Tech News
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I haven't forgotten you all, just been busy. There are three projects going on in the Hardware Asylum labs along with a grip of X299 reviews followed by a few cases and power supplies. I want to make sure all of these get done properly and sadly, that has taken me away from my normal news hound duties.
I'm attempting to get back on a regular news posting schedule which might take a few weeks. In the meantime be sure to follow Hardware Asylum on social media, on there you'll get to see some of the latest project updates and get notified of Article and Podcast releases.
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Graphics card prices to be raised to reflect increasing memory costs
Now this is an interesting turn of events. First we have cryptominers buying up all of the video cards and now they are raising prices due to memory cost increases. Last I checked there was a surplus of memory, but maybe not GDDR5.
-- From Digitimes --
Consumer demand for graphics cards may be undermined by price hikes arising from GDDR memory shortage and first-tier vendors are expected to raise their Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080/1070/1060/1050 graphics card pricing by 3-10% at the end of August, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.
From April to mid-July, graphics card sales were contributed mainly by the cryptocurrency mining segment. With demand from the segment starting to cool off since mid-July and graphics cards' supply and pricing both stabilizing, sales from the retail channel have started picking up.
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Thermaltake Releases the New Pacific PR22-D5 Plus Reservoir Pump Combo with Software-Controlled RGB LED Cap
Bring the Best Performance and Style for Your Watercooled Gaming PC
Taipei, Taiwan-August 22nd, 2017-Thermaltake, a leading brand in PC cooling solutions, is excited to introduce the lastest Pacific PR22-D5 Plus Reservoir/Pump Combo. This combo unit is a high-quality 300ml reservoir withan integrated D5 pump and a software-controlled 16.8 million colors LED cap.
The Pacific PR22-D5 PlusReservoir/Pump Combo is made of POM and PMMA materials, which can sustain the maximum pressure up to 99 PSI, and achieve maximum discharge up to 1135L/hr that offer exceptional performance, unrivalled reliability. Moreover, the LED cap is manufactured with 12 addressable LEDs that are controlled by Riing Plus RGB Software. Functions within the software also allow users to monitor fan performance and track CPU temperature. With multiple mounting options, this comnbo unit is the right choice for PC enthusiasts, making the system a showcase for all to see! Thermaltake Pacific PR22-D5 Plus Reservoir/Pump Combo is now available for purshase on TT Premium online shop. The product availability and price vary by country and region, please contact the local Thermaltake sales representative for further information.
Where to buy:
TT Premium Global – http://ttpremium.com/product/pacific-pr22-d5-plus/ -
HyperX Reveals Next Generation Cloud Alpha Gaming Headset with Industry First Dual Chamber Technology
Unveiled at Gamescom 2017, Cloud Alpha Delivers Elite Audio and Signature HyperX Comfort
(GAMESCOM 2017) COLOGNE, Germany – Aug. 22, 2017– HyperX®, the gaming division of Kingston® Technology Company, Inc., today unveiled its next generation gaming headset – HyperXTM Cloud Alpha. The first gaming headset to feature revolutionary dual chamber technology, Cloud Alpha delivers incredible audio quality designed to enhance the PC, console and mobile gaming experience. Cloud Alpha maintains the DNA of previous award-winning HyperX headsets and replaces the popular HyperX Cloud Gaming Headset, delivering unmatched fit and comfort for extended gaming sessions, as well as rich, textured sound for extraordinary spatial awareness.
“The new HyperX Cloud Alpha is the first gaming headset to include our dual chamber technology to deliver unrivaled sound quality,” said Tyler Needles, global audio business manager, HyperX. “Designed and tested in the HyperX labs, Cloud Alpha delivers the best possible audio performance, comfort, and build quality for the ultimate competitive advantage and will be used by top eSports pros globally.”
Showcasing for the first time at Gamescom 2017, Cloud Alpha features HyperX dual chamber technology to deliver an accurate game sound with incredible range and tone. With 50mm drivers, the dual chambers allow HyperX to tune and separate the bass from the mids and highs, creating a dynamic sound that makes gaming, music and movies immersive. Cloud Alpha is designed to deliver the ultimate comfort for hours of extended gameplay with premium HyperX signature memory foam, an expanded headband featuring softer, more pliable leatherette, and a durable, lightweight aluminum frame design. The headset features a detachable cable with in-line audio control allowing console gamers to adjust volume and mute microphone right on the cable with multi-platform compatibility with PC, PS4™, PS4™ Pro, Xbox One™1, Xbox One S™1, Mac®, Mobile2, Nintendo Switch™, and other virtual reality systems with 3.5mm ports3. Offering players clearer voice quality and excellent sound for enhanced team communication, the Cloud Alpha is TeamSpeakTM and Discord Certified.
