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NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
Cooler Master, a global leader in PC components, has released the SickleFlow Edge 120 ARGB 3-Pack Fan Kit and the SickleFlow Edge White 120 ARGB 3-Pack Fan Kit. The SickleFlow Edge 120 represents the pinnacle of Cooler Master's air-cooling technology and is now made available in a highly convenient 3-pack variant in both black and white colorways, allowing for easy cooling expansion.
Features
This release of the SickleFlow Edge 120 features all the same great performance specs of the original release, now with a few updates. The fan blade design has been further enhanced to provide higher fan speeds, air pressure, and airflow while maintaining low noise levels. Further improvements have been made to the loop dynamic bearing system to provide additional noise reduction. The fan's frame has been redesigned to reflect a more cohesive aesthetic, and an A1 mini-LED controller has been included with the fans to allow for the ultimate in fan control and customization.https://tpucdn.com/img/gdWQdnros6IajOe3_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/gdWQdnros6IajOe3.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/lE8ZRGcLWWUx7UH1_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/lE8ZRGcLWWUx7UH1.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/ksGGXTcssGRAAwV7_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ksGGXTcssGRAAwV7.jpg)
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NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
Patriot proudly announces the launch of the PDP31, a portable PSSD designed specifically for the mobile lifestyle. Supporting the USB 3.2 Gen 2 standard, the PDP31 boasts a high-speed transfer rate of up to 10 Gbps, with exceptional sequential read and write speeds of up to 1000 MB/s, making it the ideal choice for tech enthusiasts and professionals alike.
To ensure ample storage for all your important files, the PDP31 is available in capacities ranging from 120 GB to 2 TB, making it perfect for storing everything from creative video projects to large work files. It also features a versatile USB Type-C interface for easy connection to desktops, MacBooks, Windows laptops, tablets, and smartphones.https://tpucdn.com/img/Gs0TmSp5Y2a6IbTj_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Gs0TmSp5Y2a6IbTj.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/T22myn3OEgXYcpD7_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/T22myn3OEgXYcpD7.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/XWHg1RnjqE1TVTaz_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/XWHg1RnjqE1TVTaz.jpg)
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NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
Cooler Master, a leading provider of PC components, gaming peripherals, and tech lifestyle solutions, today announced the launch of the Hyper 612 APEX, an all-new CPU air cooler engineered for users who demand top-tier cooling in a streamlined form factor. The Hyper 612 APEX features in-house designed superconductive composite heat pipes and a powerful Mobius 120P fan, delivering superior cooling while remaining 30% smaller than its predecessor. This reduction in size ensures compatibility with large memory modules, making it easier to install without sacrificing performance. Ideal for gamers, content creators, and overclockers, the Hyper 612 APEX balances high performance and aesthetics.
"The Hyper 612 APEX is designed to meet the needs of users who want efficient cooling without the bulk," said Jimmy Sha, Cooler Master CEO. "With our advanced heat pipe technology and compact design, this cooler delivers high-performance results while staying user-friendly for a wide range of builds."https://tpucdn.com/img/JtoM4OX8PnKEYAqp_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/JtoM4OX8PnKEYAqp.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/GZPBjqFKWvpLneqB_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/GZPBjqFKWvpLneqB.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/M9p4xuwMRScfZOx7_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/M9p4xuwMRScfZOx7.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/DW2pQCXKi1rJGgqQ_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/DW2pQCXKi1rJGgqQ.jpg)
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NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
Razer, the world's leading lifestyle brand for gamers, partners with Sanrio, the global lifestyle brand and home to Kuromi, the cheeky but charming mischievous character beloved around the world. Marking two decades of encouraging personal expression and individuality, Kuromi celebrates her 20th anniversary in 2025! Following immense fan enthusiasm and a successful teaser in China, Razer and Sanrio have collaborated to launch this collection globally. Crafted for Kuromies (Kuromi's fans) and those who enjoy causing a bit of trouble wherever they go, this collection combines Kuromi's rebellious charm with Razer's renowned high-performance peripherals, all in Kuromi's iconic black and lilac color scheme.
Celebrating Kuromi's unique charm and rising popularity, the Razer | Kuromi collection allows fans to Kuromify the world while stylishly expressing their individuality with high-performance gaming gear adorned with cheeky personality.https://tpucdn.com/img/XKNMN056u4vFtDDB_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/XKNMN056u4vFtDDB.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331552/razer-announces-availability-of-the-kuromi-collection)
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NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
Cooler Master, a leading provider of PC components, gaming peripherals, and tech lifestyle solutions, today announced the MasterLiquid 360 Atmos Stealth, a brand-new, all-black, non-LED version of the high power MasterLiquid 360 Atmos AIO cooler. The Atmos series is known for its signature engineering seen in features such as the dual chamber design and customizable pump top cover. Now all those features come packaged in a sleek and stealthy aesthetic.
Features
Refined dual chamber design: Our signature dual chamber pump has been refined for enhanced cooling synergy.
Customizable pump top cover: Removable pump top cover, customizable with your own 3D-printed designs.
Eco-friendly pump cover: The entire pump cover is manufactured with eco-friendly recycled plastics, putting our environment first.
Mobius 120 black fans: Pre-installed Mobius 120 mm, 2400 rpm fans further improve cooling performance and simplify user installation.
Daisy-chaining fan connections: Reduces the number of cables needed, leading to a cleaner and more organized system.
Updated CPU compatibility: The Atmos Stealth is compatible with all of the latest AMD and Intel CPUs.
https://tpucdn.com/img/ltNR5nNAKNZhupWU_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ltNR5nNAKNZhupWU.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/xVtzQY8QhuTK2yWb_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/xVtzQY8QhuTK2yWb.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/OrS4YPxG6zu146WW_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/OrS4YPxG6zu146WW.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331550/cooler-master-releases-new-all-black-non-led-masterliquid-atmos-stealth-aio-cooler)
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NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
Igor's Lab conducted an in-depth analysis of the power management system of the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card, including the way the card draws peak power within the tolerances of the ATX 3.1 specification. This analysis should prove particularly useful for those still on older ATX v2.51 PSUs, and plan to use the included power adapter that converts four 8-pin PCIe power connectors to a 12V2x6. Igor's peak power analysis shows that the RTX 5090 is capable of excursions as high as 627.5 W for 10 ms to 20 ms durations; as high as 738.2 W in 5 ms to 10 ms durations, as high as 823.6 W in the 1 ms to 5 ms category, and as high as 901.1 W in spikes under 1 ms in duration.
An excursion is a brief increase in power draw beyond the continuous power delivery limit of the connector (600 W in case of the RTX 5090's single 12V2x6 input and adapter that converts four 150 W 8-pin PCIe inputs). There is nothing particularly alarming about these numbers, and the excursions part of Igor's analysis fall within the specification of the ATX 3.1 standard, which calls for excursions of up to 200% (1200 W) up to 1 ms. Any PSU meeting the ATX 3.1 specs that even has a continuous power output of less than 1200 W will be capable of handling these spikes. It's only with the much older generations of PSUs, such as ATX v2.51 (mid-2010s) that excursions can trigger OCP. Find other great insights in the Igor's Lab review linked below.https://tpucdn.com/img/eqUfVoGQW9zuOuLH_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/eqUfVoGQW9zuOuLH.jpg)
More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/331542/geforce-rtx-5090-power-excursions-tested-can-spike-to-901w-under-1ms)
NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
The time draws near to Reign in Hell when DOOM: The Dark Ages releases May 15, 2025, on Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC. Preorder your copy today! For PC players, check that your setup is battle-ready by consulting our PC Requirements below, including listings for Minimum, Recommended and even Ultra 4K settings.
A NEW GENERATION OF IDTECH
id Software's most ambitious title yet, DOOM: The Dark Ages pushes new standards in visual fidelity and performance with the power of idTech8. Taking full advantage of modern hardware on all platforms, idTech8 ushers in a new era of gameplay performance and visual fidelity featuring all-new dynamic interactive ray-traced lighting and shadows, higher-fidelity image quality, increased gore and destruction and so much more. With the largest environments ever in a DOOM game, DOOM: The Dark Ages delivers an epic experience full of worlds to explore, hordes of demons to destroy and an action story worthy of the Slayer's legend. Whether soaring through the air with his dragon or smashing giant Titan-sized demons using his Atlan mech, the Slayer is taking on his biggest battles yet - all beautifully rendered and running at a buttery-smooth 60 frames per second on all platforms.https://tpucdn.com/img/6ym6V3l2wsaGJALz_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/6ym6V3l2wsaGJALz.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/UNbiUsSCx6Xj1F7y_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/UNbiUsSCx6Xj1F7y.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/tZ7Tvn2LwGzS3p8a_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/tZ7Tvn2LwGzS3p8a.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331535/doom-the-dark-ages-requires-rt-release-date-pc-system-requirements-and-new-gameplay-trailer-revealed)
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NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
CD Projekt RED has released the latest Patch 2.21 for Cyberpunk 2077, which is available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. The new patch brings various fixes on all platforms, but also adds support for DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards.
According to details provided in the release notes, the feature "boosts FPS by using AI to generate up to three times per traditionally rendered frame." It also introduces faster single Frame Generation which should bring reduced memory usage on RTX 50 and RTX 40 Series graphics cards. The patch also adds an option to choose between the CNN model or the new Transformer model for DLSS Ray Reconstruction, DLSS Super Resolution, and DLAA on all NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics cards. According to CD Projekt RED, the new Transformer model should enhance stability, lighting, and detail in motion.https://tpucdn.com/img/rEqGondFG3Xyb5jv_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/rEqGondFG3Xyb5jv.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331534/cyberpunk-2077-gets-dlss-4-support-with-patch-2-21-all-rtx-users-can-try-the-new-transformers-dlss-model)
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NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
AMD has released its latest Adrenalin Edition 25.1.1 Radeon beta driver today, supporting additional gaming titles, improvements, and bug fixes. In this release, AMD has brought driver game support for the newly released FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, released today, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2, which is finally coming to PCs after being console-exclusive for years. AMD has brought day-one support and has managed to fix some software issues along the way. First in line is the improvement in performance while playing Apex Legends with DirectX 12 API, which has been a pain point for AMD's drivers. Previously, some AI enthusiasts experienced lower-than-expected performance while using LM Studio on AMD Ryzen AI and Radeon products, which is now also fixed.
