TechPowerUP NEWS

**NextPowerUP** · 04-04-23, 03:50

Last weekend ASUS ROG started to tease a handheld gaming system, called the Ally. On April 1 the company uploaded an expensive looking trailer, that bordered on being a total spoof in the latter half. People were quick to dismiss the announcement as an April Fool's Day prank, but since then the company has continued to post preview material and has even highlighted a Best Buy interest page. The ROG Ally has been confirmed to be an entirely real bit of gaming hardware that runs via Windows 11. AMD has been revealed as collaborating with ASUS on a custom Ryzen APU for the handheld system, which is advertised as the "fastest AMD APU yet" in the reveal trailer. Exact specifications for this chipset have not been listed, so expect those details as part of a future announcement.

ASUS ROG looks to be pitching the Ally as potential alternative to the Steam Deck, but it is too early to speculate about its exact method of operation (always online, local vs. cloud, etc.). Games journalists and gaming communities have also compared the Ally to the AYANEO 2 and GPD WIN 4. ASUS has informed various web influencers that it is promising "competitive pricing" for the upcoming handheld gaming system. The ROG Ally features a Full HD display and a dual fan cooling system tuned to operate quietly via the ROG Intelligent System. A new version of Armoury Crate offers the user access to various games library sources (including Xbox Games Pass) and custom-mapping of control inputs. Extra graphical grunt can be provided by the external and proprietary ROG XG Mobile eGPU platform.

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Japan to Restrict Exports of Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment
The Japanese government, on Friday March 31, announced that it plans to place restrictions on its export of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. This follows similar efforts announced by other nations, including the USA and the Netherlands. In a news conference, the Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Yasutoshi Nishimura stated: "We are fulfilling our responsibility as a technological nation to contribute to international peace and stability." The press release makes no mention of a trade battle between the USA or China, but the implication is that METI is limiting the latter's access to Japan's most advanced chip making equipment.

Nishimura-san continues: "If our exports are not being re-appropriated for military use, we will continue exporting. We believe the impact on companies will be limited." The U.S. government has called on its allies to prevent China's access to semiconductor manufacturing technology in order to slowdown domestic technological and military advancement. Japan and the Netherlands have previously agreed, back in January of this year, to restrict exports to China of equipment that could be used to churn out sub-14 nm chips.

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WD Plans to Muscle in on Xbox Series X|S Storage Expansion Card Scene
It appears that Western Digital is readying its own line of Xbox Series X|S Storage Expansion cards, and undercutting its big rival - Seagate - in a currently exclusive storage solution market. Word spread across several gaming communities over the past weekend about a new listing on Best Buy, now removed as of late April 2, for a 1 TB capacity WD_BLACK C50 Expansion Card with an asking price of $179.99. WD has offered official external storage solutions for the current generation of Xbox home games consoles, under its WD_BLACK range, but Microsoft granted exclusive manufacturing rights to Seagate for the proprietary Xbox Series X|S storage expansion card system. According to official site information and documentation, these expansion cards are effective in "delivering additional external memory while maintaining the same peak speed and performance as the console's internal SSD".

The Seagate range could have been a timed exclusive, and based on the now deleted Best Buy listing, Microsoft seems to have handed a license to WD. The 1 TB WD_BLACK C50 Expansion Card's pricing was a big talking point, due to it being substantially cheaper than the equivalent capacity Seagate model ($219.99) - a saving of forty dollars, which is an encouraging sign for gamers who have long complained that the Xbox proprietary expansion card offers bad value for money. Seagate's current crop of cards start at $139.99 (512 GB) and go up to $399.99 (2 TB).

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(PR) HyperX Now Shipping Pulsefire Haste 2 Wired and Wireless Gaming Mice
HyperX, the gaming peripherals team at HP Inc. and brand leader in gaming and esports, today announced it is now shipping the Pulsefire Haste 2 Gaming Mouse in both wired and wireless versions. The Pulsefire Haste 2 gaming mouse lineup offers ultra-lightweight designs, HyperX switches and HyperX sensors for better control and performance. For gamers seeking an ultra-lightweight mouse to complement their gaming skills, Pulsefire Haste 2 mice deliver ultimate comfort and command at their fingertips.

The Pulsefire Haste 2 gaming mouse lineup is ultra-lightweight and features a solid shell structure. Both wired and wireless options are equipped with the new HyperX 26K sensor, offering precise tracking and optimal sensitivity for smooth and fast cursor movements up to 26,000 DPI and a tracking speed of 650 IPS. The Pulsefire Haste 2 mouse lineup employs the new and reliable HyperX switches, providing tactile and audible feedback, and a lifespan of up to 100 million clicks.

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First NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Graphics Cards Spotted in Retail
Although it is scheduled to launch next week, the first NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics cards have started to show up in retail, confirming some of the SKUs from various NVIDIA AIC partners. While price rumors officially start with those same retailers, this time around, the price has leaked earlier in the form of NVIDIA's official slide, and it should start at $599. Early listings and placeholder pricing put the GeForce RTX 4070 at rather high $823 or even $915.

The first RTX 4070 spotted came from MSI, and according to retail listings and ECC filings, it appears that MSI will have a couple of Ventus, Gaming, and Suprim series RTX 4070 graphics cards. According to the list from Videocardz, Gainward will offer RTX 4070 Ghost, in standard and OC version. Gigabyte is so far confirmed with RTX 4070 Eagle OC. Palit will have GamingPro and JetStream versions, and PNY will have two RTX 4070 graphics cards. Of course, more will show up as we draw closer to the launch date. First reviews for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 are expected on April 12th.

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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 has an Average Gaming Power Draw of 186 W
The latest leaked slide for GeForce RTX 4070 confirms most of the specifications, as well as reveals some previously unknown details, including the 186 W average power draw. While the specification list does not mention the number of CUDA cores, it does confirm it will be based on AD104 GPU with 36 MB of L2 cache, and come with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory with 504 GB/s of maximum memory bandwidth, which points to 192-bit memory interface and 21 Gbps clocked memory.

The slide posted by Videocardz also compares the upcoming GeForce RTX 4070 with the previous generation RTX 3070 Ti and the RTX 3070, showing a significant increase in shader number, RT cores, and Tensor cores, not to mention we are talking about 3rd gen RT cores and 4th Gen Tensor cores on the RTX 4070. It will also support DLSS 3, and have AV1 and H.264 NV encoders.

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(PR) Antec Unveils Full-Tower Performance 1 FT Flagship Case with Temperature-Control Display and High Cooling Performance
[Editor's note: Our in-depth review of Antec Performance 1 FT Case is now live]

With outstanding cooling performance and lots of useful features, Antec Inc. presents the latest flagship of full towers, the new Performance 1 FT. Featuring an airflow-enhanced front panel design, magnetic front filter, and four pre-installed PWM fans, this new chassis provides efficient airflow and great cooling performance. The case is now commercially available from MSRP US$159.99.

The new Antec flagship supports the latest RTX 40 Series GPUs. Considering the increasing demands for CPU and GPU cooling, Antec designed the Performance 1 FT to enhance the air intake, improve the cable routing, and enable an easy installation with various options. The new temperature display function allows to keep control of the components. The display screen located on the case top allows users to check the temperature of the GPU and CPU at a glance. It addresses the need for temperature monitoring without purchasing expensive cooling kits.

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AMD Shows More Ryzen 7 7800X3D Gaming Benchmarks
AMD has revealed more Ryzen 7 7800X3D gaming benchmarks ahead of the official launch scheduled for April 6th. AMD has previously shared some results comparing this 8-core/16-thread Ryzen 7000X3D series SKU with Intel's Core i9-13900K or the predecessor, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, showing up to 24 and 30 percent performance increase.

Now, a new slide has been leaked online, which is a part of AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D review guide, comparing it once again with the Intel Core i9-13900K, but going head to head in several more games. At 1080p resolution and high settings, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is anywhere from 2 to 31 percent faster, but there are several games where the Core i9-13900K is also faster, such as CS:GO.

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AMD and JEDEC Create DDR5 MRDIMMs with 17,600 MT/s Speeds
AMD and JEDEC are collaborating to create a new industry standard for DDR5 memory called MRDIMMs (multi-ranked buffered DIMMs). The constant need for bandwidth in server systems provides trouble that can not easily be solved. Adding more memory is difficult, as motherboards can only get so big. Incorporating on-package memory solutions like HBM is expensive and can only scale to a specific memory capacity. However, engineers of JEDEC, with the help of AMD, have come to make a new standard that will try and solve this challenge using the new MRDIMM technology. The concept of MRDIMM is, on paper, straightforward. It combines two DDR5 DIMMs on a single module to effectively double the bandwidth. Specifically, if you take two DDR5 DIMMs running at 4,400 MT/s and connect them to create a single DIMM, you get 8,800 MT/s speeds on a single module. To efficiently use it, a special data mux or buffer will effectively take two Double Data Rate (DDR) DIMMs and convert them into Quad Data Rate (QDR) DIMMs.

The design also allows simultaneous access to both ranks of memory, thanks to the added mux. First-generation MRDIMMs can produce speeds of up to 8,800 MT/s, while the second and third generations modules can go to 12,800 MT/s and 17,600 MT/s, respectively. We expect third-generation MRDIMMs after 2030, so the project is still far away. Additionally, Intel has a similar solution called Multiplexer Combined Ranks DIMM (MCRDIMM) which uses a similar approach. However, Intel's technology is expected to see the light of the day as early as 2024/2025 and beyond the generation of servers, with Granite Rapids likely representing a contender for this technology. SK Hynix already makes MCRDIMMs, and you can see the demonstration of the approach below.

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**NextPowerUP** · 04-04-23, 03:50

For whatever reason, all of the AMD A620 chipset based motherboards that were announced on Friday, are not showing off the capabilities of the chipset and are in fact making it look worse than it is. AMD has no doubt limited the A620 platform, with some limitations that seem arbitrary, but the motherboards makers clearly haven't helped, as they've made the platform look very unattractive, when in fact it could be entirely acceptable, for a budget build. As you can see from AMD's feature matrix below, the company has removed a fair share of features compared to the B650 chipset, but for example, two 10 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports can be implemented. Despite this, only Biostar and Gigabyte have implemented one such port each, with ASUS, ASRock and MSI implementing zero.

Yes, the platform is limited to 65 W CPUs—assuming you want your CPUs boost behaviour to work as intended—which is likely to cause some issues, as it might not be clear to potential buyers that are looking for a cheap motherboard for their system and it's something AMD and its board partners need to communicate a lot better. However, the A620 platform has enough PCIe lanes for two M.2 drives and enough left for all the peripheral connectivity and some PCIe slots, yet most of the boards appear to shun a second M.2 slot for no apparent reason beyond the cost of the physical interface. It looks as if AMD's board partners have decided to try and cut back as much as they can in terms of features that we've ended up with boards that no sensible person should be buying, as the boards are barely fit for purpose. Time will tell if we'll see some better boards down the road, but it would appear that AMD's board partner would rather sell its potential customers a more expensive B650 board, based on the weak line-up of boards that launched on Friday.

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This Week in Gaming (Week 14)
With April Fools behind us, we got a week of new game releases ahead of us. April starts slow, with no major releases this week. As such, we got a week of smaller games being released and it's a rather eclectic mix of games at that, ranging from action RPG's to co-op action shooters, as well as robot spiders and something a bit more artistic.

Brinefall / Monday 3 April
Embark on an epic journey in Brinefall, where you'll gather resources and construct your own village while exploring a vast open-world filled with secrets and mysteries. Battle fierce enemies and collect valuable loot in this unique blend of sandbox and RPG gameplay.

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(PR) Insurgency: Sandstorm Content Update 1.14 and Operation: Accolade Available Now
Hello Sandstorm community! Welcome to Operation: Accolade, the update where we are privileged to bring you content inspired by the fantastic submissions we received to our mapping and cosmetic community contests! We want to acknowledge the work everyone put in by bringing their ideas to life in Insurgency: Sandstorm!! KUDOS to you! You all really brought in the thunder!

Also, we are reminiscing on Sandstorm's 4th birthday we recently celebrated on stream. 4 years is a big achievement, and we feel lucky to still be going strong after all these years. Of course, we can't forget about Insurgency's 9 year anniversary that happened back in January, too! We were joined on stream by some of the OG devs at New World who gave us the inside scoop on what development was like in those days. Without further ado, get ready to dive in and read what we have in store for Operation: Accolade!

