Today at CES 2025, future business leaders will be wowed by new and powerful AI PCs and solutions from HP Inc. that empower them to collaborate and lead like never before.

Working with Purpose to Drive Impact
As the work landscape evolves, so do expectations for technology. That's why HP meticulously designed its latest lineup of commercial next-gen AI PCs to give professionals the right tools for their unique work experiences. With HP's newest EliteBooks, fast presentation creation, personalized emails, and a built-in recording studio are possible with just a simple click of a button, alongside built-in security and intelligence thanks to Wolf Security.

AMD today vastly fleshed out its mobile processor lineup with the introduction of two new processor lines besides the Ryzen AI Max 300 series. This includes the introduction of more processor models in the Ryzen AI 300 series that are powered by the "Strix Point" silicon, and the introduction of the Ryzen 200 series mobile processors, which are based on the older "Hawk Point" silicon. In 2024, AMD had debuted the Ryzen AI 300 series "Strix Point," but with just the top-end Ryzen AI 9 370 and 365, which came with maxed out 12-core/24-thread (4x Zen 5 + 8x Zen 5c) core configuration, and a maxed out iGPU with 16 CU. Today the company is introducing the Ryzen AI 7 350, the Ryzen AI 5 340, and their AMD PRO variants for commercial notebooks. Both the consumer and commercial parts have identical specs, except for the latter featuring the AMD PRO feature-set.

The Ryzen AI 7 350 comes with a CPU configuration of 8-core/16-thread (4x Zen 5 + 4x Zen 5c). All cores have a base frequency of 2.00 GHz, the Zen 5 cores boost up to 5.00 GHz. The iGPU on offer is the Radeon 860M, with 12 CU and an engine clock of up to 3.00 GHz. TDP is configurable between 15 W to 55 W. The Ryzen AI 5 340 comes with a 6-core/12-thread configuration (3x Zen 5 + 3x Zen 5c), and CPU clock speeds of 2.00 GHz base with 4.80 GHz boost achievable on the Zen 5 cores. The iGPU is heavily cut down, with just 4 CU available, and an iGPU engine clock of 2.90 GHz. Notebook designers can configure this chip with a wide power range from 15 W to 55 W. All four processor models mentioned above come with a Ryzen AI XDNA 2 NPU that's capable of 50 AI TOPS, which means they're all Microsoft Copilot+ AI PC logo eligible.

AMD at the 2025 International CES unveiled the Ryzen Z2 line of SoCs for gaming handhelds that combine an x86-64 based SoC with a customized version of Windows 11. This market segment is poised to heat up with the entry of the Intel Core Ultra 200V "Lunar Lake" processor, and so AMD is responding with its latest IP. The Ryzen Z2 series is based on the 4 nm "Strix Point" silicon, which combines "Zen 5" and "Zen 5c" CPU cores with a fairly large iGPU based on the new RDNA 3.5 graphics architecture that's optimized for LPDDR5X memory. AMD's engineering effort focused on modest CPU performance gains over the Ryzen Z1 "Phoenix Point," but significant graphics performance gains. The NPU is disabled on all models.

The "Strix Point" silicon physically features two CCX, one with four "Zen 5" cores sharing a 16 MB L3 cache, and the other with eight "Zen 5c" cores sharing an 8 MB L3 cache. The iGPU of "Strix Point" is based on RDNA 3.5, and comes with 16 CU (compute units), a step up from the 12 CU of "Phoenix Point." The series is led by the Ryzen Z2 Extreme, which features an 8-core/16-thread CPU configuration that probably consists of four "Zen 5" cores, four "Zen 5c" cores, and a maxed out iGPU with 16 CU. The chip has a cTDP range of 15 W to 35 W. The "Zen 5" cores boost up to 5.00 GHz.

AMD at the 2025 International CES announced the Radeon RX 9070 XT and Radeon RX 9070 desktop performance-segment graphics cards. These will be the face of AMD's next generation of gaming graphics products, and will be powered by the new RDNA 4 graphics architecture. AMD hopes to launch both cards within Q1 2025. AMD changed the nomenclature of its gaming GPUs mainly because it has made a tactical retreat from the enthusiast graphics segment, its fastest products will compete in the performance segment. From the way AMD arranged the Radeon RX 9070 series and 9060 series product stack against the backdrop of the Radeon RX 7000 series, the GeForce RTX 4000 series, and the anticipated GeForce RTX 5000 series, the RX 9070 XT will offer performance roughly similar to the Radeon RX 7900 XT in raster, with the RX 9070 being slightly faster than the RX 7800 XT. The RX 9060 XT will beat the RX 7700 XT, while the RX 9060 beats the RX 7600 XT.

