Phanteks today introduced their new PC Building toolkit, which the company says is "the only tool-set you'll ever need for your PC building needs". The company is touting a custom selection of tools and bits for PC building (including watercooled systems), which includes a plethora of options.

PC hardware enthusiasts all over (but particularly in our own forums) have been adamant in how this is one of the worst times to be building a new system. And it's true; the DIY market is a mess right now, as our own btarunr mentioned in his latest editorial; so much so, that in a full reversal of years and years of experience, users might now actually be better served in the $/performance department by buying their systems from boutique retailers, than by acquiring all of the parts separately. It's a mad, mad world out there, for a multitude of reasons; but one such reason is DRAM pricing. And fortunately, it seems that China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) is on the verge of signing a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with Samsung that might help the DRAM market as a whole.

Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition will be released on March 6, but hardcore fans can pre-order the game now through Steam, Origin, or the Microsoft Store. The $49.99 price tag remains the same independent of the place of purchase. However, the preorder bonus differs hugely. Consumers who pre-order through Steam will receive the "FFXV Fashion Collection" which contains a collection of four t-shirts with different buffs for Noctis to wear. The buffs include strength enhancement, HP recovery rate acceleration, critical hit rate boost, and maximum HP increase. Microsoft Store preorders, on the other hand, come with a "FFXV Powerup pack" that provides players with a sleek Dodanuki sword which reduces enemy defense with each slash, 10 phoenix downs, and 10 elixirs. Origin seems to draw the short straw this time around. The Origin preorder bonus is the "FFXV Decal Selection" comprised of different decals to modify the cosmetics of the Regalia car.

Square Enix has graciously released a benchmark application to help future Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition players configure the game to get the best performance out of their systems. The zip file weighs around 3.37 GB and is available for download right here at TechPowerUp, or, if you don't like our servers for some unfathomable reason... from the developer's website. The benchmark only runs on 64-bit versions of Windows and requires Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6 to be present on the system. Users also need to have a graphics card that supports DirectX 11 and a monitor with a minimum resolution of 1280 x 720. Unfortunately, NVIDIA SLI and AMD Crossfire configurations are not supported at this time. The application lets users choose between the Lite, Standard, and High quality presets and resolutions from 1280 x 720, 1920 x 1080 to 3840 x 2160. The entire run takes around 6 minutes and 30 seconds. The score and performance evaluation are provided at the end of the run.

Throughout the sceptred isle of Britain the kings of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales plot their paths to dominance against each other, and the Viking horde. On 19th April there will be war, when A Total War Saga: THRONES OF BRITANNIA releases worldwide.

A Total War Saga: THRONES OF BRITANNIA will be available as a digital download or as a Limited Edition boxed product available in some territories. The Limited Edition comes in an embossed Steelbook inspired by ornately decorated Anglo Saxon helmets of the period, such as the famously reconstructed Sutton Hoo. The Limited Edition also includes a double-sided poster featuring a detailed campaign map and a set of collectible art cards celebrating five of the most prominent in-game faction leaders.

A new great war between the Alliance and the Horde will erupt this summer and starting today, World of Warcraft players around the globe can seek out new champions to fight for their faction's cause. Blizzard Entertainment today announced that Battle for Azeroth, the next expansion to the world's most popular subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game, is now available for pre-purchase at www.worldofwarcraft.com.

Players who pre-purchase Battle for Azeroth today can begin their journey to recruit four of the expansion's new Allied Races, each representing comrades they've fought alongside on the Broken Isles and Argus in the game's most recent expansion, Legion. Upon winning the respect of an Allied Race by completing quests and earning reputation, players will unlock the ability to create characters of that race and set out on a new adventure across Azeroth.† Alliance players can add the shadow-touched Void elves and valiant Lightforged draenei to their ranks, while members of the Horde will be able to bring the ancient Nightborne and noble Highmountain tauren into their faction's fold-with additional Allied Races to come in the future.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today unveiled a new addition to the Razer Broadcaster range of professional-grade streaming equipment, the Razer Seiren Elite microphone.

