Thermaltake is expanding its racing line-up with the new GR500 Racing Sim cockpit, along with a triple-monitor stand to go with it. Combined, you'll have everything you need to fully immerse yourself in a racing game, and your monitors will sit at the perfect height. 

The Thermaltake GR500 racing simulator cockpit was made to provide users with a more genuine racing experience. Everything was designed to make you feel like you're behind the wheel of a race car, from its racing-inspired bucket design to its fibreglass seat. The adjustable seat allows you to slide forward and back and recline so you can adjust yourself. The GR500 is built with aluminium and steel and has an anti-tip bracket for extra stability and safety.

The base includes RGB Lighting Strips with 20 lighting effects, including a Rhythm Pickup mode that changes the light dynamically in response to music. Moreover, the cockpit has universal hardware compatibility, allowing you to use popular wheels, gear shifters, and pedals from Logitech, Fanatec, Thrustmaster, and other brands.

The Triple Racing monitor stand complements the GR500 Racing Simulator Cockpit. Made of powder-coated steel with a fine-textured black finish, it can support up to three 32″ monitors. The stand also supports VESA standard sizes of 75x75mm, 100x100mm, 200x100mm, and 200x200mm, allowing you to use virtually any PC monitor. Lastly, it offers decent ergonomic features, letting you adjust the height and rotation/angle.  

KitGuru says: Are you thinking of setting up a little Racing Sim at home? 

Recent leaks and teases have suggested that a new ROG Ally handheld was on the way from Asus. Now, this updated system has been unveiled as the ROG Ally X, which will have a few updates over the original design, but will still offer the same display and APU as the original. 

According to The Verge, the new model will have a larger battery, which is expected to be about 40% larger than its predecessor. However, Asus has not revealed any specifics on the exact capacity. Still, Asus said that while the original's battery lasted about 1.5 hours while gaming, the new one should last around 3 hours. The device will also have an M.2 2280 SSD slot, making upgrades more straightforward. These features suggest that the new handheld will be larger, although no other details have been confirmed yet.

ASUS has also confirmed that the ROG Ally X will come with more than 16GB of memory, although the exact capacity and speed are still unknown. The device will be more repairable with a newly redesigned joystick and revised grips. It will also be heavier than the previous version. Moreover, the SD card slot on the new device has been moved further away from the air vent, possibly solving the thermal issues of the original model.

The ROG Ally X is expected to cost more than the original. However, ASUS has not yet revealed its official pricing or release date. The company is set to announce the new gaming console on June 2nd, and we can expect more information about the device's features and specifications then.

KitGuru says: Do you think the ROG Ally X will solve the shortcomings of the original model?

By now, you might've already heard that Nvidia's new GPU architecture will be named after the renowned astrophysicist Vera Rubin. Although Nvidia has yet to confirm the existence of this new architecture, there have been new rumours regarding its specs.

Earlier this year, Nvidia unveiled its latest and most potent AI chip, the Blackwell B100, which is slated for release later this year. However, some people are already looking forward to the company's future products and what they'll offer. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via VideoCardz), the R100 GPU is expected to go into mass production by Q4 2025, with the system and rack solutions starting no earlier than Q1 2026.

Sources suggest that Nvidia is still finalising the specifications, especially the interposer size and packaging. The company is said to be considering three options, including a 4x reticle design that uses CoWoS-L packaging, also used in Blackwell GPUs. The Vera Rubin architecture is expected to employ the TSMC N3 process node and pack four HBM4 stacks.

Rumour has it that Nvidia is focusing on power consumption as one of the key areas of the Vera Rubin architecture. With the B200 GPUs consuming up to 1000W, we're curious about how much power Rubin GPUs will consume.

KitGuru says: It is unclear if Rubin will be used for anything other than data centre GPUs, so we'll have to wait and see. There is also plenty to learn about the features and performance capabilities of this upcoming architecture. 

Following the spotting of the unannounced Ryzen AI 9 HX170, another leaker now mentions a different Ryzen CPU with the same naming scheme. This new APU is the “Strix Point” Ryzen AI 165.

