News Archive

Friday, February 21st 2025

Today's Reviews

Cases
Game Controllers
Graphics Cards
Keyboards
Motherboards
Mouse
PSUs
darkFlash DY470 Review

darkFlash DY470 Review

Review Cases
The darkFlash DY470 manages to pack a no-frills, functional dual-chamber case layout into a cool looking, asymmetrical exterior shell which helps it stand out in the already crowded segment. As such, while it commands a higher price tag than classic variants, it certainly has plenty of justification to do so.
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Fantech Aria II Pro Review

Fantech Aria II Pro Review

Review Mice
Much like the regular Aria II, the right-handed ergonomic, 53 g Aria II comes with PixArt's PAW3395 sensor and Huano switches for the main buttons, but on top of that, polling rates of up to 8000 Hz are supported in both wired and wireless operation, along with Bluetooth.
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Former Sony Exec Views First-party PS5 to PC Porting as "Almost Like Printing Money"

by
T0@st
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Last month, Shuhei Yoshida announced his retirement from Sony Interactive Entertainment. His career at the company started back in 1986, and by 1993 he became involved with the corporation's nascent PlayStation division. The Japanese industry veteran has gone on a press appearance blitz over the past couple of weeks; many headlines have been generated by his candid musings. Most recently, Sacred Symbols+ engaged in a conversation with Yoshida—their (paywalled) two-hour long podcast episode (#347) was made available to subscribers this week. The former PlayStation chief divulged that he pushed hard for the conversion of first-party titles from console origins to PC platforms, but his colleagues were reportedly reluctant to adopt this practice (at the time). Yoshida-san outlined the benefits: "releasing on PC does many things: it reaches a new audience who do not own consoles—especially in regions where consoles are not as popular. The idea is that those people may become fans of a particular franchise, and when a new game in that series comes out, they may be convinced to purchase a PlayStation." Sony started readjusting its exclusivity model a few years ago; greater ambitions were revealed in 2024.

He continued with this thought process: "it also adds additional income, because porting to PC is way cheaper than creating an original title...So, it's almost like printing money. And that helps us to invest in new titles now that the cost of games has increased." The ex-SIE boss believes that emerging markets are best served with releases on PC. Yoshida mentioned a huge (almost untapped) market—his ex-colleagues could do well, by targeting said region in the near future: "China is a huge PC game market...And China is a growing but very small console market. In order to reach the audience in countries like China then it's crucial to release on PC. So, I believe PC versions really reach a new audience." PC gamers have largely welcomed an improved flow of ported first-party titles, but Sony has absorbed feedback flak in early 2025; namely an underwhelming reception to Marvel's Spider-Man 2. In late January, Team Sony announced a revised PlayStation Network account policy; backpedalling from a system that featured strict sign-in requirements.

Promise Mascot Agency Demo Available Now

Press Release by
T0@st
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You heard us the first time! The demo is playable RIGHT NOW! GO GO! Welcome to Kaso-Machi, where chaos goblins and crime mysteries await! For the first time EVER, you can get hands on with our colourful, sentient (of course, why wouldn't they be?!) mascots, get behind the wheel of your truck, and start discovering the mysteries that await you in Promise Mascot Agency! GO GO GO!

Delve into this open-world, genre-bending, creature collector, RPG. Be the boss, turn a profit, and collect the most chaotic roster of bizarre mascots. Severed pinky fingers run businesses? Sobbing Tofu! A Very Innocent Cat!? Oh my! Experience the star-studded cast FOR THE FIRST TIME! Featuring the dulcet tones of Takaya Kuroda (Yakuza's Kiryu Kazuma), Ayano Shibuya (Zelda Breath of the Wild & Tears of the Kingdom), and introducing Nobuyuki Hiyama (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask) as Captain Sign! So what are you waiting for? Mascots of every variety are waiting to be put on your books in this epic new 80-minute demo, now available as part of Steam Next Fest!
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GoDeal24 Unveils February Special Sale: Deep Discounts on Genuine Software

by
btarunr
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TSMC Set to Benefit from Estimated 22 Million Apple iPhone 16e Unit Sales

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T0@st
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On Wednesday (February 19), Apple announced the upcoming launch of its "budget-friendly" iPhone 16e smartphone model. The Cupertino, California-based company has refreshed its entry level product tier—starting at $599—with modernized internals. Apple's new design houses an A18 chipset, as well as their much-discussed debut modem design. The C1 is a custom 5G part; fully developed in-house. Previously, modern iPhone product ranges have been fitted with Qualcomm 5G modems. As expected, Apple contracted with TSMC for the production of A18 and C1 silicon—the A-type SoC is based on a 3 nm process node (TSMC N3E). Their proprietary modem baseband design utilizes 4 mm, while the receiver uses a 7 nm process—according to insiders.

Taiwan's Commercial Times reckons that TSMC will be the "biggest beneficiary" from the aforementioned agreement with Apple. Ctee TW's latest report cites industry analysis; soothsayers estimate annual shipments reaching roughly 22 million units annually. Additional whispers suggest that the C1 modem will turn up in non-iPhone devices—namely next-gen Watches and iPads, by next year. The report also mentions that upcoming Mac products are slated for C1 upgrades. Further leaks have linked project "Ganymede" to a "C2" custom 5G modem design—inside sources believe that a 3 nm TSMC process is on the cards. Another codename—"Prometheus"—was leaked by insiders; possibly referencing a future "C3" model.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Spotted with Missing ROPs, Performance Loss Confirmed, Multiple Vendors Affected

Exclusive Update 4 by
btarunr
 Updated: Discuss (266 Comments)
TechPowerUp has discovered that there are NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 graphics cards in retail circulation that come with too few render units, which lowers performance. Zotac's GeForce RTX 5090 Solid comes with fewer ROPs than it should—168 are enabled, instead of the 176 that are part of the RTX 5090 specifications. This loss of 8 ROPs has a small, but noticeable impact on performance. During recent testing, we noticed our Zotac RTX 5090 Solid sample underperformed slightly, falling behind even the NVIDIA RTX 5090 Founders Edition card. At the time we didn't pay attention to the ROP count that TechPowerUp GPU-Z was reporting, and instead spent time looking for other reasons, like clocks, power, cooling, etc.

Two days ago, one of our readers who goes by "Wuxi Gamer," posted this thread on the TechPowerUp Forums, reporting that his retail Zotac RTX 5090 Solid was showing fewer ROPs in GPU-Z than the RTX 5090 should have. The user tried everything from driver to software re-installs, to switching between the two video BIOSes the card comes with, all to no avail. What a coincidence that we had this card in our labs already, so we then dug out our sample. Lo and behold—our sample is missing ROPs, too! GPU-Z is able to read and report these units counts, in this case through NVIDIA's NVAPI driver interface. The 8 missing ROPs constitute a 4.54% loss in the GPU's raster hardware capability, and to illustrate what this means for performance, we've run a couple of tests.

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Atelier Yumia's Feature Set Explored, KOEI TECMO Opens Up Digital Pre-orders

Press Release by
T0@st
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Atelier games have been around since the late '90s, with more than two dozen titles shipped in that time - but you're forgiven some unfamiliarity the series, as Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories and the Envisioned Land will be the very first to arrive on Xbox. After playing through the first few hours of the game and speaking with producer Junzo Hosoi, it's becoming clear that the first Atelier title on Xbox isn't simply the latest in the series, it's the most ambitious entry yet.

"As a huge Xbox fan, I'm thrilled to finally bring the series to the system," Hosoi told me via email, "But when I look at the game as a whole, I don't describe Atelier Yumia as the next Atelier game. I describe it as a completely new JRPG series that has Atelier features." My preview session bore that out; players will find familiar RPG elements aplenty - strategic, real-time battles, crafting, exploration - but they come together in way that feels altogether different from others in the genre. The secret ingredient, if you will, lies in the super deep crafting system.
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This Week Only: Access All Babbel's Languages for Life With This Exclusive Offer From StackSocial

by
btarunr
Language proficiency is essential in today's globalized world, offering advantages in career growth, travel, and cultural connection. With Babbel's Lifetime Language Learning Subscription, you can gain fluency in 14 languages with a single purchase. For a limited time, use code LEARN40 to get lifetime access for just $129.99 (reg. $169.99)—a one-time payment for unlimited learning.

Babbel is a research-driven language learning platform developed by over 100 linguists and backed by academic studies from institutions like Yale University. Unlike other apps that focus on rote memorization, Babbel prioritizes real-world conversational skills, helping learners quickly apply new languages in practical settings.

Typically priced at $169.99, Babbel's Lifetime Subscription is now available for just $129.99 when you use code LEARN40 at checkout through February 23.
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Radeon RX 9070 XT Sample Reportedly Scores 7931 Points in FurMark 2, Close to RX 7900 XTX Performance

by
T0@st
 Discuss (36 Comments)
An alleged AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card has posted an overall score of 7931 points in a Furmark v2.5 OpenGL test session. Earlier today, Tomasz Gawroński shared a hastily prepared screenshot, accompanied by his observations: "I found an AMD (RDNA 4) Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU and Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU with hacked drivers. Device ID (1002-7550) matches the recently leaked Geekbench entry. There are multiple benches with 9950X3D on Furmark. Scores are impressive: 41-48% higher than Radeon 7800 XT." VideoCardz believes that the Furmark leak points to the true potential of Team Red's upcoming Navi 48-based graphics cards. Recent Geekbench results—reportedly produced by Radeon RX 9070 XT and 9070 (non-XT) pre-release samples—have indicated underwhelming performance; closer to previous-gen mid-range levels.

The "hacked" Radeon RX 9070 XT sample's Furmark tally—of 7931—places it higher than previously perceived; when compared to Team Red's middle-to-high range portfolio of RDNA 3 offerings. VideoCardz posited that the leaked candidate's score: "puts it almost at the Radeon RX 7900 XTX's level, faster than the Radeon RX 7900 XT, RX 7900 GRE, and over 50% higher than the 7800 XT. Based on rumors we heard this week, AMD is said to be claiming over ~40% higher performance at 4K (games) than the 7900 GRE, so this would be in line with these claims."

Team Jade Announces Launch of Delta Force's Black Hawk Down Co-op Campaign

Press Release by
T0@st
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Mogadishu, 1993. Operation Gothic Serpent. What began as a routine mission to capture enemy lieutenants descended into chaos when two Black Hawks were shot down. U.S. forces found themselves trapped and outnumbered, fighting for survival in the heart of enemy territory. Now, you can experience the intensity of that fateful day firsthand.

Black Hawk Down is coming completely FREE on February 21! As a gesture of gratitude to all the Operators for all the support during the Open Beta, one of the most iconic military operations will be available to all for free. Squad up, stay sharp, and overcome! Remember...no one gets left behind! Delta Force is a definitive free-to-play modern team-based tactical shooter coming to PC, consoles, and mobile. As the latest installment of the classic series that has defined the genre for 25 years, Delta Force is back with four main game modes: large-scale multiplayer PVP—Warfare, next-gen extraction shooter—Hazard Operations, PVE mode—Raid, and classic PVE campaign mode—Black Hawk Down.
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Apple M4 MacBook Air Gets Geekbenched, Leaked Results Suggest Near MacBook Pro-level Performance

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T0@st
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Apple's unannounced M4 MacBook Air family is likely reaching market availability status at some point next month. Last December, slimline notebook enthusiasts started hearing about an updated lineup; macOS's Sequoia 15.2 update reportedly referenced upcoming MacBook Air M4 13-inch and 15-inch models. An early sample unit—named "Mac16,12"—has participated in a Geekbench 6.4.0 (macOS AArch64) gauntlet; results appeared online yesterday. The alleged "MacBook Air 13" candidate posted an overall Metal score of 54,806, and an overall OpenCL tally of 36,305. The two separate Geekbench Browser entries confirm that the sampled device makes use of a 10-core M4 processor, with Cluster 1 containing four performance cores. Cluster 2 consists of six power efficiency-oriented cores. Base frequency is listed at 4.41 GHz; reportedly the highest recorded for an M4 SoC. Said chip accessed 24 GB of unified memory, during its macOS 15.2 (Build 24C2101)-based test session.

Notebookcheck and Wccftech compared the aforementioned data points with slightly older M4-equipped hardware, including a premium model. Both outlets observed a "measly" five percent performance difference. Elaborating on their findings, Notebookcheck stated: "as always, we would recommend taking early benchmark results with a healthy amount of skepticism for the time being. With that being said, the MacBook Air 13 benchmarked falls about 5% short of the median Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Metal results we achieved so far when benchmarking the M4 versions of Apple's Mac Mini and MacBook Pro 14." The rumored next-gen MacBook Air is expected to operate with a fan-less cooling system—press outlets reckon that the MacBook Pro's air-cooled operation puts it at a slight advantage (in benchmarks).

Intel 18A Is Officially Ready for Customer Projects

by
AleksandarK
 Discuss (9 Comments)
Intel has updated its 18A node website with the message, "Intel 18A is now ready for customer projects with the tape outs beginning in the first half of 2025: contact us for more information." The contact hyperlink includes an email where future customers can direct their questions to Intel. Designed as a turnaround node for Intel, 18A carries industry-leading features like SRAM density scaling comparable with TSMC's N2, 15% better performance per watt, and 30% better chip density vs. the Intel 3 process node used in Intel Xeon 6, as well as PowerVia backside-power delivery to increase transistor density.

Other features like RibbonFET are the first to replace FinFET transistors, making gate leakage a tighter control. Interestingly, Intel's first products to use the 18A node are client CPUs "Panther Lake" and "Clearwater Forest" Xeon CPUs for data centers. External Intel Foundry customers using the 18A node include Amazon's AWS, Microsoft for its internal silicon for Azure, and Broadcom exploring 18A-based designs. The process of gaining customers for advanced manufacturing is complex, as many existing Samsung/TSMC customers are not risking their capacity and contracts with established advanced silicon makers. However, if Intel's first few customers prove successful, many others could flock over to Intel's fabs as geopolitical tensions are questioning whether the current models of the semiconductor supply chain are feasible in the future. If US companies and startups decide to move with Intel for their chip manufacturing, Intel could experience a complete recovery.

NVIDIA Recommends GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU to AI Content Creators

Press Release by
T0@st
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The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards—built on the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture—are out now, ready to power generative AI content creation and accelerate creative performance. GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPUs feature fifth-generation Tensor Cores with support for FP4, doubling performance and reducing VRAM requirements to run generative AI models.

In addition, the GPU comes equipped with two ninth-generation encoders and a sixth-generation decoder that add support for the 4:2:2 pro-grade color format and increase encoding quality for HEVC and AV1. This combo accelerates video editing workflows, reducing export times by 8x compared with single encoder GPUs without 4:2:2 support like the GeForce RTX 3090. The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU also includes 16G B of fast GDDR7 memory and 896 GB/sec of total memory bandwidth—a 78% increase over the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti GPU.
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XFX MERCURY Radeon RX 9070 XT OC Magnetic Air Edition Models Appear on Amazon CA

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T0@st
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Amazon Canada has listed two new XFX Magnetic Air Edition designs, within the last day or so—as discovered by the VideoCardz overwatch. Mid-way through last week, the first signs of these premium customized AMD RDNA 4 graphics cards appeared online; courtesy of another Canadian leak. Within the same timeframe, XFX registered its "XFX Radeon RX 9070 XT QUICKSILVER Magnetic Air D6 16 GB" SKU at South Korea's National Radio Agency. Amazon.ca's two pre-order listings—likely prematurely published by accident—provide a first look at XFX's revised "Magnetic Air" modular fan system. The MERCURY Radeon RX 9070 XT OC Magnetic Air Black and White Editions appear to sport plenty of loud RGB lighting zones—contrasting greatly, when compared to understated sibling designs.

XFX's standard MERCURY Radeon RX 9070 XT OC Magnetic Air Edition seems to visually match with the manufacturer's "premium black" CES 2025 demonstration sample. TechPowerUp handled this powered-off unit at last month's trade event, alongside a "premium white" sample. Based on a leak—from two days ago—the pale candidate could be an XFX SWIFT model. Product and packaging imagery for Radeon RX 9070 (non-XT) SWIFT and QUICKSILVER emerged online, allegedly sourced from Amazon South Korea. Returning to XFX's highly-anticipated top-tier Magnetic Air options; price points of CAD$1438.03 (black) and CAD$1277.51 (white) are presently displayed on Amazon Canada. VideoCardz reckons that fluctuations will occur up until release day—both third-party listings (Fennec, Inc) mention the exact same release date: March 6. Base GPU clock speed is set at 1870 GHz, while the card's boost capability takes matters up to 3100 MHz—possibly aligning with numbers generated by an unnamed test sample. An expected VRAM assignment—of 16 GB—is described by Amazon's Canuck branch. Three 8-pin power connectors are present in XFX's Magnetic Air product renders.

Numemory Releases Optane Successor: "NM101" Storage-Class Memory

by
AleksandarK
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Numemory has introduced the NM101, a 64 Gb storage-class memory module that uses technology similar to Intel's now-discontinued Optane architecture. The device implements phase-change memory and crossbar technology in a 3D selector-only memory structure, matching Optane's 3200 MT/s transfer rate specification. The technical architecture diverges from Intel's implementation by using a single selector in its cross-point structure rather than the dual-selector approach of 3D XPoint memory. Operating at 1.2 V with an X8 bus width, the NM101 uses 3D stacking to achieve claimed performance metrics of 10x faster read/write speeds than NAND flash. Xincun Technology, which established the Numemory division in Wuhan in 2022, holds 273 patents related to the technology, including 60 international and 213 Chinese patents. The company's R&D team of 144 engineers has developed the architecture since 2019, three years before Intel ended its Optane program.

Production plans specify an initial manufacturing target of 10,000 units monthly by the end of 2025. Guao Technology has committed ¥10 billion to establish production facilities in Zhejiang province, with additional funding from the Anji county government. The NM101's operating temperature range spans 0-70°C, suitable for standard data center environments. While the device's specifications suggest the potential for data center deployment, specific IOPS and latency metrics remain unpublished. Initial production will serve domestic Chinese servers and storage manufacturers. The technology's viability in mass production remains to be demonstrated, particularly given the manufacturing challenges that contributed to Optane's market exit. The Chinese internal market is massive, so serving only domestic companies could be enough for Numemory at the beginning. If the company continues development, worldwide expansion could pick up where Optane stopped.

PC Enthusiast's Next Stop is... 12VHPWR Power Connector with Active Fan Cooling?

by
AleksandarK
 Discuss (24 Comments)
Just when you thought you'd seen everything, a Taobao seller has unleashed what might be the most over-engineered power connector solution yet: a 16-pin 12VHPWR power adapter complete with its own cooling fan and real-time monitoring display. Yes, you read that right—we're now actively cooling power connectors. The $30 adapter appears as manufacturers continue struggling with melting cable problems on NVIDIA's RTX 4090 series, despite the company's claims of resolving the issue. The adapter includes an LCD screen showing real-time temperature and power consumption readings, while its 180-degree design prevents sharp cable bends that are often blamed for connection problems. However, unlike more comprehensive solutions proposed by engineering experts, it doesn't address the fundamental issue of uneven power distribution across the connector's 12 power wires.

The adapter works with RTX 4090, 4080, and 4070 graphics cards. Still, it shouldn't be used with newer RTX 50 series cards, as the sales listing doesn't mention any GeForce RTX 50 series compatibility, and the latest "Blackwell" GPU design uses an updated 12V-2x6 power connector, which still appears riddled with issues. While adding a fan to a power connector may seem excessive, an intriguing possibility is that we may soon find water-cooler power connectors for the newer 12V-2x6, so users can prevent their $2000 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPUs from melting their power connectors. Irony aside, power delivery safety is a growing concern, and no clear resolution exists. NVIDIA has reassured users in the past that these problems are now solved, but the issues are piling up as more users get ahold of their RTX 5090 GPUs.

Arc & Snapshot Games Unveil Chip 'n' Clawz vs. The Brainioids, Masterminded by X-COM Creator

Press Release by
T0@st
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We're proud to reveal Chip 'n' Clawz vs. The Brainioids, a new action-packed strategy game that combines thrilling third-person action with the strategic depth of real-time strategy (RTS) gameplay - all set in a colorful, comic book-style world brimming with a unique cast of characters. Whether strategizing in battle or diving into the action firsthand, you will find a uniquely engaging and heroic adventure that keeps you coming back for more.

PLAY THE DEMO
As part of Steam Next Fest: February Edition from February 24 to March 3, the first-ever demo of Chip 'n' Clawz vs. The Brainioids will be available for you to experience this exciting heroic action RTS adventure before it launches on PC, Xbox and PlayStation this spring with cross-platform play support at launch. The demo will give you plenty of Chip 'n' Clawz action to dive into, as it'll feature online and local campaign co-op and PvP multiplayer support, four Mission levels, two Challenge levels, two PvP maps, and plenty of weapons, mods, collectibles and base building options! If you want to join the Chip 'n' Clawz community and find fellow Earthlings to adventure with or challenge in PvP, join the official Chip 'n' Clawz Discord!
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MSI RTX 5070 Ti VENTUS 3X Not Included in Launch Lineup, MSRP Models Reportedly Still in Short Supply

by
T0@st
 Discuss (5 Comments)
Over the past three weeks, press outlets and the buying public have levelled heavy criticism at NVIDIA board partners. The launches of three GeForce RTX 50-series "Blackwell" GPUs have—so far—been problematic; based on news reports and community feedback. Prior to release (on February 20), VideoCardz anticipated major price fluctuations for an all-custom portfolio of GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards. The publication did not hold back with its targeting of ASUS; one of Team Green's big time AIBs. Only a small selection of baseline MSRP ($749) conformant models were available on day one, and VideoCardz posited that manufacturers would implement price hikes soon after launch. A follow-up report continues their investigation into a lack of baseline MSRP options, as well as so-called "fake promotions."

VideoCardz repeated its belief that ASUS will jack-up the asking price for its PRIME GeForce RTX 5070 Ti model. When looking at Newegg's listing of baseline MSRP cards, the intrepid investigator stumbled up another notable absence: "we wrote three articles about the ASUS RTX 5070 Ti PRIME model not being listed as an MSRP card by retailers, which finally led ASUS to intervene (most likely for a limited time) to sell this card at the promised price. What we can immediately notice is the lack of the VENTUS 3X model from MSI, which was basically 90% of the MSRP card review coverage yesterday, as NVIDIA had no Founders Edition card for this launch and relied on board partners. In fact, the VENTUS 3X non-OC is not even included in the official launch, meaning that the card you saw yesterday in reviews is simply not available anywhere." It should be noted that TechPowerUp received an MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Ventus 3X OC sample unit for evaluation purposes (review guide pricing was $749); Newegg lists this particular model with a current $829.99 price point, but stock is unavailable (at the time of writing).

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Rockstar Reveals Free Upgrade for Grand Theft Auto V PC Version, Coming March 4

Press Release by
T0@st
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On March 4, Grand Theft Auto V on PC is getting a free upgrade with sought-after features previously only available in the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of GTA Online—including all the latest vehicles and performance upgrades available at Hao's Special Works, animal encounters, and access to purchase a GTA+ Membership—along with improved graphics options, faster loading times, and more. All players who currently own GTAV on PC will be able to upgrade to this new version for free, with the ability to migrate your Story Mode and Online progress.

New Features on PC
Once upgraded, current PC players—along with anyone playing the game for the first time—will have access to a full suite of much-requested GTA Online upgrades previously only available on the latest consoles. This upgraded version of GTA V on PC also features all of our recent player experience improvements for GTA Online, including kernel-based anti-cheat protections and proactive voice chat moderation to help keep GTA Online fun for everyone.
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TechPowerUp GPU-Z v2.63.0 Released

by
btarunr
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TechPowerUp today released the latest update to TechPowerUp GPU-Z, the graphics sub-system information and monitoring utility for PC gamers and enthusiasts. Version 2.63.0 comes with support for new GPUs that include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, RX 9070, and RX 7650 GRE. We have introduced the ability to save or upload the video BIOS of NVIDIA RTX 50-series "Blackwell" GPUs. A bug that caused the GPU vendor logo to incorrectly scale on systems with high-DPI displays, has been fixed. DPI scaling of top-right action buttons on high-DPI monitors has also been fixed. Grab GPU-Z from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z 2.63.0
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ASUS Announces Fragrance Mouse

Press Release by
Nomad76
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ASUS today announced ASUS Fragrance Mouse, a stylish and ergonomic mouse that's available in distinctive Iridescent White or Rose Clay finishes, and boasting an internal fragrance compartment with a refillable vial for aromatic oils. The mouse features PTFE feet and adjustable DPI for smooth glides and precise control. Its durable switches boast a 10-million-click lifespan. Plus, 2.4 GHz wireless and Bluetooth technologies ensure seamless dual-mode connectivity.

Distinctive aesthetic
Available in Iridescent White or Rose Clay, ASUS Fragrance Mouse has a distinctive style that adds a dash of elegance into any home workspace or office setup. Additionally, this ergonomic mouse offers a gently-curved thumb rest along its right side to give users a proper and comfortable grip.
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Senao Networks Unveils AC121 AI PC

Press Release by
Nomad76
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Senao Networks Inc., a global leader in advanced networking and computing solutions, proudly announces the launch of its AI PC, AC121, an ultra-compact intelligent PC that combines next-generation performance, AI-driven intelligence, and a sleek, space-saving design. Tailored for modern professionals, enterprises, and technology enthusiasts, the AC121 establishes a new standard in compact computing.

Unparalleled Performance
At the heart of the AC121 is the Intel Arrow Lake-S processor, offering 65 W/35 W TDP and integrated NPU to power AI-enhanced workloads. This makes the AIPC ideal for multitasking, content creation, and AI-enhanced applications.
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AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is a 304 W TBP Card, Regular RX 9070 Comes with 220 W Configuration

by
AleksandarK
 Discuss (64 Comments)
According to a well-known AMD hardware leaker, Hoang Anh Phu, AMD held a brief press conference where it confirmed that the upcoming Radeon RX 9070 XT and Radeon RX 9070 will carry a 304 Watt and 220 Watt total board power (TBP), respectively. While the post, originally on X is deleted, VideoCardz managed to read the information. AMD's TBP rating is similar to NVIDIA's total graphics power (TGP) metric, which measures both the chip and the memory and other components that the graphics card could contain under full load. So the TBP, and hence TGP, metrics are basically a rough outline of how much power the GPU will draw under full load.

AMD's upcoming Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 non-XT variants will consume 304 and 220 Watts, respectively, meaning that RDNA 4 IP will be relatively efficient. Interestingly, AMD settled on a 304-watt number instead of rounding it to 305, which usually happens. For reminder, the RX 9070 XT features 4,096 cores at 2.97 GHz boost clock, while the RX 9070 has 3,584 cores at 2.52 GHz. Both cards use a Navi 48 SKU, with 16 GB GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus running at 20 Gbps, achieving 640 GB/s bandwidth. Both utilize PCIe 5.0×16 and are rumored to be released on March 6, following their January announcement.

Manli Releases GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16GB Graphic Card

Press Release by
Nomad76
 Discuss (2 Comments)
Manli Technology Group Limited is proud to announce the Manli GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card. Get game-changing performance with the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, powered by NVIDIA Blackwell. Game at high frame rates with DLSS 4, supercharge your creativity with NVIDIA Studio, and enable new experiences with the power of AI.

Manli Design
There are 8,960 CUDA cores onboard powering the RTX 5070 Ti. It also has 16 GB of memory, and GDDR7 memory speeds of up to 28 Gbps, with 5th Gen Tensor Cores, AI TOPS 1406.
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LG's Gaming Portal Is Arriving on the Company's webOS-Powered Screens

Press Release by
Nomad76
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LG Electronics (LG) is bringing its Gaming Portal to a wide range of screens and platforms in 2025. Currently available on LG Smart TVs running webOS 23 and above in 19 markets, the service will extend to additional markets, platforms and devices - including LG Smart Monitors and StanbyME lifestyle screens - by the second quarter of the year. This expansion aims to enhance the overall game streaming experience by providing seamless access to popular and new titles.

The Gaming Portal serves as a central hub for gameplay options, offering an effortless way to discover new titles and enjoy the ones gamers already love. Through partnerships with leading cloud gaming services like NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Amazon Luna, Boosteroid, Blacknut and soon Xbox Cloud, along with many native webOS app games, LG delivers a wide variety of games across different genres.
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Cincoze Releases Edge AI Computing Solutions at Embedded World 2025

Press Release by
Nomad76
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Cincoze will showcase its full range of embedded computing solutions at Embedded World 2025 (Hall 1, Booth No.: 1-407) in Nuremberg, Germany, on March 11-13. Cincoze will display world-class industrial embedded computing products around the theme of "Edge AI, Smart Integration," encompassing the full spectrum of industrial application environments in four dedicated zones, including GPU embedded computers, DIN-Rail computers, rugged embedded computers, and industrial panel PCs and monitors.

GPU Embedded Computers: AI Application Solutions
The GPU Computing - GOLD product line combines powerful CPUs and GPUs to meet the ultimate performance requirements for edge AI applications. The three-series lineup covers Light, Medium, and Heavy AI use cases. The GJ series features an NVIDIA Jetson SoM GPU with a low-power design specially designed for Light AI applications. The GM series supports MXM GPUs and can meet mobile or Medium AI application requirements. The flagship GP series supports up to two 250 W full-length GPU cards and has patents for heat dissipation, scalability, and securing, making it the best choice for Heavy AI applications. The entire product line has passed EN50121-3-2, E-mark, and MIL-STD-810H to ensure reliability across applications in different industries.
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G.SKILL Unveils Enhanced DDR5 R-DIMM with 16-Layer PCB and Voltage Protection

Press Release by
GFreeman
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G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading brand of performance overclock memory and PC components, is thrilled to announce the introduction of an enhanced revision of DDR5 R-DIMM memory to the market. Based on the newly released JEDEC revision standards for DDR5 R-DIMM, the new G.SKILL R-DIMM memory features a 16-layer PCB for improved signal integrity, as well as adding two transient voltage suppression (TVS) diodes and a fuse for voltage protection. Designed for enterprise servers and professional workstations, the new DDR5 R-DIMM memory brings cutting-edge advancements to performance and protection.

Improved Signal Integrity with 16-Layer PCB
These new DDR5 R-DIMM memory modules feature an advanced 16-layer PCB, a significant upgrade from previous 8- or 10-layer designs. The increase in the PCB layer count improves signal integrity for better reliability and stability in data transmission, even under high-performance or overclocked workloads - making it an ideal DDR5 R-DIMM memory choice for high-performance computing applications on servers or workstations.
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NVIDIA DLSS 4 With Multi Frame Generation Available This Week In Marvel Rivals, Delta Force: Black Hawk Down, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Press Release by
GFreeman
 Discuss (6 Comments)
More than 700 games and applications feature RTX technologies, and each week new games integrating NVIDIA DLSS, NVIDIA Reflex, and advanced ray-traced effects are released or announced, delivering the definitive PC experience for GeForce RTX players. Following the release of DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation for Avowed (via NVIDIA app DLSS Overrides) and Star Wars Outlaws, this week sees the addition of the performance multiplying tech to Delta Force: Black Hawk Down, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Marvel Rivals. Additionally, DLSS Super Resolution and DLSS Frame Generation are available at launch in Legend of Ymir, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, and Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. For all the details, read on.

Marvel Rivals DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation Update Launches Tomorrow
NetEase Games' Marvel Rivals is one of the top 5 most played games on Steam. If you're unfamiliar with Marvel Rivals, it's a Super Hero, team-based PvP shooter set in the Marvel universe. Assemble an all-star Marvel squad, devise countless strategies by combining powers to form unique Team-Up skills, and fight in destructible, ever-changing battlefields.
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GIGABYTE Showcases Comprehensive AI Computing Portfolio at MWC 2025

Press Release by
GFreeman
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GIGABYTE, a global leader in computing innovation and technology, will showcase its full-spectrum AI computing solutions that bridge development to deployment at MWC 2025, taking place from March 3-6.

"AI+" and "Enterprise-Reinvented" are two of the themes for MWC. As enterprises accelerate their digital transformation and intelligent upgrades, the transition of AI applications from experimental development to democratized commercial deployment has become a critical turning point in the industry. Continuing its "ACCEVOLUTION" initiative, GIGABYTE provides the comprehensive infrastructure products and solutions spanning cloud-based supercomputing centers to edge computing terminals, aiming to accelerate the next evolution and empower industries to scale AI applications efficiently.
⁠
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MSI X870(E) Motherboards Now Support AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D Processors

Press Release by
GFreeman
 Discuss (3 Comments)
MSI is pleased to announce support for the upcoming AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D processors, built on the Zen 5 architecture and featuring AMD's cutting-edge 2nd generation AMD 3D V-Cache technology. This innovative technology is designed to significantly increases the cache size, allowing faster data access and improved performance. Engineered to deliver exceptional performance, these processors meet the demands of even the most intensive gaming and content creation workloads.

At the heart of this experience is the MSI MEG X870E GODLIKE motherboard, which sets a new standard with its innovative design and robust features. The Dynamic Dashboard III, a 3.99-inch full-color LCD, offers real-time hardware monitoring, troubleshooting, BIOS update status, clock display, and personalization options, enhancing user experience and system control. MSI's EZ Link design complements this, streamlining cable management by consolidating the front panel, fan, and RGB headers into the EZ Bridge and EZ Control Hub, ensuring a cleaner build and simplified installation process.
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Thursday, February 20th 2025

Today's Reviews

Cases
Graphics Cards
Keyboards
Motherboards
PSUs
ASUS GeForce RTX 5070 Ti TUF OC Review

ASUS GeForce RTX 5070 Ti TUF OC Review

Review Graphics Cards
The ASUS GeForce RTX 5070 Ti TUF OC comes with a fantastic all-metal cooling solution that is built like a tank. During testing in our review, the card ran whisper-quiet at full load with the Quiet BIOS, and super cool with the default BIOS. The only problem is the high price of $1000.
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MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Vanguard SOC Review

MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Vanguard SOC Review

Review Graphics Cards
The MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Vanguard comes with the most powerful cooling solution tested today. It's also the quietest card and runs at lower temperatures than any other model—out of the box, no BIOS switch required. Performance is excellent, too, but pricing is very high.
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MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Gaming Trio OC+ Review

MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Gaming Trio OC+ Review

Review Graphics Cards
The MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Gaming Trio OC+ is a custom-design variant with a triple slot, triple-fan cooling solution. Testing in our review confirms, this card runs whisper-quiet and at good temperatures. Overclocking potential was fantastic, achieving 12% extra FPS in real-life testing.
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Palit GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GameRock OC Review

Palit GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GameRock OC Review

Review Graphics Cards
The Palit GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GameRock OC is built around a great-looking triple-fan cooling solution with fantastic RGB lighting effects. In our testing the card ran very quietly no matter what we threw at it and the factory overclock helps unlock additional performance.
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AAEON BOXER-6647-MTH Harnesses Meteor Lake Power in Rugged Fanless Industrial PC Form

Press Release by
btarunr
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Leading provider of industrial PC solutions AAEON (stock code: 6579), has introduced the BOXER-6647-MTH, a fanless embedded computer powered by the Intel Core Ultra platform. Available with either the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 155H or Intel Core Ultra 5 processor 125H, the BOXER-6647-MTH sports a broad variety of interfaces tailored for industrial robotics use.

The system hosts LAN ports providing up to 2.5GbE speed, six USB (four USB 3.2 Gen 2, two USB 2.0), and three serial ports that include dual RS-232/422/485 signals and an 8-bit DIO, the BOXER-6647-MTH's I/O provides a strong foundation with which systems integrators can install cameras, sensors (LIDAR, IMUs), and actuators for advanced robotics applications like AGVs and AMRs. Moreover, the system boasts a wealth of expansion options to accommodate Wi-Fi, 5G, and NVMe storage modules.
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Baseus Announces the Bowie MC1 Open-Ear Earbuds

Press Release by
TheLostSwede
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In the world of evolving sound engineering, Baseus has always had its finger on the pulse. With a longstanding commitment to being the best consumer electronics brand, Baseus is set on creating innovative, flexible, and minimalist products that center around customer needs before anything else. After all, the name 'Baseus' originates from our core value "Base on User". Now, Baseus is thrilled to introduce the Bowie MC1 Open-ear Earbuds - a genius feat of sound engineering that prioritizes comfort, adaptability, and sound quality.

The Baseus Bowie MC1 Open-ear Earbuds were crafted to fit seamlessly into any lifestyle. From the daily work schedule and sports sessions to the student life and fashion industry. These earbuds are equipped to inspire creative storytelling and ensure a fresh perspective on how you see - and hear - the world. Let's take a look at some of the main highlights of the Baseus Bowie MC1 Open-ear Earbuds:
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Moore Threads Claims 120% Gaming Performance Improvement for MTT S Series GPUs

by
T0@st
 Discuss (22 Comments)
Moore Threads has released version 290.100 of its MTT S Series Windows desktop driver; today's freshly published patch notes describe "performance and experience optimizations" for multiple modern games titles. Press coverage of the Chinese graphics card manufacturer's hardware portfolio has concentrated mostly on deficiencies, relative to Western offerings. Despite being the first desktop gaming graphics card to arrive with a PCI Express Gen 5 bus interface, Moore Threads' MTT S80 model has consistently struggled to keep up with mainstream competition. Most notably, their current 200 W TDP-rated flagship—packing 4096 "MUSA" cores—trailed behind AMD Radeon iGPUs, according to March 2024 benchmarks.

The latest Moore Threads driver improvements were tested out internally, prior to public release. Patch notes claim that Infinity Nikki (DirectX 12-only) average frame rates "increased by more than 40%." Another DX12 title was benched—Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding: "average frame rate has increased by more than 50%." The largest upgrade was observed when playing A Plague Tale: Requiem; the MTT engineering team claims that average in-game frame rates climbed by more than 120%. We hope that independent outlets will publish results based on their own testing methodologies, in the near future. Going back to September 2023, Moore Threads boasted about driver update 230.40.0.1 producing a 40% gaming performance uplift for MTT S80 and S70 cards. Outside the gaming sphere, Moore Threads has hinted about its MTT S80 GPU being a high achiever with DeepSeek's R1-Distill-Qwen-7B distilled model.

MSI Partners With SEGA For Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza Bundle with MSI Z890 Series Motherboards

Press Release by
GFreeman
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MSI is excited to partner with SEGA for an exclusive limited-time offer! From February 20 to March 20, 2025, customers who purchase selected MSI Z890 Series Motherboards will receive a FREE Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii game key. Dive into the pirate adventure and level up your gaming experience today!

About Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
Step into the boots of a pirate with no memory and a fierce desire to uncover your past. Sail the dangerous, treasure-filled seas of Hawaii, battling ruthless enemies and forging alliances. Every decision shapes your journey - recruit a crew, hijack ships, and explore the lawless island of Madlantis. With thrilling combat, a gripping story, and unforgettable characters, this is a world where danger and treasure await at every turn. The fate of the seas is in your hands - will you conquer the waves, or be lost to the tides forever?
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Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is Steam Deck Verified

Press Release by
T0@st
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We're happy to share that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is Steam Deck Verified! Experience two playable Spider-Men, traverse an expanded Marvel's New York and battle iconic Marvel Super Villains on your handheld device now! Be Greater. Together. The incredible power of the symbiote forces Peter Parker and Miles Morales into a desperate fight as they balance their lives, friendships, and their duty to protect in an exciting chapter of the critically acclaimed Spider-Man franchise on PC.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 PC—Patch 3 Release Notes
Patch 3 is available now for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on PC! This week's update includes stability improvements and bug fixes based on player feedback. We've also implemented the latest version of the NVIDIA Streamline SDK and included dozens of small visual bug fixes related to various aspects such as reflections, ray-traced shadows and textures. We are actively working on more updates with additional bug fixes and performance optimizations. Thank you to everyone for playing Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on PC and for providing feedback to help us continue to improve the game!
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Samsung Boss Reportedly Encouraged Simultaneous Develop of Exynos 2500 SoC & Galaxy S26 Series

by
T0@st
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The late 2024 news cycle suggested that Samsung's semiconductor business was going through tough times. Alleged yield problems—affecting the 3 nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process—were highlighted last November. Fast-forward to January 2025; the South Korean megacorp has launched its cutting-edge Galaxy S25 smartphone series. The entire lineup of newly unveiled flagship smartphones contains Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile chipsets; the Southern Californian chip designer is reportedly pulling in a tidy sum from this partnership. Fresh reports from South Korean news outlets indicate that Samsung System LSI employees have received an "encouraging" email from their boss, regarding current production predicaments.

Businesskorea and Sedaily reports include quotes extracted from the (apparently) leaked internal memo. LSI division president, Park Yong-in, reportedly stated: "we are currently in a situation where we have to develop two flagship products at the same time." Both articles allege that Samsung's semiconductor teams are expected to "cultivate roots and withstand storms." Industry watchdogs believe that the aforementioned "flagship products" are the Exynos 2500 mobile chipset, and Samsung Electronic's next-gen Galaxy S26 smartphone family. Earlier this month, we heard whispers about the much-delayed in-house chip design being readied (with a 2 nm process) for a possible late 2025 launch, inside unannounced Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Fold 7 devices. Park disclosed anticipated incoming obstacles in 2025: "last year's business division profit was higher than expected, but this was a temporary phenomenon...Looking at the entire business division, there will be monthly surpluses and deficits." Last month, inside sources proposed the notion that foundry investments were slashed in half.

MSI Announces Custom NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Series Lineup

Press Release by
GFreeman
 Discuss (8 Comments)
MSI proudly announces its latest lineup of graphics cards powered by the newly unveiled NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU, including the VANGUARD, GAMING TRIO, INSPIRE, and VENTUS series. Built with advanced graphics technology and enhanced thermal solutions, these cards cater to a wide range of users, from high-performance gaming to AI applications and content creation. Designed for efficiency, they deliver powerful performance while maintaining low temperatures and quiet operation, ensuring an optimal experience.

Powered by NVIDIA Blackwell, the GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs revolutionize gaming and creativity with unprecedented AI horsepower. Unlock next-level performance and graphics fidelity with NVIDIA DLSS 4, generate images at record-breaking speeds, and unleash creative potential with NVIDIA Studio.
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"Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii" Out Now on PC & Consoles

Press Release by
T0@st
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The wait is finally over. Play Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii now, and embark on an over-the-top, modern-day pirate adventure with an ex-yakuza, now pirate captain and his crew. A new legend begins as you step into the steel toe boots of Goro Majima, a man who has lost his memory and reinvents himself as a pirate on the open sea.

PIRATE YAKUZA ADVENTURE AHOY!
Goro Majima, a notorious ex-yakuza suddenly finds himself shipwrecked on a remote island in the Pacific. Unable to remember even his own name, he sets sail in search of clues to his lost memories, accompanied by a boy named Noah who saved his life. Before long, they're caught up in a conflict between cutthroat criminals, modern-day pirates, and other scoundrels over a legendary treasure.
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SCUF Gaming Unveils Valor Pro Wired Controller for Xbox and PC

Press Release by
GFreeman
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SCUF Gaming, creator of the high-performance gaming controller category and part of the Corsair family of brands, today announced the SCUF Valor Pro Wired Performance Controller for Xbox and PC, available now starting at $99.99. The SCUF Valor Pro Wired embodies over a decade of collaboration with esports pros and creators, refining every feature for peak performance. Built on SCUF's legacy of innovation, this pro controller empowers gamers with unmatched precision and control to dominate the competition.

Offering an unprecedented level of speed and control, the SCUF Valor Pro Wired gives Xbox and PC gamers a decisive competitive advantage, with every aspect of the controller built to the highest SCUF standards. With remappable paddles, a dedicated wired connection with ultra-fast 1000 Hz polling rate response time on PC, a compact and ergonomic shape, and all of the game changing features SCUF is known for, including longer lasting anti-drift Hall Effect thumbsticks, the SCUF Valor Pro Wired will improve any dedicated gamers performance.
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Satechi Announces New 13-in-1 USB-C Travel Hub

by
GGforever
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Satechi has announced a new USB-C hub with a premium aluminium housing. The product is priced at just under $100, which is an acceptable price considering the specifications on offer. Both macOS and Windows-based systems are supported, although macOS systems are limited to SST (Single-Stream Transport) mode for display output. At just under 150 grams, the Satechi hub measures 6.2 x 2.1 x 0.5 inches, which makes it just as compact as other products in its category. Getting to the port selection, the USB-C hub sports dual USB 2.0 Type-A, triple USB 3.0 Type-A, dual USB-C (PD, 85-watt output), dual HDMI 2.0, single USB 3.1 Type-A, DisplayPort 1.4, as well as a gigabit ethernet jack. The product is already available to order from Satechi's official website, with the aforementioned $99.99 price tag.

ASRock Launches B650M Pro X3D Motherboard Series, Reportedly "Downgraded" B850 Pro RS Design

by
T0@st
 Discuss (2 Comments)
Press outlets have spotted two new B650M motherboard models on ASRock's product site; the B650M Pro X3D and B650M Pro X3D WiFi (6E). The latest additions are clearly based on previous-gen AMD chipset (B650)—according to the manufacturer's descriptions, both are advertised as: "optimized for AMD Ryzen X3D processors, delivering superior stability, compatibility, and enhanced performance, making it ideal for gaming and creating." The "Pro X3D" SKUs have not launched at retail, so pricing information is not available at the time of writing. ASRock could publish a dedicated press release in the near future, but we are looking at a very quiet reveal. Curiously, the Taiwan-based motherboard and graphics card specialist has seemingly "downcycled" its fairly new B850M Pro "Race Sport" RS board design.

VideoCardz's coverage of the Pro X3D series includes a handy image comparison tool. When lined up against each other (visually), the B650M Pro X3D and B850M Pro RS designs are nigh identical. Two of the images (below) show a minor difference in printed-on model names. As expected, the ASRock website comparison tool reveals only minor disparities between respective specification sheets. The standard B850M Pro RS variant is currently on sale for $148 (normally $180). The B650M Pro X3D (non-WiFi 6E) equivalent could arrive at retail with a slightly lower price point. ASRock has signalled that its "Pro X3D" mainboard series will only be available within certain regions. According to VideoCardz, a comprehensive global rollout is not planned.

Apple Vision Pro Will Get Apple Intelligence Features in April, Claims Report

by
GGforever
 Discuss (3 Comments)
The $3,499 Apple Vision Pro AR/VR headset is certainly not the kind of device that Apple expects to be mass-adopted. Since its launch in 2023, the luxurious gadget is yet to witness a single hardware refresh. The gadget's aging M2 SoC paired with 16 GB of memory is almost three years old, but despite that, respected analyst Mark Gurman expects the device to soon sport Apple Intelligence features alongside the upcoming VisionOS 2.4 update that is scheduled for April. Considering that a hardware update is not expected to hit the scene for at least the rest of the year, a major software update is welcome news for the select few of us who have invested in the product.

The fact that the Vision Pro will support Apple Intelligence features is actually not much of a shocker, since Macs as old as the M1-generation also boast support for Apple's AI features. As such, the Vision Pro will soon receive support for Apple's writing tools with ChatGPT-integration, genmoji, image playground, as well as a bunch of other features with debatable efficacy. Moreover, the report also adds that the device will also get a new app for spatial experiences - which was undoubtedly one of the key selling points of the device. A 'revamped' guest mode is also on the cards, which will allow buyers to share the device with their family and friends - a factor that Apple considers important in order to drive sales. That said, the Vision Pro had abysmal sales to begin with, which indicates that a lower-end variant with a reasonable price tag might be the only way to make even the most ardent of Apple disciples to hop on the VR/AR hype train.

Dune: Awakening Release Date and Price Revealed, Character Creation Now Live!

Press Release by
TheLostSwede
 Discuss (11 Comments)
Today, Funcom finally lifted the veil on Dune: Awakening's release date. The open world, multiplayer survival game set on Arrakis will come to Steam on May 20! Players can begin their journey today by diving into the brand-new Character Creation & Benchmark Mode, available now through Steam. Created characters can then be imported into Dune: Awakening at launch.

Inspired by Frank Herbert's legendary sci-fi novel and Legendary Entertainment's award-winning films, Dune: Awakening is crafted by Funcom's veteran developers to deliver an experience that resonates with both Dune enthusiasts and survival game fans alike. Get ready to step into the biggest Dune game ever made with today's trailer.
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Delivery Could Take 14 Weeks, Notes UK Retailer

by
AleksandarK
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Overclockers UK, one of the largest PC retailers in the UK, has shared insights on their X account about the estimated time of arrival (ETA) for GPU restocking. Starting with the newest GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPUs, the OCUK post notes that RTX 5070 Ti is sold out, and pre-orders are open now, with more GPU stock arriving in two to four weeks. Next up is the GeForce RTX 5080, which is sold out with limited stock arriving weekly, with an ETA of one to three weeks. However, the worst ETA stock re-supply is for the RTX 5090. OCUK notes that the RTX 5090 is sold out, and pre-orders have ceased. The ETA schedule ranges between 2-14 weeks, which is almost 100 days of waiting for RTX 5090 in the UK.

We previously reported that NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5070 and RTX 5060 have faced some production issues with NVIDIA working on it to push out new stock in the coming weeks. However, the situation is not exclusive to these upcoming GPUs, as the stock of the current GPUs is getting grabbed by each minute. OCUK also noted that: "If you have purchased any RTX 50 series GPU but not yet received a dispatch confirmation email, your order is now in a pre-order queue and we are working with our supply chain to fulfil within the ETAs above, or sooner if possible. As always, anyone who does not wish to wait is welcome to cancel for a full refund."

Razer Intros Viper V3 Pro Faker Edition

Press Release by
Nomad76
 Discuss (2 Comments)
Lee "Faker" Sang-Hyeok's name transcends League of Legends. Over a storied 12-year career, he has amassed five World Championship titles (2013, 2015, 2016, 2023, 2024), ten LCK championships, and two Mid-Season Invitational trophies - a feat accomplished by no other. Recognized universally as the Greatest of All Time, Faker's dominance is unrivaled, earning him a collection of individual accolades, including multiple MVP awards.

From the moment a devoted fan gifted him his very first Razer DeathAdder, Faker's journey and Razer's commitment to esports performance became deeply intertwined. The faithful mouse accompanied him on four World Championship triumphs and inspired the creation of the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro Faker Edition. However, everything changed in 2024. In a bold move before Worlds, Faker switched to the Razer Viper V3 Pro and stormed to yet another World Championship victory.
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Microtopia Out Now on Steam & GOG

Press Release by
T0@st
 Discuss (1 Comment)
Goblinz is super proud to launch this project—not just because the game is great, but also because the devs at Cordyceps Collective have poured their hearts into it. After your awesome feedback on the demo and the enthusiasm of content creators, we're beyond excited to bring you the full version of Microtopia! We hope you'll love it and can't wait to read your reviews and comments!

The devs also have a message for you all:
We're super excited to share this passion project with you, and we hope you have as much fun as we had making it. Microtopia's development always revolved around organic growth together with player feedback. Even though this is a full release, we intend to keep it growing and make it the best game it can be. So please don't hesitate to share your feedback online!
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Intel 18A Node SRAM Density On-Par with TSMC, Backside Power Delivery a Big Bonus

by
AleksandarK
 Discuss (11 Comments)
Intel has unveiled some interesting advances in semiconductor manufacturing at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC), showcasing the capabilities of its highly anticipated Intel 18A process technology. The presentation highlighted significant improvements in SRAM bit cell density. The PowerVia system, coupled with RibbonFET (GAA) transistors, is at the heart of Intel's node. The company demonstrated solid progress with their high-performance SRAM cells, achieving a reduction from 0.03 µm² in Intel 3 to 0.023 µm² in Intel 18A. High-density cells showed similar improvement, shrinking to 0.021 µm². These advancements represent scaling factors of 0.77 and 0.88 respectively, which are significant achievements in SRAM technology, once thought to be done with scaling benefits.

Implementing PowerVia technology is an Intel-first approach to addressing voltage drops and interference in processor logic areas. Using an "around the array" scheme, Intel strategically applies PowerVias to I/O, control, and decoder elements while optimizing bit cell design without a frontal power supply. The macro bit density of 38.1 MBit/mm² achieved by Intel 18A puts the company in a strong competitive position. While TSMC reported matching figures with their N2 process, Intel's comprehensive approach with 18A, combining PowerVia and GAA transistors, could challenge Smausng and TSMC, with long-term aspirations to compete for premium clients currently served by TSMC, including giants like NVIDIA, Apple, and AMD.

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D & 9900X3D Potential Launch Date Leaked: March 12

by
T0@st
 Discuss (2 Comments)
We have noticed an uptick of AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 9900X3D-related leaks in mid-to-late February; suggesting an imminent launch. Officially, a Q1 release window was set by Team Red leadership during their CES 2025 presentation, and further disclosures pointed to a loose March window. Earlier today, Golden Pig Upgrade disclosed NDA-busting information—the veteran leaker believes that AMD will be lifting global Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU review embargoes on March 11. VideoCardz jumped on this unofficial announcement, and reached out to industry insiders. The anonymous contacts reported back; they allege that a March 12 retail release is on the cards.

It is believed that the 16-core and 12-core X3D-equipped "Granite Ridge" Ryzen 9 desktop chips will roll out on the same day (March 12). Coincidentally, Golden Pig Upgrade reckons that Intel's Core Ultra 200HX "Arrow Lake" mobile processor series will launch alongside Team Red's high-end gaming duo. The latter two are touted to attract the majority of press attention on day one. As pointed out by VideoCardz, the release of Radeon RX 9070 GPUs is—speculatively—scheduled a week in advance of AMD's expansion of its Ryzen 9000X3D lineup. Early last week, price points were leaked—courtesy of accidental Newegg listings: $699.99 for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, and $599.99 for the 12-core Ryzen 9 9900X3D.

ASUS Goes Hands-on with its AirVision M1 Smart Glasses

Press Release by
T0@st
 Discuss (1 Comment)
Out of all the screens that I have on hand for gaming—monitors, televisions, tablets, smartphones, even a portable projector—none feel quite as decadent as the ASUS AirVision M1. When I lean back into the overstuffed pillows of my couch, put my feet up on the chaise longue, and plug these smart glasses into my ROG Ally, I feel like I'm enjoying a luxury that would make Hedonismbot blush. These smart glasses put my game up on a giant virtual screen, right in front of my eyes at the perfect viewing angle. Watching a television from such a position would either involve a ceiling mount or crick in my neck, but the AirVision M1 gives me a big-screen gaming experience in a lightweight package that works whether I'm lounging on the couch, lying in bed, or leaning back in my gaming chair.

Gaming isn't the only trick up the AirVision M1's sleeve. It's a productivity champ, too, adding multiple virtual screens to my on-the-go setup and keeping prying eyes from looking over my shoulder as I get some work done at the coffee shop. It's the lie-in-bed-and-binge-watch-Parks-and-Recreation device of my dreams. It even makes it tolerable to stay entertained and productive during long flights. Versatile, lightweight, and easy to use, the AirVision M1 slipped into my digital life as easily as it slips into my laptop bag.
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ENDORFY Presents New Series of Low-Profile Microphone Arms

Press Release by
Nomad76
 Discuss (1 Comment)
ENDORFY is expanding its product portfolio with two low-profile microphone arms: ENDORFY Broadcast Low Profile Boom Arm and ENDORFY Broadcast Low Profile RGB Boom Arm. Designed with professionals and tech enthusiasts in mind, they combine functional design, aesthetic looks and solid workmanship making it a perfect combo for content creators, gamers, streamers, podcasters and remote employees.

Comfort and Broad Compatibility
Both microphone arms provide functionality and comfort of use. Their simple, yet solid construction saves valuable space when placed on a desk or table, ensuring the stability of mounted equipment. To simplify content creation and framing, the ENDORFY Broadcast Low Profile Boom Arm and the ENDORFY Broadcast Low Profile RGB Boom Arm can be locked in almost any position - including the space right below a monitor.
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NVIDIA Revives Verified Priority Access System, Starting with GeForce RTX 5090 & 5080 FE Editions

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T0@st
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Three weeks after the launch of its GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 "Blackwell" GPUs, NVIDIA has introduced a "Verified Priority Access" scheme for North American customers. Approximately eighteen hours ago, the Tim@NVIDIA account posted an announcement on the company's official GeForce discussion forum: "we know it's challenging to purchase a GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics card...It will give a limited number of verified GeForce gamers & creators in the United States the opportunity to purchase one GeForce RTX 5090 or RTX 5080 Founders Edition graphics card from the NVIDIA Marketplace." Team Green graphics card enthusiasts have experienced less than ideal buying conditions since the end of January (2025)—Jensen & Co. have likely absorbed a massive dose of feedback and reacting accordingly, but many pundits will question the relatively late rollout of an anti-scalping system.

A previous iteration of NVIDIA's "Verified Priority Access" program was tested soon after the launch of GeForce RTX 40-series "Ada Lovelace" GPUs. Founders Edition cards are (normally) offered at baseline MSRP, but scalpers have swiftly depleted initial stock allocations. Team Green's revived program presents some strict conditions: "users who have an NVIDIA Account created on or before January 30th, 2025 at 6AM Pacific Time can submit their interest for Verified Priority Access through this form. If selected, users will be notified at the email address of the NVIDIA account they enrolled with. Invites will begin rolling out next week." The Team Green staffer stated that the scheme is—"at this time"—limited to GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 Founders Edition cards. It should be noted that the just launched GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU will not arrive in Founders Edition form; potential buyers will have to navigate a jagged landscape of AIB custom designs.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 and RTX 5060 Reportedly Faced Production Issues

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AleksandarK
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NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5070 Ti today goes on sale, and we have reviewed a few of them. However, the RTX 5070 non-Ti variant has reportedly faced some production issues. According to CTEE reports, volume production was pushed back by one month, with manufacturing expected to reach full capacity by mid-March. Given that RTX 5070 is officially coming on March 5, we are left to wonder if enough capacity will be available for the launch day or if it will follow the same footsteps of scarcity that current RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 have experienced.

The unannounced RTX 5060's mass production has been pushed to mid-April, with both models requiring additional debugging due to unexpected issues. NVIDIA's engineers are ironing out all bugs to ensure stable GPU and drivers arrive on time. With the RTX 5070 using the GB206 GPU, the RTX 5060 is expected to implement a GB206 variant, with the in-development RTX 5060 Ti featuring a slightly larger GB205 GPU. For memory, RTX 5070 is expected to utilize 12 GB of GDDR7, and RTX 5060 should come with an 8 GB GDDR7 configuration.

Intel Reportedly in Advanced Talks to Sell Altera to Silver Lake

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Nomad76
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A Bloomberg report said Silver Lake Management, a large private equity firm, has begun exclusive talks to buy a controlling stake in Intel's Altera division. Altera focuses on versatile chips that are widely used in telecommunications networks. The size of the stake is still being worked out, but negotiations have moved forward, people familiar with the deal said, speaking on condition of anonymity. They caution that things could slow down or the deal might not happen. When asked, people speaking for Intel and Silver Lake did not comment.

The news jolted the market, sending Intel shares up as much as 17% on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, marking their biggest single-day gain in nearly five years. The surge was driven in part by separate speculation about a potential spinoff involving Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC). By late afternoon trading in New York, Intel shares were up 15%, valuing the company at about $117 billion. If the sale goes through, it would mark a major shift for Intel as it tries to reshape its business. While there is no information on the size of the deal, last November Lattice Semiconductor Corp. and a group of buyout firms expressed interest in Altera. Some insiders said that potential buyers valued Altera at just $9 billion, a big drop for Intel, which bought Altera in 2015 for about $17 billion. Intel faces continued challenges following Gelsinger's departure, as the company searches for both a new CEO and a replacement for its Data Center and AI division head, who recently left to become Nokia's chief executive.

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 50 Series Graphics Cards Now Available

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Nomad76
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GIGABYTE, the world's leading computer brand, announced the GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards powered by NVIDIA Blackwell architecture, including the GeForce RTX 5090, RTX 5080, RTX 5070 Ti, which are now available, while the RTX 5070 will be available on March 5th. With cutting-edge cooling innovations and AI-powered performance enhancements, GIGABYTE delivers superior thermal efficiency and optimized airflow for an elevated gaming experience. By integrating an innovative fan design and advanced thermal interface materials, these new graphics cards ensure long-lasting durability and top-tier performance for enthusiasts, gamers, and AI computing professionals alike.

GIGABYTE offers GeForce RTX 50 air-cooled and water-cooled variants, ensuring a solution for every gaming setup. Both variants are applied with server-grade thermal conductive gel for better heat dissipation efficiency without shifting for long-term usage. The AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE series provides enthusiasts with high-performance liquid cooling, available in all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooling and water block configuration, while AIO solution is applied with liquid metal thermal grease to enhance heat dissipation. Meanwhile, air-cooled models incorporate advanced thermal technologies, featuring composite metal grease, the new Hawk Fan design which results in up to a 53.6% increase in air pressure and a 12.5% increase in air volume without compromising acoustics. Additionally, the AORUS RTX 5090 MASTER integrates superconducting heat pipes, while the AORUS RTX 5080 above MASTER models come with Screen Cooling Plus for superior airflow and cooling balance.
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NVIDIA GeForce NOW Adds Obsidian Entertainment's Avowed to the Cloud

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T0@st
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Wield magic and steel as GeForce NOW's fifth-anniversary celebration summons Obsidian Entertainment's highly anticipated Avowed to the cloud. This first-person fantasy role-playing game is ready to enchant cloud gamers, leading the charge of six titles joining the over 2,000 games in the cloud gaming library. GeForce NOW day passes are available to purchase again, in limited quantities each day. Members can currently purchase one day at a time, based on available capacity. Day pass users get 24-hour access to powerful cloud gaming with all the benefits of a GeForce NOW Ultimate or Performance membership. Stay tuned for updates as more membership options become available.

Choose Your Own Adventure
Embark on a thrilling adventure in Avowed, set in the captivating world of Eora. As an envoy of Aedyr, explore the mysterious Living Lands, an island teeming with ancient magic and shifting secrets, as a dire threat looms over the realm: a mysterious plague that defies nature and reason, spreading chaos across the sprawling wilderness. The Living Lands offer a diverse array of environments to explore, each with a unique ecosystem. Engage in visceral combat by mixing and matching swords, spells, guns and shields. Companions of various species, each with their own abilities and quests, will join the adventure, their fates intertwined with the players' choices. As the story unfolds, every decision will ripple across the Living Lands, shaping the future of its inhabitants and testing the players' resolve in the face of intrigue, power and danger.
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AMD Releases Ryzen AI H 300 Processor Series as Chinese Exclusive

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T0@st
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Navigating AMD's various modern processor model naming schemes is tricky business, and another layer of complexity has been added this week; with newly revealed "Strix Point" and "Krackan Point" CPUs. Three previously unannounced SKUs have appeared on AMD's Chinese website: Ryzen AI 9 H 365, Ryzen AI 7 H 350, and Ryzen AI 5 H 340. At first glance, these models codes seem to be familiar—after a double take, we see a small difference in nomenclature. The addition of a middle-placed/detached "H" has press outlets and hardware enthusiasts scratching their collective heads. After discovering Team Red's Ryzen AI 9 H 365 APU listing, Lonely City Hardware posted a humorous observation on social media: "for the Chinese market. No one can remember the full name."

Frustratingly, Western search engines (at the time of writing) just point you to the non-H equivalents. The "H" designation denotes Chinese market exclusivity; TechPowerUp has covered previous-generation examples in the recent past. When comparing technical details and specification sheets to Western equivalents, VideoCardz noted that there were no apparent differences—platform and packaging are the same (FP8). A cross-reference—of clock speeds, thermal ratings, and core architecture (Zen 5/Zen 5C)—points to spec parity across East and West variants.
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Goes on Sale - Screenshots Document How Quickly they Sold Out

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btarunr
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, the company's third graphics card from its GeForce RTX 50-series "Blackwell" generation, started selling. Although it comes with a starting price of $750, there are very few models actually at the price, which are marked up by retailers. Premium custom-design cards by NVIDIA add-in card (AIC) partners are priced as much as 33% higher than the baseline, even crossing the $1,000-mark in some cases, which are further scalped by another 20%. The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is on paper a performance-segment GPU recommended by NVIDIA for 1440p high refresh-rate gaming, although it's capable of 4K Ultra HD with nearly maxed out settings or DLSS.

The RTX 5070 Ti is based on the same 5 nm "GB203" silicon as the RTX 5080, with 70/84 streaming multiprocessors (SM), across 6/7 GPCs enabled, along with 48 MB out of the 64 MB of on-die L2 cache. These work out to 8,960 CUDA cores, 280 Tensor cores, 70 RT cores, 280 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The memory configuration is largely carried over from the RTX 5080, with 16 GB of 28 Gbps GDDR7 across a 256-bit wide memory bus (the RTX 5080 uses slightly faster 30 Gbps memory). The GPU ticks at 2452 MHz boost, and is given a total graphics power (TGP), a de facto power limit, of 300 W.

Check out our six reviews of the card: MSI RTX 5070 Ti Gaming OC+ | MSI RTX 5070 Ti Vanguard SOC | ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 5070 Ti OC | Palit RTX 5070 Ti GameRock OC | MSI RTX 5070 Ti Ventus 3X OC | Galax RTX 5070 Ti 1-Click OC

The images below show a timeline of supply levels at Newegg, at 6:04 AM, 6:19 AM, 6:35 AM and 6:49 AM—all gone now.

Relic Entertainment Unveils New IP: Earth vs Mars

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T0@st
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Martians have been visiting Earth for decades, abducting animals and humans and harvesting their atomic essence to create bizarre Martian-creature hybrids. This time they're here to claim our planet. In this turn-based strategy game, an unlikely group of commanders will lead Earth's military as they face an overwhelming Martian invasion. Fight high-tech saucers, grav-tanks and elite alien warriors in a battle for the planet's survival. Your secret weapon is the "Splice-O-Tron." With it, you can combine human "volunteers" with animals to create powerful hybrid super soldiers to fight alongside Earth's regular military.

