QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading computing, networking and storage solution innovator, today launched the new QXG-10G2SF-X710 10GbE network expansion card. Equipped with the advanced Intel Ethernet Controller X710-BM2, this PCIe Gen 3 card (compatible with PCIe Gen 2) can be installed into a QNAP NAS or Windows /Linux PC, instantly augmenting connectivity with two high-speed 10GbE ports.

Featuring a low-noise fanless design, the QXG-10G2SF-X710 comes with two 10GbE SFP+ (10G/1G) network ports. Users can utilize SMB Multichannel or Port Trunking to combine bandwidth, providing up to 20 Gbps of data transfer potential, thereby accelerating large file sharing and intensive data transmission. The QXG-10G2SF-X710 also supports SR-IOV that enhances network resource allocation for VMware virtualization applications, reducing network bandwidth consumption and significantly lowering CPU usage for virtual machine servers (hypervisors).

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading computing, networking, and storage solution innovator has launched the QXG-10G2T 10 GbE network expansion card. The QXG-10G2T is a cutting-edge, dual-port, 5-speed 10 GbE (RJ45) network expansion card, presenting an energy-efficient and cost-effective solution for various networking needs. This card is ideal for a professional photographers, videographers, or part of a collaborative team that requires simultaneous data access with lower latency.

Andy Chuang, QNAP Product Manager said, "We are excited to bring the QXG-10G2T to the market. This expansion card is a testament to QNAP's commitment to providing innovative and efficient solutions for modern networking challenges. With its versatile features and support for multiple speeds, the QXG-10G2T offers a seamless experience for both NAS and PC users, enhancing their workflow efficiency."

Simply NUC, Inc, a leading mini computer solutions company, today announced a new Simply NUC designed and branded mini PC product family called Moonstone. Equipped with the latest AMD Ryzen 7000 processors in a compact 4x4 design with an innovative cooling solution, Moonstone delivers top-tier computing performance for a wide range of usages. Supporting up to 64 GB of DDR5-4800 high-speed RAM and up to 16 TB of storage, Moonstone will increase your computing output while keeping a minimal footprint on both your desk and energy bill.

"Perfect for working or gaming, we saw an opportunity to set the new standard of innovation-driven mini PC performance," said Aaron Rowsell, Simply NUC co-CEO, "Moonstone is the highest performing 4x4 ever launched."

Back in October of last year, pictures from an ASUS event in China appeared online, showing off a pair of mATX motherboards that had most of its peripheral and power connectors on the reverse side of the motherboard. Now it appears that ASUS has decided to launch such a product, in the shape of the unforgettably named TUF Gaming B760M-BTF WiFi D4. The BTF part in the model name stands Back To (the) Future, although ASUS is most likely not allowed to use that term due to copyright restrictions, so it had to make do with BTF. Regardless of naming, the interesting part here is that all of the power connectors, the four SATA ports, the USB-C and USB 3.0 headers, as well as multiple other headers and one of three M.2 slots, are on the reverse side of the motherboard. This is all done to allow for cleaner cable management.

Other noteworthy features on the board include a single PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, one PCIe 4.0 x4 and one x1 slot, three USB-C ports, of which one is capable of 20 Gbps speeds and 2.5 Gbps Ethernet. As this is a mid-range board, we presume ASUS wants to test the waters so to speak, to make sure there's a market for such a product. However, one major hurdle is the small fact that there aren't any suitable chassis in the market and the product page even mentions that "This motherboard is compatible with specific case models", without going into any details. Presumably, ASUS will offer a suitable chassis, or have some partner(s) lined up that will provide a suitable chassis. Gigabyte announced something similar in May last year, but decided to team up with system integrators, something ASUS might be planning on as well.

Yes, you read that correctly, ASUS didn't launch just one, but two W790 based LGA-4677 motherboards today, namely the Pro WS W790-Sage SE and the Pro WS W790-Ace. The main difference here is that the Sage supports up to seven PCIe 5.0 x16 slots—one is a x8 slot electrically—and is designed for the Xeon W-3400 series, whereas the Ace supports five PCIe 5.0 x16 slots and is in turn designed for the Xeon W-2400 series. One downside of these boards is that they might not fit in a standard ATX case, as the Sage follows the SSI-EEB form factor and the Ace the SSI-CEB form factor, both of which are a fair bit wider than an ATX motherboard and with different mounting holes.

