Microsoft seemingly has one more trick up its sleeve to increase attractiveness of Windows 11. Via a Microsoft blog post, the company revealed that Windows 11 will introduce support for Dynamic Refresh Rate on the Desktop, the 2-D realm of work e-mails, personal accounting, and social media. This means that Windows will be able to dynamically change your screen's refresh rate to save power consumption - scaling it to the scenario at hand.

For example: if you are reading a TechPowerUp article, Windows will dynamically reduce the refresh rate down to 60 Hz while you do so to conserve power. However, should any user interaction occur, such as a mouse movement or other input (like moving the browser window down and revealing a TechPowerUp wallpaper), Windows will automatically restore the refresh rate to its user-defined value.

AOC via its Chinese website launched a new monitor that stands in its premium offerings. The AOC AG274QXM packs the latest Mini LED technology, enabling lighting of 576 individual zones, improving contrast and brightness enough so that it features VESA's DisplayHDR 1,000 certification. The 170 Hz IPS panel and WQHD (2560 x 1440) resolution is arguably at the best performance/image quality ratio compared to the current-gen graphics cards for the most demanding raytraced games, alongside the 1 ms response time and FreeSync support.

The AOC AG274QXM's panel also offers color coverage at 100 percent sRGB, 99 percent Adobe RGB, 98 percent DCI-P3 and a Delta-E <2 on its 10-bit panel. There are two integrated 5 W loudspeakers with DTS support, and I/O is taken care of by 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, a USB 3.0 HUB, and 1x USB-Type C with DisplayPort alternate mode and 65 W power delivery. There is also RGB lighting on the monitor's stand. It isn't currently known whether AOC will launch the AG274QXM monitor to other markets other than the Chinese one.

Samsung Electronics, today announced the expanded 2021 Odyssey monitor lineup will be available across the global markets from June 21, 2021, providing gamers of all skill sets with superb picture quality and futuristic design. Following the curved gaming monitor launch in 2020, Samsung now offers a variety of Odyssey monitors in flat-screen design, ranging from 24 to 28 inches. The new lineup delivers hyper-real picture quality, a higher response level, tailored ergonomics and intuitive usability. Together with these latest features, gaming enthusiasts can enjoy real-world colors, pinpoint accuracy and sharp response speeds for their PC and console gaming entertainment devices.

As gaming industry continues to thrive worldwide, Samsung Odyssey has quickly become the number one choice among gamers seeking incredible picture quality and high performance, all in one package. The expanded lineup now ensures gamers can choose a monitor that can accommodate their exact preferences and play needs.

Razer today announced the latest version of its multi-award-winning gaming monitor, the new Razer Raptor 27. With a 165 Hz display and 1 ms response time, the Raptor 27 meets the demand for image quality and speed needed in today's high-frame-rate and high-resolution AAA game titles. The Razer Raptor 27 is the world's first PC monitor to achieve THX Certification, undergoing more than 400 individual tests to ensure color, tone and images are displayed as their creators intended, for a stunning picture quality and level of detail.

Providing increased fluidity at 165 Hz, the wide-angle IPS display in the new Razer Raptor 27 boasts a QHD (2560 x 1440) resolution with support for both AMD FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA G-Sync adaptive synchronization technology. With a 95 percent DCI-P3 wide color gamut and HDR400 capability, the Razer Raptor 27 offers deep blacks and vibrant colors that take gaming, productivity, and entertainment to new visual heights.

HP introduced its latest gaming hardware and software designed for today's gamers with the powerful OMEN 16 and OMEN 17, bright and customizable OMEN 25i Gaming Monitor, and community gaming with OMEN OASIS Beta feature in OMEN Gaming Hub. The company also debuted Victus by HP, its next-generation mainstream-level gaming PC portfolio, with a 16-inch laptop.

Gaming continues to be an outlet for entertainment and connecting with friends. Two out of three people are spending more time watching videos and gaming than they did prior to the pandemic, with one in four gaming three to four hours more and almost one in five gaming six to ten hours more a week6. HP's next-generation gaming portfolio is designed for both veteran gamers and enthusiast explorers to be entertained, connected, and empowered to progress in their favorite games.

[Editors' note: This press release pertains to the US division of Philips, with the news contained not necessarily the case globally.]

Envision Peripherals, Inc. (EPI), an affiliate of TPV Technology Limited (TPV), today debuts a new E Line monitor, the Philips 4K Ultra HD LCD monitor 288E2E. The Philips E Line monitor features stunning visuals and stylish design for workspace. Ultra-clear 4K UHD and Ultra-Wide-Color deliver ultimate clarity and life-like visuals. Its Multiview function meets the need for usability and productivity. The Philips 288E2E is available on Amazon for $309.99 USD, starting May 18, 2021.

