SilverStone today introduced its premium air based CPU cooler, the Hydrogon D140 ARGB (model: SST-HYD140-ARGB). As its name might suggest, this is a D-type (dual fin-stack) cooler that uses fans as large as 140 mm for ventilation, and hence fits into the large+heavyweight category of air coolers, targeting the segment of the market that really wants to avoid AIO coolers. The cooler uses a mirror-finish nickel-plated copper base, through which six 6 mm-thick heatpipes pass, which skewer the two fin-stacks on either of their ends. The two fin-stacks are capped off by a top-plate.

There are two fans involved in ventilating the heatsink, meant to be installed in a push-pull configuration. The "push" fan is a 120 mm, while the "pull" fan, located between the two fin-stacks, is a larger 140 mm spinner. Both fans come with addressable RGB LED illumination, and feature hydraulic bearings. The 120 mm fan turns at speeds ranging between 500 to 2,200 RPM, pushing up to 83.68 CFM of airflow at up to 4.01 mm H₂O static pressure, and up to 35.5 dBA of noise. The 140 mm fan, on the other hand, turns between 400 to 1,750 RPM, pushing up to 93 CFM of airflow at 2.24 mm H₂O static pressure, and up to 30.8 dBA of noise. With its fans in place, the cooler measures 140 mm x 160 mm x 136 mm (WxHxD), weighing 1.22 kg. Among the CPU socket types supported are LGA1700, AM5, LGA1200, AM4, and LGA2066. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Scythe unveiled the 6th generation of its Mugen line of premium air CPU coolers. These include the Mugen 6, and Mugen 6 Black Edition. The Mugen 6 features chrome finished aluiminium fins and nickel-plated copper heatpipes; while the Mugen 6 Black Edition is a more premium variant, with all-black fins, heatpipes, and two included fans for push-pull ventilation, instead of just one in the Mugen 6.

Both coolers feature a large aluminium fin-stack, to which heat drawn from a nickel-plated copper base is conveyed by six 6 mm-thick heatpipes. This is ventilated by a 120 mm Scythe Wonder Tornado 120 PWM fan that features a fluid-dynamic bearings, turns at speeds of up to 2,000 RPM, pushing up to 60.29 CFM of airflow, with up to 2.45 mm H₂O static pressure, and up to 26.88 dBA noise output. The Black Edition includes two of these. With the fan(s) in place, the Mugen 6 measures 132 mm x 106 mm x 154.5 mm (WxDxH), weighing 1.01 kg; while the Mugen 6 Black Edition measures 132 mm x 132 mm x 154.5 mm, weighing 1.2 kg. Among the CPU socket types supported are LGA1700, AM5, LGA1200, and AM4. The company didn't release pricing information.

CaseKing.de has started to sell a gigantic Lamptron ST060 dual-tower CPU air cooler for €299.90 (~$325) with VAT added. Many PC hardware news sites have predicted that this sizable—153 × 152 × 120 mm (W x H x D)—cooling solution is worthy of taking on similarly proportioned competition. CaseKing's listing includes some hype material: "(the ST060) offers extremely high cooling performance thanks to its six heat pipes and two PWM RGB fans. With a 260 W TDP, the cooler is also very quiet and has immense cooling reserves for overclocked CPUs and, despite its size, can be installed even with the mainboard installed." The integrated 6-inch 1920x1080 screen is the ST060's other selling point—DeepCool's (recently TPU reviewed) AK620 dual-tower cooler sports a large-ish top-mounted mini monitor, although its functionality is quite limited. Lamptron states that their new model is prepped for full AIDA64 integration; a license for this software suite is bundled in.

The integrated screen requires connection to USB Type-A and HDMI ports—perhaps a major annoyance—fortunately mini USB to USB and HDMI cables are included in the box. Additionally, software and digital instructions are uploaded onto a bundled USB-A flash drive. The base Lamptron ST060 model is joined by ARGB equipped alternatives—CaseKing has a product page for a black fan version (LAMP-ST060AB, also priced at €299.90), but it is not available to purchase yet. Tom's Hardware believes that a white fan model (LAMP-ST060AW) is also incoming—they documented some basic aesthetic differences: "In addition to the fans being different, the ARGB versions have a silver heatsink as opposed to the black heatsink on the regular version." Lamptron's ST060 air cooler appears to be an Intel socket-centric product, with support for LGA1366, LGA1200, LGA115x, LGA1700, and LGA2011. Team Red enthusiasts will be disappointed about compatibility being limited to AM4. Overclocking.com expressed surprise regarding Lamptron's re-emergence with new products—many assumed that the company was in a dormant state for a long time.