With RDNA 4, AMD claims generational SIMD performance increase on the RDNA 4 compute units. The 2nd Gen AI accelerators will boast of generational performance increase, and AMD will debut a locally-accelerated generative AI application down the line, called the AMD Adrenalin AI, which can generate images, summarize documents, and perform some linguistic/grammar tasks (rewriting), and serve as a chatbot for answering AMD-related queries. This is basically AMD's answer to NVIDIA Chat RTX. AMD's 3rd Gen Ray accelerator is expected to reduce the performance cost of ray tracing, by putting more of the ray tracing workload through dedicated hardware, offloading the SIMD engine. Lastly, AMD is expected to significantly upgrade the media acceleration and display I/O of its GPUs.

AMD today announced the Ryzen 9 9000HX and 9000HX3D line of mobile processors targeting enthusiast-segment gaming notebooks and portable workstations. These chips compete in the same market-segment as the Intel Core Ultra 200HX series. Codenamed "Fire Range," and powered by the "Zen 5" microarchitecture, the chip succeeds the "Zen 4" based "Dragon Range." This is essentially a thin BGA package of the desktop "Granite Ridge" chiplet-based processor, just the way "Dragon Range" relates to "Raphael." The chip has two "Zen 5" CCDs with full-sized "Zen 5" cores that are geared for high clock speeds, and have the full hardware FP implementation for AVX512, unlike the "Zen 5" cores on the "Strix Point" mobile processor.

AMD has, curiously, skipped single-CCD variants of "Fire Range," there are no Ryzen 7 9000HX models being announced today. There are just three processor-models—the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, the Ryzen 9 9955HX, and the Ryzen 9 9850HX. The 9955HX3D is AMD's flagship mobile processor for gaming notebooks. It features a 16-core/32-thread configuration, and features 3D V-Cache memory on one of the two CCDs. The chip hence comes with 144 MB of "total cache" (L2 + L3). It ticks at 2.50 GHz base frequency, and can boost up to 5.40 GHz for the CCD with 3D V-Cache. It comes with a configurable TDP range of 55 W and 75 W. There is no NPU, but the client I/O die puts out a boatload of I/O that includes 28 PCIe Gen 5 lane, from which 24 are usable, so the discrete GPU has a PCI-Express 5.0 x16 connection, besides two M.2 NVMe Gen 5 connections directly from the processor.

AMD today expanded its Ryzen 9000X3D line of Socket AM5 desktop processors that combine the "Zen 5" microarchitecture with 3D V-Cache technology, with the introduction of two high core-count models, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and the Ryzen 9 9900X3D. The 9950X3D is a 16-core/32-thread chip, while the 9900X3D is 12-core/24-thread. These are dual-CCD processors, and much like the Ryzen 9 7000X3D, the 3D V-Cache is only present on one of the two CCDs, while the other is a regular CCD with just the 32 MB on-die L3 cache. There is one key difference, though. Since AMD has redesigned 3D V-Cache for "Zen 5" to be below the CCD and not above, the CCD with it has the same clock speed boosting characteristics as the CCD without 3D V-Cache; and AMD has worked to refine its software-based OS scheduler optimization such that productivity applications favor either of the CCDs, while games stick to the one with 3D V-Cache.

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D comes with a base frequency of 4.30 GHz, and boosts up to 5.70 GHz, with a 170 W TDP. This is much higher than the 5.20 GHz maximum boost frequency of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which makes the 9950X3D the company's fastest gaming desktop processor. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D is similarly interesting—you get a base frequency of 4.40 GHz, and 5.50 GHz maximum boost frequency, which is higher than that of the 9800X3D, although the CCD with the 3D V-Cache only has 6 cores. The 9950X3D should hence end up beating the 9800X3D in gaming workloads, while the 9900X3D should be either on par or slightly slower than the 9800X3D at gaming, although faster than any chip from the non-X3D Ryzen 9000 series.

