5G has been a trending topic in the recent times because of the big technological breakthrough and all the solutions that its major features will make a reality: Low latency, bigger bandwidth with higher frequency, and overall faster "real-time" connection.

With those features 5G will connect virtually everyone and everything together in a fast and reliable network through the air while protecting privacy and security issues, that will mean the era of real IoT: Smart cities and smart transportations; remote medical care and wirelessly connected Industrial devices, and high-quality video streaming, to say the least.

GIGABYTE today introduced the GA-IMB410TN, a Thin Mini-ITX Socket LGA1200 motherboard based on the Intel H410 chipset. Designed for compact desktops and all-in-one desktops, the IMB410TN is designed to draw power from a 2-pin external DC power source. It supports processors with TDP of up to 65 W (and perhaps power limited to 65 W). The processor is wired to a pair of DDR4 SODIMM slots for up to 64 GB of dual-channel memory; and a PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot.

Storage connectivity includes an M.2-2280 slot, and two SATA 6 Gbps port. Other slots include an mPCIe 3.0 x1, an mSATA 6 Gb/s, and an M.2 E-key slot for WLAN cards. Other connectivity relevant to the board's AIO desktop credentials include LVDS connectors, GPIO, and a suite of jumpers, sensors, and headers meant for all-in ones. Networking is care of two 1 GbE connections driven by Intel-made controllers, and a 6-channel HD audio solution driven by a Realtek ALC887 codec. The company didn't reveal pricing.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, announced today the latest BIOS update just recently for AMD platform motherboards. It not only supports 3rd Gen. AMD Ryzen XT desktop processors, but also provides effective solutions for some of the hidden SMM Callout related security issues on the AMD APU.

GIGABYTE has been working closely with AMD to provide the best performance, enhanced user experience, and the recovery of security issues. After the previous release of new BIOS for Ryzen XT processors, GIGABYTE is also aware of the possibility of SMM Callout related security issues on AMD APU processors released from 2016 to 2019. The issue enables attackers to execute any coding and control the whole system through the system manage mode of AMD AGESA microcode.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards graphics cards, and hardware solutions, today announced the whole AORUS LIQUID COOLER Series can support Intel i9 10900K CPUs running at all cores 5.2 GHz and pass the long-period burning test of Prime95 benchmark with super high loading. This proves that the superior quality and performance of AORUS LIQUID COOLER not only provide optimized overclocking ability to enthusiast using Intel Z490 platform with Intel Core i9 10900K processors, but also bring general users ultra cool, ultra performance, and ultra durable experience.

"AORUS LIQUID COOLER met with praise right after released. Following the verification of AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X on 360 models, this time the whole series pass the heavy loading burning test and overclocking with Intel Core i9 10900K CPUs at all cores 5.2 GHz, has further testified the quality of AORUS LIQUID COOLER and the efforts of GIGABYTE engineers. "said Jackson Hsu, Director of the GIGABYTE Channel Solutions Product Development Division. "The success under the heavy loading test shows it's more than enough for general use. In addition to the durability, superior performance, and high capacity, the LCD display and RGB lighting design of AORUS LIQUID COOLER provide users a controllable system and unique system style which can be synchronized with peripherals.

AMD recently announced its 3rd Gen Ryzen 3000XT "Matisse Refresh" processors, with July 7 availability, and it appears like samples of the processors already hit leaky taps on the web. TUM_APISAK discovered a Geekbench 5.1 submission of a Ryzen 9 3900XT 12-core/24-thread processor sample. The processor is paired with a GIGABYTE X570 AORUS Master motherboard and 16 GB of dual-channel DDR4-3600 memory. The 3900XT scores 10945 points in the multi-threaded test, and 1324 points in the single-threaded one; both of which are roughly 5% higher than those of the 3900X. The Geekbench score is indicative that AMD wants to slim the already single-digit percentage gaming performance gap with the Core i9-10900K, and extending its multi-threaded productivity performance lead on account of more cores/threads.

