War has ravaged Europe - but something far worse now grips the continent. A Bacterium of unknown origin has twisted the land, leaving behind only ruin, fear, and something far more sinister. In this PvPvE first person extraction RPG, players will scavenge a decaying world, face unspeakable horrors, and outlast rival survivors in desperate, high-risk expeditions where every step could be your last…

At its core, this is a deep, first-person RPG - one where your story unfolds through the high-stakes loop of a multiplayer extraction shooter. Progress from level 1 to 100 by completing quests, surviving Expeditions, and mastering a robust skill system that evolves with your choices. The extraction loop isn't just a gameplay feature - it's how you grow stronger, build your reputation, and gain access to advanced weapons, rare gear, bags, armor, cosmetics, ingredients, and other vital resources. Every Expedition shapes your path forward.

It's April 25th, 2025!!… So that means that…World of Goo 2—the followup to the indie-hit classic World of Goo, which was released almost 17 years ago…is available…EVERYWHERE! We're currently in the middle of running a fabulous Tomorrow Corporation/2DBOY Publisher Sale until Monday, April 28th—but the fun doesn't stop there! Starting today through May 9th we're offering a launch discount of 15% off World of Goo 2 on Steam and GOG, and if you already own the award-winning World of Goo… you'll get an additional 15% off as an extra Thank You from the World of Goo 2 team! We're also running a bundle for additional savings if you also want to buy the soundtrack!

Discover realistic flowing, splashing, viscous liquid. Route the flow of liquid like a river, convert it into Goo Balls, extinguish fires, and solve puzzles. WHAT STRANGE NEW CREATURES!: discover new species of Goo: Jelly Goo, Liquid Launchers, Growing Goo, Shrinking Goo, Explosive Goo, and more. All with mysterious new properties. WELCOME TO…a thrilling new story to explore over the course of 5 new chapters, bursting with over 60 new levels, each featuring additional challenges.

Online chaos doesn't just come from pop-up ads or autoplay videos—it's in hidden trackers, shady websites, and data leaks that turn a simple scroll into a security risk. If you're managing devices for the whole family, things can get out of hand fast. That's where AdGuard's Family Plan steps in. Right now, you can grab lifetime access for just $15.97 using code FAMPLAN at checkout at StackSocial through April 27 (reg. $169.99).

This all-in-one data privacy tool blocks ads, filters out malicious websites, and protects up to nine devices from prying eyes. Whether you're trying to stream without interruptions, game without lag, or ensure your kids aren't falling into sketchy internet rabbit holes, AdGuard's got it covered.

Get lifetime protection for your whole household with this lifetime ad blocker. AdGuard's Family Plan is $15.97 with code FAMPLAN at checkout until April 27 at 11:59 p.m. PT (reg. $169.99).

Rumors about the recent cancelation of an unannounced Blade Runner project; following the alleged completion of a pre-production phase at Supermassive Games. Insider Gaming's "exclusive" article proposes that the UK-based computer game development studio had started work on a "character focused, cinematic, action adventure" around September 2024. An inside source disclosed a "Blade Runner: Time To Live" title, and a futuristic "New Zurich" setting—in 2065. The online publication has acquired "internal company documents" that apparently outlined a 10-12 hour single player campaign experience and a "compelling story blending the philosophical themes of Blade Runner, with kinetic action-adventure gameplay." Veteran members of Supermassive's "The Quarry" core dev team were reportedly involved in the IP's early-stage production cycle.

Insider Gaming outlined a surprising mix of internal details—sourced from their industry mole—suggesting that this project is/was not related to Alcon Interactive Group and Annapurna Interactive's still in-progress Blade Runner title. The report described some of Supermassive's key goals: "a full release was planned for September 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and the 'Gen 10' Xbox and PlayStation systems. It was set to have a full development budget of roughly $45 million with $9 million of it being used for external performance capture and acting talent. What wasn't included in the budget, however, was original music production, image rights and usage fees for performers, QA and game testing, localization, and any future DLC. As with any budget, the amount was subject to change as development got underway and costs rose or fell." The British company is still working on Directive 8020, an original premise sci-fi interactive adventure—presumably, nearing the end of full-blown production within the coming months.

Team, (yesterday) we reported our Q1 2025 results. It was a step in the right direction as we delivered revenue, gross margin and EPS (earnings per share) above our guidance, driven by Dave and Michelle's leadership. I want to thank them both, and all of you, for the good execution. We need to build on this progress—and it won't be easy. We are navigating an increasingly volatile and uncertain macroeconomic environment, which is reflected in our Q2 outlook. On top of that, there are many areas where we must improve. We need to confront our challenges head-on and take swift actions to get back on track. As I have said, this starts by revamping our culture. The feedback I have received from our customers and many of you has been consistent. We are seen as too slow, too complex and too set in our ways—and we need to change. Our flatter Executive Team (ET) structure that I shared last week was a first step. The next step is to drive greater simplicity, speed and collaboration across the entire company. To achieve these objectives, today I am announcing some important changes.

Becoming an Engineering-Focused Company
We need to get back to our roots and empower our engineers. That's why I elevated our core engineering functions to the ET. And many of the changes we will be driving are designed to make engineers more productive by removing burdensome workflows and processes that slow down the pace of innovation. To make necessary investments in our engineering talent and technology roadmaps, we need to find new ways to reduce our costs. While we have taken significant actions in the last year, our current cost structure is still well above competitive benchmarks. With that in mind, we have reduced our operating expense and capital spending targets going forward, which I will discuss during our investor call this afternoon.

Officially, AMD is set to reveal the next wave of RDNA 4—in desktop form—at some point within the second quarter of this year. Unlike its main rival—NVIDIA—company representatives have not publicly discussed a comprehensive branch-off into dedicated laptop graphics solutions. Team Red's previous-gen "Navi Mobile" Radeon RX 7000M lineup received little fanfare, and early 2025 "official" talk indicated that company engineers were focused on delivering RDNA 4 to desktop. Additionally, late March leaks suggested an increased future reliance on integrated RDNA 3.5-based graphics solutions. Seemingly out of nowhere, All The Watts!! has produced a list of six tentative Radeon RX 9000M family variants. As interpreted by VideoCardz, the leaker has cryptically included supposed compute unit (CU) counts and VRAM configurations. A rumored Radeon RX 9080M flagship SKU could be based on AMD's Navi 48 GPU design; prepped with 64 RDNA 4 compute units (or 4096 stream processors) and 16 GB of video memory.

The leaked Radeon RX 9070M XT's basic details match certain data points present on the rumored Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB desktop card's specification sheet. VideoCardz reckons that the RX 9070M XT will also utilize Team Red's Navi 48 GPU, but with a reduced compute unit count of 48 (or 3072 SPs). The four remaining RDNA 4 laptop SKUs—RX 9070M, RX 9070S, RX 9060M and RX 9060S—are said to be based on company's Navi 44 GPU IP, and configured with 8 GB pools of VRAM. Two days ago, AMD hinted about new generation Radeon Mobile gaming experiences getting introduced at next month's Computex 2025 trade show.

Hello from id Software! This is Hugo Martin, game director on Doom: The Dark Ages, releasing May 15 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC—it's right around the corner, I can't believe it. If you've been following along, you already know that Doom: The Dark Ages is a premium single-player campaign featuring three core pillars of engagement: story, combat, and exploration. I'm guessing you're reading this because you want to hear something new, something about the game no one else has heard about. Well, I've got a good one for you.

We think Doom: The Dark Ages is the best Doom game we've ever made (but that'll be for you to decide). We gave this everything we had, left no feature unpolished: we have 22 levels of incredible FPS single-player combat; tons of gameplay innovations like the Shield Saw, flail, and new crazy guns; and an awesome roller coaster ride of an action story to carry you through to the finish. AND—we have huge worlds for you to explore.

OKI Circuit Technology, the OKI Group printed circuit board (PCB) company, has successfully developed 124-layer PCB technology for wafer inspection equipment designed for next-generation high bandwidth memory, such as HBM mounted on AI semiconductors. This is a roughly 15% increase in the number of layers over conventional 108-layer designs. OTC is seeking to establish mass production technology by October 2025 at its Joetsu Plant in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, which has a proven track record and advanced development and production capabilities in the field of high multilayer, high-precision, large-format PCBs for semiconductor inspection equipment.

AI processing requires the transmission of vast data volumes between graphics processing unit (GPU) semiconductors and memory. As semiconductor performance increases, the memory installed is also required to have high-speed, high-frequency, and high-density data transfer capabilities. HBM features a stacked DRAM structure, requiring technology capable of fabricating wafers even more thinly and precisely. This configuration also requires that the PCBs used in inspection equipment meet even higher levels of performance and quality.

GuliKit showcased "Elves 2" prototype controllers at Gamescom 2024; last summer's product booth—in Cologne, Germany—also displayed an intriguing "Libra MAX" model. Enthusiasts have demanded more third-party options that sport "symmetrical" control layouts with non-PlayStation-esque ergonomic designs. GuliKit's "Elves" product series has borrowed some design inspiration from Sega's various Saturn controller models. The appearance of fairly final-looking units—last August—prompted much online interest, but the brand's fanbase has grown increasingly impatient over the past six+ months. Many expected an Elves 2 SKU—with an off-white finish—to reach retail not long after last year's official unveiling. Many months later, Amazon product listings were discovered, complete with a (now missed) late January release date.

Thankfully, GuliKit's social media account has started to promote an upcoming—May—arrival of their Elves 2 Pro white and black controller models—advertised as featuring "retro looks" combined with "pro performance." At the time of writing, the manufacturer has not published a dedicated product page on its official website. Teaser material lists the usual mod cons: Hall Effect sticks (anti-drift tech): maglev vibration, wired + Bluetooth connectivity, and a compact internal battery with (up to) twenty hours of operation. The GuliKit Elves 2 Pro will be a multi-platform controller—compatible with Nintendo Switch, PCs, iOS & Android mobile devices. The Elves 2 Pro's D-pad design could make it an attractive option to a growing audience of Fightpad fanatics. 8Bitdo's M30 model—borrowing DNA from Sega's Genesis/Mega Drive controller—is another popular accessory, albeit minus "modern" analogue sticks.

The Hundred-day war between "extremeness" and "despair" begins..."The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy" is finally out, as of yesterday! Please enjoy this one-of-a-kind work born from the creators' "madness and passion" to your heart's content. Kazutaka Kodaka and Kotaro Uchikoshi join forces for the first time to deliver the ULTIMATE adventure game! 15 students are tasked with defending a school from grotesque monsters for 100 days. Can they make it to the end? And will they survive long enough to uncover the truth? Takumi Sumino is a totally average teenager living in the Tokyo Residential Complex, a place where every day is much like the last and nothing bad ever happens.

All that changes when freakish monsters attack the town and start wreaking havoc. A strange creature calling himself Sirei appears and offers Takumi the power to protect those he holds dear... All he has to do is stab himself in the chest! The next thing he knows, Takumi is in Last Defense Academy, a school in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a wall of otherworldly flames. He and 14 other students have been drafted into the Special Defense Unit, a team tasked with keeping the school safe for the next 100 days. How much are they willing to sacrifice to take back their normal lives and save the world from the grotesque school invaders?

As revealed during a recent Q1 earnings call, Intel leadership mentioned that "external clients are getting their ASICs designs tested." The company's foundry business is working towards the finalization of its much discussed 18A node process, with alleged trial samples receiving an "impressive performance rating." According to Ctee Taiwan, Team Blue's foundry service has submitted test subjects to the likes of NVIDIA, Broadcom and Faraday Technology. The latter organization has (reportedly) disclosed that the 18A platform tape-out was completed last October—since then, received samples have been "successfully connected." Industry moles believe that NVIDIA and Broadcom are in the middle of conducting manufacturing tests. Additional whispers suggest the delivery of 18A prototypes chez IBM and several other unnamed partner companies. Insiders have indicated impressive/good "verification results." Contrary to reports from other sources, Ctee has picked up on insider chatter about Intel's next-gen Nova Lake compute tile design being "not entirely outsourced." Further conjecture points to Team Blue becoming increasingly confident in its own manufacturing techniques.

Explorers, get ready for an extraordinary adventure! Microids and Microids Studio Paris are proud to launch Amerzone - The Explorer's Legacy, the remake of Benoît Sokal's cult-classic adventure game. The game is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Set off on a quest for the Great White Birds in a mysterious land full of secrets! Answer the call of exploration as you travel to Amerzone, a forgotten Latin American country, to fulfill the last wishes of a late explorer.

Try the Free Demo on Consoles & PC!
Players can experience a free playable demo on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam! Step into the role of a daring journalist and embark on your first journey into this immersive adventure. This is the perfect opportunity to dive into the game's universe, explore its mechanics, and get a taste of the full experience. Even better, your progress in the demo will automatically transfer to the full game, allowing you to seamlessly continue your journey!

On April 15, NVIDIA revealed its "coming soon + starting at $299" GeForce RTX 5060 8 GB graphics card model—along with the freshly launched GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB and 8 GB cards. Not long after that, board partners introduced entire custom GeForce RTX 5060 Series product ranges. To the surprise of many, Team Green's mid-month PR material seemed to place a lot of emphasis on the cheapest offering. VideoCardz reckons that public demand for launch day GeForce RTX 5060 cards is not expected to reach high levels, but NVIDIA seems to be readying a simultaneous retail release and lifting of review embargoes. According to inside track information, May 19 appears to be the big day of choice.

Clever day one maneuvering could be in play—VideoCardz outlined a potential strategy: "this approach means customers may purchase the card without prior access to independent performance data. In other words, gamers will have to rely on NVIDIA's official benchmarks, unless they want to risk not being able to buy the card at MSRP." Team Green's mid-April "desktop family" marketing piece did tease the GeForce RTX 5060's Tensor and RT Core performance (respectively): 614 AI TOPs and 58 TFLOPS—versus RTX 5060 Ti's 750 AI TOPS, and 72 TFLOPS. Insider whispers suggest that AMD is readying rival hardware for release within a similar time frame; Radeon RX 9060 XT. The competing companies could be making important new product announcements just before the start of Computex 2025 (on May 20).

F1 25 marks the return of the narrative-driven, Braking Point, an epic Formula 1 blockbuster mode set to excite players new and old when the game releases on May 30 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The fictional tale puts you right into the action, as the fate and destiny of the characters you control rests in your racing-gloved hands. So, with this being the latest instalment in the Braking Point story, how did we get here?

The Story So Far
While having roots back to F1 2019, Braking Point's debut in F1 2021 offered players the opportunity to adopt the role of Aiden Jackson, an F1 rookie looking to make a name for himself in the sport. He was met with many challenges along the way, including a ruthless rival, Devon Butler, a driver who would stop at nothing to succeed. In F1 23's instalment, which focused on the 2022 and 2023 seasons and the introduction of fictional team Konnersport, familiar faces returned alongside new protagonist Callie Mayer, the first woman to win the F2 Championship. The once infamous Devon Butler has his perspective of the sport turned upside down, opening up a spot for Callie's break into F1.

GALAX has deliberated over the fine-tuning of its pedigree custom GeForce RTX 5090D design throughout early 2025—mid-way through April we heard about an imminent retail release of the Chinese manufacturer's finalized Hall of Fame (HOF) Extreme Overclock (XOC) Limited Edition card. According to the latest reports, the brand has announced the availability of its ultra-premium option; featuring the very best pre-binned GB202 GPU dies and GDDR7 memory modules. Apparently reserved for upper echelon buyers; with a 29,999 RMB (~$4117 USD) launch price tag.

In parallel, GALAX seems to be launching two "lesser" variants—as reported by VideoCardz, the "OC LAB Plus-X" (~$3595 USD) and "OC LAB" (~$3582 USD) SKUs make do with single 12V-2×6 power connectors. Despite this handicap, the Plus-X model is still a record breaker. Naturally, its XOC LE sibling—enabled with twin 12V-2×6 power inputs—sits atop global benchmark tables. GALAX currently boasts about this design achieving nine overclocking world records. Given the limited edition nature of GALAX's top 29,999 RMB offering, stock counts could be small—VideoCardz did not pick up on any local information about launch numbers or involved retail outlets/platforms. There are mutterings about a potential closing off of GB202 "Blackwell" GPU die shipments into China—in effect this could lead to the end of GeForce RTX 5090D 32 GB custom card production.

Welcome Aboard, Captain! We're kicking off the Road to Subnautica 2 Early Access with our first Dev Vlog, as well as an exciting sneak-peek at some early game footage. Subnautica 2's Design Lead, Anthony Gallegos, invites you to join us on the Road to Early Access, as we share some enticing glimpses at what you can expect from the game later in 2025. Immerse yourself in a new adventure with Subnautica 2; an open-water survival game from the creators of the Subnautica series. Play alone or with friends as you explore alluring biomes and discover fascinating creatures. Craft vehicles, tools, and bases to survive this mysterious alien world.