Rain acid from the skies with the fast-moving cheetah-fly. Charge through enemy lines with devastating human-rhino hybrids. Or strike from the forests with your deadly squirrel-cow infantry. As the campaign progresses, you'll unlock new types of creatures, powerful unit upgrades and game-changing commander abilities. But as your army evolves, so will your enemy's, and you'll face everything from the sentient organic weapon known only as "The Creep" to the Martian's own mutant creations.
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NVIDIA Releases GeForce 572.47 Game Ready Drivers with Support for RTX 5070 Ti

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btarunr
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NVIDIA today released the latest version of its GeForce Game Ready drivers. Version 572.47 WHQL comes with support for the new GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card that goes on sale from today. The drivers also add optimization for "Marvel's Rivals," including support for DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation. The update also addresses a driver stability issue when the PC wakes up its monitor from an extended sleep time.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 572.47 WHQL
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Infineon Secures €920M EU Chips Act Funding for Dresden Fab

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Nomad76
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The European Commission today approved funding under the European Chips Act for the Infineon Technologies AG Smart Power Fab in Dresden. The official funding approval from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), which is responsible for the disbursement of EU Chips Act funding, is still pending and is expected within the next few months. Additionally, the Smart Power Fab is already receiving support under the European Commission's IPCEI ME/CT ("Important Project of Common European Interest on Microelectronics and Communication Technologies") innovation program. The total funding for the Dresden site amounts to around one billion euros. Construction began in March 2023 and is progressing successfully. The Fab opening is planned for 2026.

"This government-supported investment by Infineon strengthens the position of Dresden, Germany and Europe as a semiconductor hub and promotes a state-of-the-art innovation and production ecosystem for microelectronics," says Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon. "We are increasing semiconductor capacity in Europe and thus helping secure stable supply chains in automotive, security and industrial fields."
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STMicroelectronics Enhances Optical Interconnects for Faster AI and Cloud Datacenters

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Nomad76
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STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, is unveiling its next generation of proprietary technologies for higher-performing optical interconnect in datacenters and AI clusters. With the exponential growth of AI computing needs, challenges arise in performance and energy efficiency across computing, memory, power supply, and the interconnections linking them. ST is helping hyperscalers, and the leading optical module provider, overcome those challenges with new silicon photonics and next-gen BiCMOS technologies, scheduled to ramp up from the second half of 2025 for 800 Gb/s and 1.6 Tb/s optical modules.

At the heart of interconnections in a datacenter are thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of optical transceivers. These devices convert optical into electrical signals and vice versa to allow data flow between graphics processing unit (GPU) computing resources, switches and storage. Inside these transceivers, ST's new, proprietary silicon photonics (SiPho) technology will bring customers the ability to integrate multiple complex components into one single chip, while ST's next-gen, proprietary BiCMOS technology brings ultra high-speed and low power optical connectivity, which are key to sustain the AI growth.
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QNAP Launches the QSW-3205-5T Entry-Level 5-Port Full 10GbE Multi-Gigabit Switch

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Nomad76
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QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading computing, networking, and storage solutions innovator, has released the QSW-3205-5T, an entry-level, full 10GbE unmanaged switch. With a compact desktop form factor and ultra-quiet cooling, the QSW-3205-5T provides five 10GbE RJ45 ports and automatic network optimization features such as Jumbo Frame and loop detection. Whether for small businesses, video production teams, or homes, the QSW-3205-5T allows users to quickly achieve smooth high-speed data transmission, quick file sharing, and multi-user collaboration and editing of 4K/8K video files.

"The QSW-3205-5T is a high-performance, cost-effective 10GbE switch that requires no complicated setup or additional investment. By using existing network cables, upgrading to a 10G network is as simple as replacing your switch," said Ronald Hsu, Product Manager of QNAP, adding "Users, such as offices or video studios, can connect the QSW-3205-5T to 10GbE NAS and multiple workstations to boost work and collaboration efficiency. It can also be paired with Wi-Fi 6/6E/7 routers, and APs to efficiently deploy high-speed wireless LAN."
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Alphacool Launches Core GPU Water Coolers for the Palit GeForce RTX 5080/5070Ti GamingPro (OC)

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Nomad76
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Alphacool International GmbH, based in Braunschweig, has been a pioneer in PC water cooling technology for over 20 years. With one of the most comprehensive product portfolios in the industry and over 20 years of experience, Alphacool is now expanding its portfolio with the new Core graphics card water coolers for the Palit GeForce RTX 5080/5070Ti GamingPro (OC).

The GPU water coolers have been completely redesigned. Precise adjustments to the spacing between the cooler and the PCB, along with optimized water flow simulations and extensive practical testing, have resulted in significant improvements to the cooler base and jetplate. These enhancements ensure maximum cooling performance for the newest NVIDIA GeForce RTX generation.
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Philips Monitors Announces the 34B2U3600C with a 5-year Warranty and TCO Certified, Generation 10

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TheLostSwede
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Today, Philips Monitors is launching its first-ever TCO Certified, generation 10 business monitor: the Philips 34B2U3600C, a 34" curved VA display with USB-C docking that combines high-performance technology with sustainable features.

The Philips 34B2U3600C is part of Philips Monitors' ongoing focus on sustainability, meeting global standards for environmental responsibility throughout the product lifecycle and responding to the growing demand for sustainable products. TCO Certified, generation 10 is a global sustainability certification for IT products covering environmental, social and circular economy criteria. Philips Monitors has also introduced a 5-year warranty, which applies to this monitor, reflecting ongoing efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of electronics through product longevity.
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Lenovo Group: Third Quarter Financial Results 2024/25

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TheLostSwede
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Lenovo Group Limited (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY), together with its subsidiaries ('the Group'), today announced Q3 results for fiscal year 2024/25, reporting significant increases in overall group revenue and profit. Revenue grew 20% year-on-year to US$18.8 billion, marking the third consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. Net income more than doubled year-on-year to US$693 million (including a non-recurring income tax credit of US$282 million) on a Hong Kong Financial Reporting Standards (HKFRS) basis. The Group's diversified growth engines continue to accelerate, with non-PC revenue mix up more than four points year-on-year to 46%. The quarter's results were driven by the Group's focused hybrid-AI strategy, the turnaround of the Infrastructure Solutions Group, as well as double-digit growth for both the Intelligent Devices Group and Solutions and Services Group.

Lenovo continues to invest in R&D, with R&D expenses up nearly 14% year-on-year to US$621 million. At the recent global technology event CES 2025, Lenovo launched a series of innovative products, including the world's first rollable AI laptop, the world's first handheld gaming device that allows gamers free choice of Windows OS or Steam OS, as well as Moto AI - winning 185 industry awards for its portfolio of innovation.
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Kioxia and Sandisk Unveil Next-Generation 3D Flash Memory Technology Achieving 4.8Gb/s NAND Interface Speed

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TheLostSwede
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Kioxia Corporation and Sandisk Corporation have pioneered a state-of-the-art 3D flash memory technology, setting the industry benchmark with a 4.8 Gb/s NAND interface speed, superior power efficiency, and heightened density

Unveiled at ISSCC 2025, the new 3D flash memory innovation, together with the companies' revolutionary CBA (CMOS directly Bonded to Array) technology, incorporates one of the latest interface standards, Toggle DDR6.0 for NAND flash memory, and leverages the SCA (Separate Command Address) protocol, a novel command address input method of its interface, and PI-LTT (Power Isolated Low-Tapped Termination) technology, which is instrumental in further reducing power consumption.
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Thermaltake Releases the Pacific F-Pro Fittings and the Pacific PCTG Hard Tubes

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GFreeman
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Thermaltake, a leading PC DIY brand for premium hardware solutions, is excited to introduce the Pacific F-Pro Fitting - Chrome series and the Pacific PCTG Hard Tube series. Combining aesthetics with functionality, the F-Pro Fittings feature a sleek mirror-polished design, while the PCTG Hard Tubes provide high-temperature resistance. These new cooling components enhance durability and precision, making installation effortless and giving PC enthusiasts the freedom to create with confidence.

Pacific F-Pro Fitting - Chrome
The Pacific F-Pro Fitting Series stands out for its mirror-polished design, meticulously crafted to deliver a flawless, mirror-like finish. This treatment elevates the aesthetics of custom liquid cooling setups, offering a refined look. With six different fittings, this series provides a range of options, enabling you to build ideal liquid cooling systems for the ultimate performance and style.
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MSI Unveils New Modern MD272UPSW Smart Monitor

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GFreeman
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MSI proudly announces the release of its first branded Google TV Smart Monitor - Modern MD272UPSW. The Smart Monitor supports Multi Control and KVM functions, making it a versatile choice for both entertainment and work. Equipped with 4K UHD resolution, IPS panel, and wide color gamut coverage of 94% Adobe RGB and 98% DCI-P3, delivering vibrant and lifelike visuals. In addition, the monitor includes a USB Type-C port with 65 W Power Delivery and an ergonomic stand that tilts, swivels, rotates and is height adjustable for seamless connectivity and comfortable use while working.

The entertainment you love. With a little help from Google
No more jumping from app to app. Google TV brings together 400,000+ movies, TV episodes, and more from across your streaming services - organized in one place. Need inspiration? Get curated recommendations and use Google's powerful search to find shows across 10,000+ apps or to browse 800+ free live TV channels and thousands of free movies. Ask Google Assistant to find movies, stream apps, play music, and control the monitor - all with your voice. Simply press the Google Assistant button on the remote to get started.
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Wednesday, February 19th 2025

Today's Reviews

Cases
Gaming PC
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Keyboards
Memory
Monitors
Motherboards
Notebooks
PSUs
MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Ventus 3X OC Review

MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Ventus 3X OC Review

Review Graphics Cards
NVIDIA has launched the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti today, lifting the review embargo. The MSI RTX 5070 Ti Ventus 3X comes at NVIDIA MSRP of $750, yet includes a small factory overclock. In terms of performance, the Ventus is able to compete with RTX 4080 Super and RX 7900 XTX.
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Galax GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 1-Click OC White Review

Galax GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 1-Click OC White Review

Review Graphics Cards
The Galax GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 1-Click OC White is a custom design model of NVIDIA's newest release that still sells for the baseline MSRP of $750. Besides the white color theme you get a small factory overclock and an excellent cooler that emits very little noise, even under full load.
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Intel's New AI Suite Helps Customers Create AI Assistants in Minutes

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btarunr
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This new generation of PCs, introduced in December 2023 with the Intel Core Ultra processor family, combines the power of a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU) and neural processing unit (NPU) to elevate user productivity, creativity, gaming, entertainment, security and more.

Powerful hardware that delivers the performance needed for modern-day artificial intelligence (AI) workloads is only part of what makes a great PC an AI PC. The big opportunity for the PC industry is clear: develop new AI software and new user experiences that take advantage of this modern hardware. Finding fast, efficient ways to create new AI assistants that help with everyday tasks is the next frontier for making AI PCs deliver the best AI experience. At CES Las Vegas in January, Intel unveiled Intel AI Assistant Builder (code-named Project SuperBuilder). It's a fuss-free solution that enables computer makers and software vendors to create tailored AI assistants for any use case in minutes.
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COUGAR introduces the Airface ECO RGB ATX Mid-Tower Case

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btarunr
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COUGAR, a global leader in PC cases, gaming furniture, peripherals, tech lifestyle and esports solutions, is excited to introduce the all-new Airface ECO RGB mid tower PC case with built-in eco-conscious cooling.

Sustainability is hardwired into the Airface ECO RGB's design ethos, ensuring cooling efficiency at reduced energy costs. At its heart is a forward-thinking venting system designed to maximize cooling while minimizing environmental impact. Its coned vents taper inward from a wide opening to funnel cooler air more efficiently. This innovative structure maintains lower internal temperatures, reducing the workload of powered cooling. Paired with dual 180 mm PWM fans, this design delivers exceptional airflow while keeping energy consumption to a minimum.
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Nintendo Creates New Subsidiary in Taiwan, Advertised as Fortification of Local Business

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T0@st
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Yesterday, Nintendo's Hong Kong office announced the establishment of a new subsidiary company in Taiwan—specifically, in Taipei City. Their official statement mostly outlines upcoming improved service benefits for local customers. The House of Mario has relied on contracted partners to take care of smaller regional markets. Evidently, their Taiwanese audience has relied on a third party company for over a decade. An older subsidiary—Nintendo Phuten—was shuttered back in 2014. The successor is chaired by Hiroyuki Matsumoto—on February 18, the new company representative delivered a message: "Thank you for your long-term support and love, I would like to express my sincere thanks. In order to further strengthen the business foundation in the Taiwan market and improve the service quality of customers, the company will establish a new local legal person 'Taiwan Nintendo Co., Ltd.' as one of the subsidiaries of Nintendo Co., Ltd. Starting from April 1, 2025, we will officially transfer our business in Taiwan to 'Taiwan Nintendo Co., Ltd.', and adhere to the business philosophy of Nintendo Group to continue to promote business development." As reported by Nintendo Life, the veteran video game house has made serious inroads in the region—Taiwanese fans were greeted by a larger than expected (current-gen) Switch console showcase at Taipei Game Show's 2024 edition.

On a surface level, Nintendo's reestablished operation in Taiwan seems to be a customer-focused initiative. Certain gaming news outlets have disclosed more elaborate theories; based on reported problematic market conditions in China. The Chinese Nintendo eShop will be phased out by mid-May 2026, likely in reaction to the government's introduction of new rules that: "limit the encouragement of spending in online games and battle video game addiction among young people." Coincidentally, Shuntaro Furukawa (Nintendo's President) recently new announced "contingency plans"—with a manufacturing model that will become less reliant on Chinese factories. The company chief discussed revised strategies in an interview with Reuters: "Nintendo Switch is not only manufactured in China, but in places such as Vietnam and Cambodia as well. We are predicting various geopolitical risks and establishing ways to respond...While we anticipate a certain impact, the influence on this year's financial results is expected to be minimal. We will continue to observe the trends, and thoroughly consider how to respond."

"KARMA: The Dark World" Launches on March 27, Dev Team Explores Surreal Future Timeline

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T0@st
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Hello everyone, I'm Yonghe Wang—Creative Director at Pollard Studios, I am very excited to announce on behalf of my team and our publisher Wired Productions that Karma: The Dark World will be launching on PC, PlayStation, XBOX, and Nintendo Switch on March 27. The game will also support PS5 Pro enhancements. To celebrate, we thought we would share a breakdown of how the team is making the most of the PS5 Pro features to enhance the games visuals and performance—and to share the second in a trilogy of trailers—showcasing some of the surreal environments and characters in the game hinting at their relationship to you - the player. Please Enjoy!

What Is Karma: The Dark World?
Karma: The Dark World is a first-person cinematic psychological thriller which takes place in a cassette future alternate timeline set after World War II. In our game, a company known as Leviathan obtained unfathomable technology that allowed them to wrestle Eastern Germany under their control, installing a regime that oppresses the citizens and places productivity and obedience as gospel.
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Loongson's Next-gen 3B6600 CPU Reportedly Targeting Intel 12/13th Gen Level Performance

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T0@st
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Loongson Technology has announced its next-generation 3B6600 processor—according to recent Chinese press reports, early details were disclosed in "investor relations activity" documentation. Their eight-core design is still in development, with the fabless company (allegedly) setting some lofty performance goals. According to a MyDrivers report (citing Fast Technology), the 3B6600 processor's single-core and multi-core "high level" performance is touted to match that of Core i5 and i7 offerings from Intel's 12th and 13th Generation portfolios. In the past, Loongson has compared its older products to Western equivalents. Last year, their 3A6000 chip design was mentioned in the same sentence as "AMD Zen 4 and Intel Raptor Lake" processor families. Around November 2023, reports had it approximating Team Blue Core i3-10100 "Comet Lake" CPU performance.

The next-gen 3B6600 CPU is supposedly using its predecessor (3A6000) as a springboard; MyDrivers believes that the same in-house LoongArch ISA design (fabricated on 12 nm/14 nm) will be revisited. The publication highlighted a significant area of optimization: "single-core performance of 3B6600 is expected to be in the world's leading ranks...Loongson 3B6600 will continue to use mature technology, and the architecture core will be upgraded to the new LA864. The same frequency performance is greatly improved by about 30%, compared with the Loongson 3A6000's LA664 architecture." Loongson engineers are reportedly targeting a maximum turboboost frequency of 3.0 GHz, but under normal operation the 3B6600 chip is predicted to offer a main frequency of 2.5 GHz. The new design will integrate a new "LG200 GPGPU" graphics computing core—additionally, supported standards include: DDR5 memory, PCIe 4.0 bus, and HDMI 2.1.

eero Celebrates a Decade of Innovation with All-New Wi-Fi 7 Products

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TheLostSwede
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Amazon announced that eero is expanding its Wi-Fi 7 portfolio to include eero 7, delivering multi-gigabit speeds at a more affordable price, and eero Pro 7, offering premium performance for bandwidth-demanding networks. Thanks to the company's TrueMesh, TrueRoam, and TrueChannel networking technologies, and the latest Wi-Fi 7 capabilities, eero 7 and Pro 7 will improve overall wifi performance, reliability, and latency; and help keep customers connected even as network conditions become more complex and demanding.

"For ten years, eero has obsessed over delivering exceptional wifi because we know it is as important as our electricity and running water. Back in my apartment in San Francisco, our ambition was to deliver an experience that's easy to use, is so reliable you don't have to think about it, comes with world-class security, and is thoughtfully designed to blend into any environment," said Nick Weaver, CEO and co-founder of eero. "We've continued to innovate and have gone well beyond our first home mesh wifi system—there are tens of millions of eero devices that power homes and businesses across 24 countries. Today, I'm excited for the eero 7 and Pro 7 to join the Max 7 and Outdoor 7 and expand our Wi-Fi 7 portfolio to meet every internet need."
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Xbox Introduces Muse: a Generative AI Model for Gameplay

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T0@st
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In nearly every corner of our lives, the buzz about AI is impossible to ignore. It's destined to revolutionize how we work, learn, and play. For those of us immersed in the world of gaming—whether as players or creators—the question isn't just how AI will change the game, but how it will ignite new possibilities.

At Xbox, we're all about using AI to make things better (and more fun!) for players and game creators. We want to bring more games to more people around the world and always stay true to the creative vision and artistry of game developers. We believe generative AI can boost this creativity and open up new possibilities. We're excited to announce a generative AI breakthrough, published today in the journal Nature and announced by Microsoft Research, that shows this potential to open up new possibilities—including the opportunity to make older games accessible to future generations of players across new devices and in new ways.
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NVIDIA to Consume 77% of Silicon Wafers Dedicated to AI Accelerators in 2025

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AleksandarK
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Investment bank Morgan Stanley has estimated that an astonishing 77% of all globally produced silicon wafers dedicated to AI accelerators will be consumed by none other than NVIDIA. Often, investment research by large investment banks like Morgan Stanley includes information from the semiconductor supply chain, which is constantly expanding to meet NVIDIA's demands. When looking at wafer volume for AI accelerators, it is estimated that in 2024, NVIDIA captured nearly 51% of wafer consumption for its chips, more than half of all demand. With NVIDIA's volume projected to grow to 77%, this represents more than a 50% year-over-year increase, which is incredible for a company of NVIDIA's size. Right now, NVIDIA is phasing out its H100 accelerators in favor of Blackwell 100/200 and the upcoming 300 series of GPUs paired with Grace CPUs.

NVIDIA is accelerating its product deployment timeline and investing a lot in its internal research and development. Morgan Stanley also projects that NVIDIA will invest almost $16 billion in its R&D budget, enough to endure four to five years of development cycles running three design teams sequentially and still delivering new products on an 18-24 month cadence. The scale of this efficiency and development rivals everyone else in the industry. With all this praise, NVIDIA's Q4 revenue report is coming in exactly a week on February 26, so we have to see what its CEO, Jensen Huang, will deliver and show some estimates for the coming months.

XFX Radeon RX 9070 SWIFT & QUICKSILVER Imagery Leaked in South Korea

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T0@st
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Last week, graphics card industry watchdogs alerted the wider hardware public to a registration of XFX Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 custom design SKUs in South Korea. The recent leak points to an upcoming release of unannounced RDNA 4 -based SWIFT and QUICKSILVER models; XFX's official website does not list anything newer than its current Radeon RX 7000 series offerings. Based on a fresh momomo_us social media post, Amazon's South Korean branch has accidentally published product pages for Radeon RX 9070 (non-XT) 16 GB SWIFT and QUICKSILVER cards. Related imagery and a single screenshot were preserved and then shared online; we are looking at very minimal black shroud and backplate designs.

TechPowerUp handled a similarly dark-tinted XFX demonstration sample at CES 2025, but the latest leaked models do not visually match with this "premium black" preview unit. The Radeon RX 9070 QUICKSILVER's backplate appears to utilize the exact same backplate design, but its shroud's aesthetic setup is more elaborate (lots of angular surfaces). The CES "premium white" sample's overall shape and profile align with the leaked SWIFT model. XFX's black and white options were listed by a Canadian e-tailer, a week ago. momomo_us's single screen capture points to alleged XFX Radeon RX 9070 SWIFT SKU clock speeds—apparently, its Amazon page was adorned with the following info points: 1400 MHz (base), 2210 MHz (game), and 2700 MHz (boost). As interpreted by VideoCardz, this is a factory-overclocked unit—PowerColor's Red Devil RX 9070 card shares the exact same clock settings.
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Apple iPhone 16e Launched With A18 SoC, Apple Intelligence, And $599 Price Tag

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GGforever
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The wait is finally over - Apple has lifted the curtains off its widely anticipated budget iPhone, the iPhone 16e. The smartphone was previously rumored to arrive with the SE 4 moniker, but it appears that Apple wanted to give its entry-level budget smartphone a fresh naming scheme. This is not the first time that Apple has introduced a new name for a budget iPhone - the company famously introduced the iPhone XR in 2018, and never bothered to give it a refresh. With a starting price of $599, the iPhone 16e will start reaching customers on the 28th of February.

For those keeping up with the rumor mill, a major portion of the leaked information turned out to be accurate after all. For instance, the iPhone 16e is indeed called, well, the iPhone 16e, and boasts a binned A18 SoC with four GPU cores instead of five - likely paired with 8 GB of memory - to allow for Apple Intelligence support. As expected, the design is identical to the iPhone 13-era in many ways. At the front, a 6.1-inch OLED display with a pixel density of 460 sits beneath a 12 MP TrueDepth camera that brings FaceID support. The mute toggle switch is abandoned in favor of the Action Button. Moreover, the device also boasts Apple's first-ever 5G modem, the C1, which is said to bring substantial efficiency improvements.
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Acer to Hike Prices in the US by Around 10 Percent Due to Tariffs, According to CEO

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TheLostSwede
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In an interview with The Telegraph, Acer CEO and chairman Jason Chen said that its products made in the PRC will see a price increase of 10 percent as direct results of the new tariffs that the US will levy on electronics. However, Mr Chen is quoted as saying "We think 10 percent probably will be the default price increase because of the import tax." which doesn't mean it will be exactly 10 percent, as it might vary a bit between product segments. That said, what's clear is that Acer and most likely every other company that manufactures hardware in the PRC aren't going to eat any of the tariffs, as the companies appear to be shifting the burden of the new tariffs straight over to the end consumers. Mr Chen also suggested that some companies might be increasing their pricing by more than 10 percent.

The price increase will happen over time, as the new tariffs won't affect products that have left the PRC before the end of February. Alongside Acer, which is the fifth-biggest computer brand in the US market, it's likely that Dell, HP and Lenovo, as well as Apple, are going to hike their prices by the same 10 percent or more. Acer moved the assembly of its desktop computers out of the PRC during Trump's previous term, when a 25 percent tariff was imposed. Now Acer is looking at moving at least some additional parts of its productions out of the PRC and the US is on the table for some of its products. Considering that some 80 percent of all laptops imported to the US are made in the PRC, the Consumer Trade Association is expecting the new tariffs to cost US consumers some US$143 billion, which it assumes will lead to a slump in sales of consumer electronics.

NVIDIA's Latest "State of AI in Telecommunications" Survey Highlights Increased Integration

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T0@st
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The telecom industry's efforts to drive efficiencies with AI are beginning to show fruit. An increasing focus on deploying AI into radio access networks (RANs) was among the key findings of NVIDIA's third annual "State of AI in Telecommunications" survey, as more than a third of respondents indicated they're investing or planning to invest in AI-RAN.

The survey polled more than 450 telecommunications professionals worldwide, revealing continued momentum for AI adoption—including growth in generative AI use cases—and how the technology is helping optimize customer experiences and increase employee productivity. Of the telecommunications professionals surveyed, almost all stated that their company is actively deploying or assessing AI projects.
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AuBox Mini PC Unveiled With AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS APU And Dual 2.5G Ethernet

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GGforever
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Chuwi is a pretty decent brand of competent mini PCs which have received positive reviews. The brand's latest offering, the AuBox mini PC, combines a powerful AMD APU with an attractive design that is not only commendably compact, but also quite premium looking. The product measures 15 x 15 cm with a height of only 4.5 cm that gives it a genuinely sleek appeal, unlike other mini PCs available on the market which are going for a somewhat tall form factor ever since the M4 Mac Mini has hit the scene. At its core, the AuBox is powered by the Ryzen 7 8745HS APU with eight Zen 4 cores and sixteen threads. Apart from not having an NPU, the 8745HS is basically a slightly down clocked version of the Ryzen 7 8845HS that results in a 6-7% performance drop in synthetic benchmarks.

That said, the APU is plenty performant for the vast majority of workloads that are likely to be thrown its way, provided that they are not overly demanding GPU-wise, since the compact AuBox mini PC lacks discrete graphics, which is hardly out of the ordinary for mini PCs. The integrated RDNA 3-based Radeon 780M iGPU with 12 CUs is perfectly potent for lightweight tasks, however, and entry-level gaming with modest settings should not be much of a hassle either. The AuBox ships with 12 GB of DDR5-5600 memory, which can be upgraded to a healthy 64 GB down the road courtesy of user-accessible SODIMM slots.
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Microsoft Presents Majorana 1: First Quantum Processor to Pave the Way to Million-Qubit Systems

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AleksandarK
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Microsoft has launched Majorana 1, the world's first quantum processor powered by a Topological Core architecture, marking a significant step toward fault-tolerant, utility-scale quantum computing. The chip leverages tetron qubits—topological qubits built on Majorana zero modes (MZMs)—to achieve stability and scalability, with a roadmap to one million qubits, a threshold critical for solving industrial challenges like microplastic degradation and self-healing materials. At the heart of Majorana 1 lies a superconductor-semiconductor heterostructure combining indium arsenide and aluminium. This "topoconductor" material enables precise control of MZMs, exotic quantum particles that encode information non-locally, inherently resisting noise and errors. The design, detailed in the latest paper, arranges MZMs in H-shaped nanowires, forming two-sided tetrons that suppress errors exponentially via three factors: topological gap-to-temperature ratio, wire length-to-coherence length, and high-fidelity microwave readout. Microsoft claims that thopoconductor can "create an entirely new state of matter - not a solid, liquid or gas but a topological state."

Unlike conventional qubits requiring analog tuning, Microsoft's architecture uses digital voltage pulses for error-resistant, measurement-based operations. This approach simplifies scaling, with the current chip housing eight tetrons and supporting protocols for quantum error detection, such as the Hastings-Haah Floquet codes and ladder codes outlined in Microsoft's technical roadmap. These codes rely on single- and two-qubit Pauli measurements, native to tetrons, to detect and correct errors without complex gate sequences. DARPA's US2QC program validated that Microsoft's topology-first strategy minimizes overhead, enabling a future million-qubit system compact enough to fit in Azure datacenters. The chip's quantum capacitance measurement system detects parity shifts in microseconds, achieving a signal-to-noise ratio critical for fault tolerance. Applications span designing catalysts to break down pollutants, optimizing enzymes for agriculture, and simulating novel materials. Microsoft aims to merge quantum, AI, and high-performance computing into Azure, accelerating discoveries once deemed decades away. Majorana 1 proves that topological qubits—once a high-risk bet—are now the cornerstone of scalable quantum systems.

HP Lists Victus 15 Gaming Laptop Model with GeForce RTX 5060 & 5050 Mobile GPUs

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T0@st
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Last December, details of NVIDIA's RTX GeForce 50-series of mobile GPUs leaked online—fast-forward to the present day; Team Green and hardware partners are touted to release higher-end devices at some point next month, following a pre-order period. Lower-end offerings seem to be distant prospects; industry moles suggest a May launch window. Last week rumors emerged online; notebook supply chain insiders reckon that a "significant delay" will affect initial shipments of GeForce RTX 50-equipped laptops. It is not clear whether these issues will impact the rumored GeForce RTX 5060 and RTX 5050 mobile models, but HP has accidentally confirmed that an updated Victus laptop will utilize the aforementioned budget-friendly GPUs.

VideoCardz has preserved an intriguing screenshot. Their report alleges that a refreshed HP Victus 15 laptop variant (FA2) utilizes Intel 13th Gen "Raptor Lake" processors, paired with unannounced "hybrid graphics" options. HP's product component list includes last-gen Core 7 240H, Core 5 230H, Core i7-13620H, and Core i5-13420H processor SKUs. Older configurations of this 15.6" gaming laptop sported mobile GeForce RTX 4050, RTX 3050, RTX 3050A, and RTX 2050 GPUs. The leaked document suggests that modernized graphics packages are in the pipeline, but HP has not confirmed any concrete timelines.

Analyst Asserts Nintendo Switch 2 Likely To Be Priced at $399

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GGforever
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According to a recent report by Joost van Dreunen - founder of SuperData research firm - the Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to boast a price tag roughly around $399. This would make the highly awaited gaming handheld $100 more expensive than its direct predecessor, and $50 more expensive than the OLED variant of OG Switch. According to van Dreunen, the pricing would allow Nintendo to have a net positive margin on its hardware, while also undercutting other handhelds in price that are 'distinctly' a few tiers above the Switch 2 in terms of performance, as well as capabilities. Of course, considering Nintendo's primary selling point for the Switch - the ecosystem of family-friendly Switch games - the pricing is unlikely to hold back customers who are already knee-deep in Switch games.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is almost confirmed to launch on the 2nd of April, with a larger display and improved magnetic, hall-effect Joy Cons. Like its predecessor, the Switch 2 does not intend to be a powerhouse, and will settle for an NVIDIA Tegra T239 SoC with an Ampere iGPU that should be good for up to 3.1 TFLOPS of raw performance. With the help of DLSS, the Switch 2 should be able to pull off a decent gaming experience at 1080p, or perhaps even at 4K. A fee patents and rumors have indicated that the Joy Cons will have some sort of mouse-like functionality, which was also hinted at by the device's trailer, although no confirmations exist for now. Of course, all of this is mere speculation at this point, but van Dreunen is a respected name in the industry, and his reasoning certainly does make sense.

Humane AI Pin To Become $699 Paperweight Post HP Acquisition

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GGforever
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The AI Pin - Humane's first, and last product - received an overwhelmingly negative reception at launch, and that's putting it mildly. The device was hindered by poor usability and an extremely laggy operating system that made even the simplest of tasks an absolute chore. The product, unsurprisingly, was criticized by almost every reviewer who touched it, and rumors regarding a potential acquisition of Humane soon began to circulate. Now, HP has seemingly finalized a $116-million acquisition offer for the startup that once raised over $230 million, and valued itself at $1 billion. It appears that HP wants almost all of Humane's assets - with the notable exception of one key product, the AI Pin.

As such, once the calendar reaches the 28th of February, the AI Pin will cease to function. The servers that the AI Pin utilized for communications will be shut down, rendering the AI Pin unable to access customer's cloud data, make phone calls, send AI queries, or text messages. Customers who bought the Pin in the last 90 days will be eligible for a full refund, whereas those who bought the ill-fated gadget before that will soon have an arguably good-looking fashion accessory that will probably still be able to tell them the time. After all, the product's build quality and design was the lone aspect of the AI Pin that received praise. It remains to be seen how HP puts Humane's R&D to use, although considering the AI hype that is engulfing the consumer tech industry, it wouldn't be surprising to see HP leverage Humane's tech to carve out its own niche in the AI-assisted personal computing space. Of course, that is contingent on HP's implementation being better than what Humane pulled off the last time around.

Obsidian Entertainment Celebrates Avowed's Launch

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T0@st
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The wait is finally over—Avowed, Obsidian Entertainment's highly anticipated fantasy RPG has officially launched! Step into the breathtaking Living Lands, a wild and mysterious island located in the Pillars of Eternity world of Eora, and embark on a journey filled with danger, discovery, and adventure. Play today on Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox app for Windows PC, Battle.net, Steam, and cloud, to experience Obsidian's latest RPG adventure. Also available on Game Pass!

A Land in Turmoil
The Living Lands is a frontier unlike any other. This rugged and untamed island has become a haven for exiles, dreamers, and adventurers seeking a fresh start. Its vibrant regions and scattered settlements pulse with life, each hiding untold stories and ancient secrets waiting to be uncovered. But this land of promise is fraught with peril. The Dreamscourge, a devastating soul-plague, is driving settlers to madness and turning them against one another. The very land itself resists colonization, haunted by echoes of lives long past. As an envoy chosen by a foreign emperor and blessed by a mysterious god, you are thrust into the heart of this chaos. With divine powers at your fingertips and the will to shape your own destiny, you'll confront ancient threats, unravel mysteries, and decide the fate of the Living Lands. Will you unite its people or watch as their struggles tear them apart? The choices you make will define the future of the Living Lands—and the person you become.
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ASUS China Sets February 25 Launch Date for ROG XG eGPU, Featuring GeForce RTX 5090M or 5070M Ti

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T0@st
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Last month, ASUS revealed its refreshed ROG XG Mobile design at CES 2025. The latest iteration of their premium external GPU dock is prepped for NVIDIA's "Blackwell" GeForce RTX 50 Mobile GPU-series. According to an ITHome report, the new model will be released next week; the manufacturer's Chinese office has seemingly produced marketing material that teases a launch on February 25. The redesigned ROG XG platform leverages an improved vapor chamber system; offering "150% more cooling surface area," and features "pioneering" Thunderbolt 5 connectivity (max. 80 Gbps bidirectional bandwidth). Press material from January indicated that a top configuration would house Team Green's GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile 24 GB GPU.

An updated official product page also lists support for NVIDIA's "GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop" 12 GB GPU. ASUS will bundle in a 330 W AC adapter, according to its spec sheet. The off-black translucent enclosure weighs in at 0.952 kg, and dimensions are listed as: "20.8 x 15.5 x 2.96 cm." ITHome expects ASUS to reveal regional pricing (for China) on February 25; Western markets will be charged $2199.99 (US MSRP) for the flagship configuration, if price hikes do not go into effect at launch. The less potent variant—powered by a GB205 GPU—is priced at $1199.99.

Ale Abbey Released via Early Access, Steam Deck Full Compatibility Coming Soon

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T0@st
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Ale Abbey is now released in Early Access! Enjoy a 10% launch discount until March 4th, and you can enjoy the Brewmaster Edition with the entire game soundtrack. We hope you'll enjoy the game to its fullest. If you did, don't forget to leave us a review—it helps us a lot!

The game was announced in 2022 and was covered every week on IndieDB. It then joined Steam in 2024, and after last year's Next Fest and the first demo becoming available. We are happy to count you as one of our brewers! It was a long time in the making, and no matter when you joined the journey, we have built this abbey, and now it's finally time for you to brew something in it.
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AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D & 9900X3D CPUs Benched, Leak Suggests Pleasing Single-core Performance Improvements

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T0@st
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AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 9900X3D "Zen 5" processors are due for launch next month, but an exact date has not been announced. Currently, Team Red's 3D V-Cache-equipped Ryzen 9000 CPU series is composed of a single SKU: the popular eight-core Ryzen 7 9800X3D model. A new leak points to a possible imminent lineup expansion; the sixteen-core Ryzen 9 9950X3D and twelve-core Ryzen 9 9900X3D CPUs have finally popped up on Geekbench Browser. Both candidates seemed to be tested on the same PC platform; utilizing a GIGABYTE X670 AORUS ELITE AX motherboard and 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) of DDR5-4800 MT/s RAM. Notebookcheck

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D sample scored overall with 3363 (single-core) and 20,465 points (multi-core) in Geekbench 6.3. As expected, the Ryzen 9 9900X3D candidate's overall tallies came in slightly lower—it achieved 3274 (single-core) and 19,227 points (multi-core) overall. Press outlets were quick to compare these figures to prior generation outputs (refer to Wccftech's chart, below). On average, the incoming "Zen 5" parts surpass "Zen 4" equivalents by an average of 15%—in terms of single-core performance. Multi-core performance improvements are less significant; coming in at an average of 7%. The range-topping Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU's multi-core performance score is "lower than expected," but closer-to-launch optimizations could rectify this matter. Geekbench results often do not reflect the true potential of tested silicon; gamers tend to dismiss or completely ignore these data points. Last month, an AMD executive revealed that the two upcoming X3D Granite Ridge desktop chips: "will provide similar overall gaming performance to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D." Speculative price points—of $699 (16-core) & $599 (12-core)—leaked online last week.

AMD to Showcase Ryzen AI Max PRO Series at 3DExperience World 2025

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T0@st
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It's that time again! 3DExperience World 2025 kicks off on February 23 and runs through February 26 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. The show is hosted by Dassault Systèmes and highlights annual advances and improvements throughout its product ecosystem. It's a great opportunity to meet the engineers, students, and industry professionals who use SolidWorks and other Dassault Systèmes applications across browsers, local workstations, and the cloud.

One of the best parts of the event for me is showcasing how advances in silicon engineering can lead to transformational products - systems that offer performance, features, and efficiency that wasn't possible before. In 2024, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7000 WX-Series processor stole the proverbial show with its excellent single-thread performance, support for multi-GPU configurations for AI training, and up to 96 cores and 2T B of memory for the largest and most demanding projects. This year, AMD has complemented these full-size tower systems with compact and mobile workstations based on the new AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO Series processors. Drop by booth #919 and see the array of systems and demos on exhibit.
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EK Releases New EK-Quantum Velocity³ 1700/1851/AM5 Universal CPU Water Block

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GFreeman
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EK, the premium liquid cooling manufacturer, is proud to announce the latest generation of EK-Quantum Velocity³ CPU water blocks. Offering universal compatibility for both AMD AM5 and Intel LGA 1700 / 1851 sockets, the EK-Quantum Velocity³ features a fully customizable configuration that allows you to rotate, adjust, and reposition the internal components, heat spreader, and ports - ensuring high-performance liquid cooling that's perfectly optimized for your build.

Universal Intel & AMD Platform Compatibility
The EK-Quantum Velocity³ offers a new level of compatibility with design that allows you to interchange between Intel LGA 1700 / 1851 & AMD AM5 with a few simple adjustments. When choosing your platform, simply align the jet plate alignment based on the Intel or AMD socket, reposition the cold plate and attach the LGA or AM5 mounting bracket - it's that simple. This design ensures universal compatibility, offering high performance liquid-cooling that's future proofed should you wish to change platform when upgrading your PC.
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Senao Networks Unveils AI Driven Computing at MWC Barcelona 2025

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Nomad76
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Senao Networks Inc. (SNI), a global leader in AI computing and networking solutions, will be exhibiting at 2025 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. At the event, SNI will showcase its latest AI-driven innovations, including AI Servers, AI Cameras, AIPCs, Cloud Solutions, and Titanium Power Supply, reinforcing its vision of "AI Everywhere."

Senao Networks continues to advance AI computing with new products designed to enhance security, efficiency, and connectivity.
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Gaming Monitor Panel Growth to Slow in 2025—LCD Up 5%, OLED Up 40%

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TheLostSwede
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TrendForce's latest investigations reveal that global LCD gaming monitor panel shipments (>144 Hz) reached 32.42 million units in 2024, marking a 12% YoY increase. However, due to a lack of major demand catalysts and struggling profitability in mainstream gaming monitors, 2025 shipments are expected to grow at a slower rate of 5%, reaching approximately 34 million units.

TrendForce notes that Chinese panel makers were the primary force behind LCD gaming monitor panel growth in 2024. In a bid to improve profitability, many have aggressively expanded into the gaming monitor segment and increased production capacity. Additionally, the release of the highly anticipated game Black Myth: Wukong in late 2024 further boosted demand in China, driving YoY shipment increases of nearly 50% for HKC, 40% for CSOT, and over 20% for BOE.
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Advantech Launches UBX-330M NUC-Sized Edge Computer

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Nomad76
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Advantech, a leader in edge computing solutions, is excited to announce the launch of the UBX-330M, a compact NUC-sized edge computer designed to power intelligent city services with advanced AI capabilities.

The UBX-330M is powered by Intel Core Ultra Processors (Meteor Lake H and U), which integrate a CPU, GPU, and NPU to deliver exceptional AI performance in a small form factor. Built as an AI-ready platform, the UBX-330M is perfect for applications requiring robust processing power across industries such as smart retail, hospitality, public spaces, education, entertainment, enterprise, and smart buildings.
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NVIDIA's 32-Bit PhysX Waves Goodbye with GeForce RTX 50 Series Ending 32-Bit CUDA Software Support

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AleksandarK
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The days of 32-bit software support in NVIDIA's drivers are coming to an end, and with that, so does the support for the once iconic PhysX real-time physics engine. According to NVIDIA's engineers on GeForce forums, the lack of PhysX support has been quietly acknowledged, as NVIDIA's latest GeForce RTX 50 series of GPUs are phasing out support for 32-bit CUDA software, slowly transitioning the gaming world to the 64-bit software entirely. While older NVIDIA GPUs from the Maxwell through Ada generations will maintain 32-bit CUDA support, this update breaks backward compatibility for physics acceleration in legacy PC games on new GPUs. Users running these titles on RTX 50 series cards may need to rely on CPU-based PhysX processing, which could result in suboptimal performance compared to previous GPU generations.

A Reddit user reported frame rates dropping below 60 FPS in Borderlands 2 while using basic game mechanics with a 9800X3D CPU and RTX 5090 GPU, all because 32-bit CUDA application support on Blackwell architecture is depreciated. When another user booted up a 64-bit PhysX application, Batman Arkham Knight, PhysX worked perfectly, as expected. It is just that a massive list of older games, which gamers would sometimes prefer to play, is now running a lot slower on the most powerful consumer GPU due to the phase-out of 32-bit CUDA app support.
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Unleash the Full Power of Lenovo Legion Pro 9i with Eurocom's 780W AC Adapter

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btarunr
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The Lenovo Legion Pro 9i is a powerhouse gaming and professional workstation laptop built for extreme performance, featuring cutting-edge hardware designed to tackle the most demanding games and professional workloads. However, power limitations can restrict its full potential. Many high-performance laptops, including the Legion Pro 9i, ship with limited 330 W AC adapter that doesn't provide sufficient sustained wattage, leading to throttling, performance drops, and even battery drain under heavy loads.

The Legion Pro 9i is equipped with the 14th Generation Intel Core i9-14900HX Processor, featuring 24 cores (8P + 16E), 32 threads, a 36 MB cache, and clock speeds reaching up to 5.80 GHz (P-Core Max) and 4.10 GHz (E-Core Max) with Turbo Boost. The CPU has a maximum turbo power draw of 157 W. This powerhouse CPU pairs with two high-end NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU options:
  • RTX 4090 Laptop GPU (16 GB GDDR6, 175 W TGP)
  • RTX 4080 Laptop GPU (12 GB GDDR6, 150 W TGP + 25 W Boost)
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Biostar to Showcase IPC Products at Embedded World 2025 Germany

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btarunr
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BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of IPC solutions, motherboards, graphics cards, and PC peripherals, is set to showcase its latest industrial computing and edge AI computing solutions at upcoming Embedded World 2025. The event will take place from March 11-13, 2025, at Nurnberg Messe, Nurnberg, Germany, with BIOSTAR's booth located at 2-321, Hall 2.

At Embedded World 2025, BIOSTAR will spotlight its edge computing solutions powered by Intel CPUs, including AI-driven platforms tailored for industrial automation, smart cities, and HMI (Human-Machine Interface) applications. Key highlights will include 3.5" SBCs, NVIDIA Jetson Orin platforms, and industrial-grade systems engineered for scalable, efficient, and robust performance.
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Tuesday, February 18th 2025

Today's Reviews

Cases
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Keyboards
Memory
Motherboards
PSUs
SSD
Ducky One X Inductive Keyboard Review

Ducky One X Inductive Keyboard Review

Review Keyboards
Ducky introduces us to inductive switch keyboards, with this new switch type aiming to improve upon existing magnetic/optical switches in many ways including cost of production and implementation, higher battery efficiency in wireless mode, and finer control over the customizable actuation range. The keyboard also features a new web-based configurator to minimize software bloat.
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MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk Wi-Fi Review

MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk Wi-Fi Review

Review Motherboards
If recent graphics card launches have persuaded you to consider a new CPU, the Z890 MSI Tomahawk Wi-Fi has the advantage of being able to tap into the overclocking potential of the latest Intel Core Ultra series 2 processors for less than $250.
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Grand Theft Auto VI PC Version's Early 2026 Launch Mentioned During Corsair Investor Call

by
T0@st
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Under normal circumstances, Grand Theft Auto VI-related leaks have emerged from nefarious sources. Mid-February news reports have pulled information from an unlikely, yet fairly legitimate announcement. GTA franchise fans would not expect a leak to emerge from a company dealing in peripherals, but Corsair Gaming's Ronald van Veen disclosed a slightly surprising prediction during a recent company call with investors. The organization's financial VP believes that incoming AAA-blockbuster title will launch on PC mere months after an exclusive debut on home gaming consoles (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series). Famously, Rockstar Games reserves a sizable time gap between its console and PC rollouts. An official statement—made back in December 2023—revealed a potential repeat of this release cadence; PC-bound GTA players feared another agonizing two to three year wait.

During an earnings call, Corsair's finance chief discussed the impact of high-profile franchises: "in terms of new games, I mean, there's been a steady stream of games. What we really haven't had for the last year or two is what we could call a 'Fortnite moment' or 'PUBG moment.' So, people are typically playing older games. And I think for our component business and for people looking at new cards, obviously, that tends to depend on new games that are super demanding that you need high-performance graphics in order to get 60 frames a second...If you actually look at the numbers across the last five years, peripheral sales are substantially up, like 50% or 60% up compared to pre-COVID. So, more people are gaming, but not all are gaming on new games. The activity around PC builds or gaming PC builds is roughly on par with pre-COVID now....GTA VI is probably the one everyone is talking about. And we'll get a glimpse of that, I think, later in the year for console. My understanding now it's going to come out in the fall for console, and then early 2026 for PC." Take-Two's CEO—Strauss Zelnick—believes that Grand Theft Auto VI will boost consoles sales upon launch.

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Edifier Announces LolliClip Earbuds

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Nomad76
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Edifier, the award-winning manufacturer of premium sound systems, has announced the LolliClip Earbuds. These earbuds feature adaptive noise cancellation, a secure multi-curve ear hook, and immersive spatial audio with head-tracking. Certified for Hi-Res Wireless Audio, the LolliClip earbuds deliver rich sound via a 13 mm dynamic driver with a titanium-coated diaphragm. Equipped with 3+3 microphones and AI algorithm for clear calls, the buds are IP56-rated for durability. Multipoint connection enables seamless device switching, and the EDIFIER ConneX App offers extra features like heart rate detection and personalized controls."

Adaptive Noise-Cancelling and Secure Fit
Advanced adaptive active noise cancellation customizes sound based on your fit and surroundings, delivering a clear, immersive experience even in noisy environments - all while maintaining the comfort of the LolliClip open-ear design. The innovative multi-curvature ear hook, wrapped in skin-friendly silicone, ensures a secure, comfortable fit for daily use—perfect for workouts, outdoor adventures, or your workday routine.
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Xbox Game Pass Reveals Upcoming Additions - Watch Dogs: Legion, EA Sports F1 24, & WH40K: Rogue Trader

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T0@st
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For those of you that have been exploring the Living Lands in Avowed, thank you for taking a break to check out the latest Game Pass news! We have some exciting new reveals and exclusive Perks to tease your install buttons. Also, mark your calendars and check out the ID@Xbox Showcase during IGN Fan Fest 2025 on Monday, February 24 at 10am PT for even more Game Pass announcements. Let's get to the games!

Available Today
Avowed (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) - February 18. Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available on day one! Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger. Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment. Check out Xbox Wire for Starting Tips to Help You on Your Adventure in the Living Lands.
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Top DRAM Manufacturers Touted to End DDR3 & DDR4 Production in 2025

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T0@st
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Inside sources—familiar with goings-ons at leading DRAM manufacturing firms—have predicted the end of DDR3 and DDR4 production lines. According to a DigiTimes Asia report (citing Nikkei), industry observers have noticed that the DRAM market is undergoing a so-called "shift." They believe that pricing trends are decreasing due to weak demand. Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron are named as major players; allegedly involved in devising new strategies—in reaction to fluid market circumstances. The DigiTimes insider network proposes that the big three: "may phase out DDR3 and DDR4 by 2025...by the end of 2025...anticipating a future focused on advanced memory technologies." Older standards are falling out of favor, with DDR5 and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) on the ascent. Industry watchdogs reckon that possible DDR3 and DDR4 supply shortages could occur "post-summer 2025."

Taiwan's Nanya Technology has predicted that the overall DRAM market will "bottom out" within the first half of 2025. An eventual recovery is envisioned by the second quarter; AI-related demands could help drive up demand by a large margin. Additionally, Nanya points to improved inventory management and global economic stimulus. Taiwanese DRAM production houses are expected to pick up some slack, but an unnamed "key component distributor" anticipates serious after-effects. An anonymous source believes that the: "anticipated halt in production could lead to significant supply constraints, challenging market dynamics and impacting pricing strategies." Nanya Technology and Winbond Electronics produce specialized DRAM-types; therefore are not touted to be great gap fillers. The latter is reportedly reacting to weak demand for "mature" DDR products—DigiTimes commented on this development: "Winbond Electronics is advancing its manufacturing by transitioning to a 16 nm process in the latter half of 2025. This upgrade from the current 20 nm process, primarily used for 4 Gb DDR3 and DDR4, will enable Winbond to produce 8 Gb DDR memory."

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AMD Ryzen AI Max+ "Strix Halo" Die Exposed and Annotated

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AleksandarK
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AMD's "Strix Halo" APU, marketed as Ryzen AI Max+, has just been exposed in die-shot analysis. Confirming the processor's triple-die architecture, the package showcases a total silicon footprint of 441.72 mm² that integrates advanced CPU, GPU, and AI acceleration capabilities within a single package. The processor's architecture centers on two 67.07 mm² CPU CCDs, each housing eight Zen 5 cores with a dedicated 8 MB L2 cache. A substantial 307.58 mm² I/O complements these die that houses an RDNA 3.5-based integrated GPU featuring 40 CUs and AMD's XDNA 2 NPU. The memory subsystem demonstrates a 256-bit LPDDR5X interface capable of delivering 256 GB/s bandwidth, supported by 32 MB of strategically placed Last Level Cache to optimize data throughput.

The die shots reveal notable optimizations for mobile deployment, including shortened die-to-die interfaces that reduce the interconnect distance by 2 mm compared to desktop implementations. Some through-silicon via structures are present, which suggest potential compatibility with AMD's 3D V-Cache technology, though the company has not officially confirmed plans for such implementations. The I/O die integrates comprehensive connectivity options, including PCIe 4.0 x16 lanes and USB4 support, while also housing dedicated media engines with full AV1 codec support. Initial deployments of the Strix Halo APU will commence with the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 launch on February 25, marking the beginning of what AMD anticipates will be broad adoption across premium mobile computing platforms.

GALAX Launches Metal Master Dark Guard PC Case

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Nomad76
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We spotted via IT Home a fresh PC case just released by GALAX under the name "Metal Master Dark Guard", a new case that works with both ATX and microATX (back connectors supported) motherboards. The case keeps the look of the Metal Master series, with clean lines and a nice beveled design. It also has a big tempered glass side panel that gives you a clear view of internal components. The case internal design shows special attention to cooling, as GALAX mentions that they put it through multiple airflow tests. It can fit up to eight 120 or 140 mm fans, and one 240/260/280 mm radiator which makes it great for high-end gaming PCs. The design has a smart air duct system to keep things cool, and there's plenty of room inside to make cable management easy. One cool thing about the design is that the USB 3.0, and Type-C connectors are placed at the front-bottom. This helps keep the overall look clean by hiding cables away from the user's eyes while keeping the airflow clean.

The case can fit the latest hardware components, including the new RTX 50 series graphics cards or any graphic card up to 400 mm long, and standard power supplies. GALAX has priced the Metal Master Dark Guard at 249 yuan about $35, at least that's the price on Asian markets. If it reaches Western markets around $50 it can be considered a viable option for those on a tight budget.

Directive 8020 Launches on October 2, Supermassive Discusses Gameplay Elements

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T0@st
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Welcome to the mission! Hi, I'm Will Doyle, the director of Directive 8020 at Supermassive Games. We revealed our action-packed story trailer during State of Play, and announced that the game will launch on October 2. I'm thrilled to take you deeper into the dangers that you'll face onboard the Cassiopeia. The team at Supermassive Games has worked tirelessly to craft a narrative experience that melds sci-fi exploration with spine-chilling horror, where every choice could lead to a disastrous death. We're unveiling some new layers to our story, exploring fragile alliances, unseen threats, and the limits of human resilience when faced with our deepest fears. We're venturing into uncharted territory: the unsettling abyss of space.

A deadly mission
Earth is dying, and humankind is seeking a new home in the stars. The Cassiopeia is the initial survey ship sent to scout our chosen planet. Think of it as a test run: the Cassiopeia is fully outfitted as a colony craft but is flying with a vastly reduced crew. Their mission is to test every procedure onboard without ever touching down on the planet they've been sent to orbit. However, people familiar with our games will know that our characters never have it easy and in Directive 8020 it will all start to go wrong very quickly and with very deadly consequences.
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Radeon 8060S Early Reviews: RTX 4070 Laptop-Class Performance in an iGPU

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GGforever
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Well, the wait is over and early reviews for AMD's Strix Halo APUs have finally dropped. For those who kept up with the leaks and rumors, the high-end RDNA 3.5 Radeon 8060S iGPU was repeatedly rumored to features up to 40 CUs, allowing for raw performance that keeps up with several discrete-class mobile GPUs. Now that we have concrete information, it appears that the Strix Halo iGPU does indeed trade blows with mid-range mobile GPUs, which is an undeniably impressive feat for an integrated unit. Some of the fastest x86 iGPUs - the Arc 140 V, Radeon 890M, are all left in the dust, although Apple's highest-end offerings are unsurprisingly well ahead.

Starting off with 3D Mark Time Spy, the 40-CU Radeon 8060S, housed in the 13-inch ROG Flow Z13, managed an impressive score of 10,200 points according to Notebookcheck. This puts the iGPU in close proximity to other RTX 4070-powered 14-inch gaming laptops, such as the Zephyrus G14 which managed to rake in around 10,300 points. Compared to the previous iteration of the ROG Flow Z13, which boasts a 65-watt RTX 4070, the Radeon 8060S-powered Z13 pulls ahead by around 5%. Laptops with more substantial power envelopes do race ahead significantly, such as the 140-watt RTX 4070 Laptop-powered Razer Blade 14 which managed over 13,000 points. In the Steel Nomad benchmark, however, the Radeon 8060S appears less impressive, trailing behind not only the RTX 4070 Laptop, but also systems with the RTX 4060 Laptop GPU (110 W).
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AMD Radeon RX 9070 Series Review Embargo Reportedly Lifts on March 5

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T0@st
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A leaked document has revealed an alleged review release date of March 5; occurring the day before a rumored global market release of AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 graphics cards. VideoCardz has reported on its inspection of "NDA materials" intended for members of the press. Team Red has officially announced a proper RDNA 4-themed event; February 28 is an important date on their calendar. Fresh reportage suggests that hardware media outlets and online influencers will be briefed next week, mere days away from AMD's highly-anticipated presentation.

Following head-scratching delays and a secretive marketing strategy (earlier on in 2025), Team Red and its AIB co-conspirators are expected to deliver full specifications, performance data, and pricing during next week's special event. Leaks have pointed to a possible March 6 launch; VideoCardz did not spot any mentioning of this specific date in leaked Radeon RX 9070 NDA documents. A steady flow of insider knowledge has already hinted at speculative "Navi 48" technical details and pre-release performance figures. Will AMD confirm (rumored) PCIe 5.0 connectivity, or acknowledge leaked "Pro" 32 GB variants (with less sarcasm)?

Ubisoft & Lexip Unveil Assassin's Creed Shadows Tie-in Gaming Peripheral Lineup

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T0@st
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In Assassin's Creed Shadows, players will explore feudal Japan as the fierce samurai Yasuke and stealthy shinobi Naoe. Ubisoft and gaming-peripheral maker Lexip have teamed up to help you play Assassin's Creed Shadows in style with a gaming accessory collaboration featuring six custom items and unique bundles that will include the game itself when it launches on March 20 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, macOS, and PC via Steam, the Ubisoft Store, and Epic Games Store.

Engraved Wireless Headset
Enter a new era with Lexip and Ubisoft's immersive headset. Proudly embody the very essence of feudal Japan, with its ancestral motifs and superior sound quality. Ultra-low latency and cross-platform compatibility.
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Accusations Directed at ASUS over Anticipated PRIME RTX 5070 Ti Series Price Manipulation

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T0@st
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GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards are due to hit international markets this Thursday (February 20), only in custom design form. NVIDIA will not be rolling out a Founders Edition model for this mid-to-high GPU product tier. Yesterday, an NDA-busting leak emerged online; hinting at a mixed bag of synthetic benchmark scores. When compared to new-gen and past-gen siblings, the incoming GB203 GPU-based family's "price-to-performance ratio" was greeted with plenty of online community skepticism. Considering that only a minority of AIB companies are reportedly engaged in the supply of cheaper offerings, the early outlook for overall GeForce RTX 5070 Ti launch pricing is generating further dissatisfaction. Team Green's first wave of "Blackwell" gaming GPUs launched late last month, straight into chaotic market conditions.

At CES 2025, NVIDIA set a baseline MSRP of $749. Fresh reports suggest that hardware review outlets will be delivering comprehensive verdicts tomorrow. VideoCardz believes that the lifted review embargo will be "exclusively for MSRP cards," based on information gleaned from their network of press contacts. The GPU specialist publication has kept tabs on fluctuating GeForce RTX 50-series prices for a while—several recent reports have levelled criticism at prominent Team Green board partners; namely ASUS and MSI. Plenty of venom was directed at the former, due to last month's launch of the: "GeForce RTX 5080 PRIME non-OC model at MSRP, and it was covered in the first reviews...Except, it was increased by 26% the following week. This way, ASUS has cheated the system and got both the early coverage and was still able to sell cards at a higher price." VideoCardz predicts a similar pattern for this week's release of custom GeForce RTX 5070 Ti designs, in particular ASUS PRIME and TUF Gaming SKUs. Their latest report directed additional ire toward the source of all things Blackwell: "unless NVIDIA has no problem with this, this is not how MSRP cards should be announced. It is very misleading for customers and puts reviewers in a very bad light. Their conclusions might be completely different if the card is said to cost much more."

"X-Out Resurfaced" Launches on February 20, Remake of a 35-year Old Classic

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T0@st
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Some people say old legends never die. We fully agree with them, as we're willing to give a helping hand to those that wish to rise again. X-Out Resurfaced is a full-blown, high-definition remake of the old Commodore 64 classic X-Out. Featuring gorgeous visuals and a reworked control scheme, this new version is the perfect way to experience this incredible shoot'em up in all its glory. The game starts with a unique loadout screen, revolutionary for its time, allowing you to choose your craft, weaponry and option types, before submersing yourself in frantic, underwater shmup action.

The challenge will be tough and the enemies numerous, but Captain Granger and his faithful craft Trilobite are definitely up to the task. He is after all the last line of defense against the alien horrors that are trying to invade Earth through the ocean depths. These cosmic horrors sound like they might be too much for you to handle alone? Nothing to worry about, as X-Out Resurfaced features a brand new two-player mode. Sharing the underwater terror is caring after all.
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Lenovo ThinkBook Flip To Launch This Summer With Unique Display Setup

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GGforever
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According to a recent tidbit shared by the reliable tipster Evan Blass, Lenovo is gearing up to introduce a ThinkBook laptop with a foldable OLED screen. We already know that the company is also preparing to launch a laptop with a rollable display, but the ThinkBook Flip is intended to provide customers with even more screen real estate - when unfolded, of course. That said, it might be somewhat cumbersome to visualize what a foldable display-equipped laptop might look like. Unsurprisingly, the provided images sure do make the task a lot easier.

Basically, the Lenovo ThinkBook Flip will boast an impressively tall screen that folds in half backwards, allowing the laptop to function as a tablet when it is in the clamshell mode. When unfolded, the extra-tall display provides an absolute metric ton of screen real estate - though, only if customers are willing to stack their windows vertically. I am quite certain there a plethora of workflows that can take advantage of the abundance of vertical space, even though ergonomics will remain a point of contention. The screen can also be unfolded partially to create a propped-up display - according to the images - allowing for a 'tent' mode of sorts which can come in handy during presentations or one-on-one meetings. We do not have any information regarding pricing, but it would be safe to say that the ThinkBook Flip will most likely arrive with a hefty price tag.

GIGABYTE X870 & B850 "STEALTH" Mainboard Models Spotted in ECC Filing, Featuring Backside I/O

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T0@st
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GIGABYTE introduced its STEALTH series motherboard design at last summer's Computex event; where TechPowerUp staffers inspected a B650E AORUS STEALTH ICE sample model. The Taiwanese manufacturer was readying new board SKUs with backside connectors (power and I/O); destined to take on similar products from rival companies. GIGABYTE's debut wave of STEALTH did not include any AMD X670 chipset-based options, but a recent ECC filing points to possible forthcoming X870-based models. A weekend sleuthing session—performed by harukaze5719—unearthed multiple registrations of X870 and B850 boards. Two unannounced STEALTH ICE models were highlighted in the regional registry.

The X870 and B850 AORUS STEALTH ICE models are expected to arrive within the coming months, reportedly sporting familiar white designs—as seen on GIGABYTE's current-gen option. Insiders believe that a high-end X870E-based offering will not emerge, due to STEALTH occupying a very niche market segment. According to a Chinese leaker, B850 models could arrive in ATX and microATX form factors. Further up in product hierarchies, they reckon that the X870 AORUS STEALTH series: "comes standard with PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 overclocking support. The flagship model comes with dual Thunderbolt 4 interfaces." GIGABYTE's back-connected X870 and B850 board designs could demand high asking prices; their current B650E AORUS STEALTH ICE is not readily available, but in some regions it is selling for $320+.

ASUS Republic of Gamers Announces 2025 ROG Flow Z13 Availability and Pricing

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TheLostSwede
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ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) announced that the 2025 ROG Flow Z13 is now available for pre-order. This versatile gaming 2-in-1 can feature up to AMD's newest AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 Processor with Radeon 8060S Graphics and a unified memory structure, allowing for incredible performance and power efficiency. A new stainless steel and copper vapor chamber, larger intake vents, and 2nd Gen Arc Flow Fans offer 70% more airflow for quiet and efficient cooling.

This 13-inch tablet boasts a stunning ROG Nebula Display, a 2.5K resolution 180 Hz touchscreen with 500 nits of peak brightness, and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The Flow Z13 now also features a larger 70Wh battery, a larger touchpad and keycaps, and a convenient Command Center button for quick access to vital system functions. With dual USB-C ports, both of which support USB4 and power delivery, as well as a dedicated HDMI 2.1 port, the Flow Z13 lets gamers leave their dongles at home.
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Global Semiconductor Manufacturing Industry Reports Solid Q4 2024 Results

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TheLostSwede
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The global semiconductor manufacturing industry closed 2024 with strong fourth quarter results and solid year-on-year (YoY) growth across most of the key industry segments, SEMI announced today in its Q4 2024 publication of the Semiconductor Manufacturing Monitor (SMM) Report, prepared in partnership with TechInsights. The industry outlook is cautiously optimistic at the start of 2025 as seasonality and macroeconomic uncertainty may impede near-term growth despite momentum from strong investments related to AI applications.

After declining in the first half of 2024, electronics sales bounced back later in the year resulting in a 2% annual increase. Electronics sales grew 4% YoY in Q4 2024 and are expected to see a 1% YoY increase in Q1 2025 impacted by seasonality. Integrated circuit (IC) sales rose by 29% YoY in Q4 2024 and continued growth is expected in Q1 2025 with a 23% increase YoY as AI-fueled demand continues boosting shipments of high-performance computing (HPC) and datacenter memory chips.
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Micron Unveils Its First PCIe Gen5 NVMe High-Performance Client SSD

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Nomad76
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Micron Technology, Inc., today announced the Micron 4600 PCIe Gen 5 NVMe SSD, an innovative client storage drive for OEMs that is designed to deliver exceptional performance and user experience for gamers, creators and professionals. Leveraging Micron G9 TLC NAND, the 4600 SSD is Micron's first Gen 5 client SSD and doubles the performance of its predecessor.

The Micron 4600 SSD showcases sequential read speeds of 14.5 GB/s and write speeds of 12.0 GB/s. These capabilities allow users to load a large language model (LLM) from the SSD to DRAM in less than one second, enhancing the user experience with AI PCs. For AI model loading times, the 4600 SSD reduces load times by up to 62% compared to Gen 4 performance SSDs ensuring rapid deployment of LLMs and other AI workloads. Additionally, the 4600 SSD provides up to 107% improved energy efficiency (MB/s per watt) compared to Gen 4 performance SSDs, enhancing battery life and overall system efficiency.
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AMD & Nexa AI Reveal NexaQuant's Improvement of DeepSeek R1 Distill 4-bit Capabilities

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T0@st
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Nexa AI, today, announced NexaQuants of two DeepSeek R1 Distills: The DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 1.5B and DeepSeek R1 Distill Llama 8B. Popular quantization methods like the llama.cpp based Q4 K M allow large language models to significantly reduce their memory footprint and typically offer low perplexity loss for dense models as a tradeoff. However, even low perplexity loss can result in a reasoning capability hit for (dense or MoE) models that use Chain of Thought traces. Nexa AI has stated that NexaQuants are able to recover this reasoning capability loss (compared to the full 16-bit precision) while keeping the 4-bit quantization and all the while retaining the performance advantage. Benchmarks provided by Nexa AI can be seen below.

