ASUS has begun rolling out BIOS updates that add motherboard support for Windows 11 even for processor families that Microsoft said would be left out of their latest Windows OS. Ever since the introduction of Windows 11, the message around specific hardware requirements has been difficult to pinpoint, as the company struggles to send a clear message on exactly which users should be looking to update their hardware - and which should not. ASUS' new BIOS updates will certainly add to the stirring pot, as they are being touted to enable Windows 11 support for Intel CPU families that Microsoft doesn't officially (yet) support for the OS release: Skylake (6th Gen) and Kaby Lake (7th Gen). According to Microsoft, only 8th Gen (Coffee Lake) and later Intel CPUs are supported by Windows 11.

The new BIOS updates typically activate TPM on the users' machine, should it be off at the BIOS level. ASUS has already released beta BIOS versions that introduce support for Windows 11 on Z270, H270 and B250 motherboards, and launched a hub page with compatibility status for a number of its motherboard releases. According to the company in the respective motherboard support pages, "The following motherboards are compatible with Windows 11 under current testing. The upgrability [sic] is subject to the support from operation system or 3rd party drivers availability." Which of course means that even if ASUS has gotten preview versions of Windows 11 to run on systems with this hardware, there's no way to know if the final, retail Windows 11 version will actually offer support for these CPUs. Of course, driver compatibility is also in question, since nothing guarantees Windows 11 to competently manage your hardware on the basis of Windows 10-bound driver packages.

BIOSTAR, a leading brand of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices, today announces the new B250MHC motherboard. Designed based on Intel's B250 single chip architecture, the new B250MHC motherboard from BIOSTAR is engineered to breathe fresh life to older 6th and 7th generation processors from Intel.

Highly suited for business-oriented systems, the B250MHC motherboard comes with the latest technology in the market with BIOSTAR's promised product reliability and long-lasting performance. Capable of supporting up to 32 GB of DDR4 memory across 2 DIMM slots, the B250MHC also carries features like PCIe 3.0 which provides increases channel improvement with enhanced signal and data integrity over 8GT/s bit rate as well as USB 3.2 Gen 1 which provides data transfer speeds up to 5 Gbps for speedy data backup and restore over USB data transfer devices.

BIOSTAR iMiner A578X8D, an easy to set up all-in-one solution for home and professional miners, is now available on Newegg for US$3499. The BIOSTAR iMiner A578X8D is the world's first riser card-free and all-in-one crypto mining solution, offering ultra-mining flexibility for different crypto-currencies (Ethereum, Monero, Bitcoin Gold, Zcash, etc.). This plug-and-mine system requires no additional hardware installation, simply power-on to start mining. The BIOSTAR iMiner A578X8D supports Windows 10, Linux and ethOS for different types of miners, and as an exclusive bundle with Newegg, the iMiner A578X8D also comes with an optional ethOS mining operating system to allow users to set up and start mining immediately.

BIOSTAR announces a pro-level crypto mining motherboard, BIOSTAR TB250-BTC D+ that appeals to anyone looking to maximize and/or scale their mining rigs. The BIOSTAR TB250-BTC D+ allows the Intel B250 chipset to reach its full potential as it allows true native 8-graphics card support, which removes the need for riser cards. The slim form factor gives larger mining operations the luxury of squeezing more systems into an existing space without the mess.

Riser Card-Free Design
Taking riser cards out of the equation allows you to reduce setup costs (a saving of US$7-$10 per riser card) and lowers the running costs with more reliable hardware and reduced power consumption and thus your electric bill. The Intel B250 chipset enables the TB250-BTC D+ to run up to eight native PCI-e X16 slots, which hits the sweet spot for graphics cards per motherboard cost-performance ratio. Aside from cost savings, it is more reliable and stable without the risk of burnouts and capability issues.

Biostar introduced the TB250-BTC D+ motherboard for crypto-mining builds. This board appears to be a re-brand of Colorful C.B250A-BTC PLUS V20. This is probably a case of Colorful piggybacking Biostar to reach markets it cannot (yet). The socket LGA1151 motherboard supports 6th and 7th generation Core "Skylake" and "Kaby Lake" processors, with basic I/O connectivity, and a single DDR4 SO-DIMM slot. The star attraction here are eight PCI-Express x16 slots with 2U spacing between them. One of these slots is electrically x16, the other are x1 (you only need x1 for mining). There are also eight 6-pin PCI-Express I/O ports, so the x16 slots are powered. The board is 195 mm wide, and 485 mm long, designed for mining cases, or something miners put together themselves. It is expected to be priced around $150.

