ASRock Rack is promising up to 4 TB of DDR5 on a single socket with its DMRD16-2L+, one of the first motherboards built for Intel's upcoming Xeon 7 "Diamond Rapids" processors. The board was shown at the OCP Global Summit 2026 and has since been detailed by ServeTheHome. It has 16 DIMM slots in a one-DIMM-per-channel layout, matching the 16-channel memory setup Intel detailed at HOT CHIPS. Regular RDIMMs top out at 128 GB per module and 8000 MT/s, while MRDIMMs run at up to 12,800 MT/s, with taller 2U MRDIMMs reaching 256 GB each. Populate all 16 slots with those, and you hit 4 TB, along with a theoretical bandwidth of roughly 1.6 TB/s.

Expansion is unusual, with no standard PCIe slots and no OCP NIC 3.0 connector. All I/O goes through up to 16 MCIO x8 connectors, each rated for PCIe 6.0 or CXL 3.0, for 128 lanes in total. The rest is fairly basic: one PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 slot, two Intel I350 Gigabit Ethernet ports, an ASPEED AST2700 BMC with a dedicated management port, and VGA output. ASRock Rack fits it all on a 12 x 13-inch EEB PCB, about the size of a large E-ATX board, so it could squeeze into some bigger workstation cases. Pricing and availability have not been shared yet, but that is hardly surprising, since Intel has the Xeon 7 family slated for a 2027 debut on the new LGA9324 socket. The board is aimed at servers, though anyone planning a high-memory workstation for local AI will probably keep an eye on it.

Maxsun has shared full specifications for the SK-PTLNAS and SK-WCLAIO, two NAS-focused MoDT (Mobile on Desktop) motherboards built around Intel's Panther Lake and Wildcat Lake chips. Both were first shown at Computex 2026 and are expected to launch this month, though pricing is still unknown. The SK-PTLNAS now tops out at the Core Ultra 9 386H, a 16-core chip with four Xe3 GPU cores, a 25 W base power and up to 80 W of turbo power. The Computex listing mentioned options up to the Core Ultra X9 388H, which no longer seems to be on the table. It supports up to 128 GB of DDR5-7200 memory across two SO-DIMM slots, with five M.2 slots and three Mini SAS ports for storage. The board also gets a PCIe 5.0 x8 slot, 10GbE, 2.5GbE and two 1GbE ports, plus two Thunderbolt 4 ports. Maxsun lists Windows 11 and Ubuntu support.

The SK-WCLAIO measures just 90 x 165 mm, a big change from the mATX design shown in June. It runs the six-core Core 7 350 (2P + 4LPE) with two Xe3 cores, a single DDR5-6400 SO-DIMM slot for up to 48 GB, 1 TB of onboard UFS 3.1 storage and four M.2 slots. Wildcat Lake has very few PCIe lanes, so those drives probably won't each get full x4 bandwidth. Maxsun rates the system at 45 W when active and 16 W with drives on standby, which should suit an always-on home NAS. The power input is a bit unclear for now, since the listing mentions both a 12 V DC jack and USB-C PD.

PCs with 32 GB and 64 GB of RAM are becoming less common, at least in the latest CPU-Z Validator statistics. According to Doc TB, one of the developers behind CPU-Z, this is the first time RAM capacity on PCs has declined year over year. 32 GB is still the most popular configuration at 37.2% of validations, though its share is down 2.5% compared to a year ago. 64 GB took a much bigger hit, falling 18% to 7.3%. Lower capacities are moving the other way, with 16 GB up 12.9% to 33.0% and 8 GB up 5.5% to 11.0%, while 96 GB and 128 GB setups dropped by more than 26% each. Memory type tells a similar story, with DDR4 now making up 54.5% of validations, up 6.0%, while DDR5 slipped 2.9% to 32.9%.

Of course, these figures only cover systems that users actually submit to the validator over the last three months, so they aren't a full picture of the PC market. Steam's September survey, for example, showed 32 GB overtaking 16 GB as the most common configuration among gamers, but that promptly flipped with the October survey. Still, the timing makes sense. Memory prices have climbed sharply this year, and Team Group expects the worst of the shortage to land between Q4 2026 and Q2 2027. DDR4 platforms may also get a second wind, with DDR4 motherboards getting released for unannounced LGA1700 processors expected in early 2027. It looks like plenty of people are sticking with older DDR4 systems or settling for 16 GB instead of paying current prices.

