ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash products, today announced that its upcoming XPG SPECTRIX D40 RGB DDR4 has been certified compatible with ASUS AURA Sync software. This allows users of ASUS motherboards to personalize the RGB lighting elements built into D40 modules with choice of color range, lighting sequence, and more. SPECTRIX D40 modules have been optimized for the Intel X299 platform with a starting speed of 2666MHz. They are also compatible with AMD AM4 motherboards. Designed for gamers, overclockers, and case modders, SPECTRIX D40 DDR4 modules provide more options and customization features and support the trend towards builds that incorporate sophisticated RGB and LED.

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash products, today launched its XPG GAMMIX product series, first shown at Computex 2017. The debut consists of the GAMMIX S10 PCIe3x4 NVMe 1.2 M.2 2280 SSD, capable of 1800 MB/s read and 850MB/s write thanks to premium 3D NAND in up to 1TB capacity. The S10 features a stylish heatsink for expedited heat dissipation. It is joined by GAMMIX D10 DDR4 memory modules, which likewise boast a custom heatshield to ensure lower temperatures and more stable performance. They are offed in black and red colors, and in up to 3000 MHz factory speeds with a starting speed of 2666MHz on new Intel X299 motherboards. The GAMMIX line provides gamers, PC DIY enthusiasts, and overclockers with additional options that combine performance and design, stemming from the core XPG mission statement of ensuring better experiences.

MSI, the leading gaming motherboard brand, is proud to announce its newest X299 flagship motherboard, the X299 XPOWER GAMING AC. Designed for PC enthusiasts and overclockers who love sheer performance, the new XPOWER features an incredible 14 phase (12+1+1) DigitALL premium power design with Loadline Calibration to harness even the most powerful Intel Core X-Series processors. With the addition of MSI's Turbo Socket and External Clock Gen, powered by top quality components from Military Class 6, such as Titanium Choke II for higher efficiency and power delivery, even the most demanding overclockers are being challenged to push the new XPOWER to its limits.

Colorful today launched its flagship socket LGA2066 motherboard, the iGame X299 Vulcan X, which it showcased earlier at the 2017 Computex. The board is available in two variants based on their color-schemes, white and black. The white model features a white PCB, I/O shroud, and white PCH and VRM heatsinks, while the black variant is almost completely black. Both variants have an identical feature-set. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, and 6-pin PCIe power connectors, and uses a 10-phase VRM to power the CPU. The CPU is wired to eight DDR4 DIMM slots, and four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots.

Storage options include a 32 Gb/s M.2-22110 slot, a 32 Gb/s M.2-2280 slot, and six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. USB connectivity includes two USB 3.1 ports (one each type-A and type-C), six USB 3.0 (four on the rear panel and two by headers); and two special USB 2.0 ports on the rear panel which are optimized for gaming input devices, with additional electrical stabilization. Of its two gigabit Ethernet connections, one is driven by an Intel i211-AT controller, and the other by Realtek DragonLAN 8118AS. Audio includes a Realtek ALC1220 CODEC with 120 dBA SNR; a headphones amp, audio-grade capacitors, and ground-layer isolation. The board features dual-BIOS with manual switching, and a host of overclocking features. The company didn't reveal EU pricing.

HWBOT user sofos1990 took an Intel Core i9 CPU to party like it was the nineties, straddling it under a LN2 cooling chamber to achieve the enormous 6.01 GHz overclocked frequency (82.3% over stock clocks). The achieved score, at 12189.52 points, settles this run as the highest-scoring 10-core score ever, and also becomes the highest single-processor system score ever achieved in the platform. This was done under an extremely crispy 1.6 V processor vCore, though, so it definitely wasn't for the faint of heart.

We have some updated information on the X299 Platforms VRM issues from the same overclocker who initially discovered the issue, renowned overclocker der8auer. In an updated YouTube video, der8auer first updated his viewers with new information on his testing techniques, and basically concluded that all issues initially detected (throttling included) are still is an issue even after extensive testing, only in some instances it is difficult to detect not only if you are throttling, but even specifics such as what precisely is throttling. He goes into extensive detail, but a brief summary of the videos main points can be found below for your consumption.

It would seem Intel's X299 platform is already having some teething issues, with user "der8auer" of overclocking fame claiming the platform is essentially a complete "VRM disaster." In the video in which these claims are made, he levies the blame to both Intel and the motherboard manufacturers "50/50." For Intel's part, he blames them for the short product launch which was pulled in from August to June, giving the motherboard manufacturers in der8auer's words "almost zero time for developing proper products."