However, some issues persist. Users can experience a partial black screen problem in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 when using Radeon Anti-Lag 2 and Ray Tracing on AMD Ryzen 7000 series processors, intermittent crashes in FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, driver timeouts in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, and performance stuttering in Marvel Rivals with AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 frame generation. Additionally, users may encounter an intermittent AMD Bug Report Tool appearance after using the AMD Cleanup Utility and potential HEVC encoding issues with OBS Studio's Twitch-enhanced broadcasting, which will hopefully be fixed soon.
DOWNLOAD: AMD Software Adrenalin 25.1.1 Beta (https://www.techpowerup.com/download/amd-radeon-graphics-drivers/)https://tpucdn.com/img/58wXewqtaWR7d4XL_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/58wXewqtaWR7d4XL.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/R1QznS40fyHylrqr_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/R1QznS40fyHylrqr.jpg)
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NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
B&H Photo Video—a Manhattan, NY-based electronics retailer—has leaked out a possible late March launch date for AMD's opening salvo of RDNA 4 (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/?architecture=RDNA+4.0&sort=generation) graphics cards. Four ASUS Radeon RX 9070 series SKUs are currently visible (via a search) on the shop's webstore—all listings sport a tag stating: "pre-order starts at 09:00 a.m ET, Sunday Mar 23." VideoCardz reckons that the product pages have been freshly updated—changing the previously listed date: January 23. Officially (https://www.techpowerup.com/331383/amd-sets-march-launch-window-for-radeon-rx-9070-xt-9070-graphics-cards), Team Red has moved its Radeon RX 9070 XT (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/radeon-rx-9070-xt.c4229) and Radeon RX 9070 (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/radeon-rx-9070.c4250) (non-XT) launch windows into March, but a specific date was not set.
B&H's listings could contain placeholder information—product launches and opening of pre-orders do not (under normal circumstances) occur over weekends. In this case, potentially on a Sunday. The New York City retailer has prepared very basic product pages for two TUF Gaming cards and two PRIME models—names and SKU codes appear to correspond with previous leaks. Artline, a Ukrainian PC hardware store, opened up (https://www.techpowerup.com/331348/asus-tuf-gaming-radeon-rx-9070-xt-oc-unboxed-in-ukraine) an ASUS TUF GAMING Radeon RX 9070 XT OC (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/asus-tuf-gaming-rx-9070-xt-oc.b12112) package. MyGear took similar steps with a PRIME Radeon RX 9070 model.https://tpucdn.com/img/kHdQOpVVDODU2WPh_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/kHdQOpVVDODU2WPh.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/6CfOUHjnB3gMgZEo_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/6CfOUHjnB3gMgZEo.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/7P6owNScBtI16ke8_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/7P6owNScBtI16ke8.jpg)
More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/331527/north-american-retailer-leaks-march-23-pre-order-for-amd-radeon-rx-9070-series)
NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
Hi everyone, Assassin's Creed Shadows (https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/game/assassins-creed/shadows) is launching March 20, inviting you to experience the intertwined stories of Naoe, an adept shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a powerful African samurai. Today, you can pre-order (https://store.ubisoft.com/us/assassins-creed-shadows/660e5a03fbff4e2940488bcd.html) the game on console and PC, and read up (https://assassinscreed.com/shadows/expansion) on Shadows' upcoming expansion, Claws of Awaji, which brings 10 hours of additional content free with your pre-order.
For those of you playing on PC, we've got all of Assassin's Creed Shadows' recommended PC specs listed in this article (https://news.ubisoft.com/en-gb/article/5dWbPvxtnNdQQVI3cb2m3p/assassins-creed-shadows-pc-specs-revealed-preorders-open). Assassin's Creed Shadows will support raytraced global illumination and reflections, and will feature an in-game benchmark tool for performance analysis, ultra-wide resolutions, an uncapped framerate, and more. Check out all the specs chart below.https://tpucdn.com/img/LbvACuSEz5qScghY_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/LbvACuSEz5qScghY.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/JgM24RWQhFYwY941_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/JgM24RWQhFYwY941.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/niy9tkdAHscyMjq9_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/niy9tkdAHscyMjq9.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/fparwEHIzAfk8wSf_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/fparwEHIzAfk8wSf.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331525/ubisoft-unveils-assassins-creed-shadows-recommended-pc-specs)
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NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
We're (https://dont-nod.com/en/) happy to give you a bit more info about the launch of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (https://dont-nod.com/en/games/lost-records-bloom-and-rage/)! First, the price of the game will be 39,99€/$39.99/£35.89 when Tape 1 "Bloom" launches on February 18, 2025. This price includes both Tapes, so when Tape 2 launches on April 15 it will simply become an update that you can download which will allow you to play through the rest of the girls' story at your convenience. The game will also be launching with a limited-time discount of 10% until March 4!
You also might have noticed we've changed the date of Tape 2's launch - while Tape 1 is still on schedule, we're postponing the release of Tape 2 by four weeks, from March 18 to April 15, 2025. This game is very special to us, and we want to ensure that you get the experience you deserve while playing, with the extra time going towards additional optimization for a truly immersive continuation of the journey.https://tpucdn.com/img/mWMDsKG2JZh3A2Yo_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/mWMDsKG2JZh3A2Yo.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/0CZFS2Zcu2z5FBtB_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/0CZFS2Zcu2z5FBtB.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/yJRAWPoJKcDbQwOI_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/yJRAWPoJKcDbQwOI.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/pyHRLjRbBQ3ROIhp_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/pyHRLjRbBQ3ROIhp.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331524/lost-records-bloom-rage-launch-info-revealed-tape-2-delayed)
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NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
Yesterday evening (GMT), Overclockers UK's product purchasing manager set expectations for his store's day one inventory of GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 graphics cards. Taking to the OCUK forum (https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/threads/patience-if-planning-to-buy-a-50-series.18998084/#post-37602115), Gibbo (aka Andrew Gibson) revealed that the flagship stock count was in: "single digits at present, maybe double for launch." His "TDLR" also pointed to the store having a "few hundred" RTX 5080 models ready for launch day, with pre-orders starting on January 30 (for both Blackwell GPU product tiers). Gibbo warned potential customers about anticipated tight conditions: "we are expecting greater demand than (the RTX) 40 series, but with the launch just prior to CNY and lots of other rumors circulating (https://www.techpowerup.com/331266/report-suggests-extreme-stock-limits-for-geforce-rtx-5090-5080-gpus-in-germany) initial waves of supply are poor and will probably take some time to build up. So the stock we have will be made available from the launch via the webshop, but I know what we have is likely to last only seconds, minutes at most."
Similar (predicted) circumstances have been reported across Europe and the Far East—certain outlets believe that GeForce RTX 50 series shortages will last up to three months post-launch (https://www.techpowerup.com/331460/nvidia-geforce-rtx-50-series-supply-woes-predicted-to-last-up-to-three-months). Potential "Blackwell" GPU customers are very likely dreading a forthcoming buying experience riddled with scalper bots, price gouging and all sorts of shady shenanigans. OCUK's product manager recommends taking a pragmatic approach when faced with a chaotic state of affairs: "to put it simply patience and expectations need to be realistic if the UK has—say 10,000 cards, and 500,000 people want one—well it is going to take time so plan ahead and also act like adults. I shall try and keep these forums updated with stock drops with heads up on the site etc. Do not call Sales or Customer service for any info or try to place orders, it shall be strictly via website only (https://www.overclockers.co.uk/blog/how-to-order-an-nvidia-geforce-rtx-50-series-gpu-from-overclockers-uk/) and all information will be posted on forums and on product display pages for the products as and when we have it."https://tpucdn.com/img/BaxCCrPYQjYEeK8b_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/BaxCCrPYQjYEeK8b.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/BZyuySaPoFGtZUsO_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/BZyuySaPoFGtZUsO.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/TtSrBNaXL5EPxi4k_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/TtSrBNaXL5EPxi4k.jpg)
More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/331522/uk-retailer-to-limit-geforce-rtx-5090-pre-orders-current-inventory-in-single-digits)
NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
Geometric Future launched its Model 0 Flamingo "folding box" chassis series, half a year after it was showcased at the Computex 2024 Taipei Computer Show. The Model 0 Flamingo is a Mini-ITX chassis with a unique feature: it wraps around your system like a cardboard box. The chassis has a compact format measuring 81 × 206 × 208 mm with a volume of 3.47L. It is built from 1.2 mm thick steel plates coated with anti-static, fire-proof, and mildew-proof fabric in black color with touches of gold-like elements. For cooling, it relies on a giant mesh top circle and numerous ventilation holes. There is no room for additional fans, except it can host a 60 mm height CPU cooler. The chassis comes equipped with a compact custom Guitarra 200 W power supply manufactured by Quanhan that measures 70 × 35 × 170 mm.
