Today, Intel celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Intel 4004, the world's first commercially available microprocessor. With its launch in November 1971, the 4004 paved the path for modern microprocessor computing - the "brains" that make possible nearly every modern technology, from the cloud to the edge. Microprocessors enable the convergence of the technology superpowers - ubiquitous computing, pervasive connectivity, cloud-to-edge infrastructure and artificial intelligence - and create a pace of innovation that is moving faster today than ever.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 4004 chip. Think of how much we've accomplished in the past half-century. This is a sacred moment for technology. This is what made computing really take off!," said Pat Gelsinger, Intel CEO. The 4004 is the pioneer microprocessor, and its success proved that it was possible to build complex integrated circuits and fit them on a chip the size of a fingernail. Its invention also established a new random logic design methodology, one that subsequent generations of microprocessors would be built upon, before evolving to create the chips found in today's modern devices.

For 75 years, JBL has been at the heart of the entertainment scene, from powering sound at major pop culture events to partnering with some of the world's top talent across music, sports and esports. As the number one leader in portable speaker sales and the fastest growing headphones brand worldwide, this year marks an epic 75th anniversary for the brand, with multiple new JBL products announced today designed to enhance everyday experiences.

Since its inception, JBL has expertly blended a bold vision of the future with the passion and talent of engineers and designers around the globe. From day one, JBL has built its legacy based on a passion, energy, and love of sound. No matter how consumers listen to or how they listen to it, it is JBL's mission to make sure they love every minute.

To commemorate its 20th Anniversary, iBUYPOWER has announced the availability of two of its signature cases, the Snowblind Element and Snowblind S. After years of inquiries from the DIY PC community, iBUYPOWER will offer its iconic cases featuring the world's first mass-produced transparent LCD side panel as a standalone product.

"Offering our Snowblind series to the DIY PC enthusiast community is the next step of accessibility for iBUYPOWER," said Darren Su, Executive Vice President of iBUYPOWER. "By offering one of the most iconic cases in the market as a standalone product when the Snowblind has traditionally only been available as a pre-built system, we are broadening our horizons within the PC and gaming industry while we celebrate 20 years of successful business."

PC builder Falcon Northwest today announced their new mid-sized tower PC, the Talon 20th Anniversary Edition. The culmination of a 2-year in-house case design project, Talon takes aim at winning over the Mac-using creator crowd with top-end components, careful thermal management and high-end metal exterior. It's also targeted at Falcon's game-playing clientele with options for glass sides, custom paintwork, and embracing the gaming trend Falcon has mostly resisted: RGB LED lighting.

"It's amazing!" said Chris Roberts, CEO of Roberts Space Industries and the creative genius behind Star Citizen and the Wing Commander game series. Chris was the recipient of the very first 20th Anniversary Talon. "It's butter smooth and super quiet. I love the beautiful artwork and that I can easily open up the sides to see the immaculate components, cabling and lighting."

It seems that AMD either had a) unrevealed plans to launch their online store on more countries and markets alongside the introduction of the Navi-powered RX 5700 XT, or b) a change of mind when it comes to permitted availability of their collectors', limited-edition graphics card for the rest of the world. Originally reported to only be launched in the United States and China, an AMD representative (under the handle dprairie_AMD over at Reddit) has seemingly confirmed that the company will be bringing its limited-edition graphics cards to more markets than previously expected - though it still isn't a global release. The statement from Reddit follows.

Reddit user @dprairie_AMDHi all,
Friendly reminder that just because someone writes it doesn't mean it is true.... We will be expanding AMD.com sales to more countries, so we expect the 50th anniversary edition will also be available in: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Sorry we are not offering global availability at this point. We hear you on the desire. The team is focused on expanding into more regions/countries while making sure we can fully support customers.

You've heard of it, and now you'll see it. AMD's introducing a commemorative edition of their RX 5700 XT graphics card, which brings back the company's XT suffix to video card performance grading (wondering if an XTX video card will eventually make its appearance...) - and a new, black and gold color scheme. The RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary Edition will feature increased clocks over their counterparts, with an up to 1980 MHz Boost clock, 1830 MHz Game Clock, and 1680 MHz base clock (compared to 1905 MHz, 1755 MHz and 1605 MHz for the non-anniversary edition.

