Ever since the release of Palit's RTX 4090 GameRock, I've been waiting to see what the company would do next, and today we finally get our answer. That's because we're reviewing the RTX 5090 GameRock, featuring a bold, eye-catching design and a fat – effectively quad-slot – cooler. Concerns around pricing and availability remain just as pressing as they did when the RTX 5090 first launched, but what can this partner card bring to the table?

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
00:44 5090 pricing/availability – no pre-orders at all
01:21 GameRock design impressions
03:10 PCB and heatsink analysis
04:25 Test setup
04:52 Thermals and noise
06:05 Game benchmarks
06:51 Power – 12VHPWR is a huge concern
10:07 Overclocking
10:50 Closing thoughts

I remember the first time I opened the box of the last-gen Palit RTX 4090 GameRock and couldn't quite believe my eyes. The shroud was almost entirely covered in a crystal-like plastic, and once the system turned on, the RGB lighting was like nothing I'd ever seen before.

Following up something like that can often be tricky, but Palit has gone for what it describes as a ‘chameleon' aesthetic with the RTX 5090 GameRock. It's still incredibly eye-catching, but we take a closer look at the design on the next page.

It's also worth pointing out that I was sent the regular GameRock, rather than the GameRock OC, so my sample ships without a factory overclock – i.e. at reference spec.

First, a quick spec recap. The RTX 5090 is built on the new GB202 die, measuring 750mm², though it's not quite a full implementation of the silicon. Instead we find a total of 11 Graphics Processing Clusters (GPCs), each holding up to eight Texture Processing Clusters (TPCs), for a total of 85. Each TPC is home to two Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs), giving us 170, and each SM still holds 128 CUDA Cores, meaning the RTX 5090 has an eye-watering total of 21760 shaders. We also find 170 RT cores, 680 Tensor cores, 680 Texture Units, and 176 ROPs.

This time around, however, there's no node-shrink, and GB202 remains fabricated on TSMC's N4 node, as per the RTX 40-series. As such, rated clock speed is not increased this generation and is actually touted slightly below that of the RTX 4090, with the RTX 5090 delivering a rated 2407MHz boost clock, compared to its predecessor's 2520MHz boost.

The memory configuration has seen significant upgrades, though. The RTX 5090 now comes equipped with a super-wide 512-bit memory interface, paired with 32GB GDDR7 memory running at 28Gbps, and that puts total memory bandwidth at a staggering 1792 GB/s. L2 cache is also increased to 98MB, up from the 74MB of the RTX 4090.

Considering the large increases to die size and core count, but with no node shrink, it's perhaps unsurprising to see power draw has increased, this time boasting a 575W TGP. This is something we focus on closely in this review, using our enhanced GPU power testing methodology, so read on for our most detailed power and efficiency testing yet.

For well over a decade LEGO has had a strong relationship with TT Games, letting the studio use its IP to craft co-op focused LEGO titles across a range of franchises. Despite this, the company has now announced that it’s gearing up to build its own internal game dev studios.

As reported by the Financial Times (paywalled), LEGO looks set to take a further step into the video games industry, with the company’s CEO ‘Niels Christiansen’ telling the publication:

“We can definitely say as long as we're under the Lego brand we can cover experiences for kids of all ages, digital or physical. [Games development in-house] is something we're building up.”

This comes in the wake of a number of major moves made by the company in recent years across the video games space.

Alongside a reduction in the number of TT Games developed LEGO titles, the company has partnered with Epic for a Fortnite spin-off as well as Sony for LEGO Horizon Adventures.

Given the success they have seen with such partnerships, it is interesting to hear that the company plans to get into video game development directly. Hopefully this doesn’t end with studio closures and mass lay-offs. We will simply have to wait and see.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this announcement? Should the company stick to partnering with others? What would you want to see done differently for these internal titles? Let us know down below.

