GEEKOM, a leading innovator in mini PC technology, is set to release its latest powerhouse, the GEEKOM IT15, setting a new benchmark for compact computing. Designed for professionals and businesses, this ultra-compact mini PC combines high-performance processing, robust stability, and unparalleled connectivity, making it the perfect solution for modern workspaces.

At the heart of the IT15 is Intel's 2nd Gen Core Ultra processor (up to Ultra 9), which delivers enhanced single-core performance and improved energy efficiency. By eliminating Hyper-Threading, the system optimizes pure computing power, ensuring rapid response times and higher productivity. With a turbo clock of up to 5.4 GHz, it effortlessly handles demanding tasks such as video editing, coding, and graphic design. The IT15 also leverages AI-driven performance optimization, enhancing system efficiency for task scheduling, power management, and content creation workflows.

Asustor didn't have any big news at Computex this year, but the company was showing it's upcoming Lockerstor 6 Gen2+, which is a slightly improved version of the current Lockerstor 6 Gen2, with the only upgrade being a move from red to blue Ethernet ports. Ok, there's a little more to it than a colour change, as the new blue ports support speeds of up to 5 Gbps vs. 2.5 Gbps for the red ports, something Asustor has done to make it easy to visually differentiate between the port speeds. The plus version is set to launch later this year, with no firm launch date as yet.

The company was also showing off its new Lockerstor 12R Pro Gen2 rack mounted NAS appliances with support for either 12 or 16 3.5-inch drives. These 3U or 4U rackmount NASes are powered by AMD's Ryzen 7 Pro processors and come standard with 16 GB of ECC DDR5-4800 memory, dual 10 Gbps Ethernet ports, plus a pair of Gigabit Ethernet ports, one M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe 5.0 x4 slot for an OS drive and a PCIe x8 expansion slot.

Although Synology already announced its first plus series NAS in its 2025 range a month ago with the DS925+ and its accompanying expansion unit, the company had no less than six new devices on display at Computex. We also talked at length with the company and got an explanation as to why the company decided to move to supporting its own brand drives only and it turns out the situation isn't quite what Synology's press release made it seem like, but more on that after we go over the new devices.

The new range starts with the DS225+ and the DS425+, where the DS225+ is the new base model of the plus series. Both models are built around an Intel Celeron J4125—a chip that launched at the end of 2019—which is paired with 2 GB of DDR4 which can be expanded to 6 GB in total. Both models come with one 2.5 Gbps and one 1 Gbps Ethernet port, two 5 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports and two or four drive bays. The DS425+ also gets a pair of M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slots, but unless the CPU information provided is wrong, these will only be PCIe 2.0 and will most likely not sport more than one or two lanes.

It's been two years since Realtek showed off its 5 Gbps Ethernet chips at Computex and at the time, they hinted at a 10 Gbps chip. This year, the company was showing off a wide range of 10 Gbps Ethernet chips on the show, ranging from a standard consumer solution, to server chips and native USB variants. The base chip is the RTL8127, which offers the full range of speeds from 10 Mbps to 10 Gbps, with a sub 2 Watt power consumption. This is followed by the RTL8127AP intended for servers, as it has full remote management support via DASH 1.2 support. Both chips sport a PCIe 4.0 x1 host interface, which for better or worse limits compatibility to more modern systems.

Next up is the fibre only RTL8127ATF, although it doesn't support 10/100 Mbps speeds, but it has a lower power consumption at just over 1 Watt. This is followed by the RTL8127AT, which is limited to the same speeds as the fibre only SKU, but it's a standard copper NIC. What sets these two SKUs apart from the previous two, is that they support PCIe Gen 3 x2 or PCIe Gen 4 x1 and they actually have a physical PCIe x2 interface, which limits compatibility with some motherboards as an add-card. Finally we have the RTL8159, which is Realtek's USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 10 Gbps chip, which again covers the full range of speed from 10 Mbps to 10 Gbps. Realtek had several mockups of customer products on display, but final products might not look exactly like the ones shown.

There's no shortage of AI products at Computex this year, but MaxLinear had a demo of a router with AI support that kind of makes sense. The company has developed what it simply calls MaxAI, which allows their customers to build their own smartphone all, which is represented by the the left hand side of the screen below. This allows the owner of a router with support for Max AI to give it voice commands, but as the software is aware of the features of the router, it's possible to use it for things like QoS optimisation, speed tests and even for sending system logs to your ISP during a support call. MaxAI is also multilingual, the demo we were shown started out in Mandarin, but was switched to English for the demo and then in the end switched to Japanese.

