GIGABYTE finally gave its socket LGA2066 motherboard series the silvery Designare treatment, with the new X299 Designare EX motherboard. The board features the same silver+blue styling the company implemented on its X399 Designare EX, but unlike its Z270X Designare, the silver theme doesn't continue onto the PCB. This is probably also because the X299 Designare EX is based on the same exact PCB as the Aorus X299 Gaming 7.

All that's changed between the X299 Designare EX and the Aorus X299 Gaming 7, is an included Thunderbolt 3 add-on card, the silver colored VRM, chipset, and M.2 SSD heatsinks, the silver-colored rear I/O shroud, and GIGABYTE Designare branding replacing the Aorus branding, wherever applicable. The LED inserts are still RGB multi-color, although out of the box, they're configured to be soft-blue. You can configure them with the GIGBAYTE RGB Fusion software. Unlike the Aorus X299 Gaming 7, this board features a silver back-plate that covers most of the board's reverse side, and an integrated rear I/O shield. The rest of its feature set is identical to that of the Aorus X299 Gaming 7. One can expect the GIGABYTE X299 Designare EX to be the company's most expensive socket LGA2066 motherboard, above even the Aorus X299 Gaming 9, on account of its included Thunderbolt 3 add-on card, and Designare-specific features.

GIGABYTE introduced its third custom-design GeForce GTX 1070 Ti graphics card following the GTX 1070 Ti Gaming, and GTX 1070 Ti WindForce 2X; this one labeled under its premium Aorus brand. The Aorus GeForce GTX 1070 Ti graphics card features reference clock speeds of 1607 MHz core, 1683 MHz GPU Boost, and 8.00 GHz (GDDR5-effective) memory, just like the other two, since NVIDIA doesn't allow factory-overclocked GTX 1070 Ti graphics cards. The Aorus GTX 1070 Ti features a different PCB and cooler to those of the GIGABYTE GTX 1070 Ti Gaming.

The cooler's underlying aluminium fin-stack heatsink is the same, and is ventilated by a trio of 80 mm fans; but the cooler shroud is different, and is studded with RGB LED elements, including a multi-color Aorus logo on the top. These LEDs can be configured using GIGABYTE RGB Fusion software. The back-plate is different, too, and features a copper plate over the reverse side of the GPU, which draws heat from behind the GPU via a thermal pad, dissipates it along the metal back-plate. The card still draws power from a single 8-pin PCIe power connector, but the PCB features a 6+2 phase VRM with higher-capacity chokes than the GIGABYTE Gaming card. Display outputs still include three DisplayPorts and one each of HDMI and DVI. This will be GIGABYTE's most expensive GTX 1070 Ti offering.

GIGABYTE today introduced the Aorus X299 Ultra Gaming Pro motherboard, a similar revision to the original X299 Ultra Gaming, as the recently announced X299 Gaming 7 Pro is to the original X299 Gaming 7. The board is nearly identical to the X299 Ultra Gaming, but comes with an added wireless networking module.

GIGABYTE deployed the Killer Wireless-AC 1535 module, which provides 802.11ac 2x2 (dual-band) Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. The wired networking is still handled by an Intel i219-V controller, with an included license to cFosSpeed, a traffic-shaping utility that you can use to improve online gaming latencies. The Aorus X299 Ultra Gaming Pro will be priced roughly 20% higher than the X299 Ultra Gaming.

Cooler Master, a leader in PC components and peripherals, introduces RGB enabled all-in-one liquid cooling: MasterLiquid ML240L RGB and MasterLiquid ML120L RGB. Both models have full RGB effects on both the fan and pump, which comes with a controller and RGB splitter cable for quick setup or alternatively sync seamlessly with ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte and ASRock motherboards.

The ML240L RGB and ML120L RGB comes with the dual chamber RGB pump for increased reliability and provide a perfect balance of low noise levels at optimal performance. The aesthetic design of the low resistance radiator shows premium build and attached is the MasterFan MF120R RGB (2 included for the M240L RGB). The double layer tubing with sleeved on the outside and FEP on the inside for robust usage.

GIGABYTE has a custom-design Radeon RX Vega series after all, with the company announcing the RX Vega 64 WindForce 2X and RX Vega 56 WindForce 2X graphics cards. These cards combine a 100% custom-design PCB by GIGABYTE, with a large WindForce 2X cooling-solution that the company is debuting with these cards. The cooler features a split aluminium fin-stack heatsink to which heat drawn by 8 mm-thick copper heat-pipes is fed; ventilated by a pair of large 100 mm fans, which stay off when the GPU is idling. The heat-pipes make direct contact with the GPU and HBM2 stacks, while a base-plate conveys heat drawn from the VRM MOSFETs.

