Thread: Anandtech News

At CES 2019 ASUS is looking to push the boundaries of Intel Skylake-X processors even further than ever before with the announcement its ROG Rampage VI Extreme Omega X299 motherboard. This board features dual LAN, four M.2 slots and support for 3-way SLI and Crossfire setups.
The ROG Rampage VI Extreme Omega

The new ASUS ROG Rampage VI Extreme follows the release of the goliath ASUS ROG Dominus Extreme model announced for Intel 28-core Xeon W-3175X late last year. The Omega, however, is a little lighter on the surface than the Dominus Extreme and is aimed more at enthusiasts. The board has a solid feature set such as quad M.2, an Aquantia ACQ107 10G NIC, and an Intel I211AT gigabit NIC. Wi-Fi is also a notable feature, with the board supporting 802.11ac Wave2.
Visually, the majority of the bottom half of the board is covered by ROG shielding. The IO cover has an integrated ASUS AURA Sync LiveDash 1.3 inch OLED screen which allows users to monitor various elements of system performance such as core clock speed. There is also plenty of RGB too for those looking to create a unique look. The onboard RGB is located from the rear panel cover and the large ROG logo on the bottom right hand corner of the board.

ASUS has gone with a solid 8-phase power delivery consisting of 16 power stages. Providing power to these is two 8-pin 12 V ATX power connectors which are more than enough to allow maximum power than potentially needed; this is more so for extreme overclockers and those looking to push more ambitious core clock speeds.

ASUS ROG Rampage VI Extreme Omega Specifications
CPU Socket	Intel LGA 2066
Chipset	Intel X299
Form Factor	EATX
Memory Support	8 x DDR4 (Max 128 GB) Up to DDR4-4266
Multi-GPU	3-Way SLI / 3-Way CFX
PCIe Slots	3 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16/x16, x16/x8/x8) 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x4)
SATA	6
M.2	3 x M.2 2242-22110 (PCIe) 1 x M.2 2242-2280 (PCIe)
USB 3.1 Gen 2	1 x Front 1 x Type-A 1 x Type-C
USB 3.1 Gen 1	14
Networking	Intel I211AT 1 Gb Ethernet Aquantia AQC107 10 Gb Ethernet 802.11ac Wi-Fi

The ROG Rampage VI Extreme Omega has eight memory slots offering quad channel memory support with speeds of up to DDR4-3600 and a maximum of up 128 GB. Three full-length PCIe 3.0 slots operating at x16/x16 and x16/x8/x8 allow users to use up to 3-way SLI and Crossfire multi-graphics card configurations and the majority of the PCIe PCB area is covered by a clean looking ROG panel.

Along the bottom of the PCB is an overclockers toolkit with power and reset switches, as well as a clear CMOS button and a MEMOK! button for memory overclocking. To the right just below the six SATA ports looks to be a U.2 port in addition to the four M.2 slots.

USB support is primarily focused on USB 3.1 Gen1 with the board supporting up to fourteen USB 3.1 Type-A ports with ten on the rear panel and the other four available via two front panel headers. The ROG Rampage VI Extreme Omega does include USB 3.1 Gen2 with a Type-A and Type-C on the rear panel, and also offers another port with a front panel header. The board looks to pack which is most likely a ROG SupremeFX S1220A HD audio codec. The rear panel also houses a more conveniently located clear CMOS button and a BIOS flashback button to allow users a quick and easy option to update the board's firmware.
Gallery: ASUS ROG Rampage VI Extreme Omega X299 Gallery


The ROG Rampage VI Extreme Omega motherboards are set to hit the market in Q1 2019, but no pricing information has been announced as of yet.



More...

At CES 2019, ASUS showed off its new top tier X399 model with support for the 2nd generation Threadripper processors, the ROG Zenith Extreme Alpha. The new model has some striking differences to the ROG Zenith Extreme model including a new design, dual LAN (with an Aquantia 10G NIC) and an ASUS AURA Sync LiveDash 1.3 inch OLED screen built into the rear IO cover.
The ROG Zenith Extreme Alpha

The ROG Zenith Extreme Alpha has a very clean and neutral look with the majority of the PCB covered with extensive heatsinks, an IO panel cover, and a new PCB cover around the PCIe slots. Another major visual update to the Zenith range is the rear panel cover has an integrated ASUS AURA Sync LiveDash 1.3 inch OLED screen which is also featured on the ASUS ROG Dominus Extreme model announced for Intel's 28-core Xeon W-3175X which was announced late last year.

