Intel's upcoming Alder Lake family of processors, more specifically the desktop ALD-S SKUs, are supposedly going to require a higher peak current for the upcoming processors. In the table provided by the Chinese tech media outlet, FCPOWERUP, we are seeing that ALD-S processors have different power requirements for the ATX12V rails on their power supplies. The listed table shows the previous generation of Intel processors, the 10th and 11th generation, as available in 165 Watt variants. Even though there are no 165 Watt Comet Lake and Rocket Lake SKUs, this is only a placeholder for their PSU recommendations in case those SKUs were to be released.

According to the table, the peak current recommendation for the upcoming Alder Lake is higher at least 5 Amps across all SKUs. The 165 Watt SKUs have the requirement of 45 Amps (compared to the 40 A of Comet Lake and Rocket Lake), while the 125 Watt SKUs require 39 Amps, which is higher than the previous 34 Amp requirement. For 65 Watt models, the new peak recommendation is 38.5 Amps, a jump from the previous 30 Amp choice. The lowest rated 35 Watt SKUs are recommended to use 20.5 A, while the previous generations used 16.5 A current. It should be noted that the continuous rating has not been changed (new generation 35 Watt models actually use less current), which indicates that Alder Lake could have higher peak usages of power, meaning that PSU choice should be made with a 50-100 Watt higher rating.

Cooler Master today launches four new colorways for the NR200P. In close collaboration with Reddit's community of builders, the colors are the result of a Reddit survey hosted by our fellow PC enthusiasts.

By Popular Vote
The popularity of the original NR200(P) was made possible only by the community's support. Having garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews and shifting an industry to make m-ITX builds more accessible, Cooler Master has decided that it is time to celebrate. All 4 colors are debuting during Cooler Master's Summer Summit 2021:

• Flamingo Pink
• Caribbean Blue
• Sunset Orange
• Nightshade Purple

Sharkoon Technologies is an international supplier of high-performance, quality PC components and peripherals. With the REV300, Sharkoon now presents a PC case of a different kind. Besides seven pre-installed PWM RGB fans for optimal cooling, the case also comes with addressable fan LEDs for customized lighting. In addition, since the tempered glass side panel is placed on the right-hand side of the case, the REV300 offers the possibility for a better presentation of the illuminated hardware components.

With seven pre-installed, addressable PWM fans, the REV300 is equipped with maximum cooling capacity as standard: There are three 140-millimeter fans behind the front panel and three 120-millimeter models at the rear of the case, as well as one more with 120 millimeters under the top panel. These RGB fans are supported by the front panel's mesh grille which facilitates the airflow. Water cooling can also be built into the REV300: A radiator of up to 360 millimeters can be installed at the rear, and there is even space for a radiator of up to 420 millimeters at the front, provided that it does not exceed 3.2 centimeters in height. Furthermore, it should not be longer than 46.5 centimeters and no wider than 14.1 centimeters.

AAEON, an industry leader of AI and IOT solutions, is excited to celebrate the launch of Intel's latest scalable platform, the 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable Processors (formerly Ice Lake-SP). As an associate member of the Intel IoT Solutions Alliance, AAEON is excited to bring this new technology to market with the ARES-WHI0 industrial ATX server board and other future products.

The 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable Processors deliver the next generation of high-end computing performance and support for vital data integrity and security technologies. This new generation of Xeon SP brings higher processing speeds and Intel's Deep Learning Boost technology, allowing for greater acceleration and more efficient processing for AI server applications.

When governments need a hardware upgrade, they will usually take the route of exploring options with security in mind. However, if you happen to have some engineering talent to employ on a new project, why wouldn't you just build a custom motherboard for your own purposes. Today, GS Group Holding and Philax, have announced that they are starting the manufacturing of Russia's first motherboard based on a B450 chipset from AMD. Looking at the motherboard, which you can see below, you might find it very similar to those of ASRock. And that is because Philax has a licensing agreement with ASRock to use the design of the B450M Pro4 motherboard, with the addition of a TPM module which is often used by government agencies, to produce this board.

