During the CES 2024 show, EK unveiled an exciting new addition to their premium all-in-one (AIO) CPU cooler lineup—the EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 Direct Die D-RGB. As the name suggests, this new 360 mm AIO water cooler is purpose-built for direct die cooling of delidded Intel LGA1700 CPUs. The EK-Nucleus Direct Die stands out with its custom cold plate and mounting mechanism, which are exclusively engineered for exposed CPU dies. The nickel-plated copper base ensures compatibility with liquid metal TIMs like the included Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut, which comes in the package. EK has worked with der8auer to provide delidding service kits and tools to facilitate easy DIY removal of the integrated heat spreader (IHS).

The package also contains a contact frame and protective foam for safe liquid metal application. At the heart of the cooler is a powerful AIO pump EK co-developed with the OEM manufacturer, meaning it is not an off-the-shelf pump found in other AIOs and is capable of up to 500 L/h flow rate. The reinforced, sleeved rubber tubing is fitted with aluminium covers for durability. Integrated omnilink connectors allow daisy chaining of the three included 120 mm D-RGB fans for cable management. The EK-Nucleus Direct Die offers extensive RGB lighting customization with illuminated circle accents on the removable pump top covers. The diamond-cut brushed aluminium side panels and radiator cowl add to the premium aesthetic. The new AIO will be available for the Intel LGA1700 platform, with hopefully more versions later. The EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 Direct Die D-RGB is now available for pre-order at €202.90 MSRP price tag.

Alienware is entering new arenas at CES 2024 with the debut of notebooks, peripherals and monitors that were inspired by our community and developed to appeal to all gamers. Whether you play to compete, play to get immersed in the game or play to socialize, Alienware can outfit your gaming needs. From the beginning, Alienware has offered high-performance hardware and software to the most demanding gamers. And here's what I can tell you: our focus on the enthusiast gamer hasn't changed. At the same time, the gaming landscape has evolved and is becoming more diverse than ever.

That's why we're eager to introduce products designed for wider audiences, from students who play dorm room sessions with friends, to working professionals who wind down the evening with a relaxing indie title, and pro athletes who game for a living. While these products reach new audiences, their DNA remains distinctly Alien, meaning they deliver the latest innovations in technology, performance and design. Meet Alienware's latest product portfolio:

• Three new gaming notebooks debut - the redesigned Alienware m16 R2, the ultra-premium x16 R2, and our performance juggernaut, the m18 R2.
• We've doubled our QD-OLED family by adding the Alienware AW3225QF and AW2725DF - two first of their kind QD-OLED monitors.
• Built in collaboration with 100+ esports athletes, our new Alienware Pro Wireless Keyboard and Pro Wireless Mouse mark our breakthrough into the pro gaming peripherals space.

Thermaltake has unveiled and launched its newest ASTRIA Series air coolers at CES 2024 show, including ASTRIA 200, ASTRIA 400, and ASTRIA 600 ARGB coolers. The entire ASTRIA ARGB series is equipped with the new CT120 ARGB fans. According to Thermaltake, the CT102 ARGB fan can provide an airflow of 65 CFM with 2.56 mm-H2O static pressure at a maximum noise level of 26.8 dBA. The ASTRIA ARGB Series is based on the standard tower design, where the ASTRIA 200 ARGB and ASTRIA 400 ARGB stick to a single-tower, single-fan design, while the ASTRIA 600 ARGB uses a dual-tower, dual-fan design. The ASTRIA 200 ARGB uses four 6 mm U-shaped heatpipes, while ASTRIA 400 ARGB and ASTRIA 600 ARGB feature six of the same heatpipes.

The entire lineup support the latest Intel and AMD sockets, and can support up to 210 W, 230 W, and 265 W TDP CPUs, respectively. What makes the ASTRIA ARGB cooler lineup special is th fact that you can adjust the fan position to align it with the height of memory, providing some additional flexibility with installation. The ASTRIA ARGB cooler lineup also features the new Meteor Shower lighting effects, thanks to 18 LEDs located on the top cover and sync them with 9 LEDs on the CT120 ARBG fans.

