Components
Preview: ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero WIFi Motherboard

ASUS’ new ROG Maximus XII Hero is the perfect foundation to start building a perfect gaming rig. It’s a motherboard that packs substantial power, smart cooling and faster memory support under a stealthy skin. It also comes loaded with renowned ROG features, from AI overclocking and AI cooling to attention-grabbing Aura Sync illumination, Maximus XII Hero is ready to perform and crafted for customization.

The Maximus line of motherboards from ASUS are the company’s flagship for the Intel platform. It offers premium looks, premium features, blazing performance, and broad overclocking support. The Maximus lineup typically comprises four models: the Hero, Apex, Formula, and Extreme. Intel’s Z490 chipset is no exception.

The ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero (WiFi) serves as the mainstream entry for the Maximus family, providing many of the extreme features and benefits of the lineup while maintaining an attainable price tag. The motherboard offers a substantial power delivery heatsink arrangement as well as coverings for the rear panel, chipset heatsink, and coverings for the onboard three M.2 slots.

Connectivity is substantial, with a 5 GBase-T controller, an Intel I219 gigabit Ethernet, and Wi-Fi 6 as well. There’s even a USB 3.2 Gen2.2 20 Gbps connection on the back, among a myriad of other USB connections. The motherboard offers AI Overclocking, AI Cooling and AI Networking capabilities.

Tuning is now faster and smarter than ever before. AI Overclocking profiles the CPU and cooling to predict the optimal configuration for each system. AI Cooling, meanwhile, automatically manages and controls motherboard connected fans, ensuring the most efficient settings depending on the current system load and temperature.

The ASUS GameFirst VI, on the other hand, optimises and organises network bandwidth, effectively reducing jitter and eliminating spike lag to ensure smooth online gameplay.

In terms of the physical attributes, you get Procool II Power Connector, a 14+2 Power Stage, and Multi-GPU SLI/CFX support through 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 Safeslots (x16, x8/x8) and 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slot (x4). The motherboard comes with the Intel Socket LGA 1200, which supports the 10th Gen Intel Core, Pentium Gold and Celeron processors.

You also get 4 DIMM slots for DDR4 memory, and 3 M.2 sockets, which include 1 x M.2 22110 that supports PCIe 3.0 x4 & SATA mode, 1 x M.2 2280 that supports PCIe 3.0 x4, and 1 x M.2 22110 that supports PCIe 3.0 x4 & SATA mode. For efficient cooling, you get VRM Heatsink Design, Multiple 4-pin PWM fan headers, and ROG water-cooling zone with a W_FLOW tachometer and W_IN/OUT T-sensor.

The ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero WiFi also has a strong and highly competitive networking array with dual LAN consisting of a Marvell AQC111C 5 G and Intel I219-V Gigabit Ethernet controller, with an Intel AX201 Wi-Fi 6 interface with support for BT 5.1 devices. ASUS uses its Optimem III technology and has four memory slots with support for up to 128 GB of DDR4-4800.

There is plenty of connectivity on the ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero WiFi with a single USB 3.2 G2 20 Gbps Type-C, three USB 3.2 G2 Type-A, four USB 3.2 G1 Type-A, and two USB 2.0 ports. Users looking to expand on this can add a single USB 3.2 G2 Type-C, two USB 3.2 G1 Type-A, and four USB 2.0 ports via the use of internal headers.

In addition to this, the rear panel also has five 3.5 mm audio jacks and a single S/PDIF optical output powered by a SupremeFX S1220 HD audio codec, with an assisting ESS ESS9023 DAC designed to bolster the boards overall audio quality. A single HDMI 1.4b video output allows users to use Intel’s integrated UHD graphics, while a Clear CMOS button and USB BIOS Flashback button are present to make users lives easier.
The ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero (WiFi) is a well-rounded board with high-end features and good aesthetics, performance, and overclocking. There certainly are great Z490 boards that can be had at a lower price. However, as they say, quality and performance come at a price, if you are in the market for a high-end mainstream Z490 motherboard, the ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero (WiFi) is a great choice.
Price: $314.60
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Components
AMD Launches AMD RDNA 4 Architecture with New Radeon RX 9000 Series Graphics Cards

