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

  • Lexar Unveils New Gaming Products and Enhanced Pro Photo and Video Products at CES 2023

    LAS VEGAS, NV, USA, January 3, 2023—Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory solutions, is unveiling new products specifically made for gaming at the Consumer Electronics Show 2023 (CES® 2023). The new gaming portfolio includes a variety of products, including DRAM, internal SSDs, portable gaming SSDs, and to keep up with increasing mobile category growth, microSD™ cards.

    Among the gaming lineup are the new ARES DDR5 RGB 6000MHz, as well as existing products NM800PRO with Heatsink M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe SSD, the SL660 BLAZE Gaming Portable SSD, and the PLAY microSD™ UHS-I Card.

    “We are excited to bring the quality, performance, and reliability you expect in our professional photo and video products to the gaming market. Our gaming products are designed to meet the unique needs of gamers and enable them to play at their peak without worrying about load times, game lag, or stuttering graphics,” said Joel Boquiren, General Manager of Lexar.

    In addition to their new gaming products, Lexar will also showcase their extensive photography and videography portfolio, including the new 512GB Professional CFexpress™ Type B Card DIAMOND Series, the Professional CFexpress™ Type B Card GOLD Series—now available in 1TB and 2TB capacities, and the Professional CFexpress™ Type A 320GB + RW530 card and reader bundle.

    “Our photography and videography products enable both the professional and the enthusiast to get their best shot. Our high-capacity cards allow content creators to capture for longer, while our high-performance products offer blazing transfer speeds to accelerate workflows," said Joey Lopez, Director of Marketing.

    Lexar at CES 2023

    The ARES DDR5 RGB 6000MHz, NM800PRO with Heatsink M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe SSD and the SL660 BLAZE Gaming Portable SSD will be showcased in the Lexar CES suite in a live demo display. Lexar CES will take place at The Venetian, Suite #29-211 (3355 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109) from January 5th to 7th, 9 AM - 6 PM. Media, industry analysts, influencers, and YouTubers are welcome to visit and experience innovative new products.

    Note: The ARES DDR5 RGB 6000MHz, the 512GB Professional CFexpress™ Type B Card DIAMOND Series, and the 1TB-2TB Professional CFexpress™ Type B Card GOLD Series are not yet available in the US. They will be available in the latter part of Q1.

  • SiSoftware Sandra 20/21-R19 Released

    I just got word that a new version of SiSoftware Sandra has been released and you should check it out if you are interested in benchmarking your current build. 

    Sandra has been used here on Hardware Asylum and Ninjalane.com since the beginning making it one of the longest running benchmark programs I have ever used.  The package supports a variety of CPU and Memory benchmarks that I use when overclocking to test stability and measure a performance gain.

    Later I started using the storage benchmarks to test SSDs and that is just touching the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what the SiSoftware Sandra benchmarking suite offers.

    New in this version

    * Benchmarks, Hardware Support updates and fixes

    • GP-GPU – CUDA Updated to CUDA 11.8 Support for 8.9/9.0 devices nVidia 4090 series FP16 validation failure (too low precision for image size)
    • GP-GPU Memory Bandwidth Corrected DirectX Compute (11/12) bandwidths with internal graphics
    • Memory Detection Intel XMP 3.0, AMD EXPO DDR5 detection missing in some instances Jedec, Intel XMP 2.0 DDR4 write timings if provided by newer standard revision Corrected timings (tRP, tRAS) for some Intel ADL/RPL systems Missing memory timings for some mobile Intel ADP-P/U systems Added support for more chipsets (both AMD and Intel)

    Check out their website to get your copy and consider buying a registered version to experience the power of the registered package.

  • Funky Kit Review - MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi Motherboard

    I am a fan of ALL motherboards but, if you look back over my review history, you'll see a distinct lack of AMD enabled motherboards and/or video cards in the archives.  Its not that I am against AMD but, rather I never seem to get any.

    There was an exception during the initial Ryzen launch, Seems AMD had extra press boxes and decided to send me one.  It was during that review that I discovered how crappy the first-generation Ryzen really was.

    Which made me feel better about not reviewing any of them.

    Funky Kit has a review posted for the MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk.  It seems pretty good and the Tomahawk line has traditionally been solid in both features and performance.

    If you're planning to build a new system based on the Ryzen 7000 processor, and you're looking for a mainstream AM5 motherboard that offers affordability and decent performance, then take a look at the MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi motherboard. You won't find anything better for around USD $250.