We can see that the Q4 K M quantized DeepSeek R1 distills score slightly less (except for the AIME24 bench on Llama 3 8b distill, which scores significantly lower) in LLM benchmarks like GPQA and AIME24 compared to their full 16-bit counter parts. Moving to a Q6 or Q8 quantization would be one way to fix this problem - but would result in the model becoming slightly slower to run and requiring more memory. Nexa AI has stated that NexaQuants use a proprietary quantization method to recover the loss while keeping the quantization at 4-bits. This means users can theoretically get the best of both worlds: accuracy and speed.
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AMD Ryzen AI Max "Strix Halo" APU Reviews Reportedly Arriving Imminently

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T0@st
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Yesterday, the ASUS Chinese office announced a special event—on February 25—dedicated to launching a next-gen AMD APU-powered premium notebook model: "ROG Magic X (or Illusion X) is the first to be equipped with the Ryzen AI MAX+ three-in-one chip, which can efficiently coordinate multiple modes, provide combat power and computing power on demand, and can handle e-sports, creation and AI with one chip!" The manufacturer's Weibo post has generated plenty of buzz; industry insiders reckon that reviews could be published today (February 18)—HXL/9550pro informed VideoCardz with a not so cryptic message: "STX-Halo NDA: Feb 18th 2025."

Western press outlets point out that the ROG Magic X is a local variant of the familiar ROG Flow Z13 design; a 2025 refresh brings in AMD's much anticipated "Strix Halo" APU design. Team Red-authored marketing material and pre-release evaluation leaks have hinted about impressive integrated graphics solution performance; equalling or even exceeding that of previous-gen dGPUs. Well-known North American hardware review outlets have dropped hints (NDA permitting) about AMD's Ryzen Al Max+ 395 and Max 390 processors. Hardware Canucks could barely contain their excitement regarding the potent Zen 4 and RDNA 3.5 combo package; to the point of wish listing a potential direct successor: "Strix Halo is one of the most exciting things launched into the PC space in the last half decade. Full stop...AMD can't keep this as a one-off. If it's followed up with Zen 6 and RDNA 4 next year...watch out." Naturally, Team Red's cutting-edge mobile CPU technology is arriving in devices with high asking prices. The aforementioned ROG Flow Z13 2025 model—configured with top specs—is priced at $2699. Notebookcheck reckons that ASUS has tacked on an extra $500, since an announcement of initial pricing at CES 2025.

Morse Micro Announces World's First Wi-Fi 4 and HaLow Certified Router

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Nomad76
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Morse Micro, the world's leading provider of Wi-Fi HaLow chips, today announced the general availability of the world's first Wi-Fi 4 and Wi-Fi HaLow gateway - certified by Wi-Fi Alliance. Featuring FCC, IC, and RCM certification, this breakthrough device enables developers, system integrators, and manufacturers to harness the power of long-range, energy-efficient Wi-Fi HaLow combined with traditional Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) connectivity in a single, compact gateway.

"The certification of the HaLowLink 1 reinforces the growing importance of reliable, interoperable Wi-Fi HaLow products in the connectivity ecosystem," said Maureen Gallagher, VP of Marketing at Wi-Fi Alliance. "With its extended range and low-power capabilities, Wi-Fi HaLow is a powerful solution for IoT applications, and Morse Micro is committed to accelerating adoption by delivering high-quality products through the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED program."
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GameSir Introduces Super Nova Controller, Available for Pre-order

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T0@st
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GameSir is excited to introduce its latest multi-platform gaming controller, the Super Nova. The Super Nova redefines gaming comfort and precision with its noise-free, responsive controls. Featuring noise-free ABXY buttons and advanced GameSir Hall Effect sensing sticks, it ensures smooth, precise feedback while minimizing distractions. Whether you're playing on PC, Switch, Android, or iOS, the Super Nova's tri-mode connectivity and full customization options make it the perfect choice for gamers seeking a flexible, immersive experience. Available for pre-order on GameSir's official website.

The Super Nova offers versatile connectivity, working flawlessly with PC, Switch, Android, and iOS devices via Bluetooth, wired, and wireless dongle connections. It features GameSir Hall Effect sensing sticks, providing a durable lifespan of up to 5 million cycles, offering precise and responsive feedback. The anti-friction glide rings ensure super-smooth stick control, reducing stick grinding and extending usage time.
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Transcend Launches MTE255S PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD

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Nomad76
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Transcend Information, Inc., a leading global manufacturer of memory storage solutions, announced the release of the MTE255S, a PCIe M.2 solid-state drive. Featuring a PCIe Gen 4 x4 interface, it delivers impressive read speeds of up to 7,400 MB/s and write speeds of 6,500 MB/s. This SSD offers exceptional storage experiences for gamers, content creators, and business users. Whether it's high-performance gaming, advanced video editing, or rapid data processing, the MTE255S significantly boosts desktop and laptop performance to meet demanding application needs.

Experience Unmatched Speed and Capacity
The MTE255S combines a PCIe Gen 4 x4 interface with a multichannel controller to achieve blazing-fast data transfer speeds. Users experience smooth gaming performance, accelerated video editing and rendering, and seamless processing of large business datasets. With storage options up to 2 TB, the MTE255S offers generous space for extensive game libraries, media projects, and enterprise workloads.
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QNAP Releases M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD to 2.5-Inch U.2 SSD Adapter for NAS

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Nomad76
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QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading innovator in computing, networking, and storage solutions, today officially launched the QDA-UMP4A adapter. This adapter allows users to install an M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD into a 2.5-inch U.2 (SFF-8639) PCIe NVMe SSD slot of a QNAP NAS.

QNAP Product Manager Andy Chuang stated: "The QDA-UMP4A is ideal for users who need versatile drive options for various scenarios, from enterprise applications to multimedia workloads. Users can boost data-heavy applications with QNAP's U.2 SSD-based flagship all-flash NAS models."
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AMD Advances openSIL Initiative Despite Minor Delays, Support for "Phoenix" and "Turin" CPUs Coming Soon

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AleksandarK
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AMD's openSIL project, aimed towards open CPU silicon initialization code, continues progressing despite a slight delay in its development timeline. The initiative, which will eventually replace the current AGESA system across AMD's client and server processors, received a new update. The company initially targeted the end of 2024 to release proof-of-concept code for Phoenix client SoCs and Turin server hardware. However, as we move through the first quarter of 2025, AMD has acknowledged a slight deviation from this schedule. In a recent statement, AMD representatives assured the developer community that work continues steadily on both Phoenix and Turin proof-of-concept releases.

"We are hard at work preparing the Phoenix and Turin POC's for public release," stated an AMD representative, emphasizing that these releases will serve as sample code previewing future production-worthy implementations. The company clarified that these initial releases are not intended for production environments. The delay has minimal impact on AMD's plan, as the primary goal remains focused on achieving full production readiness with the upcoming Zen 6 architecture. The openSIL project promises to enhance Coreboot support and provide developers with full access to low-level system components. Though limited to select reference motherboards, the proof-of-concept releases will serve as the first milestones in AMD's journey toward more open hardware solutions.

LG Display Targets Gaming Market with OLED Monitor Panel featuring World's Best Picture Quality

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TheLostSwede
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LG Display, the world's leading innovator of display technologies, announced today that it has officially begun mass production of a 45-inch Gaming OLED monitor panel with ultra-high 5K2K resolution. By producing the world's highest-resolution Gaming OLED panel, the company is seeking to seize the growth potential of the high-end gaming display market.

This product not only features key gaming monitor specifications such as top-tier resolution, refresh rate, and response time, but it also delivers perfect black levels in any environment, providing the ultimate gaming experience.
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Tides of Annihilation Gets New Gameplay Video

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GFreeman
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Hot off their debut from Sony's State of Play, Eclipse Glow Games has released a new gameplay video for their highly-anticipated, action-adventure title Tides of Annihilation. The 11-minute gameplay walkthrough video showcases the combat system where spectral knights can be summoned to perform devastating combo attacks. Watch Gwendolyn traverse an environment constantly shifting from powerful magical forces where modern London and mythical Avalon collide. And learn more of Gwendolyn's story in Tides of Annihilation as she faces off against the alluring Mordred in an epic boss confrontation.

Tides of Annihilation is a single-player, narrative-driven title set in a twisted version of modern London cataclysmically altered by an otherworldly invasion. Taking on the role of Gwendolyn, humanity's lone survivor, players embark on a legendary quest through London's iconic environs to unravel a mystery that will determine the fate of reality itself. Battling alongside summonable spectral knights, players will encounter hordes of enemies, unforgettable bosses, and vertical levels in the form of gigantic knights roaming the landscape.
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EIZO Releases New 24.1-Inch ColorEdge CG2400S Color Management Monitor With HDR Support

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GFreeman
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EIZO Corporation (TSE: 6737) today introduced the 24.1-inch ColorEdge CG2400S color management monitor, the successor to the ColorEdge CG2420. It is the first 24.1-inch monitor in the CG series to feature HDR workflow support for professional creatives, as well as the first monitor in the ColorEdge lineup to have its housing made from recycled plastic for reducing environmental impact.

Designed to meet the diverse needs of professional creatives in fields such as photography, video editing, design, and print, the CG2400S features WUXGA (1920 x 1200) resolution on a 24.1-inch screen. With a typical contrast ratio of 1800:1, the highest in the ColorEdge CG series, the monitor produces true blacks to ensure shadows are rendered in high detail and lifelike accuracy. It is also equipped with a retardation film to overcome color distortion from optical shifts, allowing tones to retain their depth even when viewed from an angle.
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ASUSTOR Launches Enterprise-Grade SAS JBOD Xpanstor 12R and AS-SAS8e SAS HBA

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GFreeman
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ASUSTOR Inc. today is announcing the enterprise-grade Xpanstor 12R JBOD expansion unit and the SAS HBA AS-SAS8e. ASUSTOR NAS devices supporting the AS-SAS8e support the Xpanstor 12R JBOD expansion unit to provide convenient and robust file sharing, remote access, and backup functionality. When expansion of storage capacity is required, pair your NAS with the ASUSTOR Xpanstor 12R to allow additional hard drives to be connected to an ASUSTOR NAS through a SAS connection to create a robust enterprise storage environment for managing large volumes of data.

Effortless Configuration
Storage Manager in ADM enables easy management and configuration between an ASUSTOR NAS and an attached ASUSTOR expansion unit. Storage Manager also supports the creation of multiple volume types and snapshot features, further enhancing data security and reliability.
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PowerColor Expands ALPHYN Series with the ALPHYN AM10 Wireless Gaming Mouse

Press Release by
GFreeman
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PowerColor, a trusted name in high-performance gaming hardware, is proud to introduce the ALPHYN AM10 Wireless Gaming Mouse, the latest addition to the ALPHYN series. Designed for gamers and content creators seeking the perfect balance of comfort and high-end specifications, the ALPHYN AM10 delivers cutting-edge technology in an ergonomic, lightweight form. With a powerful 26,000 DPI sensor, an 8,000 Hz polling rate in wired mode, Omron optical switches, and hybrid wireless connectivity, the AM10 is built to provide an exceptional user experience without compromise.

Designed for Performance & Comfort
The ALPHYN AM10 is built to offer precision tracking and responsive control, making every task—from intense gaming sessions to detailed creative work—effortless and fluid. Equipped with a PAW3395 sensor, it provides a DPI range from 100 to 26,000, allowing users to fine-tune sensitivity to their exact needs. With an 8,000 Hz polling rate in wired mode and 1,000 Hz in wireless mode, every movement is accurately registered, ensuring smooth and natural cursor motion. The Omron optical switches (rated for 70 million clicks) provide instant actuation and long-lasting durability, making every click crisp and reliable while reducing fatigue during extended use.
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Sharkoon Announces AK4 RGB Strip & MK4 RGB Strip Cases

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btarunr
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Functional and stylish: The AK4W RGB Strip has plenty of space for modern hardware, room for up to eleven fans, and a tempered-glass side panel that provides a clear view of the installed hardware inside. The front panel has an integrated RGB strip along the base of the air-permeable mesh grille, providing a visual highlight in 16.7 million colors. On the top panel, the case is rounded off with up-to-date ports for a wide range of mobile and peripheral devices.

Apart from the front panel with its air-permeable mesh grille and RGB strip, the AK4W RGB Strip also has a side panel made of tempered glass to showcase the hardware build and the atmospheric illumination inside. Four 120 mm fans are already pre-installed in the AK4W RGB Strip - three behind the front panel and one 120 mm RGB PWM fan on the rear panel. Up to eleven fans will find room in the case.
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Gamdias Unveils Chione P5 Series LCD Display Liquid Cooler

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btarunr
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GAMDIAS Technology, a leading brand in high-performance PC gaming hardware, is excited to unveil the new CHIONE P5 Series LCD display liquid cooler, as part of GAMDIAS's 2025 vision, embodied by the annual slogan "GAMING REIMAGINED." Available in sleek black and white color options, it comes in two sizes: 240mm and 360 mm. This cutting-edge cooler delivers exceptional CPU cooling, featuring a 3.4" customizable IPS LCD display, a high-performance PWM pump with speeds up to 2600 RPM, and ARGB PWM NOTUS fans. "The CHIONE P5 embodies our values and beliefs: through the combination of high-end technologies and the aesthetic design, GAMDIAS enables gamers at all levels to perform at their best," said Stimson Wang, CEO of GAMDIAS, making it the ultimate cooling solution for gamers and enthusiasts.

The CHIONE P5 Series features a brilliant 3.4-inch IPS LCD display with a high resolution of 480x480, allowing you to monitor real-time system performance statistics while offering full personalization by setting custom images or animated GIFs as the background. Below the LCD display, an ARGB lighting strip adds a vibrant glow, enhancing your system's aesthetics with dynamic lighting effects.
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FinalWire Releases AIDA64 v7.60 with Support for Next-Gen GPUs

Press Release by
btarunr
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FinalWire Ltd. today announced the immediate availability of AIDA64 Extreme 7.60 software, a streamlined diagnostic and benchmarking tool for home users; the immediate availability of AIDA64 Engineer 7.60 software, a professional diagnostic and benchmarking solution for corporate IT technicians and engineers; the immediate availability of AIDA64 Business 7.60 software, an essential network management solution for small and medium scale enterprises; and the immediate availability of AIDA64 Network Audit 7.60 software, a dedicated network audit toolset to collect and manage corporate network inventories. The latest AIDA64 update introduces green and purple dark themes, support for Turing LCD screens, and supports the latest graphics and GPGPU computing technologies by AMD, Intel and NVIDIA.

DOWNLOAD: FinalWire AIDA64 Extreme v7.60
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Monday, February 17th 2025

Today's Reviews

Cases
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Memory
Monitors
Motherboards
Mouse
Other
PSUs
SSD
Storage
AVerMedia X'Tra Go GC515 Review

AVerMedia X'Tra Go GC515 Review

Review Other
The AVerMedia X'Tra Go GC515 is a unique dock with gameplay capture capabilities, designed to work with any device with USB-C DP Alt video output. This unique proposition makes it interesting for anyone who wants to capture gameplay videos directly from their PC handheld, smartphone, tablet, or Nintendo Switch.
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Gigabyte GeForce RTX 5090 Gaming OC Review

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 5090 Gaming OC Review

Review Graphics Cards
The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 5090 Gaming OC is a factory overclocked custom-design variant of NVIDIA's new flagship. It comes with a powerful cooling solution that achieves very low noise levels when the quiet BIOS is activated. Gigabyte's card also has its default power limit increased to 600 W for extra performance.
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GAMEMAX Announces a Bold New Era with Fresh Identity and Next-Generation Products

by
btarunr
GAMEMAX is embarking on an exciting new era with the launch of its refreshed brand identity and next-generation product lineup. Under the theme "Roar to the Future," this milestone event showcases GAMEMAX's commitment to innovation, sustainability, and cutting-edge design. Featuring a bold new look and advanced PC gaming solutions, the brand is set to redefine the gaming experience for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Roar to the Future Event - March 4th
GAMEMAX invites media representatives, content creators, and industry partners to attend the upcoming "Roar to the Future" event on March 4, 2025. This exclusive unveiling marks a significant milestone for the brand, showcasing its bold new identity and next-generation product lineup.
Attendees will have the opportunity to:
  • Experience an exclusive first look at GAMEMAX's cutting-edge gaming innovations.
  • Engage in an immersive virtual showcase exploring the brand's refreshed identity and vision.
  • Connect with industry leaders, fellow creators, and gaming enthusiasts, fostering meaningful discussions and collaborations.
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Sparkle Launches Arc B580 GUARDIAN 12 GB Graphics Card, Stock Available in UK

by
T0@st
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Sparkle, a notable Intel GPU board partner, introduced its dual-fan GUARDIAN custom design late last year. The Taiwan-based manufacturer's Arc B570 GUARDIAN 10 GB model launched mid-way through January—on day one, TechPowerUp's W1zzard awarded this particular card with "Highly Recommended" and "Great Value" badges. In a December leak, Sparkle's roadmap revealed Sparkle's plans for an upcoming Arc B580 GUARDIAN 12 GB SKU. A launch window was not denoted, but the new card would seemingly arrive after the early 2025 release of Sparkle's B580 TITAN Luna OC model. VideoCardz and its network of observers have detected a new listing on the official Sparkle website; signalling the B580 GUARDIAN's arrival.

Sparkle's Arc B580 GUARDIAN graphics card seems to be available for purchase in the United Kingdom, at the time of writing. CCL Computers and AWD IT have units in-stock at their respective warehouses, ready for immediate shipping. Both e-tailers have priced their offerings at £289.99 (including VAT), AWD has kindly knocked off £10 from their original demand of £299.99. Overclockers UK has a pre-order listing, coming in at a very reasonable £274.00 (incl. VAT). The Sparkle Arc B580 GUARDIAN 12 GB model conforms to Intel reference specifications, so global costs of ownership are likely sticking close to baseline MSRP.

EA Introduces Split Fiction's Co-op Protagonists: Mio and Zoe

Press Release by
T0@st
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If you've played a Hazelight Studios game before, you know that the characters they create for you and your co-op partner come with unique personalities, backgrounds, and motivations that produce unforgettable moments as their stories unfold. Hazelight Studios is keeping that trend up as they introduce two new player characters in Split Fiction, which is launching on March 6. Take control of two unpublished authors, Mio and Zoe, who you will quickly find are worlds apart! When you first meet Mio and Zoe, they have been lured into Rader Publishing Headquarters with the promise of a potential publishing deal which goes horribly wrong, trapping them inside a simulation of their stories which you have to help them escape. In this blog, we're diving deeper into their characters so that you can confidently pick your favorite when you get your hands on the game!

Mio Hudson—Science Fiction author
Reserved. Decisive. Realist. Introvert. Raised in the city with her father, Mio has barely scraped by for the last couple of years. She isn't looking for fame or recognition as an author, she's just in it for the money. Her love for all things sci-fi is reflected in her literary works, taking place in neon-lit cyberpunk cities, harsh futuristic weapon plants, and even in the coldness of outer space. Expect to see her love for sci-fi shine through in the abilities she gains inside the simulations, where she may become a gravity-defying ninja equipped with a lethally sharp energy sword, wear an advanced exosuit that grants remote control of drones, or dual-wield laser blasters in futuristic combat armor.
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EMTEK Releases Debut "Blackwell" Model - GeForce RTX 5080 MIRACLE WHITE D7 16 GB

by
T0@st
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As reported almost a year ago, EMTEK graphics cards do not make regular appearances via Western reportage. The South Korean manufacturer has prepared its debut NVIDIA "Blackwell" GeForce RTX 50-series desktop product; as spotted by VideoCardz. The brand new EMTEK GeForce RTX 5080 MIRACLE WHITE D7 16 GB model has appeared online via Danawa's online price comparison engine. The lowest price comes in at 2,656,000 KRW (~$1841 USD), so there is clear evidence of major price hiking activities going on in South Korea. One store is offering EMTEK's cutting-edge white custom model for a cool 4,000,000 KRW (~$2773 USD).

EMTEK's GeForce RTX 5080 MIRACLE WHITE D7 16 GB graphics card conforms to Team Green's reference specifications; making the higher than expected entry fee even more painful to bear. We hope that prices level-off to reasonable lines in the near future. This snow-white custom design seemingly carries a couple of premium features; namely translucent ARGB-lit fans in a triple-formation. This integrated "dynamic lighting" system can be controlled through Windows 11 (via a USB-C connection), rather than proprietary software. VideoCardz reports that the South Korean graphics producer is not known to release its own RGB control suite. A cutaway render shows a very robust cooling solution that houses eight 6 mm heat pipes. Unfortunately, the PCB's shape is not as radical as the one found in an Ada Lovelace-based sibling. Judging from the internal promo shots, EMTEK has missed another opportunity to bung in a white board design, and attach similarly pale parts. Many NVIDIA AIBs should spend more time copying GALAX, Yeston, and PowerColor's (AMD-powered) homework—the latter's Spectral White Editions usually nail the almost all-white aesthetic.

Intel Core Ultra 7 255H-Powered Khadas Mind 2s Launched With $1,599 Price Tag

by
GGforever
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Khadas is a relatively well-known name in realm of mini PCs, offering quite a unique approach. Unlike other mini PCs which rely on eGPUs and docks for expansion, the Khadas utilizes a base compute unit, aptly named the "Mind", which can dock with expansion units and eGPUs utilizing the 'Mind Link' interface, offering up to eight PCIe 5.0 lanes - or, in other words, a maximum bandwidth of 256 GT/s. That said, the Mind 2s was announced at CES, and is now available for purchase at a hefty price of $1,599. There exists only a single variant for now, and it is unclear as of this writing whether higher- and lower-tier variants will ever see the light of day.

That said, the Mind 2s is no slouch - the system packs the decently performant Core Ultra 7 255H Arrow Lake-H CPU paired with 64 GB of LPDDR5X memory. Clearly, the memory is not upgradeable, although the storage very much is, courtesy of the M.2 2230 slot. The ports on the Mind 2s 'brain' are far from plenty for a desktop system, featuring a single Thunderbolt 4, USB4, HDMI 2.1, and dual USB 3.2 ports. As mentioned previously, the system can be expanded using the Mind Link interface. For instance, the Khadas Mind Dock offers a plethora of additional I/O, and the Khadas Mind Graphics eGPU offers a massive boost to graphics performance. Another module, dubbed the Mind xPlay is also in the works, which will function as a portable external display for the Mind unit. The Mind 2s also features a 5.55 Wh built-in battery, allowing the system to go to sleep instead of completely dying on its user in the case of a power cut.

"FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time" Scheduled for Multi-platform Launch on May 21

Press Release by
T0@st
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FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time is set to release on Wed, May 21st (GMT) for Nintendo Switch, PS5/PS4, Xbox Series X|S and Steam! Check the new trailer (below) showcasing all the things you can do in this Slow-Life RPG, such as the new Treasure Groves. Step into this Slow-Life RPG where you can freely switch between 14 unique jobs, so-called "Lives," and enjoy a carefree life in a fantasy world. Fish, cook, shape the island to your liking, or team up with friends to battle monsters across the vast world.

Initially planned for an April launch, LEVEL5 Inc. has set a new release date to ensure a high-quality product for fans. Due to platform expansion and accompanying graphical improvements, we have reviewed and adjusted the initial sales price to reflect a new price point. We appreciate your continued support and understanding.
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ZOTAC Registers GeForce RTX 5060 Ti, 5060, & 5050 GPUs - Spotted in ECC Filing

by
T0@st
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Last Wednesday (February 12), an intriguing filing appeared online—the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) has received multiple registrations of NVIDIA GPUs; courtesy of OEM Global Technologies Ltd. The parent company of ZOTAC Technology Limited has registered a wide span of Team Green SKUs, going back many generations to 2014's GeForce GT 710 "Kepler 2.0" design. When ignoring everything south of the latest "Blackwell" GPU lineup, harukaze5719 noticed three lower-end additions. The rumor mill has NVIDIA launching its more budget-friendly GeForce RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5060 (non-Ti) models at some point next month.

Board partner supply chain insiders believe that Team Green is clearing the current-gen flock; thus making way for lower-end "Blackwell" GPUs, but the newly-discovered registration of a GeForce RTX 5050 SKU has raised watchdog eyebrows. A rumored entry-level RTX 5050 Mobile variant turned up last December, but we have not heard much about a discrete desktop equivalent in 2025. NVIDIA had plans for a GeForce RTX 4050 model, but desktop "Ada Lovelace" AD107 GPU-based products did not emerge into existence. The latest ECC filing suggests that a next-gen successor could be on the way. Industry soothsayers predict a sub-$300 price point for alleged GeForce RTX 5050 8 GB graphics cards—potentially lined up for battle with Intel's current-gen B580 and B570 offerings.

Nightdive's "System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster" Coming soon

Press Release by
T0@st
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Hello, Hackers! We have some exciting news to share with you…the release of System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is fast approaching! In March during GDC 2025, we will announce the game's release date during The MIX's Spring Game Showcase livestream.

As a reminder, Kickstarter backers at the Humanoid Mutant tier and above will receive a free key for System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster when the game releases. Important note: similar to how you received your digital copy of System Shock Remake, your key will be sent to the email that you have listed on Backerkit. If you have any questions or issues receiving backer rewards including System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster, please reach out to our support team (via e-mail). Thank you!

NVIDIA Preparing "SOCAMM" Memory Standard for AI PCs Similar to Project DIGITS

by
AleksandarK
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NVIDIA and its memory partners, SK Hynix, Samsung, and Micron, are preparing a new memory form factor called System on Chip Advanced Memory Module—SOCAMM shortly. This technology, adapting to the now well-known CAMM memory module standard, aims to bring additional memory density to NVIDIA systems. Taking inspiration from NVIDIA's Project DIGITS, it has now been developed independently by NVIDIA outside of any official memory consortium like JEDEC. Utilizing a detachable module design, SOCAMM delivers superior specifications compared to existing solutions, featuring 694 I/O ports (versus LPCAMM's 644 and traditional DRAM's 260), direct LPDDR5X memory substrate integration, and a more compact form factor.

For reference, current-generation Project DIGITS is using NVIDIA GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip capable of delivering one PetaFLOP of FP4 compute, paired with 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory. This configuration limits the size of AI models that run locally on the device, resulting in up to 200 billion parameter models running on a single Project DIGITS AI PC. Two stacked Project DIGITS PCs are needed for models like Llama 3.1 405B with 405 billion parameters. Most interestingly, memory capacity is the primary limiting factor; hence, NVIDIA devotes its time to developing a more memory-dense SOCAMM standard. Being a replacement compatible with LPDDR5, it can use the same controller silicon IP with only the SoC substrate being modified to fit the new memory. With NVIDIA rumored to enter the consumer PC market this year, we could also see an early implementation in consumer PC products, but the next-generation Project DIGITS is the primary target.

Micro Center Lists PowerColor Radeon RX 9070 XT Red Devil L.E. with "PCIe 5.0" Interface

by
T0@st
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Upcoming AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 (non-XT) graphics card specification sheets remain under wraps; we will very likely be presented with the full kibosh on February 28. Throughout early 2025, Team Red and its board partners have divulged very little. Instead, PC hardware news outlets have depended on a steady flow of leaked information. The opening round of Team Red RDNA 4 models have been comprehensively linked to PCIe 4.0 connection standards, but recent anomalies have appeared online. Contradictory spec info arrived late last week, courtesy of a leaker having pre-release access to an allegedly very high-end custom design. The validity of an uploaded GPU-Z session screenshot was questioned by the PC gaming hardware community; the detected candidate card seemed to be connected via a PCI-Express 5.0 x16 bus interface. VideoCardz has stumbled upon additional evidence—their weekend reporting activities pointed to a compelling new product listing on the Micro Center website.

The North American e-tailer's webstore features a "PowerColor AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT Red Devil Limited Edition Overclocked Triple Fan 16 GB GDDR6 PCIe 5.0 Graphics Card." Micro Center's threadbare product page is devoid of promotional images/renders, in-depth technical details or specifications. The "no longer available" special edition package has an SKU assignment code of 796672, and a manufacturer part number read-out of LERX9070XT16GEO. VideoCardz reached out to their "inside source" at PowerColor for research purposes. The company mole confirmed that the PCIe 5.0 spec point is genuine. The leaked photo of "Red Devil packaging" did not reveal any PCIe interface-related info. The publication reckons that the PowerColor Radeon RX 9070 XT Red Devil model's interface "matches the appearance of the PCIe 5.0 standard," as seen on the new generation of NVIDIA RTX 50-series graphics cards. Looking back into recent history, Intel dropped initial plans for PCIe 5.0 connectivity with Arc "Battlemage" graphics cards. The B580 and B570 models have arrived at retail with bog-standard PCIe 4.0 x8 bus interfaces.

M4 MacBook Air Likely to Land in March, M5 MacBook Pro To Launch Before iPad Pro

by
GGforever
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According to reliable tipster Mark Gurman, the M4-equipped MacBook Air is now expected to launch sometime next month. Earlier leaks had hinted at a spec bump for the iPad Pro with the M5 chipset sometime in the middle of this year, although the grapevine now states that the M5 iPad Pro will only arrive sometime in 2026, with the M5 SoC first seeing the light of day in a refreshed MacBook Pro in the third quarter of this year. Unfortunately, no major design changes are expected for either of the upcoming devices - which makes sense, since the iPad Pro received a major update less than a year ago, and the MacBook Pro is expected to boast a major overhaul next year.

Interestingly, however, the M4-powered Mac Studio and Mac Pro are still on track for launch in the middle of this year, likely during WWDC. Of course, the M4 'Ultra' - and perhaps an even higher-end M4 SoC - will offer significantly higher core counts than M5-powered MacBook Pros, but it would certainly be quite off-putting to see Apple's highest-end Macs lag a full generation behind MacBook Pros less than half a year after launch. Although the M5 SoCs will continue leveraging TSMC's 3 nm process, the high-end Pro and Max SKUs are expected to integrate TSMC's SoIC technology, enabling 3D chip-stacking, with discrete GPU and CPU units for improved efficiency and cost-savings.
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ASUS TUF Gaming Discusses B850-Plus WiFi Mainboard Durability & AM5 Platform Longevity

Press Release by
T0@st
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One feature that gamers have loved about AMD Ryzen processors is the company's commitment to socket longevity. If you have a PC with an AMD Ryzen 7000 Series CPU and an AM5 motherboard, for example, you're able to upgrade to an AMD Ryzen 9000 Series CPU without stripping your PC down to the studs and replacing the motherboard. But perhaps you're starting from scratch with your first AM5 PC. In that case, you have several years' worth of AM5 motherboard options to consider, including the TUF Gaming B850-Plus WiFi from our B850 motherboard family.

For years, one of the most popular AM5 motherboards has been the TUF Gaming B650-Plus WiFi. This rock-solid, battle-proven board delivers on all fronts with its durable design, comprehensive cooling, and ruggedized aesthetic. Yet if you're building a new PC in 2025, we think you'll be happier in the long run with this board's successor, the TUF Gaming B850-Plus WiFi. Armed with key updates like a bolstered power solution, PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, Wi-Fi 7, and more and faster USB ports, this motherboard offers incredible value for your gaming rig.
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Arc "Celestial" Graphics Card Series Linked to "Xe3P" Architecture & Intel Foundry Process

by
T0@st
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Last December, Intel revealed that its next-generation "Celestial" GPU architecture was "complete." At the time, Team Blue's Tom "TAP" Petersen revealed: "our IP that's kind of called Xe3, which is the one after Xe2, that's pretty much baked... And so the software teams have a lot of work to do on Xe3. The hardware teams are off on the next thing (aka Xe4/Druid), right." Noted Intel inside info leaker—Raichu—believes that "Celestial" will be: "different from Panther Lake, Celestial dGPU looks like will maybe be based on Xe3P instead of Xe3. I estimate it will (be) based on INTC's process instead of outside." Their Friday evening (February 14) social media declaration suggests that Team Blue is bringing things in-house for the manufacturing of discrete "Celestial" graphics cards; utilizing an Intel Foundry node process, rather than rely on TSMC once more. The latter's foundry produced the Arc "Alchemist" and "Battlemage" dGPU generations.

Intel's rumored "Xe3P" architecture is not a fully known quantity, but reports from last November pointed to the existence of multiple "Xe3" variants; courtesy of information gleaned from an employee's LinkedIn profile. Over the past two weeks, we have witnessed plenty of leaks alluding to future Intel CPU families, but the flow of Arc graphic solutions-related leaks seemingly slowed down around the launch of Intel's budget-friendly "Battlemage" B570 card. Recent-ish insider disclosures have uncovered a possible expansion of the current-gen Arc series, with more SKUs rumored to be on the way. A certain group of industry watchdogs reckon that the unannounced "BGM-G31" GPU will be the basis for higher-end "Battlemage" B-series models, but others believe that options above B580 and B570 are canceled—potentially paving the way for "Xe3P-based" C-series designs later this year, or in 2026.

"Lost in Random: The Eternal Die" Demo Available Now

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T0@st
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The dice have been cast! The official demo for Lost in Random: The Eternal Die is available now on Steam, and Xbox for all you multi-platform folks! Enter the Eternal Die: step back into the whimsical, dark fantasy world of Random—this time with a rogue-lite twist. In this free demo, you'll experience the first of four enchanting yet perilous worlds as Queen Aleksandra and her loyal die-companion, Fortune. Armed with your trusty sword, exciting ability cards, a new relic system, and, of course, Fortune, you'll take on formidable foes and maybe even defeat the first world boss—if luck is on your side.

But don't worry if you die. Each time you return to the Sanctuary, you'll have a chance to upgrade your skills and weapons, catch your breath, and prepare for your next run. Be sure to chat with the quirky inhabitants of the Black Die, whether it's seeking wisdom from Chance, honing your skills with Aama, or browsing Rack's weapon stash (just be ready for his terrible jokes).
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Sapphire Launches NITRO+ B850M WiFi Motherboard Model in China

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T0@st
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Sapphire Technology has introduced a new NITRO+ motherboard model in China—weekend reports pointed to a listing on JD.com, where the latest addition resides alongside various previous-gen B650 options. This appears to be another region specific release—priced at 1299 RMB (~$179 USD). The NITRO+ B850M Wi-Fi model seems to share its overall aesthetic design with the preceding B650M-equipped equivalent. As surmised by VideoCardz, the Sapphire NITRO+ board's VRM patterning reminded them of the leaked premium-tier Radeon NITRO+ RX 9070 graphics card series.

The generational jump from AMD B650 to B850 chipset—as expected—yields only minor benefits (see below). The older NITRO+ B650M Wi-Fi model is a significantly cheaper prospect; coming in at 899 RMB ($124 USD). VideoCardz's weekend detective work settled on a nice improvement: "based on our research, the memory overclocking support has increased from 7600 MT/s+ to 8000 MT/s. Keep in mind that these figures may be higher for both motherboards; this is just what Sapphire guarantees when paired with a supported memory kit." Industry watchdogs believe that ASRock is likely involved in the contract manufacturing of Sapphire's motherboard offerings—the former has been long-involved in pumping out NZXT-badged products.

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Ubisoft Teases Rainbow Six Siege X, Showcase Scheduled: March 13

Press Release by
T0@st
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A new era of Rainbow Six Siege will be revealed on March 13 at the Siege X Showcase. A teaser shown during the championship weekend of the Six Invitational offered glimpses of the biggest transformation in the game's history, including graphical and audio upgrades, deepened tactical gameplay, and new ways to play the game. Tune in live for the showcase on March 13 at 10AM PT / 6PM CET on the Rainbow Six Siege Twitch channel, and learn more about how you can attend the event in-person in Atlanta, GA.

Year 10 of Rainbow Six Siege will also kick off soon with the launch of the first season: Operation Prep Phase. A new Operator named Rauora will join the Attackers and use her D.O.M. Launcher to deploy bulletproof panels in doorways, helping her team reshape the battlefield and dictate the flow of combat. Rauora will be available at the start of the season with the Operation Prep Phase Battle Pass, and unlockable two weeks later with Renown or R6 Credits.
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Geekom XT1 Mega Mini PC Announced With Intel Core Ultra 100H CPUs

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GGforever
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Geekom has revealed yet another member of its 'XT' family of mini PCs. However, unlike most other mini PCs that have recently hit the scene, the Geekom XT1 Mega utilizes Intel Core Ultra 100H CPUs instead of the newer Arrow Lake-H units. The system can be equipped with either the Core Ultra 5 125H, or the Core Ultra 9 185H. Compared to the Core Ultra 9 285H, the 185H is roughly around 15% slower in multicore benchmarks, which is not exactly an earth-shattering difference. The integrated 8-core Arc iGPU (Xe LPG) found in the high-end SKUs boast enough compute power to challenge the RTX 2050 Mobile GPU in certain scenarios, although it is by no means powerful enough to compete with newer systems that feature discrete graphics.

The XT1 Mega mini PC can be configured with up to 64 GB of memory, courtesy of its dual SODIMM slots. A single M.2 2280 and a single M.2 2242 slot take care of storage requirements, although a 2.5-inch slot is not present. In terms of I/O, the XT1 boasts a total of five USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, dual HDMI 2.0, dual 2.5 G ethernet, dual USB4, a single audio jack, and a single UBS 2.0 Type-A port. There is no room inside for discrete graphics, which would have made an OCuLink port a welcome addition. Due to its absence, however, customers will have to settle for slower USB4-based eGPUs. Wireless connectivity, on the other hand, is taken care of by Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. The Core Ultra 5 125H variant with 32 GB of memory and a 1 TB SSD costs $769, and the higher-end Core Ultra 9 185H variant costs $989.

Supplier Production Cuts and AI Demand Expected to Drive NAND Flash Price Recovery in 2H25

Press Release by
TheLostSwede
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TrendForce's latest findings reveal that the NAND Flash market continues to be plagued by oversupply in the first quarter of 2025, leading to sustained price declines and financial strain for suppliers. However, TrendForce anticipates a significant improvement in the market's supply-demand balance in the second half of the year.

Key factors contributing to this shift include proactive production cuts by manufacturers, inventory reductions in the smartphone sector, and growing demand driven by AI and DeepSeek applications. These elements are expected to alleviate oversupply and support a price rebound for NAND Flash.
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ASUS China Teases ROG Magic X Laptop with Detachable Keyboard Powered by AMD Ryzen AI MAX+

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AleksandarK
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ASUS's Republic of Gamers China account on Weibo has teased the ROG Magic X mobile device that combines laptop/tablet form with a detachable keyboard. Inside, the device is powered by AMD Ryzen AI MAX+ SoC, which ASUS called a "three-in-one" chip, mainly due to its CPU, NPU, and iGPU combination. One possible SKU for ROG Magic X is AMD's top-end Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 processor. Carrying 16 "Zen 5" cores and 32 threads, the chip is designed for AI-enhanced laptops with 126 combined TOPS of AI processing power. The Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 features 64 MB of L3 cache and operates at a base clock of 3 GHz, with boost capabilities up to 5.1 GHz, depending on workload conditions. Manufactured on TSMC's 4 nm process node, the processor maintains a modest 55 W TDP, suitable for high-performance mobile systems. The chip includes support for ECC memory and PCIe Gen 5. It integrates the Radeon 8060S solution based on RDNA 3.5 architecture for graphics.

We are yet to see more details about the ROG Magic X, but with the arrival of AMD Ryzen AI MAX+, we assume this machine will result in a powerful gaming device for users on the go. More details are expected on February 25, when ASUS plans to showcase it. Pricing and availability are also expected to follow soon after.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Allegedly Scores 16.6% Improvement Over RTX 4070 Ti SUPER in Synthetic Benchmarks

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AleksandarK
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Thanks to some early 3D Mark benchmarks obtained by VideoCardz, NVIDIA's upcoming GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU paints an interesting picture of performance gains over the predecessor. Testing conducted with AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor and 48 GB of DDR5-6000 memory has provided the first glimpse into the card's capabilities. The new GPU demonstrates a 16.6% performance improvement over its predecessor, the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER. However, benchmark data shows it is falling short of the more expensive RTX 5080 by 13.2%, raising questions about the price-to-performance ratio given the $250 price difference between the two cards. Priced at $749 MSRP, the RTX 5070 Ti could be even pricier in retail channels at launch, especially with limited availability. The card's positioning becomes particularly interesting compared to the RTX 5080's $999 price point, which commands a 33% premium for its additional performance capabilities.

As a reminder, the RTX 5070 Ti boasts 8,960 CUDA cores, 280 texture units, 70 RT cores for ray tracing, and 280 tensor cores for AI computations, all supported by 16 GB of GDDR7 memory running at 28 Gbps effective speed across a 256-bit bus interface, resulting in an 896 GB/s bandwidth. We have to wait for proper reviews for the final performance conclusion, as synthetic benchmarks tell only part of the story. Modern gaming demands consideration of advanced features such as ray tracing and upscaling technologies, which can significantly impact real-world performance. The true test will come from comprehensive gaming benchmarks tested over various cases. The gaming community won't have to wait long for detailed analysis, as official reviews will be reportedly released in just a few days. Additional evaluations of non-MSRP versions should follow on February 20, the card's launch date.

Intel Faces Potential Breakup as TSMC and Broadcom Explore Acquisition

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AleksandarK
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According to sources close to the Wall Street Journal, Intel is weighing preliminary acquisition offers that could split the company into two parts: product and foundry. TSMC and Broadcom are independently exploring deals that would divide Intel's chip design and manufacturing operations. Broadcom has initiated informal discussions regarding Intel's chip design and marketing divisions, while TSMC is considering assembling an investor consortium to acquire Intel's facilities. This solution is improbable, as Intel's fabs are strategically one of the most critical aspects of the US semiconductor supply chain. Intel manufactures custom chips for the US Department of Defense; hence, having a foreign owner of fabs is not acceptable. The news about the acquisition comes as Intel grapples with manufacturing setbacks, including a total $13.4 billion loss in its foundry segment during 2024 and a significant erosion of market share in the AI processor market.

The acquisition talks face substantial regulatory hurdles, particularly regarding national security concerns. The US government has signaled resistance to foreign ownership of Intel's domestic manufacturing capabilities, which are deemed strategically vital to American technological sovereignty. This could particularly impact TSMC's bid for Intel's plants despite the Taiwanese company's position as the world's leading contract chipmaker. Intel's vulnerability to acquisition follows a series of strategic missteps under former leadership, including delayed manufacturing innovations and an increasing reliance on government subsidies for facility expansion. The company's share price has declined 60% from its 2021 highs amid these challenges, attracting potential buyers despite the complexity of any potential deal structure. Successful execution would require navigating both regulatory approval and the practical difficulties of disaggregating Intel's deeply integrated design and manufacturing operations.
Sunday, February 16th 2025

This Week in Gaming (Week 8)

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TheLostSwede
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Welcome to another week of new game releases and this week's AAA title takes place in the same world as Pillars of Eternity, for those that were a fan of that game from a decade ago. If RPG games aren't your cup of tea, how about a face full of Norwegian snow, or maybe the summer of 1995? How about some equestrian challenges, some pirate ninjas or maybe something a bit more dystopian? If so, we got the games for you this week.

Avowed / This week's AAA title / Tuesday 18 February
Avowed is a first-person fantasy RPG set in the world of Eora, where your choices carve a path through war, intrigue, and ancient mysteries. Navigate a land in turmoil, forge powerful alliances or deadly rivalries, and wield magic and steel to shape the fate of the Living Lands—and your own destiny. Steam link
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Saturday, February 15th 2025

AMD Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT Listed On Amazon - One Buyer Snags a Unit

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GGforever
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We live in crazy times, that's for sure. We have already witnessed a plethora of listings for AMD's RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT GPUs - both set to hit shelves early next month - indicating a decent value proposition compared to NVIDIA's RTX 5070 family, if the leaks and rumors are anything to go by. More recently, as spotted by @momomo_us, Amazon briefly listed a bunch of RX 9070 and 9070 XT cards from XFX. The pricing details are as follows:
  • XFX Swift AMD Radeon RX 9070 OC - $649.99
  • XFX Swift AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT - $749.99
  • XFX Quicksilver AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT - $769.99
  • XFX Mercury AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT OC - $819.99
  • XFX Mercury AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT OC Magnetic Air Edition - $849.99
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ASUS NUC 13 Pro Lineup Updated With Intel Raptor Lake-H CPUs

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GGforever
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The ASUS NUC 13 Pro lineup of mini PCs has been around for a while, and has now been updated with new Raptor Lake-H CPU options. There do not appear to be any other improvements or changes to the systems, with the product continuing to be available in "tall" and "slim" variants. As one might expect, the tall variant has room for a 2.5-inch drive, while the slim variant relies solely on M.2 storage. Both the systems can be equipped with up to 64 GB of DDR4-3200 memory courtesy of dual SO-DIMM slots, and storage requirements are taken care of by an M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0x4, as well as an M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0x1 slot.

In terms of CPU options, the NUC 13 Pro mini PC lineup will now be available with the Core i5-13420H, and the Core i7-13620H. Both are 45-watt units, although the i7 variant sports two additional 'Golden Cove' performance cores allowing for a ~35% increase in multicore performance. The i7 also sports a substantially faster iGPU with 64 EUs (vs 48), although the Intel UHD iGPUs found in the Raptor Lake-H chips were never that powerful to begin with. The port selection has remained the same, boasting dual Thunderbolt 4, dual HDMI 2.1, triple USB 3.2 Gen 2, single USB 2.0, audio jack, and a 2.5G Ethernet port. Prices start at $455 for the NUC 13 Pro slim barebones variant with the Core i7-13620H according to B&H Photo Video's listing, and increase based on the chosen configuration.

Finally, Some Good News: GeForce RTX 5090 Supply to Increase in Coming Months

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GGforever
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It would be safe to state that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 launch was anything but ideal. Gamers had to deal with whacky NVIDIA marketing material with absurd performance claims, followed by disappointing generational improvement for the RTX 5080, only to be left dealing with abysmal supply leading to obscene shortages and scalper-induced price inflation. However, it does seem like things are about to take a positive turn - NVIDIA is rumored to have ramped up production for its GB202 GPU, which the RTX 5090 is based on, according to a reliable source.

Spotted by VideoCardz, MEGAsizeGPU has claimed that the supply for the GeForce RTX 5090 GPU will soon be "stupidly high", which is absolute music to our ears. In a reply thread, the source further claimed that at least one AIB partner already has "tons of cards", which sure does paint a promising picture for the future. As such, the source expects that the supply will reach customers in about a month, which is to be expected since production has been cranked only recently. Apparently, demand for the GB200 GPU has been lower than usual, forcing NVIDIA to switch to producing GeForce GPUs instead. Of course, the margins for the gaming GPUs are lower, but the production capacity has to go somewhere.
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Despite Frank Azor's Dismissal, Whispers of a 32 GB Radeon RX 9070 XTX Resurface

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GGforever
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Recent rumors hinted at a 32 GB variant of the Radeon RX 9070 XT being in the works, which were quickly dismissed as false information by AMD's Frank Azor. However, reliable sources seem to point to the contrary, stating that a 32 GB variant of the RX 9070 XT, likely dubbed the RX 9070 XTX, is under active development indeed. The source, as pointed out by Wccftech, has a decent track record with AMD-related claims, which sure does add weight to the assertion. Unlike previous XTX-class cards from AMD, which boasted higher clock speeds and core counts, the 9070 XTX is almost certain to feature the same core count as the XT, since the latter already utilizes the full Navi 48 chip - unless, of course, there is an even higher-end chip under wraps.

The VRAM amount seems to indicate that the card will likely be positioned to appease AI enthusiasts. There is also the possibility that the rumored card will be launched under a different branding entirely, although that is not what the post at Chiphell states. Interestingly, Frank Azor did specifically mention that a 32 GB "RX 9070 XT" card is not on the horizon - he did not state that a higher-end XTX card isn't either, which sure does leave room for us to speculate. Benchlife has also chimed in on the matter, claiming that they are aware of AIB partners working on a 32 GB RDNA 4 card with the Navi 48 GPU, which in some ways, confirms the information that came out of Chiphell. The RDNA 4 cards are set to see the light of day soon enough, it seems the wait won't be much longer. However, if the 32 GB card is indeed in the pipeline, it's likely still further down the road.
Friday, February 14th 2025

AMD Zen 6 Powers "Medusa Point" Mobile and "Olympic Ridge" Desktop Processors

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btarunr
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AMD is readying two important client segment processors powered by the next-generation "Zen 6" microarchitecture, according to a sensational new report by Moore's Law is Dead. These are the "Medusa Point" mobile processor, and the "Olympic Ridge" desktop. The former is a BGA roughly the size and Z-Height of the current "Strix Point," but the latter is being designed for the existing Socket AM5, making it the third (and probably final) microarchitecture to do so. If you recall, Socket AM4 served three generations of Zen, not counting the refreshed "Zen+." At the heart of the effort is a new CPU complex die (CCD) that AMD plans to use across its client and server lineup.

The "Zen 6" performance CCD is being designed for a 3 nm-class node, likely the TSMC N3E. This node promises a significant increase in transistor density, power, and clock speed improvements over the current TSMC N4P node being used to build the "Zen 5" CCD. Here's where it gets interesting. The CCD contains twelve full-sized "Zen 6" cores, marking the first increase in core-counts of AMD's performance cores since its very first "Zen" CCD. All 12 of these cores are part of a single CPU core complex (CCX), and share a common L3 cache. There could be a proportionate increase in cache size to 48 MB. AMD is also expected to improve the way the CCDs communicate with the I/O die and among each other.
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Apple Likely to Team Up with Alibaba to Bring Apple Intelligence to China

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GGforever
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According to a recent report, Apple has apparently finalized on a partner to bring Apple Intelligence features to its second-largest market, China. Of course, China has strict regulations in place, which have clearly turned out to be rather difficult to navigate for Apple. Previous leaks have revealed that a Deepseek partnership was on the cards for the Cupertino giant, although that did not lead to fruition, with Apple settling for Alibaba as its primary partner. As MacRumors notes, Alibaba will function as a censorship layer of sorts, thereby complying with government-directed filtering and information control. Basically, if the Chinese government deems a certain kind of information inappropriate in any way, it can simply direct Alibaba to have it removed and not served again.

Baidu, Safari's default search engine in China, will function as a secondary partner, aiding Apple Intelligence's 'Visual Intelligence' features. If things go to plan, the AI features should roll out in China sometime towards the middle of this year. Apple Intelligence has faced quite a contentious launch, having struggled with multiple delays and widespread criticism regarding not only the real-world efficacy and usefulness of its features, but also the multiple times that its AI-generated notifications have wildly misrepresented real-life events. The report further states that iPhones sold outside of China will not have access to the China-specific AI system, which is to be expected. It is yet to be seen how the Apple Intelligence launch plays out in China, although we should be able to find out soon enough.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2's "Major Patch 1.2" Brings 1700+ Improvements & Fixes

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T0@st
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Stalkers! Major Patch 1.2 is here! We are ready to present you Patch 1.2. A massive one, with over 1700 improvements and fixes to all aspects of the game: balance, locations, quests, blockers, crashes, performance, more A-Life 2.0 fixes, you name it. This work wouldn't have been possible without your feedback and comments on your personal experience with the Zone, thanks for sharing it here on Steam, Reddit, Discord, and other socials.

Thanks for staying with the Zone! As always, we will continue to listen to your feedback and comments, and share game updates as soon as possible. If you spot an "anomaly" that is not supposed to be in the game, please report it to our colleagues in Tech Support Hub. That will help us investigate potential issues faster.
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Intel Reveals Big Plans for Panther Lake & Arrow Lake-H-powered Handheld Gaming PCs

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T0@st
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In an exclusive report, Laptop Mag has extracted intriguing disclosures from Intel's Robert Hallock. The company's VP and General Manager of Client AI and Technical Marketing was happy to announce that new-generation processors are lined up for inclusion within next waves of handheld gaming PCs. Industry rumors posited that things would end with Team Blue's Core Ultra "Lunar Lake" generation of APUs; as featured on the recently deployed MSI Claw 8 AI+ and Claw 7 AI+ models. First-generation devices with "Meteor Lake" chips did not disrupt the market, and struggled to keep up with AMD Ryzen Z1 chipset-based rivals. Despite negative conjecture suggesting a withdrawal, Hallock revealed that a certain department is growing in size: "Intel is beefing up its staff to support gaming ISVs who want to do handhelds."

Team Blue's fortified support network is touted to expand the market reach of portable gaming PCs; the Intel executive elaborated on this topic: "we're starting a number of internal programs to give them more assistance in targeting this performance profile because—relative to what they're accustomed to—(handhelds) are still relatively rare in terms of availability." Hallock and colleagues are diving in with a new strategy; game development studios are on the receiving end of pre-release hardware: "a lot of game devs tend to just target what they have on their desks or in their QA labs...so (we're) arming them with more handhelds as prototype devices. Getting them dev kits leading into Panther Lake."

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Steam Removes Free Game From Store Over Malware Concerns

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GGforever
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Steam recently delisted a free game from its store, named PirateFi, suspecting that it may have contained malware. As such, the platform has requested customers who installed the game to do a full system scan utilizing a trusted antivirus software, even going so far as to recommend a full system wipe. Valve claims it is likely that malicious files were opened on systems where the game was installed and launched, necessitating such drastic measures. As noted by TechCrunch, the game had a total of 51 reviews on Steam, with an average rating of 9/10. SteamDB reveals that the game was installed by anywhere from 800 to 1500 people, which is to be expected considering that the game was launched on the 6th of February and was live for almost a week before Valve took action.

With the above facts in mind, if any of our esteemed readers had the misfortune of installing the aforementioned game, we would highly recommend performing a full system wipe.

N97 Elite Gaming Handheld From Sugar Cubes is a Retro-Fueled Blast From the Past

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GGforever
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Retro tech lovers who have a knack for gaming handhelds will likely be rather pleased with Sugar Cubes' latest creation - the N97 Elite gaming handheld. As the name suggests, the handheld draws inspiration from the Nokia N97 of '09, and all of its sliding glory. The company has already started shipping out the device to customers, although it is China-only for the foreseeable future. Despite that, there is no denying that the N97 Elite handheld is an incredibly exciting looking gadget for those who miss the good old days of smartphones - that is, before the glass-slab trend took off.

At its core, the N97 Elite handheld packs a decent amount of computing horsepower. Powered by the Snapdragon 855 Plus - an SoC once found in Android flagships - paired with 12 GB of memory, the N97 Elite should be able to breeze through most emulation workloads. The compact handheld comes equipped with a 4.7-inch touch-enabled display, which slides out to reveal the controls. Speaking of which, the controls look pretty disappointing at first sight, although that would be hard to judge without trying the thing in real life. However, given the compact nature, the experience is unlikely to be a comfortable one, and the lack of an analog stick is understandable, but disappointing regardless. The system does have a built-in fan, which should help with sustained workloads.

DeepSeek Reportedly Pursuing Development of Proprietary AI Chip

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T0@st
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The notion of designing tailor-made AI-crunching chips is nothing new; several major organizations—with access to big coffers—are engaged in the formulation of proprietary hardware. A new DigiTimes Asia report suggests that DeepSeek is the latest company to jump on the in-house design bandwagon. The publication's insider network believes that the open-source large language model development house has: "initiated a major recruitment drive for semiconductor design talent, signaling potential plans to develop its proprietary processors." The recent news cycle has highlighted DeepSeek's deep reliance on an NVIDIA ecosystem, despite alternative options emerging from local sources.

Industry watchdogs believe that DeepSeek has access to 10,000 of sanction-approved Team Green "Hopper" H800 AI chips, and (now banned) 10,000 H100 AI GPUs. Around late January, DeepSeek's Scale AI CEO—Alexandr Wang—claimed that the organization could utilize up to 50,000 H100 chips for model training purposes. This unsubstantiated declaration raised eyebrows; given current global political tensions. Press outlets have speculated that DeepSeek is in no rush to reveal its full deck of cards, but they appear to have a competitive volume of resources; when lined up against with Western competitors. The DigiTimes news article did not provide any detailed insight into the rumored in-house chip design. DeepSeek faces a major challenge; the Chinese semiconductor industry trails behind market leading regions. Will local foundries be able to provide an advanced enough node process for required purposes?

Lies of P: Overture DLC Due this Summer

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T0@st
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Cross the bounds of time and join in my excitement as we take you back to the beginning of the Lies of P storyline. I am sure you'll agree that the long journey to bring you this news was well worth it! The first gameplay trailer for Lies of P: Overture was unveiled at the State of Play, filled with incredible revelations. This prequel is a DLC expansion to the original game.

This was a historic debut for us, and it was especially gratifying to share the cinematic moment with fans, veterans of Soulslike games and newcomers alike. As you might have guessed from the title, Lies of P: Overture takes you back in time to uncover the hidden stories of Krat. Do you remember the moment when you, as Geppetto's most ambitious masterwork, woke up in the middle of the great Puppet Frenzy, a massacre that devastated the entire city around you? Now, you will venture back in time to experience the harrowing journey that birthed that fateful moment. Through Lies of P: Overture, we aimed to fully refine, forge and complete the story as we originally envisioned it.
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Nintendo Switch 2 Units Reportedly Due for Sale on Chinese Black Market, Priced at ~$40,000

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T0@st
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NDA-busting renders of the much-anticipated and rumored Nintendo Switch 2 console appeared online late last year—reports suggested that a member of the Xiahongshu forum was involved in this dramatic leak. The source seemingly had access to a 3D CAD model—possibly procured from a manufacturing partner. Industry insiders believed that top Nintendo brass were incensed by the pre-Christmas 2024 leaks. Around mid-January, an official unveiling of the next-gen gaming handheld arrived online, courtesy of a relatively short teaser video. Early April public showcases are on the calendar; press outlets and regular punters will be participating in hands-on experiences (invite-only) at venues across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. The flow of early 2025 Switch successor leaks have seemingly slowed down, but renewed activity on Reddit points to early samples emerging via black market outlets.

The aforementioned Xiahongshu forum member is reportedly considering a purchase of pre-release Switch 2 units—previous boasts have indicated that they already own one example. Screenshots of alleged interactions between the seller and potential client were uploaded to Chinese discussion boards, and then shared on the Nintendo Switch 2 Subreddit. The anonymous black market dealer reckons that stock will be available in the near future—claiming by "next week"—with an asking price of 290,000 RMB per package (~$39,780 USD). This steep demand—allegedly—grants early access to the core console tablet, Joy-Con controllers, and dock. Online community debates have produced several theories, regarding the leaker's motivations. Given their history of selling CAD models to accessory makers; this working relationship could develop into a—presumably more profitable—supply of actual working hardware.

Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered Launches Today on PC & Consoles

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Nomad76
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Aspyr and Crystal Dynamics are excited to release Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered, available today on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store and GOG for $29.99. Developed and published by Aspyr, this new three-game collection features Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, Tomb Raider: Chronicles, and Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, each remastered with improved visuals, modern control options, Photo Mode, classic cheat codes, trophies and achievements, and much more.

Aspyr has also released a new bundle, "Tomb Raider I-VI Remastered," featuring all three titles from the acclaimed Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft (Tomb Raider I + The "Unfinished Business" Expansion, Tomb Raider II + The "Gold Mask" Expansion, and Tomb Raider III + The "Lost Artifact" Expansion) plus everything included in Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered. Grab this six-game bundle deal today on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and GOG for $54.99.
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AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT "Red Devil" AIB Card Leaks With 900-watt PSU Requirement

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GGforever
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Gamers are eagerly awaiting the launch of the RDNA 4-based Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT gaming GPUs from AMD, which are widely expected to offer commendable value, thanks to comparatively reasonable prices paired with perfectly admirable raw performance that trades blows with the GeForce RTX 5070 family from NVIDIA. Interestingly, a recently leaked retail box for a PowerColor Red Devil RX 9070 XT GPU has revealed a striking detail - the AIB card will boast a whopping 900-watt requirement for a PSU. This is an absurd number, considering that the ROG Astral RTX 5090 behemoth commands a 1000-watt PSU requirement. While some may deem the image to be fake, or perhaps a typo, AMD's Frank Azor has responded to the tweet, claiming that there will be "plenty" of RX 9070 XT cards with lower PSU requirements.

The packaging also confirms that the upcoming mid-range GPU from AMD will sport 64 CUs, which is hardly a surprise. The Red Devil 9070 XT GPU from PowerColor is a very high-end unit with a 3.0 GHz boost clock and 3x 8-pin power connectors for overclocking headroom, which explains the mammoth 900-watt PSU requirement. As pointed out by Redditors, the Red Devil 7900 XTX also featured a 900-watt PSU requirement, which is 100 watts more than what AMD officially recommends. According to VideoCardz, the PowerColor RX 9070 XT Reaper (reference card) carries a 750-watt PSU requirement, whereas the RX 9070 variant requires a 650-watt PSU. The official launch for the RDNA 4 cards is just around two weeks away, which is when we will finally know for sure.

EKWB Intros EK-Quantum Vector³ Water Block for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 & 5080 Series

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T0@st
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EK, the premium liquid cooling gear manufacturer, is proud to introduce EK-Quantum Vector³, our latest line of high-performance water blocks designed to provide the ultimate liquid cooling solution for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 & RTX 5080 Series GPUs. Unmatched performance and cooling efficiency—the EK-Quantum Vector³ RTX 5090 & RTX 5080 water blocks deliver high-performance liquid cooling, premium aesthetics, and precision engineering, ensuring ultra-low temperatures and maximum performance.

Next-Gen Cooling for NVIDIA RTX 50 Series GPUs
The EK-Quantum Vector³ RTX 5090 & RTX 5080 water blocks maximize cooling efficiency with an improved structure, expanded fin array, and optimized coolant flow paths. These blocks actively cool the GPU core, VRAM, and power stages while passively cooling PCB hotspots through a custom backplate—ensuring optimal performance.
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Apple Studio Display With Mini-LED Technology Rumored To Launch Later This Year

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GGforever
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A recent rumor appears to have some good news in store for Apple display aficionados. The Cupertino giant has largely ignored its display lineup for several years at this point, considering that its $5,000 Pro Display XDR is almost six years old, while the $1,599 Studio Display is about to complete its third year on sale next month. According to reliable display analyst Ross Young, Apple is working on a mini LED upgrade for the Studio Display, which is expected to hit shelves towards the end of this year. It is unclear whether the rumored mini LED Studio Display will boast Apple's ProMotion technology, although it does seem quite likely given Apple's track record.

So far, only three Apple devices have boasted mini LED displays - MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and the Pro Display XDR. The iPad Pro has moved to an OLED solution, and the MacBook Pro lineup is expected to follow in its footsteps towards the end of next year. While mini LED displays are not quite as contrast rich or fast as OLED displays, they sure are a massive improvement over the traditional LED-backlit displays found in Apple's iMacs and the Studio Display in terms of brightness, contrast, and if the ProMotion rumors are true, then refresh rate as well. Unsurprisingly, the affordable iMac 24" is not expected to sport mini LED technology anytime soon. As for the pricey Pro Display XDR, it is unclear what the future has in store for it, going by the absence of information.

Reikon Introduces Metal Eden, Slated for Launch on May 6

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T0@st
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Hello everyone! We are very happy to be in the latest State of Play announcing to the world that Metal Eden, an adrenaline rush sci-fi FPS, will be releasing on May 6, 2025. Before we dive deeper into the gameplay, let's introduce you to the world of Metal Eden. First, a little bit of context. In the future, humanity ventures among the stars. To survive the journey to new star systems, humanity created the Cores. Each Core is a system capable of storing human data, preserving a digital record of a human psyche and rebuilding it upon reaching its destination. One such destination is Moebius, an artificial city built by corporations to extract precious minerals from the planet Vulcan. You are Aska, an android created by one of the city's founders. Nexus, your creator, has one goal for you: Follow orders, and maybe you will be able to save the inanimate colonists trapped in the Citadel.

One of the most unique gameplay mechanics in Metal Eden is Core Ripping. This feature enhances the combat experience by adding a strategic layer to how players engage with enemies. In this post, we'll delve into how you can master this ability to dominate your foes and make the most of Aska's powerful skills. The reveal trailer shows that, equipped with the Multitool, Aska can use its Gravity Beam to rip Cores out of enemies' bodies. Once grabbed, you can throw their Core at your enemies, creating an explosion. Brutal Core Ripping for quick and effective enemy disposal! Alternatively, Aska can consume the core. Consuming a core offers different advantages depending on your choices throughout the game - Like empowering your melee attacks, mobility or survivability. We will share more information about this in the future.
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Multiple GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Models Listed in Europe & US, Two "Baseline MSRP" SKUs Spotted

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T0@st
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Yesterday, NVIDIA confirmed that board partner GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards (minus a Founders Edition) will be hitting global retail markets on February 20. Team Green has set a baseline MSRP of $749 (USD) for North America, and €884 (plus region variable VAT) for European territories. Recent accidental e-tail listings have presented daunting price points (in Austria and France), that sit far higher than NVIDIA's guideline figure. A fresh VideoCardz news report piles on extra pain; various readership tip-offs have indicated that next week's population of launch products will be composed of mostly very expensive offerings. CaseKing.de has listed a grand total of twelve ASUS, GIGABYTE and MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti cards—the cheapest non-overclocked option comes in at €1149 (including customary 19% sales tax), plus shipping costs starting at €4.99. GIGABYTE's premium-tier AORUS RTX 5070 Ti MASTER is priced at €1399 (incl. VAT). This German retail outlet is not known to implement generous discounts, especially early on in a product's lifespan. VideoCardz looked elsewhere for evidence of baseline MSRP conformant AIB cards. Press outlets could be analyzing placeholder numbers, so things could change closer to release day.