Apple Arcade was created with the intention to bring wider awareness to the many great video games available on mobile platforms. With a monthly subscription, iOS users can get their hands on a range of interesting and unique games, all of which are free from microtransactions. Following the last major update, the service is set to get 6 new titles next month, including a new Katamari.

Making the announcement on their blog, the Arcade team at Apple wrote: “Six fun games and exciting updates for Apple Arcade are launching over the next month.”

Set to go go live on the 3rd of April, the full line-up of new titles is as follows:

• Katamari Damacy Rolling LIVE
• Space Invaders Infinity Gene Evolve
• puffies.
• RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic+
• The Game of Life 2+
• Sesame Street Mecha Builders+

Easily the biggest upcoming addition is that of Katamari Damacy Rolling LIVE. The first new entry in almost a decade, this Apple Arcade exclusive takes the classic Katamari format and adds a twist, having players:

“energize the king’s ‘live stream’ by rolling their Katamari to create stars. As users advance, comments from in-game fans appear, and the longer they play, the larger their audience grows. By completing the king’s challenges and boosting their subscriber count, players can unlock dynamic new stages.”

Fortunately for fans of the series, you might not need to purchase an Apple device in order to get a new taste of the King of all Cosmos, as Bandai Namco recently trademarked the name ‘Once Upon a KATAMARI’ – suggesting more games are in the works. Regardless, it is exciting to see the series finally rise from its slumber.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the line-up? Will you check out Katamari Damacy Rolling LIVE? What Apple Arcade exclusive has been your favourite so far? Let us know down below.

During Sony’s State of Play last September, the console manufacturer announced that the highly successful HITMAN World of Assassination Trilogy would be coming to PlayStation VR2 in December 2024. Following a slight delay, the game is finally ready for deployment, with the game set to come to PSVR2 later this month.

Announced during the VR Games Showcase, IO Interactive offered fans another look at HITMAN World of Assassination running on PSVR2. Set to launch on the 27th of March, this PSVR2 port won’t be free, however will be relatively cheap at just £8.99 for current owners of the flat-screen version.

Fans of this trilogy might remember the previous VR port made for the OG PSVR / PS4. Given its rather rudimentary hardware, the experience was far from perfect. Fortunately, this new release looks to be significantly more comprehensive, featuring “dual-wielding, full ambidexterity, room-scale implementation, as well as general improved VR experience through new intuitive controls and gameplay mechanics.”

Beyond this, the port also adds “the possibility of performing actions with both controllers at the same time, active reloading, on-body weapon holstering, aiming through the sniper’s scope, and manual interactions to take disguises,” alongside “spatial interactions to touch, grab, and position, integration of the PlayStation VR2 controllers’ adaptative triggers, and many more.”

This marks the 3rd attempt at a VR port for HITMAN, following the aforementioned PSVR1 version and the more recent Meta Quest release. That said, hopefully IOI have managed to hit the nail on its head this time. 3rd time lucky and all that.

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to this PSVR2 port? Have you tried any of the other VR Hitman experiences? Could this be a system seller if done right? Let us know down below.

Dino Crisis is a beloved series from Capcom which has unfortunately seen little to no activity in decades. Following surveys conducted by the publisher asking whether they’d be interested in more Dino Crisis, Capcom has now registered a trademark for the game franchise in Japan.

As reported by Gematsu, Capcom recently published a trademark listing for Dino Crisis just a week ago as it pertains to video games.

While in and of itself perhaps not a big deal, as explained by Dino Crisis Community Rep Jawmuncher on BlueSky: “The [trademark] system doesn't work like it does in the US, so such a trademark means they must be planning to do SOMETHING with the IP.”

Lending further credence to this, it’s been well under 10 years since the IP was last re-trademarked, indicating that this could be more than just a case of maintaining the property rights.

As mentioned, Capcom has surveyed fans on a number of occasions asking which dormant IPs they would like to see return. With the likes of Onimusha finally getting the attention it deserves once again, perhaps Dino Crisis could be next in line? We can hope.