AMD is at the 2025 International CES, and we join them for a brisk run of what they have in store for us through the year. We expect some important announcements, such as the next-gen Radeon RX gaming GPUs powered by RDNA 4, a new flagship desktop processor powered by 3D V-Cache technology, HX-segment Ryzen 9000 series processors for gaming notebooks and portable workstations, the fabled "Strix Halo" chip AMD plans to surprise Apple with; and a fleshing out of its mobile processor portfolio.19:02 UTC: The show is underway.19:02 UTC: Jack Huynh takes centerstage.

ASRock announces a full line-up of motherboards using the AMD B850 chipset. New products include high-end Phantom Gaming series line up covering Mini-ITX to ATX form factor, mainstream Steel Legend which features white PCB design and also Pro RS series for budget friendly users.

Ready to Power Everything!
The new ASRock B850 motherboards are designed with 14+2+1 power phase, 8-layer PCBs enabling excellent memory overclocking and exclusive low-ripple 1000μf 20K black capacitors that guarantee stable and superior performance for the CPU. The boards also support the latest PCI-Express Gen-5 Graphics card and equipped with Blazing M.2 (Gen5x4) SSD ports.

The ASUS ROG Apex brand extension is reserved for motherboards with the best CPU and memory overclocking capabilities. Since Intel processors tended to overclock better than AMD, Apex remained confined to the Intel platform, until now. ASUS at CES showed off the ROG Crosshair X870E Apex, the first AMD platform motherboard to feature this brand extension. The board features a powerful CPU VRM solution meant for sub-zero overclocking of Ryzen 9000X3D processors that are fully capable of overclocking. It also comes with a 1 DIMM-per-channel memory topology, with just two DDR5 DIMM slots. 1DPC is the most optimal dual-channel topology for memory overclocking.

The topmost M.2 Gen 5 NVMe slot features an elaborate fan-heatsink solution. Right next to the two DDR5 DIMM slots, is a breakout DIMM.2 module that provides additional M.2 NVMe slots. There are a couple of more Gen 4 NVMe slots scattered across the board. The board features an I/O feature-set that's at least as good as the ROG Crosshair X870E Hero. The board draws power from two 8-pin EPS, a 24-pin ATX, and an additional 8-pin PCIe power input. The board is packed to the gills with features professional overclockers would look for, including onboard buttons, diagnostic readouts, a hydrophobic PCB surface treatment, dual-BIOS, and clearly labelled voltage domains.

ASUS today announced the B850 and B840 series of AM5 motherboards for AMD processors, which includes models from the ROG Strix, TUF Gaming and Prime families. These motherboards give builders higher speeds, more ports and more slots for USB devices and M.2 SSDs. Many ASUS B850 motherboards also break into the next generation of wireless networking with WiFi 7 support, and also provide robust support for fast DDR5 kits. In addition, each model makes the PC building process easier than ever with tool-free M.2 SSD installation, easy troubleshooting and hassle-free installation and removal of graphics cards.

Meanwhile, B840 motherboards are designed to serve the needs of builders who do not intend to overclock their CPUs or install a PCIe 5.0 M.2 SSD or graphics card. For anyone looking to build a very affordable and efficient PC—perhaps one centered around a CPU with powerful integrated graphics capabilities—ASUS B840 motherboards are a cost-effective choice. The first ASUS B840 motherboards all hail from the tried-and-true Prime family.

GIGABYTE Technology, one of the top global manufacturers of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, today unveils its groundbreaking B850 and B840 series motherboards, introducing a new era of performance optimization and EZ-friendly design for the latest AMD Ryzen processors with full-line PCIe Gen 5 x16 graphics cards support.⁠

D5 Bionic Corsa: Redefining Memory Overclocking
At the heart of GIGABYTE's new B850/ B840 motherboard series lies the innovative D5 Bionic Corsa technology, a game-changing approach to memory performance. This breakthrough technology has achieved remarkable up to 8600 MT/s DDR5 speeds, setting a new standard for memory overclocking. Through the intelligent AORUS AI SNATCH software, users can now effortlessly enhance their system's performance with unprecedented ease. The AI-powered EXPO AI BOOST feature eliminates the traditional time-consuming trial and error process, delivering optimized memory profiles that balance performance and stability with just a few clicks.

