HP is seemingly planning to update its Omen 16L line-up of SFF gaming desktops, this time introducing Intel's Raptor Lake CPUs into the mix. This is according to a recent rumor posted by @realVictor_M on X. Supposedly, the new Omen 16L will be powered by the Intel Core i7-14650HX mobile CPU and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti GPU, with lower tier GPU options also available. The new desktop will likely launch at CES 2026, although there is no word on an official launch or availability date.

It's unclear why HP would "update" its Omen 16L gaming PCs with an older CPU, but the Core i7-14650HX should perform similarly to the existing Arrow Lake models, thanks to its 16-core, 24-thread design. Pricing is also a mystery so far, although the current-gen HP Omen 16L, which is powered by the Arrow Lake Intel Core Ultra 7 265F and an RTX 5060, comes in at $1,559.99. It's also likely that the ongoing DRAM and storage supply issues will affect the price, so it would make sense for the new models to launch at the same price or higher prices than the old models. Alternatively, HP could be introducing the mobile CPU variants in order to cut back on costs somewhat, since you wouldn't need as powerful a PSU or cooler to keep the desktop fed and cooled.

Redragon has officially announced the Wyvern K761 Pro as its latest full-size wireless mechanical keyboard, featuring both Bluetooth 5.0 and 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity. The K761 Pro is launching at just $74.99, and it features some enthusiast-grade touches, like a built-in LCD, to show keyboard information, and a knob for adjusting volume. The K761 Pro is available in two colorways—white and green and white and blue—and both feature shine-through RGB backlighting and "round" PBT keycaps, which look to be similar to OEM height, although no specific keycap profile is provided. It comes with linear Mint Mambo switches, which are 40 gf linear mechanical switches with 3.6 mm of travel, and it features hot-swap sockets, compatible with 3- and 5-pin mechanical switches. It also features a gasket mount and five-layer sound-damping in the case. The Redragon Wyvern K761 Pro is also reprogrammable and customizable on Windows with Redragon's proprietary software suite. The keyboard is charged via USB-C and features a 4,000 mAh battery, which should be more than enough, even for those who want to use RGB backlighting effects.

The ongoing RAM shortage has already had knock-on effect on the consumer market, from price hikes to system integrators starting to offer "bring your own RAM" build options and smartphone makers stepping back to offering 8 GB of RAM in flagship devices. However, the latest news suggests that the RAM shortage will soon result in delayed product launches—specifically in the laptop and mobile market, according to a report out of Korean business publication, Chosun Biz.

According to the report, which quoted industry insiders and analysts, large hardware brands, like HP and Lenovo, have recently signed agreements with memory suppliers in an effort to secure RAM for the upcoming product launch cycle. Despite this, insiders are predicting that launch delays are likely as DRAM demand still exceeds supply. The alternative solutions include a price hike, which would be in the order of 30% in the premium segment—on top of an already predicted 9% industry-wide price increase—or downsizing the premium laptop segment. Whether this plays out as predicted will likely be revealed fairly soon, as CES 2026, and all of its expected product launches, is just around the corner.

As a leader in innovative technology, ACEMAGIC today announced the upcoming launch of the ACEMAGIC Tank Centre series, introducing two new models, M1A PRO and M1A PRO+. Building on the success of the original TANK 03, the new lineup delivers significantly enhanced performance for gaming, AI workloads, and multi-display productivity, while retaining the series' distinctive industrial design.

As PC hardware continues to evolve, high-performance computing is becoming increasingly compact, intelligent, and energy-efficient. ACEMAGIC has been at the forefront of this shift, demonstrating that mini PCs can deliver desktop-class performance without the size or complexity of traditional systems.

AMD is preparing to refresh its Ryzen 9000 series "Zen 5" desktop processor lineup with two high-end chips targeting gamers and PC enthusiasts, the 8-core Ryzen 7 9850X3D, and the 16-core Ryzen 9 9950X3D2. The 9850X3D is a speed-bumped 9800X3D, while the 9950X3D2 comes with 3D V-Cache on both its 8-core chiplets, compared to the 9950X3D, which only has it on one of its chiplets. The Ryzen 7 9850X3D comes with a maximum turbo frequency of 5.60 GHz, a 400 MHz increase over the 9800X3D, along with a TDP of 120 W, which is expected to increase its single-thread performance by 5-7%.

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 is a different beast. It comes with a maximum boost frequency of 5.60 GHz, which is a 100 MHz reduction over the 5.70 GHz that the 9950X3D comes with, but both its chiplets have 3D V-Cache, allowing for more flexible scheduling and thread migration. With a combined L3 cache of 192 MB, this chip could also be vastly preferred by the workstation and creator crowd that's working on memory-intensive workloads. All this comes at a cost, though, with AMD rumored to increase TDP to 200 W, up from the 170 W of the 9950X3D, which could mean a PPT value nearing the 250 W-mark. Geekbench and PassMark numbers of the 9950X3D2 just surfaced on the web, which show the newer chip to be 2% faster than the 9950X3D despite the marginally lower clock speed, however, the real heft of this chip will be felt in memory/cache sensitive workloads.

Sapphire launched its flagship graphics card and motherboard featuring PhantomLink discreet power delivery technology. The tech sees an ASUS BTF-like GC-HPWR power-delivery slot located along the plane of the main PCI-Express 5.0 x16 slot, which delivers power to the graphics card without you having to wrestle with a delicate 12V-2x6 cable on top of the card. But then there's a catch. The motherboard isn't designed on the philosophy of backside connectivity like ASUS BTF or MSI Project Zero or GIGABYTE Stealth, the connects are all still located along the obverse side of the PCB. There is a 600 W-capable 12V-2x6 input located next to the 24-pin ATX, which simply routes power to the GC-HPWR slot.

Launching today, are the Sapphire NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 XT PhantomLink PE graphics card, and the NITRO+ X870EA PhantomLink Socket AM5 motherboard. Both products have an identical silver-white color scheme and NITRO+ design theme that pair well visually. The graphics card features an overclocked RX 9070 XT with similar specs to the regular NITRO+ RX 9070 XT from Sapphire. The motherboard comes in two color trims, white+silver and black+silver. It offers a premium CPU VRM solution, a heavy M.2 PCIe Gen 5 heatsink, reinforced PCI-Express 5.0 x16 slot, premium Wi-Fi 7 and onboard audio solutions, and USB4. Sapphire is expected to showcase this along with example builds at CES next week.

MediaTek, a global leader in innovative semiconductor solutions, today announced that it is working closely with DENSO, one of the world's leading automotive technology providers, to develop a custom automotive System-on-Chip (SoC) solution tailored for Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) and cockpit systems. This joint effort merges DENSO's automotive-grade safety expertise and deep vehicle integration with MediaTek's technologies cultivated through the development of Dimensity AX, leveraging power-efficient, high performance SoCs and AI capabilities to offer a scalable, production-ready platform for next-generation driver assistance.

LG announced the UltraGear EVO line of enthusiast-segment gaming PC monitors. The series includes three models, including two ultra-wides, and a conventional aspect-ratio monitor. Leading the pack is the UltraGear EVO 52G930B, a gargantuan 52-inch curved desktop monitor with 1000R curvature, 5120 x 2160 pixels resolution, 240 Hz refresh rate, and wide color gamut.

The UltraGear EVO AI 39GX950B is the star of the show. This monitor comes with in-built AI-accelerated upscaling that's native to the monitor (doesn't use any CPU or GPU resources). The display comes with 21:9 aspect-ratio, 1500R curvature, and a native resolution of 5120 x 2160 pixels at 165 Hz or 2560 x 1080 at 330 Hz, along with DisplayHDR True Black 500. The in-built AI upscaler also handles screen optimization, spatial audio, display settings, game genre-specific optimization, among a ton of other features. The display uses LG's new primary RGB tandem OLED panel technology. If you want all these features, but in a more traditional form-factor, there's the UltraGear EVO AI 27GM950B.

Framework updated its original DRAM price hike blog post on December 24th, 2025, explaining that the company must respond to the price volatility its suppliers are experiencing. Initially, Framework announced a 50% price increase for its DDR5 memory upgrade configurations. To maintain transparency with customers, the company stated its intention to raise the price of DDR5 memory in Framework Laptop DIY Edition orders by 50%. This decision directly responds to the significantly higher costs from DRAM suppliers and distributors. As a result, the company cannot absorb all these cost increases and needs to pass some on to consumers. Therefore, another increase today is a natural response, as the company originally suggested.

FrameworkWith costs from our suppliers continuing to increase, we've had to make a further price adjustment on DDR5 memory modules. During this period of extreme memory shortages and price volatility, our priority is to make sure you can still buy a computer when you need one. With that in mind, we're setting our memory configuration prices as close as possible to the actual purchase prices we have with our suppliers and distributors. Since we're constantly sourcing additional memory and each purchase comes in at different (and often higher) pricing, we're using the Weighted Average Cost (WAC) of inventory, which currently comes to $10/GB for 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB modules, and slightly higher for 48 GB modules.

NuPhy earlier this year unveiled the Node 75, a 75% wireless mechanical keyboard with a retro design inspired by the Braun T3, and it has now brought that retro design language to an 1800 layout, which means you get a keyboard with a full-size num pad in a slightly more compact layout. The Node 100 also has the same touch-sensitive area on the right-hand side of the top edge of the keyboard—kind of mimicking the Apple Touch Bar in functionality—and the same dot matrix indicator LEDs on the left side of that same top edge. The Node 100 has a PCB gasket mount and is constructed of plastic, which allows NuPhy to bring the price down to a pretty reasonable $109.99, and it is available in Ink Grey, Lunar White, and Light Pink from NuPhy's online store. It is also available as both high- and low-profile designs and with a choice of linear, silent, and light tactile switches in both variants.

The Node series uses both 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth for wireless connectivity, with USB-C available as a wired option. The low-profile version uses NuPhy's Low-Profile Nano switches, which follow Gateron's Low-Profile 3.0 design, meaning the switch selection is somewhat limited at the time of writing. The low-profile version of the Node 100 keyboard is pitched as a portable option for on-the-go productivity, although it still weighs in at 787 g. Both versions of the keyboard have PBT keycaps, although the low-profile version uses NuPhy's nSA profile and dye-sublimated legends, while the high-profile version has double-shot keycaps in the mSA profile. Both versions of the Node 100 have two-stage adjustable feet for typing angles of 6°, 9°, and 12°. The front height of both versions of the keyboard are also reasonably low, at 13.8 mm on the low-profile keyboard and 18.9 mm on the full-height version.

