Millions of Gigabyte motherboards and laptops shipped with a built-in backdoor in its UEFI firmware!
Here is what you need to know about this cybersecurity danger, and what you can do about it!
Gigabyte Motherboards Shipped With Firmware Backdoor!
On 31 May 2023, researchers at the cybersecurity firm Eclypsium revealed that 271 Gigabyte motherboard models have been compromised with UEFI firmware with a built-in backdoor!
Eclypsium’s heuristic detection methods recently began flagging suspicious backdoor-like behaviour in Gigabyte motherboards. When its researchers looked into it, they found that Gigabyte motherboard firmware was executing a Windows native executable during the system start up process. This executable then insecurely downloads and executes additional payloads.
From their analysis, the executable appears to be a legitimate Gigabyte module called WpbtDxe.efi:
it checks to see if the “APP Center Download & Install” feature is enabled
it downloads executable payloads from Gigabyte servers
it has a Gigabyte cryptographic signature
They also found that the downloaded payloads have Gigabyte cryptographic signatures too, which suggest that this firmware backdoor was implemented by Gigabyte itself.
However, Eclypsium researchers discovered that the Gigabyte implementation had a number of problems, which would make it easy for threat actors to abuse the firmware backdoor:
one of its payload download locations lacks SSL (using plain HTTP, instead of the more secure HTTPS), allowing for Machine-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks
remote server certificate validation was not implemented correctly even when the other two HTTPS download locations were used, which allows for MITM attacks
one of its payload download locations is a local network-attacked storage device (NAS), which could allow a threat actor to spoof the location of the NAS to install their own malware
the Gigabyte firmware itself does not verify any cryptographic signatures, or validates the downloaded executables.
In short – millions of Gigabyte motherboards have a cybersecurity vulnerability, due to their firmware which includes an insecure / vulnerable OEM backdoor. As John Loucaides from Eclypsium put it:
If you have one of these machines, you have to worry about the fact that it’s basically grabbing something from the Internet and running it without you being involved, and hasn’t done any of this securely.
The concept of going underneath the end user and taking over their machine doesn’t sit well with most people.
Note : This vulnerability affects all computers using Gigabyte motherboards, including laptops.
Gigabyte Rolls Out New Firmware To Mitigate Backdoor!
After the news blew up inconveniently during Computex 2023, Gigabyte quickly rolled out new beta firmware upgrades for its AMD and Intel motherboards.
According to Gigabyte, the new beta firmware upgrades have “improved security mechanisms” that will “detect and prevent malicious activities during the boot process“. It also appeared to have implemented other changes:
enhanced the signature verification process for fils downloaded from its remote servers
conduct more thorough checks of file integrity to prevent the introduction of malicious code
enabled standard cryptographic verification of remote server certificates
The new firmware has just been released for AMD 600-series motherboards, as well as Intel 500- and 400-series motherboards, but will eventually be introduced for older motherboards. The new firmware will have the description, “Addresses Download Assistant Vulnerabilities Reported by Eclypsium Research“.
As Gigabyte does not intend to remove the backdoor feature, you might want to consider Eclypsium’s advice on how best to reduce the risk of malicious actors taking advantage:
Scan and monitor systems and firmware updates in order to detect affected Gigabyte systems and the backdoor-like tools embedded in firmware. Update systems to the latest validated firmware and software in order to address security issues like this one.
Inspect and disable the “APP Center Download & Install” feature in UEFI/BIOS Setup on Gigabyte systems and set a BIOS password to deter malicious changes.
Administrators can also block the following URLs: – http://mb.download.gigabyte.com/FileList/Swhttp/LiveUpdate4 – https://mb.download.gigabyte.com/FileList/Swhttp/LiveUpdate4 – https://software-nas/Swhttp/LiveUpdate4
For starters, you should definitely download and update your Gigabyte motherboard or laptop with the improved firmware. Then disable APP Center Download & Install in the BIOS.
Let’s hope Gigabyte will be able to quickly issue new and improved firmware to mitigate, if not remove, the backdoor vulnerability for the affected 271 motherboard models, and its future motherboards and laptops. Even so, many users might not be aware of this vulnerability or these updates.
It seems likely that threat actors will have access to this backdoor vulnerability in many Gigabyte motherboards and laptops for years to come. Even Eclypsium’s Loucaides believes so:
I still think this will end up being a fairly pervasive problem on Gigabyte boards for years to come.
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GIGABYTE scrambled to issue an apology, after they were boycotted over their claims of “low quality” manufacturing in China!
Find out what’s going on between GIGABYTE and China!
GIGABYTE Trips Over Claims Of Low Quality Manufacturing In China!
This brouhaha started over the GIGABYTE’s claim that they choose to avoid “low cost” and “low quality” manufacturing in China, manufacturing their laptops instead in Taiwan.
Here is our English translation of what GIGABYTE posted :
MIT
Made In Taiwan Demanding High Quality
Strict quality control is assured by adhering to Taiwanese manufacturing. Unlike other brands that opt for low cost and low quality OEM manufacturing in China, GIGABYTE is committed to creating outstanding and powerful components and laptops.
As a local Taiwanese manufacturer of components and laptops, we guarantee that 90% of our laptops are made in Taiwan, assuring you of high quality control and high quality products.
China Boycotts GIGABYTE Over Low Quality Claims!
Once Chinese netizens discovered what GIGABYTE posted, their outrage was soon made manifest.
On 11 May 2021, the Communist Youth League of China responded with this short message on Weibo – “GIGABYTE, who gave you the courage to say this?”
They also highlighted the part that said, “Unlike other brands that opt for low cost, low quality OEM manufacturing in China…”
Chinese e-commerce companies – JD, Tmall and Suning – swiftly removed all GIGABYTE products from their platforms.
GIGABYTE Quickly Issues Apology
The official Weibo account of AORUS GIGABYTE E-Sports quickly issued a statement of apology, stating :
A few days ago, parts of the text published on our official website are seriously inconsistent with the facts. This was a result of poor internal management of our company.
We sincerely apologise for the discomfort caused to you. At the same time, we also thank gamers and consumers for their attention to our company.
GIGABYTE’s product business includes boards, laptops, computer peripherals, accessories, etc, with production lines all over mainland China, and its production capacity accounts for more than 90%. GIGABYTE is proud of the quality of Chinese production. Chinese production have helped GIGABYTE in creating excellent products and high-quality experiences for customers around the world. The product quality has withstood the test of the market and consumers for many years.
GIGABYTE has been operating in mainland China for more than 20 years, and will conduct a thorough review of the inappropriate remarks and carry out corrective actions to comply with national principles. GIGABYTE will strengthen internal management and training to ensure that all employees are aware of the problem and pay attention to it.
GIGABYTE Technology
11 May 2021
We are not sure if the Chinese authorities would consider this post an official apology, as it was posted by AORUS GIGABYTE E-Sports, which belongs to Ningbo Zhongjia Technology and Trade Co. Ltd. – a subsidiary of Taiwan Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd.
Officially, GIGABYTE Technology hasn’t issued any statement.
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A scammer just cheated a scalper out of FIVE GeForce RTX 30 series cards in a COD deal!
Find out how he got cheated in a Cash-On-Delivery exchange, and learn from his mistake!
Scammer vs Scalper : Five RTX 30 Series Cards Gone!
Scalpers have been taking advantage of the graphics card shortage, and massive increase in GPU mining, to make a killing on every graphics card they lay their hands on.
