Colorful unveiled the iGame B760M Ultra Z, a Socket LGA1700 motherboard in the Micro-ATX form-factor, with a distinctive white PCB, but that's hardly the story—this is Colorful's first motherboard with backside connectors, for more discretely cabled PC builds. The board doesn't use any marketing buzzwords such as "BTF" or "Project Zero," but has its onboard connectors aligned to support PC cases with motherboard tray cutouts for either of the two standards. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 4-pin ATX connectors (sufficient for Intel Performance Power Delivery profile). The processor is wired to a PCI-Express 5.0 x16 slot, and an M.2-2280 Gen 4 slot. Colorful used the region of the PCB next to the four DDR5 memory slots—where you'd normally have 24-pin and other connectors—to position an additional M.2 slot hidden behind a heatsink. There is yet another M.2 slot between the two PCIe slots.

The backside of the PCB has the board's power connectors, four SATA 6 Gbps ports, the USB- and HD audio headers, fan headers, and the front-panel headers. Networking connectivity include Wi-Fi 6E and 2.5 GbE. USB connectivity includes two 5 Gbps type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a 10 Gbps type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, and four USB 2.0 ports. There are two additional 5 Gbps ports via an internal header. HDMI and DisplayPort make up the display connectivity. The motherboard offers the USB BIOS Flashback feature. Available now in the Chinese market, the Colorful iGame B760M Ultra Z is priced at RMB ¥1,199 or (converts to USD $167).

Intel is planning to launch its next-generation Arc "Battlemage" GPUs in 2024. When they come out, they could possibly be the first to implement a PCIe Gen 5 host interface, with the BCM-G10 silicon powering the top SKUs reportedly featuring PCI-Express 5.0 x16. Given how sensitive current generation Arc GPUs are to host interface features such as resizable BAR, the GPUs might possibly need not just the added bandwidth, but also features Gen 5 introduces, such as memory coherency. It might not just be a move aimed at sprucing up the specs sheet.

The Moore's Law is Dead report behind this leak also says that with the Arc Xe2 generation, Intel might not release mobile AIC cards like it does with the current generation. Now, this does not mean that there won't be mobile SKUs, it's just that they'll be sold to laptop OEMs to hardwired onto their laptop mainboards—as it's done on the majority of laptops with discrete GPUs. Besides laptop GPUs in trays, Intel will also develop desktop PCIe add-on graphics cards based on the new GPUs.

The current crop of PCIe Gen 5 based M.2 NVMe SSDs run scorching hot to deliver sequential transfer speeds of 10 GB/s, requiring some massive cooling solutions with tiny fans. All this might change, as Phison, a leading SSD controller manufacturer, unveiled three new controllers at the 2024 International CES. One of these that stands out, is the PS5031-E31T, which is built on the 7 nm node, and could power the first Gen 5 SSDs delivering 10 GB/s without elaborate cooling solutions. This is a big upgrade from the 12 nm node used by their first Gen 5 controllers. The PS5031-E31T is a DRAMless controller meant for mainstream Gen 5 SSDs. This controller has a 4-channel flash interface (16 CE), a PCI-Express 5.0 x4 host interface, supports capacities of up to 8 TB, and is claimed by Phison to offer sequential transfer rates of up to 10.8 GB/s, and up to 1500K IOPS random access; exceeding the fastest Gen 4 SSDs.

Phison also updated its high-end controller lineup with the new PS5026-E26 Max14um. This is a variant of the E26 that's designed for the upcoming Micron B58R NAND flash chip that offers 2400 MT/s per channel transfers. Over the 8-channel interface of the E26, this finally unlocks sequential transfer speeds exceeding 14 GB/s reads, and 12.7 GB/s sequential writes. This is merely a revision of the existing E26 with updated power-optimized firmware, the underlying silicon is identical. The E26 Max14um is the first controller to surpass 1000 MB/s in all three PCMark 10 storage tests. We have a sample of an SSD powered by the E26 Max14um in our labs, and will post our review soon.