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Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Development Team Bolstered With Mass Effect Staff, Ex-BioWare Veteran Added as Consultant
BioWare is working quietly on new entries in its long running Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises, and not many details have been revealed about either game. Dragon Age: Dreadwolf was announced three years ago via a teaser trailer, but the gaming public knows little about the gameplay, lore or visual presentation. The Dreadwolf team has been expanded according to Gary McKay, general manager at BioWare - one of several details he divulged in a partially published interview conducted by GamesBeat. The game is in a post-production phase of development, and McKay confirmed via a blog update that Dreadwolf had reached an alpha milestone in September of 2022: "Now, for the first time, we can experience the entire game, from the opening scenes of the first mission to the very end. We can see, hear, feel, and play everything as a cohesive experience."

Select members of the Mass Effect team have been shifted over to help with late stage production on the fantasy RPG title: "Our studio is focused on creating the best Dragon Age: Dreadwolf while the core Mass Effect team continues their pre-production work." McKay also confirms that a former BioWare veteran has been re-introduced to the team, albeit in an external capacity: "We continue to iterate and polish Dreadwolf, focusing on the things that matter most to our fans. As we further connect this new experience with the series' legacy Mark Darrah will join the team as a consultant, bringing with him years of experience working on Dragon Age."

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**NextPowerUP** · 06-04-23, 03:50

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, and AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) today announced they have signed a multi-year agreement extension to bring multiple generations of high-performance, ultra-low-power AMD Radeon graphics solutions to an expanded portfolio of Samsung Exynos SoCs. Through the licensing extension, Samsung will bring console-level graphics quality and optimized power consumption to more mobile devices, offering an incredibly immersive and long-lasting gaming experience.

"Together with AMD, Samsung has been revolutionizing mobile graphics, including our recent collaboration that brought ray tracing capability to mobile processors for the first time in the industry," said Seogjun Lee, executive vice president of Application Processor (AP) Development at Samsung Electronics. "Drawing on our technological know-how in designing ultra-low-power solutions, we will continue to drive ongoing innovation in the mobile graphics space."

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(PR) MSI Claims 10 Percent Game Performance Boost With Ryzen 7 7800X3D and MSI Exclusive Enhanced Mode Boost
AMD announced today the third processor, Ryzen 7 7800X3D, to the lineup of AMD Ryzen 7000 Series processors with AMD 3D V-Cache Technology that will be compatible with all MSI's X670, B650 and A620 motherboards. The new Ryzen 7 7800X3D features 8 cores and 16 threads, 96 MB L3 cache and 120 W TDP as well which is definitely the best value choice for gamers.

At the same time, MSI is pleased to present the extraordinary performance of Ryzen 7 7800X3D, powered by MSI's exclusive BIOS features - Enhanced Mode Boost, High-Efficiency Mode and Memory Context Restore. All MSI 600 series motherboards support these functions with AGESA COMBO PI 1.0.0.6.

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(PR) Activision Blizzard Developers Go In-Depth With the Diablo IV Endgame
Diablo IV Inside the Game: Into the Endgame. Join members of the Diablo IV development team as they pull back the curtain on the experiences waiting for you in the endgame. Welcome, wanderer! Over the course of our new Inside the Game video series, we'll sit down with our resident Diablo IV experts—members of the development team—to walk you through elements of the game.

Our second video in this series, Into the Endgame, is an exploration of the many endgame systems players can continue to grow their character's legend through once the Main Quest has been completed. The endless battle between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells rages on as hatred threatens to consume Sanctuary. With ceaseless demons to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish Dungeons and Legendary loot, this vast world brings the promise of adventure and devastation.

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Global Law Enforcement Operation Shutters Genesis Market, a Leading Online Market Dealing in Criminality
Genesis Market, an online-fraud-facilitation website and marketplace, has today been closed by an international joint effort coordinated by various police forces. Law enforcement agencies around the world took part in synchronized raids, including at locations in the UK and USA. 208 searches have been carried out, beginning at dawn on Tuesday 4 April, and a total of 119 suspected individuals have been arrested. This operation was spearheaded by the FBI in the US and the Dutch National Police. Consequently, users of the genesis.market website have been greeted with a boastful message and infographic on the home and login pages: "Operation Cookie Monster. This website has been seized."

Sophos, a leading software and hardware security vendor, has previously identified genesis.market as: "an invitation-only marketplace" from which buyers can acquire stolen credentials, cookies, and digital fingerprints that are gathered from compromised systems." According to the company's research, the illegal marketplace was also identified as an Initial Access Broker (IAB) - a business that compromises systems and services, steals data, and sells it. Genesis Market has special engagement capabilities in the field of illegally acquiring "credentials, cookies, and digital fingerprints". This stolen data was often sold on under individual lots, but the site also offered a longer term supply of data packages via a subscription service. This would offer the customer an up-to-date information trail, be it the tracking of an individual person or a collective.

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(PR) No Man's Sky Interceptor Explored in New Trailer, Update Available Today on All Platforms
INTERCEPTOR: INTRODUCING UPDATE 4.2 - Venture to forsaken Sentinel worlds in update 4.2, INTERCEPTOR! Explore corrupted planets, fight a legion of challenging new robotic guardians, hijack their technology, steal their ships, harvest their resources, destroy their freighters, and much, much more! It's been lovely to watch our players enjoying what Fractal (our first No Man's Sky update of 2023) had to offer and it's been thrilling to watch you all cruising around in your shiny new Utopia Speeders and filling up your Wonders Catalogues with your latest discoveries.

Barely six weeks later and we are delighted to launch another major update for No Man's Sky, and it's one of our largest in recent memory. We're calling Interceptor, with a brand new class of incredibly varied Starship, a bunch of new gameplay features, new world variants and a ton of new content! The ever-present tyrants of universe enforcement, the Sentinels, have become prey to a corruption that is spreading through their factions. Only the bravest Travellers will dare venture to forsaken Sentinel worlds to investigate. Those that do, however, will find abandoned encampments to explore, intriguing crystals to harvest and, for the most persistent, the blueprints for a hitherto undiscovered Sentinel Interceptor starship which come in a huge variety of models.

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Biren Technology Loses its Co-Founder, Only Months After Revealing BR100 and BR104 HPC GPUs
Golf Jiao, a co-founder and general manager of Biren Technology, has left the company late last month according to insider sources in China. No official statement has been issued by the executive team at Biren Tech, and Jiao has not provided any details regarding his departure from the fabless semiconductor design company. The Shanghai-based firm is a relatively new startup - it was founded in 2019 by several former NVIDIA, Qualcomm and Alibaba veterans. Biren Tech received $726.6 million in funding for its debut range of general-purpose graphics processing units (GPGPUs), also defined as high-performance computing graphics processing units (HPC GPUs).

The company revealed its ambitions to take on NVIDIA's Ampere A100 and Hopper H100 compute platforms, and last August announced two HPC GPUs in the form of the BR100 and BR104. The specifications and performance charts demonstrated impressive figures, but Biren Tech had to roll back its numbers when it was hit by U.S Government enforced sanctions in October 2022. The fabless company had contracted with TSMC to produce its Biren range, and the new set of rules resulted in shipments from the Taiwanese foundry being halted. Biren Tech cut its work force by a third soon after losing its supply chain with TSMC, and the engineering team had to reassess how the BR100 and BR104 would perform on a process node larger than the original 7 nm design. It was decided that a downgrade in transfer rates would appease the legal teams, and get newly redesigned Biren silicon back onto the assembly line.

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(PR) IBM z16 and LinuxONE 4 Get Single Frame and Rack Mount Options
IBM today unveiled new single frame and rack mount configurations of IBM z16 and IBM LinuxONE 4, expanding their capabilities to a broader range of data center environments. Based on IBM's Telum processor, the new options are designed with sustainability in mind for highly efficient data centers, helping clients adapt to a digitized economy and ongoing global uncertainty.

Introduced in April 2022, the IBM z16 multi frame has helped transform industries with real-time AI inferencing at scale and quantum-safe cryptography. IBM LinuxONE Emperor 4, launched in September 2022, features capabilities that can reduce both energy consumption and data center floor space while delivering the scale, performance and security that clients need. The new single frame and rack mount configurations expand client infrastructure choices and help bring these benefits to data center environments where space, sustainability and standardization are paramount.

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(PR) Crusader Kings III: Tours & Tournaments Expansion Arriving in May, Pre-Orders Available Now
Life is a journey of chivalric adventure, so why don't you embrace yours, ruler? Create your very own epic story with the major expansion, Crusader Kings III: Tours & Tournaments. Be awed by the sights and events that await you, from bold, mock combat in the jousting area to adventuring perilous wilds with your royal entourage. Don't get too comfortable at court, because some of the greatest stories are out there in the world. Travel your realm, plan great hunts and take part in grand demonstrations of arms in Crusader Kings III: Tours and Tournaments, coming 11 May 2023. Tours and Tournaments is available for pre-order now, and is also part of the Chapter II Crusader Kings pack, with three other upcoming add-ons.

Let wanderlust overtake your ruler's desires during a monumental Tour, and seek out your subjects in a realm that can be both dangerous and richly entertaining. Prove yourself in one of the many forms of gallant Tournaments, either abroad or at home, or use the festivities to murder a quarrelsome rival. Be the host of new Grand Activities, be it grand weddings or stirring falconry hunts. But beware! Many celebrations are the perfect cover for the dastardly scheme against foes… or family.

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**NextPowerUP** · 06-04-23, 03:50

Gunfire Games and Gearbox Publishing have released a new trailer for Remnant 2 game, a sequel to Remnant: From the Ashes. The new trailer shows the world of Yaesha, remains in the overgrown ruins of a once-great Pan civilization, fighting back against the forces of the Root.

Remnant 2 is the sequel to the best-selling game Remnant: From the Ashes that pits survivors of humanity against new deadly creatures and god-like bosses across terrifying worlds. Play solo or co-op with two other friends to explore the depths of the unknown to stop an evil from destroying reality itself. To succeed, players will need to rely on their own skills and those of their team to overcome the toughest challenges and to stave off humanity's extinction.

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(PR) Magewell Adds Wireless Screen Sharing Inputs to USB Fusion Video Capture and Mixing Device
Magewell has dramatically expanded the input source possibilities of its exceptionally flexible USB Fusion video capture and mixing hardware with new support for popular wireless content sharing technologies. The award-winning hardware and accompanying app let users easily combine cameras, wired or wireless screenshares, and media file sources into visually compelling live presentations for streaming, live event production, online lectures, webinars, video conferencing and other applications.

USB Fusion enables producers and presenters to switch between multiple live and file-based sources, or to combine inputs in picture-in-picture or side-by-side layouts. The results can be captured into popular Windows, Mac or Linux software via the hardware's USB 3.0 interface or output over HDMI to a projector, display or downstream production equipment. On-device buttons and a browser-based web interface provide easy operation and configuration, while the free USB Fusion companion app for iOS and Android tablets offers expanded layout controls and advanced presentation tools ranging from playlists and recording to annotations and telestration.

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Intel Issues Discontinuation Notice for Many 11th Gen Core Processors
Not entirely unexpected, Intel has started to discontinue its 11th Gen Core processors, also known as Tiger Lake. In a product change notification (PCN) the company has listed no less than five mobile and four desktop parts that the company will stop letting its customers order from the end of June this year, with the last shipment taking place at the end of January 2024.

The discontinued range covers everything from Core i3 to Core i9 models and the full range of discontinued models can be found in the screenshot below. It should be noted that the desktop parts are the B SKU parts that were for example found in Intel's NUC 11 Extreme and are 65 W TDP parts. Most of the mobile parts are still available in products being sold, albeit, most of those products being older SKUs that have been replaced by 12th and 13th Gen Core processors by now. None of the products in the PCN were available directly to end consumers to purchase as far as TPU is aware.

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(PR) Microsoft Officially Announces Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock
Surface products are always designed for versatility - from a laptop with the flexibility of a tablet in the Surface Pro to the Surface Laptop Studio that instantly transitions from powerful laptop to creative canvas, Surface devices let you work the way that best suits your needs. A key part of this versatility is the ability to instantly connect to a desktop setup at home or in the office for expansive work. A single, fast connection that provides access to external monitors and the accessories that customize your office or home workspace helps you to get more done. We are excited to announce the newest Surface Dock, Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock, which extends the support of Thunderbolt 4 connectivity in Surface Pro 9, Surface Laptop 5 and Surface Laptop Studio. The new dock is available for purchase today at Microsoft.com.

Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock is a USB4/Thunderbolt 4 dock that helps maximize workspace, delivers ultra-high speed data transfer and the versatility to connect and charge your most important peripherals. This new accessory also carries forward our continuous commitment to security, sustainability and accessibility.

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Blizzard Unveils Lifeweaver, New Overwatch 2 Support Hero
Blizzard has released a new trailer showing its latest playable hero, Lifeweaver. It will launch alongside Season 4 on April 11th. Overwatch 2's latest support Hero is Lifeweaver, an intelligent and curious adventurer who plans to use his biolight technology to make the world a better place.

