ASUS has introduced its brand new ROG Ally X gaming handheld which is an upgrade to the original model using the same AMD Ryzen Z1 APUs. ASUS ROG Ally X Handheld Is The Upgrade That You've Been Asking For, Everything is Better But At A Higher Price Last year, we got to see the ASUS ROG Ally which was the first handheld to make use of AMD's new Ryzen Z1 APUs based on the Zen 4 core architecture. Now a year later, ASUS is upgrading things for its handheld users and offering a beefed-up model in the form of the […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/asus-rog-ally-x-same-amd-ryzen-z1-apu-bigger-battery-more-ram-storage-black-design/

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. 

The post Asus lists new laptops powered by unannounced AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 170 first appeared on KitGuru.

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. 

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

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

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In a way, each router of the 2-pack Asus ExpertWiFi EBM68 AX7800 Tri-Band Business Wi-Fi 6 System is a combination ...

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While Qualcomm is remaining quiet on the launch date for the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus processors, it does appear that OEMs are gearing up to make announcements very soon. Today, Asus has announced its next AI PC launch event, which will feature guest speakers from both Qualcomm and Microsoft.

The launch event will be streamed online on the 20th of May at 7PM to 8PM GMT. During the event, Asus will unveil its next ultra-portable laptop. It is claimed that this will be a “groundbreaking generation of AI PCs”, and with Qualcomm participating in the launch event, it seems likely that it will be packing a Snapdragon X Elite processor. As Microsoft is also on board, we may also learn more about improvements for Windows on Arm.

The Snapdragon X Elite features a 4nm 12-core Qualcomm Oryon CPU, clocked at up to 3.8GHz with up to 4.3GHz dual-core boost speeds. It also features the new Qualcomm Adreno GPU, offering up to 4.6TFLOPS of graphics performance and support for 4K/120Hz displays, multiple 4K or 5K displays, HDR and upgradeable drivers. To drive AI use and development, this chip is also equipped with a powerful NPU, based on the Qualcomm Hexagon platform.

We recently had the opportunity to get some hands-on testing time with the Snapdragon X processors, housed inside of Qualcomm's reference-design laptops. You can see all of our benchmark results from that event, HERE.

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KitGuru Says: Qualcomm is looking to shake up the laptop market heavily, with its own custom chips that can rival the efficiency of Apple's M-series. It will be interesting to see the first wave of laptops announced in the weeks ahead. 

The post Asus appears to be launching a Snapdragon-powered laptop this month first appeared on KitGuru.

ASUS's ROG Ally handheld gets AMD's Fluid Motion Frames (AFMF) technology, enabling superior performance with the Ryzen Z1 APUs. ASUS's ROG Ally Handheld Combined With AMD's Fluid Motion Frames Technology Is Indeed A Sight, Boosted Gaming FPS Since handheld devices don't feature native drivers like those on desktops from AMD and NVIDIA, the platform does see delayed support for new features like AMD Fluid Motion Frames. However, it seems like ASUS has decided to enhance the experience on the ROG Ally handheld which has now received Fluid Motion Frames through a new driver update, providing handheld gamers with a very […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/asus-rog-ally-amd-fluid-motion-frames-technology-faster-handheld-gaming-fps/

When KitGuru toured ASUS' main office in Taipei back in December last year, we were given early access to a lot of products that would only be seen by the rest of the world at CES. Alongside the usual array of ROG/TUF components and peripherals, we were also shown many that were aimed squarely at creators. These are marketed under the ‘ProArt' brand and there are now multiple, overlapping promotions on these products, which could add up to substantial savings.

ASUS has been producing ProArt products for professional users for the best part of 20 years. While gamers tend to focus on frame rate above all else, ProArt looks to deliver colour accuracy, system stability and connectivity. That attention to detail doesn't come cheap, but there are a few promotions running right now that could help professionals get the kit they want for less, including:-

Cashback
Up to £626 available through a ‘Create with the Best' promotion over here. Worth noting that you only get the money for one qualifying product per group – so a dual GPU set up would not qualify twice.

Rate Your Gear
Certain product that are listed on the Cashback Promotion (including 5 ProArt RTX cards, from a 4060 to a 4080) are also eligible for an additional £25.

Warranty Extension
Starting 5th May, buyers of certain ProArt products will be able to register for a free warranty extension.

3 Month Adobe Subscription
Seasoned professionals will have been paying the Adobe tax for many years, but this offer could be useful if you are just starting out. This offer shows as live on the ASUS Promotions page, but some of the dates don't line up when you click for details – so if this is important to you, then check before you buy.

