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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Funky Kit Review - Crucial P3 2TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD
We have reviewed quite a few Crucial SSDs and found them to be pretty good when it comes to compatibly and performance. The only thing missing is a mainstream PCI Express 4.0 drive.
The Crucial P3 2TB SSD is faster than we expected, and delivers all the best features anyone could ask for. If you're looking for a well-balanced and decent performing SSD at a reasonable price, with options for higher capacities, then you can be sure that the P3 will deliver all that and more.
one great thing about buying "older" storage drives is that they tend to be cheaper and will get you decent enough performance that you really won't be able to tell the difference.
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Pulsar X2 Mini @ TechPowerUp
What is great about computers is that as they have matured, they have also become extremely customizable. Instead of flat black fans we can now get ones with amazing colors and different degrees of "blow" The interface devices have also changed to better match personal preferences like this item, The Pulsar X2 Mini. This is an ultra-light mouse with name brand switches and a great sensor.
As the name suggests, the Pulsar X2 Mini is a smaller X2. Weighing 54 g instead of 56 g, the ambidextrous X2 Mini is otherwise identical: PixArt's latest PAW3395 sensor, Kailh GM 8.0 switches for the main buttons, pure PTFE feet, and up to 70 hours of battery life.
The mouse also has no cord so when you rage quit from "any" game you can easily throw the mouse and not damage anything in your room.
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Lexar Announces New Lexar Professional CFexpress Type A Card Gold Series 320GB
San Jose, USA, November 8, 2022 — Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory solutions, is proud to announce the new Lexar® Professional CFexpress™ Type A Card GOLD Series in the 320GB capacity. Ideal for professional creators, photographers, and videographers who want to capture high-quality images with superior read speed up to 900MB/s The 320GB model will be bundled with the Lexar® Professional CFexpress™ Type A / SD™ USB 3.2 Gen 2 Reader for a more seamless workflow from field to post-production.
Key Features:
- For photographers and videographers who demand superior performance with transfer speeds of up to 900MB/s read
- Transfer speeds up to 900MB/s read, 800MB/s write, and minimum write speed of 700MB/s
- Large capacity of 320GB for professionals with demanding workloads on the go
- Bundled with the Lexar® Professional CFexpress™ Type A / SD™ USB 3.2 Gen 2 Reader for seamless workflow
- Smooth and high-speed capture of high-quality images and 8K and 4K 120FPS video
- Rated Video Performance Guarantee 400 (VPG 400)
- Lifetime limited warranty
With read speed up to 900MB/s and write speed up to 800MB/s, Lexar® Professional CFexpress™ Type A Card GOLD Series 320GB is designed to seamlessly capture high-resolution images and cinema-quality 8K video. It is also ideal for professionals who need to handle demanding workflow on the go.
Also, the Lexar® Professional CFexpress™ Type A Card GOLD Series 320GB allows professional creators to get back to business without having to constantly switch cards. And for added peace of mind, the card is also rated Video Performance Guarantee 400 (VPG 400) meeting a minimum write speed of 700MB/s so your content is captured seamlessly without dropping a frame.
With superior performance to capture cinema-quality video, the Lexar® CFexpress™ Type A Card Gold Series in 320GB delivers the rugged durability you need to protect from temperature, shock, and vibration allowing you to capture more adventures and store valuable data in a variety of elements.
“We are excited to announce the Lexar® Professional CFexpress™ Type A Card GOLD Series in the 320GB capacity. And, with the Lexar® Professional CFexpress™ Type A / SD™ USB 3.2 Gen 2 Reader included, professionals can expect top performance and speed up their workflow from capture to transfer and editing," said Joel Boquiren, General Manager of Lexar.
Lexar® Professional CFexpress Type A Card GOLD Series 320GB with Lexar® Professional CFexpress™ Type A/SD™ Card Reader bundle is available now for purchase online at an MSRP of $ 699.99.
Availability:
- Amazon
- B&H
- Adorama
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NVIDIA RTX 4080 Launch Day
Last month NVIDIA launched their flagship Ada Lovelace GPU the RTX 4090. This card provided to be a monster in both out of box performance and power consumption with many users showing that the new power adapter would melt due to some design flaws.
We cover this controversy in Episode 141 of the Hardware Asylum Podcast.
The RTX 4080 was announced during the RTX 4090 launch and promised to be an extremely powerful GPU designed for mainstream gamers who realize that the RTX 4090 is too expensive for most everyone and would rather explore the world of "custom" video card offerings from various vendors who will offer custom cooling solutions and various factory overclocks.