Lifeweaver will shift the dynamic of every fight by providing cover, leveraging his mobility, and impacting positioning in ways we've never seen before. Get acquainted with Lifeweaver's ability kit in his Gameplay Trailer and get ready for his debut in Season 4 on April 11.

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(PR) AMD Names Jack Huynh Senior VP and GM of Computing and Graphics
AMD today announced that Jack Huynh has been named senior vice president and general manager of Computing and Graphics following the retirement from AMD of Rick Bergman, currently the executive vice president of Computing and Graphics. Bergman will remain at AMD through the second quarter to ensure a smooth transition. Huynh has been at AMD for more than 24 years and was most recently responsible for leading all aspects of the company's semi-custom business. He will report to AMD Chair and CEO Dr. Lisa Su.

Huynh has served in a variety of leadership roles at AMD, most recently as the senior vice president and general manager for the AMD Semi-Custom business group, leading strategy, business management, and engineering execution for high performance custom solutions. Prior to that, Huynh served as corporate vice president and general manager where he led end to end business execution of mobility solutions for the AMD Client PC business group.

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(PR) Rambus and SK hynix Extend Comprehensive License Agreement
Rambus Inc., a premier chip and silicon IP provider making data faster and safer, today announced it has extended its comprehensive patent license agreement with SK hynix, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, for an additional ten years. Effective July 1, 2024, the extension maintains similar financial terms and provides SK hynix with broad access to the full Rambus patent portfolio through mid 2034. Other terms and details are confidential.

"SK hynix is a longstanding partner and customer, and we are very pleased to extend our strong relationship well ahead of the agreement's expiration date," said Luc Seraphin, president and chief executive officer of Rambus. "Both Rambus and SK hynix are committed to advancing the industry with world-class products and technology, and this extension is a testament to the ongoing value of our intellectual property and our continued product collaborations together."

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The Last of Us Part 1 Update 1.0.1.7 Gets Released
As promised earlier, Naughty Dog has now released its newest but minor patch for the PC version of The Last of Us Part 1, and it is closely followed by NVIDIA's hotfix driver which should fix some of the issues on the GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards. As noted by Naughty Dog, this is a minor patch as the one coming on Friday, should be a big one that could fix more issues.

According to the release notes, the newest one improves overall stability, and while we did run into some stability issues during our testing, some of our systems ran the game without any issues. Of course, this depends on the actual system configuration, so any stability fixes will help. The rest of the fixes are meant for UI/UX and various gameplay issues, but it does include additions to the diagnostic support.

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NVIDIA Releases GeForce Hotfix Driver 531.58
NVIDIA has released its newest Hotfix Driver 531.58 which is based on the latest Game Ready Driver 531.41, but brings fixes for The Last of Us Part 1 game that may randomly crash on GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards. It also fixes stability issues in Assassin's Creed Origins game, and corruption issues when FXAA is enabled in Resident Evil 4 Remake.

This hotfix addresses the following issues:

[The Last of Us Part 1] Game may randomly crash during gameplay on GeForce RTX 30 series GPUs [4031676]
Assassin's Creed Origins may have stability issues when using 531.18. [4008770]
[Resident Evil 4 Remake] Corruption in the game when FXAA enabled [4051903]

GeForce Hotfix Driver Version 531.58 can be found here and is available for Windows 10 x64 and Windows 11 x64.

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More AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Game Tests Leak Ahead of Launch
A newest leak shows more game benchmarks for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU that is scheduled to launch on April 6th. This time around, the results come from, what appears to be MSI's own internal testing results, claiming that optimizations can bring anywhere between 9 and 12 percent higher game performance compared to stock settings.

The list includes a total of eight games, tested at stock, EXPO DDR5-600, EXPO DDR5-6000 + High-Efficiency Mode, and EXPO DDR5-6000 + High-Efficiency Mode + Enhanced Mode Boost 3, showing gains of anywhere between 2 and 4 percent. The two modes are MSI profiles for Precision Boost Overdrive.

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Samsung Display Invests $3.1 Billion into OLED Production in South Korea
Samsung Electronics has announced that its sub-division, Samsung Display, is planning to invest $3.1 billion until 2026 in Asan, South Korea to manufacture advanced organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panels. The country's ministry stated that Samsung's next generation of OLED display panels will be integrated into tablets and laptops. There are already rumors swirling that Apple has contracted with Samsung Display to produce parts for a refresh of the MacBook Pro range that is set to debut at some point before 2026.

Industry insiders are claiming that the substantial investment into the company's Asan, South Chungcheong factory will help fulfil orders placed by Apple for iPad and MacBook OLED displays - the North American company has not officially confirmed an adoption of that type of screen technology for these product ranges. Samsung is likely trying to secure a long term relationship with the Silicon Valley behemoth, and at the same time outmaneuver its competitors in South Korea as well as those in neighboring nations. It has been reported that domestic rival LG is currently unable to take on new orders, as its display factories are functioning at maximum production capacities.

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Nintendo to Fix Drifting Joy-Cons in EEA, CH and UK Territories, Even Out of Warranty Units to Receive Free Repairs
Late last week, several specialist Nintendo coverage websites cottoned onto an update on the company's UK support pages - the offer to repair faulty Joy-Con units, affected by the notorious drifting problem, for free. Customers who possess long out of warranty controllers will not be charged for fixes, as long as it is apparent that drifting is occurring. The blurb on the official website outlines a pattern of diagnosis: "Joy-Con Control Sticks Are Not Responding or Respond Incorrectly (responsiveness syndrome or so-called "drifting")."

Nintendo has already offered free lifetime repairs to its customers in North America, way back in 2019. Latin America and France received similar treatment shortly thereafter. According to its updated documentation the company is now extending the same service to folks spread across the European Union (and adjacent to): "Until further notice, Nintendo will not charge you in the European Economic Area (EEA), UK and Switzerland for the repair of the responsiveness syndrome irrespective of whether this is caused by a defect or by wear and tear."

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**NextPowerUP** · 08-04-23, 04:00

In Win launches its Foldable POC Mini-ITX Tower - the latest iBuildiShare series case you can shape yourself! In Win Development Inc. (In Win), a leading innovator in PC enthusiast gaming hardware, has introduced its POC Mini-ITX tower PC chassis. POC is the latest addition to In Win's iBuildiShare series. Encouraging the development of dexterity skills both inside and out of a PC.

DIY PC builders of all ages can assemble a Mini-ITX enclosure from this vibrant modular kit by actually bending and shaping each panel. Similar to the art of origami, but using 0.8 mm foldable SECC steel panels instead of paper. This durable, lightweight material can withstand multiple bends. Delivered flat-packed, POC minimizes packaging materials and weight, reducing environmental impact.

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Star Wars Jedi: Survivor PC Install Size is Daunting at 155 GB
Electronic Arts has updated the listings for PC system requirements for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and the gaming community has reacted to the refresh of the game's minimum installation storage requisite. It calls for a whopping 155 GB of disk space, for the base game alone, not including the expected routine of patches and extra story content (via DLC). The publisher suggests that an SSD is best used for an optimal in-game experience. The slightly older PC requirements specified a minimum of 150 GB for HDDs, and 130 GB for SSDs.

As it stands, the Respawn Entertainment developed action adventure game has one of the larger minimum storage requirements among modern titles - all the more surprising given that it will offer a relatively short and linear single player experience. Current installations of the PC version of Red Dead Redemption 2 will occupy 150 GB of disk space. Jedi: Fallen Order (2019), Survivor's preceding title in the series, demands a comparatively modest install base of 55 GB. It will be interesting to observe whether Jedi: Survivor will drive sales of larger storage solutions - in the recent past, gamers have scrambled to acquire higher capacity SSDs and HDDs in order to accommodate the ever-growing installations and content drops required to play the Call of Duty/Modern Warfare series.

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Rumored New PlayStation Handheld in Development, Remote Play via PS5 Only
Rumors have circulated about a secret development at Sony's PlayStation division - a handheld games console is apparently in the works, but it was previously thought to be a cloud gaming device (similar in function to the Logitech G Cloud). This week, Insider Gaming has published an article that outlines insider information about a Sony project that is identified by the codename "Q Lite". Insider Gaming understands that this handheld will only offer Remote Play, and it will be entirely dependent on the PlayStation 5 games console as a host system. Sony has been touting this remote play feature via plenty of advertising in recent times - it is encouraging its PS4 and PS5 userbase to utilize the PS Remote Play app on compatible platforms including PC, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

The Q Lite is speculated to offer an adaptive streaming system with resolutions going up to 1080p and a maximum of 60 frames per second. This new gaming handheld requires an uninterrupted connection to the internet in order to function via remote play with the PlayStation 5. The inside source claims that the Q Lite prototype unit shares aesthetic themes with the official PlayStation 5 controller, although it will be larger in size - in order to accommodate a generous 8-inch touchscreen LCD system, placed in a central position. The insider mentioned that adaptive triggers and internal haptic feedback motors are notable features, as well as traditional fitting being multiple loudspeakers, volume controls and an audio input jack.

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EA Sports FC Declares New Branding, Teases Summer Reveal for Series Minus FIFA
Last May, Electronic Arts confirmed that its licensing deal with FIFA would be coming to an end by the summer of 2023. This week it has revealed the new branding for the EA Sport FC franchise, which is set to succeed the soon-to-be discontinued EA + FIFA series. Last year EA announced that it would be bringing its 30-year partnership with FIFA to a close. The computer game publishing giant could not agree on a new licensing deal with the association football/soccer governing body. EA Sports has unveiled the new logo and visual language that will feature atop their new flagship football game. It is widely rumored that FIFA are in the process of creating a new series with a new development partner.

The sports division has provided a breakdown of the design process: "The new brand takes its design inspiration from triangles, an ever-present shape in the sport and football culture that represents the game in multiple dimensions. From passing techniques to set-plays to formation design, triangles are a constant in the beautiful game. The shape is also woven into the DNA of EA Sports football experiences - from the isometric viewing angles of EA Sports' first football games and triangular polygons that make up every frame, to the chemistry triangles that exist in Ultimate Team or the iconic player indicator symbol that appears above athletes in every match."

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Samsung Profits Down 96%, Cutting Back on Memory Chip Production
Samsung Electronics will be cutting back on memory chip production, following a worrying drop in its operational profits. Estimates for the first quarter point to a 96% year-on-year decline - the silicon mega-corporation's lowest profit result in 14 years (since the first quarter of 2009). Samsung's operating profits fell to 600 billion won ($456 million) in January to March 2023, from 14 trillion won the previous year. The company has confirmed that a slump in sales is the main cause behind the smaller margins - with a slow global economy and a drop in demand after the chip shortages of 2020 - 2022. Manufacturers of computer and server equipment have reduced expenditure on procurements of RAM and storage solutions.

In a statement released last week, the company confirmed that it was adjusting its manufacturing output in reaction to the drop in demand: "We are lowering the production of memory chips by a meaningful level, especially that of products with supply secured." Industry analysts in South Korean are foreseeing that Samsung's chip business will post heavy losses (into the billions of dollars) during the first three months of 2023. Samsung is expected to publish detailed financial results later this month. The analysts have spotted similar patterns at other South Korea-based memory chip markers - SK Hynix and Micron have recorded heavy financial losses across recent quarters.

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(PR) Report: Worldwide IT Spending in 2023 Continues to Slowly Trend Downward
or the fifth consecutive month, International Data Corporation (IDC) has lowered its 2023 forecast for worldwide IT spending as technology investments continue to show the impact of a weakening economy. In its new monthly forecast for worldwide IT spending growth, IDC projects overall growth this year in constant currency of 4.4% to $3.25 trillion. This is slightly down from 4.5% in the previous month's forecast and represents a swing from a 6.0% growth forecast in October 2022.

"Since the fourth quarter of last year, we have seen clear and measurable signs of a moderate pullback in some areas of IT spending," said Stephen Minton, vice president in IDC's Data & Analytics research group. "Tech spending remains resilient compared to historical economic downturns and other types of business spending, but rising interest rates are now impacting capital spending."

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**NextPowerUP** · 08-04-23, 04:00

Steam's latest March survey has put NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3060 at the top, reaching over 10 percent and surpassing both the GTX 1060 and the RTX 2060. NVIDIA has been holding the crown with over 80 percent of users running on their GPUs, while AMD held just over 10 percent. This means that the NVIDIA RTX 3060 almost has more users on Steam than all AMD Radeon graphics cards combined. Intel holds just over 6 percent. Bear in mind that Intel and AMD numbers also include integrated GPUs.

