It appears that releases from CES are already making their way in the press even before the year ends. We learned of LG's new "Ultra" series monitors recently, and now we get to know about their plans from the laptops business unit. Their Gram lineup was developed to feature lightweight portable laptops with enhanced user experience in mind, and joining the series in 2019 are the 14-inch LG Gram 2-in-1 (model 14T990) and the new LG Gram 17 (model 17Z990), both of which are 2019 CES Innovation Award winners.

The 14" Gram 2-in-1 is a convertible, shifting from tablet to laptop at the whim of the user. It features a 360° hinge coupled with a touch screen to add more use cases in between. This by itself is not necessarily new or unique to the market, but a welcome addition to fans of the LG brand nonetheless. The company wants to also assure the customer that the laptop is built to last, having met the U.S. military MIL-STD-810G standard for durability. Part of this no doubt comes from the incorporation of Corning's Gorilla Glass 5 on the touch screen, and the display underneath uses LG's IPS technology. More information on this, and the Gram 17, following the break.

QNAP Systems, Inc. (QNAP), a leading storage, network and computing solution provider, today launched the Intel Xeon E based TS-x83XU enterprise NAS series with ECC DDR4 memory that delivers server-class performance and dependable reliability. All models in the series feature two 10GbE SFP+ ports using Mellanox ConnectX -4 Lx SmartNIC controllers and support installing a PCIe graphics card for empowering video surveillance, virtual machines and AI applications. Coupled with QNAP's exclusive software-defined SSD extra over-provisioning and comprehensive virtualization capabilities, the TS-x83XU series provides a high-performance and dependable - yet cost-efficient - NAS solution for uncompromising enterprise IT requirements.

The TS-x83XU was specifically designed for enterprises that require server-class standards of performance and reliability for business-critical data and applications," said David Tsao, Product Manager of QNAP, adding "businesses and organizations can unlock greater application potential and increase their everyday working efficiency by leveraging game-changing features such as PCIe expandability, SSD-optimization technologies, and tiered storage."

Intel today introduced the B365 Express desktop motherboard chipset as an in-between to its B360 Express and H370 Express chipsets. This model is part of Intel's optical enlargement of its motherboard chipsets to the 22 nm HKMG+ silicon fabrication node, to free up 14 nm++ for processors. Despite this, the TDP of the chipset remains unchanged at 6 Watts. The B365 has a couple of feature additions and subtractions over B360. To begin with it has a wider PCI-Express downstream root-complex, with 20 gen 3.0 lanes, on par with H370 Express. The B360, if you'll recall, only has 12 downstream PCIe lanes. This means B365 motherboards will have additional M.2 and U.2 connectivity.

According to the ARK specifications page for the B365 Express, this chip completely lacks integrated 10 Gbps USB 3.1 gen 2 connectivity. Perhaps the expanded downstream PCIe is really meant for motherboard vendors to use third-party USB 3.1 gen 2 controller chips. You still get eight 5 Gbps USB 3.0 ports (notice we didn't say USB 3.1 gen 1, because don't expect fast-charging features). The chipset also loses the latest generation Wireless AC integrated MAC. All of these point to the possibility of the B365 Express being a re-branded Z170 with locked CPU overclocking. Adding credence to this theory is the fact that while the B360 uses ME version 12, the B365 uses the older ME version 11. Much like the H310C, the B365 could include platform support for Windows 7.

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules, NAND Flash products, and mobile accessories today launched the UE700 Pro USB flash drive. Featuring read/write speeds of up to 360/180MB/s[1]and up to 256GB of storage capacity, the drive offers users fast data transmissions and plenty of space for high-resolution movies, videos, and other data. What's more, it sports an ultra-thin 7mm form factor and a brushed aluminum surface that's highly portable and stylish.

