Intel today updated its ARK listings with two new networking chipsets: Wi-Fi 7 BE200 and Wi-Fi 7 BE202. The company unveiled IEEE 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) specification-based chipsets despite the standard still needing final ratification. The Wi-Fi 7 standard promises data rates as high as 40 Gbit/s, with Intel's BE200 chipset using 2x2 TX/RX streams with 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. However, as demonstrated by the adapter's maximum speed of 5 Gbit/s, real-world implementations might not initially reach the theoretical maximum speed. Various motherboards, like the upcoming Gigabyte Aorus Z790 Master X, are already planning to integrate this technology, showing that the industry is getting ready for a Wi-Fi 7 world.

What makes Wi-Fi 7 especially interesting is its raw speed and underlying technology designed to improve efficiency and capacity. Features like Multi-User Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO) and Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), which were introduced in Wi-Fi 6 and 6E, are mandatory in Wi-Fi 7. These technologies aim to optimize the overall performance of wireless networks, making them more suitable for bandwidth-intensive tasks like AR and VR. While full certification for Wi-Fi 7 is not expected until 2024, with widespread adoption to follow, the technology looks poised to become a significant aspect of our wireless future.

Chuwi, a leading global technology company, has unveiled its latest product, the CoreBox 5th Mini PC. The CoreBox 5th Mini PC is a powerful and versatile solution for the modern office, offering a combination of high performance, compact design, and state-of-the-art features.

The CoreBox 5th Mini PC is powered by Intel's latest 13th Gen Core i5-13500H processor, which is based on the Intel Alder Lake architecture. The Intel Core i5-13500H is a mobile CPU designed for mid-range laptops, utilizing the Raptor Lake-H series (Alder Lake or Raptor Lake architecture). Its release in early 2023 boasts 4 out of 6 performance cores (P-cores) based on the Golden Cove architecture, alongside all 8 efficient cores (E-) using the Gracemont architecture. With Hyper-Threading support on the P-cores, the CPU can handle up to threads in conjunction with the E-cores. The clock rate ranges from 2.6 to 4.7 GHz for single core boost (and up to 4.6 GHz for all cores) on the performance cluster, while the efficient cluster operates between 1.9 and 3.5 GHz. The performance of the E-cores is expected to be comparable older Skylake cores.

Linksys, a global innovator in WiFi technology, today announces the latest addition to its WiFi 6E product portfolio - the Linksys Velop Pro 6E, first of its new Designer Series using the "nature inspired" droplet design, along with advanced features that provide the ultimate WiFi 6E experience at an affordable price point.

WiFi 6E offers an extra 6 GHz band connection that helps cut down on interference and improves speeds to your connected devices. Powered by the Qualcomm Immersive Home 316 Platform, the Linksys Velop Pro 6E brings incredible range and coverage with WiFi 6E, enabling users to stream, download, or work with a faster and wider connection, and more devices on their network. Each tri-band node has one 1 Gbps Ethernet LAN port for connecting wired devices to wireless networks. With the latest Linksys Mobile App, the Velop Pro 6E is easily set up in under 10 minutes, and managed remotely with security and other useful features such as guest access, parental controls, and more.

Broadcom Inc. today announced sample availability of its second generation of wireless connectivity chipset solutions for the Wi-Fi 7 ecosystem, spanning Wi-Fi routers, residential gateways, enterprise access points, and client devices. The new chips build on the ecosystem of products with Broadcom's first-generation Wi-Fi 7 chips while delivering additional functionality to a wider market.

The first chip, the BCM6765, is a highly-optimized residential access point chip that supports 320 MHz 2-stream Wi-Fi operation. This new platform system-on-chip (SoC) allows the productization of Wi-Fi 7 mass-market access points and smart repeater solutions which span the spectrum of cost, form factor, and performance. The second chip, the BCM47722, is an enterprise access point chip that also supports 320 MHz 2-stream operation along with dual IoT radios that support simultaneous operation for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Zigbee, Thread, and Matter protocols. This SoC addresses the growing needs of Internet of things (IoT) applications in the enterprise Wi-Fi market. The third chip, the BCM4390, is a low-power Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 802.15.4 combo chip designed for use in mobile devices such as handsets and tablets. It supports 160 MHz 2-stream Wi-Fi operation, dual Bluetooth, and Zigbee, Thread, and Matter protocols to service a broad set of mobile markets.

