Tech News
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LIAN LI Launches STRIMER PLUS V2 ARGB Extension Cables
Published: Monday, May 16, 2022 | By: DennisMay 6th, 2022, Taipei, Taiwan – LIAN LI Industrial Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of chassis and PC accessories, announces its new series of ARGB extension cables with the STRIMER PLUS V2. Available for motherboard 24-pin connectors, GPU 8-pin (2x6+2-pin), and GPU triple 8-pin (3x6+2-pin), the STRIMER PLUS V2 offers improved brightness with a new side light diffuser, better flexibility with silicon-wrapped power cables, upgraded compatibility with isolated connectors at the GPU end, and introducing native software control and independent light channel customization with L-Connect 3.
Features
- New side light diffuser to increase light impact inside the PC
- Thinner and more flexible with single row of silicon covered power cables
- Improved GPU compatibility with independent connectors
- Software support with new L-Connect 3, including individual light channel customization
- Available as motherboard 24-pin, GPU 8-pin, and GPU triple 8-pin
RGB focused
Located along each side of the RGB part of the STRIMER PLUS V2 are two bands of light-diffusion strips, allowing the light effects to shine in more directions and fill the PC with bright RGB. In addition, the 2.1mm wide top diffuser strips allow for smooth light distribution and maximum brightness.
Slim Design
The extension cable part of the STRIMER PLUS V2 is arranged in a single, flat row, making the overall thickness thinner than ever at 8mm (previously 11mm). Each 18 gauge power cable is also wrapped in durable silicone. The combination of the new material and single row of power cable makes the STRIMER PLUS V2 more flexible for tighter bends, and slimmer and easier to pass through tight cable grommets.
Compatible with more GPUs
While the original STRIMER PLUS GPU 8-pin and Triple 8-pin are compatible with most GPUs, some users have experienced difficulties with graphics cards that have power connectors further apart.The GPU versions of the STRIMER PLUS V2 address this issue by having each 8-pin end separated, allowing for wide gaps to be covered between each connector.
L-Connect 3 Ready
New with the STRIMER PLUS V2, the controller is now natively recognized by L-Connect 3, the new version of LIAN LI’s UNI FAN software which expands its functionalities. L-Connect 3 enables users to quickly change the light effects of the ARGB extension cables without having to reach inside their case. In addition, the software enables users to control each individual light channel of the STRIMER PLUS V2 to create their own mix of light effects (24-pin and GPU 3x 8-pin have 6 channels, GPU 8-pin has 4 channels). For existing STRIMER PLUS owners, a new version of their controller will be sold separately to make their ARGB extension cables compatible with L-Connect 3.
Pricing and Availability
The LIAN LI STRIMER PLUS V2 is available for pre-order starting May 6th, 2022.
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Lexar Announces The Next Generation ARES DDR5 OC Memory And Blazing-Fast ARES DDR4 RGB Memory
Published: Wednesday, May 11, 2022 | By: DennisSan Jose, USA, May 11th, 2022 – Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory solutions, is excited to announce the launch of the new Lexar® ARES DDR5 OC Desktop Memory and ARES DDR4 RGB Desktop Memory. ARES DDR5 OC Memory is designed for PC enthusiasts, gamers, overclockers and creatives while optimized on the latest Intel® CoreTM processor. ARES DDR4 RGB Memory enhances your PC with vibrant RGB lighting and blazing-fast DDR4 overclocked performance for an elevated gaming experience.
The Lexar® ARES DDR5 OC Desktop Memory leverages next-gen DDR5 technology designed for the latest Intel® CoreTM processors platform and supports Intel XMP 3.02. With speeds of 5200, it provides more than 1.6x the bandwidth than that of DDR41. So whether you’re operating speed-demanding video games, video editing software, or processing intensive workloads, the Lexar® ARES DDR5 OC Memory enables you to experience superior DDR5 performance.
ARES DDR5 OC Memory Key Features:
- Experience next-generation DDR5 performance at 5200
- More than 1.6x faster than DDR4
- Designed with on-die ECC for improved stability of overclocking
- Supports Intel XMP 3.0 and overclocks your DDR5 memory
- Built-in PMIC to enhance power efficiency
- Premium heat spreader design combining bold style and cooling functionality
ARES DDR4 RGB Memory Key Features:
- Delivering blazing-fast DDR4 overclocked performance to elevate your gaming experience
- Full range RGB support – customize your colors and effects with a vibrant RGB light bar
- Features an aluminum heat spreader and wing design for optimal heat dissipation
- Customize your RGB with Lexar RGB Sync to match your build perfectly
- Designed for the latest Intel XMP 2.0 and AMD Ryzen platform
Lexar® ARES DDR5 Desktop Memory is designed with a sleek aluminum heat spreader to keep your system running cool. Built with an on-die ECC, it leverages real-time data error correction for increased stability and reliability while you push the limits. And, with built-in Power Management IC (PMIC), it provides better power control and power delivery while operating at a low voltage of 1.25V (XMP Profile), further lower your power consumption.