Employing USB 3.1 the UE700 Pro sports fast read/write speeds of up to 360/180MB per second. That means users can transfer a 4GB high-resolution movie file in a speedy 22 seconds[1]. Also, in an era of 4K videos, there can never be too much storage capacity. Therefore the UE700 comes with up to 256GB of storage capacity so users can capture hi-res photos and videos without fear of running out of space.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today launched the TS-977XU AMD Ryzen NAS series, QNAP's first 1U hybrid-structure NAS. The series provides four 3.5-inch SATA drive bays for hard drives and five 2.5-inch SATA drive bays for SSDs, allowing users to enable caching and Qtier auto-tiering storage and to benefit from QNAP's revolutionary software-defined SSD extra over-provisioning technology. The TS-977XU also provides well-rounded virtualization applications, providing businesses and organizations with a highly-efficient and cost-effective storage solution.

"By combining AMD Ryzen processors with an advanced hybrid storage structure and 10GbE SFP+ connectivity, the TS-977XU packs tremendous performance into a compact 1U frame. The TS-977XU is further enhanced by PCIe expandability, allowing users to expand core NAS functionality as needed to accommodate changing requirements and business growth," said David Tsao, product manager of QNAP.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today released the new TVS-x72XT NAS series, powered by 8th Gen Intel Core processors with both 10GBASE-T and Thunderbolt 3 high-bandwidth connectivity for tackling heavy workloads and smoothly transferring, displaying and editing 4K videos in real-time. By supporting M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs and graphics cards, the TVS-x72XT series provides the ability to boost performance and create a scalable working environment for high-speed file sharing and collaboration.

The TVS-x72XT series features quality hardware and excellent performance with multiple 10GBASE-T and Thunderbolt 3 ports to provide workstations with high-capacity and high-throughput storage," said David Tsao, Product Manager of QNAP, adding "the TVS-x72XT series is also an exceptional storage base for iMac Pro users as they can flexibly choose between Thunderbolt 3 and 10GbE connections to suit their application and device needs."

OWC announced today the availability of its refreshed OWC Drive Dock. Designed to be the ultimate high-performance tool for creative workflows, backup or other tasks requiring constant access to multiple drives, the OWC Drive Dock delivers a compact and easy solution with exceptional performance.

The OWC Drive Dock supports up to two, simultaneous drives and connects to any Mac or PC with the latest USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 port for data rates of up to 981 MB/s; or connects to any Mac or PC with an available standard USB port for data rates of up to 522 MB/s. This new dock can support both 2.5-inch drives, 3.5-inch drives, a combination of both, and can even RAID drives together for data redundancy or performance. The OWC Drive Dock includes an auto-switching internal power supply compatible with a standard dual-prong power cable and no extra power block.

Apacer's latest military-grade shockproof portable hard drive - AC731 USB 3.1 Gen 1 which is with business and elegant design and earned recognition from 2019 Taiwan Excellence Award among over one thousand products. AC731 has passed the U.S. MIL-STD-810G Method 516.6 Procedure IV for 1.2 meters drop test as well as the top-level IP68 rating for waterproof and dustproof protection, plus internal suspension structure featuring anti-vibration function. The elegant design with its sophisticated black casing and exquisite champagne gold panel turns AC731 into the perfect aristocratic portable hard drive for today's trendy professional.

AC731 USB 3.1 Gen 1 military-grade shockproof portable hard drive is Apacer's latest masterpiece. Apart from usual sporty and military-grade shockproof models in the market, AC731 has been designed in an elegant business style, featuring a unique and exciting juxtaposition of matte leather texture and a high-quality polishing case, which shows exclusive simple and graceful. The design concept draws on the fine leather accessories favored by business people. AC731 is covered with a soft and fine leather-texture rubber that makes a comfortable surface, along with neatly created sidelines, while enhancing feeling of grip and handling, and greatly reducing the risk of falling.

MSI today introduced the Oculux NXG251R, an ultra-fast 24.5-inch gaming-grade monitor. If you can live with its Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution and TN-film type panel, on offer is 240 Hz maximum refresh-rate, response times as low as 1 ms (GTG), and support for NVIDIA G-Sync technology. There are also RGB LED ornaments behind the monitor, which can be controlled via MSI Mystic Light software, which can work as an ambient light, or however you want them to. The monitor features thin top and side bezels, with a faux brushed-metal bottom bezel. Other vital display specs include 170°/160° H/V viewing angles, and 1000:1 static contrast ratio with DCR. Inputs include DisplayPort 1.2 (needed for G-Sync), and HDMI 1.4. A 3-port USB 3.1 hub makes for the rest of it. The company didn't reveal pricing.

