MSI has provided a detailed look into its motherboard production facilities through a new interactive webpage. The company has outlined the 15-step manufacturing process that transforms bare circuit boards into complete motherboards. The process begins with solder paste printing, where a precise layer of conductive paste is applied to the bare PCB. This is followed by automated inspection using imaging systems to verify proper paste placement. High-speed machines then position electronic components onto the board before they move through reflow ovens that permanently bond the components. Multiple inspection stages are integrated throughout the assembly line, including automated optical systems that check both sides of the board. Specialized machines handle routing, component insertion, wave soldering, and alloy welding.

Each board undergoes circuit testing and receives mechanical components through automated screw-locking systems before final functional testing and molding. The complexity of modern motherboard manufacturing requires rigorous quality checks and final power tests before the motherboard leaves manufacturing facilities. For interested enthusiasts, MSI's new landing page is here. The manufacturing reveal accompanies MSI's launch of two new motherboard series—Z790 and B860. To celebrate this launch, MSI has announced promotional events running from January 20 to March 31, 2025, including Steam game codes with select product purchases. A new reward program offers points for product reviews and referrals.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, PC peripherals, and IPC solutions, introduces the B850MT-E PRO motherboard, designed to deliver exceptional performance for office professionals and casual use. The BIOSTAR B850MT-E PRO motherboard is designed to meet the diverse needs of various users, offering a perfect blend of performance and reliability. Built on AMD 's B850 chipset, this motherboard combines superior features at an affordable price. It supports the latest AMD Ryzen 9000, 8000, and 7000 series processors, enabling seamless multitasking and efficient power management.

The B850MT-E PRO is expertly engineered for versatility, making it the definitive solution for office professionals, small businesses, and system integrators. It guarantees stable and efficient performance for everyday tasks and document management. With BIOSTAR's renowned 55 A Dr. MOS and Digital PWM technology, you can expect steady power delivery that ensures consistent performance and enhanced durability, even during extended work sessions.

GIGABYTE, the world's leading computer brand, unveils the new generation of Intel B860 and AMD B850 series motherboards at CES 2025. These new series are designed to unleash the performance of the latest Intel Core Ultra and AMD Ryzen processors by leveraging AI-enhanced technology and user-friendly design for a seamless gaming and PC-building experience. Equipped with all digital power and enhanced thermal design, GIGABYTE B800 series motherboards are the gateway to mainstream PC gamers.

GIGABYTE achieved the remarkable milestone of claiming the highest market share on X870 series motherboards due to fully supporting AMD Ryzen 5 7000 and 9000 series X3D processors. The new B800 series motherboards are also adopted with ultra-durable and high-end components and the revolutionary AI suite, D5 Bionics Corsa, integrates software, hardware, and firmware to boost DD5 memory performance up to 8600 MT/s on AMD B850 models and 9466 MT/s on Intel B860 motherboards. The AI SNATCH is an exclusive AI-based software for enhancing DDR5 performance with just a few clicks. Meanwhile, the AI-Driven PCB Design ensures low signal reflection for peak performance across multiple layers through AI simulation. Plus, HyperTune BIOS integrates AI-driven optimizations to fine-tune the Memory Reference Code on Intel B860 series motherboards for high-demand gaming and multitasking. Specially built for AMD Ryzen 9000 series X3D processors, GIGABYTE applies X3D Turbo mode on AMD B850 series motherboards by adjusting core count to boost gaming performance.

Earlier in the week, ASRock debuted its Intel B860/H810 and full range of AMD B850 motherboards—the TechPowerUp team headed across CES 2025's showroom floor to check whether the Taiwanese manufacturer had some of these newly announced products on display. Various white Steel Legend models were present, including an intriguing B850 mainboard sample sporting ASRock's back mount design (BMD). The B860M Pro BMD board was not in sight (or not captured on camera)—according to a press release from earlier in the week, BMD had its premiere on this Intel-based solution.