With the classic product family design, Lexar® ARES DDR4 RGB Desktop Memory features vibrant RGB lighting to light up your gameplay. With Lexar RGB Sync, a powerful RGB lighting control software, you can customize your lighting effects by setting colors, intensity and speed with full range RGB support. Additionally, you can also create a dynamic ambience and save your RGB lighting effect profiles, rendering your gameplay more immersive and adding a touch of style to your gaming journey. Lexar® ARES RGB DDR4 is also compatible with the RGB control software of major motherboard brands. Each kit is optimized for peak performance and has been rigorously tested for stability, reliability and compatibility with latest Intel XMP 2.0 and AMD Ryzen systems to enhance your gaming experience.
“Over the last few years Lexar has been working diligently in developing gaming solutions to meet the demands of customers. With more than 25 years of experience developing industry leading memory solutions, we are excited to develop gaming products that meet the quality, performance, reliability and compatibility standards that customers have come to expect from the Lexar brand. With the growing popularity of gaming and performance pc builds, Lexar is excited to expand our gaming solutions which includes next generation DDR5 solutions and Lexar® ARES DDR4 RGB Desktop Memory.” Said Joel Boquiren, General Manager of Lexar.
The Lexar® ARES DDR5 5200 Desktop OC Memory is available exclusively at Amazon starting from April for purchase online at an MSRP of $369.99 (32GB Kit (16GBx2)). The new Lexar® ARES DDR5 5200 OC Desktop Memory will be available in EMEA in 2H, 2022.
Lexar® ARES RGB DDR4 4000 Desktop Memory is available for purchase online at an MSRP of $109.99 (16GB Kit (8GBx2)).
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MSI Radeon RX 6950 XT Gaming X Trio @ TechPowerUp
Published: Tuesday, May 10, 2022 | By: DennisI have been so caught up with things not related to the latest AMD Radeon video card launch that I totally missed that AMD launched a new Radeon video card.
The MSI Radeon RX6950 XT Gaming X Trio looks like a pretty amazing card and if the reviews are any indication it is going to be monster under the covers of your custom watercooled PC for a night of hot gaming.
Makes me wonder if this will be another Radeon launch where you cannot find the card in the wild?
MSI's Radeon RX 6950 XT Gaming X Trio is the fastest RX 6950 XT that we tested today, making it the fastest Radeon we ever tested. It can beat the NVIDIA RTX 3090 and almost matches the much more expensive RTX 3090 Ti, with very little noise and good temperatures.
This is a pretty tall order and with the Crypto Crash we might even be able to buy one.
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Nvidia pays $5.5 million for hiding how gaming GPUs were sold
Published: Saturday, May 7, 2022 | By: DennisSo, the big news this week is how the SEC has fined NVIDIA for allegedly hiding how many GPUs were being sold to gamers vs how many got allocated for crypto mining. According to the SEC this lack of disclosure left investors in the dark when it came to their evaluation of NVDA and could have impacted the overall stock price.
It is no secret that the NVIDIA stock (NVDA) has been on fire the past several years and in 2021 the stock split 4:1 allowing current shareholders to quadruple their holdings while also lowering the overall price for new investors.
The charges stem from Nvidia’s fiscal year 2018 financial reports. The SEC notes Nvidia saw an explosion in crypto mining-related sales in 2017, when the rewards of mining Ethereum grew dramatically. Crypto mining was widely reported as a cause of GPU scarcity, and Nvidia launched a separate CMP line specifically for mining, attempting to prevent shortages for gamers. But employees apparently acknowledged that many gaming GPUs were still going to miners. “The company’s sales personnel, in particular in China, reported what they believed to be significant increases in demand for Gaming GPUs as a result of crypto mining,” the order says. ~The Verge
As part of running Hardware Asylum it is in my best interest to follow what my mfg partners are doing. Sure, I miss a few things here and there but, when it comes to NVIDIA I didn't see anything out of the ordinary.
