Today, we shared our vision for the next era of the Windows PC, where the PC and the cloud intersect and tap into innovative AI technology that unlocks new experiences. So that each of us can participate, be seen, heard and express our creativity.

For nearly 40 years, the Windows PC has held a place at the center of our lives. It's contributed to new levels of productivity, kept us all connected, and unlocked our creativity and potential through innovations we couldn't have imagined when we first began this journey. Just think about how far we've come in how people interact with it. From the very first text-based keyboard input to the precision of point and click with the mouse, up to today, where touch, voice, pen and gestures all help people use the Windows PC more naturally and intuitively. From its inception, Surface has been a catalyst for that change.

We're excited to release a new 3DMark feature test for Intel's new XeSS AI-enhanced upscaling technology. This new feature test is available in 3DMark Advanced and Professional Editions. 3DMark feature tests are special tests designed to highlight specific techniques, functions, or capabilities. The Intel XeSS feature test shows you how XeSS affects performance.

The 3DMark Intel XeSS frame inspector tool helps you compare image quality with an interactive side-by-side comparison of XeSS and native-resolution rendering. Check out the images below to see an example comparison of native resolution rendering and XeSS in the new 3DMark feature test.

Logitech G, a brand of Logitech and leading innovator of gaming technologies and gear, today announced the PRO Racing Wheel and PRO Racing Pedals, a stunning new professional-grade racing setup designed with and for professional sim drivers. Engineered for the most realistic and immersive racing experience possible, the PRO Racing Wheel features a new, high-performance Direct Drive engine along with TRUEFORCE feedback technology to deliver the most precise and pure connection to racing.

"Logitech's PRO Racing Wheel makes the sim racing experience incredibly realistic. I'm able to feel the conditions of the track and how the car changes during the race, which is game-changing. When using this wheel at home, I feel like I'm right there on track," said Lando Norris, F1 Racer for McLaren.

M-Audio today introduced M-Game, livestreaming audio interfaces and software designed specifically for gaming and content creation. M-Game provides premium quality streaming, elevated performance, and entertainment for any audience. M-Audio's legendary contribution to music performance and audio production is distinguished by a history of sophisticated engineering with an emphasis on versatility and usability. Drawing on our expertise with audio interfaces, and in partnership with our gaming experts, we are proud to debut M-Game.

Powered by M-Audio, the new M-Game livestreaming audio interfaces, RGB Dual and Solo, and M-Game software provide an all-in-one simple solution that delivers unique and innovative features for seamless set-up and customization. Unlike other audio interfaces, M-Game delivers first-of-its-kind dual PC USB connection and the ability to add images to effects and samples allowing for a seamless setup of a livestream.

IBASE Technology Inc., a world leading manufacturer of digital signage media players, has launched a new compact fanless, outdoor signage player for three HDMI displays and designed with Intel Atom x6000/Celeron processors (formerly Elkhart Lake). Built for smart retail and drive-thru applications, not only does it provide eye-catching retail experience but also help increase foot traffic that leads to higher revenue. Like all other IBASE digital signage players, the latest SE-103-N boasts advanced functions including iSMART/iControl energy-saving and Observer remote monitoring technologies with power on/off scheduling and power recovery functions.

Measuring 260 mm x 181 mm x 25 mm, the compact SE-103-N comes with industrial-grade components and specifications, allowing it to operate reliably under harsh conditions with temperatures from -20°C to 70°C. Aside from an integrated TPM (2.0), it supports EDID (extended display identification data) that prevents screen convergence issues, display status monitoring and HDMI-CEC for display on/off control through HDMI ports. Standard features include 2x DDR4-3200 slot with the max. 32 GB capacity, 1x 2.5 GbE LAN, 1x M.2 E-Key for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth modules or capture cards, 1x M.2 B-key (3052) for 5G/LTE module, 1x UIM/SIM card slot and 3x USB ports.

An AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX 64-core/128-thread workstation processor was overclocked to 5.15 GHz all-core by Taiwanese overclocker TSAIK, under extreme cooling, and it [predictably] crushed the Cinebench R23 world-record. The chip scored a godlike 116142 points in the multi-threaded benchmark, ahead of the previous record-holder—105170 points scored on a Threadripper 3990X, by Splave.