GIGABYTE, an industry leader in high-performance servers and workstations, announced its G-series servers' validation plan. Following the NVIDIA A100 PCIe GPU announcement today, GIGABYTE has completed the compatibility validation of the G481-HA0 / G292-Z40 and added the NVIDIA A100 to the support list for these two servers. The remaining G-series servers will be divided into two waves to complete their respective compatibility tests soon. At the same time, GIGABYTE also launched a new G492 series server based on the AMD EPYC 7002 processor family, which provides PCIe Gen4 support for up to 10 NVIDIA A100 PCIe GPUs. The G492 is a server with the highest computing power for AI models training on the market today. GIGABYTE will offer two SKUs for the G492. The G492-Z50 will be at a more approachable price point, whereas the G492-Z51 will be geared towards higher performance.

The G492 is GIGABYTE's second-generation 4U G-series server. Based on the first generation G481 (Intel architecture) / G482 (AMD architecture) servers, the user-friendly design and scalability have been further optimized. In addition to supporting two 280 W 2nd Gen AMD EPYC 7002 processors, the 32 DDR4 memory slots support up to 8 TB of memory and maintain data transmission at 3200 MHz. The G492 has built-in PCIe Gen4 switches, which can provide more PCIe Gen4 lanes. PCIe Gen4 has twice the I/O performance of PCIe Gen3 and fully enables the computing power of the NVIDIA A100 Tensor Core GPU, or it can be applied to PCIe storage to help provide a storage upgrade path that is native to the G492.

GIGABYTE, an industry leader in high-performance servers and workstations, today announced the launch of the GIGABYTE R292 servers featuring four 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors, supporting four double-slot accelerators in the R292-4S0, and eight full-height half-length expansion cards in the R292-4S1.

The R292 series server supports four 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors. Each processor can perform data transfer or share workload at 20.8GT/s with the other three processors on the motherboard. Its breakthrough computing power can be used to power mission-critical application at scale and analyze growing data at extraordinary speeds.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, today announce the latest BIOS update of AMD platform motherboards. To ensure users can embrace the performance boost, high compatibility, and high stability of 3rd Gen. AMD Ryzen XT Series desktop processors.

In order to furnish the best performance and user experience, AMD has been working closely with GIGABYTE and other motherboard vendors to provide BIOS code updates regularly for optimizing system performance or solving the issues verified by motherboard vendors. Adapted to the latest 3rd gen. are AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT,Ryzen 7 3800XT, Ryzen 5 3600XT processors. AMD provides AGESA ComboV2 1.0.0.2 BIOS for X570 and B550 chipset motherboards, and AGESA ComboV1 1.0.0.6 BIOS for X470, B450,X370, B350, and A320 chipsets products.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and gaming gears, today announced the 3 latest compact design power supplies: P750GM - 750 W 80 PLUS Gold certified with fully modular design, P550B - 550 W 80 PLUS Bronze certified, and P450B - 450 W 80 PLUS Bronze certified. GIGABYTE has improved the old circuit design and adopted new high-quality materials, so that the 750-watt power supply with a length of 16 cm or even 18 cm can be greatly reduced to 14 cm. The performance and stability of the power supply can also be improved in the reduced condition. The reduced-size power supply is more suitable for installation in the increasingly popular small chassis, so that even small chassis can enjoy the high performance brought by the large wattage.

The P750GM provides 750 watts of power to meet the power requirements of the high-end graphics card and CPU, so that gamers can enjoy the graphics intensive games without worrying about the power shortage. The main capacitor of P750GM is made in Japan, and the P750GM is 80 PLUS Gold certified, providing a maximum conversion efficiency of more than 90%, allowing gamers to enjoy a high quality and stable power supply while saving a lot of money. The fully modular design only installs the cables that are needed, making the whole system cleaner and allowing better heat dissipation. The P750GM also offers an 8+8 or 8+4 motherboard CPU power supply that can fully support mid- to high-end motherboards. In addition, the P750GM introduces the fan stop function, which will stop the fan from spinning during standby mode or when the power consumption is less than 20%, thus increasing the life of the device.

