AOC has been making waves with the overall quality and value proposition of each new line of monitors they launch - from the premium to the more budget-conscious offerings. Now, they're introducing a whole new line of monitors that leaves their gaming roots behind in favor of more professional-centric features.

The series will cover the 21.5"-27" range, and panel types will vary between TN and IPS panels according to diagonal and pricing. Starting in the 21.5", the AOC 22P1D is equipped with a 21.5 "TN panel with 1080 screen resolution. The 24P1 is a 23.8" monitor which upgrades the panel to an IPS solution, features a 16:9 screen ratio with 1080p resolution, and a three-frameless bezel. There will be another 24" monitor in the form of the X24P1, which keeps all the features and specs of the 24P1, but brings the screen ratio to 16:10. Rounding out the lineup, we've got the 27" 27P1 (which sports an IPS panel with 1080p resolution) and the flagship 27", Q27P1 (which also sports an IPS panel but increases the resolution to QHD (2560 x 1440).

Intel's upcoming "Hades Canyon" NUC, the spiritual successor to the company's "Skull Canyon" NUC; will be one of the first commercial implementations of the "Kaby Lake-G" multi-chip module, which puts an AMD Radeon Vega M graphics part and a quad-core "Kaby Lake" die together on a package, along with 4 GB of HBM2 memory for the GPU, when they start shipping in Spring 2018, priced between $799-$999. Korean tech publication Playwares got its hands on one of these, and its testing suggests that it achieves the key design goal of Kaby Lake-G: to be able to play any of today's games at 1080p (with acceptable levels of eye-candy.)

Playwares put "Hades Canyon" through three of today's AAA game titles that take advantage of DirectX 12: "Rise of the Tomb Raider," "Tom Clancy's The Division," and "Total War: Warhammer 2." At default clocks, and 1080p resolution, "Rise of the Tomb Raider" puts out around 53 fps, with 45.36 fps (minimum, 99th percentile). When overclocked, the chip averages 59.11 fps, with 50.5 fps (minimum, 99th percentile). "The Division" averages 41.5 fps at default clocks, and 46.8 fps when overclocked. "Warhammer 2" is a lot more taxing on the chip - 27.3 fps average and 23 fps minimum at default clocks, and 30.1 average with 26 fps minimum, when overclocked. One has to take into account that the "Vega M" chip on the Core i7-8709G is significantly more powerful than the iGPU of AMD's Ryzen "Raven Ridge" APUs - 1536 stream processors, 96 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 1024-bit HBM2 memory; versus 704 stream processors, 44 TMUs, 16 ROPs, and system memory share.

MSI and SteelSeries are proud to announce that thanks to their long-standing technology partnership, the newly launched Optix MPG series curved gaming monitors are now supported by SteelSeries Engine. Using the five RGB zones on the front of the monitor, gamers can easily program lighting effects in the SteelSeries Engine to notify them of in-game timers, stats, cooldowns or even Discord notifications.

Joseph Hsu MSI President said: "The integration of SteelSeries Engine with the Optix MPG Series Curved Gaming Monitors brings PrismSync Illumination and real-time game alerts which offer an even greater level of immersive gameplay." "MSI and SteelSeries are delivering a truly immersive experience to gamers," said SteelSeries CEO, Ehtisham Rabbani said, "SteelSeries is proud of the strong partnership that we continue to build with MSI and we are excited to bring the gaming community new types of immersive technology like this."

BenQ announces the ZOWIE XL2740 monitor. The XL2740 is a 27 inch PC e-Sports monitor with native 240hz refresh rate providing gamers with another option to suit their personal preference. It has the same features as the smaller 24.5 inch XL2540 and in order to experience the benefits in-game, people who are interested should make sure their computer is able to generate over 240 frames per second (fps) consistently. Please stay tuned to our social media for information regarding availability in your region.