At the CES 2024 international show, Taiwanese company ENERMAX unveiled new all-in-one (AIO) CPU liquid coolers targeting both mainstream and high-end markets. First in line is the AQUAFLO LCD, which features a removable 5-inch 800x480 resolution magnetic LCD display, allowing monitoring of temperatures, fan speeds, and pump RPM, with the ability to stick on cases or use it as a desktop display. Supporting up to 400 Watt TDPs, the dual-chamber pump design provides flow rates up to 450 liters per hour. The 240 mm and 360 mm radiators use flat 20 mm-thick cooling tubes and ENERMAX Shunt Channel cooling technology for efficient heat transfer. This enables handling the latest overclocked gaming CPUs.

For professional workstations and servers, the LIQTECH XTR 280 and 360 models offer full coverage and 500 Watt+ TDP capacity for the latest AMD Threadripper Pro and Intel Xeon CPUs using larger CPU sockets. An integrated 2.4-inch digital OLED screen directly on the block reports real-time core temperature readings and warnings. A ceramic bearing pump design also pushes 450 liters per hour for cooling under heavy rendering or data center workloads. The LIQTECH XTR ensures professionals can rely on enhanced durability for mission-critical hardware. The new AIO coolers will be available in Q2 2024 through major retailers.

Intel released the latest version of its Arc GPU Graphics drivers. Version 101.5122 WHQL comes with support for the 14th Gen Core HX and Desktop 65 W series processors with their Intel UHD 770/730 series integrated graphics based on the Xe-LP architecture. The drivers also add optimization for "Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown." The company hasn't fixed any issues with this particular driver release, but identified a handful new issues to fix with future releases. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.5122 WHQL

ASUS today announced the 2024 version of the premium Zenbook S 13 OLED (UX5304), now powered by up to the latest AI-powered Intel Core Ultra 7 processor. Zenbook S 13 OLED is the world's slimmest 13.3-inch OLED laptop, and it's also the most eco-friendly Zenbook ever. It takes the brand's signature qualities of ultraportable design, sustainability and on-the-go performance to a new level, proving conclusively that less can be more.

With a world-beating super-slim 1 cm profile and a super-light 1 kg chassis, the sophisticated Zenbook S 13 OLED delivers no-compromise performance, connectivity and battery life, making it the epitome of ultraportable design, and finished in brand-new Basalt Gray or classic Ponder Blue. It's also designed with the environment and carbon neutrality firmly in mind, using recycled metals and plastics in its construction, FSC Mix-certified packaging, an elegant new eco-friendly plasma ceramic aluminium for the Basalt Gray model, and halogen-free electronics, to make this the most eco-friendly Zenbook model we've ever produced. The Zenbook series excels at delivering unrivaled on-the-go performance, and Zenbook S 13 OLED is no exception, harnessing the power of up to the AI-ready Intel Core Ultra 7 processor with 32 GB of LPDDR5x RAM and a 1 TB PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD. There's a full set of I/O ports for on-the-go connections, and a long-lasting 63 Wh battery. The 2024 Zenbook S 13 OLED additionally features a dedicated Windows Copilot key for instant access to the new AI-powered Windows 11 assistant. For immersive true-to-life visuals, Zenbook S 13 OLED has a gorgeous 16:10 3K ASUS Lumina OLED display that's Dolby Vision certified, with Pantone Validated color rendering and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 600 certification, ensuring incredible detail and the deepest black levels.

EK, the leading liquid cooling gear manufacturer, is announcing the availability of two high-performance liquid cooling solutions for the Intel "Sierra Forest" processor family. EK-Pro CPU WB 7529 and 7529 Rack water blocks are specially designed to cool the Sierra Forest CPUs, a codename for Intel's first-generation E-core Xeon server processors based on the LGA 7529 socket. These CPUs are expected to launch in the first half of 2024 and feature up to 288 cores per socket for 576 cores per server. Naturally, with such a high core count, liquid cooling presents a sensible solution to heat management.

The Sierra Forest architecture design aims to achieve ultra-high core counts for greater compute density that would benefit cloud and HPC server applications. However, with greater compute density comes greater requirements for cooling. Even with the E-cores that use less power per core, their staggering density in the CPU will indeed present unique challenges for traditional air cooling.