Proshop in Denmark and Finland seem to be the only e-tail outlets (in Europe/Scandinavia) that offer a model that conforms to official NVIDIA minimum pricing decree. The non-overclocked barebones Inno3D RTX 5070 Ti X3 card is priced at 6899 kr (incl. VAT) in Denmark, and €924 (incl. VAT) in Finland. An extra €75 premium grants access to an overclocked sibling: Inno3D RTX 5070 Ti X3 OC. Potential buyers—in North America—have one baseline MSRP-friendly option, courtesy of Micro Center. VideoCardz highlighted the PNY RTX 5070 Ti Overclocked Triple Fan model's price point of $750. At the time of writing, they believe that this is the only example of a factory-overclocked card sticking to Team Green guidelines. AMD's incoming Radeon RX 9070 GPU series is set to battle it out with NVIDIA's next wave of "Blackwell" GPUs. According to industry whispers, Team Red will be deeply involved in analysis of GeForce RTX 5070 Ti market performance. Speculative first wave RDNA 4-based graphics card pricing has leaked online this week; will they commit to undercutting their main competition?

Arm to Develop In-House Server CPUs, Signs Meta as First Customer

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Nomad76
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Reports from Financial Times suggest Arm has plans to create its own CPU, set to hit the market in 2025 with Meta Platforms said to be one of the first customers. The chip is said to be a CPU for data center servers, with TSMC handling the manufacturing. However, when the Financial Times asked about this, SoftBank (the majority owner of Arm) and Meta stayed quiet, while Arm didn't give a statement. A Nikkei report from May 2024 suggested that a prototype AI processor chip would be completed by spring 2025 and available for sale by fall 2025, so the latest information from the Financial Times report feels like a confirmation of previous rumors.

Right now, Arm makes money by letting others use its instruction set and core designs to make their own chips. This new move could mean Arm will compete with its current customers. Sources in the industry say Arm is trying to win business from Qualcomm, with rumors that Arm has been bringing in executives from companies it works with to help develop this chip. While Qualcomm had talked in the past about giving Meta a data center CPU using Arm's design, it looks like Arm has won at least some of that deal. However, no technical or specification details are available currently for Arm's 1st in-house server CPU.
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Onimusha: Way of the Sword Gameplay Showcased, Main Character Gets Introduced

Press Release by
T0@st
 Discuss (1 Comment)
During State of Play, we revealed a new trailer for the recently announced Onimusha: Way of the Sword. This time we get a glimpse of the game's daring protagonist in action. This entry in the swordplay action series is set in an early Edo period Kyoto, twisted by the influence of the encroaching Malice. The new trailer gives us a glimpse of this title's expressive protagonist as he fights for his very life. Along with a preview of the protagonist, we were also introduced to some of the enemies he will face, and how he will deal with them.

The protagonist—Miyamoto Musashi (Voice: Kenichiro Thomson)
An ardent samurai who arrives in Kyoto looking to prove that he is unmatched in the way of the sword. However, the path before him takes a strange and unexpected turn. The protagonist of this game is a fierce young samurai, constantly moving from one bloody and mucky fight to the next. In order to cement this image of a striking samurai, Capcom has turned to none other than the late, iconic Japanese samurai movie star Toshiro Mifune to serve as the face model for this rendition of Miyamoto Musashi.
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ASRock China Releases Two Radeon RX 7650 GRE Challenger OC Edition SKUs

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T0@st
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Last week, AMD China and involved board partners launched region-exclusive Radeon RX 7650 GRE graphics card models; initial publicity produced a mountain of promotional imagery, but only a minority of AIBs published GPU specification sheets. On Tuesday (February 11), new Team Red documentation revealed a slightly confusing change in nomenclature—as of 2025, GRE stands for "Great Radeon Edition," rather than "Golden Rabbit Edition." On launch day, ASRock China showcased their Navi 33 GPU-based Radeon RX 7650 GRE Challenger 8 GB OC Edition card. A product page has appeared on the company's local website, complete with technical information. We are looking at 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM, 2048 stream processors, a game clock frequency of 2539 MHz, and a boost clock of "up to 2810 MHz." The ASRock official store price is listed as 2049 RMB (~$281 USD).

Another model, the ASRock Radeon RX 7650 GRE Challenger OC+ Edition has appeared online; its official product page looks almost identical to the OC (non-plus) Edition's. The tacked-on "+" denotes key differences in game clock and boost clock factory settings—ASRock has implemented higher frequencies: 2400 MHz and 2725 MHz (respectively). After analyzing promotional imagery, the slightly fancier card appears to sport a chunkier shroud design. The new "Great Radeon Edition" OC+ Edition is not listed on ASRock's official e-tail outlet. Amusingly, the two product pages contain the same error; their "main specification" sections point to a non-existent AMD Radeon RX 7600 GRE GPU. Team Red's Radeon RX 7650 GRE GPU seems to be a slightly tweaked variant of the Radeon RX 7600 (Navi 33 XL) 8 GB model.

AMD & Nutanix Solutions Discuss Energy Efficient EPYC 9004 CPU Family

Press Release by
T0@st
 Discuss (2 Comments)
AMD and Nutanix have jointly developed virtualization/HCI solutions since 2019, working with major OEMs including Dell, HP and Lenovo, systems integrators and other resellers and partners. You can learn more about AMD-Nutanix solutions here.

AMD EPYC Processors
The EPYC 9004 family of high performance processors provide up to 128 cores per processor to help meet the demands of a wide range of workloads and use cases. High density core counts allow you to reduce the number of servers you need by as much as a five to one ratio when looking at retiring older, inefficient servers and replacing with a new one. Systems based on AMD processors can also be more energy efficient than many competitive processor based systems. For example, running 2000 VMs on 11 2P AMD EPYC 9654 processor-powered servers will use up to 29% less power annually than the 17 2P Intel Xeon Platinum 8490H processor-based servers required to deliver the same performance, while helping reduce CAPEX up to 46%.
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Insiders Predict Delay of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50-series Laptops

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T0@st
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Retailers are set to open up pre-order floodgates for upcoming GeForce RTX 50-series laptops on February 25, as we learned earlier this week. According to a new DigiTimes report, the launch of mobile devices—sporting Team Green "Blackwell" GPUs—is expected to be "significantly delayed." A loose March launch window was teased during Jensen Huang's keynote presentation at CES 2025, but supply chain insiders have claimed that high-end RTX 50 laptops were "originally planned to be launched in January 2025." Additionally, they surmise that mid-range and low-end offerings are postponed to April. DigiTimes believes that the rumored postponements have surprised supply chain moles; Team Green is not known to delay product launches. Extenuating circumstances are cited as the reason behind alleged deferred release windows, but insiders have not yet determined the extent of lengthened launch parameters.

An anonymous source stated: "NVIDIA, which has never been late in the past, also encountered this situation. It is probably related to NVIDIA's full sprint to AI servers. Even though there are differences in server and PC chip design and manufacturing processes, the company's resource allocation may still affect the debugging efficiency of new products." Other insiders have murmured about GeForce RTX 50-series mobile GPU performance not meeting expectations. Rumors have swirled about problems with early sample units; most notably the encountering of major screen issues when the "hardware is turned on." Laptop/notebook supply chain insiders reckon that manufacturers have anticipated a healthy level of growth in 2025—thanks to the emergence of new NVIDIA graphics cards—but targets have been reduced, due to anticipated delays. Optimistic industry chatter predicts higher education students and esport enthusiasts driving unit sales upward, following a stagnant 2024 market.

Maxsun Launches MS-iCraft B860M CROSS "Aiga" Series Motherboards

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Nomad76
 Discuss (10 Comments)
Maxsun has just launched its MS-iCraft B860M CROSS "Aiga" Micro-ATX motherboard series for Intel CPUs, which includes both a standard and a Pro version. While both models share similarities—such as an all-white design—they also have key differences. The Pro version of the MS-iCraft B860M CROSS "Aiga" motherboard features a 3.4-inch display on the upper-left I/O armor, capable of showing real-time system information as well as custom graphics. In contrast, the standard version has a smaller screen that displays Aiga animations. Another distinction is that the Pro version is equipped with an Intel BE200 wireless network card, whereas the standard version uses the Intel AX211.

Aside from these differences, both motherboards have similar specifications. They support up to 192 GB of DDR5 RAM across four DIMM slots, with overclocking speeds reaching up to 9066 MT/s. Power delivery is handled by a 16+1+1 phase power supply design with 50 A DrMOS. Additionally, both models include a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for high-performance graphics cards, and one PCIe 4.0 x4 slot.
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SEGA Unveils Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds

Press Release by
T0@st
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New worlds await in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog racing game—Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds—introducing a unique gameplay mechanic transporting the iconic characters from the Sonic and Sega universes into new dimensions. The newest entry to the Sonic Racing series is a Sonic game, driving game, and action game all-in-one that will offer an exciting racing experience across several modes, worlds, and more! Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is coming to PC and current generation consoles soon. Sega is sharing details on what players can expect to see in the game.

Travel Rings
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds introduces Travel Rings, a new gameplay mechanic making each race feel surprising and fresh. Travel Rings bring dramatic changes to races, transporting players from one world to a completely new location. The lead racer gets to choose the CrossWorld that all players will be transported to on the second lap, allowing the environments to come alive with various track changes. Each CrossWorld offers a theme park-like experience with surprises around every turn, including large monsters, engaging obstacles, and tracks filled with beautiful scenery.
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Intel Core Ultra 300 Series "Panther Lake-H" to Come with 64 W PL2 Power Configuration

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AleksandarK
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Thanks to a well-known industry leaker, Jaykihn, Intel's Panther Lake-H processor family, built on the 18A process node, features three distinct configurations, with several power profiles for each case. The flagship model combines four "Cougar Cove" P-cores, eight "Skymont" E-cores, and four LPE cores alongside a 12-core Xe3 "Celestial" GPU. This variant supports LPDDR5X memory exclusively and delivers 180 TOPS of computational power for local AI workloads, operating at 25 W PL1 (base) and 64 W PL2 (turbo) power levels. Secondary configurations include a 4P+8E+4LP+4Xe3 model and a 4P+0E+4LP+4Xe3 variant, both rated at 100 TOPS and supporting both LPDDR5X and DDR5 memory.

The entry-level model operates at 15 W PL1 with 44 W PL2 in baseline mode, scaling to 25 W PL1 and 55 W PL2 in performance mode. All variants feature Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, with high-end models incorporating expanded PCIe 5.0 lane configurations. The integrated Xe3 graphics architecture scales from four to 12 cores across the product stack, with the top SKU eliminating DDR5 compatibility in favor of LPDDR5X optimization. The Panther Lake processor family is slated for launch within the latter half of 2025, and it will be the company's leading 18A product. As a "Lunar Lake" successor, Panther Lake will deliver improved IPC and optimization for new cores in the same device form-factor like laptops, ultrabooks, and handhelds.

Noctua Announces Product Delays in 2025 Roadmap Update, More Teasers at Computex

by
AleksandarK
 Discuss (11 Comments)
Austrian PC cooling staple Noctua has revealed substantial timeline adjustments across its 2025 product portfolio, with several highly anticipated launches now facing multi-month delays. The company's flagship NH-D15 G2 CPU cooler in chromax.black variant has been pushed from Q2 to Q3 2025, while the next-generation 120 mm fan series has shifted from Q1 to Q2 2025. The comprehensive roadmap revision, with the next-generation dual-tower CPU cooler notably absent from the 2025 lineup, suggests a potential 2026 release window. The chromax.black version of the NF-A14x25 G2 fan has been rescheduled from Q1 to Q3, and the chromax.The black variant of the next-gen 120 mm fan is now slated for Q4, which represents a significant delay from its initial Q1 target. Despite these setbacks, Noctua has introduced new elements to its roadmap, including an LGA1851 offset mounting kit for the NH-D15 G2, designed to optimize thermal performance for Intel's latest socket configuration.

The company cites quality optimization as a factor in the timeline adjustments, though specific causes remain undisclosed. One bright spot in the announcement is the confirmation that the Seasonic PRIME TX-1600 Noctua Edition power supply will maintain its original restock schedule for Q1 2025. This collaboration product, which launched in late 2024, features Titanium efficiency certification and ATX 3.1 compliance, catering to high-performance systems utilizing current-generation graphics cards like the RTX 5090 and 4090. Noctua plans to showcase its upcoming product lineup at Computex Taipei, where additional details about the revised release schedule and hints of specifications are expected to be revealed. Now, just a few months away, the Computex 2025 looks like one of the most enjoyable shows ever, with the TechPowerUp crew roaming halls looking for interesting products.

NVIDIA DLSS 4 Coming to Star Wars Outlaws and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Press Release by
GFreeman
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More than 700 games and applications feature RTX technologies, and each week new games integrating NVIDIA DLSS, NVIDIA Reflex, and advanced ray-traced effects are released or announced, delivering the definitive PC experience for GeForce RTX players. Star Wars Outlaws' latest update is out now, adding DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, an upgraded DLSS Frame Generation model for improved performance and reduced VRAM usage, and the new DLSS transformer AI model for DLSS Super Resolution, DLSS Ray Reconstruction, and DLAA, further enhancing your PC experience.

Later today, Avowed launches with DLSS, Reflex, and ray tracing, and by using NVIDIA app's new DLSS 4 overrides, you can further enhance your experience in Avowed by adding DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, and new and improved AI models that upgrade DLSS Super Resolution, DLAA, and DLSS Frame Generation. A new DLSS Frame Generation, Reflex, and ray tracing update for the popular Wuthering Waves launches today, too. And next week, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle introduces DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation and DLSS Ray Reconstruction, updates DLSS Super Resolution and DLAA to use our new transformer-based AI model, and adds fully ray-traced shadows from all light sources.
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AAEON Launch the BOXER-8641AI-Plus, an FCC Class B Certified Smart Healthcare Platform

Press Release by
btarunr
 Discuss (1 Comment)
AAEON (stock code: 6579), a leading provider of edge AI platforms, today announced the release of the BOXER-8641AI-Plus, an embedded AI system powered by the NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin module designed for the smart healthcare space. The BOXER-8641AI-Plus offers a number of advanced features, including an RJ-45 port that supports 10G LAN, two DB-9 ports for RS-232/422/485 (Rx/Tx/RTS/CTS), and a third DB-9 port offering an 8-bit DIO interface. In addition to this, the system contains expansion slots for Wi-Fi/BT and 5G in the form of an M.2 2230 E-Key and an M.2 3052 B-Key, which serve to provide wireless connectivity in addition to its onboard interfaces.

The system is FCC Class B certified, making it compliant with electromagnetic susceptibility (EMS) standards, making it suitable for operation in healthcare settings without electromagnetic interference (EMI) from other equipment. Moreover, the certification means the BOXER-8641AI-Plus meets electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standards, ensuring it can be deployed without causing electromagnetic interference (EMI) that could affect equipment deployed alongside it.
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Thursday, February 13th 2025

Today's Reviews

Cases
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Memory
Mouse
NAS
Networking
Other
PSUs
SSD
VAXEE E1 Wireless Review

VAXEE E1 Wireless Review

Review Mice
Equipped with PixArt's latest PAW3950 sensor and weighing 60 g, the right-handed ergonomic E1 essentially is VAXEE's take on an updated EC2. 4000 Hz wireless polling is supported, and VAXEE cites up to 110 hours of battery life.
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UGREEN 9-in-1 Steam Deck Docking Station Review

UGREEN 9-in-1 Steam Deck Docking Station Review

Review Other
The UGREEN 9-in-1 Steam Deck Docking Station is designed primarily for Steam Deck but this versatile docking station can work with virtually every PC gaming handheld, and with devices that support USB-C DP Alt mode. Today, we're evaluating its performance with a selection of handheld gaming PCs.
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AMD to Build Next-Gen I/O Dies on Samsung 4nm, Not TSMC N4P

by
btarunr
 Discuss (65 Comments)
Back in January, we covered a report about AMD designing its next-generation "Zen 6" CCDs on a 3 nm-class node by TSMC, and developing a new line of server and client I/O dies (cIOD and sIOD). The I/O die is a crucial piece of silicon that contains all the uncore components of the processor, including the memory controllers, the PCIe root complex, and Infinity Fabric interconnects to the CCDs and multi-socket connections. Back then it was reported that these new-generation I/O dies were being designed on the 4 nm silicon fabrication process, which was interpreted as being AMD's favorite 4 nm-class node, the TSMC N4P, on which the company builds everything from its current "Strix Point" mobile processors to the "Zen 5" CCDs. It turns out that AMD has other plans, and is exploring a 4 nm-class node by Samsung.

This node is very likely the Samsung 4LPP, also known as the SF4, which has been in mass-production since 2022. The table below shows how the SF4 compares with TSMC N4P and Intel 4, where it is shown striking a balance between the two. We have also added values for the TSMC N5 node from which the N4P is derived from, and you can see that the SF4 offers comparable transistor density to the N5, and is a significant improvement in transistor density over the TSMC N6, which AMD uses for its current generation of sIOD and cIOD. The new 4 nm node will allow AMD to reduce the TDP of the I/O die, implement a new power management solution, and more importantly, the need for a new I/O die is driven by the need for updated memory controllers that support higher DDR5 speeds and compatibility with new kinds of DIMMs, such as CUDIMMs, RDIMMs with RCDs, etc.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT Could Get a 32 GB GDDR6 Upgrade

Updated by
AleksandarK
 Updated: Discuss (100 Comments)
AMD's Radeon RX 9000 series GPUs are expected to come with up to 16 GB of GDDR6 memory. However, AMD is reportedly expanding its RX 9070 lineup with a new 32 GB variant, according to sources on Chiphell. The card, speculatively called the RX 9070 XT 32 GB, is slated for release at the end of Q2 2025. The current GDDR6 memory modules used in GPUs carry a capacity of 2 GB per module only, meaning that a design with 32 GB of VRAM would require as many as 16 memory modules on a single card. No 2 GB+ GDDR6 memory modules are available, meaning that the design would require memory module installation on both the front and back of the PCB. Consumers GPUs are not known for this, but it is a possibility with workstation/prosumer grade GPUs employing this engineering tactic to boost capacity,

While we don't have information on the GPU architecture, discussions point to potential modifications of the existing Navi 48 silicon. This release is positioned as a gaming card rather than a workstation-class Radeon PRO 9000 series product. AMD appears to be targeting gamers interested in running AI workloads, which typically require massive VRAM amounts to run locally. Additionally, investing in a GPU with a big VRAM capacity is essentially "future-proofing" for gamers who plan to keep their cards for longer, as recent games have been spiking VRAM usage by a large margin. The combination of gaming and AI workloads may have made AMD reconsider some of its product offerings, potentially giving us the Radeon RX 9070 XT 32 GB SKU. We have to wait for the Q2 to start, and we can expect more details by then.

Update 20:55 UTC: AMD's Frank Azor on X debunked rumors of the 32 GB SKU coming to gamers. So, this will not happen. Instead, we could be looking at prosumer oriented AMD Radeon Pro GPU with 32 GB of memory instead.

Western Digital Faces $553M Patent Bill Days Before Company Split

by
Nomad76
 Discuss (11 Comments)
The Register reports that a federal judge has rejected Western Digital's attempt to delay payment of a $553 million patent infringement penalty, giving the storage giant just seven days to secure a bond or pay up. The ruling, issued February 11, comes as Western Digital faces mounting pressure over intellectual property disputes. To be more specific it's about SPEX Technologies' Patent No. 6,088,802, which protects security features in peripheral devices. In October 2023, a California jury ruled that several WD products, including Ultrastar and My Book drives infringed on this 1997 patent. Judge James Selna later expanded the initial $316 million verdict to include $237 million in interest charges.

Western Digital's upcoming corporate restructuring complicates the situation. The company plans to split into two separate entities by February 21—one to focus on NAND flash memory under the SanDisk brand and another to maintain the traditional hard drive business. This pending division has raised questions about how to enforce the damages, with Judge Selna mentioning his "concerns about potential corporate restructuring" because the judgment targets Western Digital Technologies Inc. SPEX has voiced concerns about the company split pointing out in legal papers their lack of insight into which new entity would pay the penalty or if either would have enough money to cover the owed amount.
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AMD Radeon RX 9000 Series Event Scheduled: February 28

by
T0@st
 Discuss (31 Comments)
David McAfee—AMD's corporate vice president and general manager of client channel business—has highlighted February 28 as a highly important date for next-gen graphics technology. The much-anticipated (and teased) Radeon RX 9000 series unveiling event has a confirmed time slot on that day: 8 AM EST. The overseer of Ryzen CPU and Radeon GPUs has warded off curious queries from journalists and members of the PC hardware for several weeks, since the conclusion of CES 2025. A confusing early January presentation did not include a segment dedicated to upcoming RDNA 4 products. Online conjecture pointed to Team Red delaying and restrategizing the launch of Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 models.

AMD enthusiasts will breathe a collective sigh of relief, after reading McAfee's announcement: "the wait is almost over. Join us on February 28 at 8 AM EST for the reveal of the next-gen AMD Radeon RX 9000 Series. Get ready to make it yours when it hits shelves in early March. RSVP by subscribing to the AMD YouTube channel." Insider sources reckon that retailers will have stock on shelves by the rumored March 6 launch day. Mid-to-late January leaks suggested a fairly comprehensive distribution of board partner custom cards across European retail channels. Alleged specifications and performance results have leaked out over the past month and a half—will AMD (and AIBs) have any surprises lined up for the February 28 event?

Lost Soul Aside Launches on PlayStation 5 and PC on May 30

Press Release by
T0@st
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The wait is finally over. This is Yang Bing, as the creator of Lost Soul Aside, I couldn't be more excited to share some big news—our action RPG will officially launch on PlayStation 5 and PC on May 30, 2025! What started as a one-person dream (me, a computer, and endless late nights) has evolved into a sprawling adventure full of breathtaking visuals and adrenaline-pumping combat. Let me take you behind the scenes to explore the heart, soul, and sweat poured into this game. Whether you're here for the stylish combat or the gripping story, there's plenty to dive into. Let's get started!

A world that lives and breathes
Creating the world of Lost Soul Aside was like painting with imagination on a sci-fi fantasy canvas. You'll traverse landscapes that feel alive: sunlit plains, mysterious ancient ruins, and alternate dimensions that buzz with energy. This world isn't just eye candy—it's filled with secrets, monsters, and unpredictable events that keep you interested. But let's talk about what really defines the experience—combat.
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Sapphire Radeon NITRO+ RX 9070 Series Promo Images Leaked Online

by
T0@st
 Discuss (24 Comments)
Sapphire is readying multiple Radeon RX 9070 custom designs for next month's launch; official announcements and leaks have revealed upcoming PURE, PULSE and NITRO+ cards. The latter was identified in AMD's CES 2025 press material, but no demonstration sample turned up at last month's Las Vegas AIB roundup. A lone fuzzy low-resolution screengrab showcased the premium Radeon RX 9070 series card's hefty and blocky triple-slot profile. An hour or two ago, Everest (aka Olrak29) uploaded two alleged promotional images to social media. Thankfully, the leaked shots have arrived with decent pixel definition. Sapphire has initiated staggered marketing campaigns for its lower-end and mid-range RDNA 4 cards, so the latest leak has most likely preempted an upcoming official reveal of (possible) NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 cards.

Sapphire reserves the crème de la crème of feature sets for its premium-tier NITRO+ designs. Previous-gen examples were substantial prospects, and the incoming design is touted to continue that dimensional legacy. Well-heeled Team Red enthusiasts will welcome an updated triple-fan configuration and somewhat subtle internal ARGB lighting zones. The leaked card sports a luxurious "champagne gold" tinted shroud and backplate, with an optional detachable panel. The vented side plates sport a lighter-hue, but the elaborate triangular cut-out aesthetic could be off-putting to certain connoisseurs. Press outlets have honed in on the new NITRO+ model's hidden power connector design, potentially leading to a single input—utilizing a 12 or 16-pin interface.

HPE Announces First Shipment of NVIDIA "Grace Blackwell" System

Press Release by
T0@st
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Hewlett Packard Enterprise announced today that it has shipped its first NVIDIA Blackwell family-based solution, the NVIDIA GB200 NVL72. This rack-scale system by HPE is designed to help service providers and large enterprises quickly deploy very large, complex AI clusters with advanced, direct liquid cooling solutions to optimize efficiency and performance. "AI service providers and large enterprise model builders are under tremendous pressure to offer scalability, extreme performance, and fast time-to-deployment," said Trish Damkroger, senior vice president and general manager of HPC & AI Infrastructure Solutions, HPE. "As builders of the world's top three fastest systems with direct liquid cooling, HPE offers customers lower cost per token training and best-in-class performance with industry-leading services expertise."

The NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 features shared-memory, low-latency architecture with the latest GPU technology designed for extremely large AI models of over a trillion parameters, in one memory space. GB200 NVL72 offers seamless integration of NVIDIA CPUs, GPUs, compute and switch trays, networking, and software, bringing together extreme performance to address heavily parallelizable workloads, like generative AI (GenAI) model training and inferencing, along with NVIDIA software applications. "Engineers, scientists and researchers need cutting-edge liquid cooling technology to keep up with increasing power and compute requirements," said Bob Pette, vice president of enterprise platforms at NVIDIA. "Building on continued collaboration between HPE and NVIDIA, HPE's first shipment of NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 will help service providers and large enterprises efficiently build, deploy and scale large AI clusters."
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SanDisk Develops HBM Killer: High-Bandwidth Flash (HBF) Allows 4 TB of VRAM for AI GPUs

by
AleksandarK
 Discuss (35 Comments)
During its first post-Western Digital spinoff investor day, SanDisk showed something it has been working on to tackle the AI sector. High-bandwidth flash (HBF) is a new memory architecture that combines 3D NAND flash storage with bandwidth capabilities comparable to high-bandwidth memory (HBM). The HBF design stacks 16 3D NAND BiCS8 dies using through-silicon vias, with a logic layer enabling parallel access to memory sub-arrays. This configuration achieves 8 to 16 times greater capacity per stack than current HBM implementations. A system using eight HBF stacks can provide 4 TB of VRAM to store large AI models like GPT-4 directly on GPU hardware. The architecture breaks from conventional NAND design by implementing independently accessible memory sub-arrays, moving beyond traditional multi-plane approaches. While HBF surpasses HBM's capacity specifications, it maintains higher latency than DRAM, limiting its application to specific workloads.

SanDisk has not disclosed its solution for NAND's inherent write endurance limitations, though using pSLC NAND makes it possible to balance durability and cost. The bandwidth of HBF is also unknown, as the company hasn't put out details yet. SanDisk Memory Technology Chief Alper Ilkbahar confirmed the technology targets read-intensive AI inference tasks rather than latency-sensitive applications. The company is developing HBF as an open standard, incorporating mechanical and electrical interfaces similar to HBM to simplify integration. Some challenges remain, including NAND's block-level addressing limitations and writing endurance constraints. While these factors make HBF unsuitable for gaming applications, the technology's high capacity and throughput characteristics align with AI model storage and inference requirements. SanDisk has announced plans for three generations of HBF development, indicating a long-term commitment to the technology.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU Specs Spotted in Leaked GPU-Z Screenshot

by
T0@st
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AMD's Radeon RX 9070 GPU series is due for release next month; a specific date has not been set, but we will likely find out more through official channels at the end of this month. Team Red and its board partners have chosen to remain silent on the subject of RDNA 4's technical makeup; post-CES 2025, hardware news outlets have relied on a steady trickle of Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070-related leaks. Very basic sleuthing pointed to pools of 16 GB VRAM for both models, while insiders kept on mentioning an unannounced "Navi 48" GPU. The latest—courtesy of HKEPC—seems to confirm that the Radeon RX 9070 XT will utilize the aforementioned new RDNA 4 Navi chip. Earlier today, a screenshot was uploaded to social media—the leaker shared graphics card information displayed in a TechPowerUp GPU-Z (v2.62) session. Despite patch notes not disclosing compatibility, the latest version of GPU-Z is seemingly able to identify key aspects of the alleged "RX 9070 XT (Navi 48)" sample.

The card's name is obscured, but HKEPC and several press outlets believe that it is the genuine article. The fundamental details appear to be: 16 GB GDDR6 VRAM (Hynix-made), a 256-bit memory bus, 4096 stream processors, and a boost clock reaching a maximum frequency of 3.1 GHz. Older leaks have indicated that the first wave of RDNA 4 cards will make do with PCI-Express 4.0 x16 interfaces, but the GPU-Z screenshot shows a PCI-Express 5.0 x16 bus interface (detection could be bugged). The driver version was identified as Adrenalin 24.30.01.05. The unnamed card appears to feature a steep factory overclock; industry experts reckon that the sample could be a very high-end AIB model. Past reports suggest that PowerColor's Radeon RX 9070 XT Red Devil card is capable of boosting up to 3060 MHz. HKEPC uploaded another incriminating screenshot; showcasing performance results produced by Capcom's Monster Hunter Wilds PC performance benchmark tool. The test system—featuring Intel's Core Ultra 9 285K CPU and 48 GB of RAM—scored 36102 points and achieved a maximum frame rate of 211.71 FPS at 1080p, with "Very High" profile settings. The leaker confirmed that FSR and Frame Generation were enabled during the benchmark session.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Edges Out RTX 4080 in OpenCL Benchmark

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GGforever
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A recently surfaced Geekbench OpenCL listing has revealed the performance improvements that the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is likely to bring to the table, and the numbers sure look promising - that is, coming from the disappointment of the GeForce RTX 5080, which manages roughly 260,000 points in the benchmark, portraying a paltry 8% improvement over its predecessor. The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, however, managed an impressive 248,000 points, putting it a substantial 20% ahead of the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti. Hilariously enough, the RTX 5080 is merely 4% ahead, making the situation even worse for the somewhat contentious GPU. NVIDIA has claimed similar performance improvements in its marketing material, which does seem quiet plausible.

Of course, an OpenCL benchmark is hardly representative of real-world gaming performance. That being said, there is no denying that raw benchmarks will certainly help buyers temper expectations and make decisions. Previous leaks and speculations have hinted at a roughly 10% improvement over its predecessor in raster performance and up to 15% improvements in ray tracing performance, although the OpenCL listing does indicate the RTX 5070 ti might be capable of a larger generational jump, neck-and-neck with NVIDIA's claims. For those in need of a refresher, the RTX 5070 Ti boasts 8960 CUDA cores paired with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus. Like its siblings, the RTX 5070 is also rumored to face "extremely limited" supply at launch. With its official launch less than a week away, we won't have much waiting to do to find out for ourselves.

Rebellion Discusses Atomfall's Unique Gameplay Mechanics

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T0@st
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With Atomfall coming to PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Game Pass in just over a month (arriving on March 27), today we released the latest trailer for the game. Featuring -new gameplay, the trailer highlights the main features that you will experience when you enter the quarantine zone. I thought now would be a good time to give you more information on some of the game's key features and what you can expect when you play Atomfall. The trailer (see below) starts at the very beginning of the game. You wake up in a dark and eerie bunker and are met by a wounded man in a hazmat suit who immediately asks who you are and asks for your help. The problem is you don't know who you are, or how you got there. He tells you that you are inside a quarantine zone, built around the Windscale Atom plant following a nuclear disaster.

Set in the luscious British countryside in 1962, Atomfall is a fictionalized telling of what happened five years after true events in Northern England. It is a game about investigation and discovery—as you try to uncover the mystery behind what really happened at Windscale, but also who you are and what you're doing there. There is plenty to explore beyond the rolling hills of Cumberland, including a picturesque village, bandit camps, caves, tunnels, and mysterious buildings and facilities left abandoned by the British Atomic Research Division. All of these will hold their own secrets for you to discover. You will find clues about what has happened and learn more about the colorful characters you meet along the way - but there is no clear single "truth", and different people interpret what happened in different ways. This feeds into the game's "Leads" system, our new take on traditional gaming quests.

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MODDIY Recommends Latest 12V-2X6 Cables for GeForce RTX 50-series Cards

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T0@st
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MODDIY has swiftly updated its Help Center site with new guidelines, following recent reports of one of its older 12VHPWR cable designs having a high temperature disagreement with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition card and ASUS ROG Loki SFX-L power supply unit. The company's newest batch of (2025) 12V-2X6 and 12VHPWR are manufactured with the latest specifications and standards in mind, thus given the all-clear for utilization with NVIDIA's recently introduced GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 graphics cards. Any products from the 2024 production cycle (and before) are deemed safe to use with the GeForce RTX 40-series, but not "officially" valid for anything newer.

The company's renewed guidelines state: "as of 2025, the industry standard has transitioned to 12V-2X6, replacing the previous 12VHPWR standard. Our new cables incorporate significant advancements, including enhanced terminal and connector housing materials, along with thicker wires, to provide an additional safety buffer for the latest GPUs. At MODDIY, all 12VHPWR / 12V-2X6 cables purchased from 2025 onward are manufactured in accordance with the new 12V-2X6 specifications and standards, ensuring compatibility and optimal performance with the RTX50 series GPUs. Prior to 2024, the RTX50 series GPUs had not yet been introduced, and the prevailing standard was 12VHPWR. All cables produced before this period were designed and tested for use with the RTX40 series GPUs. We recommend that all users upgrade to the new 12V-2X6 cables to take full advantage of the enhanced safety and performance features offered by this new standard." They believe that their messily-named "ATX 3.1 PCIe 5.1 H++ 12V-2X6 675 W 12VHPWR 16 Pin Power Cable" premium custom tailor-made model is the best candidate for Team Green's modern generation of gaming cards.
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Turtle Beach's Stealth 600 & Stealth 500 Gaming Headsets Get New Colorways

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Nomad76
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Leading gaming accessories maker Turtle Beach Corporation today unveiled two new striking colorways for the latest Stealth 600 and Stealth 500 wireless headsets - two top-rated models in the brand's critically acclaimed wireless gaming headset range.

The new Stealth 600 purple and Stealth 500 arctic camo colorways are available for pre-order today from Turtle Beach and will launch this spring. The Designed for Xbox Stealth 600 purple will be available exclusively at Target in the U.S., as well as at participating retailers globally. The Stealth 500 arctic camo for PlayStation will be available exclusively at Walmart in the U.S. and at participating retailers globally, while the Designed for Xbox Stealth 500 arctic camo will be available at participating retailers globally.
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NVIDIA Releases GeForce 572.42 WHQL Game Ready Drivers

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btarunr
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NVIDIA today released the latest version of GeForce drivers. Version 572.42 WHQL comes Game Ready for "Indiana Jones and the Great Circle." including support for DLSS 4. Other new optimized titles include "Avowed" and "Wuthering Waves." The driver also offers early optimization for "Sid Meier's Civilization VII." Among the gaming bugs fixed with this release include a crash-to-desktop (CTD) noticed at launch with "Valorant," a system freeze noticed when exiting "Final Fantasy XVI," and performance loss noticed in "Delta Force" with resizable-BAR enabled. Unexpectedly low score for RTX 50-series "Blackwell" GPUs in 3DMark DXR feature test has been fixed. A compatibility issue caused by library version mismatch has been fixed.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 572.42 WHQL
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GeForce NOW Welcomes Batman: Arkham Trilogy & Sid Meier's Civilization VII

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T0@st
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It's a match made in heaven—GeForce NOW and Warner Bros. Games are collaborating to bring the beloved Batman: Arkham series to the cloud as part of GeForce NOW's fifth-anniversary celebration. Just in time for Valentine's Day, gamers can fall in love all over again with Gotham City's Dark Knight, streaming his epic adventures from anywhere, on nearly any device. The sweet treats don't end there. GeForce NOW also brings the launch of the highly anticipated Sid Meier's Civilization VII. It's all part of the lovable lineup of seven games joining the cloud this week.

A Match Made in Gotham City
GeForce NOW is welcoming Warner Bros. Games to the cloud with the Batman: Arkham series, including Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition, Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition and Batman: Arkham Knight Premium. Don the cape and cowl of the world's greatest detective, bringing justice to the streets of Gotham City with bone-crushing combat and ingenious gadgets.
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AMD Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 "Strix Halo" APU Benched in 3DMark, Leak Suggests Impressive iGPU Performance

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T0@st
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Late last month, an AMD "How to Sell" Ryzen AI MAX series guide appeared online—contents provided an early preview of the Radeon 8060S iGPU's prowess in 1080p gaming environments. Team Red seemed to have some swagger in their step; they claimed that their forthcoming "RDNA 3.5" integrated graphics solution was up to 68% faster than NVIDIA's discrete GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile GPU (subjected to thermal limits). Naturally, first-party/internal documentation should be treated with a degree of skepticism—the PC hardware community often relies on (truly) independent sources to form opinions. A Chinese leaker has procured a pre-release laptop that features a "Zen 5" AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor. By Wednesday evening, the tester presented benchmark results on the Tieba Baidu forums.

The leaker uploaded a screenshot from a 3DMark Time Spy session. No further insights were shared via written text. On-screen diagnostics pointed to a "Radeon 8050S" GPU, and the CPU being an "AMD Eng Sample: 100-000001243-50_Y." Wccftech double-checked this information; they believe that the OPN ID corresponds to a: "Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 with the Radeon 8060S, instead of the AMD Radeon 8050S iGPU...The difference between the two is that the Radeon 8060S packs the full 40 Compute Units while the Radeon 8050S is configured with 32 Compute Units. The CPU for each iGPU is also different and the one tested here packs 16 Zen 5 cores instead of the 12 Zen 5 cores featured on the Ryzen AI MAX 390." According to the NDA-busting screenshot, Team Red's Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 engineering sample racked up an overall score of 9006 in 3DMark Time Spy. Its graphics score tally came in at 10,106, while its CPU scored 5571 points. The alleged Radeon 8060S iGPU managed to pull in just under NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile dGPU (average) score of 10,614. The plucky RDNA 3.5 40 CU iGPU seems to outperform a somewhat related sibling; the Radeon RX 7600M XT dGPU (with 32 RDNA 3 CUs) scored 8742 points. Radeon 8060S trails the desktop Radeon RX 7600 GPU by 884 points.

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Synopsys Expands Its Hardware-Assisted Verification (HAV) Portfolio for Next-Gen Semiconductors

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Nomad76
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Synopsys, Inc. today announced the expansion of its industry-leading hardware-assisted verification (HAV) portfolio with new HAPS prototyping and ZeBu emulation systems using the latest AMD Versal Premium VP1902 adaptive SoC. The next generation HAPS-200 prototyping and ZeBu-200 emulation systems deliver improved runtime performance, better compile time and improved debug productivity. They are built on new Synopsys Emulation and Prototyping (EP-Ready) Hardware that optimizes customer return on investment by enabling emulation and prototyping use cases via reconfiguration and optimized software. ZeBu Server 5 is enhanced to deliver industry-leading scalability beyond 60 billion gates (BG) to address the escalating hardware and software complexity in SoC and multi-die designs. It continues to offer industry-best density to optimize data center space utilization.

"With the industry approaching 100s of billions of gates per chip and 100s of millions of lines of software code in SoC and multi-die solutions, verification of advanced designs poses never-before seen challenges," said Ravi Subramanian, chief product management officer, Synopsys. "Continuing our strong partnership with AMD, our new systems deliver the highest HAV performance while offering the ultimate flexibility between prototyping and emulation use. Industry leaders are adopting Synopsys EP-Ready Hardware platforms for silicon to system verification and validation."
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Bend Studio Showcases Days Gone Remastered, Reveals New Modes & Content

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T0@st
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Days Gone Remastered rides onto PlayStation 5 and PC April 25, 2025! A game nearest and dearest to our hearts, with our good partners at Climax Studios, we strived to make this the definitive way to play Days Gone for new and returning players. Step into the dirt flecked shoes of former outlaw biker Deacon St. John and feel his desperate struggle for survival in a brutal open world ravaged by feral creatures known as Freakers. We at Bend Studio are very excited to share our first look at Days Gone Remastered with our announcement trailer, giving you a sneak peek of brand-new content to play!

Built for the PS5
Days Gone Remastered is brought to new life by the PlayStation 5 console featuring improved graphical fidelity, increased foliage draw distance, improved shadow and lighting quality, Tempest 3D Audio, VRR support and more. Select your preferred playing experience between Quality mode for increased resolution or Performance mode for improved framerates. And with the added power of the PS5 Pro, Days Gone has truly never looked better on PlayStation!
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XFX & ASRock Register Radeon RX 9070 Series SKUs in South Korea

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T0@st
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XFX and ASRock have registered various Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 SKUs in South Korea—earlier today, harukaze5719 discovered these "public secrets." The National Radio Agency received two filings from Hightech Systematic Limited (aka XFX); the graphics card manufacturer is seeking certification for five models. A single filing from ASRock Incorporation contains one product, a Radeon RX 9070 (non-XT) Challenger 16 GB card—TechPowerUp spent a little bit of hands-on time with this particular model at CES 2025.

XFX showcased two unnamed custom Radeon 9070 graphics card designs at last month's CES event, but yesterday's leak revealed a slew of incoming MERCURY, QUICKSILVER and SWIFT SKUs. The latest South Korean filings corroborate a couple of the accidental Canadian retail listings. The unannounced QUICKSILVER Magnetic Air model has attracted the most interest—promotional imagery is not available at the time of writing, but VideoCardz reckons that XFX could borrow elements from last year's hot-swappable Radeon RX 7900 XTX and RX 7800 XT Series design. TPU's W1zzard praised XFX's Magnetic Air system, in his evaluation of the Radeon RX 7900 XTX MERCURY model. An "amazing removable fan implementation" was pinpointed as a major highlight. The unusual usage of Honeywell PTM7950 thermal paste—a phase change material (PCM)—was another novel plus point.
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NVIDIA Confirms February 20 Availability Date of GeForce RTX 5070 Ti

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btarunr
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NVIDIA's official GeForce Twitter handle just confirmed that the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti will be available from February 20, 2025. This is the third RTX 50-series "Blackwell" graphics card launch. The RTX 5070 Ti is positioned in the enthusiast segment considering its starting price of $749, with custom-design OC cards expected to be priced well above $800. Although officially being recommended for maxed out gameplay at WQHD (2560 x 1440) or ultrawide 3440 x 1440 resolutions, we expect the RTX 5070 Ti to be capable of gameplay at 4K UHD considering its predecessors, the RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 3070 Ti, each were at launch.

The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is carved out from the same 5 nm "GB203" silicon that powers the RTX 5080 launched late last month. It is endowed with 70 out of 84 SM present on the silicon, which works out to 8,960 CUDA cores, 280 Tensor cores, 70 RT cores, 280 TMUs, and possibly 96 ROPs. The card gets 16 GB of [at least] 28 Gbps GDDR7 memory, giving it 896 GB/s of memory bandwidth on tap, a massive increase from the 12 GB and 504 GB/s of its predecessor. Then there are the Blackwell-exclusive technologies such as DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation, Neural Rendering, Mega Geometry for ray tracing, and an updated display engine with support for DisplayPort 2.1b UHBR20. The picture NVIDIA used in its tweet shows an abstract-looking card, which could be a sign that there won't be a Founders Edition card of the RTX 5070 Ti.

SEGA Introduces Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, Launching on August 29

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T0@st
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Just over a year ago, at The Game Awards 2023, Sega teased the revival of several legacy franchises. Today we are excited to formally announce the first of those games: Shinobi: Art of Vengeance. Yesterday's State of Play provided a first look at the game which will release August 29, 2025 on PC and consoles.

There is more to be shared in the coming months, but for now we wanted to bring you a Q&A with the game's producers at Sega of Japan and Lizardcube, who have teamed up to bring the game to life. We discuss the motivation to revive the franchise, how this new installment pays tribute to the original entries, and what players can expect from the full release. We hope you enjoy this first look behind Shinobi: Art of Vengeance!
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Seagate Announces Agreement to Acquire Intevac

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btarunr
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Seagate Technology, a leading innovator of mass-capacity data storage, and Intevac, Inc., a supplier of thin-film processing systems, today announced that Seagate has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Intevac in an all-cash transaction for $4.00 per share (the "Transaction"). In connection with the closing of the Transaction, Intevac will pay a one-time special dividend of $0.052 per share. The payment of the special dividend is expected to occur on or about the closing of the Transaction. Separately, Intevac's Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.05 per share, which will be paid on March 13, 2025, to Intevac stockholders of record as of February 28, 2025.

The Transaction and the special dividend deliver aggregate consideration to Intevac stockholders of $4.052 per share, or $4.102 per share including Intevac's regular quarterly dividend. This represents a premium of 45% to Intevac's closing price of $2.83 per share on December 11, 2024, one day prior to Intevac's announcement that it had renewed its focus on pursuing strategic options, a premium of approximately 21% to Intevac's closing price of $3.38 per share on February 12, 2025 and an aggregate value of approximately $119 million including both dividends. As a result of the Transaction, Intevac will no longer hold its earnings call, which was previously scheduled for February 25, 2025.
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ASE Technology Holding Co. Reports Q4 and 2024 Financial Results

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Nomad76
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ASE Technology Holding Co., Ltd., the leading provider of semiconductor assembly and testing services ("ATM") and the provider of electronic manufacturing services ("EMS"), today reported its unaudited net revenues of NT$162,264 million for 4Q24, up by 1.0% year-over-year and up by 1.3% sequentially. Net income attributable to shareholders of the parent for the quarter totaled NT9,312 million, down from NT$9,392 million in 4Q23 and down from NT$9,733 million in 3Q24. Basic earnings per share for the quarter were NT$2.15 (or US$0.134 per ADS), compared to NT$2.18 for 4Q23 and NT$2.25 for 3Q24. Diluted earnings per share for the quarter were NT$2.07 (or US$0.129 per ADS), compared to NT$2.13 for 4Q23 and NT$2.18 for 3Q24.

For the full year of 2024, the Company reported unaudited net revenues of NT$595,410 million and net income attributable to shareholders of the parent of NT$32,483 million. Basic earnings per share for the full year of 2024 were NT$7.52 (or US$0.470 per ADS). Diluted earnings per share for the full year of 2024 were NT$7.23 (or US$0.452 per ADS).
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ASUS Announces Availability of ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD

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GFreeman
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ASUS today announced the availability of ZenScreen Duo OLED MQ149CD, a portable monitor with two OLED screens that provide users with a versatile workspace offering more onscreen area than a standard 20-inch monitor. Each panel boasts a 1920 x 1200 resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio. OLED display technology ensures bright, crystal-clear visuals that stand out even in brightly-lit environments. This versatile monitor has a durable 360° hinge and fold-out kickstand that allows for flexible workstation setups, suiting a wide range of scenarios. Split, Extended, Independent, and Mirror modes provide even greater flexibility.

Compact, unique design
The portable MQ149CD offers a perfect blend of elegance and practicality, weighing just 1.07 kg and measuring just 14-inches when folded. When unfolded, its two screens offer the equivalent onscreen area of a standard 20-inch monitor. Thanks to its 360° hinge design, the monitor can be used in a variety of positions, including a unique Tent mode in which the two displays face opposite directions, allowing for convenient one-to-one presentations.
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Thermaltake Unveils Massive EXTREME Notebook Cooler With Cross-flow Fan

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GFreeman
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Thermaltake, a leading PC DIY brand for premium hardware solutions, is thrilled to launch the Massive EXTREME, a high-performance notebook cooler designed to deliver exceptional cooling for gaming and workstation laptops. With a cross-flow fan with an impressive 3500 RPM fan speed and sealed chamber design, it ensures superior temperature control even during demanding tasks.

Massive EXTREME is Thermaltake's first laptop cooler equipped with a powerful cross-flow fan, its vortex airflow design offers smoother air circulation to enhance the cooling capacity. This 120 mm PWM fan delivers up to 48.5 CFM airflow and 29.5 mm-H2O static pressure while keeping a noise level of 55.0 dB-A. Furthermore, the included high-density memory foam forms a sealed chamber, concentrating cooling on critical hotspots and significantly lower laptop temperatures.
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Sharkoon Launches New AK3 ATX and MK3 Micro-ATX PC Cases

Press Release by
GFreeman
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The AK3 RGB puts the focus on a classically minimalist look with an air-permeable front panel and a high level of functionality. With its modern connection options, space for large pieces of hardware, and room for up to eleven fans, this case is suitable for either gaming, office or multimedia PCs.

In addition to a tempered-glass side panel, the AK3 RGB has a front panel that has been designed to optimally support the airflow inside the case by allowing the easy entry of air from the outside.A total of up to eleven fans have room in the AK3 RGB, four of which are already pre-installed: Three addressable 120 mm RGB PWM fans are located behind the front panel and an identical fan is on the rear panel. Those who prefer water cooling will also be happy with the AK3 RGB, as two radiators with up to 360 mm can be simultaneously operated, if required.
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Western Digital Unveiled Go-Forward Strategy at Investor Day 2025

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btarunr
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Western Digital (Nasdaq: WDC) held the company's Investor Day today, announcing a vision and strategy for the future as the planned separation of the company's Flash business nears its expected completion on February 21, 2025. CEO Designate Irving Tan reinforced Western Digital's leadership in delivering world-class, sustainable storage solutions at scale. With a deep legacy in HDD technology and innovation, Western Digital remains the trusted partner for the world's largest hyperscalers, CSPs and OEMs, delivering cutting-edge solutions at the right time with low total cost of ownership (TCO). From industry-leading ePMR CMR HDDs and UltraSMR technology, to HAMR and beyond, Western Digital continues to drive innovation across its portfolio, creating unmatched long-term value for its customers.

Tan shared Western Digital's projection on how the proliferation of AI will impact the HDD industry and the value of data stored. As companies generate and store more data, growing use cases such as text-to-image GenAI workloads, text-to-video applications and a rising demand for massive data lakes to fuel AI models are expected to increase HDD exabyte shipments at a 23% CAGR from 2024 to 2028. Western Digital remains steadfast in addressing the ever-growing data demands of the cloud and enterprise markets, delivering the scalability, TCO and sustainability needed to store the majority of the world's generated data, which is expected to grow 3x between 2023 and 2028.
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V-COLOR Expands DDR5 Lineup with New SCC O CUDIMM RGB Filler Kit with maximum Speed up to 8800MT/s

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btarunr
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V-COLOR Technology Inc. proudly introduces the groundbreaking CKD SCC (Speed Booster, Colorful Makeover and Cost effective) O CUDIMM RGB Filler Kit 2+2 (2 DRAM Modules + 2 Filler Modules) additions to its DDR5 memory lineup, redefining high-performance and customization. With the launch of the new SCC O CUDIMM RGB Filler Kit now compatible with Intel Core Ultra CPUs Motherboards 800 series up to 8800 MT/s and not only that, the already existent SCC UDIMM kit just got a massive upgrade now reaching 8000 MT/s with dual profiles for Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO. This new SCC line will be under the family of the already amazing XFinity series that continues to push the boundaries of memory innovation.

The latest CKD SCC O CUDIMM is optimized for Intel Core Ultra CPUs and Z890 series motherboards, offering unmatched performance and stability. With speeds reaching 8000 MT/s ~ 8200 MT/s for 32 GB (2x 16 GB) configurations and 7000 MT/s ~ 8800 MT/s for 48 GB (2x 24 GB) configurations. The latest lineup of SCC technology doesn't just revolutionize the new O CUDIMM memory modules; it also pushes the boundaries of already existing UDIMMs to unprecedented levels. Speeds now reach an impressive 7200 MT/s up to 8000 MT/s, while the addition of dual profiles ensures seamless compatibility and performance optimization for both AMD EXPO and Intel XMP 3.0 systems. This development bridges accessibility across platforms, offering next-level performance for enthusiasts and professionals alike.
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AVerMedia Announces the Release of Its Latest Capture Card: Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro

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btarunr
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AVerMedia Technologies, a global leader in streaming and digital audiovisual solutions, announces the launch of the Live Gamer ULTRA S (GC553Pro), a high-performance capture card built for game streamers looking to elevate their content and raise the bar for their game streaming. With support for high frame rate recording, true-color RGB24 capture, and 5.1-channel surround sound, the Live Gamer ULTRA S empowers creators to captivate their audiences with stunning visuals and immersive audio. Paired with AVerMedia's software ecosystem—Streaming Center, Streaming Center Plug (OBS plugin), and the all-new Assist Central Pro— it ensures a smoother, more efficient streaming experience.

"Game streamers today demand more than just basic capture—they need tools that bring out the best in their content," said Michael Kuo, President and CEO of AVerMedia Technologies. "The Live Gamer ULTRA S is built to meet these expectations, offering the quality and flexibility creators need to engage their audiences like never before."
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Wednesday, February 12th 2025

Today's Reviews

Cases
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Keyboards
Notebooks
Speakers
SSD
Lian Li GA II Lite 360 Performance Review

Lian Li GA II Lite 360 Performance Review

Review CPU Coolers
Lian Li goes on the offensive against its competition with the GA II Lite 360 Performance AIO, delivering daisy-chained fans, hidden cables, stellar performance, and an outstanding warranty. It’s a near-perfect blend of everything you’d want in an all-in-one liquid cooler—and better yet, it comes at an attractive price.
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WD Black SN7100 2 TB Review - The New Best SSD

WD Black SN7100 2 TB Review - The New Best SSD

Review SSD
The WD Black SN7100 2 TB SSD sets a new standard as the fastest Gen 4 SSD we've ever tested. It's also priced well and highly energy-efficient, which helps keep temperatures down. Fast, efficient, and affordable—the WD Black SN7100 hits all the marks.
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ADATA Industrial Releases A+ Analyzer Data Analysis Tool Customizing the Best SSD Solutions

Press Release by
btarunr
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ADATA Technology, the world's leading brand for industrial-grade embedded storage, has released the "A+ Analyzer" data analysis tool, which features technology developed by ADATA's independent R&D team integrating software and hardware to analyze user behavior. This innovative solution aims to accurately depict terminal device usage behavior through in-depth collection and analysis of customer host system data, thereby enabling the selection of the most suitable SSD products for customers.

Since industry customers are widely distributed in disparate fields such as transportation, medical care, automation, network communications, and security, there are significant differences in data patterns, write cycles, and SSD read/write requirements for associated applications (such as sequential read/write, random read/write). The lifespan of flash memory decreases with each write cycle. Therefore, the read/write behavior of specific applications directly affects the durability of SSD flash memory. The ADATA "A+ Analyzer" tool was created to meet these challenges. It not only analyzes customer behavior to gain in-depth insight into their usage patterns, but also provides personalized SSD selection recommendations or customized firmware solutions based on different routines.
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Processors in EU Retail Channel Could Lose "Unnecessary Packaging," Possibly even Stock Coolers

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btarunr
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The EU could influence the mobile phone industry to ditch bundling wall chargers with their phones, and got them to standardize the USB-C connector, with the goal of minimizing the number of wall chargers people would have to own, which could last years, spanning many phones. It even got Apple to ditch its proprietary Lightning connector in favor of USB-C. The European Commission could be turning its attention to the way products such as desktop PC processors are sold in the retail channel. In the OEM channel, things are golden—processors are sold by the 1,000 units in trays that aren't all that different from the way eggs are sold to restaurants. In the retail channel, these processors put on elaborate packaging material that includes boxes that are about 20 times the size of the processor itself, and include stock cooling solutions that can run the processors at stock settings.

This could change, as the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) came into effect on February 11, 2025. This regulation gives manufacturers an 18-month grace period for compliance, and it affects desktop processor packaging in the retail channel. The first casualty will be special edition or flagship SKUs that come with swanky acrylic packaging, like Intel's large dodecahedron that shipped with the Core i9-9900K. Intel has already made the switch, and its current flagship, the Core Ultra 9 285K, comes in much simpler paperboard boxes. AMD's flagship processors also comply, as they come in compact paperboard boxes even for the top Ryzen 9 9950X. Then there's the issue of stock CPU coolers included in these boxes, at least for the 65 W processor models.
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Borderlands 4 Gets Official Release Date as New Trailer Debuts Double Jump and Action Skills Galore

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Cpt.Jank
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The lead-up to the release of Borderlands 4 has been rife with release date speculation, feature wish lists, and no shortage of complaints about visuals and character design. Today, however, at PlayStation State of Play, Take Two released a new trailer for Borderlands 4 and finally confirmed a September 23 release date for the upcoming looter shooter.

As is to be expected from any trailer dropping months ahead of the official game launch, gameplay details are slyly hinted at instead of directly advertised, but there is a lot of information hidden in the latest Borderlands 4 trailer. For starters, the trailer confirmed that Borderlands 4 appears to be getting some serious mobility enhancements, including a new double jump mechanic—which would be the first time since Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel that a Borderlands game allows players to properly redirect in the air. Alongside with double jumping, the new trailer gives us a hint at what to expect from new weapons and character abilities.
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Corsair Announces Planned Retirement of Founder and CEO Andy Paul and Appointment of Thi La as Company's Next CEO

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TheLostSwede
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Corsair Gaming, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRSR) ("Corsair" or the "Company"), a leading global provider and innovator of high-performance products for gamers, streamers, content-creators, and gaming PC builders, today announced the planned retirement of Andy Paul, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, from the company and its board effective July 1, 2025. As part of the planned transition, the board of directors appointed Thi La, currently Corsair's President and Chief Operating Officer, as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2025.

Ms. La, an experienced leader in the computer and gaming industries, joined Corsair in 2010, and played an instrumental role in growing Corsair from a $300 million company to where it is today. La oversaw the expansion of the company's product portfolio from a small range of DIY components, adding many gaming and streaming solutions to what is now a diverse gaming company with 30 different product lines. In December of 2021, La was appointed a member of Corsair's Board of Directors. She has served as Chief Operating Officer since August 2013, and President since January 2021. From May 2010 to August 2013, she held the position of Senior Vice President and General Manager of the gaming PC component unit. Before her tenure at Corsair, La was Vice President of Global Operations and IT at Opnext, Inc., and the North America Consumer PC Product Line Director at HP, responsible for over $3 billion in revenue. Ms. La holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from San Jose State University.
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ASUS ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 & 5080 BIOS Update Tool Retunes Quiet Mode

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T0@st
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ASUS has released version one of a BIOS update tool for its ultra-premium air-cooled ROG Astral graphics cards, OC and standard flavors. Yesterday's update advertises an improved "Quiet Mode," that implements a "more silent fan curve." TechPowerUp reviewed the quad-fan configured ASUS ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 OC Edition cards late last month. Resident GPU evaluator, W1zzard, awarded the astronomically-priced flagship model with an "Editor's Choice" badge, but simultaneously pinned on a "But Expensive" honor. The lesser (GB203-based) Astral did not receive any accolades. Both models have courted criticism for louder than expected operation; W1zzard did not enjoy listening to the Astral GeForce RTX 5090 OC Edition's collective fan concerto. "Out of the box" settings were not great, and the quiet BIOS mode did not "help much" in reducing the highest-end Astral's cacophony.

TPU's GPU guru elaborated further: "the second BIOS runs a more relaxed fan curve, but it's not much quieter and achieves 36.5 dBA with 70°C. Sure, good temperature, but isn't the point of a 'quiet' BIOS that isn't quiet, even if temperatures are higher? MSI's Suprim lineup does much better noise-wise, with temperatures that aren't that much higher." The ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5080 OC Edition seems to be a less noisy prospect, given that its cooling solution is not dealing with the largest "Blackwell" GPU die. Its sound signature was less offensive, but W1zzard reckoned that there was room for improvement. On this subject he stated: "with the default (performance) BIOS, temperatures are extremely low, but noise levels are a little bit on the high side with 36 dBA. I would have preferred a more balanced setting. Good thing that ASUS includes a secondary quiet BIOS with their card. Now the card runs whisper quiet, emitting only 26 dBA, which is highly impressive for a card in this performance segment. It is not the quietest card though, the MSI Suprim SOC is a tiny bit quieter, and it is so out of the box, without requiring a manual BIOS switch change." ASUS has seemingly absorbed initial feedback from review outlets (plus early adopters)—yesterday's update arrived just under two weeks from launch time. Watch out for possible upcoming reassessments.

Angelbird Intros Its AV PRO SE CFexpress B v4 Memory Cards

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Nomad76
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Angelbird is excited to introduce our new AV PRO SE CFexpress B v4 memory cards. Built on the latest CFexpress v4 Type B technology, we set a new benchmark for stable, high-speed performance, redefining the "Standard Edition" of our CFexpress Type B memory cards.

Stability meets performance
At Angelbird, we understand that true performance isn't just about maximum speeds - it's about delivering consistent, stable results throughout the entire creative process. Angelbird's Stable Stream guarantees consistent recording performance across all modes and throughout the entire capacity of the card. These new cards deliver a sustained write speed of up to 3150 MB/s - doubling the speed of our previous CFexpress 2.0 Type B cards. Designed to keep up with various demanding workflows, from fast-paced shoots to data-intensive post-production, they deliver unparalleled and reliable performance for the modern creator.
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Bandai Namco Reveals ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN Launch Date: May 30

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T0@st
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ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN, the standalone multiplayer co-op action survival game by FromSoftware, Inc. and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc., will launch on May 30. Set in the Elden Ring universe, ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN challenges players with co-op multiplayer PVE combat against a harsh and unforgiving world. Pre-orders are now available for the Standard ($39.99), Deluxe ($54.99), or Collector's Edition ($199.99) of ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. Follow the latest information on the official website.

Teaming up in squads of three—or daring to go solo—players must choose one of eight Nightfarers, each with different abilities, to outlast a three day-and-night cycle. Players must make split-second decisions about combat and exploration across a map that can fluctuate with different biomes, weapons, and enemies in order to become stronger, and outrun the encroaching circle of fire to be able to take on terrifying bosses at the end of each day. This culminates on the third day, where if players were successful in surviving the night must take on one of the Nightlords—new bosses for this version. Nightfarers must learn to cooperate to take down these challenges, combining their unique abilities together for an unparalleled experience in the ELDEN RING universe. All is not lost for those who fall in defeat. Unsuccessful runs will grant players relics to allow them to customize and upgrade their characters tailored to their personal play styles.
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Insider Refutes Reports of Samsung "Galaxy S26 Series" Featuring 6000+ mAh Capacity Batteries

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T0@st
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Yesterday's news cycle pointed to Samsung's alleged development of 7000 mAh capacity batteries for the next-gen "Galaxy S26" smartphone series. Additionally, reports suggest that the South Korean megacorporation's Electronics division is experimenting with silicon-carbon battery technology. Industry watchdogs reckon that Chinese manufacturers are market leaders in terms of silicon-carbon battery tech breakthrough, with Apple and Samsung trailing far behind. PandaFlashPro took issue with the latest reports, and dismissed the notion of a so-called "Galaxy S26 Ultra" model featuring a 7000 mAh capacity battery. According to their network of insider sources, Samsung engineers are struggling with their planned improvements.

Typically, flagship Galaxy S phones have utilized 5000 mAh lithium-polymer batteries. PandaFlashPro envisions an underwhelming next-gen upgrade in this department: "I'll delete my X/Twitter account if Samsung gives the 'Galaxy S26 Ultra' a 7000 mAh or even a 6000 mAh battery I bet...based on my five sources, the internal Samsung Test Lab only seem to have a maximum capacity of 5500mAh; not more." The self-proclaimed science and tech enthusiast did not clarify whether the new generation of Galaxy S models will utilize silicon-carbon tech. Industry whispers allege that Samsung is perfecting its "battery formula," thus ensuring that it meets internal standards and expectations.

Seagate Announces Its Ultra-Compact SSD Series

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Nomad76
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Seagate Technology Holdings plc, a leading innovator of mass-capacity data storage, today announced the Seagate Ultra-Compact SSD, the lightning-fast SSD that is highly durable and portable. With transfer speeds of up to 1,000 MB/s, you can conveniently store and move large files on-the-go, freeing up space on your PC, phone, tablet or gaming device. The device comes in spacious 1 TB and 2 TB capacities.

Product Highlights:
  • Small but Mighty: The Seagate Ultra-Compact SSD is a compact and light, thumb-drive sized SSD that easily attaches to your key ring. Despite its small size, it offers powerful performance and convenience.
  • Tough Stuff: Built to withstand the rigors of travel, The Seagate Ultra-Compact SSD features 3 meter drop resistance, IP54 dust and water resistance, and a removable rubber sleeve for extra protection.
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OnLogic Reveals the Axial AX300 Edge Server

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Nomad76
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OnLogic, a leading provider of edge computing solutions, has launched the Axial AX300, a highly customizable and powerful edge server. The AX300 is engineered to help businesses of any size better leverage their on-site data and unlock the potential of AI by placing powerful computing capabilities on-site.

The Axial AX300 empowers organizations to seamlessly move computing resources closer to the data source, providing significant advantages in performance, latency, operational efficiency, and total cost of ownership over cloud-based data management. With its robust design, flexible configuration options, and advanced security features, the Axial AX300 is the ideal platform for a wide range of highly-impactful edge computing applications, including:
  • AI/ML inference and training: Leveraging the power of AI/ML at the edge for real-time insights, predictive maintenance, and improved decision-making.
  • Data analytics: Processing and analyzing data generated by IoT devices and sensors in real-time to improve operational efficiency.
  • Virtualization: Consolidating multiple workloads onto a single server, optimizing resource utilization and simplifying deployment and management.
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Powerbeats Pro 2 Launched With Multiple Updates and 10-hour Battery Life

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GGforever
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The Powerbeats Pro 2 from Beats are officially here, commanding a premium $250 price tag. The earbuds feature ANC and transparency modes, along with a custom acoustic architecture with dual-layer drivers. Sound quality is difficult to determine without actually trying the buds on, but the Powerbeats Pro from 2019 were met with mostly positive reviews, which sure does indicate that its successors will likely live up to expectations. The earbuds boast Apple's H2 chip, which is the exact same SiP found in the AirPods Pro 2, and therefore, sport spatial audio support with dynamic head tracking when used with the Apple Vision Pro. A heart rate sensor is also present, which makes sense considering the earbuds are primarily targeted at fitness enthusiasts.

The charging case has shrunk, and can juice up the earbuds over three times. With ANC on, the Powerbeats Pro 2 can be used for 8 hours, and with ANC off, the usage time goes up by two hours. Unlike AirPods, the Powerbeats Pro 2 should function well with Android devices, thanks to the Beats app. The USB-C port replaces the previous lightning connector, and the IPX4 rating indicates sweat resistance. Thankfully, physical buttons are present, allowing for volume, playback, voice assistant, and ANC controls without having to resort to any gesture-induced guess work. Beats also claims that the earbuds are 20% lighter than before, which is certainly welcome news. A total of five tip sizes are provided with the earbuds, which should resolve the majority comfort issues for most people.

