For those addicted to the track-point on their ThinkPad notebook, and can't get themselves to use a mouse on their desktops, Lenovo rolled out the ThinkPad TrackPoint Keyboard II back in January 2020, which started selling for USD $85.99. This is a wireless+wired keyboard that's laid out exactly like a ThinkPad T-series notebook's keyboard, with a track-point in the middle, and its two buttons. and a typical 13-inch class notebook's 83-key layout, plus three buttons for the track-point. There are three ways to connect this keyboard to your computer/notebook/tablet: over Bluetooth, over 2.4 GHz RF, using the included dongle, and plugging it directly with the included USB-C to USB-A cable, which charges its battery, as well as lets you use the keyboard as a USB-HID. The keyboard uses the same scissor-type switches found on ThinkPads, with Chicklet keycaps. It measures 305.5 mm x 164 mm x 13.7 (WxDxH).

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AMD Re-Releases Radeon Software Adrenalin 20.4.2 as a WHQL-signed Driver
AMD on Tuesday re-released its Radeon Software Adrenalin 20.4.2 graphics drivers as a WHQL-signed driver. The company hasn't released a driver update since April 21 (the same 20.4.2 as a beta). With no new AAA game releases, there probably wasn't much AMD could do. Then again, 20.4.2 beta came with a long list of "known issues" (new issues identified by AMD that needed to be solved), which could have been fixed in the last 35 days or so. The WHQL is identical to the beta. It comes with optimization for Gears Tactics and Predator: Hunting Grounds, and fixes a handful of issues. Grab the Radeon Software Adrenalin 20.4.2 WHQL from the link below.



DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 20.4.2 WHQL

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New Details Surface on Intel NUC 11 Extreme: TigerLake-U & GTX 1660 Ti
New details have surfaced on Intel's next-generation NUC systems - built with the intention to carry the highest performance density per available chassis capacity in the computer market (the aim is a 1.35 L case). We already knew Intel's Panther Canyon NUC would bring about their Tiger Lake-U designs would be carrying the company's Tiger Lake-U CPUs, which should combine next-generation "Willow Cove" CPU cores with an iGPU based on Intel's new Xe graphics architecture. A new piece of data here, as has been reported, is that Intel is also working on an enthusiast-class NUC under the "Phantom Canyon" moniker, which should bring about increased graphics performance.



Even if Intel's graphics architecture is a mindblowing performance improvement over their current graphics technologies, there's only so much an integrated graphics solution can do. Now, we seemingly have confirmation, via a 3D Max Benchmark, that Intel's Panther Canyon will be paired with an NVIDIA GeForce 1660 Ti graphics card (scoring 5,355 points). The 3D Mark TimeSpy test system uses a TigerLake-U engineering sample clocked at 2.3 GHz base and 4.4 GHz boost, alongside an 80 W NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti (Notebook) and 8 GB of RAM.
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Xiaomi Launches RedmiBook 13, 14 and 16 Laptops Powered by AMD Ryzen 4000: Poised to Rule Them All
Xiaomi today announced the impending release of three new laptops with 13", 14", and 16" diagonals. The ideal is tantalizingly clear: to launch a laptop available at all the most popular resolutions, with the specs to match, and pricing that's incredibly aggressive - as is Xiaomi's usual trademark. All three Xiaomi RedmiBook models carry AMD's Latest Ryzen 4000 CPUs in the form of the Ryzen 5 4500U or Ryzen 7 4700U - so you know you're in for very attractive performance and battery life metrics from the get go.



The RedmiBook 13 comes in three configurations. The base model, featuring an AMD Ryzen 5 4500U CPU, 8 GB RAM and a 512 GB SSD variant is priced at CNY 3,799 (roughly $530); the AMD Ryzen 5 4500U CPU, 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD variant is priced at CNY 3,999 (roughly $560); upgrade for an AMD Ryzen 7 4700U CPU (Vega 8 graphics) paired with 16 GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD and you'll be asked for CNY 4,999 (roughly $700).
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ASUS Sneaks Out ROG Strix TRX40-XE Gaming Motherboard
ASUS silently updated its socket sTRX4 motherboard lineup with the ROG Strix TRX40-XE Gaming. Whispers of this board along with a "Prime TRX40 PRO-S" model date back to February, when a Hardware Info report described them as near-identical successors of the ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming and Prime TRX40-PRO, with upgraded CPU VRM setups, as ASUS probably felt the two needed an improved VRM to cope with the rigors of a 64-core/128-thread Ryzen Threadripper 3990X processor, particularly overclocking it.



