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.

Phanteks is excited to introduce the G400A, a next-generation mid-tower chassis that builds on the success of the P400A. Designed with gamers and PC builders in mind, the G400A delivers exceptional airflow, efficient cable management, and a clean, modern aesthetic. Its redesigned, spacious interior supports the largest graphics cards and enhances cooling potential, making it ideal for high-performance builds.

With up to 10 fan mounts, support for 140 mm fans, and space for a 360 mm top radiator, the G400A is engineered to handle demanding systems. A sleek, cable-free rear-side connector layout further ensures a neat, organized build while maximizing airflow. The G400A offers robust cooling, ample space, and modern aesthetics, making it the ideal choice for gamers and creators seeking a versatile,
high-performance PC case.

Today CHIEFTEC is proudly announcing the availability of two Gaming Cases in the VISIO Series, targeted at different audiences stylistically and functionally. The CHIEFTEC Visio and Visio Air feature a dual-chamber design that supports the latest back-connect motherboards (compatible with ASUS BTF and MSI Project Zero). This design optimizes cable management for a clean interior view and unobstructed airflow.

Both cases allow for the mounting of 360 mm radiators on the top and bottom, 240 mm radiators on the motherboard side, and CPU tower coolers up to 175 mm in height. High-end GPUs up to 410 mm can be easily accommodated thanks to the spacious and well-ventilated configuration. Both models are ideal for gamers and versatile enough for both work and home environments.

In Win Development Inc. (InWin), a leading innovator in PC hardware has announced the F3 mini tower, which combines aesthetics and practicality for mini ITX and micro ATX builds. This compact enclosure supports the latest trend of motherboards featuring backside connections (ASUS BTF or MSI Project Zero), ensuring the cleanest-looking PC. The front panel consists of mesh windows to enhance cooling directly to the internal components. The F3 utilizes a minimalist approach with its stunning SECC steel and tempered glass materials but also simplifies assembly with a screw-free, unobtrusive design. Choose between black or white variants with wooden accents on the white edition.

Build Big. Stay Compact.
Motherboards with different backside connector placements will not be an issue within the InWin F3 since multi-orientation brackets are available on the motherboard tray. Four PCI-Express slots are available for graphics cards with extra-large heatsinks, supporting up to 340 mm long. The F3 is compatible with NVIDIA's new SFF-ready sizing guidelines to make component compatibility easier for DIY PC builders. The compact enclosure allows CPU heatsinks up to 160 mm tall or radiator support up to 240/280 mm on top for liquid cooling setups. ATX power supplies up to 160 mm long are installed behind the front panel as a space-saving design. The front I/O includes USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C, two additional USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, and a 3.5 mm HD audio combo jack (CTIA).

Following the recent showcase of numerous Phanteks products at Computex 2024, Phanteks is proud to announce the release of the NV5 MKII mid-tower chassis. This upgraded version of its popular predecessor is designed to support BTF/Project Zero mainboards, offering users a state-of-the-art experience in PC building.

The NV5 series has previously been celebrated for its unique visual appeal and small footprint. The NV5MKII continues this tradition with the favorited near-seamless glass panel, perfect for showcasing true craftmanship in custom PC building. With the graphics card and mainboard-centric design, the new NV5MKII elevates the display of components while keeping all wiring meticulously hidden.

Ocypus is a new PC casing and cooling brand we've met at Computex 2024. The brand has a formidable lineup of contemporary gaming PC cases, fans, and CPU coolers (both air and liquid). The Iota L36 line of AIO liquid CPU coolers come with high static pressure FDB fans, and a glossy rounded-square pump-block with a segmented display that puts out coolant temperature as measured in the pump (rather than pulled from ACPI over USB/software). The cooler comes in white and black trims, and there's just one radiator size on display—360 mm x 120 mm. The Delta L36 is a "lite" variant of the Iota L36, with a silicon RGB LED diffuser crowning the pump-block instead of the temperature display. Both coolers support the upcoming LGA1851, LGA1700, AM5, and AM4 sockets.

