Seasonic introduced a new 12V-2x6 modular PSU cable model late last year—at the time, interested parties were also invited to Beta test early examples. Finalized versions have been introduced, via a freshly uploaded YouTube video (see below) and a dedicated product page. The "H++" connector standard—part of a new ATX 3.1 specification—is expected to replace the troubled "H+" 12VHWPR design. The PC hardware community has engaged in long-running debates about the development and rollout of a danger/peril-free alternative. PCI-SIG drafted the 12V-2x6 design last summer.

Seasonic's introductory section stated: "with the arrival of the new ATX 3 / PCIe 5.0 specifications, some graphic cards will now be powered by the new 12V-2x6 connector. Offering up to 600 W of power, the Seasonic native 12V-2x6 cable has been crafted with high quality materials, such as high current terminal connectors and 16 AWG wires to ensure the highest performance and safety in usage." The new cables are compatible with Seasonic's current ATX 3.0 power supply unit range—including "PRIME TX, PRIME PX, VERTEX GX, PX, GX White and Sakura, FOCUS GX and GX White" models. Owners of older Seasonic ATX 2.0 PSUs are best served with an optional 2x8-pin to 12V-2x6 adapter cable—although 650 W rated and single PCIe connector-equipped units are not supported at all. Two native cable models, and a non-native variant are advertised in the manufacturer's video.

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) today announced that it has published the latest update to DisplayPort, version 2.1a. This update replaces the VESA certified DP40 ultra-high-bit-rate (UHBR) cable specification with a new VESA certified DP54 UHBR cable spec to enable up to four-lane UHBR13.5 link rate support (a maximum throughput of 54 Gbps) over a two-meter passive cable. As a result, the DisplayPort 2.1a update effectively doubles the passive cable length for UHBR13.5 GPU-to-display connections—which previously could only be supported through a DP80 UHBR cable—providing consumers with greater flexibility in their gaming or workstation setup.

VESA also announces it has published a new Automotive Extension Services protocol specification for both DisplayPort 2.1a and the latest version of VESA's Embedded DisplayPort (eDP) specification, version 1.5a. This new protocol extension provides support for automotive display functional safety as well as secure integrity and authentication for up to 16 display regions of interest. With the VESA Automotive Extension Services protocol, VESA has for the first time established a standard for vehicle displays that can enable display safety engineers to achieve ISO 26262 ASIL-D* - the holy grail of electronic safety integrity. Silicon manufacturers are already adopting VESA's Automotive Extension Services protocol today for chipsets that will be integrated in future vehicles.

Comcast and Broadcom today announced joint efforts to develop the world's first AI-powered access network with a new chipset that embeds artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) within the nodes, amps and modems that comprise the last few miles of Comcast's network. With these new capabilities broadly deployed throughout the network, Comcast will be able to transform its operations by automating more network functions and deliver an improved customer experience through better and more actionable intelligence.

Additionally, the new chipset will be the first in the world to incorporate DOCSIS 4.0 Full Duplex (FDX), Extended Spectrum (ESD) and the ability to run both simultaneously, enabling Internet service providers across the globe to deliver DOCSIS 4.0 services using a toolkit with technology options to meet their business needs. DOCSIS 4.0 is the next-generation network technology that will introduce symmetrical multi-gigabit Internet speeds, lower latency, and even better security and reliability to hundreds of millions of people and businesses over their existing connections without the need for major construction of new network infrastructure.

MaxLinear, Inc., a leader in broadband access solutions, today announced the availability of its DOCSIS 4.0 SoC cable modem and gateway platform, Puma 8. Puma 8 builds on the success of its DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 predecessors (Puma 6 and 7) and includes all critical elements of a DOCSIS platform, including a low-power, ultra-high split upstream PGA. The platform is compliant to the DOCSIS 4.0 frequency division duplex (FDD) specification and enables immediate large-scale deployments as a DOCSIS 3.1 device with gradual feature expansion options without the need for costly CPE replacements. Complete modem, Embedded Multimedia Terminal Adapter (EMTA), and gateway platforms will be available from MaxLinear's early access OEM partners in 2024.

MaxLinear's DOCSIS 4.0 platform stands out in the market as an energy-efficient, performance-optimized solution. It aligns perfectly with the deployment strategies and technology requirements of leading MSOs. The Puma 8 platform has been specifically tailored to support Extended Spectrum DOCSIS (ESD)/Frequency Division Duplex (FDD), and it boasts a range of energy-saving features. Even at full utilization, its power consumption is impressively low, at just 20-25 W, which is almost half that of competing solutions. This low power consumption enables a fan-less design, resulting in not only cost savings but also space conservation. To achieve peak performance with industry-leading low power consumption, MaxLinear employed a collaborative co-design approach, encompassing the DOCSIS SoC, AnyWAN SoC, and the programmable gain amplifier (PGA).

