We continue to be on track to start shipments before the end of the month on the new Framework Laptop 13 (AMD Ryzen 7040 Series). Last week we shared that SMT (Mainboard production) had started, and this week we've begun final assembly of laptops. We also pulled some early units to send out to press reviewers to make sure that you can see exactly where we've landed on performance and battery life.

We have another happy bit of news to share with you: our Lead System Architect Kieran was able to implement a firmware solution to reduce power consumption when using HDMI and DP Expansion Cards on the back two slots. The only remaining power issue is with USB-A Expansion Cards on the back slots, which we are investigating a future USB-A Expansion Card hardware revision to resolve.

Many of you are most likely familiar with iFixit's various toolkits, even if you don't happen to own one, as they've become quite famous all around the world as affordable, yet good quality tools. Now Corsair has decided to jump into the toolkit marketspace with its PC DIY Precision Toolkit, which is very similar to iFixit's Mako Driver Kit. Both kits come with a flexible extension rod, but where Corsair bests iFixit is when it comes to the actual driver handle, as it has a much better grip and the top cap appears to be made of aluminium rather than plastic. The box is also very similar, as both kits are kept closed with magnets and both have a magnetic insert in the lid which will hold your screws in place while you disassemble whatever it is you're trying to fix or upgrade.

The two toolkits also differ in terms of the kind of bits you get, with Corsair providing some extremely fine tool sizes, especially for Philips and pentalobe compared to iFixit, although iFixit has smaller Torx sizes in their kit. Corsair also offers more socket bits than iFixit, but loses some other bits like the SIM ejection bit and a magnetic pick-up bit. Overall Corsair provides 65 bits vs 64 for iFixit, so it really comes down to which bits make the most sense for you. Corsair also charges US$5 less for their kit compared to iFixit, with an MSRP of US$34.99.

ASUS today announced the Prime 750 W Gold and 850 W Gold power supplies, designed to give mainstream DIY PC users reliability and build quality without breaking the bank. The 750 W and 850 W Gold are the first power supplies to join the Prime family, bringing the ATX 3.0 standard, fully modular cables and an eight-year warranty. And whether it is the Prime AP201 MicroATX case or motherboards like the Prime Z790-A WiFi, the Prime series is synonymous with classy, understated designs that can look amazing in any build.

Build-friendly features
ASUS Prime Gold Series power supplies are loaded with all of the features that PC builders have come to expect from a high-quality PSU. Both models are fully modular, allowing users to cut down on build clutter by only using the cables they need. As ATX 3.0-compatible power supplies, the ASUS Prime Gold Series units are also fully compatible with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards, thanks to their native 16-pin 12VHPWR cable.

After our long acclaimed transparent back cases, we couldn't resist and we released the transparent front case plus a new transparent back plate with new ventilation and cooling features. Now you can fully customize your Steam Deck and embrace the retro-gaming style. But that's not all, along with the Transparent Front Plate a new version of our Transparent Back Plates will all be on sale too, starting today!

THE LONG AWAITED TRANSPARENT FRONT PLATE
This highly anticipated front cover will be released in three colors (crystal, brown, and purple) finally allowing you to own a fully transparent Steam Deck. This item will come with a full complimentary tool kit and an installation guide. Before exposing the guts of your Steam Deck, keep in mind that the installation process (around 3 to 5 hours long) is trickier than the one for the back cover and that you should consider seeking help from a professional - or proceed by yourself at your own discretion. Get your Transparent Front Plate here.

At Computex 2023 InWin showcased a chassis concept that has been something of a holy grail in case design for the last couple decades: a fully modular case. By fully modular InWin means that each compartment of the chassis is its own accessory module that can be attached at any 90 degree intersection with tool free interlocks. This allows somebody to effectively build an infinite computer case if they so desired. The case is broken up into three base modules: Mod-I is the motherboard tray with nine expansion slots, some front I/O, and a couple 120/140 mm fan mounts at the front and top. Mod-II has the mount for the PSU, and Mod-III can host 3.5 inch storage bays, a full size GPU, or fans with three more 120/140 mm fan mounts. The rest of the case, being the outer panels, face plates, and covers, are sized to fit around the outer dimensions of these modules so no matter what configuration you assemble there is a combination of glass and steel panels that fit and can enclose the case.