MSI is proud to unveil its latest lineup of motherboards designed for AMD Ryzen B850 and B840 chipsets. These motherboards deliver a perfect blend of performance and innovation, ensuring exceptional reliability and ease of use. With their high performance and reliable design, they are built to empower mainstream users, gamers, and creators with next-level computing capabilities.

In addition to the new B850 and B840 motherboards, MSI is also expanding its X870E lineup with two new models: the MPG X870E EDGE TI WIFI and MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WIFI. These additions offer even more options tailored to diverse user needs—top-tier performance and, most importantly, cutting-edge connectivity. With the MPG X870E EDGE TI WIFI and MAG X870E TOMAHAWK WIFI, MSI continues to deliver innovative solutions that empower gamers, creators, and PC enthusiasts alike.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, IPC solutions, and PC peripherals, proudly introduces two new additions to its AMD motherboard lineup, the B850M-SILVER and the B850MT-E PRO motherboards. Built around the latest AMD B850 chipset, these motherboards deliver next generation technology and reliable performance, perfectly fitting office professionals, home entertainment enthusiasts, system integrators, and gamers.

The B850M-SILVER and B850MT-E PRO motherboards are expertly engineered to support the cutting-edge AMD Ryzen 9000, 8000, and 7000 series processors, delivering unparalleled computing power for any application. They are optimized for peak memory performance, accommodating up to 192 GB of DDR5 RAM at impressive overclocking speeds of up to 8000 MHz, boasting significantly higher bandwidth and enhanced energy efficiency compared to DDR4.

Samsung Electronics today unveiled its 2025 Smart Monitor, Odyssey Gaming Monitor and ViewFinity Monitor lineups, all of which will be on display at Samsung's First Look at CES on January 5. The 2025 models raise the bar for monitors by bringing AI features, industry-first sizes in the OLED market and new form factors that ignite the passions of users worldwide—whether they're working, gaming or creating.

"With the new monitors in our industry-leading lineups, we're giving people more ways to explore the content and connections that they love in new ways," said Hoon Chung, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. "Because of our new AI capabilities and size options, 2025 will see users across the world find the right monitor that fits them."

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd, the world's leading brand of performance overclock memory and PC components, is thrilled to release new low CAS latency memory kits featuring AMD EXPO overclock profile for the new AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors and performance X870 chipset motherboards. These new specifications include DDR5-6000 CL26 2x16GB/2x32GB kits and 2x 24 GB/2x 48 GB memory kits under the Trident Z5 Royal Neo, Trident Z5 Neo RGB, and Ripjaws M5 RGB Neo series.

Aiming to provide high-performance overclock DDR5 memory for PC enthusiasts, G.SKILL is releasing a new low CAS Latency memory kit at DDR5-6000 CL26-36-36-96 with kit capacity configuration of 32 GB (2x16GB), as well as the world's first 64 GB (2x32GB) kit capacity for this low latency specification. Featuring the AMD EXPO memory overclocking profile, these new specifications are built for selected X870 series motherboards and AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors. The screenshot below demonstrates DDR5-6000 CL26 2x32GB kit's stability under the Memtest memory stress test on the ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero motherboard and AMD Ryzen 9 9900X desktop processor.

ASUS has published the product page for its upcoming ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM gaming monitor, which will go head to head with the MSI MPG272URX on which will hit retail as the first 27-inch 4K 240 Hz display. The PG27UCDM sports a 26.5-inch panel using what ASUS refers to as 4th gen QD-OLED technology, which the company claims offer longer lifespan compared to previous generations of OLED panels. The panel sports typical OLED features such as a 0.03 ms response time, a peak brightness of 1,000 cd/m², 99 percent DCI-P3 colour space coverage and VESA DisplayHDR 400 True Black. The display also supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-Sync compatible, as well as a host of ASUS specific gaming features such as ELMB, GameFast Input Technology, Shadow Bost and a DisplayWidget.

Inputs consist of a DisplayPort 2.1 port with UHBR20 (80 Gbps) support, a USB Type-C with DP-Alt mode and USB PD up to 90 W and a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports. There's also a three port USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) USB hub with what we presume is a USB Type-B input and a headphone jack. The reason for the presumed USB Type-B input, is that the specs claim KVM support and this would only be possible if there was a USB input of some kind, but this isn't mentioned in the tech specs. The stand is your typical higher-end model with tilt, swivel, pivot and height adjustment, as well as ASUS' Aura Sync lighting and a tripod mount at the top. ASUS claims a power consumption of around 80 Watts, although this doesn't include USB PD. A big plus is that ASUS will bundle a DisplayPort 2.1 DP80 cable in the box, something for example Sony decided not to include with their INZONE M9 II which launched in September last year. There's no word on pricing for the ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM, but expect it to be on the expensive side of US$1,000.