GIGABYTE introduced the B360 M Aorus Pro, a gaming-grade micro-ATX motherboard part of its new Aorus branding. The board features a quasi-premium feature-set that passes on savings from a more cost-effective CPU VRM to additional features, such as a more premium onboard audio, or WLAN. Built with a 240 mm x 240 mm PCB that maximizes the micro-ATX form-factor, the board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS, and conditions power for the CPU with a 4+2 phase VRM that's cooled by enlarged heatsinks. The CPU socket is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, and a reinforced PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot. The second slot is electrical gen 3.0 x4, and wired to the PCH.

Despite its size, the B360 M Aorus Pro packs three M.2 slots: an M.2-22110 with PCI-Express 3.0 x4 wiring and heatsink, an M.2-2280 slot with PCI-Express 3.0 x2 and SATA 6 Gbps wiring, and a third E-key 30 mm slot with x1 wiring for CNVi 802.11ac Wave2 2T2R WLAN cards. USB connectivity includes two USB 3.1 gen 2 ports (including a type-C port), and four USB 3.1 gen 1. Networking is care of a 1 GbE interface pulled by an Intel i219-V controller. The onboard audio solution combines a Realtek ALC892 CODEC with audio-grade capacitors and ground-layer isolation. The board features a unique in-PCB RGB LED diffuser, GIGABYTE didn't reveal pricing, although we expect it to go for around $90.

NEC Display Solutions of America, Inc., a leading provider of commercial LCD displays and projectors, today announced the availability of the 27" MultiSync EA271U, a full-featured, business-class desktop display delivering superior 4K UHD image quality and enhanced USB-C connectivity.

The EA271U features a 3-sided ultra-narrow bezel of just 1.00mm, designed to eliminate distractions while delivering a large desktop workspace that enhances productivity for high-end corporate and small-business customers. The EA271U is also compatible with NEC Display's SprectraViewII color calibration tool, which is ideal for healthcare and education users who need advanced imaging quality.

In order to satisfy modern consumers' need for variety in storage devices, TEAMGROUP launches multiple products with their own features. The simple, compact C185 and the C186 with classic design both have elegant and concise case, and the smooth retractable capless design makes it easy for consumers to use. The T183 Tool USB drive is the perfect interpretation of practical concepts. It not only has won the 2018 COMPUTEX d&i award, but also was highly praised by the Taiwan Excellence Awards recently. The T183 Tool USB drive is the first to include practical functions like bottle opener, straight ruler, etc. In addition, it also has high speed storage performance, which makes it both trendy and practical.

Constantly innovating in response to the current trend, TEAM GROUP's new USB drives have sleek ridgeline and smooth streamline design, which creates a trendy and minimalist style. Both USB drives have retractable design that makes it easy for handheld. The special designed structure not only can reduce wear and tear, but also eliminate the trouble of misplacing the cap. Both devices has its own features. The C185 uses USB 2.0 interface and has classic silver characters. The C186 has black base color with premium golden color to emphasize its high quality. It has USB 3.1 Gen1 interface and up to 128GB of storage capacity to satisfy consumers with different needs. Plug and play makes file sharing and backup easier than ever.

GIGABYTE today introduced the B450M Gaming, a low-cost socket AM4 motherboard based on AMD B450 chipset, designed to be priced under $100. Built in the compact micro-ATX form-factor (205 mm x 244 mm), the board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS, and uses a 4+3 phase VRM to power the AM4 SoC. A large VRM heatsink dominates the main MOSFET block, which also covers up a portion of the rear I/O area. The AM4 socket is wired to two DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel memory, the board's sole M.2-2280 slot, and the PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot with metal reinforcement. Two PCI-Express 2.0 x1 slots wired to the B450 chipset make for the rest of the expansion area.

