Intel's upcoming Rocket Lake-S desktop platform is expected to arrive sometime later this year, however, we didn't have any concrete details on what will it bring. Thanks to the exclusive information obtained by VideoCardz'es sources at Intel, there are some more details regarding the RKL-S platform. To start, the RKL-S platform is based on a 500-series chipset. This is an iteration of the upcoming 400-series chipset, and it features many platform improvements. The 500-series chipset based motherboards will supposedly have an LGA 1200 socket, which is an improvement in pin count compared to LGA 1151 socket found on 300 series chipset.

The main improvement is the CPU core itself, which is supposedly a 14 nm adaptation of Tiger Lake-U based on Willow Cove core. This design is representing a backport of IP to an older manufacturing node, which results in bigger die space due to larger node used. When it comes to the platform improvements, it will support the long-awaited PCIe 4.0 connection already present on competing platforms from AMD. It will enable much faster SSD speeds as there are already PCIe 4.0 NVMe devices that run at 7 GB/s speeds. With RKL-S, there will be 20 PCIe 4.0 lanes present, where four would go to the NVMe SSD and 16 would go to the PCIe slots from GPUs. Another interesting feature of the RKL-S is the addition of Xe graphics found on the CPU die, meant as iGPU. Supposedly based on Gen12 graphics, it will bring support for HDMI 2.0b and DisplayPort 1.4a connectors.

Acer Japan has today launched two predator monitors based on IPS technology. The two monitors in question are 24.5-inch and 27-inch IPS panels based on 1080p resolution named XB253QGXbmiiprzx (the 24.5-inch model) and XB273GXbmiiprzx (27-inch model), which is not a typo and are the actual name of the models. Both of them feature Display HDR400 certifications, meaning that their maximum brightness is 400 nits. Other specifications include a maximum supported refresh rate of 240 Hz with 1 ms GtG response time that can be reduced to 0.5 ms response time with override mode. There are two options of frame syncing, where one is NVIDIA's G-SYNC, and the other is VESA's Adaptive-Sync. Both of them support up to 240 Hz refresh rate, meaning that you can use any card to get syncing at a high refresh rate. The IPS screen covers 99% of the sRGB color gamut.

For connectivity, Acer has equipped these monitors with one DisplayPort 1.2a, and two HDMI 2.0b ports used for input. There is a USB hub with four USB 3.0 ports and one 3.5 mm headphone jack output. The monitor is rocking two 2 W integrated stereo speakers. When it comes to the pricing, the smaller 24.5-inch model is priced at around ¥46,000 ($430 in the United States) and ¥55,000 (around $500 in the US).

If you overlook the fact that it uses a TN-film panel, the new AGON AG273QZ has some otherwise impressive specs relevant to gamers. This 27-inch monitor offers WQHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution, with staggering 0.5 ms response time, 240 Hz refresh-rate, support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and DispplayHDR 400 certification. The panel is mounted onto a stylish tripod stand, and comes with RGB LED embellishments behind. Other key panel specs include 170°/160° viewing-angles (H/V), 1000:1 static contrast ratio with dynamic mega-contrast, and a WLED backlight that uses a non-PWM method of dimming (flicker-free). Inputs include HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4, from which you need at least DP1.2 HBR2 to support 1440p @ 240 Hz. The company didn't reveal pricing.

AOC launches the 35" (88.98 cm) AGON AG353UCG with 200 Hz refresh rate, 2 ms GtG response time, 3440 x 1440 UWQHD (21:9) resolution, VESA DisplayHDR 1000 and Nvidia G-Sync Ultimate.

Its native 3440 x 1440 UWQHD (21:9) resolution combined with the 1800R curvature creates the next level of immersion. The AG353UCG's visuals pop thanks to Quantum Dot technology, 1000 nits peak brightness with VESA DisplayHDR 1000, 2500:1 contrast and 90% DCI-P3 coverage. Finally, the monitor supports Nvidia G-Sync Ultimate, offering HDR with 1000 nits brightness, at the same time eliminating stutter, tearing and reducing latency.

MSI got bored of old dark/gray/white laptop designs and decided to spice things up a bit. Say goodbye to the old boring laptops and enter the MSI Prestige 14 Limited Edition Rose Pink laptop. Designed as a premium-looking machine, it has decent specifications to back up the good looks. Equipped with a 14-inch IPS display comes in two variants, a 1080p version, and 4K edition, and it has 100% coverage of the AdobeRGB spectrum. With such specifications, we know that it is targeting the professional content creators.

