Manli introduced its new generation Polar Fox graphics design earlier this year; accompanied by an "exclusive two-dimensional" product mascot. Prior to 2025, the manufacturer did not market these mid-range offerings with cute character illustrations and graphics. Several Chinese graphics card specialist companies have adopted this aesthetic; seemingly taking major influence from Yeston. According to the Manli's PR material, the latest Polar Fox graphics cards are: "perfect for users who love anime...we've crafted a unique IP identity that makes Polar Fox truly special. The most special feature is wave-shaped heat sink, it enhances airflow to minimize noise, delivering a quieter and more comfortable experience."

The brand launched their icon-themed GeForce RTX 5070 12 GB factory overclocked custom design early on in March, starting off with sections finished with an unusually deep blue tone. As observed by VideoCardz, this aesthetic—covering a significant portion of the card's shroud and a central 9 cm cooling fan—is not a subtle prospect; especially when showcased via a vertical orientation. The brand has prepped a less flashy variant—swapping out the launch model's dark blue tones, in favor of a light-hearted shade of aqua teal. Manli's signature mascot backplate illustration remains the same across both SKUs, although the newer option features additional fractal graphics and "Polar Fox" text. Going back to last month; the manufacturer unveiled this lighter teal setup during an introduction of (mostly dual-fan) new GeForce RTX 5060 Ti models.

HYTE, a leading manufacturer of cutting-edge PC components and peripherals, announced today its continued partnership with ATLUS for its latest HYTE Collection with Metaphor: ReFantazio. Starting today, fans can pre-order a Y70 computer case themed after the game, accompanying keycaps, desk pads, and more—all with an aesthetic that is fit for aspirant royalty! To learn more, and to pre-order these items, head over here. As part of this latest project, HYTE worked closely with the Metaphor: ReFantazio team on the case, keycaps, and desk pad's design to ensure a high-quality product that is authentic to the game's environment and themes. The Metaphor: ReFantazio Y70 case lovingly displays the game's incredible artwork on its glass panels. Fans can also expect in-game elements thoughtfully integrated across the Y70's metal paneling, a custom metal plate that calls back to the game, and a deep mahogany colorway made for this collaboration.

Fans can also pre-order the Metaphor: ReFantazio Keycap Set, which comes with 152 individual keycaps that are fully compatible with ANSI / ISO / JIS WW keyboards. Like with the Y70, in-game elements, typography, and design inspired by the game, along with the deep mahogany colorway, have also been integrated into the keycaps. As part of this lineup, HYTE is also launching three 900 mm x 400 mm Desk Pads, a 60 cm x 45 cm Wall Scroll, and a Metaphor: ReFantazio keychain with a special glowing effect that lets natural backlight shine through - all of which feature the game's impeccable artwork in stunning detail.

ASUS has added a brand-new ROG Strix GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB GDDR7 OC Edition SKU to its wide-ranging NVIDIA GPU portfolio. The company introduced new generation ROG Strix cards earlier this year, but these offerings were missing during the various GeForce RTX 50-series launch periods. Within the first quarter of 2025, ASUS seemingly concentrated on getting its TUF Gaming and PRIME lines onto retail shelves. As reported by VideoCardz, ROG Strix GeForce RTX 5070 Ti evaluation samples seem to be in the possession of media outlets. BenchLife.info has teased an upcoming full review, but their swift "hands-on" bit of coverage divulged an interesting claim about an alleged reshuffling of ASUS product hierarchies.

The article's author—Chris L.—stated: "ROG Strix RTX 50-series is finally on the market! After finishing GeForce RTX 5060 Ti tests, we return to a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card. ASUS has made some changes to the GeForce RTX 50-series, replacing ROG Strix with ROG Astral to become the highest-end graphics card product line (for GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 tiers). As for ROG Strix and TUF Gaming, ProArt, Prime and DUAL series, they provide players with different choices. The flagship ROG Matrix still exists, but we won't see it until it is needed." Currently, new product listings point to ROG Strix being limited to custom (standard and overclocked) GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 options.

