When Gigabyte sent us their X870E Aorus Pro X3D Ice we figured a refresh of AMD X870E was a minor matter and a review would take two or three days at most. Instead we spent a solid week figuring out how Gigabyte's X3D Turbo Mode 2 goes about its business and yes, it includes AI. Buckle up, this video is 25 minutes in length, and for good reason.

Timestamps:

00:00 Start
00:56 Updates and ‘AI Claims’
03:28 Unboxing / Accessories
05:32 Featureset / Ports / Connectors / VRMs
07:11 Removing heatsinks & more connectors
08:45 Back Drilling / Micro holes
09:16 BIOS and AI Claims
09:48 Testing Methodology
10:55 Geekbench 6 Multi Core
12:00 DDR5 8000 tests
12:44 Geekbench 6 Single Core
13:28 Cinebench R23 Multi Core
13:53 Whats going on then?
14:45 Leo gets to the root
15:53 AIDA64 Memory Bandwidth
17:00 Far Cry 6
18:30 Assassins Creed Mirage
19:31 Cyberpunk 2077
20:46 Total War Pharoah
21:45 OnFly Software
22:38 The Experience / Pricing
23:42 Closing Thoughts

Key features

• X870E X3D features vs. previous X870E models
• X3D Turbo Mode 2
• 8 layer PCB with Back-Drill
• DDR5 now up to 9000 MT/sec
• VRM Heatsinks have Direct-Touch Heatpipe
• PCIe Gen 5 x16 not shared with M.2
• All M.2 have EZ Match and not just the main M.2
• All models have Back Armour
• DriverBIOS
• Front USB with 65W PD
• All models have Rear EZ-Buttons

Specification:

• CPU support: AMD Socket AM5 for AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 Series processors
• Chipset: AMD X870E
• VRMs:
  • Infineon XDPE192C3D 12-phase controller
  • 18x 110A Infineon PMC41430 Vcore
  • 2x 110A Infineon PMC41430 SoC
  • 2x 60A DrMOS OnSemi 302155P (Misc)
• Memory support: DDR5 up to 9000 (O.C.), 4x DDR5 DIMM slots up to 256GB; dual-channel architecture; non-ECC unbuffered DIMMs
• Expansion slots: 1x PCIe 5.0 x16 (CPU), 1x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4, chipset), 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x2, chipset)
• Storage:
  • 1x M.2 PCIe 5.0 x4 (CPU)
  • 1x M.2 PCIe 5.0 x4 (CPU, shared with USB4)
  • 2x M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 (chipset)
  • 4x SATA 6Gb/s
• USB:
  • 2x USB4 40Gbps Type-C (rear)
  • 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 20Gbps Type-C (front, up to 65W PD 3.0 / QC 4+)
  • 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps Type-C (rear)
  • 5x USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps Type-A (rear)
  • 3x USB 3.2 Gen 1 5Gbps Type-A (rear)
  • 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 5Gbps Type-A (front)
  • 4x USB 2.0 Type-A (front)
• Audio: Realtek ALC1220 codec, HD Audio 7.1-channel
• Ethernet: Realtek 5GbE
• Wireless: Qualcomm QCNCM865 Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
• Fan headers: 8x PWM fan headers
• RGB headers: 3x ARGB headers, 1x RGB header
• BIOS: 64MB flash BIOS chip
• Form factor: ATX, 305 x 244 mm

Testing

As we show in our video, the X3D Turbo Mode 2 feature required a good deal of investigation. We could figure out Off and Standard easily enough, however Max Performance and Extreme Gaming caused us some confusion. As you will see from our charts, Extreme Gaming does not necessarily boost gaming performance.

Test system

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
• Memory: 32GB ADATA XPG Lancer RGB DDR5-6000
• CPU Cooler: Phanteks Glacier One 360MPH
• Graphics card: MSI GeForce 4090 Ventus 3X 24GB
• Power supply: Seasonic Vertex GX-1200 ATX 3
• SSD: 1TB Crucial T700 M.2 NVMe
• OS: Windows 11

Performance and Overclocking

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

In Geekbench 6 Multi Core we see the Max Performance profile wins the day with DDR5-8000 memory. The curiosity here is that the Extreme Gaming profile scores well below the baseline Auto settings, which is due to SMT being disabled.

Geekbench 6 Single Core

By contrast in Geekbench 6 Single Core the Extreme Gaming profile tops the chart as each single core is drawing slightly more power and running a very few Megahertz faster.

Far Cry 6 at 1080p

The Extreme Gaming profile wins by a comfortable margin in Far Cry 6 at 1080p where the combination of high processor speed and low CPU requirements acts as a killer combination.

Total War: Pharaoh at 1080p

We show Total War: Pharaoh at 1080p to demonstrate that things can get complicated. In this instance the Extreme Gaming profile is an utter disaster and far worse than default Auto settings.

Closing Thoughts

Our review of the Gigabyte X870E Aorus Pro X3D Ice started easily and developed into something of a battle.

The easy part is the hardware and features which are pretty much beyond reproach. The hardware is good quality and the cooling is excellent, and if you were simply plugging together a new AMD Ryzen PC you should certain consider this motherboard in a battle against the MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi (review HERE) and the Asus ROG Crosshair X870E Hero (review HERE).

Things take a turn for the complicated when we consider the X3D Turbo Mode 2 settings as we suddenly have a PC that can perform superbly in one test and poorly in another. Or, as we show above, superbly well in one game and badly in another.

The only solution we found is to run a benchmark test and then change the Turbo setting and run another test, and another, and perhaps another. By the end of the proceedings you should have a PC that does an excellent job, but you may well question the effort that is required.