Intel's Razor Lake desktop processors, the generation that follows Nova Lake-S, are currently slated for 2028, according to well-known Intel leaker Jaykihn. When asked on X whether Razor Lake-S was planned for 2027, Jaykihn replied "not currently," then followed up saying Razor Lake is a 2028 product for now. A leaked partner slide placed the first Nova Lake-S SKUs in Q1 2027 and indicated Intel plans to keep LGA-1954 for multiple generations, so Razor Lake-S should drop into the same boards roughly a year later. Apparently, Razor Lake will use new Griffin Cove P-cores, which Jaykihn previously called "an entire tock" rather than a refinement. The same core will reportedly also power Intel's next-generation Coral Rapids Xeon processors, though simultaneous multithreading (SMT) stays exclusive to Xeon.

Jaykihn says the client and server versions are separate architectures built around a similar core, comparing it to how Coyote Cove relates to Panther Cove. Earlier leaks pointed to Intel using TSMC's N2X node for some Razor Lake production, and the 12 Xe3P core iGPU SKU originally meant for Nova Lake-S was reportedly pushed to Razor Lake. HWiNFO also added support for Razor Lake-H, HX, and S in a recent beta. If the plan holds, Nova Lake-S buyers would get a proper CPU upgrade path without swapping motherboards, which is a welcome change after Intel went through three sockets in the last five years. Of course, timelines this far out can move, and Intel hasn't confirmed any of this, so it's reasonable to treat 2028 as a target for now.

As spotted by Club386, two motherboards based on Intel's Z970 chipset have shown up in the NBD shipping database, which logs Vietnamese customs records. Going by the names, both appear to be from ASRock: the Z970 LiveMixer WiFi and the Z970 Pro-A WiFi. The entries refer to PCBs shipping at the end of September 2026. The Z970 chipset is rumored to support CPU multiplier overclocking, but not the base clock tweaking that Z990 is expected to offer. Leaker Jaykihn has also previously reported that it will replace most of the market the B860 covers today. If that ends up being the case, it would be a big change, since Intel has kept CPU overclocking on its most expensive chipset for years, while AMD allows it on most of its B-series boards.

Intel's Robert Hallock has previously said the goal is more unlocked SKUs over time, and that overclocking shouldn't be reserved for the people paying the most. It looks like that approach could extend to motherboards too. Of course, Intel hasn't announced Z970 or Z990 yet, so this is all unofficial, and we don't know what the prices of either would look like. Moreover, shipments this early don't necessarily mean retail boards are close. Intel has reportedly promised more details at CES in January 2027, which fits the rumored CES 2027 launch window. If Z970 does arrive at B860 prices, it could be the most interesting platform for most builders.

Haswell owners finally have a way to get Resizable BAR running on Intel 8-series motherboards. As spotted by Haze on X, a developer going by roschank has released reBART, an open-source UEFI driver for Z87, H87, Q87, B85, Q85, and H81 boards. Back in 2020, it was reported that Intel CPUs since Haswell support Resizable BAR, pending firmware updates from motherboard makers that never came for 8-series. The developer went digging after failing to get Above 4G Decoding working on their own B85 board, and found that Intel's 8-series platform code skips mapping memory above 4 GB altogether, something both 7-series and 9-series firmware handle. Apparently, every board maker they checked inherited the same gap, so the 4G toggle some of these BIOSes expose likely does nothing.

reBART lets the board boot normally and only kicks in right before the OS loads. At that point, it shifts the GPU's memory window up past the 4 GB line and points the boot display at the new location too. Unlike ReBarUEFI, it doesn't need module patching, though a DSDT patch is still required. Newer builds added experimental support for Intel Arc cards and multi-GPU setups, which is important since Intel once told Arc buyers without ReBAR to stick with other vendors. One user reports an Arc A750 and an Arc B580 both working with an unlimited BAR size on a Gigabyte GA-Z87M-D3H under Ubuntu. Of course, going this route means flashing a modified BIOS, and at least one ASUS Z87-Plus owner couldn't get the board to boot after the DSDT patch. The developer hasn't shared any performance numbers yet either.