Considering all the buzz around WiFi 7, there weren't many live demos at Computex, but Realtek had a demo running in its suite at the show. Realtek will offer both client and router/AP solutions, with their client product which goes under the RTL8922AE model name, coming in M.2 2230 and 1620 formats, where the latter is a solder down module. To simulate a real world scenario, Realtek was running a second radio to cause some additional interference, but the RTL8922AE test setup was still capable of delivering between 1,750 and 1,950 Mbps, which is almost twice as fast as WiFi 6, using a similar 2x2 antenna setup. This was obviously over a fairly short distance, so the question is how well WiFi 7 will work over longer distances.

The RTL8922AE has a claimed maximum sync speed of 2800 Mbps when connected to the 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands simultaneously and combining the bandwidth of both bands. However, it is limited to a 160 MHz channel bandwidth, whereas WiFi 7 can go up to a 320 MHz wide channel, but it's unclear if competing first gen clients will support this. The RTL8922AE also incorporates support for Bluetooth 5.4 and is as far as we're aware one of the first WiFi chips to support the upcoming standard that mostly focuses on improving BLE Audio and Auracast support. The RTL8922AE should launch sometime in the fourth quarter this year to Realtek's customers, so it might not appear on the market until early 2024.

For those relying on their ISP for their router, Askey might have good news for you, as the company had a pair of WiFi 7 routers destined for ISPs on display at Computex. The first model might see some retail brand, as it's a bog standard WiFi 7 router based on Qualcomm hardware. It sports no less than three radios with a combined data rate of 18.6 Gbps, although broken down per radio, that's 1,376 Mbps on 2.4 GHz, 5,765 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and 11,530 Mbps on the 6 GHz band using a 320 MHz wide channel, all radios being 4x4. It also sports a pair of 10 Gbps, one for WAN and one for LAN and an additional three 2.5 Gbps ports. Other features include mesh support, Bluetooth/ZigBee support and remote management for ISPs.

The second model is for ISPs only and is based on a solution as it's using XGSPON to connect towards the internet. It too gets a 10 Gbps WAN side port, but the integrated switch is only Gigabit. The WiFi 7 radios are configured identically to the model above, but Askey has added support for DECT as well as two VoIP ports on this model, requirements that some ISPs have. It's unclear when either device would hit the market, but it's a first sign that WiFi 7 products shouldn't be too far away.

Acer today unveiled the Acer Connect Vero W6m mesh router, its first eco-friendly Wi-Fi 6E router that incorporates post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials in its chassis and features an Eco mode for efficient energy consumption. The router is powered by a quad-core 2 GHz processor and includes a bundle of enhanced connectivity, coverage, and security features, including Wi-Fi 6E Tri-Band AXE7800 capability.

"We are thrilled to expand Acer's portfolio of network devices with the launch of the Acer Connect Vero W6m Wi-Fi 6E mesh router, engineered with support for Wi-Fi 6E tri-band connectivity to provide swift and secure connections with vast network coverage within any home or office locations," said Wayne Ma, General Manger, IoB, Acer Inc. "The performance-driven router is also the latest addition to our growing Vero line of eco-conscious products, embodying Acer's commitment to fulfilling its environmental responsibility and helping minimize carbon footprint."
Fast and Seamless Wi-Fi 6E Connections

ASUS today announced ExpertCenter PN42, a mini PC powered by an Intel N100 or N200 processor. The fanless design of this mini PC reduces operational noise and prevents dust from building up inside the chassis. Designed for small or medium-sized businesses, it features up to seven USB ports and can be specified with an additional 2.5 Gbps LAN port and a configurable port for DisplayPort 1.4, VGA, COM, HDMI, or USB-C with DisplayPort 1.2. The integrated graphics of ExpertCenter PN42 enables it to support up to three monitors or two 4K displays simultaneously. It embraces sustainable manufacturing, with a chassis made from recycled plastic.