Catch a glimpse of what's to come, with some incredible in-development footage of Subnautica 2, teasing parts of this all-new world, biomes, creatures, and vehicles you're set to encounter. You can speculate and discuss everything shown in the video on our official Discord server. Join the community and share your thoughts with your fellow Subnauts!

Studio Teyon and publisher NACON are pleased to announce through a new trailer that RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business will be released on July 17 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. This new title is a standalone experience to the successful first-person action game RoboCop: Rogue City.

A brand-new story
After triumphing over Detroit's gangs and the "New Guy in Town", peace for RoboCop and the citizens of Old Detroit is short-lived, and crime once again invades the streets. In the midst of this chaos, a spark of hope emerges from OCP's new project: the OmniTower, a massive housing complex intended to give the people of Old Detroit a better life. But when a group of highly trained mercenaries armed with cutting-edge weapons takes control of the building after attacking the police station, RoboCop must take action to put a stop to their plans and uphold the law. And so begins an explosive ascent through the OmniTower, now the deadly stronghold of troops led by a mysterious leader who seems to share a close link with RoboCop's past...

GIGABYTE acknowledges customer feedback regarding thermal conductive gel application on our GeForce RTX 50 Series and Radeon RX 9000 Series graphics cards. This gel is engineered to ensure optimal contact across uneven component surfaces, and is applied via a fully automated process to minimize human variance compared with traditional thermal pads. We take your concerns seriously and want to provide clear information. Regarding the topic, we wish to clarify the following points:

Comprehensive Testing & Validation
The thermal conductivity gel solution on the GIGABYTE graphics cards has undergone rigorous testing to verify the performance and stability, including but not limited to:

• Multi-axis drops and vibration testing (Covering four corners and six sides)
• Long‐duration heavy‐load operational simulations, meanwhile, the exposure to extreme ambient temperatures
• Verification in both vertical and horizontal installation orientations

BOOX is thrilled to unveil the Go 7 series, the latest addition to its esteemed Go Series. It features Go 7 and Go Color 7 (Gen II), Android-based eReaders with writing capabilities for immersive reading and instant idea capture. Retaining the 7-inch size of the Go Color 7, both models inherit the sleek and minimalist design philosophy of the Go Series, emphasizing simplicity and portability. The BOOX Go 7 is available to order from BOOX (US) and BOOX (EU) for $249.99/£219.99/€249.99 - Amazon to follow. The Go Color 7 Gen II and Tab X are not yet on sale but will be $279.99/£249.99/€279.99 for the Go Color 7 and the Tab X C will be $819.99/£759.99/€819.99

The Go Color 7 (Gen II) features an E Ink Kaleido 3 display, renowned for its true-to-life color display, rendering soft hues at 150 PPI and crisp black-and-white content at 300 PPI. This makes it ideal for comic enthusiasts and readers who enjoy visually rich content. Meanwhile, the Go 7 boasts a Carta 1300 monochrome display with a resolution of 300 PPI, offering sharp text clarity that mimics traditional paper. Both models are equipped with adjustable front lights, ensuring comfortable reading in any lighting condition.

AMD has released the latest version of the Ryzen Chipset Software, version 7.04.09.545, which introduces new bug fixes and adds new device IDs. The Ryzen Chipset Software drivers support AMD 300-series to 800-series desktop chipsets, as well as TRX and WRX series Ryzen Threadripper chipsets. The new version still includes several known issues that will hopefully be addressed in future updates, including the issue where after installing the AMD Chipset Installer version "7.xx.xx.xx", users cannot install older version "6.xx.xx.xx" or earlier drivers. Thankfully, there is a workaround detailed below. It also includes an issue where non-English driver names appearing in the English language selection and an issue with occasional failure to install or upgrade Ryzen PPKG.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Chipset Software 7.04.09.545

Intel just reported its Q1 revenue results, and there are several interesting highlights from the earnings call. Intel Foundry, long touted for a comeback, is generating most of its revenue from a single customer, and it isn't the latest node. Intel's biggest customer is actually itself, predominantly using the "Intel 7" node (Intel's name for its 10 nm SuperFin process), which underpins the Alder Lake and Raptor Lake consumer CPU generations as well as the Sapphire Rapids Xeon server generation. As Intel ramps up 18A-node production and external clients begin testing their ASIC designs, 18A still isn't the Foundry division's primary revenue driver. Instead, demand for Intel 7 wafers is being fueled by massive orders for Intel's 13th- and 14th-generation Raptor Lake processors.

During the Q1 earnings call, Intel CFO Dave Zinsner noted, "Intel Foundry delivered revenue of $4.7 billion, up 8% sequentially on pull-ins of Intel 7 wafers and increased advanced packaging services." He also commented on the Q1 Foundry operating loss of $2.3 billion, attributing it to "startup costs associated with the ramp of products on Intel 18A." While the 18A node is gradually scaling to volume production for upcoming internal and external products, older nodes continue to fuel the revenue stream. Zinsner further confirmed that "we have a lot of important building blocks in place, including the ramp of Intel 18A in the second half of 2025 to support the launch of our first Panther Lake SKU by year-end, with additional SKUs coming in the first half of 2026."

Earlier this month, Kingston's new Fury Renegade G5 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD leaked, albeit without pricing, but now the company has revealed the pricing both in the US and the UK and to be frank, it's not all that competitively priced. As reported, the Fury Renegade G5 will come in three sizes, 1 TB, 2 TB and 4 TB and Kingston went with Silicon Motions SM2508 controller, rather than the more commonly used Phison E26, for its first PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD. There's little between the two controllers in real world performance tests, but the SM2508 is faster on paper.

So what about the pricing then you ask? Well, the 1 TB SKU starts at US$203.99 or £182.16 (inc VAT) if you live in the UK. Considering you can get a 1 TB Crucial T705 for US$160 or a 1 TB Samsung 9100 Pro for US$199.99, it seems like Kingston's pricing is a bit off, since their Fury Renegade G5 is unlikely to offer any tangible performance advantages. The 2 TB SKU is listed at US$329.99 / £295.92, while the 4 TB SKU comes in at US$629.99 / £563.04, making the 4 TB SKU one of the most expensive 4 TB consumer NVMe SSDs in the market. Samsung's 9100 Pro retails for around US$550 in comparison, although the Crucial T705 comes in at US$687 in the 4 TB SKU. It seems like PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD's, especially at larger storage sizes are going to continue to be a premium product for now.

The Japanese manufacturer JAPANNEXT, known for its unique monitor designs with distinctive form factors and specifications, has released the JN-IPS276SDQHD-HSPC6-CMS monitor featuring a 27.6-inch IPS panel with SDQHD resolution (2560 x 2880), providing 2.67 times more display area than Full HD. This vertical-oriented display with a 16:18 aspect ratio came in handy mainly for users who do a lot of coding or work on large documents and spreadsheets, minimizing scrolling. Moreover, the monitor includes a retractable webcam and microphone at the top. Connectivity options include HDMI 2.0 @ 60 Hz, DisplayPort 1.4 @ 60 Hz, audio, and USB Type-C with 65 W power delivery capability.

Technical specifications include 178° viewing angles, 300 cd/m² maximum brightness, 100% sRGB and 97% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage, and HDR support. The monitor offers KVM functionality, allowing keyboard and mouse sharing between various connected devices. The display supports PBP mode for simultaneous viewing of two input sources side-by-side or stacked, plus PIP mode for picture-in-picture functionality. Flicker reduction and blue light filtering are also present.

Sudokoo partners with TechPowerUp to bring you the 2025 SuperUser SuperCool Thermal Upgrade for our readers in the United States. Five lucky winners stand to win a Sudokoo high-end CPU cooler. Two lucky winners get a Sudokoo Proteus 360 smart all-in-one liquid CPU cooler, each; and three lucky winners get a Sudokoo SK700V digital air-type CPU cooler. The Sudokoo Proteus 360 features an advanced pump-block with an LCD on top that can be programmed to display system monitoring stats from ACPI. The 360 mm radiator is ventilated by a 360 mm x 120 mm compound fan of three impellers, which minimizes cable clutter. The SK700V dual fin-stack cooler similarly features an LCD on its top-plate that puts out temperature and fan-speed stats.

To participate, simply fill out a short form to help us get back to you if you've won. You can increase your chances by sharing the Giveaway across your social media. The Giveaway is open till May 4, 2025. For more information, and to participate, visit this page.

Ocypus today announced the new panoramic view case Gamma C72. Experiencing the peak panoramic view case with column-free design, providing a better way to showcase the interior. Top and side panels feature airflow-optimized perforation pattern to enhance airflow throughput, combined with the abundant component mounting locations for high-end assembly, meeting the various requirements of different scenarios.

Panoramic Column-Free Design
The case's bold column-free panoramic view eliminates obstructive structural supports, offering an unobstructed view of high-end internal components. Whether showcasing custom liquid cooling loops, RGB lighting, or premium hardware, users can now display their builds without compromise.

LG Display today reported unaudited earnings results based on consolidated K-IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) for the three-month period ending March 31, 2025.

• Revenues in the first quarter of 2025 decreased by 23% to KRW 6,065 billion from KRW 7,833 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024 and increased by 15% from KRW 5,253 billion in the first quarter of 2024.
• Operating profit in the first quarter of 2025 recorded KRW 33.5 billion. This compares with the operating profit of KRW 83.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024 and with the operating loss of KRW 469 billion in the first quarter of 2024.
• EBITDA profit in the first quarter of 2025 was KRW 1,231 billion, compared with EBITDA profit of KRW 1,306 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024 and with EBITDA profit of KRW 810 billion in the first quarter of 2024.
• Net loss in the first quarter of 2025 was KRW 237 billion, compared with the net loss of 839 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024 and with the net loss of KRW 761 billion in the first quarter of 2024.

LG Display recorded KRW 6.065 trillion in revenues and KRW 33.5 billion in operating profit in the first quarter of 2025.

MSI Japan has announced that the PRO Z890-S WiFi Project Zero motherboard with back-routed power connectors will go on sale in Japan on May 2 for ¥42,980 (tax included). It uses Intel's Z890 chipset on an LGA1851 socket and a 12+1+1+1-phase digital power design. The board comes in a white-silver finish and measures 243.84 × 304.8 mm in ATX form factor. Memory support consists of four DDR5-8800 slots (up to 256 GB). Storage options include four SATA 3.0 ports, one PCIe 5.0 × 4 M.2 slot and two PCIe 4.0 × 4 M.2 slots. Expansion slots are one PCIe 5.0 × 16, one PCIe 3.0 × 1 (in ×16 shape) and two PCIe 4.0 × 4 (in ×16 shape). On the networking side, it offers Wi-Fi 7 with up to 5.8 Gbps throughput (via an EZ Antenna) and a 2.5 GbE LAN port using the Realtek 8125D controller. A Thunderbolt 4 header supports up to 40 Gbps connections.

Audio is handled by a Realtek ALC897 codec. A key change from earlier PRO models is that all power, fan, storage and I/O connectors are located on the board's rear. This layout can make cable routing neater if the PC case allows access behind the motherboard tray. MSI has covered the front side of the PCB since there are no connectors there. Although the PRO series is not aimed at high-end overclocking, the BIOS includes one-click overclock presets for CPU and memory. The board also features an EZ PCIe Clip II on the first slot for simpler graphics card removal. In Europe, the PRO Z890-S WiFi PZ is expected to retail for around €365.

SK hynix showcased groundbreaking memory solutions including HBM4 at the TSMC 2025 North America Technology Symposium held in Santa Clara, California on April 23. The TSMC North America Technology Symposium is an annual event in which TSMC shares its latest technologies and products with global partners. This year, SK hynix participated under the slogan "Memory, Powering AI and Tomorrow," highlighting its technological leadership in AI memory through exhibition zones including HBM Solutions and AI/Data Center Solutions.

In the HBM Solution section, SK hynix presented samples of its 12-layer HBM4 and 16-layer HBM3E products. The 12-layer HBM4 is a next-generation HBM capable of processing over 2 terabytes (TB) of data per second. In March, the company announced it has become the first in the world to supply HBM4 samples to major customers and plans to complete preparations for mass production within the second half of 2025. The B100, NVIDIA's latest Blackwell GPU equipped with the 8-layer HBM3E, was also exhibited in the section along with 3D models of key HBM technologies such as TSV and Advanced MR-MUF, drawing significant attention from visitors.

Remedy Entertainment announced today in a developer live-stream that FBC: Firebreak, the upcoming three-player cooperative first-person shooter set in the mysterious world of Control, will launch worldwide on June 17, 2025. FBC: Firebreak is Remedy Entertainment's first self-published game and will be available on PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5 for $39.99 / €39.99 / £32.99. FBC: Firebreak will also be available day one via PC Game Pass, Game Pass Ultimate, and PlayStation Plus Game Catalog (Extra and Premium).

Remedy also revealed the FBC: Firebreak Deluxe Edition, to be available for purchase at launch for $49.99 / €49.99 / £39.99. FBC: Firebreak Deluxe Edition includes a collection of exclusive cosmetics and premium voice packs for players looking to personalize their gear and squad identity. Base game owners can upgrade to Deluxe Edition for $10.00 / €10.00 / £7.00.

Phanteks is proud to introduce the Glacier One D30 X2, a next-generation AIO liquid CPU cooler designed for high-performance systems. As part of the ever-evolving NEXLINQ product line, the Glacier One D30 X2 AIO liquid CPU cooler delivers powerful cooling performance with connectivity and sleek, unified design - perfect for gamers, PC enthusiasts, and creators.

The Glacier One D30 X2 AIO liquid CPU cooler is available in both 360 mm and 420 mm configurations, featuring innovative D30 fans that interconnect into a single frame, simplifying cable management and enabling unified D-RGB lighting and fan control through a single cable. A large copper base and optimized fin array provide outstanding thermal performance for even the most demanding CPUs. Designed with maximum clearance in mind, the Glacier One D30 X2 fits seamlessly into a wide range of builds, while the brushed aluminium pump cover with an integrated fan adds active cooling to nearby VRMs and M.2 SSDs - enhancing stability and overall system performance.

Thermaltake, a leading PC DIY brand for premium hardware solutions, is proud to launch the Toughpower GT Series, now available in 1000 W and 1200 W capacities and two colors: Black and Snow. Designed for users building modern high-performance systems, this fully modular PSU series complies with the latest ATX 3.1 standard and is ready to meet the demands of PCIe Gen 5.1 graphics cards with ease.

Featuring native 12V-2x6 (12+4 pin) PCIe Gen 5 connectors, the GT Series supports up to 600 W of power to next-generation GPUs through a single cable, offering future-proof compatibility out of the box. Both models are equipped with high-quality, native 12+4 pin cables and are built to handle up to 200% power excursion, ensuring stability under extreme workloads and transient spikes.

Intel's latest AI-focused laptop processors, "Lunar Lake" and "Meteor Lake," have encountered slower-than-anticipated uptake, leading device manufacturers to increase orders for the previous-generation "Raptor Lake" chips. As a result, Intel 7 manufacturing lines, originally intended to scale up production of its newest AI-ready CPUs and transition to newer nodes, are now running at full capacity on "Raptor Lake" output, limiting the availability of both the new and legacy models. In its first-quarter 2025 financial report, Intel recorded revenue of $12.7 billion, essentially flat year-over-year, and a net loss of $821 million. The results fell short of the industry's expectations, and the company's stock declined by more than 5% in after-hours trading.

Management attributed the shortfall to cautious buying patterns among OEMs, who seek to manage inventory in light of ongoing US-China tariff discussions, and to consumer hesitancy to pay higher prices for AI-enabled features that are still emerging in mainstream applications. CEO Lip-Bu Tan outlined plans to reduce operating expenses by $500 million and lower capital expenditures by approximately $2 billion to address these challenges in 2025. He also confirmed that workforce reductions are planned for the second quarter, though specific figures were not disclosed. Looking ahead, Intel intends to focus on strengthening its data-center business, where demand for Xeon processors remains robust, and to prepare for the late-2025 introduction of its Panther Lake platform. The company will also continue efforts to encourage software development that leverages on-device AI, aiming to support wider adoption of its AI-capable hardware.

Intel Corporation today reported first-quarter 2025 financial results. "The first quarter was a step in the right direction, but there are no quick fixes as we work to get back on a path to gaining market share and driving sustainable growth," said Lip-Bu Tan, Intel CEO. "I am taking swift actions to drive better execution and operational efficiency while empowering our engineers to create great products. We are going back to basics by listening to our customers and making the changes needed to build the new Intel."

"It was a solid start to the year as we executed well on our priorities," said David Zinsner, Intel CFO. "The current macro environment is creating elevated uncertainty across the industry, which is reflected in our outlook. We are taking a disciplined and prudent approach to support continued investment in our core products and foundry businesses while maximizing operational cost savings and capital efficiency."