Microsoft has unveiled a new hardware-accelerated BitLocker encryption system for Windows 11, which shifts cryptographic operations from software to dedicated accelerator units integrated into future CPU microarchitectures. Historically, software-based BitLocker in Windows 11 has caused massive performance degradation. For example, in Windows 11 going from no BitLocker to software-based BitLocker has caused average number of cycles per I/O to skyrocket from roughly 400,000 cycles to about 1.9 million cycles. This is a 375% increase in cycles per I/O, and can cause significant storage performance degradations. However, Microsoft is finally bringing hardware-based encryption to solve this.

The new hardware acceleration, announced at Ignite 2025 in November, is now available in Windows 11 version 25H2 and Windows Server 2025 with the September update. Early testing shows that some workloads experience double the storage performance while reducing CPU usage by over 70%. The system offloads AES-XTS-256 encryption processing from the main processor to a fixed-function cryptography engine embedded within the SoC. Encryption keys are hardware-wrapped to enhance security against memory-based attacks. The initial rollout will target Intel vPro platforms with the upcoming Core Ultra Series 3 "Panther Lake" processors, but Microsoft plans to extend support to other vendors as well.

As regular desktop memory prices have skyrocketed over the past year, more gamers are turning to repurposing laptop SODIMM memory using SODIMM-to-DIMM adapters. This allows them to use the more affordable memory in their builds. According to 3DCenter.org, these adapters are relatively inexpensive. When paired with SODIMM memory, which has experienced a smaller price increase—an average of 136% compared to 245% for desktop DIMMs—gamers find that buying laptop memory makes more sense. They can achieve good enough memory performance at a much lower cost and finally perform a system upgrade or build a new PC.

These adapters serve more as a workaround than an ideal solution, mainly designed for repurposing spare laptop memory rather than achieving peak performance. Users must be prepared for significantly reduced memory clock speeds and looser timings, as mobile SODIMMs inherently lack the performance capabilities of desktop modules. Additionally, the adapter's signal path often requires further down clocking to maintain system stability.

HighPoint Technologies, Inc., a global leader in advanced PCIe storage and connectivity solutions, today announced the Rocket 7634D, the industry's first independent PCIe Gen 5 External CDFP Adapter. Engineered to serve as the cornerstone of next-generation external PCIe fabrics, the Rocket 7634D robust external CDFP-CopprLink connectivity compact low-profile form factor, and proven PCIe Gen 5 switching technology deliver the bandwidth, reliability, and interoperability demands of disaggregated computing, AI driven applications and performance hungry HPC and professional media workflows.

Built in full compliance with the PCI-SIG CopprLink specification, the Rocket 7634D functions as a professional-grade Host Interface Card (HIC); enabling direct, non-blocking connections between servers or workstations and external GPUs, accelerator and I/O cards, or NVMe storage enclosures—without the compromises of tunneling or legacy interconnects.

According to a report from Reuters, NVIDIA has explored using Intel Foundry's 18A node but has not proceeded to mass production. Reuters states, "NVIDIA recently tested out whether it would manufacture its chips using Intel's production process known as 18A but stopped moving forward, two people familiar with the matter said. NVIDIA did not answer a request for comment." This is not necessarily a negative sign for Intel Foundry, as many customers have previously approached Intel to try out the 18A node. It is common for chip designers to evaluate what TSMC's competitors offer before committing to additional foundry capacity.

For the 18A node, the general impression is that it primarily serves Intel's internal products. Future versions, like 18A-P and 18A-PT, aim to attract external customers and are expected to be long-term Intel Foundry products. Intel's 14A node is becoming a critical product for Intel Foundry, with active development targeting a 2027 release. As Intel collaborates with customers on the node design, potential foundry partners are assessing whether the upcoming technology meets their needs. Early customer feedback indicates strong satisfaction with the development progress, with those familiar with the node describing it as genuinely competitive.

MSI proudly announces a major overhaul of its virtual livestreaming platform, DigiME. The new version features a fully optimized UI/UX and workflow, along with the official integration of Voicemod, the world's leading real-time voice transformation technology. Users can now instantly switch between multiple voice styles, creating personalized avatars and vocal identities for more immersive and creative interactive experiences.

As virtual avatars and AI applications become mainstream, voice is now a key element of digital identity. By partnering with Voicemod, MSI DigiME empowers users to not only "look" like themselves in the virtual world but also bring more diversity and creativity to livestreams, online content, and interactive experiences. Whether it's game streaming, video creation, socializing, or virtual meetings, the all-new DigiME offers endless possibilities.

Intel Foundry has published a short video demonstration of its advanced packaging technologies, demoing silicon scaling beyond reticle limits of 830 mm². According to the video, Intel's Foveros 3D and EMIB-T interconnect can scale silicon to 12x reticle size, packaging up to 16 compute dies paired with 24 HBM5 memory modules in a single package. All of this will leverage Intel's 18A—including 18A-P and 18A-PT—and 14A nodes that the company is preparing for mass production and external customers.

The approach involves a sophisticated layering technique where base dies, manufactured using the 18A-PT process, incorporate backside power delivery to enhance logic density and reliability. These base dies house SRAM structures similar to Intel's "Clearwater Forest" architecture. They serve as foundations for compute tiles built on the advanced 14A/14A-E nodes, which feature second-generation RibbonFET transistors and PowerDirect technology. Foveros Direct 3D enables vertical stacking through ultra-fine pitch hybrid bonding, while EMIB-T incorporates through-silicon vias to facilitate higher bandwidth connections between chiplets. This combination achieves scalability beyond reticle limits and will support all HBM standard, including HBM4, HBM5, and future versions.

Intel Foundry has massive capacity in the United States, with its size surpassing that of TSMC's Arizona campus in terms of production capacity and building space. A CNBC crew visited Intel's Fab 52 in Arizona to explore its operations, uncovering some intriguing details about wafer capacity and future production plans. According to their report, Intel's Fab 52 produces approximately 10,000 wafers per week, totaling over 40,000 wafers per month. These wafers are manufactured using the 18A node, Intel's most advanced design, featuring innovations such as a backside power delivery network and gate-all-around transistors, among others.

Compared to TSMC's facility in Arizona, Intel's manufacturing capacity and node designs are superior. TSMC currently produces about 20,000 wafers per month at the older N5 and N4 nodes, which are 5 nm class, in the Fab 21 Phase 1 stage. Although TSMC plans to expand Fab 21 to increase wafer capacity and introduce more advanced nodes, these advancements will primarily remain in Taiwan, keeping U.S.-based TSMC production a few generations behind. Intel, on the other hand, has a limited number of external partners using its nodes, with the 18A node being primarily for Intel's own products, including the upcoming "Panther Lake" processor, and some future generations.

The creative director for Cyberpunk 2 has officially debunked the theory that elevator scenes in the original Cyberpunk game are there to hide loading scenes. In a post in Bluesky, Igor Sarzynski commented that "elevators in Cyberpunk are not 'cleverly concealed loading screens,'" pointing out the inconsistencies in the logic that you would need secret loading screens in an elevator to go up to a small room, but can "traverse the whole city and enter a huge complex interior with no loading screens." He attributes this seamless loading to CDPR's in-house REDengine, which he calls "a miracle."

Despite this, the director defends the move to Unreal Engine 5 for Cyberpunk 2, saying that "we wanna make games, not engines," likely referring to the fact that developing and maintaining a game engine involves a lot of time and resources that could be better spent working on the game itself. So far, it has been revealed that both Cyberpunk 2 and The Witcher 4 will be built on Unreal Engine 5, despite the chorus of complaints about the performance issues in UE5 games.

Microsoft has long been on a tirade against exclusive games, previously promising that the Call of Duty franchise, among others, would soon be available on multiple platforms on day one, although that has yet to come to fruition. However, according to Jez Cordon, editor at Windows Central and notable industry insider, the first Call of Duty Switch port is "nearly done and launching in a few months." This suggests a 2026 launch for the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Call of Duty, although it's still unclear what form the game will take.

The Switch 2's relatively underpowered hardware and limited storage have spawned questions about what sort of quality and gameplay can be expected from a CoD game on Switch 2, and there is no mention of the Switch 2 in any of the Call of Duty Black Ops 7 marketing, leading to speculation that the version that makes it to the Nintendo gaming handheld won't quite be a full-fledged version of the game. It's not entirely impossible that the Switch 2 CoD port could be something akin to Black Ops 7, though, since studios like Ubisoft have managed to get their AAA titles running on the Switch 2 in quite an impressive state. A 2026 launch lines up with previous rumors about the Switch 2 version of CoD.

Linux can be a solid option for anyone looking for an operating system that supports older hardware, but bleeding-edge distributions like Arch Linux often drop support for older hardware sooner than other distributions. This is exactly what happened recently, as the development team behind Arch Linux decided to upgrade the default NVIDIA GPU driver to version 590. This change means that Arch Linux will no longer support NVIDIA GPUs from the Pascal generation and older—this means GeForce GTX 1000 GPUs and older. Somewhat comically, this happened shortly after AMD's Linux kernel drivers extended support to AMD GPUs dating back to 2012.

Arch Linux has also migrated the default NVIDIA GPU drivers to the nvidia-open, nvidia-dkms, nvidia-open-dkms packages. Previously, the GTX 900 series GPUs were the oldest NVIDIA graphics cards supported by the Linux distro, although there are ways to work around the new support limitations. Users with older NVIDIA GPUs can manually uninstall the official nvidia, nvidia-lts, and nvidia-dkms packages and replace them with the nvidia-580xx-dkms drivers from the community-driven AUR (Arch User Repository).

Grand Theft Auto VI is just around the corner, barring any further delays, as the latest US-based installment in the game series, but a recent GamesHub interview with Rockstar's former technical director, Obbe Vermeij, revealed that the series may have gone in a completely different direction. According to the former executive, Rockstar was seriously considering making GTA: Tokyo during his time at the game studio. That means the would-be game would have been published sometime between 1995 and 2009, although the former director seems to be convinced that an international version of the game franchise is less and less likely now that the franchise has grown so large.