AsRock reps happily showed off two Intel B860-chipset Steel Legend boards with traditional all-front facing connectors—an ATX option as well as an M-ATX (B860M) model were examined from close-up. A Phantom Gaming B860 Lightning Wi-Fi model was presented to TechPowerUp—its darker aesthetic contrasts sharply when lined up against its pale Steel Legend neighbors.

ASUS extended its line of motherboards at CES 2025, featuring a design that moves power connectors to the back of the board. The company calls this approach "BTF" (Back To Future), aiming to improve cable management in PC builds. The TUF GAMING B850-BTF WIFI and B860-PLUS WIFI models demonstrate this new design, which can deliver up to 600 watts through the motherboard to support modern graphics cards. The boards include Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, PCIe 5.0 support, and multiple M.2 slots for storage devices. In the high-end segment, ASUS presented the ROG Maximus Z890 HERO BTF, compatible with Intel's LGA1851 processors. This board features DDR5 memory support, dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, and tools like Q-Release for easier graphics card removal.

For professional users, ASUS released the ProArt Z890 CREATOR WIFI, equipped with Thunderbolt 4 ports and specialized cooling systems. The company also showed new gaming-focused models including the ROG Crosshair X870E APEX, for the fastest Ryzen 9000X3D series gaming processors. The motherboards share several technical features across different price points. All models support PCIe 5.0 for graphics cards and storage, while most include Wi-Fi 7 capabilities. ASUS has added tool-free installation mechanisms for M.2 drives across the lineup. ASUS has not yet announced pricing or specific release dates for the new motherboards. The BTF design represents a significant change in motherboard layout, though it will require compatible PC cases and power supplies to function as intended. This marks one of the first major changes to standard motherboard design since the ATX format became common in the 1990s.

ASRock Industrial is proud to announce the launch of its highly anticipated NUC(S) Ultra 200 BOX Series and NUC Ultra 200 Motherboard Series built to revolutionize AI-driven computing. Powered by Intel Core Ultra 200H processors (Arrow Lake-H), the series delivers up to 99 TOPS of AI inferencing power, offering cutting-edge performance in a compact form factor. Designed to meet the growing needs of industries such as AI-enhanced business operations, immersive content creation, and high-performance gaming, the NUC(S) Ultra 200 BOX Series is engineered to provide next-level computing power with Intel's latest performance hybrid architecture, Intel Arc GPU, and NPU.

These compact systems are built for users who demand powerful multitasking capabilities, from AI inferencing to media-rich applications and data processing. With its space-saving design and exceptional versatility, the NUC(S) Ultra 200 BOX Series ensures efficient, high-speed performance across a range of applications—redefining what's possible in modern computing.

ASRock Industrial unveils the 4X4 BOX AI300 Series, a compact powerhouse designed to redefine AI computing with AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processors. Featuring the Ryzen AI 7 350 and Ryzen AI 5 340 processors, this series delivers up to 50 TOPS of NPU performance, supporting Copilot+ PC experiences and AI-enhanced multitasking. With up to 96 GB dual-channel DDR5 5600 MHz memory, quad display up to 8K, and versatile connectivity, including dual LAN ports, Wi-Fi 6E, five USB ports with two USB4, it combines exceptional AI performance with scalability and efficiency.

Equipped with Ryzen AI as its dedicated AI engine, the 4X4 BOX AI300 Series ensures responsive AI processing paving the way for next generation productivity. Living up to its slogan, "Tiny Box AI Rocks," the 4X4 BOX AI300 Series is engineered for AI PCs, gaming, content creation, tech enthusiasts, prosumers, and AIoT applications.