The ROG Zenith Extreme Alpha features an 8-phase power delivery made up of a total of 16 power stages. The power delivery heatsink extends around the power stages from the rear panel cover all the way to the two 8-pin 12 V ATX power connectors which allows AMD Threadripper processors to tap into as much power as it needs.

ASUS ROG Zenith Extreme Alpha Specifications
CPU Socket	AMD Socket TR4
Chipset	AMD X399
Form Factor	EATX
Memory Support	8 x DDR4 (Max 128 GB) Up to DDR4-3600
Multi-GPU	3-Way SLI / 3-Way CFX
PCIe Slots	4 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16/x8/x16/x8) 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x4)
SATA	8
M.2	2 x M.2 2242-22110 (PCIe and SATA) 1 x M.2 2242-2280 (PCIe)
USB 3.1 Gen 2	1 x Front 3 x Type-A 1 x Type-C
USB 3.1 Gen 1	12
Networking	Intel I211AT 1 GbE Ethernet Aquantia AQC107 10 GbE Ethernet 802.11ac Wi-Fi (2T2R Wave 2)

There's support for 128 GB of RAM across a total of eight slots in quad channel mode with the ROG Zenith Extreme Alpha supporting speeds of up to DDR4-3600. From the current ASUS ROG Zenith Extreme model which we reviewed, the PCIe layout is similar to four full-length PCIe 3.0 slots offering up to three-way SLI and Crossfire multi-GPU configurations. The ROG Zenith Extreme Alpha's PCIe runs at x16/x8/x16/x8. ASUS has included a DIMM.2 slot too so users can add an extra two NVMe M.2 drives to the two M.2 slots located on the PCB underneath the shroud. A single U.2 port and eight SATA ports round off the Extreme Alpha's storage capabilities.

Networking support includes dual-LAN with both the Alpha dropping a bundled 10GbE card and instead opting for an Aquantia AQC107 10 Gb LAN built right onto the board. The second LAN port is powered by an Intel I122AT GbE NIC. Onboard audio is taken care of by the ROG Supreme FX S1220A HD audio codec and a clear CMOS and BIOS flashback button are both present. USB capability is aplenty with a total of 12 USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A ports in total; the rear panel has 8 of these and the rest are available through front panel headers. USB 3.1 Gen2 support consists of three Type-A ports and a single Type-C on the rear panel, while a single front panel header is available if users have USB 3.1 Gen2 compatible chassis.
Gallery: ASUS ROG Zenith Extreme Alpha X399 Gallery


The ASUS ROG Zenith Extreme Alpha motherboard looks set to make its way to retail channels in Q1 2019, but there has been no information on pricing at present.
Alongside the Alpha, ASUS is also releasing the Omega.

More...

AnandTech has seen documents and supporting information from multiple sources that show that Intel is planning to release a new high-end desktop processor, the Core i9-9990XE. These documents show that the processors will not be sold at retail; rather they will only be sold to system integrators, and then only through a closed online auction.

More...

Micron is following through with the next step in the breakup of their long alliance with Intel for storage technology. As announced last October, Micron is exercising their call option to buyout Intel's share of IM Flash Technologies, the joint venture in Lehi, UT where several generations of flash memory were developed and the current center of R&D and production for 3D XPoint memory.
The public acts of the Intel/Micron breakup began a year ago with the announcement that the two companies would no longer co-develop NAND flash memory, going their separate ways after the completion of R&D for their 96-layer design. The companies have for several years been manufacturing their own supplies of NAND flash each at their own fabs, and they have rather different priorities so that part of the split is neither surprising nor will it have a huge impact on the storage market in the short term. Several months later, they announced a similar split for 3D XPoint memory development. With 3D XPoint R&D for the two companies set to diverge, it is natural that they would not continue to share the IMFT fab. Since IMFT is the only place currently manufacturing 3D XPoint, Micron's buyout of Intel's 49% stake in IMFT will likely force Intel to buy 3D XPoint memory from Micron until Intel can spin up production elsewhere.

