ASUS today announced the TUF Gaming A2 SSD enclosure for gamers seeking a superfast and reliable storage solution. The enclosure features USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 connectivity to deliver data transfer speeds of up to 20 Gbps—twice that of TUF Gaming A1. With IP68-rated water- and dust-resistance plus durability that meets U.S. MIL-STD-810H standards, TUF Gaming A2 keeps the SSD safe in almost any environment. Additionally, its silicone-rubber exterior provides superior on-the-go protection for the SSD. The Q-Latch mechanism allows for easy, tool-free SSD installation, while an efficient thermal management system ensures outstanding cooling to ensure consistent performance. With broad compatibility across PC, Mac, mobile devices, and the latest game consoles, TUF Gaming A2 is perfect for anyone looking to maintain an extensive library of games.

Exceptional SSD performance
TUF Gaming A2 doubles the data transfer speeds of its predecessor, TUF Gaming A1, with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 connectivity delivering up to 20 Gbps of bandwidth. Even though the latest AAA titles often exceed 100 GB in size, it takes just 90 seconds to transfer an entire game from the SSD to a console such as ROG Ally, or to any other popular gaming platform. When it comes to installing or removing the M.2 SSD, the innovative Q-Latch makes it easy, without requiring specific tools. The latch design employs a simple locking mechanism to secure the drive, so there's no need for screws. Additionally, TUF Gaming A2 features both PCIe NVMe and SATA interfaces, and can accommodate various 2242/2260/2280 SSD form factors while providing up to 4 TB of storage capacity.

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading computing, networking, and storage solutions innovator, has launched an industrial-grade 16-port full 10GbE L2 managed switch, the QSW-IM3216-8S8T. The rugged industrial case provides eight 10GbE SFP+ fiber and eight 10GbE RJ45 Multi-Gig ports, allowing flexible rackmount, desktop, or wall-mounted installations. It can connect NAS, SNMP, and AV-over-IP devices, making it ideal for deployment in a range of environments to achieve factory automation, smart manufacturing, and meet the diverse needs of smart cities, automotive industry, and traffic monitoring.

"Targeting the Industry 5.0 market which implements AI smart manufacturing, the QSW-IM3216-8S8T assists users in building reliable and secure high-speed 10GbE network infrastructure within an economical budget," said Jerry Deng, Product Manager of QNAP, adding "we also recommend pairing it with the TS-i410X Industrial NAS to create a high-speed data transmission and storage solution for smart factories."

MSI is excited to announce the launch of the DATAMAG 20 Gbps, a magnetic portable SSD designed for fast, reliable, and convenient data storage. Available in 1 TB, 2 TB, and 4 TB capacities, the DATAMAG offers SuperSpeed USB 20 Gbps transfer rates and a unique magnetic attachment system, making it an ideal choice for users who need both speed and portability.

With read/write speeds up to 1,600/1,500 MB/s, the DATAMAG 20 Gbps is built to handle demanding tasks such as ProRes 4K video recording and large file transfers. Whether you're a creative professional working on high-resolution video projects or someone who needs reliable storage on the go, this SSD provides the performance needed to keep your workflow efficient and smooth and supports the highest ProRes formats for video recording on iPhone 16 / 15 Pro (Max).

Infineon Technologies AG today announced the addition of the EZ-USB FX20 programmable USB peripheral controller to its EZ-USB product family. It enables developers to create USB devices that meet the highest performance requirements in AI, image processing and emerging applications. The EZ-USB FX20 peripheral controller offers high-speed connectivity with USB 20 Gbps and LVDS interfaces, increasing the total bandwidth up to six times over its predecessor, the EZ-USB FX3.

"With the growing popularity of USB devices, the demand for compatible and adaptable USB controllers is increasing," said Ganesh Subramaniam, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Wired Connectivity Solutions Product Line at Infineon. "Therefore, we are continuously improving the features and performance of our EZ-USB peripheral controllers and are pleased to support developers with our new addition to the product family, providing them with a flexible component to create powerful and advanced applications."

