Intel has demonstrated an early prototype of next-generation Thunderbolt in action, aligned to the USB Implementers Forum's (USB-IF) release of the USB4 v2 specification this week. Next-generation Thunderbolt will deliver 80 gigabits per second (Gbps) of bi-directional bandwidth and enable up to 120 Gbps for the best display experience, providing up to three times the capability of today's technologies to meet the growing needs of content creators and gamers, all while maintaining compatibility with previous versions of Thunderbolt and USB.

"Intel has always been the industry pioneer and leader for wired connectivity solutions, and Thunderbolt is now the mainstream port on mobile PCs and integrated into three generations of Intel mobile CPUs. We're very excited to lead the industry forward with the next generation of Thunderbolt built on the USB4 v2 specification, advanced to this next generation by Intel and other USB Promoter Group members," said Jason Ziller, general manager of the Client Connectivity Division at Intel.

Today, we shared our vision for the next era of the Windows PC, where the PC and the cloud intersect and tap into innovative AI technology that unlocks new experiences. So that each of us can participate, be seen, heard and express our creativity.

For nearly 40 years, the Windows PC has held a place at the center of our lives. It's contributed to new levels of productivity, kept us all connected, and unlocked our creativity and potential through innovations we couldn't have imagined when we first began this journey. Just think about how far we've come in how people interact with it. From the very first text-based keyboard input to the precision of point and click with the mouse, up to today, where touch, voice, pen and gestures all help people use the Windows PC more naturally and intuitively. From its inception, Surface has been a catalyst for that change.

Amazon US has kindly revealed the pricing for a pair of upcoming Intel Z790 chipset based motherboards from ASUS. For those hoping for better motherboard pricing versus AMD's X670 based boards, we have to be the bringer of bad news, as the two fall in the same ballpark, although Intel seems to have a slight edge here. The cheaper of the two models is the ASUS Prime Z790-P WiFi, which is the Intel equivalent to the Prime X670-P board for AMD's AM5 socket. The Prime Z790-P offers slightly weaker connectivity around the back, but has more PCIe slots compared to its AMD sibling. Unfortunately, it seems like Amazon doesn't stock the Prime X670-P, so we had to look elsewhere for pricing and Newegg charges US$289.99 for it, whereas Amazon charges US$249.99 for the Prime Z790-P, making it a more attractive option. However, that's still US$30 more than its predecessor, the Prime Z690-P, making this a pretty steep jump in price considering the two are very similar in terms of what you get for your money.

The second board is the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero, which is a premium product, something that's reflected in the pricing as well. Features like Thunderbolt 4 and an ROG Hyper M.2 card for PCIe 5.0 SSDs are included here, as well as an extended bundle. There's no direct AMD equivalent here, as ASUS only has a model in the US$400 range and one in the US$1000 range on the AMD side. However, it appears that ASUS has decided to keep the same price point as the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero. This isn't entirely surprising, as the boards appear to be almost identical, bar some change to the layout to the rear I/O. At US$629.99, this isn't a cheap board, but it wasn't expected either, as ASUS does charge a premium price for its ROG products. Both boards are said to be shipping from the 20th of October.

The latest X670E motherboard platform introduced a wealth of cutting-edge features to accompany AMD's latest 7-series CPUs. Headlined by PCIe 5.0 connectivity and across-the-board DDR5 support, our X670E motherboards cater to enthusiasts ready to extract every ounce of performance they can get out of their new AMD processor. Now, mainstream PC builds can get in on the action, too. Our B650E and B650 boards offer tremendous value for anyone assembling a next-gen machine. This B650 motherboard guide walks you through our different product families to help you find the model that best fits your needs and budget.

Shopping for a gaming-first motherboard that delivers exceptional performance and exudes confident style? Start with our ROG Strix lineup. From the flagship ROG Strix B650E-E Gaming WiFi to the compact-yet-mighty ROG Strix B650E-I Gaming WiFi, these boards bring high-end features and sizzling good looks. Perhaps you'd prefer a straightforward gaming board that delivers essential features in a no-frills design? Check out our TUF Gaming family. Available in either ATX or micro-ATX form factors, these products deliver everything you need for a reliable gaming build and nothing that you don't.

