French tech publication 01net noticed something odd about the ZBOX CI540 from ZOTAC it was reviewing. Even for a fan-less compact desktop, its Core i5-4210Y dual-core chip was idling around 80°C. The reviewer then opened it up to find that ZOTAC left the protective plastic film on the thermal pad which conducts heat from the CPU to the body intact. Temperatures dropped with that film peeled. The kicker? Reaching for that thermal pad voids your product warranty.

Even if the ZBOX CI540 is a barebones unit, in which you drop in your own 2.5-inch HDD/SSD and SO-DIMM memory, requiring you to unscrew its body; the storage and memory compartments are located on the reverse side of the motherboard. You're not supposed to unscrew the motherboard to reveal its obverse (front) side, as there's nothing for you to "upgrade" there. The CPU is in the BGA (ball-grid array) package, and hardwired to the motherboard. The screws that let you reveal the front side are capped with warranty seals. We're not sure if it's a one-off bad piece 01net got, or an entire batch hit by one lazy hand on the production line.Update Jun 24: We received following statement from ZOTAC:
ZOTAC has found the plastic film to be isolated to preproduction units. These preproduction units were only used for press sampling and are not representative of final units shipping to retail. However, the plastic film has very little impact on the cooling capabilities of our passive ZBOX C-series nano chassis since the cooling fins that are responsible for the majority of the heat dissipation duties is below the thermal pad. The thermal pad is only used to transfer heat to the secondary heat dissipation plate integrated into the chassis for added cooling capabilities.

Nevertheless, the temperatures observed while testing under load with the erroneous plastic film still in place is still within the thermal guidelines of Intel's 100°C maximum T Junction and does not cause instability. Temperatures observed by users can vary greatly depending on room temperature and system placement since the ZBOX CI540 nano is passive cooled. We apologize for the error but assure our mass production units are not affected.

Razer, the world leader in high-performance gaming hardware, software and systems, today announced the addition of a warranty function to Razer Synapse 2.0, allowing gamers to quickly register and monitor their warranty period in a single convenient location through Razer's cloud-based hardware configurator.

The new opt-in Warranty function allows for quick registration of Razer's Synapse 2.0-supported products, and also allows users to register other Razer gear, such as analog headsets and mouse mats. Specific to North America, Razer is also removing proof-of-purchase requirements in its product return policy, if the guarantee can be verified automatically with the serial number.

CRYORIG's first launch product the CRYORIG R1 Ultimate is the accumulation of years of research and design. CRYOIG is now revealing a more detailed explanation and closer look at the R1 Ultimate's extremely long list of trademarked technology and patented designs. CRYORIG's patented DirectCompress Soldering, increases the actual contact surface between the heatpipe and heatsink fins. Traditional soldering requires a cut out area next to the heatpipe through hole in order to pass through soldering tools. DirectCompress Soldering requires no cut out and has on average at least 10% more contact surface compared to traditional soldering, and the more contact surface the faster the heat conduction.

ZOTAC International, a global innovator and manufacturer of graphics cards, mainboards, mini-PCs and accessories, today announces enhancements to the Extended Warranty Program in Europe to better benefit end users. The Extended Warranty Program enhancements now include ZBOX mini-PCs and an increased registration deadline of 28-days instead of the former 14-days for all ZOTAC graphics cards, mainboards and mini-PCs in select regions.

"ZOTAC stands by the quality of its hardware. By including the ZBOX mini-PCs to the Extended Warranty Program, we are providing excellent warranty coverage for an additional 3-years for up to 5-years of total coverage," says Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International. "Increasing the registration deadline to 28-days enables our customers and end users to relax and have plenty of time to register their ZOTAC graphics card, mainboards or mini-PC for the Extended Warranty Program as well."