Two fan favorites just got a serious upgrade. JBL Xtreme 5 and JBL Go 5 combine Legendary JBL Sound with a refreshed look and new ambient edge lighting to bring the party wherever you take them. JBL Xtreme 5 now features AI Sound Boost and Smart EQ Mode for rich, powerful sound whether you're listening to music or podcasts while the compact JBL Go 5 makes stereo pairing even easier with AirTouch. No matter the size, JBL brings next-level sound and the vibes to match.

Turn up the volume
Now with 10% deeper bass and louder sound than the previous gen, your most-loved songs hit harder than ever with JBL Xtreme 5. Its new acoustic design made up of dual tweeters, a subwoofer, and enhanced power output delivers powerful sound, while AI Sound Boost minimizes distortion at high volumes. Switching from your party playlist to a podcast? New AI-powered SmartEQ Mode optimizes sound settings for music or speech, so you'll hear the optimal version of whatever you're listening to.

Spanish tech company Slimbook has refreshed its Creative laptop series, pairing an AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 with an NVIDIA RTX 5070 in a noticeably smaller chassis that weighs just 1.9 kg. The display is a 15.3-inch IPS panel at 2560 x 1600, 16:10 aspect ratio, 180 Hz refresh rate, 100% sRGB, and 400 nits brightness. The Ryzen AI 9 365 brings a dedicated NPU, while the RTX 5070 runs at up to 115 W TDP with an additional 45 W headroom via Dynamic Boost. A MUX switch lets you toggle between the discrete GPU, integrated Radeon 880M, or hybrid mode depending on what you need. Memory goes up to 128 GB of DDR5-5600 across two user-accessible SO-DIMM slots, and storage tops out at 8 TB via two PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots.

Connectivity is generous, Thunderbolt 4, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 on the right, one more on the left alongside a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, dual HDMI 2.1 outputs, a Mini DisplayPort 2.1a, gigabit Ethernet, and an SD card reader. Wi-Fi is 6E on Windows or 6 on Linux, with Bluetooth 5.2. The 99.9 Wh battery supports fast charging to 40% in 30 minutes. Slimbook offers the Creative with a choice of Linux, Windows, or both. The base configuration starts at €1,799 with 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) of DDR5 RAM and a 500 GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, with options to scale up memory, storage, and OS from there.

The latest research from Omdia shows that US PC shipments (excluding tablets) grew 3% year-on-year in Q4 2025 to 18.2 million units, reversing two consecutive quarters of annual decline. The return to growth was driven by a combination of the peak of Windows 11 commercial refreshes, holiday-season demand, and vendor efforts to secure inventory ahead of anticipated memory and storage supply constraints in 2026. Full-year 2025 shipments reached 71.5 million units, up 3% from 2024, but 2026 shipments are now forecast to decline 13% year-on-year due to highly constrained supply of memory and storage products.

"Q4 marked a meaningful inflection point for the US PC market," said Kieren Jessop, Research Manager at Omdia. "After two quarters of year-on-year decline, the market returned to growth driven by solid performances across both the consumer and commercial segments. Consumer shipments rose 6% to 8.2 million units - the fourth consecutive quarter of annual growth - underpinned by holiday spending and a product mix shift to more affordable price ranges. The commercial segment grew 4% as enterprises continued their Windows 11 migration, particularly in the final stretch before the Windows 10 end-of-support deadline in October."

ASUS ExpertBook B3 G1, announced today, is a configurable laptop designed for business, available in 14-inch and 16-inch models and featuring a durable, lightweight design starting from just 1.44 kg, a 180° lay-flat design, advanced AI integration, enterprise-grade security, and seamless hybrid collaboration.

Powered by up to the Intel Core Ultra 7 (Series 2) processors with integrated GPU and NPU acceleration, ASUS ExpertBook B3 G1's advanced AI features—including ASUS MyExpert, Microsoft Copilot, and noise-canceling technology—streamline productivity across meetings, content creation, and multitasking scenarios. The lightweight, easily-maintained design offers extensive I/O options and support for high-speed Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. Security is strengthened by ASUS ExpertGuardian, delivering NIST SP 800-193-compliant BIOS protection, dual ROM recovery, and TPM 2.0 encryption for robust data resilience.