The CPU air cooler lineup is topped by the Iota A62, a large dual fin-stack cooler, which comes in silver and black color variants. It uses a pair of 120 mm FDB fans in push-pull configuration, with the second fan located between the two fin-stacks. The top-plates of the fin stacks have perforations, and the LED segment display peeks out from these in what is a neatly executed design. The Delta A62 is identical to this, but without the display. What's interesting is that the Iota A62 lacks fan illumination, but the Delta A62 has plenty of it.

Kingston at the 2024 Computex showed us their latest gaming and overclocking PC memory products, under its FURY brand. The star attraction here, is the FURY Impact DDR5 CAMM2 module. Kingston is partnering with MSI to bring this standard to the gaming PC space, as part of its new Project Zero ecosystem. A DDR5 CAMM2 is basically a dual-channel (4 sub-channel) DDR5 memory-on-a-stick. The module has wiring for both the channels and all four sub-channels, and a total of two ranks (1R/DPC). The module sits on a land-grid, just like the processor, and is held in place by a series of screws. When installed, a CAMM2 looks a lot more discreet than a bunch of DIMMs that stick out perpendicularly to the plane of the motherboard.

Kingston DDR5 CAMM2 will come in typical dual-channel capacities, such as 32 GB; with typical speeds. The CAMM2 standard was originally designed for mainstream notebooks and mini-PC desktops, but MSI adapted it to an ATX desktop motherboard with its Project Zero backside connectivity. Next up, we have the FURY Renegade RGB DDR5 series, with its high DDR5 speeds, and plenty of RGB bling. Densities range between 16 GB (1x 16 GB) to 96 GB (2x 48 GB), with popular densities along the way, such as 2x 16 GB, and 2x 24 GB. Speeds range between DDR5-6000, all the way till DDR5-8000 (with XMP 3.0).

When we think of InWin, we think of their Signature PC chassis - an equally long-lived and impressively designed line of exclusive products that have garnered appreciation, establishing InWin among top manufacturers. This year, at Computex 2024, InWin unveils its 11th Signature Series chassis, taking a standard case and making it unique. The main visual highlight is the 180-degree curved glass panel (the largest we've seen on a PC), which blends seamlessly with the aluminium frame into a sleek design.

The chassis is a full tower that can accommodate E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, and Mini-ITX motherboards, including support for ASUS BTF and MSI Project Zero Series Back-Connector motherboards. It offers 7x PCI-E expansion slots, 2x 2.5" internal drive bays, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2 Type-C port, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and HD audio combo ports. For cooling, it is compatible with 120 mm fans (3 at the front, 1 in the rear), and a water cooling 360 mm x 65 mm radiator could also be fitted in the front. No information regarding exact availability and pricing has been provided at this moment.

ZALMAN rolled out the P50 DS, a feature-packed mid-tower case that supports motherboards with reverse-side connectors, from the ASUS BTF and MSI Project Zero ecosystems. The case comes in black and white color variants. Its two most striking design aspects are the pillarless front-left corner, which gives you a panoramic view of your build; and a small programmable display that plugs into a USB 2.0 header, and gets the included software to read out temperature or fan-speed monitoring from ACPI. The case features a conventional horizontally partitioned layout.

The upper compartment with the motherboard tray offers room for graphics cards up to 43.5 cm in length, and CPU coolers up to 17.8 cm in height. The three 120 mm fan vents along the motherboard tray are recessed, so they don't impede long graphics cards. With three 120 mm fans included and in place, the setup is flush with the rest of the motherboard tray, so adding a typical 360 mm radiator would barely come in the way of a graphics card. The motherboard tray has cutouts positioned for compatibility with ASUS BTF and MSI Project Zero motherboards with connectors on the reverse side of the PCB. Besides the three side-facing vents, you get a 140 mm rear exhaust, three and three 120 mm top exhausts. Four 120 mm ARGB-illuminated fans come included with the case. There are two 3.5-inch drive bays in the lower compartment, and a couple of additional 2.5-inch mounts. Front panel connectivity includes a USB3 type-C, two USB 3.2 type-A, and HDA jacks. The case measures 240 mm x 480 mm x 512 mm (WxDxH), weighing 10.5 kg. The company didn't reveal pricing.