Producing around 40,000 pieces, these motherboards are expected to handle anything from 4000 series to 5000 series of AMD processors. As far as the specifications go, the board is coming in a standard Micro-ATX form factor. It is equipped with four DDR4 memory slots that can take a memory with up to 3200 MHz speed. There are two PCIe 3.0 x16 slots and one PCIe 2.0 x1 slot, which are of course limited by CPU choice. The motherboard enables four SATA III and two M.2 ports for storage expansion. When it comes to I/O, the board features HDMI, D-Sub, DVI-D, four USB 3.1 Gen1, two USB 2.0, one USB Type-C, and one USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A port. GS Group Holding and Philax also have a partnership that goes beyond just motherboards. They also plan to produce about 50,000 custom monitors for government purposes as well.

Cougar today introduced the MX660 Mesh RGB-L, an ATX mid-tower case. A highlight of this case's design is its front-panel, which features a "3-D mesh." A coarse outer mesh extends along three sides of the front-panel, concealing a finer, flat inner mesh that filters dust for the front intake that supports either three 120 mm or two 140 mm fans; and radiators up to 360 mm x 120 mm or 280 mm x 140 mm in size. The top-panel has another such large fan vent, supporting the exact same combinations of fans and radiators. A 120 mm rear exhaust makes for the rest of the case's ventilation feature-set. Three 120 mm fans with ARGB lighting come pre-installed along the front panel, and the case includes a 6-channel ARGB controller that can toggle between presets at the push of a button on the front-panel, or sync with your motherboard's 3-pin ARGB header.

The Cougar MX660 Mesh RGB-L features a tempered glass left-side panel, behind which is a conventional horizontally partitioned layout, with the upper compartment serving up room for motherboards as large as E-ATX, graphics cards up to 41 cm in length, and CPU coolers up to 16.5 cm in height. The lower compartment has a 20 cm PSU bay, and two 3.5-inch drive trays that can each hold 2.5-inch drives. An additional three 2.5-inch drives can be mounted behind the motherboard tray. Front-panel connectivity includes two USB 3.x type-A, one USB 3.x type-C, and HDA jacks. The case measures 213 mm x 495 mm x 474 mm (WxDxH), dry-weighing 6.3 kg. The company didn't reveal pricing.

FSP, the world's leading power supply manufacturer, has announced the launch of its new Twins PRO Series power supply. It is available in three different wattages: 500 W, 700 W, and 900 W. The Twins PRO is a redundant power supply mainly designed for the standard ATX or PS2 chassis. The Twins PRO Series does not require a front-end bracket, which makes it an ideal power supply for home cloud server systems or web/mail server systems, and for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Thanks to the over current protection, short circuit protection, over voltage protection, and fan failure protection, the Twins PRO Series PSU maintains stable power at all times. The Twins PRO Series' two modules share the load for optimum efficiency during normal operation. This means users do not need to worry about their servers or PCs unexpectedly powering off. If one module fails, the second functioning module will take the additional load immediately to guarantee system stability.

XIGMATEK today introduced the Aquarius Plus Queen, a color variant of the Aquarius Plus wide-format ATX mid-tower case from 2019. The case swaps out the white interior of the original with pink, the front- and left-side facing black metal bits with white; and the right-side and rear-facing metal exteriors with pink. The two-sided glasshouse continues to be clear tempered glass. The case is otherwise identical to the original.

The Aquarius Plus Queen features a vertically-partitioned interior, with the left compartment holding the spacious motherboard tray; and the right compartment holding the PSU- and drive bays. The motherboard tray serves up room for graphics cards up to 36 cm in length, and CPU coolers up to 15.8 cm in height. Up to ten 120 mm fans can be mounted at various locations, including three-each along the top- and bottom panels, three along the vertical partition, and one rear exhaust. An optional vertical mount adapter lets you tilt the expansion area sideways, to show off your graphics card. The case measures 415 mm x 280 mm x 427 mm (LxWxH). The company didn't reveal pricing.

LIAN LI Industrial Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of aluminium chassis and PC accessories, hosts its second online event with the LIAN LI 2021 DIGITAL EXPO, which premiers February 18th, 9 am EST on YouTube (here). The 2021 DIGITAL EXPO unveils soon to be launched products, with new editions of the O11D MINI and UNI FANS, as well as exclusive looks at four prototypes. Each prototype will receive an in-depth look from case reviewers.