MSI Spatium M580 Liquid Frozr is easily one of the most interesting SSDs we've come across in CES 2024. Picture this—an M.2-2280 SSD that has a self-contained liquid cooler, complete with a fan, radiator, a pump-block, and coolant channels. This is both cute and a little sad. M.2 SSDs were supposed to stay out of sight and be completely cable-free, like DIMMs. This isn't MSI's fault, they have to use the fastest controllers in the market, which are built on older 12 nm foundry nodes. PCI-Express 5.0 x4 is comparable bandwidth to PCI-Express 3.0 x16, and moving this kind of data is bound to generate heat for an SSD controller. Enough banter—the Spatium M580 uses the fastest Phison E26 Max14um controller, with Micron's fastest B58R 232-layer 3D NAND flash chips that deliver 2400 MT/s per flash channel.

The combination of Phison Max14um and B58R results in sequential transfer speeds beyond the 14 GB/s mark, which is where most PCIe Gen 5 x4 drives will end up accounting for the interface+protocol overhead. The theoretical max bandwidth of Gen 5 x4 is 16 GB/s. The drive comes in capacities of up to 4 TB. As for the cooler's design, the bare drive makes contact with a copper cold-plate, which has the block+reservoir, with a tiny pump. This sends coolant through a real aluminium heat-exchanger—this is probably the smallest radiator we've ever seen. The radiator is held up, a supporting structure has a tiny 20 mm lateral-flow fan, which blows air through the radiator. We can't wait to review this thing!

KIOXIA brought a handful of its latest data center SSDs to the 2024 International CES. The lineup begins with the CD8P series designed for a balance in data-heat (frequency of access) and capacity, with applications that include CDN, compute, read-intensive use-cases, and data streaming. The drive comes in the 2.5-inch 18 mm U.2 and EDSFF E3.8 form-factors. The CD8P features a PCI-Express 5.0 x4 host interface, and comes in capacities ranging between 1.92 TB, going all the way up to 15.36 TB. Write endurance recommended is between 1 DWPD to 3 DWPD, so this really isn't a major write-intensive drive, for that, you'll need to pay attention to our next drive, the KIOXIA FL6.

The FL6 from KIOXIA is a scribe par none. It's aimed at write heavy applications such as server caching, and the hottest tiers in tiered storage; and Big Iron database machines. The FL6 comes in capacities of up to 3.2 TB, but offers a mammoth 60 DWPD write endurance. It comes in the 2.5-inch 18 mm form factor with PCI-Express 3.0 x4 interface. Security features include SIE, SED, and FIPS 140-2.

Intel today announced the release of its 14th Gen Core HX series "Raptor Lake Refresh" mobile processors. Processor models from this series are supposed to cap off the upper end of Intel's mobile processor portfolio. Although Intel released the Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" mobile processors late last year, those chips cover the U-segment, and H-segment (ultraportable, thin-and-light, and mainstream); with the fastest model being the Core Ultra 165H, which caps out at 6P+8E+2LP. The HX segment, which started out as enthusiast-class, broadened in scope over the years to cover the bulky gaming notebooks and portable workstations. These chips typically have a power rating of 55 W. All chips have maximum turbo power rating of 157 W. Intel is tapping into its "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon to carve out these processors. This is a monolithic chip built on the Intel 7 process, and its package is a multi-chip module with an on-package PCH.

The lineup begins with the Core i9-14900HX, which maxes out the "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon, with an 8P+16E core-count, with 2 MB of L2 cache per P-core, 4 MB of L2 cache per E-core cluster, and a shared 36 MB L3 cache. The processor's full I/O is wired out, including support for dual-channel DDR5 (SO-DIMMs only), a PCI-Express 5.0 x16 connection for discrete GPUs, a PCI-Express 4.0 x4 connection for a CPU-attached M.2 NVMe SSD, and DMI 4.0 x8 link between the processor die and the PCH die. This PCH puts out up to 16 PCIe Gen 4 lanes, besides up to 12 Gen 3 lanes, which notebook designers can combine with discrete Thunderbolt 4 controllers, and the likes. You can expect Wi-Fi 7 to be prevalent in this crop of premium gaming notebooks. The i9-14900HX features a P-core maximum boost frequency of 5.80 GHz, and an E-core boost frequency of 4.10 GHz.

