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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FSP CMT210 Mid-Tower ATX PC Case Review @ ModSynergy
Everyone loves an inexpensive chassis proof of that can be seen in the steady declining PC component sales and the endless number of reddit threads asking for help building a "budget pc".
For a hardware enthusiast budget is often secondary over component choice which doesn't necessarily remove cost from the equation but brings style, features and compatibility forward to ensure the selected product will match the need.
ModSynergy is taking a look at the CMT210 case from FSP. It isn't a bad looking case but does seem to be "sampled" from a few older Cooler Master designs. Maybe that is what CMT stands for.
I’ll be reviewing FSP’s first ever PC chassis with their CMT210 gaming oriented ATX mid-tower PC case. The CMT210 aims to provide those on a budget a modern PC chassis with lots of cooling capabilities, a sleek interior layout providing lots of expansion abilities including showcasing your SSDs up front, support for both tall air coolers and water cooling, support for lengthy high-end graphics cards, and closing it up with a clear side panel. All of this can be had for a competitive $59.99 USD and I’ll be testing the FSP CMT210 to see if it makes your money go the extra mile and is a worthy platform to invest in.
Even if this case is not for you, you cannot fault them for the lack of photos.
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Lian Li’s PC-O12 Mid-tower Case is Now Available
Gorgeous Tempered Glass Case, space for two vertical graphics cards, featuring USB 3.1 Type-C
May 18, 2017, Keelung, Taiwan - Lian-Li Industrial Co. Ltd launches the PC-O12; a compact mid-tower chassis that combines sleek tempered glass panels with strong, but lightweight, steel and aluminum. This new addition to Lian Li’s latest generation O-series chassis range offers unsurpassed style, plus slim design with ample space for a powerful but compact PC build. Thanks to its unique design, it offers space for two vertically placed graphics cards in a separate compartment for gorgeous PC builds.
Tempered glass adds a touch of class
The PC-O12’s flawless tempered glass front and side panels make it a sleek and sophisticated showcase for the latest cutting edge computing technologies. Tempered glass is tough, safe and very durable, providing a ‘fresh from the showroom’ appearance indefinitely. The PC-O12’s alluring black aluminum outer body and panels complete the picture. Internally, a rigid steel frame provides a firm foundation for state of the art features.
Ideal balance of chassis size and features
Despite it’s space-saving format, this mid-tower enclosure offers plenty of room for the most powerful hardware. The 440mm full bandwidth PCI Express 16x riser cable allows flexible vertical graphics card mounting to enhance cooling and to show off the latest graphics technology through the tempered glass side panel. The roomy case interior fits graphics cards up to 340mm long and CPU coolers up to 75mm high.
There’s internal space for up to eight hard disk and SSD drives for terabytes of fast storage capacity. In addition, the newest ultra speedy, powerful external USB 3.1 type C devices are supported, and there are a total of four external USB connectors as standard.
A case with great low-noise cooling performance
With up to five large-format fans, this chassis ensures valuable PC components keep running cool, prolonging life, enhancing performance and reducing noise. There’s space for three 120mm fans at the top of the case, plus two 140mm or 120mm fans at the front. With so many airflow options, users are able to reduce fan speed and reduce noise.
In addition, removable mesh dust filters cover the primary fan mounts. The drive cages and PSU mount include rubber vibration dampeners to minimize noise.
Price and Availability
The PC-O12 is now available at Newegg for $399.99
Additional PCI Express riser cables are available at Performance PC starting in June 2017
About Lian Li
Lian Li Industrial Co. Ltd is an Aluminum Chassis and Chassis peripheral manufacturer and provider of industrial wholesale as well as OEM & ODM services for the PC industry as required. With over 20 years of service excellence, ISO 9001 certification and a team of professional staff willing to do the utmost to deliver durable, superior quality products, all backed by a *2 year guarantee; your satisfaction is guaranteed (*conditions apply). To learn more about Lian Li, please visit the official website: http://www.lian-li.com/. You can also visit Lian Li on Facebook or follow Lian Li on Instagram: @LianLiHQ
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Specifications of Intel’s Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X i9 and i7 series leaked
This information has been making the rounds today after having been posted in the Anandtech forums last Friday. It would seem that Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X processor specs have been "leaked" and instead of keeping with the familiar Core i7 name they changed it to.
