Immersive 5.1.4 sound and deep bass that has to be heard to be believed: Sennheiser's new AMBEO Soundbar will be available from May. Created by the audio specialist to be one of the world's best soundbars, the AMBEO Soundbar places the listener inside the sound experience with incredible realism, delivering 3D sound that blurs the line between playback and reality from a single all-in-one device. Visitors to CES can experience the AMBEO Soundbar at the Sennheiser booth.

Sennheiser's soundbar has been developed under the audio specialist's AMBEO trademark. The AMBEO 3D audio technology program is dedicated to creating immersive audio solutions that deliver the ultimate in audio capture and reproduction to transform the way users experience content. Bringing this transformation to the living room, the AMBEO Soundbar is another milestone in the program. "We are thrilled to be introducing the AMBEO Soundbar as Sennheiser's first foray into the home entertainment speaker category. We have developed it with the ambition to create one of the best soundbars on the market - an elegant all-in-one solution for all those seeking an immersive 3D, audiophile-grade home entertainment experience," said Stephane Hareau, Global Head of Products - Consumer at Sennheiser.

Microsoft earlier this week released Windows 10 October 2018 (version 1809) update. You can either get it through Windows Update, and install it leaving your personal files and settings largely unchanged, or perform a clean install by making yourself an install media using Microsoft's Media Creation Tool. PC Watch noticed something curious about getting the new Windows version through Windows Update on their notebook. The process was sapping too much power from the battery, and the update process is interrupted by an incompatible driver dialog (screenshot below).

Intel processors running with Gen 9.5 iGPUs enabled (that's 6th generation "Skylake" or later), expose an integrated audio controller to the operating system. This controller is responsible for digital audio output through the iGPU's HDMI and DisplayPort connectors, and is similar to the one NVIDIA and AMD integrate with their discrete GPUs. Users with driver version 10.25.0.3 or older for this controller, could run into problems when Windows Update is re-loading the drivers as part of the upgrade process. Intel has since released driver version 10.25.0.10 part of the latest Graphics Drivers 25.20.100.6323. If you're still on Windows 10 version 1803 and use your iGPU, it's recommended that you update your Intel graphics drivers before initiating Windows Update to version 1809.

ASUS today introduced the VP248QGL-P, a cost-effective 24-inch gaming-grade monitor with AMD FreeSync technology support. If you can get past the TN-film panel with 1080p resolution, you'll also find that it features response times as low as 1 ms, and up to 75 Hz refresh-rates. Viewing angles are 170°/160° (H/V). Among its feature-set is ASUS Splendid display management software, blue light filtering, and ASUS GamePlus, which is a collection of game genre-specific display presets. Display inputs include one each of DisplayPort 1.2a, HDMI 1.4a, and D-Sub. Stereo speakers and 3.5 mm-jack make for the rest of it. Expect a sub-$175 price.

Display specialist AOC announces the Q3279VWFD8, a sibling to the 31.5" Q3279VWF, a superb allrounder from the well-received 79 series, which debuted last autumn and received huge appraisal for its extraordinary price/performance ratio. The new monitor, Q3279VWFD8 uses a different panel type - IPS - rather than the VA panel used in its older brother and boasts a wider colour gamut for increased colour accuracy and therefore more vivid, natural and eye-catching imagery. The Q3279VWFD8's 31.5" IPS panel offers a highly detailed QHD resolution (2560x1440 pixels), 5 ms GtG response time, AMD FreeSync support and 75 Hz refresh rate. Aimed at particularly budget conscious home power users, internet cafés and everyone who is after jaw-dropping specs without breaking the bank are going to be well-served with the Q3279VWFD8.