Lenovo announced the addition of two new monitors to its ThinkVision lineup. The X24 and P32U are distinct in both diagonal sizes and feature-sets, so let's start with the bigger of the two. The P32U is being touted as a professional-grade display, featuring a 32" diagonal, 4K resolution IPS panel with a maximum 300 cd/m² brightness, 1000:1 contrast ratio, a 6 ms GtG response time, 178°/178° viewing angles as well as a 60 Hz maximum refresh. The monitor covers 99.5% of the AdobeRGB color space, which means that its capabilities exceed those required to display 100% of the sRGB spectrum. Another interesting feature is the support for Thunderbolt 3 daisy-chaining of multiple monitors, external storage sub-systems, or any other TB3 devices. Connectors on this display include 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x Thunderbolt 3 input, and 1x Thunderbolt 3 output.

NVIDIA is expanding their GeForce GTX 1060 offerings with a new 5GB model. The GTX 1060 5GB will utilize the GP106-350-K3-A1 GPU and feature 1280 CUDA Cores. It's equipped with 5GB of GDDR5 memory connected by a 160-bit memory interface. Let's remember that the GTX 1060 already comes in three variants - 6GB (9 Gbps), 6GB, and 3GB. So, the question here is: why did NVIDIA suddenly decided to add a fourth member to the already big GTX 1060 family. Apparently, the main motivation behind the 5GB model's creation is to provide internet cafes with a cost-effective option to deliver a 60 FPS gaming experience at 1080p. According to Expreview, the GTX 1060 5GB is exclusive to the Chinese market, and it won't be available at retail. That means you won't find the GTX 1060 5GB on any shelves. If you really want to get your hands on one, online e-commerce websites like Taobao or Alibaba are your only options.

AOC has introduced a budget monitor to its lineup, which looks slightly outdated when compared to the company's flagship monitors. The G2590VXQ is a 25" display that's being marketed towards a budget-aware audience, who still wants to have some of gaming's recent technologies at their side. The 25" panel features a TN panel with the type's blazing fast 1 ms response times, and a 1080p resolution, the latter of which should allow for multiple graphics cards options for the monitors' prospective buyers. However, AOC is thinking that most budget users that care about gaming will pick up an AMD Radeon graphics card, it seems, due to the inclusion of FreeSync in the spec list of the G2590VXQ - though knowing that FreeSync implementation is free, contrary to G-Sync, might also have something to do with it.

FreeSync range should cover the 35 Hz - 75 Hz spectrum, and the monitor itself isn't too bad aestheticwise, with its 3-side frameless design and simple, yet attractive stand. That gaudy red line under the monitor likely will lead users to a "love it or hate it" scenario, but considering the target market, red is all the rage. The monitor is priced relatively high (notice the relatively there), at £159 (roughly $212). For these features, I'd prefer to see a $130 price-tag.

Users looking for a budget 1080p solution for their system, or even just for a secondary display, might be glad to know that Benq has just launched a budget monitor to its lineup that might fit the bill. The GW2480 certainly won't set the world on fire with its specs list, but then again that's not the point, anyway. The point here was to create an affordable monitor that might find its way to budget-conscious users, leveraging the latest software technologies so as to increase the product's attractiveness.

There's an ultra slim bezel design here, which might look good in multi-monitor configurations. Users should keep in mind it doesn't look like the integrated stand supports moving the monitor to a vertical position, however, which could limit such use cases. There's a 5 ms response time on its 1000:1 (12 million:1 DCR) contrast-touting IPS panel. Brightness is at the bottom of usual deliveries: 250 cd/m². Built-in stereo speakers deliver a basic sound experience (1Wx2), and connectivity on the GW2480 stands at 1x D-Sub, 1x HDMI and 1x DisplayPort input ports. Benq has deployed their Brightness Intelligence (BI) as well as Flicker Free technology, with blue light reduction so as to decrease the strain on users' eyes. Budget a solution as it is, the Benq GW2480 will be available starting from December 10th for €139.

Philips has launched the 356M6QJAB/11 monitor, a 35" affair that sports a somewhat anemic resolution of just 1080p for such a diagonal size. Besides being aesthetically pleasing - whose mileage may vary, as always - there's not much to gloat about regarding its features, except for one thing: this monitor sports Philips' proprietary Ambiglow technology.