When it comes to CPUs, there are 74.46 percent running on Intel CPUs and 25.54 percent on AMD. Most users use a 6-core CPU, 45.76, with 8-core CPUs taking 18.45 percent. The memory amount has obviously risen, as 56.92 percent run on 16 GB, and 22.41 percent have 32 GB systems. When it comes to OS, most users are running on Windows 10, 73.95 percent, while Windows 11 OS takes 22.41 percent. While some might argue that the Steam Survey is not exactly precise as it is apparently based on a random survey, it does give a general idea and shows the big picture.

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(PR) Thrustmaster Unveils Ultra-Premium Ferrari SF1000 Direct Drive Wheel Bundle, Launching This Summer
Thrustmaster is thrilled to unveil a brand-new bundle, featuring a racing wheel base and wheel rim proudly sporting the Scuderia Ferrari colors: T818 Ferrari SF1000 Simulator. Ferrari took the opportunity to announce the new flagship product in Thrustmaster's racing lineup at the launch of the Ferrari Esports Series 2023 season. Composed of the very latest direct-drive racing wheel base - T818 - alongside the iconic Formula Wheel Add-On Ferrari SF1000 Edition wheel rim and a versatile mounting system for desks, tables or cockpits, this dream-team bundle delivers breathtaking esports-caliber performance.

T818, with its new Rosso Corsa metal plates and elegant Scuderia Ferrari logo, provides 10 N⋅m of constant torque for smooth, powerful and turbocharged Force Feedback thanks to direct-drive technology. The extensive configuration options let the most experienced drivers race with truly unfiltered power - allowing them to feel all effects being transmitted by the game as they were meant to be experienced, for absolute control of their vehicle.

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(PR) Trepang2 Set for June 21 Launch, Hailed as Spiritual Successor to F.E.A.R.
Subject 106 breaks free from his chains to unleash mayhem - June 21st on Steam! It's time to break the cycle. Trepang2 features high-octane, first-person gun-fu gunplay and puts players in the shoes of a newly enhanced super soldier on a mission of death, destruction, and revenge.

Broken out from a government black site by unknown allies and removed of their memories, they'll be hunted by their captives and an even more otherworldly foe, and will have to arm themselves with an arsenal of devastating weapons and learn how to handle their newfound superhuman abilities to survive the onslaught, all the while unravelling a deadly conspiracy.

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MSI RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio and Ventus 3X Series Leak Ahead of Launch
MSI has been rumored to have at least eight different models of the upcoming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, and two of them, the RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio and RTX 4070 Ventus 3X, have now leaked online, ahead of the launch scheduled for next week. What makes it interesting is that this will be the first RTX 40 series graphics card that will be able to come without the 16-pin 12VHPWR connector.

MSI's Gaming X Trio, as the more premium edition, will be a 2.5-slot design with triple-fan cooler, have more RGB effects, and will feature the 16-pin 12VHPWR connector. The MSI RTX 4070 Ventus 3X as a more budget-oriented SKU, will have a triple-fan cooling system but only takes two slots, and it needs a single 8-pin PCIe power connector. While both are factory-overclocked models, it is obvious that the MSI RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio will have a higher overclocking potential.

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(PR) Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin Out Now on Steam, Square Enix Cuts Price at Launch
Jack is back… and he's punching his way onto Steam! The action RPG is now available on the platform: here's everything you need to know about it. Many of you will be familiar with STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN's Jack Garland: expert swordsman, skilled white mage, destructive black mage, deadly dragoon, powerful pugilist… and that's not even half of it. We can now add one more achievement to his impressive resume: available on Steam! Yes, get ready for some chaotic FINAL FANTASY carnage! Read on and we'll tell you everything you need to know about the game and its Steam release.

What is STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN?
Some of you unfamiliar with the game may be wondering what this game is all about. Long story short, it's about action - brilliantly brutal, fast-paced action that tests your reactions and battle strategy in equal measure. Developed by KOEI TECMO GAMES (Nioh series), STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN is a dark and visceral action RPG that presents a bold take on the FINAL FANTASY series, while celebrating its amazing 35 year legacy! You play as Jack Garland, who along with his allies Ash, Jed, Neon and Sophia, sets off from the Kingdom of Cornelia to defeat Chaos. If you're a fan of the original FINAL FANTASY game, some of those names may be ringing a bell, but we'll let you discover what it all means.

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(PR) Team Group Launches Overclocking DDR5 Memory in 24GB and 48GB DIMM Densities
Leading memory brand Team Group has announced its gaming brand T-FORCE and creator brand T-CREATE will launch non-binary DDR5 overclocking memory modules in capacities of 24 GB and 48 GB. The company has worked closely with major motherboard makers to complete compatibility testing with Intel 700 and 600 series motherboards of the modules' frequency and capability advancements. The modules will not only support XMP 3.0 but also come in various frequencies of 6,000 MHz and up, making them the fastest non-binary DDR5 high-capacity memory modules available. With excellent compatibility, capacity, and speed, they are the perfect RAM upgrades for gamers and creators.

T-FORCE LAB is committed to providing gamers with both great-performing and highly-compatible products, with T-FORCE DELTA RGB DDR5 taking the lead, launching 48 GB (2x 24 GB) dual-channel kits in 6,000 MHz, 6,400 MHz, 6,800 MHz, 7,200 MHz, 7,600 MHz and 8,000 MHz variants. It allows even motherboards with only two memory slots to harness the power of massive capacities and provide a next-level gaming experience. T-FORCE's latest 2x24GB dual-channel kit supports Intel XMP 3.0, allowing gamers to enjoy the smooth experience that high-capacity memory brings to system performance by simply enabling XMP 3.0 overclocking in BIOS.

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**NextPowerUP** · 08-04-23, 04:00

ASUS today announced Vivobook 15X OLED (M3504), Vivobook 16X OLED (M3604), and Vivobook 17X (M3704), a trio of stylish everyday laptops smoothly powered by AMD Ryzen 7000-Series Processors. Featuring up to a power-efficient eight-core 4.5 GHz AMD Ryzen 7 7730U processor that's capable of handling all everyday tasks, 16 GB of RAM, and a 1 TB PCIe SSD, these laptops also have high-capacity up to 63 Wh batteries that offer outstanding battery life for daily productivity on the go.

Equipped with brilliant world-leading up to 4KOLED HDR Pantone Validated displays on the OLED models (M3504, M3604), or a crisp and clear FHD IPS display (M3704 only), the laptops also include a powerful DTS-tuned ASUS SonicMaster audio system for rich, immersive entertainment. Home users and remote workers will both appreciate the crystal-clear video and noise-free audio during video or audio conference calls, enabled by the FHD webcam with ASUS 3DNR technology and AI noise-canceling audio.

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MSI Warns Customers After Cyberattack on its Systems
MSI has issued a warning to its customers after the company detected it has suffered from a cyberattack on its "information systems". Although it's not clear exactly what was attacked, the company has detected what it calls anomalies on its network and has since kicked in "relevant defense mechanisms" which among other things included reporting the incident to local law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity units.

MSI states that the company has been gradually restoring its systems back to normal operations and that the attack has had negligible impact on its business. However, MSI is warning its customers not to download MSI BIOS/UEFI/firmware updates or drivers from any other source than MSI's official website, or any of its software. Although MSI doesn't state if whoever performed the attack might have gotten hold of any of its software, this seems to suggest such things and it's clear that MSI is worried that there might be software appearing in the near future that will be compromised in one way or another.

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(PR) ASUS Announces 2023 Vivobook Classic Series With 13th Gen Intel Processors
ASUS today announced five new models in the 2023 Vivobook Classic series of laptops, headed up by the flagship 14-inch Vivobook 14X OLED (K3405) and 16-inch Vivobook 16X OLED (K3605) models. In keeping with their role as flagships of the series, these powerful laptops feature up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, accompanied by up to 13th Gen Intel Core H-series processors and up to 32 GB of RAM. The feature-packed K3405 and K3605 really do deliver maximum performance at the best price.

Vivobook 14X OLED and 16X OLED (K3605) feature up to world-leading 3.2K 120 Hz OLED HDR Pantone Validated displays. A powerful Dirac-tuned audio system and an HD webcam with ASUS 3D Noise Reduction (3DNR) ensure immersive entertainment and crystal-clear video conferencing. High-performance WiFi 6E (802.11ax) and a long-lasting battery with fast-charge capabilities free users to take full advantage of their mobile lifestyle. On-the-go connectivity is easy with a set of I/O ports including up to Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C and/or Type-A and HDMI 2.1, plus a standard SD card reader.

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(PR) EVGA Announces New GE Series PSUs
The EVGA GE Series brings EVGA ECO Mode to hard-line power supplies for the first time. In addition to 80 PLUS Gold efficiency, GE power supplies have low ripple and noise, low power consumption, and tight voltage regulation for unwavering stability. The EVGA GE series allows you to enjoy your PC in peace and quiet.

The GE Series is EVGA's first non-modular unit with EVGA ECO mode to ensure the power supply stays completely silent during low to medium loads. The 120 mm fan does not spin until necessary, allowing for completely silent operation. Among EVGA non-modular power supplies, the GE Series is the most efficient power supply under load, has the least amount of ripple and noise, and better load regulation than its predecessors.

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Tenstorrent Tech Talk Reveals Hints of AMD's "Zen 5" Performance
Tenstorrent hosted their "Nerds Talking to Nerds About RISC-V" event this week in India where a dozen high profile industry experts hosted technical talks and panels about every facet of the RISC-V landscape and future. Among these are some familiar names to anyone who's been keeping up on the CPU industry; Raja Koduri of his own AI Generative Gaming startup company, Lars Bergstrom of Google, Naveed Sherwani of Rapid Silicon, and of course Jim Keller the CEO of Tenstorrent itself. On the first day of the event a mere 42 minutes into the YouTube live stream during his keynote talk, Jim Keller is providing an overview of Tenstorrent's latest silicon design goals. He presents a slide showing a wide comparison of various competitor's integer performance in SPEC CPU 2017 INT wherein a raw performance value for AMD's yet released "Zen 5" is listed, as well as the operating frequency and TDP of the supposed sample.

The slide shows all of AMD's recent architectures starting with the original "Zen" (Naples) and the improvements each successive generation has made. Also shown is one of Intel's latest "Sapphire Rapids" Xeons, a projected performance point of NVIDIA's in-house CPU architecture "Grace", Amazon's "Graviton" series with a projected result for "Graviton 3," and Tenstorrent's own 8-wide RISC-V architecture as it currently performs in their labs. While all of these are fascinating results in their own right, we're going to narrow in on the "Zen 4" (Genoa) and "Zen 5" results. We can see from the Frequency and TDP charts that "Zen 4" is clocked at 3.8 GHz as it's equal to the Xeon Platinum 8480+ (which itself boosts to 3.8 GHz in light threaded workloads such as this) so is therefore likely a variant of EPYC 9354 or 9454 with its TDP configured at the minimum 240 W. The unnamed "Zen 5" CPU is shown to be running at around 4.0 GHz with the same 240 W TDP, a tiny 5% bump in core clock, while delivering a substantial 30% jump in performance. The most interesting detail here is that nowhere is it listed—as with "Grace" and "Graviton 3"—that this is a projected result.

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(PR) QNAP Releases Short-depth Rackmount TS-855eU NAS Series
QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading computing, networking and storage solution innovator, today unveiled the 2U short-depth TS-855eU NAS Series, including the TS-855eU with single PSU and the TS-855eU-RP with redundant power supplies. The short-depth rackmount TS-855eU NAS series is exceptionally suitable for IT deployment in small cabinet, spacious business workplaces, or production lines. Powered by an Intel Atom C5125 8-core 2.8 GHz processor with Intel QuickAssist Technology and supporting up to 64 GB memory (ECC memory supported), the sturdy and feature-rich TS-855eU series provides eight SATA drive bays, dual-port 2.5GbE. With these features and more, the TS-855eU series fulfills the performance and capacity requirements of business file servers, virtual machines, SaaS backups, and virtualization applications.

"With a 38% reduction in size, the 2U rackmount TS-855eU NAS series is only 11.7 inches (297.4 mm) deep, making it suitable for installation in small cabinets and IT rooms with strict cabling and ventilation requirements," said Andy Chuang, Product Manager of QNAP. "It fits in constrained environments while supporting reliable daily operations with its excellent performance and well-rounded business-ready features."

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(PR) Everspace 2 Version 1.0 Out Now on PC, Rockfish Games Releases Launch Trailer
EVERSPACE 2 1.0 Launches Today! - Pilots, brace for impact! Launch day is here! After more than five years of development, with over two years in Early Access, v1.0 is finally ready to download on Steam, GOG, and the Microsoft Windows Store! What a ride it's been… and we're not done yet! More on that below! We've put together an absolutely amazing EVERSPACE 2 PC Launch Trailer. Longtime EVERSPACE 2 players may spot new scenes in already-seen areas. Let's see if you catch them all.