Q58: The Q58, a 14.3L SFF case, is equipped with split hinged panels made of tempered glass and aluminium mesh, and a dual-tone front solid aluminium panel. With support for MINI-ITX, 320 mm long GPUs, and up to 280 mm radiators, the Q58 is capable of supporting a variety of configurations with SFX PSUs or ATX PSUs due to an adjustable motherboard tray that can be moved for more clearance.

AZZA, a leading brand of computer cases and accessories, introduces the CAST ATX PC case that re-imagines the design of a traditional mid-tower. The CAST has a removable outer shell that gives full access to the interior for effortless installation. When fully built, the unique wing design can be completely extended, requiring zero tools to access the interior, or flexed for better airflow. The CAST can even be flipped to a 90-degree orientation.

The CAST design consists of an independent frame and an outer shell with two hinged panels that provides full access to the hardware for maintenance and cleaning, and an easy to latch on/off front panel. When building the system, the entire shell can be easily removed to prevent accidental damages. This also means the shell can be worked on independently for customization purposes.

SilverStone has added a new budget option to its lineup, whilst keeping it hip by integrating an ARGB fan (120 mm rated at 18 dBA, with dynamic speeds according to PSU load). There are 17 separate lighting effects available to be cycled at the touch of a button on the PSU's back panel. The new ET500-ARGB PSU features a 500 W output capacity with 80-Plus Bronze efficiency levels. The PSU features a + 12 V single rail design, with a maximum output of 38 A. As it is a budget PSU, there's no place for modular cabling here; the cables that do exist, however, all feature a flat design for easier cable management. The ET500-ARGB offers 1x ATX 24-pin, 1x CPU 8-pin, 1x CPU 4 + 4 pin, 2x PCI-Express 6 + 2 pins, 3x 4-pin, and 4x SATA outputs, which should be enough for budget-minded users.

The ET500-ARGB PSU features the most common protections (Over Current Protection, Over Voltage Protection, Overload Protection, Short Circuit Protection, and Overheat protection, and an Active PFC circuit (full load PF> 0.9) all in an enclosure measuring 150 mm width, 140 mm depth, 86 mm height, and weighing 1.37 Kg. No pricing information was available at time of writing.

At the beginning of 2021, MSI, a would-leading motherboards brand, had announed the latest Intel 500 series platforms will launch soon. Through few weeks of waiting, on January 27th, MSI Intel 500 series motherboards are officially launched.

As MSI official announcement mentioned, all of MSI 500 series motherboards with 11th Gen Intel Core processors support PCIe 4.0, and all of Z590 Wi-Fi motherboards have at least one 2.5G LAN and the latest Wi-Fi 6E solution which extends to 6 GHz spectrum providing remarkble user experience when streaming, gaming and even working from home.

[Editor's note: Our review of the CORSAIR 5000D AIRFLOW can be found here]

CORSAIR, a world leader in high-performance gaming peripherals and enthusiast components, today announced a new series of mid-tower ATX cases to suit nearly any build: the CORSAIR 5000D, 5000D AIRFLOW, and the iCUE 5000X RGB. Every 5000 Series case offers simple and tidy cable management thanks to the CORSAIR RapidRoute cable management system, terrific cooling from included fans featuring CORSAIR AirGuide technology, and a spacious interior that fits multiple radiators, including two 360mm simultaneously. Between the understated styling of the 5000D, the optimized airflow of the 5000D AIRFLOW, and the eye-catching RGB lighting behind four beautiful tempered glass panels of the 5000X RGB, the 5000 Series has a case to meet any builder's priorities.

Debuting in the recently launched 4000 Series, the CORSAIR RapidRoute cable management system has proven to be a hit with PC builders looking to minimize the hassle of cable routing while still achieving a clean, professional look for their system. The 5000 Series takes RapidRoute even further, with a concealed cutout, wide enough to fit all major connectors to your motherboard, and multiple removable routing channels through which you can run all your cables out of sight. With a generous 25mm of cable routing depth behind the motherboard, and a magnetic door behind which to hide your cabling, it's exceptionally easy to build a top-tier PC that also looks the part.