GTA: Tokyo was supposedly in talks to be developed by an unspecified studio in Japan, which would have combined Rockstar code with its own story and game assets. Tokyo was seemingly the only one that came close to fruition, but Rockstar was also considering GTA games in Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, and Istanbul. Vermeij commented that the only reason Tokyo and other international versions of the franchise were not pursued is that "when you've got billions of dollars riding on it, it's too easy to go let's do what we know again." He also says that the ubiquity and familiarity of American cities and culture were driving factors for abandoning the international versions. He goes so far as to say that it's more likely that future GTA games will revisit previous cities before leaving America, thanks to the risk aversion that comes from such a valuable game series.

AMD's Extended Profiles for Overclocking (EXPO) technology is receiving an update with version 1.2. According to the latest HWiNFO v8.35-5890 Beta, this tool has added support for AMD EXPO 1.2, even though AMD has not officially released this version yet. Currently, AMD employs EXPO 1.0 with its Ryzen processors to provide optimal overclocked memory profiles for each configuration. This approach enhances overall system performance and gives the Infinity Fabric, which interconnects the CCDs and IODs, perfect balance of latency and speed.

What will come with EXPO 1.2 remains a mystery. Recently, as part of the "Granite Ridge" Ryzen 9000 X3D series, AMD's upcoming Ryzen 7 9850X3D processor was seen running with 9,800 MT/s DDR5 memory, which is unusually high for its class in this late-cycle "Zen 5" SKU. AMD could bring some late-stage "Zen 5" memory profile optimizations that we haven't seen so far, just in time for the late cycle X3D SKUs.

Update 22:15 UTC: According to AMD insider and author of HYDRA, CTR, DRAM calculator for AMD Ryzen 1usmus on X, the EXPO 1.2 will finally include support for CUDIMMs. These are DDR5 modules with integrated clock driver circuits, which improve signal integrity at higher frequencies, allowing the DDR5 modules to reach frequencies beyond JEDEC-provided range. We still have no idea how AMD plans to implement this. The slide below is just for illustrative purposes and is AMD's earlier mention of EXPO. It does not reflect the latest 1.2 version.

AMD's upcoming "Zen 6" client processors are expected to continue the trend of offering optional SKUs with 3D V-Cache, similar to their predecessors. However, these new processors might feature significantly larger cache capacities compared to the current "Zen 5" SKUs in the "Granite Ridge" family. According to HXL on X, the single-CCD version will include 144 MB of 3D V-Cache, while the dual-CCD configuration will have 288 MB of cache. This suggests that AMD will maintain its familiar CPU design with a client I/O die and two separate CCDs, each benefiting from increased cache capacity.

This approach is quite similar to Intel's upcoming "Nova Lake" processors, which are also set to receive a substantial boost in cache capacity through the big Last Level Cache (bLLC). Rumors suggest that these will offer 144 MB for SKUs with a single compute die and 288 MB for those with two compute dies. Intel already employs bLLC in its "Clearwater Forest" server processors as a passive interposer, integrating local cache beneath active tiles. Including this technology in standard gaming chips could significantly enhance performance, positioning them as strong competitors against the upcoming "Zen 6" processor family.

Samsung Electronics today unveiled its most advanced Odyssey gaming monitor lineup yet, introducing five new models that push the boundaries of resolution, refresh rates and immersive visual performance. Led by Samsung's first 6K 3D Odyssey G9, the 2026 lineup debuts world-first display technologies for gamers and creators, including the next-generation Odyssey G6 and three new Odyssey G8 models.

"With this year's Odyssey lineup, we're introducing display experiences that simply weren't possible even a year ago," said Hun Lee, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display (VD) Business at Samsung Electronics. "From the industry's first 6K glasses-free 3D monitor to breakthrough 1,040 Hz speed, we designed these monitors to meet the ambitions of today's gamers and deliver a level of immersion that fundamentally changes how content looks and functions on screen."

Mobvoi, a global leader in AI interaction and hardware, and Olares, the innovator behind the Personal AI Cloud, today announced a partnership designed to redefine the modern workflow. By integrating Mobvoi's TicNote Pods with the computational power of Olares One, the two companies are introducing a flexible ecosystem that offers users an unprecedented choice between subscription-based cloud services and private, local processing.

The partnership centers on the TicNote Pods, a device that has already garnered significant industry acclaim as the world's first 4G-enabled AI note-taking earbuds. Unlike traditional wearables that rely on a tethered smartphone, TicNote Pods operate autonomously. Whether in a boardroom, a lecture hall, or on a run, these earbuds capture high-fidelity audio and instant voice memos, ensuring that no critical information or sudden flash of inspiration is ever lost.

Colloidal quantum dot (QD) light-emitting diodes have great potential in display applications. However, their commercialization remains a challenge due to the difficulty in achieving high-resolution patterning of QDs without degrading their optical properties. To address this, researchers have developed a nondestructive method for ultrahigh-resolution QD patterning. By blending QDs with a photocrosslinkable polymer, the approach preserves their optical properties and boosts efficiency and lifetime, paving the way for development of next-generation display technologies.

Over the past decade, colloidal quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as promising materials for next-generation displays due to their tunable emission, high brightness, and compatibility with low-cost solution processing. However, a major challenge is, achieving ultrahigh-resolution patterning without damaging their fragile surface chemistry. Existing methods such as ink jet printing and photolithography-based processes either fall short in resolution or compromise QD performance.

Akasa, a leading provider of thermal solutions, introduced the Skyline 3 Pro, an aluminium fanless case with a skyline shaped top cover, designed for the ASUS Tinker Board 3 and 3S single-board computers (SBCs). The Skyline 3 Pro offers passive cooling in a compact form factor, making it ideal for diverse embedded applications, including digital signage, edge AI and IoT, smart retail/kiosk, medical and other enterprise systems that require maintenance-free operation in silent environments.

The Skyline 3 Pro's sandblasted, anodized aluminium body serves not only as a protective shell but also as a passive heatsink. The custom thermal module and
included thermal pads draw heat away from the SBC's "hot zones" and dissipate it into the surrounding air through the sculpted "skyline" ridged heatsink fins, which are designed to maximize surface area for effective cooling.

Thermaltake, a leading PC DIY brand for premium hardware solutions, proudly introduces the MAGCurve 360 Ultra ARGB Sync AIO Liquid Cooler, a visual focused cooling solution that combines creative display customization with high performance thermal design. Featuring a 6.67 inch Curved AMOLED Display and integrated AI Forge function, the MAGCurve transforms the CPU cooler into a visually expressive part of the system while delivering reliable cooling for high performance builds. Available in Black and Snow editions, the MAGCurve 360 Ultra ARGB Sync is designed for builders who value both aesthetics and performance.

6.67 Inch Curved AMOLED Display with Creative Control
The MAGCurve 360 Ultra ARGB Sync is equipped with a 6.67 inch Curved AMOLED Display with a sharp 2240 x 1080 resolution delivering rich colors deep contrast and an immersive curved viewing experience. Beyond visual presentation, the display supports real-time system monitoring, time, and local weather information as well as video playback and dynamic visuals, allowing users to customize both function and appearance to match their setup.

Last week, Beelink revealed a teaser for its ME Pro NAS devices and now the company has unveiled the pricing for its first two 2-bay models, which come in a total of five different SKUs. All five SKUs are based on Intel Twin Lake SoCs, with the three base SKUs being built around the Intel Processor N95 and the two remaining SKUs sporting the Intel Processor N150. The base model pairs the N95 with 12 GB of 4800 MT/s LPDDR5 and a 128 GB SSD for US$369, whereas an upgraded SKUl with a 512 GB SSD comes in at US$449 and finally the top tier SKU comes with a 1 TB SSD for US$479. The N150 SKUs include 16 GB of LPDDR5 and start at US$529 with a 512 GB SSD and tops out at US$559 with a 1 TB SSD.

The ME Pro with the Twin Lake SoCs offers three M.2 NVMe slots, one with a PCIe 3.0 x2 interface and two with a PCIe 3.0 x1 interface. There's space for a pair of 2.5- or 3.5-inch hard drives and up to 30 TB drives are supported. Around the back you'll find a 19 V DC input, a 2.5 Gbps (Intel i226-V) and a 5 Gbps (Realtek RTL8126) Ethernet jack, an HDMI 2.1 port capable of 4K60p output, two USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-C port and a 3.5 mm audio jack. Around the front is a further USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-A port, the power switch and a reset and clear CMOS pin-hole. A neat addition is a small tool that is attached to the base of the housing. Beelink has also included Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 and it seems like the ME Pro ships with Windows 11 Home. Pre-orders are up now, with shipping said to start at some point in January.

NVIDIA has announced that starting January 1, 2026, each GeForce NOW cloud gaming subscription will be limited to 100 hours of play time per month. The company is implementing its long-lasting promise revealed in 2024, with the option for users to purchase additional play time as needed. Under the standard Performance tier, which costs $9.99 per month, after the 100-hour play time is reached, users can buy extra 15-hour blocks for $2.99 each. For the Ultimate tier, priced at $19.99 per month, additional 15-hour blocks are available for $5.99 each.

Since months are averaged to about 30.437 days, any play time exceeding the 100-hour limit is rounded up to the next 15-hour block, potentially leading to extra charge if someone wants more play time. For instance, playing around three hours per day (approximately 91 hours per month) remains within the base fee, but playing four hours daily (about 122 hours per month) results in extra costs of approximately $15.97 on the Performance tier or $31.97 on the Ultimate tier.

Today, PLAION REPLAI officially launches the Intellivision Sprint across Europe. This premium, faithfully crafted revival of one of gaming's most intellectually ambitious home consoles arrives just in time for Christmas. Created in collaboration with Atari, the Intellivision Sprint brings 45 of the system's finest games back to the living room, fully rebuilt for modern displays while preserving the unique tactility, depth and design philosophy that set Intellivision apart.

More than a mini console, the Intellivision Sprint is a respectful, full-blooded recreation of a cult-classic system that once challenged Atari itself during the era known as The First Console War. Forty-five years later, those former rivals are united, delivering the first official Intellivision hardware revival in decades. It has been designed for collectors, enthusiasts, and players who value craftsmanship over novelty.

LG Display, the world's leading innovator of display technologies, announced today that it will debut the world's first 27-inch 4K OLED panel for monitors featuring an RGB stripe structure and a 240 Hz refresh rate at CES 2026, the world's largest IT and consumer electronics exhibition. The RGB stripe structure arranges the three primary color subpixels—red, green, and blue—in a straight line, significantly reducing visual distortions such as color bleeding and fringing, even at close viewing distances.