GIGABYTE today introduced the B550 VISION D socket AM4 motherboard targeted at creators. Built in the ATX form-factor, the board supports socket AM4 Ryzen 3000 "Matisse" processors, and is based on the new AMD B550 chipset. Within GIGABYTE's product stack, the B550 VISION D is positioned above its B550 AORUS Master flagship board based on this chipset. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors (concealed under a plastic bit near the VRM heatsinks). A 14-phase VRM conditions power for the CPU. The socket is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots supporting up to 128 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory; and two PCI-Express 4.0 x16 slots (x8/x8 with both populated). This is something the AORUS Master lacks, on the other hand, the VISION D lacks SLI certification.

The third PCIe x16 slot is gen 3.0 x4, and wired to the B550 chipset. The board offers two M.2 NVMe slots, one of the two has PCIe 4.0 x4 wiring from the AM4 SoC, the other has PCIe 3.0 x4 wiring from the chipset. There are only four SATA 6 Gbps on offer with this board, as GIGABYTE is freeing up PCIe lanes on the chipset. Unless we're mistaken, GIGABYTE is offering "unofficial" Thunderbolt 3 support. The board features an Intel "Titan Ridge" Thunderbolt 3 controller that puts out two "USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 40 Gbps" ports with DisplayPort passthrough. GIGABYTE is careful not to call these Thunderbolt 3 ports. Networking connectivity includes 802.11ax + Bluetooth 5 WLAN, and two 1 GbE interfaces driven by Intel controllers. The onboard audio solution uses premium ALC1220-VB codec, WIMA capacitors, and AMPs on the front channels. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Thermaltake, the leading PC DIY premium brand for Cooling, Gaming Gear, and Enthusiast Memory solutions, announces the TOUGHFAN 12 High Static Pressure Fan for ultimate precision and increases stability for users' high-end cooling needs. The TOUGHFAN incorporated a 2nd generation hydraulic bearing, ultra-tight tip clearance, and equipped with a reinforced-metal motor hub. The TOUGHFAN fan is a PWM controlled fan designed to perform at a maximum operating speed of up to 2000 RPM and is optimized for high static pressure while maintaining minimal noise.

Pure Duo 12/14 ARGB Radiator Fan comes in black and white color versions, is also a PWM controlled fan with two independent rings and nine addressable LEDs on each ring that allows users to switch among seven lighting modes. Moreover, Pure Duo can synchronize with 5 V RGB capable motherboards from ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI, and ASRock, to display 16.8 Million color combinations by editing lighting software supported by those motherboards.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphic cards, continuing the success co-branding their Z390 product line with G2 Esports, is launching the latest Z490 AORUS ULTRA G2 motherboard. In order to satisfy the high-performance low temperature needs of professional gaming teams, the Z490 AORUS ULTRA G2 uses direct 12 phases digital power design and tantalum capacitor array, providing strong and stable power delivery and minimizing oscillation, bringing you the 10th gen Intel Core i9-10900K excellent high-class processor.

Daisy Chain memory routing and anti-interference design deliver improved memory overclocking and stability. As for Fins-Array II, Direct-Touch Heatpipe II and 7.5 W/mK LAIRD thermal conductivity pad alongside G2 Esports optimizations, we bring you an improved efficacy stabled user experience. In addition to ESSential USB DAC's vocal cohesion and immersive sound, it makes the Z490 AORUS ULTRA G2 Motherboard a must have for every pro player, even more so the best pick for any gamer at home assembling their own gaming PC.