“We are excited to partner with HyperX for the first PUBG LAN Invitational at gamescom." saidWoonghee Cho, Director of Global Business Development, Bluehole Inc, developer of PUBG. "HyperX is a global leader with excellent gaming products and we're happy that they'll be participating at the PUBG Invitational. We are looking forward to test out their new Cloud Alpha headsets they are providing for all of the PC’s in to invitational.”
Gamescom is the world’s largest gaming developer event, and HyperX is proud to sponsor its first major PUBG eSports Tournament. HyperX offers a complete portfolio of gear used by pro gamers across the globe for competitive gameplay and its full lineup – including the new Cloud Alpha – will be used on 80 gaming platforms during the PUBG Invitational where gamers will compete for a $350,000 prize pool.
Cloud Alpha will be showcased at Gamescom from Aug. 22 – 24 in Cologne, Germany. HyperX will be located in the Game Industry Business Lounge, part of the Gamescom Business Area. Leading up to the official start of Gamescom, Paul Leaman, vice president, EMEA, HyperX, will be speaking on August 21 at 12pm CET on the Digital Sponsorship panel at the first SPOBIS Gaming & Media Conference on the growing eSports landscape and role of endemic sponsors.
Availability
Cloud Alpha is planned to release September 25, priced at MSRP $99.99 and will be available through HyperX’s network of retail and e-tail outlets. For more information on Cloud Alpha and availability, please visit the Cloud Alpha webpage. -
Cooler Master Adds Two Gaming Mice to Portfolio: MM520 and MM530
Los Angeles, CA - Cooler Master, a Taipei-based leader in designing and manufacturing computer components and peripherals launches two specific grip type mice, the MasterMouse MM530 tailored for the palm gripper and MasterMouse MM520 tailored for claw grips. Cooler Master’s existing MasterMouse portfolio caters to the ambidextrous user and with these two additions Cooler Master has created an easy purchasing decision, one that allows the gamer to “Make Your Gaming Experience” through picking their specific grip type for better gaming. These mice are also two out of the four new products that exhibit the company’s refreshed logo.
We created two new mice for gamers that are looking for comfortable, right-handed grips. One designed for palm grip and the other for claw grip, but both fully packed with quality features and performance to step up your game,” says Bram Rongen, Peripheral Product Marketing Manager.
Pick Your Grip, Pick Your Game
The MasterMouse MM530 is the worthy successor to the CM Storm Mizar and Alcor, now upgraded and for the serious gamer. It features sleek ergonomic styling with molding and side grips ideal for palm grippers, based and inspired by the ever-loved Microsoft Intelli shape. The MM530 gaming mouse is custom-tailored for high action competition in first-person shooters. Reinforced rubber side grips and a ring finger rest ensure long-lasting comfort during the most heated FPS competitions
The MasterMouse MM520 is the successor to the Spawn gaming mouse, improved further for claw grip gamers by making it slightly longer. The MM520 is custom-tailored for the high-speed actions of a first-person shooter (FPS), multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBA), and real-time strategy games (RTS).
Feature Packed
These mice have the hardware features to match the looks, with a precise Pixart 3360 lag-free 1:1 input with 12000 DPI, on-the-fly DPI adjustments, and 20 million rated Omron switches. Both mice also have PBT plastic construction in the side covers and Left and Right buttons for rugged durability and to ensure those nasty stains won’t appear over time as on traditional ABS plastic mice. And of course, what is a gaming mouse in 2017 without brilliant RGB illumination? Both mice feature 3-Zone RGB illumination to customize the look to match your system and other peripherals. Besides RGB programmability, these mice also comes with software that lets you customize button assignments, macros and more. The settings are saved on the onboard memory so these mice are ready to go with you.The MasterMouse MM530 and MasterMouse MM520 are available on Amazon and Newegg starting August 22, 2017 respectfully, for $49.99 & €49,99. For further information please visit www.coolermaster.com.
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Thermaltake Toughpower iRGB PLUS 1250W Titanium @ HardwareOverclock
What has over 1200w of power, made from metal and somehow mixes up the wording for 80 Plus Titanium?