Although OLED panels using the RGB stripe method existed before, their maximum refresh rate reached around 60 Hz, making them unsuitable for use as gaming monitors. LG Display's new panel is the first in the world to achieve a 240 Hz refresh rate while maintaining an RGB stripe structure. It incorporates the company's specialized Dynamic Frequency & Resolution (DFR) technology, allowing users to directly switch between high-resolution (UHD 240 Hz) and high-refresh-rate (FHD 480 Hz) modes.

Intel is seemingly nearing the launch of "Granite Rapids-WS" workstation processors as the latest listings have appeared, found by @momomo_us on X. The listings show the lineup starts with an entry-level Xeon 634 CPU with 48M cache and running 2.7 GHz base speed, priced at roughly $540. However, the lineup tops out at a much higher price point of $8,300 for the flagship Xeon 698X SKU carrying 336 MB of cache and possibly XCC die with 86 cores and 172 threads. We don't have final numbers until the processor officially launches, so core counts will be confirmed once the processors are officially released.

For the W890 workstation platform that hosts these CPUs, Intel chose socket E2 design with 4,710 LGA pins built to support TDP ratings reaching 350 watts. Intel is taking a two-tier approach with distinct "Expert" and "Mainstream" configurations: Expert-class implementations unlock 112 PCIe lanes (96 PCIe 5.0 lanes plus 16 PCIe 4.0 lanes), while the Mainstream tier delivers 80 PCIe 5.0 lanes. Below, you can see the listings showing the price of various CPU SKUs, which we assume are not final MSRPs.

Paradox Customs, a boutique system builder based in Arizona, now offers customers the option to purchase prebuilt gaming PCs without memory installed. The company updated its online configurator and announced this change on its official X account. This option allows buyers to reduce immediate system costs or use memory kits they already own, helping them avoid additional expenses as memory shortages have driven prices up significantly. This change comes amid a severe shortage in the DRAM market, where DDR5 prices have risen sharply since early 2024, and certain high-performance modules are experiencing shipment delays of several weeks. For example, gamers are now expected to pay around $400 for 32 GB of DDR5 memory, which constitutes a significant portion of the total system cost.

The unusual choice now departs from the normal model in which system integrators select and validate every component to guarantee compatibility and simplify after-sales support. Purchasing memory modules in bulk have typically provided builders with stable margins and purchasing leverage that smooth short-term market swings. However, as the shortage is pricing out system integrators from accessing cheaper RAM, companies are looking to place the responsibility for sourcing RAM on the end use. Now system integrators like Paradox creates a product that sits between a fully supported turnkey machine and a do-it-yourself kit. This approach reduces the company's exposure to volatile inventory but also blurs the boundary between custom-builds and finished systems.

Update December 23, 22:20 UTC: MAINGEAR has also joined the "bring your own RAM" party, shipping systems without pre-installed RAM kits.

Although Windows has had awareness of the NVMe storage media protocol since Windows 8.1, it turns out that the stock Microsoft driver for NVMe devices, disk.sys, offers suboptimal performance. This driver dates back to 2006, and is part of Microsoft's oldest internal basic drivers. Disk.sys appears to treat NVMe devices like SCSI drives. Microsoft released a new native driver with a greater degree of awareness of NVMe with Windows 11 25H2 (client) and Windows 2025 (server) operating systems, called nvmedisk.sys. The easiest way to check if your drive is using the older driver would be to bring up Device Manager, collapse "Disk Drives," open the Properties of your drive, go to the Driver tab, and click on the "driver details" button.

Notebookcheck made a fascinating discovery that has the potential to unlock greater performance with your NVMe drives, if they are compatible. Apparently, nvmedisk.sys significantly improves performance, both in sequential and random workloads. Using this driver, however, is fraught with risks. Not all NVMe SSDs support it, and if incompatible, it could break Windows 11 boot. The publication put out a guide on how to get Windows 11 to use nvmedisk.sys. This involves changing three Windows Registry values. It would be a good idea to image or backup your data before you tinker with this, so you can perform a full image restore if it breaks Windows booting. The guide can be found in the source links below, use it at your own risk.

GIGABYTE has updated its website for the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti WINDFORCE OC V2 graphics card to reflect a change in the usage of its controversial leaking thermal gel. The older website, courtesy of UNIKO's Hardware, had information about "server-grade" thermal conductive gel, which was slowly leaking from multiple GPUs including GeForce RTX 50 series and Radeon RX 9000 series that used the leaking gel. In the more recent past, we haven't seen reports about more leaking thermal gel from the community, indicating that GIGABYTE has either fixed the issue or used a completely new thermal solution.

When the issue arose a few months ago, GIGABYTE explained that the problem was due to an excessive application of gel in early production batches. They assured that the material could withstand temperatures up to 150°C without melting. While they acknowledged the cosmetic issue of the gel appearing to drip or separate, GIGABYTE maintained that this did not impact the performance, reliability, or lifespan of the cards. They stated that later production runs had been adjusted to apply the correct amount of gel, but no recall was issued for the affected units.

Ubisoft recently spoke about some interesting work that it had to do to make Assassin's run at 30 FPS on the Nintendo Switch 2 with VRR enabled ahead of the game's launch earlier in December, but now developers who worked on porting Assassin's Creed Shadows to the Switch 2 have provided more details about the method in an interview with FRVR. As the rendering technical architect, Nicolas Lopez, rendering project lead, Sebastian Daigneault, and engine project lead, Bruno Champoux, explain, the Anvil Engine used for Assassin's Creed Shadows basically tricks the Nintendo Switch 2 by presenting the same frame twice in the same present period, effectively doubling the frame rate and allowing VRR to work when it wouldn't ordinarily work at frame rates under 40 Hz.

Ubisoft's frame rate trick has been confirmed to be in use in both Assassin's Creed Shadows and Star Wars Outlaws, both of which double the effective frame rate in order to hit a 30 FPS target, but it has also been integrated into the company's Anvil Engine and confirmed to be coming to future Ubisoft games on the Switch 2. This development work could also lay the groundwork to allow more Anvil Engine games to make it to the Nintendo Switch 2 with similar optimizations before long. In addition to Ubisoft's own Anvil engine, the developers confirmed that Ubisoft is working with Nintendo in order to bring that support for VRR at lower frame rates to other games.

In our reviews of previous Lenovo Legion laptops, we've noted that they deliver a lot of bang for the buck, with devices like the Legion 5i being a great example. Now, it looks like Lenovo is planning to launch an update to its Legion gaming laptop series at CES in January 2026. Recent leaks from Windows Latest indicate that Lenovo is planning on launching AMD-powered Legion 5a and Legion 7a laptops, all of which will feature updated AMD Ryzen AI 400-series APUs and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPUs. Prior leaks about the AMD Ryzen 400 APUs revealed that the next-gen APUs will pack both Zen 5 and RDNA 3.5 tech, with the Ryzen 9 APUs featuring up to 12 cores, while the leaked Ryzen 7 variants both packed 8 cores.

The leak confirms Legion 7a laptops equipped with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 and Ryzen AI 9 465 APUs, while the 5a laptops will come with either the Ryzen AI 9 465 or Ryzen 7 250. The Legion 7a and the Ryzen 400-series Legion 5a will lead the line-up with 16-inch, 2,560 × 1,600, 16:10 OLED displays topping out at 240 Hz (165 Hz for the Legion 5a) and 500 nits brightness. It seems as though only the Lenovo Legion 7a will feature NVIDIA G-SYNC, while the entire line-up will deliver 100% DCI-P3 coverage. All except for the Ryzen 7-powered Legion 5a will feature X-Rite calibration from the factory. The top-end Legion 7a will come with up to 64 GB of LPDDR5x RAM at 8533 MT/s, while the lower-end Legion laptops will have slower DDR5-5600 RAM and top out at 32 GB. All three laptops will seemingly also feature keyboards with 24-zone RGB and swappable keycaps, which is interesting for those interested in longevity and repairability.

Linux users have long preferred AMD GPUs for their superior built-in support in the Linux kernel, and the latest Linux kernel update, version 6.19, appears to reinforce these notions, according to testing by Phoronix. For users of old GCN 1.0 and GCN 1.1 GPUs, like the AMD R9 390x, recent change to the Linux kernel now defaults to using the newer AMDGPU Linux kernel driver, where they would previously default to the Radeon driver. This change was facilitated by Valve, whose engineers have been working on bringing modern feature support to the GPUs and getting the AMDGPU kernel driver support into a state that allowed for it to become the default option. This change was expected to deliver a performance uplift, but in testing, it has been revealed that this performance uplift often exceeds 40%, depending on the game.

Phoronix tested the new configuration on an AMD Radeon HD 7900 3 GB from the Southern Island family, which is a 13-year-old graphics card, and in the publication's testing, the new driver outperformed the older version in every test, with the biggest performance increases coming from the GravityMark 1.87 OpenGL tests, although Unigine's benchmarks also saw a handsome improvement. Aside from performance improvements, access to features like the Mesa RADV Vulkan driver, among others, allows these older GPUs to play a number of games using Proton, which could improve performance or make previously unplayable games compatible.

The Indie Game Awards has previously taken a stance against the use of generative AI, confirming that games that used generative AI during the development process are not eligible for consideration for any awards. Now, it has upheld that stance, with a new announcement from the IGA's Nomination Committee officially retracting Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Game of the Year and Debut Game awards after Sandfall Interactive admitted to using generative AI during the production of the game. This is in spite of Sandbox Interactive previously confirming during the deliberation process that it had not used generative AI in the game. The studio later admitted to using generative AI during the development process—and accidentally shipping AI assets at launch—which goes against The Indie Game Awards's stance on the controversial technology.

The Indie Game Awards has instead awarded the Best Debut Game award to Sorry We're Closed, a story-driven survival horror game that mixes top-down navigation and exploration with arcade-style first-person shooting. Meanwhile, the 2025 Game of the Year award was awarded to Blue Prince, a "strategy puzzle adventure" roguelite game. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 still has the multiple awards that it won during the 2025 The Game Awards, although those awards have also been called into question by the gaming community because of the game's budget and its large workforce, which some argue should disqualify it from indie status. An extended statement about the IGA retractions follows.