ASUS today announced ExpertBook B5 (B5602C) and ExpertBook B5 Flip (B5602F), all-new laptop models engineered with an expansive 16-inch, 16:10 display and strong, lightweight build for extreme flexibility and business productivity on the go—plus the option of an OLED panel for stunning visuals.

The new models laptops are set for serious travel with amazing all-day battery life, and are engineered with many cutting-edge technologies to improve mobile work efficiency. These include an up to 12th Gen Intel Core processor with up to Intel Arc A350M discrete graphics, dual-fan cooling, AI-powered conferencing technology, and dual-SSD RAID support. B5 Flip additionally benefits from a 360°-flippable screen, plus the added versatility enabled by support for a fast-charging, garaged stylus. ExpertBook B5 and ExpertBook B5 Flip are also packed with features to protect personal privacy and business data, including vPro support, a built-in fingerprint sensor and TPM 2.0 chip.

Unfortunately there's no pricing attached to this leak, unlike the earlier pricing details for MSI's B650 motherboards from B&H, but Videocardz has managed to get the specs for ASRocks upcoming B650 and B650E motherboards. Once again we're looking at a collection of seven models, four B650E and three B650 models in total. Something interesting to note that Videocardz is pointing out, is that only the cheapest board in the lineup has a six layer PCB, with most models using an eight layer PCB and the Mini-ITX board is going up to 10 layers. In other words it seems like most entry level boards are now using high-end PCBs, due to the transition to PCIe 5.0.

The base model is the B650 PG Lightning, which is a pretty feature stripped motherboard, yet all PCIe slots are said to be PCIe 4.0 and it has a pre-installed I/O shield. It comes with 2.5 Gbps Ethernet, but WiFi is optional. At least there's a rear mounted 20 Gbps USB-C port here and the board has a total of three M.2 slots, of which one is PCIe 5.0. On the same kind of level sits B650 Pro RS, which is a step down in the sense that one of the M.2 slots PCIe 3.0 x2 and it has fewer PCIe slot, but it appears to have slightly fancier cooling for the VRMs and it gains a DisplayPort output around the back.

With the 13th Gen Core "Raptor Lake" desktop processors, Intel on Tuesday launched its companion motherboard chipset, the Z790. Since "Raptor Lake" desktop is based on the same LGA1700 package as 12th Gen "Alder Lake" desktop; the two are intercompatible—you can use 12th Gen processors with Z790 chipset motherboards out of the box; and you can use 13th Gen processors with Z690 or other 600-series chipset motherboards with the latest BIOS. Z790 chipset essentially sees a re-balancing of the downstream PCIe connectivity, resulting in more PCIe Gen 4 downstream lanes. Besides more downstream connectivity, you get one additional 20 Gbps USB 3.2x2 port.

While the Z690 put out up to 12 downstream PCIe Gen 4 lanes and up to 16 downstream PCIe Gen 3; the new Z790 puts out up to 20 downstream PCIe Gen 4 lanes, and up to 8 downstream PCIe Gen 3. Both chipsets use DMI 4.0 x8 as the chipset bus (connection between the processor and chipset), with bandwidth comparable to PCI-Express 4.0 x8 (128 Gbps per direction). Z790 allows motherboard designers to wire out up to five M.2 NVMe Gen 4 slots attached to the chipset, or deploy more numbers of high-bandwidth onboard devices than those possible with Z690; devices such as discrete USB4 host controllers, Thunderbolt 4 80 Gbps controllers, etc, besides a handful PCIe Gen 4 slots. The 8 PCIe Gen 3 lanes should be enough for lower-bandwidth onboard devices, such as WLAN cards, onboard 2.5 GbE NICs, or even a 10 GbE NIC.