Recent sales data (nicely complied by VideoCardz) from one of the largest German retailers, Mindfactory, has revealed that the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor has achieved higher unit sales than all Ryzen 9000 processors combined. Despite its later market entry, the eight-core 9800X3D CPU has reached 8,650 units sold, surpassing the combined sales of the earlier-released standard Ryzen 9000 processors. For comparison, the entire non-X3D Ryzen 9000 lineup, including the Ryzen 9 9950X, 9900X, Ryzen 7 9700X, and Ryzen 5 9600X, has accumulated fewer total sales through the same retailer. The flagship Ryzen 9 9950X alone accounts for just 780 units, while the Ryzen 9 9900X and Ryzen 5 9600X have moved 810 and 890 units, respectively, while the second-best selling 9000 series SKU was Ryzen 7 9700X with 2,510 units sold. However, the 9800X3D's market performance still falls significantly short of its predecessor. The previous generation Ryzen 7 7800X3D maintains a massive lead with 78,420 units sold through the same retailer.

AMD is preparing to expand its X3D lineup with several new models. The six-core Ryzen 5 9600X3D is scheduled for release, along with 12-core Ryzen 9 9900X3D and 16-core Ryzen 9 9950X3D variants expected later this month. Based on previous generation sales patterns, where higher-core models saw lower adoption rates, these upcoming high-end processors may face similar market dynamics. Of course, these sales figures are only a part of the story as Mindfactory is only a single retailer across a diverse set of sellers, so the complete market picture is unknown to anyone but AMD. PC upgrade cycles are a common bottleneck in new CPU sales, especially as consumers don't tend to upgrade their PCs every year with new CPUs and platforms. We have to wait and see how the market adapts to new X3D SKUs, and if the Zen 5 X3D CPUs can reach the previous generation fame among consumers.

AMD is expected to have a rather lean lineup of next-generation gaming GPUs powered by the RDNA 4 graphics architecture. The series is expected to debut at AMD's 2025 International CES keynote address, with product launches of the series-leading Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 performance-segment GPUs later this month. The RX 9070 should be available by late-January, although add-in board partners from China expect availability to ramp in February 2025. The series will see expansion with more announcements in March.

The RDNA 4 generation is driven mainly by two chips—the larger "Navi 48," and the smaller "Navi 44." The "Navi 48" will power the RX 9070 series, which are performance-segment and designed to compete with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 series; but cut-down variants of the chip are also expected to power certain upper mid-range SKUs that go up against the RTX 5060 series. The "Navi 44" chip is expected to power certain high performance/price SKUs in the mid-range, which AMD will use to target price-points well under the $300-mark. This segment is expected to heat up as NVIDIA has current-generation RTX 4060 series, Intel just made a stab with the Arc B580, and is expected to launch a faster Arc B700-series SKU based on a maxed-out "BMG-G21" silicon.

Earlier today, ASUS uploaded a first sneak peek of several upcoming AMD AM5 motherboards—which we assume will feature the B850 and B840 chipsets—which according to the post on Facebook, will be launching within a couple of weeks. The boards will most likely be on display at CES, which kicks off on the 7th of January. The picture is obfuscated for obvious reasons, but what is clear is that there will be several different SKUs from all of ASUS' typical sub-brands such as TUF Gaming and ROG.

What we can also make out is that there will be at least one Mini-ITX board and one micro-ATX board, with the latter being the TUF Gaming branded board. We tried to clean up the picture a bit, but ASUS has managed to hide all details of possible models names and most of the text is kind of hard to make out. Nothing really sticks out in terms of features, although it's clear we'll end up seeing some higher-end B850 boards, judging by the fact that there are at least three ROG Strix SKUs coming. The question is if there's a market for these boards, considering the B850 chipset is pretty much the same as the B650E chipset, but with optional PCIe 5.0 support for the M.2 slots and no USB4, unlike its X870 counterpart.