MINISFORUM released the AR900i, an MoDT (mobile on desktop) motherboard in the Mini-ITX form factor that comes with a hardwired Intel Core i9-13900HX mobile processor and a pre-installed cooling solution. The board is priced at $560 on Amazon, with a limited-period $70-off coupon. This is good value, considering that the i9-13900HX is a maxed-out "Raptor Lake" based mobile processor that features all 8 P-cores, all 16 E-cores, and all 36 MB of shared L3 cache physically present on the "Raptor Lake" silicon. The P-cores boost up to 5.40 GHz, and the E-cores up to 3.90 GHz. The only catch with this processor compared to something like a desktop i9-13900, is its power specs that were originally designed for the power constraints of notebooks, with 55 W base power, and 157 W of maximum turbo power, compared to 225 W of the socketed i9-13900.

Since the Core i9-13900HX is a mobile BGA1964 package that remains hardwired to the board, it is not upgradable. MINISFORUM has designed a cooling solution specific to the processor, which uses a large aluminium fin-stack heatsink that relies on an 80 mm case fan for ventilation. There's a secondary fan-heatsink that provides cooling to two M.2-2280 slots north of the processor. Each of these two M.2 slots has a PCI-Express 5.0 x4 wiring, and using either of them subtracts 8 PCIe lanes from the board's sole expansion slot, a PCI-Express 5.0 x16. The board features an M.2 E-key slot that you can pair with your own WLAN card, it comes with provision for dual-MIMO ready antennas. The processor is wired to two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots supporting up to 96 GB of memory. The board draws power from a 24-pin ATX and a single 8-pin EPS, which should prove sufficient for this processor.

Leading global motherboard manufacturer, ASRock, proudly announces its new WRX90 WS EVO & TRX50 WS motherboard for new AMD Ryzen Threadripper 7000 and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7000 WX-Series processors. The new motherboards support 4/8 channel memory up to 1 TB/2 TB DDR5 ECC RDIMM, PCI-Express 5.0 expansion slots, server grade storage expansion such as Slim-SAS & MCIO and 10 Gbps Ethernet, giving ultimate performance for almost every application such as content creating, video rendering, high-end workstation and even AI machine learning.

Ultimate Performance & Rock-Solid Stability
To ensure stability for AMD Ryzen Threadripper 7000 and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7000 WX-Series processors in all conditions and systems loads, the WRX90 WS EVO & TRX50 WS has been given a flagship-class server grade ultra-low loss PCB and 18+3+3 phase SPS Dr.MOS VRM design to ensure ultimate performance and superb reliability, even when subjected to the most demanding sustained workloads.

CORSAIR, a world leader in enthusiast components for gamers, creators, and PC builders, today announced the launch of the MP700, its first PCIe Gen 5 M.2 SSD. Available in capacities up to 2 TB, the MP700 sets a new standard for next-generation storage, with sequential read and write performance topping out an incredible 10,000 MB/sec and 10,000 MB/sec respectively—up to 40% faster than even the best PCIe 4.0 SSDs available today (see cooling requirements below).

On top of the impressive sequential throughput, the random read and write performance of up to 1.5 million read and 1.7 million write input/output operations per second (IOPS) put the MP700 way ahead of the best PCIe Gen 4 drives. The MP700 is backward compatible with PCIe 4.0 motherboards, making this an upgrade that will last you for years to come. Native support for Microsoft DirectStorage ensures that you'll get the most from the latest games, while copying files in Windows and loading applications has never felt so fast.

Don't forget to check out the TechPowerUp Review of the CORSAIR MP700 2 TB SSD

Crucial T700 marks the brand's return to the high-end SSD segment after years of catering to the mainstream segment with well-priced drives that the company can move in high volumes. The company had retired its Ballistix brand to mark its withdrawal from the high-end. The drive combines Micron's 232-layer 3D TLC NAND flash with a Phison E26-series controller and LPDDR4-based DRAM cache, and takes advantage of the PCI-Express 5.0 x4 host interface, with NVMe. A small section of the tech press was sampled with these drives and permitted to do performance previews.

Every SSD manufacturer's favorite benchmark, CrystalDiskMark (CDM), shows the drive clock 12.4 GB/s sequential reads (1 MB, QD8), along with 9.22 GB/s (1 MB QD1). Sequential writes are as high as 11.87 GB/s (1 MB QD8), and 9.66 GB/s (1 MB QD1). IOMeter testing revealed that the sustained write speeds are rather low, with the T700 holding onto top speeds only up to 25 GB, beyond which write performance falls off a cliff to 3.8 GB/s. Find more such interesting results in the source link below.

