Global Giveaway: Win 1 of 3 ID-Cooling High-Performance Coolers, open worldwide until Dec 9
Global entry! We have teamed up with ID-Cooling to give away three of its awesome new coolers to three lucky winners. Everyone in the world can enter.
The ID-Cooling FX360 INF is designed for high-performance gaming and demanding computing tasks. With its 360mm radiator, three quiet 120mm fans, and a GEN 7 pump, it offers excellent heat dissipation, handling up to 350W TDP. It provides top-tier cooling for Intel platforms and delivers solid performance on AMD systems as well. Despite its powerful cooling capabilities, it remains impressively quiet-running at just 32dB during normal use and only reaching 48dB under heavy load. Thanks to its long tubing and easy installation hardware, it fits smoothly into almost any build. Plus, the ARGB infinity mirror on the pump and fans adds a stylish touch, making your rig look as good as it performs.
The ID-Cooling FROZN A620 Black is all about performance without the noise. It cools like a champion while staying surprisingly quiet. Its sleek all-black design, complemented by ARGB lighting along the edges of the heatsink and fans, creates a bold and modern look. Every detail is well thought out, from the top cover to the copper base. Installation is a breeze, and at just 155mm tall, it fits in most cases as long as your RAM isn't too tall. All in all, it's one of the best black dual-tower coolers around, offering solid cooling and a stylish design at a great price.
MSI MPG 322URX gaming monitor: 4K 240Hz QD-OLED confirmed with DisplayPort 2.1a UHBR20 support
MSI has confirmed its upcoming MPG 322URX 4K 240Hz QD-OLED gaming monitor supports the DisplayPort 2.1a UHBR20 standard, offering full DP bandwidth.
The new 32-inch 4K 240Hz QD-OLED gaming monitor won't be a huge upgrade over the 2024 model, but the MPG 322URX will feature DisplayPort 2.1a with the full UHBRR20 mode, offering a huge 80Gbps of bandwidth. We've seen multiple DisplayPort 2.1 monitors, but they were either rUHBR10 or UHBR13.5.
MSI's new MPG 322URX QD-OLED gaming monitor also features higher Power Delivery through USB-C, with up to 98W of power (up from 90W). This means the monitor will be able to handle devices with more power being drawn over the USB-C connector, including smartphones, laptops, and more.
Ubisoft sunsets first-person shooter XDefiant due to unprofitability
Ubisoft has officially sunset XDefiant, a new free-to-play shooter that failed to meet internal expectations.
The reports were right: Ubisoft's FPS XDefiant was indeed struggling, and Ubisoft has ultimately made the decision to pull the plug on the game. The game is now in its winding down phase. XDefiant is no longer available to download, and gamers can't make new user registrations or purchase items. The servers will remain online until June 2025, though, which essentially transforms the game into a big private beta.
"Thank you for your incredible support and dedication to XDEFIANT. We regret to inform you that we are initiating the sunset process starting today, December 3, 2024.
Continue reading: Ubisoft sunsets first-person shooter XDefiant due to unprofitability (full post)
Samsung to show off its 42.5Gbps 24GB GDDR7 memory modules at ISSCC 2025 in February
Samsung will be showcasing its next-gen 42.5Gbps GDDR7 memory modules at ISSCC between February 16-20, 2025, ready for what could materialize into NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50 SUPER series GPUs.
How do we know this? Because the ISSCC website lists an event from Samsung "Nonvolatile Memory and DRAM" event that is held on February 19, 2025. Samsung will be showing off its flagship GDDR7 memory, which is capable of running at a blistering 42.5Gbps... this is huge, as the first fleet of RRTX 50 series GPUs should feature 28-32Gbps GDDR7 memory.
NVIDIA's initial fleet of GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs will use 28Gbps or 32Gbps GDDR7 memory modules depending on the SKU, so Samsung's ultra-fast 42.5Gbps GDDR7 modules could be used on beefed-up cards like the RTX 5090 SUPER and RTX 5080 SUPER graphics cards.
AMD's CES 2025 keynote announced, 'next generation of gaming' to be unveiled
AMD's SVP and GM of Computing and Graphics, Jack Huynh, has announced that the company's big CES 2025 press event and keynote will take place on Monday, January 6, at 11 a.m. PT. The event will run for 45 minutes, and AMD will unveil its "next generation of innovation across gaming, AI PC, and commercial."
Gaming before AI? Yes, it sounds like the company's upcoming RDNA 4 graphics cards, the mid-range Radeon RX 8800 XT and the Radeon RX 8700 XT, will be a big focus at the event. Jack Huynh teases "incredible special guests" while adding, "You won't want to miss it!" Based on previous Radeon-focused keynotes, we fully expect to see live or recorded game demos alongside performance benchmarks and new features. Hopefully, AMD's rumored AI-powered FSR 4 will be ready to show.
For those keeping track, AMD's CES event will happen before NVIDIA's evening GeForce RTX 50 reveal. AMD hasn't teased any specific products for CES 2025, but the sheer number of leaks and rumors we've seen all but make RDNA 4 a certainty. The company is also expected to unveil its next-gen Strix Halo and Kracken Point APUs, which will be gaming powerhouses in their own right.
NVIDIA's next-gen GB300 AI platform in mid-2025: more perf than GB200, fully liquid-cooled
NVIDIA's beefed-up GB300 AI servers are expected to hit the market in mid-2025, rolling out with even more performance, faster (and more) 12-Hi HBM3E memory, and more.
