BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices today, introduces the brand new B660 series motherboards geared to run the latest Intel 12th generation processors. Available in 3 distinct models, B660GTA, B660GTQ, and the B660GTN, BIOSTAR's new B660 series motherboards carry the legacy of their predecessors as the best performance motherboards available in the market. The B660 Series motherboards are the best mid-range motherboard series in the market for business users, content creators and casual gamers alike that works the best with Intel 12th generation processors.

Featuring PCIe 5.0, the latest leap in data transmission technology, and PCIe M.2 4.0 storage technology, BIOSTAR's B660 series motherboards are robust and functional, designed to suit any use case scenario. The B660GTA, the B660GTQ, and the B660GTN motherboards come in 3 distinct form factors ATX, uATX, and Mini-ITX respectively. For users to select between their favorite build sizes.

Axiomtek - a world-renowned leader relentlessly devoted in the research, development, and manufacturing of innovative and reliable industrial computer products of high efficiency - is pleased to announce its partnership with leading AI chipmaker Hailo to launch the RSC100, a state-of-the-art ARM-based edge AI computer (also named Plato). The ARM-based RSC100 (Plato) supports the Hailo-8 edge AI processor, the latter of which features up to 26 TOPS for running deep learning applications at full scale efficiently, intelligently, and sustainably. The partnership with Hailo offers customers a new level of AI solutions across a wide range of market segments such as smart city, smart retail, industry 4.0, and smart transportation.

"Hailo has gained a lot of experience in developing high-performance AI processors suitable for edge devices. The powerful yet affordable RSC100 (Plato) is our first fanless edge AI computing system that adopts the Hailo-8. The RSC100 (Plato) provides system developers with highly efficient implementation of innovative AI solutions at reduced time-to-market and engineering costs. With the advanced AI performance, the RSC100 (Plato) is well suited for use in smart city applications, including smart surveillance, smart factory, smart agriculture, and smart transportation," said Ken Pan, the product manager at Axiomtek.

Akasa, a leading provider of SSD accessories has just released a new heatsink for M.2 drives, called the Gecko Pro. Working from their previous SSD heatsink, the new Smart Fin design improves airflow over the fins and allows optimum heat dissipation. The Gecko Pro is compatible with 2280 sized SATA and NVMe M.2 drives.

M.2 drives are increasingly becoming more important in PC builds, being a popular option for both laptops, tablets, and tower PCs. As the technology improves over time, they have become an essential in fast, reliable data storage. One problem that occurs when continuously reading and writing data to the drive is overheating; data transfer speeds are reduced at high temperatures.

A company dealing with niche audiophile-grade electronics on Audiophile Style, a popular site and marketplace for the community, conjured up an SSD that it feels offers the best possible audio. Put simply, this is an M.2-2280 NVMe SSD with a fully-independent power delivery mechanism (one that's isolated from the motherboard's power delivery), and an over-the-top discrete clock-source for its controller. The drive has its own 5 V 2-pin DC input and switching hardware onboard, including [get this] a pair of Audionote Kaisei audio-grade electrolytic capacitors in place of what should have been simple solid-state SMD capacitors that are hard to even notice on any other drive. It doesn't end there.

Most NVMe SSDs have a tiny 2 mm x 2 mm SMD oscillator that's used by the controller for clock-generation. This drive features a Crystek CCHD-957 high-grade Femto oscillator. These oscillators are found in some very high-grade production or scientific equipment, such as data-loggers. For the drive itself, you get a Realtek DRAM-less controller, and a single 1 TB TLC NAND flash chip that's forced to operate in SLC mode (333 GB). On a scale of absurdity, this drive is right up there with $10,000 HDMI cables. Digital audio is stored in ones and zeroes, and nothing is accomplished through an isolated power delivery or clock generation on the storage media. It's nice of the designers to include jumpers that let you switch between the discrete power source and motherboard power; so listeners can see the snake-oil for themselves.