Core i9
Now, if memory serves Intel swore up and down and even sent some "thumb breakers" to editors claiming that Core i9 was going to happen.
The Intel response was "Stop trying to make Core i9 happen, its not going to happen"
Well, the joke is on 'cause we got screenshots claiming otherwise. Here is the breakdown.
Oh, and a photo of a screen showing a powerpoint slide with all of the info.
I would say that this is rumor mill at best. In the photo we can see a rather messy "desktop", I mean who moves their icons away from the start shortcut (it’s not a button, at least anymore) and still retains credibility in their intelligence?. On top of that, who actually uses an ACER monitor(s) anymore?? Maybe some engineer in Taiwan but you'd think that one of the largest chipmakers in the world could spring for a decent panel.
Of course, the last and final clue is the Core i9 name. Let us assume that Intel is keeping with their tagline that Core i9 isn't going to happen so, why release it now? I can see where it might work with the top end chips given that it is 12 cores and comes with 44 PCI Express lanes but, everything else on that list currently has a Core i7 counterpart.
Then again, maybe this is how Intel will regain some of their consumer cash by saying Core i7 is "Consumer" while Core i9 is "Professional". If that was their play then Intel could jack up the price and effectively stop consumers from using anything based on the X299 chipset in the retail space.
I suspect we will find out more come Computex when the first X299 motherboards are released along with processor details.
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Intel X99 Benchers Memory Battle @ Madshrimps
I will be the first to admit that I suck at memory overclocking. I have overclocked memory, tweaked timings and playing with frequency but for the most part that is the extent of what I do.
And, the reason? Well, it takes a LONG time to fully overclock a memory module and unlike with motherboards where very little on the board will physically block you from overclocking a memory module depends on chip quality, CPU quality and CPU Memory Controller quality. All of which can kill your overclock and you may not know which is the culprit.
When you consider the "real world" benefits to memory overclocking some tweaks are difficult to attain and net you no benefit which is why you go after the big gains like frequency and tune from there. The smaller tweaks are usually best served when doing competitive overclocking like what is being discussed over at MadShrimps.
Since the launch of the Intel Sky Lake platform, we were being flooded with a multitude of different DDR4 memory ICs. After you finally decided to buy that particular tweakable kit, there were again screenshots popping up of something new and at first glance even better performing memory. At launch date Hynix was king of the hill for the X99 quad channel setups. however the latest memory architecture release for Sky and Kaby Lake are the Samsung B-DIE ICs. When tweaked, they are able to run at high speeds in combination with ultra tight timings. These are a real treat to gain them extra precious points to climb in the HWBOT ranking. Besides the fact that the latter are 8GB modules and thus a bit more pricey than the other 4GB variants, one drawback is that these B-DIE based memories are still pretty inconsistent in quality. Wading through different OC forums we noted DOA's, degraded sticks and even many sticks just failing to do tight timings at what we consider to be standard OC speeds, hence why memory binners jumped on the wagon and are selling, logically for a little extra margin, sticks that can truly deliver the goods. Today we explore what memory is great and which one is the best for your high end Intel LGA 2011-3 platform.
Some good stuff over there be sure to check it out.
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New Volta Architecture for Supercomputer GPU
This is really exciting.
SAN JOSE, Calif.—Nvidia refreshed its lineup of GPUs for deep learning and artificial intelligence applications on Wednesday with the new 5,120-core, 7.5 teraflop Tesla V100 Volta.