The 5995WX, as we mentioned, was subjected to extreme cooling, using liquid-nitrogen. using a Bitspower-made evaporator. The chip was supported by 128 GB of octal-channel DDR4-3200 memory, and an MSI PRO WS WRX80 motherboard. Windows 10 21H2 was the OS of choice. Threadrippers will continue to dominate multi-threaded CPU benchmark leaderboards until Intel can put up a fight with an HEDT variant of its upcoming "Sapphire Rapids" processor.

More details of Intel's upcoming Raptor Lake CPUs have tipped up online, as someone submitted the results of a CPU-Z benchmark to the CPU-Z database. The CPU in question is most likely one of the by now, many ES samples of what should be the Core i9-13900K, which means the multiplier is still limited to 50x, which means the clock speeds can't go beyond 5 GHz. Even so, the extra E-cores helps it best the Core i9-12900K in the multithreaded test over 1400 points, using the average results for all 12900K CPUs in the database. It's also faster than the average Core i9-12900KF in the single-threaded test, but it doesn't quite manage to beat the Core i9-12900K results here.

The test system was admittedly not the very best possible hardware, as an MSI Pro Z690-A DDR4 motherboard was used and the CPU was paired with 32 GB of CAS19 DDR4 2666 MHz memory, so there's clearly potential for improvement here. The test system was also using Windows 10, which is potentially another bottleneck when it comes to taking advantage of all the extra E-cores. The E-Cores reached a top speed of 2.99 GHz, with the P-cores peaking at 4.99 GHz. The CPU was hitting 100 degrees C during the test, which suggests that some serious cooling is going to be needed for these CPUs. Intel is likely to reveal its Raptor Lake CPU's during the Intel Innovation '22 event in San Jose, which kicks off on the 27th of September.

Square Enix Collective and FuturLab are excited to announce that POWERWASH SIMULATOR is out now and ready for clean up! POWERWASH SIMULATOR is available with Game Pass for PC and console, for purchase on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows 10, and a full release on Steam following a successful Early Access period. POWERWASH SIMULATOR is the super soothing simulator game that puts the power of relaxation into the hands of the player. Take a clean break from the real world and follow your powerwashing destiny. Equipped with power washer in hand and unlocking new tools and upgrades to help clean more efficiently along the way - no dirt is too tough for you to handle!

Everything isn't as it seems in the town of Muckingham: an active volcano smoulders nearby, the mayor's cat is missing, and things are extremely dirty. For all its oddities, Muckingham scrubs up quite nicely… thanks to you! The residents have noticed too, and soon your PowerWash business will be booming. As you blast away every speck of grime that covers Muckingham, you'll uncover secrets hidden in the dirt and objects of each level, as well as receive messages from clients that reveal the untold stories of the places you visit - from humble homes to ancient architecture. You know what they say, it all comes out in the wash.

AMD today released AMD Software Adrenalin 22.6.1 Legacy. This is a special branch of AMD software designed for older GPUs based on the Graphics CoreNext architecture—Fury series, 300 series, 200 series, and HD 7000/8000 series. The driver only supports Windows 10 64-bit, there's no official support for Windows 11. Legacy branch drivers correct outstanding bugs, security vulnerabilities, and some other software-level updates, but the company doesn't advertise any new game-specific optimizations. This is probably because these GPU generations fall outside the minimum system requirements of the latest games. Still, if you'd like to reminisce with an older GPU you have lying around, or want to build a period-specific project (2010 to 2015); here's your chance. If however, you're looking for the regular Adrenalin 22.6.1 WHQL drivers for the latest GPUs, check out this page.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Software Adrenalin 22.6.1 Legacy

Kevin Glynn, aka "Uncle Webb," our associate software author behind popular utilities such as ThrottleStop and RealTemp, developed a new utility named Counter Control, which lets you monitor and log the performance counters of Intel Core processors since 2008 (Core "Nehalem"). During development for ThrottleStop, Kevin discovered a fascinating bug with Windows Defender, the built-in security software of Windows, which causes significantly higher performance impact on the processor than it should normally have. Of course a security software is bound to have some (small) performance impact during real-time protection, but this is much bigger.The first sign that something is happening is that HWiNFO will be reporting a reduced "Effective Clock" speed when the CPU is fully loaded. A much bigger problem is that when Defender is affected by the bug, performance of your machine will be significantly reduced. For example, a Core i9-10850K running at 5.00 GHz all-core loses 1000 Cinebench points (or 6%). Such a performance loss has been reported by owners of Intel Core 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th Gen, both desktop and mobile CPUs, on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. AMD processors are not affected.