Intel and Micron are expecting to wrap up development of their second generation of 3D XPoint memory in the first half of this year. Neither company has provided any updates on this recently, and Intel has continued to announce new Optane products using their first-generation 3D XPoint. Micron has yet to publicly announce any 3D XPoint products, though they have announced that such products will be under their QuantX brand.
Though their intentions have been public for months, Micron could not actually exercise their call option until the beginning of 2019. Intel now has the option of postponing the closing of Micron's purchase for up to one year from today, and Micron doesn't expect the deal to be finalized for at least six months. Micron expects to pay about $1.5 billion for Intel's stake in IMFT. Intel has issued a statement reiterating their earlier statement that today's action from Micron was expected and that Intel has been planning for this for some time. They have not yet disclosed when or where they expect to begin manufacturing 3D XPoint at one of their own fabs, but in the meantime Intel maintains that their plans to continue expanding the Optane product family will continue uninterrupted.

More...

ASRock unveiled five new B365 motherboards at CES 2019 with a mixture of features similar to its Z390 offerings. The B365 Pro4 and B365M Pro are targeted towards professional users while B365 and B365M Phantom Gaming 4 mark a lower cost entry point onto the Intel 8th and 9th generation processors. The last of the five new models is the mini-ITX sized B365M-ITX/ac.

ASRock B365 Pro4 ATX Motherboard

In an effort to free up some capacity for the fabrication of their 14 nm silicon, Intel announced plans to add the B365 chipset to their line up last month which uses their 22 nm manufacturing process. ASRock has taken this new chipset and marketed their new range with added the moniker of 'Power, Redefined', but the five new models look targeted more to general consumers. Each of the five ASRock B365 models uses a single 8-pin 12 V ATX power connector to provide power to the CPU (which is ample given the B365 doesn't officially support overclocking).
ASRock B365 Pro4 and B365M Pro4

(gallery 6857}
The B365 and B365M Pro4 models keep things basic visually, with no integrated RGB LEDs but instead offers users a more neutral-looking silver and black design throughout the heatsinks and PCB. Both the Pro4 models have four RAM slots with support for DDR4-2666 which will likely be higher when eventually released onto the market.

ASRock B365M Pro4 micro-ATX motherboard

The onboard audio is handled by a Realtek ALC892 HD audio codec, while the 1 Gb LAN port is controlled by an Intel I219V NIC. Storage capabilities consist of six SATA ports and dual M.2, even on the smaller B365M Pro4 micro-ATX sized model. Processors supported with integrated graphics can be used with HDMI 1.4, DVI-D and a D-Sub output.
Gallery: ASRock B365M Pro4 Motherboard Gallery


ASRock B365 Phantom Gaming 4 and B365M Phantom Gaming 4

ASRock B365 Phantom Gaming 4 ATX motherboard

The design on the more gaming-centric B365 and B365M Phantom Gaming 4 models represent their new gaming range in the lower tier end of 8th and 9th generation chipsets, so these are likely to appeal to gamers on a budget. The general aesthetic of both the ATX and micro-ATX sized model is black and silver heatsinks, with black PCB and RGB LEDs integrated into the rear panel cover and right-hand edge of the boards.

ASRock B365M Phantom Gaming 4 micro-ATX motherboard

Like the B365/B365M Pro4 models, the new Phantom Gaming 4 models also share a similar controller set and PCIe layout. These include support for DDR4-2666 memory across four slots which is likely to be upgraded when the firmware and memory QVL lists are finalised. The audio controller of choice is the Realtek ALC1220 HD audio codec which has PCB isolate shielding included. Networking capability is provided by an Intel I1219V gigabit NIC and both models also share dual M.2 and six SATA ports. Compatible and supported processors with integrated graphics allow users to use either the HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort 1.2 video outputs on the rear panel.
Gallery: ASRock B365 Phantom Gaming 4 Motherboard Gallery


ASRock B365M-ITX/ac

ASRock B365M-ITX/ac mini-ITX motherboard

In recent times, ASRock has made some impressive looking mini-ITX motherboards across various segments including the Z390 Phantom Gaming-ITX/ac model which we are currently working on for review. The B365M-ITX/ac looks to me a more bang for buck variation on the smaller form factor with the more budget Realtek ALC887 audio codec, but it does feature the same Intel I1219V 1 Gb LAN as the other ASRock B365 models. Unlike the other B365 models, ASRock has included an 802.11ac Wi-Fi adapter which also supports Bluetooth 4.2 devices. Storage options are slightly lesser than the other four models with just four SATA ports and a single M.2 slot available.
Gallery: ASRock B365M-ITX/ac Motherboard Gallery


It is worth noting that all the ASRock B365 product pages mention a maximum capacity for up to 128 GB of DDR4 memory, with the mini-ITX B365M-ITX/ac model offering up to 64 GB. This is a clear indication that all five of these models will support with the new Double Capacity DC 32 GB UDIMMs which G.Skill announced last year.