You can buy the Gigabyte X870E Aorus Pro X3D Ice for £387 HERE.

Pros:

• Loads of ports and connectors.
• DIY features speed up your PC build.
• High quality hardware with excellent cooling.
• Good performance (depending on Turbo Mode 2 behaviour).

Cons:

• Turbo Mode 2 requires testing and investigation to get the best performance.
• The price is fairly high.

KitGuru says: Gigabyte X870E Aorus Pro X3D Ice has some complicated control systems that require careful consideration.

The post Gigabyte X870E Aorus Pro X3D Ice Review first appeared on KitGuru.

Christmas day has arrived and with it comes our biggest giveaway of the season! Today's prize will be none other than a fully built gaming PC packed with MSI hardware, built by CyberPowerPC. 

We reviewed this PC recently, so if you want to see a range of benchmarks, you can find our full review HERE.

Specifications:

• Case – MSI MAG Panoramic 130R Project Zero Gaming Case – White
• CPU – AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
• CPU Cooling – MSI Coreliquid A13 360mm ARGB AIO
• Cooling Upgrades – Thermal Grizzly Premium Thermal Paste
• Motherboard – MSI B850 Gaming Plus WIFI PZ
• Memory – Kingston Fury Beast DDR5 32GB (2x16GB) 5600MT/s CL36
• Graphics Card – MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16G Ventus 3X PZ OC
• PSU – MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 850W
• Primary Storage – 2TB MSI M470 PCle 4.0 NVMe SSD
• Operating System – Windows 11 Home

How to Enter:

To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is head over to our competition announcement post on Facebook, HERE. In the comments, leave an answer to the following question – What is the first game you would install on this PC?

This competition is open in the UK.

The winner will be picked randomly shortly after 11AM GMT December 25th, and a new competition will be announced for Day 25. The chosen winner has 48 hours to respond, if we do not hear from them, a new winner will be picked.

Terms and Conditions: This competition is open in the UK, starting at 11AM GMT on December 25th and ending at 10:59AM GMT on December 26th. Due to the busy Christmas season, prize deliveries could take longer than usual, and some prizes may not ship until January. In compliance with GDPR, we will not collect or store any personal information as part of this competition. Once the winner has been contacted and their prize received, personal details will be deleted from our email servers. Your details will not be shared, we respect your privacy.

KitGuru Says: Good luck to all who enter, we'll be back tomorrow morning to announce a winner and turn the calendar over to Day 26!

The post KitGuru Advent Calendar Day 25: Win an MSI CyberPower Gaming PC! first appeared on KitGuru.

Windows users have long relied on the default disk.sys driver for storage management, a component that has mainly remained fundamentally unchanged since its introduction in 2006. While Windows has supported the NVMe protocol since Windows 8.1, the legacy driver continues to treat modern high-speed solid-state storage as a legacy SCSI disk. To address this bottleneck, Microsoft has officially introduced nvmedisk.sys for Windows Server 2025, but apparently, Windows 11 25H2 also has it hidden away.

The team over at Notebookcheck tested this new driver on a Windows 11 PC, and as promised by Microsoft, the deeper NVMe awareness appears to be paying dividends in raw throughput. The testing suggests that nvmedisk.sys provides a measurable performance uplift across both sequential and random read/write workloads compared to the old driver. By bypassing the legacy SCSI translation layer, the new driver allows the OS to interface more directly with the flash controller, reducing overhead and improving latency on high-end drives such as the Samsung 990 Pro and Crucial T705. You can find the results before and after installing the new driver below:

Image credit: Noteboocheck

Although impressive, enthusiasts looking to force the transition should proceed with extreme caution, as the driver is not yet enabled by default for all hardware configurations. Current reports indicate that forcing nvmedisk.sys via registry modifications can lead to severe system instability or a total failure to boot if the underlying SSD controller lacks specific compatibility hooks. To verify which driver your system is currently using, users must navigate to Driver Details in Device Manager.

Given the potential for data loss or unbootable partitions, we strongly advise against manually switching drivers without a full-disk backup at hand. While the performance gains are enticing for those chasing benchmark records, the new driver is still in a soft launch.

KitGuru says: It is about time Microsoft retired a driver stack from 2006 for high-end storage. The question that remains is when it will arrive at a stable build.

The post Windows 11 has a hidden driver that may boost NVMe SSD performance first appeared on KitGuru.

LG Display is unveiling its new OLED technology ahead of CES 2026. The company has officially announced the development of the world's first 27-inch 4K OLED panel featuring an RGB stripe structure and a 240Hz refresh rate. This new monitor promises to address the most persistent complaint regarding OLED monitors: text clarity.

While OLED has long dominated in contrast and response times, the technology has struggled with productivity tasks. Current-generation WOLED panels typically use an RWGB structure, while QD-OLED uses a triangular RGB arrangement. Both configurations often cause “color bleeding” or “fringing” around text because modern operating systems like Windows are designed for the standard vertical RGB stripe found in traditional LCDs. By successfully implementing a true RGB stripe at 4K resolution, LG is promising a monitor that is finally as capable for spreadsheet work and coding as it is for high-end gaming.

The breakthrough isn't just about clarity, however. This new panel is the first of its kind to maintain the RGB stripe while pushing to 240Hz. To achieve this, LG applied new manufacturing techniques to increase the aperture ratio (the physical area of the pixel that emits light), allowing for higher brightness and faster refresh cycles without the need for an extra white subpixel found in standard WOLEDs.

For competitive gamers, the panel also features LG's Dynamic Frequency & Resolution (DFR) technology. This “dual-mode” capability allows users to switch between the native UHD (4K) at 240Hz for immersive gaming and a high-speed FHD (1080p) at 480Hz mode. We expect to see the first retail monitors using this panel at CES 2026.

