Intel released a product brief of its premium mainstream-desktop (MSDT) chipset, the Z390 Express. Positioned above the Z370 Express, the chipset has an exhaustive feature-set. It supports current 8th generation Core "Coffee Lake" processors, and is ready for the next-generation. Like all other 300-series chipsets, the Z390 interfaces with the LGA1151 processor over a DMI 3.0 chipset-bus. Much like the Z370, it features 24 downstream PCI-Express gen 3.0 lanes. Its storage setup remains unchanged from the Z370 - six SATA 6 Gbps ports with AHCI and RAID support; and up to three 32 Gbps M.2/U.2 connectors.

The differences begin with the chipset's integrated USB connectivity. The Z390 Express directly puts out six 10 Gbps USB 3.1 gen 2 ports, and ten 5 Gbps USB 3.1 gen 1 ports. If that's not a lot, it also puts out fourteen USB 2.0 ports (a total of 30 USB ports). Another major feature is Intel SmartSound technology, which the document specifies as an "audio/voice offload" DSP. This should, in theory, reduce the CPU's load in processing the audio stack. At the physical level it's still the company's "Azalia" HD audio bus wired to an audio CODEC with close to zero native signal processing. Perhaps some of that processing is done inside the chipset. The concept appears to be borrowed from edge-computing, and triggered by the rise in voice-command interface, so the chipset can natively process speech-to-text conversions.

ASUS rolled out the Prime H310T, one of the rare few thin mini-ITX motherboards based on Intel 300-series chipset, a boon for certain SFF cases such as the Akasa Euler series, or DIY all-in-one PC upgrades. Based on Intel H310 chipset, the board supports 8th generation Intel "Coffee Lake" processors (including 95W TDP chips). It draws power from 2-pin (12V DC in), and conditions it for the LGA1151 processor using a simple 3+1 phase VRM. The CPU socket is wired to two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots, which support up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR4-2666 memory.

Storage connectivity includes a 32 Gbps M.2-2280 slot, and two SATA 6 Gbps ports. The only other expansion slot is an M.2 slot for WLAN modules. Display outputs include LVDS (useful in AIOs), DisplayPort, and HDMI. USB connectivity includes four 5 Gbps USB 3.1 gen 1 ports. 2-channel HD audio and gigabit Ethernet make for the rest of it.

CORSAIR , a world leader in PC gaming peripherals and enthusiast components, today announced the launch of its largest, most feature-rich PC case ever - the Obsidian Series 1000D. Building on the CORSAIR Concept Slate prototype that captured the imagination of PC enthusiasts, the Obsidian 1000D is the result of over two years of development and design to create the ultimate super-tower case. Clean exterior lines brushed aluminium details and four smoked tempered glass panels give the 1000D the iconic styling and superior build-quality enthusiasts have come to expect from the CORSAIR Obsidian Series.

Both a full E-ATX and Mini-ITX system can be installed simultaneously, cooled by 13 cooling fan mounts, powered by two PSUs (SFX and ATX) and equipped with 11 storage drives. Created to house the world's most epic PC builds, the 1000D is the ultimate super-tower PC case.

COUGAR is proud to announce the arrival of the last and most powerful iteration of its renowned Panzer Full Tower series: the Panzer EVO RGB. Combining four tempered glass covers, powerful RGB lighting and the industrial inspiration design that has characterized the series, this case offers massive amounts of space and unparalleled aesthetics.

As its name indicates, RGB lighting is one of the strengths of this case. This is not limited to the four powerful Vortex RGB fans but also includes the COUGAR Core Box, capable of supporting up to 8 COUGAR RGB fans and four COUGAR RGB LED strips, as well as a driver-free remote controller. This allows users to start enjoying and customizing the more than 100 RGB lighting effects right out of the box, without going through any software installation or encountering compatibility issues.

Sony is expanding its External Solid-State Drive (SSD) range with a brand new top of the range SL-E series. This new model is a stylish, high-capacity external SSD that is small enough to put in your pocket but powerful enough for high-speed and safe data transfer. Designed with the needs of professionals such as architects, engineers and researchers in mind, the handy external solid-state drive is smaller than a credit card, so you can take it anywhere and with up to 960GB of storage you can keep all your important files with you all the time.

