TechPowerUP NEWS

[NextPowerUP]

Greetings Sleepers, we're less than two weeks away from launch of Dune: Awakening (and head start is even closer!). It's time to grab your Fremkit, put on your stillsuit, and start getting ready. The first thing you need to know is exactly when you can start playing. Dune: Awakening will first be available in head start on June 5th for those who have pre-ordered either the Deluxe or Ultimate Edition. Pre-ordering either edition, or the base edition, will also unlock the Terrarium of Muad'Dib pre-order reward.

Official launch is June 10th, at which point pre-orders (and the Terrarium of Muad'Dib reward) will no longer be available for purchase. The base, Deluxe, and Ultimate Editions will be available for regular purchase from that point onwards. The game will unlock for play on Steam at 16:00 CEST / 10am EDT, both on June 5th and June 10th. For other regions, we've included a map above with some select locations to help you figure out when it will be available in your area. Pre-load will be available to all pre-order owners 24 hours before head start on June 4th, but please be aware that pre-ordering the base edition does not grant head start access.
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[NextPowerUP]

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading brand of performance overclock memory and PC components, is pleased to announce that CENS from Germany has once again claimed the title of OC Champion and the grand cash prize of $10,000 USD in the OC World Cup 2025 extreme overclock competition held live at Computex 2025. After an intense series of extreme overclocking challenges, CENS emerged victorious, demonstrating unmatched overclocking knowledge and technical skill with liquid nitrogen cooling, using the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor and ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Apex motherboard. This is his second consecutive OC Champion title, after his victory last year at the OC World Cup 2024.

Exhilarating Competition with G.SKILL DDR5 24 GB Modules
This year at the live competition, the contestants are only allowed to use G.SKILL's high-performance 24 GB DDR5 module. It gave the contestants a new challenge to explore the 24 GB module's overclocking behavior and benchmarking potential. These 24 GB modules, built with SK hynix ICs, showcased exceptional headroom on Intel Z890 chipset platforms, allowing CENS to achieve up to DDR5-10266 CL32 2x24GB for benchmarking under LN2 cooling. At the same time, Seby, a rival overclocker contestant in the G.SKILL OC World Cup 2025, achieved DDR5-12666, which was the fastest memory frequency validation throughout the live competition.
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[NextPowerUP]

The rising profile of ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) has supposedly attracted international scrutiny as-of-late. Despite dealing in commercial memory product lines—currently DDR5, DDR4, LPDDR5 and LPDDR4X—the Chinese manufacturer could be stepping up its game in the near future. According to a fresh DigiTimes Asia news report, the nation's "top DRAM supplier" could be freeing up production capacity—in favor of enterprise-grade third-gen High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM3). Industry moles believe that a major sacrifice will be made; namely CXMT's DDR4 line. Despite an alleged early 2025 ramping up of related activities, the firm's factories could refocus on new endeavors by mid-2026. Additionally, insiders reckon that company leadership is shifting commercial priorities: "by year-end 2025, DDR5 is expected to make up more than 60% of CXMT's output, alongside LPDDR4/5."

The move into more advanced memory technologies is reportedly the result of government instruction. DigiTimes outlined a new strategy: "as CXMT scales up, it's also shifting rapidly to DDR5. The company only began mass-producing DDR4 in late 2024, yet it's already expected to issue an end-of-life (EOL) notice by the third quarter of 2025. The speed of this pivot and retooling has surprised many across the industry. Industry sources say the sudden shift is policy-driven, as Beijing pushes key chipmakers to accelerate alignment with national goals, especially around AI and cloud infrastructure." Murmurs of CXMT's forthcoming exit from DDR4 production have spread across local chip making businesses; causing a sudden doubling of Nanya-branded 8 Gb DDR4 chip prices in China. The manufacturer's early journey into DDR5 territories looked promising on paper—around January 2025—but the latest DigiTimes report disclosed inside track info regarding troubled quality and yield issues. In particular, initial samples have reportedly exhibited unstable performance when crossing a 60°C (140°F) threshold.

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[NextPowerUP]

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and Xiaomi Corporation are celebrating 15 years of collaboration and have executed a multi-year agreement. The relationship between Qualcomm Technologies and Xiaomi has been pivotal in driving innovation across the technology industry and the companies are committed to delivering industry-leading products and solutions across various device categories globally.