ZOTAC started teasing a refresh of its Apocalypse product line earlier in the year. Two months later, fairly concrete details of the (still) upcoming GeForce RTX 5080 16 GB variant emerged via the NVIDIA board partner's Weibo blog. Unfortunately, ZOTAC's ultra premium 3.5-slot thick/ARGB-lit behemoth design is expected to remain exclusive to the Chinese PC hardware market. Western hardcore gaming enthusiasts are best served by the manufacturer's alternative flagship triple-slotter: GeForce RTX 5080 AMP Extreme INFINITY ULTRA. ZOTAC's mainland China and Hong Kong offices have declared the arrival of brand-new Apocalypse SKUs at retail; utilizing NVIDIA's "Blackwell" GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5070 Ti GPUs.

Yesterday's Weibo bulletin commenced with: "when mecha aesthetics collide with technology, and gaming passion merges with extreme performance, the ZOTAC GeForce RTX 50 Apocalypse series graphics cards are born! After (our) continuous R&D, improvement, testing and adjustment—today, newly upgraded flagship graphics cards are officially launched!" The brand has advertised the return of an apparently much-missed product line mascot: "Apocalypse Princess is back with a new look, starting a game/AI exploration journey with you." Promotional imagery and box art feature a prominent illustration of ZOTAC's flagship series heroine—this "mecha artwork" demonstrates a serious sci-fi aesthetic, albeit with a cute female protagonist leading the way. A rival AIB specializes in this type of "marketing"—Yeston's similar-ish presentation language concentrates on enchanting fantasy characters.

South of Midnight is available now globally on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox App for Windows PC, Steam, Cloud, & Game Pass! As Hazel, you will explore the mythos and encounter creatures of Southern folklore in a macabre and fantastical world. When disaster strikes her hometown, Hazel is called to become a Weaver: a magical mender of broken bonds and spirits. Imbued with these new abilities, Hazel will confront and subdue dangerous creatures, untangle the webs of her own family's shared past and—if she's lucky—find her way to a place that feels like home. From the entire Compulsion Games Team: Thank you for your support, and happy playing!

Deep in the heart of the bayou, something stirs. Bigger than any gator you've ever seen, Two-Toed Tom is a legend of scales, survival, and insatiable hunger. More than double the size of the world's biggest recorded alligator, Tom is an unstoppable force of nature. To celebrate the launch of South of Midnight, in which Tom makes a very big appearance, Xbox has brought this monstrous gator to life in the gator-infested waters of Marrero, Louisiana, a location chosen for its haunting resemblance to the game's Southern-inspired setting. Murky swamps, ancient cypress trees, and the distant splash of unseen creatures make it the perfect place to step into Hazel's world and experience the bayou's dark magic first-hand.

The time has come—we're getting ready to share the first look at Marathon in this week's Gameplay Reveal Showcase! Join us on Saturday, April 12 @ 10AM PT from Bungie HQ, where we'll be revealing gameplay for the first time along with a few other surprises. Game director Joe Ziegler, franchise art director Joseph Cross, senior design lead Lars Bakken, gameplay director Andrew Witts, and senior social media manager Andy Salisbury will be sitting down to chat about everything we're sharing, and we'll be doing live Q+A from Twitch chat throughout the show.

Puzzles, decryption, and hacks
Over the last few days, the community has been sluething their way through encrypted puzzles and messages intercepted by the resistance group, MIDA. We'd like to recognize the collaborative hacking efforts of you all here today. Curious what's been happening behind closed signals? Here's the quick recap of what transpired across multiple days, social platforms, and websites.

Intel introduced its new brand to the world Tuesday at the Intel Vision 2025 event in Las Vegas. Leading with "That's the power of Intel Inside," Intel leans into the essential role the company—along with its partners and customers—plays in the world while giving a nod to the company's wildly popular "Intel Inside" campaign of the 1990s.

Brett Hannath, chief marketing officer for Intel, says the new brand platform anchors on the idea that "Intel ignites the greatness within"—in every employee, customer, consumer, community, partner. All the while, it allows Intel to reflect on its proud heritage. (The Intel Inside co-marketing campaign launched in 1991 helped Intel become a household name around the globe over the next decade.) More than a marketing initiative, "That's the power of Intel Inside" is an avenue for amplifying Intel's importance in today's world. Intel's leaders plan to leverage the new brand platform to drive differentiation, revenue growth, and equity with customers and partners.