ASRock B365 Phantom Gaming 4 Rear Panel

ASRock hasn't announced when these new B365 models will be available or pricing information as of yet, but we expect this information soon.

More...

As we get ever closer to the releases of various Android vendor’s newest generation devices, Qualcomm continues its tradition of showcasing the performance of its newest generation SoC ahead of time, giving us a preview and a glimpse of what to expect of the upcoming commercial devices. This year, the company has shuffled the schedule around a bit, and instead of hosting the event at their San Diego headquarters, and we were able to get a hands-on with the Snapdragon 855 at CES before the show had started. Today we’re be looking in quite extensive detail on how exactly the new Snapdragon chipset performs, as well as shedding some light on some important unanswered technical questions on some aspects of the SoC.


More...

Colorful has introduced its new limited-edition graphics card that will belong to its top-of-the-range Kudan* tier. The company plans to make only 1,000 of its iGame GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Kudan graphics cards, but those lucky who will lay their hands on one of these collectible boards will not only get an exclusive high-tech device, but will also get extreme performance right out of the box.
The Colorful iGame GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Kudan graphics card is powered by NVIDIA’s TU102 GPU (4352 cores) that runs at up to 1.8 GHz in burst mode (up from 1545/1635 MHz on reference/FE cards) paired with 11 GB of GDDR6 memory that sit on a custom PCB featuring a sophisticated multi-phase VRMs. Although Colorful does not disclose many details regarding this PCB and VRM, we do know that the card has three 8-pin auxiliary PCIe power connectors, which means that the card can potentially be fed with up to 525 W of power when adhering to PCIe specifications. 525 W of power is over two times higher than NVIDIA’s official TDP for its GeForce RTX 2080 Ti product.

To ensure that the monstrous graphics adapter is cooled properly, Colorful equipped it with a triple-wide hybrid air and liquid cooling system featuring five fans in total — three on the card itself and two on the LCS’ radiator. Even without the liquid part, the cooler on the iGame GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Kudan card is already pretty sophisticated: it has five heat pipes, a massive aluminum radiator, three fans, and a backplate with an individual number of the board on it. Once the liquid part is attached, the whole cooling system gets even more potential to dissipate a massive amount of thermal power and therefore ensure some additional overclocking potential for the card. Meanwhile, the cooler is equipped with an LCD that displays real-time stats of the card (e.g., temperature) as well as RGB LEDs.

To celebrate 10 years of its iGame series, Colorful outfitted the cooling system with elements of fine watches, steampunk, and robotics, which are designed to make the look of the iGame GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Kudan card even more exquisite. These features may not exactly be a good fit for the name Kudan and martial arts, but since this is an anniversary edition product, there is a reason why cogwheels are there.

Colorful introduced its iGame GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Kudan in China earlier this month and is set to begin its sales in the near future. At some point, these cards will reach retail in other countries (e.g., Akihabara in Tokyo, Nanjing in Taipei, and similar places), but with only 1,000 units to be made, do not expect widespread availability.

*Kudan is the ninth-degree black belt in Japanese martial arts, the second highest rank after Judan (tenth-degree dan, the absolute top in modern martial arts). Kudan represents a rare top-grade master in martial arts that stands well above 99% of black belt holders. Only fifteen people in the worlds were ever promoted to Judan in Japan and there are only three living tenth-degree dan holders.

Related Reading:

• Colorful’s GTX 1080 Ti ‘Kudan’ Limited Edition GPU: 50 Units Made in 2017
• Colorful’s GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Kudan Hits the Market: 1.8 GHz GPU, Hybrid Cooling, 4 Fans
• CES 2019: Colorful’s New Watercooled iGame GeForce RTX 2070 Neptune OC

Source: Colorful

More...

