tomshardware
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December 30
- EDATec Passive Coolers for Raspberry Pi 5 and 4 Review: Keeping Cool➀ EDATec's passive coolers for Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 offer remarkable performance at an affordable price; ➁ The design allows for good cooling while maintaining access to most ports, but can be awkward for some connections; ➂ Wi-Fi performance remains largely unaffected, and the coolers are ideal for non-overclocked use.
December 29
- Seasonic Focus GX ATX 3 1000W Gold PSU Review➀ The Seasonic Focus GX ATX 3 excels in build quality and offers balanced performance; ➁ It is priced at $189.90 on Amazon and features high-end components and reliable power delivery; ➂ The PSU is well-suited for demanding systems but has a high retail price.
- Intel's low-power Twin Lake NX50 series specs leak — All efficient core design based on Alder Lake silicon comes back for another lap➀ Intel's Twin Lake NX50 series specs leak; ➁ Based on Alder Lake silicon with minor clock speed improvements; ➂ New Core 200 lineup rumored to be in the works
- Fractal Refine Review: Comfortably refined➀ The Fractal Refine is a comfortable mix of gaming and task chair styles, with a sturdy build and adjustable features; ➁ The chair requires assembly and has a notable weight, but its unique aesthetic and premium features make it worth the effort; ➂ While the chair is priced lower than similar models, its size and weight may not be suitable for everyone.
December 28
- iStorage launches most advanced encrypted USB sticks available — 'world's first FIPS 140-3 Level 3' validated flash drives, pricing starts at $96 for 32GB➀ iStorage introduces the world's first FIPS 140-3 Level 3 flash drives; ➁ The drives offer PIN protection and military-grade encryption; ➂ Available on Amazon, starting at $96 for a 32GB model.
December 27
- Got an Xbox for Christmas? Increase storage capacity to the max with this best-ever deal on a 2TB WD Black C50➀ A great deal on a 2TB WD Black C50 expansion card for Xbox consoles; ➁ The card offers 2TB of storage and is compatible with the latest Xbox consoles; ➂ The discount makes it cheaper than buying two 1TB cards.
- Gigabyte M27QA ICE 180 Hz QHD gaming monitor review: Solid performance with a unique look➀ The Gigabyte M27QA ICE offers a premium gaming monitor experience at a budget-friendly price; ➁ It features a 27-inch IPS panel with QHD resolution, 180 Hz refresh rate, and wide color gamut; ➂ The monitor delivers excellent video processing and accurate out-of-the-box performance.
- The Ayaneo 3 gaming handheld is more than a refresh — console will leverage up to 56 permutations of joystick, touchpad, D-Pad, and button modules➀ The Ayaneo 3 handheld introduces a new level of customization with swappable control modules; ➁ It will come in Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and Ryzen 7 8840U configurations; ➂ The modular design allows for various game genres and control preferences.
December 26
- Nvidia's unreleased RTX 5090 pictured with huge GPU die, sports 32GB of GDDR7 memory➀ An image of the upcoming RTX 5090 GPU has been leaked, featuring a large GPU die and 32GB of GDDR7 memory; ➁ The GPU die is rumored to be Nvidia's largest consumer-grade GPU since 2018, with a size of 744mm-squared; ➂ The RTX 5090 is expected to feature 21,760 CUDA cores and 32GB of memory.
December 25
- Nvidia's RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 allegedly sport 16GB and 12GB of GDDR7 memory, respectively — Up to 8960 CUDA cores, 256-bit memory bus, and 300W TDP➀ Nvidia's RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5070 are rumored to have 16GB and 12GB of GDDR7 memory, respectively; ➁ The RTX 5070 Ti features 8960 CUDA cores and a 300W TDP, while the RTX 5070 has 6144 CUDA cores and a 250W TDP; ➂ Samsung is expected to start mass production of GDDR7 memory early next year.