AEWIN is glad to launch our new member of AEWIN Network Expansion Modules, the NCT404. Built upon two Intel latest E610-XAT2 ethernet controllers, it provides quad-port 10GbE RJ45 with two pairs of Gen 3 bypass. It is full-height half-length PCIe CEM with PCIe Gen 4 x8 signals. NCT404 is compatible with AEWIN platforms and off-the-shelf systems for flexible configurations and optimized network resilience.

Intel new released E610-XAT2 features over 50% lower power consumption compared to previous generation controller (X710-AT2) which helps to lower operational costs in the meantime. In addition, Intel committed over 10-year full support lifecycle which makes it perfect to build new projects that are expected to have long-term support. For enhanced ethernet security, Intel E610-XAT2 features a hardware Root of Trust (RoT) for firmware resiliency.

Japanese company Elecom is bringing back one of the most unusual mouse designs in PC peripheral history: the M.A.P.P. (Mechanical Designers Accelerate Peripheral Products) mouse, created by Ghost in the Shell manga artist Masamune Shirow back in 2002. The reissue is limited to 3,300 units per color variant (black, white, blue), with pre-orders opening April 6 through the Elecom Direct Shop and general availability starting May 1. The original M.A.P.P. project was a collaboration between Shirow and mecha designer Hajime Katoki, and at that time it was pushing unconventional form factors while keeping ergonomics, weight balance, and grip at the center of the design. The reissue seems to stay faithful to that original vision. Elecom says that Shirow personally updated certain details, including the areas around the newly added side buttons, however, the core aesthetic remained the same.

It weighs 78 g, measures 67 × 106 × 38 mm and its functionality has been brought up to date. The mouse now supports Bluetooth connectivity, up to three device multi-pairing, and a hardware toggle for quick switching. All five buttons use silent switches, and customization is handled through Elecom's Mouse Assistant software on Windows and macOS. The optical sensor offers adjustable DPI (400, 800, 1600, 2400, and 3200), while the lithium-ion battery lasts up to 45 days of use per charge. It can be recharged via USB-C and is rated for around 100,000 charge cycles. The timing for the Elecom revival of its M.A.P.P. mouse isn't accidental as a new Ghost in the Shell anime is scheduled for July 2026. All three color variants, black, white, and blue, are priced at 12,800 yen including tax, which is roughly $85.

The leading system integrator iBUYPOWER is happy to share they will be integrating the new Intel Core Ultra 200S Plus series processors into its gaming PC lineup. Any new computer using an Intel Core Ultra 200S Plus series processor is covered by iBUYPOWER's industry‑leading three‑year labor and two‑year parts warranty, which the leading national computer and consumer electronics retailer Micro Center honors nationwide for convenient in‑store diagnosis and repair.

Compatible with Intel 800 Series chipset-based motherboards, the Intel Core Ultra 200S Plus series processors deliver up to 15% faster geomean gaming performance -- versus existing Core Ultra Series 2 desktop CPUs -- and up to 103% more multithreaded performance compared to similar CPUs in its class. With the new platform utilizing all-new software that simplifies initial set-up and performance acquisition, the Intel Core Ultra 200S Plus processors are ideal for everyday gamers and creators that crave max value with real performance.

Hooded Horse is proud to announce a new title joining its roster of world-class strategic and tactical games, developed by industry veterans who have worked on everything from StarCraft to Guild Wars. Announced at the Xbox Partner Preview, Lost Lake Games' debut title, Vaunted, is an upcoming tactical RPG that challenges players to seize the ultimate score.

Vaunted throws players into a galaxy where chaos reigns supreme, and a millennium has passed since the fall of the last galactic empire. A galaxy where mercenaries and treasure hunters scrap over priceless imperial relics buried in far-flung ruins. Join dysfunctional frenemies Dyse, Gendril, and Kyvaath as they battle against ruthless rivals, monstrous aliens, and giant robots in search of the ultimate score. That is, if they can get their angry benefactor off their backs!