AMD today unveiled the highly-anticipated AMD RDNA 4 graphics architecture with the launch of the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 graphics cards as a part of the Radeon RX 9000 Series. The new graphics cards feature 16GB of memory and extensive improvements designed for high-quality gaming graphics, including re-vamped raytracing accelerators and powerful AI accelerators for ultra-fast, cutting-edge performance, and breakthrough gaming experiences.
In a YouTube livestream, David McAfee, CVP and GM, Ryzen CPU and Radeon Graphics, AMD, was joined by Andrej Zdravkovic, SVP of GPU Technologies and Engineering, AMD and Chief Software Officer, as well as Andy Pomianowski, CVP of Silicon Design Engineering, AMD, to discuss the outstanding performance and value proposition of the Radeon RX 9000 Series. In a related event in Zhuhai, China, Jack Huynh, SVP of the Client and Graphics Group, AMD, led a regional event for the new products. Huynh was joined by David Wang, SVP of GPU Technology and Engineering, AMD, and Lanzhi Wang, Senior Director of Product Management, AMD. The celebration was also marked by a customer celebration with Darren Grasby, EVP and AMD Chief Sales Officer, AMD; Spencer Pan, President of AMD China, and partners including Asrock, ASUS, Gigabyte, Sapphire, Tul, Vastamore, Veston, and XFX.
“Today, we’re thrilled to unveil the AMD Radeon RX 9000 Series, a significant leap forward in graphics performance powered by our next-generation AMD RDNA 4 architecture,” said McAfee. “These GPUs are designed to meet the demands of today’s games, delivering enthusiast-class gaming experiences to gamers everywhere, while ready to support tomorrow’s innovations. Through the power of advanced AI and Raytracing accelerators, we’re not just improving frame rates – we’re fundamentally enhancing the gaming experience. Offering incredible performance, AI-powered features, and next-gen display support at competitive price points, the Radeon RX 9000 Series delivers exceptional value for gamers looking to upgrade their systems.”
The RX 9000 Series, powered by the new AMD RDNA 4 architecture, offers gamers and creators a powerful blend of performance, visuals, and value. These advanced graphics cards redefine incredibly fast, high-resolution gaming with third-generation raytracing technology enabling realistic lighting, shadows, and reflections to deliver immersive gaming experiences while integrating a suite of AMD features to maximize hardware utilization. Beyond gaming, the RX 9000 Series GPUs leverage new second-generation AI accelerators with up to 8x INT8 throughput per AI accelerator (for sparse matrices) to enhance creative applications and effectively run generative AI applications (vs. RDNA 3). The RX 9000 Series GPUs also implement the newly redesigned AMD Radiance Display Engine & Enhanced Media Engine for broad display support and elevated quality in both recording and streaming.
The Radeon RX 9000 Series unlocks new levels of performance while delivering a suite of new and enhanced features that improve the gaming experience. The Radeon RX 9070 Series offers 16GB of GDDR6 memory, allowing gamers to render the most exciting games of today and tomorrow at max settings. Compared to the previous generation RX 7900 GRE, the latest AMD Radeon RX 9070 is able to deliver over 20% more performance on average when gaming at 1440, with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT extending that lead to over 40% on average.
Both graphics cards make smart upgrades for gamers looking to future-proof their systems with a suite of next-gen features that will keep their experiences feeling fresh for years to come. Key features include:
- Unified AMD RDNA 4 Compute Units – Features up to 64 advanced AMD RDNA 4 compute units delivering up to 40% higher gaming performance than the previous-generation AMD RDNA 3 architecture.
High-Performance Raytracing – With 3rd generation Raytracing Accelerators, AMD RDNA 4 is able to deliver over 2x the Raytracing throughput per compute unit when compared to our previous generation. Gamers with the latest AMD Radeon RX 9000 Series are ready for immersive gaming experiences with high-quality graphics, including realistic lighting, shadows, and reflections. - Supercharged AI Acceleration – 2nd Generation AI Accelerators received several enhancements, allowing AMD RDNA 4 to efficiently process advanced AI models much faster than what was possible with RDNA 3, through a combination of additional math pipelines for AI calculations, expanding the capabilities of the AI Accelerator to support new emerging data types such as FP8, and support for inference optimization techniques such as structured sparsity. These changes deliver up to 8x INT8 throughput per AI accelerator (for sparse matrices) per compute unit vs the previous generation.
- AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution Technology 4 (FSR 4) – AMD’s new cutting-edge ML-powered upscaling technology delivers high-quality boosted frames under even the most demanding workloads, such as 4K gaming with maximum raytracing settings and will be supported in over 30 games at launch.
- Innovative suite of features through HYPR-RX – Gamers can instantly improve their experience by activating AMD HYPR-RX and the suite of features within AMD Software, including AMD Radeon Super Resolution, AMD Fluid Motion Frames 2.1, AMD Radeon Anti-Lag, and AMD Radeon Boost. These features can all be tailored to gamers’ hardware and preferences within AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition to drive increased FPS, responsiveness and efficiency.
- AI-Enhanced AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition Application – A new suite of software and resources designed to deliver an industry-leading AI user experience with AMD Radeon RX 9070 Series graphics cards. Keep your drivers and AI software up to date with the new Software Manager. Find the answers to your questions about all things AMD or create free and private text and images with AMD Chat. Discover, download and install new and exciting AMD-partnered AI applications with the App Portal, and leverage AI to improve software quality with the AMD Image Inspector.
- Ready for Next-Generation Displays – AMD Radiance Display Engine supports the latest DisplayPort 2.1a and HDMI 2.1b connections, enabling ultra-high resolutions and refresh rates up to 8K 144Hz, with 12-bit HDR and full REC2020 Color Space for incredible color accuracy. Paired with AMD FreeSync technology, gamers can enjoy tear-free, stutter-free gaming experiences on over 4000 compatible displays, including upcoming 4K 240Hz and 8K 144Hz DisplayPort 2.1 monitors.
Available exclusively on AMD Radeon RX 9000 Series graphics cards, AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition adds a new easy-to-use AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (AMD FSR 4) Upgrade feature that helps maximize performance at maximum quality in over 30 games at launch, with 75 coming later this year. AMD FSR 4 delivers a substantial image quality improvement over AMD FSR 3.1 upscaling, with the new ML-based algorithm helping to improve temporal stability, better preserve detail, and reduce ghosting.
Utilizing features already built into the AMD FidelityFX API added when game developers integrate AMD FSR 3.1 into their games, AMD FSR 4 enables an easy upgrade for supported FSR 3.1 games and can be combined with existing in-game AMD FSR 3.1 advanced frame-generation and AMD Radeon Anti-Lag 2 for ultra-smooth, ultra-responsive gaming at incredible frame rates on AMD Radeon RX 9070 Series graphics cards.
The new ML-accelerated AMD FSR 4 upscaling algorithm is trained using high-quality ground truth game data on AMD Instinct Accelerators and uses the hardware-accelerated FP8 Wave Matrix Multiply Accumulate (WMMA) feature of the AMD RDNA 4 architecture to ensure maximum upscaling quality while still providing a substantial game performance boost.
AMD Radeon RX 9000 Series graphics cards are expected to be available from leading board partners including Acer, ASRock, ASUS, Gigabyte, PowerColor, Sapphire, Vastarmor, XFX, and Yeston beginning March 6th, 2025. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT has an SEP of $599, while the AMD Radeon RX 9070 has an SEP of $549.
Components
Users Claim That Nvidia GPUs Are Melting Power Cables