HardwareOverclock.com has just posted another review. Last week we have tested the Thermaltake Toughpower iRGB PLUS 1250W Titanium. This power supply is the world’s first PSU pre-installed with a patented 16.8 million colors RGB fan that incorporate various high-tech components, leading technology and eco-friendly commendations. Featuring 80 PLUS Titanium certification with individually sleeved cable and flat cable, Toughpower iRGB PLUS Titanium Series adopts the highest quality components and fully modular design that always accommodate any mainstream build under any circumstance.
The TT Toughpower iRGB Plus 1250W Titanium. That is one big PSU with RGB lighting and power delivery for days. Be sure to check out our review of the Thermaltake Smart Pro RGB 850W Power Supply Review cause, you know that is what we do around here.
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Bitfenix Nova TG @ techPowerUp
I find it interesting how inexpensive computer cases have gotten over the years. Don't get me wrong there have always been cheap cases built from crap metal with no extra features, function or fluff. They are/were just metal boxes for your computer parts.
Fast forward to... now... and we have tempered glass side panels, custom colors and a price tag that few can ignore.
The Bitfenix Nova TG is aiming to be an interesting choice for the entry level. While the original Nova, launched nearly 2 years ago, managed to sport a 30 USD price tag, this also meant sacrificing functionality and layout when it came to the interior. The Nova TG does not only come with a tempered Glass side panel but upgraded internals and a splash of color. Is it worth the higher price tag of 50 USD?
So, what are the downsides, I mean why are cases to cheap all of a sudden. Well, to sum things up the lack of external drive bays has made building a case easier and thus lowered the overall strike price. So what should be a 70 dollar case is now only 30 bux and comes with fewer socially acceptable features and yet people love them.
Just seems backwards if you as me.
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AMD Launches the Highest-Performance Desktop Processor, Ever, with Ryzen Threadripper
Sunnyvale, Calif. — Aug. 10, 2017 — Today, AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) released two models of its highly anticipated, Ryzen™ Threadripper™ high-end desktop processors, AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper ™1950X and AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ 1920X. During an already record-setting year for the company through the successful launch of several award-winning Ryzen™ desktop processors for the AM4 platform, today’s release of Ryzen Threadripper marks a major step forward in performance and features for the high-end desktop market, with the new processor exceeding the expectations of even the most demanding developers, researchers, prosumers, creators, and multi-tasking gamers. Built around the new AMD x86 “Zen” core architecture, Ryzen Threadripper delivers overwhelming power, unrestrained potential, and indisputable supremacy over comparable products in the market.
“The level of global support and excitement built-up around AMD Ryzen processors has been incredible to watch these last few months, and with today’s Ryzen Threadripper launch, we deliver a new level of computing power to the world’s fastest ultra-premium desktop systems via an entirely new platform and set of multi-core processors,” said Jim Anderson, senior vice president and general manager, Computing and Graphics Group, AMD. “Ryzen Threadripper is the jolt of innovation that the high-end desktop customer was waiting for, providing the long-awaited ability to choose a processor that best fulfills their computing needs at a competitive price.”
Performance and Availability
Both new models of Ryzen Threadripper support the new SocketTR4 platform, sporting sixty-four PCIe® lanes, quad channel DDR4 memory, and AMD simultaneous multithreading (SMT). With support for 16 cores and 32 processing threads, the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X delivers unprecedented multi-processing power, the likes of which have never been available for consumer desktop systems before. The Ryzen Threadripper 1920X provides 12 cores and 24 processing threads and will be available on-shelf along with the Threadripper 1950X on August 10th, 2017. A third variant, the 8-core 16-thread Ryzen Threadripper 1900X, is expected to be available August 31.Whether rendering complex 3D scenes, streaming high-quality video game content, or encoding, compiling, and encrypting files in parallel of each other, the world-class performance per clock and efficiency of AMD’s “Zen” architecture means users can do so without sacrificing efficiency or performance. Ryzen Threadripper 1950X and 1920X processors include 40MB and 38MB of processor cache, respectively, and all Ryzen Threadripper processors from the $549 Threadripper 1900X to the $999 Threadripper 1950X feature the same Quad-Channel DDR4 memory bandwidth, 64 lanes of PCIe® 3.0 connectivity, and processor-direct SATA/NVMe/USB connectivity. In addition, every Ryzen Threadripper processor is multiplier-unlocked to provide unlimited user flexibility. A full ecosystem of SocketTR4 X399 platforms, with native USB 3.1 Gen2 10GB/s connectivity, provide support for all Ryzen Threadripper processors at launch, with motherboards coming from top manufacturers like ASRock, ASUS, Gigabyte, and MSI.
