5-5600 memory, and 1 TB of PCIe storage; and the $129.99 "High-End Gaming with no Compromises" plan comes with an Omen Max 16 with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, NVIDIA RTX 5080 16 GB Laptop GPU, 32 GB of DDR5-5600, and 1 TB of PCIe storage. Subscription requires a soft credit check, and the service renews annually, with new hardware available with each renewal. HP also offers a 30-day trial and an ongoing warranty, all of which is very reminiscent of HP's infamous All-In printer subscription, which starts at $7.99 per month for 20 pages of printing with a two-year commitment. Needless to say, the whole hardware subscription model has largely been met with criticism in online spaces like r/pcmasterrace, with some users calling it a scam and others recalling the time when NZXT was ripped to shreds online for a similar business model.

Gigabyte, the world's leading computer brand, partners with AMD to announce the Crimson Desert game bundle to enhance game value across a wide range of components and consumer products. Spanning graphics cards, select AMD Ryzen 9000X3D processors are paired with recommended Gigabyte motherboards, as well as laptops and desktops. Together, Gigabyte and AMD deliver a richer and more immersive gaming experience through cutting-edge hardware innovation.

Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 Series graphics cards are powered by the AMD RDNA 4 architecture with enhanced ray tracing capabilities and AMD FSR "Redstone" technology, which boosts frame rates and reduces system latency delivering the horsepower needed for demanding gaming. Equipped with Gigabyte's WINDFORCE cooling system, including the Hawk fan design and server-grade thermal conductive gel, these GPUs maintain exceptional thermal efficiency for consistently optimized gameplay.

Intel's Arc graphics solutions initially had a rough start to life on the Linux side of things, but it seems as though the tide is changing. Phoronix recently tested the new Panther Lake Intel Arc B390 iGPU in the Intel Core Ultra X7 358H, comparing the new iGPU to the venerable Radeon 890M in the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, and Intel's iGPU consistently outpaces the Radeon iGPU, which isn't a surprise if you've been keeping track of early benchmarks on Windows. The publication tested the new Xe3 integrated graphics in an MSI Prestige 14 running the latest Mesa 26.0 drivers on Linux Kernel version 6.19 on Ubuntu 26.04.

When it comes to gaming, the only games in which the Xe3 iGPU was bested by the AMD competition were Counterstrike 2, running at 1920×1200, and Quake II RTX. In every other game, the Intel Arc B390 beat both the AMD competition and the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and Core Ultra 7 258V significantly. Depending on the game and in-game settings, the Arc B390 was anywhere between 15% and upwards of 50%. Hitman 3 was a particularly impressive outlier, with the B390 managing to get over 50% more FPS than the nearest competitor and 64% more FPS than the Radeon 890M at 1920×1200 and low settings, with similar gains at medium quality settings, and a slightly less impressive performance improvement when bumping up to ultra settings.

AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 9995WX HEDT processor with 96 cores and 192 threads comes with a default TDP of 350 W. However, heavy overclocking can bring the CPU to 1,300 W and requires a custom integrated heat spreader (IHS) that serves as a direct-die waterblock. In the latest endeavor by Geekerwan, the enthusiast created a custom fin structure inside the Ryzen Threadripper Pro 9995WX IHS that serves as a direct-die waterblock to achieve an impressive overclock of 5.325 GHz, drawing an astonishing 1,340 W during load, with the entire system drawing around 1,700 W. According to Geekerwan, he contacted ASUS China regional manager Tony Yu to experiment with different IHS designs before "ruining" the IHS of a $12,000 HEDT CPU. He then proceeded with trying a straight fin structure common in commercial waterblocks, but also conducted computer simulations that showed a curved, wavy S-shaped fin structure is the most efficient in capturing heat, as the coolant flows over a longer distance with minimal obstruction, resulting in 20% better cooling than the straight fin structure.

The IHS of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 9995WX processor is 4.1 mm thick, which left Geekerwan with about 2.0 mm of fin depth and about 2.1 mm for the structural integrity of the IHS, which is subject to a lot of water pressure. After a heavy 19-hour session of CNC milling, the result is a CPU that ran between 30-50°C, which is an amazing temperature under Cinebench 2026 load. The system also placed 7th in Cinebench R23, just behind an LN2-cooled AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 7995WX running at 6.2 GHz. Impressive heat dissipation and the massive 5.325 GHz clock on a 96-core system are also made possible with an industrial chiller, two Bosch water pumps from cars, and a 37-gallon water tank. You can check out the entire process below.

