TechPowerUP NEWS

[NextPowerUP]

Commemorate The Last of Us franchise with a brand-new controller; here's a first look at the DualSense wireless controller—The Last of Us Limited Edition. Created in close collaboration with the creative team at Naughty Dog, this striking design features glossy trophy icons printed across the surface that call back to key moments, characters, and events from The Last of Us Part I and The Last of Us Part II.

To share more about the controller's design and inspiration, here's Head of Studio and Head of Creative Neil Druckmann and Graphic Designer Megan Mehran from Naughty Dog: "We were excited by the chance to memorialize The Last of Us franchise in a controller that fans and our own team would love. We wanted to ensure that both installments of The Last of Us are represented, via trophy icons printed in black gloss across the controller body. Among the trophies, three particular images will immediately stand out for TLOU fans: The firefly, moth, and wolf. Players will recognize the Fireflies' iconic spray-painted logo that originated in Part I, while the moth and wolf represent the intertwining lives and duality between Ellie and Abby in Part II."
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[NextPowerUP]

Frequenters of the MindFactory.de webshop have highlighted worrying signs of decline. A telling example was posted to the (German language) PCBaumeister subreddit; where a member queried: "what's going on at MindFactory? Only 12 Intel CPUs, 36 graphics cards (all brands), 30 monitors left on offer. Are they going bankrupt or are they emptying their inventory?" Similar alerts landed across PC hardware discussion boards—regional press outlets started to pay attention once a decent number of observations were tallied. Even VideoCardz started to receive tip-offs from its German readership, regarding MindFactory's very limited selection of previous-gen NVIDIA graphics cards (see screenshot below). According to the latest news articles, higher-end GeForce 40-series models are not listed. Additionally, there is a distinct lack of GeForce 50-series products on the webstore. VideoCardz found plenty of entries for AMD Radeon graphics cards, but nothing newer or more advanced than the RX 7800 XT.

Curious customers have contacted the webshop's service team, regarding low inventory and lack of product variety. A typical response reads as follows: "we (Mindfactory.de) are currently restructuring our store, which is why we have so few items in stock at the moment. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us." Following on from community tips, local media outlets have shared their own investigations—currently, several online sites propose that MindFactory is facing bankruptcy. WinFuture.de's article sports a prominent "Insolvenz—Freie Marktwirtschaft" graphic—translation: "insolvency—free-market capitalism." Igor Wallossek—of Igor's Lab fame—took issue with some of the sensationalistic headlines. He weighed in on this matter: "apparently, bankruptcy is to be filed for next week. I cannot speak about the background, it is extremely sensitive. I have known about it since Friday (February 28)." A dedicated news piece did not appear on igorslab.de, due to the following of an ethical code of conduct.
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[NextPowerUP]

Much has been said about how the upcoming Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 feels like a modern twist on the classic JRPG formula, with its flashy, turn-based combat, a massive overworld map to run around in, and customizable weapon sets. You don't have to look hard to see influences from the likes of Persona, Final Fantasy, and other titans of the genre. Mixed with its engaging race-against-the-clock narrative and compelling Belle Époque-inspired art direction, Sandfall Interactive's first game has all the ingredients needed for a sleeper hit when it launches April 24, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC as an Xbox Play Anywhere title, and day one with Game Pass.

Recently, I had a chance to experience Expedition 33 for myself with an extended hands-on demo that guided me through the game's opening hours, learning more about its characters, getting a handle on its engaging turn-based combat, and exploring its dark, fantastical world. It's a world that I've been eager to run around in since it was first revealed during Xbox Games Showcase 2024. In a world much like our own, the mysterious Paintress, who looks like a towering Greek god, awakens once each year and paints a number upon a giant monolith—upon which everyone of that age turns to smoke and fades away. As the game begins, she has painted the number 33, and a small team of adventurers sets out to accomplish what other expeditions have not—destroy the Paintress before even more souls are lost to dust.
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[NextPowerUP]

On Monday (March 3), Qualcomm introduced its Dragonwing FWA Gen 4 Elite model—advertised as the world's first 5G Advanced-capable FWA platform. Inevitably, the company's brand-new Snapdragon X85 5G modem will be compared to a rival design—Apple's proprietary C1 chip launched last month; as featured in the A18 SoC-powered iPhone 16e series. The two companies were closely intertwined for a number of years; with a longer than anticipated co-development of 5G solutions for multiple iPhone product generations. Cristiano Amon—the CEO of Qualcomm—believes that his team's X85 5G design will end up as the victor, when pitched against Apple's C1. In a CNBC-conducted interview, he boasted: "it's the first modem that has so much AI, it actually increases the range of performance of the modem—so the modem can deal with weaker signals. What that will do will set a huge delta between the performance of premium Android devices, and iOS devices, when you compare what Qualcomm can do versus what Apple is doing."