Under the hood, there is Intel's 10th generation Core i7-10710U "Comet Lake" processor paired with 16 GB of LPDDR3 2133 MHz RAM running in single-channel mode. For graphics, NVIDIA's GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU is on board with 4 GB of GDDR6 memory. Storage is limited to 512 gigabytes of PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD space, as there is no room for expansion. Connectivity options include Bluetooth 5 and Wi-Fi 6 powered by Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 wireless adapter. When it comes to the IO, the Prestige 14 laptop is rocking two USB 2.0 adapter along with two Thunderbolt 3 ports, one 3.5 mm headphone jack, and one Micro-SD card reader. There is also a 3-cell 50 Whr battery powering the system. Price-wise, this laptop is retailing for around $1399 on stores like Amazon and Newegg.

Today MSI announced the latest addition to its monitor lineup - the MSI Optix MAGG332CR gaming monitor. With its 180 Hz refresh rate, this monitor is targeting gamers who focus on first-person shooter games primarily. When it comes to the panel characteristics, this monitor is rocking a 31.5-inch anti-glare 1080p display with a 1500R curvature applied to it. The panel type in question is an 8-bit VA panel with Frame Rate Control (FRC) that enables the monitor to achieve a wider color spectrum withing the 8-bit range.

The monitor offers 1 ms Moving Picture Response Time (MPRT) performance, along with the brightness of 300 nits, and a contrast ratio of 3000:1. When it comes to the refresh rate syncing technology, there is VESA's Adaptive-Sync present with AMD FreeSync certification. Marked as "HDR Ready", it is not exactly meeting any requirements due to its 300 nits brightness, however, there is at least a possibility to view HDR content. The display covers 96% of DCI-P3 and 125% of sRGB color gamut. Additionally, for input, there are quite a few options. There is one DisplayPort 1.2a, two HDMI 2.0b connectors, and one USB-C port that supports DisplayPort alternate mode allowing for video input over USB. There is also a USB hub present with two USB 2.0 ports and for audio, there is one 3.5 mm headphone output port. Besides, support for MSI Mystic Light RGB setup is also present.

AOC today launched two new interestingly specced and priced monitors. The CQ27G2U and Q27G2U are basically the same monitor with only one distinguishing feature: the CQ27G2U features a 1500R curved panel while the Q27G2U is a flat panel monitor. Apart from that, specs are identical between the two. There's a 27" VA panel with 2560 x 1440 (QHD) resolution; 144 Hz refresh rate and 1 ms response time. there's FreeSync support, albeit in a limited range of 48 Hz through 144 Hz, so these monitors won't really help you keep fluidity in lower frames per second.

Maximum brightness of the panels is pretty low at 250 nits, and color coverage is good enough for office work or gaming at 120% sRGB, 90% Adobe RGB and 85% NTSC coverage. Being a VA panel, contrast ratio stands at a respectable 3000:1. I/O is taken care of by 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, and there's also a 4x USB 3.0 hub, Headphone out and 2x 2 W speakers also make an appearance. The non-curved Q27G2U will be available for $299, while its curved sibling, the CQ27G2U, will retail for $20 more at $319.

AOC has revealed two new additions to their monitor lineup, which seemingly tick most - if not all - of the right boxes. The only thing that differs in both the CU34G2 and CU34G2X is their maximum refresh rates: the CU34G2 can go up to 100 Hz, while the CU34G2X can refresh at up to 144 Hz. The rest of the specs are virtually the same: a 34" VA panel with 3440 x 1440 resolution, 21:9 aspect ratio, 1 ms response times, 300 nits maximum brightness, 1500R curvature, and support for FreeSync.

In terms of color space, the CU34G2 wins out, covering 124% of the sRGB space and 92% of AdobeRGB, while the CU34G2X tightens the color space a smidge with 119% sRGB and 88% of AdobeRGB. I/O wise, both feature 1x DisplayPort 1.2 and 2x HDMI (only the CU34G2 uses HDMI 2.0, though). Both monitors also offer a quad USB 3.0 Hub and 1x Headphone out. The monitors will launch come January 2020 at attractive price points: $450 for the 100 Hz CU34G2 and $550 for the 144 Hz CU34G2X,

Nixeus has made their EDG 34 monitor available for pre-order through several retailers. The EDG 34, like the name not-so-subtly implies, carries a 34" diagonal panel based on VA technology. The resolution available on this panel stands at 3440 x 1440, so it has slightly lesser performance requirements than a 4K solution would, which can, at this point in time, be more of a strength than a handicap. The 4 ms gray-to-gray response is adequate, and the FreeSync support in the range of 48 Hz through 144 Hz, whilst giving pause, should be enough for most gaming scenarios - if you are driving this monitor, you most likely have powerful graphics hardware anyhow.

