TechPowerUP NEWS

[NextPowerUP]

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

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 is a different beast. It comes with a maximum boost frequency of 5.60 GHz, which is a 100 MHz reduction over the 5.70 GHz that the 9950X3D comes with, but both its chiplets have 3D V-Cache, allowing for more flexible scheduling and thread migration. With a combined L3 cache of 192 MB, this chip could also be vastly preferred by the workstation and creator crowd that's working on memory-intensive workloads. All this comes at a cost, though, with AMD rumored to increase TDP to 200 W, up from the 170 W of the 9950X3D, which could mean a PPT value nearing the 250 W-mark. Geekbench and PassMark numbers of the 9950X3D2 just surfaced on the web, which show the newer chip to be 2% faster than the 9950X3D despite the marginally lower clock speed, however, the real heft of this chip will be felt in memory/cache sensitive workloads.https://tpucdn.com/img/v0qpnpaG4hVcpnMT_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/v0qpnpaG4hVcpnMT.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/KJrmfxhzdmKWbxP4_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/KJrmfxhzdmKWbxP4.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/TV5CJudqPdn0ZiiS_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/TV5CJudqPdn0ZiiS.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/344435/amd-ryzen-9-9950x3d2-and-ryzen-7-9850x3d-are-real-coming-this-ces)

[NextPowerUP]

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

Launching today, are the Sapphire NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 XT PhantomLink PE graphics card, and the NITRO+ X870EA PhantomLink Socket AM5 motherboard. Both products have an identical silver-white color scheme and NITRO+ design theme that pair well visually. The graphics card features an overclocked RX 9070 XT with similar specs to the regular NITRO+ RX 9070 XT from Sapphire. The motherboard comes in two color trims, white+silver and black+silver. It offers a premium CPU VRM solution, a heavy M.2 PCIe Gen 5 heatsink, reinforced PCI-Express 5.0 x16 slot, premium Wi-Fi 7 and onboard audio solutions, and USB4. Sapphire is expected to showcase this along with example builds at CES next week.https://tpucdn.com/img/G9W6hnQhpGWXXQLw_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/G9W6hnQhpGWXXQLw.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/T3tT9u9w0cM63Z5g_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/T3tT9u9w0cM63Z5g.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/HXogy75vUtBSeNPy_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/HXogy75vUtBSeNPy.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/ToLRZdieN4DcxpgI_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ToLRZdieN4DcxpgI.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/344434/sapphire-intros-nitro-phantom-link-radeon-rx-9070-xt-and-x870e-socket-am5-motherboard)

[NextPowerUP]

MediaTek, a global leader in innovative semiconductor solutions, today announced that it is working closely with DENSO, one of the world's leading automotive technology providers, to develop a custom automotive System-on-Chip (SoC) solution tailored for Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) and cockpit systems. This joint effort merges DENSO's automotive-grade safety expertise and deep vehicle integration with MediaTek's technologies cultivated through the development of Dimensity AX, leveraging power-efficient, high performance SoCs and AI capabilities to offer a scalable, production-ready platform for next-generation driver assistance.https://tpucdn.com/img/phAWzhp45yjqYHKt_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/phAWzhp45yjqYHKt.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/344433/mediatek-and-denso-collaborate-on-automotive-socs-for-adas)

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[NextPowerUP]

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

The UltraGear EVO AI 39GX950B is the star of the show. This monitor comes with in-built AI-accelerated upscaling that's native to the monitor (doesn't use any CPU or GPU resources). The display comes with 21:9 aspect-ratio, 1500R curvature, and a native resolution of 5120 x 2160 pixels at 165 Hz or 2560 x 1080 at 330 Hz, along with DisplayHDR True Black 500. The in-built AI upscaler also handles screen optimization, spatial audio, display settings, game genre-specific optimization, among a ton of other features. The display uses LG's new primary RGB tandem OLED panel technology. If you want all these features, but in a more traditional form-factor, there's the UltraGear EVO AI 27GM950B.https://tpucdn.com/img/bZlXiLwKCIFKropU_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/bZlXiLwKCIFKropU.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/O9FpdMoNGcXmei2c_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/O9FpdMoNGcXmei2c.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/i9cLSZ6xyJ75K1YX_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/i9cLSZ6xyJ75K1YX.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/6Qytb7IGUCuhnEaF_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/6Qytb7IGUCuhnEaF.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/344432/lg-unveils-ultragear-evo-ai-series-gaming-monitors-with-in-built-ai-upscaling)

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[NextPowerUP]

Framework updated its original DRAM price hike (https://www.techpowerup.com/344015/framework-pushes-ddr5-pricing-50-higher-amid-shortage) blog post on December 24th, 2025, explaining that the company must respond to the price volatility its suppliers are experiencing. Initially, Framework announced a 50% price increase for its DDR5 memory upgrade configurations. To maintain transparency with customers, the company stated its intention to raise the price of DDR5 memory in Framework Laptop DIY Edition orders by 50%. This decision directly responds to the significantly higher costs from DRAM suppliers and distributors. As a result, the company cannot absorb all these cost increases and needs to pass some on to consumers. Therefore, another increase today is a natural response, as the company originally suggested.
FrameworkWith costs from our suppliers continuing to increase, we've had to make a further price adjustment on DDR5 memory modules. During this period of extreme memory shortages and price volatility, our priority is to make sure you can still buy a computer when you need one. With that in mind, we're setting our memory configuration prices as close as possible to the actual purchase prices we have with our suppliers and distributors. Since we're constantly sourcing additional memory and each purchase comes in at different (and often higher) pricing, we're using the Weighted Average Cost (WAC) of inventory, which currently comes to $10/GB for 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB modules, and slightly higher for 48 GB modules.https://tpucdn.com/img/Fs0LogTNT97yhlkb_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Fs0LogTNT97yhlkb.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/344428/framework-announces-another-dram-price-hike-memory-costs-usd-10-per-gb-of-capacity)

[NextPowerUP]

NuPhy earlier this year unveiled the Node 75, a 75% wireless mechanical keyboard with a retro design inspired by the Braun T3, and it has now brought that retro design language to an 1800 layout, which means you get a keyboard with a full-size num pad in a slightly more compact layout. The Node 100 also has the same touch-sensitive area on the right-hand side of the top edge of the keyboard—kind of mimicking the Apple Touch Bar in functionality—and the same dot matrix indicator LEDs on the left side of that same top edge. The Node 100 has a PCB gasket mount and is constructed of plastic, which allows NuPhy to bring the price down to a pretty reasonable $109.99, and it is available in Ink Grey, Lunar White, and Light Pink from NuPhy's online store (https://nuphy.com/products/nuphy-node-series-low-profile?variant=43797388820589). It is also available as both high- and low-profile designs and with a choice of linear, silent, and light tactile switches in both variants.

The Node series uses both 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth for wireless connectivity, with USB-C available as a wired option. The low-profile version uses NuPhy's Low-Profile Nano switches, which follow Gateron's Low-Profile 3.0 design, meaning the switch selection is somewhat limited at the time of writing. The low-profile version of the Node 100 keyboard is pitched as a portable option for on-the-go productivity, although it still weighs in at 787 g. Both versions of the keyboard have PBT keycaps, although the low-profile version uses NuPhy's nSA profile and dye-sublimated legends, while the high-profile version has double-shot keycaps in the mSA profile. Both versions of the Node 100 have two-stage adjustable feet for typing angles of 6°, 9°, and 12°. The front height of both versions of the keyboard are also reasonably low, at 13.8 mm on the low-profile keyboard and 18.9 mm on the full-height version.https://tpucdn.com/img/rVHSgDrQRj0p87P8_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/rVHSgDrQRj0p87P8.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/rhV0cx6tCi4wJJU1_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/rhV0cx6tCi4wJJU1.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/boZEQgYoVL70IQK7_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/boZEQgYoVL70IQK7.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/344425/nuphy-launches-node-100-low-profile-and-full-height-retro-mechanical-keyboard)

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[NextPowerUP]

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

The new hardware acceleration, announced at Ignite 2025 in November, is now available in Windows 11 version 25H2 and Windows Server 2025 with the September update. Early testing shows that some workloads experience double the storage performance while reducing CPU usage by over 70%. The system offloads AES-XTS-256 encryption processing from the main processor to a fixed-function cryptography engine embedded within the SoC. Encryption keys are hardware-wrapped to enhance security against memory-based attacks. The initial rollout will target Intel vPro platforms with the upcoming Core Ultra Series 3 "Panther Lake" processors, but Microsoft plans to extend support to other vendors as well.https://tpucdn.com/img/oFmd1b1L5mjyHbHO_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/oFmd1b1L5mjyHbHO.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/IGR5fBCnsCDGBJqu_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/IGR5fBCnsCDGBJqu.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/AFaP4l8kg9RmH24p_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/AFaP4l8kg9RmH24p.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/fDsXNqxOuHKRjVkT_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/fDsXNqxOuHKRjVkT.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/344418/microsofts-hardware-accelerated-bitlocker-brings-massive-performance-gains)

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[NextPowerUP]

KBDfans has officially announced version 3 of its famous Tofu60 custom gaming keyboard, which offers a variety of options, including myriad color options, the choice of wired mechanical in both soldered and hot-swap options, wireless mechanical, and wired Hall-effect PCBs. As the name suggests, the Tofu60 is a 60% keyboard, which means it opts for a small form factor over the convenience of a dedicated F row, num pad, arrow cluster, and navigation cluster. As with previous Tofu60 keyboards, the Tofu60 3.0 is made entirely of CNC-machined aluminium with an anodized finish and the dual-mode mechanical versions offer both wired and Bluetooth connectivity. The new case uses a top mount or a PCB gasket mount, and it comes with options for an aluminium, stainless steel, or copper weight bar. There are plenty of color options and combinations available, all of which can be previewed on the KBDfans online configuration tool (https://kbd.tools/), after which prospective buyers can purchase their configuration on the KBDfans store (https://kbdfans.com/collections/tofu60-3-0/products/tofu60-3-0-custom-color-edition?variant=45025578320011). Pre-orders are open from December 30, 2025, until January 30, 2026, and shipping is expected to start in Q2 2026.