MSI is one of the latest manufacturers to launch a new range of gaming laptops with two new gaming models with upgraded graphics. Hitting the market is the slimline but powerful MSI GS75 Stealth, and the MSI GE75 Raider which is one of the first 17" notebooks to harness the power of an RTX 2080.
MSI GS75 Stealth

The newly revamped version of the MSI GS75 Stealth comes installed a new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 graphics card and an Intel 8th generation Core i7 processor. Not only that but the aluminium frame houses an impressive 17.3" 1080p 144 Hz IPS screen suitable for gamers, an RGB keyboard that is customizable with the SteelSeries Engine software and a glass touchpad.
Under the hood, the MSI GS75 Stealth also has room for up to three M.2 drives with two of them having SATA and NVMe PCIe 3.0 support, while the third just supports SATA drives. On the networking front, MSI uses Killer NIC and an 802.11ac Wi-Fi adapter which also includes Bluetooth 5 connectivity.
One of the standout features of the GS75 Stealth is in its size; it packs a powerful component selection into an ultra-thin 18.95 mm thick frame and weights 2.25 kg with the battery installed. Not exactly light, but more svelte than most other gaming-focused notebooks on the market with similar specifications. According to the newly updated GS75 Stealth product page, a model with an RTX 2070 and the new RTX 2060 are also available; this is likely to be dependant on region.
Gallery: MSI GS75 Stealth Gaming Laptop Gallery


MSI GE75 Raider

The previous Generation of MSI's GE75 Raider Gaming Notebook

Slightly heavier and just under half a kilogram heavier is the new MSI GE75 Raider. The GE75 Raider is another of MSI's notebook range overhaul to be paired up with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card. In fact, MSI is stating that this is the first 17" laptop to use the new Ray Tracing enabled RTX 2080 model. On top of that, the GE75 Raider features a SteelSeries per-key RGB customizable keyboard, speakers powered by Dynaudio and incorporate a unique '3D Dragon Spine' design with a red anodized finish.
There's no information about availability or pricing on the MSI GE75 Raider currently, but we expect MSI to start revealing more soon.
Related Reading

• Acer at CES 2019: Predator Triton Gaming Laptops With RTX GPUs
• Acer at CES: All New Swift 7 Laptop With 92 Percent Screen-to-body Ratio
• HP at CES 2019: OMEN 15 Laptop Gets 240 Hz Monitor, New NVIDIA GPU, 802.11ax

More...

Designed with content creators and designers in mind, the new 15.6" MSI PS63 Modern looks to make a bold statement. The key feature for this new notebook is the specifications: under the hood we get Intel's latest Whiskey Lake processor, combined with a GTX 1050 Max-Q graphics card, a 15.6-inch 1080p display, and yet MSI claims that this system will hit 16 hours of battery life. That's one hell of a combination.

Also included is Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0 for quicker mobile device charging on supported devices. This is so with its '16 hour battery life', a user could be on the system for 12 hours and get a full charge of a smartphone in a day.
With a similar specification and feature set as the new Dell XPS 15, MSI's model looks to be undoubtedly cheaper if their usual pricing model applies and could certainly turn a few heads with its touted 16-hour battery life and MSI True Color technology designed to produce close to near perfect sRGB (99.6%) color reproduction.

Some of the specifications of the MSI PS63 Modern include a 15.6" 1080p IPS panel which is powered by an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 or GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design and 4 GB of GDDR5 memory. Memory support is limited to DDR4-2400, but up to a maximum of 32 GB can be installed, if not provided as standard. Aimed more at professionals, there is no flashy RGB keyboards, but MSI does include one of its smooth glass touchpads and has room for up to two M.2 NVMe capable SSDs. There's also a fingerprint reader too.

MSI's Creator Center software is included which made its first appearance in the MSI P65 Creator model last year. The Creator Center looks to optimize and include adjustable system modes for creative applications including MAGIX Photostory, Adobe's suite and even the Sony VEGAS Pro video editing software.
There are no details on the launch pricing or retail availability of the MSI PS63 Modern at present. The whole unit is built on a '16 16 16' principle: 16 hours battery life, 1.6 kg weight, and 16mm thick. This unit was easily one of the most impressive we saw at CES this year.
Gallery: MSI P63 Modern Creator Laptop Gallery

More...

We recently reported on the fact that a range of new mainstream Intel desktop processors are coming onto the market without the integrated graphics enabled. This processors, indicated by the ‘F’ designation (not to be confused with Intel’s chips with an integrated fabric, also called ‘F’), have had their specifications released for a short while, except for the price. Intel is now happy to fill that part in.

More...