SUPoX introduces a professional crypto mining motherboard, SUPoX B250A-BTC D+, that takes advantage of the Intel B250 chipset for native 8-graphics card support to eliminate the need for riser cards. In addition, it can be used with server power supplies (single 12V rail PSU) which gives more options for scalable mining. Without the need for riser cards, the initial setup cost is lower (a savings of US$7-$10 per riser card) and lowers the overall power consumption. The mining rig is more stable as less heat and less clutter improves airflow, which ultimately prolongs the life of the mining system.

The Intel B250 chipset enables the B250A-BTC D+ to run up to eight native PCI-e X16 slots, which has many advantages over PCI-e bridge solutions. Miners can save on the cost of having to purchase multiple riser cards and have a more efficient overall system. It also has better reliability and stability, as additional riser cards run the risk of burnouts and capability issues that can affect the downtime of the mining rig.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, presents the new B250-FinTech motherboard based on the Intel B250 Chipset. Featuring GIGABYTE Ultra Durable components and a native 12 PCIe slot configuration, this new crypto mining focused motherboard maximizes efficiency and yield potential for miners. The B250-FinTech motherboard's 3-for-1 power cable and fine-tuned BIOS Mining Mode are some of the many attributes that make this motherboard a fantastic choice for experienced as well as prospective miners.

"The interest for crypto mining has grown throughout the years but has skyrocketed in recent times. With close regard for consumer needs, GIGABYTE has developed the B250-FinTech motherboard as the quintessential mining platform for all who are interested in mining." GIGABYTE Deputy Director Jackson Hsu stated. "Through extensive research and an exceptionally thorough development process, we have produced a mining motherboard with a robust native PCIe slot configuration for impressive mining efficiency."

BIOSTAR introduces the B250MDC motherboard offering a well-balanced set of features without the premium price point making it ideal for casual users on a budget. The BIOSTAR B250MDC motherboard is the perfect solution for an entry-level desktop computer for daily multitasking use, office application and home entertainment. The B250MDC features a compact micro-ATX form factor that fits in most budget cases. The B250MDC also uses the Intel B250 chipset, perfect for a daily driver with its high-efficiency performance.

The BIOSTAR B250MDC features the Intel B250 chipset offering everything essential for desktop users without compromise. The B250MDC features a single PCIe 3.0x16 slot that can fully utilize high-end graphics cards and NVMe solid-state drives; dual DDR4 DIMM slots supporting up to 43GB of 2400MHz memory; four speedy USB 3.1 Gen1 ports and a DVI-D output port for basic setups without discrete graphics. Users will also enjoy the board's 7.1 channel High-Definition Audio.

ASUS dropped its hat into the DIY crypto-currency mining hardware craze, with the introduction of the B250 Mining Expert motherboard. This ATX form-factor motherboard comes with a jaw-dropping eighteen PCI-Express gen 3.0 x1 slots, in addition to a PCI-Express gen 3.0 x16, taking full advantage of the 200-series platform's PCIe lane budget. The board draws power from three 24-pin ATX, one 8-pin EPS, and three 4-pin Molex connectors, although besides one ATX and EPS, the other connectors are optional for the machine to start, but required for some of those PCIe slots to work.

Based on the Intel B250 Express chipset, the board supports 6th and 7th generation "Skylake" and "Kaby Lake" processors. The rest of the board is pretty spartan, with just enough connectivity to make the machine work. You get two DDR4 DIMM slots supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel memory, four SATA 6 Gbps ports, six USB 3.0 ports (two via header), a gigabit Ethernet connection, 6-channel HD audio, HDMI display output, and legacy PS/2 connectors. The company didn't reveal pricing.

The mining craze is real, and companies have been paying increasing attention to this space, since miners are some of the most interesting customers hardware companies have had the pleasure of doing business with (at least when it comes to volume of purchases; let's discount those pesky RMA's, shall we?) ASUS is joining mining posterchild BIOSTAR with a purpose-built motherboard built around the B250 chipset. The B250 Expert Mining should allow miners to connect up to 19 PCIe graphics cards through risers, thus obviating the need for increased investment in additional motherboards, CPUs and memory.