As we said, the Geometric Future Model 0 unique feature is the ability to be folded without the need for any tools, with magnets included in the material of the case itself keeping it together. Additionally, detachable magnetic feet allow users to orient the case in both vertical and horizontal modes. However, as interesting as it looks, the Model 0 has some drawbacks: it is only compatible with ITX motherboards and does not support PCIe expansion (no graphics card can be added). Currently, there is no information about pricing. However, it should be around $100 if Geometric Future would like to attract SFF/HTPC users.https://tpucdn.com/img/kEkW5tDPPFFyLBzQ_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/kEkW5tDPPFFyLBzQ.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/STdo2aIKntJADEFQ_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/STdo2aIKntJADEFQ.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/Y5i90RU0NWIrN83t_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Y5i90RU0NWIrN83t.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/CcyuzRXiw2dra8ct_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/CcyuzRXiw2dra8ct.jpg)
More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/331521/geometric-future-launches-model-0-a-compact-foldable-pc-case-series)
NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
Sony Japan's Recording Media department has announced the retirement of several physical media formats—most notably Blu-Ray Disc—in a very brief notice (https://www.sony.jp/rec-media/info2/20250123.html) addressed to "valued customers." Mid-last year, the Japanese multinational conglomerate revealed that it would stop production of consumer-grade recordable Blu-ray discs (https://www.technowize.com/the-end-of-an-era-sony-to-stop-recordable-blu-ray-production/) (BD-RE and BD-R)—citing a decline in demand and the format's inability to meet "business goals." As pointed out by Tom's Hardware, today's announcement indicates (via machine translation) that both "regular and recorded" product lines are affected—the publication has reached out to Sony for comment/clarification.
Optical media enthusiasts/preservationists will, undoubtedly, be angered by this news—manufacturing activities will cease at some point next month. The corporation's message contains a lot of finality: "thank you for your continued patronage of Sony products. We will end production of all models of Blu-ray Disc media, MiniDiscs for recording, MD data for recording, and MiniDV cassettes as of February 2025. There will be no successor models. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our many customers for their patronage to date."https://tpucdn.com/img/g1fwQZVYLB2XxpjJ_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/g1fwQZVYLB2XxpjJ.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/qSTdJJyuF5PlqBJb_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/qSTdJJyuF5PlqBJb.jpg)
More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/331520/sony-to-stop-manufacturing-blu-ray-media-effective-february-2025)
NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
Hey everyone, I've got some sad news today to ring in 2025. Late last month, Noel and I made the difficult decision to cancel Earthblade (https://exok.com/games/earthblade/). Yes, we are opening the year with a huge, heartbreaking, and yet relieving failure. I want to outline in this post what lead to this decision, and what it means for the future of EXOK (https://exok.com/).
Before I get into it however, I want to acknowledge that this news will likely come as a shock to fans who have been eagerly anticipating the game. We made this decision in December and felt it best to wait until now to announce it. For us on the inside we've had some time to process, grieve, and work toward accepting this, although that process is nonlinear and still ongoing. For those only reading this now who might be emotionally invested in this project, we're sorry to disappoint you.https://tpucdn.com/img/Jb0rs3NN96ftDLW4_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Jb0rs3NN96ftDLW4.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/rGe1AKCFL6HgIusi_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/rGe1AKCFL6HgIusi.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/EaEWZVnFJOn2pHRv_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/EaEWZVnFJOn2pHRv.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331515/exok-games-cancels-earthblade-project)
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NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
PC hardware enthusiasts located in Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom have stumbled upon amusingly out-of-date AMD Radeon RX 9070 series GPU advertising. Earlier today, examples were presented on the Radeon subreddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/radeon/comments/1i7yqnu/love_how_reddit_already_shows_rx_9070_ads_without/)—the social media-sourced announcements provide another look at Team Red's new reference design (Made-By-AMD/MBA) for the RDNA 4 generation, but the accompanying text (translated to English) implies that gamers can "play now" on not-yet-released Navi 48 (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/amd-navi-48.g1071) GPU-based hardware. AMD has officially delayed (https://www.techpowerup.com/331383/amd-sets-march-launch-window-for-radeon-rx-9070-xt-9070-graphics-cards) its launch of Radeon RX 9070 XT (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/radeon-rx-9070-xt.c4229) and Radeon RX 9070 (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/radeon-rx-9070.c4250) (non-XT) cards into March, but older leaked information pointed to a possible January 23 (today) rollout.
This marketing campaign has seemingly kicked off prematurely—perhaps initiated by mistake. VideoCardz reached out to retail sources for comment—their report indicates that promotional material was ready to go, but embargoes are reportedly still in place. They reckon that a basic specification teaser could emerge online in the near future. Board partners have already distributed products across retail networks, and finalized units (https://www.techpowerup.com/331348/asus-tuf-gaming-radeon-rx-9070-xt-oc-unboxed-in-ukraine) have been unboxed—today's advertised claim of "immediate availability" is no longer valid, but many folks hoped for a pre-January 30 kick-off. NVIDIA will be launching its GeForce RTX 50 series at the end of this month, but industry soothsayers believe (https://www.techpowerup.com/331460/nvidia-geforce-rtx-50-series-supply-woes-predicted-to-last-up-to-three-months) that things will not go smoothly.https://tpucdn.com/img/JJIoTQOIbH1FUiFK_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/JJIoTQOIbH1FUiFK.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/dVFrPqpTVjx7ADMT_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/dVFrPqpTVjx7ADMT.jpg)
More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/331513/amd-radeon-rx-9070-series-available-now-according-to-out-of-date-advertising)
NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
We have witnessed quite a few affordable laptops hit shelves in the past few weeks, including offerings from Acer and ASUS. For those who are more interested in tablets but prefer a full-fledged Desktop OS will likely find the newly launched Lenovo S130 2-in-1 quite enticing, but there exists a major hurdle - the Lenovo S130 is China-only, for now at least. However, an international launch is not entirely out of the question.
At its core, the Lenovo S130 is powered by the Intel N100 processor. With four cores, four threads, and a maximum boost clock of 3.4 GHz, the 6-watt N100 is far from a powerhouse chip. That said, it should likely be enough for casual web-browsing and media consumption, but expecting anything more from the chip would be futile. The S130 does feature an impressive 13.3-inch display, with a resolution of 3000 x 2000 with a maximum brightness of 420 nits, making the S130 quite ideal for content consumption indeed.https://tpucdn.com/img/jfdHGmasXFhhEWce_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/jfdHGmasXFhhEWce.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/TpE1DuJiF8gmFgss_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/TpE1DuJiF8gmFgss.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/JwNZHaVnPKgHDjcr_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/JwNZHaVnPKgHDjcr.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331498/lenovo-unveils-affordable-2-in-1-windows-tablet-with-13-3-inch-display)
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NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
⚙️Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3 coming May 29th, 2025! The new journey reaches for the sky! Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3 offers a new and exhilarating strategy-based battle system for its epic conclusion! Unveil the Source of the World's Despair! Check out the official website (https://www.cc2.co.jp/fuga3/en) for details and future updates! Also, the game's Steam store page (https://store.steampowered.com/app/3081320/Fuga_Melodies_of_Steel_3/) is open! Add to your wishlist and follow for the latest info!
The Fuga: Melodies of Steel series has reached its epic conclusion! Dive into this dramatic RPG featuring a brand-new, strategic battle system, enhanced Taranis training during intermission, and tactical route progression and event battles! Unveil the Source of the World's Despair!https://tpucdn.com/img/4kQGLDe3fzw9KKvP_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/4kQGLDe3fzw9KKvP.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/jVKUFIjiwwVR9MiD_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/jVKUFIjiwwVR9MiD.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/koM4IlvMKIRIKUpz_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/koM4IlvMKIRIKUpz.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/GUy11XiXB8dBpune_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/GUy11XiXB8dBpune.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331512/fuga-melodies-of-steel-3-release-date-announced-may-29)
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NextPowerUP
24-01-25, 11:38
Earlier this week, Taiwan experienced a magnitude 6.4 earthquake—this seismic event interrupted manufacturing activities (https://www.techpowerup.com/331382/earthquake-temporarily-halts-tsmc-production-in-taiwan-operations-resume-normally) at several TSMC chip-making facilities. As a precaution, foundry employees in both Central and Southern Taiwan were evacuated. Production resumed fairly quickly following inspections of crucial infrastructure—no major damage to facilities or equipment was noted. The latest reports suggest that a relatively minor number of TSMC wafers have been affected by the recent quake, while some recalibration of instrumentation is required to get things back on track.
Inside sources reckon that up to 20,000 wafers (possibly 10,000 at a minimum) could be scrapped—assessments are reportedly still underway, but a small proportion of client shipments could be disrupted. News articles point to this total being spread across three affected locations. Fab 18 is a key 3 nm production hub—situated in Taiwan's Southern Science Park, Tainan's Fab 14 specializes in 4 nm and 5 nm processes, and Fab 8 (Hsinchu) takes care of 200 nm. Industry experts believe that TSMC will bounce back quickly, and that the damaged wafer count represents a minor dent in the proverbial armor—on a good day, manufacturing output can reach up to 37,000 units.https://tpucdn.com/img/Ijjqhx7vhzRgEvgm_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Ijjqhx7vhzRgEvgm.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/eT9UyZlfwlcaGcVd_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/eT9UyZlfwlcaGcVd.jpg)
More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/331509/around-20-000-tsmc-wafers-reported-damaged-by-earthquake)
NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
MSI has officially confirmed that its upcoming GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards will face limited availability when they launch on January 30, coinciding with the second day of the Lunar New Year. According to MSI's official account, the constrained supply originates from an insufficient allocation of GPU cores provided by NVIDIA, making it difficult for the manufacturer to meet the expected high demand. Some retailers even claimed they only receive single-digit quantities of these cards, leading to a dramatic price hike in certain regions. In extreme cases, prices have been observed at nearly twice the official MSRP, leaving many potential buyers concerned about availability and affordability. Taiwanese media outlet BenchLife.info previously indicated that "communication issues" (https://www.techpowerup.com/331460/nvidia-geforce-rtx-50-series-supply-woes-predicted-to-last-up-to-three-months) between NVIDIA and its board partners contributed to the limited supply. These complications and holiday-related manufacturing and shipping disruptions have constrained how many units can be delivered to stores by launch day.
