NVIDIA, in collaboration with Google, today launched optimizations across all NVIDIA AI platforms for Gemma—Google's state-of-the-art new lightweight 2 billion- and 7 billion-parameter open language models that can be run anywhere, reducing costs and speeding innovative work for domain-specific use cases.

Teams from the companies worked closely together to accelerate the performance of Gemma—built from the same research and technology used to create the Gemini models—with NVIDIA TensorRT-LLM, an open-source library for optimizing large language model inference, when running on NVIDIA GPUs in the data center, in the cloud and on PCs with NVIDIA RTX GPUs. This allows developers to target the installed base of over 100 million NVIDIA RTX GPUs available in high-performance AI PCs globally.

GIGABYTE, a global leader in high-performance computing solutions, collaborates with industry partner Xenon at SupercomputingAsia 2024, held at the Sydney International Convention and Exhibition Centre from February 19 to 22. This collaboration showcases cutting-edge technologies, offering diverse solutions that redefine the high-performance computing landscape.

GIGABYTE's Highlights at SCA 2024
At booth 19, GIGABYTE presents the G593-SD0, our flagship AI server, and the industry's first Nvidia-certified HGX H100 8-GPU Server. Equipped with 4th/5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processors, it incorporates GIGABYTE's thermal design, ensuring optimal performance within its density-optimized 5U server chassis, pushing the boundaries of AI computing. Additionally, GIGABYTE introduces the 2U 4-node H263-S62 server, designed for 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processors and now upgraded to the latest 5th Gen, tailored for hybrid and private cloud applications. It features a DLC (Direct Liquid Cooling) solution to efficiently manage heat generated by high-performance computing. Also on display is the newly released W773-W80 workstation, supporting the latest NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada and catering to CAD, DME, research, data and image analysis, and SMB private cloud applications. At SCA 2024, explore our offerings, including rackmount servers and motherboards, reflecting GIGABYTE's commitment to innovative and reliable solutions. This offers a valuable opportunity to discuss your IT infrastructure requirements with our sales and consulting teams, supported by GIGABYTE and Xenon in Australia.

iBUYPOWER, a leading manufacturer of high-performance custom gaming PCs, today announced it has become the official PC of VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) Americas, VCT Game Changers North America, and VCT Game Changers Brazil. As iBUYPOWER celebrates its 25th anniversary, the partnership amplifies and highlights iBUYPOWER's dedication and integral role in supporting esports players with quality and reliable tools to succeed in their craft.

The 'iBUYPOWER ACE' moment will bring added excitement and value to both professional players and their communities of fans throughout the 2024 VCT Americas schedule. To celebrate the iBUYPOWER ACE, a triumphant, high-skill, moment where a single player eliminates all five of the opposing team's players to achieve victory, iBUYPOWER will be unlocking PC giveaways for VCT Americas fans (currently available to residents of the United States and Canada).

Generative AI is driving change across industries—and to take advantage of its benefits, businesses must select the right hardware to power their workflows. The new NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation GPU delivers the latest AI, graphics and compute technology to compact workstations, offering up to 1.5x the performance of the previous-generation RTX A2000 12 GB in professional workflows. From crafting stunning 3D environments to streamlining complex design reviews to refining industrial designs, the card's capabilities pave the way for an AI-accelerated future, empowering professionals to achieve more without compromising on performance or capabilities. Modern multi-application workflows, such as AI-powered tools, multi-display setups and high-resolution content, put significant demands on GPU memory. With 16 GB of memory in the RTX 2000 Ada, professionals can tap the latest technologies and tools to work faster and better with their data.

Powered by NVIDIA RTX technology, the new GPU delivers impressive realism in graphics with NVIDIA DLSS, delivering ultra-high-quality, photorealistic ray-traced images more than 3x faster than before. In addition, the RTX 2000 Ada enables an immersive experience for enterprise virtual-reality workflows, such as for product design and engineering design reviews. With its blend of performance, versatility and AI capabilities, the RTX 2000 Ada helps professionals across industries achieve efficiencies. Architects and urban planners can use it to accelerate visualization workflows and structural analysis, enhancing design precision. Product designers and engineers using industrial PCs can iterate rapidly on product designs with fast, photorealistic rendering and AI-powered generative design. Content creators can edit high-resolution videos and images seamlessly, and use AI for realistic visual effects and content creation assistance. And in vital embedded applications and edge computing, the RTX 2000 Ada can power real-time data processing for medical devices, optimize manufacturing processes with predictive maintenance and enable AI-driven intelligence in retail environments.