The Pro WS W790-ACE also sports eight DDR5 DIMM slots that operate in quad-channel and supports up to 2 TB of RAM if ECC R-DIMMs are used. Furthermore, ASUS has kitted out the Ace with a pair of PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots, one 2280 and one 22110 slot, four SATA ports, three slim SAS ports, a Marvell 10 Gbps and an Intel 2.5 Gbps Ethernet interface, a single USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 20 Gbps USB Type-C port around the back and an internal header for a second, case mounted port. Finally the board has four USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gbps Type-A ports around the back and a header for a further two., as well as eight USB 2.0 ports around the back and audio courtesy of a Realtek S1220A based solution with optical S/PDIF out.

MSI Radeon RX 7900 XTX Gaming Trio Classic, the company's first Radeon 7000 series RDNA3 graphics card, is finally listed online. American retailer Newegg put it up for sale at $1,100, a $100 premium over the $1000 AMD baseline price for the RX 7900 XTX. This is a "sold and shipped by Newegg" listing. MSI showed this card off last month, at the 2023 International CES. It pairs a custom-design PCB with a previous-generation Tri Frozr 2.0 cooling solution—the same one it used with its RX 6950 XT Gaming series. The PCB, however, is an MSI in-house design, with a meaty VRM that draws power from three 8-pin PCIe power connectors, and should hence feature a higher power-limit than the reference-design board, which has been known to scoop out a far greater overclocking headroom on other cards with a similar power setup (such as the ASUS TUF Gaming RX 7900 XTX).

The MSI RX 7900 XTX Gaming Trio Classic comes with clock speeds of 2.30 GHz game, and 2.50 GHz boost, which surprisingly are AMD's reference clocks. Perhaps MSI is saving factory-overclocks for the RX 7900 XTX Gaming X Trio Classic, which it will price even higher. Maxing out the 5 nm "Navi 31" GPU, the RX 7900 XTX offers 6,144 stream processors across 96 RDNA3 compute units, with 96 Ray Accelerators, 384 TMUs, 192 ROPs, and a 384-bit wide GDDR6 memory interface, running 24 GB of memory at 20 Gbps (960 GB/s memory bandwidth).

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions today unveiled the latest Intel B760 series motherboards. With enhanced XMP and hardware design of memory, the full B760 DDR5 lineup can achieve superb Z790-like memory performance of DDR5-7600. Featuring up to 16+1+1 phases of 60 amps digital power VRM design with full-coverage heatsink, GIGABYTE's B760 lineup provides premium power and thermal design for the high-frequency operation of Intel 13th gen processors. Meanwhile, the innovative PCIe and M.2 EZ-Latch technology are implemented to simplify the upgrade of graphics cards and M.2 SSDs, and to avoid accidental damage to the surrounding components. Moreover, the features of 2.5 GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type C with 20 Gbps, and up to 3 sets of PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots with armor on select models offer superb connectivity. Further with the latest GIGABYTE PerfDrive technology and GCC software platform, GIGABYTE delivers the outstanding B760 platform with the optimal hardware, software, and firmware which covers from DDR4 to DDR5 with full form factor options of ATX, Micro ATX, and Mini ITX.

In the Intel product plan, the "Z" chipset is the only platform to support CPU and memory overclocking. However, the B chipset with limited DDR frequency tuning offers more budget friendly options, especially those only require memory overclocking. In order to provide solid power for high-performance operation of CPU and XMP overclocking, GIGABYTE B760 AORUS motherboards are geared up to 16+1+1 power phases with 60 amps DrMOS design, while the well-received B760 AORUS ELITE features 12+1+1 power phases, and the leading power design of 14+1+1 phases on B760M AORUS PRO. These power designs allow GIGABYTE B760 AORUS motherboards of all configuration to deliver the most stable power, as well as to provide sufficient power when the CPU runs full loading. Meanwhile, enhanced by full-coverage heatsink, 5 W/mK thermal pad, and 2x copper PCB, B760 AORUS MASTER/ PRO/ ELITE/ GAMING X lineup covers from ATX to micro ATX models boast superb thermal design to improve the stability and keep the power supply area which is most likely to generate heat staying cool.