A GIGABYTE Community Manager on Reddit updated the "cheat sheet" of the company's AMD B550 motherboard lineup with MSRP Pricing. While prices of these boards start at USD $99, they go all the way up to $279. The top model, the B550 AORUS Master, leads the pack with a USD $279 price that puts it firmly in the premium segment where it matches features with boards based on the X570 and Intel's Z490 chipset. The B550 AORUS Pro AC is the next best model in the lineup, priced at $189. Its sans-WLAN twin, the B550 AORUS Pro, goes for $10 less at $179. The B550 AORUS Elite is priced at $159. The B550 Gaming X is part of the company's mainline brand, and goes for $139. The micro-ATX B550M AORUS Pro goes for $129, and the B550M AORUS Elite goes for $109. There's a token "sub $100" product, the B550M Gaming, at $99.

These prices indicate that B550 motherboards are on average 20% higher than B450 motherboards. For example, a reasonably well-endowed board like the B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC could be had for $150, as could the ASUS ROG Strix B450-E, and a decent board like the ROG Strix B450-F Gaming could be had at $130 even before "Zen 2" hit the market. Plenty of B450 boards could be had under the $100-mark. It looks like $99 will be a token value at best, with board vendors releasing only their most stripped down products at that that price. Find the GIGABYTE B550 motherboard cheat sheet in the source link below.

Hailing from the world leading PC brand- GIGABYTE Technologies, the top-tier gaming brand AORUS, continues to attract gaming fans around the world. Raising the bar and breaking through performance barriers, AORUS is the leader in the gaming industry. Insisting on craftsmanship paired with unleashing raw power, AORUS offers a new standard of "on the go performance for pros" with durable light weight, easy to carry laptops. Creating premium and distinctive chassis and unparalleled performance features as its core, the AORUS brand dominates the gaming industry again this year (2020) with the introduction of the all-new 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor and the all-new mid-range AORUS 5 vB and AORUS 7 vB bringing high-performance to the masses.

Both new members of the AORUS family remain very portable, with an improved thermal cooling system, 144Hz high-speed refresh and wide gamut display that impressively sweeps competitors off the stage. "We focus on producing exceptional visual experiences, at the same time, providing performance- seeking gamers, visceral feel, visually immersive and highly responsive gaming experience. Not to mention the value and affordability that these flagship laptops offer for users who use their laptops throughout the work day and game at night.", says Steven Chen, Gigabyte Mobility Business Center Vice President.

Rumors of AMD refreshing its 3rd generation Ryzen desktop processor family are growing louder. On Friday (22/05), reports of the "Matisse Refresh" processor family surfaced, with talk of "Ryzen 7 3850X" and "Ryzen 7 3750X" processors headed for a June 2020 announcement followed by July availability. Turns out AMD has a different naming scheme in mind, targeted at wooing gamers. The company is reportedly bringing its "XT" brand extension over from its Radeon graphics card family over to the Ryzen line.

There are three SKUs AMD is developing, the Ryzen 9 3900XT, the Ryzen 7 3800XT, and the Ryzen 5 3600 XT. All three are likely to retain core counts of the SKUs they are displacing from current price points - with the 3900XT likely being a 12-core/24-thread part; the 3800XT an 8-core/16-thread part, and the 3600XT a 6-core/12-thread part. AMD is likely to give the three a major clock speed increase to shore up gaming performance. It won't surprise us if AMD tinkers with boost algorithms, either. GIGABYTE has already referenced "Matisse Refresh" in its motherboard product roadmaps, which adds plenty of credibilty to this rumor. With "Zen 3" based 4th gen Ryzen processors unlikely to relieve the embattled 3900X, 3800X, and 3600X in the wake of Intel's 10th gen Core "Comet Lake" launch until Q4-2020, it makes sense for AMD to plan a product stack refresh to bolster its competitiveness. AMD is reportedly planning a June 16 product announcement, followed by July 7 availability.

AMD is planning to immediately update its product stack to counter the Intel 10th gen Core "Comet Lake-S" desktop processor family. Codenamed "Matisse Refresh," the processor will use existing IP, based on the 7 nm "Zen 2" microarchitecture, but could improve in areas such as clock-speeds. As it now stands, the Ryzen 9 3900X appears unfazed by the i9-10900K and i7-10700K at its new $410 price, however, competitiveness of the 3800X and 3700X could buckle under pressure from the i7-10700 series (K, KF, non-K, and F), as well as the Core i5-10600 series. To this effect, we're hearing rumors of a "Ryzen 7 3750X" and "Ryzen 7 3850X" seeing the light of the day soon, with an early-June announcement, and early-July market availability. References to the 3750X date back to October 2019.

