Ghost of Yōtei's release date has finally been confirmed as October 2 of this year. Sony Entertainment today announced the October 2 release date, which is slated to be exclusive to the PlayStation 5 console for the time being, alongside new special editions of the upcoming action-adventure game. All pre-orders for Ghost of Yōtei, which start on May 2 at 10:00 AM, will include seven PSN avatars—representing Atsu and the Yōtei Six—and an in-game mask cosmetic. The base game will cost $69.99, while the $79.99 Digital Deluxe Edition will include the full digital base game, four cosmetic unlocks, and an early unlock for the Travelers Map. The Collector's Edition bundle will include an array of physical collectibles—a replica of Atsu's mask from the game, a sash, tsuba, art cards, zeni hajiki coin game and pouch, and a papercraft ginko tree—along with the same in-game items as included in the Digital Deluxe Edition. All of that comes at a whopping $249.99.

Sucker Punch also released a new trailer for Ghost of Yōtei, which reveals the villainous Yōtei Six and their brutal slaughter of Atsu's people, which serve as the motivation for her revenge story. It's unclear when Ghost of Yōtei will expand to PC and other console gaming platforms, but speculation suggests that 2027 is the earliest we will see a cross-platform launch for the Ghost of Tsushima sequel. Previous reports also indicated that there will be a Ghost of Tsushima expanded universe, with possible TV and movie spin-offs on the cards.

As the subject title says, Old Skies has officially launched on Steam and GOG! Join ChronoZen agent Fia Quinn on a time-travel adventure spanning 200 years. Old Skies is a story of love, loss and legacy. Plus it's 10% off during the first week! Dive into the past with time agent Fia Quinn as she embarks on seven trips through time. History is up for grabs—from the speakeasies of Prohibition, to the vicious gangs of the Gilded Age, to the World Trade Center on September 10, 2001.

Your job is to keep close watch on seven travelers who have the desire (and the bank accounts) to sightsee in the past. Some are simply curious. Others have unfinished business to resolve. And they've all put down a lot of money for the trip, so it's vital that you keep them happy while ensuring they follow the rules. But what could go wrong? It's only time travel, after all.

Chalkboards are an old-school thing now. About 67% of global classrooms now have adopted interactive technology, such as smart boards, to keep up with the times (UNESCO 2023 report). But how exactly do smart boards improve teaching? Let's dive into it, using HKMLC smart boards as a real-world example—and answer some of the most common questions teachers ask.How HKMLC Smart Boards Solve Real Classroom Challenges
1. Boosting Student Engagement
Static whiteboards hardly keep students focused, especially those K-12 education learners. HKMLC interactive whiteboards change the game with dynamic and interactive lessons. Teachers can easily explain abstract concepts with videos, images, and 3D models. With the Essential 55 smart board, educators can launch quizzes and include Kahoot! Learning games to increase participation. Multiple students can draw on the screen as if using a tablet—all thanks to its 20-point multitouch display and ultra-precise 2 mm positioning.

For more information and to purchase, visit this page.

Just before the official launch of Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics cards, members of the Chiphell forum expressed concerns about unnamed evaluation samples exhibiting worrying memory module temperatures. Days later, Western review outlets published similar findings across several board partner specimens. Typically, pre-launch and retail units have utilized SK hynix GDDR6 VRAM modules—TechPowerUp's W1zzard uncovered numerous examples of the manufacturer's "H56G42AS8DX-014" model during teardown sessions. Curiously, Chinese PC hardware enthusiasts have happened upon Radeon RX 9070 XT cards that utilize Samsung GDDR6 memory modules. It is not clear whether Yeston has outfitted its flagship Sakura Atlantis OC SKU with Samsung components from the very beginning, but one owner documented a GPU-Z diagnostics session—late last month—showing "GDDR6 (Samsung)" onboard. Earlier this month, insiders posited that NVIDIA was in the process of changing its main GDDR7 memory vendor—from Samsung to SK hynix—for the GeForce RTX 50-series.

According to a recent Guru3D news piece, additional cases were reported. Online conjecture points to "higher end" custom models being updated with "cooler" modules. Hilbert Hagedoorn—Guru3D's head honcho—has gathered compelling information via community feedback channels: "the transition to Samsung memory has yielded noticeable thermal advantages. Early reviews and comparisons indicate that the new memory modules help lower temperatures significantly. Custom RX 9070 XT models running demanding benchmarks like Furmark have demonstrated memory temperatures of 75°C or lower without necessitating an increase in voltage or a reduction in clock speeds. Notable manufacturers, including Sapphire, XFX, and GIGABYTE, have already integrated Samsung's GDDR6 into their custom variants. However, as of now, AMD has not authorized its partners to explicitly differentiate between models with SK hynix and Samsung memory, likely to avoid confusion among consumers and maintain a consistent product lineup." Additionally, TechPowerUp forum members have found Samsung GDDR6 memory on Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 custom models. Thanks for the tip, Fluffmeister.

TSMC today unveiled its next cutting-edge logic process technology, A14, at the Company's North America Technology Symposium. Representing a significant advancement from TSMC's industry-leading N2 process, A14 is designed to drive AI transformation forward by delivering faster computing and greater power efficiency. It is also expected to enhance smartphones by improving their on-board AI capabilities, making them even smarter. Planned to enter production in 2028, the current A14 development is progressing smoothly with yield performance ahead of schedule.

Compared with the N2 process, which is about to enter volume production later this year, A14 will offer up to 15% speed improvement at the same power, or up to 30% power reduction at the same speed, along with more than 20% increase in logic density. Leveraging the Company's experience in design-technology co-optimization for nanosheet transistor, TSMC is also evolving its TSMC NanoFlex standard cell architecture to NanoFlex Pro, enabling greater performance, power efficiency and design flexibility.

Players will get to fight epic battles in SUPER ROBOT WARS Y, slated to release on 28 of August 2025. Part of the SUPER ROBOT WARS series, the title will bring this grid-based tactical JRPG to PC via Steam. Also, digital pre-orders are now opened for PC via Steam. In SUPER ROBOT WARS Y, players will compete in turn-based tactical combat on grid-based maps while controlling a team of pilots with various abilities. They will get to enjoy fan-favorite units from past games, as well brand-new ones to the franchise, including some appearing on console for the very first time.

Conquer fate and embark on a journey into the new saga in SUPER ROBOT WARS Y. Published by Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. and developed by Bandai Namco Forge Digitals Inc. SUPER ROBOT WARS Y is a grid-based tactical combat RPG that brings mechs and pilots from beloved series like Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Season 1, Code Geass Lelouch of the Re;surrection, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, SSSS.DYNAZENON, Getter Robo Arc, Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre and more to battle mutual foes. The game will be available on consoles and PC beginning August 28.

In October of 2025, Microsoft will phase out support for Windows 10. For many users, it's free to upgrade, but the baseline version of Windows 11 is limited in what it can do. If you want a more advanced OS with improved security, a refined user interface, and even improvements for gaming, try Windows 11 Pro. Windows 11 Pro extends beyond the standard Windows 11 feature set, giving you advanced capabilities tailored to professional workloads. BitLocker device encryption, Hyper-V virtualization, and Windows Sandbox now come pre-loaded for secure data management and isolated testing environments.

Snap layouts and virtual desktops streamline multitasking. TPM 2.0 and Smart App Control bolster security with hardware and software-level protection. DirectX 12 Ultimate also improves GPU performance for graphics-intensive tasks like art or even gaming.

It would normally cost $199 to upgrade to Windows 11 Pro, but during this limited-time sale, it's only $14.97. No coupon needed.

Avicena, headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, announced today that the company will work with TSMC to optimize photodetector (PD) arrays for Avicena's revolutionary LightBundle microLED-based interconnects. LightBundle supports > 1Tbps/mm shoreline density and extends ultra-high density die-to-die (D2D) connections to > 10 meters at class-leading sub-pJ/bit energy efficiency. This will enable AI scale-up networks to support large clusters of GPUs across multiple racks, eliminating reach limitations of current copper interconnects while drastically reducing power consumption.

Increasingly sophisticated AI models are driving an unprecedented surge in demand for compute and memory performance, requiring interconnects with higher density, lower power, and longer reach for both processor-to-processor (P2P) and processor-to-memory (P2M) connectivity.

An alleged partial close-up capture of the Nintendo Switch 2's chipset has leaked out; courtesy of Kurnal (@Kurnalsalts). This fresh leak is being hyped up as putting an end to all online debate regarding the upcoming hybrid console's technological underpinnings. Despite late 2024/early 2025 reports pointing to a custom NVIDIA "T239" SoC design, certain voices continued to produce conjecture about a more "cutting edge" solution. Surprisingly, Team Green's PR department did issue a statement about the Switch 2 being powered by: "a custom processor featuring an NVIDIA GPU with dedicated RT Cores and Tensor Cores for stunning visuals and AI-driven enhancements."

As expected, Nintendo staffers remained guarded during recent press junkets—in-depth tech talk was deferred in NVIDIA's general direction. Kurnal's sharing of a speculative "T239" partial die shot does not provide any major new revelations or insights—as discussed on the Nintendo Switch 2 Subreddit, tech enthusiasts continue to rely on specification details from the big hack of NVIDIA repositories (three years ago). Newer speculation has focused on Nintendo's choice of foundry—Digital Foundry's Richard Leadbetter continues to express his personal belief that Nintendo has selected a Samsung 8 nm DUV foundry node. In opposition, certain critics have persisted with a 5 nm EUV node process theory.

LG Electronics (LG) has announced the arrival of the highly anticipated Xbox app on LG Smart TVs this week, allowing users to stream Xbox games on the big screen at home. LG Smart TV owners in over 25 countries are now able to play the latest indie hit to the biggest AAA titles directly through the Xbox app on their LG Smart TVs.

Conveniently accessible from the Gaming Portal and the LG Apps, the Xbox app enables LG TV owners to jump straight into gameplay from day one with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, launching hundreds of titles from Activision, Bethesda, Blizzard, Mojang, Xbox Game Studios and more - with just a compatible controller. The Xbox app is available on LG TVs and select smart monitors running the latest webOS 24 and newer versions, and it will soon be available on StanbyME screens.

AI is rapidly reshaping what's possible on a PC—whether for real-time image generation or voice-controlled workflows. As AI capabilities grow, so does their complexity. Tapping into the power of AI can entail navigating a maze of system settings, software and hardware configurations. Enabling users to explore how on-device AI can simplify and enhance the PC experience, Project G-Assist—an AI assistant that helps tune, control and optimize GeForce RTX systems—is now available as an experimental feature in the NVIDIA app. Developers can try out AI-powered voice and text commands for tasks like monitoring performance, adjusting settings and interacting with supporting peripherals. Users can even summon other AIs powered by GeForce RTX AI PCs.

And it doesn't stop there. For those looking to expand Project G-Assist capabilities in creative ways, the AI supports custom plug-ins. With the new ChatGPT-based G-Assist Plug-In Builder, developers and enthusiasts can create and customize G-Assist's functionality, adding new commands, connecting external tools and building AI workflows tailored to specific needs. With the plug-in builder, users can generate properly formatted code with AI, then integrate the code into G-Assist—enabling quick, AI-assisted functionality that responds to text and voice commands.