But the high prices and massive profits associated with graphics cards have also attracted scammers, who prowl online marketplaces looking for their greedy marks…
One scalper today shared how he was cheated of five NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards. What was even more shocking – he got scammed in a Cash On Delivery deal!
What Did The Scalper Lose?
The scalper lost five GIGABYTE graphics cards :
RTX 3070 AORUS Master (S/N : 210841066018)
RTX 3070 AORUS Master (S/N : lost)
RTX 3070 Gaming OC (S/N : 210841068841)
RTX 3070 Gaming OC : (S/N 210341039296)
RTX 3060 Gaming OC : (S/N 210441056468)
How Much Did The Scalper Lose?
We have no idea how much the deal was supposed to be, but he was quoting freaking high prices of :
RM4,699 (~US$1,135) for ASUS ROG Strix RTX 3060
RM5,500 (~US$1,329) for ASUS RTX 3060 Ti TUF Gaming
As you can tell, that is something like 2.5X more than what the cards really cost.
Based on that, we guesstimate that the entire deal was probably “worth” RM 34,000 (~US$8,200) to the scalper.
How Did The Scammer Fool The Scalper?
Here’s the interesting part – how the scammer fooled the scalper in a Cash On Delivery (COD) deal.
The scalper is not very clear about certain aspects, but from what we can gather with some investigations of our own…
The scammer arranged to meet the scalper in a shopping centre, probably to gain his trust.
He made an Instant Transfer, which failed. He probably set the transaction limit low.
He blamed the bank transfer transaction limit, and said he would ask his wife (???) to change the limit.
He then offered to transfer the money via a CIMB IBG GIRO transfer.
The scammer likely initiated a Scheduled Transaction (which can be cancelled), and showed the scalper the online transaction receipt.
By giving the scalper only a glance at the transaction receipt, or covering up the scheduled part of the receipt, he conveys the impression he had already transferred the money.
To his credit, the scalper checked his own bank account and saw that the money was not deposited.
The scammer then called the bank in front of the scalper, who confirmed that a GIRO transfer cannot be cancelled.
The scammer sent the scalper a picture of his identity card and bank transaction receipt (probably through WhatsApp), to seal the deal.
Once he walked away with the five graphics cards, the scammer quickly deleted the picture of his identity card and the bank transaction receipt, and cancelled the scheduled transaction.
So that was how the scalper went from potentially making a killing on his five GeForce graphics cards, to getting slaughtered by a scammer in a Cash On Delivery deal!
The scalper wondered if there was “Black Magic” involved. The truth is – the scammer used his greed to stop him from just walking away with his cards.
What Do We Know About The Scammer?
The scalper provided these details about the scammer who cheated him of his five graphics cards :
Surname : Ng
Race : Chinese
Identifying Features : Scar below right eye, tattoo on back of neck
Identity Card Number (partial) : 800831
State of Origin : Johor
Mobile Number : 013-277-6995
Vehicle Type : Honda HRV (Charcoal colour)
Vehicle Number Plate : 3553 or 5335
We have to point out that we cannot vouch for the authenticity of the scalper’s claims, or the details he shared.
Chinese Guy , Have Scar below right eye , tattoo behind neck
Beware of this person phone number 013-277-6995 Surname NG
IC No 800831, ic from Johor, Driving Honda HRV Charcoal Colour car plate could be (3553 or 5335) security doesn’t allow to take the file , too blur , i can only remember that, This person contacted me at Carousell ,mainly fishing graphic card seller in Carousell, couldn’t speak english , starting he will text in malay , He is scamming a lot of Graphic Card , Im a seller , i met him and COD at Cheras Connaught Avenue and Eko Cheras, his tactic is he will make instant transfer first , then failed, then he say he will ask his wife to change the limit , and then he will transfer you CIMB IBG GIRO transfer, and cancel it (after you leave) , i did check my bank account , money is not in, after that just in front of you he call the bank , the bank said once GIRO transfer has been made it cannot be cancel , he will ask u to snap his car plate no , but later give more excuse say that his wife drove away the car, but he came alone, im not sure is there any Black Magic ,he will keep on mentioned about his Wife he will send you the receipt and ic , he was nervous too , after he send me his ic , his uc image face was totally covered , after sending u the receipt he will quickly leave within a sec but he will delete the IC and Receipt , after the next sec you leave , so u are not able to trace him. mainly talking about mining have few farm in Seremban, and how do police trace using a thermal gun, evolving from using old bitcoin mine machine to graphic card, want to get 60 pieces, as a victim , i know that this is very stupid but I hope that no one will be the next victim after me.
5 pieces of graphic card has been scammed
rtx 3070 aorus master SN210841066018
RTX 3070 AORUS MASTER SERIES NUMBER LOST
RTX 3070 GAMING OC SN210841068841
RTX 3070 GAMING OC SN210341039296
RTX 3060 GAMING OC SN210441056468
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Find out what AMD Smart Access Memory is all about, and how to turn it on for a FREE BOOST in performance!
Smart Access Memory : PCIe Resizable BAR for AMD!
Smart Access Memory is AMD’s marketing term for their implementation of the PCI Express Resizable BAR (Base Address Registers) capability.
What does that mean exactly?
CPUs are traditionally limited to a 256 MB I/O memory address region for the GPU frame buffer. This of it as an “data dump” for stuff like textures, shaders and geometry.
Since this “data dump” is limited to 256 MB, the CPU can only send texture, shader and geometry data as and when the GPU requires them.
This introduces some latency – delay from when the GPU requires the data, and the CPU send them.
Turning on Resizable BAR or Smart Access Memory greatly expands the size of that data dump, letting the CPU directly access the GPU’s entire frame buffer memory.
Instead of transferring data when requested by the GPU, the CPU processes and stores the data directly in the graphics memory.
Graphics assets can be transferred to graphics memory in full, instead of in pieces. In addition, multiple transfers can occur simultaneously, instead of being queued up.
While this AMD graphic above suggests that Smart Access Memory will widen the memory path (and thus memory bandwidth) between the CPU and GPU, that is not true.
Smart Access Memory / Resizable BAR will not increase memory bandwidth.
What it does is let the CPU directly access the entire GPU frame buffer memory, instead of using the usual 256 MB “dump”. That reduces latency because the graphics assets are now accessible by the GPU at all times.
AMD Smart Access Memory : Performance Gains
According to AMD, enabling Smart Access Memory will give you a small but free boost of 5% to 11% in gaming performance.
You can expect up to 16% better performance in some games, but no effect in certain games. But overall, you get a free boost in performance. There is simply no reason not to enable Smart Access Memory.
1080p Resolution (1920 x 1080)
1440p Resolution (2560 x 1440)
2160p Resolution (3840 x 2160)
AMD Smart Access Memory : Requirements
Since Smart Access Memory is just an AMD implementation of PCI Express Resizable BAR. Therefore, it can be be implemented for all PCI Express 3.0 and PCI Express 4.0 graphics cards and motherboards.
If you have all of those supported components above, and updated your motherboard BIOS, you need to manually enable Smart Access Memory.
Now, the method will vary from motherboard to motherboard, and it probably won’t even be called Smart Access Memory.
Instead, look for variations of Above 4G Decoding, or Resizing BAR, or Resizable BAR, or Re-Size BAR Support.
AMD Generic Method
AMD has provided these generic steps to enable Smart Access Memory :
Enter the System BIOS by press <DEL> or <F12> during the system startup.
Navigate to the Advanced Settings or Advanced menu.