At CES 2025, GIGABYTE unveiled an impressive lineup of motherboards designed for Intel and AMD platforms for gaming, content creation, and professional use, with support for the latest processors, PCIe 5.0, and Wi-Fi 7. GIGABYTE introduced several Z890 chipset motherboards for Intel's "Arrow Lake" Core Ultra 200S series. The flagship Z890 AORUS Master offers features like DDR5 memory overclocking, tool-free PCIe and M.2 installation, and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. The compact Z890I AORUS Ultra targets Mini-ITX builds with its efficient 8+1+2 VRM solution and AI-enhanced BIOS profiles. Despite its small form factor, it delivers robust performance and thermal management. For those looking for aesthetics and reliability, the Z890 AORUS Elite WiFi 7 ICE impresses with a sleek white design, digital VRM capabilities, and simplified Wi-Fi EZ-Plug installation for improved connectivity. For more budget-friendly options, GIGABYTE showed B860M AORUS Elite WiFi6E ICE motherboard, too.

MSI introduces its newest lineup of motherboards built for the Intel B860 and H810 chipsets. Combining performance and innovation, these motherboards deliver exceptional reliability and user-friendly features. They are designed to empower mainstream users, gamers, and creators with advanced computing capabilities. The B860 chipset brings several advantages over the H810, making it a standout choice for high-performance computing. It supports PCIe 5.0 slot and M.2 storage, enabling faster speeds and enhanced efficiency for demanding workloads. Unlike the H810, the B860 chipset also allows for memory overclocking, giving users more flexibility and control over their system's performance. With the B860 chipset having 24 PCIe lanes compared to the H810's 16, the B860 delivers a significant boost in performance with its superior bandwidth and connectivity for peripherals and components.

Further enhancing its capabilities, both chipsets include Thunderbolt 4, ensuring high-speed connectivity for a seamless user experience. However, the B860 chipset supports up to 8 Direct Media Interface (DMI) Gen 4 lanes, doubling the data transfer capacity between the CPU and chipset compared to the H810's 4 lanes. MSI's motherboards built on the B860 chipset deliver exceptional performance, reliability, and versatility, instilling confidence in gamers, creators, and everyday users seeking cutting-edge technology.

The ASUS ROG Apex brand extension is reserved for motherboards with the best CPU and memory overclocking capabilities. Since Intel processors tended to overclock better than AMD, Apex remained confined to the Intel platform, until now. ASUS at CES showed off the ROG Crosshair X870E Apex, the first AMD platform motherboard to feature this brand extension. The board features a powerful CPU VRM solution meant for sub-zero overclocking of Ryzen 9000X3D processors that are fully capable of overclocking. It also comes with a 1 DIMM-per-channel memory topology, with just two DDR5 DIMM slots. 1DPC is the most optimal dual-channel topology for memory overclocking.

The topmost M.2 Gen 5 NVMe slot features an elaborate fan-heatsink solution. Right next to the two DDR5 DIMM slots, is a breakout DIMM.2 module that provides additional M.2 NVMe slots. There are a couple of more Gen 4 NVMe slots scattered across the board. The board features an I/O feature-set that's at least as good as the ROG Crosshair X870E Hero. The board draws power from two 8-pin EPS, a 24-pin ATX, and an additional 8-pin PCIe power input. The board is packed to the gills with features professional overclockers would look for, including onboard buttons, diagnostic readouts, a hydrophobic PCB surface treatment, dual-BIOS, and clearly labelled voltage domains.

ASUS today announced the B850 and B840 series of AM5 motherboards for AMD processors, which includes models from the ROG Strix, TUF Gaming and Prime families. These motherboards give builders higher speeds, more ports and more slots for USB devices and M.2 SSDs. Many ASUS B850 motherboards also break into the next generation of wireless networking with WiFi 7 support, and also provide robust support for fast DDR5 kits. In addition, each model makes the PC building process easier than ever with tool-free M.2 SSD installation, easy troubleshooting and hassle-free installation and removal of graphics cards.

Meanwhile, B840 motherboards are designed to serve the needs of builders who do not intend to overclock their CPUs or install a PCIe 5.0 M.2 SSD or graphics card. For anyone looking to build a very affordable and efficient PC—perhaps one centered around a CPU with powerful integrated graphics capabilities—ASUS B840 motherboards are a cost-effective choice. The first ASUS B840 motherboards all hail from the tried-and-true Prime family.