Firaxis Celebrates Launch of Sid Meier's Civilization VII, Welcomes Feedback

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T0@st
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Civ fans—Sid Meier's Civilization VII is available now! To the entire Civ community, thank you so much for joining us on this journey. We're honored and humbled to be starting this new chapter of Civ history with you, and this is just the beginning of our years-long commitment to Civilization VII. Thanks especially to everyone who has offered feedback and support in the days since Advanced Access began for Deluxe and Founders Edition owners. As we stated in our February 6 message to the Civ community, we're actively listening to all the feedback, and work is already underway on free updates to the game including a UI rework, the addition of community-requested features, and other quality-of-life updates. We're still determining what can be delivered when, so be on the lookout for a detailed roadmap in the future. We're committed to making Civilization VII the best it can be, and your feedback is hugely helpful as we continue to make improvements.

Thank you for being a Civ fan
We can't wait for you to get into the game and start building an empire you believe in - but first, we'd like to share some heartfelt thanks to the entire Civ community from some of the people who made Civilization VII possible: "It is a monumental day for all of us at Firaxis, and we couldn't let it pass without saying a heartfelt thank you. When Sid Meier started this series over 30 years ago, his vision for Civilization wasn't just about building a great game - it was about creating a canvas where players could shape the world and write their own history. That vision remains at the heart of everything we do, and it's what makes Civilization VII a true collaboration with you, our dedicated fans. On behalf of everyone at Firaxis, thank you for your trust, excitement, and love for this series. Here's to the next chapter of Civilization!"—Heather Hazen, President of Firaxis
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AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT & 9070 Prices Leaked by Canadian Retailer

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T0@st
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AMD will be launching its new generation of "RDNA 4" Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 graphics cards next month, but we will likely hear more about technical details and price points from official sources around late February. Team Red had scheduled a special "launch event," but Radeon RX 9070 series leaks continue to flow online. Earlier today, reports alluded to an XT variant that allegedly sports a generous VRAM pool of 32 GB. VideoCardz has received another RDNA 4 tip-off, courtesy of Tomasz Gawroński and the AnandTech forums. Based on screenshots, Canada Computers has inadvertently revealed regional prices (minus tax) for PowerColor and XFX's opening round of custom Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 models.

Team Red is reportedly lining up an aggressive price strategy; industry insiders reckon that that baseline MSRP for the Radeon RX 9070 XT will be $599. Its non-XT sibling is expected to launch at a minimum point of $499. The Canada Computers leak seems to contain a small selection of models that hover closer to AMD's guidelines, but the majority of listed cards seemingly demand a premium upcharge. PowerColor's barebones models appear to conform closest to Team Red's recommended baseline—according to VideoCardz's conversion-crunching, the Radeon RX 9070 XT Reaper will cost $999 CAD (~$697 USD). The RX 9070 (non-XT) Reaper will come in at $839 CAD (~$586 USD). We spotted no surprises when looking up and down the list of leaked PowerColor RDNA 4 SKUs; TechPowerUp staffers handled Red Devil, Hellhound and Reaper samples at CES 2025. In sharp contrast, XFX appears to have all sorts of options lined up for launch (refer to VideoCardz's chart, below). Two unnamed demonstration units—in black or white—were on display at AMD's recent partner roundup.
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China's Semiconductor Equipment Spending to Decline in 2025, First Decline in Recent Years

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AleksandarK
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China's dominance in semiconductor equipment procurement is expected to face its first setback since 2021, with spending projected to decrease from $41 billion to $38 billion in 2025, according to semiconductor research firm TechInsights. This 6% decline marks a significant shift for the world's largest buyer of wafer fabrication equipment, whose purchases represented 40% of global sales in 2024. The downturn reflects mounting pressures from both market dynamics and geopolitical constraints. US export controls targeting advanced semiconductor capabilities have intensified while domestic chipmakers grapple with overcapacity in mature node segments. SMIC, China's leading foundry, has already signaled concerns about oversupply risks in this sector, where Chinese manufacturers have rapidly expanded their market share against Taiwanese competitors.

Despite these headwinds, Chinese equipment manufacturers have notably advanced domestic capability development. Naura Technology Group has emerged as the seventh-largest global equipment manufacturer, while AMEC continues to expand its international presence. However, critical gaps persist in China's semiconductor equipment ecosystem, particularly in lithography systems, where dependence on foreign suppliers like ASML remains high. TechInsights data reveals that Chinese companies supplied only 17% of testing tools and 10% of domestic assembly equipment in 2023. The spending reduction comes after a period of aggressive stockpiling prompted by US sanctions to limit Beijing's access to advanced chipmaking capabilities, especially those applicable to artificial intelligence and military applications. However, Chinese manufacturers have demonstrated resilience, with SMIC and Huawei successfully producing advanced chips through alternative, albeit more costly, manufacturing methods.

Wacom Redesigns its Flagship Intuos Pro Pen Tablet

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Nomad76
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The premium digital tablet familiar to the desks of the world's top illustrators, photo editors, videographers and 3D sculptors is now in perfect harmony with today's high-end creative applications thanks to its updated design featuring tactile controls and the industry defining Pro Pen 3.

Creative workflows are part work and part flow. The work requires a combination of operating complex software controls and processes. The flow is the act of creation. The new Intuos Pro is designed to help artists accomplish their work as quickly and intuitively as possible so they can immerse themselves in the creative flow. The newest Wacom Intuos Pro remains true to its heritage as the preeminent tablet for anyone accustomed to professional workflows. In fact, it has been the industry standard for so long, its precursor, the Intuos 3, was sent to space to support astronauts on the space station as they adjusted to microgravity.
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Crytek Announces Staff Layoffs, Crysis 4 Development Was Put on Hold in 2024

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T0@st
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Like so many of our peers, we aren't immune to the complex, unfavorable market dynamics that have hit our industry these past several years. It pains us greatly to share today that we must lay off an estimated 15% of our around 400 employees. The layoffs affect development teams and shared services. This has not been an easy decision to make, as we deeply appreciate the hard work of our talented teams. After putting the development of the next Crysis game on hold in Q3 2024, we have been trying to shift developers over to Hunt: Showdown 1896.

While Hunt: Showdown 1896 is still growing, Crytek cannot continue as before and remain financially sustainable. Even after ongoing efforts to reduce costs and cut operating expenses, we have determined that layoffs are inevitable to move forward. Crytek will offer affected employees severance packages and career assistance services. We firmly believe in the future of Crytek. With Hunt: Showdown 1896, we have a very strong gaming service and remain fully committed to its operation. We will continue to expand and evolve Hunt: Showdown 1896 with great content and drive our strategy for our engine CRYENGINE.

Intel Xeon "Granite Rapids-W" Mainstream & Expert HEDT CPUs Leaked

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T0@st
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Unannounced Intel processor families have emerged online over the past week—one source, Jaykihn, has unearthed a treasure trove of speculative mobile SKUs. Today's discovery pushes into the enterprise market segment; focusing on Team Blue's "Granite Rapids-W" (GNR-W) platform, likely equipped with Redwood Cove cores. The latest leak suggests an upcoming emergence of "Mainstream" and "Expert" workstation-oriented product tiers, allegedly prepared with the company's rumored W890 motherboard chipset. Past generations of "Xeon W" HEDT processor families have rolled out with entry-level and high-end offerings.

The leaker reckons that the mainstream Intel Granite Rapids-W "Xeon W" lineup will arrive with 4-channel memory support and 80 PCIe Gen 5 Lanes. Team Blue's higher-end "Expert" tier is anticipated with 128 PCIe Gen 5 lanes and 8-channel memory support. In addition to leaking processor information, Jaykihn outlined basic details regarding the W890 chipset—they believe that board designs will have access to 24 PCIe Gen 4 lanes, as well as 8 Gen 4 lanes for Intel's proprietary link (DMI) between northbridge and southbridge. The leaker did not divulge details of upcoming socket types—Team Blue is notorious for its elaborate rollout out of multiple LGA platforms.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Launch Delayed To March, Claims Tipster

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GGforever
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According to a fresh leak doing the rounds on the internet, NVIDIA has pushed the launch of its GeForce RTX 5070 GPU all the way to March - suspiciously close to AMD's RDNA 4 launch. The RTX 5070 Ti is still on track for a launch later this month, which can already be seen taking shape going by all the leaked retailer listings. The RTX 5070, has yet to witness any leaked listings, which adds credibility to the claim for sure. MEGAsizeGPU, the source, has further claimed that the GeForce RTX 5070 will "hit shelves" early next month.

Going by some of the rumored performance improvements, that the GeForce RTX 5070 family is poised to bring to the table, it can be said that there is a very real chance that the RDNA 4-based AMD Radeon RX 9070 family will have the upper hand in not just affordability, but also raster performance. Considering the abysmal supply that the RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 recently witnessed, it is not unfathomable that the RTX 5070 family will face similarly dire circumstances. Of course, things may change, but the rumored delay surely does not inspire confidence. AMD has a real opportunity to do right by gamers by appropriately pricing its RDNA 4 cards and somehow sorting out its supply chain, although that is yet to be seen.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 Mid-range SoC Introduced With 39% Faster GPU

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GGforever
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Qualcomm has announced its latest mid-range offering, dubbed the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4. Compared to its predecessor, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, the improvements on the CPU side are rather modest, with Qualcomm claiming an 11% improvement. The CPU, now based on TSMC N4, packs four ARMv9-based Cortex-A720 P-cores, along with four Cortex-A520 E-cores, making it an 8-core system as tradition. On the GPU side, however, a substantial 29% improvement has been asserted, although the specifics remain under wraps as of this writing.

The chipset can be paired with up to 16 GB of LPDDR5-3200 memory, and displays up to FHD+ at 144 Hz are supported. INT4 support is also present the new NPU, which should allow for decent on-device AI capabilities. Gaming performance should also witness a decent jump, thanks to the aforementioned GPU improvement, paired with Game Super Resolution (upscaling) and Frame Motion Engine (frame generation, every other frame). For connectivity, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, and 5G (mm Wave, sub-6 GHz) are present. Up to 200 MP single-camera systems are supported, with Snapdragon's LLV (Low Light Vision) technology, Of course, being a budget segment SoC, it would be futile to expect high-end photography capabilities. As for videography, 4k30 and 1080p120 are supported, along with HLG and HDR10.

HYTE Announces New Limited-Edition Persona 3 Reload Themed Products

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Nomad76
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HYTE, a leading manufacturer of cutting-edge PC components and peripherals, is teaming up with ATLUS once again to bring back its highly popular collaboration with Persona 3 Reload. The game's cast and setting will be featured in a premium and aesthetic manner with an all-new product line involving HYTE's iconic Y70 computer case.

ATLUS and HYTE are gearing up for a year-long celebration of Persona 3 Reload's original February 2024 launch with all-new limited-edition Persona 3 Reload-themed products. Like with the original Y60 case collaboration, HYTE's Persona 3 Reload Y70 Case utilizes the chassis' glass panels to lovingly feature the game's core cast and the in-game setting of Tartarus. The case's metal paneling is also tastefully decorated with in-game elements fans are sure to recognize, including a "Dark Hour" clock painted on its rear panel, and comes with a custom metal plate that calls back to S.E.E.S., the main group players will join in Persona 3 Reload.
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NVIDIA's Leading Partners Adopt Cybersecurity AI to Safeguard Critical Infrastructure

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T0@st
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The rapid evolution of generative AI has created countless opportunities for innovation across industry and research. As is often the case with state-of-the-art technology, this evolution has also shifted the landscape of cybersecurity threats, creating new security requirements. Critical infrastructure cybersecurity is advancing to thwart the next wave of emerging threats in the AI era. Leading operational technology (OT) providers today showcased at the S4 conference for industrial control systems (ICS) and OT cybersecurity how they're adopting the NVIDIA cybersecurity AI platform to deliver real-time threat detection and critical infrastructure protection.

Armis, Check Point, CrowdStrike, Deloitte and World Wide Technology (WWT) are integrating the platform to help customers bolster critical infrastructure, such as energy, utilities and manufacturing facilities, against cyber threats. Critical infrastructure operates in highly complex environments, where the convergence of IT and OT, often accelerated by digital transformation, creates a perfect storm of vulnerabilities. Traditional cybersecurity measures are no longer sufficient to address these emerging threats. By harnessing NVIDIA's cybersecurity AI platform, these partners can provide exceptional visibility into critical infrastructure environments, achieving robust and adaptive security while delivering operational continuity.
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MSI RTX 5070 Ti GAMING TRIO OC+ & VANGUARD SOC Pricing Leaks Out in Europe: €1149+

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T0@st
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European PC hardware retailers are readying themselves with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti partner models, ahead of the GPU's freshly scheduled launch on February 20. Tech news sites and industry watchdogs have already sniffed out preliminary pricing; courtesy of accidental listings of MSI custom card designs in France and Austria. We are more than a week away from GeForce RTX 5070 Ti release day, so speculative price points are subject to change. The Austrian arm of MediaMarkt was quick to correct matters after an accidental leak, and proceeded to remove an MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GAMING TRIO OC PLUS product page from its webstore. VideoCardz managed to preserve fundamental details, prior to MediaMarkt AT's de-listing of the offending item. The card's alleged €1169 asking price has raised Central European eyebrows—factoring in the region's customary VAT, we are looking at an approximate 32% increase over NVIDIA's baseline MSRP (€884). It should be noted that a Founders Edition does not exist in Team Green's upper-mid "Blackwell" GPU segment.

MSI's price point for its GeForce RTX 5070 Ti VENTUS 3X OC PLUS card is expected to reside closer to Team Green's recommendation, but this barebones offering sits within the company's "entry-level" product tier. The manufacturer's GAMING TRIO OC PLUS range tends to slot right into middle of product hierarchies—provisioned RGB lighting, larger heatsinks and miscellaneous fancy features often demand an upcharge at retail. Tomasz Gawroński (aka GawroskiT) happened upon additional MSI listings in France; an unnamed e-tailer has priced the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GAMING TRIO OC PLUS at €1149 (€20 cheaper than MediaMarkt AT). The upper crust MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti VANGUARD SOC LIMITED EDITION model demands that French customers part way with €1199, for the pleasure of ownership.

Xbox Goes Hands-on with South of Midnight

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T0@st
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At first blush, South of Midnight could be described as a classic action-adventure: a heroine thrust from ordinary life into a remarkable journey; magical weapons and abilities; ability skill trees. But spend just a few minutes with it, and that feeling simply floats away. We've never seen a gaming world quite like this. In playing through its full third chapter, it's a revelation that strikes again and again—this setting, this story, these ideas, even the music are something brand new, all underpinned by challenging combat and blissful exploration along the way. The preview begins as our hero, Hazel, has already set off to find her mother, who's been swept away by a flood. Before we step into her sneakers, she's discovered she's a Weaver, able to wield an ancient form of magic that allows her to fight and explore by pulling on the once-invisible threads holding reality together. But around her, that reality seems to be warping. We step into a Deep South-inspired countryside that Hazel doesn't recognize—and that is, in places, actively hostile to her.

Trailers have showed us a lot of the world and story of South of Midnight, but getting your hands on it reveals the tight, action-focused game simmering underneath. As you travel the world, you'll see shimmering spheres of energy, refracting light like an oil-slicked puddle. Entering one will see you facing off against Haints, creatures from real Southern folklore. These creatures come in various forms - some rush you, pulling off melee flurries, others flee for ranged attacks, while some simply pump out grotesque insects to harry you. It quickly becomes an element of strategy to work out which Haint needs to be taken down first in any given situation.
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GIGABYTE AORUS RTX 5080 MASTER's Optional Fourth Fan Lowers Temps by 2 °C

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T0@st
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The new ASUS ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 designs have attracted a lot of attention, due to an unusual cooling configuration that includes a backplate-mounted fourth fan. At CES 2025, MSI teased onlookers with a placard adorned with a GeForce RTX 32G "Lightning" Special Edition model—featuring a "FiveFrozr" cooling solution. A traditional triple-fan setup is placed in the expected shroud location, but two additional units are integrated into the card's backplate. According to recent reports and early reviews, GIGABYTE has deployed a somewhat related system, albeit entirely optional (depending on user discretion). The Taiwanese manufacturer sent its AORUS RTX 5090 and 5080 MASTER models to market last week. These premium card designs feature the company's new "Screen Cooling Plus" system. CES press material claims that the "extra air-boosting fan" grants more airflow.

GIGABYTE's fourth fan has flown under the radar, but major hardware news outlets have just picked up on initial impressions. Singapore's HardwareZone appreciated the inclusion of an optional extra—with their AORUS RTX 5080 MASTER sample—but criticized GIGABYTE's slightly undercooked implementation. Their reviewer did not evaluate whether the modular part made any difference in terms of reducing temperatures—instead, they opined: "to further improve cooling, the card also comes bundled with a separate 120 mm RGB fan that you can place on the back of the card to pull air out—a design reminiscent of the ROG Astral RTX 5080's built-in cooling solution. It's a practical touch but not an elegant one, as it means having to deal with additional cables to tidy up since—oddly enough—the card itself does not come with a power connector for the extra fan." GLITCHED.online, a South African tech site, took GIGABYTE's AORUS RTX 5080 MASTER ICE card for a test drive—they found that the extra bit of cooling potential made a difference, but it was "almost unnoticeable." We hope that GIGABYTE will send review samples to TPU's W1zzard in the near future. Will the fourth fan make any difference on the AORUS RTX 5090 MASTER model?
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HPE Introduces Next-Generation ProLiant Servers

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Nomad76
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Hewlett Packard Enterprise today announced eight new HPE ProLiant Compute Gen12 servers, the latest additions to a new generation of enterprise servers that introduce industry-first security capabilities, optimize performance for complex workloads and boost productivity with management features enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI). The new servers will feature upcoming Intel Xeon 6 processors for data center and edge environments.

"Our customers are tackling workloads that are overwhelmingly data-intensive and growing ever-more demanding," said Krista Satterthwaite, senior vice president and general manager, Compute at HPE. "The new HPE ProLiant Compute Gen12 servers give organizations - spanning public sector, enterprise and vertical industries like finance, healthcare and more - the horsepower and management insights they need to thrive while balancing their sustainability goals and managing costs. This is a modern enterprise platform engineered for the hybrid world, designed with innovative security and control capabilities to help companies prevail over the evolving threat landscape and performance challenges that their legacy hardware cannot address."
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"The Executive - Movie Industry Tycoon" Out Now on Steam & GOG

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T0@st
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Aaaaaand… action! Time to become a Hollywood mogul! The Executive is now officially released with a 10% launch discount! Produce your dream movies. Tackle production challenges. Build your empire…And much more! We're thrilled to finally let you get your hands on it! We're incredibly proud of this project, and after your feedback on the demo, we can't wait to hear your thoughts on the full game!

Shape the history of the Hollywood movie industry in this sandbox business simulation game. Create the movies you've always wanted to see, hire the best team, research cutting-edge technologies, and dominate the Box Office. Can you rise from a small studio to a Hollywood giant? The Executive is a sandbox business simulation game that lets you rewrite the history of Hollywood from the 1970s to today. As the founder of a scrappy production company, you'll produce the movies you've always dreamed of, manage ambitious franchises, and build a studio that rivals the industry's greatest. Navigate the challenges of the movie business, outmaneuver your competition, and decide whether to chase critical acclaim or box office domination.
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TSMC Approves $17 Billion Investment to Expand Capacity, No Update on U.S. Strategy

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Nomad76
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TSMC has unveiled today its board meeting decisions, the chip giant has greenlit a massive US$17 billion investment to boost production capacity. According to TSMC, to meet long-term capacity plans based on market demand forecasts and TSMC's technology development roadmap, the board approved capital appropriations of approximately US$17.14 billion for installation and upgrade of advanced technology capacity, installation and upgrade of advanced packaging, mature and/or specialty technology capacity, fab construction, and installation of fab facility systems.

Previous reports by MoneyDJ suggested that TSMC might unveil plans for a third Arizona fab, a potential fourth fab, or its first advanced packaging plant after the board meeting. However, no updates have been confirmed yet. Industry sources suggested that TSMC's second Arizona fab, featuring 3 nm, will likely go ahead of schedule, providing a temporary response to U.S. pressures. According to the same report, TSMC's second Arizona fab is expected to begin equipment installation in mid-2026, with mass production expected by 2027. Notably, this progress would exceed TSMC's projections which expected the second plant to start 3 nm and 2 nm production in 2028, with a third plant potentially for the 2 nm process by the late 2030s. The MoneyDJ report further notes that initially, TSMC's second Arizona plant will offer 25K-30K 3 nm wafers per month. TSMC's first Arizona plant, initially slated for 2025, started 4 nm production ahead of schedule in Q4 2024.
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Upscaling Beats Native Resolution 55-45 in TechPowerUp Frontpage Survey

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btarunr
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User preference to super resolution technologies such as NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS, beat playing games without them, at native resolution, in the latest TechPowerUp Frontpage Poll. Spanning nearly a month of polling and over 29,260 votes, the poll provides an interesting insight into the minds of today's gamers. It suggests that gamers are willing to explore super resolution technologies to make their games playable with higher eye-candy, as opposed to playing at native resolutions with watered down settings. The question we asked was what setting of super resolution do gamers use, with "native" suggesting a lack of super resolution. Native could include presets such as DLAA or FSR Native, which render the game at native resolution while using the upscaler to work like an AA technology, smoothing out edges.

Native resolution scored 13,024 votes, or 44.5% of the votes. It is the single largest response, but given that every other response is tied to some form of super resolution, it becomes a minority response. Native is followed by "Quality" preset at 38.8% or 11,341 votes. The "Balanced" present, which tends to be the default super resolution preset in most games, trails "Quality" by a significant margin, scoring just 8.9% of the vote, or 2,593 votes. Only trace sections of our users pick "performance" and "ultra performance" presets that tend to render the game at significantly lower resolutions to make it playable. "Performance" got 4.7% (1,376 votes), followed by "Ultra Performance" at 3.2% or 930 votes.
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QNAP Introduces USB4 Type-C to 10GbE Network Adapters for Mac / Windows

Press Release by
TheLostSwede
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QNAP Systems, Inc. has introduced the new QNA series USB4 Type-C to 10GbE network adapters, specifically designed for Mac and Windows PCs equipped with USB4 or Thunderbolt 3/4 ports. These adapters enable connecting to 10GbE high-speed networks, significantly improving user convenience and work efficiency.

QNAP Product Manager Andy Chuang stated, "The compact and low-noise QNA USB4 adapters allow computers without network ports to establish a high-speed network environment with other devices. Users can enjoy efficient large file transfers and smooth 10GbE collaborative workflows without complicated setup."
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Sid Meier's Civilization VII Fails to Reach its Predecessor Highs, Despite Being Almost Nine Years Newer

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AleksandarK
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Sid Meier's Civilization VII was released just a few days ago, and its peak interest is seemingly below the interest recorded way back in October 2016, when Civilization VI was released. According to SteamDB analytics, the new Civilization VII game has recorded a 24-hour peak of 80,103 concurrent players. However, when its predecessor, Civilization VI, launched, the 24-hour peak concurrent player count was a whopping 162,657 players, more than double that of the newer release. In the peak 24-hour period, the older Civilization VI has seen 52,082 players concurrently, suggesting that the game has left a strong impression on many, and gamers continue to return to it to explore.

However, it's not only about peak numbers. Players of 2016 Sid Meier's Civilization VI are active throughout the year. Currently, Civilization VI players occupy 35,854 spots, while 38,201 players, a bit more, are playing the 2025 Civilization VII. To say that Civilization VII is a flop is a bit of an overstatement. However, this shows that the Civilization series hype was much stronger in 2016 than it is now and that gamers value quality gameplay so much that they continue to play their favorite games throughout the year. We have yet to see how the game progresses in the future, and we are curious if the current Civilization VI player base will migrate over to Civilization VII. If you are a Civilization series fan, let us know your opinion in the comments.

Burning Saga Continues, This Time it's an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU

by
AleksandarK
 Discuss (45 Comments)
A new case of catastrophic CPU failure has emerged involving AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor, marking the latest in a series of reported incidents within the last few days involving high-performance GPUs and CPUs. The failure occurred during routine use when a system equipped with the 9800X3D and an ASRock Nova X870E motherboard suddenly shut down, resulting in visible thermal damage to both components. The incident is particularly noteworthy as the system operated under stock settings, with only AMD EXPO memory optimization enabled. The affected user, who has two decades of PC building experience, reported that the system had been operational for approximately 20 days before the failure, with no temperature anomalies recorded through HWMonitor during its operation.

The hardware was running the ASRock BIOS version 3.16. This case differs significantly from the previous AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D failure, where user error during installation was identified as the primary cause, with the user force-installing the CPU in the socket. The timing of the failure—during a low-intensity workload of streaming video content—further complicates the investigation into root causes. While isolated cases of hardware failure are not uncommon in the PC component market, this case may be the first one caused entirely by the CPU/motherboard combination, not user error. The user also faces uncertainty regarding warranty coverage, as the CPU and motherboard were purchased separately from different retailers. We hope the warranty case goes well, and the user gets a replacement!

BIOSTAR Introduces the MS-X6413E Industrial PC

Press Release by
btarunr
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BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of IPC solutions, motherboards, graphics cards, and PC peripherals, is excited to introduce the MS-X6413E industrial system designed to meet the needs of a wide range of industries including automation machine builders, edge computing innovators, and HMI solution creators.

The MS-X6413E is tailored for businesses looking to stay ahead in today's fast-paced digital landscape. For system integrators, this product offers a seamless solution to keep business operations running smoothly, managing customer contact details, transaction history, and accounts with ease. Its unparalleled reliability ensures that businesses are always up-to-date and in control of their processes. Its versatility also extends to those building edge computing machines.
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Tuesday, February 11th 2025

Today's Reviews

Cases
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Keyboards
Motherboards
Mouse
Processors
Speakers
Lime Ears TERRA Universal-Fit In-Ear Monitors Review

Lime Ears TERRA Universal-Fit In-Ear Monitors Review

Review Headphones
The Lime Ears TERRA is the Polish IEM brand's latest and arguably greatest release yet, given it has already won many hearts and opened even more wallets thanks to its competent warm/bassy tuning which works for nearly every music genre. This is combined with excellent build quality and catchy aesthetics to be a strong kilobuck contender.
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ASRock B860 Steel Legend Wi-Fi Review

ASRock B860 Steel Legend Wi-Fi Review

Review Motherboards
ASRock's B860 Steel Legend Wi-Fi comes at highly competitive pricing of just $200. You get a white color scheme, great cooling for the VRMs and M.2 SSD, and even Thunderbolt 4. But has ASRock had to cut back in other areas to hit this affordable price point?
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti AIB Card Listed Online for $1,212

by
GGforever
 Discuss (55 Comments)
The NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti gaming GPU is expected to be available starting February 20, although whether gamers are going to be able to purchase one anytime soon is a different story entirely. That said, a recent listing on an Austrian retailer's website has revealed the pricing details for the MSI RTX 5070 Ti Gaming Trio card - a cool €1169 (inclusive of 19% VAT), roughly equivalent to $1212. Compared to NVIDIA's official pricing for the RTX 5070 Ti in most parts of the EU, a 33% increase in price can be observed. Of course, the MSI GAMING TRIO is quite a high-end card, but the price delta is quite surprising regardless. Depending on supply, the prices may further inflate, if the events of the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 launch are repeated.

The RTX 5070 Ti is expected to boast 8690 CUDA cores paired with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus. Recent leaks have hinted at very mediocre performance improvements, similar to what we witnessed with the RTX 5080. As of this writing, there seems to be a decent possibility that the RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT will beat the RTX 5070 family, not just in raster performance, but also in value. Of course, since NVIDIA is clearly going to fire first, gamers will not have much of a choice before RDNA 4 hits the scene. That said if the RTX 5070 series witnesses similarly atrocious availability at launch as its siblings, a lot of folks will have no option but to wait.

X86-P6: Ultra-compact NAS Unveiled With Four M.2 Slots and Dual 2.5G Ethernet

by
GGforever
 Discuss (19 Comments)
The X86-P6 is a freshly unveiled mini PC that primarily aims to function as a NAS or a local backup. The system is powered by up to an Intel Core N355 processor, sitting at the top of Intel's Alder Lake-N product lineup. Packing 8 cores and 8 threads, the N355 is no small fry and packs enough computing grunt to push through moderately intensive workloads without an issue. However, the primary selling point for the system, unsurprisingly, is its storage at networking capabilities.

With dual 2.5G LAN, the X86-P6 packs enough networking prowess for a small home office or backup setup. The system also packs four M.2 2280 slots - albeit limited to only a single PCIe 3.0 lane (1 GB/s) per SSD when utilizing all the SSDs, which should theoretically be enough to saturate the system's networking capabilities. Apart from the LAN, the system also sports dual HDMI 2.0 ports, dual USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, as well as an M.2 B-key slot for wireless network modules.
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Recent Leak Reveals Upcoming Lenovo ThinkPad, ThinkBook, and Yoga Laptops

by
GGforever
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A recent leak from the reliable analyst Evan Blass has revealed a bunch of new ThinkPad, ThinkBook, and Yoga devices set to see the light of day at MWC 2025. Although the tweet has been deleted by Evan, Notebookcheck was able to summarize the information provided in the nick of time. First up, we have the refreshed ThinkPads, including the T14, T14s, T16, and X13. All the devices are equipped with the beloved TrackPoint, unlike the recently launched ThinkPad X9 Aura. The T14 G6 and T16 G4 are expected to be marketed as a CoPilot+ PC, indicating Lunar Lake prowess. However, the processor powering the X13 is not known at this point.

The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura will also reportedly see the light of day at MWC 2025, packing a 16-inch display with an unconfirmed Intel processor. As for the ThinkBooks, the lineup will likely welcome two new entrants, including the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 -- a 14-inch convertible with a touchscreen and stylus support -- and the ThinkBook 16P G6 - a 16-inch device that is rumored to boast a dedicated GPU, a numeric keypad, and a spacious trackpad. Finally, we have the IdeaPad Slim 3x, which will boast the entry-level Snapdragon X processor and position itself as a budget device with a 16-inch display, fingerprint scanner, SD card reader, USB-A and USB-C ports, as well as a privacy cover for the webcam. The image order has been detailed below.
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Relic Entertainment CEO Outlines Development Strategies, Discusses Indie Life Post-Sega

by
T0@st
 Discuss (9 Comments)
Last March, Relic Entertainment announced its independence; an "external investor" helped officiate the Vancouver, Canada-based studio's separation from Sega. Via a press release, Relic thanked its former owner for the: "support over the years and guidance during this transition have been instrumental to our success. We may be out of the SEGA business, but we remain friends and colleagues. We are excited about this next chapter." The newly-independent development house proceeded to cut staff headcounts—according to the 2024 news cycle—and seemingly kept a low profile for the rest of the year. In early 2025, Relic has revealed its refreshed strategies and goals; VentureBeat and Game Developer both sat down and conducted interviews with Justin Dowdeswell (CEO). The relatively new Relic boss outlined his company's focus on three key areas of development. Relic remains committed to existing titles (e.g. Company of Heroes 3), but it will also pursue the production and publishing of "smaller-scope" games, as well re-imaginations of classics from its past portfolio.

Dowdeswell believes that company leadership will put "Relic back on the map" following its well-documented split from Sega. The future looks bright, due to the real-time strategy specialist's now unconstrained operating model—the CEO believes that his studio: "has innovated for its whole existence. The ability to tap into that is best served with Relic as an independent studio." Dowdeswell and his colleagues have long worked within the constraints of a relatively niche market segment; Relic's chief envisions something with a wider/more mainstream appeal: "the opportunity we have here is to crack the case of where RTS needs to go next...We've definitely seen really highly engaged multiplayer audiences. But it is limited when we talk about Company of Heroes, for example. This is a game set in World War II, which limits the audience to some degree. It's an RTS which further limits the audience. And when we internally talk about what the barriers are for us, broadening that audience is big. How do we bring new players in? How do we reach players?...We definitely strongly believe there is a market and there are players out there. It's our job to give them the next great RTS."

Apple MacBook Air M4 "T8132" Chip Identifier Leaked Online

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T0@st
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Last October, Apple introduced its modernized range of MacBook Pro models; featuring the M4 family of chips. Ultra-thin notebook enthusiasts wondered whether the MacBook Air range series would receive similar treatment in the near future. Apple provided an answer around December-time, by accidentally publishing "Mac16,12" and "Mac16,13" machine listings within their macOS Sequoia 15.2 release. MacRumors believed that the referenced models are MacBook Air M4 13-inch and M4 15-inch products. At the time, industry moles suggested that Apple had settled on a possible April (2025) launch window. A fresh follow-up report points to an earlier than anticipated release—MacRumors reckons that a recent leak indicates an "imminent" launch.

Yesterday, the publication discovered intriguing information online; posted by an anonymous source on X. Based on said leak, MacRumors reports that the updated MacBook Air models: "will be equipped with Apple's T8132 chip." Apple's internal reference code points to both 13-inch and 15-inch models housing a 10-core M4 chipset (part number: APL1206). Mark Gurman—Bloomberg's resident technology guru—has picked up on signs of dwindling current-gen MacBook Air M3 stock. His weekend detective work suggests that successors are only weeks away from launch.

Apple MacBook Pro With OLED Display On-Track for Late-2026 Launch

by
GGforever
 Discuss (9 Comments)
A fresh report from the reliable publication "The Elec" has revealed that the OLED panel destined for the 2026 MacBook Pro is already in the prototyping stage at Samsung Displays. The report adds that the company expects to produce somewhere between three and five million OLED panels yearly, which can be expanded to up to 10 million if demand increases. The MacBook Pro lineup is also expected to boast 2 nm Apple M6-series SoCs in 2026, although details regarding the SoCs are unsurprisingly scarce as of this writing.

Interestingly, as we have already reported on before, the MacBook Air has once again been rumored to receive the OLED treatment no sooner than 2029. An upgraded LCD panel, however, is still on the cards for the entry-level laptop. The iPad Pro was updated with tandem OLED panels last year, although reports since have failed to indicate a substantial jump in demand. Whether the OLED MacBook lineup will meet a similar fate remains to be seen, although there is no denying that OLED panels will bring a plethora of improvements for MacBook Pro customers, especially those who happen to be creative pros.
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Xbox Celebrates Safer Internet Day with Minecraft Education, Digging Deeper into AI

Press Release by
T0@st
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People are using AI more and more at home, at work, in school, and everywhere in between. According to the most recent Microsoft Global Online Safety Survey, there has been a global increase in active generative AI users. Our findings showed that in 2024, 51% of people are users or experimenters of generative AI compared to 38% in 2023. Generation Z continues to drive this adoption with 64% of young adults reporting ever using the technology. That means it's up to us - especially those of us who work in technology and gaming - to make sure that young people have the support they need to navigate the world of AI safely while also fostering their curiosity and creativity in exploring these new technologies.

That's why, for Safer Internet Day 2025, Minecraft Education is releasing a new installment in the CyberSafe series where players can explore the risks and opportunities of AI use through fun, game-based challenges. In each instance, players are tasked with articulating guidelines for how to use AI safely and responsibly. Welcome to CyberSafe AI: Dig Deeper, available free on the Minecraft Marketplace and in Minecraft Education!
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Official: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50-series Laptop Pre-orders Start on February 25

by
T0@st
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Earlier today, NVIDIA happily declared that: "GeForce RTX 50-series laptop pre-orders start February 25 from OEMs." A March launch window was mentioned during the company's official unveiling of its "Blackwell" GPU architecture at CES 2025. Mobile variants of the GeForce RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 Ti are expected to ship with laptops next month. GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile-equipped devices are due in April. As reported by VideoCardz, a Finnish retailer's webstore has confirmed the February 25 pre-order start date. The Gigantti.fi site lists several new ASUS ROG Zephyrus and Strix laptops; configured with the latest Intel Core Ultra 200HX or AMD "Strix Point/Fire Range" mobile APUs, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50-series discrete graphics solutions. The most expensive option is listed with a €5499 price point—interested buyers are looking at a spec that includes a 16-inch OLED screen, Core Ultra 9-285H processor, 32 GB LPDDR5X RAM, 1 TB M.2 PCIe SSD, and a GeForce RTX 5090 32 GB mobile GPU. At the time of writing, Gigantti's "cheapest" option is a €2999 ROG Strix 16 model; sporting a Ryzen 9 9955HX APU and GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 12 GB Mobile GPU.

NVIDIA disclosed official MSRPs during last month's CES presentation: $2199 for RTX 5090, $2199 for RTX 5080, $1599 for RTX 5070 Ti, and $1299 for the RTX 5070. Western press outlets have scouted North American online retail outlets. Tom's Hardware observed (ASUS and HP) price ranges starting at $1800. The most expensive offering came in at $4200; an ultra high-end ROG Strix Scar 18 laptop featuring a GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile GPU and an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU. Team Green's upcoming launch partners include Acer, ASUS, Dell, Gigabyte, HP, Lenovo, Mechrevo, MSI and Razer. NVIDIA seems to have extra GeForce RTX 50-series announcements in the pipeline—they recommend that potential buyers: "stay tuned for more details!"

AMD Reiterates Belief that 2025 is the Year of the AI PC

Press Release by
T0@st
 Discuss (43 Comments)
AI PC capabilities have evolved rapidly in the two years since AMD introduced the first x86 AI PC CPUs at CES 2023. New neural processing units have debuted, pushing available performance from a peak of 10 AI TOPS at the launch of the AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor to peak 50+ TOPS on the latest AMD Ryzen AI Max PRO 300 Series processors. A wide range of software and hardware companies have announced various AI development plans or brought AI-infused products to market, while major operating system vendors like Microsoft are actively working to integrate AI into the operating system via its Copilot+ PC capabilities. AMD is on the forefront of those efforts and is working closely with Microsoft to deliver Copilot+ for Ryzen AI and Ryzen AI PRO PCs.

In the report "The Year of the AI PC is 2025," Forrester lays out its argument for why this year is likely to bring significant changes for AI PCs. Forrester defines the term "AI PC" to mean any system "embedded with an AI chip and algorithms specifically designed to improve the experience of AI workloads across the computer processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), and neural processing unit (NPU)." This includes AMD products, as well as competing products made by both x86 and non-x86 CPU manufacturers. 2025 represents a turning point for these efforts, both in terms of hardware and software, and this Forrester report is an excellent deep dive into why AI PCs represent the future for enterprise computing.
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 16 GB Variants Deemed Fake, Insiders Insist SKU is 8 GB Only

by
T0@st
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According to early February reportage, Team Green's GeForce RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti graphics cards are expected to launch onto market next month. Very basic technical information has leaked online; insiders reckon that both product tiers will be utilizing the NVIDIA "Blackwell" GB206 GPU. Rumors have swirled regarding intended VRAM configurations—loose online declarations point to variants being prepared with 8 or 16 GB of GDDR7 VRAM, on a 128-bit bus. Regulatory filings indicate two different configs with the eventual arrival of GeForce RTX 5060 Ti models, but certain industry watchdogs insist that the GeForce RTX 5060 SKU will be an 8 GB-only product.

A curious-looking ZOTAC Trinity OC White Edition GeForce RTX 5060 16 GB variant surfaced via a TikTok video—post-analysis, expert eyes declared that the upload contained doctored material. A BenchLife.info report pointed to a notable inconsistency on the offending item's retail packaging: "DLSS 3 should not appear on the GeForce RTX 50 series box, because the Blackwell GPU architecture focuses on DLSS 4." The publication presented evidence of ZOTAC RTX 4070 Ti SUPER Trinity OC White Edition box art being repurposed in the TikToker's video. Hardware soothsayer MEGAsizeGPU added their two cents: "this is fake. There is no plan for a GeForce RTX 5060 16 GB, and the box is photoshopped from the last-gen ZOTAC box." At the end of their report, BenchLife reckons that NVIDIA has not sent a "GeForce RTX 5060 color box template" to its board partners.

KDE Plasma 6.3 Officially Released

Press Release by
Nomad76
 Discuss (15 Comments)
One year on, with the teething problems a major new release inevitably brings firmly behind us, Plasma's developers have worked on fine-tuning, squashing bugs and adding features to Plasma 6—turning it into the best desktop environment for everyone! Read on to discover all the exciting new changes landing in this release…

Digital Art
We want to make Plasma the best platform for creativity, and Plasma 6.3 takes the next step in that direction by providing features that help artists optimize and customize their graphics tablets to their liking.
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090/5090 Prototypes Tested with Quad 16-Pin 12V-2x6 Connectors

by
AleksandarK
 Discuss (26 Comments)
Recent engineering prototype leaks reveal NVIDIA's power delivery design for its RTX 5090 flagship GPU featured a jaw-dropping quad 12V-2x6 connector configuration. The prototype board, while not publicly photographed, is significantly different from the final version we have today. The quad-connector design serves multiple purposes beyond raw power delivery. Each 12V-2x6 connector, capable of delivering up to 600 W individually, creates a theoretical power ceiling far beyond reasonable requirements. More likely, the implementation allows for separate voltage rails and enhanced power stability, crucial for the card's reported 575 W TDP - a 125 W increase from the RTX 4090's specifications. This overengineered piece follows NVIDIA's historical engineering practices, where early prototypes typically feature expanded power delivery systems that are later optimized for production.

The timing of this leak happens just in time with ongoing discussions about 12V-2x6 connector reliability, particularly following documented failures. While the quad-connector design may seem excessive, it distributes power load more evenly across multiple connection points, potentially addressing thermal concentration issues that plagued single-connector implementations. Board partners like ASUS have already implemented sophisticated current monitoring solutions in their custom designs, using shunt resistors to detect overcurrent conditions across individual pins. Established hardware leaker, Panzerlied confirmed the prototype's existence on Chinese forums, alongside images of other engineering samples featuring similar power delivery experiments across multiple GPU generations.

Framework (2nd Gen) Event Goes Live on February 25

Press Release by
T0@st
 Discuss (12 Comments)
We've been hinting that this year is going to be huge, and we're ready to share why… in two weeks on Feb 25th, at our Framework (2nd Gen) Event! We're holding this launch event live in San Francisco and streaming to our YouTube channel at 10:30am Pacific that day. You can sign up now to get notified when the stream starts. The last time we held a live launch event was in March 2023, when we unveiled Framework Laptop 16 and two new versions of Framework Laptop 13. It's been amazing seeing the interest in these products and the incredible ways the community has been using and extending on them. We've been heads down working for the last two years on an even bigger set of announcements.

For this event, in addition to bringing in press and partners, we're opening a pool of invites to the Framework Community to attend the event in person, meet the team, and get hands on with our newest products. If you're a current Framework fan and are in the San Francisco area (or are able to handle your own travel to us), you can apply to attend in this sign-up form. We expect we'll see a lot more interest than we have available seats in our venue, so we'll likely need to downselect from applicants.
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PlayStation Schedules Next "State of Play" Presentation, Airing Tomorrow - February 12

Press Release by
T0@st
 Discuss (8 Comments)
State of Play is back tomorrow, February 12! Tune in live for news and updates on great games coming to PS5. The show celebrates a creative and unique selection of exciting games from studios around the world. The 40+ minute show begins February 12 at 2pm PT / 5pm ET | 11pm CET / February 13 at 7am JST on YouTube and Twitch, and will be broadcast in English and Japanese. See you tomorrow!

Regarding co-streaming and video-on-demand (VOD)
Please note that this broadcast may include copyrighted content (e.g. licensed music) that PlayStation does not control. We welcome and celebrate our amazing co-streamers and creators, but licensing agreements outside our control could interfere with co-streams or VOD archives of this broadcast. If you're planning to save this broadcast as a VOD to create recap videos, or to repost clips or segments from the show, we advise omitting any copyrighted music.
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Colorful Teases New CVN Series X870 Mainboard Design, with Unique On/Off GPU Removal System

by
T0@st
 Discuss (3 Comments)
Late last week, Colorful Technology revealed a brand-new series of "CVN" motherboards—the manufacturer's Bilibili account hinted at an upcoming launch and uploaded three highly-stylized promotional images. As reported by ITHome, Colorful's debut AMD X870 chipset-based board will be: "equipped with Colorful's first-generation graphics card quick-release device." Western press outlets have covered the functional validity of similar systems in recent times, but Colorful's teaser seems to be poking fun at a rival's current predicament. The incoming CVN X870 series will sport a unique selling point; its GPU removal system features an "ON or OFF" switch. Colorful advertises this proprietary design as being "really safe."

CVN X870 or X870E product pages have not appeared online, but ITHome reckons that this new range will sit in-between Colorful's familiar iGame and Tomahawk motherboard lines. The intended target audience appears to be "mainstream DIY" builders. According to one of the teaser images, Colorful reckons that its silver/white-tinted CVN X870 boards will "live up to expectations." The Chinese manufacturer has devised a new "Frost Armor" structure that covers a board's VRM sections—sporting "composite heat dissipation grooves and heat pipes." Lower-end CVN B840 and B850 models could be in the pipeline, but Colorful is likely testing the waters with its initial launch of X870-equipped fare.

ASUS Becomes Member of "FIRST" Cybersecurity Organization

Press Release by
T0@st
 Discuss (6 Comments)
In a world where most of us work, communicate, play, explore, and make purchases online nearly every day, cybersecurity is more important than ever. Yet it's also a world where it's increasingly hard to know who to trust. Perhaps you've seen recent news reports that call into question the security practices of companies that you might rely on for the network for your home or small business. At ASUS, we're working to show you that not every networking company has the same level of commitment to cybersecurity. Recently, we joined FIRST, a longstanding and renowned organization that brings together a variety of computer security incident response teams from around the world. Our membership in FIRST enables us to take enterprise-level experience, security protocols, and incident response tactics and integrate them into the consumer market.

35 years of coordinating responses against cyberattacks
When you're the victim of a cyberattack, your priority is to re-secure your own hardware, data, and account access. But the incident response teams dedicated to cybersecurity have to take a larger view. What vulnerability made the cyberattack possible? What other systems could be affected? How quickly can a fix be deployed, and how might this fix affect other vital systems and functions? Answering these questions in today's connected world requires not just on-the-ground incident response teams, but international communication and coordination between these groups. Since 1990, this layer of coordination has been provided by FIRST—the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams. Consisting of members from government agencies, educational institutions, military divisions, and the private sector, FIRST works to ensure a safe internet for everyone by creating channels for incident response and security teams across the globe to work together.
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GlobalFoundries Reports Fourth Quarter 2024 and Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results

Press Release by
Nomad76
 Discuss (1 Comment)
GlobalFoundries Inc. (GF), today announced preliminary financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.

"In the fourth quarter, the GF team delivered solid financial results that exceeded the Non-IFRS midpoint of the guidance ranges we provided in our November earnings release," said Dr. Thomas Caulfield, President and CEO of GF. "2024 presented a unique set of challenges for our industry, but thanks to our focus on operational excellence, we generated over $1 billion of Non-IFRS adjusted free cash flow. As we look to 2025, we are encouraged by our strong design win momentum across our end markets and product portfolio as we position GF for a growth year."
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NVIDIA Investigating Reported GeForce RTX 5090 & 5080 Black Screen & Stability Issues

by
T0@st
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Unlucky owners of problematic GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 graphics cards have posted feedback across various online community sites. Press outlets started to take notice of these documented issues soon after the launch of NVIDIA's debut wave of "Blackwell" GPUs. PC Gamer has "kept track" of reports relating to black screens and miscellaneous failures—the site published an investigative article late last week, following user feedback "hitting critical mass" across Reddit and Team Green's own forum. A request for comment was sent over to NVIDIA HQ; PC Gamer received a brief response. A company spokesperson confirmed that their team is: "investigating the reported issues with the RTX 50-series."

Several PC hardware community members have documented their troubleshooting experiences—the most common suggestion involves downshifting from a PCIe 5.0 connection to 4.0, on the PEG-16 graphics port. Unfortunately, this step did not resolve black screen issues for certain owners—a member of the buildapc subreddit explored a wide array of troubleshooting channels. They re-installed Windows 11 (23H2), adjusted BIOS settings, experimented with monitor connections, and played around with drivers. Best results were produced by connecting a single monitor to their MSI GeForce RTX 5090 GAMING TRIO OC's DisplayPort, with nothing else hooked up to the other ports (DP and HDMI). They suspect that Team Green's GPU drivers could be the source of frustrations; corroborated by a recent VideoCardz news piece. In addition, the 572.16 driver is reportedly affecting "certain GeForce RTX 40-series." A smaller number of owners have discussed a "bricking" of cards; VideoCardz believes that China-exclusive GeForce RTX 5090D models are suffering the most. Manli will be analyzing a "bricked" unit at its service center, in the near future. Colorful did not reply with a comment on the situation.
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ARCTIC Expands the P-Fan Portfolio

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Nomad76
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The P series from ARCTIC is known for its high performance. The new P9 models add four 92 mm versions to the range. Optimized for static pressure and focused airflow, the fans offer efficient cooling even with increased air resistance and are ideal for use on heat sinks, radiators and in narrow cases. Powerful, quiet and durable - the P9 series is an excellent choice for powerful and reliable cooling in a wide range of applications.

P9 Max: High-Speed PWM Fan
Very wide control range, maximum static pressure and airflow
  • Airflow: 58.25 CFM | 98.97 m³/h
  • Static pressure: 6.17 mmH₂O
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Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Dev Discusses Building of Authentic World

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T0@st
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The task of authentically recreating 15th century Bohemia for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is one that's part careful forensic work, and part respectful artistic interpretation. To learn more, we sat down with senior game designer Ondřej Bittner to find out how the team at Warhorse Studios went about crafting an authentically immersive world in Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, available today. Bittner explains that the team starts with the geographical data, because not a lot has changed when it comes to the formation of hills, valleys and rivers. "Then, there are the military maps created in the mid-19th century. They usually have the layout of fairly static villages," Bittner says. "This was quite a common thing to do in European military history. When you build an army that has hundreds of thousands of soldiers, you need really good maps with individual buildings, logistical points, roads and so on."

Once the top-level geography, settlements and architecture of 15th century Bohemia have all been established, the team then turns to the living curators of those buildings that survived to the modern day. "You can talk to the people taking care of these castles or churches, and see if they have any material on a particular building," says Bittner. "Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't! If they don't, then you have to reconstruct it from more general knowledge about the time."
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Intel's Head of Data Center and AI Division Exits to Lead Nokia

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Nomad76
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Intel experienced another leadership setback on Monday when Justin Hotard, who led its Data Center and AI (DCAI) division said he was leaving to become Nokia's CEO. Hotard joined Intel in early 2024 and worked there for just over a year. He will take over from Pekka Lundmark at Nokia on April 1. In his short time at Intel, Hotard oversaw the release of Intel's Sierra Forest E-core and Granite Rapids P-core Xeon 6 platforms. These helped Intel catch up to AMD in core count for the first time since 2017. Intel has temporarily appointed Karin Eibschitz Segal, an 18-year company veteran and co-CEO at Intel Israel, as the interim chief of DCAI.

However, Justin Hotard's exit comes as the DCAI division faces several problems. Not long ago, Intel said it would push back the launch of its next-generation Clearwater Forest Xeons to the first half of 2026 blaming low demand. The company also scrapped its Falcon Shores accelerators to focus on a future rack-scale platform called Jaguar Shores. These setbacks came after Intel fellow Sailesh Kottapalli left for Qualcomm last month. Kottapalli had worked at Intel for 28 years and played a key role in developing many Xeon server processors.
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be quiet! Announces Silent Loop 3 Series AIO Liquid CPU Coolers

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btarunr
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be quiet!, the German manufacturer for premium PC components, is proud to introduce Silent Loop 3. This all-in-one water-cooling series represents its passion for technological innovations, all packed up in one AiO. With a powerful pump to ensure an immensely high cooling performance, Silent Wings 4 fans with closed fan frames to maximize air-pressure, an iconic cooling block design with ARGB LEDs, radiator sizes up to 420 mm, and an easy-to-access refill port, Silent Loop 3 can be considered a love letter to German engineering.

Silent Loop 3 lives up to the "be quiet!" brand name: a powerful 6-pole, 3-phase PWM pump with 3-chamber design ensures high-performance at whisper-quite noise levels. The second of the three chambers acts as a reservoir and offers space for the coolant to spread out, thus reducing turbulences before the liquid leaves the pump unit. And it's not just the pump that's silent: the radiator features up to three Silent Wings 4 PWM high-speed fans with silence-optimized fan blades and a funnel-shaped air outlet. The corners of the fan frame are designed to minimize air leakage, resulting in a perfect balance between quiet operation and the highest performance.
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G.Skill Announces OC World Cup 2025 Competition with $40000 USD Total Cash Prize Pool

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btarunr
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G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading brand of performance overclock memory and PC components, is excited to announce the 9th Annual OC World Cup 2025 extreme overclocking competition, starting with the Online Qualifier Stage, which will run from February 15, 2025 until March 19, 2025 on HWBOT.org. A total of 9 finalists from the Online Qualifier stage will be invited to compete live on the Live Qualifier stage at Computex from May 20 through May 23, 2025, which will be held in Taipei, for a share of the total prize pool of $40,000 USD. The OC Champion of the OC World Cup 2025 competition will be taking home $10,000 USD.

Consisting of three stages, beginning with the Online Qualifier, and ending with the Live Qualifier and Grand Final stages, which will be held in Taipei at Computex 2025, the G.SKILL OC World Cup is considered one of the most challenging overclocking competitions. The top 9 overclockers of the Online Qualifier stage will be invited to compete against each other live during the week of Computex 2025 at the G.SKILL booth in Nangang Exhibition Hall, and the top 3 overclockers from the Live Qualifier stage will go on competing for the title of OC Champion in the Grand Final stage.
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AMD & CEA Partner for AI Compute Advancements

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Nomad76
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AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) today announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) with the Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA) of France to collaborate on the advanced technologies, component and system architectures that will shape the future of AI computing. The collaboration will leverage the strengths of both organizations to push the boundaries on energy-efficient systems needed to support the world's most compute-intensive AI workloads in fields from energy to medicine.

Through this initiative, AMD and CEA will engage in a structured collaboration, focused on technological advancements on next generation AI compute infrastructure. AMD and CEA also are planning a symposium on the future of AI compute in 2025 that will convene European stakeholders and global technology providers, startups, supercomputing centers, universities and policy makers to accelerate collaboration around state-of-the-art and emerging AI computing technologies.
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ASRock Industrial iEP-6010E Series Now Powered by NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX & Nano Super Mode

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Nomad76
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The future of AI at the edge has arrived, and ASRock Industrial is leading the way. With Super Mode support for the iEP-6010E Series and iEP-6010E Series Dev Kit, powered by NIVIDIA Jetson Orin NX and Jetson Orin Nano modules and optimized with NVIDIA JetPack 6.2 SDK, this upgrade supercharges AI acceleration, unlocking up to 2X faster generative AI performance. Delivering unprecedented inference speeds, real-time decision-making, and superior power efficiency, Super Mode is redefining edge AI computing - Powering everything from predictive maintenance and anomaly detection to AI-driven medical imaging, intelligent surveillance, and autonomous mobility - pushing performance beyond limits, faster, smarter, and more efficient than ever before. Whether driving Edge AI computing, real-time vision processing, intelligent autonomous vehicles, advanced robotics, industrial automation, or smart city infrastructure, ASRock Industrial's latest innovation empowers industries with cutting-edge AI capabilities that drive real-world transformation.

A Quantum Leap in Edge AI Performance
The iEP-6010E Series and iEP-6010E Series Dev Kit, now optimized with Super Mode, provides:
  • Up to 2X Faster Gen AI Processing - Up to 157 TOPS (Sparse) on Orin NX 16 GB (Super) and 67 TOPS (Sparse) on Orin Nano 8 GB (Super), delivering blazing-fast generative AI performance for automation, robotics, and real-time vision systems.
  • Optimized Power Boost and Efficiency - Supports power modes up to 40 W / MAXN Super on Orin NX and 25 W / MAXN Super on Orin Nano, while maintaining high-performance AI workloads in power-sensitive environments, making it ideal for industrial automation and smart city infrastructure.
  • NVIDIA JetPack 6.2 Support - Fully compatible with the latest NVIDIA JetPack 6.2 SDK, offering enhanced libraries, frameworks, and tools to accelerate advanced AI development.
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AMD Plans Aggressive Price Competition with Radeon RX 9000 Series

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AleksandarK
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According to ITHome, AMD is preparing to disrupt its competition with aggressive pricing for its upcoming RX 9000 series. The RX 9070 XT, built on the RDNA 4 architecture, is expected to launch at $599, positioning it directly against NVIDIA's RTX 5070 Ti, which carries a $749 price tag. With this competitive pricing, AMD aims to revitalize its market position following lower-than-expected sales of the RX 7000 series, causing it to lose some market share. The upcoming RX 9070 XT features the Navi 48 core running at 2.97 GHz, complemented by 16 GB of GDDR6 memory across a 256-bit bus. Architecture's enhanced AI upscaling capabilities, already demonstrated in the PlayStation 5 Pro, could offer compelling performance advantages over current-generation cards. The base RX 9070 model is anticipated to debut at $499, creating a focused attack on multiple market segments, including NVIDIA's RTX 5070, priced at $549.

AMD reportedly plans to accelerate the end-of-life timeline for its RX 7800 XT, currently priced at $479. Sources from IT Home suggest production ceased as early as January, months ahead of the planned initial third-quarter 2025 termination. This accelerated timeline suggests AMD's confidence in the RX 9000 series' ability to deliver superior price-to-performance metrics. The March 2025 launch window for the RX 9000 series arrives at a critical point in the GPU market, as NVIDIA rolls out its Blackwell-based RTX 50 series. AMD's aggressive pricing strategy and the architectural improvements in RDNA 4 positions the company to challenge NVIDIA's market dominance, at least in the $500-$600 price range. This competitive positioning could trigger NVIDIA price adjustments, potentially benefiting consumers who have faced consistently high GPU prices in recent years.

ASRock AM5 Motherboards Now Fully Support AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D & 9900X3D Processors

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Nomad76
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ASRock, a global leader in motherboards, graphics cards, gaming monitors, small form factor PCs, and power supply units, proudly announces that its entire lineup of AM5 motherboards fully supports the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D processors. With this seamless compatibility, gamers can harness the full potential of these flagship processors for an unparalleled gaming experience.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D processors are the flagship models of the Ryzen 9000X3D series, designed for hardcore gaming enthusiasts who demand the ultimate in gaming performance. ASRock AM5 motherboards offer seamless compatibility with the Ryzen 9000X3D series, making them the ideal choice for gamers worldwide to experience the power of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D processors firsthand.
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Custom Water Block Drops NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPU Temperatures Down by 30°C

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AleksandarK
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German overclocking specialist Der8auer has showcased a custom water block for NVIDIA's flagship RTX 5090 Founders Edition, achieving a remarkable 30-degree Celsius reduction in core GPU temperatures. The prototype copper cooling solution demonstrated peak operating temperatures of just 43.8°C, compared to the stock cooler's 73.8°C under identical testing conditions. The design features an all-copper construction with a substantial 14 mm-thick cold plate, engineered specifically for optimal thermal transfer from the GB202 die. While maintaining the dual-slot form factor of the original Founders Edition cooler, the water block incorporates multiple cooling channels beneath a transparent top panel that reveals the coolant flow.

Memory temperatures also significantly improved, dropping by 38 degrees Celsius below stock measurements. Despite its impressive thermal performance, the prototype faces several engineering challenges. The team was constrained by the graphics card's display output ribbon cable, which prevented a more compact design closer to the actual PCB dimensions. Additionally, the Founders Edition card's unique split PCIe finger design presented structural concerns that require additional reinforcement before any potential commercial release. Der8auer's prototype prioritizes function over aesthetics, omitting common features like RGB lighting in favor of raw cooling performance. The water block's industrial design reflects its proof-of-concept nature, though the transparent top panel offers practical utility for monitoring coolant flow. While no retail release timeline has been announced, Der8auer indicated that addressing the PCIe slot structural support issue remains a critical milestone before any commercial version could be considered.
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ASUS Announces NUC 15 Pro

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Nomad76
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ASUS today announced the ASUS NUC 15 Pro mini PC, a compact powerhouse that delivers versatile performance for a wide range of development needs, from AI model training to data visualization. Featuring the latest Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) processors, DDR5 6400 MHz memory, and the Intel Arc GPU, NUC 15 Pro delivers outstanding speed and efficiency. Additionally, advanced Intel Wi-Fi 7 offers ultrafast connectivity for seamless collaborations. NUC 15 Pro offers an unbeatable combination of performance and innovative design to elevate workflows.

Optimized for AI
ASUS NUC 15 Pro unleashes the potential of AI thanks to the latest Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2). Featuring up to 99 platform TOPS, this next-generation CPU is purpose-built for diverse workloads and unrivaled AI performance. These advanced processors are built on Intel 18A process and deliver remarkable compute performance. This innovative CPU redefines productivity and creativity to set a new benchmark for AI-powered computing.
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Sharkoon Introduces AK2 (ATX) and MK2 (Micro-ATX) Cases

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btarunr
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With a front panel that is both low-key and stylish, the AK2 RGB doesn't miss out on good looks and, at the same time, is the perfect PC case for either gaming, office, or multimedia. And with its modern compatibility, space for large pieces of hardware, and room for up to eleven fans, this case offers plenty of potential for performance, whatever the application.

Thanks to its low-key design and its tempered-glass side panel, the AK2 RGB is ideal for putting the focus on the installed hardware inside. Two 120 mm fans are already pre-installed in the AK2 RGB - one fan behind the front panel and one RGB-illuminated PWM fan on the rear panel. Up to eleven fans will find room in the case. Even water-cooling enthusiasts will be happy with the AK2, as two radiators with up to 360 mm can be simultaneously operated, if required.
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AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE Is Actually "Great Radeon Edition," Not "Golden Rabbit Edition"

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AleksandarK
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AMD's China customers are now surprised by AMD's claim that the Radeon RX 7650's "GRE" nomenclature actually translates into "Great Radeon Edition" and not into "Golden Rabbit Edition" as we had previously thought. The Radeon RX 7900 GRE was the first "GRE" GPU to debut in the Chinese market. Back in 2023, China celebrated the Year of the Golden Rabbit; hence, AMD made a reference to that and named its GPUs appropriately to appeal to Chinese gamers. However, with 2025 being the year of the snake, AMD decided to just find a new meaning for its GRE branding instead of replacing it altogether. Now, AMD's official documents point to AMD Radeon RX 7650 Great Radeon Edition (GRE).

As a reminder, this RX 7650 GRE "great" SKU carries a Navi 33 GPU with 32 CUs translating into 2048 SPs. Clocked at 2.69 GHz, its 8 GB GDDR6 memory configuration positions it in the low-middle-class gaming segment. Scheduled for a launch in February, it will be priced at 2,099 RMB or 287 USD at the time of writing.

Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.6559 WHQL Released

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btarunr
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Intel today released the latest version of its Arc GPU Graphics Drivers. Version 101.6559 WHQL adds Game On driver-optimization for "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii," with the optimization covering the Arc B-series, A-series, and Core Ultra processors with Arc iGPUs. The drivers also add optimization for "Avowed," covering the B-series and A-series discrete GPUs. Performance for Arc B-series GPUs has been improved for "Senua's Saga: Hellblade II," with up to 5.9% increase in framerates to be had at 1080p with High settings.

Among the issues fixed with this release are flickering seen with Arc A-series discrete GPUs, Core Ultra Series 1 and Series 2 processor iGPUs in Adobe After Effects, specifically in its Preview window. "Horizon Zero Dawn remastered" experiencing a crash with frame generation enabled on Core Ultra Series 2 processors with Arc graphics, has been fixed. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.6559 WHQL
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February 20 Launch Date of GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Confirmed by MSI

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btarunr
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MSI France posted a countdown timer on its regional website for the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, which winds down to February 20, 2025, 3 PM CET. This is our first confirmation that NVIDIA's third graphics card from the RTX 50-series "Blackwell" will be launching next week. MSI already has product pages of its custom design RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 graphics cards up on its website. The RTX 5070 Ti lineup will be topped by the RTX 5070 Ti Vanguard series, followed by the RTX 5070 Ti Gaming Trio series. There's also the RTX 5070 Ti Inspire 3X series targeting creators. There are two "entry level" SKUs, the RTX 5070 Ti Ventus 3X, which the company will price close to the NVIDIA baseline, and the RTX 5070 Ti Shadow 3X, which meets NVIDIA SFF-Ready requirements.
Monday, February 10th 2025

Today's Reviews

Cases
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Keyboards
Memory
Monitors
Motherboards
Mouse
SSD
DAREU A980 Pro Max Review

DAREU A980 Pro Max Review

Review Mice
The right-handed ergonomic A980 Pro Max is DAREU's take on the Basilisk and G502. Equipped with a customized PixArt PAW3950 sensor and capable of both 2.4 GHz wireless and Bluetooth, the 76 g A980 Pro Max features a TFT display, 4000 Hz wireless and 8000 Hz wired polling, and its magnesium main buttons are equipped with Kailh GM 8.0 switches.
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Team Group T-Force XTREEM DDR5-7200 48GB CL34 Review

Team Group T-Force XTREEM DDR5-7200 48GB CL34 Review

Review Memory
Team Group revives the XTREEM series for the next generation of high-performance DDR5, featuring a non-binary 2x 24 GB configuration. Binned with dual EXPO/XMP profiles at 7200 MT/s, this kit is aimed at gamers and PC enthusiasts seeking larger capacities. Join us as we benchmark, compare, and overclock to see if this 7200 MT/s kit stands out from the competition!
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Latest CPU-Z Update Adds AMD Ryzen 9000HX & 9000HX3D "Fire Range" CPU Support

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T0@st
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AMD's Ryzen 9000HX lineup of "Fire Range" Zen 5 mobile processors is due for release within a vague March to April window, with the upcoming 3D V-Cache-equipped Ryzen 9 9955HX3D SKU touted to become a top choice for manufacturers of ultra high-end gaming laptops. The latest version of CPU-Z is ready (in advance) with support for Team Red's incoming product line; CPUID's patch notes (published on February 8) have revealed previously unannounced models. AMD's official introduction of Ryzen 9000HX series CPUs included an opening salvo of Ryzen 9 9955HX3D (16-core), 9955HX (16-core) and 9850HX (12-core) models.