The new processor is part of Nvidia's quest to come up with a new way to consistently improve computing performance in the aftermath of Moore's Law, which many industry leaders agree is pretty much dead. Instead of boosting processor speeds or cramming more transistors onto already-crowded silicon, Nvidia is championing GPU-accelerated computing, which the company's CEO Jensen Huang (pictured above) said can offer a 150 percent performance boost every year.
The Tesla V100, with a brand-new architecture called "Volta," represents that latest boost. It's the "next giant leap into the new world" of AI and high-performance computing, Huang said at Nvidia's developers conference here. The V100 will start shipping by the end of the year to data centers owned by Amazon, Microsoft, and other cloud computing providers in several different configurations.
Be sure to check out the entire story over at PCMag. According to NVIDIA they are building a platform for deep learning which is the precursor to AI and other exciting and scary things. From a hardware standpoint this new GPU is pretty amazing as it features HBM2 memory, 5120 CUDA cores and is built on a 12nm process. All of that fits on a small board that can then be scaled in datacenter systems with no upper level.
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Nvidia is on an all time high with no signs of stopping
NVIDIA is on a roll these days. First with the launch of Pascal, the new GPU architecture powering the GTX 1000 series GPUs and Titan Xp and now with a quarterly earnings revenue of $1.94 billion.
Basically a 48% gain.
I wouldn't expect every NVIDIA fanboi to follow the stock market but a revenue of almost 2 billion dollars tends to get investors excited and they immediately start dumping money into the stock. That makes good sense for everyone including existing stock holders who are just watching the numbers go up.
The result is something like this.
Nvidia stock is soaring, up more than 14% in after-hours trading, beating Wall Street’s expectations for its first quarter.
The graphics processing unit (GPU) company announced its first quarter earnings today with revenue of $1.94 billion, a 48% gain year over year. While gaming drives most of the company’s sales, its largest area of growth over the past year was selling GPUs that power the artificial intelligence and graphics processing in datacenters. That sector of business saw 186% growth year over year, just a dip below last quarter’s 205% growth.Lets hope that NVIDIA can keep this going. I suspect things will slow down for awhile given that all of the major verticals have been released but, you never know.
Of course that doesn't include automotive and datacenter systems unless you count the $1200 Titan Xp and the Tesla V100 and variety of configurations you can buy it in.
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AMD Ryzen 5 1600 Processor Review @ Madshrimps
Ryzen 7 is a powerhouse of a processor, eight cores with sixteen threads makes it a perfect complement to any application where multi threading performance is important. Thing is, that despite desktop PCs having multi core processors for YEARS the software used on those machines is still largely single threaded or optimized for dual core situations.
This makes Ryzen 7 a little overkill and yet slower than what we have come to know.
Madshrimps is taking a look at the lower end Ryzen 5 1600 series processor. This is a slower version of the Ryzen 7 that draws less power and costs less as a result.
The Ryzen 5 1600 CPU does arrive with notably lower core clocks and 30W lower TDP versus its 1600X brother, all other technical specifications remaining the same. While we can see a small performance drop with the Ryzen 5 1600, both CPUs seem to share similar overclock margins on AIO water cooling; however, we did manage to achieve 3.9GHz at a considerably higher voltage than on the 1600X, which tells us that the more expensive SKU did belong from a more capable batch.
Like me the Madshrimps crew loves to overclock and likes to include overclocking scores in their reviews. By the looks of it they seem to have done quite well with their Ryzen 5 1600 sample.
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ASUS ROG STRIX Z270I GAMING ITX Review @ Hardware Canucks
Overclocking and MiniITX, seems like a good combo. Gigabyte did that back in the day and EVGA has always had a good board, Heck even MSI offered a good overclocker on the tiny form factor.
The question is, can ASUS deliver on a platform designed by VIA and never intended for performance applications?