Below you will find a sampling of video cards reviews from around the web.
Web Reviews
MSI RTX 4080 Gaming X Trio @ LanOC Reviews
ASUS STRIX GeForce RTX 4080 Gaming OC @ Guru3D
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Review: Ada Lovelace For Enthusiasts
Colorful GeForce RTX 4080 Ultra White OC @ TechPowerUp
Zotac GeForce RTX 4080 AMP Extreme @ TechPowerUp
ASUS GeForce RTX 4080 STRIX OC @ TechPowerUp
Gainward GeForce RTX 4080 Phantom GS @ TechPowerUp -
Noctua introduces NA-IS1 inlet spacers for suction applications and NA-SAVG2 gasket set
There has always been a heated debate when it comes to "Push vs Pull" for fan orientation. Typically, we configure fans to "push" air though heatsinks, we push air into computer cases and video cards even push air across their cooling systems. Needless to say, "Push is Popular"
However, "Pull" or when you position fans to pull air through a heatsink you actually expose more surface area to be cooled since there is no longer a dead spot directly under the fan motor. You also don't need to deal with the cone of air exiting the fan and only cooling the edges of your heatsink.
The only major drawback to the "Pull" orientation is that the fan blades are closer to the heatsink and often cause annoying rhythmic noise that can be difficult to filter out. Fans in the "Push" configuration have a natural spacer which creates an air gap and thus reduces the adverse harmonics.
Noctual has introduced a new product to address this issue directly called the NA-IS1 Intake Spacer and NA-SAVG2 anti-vibration gaskets.
Noctua today introduced its new NA-IS1 intake side spacer frames for suction or “pull” type applications where fans draw air through obstacles such as grills, perforated plates, mesh panels, filters or radiators. By offsetting the fan from the obstacle, the NA-IS1 can significantly reduce influx turbulences and thereby help to improve both acoustics and performance. In addition, Noctua also introduced the NA-SAVG2 anti-vibration gasket set for using 140mm fans on water cooling radiators or other applications that benefit from a tighter seal with the fan.
Both of these products are great options to ensure that air intended to keep your system cool is directed exactly where it needs to go.
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Focal Bathys Bluetooth Active Noise Cancelling Headphones @ TechPowerUp
Wow! I am surprised on several levels. First who knew there was an audiophile quality audio brand in France?!?. Seems they have been in business for over 40 years and make some top notch gear. Second, You can actually buy them here in the US. and Third they are not cheap as the headphones featured in this review are $800 dollars and other designs are over 2 Grand!!. (Well I am assuming USD, Focal if French and TechPowerUp is German so... ya)
Seems I learn stuff I should already know every day LOL
Focal enters the competitive wireless ANC headphones market with the all-new Bathys. It is a $799 audiophile-centric set of over-ear, closed-back headphones with hybrid ANC, physical controls, app-based customization, and even a dedicated USB DAC mode that aims for a punchy and satisfying sound you can take on the go.
From a design perspective these headphones look amazing and seem to have "borrowe4d" or "influenced" some of the design queues found in most every other headphone maker on the market.
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Cougar Puri Mini Mechanical Gaming Keyboard @ Funky Kit
The interesting thing about "small" keyboards is, they are everywhere and gamers seem to love them. Not only do they take up less space on your desktop but tend to feature higher quality components because there are less components to deal with.
Funky Kit has their review of the Cougar Puri up and while Cougar isn't a well known brand in the US they do have some quality products available.
The Cougar Puri Mini is a keyboard that offers great quality and performance for a respectable price tag. The small compact size offers plenty of features for such a small size. This would be a great keyboard to take on the go!
For a similar keyboard check out our review of the Yeyian Spark 2000.
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SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gaming Headset Review @ Madshrimps
Gaming headsets have come a long way in recent years and no longer depend on your PC or what sound card you have installed. Instead, they rely on USB adapters which do two major things. They first send audio information to the headset to support surround sound and other audio functions and second open up options for wireless connectivity and the premise of this review.
When compared to the Arctis Nova 3, the Nova 7P sports a very similar sound signature, since it is using the same set of custom speaker drivers, 40mm with a frequency response between 20 and 22kHz. We tested the headset in both multimedia content and games, and we really enjoyed the combination of crisp highs and great sounding lows, even when using the default EQ. The price difference exists because of the WiFi/BT convenience, which does even allow listening to two sound sources at the same time, the great battery life during a single charge (38 hours) with fast charge support and overall, we are getting increased liberty of movement given the operating range.
Steelseries is a rather popular brand and, while I am not a fan of the design the overall specs look pretty good.
