Latest News - Page 302

Learn about how TweakTown tests and reviews hardware. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. TweakTown may also earn commissions from other affiliate partners at no extra cost to you.

Stay Updated

Follow TweakTown for breaking tech news, reviews, and daily updates.

Add TweakTown as a preferred source on GoogleFind TweakTown on Apple News

ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Extreme mobo launched: costs $1400, sports Vapor Chamber SSD cooler

Anthony Garreffa | Motherboards | Apr 13, 2025 3:03 AM CDT

ASUS held a ROG event in China over the weekend, unveiling a slew of new products including the flagship ROG Crosshair X870E Extreme motherboard, check it out:

ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Extreme mobo launched: costs $1400, sports Vapor Chamber SSD cooler

The new ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Extreme motherboard features an E-ATX design, with a slick all-black theme with a few accents in silver. ASUS is using high-end power delivery with multiple VRMs in the form of a 20+2+2 phase (110A) power design, powered by dual 8-pin EPS power connectors.

We have 4 x DDR5 DIMM slots that support up to 256GB of memory, with up to DDR5-8200 speeds supported, as well as a ROG Q-DIMM.2 slot next to the memory DIMMs, which can support an AIC (add-in card) with dual M.2 SSD slots for additional SSD storage. The ROG Crosshair X870E Extreme motherboard features dual PCIe 5.0 x16 and M.2 slots with at least 5 slots (3 physical + 2 x Q-DIMM).

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Extreme mobo launched: costs $1400, sports Vapor Chamber SSD cooler (full post)

ASUS ROG NUC 2025 with GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, Core Ultra 9 275HX launches soon for $3300

Anthony Garreffa | Computer Systems | Apr 13, 2025 2:02 AM CDT

ASUS has just introduced its new ROG NUC 2025 Mini-PC which features up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX "Arrow Lake" CPU and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, all inside of a tiny 3L chassis.

ASUS ROG NUC 2025 with GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, Core Ultra 9 275HX launches soon for $3300

Inside, the ASUS ROG NUC 2025 features a 3-liter design and dual heatsinks, cooled by 3 fans in total to ensure those chips inside stay nice and cool. We have up to the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX "Arrow Lake-HX" processor (24C/24T in total with 8 Performance Cores and 16 Efficiency Cores) at up to 5.4GHz, 76MB of cache, and a maximum turbo power of up to 160W.

On the GPU side of things, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU features 7680 CUDA cores, 16GB of GDDR7 memory, and should feature performance that sits at around the desktop RTX 5070 graphics card.

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: ASUS ROG NUC 2025 with GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, Core Ultra 9 275HX launches soon for $3300 (full post)

President Trump removes tariffs off semiconductors, PC chips headed to the US

Anthony Garreffa | Business, Financial & Legal | Apr 13, 2025 1:30 AM CDT

President Trump has just announced that the Unites States' reciprocal tariffs won't happen on smartphones, computers, and other electronics, which is a major win for US companies like Apple, NVIDIA, AMD, Qualcomm, Intel, and more.

President Trump removes tariffs off semiconductors, PC chips headed to the US

The exclusions will apply to smartphones, laptops, storage products, CPUs, memory chips, as well as flat-screen displays. These are some of the most popular electronics products in the world, and most of them aren't made in the US, with their innards (processor, memory, etc) made in Taiwan, South Korea, or China.

The exemptions cover nearly $390 billion worth of US imports based on US 2024 trade statistics, reports Reuters, including over $101 billion from China. President Trump just enforced 125% tariffs on goods coming from China, with the new exemptions made because President Trump wants to give these companies more time to move their production onto US soil.

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: President Trump removes tariffs off semiconductors, PC chips headed to the US (full post)

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle won't run at 4K 60FPS on the base PS5

Jak Connor | Gaming | Apr 11, 2025 12:41 PM CDT

Ahead of its release next week, PlayStation has revealed the set of enhancements Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be getting on the PS5 and PS5 Pro.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle won't run at 4K 60FPS on the base PS5

Writing in a new update on the official PlayStation blog, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be releasing onto both PlayStation 5 consoles with DualSense controller features such as haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, with the addition of the lightbar on the controller being linked to Indy's current status.

For example, if Indy enters combat, the LED light around the touchpad will turn yellow or pulse red if Indy's health gets low. As for performance, PlayStation writes that the title benefits from SSD optimization for "frictionless loading" that's paired with a stable 60FPS and a "high-quality resolution."