Facing global challenges of energy conservation, carbon reduction, and sustainable development, Intel has been committed to pushing the industry toward higher performance and lower energy consumption product standards, actively leading the PC ecosystem toward a dual track of environmental protection and innovation. FSP Group, as Intel's long-term strategic development partner, shares the same philosophy and has continuously invested in power supply technology innovation with Intel's support, particularly focusing on 12VO architecture design that complies with the latest energy efficiency regulations.

At the Intel Client Ecosystem Symposium, FSP showcased its latest V3 version of TFX 12VO PSU, which not only helps brand customers build compliant PC systems but also contributes to carbon reduction and environmental protection with a design that balances high performance and energy efficiency.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the launch of its new line of productivity focused wireless mice, Razer Pro Click V2 Vertical Edition, and Razer Pro Click V2. Designed for users who want to integrate gaming products into their work setup, the new Razer Pro Click V2 mice emphasize ergonomic comfort, offering all-day support with gaming precision.

Ergonomic excellence for all-day comfort
Built with ergonomics in mind, Razer Pro Click V2 Vertical Edition is the brand's first wireless vertical ergonomic mouse. It features a 71.7º angle that mimics a natural handshake grip, reducing strain during prolonged use. The extended thumb rest keeps the hand relaxed as the base support elevates the wrist for smoother movements.

RetroPixel Digital and MicroProse are excited to unveil the first animated short in the Green Hawk Platoon character spotlight series: "Meet the Rifleman". This humorous introduction brings to life the game's most disciplined (and perhaps overly enthusiastic) class—the Rifleman.

In this animated feature, viewers get an up-close look at the Rifleman's personality, gameplay style, and unique abilities. Armed with classic toy-inspired weaponry and an unwavering commitment to the rulebook, the Rifleman is the dependable all-rounder every squad needs—even if his teammates didn't ask for it.

Chalkboards are an old-school thing now. About 67% of global classrooms now have adopted interactive technology, such as smart boards, to keep up with the times (UNESCO 2023 report). But how exactly do smart boards improve teaching? Let's dive into it, using HKMLC smart boards as a real-world example—and answer some of the most common questions teachers ask.How HKMLC Smart Boards Solve Real Classroom Challenges
1. Boosting Student Engagement
Static whiteboards hardly keep students focused, especially those K-12 education learners. HKMLC interactive whiteboards change the game with dynamic and interactive lessons. Teachers can easily explain abstract concepts with videos, images, and 3D models. With the Essential 55 smart board, educators can launch quizzes and include Kahoot! Learning games to increase participation. Multiple students can draw on the screen as if using a tablet—all thanks to its 20-point multitouch display and ultra-precise 2 mm positioning.

For more information and to purchase, visit this page

Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory solutions, is excited to announce the NQ780 M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD and the Professional NM1090 PRO PCIe 5.0 SSD, designed to provide the peak performance needed to keep every game running smoothly.

The Professional NM1090 PRO PCIe 5.0 SSD delivers speeds up to 14,000 MB/s read and 13,000 MB/s write to provide superior performance for professional-grade systems. Its 6 nm controller optimizes heat control for more efficient performance and customers can pair it with an AMD Ryzen or Intel i9 processor for a next-level game experience. The drive features DRAM Cache and SLC dynamic cache to greatly enhance data transfer speeds to reduce wait times and improve system responsiveness.

At the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, Intel revealed its next-generation automotive system-on-chip lineup, unveiling two ambitious platforms, "Frisco Lake" and "Grizzly Lake". The company described these new designs as key steps toward fully software-driven vehicles, where much of the intelligence is handled by high-performance processors instead of dedicated hardware circuits. Intel said these chips would support advanced driver assistance and richer multimedia features. Intel's second generation Software Defined Vehicle, or SDV, Frisco Lake, is built on the upcoming "Panther Lake" architecture. The first volumes are expected in the first half of 2026, and TDP options will be among 20-65 W to meet different use cases. Intel says Frisco Lake will deliver ten times more AI performance and sixty-one percent better energy efficiency compared to the current Raptor Lake-based platform.

The new graphics block is based on the third-generation Xe architecture, known as "Celestial", replacing the older Battlemage design. Frisco Lake also supports twelve simultaneous camera inputs and up to two hundred and eighty audio channels. Linux kernel patch analysis also shows Frisco Lake cores are based on Panther Lake, confirming Intel's adaptation of its client CPUs for automotive use. Looking further ahead, Intel shared an early roadmap for its third-generation SDV platform, Grizzly Lake, which should arrive in the first half of 2027. Codenamed Monument Peak, these chips will use "Nova Lake" cores and may offer up to 32 efficiency-optimized cores along with an integrated Xe GPU capable of about seven TeraFLOPS. Additional features include support for six independent displays, twelve camera interfaces, and compliance with automotive safety standards.

Industry insiders have disclosed fairly fresh theories about AMD delaying the launch of Radeon RX 9070 GRE graphics cards into the fourth quarter of 2025. Earlier leaks suggested a potential surprise arrival at some point in May (early next month), ahead of rumored wallet-friendly Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB and 8 GB models. In another bizarre turn of pre-release events, VideoCardz has acquired promotional shots of two—alleged—PowerColor Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB custom designs. The online news outlet seems to have a strong "inside" connection to a source familiar with goings-on—within or adjacent to—the Taiwanese company.

Familiar images of flagship and entry level cards have emerged from an unnamed figure—reportedly, the manufacturer has reused its existing portfolio of RDNA 4 generation shroud and backplate designs. Curiously, a mid-tier Hellhound GRE card was not included in a recent NDA-busting exchange. VideoCardz believes that the exact same Red Devil enclosure—present on Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 siblings—is up for repeat business. A significant difference seems to be the reported utilization of two 8-pin power connectors (versus three on the flagship), and a minimum requirement of a 650 W-rated PSU. March-time whispers suggested a forthcoming mass production of board partner Radeon RX 9070 GRE cards; so the sudden appearance of two PowerColor SKUs seems to semi-verify older online claims. VideoCardz posits that AMD is deliberately seeding "incorrect information" within insider knowledge channels.

Global PC shipments grew 6.7% YoY in Q1 2025 to reach 61.4 million units, according to Counterpoint Research's preliminary data. The growth was mainly driven by PC vendors accelerating shipments ahead of US tariffs and the increasing adoption of AI-enabled PCs amid the end of Windows 10 support. However, this surge may be short-lived, as inventory levels are likely to stabilize in the next few weeks. The impact of the US tariffs is expected to dampen the growth momentum in 2025.

Apple and Lenovo delivered strong performances in the quarter, largely due to new product launches and market dynamics. Apple experienced 17% YoY growth in shipments, driven by its AI-capable M4-based MacBook series. Lenovo's 11% growth reflected its expansion into AI-enabled PCs and its diversified product portfolio. Lenovo remained the brand with the largest market share during the quarter. HP and Dell, on the other hand, benefited from the US market pull-ins during the quarter, with 6% and 4% YoY growth respectively, and maintained their second and third places in Q1. We also found that the pull-ins happened for other major brands too ahead of the tariff uncertainty, leading to the market share further consolidating around major brands.

Hi everyone—I have some big news to share, so I'll cut right to the chase: we have hired a new CEO to lead Discord through our next chapter of growth and someday becoming a public company. I am thrilled to share that Humam Sakhnini will take on this role, and I will continue as a member of our Board of Directors and Advisor to the CEO. Read on for the details. Building Discord has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. From the very beginning, our mission has been about bringing people together around games. It's a mission I've dedicated my career to, and seeing it come to life through all of you and the impact we've made together has been nothing short of extraordinary. I've learned more than I ever imagined I would, and I'm deeply grateful for so many friendships, challenges, and achievements along the way.

As we enter our next phase, I've been reflecting on how I can best contribute to Discord's long-term success. The job of a CEO is constantly evolving, and over the years I have continuously "hired myself out of a job." Usually that means delegating work and then taking on different leadership challenges. However, as I look at what is needed of Discord's CEO over the next few years, I realize that it's time for me to literally "hire myself out of a job." One thing I know for sure: our company is bigger than any one person. Its future depends not just on me, but on a strong leadership team, a clear vision for what comes next, and all of your incredible talent, care, and hard work. Today's Discord has all of that. It's by far the best version of the company we've ever had. We have a clear strategy, new business lines to grow into, love and passion from our users, and an incredible team of people working tirelessly to deliver for them.

COLORFUL introduced its premium iGame GeForce RTX 5080 Vulcan OC 16 GB SKU earlier this year; complete with a mounted angle-adjustable 5th generation iGame Smart LCD screen. As of this week, the already launched standard black model is accompanied by a pale sibling—the manufacturer describes this new entry as sporting "snow-white armor." This spin-off is advertised as redefining the "visual language of high-end graphics cards." Unlike recently revealed lower end custom "Blackwell" gaming graphics cards, the quad-fan Vulcan W model gets special PR treatment—as demonstrated by COLORFUL's slick photo shoot and high-minded marketing blurb.

The Chinese AIB announced a retail launch—as of yesterday, their iGame GeForce RTX 5080 Vulcan W design headed to retail. Their own webstore and other regional platforms (JD, Tmall, Douyin, etc.) have started selling this SKU—the official starter price is 12,999 yuan (~$1784 USD). TechPowerUp's W1zzard reviewed a related (black) GeForce RTX 5080 Vulcan OC model; this triple-fan card was awarded with a "but expensive" badge—thanks to a potential $1300+ price point. COLORFUL's freshly introduced "pure white" flagship seemingly borrows cooling solution design inspiration from a key rival; the ASUS ROG Astral. A fourth 107 mm "sickle blade" fan is mounted on the Vulcan W's backplate.

MSI, a leading global provider of high-performance server solutions, is bringing AI-driven innovation to Japan IT Week Spring 2025 at Booth #21-2 with high-performance server platforms built for next-generation AI and cloud computing workloads. MSI's NVIDIA MGX AI Servers deliver modular GPU-accelerated computing to optimize AI training and inference, while the Core Compute line of Multi-Node Servers maximize compute density and efficiency for AI inference and cloud service provider workloads. MSI's Open Compute line of ORv3 Servers enhance scalability and thermal efficiency in hyperscale AI deployments. MSI's Enterprise Servers provide balanced compute, storage, and networking for seamless AI workloads across cloud and edge. With deep expertise in system integration and AI-driven infrastructure, MSI is advancing the next generation of intelligent computing solutions to power AI's next leap.

"AI's advancement hinges on performance efficiency, compute density, and workload scalability. MSI's server platforms are engineered to accelerate model training, optimize inference, and maximize resource utilization—ensuring enterprises have the processing power to turn AI potential into real-world impact," said Danny Hsu, General Manager of MSI Enterprise Platform Solutions.

An unlucky owner of a GIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 5080 MASTER ICE 16 GB graphics card has reported a baffling instance of thermal gel leakage. A forum post—titled: "5080 oh my god thermal problem"—on the Quasar Zone BBS alerted the wider world to this bizarre fault. The South Korean MMORPG enthusiast described circumstances up until the point of critical liquefaction: "it's been exactly a month since I bought it. I use it for (Blizzard's) World of Warcraft. Two hours of use per day. I set up the card with a riser kit. Thermal (material) is crawling out?!" Early 2025 press coverage has largely focused on other types of unwanted high temperature events involving GeForce RTX 50-series cards, but the seeping out of "server-grade thermal conductive gel" compound is something new. As reported by several PC hardware news outlets, GIGABYTE has utilized fancy thermal conductive gel within flagship SKUs—instead of traditional/conventional thermal pads. This gel was placed over the card's VRAM and MOSFET sections; following fairly light usage (as described above) some of this material started to head down—getting ever closer to the unit's PCIe interface.

Assisted by the AORUS RTX 5080 MASTER ICE's vertical orientation, the (apparently) highly deformable, but non-fluid thermal gel was susceptible to the effects of gravity. JC Hyun System Co., Ltd.—GIGABYTE's official domestic importer (for South Korea)—weighed in with a separate bulletin: "we are aware of the thermal gel issue with the GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 50 series, which was first posted on Quasar Zone—(we) are currently discussing the thermal gel issue with GIGABYTE HQ and future customer service regulations. In addition, we sincerely apologize for the confusion caused to many customers who love and use GIGABYTE products due to inaccurate guidance provided to customers who received the products due to unclear customer service regulations regarding the issue that occurred this time. Lastly, when the manufacturer's customer service policy regarding this thermal gel issue is finalized, we will also forward the service policy to CS Innovation so that it can be processed smoothly in accordance with the service policy. We will also provide information through a separate post so that more customers can be aware of the information." As mentioned by Notebookcheck, GIGABYTE uses this special thermal gel solution on other highly expensive custom: "RTX 50-series cards like the GeForce RTX 5090 XTREME WATERFORCE 32G, RTX 5090 MASTER ICE, RTX 5070 Ti MASTER, and others."

Get the controllers ready and clear the calendar—it's a jam-packed GFN Thursday. Time to revisit a timeless classic for a dose of remastered nostalgia. GeForce NOW is bringing members a surprise from Bethesda—The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is now available in the cloud. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the spellbinding turn-based role-playing game, is ready to paint its adventure across GeForce NOW for members to stream in style. Sunderfolk, from Dreamhaven's Secret Door studio, launches on GeForce NOW, following an exclusive First Look Demo for members. And get ready to crack the case with the sharpest minds in the business—Capcom's Ace Attorney Investigations Collection heads to the cloud this week, offering members the thrilling adventures of prosecutor Miles Edgeworth. Stream it all across devices, along with eight other games added to the cloud this week, including Zenless Zone Zero's latest update.

A Legendary Quest
Step back into the world of Cyrodiil in style with the award-winning The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered in the cloud. The revitalization of the iconic 2006 role-playing game offers updated visuals, gameplay and plenty of more content. Explore a meticulously recreated world, navigate story paths as diverse character archetypes and engage in an epic quest to save Tamriel from a Daedric invasion. The remaster includes all previously released expansions—Shivering Isles, Knights of the Nine and additional downloadable content—providing a comprehensive experience for new and returning fans. Rediscover the vast landscape of Cyrodiil like never before with a GeForce NOW membership and stop the forces of Oblivion from overtaking the land. Ultimate and Performance members enjoy higher resolutions and longer gaming sessions for immersive gaming anytime, anywhere.

A part of AMD's enthusiast fanbase scoffed at the prospect of a rumored Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB model arriving ahead of—officially teased—lower end RDNA 4 options. This new generation's "Great Radeon Edition" seemed to be heading into mass production; according to insider track information. Last week, fairly legitimate specifications leaked out and TechPowerUp's GPU-Z utility was updated with support for this slightly mysterious Navi 48 GPU-based gaming card. Members of the Board Channels forum have heard fresh whispers from industry moles—most likely from AIBs—regarding a possible delay of Team Red's Radeon RX 9070 GRE design. Alleged initial plans suggested an original release at retail; on May 8. Further conjecture points to a revised Q4 2025 launch window—perhaps just before November 11. The same Board Channel report also mentioned an expedited rollout of AMD's Radeon RX 9060 XT cards—earlier theories signalled an early June (aka post-Computex 2025) arrival, but insiders now posit May 18.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the highly-anticipated debut by French independent studio Sandfall Interactive, and published by Kepler Interactive (Tchia, Sifu, Pacific Drive), is now available to purchase worldwide on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S (available now with Xbox Game Pass) and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

Featuring an original, fantasy world inspired by Belle Époque France, Expedition 33 delivers an emotional, cinematic story brought to life by an incredible voice cast of both video game and cinematic talent in both English and French, including Charlie Cox, Jennifer English, Ben Starr and Andy Serkis. Featuring innovative reactive turn-based battles and deep character build customization, players will embark on a journey across a world of wonder filled with stunning locations, secrets and challenging side content, connected by a fully navigable explorable world map.

Take a bow! The hand-crafted world of Once Upon a Puppet takes center stage today as the game officially launches on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam Deck. The Nintendo Switch version will be released early June 2025, giving players just a bit more time before the curtains rise on the portable stage. We will be updating you on the exact release date in the coming weeks.

Developed by Flatter Than Earth and published by Daedalic Entertainment, Once Upon a Puppet invites players into a magical theatrical realm full of danger, discovery, and unexpected transformations. Combining inventive thread-based mechanics, dual-character puzzles, and a rich, hand-animated world, the game offers a heartfelt and eerie journey through a forgotten puppet kingdom.

Another Round Entertainment is pleased to unveil Jumpbound, a challenging first-person platformer where every jump counts. Set in the mysterious ruins of an ancient alien world, this unique traversal-focused adventure invites players to jump, dash, and climb toward the unknown—all while soaking in the view and embracing a meditative atmosphere.