The AMD Zen 5 product series summary shared by Golden Pig Upgrade (via @harukaze5719) provides new details on an undisclosed 10-core Strix Point processor known as the “Ryzen AI 165”. Additionally, it includes some specs of the Ryzen AI 9 HX170. Both Strix Point APUs will use Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores, an integrated NPU, and an iGPU with 16 RDNA 3.5 cores.

AMD Zen 5 product series summary by Golden Pighttps://t.co/KW0jtIBRbN pic.twitter.com/C1diUPT8n2

— 포시포시 (@harukaze5719) May 9, 2024

However, it also confirms prior disclosures, such as the shipment manifest that included Granite Ridge desktop CPUs, Strix Point APUs, and Fire Range mobile CPUs. Additionally, it corroborates other previous rumours surrounding the Strix Point Halo Mobile APU. The Strix Halo, using only Zen 5 cores, will be a multi-chip package with two distinct CPU dies (CCDs) and one graphics die, with the CPU dies wholly comprised of 8 Zen 5 cores each, for up to 16 cores. Its graphics capabilities will be considerably higher than those of Strix Point, as it's expected to pack 40 RDNA 3.5 cores and a supplementary NPU operating at almost twice the TOPS of the Strix Point.

The Granite Ridge, AMD's codename for Zen 5 desktop CPUs, shares many specifications with Fire Range, AMD's upcoming high-end laptop CPU series. These processors will be MCMs (multi-chip modules) equipped with up to two Zen 5 CCDs and an IOD on the N6 node. The Granite Ridge/Fire Range CPUs will have up to 16 cores. A planned X3D version will increase the L3 Cache to 128MB.

One intriguing twist in the leak is that Granite Ridge and Fire Range are claimed to have two RDNA 3 units (3 CUs each), contradicting the reports that these platforms would reuse the Raphael IOD with RDNA 2 CUs. Neither Granite Ridge nor Fire Range will have an NPU.

The summary also mentions Kraken Point APUs (referred to as “Krackan”), which are expected to be released in 2025. Kraken Point looks like a cut-down version of Strix Point, coming in a monolithic chip package with a maximum of 8 CPU cores (4 Zen 5 + 4 Zen 5c), an L3 cache of 16MB and up to 8x RDNA 3.5 CUs. However, the NPU looks the same as on Strix Point, offering the same 40 TOPS of AI performance.

The Zen 5 architecture is expected to debut in late 2024 with Strix Point.

KitGuru says: Which new AMD platform looks the most promising to you? 

Intel's next-generation mobile CPU family, Panther Lake, is still some ways off from release, but thanks to leakers, we're starting to have a clearer picture of what it will offer. The latest reports on the upcoming mobile CPUs suggest they'll come in three core configurations with up to 12 GPU Xe3 cores.

Prakhar Verma reports (via VideoCardz) that Panther Lake mobile CPUs will have multiple configurations. These are Panther Lake-H (PTL-H), which will supposedly be available with 16 CPU cores (4E+8P+4e) and 4 or 12 GPU Xe3 cores, and Panther Lake-U (PTL-U), expected to come with 8 CPU cores (4P+0E+4e) and 4 GPU Xe3 cores.

Panther Lake is expected to be 35% more efficient than Lunar Lake, which is believed to provide a 50% improvement in multi-core performance over Meteor Lake-U. The CPU series is also expected to include Xe3-Cores built on the Celestial design, making it the first known product using this GPU architecture.

While Prakhar is not known for any past leaks, the newly revealed CPU settings for these Panther Lake CPUs seem to be accurate, according to InstLaX64's findings.

KitGuru says: Will you be looking to upgrade once Panther Lake hits the market?

Corsair has just announced a new addition to its line-up of SSDs. The MP700 Pro SE PCIe 5.0 SSD is the company's fastest storage solution, capable of achieving a sequential read speed of up to 14,000 MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 12,000 MB/s. 

The MP700 Pro SE uses the industry-standard M.2 2280 form factor, which ensures broad compatibility with various systems and platforms while preserving the simplicity of installation. The drive requires cooling to work optimally, but most motherboards nowadays do offer M.2 cooling, usually passively through a heatsink, which should be enough. 