According to the analyst firm IDC, PC prices are projected to rise by up to 8% overall in 2026, due to a significant storage and memory shortage currently impacting the supply chain. IDC's moderate projection suggests that average selling prices for PCs could increase by approximately 4% to 6%, while a more severe shortage could drive the increase up to 8%. Several major vendors, including Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer, and ASUS, have already warned customers about contract resets and overall list-price increases ranging from 15% to 20% for systems shipping in the second half of 2026.

The overall situation remains grim despite significant shifts in industry trends. For instance, Dell, one of the largest PC manufacturers, reports that Windows 10 to Windows 11 transition has been slower than expected. During a recent Q3 earnings call, COO Jeffrey Clarke noted, "We have not completed the Windows 11 transition. In fact, if you were to look at it relative to the previous OS end of support, we are 10-12 points behind where we were with the previous generation." This suggests that PC industry sales have been relatively stagnant, with clients not updating their PCs as much as anticipated.

AQIRYS launches LUNA, a new wireless gaming headset built to immerse you in rich, 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound. Named after the celestial body that has guided explorers for generations, LUNA is engineered for gamers who demand high-resolution audio, crystal-clear communication, and total freedom of movement across all platforms.

Titanium-Enhanced Fidelity
At the core of LUNA lies a pair of 40 mm Hi-fi drivers with titanium-film diaphragms. This advanced material adds rigidity and reduces distortion, delivering a massive frequency response of 15 Hz - 28 kHz. Unlike standard drivers, LUNA provides a wider, more detailed soundstage - from the deep rumble of an explosion to the subtle snap of a reload - ensuring you hear every detail exactly as it was meant to sound. The closed-back, over-ear design further helps isolate external noise, keeping you fully immersed. To fully unlock the potential of the headset, dedicated software is available, allowing users to customize and enhance their 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound experience on PC.

AQIRYS launches NOVA, a new wireless gaming mouse built around three essential pillars: absolute accuracy with 8K polling rate, featherlight ergonomics, and versatile triple-mode connectivity. NOVA is engineered for e-sports professionals and competitive players who demand pixel-perfect tracking and instant responsiveness

Absolute Accuracy with PixArt 3950
At the core of NOVA lies the cutting-edge PixArt 3950 optical sensor, delivering jaw-dropping precision with 30,000 DPI and a massive 8000 Hz polling rate. Capable of tracking speeds up to 750 IPS and 50G acceleration, NOVA ensures that every flick and micro-adjustment is translated instantly with 1 ms response time. It is the ultimate tool for high-stakes competitive play where every millisecond counts.

Delivering the next wave of chiplet innovation, Cadence has successfully taped out its third-generation Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express (UCIe) IP solution, achieving industry-leading 64 Gbps per-lane speeds on the advanced TSMC N3P process. As the industry moves toward increasingly complex AI, high-performance computing (HPC), and data center architectures, the need for robust, high-bandwidth chiplet connectivity has never been greater. This milestone positions Cadence at the forefront of enabling scalable, energy-efficient multi-die systems for the most demanding applications.

As process nodes advance to 3 nm and below, SoC designers face the challenge of balancing optimal power, performance, and area (PPA) with the requirements of high-speed, reliable die-to-die communication. The Cadence UCIe IP solution, fully compliant with the UCIe specification, is engineered to address these challenges directly. Leveraging TSMC's innovative N3P technology, the solution delivers excellent power efficiency, allowing customers to meet aggressive energy budgets without sacrificing performance.

SilverStone today introduced the FLP02, a retro-inspired ATX full-tower case. This case is both contemporary and retro. It's contemporary in that it features a modern horizontally partitioned layout; and it's retro in that it comes with fully detachable 3.5-inch and 5.25-inch drive bays. The 5.25-inch bay covers, which look like FDDs, can be pulled out to install the real deal, or an optical disc drive. We'd have loved to see a 5.25-inch to 3.5-inch external bay adapter so 3.5-inch FDDs or floptical drives could be installed.

The front panel is split into two sections, the one along the front-face has an AT-style power switch, however, this is make-believe and actuates in the same way as a doorbell switch. There's a physical lock that disconnects the power switch, a normal reset button, and a turbo button that overrides the motherboard's fan PWM signal and runs fans at full speed. There's also a 2-digit segment display that shows fan duty cycle. Above the topmost 5.25-inch bay is a door that conceals a more modern front-panel I/O, consisting of a 10 Gbps-capable USB 3.2 Gen 2 type-C, two USB 3.2 type-A, and a 4-pole headset jack.

Notorious Studios is excited to announce that its debut title, extraction-RPG Eldegarde, will be launching in 1.0 on 21 January 2026 on Steam. Originally titled Legacy: Steel & Sorcery, the PvEvE game launched into Steam Early Access in February 2025, garnering plenty of positive feedback and building a dedicated community. Picking from iconic fantasy classes including Warrior, Rogue or Wizard, Eldegarde players can dive into a world of magic and steel, battling monsters and knights, as well as other players, through verdant fields, deep woods, and sinister crypts in order to find incredible loot and extract safely.

Developer Notorious Studios, formed by Blizzard veteran Chris Kaleiki (World of Warcraft, Wrath of the Lich King, Mists of Pandaria), has worked closely with the game's community over the past eleven months, shaping and improving the core multiplayer experience, adding in brand new maps and new classes such as Paladin and Wizard. Eldegarde's 1.0 launch also introduces a PvE mode, allowing more casual players to jump into the classic pulp fantasy-inspired world of Eldegarde, learning its combat mechanics and map intricacies without the threat of other players.

In a December 19 Steam client update, Valve has finally ended support for the 32-bit Steam application on Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating systems. According to the official release notes, updates for the 32-bit Steam client will continue to be provided for systems with 32-bit Windows versions until January 1, 2026. This marks the end of one of the last official 32-bit applications that actively supported the 32-bit versions of Windows. As the software industry continues to phase out 32-bit support, this decision is a natural progression, encouraging consumers to transition to 64-bit operating systems and compatible software.

Valve has been planning this change for some time to simplify software maintenance. However, only a very small number of users will be affected by this decision, as almost no one is still using the outdated 32-bit operating system. Those still on a 32-bit OS will need to upgrade their hardware or reinstall 64-bit OS versions, if their hardware permits, to continue using the official Steam Client. For those planning to stick with 32-bit builds, there is still hope. Enthusiasts frequently create unofficial backports of modern clients. For example, an earlier version of the Steam Client was unofficially backported to Windows 7 SP1 x64 and Windows 8.x x64.

Industry-leading embedded solutions provider AAEON has released the GENESYSM-MTH6, a slim SubCompact System powered by Intel Core Ultra processors Series 1 (formerly Meteor Lake). Measuring just 190 mm x 134.1 mm x 43 mm and with both wall and VESA mounting options, the GENESYSM-MTH6 appears well-suited to act as a compact edge AI system for industrial setups. However, given the presence of three LAN ports for peripheral camera support, AAEON have noted it has the specifications necessary to operate as part of AI-assisted surveillance applications.

Differentiating itself from previous AAEON SubCompact Systems is the GENESYSM-MTH6's inclusion of the PER-SB2B expansion module as part of the product's BOM. The module, which was offered as an optional accessory for the board-level GENE-MTH6, will be included by default for the GENESYSM-MTH6. This module provides a substantial boost to the expansion options available, providing the system with two M.2 2280 M-Key slots for high-speed storage or AI acceleration, while maintaining an additional M.2 2280 M-Key on the system's motherboard. Other expansion options include an M.2 3052 B-Key and M.2 2230 E-Key, which allow for the installation of 5G and Wi-Fi 6E CNVi modules, respectively.

GMKtec today officially announced the launch of the NucBox K15, its latest seventh-generation ultra workstation Mini PC. As one of the first Mini PCs to feature the Intel Core Ultra 5 Processor 125U, the NucBox K15 sets a new benchmark in performance, energy efficiency, and expandability for compact computing.

Next-Generation Intel Core Ultra Performance
Powered by the Intel Core Ultra 5 125U, the NucBox K15 features a 12-core, 14-thread hybrid architecture (2 Performance cores + 8 Efficiency cores + 2 Low-Power Efficiency cores), with a maximum turbo frequency of up to 4.3 GHz and 12 MB of Intel Smart Cache. In the Master Lu benchmark, the system achieves a score of over 1,100,000, demonstrating outstanding performance among low-power Mini PCs. Its strong multi-core capability ensures smooth multitasking, making it well-suited for office productivity, software development, and content creation workflows.

Valve has officially discontinued its 256 GB LCD version of the Steam Deck handheld gaming console, phasing it out entirely from its offerings. However, this is not the end of the Steam Deck lineup, as the 512 GB and 1 TB OLED versions will continue manufacturing and sales. According to Valve, "We are no longer producing the Steam Deck LCD 256 GB model. Once sold out, it will no longer be available." This is a logical decision considering Valve is trying to simplify its production lines as it introduces new products such as the Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller.

The LCD version of the Steam Deck carried a MSRP of $399 and came with 256 GB of storage, but to upgrade to OLED, gamers had to spend an extra $150 for a price tag of $549. Of course, the OLED SKU carries a fleet of benefits, with the most obvious being the display quality with HDR and a higher 90 Hz refresh rate, longer battery life, and bigger storage capacity for larger games. To make matters more interesting, Valve's website already shows that the LCD version is out of stock, so if gamers want to get their hands on the Steam Deck at the lower price point, they have to look at third-party retailers for any remaining stock.

Welcome to the last full week of 2025 and for once there are actually a few game releases this time of the year, even though there's nothing that really stands out. We kick off the week with an Asian ARPG, which is followed by some space pirate cleansing, some taxi driving, a prison break, some disco and finally a trip to Colombia. Have a great holiday week, although we'll be back before the new year, since week one starts this side of the new year.

Duet Night Abyss / This week's major release / Tuesday 23 December
Duet Night Abyss is a fantasy adventure RPG with a high degree of freedom developed by Hero Games' Pan Studio. The game features "Multiple Weapon Loadouts x 3D Combat" at its core, and tells the story of "Demons" from dual perspectives. Steam link

AMD recently released FSR 4 Redstone Frame Generation, which, in our testing, provided a decent uptick in perceived smoothness and image quality. However, one of the biggest disappointments for Team Red gamers was that Redstone is officially exclusive to AMD's RDNA 4 GPUs, limiting it to GPUs in the RX 9000-series cards. One enterprising Reddit user, however, has seemingly managed to get FSR 4 Redstone Frame Generation running on an AMD Radeon RDNA 3 GPUs—and no older than RDNA 3—using OptiScaler and the same FP8 workaround as was previously demonstrated to work with FSR 4 Super Resolution.