AMD is preparing a rather late counter to the Xeon W-2400 and W-3400 series "Sapphire Rapids" workstation platform with the Threadripper 7000 series and the Socket TR5 platform, in the second half of 2023, according to an ASUS product manager. While high core-count Threadripper Pro 5000WX processors still offer performance competitive to the latest Xeon W processors, the Intel platform offers the latest I/O, including support for faster DDR5 memory and PCIe Gen 5. The expectation with the Threadripper 7000 "Storm Peak" series is to increase CPU core IPC with the switch to "Zen 4," and introduce support for the latest DDR5 and PCIe Gen 5.

AMD's delay in releasing the Threadripper 7000 series has to do with the company wanting to push more high-margin EPYC "Genoa" processors to its large enterprise customers first; and possibly to take the time to redraw its platform to better counter the sub-classification Intel introduced within its Xeon W family, where the W-2400 series is targeted more toward the HEDT consumer, with its 4-channel memory and 64-lane PCIe interface; while the W-3400 series with its 8-channel memory interface, targets serious workstation use-cases; while both processors share a common socket and chipset. AMD could take a similar approach to the TR5 platform.

Late last year, it was reported that Intel is skipping its upcoming "Meteor Lake" microarchitecture for the desktop platform, giving it a mobile-platform debut in late-2023, with "Arrow Lake" following on in 2024, which would address both platforms. In the interim, Intel was expected to release a "Raptor Lake Refresh" architecture for desktop in 2023. It turns out now, that both the "Raptor Lake Refresh" and "Meteor Lake" architectures are coming to desktop—we just don't know when.

Apparently, Intel will brazen it out against AMD with a maximum CPU core-count of just 6 performance cores and 16 efficiency cores possible for "Meteor Lake." It's just that both the P-cores and a E-cores get an IPC uplift with "Meteor Lake." The processor features up to six "Redwood Cove" P-cores with an IPC uplift over the current "Raptor Cove" cores; and introduce the new "Crestmont" E-cores. A lot will depend on the IPC uplift of the latter. Leaf_hobby, a reliable source with Intel leaks on social media, has some interesting details on the I/O capabilities of "Meteor Lake" on the desktop platform.

ASRock introduced the Blazing Quad M.2 riser card. Roughly the size of a tall, single-slot graphics card, this contraption converts a PCI-Express 5.0 x16 slot to four M.2 Gen 5 slots, each with PCI-Express 5.0 x4 wiring, with room for up to 110 mm drive length. The four slots are located underneath a cooling solution that consists of an aluminium heatsink that's ventilated by a pair of fans. The card draws power from a 6-pin PCIe power connector for a total of 150 W power-delivery capability. While there's no bridge chip on this card, making it essentially a riser that disaggregates an x16 slot to four x4 M.2 slots, a microcontroller handles the cooling. Each of the four M.2 slots has a link/activity LED at the rear I/O. The card measures 243 mm x 126 mm, and is exactly one slot thick. It should prove useful on Xeon W + W790 platforms that have up to 112 PCIe lanes from the processor, although the card supports just about any machine with a PCIe x16 slot with lane disaggregation. You get the PCIe standard that the x16 slot supports.

Leading global motherboard manufacturer, ASRock, proudly announces its new ASRock W790 WS motherboard for workstations for Intel Xeon W-3400/W-2400 series processors (LGA4677). The ASRock W790 WS features up to 2 TB DDR5 ECC RDIMM support, PCI-Express 5.0 expansion slots, USB4/Thunderbolt 4 and Dual 10 Gbps Ethernet. A flagship-class 14-layer PCB and 20+2 phase CPU VRM ensures ultimate performance and superb reliability, even when subjected to the most demanding sustained workloads.

Supports New 4th Generation Xeon Processor
The W790 WS chipset is optimized for new Intel Xeon W-2400 series (LGA4677) processors and is compatible with W-3400 series processors with up to 56 cores also. The ASRock W790 WS provides a quad-channel DDR5 design with 2DPC over 8 DIMM slots, maximizing memory performance, potential memory pool capacity and supports ECC RDIMMs to ensure data reliability.