Alternatively, there's a Hydro X Series water block variant that can be integrated into a custom cooling loop. This alternative, which comes with industry-standard 1/4″ fittings, suits customers looking to maximise drive-throughput for intense workloads. In addition, Corsair is also planning to launch an air-cooled variant.

Corsair also offers a free SSD Toolbox app with features such as secure erase and firmware updater. The 2TB and 4TB Corsair MP700 Pro SE PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe 2.0 M.2 SSDs are now available, and the air-cooled MP700 Pro SE will be available in June. The 4TB models cost £624.99 (standard) and £639.99 (water-cooled). As for the 2TB models, we only have a price for the water-cooled one, which goes for £344.99. 

KitGuru says: Would you like to kit your system out with one of these? 

Microsoft is exploring the possibility of displaying memory speeds in MT/s (mega-transfers per second) instead of the traditional MHz (megahertz) units on the Windows 11 Task Manager. This move comes as new technologies have allowed DDR memory to boost data transfer rates without raising clock speed, making the traditional method of measuring memory less reliable.

The MHz unit indicates the number of millions of cycles per second that a memory module can perform, with each cycle being an activity executed on the memory module, such as saving and retrieving data. However, it's no longer an accurate measure of the data transmission speed of computer memory.

To enable the DDR memory speed units change (MT/s instead of MHz) in Task Manager in Beta build 22635.3570, run:

vivetool /enable /id:38476224,48380607 pic.twitter.com/hbU2RVniNF

— PhantomOcean3 (@PhantomOfEarth) May 5, 2024

As revealed by PhantomOcean3 (via Bleeping Computer), Microsoft is currently testing the display of MT/s in the Windows 11 Task Manager performance tab. This functionality is now available in the latest Windows 11 Beta preview releases, specifically build 22635.3570 and onwards.

For users who don't want to wait for this feature, they can activate it using ViVeTool by following a few simple steps. They need to download ViVeTool and extract it into a folder, open an elevated command line, and go to the location where they extracted ViVeTool. Then, enter the command “vivetool /enable /id:38476224,48380607″ to activate the functionality.

It's important to note that activating this functionality using ViVeTool may create stability issues. Therefore, it's recommended that users wait until the functionality is rolled out to their device before manually activating it, especially if it's a production machine.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: This change on Windows might directly influence how memory manufacturers and apps show memory speed. So, from now on, expect to see memory speed measured in MT/s instead of MHz more often.

Intel's upcoming 14th Gen Core series, the Core Ultra 200, has been making headlines lately. According to the latest reports, the Core Ultra 200 series will consist of 13 SKUs, marking a significant decrease from previous generations.

The new report is from Benchlife, which suggests that the Core Ultra 200 series will feature three K-Series variants with 125W and unlocked overclocking capabilities, including the Core Ultra 9 285K, Core Ultra 7 265K, and Core Ultra 5 245K. These models will reportedly come equipped with 24 (8P+16E), 20 (8P+12E), and 14 cores (6P+8E), respectively.

Interestingly, the non-K SKUs (65W) mentioned in the report are said to have identical configurations except for one. While the Core Ultra 9 275 and Core Ultra 7 255 should have the same core configuration as their 125W counterparts, the Core Ultra 5 245 should only pack ten cores (6P+4E).

The Core Ultra 200 series will also reportedly include eight 125W/65W variants, indicating that two F-Series versions may lack integrated graphics capabilities. The Core Ultra 5 240F is confirmed as one of these components, while the other is believed to be 255F. Lastly, the report mentions Intel plans to launch five Core Ultra 200T SKUs (35W) for a total of 13 SKUs.

Details such as CPU and GPU clock rates, power limitations, voltages, support for DDR5 memory speeds, and other features are yet to be verified. 

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: The most notable absence from this line-up is the lack of mention of the KF-series SKUs. However, since this is only a report, they may still appear when Intel officially reveals the new generation of desktop processors later in the year. 