Last week, COLORFUL introduced an impressive selection of GeForce RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5060 models—across Advanced, iGame, Ultra W and NB product lines. Barring their "youthful" graffiti-decorated iGame options, the Chinese manufacturer's brand-new lineup largely consisted of very sober looking affairs. Earlier in the week, VideoCardz noticed that COLORFUL had updated its native website with two new entries; under the company's COLORFIRE sub-brand. Previous generation MEOW Series graphics cards debuted almost two years ago; starting with custom GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB and RTX 4060 8 GB models.

Beyond making brightly-colored graphics card designs, COLORFIRE's MEOW product line consists of equally "loud" motherboards, cases, laptops and peripherals. COLORFIRE's new generation MEOW desktop graphics cards—available in GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB or 8 GB configurations—have appeared with a new triple-fan shroud and backplate design. The 2.5-slot thick enclosure seems to house reference spec-conforming hardware. VideoCardz expects these fairly basic white/orange offerings to launch "at or near" baseline MSRP. It is refreshing to see the emergence of another feline pet/mascot-themed product; as opposed to the recent dearth of cute "idol" or "waifu"-decorated options. Nearby rival manufacturers—including ASUS, Yeston, and ZOTAC—have resorted to utilizing such clichéd marketing tactics.

PlayStation 5 Pro console—the most innovative PlayStation console to date—elevates gaming experiences to the next level with features like upgraded GPU, advanced ray tracing, and PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) - an AI-driven upscaling that delivers super sharp image clarity with high framerate gameplay. Today we're providing a closer look at the console's internal architecture, as Sony Interactive Entertainment engineers Shinya Tsuchida, PS5 Pro Mechanical Design Lead and Shinya Hiromitsu, PS5 Pro Electrical Design Lead, provide a deep-dive into the console's innovative technology and design philosophy.

Note: in this article, we refer to the PlayStation 5 model released in 2020 as the "original PS5," the PS5 released in 2023 as the "current PS5," and the PS5 Pro released in 2024 as the "PS5 Pro." Do not try this at home. Risk of fires, and exposure to electric shock or other injuries. Disassembling your console will invalidate your manufacturer's guarantee.

ASUS China showcased a compelling new custom graphics card design during their presentation of a Hatsune Miku-themed product collection. Global audiences were treated to TUF Gaming x Hatsune Miku crossover peripherals/accessories, but Chinese gamers will get access to a wider gamut of options—under the TX Gaming banner; a regional spin-off of TUF Gaming—including a cutely decorated GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB model. ASUS seems to be reusing this card's basic shroud/backplate design—minus elaborate character illustrations and graphics—on a brand-new TX Gaming GeForce RTX 5070 12 GB SKU. A "Born to be Different" message adorns a largely plain white front section, and familiar "GeForce RTX" texts are placed on a side panel and on the 2.5-slot thick card's metallic silver backplate. A large X-formation cut-out grants a glimpse at an enclosed fin stack.

In the past, ASUS TX Gaming products have been accompanied by sci-fi "idol" characters—on related retail box art and in promotional material. Evidently, ASUS has extended this "marketing technique" into the NVIDIA "Blackwell" GPU generation. As expected, the TX Gaming GeForce RTX 5070 models—in standard and factory overclocked forms—will launch as Chinese market exclusives. VideoCardz did not find any global listings of these offerings, nor launch details—e.g. a release date and MSRPs. They noted that a TUF Gaming equivalent model features five display connectors; as opposed to the TX Gaming's deployment of four (1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1b).

It's been thrilling for all of us here at Bethesda to revisit a game so close to our hearts with Oblivion Remastered. When we started this project in 2021, we aimed to breathe new life into a chapter of The Elder Scrolls that set the path for so many of our games after it. We never wanted to remake it—but remaster it—where the original game was there as you remember playing it, but seen through today's technology.

We were so fortunate to work with an unbelievable team and partners at Virtuos. Even though we had worked together before, we had never attempted something on this scale. Every piece of art, animation, special effects, and part of the world would be remastered. Some new voices would be recorded, while keeping the originals there as well. Game systems were updated to feel better in your hands. Leveling systems modified for smoother progression and balance. We looked at every part and carefully upgraded it. But most of all, we never wanted to change the core. It's still a game from a previous era and should feel like one.

Mid-way through April, we heard about sanctions affecting shipments of NVIDIA's H20 AI chips into China. Despite (rumored) best efforts made by Jensen Huang and colleagues, the US government has banned the export of Team Green's formerly sanction-conformant design. Similarly, NVIDIA prepared a slightly less potent GPU for gaming applications—exclusively for the Chinese market. Despite sporting a restricted GB202 "Blackwell" GPU die, the GeForce RTX 5090D 32 GB is still a monstrous prospect. According to Chinese PC hardware news sources, Team Green representatives have sent alerts to "all" of its Chinese add-in-card partners (AICs)—early warning signs have indicated a possible cut-off of GB202 GPUs in the near future. A member of the Chiphell forum disclosed some insider knowledge and dismissed unfounded speculation about RTX 5090D cards being replaced by "full fat" RTX 5090 options.

sthuasheng commented on Team Green's alleged bulletin—distributed at some point last week: "the notice only said that the supply of RTX 5090D was suspended, ...this did not mean any sales or transportation ban; it urged everyone not to make any speculations or judgments unless there was an official notice issued at a later date. After this notice was issued, each AIC began to notify agents to suspend sales, because the inventory of 5090D has always been very small, so it is necessary to keep these stocks to observe the subsequent situation and deal with the subsequent after-sales. At the same time, we might as well speculate that each AIC and dealer may also have the intention to stockpile 5090D units and then sell them at an elevated price." BenchLife.info decided to reach out to industry moles, following an absorption of various Chiphell whispers.

AMD today announced that it will be hosting a press conference during Computex 2025. The in-person and livestreamed press conference will take place on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 11 a.m. UTC+8, Taipei, at the Grand Hyatt, Taipei. The event will showcase the advancements AMD has driven with AI in gaming, PCs and professional workloads.

AMD senior vice president and general manager of the Computing and Graphics Group Jack Huynh, along with industry partners, will discuss how AMD is expanding its leadership across gaming, workstations, and AI PCs, and highlight the breadth of the company's high-performance computing and AI product portfolio. The livestream will start at 8 p.m. PT/11 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 20 on AMD.com, with replay available after the conclusion of the livestream event.

Sapphire introduced two brand-new NITRO+ models prior to the official launch of AMD's RDNA 4 graphics card generation. The manufacturer rolled out its flagship Radeon RX 9070 XT card on day one—March 6—but the "lesser" NITRO+ sibling was absent at retail. Late last week, ITHome revealed that Sapphire had finally got round to globally releasing their NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 16 GB SKU. At the time of writing, Overclockers UK seems to have cards in stock—priced at £629.99 (including VAT). Unsurprisingly, the freshly launched NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 model utilizes the exact same shroud and backplate design that is present on Sapphire's range-topper.

The latest entry retains all of the more expensive unit's mod cons—including a Quick Connect MagniPlate feature, STEALTH hidden power cable, 12V-2x6 (H++) external power connector, Tri-X cooling technology, optimized composite heatpipes, and Honeywell PTM7950 TIM. Major differences are disclosed in Sapphire's "engine clock" specs: "boost clock up to 2700 MHz" and "game clock up to 2210 MHz." The Hong Kong-based company has not officially commented on circumstances that led to the delay of its NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 graphics card. VideoCardz has dismissed claims about this particular model being postponed due to rumors of a displacement by forthcoming Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB options.

Athena Worlds, a video games studio founded by video games veterans of titles such as Alien Vs Predator, Forza Horizon, Goldeneye N64, The Sims, Microsoft Flight Simulator and a slew of chart-topping games are proud to announce "Xenomorph."

Alien Vs Predator for Atari, defined Jane Whittaker's career. It also defined a genre, often regarded as the first true survival game, with over 100 awards and recently honored with number 3 in the top 10 scariest games of all-time awards. It spawned an enduring franchise. AvP for the Atari Jaguar was programmed by Mike Beaton (3D engine / gameplay designer) and Jane (AI and gameplay programmer/designer) and produced by James Purple Hampton. It is no exaggeration to say this cult classic changed the face of gaming.

Marvell Technology, Inc., a leader in data infrastructure semiconductor solutions, today announced the successful interoperability of the Marvell Structera portfolio of Compute Express Link (CXL) with AMD EPYC CPUs and 5th Gen Intel Xeon platforms. This achievement underscores the commitment of Marvell to advancing an open and interoperable CXL ecosystem, addressing the growing demands for memory bandwidth and capacity in next-generation cloud data centers.

Marvell collaborated with AMD and Intel to extensively test Structera CXL products with AMD EPYC and 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable platforms across various configurations, workloads, and operating conditions. The results demonstrated seamless interoperability, delivering stability, scalability, and high-performance memory expansion that cloud data center providers need for mass deployment.

BEHOLD THE ARGONATH, THE PILLARS OF THE KINGS! Standing guard over the northern borders of Gondor, the Argonath is a pair of statues without compare—even in a place like Middle- earth. Now, it's found a place on your desk. Follow the Fellowship South through storied statues. Depicted in stunning impressionist style by the talented artists at Dwarf Factory, the scene on this mat is pulled straight from The Fellowship of the Ring, following our nine heroes as they go south along the river Anduin.

GLIDE ACROSS A WATER-REPELLANT SURFACE WITH SPACE TO SPARE
Towering statues aren't the only breathtaking structures here. Nearly as impressive is our mat itself, measuring 36 inches wide, 16 inches tall, and 4 millimeters thick. It's also water-repellant-perfect for any accidental rivers across your desk. Work and play on mythical materials: made from high-density, low-friction Mercerized fabric and eco-friendly anti-slip rubber, this mat stays put and feels exceptional. It may just last as long as the Argonath itself.

Lenovo today unveiled a refreshed portfolio of ThinkPad devices engineered to meet the evolving needs of modern professionals—from content creators and engineers to knowledge workers and hybrid teams. The lineup includes powerful Copilot+ PCs, such as the ThinkPad P14s Gen 6 AMD and ThinkPad P16s Gen 4 AMD mobile workstations, alongside new ThinkPad L Series business laptops and expands its ThinkPad X1 Aura Editions, delivering the performance, manageability, and intelligence today's AI-powered workflows demand.

Together, these latest ThinkPad systems reflect Lenovo's commitment to delivering smarter, more adaptive solutions that support advanced workloads, sustainability goals, and flexible work models—whether users are building complex simulations or collaborating across teams.

TechPowerUp today released the latest version of NVCleanstall, our lightweight utility that lets you download and install NVIDIA GeForce drivers with a much higher level of customization than NVIDIA's installer permits. This utility lets you disable (or enable) several components in the GeForce driver package that you can't find in the NVIDIA installer's "Custom install" page, including important settings such as telemetry. Version 1.19.0 comes with a few important fixes. To begin with, a bug that causes installation to not start correctly with GeForce 576.02 drivers has been fixed. A checkbox has been added on the first screen to bypass the Cloudflare CDN. This option comes in handy in countries with Cloudflare censorship, such as Russia and Spain.