Update Jan 1st: ASUS posted a picture of their upcoming mid-range Intel boards on Facebook as well, but as with the AMD boards, ASUS obfuscated the image, although not quite as badly this time around. For its Intel lineup, there's also a lower-end Prime board included, in addition to the TUF Gaming and ROG Strix boards. ASUS didn't reveal any launch window for the Intel boards.

AMD will continue using traditional PCI Express power connectors for its upcoming Radeon RX 9000 series RDNA 4 graphics cards, according to recent information shared on the Chiphell forum. While there were some expectations that AMD would mimic NVIDIA's approach, which requires the newer 16-pin 12V-2×6 connector for its GeForce RTX 50 series, the latest information suggests a more traditional power approach. While AMD plans to release its next generation of graphics cards in the first quarter, most technical details remain unknown. The company's choice to stick with standard power connectors follows the pattern set by their recent Radeon RX 7900 GRE, which demonstrated that conventional PCI Express connectors can adequately handle power demands up to 375 W. The standard connectors eliminate the need for adapters, a feature AMD could highlight as an advantage. An earlier leak suggested that the Radeon RX 9070 XT can draw up to 330 W of power at peak load.

Intel reportedly cited similar reasons for using standard power connectors in their Arc "Battlemage" graphics cards, suggesting broader industry support for maintaining existing connection standards. NVIDIA's different approach reportedly requires all board partners to use the 12V-2×6 connector for the RTX 50 series, removing the option for traditional PCI Express power connectors. In contrast, AMD's decision gives its manufacturing partners more flexibility in their design choices, and MBA (Made by AMD) reference cards don't enforce the new 12V-2×6 power connector standard. Beyond the power connector details and general release timeframe pointing to CES, AMD has revealed little about the RDNA 4 architecture's capabilities. Only the reference card's physical appearance and naming scheme appear to be finalized, leaving questions about performance specifications unanswered, as early underwhelming performance leaks are somewhat unreliable until final drivers and final optimizations land.

The "Navi 48" silicon powering AMD's next-generation Radeon RX 9070 series could feature AV1 hardware-accelerated encoding with support for AV1 B-Frames. In video compression, a B-frame is an intermediate frame that lacks image information, but has motion-vector and other data from the previous and next image frames (or I-frames), which helps the decoder reconstruct the image component of the frame based on temporal frame data. This is compute-intensive, but greatly reduces file-size or bitrate of the stream, as almost every other frame lacks image information. Support for AV1 B-Frame hardware-accelerated encode was sniffed out by HXL in a recent commit to one of the SDKs AMD maintains in a public repository through its GPUOpen initiative.

AMD's Radeon RX 9000 series generation powered by the RDNA 4 graphics architecture will be based almost entirely on two chips, the "Navi 48" and "Navi 44," with the latter powering mainstream and mid-range SKUs; while the former powers performance-segment ones. There is no enthusiast-segment chip this time around. The "Navi 48" is expected to feature a more advanced video encode/decode hardware than the one RDNA 3.5 comes with; and AV1 is likely to get the bulk of development as the royalty-free codec gains popularity with online video streaming services. It remains to be seen if next-generation architectures like RDNA 4 or NVIDIA's "Blackwell" support acceleration for VVC.

LG Electronics (LG) is reinforcing its leadership in premium OLED gaming monitors with the LG UltraGear GX9 series, set to be unveiled at CES 2025 this January. The new lineup includes the 45GX990A - winner of three CES 2025 Innovation Awards, including the prestigious 'Best of Innovation' - and an all-in-one smart gaming monitor powered by LG webOS. These accolades underscore LG's commitment to delivering advanced, high-quality gaming solutions. With the GX9 series, LG continues to demonstrate its leadership in cutting-edge technology and gaming monitor innovation.

To ensure maximum gaming immersion, all UltraGear GX9 series models feature curved display panels employing LG's advanced WOLED technology. These screens offer high brightness, true blacks, stunning colors and optimized curvature; a combination that brings games to life and draws users deeper into the exhilarating action of their favorite titles. Certified for low blue light emissions, the GX9 series provides a more comfortable experience, reducing eye strain during extended gaming sessions. In addition, LG's Anti-Glare & Low Reflection (AGLR) coating minimizes screen reflections and glare, making it easier for gamers to see everything that's happening on screen, even in brighter rooms.

