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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MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WiFi @ LanOC Reviews
I hate to admit it but some motherboard designs are changing from the established norm. While the MSI MPG Z690 Carbon appears to have the "typical" feature set I have seen some boards with cut down audio and only a single 16x PCI Express expansion slot with the other two being worthless 4x slots in a full length configuration.
With the new 12th Gen Intel CPUs and the Z690 chipset that Intel launched with them being released. It also means that we get to check out the latest motherboard designs. This time around Intel only focused on the high performance focused CPUs so most of the options that came out were gaming, overclocking, or high-end workstation focused. The first board that came in was from MSI which was one of their gaming focused boards, the MPG Z690 Carbon WiFi. Today I’m going to check out what features they have included with this board and check out how the Z690 Carbon WiFi performs with the new i9-12900K as well. I’m also going to take a look at the MAG Coreliquid C280 AIO cooler that MSI sent over as well for LGA1700 testing. Let’s dive in!
On a related note, I have always enjoyed using the Carbon series from MSI as the boards seem to offer everything a computer enthusiast needs without the fluffy filler.
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Funky Kit Review - AOC AGON GH401 Wireless Gaming Headset
Who ever knew that putting speakers on your head would be more than a nerdy fad. These days we have everything from in-ear versions to large clams that encompass the majority of your head space with support for simulated surround sound, mono and the popular stereo.
Of course, gaming headsets are a little different in that they also include a microphone so you can talk smack to your gaming buddy’s and ask that one girl in your crew if she has a boyfriend. For years, headphones were nothing but an anchor to your gaming rig which required a wire and some serious discipline to your bathroom breaks.
Well dance in your seat no more thanks to the AOC AGON GH401 Wireless Gaming Headset. Not only can you continue making girls uncomfortable asking them to do stuff to your junk but you can do it from the comfort of your bathroom. The best of both worlds.
The GH401 is the latest and greatest offering from AOC AGON. This headset offers the wireless connection so many of us prefer. You can expect the same great sound as you would get from a wired headset!
To read more check out the review on Funky Kit.
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World’s First Puzzle-like Modular PowerStrip Offers 50% Off Pre-Launch Special on Indiegogo
Taiwan manufacturer introduces their flagship innovation with big discount
Taipei, Taiwan, January 12, 2022 – Innfact has announced a 50% discount off their innovative product – Krait – for individuals who sign up during the pre-launch of their Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. People who tap into this deal will be early owners of the first puzzle-like modular power strip to be created. The discount will be available until January 14, 2022, and Innfact will officially launch the product on January 15, 2022.
Innfact designed the world’s first modular power strip to provide safer, reliable, and faster charging for laptops, tablets, and all sorts of gadgets. Krait comprises three main modules: the source power puzzle, the AC puzzle, and the DC puzzle. It supports three AC outlets, two USB-C, and two USB-A ports. Each module can be detached and attached separately, depending on the user’s need. The total power support of Krait is as much as 1650W, and the product comes with an intelligent overloaded shutdown function to protect the Krait and your devices.
Krait Modular PowerStrip is designed to minimize clutter at work or home. The manufacturers intentionally made it for those who have grown tired of the clutter and the tedious work of sorting through many adapters and power strips to find the right one.
Developed with the customer in mind, this power strip is the product of 40 years of experience in manufacturing.“When the team got together to develop this product, we did not want to approach it like other companies. We wanted to design a power strip that is functional, portable, and powerful. As we pooled our knowledge together, the Krait Modular PowerStrip was born. It did not take us long to realize that we have developed something that will change the industry,” shared Daniel Chou, the CEO of Innfact.
In an age where technology, the dynamics of the world, and this generation's ambitions have produced more digital nomads than ever, the Krait Modular PowerStrip seems to have been developed at a perfect time. The manufacturer considers the product to be “a digital nomad’s power companion.” They make this statement because the product can be separated into smaller parts and be easily transported. With this portability, digital nomads will be able to work wherever they choose while keeping all their devices adequately charged.
The compact and lightweight modular power strip can easily fit in a carry-on for the traveling professional or adventurous explorer. Users can modify the product to accommodate outlets in the United States, Australia, Taiwan, and Japan.
“In offering this special discount, we are opening our doors to those who are serious about staying connected on the go or want neat work areas and homes. As we prepare for our official launch in the middle of January, we are excited for the great interest that we have been receiving,” shared a passionate Chou.