Storage connectivity includes one M.2-2280 slot with PCI-Express 3.0 x4 and SATA 6 Gbps wiring, and four SATA 6 Gbps ports. USB connectivity includes four USB 3.1 gen 1 type-A ports on the rear panel, and two USB 3.1 gen 1 ports via header. Networking, interestingly, is a 1 GbE interface driven by Realtek Dragon 8118AS controller, which was originally launched as Realtek's competitor to the i219-V (comes with various performance enhancements). Audio is a basic 6-channel fare driven by Realtek ALC887, somewhat improved with ground-layer isolation and electrolytic capacitors.

LaCie , the premium brand from Seagate Technology (NASDAQ: STX), unveiled the high-performance LaCie Portable SSD storage solution. The compact external solid state drive offers fast and reliable performance featuring USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gb/s) technology with USB-C connector for universal compatibility.

With maximum sequential read/write speeds of 540/500MB/s, the LaCie Portable SSD is ideal for on-the-go creative professionals looking for uncompromised performance. Available in 2TB, 1TB, or 500GB capacities, this light-weight solution can transfer one hour of 4K 30fps video footage in less than one minute and store up to 65 hours of 4K 30fps video or 20,000 RAW photos2 (2TB capacity). It is also a great alternative to serve as a scratch disc -- allowing users to edit content directly off the LaCie Portable SSD, freeing up valuable workstation resources or serving as the perfect shuttle drive to quickly transfer files from capture devices on-set back to the studio.

ASUS today introduced its TUF Gaming GT501 mid-tower ATX case. Lending a semblance of the original TUF design philosophy is the up to 1.5 mm-thick galvanized steel that makes up the frame and metal panels, instead of the 0.5 mm SECC steel that's generally used in cases. This is the kind of steel you'd expect high-end PSU bodies to be made from. The left side panel is make from 4 mm-thick tempered glass, while the right side sticks with steel. You'll find a pair of cotton fiber handles, which can collectively hold up to 30 kg. Along most metal surfaces, ASUS applied a ceramic protective coat (the kind you'd find on motorcycle exhaust, wonder why). Front panel connectivity includes two USB 3.1 type-A and HDA jacks. Although there are no physical controls, the case plugs into one of your USB 2.0 headers to take input for its 4-channel fan controller, and RGB lighting, over Fan Xpert 4 and Aura Sync.

Inside, the TUF Gaming GT501 features a conventional horizontally partitioned layout, with the top compartment housing the motherboard tray with room for graphics cards as long as 42 cm, and CPU coolers as tall as 18 cm. The bottom compartment has the PSU bay with room for up to 24 cm long units, and two 3.5-inch/2.5-inch drive bays. Up to five 2.5-inch drives can be mounted behind the motherboard tray. The tray offers 7 normal expansion slots, and two vertical ones (riser not included). Ventilation includes either two 140 mm or three 120 mm front intakes; either two 140 mm or three 120 mm top exhausts, and a read 140 mm exhaust. The case measures 251 mm x 545 mm x 552 mm (WxDxH). The company didn't reveal pricing.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, announced the release of the Z390 DESIGNARE motherboard with full support for the newest 8-core Intel Core i9-9900K processors. The newest addition to the GIGABYTE DESIGNARE series is a feature-packed motherboard that provides content creators the fastest and most efficient tools to showcase their creativity and craftsmanship. GIGABYTE DESIGNARE Series motherboards bring out the best in workstation graphics cards, maximize M.2 SSD and DDR4 RAM performance, and fully support powerful CPUs such as the newest 8-core Intel Core i9-9900K CPU. With built in USB Type-C Thunderbolt , and native USB 3.1 Gen 2 to provide 40Gb/s transmission speed, the board is designed with effective storage performance as a key feature. GIGABYTE Ultra-Durable Technology and exclusive software also bring additional value for digital content creators and design professionals.