InWin offers two default configurations for buyers to choose from: ModFree - Base Edition and ModFree - Deluxe Edition. The Base Edition includes one Mod-I and Mod-II frame pieces with glass and steel side panels for a relatively basic mid-tower setup, while the Deluxe Edition adds a Mod-III fan housing to both the front and top with accompanying side panels. The third option is to simply configure whatever you like from the available modules. InWin is also working on a unique concept for the Mod-II chassis piece that adds a motherboard tray, vented wooden side and wood-color accent plates to create a very stylish ITX chassis called the ModFree mini.

Akasa might be the most well known third party housing manufacturer for Intel's NUC series of devices, most of which offer passive cooling and full aluminium construction. At Computex, Akasa was showing off its Cypher X133 which the company has been selling to system integrators for some time already, but there hasn't been a public announcement. The reason for keeping this product on the low is because it's using a low profile, server grade liquid cooling solution which takes some skill to install in the compact chassis. That said, the entire internals slide out on rails, which should make most parts much easier to access than in a typical chassis this size.

Even though it's a compact chassis, it can house an NVIDIA RTX 4090 graphics card, in addition to the NUC 13 Extreme, which is no small feat. That said, the width limit sits at 3.9 slots for the GPU, so some custom models with wider coolers might not work. The chassis is very much a premium product with a very nice finish that is easily comparable to high-end notebooks. Hopefully Akasa will figure out a way to make a more DIY friendly version of this chassis, although it's possible that the price tag will be too high for this to make sense as a DIY build.

Today, we're introducing a major set of upgrades to the Framework Laptop spanning two new models - the Framework Laptop 13 (13th Gen Intel Core) and the Framework Laptop 13 (AMD Ryzen 7040 Series). We've not only scaled up performance and enabled an AMD-powered version for the first time, but we've also delivered refinements to the day-to-day user experience with a higher capacity battery, matte display, louder speakers, and more rigid hinges.

The Framework Laptop 13 (13th Gen Intel Core) and Framework Laptop 13 (AMD Ryzen 7040 Series) are now available for pre-order in all countries we currently ship to: US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, Australia. First shipments for 13th Gen Intel Core systems are in May, and AMD Ryzen systems will ship in Q3. We'll be launching in Belgium, Italy, Spain and Taiwan later this year, and you can sign up for our newsletter to be notified when we are available in these and other countries. Like before, we're using a batch pre-order system, with only a fully-refundable $100/€100/£100 deposit required at the time of pre-order. As always, we have both pre-built configurations starting at $1049 USD that work out of the box with Windows 11 and the Framework Laptop DIY Edition starting at $849 USD, allowing you to bring your own memory, storage, and operating system, including Linux. You'll also now be able to select your Bezel color and Keyboard on DIY Edition when ordering, with a range of new Bezel colors coming this year.

Antec Inc., leading provider of high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself market, broadens its Gold series with three models offering 650 W, 750 W or 850 W. The 80 PLUS GOLD rating and modular cabling make the Neo Eco Gold Modular a great and affordable choice to Antec's range of industry-leading power supplies. They are now commercially available from 109 € (suggested retail price including VAT).

The brand-new NeoECO Gold Modular series was born ready for the best DIY-PC experience, and it also serves exceptional performance and outstanding stability. Featuring 100% full modular design and 80 PLUS Gold certification, the NeoECO Gold Modular series keeps the PC hardware installation convenient and clean. It provides highly efficient power to your system and reduces your electricity bills.

Over the past decade, PC cases have grown increasingly compartmentalized, but rarely modular. A case could be partitioned horizontally, or vertically to accommodate the various purpose-built chambers, but why should you stick to a particular pre-set arrangement of the compartments? In Win has an answer to this question with Mod Free. This case can either be a tall full-tower, or a horizontal stack of compartments, depending on how you want it. You can reconfigure the case as many times are you like, to grow with your hardware upgrades. The detachable modules can even hold secondary ITX-based machines, entire DIY liquid-cooling setups, large arrays of storage devices, or dedicated to graphics cards. Reconfigure and reshape the case as you like.A video presentation by In Win follows.