ASUS rolled out the Tinker Fanless Aluminium case, a custom-design case for the Tinker Board and Tinker Board S hobby-kits by ASUS that rival Raspberry Pi. The case is built from a block of aluminium with brushed-metal finish; which opens from one side (rear), held together by a single thumb-screw. It has cutouts for all of the Tinker Board's ports and connectors - four USB, an HDMI output, Ethernet, DC-in, two card slots, and slots for the optional WLAN module. The case has enough room to let you mount the SoC heatsink that's included with Tinker Boards. The case measures 90 mm x 67 mm x 36 mm (WxDxH).

Caavo Inc, an entertainment-obsessed hardware and software start-up based in Silicon Valley, today introduced the Spotlight HDMI cable, a high-speed HDMI cable that combines premium performance, superior durability and uniquely shows consumers the right connection instantly. With its patent-pending light-up technology, the Spotlight HDMI cable makes tracing simple for consumers confronted with an overwhelming sea of cables to identify in their home entertainment centers.

Now available for purchase at Caavo.com, the Spotlight HDMI cable features a LED indicator pressed to show which device the cable is connected to. The cable head on the connected device will then illuminate, making it easy for consumers to identify their cable and device connections, as well as ensure cables are fully connected.

ASUS today introduced the VG255H, a 24.5-inch "console gaming monitor." The company is targeting this Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) monitor at console gamers, as a better alternative to TV. We guess ASUS is also hedging its bets on PC gamers transitioning over to consoles (who prefer gaming on a desk), in the wake of the crypto-plague pricing out affordable graphics cards. HDMI is the only digital input this monitor has, it has two HDMI 1.4a ports, and supports AMD FreeSync over HDMI.

Besides FreeSync, the gaming-grade credentials of this TN-film monitor are bolstered by 1 ms response time, 75 Hz refresh-rate, GameFast Input Technology (which works to reduce input lag), and ASUS GamePlus, a set of features that include OSD crosshairs, FPS counters, timers, and bezel compensation. Also included are six game genre-specific display presets. Besides HDMI, the monitor includes a D-Sub input. Its stand offers height, tilt, and 90° rotation. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Today, Intel launched the latest and most powerful Intel NUC to date, based on the newly announced 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with Radeon RX Vega M graphics. The new Intel NUC (formerly code-named Hades Canyon) brings this powerful new processor and graphics solution into an incredibly tiny 1.20-liter system. Great for VR enthusiasts and workload-heavy content creators, it will be Intel's smallest premium VR-capable system in the market.

The new NUC will come in two versions: NUC8i7HVK and NUC8i7HNK.

• The NUC8i7HVK is based on the unlocked version of the new 8th Gen Intel Core processor with the Radeon RX Vega M GH graphics, giving overclockers the ability to take the system to higher levels.
• The NUC8i7HNK uses the 8th Gen Intel Core processor with the Radeon RX Vega M GL graphics.

Acer introduced the PE320QK (full model name PE320QK bmiipruzx), a 32-inch (31.5-inch viewing area) monitor for graphics professionals. This monitor boasts of 130% coverage of the sRGB palette, and 95% coverage of DCI-P3, and 4K-HDR. Key specifications of its IPS panel include 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels) resolution, 60 Hz refresh-rate, 4 ms (GTG) response time, 10bpc (1.07 billion colors), 178° viewing angles, 350 cd/m², and dynamic mega-contrast ratio. Its thin-bezel design benefits multi-monitor setups. Display inputs include two HDMI, and one DisplayPort. Available now, it is priced at USD $1,199.

HDMI Forum, Inc. today announced the release of Version 2.1 of the HDMI Specification which is now available to all HDMI 2.0 adopters. This latest HDMI Specification supports a range of higher video resolutions and refresh rates including 8K60 and 4K120, and resolutions up to 10K. Dynamic HDR formats are also supported, and bandwidth capability is increased up to 48Gbps. Supporting the 48Gbps bandwidth is the new Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable. The cable ensures high- bandwidth dependent features are delivered including uncompressed 8K video with HDR. It features exceptionally low EMI (electro-magnetic interference) which reduces interference with nearby wireless devices. The cable is backwards compatible and can be used with the existing installed base of HDMI devices.