If you've been keen on finding out some more details about the upcoming Z790 based motherboards for Intel's upcoming 13th gen Core processors, then we got good news for you. VideoCardz got hold of a treasure trove of board pictures from ASUS, ASRock and MSI for those interested in taking a look at what will be on offer next month from Intel's partners. There are no big surprises when it comes to the leaked board models, but there are one or two things that are worth pointing out.

The ASUS leak is limited to four boards, two Prime models, one TUF board and the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero, which is unlikely to be the top-of-the-range board. ASUS seems to have held back a bit with the Hero board compared to its AM5 equivalent, but it's a bit hard to tell from the picture. ASRock is carrying over its limited edition Carrara look for its Z790 Taichi board and ASRock will also have a Mini-ITX board with Thunderbolt 4 support. MSI will also offer a Mini-ITX board, with a black PCB and white heatsinks and a white rear I/O shield. No additional specs were provided, outside of what can be seen in the pictures. There are additional pictures after the break.

Today, Intel announced the Intel NUC 12 Enthusiast Mini PC and Kit (code-named Serpent Canyon). Designed for gamers and content creators, the compact mini-PC is built to include Intel Arc graphics in the smallest form factor. The NUC 12 Enthusiast features the latest 12th Gen Intel Core processors and is the first Intel NUC to include Intel Arc A-series graphics in the form of the Intel Arc A770M graphics processing unit (GPU).

"The Intel NUC 12 Enthusiast Kit is one of the most exciting NUC's to launch because it's the first to pair an Intel processor with discrete Intel graphics. The system provides a strong combination of high performance in content creation and gaming usages, and wide array of I/O - typically found in larger systems - all in a small form-factor design. More importantly, this NUC features helpful technologies like Intel Thread Director and Intel Deep Link that make it perfect for anyone trying to create and game in the convenience of a truly compact design," said Brian McCarson, Intel vice president and general manager of the NUC Group.

Durabook, the global rugged mobile solutions brand owned by Twinhead International Corporation, today announced the launch of its new Durabook R8, the world's first fanless 8" fully rugged tablet featuring 12th generation Intel Core processors for exceptionally powerful user performance. "Durabook devices are designed to meet the increasing demands of field service workers operating across some of the most demanding sectors, including manufacturing, transportation, logistics, field services and utility industries, as well as law enforcement departments and government agencies," said Twinhead CEO Fred Kao. "These users often require both high performance and the convenience of portability, which are typically conflicting needs. Now, there is R8. The R8 meets all these requirements head-on, allowing workforces to boost efficiency and performance even in the harshest environments."

The only 8" rugged tablet on the market equipped with 12th generation Intel Core processors, the R8 provides an unrivaled combination of power and portability, weighing just 1.9 lbs. Its Pentium Gold CPU offers a performance that's up to 450% faster than competitor devices running on Intel Atom processors and up to 800% for devices using Intel Core processors. In addition, the tablet's Intel Iris Xe Graphics boosts computing power to process large amounts of data, images, and video feeds in real time, providing a reliable mobile solution to support digital and remote operations for diverse professional applications.

The Mac Studio is an incredibly compact desktop for its capability, and Sonnet figures a bunch of these can be mounted into rackmount chassis in a production studio. It rolled out a couple of products that can help you do just that. The RackMac Studio is a 3U enclosure that lets you secure up to two Mac Studio units in a rack, and cleanly wire them out, while providing access to their two front type-C ports and card slot. The xMac Studio series does the same, except with room for one Mac Studio unit, with the rest doubling up as a feature-packed storage and connectivity enclosure, taking advantage of the Thunderbolt 4 interface.

The xMac Studio Echo I takes in one Mac Studio unit, and uses its remaining space to provide a PCI-Express x16 riser, with room for a full-length graphics card that's ventilated. The xMac Studio Echo III is similar, but with three PCIe slots—one x16 and two x8, with the expansion slot area being ventilated. The xMac Studio Echo Zero (no module) comes with empty space that you can configure to your needs with custom hardware. Available from October 23, the RackMac Studio is priced at $450. The xMac Studio Echo III is slated for September 25, priced at $1,650, while its sibling, the Echo I, will go for $1,250. The bare Echo (no module), will be up for $550.