HAVN is proud to announce the launch of its latest PC cases, the HS 360 and HS 360 VGPU. The HS 360 builds on the success of the HS 420 and has been refined through direct feedback from partners and reviewers. As a result, we have packed HAVN's panoramic, GPU-centric Hybrid Structure into a chassis that's 19.4% smaller and 29.5% lighter than the HS 420.

Steven Levitt, Brand Marketing Manager"With the HS 360, our goal wasn't simply to make the HS 420 smaller. We wanted to take everything we learned from the original design, listen to feedback from the community, and refine while improving performance."

[Editor's note: Our in-depth review of HAVN HS 360 VGPU is now live]

Intel Arc cards have always leaned heavily on Resizable BAR, to the point where Intel once told Alchemist buyers without it to stick with other vendors, and TechPowerUp's B580 review listed it as required for good performance. As spotted by Videocardz, developer Rod Burlamaqui has now released arc-rebar, a Linux tool that turns it on for Arc GPUs on motherboards that never got a ReBAR option. It runs from the initramfs at every boot, before the GPU driver loads, and doesn't touch the BIOS, kernel, or Intel's drivers. That sets it apart from earlier workarounds like ReBarUEFI, which has to be added to the motherboard's firmware.

The fix targets the PCIe switch built into Arc cards, whose small upstream BAR blocks Linux from enlarging the GPU's memory window. arc-rebar writes the card's ReBAR register, then removes and rescans the root port. Intel engineers have proposed a kernel-level fix for this, though it hasn't been merged yet. On a Supermicro X9DRH-7TF with dual Xeon E5-2670 v2 CPUs and a 2015 BIOS, a B580 went from 256 MiB of CPU-visible VRAM to a 16 GiB window covering all 12 GB. Measured VRAM bandwidth jumped from 15 GB/s to 392 GB/s, and a 4K Vulkan blur that used to stall ran at 39 to 50 FPS.

Intel's Core Ultra 400-series "Nova Lake" CPUs are reportedly nearing launch as Intel has successfully passed USB and PCIe compliance testing. This means the platform has officially passed testing with the two organizations, and all the advertised specifications are working correctly. Starting with the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), a governing body of the USB standard, there are two "Nova Lake-H" device IDs certified for compliance with USB4. These include devices with IDs D331 and D333. Additionally, USB-IF lists ID 6E6E for the "Nova Lake" PCH-S chipset for desktop motherboards, compliant with USB 3.2 Gen 2. Intel likely chose a desktop chipset and a laptop CPU to achieve Qualification by Similarity, where testing one product can earn certification for other products easily. To avoid revealing too much before the launch, Intel opted for this strategy instead of testing a full flagship desktop CPU.

For the PCI-SIG, a governing body for PCIe compliance, Intel's 900-series chipset has long been present with the IDs 6E38-6E3F, 6E30-6E35, and 6E40-6E47. These were added back in April, but in August, another set of entries for CPUs specifically appeared. Certifying the PCIe 5.0 x16 root complex were device IDs D461, D465, and D467-D46A, which are likely "Nova Lake-S" CPUs or some mobile variation. Regardless, the verification process is the final stage that a platform and the CPU usually go through before the launch is finalized.

ASRock Industrial proudly presents its latest lineup of industrial edge computing platform powered by Intel Core Series 3 processors (Wildcat Lake-U), designed to bring power-efficient computing and integrated AI acceleration to mainstream industrial and embedded edge applications. Featuring integrated CPU, GPU, and NPU compute engines with up to 40 platform TOPS, the new platforms support up to 64 GB DDR5 6400 MHz memory, high-speed expansion and storage, rich I/O connectivity, and multi-display capabilities. Spanning industrial motherboards, NUC motherboards, and compact NUC BOX systems, ASRock Industrial's Intel Core Series 3 portfolio provides right-sized computing options for industrial control, HMI, intelligent gateways, smart retail, digital signage, and other mainstream edge applications.