ExpertCenter PN42 has a robust build quality that ensures durability and reliability. Its fanless design enables it to run almost silently and reduces dust accumulation inside the chassis, making it ideal for quiet environments or industrial use. The ribbed chassis design includes slats to enhance cooling performance, while a dedicated heatsink cools the SSD and WiFi module.

MediaTek, a fabless semiconductor company powering two billion devices a year, and Kontron, a leading global provider of IoT and Embedded Computer Technology (ECT), today announced that Kontron is integrating MediaTek's Genio 1200 and Genio 700 chipsets into its new modules for IoT applications.

MediaTek Genio is a complete platform stack for IoT, offering brands powerful and efficient chipsets, open platform software development kits (SDK), and a developer portal with comprehensive resources and tools. Genio chipsets are ideal for a wide variety of commercial, industrial, and retail applications that require highly responsive processing, advanced multimedia support, and multi-tasking.

MSI, a world leading gaming solution provider, proudly presents its new lineup of networking products—the RadiX AXE6600 WiFi 6E tri-band gaming router, the RadiX AX6600 WiFi 6 tri-band gaming router, and the AX1800 WiFi USB adapter. MSI aims to provide gamers with a home network that is ultra-fast, has low latency, and with no jitter.

Upgrade your gaming experience
The RadiX AXE6600 and RadiX AX6600 are powerful tri-band gaming routers that each can deliver combined speeds of up to 6600 Mbps. An integrated 1.8 GHz quad-core CPU from Qualcomm and advanced networking hardware has been designed to prevent jitter, reduce lag, lower ping, and sustain incredible speed for online gaming.

MediaTek today announced the Dimensity 7200, its inaugural chipset in the new Dimensity 7000 series. The Dimensity 7200 boasts cutting-edge AI imaging features, powerful gaming optimizations, and impressive 5G speeds, all with deeply engrained power savings for extended battery life.

The Dimensity 7200 delivers the same TSMC 4 nm second-generation process found in the Dimensity 9200, and is ideal for ultra-slim designs in a variety of form factors. The octa-core CPU integrates two Arm Cortex-A715 cores, featuring operating speeds of up to 2.8 GHz, with six Cortex-A510 cores, so users can effortlessly multitask and take advantage of peak performance in every app. To further optimize power and performance, MediaTek's built-in AI Processing Unit (APU) maximizes the efficiency of AI tasks and AI-fusion processing.

Qualcomm Technologies' 6th generation modem-to-antenna solution is the first ready to support 5G Advanced, the next phase of 5G. It introduces a new architecture, a new software suite and includes numerous world's first features to push the boundaries of connectivity including coverage, latency, power efficiency and mobility. Snapdragon X75 technologies and innovations empower OEMs to create next generation experiences across segments including smartphones, mobile broadband, automotive, compute, industrial IoT, fixed wireless access and 5G private networks.

Snapdragon X75 is the first Modem-RF System with a dedicated hardware tensor accelerator, Qualcomm 5G AI Processor Gen 2, enabling over 2.5 times better AI performance compared to Gen 1 and introduces Qualcomm 5G AI Suite Gen 2 with new AI-powered optimizations to achieve better speeds, coverage, mobility, link robustness and location accuracy. The Qualcomm 5G AI Suite features advanced AI-based capabilities including world's first sensor-assisted mmWave beam management and AI-enhanced GNSS Location Gen 2, which uniquely optimize Snapdragon X75 for superior 5G performance.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. today announced Snapdragon X35 5G Modem-RF System, the world's first 5G NR-Light modem-RF system. NR-Light, a new class of 5G, fills the gap in between high-speed mobile broadband devices and extremely low-bandwidth NB-IoT devices. NR-Light devices, powered by Snapdragon X35, can be smaller, more cost-efficient, and provide longer battery life than traditional mobile broadband devices.