ADATA has showcased a rather interesting XPG HYBRID COOLER at CES 2024 which actually integrates an AIO solution into the size of your standard air cooler, packing pump, loop, and a radiator into a single unit. The new cooler promises to be smaller and lighter than a standard AIO cooler but more efficient than an air cooler.

The new HYBRID COOLER is a patented dual-fan CPU cooler that can cool CPUs with TDP of up to 280 W. It will support both standard as well as Intel Xeon and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO sockets, and uses two high-performance 120 mm VENTO PRO PWM fans by Nidec. The entire unit is slightly taller than a 120 mm fan and looks pretty neat, but unfortunately, it is still just a concept and ADATA did not have it running inside a system. Hopefully, we'll see it officially launched soon and to see how well it compares to standard AIOs and standard air coolers.

While the ASUS ROG NUC was certainly the star of the show at CES 2024, ASUS is clearly serious about getting behind NUC design that it acquired from Intel since it had a few standard NUC designs, including NUC 14 Pro and NUC 14 Pro+. Both are equipped with Intel's 14th Gen CPUs and use a more familiar NUC chassis design in low-profile and taller option that has an internal expansion tray for storage options.

The NUC 14 Pro is based on a standard 4x4 NUC form-factor with low-profile or 14 mm taller option that has a storage expansion tray. It will be limited to Intel Core Ultra 7 CPUs, but still supports up to 96 GB of DDR5 RAM and has two M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 slots (one 2.5-inch SATA SSD support in taller chassis), Intel WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 and 2.5 Gb Ethernet. It comes with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two HDMI 2.1 outputs, and a couple of USB ports, including 10 Gbps ones. The NUC 14 Pro+ is quite similar but can be equipped with up to Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU. ASUS actually went for a slightly different design with a whole new 5x4 NUC anodized aluminium chassis, mostly to give it a premium look but also give that Core Ultra 9 CPU a bit more room to breathe.

At CES 2024, Razer has updated its Blade laptop family spanning across various sizes, and even got a chance to present a "world's first" feature in a gaming product. The star of the Razer booth is the company's flagship Blade 16 laptop, which now supports 240 Hz refresh rate in its 16-inch OLED display format. Being the first to get there, Razer offers a high refresh rate at 2560 x 1600 QHD+ resolution. In addition to 0.2 ms response time and DCI-P3 100% color gamut, the display had VESA ClearMR 11000 and DisplayHDR True Black 500 certifications. At the center of the laptop is the 14th Gen Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, paired with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU with 175 Watt TGP. Pricing starts at $2999 for lower-end configurations and is available now.

Today marks the debut of five updated models in the popular ASUS Vivobook Classic series of everyday laptops, led by the ASUS Vivobook 14 X1404 and X1405, ASUS Vivobook 15 X1504, ASUS Vivobook 16 X1605 and ASUS Vivobook 17 X1704.

Smooth performance is delivered by up to the latest Intel Core 7 processors (Series 1) with 16 GB RAM and up to a 1 TB SSD. Quiet and efficient cooling is provided by the dual-vented cooling system with an IceBlade fan and up to two heat pipes. The long-lasting up to 50 Wh battery gives users more freedom, and there's up to WiFi 6 for ultrafast connectivity. Other helpful design features include the latest ASUS AI noise-canceling audio technology for crystal-clear communications, and there are bundled productivity-enhancing ASUS apps including GlideX, MyASUS and ScreenXpert.

MSI made a really bold move building a handheld game console around an Intel Core Ultra processor, when traditional logic would've pushed them to the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme. The Claw is powered by a Core Ultra 7 155H processor with some tight power management by MSI. The 155H comes with a maxed out Arc Xe-LPG integrated graphics, with 8 Xe cores, worth 128 EU (1,024 unified shaders). In comparison, the Ryzen Z1 Extreme has a maxed out Radeon 780M with 12 CU worth 768 stream processors. Specs are just half the story, the design win the Arc Graphics gets from MSI as the primary GPU, over the Radeon 780M that comes from company that's been designing GPUs for close to 3 decades, is the main story here.

