Synaptics Incorporated, the leading developer of human interface solutions, today announced its AudioSmart CX21988-THX is the industry's first USB-C audio codec solution to achieve THX Approval. By offering a THX Approved USB-C audio codec, Synaptics can supply OEMs with an important building block that affords a significant head start in the development of THX Certified headphones and headsets, mobile gaming devices and other personal audio devices. THX, founded by filmmaker George Lucas in 1983, is a globally recognized assurance of uncompromising quality, consistency and performance.

"The key to developing a great sounding set of headphones, especially ones capable of accurately reproducing the engineered sound field of a mix, is utilizing a winning combination of professional-grade components," said Peter Vasay, Senior Vice President, Technology and Operations, THX. "The Synaptics AudioSmart CX21988-THX USB-C codec impressed us, as it supports high-resolution audio with best-in-class headphone performance, and boasts ultra-low distortion, and tuning options to greatly improve the performance of connected transducers. We believe it to be the ideal foundation for the development of THX Certified headphones."

Razer today unveiled the Razer Phone, an Android smartphone with groundbreaking audiovisual technologies and processing muscle that takes personal entertainment to the next level. The first device from Razer's mobile division, the Razer Phone comes with a phenomenal display, cinematic audio and enough power to last a user all day, all in the palm of his or her hand.

The Razer Phone is equipped with the world's first 120 Hz UltraMotion display that delivers the fastest refresh rates and smoothest graphics among today's smartphones. UltraMotion's adaptive refresh technology synchronizes the GPU and display to remove image tearing or lag while driving efficient power usage. The 5.72-inch display - a Quad HD IGZO LCD - delivers vibrant and sharp images with a wide color gamut.

Razer is apparently looking towards raising some more liquidity towards its coffers. Remember that Razer is the company that recently acquired certification-experts THX. Even though having a THX certification today doesn't have the same weight as it did some years ago, Razer has started taking the first steps towards integration of the certification with its products, in a bid to have yet another selling badge to appeal to customers. These $600m are being destined to future growth (particularly in Asian markets), as well as an attempt to "Broaden the appeal of [Razer's] brand; (...) continue to introduce innovative, category-defining experiences; and deepen global market penetration."

Razer's recent financial filings indicate Razer operated at a $20m profit in 2012-2013, but ran a loss of ~$70m in 2015-2016 because of multiple acquisitions as well as a tripling in R&D activities. These increased spendings weren't accompanied by an equivalent increase in revenue, however, hence why 2015-2016 ended up in the red. This doesn't mean the company is in bad shape, though: it's just that R&D, as well as an increasing presence in physical stores, all take up money in the short term, while arguably having more effects in the long term.

In a bid to reinforce its audio business, Razer has now acquired the majority of THX's assets. THX, which was founded in 1983 by George Lucas, has for the past thirty-three years focused on cinema audio systems, home audio systems, and audio certification. It is now to operate as an independent subsidiary of Razer, under its own management and the leeway to run its own operations and make its own business decisions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, though Razer stressed that it intends to maintain all of THX's management and staff.

It is expected that this won't bring about major changes to THX's business model; their main focus points, namely Certification (testing and validation that a given system has passed a set of criteria determined by THX); THX Live! (focused in the audio experience unto itself, whether at cinema-like venues or at home); and THX Inside (focused on hardware's underlying technologies), are to continue operating within their given framework. That said, THX will now further expand their Certification programme to additional lines of products: headphones, Bluetooth speakers, streaming video, set-top boxes, and connected speakers, which are all, unsurprisingly, part of Razer's product portfolio.

For reasons unknown, Creative's newer generations of Sound Blaster sound cards don't bear the THX logo anymore. Its previous Sound Blaster Recon3D series of cards shipped with THX TruStudio Pro software, which is replaced by Creative's own SBX Pro Studio, in its newest Sound Baster Z series. Post-processing layers such as Crystalizer, Pro Surround, Pro Bass, Smart Volume, and Dialog Plus, are each re-branded with SBX ProStudio prefixes. The company reportedly revised its Sound Blaster Recon3D mainstream sound card with SBX Pro Studio, replacing THX TruStudio Pro, and the resulting product is labeled Sound Blaster Recon3D r2. The card is otherwise identical to the original.