In the video, der8auer elaborates to basically claim a completely lack of consistency among the quality of VRMs and their heatsinks in various manufacturers. In his first test, he takes a CPU that is known to do 5.0 GHz and on a Gigabyte Aorus branded mainboard found himself unable to even hit 4.6 GHz with dangerously high VRM temperatures. He goes on to blame the heatsinks on the VRMs, going so far to call the Gigabyte solution more of a "heat insulation" device than a cooler, as a simple small fan over the bare VRM array did many magnitudes better than a simple standard install with the stock VRM cooler attached. After an MSI-branded board did similar, it became clear this was not an isolated issue.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, is pleased to announce a new promotion event starting on the June 26th, 2017 until August 31th, 2017. Any one that buys selected GIGABYTE AORUS X299 motherboards will receive up to €80 in Steam Wallet Codes totally free. Steam Wallet codes work just like gift cards which can be redeemed on your personal Steam account for Steam credit and used for the purchase of games, in game content, software and any other item you can available in the Steam store.

To participate in this new promotion, simply purchase one of the selected boards below and register on the micro-site. Please note that this promotion is open to residents of Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherland, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and Iceland.

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and gaming peripherals, announces new high-speed DDR4 memory specifications designed for the latest Intel Core X-series processors and X299 chipset motherboards. All the new memory kits are built with high performance Samsung 8Gb ICs, and tested under the highest standards of the Trident Z family.

With the improvement of overclocking performance on the latest Intel Core X-series processor and X299 chipset, G.SKILL is thrilled to release the fastest DDR4-4400 CL19-19-19-39 8GBx2 dual-channel memory kit designed for Kaby Lake-X processor. This high-end DDR4 memory kit will be available under the Trident Z RGB series and an all-new Trident Z Black series.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, begins shipment of its long awaited X299 AORUS Gaming Motherboards. With the flood gates open, consumers can find these boards at all major retail outlets and online stores. GIGABYTE previously offered pre-order customers incentives to upgrade and break into the enthusiast segment.

GIGABYTE has come out swinging with its new X299 AORUS Gaming Motherboards. To ensure consumers feel the full extent of performance and features of these motherboards, GIGABYTE has put together an Xperience Pack that helps to accent key technologies that come onboard. The Xperience Pack is filled with bonuses such as an AORUS Hoodie, 1-Year subscription to Xsplit Gamecaster, LEDs from CableMods, a Limited Launch Edition Keyboard Mousepad, and Sennheiser CX3.00 In-Ear Headphones. From its AMP-UP Audio to its RGB Fusion Technology, each bonus item is critical to enhance elements of the GIGABYTE X299 experience,

Intel announced retail availability of its new Core X-series HEDT (high-end desktop) processors in the LGA2066 package, designed for motherboards based on the Intel X299 Express chipset. These include the 4-core/4-thread Core i5-7640X and 4-core/8-thread Core i7-7740X based on the "Kaby Lake-X" silicon; and 6-core/12-thread Core i7-7800X, 8-core/16-thread Core i7-7820X, and 10-core/20-thread Core i9-7900X chips based on the "Skylake-X" silicon. Compatible socket LGA2066 motherboards based on the X299 chipset began selling, too.

The Core i5-7640X features 4.00 GHz clocks with 4.20 GHz Turbo Boost, and 6 MB of L3 cache. The i7-7740X tops that with 4.30 GHz core and 4.50 GHz Turbo Boost out of the box, 8 MB of L3 cache, and HyperThreading. Both these chips feature just dual-channel DDR4 memory controller, meaning that you'll be able to use just four out of eight DIMM slots in most LGA2066 motherboards. The i5-7640X is priced at USD $242, while the i7-7740X goes for $339. These are the same prices at which you can buy the LGA1151 Core i5-7600K and i7-7700K, respectively, so an attempt is being made to transition all PC enthusiasts over to the HEDT platform.

MSI today introduced the X299 Tomahawk Arctic motherboard. A near-identical variant of the X299 Tomahawk, the board features a mostly-white color scheme with grey and black accents. It features a white PCB with grey streaks. The white scheme carries over to the chipset and VRM heatsinks, the rear I/O shroud, the eight DDR4 DIMM and four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots. The heatsinks and rear I/O shroud also feature brushed-aluminium inserts for added style.