The Source Puzzle
The source puzzle part is the central part of the power strip; it supports total power output up to 1650W and comes with an intelligent overloaded shutdown feature and surge protection for all downstream devices. In addition, it features 4 LED indicators for monitoring current and is available with a variety of power cord lengths for different occasions.The AC Puzzle
The AC puzzle includes three independent AC outlets supporting the U.S., Japan, and Taiwan plugs. It features intelligent AutoShut protection when plugged in not properly and unplugged from the outlet to ensure electrical safety, when plugged in not properly and unplugged from the outlet. Krait will also be available with Bluetooth remote control, allowing complete power control to each AC outlet, including a built-in programmable timer.The DC Puzzle
The DC puzzle includes two USB Type-C ports and two USB Type-A ports that support 65 to 100W and comes with a 100W GaN high-efficiency charger technology to support extra-fast USB charging for laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Besides, a one-touch power switch offers instant power shutdown when your plugged devices are fully charged.Plug Puzzle
The Plug Puzzle turns the DC Puzzle into a charger and allows the quick charge on the go. This puzzle is available for the United States, Japan, and Taiwan. Product development in progress for Australia and EU.
For more information on Krait, please visit the product’s Indiegogo page
About Innfact
Launched in 2014, Innfact is a Taiwanese brand that is pioneering the world of charging technologies and power supply. With more than 40 years in the industry, the company can manufacture a whole power strip integrated with a GaN charger and the most basic power supply unit. Over the decades, the company has focused on power delivery systems, charging technology, and designing from the ground up. They have produced tens of millions of power strips and components for international brands worldwide.Two words are at the foundation of Innfact – ‘innovation’ and ‘factory’. Innfact can accurately be described as an innovation factory. The brand has mastered the current technologies in its industry and is constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation. Their focus is on bringing every solid idea to life.
Innfact will continue to stay ahead of its competition because it is a brand of “new methods.” They are constantly creating products that meet the latest needs of the market. To achieve this level of relevance, the company has a culture of always being open to the questions and comments of customers. When it comes to their customers’ usage, aesthetics, or service needs, Innfact takes them seriously.
The brand’s founders are confident about their products and operation. This confidence comes from their many years of experience and the positive feedback from the users of their products.Connect with Innfact
Website: https://usa.innfact.com.tw
Krait product page: https://krait.innfact.com.tw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innfact/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Innfact
Twitter: https://twitter.com/InnfactDesign -
COLORFUL Launches GeForce RTX 3050 Series Graphics Cards
January 5th, 2022 Shenzhen, China – Colorful Technology Company Limited, a professional manufacturer of graphics cards, motherboards, all-in-one gaming, and multimedia solutions, and high-performance storage, launches the GeForce RTX 3050 Series graphics cards – NVIDIA’s latest addition to the GeForce RTX 30-Series featuring the NVIDIA Ampere architecture. COLORFUL’s line-up consists of the RTX 3050 Ultra W, RTX 3050 NB EX, RTX 3050 Ultra W DUO. The COLORFUL GeForce RTX 3050 Ultra W DUO is the newest model under the new Dual-Fan Ultra White Series.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
The GeForce RTX 3050 brings the performance and efficiency of the NVIDIA Ampere architecture to more gamers than ever before and is the first 50-class desktop GPU to power the latest ray traced games at over 60 fps. The RTX 3050 comes equipped with 2nd generation RT cores for ray tracing and 3rd generation Tensor cores for DLSS and AI. Ray tracing is the new standard in gaming and the RTX 3050 makes it more accessible than ever before.
COLORFUL iGame GeForce RTX 3050 Ultra W DUO
The GeForce RTX 3050 Ultra W DUO is a compact version of the Ultra W models having a dual-fan cooler design. With its shorter 253mm length, the RTX 3050 Ultra W DUO fits in most desktop cases including most mini-ITX cases with tight spaces. It has white-colored fans, backplate, and aesthetics to match all-white PC builds. The RTX 3050 Ultra W DUO feature COLORFUL’s signature One-Key Overclock button that’s conveniently located on the rear I/O for a quick and easy performance boost.