Seasonic over the weekend began its foray into the premium PC case market with the SYNCRO Q704 + Connect case. The case has been extensively designed around the company's Connect line of modular PSUs that feature a pop-out modular cabling spine, with shorter last-mile cabling, letting you minimize your cable clutter. The case itself includes one of two variants of the Seasonic Connect line of PSUs—650 W or 750 W. The ATX mid-tower case has an upside-down motherboard tray which essentially makes it a BTX tower. The case uses SECC steel along its main frame, aluminium along its front panel, and tempered glass along its right side panel. The case measures 537 mm (D) x 234 mm (W) x 493 mm (H)

The Seasonic Connect module aligns along the left side panel, with strategically located connectors to reach your motherboard's ATX and EPS inputs, graphics cards' PCIe power inputs, and drives' SATA power inputs using the shortest possible cabling. These are industry-standard modular connectors, and should be cable-modder-friendly. The motherboard compartment gives you room for graphics cards up to 34.5 cm in length, and CPU coolers up to 18.5 cm in height. Storage options include two 3.5-inch/2.5-inch drive bays, and three 2.5-inch mounts behind the motherboard tray. Ventilation includes three each of 140 mm/120 mm fan mounts along the front- and top-panels; and a 120 mm vent each along the bottom and rear. Front panel I/O includes a USB-C, two USB 3.x type-A, and HDA jacks. The case costs about $150 on its own, and $309 including a 650 W Connect PSU. The 650 W, 750 W, and 850 W PSUs for this case can be separately purchased for $120, $140, and $190, respectively.

Read the TechPowerUp Review of the Seasonic SYNCRO Q704 + Connect.

Raijintek have recently announced the PAEAN PREMIUM ATX Chassis for high-end enthusiasts. The PAEAN PREMIUM features an industrial steel design with extensive liquid cooling hardware support including full-length graphics cards. The case includes two airflow optimized panels on the top and right along with a water cooling chamber underneath which can facilitate dual 360 mm radiators. The front and side panels of the chassis are constructed from 4 mm thick tempered glass allowing for a clear view of the interior components.

The chassis supports up to ATX motherboards and can accommodate a wide variety of components and configurations with room for 12 fans, and x2 HDD/SSD. The PAEAN PREMIUM comes with a selection of modern front I/O including USB Type C, x2 USB 3.0, and HD audio. The Raijintek PAEAN PREMIUM is expected to release in the coming months and should retail for 250 USD.

Enermax has announced a new entry-level PSU lineup, which they have somewhat clumsily named CYBERBRON (it's not Cybertron nor Cyberborn, but Cyberbron). These are pretty standard affairs, featuring a non-modular cable design (though the cables are flattened for easier routing), 80 plus Bronze certification, and Japanese electrolytic capacitors. A single+rail +12 V design lies under the hood as well, as does a 120 mm fan.

Operating protections are pretty standard as well: OVP (Over Voltage Protection), UVP (Under Voltage Protection), OPP (Over Power Protection), SCP (Short Circuit Protection) and OTP (Over Temperature Protection). Dimensions stand at 150 (W) x 86 (H) x 140 (D) mm. The 700 W version delivers 54 A on the +12 V rail, 17 A under +5V, and 19 A under +3.3 V. Connectors stand at 1x ATX 24, 2x EPS 8, 4x PCIe 6+2, 8x SATA, 4x Molex and 1x Floppy. Pricing starts at around 56,99€, 66,99€ and 76,99€,

MonsterLabo, a maker of fanless PC cases, today announced its latest creation - The Beast. Featuring a design made from glass and 6 mm thick aluminium, the ATX case is resembling a design we usually could see only from the folks like InWin. The whole chassis is actually made up of two 3 KG aluminium heatsinks that feature ten 6 mm copper heat pipes each. All of this is used for heat dissipation and the case can accommodate up to 400 W of TDP in passive mode. When two 140 mm fans, running at 500 rpm, are added the case can cool more than 500 W of TDP. The Beast measures at 450 mm (L) x 380 mm (W) x 210 mm (H), making it for one large and heavy case. It supports graphics cards up to 290 mm in PCB length and is fully capable of supporting the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series "Ampere" graphics cards. Pre-orders for The Beast are starting onOctober 9th, with an unknown pricing. You can expect it to be a high premium over 349 EUR price of The First case. Pre-orders will be shipping in Q1 2021.