"Qualcomm Technologies has always been one of Xiaomi's most trusted and vital partners, supporting our journey from a startup to a global technology leader. We look forward to continuing the next 15 years of our collaboration and leveraging Qualcomm's cutting-edge Snapdragon platforms and technologies to deliver even more innovative and high-quality products to our customers worldwide," said Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi.
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[NextPowerUP]

ASRock revealed its Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi OC flagship card at CES 2025—at the time, TechPowerUp staffers quickly realized that this design was outfitted with a 12V-2x6 power connector. Up until early 2025, this connection standard was mostly associated with NVIDIA GeForce 40 and 50-series graphics cards. ASRock and Sapphire have taken the unusual step of deploying premium RDNA 4 GPU-based models that sport 12V-2x6 connectors; breaking away from a traditional usage of 8-pin power delivery channels. The Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi OC SKU arrived with a new aesthetic; consisting of various gunmetal gray shades, gear graphics, and ARGB lighting zones. Visitors to the company's Computex 2025 booth were dazzled by plethora of new products—most notably: brand-new Radeon RX 9060 XT models.

Unfortunately, TPU's photographer did not notice a very special current-gen Taichi spin-off. Apparently, the Taiwanese manufacturer has absorbed some inspiration from a nearby rival's "Spectral White" line: PowerColor. ASRock's "Taichi White 16 GB OC Concept Card" seems to stick with existing overclocked Radeon RX 9070 XT specifications (including a 3.1 GHz boost clock), but the firm's engineering team has integrated an LCD information window. This built-in-display was not powered up—for obvious reasons—but industry watchdogs reckon that (speculative) finalized retail examples will demand higher prices of entry, due to this extra provision. Company representatives—in attendance at last week's Computex event—have disclosed only a bare minimum of details. Top brass could be weighing up Taichi White's future; with an escape beyond concept phases—maybe in limited edition form.

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[NextPowerUP]

Lord Captains! We are proud to announce that our new Warhammer 40,000 game is on its way! Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy is already in development, and we urge you not to miss it. Prepare for a completely new story unfolding in the Calixis Sector. By the decree of the Holy Inquisition, you have been chosen for a perilous mission that will dictate the future of the Calixis Sector. Become an agent of the Holy Golden Throne and hunt down all those who would dare stray from the Emperor's light. Hold fast to your duty, eradicate the enemies of the Imperium and battle the horrors of the void in the long-anticipated Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy!

Explore the Warhammer 40,000 universe like you've never seen it before! Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy is an upcoming turn-based CRPG with a unique and thrilling narrative that follows the shadowy agents of the Inquisition. Take on the mantle of an Inquisitor, and use every tool at your disposal to root out corruption, sedition and heresy, bringing the Emperor's wrath to those who would see the Imperium fall. Hunt down clues, investigate mysteries, and uncover vile conspiracies.
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[NextPowerUP]

During a recent Gigabyte Nan-Ping factory tour, members of the media/press encountered trays of brand-new bare motherboards and graphics cards. HWCooling's Jan Olšan noticed the presence of a not-yet-launched RDNA 4 product. Fortunately, the manufacturer granted photo access (two examples are below). A full report outlined multiple products and production pipelines, but Olšan's scoop serves as a nice preview of things to come. We anticipate TechPowerUp's W1zzard de-shrouding of numerous custom Radeon RX 9060 XT designs, early on next month. Prior to the publication of comprehensive evaluations, HWCooling's article provided an early insight: "a wild Radeon RX 9060 XT appears…take note of the graphics card in the top-right corner of the first lot of PCBs—this is likely the first publicly shown PCB of the Radeon RX 9060 XT, which, technically speaking, may still be under NDA. So enjoy this privileged look at the exposed Navi 44 chip."