With 1.0, we're adding the final chapter of the campaign, which lets you explore the new star system Khione, unlock tier 4 ships, find the best trading deals for commodities, and face new bosses, plus a whole host of other neat additions. But before you start a new game (strongly recommended) and delve in, let's stop for a moment and take a look back at the very beginning to appreciate just what an insane journey we've been together on. You can read the history behind the game here.

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**NextPowerUP** · 10-04-23, 04:10

The Return of Rome campaign is set for a May 16 2023 release date according to a tweet posted by the official Age of Empires account. The latest campaign expansion for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition follows several (almost) yearly DLC drops since the re-mastered strategy game's debut in late 2019 - Lords of the West (January 2021), Dawn of the Dukes (August 2021) and Dynasties of India (April 2022). Last year's India campaign added a significant amount of content, in the form of three new civilizations: the Bengalis, Dravidians, and Gurjaras. Three new campaigns were added to the base game and introduced a trio of new empires: Babur, Rajendra, and Devapala. The entire Indian civilization within the game was renamed to the Hindustanis.

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Return of Rome was first announced, albeit briefly, during a livestream on 25 October 2022, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of the real time strategy game series. Details are scarce about the actual content on offer, but the upcoming campaign is expected to feature all 16 of the original civilizations from the first entry in the franchise (AoE) according to an internal Xbox Games Studios memo.

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Money Message Ransomware Group Apparently Behind MSI Breach
It appears that MSI's data breach is more significant than originally thought and according to recent information, a new ransomware group known as "Money Message" was behind the attack, stealing databases and source code from MSI's network.

According to a report over from the BleepingComputer, Money Message claims to have stolen 1.5 TB of data from MSI's systems, including CTMS and ERP databases, software source code, private keys, and BIOS firmware. Money Message is threatening to publish these allegedly stolen documents and asking a ransom payment of $4 million. MSI has already warned its customers about the cyberattack, has started the "relevant defense mechanisms," and has been gradually restoring its systems back to normal operations.

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This Week in Gaming (Week 15)
As we're moving into full on spring, we have a rather mixed week of releases in front of us. This week's biggest release is based on a Disney movie, but we also have a famous detective and a selection of other potentially interesting games for you, so click on past the break to find out what else is being released.

Tron: Identity / This week's AA title / Tuesday 11 April
Something has been taken. Enter a new Grid and forge alliances via visual novel gameplay, uncovering truths through Identity Disc puzzles. Make critical decisions and plot your own course in a world without a creator.

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Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Gets Final Gameplay Trailer Ahead of Launch
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor got its final gameplay trailer ahead of its launch, scheduled for April 28th. The latest shows a bit more details about the story as well as some of the rides in the game. The game was originally scheduled to launch in March, but was delayed back to the end of April.

The game is developed by Respawn Entertainment, and in case you missed it earlier, it is a a third-person, action-adventure game, set five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. It again puts the player in the role of Cal Kestis, who has now grown into a powerful Jedi Knight. EA has promised the same cinematic combat system from Jedi Fallen Order, with additional Force abilities and new lightsaber fighting styles. It will also include new planets as well as familiar frontiers with unique biomes, challenges, and enemies.

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PC Gaming Show 2023 Still Scheduled Despite E3 Cancellation
The PC Gaming Show 2023 will return on June 11th, despite the fact that E3 2023 show has been cancelled. The show will broadcast on Twitch, Youtube, and other platforms and follow the Xbox Games Showcase, as announced by PC Gamer. PC Gamer has also confirmed that Sean "Day[9]" Plott will be returning as the host of the show.

The PC Gaming Show was started back in 2015 as a response to how the platform was underrepresented at the E3 show, showing reveals, announcements, trailers, and more for the PC platform. The precise broadcast time for the PC Gaming Show will be shared at a later date.

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(PR) Retro Shooter Supplice Available Now Via Early Access, For Fans of Doom and Marathon
Supplice has just been released in Early Access - today you get a chance to get your hands on the game, which has evolved tremendously over the years. Supplice is the best example of what an engaged and hard-working community can do. As you probably know, this project started as a Total Conversion mod for DOOM and evolved into one of the most anticipated RetroFPS stand-alone games. We want to thank everyone who shared their feedback with us on our social media channels, but most importantly, we would like to give a massive shout-out to the Doomworld.com and Zdoom.org communities! You guys rock!

As you know, Supplice has started as an ambitious Doom megawad and evolved into the idea of a stand-alone game that would not only be a total conversion mod, but would firmly stand on its own feet. At its core, Supplice is the fruit of the passionate Doom modding community, and as such it has community-driven development written in its DNA. The initial vision and formula have been re-imagined and revisited as the concept, its aesthetics, and the GZDoom tech itself evolved over the years.

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The Last of Us Part 1 Gets Promised Big Patch v1.0.2.0
As promised earlier, Naughty Dog has released its big patch for the PC version of The Last of Us Part 1 yesterday, fixing over 40 bugs, and even taking some time to fix some issues for the game running on the Steam Deck. According to Naughty Dog, this update addresses fixes for performance, user experience, visuals, and more. It also includes platform and hardware-specific fixes.

Most important update is the reduced overall CPU usage, with updated texture streaming, which should significantly improve the game performance. The game will still use the massive amount of VRAM, but it will at least accurately display that same VRAM usage on the user interface. It also includes a fix for the "random crash" which has been quite annoying. Unfortunately, and as expected, this update does not include a fix for camera jitters related to mouse controls, which has caused unexpected issues and had to be pushed for a later patch.

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**NextPowerUP** · 10-04-23, 04:10

DuckyChannel International Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer dedicated to delivering professional mechanical keyboards, is launching new Aura editions of our acclaimed One 3 mechanical series to celebrate its 1 year anniversary. Featuring exciting new switch variations and stunning aesthetic changes to marvelously illuminate a set-up.

Ducky's tried and true "Quack Mechanics" design is still featured in these new stunning versions of the One 3 series. Enjoy the splendid vibe of the Aurora at home through the rich color spectrum from our 16.7 million RGB LEDs!

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Sony Seizes Upon Redfall PlayStation 5 Removal Controversy in Battle With Microsoft
Sony is not happy about the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) recent provisional approval of Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and has highlighted the apparent removal of a Microsoft-owned game from being developed on the PlayStation 5. According to legal documents submitted to the UK government, Sony has taken issue with the watchdog's sudden change in opinion - the CMA's position was highly critical at the start of the year - and suspects that Microsoft's expensive PR campaign and submitting of "new evidence" to international competition regulators have influenced a change in direction of rulings. Sony's statement bears down on the unfair nature of the bid's approval: "The CMA's reversal of its position on its consoles theory of harm is surprising, unprecedented, and irrational."

Japan's Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) was the latest anti-trust governing body to give the takeover a thumbs-up, almost two weeks ago - a dramatic turn of events given that it happened on Sony's home turf. The embattled electronics corporation has taken notice of fresh developments in the press, and proceeded to mention controversy surrounding the Redfall platform war. Harvey Smith, the game's creative director, let slip too many details during a promotion tour and seemingly admitted that the higher-ups at Microsoft's Xbox division had decided to can the PlayStation 5 version of Redfall in favor of keeping it exclusive to Xbox, Game Pass and PC. Arkane Studios, as part of the ZeniMax Media Group, was acquired by Microsoft in 2021 - and certain games, already in development, were later released on the PlayStation 5 as timed exclusives, Deathloop being a prime example of this.

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Star Wars Jedi: Survivor PC Install Size is Daunting at 155 GB
Electronic Arts has updated the listings for PC system requirements for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and the gaming community has reacted to the refresh of the game's minimum installation storage requisite. It calls for a whopping 155 GB of disk space, for the base game alone, not including the expected routine of patches and extra story content (via DLC). The publisher suggests that an SSD is best used for an optimal in-game experience. The slightly older PC requirements specified a minimum of 150 GB for HDDs, and 130 GB for SSDs.

As it stands, the Respawn Entertainment developed action adventure game has one of the larger minimum storage requirements among modern titles - all the more surprising given that it will offer a relatively short and linear single player experience. Current installations of the PC version of Red Dead Redemption 2 will occupy 150 GB of disk space. Jedi: Fallen Order (2019), Survivor's preceding title in the series, demands a comparatively modest install base of 55 GB. It will be interesting to observe whether Jedi: Survivor will drive sales of larger storage solutions - in the recent past, gamers have scrambled to acquire higher capacity SSDs and HDDs in order to accommodate the ever-growing installations and content drops required to play the Call of Duty/Modern Warfare series.

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Rumored New PlayStation Handheld in Development, Remote Play via PS5 Only
Rumors have circulated about a secret development at Sony's PlayStation division - a handheld games console is apparently in the works, but it was previously thought to be a cloud gaming device (similar in function to the Logitech G Cloud). This week, Insider Gaming has published an article that outlines insider information about a Sony project that is identified by the codename "Q Lite". Insider Gaming understands that this handheld will only offer Remote Play, and it will be entirely dependent on the PlayStation 5 games console as a host system. Sony has been touting this remote play feature via plenty of advertising in recent times - it is encouraging its PS4 and PS5 userbase to utilize the PS Remote Play app on compatible platforms including PC, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

The Q Lite is speculated to offer an adaptive streaming system with resolutions going up to 1080p and a maximum of 60 frames per second. This new gaming handheld requires an uninterrupted connection to the internet in order to function via remote play with the PlayStation 5. The inside source claims that the Q Lite prototype unit shares aesthetic elements with the official PlayStation 5 controller, although it will be larger in size - in order to accommodate a generous 8-inch touchscreen LCD system, placed in a central position. The insider mentioned that adaptive triggers and internal haptic feedback motors are notable features, as well as traditional fitting being multiple loudspeakers, volume controls and an audio input jack.

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EA Sports FC Declares New Branding, Teases Summer Reveal for Series Minus FIFA
Last May, Electronic Arts confirmed that its licensing deal with FIFA would be coming to an end by the summer of 2023. This week it has revealed the new branding for the EA Sport FC franchise, which is set to succeed the soon-to-be discontinued EA + FIFA series. Last year EA announced that it would be bringing its 30-year partnership with FIFA to a close. The computer game publishing giant could not agree on a new licensing deal with the association football/soccer governing body. EA Sports has unveiled the new logo and visual language that will feature atop their new flagship football game. It is widely rumored that FIFA are in the process of creating a new and distinct football games franchise with a yet to be revealed development partner.

The sports division has provided a breakdown of the design process: "The new brand takes its design inspiration from triangles, an ever-present shape in the sport and football culture that represents the game in multiple dimensions. From passing techniques to set-plays to formation design, triangles are a constant in the beautiful game. The shape is also woven into the DNA of EA Sports football experiences - from the isometric viewing angles of EA Sports' first football games and triangular polygons that make up every frame, to the chemistry triangles that exist in Ultimate Team or the iconic player indicator symbol that appears above athletes in every match."

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**NextPowerUP** · 10-04-23, 04:10

Samsung Electronics will be cutting back on memory chip production, following a worrying drop in its operational profits. Estimates for the first quarter point to a 96% year-on-year decline - the silicon mega-corporation's lowest profit result in 14 years (since the first quarter of 2009). Samsung's operating profits fell to 600 billion won ($456 million) in January to March 2023, from 14 trillion won the previous year. The company has confirmed that a slump in sales is the main cause behind the smaller margins - with a slow global economy and a drop in demand after the chip shortages of 2020 - 2022. Manufacturers of computer and server equipment have reduced expenditure on procurements of RAM and storage solutions.

In a statement released last week, the company confirmed that it was adjusting its manufacturing output in reaction to the drop in demand: "We are lowering the production of memory chips by a meaningful level, especially that of products with supply secured." Industry analysts in South Korean are foreseeing that Samsung's chip business will post heavy losses (into the billions of dollars) during the first three months of 2023. Samsung is expected to publish detailed financial results later this month. The analysts have spotted similar patterns at other South Korea-based memory chip markers - SK Hynix and Micron have recorded heavy financial losses across recent quarters.

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(PR) Report: Worldwide IT Spending in 2023 Continues to Slowly Trend Downward
or the fifth consecutive month, International Data Corporation (IDC) has lowered its 2023 forecast for worldwide IT spending as technology investments continue to show the impact of a weakening economy. In its new monthly forecast for worldwide IT spending growth, IDC projects overall growth this year in constant currency of 4.4% to $3.25 trillion. This is slightly down from 4.5% in the previous month's forecast and represents a swing from a 6.0% growth forecast in October 2022.

"Since the fourth quarter of last year, we have seen clear and measurable signs of a moderate pullback in some areas of IT spending," said Stephen Minton, vice president in IDC's Data & Analytics research group. "Tech spending remains resilient compared to historical economic downturns and other types of business spending, but rising interest rates are now impacting capital spending."