Next up, we've tweaked the internal process that compresses files into the driver package so it uses a maximum of 8 CPU threads, down from 20, which should correct certain "out of memory" errors. The description of NV Platform Controllers component has been updated to make it clear that it is applicable only to laptop platforms. On laptops, the "recommended" preset selects NV Platform Controllers. Grab NVCleanstall from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp NVCleanstall 1.19.0

Intel is at a crossroads as the company prepares to report earnings on April 24, 2025. Investors are hoping that Lip-Bu Tan, Intel's new CEO, can turn the company's fortunes around and stem its revenue losses. Currently, Intel is projected to report its fourth straight quarter of revenue decline with a 3.4% revenue loss, according to Reuters, and expects a significant widening of its losses to approximately $945 million compared with a loss of $381 million a year ago. Intel continues to lose market share to AMD in both personal computing and data center markets, while NVIDIA dominates the highly lucrative AI chip market. In addition, Intel's PC division is likely to report an 11% revenue decrease to $6.73 billion, and its data center business is probably facing its twelfth consecutive quarter of declines. "The most important thing for Intel now is Lip-Bu Tan's playbook... How he can give investors confidence that he is the person who can turn Intel around and whether a turnaround is possible in the first place," said Hendi Susanto, portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds, which holds Intel shares.

Tan has been implementing sweeping changes as part of his turnaround plan, cutting more than 20% of the employees at Intel and a change in the leadership model to provide quicker decisions. The company is seeing significant geopolitical threats as U.S.-China trade tensions are rolling back. China is threatening to impose retaliatory tariffs of up to 85% on all chips produced in the U.S. and along these lines has also imposed a requirement for licenses to sell some high-end AI products to the Chinese customers. Likely, as part of this, the company is presumed to be moving the production of its 3 nm chips from Arizona to Ireland in late 2025. Under all of these factors, Intel could eventually receive a temporary boost if PC shipments are pulled forward ahead of these tariffs that may ultimately positively impact a significant portion of Intel's sales (nearly one-third of total revenues).

Silicon Power (SP) is proud to announce the launch of the Inspire microSDXC card, a powerful new memory solution tailored for content creation, 4K video production, and handheld gaming. With blazing fast read speeds up to 170 MB/s and write speeds up to 160 MB/s, the Inspire card offers the speed, reliability, and versatility that today's creators and gamers demand.

Built for Speed, Ready for Action
Designed with UHS-I U3 and V30 video speed ratings, the Inspire card is ideal for applications that demand high-speed data processing—from capturing ultra-high-definition 4K video on drones and action cameras to supporting mobile gaming and professional content creation on portable game consoles and Android devices. With capacity options of 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB, users can choose the perfect fit for their storage needs. For power users who require even more storage, a 1 TB option is slated for release in Q2 of this year.

Samsung Display today announced that the company has earned Marketing Claim Verification from global safety science company UL Solutions for claims related to perceived brightness. This marks the first time UL Solutions has issued a Marketing Claim Verification for a technology that leverages PCL calculations.

To achieve UL Solutions' Marketing Claim Verification, Samsung's True Bright, which is a distinction Samsung gives to displays that provides greater perceived brightness when compared to LCDs of the same PCL score, was evaluated for Perceptual Contrast Length (PCL) to quantify the brightness of the black of a display. PCL, which has been adopted as an industry standard by SEMI, refers to the brightness of a display specifically as perceived by the human eye. This metric acknowledges that perceived brightness is influenced not only by the physical light emitted by the panel but also by its contrast ratio. OLED displays typically have a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1—over a thousand times that of standard LCDs. The enhanced contrast of OLEDs ensures that the same image is perceived as brighter when compared to LCD displays.

addlink Technology Co., Ltd., a trailblazer in cutting-edge storage solutions, is excited to unveil the P30 USB4.0 Super-Speed Magnetic SSD, a next-generation external drive engineered for speed, portability, and innovation. Designed to meet the demands of modern mobile users, the P30 combines record-breaking performance with a stylish, compact form factor.SD, a cutting-edge portable storage device that combines exceptional speed, robust durability, and sleek design.

P30 USB4.0 SSD: Blazing Speed and Smart Design
Harnessing the power of USB4.0 technology, the P30 achieves transfer speeds of up to 4000 MB/s, allowing users to transfer a 10 GB file in a mere 2.5 seconds. Whether you're working with 4K ProRes videos, high-resolution photos, or massive game libraries, this SSD delivers unparalleled efficiency for professionals and enthusiasts alike.

SK hynix Inc. announced today that it has completed customer validation of 96 GB CMM (CXL Memory Module) - DDR5, a DRAM solution product based on CXL 2.0. The company said that it can process 36 GB/s due to a 50% increase in capacity when the product is applied to the server systems and a 30% improvement in the bandwidth compared to previous DDR5 modules. This can contribute to drastically reducing the total cost of ownership by customers in building and operating data centers.

Following the 96 GB product validation, the company is proceeding with the validation process for 128 GB product with another customer. This product, equipped with 32 Gb DDR5 DRAM using the 1bnm process, or the fifth-generation of the 10-nanometer technology, has high performance per watt. The company plans to complete the ongoing 128 GB validation as soon as possible to establish a CXL product portfolio to support customers in a timely manner. SK hynix is making efforts to expand the CXL ecosystem along with the development of CXL DRAM. The company developed HMSDK, software optimized for CMM-DDR5 and integrated it on Linux, the world's largest open-source operating system, in September, improving the performance of CXL applied systems.

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading brand of performance overclock memory and PC components, is excited to unveil a list of compatible G.SKILL DDR5 memory kits that support the newly announced Intel 200S Boost program, introduced by Intel to improve system and gaming performance for platforms with unlocked Intel Core Ultra 200S series desktop processors and a compliant Intel Z890 chipset motherboard.

Intel 200S Boost - What is it?
The Intel 200S Boost is a new overclocking feature designed by Intel to work in conjunction with their latest unlocked Intel Core Ultra 200S series desktop processor, a compliant Intel Z890 chipset motherboard and validated DDR5 memory kits with an Intel XMP 3.0 memory overclock profile of up to DDR5-8000 and a maximum rated voltage of 1.4 V. Enabling this feature in the motherboard BIOS will automatically set your XMP values whilst boosting various CPU parameters to gain extra system performance.

AMD is preparing to launch its mid-thru-performance segment graphics card, the Radeon RX 9060 XT, on May 18, 2025. The mid-May launch could likely clash with that of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (non-Ti). With the RX 9060 XT, AMD is introducing its second silicon based on the RDNA 4 architecture, the 4 nm "Navi 44." The full chip is rumored to be exactly half that of the "Navi 48" powering the RX 9070 series, with 32 compute units. This works out to 2,048 stream processors, 64 AI accelerators, 32 RT accelerators, 128 TMUs, and possibly 64 ROPs. The memory bus is expected to be 128-bit wide, with 8 GB and 16 GB memory variants expected. The company might stick with 20 Gbps GDDR6 for 320 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The host interface is expected to be PCI-Express 5.0 x8. Although it comes with a rather low shader count of 2,048, the RX 9060 XT is expected to come with higher engine clocks, boosting well over 3.20 GHz.

Given how the RX 9070 series ended up being competitive with the RTX 5070 and in some cases even the RTX 5070 Ti; it becomes plausible that the RX 9060 XT ends up competitive with the RTX 5060 series. Then there's the matter of the RX 9070 GRE. While the RX 9060 XT is 50% of the RX 9070 XT specs-sheet on paper the RX 9070 GRE is expected to be 75% of it—think 48 CU, 192-bit memory bus. This SKU is based on the "Navi 48" with its ASIC designation "Navi 48 XL." It's now being rumored that launch of this SKU has been significantly delayed to Q4 2025. May 18 happens to be the Sunday before Computex 2025 in Taipei, and so it's possible that AMD is holding some kind of client computing or gaming-specific event there, where it will show off the RX 9060 XT. The company might even announce mobile variants of its RX 9070 series.

Igor's Lab has run independent testing and thermal analysis of NVIDIA's latest GeForce RTX 50-series graphics cards, including the add-in card partner design RTX 5080, 5070 Ti, and 5060 Ti, which are now attracting attention for surprising thermal "hotspots" on the back of their PCBs. These hotspots are just the areas on PCB that get hot under load, and not the "Hot Spot" sensor NVIDIA removed with RTX 50 series. Infrared tests have shown temperatures climbing above 100°C in the power delivery region, even though the GPU die stays below 80°C. This isn't a problem with the silicon but with concentrated heating in clusters of thin copper planes and via arrays. Card makers like Palit, PNY, and MSI have all seen the same issue since they closely follow NVIDIA's reference PCB layout and use similar cooler mounting. A big part of the trouble comes down to how PCB designers and cooler engineers work separately.

NVIDIA's Thermal Design Guide gives AIC partners detailed power-loss budgets, listing worst-case dissipation for the GPU, memory, NVVDD and FBVDDQ rails, inductors, MOSFETs, and other components, and it recommends ideal thermal interface materials and mounting pressures. The guide assumes that even heat is spreading and that there is perfect airflow in a wind tunnel, but actual consumer PCs don't match those conditions. Multi-layer PCBs force high currents through 35 to 70 µm copper layers, which join at tight via clusters under the VRMs. Without dedicated thermal bridges or reinforced vias, these areas become bottlenecks where heat builds up, and the standard backplate plus heat-pipe layout can't pull it away fast enough.

Yesterday, AMD released Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 25.4.1 Optional Beta drivers that add FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Assassin's Creed Shadows, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Dynasty Warriors Origin, Civilization 7, and Naraka Bladepoint. It also brings Amuse 3 support and AMD-optimized models to Radeon RX 9000 and RX 7000 series graphics cards alongside Ryzen AI 300 series processors. Among the many fixes you'll find corrected lighting artifacts in Topaz Photo AI's Adjust Lighting features on RX 9000 series cards, removed flicker when using AMD FreeSync, improved DirectML and GenAI performance in Amuse 3.0 on RX 7000 GPUs and Ryzen AI 300 series chips, and patched image corruption in certain diffuser models on RX 9000 hardware.

The update also smooths out stutter and performance drops in World of Warcraft's Western Plaguelands, restores integrated camera detection after factory resets on Ryzen AI Max devices, and addresses AMD Chat installation hangs. Since this is still an optional beta with some known issues, like FSR 4 not activating in Naraka Bladepoint on Windows 10, crashes in The Last of Us Part 2, memory leaks in SteamVR on RX 9000 cards, or intermittent launch and stability hiccups in games like Cyberpunk 2077, Fantasy VII Rebirth, Battlefield 1, Monster Hunter Wilds and Marvel's Spider-Man 2, AMD recommends using the suggested workarounds such as disabling motion smoothing or integrated graphics in your BIOS and holding out for your system vendor's certified driver to ensure full compatibility.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Software Adrenalin 25.4.1 Beta

Today ESDigital Games and developer Storm in a Teacup are excited to release Steel Seed, the new stealth-action game set in a dark sci-fi world where humanity stands on the brink of extinction. Available today on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S for $39.99 (with an additional 15% launch discount available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation for PlayStation Plus subscribers), Steel Seed is a gripping action-adventure experience from the visionary team behind the critically acclaimed Close to the Sun.