GIGABYTE Technology, one of the top global manufacturers of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, proudly announces the launch of its cutting-edge B860 series motherboard, featuring the groundbreaking D5 Bionic Corsa technology and innovative AI-Driven capabilities that set new standards for memory performance and user-friendly experience.⁠

Infinite Memory Performance with AI-Driven Optimization
Building on the success of our Z890 series, the B860 AORUS motherboards achieve remarkable DDR5 speeds of up to 9466 MT/s on 4DIMM slot configurations. This exceptional performance is powered by our proven D5 Bionic Corsa technology, ensuring optimal memory efficiency across the entire lineup. D5 Bionic Corsa boasts four key technologies from software, hardware to firmware side. The AORUS AI SNATCH and AI SNATCH Engine present AI-overclocking for ultimate performance, while AI-Driven PCB Design and HyperTune BIOS deliver AI-design for signal enhancement on motherboards.
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ASUS today announced the B860 series of motherboards for Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2), which includes models from the ROG Strix, TUF Gaming and Prime families. The value proposition of the ASUS B860 motherboard lineup is off the charts, thanks to its thoroughly modern platform. Users will find features that used to be exclusive to enthusiast-class ASUS motherboards. Every model supports the latest high-bandwidth CUDIMM DDR5 memory kits, ensuring that users can easily get a system up to speed with AEMP III profiles. And PCIe 5.0 connectivity abounds, giving users access to the fastest graphics cards of today and tomorrow.

Those looking to take advantage of the next generation of wireless networking can opt for an ROG Strix or TUF Gaming motherboard equipped with WiFi 7. Faster, smarter and ready for a low-interference connection to a compatible router over the wide-open 6 GHz band, WiFi 7 gives users a whole-home network upgrade. M.2 device support has also been bolstered. Previously released B760 motherboards typically offered two to three M.2 slots, and the fastest maxed out with PCIe 4.0 connectivity. The new ASUS B860 motherboard lineup now includes several options with four M.2 slots, and every model in the series features a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot ready for a blazing-fast storage drive. Whether users are building a large gaming library, accelerating their creative efforts with dedicated drives for project storage or simply taking advantage of their stack of M.2 drives from previous builds, they will appreciate the comprehensive storage options available with ASUS B860 motherboards.

GIGABYTE Technology, one of the top global manufacturers of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, today unveils its groundbreaking B850 and B840 series motherboards, introducing a new era of performance optimization and EZ-friendly design for the latest AMD Ryzen processors with full-line PCIe Gen 5 x16 graphics cards support.⁠

D5 Bionic Corsa: Redefining Memory Overclocking
At the heart of GIGABYTE's new B850/ B840 motherboard series lies the innovative D5 Bionic Corsa technology, a game-changing approach to memory performance. This breakthrough technology has achieved remarkable up to 8600 MT/s DDR5 speeds, setting a new standard for memory overclocking. Through the intelligent AORUS AI SNATCH software, users can now effortlessly enhance their system's performance with unprecedented ease. The AI-powered EXPO AI BOOST feature eliminates the traditional time-consuming trial and error process, delivering optimized memory profiles that balance performance and stability with just a few clicks.

Earlier today, ASUS uploaded a first sneak peek of several upcoming AMD AM5 motherboards—which we assume will feature the B850 and B840 chipsets—which according to the post on Facebook, will be launching within a couple of weeks. The boards will most likely be on display at CES, which kicks off on the 7th of January. The picture is obfuscated for obvious reasons, but what is clear is that there will be several different SKUs from all of ASUS' typical sub-brands such as TUF Gaming and ROG.

