Hardware Asylum CES 2025 Coverage
I would like to thank Yeyian Gaming for helping sponsor Hardware Asylum during CES 2025. The Consumer Electronics Show starts Jan 9th and runs through Jan 12th.
Yeyian Gaming offers an wide range of solutions for the PC gamer including pre-built PCs to fully customized gaming computers with an online configurator. Their builds feature the latest in computer hardware including Intel Ultra, AMD Ryzen 9 and the latest in Nvidia RTX.
Be sure to check them out at https://us.yeyiangaming.com and the Venetian Tower if you'll be attending CES 2025.
Tech News
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Lexar Announces 512GB CFexpress Type-B Card DIAMOND Series
San Jose, CA, USA, March 14, 2023—Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory solutions, is excited to announce the 512GB addition to the Lexar CFexpress Type-B Card DIAMOND Series lineup. This expanded capacity allows photographers and videographers even more freedom when shooting on location or in studio.
Key Features
- Read speed of up to 1900MB/s dramatically accelerates workflow
- Blazing-fast write speed of up to 1700MB/s1 captures smooth 8K RAW video
- PCIe Gen 3x2 and NVMe protocols for smooth, high-speed recording
- VPG400 video class – guaranteed to capture video at a minimum of 400MB/s
- Lifetime limited warranty
The card also delivers on performance with transfer speeds of up to 1900MB/s, write speeds up to 1700MB/s and a minimum write speed of 1600MB/s. It is rated VPG400 and features PCIe Gen 3x2 and NVMe protocols for smooth, high-speed recording of images and 8K video.
“The CFexpress Type-B Card DIAMOND Series delivers on what professional photographers and videographers demand—the performance and capacity to not only empower creativity, but to accelerate workflows to keep pace with the professional’s hectic schedule,” said Joey Lopez, Director, Brand Marketing.
Compatible with firmware-enabled CFexpress cameras, the CFexpress Type-B Card DIAMOND Series is now available in 512GB, 256GB, and 128GB capacities.
Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B Card DIAMOND Series 512GB is available now for purchase online at an MSRP of $529.99.
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ASUS and Noctua announce ASUS GeForce RTX 4080 Noctua Edition graphics card
Following the resounding success of the ASUS GeForce RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 Noctua Edition, the Noctua Edition of ASUS’ GeForce RTX 4080 is the third graphics card to feature Noctua fans and a heatsink that has been co-engineered by Noctua. By switching from the stock three slim 110mm fans to two of Noctua’s award-winning NF-A12x25 PWM 120mm units and to a more elaborate, tailored heatsink with vapour chamber and five instead of two 8mm diameter heatpipes, thermals and acoustics of ASUS’ original TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 could be improved significantly for the Noctua Edition, making it the quietest card in its class.
“Building on the success or our previous collaboration, we are delighted to present the ASUS GeForce RTX 4080 Noctua Edition. Once again, we have combined our expertise with Noctua’s mastery of low-noise cooling to create a graphics card that offers an unparalleled experience without compromising on noise levels, reflecting the strength and innovation of our collaboration.” said Kent Chien (Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the ASUS Multimedia Business Unit).
“The first two Noctua Edition graphics cards were a resounding success, so we’re proud to continue our partnership with ASUS”, says Roland Mossig (Noctua CEO), “Like with the previous Noctua Edition cards, we’ve closely cooperated with ASUS to create the quietest card in its class, bringing our signature low noise levels to the GeForce RTX 4080 series.”
While the heatsinks of the RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 Noctua Edition have already been tailored in aspects such as size and heatpipe layout in order to make the most out of the Noctua NF-A12x25 fans’ superior aerodynamic performance, the heatsink of the RTX 4080 Noctua Edition has been re-designed from the ground up to achieve maximum thermal efficiency: By adding a vapour chamber and using its superior heat-spreading capabilities to transfer the thermal energy to five instead of two 8mm heatpipes (plus three instead of six 6mm ones), the Noctua Edition provides significantly better cooling performance than the original TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4080. This, in return, enables it to operate with slower fan speeds and, combined with the class-leading efficiency of the NF-A12x25 fans, to run quieter than any other air-cooled card in its class.
