Components
AMD to Support Radeon FreeSync Tech on Select Xbox One Consoles

AMD and Microsoft have announced support for Radeon FreeSync technology in Microsoft’s Xbox One S and Xbox One X consoles. Three years ago AMD introduced FreeSync technology with an aim to end choppy gameplay and broken frames by driving widespread adoption of adaptive refresh technology through a cost-effective, industry standard approach. Gamers have responded en masse, making it the overwhelming choice for smooth, stutter-free gaming with more than 240 FreeSync compatible displays on the market from 20+ partners.
“Gamers on Xbox One S and Xbox One X can now enjoy the same benefits of their PC gaming counterparts, with broader rollout following in the next few weeks: exceptional stutter-free gaming experiences powered by Radeon FreeSync technology,” said Scott Herkelman, vice president and general manager, Radeon Technologies Group, AMD. “The quality of the experience, wide variety of enabled displays, and gamer-friendly pricing have all contributed to PC gamers choosing Radeon FreeSync as the definitive adaptive refresh solution. Now, thanks to Microsoft, millions more gamers playing on Xbox One S and X consoles will have access to tear-free gaming in their living rooms.”
“AMD and Microsoft have a long history of innovation, collaborating on hardware and software to bring gamers the best possible experiences,” said Albert Penello, Senior Director, Xbox Console Marketing. “With the introduction of FreeSync™ technology support for our Xbox One platform, AMD and Microsoft are bringing a critical gaming technology to a broader base of gamers. We are excited to deliver a whole new caliber of smooth gameplay to players on Xbox One S and Xbox One X.”
FreeSync technology helps ensure smooth gameplay by synchronizing the refresh rate of a compatible monitor to the frame-rate of a gamer’s Radeon graphics card or Xbox One S or Xbox One X console, helping to reduce latency and eliminate tearing and stuttering during gaming. FreeSync technology relies on an open ecosystem approach enabling display partners to harness variable refresh without costly licensing fees. With more than twice as many FreeSync displays available than the often-costlier competing technology, the industry has endorsed open standards as the path forward. Meanwhile, most gamers now expect variable refresh rate to be a standard feature for displays, rather than a feature they need to pay extra for.
Since introducing FreeSync technology, AMD has continued to enhance the ecosystem, introducing support for vibrant High Dynamic Range (HDR) gaming with the release of Radeon FreeSync 2 technology in 2017. FreeSync 2 combines HDR support with dynamic refresh rate technology in a seamless manner, providing a tear-, and stutter-free, low latency HDR gaming experience. With enhancements to AMD’s Radeon Software and Enhanced Sync, FreeSync offers gamers more options for smoothing frame rates.
The Microsoft Xbox One X and Xbox One S now support FreeSync 2, and Xbox One will support FreeSync technology. Enabled in the console’s menu, players will experience FreeSync with an HDMI connected FreeSync capable display.