This might seem like something of a gimmicky feature, but keep in mind that most people don't know how to use a router, from setting it up, to changing any kind of settings. The potential of MaxAI is to allow users to set up their router via voice commands, which to many would be a lot easier, than using an app or logging in to a web interface. However, MaxAI isn't just about controlling your router via voice commands, as MaxLinear has also worked on a new type of QoS, where they don't do deep packet inspection, but instead have trained that AI model to detect patterns of different software. The demo was showing two video streams, one was used to simulate a teams call and by just telling the MaxAI to optimise teams, the video stream went from jerky to smooth. Obviously this assumes that the internet connection is fast enough and it's still just prioritisation, but it works much better compared to traditional QoS.

As industrial systems become more interconnected and data-driven, the need for connectivity solutions that offer superior performance, scalability, and flexibility is growing rapidly. Cervoz, a leading provider of industrial embedded modules, is meeting this demand with an expanding portfolio of innovative, real-world expansion solutions.

Seamless Expansion for Future-Ready Performance
Picture a smart logistics hub handling tens of thousands of packages a day, where Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) operates across vast spaces. In such environments, traditional RJ45 connections may initially suffice—but as operation expand and AMRs navigate distances beyond 100 meters, connectivity becomes prone to signal degradation and industrial interference.

Apricorn, the leading manufacturer of software-free, 256-bit AES XTS hardware-encrypted USB data storage devices, today announced the release of the Aegis Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station, designed to maximize connectivity, efficiency, and security for today's flexible workforce. The new docking station provides seamless device integration and high-speed data transfer, making it an ideal solution for professionals who require reliability and performance in both office and remote environments.

In a recent survey conducted by Apricorn, 54% of respondents primarily operate in a hybrid work environment, with 48% utilizing a hotdesking setup, underscoring the increasing need for technology that supports efficient transitions between remote and office settings. Additionally, nearly 68% of respondents use a docking station daily, highlighting the device's essential role in current workflows. Among the top reasons professionals use or consider using docking stations are connecting multiple monitors (95%), reducing cable clutter (80%), and quickly switching between home and office setups (65%).

NETGEAR, Inc., a global leader in secure and high-performance networking solutions, is making next-generation Wi-Fi more accessible with the launch of the Nighthawk RS100—its most affordable Wi-Fi 7 router yet. Delivering ultra-fast speeds, robust security, and reliable performance, the RS100 makes it easier than ever for households to upgrade to the latest in wireless technology.

Why Wi-Fi 7 for Households?
As internet speeds surge and more smart devices connect to home networks, households need stronger, faster, and more reliable connectivity—not just for today, but for the future. Wi-Fi 7 delivers smoother streaming, lag-free gaming, and more stable connections across every corner of the home. With speeds up to 2.4x faster than Wi-Fi 6, it supports high-bandwidth activities like 4K/8K streaming, cloud gaming, and AI-powered applications—no buffering, no slowdowns.

Amazon announced that eero is expanding its Wi-Fi 7 portfolio to include eero 7, delivering multi-gigabit speeds at a more affordable price, and eero Pro 7, offering premium performance for bandwidth-demanding networks. Thanks to the company's TrueMesh, TrueRoam, and TrueChannel networking technologies, and the latest Wi-Fi 7 capabilities, eero 7 and Pro 7 will improve overall wifi performance, reliability, and latency; and help keep customers connected even as network conditions become more complex and demanding.

"For ten years, eero has obsessed over delivering exceptional wifi because we know it is as important as our electricity and running water. Back in my apartment in San Francisco, our ambition was to deliver an experience that's easy to use, is so reliable you don't have to think about it, comes with world-class security, and is thoughtfully designed to blend into any environment," said Nick Weaver, CEO and co-founder of eero. "We've continued to innovate and have gone well beyond our first home mesh wifi system—there are tens of millions of eero devices that power homes and businesses across 24 countries. Today, I'm excited for the eero 7 and Pro 7 to join the Max 7 and Outdoor 7 and expand our Wi-Fi 7 portfolio to meet every internet need."