In Win is always a stand-out attraction at PC trade-shows, and at the 2023 International CES, they presented a vision for what PC cases could ship like in the near-future. PC cases, particularly $20-50 ones, are incredibly uneconomical to ship, as they take up vast amount of spatial volume for the market-price. The new In Win POC isn't exactly an entry-level case, but adds a heavy DIY element to it, similar to what you'd find with Ikea furniture.

The In Win POC case comes in completely knocked down kits, with nealy all its metal panels flattened. There are cutouts on the panel, along which you manually bend and fold the sheet-metal to construct 3D shapes, as shown in online instructional videos made by In Win. A few bends and tightening of joints later, your case is ready for the hardware to be installed. The knocked-down case comes in an incredibly compact box that's a fraction of the volume of what would've been for a factory-assembled case, and needs much less protective Styrofoam. The concept carries on to the Dubili, a rather upmarket-looking ATX mid-tower which, although doesn't come with "fold here" sheet-metal, remains in a completely knocked-down state out of the box, with mostly flat bits that you join using a series of thumb-screw joints to give the case its 3-dimensional form.A video presentation by In Win follows.

hermaltake, the leading PC DIY premium brand for Case, Power, Cooling, Gaming peripherals, and enthusiast Memory solutions, is excited to announce the launch of CTE Form Factor Series at CES 2023. CTE, which stands for Centralized Thermal Efficiency, is focused on providing high-level thermal performance to critical components. The series includes CTE C750 Air, CTE C750 TG ARGB, CTE C700 Air, CTE C700 TG ARGB, CTE T500 Air and CTE T500 TG ARGB, giving plenty of options for your next build.

The CTE Form Factor Series breaks the conventional chassis design with its newly reimagined body created from the ground up by utilizing a 90-degree rotation of the motherboard, which provides more efficient airflow pathways. Such design gives the CTE Form Factor chassis a lead in cooling configurations. As the TDP of new graphics cards and CPUs increase, we thought to move the critical heat sources closer to intakes, achieving thermal extraction benefits as the CPU location has been moved slightly towards the front panel and the GPU closer to the rear, providing an independent cold air induction to your components. The overall approach has allowed CTE to provide better and more efficient intake airflow through the placement of main components and cooling, as well as optimization to heat extraction for the system.

With Core Storm and Core Hurrican, Alphacool provides further complete water cooling sets that contain all components for setting up a performance-oriented CPU cooling. The sets differ in that Core Storm comes with SoftTubes, while Core Hurrican comes with HardTubes. Due to the included mounting hardware, the bundled CPU coolers are compatible with all common mainstream sockets from AMD and Intel. Even AMD's newest AM5 socket can be water-cooled with the Core Storm or Core Hurrican sets with ease.

The sets are not only aimed at beginners, but also at enthusiasts. The selected components are optimally matched and come from Alphacool's DIY program. By using the Alphacool quick-connect coupling included with the Core Set, the loop can be easily expanded with additional components such as radiators, GPU coolers or sensors without having to drain or rebuild the water loop.

YouTuber Matt Perks, known as DIY Perks on Google's video-sharing platform, has achieved the title of owning the world's first "PS5 Slim" console... by creating a custom watercooling system that's aimed at keeping the AMD-designed chip in check while rendering some of the most impressive games of this generation. Thanks to the custom watercooling unit, the PS5's usual 4-inch width was reduced to a mere inch - and due to improved operating temperatures, it's likely the hardware will see increased longevity. Barring any catastrophic leakage, of course.

Perks made use of a copper sheet to channel water over the PS5's APU, while also including thermal bridges that distributed the contained water throughout the consoles' SSD and power delivery subsystem. There is a secret to the consoles' slim profile, however, which should also answer one question you're holding on your mind: where, in that single inch frame, did he fit the pump and radiator for the embedded watercooling?