Version 2.1 of the HDMI Specification is backward compatible with earlier versions of the specification, and was developed by the HDMI Forum's Technical Working Group whose members represent some of the world's leading manufacturers of consumer electronics, personal computers, mobile devices, cables and components.

Club 3D as the pioneer of Multi Stream Transport Hubs strengthen our presence in this segment with the announcement of the following products to complement our already established MST Hubs. Since our first introduction back in 2013, we are reaching a maturity level on these product lines and therefore we are introducing a lighter version packed in a polybag and powered solely with USB power. Compared to our further continued CSV-5XXX line of MST Hubs the new items will differ in some major points:

• all models are powered by USB only, no power supply needed
• different packaging: polybag instead of retail box
• no reset button on the product, for repeating digital handshake just plug the MST Hub on/off from the Display Port.
• no MiniDP to DP Adapter included in the box.

Intel today released its latest Graphics Driver for Windows (GDW). Version 15.60 WHQL (15.60.0.4849), which is applicable for integrated graphics embedded into 6th generation "Skylake," 7th generation "Kaby Lake," and 8th generation "Coffee Lake" processors. The drivers are WDDM 2.3 compliant (Windows 10 Fall Creators Update), and add support for Netflix HDR and YouTube HDR on Windows 10. The drivers also add support for 10-bpc (1.07 billion colors) displays over HDMI, and adds video decode hardware acceleration for several formats introduced after DirectX 12.

For those with beefier Iris Pro graphics, Intel GDW 15.60 adds optimization for "Middle-earth: Shadow of War," "Pro Evolution Soccer 2018," "Call of Duty: WWII," "Destiny 2," and "Divinity: Original Sin." As a WDDM 2.3 compliant driver, version 15.60 enables Windows Mixed Reality headsets plugged into the integrated graphics connectors. Download the driver from the link below.DOWNLOAD: Intel Graphics Driver for Windows 15.60

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.

Marseille has introduced what they call the mCable Gaming Edition, an HDMI cable that promises to mitigate aliasing problems of 3D rendering - particularly in games. This may sound like those snake-oily audio and HDMI cables that strut the usage of rare metals like gold or silver, or even something as exotic as diamonds, as a way to improve transmission quality. In marketing talk that might elicit memories from those other less than recommendable products, Marseille are saying their mCable provides "Contextual anti-aliasing, adaptive resolution scaling, high frame rate support (up to 120 FPS @ 1080p), and sub-1 ms lag".

However, apparently, there's slightly more than meets the eye to the Marseille mCable: it features a picture co-processor that applies a post-process anti-aliasing algorithm to the image before it is presented on your screen. And they say it does so without any load on your graphics card. Granted, this might be secondary for us PC users, since we now have access to some "free" post-process AA methods, like FXAA, which mean the performance impact isn't as much of a concern. However, I think fondly of my XBox 360 exclusives that can now be played through backwards compatibility, remember the jagged edges I used to see while gaming, and think: man, if this was true, I'd have loved this.

Back at the end of June, Club 3D already announced the next generation of video splitters that are capable of supporting Dual Monitor @ 4K60Hz. Today we are proud to announce our first docking station which supports as well Dual Monitor @ 4K60Hz. And that is not everything. The new model - CSV-1460 - comes with a lot of ports and is a fully hybrid docking station. This means you can either use it with the USB Type-A cable that is delivered, or if you already have one of those ingenious thin Ultrabooks or Notebooks with Type-C Ports, you just choose the Type C cable out of the box.

Former generation USB docking stations based on USB 3.0 or 3.1 suffered from a limitation of 30Hz if you were aiming at using the highest resolutions like 3840 x 2160 (4K). The latest developments from DisplayLink make it possible now that with CSV-1460 the resolutions can be taken to a new level. Not only one time 4K60Hz is possible, the docking station even offers Dual Monitor functionality and each of the ouptuts supports 4K60Hz. The only requirement is to have a free USB Type A 3.1 Gen 1 socket in your device. This new SenseVision product is powered by DisplayLink 6950 SoC.