Stranded on a planet abandoned by its creators, players must navigate the remains of a once-great civilization. According to your expedition's findings, the only possible escape lies at the summit, where a mysterious beam pulses with promise. While the destination of the beam is unclear, you know your only way is up. But reaching the top won't be easy. One wrong move might send you tumbling all the way down and return you to the mysterious Beacon that binds you to the planet. Jump, fall, and go again until you can break the loop and get out.

The journey so far: while the road ahead of Frostpunk 2 is filled with Free Major Content Updates, a console launch, and DLCs—and we're extremely excited to show you in what ways our grand strategy / society survival game can still surprise you—we've also always wanted to continue our work on the city-builder survival experience that is Frostpunk 1. Both titles will continue to evolve side by side, offering players diverse and engaging gameplay experiences.

Looking back into the future
As our internal Liquid Engine, that the first game was created on, is no longer in development, we've been looking for other ways to further expand upon Frostpunk for years now. When working on Frostpunk 2 in Unreal Engine 5, the limitations of our own Engine became that much more apparent, but it also made us realize we could finally go back to when it all began—the moment the Great Storm came over New London in 1886. With that in mind, we're extremely excited to announce that we've already started development on a new Frostpunk project—one that recreates the experience of the original game in UE. That is also why we went for Frostpunk 1886. Let us know what you think about it in the comments!

LG Electronics Inc. (LG) today announced consolidated revenue of KRW 22.74 trillion and operating profit of KRW 1.26 trillion for the first quarter of 2025. This marks the highest first-quarter revenue in the company's history and the sixth consecutive year in which operating profit surpassed KRW 1 trillion during the first quarter. Strong performance was driven by qualitative growth across key business areas, especially in B2B, non-hardware segments (such as subscriptions and webOS platform) and direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales.

Vehicle solutions and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) - both critical to LG's B2B strategy and future growth - delivered record-breaking quarterly revenue and operating profit. Combined operating profit from the Vehicle Solution Company and Eco Solution Company increased 37.2 percent year-over-year, with revenue climbing 12.3 percent.

Intel has released the latest version of its Arc GPU Graphics Drivers, version 101.6737 WHQL. The newest drivers update from Intel adds Game On Driver support for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered games on Intel Arc B-series and A-series GPUs, as well as Intel Core Ultra CPUs with built-in Intel Arc GPUs. The new driver update also improves average performance on Intel Arc B-series GPUs in Infinity Nikki by up to 7 percent at 1080p resolution with Ultra Settings and up to 5 percent at 1440p with Ultra Settings.

The new Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers update also fixes a couple of issues on Intel Arc B-series GPUs, including application crash in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and intermittent crash on certain motherboards with ray tracing enabled in Cyberpunk 2077. Intel also fixed issue with Call of Duty Black Ops 6 on Intel Arc A-series GPUs where shadows could exhibit darker than expected in certain campaign scenarios. The same issue is also fixed on Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPUs with built-in Intel Arc GPUs, alongside issues where users may experience less than expected performance with screen recording on certain devices and intermittent freeze issue with video playback on external display while performing certain operations.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.6737 WHQL

Synology today launched DiskStation DS925+ for professionals and businesses seeking high performance and reliable data management.

"The 4-bay Plus Series models inherited over one million installations and have always been among our most widely-adopted products." said Jeffrey Huang, product manager of Synology. "Not only are they favored by professionals but also deployed by enterprises in remote and branch environments as edge servers. For this reason, we've designed the DS925+ to deliver business-grade performance and reliability."

M31 Technology Corporation (M31), a global provider of silicon intellectual property (IP), today announced that its eUSB2 PHY IP has achieved silicon-proven status on TSMC's 3 nm process and has successfully completed tape-out on TSMC's 2 nm process. As a member of TSMC Open Innovation Platform (OIP) IP Alliance since 2012, M31 has been honored with TSMC OIP Partner of the Year Award for seven consecutive years. In 2020, M31 pioneered its eUSB2 IP solution on the TSMC 7 nm process node, further solidifying its leadership in advanced interface IP development. Since then, M31 has steadily expanded its eUSB2 IP portfolio across TSMC's 5 nm, 3 nm, and most recently, 2 nm process technologies—closely aligning with TSMC's cutting-edge roadmap to accelerate the adoption of AI-enabled smart devices. Looking ahead, M31 is actively developing the next-generation eUSB2 Version 2.0 (eUSB2V2) PHY IP, with ongoing efforts focused on both TSMC's 3 nm and 2 nm process nodes.

Reinforcing its robustness and reliability on advanced nodes, M31's eUSB2 IP solutions have been widely adopted by leading global companies in high-end smartphone chipsets and AI-driven image processing applications. Building on this success, M31 is currently advancing the development of eUSB2V2 IP on TSMC's N3 and N2 process technologies - expanding its comprehensive eUSB2 portfolio to include eUSB2 V1, V2 PHY, and eUSB2 Repeater solutions. Leveraging the eUSB2 standard, eUSB2V2 enhances data transfer rates while maintaining a low-voltage interface and leveraging asymmetric bandwidth technology—allowing TX and RX to operate at different data rates. This significantly improves transmission efficiency, making it ideal for embedded applications such as AI edge computing, smart surveillance, and image processing chips. To accommodate diverse design needs, eUSB2V2 leverages and enhances the I/O architecture based on the eUSB2 standard, supporting data transfer speeds from 480 Mbps up to 4.8 Gbps. The solution delivers a comprehensive eUSB2 platform for high-end SoCs—optimizing power efficiency, performance and design flexibility, while maintaining full compatibility with legacy USB 2.0 devices.

MSI is thrilled to partner with Sandfall Interactive and Kepler Interactive for an exclusive limited-time offer! From April 24 to May 24, 2025, purchase select MSI PC Case and Power Supply and receive a FREE PC game key for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Upgrade your rig, unleash unmatched power, and dive into a battle against fate!

Unstoppable Performance, Unrivaled Efficiency!
MSI's latest high-performance PC Cases and Power Supplies are designed to elevate your gaming and AI computing experience. With cutting-edge technology, superior cooling, and premium materials, MSI helps you build the ultimate PC. Engineered for maximum airflow and cooling, featuring Dual Layer Blades Fans, an EZ bracket for flexible fan configurations, and a quick snap-and-lock PSU cover for easy cable management. Supports EATX, ATX, Back-connect ATX, USB 20 Gbps (Type-C), and up to 13 fans & three 360 mm radiators. Designed for AI workloads and extreme gaming, this 80 Plus Titanium-certified, fully digital PSU delivers stable, high-efficiency power. ATX 3.1-ready with industrial-grade protection, it keeps your system powered through the most demanding tasks.

Minisforum is working on a new MoDT (Mobile on Desktop) motherboard lineup featuring mobile versions of AMD Ryzen processors, one of them being the F1FGM model. The motherboard came in a compact microATX form factor built around the AMD X870M chipset and is equipped with the latest AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX processor rather than traditional socket-type processors. This CPU has a boost clock of up to 5.4 GHz and is based on the Zen 5 architecture offering 16 cores, 32 threads, and 64 MB of L3 cache. Interestingly, even if this processor is rated at 55 W by default, in this particular Minisforum implementation it can be pushed up to a whopping 160 W. To efficiently dissipate the substantial 160 W thermal output and considering that mobile CPUs don't have an IHS, the motherboard comes equipped with a pre-installed vapor chamber heat spreader. The VRM features a solid design with 13-phase 60 A SPS DrMOS. Minisforum has also included large heatsinks across the VRMs, M.2 Slots and PCH.

For expansion, the Minisforum F1FGM motherboard offers one PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and one PCIe 4.0 x16 slot. Storage interfaces include one PCIe 5.0 compatible M.2 slot, three additional M.2 slots (one is rated at Gen 5 x4), two SATA 6 Gbps connections and two BIOS Debug LEDs. On the connectivity side it features two USB4 ports, one HDMI, one DisplayPort, five Gigabit Ethernet, and Wi-Fi 7 compatibility. The four 5 V ARGB LED control pin headers is a clear step towards DIY users and according to company representatives, the main competition for this motherboard will be ASUS ROG products. PCWatch reports that Minisforum intends to offer the F1FGM motherboard at a price point comparable to a standalone desktop CPU in the second half of this year.

Cadence today announced it is furthering its longstanding collaboration with TSMC to accelerate time to silicon for 3D-IC and advanced-node technologies through certified design flows, silicon-proven IP and ongoing technology collaboration. As a leading provider of IP for TSMC N2P, N5 and N3 process nodes, Cadence continues to deliver cutting-edge AI-driven design solutions to the TSMC ecosystem for multiple horizontal applications from chiplets and SoCs to advanced packaging and 3D-ICs. The deep collaboration encompasses certified tools and flows for TSMC's N2P and A16 technologies, paves the way for TSMC's A14 and further unlocks 3D-IC possibilities by extending support for TSMC 3DFabric design and packaging. In addition, Cadence and TSMC are extending tool certification for newly announced TSMC N3C technology based on available N3P design solutions.

Cadence is driving innovation in AI chip design with certified tools and optimized IP for TSMC's advanced N2P and A16 process technologies. Reinforcing its memory IP leadership, Cadence offers TSMC9000 pre-silicon-certified DDR5 12.8G IP for N2P. Cadence digital, custom/analog design and thermal analysis solutions are certified for TSMC N2P and A16 technologies. Combined with continued collaboration on AI-driven digital design solutions for N2P, including leveraging large language models (LLMs), these advancements play an important role in improving digital design flows for future process nodes.

Kioxia Corporation, a world leader in memory solutions, today announced that its EXCERIA PLUS G2 Portable SSD Series received the Red Dot Design Award in the "Product Design 2025" category. The Red Dot Design Award is one of the world's most prestigious design awards which honors the very best in design every year. Winners will be honored at the Red Dot Design Award ceremony on July 8th in Essen, Germany.

The Red Dot jury, composed of internationally recognized design experts, selected the EXCERIA PLUS G2 portable SSD Series for its sleek design, user-centric functionality and durable build. The award recognized the smooth, rounded aluminium housing, lack of visible screws for a seamless feel, and heat dissipation and impact resistance solutions through design.

ADATA Technology, a global leader in memory modules and flash storage, officially announces its collaboration with Giga Computing, a subsidiary of GIGABYTE Technology, to establish a newly upgraded server production line in Brazil. This partnership not only highlights ADATA's regional manufacturing strengths but also enhances product competitiveness by integrating ADATA's server-grade memory and storage solutions—paving the way for joint expansion into the growing Latin American market.

Anticipating the rapid growth of the Latin American market, ADATA Technology made its early move into Brazil over a decade ago, steadily expanding its presence across manufacturing and marketing operations. Since establishing its São Paulo plant in 2016 and further expanding into Manaus in 2021, ADATA has leveraged fully automated production and high-efficiency capacity to deliver stable supply to the regional market. Its commitment to both employee well-being and product excellence has been recognized with the "Great Place to Work Brazil" certification for three consecutive years (2022-2024).

SK hynix Inc. (or "the company", www.skhynix.com) announced today that it recorded 17.6391 trillion won in revenues, 7.4405 trillion won in operating profit (with an operating margin of 42%), and 8.1082 trillion won in net profit (with a net margin of 46%) in the first quarter this year. Both revenues and operating profit are the 2nd highest records following last quarter when the company achieved its best quarterly results. Operating margin improved by 1% compared to the previous quarter to 42%, resulting in 8th consecutive quarterly growth.

SK hynix explained that memory market ramped up faster than expected due to competition to develop AI systems and inventory accumulation demand. The company responded to the demand with an expansion in sales of high value-added products such as 12-layer HBM3E and DDR5. The company believes the strong financial results despite a low seasonality reflect its outstanding competitiveness compared to the past. The company plans to focus on enhancing the business fundamentals to achieve distinguished financial outcome, even in times of market correction.

Ghost of Yōtei's release date has finally been confirmed as October 2 of this year. Sony Entertainment today announced the October 2 release date, which is slated to be exclusive to the PlayStation 5 console for the time being, alongside new special editions of the upcoming action-adventure game. All pre-orders for Ghost of Yōtei, which start on May 2 at 10:00 AM, will include seven PSN avatars—representing Atsu and the Yōtei Six—and an in-game mask cosmetic. The base game will cost $69.99, while the $79.99 Digital Deluxe Edition will include the full digital base game, four cosmetic unlocks, and an early unlock for the Travelers Map. The Collector's Edition bundle will include an array of physical collectibles—a replica of Atsu's mask from the game, a sash, tsuba, art cards, zeni hajiki coin game and pouch, and a papercraft ginko tree—along with the same in-game items as included in the Digital Deluxe Edition. All of that comes at a whopping $249.99.

Sucker Punch also released a new trailer for Ghost of Yōtei, which reveals the villainous Yōtei Six and their brutal slaughter of Atsu's people, which serve as the motivation for her revenge story. It's unclear when Ghost of Yōtei will expand to PC and other console gaming platforms, but speculation suggests that 2027 is the earliest we will see a cross-platform launch for the Ghost of Tsushima sequel. Previous reports also indicated that there will be a Ghost of Tsushima expanded universe, with possible TV and movie spin-offs on the cards.

As the subject title says, Old Skies has officially launched on Steam and GOG! Join ChronoZen agent Fia Quinn on a time-travel adventure spanning 200 years. Old Skies is a story of love, loss and legacy. Plus it's 10% off during the first week! Dive into the past with time agent Fia Quinn as she embarks on seven trips through time. History is up for grabs—from the speakeasies of Prohibition, to the vicious gangs of the Gilded Age, to the World Trade Center on September 10, 2001.

Your job is to keep close watch on seven travelers who have the desire (and the bank accounts) to sightsee in the past. Some are simply curious. Others have unfinished business to resolve. And they've all put down a lot of money for the trip, so it's vital that you keep them happy while ensuring they follow the rules. But what could go wrong? It's only time travel, after all.

Just before the official launch of Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics cards, members of the Chiphell forum expressed concerns about unnamed evaluation samples exhibiting worrying memory module temperatures. Days later, Western review outlets published similar findings across several board partner specimens. Typically, pre-launch and retail units have utilized SK hynix GDDR6 VRAM modules—TechPowerUp's W1zzard uncovered numerous examples of the manufacturer's "H56G42AS8DX-014" model during teardown sessions. Curiously, Chinese PC hardware enthusiasts have happened upon Radeon RX 9070 XT cards that utilize Samsung GDDR6 memory modules. It is not clear whether Yeston has outfitted its flagship Sakura Atlantis OC SKU with Samsung components from the very beginning, but one owner documented a GPU-Z diagnostics session—late last month—showing "GDDR6 (Samsung)" onboard. Earlier this month, insiders posited that NVIDIA was in the process of changing its main GDDR7 memory vendor—from Samsung to SK hynix—for the GeForce RTX 50-series.

According to a recent Guru3D news piece, additional cases were reported. Online conjecture points to "higher end" custom models being updated with "cooler" modules. Hilbert Hagedoorn—Guru3D's head honcho—has gathered compelling information via community feedback channels: "the transition to Samsung memory has yielded noticeable thermal advantages. Early reviews and comparisons indicate that the new memory modules help lower temperatures significantly. Custom RX 9070 XT models running demanding benchmarks like Furmark have demonstrated memory temperatures of 75°C or lower without necessitating an increase in voltage or a reduction in clock speeds. Notable manufacturers, including Sapphire, XFX, and GIGABYTE, have already integrated Samsung's GDDR6 into their custom variants. However, as of now, AMD has not authorized its partners to explicitly differentiate between models with SK hynix and Samsung memory, likely to avoid confusion among consumers and maintain a consistent product lineup." Additionally, TechPowerUp forum members have found Samsung GDDR6 memory on Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 custom models. Thanks for the tip, Fluffmeister.

TSMC today unveiled its next cutting-edge logic process technology, A14, at the Company's North America Technology Symposium. Representing a significant advancement from TSMC's industry-leading N2 process, A14 is designed to drive AI transformation forward by delivering faster computing and greater power efficiency. It is also expected to enhance smartphones by improving their on-board AI capabilities, making them even smarter. Planned to enter production in 2028, the current A14 development is progressing smoothly with yield performance ahead of schedule.

Compared with the N2 process, which is about to enter volume production later this year, A14 will offer up to 15% speed improvement at the same power, or up to 30% power reduction at the same speed, along with more than 20% increase in logic density. Leveraging the Company's experience in design-technology co-optimization for nanosheet transistor, TSMC is also evolving its TSMC NanoFlex standard cell architecture to NanoFlex Pro, enabling greater performance, power efficiency and design flexibility.

Players will get to fight epic battles in SUPER ROBOT WARS Y, slated to release on 28 of August 2025. Part of the SUPER ROBOT WARS series, the title will bring this grid-based tactical JRPG to PC via Steam. Also, digital pre-orders are now opened for PC via Steam. In SUPER ROBOT WARS Y, players will compete in turn-based tactical combat on grid-based maps while controlling a team of pilots with various abilities. They will get to enjoy fan-favorite units from past games, as well brand-new ones to the franchise, including some appearing on console for the very first time.