What we can also make out is that there will be at least one Mini-ITX board and one micro-ATX board, with the latter being the TUF Gaming branded board. We tried to clean up the picture a bit, but ASUS has managed to hide all details of possible models names and most of the text is kind of hard to make out. Nothing really sticks out in terms of features, although it's clear we'll end up seeing some higher-end B850 boards, judging by the fact that there are at least three ROG Strix SKUs coming. The question is if there's a market for these boards, considering the B850 chipset is pretty much the same as the B650E chipset, but with optional PCIe 5.0 support for the M.2 slots and no USB4, unlike its X870 counterpart.

Update Jan 1st: ASUS posted a picture of their upcoming mid-range Intel boards on Facebook as well, but as with the AMD boards, ASUS obfuscated the image, although not quite as badly this time around. For its Intel lineup, there's also a lower-end Prime board included, in addition to the TUF Gaming and ROG Strix boards. ASUS didn't reveal any launch window for the Intel boards.

In the first week of the 2025 International CES, Intel and AMD are expected to expand their desktop processor product stacks, with the introduction of 65 W models; and with them, more affordable motherboard chipset models. AMD is expected to launch the AMD B850 and AMD B840; while Intel debuts the Intel B860 and H810. Board Channels, a site that tracks hardware launches at the retail channel level, says that AMD is expected to set January 15 as the market availability date for motherboards based on the AMD B850 and B840. The chipset will be announced at AMD's January 7th event.

Meanwhile, Intel is expected to announce its mid-range Intel B860 and entry-level Intel H810 on its own event slated for January 7, but with product availability on January 13. The AMD B850 is essentially a rebadged B650, but motherboard vendors can optionally enable Gen 5 PEG instead of Gen 4, at which point the platform would essentially be an AMD X870, but without the mandatory discrete USB4 host controller. The AMD B850 supports CPU overclocking. The AMD B840 lacks this, and is functionally similar to the AMD B550 chipset from the Socket AM4 platform, except that it lacks CPU overclocking support. Meanwhile, the Intel B860 is expected to feature a similar I/O as the Intel B760 from the Socket LGA1700 platform. The H810 is expected to be a lean entry-level option. Both the Intel B860 and H810 are expected to lack CPU overclocking support, but the B860 probably retains memory overclocking capability.

Minisforum has decided to expand the series of motherboards used in its own mini-PCs with two new models, namely the BD795M (M-ATX) and BD795i SE (Mini-ITX). In principle, these motherboards are almost identical to those in the BD790i series, keeping the included AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX 16 cores processor with frequency of up to 5.4 GHz and integrated AMD Radeon 610M graphics. However, both have some minor physical differences. As for specifications, they offer two M.2 2280 SSD slots (one PCIe 5.0), support for DDR5 SODIMM memory with speeds up to 5200 MT/s, and a maximum capacity of 96 GB. The motherboards offer a full-size PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for users who want to add a dedicated video card.

Unlike the BD790i model, Minisforum decided not to include a CPU cooler for the BD795M model, leaving the cooling solution to the users' choice, a decision that has the collateral effect of a lower price. The motherboards even include an AIO pump connector, so users aren't limited to air cooling. Minisforum confirmed that the CPU has a TDP of 100 W and can also operate at 120 W. Also in the series of minor changes, the BD795M motherboard lacks the SSD heatsink and SSD fan connector but includes an internal antenna adapter.

Chinese OEM brand Erying presented its first AMD-based motherboard, the Alkiad B650 ITX D5. The overall design of the Erying Alkiad B650 ITX D5 sports a white PCB with black components and is equipped with an EPS 8-pin power connector alongside a 24-pin ATX connector. 5 V ARGB connectors are included for those who cannot live without a colorful build. The VRM is based on an 8+2+1 phase power delivery design and covered by a decent heatsink, more than enough for a budget AM5 65 W platform in a standard ITX 170 x 170 mm format.