ECS Industrial Computer Co., Ltd., also known as ECS IPC, is the subsidiary of leading motherboard and computer manufacturer Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS). ECS IPC has joined hands with Intel to announce a new generation of Intel Raptor Lake Z790 series for LEET Z790H7-A motherboard and the other product of the latest LEET B660 gaming PC to satisfy gamers' passionate gaming experience and enhance the passionate gaming soul.

The Z790H7-A motherboard provides excellent performance for gamers and professionals. It is compatible with Intel 12th and 13th generation Core processors (Raptor Lake-S & Alder Lake-S) as well as supports Windows 11 64-bit. With the Intel Z790 chipset as the strong backing for development, the Z790 chipset has further improved the overclocking function, which can support the performance requirements of one-click overclocking, and the Z790 chipset also supports the powerful performance of DDR5 memory and PCIe 5 transfer. DDR5 provides 50% higher bandwidth than DDR4 and also PCIe 5.0 increases the data rate from 16GT/s to 32GT/s, which is twice faster than PCIe 4.0.

AMD in its technical presentation confirmed the reference clock speeds of the Radeon RX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT RDNA3 graphics cards. The company also made its first reference to a GeForce RTX 40-series "Ada" product, the RTX 4080 (16 GB), which is going to launch later today. The RX 7900 XTX maxes out the "Navi 31" silicon, featuring all 96 RDNA3 compute units or 6,144 stream processors; while the RX 7900 XT is configured with 84 compute units, or 5,376 stream processors. The two cards also differ with memory configuration. While the RX 7900 XTX gets 24 GB of 20 Gbps GDDR6 across a 384-bit memory interface (960 GB/s); the RX 7900 XT gets 20 GB of 20 Gbps GDDR6 across 320-bit (800 GB/s).

The RX 7900 XTX comes with a Game Clocks frequency of 2300 MHz, and 2500 MHz boost clocks, whereas the RX 7900 XT comes with 2000 MHz Game Clocks, and 2400 MHz boost clocks. The Game Clocks frequency is more relevant between the two. AMD achieves 20 GB memory on the RX 7900 XT by using ten 16 Gbit GDDR6 memory chips across a 320-bit wide memory bus created by disabling one of the six 64-bit MCDs, which also subtracts 16 MB from the GPU's 96 MB Infinity Cache memory, leaving the RX 7900 XT with 80 MB of it. The slide describing the specs of the two cards compares them to the GeForce RTX 4080, which is what the two could compete more against, especially given their pricing. The RX 7900 XTX is 16% cheaper than the RTX 4080, and the RX 7900 XT is 25% cheaper.

AMD, in its technical presentation for the new Radeon RX 7900 series "Navi 31" GPU, gave us an elaborate explanation on why it had to take the chiplets route for high-end GPUs, devices that are far more complex than CPUs. The company also enlightened us on what sets chiplet-based packages apart from classic multi-chip modules (MCMs). An MCM is a package that consists of multiple independent devices sharing a fiberglass substrate.

An example of an MCM would be a mobile Intel Core processor, in which the CPU die and the PCH die share a substrate. Here, the CPU and the PCH are independent pieces of silicon that can otherwise exist on their own packages (as they do on the desktop platform), but have been paired together on a single substrate to minimize PCB footprint, which is precious on a mobile platform. A chiplet-based device is one where a substrate is made up of multiple dies that cannot otherwise independently exist on their own packages without an impact on inter-die bandwidth or latency. They are essentially what should have been components on a monolithic die, but disintegrated into separate dies built on different semiconductor foundry nodes, with a purely cost-driven motive.

Leading global motherboard manufacturer, ASRock, proudly announces its new ASRock Z790 PG SONIC, an officially licensed motherboard featuring SEGA's Sonic the Hedgehog. A 16-bit spinning ring emblazons the rear IO cover, while on the rear side you'll even catch a glimpse of Sonic mid-run. The ASRock motherboard is co-launched to celebrate the release of SEGA's new Sonic Frontiers game.