The Tofu60 3.0 is once again powered by ZMK firmware, which should make it quite efficient when it comes to battery life, although KBDfans has not made any battery life claims yet. The bottom case is available with both a matte and textured finish, and you can mix and match various color options on the store page. The Tofu60 3.0 is available in WK (with a Windows key), WKL (Win-keyless), and the coveted HHKB layout, and the mechanical variants offer both ANSI and ISO support. KBDfans also offers a variety of other plate options, including FR4, PEI, PC, aluminium, and carbon fiber, but users can also opt for a plate-less build, which would only really be practical for the soldered mechanical variant. The starting price for the barebones kit—meaning no switches, stabilizers, or keycaps, is $130, which also includes a carrying case. If you want to step up to a wireless hotswap PCB with ZMK firmware and internal case foams, the price jumps up to $159.01, and adding a weight bar will set you back $15 for the aluminium weight, $35 for the stainless steel weight, and $51 for the copper weight bar. The base model HE version comes in at $165.01 without any weight bar. There is also a "Custom Colors" variant with more exotic color options, which come at a higher price premium (https://kbdfans.com/collections/tofu60-3-0/products/tofu60-3-0-custom-color-edition?variant=45025578320011).https://tpucdn.com/img/NHfif6DBQoYtvHBD_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/NHfif6DBQoYtvHBD.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/j015r64QWxlbi6Fz_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/j015r64QWxlbi6Fz.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/kHyaNRitoUDNHU7g_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/kHyaNRitoUDNHU7g.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/344545/kbdfans-launches-tofu60-3-0-gaming-keyboard-with-myriad-color-and-customization-options)

[NextPowerUP]

It's no secret that NVIDIA GPUs have had a habit of burning up 12vHPWR and 12V-2x6 connectors (https://www.techpowerup.com/332334/unofficial-12v-2x6v-power-connector-melts-nvidia-geforce-rtx-5090), but increasingly, reports are emerging of the same thing happening to AMD's Radeon GPUs (https://www.techpowerup.com/340193/melting-12vhpwr-connector-claims-its-first-amd-rx-9070-xt-victim) running the same connectors. The latest report of such burned connectors come from a user on r/Radeon on Reddit, where user u/divinethreshold (https://www.reddit.com/r/radeon/comments/1pz43wn/another_one_bites_the_dust_sapphire_9070xt_nitro/) posted an image of their burned Sapphire Nitro+ AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU with a burned 12V-2x6 connector on the GPU cable side. According to the account, the GPU had been running in the same system for upwards of a year without issue before it started crashing mysteriously, prompting the redditor to disassemble the system and inspect for hardware issues.

[Editor's note: You can read our in-depth review of the Sapphire AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT Nitro+ graphics card (https://www.techpowerup.com/review/sapphire-radeon-rx-9070-xt-nitro/) here]

In the comments, the affected user explains that the burned cable was part of an included adaptor that connects the 12V-2x6 connector on the GPU to three 8-pin connectors on the PSU side. As commenters in the thread have also pointed out, these sorts of failures seem to be more common when similar adaptors are used, which makes sense, since most official sources attribute failures to overheating caused by improper contact across one or more pins. Increasing the number of potential failures also increases the likelihood of said failure.https://tpucdn.com/img/1oSQn5PIXkbrJVSO_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/1oSQn5PIXkbrJVSO.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/xuZ2hc4A54FWbcyS_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/xuZ2hc4A54FWbcyS.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/6tiRG2GeyGN1R6RU_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/6tiRG2GeyGN1R6RU.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/344543/sapphire-amd-radeon-rx-9070-xt-nitro-melts-connector-after-almost-a-year-in-use)

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[NextPowerUP]

If you're bouncing between ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and half a dozen other AI tools to get one solid answer, you're probably paying for the same tools more than once. ChatPlayground AI offers (https://www.stacksocial.com/sales/chatplayground-ai-unlimited-plan-lifetime-subscriptions?aid=a-zpm4h3er) a simpler alternative: one platform where you can run a single prompt and instantly compare responses from multiple top AI models side by side, with no message limits and no monthly fees.

The result? Instead of juggling tabs, subscriptions, and usage caps, ChatPlayground AI gives you lifetime access to more than 25 leading models in one streamlined dashboard. It's designed for anyone who relies on AI for writing, coding, research, or creative work and wants faster, more accurate results without burning credits across platforms.

Save 87% on this lifetime plan while you still can.

Grab your ChatPlayground AI lifetime subscription (https://www.stacksocial.com/sales/chatplayground-ai-unlimited-plan-lifetime-subscriptions?aid=a-zpm4h3er) at $79 while you still can (MSRP $619). No coupon is needed.https://tpucdn.com/img/qVCOhxtMGUvf66Xu_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/qVCOhxtMGUvf66Xu.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/344501/replace-all-of-your-ai-subscriptions-with-a-single-lifetime-tool)

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[NextPowerUP]

We've already seen the myriad far-reaching effects of the DRAM crisis play out in a number of ways, including bring-your-own-RAM offerings (https://www.techpowerup.com/344352/system-integrators-start-offering-no-ram-pcs-amid-rising-memory-costs) from custom PC builders and rumors of delayed next-gen consoles (https://www.techpowerup.com/344514/ram-crisis-may-result-in-next-gen-console-delay). However, a new report out of DigiTimes (https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20251230PD210/pc-memory-apple-lenovo-asus-dell.html) claims that DRAM producers, specifically mentioning Samsung and SK Hynix, are now selectively prioritizing certain hardware makers. Allegedly, large brands like Apple, ASUS, Dell, and Lenovo are receiving priority access to DRAM, which may result in smaller vendors—the likes of Framework—without DRAM supply.

The report also mentions that DRAM suppliers are starting to change their approach to the supply agreements, more frequently re-assessing the situation in order to take advantage of the limited capacity and likely adjust pricing and supply accordingly. Previously, we covered a report that claimed (https://www.techpowerup.com/344445/dram-shortage-predicted-to-cause-launch-delays-for-major-brands) PC hardware vendors may have to adjust pricing, specs, and potentially launch dates of upcoming laptop and smartphone offerings, and these agreements are likely being pursued by mainstream brands, like Apple, ASUS, Dell, and Lenovo, in order to avoid or mitigate that eventuality.https://tpucdn.com/img/SrXK9X1S1y6hqW9r_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/SrXK9X1S1y6hqW9r.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/344542/mainstream-pc-oems-get-dram-priority-as-supply-crisis-changes-market)

[NextPowerUP]

Perhaps in response to the overwhelming demand for DDR5 and the resulting price increase for PC hardware (https://www.techpowerup.com/343518/memory-shortage-just-started-major-price-hikes-ahead-warns-team-group), ASUS is apparently planning to increase production of its B550 AM4 motherboards, which still rely on aging DDR4 RAM. This is according to a leak posted to Board Channels (http://www.boardchannels.com.cn/thread-130231-1-1.html) (via Videocardz (https://videocardz.com/newz/asus-said-to-be-increasing-production-of-certain-am4-and-lga1700-motherboards-with-ddr4-memory-support)), which claims that ASUS will make changes to its supply chain and production in the first quarter of 2026 in order to increase DDR4 motherboard production. This may be an indication that ASUS doesn't expect DDR5 supply and pricing to return to normal anytime soon, which lines up with recent rumors that console makers are considering postponing next-gen console launches (https://www.techpowerup.com/344514/ram-crisis-may-result-in-next-gen-console-delay) until DRAM supply has stabilized.