Conquer fate and embark on a journey into the new saga in SUPER ROBOT WARS Y. Published by Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. and developed by Bandai Namco Forge Digitals Inc. SUPER ROBOT WARS Y is a grid-based tactical combat RPG that brings mechs and pilots from beloved series like Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury Season 1, Code Geass Lelouch of the Re;surrection, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, SSSS.DYNAZENON, Getter Robo Arc, Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre and more to battle mutual foes. The game will be available on consoles and PC beginning August 28.

Avicena, headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, announced today that the company will work with TSMC to optimize photodetector (PD) arrays for Avicena's revolutionary LightBundle microLED-based interconnects. LightBundle supports > 1Tbps/mm shoreline density and extends ultra-high density die-to-die (D2D) connections to > 10 meters at class-leading sub-pJ/bit energy efficiency. This will enable AI scale-up networks to support large clusters of GPUs across multiple racks, eliminating reach limitations of current copper interconnects while drastically reducing power consumption.

Increasingly sophisticated AI models are driving an unprecedented surge in demand for compute and memory performance, requiring interconnects with higher density, lower power, and longer reach for both processor-to-processor (P2P) and processor-to-memory (P2M) connectivity.

An alleged partial close-up capture of the Nintendo Switch 2's chipset has leaked out; courtesy of Kurnal (@Kurnalsalts). This fresh leak is being hyped up as putting an end to all online debate regarding the upcoming hybrid console's technological underpinnings. Despite late 2024/early 2025 reports pointing to a custom NVIDIA "T239" SoC design, certain voices continued to produce conjecture about a more "cutting edge" solution. Surprisingly, Team Green's PR department did issue a statement about the Switch 2 being powered by: "a custom processor featuring an NVIDIA GPU with dedicated RT Cores and Tensor Cores for stunning visuals and AI-driven enhancements."

As expected, Nintendo staffers remained guarded during recent press junkets—in-depth tech talk was deferred in NVIDIA's general direction. Kurnal's sharing of a speculative "T239" partial die shot does not provide any major new revelations or insights—as discussed on the Nintendo Switch 2 Subreddit, tech enthusiasts continue to rely on specification details from the big hack of NVIDIA repositories (three years ago). Newer speculation has focused on Nintendo's choice of foundry—Digital Foundry's Richard Leadbetter continues to express his personal belief that Nintendo has selected a Samsung 8 nm DUV foundry node. In opposition, certain critics have persisted with a 5 nm EUV node process theory.

LG Electronics (LG) has announced the arrival of the highly anticipated Xbox app on LG Smart TVs this week, allowing users to stream Xbox games on the big screen at home. LG Smart TV owners in over 25 countries are now able to play the latest indie hit to the biggest AAA titles directly through the Xbox app on their LG Smart TVs.

Conveniently accessible from the Gaming Portal and the LG Apps, the Xbox app enables LG TV owners to jump straight into gameplay from day one with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, launching hundreds of titles from Activision, Bethesda, Blizzard, Mojang, Xbox Game Studios and more - with just a compatible controller. The Xbox app is available on LG TVs and select smart monitors running the latest webOS 24 and newer versions, and it will soon be available on StanbyME screens.

AI is rapidly reshaping what's possible on a PC—whether for real-time image generation or voice-controlled workflows. As AI capabilities grow, so does their complexity. Tapping into the power of AI can entail navigating a maze of system settings, software and hardware configurations. Enabling users to explore how on-device AI can simplify and enhance the PC experience, Project G-Assist—an AI assistant that helps tune, control and optimize GeForce RTX systems—is now available as an experimental feature in the NVIDIA app. Developers can try out AI-powered voice and text commands for tasks like monitoring performance, adjusting settings and interacting with supporting peripherals. Users can even summon other AIs powered by GeForce RTX AI PCs.

And it doesn't stop there. For those looking to expand Project G-Assist capabilities in creative ways, the AI supports custom plug-ins. With the new ChatGPT-based G-Assist Plug-In Builder, developers and enthusiasts can create and customize G-Assist's functionality, adding new commands, connecting external tools and building AI workflows tailored to specific needs. With the plug-in builder, users can generate properly formatted code with AI, then integrate the code into G-Assist—enabling quick, AI-assisted functionality that responds to text and voice commands.

Last week, COLORFUL introduced an impressive selection of GeForce RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5060 models—across Advanced, iGame, Ultra W and NB product lines. Barring their "youthful" graffiti-decorated iGame options, the Chinese manufacturer's brand-new lineup largely consisted of very sober looking affairs. Earlier in the week, VideoCardz noticed that COLORFUL had updated its native website with two new entries; under the company's COLORFIRE sub-brand. Previous generation MEOW Series graphics cards debuted almost two years ago; starting with custom GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB and RTX 4060 8 GB models.

Beyond making brightly-colored graphics card designs, COLORFIRE's MEOW product line consists of equally "loud" motherboards, cases, laptops and peripherals. COLORFIRE's new generation MEOW desktop graphics cards—available in GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB or 8 GB configurations—have appeared with a new triple-fan shroud and backplate design. The 2.5-slot thick enclosure seems to house reference spec-conforming hardware. VideoCardz expects these fairly basic white/orange offerings to launch "at or near" baseline MSRP. It is refreshing to see the emergence of another feline pet/mascot-themed product; as opposed to the recent dearth of cute "idol" or "waifu"-decorated options. Nearby rival manufacturers—including ASUS, Yeston, and ZOTAC—have resorted to utilizing such clichéd marketing tactics.

PlayStation 5 Pro console—the most innovative PlayStation console to date—elevates gaming experiences to the next level with features like upgraded GPU, advanced ray tracing, and PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) - an AI-driven upscaling that delivers super sharp image clarity with high framerate gameplay. Today we're providing a closer look at the console's internal architecture, as Sony Interactive Entertainment engineers Shinya Tsuchida, PS5 Pro Mechanical Design Lead and Shinya Hiromitsu, PS5 Pro Electrical Design Lead, provide a deep-dive into the console's innovative technology and design philosophy.

Note: in this article, we refer to the PlayStation 5 model released in 2020 as the "original PS5," the PS5 released in 2023 as the "current PS5," and the PS5 Pro released in 2024 as the "PS5 Pro." Do not try this at home. Risk of fires, and exposure to electric shock or other injuries. Disassembling your console will invalidate your manufacturer's guarantee.

ASUS China showcased a compelling new custom graphics card design during their presentation of a Hatsune Miku-themed product collection. Global audiences were treated to TUF Gaming x Hatsune Miku crossover peripherals/accessories, but Chinese gamers will get access to a wider gamut of options—under the TX Gaming banner; a regional spin-off of TUF Gaming—including a cutely decorated GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB model. ASUS seems to be reusing this card's basic shroud/backplate design—minus elaborate character illustrations and graphics—on a brand-new TX Gaming GeForce RTX 5070 12 GB SKU. A "Born to be Different" message adorns a largely plain white front section, and familiar "GeForce RTX" texts are placed on a side panel and on the 2.5-slot thick card's metallic silver backplate. A large X-formation cut-out grants a glimpse at an enclosed fin stack.

In the past, ASUS TX Gaming products have been accompanied by sci-fi "idol" characters—on related retail box art and in promotional material. Evidently, ASUS has extended this "marketing technique" into the NVIDIA "Blackwell" GPU generation. As expected, the TX Gaming GeForce RTX 5070 models—in standard and factory overclocked forms—will launch as Chinese market exclusives. VideoCardz did not find any global listings of these offerings, nor launch details—e.g. a release date and MSRPs. They noted that a TUF Gaming equivalent model features five display connectors; as opposed to the TX Gaming's deployment of four (1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1b).

In October of 2025, Microsoft will phase out support for Windows 10. For many users, it's free to upgrade, but the baseline version of Windows 11 is limited in what it can do. If you want a more advanced OS with improved security, a refined user interface, and even improvements for gaming, try Windows 11 Pro. Windows 11 Pro extends beyond the standard Windows 11 feature set, giving you advanced capabilities tailored to professional workloads. BitLocker device encryption, Hyper-V virtualization, and Windows Sandbox now come pre-loaded for secure data management and isolated testing environments.

Snap layouts and virtual desktops streamline multitasking. TPM 2.0 and Smart App Control bolster security with hardware and software-level protection. DirectX 12 Ultimate also improves GPU performance for graphics-intensive tasks like art or even gaming.

It would normally cost $199 to upgrade to Windows 11 Pro, but during this limited-time sale, it's only $14.97. No coupon needed.

It's been thrilling for all of us here at Bethesda to revisit a game so close to our hearts with Oblivion Remastered. When we started this project in 2021, we aimed to breathe new life into a chapter of The Elder Scrolls that set the path for so many of our games after it. We never wanted to remake it—but remaster it—where the original game was there as you remember playing it, but seen through today's technology.

We were so fortunate to work with an unbelievable team and partners at Virtuos. Even though we had worked together before, we had never attempted something on this scale. Every piece of art, animation, special effects, and part of the world would be remastered. Some new voices would be recorded, while keeping the originals there as well. Game systems were updated to feel better in your hands. Leveling systems modified for smoother progression and balance. We looked at every part and carefully upgraded it. But most of all, we never wanted to change the core. It's still a game from a previous era and should feel like one.

Mid-way through April, we heard about sanctions affecting shipments of NVIDIA's H20 AI chips into China. Despite (rumored) best efforts made by Jensen Huang and colleagues, the US government has banned the export of Team Green's formerly sanction-conformant design. Similarly, NVIDIA prepared a slightly less potent GPU for gaming applications—exclusively for the Chinese market. Despite sporting a restricted GB202 "Blackwell" GPU die, the GeForce RTX 5090D 32 GB is still a monstrous prospect. According to Chinese PC hardware news sources, Team Green representatives have sent alerts to "all" of its Chinese add-in-card partners (AICs)—early warning signs have indicated a possible cut-off of GB202 GPUs in the near future. A member of the Chiphell forum disclosed some insider knowledge and dismissed unfounded speculation about RTX 5090D cards being replaced by "full fat" RTX 5090 options.

sthuasheng commented on Team Green's alleged bulletin—distributed at some point last week: "the notice only said that the supply of RTX 5090D was suspended, ...this did not mean any sales or transportation ban; it urged everyone not to make any speculations or judgments unless there was an official notice issued at a later date. After this notice was issued, each AIC began to notify agents to suspend sales, because the inventory of 5090D has always been very small, so it is necessary to keep these stocks to observe the subsequent situation and deal with the subsequent after-sales. At the same time, we might as well speculate that each AIC and dealer may also have the intention to stockpile 5090D units and then sell them at an elevated price." BenchLife.info decided to reach out to industry moles, following an absorption of various Chiphell whispers.

AMD today announced that it will be hosting a press conference during Computex 2025. The in-person and livestreamed press conference will take place on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 11 a.m. UTC+8, Taipei, at the Grand Hyatt, Taipei. The event will showcase the advancements AMD has driven with AI in gaming, PCs and professional workloads.

AMD senior vice president and general manager of the Computing and Graphics Group Jack Huynh, along with industry partners, will discuss how AMD is expanding its leadership across gaming, workstations, and AI PCs, and highlight the breadth of the company's high-performance computing and AI product portfolio. The livestream will start at 8 p.m. PT/11 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 20 on AMD.com, with replay available after the conclusion of the livestream event.

Sapphire introduced two brand-new NITRO+ models prior to the official launch of AMD's RDNA 4 graphics card generation. The manufacturer rolled out its flagship Radeon RX 9070 XT card on day one—March 6—but the "lesser" NITRO+ sibling was absent at retail. Late last week, ITHome revealed that Sapphire had finally got round to globally releasing their NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 16 GB SKU. At the time of writing, Overclockers UK seems to have cards in stock—priced at £629.99 (including VAT). Unsurprisingly, the freshly launched NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 model utilizes the exact same shroud and backplate design that is present on Sapphire's range-topper.

The latest entry retains all of the more expensive unit's mod cons—including a Quick Connect MagniPlate feature, STEALTH hidden power cable, 12V-2x6 (H++) external power connector, Tri-X cooling technology, optimized composite heatpipes, and Honeywell PTM7950 TIM. Major differences are disclosed in Sapphire's "engine clock" specs: "boost clock up to 2700 MHz" and "game clock up to 2210 MHz." The Hong Kong-based company has not officially commented on circumstances that led to the delay of its NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 graphics card. VideoCardz has dismissed claims about this particular model being postponed due to rumors of a displacement by forthcoming Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB options.

Athena Worlds, a video games studio founded by video games veterans of titles such as Alien Vs Predator, Forza Horizon, Goldeneye N64, The Sims, Microsoft Flight Simulator and a slew of chart-topping games are proud to announce "Xenomorph."

Alien Vs Predator for Atari, defined Jane Whittaker's career. It also defined a genre, often regarded as the first true survival game, with over 100 awards and recently honored with number 3 in the top 10 scariest games of all-time awards. It spawned an enduring franchise. AvP for the Atari Jaguar was programmed by Mike Beaton (3D engine / gameplay designer) and Jane (AI and gameplay programmer/designer) and produced by James Purple Hampton. It is no exaggeration to say this cult classic changed the face of gaming.

Marvell Technology, Inc., a leader in data infrastructure semiconductor solutions, today announced the successful interoperability of the Marvell Structera portfolio of Compute Express Link (CXL) with AMD EPYC CPUs and 5th Gen Intel Xeon platforms. This achievement underscores the commitment of Marvell to advancing an open and interoperable CXL ecosystem, addressing the growing demands for memory bandwidth and capacity in next-generation cloud data centers.

Marvell collaborated with AMD and Intel to extensively test Structera CXL products with AMD EPYC and 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable platforms across various configurations, workloads, and operating conditions. The results demonstrated seamless interoperability, delivering stability, scalability, and high-performance memory expansion that cloud data center providers need for mass deployment.

BEHOLD THE ARGONATH, THE PILLARS OF THE KINGS! Standing guard over the northern borders of Gondor, the Argonath is a pair of statues without compare—even in a place like Middle- earth. Now, it's found a place on your desk. Follow the Fellowship South through storied statues. Depicted in stunning impressionist style by the talented artists at Dwarf Factory, the scene on this mat is pulled straight from The Fellowship of the Ring, following our nine heroes as they go south along the river Anduin.

GLIDE ACROSS A WATER-REPELLANT SURFACE WITH SPACE TO SPARE
Towering statues aren't the only breathtaking structures here. Nearly as impressive is our mat itself, measuring 36 inches wide, 16 inches tall, and 4 millimeters thick. It's also water-repellant-perfect for any accidental rivers across your desk. Work and play on mythical materials: made from high-density, low-friction Mercerized fabric and eco-friendly anti-slip rubber, this mat stays put and feels exceptional. It may just last as long as the Argonath itself.

Lenovo today unveiled a refreshed portfolio of ThinkPad devices engineered to meet the evolving needs of modern professionals—from content creators and engineers to knowledge workers and hybrid teams. The lineup includes powerful Copilot+ PCs, such as the ThinkPad P14s Gen 6 AMD and ThinkPad P16s Gen 4 AMD mobile workstations, alongside new ThinkPad L Series business laptops and expands its ThinkPad X1 Aura Editions, delivering the performance, manageability, and intelligence today's AI-powered workflows demand.

Together, these latest ThinkPad systems reflect Lenovo's commitment to delivering smarter, more adaptive solutions that support advanced workloads, sustainability goals, and flexible work models—whether users are building complex simulations or collaborating across teams.

TechPowerUp today released the latest version of NVCleanstall, our lightweight utility that lets you download and install NVIDIA GeForce drivers with a much higher level of customization than NVIDIA's installer permits. This utility lets you disable (or enable) several components in the GeForce driver package that you can't find in the NVIDIA installer's "Custom install" page, including important settings such as telemetry. Version 1.19.0 comes with a few important fixes. To begin with, a bug that causes installation to not start correctly with GeForce 576.02 drivers has been fixed. A checkbox has been added on the first screen to bypass the Cloudflare CDN. This option comes in handy in countries with Cloudflare censorship, such as Russia and Spain.