The CAMM2 and LPCAMM2 form-factors were originally designed for thin-and-light notebooks, to provide them with memory replacements/upgrades without compromising on the Z-Height tolerances of the device's design. It looks like MSI sees a future for the CAMM2 form-factor on desktops, specifically the ones without cables sticking out. The company's next round of motherboards under its Project Zero banner will replace the conventional DDR5 DIMM slots with DDR5 CAMM2 slots. The company is joining forces with Kingston Technology for the effort.

Kingston is readying a new line of performance-segment CAMM2 modules under its FURY Impact brand that it originally uses for performance SO-DIMMs meant for gaming notebooks. MSI's next-gen Project Zero motherboard features contact points for a DDR5 CAMM2 module. A single CAMM2 module utilizes the entire 160-bit memory bus width of the Socket LGA1700 processor (that's both channels and their sub-channels). Kingston may release CAMM2 modules for most common memory sizes (such as 32 GB, 48 GB, 64 GB, and 96 GB), and most common DDR5 OC speeds for the platform (ranging between DDR5-6000 and DDR5-8000).

Colorful unveiled the iGame B760M Ultra Z, a Socket LGA1700 motherboard in the Micro-ATX form-factor, with a distinctive white PCB, but that's hardly the story—this is Colorful's first motherboard with backside connectors, for more discretely cabled PC builds. The board doesn't use any marketing buzzwords such as "BTF" or "Project Zero," but has its onboard connectors aligned to support PC cases with motherboard tray cutouts for either of the two standards. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 4-pin ATX connectors (sufficient for Intel Performance Power Delivery profile). The processor is wired to a PCI-Express 5.0 x16 slot, and an M.2-2280 Gen 4 slot. Colorful used the region of the PCB next to the four DDR5 memory slots—where you'd normally have 24-pin and other connectors—to position an additional M.2 slot hidden behind a heatsink. There is yet another M.2 slot between the two PCIe slots.

The backside of the PCB has the board's power connectors, four SATA 6 Gbps ports, the USB- and HD audio headers, fan headers, and the front-panel headers. Networking connectivity include Wi-Fi 6E and 2.5 GbE. USB connectivity includes two 5 Gbps type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a 10 Gbps type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, and four USB 2.0 ports. There are two additional 5 Gbps ports via an internal header. HDMI and DisplayPort make up the display connectivity. The motherboard offers the USB BIOS Flashback feature. Available now in the Chinese market, the Colorful iGame B760M Ultra Z is priced at RMB ¥1,199 or (converts to USD $167).

ZALMAN today introduced the P30 Air line of Micro-ATX mini-tower cases with a design focus on high airflow. The case comes in two color variants—black and white. Its design is characterized by panel perforations along not just the entire front-panel, but also the sides of the bottom half. The left side-panel only covers the upper compartment, the bottom compartment opens from the right side-panel that covers both compartments. ZALMAN included three ARGB-illuminated fans with this case, the front mesh intake has two pre-installed 140 mm spinners, while the rear exhaust is handled by a 140 mm fan. This presence of 140 mm rear exhaust also means that the motherboard tray has a high amount of clearance for tall graphics cards and CPU coolers.

A star attraction with the ZALMAN P30 Air is its motherboard tray, which has strategically located cutouts for motherboards with reverse-facing connectors, such as the ASUS BTF series, and MSI Project Zero series. The motherboard tray has room for graphics cards up to 39.2 cm in length, and CPU coolers up to 181 mm in height. The bottom compartment has a single 3.5-inch drive tray, with an additional 2.5-inch mount on top. There are two additional 2.5-inch mounts along the motherboard tray. Besides the two 140 mm front intakes and 120 mm rear exhaust, the case features three 120 mm top exhausts, along which you can mount a 360 mm radiator. Due to its design, a radiator cannot be mounted along the front panel. Measuring 235 mm x 452 mm x 420 mm (WxDxH), the case dry weighs 7.6 kg. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Today, Phanteks, a leading innovator in PC chassis design, proudly unveils a new line of chassis - the XT series. Designed to meet the escalating demands of new hardware releases, the XT series promises exceptional cooling capacity and internal space while delivering outstanding value to tech enthusiasts. The XT Series will be available in three variants, the XT Pro, XT Pro Ultra, and XT View. The XT-Series represents a significant leap forward in chassis design, addressing the evolving needs of PC enthusiasts and gamers. Whether you are a seasoned professional or an avid gamer, the XT-Series ensures that your hardware is housed in a sleek and efficient enclosure.