GIGABYTE formally launched its flagship AORUS Gen5 10000 series M.2 NVMe SSDs that take advantage of a PCI-Express 5.0 x4 interface. Currently, all AMD B650 series and X670 series motherboards offer a PCIe Gen 5 M.2 slot wired to the processor without eating into PEG bandwidth, while some Intel 700-series chipset motherboards offer Gen 5 M.2 slots by subtracting lanes from the PEG slot. AORUS Gen5 10000 for now comes in 1 TB and 2 TB capacities. The drives combine a Phison E26 series controller with 3D TLC NAND flash memory and LPDDR4 DRAM cache.

The 1 TB model offers sequential transfer speeds of up to 9.5 GB/s reads, with up to 8.5 GB/s writes, and 700 TBW endurance; whereas the 2 TB model is faster, with up to 10 GB/s sequential reads, up to 9.5 GB/s writes, and 1,400 TBW endurance. The drive's power consumption is under 10 W, and GIGABYTE has deployed a thoughtful fanless cooling solution for the drive that spares you from the annoying high-pitched noise of other upcoming Gen 5 M.2 SSDs that use fan-heatsinks. The company didn't reveal pricing, but mentioned that the drives are backed by 5-year warranties.

At the 2023 International CES, we caught a hold of Phison, makes or arguably the most popular SSD controllers, which sprung to prominence on being the first to market with PCIe Gen 4 NVMe controllers, and now hopes to repeat it with PCIe Gen 5. We'd been shown a reference-design Phison E26-powered M.2 SSD, along with some hardware specs of the controller itself. The drive itself isn't much to look at—a standard looking M.2-2280 drive with a PCI-Express 5.0 x4 host interface, and the Phison E26 controller with its shiny IHS being prominently located next to a DDR4 memory chip, and two new-generation Micron Technology 3D NAND flash memory chips.

The Phison E26 controller, bearing the long-form model number PS5026-E26, is an NVMe 2.0 spec client-segment SSD controller. It has been built on the TSMC 12 nm FinFET silicon-fabrication node. The controller features an integrated DRAM controller with support for DDR4 and LPDDR4 memory types for use as DRAM cache. Its main flash interface is 8-channel with 32 NAND chip-enable (CE) lines, support for TLC and QLC NAND flash, a dual-CPU architecture, and hardware-acceleration for AES-256, TCG-Opal, and Pyrite. The controller features Phison's 5th generation LPDC ECC and internal RAID engines. For its reference-design 2 TB TLC-based drive, Phison claims sequential transfer rates of up to 13.5 GB/s reads, with up to 12 GB/s writes. The 4K random-access performance is rated at up to 1.5 million IOPS reads, with up to 2 million IOPS writes.

Mushkin at the 2023 International CES showed off its Vortex Redline and Vortex LX M.2 NVMe SSDs. The Vortex Redline is the company's top PCIe Gen 4 drive, combining an Innogrit IG5236 NVMe 1.4 controller with 3D TLC NAND flash, to offer transfer speeds of up to 7415 MB/s. The Vortex Redline comes in capacities of 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB. The Vortex LX is a more value-oriented product, based on an unnamed Innogrit-sourced DRAMless controller. This drive features a PCIe Gen 4 interface, but offers slightly lower performance that the company didn't disclose.

The star attraction at the Mushkin booth was its Epsilon SSD that features a PCI-Express 5.0 x4 + NVMe 2.0 interface, a Phison E26-series controller, and next generation 3D NAND flash memory (possibly 232-layer). The drive features active cooling from a fan-heatsink, and while the company didn't talk about performance, drives based on this controller are known to offer up to 12 GB/s of sequential transfers. Lastly, the company showed off its lineup of 2.5-inch SATA 6 Gbps SSDs in capacities ranging all the way up to 16 TB, which are meant to be HDD replacements, and "warm" storage devices.