NUC Core 300 BOX Series: Compact, Power-Efficient Edge Computing
The NUC BOX-320 and NUC BOX-304 integrate Intel Core Series 3 processors into compact fanned embedded BOX PCs, powered by the Intel Core 5 processor 320 and Intel Core 3 processor 304, respectively. The systems support up to 64 GB of single-channel DDR5 6400 MHz memory with In-Band ECC. For expansion, the systems provide one M.2 Key E (2230) slot with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity. Networking includes one Intel 2.5 Gigabit LAN and one Realtek 2.5 Gigabit LAN. Storage configuration includes one M.2 Key M (2242) slot with PCIe Gen 4 x1 and one M.2 Key M (2242/2280) slot with PCIe Gen 4 x2 for SSDs. I/O connectivity includes two USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C and three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports. The series supports triple-display output up to 4K through two HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4a outputs from Type-C. Intel PTT and a 19 V/90 W power adapter further support secure, ready-to-deploy system integration. Built in a compact 117.5 x 110 x 49 mm fanned chassis with VESA mounting support, the NUC Core 300 BOX Series provides a space-efficient computing platform for smart retail, digital signage, kiosks, HMI, and other mainstream edge applications.

MSI quietly added three new B550 motherboards to its AM4 lineup, one microATX model and two ATX boards. The new models are the PRO B550M WIFI6E, PRO B550-S, and B550-S WIFI6E, all targeting AMD's Ryzen 3000, 4000G and 5000 processors. The PRO B550M WIFI6E is the microATX model measuring 243.84 x 210 mm. MSI opted for a spartan layout with only a tiny radiator on top of the AMD B550 chipset. The motherboard has two DDR4 DIMM slots supporting memory up to 4600+ MT/s (OC). For expansion, there is one PCIe 4.0 x16 slot and two PCIe 3.0 x1 slots, with one M.2 slot and four SATA 6 Gb/s ports for storage. The M.2 slot runs at PCIe 4.0 x4, while the wireless connectivity is provided by a pre-installed Wi-Fi 6E module.

The PRO B550-S and B550-S WIFI6E are full-size ATX boards measuring 243.84 x 304.8 mm. MSI opted for a more robust cooling package with dedicated heatsinks for the VRM, chipset and M.2 slot. Both feature four DDR4 DIMM slots with support for up to 128 GB and up to 4800+ MT/s (OC). The boards have two PCIe x16 slots, one PCIe x1, two M.2 slots, and four SATA ports. The first M.2 slot supports PCIe 4.0 x4, while the second runs at PCIe 3.0 x4. There are USB 5 Gbps Type-A and Type-C ports, along with 10 Gbps Type-A and Type-C ports on the rear I/O. The B550-S WIFI6E adds a pre-installed Wi-Fi 6E module. All three boards use the Realtek ALC897 7.1-channel audio codec and Realtek RTL8111H Gigabit Ethernet. MSI has not yet announced pricing or international availability.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of consumer and industrial motherboards, edge computing solutions, graphics cards, and storage devices, is currently presenting its latest innovations at Embedded World North America 2026, running from September 22 to 24 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California, USA. At Hall B, Booth 6512, BIOSTAR is spotlighting its comprehensive industrial motherboards, advanced EdgeComp systems, and a cutting-edge EdgeComp MT-N150 DX-M1 edge AI demonstration, delivering high-performance computing solutions tailored for smart manufacturing, smart cities, and smart retail applications.

BIOSTAR's industrial motherboard lineup features the BIW88-AHS, BIH61-AHA, BIPTL-IHT, BITWL-IHT, BIWCL-IHT, BIWCL-PAT, BIRPL-PAT, and BIAST-PAT, offering a versatile range of computing platforms, form factors, and connectivity options for embedded system development. Highlights include the BIW88-AHS, which combines the Intel W880 platform with support for Intel Core Ultra 200 series processors, DDR5 ECC and non-ECC memory, and four 2.5GbE LAN ports. The BIPTL-IHT features the Intel Panther Lake-H platform, DDR5 memory, and quad-display support, while the Wildcat Lake-based BIWCL-IHT and BIWCL-PAT provide Mini-ITX and 3.5-inch single-board computer options, respectively.

Some Z990 motherboards for Intel's upcoming Nova Lake platform have started showing up in shipping records, suggesting the launch is getting closer. Club386 spotted at least five boards with "Z990" in their names listed in customs data from Taiwan and Vietnam, dated July 2026.