Based on Creative's Sound Core3D native-PCIe chipset, and a Cirrus Logic-made DAC, the Sound Blaster Recon3D r2 offers 5.1-channel output with 24-bit resolution, 96 kHz sample rates, 102 dBA SNR, a dedicated 600 Ω headphones amplifier, EAX 5.0 Advanced HD, OpenAL hardware-accelerated audio API support, and support for Windows 8. The card complies with Intel Azalia specifications, so non-Windows operating systems can run it as a generic HD audio device. The latest driver update for the original Sound Blaster Recon3D doesn't change THX TruStudio Pro from the feature-set.

Touting the innards of a gaming notebook, MSI's Gaming Series AG2712 is a prominent exhibit at the company's CeBIT booth. It features a 27-inch 1080p matte display (which isn't a touchscreen), various Intel Core i5/i7 "Ivy Bridge" processor choices (with chance of a near-future Core "Haswell" refresh), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX as standard equipment, HDMI and D-Sub display outputs, USB 3.0, multi-format card reader, and what appears to be a THX-certified sound-bar lining its bottom.

MSI, the world-leading manufacturer of Gaming motherboards, graphics-cards and All-in-Ones PCs storms CeBIT with a new line-up of Gaming products. Hardware enthusiasts and gamers will flock to MSI's new Z77 GAMING motherboards with their new distinctive looks. To complement MSI's new Gaming motherboards MSI will also display a new concept of graphics cards that match the striking looks of the new gaming motherboards. CeBIT 2013 will also be the first opportunity to touch MSI's new AG2712, world's first Gaming All-in-One. 2013 is an exciting year in the computer industry and MSI has reserved a spot in the driver's seat, as can be seen on CeBIT 2013.

GIGABYTE announced the U2442 Extreme Ultrabook GeForce GT 650M and GT 730M graphics options. The U2442 is exceptionally designed with an elegant shuttle streamline design in a sleek form factor between 18.5 - 21mm and weighs in at just 1.59kg/1.69kg. Designed to bring you ultra-performance, it is powered by 3rd generation Intel Core processors and NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M / GT 650M discrete graphics. The U2442 Ultrabook is able to pack a 256GB mSATA SSD and a large 750GB/1TB HDD into its super slim body. The dual-storage system provides the user with speed and massive storage options. Do away with external storage with the Extreme Ultrabook.

The Slidebook S20, the ideal mobile work station and leisure companion, just hit the market. Its elegant streamlined exterior, all-in-one design, Intel's third generation Ivy Bridge Core i5 processor, and all-weather, long-life battery meet are designed to meet your work and leisure needs and make the Slidebook S20 stand out from the crowd of other ultrabooks.

Another MSI ingenious design, the Slidebook S20 not only offers all the audiovisual, multimedia, reading, and gaming enjoyment of a tablet, it also sports a keyboard, USB, and HDMI capabilities of a mobile office notebook. This chicly mobile machine satisfies the needs of both on-the-go businesspeople and students and the extended battery power ensures that you have plenty of time to do what you're doing. Ideal for Internet browsing, social networking, and word processing, the Slidebook S20 is the perfect choice for anybody on the go. The S20's design with keyboard and sliding cover eliminates the limitations most people feel when they use tablets. MSI's innovative, user-friendly design have you the user in mind.

Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) today reveals the newest production of Black Series with AMD FM2 chipset- Golden Limited Edition: A85F2-A GOLDEN. The ECS A85F2-A GOLDEN builds on their already strong performance of FM2 motherboards by adding a host of powerful new features in the Trinity technology platform and also adapting the exclusive gold plating technology for the strictest quality and a higher outstanding performance.

The individually-numbered, handcrafted motherboards are stunningly outfitted in cool black with gold plated key components, giving A85F2-A GOLDEN a sophisticated and classy appearance that is unprecedented in the PC motherboard industry. Key features include: World 1st AMP Technology support to take the full advantage of their unique operating design, newest graphical uEFI BIOS: EZ BIOS, with stunning user-friendly interface and easy-to-use function radically takes full advantage of the performance, high-end gaming, multi-tasking and Windows 8 support, ATI CrossFireX graphics support with next generation PCI Express 2.0 to achieve the ultimate in 3D gaming performance, separate 4 display output design allowing users to fully satisfy their visual quality and growing demand.