Asus recently listed some of its upcoming VivoBook S16 laptops featuring an unannounced 12-core AMD CPU. Based on the information so far, it would appear that AMD is positioning itself to launch a new line of ‘Ryzen AI' processors for laptops. 

As shared by @harukaze5719, AMD is apparently altering its naming conventions to align with Intel's. Comparing both APU names, the first part of the name defines the series (Core Ultra 9 vs Ryzen AI 9), with the remaining part being the model (185H vs HX 170). Like the previous series, the model's letters should also help define the processor's TDP, with HX supposedly meaning it's a 55W APU.

Seriously? AMD?

AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 170https://t.co/FpAOLnG62h pic.twitter.com/fjHk53MeGC

— 포시포시 (@harukaze5719) May 7, 2024

The Ryzen AI 9 HX 170 CPU is described as having 12 cores, 24 threads, 36MB of cache and a boost clock speed of up to 5.1GHz, meaning it would probably rival the Core Ultra 9 185H. This chip will power the next VivoBook S16 OLED laptop (M5606), which is expected to be unveiled next month at Computex.

This particular CPU should be the successor to the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS, which has a total AI power of 39 TOPs. According to Asus, the next-generation AMD APU will deliver up to 77 TOPS, likely due to the improved XDNA2 AI engine and faster RDNA3.5 graphics. Asus confirmed the NPU alone can deliver 45 TOPS.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: The AI boom continues into 2024 with the launch of new processors, all boasting powerful NPUs to speed up local AI processing. 

Recent reports claiming that Nvidia's next-generation flagship GPU, the RTX 5090, would be the only model released this year may not be accurate. A prominent Nvidia leaker with a solid record claims that the RTX 5080 will be released before the RTX 5090. 

That leaker is none other than Kopite7Kimi. This news surprises many, as the RTX 5090 was expected to be the only SKU produced this year. Nvidia has yet to make any public statements about its next-generation gaming GPUs. Still, it did announce the Blackwell series for data centres, which is expected to reach the market this year.

It's not ture. RTX 5080 should be released first.

— kopite7kimi (@kopite7kimi) May 7, 2024

In 2022, Nvidia did something similar, launching the Hopper architecture for data centre products, followed by Ada Lovelace as the gaming GPU architecture. Both product categories were driven by the same architecture but built for distinct market sectors.

Based on current rumours, the RTX 5080 graphics card is expected to feature the GB203 GPU, a successor to the AD103, which could provide up to 96 SMs (or 12,288 CUDA cores). The GB202 is the flagship gaming GPU and is expected to have twice as many cores as the RTX 5080.

KitGuru says: If the RTX 5080 comes before the RTX 5090, it will be the first time since the RTX 20 series that Nvidia launches an x80 GPU before the flagship.

A new report on the Core Ultra 200 desktop CPU claims some new details about Intel's new and improved iGPU. According to sources, new-gen desktop chips from Intel will pack a new iGPU with four Xe-Cores, and the first details on Z890 chipset motherboards are starting to emerge. 

Golden Pig Upgrade (via VideoCardz) recently revealed that the next-generation Z890 motherboards will feature Thunderbolt 4 as a standard feature. Seeing as Intel had already unveiled Thunderbolt 5 in September 2023, we would expect that support for the new Thunderbolt version would be standard. Although Thunderbolt 4 and 3 have the same maximum theoretical performance (both are restricted to a 40 Gbps bandwidth), Thunderbolt 5 can handle up to 120 Gbps. This would be a substantial improvement for external devices that require high bandwidth, such as external GPUs and SSDs.

Additionally, Intel's Core Ultra 200 desktop series, which uses the basic GT1 graphics, will support up to four Xe-Cores. Considering the target audience of such CPUs, that should be more than enough, as customers tend to pair such processors with dedicated graphics. For basic tasks, the four Xe-cores should be more than enough.

Intel Arrow Lake-S desktop processors are expected to debut later this year. According to an MSI overclocker, more information on these upcoming CPUs should be available in the next quarter.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Do you think four Xe-cores will be enough for these CPUs, or would you like to see a bit more? Will the lack of Thunderbolt 5 on cheaper motherboards make you go for a higher-tier one?