Taiwan's Original Price House and MSI are running a compelling promotion; involving the trade in of the manufacturer's signature "Lucky Dragon" figurines for a GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD SOC graphics card. As reported by HKEPC Hardware, five lucky participants have managed to exchange completed sets—of nine individual toys—for GB203 GPU-based flagships. According to MSI's "Blind Box Of Lucky" landing page, ten exclusive designs—including a rare Maoi secret edition—were produced and then (randomly) bundled into VANGUARD Launch Edition packages. HKEPC outlined conditions: "applicable models include GeForce RTX 5070, RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5080 and RTX 5090. It is limited to only 1,000 pieces worldwide." VideoCardz reckons that majority of Lucky Dragon VANGUARD boxes were sent to reviewers and influencers, so it could be challenging for mere mortals to accumulate a qualifying tally of cute plastic mascots.

As disclosed by HKEPC (a Hong Kong-based organization), one individual has gone to great lengths to complete the set: "a Taiwanese netizen posted in the HKEPC DIY group, hoping to purchase the 'Lucky Dragon' at a high price of NT$4,000 ($121 USD). After inquiry, it was learned that this is related to an event currently being held in Taiwan. As long as you collect 9 different Lucky Around the World Dragons before May 31, 2025 and keep the outer box, Taiwan Original Price House will exchange them for an MSI RTX 5080 VANGUARD graphics card worth NT$43,990 ($1332 USD), and there is no limit to the number of cards you can exchange." As of late January, the editor of Cool PC—a Taiwanese media outlet—was seeking to complete their set of MSI "Lucky Around The World" dragon collectibles. They used their news section to send out a personal request to readers: "when he has collected 9 of them, he can exchange them for a GeForce RTX 5080 at Original Price House!..The editor likes it very much, and is willing to exchange it with the lucky person who has collected a set of 9 different Lucky Around the World Dragons."

In the upcoming alchemy JRPG "Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land" available March 21st, a collaboration with "Tales of Graces f Remastered", an RPG from Bandai Namco Entertainment, has been confirmed. A collaboration costume from "Tales of Graces f Remastered" will be available as a free DLC in "Atelier Yumia." Please look forward to further information on the timing of its release.

Also, to commemorate this collaboration, a special illustration by the illustrator Benitama was released today. The illustration features "Yumia," the protagonist of "Atelier Yumia" and "Asbel," the protagonist of "Tales of Graces f Remastered," standing side-by-side wearing the collaboration costume. Walk the forbidden path, no matter where it leads. "Atelier Yumia" is a story about Yumia and her companions confronting memories and, despite their uncertainties, forging ahead on the path they believe in.

A week ago, MSI introduced its lineup of custom GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card models—headlined by their premium VANGUARD option, with a product stack going down to a budget friendly INSPIRE 3X offering. Since then, the Taiwanese manufacturer has added another entry to its NVIDIA "Blackwell" GB205 GPU-based family. As observed by VideoCardz, MSI is overpopulating its GeForce RTX 5070 stack with two more models. The SHADOW 2X OC and SHADOW 2X (non-OC) have—very recently—popped up on the company's website, with absolutely zero PR fanfare. The triple-fan SHADOW 3X designs received a similar treatment last month—brand-new stealth-black GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5070 Ti custom designs seemingly appeared overnight.

As befits the nomenclature, MSI's SHADOW 2X design sports a TORX 5.0 dual-fan cooling solution. As covered by TechPowerUp's news section in the past, the SHADOW series shares similarities with VENTUS—both families serve as "baseline MSRP" conformant products, due to a minimalistic aesthetic and barebones feature set (i.e. focused on the essentials). MSI marketing blurb describes SHADOW as: "a performance-focused design that delivers the gaming experience players want, making it the ideal choice when upgrading or building a gaming rig." The company has courted controversy in recent times; VideoCardz and other media outlets have leveled plenty of criticism throughout February and March—the lack of "MSRP" models and reported price hiking at launch became major sticking points. Industry watchdogs believe that the freshly unveiled SHADOW 2X models will be in short supply for the foreseeable future.

Samsung Electronics and Logitech celebrate five years of partnership in video conferencing, combining their industry-leading solutions to enhance workplace collaboration and productivity. The integration of Samsung high-definition displays with Logitech's video conferencing solutions creates immersive, connected experiences ready to meet the needs of today's employees.

With the rise of flexible work environments, organizations require meeting spaces equipped with advanced video conferencing technology to enable seamless collaboration for distributed teams. Businesses can now leverage Samsung's high-definition displays with Logitech's conference cameras, webcams and audio systems to achieve crystal-clear video and sound, helping remote and in-person participants feel like they are in the same room. Samsung Interactive Displays also enable teams to connect, share ideas and whiteboard on a single screen. These meeting solutions make every participant feel equally engaged regardless of location.