Olšan linked the factory specimen to a freshly revealed design: "the card will go on sale June 5, with reviews a day earlier. Its design matches AMD's official renderings, and its identity is further pointed at by the unusual three display connectors. This should be the PCB for the Gaming version of the card, or more specifically, the Gaming OC model with three fans. The cooler will significantly overhang the PCB, with a pass-through window under the last fan." Last week, the TechPowerUp team spent hands-on time with Gigabyte's premium Radeon RX 9060 XT Gaming OC SKU. Prior to Computex 2025, product registration information pointed to the Taiwanese manufacturer readying Gaming OC 16 GB and 8 GB variants. Curiously, the company's RDNA 4 custom card portfolio is represented by a lone ultra-premium AORUS ELITE flagship option and various triple-fan Gaming OC models.

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[NextPowerUP]

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt celebrates its 10th anniversary this month, and we at CD Projekt Red have commemorated the milestone by collaborating with the Xbox team to create a tempered and battle-ready controller for players looking to expand their witcher's toolkit. Embark on the path with the Xbox Wireless Controller - The Witcher 3 10th Anniversary Special Edition and Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 - Core The Witcher 3 10th Anniversary Special Edition. This is such a special moment for both our teams, and we wanted to share some insight into how Geralt's journey brought this design to life.

Our team has put great care into representing the style of The Witcher 3 and Geralt himself, headlined by the wolf medallion iconography at the center of the controller. The medallion acts as a constant for Geralt, one that allows him to adventure and warns him of lurking dangers, and we want players to connect with these controllers in the same way. We love how the design fits the layout of the controller, with the wolf's head coming below the Xbox button and between the other inputs with its glowing red eyes. It's very ominous and epic at the same time!
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[NextPowerUP]

The wait is over! Oddsparks: An Automation Adventure, the cozy-meets-complex blend of automation and real-time strategy, is out now on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, delivering its complete and most polished version yet. Developed by Massive Miniteam and published by HandyGames, Oddsparks invites players to explore strange fantasy worlds, tame the terrain, and build sprawling logistics systems using a delightful crew of Sparks, tiny, oddball helpers that carry, craft, clean, and even defend your base.

From towering trains to botanical production lines, from base defense battles to sandbox-style customization, Oddsparks 1.0 is automation unleashed.
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[NextPowerUP]

In the run-up to Computex 2025, Intel sent out mixed messages about the future of Arc Xe2 "Battlemage" desktop graphics cards. A combination of first-party teasers and "official leaks" (courtesy of AIBs) indicated an (eventual) introduction of professional B-series products. PC hardware enthusiasts were looking forward to a possible unveiling of higher-end gaming cards; the rumor mill has floated a "B770" option in recent times. Industry observers detected further encouraging pre-release signs; a "B750" identifier was discovered on Intel Japan's website—likely existing as placeholder material. Team Blue's social media account drummed up additional hype, prior to the commencement of last week's key trade event.

The TechPowerUp crew and other media outlets did not stumble upon any Intel Arc Xe2 B750 or B770 specimens at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. According to a mid-visit Tweakers.net article, several unnamed figures (likely board partner company representatives) divulged inside track knowledge during Computex 2025. The online publication outlined a smattering of details: "sources close to Intel confirm the existence of the Arc B770 video card. According to them, the introduction is planned for the second half of this year. The card is expected to appear in the fourth quarter, although the planning can of course still change. Intel is working on an Arc B770 video card based on the 'Battlemage' architecture. Tweakers was able to confirm this with multiple sources during Computex. So far, Intel has only released lower-positioned B570 and B580 video cards with this architecture." Now defunct product roadmaps had the "Battlemage" series wrapped up by 2024, but delays and other factors have allegedly caused major timeline slippages. An industry expert claimed that a larger "BMG-G31" GPU development project was closed down at some point late last year, but fresher production activities have generated renewed beliefs that the "Battlemage" gaming line will expand beyond "cheaper" tiers.

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[NextPowerUP]

Leading gaming accessories maker Turtle Beach Corporation (Nasdaq: TBCH) today announced the brand's new officially licensed by Nintendo and Designed for Xbox gaming headsets and controllers are now available globally. For gamers on the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, and Nintendo Switch - OLED Model systems, these new accessories include the Turtle Beach Recon 70 and Turtle Beach Airlite Fit wired gaming headsets, as well as the Turtle Beach Rematch Invincible Mario and Turtle Beach Rematch Super Mario Star wireless controllers. For gamers on Xbox and Windows PC, there are two new Designed for Xbox wired controller options, including the Turtle Beach Afterglow Wave RGB controller and Turtle Beach Rematch Core controller—each available in five different colorways.