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Funky Kit Review - Alphacool Eisblock XPX Pro Aurora CPU Waterblock - Full Brass Chrome Digital RGB
When planning out your next build pay careful attention to the type of cooling that not only reflects on you as a person but also offers the best performance in both temperature and audio control.
By this I mean DIY watercooling. Sure, it costs a little more and if you are a shut in and afraid of people them, it may go completed unappreciated but, you can be rest assured that you will have the best performance money can buy and the kudos from your Internet fanbase that you did your PC proper.
Waterblocks, like the Alphacool Eisblock XPC Pro Aurora, can deliver a level of performance unheard of in the AIO and Aircooling world and do so with liquid coolant available in a rainbow of colors.
The Alphacool Eisblock XPX Aurora Pro is the perfect CPU block for all those users who demand the best cooling results for their custom watercooled PC. The cooler delivers top cooling performance, exceptional aesthetics, and high compatibility. Additionally, it's cheaper than the competition. You clearly can't go wrong with this product!
Much like other waterblocks on the market the Aurora features digital RGB giving you all the lights to go with all the cooling despite it being a little chonky in the middle.
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Thermaltake SWAFAN EX12 RGB Cooling Fan Review @ APH Networks
We recently took a look at the SWAFAN from Thermaltake and found them to be quite nice despite being just a spinning RGB light. One of the key features was the ability to swap out the fan hubs allowing you to change the airflow direction to match how you wanted your build to look.
The Thermaltake SWAFAN EX12 RGB is an upgrade to its predecessor, having improved performance while retaining its heavy focus on appearance.
That is a pretty short description but, right on point. Check out the review if you want to know more or check out our review for more context.
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Lexar Professional 2000x SDHC/SDXC UHS-II Card GOLD Series Snags Best Memory Card Award from Photography News
San Jose, CA, USA, March 6, 2023—Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory solutions, is proud to receive the “best memory card” award from Photography News readers for the Lexar® Professional 2000x SDHC™/SDXC™ UHS-II Cards GOLD Series.
Once a year the readers and editors of Photography News vote on their favorite photography tech—everything from cameras to accessories. The Lexar® Professional 2000x SDHC™/SDXC™ UHS-II Cards GOLD Series was nominated along with 7 other excellent cards and took the coveted best card award. According to Photography News, “the need for reliable and fast memory cards is greater than ever. That’s just what you get with the Lexar Professional 2000x SDHC/SDXC UHS-II card.”
“The Lexar Professional 2000x SDHC/SDXC UHS-II card has the powerful performance that professional creators need to capture stunning photos and cinema-quality video while also delivering 300MB/s1 read speed to accelerate post-production2,” said Joey Lopez, Director of Brand Marketing.
The Lexar Professional 2000x SDHC/SDXC UHS-II card is compatible with UHS-II and backwards-compatible with UHS-I cameras and comes in capacities of 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB. It is available online for the following MSRP: 32GB—49.99, 64GB—$79.99, 128GB— $169.99, 256GB—$269.99
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YEYIAN Gaming Launches ODACHI Gaming PCs Powered by AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D and 7950X3D Gaming Processor
Unveils Revolutionary Flagship Gaming Desktops Delivering Unmatched Performance for Gaming, Streaming, and Content Creation
San Diego, California, Feb 28th, 2023 - YEYIAN Gaming, the prominent designer and manufacturer of innovative pre-built gaming PCs, peripherals, and computer components, is thrilled to announce the market launch of their latest offering, the ODACHI Gaming PCs. These high-performance gaming machines are powered by the cutting-edge AMD Ryzen™ 9 7900X3D and 7950X3D gaming CPUs, providing gamers with a remarkable gaming experience. The ODACHI Gaming PCs are available in three impressive models, the ODACHI 795DC-490, ODACHI 790DC-480, and ODACHI 790DC-79W. Each model is expertly crafted to meet the specific needs and preferences of discerning gamers who demand nothing but the best.