Detailed specifications and a somewhat blurry slide showing off all the details of MSI's upcoming high-end MEG Z890 Unify-X motherboard have leaked courtesy of @ChamberTech_ on X/Twitter. The motherboard is likely to appeal to those looking to squeeze every extra bit of performance out of their new Ultra 200K series CPU when they launch next month. You get support for memory speeds of up to 10,000 MT/s and with only two DIMM slots, it might be able to go even higher with the latest DDR5 CUDIMMs. The board also sports a 110 Ampere 20+1+1+1 VRM design on an eight layer PCB, and it also ships with what MSI calls an OC Tuning Controller, suggesting the board is targeting overclockers.

MSI has included a pair of PCIe 5.0 x16 slots for GPUs that presumably operate in dual x8 mode when both slots are in use, and a third PCIe 4.0 x16 slot that operates in x4 mode, as well as a single PCIe 4.0 x1 slot. There's also no less than six M.2 slots, of which two are PCIe 5.0 and one PCIe 4.0, as well as six SATA ports. Where things get a bit interesting is in the network connectivity, as the slide claims that the board features a 5 Gbps Intel Killer Ethernet interface, which is the first we've heard of such a thing, as well as an Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 module for wireless connectivity.

NVIDIA quietly released a variant of the GeForce RTX 4070 featuring slower 20 Gbps GDDR6 memory, replacing the 21 Gbps GDDR6X that the original RTX 4070 comes with. Wccftech has access to a GALAX branded RTX 4070 GDDR6, and put it through benchmarks focused on comparing it to a regular RTX 4070. Memory type and speed are the only changes in specs, the core-configuration isn't changed, nor is the GPU clock speed. Wccftech's testing shows that the RTX 4070 GDDR6 measures within 0-1% slower than the RTX 4070 (GDDR6X) at 1080p and 1440p resolutions; while the difference between the two is about 2% at 4K Ultra HD.

Wccftech's test-bed is comprehensive, with 27 game tests, each across 3 resolutions; and 7 synthetic tests. The synthetic tests are mainly part of the 3DMark test suite, including Speed Way, Fire Strike, Time Spy, Port Royal, and their presets. Here, the RTX 4070 GDDR6 is nearly identical in performance, with a 0-0.2% delta with the RTX 4070 GDDR6X. In the game tests, performance varies by resolution. 1080p has 0-1% performance delta, with the only noteworthy outliers being "Metro Exodus" (extreme preset), where the RTX 4070 GDDR6 loses 4.2%, and "Alan Wake 2," where it loses 2.3%.

GIGABYTE just released its second AMD 800-series chipset motherboard following last week's debut of the X870E AORUS Master, the more affordable X870 AORUS Elite WIFI7. This board is based on the slightly more affordable AMD X870 (non-E) chipset, which offers connectivity nearly identical to that of the previous-generation AMD B650E, but with the addition of USB4. The board is built in the ATX form-factor, and features a 6-layer PCB. It draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and two 8-pin EPS power connectors. The CPU VRM solution consists of a 16+2+2 phase setup, with the vCore side of it being 8-phase with phase doubling. The Socket AM5 is wired to four DDR5 DIMM slots for up to 256 GB of memory.

Expansion slots include a PCI-Express 5.0 x16 wired to the CPU, a PCI-Express 4.0 x16 (electrical Gen 4 x4), and a third PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (electrical Gen 3 x2). The main Gen 5 x16 PEG slot gets a quick-release lever. You press a button, and it ejects the graphics card. Storage connectivity includes three M.2 Gen 5 x4 slots, two of these are wired to the CPU's dedicated Gen 5 x4 NVMe lanes, while the third slot subtracts 8 lanes from the Gen 5 x16 PEG slot. There is a fourth M.2 slot, which is Gen 4 x4, and wired to the X870 FCH. All four slots get heatsinks. Four SATA 6 Gbps ports make for the rest of the storage connectivity.

NVIDIA is possibly launching a more cost-effective variant of its GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card featuring GDDR6 memory, replacing the GDDR6X that it originally launched with. The new SKU would be better differentiated from the RTX 4070 SUPER. When NVIDIA refreshed its RTX 40-series "Ada" product stack in January, it discontinued the RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 4080, which had been replaced in the lineup by the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER and RTX 4080 SUPER, but at the time it didn't tinker with the RTX 4070, which continued to sell at a roughly $50 lower price than the RTX 4070 SUPER. This new SKU could be an attempt by NVIDIA to get further down below the $500-mark in pricing.