According to CPU-Z version 2.14, three additional "Fire Range" SKUs are seemingly on the way. Starting off with the Ryzen 9 9950HX3D—a (presumably) slightly less potent 3D V-Cache-sporting model—its nomenclature suggests that it will sit just below the series flagship. The 9950HX model is expected to slot just under the already announced 9955HX chip. The newly revealed 9845HX SKU could become the lowest 12-core offering within AMD's "Fire Range" product stack.

NEXT Studios & Owlcat Games Launch Biped 2 Demo, Available Until February 17

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T0@st
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A new adventure is here, adventurers! Today—on February 10—start your journey in the Biped 2 Demo, team up with friends, explore brand new levels and mechanics! Today, Owlcat Games, alongside META Publishing and NEXT Studios, is proud to announce that the first-ever demo playtest for their puzzle action-adventure title, Biped 2, is now live until February 17. Fans of the original Biped and curious newcomers can access the playtest on the game's Steam page. The adorable bipedalled robots you know and love are back! Biped 2 is the sequel to the exciting original game about two charming bipedal robots, Aku and Sila, who rely on each other and embark on incredible adventures side by side. Dive into the groovy co-op action-adventure game full of puzzles, friendship, support, and fun!

Biped 2 raises the stakes with expanded multiplayer, including four-player co-op for the first time, new robots, missions, and stunning new biomes. Players will encounter even more challenging puzzles as they navigate diverse landscapes, either solo or with friends in two-or four-player co-op. After brave bipeds had reactivated all the beacons on Earth, they received a strange signal from a faraway planet. This can mean only one thing—someone is calling out for help! Now, our mechanical friends are determined to prove themselves and help those in need across the Galaxy. Become a hero and save the planet in distress. After all, even the tiniest robots are capable of great deeds!
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MSI Website Lists New SHADOW 3X GeForce RTX 5080 & 5070 Ti Models

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T0@st
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MSI has, quite appropriately, introduced new SHADOW 3X graphics card models in a low-key manner. These stealth-black GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5070 Ti custom designs have just appeared online via official product pages. We expect to see press material published in the near future, perhaps closer to the launch of NVIDIA's next wave of Blackwell GPUs. MSI's newly discovered product pages place emphasis on the SHADOW 3X's essential features: "a performance-focused design that delivers the gaming experience players want, making it the ideal choice when upgrading or building a gaming rig." VideoCardz believes that the incoming SHADOW 3X cards will be the first to reach Western markets—previous-gen models have released as Chinese regional exclusives. The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER 16G SHADOW 3X overclocked (OC) and non-OC SKUs appear to re-use MSI's familiar VENTUS 3X design, just tinted many shades darker.

The new SHADOW 3X cards seem to utilize a fresh design, with no recycling from a similarly appointed sibling product family. MSI's latest barebones/essential tier brings a minimal set of perks: a sizable heatsink, a triple-fan cooling solution, a single 16-pin power connector and a straightforward shroud and backplate aesthetic. SHADOW 3X eschews anything RGB lighting-related. Potential buyers will not be dealing with fancy vapor chambers or liquid cooling systems. MSI will be offering overclocked editions, as well as standard models that conform to NVIDIA reference specifications. TechPowerUp's well-maintained GPU database will be updated with these new additions.

IBM & Lenovo Expand Strategic AI Technology Partnership in Saudi Arabia

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T0@st
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IBM and Lenovo today announced at LEAP 2025 a planned expansion of their strategic technology partnership designed to help scale the impact of generative AI for clients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. IDC expects annual worldwide spending on AI-centric systems to surpass $300 billion by 2026, with many leading organizations in Saudi Arabia exploring and investing in generative AI use cases as they prepare for the emergence of an "AI everywhere" world.

Building upon their 20-year partnership, IBM and Lenovo will collaborate to deliver AI solutions comprised of technology from the IBM watsonx portfolio of AI products, including the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) open-source Arabic Large Language Model (ALLaM), and Lenovo infrastructure. These solutions are expected to help government and business clients in the Kingdom to accelerate their use of AI to improve public services and make data-driven decisions in areas such as fraud detection, public safety, customer service, code modernization, and IT operations.
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Sapphire Initiates Radeon RX 9070 XT & 9070 PURE Series Marketing Campaign

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T0@st
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Sapphire Technologies has started teasing new PURE series graphics cards; earlier today a social media post stated that new offerings are: "coming your way." An accompanying image presents two semi-obscured signature white models—press outlets believe that the pair are custom Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 (non-XT) models. Sapphire did not exhibit at CES 2025, but a lonely triple-fan Radeon RX 9070 XT PURE card did make the overseas journey to Las Vegas. At the time, AMD presented a small smattering of RDNA 4 board partner samples at a roundup showcase.

Sapphire started to market its new darker dual-fan PULSE design last month, but a series of leaks have ruined the company's (social media-driven) build-up of product anticipation. We have not witnessed any Sapphire Radeon RX 9070 XT or 9070 (non-XT) PURE stock reaching retail storage locations, but lower-end PULSE models have been distributed—reportedly, at least East of the Mediterranean. Sapphire's CES demonstration sample sported an almost all-white enclosure, a triple-fan cooling solution and dual 8-pin power connectors. The PURE Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 (non-XT) models could feature limited RGB lighting—an "ARGB out" connector was present on the back section of Sapphire's presentation card.

CoreWeave Launches Debut Wave of NVIDIA GB200 NVL72-based Cloud Instances

Press Release by
T0@st
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AI reasoning models and agents are set to transform industries, but delivering their full potential at scale requires massive compute and optimized software. The "reasoning" process involves multiple models, generating many additional tokens, and demands infrastructure with a combination of high-speed communication, memory and compute to ensure real-time, high-quality results. To meet this demand, CoreWeave has launched NVIDIA GB200 NVL72-based instances, becoming the first cloud service provider to make the NVIDIA Blackwell platform generally available. With rack-scale NVIDIA NVLink across 72 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs and 36 NVIDIA Grace CPUs, scaling to up to 110,000 GPUs with NVIDIA Quantum-2 InfiniBand networking, these instances provide the scale and performance needed to build and deploy the next generation of AI reasoning models and agents.

NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 on CoreWeave
NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 is a liquid-cooled, rack-scale solution with a 72-GPU NVLink domain, which enables the six dozen GPUs to act as a single massive GPU. NVIDIA Blackwell features many technological breakthroughs that accelerate inference token generation, boosting performance while reducing service costs. For example, fifth-generation NVLink enables 130 TB/s of GPU bandwidth in one 72-GPU NVLink domain, and the second-generation Transformer Engine enables FP4 for faster AI performance while maintaining high accuracy. CoreWeave's portfolio of managed cloud services is purpose-built for Blackwell. CoreWeave Kubernetes Service optimizes workload orchestration by exposing NVLink domain IDs, ensuring efficient scheduling within the same rack. Slurm on Kubernetes (SUNK) supports the topology block plug-in, enabling intelligent workload distribution across GB200 NVL72 racks. In addition, CoreWeave's Observability Platform provides real-time insights into NVLink performance, GPU utilization and temperatures.
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AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D & 9900X3D Speculative Pricing Appears Online, $699 & $599 Respectively

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T0@st
 Discuss (60 Comments)
The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 9900X3D "Zen 5" processors are due for launch at some point next month, but Team Red's recent-ish introductory presentation did not include any details regarding prices. Given patterns demonstrated by previous generations of Team Red's popular 3D V-Cache-equipped CPUs, we can safely assume that the incoming duo will demand a premium over the already released Ryzen 7 9800X3D SKU (MSRP: $479). Late last week, momomo_us happened upon speculated price points during a sleuthing session involving a comparison shopping website.

The PCPartPicker's price aggregation engine pulled data from two Newegg listings—now scrubbed from existence—that outlined a cost of $699.99 (plus a $12.41 shipping fee) for the 16-core Ryzen 9 9950X3D model, and $599.99 (plus shipping) for the 12-core Ryzen 9 9900X3D. Fortunately, VideoCardz preserved this information over the weekend. PCPartPicker has removed the aforementioned figures from its price history chart system, and Newegg has delisted the offending pages. The leaked price points align closely with MSRPs set for previous-gen (Zen 4) Ryzen 9 7000-series CPUs: $699 for the 7950X3D, and $599 for 7900X3D. The de-listed prices could be based on placeholder information—the Ryzen 7 9800X3D launched last November with a generational premium of $30 (Ryzen 7 7800X3D's original MSRP was $449). AMD has alluded to gaming performance being on a roughly even plane, so the incoming Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D models are not expected to surpass the Ryzen 7 9800X3D as "THE best gaming processor."

Valve Now Bans Steam Games That Force Players to Watch Ads

by
AleksandarK
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Valve has updated its Steam platform policies to prevent mobile-style advertising practices from infiltrating the PC gaming market. The new guidelines, recently added to the Steam Terms of Service, explicitly ban any game that requires players to watch or interact with advertisements to progress. Under the revised rules, developers must eliminate any ad systems that force players to engage with promotional content as a prerequisite for gameplay. Games that rely on mandatory ads for rewards or advancement will not be permitted on Steam. While cross-promotional partnerships and product placements remain acceptable, the forced ad model is no longer supported. Mobile games often burden players with unwanted commercial interruptions. Developers are now encouraged to pursue alternative monetization strategies, such as single-purchase models, optional microtransactions, or downloadable content packages.

"If your game's revenue relies on advertising on other platforms, you will need to find a new monetization model in order to release on Steam."—states Valve pricing guide. In addition to banning forced advertisements, Valve has introduced a new feature for early-access titles. This functionality displays the time elapsed since the last update, offering players greater transparency regarding game development progress. By drawing a clear line against aggressive in-game advertising, Valve is fighting smartphone-style ads that force players into watching unwanted content. Valve's commitment to ecosystem quality ensures that Steam remains a trusted platform for gamers seeking pure gaming and ad-free experiences. Other platforms are likely to follow suit.

Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone Launches March 6, via Early Access

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T0@st
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Like the first part, Chernobylite 2 is a story of people who try to accomplish an impossible mission and survive in the sinister Chornobyl Zone. Chernobylite 2 will be released on Steam in Early Access on March 6th, similar to the first part in 2019, which was awarded the Top Early Access Platinum Graduate on Steam. Cole Grey, a former military and security guard, lives in a reality where the economy and industry are based entirely on a substance called Chernobylite. With its help, people have made a real leap in civilization. However, the construction of the utopia has been paid for by massive unemployment, pushing people like Cole to the margins of society. Due to severe financial problems, he joins the mysterious "Planewalker" initiative to provide for his family.

It quickly becomes apparent that there is a shortage of Chernobylite in Cole's universe, and the solution is the morally questionable initiative that involves traveling to parallel worlds in search of the mineral and obtaining it by any means possible. In addition, the Planewalker service requires appropriate genetic modifications. Cole must, therefore, physically absorb the essence of chernobylite and, to increase his physical and intellectual capabilities, lose a part of his humanity. However, seeing no other options for himself, he agrees to the bloody and dangerous service, which results in him ending up trapped in the most sinister place in the world: the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. There, he meets a Black Stalker, the Zone's dark guide and silent ruler.
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TSMC Plans First-Time Board Meetings in the US to Discuss Possible Trump-imposed Tariffs

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AleksandarK
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TSMC is set to hold its inaugural board meeting on US soil on February 12—a strategic decision influenced by potential reciprocal tariffs outlined by the US President Donald Trump. As the company's first wafer fabrication facility in Arizona is in mass production using its 4 nm process, the US board meeting marks a first in TSMC's global expansion, where the company is holding a board meeting outside of Taiwan for the first time in its four-decade history. The board gathering, which will bring together directors from its Taiwan headquarters and overseas operational sites, comes amid concerns over possible US tariff measures targeting key trade partners, including Taiwan. Trump recently hinted at imposing tariffs on semiconductor products, which could directly affects TSMC's business operations.

Among the attendees will be Liu Jingqing, a director representing Taiwan's National Development Fund Management Committee, the company's largest shareholder holding 1.65 billion shares. Liu, who left for the United States on February 8, is expected to return to Taiwan immediately after the meeting, ensuring the board remains aligned with upcoming legislative sessions. During the meeting, the board will review the financial results for the fourth quarter and decide on cash dividends for 2024. Despite uncertainties over US tariffs, TSMC continues to expand its US investments. Its second and third fabs in Arizona, expected to employ more advanced processes such as 3 nm and 2 nm, show the company's long-term commitment to the American market while it continues advancing process and packaging capacity in Taiwan. TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei stressed that advancing mass production in Taiwan remains critical even while expanding US operations.

Report Suggests OpenAI Finalizing Proprietary GPU Design

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T0@st
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Going back a year, we started hearing about an OpenAI proprietary AI chip project—this (allegedly) highly ambitious endeavor included grand plans for a dedicated fabrication network. TSMC was reportedly in the equation, but indirectly laughed at the AI research organization's ardent requests. Fast-forward to the present day; OpenAI appears to be actively pursuing a proprietary GPU design through traditional means. A Reuters exclusive report points to 2025 being an important year for the company's aforementioned "in-house" AI chip—the publication believes that OpenAI's debut silicon design has reached the finalization stage. Insiders have divulged that the project is only months away from being submitted to TSMC for "taping out." The foundry's advanced 3-nanometer process technology is reported to be on the cards. A Reuters source reckons that the unnamed chip features: "a commonly used systolic array architecture with high-bandwidth memory (HBM)...and extensive networking capabilities."

Broadcom is reportedly assisting with the development of OpenAI's in-house design—we heard about rumored negotiations taking place last summer. Jim Keller's tempting offer—of creating an AI chip for less than $1 trillion—was ignored early last year; OpenAI has instead assembled its own internal team of industry veterans. The October 2024 news cycle posited that former Google TPU engineers were drafted in as team leaders, with a targeted mass production window scheduled for 2026. The latest Reuters news article reiterates this projected timeframe, albeit dependent on the initial tape going "smoothly." OpenAI's chip department has grown to around forty individuals with recent months, according to industry moles—a small number relative to the headcounts at "Google or Amazon's AI chip program."

Unofficial 12V-2x6V Power Connector Melts NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

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AleksandarK
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NVIDIA's high-TDP flagship GPU, the GeForce RTX 5090, appears to cause additional headaches for users, not including the high power bill. According to a Reddit user, we now have the first documented case of a melted power connector on NVIDIA's flagship GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition, reigniting concerns over high-wattage GPU safety from the last generation. While playing Battlefield 5, Reddit user ivan6953 detected a burning odor and immediately shut down their system, only to discover severe damage to both the RTX 5090's 12V-2×6 connector and their ASUS ROG Loki SFX-L PSU. The user had employed a Moddiy 12VHPWR cable, marketed as ATX 3.0/PCIe 5.0-compliant and rated for RTX 5090's 600 watts of power. Despite claims of secure installation—audible clicks at both ends—the cable melted at 500-520 W load, charring connectors on the GPU and PSU.

Notably, the same cable had powered an RTX 4090 FE for two years without issue. NVIDIA's RTX 5090 FE ships with a redesigned adapter featuring a longer, more flexible cable and an angled connector to reduce strain in compact builds. NVIDIA asserts that no incidents have occurred with its bundled adapter, emphasizing compliance with the updated 12V-2×6 standard, which shortens sensing pins to prevent power flow if connections loosen. Hence, an older connector can not provide 100% secure usage despite the user thinking that the sensing pins are touching properly.
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Avowed Devs Explain Game's Connection to "Pillars of Eternity" Universe

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T0@st
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The more I learn about the Living Lands of Avowed, an island ripe with riches, mystery, and magic, the more it feels like it's the Wild West of Eora. A frontier full of adventurers, mercenaries, and thieves, all looking to stake a claim—as a player, that's exactly where I want to be. It projects this unique, early-modern period look and feel where it's not quite medieval, but sophisticated enough that society is utilizing things like gunpowder and blast furnaces, with cultures developing their own distinct means of survival - much like moments in the history of our world. In talking with the team at Obsidian, I learned that all of this is intentional in its design, giving us a look at what a new frontier would look like if it were a first-person fantasy role-playing game. Borrowing elements from our world also helps to inform the "rules" Obsidian follows for crafting a player experience within the Living Lands, turning the dials just enough to give us something wholly unique, where souls are real and gods exist - but not necessarily in a way that we think of them.

"When you're informed by those two basic facts, it guides a lot about both the kind of content you develop and the tone and flavor you give it," explains Game Director Carrie Patel. "The flow of souls, the presence and existence of that energy, is key and core to life continuing in Eora in a way that will resonate with players who have been through Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. We have a traditional pantheon in the world of Pillars, and you will get glimpses of some of these gods in Avowed." This all feeds into the various cultures you will encounter along the way—what's important to them (like their gods) is what gives life to the game. The Aedyrans, for example, are a nation that heavily values the ideas of rightful rule, leadership, and order—and now they're plopped into the greatest frontier of Eora. What would it look like as they start to try and blend in with the locals? It may be a small change in their outfit or adapting to how they choose to live. This "Wild West" attracts all sorts, and rigidity may not blend very well with what's required to survive the Living Lands.
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NVIDIA Optix Updated with Mega Geometry Tech, New Neural Texture Compression SDK Released

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T0@st
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NVIDIA unveiled its RTX Mega Geometry technology during their recent CES 2025 presentation, coinciding with the introduction of various new RTX branches. At the time, Team Green mentioned that Remedy Entertainment would be upgrading their Northlight Engine with RTX Mega Geometry technology. Last week, Digital Foundry published their early impressions of an enhanced version of Alan Wake 2, outlining "clear and measurable" improvements; especially with previous-gen GeForce RTX gaming hardware—in particular, on an RTX 4060 GPU. NVIDIA has released version 9.0 of their OptiX SDK—signalling a wider distribution of the Mega Geometry tech to game development and visualization houses. This new API, for building clusters, is advertised as being able to: "dramatically speed up BVH builds of large meshes."

Late last week, NVIDIA updated its Neural Texture Compression (NTC) toolkit BETA. RTXNTC version 0.5.0's quick start guide outlines the fundamental functions of Team Green's AI-enhanced image compression technology: "(an) algorithm designed to compress all PBR textures used for a single material together. It works best when the texture channels are correlated with each other, for example, detail in the albedo texture corresponds to detail in the normal texture. Up to 16 texture channels can be compressed into one NTC texture set. Typical PBR materials have 9-10 channels: 3x albedo, 3x normal, metalness, roughness, ambient occlusion, opacity."
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GameSir Intros X3 Pro Deadpool Edition Mobile Controller

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T0@st
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The GameSir X3 Pro integrated cooler mobile controller merges an advanced cooling system with high-quality performance. It is designed to enhance your gaming comfort and elevate your gaming experience with extreme esports sensation. It's compatible with Android devices and iPhone 15 and above, supporting phones with a length of 110-180 mm. Now available in exclusive Deadpool edition.

Officially licensed by Marvel, this edition showcases Deadpool's iconic black and red color scheme, capturing the essence of the beloved anti-hero. Equipped with a 900 mm cooling plate, it delivers an impressive 12 W of cooling power, keeping your phone cool even during long gaming sessions or in high temperatures. The GameSir Hall Effect anti-drift sticks offer 360° precision control, providing seamless and pinpoint accuracy. Combined with their durability, they meet the high standards that gamers demand for a top-tier gaming experience.
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Zotac Uses Discord to Sell RTX 50 GPUs and Stop Scalpers

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Nomad76
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Zotac has come up with a new way to fight graphics card scalping by starting a "Priority Access Campaign" on their Discord server, with a Zotac employee named Bryant making the announcement. The plan is simple and has only one main goal: to help regular buyers get a real chance of buying NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX 5080 and 5090 models at the right price. These cards have been almost impossible to get because they sell out fast and end up on resale sites at high prices. Zotac says it wants to use its online community to help real gamers, not scalpers.

The process is pretty straightforward, with users being selected based on engagement in discussions and various challenges. Then, using a random number generator, eligible buyers will be selected. The campaign is already active (is limited to users in the U.S.) with special Discord channels to give out RTX 5080 models (currently Zotac has only ten RTX 5080 cards) while the RTX 5090 isn't yet available. The company has insisted on warning scalpers; each card sold via this method will have its serial number recorded, and any user caught trying to resell it at a higher price will be permanently banned from any future Zotac direct sales events or raffles. Zotac isn't the first to try this approach, in the past, companies like Newegg and NVIDIA have used lottery systems or sold directly to customers to avoid scalpers. While there is no guarantee of completely avoiding scalpers, the action is commendable and it is possible that we will see similar actions from other brands or retailers in the future.
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GAMEMAX Introduces VISION GMX32UCDM QD-OLED Gaming Monitor

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btarunr
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GAMEMAX, an emerging brand of PC gaming components including gaming cases and power supply units, announces the VISION GMX32UCDM gaming monitor. The VISION GMX32UCDM is the brand's first ever QD-OLED gaming monitor. It is a 31.5-inch 4K QD-OLED gaming monitor set to redefine immersive gaming with its ultra-fast 240 Hz refresh rate, delivering smooth, and blur-free visuals. Featuring a Samsung 3rd-gen QD-OLED panel, the VISION GMX32UCDM monitor offers rich colors and deep contrast without color shift or luminosity loss, as well as HDR support for enhanced image quality.

The VISION GMX32UCDM supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-SYNC, delivering tear-free gameplay with low latency. Additionally, flicker-free and low blue light technology help reduce eye strain during long gaming sessions. Designed for both gaming and professional creative work, the VISION GMX32UCDM QD-OLED monitor ensures unmatched color accuracy with factory calibration, achieving Delta E < 2 and 99% DCI-P3 color coverage. The enhanced Type-C port supports mobile work devices with 90 W power delivery for efficient reverse charging. A built-in headset stand adds convenience and organization, making it a perfect addition to any gaming setup.
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Sennheiser Announces the HD 505 Headphones

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Nomad76
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The Sennheiser brand today announces the HD 505, a headphone crafted for listeners looking to elevate their love for audio to the next level of performance. With its blend of analytical tuning, precise detail, and enduring comfort, the HD 505 brings the essential Sennheiser experience to listening setups and gaming rigs of all kinds.

"The HD 505 is for anyone ready to experience the audio awakening a great set of Sennheiser headphones is known for," said Klaus Hanselmann, Sennheiser Audiophile Product Manager. "There is something truly special in here that puts serious listening within arm's reach of the emerging audiophile or gamer."
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ASUS Announces Cobble SSD Enclosure

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btarunr
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ASUS today announced the ASUS Cobble SSD enclosure, a stylish and durable external storage solution. Featuring a unique cobblestone-inspired design and IP55 water- and dust-resistance, ASUS Cobble combines stylish aesthetics with durable, reliable protection in the most demanding environments. The enclosure supports both M.2 NVMe PCIe and SATA SSDs, and features a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x1 interface for superfast data transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps. The tool-free design allows for easy installation, while broad compatibility with Windows 11, macOS, mobile devices, and game consoles makes ASUS Cobble perfect for gamers, professionals, and content creators.

The ASUS Cobble SSD enclosure has a sleek cobblestone-inspired design that's available in gray or black. Speckle-painting techniques enabled designers to incorporate organic textures and colors into the design, giving the enclosure a warm and natural aesthetic that perfectly complements any workspace or gaming setup. A special scratch-resistant coating offers a durable surface that protects the enclosure from minor impacts, and enables the sturdy metallic chassis to withstand high temperatures for long-lasting stability and reliability.
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Sunday, February 9th 2025

Gigabyte Brix BTIP-N250 Mini PC Unveiled With Quad-Core CPU and 2.5" Bay

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GGforever
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Yet another Brix mini PC from Gigabyte has hit the scene, powered by the very modest six-watt Intel N250 CPU. Undoubtedly, this mini PC is targeted at folks with modest computing demands. If the system's specifications are anything to go by, the BTIP-N250 is most likely to command an affordable price tag, although that cannot be said with certainty for now considering that Gigabyte is yet to reveal any pricing or availability details regarding the system.

As mentioned, the Intel N250 quad-core, quad-thread processors is not here to set any performance records. That said, the N250 is actually as performant as the Zen+ Ryzen 5 3500U, which means moderate workloads and office-based workflows are likely not going to be much of a challenge for the system. The processor can be paired with up to 16 GB of DDR5 memory, and the system supports M.2 as well as 2.5" drives to take care of storage requirements. Dual USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, dual USB-A 3.2 gen 2, HDMI, and audio in/out ports are also present. Wireless connectivity can be added via the M.2 2230 slot, while the 1G ethernet takes care of wired networking.

ORICO 20-in-1 Docking Station Launched with Decent Features and a $130 Price Tag

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GGforever
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Docking stations are particularly useful for folks who own laptops with limited I/O. Having more ports is seldom a bad thing, and ORICO's latest 20-in-1 docking station packs excellent potential in that regard. As the name suggests, the product packs a total of 19 ports, split between its front and rear. The dock, dubbed the ORICO DKA22, is currently available on Amazon, commanding a price tag of $129.99.

At the rear, the dock sports dual USB-A 2.0, dual DisplayPort, HDMI, good old VGA, 1G Ethernet, and a USB-C port with 60 watts of power delivery. On the front, triple USB-A 3.0, dual USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, SD/TF, USB-A 2.0, and audio input, output, as well as combo jacks. A volume control knob is also present on the front, which is quite a neat addition. In terms of video output, the dock is capable of running dual four displays simultaneously, although only with the HDMI, VGA, and DP ports limited to 1080p60, while the remaining DP limited to 1080p30. For a detailed understanding of the supported video output configurations, please refer to the third embedded image.

Intel Core Ultra 275HX Outshines Core i9-14900HX by 33% in Early Passmark Appearance

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GGforever
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A recent Cinebench R23 result portrayed the upcoming Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX lagging behind its predecessor by a few points in single-core performance, despite pulling well ahead in multicore performance. Now, the high-end Arrow Lake-HX chip has made its debut on Passmark, and the result appears quite enticing, to say the least. In single-core, the Core Ultra 9 275HX leads the i9 14900HX by around 10% - a fair generational uplift. In overall performance, however, the Core Ultra 9 275HX shines bright, pulling off a 33% lead over its predecessor. Of course, the actual improvements are likely to be lower, considering that the Passmark database contains over 1800 entries for Core i9 14900HX-powered systems with varying thermal capabilities, while only a single one so far for the 275HX.

For a refresher, the Core Ultra 9 275HX debuted at CES 2025, and packs 8 Lion Cove P-cores along with 16 Skymont E-cores. Intel has left Hyper-Threading in the rearview mirror with its Arrow Lake lineup, although the Passmark entry seems to suggest Arrow Lake-HX will do just fine without it. Unsurprisingly, for laptops, the performance of the system will boil down to its thermal capabilities, which basically means that there will be a plethora of systems where the 275HX will be unable to fully spread its wings. Besides that, as with all pre-release performance benchmark leaks, be sure to accept this information with a grain of salt. The Ryzen 7945HX3D is also left behind, albeit by a far smaller margin of just around 7% in overall performance. With the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D just around the corner, however, Intel's high-end laptop reign might be short-lived after all.

This Week in Gaming (Week 7)

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TheLostSwede
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Welcome to week two of February, during which one of the oldest game franchises is launching its seventh iteration, although this time around it steps away quite a bit from its past versions, for better or worse. This is followed by some mayhem, Hollywood drama, an action co-op RPG, some classic side scrolling action with a lot of big guns and the week is rounded off with a JRPG.

Sid Meier's Civilization VII / This week's AAA release / Tuesday 11 February
In Civilization VII, your strategic decisions shape the unique cultural lineage of your evolving empire. Rule as one of many legendary leaders from throughout history and steer the course of your story by choosing a new civilization to represent your empire in each Age of human advancement. Steam link
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Saturday, February 8th 2025

Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX Defeats Core i9-14900HX In Cinebench R23 Multi-Core, While Losing Out in Single-Core

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GGforever
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The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX was unveiled by Big Blue at CES 2025, packing 8 Lion Cove performance cores and 16 Skymont efficiency cores for a total of 24 cores and 24 threads, thanks to Intel doing away with Hyper-Threading support. As such, we already had quite low expectations for multicore performance from Arrow Lake-HX, although a recently listed Cinebench R23 run appears to confirm the contrary. However, considering the nature of leaks, be sure to accept this information with a fair amount of skepticism until more information comes our way.

To be honest, this result is quite a doozy, for the aforementioned reason. Like its predecessor, the Core Ultra 9 275HX will also boast the same number of performance and efficiency cores, without Hyper-Threading support. But somehow, the result indicates that the 275HX handily outperforms the Core i9-14900HX in multicore performance by ~11%, despite losing out in single-core performance by the skin of its teeth. Of course, there are plenty of desktop-replacement laptops that can pull off higher multicore scores, although it would be best to stick to median figures considering that the details of the tested system are not known. Clearly, something is going on here, that I am unable to wrap my head around. It is possible that Intel has massively improved multicore scaling, but that is not what we witnessed with a recent Passmark result, where the Core Ultra 7 255H portrayed healthy improvements over its predecessor in single-core, but not quite so in multicore.

This $50 Bundle Gives You the Full Coding Package

by
btarunr
If you want to learn to code, then take a look at this bundle that pairs Microsoft Visual Studio Pro 2022 with the 2025 Premium Learn to Code Certification Bundle. It's a comprehensive introduction to programming paired with an industry-standard tool for mobile and desktop app development. It's on sale for $49.97.

Visual Studio Pro is a 64-bit IDE from Microsoft that handles larger workloads and supports multiple languages and platforms. It's ideal for cross-platform app development with.NET MAUI and web UI creation using Blazor. It also supports development, debugging, and testing for.NET and C++ apps on Linux.

A lifetime license for Microsoft Visual Studio Pro 2022 and Lifetime Access to the 2025 Premium Learn to Code Certification Bundle is now available for $49.97 (reg. $1,999).
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GMKTec AD-GP1: Brand-New Radeon RX 7600M XT eGPU Unveiled With OCuLink

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GGforever
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We frequently find ourselves stunned with the sheer number of mini PCs and SFF systems that are hitting the market as of late. This segment of the personal computing market is undeniably expanding at an unprecedented rate, clearly indicating a positive growth in interest surrounding compact systems. However, a majority of such SFF and mini PCs lack the advantage of being able to thermally afford discrete graphics, which makes them rely either on passable iGPU performance, or go the eGPU route. Thankfully, the list of eGPUs available on the market also appear to be on the rise, especially systems with OCuLink support, which allows for a comparatively low performance downgrade as compared to USB4.

GMKTec has now announced its latest offering for the segment, dubbed the AD-GP1. This eGPU, unlike many others, comes pre-installed with a Radeon RX 7600M XT GPU, which means that it is not upgradeable or replaceable down the road. The RDNA 3-based 7600M XT is a decently potent GPU, which is commonly found in gaming laptops. However, the GPU is paired with a paltry 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is might not be enough for a number of modern demanding titles, considering that AMD GPUs generally need more VRAM than NVIDIA counterparts (different texture compression methods, for the most part). In terms of ports, the AD-GP1 sports dual HDMI 2.1 ports, dual DisplayPort 2.0 ports, USB4, and the aforementioned OCuLink port. Priced at $460 on GMKTec's official website as of this writing, the AD-GP1 is an interesting option for those on the lookout for a mid-range eGPU with OCuLink support.

Minix NGC-NR6600 Mini PC Launched With AMD Ryzen 5 APU and Dual 2.5G LAN

by
GGforever
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The list of potent mini PCs continues to expand, with the Minix NGC-NR6600 being one of the latest additions. The mid-range mini PC should be sufficiently potent for the majority of non-intensive workloads, and should be able to fly through daily workloads without breaking a sweat. The system is already available for purchase on Amazon, starting at $399 for the entry-level variant with 16 GB of memory and a 512 GB SSD. Specs-wise, the Minix mini PC appears to be a well-equipped system that should suffice for most moderately intensive workloads, as long as it is forgiving on the GPU side.

At its core, the Minix mini PC in question is powered by the AMD Ryzen 5 6600H APU with 6 Zen 3+ cores and 12 threads, which can be paired with up to 64 GB of DDR5-4800 memory, courtesy of dual SO-DIMM slots. The diminutive 5 x 5.12 x 1.97 inch chassis, unsurprisingly, lacks the physical space for the comfort of discrete graphics, and has to settle for the decently capable Radeon 660M with 6 CUs, although it is by no means sufficient for modern AAA gaming. Some lightweight gaming is not our of the question, though. A 512 GB SSD takes care of storage requirements, while a supplementary M.2 slot allows for expansion down the road, up to a whopping 8 TB. The system packs HDMI 2.1 (TMDS, so basically HDMI 2.0), DisplayPort 1.4, USB4, as well as dual 2.5G LAN ports.
Friday, February 7th 2025

Today's Reviews

Cases
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Monitors
Motherboards
Other
PSUs
Civilization VII Performance Benchmark Review - 35 GPUs Tested

Civilization VII Performance Benchmark Review - 35 GPUs Tested

Review Game Testing
Civilization VII is new fodder for lovers of the turn-based strategy genre. In our testing the game ran very well on virtually all graphics cards. In our performance review, we'll look at the game's graphics quality, VRAM consumption, and how it runs across a range of contemporary graphics cards.
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ASRock Phantom Gaming B850I Lightning Wi-Fi Review

ASRock Phantom Gaming B850I Lightning Wi-Fi Review

Review Motherboards
The ASRock Phantom B850I Lightning is a good choice if you want a Mini-ITX board for around $200. Compared to most of its B650 predecessors it has two additional power phases. In our testing it handled a 16-core Ryzen CPU just fine, making it a good value choice for any compact AMD system.
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HP EliteBook X G1a "Supports" up to 128 GB LPDDR5X-8533 Memory

by
T0@st
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At some point this week, HP's North American online store was updated with new high-end EliteBooks that feature AMD Strix Point APUs. Three models appear to support up to 128 GB of LPDDR5X-8533 memory—these curious entries were highlighted by tech enthusiast Hoang Anh Phu (AnhPhuH). The advertised maximum 8533 MT/s transfer rate exceeds Team Red's official reference figure (7500 MT/s) for the EliteBook X G1a's Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 APU. Looking further up in the Team Red "Strix Point" product stack, we spotted their Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 spec sheet boasting a maximum LPDDR5x transfer speed of 8000 MT/s. Press outlets have expressed doubt when analyzing three of HP's EliteBook X G1a SKUs. Theories point to product pages containing possible placeholder information, or inaccuracies.

Working with the belief that the specs are legit, AnhPhuH commented: "this is the first laptop featured with 128 GB LPDDR5x-8533 128-bit memory. That would mean it's using four 256 Gb x32 modules(?!). As far as I know, all three major DRAM manufacturers currently only have 128 Gb x32 modules...the EliteBook X G1a uses Strix Point, not Strix Halo, so it only pairs with four x32 modules (two 64-bit channels)." HP's web shop states that the EliteBook X G1a models are due to launch on March 14. We hope that further clarification and concrete specifications appear online closer to release time. Initial pricing starts at $2749 for the lowliest of the three "128 GB LPDDR5X-8533" equipped models. The agonizingly named flagship "HP EliteBook X G1a 14 inch Notebook Next Gen AI PC Wolf Pro Security Edition" offering comes in at an eye-watering $4299.

The Sims at 25 - Veteran Developer Discusses Franchise History

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T0@st
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25 years ago, The Sims made history with the first instalment of a legendary series that would go on to be one of the best-selling of all time. Few simulation games have enjoyed the success and longevity of The Sims—and the freedom and creativity to play with life however you want has afforded the series near-unrivalled appeal in the years since. This week, Electronic Arts is celebrating this milestone and the history of the series in a big way, which includes a huge The Sims 4 Free Content Update containing new Create a Sim options, clothing, Build/Buy Items and much more. The festivities will also include the limited-time Blast From The Past Event, which lets players earn revamped versions of iconic items from the original The Sims game via in-game goals.

We had the opportunity to chat with Kevin Gibson, Production Director for The Sims at EA. Gibson has been working in production roles across the franchise since 2003, and has first-hand experience of how the series has evolved in that time. The studio is abuzz with excitement about the franchise's birthday, and Gibson shares that digging deep into the series' past to rediscover nostalgic highlights has been extremely rewarding. "Our incredible players have shown us that no one does life like The Sims, and we wanted to celebrate this journey we have been on together," Gibson says. "25 years ago there was a game with an idea that made big a splash at E3, and look where we are today! We've been part of multiple generations and touched millions of lives.
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Qualcomm CEO Confirms Arm's Withdrawal of License Breach Notice

by
T0@st
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Cristiano Amon, Qualcomm's Chief Executive Officer, made a major announcement during a recent company earnings call. Since late last year, technology news outlets have kept a collective eye trained on legal wranglings involving the mobile processor specialist and Arm Holdings. Qualcomm won a partial victory in December—a Delaware jury unanimously found that the: "use of Oryon cores in its Snapdragon X processors for client PCs did not violate its licensing agreements with Arm." However, said jury did not deliver a unanimous verdict on the trial's other lines of query—soon after concluding, Arm filed a motion for a new session.

According to a relatively new Reuters follow-up report, Arm has terminated one of its pursuits. During Wednesday's (February 5) meeting with industry analysts, the Qualcomm boss declared: "Arm recently notified us that it was withdrawing its October 22, 2024 notice of breach, and indicated that it has no current plan to terminate the Qualcomm architecture license agreement." Amon and his colleagues are likely celebrating this development, as well as claimed "positive growth" for Snapdragon X Elite-powered devices. Industry watchdogs believe that Arm could file for a retrial in the near future. According to The Register, the two companies are due to face-off again—albeit under different circumstances: "Qualcomm continues to pursue another case against Arm, alleging the UK outfit didn't honor some of its contractual obligations. Arm reckons that matter will reach the courts in the first half of 2026."

Razer Viper V3 Pro Crowned the #1 Gaming Mouse for Esport Professionals

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T0@st
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Razer has solidified its position as the ultimate choice for esports professionals with the Razer Viper V3 Pro officially crowned the #1 most-used gaming mouse by esports pros, according to Prosettings.net (as of December 2024). This monumental achievement completes our pro peripherals trifecta of dominance, with the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro reigning as the #1 most used esports headset as of December 2024 and the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL leading as the #1 most used esports keyboard as of December 2024.

What Sets the Razer Viper V3 Pro Apart
Razer's long-standing dedication to esports innovation has led to the creation of groundbreaking gear trusted by champions. The Razer Viper V3 Pro is not just another gaming mouse; its precision-engineered excellence is designed for, and by, esports pro athletes. From its ultra-lightweight form to next-gen sensor, the Razer Viper V3 Pro is meticulously engineered to meet the uncompromising demands of competitive gaming where a single millisecond makes all the difference. Extensive feedback on shape, weight, button placement and feel of switches were taken from pro players, with more than 45 of them testing the mouse across major tournaments such as the BLAST Fall Finals 2024 Copenhagen. We listened—and the result is a mouse that transcends expectations. Read more about "The Rise of the Razer Viper V3 Pro" on Prosettings.net.
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Insiders Forecast Significantly Reduced Supply of GeForce RTX 4060 GPUs in February

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T0@st
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Supply chain and board partner (AIB) insiders have once again signalled a murky future for Team Green's "Ada Lovelace" generation of gaming graphics cards—Chinese industry soothsayers believe that supplies of GeForce RTX 4060 GPUs will change significantly throughout February. A somewhat similar disclosure popped up online half-way through January—when members of the Board Channels discussion board predicted an end of the month stock depletion of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPUs. Several web entities believe that NVIDIA is paving the way for a next wave of GeForce RTX 50-series "Blackwell" graphics cards.

Gory details appeared on Board Channels—yesterday morning's China market-focused bulletin stated: "supply of the main models of the RTX 4060 series will be greatly reduced from the first quarter of 2025, that is, from February 2025 in the domestic market, NVIDIA's supply of RTX4060 series GPUs will be greatly reduced, which is at least 60% less than the estimated Q4 of 2024." Team Green and its partners are reportedly working on a March launch window for GeForce RTX 5060 (non-Ti) and RTX 5060 Ti graphics card models—neatly aligning with the RTX 4060-related timeframes proposed by industry insiders. The Board Channels article added further clarification: "the number of GPUs that each core AIC brand manufacturer can get from NVIDIA will be greatly reduced."

Global Semiconductor Sales Hit $627 Billion in 2024

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Nomad76
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The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced global semiconductor sales hit $627.6 billion in 2024, an increase of 19.1% compared to the 2023 total of $526.8 billion. Additionally, fourth-quarter sales of $170.9 billion were 17.1% more than the fourth quarter of 2023, and 3.0% higher than the third quarter of 2024. And global sales for the month of December 2024 were $57.0 billion, a decrease of 1.2% compared to the November 2024 total. Monthly sales are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average. SIA represents 99% of the U.S. semiconductor industry by revenue and nearly two-thirds of non-U.S. chip firms.

"The global semiconductor market experienced its highest-ever sales year in 2024, topping $600 billion in annual sales for the first time, and double-digit market growth is projected for 2025," said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. "Semiconductors enable virtually all modern technologies - including medical devices, communications, defense applications, AI, advanced transportation, and countless others - and the long-term industry outlook is incredibly strong."
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Keep Driving Out Now on PC

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T0@st
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Keep Driving is finally out! It's hard to express how it feels releasing a game we've worked on since 2016. We failed once, put it on ice, came back to it and devoted all our effort to make it happen. It's been helluva project, much bigger than we initially thought it would be, but we're incredibly proud to finally say: IT'S OUT! Thanks so much to all of you who have come on this ride with us in the months since we announced. When we revealed our game last fall, we would've never thought we'd have this much support at launch. We really hope you enjoy this game, we've worked so hard on making it.

What is Keep Driving?
Keep Driving is a management RPG about slowly making your way through a procedurally generated pixel art open world. Pick up hitchhikers with their own personalities and stories; upgrade, customize and repair your car. Solve challenges on the road using a unique turn-based "combat" system, using your own skills and whatever's lying around in the glovebox to make it through and explore your summer possibilities.
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Intel "Panther Lake" & "Wildcat Lake" SKU Details Leak Out

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T0@st
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So far, this Friday (February 7) has been a bumper day for Intel CPU-related leaks. Golden Pig Upgrade and Jaykihn appear to be in competition with each other—they have uncovered all manner of speculative treasures across desktop and mobile segments. The latest revelation provides an early insight into unannounced feline-themed next-gen CPUs, courtesy of a Jaykihn social media post. Team Blue's Panther Lake processor family is slated for launch within the latter half of 2025—Intel officially stated that it would be their "lead product" on 18A. Older rumors had the "mobile-exclusive" Panther Lake processor family linked to a mixed configuration of new "Cougar Cove" P-cores and updated "Skymont" E-cores. According to today's leak, a variety of core configurations and feature sets are in the pipeline.

Jaykihn has listed three Panther Lake SKUs, and a "more mainstream" lower-end Wildcat Lake model. Common features include support for Thunderbolt 4 connectivity and LPDDR5X memory. Team Blue's rumored highest-end Panther Lake-H (PTL-H) processor appears to max out with a grand total of sixteen cores—consisting of 4 P-cores, 8 E-Cores, and 4 LP cores. The integrated graphics solution is (allegedly) a 12 core Xe3 "Celestial" GPU, with support for LPDDR5X memory—it is the only one on the list to completely jettison DDR5 compatibility. Insiders believe that the total platform (TOPS) rating is 180. As interpreted by VideoCardz, a 12-core "Panther Lake-U" (PTL-U) SKU is reportedly free of efficiency (E) units. The sole Wildcat Lake (WCL) model seems to sport a 2 P-core, 4-LP, and 2-Xe3 configuration.
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NVIDIA RTX 5080 Laptop Defeats Predecessor By 19% in Time Spy Benchmark

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GGforever
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The NVIDIA RTX 50-series witnessed quite a contentious launch, to say the least. Hindered by abysmal availability, controversial generational improvement, and whacky marketing tactics by Team Green, it would be safe to say a lot of passionate gamers were left utterly disappointed. That said, while the desktop cards have been the talk of the town as of late, the RTX 50 Laptop counterparts are yet to make headlines. Occasional leaks do appear on the interwebs, the latest one of which seems to indicate the 3D Mark Time Spy performance for the RTX 5080 Laptop GPU. And the results are - well, debatable.

We do know that the RTX 5080 Laptop GPU will feature 7680 CUDA cores, a shockingly modest increase over its predecessor. Considering that we did not get a node shrink this time around, the architectural improvements appear to be rather minimal, going by the tests conducted so far. Of course, the biggest boost in performance will likely be afforded by GDDR7 memory, utilizing a 256-bit bus, compared its predecessor's GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus. In 3D Mark's Time Spy DX12 test, which is somewhat of an outdated benchmark, the RTX 5080 Laptop managed roughly around 21,900 points. The RTX 4080 Laptop, on an average, rakes in around 18,200 points, putting the RTX 5080 Laptop ahead by almost 19%. The RTX 4090 Laptop is also left behind, by around 5%.
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Rift of the NecroDancer Out Now on PC

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T0@st
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Is this week even real?! After 3+ years of pouring our hearts into each beat, and a DECADE after launching Crypt of the NecroDancer, we've hit the launch button! Rift of the NecroDancer is Out Now! 3...2...1... LET'S GO! The Rift is fully open for battle! The NecroDancer's back in an all-new rhythm game! Dragged into a strange new world, Cadence must engage in musical combat with monsters surging through the Rift! Face pulse-pounding Rhythm Rifts where every beat is a battle, all set to an original soundtrack by Danny Baranowsky and friends.

What YOU Think
We really wanna know! Come join our Discord for maximum launch hype vibes! We're also on Bluesky now too! We'll also be closely monitoring in-game bug reports. This is just the beginning for Rift, and we're so excited to be on this journey with y'all! You can also hang with us during our livestreams. P.S. The best way to support us is to grab the game during launch week, but if you wanna go the extra mile, we've also released a Supporter Upgrade with a couple cute cosmetics
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Intel Reportedly Considering Resurrection of "Arrow Lake Refresh" Processor Family

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T0@st
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Intel is reported to be eyeing a revival of its "Arrow Lake Refresh" desktop processor design—Golden Pig Upgrade disclosed this "strange" revelation via an updated Weibo blog post. Back in 2023, the Chinese hardware reviewer and leaker extraordinaire theorized that Team Blue's much-rumored shelving of "ARL-S/HX Refresh" came down to cost/benefit considerations relating to accommodating an upgraded NPU in the chip's tile-based design. Last September, reports suggested that Intel had put the final kibosh on a 14th Gen Core Ultra 8P+32E "Arrow Lake Refresh" processor series—leaked roadmaps had a launch window marked down for late 2025, going into 2026. Industry watchdogs have picked up on Golden Pig Upgrade's latest forecast—prompting further theorizing.

Intel has its mobile segment's future covered with Panther Lake (later in 2025) and Nova Lake (2026), but a notable gap exists in their desktop world. Nova Lake's desktop S-series is slated for launch at some point in 2026, so this year could be prime territory for a mild refresh of existing Arrow Lake-S processors—on the LGA1851 socket. Golden Pig Upgrade reckons that refreshes of ARL-S (desktop) and ARL-HX (high-end laptop) are back on Team Blue's upcoming product roadmap. Industry moles reckon that an updated NPU design—potentially similar to the one housed in Lunar Lake mobile chips—will be the only major upgrade lined up for the so-called "Core Ultra 300" processor series. Intel's current-gen flagship model—Core Ultra 9 285K—has NPU performance topping off at 13 TOPS. Refreshed Arrow Lake SKUs could be deployed with an improved NPU aspect, perhaps capable of hitting 48 TOPS.

Nintendo Switch 2: Mouse Functionality for Joy-Cons Seemingly Confirmed by Patent

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GGforever
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The Nintendo Switch 2, in all likelihood, is set to see the light of day on the 2nd of April at Nintendo Direct. Among the many rumored features, mouse-like functionality for the Joy-Cons have graced the interwebs quite a few times now. In the recently uploaded Switch 2 teaser video on YouTube, a portion of the video showed the Joy-Cons sliding on a surface akin to a tracking device, which added credibility to the aforementioned rumors. A recently uploaded patent filing also seems to confirm mouse-like functionality for the Joy-Cons, making the possibility all the more likely.

The patent reveals that Nintendo intends to allow the Joy-Cons to be used like a mouse with the help of laser tracking underneath, with the shoulder triggers cosplaying as the left and right mouse buttons. The drawings seem to indicate that the analogue sticks will be functional even in mouse mode, while another image portrays both the Joy-Cons being used in mouse mode with the user's thumbs on the analogue sticks. Using one Joy-Con in traditional mode, while the other in mouse mode also seems to be possible, which would be quite helpful for FPS games, at least in my opinion. Of course, it is entirely possible for a patent to never see the light of day in action, but considering that Nintendo themselves hinted at such functionality in the official teaser, the probability is enticing for sure.

Intel "Nova Lake" to Appear with up to 52 Cores: 16P+32E+4LPE Configuration

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AleksandarK
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Intel's upcoming "Nova Lake" desktop processors are taking shape slowly, featuring a three-tier core design that could reach 52 total cores. Set for 2026, the flagship SKU combines 16 "Coyote Cove" P-cores with 32 "Arctic Wolf" E-cores, supplemented by 4 LPE-cores for background task management. Intel is reportedly also considering 28-core (8P + 16E + 4LPE), and 16-core (4P + 8E + 4LPE) SKUs too. The architectural design choice centers on Intel's hybrid manufacturing approach, leveraging both its internal 14A node and TSMC's 2 nm process technology. This strategic decision addresses supply chain resilience while potentially enabling higher yields for critical compute tiles. Intel's interim co-CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus noted that Intel Foundry will need to earn Intel Product's trust with each new node, so if a node is not the best for their in-house IP, Intel will move to TSMC for production.

Initial engineering samples are already circulating among developers, according to shipping documentation from NBD, suggesting the validation phase is proceeding on schedule. Some specifications point to significant cache improvements, with documentation suggesting a 144 MB L3 cache implementation. However, the cache topology—whether unified or segmented—remains unspecified. The platform is expected to support PCIe Gen 6.0, though Intel has yet to confirm socket compatibility or memory specifications. However, we need to hold our expectations low. Previously unrealized configurations in Intel's roadmaps, like 40-core "Arrow Lake," never materialized, and instead, we got an eight-P-core version with 16 E-cores, totaling 24 cores. Final specifications may evolve as the platform progresses through development phases.

Gigabyte Unveils Mini PC with Core Ultra 5 225H CPU and up to 96 GB of Memory

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GGforever
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The mini PC market has grown substantially in the past few years, in no small part thanks to the commendable performance and efficiency improvements brought to the table by the x86 giants. Gigabyte has unveiled its fair share of such systems, with its latest offering sporting an Intel Core Ultra 5 225H CPU paired with up to a whopping 96 GB of memory. As of right now, we do not have any concrete information regarding when the system will be made available to the public, and at what price. But given the system specifications and Gigabyte's track record, we can expect the system to command an affordable price tag.

As mentioned, the mini PC, dubbed the GB-BRU5-225H, is powered by the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H CPU including four high-performance "Lion Cove" cores, eight high-efficiency "Skymont" cores, as well as two additional "low power" cores for a total of 14 cores and 14 threads. The 12.6 x 3.4 x 11.9 cm mini PC has no room for discrete graphics, and has to rely on the integrated Arc 130T iGPU with eight Xe cores. The system can be equipped with up to 96 GB of DDR5-6400 memory courtesy of its dual SO-DIMM slots. Considering the specifications, the mini PC should be sufficiently potent for the vast majority of moderately intensive workloads thrown its way.
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Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Devs & Deep Silver Present "PROS" - an Optional Account System

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T0@st
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Ride like a lord, not a common stable hand. Join PROS and claim the Lord of Skalitz Caparison as your welcome reward. What is PROS? PROS is our optional account system, allowing us to create a community program which you can sign up to in order to get the latest news and rewards from Deep Silver.

What can I get for signing up to PROS for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II?
As a welcome reward for joining the program, all players will receive the Lord of Skalitz caparison. There will be additional rewards and Twitch drops over the next few months, so keep an eye on the in-game message of the day, follow us on social, and/or sign up to our community emails for more info.

Where can I access my PROS items?
PROS rewards can be found in your shared stash after completing the mission "Laboratores." These shared stashed can be found when purchasing lodging that includes shared stash in selected taverns; or by following the main quest line, where they can be found in your shared stash, which is in the room the local miller and blacksmith let you use after you complete the first part of their quests.
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Qualcomm CEO Claims Positive Growth For Snapdragon X Elite-Powered Laptops

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GGforever
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Ever since Apple graced the industry with its M-series chips, Windows enthusiasts have been holding out for a similar Arm-powered revolution for Windows laptops. Qualcomm attempted to do just that with its Snapdragon X Elite chip, advertising performance and efficiency that trades blows with Apple Silicon, while outpacing x86-based laptops in battery life. In reality, the X Elite SoC did bring impressive efficiency to the table, although its CPU performance and efficiency were soon bested by AMD's offerings, while the Adreno iGPU struggled to keep up with even last-gen counterparts since day-one.

Moreover, software compatibility was a major hurdle, making the X Elite systems borderline unusable for professionals with specific requirements that do not have Arm-native alternatives. As a result, the X Elite laptops had a sub 1% market share last fall - a daunting figure considering that Qualcomm had initially targeted 30 - 50% market share by 2029. That said, the story appears to be taking somewhat of a positive turn, with CEO Christiano Amon asserting that Snapdragon X-powered laptops accounted for over 10% of all $800+ laptops sold in December, in the US. Of course, the statement clearly addresses a very specific segment of the market, which makes the 10%+ number more modest that it may appear on paper.
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AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE Custom Models Launched in China

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T0@st
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Mid-way through January, insider sources reckoned that AMD's China-exclusive Radeon RX 6750 GRE 10 GB GPU was on the way out—a rumored successor was seemingly in line to replace this popular budget-friendly RDNA 2-based model. According to VideoCardz, Team Red's latest "Golden Rabbit Edition" design has launched—exclusively for a China-based buying audience. Team Red and its local board partners have produced a plethora of Radeon RX 7650 GRE 8 GB custom models—reports suggest that a reference model (MBA) does not exist. Several manufacturers have models readied for launch, including: ASRock, ASUS, PowerColor, Sapphire, Yeston and VASTARMOR. Official MSRP for the region is 2099 yuan (~$289 USD). In the West, original launch pricing for the Radeon RX 7600 was $269. The fancier Radeon RX 7600 XT was priced at $329 on day one.

Roughly a year ago, AMD decided against releasing its (RDNA 3) Radeon RX 7600 XT 16 GB GPU in China. Their Radeon RX 7600 (non-XT) 8 GB model did make it to China, but it was largely overshadowed by older tech—mainly Team Red's compellingly priced Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and 10 GB cards. Spec-wise, the Radeon RX 7650 GRE sits somewhere in-between its two "Hotpink Bonefish" Navi 33 siblings. All three cards share the same number of compute units (32 CUs), but differ in terms of boost clocks and thermal design power ratings. The GRE features a max. boost clock speed of 2695 MHz and a board TDP of 170 W—just a nudge over the Radeon RX 7600's 2655 MHz boost capability and 165 W board power rating. Both cards are frugal enough to rely on a single 8-pin power connector. By contrast, the hungrier 190 W TDP-rated Radeon RX 7600 XT sports two 8-pin inputs—this GPU can boost up to 2755 MHz. VideoCardz has kindly assembled a comparison chart (see below).
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HoverGrease 2 is Coming to Steam Next Fest: Play the Exclusive Demo Starting February 7

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TheLostSwede
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Altergaze is thrilled to announce that HoverGrease 2 will be part of Steam Next Fest: February 2025, giving players the first chance to experience the adrenaline-fueled action of its single-player campaign and 5v5 multiplayer mode during special weekend playtests. This is the first opportunity to dive into HoverGrease 2 and explore its high-speed combat, deep strategy, and diverse mutant roster ahead of launch.

Whether you prefer mastering a story-driven campaign or testing your skills in competitive multiplayer, the demo offers something for every player.
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Phanteks Announces Next Generation Glacier EZ-FIT VGA Water Blocks

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btarunr
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Phanteks, a leading innovator in custom PC water-cooling solutions, today announce its upcoming designed for NVIDIA's flagship GeForce RTX 5090 and all major third-party GPU brands. These new water blocks embody Phanteks' dedication to premium cooling solutions, combining top-tier performance with effortless installation.
Featuring the EZ-Fit system with fittings already integrated, they offer a true plug-and-play experience while delivering exceptional thermal
efficiency—perfect for enthusiasts and overclockers demanding peak cooling performance.

Sports Interactive & Sega Announce Cancellation of Football Manager 25

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T0@st
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Sports Interactive regret to inform that, following extensive internal discussion and careful consideration with SEGA, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Football Manager 25 and shift our focus to the next release. For the large numbers of you who pre-ordered FM25, we thank you enormously for your trust and support—we're very sorry to have let you down. Please see the FAQs below on obtaining your refund. We know this will come as a huge disappointment, especially given that the release date has already moved twice, and you have been eagerly anticipating the first gameplay reveal. We can only apologize for the time it has taken to communicate this decision. Due to stakeholder compliance, including legal and financial regulations, today was the earliest date that we could issue this statement.

Development Update: Football Manager 25
We have always prided ourselves on delivering the best value for money games that bring you countless hours of enjoyment, that feel worth every moment and every penny you spend. With the launch of FM25 we set out to create the biggest technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation, laying the building blocks for a new era. Due to a variety of challenges that we've been open about to date, and many more unforeseen, we currently haven't achieved what we set out to do in enough areas of the game, despite the phenomenal efforts of our team. Each decision to delay the release was made with the aim of getting the game closer to the desired level but, as we approached critical milestones at the turn of the year, it became unmistakably clear that we would not achieve the standard required, even with the adjusted timeline.
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Rumor: Ex-GlobalFoundries Chief Caulfield May Be Intel's Next CEO

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Nomad76
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A change in leadership at GlobalFoundries could affect Intel's ongoing CEO hunt as Tim Breen will become GlobalFoundries' new CEO on April 28, 2025, while current CEO Thomas Caulfield will move to Executive Chairman. This switch has got people in the industry talking about whether Caulfield might play a role at Intel or its foundry operations in the future. Caulfield has done well at GlobalFoundries since 2018, he helped the company make money in 2019 by shifting away from making the newest chips to focus on making special semiconductors. This success happened without counting money from selling facilities to ON Semiconductor and Vanguard International Semiconductor.

However, some industry experts point out a possible weak spot in Caulfield's background. While he knows a lot about materials science and engineering, he doesn't have much experience designing integrated circuits, according to BITS&CHIPS. The timing matters a lot for Intel, which has some big tech goals coming up like their new Panther Lake processor set to come out in late 2025 and will use Intel's 18A process node. Both the 18A and 14A nodes need to succeed for Intel's manufacturing future to be strong. Bloomberg reported that Intel is currently focusing on external candidates for its CEO position, among the people under consideration are Marvel's CEO Matt Murphy and Lip-Bow Tan, former Cadence CEO and also a former member of Intel's board.

QNAP Unveils TS-h765eU Short-depth Rackmount 4-bay NAS for Space-constrained Environments

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TheLostSwede
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QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading computing, and storage solutions innovator, has expanded its diverse portfolio of short-depth NAS products designed for edge storage. The new 1U short-depth rackmount 4-bay 2.5GbE NAS TS-h765eU features a shorter chassis depth and is perfect for small media cabinets and wall-mounted network racks in space-constrained office environments or industrial settings. The TS-h765eU is a long-term supply model till 2031, making it a reliable NAS choice for organizations planning long-term projects or multi-site deployments.

The TS-h765eU combines robust performance, multitasking capabilities, and great I/O expandability to meet diverse application requirements. It features the latest Intel Atom x7000C Series processor, supports built-in 8 GB DDR5 RAM, upgradable to 16 GB (In-Band ECC), has dual 2.5GbE ports, and provides four 3.5-inch SATA drive bays and three E1.S/M.2 PCIe NVMe slots for installing E1.S/M.2 2280 SSDs to enhance read/write performance or upgrading to 10GbE using E1.S interface network modules. Running the ZFS-based QuTS hero operating system, the TS-h765eU prioritizes data integrity, immutability with WORM protection, and powerful data reduction.
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Acer Launches New Predator Helios Neo AI Gaming Laptops with Next-Gen Processors and GPUs

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GFreeman
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Acer today announced the expansion of its Predator Helios Neo portfolio with the all-new Predator Helios Neo 16 AI and Predator Helios Neo 18 AI gaming laptops. These cutting-edge devices are powered by up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU, built to deliver game-changing AI capabilities for players entering the next era of gaming with these accessible, power-driven devices.

Powered by NVIDIA Blackwell, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series Laptop GPUs bring game-changing capabilities to gamers and creators. Equipped with a massive level of AI horsepower, the RTX 50 Series enables new experiences and next-level graphics fidelity. Multiply performance with NVIDIA DLSS 4, generate images at unprecedented speed, and unleash creativity with NVIDIA Studio. Plus, access NVIDIA NIM microservices - state-of-the-art AI models that let enthusiasts and developers build AI assistants, agents, and workflows with peak performance on NIM-ready systems.
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Sid Meier's Civilization VII Linux Version Cracked Already, No Denuvo Helps

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AleksandarK
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Hackers successfully cracked the Linux version of Sid Meier's Civilization VII four days before its scheduled February 11 release. The compromise stems from the Linux build's DRM-free architecture, which contrasts its Windows counterpart's Denuvo anti-tampering protection. The cracked version, identified under the signature "Linux-Razor1911," has proliferated across multiple file-sharing networks and torrents, presenting immediate challenges for publisher 2K and developer Firaxis Games. The straightforward exploitation process utilizes standard Linux mounting protocols and executable script deployment. While the crack enables immediate access to the base game, circumventing official distribution channels could compromise essential network features and post-launch stability patches.

The persistent vulnerability of DRM-free releases on alternative operating systems potentially influences future platform support strategies among major publishers. Widespread pre-release piracy could significantly impact initial sales figures and threaten future native Linux port development. Firaxis Games and 2K, game publishers, are presumably investigating the crack, though the DRM-free nature of the Linux release limits their immediate response options. As the official launch approaches, this incident shows the ongoing challenge of balancing platform-specific security measures with maintaining broad operating system support in modern game development. While the SteamOS and Linux community represent a significantly smaller market than Windows gamers, it still has a noticeable impact on publishers relying on sales from all compatible platforms.

ASUS China Compensates Users with GPU Damage Caused by PCIe Q-Release Slim Mechanism

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AleksandarK
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ASUS China has launched an extensive customer support program addressing potential graphics card damage linked to its PCIe Q-Release Slim mechanism. The initiative includes full motherboard replacements, compensation packages, and warranty coverage for affected customers. The compensation package encompasses a 200 RMB ($27) store credit and complete motherboard replacement for affected units across multiple product lines, including the Z790, B860, Z890, B850, and X870 series motherboards. Particularly, the affected motherboard lineup includes high-end models like the ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme and ROG Crosshair X870E Hero. The controversy centers on the mechanism's internal peg design, which reportedly can affect graphics card PCIe connectors during repeated installation and removal cycles.

ASUS China has confirmed the development of a revised Q-Release Slim design, though no specific timeline has been announced. Warranty coverage varies by graphics card manufacturer. ASUS and MSI have committed to priority repairs and free card replacements for both PCB wear and gold finger damage when repairs prove unsuccessful. However, Gigabyte and Colorful cards require evaluation at repair centers before determining coverage eligibility. This regional response contrasts sharply with ASUS's US position, which maintains that internal testing shows no correlation between the Q-Release Slim mechanism and graphics card damage. While ASUS continues to defend the mechanism's design integrity internationally, its comprehensive response in the Chinese market suggests a more cautious approach to potential hardware compatibility issues. We must wait and see if the worldwide ASUS position will change in the coming days and if the North American department issues any different response.

BIOSTAR Introduces the B860MT-E Pro Motherboard

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btarunr
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BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, PC peripherals, and IPC solutions, proudly unveils the B860MT-E PRO motherboard, designed to meet the growing needs of modern office users, home entertainment, and mid-range gaming. The B860MT-E PRO, built on Intel's B860 single-chip architecture, supports Intel Core Ultra 9/7/5 processors, providing outstanding performance and advanced AI PC features for seamless computing, entertainment, and gaming. With support for up to 256 GB of 4-DIMM DDR5 memory, it effortlessly handles heavy multitasking and demanding generative AI applications.

Featuring PCIe 5.0 M.2, the latest storage technology, it offers a significant performance boost—doubling the speed of its predecessor with a data transfer rate of up to 32 GT/s and a maximum bandwidth of 128 GB/s for smooth, high-speed communication. Backward compatibility ensures a seamless user experience for those upgrading their systems.
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Silicon Motion First to Achieve ASPICE CL3 for Automotive SSD Controllers

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btarunr
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Silicon Motion Technology Corporation, a global leader in designing and marketing NAND flash controllers for solid-state storage devices, today proudly announces its PCIe Gen 4 SSD controller has achieved ASPICE Capability Level 3 (CL3) after assessment by UL Solutions, positioning Silicon Motion as the world's first SSD controller vendor to achieve this milestone. This certification highlights the company's capability to not only manage individual projects effectively but also establish organization-wide standardized workflows, creating process assets at the corporate level.