Early adopters of Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card are reporting issues with melting power cables, with at least one report on YouTube and another on Reddit. This situation mirrors an earlier problem with the RTX 4090, where power connectors melted or caught fire, damaging GPUs and power supplies.
Investigations revealed that the 4090’s connector issues were largely due to user error, with 12VHPWR connectors not being fully inserted or bent, creating stress and heat. The PCI-SIG, the standards body for the connector, stated the design was sound and blamed implementation issues. An updated connector, 12V-2×6, which ensures proper seating before delivering power, replaced the 12VHPWR connector in the RTX 50-series cards.
Both connectors aim to deliver significant power to high-end GPUs via a single cable, reducing the need for multiple 8-pin connectors and saving board space. While Nvidia, Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, Arm, and others are PCI-SIG members, Nvidia is the primary user of these connectors in its GPUs. AMD and Intel continue using 8-pin connectors, with some Nvidia partners doing the same for lower-end cards like the RTX 4060 and 4070 series.
The two reported RTX 5090 incidents involved third-party cables, one from MODDIY and another from an FSP power supply, rather than Nvidia’s provided 8-pin adapter. It’s too early to determine if the problem lies with the cables, Nvidia, the connector design, or user error, or if it’s simply a coincidence.
Components
Cooler Master Launches MasterLiquid Core II

Cooler Master has announced the MasterLiquid Core II, a next-level liquid cooler that comes in both 240mm and 360mm sizes. This latest version of Cooler Master’s MasterLiquid series builds on the excellence of that renowned series of liquid coolers while bringing an array of new features to the table. With a refined G9R dual chamber pump, updated CPU compatibility, and more, the MasterLiquid Core II is an upgrade fit for the next generation.
Key features and benefits of the MasterLiquid Core II include:
- Dual chamber pump: Upgraded design resulting in a compact cooler with superior performance.
- Updated CPU compatibility: The Core II is compatible with all the latest AMD and Intel CPUs.
- Innovative design: An infinity mirror pump cover gives the Core a stellar aesthetic.
- Revamped fans: Brand-new fan blades and revamped visuals deliver outstanding performance with a fresh look.
- Easy installation: Now includes a quick-mount kit compatible with all mainstream processor sockets, along with pre-installed fans.
- Optimum tubing length: 400mm of tubing enables effortless mounting in any orientation.
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