ASUS has implemented a Triple ATX12V (24-Pin) and Molex connectors setup for additional power delivery, alongside PCIe slot state detection, dedicated voltage stabilization capacitors (one for each GPU slot ), as well as using a mining specific BIOS for increased hash rates. Of the 19 expansions slots, 18 are PCIe 3.0 x1, with a single full-length PCIe 3.0 x16 slot. The slots are separated in three groups each with a dedicated 24-pin assigned to it for power. The top 24-pin covers slots 1-7 (includes the full-length slot), the middle header 8-13, with the last covering 14-19. A color-coded POST UI image shows miners the state of their graphics cards, overlaying coded colors over the PCIe slots, colored green for operational, red for when an error is detected, and grey for an absent GPU.

ASUS expanded its Expedition line of high-endurance gaming PC motherboards designed for the rigors of gaming iCafes, with the socket LGA1151 Expedition B250-V7, based on the Intel B250 Express chipset. Built in the ATX form-factor, the board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, and conditions it for the CPU with a simple 6-phase VRM. The CPU is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel memory; and a single reinforced PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot. Other expansion slots include two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (both electrical x4 and wired to the B250 PCH), and three x1 slots.

Storage connectivity is pretty basic, with just the six SATA 6 Gbps ports, as is the USB connectivity, with just six USB 3.0 ports (four on the rear panel, and two by headers), and no 10 Gbps USB 3.1 ports. The only display output is an HDMI port. The onboard audio consists of a basic 8-channel HDA CODEC (Realtek ALC887, <90 dBA SNR), and the gigabit Ethernet connection is driven by an Intel i219-V controller with LANGuard (power surge protection), and GameFirst packet prioritization software. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Cryptocurrency mining has once again found revitalized value thanks to skyrocketing cryptocurrency prices now reaching record highs. GPU-based mining has long-been the most cost-effective and most accessible way of entering this field and BIOSTAR has been one of the foundations that helped many enthusiasts as well as investors in creating platforms for this industry. BIOSTAR since the H81A and TB85 series have been favorites by miners for its balance of price and scalability offering support up to six graphics cards for maximum board utilization.

Thanks to years of professional experience in mining backed by feedback from customers as well as internal R&D, BIOSTAR has debuted its most innovative mining platform yet. Making its debut during COMPUTEX 2017, motherboards that support up to 8 graphics cards were showcased by BIOSTAR in its booth receiving positive feedback from the people present. Today BIOSTAR has just up the ante with the announcement of it's the world's first motherboard that can support up to 12 graphics cards simultaneously with the global announcement of the TB250-BTC PRO specialized cryptocurrency mining motherboard.

ECS took to Computex to showcase seven different motherboards from both AMD and Intel. First up we have the Z270 Lightsaber, which is great at deflecting laser blaster shots. It's an LGA 1151 socket motherboard, features 8-channel audio courtesy of a Realtek ALC 1150 audio chip, a Killer E2500 Gigabit controller, 1x M.2 slot with support for SATA, NVMe, and Intel Optane. There are 3x PCIe x16 slots, which work at x8 x8 x4 when all slots are populated, as is usual with Z270 motherboards.

In what could be the first of many such bundles by motherboard manufacturers, MSI is preparing special SKUs of its motherboards that include Intel Optane cache SSDs. The drives won't be free, but the bundle would be slightly cheaper compared to buying the board and the drives separately. These bundles will be demarkated as variants of existing motherboards, and will come with the drives pre-installed on the boards' M.2 slots. MSI announced two such SKUs for now, the B250M Bazooka Opt Boost, and the Z270 Tomahawk Opt Boost, which come with 16 GB Intel Optane memory pre-installed and configured.

The 16 GB Intel Optane memory offers burst speeds that are 14X those of regular hard drives. The latest Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver, when configured for Optane caching, juggles "hot" data (most frequently accessed data) in and out of the drive from your main storage (HDD or even SSD), thereby boosting performance. MSI did not reveal pricing of the two SKUs, but they are expected to be nominally cheaper than purchasing the boards and drives separately.

ASUS has released BIOS updates for its 200-series motherboards (for the Z270, H270, Q270 and B250 chipsets) that brings full official support and compatibility with Intel's Optane products, such as the recently-released cache SSD.