Compatible with wide range of devices
This SSD is equipped with compact and reversible USB Type-C ports for connection to all the latest mobile technology, as well as standard-A cables. Having both ports ensures usability with a wide range of devices including Mac and Windows PCs, Android smartphones and tablets.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today unveiled new TVS-882BR RDX models (including the TVS-882BR-RDX and TVS-882BRT3-RDX) that integrates the Tandberg RDX QuikStor internal SATA 5.25-inch docking station (8813-RDX) for installing removable and portable RDX hard disk cartridges. Compared to standard external hard drives, the Tandberg RDX cartridge features a rugged dust-proof design that protects data for a longer period of time and allows users to easily transfer data with the cartridges.

"QNAP constantly integrates partner backup solutions to our existing NAS solutions. By supporting RDX hard disk backup, the new TVS-882BR RDX models allows users to enjoy longer data protection and the portable cartridges can easily be shared for data exchanging. Coupled with Media Asset Management (MAM) software and a wide range of backup solutions, the TVS-882BR helps improve work efficiency while also providing highly-scalable storage space and powerful hardware that meets the requirements from modern businesses and organizations" said Dan Lin, Product Manager of QNAP.

StarTech.com has announced the release of two new Thunderbolt 3 adapters that enable access to many different external peripherals and devices using various interfaces. The two new Thunderbolt 3 accessories allow users to extend the life of their external hard drives, USB devices and other specialized laptop peripherals.

The first new Thunderbolt 3 accessory, the Thunderbolt 3 to USB 3.1 Controller Adapter (SKU: TB33A1C), provides dedicated USB 3.0 bandwidth to three USB-A ports and one USB-C port (total of 20 Gbps). The adapter gives the user access to high performance USB peripherals such as storage controllers and 3D scanners from Thunderbolt 3 based laptops. The second new product, the Thunderbolt 3 eSATA Adapter with USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) Port (SKU: TB3ESATU31), offers connections to an external eSATA hard drive or SSD, and to a USB device simultaneously. Both products are beneficial for Windows and MacBook Pro users, where no USB-A ports are available.

Since its release last year, AMD's Ryzen platform reinvigorated the desktop with multithreaded horsepower plus accessible overclocking and gaming prowess. That first wave was a market revelation that touched everything from value-packed PCs to high-end gaming and content creation rigs. And now ASUS is ready for the second wave with a fresh family of motherboards based on the new AMD X470 chipset. The X470 chipset is designed to enhance the performance of the next generation AMD Ryzen 2000 series of processors code named Pinnacle Ridge and yet retains backward compatibility with current Ryzen processors.

The new X470 Series spans six motherboards, each with a unique spirit. The ROG Crosshair VII Hero and its WiFi twin lead the lineup with a stealthy design for serious overclockers, savvy enthusiasts and gamers. Its Strix X470-F Gaming sibling makes ROG enhancements like easy tuning and next-level customization more affordable, while the Strix X470-I Gaming shrinks everything down to mini-ITX proportions for powerhouse small-form-factor systems.

ASRock is leading its AMD X470 chipset based motherboard lineup with the X470 Taichi Ultimate and the X470 Taichi. Here are pictures of its mid-range lineup based on the chipset, the Fatal1ty X470 Gaming K4 and the X470 Master SLI. Both models are based on the same exact PCB, with variations on product design and certain features that place the Fatal1ty X470 Gaming K4 a notch above the X470 Master SLI. Built in the ATX form-factor, the board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, an 8-pin EPS, and interestingly, an additional 4-pin ATX power connector, which is usually found in high-end AM4 motherboards. A 12-phase VRM is used to condition power for the AM4 SoC.