KitGuru Says: Are you thinking of making the jump to an OLED monitor in 2026?

The post LG Display to fix OLED text clarity with new 27-inch 4K RGB stripe panel first appeared on KitGuru.

Samsung is setting an aggressive tone for CES 2026 with a new wave of high‑end monitors that mark several technical firsts for the company. The updated Odyssey lineup introduces a 1040Hz refresh rate, a glasses‑free 6K 3D display option, and broad adoption of DisplayPort 2.1 across its top models, signalling a clear push toward next‑generation bandwidth and visual performance.

Leading the announcement is the Odyssey 3D (G90XH), a 32-inch 6K (6144 x 3456) IPS monitor that aims to succeed where previous 3D efforts failed. By using real-time eye-tracking cameras and a lenticular lens layer, the G90XH delivers a glasses-free 3D experience that adjusts perspective based on the user's head position. While it runs natively at 165Hz, it features a “Dual Mode” that drops the resolution to 3K to enable a 330Hz refresh rate. Some games getting dedicated optimisations for this monitor include Stellar Blade and Lies of P.

For competitive gamers, the Odyssey G6 (G60H) is likely to be the most talked-about display of the year. This 27-inch QHD IPS monitor is the first in the world to break the four-digit refresh rate barrier, reaching 1040Hz in its “Dual Mode” (at HD resolution). Even at its native QHD resolution, the panel maintains a staggering 600Hz refresh rate.

The Odyssey G8 series has also been expanded into a trio of high-resolution displays. The first is the G80H, a 32-inch 6K IPS model that mirrors the resolution of the 3D flagship, offering 6K at 165Hz or 3K at 330Hz. Then there's the G80HF, a 27-inch 5K variant running at 180Hz natively or 360Hz in QHD mode. Lastly, the G80SH is for the OLED enthusiasts, featuring a 32-inch 4K QD-OLED panel. This model stands out by being VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 500-certified and supporting DisplayPort 2.1 with UHBR20, providing up to 80Gbps of bandwidth.

All five models support AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and are Nvidia G-Sync Compatible. Samsung also stated that it will be showcased at CES 2026.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Samsung's 2026 Odyssey line-up so far?

The post Samsung unveils 1024Hz gaming monitor and new Odyssey displays for 2026 first appeared on KitGuru.

Thermaltake has introduced the MAGCurve 360 Ultra ARGB Sync AIO Liquid Cooler, a display‑driven cooling solution built for high‑performance systems. Available in Black and Snow, it combines a curved screen, AI‑assisted customisation, and a compact but capable thermal design.

The cooler features a 6.67‑inch curved AMOLED panel with a 2240×1080 resolution, offering high contrast and wide viewing angles. The display supports system monitoring, time and weather widgets, video playback, and dynamic visuals. Through TT RGB PLUS 3.0, users can upload images or videos, adjust layouts, fine‑tune colours, and even run split‑screen configurations. The integrated AI Forge tool allows users to generate custom backgrounds from simple text prompts, which can be edited and combined with system data. The TT PlayLink mobile app adds faster customisation with direct photo uploads and real‑time camera or video streaming to the display.

Cooling performance is handled by three TOUGHFAN EX 120 ARGB Sync fans, which include a swappable blade design for switching between standard and reverse airflow without affecting lighting. The fans reach up to 2500RPM, delivering high airflow and static pressure while keeping noise controlled.

Installation is streamlined through MagForce 2.0 magnetic connectors, which use enlarged contact pads for more stable daisy chaining and reduced cable clutter. The radiator uses a slim 27mm design paired with a thickened 20mm copper chamber, supported by a high‑quality pump and precision copper base. The cooler is rated for CPUs up to 365W TDP, ensuring consistent thermal performance under sustained workloads.

KitGuru Says: Are you in the market for a new CPU cooler? 

The post Thermaltake’s latest AIO liquid cooler features a massive curved display on the CPU block first appeared on KitGuru.

Prior to Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar had a good stretch where it was releasing a new game every two years or so. As it turns out, during this time, Rockstar had been kicking around the idea of bringing in third-party studios to make Grand Theft Auto games set in other cities around the globe, with the biggest idea being Grand Theft Auto: Tokyo.

In a recent interview with GamesHub, former Rockstar technical director, Obbe Vermeij, talked about plans to supply a Japanese studio with code from GTA in order to create GTA: Tokyo while Rockstar was busy working on the next mainline game in the series. The plan came about after leaders at Rockstar had wanted to produce new GTA games set outside of the USA.

“We had ideas about GTA games in Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, and Istanbul. Tokyo almost actually happened. Another studio in Japan were going to do it, take our code and do GTA: Tokyo. But then that didn’t happen in the end”, he said.

Unfortunately for fans, Vermeij also thinks the ship has sailed on the potential to produce new GTA games set outside of the US. This is largely due to the inflated development times now required to ship a proper AAA game, coupled with the fact that GTA is now primarily known for its small handful of fictional US-based cities.

“It’s just not realistic. I would love it, and if games still took a year to make, then yeah sure, you can have a little fun, but you’re not going to get that when there’s a GTA every 12 years. You’re not going to set it in a new location. You don’t really need to either because the technology changes so much. Nobody is going to say that they’re not going to play GTA VI because they’ve already played Vice City.”

He's not wrong about the long development times – GTA V first released in 2013 and the next game, GTA 6, is finally due to release in November next year. However, at this point GTA is such a massive global success that it is unlikely that Rockstar would ever let a third-party studio near its source code.