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle won't run at 4K 60FPS on the base PS5 (full post)

Nintendo confirms $90 price for full Breath of the Wild experience on Switch 2

Jak Connor | Gaming | Apr 11, 2025 12:07 PM CDT

One of the biggest games on the original Nintendo Switch was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and while fans of the newly announced Switch 2 gritted their teeth at the price for the Switch 2 version of the game, those teeth are now undoubted brandished at the realization the DLC for the game isn't included within that initial purchase.

Nintendo confirms $90 price for full Breath of the Wild experience on Switch 2

Nintendo will be selling the DLC for Breath of the Wild for an additional $20, which is on top of the game's higher $70 listing price. Speaking to IGN Nintendo has confirmed players after the DLC Expansion Pass will need to pay an additional $20 as a separate purchase, bringing the total to $90 for a game that originally released on the Wii U and specifically in 2017.

For those who already own a copy of Breath of the Wild, those users will still be able to play Breath of the Wild and its DLC with no additional costs. Moreover, players who already own a copy of Breath of the Wild and want the upgraded Switch 2 version will only need to pay $10, which will get them better framerates, higher resolutions, and HDR support. So, to summarize. If you don't own a copy of Breath of the Wild and intend to play it on the Switch 2 be prepared to fork out $70, and if you also want the DLC, add another $20 on top of that.

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: Nintendo confirms $90 price for full Breath of the Wild experience on Switch 2 (full post)

Multiple NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti GPU pics are leaked, as well as a spec that's worrying some gamers

Darren Allan | Graphics Cards | Apr 11, 2025 11:45 AM CDT

As the apparent release of NVIDIA's RTX 5060 Ti comes close - it's rumored to arrive next week - we're catching leaks that are purportedly showing finished graphics cards.

Multiple NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti GPU pics are leaked, as well as a spec that's worrying some gamers

Not only have we got a look at a bunch of MSI models of the RTX 5060 Ti, but also a graphics card from ASUS, all of which were reported by VideoCardz.

Apply your own seasoning at this point, but there are plenty of images and they look genuine enough, with the ASUS leak seemingly being direct from the company in the form of a teaser for the Hatsune Miku edition of the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB. (See the above post on X from Uniko's Hardware).

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: Multiple NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti GPU pics are leaked, as well as a spec that's worrying some gamers (full post)

A Minecraft Movie director says it's funny cinemas are being trashed

Jak Connor | TV, Movies & Home Theatre | Apr 11, 2025 11:22 AM CDT

A Minecraft Movie has been a pop culture hit, earning itself the most successful opening weekend for a video game adaptation, taking the crown from The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Now the director of the movie has responded to teen fans participating in a viral meme where theaters are destroyed with the throwing of popcorn and drinks.

A Minecraft Movie director says it's funny cinemas are being trashed

Since the release of A Minecraft Movie a viral trend has captured the minds of the youth on the internet and a viral meme has formed where fans of the movie are preparing to throw food and drink around, and in some cases body slam theater employees during a specific part of the movie. The part of the movie that has spawned numerous videos of teens trashing cinemas is when Jack Black's character says "Chicken Jockey," and at this moment, teens proceed to scream "Chicken Jockey" and throw their food and drinks around the theater.

This phenomenon is happening in viewings of the film around the world, and in one case, the police were called. The director of the film Jared Hess has now responded to the response from passionate fans of the movie, saying, "It's weird when you're having too much fun and the cops get called."

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: A Minecraft Movie director says it's funny cinemas are being trashed (full post)

NVIDIA RTX 5070 GPU has its price cut in two countries - could this happen in the US, too?

Darren Allan | Graphics Cards | Apr 11, 2025 10:34 AM CDT

NVIDIA's RTX 5070 has slipped under its MSRP in another country, this time in the UK - perhaps indicating that the mid-range Blackwell GPU might do the same in the US (and other regions besides) before long.

NVIDIA RTX 5070 GPU has its price cut in two countries - could this happen in the US, too?

The Gainward Python III version of the GeForce RTX 5070 has had its price tag cut to £518.99 at Overclockers, a major UK retailer, as KitGuru noticed (via VideoCardz). On top of that, we also spotted that the Zotac Solid spin of the RTX 5070 has also been reduced to this level.

The RTX 5070 carried an official MSRP of £539 in the UK originally, but as VideoCardz was sharp-eyed enough to pick up, the official NVIDIA site in the UK now lists this GPU at £529.

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: NVIDIA RTX 5070 GPU has its price cut in two countries - could this happen in the US, too? (full post)

Apple faked the upgraded Siri demo and advertised non-existent products

Jak Connor | Gaming | Apr 11, 2025 9:02 AM CDT

One of Apple's biggest blunders in years is the advertisement of an advanced Siri upgrade under the guise of "Apple Intelligence," which has now been officially delayed by the company. But, Apple used this feature to sell the iPhone 16 generation, and still to this day, the biggest and most sought-after feature within Apple's umbrella of Apple Intelligence features is yet to be released.