Eurocom Corporation, is now launching the EUROCOM Scorpius Ultra High Performance Notebook with support for dual graphics technology from NVIDIA GeForce, Quadro and AMD Radeon, powerful Intel Core i7-3920XM Processor Extreme Edition, up to 32 GB of DDR3 1600 memory and three storage drives plus one mSATA drive.

"The EUROCOM Scorpius is an out of this world High Performance Notebook Computer. Like the mythical creature that stung and killed Orion, the EUROCOM Scorpius will take down any competition standing in its way, while allowing gamers to do the same!" exclaims Mark Bialic, Eurocom President. "We have been getting out of this world benchmark results with the EUROCOM Scorpius. Simply put, this is the most powerful system of its kind on the planet."

Huntkey, professional power supply, PC chassis and accessory provider, is introducing a military camouflage hardware combo targeting gamers with a true military spirit. The FX600 600W 80 Plus Platinum certified PC power supply, is supporting high-end setups with multiple-graphics, and AMD as well as Intel CPUs. All cables have a special sleeving, so your hardware won't be scratched during installation or upgrade. With its high efficiency certification, heat-dissipation as well as noise development are keep to an absolute minimum.

The upcoming military camouflage mid-tower fits exactly the style of the FX600, making them a perfect match for gamers. The front is not only sturdy, but also ideal for ventilation. On the top we find 2x 2.0 USB and 1x USB 3.0 connector. The bigger power on/off button and the smaller reset buttons are distinguished. On top we also implanted a tray for portable disk, CDs, recharging your cell phone or other things you want close by.

Although ASRock was bold enough to give its upcoming entry-level FM2A75M-DGS socket FM2 motherboard the SATA 6 Gb/s equipped AMD A75 FCH, the company did not have any motherboards based on the new AMD A85 FCH chipset, on show. It's fair to assume that the company's mid-range ATX motherboard, the FM2A75 Pro4, will be topping up its socket FM2 lineup. Pictured below, the ASRock FM2A75 Pro4 utilizes everything the chipset provides, and adds a few third-party controllers.

The FM2 socket, which supports upcoming AMD "Trinity" APUs, is powered by a 6-phase VRM. There are four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting DDR3-2400+ MHz by overclocking. The socket is also wired to a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot. The second x16 slot is electrical x4, and wired to the A75 FCH. ASRock somehow found it necessary to add three legacy PCI slots, and just two PCI-Express 2.0 x1.

With AMD's "Trinity" desktop APU platform just around the corner, ASRock is ready with motherboards that run it. At Computex, the company displayed a pair of micro-ATX socket FM2 motherboards, based on the AMD A75 FCH chipset. The two include the FM2A75 Pro4-M, and FM2A75M-DGS (pictured in that order).

The FM2A75 Pro4-M is the more premium offering between the two, designed for home desktops, while the FM2A75M-DGS is designed for entry-level PCs. The reason we feel FM2A75M-DGS will win in its segment, is because unlike competitors' offerings (such as MSI A55M-P33 (F2) and GIGABYTE F2A55M-DS2), the board is based on the A75 chipset, with SATA 6 Gb/s ports. It will be priced competitively.

GIGABYTE, a longtime leader in computer technology and innovation, today announced the international release of the 15.6" P2542G gaming notebook. The P2542G is a premium gaming notebook that packs incredible power into a sleek form factor to give consumers new options for mobile gaming. The P2542G features a powerful 3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3610QM Quad-Core processor and an impressive NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M GPU with GDDR5 2GB VRAM. The P2542G also has a 1080p Full HD display, Blu-ray Rewritable Drive, THX TruStudio Pro, Intel Rapid Start Technology, either a high-performing 7200rpm HDD or a speedy SSD, HDMI and more.

ORIGIN PC announces the availability of their smallest laptop yet, the powerful, lightweight, new EON11-S and Intel's new 3rd Generation "Ivy Bridge" Core Processors. The new compact high performance laptop debuts with ORIGIN PC's exclusive new laptop design, Intel's 3rd generation mobile processors, NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics, and NVIDIA Optimus Technology. Origin PC is also offering Intel's 3rd generation "Ivy Bridge" processors to their full line of award winning desktops and laptops for gamers, artists, enthusiasts and professionals.