The RTX 4070 originally launched with 21 Gbps GDDR6X memory. This new variant sees the memory replaced with 20 Gbps conventional GDDR6. The JEDEC standard GDDR6 chips could be cheaper than GDDR6X, and could very well be the same GDDR6 chip models AMD uses in some of its higher Radeon RX 7000 series SKUs. This, however, comes with a 4.75% drop in memory bandwidth, which NVIDIA probably overcomes with increasing the GPU clocks a touch. The ASIC code for this SKU is AD104-251, compared to the AD104-250 of the original RTX 4070. The core configuration is otherwise unchanged—you get 5,888 CUDA cores across 46 streaming multiprocessors. Galax has a card based on this SKU ready.

Cable Matters, a leader in developing cutting-edge connectivity solutions, introduces a USB4 20 Gbps Switch, meeting the diverse needs of today's dynamic remote workforce. This versatile, powerful device seamlessly blends performance, adaptability, and cost efficiency, offering users an unparalleled connectivity solution.

"The vision of this product grew from the needs of today's remote workforce," says Jeff Jiang, CEO of Cable Matters. "People are doing more than ever with multiple devices and require connectivity solutions that provide performance and flexibility at an affordable price." Unlike traditional switches, the USB4 20 Gbps Switch is engineered to handle two USB-C, USB4 or Thunderbolt enabled devices concurrently, effortlessly scaling to match the demands of gadget-intensive users. Users can instantly share a USB-C, USB4 or Thunderbolt monitor or docking station between two devices, and easily switch between them using either the unit's button or the included remote control.

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.

What appears to be the full details of all of Intel's upcoming 800-series chipsets have leaked and although we've already seen what the Z890 chipset will offer, no details of the other SKUs have leaked to date. Maybe the biggest news is that there won't be an H870 chipset this time around, according to the leaker @jaykihn0 over at X/Twitter. The full range appears to be Z890, B860 and H810 for consumers, W880 for workstations and Q870 for corporate desktops. That said, the Z890 and W880 are identical in terms of slots and ports, but whereas the W880 gains full ECC support and Intel vPro and remote management, it loses the CPU and bus overclocking features of the Z890. The Q870 loses four chipset PCIe 4.0 lanes, one 20 Gbps or two 10 Gbps USB 3.2 ports, but is otherwise similar to the Z890, minus all the overclocking features, but with Intel vPro and remote management.

The B860 ends up on the chopping block as always and loses not only 10 chipset PCIe lanes compared to the Z890 chipset, but also four lanes from the CPU and four lanes on the DMI interface to the chipset. On top of that bifurcation goes out the window toigether with PCIe RAID and the chipset is only capable of having two 20 Gbps or four 10 Gbps USB 3.2 ports, but at least memory overclocking is still on the table. Finally, the H810 chipset is as basic as it gets, with no extra CPU PCIe lanes beyond the 16 lanes for a graphics card, but they are at least PCIe 5.0 this time around. The chipset itself is only equipped with a mere eight PCIe 4.0 lanes and it gets zero 20 Gbps and two 10 Gbps USB 3.2 ports. Note that all platforms support one or two Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 ports, but it's unclear if this is native support or via an add-on chip. Also note that the USB ports are shared and the maximum count is that for the 5 Gbps ports in the details below, so the Z890 for example, doesn't have 25 USB 3.2 ports in total, but rather only 10. All in all, we'll see a migration to PCIe 5.0 for the x16 slot across the entire 800-series chipset range and from the B860 and up, all chipsets will have a dedicated PCIe 5.0 x4 interface that will most likely be used for an M.2 slot. Also, the PCIe lane count is the maximum, but due to Intel's HSIO layout, some resources will be shared with SATA and Ethernet, which means not all PCIe lanes will be accessible.

Intel's upcoming Core Ultra "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processor introduces a new socket, the LGA1851, alongside the new Intel 800-series desktop chipset. We now have some idea what the 151 additional pins on the new socket are used for, thanks to a leaked platform map on the ChipHell forums, discovered by HXL. Intel is expanding the number of PCIe lanes from the processor. It now puts out a total of 32 PCIe lanes.

From the 32 PCIe lanes put out by the "Arrow Lake-S" processor's system agent, 16 are meant for the PCI-Express 5.0 x16 PEG slot to be used for discrete graphics. Eight are used as chipset bus, technically DMI 4.0 x8 (these are eight lanes that operate at Gen 4 speed for 128 Gbps per direction of bandwidth). There are now not one, but two CPU-attached M.2 NVMe slots possible, just like on the AMD "Raphael" and "Granite Ridge" processors. What's interesting, though, is that not both are Gen 5. One of these is Gen 5 x4, while the other is Gen 4 x4.