Z990 is expected to be the flagship chipset for Nova Lake-S, Intel's next Core Ultra desktop lineup on the new LGA1954 socket. Intel is also prepping a cheaper Z970 chipset that keeps multiplier overclocking but offers a less diverse expansion suite overall. Also, these aren't the first Z990 boards spotted in the wild either. A Gigabyte AORUS Z990 Pro turned up at Computex earlier this year with its socket taped over, though the branding gave it away. With boards already moving through shipping channels, Nova Lake's early 2027 window looks increasingly realistic, though the rumored 52-core flagship apparently won't arrive until later in the year.

Colorful Technology Company Limited, a leading brand in gaming PC components, gaming laptops, and Hi-fi audio products, is opening a new chapter in the Japanese market through a strategic partnership with CFD Sales Inc. (CFD), a well-established Japanese hardware distributor. As part of this renewed market expansion, COLORFUL's flagship iGame graphics card series and BATTLE-AX motherboards will officially go on sale in Japan on September 16, ahead of TOKYO GAME SHOW 2026. The iGame graphics card series will also be showcased as part of CFD's new gaming brand, Crowxis, at the event.

Beginning September 16, Japanese customers will be able to purchase COLORFUL iGame graphics cards and BATTLE-AX motherboards through CFD's local distribution channels. Product and availability details will be available on the official CFD website. COLORFUL's partnership with CFD represents an important step in strengthening its presence among Japanese PC DIY enthusiasts and gamers, while bringing its latest graphics card and motherboard products to the Japanese market.

ASRock Industrial proudly presents its latest lineup of industrial edge AI platforms powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors (Panther Lake-H), designed to accelerate next-generation edge AI, industrial automation, and intelligent computing applications. Featuring integrated CPU, GPU, and NPU compute engines with up to 180 platform TOPS, the new platforms support up to 128 GB DDR5 memory at speeds up to 7200 MHz, high-speed expansion, rich I/O connectivity, and advanced display capabilities. ASRock Industrial's comprehensive lineup spans industrial motherboards, NUC(S) BOX, fanless iBOX systems, and iEP-7050E industrial IoT Controller, providing scalable computing options for demanding AI inference, machine vision, robotics, smart manufacturing, and industrial edge applications.

Flexible Industrial Motherboards for Intelligent Edge Applications
ASRock Industrial expands its industrial motherboard portfolio with the IMB-1251-WV Series, SBC-377 Series, and COMHA-300, delivering flexible, high-performance platforms powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors for next-generation edge AI and industrial applications. The IMB-1251-WV Series combines Mini-ITX flexibility with up to 128 GB DDR5 7200/6400 memory with In-Band ECC, extensive I/O, dual LAN, quad-display support, flexible storage, and optional out-of-band (OOB) functionality, making it ideal for machine vision, robotics, and industrial automation.

Valve has opened reservations for the Steam Frame, its standalone VR headset, with pricing starting at $1,059 for the 256 GB model and going up to $1,299 for the 1 TB version. We had already reported back in July that Qualcomm's own chip price hikes were pushing Steam Frame costs upward well before today's reveal. In an interview with Tom's Hardware, Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais walked through why the final price landed where it did. Here's what he said:

"I think as far as memory prices and those kinds of conditions, we're really in it like everyone else. It's an unfortunate situation all around. We wish that gaming hardware was cheaper, but we're definitely trying to be on the cheapest side that we can get despite all those conditions. Even just things like motherboards, copper, anything, even shipping anything worldwide right now is way more expensive than it was last year and two years ago. So every part of the sticker price is affected there."

RGB control software has long been a pain point of gamers, with background apps and clunky UIs frequently coming up in discussions about gaming mice, keyboards, speakers, monitors, among many more. OpenRGB is a project that hopes to cut through some of that noise and provide a cross-platform support for RGB on gaming peripherals and components. OpenRGB just released version 1.0 after months testing release candidates. With the update, the utility expands support to a number of new brands and components and lays the groundwork for more Logitech device support.

For starters, the latest version of OpenRGB adds support for QMK and VialRGB, including Keychron's forks of those protocols, as well as more Gigabyte and MSI motherboards laptops, and motherboard, Clevo laptop keyboards and light bars, various GPUs across a number of controllers, including PNY Epic-X ARGB and PowerColor GPUs, and more.