MSI Computer Corp, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, uncages the GT70 and GT60, two mobile gaming beasts featuring Intel HM77 Chipset, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M graphics processing unit (GPU), Killer E2200 Game Networking, Steel Series backlit keyboard, and more. Designed with the serious gamer in mind, both units provide unmatched power while fortifying MSI's arsenal of award-winning G Series family of gaming notebooks.

Bringing a new standard to mobile gaming, the GT70 comes with 17.3-inches of Full HD anti-reflective display to maximize visual experience under all lighting conditions, Steel Series full color backlit programmable keyboard with 1000 customizable color combinations, amplified gold plated audio connections for crisper sounds, 12 GB of DDR3 for superb speed, and more. For gamers looking for even more power, the GT70 is also available with 16 GB of DDR3, BD Burner, and MSI's Super RAID 0 configuration, a unique combination of 128 GB (2 * 64 GB) of SSD RAID 0 and 750 GB at 7200 RPM for unprecedented storage capacity.

Apart from other Z77 chipset-based models that have been exhaustively covered in the past, MSI is working on a media-oriented ATX LGA1155 motherboard based on the H77 chipset, the ZH77A-G43. Why MSI added a "Z" in the model name beats us. The LGA1155 socket is powered by a simple 5-phase VRM. MSI is kind enough to provide passive cooling for the entire CPU VRM area. The CPU is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, providing dual-channel DDR3 support.

Expansion slots include one PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (wired to the CPU), one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x4, wired to the PCH), two PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and three legacy PCI slots. PCI slots are still in good demand by media-professionals who need them for pro-grade sound production cards. Storage connectivity includes two SATA 6 Gb/s, and four SATA 3 Gb/s. All four USB 3.0 ports on this board (two on the rear-panel, two via header) are provided by the H77 PCH. HDMI, DVI, and D-Sub form the display IO. To top it off, you get 8-channel HD audio with THX TruStudio Pro support, and gigabit Ethernet. Expect a value price-point.

A serious player in the PC motherboard industry, the world's 3rd biggest (in terms of volumes) at that, ASRock is one brand that has accumulated the engineering potential to make anything. It's far from finished with its LGA2011 motherboard lineup, and made sure visitors at its CeBIT booth had their jaws on the floor. Enter, the ASRock X79 Extreme11. This motherboard is designed for not just extremely-overclocked PCs, but battlestations holding their own huge storage arrays. This monster is built in the EATX form-factor.

The LGA2011 socket is powered by a 16+2 phase DigiPower VRM, which draws power from two 8-pin EPS connectors. It is wired to eight DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of quad-channel DDR3 memory with speeds of over DDR3-2400 MHz by overclocking. The memory areas are powered by 4+4 phase VRM. Apart from the 24-pin ATX connector, and the two EPS connectors, the board also draws power from two 4-pin Molex connectors. The board makes use of Japanese-made solid-state capacitors almost throughout.

GIGABYTE today introduced an extraordinary lineup of computers that are redefining mobility and powerful performance. The U2442V is a sleek and stunning 14" Ultrabook that provides fantastic performance with a 3rd generation Intel Core i5/i7 ULV processor, while the U2442N features the same incredible form factor, but has a powerful 3rd generation Intel Core i5/i7 standard voltage processor. Both models feature an excellent NVIDIA GeForce GPU, which provides remarkable graphics performance for multimedia and games.

Other models to be introduced include the P2542G, which is a 15.6" powerful gaming notebook with an exciting race car design; and the Q2542N, an excellent 15.6" mainstream notebook that delivers terrific versatility. Also to be showcased at CeBIT 2012 is the S1081, a 10.1" powerful business slate; the Booktop T1132N, an 11.6" revolutionary 3-in-1 notebook, tablet and desktop; the Booktop M2432, a sleek 14" notebook that provides desktop graphics performance through its unique docking station; and the AC21, an all-in-one PC that simplifies the desktop experience.