Today, Lenovo announced the next-generation ThinkPad X1 Fold that redefines the foldable PC category that Lenovo created in 2020. The new ThinkPad X1 Fold is designed to offer full PC performance with a larger screen area, while maintaining the ultra-portability that the original ground-breaking device offered. As the world's lightest 16-inch commercial laptop device, this next generation delivers a versatile, powerful and portable device - with a sleeker and thinner design that can be comfortably used as a primary PC. Improving on a category-defining PC is not easy, but Lenovo's done just that. Through a combination of customer feedback and end user insights, the innovative design features a 22% larger 16-inch folding OLED display, 25% thinner chassis, and thinner bezels all around to produce a premium, streamlined look and feel that extends to the aluminium frame and a back cover made from 100% recycled woven performance fabric.

When building a next-gen device, there's the advantage of learning from a solid base of customer experience and a groundswell of user input. This insight has served Lenovo well in defining four primary areas where the experience must be flawless: performance, keyboard, display and design.

ASUS today launched the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED (UX9702), the 17.3-inch foldable OLED laptop. To create this futuristic device, ASUS and Intel have developed industry-first solutions to advance innovation in the foldables category, including collaborations between domain experts and an ecosystem partnership. Zenbook 17 Fold OLED is a response to users' desires to achieve the ideal balance between mobility and productivity in their modern 24/7 lifestyles. ASUS engineers and designers worked seamlessly to create a device that delivers effortless efficiency with a modern minimalist design. It eliminates the need to compromise when working in different environments—in office, at home, while traveling or relaxing—by elegantly incorporating two screen sizes and multiple usage modes into one highly portable device.

This Intel Evo -certified foldable laptop offers users two sizes of OLED display in one device: a large 4:3 17.3-inch 2.5K touchscreen that folds in the middle to create two seamless 3:2 12.5-inch 1920 by 1280 displays. When folded fully closed along the precision-engineered 180° hinge—which is tested to withstand over 30,000 open-and-close cycles—it's an ultra-compact and portable 12.5-inch device that's smaller than a sheet of photocopier paper. Multiple versatile usage modes—Desktop, Laptop (with Bluetooth keyboard), Laptop (with virtual keyboard), Tablet, Reader and Extended—are enabled by the folding design in conjunction with the full-size ASUS ErgoSense Bluetooth keyboard and touchpad, and each screen can additionally be split into multiple windows and the contents arranged, using the intelligent window-management feature in the ASUS ScreenXpert 3 and exclusive Mode Switcher apps. Despite its versatility and large screen size, the device weighs just 3.31 lb without the keyboard, or 3.97 lb with it.

ASUS today announced Vivobook Pro 15 OLED (K6502) and Vivobook Pro 16 OLED (K6602), a pair of 15.6-inch and 16-inch laptops designed to make creativity easy and fun for anyone. Harnessing the performance of the latest 12th Generation Intel Core H-Series processors, with an efficient triple-vented cooling system and up to a studio-grade NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU, these powerful laptops can handle any content creation, gaming or entertainment tasks with ease.

Vivobook Pro 15 OLED and Pro 16 OLED are equipped with color-accurate PANTONE Validated OLED displays—with up to a world-leading 3.2K 120 Hz 600-nit OLED version on Vivobook Pro 16 OLED—that deliver a superb high-quality visual experience with a cinema-grade 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. The new MUX switch allows users to enjoy maximum low-latency graphics performance when gaming, and entertainment is enhanced by immersive, multi-dimensional Dolby Atmos audio via the Harman Kardon-certified speaker system.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the latest gaming gear at Gamescom 2022, including the AMD X670E series motherboards, AIO coolers, PSU, displays, networking products, and peripherals. Along with these products, ROG released its first music single Reality, with vocals by renowned voice actor and musician Troy Baker, more commonly known for his roles in video games like The Last of Us and Uncharted series. An anime-inspired interactive 360° music video featuring the song is available on YouTube.