Since the launch of AMD's Ryzen processors, the CPU market share has been reshaped in AMD's favor. Intel's offerings were matched by team red, and AMD quickly broke into the consumer market. However, according to the latest round of reports, it seems like that is no longer the case. As per the Japanese DIY market analysis from BCNR, sales of Intel processors started rising in mid-2021, and the company is managing to grab some market share from AMD. After nearly two years of dominance in the Japanese market, AMD is now behind Intel in sales, and team blue is getting back to its older setting.

Another source that is generally a pretty good indicator of the market share of Intel and AMD processor is PassMark. As users submit their benchmark runs, the PassMark software developer has updated the CPU market share statistics chart, mainly showing the desktop segment. It also concludes the same thing as BCRN: Intel is again gaining share in the CPU market. As it always goes hand-in-hand, AMD is losing the CPU marker share naturally. This is due to many reasons, and it seems like Intel's marketing and supply tactics are paying off. Intel now sits at 60% share, while AMD is set at 40%.

Demand for NAND Flash products will undergo a noticeable and cyclical downward correction in 1Q22 as major smartphone brands wind down their procurement activities for the peak season and ODMs prepare for the New Year holidays, according to TrendForce's latest investigations. As such, the NAND Flash market will remain in an oversupply situation, with prices continuing to undergo downward corrections accordingly. However, PC OEMs have been reinstating certain orders for client SSDs since early November in response to improvements in the supply of upstream semiconductor materials. By fulfilling these orders, suppliers are able to keep their inventory level relatively low, meaning they are not under as much pressure as previously expected to reduce inventory by lowering prices. Taking these factors into account, TrendForce expects NAND Flash ASP to undergo a 10-15% QoQ decline in 1Q22, during which NAND Flash prices will experience the most noticeable declines compared to the other quarters in 2022.

Regarding the price trend of NAND Flash products across the whole 2021, TrendForce further indicates that suppliers have actively transitioned their output to higher-layer technologies, resulting in a bit supply growth that noticeably outpaces demand, though the tight supply of components such as controller ICs and PMICs has constrained the production of NAND Flash end-products. Hence, the decline in contract prices of NAND Flash products has not been as severe as previously expected. Moving ahead to 2022, however, the supply of relevant components is expected to gradually improve, so the market for various NAND Flash products will also likely shift towards a noticeable oversupply. As a result, prices of NAND Flash products will steadily decline before the arrival of the peak season in 3Q22.

Bringing the "do it yourself" ethos to the case itself, InWin today announced its new AIRFORCE ATX mid-tower and EXPLORER Mini-ITX DIY PC chassis. Following its innovative ultra-light ALICE PC chassis, the new AIRFORCE and EXPLORER are created for DIY enthusiasts to enjoy assembling detailed, modular gaming chassis on their own. Everything clips together effortlessly.


Made from strengthened ABS plastic with tempered glass side panels, choose between a simple Bone White or Justice White that has vibrant mixes of red, blue and yellow that users can assemble the modular 10-piece Mini-ITX chassis. Builders can choose between a ventilated ABS or SECC front panel - both are included in the box and can be easily swapped whenever! Other tool-less features include quick-release side panels and dust filters, in addition to the quick-release front panel.

Server and workstation users will soon be able to mount all Eisblock XPX Pro models and the Eisbaer Pro AIO on the LGA 4189 socket. The corresponding bracket will soon be available as an option. Owners of an XPX Pro cooler or the Eisbaer PRO AIO can contact Alphacool with their invoice to receive a free bracket: info@alphacool.com

All Eisblock XPX coolers and Eisbaer AIOs are already compatible with Intel Socket LGA 1700. If you own an Alphacool Eisblock XPX cooler and looking to upgrade to the new Intel Socket 1700, you don't have to worry about additional mounts. All Eisblock XPX coolers are already compatible with the new socket LGA 1700 with the included mounting material. A corresponding new manual for all coolers of the Alphacool Eisblock XPX series will be available online when the socket is released. All Eisbaer CPU AIO water coolers are also compatible with Socket 1700 with the enclosed mounting kit.