ZALMAN today introduced the CNPS14X Duo Black, its new high-end air-type CPU cooler, designed for thermal loads of up to 270 W, or comparable to typical 240 mm AIO liquid coolers. It does so in an imposing size of 126 mm x 135 mm x 159 mm (DxWxH), weighing 1.16 kg. It features a traditional dual fin-stack (D-type) heatsink, with a ZALMAN patented reverse direct-touch heatpipe base. Rather than have a the heatpipes make direct contact with the CPU, or even indirect contact through a base-plate, were only portions of the heatpipes make contact with the base; the reverse direct-touch mechanism has them enclosed and surrounded by the base-plate, so it makes contact with the entire surface area of the heatpipes. The heatsink features six 6 mm-thick copper heatpipes, with their ends passing through the two aluminium fin-stacks. The two stacks are capped by ABS top-plates.

The cooler includes two ZALMAN AF120 fans, you can use both of them in a push-pull configuration, where the cooler yields 44 mm of clearance for the memory; or single fan mode, clearing out 52 mm for the memory. Each of the two fans turns at speeds between 600 to 2,000 RPM, pushing up to 69.12 CFM of airflow, at a maximum static pressure of 2.01 mm H₂O, and 29.7 dBA maximum noise output. Their hydro dynamic bearings are rated for 40,000 hours. Among the CPU socket types supported by the ZALMAN CNPS14X Duo Black are Intel LGA1700, LGA1200; AMD AM5, and AM4. A sachet of ZALMAN ZM-STC8 thermal compound comes included with the cooler, which is rated for thermal conductivity of 8.3 W/mK. The company didn't reveal pricing.

ECS Industrial Computer Co., Ltd., (ECSIPC) is pleased to announce its participation in ISE 2024 where it will showcase its latest smart retail solutions, IPC motherboards, and two new LIVA mini-PCs that are ready for applications including digital signage, smart vending machines, kiosks, factory automation equipment and AOI. Designed for digital signage and self-service kiosks in the smart retail industry, or in large vehicles fitted with display-board advertising, this unique mini-PC offers up to 4 display outputs that can showcase a variety of rich and vibrant content. The highly flexible solution can display 4 different screens, mirror all screens the same, split one image across 4 displays, or splits of 3-and-1 or 2-and-2, affording maximum flexibility to cover wide areas of retail spaces that can easily plan and push a multitude of content to inform and advertise in attractive, dynamic, high-resolution visuals, all from a single device. The LIVA X3A mini-PC is ready to go right out the box, along with ECSIPC's own content management software to streamline product deployment.

Powered by a highly efficient Rockchip octa-core featuring a 4x Arm Cortex-A76 and 4x Arm Cortex-A55 processors in this Arm-based CPU, the highly efficient, fanless design ensures a sustainable solution that accommodates many use-cases. In addition, 8 GB of fast LPDDR5 and 64 GB of internal storage is preinstalled, while dual GbE, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 provide a variety of internet connectivity built-in, which can be further expanded with optional PoE and 4G LTE to meet specific deployment requirements.

Bitspower brought a large bag of new toys at the 2024 International CES. The first thing that caught our attention was a familiar-looking case with infinity reflection lighting. On a closer look, it turned out to be a Lian Li PC-O11D Evo XL that's been given a neat aesthetic uplift thanks to the new Enigma Light Panel kit by Bitspower. You arrange these along the edges of your side- and front panels, and the provide an impressive, infinity reflection effect. It works with standard 3-pin ARGB, so you can mix it with your regular lighting setup. Next up, are a slew of CR Slim series reservoirs that are designed in the distribution plate format, which they line up with one of your glass panels, providing a better view of your coolant. There are various sizes, ranging from 120 mm x 120 mm, going all the way up to 803 mm. x 140 mm, with fitting ports at strategic locations to align with your CPU and VGA blocks, and radiators. The reservoirs come with preparation for a standard D5 pump, and feature a side cover that has the ARGB LED lighting, the diodes aren't studded into the acrylic as such. Bitspower released a mounting brackets of various sizes to help you correctly mount the reservoirs and accessories in place.