ROG Swift OLED PG42UQ / PG48UQ: The 42-inch ROG Swift OLED PG42UQ is designed for immersive desktop gaming and features 4K visuals at an overclocked 138 Hz refresh rate. The OLED panel ensures the deepest hues, as well as vibrant colors thanks to a 98% DCI-P3 color gamut and Delta E < 2 color difference. An ultrafast 0.1 ms (GTG) response time ensures great viewing and gaming experiences. The larger, 48-inch ROG Swift OLED PG48UQ is ideal for those looking to play their games on an even bigger scale. ROG OLED monitors include a custom heatsink that offers more surface area for heat exchange, resulting in up to 8% lower operating temperatures compared to ROG monitors without a heatsink to ensure better OLED performance and longevity.

Intel late-Tuesday (16/08) announced the NUC 12 Pro "Wall Street Canyon" line of compact desktops as enclosed prebuilt mini PCs, and bare motherboards. These are based on the 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake-P" (2P+8E) mobile processors paired typically with up to 16 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory, up to 512 GB of M.2 NVMe Gen 4 SSD storage, an additional Gen 4 M.2 slot, and come with preinstalled Windows 11. Certain variants feature a slightly larger chassis with room for a 2.5-inch SATA 6 Gbps drive. Select SKUs come with Thunderbolt 4 ports, 20 Gbps USB 3.2x2 ports, 2.5 GbE, and Wi-Fi 6E networking. and certain SKUs even offer vPro management features for commercial environments.A video-presentation by SimplyNUC follows.

Designed for maximum performance, XMG adds two models with AMD's Ryzen 6900HX to its NEO series. The NEO 17 has been completely redesigned and features a keyboard with CHERRY's MX ULP Tactile RGB switches, a 16:10 display with 2,560 x 1,600 pixels, a 99 Wh battery and a revised cooling system that can fully exploit the power limits of the graphics card (up to the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti). The NEO 15, on the other hand, is a platform update based on the existing chassis. The new AMD edition (generation M22 model) is compatible with the external XMG OASIS laptop liquid cooling system and, in contrast to the Intel version introduced at the beginning of the year (model generation E22), is fully VR-compatible.

Featuring AMD's Ryzen 9 6900HX with 8 cores and 16 threads as well as freely configurable Nvidia graphics cards (GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, 3080 and 3070 Ti), the new NEO 17 packs a mighty punch. In addition, XMG ensures the gaming and content creation laptop is fitted with a powerful cooling system: With five heat pipes, separate heat sinks on all four air outlets and two 11 mm fans with unobtrusive, low-frequency sound characteristics, even the 175 watt TGP of the RTX 3080 Ti with 16 GB GDDR6 VRAM (150 watts plus 25 watt Dynamic Boost 2.0) can be permanently run at full power. The AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX also operates continuously at 65 watts under full load, with boost peaks of up to 85 watts.

Colorful Technology Company Limited, a professional manufacturer of graphics cards, motherboards, all-in-one gaming and multimedia solutions, and high-performance storage, announce the launch of the COLORFUL X15-AT 22 gaming laptop equipped with a 12th generation Intel Core i9 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics. The COLORFUL X15-AT 22 is coming to the United States via Newegg.

The COLORFUL X15-AT 22 is equipped with the latest 12th generation Intel Core i9-12900H processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, and a maximum boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The gaming laptop is also fitted with 16 GB of DDR4-3200 memory - upgradeable to 64 GB. For storage, the X15-AT 22 packs a 512 GB PCIe Gen4 SSD. The X15-AT 22 also features a Thunderbolt 4 port with up to 40 Gbps transfer speed.