Scythe has introduced the Magoroku (SCMR-1000) dual-tower air CPU cooler. The launch comes from the company's Japan headquarters, following the shutdown of the Scythe European branch announced on April 26 last year. The cooler itself isn't entirely new, an early prototype surfaced around mid-2024, with a more polished unit later shown at Computex 2025. Standing 155 mm tall, the Magoroku is designed to fit a wider range of cases while still offering a full dual-stack heatsink layout. The cooler measures 134 x 155 x 142.5 mm, including its bundled 120 mm fans. The fan uses a standard 4-pin PWM connector, operates between 350-2,000 RPM, and at full speed, it can reach up to 60.29 CFM, with a maximum noise of 26.88 dBA. Static pressure is rated up to 2.45 mmH2O.

Cooling is handled by six 6 mm nickel-plated heatpipes feeding into the dual-tower heatsink. The cooler weights 1,036 g with the fan installed, putting it in line with other budget-oriented dual-tower designs. A thin vibration-dampening rubber layer is also included on each of the fans. Compatibility includes Intel LGA 1851, 1700, 1200, and 115x platforms, alongside AMD AM4 and AM5. The Scythe Magoroku is scheduled to go on sale starting April 10th, priced at ¥4,980 (tax included) or about $32 (at the current exchange rate), right in the affordable market segment.

Satechi has added a wired keyboard and mouse to its Slim LX lineup, both sharing the same clean, minimal aesthetic the series is known for. The Slim LX3 is a full-size wired keyboard with a numeric keypad and navigation keys, with a slim profile measuring just 1.7 cm tall and 550 g. It connects via USB-C with a bundled USB-A adapter and works across macOS, Windows, ChromeOS, and iPadOS. A dedicated physical switch allows switching between Mac and Windows. The Slim LX mouse pairs an anodized aluminium body with a metal scroll wheel, weighing in at 92.5 g and measuring 11.05 x 6.12 x 2.84 cm. It is ambidextrous, rated for 3 million clicks, and also uses USB-C with a USB-A adapter included. Cable length on both is 120 cm.

Both come in Silver or Space Black and are available now at the Satechi website and select retailers. The Slim LX3 keyboard is $49.99, while Satechi Slim LX mouse is $24.99.

Espressif Systems (688018.SH) proudly announces the upcoming release of ESP32-S31, a high-performance dual-core Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5.4 + IEEE 802.15.4 + Ethernet System-on-Chip (SoC). Building on Espressif's proven track record, this versatile SoC addresses the growing demand for advanced IoT applications including consumer and industrial appliances, smart speakers, voice-controlled devices, and automation systems requiring comprehensive wireless connectivity, edge AI capabilities, rich HMI, and robust security features.

ESP32-S31 delivers comprehensive wireless connectivity by combining Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) in 2.4 GHz band, Bluetooth 5.4 with both Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) and Classic (BR/EDR) support, plus an IEEE 802.15.4 radio enabling Thread and Zigbee protocols for diverse IoT applications. ESP32-S31 will provide a seamless support for Matter protocol over Wi-Fi as well as Thread radio.

MAXSUN today announced the official release of its Intel Arc Pro B70 Series graphics cards, delivering a decisive leap forward in AI computing and professional visualization. Built on a close collaboration with Intel, the new lineup follows the widely acclaimed B60 series and raises the bar with more powerful hardware specifications and a deeply optimized software ecosystem. The result? A platform engineered for AI developers, multi-GPU deployments, and high-intensity professional workloads—without breaking a sweat.

Massive Memory, Effortless Performance
Equipped with 32 GB of VRAM and 32 Xe cores, the MAXSUN Intel Arc Pro B70 series eliminates memory bottlenecks once and for all. Whether handling large-scale AI models or complex visual workloads, the cards ensure seamless data throughput and consistently stable performance. In other words, "out of memory" just became someone else's problem.

Edifier, a global leader in premium audio solutions, today announced the availability of the Edifier M90. Unveiled at CES 2026, the Edifier M90 represents a defining milestone signalling the beginning of the brand's next chapter in home-entertainment audio.