    Price seems good too.

  • 1MORE EVO Bluetooth Earphones Review @ APH Networks

    Ohhhh so tiny!!  You could almost lose these things just by using them.  That is until you start hearing ALL the noises when the Active Noise Cancelling drops out.

    The 1MORE EVO is the best Bluetooth true wireless earphones the company has to offer with great sound and surprisingly effective ANC.

    With CES just around the corner I am fully expecting to see a good number of "these" things on display with all the same features with only a shiny new logo being different.

    Yes, I am saying they are all made by the same company offering a white box option allowing your logo to be swapped out.

  • GeIL to unveil DDR5 8000MHz 16GBX2 Ultra-Speed Memory Kit

    Taipei, Taiwan—December 26, 2022 — GeIL – Golden Emperor International Ltd. – One of the world's leading PC components & peripheral manufacturers is proud to announce the grand launch of the DDR5 8000MHz 16GB x 2 CL38-48-48-90 1.45V ultra-speed modules will be available in Q1, 2023. GeIL DDR5 lineup includes EVO V and Polaris RGB are tailor-made for hardcore gamers and hardware enthusiasts to deliver unparalleled performance and stability. In addition, GeIL Dyna 5 has created a comprehensive and efficient automated testing process for grading and sorting every DDR5 IC. As a result, GeIL ensures the bandwidth data transmission, compatibility, reliability, and integrity to meet all the demands of gamers and overclockers using Intel's latest platforms.

    GeIL DDR5-8000MHz series has passed the required burn-in tests using the latest ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z790 APEX motherboard.

    GeIL is a brand committed to offering memory products with a wider range of overclocking potential to PC enthusiasts and gamers. The latest GeIL DDR5 8000MHz memory modules are built with the advanced PMIC (Power Management IC), which can effectively obtain and control a wider range of localized voltage adjustments. The PMIC is used to enhance the overall stability and performance of the memory module and can effectively unlock additional overclocking headroom.

    GeIL DDR5 8000MHz memory modules will be available at major retailers worldwide in Q1 2023. These modules are the intelligent choice for users looking to get high-performance DDR5 memory that has been highly customized for pro gamers and overclockers alike.

  • ASRock X670E Steel Legend Review @ Vortez

    ASRock, now there is a name I haven't heard in a very long time.  Back when overclocking was factory supported you could a good number of boards designed specifically for overclocking along with some unicorns from ASRock.  Sure they might use the same components as ASUS boards and, sure the bios layout is the same with the same basic controls but, for some reason the boards were cheaper, Yellow and offered pretty good performance.

    ASRock’s Steel Legend brand has been a strong one for a handful of generations now, serving as a welcome mid-range gaming model that sits below their flagship Taichi series in the stack for any given chipset. The X670E Steel Legend applies the same to the 600-series, but is absolutely one of the more premium-priced variants released by the Taiwanese company simply by virtue of X670E’s component cost.

    Seems the Steel Legend is on deck in full arctic camo with minimal heatsink'age.  Will this board be any good? Check out the review and see if you can figure it out.

    Yep, I said it, you will have to read the review to find out what they have to say, its like, how written articles work, no more hand-outs, just real words for your brain to digest.

    snoochy boochies

  • DeepCool CH510 Mesh Digital Case Launch

    It was only a matter of time before we started seeing digital displays on our computer cases again.  Of course, for those of "us" who have been around for awhile this is not a new concept.  Early computers often had a digital readout showing the speed of the CPU allowing you to quickly see if your PC was in Turbo or Turtle trim. 

    later during the golden age of Computer Case Modding there were several companies offering digital displays that resided in one of the many drive bays.  These even got pretty fancy with touch screens and mutiple sensors to measure just about anything inside your computer.

    The DeepCool CH510 Mesh Digital appears to have brought back the joys of a digital display and even placed it in a very historic location.  In addition, the case has a full mesh panel for optimal cooling and tempered glass "just cause"

    The CH510 MESH DIGITAL PC case is designed for high airflow performance to build an efficient cooling system, thanks to the generous mesh open area in the front, top, rear to allow ample airflow. The built-in digital display in the front panel monitor allows system information for critical CPU or GPU temperatures through of CH510 MESH DIGITAL gaming case, providing a practical visual design element that serves a simple yet functional purpose. 

    It will be interesting to see if the trend of digital screens takes off or is just a passing fad.  They do add considerable expense to a low margin component.  So, it will be up to the hardware enthusiasts on if it sticks around.