Can you believe it's been 10 years since MSI launched its flagship Lighting brand of graphics cards? Turns out we reviewed our first MSI Lightning card more than a decade ago! An MSI Lightning card has always been the indicator that a flagship GPU by NVIDIA or AMD has succeeded in winning the hearts, minds, and wallets of gamers, lest MSI wouldn't bother with one. MSI already released the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Lighting Z, and we reviewed it. Sources tell us that the MSI could be working on a second Lightning product based on the RTX 2080 Ti, which isn't a variation of the original, such as the RTX 2080 Ti Lighting Z with a water-block bolted on.

Named something along the lines of RTX 2080 Ti Lightning Z 10th Anniversary Special Edition, the card will look significantly different than the RTX 2080 Ti Lightning Z, and will ship with an on-card OLED display that puts out real-time monitoring data of the card's temperatures, clock-speeds, fan-speeds, voltages, memory utilization, or pretty much whatever you program it to. The card's cooler will also feature a more richly detailed RGB LED embellishment all around, and will be designed like a piece of jewelry. MSI may also touch up the card's electricals, BIOS, and overclocking-headroom to rival EVGA RTX 2080 Ti KINGPIN. MSI will unveil this card at the 2019 Computex exhibition.

Canada Computers put out details of Ryzen 7 2700X 50th Anniversary Edition, officially known as the Ryzen 7 2700X Gold Edition, a commemorative SKU of the 2700X which has been pictured in our older story. At the time we reported that the new SKU commands a roughly $50 premium over the regular 2700X with a fancy new box design and a facsimile of AMD CEO Lisa Su's signature on the processor's IHS. Turns out, you get a whole lot more.

The Ryzen 7 2700X 50th Anniversary Edition includes not just the processor and a Wraith Prism RGB cooling solution, but also two AAA games: Tom Clancy's "The Division 2" Gold Edition, and "World War Z," a black cotton T-shirt with AMD 50 artwork on both sides, and a special case-badge with another signature of the CEO, besides the Ryzen 7 case-badge. The 2 Free Games offer is being extended to the entire Ryzen 2000 AM4 desktop processor family, and several Radeon GPU models, including Radeon VII, RX 500 series, and RX Vega series. The offer is subject to retailer participation.

Here are two of the first high-resolution pictures of the Ryzen 7 2700X 50th Anniversary Edition commemorative processor by AMD. It turns out we were right in guessing that it has special markings on the IHS (integrated heatspreader). Turns out, you get a facsimile of AMD CEO Lisa Su's signature, in addition to the AMD-50 logo above the main Ryzen logo. The box itself sees black replace gray as the primary color, and gold replacing auburn/orange in most places except the main Ryzen logo on the front face. A Wraith Prism RGB cooling solution is included, just like normal 2700X PIB packages. Early listings of the processor pinned its price around USD $340, a premium over the $295 price the Ryzen 7 2700X is typically going for.

AMD is going to celebrate their 50th anniversary in a big way, with commemorative editions of both its highest performance GPU and CPU in the form of the Radeon VII and Ryzen 7 2700X, respectively. This isn't so surprising - after all, if partners are readying their own special editions, it would be amiss for the red team not to do the same. It's a time to lavish their lineup with something that marks the fifty years of the company's existence - alongside its bright (and not so bright) spots.

The Radeon VII will apparently bring the red up to 11, with a red-colored shroud and LED lighting - and apart from that, we simply don't know. It's speculated the Ryzen 7 2700X will be packaged in a prettier box, with increased core clocks to boot - perhaps through core binning and a higher maximum boost threshold. It would make sense for AMD to do the same on their own Radeon VII - celebrating a 50th anniversary with increased performance across the board seems an easy conclusion to come to. We'll just have to wait a few more days, though - apparently, the company will be introducing these products next week, come April 29th. If you want a piece of AMD's history, this could be your chance - albeit a limited one when it comes to actual production numbers for these limited edition GPU and CPU.

GIGABYTE unveiled a special commemorative package of its flagship socket AM4 motherboard, the Aorus X470 Gaming 7 WiFi. Much like the Ryzen 7 2700X AMD-50 Edition processor, this GIGABYTE motherboard is a minor variation of the original it's based on, with a handful cosmetic changes. The box package features AMD-50 markings, as does the board's model name, with a "-50" suffix. The motherboard itself features some "AMD-50" and "AORUS x AMD 50th Anniversary" markings along the acrylic RGB LED diffuser along the board's top-right corner and elsewhere. Perhaps out of the box, the board's RGB LEDs shine in a more pronounced shade of gold than the Aorus default orange-gold tint. These apart, the board is every bit identical to the Aorus X470 Gaming 7 WiFi, which currently retails for around USD $220, competing with the likes of the MSI X470 Gaming M7 and the ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero.