Maxsun has launched three new B850 microATX motherboards for the AM5 platform supporting AMD Ryzen series processors: MS-B850M I-CAFE, B850M-P WIFI and B850M-B WIFI. The Maxsun MS-B850M I-CAFE measures 245 x 210 mm and features two DDR5 DIMM slots supporting up to 128 GB at DDR5-8000 OC. It has one PCIe 5.0 x16 and one PCIe 4.0 x4 slot, two M.2 slots (PCIe 5.0 and PCIe 4.0), two SATA ports, 2.5 GbE, and HDMI 1.4 for integrated graphics. The board has no Wi-Fi but includes four USB 5 Gbps and two USB 2.0 Type-A ports at the rear. The two Challenger models share most of their specs. Both have PCIe 5.0 x16 and PCIe 4.0 x4 expansion slots, two M.2 slots, two SATA ports, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 via MediaTek MT7902, 2.5 GbE, a USB-C 20 Gbps front header, and four USB 5 Gbps plus four USB 2.0 on the rear. The main difference is memory support and size: the B850M-P WIFI is the larger motherboard at 245 x 245 mm and supports four DIMM slots for up to 256 GB of DDR5. The B850M-B WIFI is more compact at 245 x 215 mm with two slots supporting 128 GB. Both motherboards feature HDMI 2.0 and dual DisplayPort 4K at 60 Hz for integrated graphics output.

All three motherboards use a Realtek ALC897 audio codec. Pricing and availability for the full lineup have not been officially announced, though the MS-Challenger B850M-P WIFI has appeared listed on the Chinese market at CNY 799 (around $119) at the time of writing.

DFI, a Qisda Group company and a global leader in embedded motherboards and industrial computers, introduces the ARH171/ARH173, expanding its AI-ready portfolio with a Mini-ITX platform built for space-constrained, mission-critical deployments. Powered by Intel technologies, the ARH171/ARH173 is purpose-built to handle demanding Physical AI workloads from perception to reasoning, enabling next-generation smart logistics and industrial automation.

As Physical AI transitions to operational deployment, intralogistics is driving rapid mobile automation adoption. Mordor Intelligence projects the autonomous mobile robot (AMR) market to expand at a CAGR of nearly 15% through 2029 to counter labor shortages, while advanced systems like 3D cube storage robots require on-device AI to navigate floors, climb racks, and process dense sensor streams in real time.

AAEON (Stock Code: 6579), today announced the release of two new microATX industrial motherboards featuring Intel Core Ultra 200S Series Processors (formerly Arrow Lake-S), the MAX-Q870A and MAX-H810A.

The two boards are compatible with a range of Arrow Lake-S CPUs, with the MAX-Q870A supporting up to 125W SKUs and the MAX-H810A supporting up to 65 W SKUs. This difference reflects the market positioning of the two boards, with the former marketed for advanced AI and machine vision use and the latter for more cost-efficient industrial automation and HMI applications.

The TechPowerUp team visited the Chieftec booth at IFA 2026, with some interesting offerings on display. Chieftec brought its case lineup to the show, mixing an unannounced E-ATX tower with two chassis it already launched earlier this year. The new one is the Atlas, an E-ATX case supporting up to 420 mm radiators in the front or top. It has room for three 120 mm fans behind the power supply shroud, one rear fan, and an extra 120 mm unit near the PCIe brackets meant to pull hot air away from the graphics card. There are eight expansion slots and up to 420 mm of GPU clearance. This case is really meant for workstation or server builds, and its clean, functional design makes it ideal for that purpose.

Another Ryzen 7 7800X3D has reportedly swollen and burned, while also damaging the ROG Crosshair X670E Hero motherboard in the process. UNIKO's Hardware flagged the case, citing a video posted to Bilibili as the original source. The video shows a Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU with clear swelling on the underside where it made contact with the CPU socket. There is discoloration on both the CPU and the socket itself. Moreover, the socket pins are warped and damaged in the middle, presumably due to the pressure of the swelling. One peculiar finding is that one of the notches on the CPU socket looks slightly off. Perhaps more importantly, the board's BIOS version wasn't confirmed, which is directly relevant due to AMD's proposed fix.