Smartphone industry watchdogs reckon that Apple's C1 model will leverage superior power efficiency; courtesy of the contained modem and receiver being based on TSMC 4 nm and 7 nm processes (respectively). Qualcomm has not revealed the fundamental aspects of its new Snapdragon X85, so it is difficult to project its power consumption habits. Official press material concentrates on two big selling points: downlink speeds up to 12.5 Gbps, and 40 TOPS of NPU processing power. Insiders have posited that the in-house designed C1 modem will make its way into next-gen iPads and Apple wearables—additionally, the development of a successor is rumored. Despite doing less business with Apple, Amon thinks that the future is peachy: "if modem is relevant there's always a place for Qualcomm technology. In the age of AI, modems are going to be more important than they have ever been. And I think that's going to drive consumer preference about do they want the best possible modem in the computer that's in their hand all the time." Qualcomm's chief expects that the supply of Snapdragon 5G Modem‑RF Systems—to Apple—will end in 2027.

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[NextPowerUP]

AOOSTAR announced that the WTR MAX NAS will soon hit the market, after almost a year of development. The WTR MAX is equipped with the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8845HS processor, which outperforms consumer grade 8845HS series, a good choice from AOOSTAR. Another interesting feature is the ECC (Error Correcting Code) memory support. However, there's another feature that stands out as well. Users can install no less than 11 drives in the WTR MAX NAS: five SSDs (three PCIe 4.0 X2.0 and two PCIe 4.0 X1.0) and six HDDs, making it ideal for those needing large storage capacity. AOOSTAR included Oculink and USB4 ports too, so you can plug in an external GPU or more storage options.

Specifications are complemented by two 10G Ethernet ports and two 2.5G Ethernet ports. On the front, you'll find USB4, Type-C, and SD card slots. The NAS comes with its own screen to keep an eye on the system in real time. You can check things like how hot the CPU is, how the memory's doing, and how well the drives are working. Also, you can pick from different themes for the display - default, cartoon style, and cyberpunk (they're planning to add more themes and options in the future). AOOSTAR is going to start selling the WTR MAX NAS at the end of March for just $699.

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[NextPowerUP]

The perfect cup—for that special typing satisfaction that starts at your keycaps; there's only one coffee-turned-keeb to satisfy your cravings. Say hello to Signature Series Cappuccino: your new favorite order. Coffee, chill and customize—topped with our magnetic Latte Decorative Case, this typing concoction is formulated around our CSTM80 Keyboard model - which makes it easy to personalize virtually any ingredient.

Completing the coffee look, our rich DCX Latte Keycap Set adds extra warm notes to the presentation—with a substantial body that offers a subtly sculpted experience. In the finest enthusiast blend; a true typing pick-me-up, this Cappuccino is infused with plenty of enthusiast components—including Gateron Yellow KS-3 Switches, interchangeable polycarbonate weights and switch plates, and a full array of typing foam.
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[NextPowerUP]

The day that we have been working towards for one year, and around 5 years overall for the studio (Dart Games). Our game—Do No Harm—is out! We are excited to show it to you. Hope you like it. We are also excited to announce a bundle with Death & Taxes.

Do No Harm is a doctor simulator with a Lovecraftian twist. You take on the role of a village doctor, diagnosing and treating patients using ancient and often cryptic medical procedures. If you're a fan of profession-related simulators or games that test your decision-making under pressure, Do No Harm is a unique blend of strategy and horror that will keep you guessing until the very end.
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[NextPowerUP]

Last week, Acer registered a glut of new graphics card SKUs—an extensive EEC filing revealed several unannounced Nitro and Predator BiFrost Radeon RX 9060 XT models. The AMD board partner seems to be preparing two memory configurations for its lower-end RDNA 4 custom cards: 16 GB and 8 GB (GDDR6). VideoCardz reached out to AIB industry moles, in order to establish whether the aforementioned specification points were concrete. A past weekend report "reconfirms" incoming 16 GB and 8 GB variants. Going back to RDNA 3, Team Red released its Radeon RX 7600 XT GPU in 16 GB form, while the cheaper Radeon RX 7600 made do with a VRAM pool of 8 GB. An unnamed board partner's list of launch day offerings reportedly contains basic technical specs (see screenshot below).