Corsair today announced its re-entry into the dual chamber PC case market. Building on the direct airflow and impressive performance of the 680X and 280X cases, the new 6500 and 2500 Series deliver unprecedented levels of customization. Whether you need the spacious mid-tower chassis of the 6500 for a powerhouse desktop or the compact mid-tower design of the 2500 for a micro ATX build, their dual chamber layout makes building easier, promoting efficient cooling alongside a clean and professional look. With support for the latest reverse connector motherboards, options to convert from fully mesh airflow to tempered glass panels, and a range of functional and aesthetic accessories, these new cases mark a leap forward in dual-chamber case design.

The new reverse connector motherboards are a game-changer for PC builders. These motherboards, such as the ASUS BTF and MSI Project Zero, feature connections discreetly tucked away behind the motherboard tray. This layout, especially when combined with the Corsair iCUE LINK ecosystem, dramatically simplifies the building process and enables a nearly cable-free view within the main chamber of the case. iCUE LINK technology takes this a step further by enabling fans and other internal components to connect to each other seamlessly, reducing the need for multiple types of cables and connectors.

[Editor's note: Our in-depth review of the Corsair 6500X case is now live]

In Win Development Inc. (InWin), a leading innovator in PC enthusiast and gaming hardware, has launched its D5 E-ATX mid-tower PC chassis for PC builders looking for optimized airflow, sensible layout, and versatile hardware installment. With tool-less quick-release panels, a rotatable PCI-E mounting bracket, and optimized cable management, the D5 offers a PC building experience that unlocks build convenience and unparalleled performance.

The full mesh front and top panels ensure optimal cooling for the internal components. Inside is a removable cable shield on the motherboard tray, which not only discretely and effectively manages cable clutter, but also is designed to channel and concentrate airflow towards the main hardware. Offering mounting areas for a total of three front fans, three top fans, and one rear fan. There are excellent air-cooling opportunities, and liquid cooling support for both 360 mm and 280/360 mm radiators. Matching the all-black chassis aesthetic, InWin bundles a Neptune AN120 ARGB fan as a starting point for PC builders that often prefer to choose their own fans. The AN120 offers an exceptional performance-to-noise ratio at just 20.5 dBA nominal and up to 60 CFM airflow.

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.

CORSAIR had a brisk 2024 International CES announcements, and we begin our coverage with two new cases the gaming lifestyle brand debuted this year—the 6500X and the 2500X. The 6500X is a new vertically partitioned case with, or it looks that way from the front. The right-size partition begins from behind the motherboard tray, so the extra width toward the front of the case can be used to neatly slot in a 360 mm radiator in a manner that it doesn't obstruct long graphics cards; as shown in the example build below. There is no front-left pillar. There are plenty of fan vents, including three along the right side, along the bottom, the top, and the rear. As you can see, even an RTX 4080 ROG Strix can stretch itself without a side-facing radiator coming in the way—again, because the vertical partition begins behind the motherboard tray and doesn't extend all the way to the front.