These plans will include both AMD's B550 and A520 motherboards, both of which use the venerable AM4 socket, and Intel's B760M and H610M-G, and the increased supply will apparently be dedicated to e-commerce channels rather than physical retailers. These motherboards will cover up to AMD's Ryzen 5000 CPUs (https://www.techpowerup.com/cpu-specs/?f=codename_=Vermeer) and Intel 14th-Gen CPUs (https://www.techpowerup.com/cpu-specs/?f=codename_=Raptor%20Lake-R). At the time of writing, there has been no confirmation from ASUS that these rumors are true, but the AM4 platform has continued to receive support from AMD, with the most recent AM4 CPU, the Ryzen 5 5600F, launching as recently as September 2025 (https://www.techpowerup.com/341100/amd-continues-am4-support-with-new-ryzen-5-cpu).https://tpucdn.com/img/qYIMgrbVsTFbmwNl_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/qYIMgrbVsTFbmwNl.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/rUIVqY9gMAPreLvl_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/rUIVqY9gMAPreLvl.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/344540/long-live-am4-asus-rumored-to-increased-ddr4-motherboard-production)

[NextPowerUP]

TrendForce's recent findings show that, amid a sluggish economic recovery and cautious consumer spending, surging memory prices are squeezing notebook brands' profit margins and pricing freedom. Consequently, TrendForce has reduced its 2026 global projection for notebook shipments to a 5.4% YoY decrease, totaling around 173 million units. This shift indicates a more conservative approach by brands toward inventory management, promotions, and product setups in response to increasing cost pressures.

If memory price increases do not significantly slow down by the second quarter of 2026 and brands cannot pass on higher costs, the demand for entry-level and consumer notebooks might decline further. In this scenario, full-year 2026 shipments could turn more pessimistic, decreasing by as much as 10.1% YoY.https://tpucdn.com/img/4JsuOrjumDhgk4hS_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/4JsuOrjumDhgk4hS.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/344538/2026-global-notebook-shipments-revises-down-to-a-5-4-yoy-decline)

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[NextPowerUP]

MOAIPLAY, a brand driven by the mission of providing "affordable prices but better performance," today officially announces its debut product line—the ORA PRO G1 series power supplies. Built on the belief that every gamer is a legend in their own world, the ORA PRO G1 series delivers reliable, high-performance hardware to ensure the game never stops.

The Eye-Catcher: 148 mm Silent Fan Reaching the ATX Form Factor Limit
The most striking feature of the ORA PRO G1 series is the world-first 148 mm ultra-large silent cooling fan. By pushing the absolute limit of the ATX form factor, MOAIPLAY has integrated the largest possible fan within the standard 150 mm width of a PSU housing. This design maximizes airflow at lower RPMs, eliminating heat dead zones while maintaining a near-silent environment. This innovation allows users to focus entirely on their gameplay, supported by industry-leading acoustic performance:

750 W & 850 W Models: Certified with Cybenetics LAMBDA A++ for ultimate silence.
1000 W Model: Achieved Cybenetics LAMBDA A+ acoustic certification.

https://tpucdn.com/img/rKDrfcvhK8qi79oz_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/rKDrfcvhK8qi79oz.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/5o2p312HDhFawGNg_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/5o2p312HDhFawGNg.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/h8qBb892vQ2auEBj_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/h8qBb892vQ2auEBj.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/uJplvA4KXaF0xeQv_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/uJplvA4KXaF0xeQv.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/344532/moaiplay-debuts-ora-pro-g1-series-power-supplies)

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[NextPowerUP]

ASUS announced the upcoming Always Incredible virtual launch event at CES 2026, where the company will unveil the latest portfolio of AI PCs. Streaming globally on January 6, 2026, at 09:00 PST (17:00 GMT) via the ASUS event site, the showcase will demonstrate how ASUS's vision of Ubiquitous AI. Incredible Possibilities is shaping the future of intelligent computing and redefining user experiences across work, creativity, and daily life.

AI Designed for Real-World Impact
ASUS is committed to enhancing everyday life through AI. The company will unveil a comprehensive AI ecosystem designed to deliver intelligent assistance across its portfolio of Copilot+ PCs, lightweight laptops, and creator solutions. This is brought to life through two key initiatives: Everyday AI, which enhances daily convenience and connectivity, and Creator AI, which provides advanced tools to accelerate creative workflows.https://tpucdn.com/img/ipTNSDN7VOy4nfc7_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ipTNSDN7VOy4nfc7.jpg)
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[NextPowerUP]

GOG (formerly Good Old Games) has officially changed ownership, according to a statement (https://www.gog.com/blog/gog-is-getting-acquired-by-its-original-co-founder-what-it-means-for-you/) put out by the company, with Michał Kiciński, co-founder of GOG and CD Projekt Red, taking over the game distribution platform from CD Projekt Red. According to some reports about the buyout, the total amount paid for the acquisition was on the order of $25.26 million (90.7 PLN). The sale of GOG aligns with CD Projekt Red's recent moves, like moving away from the Red engine to Unreal Engine 5 in what appears to be an attempt to focus more on the creative side of game development instead of investing time into technical game dev on a proprietary engine—the Cyberpunk 2 creative director previously said (https://www.techpowerup.com/344388/cyberpunk-2-creative-director-denies-elevator-loading-theories-defends-move-to-ue5?cp=1) that "we want to make games, not engines," when asked about the move to UE5. Despite the change in ownership, CD Projekt Red games will continue to be published on GOG, and the existing library will also continue to be available on the platform.

GOG says that Kiciński has committed to the buyout "because he wants to preserve and grow the original philosophy behind GOG," and the company insists that, under the new ownership, it will be doubling down on the co-founder's vision that "GOG stands for freedom, independence, and genuine control." For the time being, at least, nothing seems to be changing for the end-user. GOG will still provide DRM-free games and offline installers, with the option for GOG Galaxy 2.0 as a convenience option.
GOG has also promised to keep up its game preservation efforts via the Game Preservation Program, which has already preserved and modernized (https://www.techpowerup.com/342400/gog-preservation-program-grows-to-248-games-with-16-new-games-including-original-hitman) 267 games. GOG has also clarified that any tips donations made to GOG via Patreon or the store will still go towards the game preservation mission, and not into the pockets of publishers or the company's new owner.https://tpucdn.com/img/DABgW8dVX0pNlS04_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/DABgW8dVX0pNlS04.jpg)

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With CES 2026 just around the corner, leaks have started to pop up about hardware launches (https://www.techpowerup.com/344338/lenovo-legion-gaming-ces-line-up-tips-amd-ryzen-ai-400-refresh) slated to appear at the annual show. Some of the latest leaks to come out of Windows Latest (https://www.windowslatest.com/2025/12/29/hp-omen-gaming-laptops-leak-for-2026/) reveal HP's new line-up of HyperX Omen gaming products, which include a slew of new gaming monitors. The HP HyperX Omen gaming monitors will come in both 34-, 27-, and 24-inch variants, as the HyperX Omen OLED 34, Omen OLED 27qs and 27q, and Omen 24. The Omen OLED 34 is a 34-inch 21:9 ultra-wide OLED gaming monitor with a 360 Hz refresh rate and a VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification—which suggests at least 500 nits of brightness. The Omen OLED 34 will also have "Professional-Grade Color Accuracy," although exact color space and coverage specifications, along with a specific display resolution, are not mentioned in the leak.https://tpucdn.com/img/xHBZNDV9yw55Bvo9_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/xHBZNDV9yw55Bvo9.jpg)
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We've already seen signs that Cyberpunk 2's development is in full swing at CD Projekt Red, with the game studio earlier this year expanding its development team (https://www.techpowerup.com/343295/cd-projekt-reds-cyberpunk-2-development-seemingly-passes-pre-production-phase) for the upcoming Unreal Engine 5-based game. Previously, no release date for the new game had been revealed, teased, or even proposed by the usual sources, but a Polish analytics firm, Noble Securities (via Strefa Inwestrów (https://strefainwestorow.pl/analizy/noblesecurities-cdprojekt-wiedzmin-dlc-orion-cyberpunk)), has posited that Cyberpunk 2 would launch in 2030, specifically Q4, 2030, which would make the game a holiday release. The firm also predicts that the recently delayed final update (https://www.techpowerup.com/341364/the-witcher-3s-final-update-and-cross-platform-mod-support-get-delayed-to-2026) for The Witcher 3 will land as early as May 2026 and the launch of The Witcher 4 in Q4 2027.