Components
AMD Launches Radeon PRO W7700 Workstation Graphics Card

AMD has announced the AMD Radeon PRO W7700, a professional workstation graphics card under $1,000. The new workstation graphics card is designed to meet the evolving demands of professional workflows, including increasingly complex computer-generated designs, the continual growth in the development of visual effects and animations, a global surge in construction, and the explosive growth in advanced AI applications. The AMD Radeon PRO W7700 graphics card unleashes professionals’ creativity through exceptional performance, stunning visuals and future-ready capabilities.
“We built and optimized the AMD Radeon PRO W7700 graphics cards to create premium workstation graphics experiences, enabling our customers to boost innovation and productivity,” said Dan Wood, corporate vice president, Radeon product management at AMD. The AMD Radeon PRO W7700 workstation graphics card is ideal for the growing demands of creative industries, including media and entertainment, design and manufacturing, and architecture, engineering and construction.
The 16GB of high-speed VRAM allows 3D artists and video editors to work with higher-resolution models and textures and process intricate effects. It also enables data exchange between applications, allowing users to multitask between editing, compositing, and retouching to meet project deadlines. In addition, with industry-leading support for DisplayPort™ 2.1, video editors will benefit from richer colour spaces and the ability to leverage the highest display resolutions available today. The new graphics card also supports the latest codecs with AV1 encode/decode and AI-enhanced video encode capabilities for lightning-fast video encoding times that streamline and accelerate video production.
Built on the high-performance, energy-efficient AMD RDNA 3 architecture, the Radeon PRO W7700 workstation graphics card offers up to 1.7X better price/performance than the competitive offering. The new graphics card also provides up to 52% higher performance in SOLIDWORKS, up to 24% higher performance in Creo and up to 37% higher performance in CATIA compared to competitor solutions, empowering architects to bring their visions of hotels, office buildings and other structures to life by enabling them to produce photorealistic renders and immersive walkthroughs. DisplayPort 2.1 and the AMD Radiance Display Engine technologies also offer stunning resolutions and vibrant colour depth for viewing projects on up to four displays.
“The great collaboration between AMD and ACCA continues five years strong. Architectural customers have benefited from the combination of AMD Radeon ProRender in our ACCA Edificius BIM application, thanks to the integration of HIP,” said Guido Cianciulli, founder and CEO, ACCA Software. “We are excited that ACCA Edificius customers will benefit from the new AMD Radeon PRO W7000 series workstation graphics, which provide increased photorealism and improved image rendering power, as well as support for ultra-performance displays.”
The Radeon PRO W7700 workstation graphics card enables professionals to build and run AI applications right from their desktops. Featuring hardware-based AI accelerators, the graphics card is designed to accelerate AI workloads in the latest applications, including DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere, Topaz Labs Video AI, and many others. “We are excited about the launch of the Radeon PRO W7700 and how it will help users leverage generative AI and the rest of their creative applications,” said Anush Elangovan, corporate vice president of software development at AMD (formerly Nod.ai). “Nod.ai has built APIs to help creators get the most out of their AI applications. Our SHARK Stable Diffusion REST API plugs into Blender, enabling creative professionals to leverage the power of generative AI in their familiar 3D tools.”
Components
CORSAIR Adds iCUE LINK-Enabled Components to its Hydro X Series Custom Cooling Lineup

CORSAIR has unveiled the newest additions to the renowned Hydro X Series. In keeping with its commitment to revolutionizing DIY custom cooling, these products are seamlessly integrated with the innovative iCUE LINK Smart Component Ecosystem, further enhancing custom cooling performance and aesthetics. With the addition of the iCUE LINK XD5 RGB ELITE LCD Pump/Reservoir and iCUE LINK XG7 RGB 40-Series GPU Water Blocks, the Hydro X Series now offers even more iCUE LINK-enabled products, making the process of building a world-class custom cooling loop easier than ever.
Following the success of the acclaimed CORSAIR XD5 RGB and the recent introduction of the XD5 RGB ELITE, the iCUE LINK XD5 RGB ELITE LCD arrives as the new flagship of the Pump/Reservoir Combo lineup. This unit boasts a market-first 2.1″ IPS LCD pump screen with a 480×480 resolution, dynamically displaying real-time coolant temperatures, images, or animated GIFs. The XD5 RGB ELITE LCD’s integration of revolutionary iCUE LINK technology ensures a streamlined build process, eliminating the traditional MOLEX connectors, reducing cable clutter, and enhancing connectivity. With the reliability of a Xylem D5 PWM pump motor at its heart, the XD5 RGB ELITE LCD stands as a fusion of performance, convenience, and style. It is available in both Stealth Gray and White, accentuated with a gunmetal grey zinc-alloy finish.
CORSAIR iCUE LINK XG7 RGB 40-SERIES GPU Water Blocks are the latest components to join the new era of building simplicity. Stepping up from their predecessors, the upgraded XG7 RGBs now support iCUE LINK connectivity right out of the box. These full-cover water blocks ensure optimal performance coupled with cooler temperatures. Emphasizing versatility, the new XG7 RGB series still offers a variety of connection options, ensuring the needs of diverse DIY builders are met seamlessly. Multiple models designed to fit a growing number of graphics cards will be made available for purchase over the next few months.
Redefining loop design, the new Hydro X Series XT Softline Mesh Tubing is an innovative creation made from resilient EPDM rubber. Its unique mesh layer provides a robust and stylish look that’s unparalleled in the custom cooling domain. Available in both black and white, this tubing promises a blend of durability and distinct aesthetics. With these latest innovations, CORSAIR is advancing the Hydro X Series to meet the ever-changing demands of DIY enthusiasts. The Hydro X Series ensures that every component doesn’t just fit together—they harmonize to create a cohesive, high-performance, and visually captivating ensemble. Just as iCUE LINK unites a full range of components with a unified cable standard, the Hydro X Series embodies a symphony of excellence in performance and design.
The CORSAIR iCUE LINK XD5 RGB ELITE LCD, iCUE LINK XG7 RGB 40-SERIES GPU Water Blocks, and Hydro X Series XT Softline Mesh Tubing are available now from the CORSAIR webstore and the CORSAIR worldwide network of authorized retailers and distributors. The iCUE LINK XD5 RGB ELITE LCD, iCUE LINK XG7 RGB 40-SERIES GPU Water Blocks, and Hydro X Series XT Softline Mesh Tubing are backed by a three-year warranty, alongside the CORSAIR worldwide customer service and technical support network.
Components
Review: ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Formula Gaming Motherboard