ASUS today announced the refreshed 13-inch ExpertBook B5, an ultralight, kilogram-class laptop series available in both traditional clamshell and 360° convertible forms for the ultimate in portability and flexibility, plus the added versatility enabled by stylus support in B5 Flip. The new ExpertBook B5 laptops are built for business success in style, with a precision-crafted and minimalist chassis that pushes the limits of lightness. They're also set for stress-free travel with an amazing 11-hour battery life, and are engineered with many cutting-edge technologies to improve on-the-go work efficiency. These include a 12th Gen Intel Core processor with vPro support, AI noise cancelation, dual-SSD RAID support, ASUS NumberPad 2.0 and ASUS ExpertWidget.

The all-new ExpertBook B5 models are also packed with features to protect personal privacy and business data, including a built-in fingerprint sensor and TPM 2.0 chip. ASUS ExpertBook B5 laptops are sleek, stylish and crafted for the ultimate mobility. Both the top and bottom cover are cut from pure aluminium, while the area around the keyboard area is formed using magnesium-aluminium alloy. These premium materials and careful construction keep the weight down to as little as a feather-light 1.1 kg, while also ensuring that the machines are ready for the rigors of everyday use in the office or on the go. ExpertBook B5 laptops are also remarkably thin, with a profile that measures just 16.9 mm, so they're easy to slip into a bag or briefcase, ready to travel anywhere. B5 Flip also offers stylus support.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, the global leading brand of PC, launches GIGABYTE Gaming G5/G7 gaming laptops equipped with 10nm Intel 12th Gen Processor today. A laptop to meet the wide range of needs in multitasking, gaming, and entertainment, with 12th Gen Intel Core i5-12500H laptop CPU, which is comprised of 12-core, 16 threads, and a maximum clock rate of 4.5GHz, to meet the needs for telecommuting and online classes, the purchase of high-performance laptops has been made easier with the adoption of Core i5-12500H, the Core i5 processor is powerful enough to effortlessly handle users' routines. Equipped with the graphics cards of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series, also introduces MUX switch graphics card switching technology, discrete GPU can be directly output to the display with just one click, which can easily improve the game performance and increase the frame rate in fierce game battles. For offering authentic gaming specifications and flexible expandability of hardware. The series can satisfy the user's needs for playing multiple roles in life.

Durabook, the global rugged mobile solutions brand owned by Twinhead International Corporation, today announced significant updates to its R11 fully rugged tablet, achieving a world-first with its 11.6" fully rugged tablet featuring the latest 12th Gen Intel processor and architectural innovations to elevate the user experience.

"Durabook designs devices to meet the demanding needs of field service workers who rely on rugged technology to streamline workflows and improve productivity in even the harshest environments," said Twinhead CEO Fred Kao. "The updated R11 employs the latest technology to meet the ever-changing needs of workforces operating in some of the most demanding sectors, including warehouse, field service, law enforcement, and logistics."

GPD have recently unveiled the pricing for their upcoming 10.1" Win Max 2 handheld gaming PC with the entry level model coming in at 899 USD. The GPD Win Max 2 comes equipped with either an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U or Intel Core i5-1260P processor paired with 16/32 GB of LPDDR5 memory and a 1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. The device features a 2560×1600 10.1" IPS touchscreen with a peak brightness of 400 nits along with a backlit QWERTY keyboard and dual hall effect sensor analogue sticks. The Win Max 2 includes WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 as standard with an optional 4G LTE modem available for an additional 79 USD in addition to USB4/Thunderbolt 4 ports and a spare internal M.2 slot.

The device is equipped with a 67 Wh battery that supports USB Power Delivery up to 100 W alongside active cooling with double heat pipes. The 899 USD Indiegogo model is limited to 50 units and features the Ryzen 7 6800U, 16 GB RAM, and a 128 GB SSD while the base retail model will regularly cost 1159 USD and features an upgraded 1 TB SSD. The base model is also available with the Intel Core i5-1260P for the same price. The onboard memory can be increased to 32 GB for an additional 200 USD and the storage to 2 TB for a further 100 USD while a customized M.2 2230 1 TB SSD is offered for an additional 139 USD.