Apple recently announced its next-generation processor, the M4. The upgraded processor is designed to deliver M2 level performance at just half the power, with capabilities to boost further beyond Apple's previous chips. However, it wouldn't be a 2024 chip launch if AI wasn't also mentioned. 

Apple claims the M4 can deliver the same performance as the newest PC CPUs while using just a fifth of the power. The M4 is built on the second-generation 3nm node and packs a 10-core CPU, of which four are performance cores, and six are efficiency cores. This allows it to provide 50% more power than the M2 inside the previous iPad Pro. Additionally, the M4's 10-core GPU features dynamic caching, mesh shading, ray tracing, and a new display engine that renders four times faster than the M2. 

It is unclear how many cores the M4 NPU has, as Apple did not disclose it. Nonetheless, Apple's M-series processors (except the M1 and M2 Ultra) have consistently had the same 16-core NPU count since the M1's inception. NPU performance has increased progressively with each iteration, and the new NPU on the M4 accentuates that trend. The jump from the M1 to the M2 was quite significant, contrary to what we've seen from the M2 to the M3. However, with the M4, we go from M3's 18 TOPS to the 38 TOPS.

Apple's announcement comes less than two weeks before the Windows and Surface AI event in Seattle on May 20th. Microsoft is confident that Windows on Arm will eventually outperform Apple's MacBook Air M3 computers regarding CPU performance and AI-accelerated workloads. This optimism originates primarily from Qualcomm's future Snapdragon X Elite processors, which promise up to 45 TOPS. It will be interesting to see how the M4 stacks up against the Arm-powered Windows laptops available this summer.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: What other devices do you think Apple will upgrade with the new M4 SoC?

Roland Wooster, an engineer at Intel who also heads the VESA Display Performance Metrics group, characterised the latest version of VESA DisplayHDR as a “tightening” of the specification while broadening the scope and criteria of the testing. The idea is to enhance the visual quality of the monitors you purchase, but one of the tests will also affect how much electricity they use. 

High-Dynamic Range (HDR) displays may look stunning when done right, replicating how your eyes adapt to bright lighting, particularly as you emerge from the darkness. However, displays struggle to preserve dark sections of the screen and sustain detail in low-illuminated environments. HDR displays are available in DisplayHDR 400, 500, 600, 1000, and 1400 specs, which relate to how much light they can generate in nits. You will require an HDR-capable GPU and monitor, as well as material that has been optimised for the format. 

To improve the classification of how panels can reproduce HDR content, VESA is updating its DisplayHDR specification to better align with the new and upcoming products arriving on the market. The latest specification should also motivate manufacturers to create better low-end displays to get the most basic DisplayHDR certification (DisplayHDR 400).

One of the assumptions in the new specification is that you have a MiniLED display. A basic LED display features a single backlight that adjusts the brightness of the whole display. OLED screens can effectively switch individual pixels on and off for infinite contrast. Mini or MicroLED displays fall somewhere in the centre, with hundreds or thousands of individual LED backlights (local dimming) to separate parts of the screen. One of the changes to the standard is to cease testing two sections of the screen — white and black — and instead use a “starfield” pattern that activates the other local dimming zones.

Another change coming with the new DisplayHDR 1.2 standard is to bring some of the visual-quality characteristics associated with higher-priced displays down to lower price points. DisplayHDR 400 now has a colour gamut of 99% sRGB and 90% DCI-P3, which is almost identical to the colour spectrum required by more costly DisplayHDR 1000 screens. It also increases the bit-depth needed to 8 bits + 2 bits of dithering (8-bit+FRC). 

The difference between SDR and HDR content is that HDR displays use brightness adjustments to achieve HDR visual enhancements, while SDR screens don't. That implies an HDR display must maintain colour accuracy when the panel lightens and darkens. DisplayHDR 1.2 significantly enhances colour testing to validate that accuracy across three brightness levels. The new specification also assures that an HDR display performs better with SDR material and does not increase the dark level. 