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Cooler Master Announces The CK720 65% Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
It would seem the popular reign for the 104 key keyboards is coming to an end, at least in the gaming space. For gamers the 10-key pad is rarely used and tends to take up space on their gaming desks and this is where a keyboard like the CK720 65% keyboard comes into its own.
Not only do you remove the excess bulk but can get your mouse and keyboard closer together for a more ergonomic hand position.
Cooler Master today launches the first mechanical gaming keyboard with design and customization in mind. The CK720 65% Mechanical Gaming Keyboard was made for enthusiasts in mind yet it is still approachable for anyone wanting more from their keyboard. Building upon the success of the CK721 gaming keyboard,
the CK720 65% Mechanical Gaming Keyboard integrates several new features:
- Hot-swappable switches
- Enthusiast-level Kailh Box V2 switches pre-installed
- New Cooler Master Stabilizers optimized for minimal rattle and pre-lubed for smoother travel
- 2 separate Silicone Dampening Pads: on the PCB and on filling the bottom cover for noise absorption and satisfying sound signature
- PBT doubleshot keycaps for more durability
- Precision Three-way Dial Control Knob
- Two-step kickstand
- Per key RGB backlighting
I would be interested to see how many gamers would take advantage of the "hot swappable" switch design AND, if they do, how abusive was that gamer to their gear?
Check out the product page for more information on the Cooler Master CK720
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G.SKILL Announces Up to DDR5-7800 for 13th Gen Intel Core Desktop Processor & Z790 Platform
(20 Oct 2022) – G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world’s leading brand of performance overclock memory and PC components, is excited to announce new extreme overclocked performance DDR5 DRAM specifications up to DDR5-7800 under the Trident Z5 family. Designed for use with the latest 13th Gen Intel® Core™ desktop processor and Intel® Z790 chipset platform, these new flagship specifications mark a new era of DDR5 performance.
Extreme Overclock Performance with DDR5-7800
Pushing the memory performance to the limits of the latest 13th Gen Intel® Core™ desktop processor and Intel® Z790 chipset platform, G.SKILL is announcing new DDR5 memory specifications up to a blazing speed of DDR5-7800 at CL38 with 32GB (2x16GB) kit capacity, under the flagship Trident Z5 family. Refer to the screenshot below to see the DDR5-7800 memory kit validated on the Intel® Core™ i9-13900K desktop processor and ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Apex motherboard:Ready to Overclock at DDR5-7600
For those who can't wait to get started with high overclock memory performance on the latest computing platform, the G.SKILL DDR5-7600 CL36-46-46-121 32GB (2x16GB) memory kit is now listed on some retailers, and has also been validated under the Intel® XMP 3.0 program. Refer to the validation screenshot below to see the DDR5-7600 memory kit tested with the Intel® Core™ i9-13900K desktop processor and ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero motherboard. For more product information, please visit the G.SKILL product page at: https://www.gskill.com/product/165/374/1665644764/F5-7600J3646G16GX2-TZ5RKHigh Kit Capacity 64GB (2x32GB) at DDR5-7400
For those looking for higher kit capacity at 64GB (2x32GB), G.SKILL is pushing the overclock memory speed to an astounding DDR5-7400. Please see the screenshot below to see the high-capacity DDR5-7400 64GB (2x32GB) memory kit validated on the Intel® Core™ i9-13900K desktop processor and ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Apex motherboard:DDR5-8000 CL38 Tech Demo – the Overclocking Potential of DDR5 Memory
Dedicated to developing ever faster overclocking memory kits, G.SKILL is pushing the boundaries of memory overclocking potential with the latest 13th Gen Intel® Core™ desktop platform. As a technical demonstration, G.SKILL is revealing the achievement of reaching a blistering, ultra-fast DDR5-8000 2x16GB memory kit operating with a low latency timing of CL38-48-48-125 with the Intel® Core™ i9-13900K desktop processor and ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Apex motherboard.New Trident Z5 Specifications for Z790 Platform
The Trident series product line is synonymous with noteworthy overclocked performance, and these new additions are no exception. Intended for use with the latest 13th Gen Intel® Core™ desktop processor and Intel® Z790 chipset platform, these new specifications under the Trident Z5 RGB and Trident Z5 series offer options with high-capacity or high-frequency. See a list of DRAM specifications below:
Intel XMP 3.0 Support & Availability
Supporting Intel XMP 3.0 memory overclocking profiles for easy overclocking via the motherboard BIOS, these new memory specifications for the 13th Gen Intel® Core™ desktop platform will be available via G.SKILL worldwide distribution partners.