The company had already upgraded its flagship ROG Zenith II Extreme to the beefed-up Zenith II Extreme Alpha. The ROG Strix TRX40-XE Gaming is identical to the original ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming, right until you pop open its VRM heatsink. ASUS is using beefier 70 A phases with the XE, carried over from the original ROG Zenith II Extreme. The Extreme Alpha which now tops the lineup, uses even stronger 90 A power stages. The original ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming still very much does support the Threadripper 3990X, including overclocking it, though not as well as the ROG Strix TRX40-XE Gaming. The Prime TRX40 PRO-S remains elusive. ASUS is pricing the ROG Strix TRX40-XE Gaming at USD $549.
ASUS ROG Strix TRX40-XE Gaming

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AMD B550 Motherboards to Restart AGESA with v2
Apparently, AMD will be taking a slightly confusing step with its new AGESA codes - at least for the B550 platform. A report via Hardwareluxx has AMD rebooting AGESA (the most basic firmware for your motherboard and chipset support that's a requirement for correct CPU and feature support) versions back to version 1.0.0.0, but with a catch. The new AGESA version that's supposed to allow for support for AMD's Zen 3 CPUs will be coded as ComboAM4 v2 1.0.0.0 - instead of the next version in the current AGESA nomenclature, 1.0.0.6. It is still unclear if this change only refers to AMD's B550 or if it will also move on to X570's next AGESA releases.



It's expected that new motherboards based on AMD's B550 chipset will start landing in June. For now, there's confirmation on at least two motherboards running with this V2 of AGESA: MSI's MAG B550 Tomahawk (ComboAM4 v2 1.0.0.0), and the Gigabyte B550 Aorus Master (ComboAM4v2 1.0.0.1). So if you're looking to use AMD's B550 motherboard (or even X570) with AMD's upcoming Zen 3 CPUs, make sure to read your motherboard manufacturers' release notes for each AGESA version, so that you install the correct one and avoid yourself a potential load of pain with a non-functioning AGESA for your shiny new Zen 3 CPU.
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(PR) WB Games Announces Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced that Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, a new expansion for the hit videogame Mortal Kombat 11, the best-selling title in franchise history, is now available digitally for PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system, PlayStation 4 Pro computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X, Nintendo Switch system, PC and Stadia.



Developed by award-winning NetherRealm Studios, Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath provides an all-new, cinematic story campaign that expands the Mortal Kombat 11 storyline with a time-bending narrative centered around trust and deceit. Through the immersive Story mode, players take on the role of various fighters to continue the epic saga as Fire God Liu Kang, the new keeper of time and protector of Earthrealm, must now enlist the help of unlikely allies and familiar foes to forge a new history as the fate of two worlds hang in the balance.
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Distant Blips on the AMD Roadmap Surface: Rembrandt and Raphael
Several future AMD processor codenames across various computing segments surfaced courtesy of an Expreview leak that's largely aligned with information from Komachi Ensaka. It does not account for "Matisse Refresh" that's allegedly coming out in June-July as three gaming-focused Ryzen socket AM4 desktop processors; but roadmap from 2H-2020 going up to 2022 sees many codenames surface. To begin with, the second half of 2020 promises to be as action packed as last year's 7/7 mega launch. Over in the graphics business, the company is expected to debut its DirectX 12 Ultimate-compliant RDNA2 client graphics, and its first CDNA architecture-based compute accelerators. Much of the processor launch cycle is based around the new "Zen 3" microarchitecture.



The server platform debuting in the second half of 2020 is codenamed "Genesis SP3." This will be the final processor architecture for the SP3-class enterprise sockets, as it has DDR4 and PCI-Express gen 4.0 I/O. The EPYC server processor is codenamed "Milan," and combines "Zen 3" chiplets along with an sIOD. EPYC Embedded (FP6 package) processors are codenamed "Grey Hawk."
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(PR) Arm Announces new IP Portfolio with Cortex-A78 CPU
During this unprecedented global health crisis, we have experienced rapid societal changes in how we interact with and rely on technology to connect, aid, and support us. As a result of this we are increasingly living our lives on our smartphones, which have been essential in helping feed our families through application-based grocery or meal delivery services, as well as virtually seeing our colleagues and loved ones daily. Without question, our Arm-based smartphones are the computing hub of our lives.



However, even before this increased reliance on our smartphones, there was already growing interest among users to explore the limits of what is possible. The combination of these factors with the convergence of 5G and AI, are generating greater demand for more performance and efficiency in the palm of our hands.
Arm Cortex-A78
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