LG today announced a new addition to its productivity/entertainment-geared monitor lineup. The 34WP550-B monitor seems to be a pretty standard affair for any user that only casually games and isn't looking for the best refresh rates, but wants a solid, ultra-wide monitor to work and consume content in. The 34" diagonal presents images in 21:9 aspect ratio across an IPS-enabled 2560 x 1080 resolution. The refresh rate settles at a pretty standard 75 Hz, albeit with the support of FreeSync - hence the eventual casual gaming scenario for this monitor. The 5 ms response time is nothing to write home about either, but again - this isn't geared for gaming, and is more than sufficient for spreadsheet-processing.

Brightness is quoted at 250cd / ㎡ with a 1,000: 1 contrast ratio, 95% RGB coverage, and typical IPS viewing angles of 178º. I/O is assured by 2x HDMI in and 1x earphone. The LG 34WP550-B is expected to be available for $299/€299 - if you're looking for something to game on, you'd be much better served looking elsewhere, though this is a very nice aspect ratio.

Viotek rolled out the GFI27DBXA, a 27-inch monitor with WQHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) native resolution, 180 Hz refresh rate, and 1 ms response time, which add to its gaming feature-set. The IPS display panel behind all this, is capable of 10-bpc color (1.07 billion colors), 178°/178° viewing angles, 600 cd/m² maximum brightness, and HDR, although the company didn't mention if this is DisplayHDR 600. The panel also supports AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-SYNC (compatible). Display inputs include two DisplayPort 1.4, and one HDMI 2.0. The monitor also features game genre-specific display presets, OSD crosshairs, anti-glare surface treatment, and 3-level blue light filtering. Its stand allows tilt, height, and 90° rotation adjustments. Available now, the Viotek GFI27DBXA is priced at USD $370.

AMD has today updated its Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020 Edition version 21.5.1 drivers, bringing many features on board as well as fixing a lot of issues that have appeared in the past. Starting with support for the Resident Evil Village PC game, AMD promises to deliver up to 13% better frame rate at 4K maximum settings, while using the Radeon RX 6800 XT graphics card. The comparison was conducted with a reference to the previous driver, 21.4.1, which didn't allow the card to reach as high FPS as it is now possible with the proper support for the game. Another game that is added to the support list is Metro Exodus PC Enhanced Edition. Some fixes have been implemented, as the incorrect performance metrics that may have incorrectly reported temperatures on Ryzen 5 1600 series processors. For a detailed list of bug fixes, please take a look at the list below.DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020 Edition 21.5.1

Boosted by a new type IPS - Fast IPS panel technology, the new G-Master delivers next level gaming with an outstanding 0.5 ms Moving Picture Response Time and offers high-fidelity, vivid battleground scenes displayed with outstanding color accuracy. HDR 400 certified, the GB2770QSU is a true 8-bit monitor guaranteeing 400 cd/m² luminance. Offering Premium Pro - the highest level - FreeSync support, the monitor dynamically adjusts its vertical refresh rate to the frame rate of the graphics card resulting in virtually zero tearing or stuttering issues. The low framerate compensation effectively removes the minimum refresh rate boundary.

To enhance visibility in shadowed areas, users can switch on the Black Tuner function improving viewing performance and helping to spot the enemy earlier. Whether you're on First Person Shooter or Strategy, predefined and custom gaming modes are available via the on-screen-display menu and make it easy to adjust the screen settings to anyone's personal preferences. The new Red Eagle is equipped with HDMI and DisplayPort inputs. It also features a headphone connector and a USB hub with charging function. The flicker-free and blue light reducer technologies reduce the strain put on the eyes by long hours spent in front of the screen.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced that Strix XG43UQ, the world's first HDMI 2.1 gaming monitor, will be available in May. Strix XG43UQ features a 43 inch 4K panel with up to a 144 Hz refresh rate and 1 ms moving picture response time (MPRT). It also includes Display Stream Compression (DSC) technology. The HDMI 2.1 port enables gamers to enjoy 4K 120 Hz gameplay on the latest consoles.

The inclusion of AMD FreeSync Premium Pro technology ensures smooth HDR visuals with low latency, while ASUS Extreme Low Motion Blur Sync (ELMB Sync) works simultaneously with variable refresh rate technology to eliminate smearing and motion blur for fluid and responsive gameplay. Strix XG43UQ has a maximum brightness of 1000 nits - more than three times that of OLED TVs. The monitor has a two-tone black and white finish with an all-white rear cover, and it features Aura Sync lighting technology for synchronised light effects with other Aura-enable components and peripherals.