Aetina, a leading global Edge AI solution provider, announces the release of its new embedded MXM GPU series utilizing the NVIDIA Ada Lovelace architecture - MX2000A-VP, MX3500A-SP, and MX5000A-WP. Designed for real-time ray tracing and AI-based neural graphics, this series significantly enhances GPU performance, delivering outstanding gaming and creative, professional graphics, AI, and compute performance. It provides the ultimate AI processing and computing capabilities for applications in smart healthcare, autonomous machines, smart manufacturing, and commercial gaming.

The global GPU (graphics processing unit) market is expected to achieve a 34.4% compound annual growth rate from 2023 to 2028, with advancements in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry being a key driver of this growth. As the trend of AI applications expands from the cloud to edge devices, many businesses are seeking to maximize AI computing performance within minimal devices due to space constraints in deployment environments. Aetina's latest embedded MXM modules - MX2000A-VP, MX3500A-SP, and MX5000A-WP, adopting the NVIDIA Ada Lovelace architecture, not only make significant breakthroughs in performance and energy efficiency but also enhance the performance of ray tracing and AI-based neural graphics. The modules, with their compact design, efficiently save space, thereby opening up more possibilities for edge AI devices.

BOXX Technologies, the leading innovator of high-performance computer workstations, rendering systems, and servers, today introduced RAXX S1G, a rack-mounted workstation featuring up to two NVIDIA RTX GPUs and Intel Core i7 or i9 14th gen processors. The new Intel CPUs offer outstanding performance for CAD, 3D design, motion media, and other professional software applications, while RAXX S1G delivers the power and performance of a desk side workstation in a 1U form factor for both onsite and remote creators.

"BOXX innovation has enabled us to offer a version our best-selling APEXX S3 desk side workstation in the form of rackmount platform," said BOXX CEO Wes Breyfogle. "With RAXX S1G, organizations can harness the performance of Intel Core 14th gen processors to create and render, onsite or remotely, with the most demanding 3D modeling, CAD, and motion media applications."

NVIDIA today released the latest version of its GeForce software. Version 551.23 WHQL comes with support for the new GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER graphics card, which is available from today. The drivers also introduce an interesting feature called RTX Video HDR. The feature attempts to construct HDR for standard dynamic range videos using AI, accelerated by the Tensor cores on NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs. You globally enable it through the NVIDIA Control Panel, in the "adjust video image settings" section. The drivers also introduce support for Ultra Low Latency Mode with DirectX 12 based games.

In addition, the GeForce 551.23 WHQL adds Game Ready optimization for "Enshrouded," including support for DLSS 2, "Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth," including DLSS 3 Frame Generation support; "Tekken 8," including DLSS 2; and "Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League," including DLSS 2. These are the first drivers to support the Open Beta of NVIDIA RTX Remix, a game development toolkit that helps create remasters of older game titles. A bug that caused "Forza Horizon 4" to freeze or crash with Ansel has been fixed. A random screen flickering issue with RTX 4060 Ti with desktop apps, has been fixed. A horizontal band appearing with G-SYNC over HDMI, has also been fixed.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 551.23 WHQL

PC game modding is colossal - over 10 billion game mods are downloaded each year. Mods enhance graphics as faster GPUs are released, extend a game's lifespan with new content, and expand their audience with total gameplay conversions. With NVIDIA RTX Remix, we're enabling modders to remaster their favorite classic games with full ray tracing (also known as path tracing), NVIDIA DLSS, NVIDIA Reflex, modern physically-based rendering (PBR) assets, and generative AI texture tools. Starting now all modders can download the NVIDIA RTX Remix Open Beta, for free, from here.

RTX Remix has already delivered stunning remasters in NVIDIA's own Portal with RTX, and the modder-made Portal: Prelude RTX. Now, Orbifold Studios is using RTX Remix to develop Half-Life 2 RTX: An RTX Remix Project, a community remaster of one of the highest-rated games of all time.

Eurocom, a leading manufacturer of high-performance laptops, has announced the release of two new models: the Raptor X17 and Nightsky RX415 with up to 96 GB of DDR5 memory. Both laptops are powered by the latest 14th generation Intel Core i7 14900HX CPU and now support 96 GB of DDR5 memory (2x 48 GB). The Raptor X17 is equipped with a 17.3-inch 240 Hz display, while the Nightsky RX415 features a 15.6-inch UHD OLED display. These laptops are designed to deliver exceptional performance and speed for gaming, content creation, and other demanding applications.