"The rise of software-defined vehicles and advancements in autonomous vehicles have made software quality control more critical than ever," said Nelson Duann, Senior VP of Client & Automotive Storage Business. "This CL3 achievement underscores our commitment to exceeding the rigorous standards of the automotive industry. Our expanding market presence and growing portfolio reflect our dedication to innovation, delivering solutions that shape the future of automobiles. As a trusted partner, we remain focused on upholding the highest standards of quality, safety, and efficiency for automotive customers worldwide."
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Thursday, February 6th 2025

Today's Reviews

Headphones
Memory
Monitors
Motherboards
Mouse
Other
Storage
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Handheld Performance Review

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Handheld Performance Review

Review Game Testing
Coming seven years after the original, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II looks excellent and packs dozens upon dozens of hours of realistic adventuring across 15-century Bohemia as Henry of Skalitz. How does the game perform on Steam Deck and ROG Ally? Find out in our handheld performance review.
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ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme Review

ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Extreme Review

Review Mice
Featuring a carbon fiber shell, the ambidextrous ROG Harpe Ace Extreme weighs only 47 g, and is capable of true 8000 Hz polling in both wired and wireless operation. Equipped with the latest AimPoint Pro sensor and ROG optical switches for the main buttons, the Harpe Ace Extreme supports both 2.4 GHz wireless and Bluetooth.
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ASRock to Move Manufacturing Out of China Due to Trump's Tariffs

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Nomad76
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ASRock told PCMag it plans to move some of its production out of China. "We need time to shift the manufacturing of GPU cards and other products hit by the 10% tariff to different countries," they said. This week, the White House put a 10% tax on all Chinese imports to the US, this tax applies on top of any other taxes the US already had on certain Chinese goods. ASRock also said, "While we move from making things in China to making them elsewhere, we might take on some of the cost and raise prices a bit to show the higher costs." But they added, "It's not easy to raise prices because the market is still very competitive." ASRock also told PCMag that it already pays a 25% tax on its power supplies made in China. "For items like PSUs that already have an extra 25% tax, makers will keep doing what they've been doing," the company said.

If Trump administration doesn't follow through with his threats of huge tariffs against Taiwan, the PC gaming industry will primarily feel the effects on companies like ASRock and MSI (which makes its motherboards in Shenzhen, China). These are the component and peripheral makers that have part or all of their manufacturing processes in China. ASRock's announcement isn't a huge surprise, as we saw hints of this trend in late 2024 when PC Partner (second-biggest graphics card maker, producing PCBs for brands such as Inno3D and Zotac) moved its headquarters from China to Singapore. It will be no surprise if other top-tier brands such as GIGABYTE, MSI, and ASUS take similar actions sooner or later.

Capcom Releases Monster Hunter Wilds PC Performance Benchmark Tool

Press Release by
T0@st
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Hey hunters, how's it going? February is here, which means we are officially in the launch month of Monster Hunter Wilds! On February 28, your journey into the Forbidden Lands begins. Now, to help ensure you have a satisfying, fun experience come launch, we're pleased to share that the Monster Hunter Wilds Benchmark we'd previously mentioned we were looking into, is real, it's ready, and it's live from right now for you to try!

With the Monster Hunter Wilds Benchmark, we want to help our PC players feel more confident about how their PC will run Monster Hunter Wilds. In the next section, we're going to explain what the Monster Hunter Wilds Benchmark is, how it works, as well as some important information and differences you'll see between this and the Open Beta Test 1 and 2 experiences, so please take a moment to check it out.
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 FE Buyer Receives Mislabeled Card, Engraved with "5090"

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T0@st
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As documented on the Linus Tech Tips (LTT) subreddit, a lucky customer presented their freshly-delivered Founders Edition (FE) GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card model. Newly registered member, EssDee3D, had much to celebrate—having acquired launch stock, presumably at a non-scalped price—but they were confused by their package's contents. A question was pushed out to the LTT community: "can someone explain what happened here? Direct from NVIDIA...I ordered an RTX 5080, and I got a graphics card with 5090 engraved on it. The outer box has the 5080 SKU on it. Wondering if anyone else has seen something like this before?" Unique circumstances—possibly caused by a mix-up during the manufacturing process—have produced an oddball hybrid. EssDee3D proceeded to add this curiosity to their PC build—following an absorption of (very mixed) feedback from other LTT members. Basic diagnostics—performed in a Windows OS environment—revealed that the card in question housed a bog-standard GeForce RTX 5080 GB203-based GPU.

NVIDIA's two Founders Edition shroud designs—for its GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 SKUs—look nigh identical. TechPowerUp's resident graphics card reviewer extraordinaire—W1zzard—captured a handful of comparison shots for usage in his evaluation of NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5080 Founders Edition model. The GeForce RTX 5090 FE's cooling solution—utilizing liquid metal, instead of thermal paste—is more robust when compared to the one present on its step-down sibling—rated for a TDP of 575 W (versus 360 W). Evidently, designed to temper any radiance emitted by Team Green's GB202 GPU. EssDee3D's "chimera" card was placed in the correct packaging; a 5080-labelled paper-fiber box—but the shroud's backside advertises itself as a GeForce RTX 5090 FE. PC hardware news outlets and Redditors are wondering whether additional examples—of jumbled up "Blackwell" GPU Founders Edition parts—will appear online over the next month or two, or three...or more.
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ASUS ROG Takes a Closer Look at Astral GeForce RTX 5090 & 5080 Models

Press Release by
T0@st
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The next generation of graphics performance has arrived. We've prepared an all-new series of cards: ROG Astral. Featuring a new, sophisticated design and an outstanding cooling solution, the ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 and ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5080 are your premium picks for supercharging the performance of your gaming PC. All this new hardware in the ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 requires no small amount of power so that it can stretch its legs and run. Your PSU should be capable of at least 1000 W to run this card—more on that later. The circuitry that delivers this power is just as important, and it's one reason why many enthusiasts prefer ROG graphics cards. We've equipped the ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 for premium power delivery with 80-amp MOSFETs that can supply over 35% more headroom than standard designs. A massive 24-phase VRM array for the GPU and a seven-phase VRM for the GDDR7 memory chips distribute the work of supplying power, ensuring rock-solid stability and long-lasting performance. To give you peace of mind that your 16-pin PCIe power connector is seated properly, we provide monitoring through Power Detector+ in the GPU Tweak III app so that you can verify that the connector is fully seated. The app can even tell you exactly which pin is not seated properly, if that ever becomes a concern.

Ada, meet Blackwell
With the GeForce RTX 50 Series, NVIDIA debuts its latest Blackwell architecture. Armed with fifth-gen Tensor cores, new streaming multiprocessors optimized for neural shaders, and fourth-gen Ray Tracing cores built for Mega Geometry, the new graphics cards unlock access to the next generation of graphics technologies. For many gamers, the highlight of the new architecture is DLSS 4. DLSS is a revolutionary suite of neural rendering technologies that uses AI to boost FPS, reduce latency, and improve image quality. The latest breakthrough, DLSS 4, brings new Multi Frame Generation and enhanced Ray Reconstruction and Super Resolution. But there's more. NVIDIA Reflex 2 with Frame Warp provides game-winning responsiveness, and these cards are equipped to give you the best experience with ray-traced graphics yet.
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AMD's Frank Azor Expects Upcoming Presentation to Fully Detail RDNA 4 GPUs

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T0@st
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AMD debuted its first wave of RDNA 4 graphics cards—consisting of Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 (non-XT) models—at the beginning of January. At the time, press outlets and PC gaming hardware enthusiasts were equally flummoxed by Team Red's confusing presentation strategy. Invited attendees of CES 2025 were allowed to handle demonstration samples, but board partners appeared to be sworn to secrecy regarding technical specifications or performance figures. Miscellaneous leaks and rumors have seeped out since then—according to insiders, AMD was prepping its new Radeon product line for launch late last month. A re-scheduled rollout is seemingly in the works, possibly on next month's calendar entry. Benchlife (via VideoCardz) believes that a pre-launch showcase event is lined up for late February.

Following publication of the latest RDNA 4-related leaks, a brave soul engaged with AMD's Frank Azor on social media. Dee Batch, a loyal and long-term supporter of Radeon gaming hardware, sent a query to Team Red's chief architect of gaming solutions: "can we see the RDNA 4 full presentation? I honestly feel you can prevent many gamers from getting a GeForce RTX 5070 or RTX 5070 Ti GPU...Please, do not miss this opportunity to gain gamer mind share." Azor replied with a short sentence: "yes, full details are coming soon." This brief interaction attracted additional participants—VideoCardz noted that the Team Red executive was taking on board feedback about expectations surrounding RDNA 4 MSRPs. Late last month, Azor refuted rumors of the Radeon RX 9070 XT pricing starting at a baseline of $899. NVIDIA has officially disclosed price points of $549 (RTX 5070) and $749 (RTX 5070 Ti)—AMD enthusiasts have their fingers crossed in hope of TBA competitive numbers.

SWORN Launches into Early Access

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T0@st
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Soulforged, it's finally time to bind you and your friends in an oath to overthrow a corrupted Arthur! SWORN is now available in Early Access! We can't express enough how thankful we are to our community for joining us on this journey to Early Access—helping us refine and shape SWORN into a game that we are immensely proud of. We hope you enjoy SWORN! The Early Access launch version of the game is packed full of highly polished content. Our development process means that the game we release into Early Access, while not containing all of the features and content we plan to have in the final game, plays like the base version of a finished game—without major features missing or work-in-progress content.

About SWORN
SWORN is a 1-4 player action roguelike that sets you and your friends on a unique quest to reclaim a fallen Camelot in a dark retelling of the Arthurian tale. A co-op first roguelike with a classic fast-paced dungeon crawler combat. You must work together, with aid from familiar Camelot characters to become knights worthy of facing Arthur himself. You can play solo or unite with up to four friends to stand off against the Knights of the Round Table. Choose from four characters: Vigilante, Rook, Spectre, and Monk and combine the strengths of each character in surprising ways and master abilities to become knights worthy of standing off against Arthur himself.
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New MSI B850 Motherboard Models Leak Out

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T0@st
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MSI introduced an impressive number of new AMD B850 and B840 chipset-based motherboards at January's CES trade event. According to a Wccftech report, the company's AM5—socketed lineup will expand in the near future—a leaked presentation slide provides an early preview of (allegedly) incoming budget-friendly offerings. MSI's leaked roadmap (Q1 to Q2 2025) shows new additions—mostly smaller form factor—across performance (MPG) and Pro Series product ranges. Their Arsenal Gaming (MAG) B850 range seems to be fully released, as of the first quarter of this year—consisting of models already unveiled at CES.

Five new models are seemingly lined up for release within the next couple of months—the Wccftech article listed the following SKUs: MPG B850I Edge WIFI (Mini-ITX), PRO B850M-P WIFI (M-ATX), PRO B850M-B (M-ATX), B850 Gaming PLUS WIFI PZ (ATX) and PRO B850M-A WIFI PZ (M-ATX). The publication commented on its discoveries: "as you can see, MSI will have at least one new variant within the MPG lineup which will feature a Mini-ITX design. The company has already released the full ATX-sized version of the EDGE TI WIFI, and it's nice to know that we will get a Mini-ITX variant too." The report proposes that MSI has prepped its new budget models with the latest connectivity features—most notably, Wi-Fi 7 rated at the full 320 MHz band. Support for Zen 4 and 5 Ryzen X3D CPUs is expected upon launch.

Big Helmet Heroes is Available Now on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series

Press Release by
TheLostSwede
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French indie developer Exalted Studio and independent publisher Dear Villagers are proud to announce that Big Helmet Heroes (trailer, website, press kit), the zany 3D beat'em up that combines charismatic heroes with unique powers, exhilarating action and beautifully detailed animations is now available on PC (Steam, EGS), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

The game is available at the price of 24,99 USD for the base edition on all platforms, and 29,99 USD for the Exalted Edition (includes an art book and the OST) on Steam, Epic Games Store, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5.
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Microsoft Previews Upcoming Age of Empires & Age of Mythology Content

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T0@st
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2024 was a year for Age of Empires and Age of Mythology players shaped by your passion, creativity, and epic moments. Thanks to your dedication, it's been an incredible year not just for the community, but for the franchise as a whole. Together, we've had an incredible year. We kicked things off with the New Year, New Age showcase, crowned champions at Red Bull Wololo: El Reinado, connected with many of you at Gamescom, and celebrated the launches of Age of Mythology: Retold and Age of Empires Mobile. Along the way, we expanded the franchise in new ways and welcomed over 10 million new players—reaching an incredible milestone of 60 million Age of Empires players worldwide. Our players continue to influence the many ways in which the franchise moves forward. Today we're thrilled to start 2025 by unveiling what's ahead. Settle in, because we've got a lot to share!

Immortal Pillars Expansion Launches March 4, Pre-Order Now
For Age of Mythology: Retold players, the wait is almost over! After revealing the Immortal Pillars expansion for Age of Mythology: Retold at Tokyo Game Show, we're excited to announce it will launch on March 4th—and pre-orders are live now! Packed with brand-new content, this expansion introduces the Chinese pantheon, alongside stunning new maps, myth units, and gameplay features. Check out some highlights of all the exciting content here! As a reminder, if you already own the Age of Mythology: Retold Premium Edition, Immortal Pillars is yours at no additional cost—jump in and play on day one!
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EVGA Closes Official Discussion Forum, Advises Membership Transfer to Reddit

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T0@st
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EVGA has kept a very low profile over the past two years—according to TPU's news section, the company last introduced new power supply products around August 2023. Last July, we heard about extreme overclocker KINGPIN's transition to PNY, and the emergence of an EVGA-designed AMD X670E chipset prototype motherboard. The summer 2023 news cycle generated further rumors about EVGA's motherboard endeavors having ended. Alleged disagreements with Team Green prompted the company—as a board partner—to shutter its NVIDIA GeForce graphics card business in 2022. Late last night, the American computer hardware manufacturer made a surprising "out of the blue" announcement, via its official discussion board—as spotted by VideoCardz.

Unfortunately, EVGA's latest bulletin signals the end of community activity on its popular forum—a statement reads as follows: "responding to the feedback from our valued customers and in light of Reddit's widespread popularity, EVGA would like to encourage its community to transition to Reddit. As of this announcement, our existing forums will be read only and our team will actively engage with customers on Reddit threads moving forward. EVGA and our Moderators would like to thank all its forum members for the years of posts bringing together a great community of PC Enthusiast, and we hope to continue this community at its new home on Reddit." EVGA recommends that its members "head over" to the almost decade old TEAMEVGA subreddit. A nice welcome message greeted new arrivals: "I know a lot of you will miss the forums, but I would like to point out that many PC companies stopped using forums and switched to Reddit and/or Discord. Mods are still here to help you."

OXS Announces the Storm G2 Wireless Gaming Headset

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btarunr
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OXS is excited to announce the launch a new white version of the Storm G2 Gaming Headset, a cutting-edge addition to the world of gaming accessories. Featuring a 50 mm full-range dynamic driver and cutting-edge 7.1 virtual surround sound technology, the Storm G2 promises an unmatched audio experience for gamers and audiophiles alike. The OXS Storm G2 Wireless Gaming Headset is available from Amazon US / OXS Website for $79.99 and Amazon UK for £79.99.

The OXS Storm G2 Gaming Headset sets a new standard in gaming audio, combining superior sound quality, versatile functionality, and exceptional comfort. This headset is poised to become an essential accessory for gamers and audio enthusiasts seeking the ultimate in performance and convenience at an accessible price point. The Storm G2 Gaming Headset has been meticulously engineered to deliver premium sound quality with crisp highs, rich mid-tones, and powerful bass. This headset ensures an immersive audio experience that elevates gaming sessions to new heights. The detachable omnidirectional microphone, equipped with enhanced sensitivity, provides crystal-clear communication, ensuring that every command is heard with precision.
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GeForce NOW Announces Addition of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

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T0@st
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GeForce NOW celebrates its fifth anniversary this February with a lineup of five major releases. The month kicks off with Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. Prepare for a journey back in time—Warhorse Studios' newest medieval role-playing game (RPG) comes to GeForce NOW on its launch day, bringing 15th-century Bohemia to devices everywhere. Experience the highly anticipated sequel's stunning open world at GeForce RTX quality in the cloud, available to stream across devices at launch. It leads seven games joining the GeForce NOW library of over 2,000 titles, along with MARVEL vs. CAPCOM Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics.

Chainmail Meets the Cloud
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II continues the epic, open-world RPG saga set in the brutal and realistic medieval world of Bohemia. Continue the story of Henry, a blacksmith's son turned warrior, as he navigates political intrigue and warfare. Explore a world twice the size of the original, whether in the bustling streets of Kuttenberg or the picturesque Bohemian Paradise. The game builds on its predecessor's realistic combat system by introducing crossbows, early firearms and a host of new weapons, while refining its already sophisticated melee combat mechanics. Navigate a complex narrative full of difficult decisions, forge alliances with powerful figures, engage in tactical large-scale battles and face moral dilemmas that impact both the journey and fate of the kingdom—all while experiencing a historically rich environment faithful to the period.
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Moore Threads Teases Excellent Performance of DeepSeek-R1 Model on MTT GPUs

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T0@st
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Moore Threads, a Chinese manufacturer of proprietary GPU designs is (reportedly) the latest company to jump onto the DeepSeek-R1 bandwagon. Since late January, NVIDIA, Microsoft and AMD have swooped in with their own interpretations/deployments. By global standards, Moore Threads GPUs trail behind Western-developed offerings—early 2024 evaluations presented the firm's MTT S80 dedicated desktop graphics card struggling against an AMD integrated solution: Radeon 760M. The recent emergence of DeepSeek's open source models has signalled a shift away from reliance on extremely powerful and expensive AI-crunching hardware (often accessed via the cloud)—widespread excitement has been generated by DeepSeek solutions being relatively frugal, in terms of processing requirements. Tom's Hardware has observed cases of open source AI models running (locally) on: "inexpensive hardware, like the Raspberry Pi."

According to recent Chinese press coverage, Moore Threads has announced a successful deployment of DeepSeek's R1-Distill-Qwen-7B distilled model on the aforementioned MTT S80 GPU. The company also revealed that it had taken similar steps with its MTT S4000 datacenter-oriented graphics hardware. On the subject of adaptation, a Moore Threads spokesperson stated: "based on the Ollama open source framework, Moore Threads completed the deployment of the DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen-7B distillation model and demonstrated excellent performance in a variety of Chinese tasks, verifying the versatility and CUDA compatibility of Moore Threads' self-developed full-featured GPU." Exact performance figures, benchmark results and technical details were not disclosed to the Chinese public, so Moore Threads appears to be teasing the prowess of its MTT GPU designs. ITHome reported that: "users can also perform inference deployment of the DeepSeek-R1 distillation model based on MTT S80 and MTT S4000. Some users have previously completed the practice manually on MTT S80." Moore Threads believes that its: "self-developed high-performance inference engine, combined with software and hardware co-optimization technology, significantly improves the model's computing efficiency and resource utilization through customized operator acceleration and memory management. This engine not only supports the efficient operation of the DeepSeek distillation model, but also provides technical support for the deployment of more large-scale models in the future."

Satechi Hub For M4 Mac Mini Goes On Sale Early With Limited Stocks, For Now

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GGforever
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Satechi has finally made its M4 Mac Mini Stand and Hub available for purchase, albeit with limited stocks for the time being. With a premium aluminium enclosure and decent expandability, the hub sure does appear to be a solid choice for Mac mini customers looking out for some much-needed expansion potential. The product is available on Satechi's website, with a starting price of $99.99.

In terms of the ports on offer, the Satechi hub does not disappoint. The product sports dual USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports on the front, an UHS-II SD card slot, as well as a single USB 2.0 Type-A port. Storage expansion is also an option, thanks to the M.2 SSD enclosure with support for 2230/2242/2260/2280 drives. The built-in USB-C cable takes care of host connection, and the corner cut-out allows for easy access to the Mac mini's 'undeniably well-placed' power button. At just over 2 cms tall, the Satechi hub is well-sized and fits in pretty well with the Mac mini. A thermal pad is also provided for efficient heat dissipation.

Thermal Grizzly Intros Minus Basic, Advance and Pro Thermal Pads

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Nomad76
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Thermal Grizzly, a high-performance cooling solutions provider, introduces a new series of thermal pads, consisting of the Minus Pad Basic, Minus Pad Advance, and Minus Pad Pro.

The non-electrically conductive thermal pads Minus Pad Basic, Minus Pad Advance, and Minus Pad Pro are based on the proven Minus Pad 8 and have been specifically optimized to significantly improve thermal conductivity, compressibility, and price-performance ratio. These thermal pads are suitable for SSDs, graphics card coolers, GPU water coolers, and electronic components such as voltage regulators and memory modules.
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AOKZOE A1 X Gaming Handheld: Fresh Details Emerge For Upcoming AMD Strix Point Handheld

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GGforever
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The AOKZOE A1 X was recently teased by its maker as a new AMD Strix Point-powered gaming handheld, featuring the commendably potent Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 APU with the equally admirable RDNA 3.5-based Radeon 890M iGPU. Details were scarce regarding the handheld, but now the company has shed some much-needed light on a few features of the upcoming handheld. We still do not have a clue as to when the handheld will finally see the light of day, or even an expected price bracket. Considering that AOKZOE is not nearly as well known as its competitors in this space, the A1 X can be expected to launch with a price tag that undercuts its rivals. Thanks to a previous teaser, already know that the A1 X will sport an 8-inch 120 Hz display with VRR support.

Addressing the features teased recently, AOKZOE has revealed that the handheld will sport a 72.7 Wh battery with support for bypass charging, allowing it to draw power directly without having to pass it through the battery, thereby increasing the battery's lifespan. Moreover, the A1 X will also sport MicroSD 4.0 support, allowing for transfer speeds of up to 300 MB/s. The handheld will sport dual USB4 ports, along with an OCuLink port which will allow for speedy eGPU connections for gaming sessions that demand more horsepower than the Radeon 890M can provide. Going by the shared images, the A1 X will also sport at least one USB-A port, which will surely come in handy when the need arises for additional peripherals.

Paradox Interactive Announces Acquisition of Haemimont Games

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T0@st
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Paradox Interactive AB (Paradox) has signed a binding agreement to acquire all shares in Haemimont Games AD (Haemimont Games). The acquisition is a further step in Paradox's strategic focus on growing in the management games genre, by building a strong internal capability that complements the Group's current studio organization. "We are very happy to welcome Haemimont Games to Paradox!" said Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox. "They bring a tight-knit team with long experience in developing management games with many well received projects in their portfolio. Moreover, they have a strong creative streak, technology developed for their niche, a new IP in development and a strong culture that fits Paradox's way of working. We have strong faith in their team and leadership, and our main focus now is to ensure that they can continue to create great games under new ownership."

Following the acquisition, Haemimont Games will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Paradox. The current leadership and team will remain active with the studio, and the studio's ongoing projects will remain in development. "We're delighted to become a part of the Paradox family!" said Gabriel Dobrev, Founder of Haemimont Games. "The cultural fit between our companies is remarkable, and we already feel at home. This partnership empowers us to push the boundaries of our games, delivering deeper and more intense experiences to our players. It also opens new horizons for our team, technology, and creative processes, which we're eager to explore. Expect amazing new games from us!" The acquisition consists of an upfront cash consideration and a performance-based earnout of similar size that is to be paid out over the coming years. Haemimont Games and Paradox have agreed to not disclose the purchasing price at this point. The acquisition is financed with cash at hand and expected to be completed within a few days.

ASUS & MSI US Official Stores Raise GeForce RTX 5090 & 5080 MSRPs

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T0@st
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The buying landscape for GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 graphics cards is looking barren, just one week post-launch—global demand has far outstretched initial supply. Mid-week news points to two of NVIDIA's board partners increasing MSRPs for the top-end Blackwell GPU models, seemingly adding insult to already inflicted injuries. ASUS and MSI's North American online stores are completely devoid of stock—at the time of writing, almost all product entries are accompanied by "notify me" tags. The two hardware manufacturers have implemented comprehensive price hikes—as reported by VideoCardz. The publication pinpointed flagship models, as prime examples. The liquid-cooled ASUS ROG Astral LC RTX 5090 OC Edition 32 GB model was already a pricey prospect at launch ($3099), but the official store has tacked on another $311. A total charge of $3410 gets you one of the nicest and feature-rich card designs on the market, but you will be paying a premium of $1411—above Team Green's official GeForce RTX 5090 MSRP of $1999—for the privilege of ownership and/or bragging rights. Further down in the product stack—TechSpot noted that a Prime GeForce RTX 5080 (non-OC) 16 GB model has jumped from an original figure of $999, up to $1,264. At the time of writing, this price has been re-adjusted back down to just below $1000—thanks to a special "deal." The overclocked Prime variant is currently priced at $1320.

Looking at the MSI US store, VideoCardz reported on all GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 cards being priced north of original MSRPs—they highlighted a lowly not-overclocked RTX 5080 16G VENTUS 3X model having its price adjusted upwards—now $1140, instead of the original $1000 (at launch). MSI's "cheapest" RTX 5090 card is another VENTUS 3X design—this non-OC model is now $380 more expensive than last week's asking price ($2000). Overall, MSI's US webshop has raised prices in the ranges of $140 to $500 for GeForce RTX 5080 cards, and $380 to $790 for RTX 5090 offering—according to VideoCardz research. The company's RTX 5090 SUPRIM LIQUID SOC flagship design is not quite expensive as the equivalently appointed ASUS liquid-cooled model, but the newly adjusted MSRP of $2790 is difficult to digest. Press outlets have noted that listings on Newegg are up to $40 more expensive, when compared to the prices published on MSI's first-party store. As an added incentive, the MSI North American store is offering potential buyers a saving of: "$200 on MPG 322URX QD-OLED at checkout with RTX 5080/5090 series purchase."

AOC Launches CQ27G4ZH 27" QHD 300Hz Curved Gaming Monitor

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Nomad76
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AOC, a global leader in display technology, is thrilled to announce the launch of the AOC CQ27G4ZH Ultra-Fast 27" QHD 300 Hz Curved Gaming Monitor. Designed for the ultimate gaming experience, this groundbreaking monitor combines blazing speed, vivid clarity, and ergonomic comfort, raising the bar for competitive gamers and immersive play.

Unmatched Speed and Precision
The AOC CQ27G4ZH boasts an Ultra-smooth 300 Hz refresh rate and a lightning-fast 0.3 ms (MPRT) response time. Whether you're a professional esports player or an enthusiast seeking the upper hand, the CQ27G4ZH delivers the speed and precision needed to dominate every match.
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Elroy and the Aliens Makes Contact with Steam Next Fest

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TheLostSwede
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Fire up your rockets and journey back to the golden age of adventure gaming; Elroy and the Aliens launches on April 2nd, and will be part of this month's Steam Next Fest. Travel back in time to 1993 in the live demo and meet Elroy, a passionate but chaotic rocket engineer who teams up with the daring reporter Peggie to investigate the mysterious disappearance of his father. Their search for the truth will launch them on an unforgettable intergalactic adventure spanning 60 locales to explore across two sprawling planets.

Puzzles, peculiar aliens, and ancient legends await on Elroy's path, with a tale of love, loss, and regret presented in a 90s-era cartoon style inspired by LucasArts and Sierra games. You'll meet an eclectic cast of human (and non-human) locals to befriend as Elroy and Peggie begin to unravel an ancient archaeological mystery…
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Under Defeat, the Classic Arcade and Dreamcast Shooter, Launches on PC and Consoles Today

Press Release by
TheLostSwede
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Clear River Games, a video game publisher specialising in classic and retro games, in conjunction with Japanese publisher and developer City Connection, announced today that celebrated arcade shooter Under Defeat is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

The ultimate version of the classic arcade shooter. Under Defeat has been developed by retro port specialists City Connection, and includes DLC content previously only available in Japan. Alongside an 'Arcade Mode' that faithfully replicates the original arcade experience, a fresh 'New Order Mode' adapts the game for modern displays, while 'New Order Mode+' brings brand new elements to the game, including a 'WARNING GAUGE', which mixes up the classic shooter formula.
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Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2's "Datavault" Update Out Now

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Nomad76
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Saber Interactive and Focus Entertainment are thrilled to welcome the third major content update for the blockbuster Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. Titled "Datavault," this new update brings more free content and much-requested quality-of-life improvements to all players, while also granting Season Pass owners even more cosmetics to customize their characters. Space Marine 2 is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Check out everything the "Datavault" update has to offer with today's new trailer!

New challenges and rewards await in the Datavault!
Directly accessible through the Armory, today's main addition comes in the form of the Datavault, a brand-new Battle-Barge chamber where Tech-Priests collect and store intel on the many enemies of the Imperium. By completing Ordeals, players will accumulate Research Data that they'll be able to trade for Requisition Points and new cosmetics like pauldron markings, weapon skins (Thunder Hammer, Auto Bolt Rifle) and even new armor pieces (breastplate, gauntlet).
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Nintendo Promises Measures To Protect Switch 2 From Scalpers

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GGforever
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Well, unless someone has been living under a rock for the past four years, freshly launched gaming hardware getting scalped to oblivion should hardly come as a surprise. We witnessed this just recently with the launch of the NVIDIA RTX 50-series GPUs, considering the multiple-thousand-dollar premiums that the cards were sold for on platforms such as eBay. One might foresee a similar predicament for the much-awaited Nintendo Switch 2, but if Nintendo President Furakawa's recent statements are anything to go by, that might not be the case after all.

According to Furakawa, Nintendo is well-aware of the potential stock shortages that the Switch 2 may face, taking lessons from the OG Switch launch back in 2017, and is taking "all possible measures" to make sure the Switch 2 launch plays out smoothly. Of course, what this essentially means, is that Nintendo will be attempting its best to produce as many units of the Switch 2 as possible in order to meet customer demand at launch. This is exactly what Furakawa mentioned in his interview with Nikkei, citing that the supply chain constraints that hindered production in 2024 and 2023 no longer exist in 2025. As such, there should not be any further hurdles that hold back Nintendo from its production targets.
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CORSAIR Launches the Platform:4 Desk, A Perfect Fit for Compact Spaces

Press Release by
btarunr
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Corsair is excited to announce the newest addition to its modular desk family; the Platform:4. This desk measures four feet across (120 cm), providing a spacious work and gaming surface in a more compact form than its predecessor, the six-foot-wide Platform:6. Despite its smaller size, it maintains the same modular design, high-quality craftsmanship, premium materials, and wide array of useful features. Its compact dimensions allow it to fit into plenty of work and gaming spaces, while its modular design allows it to be as utilitarian or as expansive as needed.

The Platform:4 retains the upgradeable design of the Platform:6, featuring an industry standard aluminium T-channel rails under and above the desk designed for mounting accessories and peripherals as well as expansion, as well as a number of functional upgrades to more traditional desk designs. Earth Platform:4 includes an upgraded single monitor arm with a VESA 100 mount capable of supporting oversized ultrawide monitors up to 27 lbs. The monitor arm is mounted to the main desk rail system, enabling the addition of extra monitor arms and myriad compatible accessories such as a microphone and webcam mount. It also features in-desk USB power with both Type-A and Type-C ports to simplify device charging. Cables and power bricks can be easily tucked away behind the desk via the Corsair RapidRoute Wire Management Tray.
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CORSAIR Levels Up Desk Storage with its Clamp-On Multi Frame Pegboard

Press Release by
btarunr
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Add an extra dimension of storage and organization to almost any desk with the Corsair Multi Frame Pegboard. This versatile add-on easily attaches to a desk with just two clamps, delivering a vital upgrade to available storage space. It can be attached in less than 30 minutes and allows items to be moved off the desk surface and onto the pegboard and its shelves, decluttering the work or gaming area while keeping all essential gear within arm's reach.

With two large pegboards, three adjustable shelves, and a variety of hooks, the Multi Frame Pegboard opens a new realm of storage possibilities. It features a universal standard 3060 aluminium T-channel crossbar that supports hundreds of aftermarket accessories. The included T-nuts and adapters enable easy mounting of everything from your favorite Elgato hardware such as the Key Light and Flex Arm, to custom 3D-printed creations. The rail also allows for easy mounting of a VESA monitor Arm (or two) to move even the biggest monitors up and off the desk for flexible placement and a cleaner desktop. Handy wire management channels keep accessory cables out of sight, delivering a professional and tidy look.
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Capcom Showcases Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Announces Samurai's Destiny Remaster

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T0@st
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Capcom held a double-feature livestream, combining our latest news and updates in one special show. We shared the news on our upcoming lineup in Capcom Spotlight, followed by a deep dive into the highly anticipated Monster Hunter Wilds ahead of launch on February 28. Here's the big news from the show.

Onimusha: Samurai's Destiny remaster announced, Onimusha: Way of the Sword update
Additional details were shared on the brand-new title in Capcom's legendary swordplay action series, Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Onimusha: Way of the Sword tells the heroic tale of a sole samurai fighting against hordes of twisted creatures known as the Genma. Wielding an Oni Gauntlet, our new protagonist will mow down enemies in this dramatic story, set in a beautiful and eerie rendition of Kyoto. True to the series' soul-sucking action combat, absorbing souls to restore health and use special moves in the heat of battle is key to victory. Experience thrilling sword fights and slice through hordes of Genma when Onimusha: Way of the Sword launches in 2026.
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Avowed Confirmed To Support 60 FPS Gameplay On Xbox Series X

by
GGforever
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Obsidian's latest RPG, Avowed, is undoubtedly quite a challenging game to run even on capable hardware, if recent reports are anything to go by. It was previously mentioned that the game will focus on visuals and fidelity instead of fast-paced gameplay, and might be limited to 30 FPS on the Xbox Series X. For those who need a refresher, the 4-year-old Xbox Series X packs a GPU with just over 12 TFLOPS of raw performance, courtesy of its 52-CU RDNA 2 GPU. Now, however, it appears to have been confirmed that the game will indeed be able to hit 60 FPS on the Series X.

In a recent interview with YouTuber MinnMax, Avowed game director Carrie Patel confirmed that the game will be able to hit 60 FPS on the aforementioned console. Previous leaks sourced from a person who was able to play the game on Microsoft's consoles stated that the game will be limited 40 FPS on the Series S, and 60 on the Series X, the latter part of which has now been confirmed to be the case. Of course, there will be a downgrade in the quality of visuals to be able to hit the vaunted 60 FPS mark, but that is nothing out of the ordinary for consoles. UE 5-based Avowed is set to launch on the 18th of February, and will be available with the Xbox Game Pass, which has witnessed quite a delightful series of major launches lately.
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Intel Xeon Server Processor Shipments Fall to a 13-Year Low

by
AleksandarK
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Intel's data center business has experienced a lot of decline in recent years. Once the go-to choice for data center buildout, nowadays, Xeon processors have reached a 13-year low. According to SemiAnalysis analyst Sravan Kundojjala on X, the once mighty has fallen to a 13-year low number, less than 50% of its CPU sales in the peak observed in 2021. In a chart that is indexed to 2011 CPU volume, the analysis gathered from server volume and 10K fillings shows the decline that Intel has experienced in recent years. Following the 2021 peak, the volume of shipped CPUs has remained in free fall, reaching less than 50% of its once-dominant position. The main cause for this volume contraction is attributed to Intel's competitors gaining massive traction. AMD, with its EPYC CPUs, has been Intel's primary competitor, pushing the boundaries on CPU core count per socket and performance per watt, all at an attractive price point.

During a recent earnings call, Intel's interim c-CEO leadership admitted that Intel is still behind the competition with regard to performance, even with Granite Rapids and Clearwater Forest, which promised to be their advantage in the data center. "So I think it would not be unfathomable that I would put a data center product outside if that meant that I hit the right product, the right market window as well as the right performance for my customers," said Intel co-CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus, adding that "Intel Foundry will need to earn my business every day, just as I need to earn the business of my customers." This confirms that the company is now dedicated to restoring its product leadership, even if its internal foundry is not doing okay. It will take some time before Intel CPU volume shipments recover, and with AMD executing well in data center, it is becoming a highly intense battle.

Huawei Delivers Record $118 Billion Revenue with 22% Yearly Growth Despite US Sanctions

by
AleksandarK
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Huawei Technologies reported a robust 22% year-over-year revenue increase for 2024, reaching 860 billion yuan ($118.27 billion), demonstrating remarkable resilience amid continued US-imposed trade restrictions. The Chinese tech giant's resurgence was primarily driven by its revitalized smartphone division, which captured 16% of China's domestic market share, overtaking Apple in regional sales. This achievement was notably accomplished by deploying domestically produced chipsets, marking a significant milestone for the company. In collaboration with Chinese SMIC, Huawei delivers in-house silicon solutions to integrate with HarmonyOS for complete vertical integration. The company's strategic diversification into automotive technology has emerged as a crucial growth vector, with its smart car solutions unit delivering autonomous driving software and specialized chips to Chinese EV manufacturers.

In parallel, Huawei's Ascend AI 910B/C platform recently announced compatibility with DeepSeek's R1 large language model and announced availability on Chinese AI cloud providers like SiliconFlow. Through a strategic partnership with AI infrastructure startup SiliconFlow, Huawei is enhancing its Ascend cloud service capabilities, further strengthening its competitive position in the global AI hardware market despite ongoing international trade challenges. Even if the company can't compete on performance versus the latest solutions from NVIDIA and AMD due to the lack of advanced manufacturing required for AI accelerators, it can compete on costs and deliver solutions that are typically much more competitive with the price/performance ratio. Huawei's Ascend AI solutions deliver modest performance. Still, the pricing makes AI model inference very cheap, with API costs of around one Yaun per million input tokens and four Yuan per one million output tokens on DeepSeek R1.

FFmpeg Gets AMD AMF Accelerated Decoding Support, FSR Video Super Resolution Upscaler

by
btarunr
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FFmpeg, the popular open-source multimedia library for compressed video and audio formats, just introduced a component to libavcodec that integrates AMD Accelerated Media Framework (AMF) SDK. This component is called AMFDEC, and it allows libavcodec to utilize hardware-accelerated decoding features on AMD Radeon RX GPUs and the integrated graphics of AMD Ryzen processors. On machines with compatible hardware, AMFDEC provides libavcodec with hardware acceleration for decoding of H.264, H.265 or HEVC, and AV1. FFmpeg also introduced filters that implement AMD FSR Video Super Resolution. This lets applications that use FFmpeg to take advantage of VSR features on Radeon RX GPUs to provide superior upscaling quality. The filter is labelled "ar_amf." The commit can be accessed here.
Wednesday, February 5th 2025

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Formovie Cinema Edge 4K UST Laser Projector Review

Formovie Cinema Edge 4K UST Laser Projector Review

Review Other
With Formovie being the manufacturer behind a lot of other brands it is no surprise that the Cinema Edge 4K looks similar to those. But the Cinema Edge 4K manages to provide a potent package that makes it a solid TV replacement - especially with the fully integrated streaming services compatibility.
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FSP Announces MP7, NP5, and NE5 CPU Air Coolers

Press Release by
btarunr
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FSP, a well-known brand in the power supply and chassis has launched a new series of CPU air coolers. The lineup includes the high-efficiency MP7, powerful NP5, and NE5 models. Optimized for the latest Intel and AMD CPUs, these coolers are compatible with Intel LGA1851 and AMD AM5 sockets. Featuring high-quality designs, they offer superior cooling performance and versatile options to meet various user needs, perfectly blending extreme performance with silent operation for a cooling solution that exceeds expectations.

The MP7, NP5, and NE5 cooler series utilize antigravity heat pipe technology to enhance performance when the motherboard is mounted vertically inside the case, maximizing cooling efficiency. Additionally, the MP7 features a copper base with heat pipe welding, increasing the contact area with the CPU, significantly improving heat dissipation.
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SK hynix Acquires TISAX Certification for the First Time in the Memory Industry

Press Release by
btarunr
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SK hynix Inc. announced today that it has acquired TISAX, the global automobile industry information security certification, for the first time in the memory industry. SK hynix has obtained TISAX for all domestic sites located in Icheon, Bundang and Cheongju, and has been internationally accepted for the security capabilities required by the global automobile industry. Through this, the company aims to accelerate the development of high-performance memory solutions essential for realizing AI-based future automobile technology.

With the expansion of the electric vehicle market, autonomous driving, and the development of connected car technology, the importance of electronic parts is growing rapidly. In line with these changes, automotive semiconductors, which are widely used in electric equipment, are positioned as major components of automobiles. In particular, automotive semiconductors are applied to key safety systems of automobiles such as ADAS, brake systems and engine control, requiring a higher level of reliability than general semiconductors. In addition, as hacking and malicious code attacks targeting automobiles have increased recently, systematic security management in the manufacturing process is being emphasized as well as strengthening the performance of semiconductors themselves.
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ASUS Unveils Gilded GeForce RTX 5090 ROG Astral Dhahab Edition

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btarunr
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ASUS ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 was reviewed by us at launch, where we remarked that it is the most expensive custom-design, with a launch price of $2,800 against the NVIDIA baseline of $2,000 (a 40% premium). The card is further marked up by retailers, and is going for nearly $3,000. While this is going on, ASUS released its first halo variant, the ROG Astral RTX 5090 OC Dhahab Edition. Probably targeting the MENA (Middle-East and North Africa) markets, the Dhahab Edition is a luxurious collector's edition item that's finished in gold. Dhahab is Arabic for gold, and you can see elements of this across the cooler shroud, backplate, and the GPU retention bracket. Even the heatsink underneath has gold color. We don't know the exact material of this card—whether it is a gold-like polish, or gold electroplated.

Contrasting all this gold is a turquoise-like stone embellishment that refracts light in a blue-green tone, just like the actual stone. There are several other cultural elements to this design, including Arabic calligraphy, and motifs representing "strength, courage, and unity." The gold backplate even has machined regional motifs representing the desert, and skyscrapers. Given that the regular ROG Astral RTX 5090 OC is already at around $3,000 on the streets, sky is the limit for what ASUS could ask for this collector's item.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti Could Use Standard 8-Pin PCI Power Connectors

by
AleksandarK
 Discuss (45 Comments)
The GPU market is heating this March as both NVIDIA and AMD prepare to launch competing mid-range graphics cards. NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti, part of its Blackwell architecture lineup, are rumored to debut alongside AMD's Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT, setting the stage for a high-stakes battle in the mainstream gaming segment. According to leaks from Chinese hardware sources at Douyin, including ZOTAC-affiliated leakers, the RTX 5060 series will retain traditional 8-pin power connectors instead of adopting NVIDIA's newer 12V-2x6 16-pin design, simplifying upgrades for users with older PSUs.

However, the cards will reportedly require a minimum 650 W power supply—a 100 W increase over the RTX 4060 series—with estimated total graphics power (TGP) of 150 W for the RTX 5060 and 200 W for the Ti variant. While NVIDIA has not confirmed specifications, the RTX 5060 Ti will reportedly launch in two variants: 8 GB and 16 GB GDDR7 configurations, leveraging a 128-bit bus.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT Launch Allegedly Set for March 6

by
btarunr
 Discuss (152 Comments)
Earlier this week, it was reported that AMD is preparing at least online media event to announce and detail its upcoming Radeon RX 9070 series next-generation graphics cards powered by the RDNA 4 graphics architecture. It turns out that both the Radeon RX 9070 XT and Radeon RX 9070 will be available on March 6, 2025, according to a report by Uniko's Hardware. Reviews of the two cards should go live some time between the late-February media event and this launch date. AMD launching the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 on the same date isn't the only thing the two SKUs share. Both SKUs max out the 4 nm "Navi 48" silicon they're based on, and are differentiated by clock speeds. The two are expected to square off against NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5070 series.

TUMI Partner With Master & Dynamic Launching MW09 ANC True Wireless Earphones

Press Release by
Nomad76
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Today, international travel and lifestyle brand TUMI announces an exciting collaboration with premium audio brand Master & Dynamic. The first launch of this multi-year partnership unveils a pair of state-of-the-art noise-canceling earphones, featuring TUMI's iconic 19 Degree design details. A seamless blend of engineering precision and artistic expression, this collaboration effortlessly combines the best of both brands.

"Our customers expect the very best from TUMI, which is why we've partnered with Master & Dynamic—a brand renowned for crafting premium, high-quality audio products," said TUMI Creative Director Victor Sanz. "This collaboration brings together two seemingly distinct worlds that, in reality, complement each other perfectly. When the iconic contours of 19 Degree combine with the superior engineering of Master & Dynamic, the result is not just an elevated piece of tech—it's a work of art."
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Supermicro Ramps Full Production of NVIDIA Blackwell Rack-Scale Solutions With NVIDIA HGX B200

Press Release by
Nomad76
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Supermicro, Inc., a Total IT Solution Provider for AI/ML, HPC, Cloud, Storage, and 5G/Edge, is announcing full production availability of its end-to-end AI data center Building Block Solutions accelerated by the NVIDIA Blackwell platform. The Supermicro Building Block portfolio provides the core infrastructure elements necessary to scale Blackwell solutions with exceptional time to deployment. The portfolio includes a broad range of air-cooled and liquid-cooled systems with multiple CPU options. These include superior thermal design supporting traditional air cooling, liquid-to-liquid (L2L) and liquid-to-air (L2A) cooling. In addition, a full data center management software suite, rack-level integration, including full network switching and cabling and cluster-level L12 solution validation can be delivered as turn-key offering with global delivery, professional support, and service.

"In this transformative moment of AI, where scaling laws are pushing the limits of data center capabilities, our latest NVIDIA Blackwell-powered solutions, developed through close collaboration with NVIDIA, deliver outstanding computational power," said Charles Liang, president and CEO of Supermicro. "Supermicro's NVIDIA Blackwell GPU offerings in plug-and-play scalable units with advanced liquid cooling and air cooling are empowering customers to deploy an infrastructure that supports increasingly complex AI workloads while maintaining exceptional efficiency. This reinforces our commitment to providing sustainable, cutting-edge solutions that accelerate AI innovation."
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Osaka Scientists Unveil 'Living' Electrodes That Can Enhance Silicon Devices

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Nomad76
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Shrinking components was (and still is) the main way to boost the speed of all electronic devices; however, as devices get tinier, making them becomes trickier. A group of scientists from SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), at Osaka University has discovered another method to enhance performance: putting a special metal layer known as a metamaterial on top of a silicon base to make electrons move faster. This approach shows promise, but the tricky part is managing the metamaterial's structure so it can adapt to real-world needs.

To address this, the team looked into vanadium dioxide (VO₂). When heated, VO₂ changes from non-conductive to metallic, allowing it to carry electric charge like small adjustable electrodes. The researchers used this effect to create 'living' microelectrodes, which made silicon photodetectors better at spotting terahertz light. "We made a terahertz photodetector with VO₂ as a metamaterial. Using a precise method, we created a high-quality VO₂ layer on silicon. By controlling the temperature, we adjusted the size of the metallic regions—much larger than previously possible—which affected how the silicon detected terahertz light," says lead author Ai I. Osaka.
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ASUS ROG Phone 9 FE: 'Affordable' Gaming Smartphone Unveiled With Last-Gen Snapdragon SoC

by
GGforever
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As smartphone SoCs continue to get more powerful every single cycle, there seems to be a plethora of gaming-oriented smartphones entering the market. The pricey ASUS ROG Phone 9 lineup is perhaps the most well known in this regard, powered by the impressively potent Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC. However, the smartphone is well outside most people's budgets, and ASUS seems to have taken note of that. The company has now unveiled a more affordable version, dubbed the ROG Phone 9 FE. However, the smartphone is only available in Thailand for now, commanding a price tag of $890.

On paper, it appears that the only difference between the ROG Phone 9, and the 9 FE is the chipset. While the pricier sibling utilizes the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, the FE has to make do with the substantially inferior Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. Apart from that, the ROG Phone 9 FE is almost identical to the vanilla Phone 9, sporting 12 GB of LPDDR5X memory, 256 GB storage, a 50 MP primary shooter, 13 MP wide-angle shooter, and a 5 MP macro camera. At the front, a 32 MP selfie camera sits above the 6.78-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 and a maximum refresh rate of 165 Hz. In synthetic benchmarks, the Snapdragon 8 Elite leads the 8 Gen 3 by around 25-30% in CPU tests, and around 30-35% in GPU benchmarks, although it does consume more power, which is to be expected.

Lian Li Reveals Upcoming Products at 2025 Digital Expo

Press Release by
btarunr
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LIAN LI Industrial Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of chassis and PC accessories, will premiere the LIAN LI 2025 DIGITAL EXPO at 9am EST on February 7th, on YouTube. This two-part video series reveals updates to prototype and upcoming products, including cases, AIO liquid coolers, fans, power supplies, and more. Featured products are the LANCOOL 217, LANCOOL 207 Digital, LANCOOL 4, and the O11D MINI V2 cases. Additional innovations include the RS Series rotatable PSU, universal screen and mount, Hydroshift II LCD-C 360R AIO, UNI FANS, and a new vertical GPU bracket.

The LANCOOL 217 showcases real wood accents and comes with five pre-installed fans. This includes two 170 mm front fans that are tool-less height-adjustable, two 120 mm GPU cooling fans with reversed blades positioned over the PSU shroud, and a 140 mm fan located at the back. Its dual PSU mounting options provide added flexibility for cable management. The case is offered in two variations: black with dark wood accents and white with light wood accents. Prices begin at $119.99.
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Apple's Upcoming M5 SoC Enters Mass Production

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GGforever
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Apple's M4 SoC was released to overwhelmingly positive reviews, particularly regarding the commendable performance and efficiency benefits it brought to the table. The chip first appeared in the OLED iPad Pro lineup last May, arriving in the company's MacBook Pro lineup only much later, giving Intel's Lunar Lake and AMD's Strix Point a run for their money. Now, it appears that the company is cognizant of the heat brought by AMD's Strix Halo, and has already commenced mass production for the first SoC in the M5 family - the vanilla M5, according to Korean news outlet ET News.

Just like last time, the M5 SoC has been repeatedly rumored to first arrive in the next-generation iPad Pro, scheduled to enter production sometime in the second half of this year. The MacBook Pro will likely be next-in-line for the M5 treatment, followed the rest of the lineup as per tradition. Interestingly, although Apple decided against using TSMC's 2 nm process for this year's chips, the higher-tier variants, including the M5 Pro and M5 Max are expected to utilize TSMC's SoIC-mH technology, allowing for vertical stacking of chips that should ideally benefit thermals, and possibly even allow for better and larger GPUs thanks to the separation of the CPU and GPU portions. Consequently, yields will also improve, which will allow Apple to bring costs down.
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AMD Ryzen 5 7400F De-Lid Reveals Thermal Paste Instead of STIM

by
btarunr
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Priced at the equivalent of $116, the China-exclusive Ryzen 5 7400F is a 6-core/12-thread processor powered by the older "Zen 4" microarchitecture, but which is based on the "Raphael" MCM, giving it a comprehensive PCIe Gen 5 I/O (as opposed to designing such a chip based on the "Phoenix Point" monolithic silicon with its PCIe Gen 4 I/O). The chip benefits from the full 32 MB on-die L3 cache being enabled on the "Zen 4" CCD, besides the full 1 MB per core L2 cache, and that I/O, but misses out on the iGPU. At its price, the 7400F is attracting a segment of value-conscious gamers.

To bring this chip at its price point, AMD had to cut costs somewhere, and Chinese PC enthusiast "Melon Master" soon found out where. On de-lidding (removing IHS) of the Ryzen 5 7400F, it was found that the chip does not use a soldered TIM like the other Ryzen 7000 series "Raphael" processors, instead using more cost-effective thermal paste, as is common in entry-level chips from both AMD and Intel. Harukaze5719 comments that this could be the reason the chip has a fairly noticeable Cinebench R23 performance delta against the Ryzen 5 7500F that's globally available, and has STIM, but is priced at $145. The 7400F and 7500F share the same base frequency of 3.70 GHz, but while the former boosts up to 4.70 GHz, the latter goes all the way up to 5.00 GHz.

German Tech Supply Chain Sees Massive 35% Market Contraction, Semiconductors Drop 41%

Press Release by
Nomad76
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The fourth quarter of 2024 also remained well below the same quarter of the previous year, with a decline of more than 35%. At EUR 704 million, the turnover of FBDi's reporting members was the lowest since the end of 2020. For the whole of 2024, reporting members thus lost 36% of their previous year's turnover, reaching EUR 3464 million.

The biggest losses were suffered by semiconductors, which lost 41% of the previous year's turnover over the year as a whole, ending up at EUR 2192 million. The trend was slightly more positive for IP&E, which achieved a total volume of 1120 million euros for the year as a whole, a decline of only 25%. Especially Electromechanics (-15.8% y-o-y and BtB 1.04) and Power Supplies (-20.0% y-o-y and BtB 1.04) stand out positively.
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Framework Releases RISC-V Mainboard for Framework Laptop 13

Press Release by
GFreeman
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We're happy to share that DeepComputing's DC-ROMA RISC-V Mainboard for Framework Laptop 13 is now in stock and shipping in the Framework Marketplace. This is very much a developer-focused board to help accelerate maturing the software ecosystem around RISC-V, so we recommend waiting for future RISC-V products if you're looking for a consumer-ready experience. We shared more detail on the Mainboard in an earlier blog post and video, but as a quick summary, this is powered by a StarFive JH7110 processor that uses the open source RISC-V ISA. The team at DeepComputing designed it to drop directly into a Framework Laptop 13 chassis or Cooler Master Mainboard Case. They have published setup guides for the hardware and for installing Ubuntu and Fedora.

To make it easier to jump into using a new partner-developed Mainboard or reusing an old one, we're also introducing the Framework Laptop 13 Shell today. This is a complete Framework Laptop 13 chassis with everything except for the Mainboard, memory, storage, and Wi-Fi. We're eager to continue making Framework products excellent platforms to extend on. Modularity and open source documentation is good for everyone!
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Boulies Launches the Master Rex Ergonomic Chair

Press Release by
Nomad76
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UK based premium office and gaming chair specialist, Boulies, today announces the arrival of its newest chair, the Master Rex. Following on from the best-selling Master Chair, the new Master Rex features an ergonomic design and is built for use for work, leisure and gaming. Featuring upgrades such as a built-in leg rest for added comfort and an Enhanced Stable Tilt Mechanism for outstanding stability and durability, it ensures a secure and comfortable experience.

The Boulies Master Rex offers unparalleled sitting comfort, whether working hard, gaming or relaxing. Designed with adjustable features and a sleek, modern aesthetic, it provides ergonomic support whilst blending with a home or office seamlessly. With an integrated leg rest, the Master Rex ensures pressure-free reclining for added relaxation. The built-in lumbar support also helps to promote better posture and boost productivity thanks to it being customizable with an up and down adjustment that allows users to fine-tune the lumbar support to precisely align with the spine's natural curvature. Whether requiring a higher or lower level of support, this chair allows users to customize to exact specifications to ensure it is adapted to the individual.
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NVIDIA DLSS Available in Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, The First Berserker: Khazan and More Games

Press Release by
GFreeman
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More than 700 games and applications feature RTX technologies, and each week new games integrating NVIDIA DLSS, NVIDIA Reflex, and advanced ray-traced effects are released or announced, delivering the definitive PC experience for GeForce RTX players. This week, you can check out 6 new DLSS-enhanced games including Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, The First Berserker: Khazan, NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black, Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator, FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, and Level Zero: Extraction.

And DLSS 4 is now available, a major upgrade to our much-loved suite of technologies. DLSS Multi Frame Generation is introduced, multiplying performance on GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs. DLSS Frame Generation's new AI model is faster and uses less VRAM. DLSS Resolution, DLSS Ray Reconstruction, and DLAA are upgraded to new, incredible transformer AI models that dramatically enhance image quality. And via the aforementioned NVIDIA app overrides, you can apply these enhancements to many of your games and apps. The complete suite of DLSS 4 upgrades, including DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, are now available in Alan Wake 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and Hogwarts Legacy, and Star Wars Outlaws adds support soon.
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AGON by AOC Launches New G42 Monitor Series

Press Release by
GFreeman
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AGON by AOC - the world's leading gaming monitor brand - announces the new G42 series of gaming monitors under the mainstream AOC GAMING category, comprising the 23.8-inch (60.5 cm) 24G42E, 24.5-inch (62.2 cm) 25G42E, and 27-inch (68.6 cm) 27G42E. These new models are equipped with the latest-generation Fast IPS panels, which can deliver 180 Hz refresh rates and up to 1 ms GtG response times, making competitive-grade gaming performance more accessible than ever before. Today, thanks to the G42 series, gamers shouldn't settle with monitors below 180 Hz, triple of the common 60 Hz standard.

Making high performance the new standard
Building upon the success of AOC GAMING's G4 series, which includes the fully ergonomic G4X models and the pared-down G4XE variants, the new G42 series further streamlines the formula to bring 180 Hz gaming to an even broader audience.
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AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU Accounts for Almost 90% of "Zen 5" Sales, Rest of 9000 Series in Trouble

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AleksandarK
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Based on the MindFactory sales data for January 2025, we have seen AMD push a significant share of sales and revenue at the German PC hardware store. However, an interesting observation lies in the details. AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU was the best-selling SKU at 8,390 units sold. An entire AM5 platform recorded sales of 18,410 units, which puts the eight-core X3D SKU on the top, with 46% of consumers on the AM5 platform going with this CPU. The rest of the AMD Ryzen 9000 series performed poorly, with other SKUs reaching only up to 3% of AM5 socket sales. This means that out of 100% "Zen 5" units sold, the leading Ryzen 7 9800X3D SKU captured 87% of sales. The AMD Ryzen 9000 series is performing exceptionally only due to its only available AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D SKU selling 46% of the AM5 volume.

Among standard Ryzen 9000 series SKUs, the Ryzen 7 9700X achieved 640 units in sales, while the Ryzen 5 9600X, Ryzen 9 9950X, and Ryzen 9 9900X recorded 250, 230, and 180 units respectively. These figures suggest significantly lower market penetration for non-X3D variants in the retail channel. The data points to a clear market preference for gaming-optimized processors, indicating AMD's strategic focus on X3D variants—despite their higher manufacturing costs and retail premiums—is likely to continue. While MindFactory's sales data represents just one retailer in the German market, the overwhelming consumer preference for the 9800X3D over standard Zen 5 SKUs signals that consumers are ready to pay a premium for more performance and that the X3D effect reflects positively on the sales.

AMD CPUs had 92% Market Share at German PC Hardware Retailer in January

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AleksandarK
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German PC hardware retailer MindFactory sold an astonishing 25,625 AMD and Intel CPUs in January 2025. However, an honor falls to AMD this time, as Team Red has managed to capture as much as 92.16% (23,615) of all units sold by this retailer. Not only did it leave Intel with 7.84% (2010) of total units sold, AMD also beat Intel in average selling price, where AMD managed to keep ASP at 320 Euros, while Intel buyers were considering some less expensive CPU SKUs at 290 Euros. This has resulted in AMD's revenue share recording 93.45% at 8,300,674 Euros, while Intel left a smaller mark at 6.55% or 581,959 Euros. The best-selling CPU was AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D, sold in 8,390 units in January.

A detailed analysis of socket distribution reveals AMD's AM5 platform's overwhelming dominance, securing 18,410 units or 71.84% of total sales. The mature AM4 platform maintains a significant market presence with 5,205 units (20.31%), showing strong continued demand for AMD's previous-generation socket. Intel's LGA 1700, compatible with 12/13/14th generation processors, accounted for 1,745 units (6.81%), while their older platforms showed minimal market penetration. The LGA 1851 socket, supporting Intel's latest Core Ultra 200S processors, managed just 185 units (0.72%), with legacy LGA 1200 and LGA 1151 sockets trailing at 55 (0.21%) and 25 (0.1%) units respectively. AMD's latest platform market performance suggests strong consumer confidence in AM5's upgrade path and performance capabilities. This dramatic market share capture by AMD represents one of the most significant shifts in the desktop CPU market in recent years, particularly notable given the higher average selling prices at which AMD CPUs are now sold.
Tuesday, February 4th 2025
Dan Clark Audio NOIRE X Closed-Back Headphones Review

Dan Clark Audio NOIRE X Closed-Back Headphones Review

Review Headphones
Dan Clark Audio shakes up the premium closed-back headphones market with the NOIRE X, bringing the brand's patented AMTS technology in its most affordable entry yet. The NOIRE X also uses the same, excellent industrial design from the far more expensive E3, and gives you a good execution of the Harman Over-Ear tonality for the money.
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FSP VITA GM 850 W Review

FSP VITA GM 850 W Review

Review Power Supplies
The FSP VITA GM series aims at the value-oriented enthusiast. Today we're looking at the 850 W unit from the VITA GM family, boasting 80 Plus Gold efficiency and supporting the latest ATX 3.1 standard. Priced at just $105 it comes with excellent build quality, good efficiency and support for the 16-pin GPU power connector.
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Elgato Releases the Wave Link 2.0 Audio Management Software

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btarunr
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Elgato is proud to unveil Wave Link 2.0, the latest evolution of its powerful audio management software, which introduces incredible new features and major quality-of-life improvements. Highlights include Voice Focus, an integrated tool that ensures crisp vocals in any space, and One-Click Audio Routing for easy setup and customization. Overall, Wave Link 2.0 redefines audio management by addressing several universal challenges content creators and digital professionals face.

Voice Focus, a tool developed in collaboration with ai|coustics, brings cutting-edge vocal enhancements to Elgato Wave mic and audio interface users. By leveraging ai|coustics' advanced machine learning technology, the tool removes unwanted noise, room reverb, and echo—while isolating the user's voice and elevating it to professional quality standards. Designed for users who may not have the knowledge or patience to configure audio effects, Voice Focus delivers studio-grade results in seconds. Whether streaming, podcasting, or meeting, everyone sounds professional—even in spaces with poor acoustics.
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Razer Unveils Razer Wolverine V3 Controller Product Line in White

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T0@st
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Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro and Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition, its premium Xbox controllers, are now available in a stunning new White colorway. White brings a fresh new look to Razer's latest Pro controllers for the perfect blend of elegance and performance. The new lineup appeals to the competitive console and PC gamers who want a clean look to match their gaming setups.

Combining lightning-fast inputs, optimization for esports, and tournament-ready performance, the White Wolverine V3 lineup will allow players to express their individual style without compromising their competitive edge. Stay one step, one shot, and one level above the competition with the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro—the definitive wireless esports controller. Officially licensed by Xbox, play like the world's best on console and PC with speed, control, and precision that helps you clutch up for the win.
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AMD Reports Fiscal Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results

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Nomad76
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AMD today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2024. Fourth quarter revenue was a record $7.7 billion, gross margin was 51%, operating income was $871 million, net income was $482 million and diluted earnings per share was $0.29. On a non-GAAP basis, gross margin was 54%, operating income was a record $2.0 billion, net income was a record $1.8 billion and diluted earnings per share was $1.09.

For the full year 2024, AMD reported record revenue of $25.8 billion, gross margin of 49%, operating income of $1.9 billion, net income of $1.6 billion, and diluted earnings per share of $1.00. On a non-GAAP basis, gross margin was a record 53%, operating income was $6.1 billion, net income was $5.4 billion and diluted earnings per share was $3.31.
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Audio-Technica Intros ATH-R70xa & ATH-R50x Professional Open-back Headphone Models

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T0@st
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Audio-Technica, a leading innovator in transducer technology for over 60 years, is expanding its headphone offerings with the new R-Series line of professional open-back models. The former flagship ATH-R70x has been upgraded to the new ATH-R70xa, and is joined by the new ATH-R50x.

ATH-R70xa
The ATH-R70xa is Audio-Technica's new flagship pair of professional open-back reference headphones. Whether mixing, mastering, or creating, the ATH-R70xa is the perfect production tool, delivering accurate and dependable reference across stereo, surround, and immersive formats. This enhanced version of the ATH-R70x delivers the natural and balanced sound of its predecessor but with refined accuracy and detail, providing a heightened listening experience with precise imaging and depth for realistic sound staging. While the ATH-R70x utilized damping and its acoustic design for added low-frequency emphasis, the fully open-back sound of the ATH-R70xa relies solely on the performance of the driver—each diaphragm movement translates directly into sound without reliance on acoustic cavities or resonance for frequency enhancement and minimizing distortion.
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Criterion Completely Focused on Next Battlefield, EA Boss Foresees Revival of Need for Speed Series

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T0@st
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During yesterday's "Battlefield Labs" announcement, Electronic Arts revealed the full extent of its international multi-team development setup—dubbed "Battlefield Studios." According to their recent presentation, franchise originator—DICE (Stockholm)—is working alongside Ripple Effect (formerly DICE Los Angeles), Motive (Montreal) and Criterion (Guildford). EA's British studio is best known for its past work—most notably (going back nearly twenty-five years ago) the Burnout series and newer Need for Speed titles. The Surrey-based outfit appears to be completely devoted to working on the next Battlefield entry's single-player component—older press releases hinted about a new Need for Speed project. Around autumn 2023, Vince Zampella (Battlefield franchise overseer) announced that the majority of Criterion's team had shifted over to working on a next-gen Battlefield title, while a smaller "core group" would: "continue on what's next for Need for Speed."

Almost a year ago, Criterion and EA celebrated the Need for Speed franchise's thirtieth anniversary—a press release focused mainly on roadmapped content for Need for Speed Unbound (2022). The game was updated with a final chunk of post-release content last November. Eurogamer took it upon themselves to investigate Criterion's current internal formation, given that support duties have concluded on the NFS Unbound project. The online publication received a response from EA's top-most Battlefield developer. Zampella said in a statement to Eurogamer: "the Need for Speed team at Criterion are joining their colleagues working on Battlefield...As a company, it was important to us to take the last year to listen to our Need for Speed community and use their feedback to create content for Unbound...With an increased understanding of what our players want in a Need for Speed experience, we plan to bring the franchise back in new and interesting ways."

Plasma Technology Doubles Etch Rate for 3D NAND Flash Memory

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Nomad76
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Scientists have made a big step forward in data storage technology, they've managed to improve the manufacturing process for 3D NAND flash memory. This type of storage technology stacks memory cells on top of each other to obtain higher data density. A team of experts from Lam Research, the University of Colorado Boulder, and Princeton Plasma Physics Lab came up with a better way to etch (the process of carving holes into alternating layers of silicon oxide and silicon nitride) by using hydrogen fluoride plasma. This new method cuts vertical channels through silicon-based materials twice as fast as before achieving 640 nanometers in just one minute.