KitGuru Says: It would have been cool to see GTA licensed out so we could get a wave of spin-offs like GTA: Tokyo. There is no way that would happen now though, as GTA has risen to become a core pillar in gaming.

The post Rockstar apparently planned to let a Japanese studio make GTA: Tokyo before GTA V first appeared on KitGuru.

IO Interactive snuck out some disappointing news to end the year. The studio's new James Bond game, 007 First Light, has been delayed, taking over Grand Theft Auto 6's original release slot on the 2026 calendar. 

In an update shared this week, IO Interactive confirmed that 007 First Light will no longer release in March like originally planned. Now, the game will launch on May 27th 2026. If that date rings a bell, then there is good reason, as Grand Theft Auto 6 was originally scheduled to release on May 26th, before being delayed to November next year.

In its statement, IO Interactive said: “007 First Light is our most ambitious project to date and the team has been fully focused on delivering an unforgettable James Bond experience”, adding that the delay will “ensure the experience meets the level of quality” that fans deserve on day one.

007 First Light has been pitched in the first game in an on-going series, all starring IOI's own version of James Bond, not tied to any previous films, games or novels. We will see more of the game in early 2026 as IO ramps up the marketing ahead of release.

KitGuru Says: Fortunately, the delay is quite short, giving IO Interactive roughly eight extra weeks to polish up the game. Are you looking forward to 007: First Light? 

The post IO Interactive delays 007 First Light first appeared on KitGuru.

This competition is now CLOSED. Our winner today is Craig Whittle! If you missed out this time then keep an eye out as we still have more daily giveaways to get through on the calendar. Today's giveaway can be found HERE.

For Day 24 of the KitGuru Advent Calendar, we have teamed up with NVIDIA to give one lucky reader a new graphics card! Today's prize is none other than the RTX 5070 Ti graphics card!

The RTX 5070 Ti is a GPU we are already very familiar with. We've reviewed a bunch of them, each time coming away with positive impressions for performance at 1440p and 4K resolutions. With this graphics card, you'll also have access to all of the latest RTX features, including DLSS 4 with Multi-Frame Generation, so you can multiply your performance in hundreds of games at the press of a button.

How to Enter:

To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is head over to our competition announcement post on Facebook, HERE. In the comments, leave an answer to the following question – What was your favourite game this year? 

This competition is open in the UK and EU.

The winner will be picked randomly shortly after 11AM GMT December 25th, and a new competition will be announced for Day 25. The chosen winner has 48 hours to respond, if we do not hear from them, a new winner will be picked.

Terms and Conditions: This competition is open in the UK and EU, starting at 11AM GMT on December 24th and ending at 10:59AM GMT on December 25th. Due to the busy Christmas season, prize deliveries could take longer than usual, and some prizes may not ship until January. In compliance with GDPR, we will not collect or store any personal information as part of this competition. Once the winner has been contacted and their prize received, personal details will be deleted from our email servers. Your details will not be shared, we respect your privacy.

KitGuru Says: Good luck to all who enter, we'll be back tomorrow morning to announce a winner and turn the calendar over to Day 25!

The post KitGuru Advent Calendar Day 24: Win an Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti graphics card! (Closed) first appeared on KitGuru.

Today we’re taking a look at NZXT’s new F-Series X performance fans – the F120X, F240X, and the F360X. NZXT claims these are their most advanced fans yet, with LCP construction, ultra-tight tolerances, and a magnetic-levitation hybrid bearing designed to push serious airflow while keeping noise under control. We break down the design, the performance numbers, and of course whether these premium fans are actually worth the upgrade for your next build. Let’s dive in.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
00:52 The latest NZXT fans & pricing
02:10 Tech details on the coolers
02:38 A closer look at the fans
06:50 Do they look good?
07:07 Accessories
08:04 Test System
09:02 Smoke Visualisation Airflow Test
10:15 Thermal and Noise Performance
16:06 James thoughts – Are NZXT onto a winner?

Features:

• LCP construction and optimised blade design for strong airflow & pressure — All three fans are equipped with liquid-crystal polymer (LCP) for blades and frame, for improved rigidity at high speed which helps resist flexing and vibration. Minimal blade-to-frame gap (“ultra-tight tip-to-frame clearance”), reduces turbulence and air leakage, resulting in optimal airflow and static pressure.
• Custom Hybrid bearing for quiet and durable operation — “Custom Hybrid Bearing” includes magnetic levitation to keep the rotor stable at higher RPM, combined with fluid-dynamic lubrication to help reduce friction and wear. The aim is to provide smooth, long-lasting, quiet rotation.
• Advanced 3-phase, 6-pole motor for precise, efficient cooling — The motor design enables more precise speed control for steady and efficient cooling across different speeds for lower noise and consistent performance.
• Polished design with subtle RGB and easy install — Featuring brushed-aluminium accents, subtle RGB lighting and a clean aesthetic. You can control fan speeds and lighting via motherboard software or, with NZXT Control Hub and NZXT CAM software. The single-frame models (F240X and F360X) have an all-in-one frame that reduces screws and cables for clean and simple installation.