Earlier in the week, SAPPHIRE's Global Senior VP Marketing Manager—Adrian Thompson—posted a fascinating photo of soon-to-be released PULSE Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics cards, located in an unidentified warehouse. His social media post/teaser stated: "ready to ship to happy customers." Given the apparent impressive volume of boxed products on display, supply chain insiders have referred back to prior leaks. As far back as mid-January (2025), board partner custom Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 models were reaching end destinations; at retail/e-tail warehouses. In reaction to Thompson's preview of stockpiled RDNA 4-based PULSE boxes, Overclockers UK (OCUK) expressed mild disapproval.

Gibbo (aka Andrew Gibson) posted a follow-up on the company's discussion board: "as Sapphire jumped the gun with our content (TUT, TUT), I might as well share with you guys the Borg Cube (that) Overclockers UK's marketing department spent hours building out of Sapphire RX 9070 XT Pulse Cards and yes the cube is solid, the center is even more 9070 XT Pulse cards, and we have over 1000 in stock just of this model. Even better, OCUK will hit £569 (including VAT) on this incredible beast of a card, with hundreds to go round at MSRP. In fact, we have so much stock we could build an armada of Borg Cubes pretty much out of every model we have and from all brands, we have several thousand cards in stock spanning across Sapphire, PowerColor and ASRock all of which have 1000+ in stock of each brand." This friendly update strikes with a happier tone—in sharp contrast, Gibbo detailed a sorry situation prior to the launch of GeForce RTX 5090 cards. At the time of writing, the Overclockers UK webstore is down—visitors are seeing "504 Gateway Time-out" error messages. A lot of pre-launch buzz and hype has likely drummed up plenty of buyer interest—thus causing an overloading of servers. In yesterday afternoon's board post, Gibbo continued his Star Trek-themed musings: "we then also have several hundred cards from Gigabyte and ASUS as well, this launch will be impossible to resist as such is the reason we built Borg Cubes, because AMD will assimilate you, resistance is futile, BUY tomorrow (March 6) from OCUK at 2pm with prices starting from £524.99 Inc VAT."

XFX has not generated much official RDNA 4 noise, ahead of this Friday's special event. The long-term AMD board partner unveiled a pair of mysterious Radeon RX 9070 series cards at CES 2025, but no marketing/hype campaign was launched in the interim. VideoCardz and its insider networks have kept tabs on XFX activities; mostly from retail sources. Their latest report concentrates on custom Radeon RX 9070 XT options; claiming that a grand total of nine SKUs are destined for launch next month. Around mid-February, a Canadian e-tailer inadvertently published a comprehensive selection of unannounced XFX MERCURY, SWIFT, and QUICKSILVER models. Days later, the South Korean and Canadian branches of Amazon uploaded packaging imagery.

VideoCardz has gathered product renders and basic spec information from various retail leaks, as well as inside sources. They believe that XFX has (wisely) dropped its old/odd naming schemes—e.g.: SWFT and QICK—in favor of traditional spellings. The high-end MERCURY population count is (allegedly) four; consisting of two Magnetic Air variants, and two normal editions (sporting non-modular fans). Reportedly, an "M" tag adorns Magnetic Air model retail boxes (refer to images below)—VideoCardz believes that XFX's red-ringed fans indicate detachable functionality, but this color coding is only visible on the black version. As previously reported, XFX's upper-tier Radeon RX 9070 XT custom options are touted to sport the "greatest" factory-set overclock: 3.1 GHz. Press outlets have noted the presence of three 8-pin power connectors in leaked MERCURY renders.

Last month, ASUS revealed its refreshed ROG XG Mobile design at CES 2025. The latest iteration of their premium external GPU dock is prepped for NVIDIA's "Blackwell" GeForce RTX 50 Mobile GPU-series. According to an ITHome report, the new model will be released next week; the manufacturer's Chinese office has seemingly produced marketing material that teases a launch on February 25. The redesigned ROG XG platform leverages an improved vapor chamber system; offering "150% more cooling surface area," and features "pioneering" Thunderbolt 5 connectivity (max. 80 Gbps bidirectional bandwidth). Press material from January indicated that a top configuration would house Team Green's GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile 24 GB GPU.