What we know is that video cards were in high demand and crypto farmers were bragging about how many cards they got. It isn't difficult to make the connection. On the side of NVIDIA they sell GPUs which are then installed on a variety of expansion boards (Video Cards). Some are built by NVIDIA and white boxed to OEMs while the majority go to board partners who build their own designs. All NVIDIA would know is that they sold a certain amount of chips for video cards and those cards are designed for video GAMING.
AKA, This puts those sales under "GAMING"
What I find interesting is that these investors uncovered this doing their "real research" and have drawn a line between NVIDIA selling GPU Chips designed for gaming to how consumers are ultimately using those products for something else. NVIDIA doesn't care what customers do and some would say (myself included) that the NVIDIA GPU was designed for more than just gaming.
To further complicate matters you also have to consider that the majority of the GPUs (if not all) that were sold into crypto slavery were done so at the OEM level. These companies will put in massive bulk orders with the intention of selling off a portion to crypto farms. This was uncovered a LONG time ago when AMD/ATI video cards were in short supply and has now migrated to the NVIDIA camp.
What NVIDIA sees is that the board partner bought a number of GPUs and that card maker then sold a number to their customers. I am sure NVIDIA keeps track of individual GPUs for warranty purposes but, they deal directly with the board partner and, all the board partner see is that a video card came back broken.
Seems to me that someone at the SEC lost out on their NVIDIA investment and is just looking for payback.
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VIPER Gaming launches VIPER VENOM RGB and non-RGB DDR5 Performance Memory Kits
Published: Wednesday, May 4, 2022 | By: DennisAbsolute gaming advantage- DDR5 memory delivers outstanding performance, stability, and overclocking potential with the latest PMIC support. The VIPER VENOM RGB and Non-RGB SKUs are now available with frequencies from 5200 MHz to 6200MHz.
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA — April 28th, 2022 — Viper™, the trademarked gaming brand of PATRIOT™ and a global leader in performance memory, solid-state drives, and flash storage solutions today is proud to announce the market launch of their new VIPER VENOM RGB and non-RGB DDR5 high-performance DRAM memory kits. These brand-new VIPER VENOM DDR5 memory kits are available with and without the RGB illumination, it provides enhanced speeds ranging up to 6200MHz with kit capacities of 16GB-32GB to meet the harsh demand for PC enthusiasts and hardcore gamers.
“Our VIPER Gaming fans waited quite a while for quality DDR5. The VIPER VENOM DDR5 is the first DDR5 DRAM that we distributed for hardware enthusiasts, hardcore gamers, and case modders addicted to unparalleled system performance and stability. VIPER’s engineering team has put countless efforts to guarantee excellent compatibility and higher reliability across Intel®’s latest platforms, currently.” said Roger Shinmoto, Vice President of VIPER GAMING. “Our first launch of Venom DDR5 on 4/28 will feature the highest frequency version at 6200MHz. We hope the enthusiasts or overclockers be able to experience the physical power of Viper Venom DDR5 at the market launch. However, due to the global shortage of memory chips, we have decided to launch the mainstream frequency models like 5200/5600/6000MHz sometime in the coming months.” He added.
The VIPER VENOM DDR5 memory kits include the RGB and Non-RGB versions. The new design of the VENOM heatshield combines the unique RGB light bar and custom aluminum heat spreader featuring matte black/silver patterned graphics. The high-quality modules feature a built-in thermal sensor for performance monitoring, while the excellent heat dissipation helps prevent the hazard of overheating. The physical height of the module can avoid interference with most CPU coolers on the market. In addition, the RGB light bar is an entirely new design with updated synchronization software and illumination patterns. Most importantly, all VENOM RGB DDR5 modules are 100% compatible with ASUS, ASROCK, GIGABYTE, and MSI’s latest motherboards and can be synced with their RGB systems.
The unique architecture of DDR5 memory features localized voltage adjustments based on a locked/unlocked PMIC (Power Management Integrated Circuit) and SPD HUB (Serial Presence Detection), which can provide simultaneous monitoring, and threshold protection, intelligent voltage control, and power management to achieve more comprehensive voltage control. Moreover, the on-die ECC function enables active error correction to improve data integrity and enhance performance and stability. The VIPER VENOM DDR5 memory kit supports the latest® Intel XMP 3.0 profile overclocking and delivers precision and stability to easily customize the performance to match specific overclocking tasks. Each module is built using a ten-layer PCB and strictly sorted ICs to offer excellent signal integrity and unmatched reliability to the system performance.
The VIPER VENOM DDR5 memory kits are now available in major US retailers with RGB and Non-RGB models and are backed by the VIPER limited lifetime warranty.