Yes, we know that AMD's graphics division anniversary really isn't on its 50th year - ATI's acquisition, the true spirit behind AMD's graphics prowess, occurred back in 2006. However, that doesn't mean AMD's graphics aren't deserving of special commemorative editions. Sapphire have taken it upon themselves to celebrate the occasion with a gold-colored RX 590 graphics card.

The leak came over from one of my own homecountry's webshops, with a full product page that has since been taken down. There is no difference between this card and the usual blue RX 590 Nitro+ - the devil is in the color, so to say. Reference clocks remain the same at 1560 MHz core, and the cooling solution is the same. In Portuguese prices, the pricing difference seems to amount to some extra €25 for the limited edition graphics card. Whether the pricing difference is enough to warrant the additional investment should go according to your own mileage.

AMD is celebrating its 50th Anniversary with a new commemorative special edition package of the Ryzen 7 2700X eight-core desktop processor. This package carries the PIB SKU number "YD270XBGAFA50." American online retailer ShopBLT had it listed for USD $340.95 before pulling the listing down and marking it "out of stock." The listing doesn't come with any pictures or details about the SKU, except mentioning that a Wraith Prism RGB CPU cooler is included (as it normally is for the 2700X PIB package).

Given that AMD hasn't changed the model number, we expect these processors to have the same specifications as regular Ryzen 7 2700X, but with some special packaging material, and perhaps some special laser engraving on the processor's IHS. AMD has used tin boxes in the past for its first FX-series processors, so the possibility of something similar cannot be ruled out. Since pricing of this SKU isn't significantly higher, we don't expect it to be of a higher bin (better overclockers) than regular 2700X chips. Based on the 12 nm "Pinnacle Ridge" silicon, the 2700X is an 8-core/16-thread processor derived from the "Zen+" architecture, with 3.70 GHz clock-speed, 4.30 GHz maximum Precision Boost, XFR, L2 cache of 512 KB per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache.

The RTS genre on PC has been left a little out in the cold in recent years; there are still some releases here and there, but the genre that was once the king of PC gaming has taken a dive in popularity. One series that was held in great regard by fans was Command & Conquer, which spanned a multitude of games (including a one-off FPS game in the form of Command & Conquer: Renegade) in both the Red Alert, Generals, and Tiberium universes.

No further work on the series occurred after the release of Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight, designed to be the finale for that particular universe. The much-changed gameplay, which incorporated MOBA-style elements and more mobile armies instead of the usual static base-building, threw fans of the series off (not to mention the story). The series has since been relegated to mobile or browser gaming, but the pressure on EA to deliver another RTS game on the C&C universe has been mounting. The first step, according to EA Games' Jim Vessella, is celebrating the series' 25-year Anniversary, on which work is already going - apparently through remasters, since Vessella himself says that "we [EA] have been exploring some exciting ideas regarding remastering the classic PC games." That's not a bad idea, granted, and makes business sense - but we're still expecting a new installment, EA.

It was less than a month ago that we reported on GOG.com's Back to School game sale event, and today we got wind of an even larger one. Indeed, GOG.com (previously Good Old Games) is 10 today, and decided it was as good a time as any to celebrate the anniversary with us. First up, the entire website has received a visual makeover which offers a new color palette and also some user experience improvements as it pertains to the game collections and menus.

More important to you, I presume, is the free game(s) available via a vote. As of now, visitors can vote between Shadow Warrior 2, Superhot, and Firewatch for another ~36 hours as of this posting following which the winning game will be available for free for the next 48 hours after voting ends. There are also many, many other games on sale on the website now, and GOG.com has also added in support for their media partners to curate a list of recommended games including Eurogamer, PC Gamer, and GameSpot- a move that reminds us of Steam's own Curator system for game recommendations. The page also now includes a history section showing the website's humble beginnings to what is today the leading store front for DRM-free games. Go ahead and see if you find something you like today!