Ambiglow marries image processing capabilities with RGB LEDs that add to the viewing experience by projecting the on-screen color shifts around the monitor's bezels towards a close-proximity wall. It's not clear from Philips' product page, but it seems that this monitor's Ambiglow tech is only available on the bottom of the monitor - if so, this seems to be a mistake, since usually, the top and sides are preferred areas for color display (this editor speaks as a user of a Lightpack PC solution.)

Travelers are invited to embark on a galactic adventure just in time for the holidays with STAR OCEAN - THE LAST HOPE - 4K & Full HD Remaster. The prequel to the franchise is now available for the PlayStation4 computer entertainment system and STEAM. Developed in partnership with tri-Ace, the prequel to the original STAR OCEAN game has been remastered in full high-definition, with added 4K support* and PC keyboard/mouse and controller support. The action-packed role-playing game takes players on an epic journey across the universe in an immersive story of survival. Players can enjoy quintessential STAR OCEAN features, including strategic real-time combat.

ASUS has added yet another monitor to its already long list of display solutions for customers. The ROG STRIX XG258Q monitor, as the "Strix" name implies, has been designed with gamers in mind, and is one of ASUS' eSports-designed offerings, promising unmatched fluidity in fast frame-rate titles with its 240 Hz refresh rate and 1 ms response time. To add even more smoothness to the picture, ASUS has also fitted this Strix monitor with FreeSync support (in the 48 Hz to 240 Hz range), which means there is now another high refresh-rate solution for AMD users.

To achieve this kind of refresh rate speeds, ASUS has made use of a 1080p, TN-based panel, which will deliver better gaming performance at the cost of viewing angles and (usually) color accuracy and contrast when compared to other technologies (contrast is set at 1000:1 and the panel is a 6-bit type with FRC). Added technologies include ASUS' ELMB (Extreme Low Motion Blur), as well as ASUS' Aura RGB lighting effects on the back of the monitor, with an added red ROG logo being projected on to the users' desk from the base of the display. Brightness is being touted at a higher than average 400 nits, but there's no mention of HDR support. Connectivity includes 1x HDMI 1.4 (refresh rates up to 140 Hz), 1x HDMI 2.0, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2. The ASUS ROG Strix XG258Q is available for $449, which is slightly more than $50 cheaper than the current market price of the ROG Swift PG258Q, which substitutes FreeSync for NVIDIA's G-Sync.

Acer has introduced a new monitor to its line of offerings which brings a particular attention to design. The ED273 monitor features an eye-catching white and silver design, which looks at one time bold and elegant, and offers an interesting mix of features for the average user. The panel is a 27" VA, 1800R curved panel, which offers 1080p resolution, 60 Hz refresh rate and a 4 ms response time. Pair this with support for AMD's FreeSync (which every monitor should carry nowadays anyway), and the ED273 materializes as an interesting option for users that don't require higher resolutions nor breakneck-speed frames.

Being a VA panel, viewing angles stay at the usual 178 °, while brightness is a paltry 250 cd/m2, which means that users who expect to use this monitor in bright environments should be wary. Contrast ratio is being touted as a 1,000,000:1, and display interfaces include 1x DVI-D, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, and audio jacks. The Acer ED273 monitor is available from Newegg for $199.

HP has announced the first Omen X laptop for the consumer market, and this is one laptop that HP hopes is enough to rule them all. Omen is HP's high-performance gaming brand, and the Omen X brings with it true desktop replaceability pedigree to justify that target audience. Most important: the Omen X laptop allows for overclocking, due to a cleverly designed vapor-chamber and high-powered fans cooling methodology. It allows users to overclock their unlocked i7 processor, alongside the DDR4 memory and GTX 1080 graphics card - and a translucent window lets you take a peek under the hood. A single removable panel offers access to the RAM, storage and other user-replaceable parts. A mechanical keyboard with programmable macros ensures perfect responsiveness and customizability, sporting per-key RGB lighting.