AMD today released the Radeon Software Adrenalin 21.4.1 drivers, which introduce major updates to the soft-product that completes your AMD Radeon graphics cards. The drivers come with updates to the Radeon Software interface, and the AMD Link remote-gameplay utility. Radeon Software now comes with an improved installer with installation presets that let you choose between a Full (typical) installation, with all software features installed; a Minimal installation with an interface that only has basic settings related to the display and GPU; and "driver-only" that only installs the display driver, and no additional software.

There are several new features introduced within Radeon Software. Vivid Gaming Display Color Enhancement is a new monitor color profile that enables a more "vivid" color palette that lets you liven up "color deficient" scenes. The interface lets you take control of protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia components of the color. The search bar that lets you dig through the hundreds of features, has been improved. There are many other minor UI improvements, such as stats in the Games tab, a toggle for the in-built web-browser, and global controls for the hotkeys.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 21.4.1

AOC today launched another addition to their gaming monitor lineup in the form of the AG323QCX2. This particular entry from AOC features a 2560 x 1440 8WQHD) 31.5" panel with a VA pixel matrix, which will ensure fast response times - as shown by the 155 HZ refresh rate and 1 ms response time. To support that refresh rate, the AOC AG323QCX2 features support for VESA's VRR (FreeSync). With a contrast ratio set at 3000:1 and a 1500R curvature, this panel looks like a competent solution for users who are looking for 1080p+ resolutions but don't want to bring their graphics cards to their knees with 4K resolution (a reality that is still common, even with the latest (unavailable) GPUs from AMD and NVIDIA.

The AG323QCX2 also features support for VESA's HDR 400 standard, with a typical luminance announced at 400 cd/m² (and HDR10 support). Color technology-wise, we're looking at a a good 99% sRGB color coverage, and a great 91% coverage of the DCI-P3 color spaces, with a calibration that ensures a Delta-E < 2 value, which opens up this monitor's usage for photo and video editing. I/O is assured by 2x DisplayPort 1.3 and 2x HDMI 2.0 (limiting its usage for the latest-gen consoles), 4x USB 3.2 downstream ports, 1x Mic-in, 1x Audio Out, and 2x internal 5 W speakers. Quality-of-life wise, the monitor features inclination, rotation and height adjustments, a 75 x 75 mm VESA mount, blue light filtering and flicker-free background lighting. The monitor comes in at a hefty 7.2 Kg (sans stand). No information on pricing was available at time of writing.

MSI today announced yet another addition to their gaming monitor staple in the form of the Optix G242. This monitor drops the MAG prefix, denoting a higher-end solution, and should therefore (and according to its specs) be priced lower than those solutions. The Optix G242 features a relatively small, 24" diagonal that offers up an IPS panel with 1080p resolution. A now "normal" 144 Hz refresh rate is served up in that package, and perhaps more interestingly, the panel displays up to 16.7 million colors covering a wide color gamut display coverage rated at 94.6% DCI-P3 and 127.7% sRGB. VRR is also supported for additional gaming capabilities, either in the form of FreeSync or NVIDIA's G-Sync Compatible branding.

The 250 nits maximum brightness are nothing to write home about; that said, the Optix G242 features MSI's "AntiFlickr" technology and an incorporated "Blue Light Reduction" filtering mode. Contrast is quoted at 1000:1. I/O is assured by 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 2x HDMI 1.4, and 1x Earphone jack. Body sizing is a beautiful (as all supposedly are) 540.2 mm width, 228.2 mm depth, 411.6 mm height, and 3.33 kg. No word on pricing or availability were available at time of writing.

ASUS today announced VY series monitors with embedded antibacterial treatment and upgraded Eye Care Plus technology. Ideal for working or learning at home, the ASUS VY249HE and VY279HE monitors feature a new proprietary long-lasting antibacterial ionic silver treatment that's applied to the screen-edge bezels and hotkeys to promote cleanliness and hygiene. Both the 23.8-inch VY249HE model and the 27-inch VY279HE model feature FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS panels with 75 Hz refresh rates, 1ms Moving Picture Response Times (MPRT) and AMD FreeSync technology. In addition, ASUS VY series monitors have passed ISO 22196: 2011 JIS Z 2801 certification, and each model features TÜV Rheinland certified Blue Light Filter and Flicker Free technology.