Sharkoon Technologies is celebrating their 15th anniversary with a case especially made for high-end gaming hardware. The NIGHT SHARK ATX Midi Tower is the largest chassis PC case launched so far by Sharkoon. It is able to incorporate larger dual and multi-processor mainboards, graphic cards with a maximum length of 42 cm plus CPU coolers with a maximum height of 16 cm. The installed components can be clearly seen through the side panel and the case front window, both made of tempered glass. To maximize the view of all components, Sharkoon has turned its usual interior configuration on its head by placing the power supply tunnel in the top of the case. Thus, not only does the power supply fan become more visible, but also the view of all the other components are enhanced.

The NIGHT SHARK is optimized for liquid cooling. The removable HDD/SDD mounting plate in the inner side panel has special extra-long slots for the easy installation of liquid cooling reservoirs. A 240 mm or a 280 mm radiator can fit comfortably on the case front, and a 360 mm radiator can be installed on the bottom panel. A total of eight 120 mm fans, with removed HDD/SDD mounting plate, can be installed for those who prefer "classic" cooling. Instead of two 120 mm fans, two 140 mm fans can be mounted in the front of the case.

Intel recently celebrated 20 years of the Pentium brand that made the company a household name, with a special Pentium 20th Anniversary Edition G3258 SKU. If rumors are to be believed, the company could do something similar with the upcoming 40th anniversary of its 8086 processor, the distant ancestor of today's x86 architecture. Some sources even suggest that the company could take advantage of its 8th generation Core product cycle to launch a "Core i7-8086K" SKU.

Pictures surfaced on social media of the said "i7-8086K" SKU in the flesh, complete with a part number "SR3QQ." Based on the same 14 nm "Coffee Lake" silicon as the i7-8700K, this chip has a nominal clock speed of 4.00 GHz, a maximum Turbo Boost frequency above 5.00 GHz, an unlocked multiplier, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. Intel could choose June 8th (around the 2018 Computex and the actual anniversary of 8086), to launch the new SKU.

Today, SteelSeries is proud to announce its official partnership with leading battle royale game, PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS (PUBG). With the announcement of the partnership, SteelSeries is announcing a PUBG QcK+ mousepad, with additional PUBG-branded peripherals and accessories coming later this summer. Today, SteelSeries and PUBG will also kick off the one-year Anniversary Celebration with a global campaign, giving away tons of SteelSeries gear as well as PUBG swag, codes and more.

"This partnership signals the coming of incredible products, meaningful integrations along with creative activities among the PUBG influencer and streamer communities," said SteelSeries CEO, Ehtisham Rabbani. "Together our brands are creating an opportunity for the battle royal community to connect their PUBG obsession with premium gear that is both innovative and designed for competitive esports."

The Myst series of videogames - or should that read "experiences?" - is likely one of the more recognizable names in the gaming industry. All of the Myst games were renowned for bringing players' imaginations inside virtual worlds through ambience, pacing, and interesting storylines steeped in mystery.

Now, Cyan, the original Myst games developer, has said that they intend to do something special as the Myst series completes its 25th anniversary. The idea is that players should be able to experience the same mystery and awe as when the games were first launched - though that may prove increasingly hard as the games' graphical engines age more and more. Expectations just aren't what they used to be. The plan is to releases updated versions for all Myst games this year - and look to round up the package with a limited, collector's physical edition that wraps the entire package. That is all of Myst for this year - but maybe there will be some new adventures post-2018.

StarCraft officially turns 20 on March 31, 2018, and all throughout the month, we'll be celebrating this epic milestone alongside our epic community of players. Revisit the saga that introduced the world to iconic characters like Jim Raynor, Sarah Kerrigan, and Zeratul, and helped set the stage for esports as we know them today.

Today, Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a leading publisher of free-to-play MMORPGs, and Cryptic Studios announced Star Trek Online is preparing to commemorate its 8th Anniversary. Originally launching in February 2010, the game is now one of the longest running Star Trek series in the history of the franchise and offers 161 episodes, three major expansions and 14 full seasons of playable content. PC captains can help celebrate this milestone throughout the month, by joining daily giveaways leading up to the anniversary and participating in a brand new featured episode and special events for rewards, which begin January 23. Anniversary events will also be available on Xbox One and PlayStation4 at a later date. In addition, Star Trek Online is teaming up with Loot Crate to give away free subscriptions for the Star Trek Mission Crate to kick off the game's anniversary. Captains who visit the in-game C-store from now through January 23 can participate in server-wide giveaways, which allow them to collect a new reward each day, including uniforms, starships and other items. Giveaway items will be revealed on Star Trek Online's blog.