Today marks the simultaneous launch of three XPC cubes on the market on the European continent. The "XPC" series from the Taiwanese Mini-PC manufacturer has been impressing users since 2001 with its compact design and wide range of possible applications. The SH570R6, SH570R6 Plus and SH570R8 models are based on the Intel H570 chipset, which is suitable for Intel Core processors of the 11th generation (Rocket Lake) and 10th generation (Comet Lake). Shuttle states that the current top-performing model is the Intel Core i9-11900K with 125 Watt TDP, 8 cores, 16 threads, 16 MB cache and a turbo frequency of 5.3 GHz.

To match the comprehensive processor support, up to 128 GB of RAM, spread across four slots, can be installed. There are also very few upper limits when it comes to suitable mass storage devices. Fast NVMe SSDs can be fitted in the M.2-2280 slot and, thanks to the four SATA ports, so can the corresponding number of hard drives or SSDs. The R6 chassis provides space for two 3.5" data carriers (one internal, one external) and a 5.25" drive; the R8 model, by contrast, can be fitted with four internal 3.5" data carriers - with a corresponding adapter 2.5" formats are of course also suitable.

Innodisk has announced its all-new EGPL-T101 M.2 2280 10GbE LAN module, the first 10GbE LAN designed in M.2 form factor, features flexible integration and excellent compatibility with existing network infrastructure for crucial backward compatibility. Looking into the booming markets and scenarios ranging from surveillance to gaming, networking, and industrial uses, the growing demand for high-speed LAN solutions is promising. Additionally, interference issues are also occurring more often as the size of the PCIe form factor cannot fit in the smaller design of IPC platforms nowadays. Being the leading global provider of industrial embedded flash and memory, Innodisk is introducing the first M.2 10GbE LAN module designed to meet the demand for increased speed and reduced size, high-speed LAN solutions.

Innodisk's EGPL-T101 is the first M.2 2280-to-single 10GbE Base-T Ethernet module which is also the smallest 10GbE expansion solution available today and ten times faster than standard Ethernet. By supporting PCI Express Gen 3x2, the EGPL-T101 module can provide sufficient bandwidth for one 10GbE LAN port suitable for server and industrial applications' high-speed network demands.

Based on the Intel 600-series chipset leak earlier today, it was easy to conclude that all 600-series motherboards would be getting PCIe 5.0 support, but alas, that is not the case. We've already seen some rock bottom Z690 without PCIe 5.0 and thanks to Videocardz we now know that Gigabyte's B660 Gaming X DDR4 will also lack PCIe 5.0 support.

How do we know this board doesn't support PCIe 5.0? First of all, the x16 slot closest to the CPU uses one of Gigabyte's older reinforced PCIe 4.0 slots, whereas all of its Z690 boards with PCIe 5.0 support uses a new, white type of slot. These slots use a visually different kind of reinforcement as well, even if it's only marginally different. However, Gigabyte doesn't appear to be silk screening PCIe 5.0 on supported boards and it's possible that they're using a different slot vendor for the B660 boards.

T-FORCE, TEAMGROUP's gaming sub-brand, today announced the launch of the T-FORCE DELTA TUF Gaming Alliance RGB DDR5 Gaming Memory in collaboration with ASUS TUF Gaming Alliance, the industry's first co-branded DDR5 gaming memory. Samples have been sent to TUF Gaming for testing with future DDR5 motherboards to ensure optimal compatibility and reliability. The T-FORCE DELTA TUF Gaming Alliance RGB DDR5 Gaming Memory is set to create another splash for its speed and style that combines TUF Gaming's signature military aesthetics and T-FORCE's unique gaming elements.

The T-FORCE DELTA TUF Gaming Alliance RGB DDR5 Gaming Memory maintains the RGB lighting along the top edges and its geometric wide-angled contour. With the addition of stealth fighter design elements to enhance the overall look, this new version is more striking than ever before. TEAMGROUP, in collaboration with TUF Gaming Alliance, gave the heatspreader a special camouflage pattern that showcases the unique gaming style of the TUF co-branding, which is sure to be a hit among fans of TUF. The dazzling RGB effects of the T-FORCE DELTA TUF Gaming Alliance RGB DDR5 Gaming Memory can be synchronized using ASUS Aura software, allowing gamers to easily create their own lighting setup. In terms of specifications, the memory clocks in at an impressive 6000 MHz and comes in a 2X16GB dual-channel memory kit. This memory will satisfy gamers looking for the latest-gen hardware and give them a whole new feeling of extreme speed.