During the CES 2024 show, EK unveiled an exciting new addition to their premium all-in-one (AIO) CPU cooler lineup—the EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 Direct Die D-RGB. As the name suggests, this new 360 mm AIO water cooler is purpose-built for direct die cooling of delidded Intel LGA1700 CPUs. The EK-Nucleus Direct Die stands out with its custom cold plate and mounting mechanism, which are exclusively engineered for exposed CPU dies. The nickel-plated copper base ensures compatibility with liquid metal TIMs like the included Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut, which comes in the package. EK has worked with der8auer to provide delidding service kits and tools to facilitate easy DIY removal of the integrated heat spreader (IHS).

The package also contains a contact frame and protective foam for safe liquid metal application. At the heart of the cooler is a powerful AIO pump EK co-developed with the OEM manufacturer, meaning it is not an off-the-shelf pump found in other AIOs and is capable of up to 500 L/h flow rate. The reinforced, sleeved rubber tubing is fitted with aluminium covers for durability. Integrated omnilink connectors allow daisy chaining of the three included 120 mm D-RGB fans for cable management. The EK-Nucleus Direct Die offers extensive RGB lighting customization with illuminated circle accents on the removable pump top covers. The diamond-cut brushed aluminium side panels and radiator cowl add to the premium aesthetic. The new AIO will be available for the Intel LGA1700 platform, with hopefully more versions later. The EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 Direct Die D-RGB is now available for pre-order at €202.90 MSRP price tag.

CORSAIR at the 2024 International CES unveiled three new air cooling products; the A115 air CPU cooler, the AF120 MAX fans, and the RX Series Fans. We begin our tour with the AF120 MAX. These 120 mm fans come with a thickness of 30 mm, above the 25 mm industry standard. This 5 mm increase allows for a significantly bigger impeller, which results in a static pressure of 4.14 mm H₂O at its top speed of 2,000 RPM. The company hasn't disclosed its airflow and noise numbers, yet. It is also planning such thick fans in the 140 mm size. The fan is recommended for applications such as liquid cooling radiators, where the high static pressure comes handy. Next up, is the RX Series, a set of mid-range fans that come in RGB and non-RGB variants, and in sizes of 120 mm and 140 mm. The RGB ones support iCUE Link.

The star attraction is the new A115 air CPU cooler. This is a high-end D-type (dual fin-stack) CPU cooler, which uses six 6 mm-thick copper heatpipes that make indirect contact with the CPU through a copper base; 90 nickel-plated fins, a pair of included AF140 Elite PWM 140 mm fans; and an innovative new fan-installation mechanism that puts the two fans on rails, and has them slide into place from the top, with the heatsink installed, so you don't wrestle with clips and get cut. This sliding mechanism also ensures clearance for memory near the first "push" fan. The company's "Hold Fast" retention module is designed for easy installation of the heatsink; among the CPU socket types supported are LGA1700 (and by extension the upcoming LGA1851), AM5, and AM4.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices, today is proud to introduce the BIQ67-AHP industrial motherboard, expertly crafted to facilitate system integration for both industrial and business applications, providing a robust and efficient solution for managing and streamlining complex processes and operations.

At the heart of the BIQ67-AHP's remarkable performance lies its compatibility with the Intel Core i7/i5/i3 processor (LGA1700), complemented by the Intel Q670 chipset and a Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 125 W. This powerful configuration ensures the BIQ67-AHP can easily handle demanding industrial and business applications. Its high-capacity memory support, featuring four DDR4 3200 MHz LONG-DIMM slots, enhances data reliability and system stability, making the BIQ67-AHP an ideal solution for environments where uninterrupted operation and data integrity are crucial.

MSI is planning to expand its small lineup of motherboards with ATX12VO power connectivity—the new desktop motherboard power standard that does away with the 5 V and 3.3 V power domains, and relies entirely on 12 V, with the aim of simplifying PSU designs and desktop PC power cabling. ATX12VO is still an emerging standard that hasn't gained traction in the DIY channel, but PC OEMs and systems integrators are beginning to catch on, for the cost savings to be had. MSI has been targeting this class of customers—OEMs and small SI, with motherboards under its mainstream PRO series. For the Socket LGA1700, the company has the PRO H610M 12VO, and now the company has its first ATX12VO motherboard for AMD Socket AM5—the PRO B650M 12VO/WiFi.