The AM4 socket is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of memory; two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x16/NC or x8/x8), and one of the two M.2 PCIe slots. Storage connectivity includes two M.2 PCIe slots, the topmost slot is 32 Gbps, and M.2-22110, while the bottom slot is 16 Gbps; and six SATA 6 Gbps ports. USB connectivity includes ten USB 3.0 ports (six on the rear panel, four by headers), and two USB 3.1 gen 2 ports (including one type-C port), on the rear panel. 8-channel onboard audio with a mid-range CODEC, and gigabit Ethernet with an Intel i219-V controller, make for the rest of the two. The Fatal1ty X470 Gaming K4 is slightly better endowed than the X470 Master SLI, in featuring a slightly more upscale onboard audio solution (probably ALC1220 vs. ALC892), Creative SoundBlaster Cinema DSP, RGB LEDs in even the rear I/O shroud, and Fatal1ty Mouse Port (specialized USB port with supposedly lower latency). The two could be priced under $150.

ProGrade Digital, founded with a mission to provide the highest quality professional grade digital memory cards and workflow solutions, announces its V90 premium line of digital memory cards-a step up in performance to sustained read speed of up to 250MB/second and sustained write speed of up to 200MB/second. ProGrade Digital SDXC UHS-II, U3, Class 10, V90 brings peak performance to upper-end DSLR, mirrorless, camcorder and digital cinema cameras-cameras that produce incredibly rich data streams and require more from a memory card. This elevated performance ensures faster capture during data-intensive processing, most notably for the Panasonic GH5S, Panasonic AU-EVA1, Canon Cinema EOS line and Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. ProGrade Digital SDXC UHS-II V90 memory cards in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities will be available at the start of May.

BIOSTAR presents two entry-level micro-ATX motherboards featuring the new Intel B360 and H310 chipsets - BIOSTAR B360MHD PRO and BIOSTAR H310MHD PRO; for office and home entertainment applications. The B360MHD PRO and H310MHD PRO have BIOSTAR's all new Nano Carbon Coating Heatsink for improved cooling over aluminium-extruded heatsinks, AudioArt Capacitors projecting artistic-like sound and Hi-Fi audio amplification effects and Tough Power Enhanced to ensure full energy output without additional energy loss.

The micro-ATX BIOSTAR B360MHD PRO uses the new entry-level B360 chipset that supports LGA 1151 8th generation Intel Core processors. It supports dual-channel memory of up to DDR4-2666MHz, a single PCI-E 3.0 x16 slot with reinforced iron protection design and USB3.1 Gen1. Other notable features include 6+ Experience and Charger Booster Technology for quicker mobile phone charges.

Here are some of the first pictures of ASRock X470 Fatal1ty Gaming ITX/ac, one of the first few upcoming AMD X470 chipset motherboards built in the mini-ITX form-factor. The board draws power from a 24-pin ATX, and an 8-pin EPS connector, and uses an 8-phase VRM to power the SoC. The AM4 socket is wired to two DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel memory; a reinforced PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot, and a 32 Gbps M.2-2280 slot (reverse side), besides two of the board's four SATA 6 Gbps ports, four of its USB 3.0 ports, and the onboard audio. The AMD X470 chipset puts out the remaining two SATA 6 Gbps ports and two USB 3.1 gen 2 ports, including a type-C port. High-grade 8-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, and 802.11 ac WLAN with Bluetooth 4.1, make for the rest of it.

Intel today expanded its 8th generation Core desktop processor family, to include xx new models across its Core i7, Core i5, and Core i3 brand extensions. The company also introduced entry-level Pentium Gold and Celeron processors. The chips are based on the 14 nm "Coffee Lake" silicon, and are compatible with socket LGA1151 motherboards based on Intel 300-series chipset. Intel has relegated dual-core to the Celeron and Pentium Gold brands. The Celeron series includes 2-core/2-thread chips with 3 MB L3 cache; while the Pentium Gold series includes 2-core/4-thread chips with 4 MB L3 cache.

The company is launching the 8th generation Celeron series with two models, the G4900 and the G4920, clocked at 3.10 GHz, and 3.20 GHz, respectively. The Pentium Gold family has three parts, the G5400, the G5500, and the G5600, clocked at 3.70 GHz, 3.80 GHz, and 3.90 GHz, respectively. The 8th generation Core i3 family of 4-core/4-thread parts receives a new member, the i3-8300. Endowed with 8 MB of L3 cache, this chip is clocked at 3.70 GHz, and sits between the i3-8100 and the i3-8350K, but lacks the unlocked multiplier of the latter.