Most of you might be familiar with GL.iNet as a manufacturer of cheap travel routers intended to share a hotel Wi-Fi connection with, but the company has expanded to more capable devices over the past couple of years and it's Flint 2 Wi-Fi 6 router has been a popular option, especially as it runs a fork of OpenWRT, but native support for OpenWRT is in the late stages of development. At CES the company was showing its upcoming Flint 3 router—also known as the GL-BE9300—although unfortunately we weren't given any more specs than the company has already shared in terms of what hardware is under the hood, this is as far as we're aware, the first time the Flint 3 has been publicly shown. That said, the model number suggests this should be a tri-band router that will most likely deliver up to 5760 Mbps on the 6 GHz band, 2880 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and finally 574 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band. This somewhat disappointingly suggests that the router could be limited to a 2x2 antenna configuration on all three bands, if 320 MHz channel width is supported on the 6 GHz band. In terms of announced features, the Flint 3 is said to come with multi-WAN support that can do failover or load balancing, VPN client and server support and at least a pair of 2.5 Gbps LAN/WAN ports carried over from the Flint 2.

Also on display was the Slate 7 or GL-BE3600 which is GL.iNet's first Wi-Fi 7 travel router. This is most likely a 2x2 dual-band 2.4 and 5 GHz router with speeds of up to 2882 Mbps for the 5 GHz band and 688 Mbps for the 2.4 GHz band. It too will offer VPN support and this is GL.iNet's first small form factor router with dual 2.5 Gbps ports. It is powered via a 12 Volt USB-C port and it has a USB 3.0 that can most likely be used for data sharing or a USB data dongle. The Slate 7 also appears to have a small LCD around the front that can generate QR codes to make it easier to connect to it. Finally GL.iNet showed off a new product range with the Comet—or GL-RM1 if you prefer—which the company refers to as an "open-source remote KVM". This connects to your PC or laptop via HDMI and USB to enable the KVM part and then the Ethernet port of the device is connected to your network to allow you to remotely access the computer. This is being touted as failsafe means of being able to access a system remotely, be it a PC, server or any other device with and HDMI port, although some precautions would have to be taken against the system losing power. It's a neat solution that isn't easy to DIY and hopefully it'll be priced reasonably, like most of GL.iNets products. All three products are expected to launch later this year.

Netgear, Inc., a leading provider of innovative, security-driven solutions for people to connect and manage their digital lives, today announced the launch of the Orbi 870 Series Mesh System - the latest addition to its growing portfolio of mesh networking systems delivering the enhanced power of WiFi 7 to homes of all sizes.

Building on nearly 30 years of WiFi innovation expertise, NETGEAR designed the Orbi 870 series to deliver high-performance mesh networking powered by WiFi 7. Created to meet the needs of today's connected homes, the Orbi 870 ensures exceptional speeds, reduced latency and ample capacity for even the most demanding households. Whether streaming ultra-high-definition content, working remotely, or gaming online, families can rely on Orbi 870's advanced WiFi technology to support a smooth experience across up to 150 connected devices. Meanwhile, Advanced Router Protection, only available from NETGEAR, helps ensure router security out of the box with advanced safety features and automatic security updates designed to help protect routers against cyberattacks and other security threats.

MSI, a global leader in computing solutions, is excited to announce the launch of its latest innovation in mini PCs: the Cubi NUC AI Series. This new lineup features the Cubi NUC AI+ 2M and the Cubi NUC AI 1UM, both carefully designed to deliver exceptional performance in impressively compact formats.

Cubi NUC AI+ 2M: The Ultimate Copilot+ PC
Measuring just 0.826 liters, the Cubi NUC AI+ 2M sets a new standard for mini PCs. Despite its compact size, it is powered by an Intel Core Ultra Processor from the Lunar Lake platform and comes with AI tools designed to enhance productivity and improve the user experience. Equipped with a dedicated AI Boost NPU, it functions as a Copilot+ PC, seamlessly integrating with AI-driven applications like CoCreator, Windows Studio Effects, Live Captions, and Live Translation—making it ideal for both professional and personal use. One of its standout features is the one-touch fingerprint power button, which provides both security and convenience. Additionally, a dedicated Copilot button offers instant access to AI assistance, streamlining workflows and daily tasks. The built-in microphone and speaker further enrich the user experience, enabling smooth communication and voice-activated commands. Connectivity is another strong point, with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one of which supports up to 100 W Power Delivery input. This means the Cubi NUC AI+ 2M can be powered directly through a monitor using a Type-C connection, minimizing cable clutter and simplifying your setup.

Cable Matters Inc., a leading connectivity solutions provider, has announced the launch of its Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station, setting an important benchmark for speed, simplicity, and reliability, and offering unmatched performance for modern professionals, gamers, and content creators.