Cable Matters, a leader in providing top-tier connectivity solutions, today announced the launch of its groundbreaking Thunderbolt 5 cable manufactured by Lintes Technology Co., Ltd. The cable is available in 3 different lengths: 1 foot, 1.6 feet and 3.3 feet. This latest innovation delivers unparalleled performance, supporting up to 80 Gbps of bi-directional data transfer and up to 120 Gbps of video bandwidth, a substantial leap from the previous Thunderbolt 4 technology.

The new Thunderbolt 5 cable by Cable Matters represents a significant advancement in connectivity technology, offering increased bandwidth and power delivery capabilities. The Bandwidth Boost technology enables the cable to transmit up to 120 Gbps for the best display experience, providing up to 3 times increase over Thunderbolt 4's maximum bandwidth. This enhancement is particularly beneficial for demanding applications such as high-resolution video streaming, extensive data transfer, and high-speed gaming.

At Computex last week, we got a first look at Gigabyte's new TRX50 AI TOP motherboard—where TOP stands for trillions of operations per second—designed for AMD's Threadripper and Threadripper Pro CPUs. Now the company has released the full specifications of the TRX50 AI TOP and the board is packed to the brim with features. The E-ATX board is home to four PCIe x16 slots, all of which can operate in PCIe 5.0, but one can be limited to PCIe 4.0, depending on your choice of CPU. There's also four NVMe M.2 slots, with CPU dependent functionality. Other features include eight DIMM slots, but these are again CPU dependent, two 10 Gbps Ethernet interfaces via a pair of Marvell AQtion AQC113C controllers, WiFi 7 via a Qualcomm QCNCM865 module and dual audio chips, one for the rear ports and one for the front panel audio.

As this is a 2024 model, USB4 is of course also part of the package, but only one of the two USB4 supports DP Alt-mode, due to there only being one DP input. The board also has an internal USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) header for a case mounted USB-C port, a further six rear 5 Gbps USB Type-A ports, plus a pair of internal headers for a further four 5 Gbps USB Type-A ports. The board also has four SATA ports, a 16+8+4 power phase design, a 14-layer PCB, a debug display and the now common easy release features for the M.2 drive heatsinks and the graphics card. The TRX50 AI TOP also sports what Gigabyte calls "UC BIOS" which has a "User-Centred intuitive UX with Quick Access function", but there's currently no details of how this differs from previous UEFI releases from Gigabyte. There was no word on pricing.

Team Group showed off its latest portable SSDs at the 2024 Computex. We begin our tour of the Team Group booth with the T-Force M400, a portable SSD that takes advantage of the 40 Gbps USB4 interface to serve up phenomenal transfer speeds of up to 3700 MB/s reads, with up to 3400 MB/s writes. The M400 comes in capacities of 1 TB, 2 TB, and 4 TB. The T-Create P35 is a compact high-security portable SSD, which comes with native encryption, and the SSD Security Toolbox interface that protects data even against bruteforcing and BadUSB attacks. This drive packs TCG-Opal 2.0 with 256-bit AES hardware encryption. The drive takes advantage of the 10 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface, and offers transfer speeds of up to 1000 MB/s reads/writes.

The T-Create CinemaPr P31 is a high performance portable SSD meant for lossless digital cinematography. It's designed to fit with popular cinema camera rigs, as well as video rigs made of DSLRs or even smartphones. The drive features a 20 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface, and has up to 2000 MB/s of transfer speeds on tap, with enough speeds for 4K or 8K raw captures. There's also the T-Create CinemaPr R41 CFexpress 4.0 Type B, a related product with similar camera-mounting capabilities.

At Computex 2024, we went hands-on with the only custom-design AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX graphics card to implement the 16-pin 12V-2x6 power connector. We've written quite a bit about this card, but weren't expecting it to be this long. This isn't just the only RX 7900 XTX with a 12V-2x6, but also the only air-cooled RX 7900 XTX that's strictly 2 slots-thick. ASRock made this card for graphics rendering farms, or AI development/inferencing builds, in which a GPU server would have 4-6 of these packed like sardines. The lateral blower helps ensure proper ventilation. The backplate is recessed to ensure better ventilation to the neighboring card.