"Designed to bring back epic memories of catching rings in Green Hill Zone, the motherboard echoes Sonic's lightning speed with its fast blue and silver shards and Sonic silhouette, besides the motherboard outlook is designed around the Sonic the Hedgehog theme, the ASRock Z790 PG SONIC also features a SONIC-inspired UEFI BIOS interface", Said Chris Lee, Vice President of ASRock motherboard & gaming monitor business unit.

USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the support organization for the advancement and adoption of USB technology, today announced the publication of the USB4 Version 2.0 specification, a major update to enable USB 80 Gbps performance over the USB Type-C cable and connector. The updated USB4 specification doubles the maximum aggregate bandwidth of USB to the benefit of higher-performance displays, storage, and USB-based hubs and docks. The USB Type-C and USB Power Delivery (USB PD) specifications have also been updated to support this higher level of data performance.

"For engineers, USB4 is defined by its multi-protocol tunneling that architecturally differentiates it from its predecessors - USB 3.2 and USB 2.0," said Brad Saunders, USB-IF Board Chair and CEO. "This updated technical specification extends USB4 speed and data protocol performance, enabling manufacturers to develop products that can deliver USB 80 Gbps in addition to existing USB 40 Gbps and USB 20 Gbps to end users."

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) announced today that it has released DisplayPort 2.1, the latest version of the DisplayPort specification, which is backward compatible with and supersedes the previous version of DisplayPort (DisplayPort 2.0). VESA has been working closely with member companies to ensure that products supporting DisplayPort 2.0 would actually meet the newer, more demanding DisplayPort 2.1 spec. Due to this effort, all previously certified DisplayPort 2.0 products including UHBR (Ultra-high Bit Rate) capable products - whether GPUs, docking station chips, monitor scalar chips, PHY repeater chips such as re-timers, or DP40/DP80 cables (including both passive and active, and using full-size DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort or USB Type-C connectors) - have already been certified to the stricter DisplayPort 2.1 spec.

Achieving a robust, end-to-end user visual experience remains the utmost priority for VESA's DisplayPort specification, whether across a native DisplayPort cable, via DisplayPort Alt Mode (DisplayPort over the USB Type-C connector), or tunneled through the USB4 link. As such, DisplayPort 2.1 has tightened its alignment with the USB Type-C specification as well as the USB4 PHY specification to facilitate a common PHY servicing both DisplayPort and USB4. In addition, DisplayPort 2.1 has added a new DisplayPort bandwidth management feature to enable DisplayPort tunneling to coexist with other I/O data traffic more efficiently over the USB4 link. This increased efficiency is on top of mandated support for VESA's visually lossless Display Stream Compression (DSC) codec and VESA's Panel Replay capability. DSC bitstream support can reduce DisplayPort transport bandwidth in excess of 67 percent without visual artifacts, while VESA's Panel Replay capability can reduce DisplayPort tunneling packet transport bandwidth in excess of 99 percent when Panel Replay operation is taking place.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions announced the latest AMD B650 motherboards based on the success of the X670 series. The comprehensive lineup includes AORUS, AERO, and GAMING series to provide more reasonable options with notable features for users. GIGABYTE select B650 motherboards adopt PCIe 5.0 / 4.0 x16 graphics interface and PCIe 5.0 / 4.0 M.2 slots with EZ-Latch technology, making it easier than ever for users to upgrade graphics cards and M.2 SSDs, avoiding accidental damage to the surrounding components. Further, up to 16+2+2 phase Twin Digital power, 105 Amps Smart Power Stage, and up to 12-layer PCB provide increased stability, optimal compatibility, and performance for AMD Ryzen 7000 series processors. With the advanced thermal design, VRM temperature is reduced, stabilizing the power and performance of the PCIe 5.0 slot and PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD and avoiding performance drop due to thermal throttling. Meanwhile, the enhanced shielding design of SMD slots strengthens the reliability of signals and slot structure. In addition, select models take advantage of Active OC Tuner technology to deliver optimized performance with a more flexible and user-friendly experience.