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(PR) Thrustmaster Unveils Ultra-Premium Ferrari SF1000 Direct Drive Wheel Bundle, Launching This Summer
Thrustmaster is thrilled to unveil a brand-new bundle, featuring a racing wheel base and wheel rim proudly sporting the Scuderia Ferrari colors: T818 Ferrari SF1000 Simulator. Ferrari took the opportunity to announce the new flagship product in Thrustmaster's racing lineup at the launch of the Ferrari Esports Series 2023 season. Composed of the very latest direct-drive racing wheel base - T818 - alongside the iconic Formula Wheel Add-On Ferrari SF1000 Edition wheel rim and a versatile mounting system for desks, tables or cockpits, this dream-team bundle delivers breathtaking esports-caliber performance.

T818, with its new Rosso Corsa metal plates and elegant Scuderia Ferrari logo, provides 10 N⋅m of constant torque for smooth, powerful and turbocharged Force Feedback thanks to direct-drive technology. The extensive configuration options let the most experienced drivers race with truly unfiltered power - allowing them to feel all effects being transmitted by the game as they were meant to be experienced, for absolute control of their vehicle.

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(PR) Trepang2 Set for June 21 Launch, Hailed as Spiritual Successor to F.E.A.R.
Subject 106 breaks free from his chains to unleash mayhem - June 21st on Steam! It's time to break the cycle. Trepang2 features high-octane, first-person gun-fu gunplay and puts players in the shoes of a newly enhanced super soldier on a mission of death, destruction, and revenge.

Broken out from a government black site by unknown allies and removed of their memories, they'll be hunted by their captives and an even more otherworldly foe, and will have to arm themselves with an arsenal of devastating weapons and learn how to handle their newfound superhuman abilities to survive the onslaught, all the while unravelling a deadly conspiracy.

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MSI RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio and Ventus 3X Series Leak Ahead of Launch
MSI has been rumored to have at least eight different models of the upcoming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, and two of them, the RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio and RTX 4070 Ventus 3X, have now leaked online, ahead of the launch scheduled for next week. What makes it interesting is that this will be the first RTX 40 series graphics card that will be able to come without the 16-pin 12VHPWR connector.

MSI's Gaming X Trio, as the more premium edition, will be a 2.5-slot design with triple-fan cooler, have more RGB effects, and will feature the 16-pin 12VHPWR connector. The MSI RTX 4070 Ventus 3X as a more budget-oriented SKU, will have a triple-fan cooling system but only takes two slots, and it needs a single 8-pin PCIe power connector. While both are factory-overclocked models, it is obvious that the MSI RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio will have a higher overclocking potential.

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(PR) Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin Out Now on Steam, Square Enix Cuts Price at Launch
Jack is back… and he's punching his way onto Steam! The action RPG is now available on the platform: here's everything you need to know about it. Many of you will be familiar with STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN's Jack Garland: expert swordsman, skilled white mage, destructive black mage, deadly dragoon, powerful pugilist… and that's not even half of it. We can now add one more achievement to his impressive resume: available on Steam! Yes, get ready for some chaotic FINAL FANTASY carnage! Read on and we'll tell you everything you need to know about the game and its Steam release.

What is STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN?
Some of you unfamiliar with the game may be wondering what this game is all about. Long story short, it's about action - brilliantly brutal, fast-paced action that tests your reactions and battle strategy in equal measure. Developed by KOEI TECMO GAMES (Nioh series), STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN is a dark and visceral action RPG that presents a bold take on the FINAL FANTASY series, while celebrating its amazing 35 year legacy! You play as Jack Garland, who along with his allies Ash, Jed, Neon and Sophia, sets off from the Kingdom of Cornelia to defeat Chaos. If you're a fan of the original FINAL FANTASY game, some of those names may be ringing a bell, but we'll let you discover what it all means.

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**NextPowerUP** · 12-04-23, 04:10

CD PROJEKT RED's Cyberpunk 2077 is already one of the most technologically advanced games available, using several ray tracing techniques to render its neon-illuminated environments and vast Night City visuals at incredible levels of detail. Now, a new Cyberpunk 2077 update has hit the streets, featuring the technology preview of the Ray Tracing: Overdrive Mode, which enhances the game's already-amazing visuals with full ray tracing, otherwise known as path tracing.

Full ray tracing accurately simulates light throughout an entire scene. It is used by visual effects artists to create film and TV graphics that are indistinguishable from reality, but until the arrival of GeForce RTX GPUs with RT Cores, and the AI-powered acceleration of NVIDIA DLSS, real-time video game full ray tracing was impossible because it's extremely GPU intensive. Previous techniques separately addressed ray-traced shadows, reflections and global illumination for a small number of light sources. Full ray tracing models the properties of light from a virtually unlimited number of emissive sources, delivering physically correct shadows, reflections and global illumination on all objects. The technology preview for Cyberpunk 2077's Ray Tracing: Overdrive Mode is a sneak peek into the future of full ray tracing, and we are working with CD PROJEKT RED on further full ray tracing enhancements, bug fixes, and performance optimizations.

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(PR) More Games Get NVIDIA DLSS Support This Week
Each week we're bringing you the latest news on games launching with NVIDIA DLSS and advanced ray tracing. Last week, Sackboy: A Big Adventure multiplied performance with DLSS 3; this week we're celebrating the launch of the technology preview of Cyberpunk 2077's Ray Tracing: Overdrive Mode. Additionally, High On Life and Like a Dragon: Ishin! have recently added DLSS 2 support, and there are even more games on the horizon with support for RTX technologies, so keep reading for all the details.

In 2018, we began a gaming revolution with the launch of 1st generation GeForce RTX graphics cards. Since the release of the very first games decades ago, lighting had been faked, and various hacks employed to approximate shadows, reflections, and other real-world properties. GeForce RTX made real-time ray tracing a reality, enabling developers to realistically render reflections and lighting, making their games more immersive and enjoyable. And with DLSS 1.0, we invented a game-changing way for players to accelerate frame rates. Back in 2018 there were 4 RTX games, 37% of GeForce RTX gamers enabled ray tracing, and 26% activated DLSS 1.0.

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(PR) Sabrent Introduces the USB Type-C CFast 2.0 Card Reader
Sabrent expands its card reader range to include the new USB Type C CFast 2.0 Card Reader (CR-CF20). The Sabrent USB Type-C CFast 2.0 Card Reader (CR-CF20) makes transferring data from your CFast 2.0 memory cards quick and simple. It's now easier than ever to capture, edit, and back up your HD photos and videos. Transfer your content over a 5 Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 1) connection via USB-C at up to 460MBps. BOT and UASP modes are supported for compatibility and performance, so you can plug into various devices without worry. It works with memory cards that are compatible with a series of cameras, including the Canon EOS C500, C300 Mark II, EOS C700, the still Canon EOS 1-D X Mark II and Hasselblad H6D-100C, and more.

The integrated 15 cm (6") USB Type-C (USB-C) cable makes it easy to connect to Windows, macOS, and other devices. The card reader is plug-and-play, bus-powered, and USB backward compatible, keeping things convenient and simple. An LED indicator illuminates when you're ready to go. This device is portable but rugged, constructed with high-quality aluminium, with a professional-looking finish. This material also helps remove heat from your memory cards so they stay fast and cool. Get maximum performance and protection with quality Sabrent hardware.

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(PR) Arm-based PCs to Nearly Double Market Share by 2027, Says Report
Personal computers (PCs) based on Arm architecture will grow in popularity and their market share will almost double from 14% now to 25% by 2027, according to Counterpoint Research's latest projections. The ability of Arm-based hardware to run Mac OS has allowed Apple to capture 90% of the Arm-based notebook computer market. However, the full support of Windows and Office365 and the speed of native Arm-based app adoption are also critical factors in determining the Arm SoC penetration rate in PCs. Once these factors are addressed, Arm-based PCs will become a viable option for both daily users and businesses.

As more existing PC OEMs/ODMs and smartphone manufacturers enter the market, they will bring their expertise in Arm-based hardware and software, which will further boost the popularity of Arm-based PCs. The availability of more native Arm-based apps will also increase user comfort and familiarity with the platform. Overall, the trend towards Arm-based PCs is expected to continue and their market share will likely increase significantly in the coming years.

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(PR) Xbox Design Lab Expands Elite Series 2 Controller Color Options
Who doesn't love more? Introducing the newest expansion to Xbox Elite Series 2 with Xbox Design Lab! There is an innate joy that comes with making something truly yours. Since fulfilling the top fan request last October by adding Xbox Elite Series 2 to Xbox Design Lab, we've been working hard to take things up a notch. We're thrilled to announce that a new range of colors are now available, giving you even more ways to make Xbox Elite Series 2 controllers your own.

You will now have the choice of 16 main colors for your top and back case, 12 colors for the ABXY buttons, 17 different accent colors for the paddles and D-pad, and 25 accent colors for the rest of the controller. With vibrant hues like Garnet Red, Glacier Blue, and Deep Pink, to a stealthier option like the new black-out ABXY buttons, there are literally billions of possibilities for personalizing our most advanced controller. Xbox Elite Series 2 with Xbox Design Lab includes customization options that are unique to the controller; options like adjusting the color of the thumbstick rings and base for a subtle pop of color, or metallic triggers and D-Pads that give the controller a premium feel.

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Alibaba Developing an Equivalent to ChatGPT
Last Tuesday, Alibaba announced its intentions to put out its own artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot product called Tongyi Qianwen - another rival to take on OpenAI's pioneering ChatGPT natural language processing tool. The Chinese technology giant is hoping to retrofit the new chatbot system into several arms of its business operations. Alibaba had revealed initial plans for chatbot integration earlier this year, and mentioned that it was providing an alternative to the already well established ChatGPT tool. Alibaba's workplace messaging application - DingTalk - is slated to receive the first AI-powered update in the near future, although the company did not provide a firm timeline for Tongyi Qianwen's release window.

The product name "Tongyi Qianwen" loosely translates to "seeking an answer by asking a thousand questions" - Alibaba did not provide an official English language translation at last week's press conference. Their chatbot is reported to function in both Mandarin and English language modes. Advanced AI voice recognition is set for usage in the Tmall Genie range of smart speakers (similar in function to the Amazon Echo). Alibaba expects to expand Tongyi Qianwen's reach into applications relating to e-commerce and mapping services.

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Half-Life: Alyx Mod Enables Full Campaign Experience Sans VR
Gaming communities have been engaged in discussions about Half-Life: Alyx being partly playable without a VR headset for the past month or two. The team behind the NoVR modification project has, as of late week, announced that the game's story experience - from start to finish - is totally VR free. This news should satisfy many excited fans who have been anticipating Half-Life: Alyx's campaign being displayed on the small/medium screen. Previous entries in the long running Half Life series have always been two-dimensional traditional monitor affairs.

The GB_2 Development Team cheerfully introduces its latest iteration of NoVR: "This is our biggest update yet and we have no plans on slowing down! With thousands playing Half-Life: Alyx NoVR we are happy to announce our largest update yet! As the titles state the entire game can now be played from start to finish, with the Gravity Gloves fully implemented along with combine fabricators providing weapon upgrades. Also since we are now updating the final parts of the game there may be spoilers! We will do our best to not spoil anything while ensuring we communicate these late game areas have been updated along with their gameplay mechanics."

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**NextPowerUP** · 12-04-23, 04:10

Intel has decided to re-organize its Max series of Data Center GPUs (codenamed Ponte Vecchio), as revealed to Tom's Hardware this week, with a particular model - the Data Center Max GPU 1350 set for removal from the lineup. Industry experts are puzzled by this decision, given that the 1350 has been officially "available" on the market since January 2023, following soon after the announcement of the entire Max range in November 2022. Intel has removed listings and entries for the Data Center GPU Max 1350 from its various web presences.

A (sort of) successor is in the works, Intel has lined up the Data Center Max GPU 1450 for release later in the year. This model will have a trimmed I/O bandwidth - this modification is likely targeting companies in China, where performance standards are capped at a certain level (via U.S. sanctions on GPU exports). An Intel spokesperson provided further details and reasons for rearranging the Max product range: "We launched the Intel Data Center Max GPU 1550 (600 W), which was initially targeted for liquid-cooled solutions only. We have since expanded our support by offering Intel Data Center Max GPU 1550 (600 W) to include air-cooled solutions."