KitGuru says: Do you think this recent filing means anything? Would you want a new entry or a remake first? Let us know down below.

The new AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D contains one 8-core CCD with 3D V-Cache, and another 8-core processor die without 3D V-Cache, an impressive 144MB of cache and a TDP of 170W.  AMD…

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MSI is a fairly new entrant when it comes to PSU components but the manufacturer has made it a priority to upgrade its entire lineup to the latest ATX 3.0 standard. The manufacturer offers its line in three segments, the entry-level MAG, the mid-tier MPG, and the enthusiast-grade MEG series. We previously got a taste of the MEG Ai1300P and the MPG A1000G ATX 3.0 PSU but this year, MSI is finally unleashing its flagship product, the MEG Ai1600T which goes all onboard the ATX 3.1 PSU segment with premium components and a powerful 1600W Titanium rating. MSI MEG Ai1600T […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/review/msi-meg-ai1600t-pcie5-1600w-power-supply-impressions-titanium-atx-3-1-rgb-it-has-it-all/

Last week, a dutch etailer caused quite a stir after telling RTX 5090 pre-order customers that they would have to wait longer for their graphics cards to arrive. Despite having units in stock, the store claimed that Nvidia had issued a recall of RTX 50 GPUs. We were quickly able to establish that no such recall is or was taking place, and now, customers who have been kept waiting for over a month are starting to get their graphics cards.

One of our YouTube channel subscribers, Ben, got in touch with us about the situation last week, producing proof of purchase for the RTX 5090 at uwgamespecialist.nl, as well as the email from their customer service stating that Nvidia had recalled a number of graphics cards. Ben had purchased the RTX 5090 for 3399 euros in January but despite the card showing as in stock on the retailer's website, he could not get an update on when the card would ship. This eventually led to the now infamous ‘recall' claim. The CEO for uwgamespecialist.nl later admitted in email to KitGuru that there was no recall and promised to get Ben the unit he ordered.

In an email this morning, Ben confirmed to us that he did indeed receive his MSI RTX 5090 Suprim graphics card from uwgamespecialist.nl on Monday. We know of at least one other customer who bought the same graphics card at a similar price, on the same day as Ben, who is also awaiting their unit. It is our hope that they also get their unit in the coming days.

To catch up on the whole story surrounding this situation, be sure to check out the editorial from our Editor-in-Chief, Allan Campbell, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If you are buying an in-demand item like the RTX 5090, be sure to keep an eye on the store you ordered from for any stock updates and raise the alarm if you notice something suspicious, like a dubious recall claim. You'll always be able to tell if a legitimate recall has been issued or not, as product recalls always require a public announcement from the original product manufacturer.  

Following yesterday's leak detailing the RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5050 specifications, the missing piece of the puzzle has finally fallen into place: the RTX 5060. The same leaker has now provided the full specifications of the upcoming GPU.

According to kopite7kimi (via videocardz), all three cards will use the same PG152 board design, which apparently supports two distinct GPUs (GB206 and GB207) and two memory types (GDDR6 and GDDR7). This suggests a unified platform, potentially streamlining production and reducing costs.

As predicted, the RTX 5060 non-Ti appears to be a slightly less powerful variant of the 5060 Ti. It features 3,840 CUDA cores, approximately 25% more than the RTX 4060, a higher 150W TGP, 35W more than its predecessor, and 8 GB of GDDR7 memory across a 128-bit memory bus. While clock speeds remain undisclosed, the core count increase, faster VRAM, and TGP difference suggest a decent performance uplift, at least more than the rest of the RTX 50 series brought compared to its RTX 40 series counterparts.

Nvidia is reportedly planning to announce the RTX 5060 alongside the RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5050 next week. These cards are expected to become available starting in April, but we're unsure if they'll all be released simultaneously.

KitGuru says: Of all three reportedly upcoming Nvidia RTX 50 series cards, which one looks the most interesting to you?