The card sticks to AMD reference clock speeds of 2270 MHz Game clock, and 20 Gbps (GDDR6-effective) memory speed. ASRock also gave us a technical deep-dive into the card's design. For one, it's confirmed that the power connector is 12V-2x6 (H++) and not 12VHPWR. The cooling solution consists of a large copper vapor-chamber plate that makes contact with the GPU, memory, and VRM; conveying heat to an aluminium channel heatsink, which is ventilated by a high-speed lateral blower. The cooler shroud and backplate are both made of aluminium.

MSI also brought plenty of SSD products to the Computex 2024 show, including the new SPATIUM M560 PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 SSD based on the Phison E31T controller and Kioxia's 218-layer BiCS 3D TLC NAND, the new SPATIUM non-metal Vapor Chamber SSD Thermal Solution, and a couple of SSD accessories, including the DATAMAG Magnetic Portable SSD and the DATAVAULT SSD Enclosure.

As said, the new SPATIUM M560 PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 SSD will use the Phison 7 nm E31T controller paired up with Kioxia 8th generation 218-layer BiCS 3D TLC NAND and offer transfer rates of up to 10,000 MB/s. The controller, according to MSI, should bring up to a 15 percent reduction in power consumption as well as "maximize bandwidths and link efficiency". It will be available in 1 TB, and 2 TB capacities, and MSI will probably have a version that will include the new SPATIUM non-metal Vapor Chamber SSD Thermal Solution which has been also showcased at the Computex 2024 show. MSI says that this is yet another world's first, which uses "a two-phase flow transition of gas and liquid with minimal signal interference, ensuring rapid and silent heat exchange." According to MSI, the new SPATIUM non-metal Vapor Chamber SSD Thermal Solution should provide up to 11 degrees lower temperature compared to a standard aluminium heatsink.

Silicon Motion Technology Corporation ("Silicon Motion"), a global leader in designing and marketing NAND flash controllers for solid-state storage devices, today launched the SM2322, the industry's fastest single-chip high-performance, low-power, and cost-effective solution for external portable SSDs, supporting up to 8 TB of storage and achieves unparalleled data transfer rates of 20 Gbps for storing and accessing large amounts of content seamlessly from AI smartphones, high-performance multimedia devices, and game consoles.

With the increase of AI-capable devices, high density and high-performance storage solutions are becoming more critical to consumers. Portable SSDs powered by the new SM2322 controller are the only solution that offers low-cost, high-density and high-performance, making it the ideal solution for these applications. Equipped with a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface with 20 Gb/s bandwidth and fully integrated hardware and software solution delivering peak sequential read and write transfer speeds of 2,100 MB/s and 2,000 MB/s, respectively, with up to 8 TB capacity, SM2322 powered high-performance portable SSDs enable an ultra-compact and lightweight form factor. The SM2322 supports the ProRes format and MFi specification for iPhone users while also being compatible with Windows, Android OS, and macOS, making it an ideal high-density, high-performance portable storage solution for AI smartphones, HD content creators, and gaming enthusiasts who require high-density, high-performance portable storage.

Today, we have the latest round of leaks that suggest that AMD's upcoming RDNA 4 graphics cards, codenamed the "RX 8000-series," might continue to rely on GDDR6 memory modules. According to Kepler on X, the next-generation GPUs from AMD are expected to feature 18 Gbps GDDR6 memory, marking the fourth consecutive RDNA architecture to employ this memory standard. While GDDR6 may not offer the same bandwidth capabilities as the newer GDDR7 standard, this decision does not necessarily imply that RDNA 4 GPUs will be slow performers. AMD's choice to stick with GDDR6 is likely driven by factors such as meeting specific memory bandwidth requirements and cost optimization for PCB designs. However, if the rumor of 18 Gbps GDDR6 memory proves accurate, it would represent a slight step back from the 18-20 Gbps GDDR6 memory used in AMD's current RDNA 3 offerings, such as the RX 7900 XT and RX 7900 XTX GPUs.