The company hasn't finalized the board design, but we know from its silhouette to be a Micro-ATX (240 mm x 240 mm) board, with the Socket AM5 wired to two DDR5 DIMM slots, a PCI-Express 4.0 x16, a handful M.2 NVMe Gen 4 slots, and some basic connectivity, including onboard Wi-Fi. As with all ATX12VO motherboards we've seen to date, onboard VRM is used to switch 12 V to lower voltage domains, including 5 V and 3.3 V needed for SATA drives, and the likes. MSI also revealed that it is working on a branded ATX12VO power supply series, so both the retail and OEM/SI channel customers can buy the motherboard+PSU as combos from a single source. Not much else is known about these PSUs at this point.

Market research by Korean publication Danawa DPG provides valuable insights to how desktop AMD Ryzen processor users are charting their upgrade paths given the long upgrade longevity of AMD sockets. The research follows a 10-month date range from December 2022 to October 2023, and tracks the sales of motherboards based on various AMD chipset models. We're shown that toward the turn of the year, AMD B550 chipset motherboards sell the most. This is when AMD Ryzen 5000 Socket AM4 processors top sales for the company, Given that the B550 fully supports CPU overclocking, and that there are plenty of feature-packed B550 motherboard models, it explains why the B550 covers a wide price-band.

AMD launched the Ryzen 7000 series "Zen 4" to lukewarm response in September 2022, mainly because the platform lacked DDR4 memory support that was relevant at the time, and hence wasn't as flexible to consumers as Intel's LGA1700. Its launch caused price-cuts for Ryzen 5000 series processors, clearing out some upgrade headroom for those on the AM4 platform still using Ryzen 3000. Off to a slow start, we see its successor from Socket AM5, the B650 chipset, rise steadily over the time period, and for two reasons—DDR5 memory became affordable over the course of 2023; and AMD breathed life into the Ryzen 7000 series with the introduction of the Ryzen 7000X3D series, which restored gaming performance competitiveness to Intel's 13th Gen Core "Raptor Lake." The B650 has everything you need right now for a Ryzen 7000X3D build, given that both the GeForce RTX 40-series and Radeon RX 7000 series are PCIe Gen 4 graphics cards; and that the B650 has at least a Gen 5 NVMe slot. If you absolutely need a Gen 5 x16 slot, there's the premium B650E chipset to go with.

ID-Cooling today unveiled the IS-30 line of low-profile CPU coolers. With their fans installed, these coolers have a height of just 30 mm. There isn't enough room for a multi-socket retention module, and so there are socket-specific variants. The IS-30I Black is designed for Socket LGA1700 and LGA1200/115x, while the IS-30AMD is designed for Sockets AM5 and AM4. A key difference in design between the two is what while the IS-30I Black has all-black fins and heatpipes, while IS-30AMD uses bare aluminium fins, and nickel-plated copper heatpipes.

The design for the IS-30 series is pretty straightforward—four 6 mm-thick copper heatpipes make indirect contact with the processor through a copper base, conveying heat through a thin aluminium fin-stack, which is ventilated by a thin 92 mm fan. This fan features a sleeved bearing, turns at speeds between 800 to 3,600 RPM, pushing up to 40 CFM of airflow, with noise levels ranging between 17 to 35.8 dBA. With the fan in place, the cooler measures 94 mm x 94 mm x 30 mm (not including the retention module, so it's 30 mm up from the point of contact with the processor. ID-Cooling claims that the cooler can take thermal loads of up to 100 W. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Intel is preparing to expand its 14th Gen Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" desktop processor lineup with the introduction of mainstream 65 W processor models that lack overclocking capabilities and include a cooling solution in the retail channel. The company is planning to make these chips available to purchase on January 8, 2024. Intel has set 15:00 Pacific on January 8th as the availability time; it's also the time when the media can post their reviews of these chips. The chips should be supported on all Socket LGA1700 motherboards, across Intel 600-series and 700-series chipsets, including the entry-level H610; however, some of these boards may require UEFI firmware updates. We've known the processor model numbers and specs of these chips for a while now, and they're starting to appear on web-stores as placeholder listing. It's possible that Intel allows retailers to take in pre-orders a few days before January 8.