Razer Seiren Elite
The Razer Seiren Elite is a dynamic USB microphone packed with professional grade features to bring high quality audio to live streamers and YouTube broadcasters. The single capsule design, coupled with built-in filter and limiter gives a richer, warmer vocal tone previously only found through high-end broadcast equipment.

Metal Gear Survive, the upcoming spin-off from Metal Gear Solid V, will be dropping on consoles and PC this February 21. While console owners just pop the game disc into their consoles and start playing, the PC crowd has to worry about the system requirements. Konami recently added this information to the game's Steam page. According to the company, Metal Gear Survive should run fine on a system with an Intel Core i5-4460 with 4GB of RAM and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650. However, they are recommending an Intel Core i7-4790, 8GB of RAM, and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 to get the best experience. Compared to other modern AAA titles, Metal Gear Survive is relatively small and only requires 20 GB of hard drive space. However, gamers will need to have a steady broadband internet connection, since the game requires a constant connection to the internet even for the single-player campaign.

After more than two years of questions from the community via social media, Thrustmaster is proud to finally be able to make the announcement that people have been waiting for: all the thrills of drifting and rally racing are now right at your fingertips, with the TSS Handbrake Sparco Mod. This product is the latest innovative component in Thrustmaster's ever-growing racing ecosystem, and offers a choice of two different modes: progressive handbrake, and sequential gearbox. The icing on the cake? It's officially licensed by Sparco!

A major, groundbreaking development
Painstakingly developed in close collaboration with Sparco, the brand that defines standards for racing gear, Thrustmaster's TSS Handbrake Sparco Mod is the third product to hit the market as a result of this unique partnership. Its goal is the same as that of its two predecessors: transporting gamers right to the heart of an ultra-realistic racing experience.

If you're a fan of the survival horror genre, today might be your lucky day. Our friends over at the Humble Store are giving away free copies of Amnesia Collection which not only includes the highly-acclaimed The Dark Descent but also the indirect sequel, A Machine for Pigs. The two-game bundle usually retails for $35 on the Steam store, but here's your chance to add the bundle to your Steam library without spending a single dollar. The giveaway ends on January 27th at 1 pm Eastern Time. You can redeem your copy at the Humble Store.

Today, Ubisoft announced an Advanced Edition, a Gold Edition and a Complete Edition for Rainbow Six Siege to support the start of brand new content for Year 3. Players can purchase these editions starting February 13th, 2018 and can purchase the Starter Edition from now. Additionally, Rainbow Six Siege introduces the limited-time Outbreak Collection. Outbreak Collection Packs will be obtainable in-game during the Outbreak Event or in the new Advanced, Gold and Complete editions with no time limit.

Maingear, an award-winning PC system integrator of custom gaming desktops, is partnering with popular eSports brand Unikrn to bring UnikoinGold (UKG) crypto-mining capable PCs to life. The new family of PCs currently consists of two models: the Maingear ACM (Advanced Crypto Miner) and the Maingear ACM PRO. Although Maingear hasn't officially disclosed the technical specifications, the product page gives us a glimpse of the upcoming PCs. The systems are housed inside a spectacular cube-shaped chassis with unique MARC II artwork and gorgeous automotive paint finishes. The ACM model can support up to six graphics cards. Additionally, the ACM PRO model provides additional options for expansion and comes in a rack mountable chassis. Although the systems are designed to mine UnikoinGold, they can be employed to mine Ethereum as well. Both models will be available later this year.

Apart from the new partnership with Unikrn, Maingear also announced that they now accept UnikoinGold as a payment option for their products. From this point forward, their products will come with an option to connect to Unikrn Connekt where gamers can earn UnikoinGold for playing ranked matches while also tracking their statistics and progress in their favorite games.

Denuvo 4.8 originally debuted last year in Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed: Origins. The French video game publisher even went as far as implementing VMProtect to add an extra layer of protection to the game. Many speculated that Ubisoft's poor decision made the final product so overdemanding on the processor. However, that's a discussion for another day. At the time of its release, Denuvo 4.8 was deemed impossible to break, but let's be realistic here. The impossible just costs a little more. It only took three months for the impossible to happen. Italian warez group CONSPIR4CY (a.k.a CPY) announced in recent days that they've successfully bypassed Denuvo 4.8 used in Sonic Forces.