With its optimized design and breakthrough performance, Snapdragon X35 offers a device platform that bridges the complexity and capability gap between the extremes in 5G today and addresses the need for mid-tier use cases. This lower cost option provides device makers with a long-term migration path to replace LTE CAT4+ devices, ultimately increasing 5G adoption and allowing for faster transition to a unified 5G network.

Intel today formally launched the Core i9-13900KS "Raptor Lake" flagship desktop processor. At an MSRP of USD $700, the i9-13900KS is positioned a notch above the $590 i9-13900K, which it replaces as the top 13th Gen Core desktop part you can buy. The i9-13900KS features the same 8P+16E core-configuration as the i9-13900K, but at increased clock speeds and power limits. It is the world's first 6 GHz processor, with its maximum boost frequency set at exactly 6.00 GHz, up from 5.80 GHz of the i9-13900K. This is not just a minor +200 MHz speed bump, but backed by increased power-limits, which enable improved multi-threaded boost-frequency spread thanks to the Adaptive Boost Technology carried over from the previous-generation i9-12900KS.

The 8 "Raptor Cove" P-cores of the i9-13900KS are clocked at 3.00 GHz base with up to 6.00 GHz boost, compared to 3.00/5.80 GHz of the i9-13900K, while the E-core frequencies are left untouched at 2.20 GHz base and up to 4.30 GHz boost. The big change here is the processor base power value, which is now set at 150 W, compared to 125 W of the i9-13900K, and while the maximum turbo power value is the same 253 W, Intel has changed the way its power headroom is utilized to support improved boost frequency spread across the P-cores. It seems like Intel hasn't sampled tech publications this processor, and the handful publications that have posted their reviews today using processors sourced from friendly retailers, report increased power-draw, and the need for large aftermarket cooling solutions even at stock frequencies. The i9-13900KS is being offered as an overclocking-friendly chip to those who know what they're doing and can handle extreme cooling solutions.

ASUS today announced the ROG Rapture GT-BE98, the world's first quad-band WiFi 7 gaming router, and the ASUS RT-BE96U, a tri-band WiFi 7 router for home and business, at CES 2023. Both routers feature the latest technologies exclusive to WiFi 7, including extended 320 MHz channels in the 6 GHz band, 4K QAM modulation, Multi-Link Operation and Multi-RU Puncturing.

For businesses, ASUS is also unveiling three new ExpertWiFi devices: the EBM68 mesh system, EBR63 router and EBA63 access point, with more networking solutions to follow in the second half of 2023. These devices support the highest number of SSIDs in the industry, self-defined networks, up to 12 mesh nodes, and enterprise-grade network security. Each device can be easily managed using the free ASUS Router mobile app. For locations impacted by thick walls made of brick or concrete, ASUS offers the ZenWiFi Hybrid XC5, the world's first Multimedia over Coaxial (MoCA) mesh router, which provides four ways to connect to hybrid backhauls while supporting up to 2.5 Gbps connections through wired backhauls.

CommScope, a global leader in home networks, today announced its entry into the Wi-Fi 7 retail market with the launch of the SURFboard G54 DOCSIS 3.1 quad-band Wi-Fi 7 cable modem. The flagship SURFboard G54 provides significant performance enhancements, including the latest Wi-Fi 7 technology, and supports multi-gigabit Internet plans. The SURFboard G54 is designed to include other advanced features, including DOCSIS 3.1, quad-band Wi-Fi 7 (BE17880, or the total speed the system can support), a 10 Gbps Ethernet port, and four 1 Gbps LAN ports.

As the journey to the multi-gigabit network of the future continues, consumers can be ready to support next generation, higher speed internet plans with the SURFboard G54. Coupling the latest DOCSIS 3.1 technology with new Wi-Fi 7 capabilities, the SURFboard G54 provides multi-gigabit speeds (dependent upon service provider plan) throughout the home. In addition, a 10 Gbps Ethernet port ensures the home network can support additional Gigabit services directly to the Ethernet connection.