A 1500R curvature ensures the edges of the monitor are at the same distance from your eyes as the center. Color reproduction stands at a standard 16.7 million colors, and peak brightness is rated at 400 nits. Connectivity-wise, the monitor offers 2x DisplayPort 1.2 and 2x HDMI 2.0 ports (with refresh rates capped at 100 Hz). A 3.5 mm audio connector and VESA support are also part of the package. All of this can be had starting at a very interesting $499 on Newegg.

AOC today launched the AG273QX, a flat panel gaming monitor (meaning there is no curve, which makes sense due to the usual 16:9 aspect ratio). The AG273QX sports a 27" diagonal with a VA panel, sporting a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and a 165 Hz refresh rate. This refresh rate is mated with support for AMD's FreeSync 2, which makes an appearance due to this monitor also being HDR capable - though at the lowest end of the spectrum, with its HDR 400 certification. With its 1 ms response time, this monitor seems to have all the claims to fame. Sadly, it only sticks to the Adobe sRGB color space with 99% coverage - no DCIP-3 here.

FreeSync 2 HDR means this monitor supports low-latency HDR tone mapping, and LFC (Low Framerate Compensation). AOC are pushing this as a 3-side frameless design, which means that the display should go all the way towards the bezels. If you want to carry this monitor to LAN parties, there's a carrying handle, and the monitor also sports double headset holders in the design. There's an RGB lighting ring on the back of the panel. Connectivity-wise this monitor sports a 4x USB 3.0 HUB, 1x Headphone out, and video inputs are taken care of by 1x VGA, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, and  1x HDMI 2.0. The AOC AGON AG273QX will be available in November 2019 at an MSRP of £439 / €489.

Acer America announced today that its new 27-inch ConceptD monitors are now available in the United States. These monitors were designed for creators, including graphic designers, filmmakers, architects and engineers. The ConceptD CP7271K P and ConceptD CP3271K P support creative professionals with the premium performance required for color-critical and graphic-intensive projects.

Color accuracy, resolution and the ability to work with HDR content are top priorities for creative professionals who need a monitor that can display finely detailed design concepts and 3D content. Those who work with video require a high refresh rate, critical for ensuring blur-free images.

MSI launched their latest monitor, in the form of the PS341WU Prestige monitor. This one comes in an all-white design with gold MSI accents - a welcome departure from the usual black color scheme preferred for these particular peripherals. The Prestige has been built with screen real-estate and color accuracy in mind - a monitor designed purely for gaming this is not. Its 21:9 aspect ratio is already slightly hit or miss in official game support, compounded by the 60 Hz refresh rate and 5 ms response time.

The monitor makes up for this for professionals or casual gamers (and aren't most of us?) due to its resolution and color rendition, tough: 5120 x 2160 pixels covering 98% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 100% sRGB. DisplayHDR 600 certification is also on board, meaning up to 600 nits peak brightness and high-contrast HDR content delivery. The monitor's contrast ratio is set at 1,200:1, and support for display of 1.07 billion colors. Connectivity stands at 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort, 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type A, 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type B, 1x 3.5 mm headphone jack, mic in and an audio jack. It's currently available for preorder in select retailers for $1,199.99.

AOC has added to their CQ lineup of gaming monitors with a 27" option. The CQ27G1 features a 27", curved diagonal (1800R). The VA panel has a 2560 x 1440 pixel density, a 144 Hz refresh rate with 1 ms response time, and FreeSync support (of which the ranges haven't been disclosed). The 250 nits peak brightness won't win any awards, and might be an issue in direct sunlight scenarios, but will be adequate in most situations. The 3000:1 contrast ratio isn't anything to write home about, but it isn't terrible, either.

To keep pricing as low as it is, AOC wisely decided to cut the speakers and USB hub from this monitor, and reduced connectivity options. Available are 1x DisplayPort, 2x HDMI 2.0, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The stand features height (±130 mm), tilt (-4° ~ +21.5°), and swivel (±34°) adjustments, and 100 x 100 VESA mounting holes. The AOC CQ27G1 will be available from the usual parties for $279, which seems a legitimate ask for such a monitor.

Another MSI interpretation of AMD's RX 5700 graphics card has been taken out of the bag. This time, on the form of the Mech OC series, which carries a dual-slot, dual-fan configuration not dissimilar to MSI's Ventus graphics cards, but with a darker color palette. The design is appealing, even if fully in plastic save for the backplate, which is full black and has some white strips to add a little more interest to the otherwise blank surface. The MSI Radeon RX 5700 Mech OC graphics card ships with 3x DisplayPort 1.4 and 1x HDMI 2.0 ports, and will join other MSI custom design mainstays in the company's portfolio for AMD-based hardware.