TPU staffers had a close-up look at cable-free graphics cards during proceedings at Computex 2023—where ASUS was showing off early examples of graphics cards without an external power connector. This new connection standard is called GC_HPWR. Said proprietary connector has been spotted once again, this time on finalized hardware—ASUS appears to be readying Back To The Future (BTF) edition product lines for launch in China. The first retail graphics card to adopt the GC-HPWR connector, as part of the "Advanced BTF" initiative is a custom design based on NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4070 GPU. The ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 ATS BTF 12 GB edition card is set for a local release on September 15—there was no mention of a potential launch outside of the PRC, but we did see this "Megalodon" BTF card at Computex.

ASUS is indicating that it will be updating its China market-exclusive white TX series of GeForce cards with the new connector—marketing imagery has appeared online with a "coming soon" message for RTX 4060, 4060 Ti and 4070 models. A TUF series refresh is apparently in the cards—VideoCardz believes that these models will have a better chance of reaching global markets. The TUF Gaming B760M-BTF WIFI Micro-ATX motherboard, with all connectors positioned on the backside of the board is now visible on an ASUS Hidden Connector Design mini-site, sat next to a compatible A21 case. A TUF Gaming Z790 Concept board is teased in the Advanced tier with a matching GT502 Concept case.

Baseus Technology, the leading global consumer electronics brand, has prepared a stack of fast-charging USB-C chargers, the "Let's C" lineup. It includes fast chargers, power banks, charging cables, digital power strips, and car chargers for the iPhone 15.

Fast, Durable, and Sustainable Let's C Cables
Baseus Let's C Flash Series II, the USB-C to C Cable is a full-featured cord that supports up to 240 W fast charging and a data transfer speed of up to 40 Gbps, which is perfect for moving ProRes files shot with the new iPhone 15 Pro lineup. It was tested only to take 5s to transfer 10 GB files according to test results from Baseus, and it also supports a high-resolution output going up to 8K@60 Hz. This level would fascinate even videophiles.

THX Ltd., a world-class high-fidelity audio and video tuning, certification, and technology company, today announced it is launching THX Interconnect, designed in partnership with Pixelgen. THX Interconnect are a family of Ultra High Speed HDMI 2.1 cables capable of delivering 100% uncompressed 48 Gbps signaling to optimize the fidelity and reliability of nearly any sized or configured home theater system. THX is also relaunching its popular home theater installer THX Certified Training series. Both will be highlighted in early September in Denver, Colorado at the CEDIA Expo.

"The THX mission is to empower high-fidelity entertainment, regardless of where and how consumers want to enjoy movies, music and games," said Jason Fiber, chief executive officer, THX Ltd. "The THX Interconnect cables ensure all home theater components work in harmony at the highest resolutions, regardless of the length. We are pleased to bring home theater enthusiasts around the globe this cost-effective and incredibly reliable new solution. We also look forward to reintroducing the THX Certified Training program which has been dormant for a few years but is back due to overwhelming demand from the home theater installation industry."

Kolink has brought back one of their fan-favourite PC cases, this time with fancy improvements. Meet the Kolink Inspire K2 Plus! Whilst many features remain the same - if it ain't broke, don't fix it, amiright? - there are a number of ease-of-use upgrades integrated within the design. Plus, an aesthetic glow-up. We all love a glow-up. If your Micro-ATX case is looking a bit shabby or you're itching to start a new build, stick around and see how this classic Kolink chassis has been improved. There may even be some surprise cables, too!

What's New
The Kolink Inspire K2 Plus builds on the much-loved design of its predecessor. There are subtle and more obvious changes that have been made to the chassis. The internals have been improved to facilitate better component support. Enjoy superior accommodation for your high-end hardware and integrated radiator mounts. New features have even been added. Unlike the original K2, this version sports a dedicated PSU chamber to help maintain temperatures and keep the interior looking clutter-free.

Ethernovia, Inc., a Silicon Valley-based startup, today announced that it has completed its A-round financing of $64 million. The funding round consists of multiple investors, including Porsche Automobile Holding SE (Porsche SE), Qualcomm Ventures, VentureTech Alliance, AMD Ventures, Western Digital Capital, Fall Line Capital, Taiwania Capital, ENEA Capital and others.