The VY249HE and VY279HE monitors feature improved ASUS Eye Care Plus technology to help reduce the risk of Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), an ailment that causes vision-related problems resulting from prolonged viewing of monitor screens. In addition, ASUS Flicker Free technology helps reduce instances of onscreen flicker for a more comfortable viewing experience. Each monitor also includes new ASUS Blue Light Filter technology with a range of settings to suit various scenarios or personal preferences. A Rest Reminder feature offers pop-up notifications that can be set at 5-minute intervals to remind users to take a break from viewing.

TUL Corporation, a leading and innovative manufacturer of AMD graphic cards since 1997, today brings the highly awarded Red Devil series to the AMD's RADEON RX 6900 XT for enthusiasts who want the ultimate performance with the best gaming experience at all levels. Bringing the best gaming performance with no compromises, PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT adds extra performance to the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT while running lower at temperatures and quieter, with a high dense heatsink and 7 high performance heat pipes together with a fully customized PCB designed optimized to deliver the best performance while maintaining a cool & quiet operation.

Along with the new cooling system, the Red Devil AMD RADEON RX 6900 XT graphics card has now a totally new redesigned RGB lightning, with immersive look that merges perfectly with the cooling solution as well ARGB connection for the first time total RGB synchronization via motherboard. The PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card is designed with a powerful VRM configuration, 14+2 phases using the industry's best DrMOS as well as high polymer capacitors allowing greater performance and power stability. With three 8-pin PCIe connectors for maximum reliability and the highest performance, the PowerColor Red Devil is able to deliver up to 480w of power.

AOC has announced a new addition to their AGON line of gaming monitors in the form of the AGON AG493UCX. This is a beastly monitor with a 49" diagonal and 5K resolution with a Super Ultra-Wide aspect ratio of 32:9 (with a resolution of 5120 x 1440 pixels). The panel type is VA, which promises increased contrast ratios against those typically found in IPS panels (3000:1, in this case). AOC is promising 120 Hz refresh rates with a 1 ms (MPRT) response times with MBR backlight. There is also support for VRR technologies such as FreeSync and G-Sync (compatible).

Display brightness is quoted at 550 cd/m², which is just shy of a DisplayHDR 600 certification, but comfortably achieves the VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification. The monitor isn't a slouch in terms of color display either, being better than your average VA panel: the display is factory-calibrated and ships with a guaranteed dE <2, and coverage for 16.7 millions colors across a 93% DCI-P3 gamut coverage (and 121% sRGB coverage). I/O is handled by 2x DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x USB type-C, 3x USB ports and 1x an audio output. 2x 5 W speakers are built in to the screen and the stand offers tilt, height and swivel adjustments. No word on pricing as of yet.

Update December 10th 2020: AOC has just made the AGON AG493UCX available for purchase. Initial availability is pegged for Europe with a price tag set at £899 / €899.

With the introduction of the XMG CORE 14, for the first time the CORE series can count a compact 14 inch model in its lineup: Alongside Intel's Tiger Lake processors, the German-based company integrates an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-P, both of which are designed to operate at the upper limit of the respective manufacturer's specifications. In addition, the CORE 14 features a 120 Hz IPS panel and modern connectivity options including Thunderbolt 4. Weighing just 1.5 kg, it is the most compact and lightweight gaming and all-round laptop in XMG's history to date, offering excellent portability and great all-round performance. With the SCHENKER MEDIA 14, Schenker Technologies is also introducing a laptop based on the same technology as the XMG CORE 14, including a brand-exclusive configuration.

Hot on the heels of its massive Radeon RX 6800 series graphics card launch, AMD released the Radeon Software Adrenalin 20.11.2 WHQL drivers. These drivers add support for the newly launched Radeon RX 6800 XT and RX 6800 graphics cards. It also adds optimization of "World of Warcraft: Shadowlands." The Vulkan ICD is expanded with a new extension, "VK_KHR_fragment_shading_rate."

AMD also fixed a handful new bugs. To begin, hitching or stuttering caused by Radeon Instant Replay during fullscreen video playback has been fixed. Certain RX 500 series graphics cards not remembering fan settings after sleep has been fixed. With multiple multiple high refresh rate Radeon FreeSync displays connected to certain RX 500 series graphics cards, glitching was being noticed, which has been fixed. A case of stuttering when disabling performance metrics overlay in-game has also been fixed. Performance issues RX 5700 series cards were noticing with "Xuan-Yuan Sword VII" have been fixed. Mouse corruption in "Serious Sam 4," when changing graphics options in Vulkan API mode, has been fixed. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 20.11.2 WHQLThe change-log follows.