Next up, we've tweaked the internal process that compresses files into the driver package so it uses a maximum of 8 CPU threads, down from 20, which should correct certain "out of memory" errors. The description of NV Platform Controllers component has been updated to make it clear that it is applicable only to laptop platforms. On laptops, the "recommended" preset selects NV Platform Controllers. Grab NVCleanstall from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp NVCleanstall 1.19.0

Intel is at a crossroads as the company prepares to report earnings on April 24, 2025. Investors are hoping that Lip-Bu Tan, Intel's new CEO, can turn the company's fortunes around and stem its revenue losses. Currently, Intel is projected to report its fourth straight quarter of revenue decline with a 3.4% revenue loss, according to Reuters, and expects a significant widening of its losses to approximately $945 million compared with a loss of $381 million a year ago. Intel continues to lose market share to AMD in both personal computing and data center markets, while NVIDIA dominates the highly lucrative AI chip market. In addition, Intel's PC division is likely to report an 11% revenue decrease to $6.73 billion, and its data center business is probably facing its twelfth consecutive quarter of declines. "The most important thing for Intel now is Lip-Bu Tan's playbook... How he can give investors confidence that he is the person who can turn Intel around and whether a turnaround is possible in the first place," said Hendi Susanto, portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds, which holds Intel shares.

Tan has been implementing sweeping changes as part of his turnaround plan, cutting more than 20% of the employees at Intel and a change in the leadership model to provide quicker decisions. The company is seeing significant geopolitical threats as U.S.-China trade tensions are rolling back. China is threatening to impose retaliatory tariffs of up to 85% on all chips produced in the U.S. and along these lines has also imposed a requirement for licenses to sell some high-end AI products to the Chinese customers. Likely, as part of this, the company is presumed to be moving the production of its 3 nm chips from Arizona to Ireland in late 2025. Under all of these factors, Intel could eventually receive a temporary boost if PC shipments are pulled forward ahead of these tariffs that may ultimately positively impact a significant portion of Intel's sales (nearly one-third of total revenues).

Silicon Power (SP) is proud to announce the launch of the Inspire microSDXC card, a powerful new memory solution tailored for content creation, 4K video production, and handheld gaming. With blazing fast read speeds up to 170 MB/s and write speeds up to 160 MB/s, the Inspire card offers the speed, reliability, and versatility that today's creators and gamers demand.

Built for Speed, Ready for Action
Designed with UHS-I U3 and V30 video speed ratings, the Inspire card is ideal for applications that demand high-speed data processing—from capturing ultra-high-definition 4K video on drones and action cameras to supporting mobile gaming and professional content creation on portable game consoles and Android devices. With capacity options of 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB, users can choose the perfect fit for their storage needs. For power users who require even more storage, a 1 TB option is slated for release in Q2 of this year.

Samsung Display today announced that the company has earned Marketing Claim Verification from global safety science company UL Solutions for claims related to perceived brightness. This marks the first time UL Solutions has issued a Marketing Claim Verification for a technology that leverages PCL calculations.

To achieve UL Solutions' Marketing Claim Verification, Samsung's True Bright, which is a distinction Samsung gives to displays that provides greater perceived brightness when compared to LCDs of the same PCL score, was evaluated for Perceptual Contrast Length (PCL) to quantify the brightness of the black of a display. PCL, which has been adopted as an industry standard by SEMI, refers to the brightness of a display specifically as perceived by the human eye. This metric acknowledges that perceived brightness is influenced not only by the physical light emitted by the panel but also by its contrast ratio. OLED displays typically have a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1—over a thousand times that of standard LCDs. The enhanced contrast of OLEDs ensures that the same image is perceived as brighter when compared to LCD displays.

addlink Technology Co., Ltd., a trailblazer in cutting-edge storage solutions, is excited to unveil the P30 USB4.0 Super-Speed Magnetic SSD, a next-generation external drive engineered for speed, portability, and innovation. Designed to meet the demands of modern mobile users, the P30 combines record-breaking performance with a stylish, compact form factor.SD, a cutting-edge portable storage device that combines exceptional speed, robust durability, and sleek design.

P30 USB4.0 SSD: Blazing Speed and Smart Design
Harnessing the power of USB4.0 technology, the P30 achieves transfer speeds of up to 4000 MB/s, allowing users to transfer a 10 GB file in a mere 2.5 seconds. Whether you're working with 4K ProRes videos, high-resolution photos, or massive game libraries, this SSD delivers unparalleled efficiency for professionals and enthusiasts alike.

SK hynix Inc. announced today that it has completed customer validation of 96 GB CMM (CXL Memory Module) - DDR5, a DRAM solution product based on CXL 2.0. The company said that it can process 36 GB/s due to a 50% increase in capacity when the product is applied to the server systems and a 30% improvement in the bandwidth compared to previous DDR5 modules. This can contribute to drastically reducing the total cost of ownership by customers in building and operating data centers.

Following the 96 GB product validation, the company is proceeding with the validation process for 128 GB product with another customer. This product, equipped with 32 Gb DDR5 DRAM using the 1bnm process, or the fifth-generation of the 10-nanometer technology, has high performance per watt. The company plans to complete the ongoing 128 GB validation as soon as possible to establish a CXL product portfolio to support customers in a timely manner. SK hynix is making efforts to expand the CXL ecosystem along with the development of CXL DRAM. The company developed HMSDK, software optimized for CMM-DDR5 and integrated it on Linux, the world's largest open-source operating system, in September, improving the performance of CXL applied systems.

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading brand of performance overclock memory and PC components, is excited to unveil a list of compatible G.SKILL DDR5 memory kits that support the newly announced Intel 200S Boost program, introduced by Intel to improve system and gaming performance for platforms with unlocked Intel Core Ultra 200S series desktop processors and a compliant Intel Z890 chipset motherboard.

Intel 200S Boost - What is it?
The Intel 200S Boost is a new overclocking feature designed by Intel to work in conjunction with their latest unlocked Intel Core Ultra 200S series desktop processor, a compliant Intel Z890 chipset motherboard and validated DDR5 memory kits with an Intel XMP 3.0 memory overclock profile of up to DDR5-8000 and a maximum rated voltage of 1.4 V. Enabling this feature in the motherboard BIOS will automatically set your XMP values whilst boosting various CPU parameters to gain extra system performance.

AMD is preparing to launch its mid-thru-performance segment graphics card, the Radeon RX 9060 XT, on May 18, 2025. The mid-May launch could likely clash with that of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (non-Ti). With the RX 9060 XT, AMD is introducing its second silicon based on the RDNA 4 architecture, the 4 nm "Navi 44." The full chip is rumored to be exactly half that of the "Navi 48" powering the RX 9070 series, with 32 compute units. This works out to 2,048 stream processors, 64 AI accelerators, 32 RT accelerators, 128 TMUs, and possibly 64 ROPs. The memory bus is expected to be 128-bit wide, with 8 GB and 16 GB memory variants expected. The company might stick with 20 Gbps GDDR6 for 320 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The host interface is expected to be PCI-Express 5.0 x8. Although it comes with a rather low shader count of 2,048, the RX 9060 XT is expected to come with higher engine clocks, boosting well over 3.20 GHz.

Given how the RX 9070 series ended up being competitive with the RTX 5070 and in some cases even the RTX 5070 Ti; it becomes plausible that the RX 9060 XT ends up competitive with the RTX 5060 series. Then there's the matter of the RX 9070 GRE. While the RX 9060 XT is 50% of the RX 9070 XT specs-sheet on paper the RX 9070 GRE is expected to be 75% of it—think 48 CU, 192-bit memory bus. This SKU is based on the "Navi 48" with its ASIC designation "Navi 48 XL." It's now being rumored that launch of this SKU has been significantly delayed to Q4 2025. May 18 happens to be the Sunday before Computex 2025 in Taipei, and so it's possible that AMD is holding some kind of client computing or gaming-specific event there, where it will show off the RX 9060 XT. The company might even announce mobile variants of its RX 9070 series.

Igor's Lab has run independent testing and thermal analysis of NVIDIA's latest GeForce RTX 50-series graphics cards, including the add-in card partner design RTX 5080, 5070 Ti, and 5060 Ti, which are now attracting attention for surprising thermal "hotspots" on the back of their PCBs. These hotspots are just the areas on PCB that get hot under load, and not the "Hot Spot" sensor NVIDIA removed with RTX 50 series. Infrared tests have shown temperatures climbing above 100°C in the power delivery region, even though the GPU die stays below 80°C. This isn't a problem with the silicon but with concentrated heating in clusters of thin copper planes and via arrays. Card makers like Palit, PNY, and MSI have all seen the same issue since they closely follow NVIDIA's reference PCB layout and use similar cooler mounting. A big part of the trouble comes down to how PCB designers and cooler engineers work separately.

NVIDIA's Thermal Design Guide gives AIC partners detailed power-loss budgets, listing worst-case dissipation for the GPU, memory, NVVDD and FBVDDQ rails, inductors, MOSFETs, and other components, and it recommends ideal thermal interface materials and mounting pressures. The guide assumes that even heat is spreading and that there is perfect airflow in a wind tunnel, but actual consumer PCs don't match those conditions. Multi-layer PCBs force high currents through 35 to 70 µm copper layers, which join at tight via clusters under the VRMs. Without dedicated thermal bridges or reinforced vias, these areas become bottlenecks where heat builds up, and the standard backplate plus heat-pipe layout can't pull it away fast enough.

Yesterday, AMD released Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 25.4.1 Optional Beta drivers that add FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Assassin's Creed Shadows, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Dynasty Warriors Origin, Civilization 7, and Naraka Bladepoint. It also brings Amuse 3 support and AMD-optimized models to Radeon RX 9000 and RX 7000 series graphics cards alongside Ryzen AI 300 series processors. Among the many fixes you'll find corrected lighting artifacts in Topaz Photo AI's Adjust Lighting features on RX 9000 series cards, removed flicker when using AMD FreeSync, improved DirectML and GenAI performance in Amuse 3.0 on RX 7000 GPUs and Ryzen AI 300 series chips, and patched image corruption in certain diffuser models on RX 9000 hardware.

The update also smooths out stutter and performance drops in World of Warcraft's Western Plaguelands, restores integrated camera detection after factory resets on Ryzen AI Max devices, and addresses AMD Chat installation hangs. Since this is still an optional beta with some known issues, like FSR 4 not activating in Naraka Bladepoint on Windows 10, crashes in The Last of Us Part 2, memory leaks in SteamVR on RX 9000 cards, or intermittent launch and stability hiccups in games like Cyberpunk 2077, Fantasy VII Rebirth, Battlefield 1, Monster Hunter Wilds and Marvel's Spider-Man 2, AMD recommends using the suggested workarounds such as disabling motion smoothing or integrated graphics in your BIOS and holding out for your system vendor's certified driver to ensure full compatibility.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Software Adrenalin 25.4.1 Beta

Today ESDigital Games and developer Storm in a Teacup are excited to release Steel Seed, the new stealth-action game set in a dark sci-fi world where humanity stands on the brink of extinction. Available today on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S for $39.99 (with an additional 15% launch discount available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation for PlayStation Plus subscribers), Steel Seed is a gripping action-adventure experience from the visionary team behind the critically acclaimed Close to the Sun.

Steam and Epic Games Store players can also grab the Deluxe Edition of Steel Seed today for $44.99 (with an additional 15% launch discount available), which includes the game's 15-track digital OST composed by Andrea Remini, a digital artbook, two unique in-game costumes, and 23 HD wallpapers. The Deluxe Edition will be available digitally on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, alongside a physical edition of Steel Seed on PlayStation 5, starting May 23.

Last week Synology put out a press release on its European website, informing its customers that the Plus Series—which starts with simple two bay devices—will only support its own brand of hard drives, if you want to be able to take advantage of basic NAS features like creating a storage pool or do a lifespan analysis. More advanced features like volume-wide deduplication will also not be available. Synology has already done this on its XS Plus and rack mounted NAS appliances—which in itself wouldn't be acceptable to many considering getting a NAS—but at least these are pricier, high-end devices. Now the company has moved down to the $300 price bracket, which just doesn't sit right.

Admittedly this will only affect new customers, as the company will start to roll out the limitation with its 2025 SKUs and all other models will continue to work as is. The problem here is that Synology isn't a hard drive manufacturer and according to Arstechnica, the company is simply re-branding Toshiba hard drives and charges an extra $50 or so for their basic tier of drives, with higher-end tiers having a much higher premium. Synology obviously claims that this is for the benefit of their customers and you can find the full statement below. However, we doubt many customers will be happy to pay extra for something that was working just fine, until Synology figured out it could charge its customers extra for it. For now, there has been no indication that this will happen outside of the European market, but it's likely to be rolled out globally, as something like this is rarely limited to one market.

Hello everyone, after three years of development, I'm thrilled, excited (and a little bit scared) to announce that Post Trauma is now available on Steam (PC), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. And if you're on Steam, you can also pick up an exclusive Supporter Edition which includes the game's full official soundtrack from Myuu alongside the base game. On behalf of myself and Red Soul Games, I want to thank you for your passion, your patience and support of Post Trauma. Whether you've been with me since the beginning or you're just joining us here in The Gloom, I'm incredibly grateful and can't wait to hear what you think of the game.

This development journey has been an incredible ride, from the initial demo on Itch.io, to announcing a partnership with Raw Fury and re-announcing the game at The Game Awards, demoing at Gamescom twice and seeing the game be exhibited all around the world, from Tokyo Game Show, to being hosted by PlayStation at BitSummit and taking part in Fantastic Fest in Texas. Our small team has accomplished so much and despite a few bumps in the road, we're incredibly proud of what we've been able to achieve. We hope you feel the same.

Not long after Intel's launch of the Arc Xe2 "Battlemage" B580 12 GB graphics card design, insiders started generating noise about potential spin-offs bound for release in 2025. In theory, the speculated "B580 24 GB" variant could arrive as a workstation-oriented discrete graphics solution—possibly lined up as a next-gen entry within Team Blue's Arc Pro family. Three mysterious BMG (aka "Battlemage") PCI identifiers turned up at the end of January; sending online PC hardware debates into overdrive; one faction believed that Team Blue was readying fabled productivity-focused B-series cards—complete with enlarged pools of GDDR6 VRAM. Apparently, Sparkle's Chinese branch has provided comment on newer rumors—from March, according to VideoCardz. The Taiwanese manufacturer is a key Intel board partner in the field of Arc GPU-based graphics card products—across gaming and professional desktop lines. Unfortunately, the company's head office (in Taiwan) has dismissed "official" claims about a May/June launch of an unnamed 24 GB model. Sparkle's Chinese social media account engaged with members of the PC hardware community, and outlined an "original plan" to release something new within the second quarter of 2025—apparently the incoming card is "still being arranged."

ViewSonic Corp, a leading global provider of visual solutions, announces the worldwide availability of 27-inch flagship ColorPro VP2788-5K, an iF Design Award-winning monitor designed for seamless integration with both Mac and PC ecosystems. Featuring 5K UHD+ resolution, industry-leading color accuracy, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity for daisy chaining of dual 5K monitors, it is an ideal solution for designers, photographers, and videographers to boost productivity and streamline workflows.

"The VP2788-5K combines ViewSonic's ColorPro color accuracy with advanced functionalities to optimize productivity in creative sectors," said Oscar Lin, General Manager of the Monitor Business Unit at ViewSonic. "This monitor offers top-tier color fidelity and clarity, along with easy multi-display setups, establishing a new benchmark for professional displays both within the ViewSonic community and beyond."

MSI proudly announces full support for Intel 200S Boost technology for the latest Z890 motherboard lineup, empowering gamers, creators, and enthusiasts to unlock next-level performance with a single click. Intel 200S Boost is a cutting edge memory enhancement technology that allows users to safely elevate DDR5 memory performance when paired with Intel Core Ultra 200S Series Desktop "K-SKU" processors and "Z890 series motherboards". To fully optimize this feature, MSI has forged strong partnerships with leading memory brands. Together, we've rigorously tested and validated a wide range of DDR5 modules to meet Intel 200S Boost standards, delivering exceptional performance, stability, and compatibility. Learn more about Intel 200S Boost.

Once a compatible processor and supported memory kit are installed, users can instantly activate 200S Boost via MSI Click BIOS X, no manual tuning or technical expertise required. This one click feature enables real performance improvements in gaming, content creation, and everyday multitasking. To support this breakthrough, MSI has released the latest BIOS for all Z890 series motherboards, ensuring full compatibility with Intel 200S Boost. Users are encouraged to visit MSI's official website and product pages for the latest BIOS updates.

A first-look trailer for Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate's Fortune, the game's second story pack releasing on May 15, debuted at Star Wars Celebration. A free demo that features select parts of Star Wars Outlaws is now available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Ubisoft Connect, the Epic Games Store, and Steam. Plus, Star Wars Outlaws is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on September 4. The new trailer shows Kay Vess embarking on a mysterious adventure where she encounters pirates and lost treasures. Kay and her companion Nix team up with infamous pirate Hondo Ohnaka to face off against Stinger Tash and her Rokana Raiders to uncover the hidden riches within the dangerous Khepi Tomb. Along the way, they'll discover the Miyuki Trade League who offer new rewards for the Trailblazer in exchange for smuggling dangerous goods across the galaxy.