Microsoft has been rumoured to be working on a gaming handheld for decades. Even back during the days of the Xbox 360, there were rumours of an Xbox-style PSP or GameBoy style system. With handhelds now able to offer enough power to run even current-generation games, Microsoft finally looks to be jumping on the bandwagon. 

According to WindowsCentral, Microsoft is working on an Xbox companion handheld device to cap off the Xbox Series X/S generation. In collaboration with an unnamed OEM partner, this Xbox handheld is being developed under the codename ‘Keenan' and it should launch before the end of this year.

The handheld will run Windows 11, like several other handhelds already on the market, but with new ‘device aware' features that allow the OS to shift UI formats based on whether you're using a handheld, laptop or desktop. Think of it similarly to how the Steam Deck launches with the Big Picture UI, but you can opt to switch to desktop mode for more advanced tasks.

The handheld would be the last major hardware release of the Xbox Series X/S generation, as Microsoft is also reportedly moving ahead with plans to ship a new-gen Xbox console in 2027.

KitGuru Says: The issue I have with this strategy if that going via the OEM route almost always leads to increased costs. If the handheld can't compete with the Steam Deck on price, then I don't see any chance for widespread success. 

Konami's big Silent Hill revival has been a success thanks to Blooper Team's highly rated remake of Silent Hill 2. Now, Konami is gearing up to announce the next game in the franchise. 

This week, Konami will hold its latest Silent Hill Transmission stream, during which we will get new details on the project known as “Silent Hill F”.

Silent Hill F was first teased back in 2022, but Konami has revealed little else about it since. That will change during the stream on March 13th, as we'll get a fresh look at the game and its “completely new story set in 1960s Japan”.

Silent Hill F is being developed by Neoboards Entertainment, which previously worked on Resident Evil Resistance and RE:Verse. Blooper Team has also confirmed plans to work with Konami again on a new game in the future.

KitGuru Says: Following on from last year's remake, are you looking forward to seeing all-new Silent Hill games? 

ZA/UM Studio made a name for itself years back with Disco Elysium, but we've heard very little from the studio since. It looks like 2025 is set to be another big year for the company, as their next game has now finally been revealed under the codename ‘Project C4'. 

Project C4 is described as a “mind-warping espionage RPG that blends player introspection, deep character-driven dialogue and high-stakes encounters”. Based on that description, it will feature similar gameplay to Disco Elysium, where much of the game centres around character conversations, dialogue options made, dice rolls for skill checks and multiple outcomes to explore.

While the game may also borrow a lot of inspiration from Disco Elysium, it is worth noting that many of the leads on that game no longer work at ZA/UM Studio. Back in 2022, Disco Elysium's game director and art director left the company following a slew of firings and formed a new studio.

There is no word on when Project C4 will release but we expect to learn more about the game later this year.

KitGuru Says: Hopefully whatever behind-the-scenes issues took place following the release of Disco Elysium have been resolved. After all, an Espionage RPG in a similar style to Disco Elysium could end up being a huge hit. 

Ever since I was a kid, I've always loved sandbox games that allowed you to manage large areas or populations. Whether it was Theme Hospital or SimCity 2000, a lot of time was spent playing those games. As someone who loves going to museums, big or small, I knew immediately that I had to play this game, and I'm so glad I did. Truly, you can't go wrong with any of the Two Point games, but Two Point Museum excels in areas that other sandbox titles do not. Between their first game and this new title, they have learned what […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/review/two-point-museum-two-point-at-its-best/

AMD announced the Ryzen 9 9900X3D at CES 2025 which allies twelve cores of Zen 5 goodness with a slab of 2nd Gen V-Cache. This approach works superbly well with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and today we find out how well it works in a grunty Ryzen 9.