ASRock is closely monitoring recent discussions regarding the performance and behavior of AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors on ASRock AMD platforms. In response to these reports, we have implemented comprehensive internal reviews and rigorous verification processes. We have been working in seamless coordination with AMD continuously to further validate system performance across a wide range of hardware configurations, while optimizing BIOS and enhancing overall system stability.

ASRock deeply values user feedback as a cornerstone of our continuous improvement. Customers experiencing technical difficulties or seeking further assistance are encouraged to contact the ASRock Technical Support Department. We remain committed to delivering high-performance products that meet the highest standards of quality and performance.

Maingear has officially announced its latest retro-themed pre-built desktop PCs, the Retro98. The new pre-built desktops are built in SilverStone FLP02 chassis, replete with a functional turbo button—for setting PWM-controlled fans to max speed—and a big red power toggle switch, and they can be had with either a 360 mm AIO or open-loop liquid cooling designed in collaboration with Alphacool. The entire build looks rather authentic, with classic ketchup and mustard cables and classic 5.25" drive bay covers for the HDD bays tying the look together. The open-loop version is called the Retro98α, and the version that features AIO cooling is just the Retro98. Both versions of the Retro98 are limited edition, though, with only six units of the Retro98α and 32 units of the Retro98 available—by the looks of it, each specific SKU is limited to these quantities, not the series as a whole. Prices start at $2,499 for the Retro98, with the Retro98α topping out at $9,799.

Internally, the Retro98 series starts with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with 32 GB DDR5-6400 RAM, a 2 TB NVMe Gen 5 SSD, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, with the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and RTX 5080 available from $3,499. Stepping up again to $4,999 gets you an RTX 5090, a Ryzen 7 9850X3D, and the $9,799 Retro98α coming equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, 64 GB of RAM, a 4 TB SSD, and an RTX 5090. All versions of the Retro98 also come with onboard Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, and the cooling configuration consists of dual 120 mm front intakes, a single 120 mm rear exhaust, and three top-mounted 120 mm exhaust fans for the radiator. The Intel variant ships with an MSI Z890 Gaming Plus WiFi motherboard, while the AMD versions are all built around the MSI X870E Gaming Plus WiFi, and they all come with appropriately sized 80+ Gold-rated PSUs ranging from 650 W to 1600 W.

iBUYPOWER, a leading system integrator of gaming and content creation PCs, announced today that AMD's latest flagship gaming CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, is now available as an option when purchasing a custom PC through iBUYPOWER's custom configurator, or through its recently launched PC Lab service on iBUYPOWER.com. Each computer built with the 9850X3D will also be backed by iBUYPOWER's extensive three-year labor and two-year parts warranty for additional peace of mind.

By boosting clock speed to up to 5.6 GHz for faster single-threaded performance and responsiveness, AMD's Ryzen 7 9850X3D CPU is the new king of PC gaming processors that is backed by unrivaled longevity thanks to the CPU being designed for AMD's Socket AM5 platform. Built on 2nd Gen AMD 3D V-Cache technology, the 9850X3D has been re-engineered to give direct cooler access to the processor cores, and is fully enabled for overclocking out of the box. This enables accelerated performance for everyday productivity tasks and even higher gaming performance.

MS-Terminator B850M PRO II WIFI7 AM5 motherboard with support for latest AMD Ryzen processors. Despite being a microATX form factor motherboard, it comes with a 12+2+1 VRM with support for up to 300 W CPUs, which means it can easily handle the new Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU. In addition, it also got upgraded to Wi-Fi 7, 2.5G Ethernet, and Bluetooth 5.4 for connectivity, as well as got two PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 slots and single PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slot.

Since it is a microATX motherboard, the Maxsun MS-Terminator B850M PRO II WIFI7 comes with one PCIe 5.0 x16 and one PCIe 4.0 x4 slots, and four standard DDR5 DIMM slots with support for up to 192 GB of DDR5-8000 memory. In case you are wondering, it uses Realtek's RTL8125D 2.5 Gb Ethernet and MTK MT7825 Wi-Fi 7, as well as Realtek's ALC897 audio. It also supports up to 16 USB ports, with dual front and rear USB-C 10G ports, six USB 5G, and eight USB 2.0 ports.