Rumors of "Matisse Refresh" gained traction when WCCFTech editor Hassan Mujtaba tweeted a slide from a GIGABYTE AMD B550 motherboard series pre-launch presentation, which references GIGABYTE's own interpretation of AMD's roadmap. It lists out every CPU microarchitecture for the AM4 platform, and right next to "Matisse" is "& Refresh," confirming that "Matisse Refresh" is real. A microarchitecture "refresh" needn't even involve any physical changes to the processor design, core-counts, or architecture, and can sometimes even indicate something as simple as a second major wave of SKUs that replace existing SKUs in the market, leading to their phase-out (eg: Intel "Haswell Refresh" retaining the 4th gen Core model numbering). The slide also adds weight to the theory that desktop "Renoir," like its mobile counterpart, lacks PCIe gen 4.0. The slide also talks about AMD introducing the entry-level A520 desktop chipset in August, which will support PCIe gen 4 when paired with a capable processor.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, announced the launch of the newest B550 AORUS motherboards primed to unleash the potential of 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen desktop processors. The all new B550 AORUS motherboards kick off the PCIe 4.0 era with extensive feature sets, and equip up to Direct 16 phases of digital power design with advanced thermal solutions that provide the processors and chipset more stable power supplement. Select GIGABYTE B550 AORUS motherboards feature a native USB 3.2 Gen2 interface, feature-rich I/O with a pre-installed I/O shield, the latest wireless connection, and Ultra Durable technology, set to deliver an unmatched user experience. "

We are seeing increasing user demands for flexible systems that perform well in a multitude of tasks from gaming to content creation more than ever before," said Chris Kilburn, corporate vice president and general manager, client component business unit, AMD. "AMD is excited to bring the power of 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen desktop processors and cutting edge PCIe 4.0 support to the mainstream users with our latest AMD B550 chipsets. With overwhelming platform support from our partners at Gigabyte, AMD is confident these new B550 platforms will provide flexibility and power never seen before on a mainstream platform."

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, announced today the launch of AORUS RGB MEMORY 4400 MHz. The all new design memory kit features the highly-praised Hynix D die, providing high bandwidth and high performance of DDR4 XMP 4400 MHz under 8 GB x2 mainstream specifications with a friendly price tag. The AORUS RGB MEMORY 4400 MHz is qualified by the high-end platform of INTEL Z490 and AMD X570, offering distinguished quality and stability with a lifetime warranty. Through RGB 2.0 support, users can create personal stylish lighting among DRAM and system components with balance of performance, budget, and fashion.

Following the innovation of computer platforms, the support of high memory XMP increases as well. GIGABYTE AORUS RGB MEMORY has won most credits consistently from the industry, and brings extra to the plate with the latest AORUS RGB MEMORY 4400 MHz 16 GB, with the specification of 8 GB x2 DDR4 XMP 4400 MHz and 19-26-26-46 timing. AORUS RGB MEMORY 4400 MHz 16 GB adopts Hynix D die which is the latest optimized option that memory overclockers highly recommend, and chose this level of product when purchasing. GIGABYTE implements this high quality material on AORUS RGB MEMORY 4400 MHz memory for overclockers who chase high memory frequency and enthusiasts can take full advantage of the various performance boosts.

Model names of 55 motherboards based on the AMD B550 chipset were leaked to the web by momomo_us. In an unexpected surprise, it turns out that ASRock will have the largest lineup of motherboards, with 15 models. ASRock's lineup will be led by a premium Taichi model (already pictured), but will also include a Phantom Gaming Velocita model, besides Extreme4 and Steel Legend. MSI has the second largest lineup, with 14 models. There's a surprise here.