Apple faked the upgraded Siri demo and advertised non-existent products

We are now getting some behind-the-scenes details about why a fully integrated and upgraded Siri hasn't come to fruition and the position Apple was in with the technology before an announcement was made at WWDC 2024. According to a report from The Information, former Apple employees speaking to Wayne Ma, the journalist behind the recent piece, high-profile Apple leadership styles are partly to blame. John Giannandrea joined Apple in 2018 and began overseeing the development of Siri, with his official title being the Senior Vice President of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Strategy.

According to the report, Siri engineers already felt like "second-class citizens" at Apple, and this problem was exacerbated by struggling to keep up with constant iOS updates and features being released by the iOS software team led by Craig Federighi, Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering.

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: Apple faked the upgraded Siri demo and advertised non-existent products (full post)

Ubisoft insists buying a game from them doesn't mean you own it

Jak Connor | Gaming | Apr 11, 2025 3:40 AM CDT

Ubisoft has made an argument in a court case that people who buy games don't actually have ownership rights over them.

Ubisoft insists buying a game from them doesn't mean you own it

The comments from the Assassin's Creed developer came about during a dismissal of a case filed against them by two The Crew players who have taken the company to court over its decision to shut down game servers last year. Ubisoft announced that 2014's The Crew will no longer be playable as it is switching off the servers of the game at the end of March 2024. Despite having ownership of the game, whether that be digitally or physically, owners will no longer have access to the title after the aforementioned date.

The two players suing Ubisoft over this decision state they were "under the impression" they were "paying to own and possess the video game The Crew instead of paying for a limited license to use The Crew." The lawsuit alleges that Ubisoft violated California's False Advertising Law, Unfair Competition Law, and Consumer Legal Remedies Act, along with "common law fraud and breach of warranty claims." Moreover, the lawsuit also claims Ubisoft broke California's state law surrounding gift cards, which are prohibited from expiring.

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: Ubisoft insists buying a game from them doesn't mean you own it (full post)

US-made iPhones aren't going to happen because America lacks the skill

Jak Connor | Mobile Devices | Apr 11, 2025 2:34 AM CDT

US President Donald Trump wants to bring as much manufacturing as he possibly can to the United States, and among many other products, Apple's iPhone is near the top of a very long list.

US-made iPhones aren't going to happen because America lacks the skill

Trump's newly imposed tariffs targeting China are being used as a strong-arm maneuver to get the nation back to the negotiation table so a more favorable deal with the US can be worked out. Additionally, the high tariffs against China are to incentivize US companies to move manufacturing to the US by making it not financially viable for their products to be made in China.

Currently, Trump is aiming to implement a 145% tariff on imports from China, which is where Apple manufactures anywhere between 90% and 95% of its iPhones. Additionally, more than half of Apple's sales are iPhones, with a commanding 55.6% of its total hardware sales.

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: US-made iPhones aren't going to happen because America lacks the skill (full post)

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT unreleased 'reference' design disassembled and tested

Kosta Andreadis | Graphics Cards | Apr 11, 2025 1:56 AM CDT

AMD's flagship RDNA 4 GPU has been one of the most well-received Team Red GPU launches in a long time. As seen in our reviews of various Radeon RX 9070 XT models from GIGABYTE, ASRock, and Sapphire, the massive improvement to ray-tracing performance and the arrival of FSR 4 have closed the feature gap in a big way when it comes to GeForce RTX versus Radeon RX.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT unreleased 'reference' design disassembled and tested

However, unlike previous generations, which saw AMD release reference models, this time around, there weren't any, which has left many wondering what happened. With only a handful of models available at the competitive $599 MSRP price point, a reference or 'Founders Edition' style design from AMD could have given PC gamers another avenue for picking up a highly sought-after Radeon RX 9070 XT.

Still, a few of these reference designs were produced and shipped to OEM partners to be used with new PCs. One of these models was recently spotted on the Chinese-based Chiphell forums, where the buyer spent 5499 RMB or $748 USD to acquire it on Goofish. The user has disassembled the card and benchmarked it.

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT unreleased 'reference' design disassembled and tested (full post)

China releases another video mocking fat Americans, names NVIDIA, Tesla, Apple

Jak Connor | Artificial Intelligence | Apr 11, 2025 1:33 AM CDT

China has released another video mocking overweight Americans working in factories amid the ongoing trade war between the US and China.