During its second quarter earnings call, Intel announced that it has started shipping of 10th generation "Core" CPUs to OEMs. Making use of 10 nm lithography, the 10th generation of "Core" CPUs, codenamed Ice Lake, were qualified by OEMs earlier in 2019 in order to be integrated into future products. Ice Lake is on track for holiday season 2019, meaning that we can expect products on-shelves by the end of this year. That is exciting news as the 10th generation of Core CPUs is bringing some exciting micro-architectural improvements along with the long awaited and delayed Intel's 10nm manufacturing process node.

The new CPUs are supposed to get around 18% IPC improvement on average when looking at direct comparison to previous generation of Intel CPUs, while being clocked at same frequency. This time, even regular mobile/desktop parts will get AVX512 support, alongside VNNI and Cryptography ISA extensions that are supposed to bring additional security and performance for the ever increasing number of tasks, especially new ones like Neural Network processing. Core configurations will be ranging from dual core i3 to quad core i7, where we will see total of 11 models available.

Manli Technology Group Limited, one of the major Graphics Cards and other components manufacturers, today announced the superior ultimate edition of Gallardo series graphics solution - Manli GeForce RTXTM 2080 Ti & RTXTM 2080 Gallardo, addition of the latest valued software - Turbo Engine and LED Lighting Control. Two lightning flash across cooling cover, and flashing with stunning LED lights. Meanwhile, it is equipped with 5 composite copper heatpipes, and triple 90 mm fans to ensure working in a silent and cool condition.

ZOTAC Technology, a global manufacturer of innovation, today introduced the more capable ZBOX Q Series Mini Creator PC featuring the advanced NVIDIA Quadro GPU and powerful workstation focused Intel Xeon processor. The new addition to the ZBOX Q Series leverages the ZBOX Mini PC's sleek and minimal design without compromising the powerful hardware components inside. From stunning industrial design and advanced special effects, to complex scientific visualization and sophisticated data modeling, to creating and editing images and videos, the ZBOX Q Series enables limitless creations.

The new ZBOX Q Series features the industry certified NVIDIA Quadro with up to 16GB GDDR5 memory. It's a tested and certified fully compatible hardware on many major professional design applications. The new Q Series models come equipped with an Intel Xeon processor to deliver fast and responsive performance.

AOC has partnered with Studio F.A. Porsche to bring a duo of monitors to market, bridging the gap between AOC's expertise and Porsche's design capabilities. The partnership has resulted in two monitors: the U32U1, which features a large, 31.5" diagonal, and the Q27T1, which sees a smaller 27" footprint. The change in size brings a change in resolution as well, with the U32U1 featuring a 4K resolution, while its 27" sibling does with a QHD resolution (2560 x 1440). Both monitors carry an IPS panel with 90% DCI-P3 coverage, but the U32U1 offers HDR 600 certification and HDR 10 support on its 10-bit panel. The Q27T1 shaves all of that in favor of an anti-glare coating.

NEC Display Solutions of America, Inc., a leading provider of commercial LCD displays and projectors, today announced the V554Q, a large-format 4K UHD display packed with commercial-grade features and a slim new design to blend into any environment. Like other new models in the C & V Series, the V554Q features an industry-best anti-reflective high haze coating, full external control and network capabilities through LAN, and SpectraView Engine Technology, which allows for complete color control.

"We've listened to our customers in designing the V554Q to be the best 55-inch display tailored for commercial and corporate signage needs," said Ben Hardy, Senior Product Manager at NEC Display Solutions. "The V554Q has best-in-class, high-haze anti-glare coating, updated connectivity, and both landscape and portrait orientation support to seamlessly fit any digital signage environment."

The title already says most of it, but here it is: the Acer EI491CR Amy be one of the most impressive monitors to grace this side of 2019, ticking most boxes considered relevant for a great gaming experience. The 49" monitor features a DFHD aspect ratio of 32:9. Those 40" of real-estate are populated by 38440 x 1080 pixels, in a VA panel with 8-bit color reproduction and 4ms gray-to-gray response time. A 1800R curvature keeps all parts of the screen within the same pupillary distance, enveloping your field of vision with what could otherwise be cropped screen edges.