Specifications (F360X):

• Dimensions: 360 x 120 x 30mm
• Weight: 750g
• Speed (PWM): 3,100 ± 310 RPM
• Airflow: 0 CFM per fan
• Static Pressure: 53 mmH2O per fan
• Noise: 0 dBA per fan
• Bearing type: NZXT Magnetic Levitation Stabiliser & Fluid Dynamic Bearing
• Motor type: 3-phase, 6-pole
• Rate Voltage: 12V (Fan) / 5V (RGB)
• Rated Current: 60A (Fan) / 0.52A (RGB)
• Input Power: 8W
• Connector: 4-pin PWM and 5V ARGB
• Material (Blade & Frame): Liquid-crystal polymer (LCP), rubber
• Vibration damping / Mount: Rubber corner mounts
• Warranty: 5 Years

Test System Specifications:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
• Motherboard: ASRock X870E Taichi
• Graphics card: MSI RTX 5080 Gaming Trio White
• RAM: 64GB (2 x 32GB Modules) G.SKILL Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-6000
• Storage: 1TB Corsair MP600 Elite PCIE Gen4 M.2 SSD
• Power Supply: Seasonic Prime TX-1600 Noctua Edition
• CPU Cooler: Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360
• Chassis: Lian Li Lancool III
• Operating System: Windows 11 24H2

Testing Methodology

Our testing focuses on the thermal performance of each fan under three conditions: 100% PWM, 1400 RPM, and 40 dBA noise-normalised operation. All tests are conducted with a manual CPU overclock, locking the all-core frequency and VCORE to ensure consistent load across runs.

Baseline Measurement:

• Ambient temperature is recorded.
• The system is left idle for 10 minutes.
• CPU and GPU temperatures are logged using HWINFO, while case temperatures are monitored with thermocouples placed at three positions:

T1: Behind the front intake fan

T2: In front of the rear exhaust

T3: Above the AIO exhaust

Load Testing:

A combined CPU/GPU stress test is run for 30 minutes using 3DMark Speed Way stress test and Cinebench simultaneously.

Temperature charts show the average CPU/GPU delta over the final 10 minutes of the test, along with the thermocouple readings at the end of the session.

Noise Testing:

Noise levels are measured with a decibel meter placed 30 cm from the front of the system.

Airflow Visualisation:

Smoke tests are filmed with all fans running at 1400 RPM to illustrate airflow patterns across the case and cooling components.

This methodology ensures a consistent, real-world comparison of each fan’s thermal efficiency, noise performance, and airflow characteristics.

Test Results:

System Noise: 100% PWM

1400RPM Normalised

Case Temperatures: 100% PWM

1400RPM Normalised

40dBA Noise Normalised

CPU & GPU Temperature: 100% PWM

1400RPM Normalised

40dBA Noise Normalised

We found the NZXT F120/240/360X fans listed at Scan. An F120X costs £39.98 while the F360X is priced at £99.98.

Pros:

• Solid airflow and cooling, close to competitor performance.
• Clean looks with all in one frame and minimal cables.
• Very wide PWM speed range with high max speed for extreme cooling.

Cons:

• Quite expensive.
• Loud at max speed.
• Performance drops off a little at lower RPM.
• No reverse blade versions.

KitGuru says: If your build prioritises aesthetics over absolute thermal performance, then these fans might be a good fit for you. They will still provide solid cooling too, just not chart-topping, but they are very expensive and loud at max speed.

The post NZXT F-Series X Fan Review: F120X/F240X/F360X first appeared on KitGuru.

Gigabyte has introduced the product page for its GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Windforce OC V2, a revision to the original GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Windforce OC that apparently doesn't use the “server-grade thermal conductive gel” that has been criticised by many users for leaking. This marks a departure from the cooling strategy the company heavily promoted at the start of the year.

The saga began earlier in 2025 when early adopters of the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 50 and Radeon RX 9000 series cards reported a viscous material oozing from beneath their heatsinks. This phenomenon was particularly prevalent in systems with vertical GPU mounts, where gravity caused the non-solid gel to drip away from the components, such as VRAM and MOSFETs. At the time, Gigabyte issued a formal statement defending the choice, claiming the leakage was a purely cosmetic result of over-application during early production runs. The manufacturer maintained that the substance could withstand temperatures up to 150°C and would not impact the reliability or longevity of the hardware.

Image credit: Uniko's Hardware

Despite that, the release of the RTX 5070 Ti Windforce OC V2 suggests a rethink behind the scenes. As spotted by Uniko's Hardware (via VideoCardz), the updated specifications and product imagery reveal that standard thermal pads have replaced the thermal gel. Gigabyte has not provided a formal reason for the swap, but given the reports, most would assume the gel would be the leading cause.

However, the thermal interface isn't the only aspect of the card to see a refresh in this second iteration. The Windforce OC V2 features a significantly altered physical footprint compared to the original SFF-focused design it replaces. The new shroud is approximately 43mm shorter, using a triple-fan array of smaller 80mm fans. Moreover, the PCB layout appears to have been modified, with relocated screw positions and the removal of the dual-BIOS switch found on the first generation. The backplate has also been redesigned with new visuals.

KitGuru says: There is more to this revision than the replacement of thermal materials, but that is the big one. New buyers will no longer have to worry about potential leakage. 

The post Gigabyte quietly swaps out thermal gel in RTX 5070 Ti Windforce V2 first appeared on KitGuru.

Square Enix has announced that the Octopath Traveler franchise has officially surpassed the six-million-unit sales milestone globally. This figure represents a significant jump from the five million units recorded in December 2024, suggesting that the series’s expansion to new platforms and the recent launch of a new entry have boosted its commercial momentum.

The original Octopath Traveler, which first debuted on the Nintendo Switch in 2018 before migrating to PC, Xbox, and eventually PlayStation 4 and 5, remains the primary driver of these figures. To date, the first game has sold over 3 million units. Its sequel, Octopath Traveler II, has contributed over one million units since its early 2023 launch.

The most recent growth in the series’ figures can be attributed to the release of Octopath Traveler 0 on December 4th. Serving as a prequel to the original and a clean version (no microtransactions) of the mobile title Champions of the Continent, this latest entry launched on day one across nearly all current hardware, including the Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

With the series now established across almost every modern ecosystem, Square Enix is celebrating the milestone with various digital storefront discounts (up to 60%) on the first two titles.