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(PR) Syntech Launches 6-in-1 USB-C Docking Station for Steam Deck with 4K@60Hz Output
Syntech, an innovative manufacturer of quality and affordable electronic accessories and consumer technology products, has today announced the launch of its new 6-in-1 USB-C Docking Station for Steam Deck. Providing users with 6 different ports to meet most needs, and the ability to output to a 4K monitor or TV at 60Hz, it is a handy and ergonomically designed gadget to complement a Steam Deck gaming setup. The Syntech 6-in-1 Docking Station for Steam Deck is available for £39.99/$39.99 on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

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(PR) Razer Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed Gaming Mouse Available Now
Armed with 9 programmable controls, dual-mode wireless connectivity, and customizable Razer Chroma RGB. Featuring numerous easy-access buttons and an added multi-function trigger, enjoy an endless combination of commands and macros right at your fingertips. Enjoy reliable responsiveness with an advanced 18K optical sensor and gold-plated contact points for a longer lifespan. Experience the new Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed that has an iconic ergonomic form, suitable for multiple grip types and built with 9 programmable buttons. Enhance your gaming world with customizable RGB lighting and dual-mode connectivity.

ADVANCED CUSTOMIZABILITY. UNLEASHED - with the Razer Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed, there are no limits on how you choose to play. Armed with 9 programmable controls, dual-mode wireless connectivity, and customizable Razer Chroma RGB, it is made to answer to only one master-you.

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(PR) Nitro Concepts Rolls Out its Debut Special Edition Gaming Chair, Transformers Themed X1000
Nitro Concepts' first-ever line of Special Edition gaming chairs is here and they're more than meets the eye! Inspired by the heroic Autobots, villainous Decepticons, and the legendary Optimus Prime himself, these gaming chairs really have got the touch. Innovative Design with Intense Colors! The Nitro Concepts X1000 sets itself apart from its competitors through its vibrant colors and ergonomic design.

Featuring high quality PU leather ensures that whether the X1000 is used for work or play, the user will remain comfortable over hours of use. To make the X1000 even more comfortable, there are many options to adjust it to your preference. While the cold foam upholstery ensures the X1000 is comfortable even on hot summer days, the design features a fresh and angular shape, combining for a chair fit for any situation.

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(PR) Cougar Releases the Cratus High-End Case in the North American Market
COUGAR introduces the Cratus—a stunning, iconic mid-tower PC chassis where epic moments begin and legends are built. The Cratus's precision-tooled steel tube frame provides incredible strength and stability, challenging perceptions of a minimal bezel and exoskeleton. And with its four tempered glass panels (contoured for both aesthetic presentation and structural integrity), rig enthusiasts can turn the ample space within into a dioramic exhibit for their modding skills and creativity, or simply show off their build.

In an industry-first revolutionary innovation, COUGAR has applied the principles of heat convection to engineer optimal thermal performance: an angled interior layout directs a cyclical current of hot air rising and cool air falling to deliver maximum airflow. Plus, extensive support for a myriad of cooling solutions ensures that high-performance components are always protected from overheating.

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Cyberpunk 2077 Patch v1.62 With RT: Overdrive is Now Live
CD Projekt Red has now officially released the long-awaited patch for Cyberpunk 2077, bringing RT: Overdrive mode with Path Tracing technology preview, and other improvements. The new patch adds a Ray Tracing Overdrive and Path Tracing presets, which have to be manually enabled. Of course, the Ray Tracing: Overdrive Mode is only supported on the NVIDIA RTX 40 series graphics cards, and it will work on the RTX 3090 graphics card, although it is only limited to 1080p resolution.

The new patch also adds an option to enable Path Tracing for Photo Mode, and adds support for NVIDIA DLAA, which is NVIDIA's AI-based anti-aliasing mode meant to improve image quality. To not make it all about NVIDIA, CD Projekt Red also added support for Intel XeSS 1.1, and some minor benchmark improvements. Unfortunately, and surprisingly, the new patch does not bring any expected gameplay improvements, which will probably come at a later date in a separate patch.

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(PR) ViewSonic Introduces OMNI VX28 Series Monitors for the Casual Gamer
ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual solutions, introduces the ViewSonic OMNI VX28 series of monitors, designed to deliver deluxe features and functionality for the casual gamer. Packed with features for general gaming enthusiasts, the OMNI VX28 series of monitors are very budget friendly. Available in 24- and 27-inch sizes, the ViewSonic VX2428, VX2728J, and VX2728J-2K monitors offer great performance, from response time to refresh rates, for gaming fans.

The ViewSonic OMNI VX2428, VX2728J, and VX2728J-2K monitors feature an ultra-fast 0.5 ms response time (MPRT) for super smooth images that minimize motion blur and ghosting. A 165 Hz refresh rate ensures great visual fluidity while AMD FreeSync Premium provides a smooth experience and improved input. All three monitors come with flexible connectivity options including HDMI, DisplayPort 1.4, and audio-out.

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**NextPowerUP** · 12-04-23, 04:10

According to the latest leak, it appears that AMD will soon launch its Navi 31-based Pro W7900 workstation graphics card. Currently, AMD's workstation graphics card lineup is limited to RDNA 2-based Radeon Pro W6000 series, with Radeon Pro W6800 as the flagship. AMD also has the Radeon Pro W6900X, but this was limited to Apple's systems. Now, it appears that AMD is preparing to launch RDNA 3-based Radeon Pro W7000 series, as the Radeon Pro W7900 was spotted in PugetBench database.

The Radeon Pro W7900 managed to score 135.3 in GPU score, putting it in line with the Radeon Pro W6900X in the same benchmark, which scored around 138. Of course, bear in mind that one was running on Mac Pro, while other was running on Windows 11 OS, so we'll wait to see the official specifications and reviews to get some better idea regarding the actual performance.

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(PR) PowerColor Announces Hellhound Radeon RX 7900 XTX Spectral White
TUL Corporation, an innovative manufacturer of AMD graphics cards since 1997, has released the latest addition to its HELLHOUND series - the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX SPECTRAL WHITE graphics card. Designed with a stunning all-white color scheme, the HELLHOUND SPECTRAL WHITE is perfect for gamers looking to build an all-white themed PC.it's now also available in a beautiful all white color, perfect for users looking to build a truly all-white themed PC.

Built for battles in the snow, the HELLHOUND SPECTRAL WHITE boasts a white PCB, white backplate with Ice Blue and Glacier White LED color, white I/O plate, illuminated fans, and a stunning white shroud. Despite the new design, it retains the same DNA and performance as the original HELLHOUND series, ensuring no compromises on gaming experience.

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(PR) Endorfy Announces NAVIS F240 ARGB and NAVIS F360 ARGB AIO Liquid CPU Coolers
ENDORFY, the European manufacturer of CPU coolers, power supplies, PC cases and lifestyle products, has announced the release of its latest addition to the liquid cooling system line-up - the Navis F240 ARGB and NAVIS F360 ARGB. The new models combine features like the ultra-silent PWM-controlled ceramic-bearing block-pump and a high-quality radiator with new ARGB-illumination. The ARGB-backlight is embedded in the cooler-block and goes exceptionally well with the pre-installed and very silent Fluctus 120 PWM ARGB fans.

Designed to cater to the needs of the most demanding users, the NAVIS F240 ARGB and NAVIS F360 ARGB series offer exceptional cooling efficiency and an improved acoustic experience. ENDOFY achieves this by utilizing the the award-winning Fluctus 120 PWM fans, which are now equipped with impressive ARGB illumination and can be controlled using PWM-signal in the extended range of 250 to 1.800 RPM.

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MOONDROP Releases Blessing 3 IEMs and LittleWhite Bluetooth DSP Neckband
MOONDROP's Blessing2 (and Blessing2:Dusk) IEMs get credited for being a benchmark in the world of in-ear monitors at the $300 price point, having re-defined expectations and besting far more expensive products when it comes to technical and tuning performances. A successor has been hotly anticipated thus and now we have the all-new Blessing 3 coming in at the same $320 price point. It uses a 2 DD/4 BA hybrid driver configuration paired with a see-through resin shell that has greatly improved comfort owing to a smaller shell and nozzle—thus addressing the biggest issue with the Blessing2—and a polished stainless steel nozzle on top. The Blessing 3 uses MOONDROP's VDSF tuning to put forth a neutral/bright tuning that we'll examine in more detail in an upcoming review, but those who can't wait can purchase the product from retailers such as HiFiGo right now.

Releasing alongside is a Bluetooth neckband accessory called LittleWhite. It uses a Cirrus Logic CS4131 DAC and has digital signal processing support integrated with a first-party app to allow for specific MOONDROP wired IEMs to have EQ profiles generated so they all get tuned similarly to hit the desired target easier. This can help significantly as seen in our recent coverage of the MOONDROP Quarks DSP, and MOONDROP promises high quality Bluetooth audio with a long battery life (~12 hours). The LittleWhite supports Bluetooth 5.2 with codecs including aptX and LHDC courtesy the Qualcomm QCC5144 SoC, has integrated microphones for calls, and the app provides parametric EQ support for other IEMs you wish to use wirelessly too. It sells for $89.99 from retailers including HiFiGo for those interested.

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Intel "Raptor Lake Refresh" to Retain 13th Gen Core Branding
Intel is planning to update its desktop processor product-stack in the second half of 2023 with the Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" series. A VideoCardz report suggests that these chips could remain a part of the 13th Gen Core series, and Intel will not carve the 14th Gen Core out of them. This would be similar to how Intel dealt with delays in the commissioning of its 14 nm node by releasing the "Haswell Refresh" and "Devil's Canyon" processors within the 4th Gen Core family. Intel tried something different with "Coffee Lake Refresh," by branding it inside the 9th Gen Core series, instead of keeping it within the 8th Gen Core. This was done because Intel updated the CPU core-counts of its Core i7 SKUs, and introduced the new Core i9 brand extension for the mainstream-desktop segment.

If 4th Gen Core "Haswell Refresh" is anything to go by, Intel could use updated xx50 processor model numbers for "Raptor Lake Refresh" processors. An example of such a naming scheme would be the Core i9-13950K, which succeeds the i9-13900K (the i9-13900KS is a limited edition / limited-release SKU). At this point we don't know what exactly constitutes this Refresh, other than the high likelihood of clock-speed increases across the board. It's possible that Intel may innovate in the areas of die-thinning, die-binning, and process-level power improvements that open up room for these higher clock-speeds (which is what Intel did with 10th Gen "Comet Lake"). These processors could be built in the existing Socket LGA1700 package, and be compatible with existing Intel 600-series and 700-series chipset motherboards, requiring a UEFI firmware update.

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ASRock Radeon RX 7900 XTX Phantom Gaming Drops to $960, First for a Custom Design
In what could be a sign of the Radeon RX 7900 XTX dropping to sub-$1,000 price points ahead of the crucial Spring-Summer PC gaming season, the ASRock RX 7900 XTX Phantom Gaming became the first custom-design card based on the top AMD RDNA3 GPU to drop to a three-figure price of $960, which is well below the $999 baseline price AMD set for this SKU. Board partner co-branded AMD reference-design RX 7900 XTX cards in the market are currently selling below the MSRP, and the ASRock Phantom Gaming joins them as the first custom-design card around the $950-mark, with a $959 listing on American PC hardware retailer Newegg. The RX 7900 XTX is AMD's flagship graphics card, and performs competitively with the GeForce RTX 4080 in the majority of gaming graphics workloads made up of raster 3D, but falls behind on real-time ray tracing, where it performs closer to the previous-generation RTX 3090 Ti.

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**NextPowerUP** · 14-04-23, 04:12

AMD is not only doing marketing slides and pulling the VRAM card against NVIDIA ahead of the GeForce RTX 4070 launch, but it is also apparently doing some discounts on its Radeon RX 6000 series graphics cards, with the Radeon RX 6800 now selling for as low $469.99. As spotted by Tom's Hardware, both the Radeon RX 6800 XT and the Radeon RX 6800 has seen some discounts from various AIB partners earlier, ranging from $30 to $50, and are now selling at $110 below MSRP, making them a decent buy at $539 and $469. To make things even more interesting, these are pretty good custom versions, including the ASRock Radeon RX 6800 XT Phantom Gaming and the Gigabyte Radeon RX 6800 Gaming OC WindForce 3X graphics cards.

Yesterday, the AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT, which was the RDNA 2 flagship, was spotted discounted down to $609.99 by Kyle Bennet, and it was the Phantom Gaming Radeon RX 6950XT from ASRock. The deal is still available over at Newegg.com, and it is the lowest price for the Radeon RX 6950 XT, which is still a great card. The newly launched NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is still widely available and there are plenty of SKUs to choose from at the MSRP of $599.99.

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Nintendo of Russia Staffers Possibly Involved in Bootlegging of Official Products
Nintendo ceased selling products and wound down its operations in Russia last March, soon after the invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces. Other notable games software and hardware companies also announced their withdrawal at a similar time. Microsoft/Xbox, Sony/PlayStation, Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, CD Projekt, Sega, Ubisoft and Take-Two Interactive are among a group that discontinued the sale and distribution of games products in Russian territory markets. Lawmakers within Russia have taken a fairly lax stance on the import of consumer and industrial goods - it is legal to do so, even minus a rightsholder's approval. It seems that a couple of Nintendo of Russia employees have taken advantage of loose import regulations in the past few months.