Have you ever seen a high-performance notebook computer packing Intel's top-of-the-line Core i7 Extreme Edition with overclocking that blazes along at more than 4GHz? Have you ever experienced the superfast performance of a quad core gaming laptop that transfers files in less than half the time? Only the MSI GT780DX laptop, on display for a limited time, supports the Core i7 Extreme Edition, the fastest in the industry, to give you extreme system performance and cooling capabilities.

World's top 3 motherboard manufacturer, ASRock Inc., specially partners with Creative Technology Ltd, the worldwide leader in digital entertainment products for the personal computer, to introduce the most trusted sound card in mobo industry - Game Blaster!

Gamers need so much more from their rigs. ASRock Game Blaster was designed to exceed the expectations of even the most dedicated gamer. It is the first sound card coming with both Creative 7.1 CH HD Sound Core3D Audio and Broadcom Gigabit LAN in the world.

What makes the GT780DX as the gamers' ultimate weapon? In terms of power, it features the Intel Core i7 quad core CPU and latest NVIDIA's top-end GeForce GTX 570M discrete graphics card with 3 GB of GDDR5 display memory, giving it superior performance, so you can enjoy smooth graphics even when playing the latest games in high resolution. The impressive performance also serves to greatly enhance game realism and make these machines the ultimate weapons for the extreme gamer.

Eric Kuo, associate vice president for global sales, MSI Notebook, explains that the latest GT780DX not only packs performance to keep the extreme gamer engaged, it also comes with a SteelSeries keyboard specifically designed for serious gaming. The new keyboard is much more rugged and the new design better meets the needs of extreme gamers to give you the edge in the heat of battle. MSI has also incorporated Dynaudio and THX TruStudio Pro envelope-pushing sound technologies for a riveting audio experience. Designed both inside and out for gaming, the GT780DX has got your back when you're hip-pocket deep in goblin blood.

Leading international mainboard and graphics card manufacturer MSI today announces the official release of its X79A-GD65 (8D), X79A-GD65, X79A-GD45, and X79MA-GD45 mainboards. The new mainboards are based on Intel's latest X79 chipset and uses the LGA 2011 socket supporting the 2nd generation Core i7 processors. The X79A-GD65 (8D) features with 8 memory DIMMs, supports 16GB DDR3 memory modules, bringing maximum capacity up to a staggering 128GB! For superior quality and stability, MSI X79 series mainboards adopts Military Class III components. With DrMOS II - the next generation of DrMOS with improved double thermal protection - the lifetime of components is maximized, even in warmer environments or when the machine is heavily overclocked.

MSI X79 series mainboards also feature the latest PCI Express Gen 3 bus and MSI's proprietary Click BIOS II for maximum performance and user convenience. When taking into account all of the other advanced technologies supported such as 3-Way NVIDIA SLI and 4-way AMD CrossFireX multi-GPU processing technology, THX TruStudio PRO sound, Multi-BIOS II, Control Center II, and Super Charger, MSI X79-series mainboards are simply the best choice for enthusiasts!

ASRock's first wave of socket LGA2011 motherboards comes a full circle with the X79 Extreme4. The series consists of the X79 Extreme4, X79 Extreme4-M (micro-ATX), X79 Extreme7, and X79 Extreme9. There aren't many micro-ATX LGA2011 motherboards that we're hearing about, and hence ASRock might get the opportunity to charge a premium for the X79 Extreme4-M, making this the most affordable LGA2011 board from ASRock's stable. It still packs a lot of features and connectivity. To begin with, it is consistent with the black and gold styling of the other boards, including the active fan-heatsink over the X79 PCH.

The LGA2011 socket is powered by an 8-phase VRM design, which is identical to that of the X79 Extreme4-M. The socket is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting quad-channel DDR3 memory (one DIMM per channel). It has an interesting combination of expansion slots, making use of all 7 spaces available to the ATX form-factor. It includes three PCI-Express x16 (first two are permanent PCI-Express 3.0 x16, the third is permanent PCI-Express 2.0 x8), two PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and two legacy PCI. Storage connectivity includes two SATA 6 Gb/s and four SATA 3 Gb/s internal ports wired to the X79 PCH, three additional SATA 6 Gb/s and one eSATA 6 Gb/s wired to ASMedia-made SATA controllers.