In addition to the launch dates, we also got a prediction for the budget of Cyberpunk 2, which the firm says will likely end up around the $419 million mark, which aligns with the reported ~$436 million budget of Cyberpunk 2027 (https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2023/10/it-cost-120m-for-cyberpunk-2077-patches-and-dlc-to-fix-the-games-image/). A late launch lines up with the launch of Cyberpunk 2077, which launched in December, and it makes sense from a business point of view, since that is when gaming sales peak. Of course, being this far away from the projected launch date means that things are highly volatile—this being especially true in the current gaming landscape, where delays seem more common than ever (https://www.techpowerup.com/344514/ram-crisis-may-result-in-next-gen-console-delay).https://tpucdn.com/img/KrMhXtC2XehcybZh_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/KrMhXtC2XehcybZh.jpg)

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We have already reported on the outsized impact that the AI industry's demand for RAM and the ensuing RAM shortage have had on the PC gaming industry—including everything from price hikes (https://www.techpowerup.com/343954/memory-price-surge-to-persist-in-1q26-smartphone-and-notebook-brands-begin-raising-prices-and-downgrading-specs) to potential launch delays (https://www.techpowerup.com/344445/dram-shortage-predicted-to-cause-launch-delays-for-major-brands#comments) for next-gen PC hardware products—but now it seems as though console gamers may have to join PC gamers at the back of the line. According to a recent report by Insider Gaming (https://insider-gaming.com/ram-prices-next-gen/), console hardware makers, likely referring to Microsoft and Sony, are in talks to delay the next console hardware generation.

Originally, the next-gen Xbox and PlayStation consoles were slated to launch sometime in 2027 or 2028 (https://www.techpowerup.com/313802/leak-suggests-next-gen-xbox-planned-for-2028-amd-zen-6-rdna-5-considered), and a new launch window has not yet been revealed, but hardware makers are seemingly considering the delay in the hopes that RAM prices and availability will stabilize ahead of the launch. Currently, brands like Samsung are planning on pivoting some of their NAND production to DRAM, and other makers are scurrying to build out their supply chain to meet demand, but that takes time. We have already seen the RAM shortage impact console makers, with increasing NAND and DRAM prices resulting in slimmer margins, while some brands have had to start considering increasing the retail prices (https://www.techpowerup.com/343969/nintendo-switch-2-hardware-hit-by-41-price-jump-in-dram-nand-up-8) of their hardware.https://tpucdn.com/img/fy3TlYq1hO1Gufhr_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/fy3TlYq1hO1Gufhr.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/sF24r8azbDaXXz8U_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/sF24r8azbDaXXz8U.jpg)

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UnifyDrive, an innovator in network storage solutions, today announced the release of the UnifyDrive UP6. This all-flash mobile NAS is the first of its kind to integrate a 6-inch touchscreen, a built-in Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), and local AI processing into a single portable chassis. Designed specifically for photographers, videographers, and data-sensitive professionals, the UP6 bridges the gap between high-capacity desktop storage and portable rugged drives. It allows creators to offload, preview, and manage massive datasets in the field without requiring a laptop or external power source.

Desktop Performance, Anywhere At the heart of the UP6 is the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H processor, featuring an integrated NPU (Neural Processing Unit) capable of 11 TOPS. Unlike traditional NAS units that rely on lower-power Arm chips, the UP6 offers true workstation capability.

Performance: Supports 8K video transcoding and high-speed data ingestion.
Capacity: The all-flash NVMe architecture supports up to 96 GB of DDR5 memory and 48 TB of storage, delivering the sustained read/write speeds required for collaborative editing directly from the drive.

https://tpucdn.com/img/h2qqmsFx7QsC9d2B_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/h2qqmsFx7QsC9d2B.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/pVL1JJPrMROtN5pj_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/pVL1JJPrMROtN5pj.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/A71HpdB67e7UwqUQ_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/A71HpdB67e7UwqUQ.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/oDqawOr2InKwrH09_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/oDqawOr2InKwrH09.jpg)
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Maxon is thrilled to announce the highly anticipated release of Cinebench 2026, its latest iteration of the industry-standard benchmarking software, which has been a cornerstone in computer performance evaluation for two decades. Widely used by reviewers, hardware manufacturers, and everyday computer owners, Cinebench utilizes the power of Redshift, Cinema 4D's default rendering engine, to accurately assess and evaluate CPU and GPU performance using real-world 3D rendering workloads.

Cinebench 2026 takes advantage of the latest developments in hardware technology, adding compatibility with NVIDIA's new Blackwell GPUs (5000 series) and AMD 9000 series GPUs on Windows, as well as NVIDIA Hopper and Blackwell data center GPUs. Additionally, Cinebench 2026 now supports Apple M4 and M5 powered systems.https://tpucdn.com/img/Ajn41Bq367m55qbD_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Ajn41Bq367m55qbD.jpg)
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LG Display, the world's leading innovator of display technologies, is set to rewrite industry records once again at CES 2026, the world's largest IT and consumer electronics exhibition. During the Las Vegas show from January 6 to 9, LG Display will unveil a wide lineup of technologies and products that set new records among existing Gaming OLED panels, including the world's highest refresh rate of 720 Hz and response time of 0.02 ms, the world's first 39-inch 5K2K panel, and the world's first 240 Hz panel with an RGB stripe pixel structure.

A full showcase of Gaming OLED panels with overwhelming performance—world-first refresh rate, resolution, and pixel structure
LG Display is presenting a 27-inch Gaming OLED panel at CES 2026 that achieves a refresh rate of 720 Hz—the fastest among all Gaming OLED panels currently available. Refresh rate refers to the number of times per second a screen updates, so 720 Hz means the screen refreshes 720 times per second. LG Display is the first to achieve such an ultra-high refresh rate on an OLED panel.https://tpucdn.com/img/ez2mnDoAeO77eYdn_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ez2mnDoAeO77eYdn.jpg)
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[NextPowerUP]

Apple is preparing to update its Studio Display lineup in 2026 with the new Studio Display 2. Targeted squarely at creators, photography professionals, and video production crews, the new Studio Display 2 will be designed to ideally go with Mac Studio and Mac Pro workstations. Studio Display 2 surfaced in a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who identified code in an iOS 26 build pointing to display "J527" as confirmation of a new Studio Display. Perhaps the biggest reveal from the code is that Studio Display 2 will come with ProMotion, and variable refresh rate. It will support a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz, up from the current 60 Hz of Studio Display.

The current Studio Display isn't just limited to 60 Hz, but also only has standard dynamic range (SDR). Studio Display 2 is expected to introduce HDR support, leveraging Mini LED technology. This would be similar to the latest MacBook Pro display offering ProMotion and HDR with up to 1,000 nits brightness using Mini LED illumination for sustained lighting, and an impressive 1,600 nits for HDR. Apple will likely use the latest display tech to offer a feature-packed HDR implementation for content professionals.https://tpucdn.com/img/rmvOk4sRobLjfj6K_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/rmvOk4sRobLjfj6K.jpg)
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[NextPowerUP]

HKC Corporation, a global leader in advanced display technologies, today announced its participation in CES 2026, taking place from January 6-9, 2026, at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). At Booth No. 30739, South Hall 1, HKC Corporation will present its latest innovations across professional creation, immersive gaming, and competitive esports.

Guided by "Powering the Next Era of Play & Creation," HKC Corporation drives display innovation in panels, backlights, and intelligent imaging, empowering creators and gamers while cementing its global tech leadership. At CES 2026, HKC Corporation will showcase a curated portfolio of products across its three core brands—HKC, KOORUI, and ANTGAMER—each designed to address distinct usage scenarios and performance demands.https://tpucdn.com/img/YvJIz2Tsjc1eCp6L_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/YvJIz2Tsjc1eCp6L.jpg)
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[NextPowerUP]

GEEKOM will make its fourth consecutive appearance at CES 2026, taking place from January 6 to 9 at Booth 35025 in LVCC South Hall 2. As a leader in the Mini PC industry, GEEKOM is presenting its most focused product launch to date, marking a major expansion into premium laptops while continuing to advance its compact computing lineup.

The centerpiece of GEEKOM's CES 2026 showcase is the GeekBook X14 Pro, a laptop that sets a new benchmark for lightweight design. Weighing just 2.2 pounds and measuring only 0.23 inches at its thinnest point, the GeekBook X14 Pro is positioned as the world's lightest all-metal laptop. It features a 2.8K OLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, delivering sharp visuals, vivid colors, and smooth performance.https://tpucdn.com/img/RNNSIesOZdKx5Ma8_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/RNNSIesOZdKx5Ma8.jpg)
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Other World Computing (OWC), a trusted leader in high-performance storage, memory, connectivity, software, and accessories that empower creative and business professionals to maximize performance, enhance reliability, and streamline workflows, today announced the launch of its fully certified 2-meter Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) cable for Macs and PCs. Creative and business professionals now have a long-length solution - engineered with signal amplification, precision shielding, and end-to-end signal integrity - for workflows that demand maximum speed, display performance, and power delivery - along with all the capabilities of Thunderbolt 5.

"OWC's 2-meter Thunderbolt 5 Cable delivers the full Thunderbolt 5 experience at extended length with no compromises," said Larry O'Connor, Founder and CEO, Other World Computing (OWC). "It gives users the flexibility to connect high-performance devices exactly where they need them, while maintaining the performance, reliability, and compatibility Thunderbolt is known for."https://tpucdn.com/img/8CoQHgahm8QnEZFN_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/8CoQHgahm8QnEZFN.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/4OJgQlYFwu7JVAIX_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/4OJgQlYFwu7JVAIX.jpg)
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New year, new games, all with RTX 5080-powered cloud energy. GeForce NOW is kicking off 2026 by looking back at an unforgettable year of wins and wildly high frame rates. From streams of the biggest blockbusters to new ways to play anywhere, members showed all year what happens when great games meet serious GeForce performance in the cloud. Grab a cozy spot, queue up a game and ring in the new year with GeForce NOW, starting with a fresh list of 14 titles coming to the cloud this January, with 5 available to stream this week..