According to a news piece published online by Kommersant (a Russian politics and business newspaper) a relatively new operation registered under the company name "Achivka LLC" is involved in the sale and distribution of Nintendo games in Russian territories. Nintendo Russia CEO Yasha Haddaji is reported to be the leader and majority owner of Achivka LLC, and former corporate events manager Ksenia Kachalova is listed as being a minority stakeholder in the company. The operation's premises appear to match the exact address for Nintendo of Russia. The firm is involved in the importing (from an unknown source) and selling of Nintendo games - the Kommersant article includes photographic evidence - a physical copy of Metroid Prime Remastered is demonstrated as bearing an Achivka stick-on label. The English translation of the company name is Achievement, which is an appropriate word association in the world of high score driven computer games.

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(PR) Seagate Introduces IronWolf Pro 22 TB HDD Offering Class-Leading Dependability and Performance
Today, at the NAB 2023 conference, Seagate Technology Holdings plc, a world leader in data storage infrastructure solutions, introduced the new Seagate IronWolf Pro 22 TB conventional magnetic recording (CMR)-based hard disk drive (HDD). The company's highest capacity CMR HDD, the new drives deliver market-leading capacity, dependability, and powerful performance for multi-user workloads and enterprise RAID solutions

Optimised with Seagate's AgileArray technology, the new Seagate IronWolf Pro 22 TB HDD provides exceptional network-attached-storage (NAS), direct-attached-storage (DAS) performance and RAID reliability in multi-bay and multi-user environments. With user workload rates of 550 TB/year, the IronWolf Pro 22 TB HDD enables commercial and enterprise NAS users to seamlessly store, share, and collaborate on large amounts of data over a network. It also offers an SDR of up to 285 MB/s so users can seamlessly share files, back up, and tackle heavy workloads in multi-user NAS environments. With built-in rotational vibration (RV) sensors to provide RV mitigation, the HDD consistently delivers high performance and reliability in multi-bay systems.

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Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 GPU Could be 50% More Powerful Than Current Gen Adreno 740
An online tipster, posting on the Chinese blog site Weibo, has let slip that Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile chipset is touted to pack some hefty graphical capabilities. The suggested Adreno "750" smartphone and tablet GPU is touted to offer a 50% increase over the present generation Adreno 740 - as featured on the recently released and cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. The current generation top-of-the-range Snapdragon is no slouch when it comes to graphics benchmarks, where it outperforms Apple's prime contender - the Bionic A16 SoC.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC is expected to launch in the last quarter of 2023, but details of the flagship devices that it will power are non-existent at the time of writing. The tipster suggests that Qualcomm has decided to remain on TSMC's 4 nm process for its next generation mobile chipset - perhaps an all too safe decision when you consider that Apple has upped the stakes with the approach of its Bionic A17 SoC. It has been reported that the Cupertino, California-based company has chosen to fabricate via TSMC's 3 nm process, although the Taiwanese foundry is said to be struggling with its N3 production line. The engineers at Qualcomm's San Diego headquarters are alleged to be experimenting with increased clock speeds running on the next gen Adreno GPU - as high as 1.0 GHz - in order to eke out as much performance as possible, in anticipation of besting the Bionic A17 in graphics benchmarks. The tipster theorizes that Qualcomm will still have a hard time matching Apple in terms of pure CPU throughput, so the consolidation prize will lie with a superior GPU getting rigged onto the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

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(PR) EA Originals Lets Loose Gameplay Footage in Immortals of Aveum Reveal Trailer
Summon your power, stop the Everwar, save the realms. Immortals of Aveum is a groundbreaking new single-player, first-person magic shooter, created by Ascendant Studios and released by EA Originals. Experience the story of Jak as he joins an elite order of battlemages to save a world on the edge of abyss. Made by the creators of Call of Duty and Dead Space, Immortals of Aveum is set in an original fantasy universe engulfed in magic, rife with conflict, and on the verge of oblivion. Ascendant Studios is an independent team of veteran developers with BAFTA and Game of the Year award-winning experience, and EA Originals will release the studio's debut title.

Immortals of Aveum is a new single-player shooter with magic-based combat, set in a world ravaged by war. Rich lore meets intense combat in this narrative-driven FPS game, crafted for players who wish to immerse themselves in a daring adventure. Players will take control of the protagonist, Jak (played by Darren Barnett), who unexpectedly manifests magical abilities and is reluctantly thrust into mankind's endless war for the control of magic. Under the tutelage of Grand Magnus Kirkan (Gina Torres), Jak joins the elite battlemages of the Order of the Immortals, and fights to end the Everwar—a world-spanning conflict between the nations of Lucium and Rasharn, each seeking to control access to the magic flowing across the land.

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(PR) Sega's Tower Defense Shooter Endless Dungeon Suffers Delay, Launch Date Pushed Into Autumn
Hello everyone, Antoine here, those who recognize me know that I used to work on Humankind during the last few years. I'm now working as a Producer on Endless Dungeon, which means I'm helping to coordinate the Endless Dungeon team to make sure we can deliver a high-quality experience for you. We have some news to share regarding the release date of ENDLESS Dungeon.

We have decided to delay the release of the game to the 19th of October of this year, this includes all the versions: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, and Xbox X/S. The Nintendo Switch version will have a release date announced later. After all the feedback we've received we believe that it's important to spend extra time working on the game. We hope that you understand that decisions like this are never easy to make.

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**NextPowerUP** · 14-04-23, 04:12

It appears as if there has been no rush when it comes to people buying NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4070 cards, at least not directly from NVIDIA's website, as the company lists no less than 19 different models in stock. It should be noted that NVIDIA links to third party websites, but most of the cards are available through at least one of the third parties. Out of those 19 cards, nine are sold at the MSRP of US$599.99, but the remaining 10 cards are sold above the MSRP, by varying amounts. What seems odd is that some companies have both dual and triple fan cards retailing for the MSRP, but with some dual fan OC cards going for more than MSRP from the same company.

The cards priced higher than the MSRP range from US$609.99 to US$699.99, making the more pricey cards seemingly bad value for money, as the highest clock speed listed is only a mere 115 MHz higher than NVIDIA's own RTX 4070 FE card. As seen in TPU's testing, none of the cards seem to have much of an overclocking headroom anyhow, so spending a $100 extra here doesn't seem to be worth it for the small gains in performance and could be easily gained by manually overclocking a cheaper card.

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(PR) GeForce NOW Brings Titles From Bandai Namco Europe to the Cloud
A new adventure with publisher Bandai Namco Europe kicks off this GFN Thursday. Some of its popular titles lead seven new games joining the cloud this week. Plus, gamers can play them on more devices than ever, with native 4K streaming for GeForce NOW available on select LG Smart TVs.

Bandai Namco is no stranger to delivering hit games. And GeForce NOW delivers high-performance cloud game streaming, making it the ultimate way to play the publisher's high-quality titles. "Our collaboration with NVIDIA will allow more players to enjoy Bandai Namco titles like "Little Nightmares" across their devices, thanks to the power of the GeForce NOW cloud," said Anthony Macare, senior director of digital business and customer experience at Bandai Namco Europe.

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(PR) Alphacool Expands Enterprise Solutions with Water Blocks for A100 80 GB PCIe, RTX A4000, and RTX 6000 Ada 48 GB SKUs
Alphacool expands the portfolio of the Enterprise Solutions series for GPU water coolers and presents the new ES NV A100 80 GB PCIe, ES RTX A4000 with backplate and ES RTX 6000 Ada 48 GB.

To best dissipate the enormous waste heat of this GPU generation, the cooler is positioned close to the components to be cooled in an exemplary manner. The fin structure has been adapted and allows a very good water flow while increasing the cooling surface. The modified jetplate with improved inflow engine ensures optimal distribution of water on the cooling fins. The fully chromed copper base is resistant to acids, scratches and damages. The matte carbon finish gives the cooler a noble appearance. At the same time, this makes it interesting for private users who want to do without aRGB lighting.

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(PR) Ultimea Launches the Apollo P40 Projector
Ultimea, a leading brand in the audio-visual industry, is proud to introduce its latest innovation, the Apollo P40 1080p Native Projector. The main value proposition of this projector is to bring the cinema experience to home. With its outstanding features, this projector promises to provide an unparalleled viewing experience for both home entertainment and professional presentations.

Bring the Cinema Home with Stunning Brightness Uniformity: 80% higher brightness uniformity brings more details on four edges even in the ambient light. Native 1920x1080 pixels, 4K support and hdr delivers clear and sharp pictures without serration. High transflective mirror, premium LCD panel, with fully sealed optics and 6-layer lens improve the brightness to 700 ANSI lumens. Enjoy the home cinema without the hassle of going to the theater.

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(PR) Razer Stream Controller X is Now Available
The Razer Stream Controller X is Razer's newest addition to their streaming ecosystem of products, designed to captivate audiences during gameplay or casual socializing. With 15 programmable LCD buttons in a compact form factor, streamers can effortlessly flash stream lights, blast customized sounds, or switch between applications with a simple click, elevating their streams to the next level.

The Stream Controller X is powered by Loupedeck Software, ensuring play-and-play compatibility across all major streaming platforms such as OBS Studio, Twitch, Streamlabs, Adobe Premier Pro, and more. With access to Loupedeck's UI, streamers can effortlessly install popular applications, plugins, and even emotes to further enhance their streaming experience. Streamers can also easily drag and drop preferred applications via the Loupedeck Marketplace, for endless customizability. Popular plugins include Spotify, Phillips Hue, Adobe Photoshop, and even Voicemod which can help streamline creative processes. Additionally, Loupedeck's full suite software also provides users with access to native profiles that are preset for convenience and inspiration. Each comprehensive set of profiles contains premade macros and functions that can be easily interchanged to suit the user's needs, further enhancing the Stream Controller X's customizability.

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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Gets Final Pre-Launch Trailer
Nintendo fans have been counting down to today's third trailer for the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom open world adventure blockbuster. The fan base tuned in this afternoon, with great anticipation and excitement, to the final pre-launch video preview. The game's producer - Eiji Aonuma - hinted that more was to come after last month's extensive gameplay demonstration, and Nintendo's marketing push has seemingly delivered on that promise.

The older trailers and press material have, some may say deliberately, kept major details to a minimum - Nintendo has become quite adept at controlling product hype levels in the Switch console's lifetime. Today's reveal smashed the doors wide open with major story beats, key allies plus foes, airborne shenanigans, a variety of combat scenarios, new environments and locations, as well as sharing a surprising dose of dialogue and interactions from Zelda herself. Team N has perhaps justified the increased asking price for Tears of the Kingdom - coming in at $10 more when compared to its predecessor - Breath of the Wild.

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(PR) Arcade1Up Launches the Infinity Game Board
Arcade1Up has once again leveled up game night with the release of the Infinity Game Board. Building off the success of the Infinity Game Table, an innovative digital table that connects family and friends through a vast library of popular games, Arcade1Up has gone one step further with the Infinity Game Board, creating a portable and easily accessible board game experience that everyone in the family can enjoy. The Infinity Game Board is available beginning today for $499.99 at Best Buy retail stores and BestBuy.com.

"The IGT was a breakaway product for us in that we saw the opportunity to simplify and reimagine the traditional game night into a more accessible format and experience," said Davin Sufer, CTO of Arcade1Up. "We are excited to launch the next generation in this innovative line, and the portable format will bring the real-world board game experience to even more fans."

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AMD's A620 Chipset More Capable Than Early Motherboards Suggest

(PR) Samsung Electronics and AMD Extend Strategic IP Licensing Agreeme

(PR) Remnant 2 Gets New Trailer Showing Off The World of Yaesha

(PR) In Win Launches Innovative and Foldable POC Mini-ITX Tower Chassi

Latest Steam Survey Puts NVIDIA RTX 3060 at the Top

(PR) ASUS Announces All-New Vivobook 15X/16X OLED and Vivobook 17X Pow

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Rome Expansion Arriving May 16

(PR) Ducky Announces New One 3 Aura Edition Keyboard

Samsung Profits Down 96%, Cutting Back on Memory Chip Production

(PR) NVIDIA Shares Cyberpunk 2077 RT: Overdrive Mode Performance Numbe

Intel Discontinues Brand New Max 1350 Data Center GPU, Successor Targe

AMD Radeon Pro W7900 Workstation Graphics Card Spotted

AMD Radeon RX 6800 Goes Down to $469.99 as RTX 4070 Hits the Market

No Shortage of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Cards at MSRP

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