Today during the Mega Man 30th Anniversary Livestream in partnership with Twitch, Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, revealed Mega Man 11, the next evolution in the long-running 32 million unit-selling action platformer series. Led by a talented, veteran development team at Capcom, the new game features tight side-scrolling action gameplay the series is known for while completely revolutionizing the experience for modern consoles. Mega Man 11 will be a great entry for both fans and newcomers to the series to dive into as it retains its signature challenge while offering a variety of difficulty options. The game is coming to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, and Windows PC in late 2018.

The classic series takes a leap forward in visual presentation in Mega Man 11 with a 2.5D design direction introducing beautiful, completely hand-drawn characters and environments. A freshly redesigned Mega Man takes on Dr. Wily's berserk machines, defeating Robot Master bosses and taking their weapons, in an ever-evolving fight for justice with new and unique enemy designs. This is just a small taste of information of what's to come in Mega Man 11 alongside the start of the series' 30th anniversary year, and fans can look forward to more details on the game in Summer 2018.

With Ferrari celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2017, Thrustmaster's goal was to launch exceptional racing wheels reflecting the history and style of the famed 'Prancing Horse' automaker. The first piece is a limited edition of a particularly iconic model: the timeless 250 GTO wheel, more beautiful than ever even at 55 years young.

Charm meets a strong, richly symbolic history
The Ferrari 250 GTO Wheel Add-On, for PC, is an official Ferrari-licensed 8:10 scale replica (at 13 inches/33 cm in diameter) of the wheel of the Ferrari 250 GTO - one of the most legendary cars ever created, and three-time consecutive GT world champion from 1962 through 1964. Thrustmaster's model proudly sports all of the original wheel's features, first and foremost in terms of materials. The Ferrari 250 GTO Wheel Add-On boasts a metal faceplate and internal structure, an authentic chrome logo plate in the center, plus genuine high-quality wood covering the wheel's entire circumference with a black ring running through the middle: the resulting design is understated and sleek. All of these carefully-reproduced details transport the user right back to the 1960s. One only needs to test out the Ferrari 250 GTO in the game Assetto Corsa (available as part of the Ferrari 70th Anniversary DLC Pack), for example, to find oneself fully immersed in real vintage car racing sensations, with their inimitable panache.

Atari, one of the world's most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers, today proudly celebrates "Pong Day" on the 45th anniversary of the influential Pong arcade game that first debuted on November 29, 1972. A simple-but-challenging table tennis simulation, Pong was the first commercially successful video game and an immediate smash hit that effectively established the video game industry. To commemorate this groundbreaking birthday, the company has unveiled the all-new Pong Anniversary Limited-Edition Atari Speakerhat which is in stock and available now exclusively at AtariLife.com.

Pong was originally meant to be a simple training exercise, assigned to newly hired engineer Allan Alcorn by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, to acclimate him to creating games. Alcorn went above and beyond, adding appealing features such as segmented paddles that changed the angle of the "ball" and accelerating speeds as play went on. Alcorn also elected to retain a "glitch" that didn't allow the paddles to reach the top of the screen, which added to the game's difficulty. Lastly, Bushnell had Alcorn add cheering crowd noises and other sound effects. The game was so well-received that Bushnell and the team were able to rapidly grow Atari and an entire industry was born.

BioWare today is reflecting on both the story and history of the Mass Effect franchise, through an event entitled #ten7. Fire-started by the celebration of ten years since release of the original Mass Effect, BioWare's celebration includes a throwback trailer, an invite for users to perusal The Archive with their in-game choices, and a suite of streaming events for all of the franchise entries, from the original Mass Effect all the way to the latest Mass Effect: Andromeda.

While this celebration of BioWare's IP accomplishments is a welcome sight, it doesn't exactly put to rest fears of an "iced" IP, which has been reported to be the case regarding the Mass Effect franchise. It's a shame that a publisher's pressures towards meeting launch deadlines sometimes goes ahead even at the cost of final product quality. Mass Effect: Andromeda is a perfect example of a good game that died, through massive effect, by word of mouth and a thousand cuts. Let's see where the future takes us in this universe, though I for one am eagerly awaiting for a new installment in this sci-fi setting. You can head over to the source link and scroll to the bottom of the page to take a look at a uber-resolution collage of what BioWare considers the Mass Effect franchise's best moments. You can also check out a 7-minute video, after the break.