"While 96 GB of DDR5 memory may be considered overkill for certain use cases, it can deliver tangible benefits for professionals engaged in video editing, rendering, multitasking, virtualization, and other memory-intensive workloads. We are excited to be able to offer this option to our customers in the Nightsky RX415 and Raptor X17 high performance laptops as we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible inside a laptop form factor." Mark Bialic, Eurocom President.

We recently did an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER Founders Edition unboxing preview; and although NVIDIA has announced all three of its RTX 40-series SUPER graphics cards, including the RTX 4080 SUPER that goes on sale this January 31; nobody in the press has an RTX 4080 SUPER Founders Edition sample yet. At the iBUYPOWER booth, we caught one. As a major OEM/SI, the company has access to these, and there's no NDA in place preventing us from picturing it. We just can't show you what it drives like, until later this month.

So then, the RTX 4080 SUPER comes in a similar big black box to the one the RTX 4070 SUPER came in, which opens out along a diagonal axis, to reveal the card. The card is huge, triple slot-thick, and bears geometric resemblance to the original RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 Founders Edition cards. What's new is that the magnesium-alloy outer frame of the cooler is now matte-black, and contrasted with diamond-cut edges that are glossy black (though not silver-chrome). The heatsink remains matte black thanks to its ceramic surface treatment; the body panel behind the PCB has the RTX 4080 SUPER embossed logo. The RTX 4080 SUPER starts selling from January 31, at a starting price of $999.

Acer unleashes a series of powerhouse gaming laptops, headlined by the refreshed models of the Predator Helios 18 and Predator Helios 16. Acer also announced the new Predator Helios Neo 18 gaming laptop and major updates to the Predator Helios Neo 16, all outfitted with the latest Intel Core 14th gen processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series Laptop GPUs with DLSS 3.5 technology and NVIDIA Advanced Optimus. NVIDIA RTX Laptop GPUs are packed with specialized AI Tensor Cores enabling unmatched AI performance and accelerations in creative apps, ultra-efficient productivity, blistering fast gaming, and more. The Predator laptops feature Microsoft's Copilot in Windows 11 and a dedicated Copilot key for quick access to AI-powered task assistance. They also come with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, giving gamers access to hundreds of high-quality PC games.

Gamers seeking a competitive edge will be thrilled with the Predator Helios 18 and Predator Helios 16 laptops as they come with options for captivating Mini LED panels, MagKey 3.0 swappable mechanical switch for shorter key travel and response time, and lightning-fast network speeds with Wi-Fi 7 compatibility.

Acer today announced the Acer Nitro 17 (AN17-72) gaming laptop, unlocking improved performance, immersive experiences, plus essential features for playing and multi-tasking on the go. The device is powered by the latest Intel Core 14th gen processors, featuring Intel's Performance Hybrid Architecture with improved power and core frequencies to manage workloads efficiently. At the same time, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs with DLSS 3.5 technology. NVIDIA RTX Laptop GPUs are packed with specialized AI Tensor Cores enabling unmatched AI performance in creative apps, ultra-efficient productivity, blistering fast gaming, and more. Built with Microsoft Copilot and the next wave of computing, the Nitro laptop provides access to Copilot in Windows via a dedicated Copilot key, making it even easier to harness the power of AI to assist with productivity and creativity tasks.

Users can feast their eyes on immersive visuals and pristine colors on the device's 17-inch QHD display with a fast 165 Hz[1] refresh rate and support for the NVIDIA Advanced Optimus feature. The Nitro 17 is further supported by an advanced cooling system, AI-assisted communication features, and NitroSense software for full device control. To top it all off, the Windows 11 gaming laptop is shipped with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, providing access to a library of hundreds of high-quality games to be explored with friends on PC, console, or cloud.

GIGABYTE Technology, a leading global brand in the computer industry, debuts AORUS and GIGABYTE Gaming AI gaming laptops at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the United States, marking its entry into the new battleground of AI PCs. Today, the company launches the latest AI gaming laptops: G6X, G6, and G5, featuring up to the 13th gen. Intel Core HX series processors and NVIDIA RTX 40 Laptop GPUs. All three models the highest configuration come equipped with a Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, delivering robust AI generative content computing power.