They say good things come in small packages and ASUS' new ROG STRIX Z270I GAMING proves that. This tiny ITX motherboard packs all the performance and overclocking chops of boards twice its size.
It would seem that Hardware Canucks is asking the same question, but only because of click-bait. So, the real question is...
Did it work?
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EpicGear Morpha X Gaming Mouse Wins Computex d&i Award
Taipei, Taiwan – May 4, 2017 – EpicGear, the leading brand in professional gaming peripherals, today announces that they have won the prestigious Computex d&i Award (design and innovation) from Computex organizers TAITRA (The Taiwan External Trade Development Council) in conjunction with iF (International Forum Design).
“We’re really honored to receive the Computex d&i Award” commented Jennifer Huang, Vice President of EpicGear. “EpicGear Morpha X Modular Gaming Mouse showcases our determination to offer innovative features and the absolute best gaming experience.”
COMPUTEX d&i awards 2017 – Organized by TAITRA and iF
The COMPUTEX d&i awards, hosted for the first time in 2008 by TAITRA in cooperation with iF have become a constant feature of the COMPUTEX TAIPEI trade fair and honored products that stand out through excellent design. In the Computex d&i award category of Gaming Devices + Content of Games, EpicGear won with their submission of the EpicGear Morpha X Modular Gaming Mouse. Learn more about Computex d&i Awards here: https://goo.gl/bUKNsf -
Intel says to stop overclocking your Core i7-7700K to avoid high temps
I love this. And before people get all triggered let me explain.
A couple months ago I posted an article that detailed how to delid your Kaby Lake processor using a tool called the Rockit 88. It made delidding your processor extremely easy and the benefits are quite good.
Thing is some users really don't understand why someone would delid the processor, nor want to bother learning but, somehow listen to tech people saying. "Monitor your temps!", "Burn in your processor for stability!", "Use only the best thermal paste!" and.. the list goes on. I'm a hardware enthusiast and know from my 20+ years building custom pcs that NONE of that really matters if you do things correctly.
So, long story short, I was reading through the comments of my Delidding Video and noticed a user asking about temperature spikes on his 7700K and linked to the Intel Support forum post. I knew that the spikes people were talking about where well within range and likely due to sudden spikes in processor activity. That is just how Windows works, end of story.
But, people seem to insist that it is an Intel problem and bring up complaints from Enthusiasts thinking that is going to change their mind. Well. Intel had this to say.
"We appreciate the feedback you have provided, and your patience as we investigated this behavior. The reported behavior of the 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7700K Processor, showing momentary temperature changes from the idle temperature, is normal while completing a task (like opening a browser or an application or a program).
In our internal investigation, we did not observe temperature variation outside of the expected behavior and recommended specifications. For processor specifications, please refer to the Intel Core i7-7700K Processor Product Specifications.
Most motherboard manufacturers offer customizable fan speed control settings that may allow for smoother transition of fan revolutions per minute (rpm). Please consult your motherboard manufacturer’s manual or website for instructions on how to change default fan speed control settings.
We do not recommend running outside the processor specifications, such as by exceeding processor frequency or voltage specifications, or removing of the integrated heat spreader (sometimes called 'de-lidding'). These actions will void the processor warranty."
In a way this equates to what Microsoft did to the Windows 8 start menu when people started complaining. Honestly Windows 8 was horrid but when Microsoft decided to address the issue by adding an icon to activate the start menu. Not a button but an icon. I think Penny Arcade said it best. "This is how UI Designers say 'Fuck You'"
Well in similar fashion Intel simply told everyone to stop overclocking.
I am in full agreement with Intel on this one, they have 0 liability to support anything outside the bounds of what they are offering which includes overclocking and anything a 3rd party motherboard maker enables or sets by default. (*cough* BCLK over Voltage Adjustment */cough*)
Be sure to check out my video on how to properly delid your Core i7 7700k on the Hardware Asylum YouTube channel and keep the enthusiast juices flowing.