The MSI Claw is about the same size as an ASUS ROG Ally (powered by the Ryzen Z1), with a 16:9 1080p, 120 Hz touchscreen in the middle, flanked by two halves of the main controller. The MSI Center M is the main user interface, which runs on top of Windows 11. This has a game launcher, a platform aggregator (though not with a storefront), and will probably get some gamer social media features down the line. There are two variants of the Claw, the $749 main variant powered by the Core Ultra 7 155U, and a cheaper $699 variant that rocks a Core Ultra 5 135H (with 4P+8E CPU). Both come with a 53 Wh battery that's larger than the 40 Wh on the ROG Ally. The demo piece is the $749 model powered by the 155H, and was shown running "Assassin's Creed: Mirage" with XeSS enabled. Gameplay was butter smooth, and with reasonably good settings. The Claw is a much needed vote of confidence for the Arc Graphics team, more than anything.

EK, the global leader in premium PC water cooling, is proud to unveil something extraordinary for enthusiasts and builders alike. With an unyielding pursuit of excellence in liquid cooling aesthetics, EK once again sets new standards in design with its latest Quantum line product - the EK-Quantum Velocity² Edge D-RGB - 1700 Black and Silver Special Editions.

These Special Edition water blocks are a bold declaration of EK's commitment to aesthetic excellence. At the forefront of this design revolution is the top cover, featuring a striking assembly of irregular tetrahedrons that transform each water block into a piece of modern art. These tetrahedrons create a captivating interplay of light and shadow, adding a dynamic and sophisticated visual appeal to the water blocks. Designed specifically for the Intel socket LGA 1700-based platform, they fit Intel's 12th, 13th, and 14th generation Core CPUs. The cold plate, precisely machined of the highest-grade 99.99% pure electrolytic copper, ensures unparalleled heat transfer.

Schenker, one of Europe's leading PC OEM and systems integrators, updated its XMG line of premium mobiile workstations, with the XMG Neo 16 and XMG Neo 17, powered by 14th Gen Intel Core HX "Raptor Lake Refresh" mobile processors, which released on January 8. Both are power-packed beasts that offer maxed out gaming with ray tracing at their respective display resolutions. Both feature the top-of-the-line Core i9-14900HX 8P+16E processor, along with dual-channel DDR5 SO-DIMM memory. The machine supports user-configured processor undervolting, and Intel XMP 3.0 overclocked memory support. Out of the box, the i9-14900HX is configured for over 100 W base power, although the maximum turbo power can go over 150 W as per Intel specifications. Graphics sub-system is led by an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU with 16 GB 256-bit memory, and 175 W power tuning.

XMG's innovative OASIS air+liquid cooling solution tackles heat from the beastly i9-14900HX and RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. Connectivity includes a 100 W PD USB-C port. The notebook has an elaborate aluminium channel heatsink with multiple flat heatpipes, but there's also a liquid coolant channel with exterior fittings. The XMG OASIS accessory (purchased separately), can be quick connected to this, which contains a liquid cooling loop with a pump, reservoir, radiator, and probably something to deal with the residual air in the loop. You can opt for a CHERRY-sourced RGB-illuminated mechanical keyboard. The XMG 16 packs mostly the same hardware, except GPU choices offered between an RTX 4080 Laptop GPU and the top RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. It comes with a gorgeous 500 nits 16:10 display.

Today, at CES 2024, Lenovo showcased its latest repertoire of new consumer devices: A selection of Yoga AI laptops that supercharge the creative process, a tablet that invites users to play and learn, IdeaPad laptops designed for the everyday user, and peripherals for the modern world. "Modern consumers need solutions that adapt to their evolving needs, and our latest selection of portable devices addresses those needs with thoughtful technologies, including AI," said Jun Ouyang, Lenovo's Vice President and General Manager of the Consumer Business Segment, Intelligent Devices Group. "Our vision of delivering 'AI for all' places the individual user at the center, while emphasizing privacy and security."