Club 3D is proud to announce the next generation of SenseVision video splitters today with the introduction of two brand new splitters, CSV-1474 (USB-A to HDMI 2.0 Dual Monitor 4K 60Hz) and CSV-1477 (USB-A to DP 1.2 Dual Monitor 4K 60Hz) with this press release.

Former generation video splitters or USB graphic adapters based on USB 3.0 or 3.1 suffered from a limitation of 30 Hz if you were aiming at using the highest resolutions like 3840 x 2160 (4K). The latest developments from DisplayLink make it possible now that with CSV-1474 and CSV-1477 the resolutions can be taken to a new level. Not only one time 4K60Hz is possible, both splitters offer Dual Monitor functionality and each of the outputs can offer 4K 60Hz. The only requirement is to have a free USB Type A 3.1 Gen 1 socket in your device. The two new SenseVision products are powered by DisplayLink 6950 SoC. Our new future-proof products will be ready for shipment on June 30th. Wide availability of the products in the market we expect in the first week of July.

Sunday marked a milestone Xbox E3 Briefing as Microsoft Corp. unveiled the world's most powerful console, Xbox One X (formerly code-named "Project Scorpio") and its largest and most diverse games lineup in E3 history. Broadcast for the first time in 4K UHD on Mixer, Xbox showcased a record 42 games in its briefing including 22 with console exclusivity from creators large and small. Coming to all Xbox One markets starting Nov. 7, Xbox One X will retail for $499, 449 pounds, 499 euros, CA$599 and AU$649.

Xbox One X was designed to be the best console to create and play games on, putting the greatest graphic fidelity in the hands of the world's best game creators to create true 4K games. Head of Xbox Phil Spencer underscored that every game will play great across the Xbox One family, and Xbox One X also makes your existing library even better, with better textures, smoother frame rates and faster load times.

ASUS is looking to have two distinct monitor product lines catering to either AMD or NVIDIA enthusiasts. Adding to their Swift line-up of NVIDIA G-Sync monitors, ASUS seems to be building up a Strix line as well, which features AMD's FreeSync technology to deliver the same fundamental variable refresh rate technology at a lower price-point (or so we hope.)

Starting with the flagship Strix monitor, the ASUS Strix XG32V has a 31.5" IPS panel with a WQHD resolution of 2560 x 1440. It's curved, so it envelops your FOV better, with the usual 1800R curve. This model can handle refresh rates of up to 144Hz, though readers looking to jump at this panel as we speak should wait for both Freesync range and pricing announcements. Connectivity-wise, we're looking at 2x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x HDMI 2.0, and an os yet unknown amount of USB 3.0 ports. ASUS has also added the inevitable Aura Sync lighting to the XG32V, materialized on both a ROG logo that shines down onto the desk, as well as an RGB LED suite on the back of the unit that can be synchronized with other Aura Sync-enabled PC components and peripherals.

At Computex 2017, ASUS showcased the first Ryzen-powered laptop, which the company had already teased a while back. The STRIX brings to an end a period of lacking competition in the laptop space; before this, if you wanted a high-performance gaming (or even professional-grade) laptop, you went with one with an Intel processor inside, or not at all. AMD is back in the fold, and Ryzen was the one who rose to the challenge.

The ROG STRIX GL702ZC packs a Ryzen 7 1700 8-core, 16-thread CPU; the absence of an X there isn't a typo, considering AMD themselves say the company's XFR (eXtended Frequency Range) is meant to accelerate CPU speeds under the right thermal conditions (and headroom), which a laptop almost surely wouldn't have.) This is a full desktop CPU (and I stress, an 8-core, 16-thread one) running inside a laptop. And this laptop dresses itself fully in red, with the graphics workhorse being an RX 580. The RX 580 is a great 1080p card, so it will feel right at home on the ROG STRIX GL702ZC's 17.3", 1080p IPS panel with FreeSync support. Let's just hope this is the first in a wave of AMD-powered laptops. We'll be here to see what happens with Ryzen-based APUs closer to the end of the year.