As a global leader in small form factor computer technology, Shuttle always seems to be expanding their portfolio of products. Shuttle has unveiled an Intel Gemini Lake based fanless XPC slim DL10J, which is more geared towards for business use cases like digital signage and multi-display solutions. To meet the diverse applications of Internet of Things, the DL10J offers 4G/LTE network support via M.2 2230 expansion slot.

Powered by Intel Gemini lake Celeron J4005 processor, the DL10J is capable of supporting 4K/UHD content with Intel integrated graphics GPU engine, makes this model ideal for digital signage applications. At a body thickness of just 43mm, the new DL10J is equipped with a vast array of connectivity for a wide range of commercial uses; it features built-in Gigabit LAN, two COM ports, four native 2.0, two USB 3.1 Gen 1, and optional 4G/LTE SIM card adaptor. In terms of storage there is SATA 6G, M.2 interfaces. Triple displays are provided by HDMI, DisplayPort and D-sub outputs. Plus, the VESA mount complaint makes the DL10J fully integrate into diverse and space-critical environments.

ASMedia Technology, a tech company that's best known for designing high speed controllers (most recently, USB 3.1 Gen2, and AMD's X370 chipset), has posted tremendous increases in revenue and profits. The Taiwanese company distributed cash dividends per share in the order of $0.21 in late 2017, after achieving revenues of roughly $102 million, up 44.7% YoY (Year over Year).

While ASMedia is one of the implied companies in the latest AMD nightmare (the suspiciously timed and apparently interest-driven CTS flaw disclosure), AMD is keeping with ASMedia for its X470 chipset design and production. Which was to be expected - even if AMD wanted to change partners or develop the chipset in-house, AMD's Ryzen 2000 series and the accompanying motherboards' release is impending. The company is expected to continue its strong growth on continued shipment of USB 3.1 controllers, adding USB 3.2 controllers to its portfolio, and increased profits derived from the development of AMD's X470 chipset.

GIGABYTE today rolled out the RX 580 Gaming Box, an external graphics enclosure with a factory-fitted graphics card. The company's Gaming Box line of external graphics enclosures made their debut with Aorus-branded boxes based on GeForce GTX 1070 graphics cards. The company later launched an Aorus-branded GTX 1080 Gaming Box. The new RX 580 Gaming Box (model: GV-RX580IXEB-8GD) encloses a Radeon RX 580 8 GB graphics card, with its core clocked at reference clocks of 1257 MHz core and 1340 MHz boost, out of the box, although a software-toggled "OC Mode" spools up the boost clock to 1355 MHz. The memory is untouched, at 8.00 GHz (GDDR5-effective).

The enclosure takes in a Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps) connection, with which it drives not just the graphics card, but also a 3-port USB 3.0 hub. A fourth (orange) USB 3.1 port lacks any data connection, but is a Quick Charge 3-compliant USB port, for charging your devices. Powering the enclosure is a 450W internal PSU with over 90% efficiency. GIGABYTE claims this meets 80 Plus Gold efficiency standards, although is not certified with the 80 Plus logo. Display outputs from the graphics card include three DisplayPort 1.4 and one HDMI 2.0. The enclosure features mesh side windows, and an RGB LED strip controlled with GIGABYTE RGB Fusion software. The company didn't reveal pricing.

OWC, a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company, is making drive juggling a thing of the past with the new OWC Mercury Elite Pro Quad. The new external storage solution offers four drive bays to provide massive amounts of storage from a single USB-C connection, with the flexibility to be utilized in Mac, PC and mixed Mac/PC environments. Designed for users who require high capacity storage with fast transfer speeds, the Mercury Elite Pro Quad is ideal for use by post- production firms, photographers, creative agencies, higher education programs, and small businesses.