GIGABYTE in its 2023 International CES booth, showed off its upcoming flagship M.2 NVMe SSD, the AORUS Gen5 10000. Built in the M.2-2280 form-factor with PCI-Express 5.0 x4 interface and supporting NVMe 2.0 protocol, the drive is based on a Phison E26-series controller. coupled with the latest 3D TLC NAND flash. It comes in capacities of 1 TB, 2 TB, and 4 TB. Sequential transfer-rates put out by GIGABYTE put the drive at up to 12 GB/s reads, with up to 10 GB/s sequential writes.

That's hardly the most striking aspect of this drive, which is a massive aluminium dual-fin-stack heatsink that uses two fin-stacks joined at the hip by a pair of heatpipes, in what is a callback to GIGABYTE's Nehalem motherboards that used such enormous heatsinks over the X58 northbridge. GIGABYTE calls this heatsink the AORUS Xtreme Thermal Guard. The company's current flagship is the AORUS 7000, which rocks a Gen4 interface, offering up to 7 GB/s reads, with up to 5 GB/s writes.

KIOXIA is betting big on enterprise flash storage, and demoed several of its new and already-launched NVMe products based on the company's 162-layer 3D NAND flash memory, aka 6th Generation BiCS flash. Starting off, we see several single-chip solutions, namely the BiCS5 eTLC, the BiCS Industial TLC, and the BiCS5-QLC. These are complete NVMe SSDs on a single package, targeting embedded systems, industrial PCs, and the likes. They can even be directly embedded on server motherboards to serve as boot drives, freeing up precious chassis space for the main storage devices.

The EM6 is an enterprise network-attached SSD in a 2.5-inch form-factor. This is a NAS-on-a-stick that can be deployed at large scale, and accessible as a network resource, or as an NVMe-over-Fiber device. The CM7 is a high-capacity 2.5-inch (EDSFF E3.S) SSD that comes in sizes of up to 30 TB, and has PCI-Express 5.0 x4 interface with NVMe 2.0 protocol, with endurance of up to 3 DWPD and offering FIPS 140-33 security. We also see the XD6 line of EDSFF E1.S form-factor NVMe SSDs with PCIe 4.0 interfaces, up to 3.84 TB capacity, and 1 DWPD endurance.

Patriot Memory showed off its fastest gaming PC storage solutions at the 2023 International CES. The star attraction is an unnamed prototype M.2 PCIe Gen 5 NVMe SSD which features active cooling. This is actually the second Gen 5 SSD we've come across today that has active cooling, signaling that future NVMe SSDs are about to get hot. The ES drive comes in capacities ranging between 1 TB to 4 TB, features a PCI-Express 5.0 x4 interface with NVMe 2.0 protocol, an unknown controller+flash combination, and claimed performance of up to 12 GB/s sequential reads, with up to 10 GB/s sequential writes.

Among the other internal drives shown are the Viper P450, a Gen 4 NVMe drive offering sequential speeds of up to 7 GB/s and up to 6 GB/s writes; and capacities ranging between 512 Gb to 2 TB; a more cost-effective VPR450 drive based on a DRAMless Phison Gen 4 controller offering up to 6 GB/s reads and up to 5 GB/s writes. The Viper VXD is an external SSD enclosure meant for M.2-2280 PCIe SSDs. It offers a USB-C connection, which connects to a Realtek RTL9210B chip that converts a 10 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 uplink to a PCI-Express 3.0 x4 downlink, offering sequential transfer rates of up to 1 GB/s.

AMD today solved the biggest challenge affecting its mobile processor family against Intel—CPU core-counts in the high-end HX-segment, with the introduction of the new Ryzen 7045HX series "Dragon Range" mobile processors. Based on the "Zen 4" microarchitecture, these processors offer core-counts of up to 16-core/32-thread, and target enthusiast gaming notebooks and mobile workstations. The processors debut the new "Dragon Range" multi-chip module (MCM). This is essentially a non-socketed version of the desktop "Raphael" MCM built in a mobile-friendly BGA package with a thin substrate and no IHS, with up to two 5 nm "Zen 4" 8-core CCDs, and a 6 nm cIOD (client I/O die).