Enable “Above 4G Decoding” and “Re-Size BAR Support“.
Save the changes and restart the computer.
Step-by-Step Method For ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero
In our guide, we are using the ASUS CROSSHAIR VIII Hero (AMD X570) motherboard, as an example :
First you will need to turn off CSM (Compatibility Support Module), or make sure it’s disabled.Go to the Boot menu and look for a CSM / Compatibility Support Module option.
Set CSM (Compatibility Support Module) to Disabled.
Go to the Advanced menu and look for the PCI Subsystem. In other motherboards, look for PCIe / PCI Express configuration options.
Enable Above 4G Decoding.
This will give you access to the Re-Size BAR Support option. Set it to Auto.
Now go to the Exit menu, and select Save Changes & Reset.
It will ask you to confirm the changes. Just verify both, and click OK.
CSM is disabled by default for the ASUS, ASRock and MSI motherboards. However, it is enabled by default in the GIGABYTE AORUS X570 Master.
If you installed Windows without first turning CSM off, it will be configured as non-UEFI. It will NOT boot if you enable Resizable BAR Support (Smart Access Memory).
You will need to reinstall Windows with CSM support disabled.
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Many gamers are gripping about how difficult it is to buy one, but a quick check reveals that there are really quite a lot of RTX 3070, RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 graphics cards for sale.
RTX 3070 / 3080 / 3090 : Their Price Is The BIG Problem!
As the list above shows, there are many shops selling all three cards. The only country where there appears to be some shortage would be the UK.
The bigger problem really is the absurd prices some of these cards are selling for at these online shops.
The GeForce RTX 3070 has a starting price of $499, while the GeForce RTX 3080 has a starting price of $699. Yet they are both selling for 2-3X that in the US and the UK, and 50-100% more in other countries.
Only the GeForce RTX 3090, with its astronomical starting price of $1,499, has not seen ridiculous price scalping. It is only 20-30% more expensive around the world.
Of course, price is highly-dependent on supply and demand, but that is partly because NVIDIA and their partners appear to be closing an eye on scalping.
Until there is some price control, it appears to be profitable for some retailers to hold onto their cards, and offer them at high price points.
The only way around this is for consumers to hold off on buying overpriced cards, and opt for older cards with far better value instead.
So they are not the fastest cards in the world, but they are still very powerful graphics cards in their own right. Heck, are you buying a graphics card to play games, or to show off?
Instead of getting frustrated at scalpers, buy the best value graphics card you can afford and go play some games!
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AMD just announced the Instinct MI100 – the world’s fastest HPC GPU accelerator, delivering 11.5 TFLOPS in a single card!
AMD Instinct MI100 : 11.5 TFLOPS In A Single Card!
Powered by the new CDNA architecture, the AMD Instinct MI100 is the world’s fastest HPC GPU, and the first to break the 10 TFLOPS FP64 barrier!
Compared to the last-generation AMD accelerators, the AMD Instinct MI100 offers HPC applications almost 3.5X faster performance (FP32 matrix), and AI applications nearly 7X boost in throughput (FP16).
up to 11.5 TFLOPS of FP64 performance for HPC
up to 46.1 TFLOPS of FP32 Matrix performance for AI and machine learning
up to 184.6 TFLOPS of FP16 performance for AI training
2nd Gen AMD Infinity Fabric
It also leverages on the 2nd Gen AMD Infinity Fabric technology to deliver twice the peer-to-peer IO bandwidth of PCI Express 4.0. Thanks to its triple Infinity Fabric Links, it offers up to 340 GB/s of aggregate bandwidth per card.
In a server, MI100 GPUs can be configured as two fully-connected quad GPU hives, each providing up to 552 GB/s of P2P IO bandwidth.
Ultra-Fast HBM2 Memory
The AMD Instinct MI100 comes with 32 GB of HBM2 memory that deliver up to 1.23 TB/s of memory bandwidth to support large datasets.
PCI Express 4.0 Interface
The AMD Instinct MI100 is supports PCI Express 4.0, allowing for up to 64 GB/s of peak bandwidth from CPU to GPU, when paired with 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processors.
The AMD Instinct MI100 will be available in systems by the end of 2020 from OEM/ODM partners like Dell, Gigabyte, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), and Supermicro.
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The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT launched with a TGP of 150 watts, a 1375 MHz game clock, a 1560 MHz boost clock and 12 Gbps GDDR6 memory.
But less than a week before it was made available for sale, AMD gave it a big boost in these aspects :
Up to 20.7% higher game clock
Up to 12% higher boost clock
Up to 16.7% higher memory clock
Up to 10W higher TGP
All that overclocking makes the Radeon RX 5600 XT quite a different beast from what was initially announced, and better positions it against the discounted NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 cards.
But please note that AMD is leaving it up to their AIB partners to determine the final clock speeds, so your card may not see such high boosts.
AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT BIOS Updates : Where To Get Them?
To enjoy the free Radeon RX 5600 XT power-up, you will need to download and install the new BIOS updates from your card manufacturer. But you need to make sure you are downloading the right one.
Note : All links and information were sourced from the respective card manufacturers. Please check with them if you face any issues. We can offer no guarantee regarding their accuracy or reliability.
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GIGABYTE just gave the Radeon RX 5600 XT Gaming OC 6G a major, MAJOR performance boost!
Find out WHAT happened, and how YOU can enjoy this FREE performance boost too!
GIGABYTE Radeon RX 5600 XT Gaming OC 6G
When GIGABYTE announced their Radeon RX 5600 XT Gaming OC 6G, it was really just another overclocked version of the Radeon RX 5600 XT, no different from the SAPPHIRE PULSE RX 5600 XT we just reviewed.
But they just released a BIOS update that not only makes it much, MUCH faster… it also makes the Radeon RX 5600 XT Gaming OC 6G the fastest RX 5600 XT card currently available in the market.
New GIGABYTE Radeon RX 5600 XT Gaming OC Specifications
In this table, we compare the specifications of the newly-boosted GIGABYTE Radeon RX 5600 XT Gaming OC with the original launch specifications, as well as the Radeon RX 5700, and the reference Radeon RX 5600 XT specifications.
Specifications
Radeon RX
5700
GIGABYTE
RX 5600 XT
Gaming OC
(180W)
GIGABYTE
RX 5600 XT
Gaming OC
(150W)
Radeon RX
5600
Total Graphics Power
185 W
180 W
150 W
150 W
Stream Processors
2304
2304
2304
2048
Game Clock
1465 MHz
1670 MHz
1560 MHz
1375 MHz
Boost Clock
1725 MHz
1750 MHz
1620 MHz
1560 MHz
TMUs
144
144
144
144
Game Texture Rate
211.0 GT/s
240.5 GT/s
224.6 GT/s
198.0 GT/s
Max. Texture Rate
248.4 GT/s
252.0 GT/s
233.3 GT/s
224.6 GT/s
ROPs
64
64
64
64
Game Pixel Rate
93.8 GP/s
106.9 GP/s
99.8 GP/s
88.0 GP/s
Max. Pixel Rate
110.4 GP/s
112.0 GP/s
103.7 GP/s
99.8 GP/s
Memory Size
8 GB
6 GB
6 GB
6 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Speed
14 Gbps
14 Gbps
12 Gbps
12 Gbps
Bus Width
256-bit
192-bit
192-bit
192-bit
Bandwidth
448 GB/s
336 GB/s
288 GB/s
288 GB/s
PCIe Interface
PCIe 4.0 x16
PCIe 4.0 x16
PCIe 4.0 x16
PCIe 4.0 x16
This BIOS update totally changes the GIGABYTE Radeon RX 5600 XT Gaming OC. It is much faster than the reference Radeon RX 5600 XT specifications.