Steam and Epic Games Store players can also grab the Deluxe Edition of Steel Seed today for $44.99 (with an additional 15% launch discount available), which includes the game's 15-track digital OST composed by Andrea Remini, a digital artbook, two unique in-game costumes, and 23 HD wallpapers. The Deluxe Edition will be available digitally on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, alongside a physical edition of Steel Seed on PlayStation 5, starting May 23.

Last week Synology put out a press release on its European website, informing its customers that the Plus Series—which starts with simple two bay devices—will only support its own brand of hard drives, if you want to be able to take advantage of basic NAS features like creating a storage pool or do a lifespan analysis. More advanced features like volume-wide deduplication will also not be available. Synology has already done this on its XS Plus and rack mounted NAS appliances—which in itself wouldn't be acceptable to many considering getting a NAS—but at least these are pricier, high-end devices. Now the company has moved down to the $300 price bracket, which just doesn't sit right.

Admittedly this will only affect new customers, as the company will start to roll out the limitation with its 2025 SKUs and all other models will continue to work as is. The problem here is that Synology isn't a hard drive manufacturer and according to Arstechnica, the company is simply re-branding Toshiba hard drives and charges an extra $50 or so for their basic tier of drives, with higher-end tiers having a much higher premium. Synology obviously claims that this is for the benefit of their customers and you can find the full statement below. However, we doubt many customers will be happy to pay extra for something that was working just fine, until Synology figured out it could charge its customers extra for it. For now, there has been no indication that this will happen outside of the European market, but it's likely to be rolled out globally, as something like this is rarely limited to one market.

Hello everyone, after three years of development, I'm thrilled, excited (and a little bit scared) to announce that Post Trauma is now available on Steam (PC), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. And if you're on Steam, you can also pick up an exclusive Supporter Edition which includes the game's full official soundtrack from Myuu alongside the base game. On behalf of myself and Red Soul Games, I want to thank you for your passion, your patience and support of Post Trauma. Whether you've been with me since the beginning or you're just joining us here in The Gloom, I'm incredibly grateful and can't wait to hear what you think of the game.

This development journey has been an incredible ride, from the initial demo on Itch.io, to announcing a partnership with Raw Fury and re-announcing the game at The Game Awards, demoing at Gamescom twice and seeing the game be exhibited all around the world, from Tokyo Game Show, to being hosted by PlayStation at BitSummit and taking part in Fantastic Fest in Texas. Our small team has accomplished so much and despite a few bumps in the road, we're incredibly proud of what we've been able to achieve. We hope you feel the same.

Not long after Intel's launch of the Arc Xe2 "Battlemage" B580 12 GB graphics card design, insiders started generating noise about potential spin-offs bound for release in 2025. In theory, the speculated "B580 24 GB" variant could arrive as a workstation-oriented discrete graphics solution—possibly lined up as a next-gen entry within Team Blue's Arc Pro family. Three mysterious BMG (aka "Battlemage") PCI identifiers turned up at the end of January; sending online PC hardware debates into overdrive; one faction believed that Team Blue was readying fabled productivity-focused B-series cards—complete with enlarged pools of GDDR6 VRAM. Apparently, Sparkle's Chinese branch has provided comment on newer rumors—from March, according to VideoCardz. The Taiwanese manufacturer is a key Intel board partner in the field of Arc GPU-based graphics card products—across gaming and professional desktop lines. Unfortunately, the company's head office (in Taiwan) has dismissed "official" claims about a May/June launch of an unnamed 24 GB model. Sparkle's Chinese social media account engaged with members of the PC hardware community, and outlined an "original plan" to release something new within the second quarter of 2025—apparently the incoming card is "still being arranged."

ViewSonic Corp, a leading global provider of visual solutions, announces the worldwide availability of 27-inch flagship ColorPro VP2788-5K, an iF Design Award-winning monitor designed for seamless integration with both Mac and PC ecosystems. Featuring 5K UHD+ resolution, industry-leading color accuracy, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity for daisy chaining of dual 5K monitors, it is an ideal solution for designers, photographers, and videographers to boost productivity and streamline workflows.

"The VP2788-5K combines ViewSonic's ColorPro color accuracy with advanced functionalities to optimize productivity in creative sectors," said Oscar Lin, General Manager of the Monitor Business Unit at ViewSonic. "This monitor offers top-tier color fidelity and clarity, along with easy multi-display setups, establishing a new benchmark for professional displays both within the ViewSonic community and beyond."

MSI proudly announces full support for Intel 200S Boost technology for the latest Z890 motherboard lineup, empowering gamers, creators, and enthusiasts to unlock next-level performance with a single click. Intel 200S Boost is a cutting edge memory enhancement technology that allows users to safely elevate DDR5 memory performance when paired with Intel Core Ultra 200S Series Desktop "K-SKU" processors and "Z890 series motherboards". To fully optimize this feature, MSI has forged strong partnerships with leading memory brands. Together, we've rigorously tested and validated a wide range of DDR5 modules to meet Intel 200S Boost standards, delivering exceptional performance, stability, and compatibility. Learn more about Intel 200S Boost.

Once a compatible processor and supported memory kit are installed, users can instantly activate 200S Boost via MSI Click BIOS X, no manual tuning or technical expertise required. This one click feature enables real performance improvements in gaming, content creation, and everyday multitasking. To support this breakthrough, MSI has released the latest BIOS for all Z890 series motherboards, ensuring full compatibility with Intel 200S Boost. Users are encouraged to visit MSI's official website and product pages for the latest BIOS updates.

A first-look trailer for Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate's Fortune, the game's second story pack releasing on May 15, debuted at Star Wars Celebration. A free demo that features select parts of Star Wars Outlaws is now available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Ubisoft Connect, the Epic Games Store, and Steam. Plus, Star Wars Outlaws is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on September 4. The new trailer shows Kay Vess embarking on a mysterious adventure where she encounters pirates and lost treasures. Kay and her companion Nix team up with infamous pirate Hondo Ohnaka to face off against Stinger Tash and her Rokana Raiders to uncover the hidden riches within the dangerous Khepi Tomb. Along the way, they'll discover the Miyuki Trade League who offer new rewards for the Trailblazer in exchange for smuggling dangerous goods across the galaxy.

To access Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate's Fortune, players must complete the main storyline in the base game. This second story pack will be automatically accessible and free for Star Wars Outlaws Season Pass owners, or available as a separate purchase. With the release of Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate's Fortune, Ultimate and Deluxe Edition owners also receive the Naboo Nobility and Desert Nomad cosmetic packs. All players will be gifted cosmetic items inspired by Star Wars: Skeleton Crew as part of the Title Update launching alongside A Pirate's Fortune. After downloading and installing the update, the gift will appear in the player's delivery crate on the Trailblazer.

Sapphire has quietly expanded its existing Radeon RX 9070 Series lineup with two new additions: PULSE METAL ALLOY Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070. According to VideoCardz, the manufacturer's Chinese website was updated with new product listings at some point last week. Sapphire's regional branch has not issued any fresh press material, regarding an official launch of these gray-shaded options. Sapphire's graphics card team has seemingly refreshed their standard black PULSE (RDNA 4 generation) triple and dual-fan shroud and backplate designs with new metallic tones and finishes. Fancier enclosures will not arrive alongside bump-up in specs—as mentioned in freshly-published official product pages, company engineers have stuck with AMD's reference figures for the Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070. VideoCardz reckons that the PURE METAL ALLOY cards will debut in China; possibly as starting off as exclusives. Currently, the manufacturer's various global online presences only list the readily available black PULSE cards. Interestingly, the white PURE series shares the same overall (triple-fan) shroud and backplate setup—Sapphire's pale-shaded offerings feature very mild overclocks over "baseline MSRP" configurations. Chinese market pricing—for the two PULSE METAL ALLOY SKUs—was not available at the time of publication.

Today, Intel introduced a new "200S Boost" factory-approved overclocking profile for the unlocked Intel Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" processors. Namely, the Core Ultra 9 285K, 7 265K/265KF, and 5 245K/245KF SKUs are supported when installed on a compatible Intel Z890 motherboard with one‑DIMM‑per‑channel Intel XMP DDR5 memory. Activating the 200S Boost profile in the BIOS raises the System-on-Chip (fabric) clock from 2.6 GHz to up to 3.2 GHz and the die‑to‑die interconnect from 2.1 GHz to up to 3.2 GHz (within VccSA ≤ 1.20 V) while pushing DDR5 speeds from stock 6,400 MT/s to as much as 8,000 MT/s (VDD2/VDDQ ≤ 1.40 V). Intel has validated the profile on a selection of Z890 boards, including ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF, ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero, Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Master, MSI MEG Z890 Ace, and others. For memory kits, Intel validated DDR5 memory kits from ADATA, Corsair, G.SKILL, Team Groupp, and V‑COLOR.

Enabling 200S Boost requires a BIOS update, selecting the "Intel 200S Boost" preset under the overclocking menu, and rebooting; stability should then be verified with benchmarks like Cinebench, and thermals/voltages monitored via Intel XTU or similar tools. Perhaps the most important fact is that using the 200S Boost profile does not void Intel's three‑year limited warranty on boxed Core Ultra 200S CPUs, provided they weren't manually overclocked before profile activation. Intel cautions that actual gains depend on motherboard design, cooling, and memory quality, that two‑DIMM‑per‑channel setups aren't officially supported, and that damage to non‑Intel components remains outside warranty coverage. This is more of a safe heaven for anyone wanting to do manual tuning, but not wanting to break any warranty and thus risk damaging their CPU without a backup plan.

The "walkout" moment is a staple of Bethesda Game Studios' titles, and there are few that have stuck with me as much as emerging from the sewer-set tutorial of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. That makes it all the more incredible, 19 years later, to see it in thoroughly modern form in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered—which arrives today. I watch as a newly-built character loads into the wide open world of Cyrodiil (R.I.P. Emperor Septim)—they turn to see the landscape I know so well in new and improved form. Mist wreathes around the top of nearby mountains, seen again in distorted reflections on the wholly reworked water below. A sunrise cuts across the world, casting long shadows across gorgeous new foliage. Behind me, an even more imposing Imperial City stands proudly, blotting out the horizon behind it. And then, we're interrupted by an unscripted attack from a Mud Crab. It might look all-new, but this is Oblivion alright.