Designed to elevate everyday listening, the M90 features HDMI eARC for seamless, low-latency connectivity with desktop audio, TVs, and streaming platforms, delivering a richer, more immersive experience for movies, games and streaming. With 100 W of bi-amplified power, larger 4-inch aluminium mid-low drivers for deeper bass and silk-dome tweeters for smooth, detailed highs, the M90 delivers powerful, high-fidelity sound. Enhanced connectivity and a flexible design allow it to transition easily from desktop to living-room setups, making the M90 a compact, all-purpose speaker solution.

CRKD, the premium collectible gaming brand known for their highly popular Nitro Deck, and line of premium rhythm gaming products, announced today ATOM+, the next evolution of its collectible keychain controller, designed to deliver powerful gameplay in an ultra-compact form. Expected to begin shipping from June 2026, the ATOM+ is compatible with a wide variety of gaming platforms including Nintendo Switch 2 | 1, PC, mobile devices, tablets, and Smart TVs, bringing big features to a small package, and delivering full-fat gaming on the go.

Small enough to attach to a keychain, backpack or just about anywhere you can imagine, the ATOM+ defies convention, expanding upon the original ATOM with a host of sophisticated features including Thumbsticks for maximum gaming compatibility, and utilizing TMR (Tunnelling Magnetoresistance), technology, a next-generation magnetic sensor designed to forever eliminate Stick Drift, and provide superior precision compared to traditional mechanical Thumbsticks or Hall Effect sensors.

Each week, new games and apps integrating NVIDIA DLSS, NVIDIA Reflex, and advanced ray-traced effects are released or announced, delivering the definitive PC experience for GeForce RTX players. This week, Screamer launches with DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, followed by Subliminal on the 31st. And Playground Games has announced that Forza Horizon 6 is launching May 19th with DLSS 4 and ray tracing.

Additionally, we've unveiled NVIDIA DLSS 5, which delivers an AI-powered breakthrough in visual fidelity by infusing pixels with photorealistic lighting and materials, bridging the gap between rendering and reality.

CRKD, the premium collectible gaming brand known for their highly popular Nitro Deck, and line of premium rhythm gaming products, announced today the ULT PRO, a next-generation professional wireless gaming controller featuring multi-platform connectivity and an array of state-of-the-art technology.

Ideal for professional or competitive gamers who demand precision, customization, and multi-platform compatibility, the ULT PRO sets a new standard in performance, yet is priced competitively, allowing any gamer to take advantage of its premium feature set. Compatible with Nintendo Switch 2 | 1, PC, mobile devices, tablets and Smart TVs, the ULT PRO offers exceptional versatility, seamlessly adapting to a wide variety of gaming platforms.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the 2026 evolution of the Razer Blade 16. While maintaining its iconic, industry-leading chassis as the thinnest gaming laptop in Razer's history, the new 2026 model shifts into a new gear of performance for gamers, content creators, and professionals who demand power on the go.

By prioritizing the latest silicon breakthroughs from Intel and faster-than-ever memory clock speeds, the new Blade 16 is engineered for those who demand the latest-generation processing in a form factor that remains impossibly slim.

Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) today introduces a transformed commercial portfolio spanning Dell Pro notebooks, Dell Pro Precision workstations, desktops, monitors and client peripherals. Thinner, lighter and more powerful, the new lineup brings a bold, refined design language to commercial devices—prioritizing sleeker silhouettes, premium materials and modern details that elevate everyday productivity. With advances in cooling, power efficiency and support for on-device AI, the portfolio delivers improved performance and long battery life in more portable form factors, enabling a consistent, elevated experience for everyone from frontline workers to senior executives.

Why it matters
Users want sleek, powerful devices. IT needs security, manageability and budget discipline. Dell's reimagined commercial portfolio delivers both. Advanced engineering—modular architecture, improved thermals, AI-ready silicon—allows thinner, lighter designs that maintain enterprise-grade performance and control. Organizations can now deploy modern hardware that professionals prefer without compromising on the standards IT demands.