It's been a while since Corsair pushed the upper end of its Obsidian series high-end PC cases. The Obsidian 900D has held the fort since 2013, but could be getting dated in the wake of newer standards such as tempered glass, RGB lighting, newer connectors, etc. Corsair is careful not to just make a mash of glass and RGB lighting; when designing its upcoming flagship case, the Obsidian 1000D super-tower (model: CC-9011115-WW), which leaked to the web thanks to an eager Amazon listing, in which it's priced at USD $500. The Obsidian 1000D retains the "for grownups only" styling of the series, with a beautiful combination of curved tempered glass, matte black aluminium, and subtlety in the amount of RGB LED lighting elements on use. The feature-set of this full-tower will blow any high-end case out of the water.

The front, sides, and top panels are made of curved tempered glass with aluminium inserts, and enough discrete air inlets for the countless fan mounts inside. The front-panel features four USB 3.1 type-A, and two type-C ports; in addition to audio jacks. Connectors are framed by RGB lighting diffusers. The case is highly modular, and you can either choose between storage-heavy configurations, or cooling-heavy configuration that frees up room for multiple liquid cooling loops. The rear I/O can be configured to be perpendicular to the plane of the motherboard with 8+2 slots, or parallel to its plane, with 5+2 slots. You can install E-ATX and everything smaller, but longer 10-slot form-factors such as HPTX and XL-ATX are a notable exclusion.

Chinese storage manufacturer Kingspec today rolled out the Z1 line of portable SSDs. These are essentially M.2 NVMe drives strapped onto a USB 3.1 to M.2 PCIe adapter. A star-attraction here is Kingspec's choice of pure SLC NAND flash. They don't directly plug into ports, but rather come with a USB 3.1 type-A to type-C cable, with a single cable being used for both power and host connectivity. The drive comes in 128 GB and 256 GB capacities. The 128 GB variant offers sequential speeds of 700-800 MB/s reads, with up to 550-600 MB/s writes; while the 256 GB variant is slightly faster, with 720-850 MB/s reads, and 620-750 MB/s writes. Their 4K random-access speeds at QD64 is rated at 33,000/42,000 IOPS (reads/writes) for both the variants. The company didn't reveal pricing.

GIGABYTE today launched four new BRIX mini-PC models featuring 8th generation Intel Core processors. These include the GB-BRi5-8250, the GB-BRi7-8550, the GB-BRi5H-8250, and the GB-BRi7H-8550. The GB-BRi5-8250 and the GB-BRi7-8550 are built in a more compact 0.46L (34.4 x 112.6 x 119.4mm) chassis, while the GB-BRi5H-8250 and the GB-BRi7H-8550, come in a slightly taller 0.63L (46.8 x 112.6 x 119.4mm), with added room for a 2.5-inch drive bay. As their names suggest, the GB-BRi5-8250 and GB-BRi5H-8250 are powered by the Core i5-8250U processor (4-core/8-thread, 1.60~3.40 GHz, 6 MB L3 cache, 25W TDP); while the GB-BRi7H-8550 and GB-BRi7H-8550 implement the range-topping Core i7-8550U (4-core/8-thread, 1.80~4.00 GHz, 8 MB L3 cache, 25W TDP).

The 0.46L models offer two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots, a 32 Gb/s M.2-2280 slot, a second M.2-2240 slot holding the pre-installed WLAN card, HDMI and mini-DP display output, two USB 3.0 type-A ports on the rear panel, and two USB 3.1 ports on the front-panel, including a type-C port; and network connectivity including a gigabit Ethernet connection driven by Intel i219-V controller, and Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168 WLAN card with dual-band 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2. Stereo audio makes for the rest of it. The 0.63L models simply add to this feature-set with a 9 mm-thick 2.5-inch drive bay that has SATA 6 Gb/s interface. All models feature VESA mounting, so you can tuck them away behind your monitor. The company didn't reveal pricing.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today unveiled the quad-core Intel-based 2-bay TS-253Be and 4-bay TS-453Be. With a PCIe expansion slot, the functionality of both NAS can be expanded to meet application needs, including M.2 SSD caching and 10GbE connectivity. The TS-x53Be also features HDMI output and 4K H.264/H.265 transcoding to provide a greater multimedia experience while its snapshots function helps protect data against potential ransomware threats.