The Alkiad B650 ITX D5 motherboard has 2 DDR5 DIMM memory slots, supports 6400+ (OC) MT/s, and Intel XMP 3.0 / AMD EXPO profiles. The Erying motherboard offers 1x PCIe 4.0 ×16 and 1x PCIe 4.0 ×4 M.2 slots, and 4x SATA III ports while the Realtek RTL8125BG provides 1x 2.5GbE RJ45 connectivity. The rear I/O panel offers 4x USB 2.0, 3x USB-A 5 Gbps and 1x USB-C 10 Gbps ports, 1x DP and 1x HDMI connectors and the usual audio combo (one S/PDIF and a pair of 3.5 mm). The motherboard comes before AMD's expected expansion of its Ryzen 9000 series "Granite Ridge" desktop processor family in Q1 2025 with new 65 W CPU models and the introduction of the AMD B850 chipset. There is no exact information yet regarding pricing and availability.

In Q1 2025, AMD is expected to expand its Ryzen 9000 series "Granite Ridge" desktop processor family with new 65 W processor models, alongside the introduction of the new cost-effective AMD B850 motherboard chipset. The B850 is expected to be a single-chip solution, just like the X870, but makes PCIe Gen 5 optional for the x16 PEG slot. You still get at least one Gen 5 M.2 NVMe slot. USB4 is made optional for this chipset model, too. The B850, hence, is essentially a rebadged B650. CPU and memory overclocking are supported, so you can expect features like "X3D Boost" to carry over from the X870 series motherboards. Videocardz scored clear images of one of the first production AMD B850 chipset motherboards, the GIGABYTE B850M AORUS Elite Ice. This particular variant comes with integrated Wi-Fi 6E, and the "Ice" denotes a white PCB, along with white slots and connectors. You can expect variations of this board with black PCB, and other wireless networking solutions, or lacking one altogether.

The Micro-ATX board appears feature-packed, including an easy ejection lever for the PCIe x16 slot. It draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors. Expansion slots include what is very likely a Gen 4 PCI-Express x16 slot, a Gen 4 x4 (physical x16) PCIe slot, and the space between them being dominated by an M.2 SSD heatsink that very likely conceals a Gen 5 M.2 slot wired to the CPU, and a Gen 4 M.2 slot that's either wired to the CPU (since there's no discrete USB4 controller), or the FCH. USB connectivity consists of 20 Gbps USB 3.2 for a few type-C ports (including a type-C header), and a combination of 10 Gbps and 5 Gbps USB 3.x ports.

Jetway JPIC-ADN1 is a compact 2.5" Pico-ITX motherboard powered by the Intel Processor N97. It supports up to 32 GB of DDR5-4800 MHz memory, making it capable of handling demanding workloads. With its versatile I/O options, including 6x USB ports, 2x Serial ports, 1x B+M-Key M.2 slot, 1x E-Key M.2 slot, and 1x SATA3 port, the JPIC-ADN1 is ideal for a variety of applications, it's ready to handle even the most demanding tasks.

The JPIC-ADN1's compact design and efficient Alder Lake-N processor make it perfect for edge computing and IoT gateway applications. Its powerful processing and expansion capabilities enable seamless data processing, communication, and remote management in industrial IoT solutions.

ASRock on Monday (25/11) announced that its Z890 chipset motherboards support the new Intel Platform Power Management (PPM) driver version 1007.20240913, which promises an up to 13.23% increase in performance with games and gaming benchmarks, hinting that this could be the much awaited "fix" to the lower-than-expected gaming performance of its Core Ultra "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processors, which was crushed by AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D "Zen 5." As ASRock's announcement was somewhat unclear and raised more questions than answers, we have updated the post accordingly. It turns out there's more to this story, and this PPM driver might not be the magic fix Intel has been touting.

The PPM driver, in theory, enables a closer collaboration between the software and the processor, so it can allocate more power budget to applications that could do with more performance, such as games. Given how much lower the gaming power draw of the Core Ultra 285K is, compared to its predecessor, the Core i9-14900K "Raptor Lake," the obvious vector to Intel to dial up performance for the 285K was expected to be better power budgeting, provided the thermals and physical stability of the processor permit.