Retailers are beginning to put up placeholder listings for Intel's upcoming 14th Gen Core (65 W), non-K desktop processor models. Based on the "Raptor Lake Refresh" silicon, these chips offer generational uplifts in clock speeds over the 13th Gen Core series, although their feature-set remains nearly identical to the 13th Gen. These chips will run on all Socket LGA1700 motherboards, based on 600-series and 700-series chipset, with a UEFI firmware update. The full lineup already leaked out in marketing material this September (read here), but we're getting confirmation of these chips as retailer listings. The lineup begins with the 4P+0E Core i3-14100F and i3-14100; followed by the Core i5-14400F and i5-14400; the Core i7-14700F, i7-14700; and leading the pack being the i9-14900 and i9-14900F. These chips, particularly the -F extension ones, could provide good value to gamers.

Jonsbo unveiled what is possibly the most "compact" CPU cooler in the D-type (dual fin-stack) design. The new CR-1400 DV2 by Jonsbo is just 136 mm tall with its fans in place, but rocks two aluminium fin-stacks, a shrouded fan-mound, and uses a pair of 92 mm fans to ventilate its heatsink in a push-pull arrangement. The cooler has some decent specs despite its supposedly diminutive height. Six 6 mm-thick nickel-plated copper heatpipes make direct contact with the CPU at the base, with their ends passing through the two aluminium fin-stacks, which are ventilated by two 92 mm fans, one of which pushes fresh air through the first fin-stack, and the second positioned between the two fin-stacks, conveying air onto the second stack. Both stacks are covered by a cooler shroud that holds onto the fans, and comes with an ARGB illuminated top-plate.

Each of the two included 92 mm fans features a fluid-dynamic bearings rated for over 40,000 hours, turns at speeds ranging between 800 to 2,500 RPM, pushing between 11.95 to 38.2 CFM of airflow, at 0.25 to 2.00 mm H₂O static pressure, and a noise output ranging between 22.3 to 33.8 dBA. The fans each take in 4-pin PWM input for the main function, and 3-pin ARGB for the lighting. Only the "push" fan features ARGB lighting through LEDs located in the impeller hub. The hub features an infinity reflection design element. With its fan in place, the cooler measures 92 mm x 144 mm x 136 mm (WxDxH), the company didn't mention weight. The cooler comes in two variants based on color, Black and White (which changes the color of the shroud and fan frames. Among the CPU socket types supported are LGA1700, AM5, LGA1200, and AM4. The company didn't reveal pricing information.

EK, the renowned premium liquid cooling pioneer, proudly announces the debut of its latest masterpiece, the EK-Quantum Momentum² Aorus Z790 Master X D-RGB - Plexi. This monoblock is expertly designed for the Intel LGA 1700 socket and engineered with precision for seamless integration with the GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS MASTER X motherboard. The monoblock's addressable D-RGB LED effortlessly harmonizes with Gigabyte RGB Fusion 2.0 control, providing comprehensive lighting customization for each diode and ensuring a dynamic visual spectacle. This monoblock is also fully compatible with EK-Matrix7, further enhancing its versatility within EK's liquid cooling ecosystem.

EK-Quantum Momentum² Aorus Z790 Master X D-RGB - Plexi
This is a complete all-in-one (CPU and motherboard) liquid cooling solution for Intel's 12th, 13th, and 14th Gen processors. The monoblock seamlessly aligns with the LGA 1700 socket on the Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Master X motherboard. The monoblock's unique design, incorporating a specialized metal cover over the I/O section, is noteworthy. This cover serves a dual purpose: it facilitates the mounting of the stock I/O cover without compromising the factory-intended RGB lighting of the motherboard while also functioning as an elegant stand for the original LCD screen.

Noctua today introduced its new NM-M1 enthusiast-grade multi-socket mounting kits. Available for Noctua coolers with 83 and 78 mm mounting pitch, the NM-M1-MP83 and NM-M1-MP78 represent an ideal upgrade for users who want to migrate their Noctua CPU coolers to the new, Torx based SecuFirm2+ standard or to the latest sockets that their cooler did not yet support at the time of purchase. On AMD AM5, the offset mounting option can significantly improve performance with typical reductions in CPU temperatures of 1-3°C.

"The mounting system might seem like a sideshow when looking at a CPU cooler as a whole, yet in fact, it's one of the key factors not only for the customer's overall user experience but also for product safety and performance - poor contact pressure or contact quality can easily ruin your results even if the heatsink as such is working great", explains Roland Mossig (Noctua CEO). "At Noctua, we have always taken pride in refining our mounting systems unremittingly, and the NM-M1 kits are a testament to this strive: integrating the latest SecuFirm2+ standard as well as our offset mounting option for improved performance on AMD AM5, they keep raising the bar."