ASUS is introducing the MX38VC and the MX32VQ, IFA 2017 product design award-winning products for their sundial-inspired aesthetic on the Qi charger stand and edge-to-edge frameless panels.with similar Qi-charging capability. The product names don't truly showcase the disparity between features in both monitors, so we'll do a rundown on both of them. The Designo Curve MX38VC is a 37.5" ultrawide, QHD+ 3840 x 1600 display with a 21:9 aspect ratio. ASUS is boasting of its SonicMaster technology on this monitor, technology which was co-developed with Harman Kardon. Display inputs on this monitor include 2x HDMI, 1x USB Type-C, and 1x PC audio input port. The MX38VC can sync with a user's smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth to play music wirelessly as well. The Qi-charger base also doubles as moody ambient lighting; the Halo Lighting base can synchronize with the audio output on the monitor's speakers.

The Designo Curve MX32VQ, on the other hand, has a smaller 31.5" WQHD 2560 x 1440 monitor with a more traditional 16:9 aspect ratio. It includes the same Harman Kardon-imbued built-in speakers, the Halo lighting base and Bluetooth integration. Ports are the same as the MX38VC, sans the USB-C port. Both the MX38VC and MX32VQ also support exclusive feature such as ASUS GamePlus and Adaptive-Sync. The 31.5-inch MX32VQ should retail in Europe for €550, while the larger and wider MX38VC will set you back some much less reasonable €1600.

The first custom AIB partner graphics card that we have a chance to look at is none other than ASUS' ROG Strix. AS usual, everything about this particular offering from ASUS screams customization - from the purpose-built PCB and power delivery, to the oversized, triple-slot cooling design with three fans, and premium backplate design for better heat dissipation; all of these should greatly improve temps over Vega's reference design with better acoustics, at the same time. As with almost all AIB partner offerings, there will be two offerings based on this model, differing only in regards to out-of-box clock speeds.

ASUS' latest DirectCU III cooling system makes an appearance, combining Super Alloy Power II components and their Auto Extreme manufacturing technology. Max contact GPU technology makes its way here, as does FanConnect II, which provides hybrid-controlled fan headers and a comprehensive set of tuning options with GPU Tweak II to optimize system cooling and performance even further. As with most ASUS ROG products nowadays, the ROG Strix Vega 64 graphics card will feature support for ASUS AURA RGB LED. Display outputs include 2x HDMI (for VR systems), 2x DisplayPort and 1x DVI. No pricing was announced at time of writing, though you should count on this offering being near the top pricing bracket between AIB cards.

Club 3D is proud to announce the next generation of SenseVision video splitters today with the introduction of two brand new splitters, CSV-1474 (USB-A to HDMI 2.0 Dual Monitor 4K 60Hz) and CSV-1477 (USB-A to DP 1.2 Dual Monitor 4K 60Hz) with this press release.

Former generation video splitters or USB graphic adapters based on USB 3.0 or 3.1 suffered from a limitation of 30 Hz if you were aiming at using the highest resolutions like 3840 x 2160 (4K). The latest developments from DisplayLink make it possible now that with CSV-1474 and CSV-1477 the resolutions can be taken to a new level. Not only one time 4K60Hz is possible, both splitters offer Dual Monitor functionality and each of the outputs can offer 4K 60Hz. The only requirement is to have a free USB Type A 3.1 Gen 1 socket in your device. The two new SenseVision products are powered by DisplayLink 6950 SoC. Our new future-proof products will be ready for shipment on June 30th. Wide availability of the products in the market we expect in the first week of July.