Time stamps

00:00 Start
01:33 9900X3D Hardware Specs
02:40 A look at AMD charts
03:58 AMD Chipset Drivers – the importance
04:46 Hardware test setup
05:58 BIOS settings and core latencies
06:30 Cinebench 2024 Single Core
07:21 Cinebench 2024 Multi Core
07:29 Geekbench 6 Multi Core
07:41 Geekbench 6 Single Core
07:53 Cinebench 2024 Multi Core per £ of cost
09:28 CPU Power Consumption
10:00 Cinebench 2024 Multi Core Per Watt
10:42 7 ZIP v24 Benchmark
11:01 AIDA 64 Memory Bandwidth
11:20 3DMark Time Spy
11:50 Far Cry 6 1080p
12:12 Far Cry 6 1440p
12:28 Avatar Frontiers of Pandora 1080p
12:50 Avatar Frontiers of Pandora 1440p
13:05 Assassins Creed Mirage 1080p
13:23 Assassins Creed Mirage 1440p
13:37 Cyberpunk 2077 1080p
13:48 Cyberpunk 2077 1440p
14:02 Total War Pharaoh 1080p
14:17 Total War Pharaoh 1440p
14:44 Leo’s views on this launch / 9900X3D
18:17 Closing thoughts

As background reading to this review of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D we suggest you look at our reviews of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D HERE and the Ryzen 9 9900X HERE as AMD has used their clever 2nd Gen V-Cache Technology to enhance the Zen 5 Ryzen 9 9900X. The result, as you will see in our video, is a CPU that AMD claims is ‘The Perfect Processor for Elite Gamers'.

XFX has revealed a unique customisation feature for its Radeon RX 9070 Quicksilver graphics cards. Using the 3D print files released by XFX, owners of these cards can personalise the appearance of their cards with magnetically attached, 3D-printable “wings”.

As spotted by VideoCardz, this level of customisation provides a unique degree of personalisation, allowing users to tailor the look of their graphics card to their individual preferences. Note, however, that in addition to printing the wings, users will still need magnets to attach them to the graphics card.

XFX has announced the availability of these files but has not provided a direct link. Users must go to the product page and locate the “Support and Download” section to get the files. The downloadable archive includes three folders: one-piece and two-piece wing designs for each side of the card and a separate folder for the PCIe side wing. Users can also choose to print versions with or without the XFX branding. The one-piece files are available in STEP, STL, and IGS formats, ensuring compatibility with various 3D printing solutions. Unfortunately, the two-piece files are only available in STL format.

Currently, XFX has not confirmed whether pre-printed wings will be available for purchase separately for users who do not own 3D printers.

KitGuru says: Did you grab one of these XFX RX 9070 Quicksilver series graphics cards? Are you planning to print these wings to add some flair to it?

Remedy Entertainment’s Control was an excellent game when it released back in 2019, only getting better with time thanks to an enhanced Ultimate Edition. Years on from its last major update, Control has gotten a surprise patch, bringing previously-locked content to all alongside a boatload of new PC settings.

Making the announcement on their blog, the team at Remedy wrote: “Hello Director! We’re happy to announce that all owners of Control Ultimate Edition will be receiving a free content update. The update is hitting PC players (Steam and Epic Games Store, GOG to follow later) today, including several improvements to support newer hardware.”

Said to also be coming to consoles at some point in the “near future” this update is clearly focused on PC as a platform, as alongside the unlocking of previously-exclusive content for all to enjoy, the update adds a bunch of new and appreciated graphics settings, including:

• Added HDR support
• Added new Ultra ray tracing preset
• Added ultrawide monitor support for up to 48:9 monitors
• Added an FOV scaling setting for the gameplay camera
• Updated SDR to 10bit (from 8bit)
• Added rendering resolution support beyond 4K
• Added DLSS support for arbitrary resolutions
• Added DLAA support
• Updated DLSS to DLSS 3.7, with higher temporal stability

The full list of changes and additions can be found HERE. Given how long it's been since an update of this size, it is welcome yet surprising to see Remedy revisiting this title so many years later. The improvements to DLSS and HDR in particular are quite exciting.

KitGuru says: Are you surprised by this update? Did the lack of proper HDR support bother you? Let us know down below.