Unfortunately there's no pricing attached to this leak, unlike the earlier pricing details for MSI's B650 motherboards from B&H, but Videocardz has managed to get the specs for ASRocks upcoming B650 and B650E motherboards. Once again we're looking at a collection of seven models, four B650E and three B650 models in total. Something interesting to note that Videocardz is pointing out, is that only the cheapest board in the lineup has a six layer PCB, with most models using an eight layer PCB and the Mini-ITX board is going up to 10 layers. In other words it seems like most entry level boards are now using high-end PCBs, due to the transition to PCIe 5.0.

The base model is the B650 PG Lightning, which is a pretty feature stripped motherboard, yet all PCIe slots are said to be PCIe 4.0 and it has a pre-installed I/O shield. It comes with 2.5 Gbps Ethernet, but WiFi is optional. At least there's a rear mounted 20 Gbps USB-C port here and the board has a total of three M.2 slots, of which one is PCIe 5.0. On the same kind of level sits B650 Pro RS, which is a step down in the sense that one of the M.2 slots PCIe 3.0 x2 and it has fewer PCIe slot, but it appears to have slightly fancier cooling for the VRMs and it gains a DisplayPort output around the back.

US retailer B&H has kindly provided the first B650 motherboard pricing and it's something of a mixed bag. The company has listed no less than seven different models from MSI, ranging in price from US$199.99 to US$329.99. It doesn't appear as if any of these boards are based on the B650E chipset, but based on information TPU were given at Computex, we know that some higher-end B650 boards will cost around the same as some lower-end B650E boards.

As B&H has only listed key features of the boards, it's hard to tell what features some of the boards offer, but the base model is the mATX Pro B650M-A WiFi, which at the very least has one PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, one PCIe 4.0 x4 slot, one PCIe 3.0 x1 slot and two M.2 slots. The board obviously also has WiFi 6E and somewhat surprisingly has 2.5 Gbps Ethernet. On the other hand, it only has a front header for a USB-C port and none around the back. This type of board was supposed to start at or below the US$150 mark and we'll hopefully see a transition to there in due time.

The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has announced a few changes to the various logos that are tied to the USB standard. This is said to be done to simplify the plethora of logos that are currently being used and to make it easier for consumers to know what they're buying. At the same time, the old SuperSpeed USB logo is being retired and the branding will not appear on new products at all. Instead, the logos that were developed for the USB4 standard and USB PD 3.1, will be adapted across the board. The new changes will come into effect this quarter and could appear on new products before the end of the year.

The new logos that will replace the SuperSpeed logo are pretty straightforward, with a 5 and 10 Gbps logo being added to the 20 and 40 Gbps logos that we've already seen. These logos will be used for packaging, on cable connectors and even on some devices. The new 5 and 10 Gbps logos can also be combined with the 60 W and 240 W charging logos when used with USB-C cables. All of this should make it easier as a consumer to know what kind of cable you're buying, but keep in mind that these logos only apply to certified products and not all USB cables are certified. Still, it's an improvement overall and should make life easier when shopping for cables, assuming the new logos are being used properly.

It was only yesterday that the USB Promoters Group announced the USB4 Version 2.0 spec with support for speeds of up to 80 Gbps, something TechPowerUp mentioned at the end of our USB4 article back in June. Now details of a 120 Gbps asymmetric mode has popped up, courtesy of Angstronomics and we've managed to confirm that it is indeed something that is coming from one of our own sources. We were in fact told back in June that the 80 Gbps mode was meant to be asymmetric, but this was not mentioned in the recent press release.

The 120 Gbps mode will use three of the four data pairs for upstream data and the fourth 40 Gbps data pair will be for downstream data from and to the host controller.Asymmetric data transfers are nothing new over USB Type-C cables, as the DP Alt Mode is already taking advantage of this. This is possible because USB4 Version 2.0 will move to PAM3 (Pulse-Amplitude Modulation) data encoding from today's 64/66- or 128/132-bit encoding. The next generation of Thunderbolt is also expected to use PAM3 encoding to reach the rumoured 80 Gbps speeds that were posted somewhat by mistake by an Intel executive last year.