The back-plate has a copper center-plate and a flat heat-pipe of its own, drawing heat from the PCB via non-electrically-conductive thermal pads. The two fans blow air onto the heatsink, but one fan spins clockwise to do this, while the other spins counter-clockwise. The custom-design PCB features a 13-phase VRM, and draws power from a pair of 8-pin PCIe power connectors. Both cards come with factory-overclocked speeds, with the engine-clock boosting up to 1560 MHz, while the memory clock is left untouched. The card features an unusual display connector loadout, including three each of DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 ports, all located on the rear panel. The company didn't reveal pricing.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, has implemented safety measures aligned with Intel's response to the Intel Management Engine (ME) and Intel Trusted Execution Engine (TXE) security vulnerabilities, so customers can be reassured their motherboards are fully protected. For all customers who have purchased GIGABYTE motherboards for Intel platforms, please visit the official website to download the latest BIOS versions as well as ME and TXE drivers.

The updates for the motherboards will be released starting with the Z370, 200 series and then previous generation motherboards. For more information on the Intel ME and TXE security vulnerabilities, please visit this page. GIGABYTE is committed to ensuring the quality and service of our motherboards. Any issues that affect the user's experience with our products will be addressed with the utmost concern.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, has unveiled the new X299 AORUS Gaming 7 Pro motherboard. With support for the new Intel 18-Core i9 7980XE processor, the new motherboard is ready to elevate performance to the next level. Featuring an updated VRM design paired with Smart Fan 5 technology to satiate the power demands of the new 18-core processor while keeping the system icy cool, the new X299 AORUS Gaming 7 Pro is the definitive motherboard of choice for users who value performance first and foremost.

"The X299 AORUS Gaming 7 Pro motherboard is designed to fully support Intel's newest Core i9 7980XE processor." said Vincent Liu, Senior Associate Vice President of GIGABYTE's Motherboard Business Unit. "With our tried-and-true approach and seasoned experience, we have designed a motherboard that truly fulfills enthusiasts' highest expectations."

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash products, today launched the XPG STORM heatsink add-on for M.2 2280 drives. STORM features an aluminum heatsink and with a fan. It can be easily affixed to any compatible SSD to provide powerful cooling. Lower SSD temperatures promote more stable storage and system performance, in addition to the XPG-styled STORM heatsink with its colorful RGB lighting contributing to attractive, gaming-themed PC setups.

Lower temperatures complement high speeds
While M.2 2280 PCIe SSDs are currently the fastest on the market, their high data rates also mean considerable heat buildup. Without a heatsink, accumulating heat can compromise performance and accelerate SSD aging. STORM includes an aluminum heatsink that fits on any M.2 SSD without causing overhead issues. Together with the heatsink, STORM uses a fan to circulate cool air and reduces temperature by at least 25% when compared with bare M.2 SSDs.

GIGABYTE introduced the Aorus K9 Optical gaming keyboard. As its name suggests, this is a variant of the Aorus K9 mechanical keyboard, featuring optical switches. These switches, made by Flaretech, enable debounce times as low as 0.03 ms, and come with an endurance of over 100 million keystrokes per key. The keyboard is also splash-proof, chatter-proof, and feature a floating key design, in which the keys aren't entrenched into the frame, making them tougher to clean. The electronics provide N-key rollover and anti-ghosting. The keyboard features 16.8 million-color RGB multi-color back-lighting, which can be controlled with GIGABYTE RGB Fusion software. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Gigabyte has added a new custom option to its GeForce GTX 1070 Ti line-up - this time, a dual-fan solution under the "WindForce 2X" moniker (SKU code GV -N107TWF2-8GD). This graphics card takes very much after its slightly less beefy cousin, the GTX 1070 WindForce 2X, in that it features a simpler, more compact WindForce 2X cooling solution than the WindForce 3X, with a twin aluminum-fin stack heatsink ventilated by a pair of 90 mm fans, which stay off when the card is idling. Power is taken from both the PCIe slot and 1x 8-pin power connector.