In fact, it has higher texture and pixel fill rates than Radeon RX 5700! The Radeon RX 5700 only beats it in memory size, and memory bandwidth.
Where To Get Its Power-Up BIOS?
Due to the last minute change by AMD, many of the early GIGABYTE Radeon RX 5600 XT Gaming OC cards shipped at the original specifications.
For those whose Radeon RX 5600 XT Gaming OC card is still using the original BIOS, you can update and install the BIOS update, to enjoy the FREE performance boost!
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Unlike the Radeon RX 5700 and RX 5700 XT cards, the new AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT does not have a reference design – it is available only as custom-designed cards from AMD’s partners.
Here is a quick primer on the first slew of Radeon RX 5500 XT cards from ASRock, ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI, PowerColor, Sapphire and XFX!
AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT : The First Cards
If you want to skip ahead to the first twenty two RX 5500 XT cards, click on these links.
The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT is basically the desktop version of the Radeon RX 5500M, using the same GPU with 6.4 billion transistors fabricated on the 7 nm process technology.
This Navi GPU has 22 Compute Units with 1408 stream processors and a 128-bit memory interface. The only difference is the Radeon RX 5500 XT has higher clock speeds and TDP, with up to 8 GB of GDDR6 memory.
The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT designed to deliver 1080p gaming at 60+ fps for AAA titles, and 90+ fps for esport games.
To reduce costs, AMD opted to use a PCI Express 4.0 x8 interface, instead of the PCIe 4.0 x16 interface. But if paired with a PCIe 4.0 chipset, it will deliver the same bandwidth as PCIe 3.0 x16.
In this table, we compare its reference specifications against its more powerful brethren – the RX 5700 and RX 5700 XT.
Again, please note that the RX 5500 XT is only available from AMD partners as custom cards, and could have different specifications.
Specifications
Radeon RX
5700 XT
Radeon RX
5700
Radeon RX
5500 XT
Transistors
10.3 billion
10.3 billion
6.4 billion
Fab Process
7 nm
7 nm
7 nm
Die Size
251 mm²
251 mm²
158 mm²
Total Graphics Power
225 W
185 W
130 W
Stream Processors
2560
2340
1408
Base Clock
1605 MHz
1465 MHz
1607 MHz
Game Clock
1755 MHz
1625 MHz
1717 MHz
Boost Clock
1905 MHz
1725 MHz
1845 MHz
TMUs
160
144
88
Max. Texture Rate
304.8 GT/s
248.4 GT/s
162.4 GT/s
ROPs
64
64
32
Max. Pixel Rate
121.9 GP/s
110.4 GP/s
59.0 GP/s
Memory Size
8 GB
8 GB
4 GB / 8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
GDDR6
Bus Width
256-bit
256-bit
128-bit
Bandwidth
448 GB/s
448 GB/s
224 GB/s
PCIe Interface
PCIe 4.0 x16
PCIe 4.0 x16
PCIe 4.0 x8
ASRock RX 5500 XT Challenger D 4G OC
This is an overclocked 4 GB variant with a dual fan cooler, a 78 MHz higher base clock and a 20 MHz higher game clock :
Base Clock : 1685 MHz
Game Clock : 1737 MHz
Boost Clock : 1845 MHz
GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b
Polychrome SYNC
Dual Fan Design + Stylish Metal Backplate
0dB Silent Cooling
ASRock Tweak
ASRock RX 5500 XT Phantom Gaming D 8G OC
This is the 8 GB version of the Challenger card above, and comes with the same dual fan cooler, a 78 MHz higher base clock and a 20 MHz higher game clock :
Base Clock : 1685 MHz
Game Clock : 1737 MHz
Boost Clock : 1845 MHz
GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b
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ASUS ROG Strix Radeon RX 5500 XT
This is an overclocked 8 GB variant with a dual-fan cooler, and 20 MHz higher game and boost clocks.
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MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT Mech 4G
This is a stock 4 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, and reference clock speeds
TORX Fan 3.0 with Dispersion Fan Blades
RGB Mystic Light + Afterburner OC Utility
Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
Game Clock : 1717 MHz
Base Clock : 1607 MHz
GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b
MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT Mech 8G
This is a stock 8 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, and reference clock speeds
TORX Fan 3.0 with Dispersion Fan Blades
RGB Mystic Light + Afterburner OC Utility
Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
Game Clock : 1717 MHz
Base Clock : 1607 MHz
GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b
MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT Mech 4G OC
This is an overclocked 4 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, 40 MHz higher base clock and 16 MHz higher game clock.
TORX Fan 3.0 with Dispersion Fan Blades
RGB Mystic Light + Afterburner OC Utility
Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
Game Clock : 1733 MHz (Reference card is 1717 MHz)
Base Clock : 1647 MHz (Reference card is 1607 MHz)
GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b
MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT Mech 8G OC
This is an overclocked 8 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, 40 MHz higher base clock and 16 MHz higher game clock.
TORX Fan 3.0 with Dispersion Fan Blades
RGB Mystic Light + Afterburner OC Utility
Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
Game Clock : 1733 MHz (Reference card is 1717 MHz)
Base Clock : 1647 MHz (Reference card is 1607 MHz)
GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b
Price + Availability (Accurate as of 16 December 2019)
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PowerColor Radeon RX 5500 XT
This is a stock 4 GB variant, with a single-fan cooler, and reference clock speeds
Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
Game Clock : 1717 MHz
Base Clock : 1607 MHz
GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
Display Ports : 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b, 1 x SL DVI-D
PowerColor Red Dragon RX 5500 XT
This is an overclocked 8 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, a 78 MHz higher base clock and a 20 MHz higher game clock :
Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
Game Clock : 1737 MHz (Reference card is 1717 MHz)
Base Clock : 1685 MHz (Reference card is 1607 MHz)
GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
Display Ports : 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b, 1 x SL DVI-D
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GIGABYTE is often the first to announce new motherboards, and they are right on the dot with the new AMD TRX40 chipset!
Here is EVERYTHING you need to know about the four new GIGABYTE TRX40 motherboards for the 3rd Gen Ryzen Threadripper processors!