Utilizing Thunderbolt 5 technology, the docking station offers up to 120 Gbps of bandwidth-three times more than Thunderbolt 4-enabling ultra-fast data transfers and superior display experiences. It features an upstream Thunderbolt 5 port compatible with Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 5, and USB4 based hosts, and three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports for versatile connections to monitors, SSDs, and other devices. The downstream ports support up to three 8K@60 Hz monitors or two 8K@120 Hz displays for enhanced visual clarity, gameplay, and multitasking.

NETGEAR, the leading provider of award-winning connected products designed to simplify and improve people's lives, today expanded its unlocked 5G mobile router lineup with the launch of the NETGEAR Nighthawk M3 Mobile Hotspot Router (MH3150). The new product meets the growing demands for accessible and powerful Wi-Fi coupled with advanced security features anywhere, anytime.

NETGEAR launched the world's first unlocked 5G mobile router and has continued to innovate, improving on-the-go connectivity experiences customers have come to enjoy. The Nighthawk M3 follows in the same vein, delivering 2.5 Gbps over 5G[1] with the capacity to reach a maximum aggregated Wi-Fi speed of up to 3.6 Gbps. Additionally, the M3 features in-home performance mode which boosts Wi-Fi coverage up to 1,000 sq ft when the device is plugged in, and the battery is removed.

When the initial batch of AMD X870/E motherboards were announced, there were no signs of Mini-ITX motherboards, but now Gigabyte has launched its first X870 Mini-ITX board and it's a bit of a hit and miss in our opinion. The X870I Aorus Pro Ice comes in white, as per the Ice moniker that Gigabyte likes to use for its white products and this might really appeal to some and put others off. Feature wise, we're looking at a single PCIe 5.0 x16 slot—as per most Mini-ITX boards—two NVMe M.2 slots, one PCIe 5.0 and one PCIe 4.0, but for some reason, Gigabyte decided that a single USB4 port was enough.

What makes the single USB4 port decision even worse is the fact that the board only has a USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gbps USB Type-C port and the front panel header is also limited to 10 Gbps. On a brand new board, this is really quite disappointing, but the Pro SKUs are usually feature limited models from Gigabyte. The rest of the ports around the back consists of an HDMI 2.1 port, although it too is limited to 4K 60 Hz output, which again is disappointing—the USB4 port is capable of 4K at 240 Hzvia DP Alt mode—two USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gbps USB Type-A ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 5 Gbps USB Type-A ports and two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, a 2.5 Gbps RJ45 Ethernet jack, a WiFi antenna connector for the onboard RTL8922AE WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 module and a pair of 3.5 mm audio jacks mounted on a separate PCB. There's also a BIOS flashing button around the back.

ASRock has unveiled a full lineup of Z890 motherboards, led by the new Taichi series flagship models. This series offers a powerful mix of options for extreme enthusiasts, including the ASRock Z890 Taichi AQUA, Taichi OCF, Taichi, and Taichi Lite. Other ASRock Z890 motherboards include the gaming-focused Phantom Gaming series, featuring the Nova, Riptide, and Lightning models, as well as the popular Steel Legend, LiveMixer, and Pro series for mainstream users. The new Z890 motherboards support the latest Intel Core Ultra 200 series processors, offering more high-speed expansion such as PCI-Express 5.0 support for a graphics card, as well as M.2 SSD, and more importantly up to two Thunderbolt 4 ports for all Z890 motherboards.

The New Era of Taichi
The white-styled ASRock Z890 Taichi AQUA introduces a unique hybrid thermal design developed in collaboration with Alphacool, which combines air and water cooling for the VRM and M.2 block. The Z890 Taichi AQUA also features the first detachable M.2 water block for Gen-5 SSDs, simplifying and streamlining installation.

Realtek Semiconductor will participate in Network X 2024 (October 08~10, 2024), an event being held in Paris, France, that will bring together over five thousand people from all over the world to include senior network infrastructure and service professionals from telcos, leading vendors, industry bodies, governments, analysts, and media to showcase the latest trending products, solutions, and services. Realtek will exhibit its highly integrated 2.5G Ethernet switch solutions and complete xPON broadband solutions to meet various bandwidth application needs.

Highly Integrated 2.5G Ethernet Switch Solution
With breakthroughs in large language model technology, generative AI has ushered in a new era of AI applications. The demand for AI applications is no longer confined to high-end cloud applications but has extended from the cloud to edge computing and is becoming increasingly widespread. Consequently, the high bandwidth requirements at the edge have become more critical. Currently, edge network speeds commonly use 1GbE. To address the growing bandwidth demands of AI applications, Realtek has developed a 2.5G Ethernet switch solution that integrates various technologies to provide 2.5GbE downstream bandwidth and 10GbE upstream bandwidth. This solution is designed to support future AI-enabled endpoint devices, such as AI PCs and AI notebooks, to meet their high bandwidth needs. Additionally, this 2.5G Ethernet switch solution can be used in Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 wireless routers, supporting high bandwidth applications to meet user demands for high bandwidth at the edge in AI applications.