As a result, enthusiasts aiming to purchase a new GPU at MSRP—or even at slightly higher prices—might face an uphill battle. Despite the rocky start, supply levels will gradually improve in February. The precise rate of this improvement is unclear, but many anticipate that more stock will arrive as production normalizes and communication between NVIDIA and its partners recovers. For now, consumers should prepare for limited stock and potentially inflated prices, especially on day one of the launch. Those hoping to upgrade immediately may need to secure a pre-order or wait until supply becomes more stable in the coming weeks. Scalpers are already reserving "guaranteed" slots for RTX 5090 GPU at up to $7000 per GPU (https://www.techpowerup.com/331585/scalpers-already-prepare-nvidia-geforce-rtx-5090-listings-up-to-usd-7000-for-guaranteed-slots), indicating that supply is tight. However, we must wait for the official launch day to see if the situation improves.https://tpucdn.com/img/GnlccUrlEMx0TE7w_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/GnlccUrlEMx0TE7w.jpg)
More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/331644/msi-confirms-tight-supply-of-geforce-rtx-5090-5080-gpus-at-launch-situation-to-improve-in-february)
NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
Intel tends to release exclusive desktop processor SKUs for the Chinese market, which tend to come with core configurations and other specs not found in regular SKUs available in the West. The latest such SKU is the Core Ultra 5 230F "Arrow Lake." This chip comes with a unique IHS (integrated heat spreader) design that sees the bulge over the die contracted to a corner. It still has the metal flanks that receive pressure from the socket's retention module. The chip is positioned a notch above the Core Ultra 5 225F, but with an identical core configuration of 6P+4E.
The China-exclusive Core Ultra 5 230F comes with clock speeds of 3.40 GHz base and 5.00 GHz boost for the P-cores, while its E-cores tick at 2.90 GHz base, and 4.40 GHz boost. In comparison, the generally available Core Ultra 5 225F does 3.30 GHz base and 4.90 GHz boost for the P-cores, and 2.70 GHz base with 4.40 GHz boost for the E-cores. Both the 230F and 225F lack integrated graphics. As non-K SKUs, both lack unlocked base frequency multipliers. Each of the six "Lion Cove" P-cores comes with 3 MB of dedicated L2 cache; while the sole "Skymont" E-core cluster shares 4 MB of L2 cache among its cores. The P-cores and E-core cluster share 20 MB of L3 cache. What's with the oddly shaped IHS? We have a theory. It's likely that the chip underneath has the same compact Compute tile as the "Arrow Lake-H" mobile processor, which physically only has 6P+8E cores and 24 MB of L3 cache. The modular nature of "Arrow Lake" also makes it possible for the Graphics tile to be physically absent on F-SKUs. We can't wait for someone to delid this chip.https://tpucdn.com/img/5C7Ylqf1npmPsO1q_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/5C7Ylqf1npmPsO1q.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/2TiAURWKxU5jslTR_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/2TiAURWKxU5jslTR.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/I0PwqmUx4whWhPIr_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/I0PwqmUx4whWhPIr.jpg)
More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/331651/china-exclusive-intel-core-ultra-5-230f-comes-with-unique-ihs-design)
NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
A few days ago, we reported on the US reading a massive 500 billion US Dollar package (https://www.techpowerup.com/331424/us-prepares-for-stargate-project-500-billion-dollars-of-ai-infrastructure-buildout) called "Stargate Project" to build AI infrastructure on American soil. However, China is also planning to stay close behind, or even overlap the US in some areas, with a one trillion Yuan "AI Industry Development Action Plan". Translating into around 138 billion US Dollars at the time of writing, the Chinese AI plan is similar to the US Stargate project: develop AI infrastructure through data center expansion and AI accelerator scale-up. Unlike the Stargate project, led by private initiatives and OpenAI at the helm, the Chinese AI Industry Development Action Plan is an entirely state-sponsored initiative that will fund firms like Baidu, ByteDance, Alibaba, and DeepSeek with additional AI accelerators (or sanction-abiding GPUs) to create more advanced AI systems.
Over the past few days, DeepSeek (https://www.wired.com/story/deepseek-china-model-ai/), a branch of a Chinese hedge fund, has not only open-sourced its R1 reasoning model but made it entirely free to use for everyone. This has challenged moat of Western competitors like OpenAI, pushing its CEO Sam Altman to offer an O3-mini reasoning model for up to 100 queries per day for the ChatGPT Plus user tier. Not only did DeepSeek provide a model equally intelligent to OpenAI's best, but it also offered it completely free. This has stirred up the tech community quite a bit and showed that Chinese companies are not much behind Western competitors. With this AI action plan, the Chinese government wants to push its domestic AI makers even further ahead and allow them to overtake cutting-edge model development potentially. Of course, getting GPUs for these projects remains an intricate task, but with export control loopholes and domestic AI accelerator development, the AI arms race is picking up quite a bit.https://tpucdn.com/img/GOsRhbu7MgYroW5n_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/GOsRhbu7MgYroW5n.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/gNLyOUcgrSZyqlW6_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/gNLyOUcgrSZyqlW6.jpg)
More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/331636/the-empire-strikes-back-china-prepares-one-trillion-yuan-ai-plan-to-rival-usd-500-billion-us-stargate-project)
NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
Time flies and we're already at the end of January and we have another packed week of new releases. This week's major release is already a couple of years old if you own a console, but it's only managed to swing its way onto PC now. This is followed by doing some engineering in space, going on an epic adventure to prevent the world from crumbling, some shape shifting action, being part of the French resistance and finally you can be the first sentient AI running a city. In addition to the games below, this week also brings: Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. and Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (https://insomniac.games/game/marvels-spider-man-2/) / This week's major release / Thursday 30 January
Be Greater. Together. The incredible power of the symbiote forces Peter Parker and Miles Morales into a desperate fight as they balance their lives, friendships, and their duty to protect in an exciting chapter of the critically acclaimed Spider-Man franchise on PC. Steam link (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2651280/Marvels_SpiderMan_2/)https://tpucdn.com/img/5k1IuwPgop23ms9d_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/5k1IuwPgop23ms9d.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/6mLMKHW9Z61oJYt5_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/6mLMKHW9Z61oJYt5.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/YjU2lmGagoJO6DfH_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/YjU2lmGagoJO6DfH.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/JDlgTZPVhTmeRSBm_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/JDlgTZPVhTmeRSBm.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331632/this-week-in-gaming-week-5)
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NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
Yes, the title is correct. One of NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5090D "China" edition GPUs, not the regular RTX 5090, managed to run at 3.4 GHz under liquid nitrogen. With a staggering 575 W default TDP, Tony Yu, ASUS China's general manager, has performed physical modifications that allow the card to run up to 1000 W TDP. The RTX 5090D is a China-exclusive variant with virtually no difference from the regular RTX 5090, just limited general AI capability due to US export regulations. ASUS China used its top-end Astral OC variant for this stunt, which, as we proved in our review of the regular ASUS RTX 5090 Astral OC (https://www.techpowerup.com/review/asus-geforce-rtx-5090-astral/43.html), has some pretty good chip binning, allowing the card to reach the highest overclock. We pushed the regular RTX 5090 Astral OC GPU on air to 3086 MHz, a +277 MHz over the stock boost setting. However, the RTX 5090D equivalent under LN2 manages to reach 3,390 MHz at peak loads, which is a +581 MHz difference.
For memory, the overclock is equally impressive with 34 Gbps. Regarding performance, the LN2-overclocked RTX 5090D surpassed stock performance by approximately 16%. During benchmark tests, the GPU outperformed multiple previous-generation graphics cards, including a dual RTX 3090 Ti configuration in Port Royal and a quad GTX 1080 Ti setup in Fire Strike. Power consumption figures indicate that 1,760 W was used in total for a rig with ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5090D, which is paired with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D on the ASUS ROG X870E Hero motherboard. This roughly yields a 1,000 W power consumption by the card, which has seen its PCB get physical modifications to output such high power.https://tpucdn.com/img/PWZHuvrPSyY2Fssk_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/PWZHuvrPSyY2Fssk.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/aL54H7LKzg5Jyrk5_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/aL54H7LKzg5Jyrk5.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/uUDFA4wDyJDobyvH_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/uUDFA4wDyJDobyvH.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/auFpfLX14ltoIsFY_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/auFpfLX14ltoIsFY.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331620/nvidia-geforce-rtx-5090d-overclocked-to-a-staggering-3-4-ghz-and-34-gbps-memory)
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NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
A set of newly leaked benchmarks has revealed the performance capabilities of NVIDIA's upcoming RTX 5080 GPU. Scheduled to launch alongside the RTX 5090 (https://www.techpowerup.com/review/nvidia-geforce-rtx-5090-founders-edition/) on January 30, the GPU was spotted on Geekbench under OpenCL and Vulkan benchmark tests—and based on the performance, it might not make it among the best graphics cards. The tested device was an MSI-branded RTX 5080 labeled as model MS-7E62. This setup had AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor, which many consider one of the best CPUs for gaming. It also included an MSI MPG 850 Edge TI Wi-Fi motherboard and 32 GB of DDR5-6000 memory.