China releases another video mocking fat Americans, names NVIDIA, Tesla, Apple

The second AI-generated video circulated on China's social media and has now made its way over to Western social media platforms, where it has garnered millions of views. The first video, titled "Make America Great Again," was a clear nod to President Trump's campaign slogan and depicted overweight people working in factories building clothes and smartphones.

The timing of the first AI-generated video came only days after President Trump announced heavy tariffs on China, and now a second video has begun circulating showing similar overweight Americans working in factories for prominent American companies such as Nike, Apple, NVIDIA, and Tesla. The video shows Americans building Nike shoes and eating fast food with a play on Trump's slogan on the wall, "Make America Strong Again". The video then cuts to Americans working on Tesla vehicles, smartphones, and then NVIDIA chips.

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: China releases another video mocking fat Americans, names NVIDIA, Tesla, Apple (full post)

GeForce RTX 5070 and RTX 5080 GPUs sold for below-MSRP prices at Walmart

Kosta Andreadis | Graphics Cards | Apr 11, 2025 12:58 AM CDT

Someone picking up a GeForce RTX 5080 for $896 is a great deal. Not only is it $100 cheaper than the $999 MSRP set by NVIDIA, but it sounds unreal as most models are sold for $1200 due to supply, demand, and other market factors. Likewise, someone picking up a GeForce RTX 5070 for $515 is another excellent deal because most RTX 5070's are currently sold out with price tags notably higher than the $549 MSRP.

GeForce RTX 5070 and RTX 5080 GPUs sold for below-MSRP prices at Walmart

Okay, so where is this mythical GPU discount megastore? Well, it's Walmart - and there's a good reason these cards are being sold at a discount. Like other retailers, Walmart received limited GeForce RTX 50 Stock at launch, with most models sold online. However, with a 30-day return policy for electronics and users able to return GPUs for reasons like "it didn't fit my case" or "I no longer need it," the RTX 5080 and RTX 5070 models mentioned above were found in Walmart's return section.

Open or unopened return stock gets put into a return section with a discount for clearance, so if you plan on making a trip to your local Walmart, the odds of finding one of these affordable GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs are slim.

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: GeForce RTX 5070 and RTX 5080 GPUs sold for below-MSRP prices at Walmart (full post)

Amazon's Tomb Raider series reportedly canceled after 'tens of millions of dollars' spent

Kosta Andreadis | TV, Movies & Home Theatre | Apr 11, 2025 12:31 AM CDT

The Tomb Raider TV series, in production at Amazon for its Prime Video service that recently found success with another videogame adaptation, Fallout, is reportedly dead. According to the Daily Mail's sources, the Phoebe Waller-Bridge-led series (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Fleabag, Killing Eve) went through two writers' rooms and "tens of millions of dollars in development costs."

Amazon's Tomb Raider series reportedly canceled after 'tens of millions of dollars' spent

The series would have been a big-budget adaptation of one of the most beloved video game franchises, with filming scheduled to take place this year. Phoebe Waller-Bridge has previously noted that she was a big fan of the games growing up. However, the Daily Mail report notes no script for the Lara Croft series had been produced. Regarding someone taking on the iconic role, Game Of Thrones star Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) was reportedly set to star.

Interestingly, the report also notes that Jennifer Salk, the former head of Amazon Studios who was let go last week, green-lit the project.

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: Amazon's Tomb Raider series reportedly canceled after 'tens of millions of dollars' spent (full post)

Early Steam Deck prototype was sold on sold on eBay for $2000

Kosta Andreadis | Gaming | Apr 10, 2025 11:28 PM CDT

Valve's Steam Deck has been a true success story for the company and a device that helped legitimize PC gaming handhelds as a competitive alternative to consoles like the Nintendo Switch. With its simple-to-use SteamOS interface, affordability, and ability to play countless games, it's quickly become one of the most popular options in the growing PC gaming handheld market. And Valve has already confirmed it's working on a Steam Deck 2.

Early Steam Deck prototype was sold on sold on eBay for $2000

Before the Steam Deck launched, Valve confirmed it went through several prototypes before landing on the final design. The Steam Deck press kit includes pictures of several of these, and based on a recent eBay listing, "Engineering Sample 34" for the Steam Deck 256GB has sold for $2000. This news arrives via Steam Deck HQ and a Reddit post by Gary_the_mememachine showcasing screenshots and pictures from the listing.

As you can see in the image above, this Steam Deck prototype looks very different from the retail model. It's also missing the right analog stick, and the device does not have an OS installed.