ASUS released a lineup of new and refreshed ROG Z790 motherboards to coincide with the launch of Intel 14th Gen Raptor Lake Refresh desktop CPUs. We reviewed the ASUS TUF Gaming Z790-Pro WiFi Motherboard a week ago, and today, we are taking a look at the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Formula.
The ROG Maximus Z790 Formula is the ultimate motherboard, boasting a stunning Moonlight White design. Beyond its eye-catching appearance, it offers a boatload of features such as the exclusive HybridChill VRM cooling system for 14th-gen Intel processors, and advanced DDR5 settings. You also get multiple PCIe 5.0 slots for graphics cards and storage, rapid Intel Wi-Fi 7 networking, and extensive customisable ARGB lighting, ensuring whatever you build with this thing, is premium.
In terms of specifications, the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Formula maintains its ATX form factor and incorporates a dual 8-pin CPU power connector setup. The VRM Configuration is 20+1+2(Core+GT+VCCIN) and backed up by a 10-phase supply count with 105A and 70A power stages.
The motherboard provides four DDR5 DIMM slots capable of supporting speeds exceeding 8000 MT/s and capacities of up to 192GB. The motherboard features a white shield covering its entire front, which also houses the M.2 heatsinks beneath it. Memory compatibility is a breeze with the Z790 Formula.
All XMP-certified kits can effortlessly reach their advertised speeds, as rigorous internal tests have verified these assertions. ASUS has also introduced a novel feature called DIMM Flex. DIMM Flex utilises an onboard thermal sensor located at the rear of the motherboard, beneath the memory slots, along with a microcontroller to continuously monitor temperature and dynamically optimise the memory refresh rate, providing an on-the-fly performance boost.
Regarding expansion options, the board includes two PCIe x16 slots and a diverse range of I/O ports, such as support for WIFI 7. You also get two Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gbps Type-C port, 5 GbE LAN, numerous USB 3.2 ports, and BIOS Flashback/Clear CMOS switches.
Other features of the motherboard include AI Overclocking, 2-inch Livedash OLED, AI Cooling II, and other bells and whistles. There are dual procool II power connectors, 20+1+2 power stages, and the motherboard comes with the Intel LGA 1700 socket that takes in 14th and 13th Gen Intel Core Processors, 12th Gen Intel Core processors, and Pentium Gold and Celeron processors.
In terms of I/O connectivity, you again get a boatload. The motherboard comes with one HDMI port, four USB 5Gbps Type-A ports, two Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports, a Realtek 5Gb Ethernet port, six USB 10Gbps ports (five Type-A and one USB Type-C), Intel Wi-Fi 7, Optical S/PDIF Out, five gold-plated audio jacks, one USB 20Gbps USB Type-C front panel connector, and four SATA 6GB/S connectors.
Inside the package, in addition to the motherboard, cables, and other accessories, you’ll find an ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna. This antenna is equipped with dual transceivers, which provide support for the 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz bands, enhancing throughput speed. It also offers directional sensitivity to boost signal quality and expand coverage over longer distances.
Undoubtedly, the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Formula is an exceptional and distinct motherboard. With its remarkable features and capabilities, I believe it will become a top choice for both enthusiasts and gamers in their feature builds. The ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Formula is currently available at a price of AED 3070.
Price: AED 3070
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Formula Gaming Motherboard AED 3070
Summary
Beyond its eye-catching appearance, it offers a boatload of features such as the exclusive HybridChill VRM cooling system for 14th-gen Intel processors, and advanced DDR5 settings.