The full methodology is explained in a Reddit post shared to r/radeon, but it should be noted that it only works on Linux and requires the use of Valve's Proton compatibility layer to work. The redditor tested the frame generation implementation with an AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT and notes that it introduces about twice as much latency as the Frame Generation implementation in FSR 3.1.6—adding around 0.14 ms latency per generated frame versus 0.07 ms on the older version—although they do not comment on performance or image quality differences between the two. This does reveal, however, that AMD is intentionally using Redstone as a method to help artificially segment its product stack, which is not sitting well with a number of commenters in the same Reddit thread that the workaround was made public. The full workaround follows.

After all the hype from the announcement, we've seen your questions—and we love the enthusiasm. We've put together this FAQ to answer some of the most common questions we've been getting about SAMSON. From pricing and platforms to gameplay and tone, this should give you a clearer picture of what kind of experience we're building.

How much will the game cost?
As an independently developed and published title, we don't have the overhead of a large organization—just the core development team. This gives us the freedom to set our own price. At $24.99, we hope players will be encouraged to give it a try and discover an experience that truly punches above its price point.

Mega Man: Dual Override is expected to arrive in 2027, the year the series will celebrate its 40th anniversary! The twelfth mainline entry in the Mega Man series will be full of new features so stay tuned! Override challenges and blast down legions of robots while springboarding across a new array of futuristic frontiers!

About Mega Man
The Blue Bomber first began busting bots in 1987 and instantly captivated players with its flexible gameplay, colorful characters, and rockin' music. Since then, the franchise has spawned more than 130 titles worldwide, jumping beyond the world of games into comics, TV series, and more.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for Wicked Inside Showcase, with all your positive feedback we're excited about the Co-op launch on the 22nd of Jan. With No Rest for the Wicked - Together, we're confident you're in for something special, and we're excited for you to finally get hands-on. For all Wicked players who own the game on Steam, we've just opened an Experimental branch for the Co-op open beta. This is your chance to jump into the test branch and help shape the final experience. The Experimental branch uses separate saves from Live, so you'll start fresh in the Beta. Note: your Live characters and progress are not affected and will be waiting for you when you switch back.

The Open Beta should run from 18th December to 22nd December!
If you want to play with friends, add them on Steam and invite them to your Realm. If you're looking for others to team up with, head over to the Official No Rest for the Wicked Discord and check out #lookingforplayers to meet fellow Wicked players. Please note: you must own the game to access this test branch.

Hours ago, Samsung Semiconductor's website was updated with an extensive Exynos 2600 splash page. This low-key addition provides a fairly detailed rundown of the forthcoming smartphone application processor's credentials. A marketing campaign kicked off at the start of December, but certain industry observers were confused by this initial wave of promo activity. At the time, questions were raised about the South Korean foundry service's 2 nm GAA (SF2) production schedule. The rumored late start of mass production could lead to a delayed deployment of Galaxy S26 products, but the latest inside reports suggest stabilization of foundry performance and yields. According to The Bell SK, satisfactory progress has the emerging Exynos 2600 AP positioned for possible deployment in a next-gen Galaxy Z Flip device. An industry insider reckons that internal tests have produced positive impressions; enough to warrant consideration beyond a debut in Galaxy S26 phones.

Given Samsung's new product release cadence, a Galaxy Z Flip 8 model could arrive at retail by next summer. Bell SK posits that the speculated Galaxy Z Fold 8 smartphone has been linked to Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 mobile chipset, reaffirming past whispers of Samsung's MX and System LSI departments weighing up mixed selections of in-house and third-party technologies (dependent on product tiers). The Exynos 2600 chip's 32K MAC NPU supposedly exceeded expectations when compared to rival hardware—internal evaluations indicated "AI engine" performance being about six times greater than on Apple's current flagship A19 Pro SoC. When compared to the omnipresent Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, Samsung's proprietary design (allegedly) did better in NPU and iGPU test scenarios—up to 30% and 29% faster, respectively.

Eurocom is proud to announce the launch of the EUROCOM Raptor X18 - a mobile server platform that brings enterprise-grade, rack-class performance into a single, portable chassis. Built to deliver full server functionality without the constraints of traditional data center infrastructure, the EUROCOM Raptor X18 gives organizations the freedom to deploy high-performance computing, private cloud hosting, edge-computing nodes or temporary network infrastructures - anywhere, anytime.

EUROCOM Raptor X18 is powered by Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 275HX with 24C/24T 36M cache and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 24 GB DDR7 with Blackwell 328 Tensor AI cores architecture. It supports up to 256 GB of DDR5 memory, up to 32 TB of NVMe SSD storage in RAID 0/1/5, two LAN ports and two additional LAN ports via TB5 ports.

MMX 150 wireless: A headset for gaming and everyday use
While developed for focused gaming sessions, the MMX 150 is equally suitable for casual party games, listening to music, or binge-watching your favourite series. Its wide-ranging soundscape can be customised via the beyerdynamic app.

Inside the headset, a 40 mm premium dynamic driver forms the foundation of an immersive sound experience. Gamers benefit from precise spatial reproduction, allowing them to detect even the subtlest in-game sounds. Latency is just 30 milliseconds when used with the included dongle. Alternatively, the headset can connect via Bluetooth 5.3. LC3 codecs ensure energy-efficient transmission, extending battery life to up to 50 hours.

On behalf of the team at The Coalition and our partner studios Sumo Digital and Disbelief Games, we'd like to say thanks for playing! Whether you've been with us since 2006 or you picked up a Lancer for the first time this year on a new platform, you're a part of the Gears family and we salute you for spending time with us.

What is the studio most looking forward to in 2026?
Next year marks the 20th anniversary of Gears of War, and we can't think of a bigger way to celebrate than with the release of Gears of War: E-Day. This is our most ambitious game yet, entirely built from scratch in Unreal Engine 5 to feel like Gears and play like new. This is a return to our roots as Marcus and Dom face the Locust for the first time ever. It's the best place to jump into the Gears universe, and we can't wait to share more next year.

On Wednesday (December 17), Maxsun presented its brand-new PC Farm motherboard series at this year's Shunwang Technology and Intel Cloud Business Summit. The Taiwanese computer hardware specialist introduced three options (in slide form only): MS-PC Farm B760I, MS-PC Farm H770I D5 V2, and MS-PC Farm B860I. The latter SKU has attracted the most attention, due to it featuring: "four DIMM slots (that support) up to 256 GB of (DDR5) memory." Maxsun's PR department reckons that this configuration will be ready to "meet high-load computing demands." A single low resolution promo shot shows off a largely black Mini-ITX board design, with a third of its real estate occupied by four DIMM slots. Initial press analysis proposes that Maxsun's upcoming product could be the first of its kind; a tiny consumer-grade board that can accommodate four sticks of DDR5 RAM.

Normally, compact PC enthusiasts—desiring 4-slot setups—have compromised with selections of larger microATX parts. Maxsun's MS-PC Farm flagship model builds on "existing airflow optimization and IPMI management capabilities." The company's preview material outlines support on the MCIO interface for high-speed PCIe 5.0 expansion. Also, the MS-PC Farm B860I is capable of "forced BIOS flashing." An intelligent fault diagnosis system is advertised as being able to accurately locate: "problems with various IC components on the motherboard for rapid troubleshooting and recovery, ensuring continuous and stable system operation." A full specification sheet was not released during a mid-week preview event, but the presence of an Intel B860 chipset and LGA 1851 socket pave the way for hosting of current-gen Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" processors.

From the initial development of the very first ProArt PC case, we've made cooling a priority. Not cooling that users could add in later with additional purchases, but native cooling that builders could count on the moment they pulled their chassis out of the box. This laser focus on cooling led to a wide variety of innovations: high-porosity front panel grills, internal deflectors that direct air toward heat-producing components, front-panel IR dust indicators, and more. Through our work to maximize cooling performance in modern PC cases, we've also made key advancements in fan design.

Behind the scenes, we've been working to take the innovations we developed for the specialized preinstalled fans in ProArt cases and refine them into a standard 120 mm design. Today, we're ready to reveal the results of that work: the ProArt PF120 case fans. Offering high-end static pressure and airflow, competitive acoustic performance at any RPM, a highly compatible 28 mm-thick frame, and an understated visual design that aligns with your non-ARGB minimalist build, the ProArt PF120 case fans are in a league of their own.

According to recent reports, TSMC leadership is expediting a major next phase at the Arizona campus—a second fabrication facility could come online by 2027, with a move into mass production of 3 nm (N3) wafers. A fresh news article—published by CNA Taiwan—signals an uncertain technological roadmap for the leading foundry service's North American operations. Taiwanese regulators have reportedly questioned TSMC's commitment to a long-term "N-2" rule. Under strict guidelines, the nation's premier chipmaker is not allowed to narrow a two generation-wide gap between domestic and offshore foundry capabilities. Presently, the Arizona Fab 21 Phase 1 site—at best—can pump out 4 nm (N4) products. Additionally, it produces more mature 5 nm (N5) wafers.

Given the current global political climate, TSMC's executive team could have a tough time satisfying demands from both sides of the Pacific. CNA's news piece highlighted observations made by Lin Fa-cheng, the Deputy Minister of Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). According to that report, Fa-cheng believes that TSMC will continue to adhere to the "N-2" policy, due to the vast majority of company R&D expertise being concentrated domestically—once native development moves onto the creation of truly cutting-edge 1.2 nm and 1.4 nm technologies, their 1.6 nm-class process (A16) knowledge can be shared with overseas facilities. Almost a month ago, insiders posited that TSMC was planning another expansion of its home turf footprint—a speculated $28 billion investment could lead to the construction of three 2 nm specialist fabs.

Akasa, a leading provider of thermal solutions, continues to strengthen its presence in the enterprise and datacenter market with an expanded range of server CPU coolers designed for the growing demands of workstation, AI and edge compute, dense rackmount systems and industrial applications. The latest additions include models supporting AMD SP6 / sTR5, Intel LGA1851 / LGA1700 sockets or Intel LGA3647 sockets, ranging from high capacity 4U tower solutions, compact 2U active coolers to low-profile 1U passive coolers.