We earlier thought the MPG B550 Gaming Carbon will lead MSI's lineup, but it turns out that there will be a MEG B550 Unify model at the top. The rest of the lineup includes MPG Gaming Edge, MAG Tomahawk, MAG Mortar, and MAG Bazooka. GIGABYTE has the third largest lineup, with 12 models. The series is led by an AORUS Master model. There are several other AORUS Gaming SKUs based on this chipset - PRO, Elite, and their Mini-ITX variants. ASUS plans to bring 11 SKUs to the table, including four ROG Strix series boards that include Strix-E, Strix-F, and the Mini-ITX Strix-I. There are also three TUF Gaming SKUs, while the rest of the lineup is made up of the vanilla Prime series. Biostar has two models, and so does SOYO. AMD is expected to launch its B550 chipset in mid-June.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today announced the new W480 VISION series creator and workstation motherboard, to complete the GIGABYTE VISION product line. These new motherboards are designed specifically for the new Intel Xeon W and 10th Gen Core processors which come with up to 12 phase digital power and the latest thermal design, features four sets of memory slots supporting dual-channel ECC and non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4 memory, Intel 2.5GbE + 1 GbE dual-server-level network, and other advanced functions. Moreover, further equipped with special functions according to different usage requirements such as Thunderbolt 3, Intel Wi-Fi 6 and SATA DOM make the construction of the workstation more efficient and stable, and content creators can fully realize the creative ideas to design unique and excellent works.

"VISION is the ability to see beyond. It is an attitude to create with tremendous dedication and craftsmanship. With VISION, you can see more, explore more, and achieve more. Let VISION help your creativity flow with its minimalist design language, thoughtful features, reliable operation, and powerful performance" says GIGABYTE. With the launch of the W480 VISION series motherboards, the previously launched VISION memory, Z490 VISION motherboards, and other related products, the entire VISION product line is now more complete.

GIGABYTE, a supplier of high-performance computing (HPC) systems, today disclosed four NVIDIA HGX A100 platforms under development. These platforms will be available with NVIDIA A100 Tensor Core GPUs. NVIDIA A100 is the first elastic, multi-instance GPU that unifies training, inference, HPC, and analytics. These four products include G262 series servers that can hold four NVIDIA A100 GPUs and G492 series that can provide eight A100 GPUs. Each series also distinguishes between two models, which support the 3rd generation Intel Xeon Scalable processor and the 2nd generation AMD EPYC processor. The NVIDIA HGX A100 platform is a key element in the NVIDIA accelerated data center concept that brings huge parallel computing power to customers, thereby helping customers accelerate their digital transformation.

With GPU acceleration becoming the mainstream technology in today's data center. Scientists, researchers and engineers are committed to using GPU-accelerated HPC and artificial intelligence (AI) to meet the important challenges of the current world. The NVIDIA accelerated data center concept, including GIGABYTE high-performance servers with NVIDIA NVSwitch, NVIDIA NVLink, and NVIDIA A100 GPUs, will provide GPU computing power required for different computing scales. The NVIDIA accelerated data center also features NVIDIA Mellanox HDR InfiniBand high-speed networking and NVIDIA Magnum IO software that supports GPUDirect RDMA and GPUDirect Storage.

GIGABYTE B550 AORUS Master is the company's most premium socket AM4 motherboard based on the upcoming AMD B550 chipset. We described this board in some detail in our older article covering an assortment of top B550 motherboards from manufacturers, but missed a key bit. At the time we assumed that the PCI-Express lane switches located below the board's main PCI-Express slot merely split its x16 connection from the AM4 SoC down to two x8 connections to share between two slots, given that AMD allows multi-GPU (including SLI) with the B550. Apparently, the lane switches are there for a different, more fascinating reason.