As vehicle architectures evolve from domain-centric controllers, networking solutions must concurrently evolve to support higher data rates of advanced vehicle applications while meeting demand for improved reliability and security. Such advanced applications include Advanced Driver-Assisted Systems (ADAS), autonomous driving (AD) and a rich ecosystem of customer software delivered Over the Air (OTA).

Today, Comcast accelerates the nation's largest and fastest multi-gig deployment and announced that its latest Xfinity 10G network upgrade will be launched to 10 million homes and businesses by the end of this month. These locations now have the foundational network enhancements in place to begin deploying DOCSIS 4.0, setting the stage for the introduction of new symmetrical multi-gigabit Internet options before the end of 2023 that can be delivered across existing networks with less cost.

To date, and ahead of schedule, more than 40 markets across Comcast service areas have implemented network improvements including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Miami, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington D.C., and others. The full deployment of these technical capabilities will reach more than 50 million homes and businesses by 2025. In addition to fast speeds, DOCSIS 4.0 technologies will deliver even greater reliability and capacity to power multiple data-intensive applications.

Comcast today announced the world's first live, multigigabit symmetrical Internet connection powered by 10G and Full Duplex DOCSIS 4.0. 10G technology will revolutionize the availability of ultra-fast speeds, by delivering multigigabit symmetrical services over the connections already installed in hundreds of millions of homes worldwide, without digging up yards or installing new connections.

For the world-first live trial, Comcast connected a business location in the Philadelphia region to its live network including a DOCSIS 4.0-enabled 10G node and multiple cable modems to deliver high speed data service to the site. Comcast engineers tested symmetrical speeds over the connection and will continue trialing 10G technologies over the next several months in preparation for offering 10G-enabled services to customers in the second half of 2023.

A Redditor who goes by mikejc shared the 3D printer model for a contraption that safely bends a 16-pin ATX 12VHPWR connector to a 90° angle for cable-management. It's essentially a crutch to guide the high-gauge cables of the connector, which bends the cable at a safe 3.5 cm distance away from the connector. A properly guided cable reduces mechanical stresses on the contacts of the 12VHPWR connector, improving its durability in scenarios where PC enthusiasts want to manage cable clutter in their PCs. The PC enthusiast community was stirred last week to end-user reports of GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards with burned 16-pin power connectors.

More than 20 million Xfinity households across the country will soon be waking up to faster Internet, thanks to Xfinity. The country's largest gigabit network is boosting speeds on its most popular plans beginning this week, providing customers with an even better connectivity experience as they stream the latest 4K blockbuster, game online, videoconference, and more, all at the same time. With this latest round of speed increases, Xfinity continues to provide unparalleled value compared to other providers - including significantly faster speeds and better reliability than mobile and 5G Home Internet.

The announcement comes on the heels of Comcast's launch of the nation's largest- and fastest-ever multi-gig deployment that will reach more than 50 million homes and businesses with 2 Gbps speeds before the end of 2025. "The number of devices connected in Xfinity households has skyrocketed 12X since 2018, and the need for fast, reliable, and secure Internet will continue to grow," said Bill Connors, President of Xfinity, Comcast Cable. "That's why today, Xfinity is increasing speeds for most of our customers across the country."

Comcast today announced it has begun a nationwide rollout of multi-gig Internet speeds - that will reach more than 50 million homes and businesses before the end of 2025 - making it the largest- and fastest-ever multi-gig deployment in the United States. New speeds will be paired with Comcast's multi-gig Wi-Fi experience, which delivers the industry's best combination of speed, coverage, and control, powered by one of the world's first Wi-Fi 6E Gateways.

As part of this initiative, Comcast is accelerating the transformation of its network to a virtualized cloud-based architecture that is fully prepared for 10G and DOCSIS 4.0. Comcast will begin offering 10G-enabled multi-gig symmetrical services in 2023.

Anker, the world's #1 mobile charging brand, today announced its series of USB-C charging cables which incorporate a proprietary mixture of plant-based materials into the production process. Bearing a new "Anker Eco Product" logo, these bio-based cables are part of Anker's eco-innovation effort aimed at reducing petroleum-based plastic in product development.

It's no secret that the consumer electronics industry has a plastic problem. Every year roughly 622 million USB cables are used by people around the world. Manufacturing these cables requires around 43,000 tons of oil and roughly 9,000 tons of plastic, and these numbers only continue to increase. The outer sheath of Anker's new bio-based cables is sustainably created using 40% plant-based materials like corn and sugarcane. This innovative, new cable cuts down on petroleum-based plastic usage, like thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), without sacrificing quality, strength or durability.