The CORSAIR 2500X is a miniaturized version of the 6500X design concept, where the case is vertically partitioned, but the partitioning doesn't extend all the way to the front; creating space for the side-facing radiator, so it doesn't obstruct a long graphics card. This case is designed for Micro-ATX (or smaller) motherboards. The 2500X has a cozy, wood-like accents along the top, front-right, and top-right edges. It lacks a left pillar just like the 6500X. Perhaps the most interesting aspect about the 2500X and 6500X is that they support both MSI Project Zero and ASUS BTF motherboard types, with their backside connectivity. The 2500X has enough room for up to three 120 mm fans along the bottom and top panels; and two along the side panel. Corsair is expected to launch the 6500X and 2500X toward the end of February, 2024. The company hasn't finalized pricing. The company also showed off some user-replaceable body panels for these cases.

The process of assembling a computer is a great joy for gamers, but cable management can be complex and troublesome. MSI's newly introduced PROJECT ZERO series aims to eliminate these issues. The PROJECT ZERO motherboards relocate most of the cable connectors to the back of the motherboard, allowing cables to hide behind it. This not only enhances the cleanliness and aesthetics in the front but also reduces the difficulty of cable management, making the assembly an enjoyable experience. At the same time, we have introduced the PROJECT ZERO compatible chassis that complements the design philosophy, emphasizing simplicity and elegance when used together.

The PROJECT ZERO series motherboards feature a silver-white design with an extensive heatsink, exuding a clean and sleek appearance. You can choose from a variety of chipset options: Z790 PROJECT ZERO, an ATX motherboard with a 14+1 Duet Rail Power System, Lightning Gen 5 PCIe slot, 4x M.2 slots, and Wi-Fi 7. B760M PROJECT ZERO, a Micro-ATX motherboard with a 12+1 Duet Rail Power System, Lightning Gen 5 PCIe slot, 2x M.2 slots, and Wi-Fi 6E. B650M PROJECT ZERO features a 10 + 2 direct out power system, Lightning Gen 4 PCIe slot, 2x M.2 slots, and Wi-Fi 6E.

MSI in its Computex 2023 booth demonstrated its inverted cabling motherboard concept dubbed "Project Zero." The idea behind this is that all the connectors and headers of the motherboard are located on the reverse side of the PCB, and compatible cases have cutouts at just the right places, so all the cabling—including power—is routed to the motherboard in the crawl-space behind the motherboard tray. No cable is visible on the obverse side of the case (with notable exceptions being the CPU cooler cables, and the power cables of your graphics card). The prototype motherboard MSI showed off has Socket AM5, and is based on the AMD B650 chipset. The demo build reveals that it's preferable to have individually stranded EPS and 24-pin ATX cables, versus sleeved/braided ones that are tougher to bend and route.

Google's internal team Project Zero, dedicated to the discovery and patching of zero-day vulnerabilities in mobile hardware, software, web browsers and open source libraries disclosed a series of vulnerabilities in Samsung's Exynos chipsets featured across a wide range of mobile devices. Four of these critical vulnerabilities allow for internet-to-baseband remote code execution, and testing conducted by Project Zero confirmed that an attacker can compromise a phone at the baseband level with only the victim's phone number. They believe that with sufficient skill an attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities completely silently and remotely. The fourteen other vulnerabilities are related but considered to not be as critical as they require a more extensive setup including a malicious mobile network operator or local access to the targeted device.

Due to the severity of the main four critical vulnerabilities Project Zero has delayed full disclosure on how the exploit works stating:

Due to a very rare combination of level of access these vulnerabilities provide and the speed with which we believe a reliable operational exploit could be crafted, we have decided to make a policy exception to delay disclosure for the four vulnerabilities that allow for Internet-to-baseband remote code execution.

(Update 1: It seems that Logitech has launched an updated version of their Options software with a fix for the vulnerabiity - but this only happened after the vulnerabiiity became public. You can go on over Logitech's own webpage to download the updated version, which includes the fix in its changelogs, from here. Safe browsing.)

Adding to the critical vulnerability galore that's been coming out of Google's Project Zero, a researcher has demonstrated how an inherent bug in the "Logitech Options" software renders users vulnerable when visiting web pages. Tavis Ormandy, with Google Project Zero, found that Logitech Options opens a local Websocket port that doesn't require authentication for external commands. Attackers could exploit this issue by sending simulated keystrokes from any website - and thus execute pretty much anything on affected systems.