Like other GTX 1070 Ti solutions before it, the Gigabyte GTX 1070 Ti WindForce 2X graphics card features a software toggle that activates a "Software OC Mode", which essentially activates a factory overclock that Gigabyte (like all other NVIDIA AIB partners) can't ship their GTX 1070 Ti with. The Core clock under "Gaming Mode" is 1,607 MHz base and 1,683 MHz boost, which are slightly brought up to 1,632 MHz base and 1,721 MHz boost under the "Software OC Mode". Memory clock stands at 8GB GDDR5 running at 8 GHz through a 256-bit bus. Display outputs are 1x Dual Link DVI-D, 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort.

GIGABYTE Technology, a leading producer of high-performance server hardware, and Cavium, Inc., a leading provider of semiconductor products that enable intelligent processing for enterprise, data center, cloud, wired and wireless networking, today announced production availability of GIGABYTE's Arm server platforms, based on ThunderX2 SoC product family.

GIGABYTE, with its award-winning product portfolio, has long been recognized in the industry as a leader in design and innovation. With a broad offering of commercially-available Arm-based server solutions, GIGABYTE continues to demonstrate engineering expertise in system-level integration. Through its world-wide presence, GIGABYTE is uniquely positioned to accelerate the adoption and deployment of ThunderX2-based systems into the cloud and hyperscale data center applications.

AMD has been steadily increasing output and availability of their latest take on the server market with their EPYC CPUs. These are 32-core, 64-thread monsters that excel in delivering a better feature set in 1P configuration than even some of Intel's 2P setups, and reception for these AMD processors has been pretty warm as a result. The usage of an MCM design to create a 4-way cluster of small 8-core processor packages has allowed AMD to improve yields with minimum retooling and changes to its manufacturing lines, which in turn, has increased yields and profits for a company that sorely needed a a breakout product.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, has released the new GIGABYTE Z370N WIFI motherboard based on the Intel Z370 chipset. The new motherboard incorporates powerful performance capabilities within a compact design to provide users with a versatile motherboard for building their ideal PCs.

The GIGABYTE Z370N WIFI motherboard is optimized to support 8th Gen. Intel Core Processors. For a mini-ITX form factor, this motherboard can truly maximize the power of the Intel Core i7-8700K processors by easily reaching overclocked frequencies of 5GHz and higher. The motherboard uses an Intersil Hybrid Digital VRM design to ensure that power is distributed effectively, enabling the GIGABYTE Z370N WIFI to perform at its highest standards. Additionally, over 1000 memory modules have been validated by GIGABYTE to ensure proper compability with support for XMP profiles up to a frequency of 4600MHz when overclocked.

GIGABYTE, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today announced the GeForce GTX 1070 Ti Gaming 8G, an enthusiast-class graphics card that combines the power of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti GPU with the renowned WINDFORCE 3X cooling, RGB illumination, and top-notch reliability. Paired with 8GB of 256-bit GDDR5 memory, the card is ideal for gaming fanatics looking for serious graphics power to tackle today's most challenging, graphics-intensive games and VR without breaking a sweat.

GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1070 Ti carries the WINDFORCE 3X, a triple-fan cooling system incorporating 2 composite copper heat-pipes with direct touch to the GPU core. It further utilizes a large metal base plate and thermal pads across critical heat-generating components for a total cooling solution. Together with the special fin architecture and the unique blade fans, the card delivers massive cooling capacity to achieve optimal performance at a lower temperature. The semi-passive cooling fans allow gamers to enjoy light gaming in complete silence. The Fan Stop LED indicator provides a user-friendly, instant display of the fan status.

DigiTimes is reporting that graphics cards vendors and AIB (add-in board partners) to both AMD and NVIDIA are increasing their orders for GPUs. Citing sources from the upstream supply chain, the report says that the reason for this is an expected increase in sales due to higher demand for cryptocurrency mining workloads. Most cryptocurrencies are mined on GPUs today, and there are miners that leverage both AMD and NVIDIA's architectures for increased mining performance. Whereas before mining was somewhat of a strictly AMD business, NVIDIA's architectures have also been developed for in most recent cryptocurrency mining efforts, which means that no one manufacturer is the sole source of mining GPUs.