Alienware Area-51 Threadripper™ Edition
In a testament to the multi-tasking and gaming capabilities of Ryzen Threadripper, Alienware has also launched its exclusive pre-built 16-core AMD Ryzen Threadripper™ Edition system to acclaim from high-end desktop enthusiasts worldwide. The new Alienware Area-51 Threadripper Edition, named “Best of E3” by Tom’s Guide and PC Gamer, sports a similar Triad chassis design to that of existing Area-51 systems, but incorporates AMD’s powerful Ryzen Threadripper 1950X processor.“Built into the Alienware brand DNA, we stand by our commitment to deliver optimum gaming performance with iconic design and outstanding quality, Alienware is pleased to be first and only OEM to offer AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper to gamers and the new field of home content creators and megatasking streamers,” said Frank Azor, VP and GM, Alienware, Dell Gaming and XPS. “The Alienware Area-51 Threadripper Edition with the first-ever 16-core desktop processor and CPU liquid cooling allows you to use the most demanding applications to play, record and create simultaneously – taking your gaming and content creation experience to a whole new level.”
Additional Info
The Ryzen Threadripper platform features the X399 chipset, which uses the new Socket TR4, supports quad channel DDR4, and features 64 lanes of PCI Express throughout the entire Threadripper ecosystem. Base clock for the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X is 3.4 GHz with precision boost to 4.0 GHz. Ryzen Threadripper 1920X has a base clock of 3.5 GHz with precision boost to 4.0 GHz. A third variant, the 8-core 16-thread Ryzen Threadripper 1900X, will have a base clock of 3.8 GHz and precision boost of 4.0 GHz, and will be available for purchase on August 31 at a retail price of $549. Ryzen Threadripper CPUs are designed to support even the most demanding of tasks, whether it be rendering complex 3D scenes, streaming high-quality video game content, or encoding, compiling, and encrypting files all at the same time.Pricing:
- Ryzen Threadripper 1950X: 16-Core, 32-Thread, 3.4/4.0 GHz, $999
- Ryzen Threadripper 1920X: 12-Core, 24-Thread, 3.5/4.0 GHz, $799
- Ryzen Threadripper 1900X: 8-Core, 16-Thread, 3.8/4.0 GHz, $549 (on shelves August 31)
Please find the press release and additional details below and feel free to reach out with any questions.
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MSI X299 SLI PLUS @ techPowerUp
Cannot say I approve of XPower going away but, in this fine world of gaming boards that aren't any good for gaming and RGB LEDs everywhere it makes sense to simply go meta and call things how they are.
MSI has gone and stripped "GAMING" and "X-POWER" from its motherboard, and what's left is what we've got to look at today. MSI's X299 SLI PLUS is exactly what its name says it is and not much more... or is it more than anyone could have hoped for?
I hope it doesn't come back to byte them. Afterall some companies have gone under once they changed their brand marketing. *cough*Foxconn*/cough*
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Introducing the EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti K|NGP|N
July 25th, 2017 - The GeForce® GTX™ 1080 Ti was designed to be the most powerful desktop GPU ever created, and indeed it was. EVGA built upon its legacy of innovative cooling solutions and powerful overclocking with its GTX 1080 Ti SC2 and FTW3 graphics cards. Despite the overclocking headroom provided by the frigid cooling of EVGA's patented iCX Technology, the potential of the GTX 1080 Ti still leaves room for one more card at the top...and man is it good to be the K|NG.
Featuring iCX Technology, a new efficient heatpipe layout, and edge-plated PCB for improved cooling, the GTX 1080 Ti K|NGP|N is ready to go from the moment you power on and also features:
- Guaranteed 2025 MHz+ Overclock*
- Highly-Efficient Digital VRM
- Dual-slot profile
- Single-slot capable with Hydro Copper Waterblock**
Single Graphics Card World Records:
- 3DMark Time Spy World Record – 14,219
- 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme World Record – 19,361
- 3DMark Fire Strike World Record – 31,770
- UNIGINE Superposition – 8,642
Learn more at www.evga.com/kingpin
Unboxing overview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNAh64hD_Zk