To access Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate's Fortune, players must complete the main storyline in the base game. This second story pack will be automatically accessible and free for Star Wars Outlaws Season Pass owners, or available as a separate purchase. With the release of Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate's Fortune, Ultimate and Deluxe Edition owners also receive the Naboo Nobility and Desert Nomad cosmetic packs. All players will be gifted cosmetic items inspired by Star Wars: Skeleton Crew as part of the Title Update launching alongside A Pirate's Fortune. After downloading and installing the update, the gift will appear in the player's delivery crate on the Trailblazer.

Sapphire has quietly expanded its existing Radeon RX 9070 Series lineup with two new additions: PULSE METAL ALLOY Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070. According to VideoCardz, the manufacturer's Chinese website was updated with new product listings at some point last week. Sapphire's regional branch has not issued any fresh press material, regarding an official launch of these gray-shaded options. Sapphire's graphics card team has seemingly refreshed their standard black PULSE (RDNA 4 generation) triple and dual-fan shroud and backplate designs with new metallic tones and finishes. Fancier enclosures will not arrive alongside bump-up in specs—as mentioned in freshly-published official product pages, company engineers have stuck with AMD's reference figures for the Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070. VideoCardz reckons that the PURE METAL ALLOY cards will debut in China; possibly as starting off as exclusives. Currently, the manufacturer's various global online presences only list the readily available black PULSE cards. Interestingly, the white PURE series shares the same overall (triple-fan) shroud and backplate setup—Sapphire's pale-shaded offerings feature very mild overclocks over "baseline MSRP" configurations. Chinese market pricing—for the two PULSE METAL ALLOY SKUs—was not available at the time of publication.

Today, Intel introduced a new "200S Boost" factory-approved overclocking profile for the unlocked Intel Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" processors. Namely, the Core Ultra 9 285K, 7 265K/265KF, and 5 245K/245KF SKUs are supported when installed on a compatible Intel Z890 motherboard with one‑DIMM‑per‑channel Intel XMP DDR5 memory. Activating the 200S Boost profile in the BIOS raises the System-on-Chip (fabric) clock from 2.6 GHz to up to 3.2 GHz and the die‑to‑die interconnect from 2.1 GHz to up to 3.2 GHz (within VccSA ≤ 1.20 V) while pushing DDR5 speeds from stock 6,400 MT/s to as much as 8,000 MT/s (VDD2/VDDQ ≤ 1.40 V). Intel has validated the profile on a selection of Z890 boards, including ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF, ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero, Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Master, MSI MEG Z890 Ace, and others. For memory kits, Intel validated DDR5 memory kits from ADATA, Corsair, G.SKILL, Team Groupp, and V‑COLOR.

Enabling 200S Boost requires a BIOS update, selecting the "Intel 200S Boost" preset under the overclocking menu, and rebooting; stability should then be verified with benchmarks like Cinebench, and thermals/voltages monitored via Intel XTU or similar tools. Perhaps the most important fact is that using the 200S Boost profile does not void Intel's three‑year limited warranty on boxed Core Ultra 200S CPUs, provided they weren't manually overclocked before profile activation. Intel cautions that actual gains depend on motherboard design, cooling, and memory quality, that two‑DIMM‑per‑channel setups aren't officially supported, and that damage to non‑Intel components remains outside warranty coverage. This is more of a safe heaven for anyone wanting to do manual tuning, but not wanting to break any warranty and thus risk damaging their CPU without a backup plan.

The "walkout" moment is a staple of Bethesda Game Studios' titles, and there are few that have stuck with me as much as emerging from the sewer-set tutorial of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. That makes it all the more incredible, 19 years later, to see it in thoroughly modern form in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered—which arrives today. I watch as a newly-built character loads into the wide open world of Cyrodiil (R.I.P. Emperor Septim)—they turn to see the landscape I know so well in new and improved form. Mist wreathes around the top of nearby mountains, seen again in distorted reflections on the wholly reworked water below. A sunrise cuts across the world, casting long shadows across gorgeous new foliage. Behind me, an even more imposing Imperial City stands proudly, blotting out the horizon behind it. And then, we're interrupted by an unscripted attack from a Mud Crab. It might look all-new, but this is Oblivion alright.

Oblivion Remastered—All the Updates
Oblivion Remastered comes to Xbox Series X|S, PC (via Steam and the Xbox App for Windows PC) and PlayStation 5. It's also available day one with Game Pass and, with Xbox Play Anywhere, one purchase on an Xbox platform means you can play on Xbox consoles, Windows PC, and cloud with full cross-entitlements and cross-saves. Designed in co-operation with the remaster specialists at Virtuos, Oblivion Remastered keeps the core of the original game intact (and includes the Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles expansions), but drapes it in an incredible new visual style, powered by Unreal Engine 5. Alongside 4K resolution, 60 frames per second performance, all-new textures, lighting effects, and landscape improvements, the game also updates everything from character, spell, and weapon animations, to dynamic time of day and weather effects.

Acer seems to be readying premium tier Radeon RX 9070 XT OC graphics card models for an imminent launch. The brand's Swedish office has sent out mixed messages—as noted by VideoCardz's past weekend coverage—regarding their incoming non-overclocked Nitro SKU. Gaming GPU enthusiasts have often complained about AMD's overcomplicated model nomenclature—in particular, the company's XT, XTX and GRE attachments have caused uncountable headaches. Quite amusingly, Acer Sweden's marketing team got bamboozled by Team Red's model labelling scheme—as evidenced by their recent advertising of a "Nitro Radeon RX 9070 GRE XT 16 Gbit/s graphics card."

VideoCardz reckons that no such SKU exists; employees have rectified this mistake—at the time of writing, Acer Sweden's product page showcases a corrected designation: "Nitro Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB graphics card." According to industry moles, AMD and its board partners are working on RDNA 4 generation "Great Radeon Edition" (GRE) cards. Late last week, VideoCardz acquired an alleged Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB specification sheet. Team Red and AIBs seem to be devising a forthcoming retail release in China; possibly by next month. Acer Sweden's inadvertent/bungled leak suggests that GRE-related info is present within internal promo material.

Today, NVIDIA confirmed that its Deep Learning Super Sampling technology (DLSS) boasts native support in 769 games and applications, reinforcing its lead over competing upscaling suites from AMD and Intel. With the addition of six newly announced titles, including the open‑world survival MMO RuneScape: Dragonwilds, DLSS's ecosystem continues to expand rapidly. Since its debut alongside the RTX 20 series in 2018, DLSS has evolved from a single AI‑powered upscaling method into a comprehensive toolkit. The current DLSS 4 iteration introduces Multi‑Frame Generation (MFG) and DLSS Transformers, delivering sharper images and smoother frame rates than earlier convolutional neural network modes. On supported RTX 40‑ and 50‑series GPUs, gamers can now take advantage of frame generation, denoising enhancements via ray reconstruction, and AI‑driven anti‑aliasing.

Of the six titles highlighted in NVIDIA's latest blog post, Steel Seed from Storm in a Teacup is the first to ship with DLSS 4's MFG. RuneScape: Dragonwilds, The Talos Principle: Reawakened, and Tempest Rising have added DLSS 3's frame‑generation and Super Resolution features, while indie releases Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Commandos: Origins deploy DLSS 2's Super Resolution alone. These incremental rollouts demonstrate how studios of all sizes are integrating NVIDIA's upscaling techniques at varying depths. By contrast, AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) and Intel's Xe Super Sampling (XeSS) toolkits support 356 and 161 titles, respectively. While AMD's FSR 4.0 can override older versions, its adoption remains focused on basic upscaling without frame generation, and XeSS continues to trail in overall scope. NVIDIA's manual override in its GeForce Experience app further widens the gap, allowing engineers to retrofit MFG into titles whose developers have yet to implement it natively.

To celebrate the release of Lunar Remastered Collection—out now for PC (Steam), Xbox One (compatible with Xbox Series X|S), PlayStation 4 (compatible with PS5), and Nintendo Switch—I sat down with our Senior Graphic Designer, Amy Nguyen, and talked to her about how this remaster's logo came to be. I asked her about her inspirations, her design process, and more!

Dive into the enchanting worlds of LUNAR: Silver Star Story Complete and LUNAR 2: Eternal Blue Complete! Tag along on Alex and Hiro's quests and challenge enemies like the Magic Emperor and God of Destruction to save the world from dire peril in two adventures set 1000 years apart from each other! LUNAR Remastered Collection brings together LUNAR: Silver Star Story Complete and LUNAR 2: Eternal Blue Complete with enhanced graphics, audio, and quality-of-life improvements. Available for the first time on modern consoles, this remastered edition honors the beloved series that has remained in the heart of gamers since its initial release in 1992.

VideoCardz has put a spotlight on a compelling Intel Community announcement—ten days ago, a site moderator (RonaldM_Intel) disclosed that company engineers are currently engaged in the investigation of a major Arc graphics card-related issue. At the beginning of 2025, Hardware Unboxed uploaded a video article (see below) that delved into the Arc Xe2 B580 graphics card design's "big problem." Going back several months, review outlets observed B580 sample cards leveraging lower than expected performance when paired with older generation processors. As summarized by VideoCardz's recent report; significant performance drops were tracked when test units were linked up with AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or 5600 CPUs—relative to a more modern rig; powered by Team Red's Ryzen 7 9800X3D. Additionally, evaluators observed worrying signs when B580 cards were tested on platforms based on Intel's 9th Gen Core i5-9600K processor.

Budget-conscious buyers have embraced Team Blue's new generation cards, with many participants upgrading older builds with Intel Arc B580 12 GB and B570 10 GB graphics cards (original launch MSRPs: $250 and $220, respectively). Given that many owners will be sticking with prior-gen processors, industry watchdogs have leveled criticism at Team Blue—the company has disappointed many, with an apparent lack of action. Months after the fact—likely after a healthy intake of community feedback—Intel has officially acknowledged these issues. As disclosed by RonaldM_Intel's announcement: "thank you for your patience. We are aware of reports of performance sensitivity in some games when paired with older generation processors. We have increased our platform coverage to include more configurations in our validation process, and we are continuing to investigate optimizations."

AMD is said to be gearing up to sell its AI server assembly facility in the U.S., and it's drawing a lot of interest from Taiwanese OEM manufacturers and others. Bloomberg reports that Compal and Wiwynn are leading the charge in the bidding, with U.S. electronics company Jabil also in the mix. Interestingly, Inventec and Pegatron, who were once contenders, have pulled out. AMD is looking to speed up the sale process, asking for bids on a short timeline and aiming to finalize the deal by the end of the quarter, with a price range of $3-4 billion. This potential sale comes just months after AMD acquired the facility as part of its $4.9 billion purchase of ZT in March, which included the assembly plant and about 1,500 employees.

Industry experts suggest that AMD's decision to sell is a strategic move to avoid competing with its own clients in manufacturing. Meanwhile, the top bidders seem ready to expand their U.S. manufacturing capabilities. Compal is exploring North American expansion for server production, with Texas emerging as the prime location candidate due to its robust power infrastructure. Meanwhile, Wiwynn has already secured a foothold in the region, having announced the acquisition of a Texas factory in February specifically to establish server manufacturing operations.

With the launch of Days Gone Remastered—for PlayStation 5 and PC—just around the corner, we're excited to spotlight our expanded suite of accessibility features. Taking the foundation of our baseline list from Days Gone in 2019, we made it a priority to evolve and improve accessibility to make the player's experience more accessible and customizable when hitting the Broken Road on April 25. Let's dive right in!

Visual features
Subtitle customization is now vaster than ever before in Days Gone. We added a total of 11 subtitle colors for you to choose based on your preference, which can also be used for the speaker's name. Want to mix and match? No problem! Choose the subtitle text to be one color and the speaker's name to be another color. On top of color customization, we also expanded the options for subtitle background. Originally, this could only be toggled on or off. Now, you can select between default (transparent), darkened, light, and black.

Going back to May 2023, an industry inside report suggested that AMD was planning a new generation Ryzen Threadripper High-End Desktop (HEDT) processor series. At the time, "Shimada Peak" was linked to a possible 2025 launch. Over the ensuing years, shipping manifests have revealed the transfer of various 9000 SKUs between Team Red facilities—starting with a mysterious 96-core prototype. Industry observers have been seeking out newer evidence of AMD's next-gen flagship "Zen 5" Threadripper chip; likely going under a "9995WX" moniker.

Late last week, a fresh leak unearthed a likely sub-flagship SKU: the 9985WX. This alleged 64-core SKU was spotted—by Everest (aka Olrak29)—alongside 9955WX (16-core) and 9945WX (12-core) siblings, in a shipping manifest. As reported on TechPowerUp on March 21, the same source uncovered two other entry-level models: the 9975WX (32-core) and 9965WX (24-core) parts. Unfortunately, Team Red's rumored monstrous 96-core 9995WX processor was not listed within fresh batches of shipping documents. Industry watchdogs expect AMD to repeat its product layout from past generations; spanning from entry-tier 12-core offerings up to the aforementioned 96-core range-topper. The latest leak suggests utilization of the SP6 socket type, and 350 W TDPs (across all product identifiers).

Traditionally, data centers have relied on air cooling—where mechanical chillers circulate chilled air to absorb heat from servers, helping them maintain optimal conditions. But as AI models increase in size, and the use of AI reasoning models rises, maintaining those optimal conditions is not only getting harder and more expensive—but more energy-intensive. While data centers once operated at 20 kW per rack, today's hyperscale facilities can support over 135 kW per rack, making it an order of magnitude harder to dissipate the heat generated by high-density racks. To keep AI servers running at peak performance, a new approach is needed for efficiency and scalability.

One key solution is liquid cooling—by reducing dependence on chillers and enabling more efficient heat rejection, liquid cooling is driving the next generation of high-performance, energy-efficient AI infrastructure. The NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 and the NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 are rack-scale, liquid-cooled systems designed to handle the demanding tasks of trillion-parameter large language model inference. Their architecture is also specifically optimized for test-time scaling accuracy and performance, making it an ideal choice for running AI reasoning models while efficiently managing energy costs and heat.

At the tail end of March, an interaction between Tomasz Gawroński (aka GawroskiT) and Jaykihn (jaykihn0) indicated that Intel had abandoned the development of higher-end Arc Xe2 "Battlemage" graphics cards—possibly back in late 2024. Months of silence—since the launch of pleasingly wallet-friendly B580 and B570 models—instilled a sense of unease within segments of the PC gaming hardware community. Many watchdogs assumed that company engineers had simply moved onto devising futuristic Arc Xe3 "Celestial" equivalents. As discovered last week, hopes have been elevated for a potential expansion of Team Blue's "Battlemage" dGPU lineup. Haze2K1 highlighted an intriguing entry within an NBD shipping manifest; a "BMG-G31"-type GPU was transferred "for R&D purposes." Currently, the lower end of Intel's B-card series is populated by discrete solutions based on their smaller "BMG-G21" GPU design.

Tomasz Gawroński spent part of his Easter weekend poring over shipping documents; soon stumbling on an entry that mentioned a mysterious "IBC C32 SKT"—again, listed under "research and development" purposes. In a reply to Gawroński's social media bulletin, miktdt weighed in with a logical theory: "because of the BMG in the text the best I could believe is a reworked/restarted BMG G31. C32 could simply mean cores 32 which is a fully-enabled G31. This makes more sense to me." VideoCardz posits that these leaks do not necessarily signal the revival of fortunes for more potent Arc Xe2 "Battlemage" SKUs; Intel could be shipping "canceled project" prototypes to different locations. Going back to late summer 2023, a "BMG G10" GPU die was spotted by members of the press during a tour of Team Blue's Malaysian test lab. Back then, certain industry insiders believed that the whole "Battlemage" endeavor was going through "development hell." Fast-forward to the present day; OneRaichu reckons that there is still a likelihood of Team Blue's "B770" model turning up at some point in the future.

ASRock Inc., a leading global motherboard manufacturer, officially announces today the release of a comprehensive BIOS update for its Intel Z890 series motherboards, enabling the brand-new Intel 200S Boost feature. With this update, users can effectively "upgrade" their existing Intel Core Ultra processors and enjoy a significant performance boost.

Intel 200S Boost is achieved through fine-tuning of BIOS settings and voltage adjustments, leveraging a subset of overclocking features found on K-series CPUs to enhance system performance, offering a truly noticeable upgrade. What's even more exciting is that this overclocking method does not void Intel's limited processor warranty.

EK, renowned for its premium liquid cooling solutions and now managed by LM TEK, is set to present its latest innovations at COMPUTEX Taipei 2025. From May 20 to 23, attendees can visit LM TEK at Booth M1419, Hall 1 (4F), TaiNEX 1, to explore cutting-edge cooling technologies designed to meet the demands of next-generation AI computing. As artificial intelligence and high-performance computing continue to evolve, the need for efficient thermal management becomes increasingly critical. EK's newest solutions address these challenges head-on, offering advanced liquid cooling systems that elevate performance, ensure system stability, and meet the rigorous demands of modern AI workloads. This year's COMPUTEX will serve as a platform for EK to showcase how its innovative hardware—engineered for data centers, AI development platforms, and high-performance workstations—can help reshape the future of computing.