Oblivion Remastered—All the Updates
Oblivion Remastered comes to Xbox Series X|S, PC (via Steam and the Xbox App for Windows PC) and PlayStation 5. It's also available day one with Game Pass and, with Xbox Play Anywhere, one purchase on an Xbox platform means you can play on Xbox consoles, Windows PC, and cloud with full cross-entitlements and cross-saves. Designed in co-operation with the remaster specialists at Virtuos, Oblivion Remastered keeps the core of the original game intact (and includes the Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles expansions), but drapes it in an incredible new visual style, powered by Unreal Engine 5. Alongside 4K resolution, 60 frames per second performance, all-new textures, lighting effects, and landscape improvements, the game also updates everything from character, spell, and weapon animations, to dynamic time of day and weather effects.

Acer seems to be readying premium tier Radeon RX 9070 XT OC graphics card models for an imminent launch. The brand's Swedish office has sent out mixed messages—as noted by VideoCardz's past weekend coverage—regarding their incoming non-overclocked Nitro SKU. Gaming GPU enthusiasts have often complained about AMD's overcomplicated model nomenclature—in particular, the company's XT, XTX and GRE attachments have caused uncountable headaches. Quite amusingly, Acer Sweden's marketing team got bamboozled by Team Red's model labelling scheme—as evidenced by their recent advertising of a "Nitro Radeon RX 9070 GRE XT 16 Gbit/s graphics card."

VideoCardz reckons that no such SKU exists; employees have rectified this mistake—at the time of writing, Acer Sweden's product page showcases a corrected designation: "Nitro Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB graphics card." According to industry moles, AMD and its board partners are working on RDNA 4 generation "Great Radeon Edition" (GRE) cards. Late last week, VideoCardz acquired an alleged Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB specification sheet. Team Red and AIBs seem to be devising a forthcoming retail release in China; possibly by next month. Acer Sweden's inadvertent/bungled leak suggests that GRE-related info is present within internal promo material.

Today, NVIDIA confirmed that its Deep Learning Super Sampling technology (DLSS) boasts native support in 769 games and applications, reinforcing its lead over competing upscaling suites from AMD and Intel. With the addition of six newly announced titles, including the open‑world survival MMO RuneScape: Dragonwilds, DLSS's ecosystem continues to expand rapidly. Since its debut alongside the RTX 20 series in 2018, DLSS has evolved from a single AI‑powered upscaling method into a comprehensive toolkit. The current DLSS 4 iteration introduces Multi‑Frame Generation (MFG) and DLSS Transformers, delivering sharper images and smoother frame rates than earlier convolutional neural network modes. On supported RTX 40‑ and 50‑series GPUs, gamers can now take advantage of frame generation, denoising enhancements via ray reconstruction, and AI‑driven anti‑aliasing.

Of the six titles highlighted in NVIDIA's latest blog post, Steel Seed from Storm in a Teacup is the first to ship with DLSS 4's MFG. RuneScape: Dragonwilds, The Talos Principle: Reawakened, and Tempest Rising have added DLSS 3's frame‑generation and Super Resolution features, while indie releases Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Commandos: Origins deploy DLSS 2's Super Resolution alone. These incremental rollouts demonstrate how studios of all sizes are integrating NVIDIA's upscaling techniques at varying depths. By contrast, AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) and Intel's Xe Super Sampling (XeSS) toolkits support 356 and 161 titles, respectively. While AMD's FSR 4.0 can override older versions, its adoption remains focused on basic upscaling without frame generation, and XeSS continues to trail in overall scope. NVIDIA's manual override in its GeForce Experience app further widens the gap, allowing engineers to retrofit MFG into titles whose developers have yet to implement it natively.

To celebrate the release of Lunar Remastered Collection—out now for PC (Steam), Xbox One (compatible with Xbox Series X|S), PlayStation 4 (compatible with PS5), and Nintendo Switch—I sat down with our Senior Graphic Designer, Amy Nguyen, and talked to her about how this remaster's logo came to be. I asked her about her inspirations, her design process, and more!

Dive into the enchanting worlds of LUNAR: Silver Star Story Complete and LUNAR 2: Eternal Blue Complete! Tag along on Alex and Hiro's quests and challenge enemies like the Magic Emperor and God of Destruction to save the world from dire peril in two adventures set 1000 years apart from each other! LUNAR Remastered Collection brings together LUNAR: Silver Star Story Complete and LUNAR 2: Eternal Blue Complete with enhanced graphics, audio, and quality-of-life improvements. Available for the first time on modern consoles, this remastered edition honors the beloved series that has remained in the heart of gamers since its initial release in 1992.

VideoCardz has put a spotlight on a compelling Intel Community announcement—ten days ago, a site moderator (RonaldM_Intel) disclosed that company engineers are currently engaged in the investigation of a major Arc graphics card-related issue. At the beginning of 2025, Hardware Unboxed uploaded a video article (see below) that delved into the Arc Xe2 B580 graphics card design's "big problem." Going back several months, review outlets observed B580 sample cards leveraging lower than expected performance when paired with older generation processors. As summarized by VideoCardz's recent report; significant performance drops were tracked when test units were linked up with AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or 5600 CPUs—relative to a more modern rig; powered by Team Red's Ryzen 7 9800X3D. Additionally, evaluators observed worrying signs when B580 cards were tested on platforms based on Intel's 9th Gen Core i5-9600K processor.

Budget-conscious buyers have embraced Team Blue's new generation cards, with many participants upgrading older builds with Intel Arc B580 12 GB and B570 10 GB graphics cards (original launch MSRPs: $250 and $220, respectively). Given that many owners will be sticking with prior-gen processors, industry watchdogs have leveled criticism at Team Blue—the company has disappointed many, with an apparent lack of action. Months after the fact—likely after a healthy intake of community feedback—Intel has officially acknowledged these issues. As disclosed by RonaldM_Intel's announcement: "thank you for your patience. We are aware of reports of performance sensitivity in some games when paired with older generation processors. We have increased our platform coverage to include more configurations in our validation process, and we are continuing to investigate optimizations."

AMD is said to be gearing up to sell its AI server assembly facility in the U.S., and it's drawing a lot of interest from Taiwanese OEM manufacturers and others. Bloomberg reports that Compal and Wiwynn are leading the charge in the bidding, with U.S. electronics company Jabil also in the mix. Interestingly, Inventec and Pegatron, who were once contenders, have pulled out. AMD is looking to speed up the sale process, asking for bids on a short timeline and aiming to finalize the deal by the end of the quarter, with a price range of $3-4 billion. This potential sale comes just months after AMD acquired the facility as part of its $4.9 billion purchase of ZT in March, which included the assembly plant and about 1,500 employees.

Industry experts suggest that AMD's decision to sell is a strategic move to avoid competing with its own clients in manufacturing. Meanwhile, the top bidders seem ready to expand their U.S. manufacturing capabilities. Compal is exploring North American expansion for server production, with Texas emerging as the prime location candidate due to its robust power infrastructure. Meanwhile, Wiwynn has already secured a foothold in the region, having announced the acquisition of a Texas factory in February specifically to establish server manufacturing operations.

With the launch of Days Gone Remastered—for PlayStation 5 and PC—just around the corner, we're excited to spotlight our expanded suite of accessibility features. Taking the foundation of our baseline list from Days Gone in 2019, we made it a priority to evolve and improve accessibility to make the player's experience more accessible and customizable when hitting the Broken Road on April 25. Let's dive right in!

Visual features
Subtitle customization is now vaster than ever before in Days Gone. We added a total of 11 subtitle colors for you to choose based on your preference, which can also be used for the speaker's name. Want to mix and match? No problem! Choose the subtitle text to be one color and the speaker's name to be another color. On top of color customization, we also expanded the options for subtitle background. Originally, this could only be toggled on or off. Now, you can select between default (transparent), darkened, light, and black.

Going back to May 2023, an industry inside report suggested that AMD was planning a new generation Ryzen Threadripper High-End Desktop (HEDT) processor series. At the time, "Shimada Peak" was linked to a possible 2025 launch. Over the ensuing years, shipping manifests have revealed the transfer of various 9000 SKUs between Team Red facilities—starting with a mysterious 96-core prototype. Industry observers have been seeking out newer evidence of AMD's next-gen flagship "Zen 5" Threadripper chip; likely going under a "9995WX" moniker.

Late last week, a fresh leak unearthed a likely sub-flagship SKU: the 9985WX. This alleged 64-core SKU was spotted—by Everest (aka Olrak29)—alongside 9955WX (16-core) and 9945WX (12-core) siblings, in a shipping manifest. As reported on TechPowerUp on March 21, the same source uncovered two other entry-level models: the 9975WX (32-core) and 9965WX (24-core) parts. Unfortunately, Team Red's rumored monstrous 96-core 9995WX processor was not listed within fresh batches of shipping documents. Industry watchdogs expect AMD to repeat its product layout from past generations; spanning from entry-tier 12-core offerings up to the aforementioned 96-core range-topper. The latest leak suggests utilization of the SP6 socket type, and 350 W TDPs (across all product identifiers).

Traditionally, data centers have relied on air cooling—where mechanical chillers circulate chilled air to absorb heat from servers, helping them maintain optimal conditions. But as AI models increase in size, and the use of AI reasoning models rises, maintaining those optimal conditions is not only getting harder and more expensive—but more energy-intensive. While data centers once operated at 20 kW per rack, today's hyperscale facilities can support over 135 kW per rack, making it an order of magnitude harder to dissipate the heat generated by high-density racks. To keep AI servers running at peak performance, a new approach is needed for efficiency and scalability.

One key solution is liquid cooling—by reducing dependence on chillers and enabling more efficient heat rejection, liquid cooling is driving the next generation of high-performance, energy-efficient AI infrastructure. The NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 and the NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 are rack-scale, liquid-cooled systems designed to handle the demanding tasks of trillion-parameter large language model inference. Their architecture is also specifically optimized for test-time scaling accuracy and performance, making it an ideal choice for running AI reasoning models while efficiently managing energy costs and heat.

At the tail end of March, an interaction between Tomasz Gawroński (aka GawroskiT) and Jaykihn (jaykihn0) indicated that Intel had abandoned the development of higher-end Arc Xe2 "Battlemage" graphics cards—possibly back in late 2024. Months of silence—since the launch of pleasingly wallet-friendly B580 and B570 models—instilled a sense of unease within segments of the PC gaming hardware community. Many watchdogs assumed that company engineers had simply moved onto devising futuristic Arc Xe3 "Celestial" equivalents. As discovered last week, hopes have been elevated for a potential expansion of Team Blue's "Battlemage" dGPU lineup. Haze2K1 highlighted an intriguing entry within an NBD shipping manifest; a "BMG-G31"-type GPU was transferred "for R&D purposes." Currently, the lower end of Intel's B-card series is populated by discrete solutions based on their smaller "BMG-G21" GPU design.

Tomasz Gawroński spent part of his Easter weekend poring over shipping documents; soon stumbling on an entry that mentioned a mysterious "IBC C32 SKT"—again, listed under "research and development" purposes. In a reply to Gawroński's social media bulletin, miktdt weighed in with a logical theory: "because of the BMG in the text the best I could believe is a reworked/restarted BMG G31. C32 could simply mean cores 32 which is a fully-enabled G31. This makes more sense to me." VideoCardz posits that these leaks do not necessarily signal the revival of fortunes for more potent Arc Xe2 "Battlemage" SKUs; Intel could be shipping "canceled project" prototypes to different locations. Going back to late summer 2023, a "BMG G10" GPU die was spotted by members of the press during a tour of Team Blue's Malaysian test lab. Back then, certain industry insiders believed that the whole "Battlemage" endeavor was going through "development hell." Fast-forward to the present day; OneRaichu reckons that there is still a likelihood of Team Blue's "B770" model turning up at some point in the future.