Intel apparently has no plans to compete with the high-power iGPUs in AMD's Strix Halo APUs. This is according to Intel's Tom Petersen, who recently spoke to Club386 about the potential for a Panther Lake Halo, as it were, explaining that there are many factors currently preventing Intel from going down that route. While Intel's Arc B390 iGPU currently appears to only be outmatched by AMD's Radeon 8060S in the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and similar, it seems as though that's where Intel will stop for now, with Petersen reportedly saying that that sort of performance segment is "primarily discrete," and that those looking for that sort of performance "would be better served by a small, discrete GPU that's going to be provided by third parties."

He goes on to explain that AMD's Strix Halo APUs aren't as efficient, stating that "AMD's current product is not that competitive either, on a power or a performance-per-watt basis," and that Intel is "focused on integrated graphics performance, primarily for gaming." Much like AMD, Intel produces both integrated and discrete graphics solutions, with the latest Arc GPU rumors pointing to a workstation-grade Battlemage BMG-G31 GPU, which is supposed to arrive later this year in the form of the Arc Pro B70 GPU with 32 GB of VRAM. Currently, the Intel Arc B580 is Intel's most powerful gaming GPU, and that delivers markedly better performance than the AMD Radeon 8060S, depending on the specific workload.

AMD's RDNA 3.5 integrated graphics is poised to become one of the company's longest-running iGPUs. A slide generated by AI and shared on the Chinese Weibo forums by Golden Pig Upgrade suggests that AMD plans to use RDNA 3.5 until 2029, making it one of the most enduring versions of RDNA GPUs. Although this slide is not an official roadmap, it provides insight into the company's future plans. Golden Pig Upgrade is known for accurate information from various industry sources, lending credibility to this illustration of AMD's product strategy. According to this roadmap, most consumers buying laptops in the coming years will experience the same integrated graphics capabilities as those found in today's Ryzen AI 300 and 400 series processors.

AMD seems to be reserving architectural updates for high-end "Halo" products, potentially equipping the rumored "Medusa Halo" lineup's premium variants that use separate GPU tiles with the next-generation RDNA 5. However, standard "Medusa Point" chips are expected to maintain the existing RDNA 3.5 architecture. This approach effectively halts progress in integrated graphics for most of AMD's product line, leaving office laptops and midrange machines without significant visual performance improvements until the end of the decade. The only expected advancements in the coming years are at the CPU level, making the future "Zen 6" architecture the main attraction for midrange laptops. AMD's only chance to boost iGPU performance in the near future would be by increasing the number of compute units, either through a larger die area or a more advanced manufacturing process that allows for a denser package. However, with RDNA 5 anticipated for "Medusa Halo" and other products, this seems less likely.

According to an unreleased slide leaked by VideoCardz, AMD has prepared a section for its upcoming Ryzen 7 9850X3D CPU about difference in memory speeds affecting FPS performance. In AMD's own testing, going from DDR5-6000 to DDR5-4800 memory yield less than 1% drop of FPS, meaning that the memory selection isn't very important for this gaming CPU. The slide aims to demonstrate that even with cheaper DDR5 memory, priced around $400 for a 2x16 GB kit running at 4,800 MT/s, performance remains largely unaffected. AMD noted that a more expensive 2x16 GB DDR5 kit running at the "sweet spot" of 6,000 MT/s is priced at about $470. This means spending 17.5% more on memory does not provide significant real-world benefits. Gamers can instead to allocate their budget elsewhere and consider more affordable memory options, while keeping frame-rate in check.

Finally, this slide leaked just six days before AMD's official launch on January 29, with a suggested retail price of $499. This 8-core/16-thread processor features the "Zen 5" microarchitecture, enhanced with 3D V-Cache technology, and offers a 400 MHz speed boost over the current 9800X3D. The chip has a base frequency of 4.70 GHz and a maximum boost frequency of 5.60 GHz. Some samples have even been observed running at a 5.75 GHz boost frequency, indicating that enthusiasts might achieve even higher frequencies even under typical home conditions. As memory selection isn't a big differentiator, the 400 MHz boost increase from its sibling—Ryzen 7 9800X3D—will be the topic of discussion for third party review.