The G6X, featuring the Intel Core i7-13650HX processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, excels at running diverse gaming titles and professional applications for creative content creation. It offers a quicker computing experience for AI generative content creation, enabling real-time and seamless realization of creative content. The laptops integrate with Microsoft's AI assistant, Copilot, assisting users in easier task creation and completion, thereby reducing daily workload and unlocking limitless productivity. In terms of audio, the entire series incorporates Dolby Atmos technology, delivering an unprecedented sense of depth, clarity, and detailed soundscapes. This not only enables gamers to accurately locate sounds and make precise strikes but also provides an unparalleled immersive experience.

GIGABYTE has unveiled its new AORUS 17X and AORUS 16X 2024 laptops at CES 2024, showing off the new WINDFORCE Infinity cooling system and giving them a refresh with Intel 14th Gen CPUs and NVIDIA RTX 40 series GPUs. Both models come with up to Intel Core i9-14900HX 24-core CPU, GIGABYTE's AI Nexus technology, and the new WINDFORCE Infinity cooling system, which has all new fans, 0 db cooling, and 3D VortX technology, which uses four air outlets and two inlets combined with five sets of heatpipes.

The larger AORUS 17X laptop can be equipped with up to 17.3-inch QHD 240 Hz display, and in addition to the Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU, it can be also equipped with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. The smaller AORUS 16X laptop gets up to 16-inch WQXGA 165 Hz display with slim bezels, but sticks with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. Both also support Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, Copilot hotkey button, and a hefty 99Wh maximum battery capacity.

GIGABYTE Technology, a global leader in computer hardware, embraces the era of AI PCs by launching the world first AI-powered gaming laptop, AORUS 15 and AORUS 17, featuring Intel Core Ultra series processors and NVIDIA RTX 40 series laptop GPUs. Inviting gamers to be pioneers in experiencing AI applications from edge to cloud. The first-generation Intel Core Ultra processors come equipped with a dedicated AI Neural Processing Unit (NPU), specifically designed to accelerate AI applications. This not only reduces CPU loads and enhances energy efficiency but also significantly boosts processing speeds for generative AI software. Additionally, both models are paired with the full-powered NVIDIA RTX 40 series laptop graphic. This ensures a quicker computing experience for generative AI content creation, accelerating rendering times and providing smooth realizations, thereby supporting demanding professional applications.

⁠GIGABYTE is dedicated to creating a win-win experience for mobile gamers. When operating on battery power, users can benefit from the robust energy efficiency and convenience of Intel NPU. When plugged in, the NVIDIA RTX 40 series laptop GPU accelerates a variety of AAA gaming titles and professional applications, providing an all-day, intelligent entertainment and lifestyle experience. Last but not least, GIGABYTE's new AI Nexus control software and the built-in Microsoft AI assistant, Copilot, optimizes the user experience in terms of energy consumption and performance at the software level. This software assists in content drafting, report analysis, and creation of stunning presentations, as well as in image or video editing. Furthermore, the laptops incorporate Dolby Vision technology and Dolby Atmos for a truly cord-free, on-the-go premium performance, AI productivity, and immersive gaming experience!

NVIDIA Studio is debuting at CES powerful new software and hardware upgrades to elevate content creation. It brings the release of powerful NVIDIA Studio laptops and desktops from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, MSI and Samsung, as well as the launch of the new GeForce RTX 40 SUPER Series GPUs—including the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER and GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER—to supercharge creating, gaming and AI tasks.

Generative AI by iStock from Getty Images is a new generative AI tool trained by NVIDIA Picasso that uses licensed artwork and the NVIDIA Edify architecture model to ensure that generated assets are commercially safe. RTX Video HDR coming Jan. 24 transforms standard dynamic range video playing in internet browsers into stunning high dynamic range (HDR). By pairing it with RTX Video Super Resolution, NVIDIA RTX and GeForce RTX GPU owners can achieve dramatic video quality improvements on their HDR10 displays.