GIGABYTE TRX40 Threadripper Motherboards
At launch, GIGABYTE is introducing four AMD TRX40 motherboards – three under the AORUS sub-brand, and the fourth is a Designare model. Let’s check them out :
GIGABYTE TRX40 AORUS MASTER
16+3 Phases Infineon Digital VRM Solution with 70A Power Stage
Advanced Thermal Design with Fins-Array Heatsink, Heatpipe with Extended Heatsink and NanoCarbon Baseplate
AQUANTIA 5GbE LAN and IntelGbE LAN with cFosSpeed
3 Ultra-Fast NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 with Thermal Guards
Onboard Intel WiFi 6 802.11ax 2T2R & BT 5
130dB SNR AMP-UP Audio with High-End ESS SABRE 9218 DAC, ALC1220-VB and WIMA Audio Capacitors
USB TurboCharger for Mobile Device Fast Charge Support
RGB FUSION 2.0 with Multi-Zone Addressable LED Light Show Design, Support Addressable LED & RGB LED Strips
Smart Fan 5 Features Multiple Temperature Sensors, Hybrid Fan Headers with FAN STOP and Noise Detection
Front & Rear USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C Header
GIGABYTE TRX40 AORUS XTREME
16+3 Phases Infineon Digital VRM Solution with 70A Power Stage
Thermal Reactive Armor Design with Fins-Array Heatsink, 8mm Mega-Heatpipe and NanoCarbon Baseplate
Intel X550-AT2 Dual 10GbE BASE-T LAN with cFosSpeed
4 Ultra-Fast NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 with Thermal Guards
Exclusive AORUS Gen4 AIC Adaptor for Extra 4 NVMe PCIe 4.0/3.0 x4 M.2
Smart Fan 5 features Multiple Temperature Sensors, Hybrid Fan Headers with FAN STOP and Noise Detection
Front & Rear USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C Header
GIGABYTE TRX40 Motherboards : Specifications
To make it easier for you to compare the four GIGABYTE TRX40 motherboard models, we created this comparison table :
Specifications
TRX40
AORUS Master
TRX40 AORUS Xtreme
TRX40 AORUS PRO WiFi
TRX40 Designare
Form Factor
E-ATX
XL-ATX
ATX
XL-ATX
Chipset
AMD TRX40
CPU Support
3rd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors
Memory Support
8 x DDR4-3200 slots
Max. 256 GB, OC up to DDR4-4400
BIOS
2 x 128 Mbit AMI EUFI BIOS
PCIe 4.0 x16 Slots
2 @ x16 speed
2 @ x8 speed
2 @ x16 speed
2 @ x8 speed
2 @ x16 speed
2 @ x8 speed
2 @ x16 speed
2 @ x8 speed
PCIe 4.0 x1 Slots
1
NA
1
1
M.2 Sockets
3
4
3
4
SATA 6Gb/s Ports
8
10
8
8
USB 3.2 Gen 2 Ports
5 x Type A
1 x Type C
7 x Type A
1 x Type C
5 x Type A
1 x Type C
5 x Type A
1 x Type C
USB 3.2 Headers
1 x Gen 2
4 x Gen 1
1 x Gen 2
4 x Gen 1
1 x Gen 2
4 x Gen 1
1 x Gen 2
4 x Gen 1
USB 2.0 Ports
2 x Type A
NA
4 x Type A
2 x Type A
USB 2.0 Headers
4
4
4
4
LAN
Aquantia 5GbE
Intel GbE
2 x Intel 10GbE
Intel GbE
2 x Intel GbE
WiFi
Intel WiFi 6 AX200 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax)
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.0
GIGABYTE TRX40 Motherboards : Availability
As the 3rd Gen Ryzen Threadripper processors and their AMD TRX40 chipset will only be launched on 25 November 2019, GIGABYTE cannot officially announce price and availability.
We will update this article when we have more information, so check back on or after 25 November for their price and availability!
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Prices of NVIDIA RTX Super cards are currently high in Malaysia, probably due to high demand. To help you get the best prices possible, here are the CHEAPEST deals for the RTX Super cards!
NVIDIA RTX SUPER – A Quick Review!
NVIDIA announced three RTX Super models, two of which replaces existing GeForce RTX models :
The GeForce RTX 2060 survives to remain the cheapest RTX card you can buy, while the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti remains the top-of-the-line RTX graphics card that money can buy.
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER(US | UK | MY) has the full NVIDIA TU104 GPU with 192 TMUs and 64 ROPS, delivering a peak output of 349 GT/s and 116 GP/s.
Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at a higher speed speed of 1937.5 MHz, giving it a peak memory bandwidth of 496 GB/s.
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Currently, the price of the average RTX 2080 SUPER custom card is significantly higher than the RTX 2080 SUPER Founders Edition. So it might make a lot more sense to get that instead, or wait until prices drop a little.
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Currently, the price of the average RTX 2070 custom card is significantly higher than the RTX 2070 SUPER Founders Edition. So it might make a lot more sense to get that instead, or wait until prices drop a little.
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This gives it 136 TMUs and 64 ROPS, delivering a peak output of 224 GT/s and 106 GP/s, thanks to its higher clock speeds.
Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at a speed of 1750 MHz, giving it a peak memory bandwidth of 448 GB/s.
By offering significantly better performance with 2 GB more graphics memory than the RTX 2060 for just $50 extra, the new GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is set to be the hottest-selling RTX SUPER model.
For more details on the RTX 2060 SUPER, we recommend these articles :
Currently, the price of the average RTX 2060 custom card is significantly higher than the RTX 2060 SUPER Founders Edition. So it might make a lot more sense to get that instead, or wait until prices drop a little.
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Due to overwhelming demand, it can be hard to get good Radeon RX 5700 or Radeon RX 5700 XT deals.
So we went out and found you the cheapest Radeon RX 5700 / RX 5700 XT deals in Malaysia!
AMD Radeon RX 5700 Series Primer
The AMD Radeon RX 5700 series of graphics cards is built around the new AMD Navi GPU that uses the new RDNA architecture and fabricated on the 7 nm process technology.
Its redesigned Compute Units deliver 1.25X higher performance per clock, and up to 1.5X better performance per watt.
The AMD Radeon RX 5700 has 2304 stream processors, with 144 TMUs and 64 ROPs, delivering a peak output of 248 GT/s and 110 GP/s.
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If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
This gives it 136 TMUs and 64 ROPS, delivering a peak output of 224 GT/s and 106 GP/s, thanks to its higher clock speeds.
Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at a speed of 1750 MHz, giving it a peak memory bandwidth of 448 GB/s.
By offering significantly better performance with 2 GB more graphics memory than the RTX 2060 for just $50 extra, the new GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is set to be the hottest-selling RTX SUPER model.
For more details on the RTX 2060 SUPER, we recommend these articles :
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
We earlier shared that GIGABYTE is prepping a total of 8 Radeon RX 5700 models, so these two reference designs are just the first out the door.
In the coming days, they will be introducing the AORUS and GAMING versions of the Radeon RX 5700 XT and Radeon RX 5700, with these model numbers :
RX 5700 XT
RX 5700
AORUS Series
GV-R57XTAORUS-8GD
GV-R57AORUS-8GD
Gaming Series
GV-R57XTGAMING OC-8GD
GV-R57GAMING OC-8GD
GV-R57XTGAMING-8GD
GV-R57GAMING-8GD
Shockingly, GIGABYTE will only release just eight AMD Navi cards. In contrast, they are expected to release a whopping 69 NVIDIA GeForce SUPER RTX cards!
The AMD Radeon RX 5700 series of graphics cards is built around the new AMD Navi GPU that uses the new RDNA architecture and fabricated on the 7 nm process technology.
Its redesigned Compute Units deliver 1.25X higher performance per clock, and up to 1.5X better performance per watt.
Here is a quick comparison between the Radeon RX 5700 XT, and the Radeon RX 5700 models :
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Check out the first six GIGABYTE GeForce RTX SUPER graphics cards, as well as the other 63 GIGABYTE RTX SUPER cards they will launch later…
The GIGABYTE GeForce RTX SUPER Graphics Cards
We earlier shared that GIGABYTE is prepping a whopping 69 Super RTX models. Now, GIGABYTE has officially revealed the first six Super RTX models for their AORUS series and GAMING series.
The AORUS GeForce RTX SUPER series will have three models, at least initially.