ASUS is looking to have two distinct monitor product lines catering to either AMD or NVIDIA enthusiasts. Adding to their Swift line-up of NVIDIA G-Sync monitors, ASUS seems to be building up a Strix line as well, which features AMD's FreeSync technology to deliver the same fundamental variable refresh rate technology at a lower price-point (or so we hope.)

Starting with the flagship Strix monitor, the ASUS Strix XG32V has a 31.5" IPS panel with a WQHD resolution of 2560 x 1440. It's curved, so it envelops your FOV better, with the usual 1800R curve. This model can handle refresh rates of up to 144Hz, though readers looking to jump at this panel as we speak should wait for both Freesync range and pricing announcements. Connectivity-wise, we're looking at 2x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x HDMI 2.0, and an os yet unknown amount of USB 3.0 ports. ASUS has also added the inevitable Aura Sync lighting to the XG32V, materialized on both a ROG logo that shines down onto the desk, as well as an RGB LED suite on the back of the unit that can be synchronized with other Aura Sync-enabled PC components and peripherals.

In a bid to increase options for budget-minded gamers, Acer has introduced the Nitro 5 gaming laptop, whose wealth of configurations start at a respectable $800. Choosing any kind of gaming-focused laptop over building your own desktop will always look like bad business, but how much one values mobility mays edge the decision towards one side or the other.

Specs-wise, it's a mix of respectable with the bare minimum: it features a 15.6-inch FHD IPS display, up to 32 GB of DDR4 2400 MHz memory, and is available in configurations featuring Intel's Core i5 or Core i7 processors paired with an NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti graphics card, or your choice of an AMD 7th-gen A-series FX, A12 or A10 APUs, paired a Radeon RX550 GPU. Some models will include PCIe SSDs (up to 512GB) with up to 2TB of optional HDD storage. Ports include 1x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, 1x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0 ports, and 1x HDMI output. The Nitro 5 also supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi with a 2x2 MIMO antenna. The Nitro 5 will be available in North America starting July 1. Acer did not release detailed pricing, so there's no idea of what the $800 configuration will net you spec-wise (though an AMD and RX 550 are pretty much guaranteed). The Nitro 5 will also be available in the EMEA in August, starting at a much less interesting €1,139.

Update: It would seem reservations regarding the monitor's conservative resolution were right in the money. New details have come to light in that this monitor from AOC apparently supports two display modes: a 1440p, 144 Hz presentation, favoring resolution and graphics quality, or the aforementioned 1080p 240 Hz. This is interesting, offering a solution for gamers who play both competitive shooters and eye-candy-filled games, opting for blazing fast refresh rates or a higher resolution. It remains to be seen whether graphics quality takes a bigger hit than is solely limited to the decreased resolution: using a monitor ona non-native resolution decreases graphical quality, sometimes noticeably so. Still, this is a flexible solution, and I wouldn't be surprised to see users choosing this solution exactly because of the two different modes of operation.

AOC has added a new monitor to its line-up, which seems to be especially geared towards competitive gamers in twitch-shooters. Its astonishing 240 Hz refresh rate, 1 ms response time, and G-SYNC support are its greatest selling points, I would wager, though I bid you good luck in running most modern games at such frame-rates. To achieve this kind of screen refresh rates, AOC had to compromise in other areas, though: the AG251FG's 1080p resolution seems somewhat limited, as does the usage of a TN panel.

Acer has added another entry to their Predator line of gaming monitors. The Z35P comes in to replace the company's now aging Z35, which boasted of a 2560x1080 resolution (which while relatively low for today's standards, I have to say I really enjoy.) The Z35P brings the specs up to speed with today's standards, with a higher resolution and a better contrast ratio than its predecessor. Its design reminds me of a running Flood infection form, honestly, but that may be just me.