The brightness and white-point accuracy testing range has also changed, rising from 1 nit to 100% of the tier level, such as 600 nits for DisplayHDR 600. Moreover, VESA has implemented single-image contrast ratio criteria, which will significantly enhance contrast ratio and image quality, particularly for the lower-cost DisplayHDR 400, 500, and 600 tiers. 

Lastly, DisplayHDR testing now includes a “black crush test“. In very shaded places, some displays may just give up and show the whole picture as a uniform black rather than preserving the detail. The test includes brightness testing at multiple fractions of a nit to verify that the features are not “crushed” to a pure black. 

Although the VESA DisplayHDR 1.2 specification has already been defined, its impact won't be immediate. VESA will keep the DisplayHDR 1.1 definition and certification in place until 2025 (and 2026 for laptops) to protect existing goods under development.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Do you agree with the VESA DisplayHDR 1.2 specification changes, or should VESA make it more/less demanding?

MSI recently released a firmware update for some of its QD-OLED monitors, promising to fix bugs and introduce new features, like support for additional aspect ratios. For now, the new firmware is rolling out for MPG QD-OLED monitors, with MAG series QD-OLED monitors expected to follow. 

The latest firmware version 010 includes eleven updates, including fixes to colour gamut, language, and flickering. Moreover, it also introduces new features like adding new aspect ratios, DSC modes, the ability to turn off the Power LED, and a few optimisations to input latency and panel protection.

You can check the detailed update notes of the new firmware (version 010) for the MPG 271QRX QD-OLED and MPG 321URX QD-OLED monitors below:

• DSC switch added to the OSD to enable DLDSR and DSR modes.
• MPG 271QRX QD-OLED: Added HDMI PC/Console switch in the OSD. (MPG 271QRX QD-OLED default setting is “Console” mode.)
• Support for a variety of aspect ratios, MPG 321URX QD-OLED allows selection between a 24.5″ and 27″ option, MPG 271QRX QD-OLED allows 24.5″.
• Fixed Color Gamut clamping while HDR is enabled. HDR mode will now store separate present mode settings.
• Optimised multiple language issues.
• Fixed image flicker issue when VRR is enabled.
• Added “Power LED” switch in the OSD to allows users to turn it off.
• Input lag and latency optimisation.
• Fixed problem with white line during 2560×1440@360Hz. (MPG 271QRX QD-OLED only).
• Fixed displayed abnormal (dark screen) after VRR switched.
• Optimise a behavior of panel protect while protect completed that depends as executing power states.

As far as we know, the MAG QD-OLED monitors haven't received a firmware update yet but they might still receive one later.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Do you own an MSI QD-OLED monitor? How has your experience been so far?

Since the release of the Intel 13th Gen Core K-series (extended to the 14th Gen series CPUs), users have reported stability issues, particularly with the Core i9 SKU. The reason for that seems to be linked to motherboard vendors using what would be considered “overclock” settings by default. Intel has since then shared a statement recommending vendors add a Default/Baseline profile to motherboard settings. Until recently, there wasn't a deadline for introducing these new profiles, but Intel now wants them available by the end of May.

Most motherboard vendors were keen to offer the Extreme power profile (the most power-intensive profile) out of the box. However, the higher power profile has resulted in stability issues for users. In response to this, Intel is purportedly adopting a new Default/Baseline configuration by default, which would limit the CPU's PL2 (Power Limit 2/Maximum Turbo Power) to 188W. This is much lower than the Performance and Extreme profiles, which support up to 253W.

Image credit: Uniko's Hardware

Users who previously used the Extreme profile would witness a performance loss, but their processors at least should become more stable overall. Alternatively, users can change their power profile to what they used before the update. 

According to Benchlife, motherboard manufacturers have been using the “Extreme Profile” since the introduction of Coffee Lake. Up to now, Intel hasn't prohibited motherboard manufacturers from using such profiles or making them the default setting. However, after numerous reports on the stability of the 13th and 14th Gen Core K-series chips, things had to change. Biostar (via Uniko's Hardware) seems to be the first motherboard maker to automatically apply the Default profile after installing fresh firmware.