Seeing is Believing - The Power and Flexibility of AI
Ushering in a new era, Lenovo's newest lineup of Microsoft Windows 11 Lenovo Yoga laptops come with Lenovo Yoga Creator Zone, an exclusive new software for creators, artists, and anybody looking to harness the power of generative AI in a simple and private way with security in mind. As an imagination sparkplug, Lenovo Yoga Creator Zone offers image generation, which transforms text-based descriptions or even sketches into stunning visuals without complex prompts, codes, or setups. Users simply type whatever they want to see, and the system instantly creates a visual representation.

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 is here, introducing powerful new features that boost Wi-Fi performance and improve connectivity across a variety of environments. Cutting-edge capabilities in Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 enable innovations that rely on high throughput, deterministic latency, and greater reliability for critical traffic. New use cases - including multi-user AR/VR/XR, immersive 3-D training, electronic gaming, hybrid work, industrial IoT, and automotive - will advance as a result of the latest Wi-Fi generation. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 represents the culmination of extensive collaboration and innovation within Wi-Fi Alliance, facilitating worldwide product interoperability and a robust, sophisticated device ecosystem.

Wi-Fi 7 will see rapid adoption across a broad ecosystem with more than 233 million devices expected to enter the market in 2024, growing to 2.1 billion devices by 2028. Smartphones, PCs, tablets, and access points (APs) will be the earliest adopters of Wi-Fi 7, and customer premises equipment (CPE) and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) equipment will continue to gain early market traction. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 pushes the boundaries of today's wireless connectivity, and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED helps ensure advanced features are deployed in a consistent way to deliver high-quality user experiences.

Lenovo's new gaming ecosystem debuted at CES 2024, with Microsoft Windows 11-based PCs, peripherals, software, and services that deliver on power, thermals, graphics, AI-powered advantages, and the freedom to build the ultimate system to game. The new PC portfolio includes the following new 9th generation Lenovo Legion 16-inch gaming laptops and towers:

• The Lenovo Legion 7i (16", 9), Lenovo Legion 5i (16", 9), and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 (16", 9) are for gamers who need a laptop that can handle their favorite games as well as their STEM apps.
• The Lenovo Legion 9i (16", 9) is for those who will settle for nothing less than the best in their gaming and content creation pursuits.
• The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (16", 9) and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (16", 9) are for gamers who need the ultimate in FPS, style, and screen.
• Legion Tower 7i and Legion Tower 5i are for those who need the extra horsepower of a top-tier gaming tower PC.
  Also new this year are the Lenovo LOQ 15IRX9, Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9I, Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9, and Lenovo LOQ 15AHP9 laptops and Lenovo LOQ Tower 17IRR9 for gamers beginning their journey up the leaderboards. New accessories, such as the Lenovo Legion M410 Wireless RGB Gaming Mouse and Legion K510 Pro Mini Keyboard, along with a new Lenovo AvatarMaster PC software app round out the upgraded ecosystem.

At the core of this new gaming lineup is the family of Lenovo's proprietary hardware AI chips—called LA AI chips-and the advantages they bring to both Lenovo Legion and Lenovo LOQ gaming laptops. First introduced last CES, this year's LA AI chips are mightier than ever, enabling Lenovo Legion and Lenovo LOQ laptops to achieve even higher FPS, increased power efficiency, and more. And with a selection of gaming laptops, towers, monitors, accessories and even the handheld Lenovo Legion Go announced last IFA, the new Lenovo gaming ecosystem lets gamers choose the exact setup they need to achieve gaming greatness and reach their "impossible".

Acer unleashes a series of powerhouse gaming laptops, headlined by the refreshed models of the Predator Helios 18 and Predator Helios 16. Acer also announced the new Predator Helios Neo 18 gaming laptop and major updates to the Predator Helios Neo 16, all outfitted with the latest Intel Core 14th gen processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series Laptop GPUs with DLSS 3.5 technology and NVIDIA Advanced Optimus. NVIDIA RTX Laptop GPUs are packed with specialized AI Tensor Cores enabling unmatched AI performance and accelerations in creative apps, ultra-efficient productivity, blistering fast gaming, and more. The Predator laptops feature Microsoft's Copilot in Windows 11 and a dedicated Copilot key for quick access to AI-powered task assistance. They also come with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, giving gamers access to hundreds of high-quality PC games.