COLORFUL iGame GeForce RTX 3050 Ultra W OC
Expanding the Ultra Series graphics cards, the COLORFUL iGame GeForce RTX 3050 Ultra W OC’s white-colored fans, backplate, and aesthetics fit all-white theme PC builds. Being a larger version of the RTX 3050 Ultra W DUO, this card uses a triple-fan cooler for enhanced heat dissipation offering higher overclocking headroom and performance. The cooler uses two 90mm and one 80mm cooling fans. Its high-performance heatsink has two 6mm-diameter and two 8mm-diameter heat pipes connected to the fins using integrated reflow soldering.
To learn more about the COLORFUL GeForce RTX 3050 Series graphics cards, please visit https://en.colorful.cn/
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Introducing the EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 XC and XC BLACK
Introducing the EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 gaming cards, designed to bring the best ray tracing gaming experience at an irresistible price for gamers and creators.
The new EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 brings the performance and efficiency of the NVIDIA Ampere architecture to more gamers than ever before and is the first 50-class desktop GPU to power the latest ray traced games at over 60 fps. The RTX 3050 comes equipped with 2nd generation RT cores for ray tracing and 3rd generation Tensor cores for DLSS and AI. Ray tracing is the new standard in gaming and the RTX 3050 makes it more accessible than ever before.
EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 XC / XC BLACK
The EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 cards punch above their weight with the latest Ampere GPU, 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM, and a 14GHz memory clock to enable solid performance even at 1440p. The XC Series tradition continues with a shorter PCB, dual-slot cooling and a quiet, zero decibel fan mode, making the EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 a perfect choice for the entry level gaming users.
EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 XC
The EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 XC is designed for gamers ready for the next tier of performance. Efficiently designed to be cooled with two large fans and protected with an all-metal backplate, the EVGA GeForce RTX™ 3050 XC is carefully packaged into a short two-slot card for maximum compatibility with all types of gaming cases.EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 XC BLACK
The EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 XC BLACK features a streamlined designed, letting its performance do all the talking. Excelling in games and productivity with 8GB of GDDR6 memory, the GeForce RTX™ 3050 XC BLACK offers creators and gamers everything in a small package without the need for a bulky cooler to ensure cool, smooth performance.The EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 XC is designed for gamers ready for the next tier of performance. Efficiently designed to be cooled with two large fans and protected with an all-metal backplate, the EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 XC is carefully packaged into a short two-slot card for maximum compatibility with all types of gaming cases. The EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 XC BLACK features a streamlined designed, letting its performance do all the talking. Excelling in games and productivity with 8GB of GDDR6 memory, the GeForce RTX 3050 XC BLACK offers creators and gamers everything in a small package without the need for a bulky cooler to ensure cool, smooth performance.
Air-through PCB
Carefully placed cut-outs in the PCB and backplate* improve airflow and decrease exhaust recovery.
*EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 XC onlyTake control
EVGA Precision X1 gives you full control over your fans, overclocking, and monitoring.To learn more about EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics cards, please visit https://www.evga.com/articles/01538.
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Cooler Master MasterLiquid PL240 Flux @ LanOC Reviews
AIO coolers are pretty amazing and while some are concerned with reliability, I find that to be a non-issue. The only part that generally wears out are the fans and those are easy to replace.
Reliability is a double-edged sword for AIO makers. They are quite expensive and the droves of entitled penny pinchers do what they can to buy once and the vow to never buy again, unless something breaks then, they complain and demand their money back or abuse the RMA system.
For AIO Makers they need to strike a balance between offering a good product and creating new products that can get these tightwads to open their wallets and buy the next best thing.
LIke... the Cooler Master MasterLiquid Flux AIO Coolers. We reviewed the 360mm edition last month and LanOC has posted a review of the dual fan 240mm version for you to check out.
With Intel’s new CPUs moving to the LGA1700 socket and the new larger socket requiring a wider mounting bracket after Intel sticking with the same sized mounting hole for a very long time it has had me looking at changing up the cooling in a few of my systems and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Not only that, there are a LOT of options on the market. Everyone and their mom is now getting into the AIO market. Cooler Master has been around going back near the beginning for AIO coolers and they are one of only a few who often make their own designs rather than going with a standard OEM design so I’m interested in seeing what their new MasterLiquid PL240 Flus is all about. I’m also curious to see how it will perform on our new 12900K based test bench so let’s dive in and see how it does.
Of course, users can get all offended and play the "I shouldn't have to" card but. The point is if you build your own computer, you are obligated to do a few upgrades. Otherwise, you might as well become part of the HP Laptop mafia and STFU.