The benchmark results show that the RTX 5080 scored 261,836 points in Vulkan and 256,138 points in OpenCL tests. Compared to the RTX 4080, its previous version, the RTX 5080 has a 22% boost in Vulkan performance and a small 6.7% gain in OpenCL. Reddit user TruthPhoenixV found that on the Blender Open Data platform, the GPU got a median score of 9,063.77. This score is 9.4% higher than the RTX 4080 and 8.2% better than the RTX 4080 Super. Even with these improvements, the RTX 5080 might not outperform the current-gen top-tier RTX 4090. In the past, NVIDIA's 80-class GPUs have beaten the 90-class GPUs from the previous generation, but these early numbers suggest this trend might not continue for the RTX 5080.https://tpucdn.com/img/CQ3t86QI1iuLIvUK_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/CQ3t86QI1iuLIvUK.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/Gf3d6HES64QLQxPe_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Gf3d6HES64QLQxPe.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/de6vA4BFIghkR6Zp_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/de6vA4BFIghkR6Zp.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/x4o1rEd2ARzcR77Q_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/x4o1rEd2ARzcR77Q.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331599/new-leak-reveals-nvidia-rtx-5080-is-slower-than-rtx-4090)
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NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
SNK CORPORATION (https://www.snk-corp.co.jp/us/) has announced an Open Beta test for FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves (https://www.snk-corp.co.jp/us/games/fatalfury-cotw/). The beta for SNK's highly anticipated fighting game will be available from February 20 to February 24 (PST) on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2492040/FATAL_FURY_City_of_the_Wolves/). Participation in the beta test does NOT require an active PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass Core/Ultimate subscription. FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves is set to release on April 24, 2025.
Rev Up for Open Beta
From February 20, 2025 (12 AM PST) through February 24, 2025 (11:59 PM PST), PC and console players can choose from eight total characters and throw down with friends in three online modes: Ranked Match, Casual Match, or Room Match. Those eager to hone their skills and learn dynamic combo routes can practice in the offline Training mode. FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves introduces a stunning, comic-inspired art style that's a visual treat for series fans, combined with fights fueled by the cutting-edge REV System to deliver dynamic matches. The open beta offers the public their first opportunity to experience the modernized action of City of the Wolves at home, featuring two distinct control schemes tailored to engage both newcomers and seasoned pros.https://tpucdn.com/img/UkvPtysfLwtBPzJj_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/UkvPtysfLwtBPzJj.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/xAhYxTYdMYKikAMx_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/xAhYxTYdMYKikAMx.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/yBAXp2ldRdiuOFTJ_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/yBAXp2ldRdiuOFTJ.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/4vjLIv5iEg6dSpsc_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/4vjLIv5iEg6dSpsc.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331598/fatal-fury-city-of-the-wolves-open-beta-test-starts-february-20)
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NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
The Xbox Insider program has outlined a major upcoming feature upgrade for their home console lineup—Tuesday's Alpha Skip-Ahead Ring (2502.250120-2200) (https://support.xbox.com/en-GB/help/hardware-network/xbox-insider-release-notes/console/alpha-skip-ahead/2025/01/alpha-skip-ahead-2502-250120-2200) release notes reveal newly implemented support for larger capacity external hard drives. Naturally, inside program members get to play around with this early build—we presume that support will eventually trickle down to public level in the near future. The major announcement stated: "we are enabling support for external USB drives larger than 16 TB, so you can be sure your favorite games are always ready to play! Newly formatted drives that are larger than 16 TB will be formatted with multiple partitions to utilize all available space for games and apps. These will appear as multiple devices in the storage devices list."
Xbox-licensed external storage devices are only available with a maximum capacity of 12 TB—Western Digital's WD_BLACK D10 model wears the crown here. Console gaming enthusiasts—with a penchant for storing a huge library of titles on hard disk drives (HDD)—are best served by not selecting official Xbox-branded storage devices. Manufacturers do offer products with 18 TB to 28 TB capacities, but potential buyers will be greeted by hefty asking prices. There are a couple of caveats—for owners of 16+ TB drives—as noted in the Alpha Skip-Ahead Ring notes: "drives greater than 16 TB that have already been formatted will be unaffected by this change and would need to be reformatted to take advantage of the updated support for larger drives. Please be aware that we have identified an issue with formatting drives larger than 16 TB, and we're working on a fix." Interestingly, the notes do not disclose information regarding a new upper limit for compatible storage devices.https://tpucdn.com/img/k4igx1TiEd6TNIFn_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/k4igx1TiEd6TNIFn.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/h6TUWd4iHtHxIVfi_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/h6TUWd4iHtHxIVfi.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/Su9Ozjh6bhfzWJGx_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Su9Ozjh6bhfzWJGx.jpg)
More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/331597/xbox-consoles-set-to-support-16-tb-external-storage-devices)
NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
"Your worlds, your way" is not just a motto for Obsidian—it's truly how they think about their players. Freedom lives within everything they do, informing how they design quests, regions, combat, and more—it's these elements that help make an "Obsidian RPG" great (and why "Obsidian RPG" is a term you can immediately recognize in the first place). Ahead of the Avowed (https://www.xbox.com/games/avowed) launch on February 18, 2025, I spoke with the team behind the upcoming fantasy role-playing game to learn more about the process that offers players such a huge level of agency—and how this philosophy is being pushed in this game more than ever.
"There are choices you can make and consequences of actions you can take or not take, whether they are forecasted to you or not, that will impact the future of entire settlements, individual people, groups of people—the whole spectrum basically," says Region Director Berto Ritger. This felt evident as soon as I got off the boat in the game's first region, Dawnshore, as the entire zone is essentially laid out in front of you, waiting to be explored. Everywhere I looked was an opportunity to engage with this world, either through circumnavigating old houses to find loot, or talking to locals that would yield side quests—and this was all before I even stepped foot outside of the port city of Paradis.https://tpucdn.com/img/4240lkWHpMgEwwGz_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/4240lkWHpMgEwwGz.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/USG5zoXoCXkBNM3N_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/USG5zoXoCXkBNM3N.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/ETWCUmufaiOi5wKQ_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ETWCUmufaiOi5wKQ.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/mQm9Pjp4hjbckpAM_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/mQm9Pjp4hjbckpAM.jpg)
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NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
Intel's Platform Engineering and Client Segments groups are actively looking into ways of reducing computer e-waste, and (in parallel) enhance product repairability. The company's newly proposed "Modular PC Design (https://community.intel.com/t5/Blogs/Tech-Innovation/Client/Modular-PC-Design-A-Sustainable-Approach-for-Enhanced/post/1657681)" is set to take a "sustainable approach" across three key modularity levels: factory, field and user. Team Blue's blog post goes into great detail about revised laptop and mini-PC designs—with the "right-to-repair" movement serving as a major influence. Many "consumer activists and environmental groups" have advocated for improvements in personal computer design—Intel appears to be listening, but a firm release timeline has not been set.
Intel's proposed new standards will revolve around repairability and upgradability—as explained in their blog: "the right-to-repair emphasizes the importance of being able to fix and upgrade PCs on one's own. Improving repairability requires fundamental changes starting from the design methodology." Team Blue's Modular PC program—for laptops—breaks away from the tradition of utilizing an "all-in-one motherboard." A reference diagram shows off three internal modules: a motherboard package and two "universal" left and right I/O units. These separate boards can be: "utilized across various platforms or market segments leads to cost savings by streamlining the duration of the design cycle and minimizing the engineering investment required. The I/O boards for Premium Modular designs are engineered to be common between the fan-less Thin & Light system, which operates within a 10 W power envelope, and the premium fanned designs, which function within a 20 W (single fan) and 30 W (dual fan, Wi-Fi only SKU) power envelope." Framework recently celebrated its fifth year (https://frame.work/gb/en/blog/five-years-of-framework) of operation—its modular laptop designs have seemingly "inspired" a few copycats.https://tpucdn.com/img/9DuDlFvA8VPXqqmp_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/9DuDlFvA8VPXqqmp.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/FlPKApQ6arsbJumu_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/FlPKApQ6arsbJumu.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/5IX8GAN4DU5zcxXU_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/5IX8GAN4DU5zcxXU.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/uF0O7D7DU69JNJTq_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/uF0O7D7DU69JNJTq.jpg)
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NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
After several months of teasers, the Ayaneo 3 gaming handheld has finally witnessed its official launch. The product will be available with two APUs - the Ryzen 7 8840U for the entry variant, and the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 for the high-end variant. The system can be equipped with up to 64 GB of LPDDR5X-7500 memory, and a whopping 4 TB of SSD storage. The handheld will also feature modular controllers, which can be detached with the click of a single button.
The Ayaneo 3 will also give customers the option to chose between an LCD or an OLED panel, and as VideoCardz notes, selecting the OLED option does not change the final price. As mentioned earlier, the system will be available with either a Zen 4 or a Zen 5 APU. The Strix Point variant leads the Hawk Point part by almost around 50% in multicore tests, and the HX 370's integrated Radeon 890M iGPU is somewhere around 25% more performant than the 8840U's Radeon 780M. Clearly, the performance gap between the two variants will be substantial.https://tpucdn.com/img/ubfioLUZ4MqN5eN0_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ubfioLUZ4MqN5eN0.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/SVA7sWagBRad93by_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/SVA7sWagBRad93by.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/lUWU2a2UUbAGgW3R_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/lUWU2a2UUbAGgW3R.jpg)
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NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
Hello everyone, following the release of our PC specs (https://www.techpowerup.com/331525/ubisoft-unveils-assassins-creed-shadows-recommended-pc-specs) for Assassin's Creed Shadows (https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/game/assassins-creed/shadows), we wanted to share additional insight directly from our tech team on the use of ray tracing in the game. Assassin's Creed Shadows features three distinct ray tracing modes on PC.
Selective Ray tracing
This mode uses ray tracing only within the Hideout portion of the game. The reason behind this, is that the Hideout allows extensive player customization at a level never seen before on Assassin's Creed. Because of that, we cannot use traditional, pre-calculated, global illumination techniques, and therefore need to adopt a real-time approach with ray tracing. In all other gameplay situations, such as in the open world, ray tracing will not be used.https://tpucdn.com/img/W93d530TIDErnbZy_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/W93d530TIDErnbZy.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/ovgFin4Z886h6Nyc_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ovgFin4Z886h6Nyc.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/RXQxsr1p73i4c68x_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/RXQxsr1p73i4c68x.jpg)
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NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
Silkland, a tech brand specializing in cables and accessories, has announced the launch of its new 80 Gbps DisplayPort 2.1 cable (Model Number: S1334). As the first 6.6 feet (2 meter) VESA-certified cable available on Amazon, the cable is designed to enhance both visual and audio experiences, catering specifically to the needs of high-end gamers and professionals.