Update: It would seem reservations regarding the monitor's conservative resolution were right in the money. New details have come to light in that this monitor from AOC apparently supports two display modes: a 1440p, 144 Hz presentation, favoring resolution and graphics quality, or the aforementioned 1080p 240 Hz. This is interesting, offering a solution for gamers who play both competitive shooters and eye-candy-filled games, opting for blazing fast refresh rates or a higher resolution. It remains to be seen whether graphics quality takes a bigger hit than is solely limited to the decreased resolution: using a monitor ona non-native resolution decreases graphical quality, sometimes noticeably so. Still, this is a flexible solution, and I wouldn't be surprised to see users choosing this solution exactly because of the two different modes of operation.

AOC has added a new monitor to its line-up, which seems to be especially geared towards competitive gamers in twitch-shooters. Its astonishing 240 Hz refresh rate, 1 ms response time, and G-SYNC support are its greatest selling points, I would wager, though I bid you good luck in running most modern games at such frame-rates. To achieve this kind of screen refresh rates, AOC had to compromise in other areas, though: the AG251FG's 1080p resolution seems somewhat limited, as does the usage of a TN panel.

AMD, in an interview with Forbes, confirmed that it is working to improve DDR4 memory support of its Ryzen series processors, to enable higher memory clocks. AMD Ryzen users find it difficult to get DDR4 memory clocks to run above 3000 MHz reliably. With memory clock being linked with the chip's Infinity Fabric clock (the interconnect between two CCX units on the "Summit Ridge" silicon), the performance incentives for higher memory clocks are just that much more.

AMD confirmed that its AGESA update for May improves DDR4 memory compatibility, although it also stressed on the need for motherboard manufacturers to improve their board designs in the future, with more PCB layers and better copper traces between the DIMM slots and the SoC socket. The company assures that more updates to AGESA are in the pipeline, and would improve performance of Ryzen processors at various levels. The AGESA updates are dispensed through motherboard vendors as BIOS updates.

AOC has partnered up with cr-designer extraordinaire Porsche to come up with sleek designs for two new monitors on its range. The PDS241 and PDS217 monitors both feature a (slightly yawn-inducing) 1080p AH-IPS panel, at 24 and 27" respectively. These come in thin as razors at 5.2mm, sporting a three-way-frameless design.

Apart from the sleek design and the stand (which is a hit-or-miss aesthetic choice from my perspective), there is nothing groundbreaking on offer here. You get technologies such as AOC's SuperColor WCG (100% sRGB coverage, and 90% coverage of the NTSC color space), flicker-free operation and low blue-light technology to help combat eyestrain. And these monitors won't set you back that much, at around $240 for the 24", and $330 for the 27", though you really are paying a pretty penny for that Porsche-christened design pedigree.

Some outlets are reporting that Stardock's Ashes of the Singularity is about to receive the much-referred-to patch that allows for improved performance on AMD's Ryzen line of processors. If you remember, rivers of ink flowed regarding AMD's Ryzen performance in gaming, with its monstrous, high-performance 8-core, 16-threaded design sometimes delivering performance below expectations. At the time, AMD clarified how Ryzen is a distinctive CPU architecture, similar yet fundamentally different from Intel's x86 implementation, promising upcoming patches from game developers that would allow Ryzen's architecture to truly deliver.

After Creative Assembly and Oxide Games vouched to improve Ryzen support, Oxide seems to be the first developer with a patch available (from version 25624 to 26118) that improves performance by up to 30%. Reportedly, it took the developers around 400 work-hours to improve the game code in respect to its execution on AMD hardware.