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Intel Core i5 12400 processor @ Guru3D
When I was searching for an Alder Lake processor I was playing a hunch. Rocket Lake had just hit the market and Comet Lake is still being sold mainstream. On top of that Alder Lake was only being sold as a K edition unlocked processor (at least at the time). The technology is new and support is still trying to play catch-up so there was very little need to splurge on a Core i9
The Core i7 seemed like the sweet spot for me which translates to Core i5 being what "everyone" else will be buying.
With six performance cores and hyper-threading, the Core i5 12400 might be the most desired budget-friendly and properly performing Alder Lake series processor as a gaming platform. It offers heaps of tier1 performance, can be tied towards DDR5 memory and a cheaper B660 chipset.
I have often wondered if DDR5 really has a benefit on lower end parts. Real-world scaling can be hit or miss on the high-end due given that you can just power through using your CPU.
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Happy New Year and Welcome to 2022
Myself and everyone here at Hardware Asylum would like to wish you a Happy New Year. The world is a changed place, The 2020 Pandemic is still a major factor and while some say we have recovered I believe we are just "dealing" with everything. World travel is still a major issue and events that depend on foreign visitors have started to suffer.
Despite the global issues the operations at Hardware Asylum have continued. Review hardware is extremely difficult to obtain and the sudden drop in output only amplifies the issues that written sites, like Hardware Asylum, have encountered for the past 8+ years. Sadly, this will be the normal thing going forward. At least until mfgs figure out that YouTube and Twitch streamers are not a good source of unbiased reviews.
The one positive of this situation is that I am sitting on a MOUNTAIN of computer hardware from when I started Ninjalane and a good majority of it is now considered vintage and retro and my plans to revisit the Hardware Asylum Vault is still in the works and planned to take center stage once the Hardware Asylum YouTube channel starts to take off.
I am working hard to get some unique content posted with some retro themes centered on the time before I started doing reviews and running Ninjalane.com
Welcome to 2022, I hope this year serves you well.
It will be weird to skip CES this year (again). Due to the “situation” the show has lost many of the exhibitors and the mfgs I normally meet with all decided to stay home anyway.
Happy New Year
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Mad Catz R.A.T. DWS @ TechPowerUp
OMG, the R.A.T.
This might be one of the most famous PC pointing devices in existence and.. I both loved and hated the awesome bit of tech at the same time.
Hint: static electricity + R.A.T. = Bad Time (Ironic the Mad Catz graphic, its like they knew you could cause your arm to go dead from the massive shocks this thing put out)
While it ushas almost the same shape and size as the wired R.A.T. 8+ ADV, the wireless R.A.T. DWS promises up to 200 hours of battery life, top-tier tracking thanks to PixArt's PAW3335 sensor, and particularly low-latency main button switches, along with several customization options.
Not sure I like the onboard battery but, the sensors seem pimp and if the 200+ hours of game time is real it could be a contender. I wonder how the adjustable weights factor in to the massive onboard battery situation?
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Shuttle XPC slim Barebone DL20N6 Review @ Madshrimps
I have seen a plethora of Shuttle systems in my time as a hardware reviewer and yet, never reviewed anything from the company. I missed out on the Shuttle SFF cubes and they never made a modern motherboard (that I remember) but I would stop by their display during Computex. So, you can say I supported their existence.
However, this XPC Slim Barebones is something else.
The DL20N series from Shuttle is an impressive jump in performance versus the older DL10J, while the choice to have installed a Pentium N6005 4-core SKU while retaining the 10W TDP is great! The whole system is passively cooled, so it is virtually noiseless if we do install only SSDs as storage devices. We have found that using the chassis horizontally is not stellar for the nearby M.2 SSD, because it tends to share a bit of heat from the Intel SoC heatsink, but in vertical position the issue is fully solved so purchasing the vertical stand is a must in our book!
It's like one of those compact PCs you get from Dell. Super small and a great addition to any office environment and yet worthless because you cannot upgrade them. But, the XPC is barebones meaning that to use it you MUST upgrade it.
Its perfect!
Except for the Pentium N6004 Quad Core processor. That part kinda sucks.until you consider that the PC is mainly designed for Kiosks where you need a PC but, it needs to also be small.
Anyhow, check out the full review on the Shrimps!