BizLink, a global leader in interconnect solutions, is proud to announce the release of the world's first VESA certified DP80 Enhanced full-size DP cable after the launch of DP80 mDP cable in March 2022. DP80 as the highest standard for cable configuration defines a new standard for display connectivity with emphasis on higher link rate. Certified with the latest version of DP technology, BizLink's DP80 Enhanced full-size DP cable provides a maximum throughput data rate up to 80 Gbps, covering new data rates per lane: UHBR10 (10 Gbps), UHBR13.5 (13.5 Gbps), and UHBR20 (20 Gbps).

In an era consisting of trends such as remote work and extended reality, to deal with the growing needs for high-performance displays and "stay connected" at the most elevated implementation levels becomes crucial. Satisfying user experience and reliable connectivity requires higher data rate conversion. The DP80-marked cable supports UHBR20 at their highest transfer rate, enabling ultimate connections of advanced and latest display applications and systems. With a satisfactory data rate value up to 80 Gbps, the DP80 standard unleashes new capabilities for bringing superior connection to achieve a given level of video quality as image capture and display technology advance.

Sharkoon Technologies is an international supplier of high-quality, high-performance PC components and peripherals. With the SHARK XTend 16 and the SHARK XTend 24, Sharkoon introduces two PSU extension cables for graphics cards and mainboards. With their addressable RGB illumination, the cables provide additional highlights to the inside of the PC case.

The SHARK XTend 16 is intended for use between the power supply unit and the graphics card and has eight addressable RGB LEDs. The SHARK XTend 24, on the other hand, connects the power supply unit to the mainboard and has 24 addressable RGB LEDs. Using an RGB control that has a 5 V-D-coded-G pinout, the colors and effects of both extension cables can be customized as desired. Therefore, the cables should effectively provide additional highlights inside the PC case and complement the existing illumination.

As devices and gaming consoles are increasingly connected to home networks, consumers desire to improve the quality and performance of their Wi-Fi network and they can do that by upgrading their network to Wi-Fi 6E. A global leader in home networking solutions, CommScope is entering the retail Wi-Fi 6E market by offering two new ARRIS SURFboard solutions. These enable customers to upgrade their network quickly and easily without replacing any of their existing equipment.

"Augmented reality, virtual reality, and gaming consoles are establishing baselines of latency and jitter performance that are driving consumers to upgrade their home networks and improve their overall connectivity performance," stated Evan Groat, Senior Vice President, Smart Home Solutions and Retail Products, CommScope. "One way to accomplish this is by upgrading to Wi-Fi 6E technology which is exactly what these two new ARRIS SURFboard solutions achieve. Each allows consumers to connect more devices to their home network simultaneously with consistent speed and reliability, while also improving their gaming and streaming performance," Groat continued.

LIAN LI Industrial Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of chassis and PC accessories, announces its new series of ARGB extension cables with the STRIMER PLUS V2. Available for motherboard 24-pin connectors, GPU 8-pin (2x6+2-pin), and GPU triple 8-pin (3x6+2-pin), the STRIMER PLUS V2 offers improved brightness with a new side light diffuser, better flexibility with silicon-wrapped power cables, upgraded compatibility with isolated connectors at the GPU end, and introducing native software control and independent light channel customization with L-Connect 3.

Located along each side of the RGB part of the STRIMER PLUS V2 are two bands of light-diffusion strips, allowing the light effects to shine in more directions and fill the PC with bright RGB. In addition, the 2.1 mm wide top diffuser strips allow for smooth light distribution and maximum brightness. The extension cable part of the STRIMER PLUS V2 is arranged in a single, flat row, making the overall thickness thinner than ever at 8 mm (previously 11 mm). Each 18 gauge power cable is also wrapped in durable silicone. The combination of the new material and single row of power cable makes the STRIMER PLUS V2 more flexible for tighter bends, and slimmer and easier to pass through tight cable grommets.

Club 3D is proud to present to you the next important step in USB-C technology. Less than a year after the official launch of the new USB Type-C Cable and Connector Specification Revision 2.1 and USB Power Delivery Specification 3.1, we can introduce the first 3 cables following the new standards.

The above just means: With our new cables it is possible to charge with up to 240 W, made possible by the Extended Power Range (EPR), which offers now up to 48 V voltage supply at a remaining 5 A. This is a huge step forward and will help f.e. to charge power hungry gaming notebooks and other devices who were suffering from the limitation of 100 W on previous standard.

Comcast, the nation's largest gig-speed Internet provider, today demonstrated the fastest-yet speeds it has achieved over a complete 10G connection on a live network, reaching download speeds faster than 8 gigabits per second (Gbps) and upload speeds faster than 5 Gbps. At an industry 10G event at CableLabs headquarters, Comcast also showed the 10G node technology that will help power its deployments and demonstrated how its network virtualization technology will seamlessly orchestrate mixed fiber and 10G deployments. 10G is the technology that will enable Comcast and other network operators to deliver multigigabit symmetrical speeds - combined with improved latency, security, and reliability - over the connections already installed in tens of millions of homes and businesses worldwide.