With the new VIA 15 Pro, SCHENKER has put together a unique overall package: The 1.45 kg ultrabook integrates AMD's efficient eight-core Ryzen 7 5700U, a 15.6 inch WQHD IPS display and two freely accessible and upgradeable M.2 SSD and RAM slots - a combination that is usually only found in significantly heavier gaming laptops with dedicated graphics cards. Unlike these, however, the VIA 15 Pro features AMD's energy-efficient, integrated Radeon graphics unit. With this outfit, the ultrabook is aimed at developers, programmers, and creative professionals, among others. The all-round office laptops SCHENKER WORK 15 and WORK 17 are also being updated with Intel's Alder Lake-P processors.

One of the most striking features of the SCHENKER VIA 15 Pro is a performance-enhanced AMD Ryzen 7 5700U with eight cores and 16 threads: instead of running the CPU with a TDP of 15 watts, which is common in the ultrabook sector, it can operate permanently at 35 watts in the highest performance profile ("enthusiast") - this way, it outperforms the majority of ULV processors and achieves a multi-score of 3937 points in Cinebench R20. The laptop's dual-fan cooling system was adopted from the 2020 predecessor model of the VIA 15 Pro, so it is designed for less efficient CPUs from the 54 watt TDP class and therefore guarantees superior and quiet cooling. Those who require somewhat less performance may select the medium performance profile ("balanced") for particularly quiet operation. Switching is possible in real time at the touch of a button via a keyboard shortcut.

It would appear that we're slowly getting closer to the launch of AMD's AM5 platform, as ASRock just put up its first X670E motherboard on its website. The page still has very limited information and there's only a single picture of the motherboard, which is the same one that the company shared at Computex. However, we now get a few more details with regards to what to expect in terms of additional features. For starters, ASRock has gone for a 26-phase SPS Dr.MOS power design, which should be plenty even for the most avid overclocker. The board has a pair of PCIe 5.0 x16 slots that operate in dual x8 mode when both slots are used. In addition to this there are four M.2 slots, where ASRock has decided to call the CPU connected slot for Blazing, as it's PCIe 5.0, whereas the three PCIe 4.0 slots are using the Hyper name the company has used so far.

The board also has eight SATA ports, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, which apparently are USB4 certified as well and a header for a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) case mounted port. Furthermore the board has five rear USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) USB-A ports around the back, plus three USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) ports and a further four via headers, as well as a single HDMI port of unknown version. ASRock has gone for an Intel Killer E3100G 2.5 Gbps Ethernet controller and an Intel Killer AX1675X WiFi 6E and Bluetooth card, with the combo having Killer DoubleShot Pro support. Finally audio is via a Realtek ALC4082 USB connected audio codec and an ESS Sabre 9218 DAC. Overall this looks like a pretty kitted out board without too much excessive bling and will hopefully be priced accordingly.

One of the biggest dividends of the Arc discrete graphics lineup for Intel is getting to use its own GPUs in its NUC desktops. The next-generation NUC 12 "Serpent Canyon" desktop sees the 11th Gen Core "Tiger Lake" quad-core + RTX 2060 "Turing" combination replaced by advanced 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" 6P+8E processor, and the Arc "Alchemist" A770M discrete GPU. Intel's choice of mobile versions of "Alchemist" and "Alder Lake" may have to do with not just lower TDP, but possibly also an implementation of the Intel Deep Link feature.

The A770M maxes out the 6 nm ACM-G11 silicon, packing 32 Xe Cores (512 execution units, or 4,096 unified shaders), and has 16 GB of 256-bit GDDR6 memory. When paired with the 14-core "Alder Lake-H" processor, the duo could make for a formidable performance-gaming and creator machine. "Serpent Canyon" also sees the integration of Thunderbolt 4, SDXC UHS-II, Wi-Fi 6E, and 2.5 GbE interfaces, along with a number of USB 3.2 ports. Although its marketing images are leaked to the web on Chinese social media, there's no release date for the thing yet, but it could be just around the corner.