These first Optane drives use the M.2 form factor, and are designed to be used as ultra-fast caching drives for slower, HDD-class storage - a case of having your cake and eating it too, looking to ally the speed benefits of an SSD with the capacious storage space of traditional plater-based storage. Intel says an Optane-cached 1TB hard disk (at 7,200 rpm) will become twice as responsive when performing daily computing tasks or booting up, and can reduce the time it takes for a game to launch (or level to load) by around the 65% mark. A pure SSD solution will always be faster - and usually more predictable - than the Optane-cached HDD, but Intel's Optane solutions offer a tempting option in terms of a cost-effective speed boost (a 16GB module goes for around $44.)

Here are the winners of the TechPowerUp and BIOSTAR Racing GT giveaway. Three lucky winners from the United States and Mexico, win one of BIOSTAR's finest socket LGA1151 Racing GT series motherboards, which includes one winner for the Racing Z270GT6 and two winners that get a Racing B250GT5, each. These motherboards feature powerful CPU VRM, RGB LED lighting preparation, and BIOSTAR's Puro Hi-Fi onboard audio solutions. Without further ado, the winners:

• Daniel from the United States, wins a Racing Z270GT6
• William and John, both from the United States, win a Racing B250GT5, each

TechPowerUp will return with more such interesting giveaways.

BIOSTAR and TechPowerUp are back with a 'racing' new giveaway, to celebrate the launch of BIOSTAR's Intel 200-series chipset based Racing GT series motherboards. These socket LGA1151 motherboards by BIOSTAR are designed with high-durability electrical components, and the grooviest RGB LED lighting. Open to participants from the United States and Mexico; up for grabs, are one BIOSTAR Racing Z270-GT6 high-end motherboard; and two BIOSTAR Racing B250-GT5. That's three lucky winners who stand to win one of BIOSTAR's very best! To stand a chance to win, all you have to do is fill up a short form (to help us identify you). Good Luck!For more information, and to participate, visit this page.

Apparently some Bitcoin miners haven't moved on to ASIC-based mining rigs. For these, BIOSTAR unveiled the TB250-BTC, a motherboard with a number of PCI-Express slots, so you can cram in as many GPUs/ASIC cards as possible. Since mining isn't a bandwidth-heavy application, a number of PCI-Express 3.0 x1 slots besides an x16 slot wired to the CPU, should live up to the task. The TB250-BTC is built in the ATX form-factor, and is based on the Intel B250 Express chipset, with support for Core "Kaby Lake" processors out of the box.

The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, a SATA-power, and two optional 4-pin Molex power connectors, to stabilize power delivery to the add-on cards. It uses a simple 7-phase VRM to condition power for the CPU, which is wired to two DDR4 DIMM slots, and one PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot. Storage connectivity includes six SATA 6 Gb/s ports and one 32 Gb/s M.2 slot. 6-channel HD audio and gigabit Ethernet driven by a Realtek RTL8111H controller, make for the rest of it.

MSI, world leading in gaming motherboard innovation, is thrilled to announce four new ARCTIC white GAMING motherboards, the Z270/H270 TOMAHAWK & H270M/B250M MORTAR ARCTIC, are added to the Arsenal GAMING Series. The second generation of ARCTIC models not only inherited the spirit of the unique ARCTIC design, it also adopted a plethora of features from other 200 series GAMING motherboards for an improved gaming experience. Enjoy never seen before low latency online gaming with MSI GAMING LAN, while benefiting from enhanced, studio grade sound with Audio Boost. Featuring heavy plated heat sinks, fully styled to perfectly match the ARCTIC look and feel, the new ARCTIC motherboards are ready to conquer the battlefield.

GIGABYTE today introduced the B250M-Gaming 5 motherboard. This micro-ATX socket LGA1151 board is targeted at performance-segment gaming PC builds, and features full RGB lighting over two multi-color LED elements near the CPU socket, and a multi-color LED lighting strip near the ATX power connector. There are also LEDs under the PCH heatsink and the audio ground layer isolation strip. The board is based on the Intel B250 Express chipset, and lacks support for CPU overclocking, or NVIDIA SLI. The CPU socket is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots (reinforced), and one PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot. The second x16 slot is gen 3.0 x4 and wired to the PCH. Two other gen 3.0 x1 slots make for the rest of the expansion area.

Storage connectivity on the B250M-Gaming 5 includes six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and a 32 Gb/s M.2 slot. Display outputs include DVI and HDMI. Networking is care of a single gigabit Ethernet interface, driven by an Intel-made controller. GIGABYTE deployed its AMP-UP onboard audio solution, with an 8-channel HD audio CODEC that boasts of 120 dBA SNR, a headphones amp, audio-grade electrolytic capacitors, and ground-layer isolation. USB ports include four USB 3.1 ports (two on the rear panel, including a type-C port, and two ports through headers); and six USB 3.0 ports. Other features include GIGABYTE's dual-UEFI BIOS. The company didn't reveal pricing, although one could expect this one to be priced around the $100 mark.