Gamers seeking a competitive edge will be thrilled with the Predator Helios 18 and Predator Helios 16 laptops as they come with options for captivating Mini LED panels, MagKey 3.0 swappable mechanical switch for shorter key travel and response time, and lightning-fast network speeds with Wi-Fi 7 compatibility.

During its "Transcendence Virtual Launch Live Event at CES 2024, ASUS has finally revealed a bit more details about its new ASUS Republic of Gamers NUC, codenamed Scorpion Canyon. The ROG NUC will be powered by up to Intel's Core Ultra 9 CPU and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, all packed in a 2.5-liter chassis.

The flagship CPU choice is the Intel Meteor Lake-H Core Ultra 9 185H CPU, a 16-core/22-thread CPU (6 P-cores, 8 E-cores, and 2 low-power P-cores) which has a 115 W maximum Turbo TDP and Boosts up to 5.1 GHz. The ASUS ROG NUC can also be equipped with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. The less expensive SKU pairs up the Core Ultra 7 155H with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU. The rest of the specifications include two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots with support for 32 GB of memory, three M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 x4 slots, Intel Killer WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, 2.5G Intel LAN, single Thunderbolt 4 port and plenty of other USB ports, HDMI and DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, and choice between Windows 11 Home 64-bit, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, or no OS.

GIGABYTE Technology, a leading global brand in the computer industry, debuts AORUS and GIGABYTE Gaming AI gaming laptops at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the United States, marking its entry into the new battleground of AI PCs. Today, the company launches the latest AI gaming laptops: G6X, G6, and G5, featuring up to the 13th gen. Intel Core HX series processors and NVIDIA RTX 40 Laptop GPUs. All three models the highest configuration come equipped with a Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, delivering robust AI generative content computing power.

The G6X, featuring the Intel Core i7-13650HX processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, excels at running diverse gaming titles and professional applications for creative content creation. It offers a quicker computing experience for AI generative content creation, enabling real-time and seamless realization of creative content. The laptops integrate with Microsoft's AI assistant, Copilot, assisting users in easier task creation and completion, thereby reducing daily workload and unlocking limitless productivity. In terms of audio, the entire series incorporates Dolby Atmos technology, delivering an unprecedented sense of depth, clarity, and detailed soundscapes. This not only enables gamers to accurately locate sounds and make precise strikes but also provides an unparalleled immersive experience.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the 2024 Zephyrus G14 and Zephyrus G16, the latest in an illustrious lineup of supremely powerful thin-and-light gaming laptops. These machines feature a new CNC-machined aluminium chassis, a customizable Slash Lighting array, and a brand-new Platinum White colorway, while cutting-edge AI accelerated silicon from Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA stand ready to push gamers and creators to new heights of performance. Both the Zephyrus G14 and G16 come equipped with the ROG Nebula Display, stunningly color-accurate OLED panels that are also G-SYNC capable for incredible gaming experiences. Ultra-efficient cooling technology, including tri-fan technology, liquid metal, and vapor chambers on select models enable the Zephyrus G14 and G16 to breathe easily despite their ultra-portable designs.

Brand-new chassis design
The 2024 Zephyrus G14 and Zephyrus G16 have been completely redesigned inside and out. Both machines boast all-new and all-aluminium CNC-machined chassis for the perfect mix of weight reduction, structural rigidity, and increased chassis space. This allows for an edge-to-edge keyboard design, as well as the inclusion of larger and louder speakers with superior bass response down to 100 Hz. The speakers are 25% larger than the previous generation, with a 47% volume increase for more immersive audio experiences than ever before. The Zephyrus G14 and G16 also come with larger individual keycaps and a larger touchpad, for superior typing, precision scrolling, and fluid gaming. Both the 2024 Zephyrus G14 and Zephyrus G16 ship with three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, providing access to a library of hundreds of great games.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the 2024 Strix family of laptops, including the Strix SCAR 18, the first 18-inch ROG laptop equipped with the mini LED ROG Nebula HDR Display. As the vanguard of gaming laptops, all 2024 Strix machines feature the latest flagship Intel Core i9 processor 14900HX, with the Strix SCAR 16 and SCAR 18 sporting up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU with 175 W max TGP. Paired with a complete suite of the latest intelligent cooling improvements, including Tri-Fan technology and Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal on both the CPU and GPU, the 2024 Strix family of laptops has arrived to dominate the competition.