Put a Bow on It
The star upgrade of 2025 was the arrival of NVIDIA Blackwell RTX in the cloud, bringing GeForce RTX 5080 power to the GeForce NOW Ultimate membership tier along with all the NVIDIA technologies that 50 Series GPU owners have access to, including DLSS 4 and 5K 120 frames-per-second (FPS) streaming. "The amazing announcement of the RTX 5080 being added to GeForce NOW with features like DLSS 4 and 5K 120 FPS streaming was a true game-changer for cloud gaming," said Nads from Cloud&Console. Luna, a GeForce NOW Discord community modder, called out how the Ultimate tier let her go topside in ARC Raiders and explore Castor Woods in Dying Light: The Beast "in areas where my local machine struggles - and now, the RTX 5080-powered cloud can push them even further."https://tpucdn.com/img/N8jss6n5DLDJM5tI_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/N8jss6n5DLDJM5tI.jpg)
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YPlasma, a pioneer in solid-state thermal management with operations in Newark, NJ and Spain, today announced its participation in CES Las Vegas 2026. Located at Eureka Park, Stand #60845, YPlasma will host the World Premiere of the first-ever application of Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma actuators for consumer electronics cooling—a revolutionary solution designed to replace mechanical fans and traditional ionic wind devices.

As electronics become thinner and AI-driven processing demands more power, traditional cooling methods are reaching their physical limits. YPlasma's solid-state technology addresses these challenges by using cold plasma to generate high-velocity "ionic wind" without a single moving part.https://tpucdn.com/img/CE7HyFxHjA7Ectkz_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/CE7HyFxHjA7Ectkz.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/7sJeKynpgnTuxfqF_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/7sJeKynpgnTuxfqF.jpg)
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[NextPowerUP]

Fender Audio, a consumer electronics brand owned by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) and operated under license by Riffsound Pte. Ltd., makes its CES debut with the launch of two flagship products: the ELIE portable speaker series and MIX headphones. These releases mark Fender Audio's entry into the premium personal audio market with products designed for performance, versatility, and modern lifestyles.

ELIE Speakers
The ELIE (Extremely Loud Infinitely Expressive) portable Bluetooth speaker series combines elegant design with precision audio engineering to create a new benchmark in portable sound. Available in two models—E6 and E12—each unit integrates built-in subwoofers and a world-first Waves SOC implementation to deliver powerful, distortion-free sound across a wide dynamic range. Reinventing how DSPs (Digital Signal Processors) and SOCs (System on a Chip) are utilized in speaker design, the ELIE speakers deliver more power at a higher efficiency, yielding greater volume and acoustic clarity than other portable speakers in the same size and category.https://tpucdn.com/img/sVmgebuh1GZBld3s_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/sVmgebuh1GZBld3s.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/FxmKvDBs1cegkvMD_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/FxmKvDBs1cegkvMD.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/8L2DqAiAXA165TSQ_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/8L2DqAiAXA165TSQ.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/QmCmwd3snphXnrcY_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/QmCmwd3snphXnrcY.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/vdVuuuiwJbjkntWj_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/vdVuuuiwJbjkntWj.jpg)
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[NextPowerUP]

Acemagic has unveiled the Retro X5 mini PC, a compact system that blends an NES-style retro exterior with modern AMD hardware. The system aims at users interested in classic gaming, media playback, and everyday tasks, all of those in a small form factor with modern components. The Retro X5 is powered by the 12 cores, 24 threads AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor with a 5.1 GHz boost clock. Graphics are handled by the integrated Radeon 890M GPU with 16 compute units clocked at up to 2.9 GHz. The chip also includes an AMD XDNA 2 NPU capable of delivering up to 50 TOPS of AI compute for supported workloads.

The system ships with Acemagic's RetroPlay Box software, which bundles emulators and basic game management tools to reduce setup complexity for retro gaming. According to the company, future updates are planned to introduce AI-assisted features such as improved content recommendations, though no timeline has been shared. The Retro X5 supports expandable memory and storage and is capable of multiple displays. Front I/O includes a USB Type-C port, two USB Type-A ports, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. Full rear connectivity, pricing, and availability details have not yet been disclosed; however, we expect more information next week during CES 2026.https://tpucdn.com/img/E8YFW2KFXNmJOZMl_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/E8YFW2KFXNmJOZMl.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/UKScZqnv6fxhfHdF_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/UKScZqnv6fxhfHdF.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/URsNgZ6su3D4B63M_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/URsNgZ6su3D4B63M.jpg)

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ASUS introduced the Pro WS B850M-ACE SE, an AMD Socket AM5 motherboard in the microATX form-factor that's laid out like a server motherboard, but targets a range of consumers spanning from home and small-business servers, to workstations with storage-heavy loadouts. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, and 8+4 pin EPS. It supports the entire range of consumer Ryzen and commercial Ryzen PRO desktop processors from the Ryzen 7000 and Ryzen 9000 series. It also supports EPYC 4005 series server processors in the AM5 package. The board also supports ECC DDR5 unbuffered memory, with support for up to 256 GB of dual-channel (4 sub-channel) DDR5-5600 memory.

Among its use case-specific features are IPMI, U.2, and PCIe Gen 4 MCIO NVMe interfaces. The IPMI is driven by an ASPEED AST2600 chip that includes ASUS Control Center Express IT management software. Storage options include two M.2-2280 slots each with PCI-Express 5.0 x4 wiring, a PCIe Gen 4 MCIO, a U.2 Gen 3, and four SATA 6 Gbps ports. There's also an internal microSD slot for software key storage. There are three wired LAN interfaces—a 10 GbE driven by a Realtek RTL8127 PHY, a 2.5 GbE driven by Intel i225 series controller, and a third 1 GbE interface for the IPMI controller. USB interfaces include two 10 Gbps USB-C ports on the rear panel, a 20 Gbps USB-C header, three 10 Gbps USB type-A, an internal type-A, and additional 5 Gbps ports via headers. Display outputs include HDMI and DisplayPort from the iGPU, and a D-Sub from the IPMI chip. The board is expected to be priced around the $400 mark.https://tpucdn.com/img/x5zxyixRyFPAnPTl_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/x5zxyixRyFPAnPTl.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/YRmrjp6QtuUubxRF_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/YRmrjp6QtuUubxRF.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/sqOpi4qhmQ0lerKt_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/sqOpi4qhmQ0lerKt.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/hJ2qtdpqHbVUkuTO_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/hJ2qtdpqHbVUkuTO.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/aV4ZwgIidVmaJ3gq_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/aV4ZwgIidVmaJ3gq.jpg)

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[NextPowerUP]

Thermaltake today introduced the TH-S V3 ARGB Sync, a line of mid-range all-in-one, liquid CPU coolers. The cooler comes in black and white color trims, and in radiator size-based variants of 240 mm and 360 mm for each. These coolers are characterized by a simple segment LED display that puts out CPU temperature, usage average, clock speed, and power draw values. It pulls these values by interfacing with software over USB, which in turn gets them from ACPI.

The display is framed by an ARGB light strip that illuminates the CPU socket area. The included 120 mm fans come with ARGB lighting of their own. Both the CPU block and fan lighting is controlled using the same TT RGB Plus software that sends ACPI readings to the segment display. The pump-block comes with a speed range of 800 to 2,500 RPM. Meanwhile, the included 120 mm fans turn at speeds ranging between 500 and 2,500 RPM, pushing up to 85.29 CFM of airflow at 3.86 mm H₂O static pressure, and maximum noise output of 37.8 dBA. The company didn't reveal pricing or availability information.https://tpucdn.com/img/f0fPSPkEQLTPsXyX_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/f0fPSPkEQLTPsXyX.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/w7VfZpdiz83I4vVo_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/w7VfZpdiz83I4vVo.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/qocBF6jBJKMNTmIy_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/qocBF6jBJKMNTmIy.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/OL8rzpkpkknWPIRR_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/OL8rzpkpkknWPIRR.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/4mfWJMRRxeCMPgpD_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/4mfWJMRRxeCMPgpD.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/344617/thermaltake-intros-th-s-v3-argb-sync-aio-cpu-coolers)

[NextPowerUP]

GIGABYTE just released four new AMD Socket AM4 motherboard models as gamers seek out older PC platforms supporting DDR4 memory that's available at more affordable prices. This aligns with our recent report (https://www.techpowerup.com/344540/long-live-am4-asus-rumored-to-increased-ddr4-motherboard-production) that talks about how acute shortage of DDR5 memory is driving consumers to older platforms with DDR4, such as AMD Socket AM4, and Intel LGA1700. AMD has been releasing new Ryzen 5000 series processor models throughout these past few years even with the advent of the DDR5-exclusive Socket AM5, meanwhile, Intel's 12th Gen through 14th Gen Core desktop processors support DDR4, and there are motherboards based on Intel 600 series and 700 series chipset with DDR4 slots.