The 6.6 feet VESA Certified 80 Gbps DisplayPort 2.1 Cable (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DQ7KY639) offers an impressive 80 Gbps bandwidth, supporting ultra-high resolutions and refresh rate like 16K@60 Hz, 8K@240 Hz, 4K@960 Hz with DSC, and uncompressed 8K@60 Hz, 4K@240 Hz, 2K@540 Hz. Compatible with UHBR 20, dynamic HDR10+, 3D, and HDCP 2.3, this cable ensures exceptional visual quality. Additionally, it offers backward compatibility with DP 1.4 and DP 1.2.https://tpucdn.com/img/4tN3BYnY2ErIf2jt_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/4tN3BYnY2ErIf2jt.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/WjmdsfckcGtFHoTT_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/WjmdsfckcGtFHoTT.jpg)
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NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
Mid-week—at the World Economic Forum in Davos—India's government announced that its native semiconductor industry will release its debut product at some point this year. A similar announcement was made at last year's event, but the reported 28 nm "Made in India" chip would eventually miss its (then) projected December 2024 launch date. Press outlets have focused on Ashwini Vaishnaw's latest prediction for 2025—the Union Minister believes that everything will align neatly for his nation's fledgling semiconductor industry. Additionally, industry stakeholders have expressed confidence in the Semicon India program (initiated back in 2021).
He stated: "Our first 'Made in India' chip will be rolled out this year, and now we are looking at the next phase, where we can get equipment manufacturers, material manufacturers and designers in India...For materials, from parts per million purity, we need to go to parts per billion purity levels. This requires huge transformative changes in the process and the industry is working to achieve this." Vaishnaw is chief of India's AI Mission—this program has set itself some ambitious goals for 2025 and beyond. A primary objective is the founding of a common compute facility that will make use of 10,000 GPUs. The Minister for Electronics and Information Technology outlined the country's next phase of AI industry development—the creation of an indigenous AI model, and homegrown AI chip designs.https://tpucdn.com/img/isrhWyBVWxgWAQY1_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/isrhWyBVWxgWAQY1.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/RFY1pJDTzsqw11kp_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/RFY1pJDTzsqw11kp.jpg)
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NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
A day after the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 launch, scalpers are already in action to profit from the hype train. Many of these sellers on eBay claim to have "guaranteed" early access through connections with retailers, while others ask for astronomical prices that dwarf the rumored official MSRP. Currently, the graphics card is not widely available, yet eBay and similar sites list it at up to $7,000. Some individuals go so far as to promise customers "guaranteed slots" to secure the product, often with no refund or return policy. These tactics exploit consumer fear of missing out, especially after repeated GPU shortages and scalper-driven price hikes in recent years. NVIDIA has reportedly taken steps to manage supply, planning to "nitpick" distribution and limit bulk business-to-business sales, at least in some regions.
While these efforts may reduce scalping, other jurisdictions lack similar protections. Rumors from German outlets point to NVIDIA aiming to curb large-volume B2B purchases, but no equivalent strategy has been confirmed for markets like the United States or Asia. Interestingly, there are reports from Vietnam of select shops selling RTX 5080 cards before the launch date, heightening fears of a black market for the entire RTX 50 lineup. Additionally, some sellers have disclaimers that shift blame for any potential defects to manufacturers, leaving buyers with minimal recourse. E-commerce platforms typically permit dispute resolutions for damaged goods, rendering these disclaimers largely ineffective. Buying from scalpers encourages price hikes, and there are no guarantees of the product arriving/working, and there is no warranty for after-purchase care.https://tpucdn.com/img/feHysb8x9V1YPGKX_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/feHysb8x9V1YPGKX.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/bRpPcAKaoQLAFUZy_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/bRpPcAKaoQLAFUZy.jpg)
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NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
Abelard, announce that over 1 million Lord Captains have claimed their Warrant of Trade and ventured boldly into the Koronus Expanse! To be the paragon of Humanity, unbroken by adversity, to walk bravely first into darkness, to unite and reclaim what was lost, to triumph over nightmares untold, to hold boldly the reins of fate, to walk steadily the road of thorns, through pain to greatness. This was no easy task, but you have succeeded, Lord Captains. The Emperor protects!
Made in a close partnership with Games Workshop, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (https://roguetrader.owlcat.games/) is a story-rich classical RPG from Owlcat Games (https://owlcat.games/), developers of the critically acclaimed game, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous (https://wrath.owlcat.games/). Begin your adventure aboard your personal, giant voidship, traveling between the multitude of systems within the Koronus Expanse, a barely charted and incredibly perilous region of space. Despite being considered a backwater of the Imperium, this region encompasses an enormous stretch of the void, filled with dangerous creatures and prodigious opportunities for profit and exploration.https://tpucdn.com/img/SbbQjUdEFMNOr9Zf_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/SbbQjUdEFMNOr9Zf.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/3sDx2qtvtsWEVFHI_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/3sDx2qtvtsWEVFHI.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/4hsKRxLEHxX9z1vB_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/4hsKRxLEHxX9z1vB.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/bYRf7K6SZCMNNqm1_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/bYRf7K6SZCMNNqm1.jpg)
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NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
Team Green's CUDA 12.8 release notes have revealed upcoming changes for three older GPU architectures—the document's "Deprecated and Dropped Features (https://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/cuda-toolkit-release-notes/index.html#deprecated-or-dropped-features)" section outlines forthcoming changes. A brief sentence outlines a less active future for affected families: "architecture support for Maxwell, Pascal, and Volta is considered feature-complete and will be frozen in an upcoming release." Further down, NVIDIA states that a small selection of operating systems have been dropped from support lists, including Microsoft Windows 10 21H2 and Debian 11.
Refocusing on matters of hardware—Michael Larabel, Phoronix's editor-in-chief, has kindly provided a bit of history and context. "Four years ago with the NVIDIA 470 series was the legacy branch for GeForce GTX 600 (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/?generation=GeForce+600&sort=generation) and 700 (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/?generation=GeForce+700&sort=generation) Kepler series and now as we embark on the NVIDIA 570 driver series, it looks like it could end up being the legacy branch for Maxwell, Pascal, and Volta generations of GPUs." Larabel and other industry watchdogs reckon that the incoming "Blackwell" generation is taking priority, with Team Green likely freeing up resources and concentrating less on taking care of decade+ old hardware. VideoCardz (https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-freezes-cuda-toolkit-updates-for-maxwell-pascal-and-volta-architectures) believes that gaming GPU support will continue—at least for Maxwell (e.g. GeForce GTX 900 (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/?generation=GeForce+900&sort=generation)) and Pascal (GeForce GTX 10 series (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/?generation=GeForce+10&sort=generation))—based on a playtesting of the toolkit's latest set of integrated drivers (version 571.96).https://tpucdn.com/img/nzPWoVB8awbb2o5a_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/nzPWoVB8awbb2o5a.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/dC3wDQ3fSOOyKTq9_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/dC3wDQ3fSOOyKTq9.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/xRdNaO8lkuunWOo8_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/xRdNaO8lkuunWOo8.jpg)
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NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
HXL/9550pro (https://x.com/9550pro/status/1882649706754650309) and HardwareLuxx's Andreas Schilling (https://x.com/aschilling/status/1882688162008650071) shared evidence of the ASUS PCIe Q-Release Slim—the manufacturer's latest ejection mechanism (https://edgeup.asus.com/2024/building-a-pc-is-easier-than-ever-with-an-asus-x870-motherboard/)—causing damage to graphics card PCIe connectors. Recent feedback suggests that repeated usage can scrape or grind off material present on a card's interface. HXL gathered critiques from multiple sources (owners of Intel 800 and AMD 800 series boards), and linked a relevant Bilibili video. The footage presents a damaged GALAX RTX 4070 Ti HOF OC LAB (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/galax-rtx-4070-ti-hof-oc-lab.b11242) model, following sixty quick release cycles—paired with a ROG Strix B850-A Gaming Wi-Fi S motherboard. Tony Wu, ASUS China's general manager, eventually weighed in on community discussions—stating that he will investigate this matter and report back with his findings.
Schilling expressed similar frustrations—his chosen platform is producing unwanted results: "I'm not happy with the solution either. We use the Strix X870E-E Gaming for testing the graphics cards. So I have had to remove graphics cards from the slot a few dozen times. This didn't always go smoothly and very often the (GeForce RTX 5090 (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/geforce-rtx-5090.c4216)) card got stuck in the slot. First damage visible." Press outlets have picked up on the recent surge in Q-Release Slim user feedback—several publications have gathered additional examples (https://wccftech.com/beware-asus-800-series-motherboards-quick-release-pcie-design-damaging-graphics-card-slots/) of the new mechanism inflicting damage on a variety of graphics card models.https://tpucdn.com/img/pfKNLq5utQYRHhGG_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/pfKNLq5utQYRHhGG.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/XXW4FefVf0CTISqP_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/XXW4FefVf0CTISqP.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/742LMfIdh9tWj9dL_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/742LMfIdh9tWj9dL.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/LfN9b5i41X6BXABA_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/LfN9b5i41X6BXABA.jpg)
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NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
Intel and 2K Games are teaming up to launch the Intel Builder Bundle (https://softwareoffer.intel.com/Promo/builders), featuring the highly anticipated Sid Meier's Civilization VII. Starting today, gamers who purchase qualifying (https://softwareoffer.intel.com/Campaign/LearnMore/0f081e85-c6ee-4265-917f-b8fb1a405a3f?r=1#divLearnMoreQualifyingProductsHeader) Intel Core Ultra processors (series 2) or Intel Core desktop processors (14th Gen) from participating sellers will be eligible to receive a digital copy of Civilization VII to play when the game launches on February 11, 2025.