"Today's content creators are seeking faster and more efficient performance from their PCs. GIGABYTE created the DESIGNARE series a few years back to fulfill these user demands," stated Jackson Hsu, Deputy Director of the GIGABYTE Channel Solutions Product Development Division. "Z390 DESIGNARE is the newest addition to this constantly evolving content creation focused series and is loaded with features that enable content creators to express their artistic creativity through their PCs with excellent performance and efficiency."

Blackmagic Design today announced the Blackmagic eGPU Pro, an external graphics processor featuring the blazingly fast AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 graphics processor. Designed to accelerate pro creative software such as DaVinci Resolve, 3D games and VR, the Blackmagic eGPU Pro delivers nearly twice the performance of the original Blackmagic eGPU model and up to 22x faster performance than the built-in graphics on a 13-inch MacBook Pro.

The Blackmagic eGPU Pro features a built-in AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a new DisplayPort for connecting 5K displays, HDMI 2.0, 85W of charging power and four USB 3.1 connections. Designed in collaboration with Apple, the integrated design brings cutting-edge workstation-class graphics processing and computational acceleration to customers working in professional video, playing 3D games or using the latest virtual reality software.

Cooler Master, a global leader in manufacturing CPU coolers, computer components and peripherals, today, announced the availability of the MasterCase SL600M, marking the start of the SL series, designed to blur the lines between work and play.

Clad in sand-blasted anodized aluminum and sans any RGB features, the MasterCase SL600M is designed to be the centerpiece of a home office or workplace with the capability of powering a high-end gaming setup. "Fusing together professional aesthetics and gaming functionality took more than just exterior changes, it demanded an altered perspective on system layouts and cooling," said Matteo Stracciari, General Manager of Case at Cooler Master. "Instead of using brute-force cooling methods, the chassis takes advantage of the natural rise of heat."

Riotoro Morpheus GTX100 is a fascinating new case design. You can either configure it to be a space-saving ATX cubical (mini-tower) case, or enlarge it by sliding and locking the top half along rails, to convert it to an ATX mid-tower. The case features a vertically partitioned dual-chamber layout, with the motherboard tray located in the larger left-side half, and oriented upside down, BTX style.

When contracted to mini-tower proportions, the left chamber with the motherboard tray has room for standard ATX (and smaller) motherboards, up to three graphics cards that can be as long as 40 cm, CPU coolers up to 18 cm in height; while the right chamber holds two each 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch drive bays, besides the PSU bay, with up to 22 cm clearance. When expanded to mid-tower proportions, you get more of everything - the left chamber now holds E-ATX motherboards and up to four 40 cm long graphics cards; while the right chamber holds four 2.5-inch bays instead of two.

SilverStone today rolled out the Raven-Z RVZ03-ARGB small-form-factor gaming case. With a volume of just 14 liters, and measuring 382 mm x 105 mm x 350 mm (WxHxD), the case serves up enough room for dual-slot graphics cards that are up to 33 cm in length, and oriented sideways via an included PCIe riser cable. The case holds mini-ITX motherboards, with room for CPU coolers as tall as 83 mm. A standard ATX power supply up to 15 cm in length is supported, though a 3-pin AC receptacle and riser.

Storage options of the RVZ03-ARGB include three internal 2.5-inch mounts. Cooling includes three 120 mm vents, from which two are populated by 1,500 RPM, 18 dBA fans. Front panel connectivity includes USB 3.1 type-A ports, and HDA audio jacks. The star-attraction here of course is the addressable-RGB LED diffuser that dominates a somewhat X-shaped embellishment along the front panel. The light strip is either controlled by a small PCB cycling between presets, or can plug into your motherboard via a standard ARGB header, for software control. The case comes in two color options, matte black and white.

IBASE Technology Inc. (TPEx: 8050), a leader in the manufacture of industrial motherboards and embedded systems, announces the new MI995 in mini ITX form factor (170x170 mm) based on the latest 8th Gen Intel Core / Xeon E family processors and Intel CM246/QM370 mobile chipset.