An updated official product page also lists support for NVIDIA's "GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop" 12 GB GPU. ASUS will bundle in a 330 W AC adapter, according to its spec sheet. The off-black translucent enclosure weighs in at 0.952 kg, and dimensions are listed as: "20.8 x 15.5 x 2.96 cm." ITHome expects ASUS to reveal regional pricing (for China) on February 25; Western markets will be charged $2199.99 (US MSRP) for the flagship configuration, if price hikes do not go into effect at launch. The less potent variant—powered by a GB205 GPU—is priced at $1199.99.

Sapphire is readying multiple Radeon RX 9070 custom designs for next month's launch; official announcements and leaks have revealed upcoming PURE, PULSE and NITRO+ cards. The latter was identified in AMD's CES 2025 press material, but no demonstration sample turned up at last month's Las Vegas AIB roundup. A lone fuzzy low-resolution screengrab showcased the premium Radeon RX 9070 series card's hefty and blocky triple-slot profile. An hour or two ago, Everest (aka Olrak29) uploaded two alleged promotional images to social media. Thankfully, the leaked shots have arrived with decent pixel definition. Sapphire has initiated staggered marketing campaigns for its lower-end and mid-range RDNA 4 cards, so the latest leak has most likely preempted an upcoming official reveal of (possible) NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 cards.

Sapphire reserves the crème de la crème of feature sets for its premium-tier NITRO+ designs. Previous-gen examples were substantial prospects, and the incoming design is touted to continue that dimensional legacy. Well-heeled Team Red enthusiasts will welcome an updated triple-fan configuration and somewhat subtle internal ARGB lighting zones. The leaked card sports a luxurious "champagne gold" tinted shroud and backplate, with an optional detachable panel. The vented side plates sport a lighter-hue, but the elaborate triangular cut-out aesthetic could be off-putting to certain connoisseurs. Press outlets have honed in on the new NITRO+ model's hidden power connector design, potentially leading to a single input—utilizing a 12 or 16-pin interface.

A recently surfaced Geekbench OpenCL listing has revealed the performance improvements that the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is likely to bring to the table, and the numbers sure look promising - that is, coming from the disappointment of the GeForce RTX 5080, which manages roughly 260,000 points in the benchmark, portraying a paltry 8% improvement over its predecessor. The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, however, managed an impressive 248,000 points, putting it a substantial 20% ahead of the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti. Hilariously enough, the RTX 5080 is merely 4% ahead, making the situation even worse for the somewhat contentious GPU. NVIDIA has claimed similar performance improvements in its marketing material, which does seem quiet plausible.

Of course, an OpenCL benchmark is hardly representative of real-world gaming performance. That being said, there is no denying that raw benchmarks will certainly help buyers temper expectations and make decisions. Previous leaks and speculations have hinted at a roughly 10% improvement over its predecessor in raster performance and up to 15% improvements in ray tracing performance, although the OpenCL listing does indicate the RTX 5070 ti might be capable of a larger generational jump, neck-and-neck with NVIDIA's claims. For those in need of a refresher, the RTX 5070 Ti boasts 8960 CUDA cores paired with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus. Like its siblings, the RTX 5070 is also rumored to face "extremely limited" supply at launch. With its official launch less than a week away, we won't have much waiting to do to find out for ourselves.

AMD has just published its "How to Sell" Ryzen AI MAX series guide—several news outlets have pored over the "claimed" gaming performance charts contained within this two-page document. Team Red appears to be in a boastful mood—their 1080p benchmark results reveal compelling numbers, as produced by their flagship Zen 5 "Strix Halo" processor (baseline 55 W TDP). According to Team Red's marketing guidelines, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU: "competes with a GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile GPU at similar TDP and form factor." The first-party produced comparison points to their Radeon 8060S integrated graphics solution being up to 68% faster—in modern gaming environments at 1080p settings—than the competing Team Green dedicated laptop-oriented GPU, limited to 65 W TGP due to form factor restrictions. Overall, the AMD test unit does better by 23.2% on average (referring to Wccftech's calculations).