"It's hard to come up with franchises in the PC gaming industry more iconic than Sid Meier's Civilization, and Intel is thrilled to continue its years-long partnership with 2K Games and Firaxis on the series' latest installment. Whether it's a marathon session with friends or just 'one more turn' before logging off, gamers around the world can depend on Intel Core and Core Ultra processors to deliver the best Civilization experience on a PC."
Roger Chandler, VP and GM, Enthusiast and Workstation PC, Intel
https://tpucdn.com/img/j7nJmy5NZ1BVA15p_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/j7nJmy5NZ1BVA15p.jpg)
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NextPowerUP
27-01-25, 11:41
In the design of wearable devices, every millimeter matters. As AI technology becomes deeply integrated, wearable devices demand not only enhanced performance but also the ability to deliver more functionalities within highly limited spaces. Recently, Longsys introduced a 7.2 mm × 7.2 mm subsize eMMC, providing a groundbreaking memory solution for optimizing the physical space of AI wearables.
Ultra-Compact: Unlocking New Possibilities for Wearable Design
7.2 mm × 7.2 mm is one of the smallest subsize eMMCs currently available on the market, achieving maximum space efficiency. Its 153 solder balls nearly cover the entire panel, pushing the design to the very edge of physical limits. Compared to the standard 11.5 mm × 13 mm eMMC, its surface area is reduced by approximately 65%, with a thickness of just 0.8 mm. Featuring a lightweight design, it weighs only 0.1 g (approx.), nearly 67% lighter than the standard 0.3 g eMMC. This ultra-compact design frees up additional space for other internal components, enabling wearable devices to maintain a sleek and lightweight form while integrating more functional modules to meet diverse user demands.https://tpucdn.com/img/KtGDeHKNBUWLQQls_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/KtGDeHKNBUWLQQls.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331577/longsys-launches-7-2mm-subsize-emmc-breaking-the-physical-space-constraints-of-ai-wearables)
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NextPowerUP
30-01-25, 12:33
Microsoft Corp. today announced the following results for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the corresponding period of last fiscal year:
Revenue was $69.6 billion and increased 12%
Operating income was $31.7 billion and increased 17% (up 16% in constant currency)
Net income was $24.1 billion and increased 10%
Diluted earnings per share was $3.23 and increased 10%
"We are innovating across our tech stack and helping customers unlock the full ROI of AI to capture the massive opportunity ahead," said Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft. "Already, our AI business has surpassed an annual revenue run rate of $13 billion, up 175% year-over-year."https://tpucdn.com/img/rytPxOUNl3IRjJDl_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/rytPxOUNl3IRjJDl.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/EIFp9t0uIh6SmHl7_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/EIFp9t0uIh6SmHl7.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/6TFZivgBzpsxgGCX_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/6TFZivgBzpsxgGCX.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/bY1tANga11WF6Sc4_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/bY1tANga11WF6Sc4.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331803/microsoft-announces-its-fy25-q2-earnings-release)
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NextPowerUP
30-01-25, 12:33
Starting with tomorrow's release of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 for PC (https://www.techpowerup.com/331787/nixxes-reveals-spider-man-2s-pc-spec-requirements-ray-tracing-options), we're working to add more benefits to playing with an account for PlayStation Network. The Last of Us Part II Remastered (coming April 3, 2025), in addition to God of War Ragnarök and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, will all soon be adding in-game content unlocks for PlayStation Network account users.
An account for PlayStation Network will become optional for these titles on PC. Players who still opt to sign into a PlayStation Network account will also enjoy added benefits like trophies and friend management. Details on new benefits for players who opt to sign in with an account for PlayStation Network can be read below.https://tpucdn.com/img/mtx4vDmyw2yVXXHN_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/mtx4vDmyw2yVXXHN.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/8zTm7Hc3478J98sV_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/8zTm7Hc3478J98sV.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/qs2OJnWss9rBMoQo_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/qs2OJnWss9rBMoQo.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/eOIAdyMFKxANZGwq_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/eOIAdyMFKxANZGwq.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331796/sony-playstation-network-sign-in-becomes-optional-in-game-content-incentives-added-for-pc-titles)
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NextPowerUP
30-01-25, 12:33
Microsoft's Xbox Series X and S home gaming consoles have, so far, struggled to compete—saleswise—with Sony's full range of PlayStation 5 models. In reaction, CEO Phil Spencer and his colleagues have largely re-strategized Xbox's current platform. In recent times, less emphasis has been placed on the core system, and Microsoft's grip on software exclusivity has been loosened to a large degree (https://www.techpowerup.com/329889/rumors-of-end-to-xbox-only-exclusives-swirl-as-more-game-studios-embrace-simultaneous-launch-strategy). Any capable enough device is now "an Xbox (https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2024/11/14/this-is-an-xbox/)"—be it a Smart TV, laptop, or smartphone. A gamer can enable this via Xbox's Cloud Gaming service or PC app. The company's new approach has been questioned by many folks—does it add value to (or remove from) the Xbox brand? Microsoft Gaming's chief has fielded similar queries—thrown his way by multiple media outlets over the past two weeks. Many headline quotes have been extracted, and the latest one focuses on future innovations (https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-ceo-phil-spencer-comments-on-the-xbox-series-s-and-why-it-actually-gives-microsoft-a-key-advantage-i-want-us-to-innovate-and-make-hardware-the-differentiator).
Destin Legarie—an independent journalist, formerly of IGN—booked time with the Xbox boss. Naturally, media outlets have picked up on choice sentences from the first episode of Legarie's (just launched) Save State Plus (https://www.patreon.com/savestateplus) paywalled podcast. Microsoft and Sony are rumored to be working on next-gen consoles—Spencer was asked about his ideal vision for the future, in response he stated: "I want us to innovate and make hardware the differentiator. We've got into this space where the differentiation on the hardware has gone down, and it's really been 'locked games' that have become the identity of the hardware. I love when I see handhelds (https://www.techpowerup.com/320924/phil-spencer-imagines-his-ideal-xbox-handheld-experience), when I see unique things that hardware manufacturers do." According to various leaks and bits of inside information, next-gen AMD CPU and GPU architectures (https://www.techpowerup.com/331346/playstation-6-chipset-design-finalized-says-tipster-predicts-console-launch-in-2027) have been linked to a new wave of Sony and Microsoft gaming machines—perhaps mirroring choices made in the past. Starting with the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 generation, both teams have—so far—selected very similar internals. Spencer has wishlisted a different path for the near future: "I want our hardware to compete on power, and on innovation. So let's have our platform continue to innovate with services and the hardware work that we're doing—whether it's controller, power, or mobility."https://tpucdn.com/img/wp1iYXOUuHAsUAdH_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/wp1iYXOUuHAsUAdH.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/sDparcIz6ij21OYX_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/sDparcIz6ij21OYX.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/QxosXtLZ7DepUZWs_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/QxosXtLZ7DepUZWs.jpg)
More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/331793/phil-spencer-wishes-for-innovative-next-gen-xbox-hardware-current-consoles-too-similar)
NextPowerUP
30-01-25, 12:33
Cloud storage options abound, but not all of them are secure. If you want cloud storage you can rely on, try Internxt. This GDPR compliant secure cloud storage uses Post-Quantum Encryption to keep your files safe, and it's not lacking in space. For a limited time, a 10 TB lifetime subscription is $244.99 (reg. $2,999). Internxt stands out for its focus on privacy and security. They're offering a decentralized cloud storage solution that gives users full control over their data. Zero-knowledge file storage and end-to-end encryption mean nobody can access your files without your permission. This platform is also entirely open-source, so you can even review the code yourself.
You can easily access your files from any device, including desktops, mobile phones, and web browsers. Whether you're using Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, or iOS, Internxt has you covered with apps that sync and share files seamlessly. Uploads are fast, and you can easily make links to any files you want to share. This subscription lasts for life with no recurring costs. You can use it on an unlimited number of devices, and updates are included, too.
Use code STORAGE30 by February 2 at 11:59 p.m. PT to get a 10 TB Lifetime Subscription to Internxt Cloud Storage (https://stacksocial.com/sales/internxt-cloud-storage-lifetime-subscription-10tb-plan?utm_source=techpowerup.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=internxt-cloud-storage-lifetime-subscription-10tb-plan&utm_term=scsf-613198&utm_content=a0xRn0000038UDhIAM&scsonar=1&aid=a-zpm4h3er) for $244.99.https://tpucdn.com/img/nMti0qthDpS5B157_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/nMti0qthDpS5B157.jpg)
More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/331693/this-secure-dropbox-alternative-just-dropped-the-price-on-a-10tb-lifetime-subscription)
NextPowerUP
30-01-25, 12:33
Hello! No Man's Sky (https://www.nomanssky.com/) is a game that we all genuinely truly love. Last year we released Worlds Part I (https://www.nomanssky.com/worlds-part-i-update) and I remember thinking at the time that this is just the beginning. We can't wait to show people what we've been working on! There's new solar systems, new planets with more variety, new terrain types, even new Gas Giants, and of course new adventures. Our next update is called Worlds Part II. Full patch notes are available here (https://www.nomanssky.com/worlds-part-ii-update).