This kind of failure first showed up in April 2023, when several 7800X3D and 7950X3D chips bulged and took their sockets with them on X670E boards. AMD pinned it on SoC voltage running too high and rolled out AGESA firmware that capped it at 1.30V across AM5 motherboards. This new case might be straightforward if the BIOS hadn't been updated at all. However, even after the BIOS fix, the reports never fully stopped. Just weeks ago, a 7800X3D reportedly burned out on an MSI PRO X870-P WIFI board running the latest BIOS, with EXPO enabled and nothing else touched. We have even seen reports of Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPUs burning in the exact same manner. If you're running a 7800X3D, it's probably worth checking that you're on the latest BIOS and keeping an eye on SoC voltage.

Axiomtek, a world-renowned leader relentlessly devoted to the research, development, and manufacture of innovative, highly efficient, and reliable industrial computer products, proudly introduces the GMB150, a next-generation Mini-ITX gaming motherboard powered by the latest AMD Ryzen Embedded P100 Series processors. As one of the first Mini-ITX gaming motherboards built on this new platform, the GMB150 combines advanced AMD "Zen 5" architecture, RDNA 3.5 graphics, and the AMD XDNA 2 AI engine into a single SoC, delivering up to 80 TOPS of heterogeneous AI computing performance.

Designed to meet the evolving needs of AI-powered electronic gaming machines, the GMB150 combines AI computing, gaming-specific peripheral integration, and hardware-level security in a compact Mini-ITX platform while maintaining the flexibility to support a wide range of intelligent edge applications. Leveraging the latest AMD Ryzen Embedded P100 Series platform, the GMB150 enables gaming OEMs to build more intelligent, secure, and future-ready electronic gaming machines through AI acceleration, advanced graphics, and trusted security.

Supporting the recent Socket AM4 renaissance sparked by the memory pricing crisis is a new crop of motherboards, and GIGABYTE's latest addition is the B550 X Gaming. The board brings many of GIGABYTE's recent motherboard innovations to the aged platform. It is build in the ATX form-factor, and draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS connectors, conditioning it for the processor with an 8+2 phase duet-rail VRM that's sufficient to power the Ryzen 7 5800X3D. The socket is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, a PCI-Express 4.0 x16 slot, and an M.2 Gen 4 x4 NVMe slot. The board's second M.2 slot is Gen 3 x4, and wired to the B550 FCH, along with four SATA 6 Gbps ports. Other expansion slots include a PCI-Express x16 (electrical Gen 3 x4), and two PCIe x1.

The board features M.2 EZ-Latch design that makes it easy to install the M.2 SSD and the included heatsink for the M.2 Gen 4 NVMe slot. The board also features newer ARGB 2.0 headers. Display connectivity includes one each of standard DisplayPort and HDMI 2.1. There is no WLAN connectivity, the board's sole network connectivity is a 2.5 GbE interface driven by a Realtek 8125-series PHY. The board's onboard audio solution features an entry-level Realtek ALC892 codec. USB connectivity includes one 10 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, three 5 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, one 5 Gbps USB type-C, two USB 2.0 ports on the rear panel, with two additional USB 3.2 ports via headers, and multiple USB 2.0 headers. Expect a price well under $150.

Chinese memory giant CXMT has finally surpassed 9,000 MT/s on the AMD platform, rivaling DRAM kits from Micron, SK hynix, and Samsung. On the Colorful iGame X870E VULCAN W OC motherboard, an iGame Shadow II 24G×2 kit with 48 GB of memory achieved speeds of 9,000 MT/s. In the provided screenshot, the kit runs at 4,507 MHz, which translates to over 9,014 MT/s, thanks to double data rate technology. Late last year, CXMT announced that its DDR5 could reach 8,000 MT/s, but now we see that overclocked memory can exceed these speeds on the AMD platform.

Additionally, CXMT is working on improving latency. Some Colorful iGame Shadow II 24Gx2 48 GB kits are being tested on ASUS motherboards to achieve ultra-low latency, matching the performance of the top three memory manufacturers. On the latest AMD and Intel platforms, Colorful has tested DDR5 kits running at 6,000 MT with CL30 latency and even some preliminary tests with CL28 latency. This is a promising sign that CXMT memory is finally meeting the standards of competing DRAM from the leading memory makers in both transfer rate and latency.