We are nearing the arrival of AMD's Radeon RX 6x50XT graphics card refresh series, and benchmarks are starting to appear. Today, we received a 3DMark TimeSpy benchmark of the AMD Radeon RX 6950XT GPU and compared it to existing solutions. More notably, we compared it to NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3090 Ti and came to a surprise. The Radeon RX 6950XT GPU scored 22209 points in the 3DMark TimeSpy test and looking at Graphics score, while the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti GPU scored 20855 points in the same test. Of course, we have to account that 3DMark TimeSpy is a synthetic benchmark and tends to perform very well on AMD RDNA2 hardware, so we have to wait and see for official independent testing like TechPowerUp's reviews.

AMD Radeon RX 6950XT card was tested with Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU paired with DDR4-3600 memory and pre-released 22.10-220411n drivers on Windows 10. We could experience higher graphics scores with final drivers and see better performance of the upcoming refreshed SKUs.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices, today unveil their brand-new iMiner 660MX8D2 prebuilt mining rig. Designed with superior mining capability in a plug & play mining solution, BIOSTAR's new iMiner 660MX8D2 system brings maximum performance on a stable platform.

Built on top of BIOSTAR's TB360-BTC D+ motherboard, the new iMiner 660MX8D2 comes equipped with 8 AMD RX6600 series GPUs capable of executing an ETH hash rate of 248 MH/s (±5%)(Windows OS). With an operational capability of mining all major cryptocurrencies, such as ETH, ETC, RVN, ERG, etc.., the iMiner 660MX8D2 carries blockchain-grade hardware with BIOSTAR's superior product quality and capability.

Although not yet available directly from AMD, its latest chipset drivers, version 4.03.03.624, have been released by Gigabyte and possibly other motherboard partners and it contains a couple of interesting additions. The first one is support for USB4, albeit only for 64-bit versions of Windows 10 at this point in time. This part really only applies to the Zen 3+ "Rembrandt" mobile Ryzen 6000-series CPUs so far, as they're the only products from AMD that supports USB4 at this point in time.

The other interesting part is that AMD has included a 3D V-Cache Performance Optimizer Driver for both the 64-bit version of Windows 10 and Windows 11. As to what this driver does, is anyone's guess at this point in time, but it's likely to be some kind of cache scheduler, or possibly a means for AMD to allocate software that can't take advantage of the 3D V-Cache to the CPU native cache. We should be finding out in a couple of weeks time, as the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is scheduled for retail availability on the 20th of April.

Besides Radeon Super Resolution, AMD announced Radeon Image Sharpening (RIS) for desktop applications (non-gaming applications). When enabled in AMD Software (or through the Overlay), RIS attempts to improve quality though image sharpening, of whatever is on screen. This would benefit media playback, office, and web-browsing, and not just for accelerated video playback. This should prove particularly useful when trying to view low-resolution assets on a web-page, or a video live-stream, or pretty much anything you feel could so with some image quality improvement. RIS requires Windows 10 or Windows 11, and a Radeon RX 5000 series (or later) graphics card. AMD is releasing RIS for desktop applications with the AMD Software Adrenalin 22.3.1 suite, which you can grab today.

Microsoft officially launched the DirectStorage API on the Windows PC platform, on Monday. The API enables direct data interactions between the GPU, graphics memory, and a storage device, so games have a more direct path to stream game assets to the graphics hardware. The API is compatible both with Windows 10 and Windows 11, although Microsoft is recommending the latter, for "in-built storage optimizations." Also, unlike previously reported, you don't necessarily need an NVMe-based storage device, such as an M.2 SSD with PCIe/NVMe interface. Even a SATA SSD with AHCI protocol will do. Microsoft is, however, recommending the use of an NVMe SSD for the best performance.

There is, however, a wrinkle. Microsoft isn't launching a killer feature of the DirectStorage API yet, which is GPU-accelerated asset decompression. This feature allowed GPUs to use compute shaders to decompress game assets that are stored in compressed asset libraries on the disk. Most games store their local assets this way, to conserve their disk footprint. Without this feature, unless there's special game code from the developer's end to utilize GPGPU for asset decompression; compressed game assets still have to rope in the CPU, and lengthen the pipeline. Microsoft stated that enabling GPU-accelerated decompression is "next on their roadmap."