Among the motherboards released by GIGABYTE are the A520M H ARGB, the B550I AORUS Pro AX 1.4, B550M H ARGB, and A520I AC 1.5. These are all based on entry or midsegment chipset models. The A520M H ARGB comes with a single PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot, HDMI display output, and supports all Socket AM4 processors out of the box. The B550I AORUS Pro AX 1.4 is a premium Mini-ITX board based on B550, with PCI-Express 4.0 x16, and a modern Wi-Fi 6E WLAN solution. The B550M H ARGB is essentially the same board as A520M H ARGB, but with B550 and PCI-Express Gen 4 for the PEG and M.2 slots. The A520I AC 1.5 is an interesting entry-level Mini-ITX board with Gen 3 PCIe and older Wi-Fi 5 (AC) WLAN.https://tpucdn.com/img/EkzwTTGLk0nikp9i_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/EkzwTTGLk0nikp9i.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/7D193H2NqaVmirfb_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/7D193H2NqaVmirfb.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/gQFcIUuapd35hqUK_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/gQFcIUuapd35hqUK.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/30bBOWb4p0KDqY77_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/30bBOWb4p0KDqY77.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/344614/gigabyte-releases-four-new-amd-socket-am4-motherboards)

[NextPowerUP]

Samsung Electronics today announced the global launch of The Freestyle+, its latest AI-powered portable projector designed to deliver a more flexible and personalized entertainment experience across a wide range of spaces. Unveiled ahead of CES 2026 in Las Vegas, The Freestyle+ builds on the distinctive design of the original Freestyle while introducing smarter AI capabilities, improved brightness and expanded entertainment features—allowing users to enjoy content more freely, with minimal setup or adjustment.

"The Freestyle+ reflects Samsung's vision to create displays that adapt naturally to how people live and move between spaces," said Hun Lee, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. "By combining true portability with intelligent AI that optimizes both the viewing environment and the content itself, The Freestyle+ makes it easier to enjoy a consistent, high-quality experience wherever you are."https://tpucdn.com/img/pjyVoxUEE4E6HA22_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/pjyVoxUEE4E6HA22.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/344611/samsung-unveils-the-freestyle-ahead-of-ces-2026-a-smart-portable-screen)

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[NextPowerUP]

LG Electronics (LG) will unveil its 2026 LG gram lineup at CES 2026, extending the brand's decade-long leadership in ultra-portable laptops. The new lineup debuts an ultra-light Aerominum material for a more portable, durable and premium design. The new models also prioritize productivity with advanced dual AI capabilities, combining on-device intelligence with cloud-based AI for more flexible work and creativity on the go.

The LG gram's evolution as the ultra-portable laptop is accelerated by Aerominum, a composition developed by LG. This innovative material reduces the laptop's weight while reinforcing its structural strength. The resulting chassis is built for life on the move, offering improved scratch resistance, meeting military-grade standards and ensuring long-lasting resilience for everyday use. Aerominum's aeroplate structure and refined atelier brushing deliver a sleek metallic finish, elevating the design without adding bulk.https://tpucdn.com/img/aLwDGQC9fD6S4gsF_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/aLwDGQC9fD6S4gsF.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/344610/lg-introduces-2026-lg-gram-lineup-elevated-by-aerominum)

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[NextPowerUP]

Global leader in memory modules and flash storage, ADATA Technology Co., Ltd. will present its latest breakthroughs at CES 2026, under the theme "Advancing Innovation." Marking its upcoming 25th anniversary, ADATA will showcase its latest innovations alongside its enterprise storage brand TRUSTA, industrial solutions leader ADATA Industrial, and gaming brand XPG.

The exhibition centers on three key zones: AI Innovation, Smart Living, and Gaming Lifestyle. The AI Innovation Zone showcases innovative hybrid storage and memory solutions, intelligent management software for edge computing, and Gen 5 SSDs for AI PCs, demonstrating significant achievements in AI integration. The Everyday Innovation Zone features the industry's first 4-RANK DDR5 CUDIMM memory, sustainable DDR5 memory, external SSDs equipped with USB4 and NFC technology, and embedded storage solutions. In the Gaming Lifestyle Zone, XPG will spotlight its innovative thermal solutions, establishing a high-performance gaming ecosystem with a comprehensive new product lineup. Simultaneously, an online exhibition will launch on January 6, inviting global audiences to witness groundbreaking AI innovations and smart application capabilities.https://tpucdn.com/img/4K0LN0DBrVN7344w_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/4K0LN0DBrVN7344w.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/YUGoVtXAPEyOi5Dm_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/YUGoVtXAPEyOi5Dm.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/344609/adata-pioneers-new-era-of-ai-innovation-at-ces-2026)

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[NextPowerUP]

LG has put up a sneak peek of five new monitors that it will be showing at CES next week, of which three use different types of OLED displays, one is MiniLED and one isn't entirely clear. The company already showed three of the new models around Christmas (https://www.techpowerup.com/344432/lg-unveils-ultragear-evo-ai-series-gaming-monitors-with-in-built-ai-upscaling), namely the 52-inch UltraGear EVO 52G930B, the 39-inch UltraGear EVO AI 39GX950B and the 27-inch UltraGear EVO AI 27GM950B. To this, the company has now added the 32-inch UltraGear OLED 32GX870B and 27GX790B 4th gen primary RGB tandem OLED monitors. The 32GX870B sports 32-inch 4K resolution, 240 Hz with panel with dual mode at 1080p 480 Hz, a 0.03 ms GtG response time, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 and 4K AI upscaling. It will have a DP 2.1, two HDMI 2.1 and a USB-C port, the latter with 90 W USB PD charging support.

The 27GX790B is as the model name suggests, a 27-inch display, this time with a 2560x1440p resolution and a 540 Hz refresh rate that can operate at 720 Hz at 720p resolution in dual-mode. It has a 0.02 ms GtG response time, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 and ClearMR 21000 certification and the same port configuration as the 32GX870B, although there's no mention of PD charging. Both models also support 99.5 percent of the DCI-P3 colour space. The 4th gen tandem OLED panels are said to bring enhanced brightness and colour accuracy, even in bright environments, so time will tell if these will be able to compete with more traditional LCD displays in bright rooms.https://tpucdn.com/img/FGbWkImd51dIxQxF_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/FGbWkImd51dIxQxF.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/i3AreAW6jlbaIAP3_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/i3AreAW6jlbaIAP3.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/ZZV8z72ZQvikQVxl_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ZZV8z72ZQvikQVxl.jpg)

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[NextPowerUP]

News via Reuters is suggesting that the Chinese government has started to mandate that Chinese semiconductor manufacturers have to use at least 50 percent locally produced chipmaking equipment in new or expanded fabs. Reuters claim that there's no official regulation to the matter, but Chinese chipmakers have been informed by local authorities that they need to provide procurement tenders that prove that at least half of the equipment they're buying are from local companies. This has apparently been the case when several different Chinese companies have applied to build new fabs or when they've applied for extensions of current fabs.

It's important to remember that a lot of the equipment in these fabs aren't related to the actual production of semiconductors, even if there are Chinese companies that are capable of producing some of the equipment needed for the semiconductor production side of things. However, it's also important to remember that China wants to be more self-reliant when it comes to semiconductor manufacturing and the end goal is for local companies to use only locally produced equipment in their fabs. Considering that the world's leading semiconductor manufacturers all rely on Dutch ASML for cutting edge photolithography machines, it's unlikely that this shift will happen any time soon. With the current technology export restrictions, this is also a step for China to show the world that they can do this on their own, without imported machines or components. According to Reuters, orders for 421 locally produced lithography machines and parts were placed in 2025. At the same time, China has set aside around US$49 billion to help boost the local semiconductor sector.https://tpucdn.com/img/hII1h8JcbHLDsOd5_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/hII1h8JcbHLDsOd5.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/344595/chinese-government-mandate-local-chipmakers-use-50-percent-domestic-chip-manufacturing-equipment)

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[NextPowerUP]

Samsung Display today announced that it has begun the mass production of the world's first 34-inch 360 Hz QD-OLED panel, featuring a "V (Vertical)-Stripe" pixel structure. The company has been supplying the panels to seven global monitor manufacturers including ASUS, MSI, and Gigabyte since December 2025.