Besides Ubisoft and Sega, Denuvo has other high-profile customers in the likes of Electronic Arts, Warner Bros, and Lionsgate Entertainment. So, it's only a matter of time before AAA titles like Football Manager 2018, Injustice 2, Need for Speed Payback, Star Wars Battlefront 2, and Star Ocean: The Last Hope HD Remaster suffer the same fate as Sonic Forces. Upcoming Dragon Ball FighterZ and Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age are probably in line as well. Although, it will be interesting to see how long can Assassin's Creed: Origins fare before someone breaks the game's double protection.

As we near the launch of Far Cry 5, Ubisoft has decided to reveal the minimum and recommended system requirements for the PC version. They've also detailed the necessary hardware required to achieve a 30 FPS and 60 FPS experience at the 4K resolution. Additionally, the development team has generously implemented a built-in benchmark to aid users in analyzing their systems and calibrating the different visual options. Nevertheless, the game also comes with an auto-detect feature that chooses the best quality preset for gamers who don't want to fiddle with the different graphic options. Far Cry 5 is slated to launch on March 27 on PC, Xbox One, and PS4. The standard edition costs $59.99, while the Deluxe and Gold Edition cost $69.99 and $89.99, respectively.

Is your PC ready to tackle the latest installment in the Far Cry franchise?

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe invites players back to the treacherous land of Lordran with DARK SOULS: REMASTERED, available on 25th May, 2018 for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, and PC. Re-experience the genre-defining title that kicked off a worldwide gaming phenomena in stunning high-definition detail. DARK SOULS: REMASTERED marks the DARK SOULS series debut on a Nintendo platform, and for the first time ever can be played on the go with the unique capabilities of the Nintendo Switch console.

Developed by FromSoftware Inc., DARK SOULS: REMASTERED allows players to explore the twisted ancient land of Lordran in the first title of the critically acclaimed action role-playing series like never before. Experience the rich world of DARK SOULS in upscaled 4K resolution with 60FPS when playing on a PlayStation 4 Pro system, Xbox One X, and PC. Also, 1080p resolution with 30FPS is available when playing the game on Nintendo Switch with its TV mode. From their first timid steps to absolute mastery, players will build their characters by strategically adapting to daunting foes, exploring haunting locations, and amassing a large collection of weapons, armor and magic spells to utilize for a truly unique playstyle.

Dell today announced it will be the first authorized reseller of the Meta 2 Augmented Reality Development Kit, equipping commercial companies with the tools needed to more easily innovate and adopt new AR technology applications that can advance their business. In partnership with Meta, Dell aims to make AR more accessible for business deployment, particularly in healthcare, manufacturing and construction, by providing tools for creating immersive experiences unique to the needs of those industries.

Dell is the only technology provider with an end to end ecosystem to consume, create and power VR and AR. The new offering with Meta stems from Dell's VR/AR Technology Partner Program, which brings together other innovators in VR and AR to test and collaborate on the best technology solutions for varying applications and experiences. This program allows Dell to help current and potential customers to better navigate the new and rapidly evolving VR/AR ecosystem, by working with partners to verify and certify the best software and hardware solutions for VR and AR applications - bringing standardization where it is needed most.

Microsoft's original plan was to launch Age of Empires: Definitive Edition on October 19 of last year to commemorate the franchise's 20th anniversary. Unfortunately, there was a setback in the game's development, and the launch date was pushed to early 2018. Age of Empires aficionados can finally rejoice. Adam Isgreen, Creative Director at Microsoft, announced yesterday that the highly-anticipated remake is making its way to Windows 10 PCs on February 20 for $19.99. Adam also took the opportunity to remind us that the Definitive Edition isn't your normal everyday remake. It actually comes with many huge improvements like:

• Completely rebuilding assets for a modern 4K presentation
• Letting you play online with Xbox LIVE (in addition to LAN play)
• Re-recorded the original soundtrack with a new orchestral score
• Adding campaign narration for every mission
• Enhancing the campaign and scenario editor, which allows anyone to make original custom campaigns for the game, by letting players easily share them with other players around the world via AgeOfEmpires.com

During the whole Meltdown and Spectre turmoil, Microsoft released a PowerShell script that lets users assess their system to determine whether it's properly protected against the two CPU exploits. To say that Microsoft's method is non-intuitive is an understatement though. Their procedure involves punching in several lines of commands into the PowerShell prompt only to be presented with an end result of mumbo jumbo. For users who fancy a more straightforward approach, InSpectre might be exactly what the doctor would order. InSpectre is a small tool designed by none other than famous software engineer Steve Gibson to automate Microsoft's time-consuming procedure in a a single click. It also provides results that even non-tech-savvy users can comprehend. However, InSpectre not only scans the user's system but also allows him to enable or disable the Meltdown and Spectre protections.

Today, Ubisoft announced that The Hidden Ones, the first downloadable content (DLC) for Assassin's Creed Origins, will launch on January 23rd, 2018, on all platforms. Ubisoft also revealed release dates for upcoming Assassin's Creed Origins post-launch content, including season pass content and free add-on content, available to all players. Players can continue their journey through Ancient Egypt with a wide variety of content, including several hours of new storyline expansions and quests, timed events and customization items.

DLC 1 - The Hidden Ones: This story-driven expansion builds upon the growth of the Brotherhood, taking players four years after the events of Assassin's Creed Origins, as they clash with an occupying Roman force in a new region of the world, the Sinai. This expansion will increase the level cap to 45, allowing players to continue to upgrade and customize their character. Players will have access to four new Legendary weapons, a new outfit, two new mounts and multiple new weapons, as well as two new levels for all crafted gear. The Hidden Ones DLC is available for all season pass owners or can be purchased separately on January 23, 2018.

Today, Synology Inc. launched RackStation RS818+/RS818RP+, a new 1U 4-bay rackmount NAS designed with speedy transmission performance and storage scalability for small and medium-sized businesses. RS818+/RS818RP+ features a 2.4GHz quad-core processor with AES-NI encryption engine, 2GB DDR3 memory (expandable to 16GB in dual channel), and a PCIe 2.0 slot to support an optional 10GbE network card. This powerful hardware provides over 1,099 MB/s reading speed, making RS818+/RS818RP+ an ideal centralized storage option for multi-client data transmissions.

The storage capacity of RS818+/RS818RP+ can be further expanded with the new Synology expansion unit RX418, providing up to 8 drives for flexible data management and backup. RS818+/RS818RP+ comes with four 1GbE LAN ports to support Link Aggregation and failover. Synology High Availability support provides a reliable active/passive server cluster, keeping data and services online. RS818RP+ is also equipped with redundant power supplies to deliver increased service continuity.

Following the Ferrari 250 GTO Wheel Add-On and T80 Ferrari 488 GTB Edition, the third product unveiled by Thrustmaster to celebrate Ferrari's 70th anniversary is the TS-PC RACER Ferrari 488 Challenge Edition racing wheel. It features high-performance technologies which seamlessly work hand-in-hand with the stunning 488 Challenge Edition wheel.

Tailor-made for competition
A truly exceptional product, the TS-PC RACER Ferrari 488 Challenge Edition has been designed with fans of the legendary Prancing Horse automaker in mind: PC gamers looking for performance, quality and realism. The racing wheel replicates that found in the 488 Challenge, the most powerful car in the Ferrari one-make series history thanks to its turbocharged engine. The end result is a 9:10 scale replica (12.6"/32 cm in diameter) of the real 488 Challenge wheel, with hand-stitched wrapping made from the same Alcantara material used on genuine Ferrari wheels. As seen with Thrustmaster's recent Ferrari 70th anniversary releases, the TS-PC RACER 488 Challenge Edition boasts advanced onboard pieces of equipment of impeccable quality: a faceplate crafted of black brushed anodized metal, two 5.5"/14 cm tall sequential metal paddle shifters, two D-pads with push function, two metal rotary switches with push function, and eight action buttons. That's no less than 25 programmable functions in total!

