Altera, an Intel Company, today unveiled an array of FPGA hardware, software and development tools that make its programmable solutions more accessible across a broader range of use cases and markets. At its annual developer's conference, Altera revealed new details on its next-generation, power- and cost-optimized Agilex 3 FPGAs and announced new development kits and software support for its Agilex 5 FPGAs.

"Working closely with our ecosystem and distribution partners, Altera remains committed to delivering FPGA-based solutions that empower innovators with leading-edge programmable technologies that are easy to design and deploy. With these key announcements, we continue to execute on our vision of shaping the future by using programmable logic to help customers unlock greater value across a broad range of use cases within the data center, aerospace and defense sectors, communications infrastructure, automotive, industrial, test, medical and embedded markets," said Sandra Rivera, CEO of Altera.

PC enthusiasts who crave powerful graphics in compact systems have a new option from Zephyr. The Chinese manufacturer has launched the world's first ITX-sized GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card. Dubbed the Sakura Blizzard, this GPU packs NVIDIA's AD104-250 chip and 12 GB of GDDR6X memory into a footprint of just 172 x 123 x 42 mm. While slightly taller than standard PCIe brackets, the two-slot cooler should fit most Mini-ITX cases. The card's cute pink shroud and solitary cooling fan give it a unique aesthetic. But don't let the pink looks fool you - Zephyr claims this compact powerhouse can keep the GPU and memory up to 10°C cooler than some dual-fan RTX 4070 designs, which needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Thermal testing videos show the fan spinning at 2,400 RPM to maintain GPU temperatures around 73°C under load in a 25°C room. Meanwhile, synthetic benchmarks reportedly demonstrate no performance compromises versus full-sized RTX 4070 implementations.

Zephyr's initial production run has already sold out in China. However, a second batch is slated for mid-July availability to meet the apparent higher demand for small form factor RTX 40-series GPUs. The launch comes just weeks after NVIDIA unveiled new "SFF-ready" design guidelines at Computex 2024. As the power-hungry RTX 40 lineup hit the market, many voiced concerns over the cards' ever-growing dimensions. NVIDIA's renewed SFF PC focus signal options like the Sakura Blizzard could become more common. For space-constrained enthusiasts, having top-tier GPU muscle in a properly-cooled Mini-ITX card is a big win. Zephyr's ITX-sized RTX 4070 shows powerful things can come in small packages, and we hope more manufacturers follow this philosophy.

Zephyr and VK Valkyrie have collaborated on a very high-end custom GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER graphics card model, as revealed in a teaser video posted to the former's Bilibili account. VK Valkyrie is a well regarded DIY brand in the Chinese PC gaming market, while Zephyr is a relatively young manufacturer—their unusual GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Compact ITX design with a pink PCB was introduced last summer. TPU's June 2023 news report is featured prominently within their website's news section—greatly appreciated! The Zephyr x VK Valkyrie GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER will be a limited edition release—the two partners have been working together since last August, but a specific launch date and pricing were not revealed in Zephyr's teaser trailer.

Zephyr has, so far, only released air-cooled custom graphics cards—their upcoming VK Valkyrie collaborative model will mark a debut entry into liquid cooled territory. Their chunky 3-slot design consists of a substantial heatsink covered by an RGB-adorned silver shroud and metallic backplate, with an AIO liquid cooling solution. A 280 mm radiator (with 2 x 140 mm fans) is hooked up to the card via twin white braided tubes. A rear-firing 12VHPWR connector provides an elegant means of semi-concealing your 90-degree power cable, if need be. The promotional video includes benchmark results generated by 3DMARK Speed Way, Time Spy Extreme, and Fire Strike Ultra suites (check the relevant screenshot below). Zephyr claims that their limited edition GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER model was cool enough to not exceed 52 degrees Celsius during a heavy Furmark session. The company recommends that interested parties should check its social media accounts for further announcements. The Zephyr x VK Valkyrie GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER could arrive at some point after the Chinese Spring Celebration.Update Feb 9th: Valkyrie informed us that, for the moment, this collaboration is specific to the Chinese Market, but they are discussing options internally whether it makes sense to bring the card to the West, too."

CES always gives us an exciting look at what's next for hardware, and with gaming at the forefront of technological innovation, it's no surprise that CES 2024 has revealed some truly next-generation Windows 11 gaming PCs. Microsoft and our partners are leading the way in combining traditional power with advancements in AI, and this selection of new announcements are a perfect way to future-proof your gaming experience on PC.

Every PC on this list is designed to run the latest games - including those on PC Game Pass, which will help you to jump into some of the greatest games on the platform the moment you switch on your new machine. Even better, every single computer listed below comes with at least one free month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, giving players access to hundreds of high-quality PC, console and cloud games.

Zephyr has produced an NVIDIA GeForce custom graphics card that sports a very unique pink printed circuit board—bright and pastel colors have featured on cooling solutions in the past, but this new-ish product presents the first example of a PCB with a tinge of blush. Renowned hardware tipster harukaze5719 broke from his normal delivery of very cold and macho tech on social media, and shared his discovery of Zephyr's GeForce RTX 3060 Ti compact ITX card.

International buyers will be disappointed to learn that the pink Ampere card is a China market exclusive, with the company only offering a limited number of products on JD.com. VideoCardz notes that the card's specifications are not at all special, despite its interesting compact form factor and brightly toned cooling solution design. It is a non-overclocked model based on the older RTX 3060 Ti GDDR6 GPU variant with a standard 1750 MHz boost clock, 8 GB VRAM configuration, and a single 8-pin power connector.

Mindshunter has made available ordering for its upcoming Zephyr mouse - a PC peripheral rodent that features a built-in cooling fan to, quote, "prevent sweaty palms". The Zephyr weighs just 68 g on account of its palm rest being highly perforated, which not only allows air from its built-in fan to cool your hands, but also reduces the mouse's weight (Mindshunters says its geometric design doesn't compromise rigidity or durability of the palm rest).