These new additions to flagship ODACHI gaming PCs are designed to meet the fluctuating demands of pro gamers, content creators, and streamers. Powered by the latest AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D and 7950X3D gaming processors incorporating next-gen AMD 3D V-Cache. The new ODACHI gaming desktop PCs are integrated with the latest AMD RX 7900XTX and NVIDIA RTX 4000 series graphic cards, supporting the fastest DDR5 6000MHz memory and Gen4x4 M.2 NVMe SSD for unparalleled system performance and reliability. Gamers can now enjoy the latest games, live stream broadcasts, and multitask with ease, without experiencing any lags or slowdowns
"Our team at YEYIAN is excited to introduce these new powerful ODACHI gaming desktops. ODACHI series is YEYIAN's flagship gaming desktop PC created to offer top performance, stability, and excellent built quality. YEYIAN partnered with AMD to enhance our customers' gaming experience further. The newly launched AMD Ryzen 9 X3D processors are a great fit for ODACHI gaming desktops and perform extremely well with AMD RX7000 and NVIDIA RTX4000 series GPUs. With the ODACHI flagship gaming desktops, users can enjoy a seamless gaming and streaming experience while achieving top-notch content creation," said Frank Lee, the VP of YEYIAN Gaming.
The YEYIAN ODACHI 795DC-490, ODACHI 790DC-480, and ODACHI 790DC-79W gaming PCs are tailor-made for hardcore gaming, visual content creation, or live streaming performance, based on AMD's latest Ryzen 9 X3D platforms and AMD/NVIDIA latest graphic cards these three gaming desktops come equipped with a 32GB DDR5 6000MHz DRAM kit and a 2TB/1TB NVMe Gen4x4 SSD for extreme system performance and ultra-low game latency. Moreover, these ODACHI gaming desktops are built with a 360mm AIO watercooler and four 14cm ARGB cooling fans to maintain good ventilation under the most demanding system conditions.
Specification
ODACHI 795DC-490
ODACHI 790DC-480
ODACHI 790DC-79W
CPU
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D
AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D
AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D
CPU COOLER
YEYIAN AIO - 360mm
YEYIAN AIO - 360mm
YEYIAN AIO - 360mm
MB CHIPSET
X670 Platform
B650 ATX Platform
B650 ATX Platform
MEMORY
32GB - DDR5 6000MHz
32GB - DDR5 6000MHz
32GB - DDR5 6000MHz
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080
AMD RX 7900XTX
POWER
1000 Watt 80+ Gold
850 Watt 80+ Gold
850 Watt 80+ Gold
Storage
2TB - NVMe Gen.4 SSD
2TB - 3.5" Hard Drive
1TB - NVMe Gen.4 SSD
1TB - NVMe Gen.4 SSD
OS
Windows 11 Home
Windows 11 Home
Windows 11 Home
MSRP
$4,199
$3,199
$2,999
Backed by the YEYIAN-Shield program, the gaming PCs warranty, the YEYIAN ODACHI gaming PCs are now available pre-order from select retailers or through the company's website and ready to ship starting March 13th, 2023.
Amazon:
- YPA-OD795DC-4901U: www.amazon.com/dp/B0BWRLRRBM
- YPA-OD790DC-79W1U: www.amazon.com/dp/B0BWS1K78V
- YPA-OD790DC-4801U: www.amazon.com/dp/B0BWRRDNHK
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NVIDIA’s latest drivers hint at Counter-Strike 2 or Counter-Strike Source 2
There once was this free game that quickly became the defacto reason to host a late night LAN party with friends, beer and friendly razzing. The game was called Counter Strike and was one of the games that helped launch Steam as a powerhouse in online game distribution and DRM security.
Since then, Steam has become a go-to source for current hardware trends from actual gamers which help hardware makers determine what people are playing and what platforms they are using.
It would seem that NVIDIA may have leaked a new Counter Strike game by including that profile in their latest driver release. While this sounds a little far-fetched it is not outside the realm of possibility given that these line items that make it past QA are often rather reliable.
My guess is that this is most likely the rumored remaster of CS in Source 2 Engine. After all, it can’t be a sequel to CS as we’d have heard at least something about such a huge project. However, you should temper your expectations. Do not expect this to be a full remake of this classic game.