For the demo, Comcast connected a 10G-enabled Virtualized Cable Modem Termination System (vCMTS) linked by more than 80 kilometers of fiber to the demonstration site. The fiber terminated into a production switch, which connected to what is believed to be the world's first fully functional 10G-enabled Full Duplex DOCSIS 4.0 node, along with a 10G prototype modem at CableLabs headquarters. Today's demonstration is a first in a production-ready network environment, showing how live 10G deployments will work, orchestrated by Comcast's Distributed Access Architecture (DAA) technology, which is already widely deployed.

SmartAVLink, a world-leading active optical cables (AOC) manufacturer, today announced the release of their next-generation USB type C Active Optical Cable available in a maximum length of 10 meters (33 feet).

With no external power needed, its built-in active circuitry is powered by both ends of the cable, eliminating external power supply costs. With power delivery of up to 60 watts, the next-gen AOC supports various voltage profiles up to 20 Volts at 3 Amps and is thus able to charge a wide range of devices. With a strong zinc alloy metal shell, the attractive gold-plated contacts maintain a long-lasting, reliable electrical connection. The next-gen cable is conveniently backwards compatible with previous USB standards and also works with Thunderbolt devices (With DP Alt Mode) and is available in 3-, 5-, 7.5-, and 10-meter (33 feet) lengths, with support available for extra customization.

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA ) today announced its certification program for video source, display and cable products supporting DisplayPort UHBR (Ultra-high Bit Rate), the higher data link rates supported by the DisplayPort standard version 2.0. Through the DisplayPort UHBR Certification Program, device and cable manufacturers can send new products to DisplayPort authorized test centers (ATCs) for testing and certification. The higher bandwidths enabled by UHBR support a variety of use cases such as uncompressed 8K 60 Hz HDR, 4K 240 Hz HDR, two 4K 120 Hz HDR or four 4K 60 Hz HDR displays through a single cable.

Today, VESA also announced the introduction of VESA certified DP40 and DP80 UHBR cables, which guarantee display connectivity and operation at the highest performance levels introduced with DisplayPort 2.0. VESA certified DP40 cables must support up to the UHBR10 link rate (10 Gigabits per second or Gbps) defined by DisplayPort 2.0, and support the full four-lane operation, providing a maximum throughput of 40 Gbps. VESA certified DP80 cables must support up to the UHBR20 link rate (20 Gbps) defined by DisplayPort 2.0, with four lanes, providing a maximum throughput of 80 Gbps. VESA certified DP80 cables will also support the UHBR13.5 link rate (13.5 Gbps), which is also defined by DisplayPort 2.0.

Phanteks announced the launch of the new Eclipse P600s and Evolv X Matte White Edition along with the Gen4 PCI-e Riser Cables. Its stunning all-new matte white look makes the Evolv X and Eclipse P600s a perfect combination for color-themed builds while maintaining a wide range of flexibility and premium materials.

Evolv X & Eclipse P600S Matte White Edition
The Evolv X and Eclipse P600s are mid-tower cases that offer dual system capabilities, massive storage, and extensive water-cooling support. The Evolv X features a 3 mm aluminium exterior with hinged clear tempered glass, improved airflow, smart spacing, and additional mesh elements. The P600s, a hybrid forged between silent and high-performance chassis. Designed with an effective soundproofing panel and Phanteks' new high-airflow fabric, the Eclipse P600s offers the full potential of two opposites, minimum noise, and maximum airflow. Whether it's a high-end water-cooling build, professional data storage system, or even a dual-system PC, both cases can accommodate your desired configuration thanks to the effective interior design that utilizes the space efficiently.

ORICO unveiled the first USB type-C cable that meets USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 standards. The cable utilizes an Intel IC to offer 40 Gbps transfer speeds, DisplayPort 1.4 passthrough with support for display resolutions of up to 8K @ 60 Hz, and bi-directional 100 W USB PD (power delivery). The cable features a solid alloy casing at the connectors, Nylon braiding throughout, and a reinforced bender that can take up to 10,000 bends. Available in cable lengths of 30 cm, 80 cm, and 2 m, the cable comes in two variants based on connector orientation, with the TBZ cable being standard, and TBW angled 90°. The 30 cm variant is priced at $20, the 80 cm variant at $27, and the 2 m variant at $57. Find them on Amazon here.