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules, NAND Flash products, and mobile accessories today announces the new upgraded ADATA IM2P33E8 PLP PCIe Gen3x4 M.2 2280 solid state drive (SSD) with Power Loss Protection (PLP) technology. Since its launch in 2019, the IM2P33E8 has been recognized by industry insiders and customers involved in 5G, IoT, cloud, AI and other industrial applications for its excellent performance, high capacities, and comprehensive data security mechanism.

In order to meet the requirements of industrial applications in the era of 5G, IoT, Cloud, AI, and big data analytics, ADATA is offering an SSD that is able to operate for longer after power outages and reduce the misidentification of bad blocks. This was achieved by the inclusion of tantalum polymer capacitors to the IM2P33E8 PLP. Tantalum polymer capacitors have the ability to reduce the detriment caused by power outages, most notably data loss.

KIOXIA America, Inc. today announced that it has bolstered its lineup of PCIe 4.0 solid state drives (SSDs) with the addition of the KIOXIA BG5 Series. Designed to bring a suitable balance of performance, cost and power to everyday gamers and PC users, the KIOXIA BG5 Series is built with a PCIe 64 GT/s interface (Gen4 x4 lanes) and accelerated by the company's fifth-generation BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory technology.

As a virtual multi-LUN (VML)-enabled client SSD, the KIOXIA BG5 Series unlocks back-end flash performance while maintaining affordability, making it an especially attractive option for a wide range of commercial and consumer notebooks and desktops. KIOXIA BG5 SSDs also support the latest Host Memory Buffer (HMB) technology to realize a finely optimized DRAM-less SSD. The KIOXIA BG5 ships in a compact M.2 2230 single-sided, thermally optimized form factor enabling mobility and work-from-home lifestyles. M.2 2280 single-sided form factor versions are also available.

Delivering on the promise of SSDs that address future enterprise infrastructure requirements, KIOXIA America, Inc. today announced production-ready availability of its 9.5 mm XD6 Series Enterprise and Datacenter Standard Form Factor (EDSFF) E1.S data center class SSDs. Introduced in late 2020, KIOXIA XD6 drives were the first EDSFF E1.S SSDs to address the specific requirements of hyperscale applications, including the performance, power and thermal requirements of the Open Compute Platform (OCP) NVMe Cloud SSD Specification. XD6 series also supports popular E1.S 15 mm and 25 mm form factor options, providing the flexibility to select the right balance of cooling through different E1.S heatsink options.

Representing the latest innovation in flash storage for servers in cloud and hyperscale data centers, KIOXIA EDSFF E1.S SSDs are designed to optimize system density, efficiency and management. As defined by the EDSFF consortium and leveraging the OCP NVMe Cloud SSD Specification, the small form factor E1.S replaces the M.2 form factor and delivers greater density, performance, reliability, and thermal management. E1.S is also designed to be hot pluggable for increased serviceability, which is another benefit over M.2.

XPG, a fast-growing provider of systems, components, and peripherals for Gamers, Esports Pros, and Tech Enthusiasts, today announces XPG, a fast-growing provider of systems, components, and Peripherals for Gamers, Esports Pros, and Tech Enthusiasts, today announces a new series of solid state drives (SSD), the XPG ATOM series, geared toward creators of different needs and budgets. They include the XPG ATOM 30, 40, and 50.

The ATOM 30 and 40 utilize PCIe Gen3x4 and NVMe 1.3 to deliver sequential read and write speeds of up to 2,500/2,000 and 3,500/3,000 MB per second, respectively, to give creators the performance they need to create without limitations. Their M.2 2280 specifications support the latest Intel and AMD platforms for creating on the latest PCs, including desktop and laptops. For users seeking a further boost, the ATOM 50 takes advantage of PCIe Gen4 x4 and NVMe 1.4 to offer read and write speeds of up to 5, 000/4,500 MB per second.