This month, Intel is expected to share more on its investigation into stability issues with 13th and 14th Gen processors. The company is also claimed to have begun asking motherboard makers to adopt the new standard power profile for all motherboards by the end of the month. 

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Do you own an Intel 13th or 14th Gen Core K-series CPU? Have you had any stability issues with it? Which motherboard are you using?

Nacon has recently revealed some exciting new information about its upcoming Terminator game, Terminator: Survivors. The game is set to hit Steam Early Access later this year, and the latest details suggest that it could be a game-changer in the world of PvE titles.

Terminator: Survivors will feature a fully playable single-player offline campaign with a unique plot and the option to play with up to three friends. The game will remain PvE, with no plans to introduce PvP. 

The game is set in 2009, just after Judgement Day (2005), when the world has become a wreck. There will only be one difficult T-800 in the game, which the developers believe will make the game darker and more like a movie. Players will begin their journey with an established base related to the game's story, which they can extend by building and improving facilities. However, Nacon has suggested that the game will not revolve much around base-building.

One cool feature of the game is the ability to drive cars. Nacon stated that the driving mechanics will make exploration more enjoyable and allow for collaboration with friends, although we are yet to learn which type of vehicles players will be allowed to drive. The developer also revealed that the game is being developed on Unreal Engine 5, but it remains unclear whether the game will use Nanite and Lumen.

The game will first be released into Early Access on October 24th before the full release. However, Nacon plans to run private playtests before the Early Access phase.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you a fan of the Terminator universe? Do you have high expectations for Terminator: Survivors? From the sounds of it, this game is taking some inspiration from State of Decay 2, which was one of the more underrated co-op survival games of the Xbox One generation. 

Valve's Proton, the open-source tool for running Windows games on Linux, has received a significant update that promises to enhance game compatibility for Linux gamers. The latest version, Proton 9.0, is now available on GitHub, bringing several new features and improvements to the table. These improvements will be of particular interest to anyone who has invested in a Steam Deck.

Proton 9.0 is based on the long-standing Wine project and is optimised to work better with Nvidia GPUs and high-core CPUs. According to the release notes, the new version of Proton adds compatibility for several games, including The Finals, Dinogen Online, and The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, that were previously only playable with an experimental version. 

Older PC games have also received some love, as the new version addresses the issue of playing these games on high-core count CPUs. Proton reduces the number of CPU cores observed by games such as Far Cry 2 and 4, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, Dawn of War II, Dawn of War II—Chaos Rising, Dawn of War II—Retribution, Outcast—Second Contact, and Prototype, allowing them to run more smoothly. 

In addition to these updates, Proton 9.0 brings other improvements and fixes to games such as Microsoft Flight Simulator, Doom Eternal, Brawhalla, Civilization V, Final Fantasy XIV Online, several Unity engine titles, Bayonetta, and Escape from Monkey Island. The update also enables support for Steamworks SDK 1.59, allowing for tighter cooperation with Steam's newest features. Moreover, it enables NVAPI by default for users with Nvidia graphics. You can check the detailed update notes HERE.

Proton 9.0 is available to users running the Beta or prior versions. For those new to Proton or interested in trying the updating process, you can look for Proton 9.0 in your Steam library. 

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Do you use Proton? Have you already updated? Did you notice the changes and improvements?

Intel's upcoming Arrow Lake-S platform has been the talk of the town lately. MSI overclocker Toppc recently dropped some hints about the new platform during the MSI Dragon event in Wuhan, China. According to Toppc, the new platform, referred to as “Next” in the presentation, would focus on the Arrow Lake-S platform's memory controller, and he has hinted at some early insights on the platform's capabilities.

Although specific details on the platform have yet to be revealed, Toppc (via Chiphell) confirmed that it would support DDR5 memory, which aligns with the AMD AM5 series. Toppc also teased that more information on the platform would be released in Q3, indicating that the Core Ultra 200 desktop series could be launched earlier than expected.

While Intel's LGA-1851 socket platform was expected to launch last year in Q4, it was delayed, and the company replaced the aborted MTL-S desktop series with an upgraded version of Raptor Lake. 