The recent wave of COVID-19 outbreaks in India has weakened sales of retail storage products such as memory cards and USB drives, according to TrendForce's latest investigations. However, demand remains fairly strong in the main application segments due to the arrival of the traditional peak season and the growth in the procurement related to data centers. Hence, the sufficiency ratio of the entire market has declined further. NAND Flash suppliers have kept their inventories at a healthy level thanks to clients' stock-up activities during the past several quarters. Moreover, the ongoing shortage of NAND Flash controller ICs continues to affect the production of finished storage products. Taking account of these demand-side and supply-side factors, TrendForce forecasts that contract prices of NAND Flash products will rise marginally for 3Q21, with QoQ increases in the range of 5-10%.

EK Water Blocks, or simply EK as the company refers to itself now, had a decent showing at the virtual Computex 2021 event including new AIO CPU coolers, additions to its Fluid Gaming and Fluid Works portfolio, and more water blocks based on current designs and supporting newer hardware, including one we reported on just a few hours ago. These all interested me, but then there was a nearly two hour private conversation followed by a live stream that ended minutes ago which shed more light on future updates and products in its mainstream Quantum DIY liquid cooling lineup.There were renders of the upcoming Velocity² CPU blocks shared before, but seeing them actually manufactured is a whole other thing. Velocity² is the update to EK's popular Velocity CPU blocks, with a complete redesign that evokes more comparisons to monoblocks than other CPU blocks. Taking cues from the flagship EK-Quantum Magnitude, you will see different cooling engines to better cool different CPU sockets. There is also a concealed aesthetic theme here, especially for the acetal top version where you can't see any screws in use, thanks to a patent-pending mounting mechanism from the back- again taking cues from monoblocks. EK says the new system uses "pre-tensioned springs concealed in the water block top, so with just a few turns on the thumb-nuts, the installation is finished". We look forward to checking these out in person when they release in the Sept 2021 timeframe. Read past the break for more from EK!

Antec Inc., a leading provider of high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself market, is presenting a new ITX case which offers PC enthusiasts the best watercooling options in a small format case. The Dark Cube will soon reach store shelves and online retail outlets in Europe with a competitive MSRP of 209 Euros.

The Dark Cube is a masterpiece of the revolutionary ITX case from Antec. This untraditional case provides powerful support for the latest gaming gear. Despite the small size, the Dark Cube still supports motherboards up to M-ATX. The Dark Cube supports high-end hardware and provides dual front panel options: Users can choose either the tempered glass panel or mesh front panel - whether the emphasis is on maximum airflow performance or on showcasing the gaming components.

Thermaltake, the leading PC DIY premium brand for Cooling, Gaming Gear, and Enthusiast Memory solutions, is excited to announce that the Pacific V-RTX 3070 GPU Water Block and Pacific V-RTX 3080/3090 GPU Water Block are both ready to sell.

The Pacific V-RTX 3070 GPU Water Block and Pacific V-RTX 3080/3090 GPU Water Block are both RGB designed waterblocks for ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 3070 and 3080/3090 graphic cards; these transparent water blocks are part of the TT RGB ecosystem and support the TT RGB Plus software, displaying 16.8M RGB lighting effects to create the best visual effects for the users' builds. They also support various motherboards with a 5 V addressable RGB header allowing users to control the lighting effects through the synchronized software, such as ASUS Aura Sync and MSI Mystic Light Sync. Their high-water flow design, mirror-finished CU base, and micro-channel structure guarantee these water blocks' performance and visual aesthetics. Therefore, if you happen to get an ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 3070 or a 3080/3090 graphics card, come try out our latest Pacific V-RTX 3070 GPU Water Block or the Pacific V-RTX 3080/3090 GPU Water Block.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, made October 10, 2020 a day to remember for the global gaming community. Fans across the world tuned in to the inaugural RazerCon to watch Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan's live mixed-reality keynote - a one-of-a-kind interactive session hosted against the iconic Singapore skyline. This was followed by Razer panels on new and unannounced products, and exclusive content showcases and giveaways from game studios such as Romero Games, Perfect World Entertainment, Paradox Interactive and technology partners such as Intel, NVIDIA and Western Digital.