ROG Rapture GT-BE98 is the world's first quad-band WiFi 7 gaming router. Leveraging the full potential of WiFi 7 with 320 MHz channel support in the 6 GHz band, it delivers up to 160% faster speeds than the previous generation. In addition, with 4K QAM modulation that can pack more data into transmissions, peak data rates are up to 20% higher, delivering incredible speeds of up to 25,000 Mbps. Furthermore, two additional revolutionary features, Multi-Link Operation and Multi-RU Puncturing, allow the GT-BE98 to deliver more efficient and reliable wireless connections.

Multi-link operation simultaneously transmits across different bands and channels to increase throughput to the device, lower the latency, and improve reliability. Multi-RU puncturing segments a wide channel bandwidth into smaller units, enabling puncturing to eliminate interference for the remaining bandwidth and increase efficiency. Gamers can enjoy up to 10X-faster data-transfer speeds for bandwidth-demanding tasks with one 10 Gbps WAN/LAN port and two 10 Gbps LAN ports. In addition, for gamers who live in larger homes, the exclusive ASUS RangeBoost Plus improves signal range and overall coverage. And, ROG-exclusive triple-level game acceleration offers fantastic gaming experiences.

MediaTek, one of the first adopters of Wi-Fi 7 technology, will be demonstrating a full ecosystem of production-ready devices featuring the next generation of wireless connectivity for the first time at CES 2023. These products are the culmination of MediaTek's investment in Wi-Fi 7 technology, focusing on reliable and always-on connected experiences on a wide variety of devices in several product categories, including residential gateways, mesh routers, televisions, streaming devices, smartphones, tablets, laptops, and more.

As the most current and powerful Wi-Fi standard, Wi-Fi 7 utilizes record-breaking 320 MHz channel bandwidth and 4096-QAM modulation to greatly improve overall user experience. Multi-Link Operation (MLO) also enables the Wi-Fi connection to aggregate channel speeds and alleviate link interruption in congested environment for time-demanding applications.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), the trade association that oversees Bluetooth technology, today announced a new specification development project to define the operation of Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) in additional unlicensed mid-band spectrum, including the 6 GHz frequency band. With over 5 billion products shipping each year, Bluetooth technology is the most widely deployed wireless standard in the world. A core reason for its unmatched adoption and success is the continual evolution of the technology in key areas, including higher data throughput, lower latency, and greater positioning accuracy. The new spectrum expansion project will help ensure that these Bluetooth performance enhancements can continue well into the future.

"Over the last twenty years, Bluetooth technology has made our lives more productive, safer, healthier, and joyful," said Mark Powell, CEO of the Bluetooth SIG. "The Bluetooth SIG community is constantly evolving the technology to meet ever expanding market demands for wireless communications. Expanding into the 6 GHz spectrum band will ensure the community can continue to make the enhancements necessary to pave the way for the next twenty years of Bluetooth innovation."

TP-Link, a leading global provider of consumer and business networking products, today held an epochal WiFi 7 product launch to announce its WiFi 7 networking solution.

As the world's first vendor to release a full home and enterprise WiFi 7 product line, TP-Link launched new WiFi 7 routers, Deco products, Omada EAPs, and Aginet products for ISP markets to cover all usage scenarios. Additionally, TP-Link's new HomeShield 3.0 provides more reliable and smarter network solutions.

MediaTek today launched the Dimensity 9200, its latest 5G chipset powering the next era of flagship smartphones. Boasting extreme performance and intelligent power efficiency, the new SoC brings immersive all-day gaming experiences, ultra-sharp image capturing and support for both mmWave 5G and sub-6 GHz connectivity to consumers around the globe.

"MediaTek's Dimensity 9200 combines ultimate performance with significant power savings, extending battery life and keeping smartphones cool," said JC Hsu, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of MediaTek's wireless communications business unit at MediaTek. "With notably brighter image capturing and improved gaming speeds, along with the latest display enhancements, the Dimensity 9200 will bring new possibilities for next-gen smartphones that come in a variety of stylish and foldable form factors."