In January of this year, information on the Intel 800-chipset series leaked, confirming that Intel intends to sell three Arrow Lake silicon variants with 24, 22, and 14 cores. These variations will combine Lion Cove Performance Cores with Skymont Efficient Cores, promising powerful performance and efficiency to users.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you waiting for the new Arrow Lake-S platform? Will it outweigh the competition, or will AMD's Zen 5 CPUs (with or without X3D) give it a run for the money?

Asus might be indirectly teasing the release of a new ROG Ally. For some time now, the original ROG Ally official product page has been referred to as “ROG Ally (2023)”, suggesting a new version of the console might be coming in 2024. With Computex just around the corner, official news on this shouldn't be too far off. 

While there may be a new ROG Ally on the way for 2024, reports suggest that it won't be a full blown generational upgrade. According to VideoCardz, the primary purpose of the new model appears to be ironing out a few design issues with the original model.

One key focus of the tweaked model appears to be the SD Card reader. Users have faced problems with this on the original model, leading to frustrations while trying to expand the system's storage. Asus is also expected to repair any original ROG Ally consoles that were affected by a bad SD card reader.

Although the new model would be a good chance to update the hardware inside, it seems that won't be the  case. The ROG Ally 2024 should continue to use the Ryzen Z1 and Z1 Extreme APUs. 

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KitGuru says: Do you own a ROG Ally? What would you want to see out of a true next-gen ROG Ally handheld?

Recently, new screenshots have revealed the existence of an upgraded version of the Ryzen 9 7950X3D processor. These CPUs are already well known for their 3D V-cache, which can bring a notable boost to gaming performance. 

As seen in the screenshot shared by HXL, Windows Task Manager and CPU-Z both show a variant of the Ryzen 9 7950X3D with an extra 64MB of L3 cache, bringing the total up to 192MB. While some speculated that this might be a Windows issue or a problem with the supply chain, others suggested that the CPU could be an early engineering sample that AMD was experimenting with.

192MB L3 Cache 7950X3D?https://t.co/hof4XNRGYH pic.twitter.com/CuKyehpebf

— HXL (@9550pro) May 4, 2024

Interestingly, before AMD announced the Ryzen 9 7950X3D in 2023, Gamers Nexus visited the company's facility in Austin, Texas. During their visit, the team discussed the various setups tried by AMD, including samples with multiple 3D stacked cache dies. AMD even showed off an unannounced Ryzen 9 5950X3D with 192MB L3 cache, indicating that at least one such CPU exists.

As such, we wouldn't discard the possibility that this is an engineering sample that has somehow found its way outside of AMD labs. These prototypes are designed to be discarded or destroyed, but errors occur. Alternatively, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D with 192MB L3 cache could be a a misnamed engineering sample for AMD's future EPYC 4004 series, which are server-grade Zen 4 processors with 3D V-Cache for the mainstream AM5 socket.

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KitGuru says: In the end, we may never know if this is a prototype, the result of a bug, or the product of an accident.

Intel's next-generation desktop flagship CPU, the Core Ultra 9 285K, is rumoured to have a turbo clock speed of up to 5.5GHz, which is lower than the current generation flagship CPU, indicating that most of the performance benefit from Arrow Lake will come via architectural upgrades, rather than increased power limits and frequencies. 

According to MebiuW (via Wccftech), the Core Ultra 9 285K will have, at best, the same clock speed as the Core i9-12900KS. Even so, it should be faster, as clock speed is just one of the various specifications that determine how fast a CPU can be. 

In fact, the upcoming Core Ultra 9 desktop CPU should be even faster than the Core i9-13900KS and the i9-14900KS. However, according to the same leaker, it won't be much faster than the latter. Apparently, we can expect somewhere around a 12 percent improvement.

In a different report, Golden Pig Upgrade (via VideoCardz) stated that the next-gen desktop series will not include Core Ultra 3 CPUs. Previously released material only addressed the Core Ultra 5 CPUs, referred to as the entry-level SKUs.

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KitGuru says: How much faster do you expect the Core Ultra 9 285K to be compared to its predecessor?