MSI today rolled out the MAG B460 Torpedo, a Socket LGA1200 motherboard based on the Intel B460 chipset. This marks the debut of the new "Torpedo" brand extension that's part of the MSI Arsenal Gaming (MAG) product family, positioned a notch below the MAG Tomahawk. MSI has been giving the Tomahawk extension value additions over the past few generations, pushing its typical pricing up, along with features such as dual Ethernet, rear I/O shroud, etc. The MAG B460 Torpedo keeps things simple within the ATX form-factor. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, and uses a 13-phase VRM to power the CPU. The VRM heatsinks appear slightly smaller than the ones on the MAG B460 Tomahawk. The tiny heatsink over the PCH is hard to miss, too.

Expansion slots on the MSI MAG B460 Torpedo include one PCI-Express 3.0 x16 reinforced slot wired to the CPU, a PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (electrical x4) slot wired to the B460 PCH, and two other PCIe x1 slots. Storage connectivity includes two M.2 NVMe slots, both PCI-Express 3.0 x4 wiring, one of which includes a heatsink; and six SATA 6 Gbps ports. Networking features one 2.5 GbE interface driven by a Realtek 8125B controller. The onboard audio solution uses a Realtek ALC1200 codec with audio grade capacitors, 8-channel jacks, and headphones amp. As part of the CoreBoost feature set, you get to eke out more performance from your non-K 10th Gen Core processors by relaxing power limits. MSI is pricing the MAG B460 Torpedo at USD $109.99, about $30 cheaper than the Tomahawk.

Thermaltake today introduced the Versa T25 TG (model: CA-1R5-00M1WN-00). This ATX mid-tower case is characterized by a tempered glass front panel that conceals two large intake fan vents, and a tempered glass panel over the left side. Inside, the case features a typical horizontally partitioned layout, with the upper compartment serving up room for graphics cards up to 30 cm in length, and CPU coolers up to 150 cm in height. The PSU bay in the bottom compartment offers up to 16 cm room, which can be extended to 20 cm by removing the drive cage.

Storage options include two 3.5-inch/2.5-inch bays in a detachable drive cage in the bottom compartment, and two 2.5-inch drive mounts. Ventilation options include two 200 mm front intakes, which can be made to hold either two 200 mm fans, or two 140 mm fans, or three 120 mm fans; two 140/120 mm top exhausts; and a 120 mm rear exhaust. A 120 mm fan at the rear comes included with the case, and factory-fitted. Front panel connectivity includes two USB 2.0 ports, a USB 3.x type-A port, and HDA jacks. The case measures 416 mm x 210 mm x 480 mm (HxWxD). The company didn't reveal pricing.

Over the past few days, we've heard chatter about a new 12-pin PCIe power connector for graphics cards being introduced, particularly from Chinese language publication FCPowerUp, including a picture of the connector itself. Igor's Lab also did an in-depth technical breakdown of the connector. TechPowerUp has some new information on this from a well placed industry source. The connector is real, and will be introduced with NVIDIA's next-generation "Ampere" graphics cards. The connector appears to be NVIDIA's brain-child, and not that of any other IP- or trading group, such as the PCI-SIG, Molex or Intel. The connector was designed in response to two market realities - that high-end graphics cards inevitably need two power connectors; and it would be neater for consumers to have a single cable than having to wrestle with two; and that lower-end (<225 W) graphics cards can make do with one 8-pin or 6-pin connector.

The new NVIDIA 12-pin connector has six 12 V and six ground pins. Its designers specify higher quality contacts both on the male and female ends, which can handle higher current than the pins on 8-pin/6-pin PCIe power connectors. Depending on the PSU vendor, the 12-pin connector can even split in the middle into two 6-pin, and could be marketed as "6+6 pin." The point of contact between the two 6-pin halves are kept leveled so they align seamlessly.