A BenchLife.info report points to the possibility of all three M.2 slots on this motherboard having PCI-Express gen 4.0 wiring - something that shouldn't normally be possible, since all downstream PCIe lanes put out by the B550 are gen 3.0. The way we see it, the topmost M.2 slot has a direct PCI-Express 4.0 x4 connection from the AM4 socket (as it normally should). The second- and third slots, however, pull their wiring from a series of lane switches that split the main x16 PEG slot to gen 4.0 x8/x4/x4. It's possible that one of the two x16 (electrical x4) slots has a further lane sharing arrangement with one of the two M.2 slots.

GIGABYTE today announced the refreshed UD Pro line of high-endurance SATA SSDs. Built in the 2.5-inch form-factor with SATA 6 Gbps interface, the drives come in capacities of 256 GB (GP-UDPRO256G), 512 GB (GP-UDPRO512G), and 1 TB (GP-UDPRO1T). The new drives feature updated 96-layer KIOXIA 3D TLC NAND flash memory, with increased endurance rating across the board. The 1 TB variant offers a staggering 750 TBW endurance (for perspective, the NAS-optimized WD Red SA500 1 TB is rated with 600 TBW); while the 512 GB variant offers 370 TBW; and the 256 GB variant 175 TBW.

All three variants offer sequential transfer speeds of up to 550 MB/s reads, with up to 530 MB/s writes. The 1 TB variant offers up to 98,000 IOPS 4K random reads and up to 89,000 IOPS 4K random writes. The 512 GB model offers 97,000/89,000 IOPS. The 256 GB model offers 98,000/89,000 IOPS. All three drives appear to be using a Phison S10-series controller with fixed 256 MB DRAM cache across all three variants. GIGABYTE is backing these drives with 5-year warranties. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Here are the first pictures of an assortment of five premium AMD B550 chipset motherboards by five different manufacturers. With PCI-Express gen 4.0 (where it matters), CPU+memory overclocking, and multi-GPU being enabled for the B550, and more importantly, the chipset not needing any fan-heatsink, the B550 could be an important chipset for AMD in the battle to come against the 10th generation Core processor and Intel B460 chipset.

We begin with the MSI MPG B550 Gaming Pro Carbon WiFi, the company's most premium B550 offering, picking up the mantle from the immensely successful B450-based predecessor. The MSI board offers a single PCI-Express 4.0 x16 slot, that's reinforced, one M.2 PCIe gen 4.0 x4 slot, a second M.2 slot that's gen 3.0 x4; and a number of x1 slots. The board uses a 14-phase CPU VRM to support CPU overclocking. Connectivity includes 802.11ax WLAN, 1 GbE wired networking, a premium ALC1220-based AudioBoost solution, and heatsinks over both M.2 slots. As a Carbon, it features plenty of RGB LED embellishments.

Maybe it's hard to fathom an Intel chipset that actually supports more than a single generation of CPU designs; and if so, you're forgiven, because it seems the blue giant has mostly forgotten of thinking about platform longevity and upgradeability. However, we might be in for a rare treat, if the words from a Gigabyte representative are to be taken seriously. In a Q&A regarding Gigabyte's latest generation Z490 motherboards, a user questioned the Gigabyte representatives whether their Z490-based platforms would support upcoming Rocket Lake designs. The answer, which came with a caveat of "I don't know if this should be made public", was that yes: Z490 will support Rocket Lake-S.

If true, this may shed some light on why motherboard manufacturers have given so much importance to PCIe 4.0 marketing on their Z490 motherboards... Whose chipset doesn't support PCIe 4.0 from the get-go. However, with next-generation Rocket Lake-S expectedly sporting the same 14 nm fabrication process albeit with a new microarchitecture, a wider DMI 3.0 8x band, Intel's high-performance Xe graphics architecture design and PCIe 4.0 support on a platform level, it does begin to make sense that manufacturers would mention PCIe 4.0 support on the current Z490. Because if CPU compatibility is maintained, that means that users looking to drop-in a Rocket Lake-S CPU will at the very least be able to enjoy 20 lanes of PCIe 4.0 in these ready-made motherboards.