- Leaked Nvidia RTX 5090 PCB design reveals massive GPU package and high-performance features➀ Leaked PCB design of Nvidia RTX 5090 reveals a massive GPU package and high-performance features; ➁ Expected to feature 32GB of next-generation GDDR7 memory; ➂ Includes a single 12V-2x6 power connector capable of delivering up to 600W of power
- Steam released a record number of games in 2024 — over 18,000 new titles were added to the platform➀ Steam released a record number of games in 2024, with over 18,000 new titles added to the platform; ➁ Despite the record number of games, the platform still won’t do annual releases of its handheld console, Steam Deck; ➂ Steam also encountered a few issues this year, such as clarifying that users don’t technically own the games they buy and dropping support for Windows 7 and 8.
- Blur Busters releases authentic CRT simulator shader for high refresh OLED and LCD screens— 240 Hz+ OLED recommended for the best experience➀ Blur Busters has released an open-source CRT filter as a GPU shader, simulating CRT beams for modern displays. ➁ The shader aims to improve motion fidelity on LCD and OLED screens, especially OLEDs, by mimicking the smoothness of CRTs at higher refresh rates. ➂ The effect is expected to reduce motion blur and enhance the visual experience of retro games.
December 24
- 'Twas The Night Before Tom's Christmas 2024➀ Santa Claus plans to build a US-based fab for CHIPS Act money; ➁ Santa encounters challenges with local labor and delays in funding; ➂ Santa seeks help from tech companies and a UPS worker to save the project; ➃ Santa's fab assets are acquired by tech companies, and he prepares to deliver gifts using Mac Minis and AI PCs.
- Minisforum launches portable dual monitor at $231 — single USB-C cable connectivity option boosts the twin 15.6-inch FHD screen clamshell's appeal➀ Minisforum launches a portable dual monitor; ➁ The monitor features twin 15.6-inch FHD screens; ➂ Connectivity via USB-C and HDMI, compatible with Windows and Mac.
- Asus ZenWiFi BT10 Wi-Fi 7 mesh router review: Good multi-gig wireless performance, but still pricey➀ The Asus ZenWiFi BT10 offers strong performance across all wireless bands and supports MLO wireless backhaul or 10 Gbps wired backhaul; ➁ It comes with Asus WRT 5.0 software for network customization and optimization; ➂ However, the router is priced high for a Wi-Fi 7 mesh router and has limited LAN port options.
- Nvidia RTX 5080 mobile powered HP Omen 16 Max leaks ahead of CES 2025 — listing mentions a tasty new Intel Arrow Lake HX CPU, too➀ HP's upcoming Omen 16 Max gaming laptop leaks ahead of CES 2025, featuring Intel's Arrow Lake HX processor and Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5080 mobile GPU; ➁ The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor is set to be part of Intel's upcoming lineup, with eight P-cores and 16 E-cores; ➂ The laptop is expected to have a 16-inch display, 32GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD.
- Broadcom has no Interest in buying Intel: CEO says no one asked➀ Broadcom CEO Hock Tan dismisses the possibility of acquiring Intel; ➁ The CEO emphasizes the importance of actionable deals and the absence of hostile offers; ➂ Broadcom's focus on custom datacenter processors for AI and its current investments in AI infrastructure.
December 23
- Vendor hints at mobile RTX 50 series GPU launch at CES 2025 — next-gen gaming laptops with mobile Blackwell GPUs and Intel Arrow Lake-H/HX or AMD Fire Range CPUs➀ Thunderobot hints at the launch of the RTX 50 series mobile GPUs at CES 2025; ➁ The laptops will feature Intel's Arrow Lake-H/HX or AMD's Fire Range CPUs; ➂ The RTX 50 series may not see a VRAM capacity increase, with some models using the same GB203M die.