ADATA Technology, a manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules, NAND Flash products, mobile accessories, gaming products, electric power trains, and industrial solutions today announces a new series of solid state drives (SSD), the ADATA LEGEND series, geared toward creators of different needs and budgets. They include the ADATA LEGEND 740, 750, and 840.

The LEGEND 740 and 750 utilize PCIe Gen3 x4 and NVMe 1.3 to deliver sequential read and write speeds of up to 2,500/2,000 and 3,500/3,000 MB per second, respectively, to give creators the performance they need to create without limitations. Their M.2 2280 specifications support the latest Intel and AMD platforms for creating on the latest PCs, including desktop and laptops. For users seeking a further boost, the LEGEND 840 takes advantage of PCIe Gen4 x4 and NVMe 1.4 to offer read and write speeds of up to 5,000/4,500 MB per second.

Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, today announced TrendForce has named it as the number one supplier of SSDs in the channel for all of 2020. According to TrendForce, Kingston accounted for a whopping 27 percent of the 111.5 million units shipped in 2020.

With the emergence of COVID-19 in 2020, TrendForce reported a 15% YoY decrease in annual SSD shipments to the channel and severe delays in manufacturing and logistics resulting in a sudden decline in order volumes. Yet, findings show through Kingston's global strategy for sourcing components, the company was well ahead of its competitors considering a global pandemic and looming chip shortage. The results reinforced Kingston as the clear leader in SSD production, as the second-place supplier accounted for only 8 percent of the total channel market. As a category, third-party suppliers (non-semiconductor) SSD makers accounted for 35% of the total shipments in 2020.

Kingston FURY, the gaming division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, today announced Kingston FURY Renegade SSD, its next generation PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 drive for gamers, enthusiasts, and high-power users. Kingston FURY Renegade SSD delivers cutting-edge performance in high capacities using the latest Gen 4x4 controller and 3D TLC NAND.

By maximizing the available bandwidth of PCIe 4.0, Kingston FURY Renegade SSD achieves speeds up to 7,300/7,000 MB/s read/write and up to 1,000,000 IOPS to deliver amazing consistency for an exceptional gaming experience. The drive is optimized to reduce game and application load times, stream and capture with ease and give your system an overall boost in responsiveness. Available in high capacities up to 4 TB, users can store an extensive library of their favorite games and media and still have space for the latest titles. In addition to formidable speeds and massive capacity options, Kingston FURY Renegade SSD combines a slim M.2 form factor and an advanced low profile, graphene aluminium heatspreader to keep your drive cool during intense usage and bring superior performance to the tightest of spaces in gaming PC's and laptops.

The EK-Quantum Ultrablock for the ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme Glacial is the apogee of PC hardware and liquid cooling engineering. A custom-engineered EK cooling solution for the 12th generation of Intel Core processor, power delivery system, network controller, all onboard M.2 drives, and the all-new Z690 chipset. With the release of the latest Intel Z690 chipset-based motherboards, came also the ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme Glacial, the most advanced and sophisticated motherboard available on the market today.

Compared to a standard Monoblock cooling solution that covers the CPU and the VRM, the Ultrablock spreads across the entire motherboard and has several sensors that provide measurements of key system parameters. The custom-engineered EK Ultrablock cooling solution offers optimal cooling for the CPU, power delivery system (VRM), network controller, M.2 drive, and Z690 chipset. Each key component is cooled by the intricate water block design for maximum stability and performance. This smart, full motherboard Ultrablock has built-in leak detection sensors on the connection ports, an OLED screen to display the key parameters of the system, an integrated temperature sensor, and a sensor for real-time measurement of coolant flow.

Seagate Technology Holdings plc today introduced the new family of Star Wars Beskar Ingot Drives, the first release in a collaboration to bring designs inspired by the Star Wars franchise to its line of PC gaming storage devices, taking gamers' battle stations to the next level. The first release in the collaboration celebrates the legends of the Star Wars Mandalorian galaxy. These drives bring the iconic Star Wars "precious metal" aesthetic to the FireCuda line-up. The special edition designs will be available in M.2 NVMe, 2.5-inch SATA, and external HDD formats. Each drive resembles an ingot of Beskar, including its Imperial stamp featured prominently in the series, making these drives the ultimate collectible for Star Wars fans.