ASRock Inc., a leading global motherboard manufacturer, officially announces today the release of a comprehensive BIOS update for its Intel Z890 series motherboards, enabling the brand-new Intel 200S Boost feature. With this update, users can effectively "upgrade" their existing Intel Core Ultra processors and enjoy a significant performance boost.

Intel 200S Boost is achieved through fine-tuning of BIOS settings and voltage adjustments, leveraging a subset of overclocking features found on K-series CPUs to enhance system performance, offering a truly noticeable upgrade. What's even more exciting is that this overclocking method does not void Intel's limited processor warranty.

EK, renowned for its premium liquid cooling solutions and now managed by LM TEK, is set to present its latest innovations at COMPUTEX Taipei 2025. From May 20 to 23, attendees can visit LM TEK at Booth M1419, Hall 1 (4F), TaiNEX 1, to explore cutting-edge cooling technologies designed to meet the demands of next-generation AI computing. As artificial intelligence and high-performance computing continue to evolve, the need for efficient thermal management becomes increasingly critical. EK's newest solutions address these challenges head-on, offering advanced liquid cooling systems that elevate performance, ensure system stability, and meet the rigorous demands of modern AI workloads. This year's COMPUTEX will serve as a platform for EK to showcase how its innovative hardware—engineered for data centers, AI development platforms, and high-performance workstations—can help reshape the future of computing.

Want to know what's coming?
Visit our EK COMPUTEX 2025 page, where we will be revealing newly released products, exclusive launches, and spotlighting key partner projects on display at the show. Under the management of LM TEK, EK continues to push the boundaries of thermal management technology. This transition brings enhanced operational agility and a sharper focus on customer needs, while maintaining the trusted EK quality and design excellence. Visitors to the EK booth will have the opportunity to explore the latest liquid cooling solutions, meet the team, and discuss how EK technology can power next-gen AI innovation. Whether you're an industry professional, system integrator, or tech enthusiast, this is your chance to experience the future of liquid cooling—up close.

TSMC has acknowledged fundamental visibility limitations in its semiconductor supply chain, stating in its latest annual report that it "inherently lacks visibility regarding the downstream use or user of final products." This disclosure relates to an incident where 7 nm chips manufactured for Sophgo were later identified in Huawei's Ascend 910B/C AI accelerators, whose hardware is subject to US export restrictions. The contract foundry outlined its standard process: receiving GDS files through intermediaries, validating technical specifications, creating photomasks, and fabricating wafers without insight into end applications. Subsequent analysis revealed that those very chips matched Huawei's specifications, providing components for approximately one million dual‑chiplet AI accelerator units, with two million dies shipped to Huawei.

The report warns that compliance violations by supply‑chain partners, such as failing to secure proper import, export or re‑export permits, could trigger regulatory investigations and penalties, even when TSMC adheres to its established protocols. US already proposed a $1 billion fine for TSMC. This visibility gap just shows that challenges in semiconductor manufacturing, where complex distribution networks obscure the path between fabrication and deployment, are not easily overcome. Foundries are facing increasing pressure to enhance tracking capabilities despite the inherent limitations of the contract manufacturing model. US sanctions on Chinese companies are growing their walls even higher, and this could mean that sanction-abiding companies might avoid doing business with Chinese entities altogether to avoid getting fined.

CHUWI, a global leader in innovative laptops, takes the CoreBook X lineup to the next level. CHUWI introduces a high-performance Intel Core i9 processor, expanded RAM, and enhanced storage, making it a powerhouse for productivity. This marks CHUWI's first-ever i9 laptop, 32 GB memory laptop, and 1 TB storage laptop—all combined into one ultimate powerhouse. While boosting its capabilities, the CoreBook X i9-13900HK laptop retains its sleek design and stunning 2K IPS display. The CHUWI CoreBook X with Intel Core i9-13900HK is now available on CHUWI's official website.

Power-Packed Performance:
Powering the new and updated CHUWI CoreBook X 2K laptop is the powerful Intel Core i9-13900HK processor with 14 cores, 20 threads, and clock speeds of up to 5.4 GHz, stepping up performance to a whole new level. Paired with the integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics eligible laptop GPU, it offers sharp visuals for gaming, streaming, and content creation.

CoolIT Systems ("CoolIT" or the "Company"), the world leader in AI and high-performance computing liquid cooling systems, today announced the appointment of Jason Waxman as CEO, effective immediately. CoolIT COO Patrick McGinn will also expand his role and become President and COO of the Company.

Waxman brings over two decades of experience driving innovation, growth, and operational excellence in the data center industry following his 20+ year tenure at Intel Corporation. He joins CoolIT from Fluke Corporation, the world leader in compact professional test and measurement tools, which he led for three years as President. Waxman was also a founding board member of the Open Compute Project, a collaborative community focused on redesigning hardware technology to efficiently support the growing demands on compute infrastructure.

be quiet!, the German manufacturer of premium PC components, introduces its new System Power 11 U series of power supplies, delivering between 550 W and 750 W to address the needs of efficiency-oriented PC builders. With compatibility for ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1, these PSUs offer future-proof technical design features and proven reliability, making them a standout choice in the entry-level segment. All models are available in 80 Plus Bronze efficiency and continue the tradition of quiet operation and dependable performance that the System Power series is known for.

"System Power 11 U brings the latest power standard to an extremely competitive segment," says Aaron Licht, CEO of be quiet!. "By combining ATX 3.1 readiness, solid efficiency, and the whisper-quiet operation our brand is known for, we're giving builders everything they need for modern systems."

TSMC is pushing forward its plans to make 2 nm process chips in large quantities in the second half of the year, with major customer developments coming to light. After AMD placed its order, reports suggest Intel has also become one of TSMC's first 2 nm customers aiming to use this cutting-edge technology for its next-gen desktop processors. Intel, already a big TSMC customer for advanced processes sent out key compute tiles for its Core Ultra processors to TSMC using different processes like N3B, N5P, and N6. To be exact, these were Intel Core Ultra 200V "Lunar Lake" series laptop processors and Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" series. While both companies didn't comment on the latest news, industry talk hints that they're cooperating on Intel's upcoming Nova Lake desktop processor set to launch next year (rumors suggest that it could be the Compute Tile). With the codename "NVL-S" Nova Lake combines two groups of eight high-performance "Coyote Cove" P-cores with 16 "Arctic Wolf" E-cores. It also includes four ultra-low-power LPE cores in a separate SoC tile. It is expected that Nova Lake-S will use LGA 1954, which has 1,954 active lands and might have more than 2,000 total pads when you count debug pins.

TSMC's work on 2 nm technology is moving forward as expected. The company uses first-generation nanochip transistor technology to boost performance and reduce power consumption across process nodes with big clients finishing designing silicon IPs and starting validation steps. AMD shared that its next EPYC "Venice" chip will be the first high-performance computing processor to use TSMC's 2 nm process. AMD validated it at TSMC's Arizona plant and is on track to launch it in 2026. Also, word has it that Apple's future iPhone 18 lineup will have its A20 chip made with the same TSMC 2 nm process.

Cadence today announced the industry's first DDR5 12.8 Gbps MRDIMM Gen 2 memory IP system solution on the TSMC N3 process. The new solution addresses the need for greater memory bandwidth to accommodate unprecedented AI processing demands in enterprise and data center applications, including AI in the cloud. The Cadence DDR5 MRDIMM IP boasts a new high-performance, scalable and adaptable architecture based on Cadence's proven and highly successful DDR5 and GDDR6 product lines. With multiple engagements underway with leading AI, HPC and data center customers, this IP solution is already demonstrating its early leadership.

The new Cadence DDR5 IP offers a PHY and a high-performance controller as a complete memory subsystem. The design is validated in hardware using the most recently available MRDIMMs (Gen 2), achieving a best-in-class 12.8 Gbps data rate that doubles the bandwidth using current DDR5 6400 Mbps DRAM parts. The DDR5 IP memory subsystem is based on Cadence's silicon-proven, high-performance architecture, ultra-low latency encryption and industry-leading RAS features. The DDR5 MRDIMM Gen 2 IP is designed to enable advanced SoCs and chiplets with flexible floor plan design options, while the new architecture allows fine-tuning of power and performance based on individual application requirements.

Essential to cloud data center infrastructure, hard disk drives (HDDs) are complex devices that blend material science, mechanical engineering and physics. As part of its innovation, HDDs use a range of rare earth elements (REEs) like Neodymium (Nd), Praseodymium (Pr) and Dysprosium (Dy), prized for their magnetic properties to help HDDs precisely read and write data. Yet, traditional recycling methods recover only a fraction of these valuable materials, often missing rare earths entirely, leading to unnecessary waste.

In a multi-party pilot program, Western Digital, in collaboration with Microsoft, Critical Materials Recycling (CMR) and PedalPoint Recycling has taken a major step toward closing that loop. Together, the companies transformed ~50,000 pounds of shredded end-of-life HDDs, mounting caddies and other materials into critical high-value materials, all while significantly reducing environmental impact. This pioneering process of creating a new advanced sorting ecosystem with an eco-friendly non-acid process not only recaptures essential rare earth elements but also extracts metals like gold (Au), copper (Cu), aluminium (Al) and steel, feeding them back into the U.S. supply chain, supporting industries that rely on these resources—such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, and advanced electronics. When scaled worldwide, this new recycling process could return a lot of recovered rare earths to the U.S. supply pool, drastically reducing the need for virgin material mining detrimental to people and planet. Today, most primary production (>85%) of REEs occurs outside the U.S. and the current domestic recycling rate for REEs is very low (<10%).

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading provider of secure data storage solutions, helps healthcare organizations strengthen the access, transmission, and storage of electronic protected health information (ePHI) through multi-layered cybersecurity measures and immutable storage—facilitating HIPAA compliance while safeguarding the privacy and integrity of sensitive medical data.

The protection and long-term storage of healthcare data is crucial to both patient privacy and the operational continuity of medical institutions. According to industry standards, medical records must be retained for extended periods and protected by comprehensive backup systems that comply with regulatory frameworks such as HIPAA. "QNAP continues to help healthcare organizations build robust data protection infrastructures with cutting-edge storage and security technologies," said Andy Yu, Product Manager of QNAP, adding "Our high-security NAS solutions help achieve HIPAA compliance, ensuring data integrity and regulatory alignment while reducing the management burden on IT teams."

Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation ("Toshiba") has announced the addition of new 24 TB models to both its N300 and N300 Pro Series of internal hard disk drives (HDD). The new models offer 2 TB more capacity than current 22 TB versions, making them ideal for increasing the capacity of network attached storage (NAS) and private cloud storage. They are designed for 24/7 operation, feature industry-standard 3.5-inch 7200rpm, 1 GiB buffer, and include integrated sensors to compensate for rotational vibrations.