- US Senate finds Commerce Department’s efforts to enact bans and sanction “inadequate” — investigation finds agency underfunded, must rely on voluntary compliance by chipmakers➀ The U.S. Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations finds the Department of Commerce's efforts to enforce bans and sanctions against Russia and China inadequate due to underfunding. ➁ The investigation reveals the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) lacks resources to effectively enforce export controls and must rely on voluntary compliance from chipmakers. ➂ Despite sanctions, high-tech American chips are still found in Russian drones and missiles, and sanctioned firms create new entities to import American tech.
- U.S. gov't launches probe into ongoing China dominance of legacy semiconductor market amid concerns of Chinese vendors flooding the market➀ The Biden administration has launched a formal investigation into Chinese-made legacy semiconductors; ➁ The investigation highlights concerns over China's expanding dominance in this sector; ➂ The U.S. Commerce Department's investigation could lead to new restrictions on Chinese imports.
- Asus claims its new world’s lightest Copilot+ laptop also boasts 32 hours of battery life — new Zenbook launches at CES 2025➀ Asus plans to unveil a new ultra-thin laptop at CES 2025; ➁ The laptop is claimed to have a battery life of up to 32 hours; ➂ The laptop may be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X platform.
December 22
- Intel Arrow Lake non-K 65W CPU box packaging leaked — Bulky design alludes to included stock cooler, likely arriving next month at CES➀ Intel's Arrow Lake non-K processors are expected to launch next month; ➁ The bulky design suggests the inclusion of a stock cooler; ➂ The Core Ultra 9 285 is rumored to beat the i9-14900K in Geekbench.
- Intel Game On Graphics Driver addresses Battlemage bloopers – Arc B580 fixes and known issues are the highlights of the latest update➀ Intel releases an updated driver addressing issues with the Battlemage game; ➁ Fixes for five games and a list of known issues are highlighted; ➂ Intel is working on fixes for known issues in popular software and multi-GPU configs.
- AMD B850 motherboard pricing leaks at Amazon's overseas store — Gigabyte B850 boards listed between $240 and $308➀ AMD B850 motherboards priced between $240 and $308 are listed on Amazon's overseas store; ➁ Gigabyte's B850 series motherboards are set to launch on January 6, 2025; ➂ Asus is reportedly preparing to launch eight models with the B850 chipset and three with the B840 chipset.
December 21
- Lexar Play 4TB SSD review: Another good SSD for your PS5➀ Lexar Play offers reliable performance and high power efficiency; ➁ Available in 4TB and future 8TB capacities; ➂ Competitive pricing and heatsink design.
- Qualcomm wins legal battle over Arm — chipmaker didn't violate Arm's chip licensing agreement➀ Qualcomm has won a legal battle against Arm Holdings, with the jury concluding that it did not violate its architecture license agreement and technology license agreement by acquiring Nuvia and using its IP in Snapdragon X processors. ➁ The jury was unable to decide whether Nuvia, which was acquired by Qualcomm, violated its licensing terms with Arm. ➂ The decision leaves open the possibility of a retrial or further negotiations.
December 19
- U.S. gov't removes China's chip toolmaker AMEC from the list of 'military companies'➀ The U.S. Department of Defense removes AMEC, a Chinese etching and deposition toolmaker, from the list of companies linked to the Chinese military. ➁ The removal eases some restrictions but AMEC remains on the Commerce Department's Entity List, limiting its technology development. ➂ AMEC has faced similar blacklisting in the past, including in 2021.
- Asus ROG Strix Z890-A Gaming WiFi motherboard review: Snazzy snow owl➀ The Asus ROG Strix Z890-A Gaming WiFi is an upper mid-range motherboard priced at $399.99; ➁ It offers a range of features including AI technology, DIY-friendly design, and high-quality audio; ➂ The board performed well in gaming and productivity applications, with competitive power usage.
- Chinese GPU designers received key technologies from British company Imagination Technology: Report➀ British company Imagination Technologies supplies key GPU technologies to Chinese companies; ➁ UKCT accuses Imagination's managers of facilitating technology transfer; ➂ Imagination Technologies denies any wrongdoing and maintains industry standards were followed.