AORUS GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8G
AORUS GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8G
AORUS GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8G
All three AORUS GeForce RTX SUPER models will feature :
top-of-the-line overclocked GPUs, certified by the GIGABYTE GPU Gauntlet sorting technology,
WINDFORCE 3x 100mm stacked fans, with three ring RGB lighting effects, and
seven video outputs – 3 HDMI, 3 DP, one USB-C
The WINDFORCE 3x 100mm stacked fans not only reduce the length of the card, they generate more air pressure for better cooling.
In addition, the alternate spinning fans help to solve the problem of turbulence from the three fans, which improves air pressure and cooling capability.
These will also be the only cards in the market to offer 7 video outputs, in the form of 3 HDMI ports, 3 DP ports and one USB-C port.
The GIGABYTE GeForce RTX SUPER GAMING series will have three models, at least initially.
GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER GAMING OC 8G
GeForce RTX 2070 GAMING OC SUPER 8G
GeForce RTX 2060 GAMING OC SUPER 8G
These GIGABYTE GeForce RTX SUPER GAMING models will offer :
Triple Alternate Spinning fans
Composite heat pipes with direct contact
Metal backplate and RGB lighting
The triple fans feature GIGABYTE’s patented Alternate Spinning fan technology, with a unique fan blade design. The increased airflow will help keep the heatsink cool as heat from the GPU is transferred by composite heat pipes.
We had earlier shared that GIGABYTE is prepping a whopping 69 GeForce RTX SUPER models, so these first 6 are just the tip of the iceberg.
In the coming days, they will be introducing new RTX SUPER models for their GAMING OC WHITE series, TURBO series and the WINDFORCE OC series with triple and dual fan options.
Here is the full list of the 69 GeForce RTX SUPER models we expect GIGABYTE to introduce :
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Komachi just discovered a treasure trove – the Radeon RX 5700 and RX 5700 XT graphics cards that ASUS and GIGABYTE will soon announce!
Here is the full list of ASUS and GIGABYTE RX 5700 and RX 5700 XT models that will be coming shortly to a store near you!
The AMD Radeon RX 5700 Series
The AMD Radeon RX 5700 series of graphics cards is built around the new AMD Navi GPU that uses the new RDNA architecture and fabricated on the 7 nm process technology.
Its redesigned Compute Units deliver 1.25X higher performance per clock, and up to 1.5X better performance per watt.
Here is a quick comparison between the Radeon RX 5700 XT, and the Radeon RX 5700 models :
Specifications
Radeon
RX 5700 XT
Radeon
RX 5700
Transistor Count
10.3 Billion
10.3 Billion
Die Size
251 mm²
1 mm²
Compute Units
40
40
Stream Processors
2560
2304
Base Clock
1605 MHz
1465 MHz
Game Clock Clock
1755 MHz
1625 MHz
Boost Clock Clock
1905 MHz
1725 MHz
Peak Performance
9.75 TFLOPS
7.95 TFLOPS
Texture Fill Rate
304.8 GP/s
248.4 GP/s
ROPS
64
64
Pixel Fill Rate
121.9 GP/s
110.4 GP/s
Memory Interface
256-bits
256-bits
Graphics Memory
8 GB GDDR6
8 GB GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
448 GB/s
448 GB/s
Board Power
225 W
185 W
ASUS Radeon RX 5700 Graphics Cards
Here is the first slew of ASUS Radeon RX 5700 graphics cards :
ASUS Radeon RX 5700 Graphics Cards
RX 5700 XT
RX 5700
ROG Strix Series
OG-STRIX-RX5700XT-O8G-GAMING
ROG-STRIX-RX5700-O8G-GAMING
ROG-STRIX-RX5700XT-A8G-GAMING
ROG-STRIX-RX5700-A8G-GAMING
ROG-STRIX-RX5700XT-8G-GAMING
ROG-STRIX-RX5700-8G-GAMING
TUF Gaming 3X Series
TUF3-RX5700XT-A8G-GAMING
TUF3-RX5700-O8G-GAMING
TUF3-RX5700XT-8G-GAMING
TUF3-RX5700-A8G-GAMING
TUF3-RX5700XT-O8G-GAMING
TUF3-RX5700-8G-GAMING
Dual Series
DUAL-RX5700-O8G-EVO
DUAL-RX5700-A8G-EVO
DUAL-RX5700-8G-EVO
Reference Series
RX5700XT-8G
RX5700-8G
ASUS should release seven Radeon RX 5700 XT cards, and ten Radeon RX 5700 cards – a total of 17 cards.
A respectable number, but still far fewer than the 33 Super RTX cards they are also going to release!
GIGABYTE Radeon RX 5700 Graphics Cards
Here is the first slew of GIGABYTE Radeon RX 5700 graphics cards :
GIGABYTE Radeon RX 5700 Graphics Cards
RX 5700 XT
RX 5700
AORUS Series
GV-R57XTAORUS-8GD
GV-R57AORUS-8GD
Gaming Series
GV-R57XTGAMING OC-8GD
GV-R57GAMING OC-8GD
GV-R57XTGAMING-8GD
GV-R57GAMING-8GD
Reference Series
GV-R57XT-8GD-B
GV-R57-8GD-B
Shockingly, GIGABYTE will only release just eight AMD Navi cards – four Radeon RX 5700 XT cards, and four Radeon RX 5700 cards.
In contrast, they are expected to release a whopping 69 Super RTX cards!
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GIGABYTE just unveiled the AORUS M4, an ambidextrous gaming mouse, with a 6400 dpi sensor and RGB lighting. Here is a quick primer on the new GIGABYTE AORUS M4 gaming mouse!
The GIGABYTE AORUS M4 Gaming Mouse
The GIGABYTE AORUS M4 gaming mouse is ambidextrous, being fully symmetrical to suit both right- and left-handed eSports players.
With an optimal weight distribution and ergonomics, it will give players a comfortable grip with side buttons on both sides.
6400 dpi optical sensor
The GIGABYTE AORUS M4 has a high-resolution 6400 dpi optical sensor.
Designed for competitive gaming, it is capable of 200 ips tracking speed, and 50G acceleration.
You can also fine-tune its sensitivity in 50 dpi increments to suit your gaming style.
Japanese Omron switches
The Japanese Omron switches on both buttons give a crisp and efficient response when you click on them. They will also last a lifetime – over 50 million clicks!
32-bit ARM processor
The GIGABYTE AORUS M4 is runs on a 32-bit ARM processor, which gives it a much faster processing ability for low-latency performance.
AORUS Engine
Using the AORUS Engine, users can configure the mouse buttons to a specific command. This allows them to quickly perform custom actions with a single click.
RGB Fusion 2.0
The AORUS M4 also supports RGB Fusion 2.0, allowing it to be linked to other AORUS devices for synchronised lighting effects!
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At CES 2019, GIGABYTE revealed their latest storage product – the AORUS RGB SSD Series! And they are launching it in not one, but two, form factors – AIC and M.2.
The GIGABYTE AORUS RGB SSD Series Revealed!
AORUS RGB M.2 SSD
The GIGABYTE AORUS RGB M.2 SSD is available in two storage capacities – 256 GB and 512 GB. It delivers sequential read speeds up to 3480 MB/s and sequential write speed up to 2000 MB/s and is built with anodized, aluminium heatsinks.
The AORUS RGB M.2 SSD also features digital LED lighting that synchronises with AORUS motherboard, and a hairline finish on its heatsink.
AORUS RGB AIC SSD
The AORUS RGB AIC SSD offers larger storage capacity sizes of 512 GB and 1 TB, with sequential read speeds up to 3480 MB/s and sequential write speeds up to 3080 MB/s.