"With the PCIe slot, the TS-x53Be series allows for extending NAS functionalities, including adding SSD caching and 10GbE connectivity, which provides great long-term potential for the NAS," said Jason Hsu, Product Manager of QNAP. "For users who require a professional storage that can help streamline workflows and provide a great multimedia experience, the TS-x53Be series is the ideal choice with a reasonable price," Hsu added.

Akitio, creators of premium, high quality, external storage solutions, today announced an important expansion of their storage product offerings - to integrate hard drives into select Akitio storage enclosures. The expansion creates a new line of products for Akitio as previously the company sold only unpopulated enclosures. The first Akitio enclosure that will be available with drives will be the new Akitio Thunder3 RAID Station and it will be populated with two Seagate 2TB Iron Wolf Pro drives. Akitio also plans to offer higher capacity drives and also incorporate them into other Akitio enclosures.

This new product expansion makes Akitio products even more flexible than they already were by offering consumers and businesses the option of purchasing either a fully populated, plug and play storage solution or an empty enclosure and installing their own drives.

BIOSTAR presents another entry-level micro-ATX form factor motherboard - the BIOSTAR H110MDE. This motherboard sports the entry-level Intel H110 chipset that supports the Socket LGA 1151 7th and 6th generation Intel Core processors. The BIOSTAR H110MDE is the perfect solution for desktop users on a tight budget by opting for Kaby Lake and Skylake processors. The compact micro-ATX form factor ensures high compatibility with most desktop cases in the market today. It also comes bundled with a free BullGuard Antivirus Software, another instant saving for builders.

The BIOSTAR H110MDE features the entry-level Intel H110 chipset for the 7th and 6th generation Intel Core processors offering builders instant savings by opting for the previous generation Intel processors. Still, the H110MDE offers the essential features and performance you need for daily computing with its dual DIMM slots supporting up to 32GB of 2400MHz DDR4 memory and a single PCI-E 3.0 x16 slot that supports high-end graphics card and NVMe solid-state drives if desired. As for connectivity, the H110MDE packs a Realtek RTL8111G offering up to 100 MB/s Ethernet connectivity along with two USB 3.1 Gen1 ports and a USB 3.1 Gen1 header offering high-speed data transfers for portable storage drives.

With the Sharkoon Quickstore One, the range of external enclosures with a USB 3.1 interface expands further. It features a USB Type C port and is suitable for tool-free installation of a 2.5" HDD/SSD with a maximum height of 9.5 mm. The case is compatible with Windows 7/8/10, Mac OS X and Linux. The recommended retail price is 24.99 euros.

Sharkoon has historically offered a large variety of external hard drive enclosures and, with the new Quickstore One, introduces the third portable storage solution with a USB 3.1 interface. The top cover is comprised of brushed aluminum, which is available in the color versions of black or silver, with a plastic underside in black for both versions. The compact dimensions measure 130 x 83 x 16 mm, with a weight without a built-in hard drive of 92.5 grams.

BIOSTAR introduces the B250MDC motherboard offering a well-balanced set of features without the premium price point making it ideal for casual users on a budget. The BIOSTAR B250MDC motherboard is the perfect solution for an entry-level desktop computer for daily multitasking use, office application and home entertainment. The B250MDC features a compact micro-ATX form factor that fits in most budget cases. The B250MDC also uses the Intel B250 chipset, perfect for a daily driver with its high-efficiency performance.

The BIOSTAR B250MDC features the Intel B250 chipset offering everything essential for desktop users without compromise. The B250MDC features a single PCIe 3.0x16 slot that can fully utilize high-end graphics cards and NVMe solid-state drives; dual DDR4 DIMM slots supporting up to 43GB of 2400MHz memory; four speedy USB 3.1 Gen1 ports and a DVI-D output port for basic setups without discrete graphics. Users will also enjoy the board's 7.1 channel High-Definition Audio.