The N300 Series has a workload rating of up to 180 TB/year with support for up to 12 drive bays, while the N300 Pro Series boasts a workload rating of up to 550 TB/year with support for up to 24 drive bays.

Fujitsu Limited and RIKEN today announced the development of a world-leading 256-qubit superconducting quantum computer, established at the RIKEN RQC-FUJITSU Collaboration Center. This new quantum computer builds upon the advanced technology of the 64-qubit iteration, launched with the support of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in October 2023, and incorporates newly-developed high-density implementation techniques. This announcement marks another crucial step toward the practical application of superconducting quantum computers and unlocking their potential to grapple with some of the world's most complex issues.

Both organizations will integrate the 256-qubit superconducting quantum computer into its platform for hybrid quantum computing lineup and offer it to companies and research institutions globally starting in the first quarter of fiscal 2025. The platform's expansion from 64 to 256 qubits empowers users to tackle more complex challenges, including the analysis of larger molecules and the implementation and demonstration of sophisticated error correction algorithms.

As a global leader in digital drawing devices and solutions, Huion today announces the Kamvas Slate 11 and Kamvas Slate 13, siblings of the Kamvas Slate 10 Android tablet. This announcement demonstrates Huion's commitment to exploring new fields and expanding its product lineup.

Highlights preview
Kamvas Slate 11 & 13 are aimed at artists and note-takers who demand standalone creative equipment with high clarity, entertainment, and portability. For larger canvas lovers, Kamvas Slate 13 features a 12.7-inch 4:3 QHD (2176 x 1600) screen, offering more room for drawing. For users who prefer great portability, Kamvas Slate 11 has a 10.95-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) screen, making it easy to carry around for on-the-go use.

Introducing the MS-CF20, a high-performance ATX motherboard with the Intel W880 chipset, supporting the 15th Gen Intel Arrow Lake-S Series processors. Designed to meet the needs of advanced computing applications, the MS-CF20 combines next-generation CPU support with robust legacy features, offering unparalleled versatility for both modern and existing systems.

The MS-CF20 supports Intel Core U9/U7/U5, Pentium, and Celeron processors, leveraging the latest advancements in Intel 15th Gen Arrow Lake-S technology. With higher core counts, improved instructions per clock, and greater energy efficiency, the new processors deliver exceptional performance for demanding and AI-driven workloads. The board is equipped with 4 DDR5 UDIMM slots, supporting both ECC and non-ECC memory at speeds up to 5600 MT/s and a maximum capacity of 192 GB, enabling unmatched performance for data-intensive applications.

TrendForce's latest research reveals that although the U.S. has granted a 90-day grace period before implementing reciprocal tariffs—offering temporary relief for notebook brands—the broader market remains clouded by policy and economic uncertainty. Brands began frontloading inventory in late 2024, pushing Q4 shipment growth to 5.1%, with 1Q25 seeing a 7.2% YoY increase.

However, given persistent economic weakness and rising tariff risks, TrendForce has revised the full-year 2025 notebook brand shipment growth forecast downward from 3.6% to just 1.4%.

AMD's entry-level graphics lineup sees the Radeon RX 6400 at the very bottom, followed by the RX 6500 XT, which is for all intents and purposes, an entry-level discrete GPU, given that its performance is in league of processor integrated graphics (iGPUs). It turns out that AMD had planned a SKU between the two, the RX 6500 (non-XT), and this chip is beginning to surface on entry-level graphics cards in China. A less-known AIB named Zephyr is selling an interesting single-slot low-profile card with dimensions resembling some RX 6400 cards. There's also a more fleshed out full-height, dual-slot card.

The RX 6500 appears to have the same core-configuration as the RX 6500 XT, both SKUs max out the "Navi 24" silicon they're based on. These chips are powered by the two generations older RDNA 2 graphics architecture, AMD's first to meet DirectX 12 Ultimate logo requirements. The RX 6500 is configured with all 16 CU present on the silicon, giving it 1,024 stream processors, and 16 RT accelerators, besides 64 TMUs and 32 ROPs and 16 MB of Infinity Cache. The chip gets 4 GB of GDDR6 memory across the 64-bit wide memory bus of the silicon.

GIGABYTE Technology, one of the top global manufacturers of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, is pleased to announce that our entire line of Intel Z890 motherboards now fully supports Intel 200S Boost technology, offering gamers a simple way to enhance performance while maintaining warranty protection.

Intel 200S Boost delivers pre-configured overclocking profiles for Intel Core Ultra 200S Series processors that enhance gaming performance by raising frequencies across processor components for improved framerates and system responsiveness. GIGABYTE Z890 motherboard owners can activate this feature with a simple one-touch profile in the BIOS, eliminating traditional overclocking guesswork while supporting blazing-fast Intel XMP profiles up to DDR5-8000. Best of all, Intel 200S Boost is fully covered under Intel's 3-year processor warranty, allowing gamers to enjoy performance benefits without traditional warranty concerns.

NVIDIA over the weekend pushed a Hotfix update to its GeForce drivers. Hotfixes are updates pushed out to meet glaring bugs or security vulnerabilities immediately, without leaving for the next planned Game Ready driver release. The GeForce Hotfix Driver 576.15 addresses an issue where some displays show flickering or corruption with RTX 50-series GPUs after updating to the GeForce Game Ready 576.02 drivers. A Lumion 2024 crash noticed on RTX 50-series GPUs when entering render mode has been fixed. A bug that causes GPU monitoring utilities to stop reporting data when the machine wakes up from sleep has been fixed. Some games crash when compiling shaders on RTX 50-series GPUs after updating to 576.02 drivers, which has been fixed.

A bug that causes GeForce RTX 50-series Laptop GPUs to put out black screens when waking up from modern standby has been fixed. Another bug that causes SteamVR to display V-Sync micro-stutters when using multi display, has been fixed. A glaring bug that causes lower than expected idle GPU clock speeds after updated to GRD 576.02 has been fixed.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce Hotfix Driver 576.15

Team Group Inc., a global leader in memory and storage solutions, proudly announces that four of its innovative products across its three sub-brands have won the 2025 Red Dot Award for Product Design. The award-winning entries include the T-FORCE XTREEM ARGB DDR5 Desktop Memory, T-CREATE EXPERT P32 Desk External SSD, Team Group PD20 Mini External SSD, and the PD20M Mag Portable SSD. These accolades reaffirm Team Group's unwavering commitment to innovation, technical excellence, and thoughtful design, further strengthening its influential position in the global high-performance storage and design aesthetics landscape.

The Red Dot Design Award, one of the most prestigious design competitions globally, spans nearly 70 years and attracts over 10,000 entries from more than 60 countries annually. Judged by a panel of international design experts, the award honors outstanding designs based on multiple criteria, including functionality, aesthetic appeal, usability, and sustainability. Team Group has emerged from the large pool of submissions, earning top-tier international recognition and demonstrating its significant achievements and brand value.

GAMEMAX, an emerging brand of PC gaming components including gaming cases and power supply units, is thrilled to announce the BLADE CONCEPT ATX gaming chassis—our flagship gaming chassis featuring a visually striking lion-inspired design and an open-frame layout with a massive interior to support high-end configurations.

The eye-catching front panel features high-strength nylon weave meets metal for a perfect fusion of technology and aesthetics. It allows air to passthrough while trapping dirt and debris—an advanced dust filtering mechanism.

Bethesda Studios has confirmed that it will officially reveal its long‑rumored remaster of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion in a live stream set for April 22. The event begins at 8:00 a.m. PT (11:00 a.m. ET, 4:00 p.m. BST) and will be available to watch on both YouTube and Twitch. The teaser image shows a close‑up of a battle‑worn eye alongside the Roman numeral IV, with the simple tagline "All will be revealed." Fans have already started marking their calendars in anticipation of what promises to be a significant announcement. This confirmation arrives after a plethora of leaks over the past week. Community members uncovered a hidden backend link to an official Oblivion remaster website, and images allegedly supplied by Virtuos Studio compared the original 2006 game to an impressive modernized version. And now these rumors are true, with Bethesda posting a teaser on X.

Bethesda has rebuilt Oblivion using Unreal Engine 5, bringing enhanced textures, fully redone lighting, and potentially new environmental effects. Rumors also suggest that the combat system may see updates inspired by Souls‑style blocking, while stealth, archery, and stamina management could receive fresh tuning to meet today's standards. Speculation continues that Bethesda might "shadow drop" the remaster on the same day it is revealed, allowing players to purchase or download it immediately. Reports indicate the game will launch on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, mirroring the modern platforms of the original's 2006 debut on Xbox 360 and Windows, with a PlayStation 3 port arriving in 2007. There is no word yet on a Nintendo Switch 2 edition, but as an Xbox first‑party title, the remaster will almost certainly be available on Xbox Game Pass from day one, granting subscribers instant access.

Today, Chinese PC maker FEVM introduced the FA‑EX9 mini PC, powered by AMD's new Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 "Strix Halo" processor. This compact system measures just 192 × 190 × 55 mm (2 L volume) and packs 16 Zen 5 CPU cores alongside 40 RDNA 3.5 compute units (Radeon 8060S) and a dedicated XDNA 2 neural engine capable of 50 TOPS. FEVM configures the MAX+ 395 to run at up to 120 W sustained power, putting it in the same performance class as a Ryzen 9 9955HX paired with an RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. Memory comes as 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256‑bit bus, with up to 96 GB usable as video memory for large‑model inference. Storage is handled by dual M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD slots, supporting up to 2 TB onboard and up to 16 TB total. The FA‑EX9 offers one HDMI 2.1 port, one DisplayPort 1.4, two USB4 Type‑C connectors for up to four 8K displays, and an OCuLink port for external GPU expansion. Inspiration for this mini PC seems to be NVIDIA's DGX Spark, which is Team Green's custom solution for local AI processing in an incredibly compact housing.

In comparison, NVIDIA's DGX Spark brings the GB10 Grace Blackwell superchip to a palm‑sized AI appliance. It combines a 20‑core Arm CPU cluster with a Blackwell GPU featuring next‑gen Tensor and RT cores, delivering up to 1,000 FP4 AI TOPS. The DGX Spark is built around 128 GB of unified LPDDR5X memory at 273 GB/s, up to 4 TB of self‑encrypting NVMe storage, four USB4 ports, one HDMI output, and a ConnectX‑7 SmartNIC providing 200 GbE networking for multi‑node clusters. Its chassis measures 150 × 150 × 50.5 mm (1.24 L volume) and draws approximately 170 W under load, with pricing starting at $2,999 for a 1 TB model or $3,999 for the 4 TB Founder's Edition, now available for preorder. While the FA‑EX9 balances general‑purpose computing, flexible GPU expansion, and high‑speed I/O for edge AI and creative professionals, the DGX Spark focuses on out‑of‑the‑box AI throughput and scale‑out clustering. The FA-EX9 is more of a general-purpose Swiss army knife, which can be used for anything from AI to gaming. Release date and pricing are still unknown.