Right now, selected complete systems also qualify for ‘ProArt Cashback' due to their build specs, which could be useful if you think that the specifications match your needs and the price/support package is attractive. This list includes:-

• StormForce Pro Creator 0601
• Scan 3XS RTX Studio Pro
• PCSpecialist Canvas Elite

While creative products from the likes of Adobe will run on pretty much any hardware, if you need to use specific applications Autodesk, Dassault or PTC, then it will be worth checking for ISV certification before you buy a complete system – as it may need to have undergone specific testing in order to qualify. All three system builders listed here can answer those kinds of questions.

KitGuru Says: If you are in the market for serious professional products, then it can be expensive. Well worth checking if any of these ProArt deals can help make your hard-earned creator dollars go further. Offers will change from time to time – so remember to look at the qualification and redemption dates closely.

The post ASUS is offering a series of discounts and promotions on its ProArt range first appeared on KitGuru.

In a surprise announcement this week, Meta revealed plans to open up its OS to third parties, allowing other hardware makers to create their own ‘Quest' headsets. One of the first partner on board appears to be none other than Microsoft, just shortly after abandoning its Windows Mixed Reality efforts.

As part of Meta's official announcement blog, it confirmed that it has teamed up with Xbox once again, this time to create a limited edition Xbox-inspired Quest headset, with black and green colours. Previous partnerships have seen Microsoft supplying Xbox controllers for all Oculus Rift headsets at launch and more recently, Xbox Cloud Gaming became available for Quest headsets.

Aside from Xbox Cloud Gaming, Quest users can also access services like Steam Link, or use Air Link to stream other games wirelessly from their PCs. Meta has also expressed desire for Google to broaden its support of the Quest platform. The company already has a decent YouTube app for the headset, but the Play Store on Meta Horizon platform would open these devices up to many more apps.

Moving forward, the Meta Horizon OS will be made available to hardware manufacturers and Meta will continue to ship free updates. Meta has also confirmed plans for Lenovo and Asus ROG to launch their own Meta Horizon headsets in the future but specific details are yet to be confirmed. We'd expect to get more details on this later in the year.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: What do you think of Meta's plan to open up the Horizon OS to other hardware makers moving forward? Being able to access multiple stores in the future will surely be a bonus too.

The post Meta teams up with Microsoft for Xbox-inspired VR headset first appeared on KitGuru.

ASUS has published the full list of its AM5 (600-series) motherboards which support the next-gen AMD Ryzen "Zen 5" Desktop CPUs. ASUS's Entire AM5 Motherboard Lineup Is Ready For AMD's Next-Gen Ryzen "Zen 5" Desktop CPUs, BIOS Update Required The official announcement from ASUS was more or less expected to be coming soon as they had their BIOS pages for several AM5 (600-series) motherboards already listing support for the next-gen AMD Ryzen "Zen 5" Desktop CPU family. The latest BIOS is based on the AMD AGESA 1.1.7.0 firmware which adds "Granite Ridge" CPU support (codename for the next AM5 desktop […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/asus-confirms-all-44-am5-motherboards-support-amd-next-gen-ryzen-zen-5-desktop-cpus/

ASUS has offered a new "baseline profile" setting in its motherboard BIOS which should help mitigate Intel 14th & 13th Gen stability issues. Intel 14th & 13th Gen CPUs Are Riddled With Stability Issues, Mostly In Games, & The Only Way To Fix Them Is To Sacrifice Performance By Using Baseline Settings Through Enabling "Baseline" Limit Intel's 14th & 13th Gen Raptor Lake CPUs have been facing widespread gaming stability issues as motherboard makers push certain CPUs beyond their limits through their default BIOS. Moreover, excessive voltages and power are being pumped into processors, making the silicon degrade over time. […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/asus-intel-baseline-profile-option-bios-mitigate-14th-13th-gen-cpu-gaming-stability-issues/

ASUS has now officially confirmed that its AMD AGESA 1.1.7.0 BIOS for AM5 motherboards supports Ryzen 9000 "Zen 5 Granite Ridge" CPUs. ASUS Is The 2nd Motherboard To Confirm AMD Ryzen 9000 "Zen 5 Granite Ridge" CPU Support Through AM5 AGESA BIOS Update ASUS started rolling out the latest AM5 AGESA 1.1.7.0 BIOS update for its motherboards earlier this month and although the details were a bit low, it looks like the company has officially confirmed next-gen Ryzen 9000 "Zen 5 Granite Ridge" CPU support in its BIOS changelog. The info was posted within the changelog for the BIOS: "Update […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/asus-ryzen-9000-zen-5-granite-ridge-cpu-support-am5-motherboards-amd-agesa-1-1-7-0-bios/