The MI995 low-power Mini-ITX delivers stunning graphics and media performance and supports up to three independent displays in eDP, HDMI 2.0a, DVI-D and DisplayPort outputs, which makes it ideal for gaming/entertainment, digital signage and POS applications. The motherboard has two DDR4-2666 SO-DIMM sockets accepting up to 32GB memory with ECC. Apart from enhanced performance of CPU and graphics, the MI995 features optimized I/O with onboard 6x USB 3.1, 4x USB 2.0, 4x COM, and up to 4x SATA III to empower real-time IoT and data-intensive applications.

ASUS expanded its Workstation motherboard series with the new WS Z390 Pro, a socket LGA1151 board based on Intel Z390 Express chipset, featuring out-of-the-box support for 9th generation Core processors. Built in the ATX form-factor, the board draws power from a combination of one 24-pin ATX, two 8-pin EPS, and an optional 6-pin PCIe power. A 10-phase VRM (likely 8+2 phase incorporating smart-doubling on the Vcore side). This board appears to be using a PCI-Express 3.0 x48 bridge chip to convert 16 gen 3.0 lanes from the CPU to two x16 downstream slots, which are further split to four x8 slots, depending on how you populate the slots. The slot configuration options are x16/x16/NC/NC or x16/x8/x8/NC or x8/x8/x8/x8. An additional open-ended x4 slot wired to the PCH makes for the rest of the expansion.

Storage connectivity includes two each of M.2-22110, and U.2 ports, each with PCI-Express 3.0 x4 wiring; and six SATA 6 Gbps ports. Networking interfaces include two 1 GbE ports, one of which is driven by Intel i219-LM, and the other Intel i210-AT. USB connectivity includes six USB 3.1 gen 2 ports on the rear panel, from which one is type-C, two additional USB 3.1 gen 2 ports by header, and a USB 3.1 gen 1 2-port header. The 8-channel onboard audio solution combines an EMI-shielded Realtek ALC S1220A codec with audio-grade capacitors, a headphones amp, and ground-layer isolation. We expect a price of around $350 for this board.

The Define S2 is the latest leap forward in open-layout case design-an ingenious refinement of the zero-obstruction formula that cemented the series as the de facto standard for the silent high-performance build. The S2 achieves increased airflow and water cooling capacity with nine total fan positions and 15% larger intake area vs. the previous generation. Radiators up to 420 mm install directly through the top by way of an innovative removable bracket with built-in fill port for easy access, and there's room for radiators up to 360 mm in the front and 280 mm in the base. Pumps and reservoirs are supported right out of the box with integrated mounting locations and adjustable brackets.

Full USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C comes standard along with three Dynamic X2 fans, full length ventilated PSU shroud with alternate SSD mounts, and support for vertical GPU installation via the Flex VRC-25 riser, available separately. Bolt-free tempered glass offers an exceptionally clear interior view thanks to an elegant push-to-lock latching mechanism, and Third generation ModuVent technology complements a generous application of industrial sound dampening to ensure your hardware is seen but not heard.

Kingston today introduced the HyperX Savage EXO line of portable SSDs. Sized not much bigger than the likes of the Patriot Evolvr, and weighing just 56 g, the Savage EXO is priced in a lower bracket, and takes advantage of USB 3.1 gen 2 (10 Gbps), rather than Thunderbolt 3. The drive comes in capacities of 480 GB and 960 GB. Both variants offer sequential transfer rates of up to 550 MB/s reads, with up to 400 MB/s writes. It supports USB 3.1 type-C to type-C and type-C to type-A cabling. We are awaiting pricing information.

MyDigitalSSD is out with a relatively ingenious solution for users looking to get the best portable, external SSD performance available. Their new M2X external M.2 enclosure will allow users to create an external storage solution via a DIY kit. The M2X is built on JMicron's JMS583 USB 3.1 Gen 2 to PCIe 3.1 x2 bridge chip (meaning that a PCIe 2x NVMe will be sufficient in maxing out available performance), will only be limited by USB 3.1 Gen 2's 1GB/s throughput. The DIY assembly packs a thermal pad and the enclosure, as well as USB Type-C and Type-A cables, and will be available from Amazon for $39.99 or through MyDigitalDiscount for $36.14.