The X299 Tomahawk Arctic is a bustling metropolis which draws power from a single 8-pin EPS connector besides 24-pin ATX. The board features a 9-phase CPU VRM, and 4-phase memory. The CPU socket is wired to eight DDR4 DIMM slots, and four PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16/NC/x16/NC or x16/NC/x8/x8 or x8/x8/x8/x8 with 44-lane CPUs; x16/NC/NC/NC or x8/NC/x8/x4 with 28-lane CPUs). The first and third slots feature metal reinforcement. Storage connectivity includes two 32 Gb/s M.2 slots, a 32 Gb/s U.2 port, and eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports. Networking is care of a single GbE connection driven by Intel i219-V controller. The onboard audio solution combines a Realtek ALC1150 (up to 115 dBA SNR) CODEC with audio-grade capacitors, and ground-layer isolation. The company didn't reveal pricing.

An Intel Core i9-7900X has appeared for a full review at the site Hexus.net. Spoiler alert, it clocks to 4.7 GHz on all ten cores with relative ease (only taking 1.25 V, apparently, though it racked up nearly 100°C in Cinebench at that voltage).

The review praised Intel's overclocking headroom and general muscle in a mostly positive review. Still, not all is rosy in Intel land. They found performance per watt to not have improved much if at all, criticized the high price tag, and Hexus.net had the following to say about the overall experience:

"X299 motherboards don't appear to be quite ready, there are question marks surrounding the Skylake-X processors due later this year, and at the lower end of the Core X spectrum, Kaby Lake-X is nothing short of puzzling."

Intel announced the release schedule of its Core X HEDT (high-end desktop) processors and compatible socket LGA2066 motherboards. The first wave of Core X processors, which includes two quad-core SKUs, and one each of 6-core, 8-core, and 10-core (detailed in the table below); will be available from 26 June, 2017. Pre-orders for these chips will open from 19 June, on popular online stores. The first wave includes the quad-core Core i5-7640X, and Core i7-7740X "Kaby Lake-X;" six-core i7-7800X, eight-core i7-7820X, and ten-core i9-7900X "Skylake-X."

Intel plans to release the Core i9-7920X 12-core processor some time in August 2017, followed by 14-core, 16-core, and 18-core parts by October 2017. A large selection of compatible socket LGA2066 motherboards based on Intel X299 chipset, will be available for pre-order on 19 June, followed by retail availability from 26 June. With socket LGA2066 having a similar cooler mount-hole layout to the current LGA2011v3 socket, most current coolers which can cope with thermal loads of Core i7 "Broadwell-E" processors should be able to handle the Core X "Skylake-X" and "Kaby Lake-X" parts being launched this month.

Toppc Pushes the X299 Gaming Pro Carbon AC Motherboard to Reach New DDR4 Frequency Milestone
One year ago, MSI's in-house overclocker, Toppc, broke the DDR4 5GHz barrier using G.SKILL memory and the MSI Z170I GAMING PRO AC motherboard. Today, 1 year later, he raises the bar once again and became the first ever to push DDR4 speeds to 5.5GHz under liquid nitrogen cooling using the new MSI X299 GAMING PRO CARBON AC motherboard. With the MSI X299 GAMING PRO CARBON AC, MSI's most customizable high-performance Intel X299 based motherboard, Toppc was running G.SKILL DDR4 memory with an unbelievable DDR4-SDRAM clock speed of 5500MHz. This world record shows MSI's dominant position on performance for X299 by using MSI's unique and patented DDR4 Boost technology. The MSI X299 GAMING PRO CARBON AC is not only feature packed for gamers and great for case modding, it is also perfectly suited to deliver power for heavy gaming & overclocking sessions.

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and gaming peripherals, is excited to announce the DDR4 frequency world record at DDR4-5500MHz. This astonishing achievement was accomplished by the Taiwanese professional overclocker, Toppc, using G.SKILL DDR4 built with Samsung 8Gb ICs, on the latest MSI X299 GAMING PRO CARBON AC motherboard and Intel Core X-series processor.

Just last year, one week before Computex 2016, the renowned Taiwanese overclocker, Toppc, broke the DDR4 5GHz barrier using G.SKILL memory and MSI Z170I GAMING PRO AC motherboard. A year after, he raise the bar once again and became the first ever to push DDR4 speed to 5.5GHz under liquid nitrogen cooling. This tenacity demonstrates his overclocker's spirit of pursuing faster speed and greater performance of the latest computer hardware. This record has been validated by HWBOT.