The folks at PC Perspective have shared a statement from AMD in response to their question as to why AMD's Ryzen processors show lower than expected performance at 1080p resolution (despite posting good high-resolution, high-detail frame rates). Essentially, AMD is reinforcing the need for developers to optimize their games' performance to AMD's CPUs (claiming that these have only been properly tuned to Intel's architecture). AMD also puts weight behind the fact they have sent about 300 developer kits already, so that content creators can get accustomed to AMD's Ryzen, and expect this number to increase to about a thousand developers in the 2017 time-frame. AMD is expecting gaming performance to only increase from its launch-day level. Read AMD's statement after the break.

At CES 2017, ASRock showcased one of the most interesting PCs in attendance - particularly if you think interest is inversely affected by size. The name they gave it was DeskMini, and it ushers in a Micro-STX form factor, measuring only 210 mm x 157.5 mm x 81.9 mm. But mini-PCs are many these days. What makes this one so interesting?

Well, it's the fact that this seems to embody the perfect proportions - and compromise - between a high-powered PC and a puny NUC or Mini-PC. For one, it carries any choice of a Celeron/Pentium/i3/i5/i7 Intel processor on the socket 1151 (up to a i7 7700K); supports up to a max of 32 GB DDR4 at 2400 MHz on 2x SO-DIMM slots; features 2x SATA III ports (with power connectors) and 3x M.2 ports (two of which support Type 2280/2260 M.2 PCIe Gen 3x4 or a SATA SSD, while the other supports only a PCIe Gen3x4-based SSD); and your choice of either an NVIDIA GTX 1060 (on the GTX series) or an AMD RX 460/470/480 on the (aptly named) RX series.

According to TweakTown, AMD may be preparing to bring the fight to the as-of-yet unannounced GTX 1050 Ti with a $10 price-drop on their 1080p price-performance king RX 470 from the current $179, bringing the price down to $169. NVIDIA is purportedly planning to bring the GTX 1050 Ti to market at the $149 price point, with a rated TDP of only 75 W and apparently no need for additional power connectors (at least on reference designs). However, faced with a measly $20 difference from the supposedly higher-performing RX 470 - which could sometimes be up to 30% faster - the battle for the $150 bracket might prove to be an uphill battle for the green camp.

Add to that the latest updates unveiled by Oculus on Oculus Connect 3, with the RX 470 being stamped with the VR-ready approval, as well as the greater availability and lower price of FreeSync monitors (sometimes with as much as four times the number of FreeSync offers versus G-Sync ones), and it really does seem that AMD is poised to offer the best value in its price bracket. Of course, things get muddier if you take into account the current pricing landscape for graphics cards from either manufacturer (where most models are selling upwards of their MSRP).

Sony today announced an addition to its PlayStation family of entertainment systems, with the new PlayStation 4 Pro (PS4 Pro). The PS4 Pro isn't meant to succeed the PS4, and is still a "current generation" console, in that all of its games are compatible with the PS4, and there won't be PS4 Pro-exclusive games. What sets it apart is higher-resolution game rendering that looks best on 4K Ultra HD TVs. This doesn't necessarily mean that the games are being rendered at 3840 x 2160 pixels. They could be rendered at resolutions higher than 1080p, and using just the right upscaling algorithms, made to look significantly better than 1080p. Another key visual component is hardware HDR. The PS4 Pro falls in line with Sony's big push for 4K HDR TVs this holiday shopping season.

Under the hood, the PlayStation 4 Pro features an all new semi-custom SoC designed by Sony and AMD. The CPU component sticks to the "Jaguar/Puma" architecture, with 8 cores, but features higher CPU clock speeds. The 8 GB GDDR5 memory is said to run at higher clocks, too, and is bolstered by new lossless memory compression tech by AMD. The GPU component is where the action is. The GPU features over double the shading power of the PS4, and is based on the "Polaris" GPU architecture. The PS4 Pro also ships with a bigger 1 TB hard drive. There is seamless interplayability between PS4 and PS4 Pro. PS4 games you already own are being added with higher-resolution content meant for PS4 Pro. The console also has the muscle for PS-VR. For those still holding on to 1080p HDTVs, the PS4 Pro rewards with higher visual detail, more geometric complexity, and better effects, at that resolution. The PS4 Pro starts at $399.