Thermalright today introduced the AXP90-X53 Full copper CPU cooler. A variant of the 53 mm-tall AXP90-X53 top-flow air cooler, this one comes with a nearly 100% copper build, with the CPU contact base, heatpipes, and fin-stack made entirely of the red metal. The only bits on the heatsink that aren't made of copper are the steel retention clips. A copper base plate pulls heat from the processor, conveying it to four 6 mm-thick copper heatpipes, which pass through a copper fin-stack. This is ventilated by a 15 mm-tall 92 mm fan. The base may look like it's plain copper, but has C1100 nickel-plating, and can take even those kinds of TIM that would damage copper over time.

The included Thermalright TL-9015R 92 mm fan features an orange impeller with a contrasting red frame. It features a fluid dynamic bearing, and takes in 4-pin PWM input. It turns at speeds of up to 2,700 RPM, pushing up to 42.58 CFM of airflow, at 1.33 mm H₂O static pressure, and 22.4 dBA noise output. With the fan in place, the Thermalright AXP-90-X53 Full copper measures 94.5 mm x 95 mm x 53 mm, weighing around 600 g (including fan). CPU socket types supported include LGA1700, AM5, LGA1200, and AM4. The company didn't release pricing information.

Azza has introduced its new Cube 240 and Cube 360 liquid AIO coolers, compatible with Intel's upcoming LGA1851 socket for Arrow Lake processors. The new LGA1851 socket offers more contact pins than the previous LGA1700 socket, but it maintains the same dimensions and mounting spacing, allowing many existing coolers to remain compatibility. As we see with the latest Reddit post of the Azza Cube 360 installation manual, the LGA1851 socket will retain cooler compatibility with the current LGA1700 socket. For users planning to upgrade to the upcoming Arrow Lake platform, the cooler installation will be the least of their worries if their mounting brackets are compatible.

However, one notable change with LGA1851 is the higher maximum dynamic pressure, signifying increased mounting pressure from CPU coolers. But that only sometimes leads to new mounting mechanisms for coolers. In addition to Azza, Noctua's coolers, like NH-U12, have also confirmed signs of Arrow Lake support, as you can see here.

EK, the leading manufacturer of premium liquid cooling gear, is excited to announce full compatibility of the EK-Quantum Velocity² D-RGB 1700 and Magnitude 1700 water blocks with the recently unveiled Intel 14th Gen Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs and the upcoming new Z790 motherboards. The Raptor Lake refresh series CPUs feature faster cores for improved multi-tasking, gaming, streaming, and more - up to 6 GHz, with an unmatched overclocking experience. Of course, a capable cooling solution is paramount for the CPU to boost to these high frequencies. This is where EK's Quantum water blocks come in.

The EK-Quantum Velocity² water blocks mark the first EK product series to feature EK-Matrix7 compatibility. Since its launch, this innovative product has garnered multiple design and performance accolades. These water blocks use a socket-specific cooling engine to ensure the best performance and optimal flow with low restrictions on every platform. Since the Z790X platform is based on the LGA1700 socket, the EK-Quantum Velocity² 1700 water blocks are fully compatible with the CPU socket and IHS geometry of Intel 14th Gen Core CPUs. The same goes for the EK-Quantum Magnitude 1700, which fits the Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs perfectly.

By error, over the weekend Canada Computers published prices of upcoming Raptor Lake Refresh desktop CPUs—a competing national store, PC-Canada, also prematurely leaked placeholder charges midway through September. Analysis of last month's figures revealed a 4% (on average) price hike over equivalent 13th Gen Core predecessors, although that information could be out-of-date by now. The numbers released by Canada Computers (now removed from their searchable database) are alleged to be closer to the final article, since we are nearing Intel's October 16th launch day of higher-end 14th Gen Core SKUs, comprised of K and KF variants.

A VideoCardz reader, Kithana, managed to log all of the gory details prior to Canada Computers removing all traces of embargo-busting data. Their news section has pored over the numbers: "A quick check reveals that new SKUs are expected to see an increase ranging from 0% to 7%. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the upcoming next-gen Core i5-14600KF is currently listed at the same price point as its predecessor, 13600KF, at $399 CAD. Notably, not present is the Core i9-14900K model on this list."