Cougar today released yet another variation of its DarkBlader line of ATX mid-tower cases that feature an asymmetric trapezioid front panel design, following last week's release of the DarkBlader X5. The X7 is nearly identical to the X5 from last week, including the translucent (frost finish) larger half of the front-panel. Where it differs is the smaller half featuring a vertical ARGB lighting strip at the front intake; and the inclusion of one 120 mm ARGB fan instead of three, pre-installed at the rear vent. The translucent front panel comes in two trims, "midnight green" and "translucent black." These aside, the DarkBlader X7 is identical in every way to not just the DarkBlader X5, but also the original DarkBlader series from 2019.

CHIEFTEC, a world-wide renowned brand for reliable PC chassis and power supplies, today announces the CM-25B-OP as a new model in the Classic Series, which has proven to be a success in the system integration market since its launch in 2019. The CM-25B-OP is based on the chassis of the BM-25B-OP, while adding an additional 5.25" ODD drive and a refreshed front panel design. Built from 0.7 mm SECC and including tool-less drive installation kits, the Classic Series is perfect for system builders who value true quality and timelessly elegant design.

Lian Li is known at the higher-than-mainstream pricing bracket of the PC case world. The company made a name for itself with innovative-looking, angled motherboard brackets and well thought-out and engineered case layouts and materials, but has usually served the higher end of the spectrum. The company seems to be dipping its toes ever more slightly in the budget-friendly space with it's LANCOOL 215, though, which is bound to be releases this August.

The LANCOOL 215 will offer support for both standard and EATX motherboards, with the system being cooled by 2x 200 mm ARGB front fans that pull fresh (fresher in some places around the globe) air from outside the case through a perforated front panel. Hot air is then exhausted through a pre-installed rear 120 mm fan (non-RGB). A 360 mm radiator is supported in the front of the chassis, while the top supports a 280 mm one for added flexibility. But some would argue that having a good case for your PC hardware isn't enough unless you can showcase your PC hardware picks for your current build, so the LANCOOL 215 uses a tempered glass side panel for added "cool" factor. There's also an ARGB Lian Li logo on the bottom of the front fascia of the LANCOOL 215, and a PSU shroud which is practically standard these days. The best news? The LANCOOL 215 from Lian Li will be available for $69.99.

AeroCool really likes vertical RGB diffusers that cleave the front panel from the middle, as evident with the Klaw and Playa cases. Its latest such creation is the Prime, a value-segment ATX mid-tower case. It is characterized by three large ARGB LED diffusers along the center of the front-panel, flanked by a pair of mesh intakes for the front fans. The included 120 mm exhaust fan also featuring ARGB embellishments. Inside the case features a single chamber layout (no horizontal partition).

The motherboard tray of the AeroCool Prime offers clearance for graphics cards up to 30.2 cm in length, and CPU coolers up to 15.9 cm in height. Storage features include two 3.5-inch drive bays, and up to three 2.5-inch mounts. The crawlspace behind the motherboard tray is 1.89 cm wide. Ventilation includes two 140/120 mm front intakes, a 120 mm top exhaust, and a 120 mm rear exhaust. You can mount a 240 mm x 120 mm radiator along the front intake. Front panel connectivity includes two USB 3.x type-A ports (standard header), and HDA jacks. The case measures 205 mm x 442 mm x 376.5 mm (WxHxD). There are two minor variants of the Prime, the v1 comes with a non-illuminated rear fan, while the v2 comes with one that has ARGB illumination. The company didn't reveal pricing.

New PC components entrant Montech released its Air X ARGB PC case to market, with distribution tie-ups with Newegg and Amazon. The Air X launched in March 2020, and its availability was originally slated for April, but the availability date was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For a company that's just taking off on the scene, this is particularly hard. The case is finally available on Amazon and Newegg. The Air X ARGB features a full length Diamond Mesh front air intake, and full 6 port ARGB fan controller all for an attractive price of $79.99 (excluding taxes) for the white variant, and $75.99 (excluding taxes) for the black variant. The Montech Air X ARGB is a high value for money ATX mid-tower case featuring an airy front mesh-type intake with ARGB embellishments, horizontally partitioned interiors, fan vents at just the right places, and a number of drive mounts. Buy the variant you like from the store you prefer.

Buy Montech Air X ARGB (black) from Amazon | Buy Montech Air X ARGB (white) from Amazon | Buy Montech Air X ARGB (black) from Newegg | Buy Montech Air X ARGB (white) from Newegg