"Our latest Designed for Xbox and officially licensed by Nintendo gaming accessories reinforces Turtle Beach's ongoing leadership in gaming headsets and controllers," said Cris Keirn, CEO, Turtle Beach Corporation. "These exciting new products deliver top features and strengthen our best-selling lineups with new entry-level and mid-range options at attractive price points." All new gaming headsets and controller model—16 in total - are globally available directly from www.turtlebeach.com and at participating retailers. Expanded details for each of Turtle Beach's new gaming headsets and controllers are below:
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[NextPowerUP]

We're close to the finish line on Framework Desktop development. We're now at the end of the DVT2 phase where we complete validation and finalize firmware and drivers. With that, we're continuing our deep dive series, this time digging into the semi-custom 400 W Power Supply we integrated into the product. This may sound mundane, but it's one of the more complex parts of the product. To align to our product philosophy, we used a standard FlexATX form factor. That means both that you can bring your own compatible power supply or re-use the one we designed in the future with any other ATX-compatible system. If you're bringing your own, make sure to pick one that can handle at least 32.5 A on the 12 V rail.

Although the "peak" power demand of the AMD Ryzen AI Max processor is 140 W, it can actually pull hundreds of watts in millisecond-level bursts. Because there is no battery in the Framework Desktop to absorb this, we sized up the Power Supply to handle it and maximize performance. We worked with FSP, one of the biggest power supply makers in Taiwan and the manufacturer behind many other brands, to build a compact, high-efficiency, quiet design. We actually started with one of their higher wattage off the shelf power supplies, down-rated it to 400 W to focus on efficiency while allowing higher peak load, and customized it from there. We modified a few areas to optimize it for the core Framework Desktop use cases.
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[NextPowerUP]

The majority of PowerColor coverage—emerging from Computex 2025—focused on custom Radeon RX 9060 XT graphics cards. The usual staple of Reaper and Hellhound options were showcased in Taiwan, but a brand-new family made an appearance. As highlighted by Shroud/syurarara (a YouTuber), a whole corner of the brand's booth was dedicated to a lone demonstration unit. Not much context was provided, beyond a logo and an accompanying mascot/icon/protagonist. Shroud shared a couple of tidbits: "apparently a new PowerColor model will be released in the future! It's a mix of white and gray. The name of the new graphics card hasn't been decided yet, but the female character's name is apparently REVA."

Given the lack of specifications and little explanation (provided by company representatives), PowerColor could jump-start a full-blown marketing campaign in the near future. Their brand-new REVA graphics card series seems to be semi-related to the familiar Hellhound IP; observers noticed the presence of two Hellhound emblem-branded cooling fans on the Computex sample/prototype. Despite having an almost direct line to a source at (or adjacent to) PowerColor, VideoCardz did not get an inside scoop on REVA. Their news report opined that the white/gray card could leverage Radeon RX 9070 XT (or non-XT) hardware, and be lined up for a possible global release.

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[NextPowerUP]

We're excited to announce that DRAGON QUEST HD-2D Remake launches October 30, 2025, for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store on Windows. Read on to learn a little more about the game and how to get it.
What is DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake?

DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake reimagines the first two DRAGON QUEST games with the beautiful HD-2D visual style featured in titles like OCTOPATH TRAVELER series, TRIANGLE STRATEGY, LIVE A LIVE and, of course, DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake.
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[NextPowerUP]

WRC Promoter has confirmed that the publishing of games based on the FIA World Rally Championship will return to French publisher NACON. The agreement covers the development and publishing of the official WRC games and eSports competitions, granting NACON exclusive rights for PC and consoles for six seasons, from 2027 through 2032.

As part of this strategic partnership, NACON will begin development of an all-new WRC game series, aiming to deliver an immersive experience that faithfully reflects the reality of the championship and meets the expectations of both rally enthusiasts and new players. The games will feature the official rallies, vehicles, teams, drivers, and sponsors among the many anticipated content elements. This project represents a complete reboot of the franchise, based on an entirely fresh vision, and marks an ambitious new chapter in the brand's development.
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