Want to know what's coming?
Visit our EK COMPUTEX 2025 page, where we will be revealing newly released products, exclusive launches, and spotlighting key partner projects on display at the show. Under the management of LM TEK, EK continues to push the boundaries of thermal management technology. This transition brings enhanced operational agility and a sharper focus on customer needs, while maintaining the trusted EK quality and design excellence. Visitors to the EK booth will have the opportunity to explore the latest liquid cooling solutions, meet the team, and discuss how EK technology can power next-gen AI innovation. Whether you're an industry professional, system integrator, or tech enthusiast, this is your chance to experience the future of liquid cooling—up close.

TSMC has acknowledged fundamental visibility limitations in its semiconductor supply chain, stating in its latest annual report that it "inherently lacks visibility regarding the downstream use or user of final products." This disclosure relates to an incident where 7 nm chips manufactured for Sophgo were later identified in Huawei's Ascend 910B/C AI accelerators, whose hardware is subject to US export restrictions. The contract foundry outlined its standard process: receiving GDS files through intermediaries, validating technical specifications, creating photomasks, and fabricating wafers without insight into end applications. Subsequent analysis revealed that those very chips matched Huawei's specifications, providing components for approximately one million dual‑chiplet AI accelerator units, with two million dies shipped to Huawei.

The report warns that compliance violations by supply‑chain partners, such as failing to secure proper import, export or re‑export permits, could trigger regulatory investigations and penalties, even when TSMC adheres to its established protocols. US already proposed a $1 billion fine for TSMC. This visibility gap just shows that challenges in semiconductor manufacturing, where complex distribution networks obscure the path between fabrication and deployment, are not easily overcome. Foundries are facing increasing pressure to enhance tracking capabilities despite the inherent limitations of the contract manufacturing model. US sanctions on Chinese companies are growing their walls even higher, and this could mean that sanction-abiding companies might avoid doing business with Chinese entities altogether to avoid getting fined.

CHUWI, a global leader in innovative laptops, takes the CoreBook X lineup to the next level. CHUWI introduces a high-performance Intel Core i9 processor, expanded RAM, and enhanced storage, making it a powerhouse for productivity. This marks CHUWI's first-ever i9 laptop, 32 GB memory laptop, and 1 TB storage laptop—all combined into one ultimate powerhouse. While boosting its capabilities, the CoreBook X i9-13900HK laptop retains its sleek design and stunning 2K IPS display. The CHUWI CoreBook X with Intel Core i9-13900HK is now available on CHUWI's official website.

Power-Packed Performance:
Powering the new and updated CHUWI CoreBook X 2K laptop is the powerful Intel Core i9-13900HK processor with 14 cores, 20 threads, and clock speeds of up to 5.4 GHz, stepping up performance to a whole new level. Paired with the integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics eligible laptop GPU, it offers sharp visuals for gaming, streaming, and content creation.

CoolIT Systems ("CoolIT" or the "Company"), the world leader in AI and high-performance computing liquid cooling systems, today announced the appointment of Jason Waxman as CEO, effective immediately. CoolIT COO Patrick McGinn will also expand his role and become President and COO of the Company.

Waxman brings over two decades of experience driving innovation, growth, and operational excellence in the data center industry following his 20+ year tenure at Intel Corporation. He joins CoolIT from Fluke Corporation, the world leader in compact professional test and measurement tools, which he led for three years as President. Waxman was also a founding board member of the Open Compute Project, a collaborative community focused on redesigning hardware technology to efficiently support the growing demands on compute infrastructure.

be quiet!, the German manufacturer of premium PC components, introduces its new System Power 11 U series of power supplies, delivering between 550 W and 750 W to address the needs of efficiency-oriented PC builders. With compatibility for ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1, these PSUs offer future-proof technical design features and proven reliability, making them a standout choice in the entry-level segment. All models are available in 80 Plus Bronze efficiency and continue the tradition of quiet operation and dependable performance that the System Power series is known for.

"System Power 11 U brings the latest power standard to an extremely competitive segment," says Aaron Licht, CEO of be quiet!. "By combining ATX 3.1 readiness, solid efficiency, and the whisper-quiet operation our brand is known for, we're giving builders everything they need for modern systems."

TSMC is pushing forward its plans to make 2 nm process chips in large quantities in the second half of the year, with major customer developments coming to light. After AMD placed its order, reports suggest Intel has also become one of TSMC's first 2 nm customers aiming to use this cutting-edge technology for its next-gen desktop processors. Intel, already a big TSMC customer for advanced processes sent out key compute tiles for its Core Ultra processors to TSMC using different processes like N3B, N5P, and N6. To be exact, these were Intel Core Ultra 200V "Lunar Lake" series laptop processors and Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" series. While both companies didn't comment on the latest news, industry talk hints that they're cooperating on Intel's upcoming Nova Lake desktop processor set to launch next year (rumors suggest that it could be the Compute Tile). With the codename "NVL-S" Nova Lake combines two groups of eight high-performance "Coyote Cove" P-cores with 16 "Arctic Wolf" E-cores. It also includes four ultra-low-power LPE cores in a separate SoC tile. It is expected that Nova Lake-S will use LGA 1954, which has 1,954 active lands and might have more than 2,000 total pads when you count debug pins.

TSMC's work on 2 nm technology is moving forward as expected. The company uses first-generation nanochip transistor technology to boost performance and reduce power consumption across process nodes with big clients finishing designing silicon IPs and starting validation steps. AMD shared that its next EPYC "Venice" chip will be the first high-performance computing processor to use TSMC's 2 nm process. AMD validated it at TSMC's Arizona plant and is on track to launch it in 2026. Also, word has it that Apple's future iPhone 18 lineup will have its A20 chip made with the same TSMC 2 nm process.

Cadence today announced the industry's first DDR5 12.8 Gbps MRDIMM Gen 2 memory IP system solution on the TSMC N3 process. The new solution addresses the need for greater memory bandwidth to accommodate unprecedented AI processing demands in enterprise and data center applications, including AI in the cloud. The Cadence DDR5 MRDIMM IP boasts a new high-performance, scalable and adaptable architecture based on Cadence's proven and highly successful DDR5 and GDDR6 product lines. With multiple engagements underway with leading AI, HPC and data center customers, this IP solution is already demonstrating its early leadership.

The new Cadence DDR5 IP offers a PHY and a high-performance controller as a complete memory subsystem. The design is validated in hardware using the most recently available MRDIMMs (Gen 2), achieving a best-in-class 12.8 Gbps data rate that doubles the bandwidth using current DDR5 6400 Mbps DRAM parts. The DDR5 IP memory subsystem is based on Cadence's silicon-proven, high-performance architecture, ultra-low latency encryption and industry-leading RAS features. The DDR5 MRDIMM Gen 2 IP is designed to enable advanced SoCs and chiplets with flexible floor plan design options, while the new architecture allows fine-tuning of power and performance based on individual application requirements.

Essential to cloud data center infrastructure, hard disk drives (HDDs) are complex devices that blend material science, mechanical engineering and physics. As part of its innovation, HDDs use a range of rare earth elements (REEs) like Neodymium (Nd), Praseodymium (Pr) and Dysprosium (Dy), prized for their magnetic properties to help HDDs precisely read and write data. Yet, traditional recycling methods recover only a fraction of these valuable materials, often missing rare earths entirely, leading to unnecessary waste.

In a multi-party pilot program, Western Digital, in collaboration with Microsoft, Critical Materials Recycling (CMR) and PedalPoint Recycling has taken a major step toward closing that loop. Together, the companies transformed ~50,000 pounds of shredded end-of-life HDDs, mounting caddies and other materials into critical high-value materials, all while significantly reducing environmental impact. This pioneering process of creating a new advanced sorting ecosystem with an eco-friendly non-acid process not only recaptures essential rare earth elements but also extracts metals like gold (Au), copper (Cu), aluminium (Al) and steel, feeding them back into the U.S. supply chain, supporting industries that rely on these resources—such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, and advanced electronics. When scaled worldwide, this new recycling process could return a lot of recovered rare earths to the U.S. supply pool, drastically reducing the need for virgin material mining detrimental to people and planet. Today, most primary production (>85%) of REEs occurs outside the U.S. and the current domestic recycling rate for REEs is very low (<10%).

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading provider of secure data storage solutions, helps healthcare organizations strengthen the access, transmission, and storage of electronic protected health information (ePHI) through multi-layered cybersecurity measures and immutable storage—facilitating HIPAA compliance while safeguarding the privacy and integrity of sensitive medical data.

The protection and long-term storage of healthcare data is crucial to both patient privacy and the operational continuity of medical institutions. According to industry standards, medical records must be retained for extended periods and protected by comprehensive backup systems that comply with regulatory frameworks such as HIPAA. "QNAP continues to help healthcare organizations build robust data protection infrastructures with cutting-edge storage and security technologies," said Andy Yu, Product Manager of QNAP, adding "Our high-security NAS solutions help achieve HIPAA compliance, ensuring data integrity and regulatory alignment while reducing the management burden on IT teams."

Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation ("Toshiba") has announced the addition of new 24 TB models to both its N300 and N300 Pro Series of internal hard disk drives (HDD). The new models offer 2 TB more capacity than current 22 TB versions, making them ideal for increasing the capacity of network attached storage (NAS) and private cloud storage. They are designed for 24/7 operation, feature industry-standard 3.5-inch 7200rpm, 1 GiB buffer, and include integrated sensors to compensate for rotational vibrations.

The N300 Series has a workload rating of up to 180 TB/year with support for up to 12 drive bays, while the N300 Pro Series boasts a workload rating of up to 550 TB/year with support for up to 24 drive bays.

Fujitsu Limited and RIKEN today announced the development of a world-leading 256-qubit superconducting quantum computer, established at the RIKEN RQC-FUJITSU Collaboration Center. This new quantum computer builds upon the advanced technology of the 64-qubit iteration, launched with the support of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in October 2023, and incorporates newly-developed high-density implementation techniques. This announcement marks another crucial step toward the practical application of superconducting quantum computers and unlocking their potential to grapple with some of the world's most complex issues.

Both organizations will integrate the 256-qubit superconducting quantum computer into its platform for hybrid quantum computing lineup and offer it to companies and research institutions globally starting in the first quarter of fiscal 2025. The platform's expansion from 64 to 256 qubits empowers users to tackle more complex challenges, including the analysis of larger molecules and the implementation and demonstration of sophisticated error correction algorithms.

As a global leader in digital drawing devices and solutions, Huion today announces the Kamvas Slate 11 and Kamvas Slate 13, siblings of the Kamvas Slate 10 Android tablet. This announcement demonstrates Huion's commitment to exploring new fields and expanding its product lineup.

Highlights preview
Kamvas Slate 11 & 13 are aimed at artists and note-takers who demand standalone creative equipment with high clarity, entertainment, and portability. For larger canvas lovers, Kamvas Slate 13 features a 12.7-inch 4:3 QHD (2176 x 1600) screen, offering more room for drawing. For users who prefer great portability, Kamvas Slate 11 has a 10.95-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) screen, making it easy to carry around for on-the-go use.

Introducing the MS-CF20, a high-performance ATX motherboard with the Intel W880 chipset, supporting the 15th Gen Intel Arrow Lake-S Series processors. Designed to meet the needs of advanced computing applications, the MS-CF20 combines next-generation CPU support with robust legacy features, offering unparalleled versatility for both modern and existing systems.

The MS-CF20 supports Intel Core U9/U7/U5, Pentium, and Celeron processors, leveraging the latest advancements in Intel 15th Gen Arrow Lake-S technology. With higher core counts, improved instructions per clock, and greater energy efficiency, the new processors deliver exceptional performance for demanding and AI-driven workloads. The board is equipped with 4 DDR5 UDIMM slots, supporting both ECC and non-ECC memory at speeds up to 5600 MT/s and a maximum capacity of 192 GB, enabling unmatched performance for data-intensive applications.

TrendForce's latest research reveals that although the U.S. has granted a 90-day grace period before implementing reciprocal tariffs—offering temporary relief for notebook brands—the broader market remains clouded by policy and economic uncertainty. Brands began frontloading inventory in late 2024, pushing Q4 shipment growth to 5.1%, with 1Q25 seeing a 7.2% YoY increase.

However, given persistent economic weakness and rising tariff risks, TrendForce has revised the full-year 2025 notebook brand shipment growth forecast downward from 3.6% to just 1.4%.

AMD's entry-level graphics lineup sees the Radeon RX 6400 at the very bottom, followed by the RX 6500 XT, which is for all intents and purposes, an entry-level discrete GPU, given that its performance is in league of processor integrated graphics (iGPUs). It turns out that AMD had planned a SKU between the two, the RX 6500 (non-XT), and this chip is beginning to surface on entry-level graphics cards in China. A less-known AIB named Zephyr is selling an interesting single-slot low-profile card with dimensions resembling some RX 6400 cards. There's also a more fleshed out full-height, dual-slot card.

The RX 6500 appears to have the same core-configuration as the RX 6500 XT, both SKUs max out the "Navi 24" silicon they're based on. These chips are powered by the two generations older RDNA 2 graphics architecture, AMD's first to meet DirectX 12 Ultimate logo requirements. The RX 6500 is configured with all 16 CU present on the silicon, giving it 1,024 stream processors, and 16 RT accelerators, besides 64 TMUs and 32 ROPs and 16 MB of Infinity Cache. The chip gets 4 GB of GDDR6 memory across the 64-bit wide memory bus of the silicon.

GIGABYTE Technology, one of the top global manufacturers of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, is pleased to announce that our entire line of Intel Z890 motherboards now fully supports Intel 200S Boost technology, offering gamers a simple way to enhance performance while maintaining warranty protection.

Intel 200S Boost delivers pre-configured overclocking profiles for Intel Core Ultra 200S Series processors that enhance gaming performance by raising frequencies across processor components for improved framerates and system responsiveness. GIGABYTE Z890 motherboard owners can activate this feature with a simple one-touch profile in the BIOS, eliminating traditional overclocking guesswork while supporting blazing-fast Intel XMP profiles up to DDR5-8000. Best of all, Intel 200S Boost is fully covered under Intel's 3-year processor warranty, allowing gamers to enjoy performance benefits without traditional warranty concerns.

NVIDIA over the weekend pushed a Hotfix update to its GeForce drivers. Hotfixes are updates pushed out to meet glaring bugs or security vulnerabilities immediately, without leaving for the next planned Game Ready driver release. The GeForce Hotfix Driver 576.15 addresses an issue where some displays show flickering or corruption with RTX 50-series GPUs after updating to the GeForce Game Ready 576.02 drivers. A Lumion 2024 crash noticed on RTX 50-series GPUs when entering render mode has been fixed. A bug that causes GPU monitoring utilities to stop reporting data when the machine wakes up from sleep has been fixed. Some games crash when compiling shaders on RTX 50-series GPUs after updating to 576.02 drivers, which has been fixed.

A bug that causes GeForce RTX 50-series Laptop GPUs to put out black screens when waking up from modern standby has been fixed. Another bug that causes SteamVR to display V-Sync micro-stutters when using multi display, has been fixed. A glaring bug that causes lower than expected idle GPU clock speeds after updated to GRD 576.02 has been fixed.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce Hotfix Driver 576.15

Team Group Inc., a global leader in memory and storage solutions, proudly announces that four of its innovative products across its three sub-brands have won the 2025 Red Dot Award for Product Design. The award-winning entries include the T-FORCE XTREEM ARGB DDR5 Desktop Memory, T-CREATE EXPERT P32 Desk External SSD, Team Group PD20 Mini External SSD, and the PD20M Mag Portable SSD. These accolades reaffirm Team Group's unwavering commitment to innovation, technical excellence, and thoughtful design, further strengthening its influential position in the global high-performance storage and design aesthetics landscape.

The Red Dot Design Award, one of the most prestigious design competitions globally, spans nearly 70 years and attracts over 10,000 entries from more than 60 countries annually. Judged by a panel of international design experts, the award honors outstanding designs based on multiple criteria, including functionality, aesthetic appeal, usability, and sustainability. Team Group has emerged from the large pool of submissions, earning top-tier international recognition and demonstrating its significant achievements and brand value.

GAMEMAX, an emerging brand of PC gaming components including gaming cases and power supply units, is thrilled to announce the BLADE CONCEPT ATX gaming chassis—our flagship gaming chassis featuring a visually striking lion-inspired design and an open-frame layout with a massive interior to support high-end configurations.

The eye-catching front panel features high-strength nylon weave meets metal for a perfect fusion of technology and aesthetics. It allows air to passthrough while trapping dirt and debris—an advanced dust filtering mechanism.