Worlds Part II allows us to push the boundaries of our engine with new technology. Across the universe we're adding billions of new solar systems and trillions of new planets, and introducing new biomes and terrains without changing what people already love about the game. It's now so far beyond what we ever thought was possible when we started out.https://tpucdn.com/img/TtvQ0vKUiA8JLPi3_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/TtvQ0vKUiA8JLPi3.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/iJCknIDYqMWrl4Fu_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/iJCknIDYqMWrl4Fu.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/Uj21rzhcvADhJYF8_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Uj21rzhcvADhJYF8.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331791/no-mans-sky-expanded-with-worlds-part-ii-update)
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NextPowerUP
30-01-25, 12:33
Earlier this week, MSI's China office admitted that it had only a limited supply (https://www.techpowerup.com/331644/msi-confirms-tight-supply-of-geforce-rtx-5090-5080-gpus-at-launch-situation-to-improve-in-february) of GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards available for launch day. A VideoCardz report (https://videocardz.com/newz/msi-delays-geforce-rtx-5090-official-us-store-availability-to-february-6) from last night points out similar problems affecting retail channels in North America. MSI's official US store has delayed shipments of GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 cards. This announcement was extracted from a conversation conducted via Discord—between a company representative (MSI Spence) and a VideoCardz staffer (WhyCry). In full, MSI stated: "we are going to allow GeForce RTX 5090 pre-orders on January 1, at 6 AM PST—with a ship date of February 6. The GeForce RTX 5080 will be available for purchase on January 30 at 6 AM PST, with an immediate ship date of (same day) January 30. GeForce RTX 5090 pre-orders will open on January 30 at 6 AM PST, with a ship date of February 6."
Additionally, StinceBuilt has corroborated reports of newly adjusted timeframes—the custom PC builder publicly disclosed (https://x.com/StinceBuilt/status/1884275160800432238) its own dealings with the NVIDIA board partner: "we're being told by the MSI Team that the MSI RTX 5090 Variants are now being pushed back until February 6th for launch. RTX 5090 Day of Launch is going to be very rough, both on the consumer retail/ecommerce side, and to all system integrators. Stock is minimal at best. Please be patient. We've confirmed this with other shops like ourselves."https://tpucdn.com/img/BGwzNRAztmqB53Y3_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/BGwzNRAztmqB53Y3.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/lkPD2kB83dS2fDUX_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/lkPD2kB83dS2fDUX.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/c8SaurfqiHLqUnQF_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/c8SaurfqiHLqUnQF.jpg)
More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/331788/msis-us-store-postpones-geforce-rtx-5090-gpu-shipments-delayed-until-february-6)
NextPowerUP
30-01-25, 12:33
Hey everyone, we're just one day away from bringing the latest epic chapter (https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/marvels-spider-man-2/marvels-spider-man-2-pc/) in the Marvel's Spider-Man franchise to PC, where you'll battle as Spider-Men, Peter Parker and Miles Morales, against a rogue's gallery of iconic Marvel Super Villains, including the monstrous Venom and the ruthless Kraven the Hunter. With the game launching soon, I'm excited to share more about the awesome new PC-enhanced features the team at Nixxes (https://www.nixxes.com/) has been working on.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2, created by Insomniac in collaboration with Marvel, is a technological and graphical showcase utilizing tools like ray tracing to bring the city of Marvel's New York to life. On PC, you'll encounter a variety of new ray tracing options with individual quality settings to finetune performance and fidelity across a broad range of hardware configurations. Ray traced reflections quickly catch your eye in the skyscraper-filled city of Marvel's New York as you swing along its many glass surfaces. Meanwhile, we're offering ray traced interiors, shadows, and ambient occlusion options that add an additional layer of believability with realistic shadows and increased depth to the game.https://tpucdn.com/img/XvxJu3B1lDchfRzM_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/XvxJu3B1lDchfRzM.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/jDZS84pQsFVOdhts_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/jDZS84pQsFVOdhts.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/7UtTvBHwJ7DB4umb_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/7UtTvBHwJ7DB4umb.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331787/nixxes-reveals-spider-man-2s-pc-spec-requirements-ray-tracing-options)
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NextPowerUP
30-01-25, 12:33
Goodwill Nagoya Osu—a Japanese PC hardware store—has devised a lottery ticket system (https://x.com/GW_Nagoyaoosu/status/1884534889053061552) for potential buyers of GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 graphics cards. Earlier today, the shop's social media announced a strict set of rules—providing a preview of this Friday's buying experience. Several retail outlets (around the globe) are preparing various anti-scalping measures ahead of a predicted bloodbath (https://www.techpowerup.com/331460/nvidia-geforce-rtx-50-series-supply-woes-predicted-to-last-up-to-three-months)—a particularly brutal example was highlighted recently. AutoBuy, a Taiwanese store, demands that customers purchase almost an entire build's worth of pricey PC components—just to get onto a waiting list for GeForce RTX 5080 graphics cards.
Goodwill Japan's prize draw looks quite reasonable in comparison. Their announcement reads as follows: "the next-generation GPUs—which will go on sale from 11:00 on January 31—will be sold by lottery at the Nagoya Osu store. Lottery tickets will be distributed from 10:20. Those who are in line at 10:20 will be eligible for the lottery." Industry experts believe that high-end graphics card enthusiasts will experience long-term shortages—possibly up to three months after this week's international rollout. Goodwill Nagoya Osu will not reveal their (proverbial) full deck of cards until tomorrow night—available products and quantities will be announced at 11:00 PM.https://tpucdn.com/img/CwOB0az2EAo8MjGx_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/CwOB0az2EAo8MjGx.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/OJVO0EUQCiykzw2d_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/OJVO0EUQCiykzw2d.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/4sZXuULQuyNciIAN_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/4sZXuULQuyNciIAN.jpg)
More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/331785/japanese-store-readies-lottery-system-ahead-of-geforce-rtx-5090-5080-gpu-launch)
NextPowerUP
30-01-25, 12:33
Comcast is introducing the first customers in the world to a pioneering new, ultra-low lag connectivity experience when they use interactive applications like gaming, videoconferencing, and virtual reality. With the launch, Xfinity Internet latency will be dramatically reduced to faster than the blink of an eye, currently when using FaceTime on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro, apps on Meta's mixed reality headsets that will support this technology, NVIDIA's GeForce NOW, many games on Valve's Steam games platform, and in the future on other applications that choose to leverage this open standard technology.
"Our connectivity is the key to unlocking a world of entertainment, sports, news and information and we're constantly pushing the limits of network innovation to create an experience that exceeds the expanding demands of our customers," said Emily Waldorf, Senior Vice President, Consumer Products, Comcast Connectivity and Platforms. "Modern applications are real-time and interactive and require more than just fast speeds. Xfinity Internet's lower lag times will be a differentiator for Comcast."https://tpucdn.com/img/SK5qImFPkbAug9Gt_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/SK5qImFPkbAug9Gt.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331786/comcast-introduces-nations-first-ultra-low-lag-xfinity-internet-experience-with-meta-nvidia-and-valve)
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NextPowerUP
30-01-25, 12:33
Bringing classic games back to life is not easy. With obsolete technology, complex IP rights, and challenging business cases, our Team tackles these hurdles daily. That's where our Community Wishlist used to come in. It was an open tool where you got to tell us which classics deserve a comeback and vote on the games you want to see revived. It wasn't just a list—more often than not, it was the fuel for our actions. When talks with IP owners hit a wall, the Wishlist kept the conversation going—as you could see with Dino Crisis (https://www.gog.com/blog/dino-crisis/).
But now we are launching the next generation of this tool: the GOG Dreamlist (https://www.gog.com/dreamlist/). With the brand-new design, it's easier than ever to cast your vote, add a game and contribute to Video Game Preservation.https://tpucdn.com/img/F68TVtM5axSfXaiZ_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/F68TVtM5axSfXaiZ.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/ffNIevhKfuuSIVWR_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ffNIevhKfuuSIVWR.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/ZU8gB7JAn46amc8D_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ZU8gB7JAn46amc8D.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331784/gog-launches-dreamlist-system-supersedes-community-wishlist-tool)
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NextPowerUP
30-01-25, 12:33
As evidenced in leaks from late last year, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile processor is no slouch in terms of gaming performance—to be more specific, it is surprisingly adept at emulating "AAA" titles in an Android OS environment. Past examples include test platforms—allegedly—hitting 60+ frames per second (FPS) in A Plague Tale: Innocence (2019), and an astounding 160 FPS in Red Dead Redemption's recent-ish PC conversion (https://www.techpowerup.com/327450/red-dead-redemption-and-undead-nightmare-coming-to-pc-october-29) (originally a 2010 release on PS3 & Xbox 360). Earlier this week, NoI_Revenant (https://x.com/NoI_Revenant/status/1883835208363061427)'s attention was drawn to intriguing camera footage that was freshly uploaded to Bilibili. Said video demonstrates the PC version (2019) of Red Dead Redemption 2 running on an unnamed mobile device equipped with Qualcomm's flagship SoC.
Follow-up posts and comments propose that the game was running via a specific (Android-based) emulation application: Winlator. Observers have pointed out that it is difficult to ascertain exact details regarding visual fidelity from an overly blurry video—the original uploader/leaker mentions that they implemented "low graphical settings." On-screen information shows measured frame rates hovering around the 60 FPS mark. Industry experts reckon that Qualcomm latest "game-changing" Adreno GPU is capable of surpassing AMD's omnipresent Radeon 780M (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/radeon-780m.c4020)—a popular integrated graphics solution, frequently found in Ryzen Z1 Extreme (https://www.techpowerup.com/cpu-specs/ryzen-z1-extreme.c3276)-equipped handheld gaming PCs.https://tpucdn.com/img/xuqgbI1CIVrNpJBI_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/xuqgbI1CIVrNpJBI.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/25FwfQkXib2BO8WK_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/25FwfQkXib2BO8WK.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/qFOSMUzWXAQwqa3I_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/qFOSMUzWXAQwqa3I.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/331783/qualcomm-snapdron-8-elite-soc-capable-of-running-red-dead-redemption-2-via-emulation)
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