New Models for AMD Platforms
Collectively, the AK-CC340X series expands Akasa's current server cooler range of Intel LGA4677 socket coolers to include three new models supporting AMD SP6 sockets (for AMD EPYC processors) and sTR5 sockets (for AMD Ryzen Threadripper (Pro) 9000 / 7000 series CPUs). All three coolers are equipped with secure spring-loaded screw mounting and pre-applied thermal compound for quick and easy installation.

Total War Community, fresh off last week's reveal of Total War: WARHAMMER 40,000, we've got one final peek behind the curtain before the team heads off for a well-earned Christmas break. In this roundtable, Ian (Princiapal Creative Director), Simon (Campaign Product Owner), and Dave (Battle Product Owner) share how they're bringing the grim, brutal galaxy of the 41st Millennium to life. Expect some gameplay insights, plenty of talk about war (naturally), and Dave doing his best to keep his Ork obsession under control.

In case you missed it: After seeing so many of you ask for our epic key art in wallpaper form, we couldn't keep it locked away any longer. Designed by the legendary Warhammer 40,000 artist Paul Dainton, this grimdark beauty deserves to be immortalized—so we're giving it to you to deck out your desktops in true style. That's the end of today's transmission. This will be our last Total War: WARHAMMER 40,000 update until Spring 2026, when we return with more secrets from the grim darkness of the far future. Until then, ready your forces—for in the 41st Millennium, there is only WAR.

Sapphire has seemingly distributed special variants of its flagship Radeon RX 9070 XT Nitro+ graphics card model to Chinese press and influencer outlets. A Phantom Link edition received pre-launch video coverage earlier in the week, swiftly followed by the surprise appearance of a white spin-off. Yesterday, the Just Buy (if you like it) video channel showcased Sapphire's pale redecoration of the current-gen Nitro+ design—possibly the first of its kind. Normally, this premium card design—within the RDNA 4 generation—sports a luxurious champagne gold finish. The not-yet-released "Aurora Edition" veers closer to the Hong Kong-based manufacturer's upper-mid-range PURE product theme.

So far, previewers have not paired their card samples with Sapphire's X870EA Wi-Fi Phantom Link Edition motherboard. Instead, Just Buy settled on utilizing an ASUS TUF Gaming BTF-type mainboard; readily compatible with the Phantom Link system—merely Sapphire's rebranding of the modular GC-HPWR adapter. They freely swapped between the Sapphire card, and (what looks like) a TUF Gaming RTX 5070 Ti BTF White model. As mentioned by Uniko's Hardware, Tony Yu (aka Uncle Tony)—general manager of the ASUS China branch—has personally "endorsed" the Radeon RX 9070 XT Nitro+ Phantom Link design. Industry observers believe that the current seeding of press samples will build up hype before an official unveiling at CES 2026, potentially followed by a widespread retail release. At the time of writing, early hands-on demonstrations did not include any on-screen or benchmarking sessions.

Blood Codes are the physical manifestation of the power held by an individual Revenant in Code Vein II. It forms the foundation for build customization, determining the user's fighting style, favored weapons, and applicable formae. Since they can be swapped out like equipment, they allow you to change your fighting style at any time by altering your base stats, eliminating the need to reallocate parameters or retrain a character. Furthermore, each Blood Codes possess unique effects known as Traits.

Attributes & Burden
The abilities that fluctuate based on the equipped Blood Code influence the Attack power of weapons and formae, as well as HP and Stamina. When equipping Weapons, Jails, and Defensive Formae, Burden is applied to respective abilities. The state of this Burden can result in changes to your character's actions and/or grant special bonuses.

A fairly unique "Gorgon Point" mobile processor has turned up multiple times within the Geekbench Browser database. Instead of discovering the usual Geekbench 6.x-based entries, Olrak29 put a spotlight on scores and diagnostic data produced by Geekbench AI 1.5 benchmark sessions. Six Fujitsu Client Computing test systems posted results on December 9, all featuring an unreleased Ryzen AI 7 445 APU. So far, leaks of slightly refreshed "Strix Point" and "Krackan Point" designs have been compared to direct predecessors, but the leaked Ryzen AI 7 445 SKU seems to be an outlier—in terms of nomenclature and core configuration. The closest forebear would be Team Red's Ryzen AI 5 340 "Krackan Point" mobile chip; sporting a mixture of "Zen 5" and "Zen 5c" cores.

The current-gen 6-core design consists of three standard cores, and three "compact" alternatives. When looking at Geekbench browser entries, the forthcoming Ryzen AI 7 445 model sports two "Zen 5" cores (in cluster 1) and four "Zen 5c" units (in cluster 2). Geekbench AI 1.5 diagnostics do not provide a comprehensive set of specifications, but base frequency was tracked at 2.00 GHz, and the detected integrated graphics solution was AMD's RDNA 3.5-based Radeon 840M. As mentioned earlier, the not-yet-launched CPU's unusual core configuration was not copied from any readily available/current processor products—Team Red could be readying the Ryzen AI 7 445 APU for eventual deployment in efficiency-oriented platforms.

Lian Li Industrial Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of chassis and PC accessories, launches the Vector V100 MINI, a compact microATX case that offers the same design and performance as the original V100 in a smaller form factor. Despite its reduced size, the V100 MINI maintains extensive fan support with configurations for up to three 120 mm side fans, three 120 mm or two 140 mm top fans, and one 120 mm rear fan, ensuring strong airflow and cooling flexibility.

The V100 MINI is compatible with both standard and back-connect microATX motherboards, features front and side tempered glass panels for 270° unobstructed visibility, and can fit GPUs up to 415 mm with an included anti-sag bracket and PSU shroud cable opening for clean routing and a professional look. The Vector V100R MINI version includes 4x pre-installed 120 mm ARGB PWM fans (3x reverse side intakes and 1x rear exhaust). Both variants are available only in black.

Hey Chefs! We want to share an important update regarding the release of Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together. After careful consideration, we've decided to move the release date to March 31st, 2026. This decision wasn't made lightly. Nowadays, it's no longer enough to simply create a good game - our goal is to deliver an experience that feels extraordinary, memorable, and truly worth your time from the very first service.

Listening to the community
Since November, Cooking Simulator 2 has been in continuous external QA, playtests, and focus sessions. During this time, we didn't just observe gameplay—we talked a lot with you, the community. Your feedback sparked long internal discussions about what Cooking Simulator 2 could do to become even better. Together, we analyzed what works, what needs improvement, and where we can go further. These conversations directly influenced our decision to take more time and refine the game instead of rushing to the finish line.

ASRock today introduced the Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi White graphics card. The card is positioned a notch above the company's current RX 9070 XT Taichi OC. While the shape of its cooling solution resembles that of the original Taichi OC with its 3-tone black+gray+chrome trim, the shroud is now almost completely single-tone white, but with an acrylic ARGB diffuser along the top. There are additional ARGB LED elements along the front. The middle fan is clear, and comes with ARGB lighting. Perhaps the most striking element is its tiny 2-inch color LCD that can be programmed to display just about anything. By default, it puts out system monitoring specs pulled from the ASRock PolyChrome Sync app.

The card retains the meaty VRM setup of the original Taichi OC, and is among the few custom RX 9070 XT cards to come with a 16-pin 12V-2x6 power connector that's capable of 450 W input. The card comes with a factory OC of 2570 MHz Game clock, and 3100 MHz boost, compared to AMD reference speeds of 2400 MHz Game clock and 2970 MHz boost. Its cooling solution uses an impressive eight 6 mm-thick nickel-plated copper heatpipes that pull heat from the GPU and memory, pushing it through the heatsinks, which are ventilated by a trio of fans. ASRock did not confirm pricing, but this is sure to be pricier than the regular RX 9070 XT Taichi OC.A marketing video by ASRock follows.

ASUS today announced ASUS ExpertCenter P500 Mini Tower (PM500MH), a high-performance desktop PC for that's designed to redefine value and performance for small businesses. With the new ASUS Tower Air Cooler thermal design and powered by the latest up to AMD Ryzen 7 processor, P500 Mini Tower unleashes up to 45 W TDP—delivering 40% better peak performance than competitors in its class.

Security is paramount with ExpertCenter P500 Mini Tower, so it's backed by the reassurance of multiple ASUS ExpertGuardian protections. This powerhouse meets commercial-grade standards with a NIST SP 800-155-compliant BIOS, while ASUS assures at least five years of BIOS and driver updates to protect critical data. Enhanced with ASUS AI ExpertMeet, part of the ASUS MyExpert suite, ExpertCenter P500 Mini Tower revolutionizes virtual meetings through advanced AI tools like real-time translation and automated summaries, making collaboration seamless. With an optional up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 graphics, this new desktop also supports high-end visuals and demanding graphical tasks.

ASUS today announced the ProArt PF120 case fan, which offers high-end static pressure and airflow, competitive acoustic performance at any RPM, a highly compatible 28 mm-thick frame, and an understated visual design that aligns with non-ARGB minimalist builds.

Ready to contend with the best
When compared to the current market-leading 3000 rpm case fan, the ProArt PF120 wins in every metric. At maximum 3000rpm fan speed, it boasts 7.3 mmH₂O static pressure and 104.8cfm airflow—both specs higher than the leading competitor, while producing less noise. Since the ProArt PF120 offers such high static pressure, it is a great choice for upgrading the fans on your AiO liquid cooler. It maintains the lead at 2000rpm and 1200rpm as well, helping to ensure that users get great cooling performance that smoothly ramps up with the most demanding workloads. That is, when normalized for decibels of noise, the ProArt PF120 delivers higher air pressure and more efficient heat removal.

Only yesterday, specs of the new Samsung Exynos 2600 SoC leaked and now the company has unveiled the chip on its website. However, it has done so without any of the usual PR that goes with a new major product release like this. The leaked details were mostly correct and the Exynos 2600 will indeed feature a 3.8 GHz C1-Ultra prime core, three C1-Prox3 3.25 GHz performance cores and six power efficient C1-Prox6 2.75 GHz cores, all based on the Arm's latest v9.3 architecture. The Exynos 2600 will be fabricated using Samsung Foundry's 2 nm GAA process and its low power design and the package will use something Samsung calls heat path block which is using a High-k EMC material which is said to improve heat dissipation.The Exynos 2600 should deliver 39 percent better CPU performance compared to its predecessor according to Samsung.