As such, and counting on continued economic support for current cryptocurrency pricing (or even increase), Asustek, Gigabyte Technology, Micro-Star International (MSI), TUL, Colorful and Galaxy Microsystems have increased their orders from respective manufacturing partners. Since graphics cards pricing has stabilized and even decreased somewhat in recent weeks from their selling points just some months ago, this might mean that we'll finally see some graphics card models from both AMD and NVIDIA finally being retailed for their MSRP again. However, demand for mining-efficient GPUs is expected to increase alongside cryptocurrency value, so don't take this increased supply for granted - demand could spike at any moment, and with little warning.

The folks over at Videocardz have been true to their name, and managed to snag some images of the latest NVIDIA "sleeper hit" GeForce GTX 1070 Ti. Clad in Gigabyte black and orange and sporting the slightly (currently) out of favor Gaming moniker, the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 Ti Gaming doesn't include any mention of OC in the name, which could be for one of three reasons. NVIDIA may have disabled any overclocks beyond their included Boost clocks, in a bid to not cannibalize sales of the GTX 1080 with this product; Gigabyte still hasn't finalized specifications; or Gigabyte has finalized specs and the card rally doesn't feature any factory overclock.

GIGABYTE formally launched its flagship socket TR4 motherboard for AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors, the X399 Designare EX. Positioned slightly above the company's current (and only) offering for this platform, the Aorus X399 Gaming 7, the new Designare EX is based on the same PCB, and a nearly-identical feature-set, except for cosmetic changes, such as its silver-metallic color-scheme dominating the VRM and chipset heatsinks, the M.2 SSD heatspreaders, the I/O shroud and integrated shield, and a back-plate covering most of the reverse side.

Built in the ATX form-factor, the X399 Designare EX draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, and 4-pin ATX, conditioning it for the CPU using an 8-phase VRM with "server-grade" chokes, and a VRM heatsink that offloads its heat onto a second heatsink via a heat-pipe. Expansion slots include five PCI-Express 3.0 x16, all of which are wired to the CPU. Storage connectivity includes three 32 Gb/s M.2 slots, and eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports, from which four are directly wired to the CPU.

Remember previous reports that Gigabyte wouldn't be launching a custom version for AMD's RX Vega graphics cards? Always remember that facts can change, and what is true today could see itself being rendered a myth by lunchtime tomorrow. Case in point: previous reports pegged Gigabyte as skipping custom versions of AMD's RX Vega GPUs, due to both availability and manufacturing issues. However, as Videocardz reports (with pictures!), that may no longer be the case.

Apparently, Gigabyte has received a new batch of AMD RX Vega GPUs just in time for the mid-October expected release window of RX Vega custom cards, and are already at work on a Gaming OC custom version of the graphics card with a dual fan configuration (likely a revised WindForce 2X cooler). The card is expected to feature an output configuration of 3x HDMI + 3x DisplayPort, and in Videocardz image comparison, occupies slightly more space in our usual three dimensions than the AMD reference design (as expected).

Normally, motherboards go on shelves at the same time as processors do. In this occasion, Intel has confirmed that their Coffee Lake processors will launch on October 5. As per tradition, images of some of the upcoming motherboards from various brands have been leaked on the web. Meanwhile, we know that many of you are already planning your future Z370 builds or deciding on which motherboard to accompany your PC upgrade. If you're a fan of ASUS products, we have a treat for you. From what VideoCardz have gathered so far, ASUS plans to release sixteen different models from their Republic of Gamers (ROG), The Ultimate Force (TUF), Strix and Prime series.

The ROG line will father five Maximus X models: Apex, Formula, Code, Hero with Wi-Fi AC, and Hero. There is no mention of an Extreme model, but our experience tells us that model usually comes at a later date. It's also possible that it may never see the light of day for this generation. From what we can make of the images, the Maximus X Hero will employ a 10-phase digital VRM design. The motherboard retains the black and grey theme with RGB illuminated heatsinks just like its predecessor. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionality were present on the Code models and above in the previous generation. We're happy to see ASUS offering a Hero variant this time with those two functionalities.

In what might be shocking news to AMD fans, GIGABYTE has stated that there are no current plans to make a custom Radeon RX Vega 64. This might change in the future. But for now, early Vega 64 adopters have no choice but to settle for the reference design or or custom design cards coming out from other vendors. There is still a light hope for the Vega 56 though, since GIGABYTE didn't discard the possibility of releasing a RX Vega 56 Gaming G1. However, the actual number of units is still unclear considering that GIGABYTE is unable to start production immediately due to various technical difficulties surrounding Vega.