In the first week of the 2025 International CES, Intel and AMD are expected to expand their desktop processor product stacks, with the introduction of 65 W models; and with them, more affordable motherboard chipset models. AMD is expected to launch the AMD B850 and AMD B840; while Intel debuts the Intel B860 and H810. Board Channels, a site that tracks hardware launches at the retail channel level, says that AMD is expected to set January 15 as the market availability date for motherboards based on the AMD B850 and B840. The chipset will be announced at AMD's January 7th event.

Meanwhile, Intel is expected to announce its mid-range Intel B860 and entry-level Intel H810 on its own event slated for January 7, but with product availability on January 13. The AMD B850 is essentially a rebadged B650, but motherboard vendors can optionally enable Gen 5 PEG instead of Gen 4, at which point the platform would essentially be an AMD X870, but without the mandatory discrete USB4 host controller. The AMD B850 supports CPU overclocking. The AMD B840 lacks this, and is functionally similar to the AMD B550 chipset from the Socket AM4 platform, except that it lacks CPU overclocking support. Meanwhile, the Intel B860 is expected to feature a similar I/O as the Intel B760 from the Socket LGA1700 platform. The H810 is expected to be a lean entry-level option. Both the Intel B860 and H810 are expected to lack CPU overclocking support, but the B860 probably retains memory overclocking capability.

NVIDIA and AMD have launched an acceleration of their next-generation GPU production and shipping schedules, racing to beat impending Trump administration tariffs that could inflate prices by up to 60%. The companies are prioritizing delivery to US warehouses before January 20, when the new trade measures are supposed to take effect. This aggressive timeline represents a significant departure from traditional GPU rollout strategies, which typically maintain controlled production rates during initial manufacturing phases. The urgent push aims to protect both consumer prices and profit margins, with manufacturers breaking from their usual conservative supply approach to ensure maximum inventory reaches American shores before the tariff deadline. NVIDIA is boosting shipments of its next-gen GeForce RTX 50 series, while AMD is busy with Radeon RX 9000 series.

The impact of these tariffs could reshape the GPU market prices, with flagship products like NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5090 potentially seeing price increases from the rumored $1,799 to approximately $2,500. Following similar moves by Microsoft, Dell, and HP, this strategic rush to beat tariff implementation shows the technology sector's response to evolving trade policies. These price hikes could trigger a surge in the secondary GPU market as consumers seek more affordable options. While manufacturers work to shield customers from immediate price impacts through pre-tariff stockpiling, the long-term outlook for GPU pricing and availability remains uncertain as the industry adapts to these new trade dynamics. Increasing the prices dramatically will result in a rapid fall in demand, so the supply chain is working overtime to assess and address the potential tariff issue.

Recent engineering samples of AMD's upcoming Ryzen 9 9950X3D reveal what appear to be the finalized specifications of the top-tier AM5 chip. The 16-core, 32-thread processor builds upon the gaming success of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D while addressing its core count limitations. The flagship processor features AMD's refined cache design, combining 96 MB of 3D V-Cache with 32 MB of standard L3 cache. Unlike its predecessor, the 7950X3D, the new Zen 5 architecture incorporates a redesigned CCD stacking method. The CCD now sits above the cache, directly interfacing with the STIM and IHS, eliminating thermal constraints that previously required frequency limitations. The processor features asymmetric cache distribution across its dual CCDs—one die combines 32 MB of base L3 cache with a 64 MB stacked V-Cache layer, while its companion die utilizes a standard 32 MB L3 cache configuration. In total, there is a 128 MB of L3 cache, with 16 MB of L2.

This architectural advancement enables the 9950X3D to achieve a 5.65 GHz boost clock across both CCDs, matching non-X3D variants. The processor maintains a 170 W TDP, suggesting improved thermal efficiency despite the additional cache. AMD's software-based OS scheduler will continue to optimize gaming workloads by directing them to the CCD with 3D V-Cache. Early leaks indicate the 9950X3D matches the base 9950X in Cinebench R23 scores, both in single and multi-threaded tests—a significant improvement over the 7950X3D, which lagged behind its non-X3D counterpart due to frequency limitations. AMD plans to expand the Zen 5 X3D lineup in Q1-2025 with both the 9950X3D and 9900X3D models. Full performance benchmarks and pricing details are expected at CES 2025, where AMD will officially unveil these processors alongside their RDNA 4 GPUs.