BIOSTAR is proud to announce its line-up of new motherboards based on the Intel B250 chipset as part of the 2nd-generation RACING series family of products with the announcement of the BIOSTAR RACING B250GT5 and B250GT3. Both motherboards support Intel's 7th-generation Core processors as well as native support for Intel Optane Memory technology for next-generation high-speed storage.

MSI showcases the future of PC gaming technology with an award-winning selection based on the latest Intel 7th gen platform. Over 30 models in 4 segments will be shown during CES 2017, including CES Innovation Honoree Z270 GAMING M7. The next generation MSI GAMING motherboards are once again packed with unique features such as M.2 Shield to protect against thermal throttling on super-fast M.2 SSDs and VR Boost to deliver a lag-free VR experience with lower latency and less chance of motion sickness. These features help gamers to enjoy more immersive games with better quality than ever.

The MSI ENTHUSIAST GAMING motherboards usher in a new era of gaming. With a unique look and feel, packed with more exclusive gaming features than ever, these GAMING motherboards are sure to offer you the best possible experience in games. One of the most powerful ENTHUSIAST GAMING models, the Z270 GAMING M7, is an incredibly versatile and complete foundation for a high-end gaming system. Features such as Audio Boost 4 PRO and Nahimic 2 provide gamers two sets of audio modules with isolated circuits for a pure sound experience to deliver the competitive edge on the battlefield.

BIOSTAR is proud to announce its latest motherboard supporting the 7th-generation of Intel Core series processors with the announcement of the BIOSTAR RACING Z270GT9. Featuring the latest Intel Z270 chipset, this motherboard supports LGA1151 processors for the latest in performance and power as well as the best features including support for DDR4-3600+ high-speed memory, six PCI-E x16 3.0 slots, and two USB 3.1 (TYPE A+C) ports amongst others.

Built upon reliability, the new BIOSTAR RACING Z270GT9 features enhanced endurance and stability under intense conditions which is a great advantage for gamers thanks to its improved power design named Digital Power+ which features IR digital PWM controller and PowIRstage IC which offer excellent stability and voltage delivery whilst operating cooler and more reliable under load than competing designs. The BIOSTAR RACING Z270GT9 features 14-phase power design complimented with all solid capacitors for a stable overclocking experience.

The third Prime B250 series motherboard by ASUS is the B250M-Plus. This micro-ATX motherboard offers most of the features its bigger siblings ship with. The board features the same 7-phase VRM as the other boards. Expansion slots include one each of PCI-Express 3.0 x16, PCIe x1, and legacy PCI. Storage connectivity includes one 32 Gb/s M.2 slot, and six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. The board offers 8-channel HD audio (compared to 6-channel on the larger boards), gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 ports, and display outputs that include HDMI, DVI, and D-Sub. Expect a sub-$100 price.

ASUS is introducing the new Prime family of motherboards positioned between its Pro Gaming series and its mainline series. These are motherboards that share their feature-set from the company's mainline series, but feature black PCBs, and black+red product styling reminiscent of some of its premium ROG motherboards. Here are some of the first pictures of the Prime B250 Pro, an ATX form-factor motherboard priced around the $100 mark. The board could share its PCB design with the Prime Z270 Pro. Based on the Intel B250 Express chipset, the board lacks NVIDIA SLI support, or the kind of CPU overclocking features the Z270 chipset does.

The Prime Z270 Pro draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, and conditions it for the CPU with a 7-phase VRM. Expansion slots include one PCI-Express 3.0 x16 wired to the CPU, a second x16 (electrical x4) slot wired to the PCH, and two each of PCI-Express 3.0 x1 and legacy PCI slots. Storage connectivity includes two M.2 slots, from which one is 32 Gb/s (bottom), and the other 16 Gb/s (top); and six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. The board offers two USB 3.1 (10 Gb/s) ports, one USB 3.0 type-C port, two USB 3.0 type-A ports on the rear panel, and four USB 3.0 ports by headers. Display connectivity includes HDMI, DVI, and D-Sub. ASUS also has a stripped-down variant of this board, called the Prime B250 Plus. It lacks USB 3.1 ports, and the heatsink over the CPU VRM.