ASUS today announced ASUS ExpertBook B3 G2, a configurable Copilot+ PC designed for business, available in 14-inch and 16-inch models and featuring a durable, lightweight design starting from just 1.41 kg, a 180° lay-flat hinge, advanced AI capabilities, enterprise-grade security, and seamless collaboration.

With up to an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX processor with integrated GPU and NPU acceleration power, ExpertBook B3 G2's advanced AI features—including ASUS MyExpert, Copilot, and noise-canceling technology—to enhance business productivity. The lightweight, easily-maintained design offers extensive I/O options and support for high-speed Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. Security is strengthened by ASUS ExpertGuardian, delivering NIST SP 800-193 compliance, dual ROM BIOS recovery, and TPM 2.0 protection for robust data resilience.

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.

Zotac has silently unveiled the new MAGNUS EAMAX395C mini PC that will be equipped with AMD's Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 processor and come in the same compact 2.65-liter form factor. As it was the case with previous Zotac mini PC systems, the MAGNUS EAMAX series will be available as a barebone or a fully equipped system, and in addition to the Ryzen AI MAX+ 395, it will also be available in two other SKUs, with Ryzen AI MAX 390 and the Ryzen AI MAX 385.

AMD showcased its Ryzen AI Halo mini PC at the CES show, and plenty of other manufacturers are using the same Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 APU in their systems, from mini PCs, laptops, to handhelds. Zotac has been known to make pretty good mini PCs, so we are sure that the ZBOX MAGNUS EAMAX395C will be the same. In terms of specifications, you are looking at an AMD Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 APU with Radeon 8060S integrated GPU and 128 GB of on-board LPDDR5X-8000 memory, which delivers up to 126 TOPS of AI performance.

Ayaneo launched the Pocket Fit in mid-2025 as a Snapdragon-powered Android gaming handheld, and it has now brought that compact form factor and minimalist design over to the Windows gaming handheld world with the Ayaneo Konkr Fit. The new Konkr Fit bumps up the screen size from the 6-incher on the Pocket Fit to a 7-inch, 1080p, 16:9 OLED display, and moves away from the Arm architecture entirely, opting instead for the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470, which is a 12-core Zen 5 CPU with the 16-CU Radeon 890M iGPU. Ayaneo has also confirmed that the display will be capable of 800 nits of brightness. It has not yet been confirmed, but the Konkr Fit is likely to use the same Hall effect joysticks and triggers as the Pocket Fit. It will seemingly have dual USB-C ports along the top edge. In terms of physical dimensions, it looks almost identical to the ASUS ROG Ally, if not somewhat smaller in terms of the top-to-bottom measurement.

In the announcement video, Ayaneo shows off the TDP configuration overlay, and it seems as though the APU will be able to reach 40 W or go down to as low as 3 W. How it manages to stay cool at those high TDPs is yet to be seen, but Ayaneo did show the gaming handheld running Black Myth: Wukong on the video as well. The battery is slated to be an 80 Wh unit, which should be plenty for the small OLED screen and with the APU restricted to lower power consumption. The diminutive handheld will compete directly with the likes of the ASUS ROG Ally X and the Lenovo Legion Go 2, both of which feature similarly powerful AMD APUs and run on Windows. Pricing and availability have yet to be confirmed, although it's unlikely to be cheap, given the current trends in PC hardware and pricing.

AMD introduced its new Ryzen 7 9850X3D desktop gaming processor last week. This early January virtual launch event occurred weeks in advance of a highly-anticipated rollout at retail; officially set to happen within the first quarter of 2026. An unfortunately-timed pre-CES kick-off leak spoiled some fun—coming from prematurely published e-tail listings—signalling a possible January 29 roll out at shop outlets, at least in France. Earlier today, a new claim made by VideoCardz seems to align—timing-wise—with NDA-busting information mistakenly released by the French LDLC webstore. The popular PC hardware news site believes that Team Red will lift its Ryzen 7 9850X3D review embargo on January 28; the day prior to a speculated retail launch. Additionally, VideoCardz reportedly knows about a recent distribution of press samples—likely heading in the direction of reviewers, influencers, and tech-adjacent entities. A delidded example was allegedly presented at CES 2026, as evidenced by a recent PCGamesHardware Germany article. An unnamed provider managed to sneak OEM variants (intact and torn down) in front of a select bunch of journalists.