It comes with a 5 mm thick dark grey aluminium matte heatsink with a cross-cut design for increased heat dissipation area, as well as a thick LAIRD thermal pad.
The AORUS RGB AIC SSD’s heatsink has also been treated with fine sandblasting on the surface, multi-step anodisation and laser engraving. Even its screw holes were CNC processed for accuracy and aesthetics.
Finally, it boasts frontside RGB lighting with default RGB wave patterns. You can also customise its lighting effects using the new RGB Fusion 2.0 app.
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GIGABYTE just revealed their 512 GB GIGABYTE M.2 SSD, an affordable solid state storage solution for the mainstream market. Learn more about GIGABYTE’s latest M.2 solid state drive!
The 512 GB GIGABYTE M.2 2280 SSD Revealed!
Based on the NVMe architecture, the 512 GB GIGABYTE M.2 SSD utilises PCIe Gen3 x2 lanes to deliver higher bandwidth and transfer speeds compared to the traditional SATA interface. Like the earlier 128 GB and 256 GB models, the 512 GB GIGABYTE M.2 SSD supports TRIM and S.M.A.R.T technologies.
The 512 GB GIGABYTE M.2 SSD is built around TLC flash memory, with Host Memory Buffer (HMB) to improve performance at a more affordable price point.
Why PCIe x2, Not PCIe x4?
With reduced SSD prices in recent years, many users have made the transition from SATA devices to M.2 devices. Despite the upgrade, storage performance from their M.2 SSDs is often bottlenecked by the utilization of SATA 6Gb/s lanes on their storage devices.
The SATA 6Gb/s interface cannot match the read/write speeds of the SSDs, holding back their storage devices. NVMe based storage devices that utilize PCIe Gen3 lanes circumvent this issue but these devices usually come with PCIe Gen3 x4 lanes which makes them significantly more expensive.
While users are looking for better performance, NVMe based PCIe Gen3 x4 solid state drives are expensive. GIGABYTE M.2 SSD is based on NVMe architecture but uses PCIe Gen3 x2 lanes to reduce cost, while using Host Buffer Memory (HMB) to maximise performance.
HMB technology uses system memory to cache and improve the SSD‘s performance. This eliminates the need for dedicated cache memory, allowing GIGABYTE to keep costs low.
GIGABYTE M.2 SSD Price + Availability
The GIGABYTE M.2 SSD series comes with a 3 year warranty, and three capacity sizes of 128GB, 256GB and the newly-announced 512GB. Here are some direct purchase links (with prices accurate as of 24 December 2018) :
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GIGABYTE just released RGB Fusion 2.0 with single click lighting synchronization. Read all about it right here!
The New GIGABYTE RGB Fusion 2.0 Software Is Out!
GIGABYTERGB Fusion 2.0 is an integrated user interface that now synchronises the LED effects across all supported products.
Sync With One Single Click
With a brand new UI design, RGB Fusion 2.0 provides a convenient way for RGB synchronization. There are various lighting modes you can select from, including :
Static mode
Single Flash
Double Flash
Random Flash
Color Cycle
Game mode
Music mode.
You can simply sync the RGB effects with just a single click.
Furthermore RGB Fusion 2.0 offers an advanced control mode for you to setup the RGB effects for each product individually and showcase your own personality.
Advanced Lighting Control
In the advance lighting control mode, you are given maximum capability to personalize your RGB lighting effects. By clicking the product icon on the homepage, you enter the advanced lighting control page.
In this page, you are able to customize the lighting effects of your product individually. For instance, you can change your mouse and keyboard to Static mode while the rest of the PC is in Color Cycle mode.
In some products, you can even change the settings of each segment of the product. All of this give you the power to change your PC lighting any way you want.
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The GIGABYTE X299 AORUS Master motherboard has just been announced. Take a look at the key features of the latest Intel X299 motherboard from GIGABYTE!
The GIGABYTE X299 AORUS Master Motherboard!
The GIGABYTE X299 AORUS MASTER motherboard provides the flexibility for users to enhance their motherboard’s graphical performance through multi-graphical configurations.
It also features a unique PCIe express design which utilizes all 44 lanes from the CPU for the full bandwidth.
Its ultra-durable one piece stainless steel shielding PCIe Armor with Double Locking Bracket adds extra sturdiness to the PCIe slot to prevent heavy graphics cards from bending the PCIe slots with their weight and causing damage to the slots.
Lastly, RGB Fusion adds impressive aesthetic flair to the GIGABYTE 299 AORUS MASTER motherboard and supports the use of digital LED lighting strips for extra lighting effects, supporting both 5V or 12V addressable lighting strips and up to 300 lights.
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NVIDIA just announced the GeForce RTX Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals! Check them out here!
NVIDIA GeForce RTX Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales!
Check out the list of awesome NVIDIA GeForce RTX Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales :
1. Get Battlefield V When You Purchase NVIDIA GeForce RTX!
Gamers who purchase a new GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, GeForce RTX 2080 or GeForce RTX 2070-based graphics card or desktop PC from participating partners will receive a copy of Battlefield V. Hurry as bundle runs until January 7, 2019 or while supplies last only!
For more details on the Battlefield V bundle, check out these localised NVIDIA pages for more information :
2. Win NVIDIA GeForce RTX Graphics Card In Shot With GeForce Ansel Contest!
NVIDIA is hosting a Shot With GeForce Ansel contest for Battlefield V.
Gamers can jump into Battlefield V, head into the single-player War Stories and capture beautiful NVIDIA Ansel in-game photos.
Upload a photo to our NVIDIA Ansel Shot With GeForce photo sharing website, and post it to social media with @NVIDIAGeForce and #SHOTWITHGEFORCE included in their post, and
They could win a GeForce RTX graphics card!
This contest will run until December 16, 2018. Please note that this contest is only available in Singapore and Australia in the APAC region.
Other NVIDIA GeForce RTX News
NVIDIA GeForce RTX NAS Supported by Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus!
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is now the first game to use GeForce RTX NAS. Utilizing the Vulkan API, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus already benefits from several new Turing Streaming Multiprocessor architectural improvements including concurrent floating point, integer execution, the new Turing cache and shared memory architecture. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus’added support for NAS via an in-game patch greatly enhances game performance.
NAS is a variety of techniques that use Turing’s new variable rate shading technology to increase rendering performance and quality by applying varying amount of processing power to different areas of the image. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossususes Content Adaptive shading and Motion Adaptive shading to deliverperformance with Turing GPUs that is up to 70% faster than their Pascal predecessors.
NVIDIA GeForce Gamers are Ready for Darksiders III!
GeForce Gamers are Game Ready with the release of the Game Ready Driver for Darksiders III. Available on or before launch day, GeForce gamers will also benefit from the Game Ready Driver which is WHQL-certified by Microsoft.
Where To Buy The GeForce RTX Graphics Cards
Here are some GeForce RTX purchase links in Malaysia :
ASUS GeForce RTX 2080 Ti OC Turbo Edition : RM 6,199
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Taipei, Taiwan, October 22nd, 2018 – GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, launched its newest flagship Z390 AORUS XTREME motherboard today.
With the highest power phase count of any Z390 motherboard on the market, the new AORUS flagship motherboard features a 16-Phase Digital IR VRM design and state-of-the-art thermal design for optimized power and thermal management to unleash the full overclocking potential of the new 8-core Intel Core i9-9900K processor.
The GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS XTREME Revealed!