Availability
Amazon.com
Venom 32GB (2 x 16GB) 6200MHz UDIMM- Amazon.com RGB Venom: https://amzn.to/3jXJfoE
- Non-RGB Venom link: https://amzn.to/3EuONAs
Newegg: https://bit.ly/3KZwoOB
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Viper Venom RGB DDR5 2x16GB 6200MHz @ LanOC Reviews
Published: Tuesday, May 3, 2022 | By: DennisDDR5 was in short supply when it launched with Alder Lake which has prompted memory makers to re-think how they position their DDR5 products. Patriot Viper has decided to release the halo version at 6200Mhz in hopes of taking advantage of the extra performance.
LanOC has a review of the new Viper Venom and we will have our review launched later this week.
With Intel’s 12th generation Core CPU launch alongside the new CPUs, CPU Socket, and Motherboards/Chipset it also brought DDR5 into the mainstream market. Initially, DDR5 was hard to come by, but things have gotten better and along with that we are seeing some of the companies who didn’t have memory available at the launch getting their kits introduced. A good example of that is Patriot with their Viper Gaming lineups first DDR5 kits. They have named the new kits Venom which goes well when you combine it with the Viper branding. They have standard and RGB kits available and the kit that they sent over for us to check out is the Viper Venom RGB in a 2x16GB configuration running at 6200 MHz.
What kind of performance could you get from modules like this??
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ARCTIC Freezer A35 A-RGB CPU Cooler Review @ APH Networks
Published: Tuesday, May 3, 2022 | By: DennisIt is strange to think that aircooling is still a thing in the custom PC world but, it will likely never totally die out. In fact, these coolers are getting brighter than ever with all sorts of Addressable RGB lights.
The ARCTIC Freezer A35 A-RGB is a solid-performing CPU cooler with neat looks to match at a very affordable price.
Personally, I have only reviewed an Arctic product once during my time at Ninjalane and Hardware Asylum and, I'm gonna tell ya, it didn't go so well. But, this product looks pretty good so, check out the review.
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Corsair K70 RGB Pro Mechanical Keyboard Review @ APH Networks
Published: Thursday, April 14, 2022 | By: DennisCorsair has been taking the hardware world by storm lately and doing their best to occupy every aspect of the gaming PC from top tier streamers on Twitch to the sponsorship hungry techTubers on the YoubeTubee.
In this review APH Networks is checking out the popular K70 Keyboard from Corsair. This is one of them glowy keyboards with the underkey glow and overall design that we have seen on 100's of other keyboards any day of the week.
The legend continues with the Corsair K70 RGB Pro with its excellent design, solid build quality, powerful hardware, and great features.
Be sure to check out the review and decide if you really trust your fingers to a keyboard with great features.
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Funky Kit Review - DeepCool AK620 CPU Cooler
Published: Thursday, April 14, 2022 | By: DennisI am humbled when I find a CPU cooler that isn't huge but still cools at a decent rate. The dual tower design of the AK620 is a welcome change to the cheap single tower designs who lack surface area but make up for it with noisy fans.
The DeepCool CASTLE AK620 performs very well even under the harshest workloads. You can rest assured this cooler will keep, even the hottest CPU from throttling!
Be sure to check out our review of the DeepCool AK620, you will be glad you did.
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EVGA Z690 CLASSIFIED LGA1700 Motherboard Review @ Madshrimps
Published: Thursday, March 31, 2022 | By: DennisThis might be one of the coolest LGA 1700 motherboards I have ever seen and yet, it looks almost exactly like the EVGA Dark series. Same coolers, same PCB layout, same benchtop controls and even the same audio solution.
In fact, the only thing that seems to be unique is the lame arse RGB implementation.
The Z690 CLASSIFIED motherboard from EVGA is a fine example on how a high-quality mainstream to enthusiast board should look and be equipped, if money is not the main concern when building a system. It comes with a solid 10-layer PCB, a 19-phase VRM in order to handle overclocks, plenty expansion slots for both VGA/sound cards/other but also for M.2 storage, no less thank two 2.5Gbps LAN interfaces, a very well built audio interface which incorporates the proven Realtek ALC1220, integrated WiFi 6E via Intel’s AX211 adapter, dedicated voltage measuring points, a four-digit display for detecting init faults, which also doubles as a CPU temperature display, many PWM headers for system fans but also pumps and more…
Despite this, I am looking forward to checking out the new batch of EVGA motherboards though it seems the supply issues have finally started to catch up to them.