Today, Lenovo announced its two new 27-inch gaming monitors with In-Plane Switching (IPS), the sleek-looking Lenovo G27q-20 and the Lenovo G27-20 gaming monitors, both engineered to be stutter-free with AMD FreeSyncTM Premium technology. Shipping in time to welcome the new year ahead with brighter and better tech, our modern monitors maximize home movie entertainment and the visual effects of smooth and speedy gaming.

Lenovo monitors are made to bring value and stylish design to individuals and families who want high-performance technology and are passionate about gaming. As gaming titles have evolved, demand for high-fidelity visual gaming experiences has increased too. Here are a few highlights.

The exclusive lifestyle brand Porsche Design and AOC, the leader in the gaming monitor market, have come together to introduce the first ever Porsche Design AOC AGON gaming monitor. The 27" (68.58 cm) PD27 provides an experience similar to driving a race car: high octane specifications (27" QHD panel, 240 Hz refresh rate, 0.5 ms MPRT), a sleek, eye-catching, racing-influenced design and a wide range of functionalities to be utilized both on a daily basis and during long gaming sessions. Even before the official launch, the impressive design of this new monitor was honored with the Red Dot Award 2020.

TUL Corporation, a leading and innovative manufacturer of AMD graphic cards since 1997, is tackling today the high end gaming market with its new RX 6800 XT and RX 6800 based on the AMD's RDNA2 architecture and with 16Gb of GDDR6, PowerColor RX6800 stakes gaming to a new level of visual immersion and graphics performance.

AMD RDNA 2 gaming architecture was designed to deliver the optimal combination of performance and power efficiency. AMD RDNA 2 architecture is the next generation enthusiast gaming platforms. Designed for the most demanding gaming enthusiasts looking to game on the highest possible settings PowerColor RX 6800 XT and RX 6800 come with boost clock up to 2250 MHz and 2105 MHz respectively and makes use of 16 GB of ultra-fast GDDR6 for no performance compromises.

AMD released the latest version of the Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020 Edition drivers. Version 20.10.1 beta comes with optimization for "DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods, Part One;" "Watch_Dogs: Legion," "DiRT 5 early access," and "World of Warcraft : Shadowlands Pre-Patch." Among the bugs fixed with this release are audio instability issues for AV receivers pulling digital audio from HDMI ports on Radeon RX 5000 series graphics cards; Windows Desktop experiencing flickering in multi-display setups with one of the displays running a Vulkan API game full-screen; uploading or streaming to YouTube using Radeon Software not working correctly; "Genshin Impact" not displaying correctly in the gaming tab of Radeon Software; some legacy Windows screensavers causing a crash on RX 5000 series graphics cards; and graphics corruption noticed on high refresh-rate multi-display setups. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 20.10.1 betaThe change-log follows.

AMD today released the latest version of Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020 Edition. Version 20.9.1 beta is focused mainly on fixing issues, there are no new game optimizations to be had. To begin with, the drivers fix a system crash while task-switching from games, enabling performance overlay, or having web-browsers/video-playback open on additional displays on Radeon "Navi" graphics cards. Performance issues with Project CARS 3 with performance metrics overlay has been fixed. A couple of installer errors when installing the drivers on Ryzen Mobile processors with Radeon graphics have been fixed. Power-cycling certain displays with FreeSync enabled causes them to remain black, this has been fixed. A screen flickering with Borderlands 3 with Radeon Boost enabled, has been fixed. Decoding HEVC content using AMF decoder resulting in video output corruption has been fixed. Bugs related to the application of performance fan profiles have been fixed. Intermittent random color corruption in CS:GO when playing matchmaking, has been fixed. VP9 playback issues have been fixed. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 20.9.1 beta

Acer has released a new ultrawide 4K addition to its lineup in the form of the CB342CKCsmiiphuzx monitor (no, this news editor hasn't fallen asleep on his keyboard; that's the actual model name). The new Acer CB342CKC enters the company's OmegaLine lineup, and features a 34" IPS panel with a UWQHD (3,440 x 1,440) resolution and a 21:9 aspect ratio. The panel features a run-of-the-mill "up to 75 Hz" refresh rate, and Acer quotes 1 ms response times. The low refresh rate could be somewhat compensated by the addition of AMD's FreeSync.

The CB342CKC further features 400 nits brightness, though there is no DisplayHDR certification. The monitor covers 99% of the sRGB color space, and viewing angles are par of the course for an IPS panel - 178º. I/O wise, we can count on 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, 2x USB 3.1 Type-A (hub), and a built-in 2x 3 W stereo speaker. Quality of life features include - 5° to 35° tilt adjustment, 360° swivel, 150 mm height adjustment, and a 100x100mm pitch VESA mount.