Leaked Radeon RX 9060 XT details show 16 GB GDDR6 and 8 GB GDDR6 variants, with 128-bit memory interfaces. VideoCardz believes that 20 Gbps memory chips will be utilized, as featured on recently launched Radeon RX 9070 series cards. The leaked product list indicates that required juice will be delivered through a lone 8-pin power connector; a minimum PSU requirement suggestion is 500 W, although this could jump up to 550 W for factory overlocked SKUs. A speculative "Navi 48 LE" GPU variant is present within TechPowerUp's GPU database entry for the Radeon RX 9060 XT. VideoCardz reckons that a "Navi 44" GPU would be more appropriate for this class; perhaps derived from a mobile part. The leak suggests the presence of a single HDMI 2.1 port, as well as two DP 2.1 ports—a smaller GPU would have trouble driving more than that. During an official RDNA 4 launch event—held in Beijing, late last month—a Team Red representative announced a loose Q2 2025 launch window for Radeon RX 9060 XT graphics cards.

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[NextPowerUP]

MiTAC Computing Technology Corp., a subsidiary of MiTAC Holdings Corp. and a global leader in server design and manufacturing, will showcase its latest AI and HPC innovations at Supercomputing Asia 2025, taking place from March 11 at Booth #B10. The event highlights MiTAC's commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology with the introduction of the G4520G6 AI server and the TN85-B8261 HPC server—both engineered to meet the growing demands of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and high-performance computing (HPC) applications.

G4520G6 AI Server: Performance, Scalability, and Efficiency Redefined
The G4520G6AI server redefines computing performance with an advanced architecture tailored for intensive workloads. Key features include:

• Exceptional Compute Power- Supports dual Intel Xeon 6 Processors with TDP up to 350 W, delivering high-performance multicore processing for AI-driven applications.
• Enhanced Memory Performance- Equipped with 32 DDR5 DIMM slots (16 per CPU) and 8 memory channels, supporting up to 8,192 GB DDR5 RDIMM/3DS RDIMM at 6400 MT/s for superior memory bandwidth.

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[NextPowerUP]

TrendForce's latest research reveals that the global foundry industry exhibited a polarized trend in 4Q24. Advanced process nodes benefited from strong demand in AI servers, flagship smartphone application processors (APs), and new PC platforms, driving high-value wafer shipments. This growth helped offset the slowdown in mature process demand, allowing the top 10 foundries to achieve nearly 10% QoQ revenue growth, reaching US$38.48 billion, and marking another industry record.

TrendForce notes that new U.S. trade tariffs under the Trump administration have started affecting the foundry industry. A surge in recent orders for TVs, PCs, and notebooks bound for the U.S. in 4Q24 is expected to extend into 1Q25. Additionally, China's consumer subsidy program—introduced in late 2024—has spurred early inventory restocking among upstream customers. Combined with persistent demand for TSMC's AI-related chips and advanced packaging, these factors suggest that despite Q1 being a seasonally weak quarter, foundry revenue will only decline slightly.
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[NextPowerUP]

Assassin's Creed Shadows is coming to Steam on March 20, inviting players to experience feudal Japan as the shinobi Naoe or the samurai Yasuke, each of whom have their own unique set of weapons, abilities, and gameplay strengths. The Assassin's Creed team released a 20-minute gameplay video showing Naoe and Yasuke executing the same mission, with each character showing off their particular strengths in both stealth and combat.

In the video, Yasuke and Naoe are on a mission to assassinate Takahashi Shiro, a member of the Twisted Tree family currently holed up in the Nijo Palace. Naoe kicks things off in the shadows by taking on the mission at night, showing off her skills with the Hidden Blade to take out a Samurai Daisho, an elite enemy, and using her grappling hook to stay out of sight. To keep her stealthy approach hidden, she shows off the ability to extinguish lanterns and assassinate enemies through shoji doors, but when it's time to fight, you'll see she can hold her own with the legendary kusarigama, a long-range melee weapon.
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[NextPowerUP]

ASUS today announced a VU Air Ionizer series of monitors designed to enhance users' well-being with a host of innovative features. The 23.8-inch VU249HFI-W and the 27-inch VU279HFI-W models feature FHD IPS panels with 178° viewing angles, 100 Hz refresh rates, and 1 ms Moving Picture Response Time (MPRT). Meanwhile, the top-of-the-range VU34WCIP-W boasts a 34-inch 1500R curved panel featuring USB Type-C connectivity, a 100 Hz refresh rate, and 1 ms MPRT. Each model has a built-in air ionizer that's able to remove up to 90% of airborne dust within three hours for improved air quality. The monitors also feature TÜV Rheinland-certified Low Blue Light and Flicker-Free technologies to reduce eye strain. In addition, eco-friendly packaging can be repurposed into multiple organizers and a phone stand.