EVGA at its Computex 2017 booth showed off its premium socket LGA2066 motherboard, the X299 FTW. The company also unveiled its micro-ATX X299 Micro. Built in the ATX form-factor, the X299 FTW is positioned below the X299 DARK, and features a clean layout with conveniently located connectors. It draws power from a pair of 8-pin EPS connectors besides an optional 6-pin PCIe, and the 24-pin ATX. The CPU socket is flanked by eight DDR4 DIMM slots, and four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots. An open-ended x4 and another x1 make for the rest of its expansion.

The X299 FTW is characterized by a groovy RGB LED lighting system that covers not just the PCH heatsink, but also the CPU VRM heatsink, and the I/O shroud, which runs the entire length of the motherboard. Storage connectivity includes two 32 Gb/s M.2 slots (a 110 mm and an 80 mm, each); two 32 Gb/s U.2 ports, and eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports. Other connectivity includes two USB 3.1 ports (including a type-C port), eight USB 3.0 ports, high-grade onboard audio with Realtek ALC1220 codec; and two GbE network interfaces.

EVGA unveiled a formidable lineup of socket LGA2066 motherboards, based on Intel X299 Express chipset. One of the models which caught our eye is the X299 DARK. Designed for extreme overclocking, this board is halfway between ATX and E-ATX width. It draws power from an angled 24-pin ATX, an angled 6-pin PCIe, and two 8-pin EPS connectors, and conditions it for the CPU using a high-current 9-phase VRM. The CPU is wired to just four DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting quad-channel memory; and four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots. The fifth x16 slot which is electrical x4 and an open-ended x4 slot; which are wired to the PCH; make for the rest of the expansion.

Storage connectivity on the EVGA X299 DARK includes a 32 Gb/s M.2 slot, two 32 Gb/s U.2 ports, and eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports. USB connectivity includes two 10 Gb/s USB 3.1 (of which one is type-C), and eight USB 3.0 (six on the rear panel, two by headers). Networking includes 802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.1 WLAN, a 10 GbE wired connection driven by an Intel i210-T1 controller, and a 1 GbE driven by an i219-V. The onboard audio features a Creative Sound Blaster DSP. This is one of the rare few board in which the I/O shroud extends into an integrated I/O shield, which could be useful for open-air benches.

GIGABYTE showed off what could be the company's most affordable socket LGA2066 motherboard, the X299-UD4. It features a minimalist design with features the platform provides. Built in the ATX form factor, the board draws power form a single 8-pin EPS connector, besides 24-pin ATX. The CPU is wired to eight DDR4 DIMM slots, besides three out of the five PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots. Two of the slots are electrical x4 and wired to the PCH.

Storage connectivity on the X299-UD4 includes two 32 Gb/s M.2 slots, and eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports. USB connectivity includes two 10 Gb/s USB 3.1 ports (both type-A), and eight USB 3.0 (four on the rear panel, four by headers). Networking includes a single GbE connection driven by an Intel i219-V controller, and audio is care of a Realtek ALC1220 (120 dBA SNR) codec with ground-layer isolation and WIMA capacitors. It wouldn't surprise us if this board goes for under $200.

Two days ago, we brought you a sneak peek of the X299 Aorus Gaming 9 flagship motherboard by GIGABYTE. Here are the other three boards, the X299 Aorus Gaming 7, the X299 Aorus Gaming 3, and the X299 Ultra Gaming. The Gaming 7 is positioned a notch below the Gaming 9, yet is based on the same PCB. You lose out on two out of three the M.2 heatsinks, and the PCIe add-on card with additional M.2 slots. That's pretty much all that set the two apart.

Next up, is the X299 Aorus Gaming 3, which could be one of GIGABYTE's cheaper LGA2066 motherboards. This board, based on a simpler PCB, does away with much of the paraphernalia of its bigger siblings. It draws power from just a single 8-pin EPS power connector besides 24-pin ATX; has just two 32 Gb/s M.2 slots, and a simpler onboard audio solution with ALC1220 CODEC instead of the ESS Sabre chips on the higher models. Then there's the Z299 Ultra Gaming, positioned between the Gaming 3 and Gaming 7. This board too is based on the same PCB as the Gaming 7 and Gaming 9, but features simpler onboard connectivity features.

MSI is proud to unleash a complete line-up of next generation high-end X299 motherboards during COMPUTEX 2017. With the inclusion of the most popular models from MSI's Enthusiast, Performance and Arsenal GAMING Series there is a gaming motherboard available for any type of gamer, PC enthusiast, or case modder. Also content creators and professionals have a great, feature packed option ready to assist them with to the addition of the MSI X299 SLI PLUS motherboard.