Intel 14th Gen Core CPU series leaks continue to emerge this week—MSI let slip an NDA slide during a livestream a few days ago, and now a retail outlet in the Ukraine has listed six Raptor Lake-S Refresh SKUs on its online store, as spotted by the ever watchful momomo_us. The placeholder product pages that have popped up on Telemart seemingly provide us with yet another look at SKU names, basic specifications, cache sizes, as well as maximum clock speeds. These appear to reaffirm information gleaned from previous leaks regarding 14th generation K and KF models.

Intel's Innovation 2023 event is set to take place on September 19 to 20—where Team Blue is expected to make a big presentation on Raptor Lake Refresh processor ranges (as well as Meteor Lake), so it is somewhat surprising to see retail listings appear well in advance of next month's official announcements, and the anticipated 14th Gen Core K-series product launch in October.

Intel's upcoming desktop platform based on Socket LGA1851 will retire support for the DDR4 memory standard. The socket will only support DDR5. With this, Intel would have gracefully transitioned the market from DDR4 to DDR5, with its current Socket LGA1700 that enables both memory stardards, having supported three generations of Core processors (12th thru 14th). Leaf Hobby, a reliable source with Intel leaks, says that LGA1851 will remain Intel's desktop platform till 2026.

LGA1851 is expected to debut with the company's Core desktop processor generation that succeeds 14th Gen "Raptor Lake Refresh." The socket itself has the same dimensions as LGA1700, and is expected to be cooler-compatible with the older socket. The socket will feature pins for up to 32 PCIe lanes—16 toward PEG, 8 toward DMI chipset bus, and two sets of 4 lanes toward CPU-attached NVMe storage. From these, the 16 PEG lanes, and one set of 4 lanes are expected to be Gen 5, while the chipset bus is expected to remain DMI Gen 4 x8, and the second CPU-attached NVMe slot is expected to be Gen 4. The socket could also feature wiring for updated display I/O, as Intel's next-gen processors are expected to introduce updates to the iGPU.

ID-Cooling introduced the IS-67-XT, a low-profile CPU cooler, which gets its name from its Z-height of just 67 mm, with its fan in place. The cooler comes in all-black, and all-white variants. Its design involves a C-type aluminium fin-stack heatsink, with a top-flow ventilation. Six 6 mm-thick nickel-plated copper heatpipes draw heat from a copper base, which is then conveyed to an aluminium fin-stack that's arranged along the plane of the motherboard. This is ventilated by a 15 mm-thick 120 mm fan. ID-Cooling claims a cooling capacity of 150 W, which means you should be able to run most mainstream desktop processors at stock speeds, taking advantage of the lower noise figures than stock cooling solutions.

The included 120 mm fan takes in 4-pin PWM input, turns at speeds ranging between 500 to 2,200 RPM, pushing up to 67.58 CFM of airflow at 1.54 mm H₂O static pressure, and a maximum noise output of 35.2 dBA. The cooler measures 120 mm x 120 mm x 67 mm, weighing 500 g (including fan). Among the CPU socket types supported by the ID-Cooling IS-67-XT are LGA1700, AM5, LGA1200, AM4, and LGA115x. Backed by a 3-year warranty, both color variants of the cooler are priced at USD $44.99 a piece.

Thermalright introduced the Assassin X 120 PLUS V2 tower-type CPU cooler. This is a spruced up version of the company's Assassin X series coolers, featuring a thicker fin-stack compared to the original Assassin X; four nickel-plated copper heatpipes that disperse in a unique "square" pattern through the fin-stack; a fancy die-cast aluminium top-plate for the heatsink; and two included 120 mm fans intended to be installed in a push-pull configuration (most of the Assassin X series coolers include just one).

The cooler uses a nickel-plated copper base, from which four 6 mm-thick copper heatpipes make their way through the aluminium fin-stack. The two included fans are of different types. The TL-C12B V2 fan meant for the "push" arrangement features a fluid-dynamic bearing, takes in 4-pin PWM input, turns at speeds of up to 1,500 RPM, pushing up to 66.17 CFM of airflow, at 1.53 mm H₂O static pressure, and a maximum noise output of 25.6 dBA. The TL-C12RB V2 meant for the "pull" has mostly the same specs, except 58 CFM airflow. With its fans in place, the Thermalright Assassin X 120 PLUS V2 measures 120 mm x 100 mm x 153 mm (WxDxH), weighing 815 g (545 g heatsink + 2x 135 g fans). Among the CPU socket types supported are LGA1700, AM5, AM4, LGA1200, and LGA115x. The company didn't reveal pricing.