BizLink, a global leader in interconnect solutions, is proud to announce the release of the world's first VESA certified DP80 Enhanced full-size DP cable after the launch of DP80 mDP cable in March 2022. DP80 as the highest standard for cable configuration defines a new standard for display connectivity with emphasis on higher link rate. Certified with the latest version of DP technology, BizLink's DP80 Enhanced full-size DP cable provides a maximum throughput data rate up to 80 Gbps, covering new data rates per lane: UHBR10 (10 Gbps), UHBR13.5 (13.5 Gbps), and UHBR20 (20 Gbps).

In an era consisting of trends such as remote work and extended reality, to deal with the growing needs for high-performance displays and "stay connected" at the most elevated implementation levels becomes crucial. Satisfying user experience and reliable connectivity requires higher data rate conversion. The DP80-marked cable supports UHBR20 at their highest transfer rate, enabling ultimate connections of advanced and latest display applications and systems. With a satisfactory data rate value up to 80 Gbps, the DP80 standard unleashes new capabilities for bringing superior connection to achieve a given level of video quality as image capture and display technology advance.

A bit late to the game compared to its competitors, MSI has finally published its product pages for three of its upcoming X670 and X670E motherboards. The three models are the MEG X670E ACE, the MPG X670E Carbon WiFi and the Pro X670-P WiFi. Earlier todaywe got a first hint with regards to the pricing of a couple of these boards and now we have most of the technical details with regards to the boards themselves. As with all other boardmakers, MSI hasn't revealed any information with regards to memory clocks and obviously no details about which CPUs will be supported. We already had a pretty good idea what to expect from these boards based on the details MSI released at Computex, but features like the power design weren't revealed at the time, nor did we get a very good look at the board.

The MEG X670E ACE appears to be MSI's high-end board for those that aren't interested in spending a small fortune on the Godlike board and it should cater to just about all needs. The board has a 22+2+1 phase power design and MSI is using a heatpipe as well as a stacked fin-array heatsink and a MOSFET backplate to help cool the oversized power circuitry. Other features include 10 Gbps Ethernet, although there is only one Ethernet interface, a DisplayPort 1.4 compatible USB-C 10 Gbps port (which was said to be DP 2.0 compliant at Computex), as well as two 20 Gbps USB-C ports around the back. USB4 is nowhere to be seen, but is most likely related to ASMedia being late to the game with its host controller. MSI has gone for a design where the x16 PCIe 5.0 lanes from the CPU are split between the first two PCIe x16 slots and the third slot is using four lanes of PCIe 5.0 from the CPU. The final four PCIe 5.0 lanes from the CPU are for one of the M.2 NVMe slots and the board has a further three M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots. On top of that, MSI also includes an M.2 Xpander-Z Gen5 Dual add-in card that can accept a further two PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD at the cost of eight PCIe lanes from the GPU.

Slowly but surely, we're getting more and more details about upcoming AM5 motherboards and ASRock has put up a very spec light page for its upcoming X670E Pro RS motherboard. Not much has changed since the Computex reveal, but the product page did contain a couple of extra board shots as well as a look at the rear I/O. This time around the M.2 WiFi card slot is also populated, suggesting that there will be a WiFi version of this model shipping. The board has a single "Blazing" M.2 slot for a PCIe 5.0 SSD as well as what should be three PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots, of which two come with a shared heatsink and one has no heatsink at all. The final M.2 slot is limited to PCIe 3.0. As this is an X670E board, the PCIe x16 slot is of course PCIe 5.0.

Other features include Realtek's Dragon branded 2.5 Gbps Ethernet controller that has some gaming specific software. It appears that ASRock has trimmed the audio jacks to a bare minimum, with only a line out, a mic in and an optical S/PDIF being connected to the Realtek ALC897 audio codec. The board also has a single USB-C port around the back, although it's at least a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port (20 Gbps). There are a total of five USB-A 3.2 ports, of which one is capable of 10 Gbps speeds, with the other delivering 5 Gbps. There are also four USB 2.0 ports, a DP and HDMI port, as well as a UEFI/BIOS update button around the back. Other expansion options include an internal USB-C header and two PCIe x1 slots of unknown type, as well as six SATA ports and two USB 3.x type headers. This should be one of the more affordable X670E motherboards when the AM5 platform launches later this year.

j5create, a world leader in high tech computer accessories, and Intel, the world's largest manufacturer of semiconductor chips, are working together to develop one of the world's first USB4 multi-port adapters. USB4 is the latest USB specification offering several improvements over legacy USB-C adapters including higher transfer speeds, more efficient bandwidth allocation between data and display protocols, as well as backward compatibility with older USB and Thunderbolt specifications.