"We are thrilled to bring unique, iconic designs from one of the world's most popular franchises to the forefront of every gamer's battle station," said Jeff Fochtman, Senior Vice President of Business and Marketing at Seagate Technology. "This collaboration appeals to global audiences including gamers, PC builders, and Star Wars enthusiasts alike."

Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, today announced KC3000, its next generation PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD for desktop and laptop PCs. KC3000 SSD offers next-level performance using the latest Gen 4x4 NVMe controller and 3D TLC NAND ideal for power users who require the fastest speeds on the market.

By leveraging Gen4 technology, KC3000 delivers speeds up to 7,0000/7,000 MB/s read/write of blazing-fast performance and full capacities up to 4096GB2 for optimal storage. Users can keep up with demanding workloads and experience better performance with software applications such as 3D rendering and 4K+ content creation by upgrading the systems storage. KC3000 is built with high-density 3D TLC NAND housed in the industry standard M.2 2280 form factor to store even more and enable users to take advantage of PCIe 4.0 speeds. With the combination of performance and endurance, KC3000 is reinforced with a low profile, graphene aluminium heatspreader to effectively disperse heat and keep your drive cool during intensive workloads.

SilverStone introduced the SUGO 16, a cube-shaped compact Mini-ITX case, designed for gaming PCs. Available in black (model: SST-SG16B) and white (SST-SG16W) variants, the case measures 200 mm (W) x 232 mm (H) x 280 mm (D), dry-weighing 2.66 kg. It serves up room for a Mini-ITX or Mini-DTX motherboard with up to two expansion slots. A cut-out in the front lets you easily slide in your graphics card, to which the case offers a maximum clearance of 27.5 cm (14.7 cm max height). The case gives you a choice of using either an ATX or an SFX PSU. When using an ATX PSU, the maximum CPU cooler height is 8.5 cm (enough for an AIO block or low-profile fan-heatsinks); but if an SFX PSU is used, you get room for up to 17.2 cm cooler height, which is plenty for tower-type coolers.

Using an SFX power supply also creates room for a single-fan radiator to be mounted along the case's front fan vent. The PSU bay opens out toward the front, hidden behind the front panel. An AC extension leads to a receptacle at the back. The rear has a 120 mm fan vent that can hold either a 120 mm rear exhaust fan, or a 3.5-inch HDD, or a 2.5-inch SSD (as mounts). Internally, there's just the one 2.5-inch bay. Behind the motherboard tray, there's a strategically located cutout letting you access the M.2-2280 slot that's typically located at the reverse side of the PCB for modern Mini-ITX motherboards. The SilverStone SUGO 16 is expected to go on sale later this week in Asia, at a price roughly equivalent to USD $90. It will reach Europe and North America in December.

GIGABYTE's AERO line of motherboards and notebooks target creators who like to game. The company is ready with a premium motherboard based on the Intel Z690 chipset, the Z690 AERO D. This has to be the prettiest looking motherboard we've come across in a long time, and it appears to have the chops to match this beauty. The Socket LGA1700 motherboard uses large ridged-aluminium heatsinks over the chipset, M.2 NVMe slots, and a portion of the rear I/O shroud. Aluminium fin-stack heatsinks fed by heat-pipes, cool the CPU VRM. You get two PCI-Express 5.0 x16 slots (x8/x8 with both populated). As an AERO series product, the board is expected to be loaded with connectivity relevant to content creators, although the box is missing a Thunderbolt logo. We expect at least 20 Gbps USB 3.2x2 ports, and 10 GbE networking, Wi-Fi 6E.

With only about two weeks until Intel's official launch of its Alder Lake CPUs and the Z690 chipset, it would appear that the leaks are getting kicked up a notch and the latest leak is a rather intriguing one to say the least. Gigabytes Z690 Aorus Xtreme is a rather unusual looking motherboard, in as much as you can make a motherboard that look unusual, least not with regards to the slot placement, but also for the peculiar cover over the DRAM slots.