KitGuru says: Did you play any Octopath Traveler games? Do you think Square Enix should keep investing in this series?

The post Square Enix confirms Octopath Traveler series has cleared 6 million sales first appeared on KitGuru.

Games industry veteran and Respawn Entertainment founder, Vince Zampella, has passed away. Zampella had been a leader at Infinity Ward before forming his new studio, Respawn Entertainment, and then joining EA. 

According to NBC Los Angeles, authorities have confirmed that Zampella's vehicle had been involved in a crash in the San Gabriel Mountains on Sunday afternoon. A Ferrari struck a concrete barrier and then burst into flames.

As a co-founder of Infinity Ward, Zampella was one of the minds behind the Medal of Honor and Call of Duty franchises. Following a high-profile departure from Activision, Zampella co-founded Respawn Entertainment, where he continued to innovate with the release of Titanfall and its sequel.

Beyond shooters, Zampella’s leadership at Respawn oversaw the development of the critically acclaimed Star Wars Jedi games. Most recently, he had also been aiding the direction of the Battlefield series, including Battlefield 6.

The post Respawn founder Vince Zampella has passed away first appeared on KitGuru.

Hogwarts Legacy was the bestselling game of 2023 and it is still charting even today. Given that success, it should come as no surprise that a sequel is being developed, but while the first game was purely single-player focused, Hogwarts Legacy 2 could lean towards multiplayer. 

As spotted by Game Rant, Avalanche Studios is now hiring for a Senior Software Engineer. Specifically, the studio is seeking candidates with “online multiplayer RPG” experience, giving us a hint at the direction they are going in with Hogwarts Legacy 2.

It is unclear if they are thinking MMO-style gameplay, where you'll see other human players in all corners of the game, or if they are thinking co-op gameplay, where up to four player characters are roaming the world together, but outside of that, you won't run into other players.

Hogwarts Legacy garnered its popularity as a single-player experience, so this sounds like a massively risky change. Still, titles like Baldur's Gate 3 have proven that you can still have deep and meaningful RPG gameplay with multiple players, so maybe it will work out.

KitGuru Says: It sounds like Hogwarts Legacy 2 is being built to capture the imaginations of the shareholders and not the gamers who made the first one such a huge success. 

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It has been almost three months since EA's Board of Directors announced that it had received a $55B buyout offer. Last night, EA took the next step towards closing the deal, with shareholders officially voting to approve the buyout.

As first spotted by Stephen Totilo, EA's shareholders have now voted in favour of the acquisition proposal. Now, the next step will be getting the acquisition approved by government regulators, which depending on the level of scrutiny, can either take several months, or years. A recent example of this taking longer than expected was the Microsoft – Activision merger, with the deal's agreed upon closing date having to be extended a couple of times due to continued meetings with regulators.

The EA deal will see a consortium of private investors banding together to pay out $55 billion to shareholders in exchange for 100% control over the company. Once the deal is completed, EA will no longer be a publicly traded company and it will be delisted from the stock exchange. This also means that things like earning reports don't have to be publicly published.

The buyout is expected to be completed before the end of 2026.

KitGuru Says: There will be a lot of debt accrued with this deal, so there will no doubt be some major changes at EA once the dust settles here. Expect more multiplayer, more microtransactions and fewer true single-player projects

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Back in 2023 as part of its effort to get the acquisition of Activision approved, Microsoft signed legally binding agreements with a number of rival game companies to ensure continued equal access to Call of Duty across all major platforms. Microsoft has made good on those promises for the most part, but we've yet to see COD return to Nintendo consoles. According to new reports, that could change within the next few months. 

According to Windows Central's Jez Corden, Microsoft has been working on the Nintendo Switch version for Call of Duty for a long time now, and the first release should be launching “in a few months”.

If this is accurate, then that would make Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 the first COD title since Call of Duty Ghosts to release on a Nintendo console. We also anticipate that Call of Duty will only be coming to the newer Switch 2 system and not the original Switch console.

Prior to this rumour, fans expected this year's Call of Duty to skip Nintendo's platform again. Microsoft has not yet made any official announcements, but there will be an Xbox Games Showcase in January, so we may get an announcement then. Hopefully future titles, like COD 2026, release on the Switch 2 at the same time as other platforms.

KitGuru Says: The Switch 2 has limited internal storage space, so hopefully the developers will be looking at ways to optimise the install size of the game. 

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Star Citizen is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious projects currently in development, with the space sim having raised hundreds of millions in funding since its initial announcement back in 2012. Well over a decade since its reveal and a solid 8 years on from its Early Access launch, Star Citizen continues to receive new levels of support from fans – with 2025 said to have been their best year yet, raising over $150 million.

As part of Star Citizen’s 2025 recap, the team at Robert Space Industries looked back at all the progress which has been made over the past 12 months.

While Star Citizen still has a ways to go, 2025 saw many welcome additions introduced, including almost 100 new locations, two-dozen ships and multiple live events across 11 ‘major’ updates.

By far the most interesting revelation however is the fact that in 2025 alone, Star Citizen raised over $152 million in funding.

For context, this represents a 35% increase over their previous best year funding-wise and brings the total amount raised so far to a whopping $926 million – all of which is said to be going “directly to the game's development.”

When all is said and done, it is very possible that Star Citizen will be the most expensive game ever made. While video game budgets are typically kept hidden, we do know that Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War cost over $700 million to develop.

With GTA VI being the only other game to potentially rival Star Citizen’s budget, it will be interesting to see how the space sim progresses over the coming years and how much it will have raised in total by the time the game finally releases.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the game? Will it ever hit 1.0? Have you contributed any money to the project? Let us know down below.