Fresh, clean air
Powered by nano-ion technology, the air ionizer in each of these monitors is positioned to purify the air directly in front of the user, effectively removing pollen, allergen, and other pollutants, and reducing 90%i of airborne dust in just three hours. The ionizer has an effective coverage area of 1 m³, purifying air throughout a workspace for comfortable productivity. With no filters required, ASUS VU Air Ionizer series monitors seamlessly combine air purification and cutting-edge display technologies in one streamlined design.
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[NextPowerUP]

Synaptics Incorporated has extended its award-winning Synaptics Astra AI-Native platform with the SR-Series high-performance adaptive microcontroller units (MCUs) for scalable context-aware Edge AI. The series features three tiers of operation: performance (100 GOPS), efficiency, and ultra-low-power (ULP) always-on (AON) to deliver intelligence at every power level. Based on an Arm Cortex-M55 core and the Arm Ethos-U55 neural processing unit (NPU), the SR-Series is supported by the Astra Machina Micro development kit and open-source SDK. It is optimized for multimodal consumer, enterprise, and industrial Internet of Things (IoT) workloads with accelerators and adaptive vision, audio, and voice algorithms. The small-form-factor MCUs have a rich set of peripherals—including multiple camera interfaces—to help minimize system cost, power, and footprint while enabling integration into a wide range of devices, such as battery-operated security cameras, sensors, appliances, point-of-sale, digital signage, and scanners.

Announced at EW2024 with the SL-Series MPUs, the Synaptics Astra AI-Native compute platform for the IoT combines scalable, low-power compute silicon for the device Edge with open-source, easy-to-use software and tools and Veros wireless connectivity. The platform was built upon Synaptics' foundation in neural networks, field-hardened AI hardware and compiler design expertise for the IoT, and refined, in-house support of a broad base of modalities.
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[NextPowerUP]

Realtek Semiconductor will participate in the globally acclaimed top technology event—the Embedded World 2025 in Nuremberg, Germany, from March 11 to 13. Highlighted exhibits will include networking multimedia applications, Ethernet solutions for various transmission media, industrial Ethernet switch application solutions, as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi/IoT solutions. These exhibits will demonstrate Realtek's innovation in multimedia and communication networks, combined with AI-powered smart applications, providing customers with stable, reliable, and high-performance solutions.

Networked Multimedia Application
Realtek provides end customers with a highly secure, sustainably upgradeable, open-source, and shared Linux platform. Designed to meet the needs of SoCs, it leverages an advanced 12 nm process, a high-performance CPU/GPU, and Edge AI computing with NPU to fully support 4K video decoding and all HDMI 2.1 functions. It also enables audio and video transmission via DisplayPort. Additionally, the platform features high integration with multiple interfaces, including USB, PCIe, GPIO, UART, and SDIO. For system integration, Realtek incorporates its NICs (1G/2.5G/10 Gbps) and Wi-Fi/BT chips. SoCs are able to seamlessly connect to panels of various sizes via built-in MIPI or eDP, ensuring compatibility with networked multimedia applications.
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[NextPowerUP]

Taiwanese ODM Compal Electronics has secured an iF Design Award 2025 for its innovative "Infinite Laptop" concept. It features a horizontally expanding display that transforms from a standard 14-inch screen to an ultrawide 18-inch workspace. Unlike recent expandable display prototypes from Lenovo that unfold vertically, Compal's approach addresses productivity needs through horizontal expansion, potentially offering significant advantages for multi-tasking professionals and content creators. The design appears to leverage cutting-edge rollable OLED technology, with the display extending from both left and right sides of the base unit while maintaining the central viewing area above the keyboard. Award documentation suggests the concept prioritizes a balance between portability and productivity. Additional features may include LED notification indicators integrated into the laptop lid, though specific implementation details remain limited.

As an Original Design Manufacturer, Compal typically creates hardware for other brands rather than marketing products under its own name. The company has a track record of award-winning concept designs that don't always reach commercial production. This raises questions about whether the Infinite Laptop will transition from concept to consumer product. The expandable display trend represents a new frontier in laptop design, offering an alternative to traditional compromises in portable computing. While external monitors solutions have provided workarounds for screen real estate, integrated expandable displays could eliminate the need for additional peripherals while maintaining portability. Lenovo has already developed a few interesting laptop concepts, such as the ThinkBook Flip AI PC concept, which introduces an outward folding OLED display and a solar-powered laptop. To see innovation in the laptop space is very heartwarming, even if it is only a concept/prototype for now.

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