My guess is that if this is Counter-Strike Source 2, it will only feature QoL improvements (as well as some performance improvements due to Source2 Engine). And yes, I don’t expect higher-quality textures or any Ray Tracing effects.
It will be interesting to see what finally gets released or, if the lines end up getting removed in the next driver drop. Knowing a little about software development and how "overworked/lazy" developers and their QA counterparts can be I wouldn't be surprised either way.
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NVIDIA News: February is Filled With DLSS and Reflex Upgrades for GeForce Gamers
GeForce Gamers continue to reap the benefits of RTX ON Upgrades, with seven new DLSS games and six new Reflex games.
DLSS Performance Upgrades for Seven New Games!
NVIDIA DLSS has revolutionized graphics rendering, using AI and GeForce RTX Tensor Cores to boost frame rates while delivering crisp, high quality images that rival native resolution. And DLSS 3 adds new Frame Generation technology to multiply performance, along with NVIDIA Reflex, for the fastest and most responsive gaming possible.
This month, DLSS arrives in another seven games, including:
- Atomic Heart (launches Feb. 21 with DLSS 3)
- Blood Bowl 3 (launches Feb 23 with DLSS 2)
- Hello Neighbor 2 (updating Feb. 17 with DLSS 2 & Ray Tracing)
- HI-FI Rush (available now with DLSS 2)
- PlanetSide 2 (available now with DLSS 2)
- Returnal (available now with DLSS 2 & Ray Tracing)
- Sons of the Forest (enters Early Access on Feb. 23 with DLSS 2)
- Wanted: Dead (available now with DLSS 2)
Altogether, there are over 270 released DLSS games and apps, giving GeForce RTX GPU, desktop and laptop users significantly faster performance and the best possible image quality, for the definitive experience in every supported title.
Reflex Lowers Latency in World of Warcraft and more!
Over 60 released games now support NVIDIA Reflex, enabling GeForce players to reduce system latency significantly, for the most responsive gaming experience possible on any platform.
Since our last Reflex update, six games have added Reflex technology for their players, giving millions of GeForce gamers a superior experience, including:
- Deliver Us Mars (available now)
- Dying Light 2 Stay Human (available now)
- Hi-Fi RUSH (available now)
- HITMAN World of Assassination (available now)
- PERISH (available now)
- World of Warcraft (available now)
NVIDIA Reflex is used by over 20 million players each month. For the full list of 60+ supported games, click here.
New, Sortable List of DLSS and Ray-Traced Games
We have recently updated our GeForce.com article to provide press and end-users with an easy way to review games with support for DLSS and/or ray tracing. You can check it out here
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G-Wolves Hati-S Plus ACE @ TechPowerUp
Wireless mice have become very popular with computer users, no more cord to get in the way and it matches their new wireless USB enabled headset with 200 channel sound and the worst microphone ever conceved by man.
But, the mouse is still good, so that is nice.
I've never heard of the G-Wolves before but, they seem to be using some good components so, it might be worth checking out, assuming you can find it, at 46g's one gust of wind and you'll lose the thing under your desk.
With the wireless Hati-S Plus ACE, G-Wolves presents an ambidextrous mouse weighing no more than 46 g without any holes. Furthermore, the ACE comes with PixArt's latest PAW3395 sensor, Zippy main button switches rated for 60 million clicks, and pure PTFE feet.
Assuming you can get one, seems the G-Wolves are China based which could account for the company name.
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SilverStone VIDA 240 SLIM All-in-One Liquid Cooler Review @ APH Networks
While I tend to focus on "high performance" cooling solutions they do have some drawbacks that would include noise, cost and size while maybe not delivering all that much more when it comes to performance. One of the biggest challenges when building a system is making sure fans will fit and that the fans you pick will actually do the job.
The Silverstone VIDA 240 Slim addresses these issues by offering "slimmer" components and giving you more room to breathe.
The SilverStone VIDA 240 SLIM is a 240mm AIO cooler that can fit into tight spaces while not sacrificing in performance or features.
Be sure to check out the review for more details about this AIO cooler and how it could be used in yoiur next build.