The "Dragon Range" MCM uses the same chiplets as desktop "Raphael" Ryzen 7000 processors, and so its I/O is similar. The cIOD puts out a dual-channel (4 sub-channel) DDR5 memory interface, and a PCI-Express 5.0 x16 interface for discrete graphics, along with two PCI-Express 5.0 x4 links for up to two Gen 5 NVMe SSDs. The platform core-logic (chipset) is functionally similar to the desktop AMD B650E. All processor models in the series come with a TDP of 45 W, and a package power tracking (PPT) of "at least" 75 W. Each "Zen 4" CPU core comes with 1 MB of dedicated L2 cache, and each CCD has 32 MB of L3 cache.

Leading global motherboard manufacturer, ASRock, proudly announces its new series of Intel B760 motherboards, including B760M Steel Legend WiFi, B760M Pro RS, and special edition B760M PG SONIC WiFi. These feature-filled motherboards are designed to bring supreme performance and the latest technologies - including up to PCI-Express 5.0 & overclocked DDR5 - to benefit more PC enthusiasts, gamers, and office/workstation builds than ever before. The B760 chipset is designed for the latest 13th Generation Intel Core 'K' or 'non-K' series processors (socket LGA1700), while also supporting the previous 12th generation.

Followed by the success and critical acclaim of the ASRock Z790 PG SONIC, the company has released another officially licensed motherboard featuring SEGA's Sonic the Hedgehog: the B760M PG SONIC WiFi. Based on the mainstream Intel B760 chipset, this micro ATX motherboard features all the exciting SONIC elements in a small form factor and budget friendly design.

AMD will build "Zen 4" based Ryzen Threadripper processors in an attempt to meet competition from Intel, which is rumored to launch HEDT processors of its own based on "Sapphire Rapids." While Intel's chip tops out at 60-core/120-thread and has a constellation of task-specific hardware-accelerators, AMD will arm its processors with raw CPU core-count, going as high up as 96-core/192-thread. The company has assigned the codename "Storm Peak" for these chips.

The Ryzen Threadripper 7000-series "Storm Peak" processor engineering samples surfaced on the Einstein@Home user database. As many as three OPNs have surfaced, "AMD Eng Sample: 100-000000884-21_N" and "AMD Eng Sample: 100-000000884-20_Y," which are 96-core/192-thread; and the "AMD Eng Sample: 100-000000454-20_Y," which is 64-core/128-thread. "Storm Peak" is likely just a variation of EPYC "Genoa," geared for higher frequencies.

Leading global motherboard manufacturer, ASRock, proudly announces its new ASRock Z790 PG SONIC, an officially licensed motherboard featuring SEGA's Sonic the Hedgehog. A 16-bit spinning ring emblazons the rear IO cover, while on the rear side you'll even catch a glimpse of Sonic mid-run. The ASRock motherboard is co-launched to celebrate the release of SEGA's new Sonic Frontiers game.

"Designed to bring back epic memories of catching rings in Green Hill Zone, the motherboard echoes Sonic's lightning speed with its fast blue and silver shards and Sonic silhouette, besides the motherboard outlook is designed around the Sonic the Hedgehog theme, the ASRock Z790 PG SONIC also features a SONIC-inspired UEFI BIOS interface", Said Chris Lee, Vice President of ASRock motherboard & gaming monitor business unit.

Leading global motherboard manufacturer, ASRock, is proud to announce its new lineup, LiveMixer. There are Z790 LiveMixer and B650 LiveMixer for Intel's and AMD's new platform separately, which are produced in partnership with content creators that need motherboards with superb reliability, cutting-edge performance and an extended connectivity mix for the many auxiliary devices required for streaming. LiveMixer is the incarnation of valiance. It sets us free from the concrete jungle with its colorful graffiti. The stylish pattern represents the courage and bravery we possess to speak up for ourselves and try new things enriching life.

"We've studied the need of live streaming for a long time, and here comes our first LiveMixer that helps streamers to stream in great quality with its well VRM design, additional PCIe slots and twenty-plus USB ports." Says Chris Lee, Vice President of ASRock Motherboard & Gaming Monitor Business Unit. With a maximum of 23 USB ports to connect external devices, users will never run short. Hook up every peripheral, whether it's mice, keyboards, microphones, headsets, multiple cameras, fill-lights, macropads, and much more. Equipped with dual PCI-Express 4x slots & Thunderbolt header, The LiveMixer allows users to connect a graphics card, a high-speed capture card and a Thunderbolt add-in card at the same time.