Arm has made a significant move stepping into production silicon for the first time in its history with the launch of the Arm AGI CPU, a data center processor designed specifically for agentic AI workloads. For over three decades, Arm has been purely an IP licensing business. With the launch of its AGI CPU series, Arm made a fundamental shift in how the company positions itself in the market. The AGI CPU is built on a 3 nm process, packs up to 136 Neoverse V3 cores, runs at a 300 W TDP, and delivers 6 GB/s of memory bandwidth per core at under 100 ns latency. It supports up to 6 TB per chip and DDR5-8800 speeds. On the I/O side, the chip features 96 PCIe Gen 6 lanes along with CXL 3.0 and AMBA CHI (Coherent Hub Interface) links. Each core handles a dedicated program thread, which Arm says eliminates throttling and idle threads under sustained load.

Specifically important in the data center business, density figures are notable. Air-cooled systems can fit up to 8,160 cores per rack, while liquid-cooled systems push that above 45,000. Data centers are expected to need more than four times the current CPU capacity per gigawatt to keep up, and Arm is arguing that x86 architecture carries too much overhead and complexity for this new class of workload. Arm claims more than 2x performance per rack versus x86, adding that this can translate to potential savings of up to $10 billion per gigawatt of AI data center capacity.

Razer, the world's leading lifestyle brand for gamers, proudly announces the launch of the Razer Viper V4 Pro and Razer Gigantus V2 Pro. The latest evolution of esports gear by the #1 gaming mouse brand amongst pro-gamers - this new duo is engineered to give players an edge in today's most demanding competitive game titles.

The Viper V4 Pro takes one of the world's most trusted esports mice and makes it lighter, faster, and more precise, while the Gigantus V2 Pro reimagines Razer's flagship soft gaming mouse mat with five distinct speed ratings so players can choose the surface that locks in the way they play.

JEDEC Solid State Technology Association, the global leader in standards development for the microelectronics industry, today announced the publication of JESD406-5D: LPDDR5/5X Serial Presence Detect (SPD) Contents standard, an update of the Revision C standard that adds support for calculating recovery time when switching operating modes. JESD406-5D is available for free download from the JEDEC website.

LPDDR5/5X memory devices are capable of supporting two sets of timing parameters: a full speed mode and a reduced speed mode that consumes less power. This feature allows for longer battery life for mobile devices which are a common application for LPDDR5/5X chips and modules and may also be leveraged by data centers as the use of LPDDR5/5X devices grows. The updated JESD406-5 standard documents key parameters for calculating the switching time between fast and low power modes, making the feature more efficient and allowing higher system performance.

NVIDIA has released GeForce 595.97 WHQL, a minor bug-fix update with no new Game Ready titles this time. The driver is part of the R595 branch, which has had a fair number of issues. The 595.59 release was pulled entirely back in February after users reported fan detection failures and clock instability, and 595.79 followed shortly after to address a separate batch of issues. This latest release addresses three remaining issues: texture corruption in Halo Infinite on R595 drivers, stability issues in HITMAN World of Assassination when NVIDIA Smooth Motion is enabled, and crashes triggered when enabling DLSS Frame Generation while Instant Replay is active. Known issues still present include missing terrain in some areas of Enshrouded and occasional stutter in Arknights: Endfield. No general bugs are listed as fixed this time.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 595.97 WHQL

Inspired by the epic world of Dragon's Dogma, GameSir proudly announces the launch of the GameSir G7 Pro Dragon's Dogma 2 Edition-a next-generation controller crafted for warriors seeking precision, power, and platform versatility. Designed for the Arisen, this special edition combines pro-grade performance with exclusive thematic styling, delivering an immersive gameplay experience across Xbox, PC, and Android. The GameSir G7 Pro Dragon's Dogma 2 Edition is available for $89.99/£99.99 from the GameSir website. It also expected to be available on Amazon at a later date.

Refined from the celebrated G7 lineage-G7, G7 SE, and G7 HE-the Dragon's Dogma 2 Edition retains the G7 Pro's elite hardware while showcasing a design worthy of Gransys. Equipped with tri-mode connectivity, Hall Effect analog triggers, GameSir Mag-Res TMR sticks, and a swappable magnetic faceplate, this edition merges mythic aesthetics with cutting-edge engineering.