ASUS rolled out the PCE-AXE59BT WLAN adapter, ideal to update the wireless networking connectivity on your machine, if you lack an M.2 E-key slot. The low-profile PCI-Express x1 add-on card supports Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax 6 GHz band), with data-rates of up to 2402 Mbps in the 6 GHz and 5 GHz radio bands; and up to 574 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band. Besides Wi-Fi, the card also provides Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity. A pair of dual-MIMO antennae come included with the card. ASUS did not mention the manufacturer of the WLAN controller, and isn't listing drivers yet, so it could be either Intel or MediaTek. The company didn't reveal pricing, but it is expected to be around the $50-mark.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, today announced the Instant 6 GHz technology which is exclusively designed for performance enhancement of Intel Core i9-13900K processor. By simply updating the latest BIOS on GIGABYTE's Z790 motherboards and activating related settings, users can boost the performance of Intel Core i9-13900K to 6 GHz in a snap. Other than the Turbo Boost mode, GIGABYTE Instant 6 GHz technology can unleash the potential power of the processor to boost the single-core performance up to 3% higher, which leading up to experiencing the unparalleled performance of future processors.

The lately launched Intel Core i9-13900K processor enables users to enjoy O.C. performance in an easier way. Using GIGABYTE's latest Instant 6 GHz technology, the system can automatically tweak CPU voltage and Vcore Load Line Calibration to detect the most two optimized cores running at 6 GHz frequency. Instead of suffering from complex O.C settings, users can enjoy effortless Overclocking by simply updating the latest BIOS on GIGABYTE's Z790 motherboards and activating the Instant 6 GHz option in the BIOS. This further delivers a 3% performance boost on one single core, and provides an O.C. edition-like experience on i9-13900K processor. The latest GIGABYTE Z790 motherboards ascend to a new level with their exclusive VRM design, thermal design, and convenience. The BIOS support Instant 6 GHz technology of Z790 motherboards has been updated on the GIGABYTE official website, users can upgrade BIOS with Q-Flash or Q-Flash Plus.

NETGEAR, Inc., the leading provider of award-winning connected products designed to simplify and improve people's lives, today launched the Nighthawk AXE3000 WiFi 6E USB 3.0 Adapter (A8000) to upgrade notebook and desktop PCs to the fastest WiFi available. The new adapter is the first WiFi 6E USB 3.0 adapter to enable users to simply plug in and enjoy WiFi 6E speed, power and performance.

For PC users who want to take advantage of the new 6 GHz band, an express lane for WiFi 6E-enabled devices, the NETGEAR Nighthawk A8000 is an easy and relatively inexpensive way to boost speeds and upgrade to the latest WiFi specifications without upgrading their PC. For gamers and non-gamers alike, this first-of-its-kind adapter from NETGEAR provides a faster, more reliable connection to their home WiFi network directly through the USB port. Part of NETGEAR's leading performance portfolio, A8000 delivers maximum WiFi speed to customers who use it with the company's premium WiFi 6E routers and mesh systems, including Orbi 960 Series, Nighthawk RAXE300 and RAXE500.

Today, Intel Corporation and Broadcom Inc. showcased the industry's first cross-vendor Wi-Fi 7 demonstration, with over-the-air speeds greater than 5 gigabits per second. The trial used an Intel Core processor-based laptop with a Wi-Fi 7 solution connected to a Broadcom Wi-Fi 7 access point.

"We are proud to highlight how next-generation Wi-Fi 7 can make new mobile PC experiences possible. Industry collaboration is essential to ensure we deliver on the promises of this new wireless technology. We would like to thank our colleagues at Broadcom for their great technical cooperation, which helped enable this unprecedented, first-of-its-kind demonstration of ultra-high speed and ultra-low latency Wi-Fi 7," said Carlos Cordeiro, Intel Fellow and Wireless CTO, Client Computing Group, Intel.

Vijay Nagarajan, vice president, Wireless Connectivity Division, Broadcom, said, "Today's milestone sends a clear message: the ecosystem is ready and Wi-Fi 7 is here to deliver extraordinary capacity and blazing fast speeds to extend gigabit broadband. The reliable, low latency communication provided by Wi-Fi 7 is a key element of Broadcom's vision for connecting everything as the Internet evolves to its next iteration replete with immersive experiences. Industry collaboration is key to making this unprecedented connectivity a reality and we were delighted to work with Intel to achieve another industry first."