GEEKOM, a Taiwanese tech company also known as the Green Mini PC Global Leader, recently released a strong lineup of flagship mini PCs with Intel Core Ultra processors and dual Ethernet ports, making it possible for users to enjoy impeccable performance and superb networking functionalities at the same time.

One of these mini PCs is the GEEKOM GT1 Mega, which employs a beautiful aluminum chassis with plenty of I/O, including two full-function 40 Gbps USB4 Type-C, six USB Type-A, 2 HDMI2.0, a 3.5 mm audio jack, an SD card reader and dual Ethernet ports. The two Ethernet jacks are both of 2.5 Gbps standard, which not only delivers high-speed and reliable internet connection for people's daily computing chores, but also enables the mini PC to serve more sophisticated networking functionalities as a soft router, a virtual machines, a hardware firewall, or even a home server. Besides, dual Ethernet ports can separate internal and external network connections, providing logical and physical separation of trusted and untrusted network traffic and keeping data safe from potential cyber-attacks.

NETGEAR, the leading provider of innovative and secure solutions for people to connect and manage their digital lives, today expanded its Wi-Fi 7 mesh and standalone router lines with the new Orbi 770 Series Mesh System, NETGEAR's most affordable Wi-Fi 7 mesh system to date build on the company's promise to provide powerful Wi-Fi performance and secure connectivity.

Wi-Fi 7 unlocks 2.4 times faster speeds than Wi-Fi 6, delivers low latency and better handles Wi-Fi interference for families to seamlessly enjoy next gen 4K/8K streaming, video conferencing, gaming, and more. Since the launch of NETGEAR's first Wi-Fi 7 offerings - Nighthawk RS700S, Nighthawk RS300 and Orbi 970 - multi-gig internet speeds have become more affordable, work from home demands have remained steady, and more devices such as AR/VR headsets or AI-focused platforms like Copilot+ have been introduced that require extreme low latency and higher throughput.

To date, WiFi 7 routers have been costing hundreds of dollars, with high-end models going for as much as US$800 for standard routers, with mesh systems easily breaking the US$1000 barrier. TP-Link's new Archer BE3600—also known as the Archer BE230 in some markets—is the polar opposite to those expensive routers, as it's being sold for a mere US$99. We've even found it for less than that in some countries, although we've also seen the BE230 model for twice as much, so the pricing varies quite a lot depending on where you live. You might be wondering how much router you get for your money, since there has to be some trade-offs, right?

Well, you wouldn't be wrong, but there are fewer trade-offs than we expected. As the model name implies, the combined WiFi speed is 3600 Mbps in theory, with the 5 GHz radio delivering up to 2882 Mbps and the 2.4 GHz radio delivering up to 688 Mbps. Both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios are 2x2, but at least the 5 GHz radio supports up to 240 MHz channel width, although 160 MHz is far more common on the device side. However, there's no 6 GHz radio to be found at this price, which isn't entirely unexpected at this price point. However, new features like Multi-Link Operation (MLO) are supported. You also get a pair of 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports, something only routers at around twice the price of the Archer BE3600 has featured so far. There's even a USB 3.0 for those that want to connect up a storage device to their router as a makeshift network drive. According to a teardown done by the FCC, the Archer BE3600 is based on a Broadcom SoC with integrated WiFi and a Realtek switch for the Gigabit ports.

Cable Matters, an industry leader in connectivity solutions, is excited to announce the integration of Thunderbolt Share technology from Intel into its existing Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station. This enhancement brings unprecedented Windows PC-to-PC connectivity and collaboration capabilities to the popular 16-in-1 docking solution.

Thunderbolt Share is an innovative software application that enables fast and seamless Windows PC-to-PC connectivity. By leveraging the power of Thunderbolt 4, users can now transfer files, share storage devices, and enjoy smooth screen sharing with minimal latency, enhancing productivity and collaboration.