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: Early Steam Deck prototype was sold on sold on eBay for $2000 (full post)

Valve's standalone Quest 3-style VR headset to be manufactured in the US, could be here soon

Kosta Andreadis | Extended Reality (XR) | Apr 10, 2025 10:03 PM CDT

For a few years now, there have been rumors surrounding Valve releasing a follow-up to the Valve Index VR headset under the codename Valve Deckard. Earlier this year, we reported on a fresh report that confirmed that the headset would be a standalone wireless all-in-one device, ala the Meta Quest 3, that would run a modified version of SteamOS optimized for the SteamVR library.

Valve's standalone Quest 3-style VR headset to be manufactured in the US, could be here soon

There's a lot of evidence pointing to Valve working on a second VR headset, mainly in the form of SteamVR updates mentioning the new hardware. Leaks have also showcased renders of the new controllers codenamed 'Roy,' with an insider claiming that it will offer a big screen for Steam Deck-style big-screen gaming. As an all-in-one device that won't rely on a PC with a GPU for its rendering, it will be interesting to learn what hardware will power it.

The latest leak, from @SadlyItsBradley on X, is interesting because it implies that Valve's Deckard headset is entering the manufacturing stage soon, pointing to a release that could be here later this year.

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: Valve's standalone Quest 3-style VR headset to be manufactured in the US, could be here soon (full post)

Microsoft got the director of Seven, Fight Club, and Alien 3 to make an Xbox commercial

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 10, 2025 9:39 PM CDT

Microsoft and Samsung announce a surprising collaboration to make an Xbox commercial with the director of Seven, Fight Club, Zodiac, and Alien 3.

Microsoft got the director of Seven, Fight Club, and Alien 3 to make an Xbox commercial

One of the most unlikely people just made an Xbox ad: David Fincher, the director of grisly psychological thrillers, put together interesting visual commentary on the "rat race" of life. The footage tells the tale of Horatio, just an everyday anthropomorphic bipedal rat caught up in the humdrum rigmarole of modern life. Every scene has that dark and gritty 90s feel that Fincher is known for, complete with analog technology, towering file cabinets, dull fluorescents, and smoky city streets. There's also a message at the end of the video.

This ad isn't for a game or a product, but more of a cinematic slice of interesting visual appeal that promotes the entire Xbox brand. Samsung's partnership with Microsoft has extended to cross-brand promos for cloud gaming, and this is yet another part of that marketing arrangement.

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: Microsoft got the director of Seven, Fight Club, and Alien 3 to make an Xbox commercial (full post)

Xbox showcase announced for June 8, special Outer Worlds 2 showcase coming after

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 10, 2025 8:38 PM CDT

This year's Xbox Games Showcase is all-digital and will go live on June 8, Microsoft has announced.

Xbox showcase announced for June 8, special Outer Worlds 2 showcase coming after

Xbox Games Showcase 2025 will kick off on June 8 at 1PM EST, complete with a huge in-depth look at Obsidian's comedic sci-fi sequel The Outer Worlds 2 following the show. Expect a thorough look at third-party games as well as more first-party projects making the jump over to Nintendo's upcoming Switch 2 console, potentially even some sort of Halo-oriented announcement. There's also the possibility of more games coming to PlayStation 5 as well.

As for Outer Worlds 2, new preview coverage reveals distinct details about the game; this time around, Outer Worlds 2 has a much more robust stealth system that's akin to Dishonored. There's also stronger RPG mechanics that influence stats, skills, and effects in-game, plus a big revamp of first-person shooter controls.

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: Xbox showcase announced for June 8, special Outer Worlds 2 showcase coming after (full post)

Zelda Notes lets you share items with friends online in Tears of the Kingdom

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 10, 2025 7:37 PM CDT

Tears of the Kingdom's Switch 2 upgrade transforms it into a kind of social experience for friends.

Zelda Notes lets you share items with friends online in Tears of the Kingdom

The Switch 2 is coming June 5, and it has two selling points: Power upgrades and social play. The Switch 2 comes with a new C-button (that's tied to the $50 Switch Online+Expansion Pack subscription) that launches GameChat (voice/video chatting) and GameShare (share a copy with a friend). Nintendo is now adding these Switch 2 enhancements to older games, breathing new life in them in the process.

The Switch 2 next-gen game enhancements aim to take advantage of the console's selling points. Older games are getting next-gen re-releases called Switch 2 Editions that offer up to 4K 60FPS performance that takes advantage of the Switch 2's new power upgrades, and social features, like being able to chat with friends while playing in-game. Some Switch 1 titles are getting special new features that open up new ways to play and you'll have to pay extra to access them.

0:00 / --:--

Continue reading: Zelda Notes lets you share items with friends online in Tears of the Kingdom (full post)

Newsletter Subscription