  • AMD RX 7900 XTX RDNA3 GPU Launch Reviews

    It would seem that I have been hiding under some rocks obscured by bushes when it comes to AMD based graphics cards.  Admittingly, when it comes to AMD cards there was a time when y you just couldn’t buy them so, I stopped paying attention. 

    Of course, now that the crypto boom has finally subsided there is a pretty good chance that GPUs are back on the menu for us gamers.

    AMD has launched their new RDNA3 cards, below are some choice web reviews for you to check out.

    Web Reviews
    - AMD "Navi 31" Radeon RX 7900 XTX and XT Unboxing @ TechPowerUp
    - AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX @ TechPowerUp
    - AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT @ TechPowerUp
    - AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX & 7900 XT Review: RDNA 3 Brings Big Gains @ HotHardware
    - AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT and XTX (reference) reviews @ Guru3D
    - AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX @ LanOC Reviews

    Custom Boards
    - ASUS Radeon RX 7900 XTX TUF OC @ TechPowerUp
    - XFX Radeon RX 7900 XTX Merc 310 OC @ TechPowerUp
    - AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Custom Design Reviews (ASUS/XFX) @ Guru3D
    - XFX MERC 310 7900 XT Black Edition @ LanOC Reviews

    Eventually, it would be nice to get back on AMD power with some Radeon love here in the Hardware Asylum Labs.  Until that day comes I'll likely enjoy myself some Radeon 7900 Crossfire love since, according to the name, it is excatly the same card.

  • Holiday Hardware Giveaway With Thermaltake

    With the holidays just around the corner and the start to a new year I teamed up with Thermaltake to give away some awesome computer parts. 

    Up for grabs are the following.

    1. Thermaltake ToughPower GF3 850W Power Supply (1x ea)
    2. Thermaltake ToughLiquid 240 ARGB AIO Cooler (1x ea)
    3. Thermaltake H700 TG Black (1x ea)

    Contest end Jan 2nd 2023 at 11:59 PM PST
    A Total 3 winners will be announced on Jan 3rd, 2023.

    Follow the instructions below to enter and good luck!

    Hardware Asylum and Thermaltake Holiday Giveaway

  • Creative Pebble Pro: Beauty Comes with Beats

    SINGAPORE – 16 November 2022 – Creative Technology today launched Creative Pebble Pro, the popular Pebble speaker series’ latest and best addition, which boasts a compelling mix of size-defying audio quality, minimalist elegance in form, and a subtle yet distinctive personable touch of RGB lighting to adorn any desktop setup.

    This new 2.0 USB speaker system sees various improvements across its features set, headlined by its audio performance. With revamped full-range drivers, and featuring digital amplifiers with built-in audio processing, which replace analog ones used in previous models the Pebble Pro belies its diminutive form factor with more headroom for louder, clearer audio across the volume range, as well as up to 3.5 times more bass than the previous model Pebble V3.

    Two of Creative’s proprietary audio technologies apply further audio shine:

    • BassFlex - delivers an extended low frequency response and deeper bass across all volume levels, without the need for a subwoofer
    • Clear Dialog - enhances vocals such that they sound more natural and are easily comprehensible; this is especially helpful when watching movies on the PC

    Considering its tiny size, the Pebble Pro’s acoustic power output is capable of reaching a mind-boggling 30W RMS and 60W peak when connected to a 30W PD adaptor*, which unleashes the full potential of its audio competence.

    The visual appeal of the Pebble Pro is accentuated by a new RGB lighting feature, tastefully integrated at the bottom of each speaker. Users can take their pick from a wide color spectrum by conveniently dialing the volume knob to set the mood of the day, and illuminate their desktops creatively with 3 lighting effects (Cycle, Pulsate or Solo).

    Other features which make the Pebble Pro a must-have desktop accessory:

    • A wide array of connectivity options that include Bluetooth 5.3 wireless technology, 3.5mm AUX-in port, USB-C port for audio streaming and power
    • Headphone and microphone ports to transform the Pebble Pro as a convenient communications tool, or for late-night private listening
    • Series signature 45-degree elevated angle for optimal audio projection to users’ ears
    • Long wire (1.8m / 5.9 ft) connecting both speakers; offers more flexibility in placement
    • Long USB-C cable (1.5m / 4.92 ft) for connection to the computer

    Pricing and Availability

    Creative Pebble Pro is priced at US$59.99 and is available at Creative.com.

    For more information, visit www.creative.com/PebblePro.