The new V-Stripe structure aligns Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) sub-pixels vertically, shifting from the conventional triangular sub-pixel arrangement used in current QD-OLED technology. Developed independently by Samsung Display for quantum dot elements, the V-Stripe structure improves the clarity of text edges, making it ideal for users engaged in text-intensive tasks such as document editing, coding, or content creation.https://tpucdn.com/img/O6fMvIL3MQYoc4kC_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/O6fMvIL3MQYoc4kC.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/2TI2jKJLoniyTRCB_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/2TI2jKJLoniyTRCB.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/344591/samsung-display-begins-mass-supply-of-worlds-first-360-hz-v-stripe-qd-oled)

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[NextPowerUP]

MSI announced a significant update to its 32-inch 4K QD-OLED gaming monitor lineup, introducing two new models tailored to distinct gamer profiles. Both the MPG 322UR QD-OLED X24 and MAG 321UP QD-OLED X24 are anchored by the latest 5-layer Tandem OLED architecture with EL Gen 3 technology, setting a new benchmark for luminous efficiency and longevity in the 32-inch 4K lineup.

Advanced Technologies for Superior Visuals
Both models come equipped with MSI's latest display technology, comprehensively addressing gamers' extreme demands for visual quality and durability:

DarkArmor Film: This specialized film technology is designed to enhance light absorption and eliminate the distracting purple or reddish tints often visible on standard QD-OLEDs under ambient light. It boosts pure black levels by up to 40%, significantly improving contrast and delivering superior image performance. Furthermore, it upgrades the screen surface hardness from 2H to 3H, offering 2.5x better scratch resistance to effectively withstand daily wear and tear.https://tpucdn.com/img/f8qHX1PAkQowqpGC_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/f8qHX1PAkQowqpGC.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/NePmJ0wv3Oz1URdK_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/NePmJ0wv3Oz1URdK.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/344590/msi-announces-a-pair-of-new-32-inch-4k-qd-oled-gaming-monitors)

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[NextPowerUP]

Colorful has claimed the world OC record for frequency with the AMD Ryzen 7 9800 X3D on its iGame X870E Vulcan OC motherboard. According to the HWBot listing submitted by Hero (https://hwbot.org/benchmarks/cpu_frequency/submissions/5945303), the CPU reached a 7335.48 MHz peak clock under liquid nitrogen cooling, beating out the previous record—7313.05 MHz—by just over 20 MHz. It's worth noting that this clock still does not come close to the top-scoring CPU overclock, which still belongs to the Intel Core i9-14900K, which scored 9130.33 MHz under liquid helium cooling.

It also bears pointing out that these frequency overclock records have very little to do with actual gaming overclocks or stability for daily use, since they largely measure single-core clocks, and often the configurations that are required to reach these clocks are far from standard—even ignoring the exotic cooling solutions. Regardless, they serve as a showcase for what is possible with modern silicon and specific motherboards, which is why Colorful has lauded the achievement (https://t.bilibili.com/1152540446584471569).https://tpucdn.com/img/Xov3Qj8wVKpytZpb_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Xov3Qj8wVKpytZpb.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/GiGOHhurSzIOdSMC_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/GiGOHhurSzIOdSMC.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/344579/colorful-breaks-ryzen-7-9800x3d-frequency-world-oc-record-with-7335-45-mhz)

[NextPowerUP]

It's no secret that gaming is suffering under something of an affordability crisis, with increased demand for AI-capable GPUs and DDR5 memory resulting in rising prices for gamers and other far-reaching side effects on the gaming hardware market. Now, though, fresh leaks suggest that things are only going to get worse in 2026. According to Korean publication, Newsis (https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20251229_0003458273), both AMD and NVIDIA are planning to gradually and permanently increase GPU prices "over the next several months." This is expected to start as early as January 2026, when AMD is expected to increase prices. NVIDIA will allegedly follow suit in February.

If the publication's insider sources are correct, the NVIDIA RTX 5090, which launched at $1,999, will reach as high as $5,000 before the end of the year. No prediction has been made for AMD's RX 9000 series, but memory has already been said to take up as much as 80% of the average GPU BOM cost, and memory prices are expected to increase by as much as 40% by Q2 2026. We've already reported on the fact that instability and price increases in the DRAM market will likely affect launch windows for upcoming hardware (https://www.techpowerup.com/344445/dram-shortage-predicted-to-cause-launch-delays-for-major-brands), potentially reaching as far as next-gen console launches (https://www.techpowerup.com/344514/ram-crisis-may-result-in-next-gen-console-delay), and ASUS recently announced (https://www.techpowerup.com/344568/asus-announces-strategic-price-adjustments-for-dram-and-ssds) that it would be increasing hardware prices starting in early January 2026, despite also increasing DDR4 motherboard production in response to the changing market.https://tpucdn.com/img/4rHtJ697Mt9cbEDf_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/4rHtJ697Mt9cbEDf.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/344578/leaks-predict-usd-5000-rtx-5090-gpus-in-2026-thanks-to-ai-industry-demand)

[NextPowerUP]

Leaks have already predicted a stacked hardware launch line-up for CES 2026, with the likes of Lenovo planning a refreshed line-up of Legion gaming laptops, while HP is reportedly planning a slew of new high-refresh rate OLED gaming monitors for the show. Now, it seems as though MSI is joining the gaming hardware launch hype, with the brand teasing an updated line-up of flagship NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPUs. The teaser also references two additional new designs based on previously shown concepts (https://www.msi.com/news/detail/CES-2025--Redefining-Cooling-and-Performance--MSI-Introduces-Next-Generation-Graphics-Solutions-with-NVIDIA-GeForce-RTX-50-Series-145237), one liquid-cooled with dual 120 mm radiators and another air-cooled design that would use five Stormforce fans—two on the backplate and three in the traditional fan position.

The teaser for the return of the old MSI Lightning branded GPUs, last seen with the MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Lightning Z (https://www.techpowerup.com/review/msi-geforce-rtx-2080-ti-lightning-z/), comes in the form of a weather forecast that predicts lightning for January 5. Not much else is known about the upcoming GPU series, although it will likely be a flagship GPU series and come with a matching price tag.https://tpucdn.com/img/k3tZCqUbHOHwjWbu_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/k3tZCqUbHOHwjWbu.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/6QbaOrP1qBHR5LSz_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/6QbaOrP1qBHR5LSz.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/344577/msi-teases-return-of-rtx-5090-lightning-gpus-for-ces-2026)

[NextPowerUP]

2XKO is an upcoming 2v2 fighting game from Riot Games (https://www.techpowerup.com/339150/2xko-gets-official-september-closed-beta-launch-as-league-of-legends-studio-lines-up-for-2025-full-launch) set in the League of Legends universe and featuring the same characters. While the game is already available in open beta on PC, it has not yet launched on console. Riot has previously confirmed that the game would launch for consoles in 2026, but an exact launch date had not yet been confirmed until Riot seemingly accidentally put out an announcement video on its YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BVTEIoD_S0). That video was later pulled from the platform, but a launch date was spotted by Wccftech (https://wccftech.com/riot-fighting-game-2xko-full-launch-pc-consoles-january-20-2026/) before the video was taken down.

According to the apparent leak, which can be seen in a screenshot below, Riot plans to launch 2XKO as early as January 20, 2026, for both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series platforms. There has been no official word of a launch for the Nintendo Switch 2, so it seems unlikely that the fighting game is coming to Nintendo's handheld. It's also unclear why Riot has removed the video from public viewing, especially given how close to the apparent release date the video was published. It may be that the game will no longer release on January 20, but it could also be that Riot didn't want the announcement trailer to go unnoticed in during New Year's Eve celebrations.https://tpucdn.com/img/lM5M4CdJLMewj7uk_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/lM5M4CdJLMewj7uk.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/kwqmLlneZLZuYkky_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/kwqmLlneZLZuYkky.jpg)

More... (https://www.techpowerup.com/344574/riot-leaks-2xko-console-launch-date-before-pulling-trailer-offline)

[NextPowerUP]

Reports of melting 12VHPWR and 12V-2x6 connectors (https://www.techpowerup.com/332334/unofficial-12v-2x6v-power-connector-melts-nvidia-geforce-rtx-5090) on NVIDIA GPUs—as well as a handful of examples from AMD (https://www.techpowerup.com/344543/sapphire-amd-radeon-rx-9070-xt-nitro-melts-connector-after-almost-a-year-in-use)—have become so common that hardware vendors have started building in safeguards against the issue. One such safeguard is a thermal sensor found on some ASRock power supplies, like the Phantom Gaming PG-1300G, which happened to recently save a user the expense and heartbreak of losing a heavily overclocked NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090.