Does it take ages for the taskbar calendar and notification center to load on your Windows 11 PC powered by an AMD Ryzen processor? Notice random stutters in performance? Chances are, the lag is caused not due to user-interface bugs by Microsoft, but hardware. AMD discovered that certain Ryzen-powered Windows 11 and Windows 10 PCs experience intermittent performance stutters when running with fTPM (firmware TPM) enabled.

The performance stutter is caused due to background memory transactions between Windows and the fTPM, to authenticate an action, as the fTPM serves the function of a hardware root of trust. Since the fTPM is part of the UEFI firmware that resides on the SPI flash EEPROM chip, the performance stutter is caused due to fTPM-related memory transactions with this chip.

AMD today released the latest version of Radeon Software Adrenalin. Bearing the fancy number 22.2.2, these drivers add optimization for "Total War: Warhammer III." The drivers also add major optimization for AMD Smart Access Memory (Resizable BAR) when you pair AMD "Cezanne" based processors with compatible Radeon RX 6000 and RX 5000 series GPUs, with game-specific performance improving by as much as 23%. Details of individual use-cases in the change-log below. With this release, the company didn't fix any new bugs, but identified several of them. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 22.2.2 beta

NVIDIA today released the latest version of GeForce Game-Ready drivers. Version 511.79 WHQL comes with optimization for "Elden Ring," "Destiny 2: The Witch Queen," "GRID Legends," "Martha is Dead" and "Total War: Warhammer III." Reflex support is added to iRacing. The drivers fix a display corruption with "Call of Duty: Vanguard" and "Assassins Creed Valhalla." Color flashing in "Battlefield 2042" has been fixed. An application-launch issue with Corel Paint Shop Pro X has been fixed. A bug affecting G-SYNC re-enabling on compatible monitors once disabled, has been fixed. Digital vibrance resets when the monitor goes to sleep.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 511.79 WHQL

IBASE Technology Inc. (TPEx: 8050), a leading provider of industrial motherboards and embedded IoT platforms, announces the launch of the CMB100 Series, an industrial-grade, AI embedded system designed for today's artificial intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Supporting up to Intel 9th generation Core processors and two NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards, the CMB100 Series delivers the high performance and responsiveness required to process data in real time at massive scale in deep learning operations.

The 2022 Taiwan Excellence awarded CMB100 Series comes in two Intel chipset variants (C236/H310) for optimized flexibility and different performance requirements. All systems have four high-capacity storage drive-bays and RAID 0/1 support for added total reliability. An extensive set of interfaces provides peripheral connectivity for image capture and data transmission in AI applications. The Intel C236-based CMB106M features six USB 3.0, four USB 2.0, four serial ports, COM, four DDR4 slots, and four expansion slots for graphics cards.

Microsoft Windows 11, now nearing its third month since release, is for all intents and purposes, a flop. Market research by Lansweeper, which surveyed over 10 million PCs across the commercial and personal market segments, reports that less than 0.21% of the users it surveyed, had upgraded from Windows 10 to the newer operating system. The upgrade is free of charge. There may be several factors contributing to this lukewarm market response, but one of them is certain to he the steep hardware requirements. Windows 11 requires a trusted platform module (TPM 2.0), which disqualifies PCs older than 2018 for upgrades, unless the user is willing to try out workarounds to the limitation. Another factor could be the clunky user interface (UI), a less functional Start menu than Windows 10, and several UI-related bugs.

According to Lansweeper's data, there could be more people running outdated Windows XP, Vista, Windows 8, etc., than Windows 11, and this poses a great security risk, as these operating systems are no longer supported by Microsoft for regular security updates. Windows 10, on the other hand, is eligible for them until mid-2025—plenty of time for people to upgrade hardware to meet Windows 11 system requirements, or to simply make up their mind on switching over to the new operating system. In related news, Microsoft could give the Windows 11 Start menu a functional update. Test build 22509 introduces the ability to add more pins to the menu, or make room for more recommendations. The UI could see many such minor updates.

Intel debuted its 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake-S" desktop processor family late last month with only the unlocked "K" and "KF" SKUs targeting gamers and PC enthusiasts, alongside only the top Z690 chipset motherboards. The company is preparing to expand the lineup early next year with the addition of at least seven more SKUs (excluding additional "F" variants that lack integrated graphics). These processors could also introduce more value-conscious motherboard chipsets, such as the B660 and H670. momomo_us on Twitter, a reliable source with hardware leaks, predicts specs and a possible mid-January launch date for these chips.