The GPU will be Samsung's Xclipse 960—which yesterday's leaks also got correct—with support for ray tracing and Exynos Neural Super Sampling (ENSS) or AI-powered frame generation and upscaling. Samsung claims twice the compute performance of its predecessor here. There will also be a separate AI engine with a 32K MAC NPU and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). Other features include support for LPDDR5X memory and UFS 4.1 storage, support for up to 4K or WQUXGA displays with a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, native 8K 30p video encoding and 8K 60p video decoding and finally support for up to 320 MP single camera resolution and the ability to shoot pictures at 108 MP at 30 FPS and of course there are some AI features here too, that Samsung calls DVNR or Deep learning Video Noise Reduction. All modern video codecs such as AV1, VP9 and Samsung's own APV are supported, but there's no sign of H.266. We'll likely get more details of the Exynos 2600 at CES early next year.

A few days ago, LG TV webOS update lead a user to see an installed Microsoft's Copilot AI app, with no option to remove it. This has caused quite a controversy among enthusiasts and owners of LG TVs, who didn't like the idea of getting Microsoft's Copilot AI app without their knowledge. LG has issued a statement for The Verge, which explains that Microsoft Copilot is just a shortcut for customer's "convenience." However, when asked about when the TV will allow users to delete the icon, LG spokesperson Chris De Maria confirmed that there is no definitive date, but the option is coming. You can find LG's statement below:

Chris De MariaFollowing recent coverage regarding the arrival of Microsoft Copilot on LG TVs, we're reaching out to provide an important clarification. Based on recent coverage regarding the arrival of Microsoft Copilot on LG TVs, we want to clarify that Microsoft Copilot is provided as a shortcut icon to enhance customer accessibility and convenience. It is not an application-based service embedded in the TV. When users select the Copilot shortcut, Microsoft's website opens through the TV's web browser, and features such as microphone input are activated only with the customer's explicit consent.

According to a series of tests from Digital Foundry, AMD's FSR "Redstone" technology has issues with frame pacing, which can sometimes result in smoother gameplay when the technology is turned off. AMD has enhanced the FSR 4 technology by adding machine learning-based rendering stages focused on frame generation, ray tracing reconstruction, and lighting acceleration (Radiance Caching). The FSR 4 machine learning frame generation (MLFG) introduced with "Redstone" has yielded great FPS boost on paper, but has cause the system to output spiky frame rate across the game.

This is inconsistency comes from AMD using an artificial frame pacing technology, not based on the actual flip metering present on the GPU. In contrast, NVIDIA's DLSS 4 uses hardware-based flip metering to ensure precise frame pacing of newly generated frames, resulting in smooth, high-refresh-rate gaming with accurate imagery. As with any artificially generated imagery, it is important that the system properly handles new frames and aligns it with the system so it doesn't introduce latency. However, according to Digital Foundry's testing, Industra 2 game sees a frame time ranging from 4-16 ms, creating visual inconsistencies where each frame is persisting for usual amount of time, producing "torn" frame feeling.

GAMEMAX, an emerging leader in PC gaming hardware including power supply units and cases, today introduces the new NEX C56 and NEX C56 VC mid-tower dual-chamber cases, engineered for high-end gaming PCs that demand both performance and visual impact. Both cases utilize a 12° inclined airflow layout driven by three pre-installed F120RA Reverse Airflow Fans 120 mm ARGB fans. The NEX C56 targets builders who prioritize maximum cooling performance, featuring a high-airflow design complemented by a full mesh top panel. Meanwhile, the NEX C56 VC caters to users who value an unobstructed interior view, replacing the mesh top with tempered glass to complete a striking triple-glass aesthetic.

The GAMEMAX NEX C56 dual-chamber mid-tower arrives with seven pre-installed ARGB fans, delivering robust cooling performance straight out of the box. Its mesh top panel supports 360 mm AIO radiators, enabling a stack-effect airflow configuration that enhances heat dissipation and ensures stable thermals for high-performance builds, even under heavy workloads.

As AI adoption accelerates worldwide, data centers are experiencing explosive growth in computational workloads. With the shift from large-scale model training to continuous inference, the challenge is no longer just about performance - energy efficiency has become equally critical to sustaining next-generation AI infrastructure. This transition is fueling demand for low-power memory solutions capable of supporting continuous AI workloads while optimizing power consumption.

In line with this trend, Samsung has developed SOCAMM2 (Small Outline Compression Attached Memory Module) - an LPDDR-based server memory module designed for AI data centers, with customer samples already being supplied. By combining the strengths of LPDDR technology with a modular, detachable design, SOCAMM2 delivers higher bandwidth, improved power efficiency, and flexible system integration, enabling AI servers to achieve greater efficiency and scalability.

With the matt nickel-plated fittings, Thermal Grizzly expands its product range and offers more options for building a custom water-cooling system. In addition to the new color variant, two new fittings are now available, each with two G1/4-inch female threads. The DeltaMate Rotary - FF90° and the DeltaMate Extender - FF14 are primarily intended for combining two fittings. For example, two short hard tubes can be combined into one long hard tube using two DeltaMate Fittings - HT16 and a DeltaMate Extender - FF14, or routed at a 90-degree angle using the DeltaMate Rotary - FF90° and two HT16 fittings, without the need to bend the tubes themselves.

DeltaMate Fittings are water cooling connectors designed for the individual components of a custom water cooling loop. As expected from Thermal Grizzly quality, the fittings are precisely machined from brass. Brass, as an alloy of copper and zinc, offers the advantage of being anodically compatible with other metals while being harder and more corrosion-resistant than copper.

ASUS today announced that it has claimed the No. 1 position in global OLED monitor market share, following a surge in sales throughout 2025. According to independent market research firm TrendForce, ASUS now holds an estimated 21.9% share, surpassing competitors and cementing its leadership in this fast-growing market.

This milestone underscores the company's commitment to delivering more than just monitors - it reflects a user-first strategy focused on elevating the overall display experience. By expanding its OLED portfolio across both QD-OLED and WOLED technologies for gaming, professional, and creator segments, ASUS ensures solutions are tailored to diverse user needs. Unique innovations such as OLED Care Pro, Neo Proximity Sensor, TrueBlack Glossy, and DisplayWidget Center go beyond performance, enhancing usability, longevity, and visual immersion. This consumer-centric approach transforms OLED monitors into a complete experience, driving user preference for ASUS products and solidifying the company's position as the No. 1 OLED market leader.

Ask any gamer, and you'll hear anecdotes of sky-high hardware prices, especially with the recent developments in the system memory market, but now we also have data to back up those conclusions, thanks to Matt Piscatella and Circana Retail Tracking Service. Piscatella, the Senior Director and Video Game Industry Thought Leader at Circana, recently posted a graph on Bluesky revealing the average monthly US video game hardware unit sales and sale price per unit in November of every year starting in 1995.

According to the data, gaming hardware sales are at the lowest they've been since November 1995, sitting at 1.6 million sales, down from 3.39 million units in November 2019. Meanwhile, the average price per unit is at an all-time high, with the price per unit coming in at $439, up from a mere $235 in November 2019. Compared to November 2024 alone, video game hardware spending declined by a whopping 27%, compared to a 1% increase in sales volume for gaming content and a 13% decline in video game accessory sales. The year-over-year sales reportedly still saw a 10% increase. It's worth noting that this data isn't necessarily representative of global sales or pricing trends, since only US sales were measured. At the same time, it seems as though subscriptions are paying off, with the data analyst claiming a 16% increase in subscription spending since November 2024. In general, it seems as though gamers are spending similar amounts of money on game content as they were just a year prior.

Naughty Dog started development of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet back in 2020 and announced the game in late 2024, but the studio has yet to publish a launch date for the upcoming sci-fi action-adventure game. Now, a new report out of Bloomberg claims that Naughty Dog is planning to launch the Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet in mid-2027. However, it also seems as though Naughty Dog has once again fallen into crunch in order to meet that planned launch date and "get production back on track after several missed deadlines." The gaming industry is no stranger to long work hours, with games like CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 famously requiring months of crunch time ahead of the game's launch.

According to Bloomberg's insider sources, employees across Naughty Dog have been forced to work at least eight hours of overtime per week for the last seven weeks, with a maximum of 60 hours weekly. This new policy also saw developers at the Santa Monica studio return to the office five days a week, and it has been reality for Naughty Dog employees throughout the last year. That crunch-time period has been attributed to extra work as a result of needing to complete an internal demo. Supposedly, the studio will announce a new work schedule in early 2026, returning to its standard three-day work-from-home policy through at least the end of January.

A new software bundle offering lifetime licenses to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows and Windows 11 Pro is now available for a one-time payment of $39.97. For users who rely heavily on Microsoft ecosystems for work, study, or personal productivity, the pairing provides long-term access to two of the company's core products without subscription requirements. Microsoft Office Professional 2021 includes the full suite of desktop applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams (free version), OneNote, Publisher, and Access.

This version continues Microsoft's shift toward a streamlined ribbon interface designed to improve usability across document creation, data analysis, and presentation workflows. Office 2021 also emphasizes compatibility with modern file formats, improved performance, and tools for users working with large datasets or graphics-heavy content. Once activated, the license is tied to one Windows device and does not require ongoing payments. The bundle also includes a lifetime license to Windows 11 Pro, Microsoft's professional-grade operating system. Windows 11 Pro introduces interface refinements such as Snap Layouts, redesigned multitasking tools, integrated Teams chat, and support for touchscreen and pen-based interactions.

With both a modern operating system and a full productivity suite included, this Microsoft bundle offers a single-purchase option for just $39.97 (MSRP $418.99).

If you love documentaries, then you already know what a bad selection streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu have, but there's good news. Curiosity Stream is a streaming platform dedicated entirely to documentaries and educational content, and they just dropped a lifetime subscription on sale for $149.99 (reg. $399.99). The Curiosity Stream catalog covers science, history, nature, space, and technology, and it actually grows every week instead of shrinking behind licensing changes. You can watch deep dives on engineering and archaeology, follow wildlife photographers around the world, or settle in with space-focused series that feel genuinely cinematic.

Since the platform was founded by the creator of Discovery Communications, it leans heavily into educational programming that's still fun to watch. The interface is clean, it works on pretty much any device, and offline viewing makes long trips far less boring. With a lifetime plan, you skip the yearly renewal headache and just keep the entire library forever.

For a very limited time, you can get a Curiosity Stream Standard Lifetime Subscription on sale for $150.