According to the document, AMD's reference system was lined up against an ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2023) gaming laptop specced with an Intel Core i9-13900H processor, and a GeForce RTX 4070 mobile graphics card. The Ryzen AI Max+ 395's "massive iGPU" can unleash the full force of forty RDNA 3.5 compute units, paired with up to 96 GB of unified on-board memory (from a total pool of 128 GB). Non-gaming benchmarks place the flagship Team Red processor above Intel Core Ultra 9 288V and Apple M4 Pro (12-core) CPUs—as always, it is best to wait for verification from independent evaluators. Saying that, the "Strix Halo" APU family has generated a lot of excitement—even going back to early leaks—and the latest marketed performance could drum up further interest.

Team17 Group plc, a leading global independent games developer and publisher of premium video games, working simulation games and children's edutainment apps, is today announcing the rebrand of the Company to everplay group plc.

everplay - the next chapter of the evolution of the Group
The Group's change in name reflects the evolution of the business following its IPO - its London Stock Market listing - in 2018. The Group now comprises of three distinct divisions operating across complementary markets within the video games and apps industry. everplay provides the Group with a name that reflects its purpose to never stop playing, as well as its creative drive to deliver a lifetime of play.

For decades, leadership in computing and software ecosystems has been a cornerstone of American strength and influence worldwide. The federal government has wisely refrained from dictating the design, marketing and sale of mainstream computers and software—key drivers of innovation and economic growth. The first Trump Administration laid the foundation for America's current strength and success in AI, fostering an environment where U.S. industry could compete and win on merit without compromising national security. As a result, mainstream AI has become an integral part of every new application, driving economic growth, promoting U.S. interests and ensuring American leadership in cutting-edge technology.

Today, companies, startups and universities around the world are tapping mainstream AI to advance healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, education and countless other fields, driving economic growth and unlocking the potential of nations. Built on American technology, the adoption of AI around the world fuels growth and opportunity for industries at home and abroad. That global progress is now in jeopardy. The Biden Administration now seeks to restrict access to mainstream computing applications with its unprecedented and misguided "AI Diffusion" rule, which threatens to derail innovation and economic growth worldwide.

MiTAC Computing Technology Corporation, a subsidiary of MiTAC Holdings Corporation (hereinafter referred to as MiTAC; stock symbol: 3706), has announced that the server brand TYAN will be integrated with the MiTAC brand. Starting from October 1, 2024, all products will be branded under MiTAC, with the release of a new logo and updated official website. MiTAC Computing Technology Corporation website: http://www.mitaccomputing.com/

MiTAC entered the server ODM industry in 1999 as one of Taiwan's pioneers in the server market. In 2007, it expanded its presence by acquiring Tyan Computer, building a reputation for designing high-performance motherboards and barebone systems targeting the high-end server market. Following the spinoff of MiTAC's cloud computing business in 2014, MiTAC Computing Technology was established as a subsidiary of Mitac Holdings under the MiTAC-Synnex Group.

Black Myth: Wukong is undoubtedly 2024's best-selling game, so far. Released in August 2024 and gaining 18M sales within two weeks, PC and PS5 users have been enjoying this game since its release, and Xbox gamers have just been sitting at the back seat missing out on all the fun. Now, GameStop has taken advantage of the situation, offering two options to the Series S users.

GameStop posted on X, offering Series S users a trade in price of $272.50 in exchange for their Xbox S, which is not far off from the price of a new Xbox Series S, $289.99. With no release date for the game on Xbox, players on the Series S might be tempted to jump ship. Either the gamers remain patient and wait for the game to come to the console, or they trade in their Series S, and perhaps use credit to purchase a PS5 and enjoy the game that has been making waves in the gaming community recently.

Intel's Sales and Marketing Group (SMG) has announced a 35% reduction in costs as the company looks to streamline operations and adapt to challenging market conditions. The cuts, revealed during an all-hands meeting on August 5th, will impact both jobs and marketing expenses within the SMG. Intel has directed the group to "simplify programs end-to-end" by the end of the year, a directive that comes on the heels of the company's announcement that it would lay off 15% of its global workforce to save $10 billion in operating expenses. "We are becoming a simpler, leaner, and more agile company that's easier for partners and customers to work with while ensuring we focus our investments on areas where we see the greatest opportunities for innovation and growth," Intel said in a statement to CRN. The company emphasized that this restructuring is about "building a stronger Intel for the future," with partners integral to its plans.