The lineup possibly includes the Core i9-12900 and i9-12900F at the top, followed by the i7-12700 and i7-12700F, and the meaty Core i5 lineup that includes the i5-12600 and i5-12600F; the i5-12500, and the i5-12400/F. At least two Core i3 series SKUs could also be launched. The possible clock-speeds, and L3 cache sizes for the SKUs are tabulated below. What stands out from these SKUs is the specs of the Core i5-12600. We earlier thought it would be based on the larger "C0" silicon, with 6 P-cores and 4 E-cores, but it turns out, that the SKU is based on the smaller "H0" silicon with just 6 P-cores and no E-cores. Read more about the two silicon variants of "Alder Lake-S" in our older article. The i5-12600 will have significantly different performance and energy efficiency numbers than the i5-12600K.

OWC, the premier zero-emissions Mac and PC technology company, and a respected provider of Memory, External Drives, SSDs, Mac & PC Docking Solutions, Network Attached Storage, and Performance Upgrade Kits, today announces the all-new OWC Accelsior 8M2. The OWC Accelsior 8M2 brings impressive speed and storage capacity to 2019 Mac Pros, Windows or Linux computers, and PCIe expansion systems.

It utilizes the total bandwidth of the latest PCIe technology and has a highly efficient heat dissipating design to provide ultra-reliable speeds up to 26,000 MB/s. Creating the fastest PCIe SSD meant combining bold engineering with the latest technology. Each OWC Accelsior 8M2's eight NVMe M.2 SSD slots can run at their full x4 lanes of data throughput. All that insanely fast speed through an entire PCIe 4.0 x16 lane architecture with up to 64 TB of storage.

Sony Electronics Inc. today announced two new wireless headphones - the WF-C500 earbuds and the WH-XB910N over-ear model. With easy to use Bluetooth pairing, long lasting battery life and unique sound customization features, these headphones make it easier than ever to listen to favorite music and content in even better quality.

"Sony strives to deliver a premium and best-in-class listening experience with every audio product it introduces, and these new additions meet that demanding standard," said Tyler Ishida, Deputy President for Consumer Business Group, Sony Electronics Inc. "Whether customers are looking for bass-heavy cans or compact go-anywhere buds, our new headphones offer something for everyone."

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced an all-new gaming peripherals lineup that channels the minimalist feel of monochrome through a striking Moonlight White color scheme. The ROG Strix Scope NX TKL 80%, tenkeyless mechanical RGB gaming keyboard, ROG Strix Impact II ambidextrous gaming mouse, ROG Strix Go Core gaming headset and ROG Cetra II Core in-ear gaming headphones are all now available in North America in this stunning colorway.

ROG has a long history of weaving Aura Sync into a huge ecosystem of devices to let gamers shine a light on their personalities through their gear - but many players also seek a minimalist look. That's why the ROG color palette is expanding to include the Moonlight White series, providing a commanding counterpart to the signature red-and-black color scheme.

An alleged Intel Core i9-12900K "Alder Lake-S" sample is shown beating the 32-core AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX HEDT processor at AMD's favorite benchmark, Cinebench R23, in its multi-threaded (nT) test. At this point it's not known whether the i9-12900K is overclocked, but the CPU-Z instance in the screenshot reads 5.30 GHz, which could very well be the processor's stock Thermal Velocity Boost frequency. The sample scored upward of 30000 points, putting it above the Threadripper 2990WX reference score in Cinebench.

The 2990WX is based on the "Zen+" microarchitecture, and released in 2018, but is a 32-core/64-thread chip that should have ripped through this rendering workload. The i9-12900K, on the other hand, has eight "Golden Cove" performance cores that have HyperThreading, in addition to 8 "Gracemont" efficiency cores that lack HTT. This benchmark was run on Windows 10, which lacks awareness of the Intel Thread Director, a hardware component that optimizes utilization of the two kinds of CPU cores. Windows 11 is known to feature better awareness of hybrid core architectures. The i9-12900K sample is possibly installed on a Gigabyte Z690 AORUS Ultra motherboard, and has 32 GB of DDR5-5200 memory (two modules, logically four 40-bit channels).