The Z35P is based on a 35" AMVA panel with a 3440x1440 resolution (2.39:1 aspect ratio and 106 PPI), has a relatively low maximum brightness of 300 nits (no HDR support here I'm afraid), a 2500:1 contrast ratio, a 100 Hz refresh rate, 178°/178° viewing angles, a 4 ms response time, and a 1800R curvature. Reports indicate the refresh rate can be overclocked from 100 Hz to 120 Hz (with G-SYNC to boot), which isn't all that shabby. Connectivity-wise, the Predator Z25P features 1x HDMI 1.4 port, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 4x USB Type-A headers (with 1x USB-B input) and 1x 3.5-mm audio jack which drives the two 9 W integrated speakers. While in operation, the panel consumes up to 65 W of power. The Acer Predator Z35P is expected to be available in the U.S. in the coming weeks for $1099.99.

Taking a blanketing approach to the GT 1030 market, MSI has announced a further five SKUs based on NVIDIA's GT 1030 silicon, which will join the company's already announced full height, passive-cooled GT 1030 2GH OC offering. MSI is catering to one and every need their users could possibly have with this line-up: from a half-height, passive-cooled solution, passing through a full-height, still passively-cooled solution, and a full-height, actively-cooled one. The only thing missing seems to be a water-cooled version.

MSI's line of GT 1030 graphics cards are available now from various retailers at around the $75 price-bracket.

ASUS has announced its take on the RX 550, the graphics card that is meant to bridge the gap between IGPs and the power reserved to discrete GPUs. Not much differs from other AIB offerings, since this is the same GPU paired with either 2 or 4 GB of GDDR5 memory ticking at 7,000 MHz over a 128-bit memory bus, but ASUS dis manage to add an IP5X-certified dust-proof fan. According to ASUS, this fan design extends the lifespan of the graphics card by 25% through increased dust and particle resistance, as well as efficient heat dissipation. The cards will come clocked at 1,100 MHz stock, and 1,183MHz boost clocks, with no auxiliary power connectors.

The ASUS Radeon RX 550 is a dual-slot design measuring 182 (length) x 112 (height) x 43mm (width), which delivers 1x Dual-Link DVI-D, 1x HDMI, and 1x DisplayPort connectors. These cards are produced using ASUS' Auto-Extreme manufacturing technology, which fully automates every step of PCB manufacturing and dispenses with human intervention. ASUS also bundles its GPU Tweak II and Xsplit Gamecaster software suites with the Radeon RX 550. These include the new "Gaming Booster"for automated overclocking, while XSplit Gamecaster lets gamers stream or record gameplay right from the in-game overlay. The ASUS Radeon RX 550 2GB / 4GB are available now from a variety of retailers for $90 / $100, respectively.

AOC has been one of the most aggressive companies when it comes to launching new displays, with its gaming "AGON" series seeing the addition of multiple monitors in the past few months. The new C4008VU8 doesn't quite tick the gaming aesthetics box, however, which isn't all that bad. Personally, I much prefer its clean, no-frills design, absent of some over-design features.

The panel seems to be an interesting one, nonetheless, with its 40" size, 16:9, 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution on a 10-bit MVA panel, with a 60 Hz refresh rate. Its 5 ms response time is relatively good, though the absence of any VRR (variable refresh-rate) technology such as AMD's FreeSync or NVIDIA's G-SYNC is puzzling. The lack of HDR support, however, is kind of a downer, but a necessity when one considers the display's maximum 300 cd/m² brightness. The panel boasts an 85% NTSC wide color gamut with 1.07 billion colors, with 178º horizontal and vertical viewing angle on a 1800R curved display. As for adjustments, the monitor can only be tilted: 5 degrees down, and 13.5 degrees up. Connection-wise, the AOC C4008VU8 boasts 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x HDMI 1.4, 2x DisplayPort 1.2, and 1x VGA connector (only 8 months ago I would be using such a connection myself, so I really shouldn't judge. There are legacy use cases, after all, and more options are always better.) There are also 4x USB 3.0 ports available, one of which can be used for fast charging devices. The AOC is available with a MSRP of $899, though you may find some retailers selling these for less already.