Creating rich, immersive experiences and bringing them to life takes a lot of compute power. Creators, gamers and enthusiasts have an insatiable demand for more power, more performance and more capability that lets them focus on what they want to do, not on whether their computer is up to the task. Intel is committed to continue giving them that extreme platform. Introducing the new Intel Core X-series processor family: Intel's most scalable, accessible and powerful desktop platform ever. Ranging from 4 to 18 cores, it offers unprecedented scalability. With price points to match, there is an Intel Core X-series processor that is sure to meet the needs for the widest range of enthusiast customers ever.

We're also introducing the entirely new Intel Core i9 processor brand, representing the highest performance for advanced gaming, VR and content creation. At the top of the lineup is the new Intel Core i9 Extreme Edition processor - the first consumer desktop CPU with 18 cores and 36 threads of power. Select SKUs of the Intel Core X-series processor family brings extreme performance to enthusiasts with Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 creating new levels of single-threaded and dual-threaded performance.

Colorful unveiled its flagship socket LGA2066 motherboard, the iGame X299-X. Characterized by its milky-white PCB and matching white PCH and VRM heatsinks, and I/O shroud, with red+black accents, and the opposite color combination, the board is halfway between ATX and E-ATX. It draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, and 6-pin PCIe power connectors, conditioning it for the CPU with a 10-phase VRM. The socket is wired to eight DDR4 DIMM slots, and four PCI-Express 3.0 x16.

Storage connectivity on the Colorful iGame X299-X includes two 32 Gb/s M.2 slots, and six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. USB connectivity includes two USB 3.1 ports on the rear panel (including one type-C), ten USB 3.0 ports (six on the rear panel), and input-device optimized USB 2.0 and PS/2 ports. The board features two GbE interfaces driven by Intel controllers, and high-grade onboard audio with a 120 dBA SNR CODEC, and audio-grade capacitors.

MSI showed off three of its premium-segment socket LGA2066 motherboards, the X299 Gaming Pro Carbon, X299 Gaming M7, X299 SLI Plus, and X299 Tomahawk. All four boards are based on a common PCB, with subtle variations to the designs of the PCH/VRM heatsinks, I/O shroud, and PCB paintjobs, besides some included accessories. Kudos to MSI engineers for minimizing R&D costs, let's just hope that these boards are priced within 10 percent of each other.

The board draws power from 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, and 4-pin ATX (on some of the higher-end models). A 9-phase VRM conditions power for the CPU. Eight DDR4 DIMM slots, and four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots are wired to the CPU. Three 32 Gb/s M.2 and one 32 Gb/s U.2 are common across all boards. Also common here is the Audio Boost IV onboard audio solution, with a 120 dBA SNR CODEC, audio-grade capacitors, and OPAMP. Some of the models feature just the one GbE interface driven by i219-V controller, some feature two; and some of the higher-end models such as the Gaming M7 and Gaming Pro Carbon even feature Killer 802.11ac+BT4.1 WLAN cards. The higher-end boards also feature a bigger spread of RGB LEDs. Pricing-wise, one can expect the X299 SLI Plus to be the cheapest, followed by the X299 Tomahawk, X299 Gaming Pro Carbon, and the X299 Gaming M7. We wonder why.

Here's the first picture of MSI's flagship socket LGA2066 motherboard, the MSI X299 XPower Gaming AC. It features a polarizing silvery/white design, which you'll either love or hate. Built in the ATX form-factor (well, midway between ATX and E-ATX), the board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, 4-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, and an optional 4-pin Molex. A 14-phase VRM conditions it for the CPU, which is wired to eight DDR4 DIMM slots, and four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x16/NC/x16/NC or x16/NC/x8/x8 or x8/x8/x8/x8).

Can you imagine five M.2 SSDs in your rig? MSI can, and besides three 32 Gb/s M.2 slots on the board (two 110 mm and one 80 mm), an included PCIe 3.0 x8 riser card gives you two additional 110 mm 32 Gb/s slots. Other storage options include a 32 Gb/s U.2 port, and ten SATA 6 Gb/s. The board supports NVMe RAID and Optane. Networking is care of two Intel i219-V driven GbE interfaces, and an Intel-driven 802.11ac WLAN with Bluetooth 4.1 connection. MSI Mystic Light RGB software marshals not just a splattering of RGB LEDs all over the board, but also an "art in motion" LED ornament on the PCH heatsink.