Gigabyte's new Stealth series of motherboards has to date only had a single product, the Z690 Aorus Elite Stealth, but now, Gigabyte has added its first Stealth board for AMD CPUs. The B650E Aorus Stealth Ice not only has all of its connectors on the back of the board, but it also has a white/silver PCB with a similarly coloured front and back cover. Apart from the DIMM slots, all connectors are also in somewhat matching colours, although judging by the pictures, the colours don't quite match on all the connectors and slots. That aside, the B650E Aorus Stealth Ice is a pretty competent board, as long as you're not interested in adding anything more than a graphics card and some NVMe SSDs, as it has zero additional PCIe expansion slots. It's a rather bold move by Gigabyte, but at the same time, most gamers and consumers don't tend to add PCIe devices to their computers outside of additional storage these days.

Besides the PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, you get two M.2 sockets wired to the CPU, one PCIe 5.0—with its own, larger heatsink—and one PCIe 4.0, as well as a third PCIe 4.0 M.2 socket via the chipset. There's also support for four SATA 6 Gbps drives if more storage is needed. Gigabyte has also added an internal HDMI 1.4 port that's limited to 1080p30, which is intended to be used with Gigabyte's LCD Edge View display. Other connectivity on the back of the PCB includes a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) port, a USB 3.2 (5 Gbps) pin-header as well as the usual USB 2.0, fan headers and LED headers that you'd expect from a modern motherboard. The VRM design is a 12+2+2 design with a 60 Amp DrMOS configuration for the 12+2 phases for the CPU and GPU.

TP-Link, a leading global provider of consumer and business networking products, today announced availability of the highly anticipated, 2023 CES Innovation Award Honoree, Archer GE800 BE19000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 7 Gaming Router. Designed for gaming enthusiasts, the Archer GE800 sets the stage for a new era of gaming performance with jaw-dropping tri-band speeds of up to 19 Gbps†, two 10 Gbps ports, and game-acceleration features that redefine gaming experiences.

The Archer GE800 is the ultimate choice for power-players seeking to elevate their gaming experience with revolutionary Wi-Fi 7 technology. With advanced capabilities like reduced latency and enhanced stability, Wi-Fi 7 creates a superior gaming environment for a more responsive and immersive experience. Offering Wi-Fi speeds of up to 19 Gbps across three bands and 12 streams, supported by dual 10 Gbps and quad 2.5 Gbps wired ports, every device receives unparalleled bandwidth.

NETGEAR, Inc., the leading provider of innovative and secure solutions for people to connect and manage their digital lives, today expanded its WiFi 7 mesh and standalone router lines with the new Orbi 770 Tri-band Mesh System and Nighthawk RS300 Router. NETGEAR's most affordable WiFi 7 products to date build on the company's promise to provide powerful WiFi performance and secure connectivity.

WiFi 7 Changes the Game
WiFi 7 unlocks 2.4 times faster speeds than WiFi 6, delivers low latency and better handles WiFi interference for families to seamlessly enjoy next gen 4K/8K streaming, video conferencing, gaming, and more. Since the launch of NETGEAR's first WiFi 7 offerings - Nighthawk RS700 and Orbi 970 - multi-gig internet speeds have become more affordable, work from home demands have remained steady, and more devices such as AR/VR headsets or AI-focused platforms like CoPilot+ have been introduced that require extreme low latency and higher throughput.

We've seen a lot of motherboards with the power, SATA and USB connectors on the rear at Computex this year, but Chinese Maxsun decided to put the PCIe x16 slot on the back of its Mini-ITX MS-Terminator B760BKB D5 motherboard. This might seem like a crazy move, but with the right chassis, this means that the graphics card won't need a PCIe extension cable, while fitting in a compact chassis. It's also become increasingly hard to retain signal integrity over ribbon cables and with PCIe 5.0, it might be impossible. Another added benefit of this design is that the board also has a PCIe 3.0 x4 slot available for something like a 10 Gbps network card or just about anything else you'd want to plug into a compact PC.

The overall board specs don't really stick out from the crowd, as the Intel B760 chips is a somewhat limiting factor as well. In addition to the PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and the PCIe 3.0 x4 slot, the board also has a pair of PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe slots—one on each side of the PCB—and a slim SAS connector using an SFF-8654 connector. In addition to this, the board also has two DDR5 DIMM slots, four SATA ports, a 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port, a DP 1.2, an HDMI 2.0 port, a USB Type-C port of unknown speed and WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. The power design consists of a fairly basic 8+1+1 phase setup. We'd like to see this board design to become a standard, as it makes a lot of sense for the SFF market to allow for a better placement of the PCI x16 slot to allow for a more compact chassis without having to compromise on the choice of graphics card.