"We're thrilled to work with Intel to bring the latest USB peripherals to market." said Steven Lyu, Chief Operating Officer at j5create. "We are always innovating to deliver high-performance solutions users have been anticipating through a variety of products, technologies, and design collaborations."

Although there was a leak with a partial picture of the ASRock X670E Taichi board just days before Computex 2022 kicked off, it was hard to draw any real conclusions from it. The company has revealed more details about it, alongside the X670E Taichi Carrara, X670E Steel Legend and the X670E Pro RS. Let's start with the plain X670E Taichi, since this was the board that leaked. As is obvious now, the board doesn't feature a fan on the chipset heatsink, but rather a set of cogs, something we've seen before from ASRock. The board has very limited expansion options when it comes to PCIe slots, with a pair of x16 slots, which are sharing the 16 PCIe 5.0 lanes from the CPU and that's it. ASRock has gone for four M.2 slots, of which one is PCIe 5.0, most likely the one next to the memory slots. Interestingly, ASRock has kitted out the X670E Taichi with Thunderbolt 4, which means we're looking at an Intel chip here and there should also be support for USB4 and the two ports are located around the back of the board.

Biostar is seemingly trying to become more competitive in the consumer motherboard market and although the company has some catching up to do with the tier one motherboard brands, the company has put out some more interesting products in the past couple of years. Its VX670E Valkyrie motherboard seems to sit near the middle of the X670E models that have been announced so far, although it's a little bit hard to tell, as the company only provided partial specs. As this is an AMD X670E based board, the PCIe x16 slot is using PCIe 5.0, although it's multiplexed with the second x16 slot, which means if both slots are used, the bandwidth drops down to eight lanes per slot. The board layout doesn't suggest any PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots, but as this is mandatory on X670E board, we have to presume that the M.2 slot right below the x16 PCIe slot, is the PCIe 5.0 one. The board has a further three M.2 slots, as well as what appears to be an empty M.2 E-keyed slot for a WiFi/Bluetooth module.

Other features listed by Biostar includes 2.5 Gbps Ethernet via a Realtek chip, HDMI and DisplayPort outputs, six SATA 3 ports, one rear and one front header for USB Type-C Gen 3.2 2x2 (20 Gbps) ports, as well as Realtek based audio and a pair of ARGB headers. The board also has a debug LED and a few buttons and switches for resetting the CMOS, and powering the board on. Interestingly, Biostar also provided figures for the memory clock speed, as the company listed support for up to four sticks of DDR5 memory at 5600 MHz plus. AMD has already demoed higher memory clocks of 6000 and even 6400 MHz during its keynote, as supported by the footnotes that went alongside it, suggesting that this might just be a placeholder. Intel officially only supports 4800 MHz DDR5 memory, but speeds in excess of 6000 MHz doesn't appear to be an issue with the right motherboard and CPU combination. We'll have to wait and see what the official figures will be from AMD.

Some of MSI's fan favorites are now here in a completely new form. The MPG GUNGNIR 110R WHITE, MAG CORELIQUID 240R V2 WHITE, and the MPG A750GF WHITE all received complete design revamps. Besides being mechanically compatible with one another, these products are now more aesthetically matching as well. So don't miss the perfect chance to build your next gaming PC, perfectly Powered By MSI.

The well-received MPG GUNGNIR 110R WHITE gaming PC case now comes in a white form. It features an iconic front glass panel and side tempered glass window that offer a dazzling view of the interior lighting that highlights the quality of the parts in the rest of the system. On its IO port, there's a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C (20 Gbps) port for high-speed data transmission and a LED switch button that can help you quickly control the lighting effects.