The incident was reported by user motivman on the Overclock.net forums (https://www.overclock.net/threads/official-nvidia-rtx-5090-owners-club.1814246/page-1408?post_id=29542732#post-29542732), and according to the account, the MSI Ventus NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPU (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/msi-rtx-5090-ventus-3x-oc.b11974) was overclocked to a whopping 1350 W, which is well over the stock 575 W TDP—although it's not uncommon to exceed rated TDPs during boost scenarios anyway—and it had just completed a benchmark run in 3DMark Port Royal when the PSU triggered a shutdown. The PC would not restart until the cable had cooled down, which is a decent showing for the PSU's safety feature—at least mostly.https://tpucdn.com/img/ucnrgMO04InX2EPu_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ucnrgMO04InX2EPu.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/OXhqfGXU9qs6sckL_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/OXhqfGXU9qs6sckL.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/Mf166m0ujJmyDNXX_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Mf166m0ujJmyDNXX.jpg)
Read full story (https://www.techpowerup.com/344571/rtx-5090-with-1350-w-oc-saved-from-melted-connector-by-asrock-psu)

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[NextPowerUP]

At the start of CES 2026, OWC announced several new Thunderbolt 5 products, led by the Envoy Ultra, now available in an 8 TB capacity. The portable SSD delivers over 6,000 MB/s and is up to twice as fast as Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 solutions. It features a rugged, IP67-rated enclosure with shock, dust, and water resistance, plus a built-in Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) cable. The 8 TB model is priced at $1,699.99. OWC also updated its ThunderBlade X12 production shuttle RAID, doubling maximum capacity to 192 TB using twelve 16 TB NVMe M.2 SSDs. The ThunderBlade X12 reaches up to 6,600 MB/s peak and 5,990 MB/s sustained write speeds, making it the first Thunderbolt 5 RAID shuttle to offer this capacity in a compact form factor. It uses a fanless aluminium chassis and includes features aimed at on-set use, such as non-skid feet, a locking power connector, and a configurable status LED. Two Thunderbolt 5 ports allow daisy-chaining of additional devices.

On display, OWC also has its Thunderbolt 5 Dual 10GbE Network Dock. This feature two independent 10 GbE Ethernet ports, a front-facing 2.5 GbE port, three Thunderbolt 5 ports, and four USB 10 Gb/s ports, all housed in a fanless aluminium enclosure. Finally, OWC showcased the recently announced fully certified 2-meter Thunderbolt 5 cable supporting up to 80 Gb/s data transfer, 120 Gb/s for display workloads, up to 240 W power delivery, and compatibility with Thunderbolt 3, 4, 5, USB4, and USB-C devices.https://tpucdn.com/img/AVjCvvifx61BPvnd_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/AVjCvvifx61BPvnd.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/kRxytALR97F05ZtW_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/kRxytALR97F05ZtW.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/R2oXGLHuavteKmtz_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/R2oXGLHuavteKmtz.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/YVhSx4nsjMZFQtWB_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/YVhSx4nsjMZFQtWB.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/lKtxeghtz5XKoImH_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/lKtxeghtz5XKoImH.jpg)

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[NextPowerUP]

At the start of the CES 2026, Sandisk shocked everyone with the rebranding of the WD_Black SSD family into a new brand called Sandisk Optimus. The new Sandisk Optimus drive family brings the old trusted WD_BLACK SSD family under a single name. The regular Optimus drives replace WD_BLUE, while the Optimus GX replaces WD_BLACK SN7100 NVMe SSD. For the Optimus GX PRO, Sandisk rebranded WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD, now offering PCIe 5.0 NVM M.2 SSDs with 14.9 GB/s read and 14 GB/s write speeds in 2 TB and 4 TB capacities. These name tags are reminiscent of the older WD SSDs, and carry the same part numbers to better resonate with the gaming community who has grown found of the WD SSDs for great value with WD_BLUE and performance with WD_BLACK. Pictured below are the newly rebranded SSDs, which feature a black and red color theme across the lineup.https://tpucdn.com/img/1PJxfMivuTixH76R_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/1PJxfMivuTixH76R.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/braER6looRLTBdEQ_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/braER6looRLTBdEQ.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/OGtmK6tv5vDsi2vG_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/OGtmK6tv5vDsi2vG.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/68ixNglDiDjhZRrt_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/68ixNglDiDjhZRrt.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/Q2yIoI6qIiBwTYsi_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/Q2yIoI6qIiBwTYsi.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/nONb8xgQJtr0b3Er_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/nONb8xgQJtr0b3Er.jpg)

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[NextPowerUP]

XGIMI introduced its latest products at CES 2026, featuring the Titan Noir Max projector and a new pair of MemoMind AI glasses (https://www.techpowerup.com/344715/xgimi-announces-memomind-at-ces-2026-its-first-pair-of-ai-glasses). The projector is a taller, squarer version of last year's Titan, with a grille-like pattern on the front for a more substantial look. XGIMI is marketing it as a versatile device for both home theater enthusiasts and professional users, thanks to a dynamic iris system that enhances contrast to 10,000:1 and a redesigned chip architecture that manages more light power without overheating. However, the actual brightness remains unspecified, as XGIMI has not provided ANSI lumen figures, despite claiming the new thermal system supports sustained brightness. The company also withheld details on color accuracy, even though it promises "color-critical" performance for studio work. Pricing is still unknown, but since the previous Titan launched at $3,999, the Max is expected to be in a similar premium range when pre-orders begin in Q1 2026.https://tpucdn.com/img/2TcEpasl1uivyZTp_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/2TcEpasl1uivyZTp.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/JUtctrB4t227joU7_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/JUtctrB4t227joU7.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/8eBgIaHTdN0gbw7v_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/8eBgIaHTdN0gbw7v.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/gzXhXTtvh3OCZ7kj_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/gzXhXTtvh3OCZ7kj.jpg)

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[NextPowerUP]

Today, AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) introduced the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded processors, a new portfolio of embedded x86 processors designed to power AI-driven applications at the edge. From automotive digital cockpits and smart healthcare to physical AI for autonomous systems, including humanoid robotics, the new P100 and X100 Series processors provide OEMs, tier-1 suppliers and system and software developers in automotive and industrial markets with high performance, efficient AI compute in a compact BGA (ball grid array) package for the most constrained embedded systems.

The processors integrate the high-performance "Zen 5" core architecture for scalable x86 performance and deterministic control, an RDNA 3.5 GPU for real-time visualization and graphics, and an XDNA 2 NPU for low-latency, low-power AI acceleration - all in a single chip.https://tpucdn.com/img/cVQc843JTuNezur0_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/cVQc843JTuNezur0.jpg)
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[NextPowerUP]

At the 2026 International CES, Japanese electronics maker EPSON showcased the first projector powered by Google TV and Gemini AI, featuring a unique form factor. On the show floor, we observed two versions: the Lifestudio Flex Plus Portable Lifestyle and the Lifestudio Grand 4K PRO-UHD Ultra Short Throw Laser projector. The first model uses a 3-Chip 3LCD Triple Core Engine to deliver 1,000 lumens of both color and white brightness. Built-in Google TV provides direct streaming access without the need for extra hardware. Gaming features include an Auto Low Latency Mode that activates when consoles are connected. Connectivity options include HDMI and a USB-C port for video and power delivery. Users can control the projector and adjust settings through the Epson Projection Studio App. The Lifestudio Flex Plus Portable Lifestyle is priced at $999.99 and comes with a two-year warranty.https://tpucdn.com/img/3tap1oDVkozX7srv_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/3tap1oDVkozX7srv.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/3u7Y5ruVacwgpMGg_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/3u7Y5ruVacwgpMGg.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/w0jHdpTZJkQTyu36_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/w0jHdpTZJkQTyu36.jpg)
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[NextPowerUP]

After much anticipation, Intel has finally unveiled its "Panther Lake" Core Ultra Series 3 mobile processors, built on the 18A node. This new mobile platform aims to maximize performance across various areas, with a significant focus on integrated Arc graphics. The "Panther Lake" features a new Arc B390 GPU with 12 Xe cores, delivering up to 77% more performance compared to the previous generation "Lunar Lake" Arc 140V iGPU. Intel's performance claims are supported by comparisons to non-Intel graphics, such as the AMD Radeon 890M. In these comparisons, Intel's solution outperforms AMD's "Strix Point" iGPU by about 73% with upscaling technologies and is 82% faster at native resolution. For handheld devices relying on iGPU performance, Intel's "Panther Lake" appears to be the leader in gaming, at least for the time being.

Interestingly, Intel is also developing a separate handheld-focused "Panther Lake" SoC, likely featuring a new Arc B SKU, rumored to be named Arc B380. This version is expected to be more power-efficient, possibly through special binning of the dies, maintaining the full 12 Xe cores configuration at slightly reduced clock speeds to achieve similar performance with a much lower TDP. According to Intel, many handheld manufacturers, including Acer, MSI, and GDP, are showing interest in this SoC for their designs. However, we can also expect some full laptop SoCs to be used in handheld devices as well. Intel also claims that the new Arc B390 is comparable to NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4050 laptop, which is a discrete chip.https://tpucdn.com/img/aYwakyy2dnNknLqd_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/aYwakyy2dnNknLqd.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/DlKUM3A2Fxyiy5Ya_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/DlKUM3A2Fxyiy5Ya.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/5NMZrL39eMMVnanA_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/5NMZrL39eMMVnanA.jpg) https://tpucdn.com/img/UuZaT4oGvHM36DpK_thm.jpg (https://www.techpowerup.com/img/UuZaT4oGvHM36DpK.jpg)
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