Due to the inconsistency in quality of chips that AMD are providing, AIB partners are having a difficult time establishing a standard GPU frequency for their factory-overclocked cards. Furthermore, temperature reporting is broken. The actual GPU temperature is different from the temperature reported by the GPU which can become a big problem for stability in the long run. And to top it all off, there are three different Vega 10 GPU packages floating around. The molded package consists of the GPU and HBM dies sharing the same height, while there's a 40 μm height difference between them in the unmolded package. Although it seems insignificant, this small difference prevents manufacturers from standardizing a single heatsink design to accommodate all three GPU packages.

While enthusiasts are preparing their wallets for the Intel Coffee Lake launch on October 5, Gigabyte is diligently filling retailers' shelves with their upcoming Z370 AORUS motherboards. With as many as six different models to choose from, consumers will surely find a motherboard that best suit their needs. The Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7, in particular, is bound to attract a lot of attention from the more hardcore crowd. Being the cream of the crop of Gigabyte's Z370 lineup means that this motherboard will bring many unique features to the table.

The X399 Designare EX, to which we were privy to a sneak peek already, stands to be Gigabyte's flagship X399 motherboard for AMD's Threadripper platform. Gigabyte, however, seem to have taken a little too much inspiration from their own AORUS X399 Gaming 7, since even the PCB color has been appropriated form that board. Changes are mostly aesthetic: black heatsinks have turned silver, with some added bluish bling that would make any Halo fan smile, and the backplate has a premium feel to it. Overall, I quite like the design accents in this board, though again, this seems to be a case of a slight redressing of an already existing product - with an accompanying increase to its price-tag. If the AORUS Gaming 7 retails for $389, you should see this one crossing the $400 threshold easily.

Gigabyte's AORUS branding is becoming closer and closer to ASUS' ROG in the scope and market of their products. Not letting itself be shadowed by ASUS' headset offerings, Gigabyte has just announced impending availability of their H5 Gaming headset, which brings beryllium to what is usually a neodymium fight. Beryllium is considered to be generally superior to neodymium-based drivers, and AORUS is banking on that as the main differentiator for improved acoustics. Like all AORUS products these das, there's support for RGB lighting and control through software suites, and an increased concern with ergonomics, so that this headset can be used through long gaming sessions with the least amount of fatigue possible. That is one of the reasons it comes in at 285 g.

It looks like the Aorus X399 Gaming 7 won't be the only socket TR4 motherboard GIGABYTE has in store for those looking to build Ryzen Threadripper high-end desktops. The first picture of its flagship motherboard for this platform, the X399 Designare EX surfaced thanks to VideoCardz. This board is based on the same exact PCB as the Aorus X399 Gaming 7, including its black PCB color uncharacteristic of the Designare moniker in recent times.

All that's changed is that GIGABYTE swapped out the black colored heatsinks over the chipset and VRM for silver colored ones, and the I/O shroud running the length of the motherboard now comes in silver, and now includes a detachable integrated I/O shield; as well as the M.2 SSD heatsinks. Aorus branding around the board has been swapped for Designare branding. The rest of the board appears to be identical overall. Something still tells us that GIGABYTE could ask a small premium for this board over the Aorus X399 Gaming 7, for its exclusivity and better suitability for white-themed builds.

GIGABYTE rolled out what it claims to be the shortest GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card, the GV-N1080IX-8GD. With a length of just 169 mm, the card is significantly shorter than the 211 mm length of ZOTAC GTX 1080 Mini, the previous record-holder for the smallest GTX 1080 graphics card. The card features a dense aluminium fin-stack heatsink to which heat drawn directly from the GPU is conveyed by copper heat pipes; and ventilated by a single 90 mm fan, which remains off when the card is idling.

Out of the box, the GIGABYTE GTX 1080 Mini comes with NVIDIA-reference clock speeds of 1607 MHz core, 1733 MHz GPU Boost, and 10.00 GHz (GDDR5X-effective) memory, but a software-enabled OC mode spools up GPU clocks to 1632/1771 MHz. The card draws power from a single 8-pin PCIe power connector, and conditions it using a 5+2 phase VRM. Based on the 16 nm "GP104" silicon, the GeForce GTX 1080 features 2,560 CUDA cores, 160 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and a 256-bit wide GDDR5X memory interface, holding 8 GB of memory. Display outputs include three DisplayPort 1.4, and one each of dual-link DVI and HDMI 2.0. The company didn't reveal pricing.