AMD's first generation RDNA used GDDR6 with 12-14 Gbps speeds, RDNA 2 came with GDDR6 at 14-18 Gbps, and the current RDNA 3 used 18-20 Gbps GDDR6. Without an increment in memory generation, speeds should stay the same at 18 Gbps. However, it is crucial to remember that leaks should be treated with skepticism, as AMD's final memory choices for RDNA 4 could change before the official launch. The decision to use GDDR6 versus GDDR7 could have significant implications in the upcoming battle between AMD, NVIDIA, and Intel's next-generation GPU architectures. If AMD indeed opts for GDDR6 while NVIDIA pivots to GDDR7 for its "Blackwell" GPUs, it could create a disparity in memory bandwidth performance between the competing products. All three major GPU manufacturers—AMD, NVIDIA, and Intel with its "Battlemage" architecture—are expected to unveil their next-generation offerings in the fall of this year. As we approach these highly anticipated releases, more concrete details on specifications and performance capabilities will emerge, providing a clearer picture of the competitive landscape.

ASUS today announced the TUF Gaming GT302 ARGB chassis, a case that makes it easy to build a high-performance PC with great cooling. Prepped and ready for great out-of-the-box cooling, equipped for wide compatibility with high-performance parts, and thoughtfully constructed inside and out for an easy PC DIY experience, the GT302 ARGB resets expectations for a mainstream case.

Great cooling - right out of the box
Most PC builders go big on cooling to ensure an excellent balance of performance and quiet operation. From the moment it is pulled out of the packaging, the TUF Gaming GT302 ARGB gives users a superb foundation for high-end cooling. This starts with a front panel designed first and foremost to maximize airflow efficiency. It is constructed of a wide-open, high-porosity square-type mesh that leaves ample room for fresh air to enter a PC. Four pre-installed 140 mm ARGB case fans move cool air through the chassis. These fans are exceptionally thick, measuring 28 mm in depth. These fans deliver up to 3 mmH2O static pressure and 115 CFM airflow for excellent cooling with quiet operation.

For those of you that have been waiting patiently for the first DisplayPort 2.1 monitors to start arriving, we have good news as Gigabyte has revealed details of its first display equipped with DP 2.1. The monitor in question is the AORUS FO32U2P which also sports a 4K QD-OLED panel with a 240 Hz refresh rate. The 31.5-inch QD-OLED panel does follow the standard feature set with a 10-bit panel, 250 cd/m² brightness, 1.5 million to one contrast ratio, 0.03 ms GTG response time and a DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification. Gigabyte has gone for an anti-reflective coating as well, which might not appeal to everyone.

As for the inputs, the DP2.1 ports support the full UHBR20 spec, which is 80 Gbps of total bandwidth over four 20 Gbps DisplayPort lanes, which means Gigabyte hasn't skimped on anything here. Yes, you read that correctly as well, the monitor has two DP 2.1 inputs, one full size and one mini DP input and there's also a USB Type-C input that supports DP-Alt mode, in addition to 65 W USB Power Delivery and USB data, although it's not clear if this port also supports DP 2.1. Furthermore, there are two HDMI 2.1 ports, one upstreams and two downstreams USB 3.2 ports, as well as a headphone and microphone jack. Gigabyte has also equipped the AORUS FO32U2P with a pair of 5 W speakers and a stand that offers tilt, swivel, pivot and height adjustments. The maximum power usage is said to be 78 W, but this shouldn't include the USB PD part. Other features include KVM support, daisy-chaining via a DP output, picture in picture and picture by picture support and various gaming features such as crosshairs, night vision, black equalizer etc. Gigabyte has as yet to announce official pricing on a release date.

Update Mar 5th: We've received additional details on the DisplayPorts of the AORUS FO32U2P from Gigabyte and only the DP inputs supports DP 2.1, whereas the USB Type-C input and the DP daisy-chain ports are limited to DP 1.4. The MSRP of the AORUS FO32U2P will be US$1399.99 with the AORUS FO32U2 which is a DP 1.4 version will have an MSRP of US$1199.99.

Serial leaker @yuuki_ans on X/Twitter has released details on Intel's upcoming Barlow Rridge Thunderbolt 5 controller which will be known as the JHL9580 or JHL9540 depending on the SKU. The good news is that Intel has finally moved to PCIe 4.0 for the bus interface, which was expected due to the increased bandwidth on offer by Thunderbolt 5 over Thunderbolt 3 and 4. Barlow Ridge will use a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface to connect to the host and it appears that the earlier leak that suggested native Thunderbolt support in Arrow Lake-S might be incorrect, as there are diagrams showing Barlow Ridge connected to Arrow Lake-S CPUs.