The new 8-Core Intel Core i9-9900K processor is built on the 14 nm process technology and support the LGA 1151 socket. The 16-Phase Digital IR VRM design paired with solid pin power connectors not only provide a highly stable power supply but also reduces heat generated from overclocking or heavier workloads to prevent overheating from affecting performance.
Automatic Phase Balance Design
The automatic phase balance design not only regulates the loading of the 16-Phase power design but also reduces the operating frequency of the VRM controller chip, minimizing power consumption and heat generated from the PWM.
This design improves power efficiency, durability, and service life significantly. Furthermore, GIGABYTE’s 2x Copper PCB with a larger CPU power delivery plane not only offers more power supply stability, it also reduces excess heat generated from overclocking or heavy workloads to prevent power supply issues or overheating from slowing performance.
Fins-Array + Direct Touch Heatpipes
With 3 times more heat dissipation surface area compared to standard heatsinks, Fins-Array Technology bolsters heat dissipation on the Z390 AORUS XTREME. GIGABYTE upgraded its Direct Touch Heatpipe technology by implementing 4x heatpipes to improve heat transfer.
The first two front side PCB heatpipes directly contact the PowIRstage and inductors while the third and fourth heatpipes use an exclusive design which increases the contact between the heatsink and the backside PCB components.
Nanocarbon Baseplate
The addition of a NanoCarbon coated baseplate means that the heat from the PWM is more efficiently transferred to the heatsinks which lowers the temperatures around the power design. The VRM uses a LAIRD brand thermal pad thickened to 1.5mm to increase the contact between the VRM and its heatsinks, improving heat dissipation immensely and mitigating the effects of overheating on system performance.
Nanocarbon Baseplate design with heat dissipation gives the Z390 AORUS XTREME extra rigidity to prevent PCB bending while also protecting builders from the sharper components on the backside during installation.
Easy Setup + Troubleshooting
Aside from its visually appealing design and easy installation, the integrated I/O shield provides solid protection to the feature-rich rear panel’s USB 3.1 Gen2, network connectivity ports, audio jacks, and other expansion ports. Users can troubleshoot PC problems more easily with the board’s power, restart, reset BIOS (Clear CMOS), and other buttons.
The GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS XTREME employs a 90 degree design for the 24 solid pin power connectors which not only looks wicked cool when the power cables are configured but it also makes way for smoother air flow and a cooler system. Metal cladding on the pin connectors adds extra durability and reduces loosening caused by inserting and removing the power cables.
Easy Overclocking
Many features on the board are designed to help users bring out the best performance from the new Intel Core i9-9900K processor. With the CPU Upgrade in the BIOS, Smart Boost and Auto Tuning in the APP Center, users can overclock with ease.
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For those who want more overclock control, don’t miss out on the OC Touch panel of the Z390 AORUS XTREME. OC Touch incorporates easy-to-use buttons and toggles for the user to configure key processor multipliers and adjust BCLK frequencies by units of 1MHz or 0.1 MHz. Regardless of whether the user is at the BIOS screen, using DOS or Windows operating systems, these frequency changes can be adjusted and applied without rebooting the system.
Users can quickly optimize their PCs’ performance and find the highest frequency for their processors. Additionally, the exclusive OC button can load overclock configuration presets so that less experienced overclockers can overclock at certain ranges. The OC-Touch function also helps users figure out the best overclocking settings for their processors. The built-in voltage measurement module keeps the user informed on the voltage of each component, making overclocking more convenient for users.
Z390 AORUS Xtreme Expansion Options
Z390 AORUS XTREME has three PCIe slots so users can set up a 2-Way SLI and 3-Way CrossFire configuration.
The exclusive GIGABYTE Ultra-Durable stainless steel PCIe Armor with Double Locking Bracket reinforces PCIe slot strength so heavy graphics cards don’t bend the slots. The motherboard’s solid power pin connectors provides independent auxiliary power to the PCIe slots so users’ graphics cards can receive sufficient and more stable power supply.
Z390 AORUS XTREME motherboard’s Triple PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2 with Thermal Guards and dual-mode SATA M.2 slots, users can build a RAID 0/1 or RAID 5 array and take advantage of the benefits of both enhanced storage performance and solid data integrity.
Z390 AORUS Xtreme Connectivity Options
GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS XTREME comes with built-in AQUANTIA 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Intel Gigabit Ethernet, and Intel CNVi 802.11ac 160MHz 2×2 WIFI. The all new 4dBi ultra high peak gain antenna not only supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz WIFI frequencies but also has twice the signal strength compared to traditional antenna designs.
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The magnetic base and dual antenna design of Smart Antenna technology makes it so the device can be installed on magnetic surfaces and can search for WIFI signals at different angles. This fixes the positioning of the antenna and prevents the issue of users not being able to obtain strong WIFI signals, offering greater flexibility from the motherboard’s network connectivity.
Aside from exceptional performance and high-speed connectivity, GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS XTREME also has two sets of built-in USB Type-C Thunderbolt interface, which not only support native USB 3.1 Gen 2 specifications but also delivers 40 Gbps data transmission speed. Users can also daisy chain 6 devices + 1 display on a single connection, for high-speed data transfer and high-definition resolution all at once.
Professional-Grade Audio
The GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS XTREME uses an ALC1220-VB high-SNR audio codec with professional audio components such as ESS SABRE DAC and studio grade audio capacitors. The left and right side channel audio lines are processed separately and the new inclusion of a TI Burr-Brown high quality audio OP AMPs with its signal-enhanced design makes the audio clearer and more immersive.
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AMD officially launched their B450 chipset on 31 July 2018, driving further demand for the 2nd Generation AMD Ryzen processors. In this article, we will look at the first GIGABYTE B450 motherboards to hit the market!
The Official AMD B450 Tech Briefing
For a primer on the AMD B450 chipset, here is the official AMD B450 tech briefing, conducted by Don Woligroski, AMD Business Development and Desktop Processor Marketing.
And here is a diagram showing what features are provided by the AMD B450 chipset, and what are provided by the AMD Ryzen processor itself.
Although GIGABYTE announced six B450 motherboards, not all are available for purchase globally. Here are some GIGABYTE B450 models that are currently for sale, with their prices :
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GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO WIFI
We showcased the GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO WIFI at Computex 2018. It boasts a hybrid digital PWM, with built-in dual-band Intel 802.11ac WiFi and Gigabit LAN capability, as well as dual M.2 sockets.
The GIGABYTE B450 AORUS M is a micro-ATX motherboard that has four DDR4-3200 sockets, and comes with two PCIe x16 slots, one M.2 socket and six SATA ports.
Here are the key features of the B450 AORUS M motherboard :
Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4, 4 DIMMs
HDMI, DVI-D Ports for Multiple Display
Ultra-Fast NVMe PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2 with Thermal Guard
High Quality Audio Capacitors and Audio Noise Guard with LED Trace Path Lighting
RGB FUSION with Multi-Zone LED Light Show Design, Supports Digital LED & RGB LED Strips
GIGABYTE Exclusive 8118 Gaming LAN with Bandwidth Management
Smart Fan 5 Features 5 Temperature Sensors and 3 Hybrid Fan Headers with FAN STOP
APP Center Including EasyTune and Cloud Station Utilities
Anti-Sulfur Resistors Design
Ultra Durable 25KV ESD and 15KV Surge LAN Protection
CEC 2019 Ready, Save Power with a Single Click
Here are some purchase links and prices for the B450 AORUS M :
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