The job cuts within the SMG are expected to target overlapping responsibilities, such as account managers and industry-focused teams, which can confuse customers navigating Intel's complex organization. Additionally, the company plans to significantly reduce its marketing budget and simplify programs, aiming to save at least $100 million in the latter half of 2024 and an additional $300 million in the first half of 2025. The impact will also be felt in Intel's market development fund (MDF), a crucial tool for supporting OEMs and other partners through events, training, and more. An ex-Intel executive warned that the MDF had become vital as the company's product leadership waned, allowing it to maintain valuable relationships with partners. As Intel navigates these changes, its partners are bracing for the impact, with one CEO describing the situation as everyone "hunkering down and just waiting to hear something." Another partner executive expressed concerns about Intel's ability to maintain the level of service and support its customers have come to expect.

According to the report from BenchLife, NVIDIA has started the marketing campaign push for "Premium AI PC," squarely aimed at the industry's latest trend pushed by Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm for an "AI PC" system, which features a dedicated NPU for processing smaller models locally. NVIDIA's approach comes from a different point of view: every PC with an RTX GPU is a "Premium AI PC," which holds a lot of truth. Generally, GPUs (regardless of the manufacturer) hold more computing potential than the CPU and NPU combined. With NVIDIA's push to include Tensor cores in its GPUs, the company is preparing for next-generation software from vendors and OS providers that will harness the power of these powerful silicon pieces and embed more functionality in the PC.

At the Computex event in Taiwan, there should be more details about Premium AI PCs and general AI PCs. In its marketing materials, NVIDIA compares AI PCs to its Premium AI PCs, which have enhanced capabilities across various applications like image/video editing and upscaling, productivity, gaming, and developer applications. Another relevant selling point is the user base for these Premium AI PCs, which NVIDIA touts to be 100 million users. Those PCs support over 500 AI applications out of the box, highlighting the importance of proper software support. NVIDIA's systems are usually more powerful, with GeForce RTX GPUs reaching anywhere from 100-1300+ TOPS, compared to 40 TOPS of AI PCs. How other AI PC makers plan to fight in the AI PC era remains to be seen, but there is a high chance that this will be the spotlight of the upcoming Computex show.

Xbox and Fallout fans, rejoice! Today, we are thrilled to announce a striking collaboration between Xbox and new series on Prime Video "Fallout", premiering on April 11. Introducing the Xbox and Fallout Vault Box—a custom collaboration that combines the rugged essence of the Fallout universe with the unparalleled security of a Fort Knox vault. Based on one of the greatest video game series of all time, "Fallout" is the story of haves and have-nots in a world in which there's almost nothing left to have. Two-hundred years after the apocalypse, the gentle denizens of luxury fallout shelters are forced to return to the irradiated hellscape their ancestors left behind—and are shocked to discover an incredibly complex, gleefully weird, and highly violent universe waiting for them.

The series comes from Kilter Films and executive producers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. Nolan directed the first three episodes. Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner serve as executive producers, writers and co-showrunners. The series stars Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets), Aaron Moten (Emancipation) and Walton Goggins (The Hateful Eight). Athena Wickham of Kilter Films also executive produces along with Todd Howard for Bethesda Game Studios and James Altman for Bethesda Softworks. Amazon MGM Studios and Kilter Films produce in association with Bethesda Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks.

Chinese custom chassis specialist, Xikii, has opened pre-orders for a new FF04 model—this classy ￥3599 (~$500) box has been designed to match the aesthetic theme of ASUS ProArt graphics cards. 3DCenter.org was impressed with the company's premium-priced work, following a discovery by Western readers (on Reddit). The site's social media account expressed some appreciation—the Xikii FF04 chassis set is a "9.8 liter case built around a single GPU; ASUS ProArt RTX 4070 Ti. Even the contour of the case matches the curve of the GPU shroud."

Xikii's product page includes a bunch of slick marketing shots and a promo video—all showing off a sample unit. Redditors noticed that the first batch of FF04 cases has already sold out—the company anticipates a shipping out date somewhere within an April 15 to 30 window. VideoCardz has eyeballed all available data, and surmised that several "RTX 40 ProArt models (4080, 4070 and 4060 series)" are suitably proportioned to fit in Xikii's purpose-built chassis—these: "have the same dimensions of 300x120x50 mm. This may explain why this design made any sense, you can certainly fit more than one model into this case, just keep in mind that a suitable power supply is needed for higher-end models." Xikii will offer an "external split water-cooling adapter module" as an optional item in the near future—they predict a price of 180 yuan (~$25).