Besides the faster bus, Thunderbolt 5 brings asymmetrical data transmission support which means that for display applications there will be a 120/40 Gbps mode, whereas for data only applications Thunderbolt 5 will deliver a symmetrical 80 Gbps mode. We should point out that this only appears to apply to the JHL9580 SKU, which also supports 40 Gbps USB4 speeds, whereas the JHL9540 for some reason remains a Thunderbolt 4 controller. That said, both of the Barlow Ridge SKUs get support for 20 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, something that was lacking in previous Thunderbolt implementations. There will also be support for DisplayPort 2.1 via DP Alt Mode with full UHBR20 support when used with a DP80 certified cable. Actual data transfers are limited to the 64 Gbps PCIe 4.0 interface to the host system, just like USB4, but this does at least give Thunderbolt 5 extra head room for display data even in symmetrical mode. The Barlow Ridge controllers appear to be connected directly to the Arrow Lake-S CPUs via the PCIe 4.0 x4 interface, much in the same way USB4 host controllers connect to AMD's Ryzen 7000-series CPUS.

Thunderbolt 5 is almost upon us. The new specification offers 80 Gbps bi-directional transfers, with up to 120 Gbps per-direction through lane asymmetry. The new Thunderbolt 5 + 8K60 Display Docking Station from j5create (model: JTD5172) takes advantage of Thunderbolt 5 to wire out next-gen connectivity. It plugs into one Thunderbolt 5 upstream port, putting out three downstream Thunderbolt 5. Each of the three double up as USB. You also have four type-A USB 3.2 ports, two each of 10 Gbps and 5 Gbps. When connected to a 2-pin power brick, the dock puts out a high-powered USB-PD 3.1 port with 140 W delivery. An SD/microSD 4.0 card reader, stereo audio through 4-pole 3.5 mm jack, and a 2.5 GbE wired networking interface make for the rest of it.

VIA Labs, Inc. (VLI), a leading supplier of USB4, USB 3.2, and USB Power Delivery Controllers, today announced that the VL832 USB4 Endpoint Device Controller achieved USB4 certification from the USB Implementor's Forum (USB-IF). VIA Lab's VL832 supports USB 40 Gbps operation and is now listed on the USB-IF Integrator's List under TID: 10033.

VIA Lab VL832's USB-IF Certification represents a key milestone in the USB4 ecosystem. The certified USB4 device controller with an integrated USB 3.2 USB 10 Gbps Hub, USB 2.0 Hub, and DisplayPort output, provides essential connectivity for peripheral devices such as multi-function adapters and docking stations. In USB4 40 Gbps mode, VL832 supports full DisplayPort HBR3 bandwidth (32.4 Gbps), and the USB 20 Gbps hub can enable multiple USB 10 Gbps devices to operate at full performance on supported host platforms. Both metrics are double what was previously possible using DisplayPort Alternate Mode, which is limited to 2-lanes of DisplayPort when supporting USB 3.2 functionality.

ASRock, the leading global motherboard, graphics card, and mini PC manufacturer, today announced the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White 20 GB OC. This graphics card is powered by the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT GPU and built on 5 nm process. The new design pattern, featuring a white color scheme, is for enthusiasts seeking a white-themed PC. ASRock Radeon RX 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White 20 GB OC Graphics card has 84 compute units and boasts 5376 stream processors with a Boost Clock of up to 2450 MHz and a Game Clock of up to 2075 MHz. With 20 GB of GDDR6 high-speed memory clocked at 20 Gbps Effective and 80 MB of Infinity Cache, delivering 4K gaming at the highest settings.

ASRock Radeon RX 7900 XT Phantom Gaming White 20 GB OC graphics cards use the triple-fan Phantom Gaming 3X cooling system with the customized 100/100/100 mm Striped Ring Fans, Air Deflecting Fin, and Ultra-fit Heatpipe to provide superior cooling performance. ARGB LEDs that support Polychrome SYNC allow users to customize lighting effects, while the metal frame and backplate prevent the PCB from bending. The Super Alloy Graphics Card components provide stability for long-term operation. With its great performance and rich features, it can fully satisfy the needs of gamers.