It's not quite clear what the function of the memory cover is beyond aesthetics, if any, but it seems unlikely that it has an integrated LCD screen, although not unthinkable. Pretty much the entire board is covered in either metal or plastic, which makes this look like a real chore to build, at least if you're planning on using M.2 SSDs. The standout feature here is that the board features a pair of PCIe 5.0 x16 slots, although as per current consumer boards, the bandwidth would be shared between the slots if the second one is used, so both slots end up as x8 slots. There's also a third PCIe x16 slot, but no indication of the bandwidth available to it.

The first mainstream Z690 boards have made an appearance online in the shape of ASUS' Prime Z690-P series. As with most of ASUS' Prime boards, these are fairly basic boards, but shouldn't leave the average user wanting for much, although ASUS has made a rather odd layout decision on these boards that we can't quite grasp.

The four models on display are the Prime Z690-P WiFi D4, Prime Z690-P D4, Prime Z690-P and Prime Z690M-Plus D4. The last model doesn't strictly belong to the Prime Z690-P family, but it follows a pretty similar overall design. The Prime Z690-P is obviously the only DDR5 SKU among the four boards, although from what we can tell, there are no other differences between it and the equivalent DDR4 model.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today launched the compact and versatile TBS-464 NASbook which is designed for small working spaces and mobile workers. Using four M.2 NVMe SSDs for storage, the TBS-464 supports HybridMount, which can mount storage from cloud and enable local caching, providing the ability to work with online files as quickly as local files. The multi-functional and near-silent TBS-464 provides two HDMI 2.0 4K 60 Hz outputs, hardware-accelerated transcoding and streaming, and includes QNAP's KoiMeeter for video conferencing and wireless presentations. With two 2.5 GbE ports, the TBS-464 NASbook can achieve speeds of up to 5 Gbps with Port Trunking.

The TBS-464 is powered by an Intel Celeron N5105/ N5095 quad-core 4-thread processor (burst up to 2.9 GHz) with Intel AES-NI encryption engine, 8 GB DDR4 memory and USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports for faster data transfer. The TBS-464 comes with the QTS 5 operating system, providing a next-generation usage experience and optimized user interface. HBS (Hybrid Backup Sync) realizes efficient local/remote/cloud backup jobs; Block-based snapshots make data protection and recovery easier and effectively mitigate the threats of ransomware; HybridMount provides cloud storage gateways that integrate private and public cloud storage and enable local caching.

Simply NUC, Inc, a leading mini computer integration company, recently announced Cypress, a new Simply NUC branded Long-Life Mini PC. As a follow-on to the Post Oak family, Cypress is intended for embedded and edge applications. Cypress is the first 4x4 Mini PC featuring V2000 Embedded AMD processors and will be sold in the same form, fit, and function for seven years from launch. Simply NUC is currently taking orders on Cypress across their global sites.

"We saw an opportunity to grow our Long-Life Mini product line based on our customers' needs for embedded applications," said Aaron Rowsell, Simply NUC CEO, "By creating Cypress, we're excited to offer the latest powerful long-term solution for a wide range of usages such as digital signage displays, kiosks, and vending machines."

ATP Electronics, the global leader in specialized storage and memory solutions, introduces the A750Pi and A650Si/Sc Series embedded SSDs built on 3D triple level cell (TLC) NAND flash. Manufactured using a new die package, the Serial ATA solid state drives (SATA SSDs) deliver 66% higher endurance in native TLC mode and 50% higher in pseudo single level cell (pSLC) mode, making them on par with drives built on multi-level cell (MLC) and SLC flash, respectively.

The new SSDs come in M.2 2280 and 2242 as well as 2.5" and mSATA form factors. A750Pi/A650Si SSDs support industrial temperature (I-Temp) ranges from -40°C to 85°C to perform reliably even when operating under extreme and harsh conditions. A650Sc SSDs can support commercial operating temperatures (C-Temp) from 0°C to 70°C. A650Si/Sc with native TLC NAND flash have capacities from 120 to 1920 GB, while A750Pi drives configured in pSLC offer 80 to 640 GB. Depending on project and specific part number request, ATP's new SATA embedded SSDs are also available as self-encrypting drives (SEDs) featuring AES-256 encryption and Opal TCG 2.0-compliant security.