LG Display, the world's leading innovator of display technologies, today announced that it is beginning the world's first-ever mass production of an LCD panel for laptops equipped with its Oxide 1 Hz technology.

The panel's core feature is its ability to intelligently detect the usage environment. It automatically switches the refresh rate down to 1 Hz when the screen is static and up to 120 Hz when needed. For example, when performing tasks involving primarily still images—such as checking emails or reading e-books and research papers—the panel operates at the lowest refresh rate of 1 Hz. Conversely, it runs in high-refresh-rate mode at up to 120 Hz when streaming content such as movies or sports as well as playing games with frequent screen changes.

The ZimaCube 2 compact NAS and mini-server platform from IceWhale has been announced and is now listed for pre-orders. The lineup is built around 12th Gen Intel Alder Lake processors and includes a standard model with an i3-1215U CPU, a Pro variant with the i5-1235U processor, and a Creator Pack with added GPU support. Measuring 240 x 221 x 220 mm, it's compact but roomy enough to handle high-end configurations without feeling cramped. In terms of storage, you will get six bays supporting 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch drives, either SATA III or NVMe, and up to four M.2 slots for additional capacity. Total storage can reach 164 TB depending on configuration. Expansion includes two PCIe slots, a full-size PCIe 4.0 x16 (physically x4 lanes) for GPUs, and a PCIe 3.0 x8 (physically x2). The latter supports network cards or NVMe expansion. Connectivity is solid with dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, four USB 3.0 Type-A ports, two 2.5 GbE Ethernet ports, plus optional 10 GbE on higher models. HDMI and DisplayPort outputs are included for display support.

As an operating system, it runs ZimaOS Plus, a Linux-based OS optimized for self-hosted services like file storage, media servers, virtual machines, and containerized workloads. The base unit starts at $799, equipped with 8 GB of DDR5 RAM, a 256 GB NVMe SSD, and an Intel Core i3-1215U. The Pro model is priced at $1,299 and features the more powerful i5-1235U CPU along with 16 GB of memory. For users needing higher performance in virtualization, rendering, or machine learning tasks, a Creator Pack version is available for $2,499, this includes the same Core i5 processor, 64 GB of DDR5 RAM, a 1 TB SSD, and an NVIDIA RTX Pro 2000 GPU.

XPPen, a global leader in digital art innovation, today unveiled its new flagship drawing display, the Artist Pro 27 (Gen 2). Combining professional-grade color performance with advanced X-Touch solution on a 27-inch 4K 120 Hz screen, this flagship model offers a transformative creative experience, enabling professional creators to push the boundaries of their craft with stunning color fidelity and an intuitive, efficient workflow.

"At XPPen, we remain committed to advancing digital art technology and empowering creators with professional tools and premium drawing experience," said Brian Huang, Marketing Director at XPPen. "Positioned as Color Master Touchscreen Drawing Display, the Artist Pro 27 (Gen 2) sets a new standard for flagship displays, offering large-format workspace, high performance, and efficient workflow for professional creators. It completes XPPen's premium professional lineup with the Artist Pro series spanning from 14 to 27 inches, offering creators a clear upgrade path as their ambitions grow."

AMD has released Adrenalin Edition 26.3.1 WHQL, adding game support for Crimson Desert and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, along with FSR Upscaling 4.1 support for Radeon RX 9000 series cards. On the bug fix side, four issues are resolved: a Cyberpunk 2077 crash when loading a saved game with Path Tracing enabled, intermittent loss of mouse and keyboard input in-game and on the desktop when interacting with AMD Software, system crashes when repeatedly changing in-game settings or alt-tabbing on RX 7000 and above, and a failure to enable AMD Noise Suppression on RX 6000 and above.

A few known issues remain. Battlefield 6 still experiences intermittent crashes on Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 systems, texture flickering when AMD Record and Stream is active, and FSR Upscaling and Frame Generation showing as inactive on RX 9000 cards. Death Stranding 2 has intermittent crashes on RX 5000 series, and RoadCraft is also seeing crashes on RX 9000 products. AMD says it is working with developers on the Battlefield 6 issues.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Software Adrenalin 26.3.1 WHQL