In case you missed it, the iconic FPS that started it all, DOOM, just turned 30. NVIDIA is celebrating this piece of gaming history with the DOOM 30th Anniversary Sweepstakes. NVIDIA is celebrating a milestone of its own, with RTX 500—that's 500 games and counting that are part of the NVIDIA RTX ecosystem that includes RTX ray tracing, DLSS, Reflex, and other major innovations by NVIDIA in the PC gaming space. To participate in the DOOM 30 Sweepstakes, all you need to do is reply to NVIDIA's post on X (formerly Twitter), with the hashtags #DOOM30 and #RTX500, to enter. Up for grabs is a special NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition graphics card with a DOOM 30 backplate, which NVIDIA values at its latest baseline prize of $1,389. For more terms and conditions for the Sweepstakes, visit this page.

To participate, visit this post by NVIDIA GeForce on X (formerly Twitter).

NVIDIA is celebrating a major milestone of having as many as 500 games and applications part of the NVIDIA RTX ecosystem, which you can find all about in our article here, with a Giveaway. The company is giving away as many as twenty Green Man Gaming store vouchers worth $500, each. Green Man Gaming is an online retailer of games that transcends DRM platforms and their stores, such as Steam, Ubisoft Connect, etc. Additionally, you get a chance to win NVIDIA's rare RTX ON keyboard keycaps. To participate, simply follow NVIDIA GeForce social media channels across X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, or Discord; and the Giveaway terms listed on this page.

NVIDIA today announced the important milestone of 500 games and apps that take advantage of NVIDIA RTX, the transformative set of gaming graphics technologies, that among many other things, mainstreamed real-time ray tracing in the consumer gaming space, and debuted the most profound gaming technology of recent times—DLSS, or performance uplifts through high-quality upscaling technologies. The company got to this milestone over a 5-year period, with RTX seeing the light of the day in August 2018. NVIDIA RTX is the combined feature-set of real time ray tracing, including NVIDIA-specific enhancements; and DLSS.

Although it started out as an upscaling-based performance enhancement that leverages AI, DLSS encompasses a whole suite of technologies aimed at enhancing performance at minimal quality loss, and in some cases even enhances the image quality over native resolution. This includes super resolution, or the classic DLSS and DLSS 2 feature set; DLSS 3 Frame Generation, which nearly doubles frame-rates by generating entire alternate frames entirely using AI, without involving the graphics rendering machinery; and DLSS 3.5 Ray Reconstruction, which attempts to vastly improve the fidelity of ray traced elements in upscaled scenarios.

TechPowerUp today announced the latest version of TechPowerUp GPU-Z, the popular graphics sub-system information and diagnostic utility for gamers, enthusiasts, and engineers alike. Version 2.56.0 adds a host of new features, usability upgrades, and support for new GPUs. To begin with, we've added the ability to list and detect DLSS 3 Frame Generation and DLSS 3.5 Ray Reconstruction in the NVIDIA DLSS section of the Advanced tab. The DLSS Scanner that detects the versions of DLSS libraries in your installed games. It now gives you the ability top open that game's folder in its context menu and select the target DLL file in File Explorer. The Sensors tab can now show the NVIDIA crossbar clock sensor, which by default is "off," and can be enabled for monitoring in the app Settings that you can find in the hamburger menu. Fixes have been added for Intel Arc video BIOS version reporting, and release dates for Arc A580.

Among the new NVIDIA GPUs supported with TechPowerUp GPU-Z 2.56.0 are NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada, RTX 4500 Ada, new RTX 2050 Laptop GPU, L40s, and Hopper H800 PCIe AIC. Among the new AMD GPUs supported with this release are the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE, RX 6750 GRE, Radeon Pro W7700, and Pro V620 MxGPU. The new Intel GPUs supported include Intel Arc A570M, A530M, and GPU Flex 170. Grab the latest GPU-Z from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z 2.56.0The changelog follows.

Today, Lenovo announced the new ThinkStation P8 tower workstation powered by AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7000 WX-Series processors and NVIDIA RTX GPUs. Designed to deliver unparalleled performance, reliability and flexibility for professionals who demand the best from their workstations, the bold new ThinkStation P8 builds on the success of the award-winning P620, the world's first workstation powered by AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO processors. Featuring an optimized thermal design in a versatile Aston Martin inspired chassis, the ThinkStation P8 combines Lenovo's legendary reliability, customer experience and innovation with breakthrough compute architecture courtesy of AMD and NVIDIA. ThinkStation P8 raises the bar for intense workloads across multiple segments focused on outcome-based workflow agility.