Colorful Technology Company Limited, a leading brand in gaming PC components, gaming laptops, and HiFi audio products, announces the COLORFIRE B650M-MEOW WIFI motherboard that supports the latest AMD Ryzen 9000 Series processors. COLORFUL is excited to expand the beloved COLORFIRE MEOW Series which now includes a motherboard for the AMD Ryzen platform. The COLORFIRE B650M-MEOW WIFI motherboard adopts the design and colors of Bobi the orange tabby cat making it easy to color-match with the existing COLORFIRE MEOW Series components. The COLORFIRE B650 MEOW motherboard is perfect for AMD enthusiasts and cat-lovers alike!

The COLORFIRE B650M-MEOW WIFI motherboard features the new MEOW UI BIOS Design, exclusive to the MEOW Series motherboards. The custom MEOW BIOS has been redesigned for improved usability, reducing menu levels from three to two for a more intuitive experience. Related sub-items are now grouped within the same menu, minimizing page navigation.

ASRock, the global leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, mini PCs, gaming monitors and power supply units, proudly announces a new milestone achieved with the Z890 Taichi OCF motherboard. In a remarkable overclocking feat, overclocker AKM broke a world record in memory overclocking, pushing memory frequency to a staggering DDR5-12527 MHz. This milestone was accomplished using the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K Processor, paired with the Z890 Taichi OCF motherboard and v-color Manta XFinity RGB memory, to set an impressive new benchmark in performance.

The Z890 Taichi OCF is the pinnacle of ASRock's commitment to extreme overclocking, embodying the philosophy "Built for Extreme Overclocking." Engineered to meet the demands of professional overclockers, this motherboard delivers unparalleled precision, overclocking capability, and performance. With an advanced design that allows for peak stability and high-frequency performance, the Z890 Taichi OCF has quickly set a new standard for enthusiasts and professionals who push their systems to the limit.

Elitegroup Computer Systems, with its long-standing expertise in computer motherboard design, has successfully developed the CubeSat On-Board Computer (OBC). This groundbreaking product will carry a payload and is set to launch aboard the Lilium3 CubeSat from National Cheng Kung University, expected to lift off in Q4 2025, initiating space experiments.

In parallel, ECS has developed the high-performance OBCC6M7R motherboard specifically designed for CubeSats, which will officially begin accepting orders for sale starting in November this year. The introduction of this product will accelerate ECS's commercialization of space industry technologies, injecting strong momentum into the company's future growth.

When the initial batch of AMD X870/E motherboards were announced, there were no signs of Mini-ITX motherboards, but now Gigabyte has launched its first X870 Mini-ITX board and it's a bit of a hit and miss in our opinion. The X870I Aorus Pro Ice comes in white, as per the Ice moniker that Gigabyte likes to use for its white products and this might really appeal to some and put others off. Feature wise, we're looking at a single PCIe 5.0 x16 slot—as per most Mini-ITX boards—two NVMe M.2 slots, one PCIe 5.0 and one PCIe 4.0, but for some reason, Gigabyte decided that a single USB4 port was enough.

What makes the single USB4 port decision even worse is the fact that the board only has a USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gbps USB Type-C port and the front panel header is also limited to 10 Gbps. On a brand new board, this is really quite disappointing, but the Pro SKUs are usually feature limited models from Gigabyte. The rest of the ports around the back consists of an HDMI 2.1 port, although it too is limited to 4K 60 Hz output, which again is disappointing—the USB4 port is capable of 4K at 240 Hzvia DP Alt mode—two USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gbps USB Type-A ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 5 Gbps USB Type-A ports and two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, a 2.5 Gbps RJ45 Ethernet jack, a WiFi antenna connector for the onboard RTL8922AE WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 module and a pair of 3.5 mm audio jacks mounted on a separate PCB. There's also a BIOS flashing button around the back.