The event was a huge hit with the fans, peaking at over 1 million concurrent viewers with a total of more than 250,000 hours viewed and 175 million impressions across Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch. In a true celebration of all things gaming, highly decorated veterans of the industry, including Brenda and John Romero, and Haz Dullul, presented their newest projects, whilst leading gaming celebrities CloakZy, CourageJD, PaladinAmber and many others engaged with the community during their sessions.

OWC ; a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company and one of the world's most respected providers of Memory, External Drives, SSDs, Mac & PC docking solutions, and performance upgrade kits introduces the new OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual with 3-Port Hub. Designed to handle diverse workflows, the Mercury Elite Pro Dual offers up to 32 TB of storage capacity plus a built-in high-powered USB hub for accessory connectivity and device charging, easily making it the centerpiece of your digital desktop. The compact Mercury Elite Pro Dual is equipped and ready to go to give you its best performance with any USB equipped Mac, PC, or tablet from nearly the last decade. You don't need to worry about what system you have, the Mercury Elite Pro Dual with 3-Port Hub is there to provide the performance, data capacity, and hub capability your digital needs.

The Mercury Elite Pro Dual with 3-Port Hub gives you nearly infinite options for your workspace. This modern designed solution is universally USB compatible and can handle diverse workflows. Available plug and play ready, the Mercury Elite Pro Dual is not only superfast, convenient, and versatile, it will quickly become the centerpiece of your digital lifestyle.

Alphacool today unveiled five new NexXxoS series DIY liquid cooling radiators. These include the XT45 Full Copper 1260 mm SuperNova, XT45 Full Copper 1080 mm Nova, XT45 Full Copper 200 mm, XT45 Full Copper 400 mm, and ST30 Full Copper 560 mm radiator V.2 The XT45 Full Copper 1260 mm SuperNova Radiator has 400 x 400 x 45 mm of pure cooling surface for nine 140 mm or four 200 mm fans. No other Alphacool radiator offers as much surface area in a single product. Priced at 139.96€. Alphacool NexXxoS XT45 1080 mm Nova offers 350 x 350 x 45 mm of pure cooling surface for nine 140 mm or four 200 mm fans. Only one other Alphacool Radiator offers more cooling surface in one unit. The Alphacool NexXxoS XT45 1260 SuperNova Radiator. Priced 99.95€.

As usual, Alphacool also uses pure copper for the NexXxoS 200 mm XT45 Radiator. The end chambers, water channels and cooling fins are all made of copper and are a unique selling point worldwide. As a result, Alphacool radiators have been among the most popular and best on the market for many years, providing the perfect foundation for every water cooling system. Priced at 59.95€.

Thermaltake, the leading PC DIY premium brand for Cooling, Gaming Gear, and Enthusiast Memory solutions, proudly announced our high clock rate memory, the TOUGHRAM RGB DDR4 4600 MHz 16 GB Memory (2x8GB), which comes in both black and white versions. Besides the previous TOUGHRAM RGB 4000 MHz and TOUGHRAM RGB 4400 MHz Memory, we have now reached a new level, the TOUGHRAM line with a new higher clock rate of 4600 MHz in 16 GB (2x8GB) to ensure that we meet the users' needs. To provide high and stable gaming performance, all ICs are tightly-screened and coated with a ten-layer PCB.

Uniquely designed TT premium heat spreader with ten high lumens individual addressable LEDs not only dispatches heat faster but can allow users to show off 16.8 million colors with countless lighting combinations. Furthermore, users can use NeonMaker to customize and control the lighting effects, or even synchronized TOUGHRAM RGB DDR4 4600 MHz Memory with the TT RGB Plus software to maximize the control of RGB effects. TOUGHRAM RGB DDR4 4600 MHz Memory is also compatible with Intel Z490 and AMD X570 chipsets and supports Intel's XMP 2.0. If you're looking for high-quality, high functioning stable memory, choose TOUGHRAM RGB DDR4 4600 MHz.