Brilliant detail
This year marks the introduction of the first ROG 18-inch display powered by Mini LED technology. HDR content and games have arrived on the big screen with the arrival of the 2024 Strix SCAR 18, with its Nebula HDR Display boasting over 2000 discrete dimming zones and 1100 nits of peak brightness. On an 18-inch panel, this dimming zone density coupled with the ROG Nebula HDR Engine minimizes blooming and haloing even in challenging scenes, giving the Strix SCAR 18 incredibly vivid HDR performance.

Intel is reportedly bringing Application Optimization (APO) to its 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" and 13th Gen Core "Raptor Lake" processors after all, PC Gamer reports. APO is currently restricted to 14th Gen Core i9 and Core i7 "Raptor Lake Refresh" processors, and the upcoming 14th Gen HX Core i9 and Core i7 mobile processors based on this silicon. An extension of the Dynamic Tuning Technology (DTT), APO is an application-specific scheduler optimization that makes hardware resources of Intel's Hybrid processors "correctly" available to the application. This requires Intel to study the application itself, and validate its optimization on a per-processor model basis (which is Intel's explanation as to why it isn't available across all its Hybrid processors). On optimized games—of which there are currently 7—APO is found to offer frame rate uplifts ranging between 10% to 16%. At this point we don't know exactly which other 12th and 13th Gen processors Intel plans to extend APO to, but it's likely only to the Unlocked K or KF SKUs, as PC Gamer notes.

GIGABYTE has unveiled its new AORUS 17X and AORUS 16X 2024 laptops at CES 2024, showing off the new WINDFORCE Infinity cooling system and giving them a refresh with Intel 14th Gen CPUs and NVIDIA RTX 40 series GPUs. Both models come with up to Intel Core i9-14900HX 24-core CPU, GIGABYTE's AI Nexus technology, and the new WINDFORCE Infinity cooling system, which has all new fans, 0 db cooling, and 3D VortX technology, which uses four air outlets and two inlets combined with five sets of heatpipes.

The larger AORUS 17X laptop can be equipped with up to 17.3-inch QHD 240 Hz display, and in addition to the Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU, it can be also equipped with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. The smaller AORUS 16X laptop gets up to 16-inch WQXGA 165 Hz display with slim bezels, but sticks with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. Both also support Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, Copilot hotkey button, and a hefty 99Wh maximum battery capacity.

The mid range of Intel's 14th Gen Core desktop processor series finally sees some excitement. Announced on January 8, from the pile of 65 W 14th Gen Core processor models, the one chip that caught our eye was the Core i5-14600 (non-K). This isn't just a speed bump over the previous generation Core i5-13600, but comes with a cache upgrade. The i5-14600 6P+8E processor is based on the largest "Raptor Lake Refresh" die, just like the i5-14600K/KF.

What this means, is that each of its six P-cores now has 2 MB of L2 cache, compared to 1.25 MB of it on the i5-13600. What's more, each of its two E-core clusters that house its eight E-cores, gets a 4 MB L2 cache, compared to the 2 MB per cluster on the i5-13600. The six P-cores and two E-core clusters share a 24 MB L3 cache—no changes here, but there are clock speed uplifts. The P-cores boost up to 5.20 GHz, while the E-cores go up to 3.90 GHz. In comparison, the i5-13600 with a 5.00 GHz maximum P-core boost, and 3.70 GHz maximum E-core boost. Interestingly, the maximum turbo power value is unchanged between the i5-14600 and i5-13600, at 154 W. Intel is pricing the Core i5-14600 at $255. There is no Core i5-14600F SKU, which lacks integrated graphics, letting you save a further $20. The other 14th Gen Core i5 processors, namely the i5-14500, i5-14400, and i5-14400F, continue to be based on the older C0 silicon, with 1.25 MB L2 cache per P-core, and 2 MB of L2 cache per E-core cluster.