The team found out that mixing in certain chemicals like phosphorus trifluoride helps the etching process. They also learned that some byproducts can slow down etching, but adding water can help fix this problem. "The salt can decompose at a lower temperature when water is present, which can accelerate etching", said Yuri Barsukov, a former PPPL researcher now working at Lam Research. This breakthrough is important as the need for data storage received a huge boost with the rise of AI programs, that need tons of storage.
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Helldivers 2: Servants of Freedom Warbond DLC Launches on February 6

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T0@st
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Let's be honest, Helldivers: Super Earth is worth it. No matter what "it" is. All Helldivers share this belief, and fanatical loyalty is expected from all citizens of Super Earth. But the Helldivers need to demonstrate their allegiance. They need to look like the democratic disciples they are inside, and the only way we know to properly show it off is with the gear from our next Warbond: Servants of Freedom which launches on February 6.

So what does true devotion to Democracy look like?
Hellbombs. It looks like Hellbombs. They really send a message: liberation is big, loud, and happening all around you. It gets the spirit of democracy soaring, and gets a lot of other things soaring, too, like buildings, Bile Titans, and Automaton industrial sites. Now, imagine you've got that kind of freedom strapped to your back. That's the B-100 Portable Hellbomb, a beacon of democratic truth in a convenient backpack format, which can be easily activated by you or a helpful teammate. Just be sure to drop the pack and clear the area once it's active, because the B-100's got a ten-second countdown that can't be canceled.
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ZOTAC GeForce RTX 5090 SOLID OC on Auction in China, Apparently Sourced from S. Korea

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T0@st
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A South Korea-based hardware enthusiast—Harukaze5719—has discovered a curious listing of ZOTAC's GeForce RTX 5090 SOLID OC model on a Chinese auction site (asking price: ~$4175 USD). This finding was shared with their audience, via a social media post—a screenshot was accompanied by harukaze5719's short and succinct message: "OMG..." Officially, NVIDIA and its board partners cater to the Chinese hardware market with a restricted variant of the flagship "Blackwell" GPU—GeForce RTX 5090D. Despite under-the-hood nerfing, this region-exclusive model still offers enviable performance (when pushed).

The "full fat" GeForce RTX 5090 GPU appears to be an even hotter commodity—with demand (at launch) exceeding far exceeding supply. ZOTAC's South Korean branch warned potential customers about difficult conditions almost two weeks ahead of Blackwell's market debut on January 30. Harukaze5719 has likely expressed semi-personal frustration over apparent South Korea market-destined ZOTAC stock turning up for sale in China. So-called "Chinese GPU shopping tourists" could have made the journey to a South Korean PC hardware store, with their sole objective being the acquisition of GeForce RTX 5090 graphics cards. Tom's Hardware has gathered various related tidbits from Japanese and Taiwanese news sources—where local TV coverage explored the events of last week's launch event.

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Saber Interactive & Focus Entertainment Showcase Roadcraft's Gameplay

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T0@st
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We know how much you've been waiting for this moment, we're thrilled to unveil the gameplay trailer for RoadCraft! Just imagine stepping into a world where you're the one turning disaster zones into thriving landscapes with cutting-edge technology and teamwork to make it happen. Sounds like a dream, doesn't it? In RoadCraft, you're at the helm of a disaster recovery company specializing in restoring areas devastated by natural calamities. With advanced simulation powered by Saber Interactive's new engine, every material, vehicle, and terrain reacts with realistic physics, making each task feel immersive and rewarding.

Launching May 20th, 2025
This first look showcases breathtaking environments brought to life with stunning visuals and realistic physics. Whether you're clearing debris, rebuilding roads, or restoring vital infrastructure, you've got everything you need to tackle challenges with creativity and precision. And with co-op gameplay for up to four players, it's all about coming together and rebuilding as a team.
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Japan Will Tighten Control of Computer Chips and Quantum Tech Exports

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T0@st
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Japan's central government will adjust its control over cutting-edge chips and quantum computer-related technology—a Japan Times news article proposes that new regulations will come into effect by the end of May. The report suggests that the nation's governing body is expanding its list of export-controlled items to include: "advanced chips, lithography equipment and cryo-coolers needed for the manufacture of quantum computers." The publication has gathered this information from revised foreign exchange laws. According to economy ministry officials, companies will be required to apply for external trade licenses—extra measures are being put in place to prevent the export of cutting-edge items to foreign military organizations. The updated terms are viewed as another step in tightening the supply of advanced semiconductor products to mainland China. Recent global events have paved the way for a new wave of AI chip-related restrictions.

Naturally, China has expressed concern regarding upcoming changes—they anticipate problems affecting supply chains and normal commercial exchanges between enterprises. According to the Japan Times report, the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing: "hopes Japan will make sure the measures don't hinder the economic and trade development between the two countries." The two nations have enjoyed a cordial semiconductor-centric trade relationship, skewed more in favor of Japan. Industry watchdogs believe that Chinese manufacturers have generated significant demand for Japanese-made production equipment. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has updated its documents. According to the latest report, 42 new entities worldwide have been added to a list of: "foreign companies and organizations that would be subject to export oversight on any dual-use items. The additions come into effect on Feb. 5, it said. A total of around 110 Chinese companies, research institutions and other entities are on the list."

Xbox Game Pass Reveals February Title Line-up

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T0@st
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Welcome back, friends! Happy to be here with more news, games, and updates. Speaking of news, we had lots of it in the 2025 Developer_Direct—with a little "everything you see is coming to Game Pass" spice. Here's what you missed (watch the presentation below, after the jump)! So many games to look forward to, plus a few surprise "you can play them right now" messages. Now let's get to even more games for Game Pass!

Available Today—Far Cry New Dawn (Cloud, Console, and PC)—February 4
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Dive into a transformed, vibrant, post-apocalyptic Hope County, Montana, 17 years after a global nuclear catastrophe. Lead the fight against the Highwaymen as they seek to take over the last remaining resources.
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Samsung Reportedly Optimizing Exynos 2500 SoC for Late 2025 Launch

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T0@st
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At the end of January, Samsung Electronics released their financial results for the fourth quarter and the fiscal year 2024. Smartphone tech watchdogs paid close to attention to the South Korean giant's accompanying earnings call. The recently released Galaxy S25 smartphone family is, exclusively, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipsets—insiders believe that Samsung opted out of utilizing proprietary chip designs (for this generation) due to missed production goals. Late last year, inside sources pointed to the foundry's allegedly problematic 3 nm Gate-All-Around (GAA) process node. Follow-up reports suggest that Samsung engineers have moved onto developing a 2 nm manufacturing process, possibly linked to a re-designed Exynos 2500 flagship mobile processor.

Brian Ma, a technology industry analyst, extracted relevant information from Samsung's recent earnings meeting—several press outlets have picked up on his brief social media post. The IDC employee stated: "Samsung System LSI just mentioned in its earnings call that it's optimizing Exynos 2500 and 'aiming' to secure design wins for mobile models scheduled for release in 2H" The rumor mill has proposed that new "Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Fold 7" smartphone models are currently in the development pipeline—coincidental timing indicates that the two devices could launch later in 2025, potentially with next-gen flagship Exynos SoCs onboard. Tipsters reckon that the Exynos 2500 is configured with a 10-core cluster, and its integrated graphics solution will be an AMD RDNA 3.5-enabled Xclipse 950 model.

Valve RDNA 4-based Steam Console Rumors Arise, Only To Get Shot Down

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GGforever
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Extas1s is a prominent name in the rumor arena, who has provided trustworthy information in the past. Joining hands with HandleDeck, the duo recently made an interesting claim of Valve secretly working on a Steam Console of sorts, or perhaps some sort of eGPU for the Steam Deck. To back up their claims, the duo cited the fact that Valve is putting quite a lot of effort into drivers for AMD's soon-to-be released Radeon RX 9070 GPUs, and since those are desktop-only parts, a stationary console that will allow Valve to lock horns with Sony and Microsoft is likely in the works.

However, it appears that the duo may have rushed to a conclusion instead of considering the facts on the table. GamingOnLinux, who was quick to respond to the claims made by HandleDeck and Extas1s, stated that Valve working on AMD drivers for future hardware is nothing out of the ordinary, adding that Valve invests in a "lot of different areas for Linux", and not just the areas that concern their own products, which is absolutely true. This time around, the speculations arose when a Valve developer commented that Mesa drivers support for RDNA 4 cards should be good enough.
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PNY Expands Portfolio of Ultra-Fast PRO Elite V3 USB Flash Drives

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T0@st
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PNY Technologies today announced the latest additions to their USB Type-C flash drive lineup, headlined by the extreme-performance PRO Elite V3 that delivers read speeds up to 1,000 MB/s and write speeds up to 800 MB/s, and offers storage options ranging from 256 GB - 2 TB. The expanded Type-C portfolio also includes the ultra-compact Elite-X Fit and Elite models, providing a storage solution for all Type-C and high-performance portable needs without requiring a Type-C adapter.

Extreme Storage Solution—PRO Elite V3 Type-C
The PRO Elite V3 leads PNY's latest generation of Type-C USB storage solutions, crafted for professional content creators, designers, and gamers demanding high performance while working with large files and resource-demanding applications. With extreme read speeds up to 1,000 MB/s and write speeds up to 800 MB/s, users can safely transfer their valuable content at blazing fast speeds up to 265 times faster than standard USB 2.0 flash drives. A huge storage size increase of up to 2 TB provides professional users ample space to store large project files, 4K video collections, and extensive gaming libraries on a single storage device.
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HANNspree Introduces Hybri Transreflective LCD Monitor With $899 Price Tag

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GGforever
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Transreflective LCD, or TCLD displays are far from commonly available. As the name suggests, these panels can combine the advantages of both reflective, as well as backlit technologies. E-Ink displays, which are also reflective, have their own set of advantages for workloads with primarily static elements. However, E-Ink displays have always suffered with motion, owing to their low refresh rate. This is where traditional displays reign supreme, and transreflective screens allow for the best of both worlds, depending on the workload.

The Hybri monitor by the Taiwanese brand HANNspree is one such offering, and sports a 1080p 23.8-inch panel with a refresh rate of 75 Hz. This allows for perfectly smooth videos and motion, unlike the vast majority of E-Ink displays. HANNspree claims that the monitor's power draw plummets by around 80% when the backlight is turned off, which is to be expected. When switched on, the backlight provides 50 nits of brightness, and the monitor should work fine without it when ambient light is above 1000 lx. The 4-in-1 adjustable stand allows for swivel, tilt, height, adjustments and pivot functionality. Overall, at a price of $899, the Hybri TLCD monitor should be a decent choice for coding, writing, and office use, especially for those folks who care about reducing eye strain over long workdays. The monitor is already available in Taiwan, with no word on an EU/US release yet.

Human Error Reportedly Caused Latest 12VHPWR Cable Melting Incident

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T0@st
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Late last month, NVIDIA claimed that 16-pin power connector issues were a thing of the past. The controversial 12VHPWR connection standard has fueled many online debates—prompting investigations from several prominent press outlets. Following NVIDIA's latest "safety" declaration—likely by coincidence—PCM Hong Kong reported another melting incident, affecting two cables and a power supply unit. The publication's hardware reviewer was recently engaged in the "full-load" testing of GeForce RTX 5090D and RTX 5080 graphics cards. Last week's evaluation session was interrupted by notable test system instabilities—upon downing tools, the PCM staffer discovered that their 1200 W PSU had given up the ghost. Additionally, two 16-pin cables had melted at both ends—initial detective work pointed to a GeForce RTX 4090 sample card being the main culprit.

VideoCardz and UNIKO's Hardware kept close tabs on PCM's next steps—online interactions, over the past weekend, spurred a re-evaluation of circumstances. According to PCM's latest update, they noticed burn marks on the GeForce RTX 4090 test unit—the two GeForce RTX-50-series cards did not exhibit any physical damage. Post-analysis, the reviewer now suspects that an SSD failure could be the root cause. They were happy to report that all involved RTX cards have survived, and that their test platform has been re-equipped with 12V-2x6 cables. An amended VideoCardz article proposes that everything came down to a simple human error.

Stealth Platformer SteamDolls Launches February 11th, Reuniting Metal Gear's Voice Cast

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TheLostSwede
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SteamDolls, the debut stealth-meets-action platformer delight by French-Belgian studio The Shady Gentleman, will launch February 11th at 1pm EST / 10am PST / 6pm UTC into Steam Early Access. A new trailer has been released as well, officially revealing the launch date.

Play as the bloodthirsty, witty, and just a bit kooky Whisper (played by David Hayter) and balance both stealth and brutality as you make your way through a comic book-inspired steampunk city on the verge of anarchy. A free demo also remains available, featuring the intro sequence the game. The game will be available in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish at launch, and contain about 6 chapters of the game, totaling an estimated 5-7 hours of content. The game's developers are hoping to gather player feedback to improve mechanics, balancing, and content leading up to the 1.0 launch.
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Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Developer Livestream Happening Tomorrow, February 5

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T0@st
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Our next Developer Livestream is now confirmed for Wednesday, February 5 at 10:30am PST (18:30 UTC). Follow our official Twitch channel to receive a notification when our panel of Jorg, Seb, and Martial go live to discuss the future development plans for Microsoft Flight Simulator and answer the most frequently asked questions the community submitted to our web form over the past few weeks. As always, the panel will also answer live questions from Twitch viewers, so be sure to tune in if you didn't have a chance to pre-submit a question!

Thank you to everyone who has downloaded the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Sim Update 1 pre-release beta test build! Since its launch in January, our team has been very carefully reading your feedback and bug reports on the forums. A new pre-release build with more fixes and improvements is coming soon for beta testers. If you would like to enroll in the beta to help test the next major release of MSFS 2024, you can find instructions (for PC-MS Store, PC-Steam, and Xbox Series X|S) here.
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Overclockers UK Expecting Next Batch of GeForce RTX 5090 GPUs in 3 to 16 Weeks

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T0@st
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Overclockers UK (OcUK)—a well-known PC hardware retailer—has revealed estimated timeframes for renewed stock of GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 graphics cards. Late last week, its various web presences informed potential customers about anticipated lead times. The company's blog disclosed that: "due to incredibly high demand and limited stock, all 50 Series cards sold shortly after launch with some pre-orders taken in restricted quantities." New GeForce RTX 5090 stock is expected to arrive at the OcUK warehouse in about three to sixteen weeks. The British store reckons that they will receive GeForce RTX 5080 cards in two to six weeks time. TechPowerUp picked up on various online predictions—a week before the market launch of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50-series GPUs—pointing to extremely low numbers of forthcoming launch stock. An OcUK employee disclosed that their inventory—of GeForce RTX 5090 graphics cards—was in single digits.

OcUK's dedicated RTX 50-series blog includes an apology—apparently their webstore experienced an outage shortly before launch time. They also informed customers about external factors affecting the re-opening of order books: "we have no plans to take pre-orders for any 50 Series cards until we have greater clarity on availability and have fulfilled the pre-orders we have taken." VideoCardz has discovered an informative post on the Megekko.nl discussion forum—where a new member has shared insider information. Board partners and suppliers are complaining about difficult conditions, according to the leaker's sources—they believe that ASUS and MSI have been forced into releasing forthcoming RTX 5090 stock via a staggered batch system (see screenshot below). The Verge has reached out to NVIDIA for comment—regarding shortages at launch—their request was not entertained.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 Series Launch Event Slated for Late-February

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btarunr
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AMD is planning a media event to formally launch the Radeon RX 9070 series next-generation graphics cards some time in late-February 2024, VideoCardz reports. The company could simultaneously announce the flagship Radeon RX 9070 XT, its second-best RX 9070, and new stuff on the software side, such as FSR 4, although availability dates of each could vary. Availability of at least the top RX 9070 XT could be expected in March, the report says. Both the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 are being prepared by AMD as performance-segment products, where they probably go up against SKUs from NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5070 series. Given the rather minor performance uplift the RTX 5080 yielded over its previous generation predecessor, the performance segment is in for some competition.

The Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 are both based on the 4 nm "Navi 48" silicon, which reportedly features 64 compute units for 4,096 stream processors, and a new generation AI accelerator that's both faster and more capable than the one introduced with RDNA 3. There is expected to be a significant uplift in the ray tracing performance, too, reducing the performance cost of enabling ray tracing in games. FSR 4 is expected to leverage the AI acceleration capabilities of RDNA 4 for its super resolution algorithm. Both SKUs are expected to have all 64 CU enabled, but differ in clock speeds. Both are expected to feature 16 GB of older GDDR6 memory across a 256-bit wide memory interface. As for the media event, we gathered from our post-CES roundtable with AMD that the event will at least be an online presentation.

MSI & Capcom Launch Monster Hunter Wilds Special Monitor Promotion

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T0@st
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With Monster Hunter Wilds launching on February 28th, MSI is thrilled to announce a special promotion starting this week. Gamers can prepare for this exciting release by earning exclusive rewards with the purchase of select MSI gaming monitors.

Monster Hunter Wilds—A Thrilling Adventure Awaits & Enhanced gaming experience with MSI Monitors
Dive into the world of Monster Hunter Wilds, where brave hunters confront colossal creatures in untamed wilderness. From exploring lush forests to battling fierce monsters in breathtaking landscapes, every quest promises an unforgettable adventure for gamers seeking excitement and challenge. MSI's premium gaming monitors are designed to bring every detail of Monster Hunter Wilds to life. With cutting-edge features and industry-leading performance, these monitors provide gamers with an immersive and seamless experience that matches the intensity of the hunt.
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3M Joins Consortium to Accelerate Semiconductor Technology in the US

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Nomad76
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3M is expanding its commitment to the semiconductor industry by joining the US-JOINT Consortium, a strategic partnership of 12 leading semiconductor suppliers. The consortium drives research and development in next-generation semiconductor advanced packaging and back-end processing technologies anchored by a new cutting-edge facility in Silicon Valley.

"As the demands of AI and other high performance computing technologies increase, suppliers must work together to provide comprehensive solutions to tough challenges on increasingly shorter timelines." said Steven Vander Louw, 3M's president of display and electronics product platforms. "The companies in the US-JOINT Consortium represent US and Japanese innovation leaders in a range of advanced packaging technologies. 3M is pleased to join the consortium in order to bring our decades of materials science expertise, across more than 50 technology platforms, to help address these challenges."
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Keychron Launches Q6 Max Full-Size Wireless Keyboard and K5 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard

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btarunr
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Keychron, the innovative leader in keyboard technology, announces the UK availability of two new additions to its acclaimed lineup: the Keychron Q6 Max Full-Size Wireless Keyboard and the Keychron K5 Max QMK Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard ISO Layout Collection. These models redefine premium keyboard design, offering unmatched versatility, durability, and performance for work, gaming, and creativity.

For users seeking a full-size layout, the Keychron Q6 Max, is a wireless QMK/VIA keyboard that brings a powerful combination of functionality and sound quality. Constructed from the same 6063 aluminium, the Q6 Max exudes refinement through a CNC-machined body, paired with double-gasket mounting and reinforced multi-layer acoustic foam (IXPE, PET, and Latex) for premium typing acoustics.
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Notebooks Powered by Ryzen 9000HX and 9000HX3D "Fire Range" Available From March-April

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btarunr
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One of AMD's key announcements at its 2025 International CES keynote was the Ryzen 9000HX line of processors, codenamed "Fire Range." A successor to the 7000HX "Dragon Range," this is essentially a BGA package of the "Granite Ridge" MCM, which combines one or two "Zen 5" CCDs with a client I/O die. The processor lacks an NPU and has a basic iGPU, but is meant for enthusiast segment gaming notebooks and portable workstations, as it's meant to be paired with discrete GPUs, taking advantage of the package's lavish 28 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. The Ryzen 9 9955HX3D stands out in the series as the only model with 3D V-Cache, making it possibly the fastest mobile processor for gaming notebooks—faster than even the "Arrow Lake-HX," given how the desktop 9800X3D compares to the Core Ultra 9 285K at gaming.

Notebook OEM Dream Machines put out a press release which specifies that the first notebooks powered by the 9955HX3D will ship either toward the end of March, or early-April 2025. "Fire Range" is known to have scored design wins from several popular notebook OEMs, which means the chips could have a good run at the markets this generation. Notebooks powered by the 9955HX3D and discrete GPU options that include the GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU and the RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU, are expected to be priced around €2,530 and €3,860, respectively.

AMD "Zen 1" to "Zen 4" Processors Affected by Microcode Signature Verification Vulnerability

by
AleksandarK
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Google Security Research team has just published its latest research on a fundamental flaw in the microcode patch verification system that affects AMD processors from "Zen 1" through "Zen 4" generations. The vulnerability stems from an inadequate hash function implementation in the CPU's signature validation process for microcode updates, enabling attackers with local administrator privileges (ring 0 from outside a VM) to inject malicious microcode patches, potentially compromising AMD SEV-SNP-protected confidential computing workloads and Dynamic Root of Trust Measurement systems. Google disclosed this high-severity issue to AMD on September 25, 2024, leading to AMD's release of an embargoed fix to customers on December 17, 2024, with public disclosure following on February 3, 2025; however, due to the complexity of supply chain dependencies and remediation requirements, comprehensive technical details are being withheld until March 5, 2025, allowing organizations time to implement necessary security measures and re-establish trust in their confidential compute environments.

AMD has released comprehensive mitigation measures through AGESA firmware updates across its entire EPYC server processor lineup, from the first-generation Naples to the latest Genoa-X and Bergamo architectures. The security patch, designated as CVE-2024-56161 with a high severity rating of 7.2, introduces critical microcode updates: Naples B2 processors require uCode version 0x08001278, Rome B0 systems need 0x0830107D, while Milan and Milan-X variants mandate versions 0x0A0011DB and 0x0A001244 respectively. For the latest Genoa-based systems, including Genoa-X and Bergamo/Siena variants, the required microcode versions are 0x0A101154, 0x0A10124F, and 0x0AA00219. These updates implement robust protections across all SEV security features - including SEV, SEV-ES, and SEV-SNP - while introducing new restrictions on microcode hot-loading capabilities to prevent future exploitation attempts.

G.Skill Announces DDR5-6800 CL32 2x48GB & DDR5-6400 CL28 2x16GB Memory Kit Specifications

Press Release by
btarunr
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G.Skill International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading brand of performance overclock memory and PC components, is announcing the release of high-speed, low-latency DDR5-6800 CL32 memory specification with large kit capacity of up to 96 GB (2x 48 GB), as well as DDR5-6400 CL28 32 GB (2x 16 GB) high-performance memory specification. These new memory specifications will be available under the G.SKILL Trident Z5 Royal, Trident Z5 RGB, and Ripjaws M5 RGB series, with Intel XMP 3.0 memory overclock profile support.

As G.SKILL continues to push memory performance to higher limits, an ideal memory solution for overclocking enthusiasts who are looking for both large capacity and high performance is born at DDR5-6800 CL32-42-42 at up to 96 GB (2x 48 GB). This new specification has been validated on both Intel Z790 and Z890 platforms. Please refer to the screenshots below for Memtest validation on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero motherboard with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K desktop processor, and the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero motherboard with the Intel Core i9-14900K desktop processor.
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Club3D Intros CAC-1093 DisplayPort 2.1 DP54 VESA Certified Cable

by
btarunr
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Club3D today introduced the CAC-1093, a DisplayPort 2.1 DP54 VESA-certified cable. The cable can handle DisplayPort 2.1 with UHBR13.5, and the ability to handle bandwidth of 54 Gbps, over a cable length of 3 m (9.84 feet). This lets you have resolutions as high as 8K @ 120 Hz with DSC 1.2 and forward error correction, and 32 audio channels. The cable comes with gold-plated connectors and 26 AWG OD. It is tested to be fully bidirectional (you can install it either way for the same functionality). The company didn't reveal pricing.
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ASUS AI POD With NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 Platform Ready to Ramp-Up Production for Scheduled Shipment in March

Press Release by
TheLostSwede
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ASUS is proud to announce that ASUS AI POD, featuring the NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 platform, is ready to ramp-up production for a scheduled shipping date of March 2025. ASUS remains dedicated to providing comprehensive end-to-end solutions and software services, encompassing everything from AI supercomputing to cloud services. With a strong focus on fostering AI adoption across industries, ASUS is positioned to empower clients in accelerating their time to market by offering a full spectrum of solutions.

Proof of concept, funded by ASUS
Honoring the commitment to delivering exceptional value to clients, ASUS is set to launch a proof of concept (POC) for the groundbreaking ASUS AI POD, powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell platform. This exclusive opportunity is now open to a select group of innovators who are eager to harness the full potential of AI computing. Innovators and enterprises can experience firsthand the full potential of AI and deep learning solutions at exceptional scale. To take advantage of this limited-time offer, please complete this surveyi at: forms.office.com/r/FrAbm5BfH2. The expert ASUS team of NVIDIA GB200 specialists will guide users through the next steps.
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Manli Launches the GeForce RTX 5080 Graphics Card Series

Press Release by
Nomad76
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Manli Technology Group Limited is proud to announce the Manli GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card. Gear up for game-changing experiences with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 and AI-powered DLSS 4. Built with NVIDIA Blackwell and equipped with blistering-fast GDDR7 memory, it lets you run the most graphically demanding games and creative applications with stunning fidelity and performance. With NVIDIA Studio you can bring your creative projects to life faster than ever.

Manli Design
There are 10,752 CUDA cores onboard powering the RTX 5080. It also has 16 GB of memory, and GDDR7 memory speeds of up to 30 Gbps, with 5th Gen Tensor Cores, AI TOPS 1801.
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Reports of Bricked NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5090D Surge

by
AleksandarK
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According to widespread user reports from Chinese tech forums and Reddit communities, multiple RTX 5090 and 5090D graphics cards are failing permanently after standard driver installation. The issue affects both the standard RTX 5090 and the export-modified 5090D variant released for the Chinese market on January 30th. Users report consistent failure patterns: upon initial driver installation, displays go dark, and systems permanently lose the ability to detect the GPU through both DisplayPort and HDMI interfaces. Hardware failures have been documented across multiple board partners, with Colorful, Manli, and Gigabyte cards showing identical symptoms. Third-party vendor reports sometimes indicate potential IC burn damage, suggesting hardware-level failure rather than recoverable software issues.

Some investigations point to PCIe Gen 5 implementation as a possible root cause. The RTX 5090 series represents NVIDIA's first fully Gen 5-compliant GPU architecture, introducing new signal integrity challenges. Some users report temporary mitigation by forcing PCIe 4.0 mode in BIOS settings, though this workaround remains unverified. Additional complications arise from modern motherboard designs that share PCIe lanes between M.2 storage and graphics slots. The failure pattern appears consistent across both domestic and international markets. On r/ASUS, users report identical detection failures persisting through CMOS resets and system rebuilds. Chinese forum documentation shows systematic failures across multiple board partner implementations, suggesting a fundamental architecture or driver compatibility issue rather than isolated manufacturing defects. NVIDIA has not issued official guidance on the failures.
Below are screenshots of the reported user problems:
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Manli Releases GeForce RTX 5090 32GB Graphics Cards

Press Release by
Nomad76
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The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the most powerful GeForce GPU ever made, bringing game-changing capabilities to gamers and creators. Tackle the most advanced models and most challenging creative workloads with unprecedented AI horsepower. Game with full ray tracing and the lowest latency. The GeForce RTX 5090 is powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture and equipped with 32 GB of superfast GDDR7 memory, so you can do it all.

Manli Design
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPUs bring game-changing capabilities to gamers and creators. The RTX 5090 enables new experiences and next-level graphics fidelity. Multiply performance with NVIDIA DLSS 4, generate images at unprecedented speed. Clock speed has been boosted to 2407 MHz.
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Intel Receives €515.55 Million Interest Payment in EU Antitrust Case

by
AleksandarK
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The European Commission has paid Intel €515.55 million ($536 million) in interest following the partial annulment of a 2009 antitrust fine. The payment comes after the General Court of the European Union overturned most of the original €1.06 billion penalty in 2022, leaving only €376 million of the fine intact. The court's ruling found significant flaws in the Commission's economic analysis of Intel's market practices between 2002 and 2007. At issue were Intel's volume-based rebates to computer manufacturers, which the Commission had claimed prevented fair competition with AMD in the x86 processor market. The General Court determined that regulators failed to adequately demonstrate the anti-competitive effects of these pricing strategies. EU antitrust commissioner Teresa Ribera confirmed the interest payment, which reimburses Intel for capital held by regulators during the 13-year legal proceedings.

The case began in 2009, with the Commission ruling that Intel had used its market position to restrict competitor access through targeted rebate programs in years prior. Intel challenged this decision in 2014, leading to multiple appeals before the 2022 judgment. The resolution establishes new parameters for proving anti-competitive behavior in the EU's tech sector oversight. The court's emphasis on rigorous economic analysis impacts ongoing and future competition cases, particularly regarding evaluating complex pricing mechanisms in the technology sector. The payment concludes one of the EU's longest-running competition law cases, though Intel continues to face regulatory scrutiny in multiple jurisdictions. The case's outcome has prompted discussion about the Commission's approach to economic evidence in competition proceedings and the duration of EU antitrust investigations. At the time of financial issues, more than half a billion US Dollars will help Intel resolve internal crises significantly.
Monday, February 3rd 2025

Today's Reviews

Cases
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Keyboards
Memory
Motherboards
Mouse
Other
PSUs
Speakers
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Handheld Performance Review

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Handheld Performance Review

Review Game Testing
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is the latest PlayStation exclusive to land on PC. While the game suffers from occasional freezes and crashes on Windows, it's playable both on Steam Deck and ROG Ally. Check out the specific performance numbers, as well as optimized settings for both devices, in our handheld performance review.
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Corsair Frame 4000D Review

Corsair Frame 4000D Review

Review Cases
The Corsair Frame 4000D is an evolution of the popular 4000D, with a focus on additional modularity and flexibility as it is the first mainstream chassis to use the InfiniRail mounting system. The updates don't just end with functionality, as the Frame 4000D also offers fresh design details to set the stage for the new Frame series.
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chips Market to Grow by USD 902.6 Billion by 2029: Technavio

Press Release by
btarunr
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Report with market evolution powered by AI—The global artificial intelligence (AI) chips market size is estimated to grow by USD 902.6 billion from 2025-2029, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 81.2% during the forecast period. Increased focus on developing AI chips for smartphones is driving market growth, with a trend towards convergence of AI and IoT. However, dearth of technically skilled workers for ai chips development poses a challenge. Key market players include Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Baidu Inc., Broadcom Inc., Cerebras, Fujitsu Ltd., Google LLC, Graphcore Ltd., Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., Intel Corp., International Business Machines Corp., MediaTek Inc., Microchip Technology Inc., NVIDIA Corp., NXP Semiconductors NV, Qualcomm Inc., SambaNova Systems Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., SenseTime Group Inc., Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd., and Tesla Inc.
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Expansion of Flagship Planar DirectLight LED Family Introduces New Display Form Factor and Performance Enhancements

Press Release by
btarunr
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Today, Planar, a global leader in visualization technology, announced an expansion of the popular Planar DirectLight family with the launch of the Planar DirectLight Slim Series. Featuring an ultra-thin, narrow width form factor, the new fine pixel pitch MicroLED video wall display accommodates curved and space-constrained applications that benefit from its unique form factor, including control rooms, broadcast studios, virtual production, extended reality, simulation and training, research and more.

Offering an installation depth of less than two inches, the new Planar DirectLight Slim Series is ideal for tightly curved video walls with the solution's reduced width delivering minimal colorshift compared to other LED displays. The series is also well-suited for flat video walls in tight spaces as a result of its minimum depth and front serviceability. Models feature MicroLED technology and are available in 0.9, 1.2, 1.5 and 1.8 millimeter pixel pitches with a maximum brightness of 1,600 nits and a unique 4:9 aspect ratio to support deployment versatility and vibrant viewing experiences.
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AMD Releases Unreal Engine 5.5 Plugins for Anti-Lag 2 and FSR 3.1.3

by
btarunr
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AMD on Monday released Unreal Engine plugins for FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) 3.1.3 and AMD Anti-Lag 2 through its GPUOpen initiative. Both plugins support the latest Unreal Engine 5.5, and can be picked up by game developers to integrate with their ongoing projects or be released as updates to their released games. FSR 3.1.3 succeeds the FSR 3.1.1 major release that had introduced Anti-Lag 2 support among a dozen other updates. The latest FSR version adds Unreal Engine 5.5 support, besides a minor update to the way FSR handles UseDistortionTexture commands. Meanwhile, the Anti-Lag 2 plugin for Unreal Engine 5.5 is being released as part of the latest v2.0.2 release of the technology. There are no other changes. AMD FSR 3.1.3 plugin for Unreal Engine 5.5 can be accessed here, and the Anti-Lag 2 plugin for UE 5.5 here.

Former Sony Exec Believes PlayStation 6 Will Retain Optical Disc Support

by
T0@st
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A former chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment USA—Shawn Layden—has shared his views regarding current and future PlayStation product landscapes. In an interview conducted by podcaster Reece Reilly (of KIWI TALKZ), the American businessman was asked about Microsoft's recent-ish release of all-digital Xbox home consoles. Layden believes that Sony will not copy its main rival's homework—the heavily rumored "PlayStation 6" could launch in two forms: with an optical drive, or without. The ex-SIE boss commented about a potential disc-less future platform: "I don't think Sony can get away with it now...I think Xbox has had more success in pursuing that strategy, but Xbox is really most successful in their business in a clutch of countries: the U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. Coincidentally enough—all English-speaking countries."

The current day PlayStation 5 family—consisting of standard, slim, and Pro models—is this generation's market leader; having established a huge international userbase (roughly 65 million units, back in September 2024). Layden cites these numbers as a guideline for the makeup of a new-gen model: "Sony, which is the number one platform in probably 170 countries around the world, has an obligation or a responsibility to say: 'If we go discless, how much of my market is not able to make that jump?' Can users in rural Italy get a decent connection to enjoy games?" He thinks that his former colleagues are making very careful considerations, given the complicated nature of catering to a diverse audience: "which part of your market will be damaged by going to disc-less market? I'm sure they're doing their research on it. And there will be a tipping point, where there's some percentage where you can say, 'Okay that's fine, we can turn our back on that part of the market.' But Sony's market is globally so huge, I think it would be hard for them to go fully disc-less, even with the next generation."
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Firaxis Reveals Civilization VII Global Release Times

Press Release by
T0@st
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Civilization VII global release timing—from Early Access to launch, find your Civ VII start time on our global release map! Sid Meier's Civilization VII is almost here! Check out when you can start playing. Whether you're jumping in for early access or waiting for launch, use this map to find your Civilization VII release time around the globe. Are you ready for one more turn?

The award-winning strategy game franchise returns with a revolutionary new chapter. Sid Meier's Civilization VII is a turn-based strategy game that empowers you to build the greatest empire the world has ever known! In Civilization VII, your strategic decisions shape the unique cultural lineage of your evolving empire. Rule as one of many legendary leaders from throughout history and steer the course of your story by choosing a new civilization to represent your empire in each Age of human advancement.
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Apple Reportedly Cancels AR Smart Glasses Project

by
T0@st
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Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes that Apple's headset design department has cancelled a long-gestating project. Development of the company's augmented reality (AR) smart glasses—allegedly codenamed "N107"—ceased not long ago, according to the journalist's insider network. At first, Apple's augmented reality engineering team supposedly envisioned the (regular/normal-sized) glasses being powered via a direct connection to a wearer's iPhone. Gurman reckons that the smartphone-connected system was a mega-drainer of batteries, due to the onboard chipset being a bit of a power hog. Apple proceeded to experiment with a glasses-linked up-to-Mac concept—reportedly, company leadership canceled the project after rejecting the inelegant personal computer-powered solution.

Apple's AR smart glasses could have competed with a similar next-gen offering, upon a rumored 2027 launch—Meta's "Orion" solution is still in a concept phase. Leaked feature set information indicates functionality akin to Xreal's One AR series, albeit with a required connection to a compatible Mac computer. The Apple headset department has struggled (allegedly) with the development of various concepts—going far back as 2017, according to several of Gurman's reports. Two years ago, he heard whispers about the AR/VR team labelling their N107 project as a "hopeless" prospect. By Mid-2024, industry leaks indicated an end of development for the "expensive Vision Pro 2" mixed reality headset.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Runs on 3x8-Pin PCI Power Adapter, RTX 5080 Not Booting on 2x8-Pin Configuration

by
AleksandarK
 Discuss (65 Comments)
NVIDIA's flagship GeForce RTX 5090 demonstrated flexibility in power compatibility, while its sibling, the RTX 5080, struggled with stricter requirements. Recent tests by a German tech outlet, ComputerBase, reveal that the RTX 5090 can operate with three 8-pin PCI power connectors instead of the recommended four, albeit with a performance trade-off. However, the RTX 5080 fails to boot when using only two 8-pin connectors. The RTX 5090, with a default TDP of 575 W, officially requires a 600 W 12V-2×6 connector or an adapter with four 8-pin PCI cables. However, tests on the ASUS ROG RTX 5090 Astral and Zotac RTX 5090 Solid show the GPU boots even with three 8-pin cables, capping its TDP at 450 W—matching the three connectors' 150 W-per-cable spec. Performance losses are modest: benchmarks indicate a 5% drop in average FPS at 450 W compared to full power.

In contrast, the RTX 5080's 360 W TDP proves less forgiving. Attempts to run the Founders Edition and Zotac RTX 5080 AMP Extreme Infinity with two 8-pin connectors (300 W total) resulted in failure: the screen remained blank, and the card refused to initialize. NVIDIA's firmware appears to lack a lower power-limit threshold for the RTX 5080, unlike the 5090, which automatically adjusts when detecting insufficient power delivery. This requirement forces users to adhere strictly to the three 8-pin or 12V-2×6 power connectors. While the RTX 5090 offers flexibility for users upgrading from older systems, the RTX 5080's limitations may frustrate owners of less powerful PSUs. For the RTX 5090, the 5% performance penalty at 450 W may be a reasonable trade-off for avoiding costly PSU upgrades, but RTX 5080 users have no such recourse. Verifying power supply compatibility, as underpowered setups risk instability or hardware damage, is a must, and when your $2000+ GPU runs, you should at least power it properly. This experiment is more a "for science" type of run.

ASUS Outlines PRIME RTX 5080 Model's SFF-Ready Profile

Press Release by
T0@st
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Many gamers aren't that concerned about the size of their graphics card. A wide range of today's most popular PC cases offer plenty of elbow room, even for unabashedly large cards like our new ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090. That said, there's a community of gamers who are always on the lookout for cards that deliver the performance they need in a more compact profile. Some have their eye on a space-saving small-form-factor (SFF) chassis. Others need a slimmer heatsink that leaves their secondary PCIe x16 slot accessible, perhaps to leave room for a capture card. Whatever your needs, the Prime GeForce RTX 5080 is ready for the occasion.

Slim and trim for your SFF PC
In the past, building a petite gaming PC involved double and even triple-checking component sizes to ensure compatibility. Today, the process is much easier thanks to the NVIDIA GeForce SFF-Ready program, which simplifies the process of building a space-saving PC by labeling SFF-Ready cases and graphics cards. When you select a chassis and a GPU that are both SFF-Ready, you can be confident they'll be compatible, and you'll have a streamlined building experience. Just 50 mm thick and 304 mm long, the 2.5-slot Prime GeForce RTX 5080 fits comfortably within NVIDIA's recommended form factor guidelines for SFF PCs so that you can build your space-saving PC with confidence.
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AMD Faces Investor Skepticism as AI Market Moves Toward Custom Chips

by
Nomad76
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AMD is set to share its fourth-quarter results on Tuesday, Feb. 4 facing opportunities and problems in the fast-changing AI chip market as investors are expected to look closely at AMD's AI strategy. Reuters reports that experts think AMD's revenue will increase by over 22% to $7.53 billion. They expect its data center part to make up more than half of total sales at $4.15 billion. Yet, investors still worry about how AMD stands in the AI race. TD Cowen experts and Omdia believe AMD could sell $10 billion worth of AI chips this year, this is twice what AMD itself thinks it will sell, which is $5 billion. However, the scene is getting more complex with Big Tech firms like Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta making their own special chips for AI work. This move to custom chips, along with NVIDIA's strong market position and its popular CUDA software, makes things tough for AMD. The high costs of switching chipmakers also make it hard for AMD to grow its share of the market, however, the ongoing increase in AI spending by tech giants could help balance out these problems. Investors see "customer silicon and NVIDIA as the AI chip market going forward," said Ryuta Makino, analyst at AMD investor Gabelli Funds.

Supply chain issues make AMD's position more difficult as TSMC is boosting its advanced packaging ability to fix bottlenecks, while NVIDIA's production increase of its new "Blackwell" AI chips might restrict AMD's access to manufacturing resources. Yet, AMD's business has some good news, its personal computer unit should grow by almost 33% to $1.94 billion catching up to Intel.
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti & 5070 GPUs Added to Vulkan 1.4 Support List

by
T0@st
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Khronos introduced version 1.4 of its Vulkan graphics API last December—at the time, industry watchdogs believed that this iteration was prepared with NVIDIA "Blackwell" GPU conformance in mind. A mid-January leak indicated that the GeForce RTX 5090 SKU was already present on the Vulkan API's support list. Recent official additions—of GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 GPUs to the cross-platform API's compatibility registry—suggest an imminent launch at retail; insiders reckon that the 5070 Ti will arrive on February 20.

Last week, HWiNFO's development team revealed that they were readying an incoming build (8.21) with support for Team Green's GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU. Their "upcoming changes" list did not include the lower-specced GeForce RTX 5070 (non-Ti)—online speculation posits that this model will launch later on in February. The GeForce RTX 5070's inclusion on the latest Vulkan API conformance list is an encouraging sign. VideoCardz spent its weekend searching for any entries alluding to GeForce RTX 5060 Ti or GeForce RTX 5060 (non-Ti) SKUs—they discovered zero evidence. The developers at Khronos are likely keeping these lower-end models under a "confidential" category.

EA DICE Announces Battlefield Labs

Press Release by
TheLostSwede
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Today, the storied Battlefield franchise known for uncompromising all-out warfare and world-class gameplay for over two decades, announced the most ambitious community testing program in franchise history - Battlefield Labs. The work on the next Battlefield experience is entering a critical phase in development that will benefit from collaboration with the community like never before.

Sign Up for Battlefield Labs Are Now Open
The first phase of Battlefield Labs testing will go live in the coming weeks, and sign up to players is available now at battlefield.com/labs. Initial tests will include an invited group of players and servers located in Europe and North America ahead of plans to expand invitees and server locations in the future.
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Atomic Heart's Third DLC "Enchantment Under the Sea" Out Now

Press Release by
T0@st
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Mundfish Studio and Focus Entertainment are excited to celebrate the release of Atomic Heart's third DLC "Enchantment Under the Sea"! Available as part of the Atomic Pass, this DLC gets back to exploring the aftermath of the campaign's main storyline by leaving Limbo behind and taking players back to explore Facility 3826. There, they'll be introduced to a new underwater Neptune Research Center, new weapons and glove abilities as well as new sea-dwelling threats! Atomic Heart is out now on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC. Benefit from discounts up to 67% on the Standard and Premium Editions, as well as all the game's DLCs on PlayStation, Xbox and Steam.

Look for answers in the depths of Facility 3826
"Enchantment Under the Sea" goes back to the spectacular combat gameplay that made Atomic Heart one of the highlights of 2023! Meet an eclectic cast of new and returning characters, and dive into the underwater Neptune Research Center with a Twin at your side to regain what was lost and find a way to save Mankind from a dismal future. This new adventure will even take you back to familiar locations that have changed beyond recognition like the flying city of Chelomey, now under the crushing rule of a familiar, formerly-friendly huge Robogirl.
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Verbatim & I-O DATA Promise Continued Supply of Optical Media

by
T0@st
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Last month, Sony Japan announced an upcoming retirement of Blu-ray Disc media and other physical media formats. On January 23, the company's Recording Media department addressed its "valued customers" via a short press release. At some point in February (2025), production of "Blu-ray Disc media, MiniDiscs for recording, MD data for recording, and MiniDV cassettes" will cease. Reports from late January suggest that the Recording Media division's last factory will face closure in the coming weeks, signalling the end of commercial supplies. Additionally, Sony disclosed that no "successor models" will be released. Naturally, fans of optical media formats did not welcome Sony's announcement regarding the retirement of these products.

Rival manufacturers have taken the opportunity to offer their fares—fresh news reports have pointed to an interesting Verbatim Japan office-issued press release. The Taiwanese storage specialist and I-O Data pushed out a joint statement, assuring that they: "will live up to the trust of customers through stable supply and continued sales of optical discs in the Japanese market." The two companies appear to be seizing the moment, but their announcement did not name or shame Sony: "the domestic optical disc market is currently at a major turning point, with some manufacturers withdrawing from manufacturing and sales businesses and other trends that are shrinking the supply system. Under these circumstances, Verbatim Japan is working closely with I-O DATA to continue to provide high-quality optical discs to the Japanese market, with stable supply as its top priority."
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Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Available to Pre-Load Now, Henry's Journey Gets Steam Deck Verified

Press Release by
T0@st
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Bohemia awaits! Good things come to those who wait…Kingdom Come: Deliverance II pre-load is available NOW on all platforms! A thrilling story-driven action RPG, with a rich open world, set in 15th century Medieval Europe. Experience the ultimate medieval adventure—through the eyes of young Henry—as you embark on a journey of epic proportions. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II releases on 4 February 2025 on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.

Steam Deck Verified
Take Henry's journey on the go and experience medieval Bohemia wherever you may roam. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is officially playable on Steam Deck. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is a gripping tale of revenge, betrayal and discovery. Embark on an epic journey from a humble blacksmith's forge to the court of Kings. From bustling city streets to lush forests, discover this open-world Medieval Europe through an unforgettable adventure filled with action, thrill and wonder.
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GALAX Introduces GeForce RTX 5080 HOF OC LAB Plus-X Flagship Card

by
T0@st
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GALAX has introduced its new-generation Hall of Fame (HOF) graphics card to the Chinese hardware market. This ultra high-end custom design is based on NVIDIA's brand new "Blackwell" GeForce RTX 5080 GPU—this (almost) all-white model is adorned with a signature "Plus-X" crown-like structure, loudly proclaiming (via ARGB) its placement in GALAX's product stack. Several press outlets have expressed disappointment about the Hong Kong-based manufacturer not selecting GeForce RTX 5090D internals for their first unveiling of new HOF designs in 2025. According to a weekend VideoCardz report, the GALAX GeForce RTX 5080 HOF OC LAB Plus-X Edition model houses a striking white 12-layer PCB, with a 14+6+6 phase power design. Additionally, the card features a 70A high-current DR-MOS power stage. GALAX's previous-gen GeForce RTX 4080 HOF OC LAB Plus-X design sported two 16-pin power connectors—in contrast, its successor is reliant on a single 16-pin input.

A dedicated product page—with full specifications—has not appeared on the manufacturer's website, so VideoCardz guesstimated the card's maximum TDP rating. 400 W could be the default power, as seen on many AIB model spec sheets. GALAX has specced its latest HOF OC LAB Plus-X Edition with a dual BIOS system—their overclocked "P-Mode" takes the boost clock up to 2730 MHz. The card's air cooling solution consists of two 102 mm fans, positioned either side of a central 92 mm unit—the GALAX "Frost Ring Blades" are advertised as offering quiet operation, combined with maximizing air flow. GALAX has—once again—implemented its "Hyper Boost" system—the triple-fan cooling solution can be set to operate at maximum RPMs; enabled via an I/O bracket-mounted switch. The manufacturer has seemingly taken inspiration from ZOTAC—GALAX's new model sports a Safety Light-esque error detection system. The GeForce RTX 5080 HOF OC LAB Plus-X Edition is not available for sale in China, at the time of writing.

"Foundation" Exits Early Access Phase, Version 1.0 Out Now

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T0@st
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Hello everyone! The time has finally arrived... Foundation has officially left Early Access, and version 1.0 is available now! After 6 years of new features, bug fixes, and improving the game with the help of your feedback, we are proud to finally wrap up Foundation's incredible journey in Early Access! Since the last major update, we have worked tirelessly to deliver the game we envisioned and the game you want to play.

Foundation is a grid-less, laid-back medieval city-building game with a focus on organic development, monument construction and resource management. Foundation combines free-building tools and procedural generation to create the ultimate organic city-building experience. Assign jobs, create production chains, establish trade. In Foundation, your creations come to life! The full release comes with a large number of changes. So many, in fact, that it may seem like a whole new game! If you want to know what's new, grab a medieval drink and some snacks while the game updates, and we'll take a look through the patch notes.
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Intel Celebrates XeSS Support Reaching 150+ Games Titles

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T0@st
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Late last week, Team Blue's gaming division celebrated a new milestone—their social media account released a 20-second-long video that swept across a large sprawl of modern titles. The accompanying message boasted: "we've hit the mark on 150+ games with XeSS support, with more on the way! Experience peak gaming for yourself with Intel XeSS AI upscaling today." Intel's launch of Arc "Alchemist" discrete graphics cards marked a more mainstream introduction for their proprietary Xe Super Sampling (XeSS) technology. Earlier in 2022, Xe LP-based iGPUs and Iris Xe MAX discrete GPUs were the first pieces of Team Blue hardware to be enabled with XeSS support.

XeSS 2 was introduced last December—during the official unveiling of Intel's Arc B580 "Battlemage" graphics card—but not enough time has elapsed to gain widespread support. VideoCardz's weekend sleuthing revealed only two compatible titles—in contrast, Team Blue's first-gen super sampling upscaler support list now numbers 159. Since late last year, PC gamers have been snapping up wallet-friendly Arc B580 models. Another—slightly cheaper—XeSS 2-enabled product arrived last month; with the release of Arc B570 cards. We hope that the number of (XeSS 2) supported titles increases, in parallel with the rising popularity of Battlemage GPUs.

ViewSonic Introduces Innovative Control Box and Foldable LED Display

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btarunr
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ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual solutions, is unveiling the world's first rack-mount All-in-One control box (LD-SCB-023) at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2025. Seamlessly integrating power and control systems, the LD-SCB-023 boosts energy efficiency and simplifies operation. The company is also introducing the 3rd generation foldable All-in-One LED display (LDS138-151) with a patent-pending design. Emphasizing integration, efficiency, and adaptability, these advanced solutions meet the growing demand for impactful large-scale presentations across diverse industries.

"ViewSonic is breaking new ground in LED display adoption by solving challenges related to complex installation, limited accessibility, and extensive maintenance," said Dean Tsai, General Manager of Projector & LED Display Business Unit at ViewSonic. "Our user-centric innovations, including the pioneering rack-mount All-in-One control box and upgraded foldable displays, redefine adaptability in LED display technology. By expanding the all-in-one core competence, we streamline installation, simplify operation, and enhance durability. These advancements reflect our commitment to empower businesses to fully leverage LED displays for effective communication and branding."
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series AI PCs Accelerate DeepSeek Reasoning Models

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T0@st
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The recently released DeepSeek-R1 model family has brought a new wave of excitement to the AI community, allowing enthusiasts and developers to run state-of-the-art reasoning models with problem-solving, math and code capabilities, all from the privacy of local PCs. With up to 3,352 trillion operations per second of AI horsepower, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs can run the DeepSeek family of distilled models faster than anything on the PC market.

A New Class of Models That Reason
Reasoning models are a new class of large language models (LLMs) that spend more time on "thinking" and "reflecting" to work through complex problems, while describing the steps required to solve a task. The fundamental principle is that any problem can be solved with deep thought, reasoning and time, just like how humans tackle problems. By spending more time—and thus compute—on a problem, the LLM can yield better results. This phenomenon is known as test-time scaling, where a model dynamically allocates compute resources during inference to reason through problems. Reasoning models can enhance user experiences on PCs by deeply understanding a user's needs, taking actions on their behalf and allowing them to provide feedback on the model's thought process—unlocking agentic workflows for solving complex, multi-step tasks such as analyzing market research, performing complicated math problems, debugging code and more.
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Huawei Ascend 910B Accelerators Power Cloud Infrastructure for DeepSeek R1 Inference

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AleksandarK
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When High-Flyer, the hedge fund behind DeepSeek, debuted its flagship model, DeepSeek R1, the tech world went downward. No one expected Chinese AI companies can produce high-quality AI model that rivals the best from OpenAI and Anthropic. While there are rumors that DeepSeek has access to 50,000 NVIDIA "Hopper" GPUs, including H100, H800, and H20, it seems like Huawei is ready to power Chinese AI infrastructure with its AI accelerators. According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese cloud providers like SiliconFlow.cn are offering DeepSeek AI models for inference on Huawei Ascend 910B accelerators. For the price of only one Yuan for one million input tokens, and four Yuan for one million output tokens, this economic model of AI hosting is fundamentally undercutting competition like US-based cloud providers that offer DeepSeek R1 for $7 per million tokens.

Not only is running on the Huawei Ascend 910B cheaper for cloud providers, but we also reported that it is cheaper for DeepSeek itself, which serves its chat app on the Huawei Ascend 910C. Using domestic accelerators lowers the total cost of ownership, with savings passed down to users. If Western clients prefer AI inference to be served by Western companies, they will have to pay a heftier price tag, often backed by the high prices of GPUs like NVIDIA H100, B100, and AMD Instinct MI300X.

TechPowerUp Introduces TechPowerUp GPU-Z v2.62.0

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btarunr
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TechPowerUp today released the latest version of TechPowerUp GPU-Z, the graphics sub-system information and monitoring utility for PC gamers and enthusiasts. The latest version 2.62.0 introduces full support for NVIDIA "Blackwell" generation of GPUs, which should cover not just the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 that were recently released, but also preliminary support for upcoming SKUs such as the RTX 5070 Ti, and RTX 5070. Support is also added for the NVIDIA H200 NVLink compute GPU, and RTX 5000 Ada Generation Embedded pro-vis graphics card. Subvendor detection for Maxsun has been fixed. Grab GPU-Z from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z 2.62.0
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GoDeal24 Winter Special Sale Rolls On! Discounts on Genuine Software

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btarunr
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AMD Instinct MI400 to Include new Dedicated Multimedia IO Die

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AleksandarK
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AMD's upcoming Instinct MI400 accelerator series, scheduled for 2026 introduction, is set to incorporate a new Multimedia IO Die (MID) architecture alongside significant compute density improvements. According to recent patches discovered in AMD-GFX mailing lists, the accelerator will feature a dual Active Interposer Die (AID) design, with each AID housing four Accelerated Compute Dies (XCDs)—doubling the XCD count per AID compared to the current MI300 series. Introducing dedicated Multimedia IO Dies is a new entry in AMD's accelerator design philosophy. Documentation reveals support for up to two MIDs, with each likely paired to an AID, suggesting a more specialized approach to multimedia processing and interface management.

Specifications from the Register Remapping Table (RRMT) implementation indicate sophisticated die-to-die communication pathways, with support for local and remote transactions across XCDs, AIDs, and the new MIDs. The system enables granular control over eight potential XCD configurations (XCD0 through XCD7), suggesting that AMD can scale compute up and down with SKUs. While AMD has yet to release detailed specifications for the MI400 series, separating multimedia functions into dedicated dies could optimize performance and power efficiency. As the 2026 launch window approaches, AMD will spend the remaining time refining the software stack and ROCm support for its next-generation accelerator based on UDNA architecture. Since designing an accelerator is a year-long effort from the physical implementation standpoint, we expect the Instinct MI400 design to be finalized by now. All left is silicon bring-up, software optimization, and mass production, likely at TSMC's facilities.

Intel Core Ultra 255H "Arrow Lake-H" Delivers 32% Single-Core Performance Improvement Over "Meteor Lake" Predecessor

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AleksandarK
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Intel's Core Ultra 7 255H "Arrow Lake" processor has demonstrated impressive performance improvements in recent PassMark benchmarks, achieving a 32% higher single-core score compared to its "Meteor Lake" predecessor. The Arrow Lake-H chip recorded 4,631 points in single-threaded tests, significantly outpacing the Core Ultra 7 155H's 3,500 points while delivering a 15% overall improvement in CPU Mark ratings. The performance leap comes from Intel's architectural overhaul, implementing "Lion Cove" performance cores alongside "Skymont" efficiency cores on TSMC's N3B process node. This combination enables the 255H to achieve higher boost frequencies while maintaining the same core configuration as its predecessor—six P-cores, eight E-cores, and two Low Power Efficiency (LPE) cores.

Notable in this iteration is the absence of Hyper-Threading, resulting in 16 threads compared to the 155H's 22 threads. Arrow Lake-H maintains Intel's heterogeneous structure, incorporating up to eight Xe-LPG+ graphics cores derived from the Alchemist architecture. The neural processing unit (NPU) capabilities remain consistent with Meteor Lake, delivering 13 TOPS of INT8 performance. This positions the chip below Lunar Lake's 45 TOPS. Despite performance improvements, market success will largely depend on system integrators' ability to deliver compelling devices at competitive price points, particularly as AMD's Strix Point platforms maintain strong positioning in the $1,000 range. The battle of laptop chip supremacy is poised to be a good one in the coming quarters, especially as more Arm-based entries will force both Intel and AMD to compete harder.

AI Gets Agents: ChatGPT Now Has Deep Research with Agentic Capabilities

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AleksandarK
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Today, OpenAI has announced a new ChatGPT feature called "Deep Research," which is capable of performing complex, multi-step research processes entirely on its own. Using so-called agents, which are autonomous bots working on top of the AI model, this feature searches the web and curates all needed information. This agentic behavior was trained on real-world browser usage, accompanied by Python code execution. Deep search, like OpenAI's o1 and o3 models, uses reinforcement learning, which steps back to "think" and creates a chain of thought before delivering users an answer to their question. Depending on the topic, deep research can take 5 to 30 minutes to search the web, crawl through data, and compile it in a reader-friendly manner.

Regarding benchmarks of its performance, OpenAI put out a lot of interesting comparisons and evaluations. Compared to all previous models, deep research gives these models additional context to help AI with more information. Thus, in evaluation benchmarks like Humanity's Last exam, deep research scored 26.6%, whereas o1 and o3-mini scored 9.1 and 13%, respectively. Other evaluations showed a modest improvement, while concrete comparisons were made in UX, business, and medical research. Turning the deep research feature on delivered more information every time, and you can see it for yourself here.
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AAEON Release Meteor Lake Powered GENE-MTH6 Single-board Computer

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btarunr
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AAEON an industry-leading provider of embedded solutions, has announced the latest addition to its 3.5" subcompact Board product line, the GENE-MTH6. Equipped with Intel Core Ultra processors and up to 96 GB DDR5 via SODIMM, the GENE-MTH6 is well-equipped to utilize the platform's Intel Arc Graphics and integrated NPU to execute complex AI and machine learning workloads on the edge.

AAEON is primarily marketing the board for smart city use, with applications such as smart traffic, environmental monitoring, and AI-powered surveillance applications being noted as particularly suitable. The GENE-MTH6's environmental specifications also make the board versatile in where it can be deployed, with a 9 V to 36 V power input range with ERP support being a key feature.
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NAND Flash Market to Grow by USD 26.4 Billion (2025-2029), Boosted by Investments in Fabrication Facilities, with AI Impacting Market Trends - Technav

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btarunr
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Report on how AI is redefining market landscape - The global NAND flash market size is estimated to grow by USD 26.4 billion from 2025-2029, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of almost 6.5% during the forecast period. Growing investments in fabrication facilities is driving market growth, with a trend towards rise in number of strategic partnerships and acquisitions. However, fluctuations in demand and supply poses a challenge. Key market players include ADATA Technology Co. Ltd., Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Flexxon Pte Ltd., Greenliant Systems, Hyperstone GmbH, Infineon Technologies AG, Innodisk Corp., Kingston Technology Co. Inc., Kioxia Corp., Macronix International Co. Ltd., Micron Technology Inc., Renesas Electronics Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., Shenzhen Longsys Electronics Co. Ltd., Silicon Motion Technology Corp., SK hynix Co. Ltd., Toshiba Corp., Transcend Information Inc., and UDISYS Ltd.
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Sunday, February 2nd 2025

addlink Intros P21 20Gbps Ultra Slim Portable SSD

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btarunr
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addlink Technology Co., Ltd., a pioneer in digital storage solutions, is thrilled to unveil the P21 USB SSD, a cutting-edge portable storage device that combines exceptional speed, robust durability, and sleek design. Experience extremely fast data transfers with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 technology, delivering speeds up to 2050 MB/s. The P21 is perfect for handling large 4K videos, high-resolution photos, or extensive game libraries in seconds, empowering users with efficiency and ease.

Equipped with a USB Type-C interface, the P21 is compatible with a wide range of devices, including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, gaming consoles, and professional cameras. Whether you're editing videos, backing up data, or gaming, it even could record All new 4K 120hz apple ProRes video with iPhone 16 the P21 seamlessly integrates into your digital ecosystem.
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Apple Global Revenue Soars to Record High, Services Continue to Shine

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GGforever
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Apple is off to a great start in 2025, thanks to a record-breaking fourth quarter. Net revenue soared to a whopping $124.3 billion - the highest ever for the Cupertino giant - with iPhones driving 55.6% of revenue. Macs and iPads, as usual, appear to be a drop in the bucket compared to iPhones, with $8.98 and $8.088 billion in net sales respectively. Services witnessed commendable growth, adding $26.34 billion to Apple's pile.

Of course, this does not mean that the grass is all green for the company. Apple Intelligence witnessed a tumultuous launch, suffering from multiple setbacks and lukewarm reviews. Tim Cook does believe that there is still a lot of innovation on the table for the iPhone, which he revealed in a recent interview. Considering that the company is widely rumored to be preparing a major redesign for the iPhone, along with a brand-new Air/Slim variant, it does appear that this year will turn out to be quite an interesting one for iPhone enthusiasts.
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CalDigit Unveils Thunderbolt 5-based Element 5 Hub

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GGforever
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CalDigit has unveiled a brand-new Thunderbolt 5 dock dubbed the Element 5. The features on offer are pretty decent, which is to be expected considering that the product starts at a cool $249.95 in the US. The hub rocks a total of nine ports, along with up to 90 watts of passthrough to keep connected devices alive. As the title mentions, the Element 5 hub utilizes the shiny new Thunderbolt 5 standard, allowing for excellent transfer speeds and capabilities.

The hub sports four Thunderbolt 5 ports, sporting up to a maximum bandwidth of 120 Gb/s. Dual USB-C (10 Gbps) and triple USB-A (10 Gbps) ports are also on offer, and the included 180-watt power supply allows for the aforementioned 90 watts of passthrough. As expected from a CalDigit product, the hub sports an attractive design on the exterior, and should boast decent build quality as well. Its predecessor, the CalDigit Element Thunderbolt 4 hub, received mostly positive reviews, which surely does inspire confidence in the Element 5 as well.
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This Week in Gaming (Week 6)

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TheLostSwede
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Welcome to February, also known as the shortest month of the year. This week's AAA release brings you some open-world medieval knight action. The rest of the week is pretty low-key, kicking off with a rather odd action-puzzle game which is followed by a new take on the vampire genre. Up next is some musical combat, some more knights, although this time we're back in Camelot and the week is finished off with a paranormal point-and-click adventure.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II / This week's AAA release / Tuesday 4 February
Diving back into the heart-pounding world of 15th Century Bohemia (Central Europe), Kingdom Come: Deliverance II picks up where its predecessor left off, thrusting players into the shoes of Henry, the steadfast son of a blacksmith, embroiled in a tumultuous tale of vengeance, betrayal, and self-discovery. In this gripping sequel, players will traverse a meticulously crafted medieval landscape, from the humble confines of a blacksmith's forge to the grandeur of royal courts, all while navigating the treacherous currents of a kingdom torn apart by civil war. Steam Link
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Saturday, February 1st 2025
Spider-Man 2 Performance Benchmark Review - 35 GPUs Tested

Spider-Man 2 Performance Benchmark Review - 35 GPUs Tested

Review Game Testing
Spider-Man 2 has arrived for the PC Platform. Sony's newest port offers fantastic super hero gameplay, but is plagued by instability issues and crashes. Once you get it to run stable, performance is pretty decent though, and all the major technologies are supported. In our performance review, we'll look at the game's graphics quality, VRAM consumption, and how it runs across a range of contemporary graphics cards.
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Edward Snowden Lashes Out at NVIDIA Over GeForce RTX 50 Pricing And Value

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GGforever
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It's not every day that we witness a famous NSA whistleblower voice their disappointment over modern gaming hardware. Edward Snowden, who likely needs no introduction, did not bother to hold back his disapproval of NVIDIA's recently launched RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 gaming GPUs. The reviews for the RTX 5090 have been mostly positive, although the same cannot be said for its affordable sibling, the RTX 5080. Snowden, voicing his thoughts on Twitter, claimed that NVIDIA is selling "F-tier value for S-tier prices".

Needless to say, there is no doubt that the RTX 5090's pricing is quite exorbitant, regardless of how anyone puts it. Snowden was particularly displeased with the amount of VRAM on offer, which is also hard to argue against. The RTX 5080 ships with "only" 16 GB of VRAM, whereas Snowden believes that it should have shipped with at least 24, or even 32 GB. He further adds that the RTX 5090, which ships with a whopping 32 GB of VRAM, should have been available with a 48 GB variant. As for the RTX 5070, the security consultant expressed desire for at least 16 GB of VRAM (instead of 12 GB).
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti Rumored to Launch in March 2025

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GGforever
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A recently leaked slide from the Taiwanese company Chaintech has seemingly confirmed the launch dates for the RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti GPUs. Previous leaks have hinted at an early Q2 launch for the mid-range gaming GPUs, in both 8 GB and 16 GB VRAM flavors. Chaintech's slide does not reveal any specifications regarding the GPUs, although we do have a pretty good idea of what the upcoming GPUs will bring to the table.

As per recent leaks, the RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti are both expected to sport the GB206 GPU, paired with 8 or 16 GB of VRAM on a 128-bit bus. Despite employing the speedy new GDDR7 standard, there is no denying that 8 GB of VRAM is far from sufficient for a comfortable ray-traced gaming experience in 2025, perhaps even less so in the near future. Considering that the Arc B580 ships with 50% more VRAM, the entry-level RTX 5060 is more than likely to be hard sell for many people, unless, of course, the RTX 5060/Ti somehow pulls off impressive performance uplifts.
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