In a new report from the UDN, we're learning that supply chain manufacturers have already started the process for next-gen NVIDIA GB200 AI servers, which will have massive power consumption increases over the already power-hungry GB200 AI servers.
We heard not too long ago in October 2024 that NVIDIA was reportedly rebranding its upcoming "Blackwell Ultra" AI GPUs to the B300 series, with B300 and GB300 chips using TSMC's new CoWoS-L advanced packaging. The B200 Ultra was reportedly renamed to the B300, while the GB200 Ultra has been renamed to GB300, while B200A Ultra and GB200A Ultra are now B300A and GB300A, respectively.
Intel Graphics Software for Arc GPUs updated with easy-to-use overclocking controls
With Intel announcing its first Battlemage GPU, the new Intel Arc B580 and B570, the company has also announced that it's updating its software tools and support with the latest Intel Graphics Software. With expanded display settings tools and more control over things like FPS limiters and latency reduction, a robust suite of overclocking controls is even introduced.
Yes, this means the Intel Arc B580, with its 12GB of VRAM, 2670 MHz Graphics Clock, and base 190W power draw, can all be tweaked to boost performance. The new Intel Graphics Software will replace the existing Arc Control software on the PC. It will be the all-in-one tool for GPU and PC game customization, performance monitoring and tuning, and driver releases going forward.
When it comes to overclocking, during a preview of the new software, we were shown how in-depth and easy to use it is - with control over GPU tuning, voltage limits, VRAM memory speed overclocking, fan curve, and thermal tuning.
FromSoftware doesn't deny Elden Ring 2, but studio isn't actively working on it
Hidetaka Miyazaki, known colloquially as the lord of pain, says fans can look forward to a "new" FromSoftware when it comes to the upcoming slate of projects from the Japanese games-maker.
Elden Ring was far and away FromSoftware's best-selling game. The RPG was a veritable sensation when it released in 2022, taking over gaming and racking up multiple millions of sales. As of June 2024, Elden Ring has sold over 25 million copies worldwide, sparked in part by the new mega-popular Shadow of the Erdtree expansion (which also went on to sell 5 million copies).
Given the game's huge success, it makes sense to consider a sequel. Elden Ring was a big deal for everyone involved, including publisher Bandai Namco, FromSoftware, and the developer's parent company, Kadokawa. Side note: Sony is said to be discussing a potential buyout of Kadokawa, which would arm the tech giant with a multitude of manga and anime segments alongside the Dark Souls and Elden Ring developer, FromSoftware.
Intel has been testing Battlemage GPU drivers 24/7 to ensure a smooth launch
Intel launched its first generation of Arc graphics cards, the Intel Arc A750, in March 2022. At the time, it received mixed reviews due to driver and compatibility issues, where performance varied wildly from game to game. It also didn't play nice with specific system configurations, leading many to label Arc as 'wait and see.'
Fast-forward to 2024, and Intel's Arc Graphics represents GPUs for desktop systems, laptops, and gaming handhelds. However, it feels like a mere blip on the radar when compared to GeForce or Radeon.
Still, Intel has released over 50 new driver updates, added support for over 120 new game launches, and expanded Arc's game coverage by 2.5X. Older PC games, including several of today's biggest competitive titles, have received massive performance improvements across all Arc Graphics products.
Intel announces XeSS 2 with new Frame Generation and Low Latency tech
Intel XeSS, or Xe Super Sampling, is the company's answer to NVIDIA's DLSS and AMD's FSR. However, as it utilizes the AI hardware and XMX Engines found in all Arc Graphics products, it's often seen as a better solution than FSR for maintaining image quality. Alongside Intel announcing its first next-gen Battlemage GPU with the new Intel Arc B580 today, the company has also lifted the lid on Intel XeSS 2. And yes, it includes frame generation.
When NVIDIA launched DLSS 3 Frame Generation alongside the GeForce RTX 40 Series, it took a minute or two to understand what was happening. XeSS 2 is similar in that it combines three bits of technology - XeSS Super Resolution, XeSS-FG Frame Generation, and XeLL Low Latency. Super Resolution does the AI upscaling. Frame Generation leverages AI-powered 'Optical Flow Reprojection' and other game data to create a new frame. XeLL dramatically lowers system latency to improve responsiveness.
What does that mean? Well, it transforms F1 24's native 1440p Ultra performance on the Intel Arc B580 from 48 FPS with an overall latency of 57ms to 152 FPS with an overall latency of 28ms.
Continue reading: Intel announces XeSS 2 with new Frame Generation and Low Latency tech (full post)
Intel Arc B580 is 10% faster than the GeForce RTX 4060, 24% faster than Arc A750
Intel has formally revealed its first Battlemage GPUs, the Intel Arc B580 and the Intel Arc B570. The Arc B580 will be the first to launch; it arrives on December 13, 2024, with a $249 USD price point. The Intel Arc B570 will launch on January 16, 2025, with a $219 USD price point. Both feature the BMG-G21 chip based on Intel's Xe2 architecture.
With affordable pricing, Intel's Arc B-Series is squarely aimed at the mainstream gaming market, where its direct competition will be NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4060 and AMD's Radeon RX 7600. The Intel Arc B580 sports 12GB of VRAM, and the company is going so far as to position it as a 1440p 'Ultra Settings' gaming graphics card - with a 60 FPS baseline being the target.
Performance is always at the top of PC gamers' lists when a new GPU is announced, and Intel's second-generation Arc graphics card is no different. The company showcased performance benchmarks as part of the announcement, comparing it to NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4060 and the first-gen Intel Arc A750.