The 144 Hz refresh rate (overclocked from a reference 120 Hz for the base panel this monitor employs) will enable ultra fluid gaming, especially when paired with FreeSync 2. FreeSync 2 that also makes an appearance in the monitor's display of HDR content, through its VESA HDR 400 certification. Typical contrast stands at 3000:1, and typical brightness at 400 cd/m² with color coverage hitting an impressive 90% DCI-P3 rating. 1x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI 2.0 and 2x HDMI 1.4 round out the inputs. The Acer EI491CR will be available, however, for a not-for-all-budgets $1199.

Philips today unveiled the 326M6VJRMB, a 31.5-inch 4K Ultra HD monitor certified by VESA to meet DisplayHDR 600 standards. Backed by an AMVA panel, the monitor puts out 10bpc or 1.07 billion colors, 178°/178° viewing-angles, 4 ms response time, and 3,000:1 static contrast ratio with 600 cd/m² maximum brightness. Two features let you care for your eyes - a blue-light reduction mode that makes the display less irritable to your eyes, and a flicker-free brightness adjustment, which uses a non-PWM method to reduce brightness of the LED backlighting. The monitor features RGB LED-based ambient lighting. You get plenty of inputs, including a DisplayPort 1.4, three HDMI 2.0, an analog audio line-in from your PC, and a USB 3.0 input to drive the 4-port USB 3.0 hub. In-built 5W stereo speakers make for the rest of it.

Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), the global leading motherboard, Mini-PC, Notebooks, mobile device and smart city solutions provider, is pleased to announce the LIVA Q2 - the silent, energy efficient multi-functional mini PC designed for various smart solutions such as home entertainment, smart offices, and modern classroom. It can also be used with digital signage and successfully used in smart retail solutions. Ultra-mini body design, but the applications are beyond imagination.

With the beautifully designed LIVA Q2 mini PC can meet all the device connections you need by providing full I / O support. The mini PC support for Microsoft's latest Windows 10 operating system. The LIVA Q2 is integrated with Intel Pentium Silver/Celeron processor. Simply by using the Intel Unite application on client's device, which clients can easily integrate participants, solutions and platforms into one.

GIGABYTE is readying the GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming OC Pro White graphics card (GV-N2060GAMINGOC WHITE-6GC). A variant of the RTX 2060 Gaming OC Pro, the card features a white cooler shroud with chrome inserts, and an all-white metal back-plate. Contrasting the white is matte-black fan impellers capped with chrome hub stickers, and a black PCB that's carried over from the original.

The cooling solution features three aluminium fin-stacks arranged along four 6 mm-thick copper heat pipes that make direct contact with the GPU at the aluminium base. Heat drawn from the memory and VRM are transferred to this base by a secondary aluminium plate. Three 90 mm fans spinning in alternate directions (albeit same airflow direction), ventilate the heatsink. The card features idle fan-stop, which spools down the fans below a load/temperature threshold. The card draws power from a single 8-pin PCIe power connector. Display outputs include three DisplayPort and an HDMI 2.0. The card features GIGABYTE's highest factory-overclock for the RTX 2060, with 1830 MHz GPU Boost, although the memory frequency is untouched. The RTX 2060 Gaming OC Pro White could feature a minor $10-20 premium over the $379 MSRP of the original.

ZOTAC Technology, a global manufacturer of innovation, today releases a new generation of MAGNUS E Series Mini PC built for hardware enthusiasts. The MAGNUS is re-engineered to give powerful performance for creators and prosumers in a compact and lightweight enclosure. With an 8th Generation Intel processor, a discrete GeForce RTX 2070 graphics card and equipped with premium connectivity, the all-new MAGNUS E Series Mini PC powers everything from demanding workloads, creative workflows, home entertainment experiences, and much more.

The MAGNUS EC52070D features a 6-core Intel Core i5-8400T processor with boost up to 3.3GHz, giving it the power to handle simultaneous, compute-intensive, multithreaded workloads. Users can get responsive processing on creative workflows such as photo post-processing, illustration, audio processing, video production, live-streaming, and more. With ready support for up to 32GB of high-speed DDR4 memory, NVMe M.2 SSD, 2.5-inch large capacity storage and Intel Optane memory technology for high performance storage, MAGNUS is capable of loading files and applications faster.

Razer, the leading lifestyle brand for gamers, announced today its all-new 27-inch gaming monitor concept, the Razer Raptor. The desktop screen will be unveiled at CES 2019 as an early-design-phase model, with production units slated for release later this year. Razer Co-Founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan says, "Razer has worked alongside partners in the past to bring the Razer experience to monitors, but the full potential was never fully realized. We have decided to tackle this space on our own and are very excited to expand our presence to include desktop displays."