Creative Technology Ltd announced today the Aurvana Trio audiophile-grade in-ear headphones, the latest addition to its well-received Aurvana Series. The Aurvana Trio features a triple driver array that combines two precision balanced armature drivers with one dynamic bio-cellulose driver.
Aurvana Trio: Audiophile-Grade Hybrid Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones

The dual balanced armature module consists of a super tweeter that has been tuned to deliver detailed high-frequency playback, and a mid-range driver for natural vocals. The dynamic 10mm Bio-cellulose driver, on the other hand, is meticulously tuned to produce beautifully accurate and powerful bass. Bio-cellulose is an extremely fine natural fiber with high purity. Using cutting-edge biotechnology processes, this material is compressed to produce an ultra-thin diaphragm that is ideal for delivering sound velocity comparable to an aluminium or titanium diaphragm, while giving warm and delicate sound of paper ones.

Zenimax Online Studios has revealed details on the first major update of 2018 for The Elder Scrolls Online - a two-dungeon DLC Game Pack called Dragon Bones, and Update 17, a free addition for everyone which includes a slew of new features and upgrades that make ESO better than ever. Dragon Bones and Update 17 are expected to launch in February.

The Dragon Bones DLC Game Pack will include two new dungeons - Scalecaller Peak and Fang Lair - available in both normal and veteran modes, with a veteran Hard Mode for each final boss. These new dungeons pit players against new and returning enemies, including plague-ridden ogres, powerful sorcerers and their undead creations, and even the reanimated bones of an ancient dragon.

ADAM elements will be present at this year's CES in Las Vegas and showcase a new member of its highly successful and multi-awarded storage extension family for Apple's iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices - the iKlips II. Connected to any of these via the Lightning interface, users can easily free up space on their mobile devices and use the iKlips app, now updated to version 4, for a multitude of other tasks.

Extra storage for iOS devices
The Apple MFI-certified (made for iPhone/iPad/iPod) iKlips II comes with both a Lightning and a USB 3.1 connector, so data exchange between iOS devices and a macOS or Windows computer is a breeze. Available with capacities of 32, 64 and 128 GB, these stylish flash drives support the exFAT file system, so there is no limit to the size of individual files. The iKlips II comes with a 3-year warranty. It will be available in the colors grey or red from mid-January 2018. Prices (MSRP) are as follow: £50 for the 32 GB, £70 for the 64 GB and £90 for the 128 GB version.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is one of the top-rated games in the Resident Evil franchise with a 86% Metacritic score. The game was released in January 2017 with a $59.99 price tag on Steam. It has gone to sell over 4.1 million units. Now, exactly one year later, the standard version is down to its all-time low of $23.99 in the Steam store. The Gold version, which includes the base game and the Season Pass, is discounted to $45.34 as well.

Battlestate Games kick off the load testing of the Escape from Tarkov game servers before the official start of the Open Beta testing at the beginning of 2018. Also the studio starts a holiday event which will allow the game to be purchased with a 25% discount during the week, and some of the users will receive a free 7-day access to the game. A full description of the event, participation requirements and instructions for redeeming the gift can be found on the project website in the news section of www.escapefromtarkov.com/news/id/90.

Moreover developers released the last update of the game in 2017. This version of the game introduces the complete Shoreline map along with new weapons and weapon modifications, including AKMS, AKMN, Gyurza pistol and Trijicon REAP-IR thermal sight, as well as new equipment like customizable Ops-Core helmets. Moreover, several gameplay systems have been seriously redesigned, most importantly, deployment and extraction system, weapon mastering and dynamic changing of its size. Other notable changes include customization of helmets and headgear slots. The end of the Raid screen now features the opportunity to view the list of characters killed during the game session. Furthermore, players can now take dog tags off deceased enemies, which contain info on nickname, level and PMC affiliation. The complete list of new developments and changes can be found on the official project Forum and in social network communities.