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Starting off as a bit of a mixed bag of a developer, Bloober Team have slowly but surely proven themselves in the horror genre, with their most recent original release ‘Cronos: The New Dawn’ receiving high praise from players while exceeding half a million copies sold since its launch back in September. While intended to be a rather daunting experience, the developers at Bloober Team have confirmed that Cronos will be getting a new easier difficulty mode early next year.

Making the announcement via a humorous skit published to their YouTube channel, Bloober Team confirmed that Cronos: The New Dawn will be getting an easier difficulty option in the form of the Temporal Diver Mode.

Arriving in early 2026, the developers explained their mentality behind the upcoming addition, stating:

“Hey there travellers. Cronos: The New Dawn was a game developed to challenge the players. But we’ve heard your voices, and we know that some of us want to explore the story behind the game in your own pace. So right now, we are working on a new difficulty setting that will be introduced in early 2026. Such is our calling.”

For the uninitiated, Cronos: The New Dawn is a 3rd person horror experience in which players must “survive the brutal wastelands of the future, fight nightmarish merging creatures and jump back in time to harvest souls as you seek to uncover the origins of the apocalypse that wiped out humanity.”

Being a survival horror game, Cronos is understandably not the easiest of experiences. That said, it is encouraging to see a new option being added which should allow more people to check out the game while not taking away from other players’ personal stories. It will be interesting to see whether anything else is added alongside the new difficulty mode.

KitGuru says: Have you played Cronos: The New Dawn yet? What do you think? Would you have appreciated an easier mode? Let us know down below.

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The Nintendo Switch 2 has been a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to 3rd-party support so far. While some publishers have released impressive ports, others have seemingly done the bare minimum to get the game running on Nintendo’s latest and greatest. One title which seemed to come out of the oven a bit too hot was Persona 3 Reload – being limited to just 30fps. Thanks to further optimisations however, a new update for the Switch 2 version now allows it to run at 60fps (in docked mode at least).

As shared by the publication rpgsite, ATLUS have released a new patch for Persona 3 Reload on Switch 2. Though the list of changes is rather light, patch 1.03 brings with it support for 60fps via a new performance mode alongside improved frame rate stability across the board.

While a relatively uncommon practice so far, this new performance mode is being limited to those playing in docked mode – meaning you will still have to make do with 30fps in handheld.

Given the Switch 2’s 120hz screen, it would have been nice if ATLUS were able to get the handheld version to hit 40fps at the very least. Regardless, having a performance mode option is welcome to see, even if it is limited to docked mode.

KitGuru says: Are you bothered by Persona 3 Reload’s framerate on Switch 2? Is 30fps acceptable for a turn-based game? Should the handheld and docked modes have more parity with one another? Let us know your thoughts down below.

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Update: This competition is now CLOSED. Our winner today is Giorgos Adamakis! If you missed out this time then keep an eye out as we have some of our biggest giveaways of the month happening this week. Today's giveaway can be found HERE.

For Day 23 of the KitGuru Advent Calendar, we have teamed up with Arctic to give one lucky reader a massive cooling upgrade. One winner today will receive the panoramic Arctic Xtender VG case, as well as a massive Liquid Freezer III Pro 420mm AIO liquid cooler.

The winner won't have to worry about space. The Arctic Xtender VG chassis actually has space for two 420mm liquid cooling radiators. The Liquid Freezer Pro 3 will pair well with high-end CPUs, bringing temperatures down to a minimum.

How to Enter:

To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is head over to our competition announcement post on Facebook, HERE. In the comments, leave an answer to the following question – What CPU cooler are you currently using? 

This competition is open worldwide.

The winner will be picked randomly shortly after 11AM GMT December 24th, and a new competition will be announced for Day 24. The chosen winner has 48 hours to respond, if we do not hear from them, a new winner will be picked.

Terms and Conditions: This competition is open worldwide, starting at 11AM GMT on December 23rd and ending at 10:59AM GMT on December 24th. Due to the busy Christmas season, prize deliveries could take longer than usual, and some prizes may not ship until January. In compliance with GDPR, we will not collect or store any personal information as part of this competition. Once the winner has been contacted and their prize received, personal details will be deleted from our email servers. Your details will not be shared, we respect your privacy.

KitGuru Says: Good luck to all who enter, we'll be back tomorrow morning to announce a winner and turn the calendar over to Day 24!

The post KitGuru Advent Calendar Day 23: Win an Arctic hardware bundle! (closed) first appeared on KitGuru.

The team at RTINGS has been running a multi-year longevity experiment. This grueling torture test has seen 102 televisions pushed to their absolute limits over the last three years. The latest data drop confirms that while the majority of modern displays can survive the 10,000-hour milestone unscathed, a number of units have succumbed to the pressure, with 20 TVs dying completely.

When looking at which manufacturers are delivering long-term durability in this test, LG and TCL have emerged as the frontrunners. Despite the perceived gap in market positioning, both brands showed remarkably low failure rates throughout the testing period. Only a single LG OLED succumbed to a total hardware failure out of nearly two dozen tested units. Similarly, TCL proved that budget-friendly pricing doesn’t always necessitate poor quality control, with only one unit failing right at the finish line of this latest update. It is worth noting that while LG did experience some partial failures, these were largely concentrated in their LCD offerings rather than their premium OLED panels.

However, it's important to note that a necessary caveat to these findings is the inherent sample size limitation. Since RTINGS tests only one unit per model, individual defects can skew the perception of an entire brand. This explains why manufacturers with fewer entries, such as Insignia or Toshiba, currently sit at a 100% failure rate. As such, don't take this as a definitive statement on the quality control standards of every unit leaving the factory floor.