"At Lenovo, we understand that our customers need high-quality workstations that can adapt to their changing and diverse needs. That's why we collaborated with AMD and NVIDIA to create the ThinkStation P8, a workstation that combines power, flexibility and enterprise-grade features," said Rob Herman, vice president and general manager, Workstation and Client AI Business Unit, Lenovo. "Designed to offer unparalleled performance and scalability, whether to run complex simulations, render stunning visuals, or develop cutting-edge AI applications, the ThinkStation P8 can handle it all. And with Lenovo's certifications, security and support, you can trust that the ThinkStation P8 will exceed expectations."

BOXX Technologies, the leading innovator of high-performance computer workstations, rendering systems, and servers, today announced that its APEXX S4 workstation now features Intel Core i7 and i9 14th gen processors. The new CPUs provide outstanding performance for CAD, 3D design, motion media, and other professional software applications. The workstation joins the flagship APEXX S3 (announced 10/16/23) and entry level APEXX E3 in the Intel Core 14th gen BOXX workstation product line. BOXX is among the first workstation manufacturers to ship systems equipped with the new processors.

"The new APEXX S4 significantly accelerates demanding 3D workflows," said Wes Breyfogle, BOXX CEO. "The addition of Intel Core 14th gen processors to this multi-GPU workstation empowers architects, engineers, animators, VFX artists, video editors, and other creative professionals to create and render faster and more efficiently than ever before."

BOXX Technologies, the leading innovator of high-performance computer workstations, rendering systems, and servers, today introduced APEXX T4 PRO, a workstation featuring new, AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7000 WX- Series processors. The most powerful AMD platform ever, Ryzen Threadripper PRO delivers state-of-the-art performance for a variety of creative industries.

"The new AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7000-WX Series provides an outstanding platform for APEXX T4 PRO," said BOXX founder and VP of Engineering Tim Lawrence. "The number of processing cores and innovative features, optimized by BOXX liquid cooling which is essential for high performance CPUs, will empower VFX artists, animators, motion media editors, architects, engineers, and data scientists, to create faster than ever before."

The highly anticipated NVIDIA DLSS 3.5 update, including Ray Reconstruction for NVIDIA Omniverse - a platform for connecting and building custom 3D tools and apps - is now available. RTX Video Super Resolution (VSR) will be available with tomorrow's NVIDIA Studio Driver release - which also supports the DLSS 3.5 update in Omniverse and is free for RTX GPU owners. The version 1.5 update delivers greater overall graphical fidelity, upscaling for native videos and support for GeForce RTX 20 Series GPUs. NVIDIA Creative Director and visual effects producer Sabour Amirazodi returns In the NVIDIA Studio to share his Halloween-themed project: a full projection mapping show on his house, featuring haunting songs, frightful animation, spooky props and more.

Creators can join the #SeasonalArtChallenge by submitting harvest- and fall-themed pieces through November The latest Halloween-themed Studio Standouts video features ghouls, creepy monsters, haunted hospitals, dimly lit homes and is not for the faint-of-heart.

"Alan Wake II," released earlier this week, is the latest third person action adventure loaded with psychological thriller elements that call back to some of the best works of Remedy Entertainment, including "Control," "Max Payne 2," and "Alan Wake." It's also a visual feast as our performance review of the game should show you, leveraging the full spectrum of the DirectX 12 Ultimate feature-set. In the run up to the release, when Remedy put out the system requirements lists for "Alan Wake II" with clear segregation for experiences with ray tracing and without; what wasn't clear was just how much the game depended on hardware support for mesh shaders, which is why its bare minimum list called for at least an NVIDIA RTX 2060 "Turing," or at least an AMD RX 6600 XT RDNA2, both of which are DirectX 12 Ultimate GPUs with hardware mesh shaders support.

There was some confusion among gaming online forums over the requirement for hardware mesh shaders. Many people assumed that the game will not work on GPUs without mesh shader support, locking out lots of gamers. Through the course of our testing for our performance review, we learned that while it is true that "Alan Wake II" relies on hardware support for mesh shaders, the lack of this does not break gameplay. You will, however, pay a heavy performance penalty on GPUs that lack hardware mesh shader support. On such GPUs, the game is designed to show users a warning dialog box that their GPU lacks mesh shader support (screenshot below), but you can choose to ignore this warning, and go ahead to play the game. The game considers mesh shaders a "recommended GPU feature," and not a requirement. Without mesh shaders, you can expect a severe performance loss that is best illustrated with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT based on the RDNA architecture, which lacks hardware mesh shaders.