Intel's "Panther Lake" chips, built on the 18A node, debuted at CES 2026, featuring Arc B390 integrated graphics. This launch shows that Intel is now commited to delivering some of the best-in-class iGPU performance. Digital Foundry has reported impressive performance claims from Intel. In Cyberpunk 2077, at 1080p resolution with the game set to "Ultra" and with ray-traced shadows and reflections enabled, Intel's top-tier Core Ultra X9 388H SKU achieves 28 FPS. While this may not seem remarkable at first glance, under the same settings, AMD's "Strix Point" Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 with Radeon 890M graphics manages only 14 FPS. This suggests that the "Panther Lake" chip performs twice as fast in early game results. In Intel's own testing, the "Panther Lake" chip is 73% faster with upscaling technologies and 82% faster at native resolution compared to AMD's "Strix Point," indicating an average across multiple titles. This also means there are instances where the Arc B390 outputs 100% more frames compared to the Radeon 890M.

Regarding desktop GPU performance, Intel is now comparable to the AMD Radeon RX 6600 discrete GPU, which scored 27 FPS in the same Cyberpunk 2077 game settings. Intel is collaborating with developers to integrate its latest XeSS3 multi-frame generation upscaling technology into numerous titles from the start. Cyberpunk 2077 is supported from day one, resulting in about a 3x increase in frame rates compared to XeSS2. In comparison to NVIDIA, Intel also claims to surpass NVIDIA's DLSS with the RTX 4050, particularly since XeSS3 supports multi-frame generation, which the RTX 4050 does not.

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.

GEEKOM showcased its range of laptops and mini PCs with a focus on its updated 2026 lineup here at CES. During our visit to GEEKOM booth, we got our hands on the new GeekBook X14 Pro and X16 Pro laptops, alongside the A9 Max and IT15 mini PCs. The GeekBook X14 Pro is an ultra-light, all-metal laptop that weighs just 999 grams and has a thickness of just 6 mm. It features a 14-inch 2.8K OLED display in a 16:10 aspect ratio with a 120 Hz refresh rate. It is powered by a 72 Wh battery, rated for up to 16 hours of use. Configurations include Intel Core Ultra 9 185H at $1,299 MSRP and Core Ultra 5 185H at $999. For users who want a larger screen, GEEKOM also showed the GeekBook X16 Pro. This model uses an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H processor, weighs 1,299 g, and keeps the same slim 6 mm profile. It comes with a 16-inch 2.5K IPS display with 100% sRGB coverage and a 120 Hz refresh rate, paired with a 77 Wh battery rated for up to 17 hours. MSRP is set at $1,099.

On the mini PC side, GEEKOM presented several 2026 updates. The A9 Max 2026 Edition is based on the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 465, while the IT15 2026 Edition uses newly launched Intel Core Ultra 9 386H "Panther Lake" processor. The IT13 Max 2026 Edition was also shown, notable as the first mini PC to feature the Core Ultra 7 366H "Panther Lake."

Acer revealed its Nitro Blaze 8 and 11 Windows gaming handhelds almost exactly a year ago, at CES 2025, but the 8- and 11-inch gaming handhelds have yet to materialize as purchasable products, nor have they shown up at CES 2026. According to recent reporting by Windows Central, Acer has put those gaming handheld ambitions on hold, with a representative from the company telling the publication that while the handhelds are still part of the launch roadmap for the US, "launch plans are TBD." The representative goes on to effectively blame the US tariff situation for the delayed launch, saying that Acer is "focused on our core products."

While the Acer Nitro Blaze family has not yet been cancelled, although the devices were slated to launch in Q2 2025, its continued delays could result in diminished success, especially if Acer doesn't upgrade the internals before launch. After all, while 16 GB of RAM is certainly still enough for many games, especially when running at lower resolutions and frame rates as is common on gaming handhelds, premium devices like the ASUS ROG Ally X, Lenovo Legion Go 2, and the OneXPlayer OneXFly at the very high end, have already stepped up to 32 GB and beyond. The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS that would have originally powered the Acer Nitro Blaze devices will also soon start to show its age.