The data also highlights a technical trend: the less complex the backlight system, the more likely the TV is to survive. OLED displays (WOLED and QD-OLED included) proved to be the most resilient precisely because they lack a traditional backlight. On the other hand, edge-lit LED arrays are the most frequent culprits for catastrophic failure. Displays utilizing Full-Array Local Dimming (FALD), such as high-end Mini-LED models, performed significantly better. While about a third of these units still encountered issues, the increased complexity of the backlight management seems to offer better redundancy and thermal protection compared to their direct- and edge-lit counterparts.

In terms of panel technology, IPS displays surprisingly occupied the bottom of the charts, with 15 out of 24 units suffering defects. However, this might not be because of the technology itself, but due to current market trends. Manufacturers rarely pair IPS panels with advanced local dimming solutions, pairing these TVs with cheaper and more fragile backlighting systems.

Another takeaway is that price is no guarantee of longevity. Several flagship, high-cost televisions performed poorly under stress, while some of the most durable units were found in the budget sector. Moreover, repairability remains a major hurdle. Modern assembly techniques make it nearly impossible to service a unit without causing further damage. Of the 20 total failures in the RTINGS lab, only two were successfully repaired, suggesting that for most users, a failure within the warranty period is the only real safety net.

KitGuru says: Were you surprised by the results? Will you consider these findings when you need to buy a TV or a monitor?

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Market analysts at IDC have updated their outlook for the global memory sector, and the forecast is grim for PC builders and enthusiasts. What began as a tightening of supply is rapidly evolving into a full-blown crisis, with new data suggesting that the PC market could contract significantly in 2026 as component costs continue to skyrocket.

While IDC (via Wccftech) initially predicted in November a manageable 2.4% dip in the PC market for 2026, the analytics firm has now modeled two far more concerning scenarios based on deteriorating DRAM and NAND availability. A moderate outlook suggests a sales decline of 4.9%, while a pessimistic model warns of an 8.9% drop.

Image credit: IDC

This scenario is being driven by a sharp rise in acquisition costs. Under the moderate scenario, component prices could climb by 4-6%, but if the supply chain fractures further, we could see spikes of up to 8%. The industry giants are already passing these costs down the chain, with reports indicating that Dell and Lenovo are preparing to hike pre-built system prices by as much as 15%. In the DIY space, the situation has become so volatile that modular laptop maker Framework has ceased selling standalone RAM entirely to prevent scalpers from stripping their stock.

The root cause of this meltdown is the industry's pivot to High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) to feed the appetite of AI data centers. Semiconductor manufacturers are reallocating their limited wafer capacity to these high-margin AI chips, leaving traditional consumer memory on the back burner. Despite the shortage, vendors are hesitant to break ground on new fabrication plants, fearing that the current AI explosion might be a bubble that bursts before new facilities can come online.

KitGuru says: Of the three scenarios shown by IDC, which one do you believe 2026 will follow?

The post Analyst forecasts further price increases in 2026 due to memory shortages first appeared on KitGuru.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is getting awards from all sides, but something unexpected happened to two of them. Although the game was awarded the Debut Game and Game of the Year awards over at the Indie Game Awards on December 18th, Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been retroactively disqualified from these accolades due to the use of genAI, violating the ceremony's strict eligibility criteria.

The disqualification comes just days after the title secured both awards on December 18th. According to a formal statement from the committee (via Eurogamer), the move was triggered when Sandfall Interactive confirmed the use of generative AI assets on the awards premiere. This disclosure reportedly contradicted earlier declarations made during the submission process, where representatives had allegedly stated that no such tools were used in the creation of the RPG.

Six One Indie has maintained a public firm position against the integration of generative AI within independent projects, citing it as a core factor in their nomination vetting process. While reports suggest that the AI-generated assets in question were limited to placeholder textures that were subsequently removed after the game's April launch, the organisers clarified that any use of these tools renders a title ineligible. The committee noted that while Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 remains a high-quality production, the breach of regulations left them with no choice but to retract the honours to preserve the integrity of the awards.

As a result of the disqualification, the awards have been passed down to the respective runners-up in each category. The puzzle-adventure title Blue Prince has now been officially named the Indie Game Awards' Game of the Year 2025. Similarly, the Debut Game trophy has been awarded to Sorry We’re Closed, the survival horror title.

Sandfall Interactive has yet to issue a detailed public rebuttal regarding the discrepancy in their submission claims.

KitGuru says: Do you agree with the Indie Game Awards committee decision? What's your take on using genAI in games?

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It has been five years since Studio Wildcard announced Ark 2 but unfortunately, we are still quite a ways off from seeing the game in action. This week, the studio revealed that Ark 2 is now not expected to release until 2028. 

When Ark 2 was first announced in late 2020, the launch had been planned for 2023. Then that 2023 release window became 2024 and since then, we've not really had a definitive update. That changed recently with Studio Wildcard revealing its new roadmap, which will see the release calendar filled with new expansions and updates for Ark Survival Ascended, followed by Ark 2 in 2028.

Ark Survival Ascended is the Unreal Engine 5 remake of the original game and the only version to continue getting new content. This month, the game received its first properly new expansion, Lost Colony. In 2026, there will be a major update every quarter. In 2027, there will be another major expansion released.

Apparently, this major expansion, titled Legacy of Santiago, will serve as a trial run for mechanics Studio Wildcard wants to include in Ark 2. If all goes well, then Ark 2 will release in 2028.

KitGuru Says: Do you think Ark 2 will end up releasing in 2028 as planned, or do you think there will be more delays down the line? 

The post Studio Wildcard now expecting to launch Ark 2 in 2028 first appeared on KitGuru.