Thermaltake expands the entry-level range of CPU air coolers with the new UX400 series, which includes three models: ARGB Sync White, ARGB Sync Black, and matte black. Using a single-tower design, they measure 125 mm × 92 mm × 152 mm and are equipped with four Ø6 mm U-shaped copper direct-contact heat pipes. The Thermaltake UX400 series sports a 120 mm fan with PWM speeds of 700-1800 RPM, providing an airflow of 62.72 CFM, a static pressure of 1.47 mm-H2O, and a noise level of 25.0 dBA. The fan of the UX400 ARGB Sync features 9 addressable LEDs that can be customized via 5 V motherboard sync software from ASUS, MSI, GIGABYTE, BIOSTAR, and ASRock.

With a cooling capacity of 240 W TDP, the UX400 comes with universal brackets for Intel and AMD CPUs, including the latest LGA1851 and AM5 CPU sockets. It looks very similar to the UX200 SE series launched in 2023, with the main differences being in the heatpipes areas (for better clearance) and the updated 120 mm fan. Regarding price, the Thermaltake UX400 ARGB Sync (Black, CL-P142-AL12SW-A / White, CL-P143-AL12SW-A) are listed on the Thermaltake's Taiwan website for NT$790.00 (approximately $24), and the UX400 (Matte Black, CL-P149-AL12BL-A) for NT$690.00 (roughly $21).

LincPlus, a technology-driven brand committed to innovation, quality, and intelligent design, is excited to announce its participation in the 2025 Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition). Taking place from October 13-16, 2025, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), the event is one of Asia's largest and most influential electronics trade fairs, bringing together global tech leaders and forward-thinking brands.

At this year's exhibition, LincPlus will be presenting its latest lineup of smart NAS (Network Attached Storage) and tablet products—the two core pillars of its consumer and prosumer technology offerings. Visitors will get an exclusive preview of new releases, engage with live demos, and explore the brand's vision of smarter, simpler, and more stylish technology.

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading brand of performance overclock memory and PC components, is thrilled to unveil DDR5 memory with an ultra-high kit capacity of 256 GB (64 GB x4), overclocked to DDR5-6000 CL32. Built with high-performance SK hynix DDR5 ICs, this overclock memory speed and timing pushes the boundaries of memory overclocking by fully loading 4 modules of high-capacity DDR5 64 GB U-DIMM modules on a single system; marking a new milestone for high-performance computing, content creation, AI applications, and advanced workstation workloads.

Overclocked, Ultra-Capacity 256 GB (64 GB x4) at DDR5-6000 CL32 In content creation and recent advancements in AI, the need for higher DRAM capacity is essential. Whether calculating large language models or working with complex or high-resolution video content, high-speed memory of high-density 64 GB modules would help to provide a smoother and more efficient workflow. Loaded with AMD EXPO memory overclock profiles, see the DDR5-6000 CL32 256 GB (64 GB x4) kit being stress-tested in the screenshots below on the ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR X870E HERO motherboard with the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D desktop processor, as well as on the MSI MPG X870E CARBON WIFI motherboard with the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X desktop processor.

ASUS Republic of Gamers today announced the ROG Crosshair X870E Extreme and ROG Crosshair X870E Apex, which join the previously-released ROG Crosshair X870E Hero to triple the number of premium ASUS motherboard options for high-end AMD Ryzen systems. Equipped with premium components, heavy-duty power solutions, and offering next-level connectivity options, these motherboards cater to those who dare to build a PC that shatters boundaries. ASUS AI Advisor, available within the ASUS DriverHub app, can help users learn all about this new hardware and get performance tips.

ROG Crosshair X870E Extreme
The ROG Crosshair X870E Extreme carries forward the AMD Ryzen 9000 Series of ROG motherboards with a no-holds-barred feature set and an all-new design that exudes luxury. Its massive power solution unleashes the full potential of new CPUs. 20+2+2 power stages effortlessly slake the thirst of the top-end AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, even when firing on all cylinders. Thick-and-tall VRM heatsinks keep the power circuitry operating comfortably, while 8+8 ProCool II power connectors with solid pins give the CPU a direct line to the power supply.

Huawei recently revealed that its CloudMatrix 384 AI super node cluster can outperform NVIDIA's GB200 NVL72 in standard benchmarks, even though it consumes more power per performance unit. That system relies on Huawei's current Ascend 910C accelerators, which deliver strong raw compute performance but lag behind in efficiency metrics. To address this gap, Huawei is preparing the Ascend 920 family, with the training‑focused Ascend 920C built on SMIC's 6 nm process. According to DigiTimes, each 920C card will deliver more than 900 TeraFLOPS of BF16 half-precision performance. It also upgrades memory to HBM3 modules, providing 4,000 GB/s of bandwidth, which is up from the Ascend 910C's eight HBM2E stacks and 3,200 GB/s.

The existing Ascend 910C peaks at 780 TeraFLOPS in BF16 operations and uses a chip‑to‑chip interconnect bandwidth of 400 GB/s. Its packaging limits that bandwidth, but it still supports high‑speed communication between nodes in ultra‑dense AI clusters. Huawei will retain the chiplet‑based design in the 920C and refine the tensor acceleration engines for Transformer and Mixture‑of‑Experts models. Internal projections estimate that overall training efficiency on the 920C will improve by 30-40 percent compared to the 910C. This should narrow the performance‑per‑watt difference against competitors' solutions. In terms of system integration, the Ascend 920C will support PCIe 5.0 and next‑generation high‑throughput interconnect protocols. These features aim to improve resource scheduling and reduce latency in super node deployments, where tight node‑to‑node synchronization is critical. Huawei has not announced a firm release date for the Ascend 920C, but DigiTimes sources claim that it will enter mass production in the second half of 2025, which could mean just a few months from now.

A recent job listing at Intel for a memory sub-system validation engineer—a person that tests and validates memory with new types with prototype silicon, suggests that Intel is implementing the contemporary GDDR7 memory standard with an upcoming GPU. The position calls for drive-and-deliver pre- and post-silicon validation and characterization of GDDR6 and GDDR7 memory types on Intel's Arc GPU products. Given that Intel is putting this listing out now, in Q2-2025, an actual product that implements GDDR7 could be rather far out, considering typical GPU silicon development timelines. We predict such a chip could be taped out only by 2026, if not later.

A possible-2026 tapeout of a GPU silicon implementing GDDR7 points to the likelihood of this being a 3rd Gen Arc GPU based on the Xe3 "Celestial" graphics architecture. Given Intel's initial success with the Arc B580 and B570, the company could look to ramp up production of the two through 2025, and continue to press home its advantage of selling well-priced 1080p-class GPUs. Intel could stay away from vanity projects such as trying to create enthusiast-class GPUs, sticking to what works, and what it could sell in good volumes to grab market share. This is a business decision even AMD seems to have taken with its Radeon RX RDNA 4 generation.

Based on recent shipping manifests that point to custom test hardware for its next "Nova Lake‑S" processors, Intel seems to be gearing up for a big desktop platform update. According to documents obtained by NBD.ltd, Intel isn't moving full motherboards yet. Instead, it's sending out mechanical interposers and re-balling jigs for an 888‑ball BGA chip. Those tools, likely meant for the upcoming 900‑series PCH, aren't finished products but specialized fixtures used to check voltage regulation during assembly. Right now, desktop builders are tied to the LGA‑1700 socket, but Nova Lake‑S is expected to adopt LGA 1954, which offers 1,954 active lands (and possibly more than 2,000 total pads when you count debug pins). That boost in pin count could allow Intel to expand power delivery and I/O without compromise. Still, anyone holding out for Nova Lake‑S will have to wait. Intel plans to roll out "Arrow Lake Refresh" later this year, with Nova Lake‑S not arriving until 2026.

Under the "NVL‑S" codename, Nova Lake is said to combine two clusters of eight high‑performance "Coyote Cove" P‑cores with 16 "Arctic Wolf" E-cores, plus four ultra‑low‑power LPE cores in a separate SoC tile. That layout would create a 52‑core hybrid chip, though Intel engineers are reportedly still fine‑tuning the exact mix before tape‑out. The new south‑bridge package measures about 25 × 24 mm (around 600 mm²), slightly smaller than the 650 mm² footprint used by today's 800‑series chipsets. Shipping lists reveal jig sizes from roughly 38 × 28 × 6.97 mm up to 50 × 50 × 6.32 mm, which tells us multiple fixture types are being used in test labs around the world. Additionally, moving from LGA‑1851 to LGA‑1954 could hint at a longer‑lived socket, but Intel's history suggests most desktop platforms span just two generations. Whether Nova Lake‑S or any future "Razer Lake" follow‑up will fully exploit this new interface remains to be seen. We are watching closely as more concrete specs emerge ahead of that 2026 launch.

You might know Canva for its flashy templates and social-friendly visuals, but when it comes to creating professional diagrams or flowcharts that actually mean something to your boss, Microsoft Visio quietly reigns supreme. And now, it's cheaper than ever—just $14.97 for a lifetime license via StackSocial (reg. $249.99).

Visio is the diagramming tool professionals turn to when a wall of bullet points just won't cut it. Whip up flowcharts, org charts, floor plans, and network diagrams in a matter of minutes. It's like Canva, but for engineers, project managers, and data nerds who need to communicate clearly and get stuff done.

Get a Microsoft Visio lifetime license for $14.97 (reg. $249.99) while this deal is still live. No subscription, no fluff, just pro-grade visuals made easy.

AMD is readying a new line of professional graphics cards based on its latest RDNA 4 graphics architecture. The company has assigned the silicon variant "Navi 48 XTW" to power its next flagship pro-vis product, which will likely be branded under the Radeon PRO W9000 series. According to the source of this leak, the card comes with 32 GB of memory, which is probably ECC GDDR6, across the chip's 256-bit wide memory bus. The product should offer the same core-configuration as the Radeon RX 9070 XT gaming GPU, with 64 compute units worth 4,096 stream processors, 128 AI accelerators, 64 RT accelerators, 256 TMUs, and 128 ROPs.

Besides professional visualization, AMD could target the AI acceleration crowd. The company is hosting the "Advancing AI" press event in June, where it is widely expected to announce its next-generation AI GPUs and updates to ROCm. It could also use the occasion to unveil the Radeon PRO W9000 series product, promoting them to the AI acceleration crowd.

Welcome to the last full week of April and this week we have a packed week of new games, especially if you're into various types of RPG games. This week's major release is a RPG that takes place in a Belle Époque inspired world. This is followed by a more traditional RPG game with swords and dragons, a horror survival game, a futuristic RPG with mechs, some classic RTS action with a familiar vibe and finally a Lovecraft inspired horror adventure. There are loads of other games launching this week as well, so check them out at the bottom of the list.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 / This week's major release / Thursday 24 April
Explore an enchanting realm populated by surreal adversaries. Wander through breathtaking landscapes, from the Island of Visages to the Forgotten Battlefield, discovering secrets and hidden quests along the way. Find allies of fortune in creatures of legend. Recruit special companions to access new travel methods and discover secret areas in the World Map. Steam link