It's been three years since the AMD AM5 motherboard platform and the 600-series motherboards launched. Since its launch, the platform has seen the launch of several CPUs in the Ryzen 7000, Ryzen 8000, and Ryzen 9000 families. While the 600-series motherboards provide great features & compatibility with newer Zen 5 CPUs, motherboard makers are always looking to enhance user experiences through the latest technologies, so AMD has introduced a new chipset line called the 800-series. Now, AMD has introduced both X870 and B850 series chipsets for high-end and mainstream AM5 motherboards. Both of these chips provide brand-new designs and brand-new […]
Following plenty of hype, previews and playtests, the Embark Studios-developed extraction shooter Arc Raiders is finally here. While there is already plenty to enjoy, the studio has now unveiled their 2025 roadmap for Arc Raiders – confirming the addition of new maps, weather, enemies and more.
Making the announcement on their blog, the team at Embark Studios have officially detailed their post-launch plans for the rest of 2025 as it pertains to Arc Raiders, writing:
“Welcome to the Raiders who have joined us since launch! Our development team is hard at work to expand the world, introduce new ARC threats, and adding many other new and exciting ways to play.”
The full list of upcoming additions can be found HERE, but some of the most notable include:
New map conditions
New feats and trials
Cosmetic and QoL additions
New map ‘Stella Montis’ (November)
Community Events (November)
New Arc (November)
Additional gameplay items and quests (November)
Snowfall map condition (December)
New event (December)
New Raider Deck (December)
“And more”
While Arc Raiders is off to a strong start, it appears as though Embark Studios already have plenty of ideas planned out in order to ensure the game’s long-term success and prosperity.
KitGuru says: Have you been playing Arc Raiders? What do you think so far? What other additions / improvements not listed above would you like to see implemented? Let us know down below.
Over a decade on from its initial release, the highly popular extraction Shooter Escape From Tarkov was finally confirmed to be leaving Early Access in November – alongside getting a Steam release. With the title just under two weeks away from hitting 1.0, the team at Battlestate Games have confirmed that Tarkov has finally officially gone Gold.
Making the announcement on their socials, the team at Battlestate Games confirmed that Escape From Tarkov has Gone Gold ahead of the game’s 1.0 launch on the 15th of November.
For the uninitiated, ‘Going Gold’ means that the Escape From Tarkov master disc has been submitted to Battlestate Games’ publisher (in this case, themselves). After this, discs can then be pressed with finalised software and digital storefronts can upload the 1.0 version of the game ready for release.
Of course, seeing as how Tarkov has been publicly purchasable for a decade (and is a digital-only release), much of the processes for ‘Going Gold’ do not apply here.
Still, this marks a notable milestone for Escape From Tarkov regardless and is one worth celebrating. Hopefully the 1.0 – and Steam – launch go smoothly.
KitGuru says: When did you first try out Escape From Tarkov? Will you be hopping into the official release? Have you been waiting for the game to come to Steam? Let us know down below.
Pokémon GO was a bit of a cultural phenomenon when the mobile game released all the way back in 2016. Since then the app has gone on to be downloaded hundreds of millions of times while earning billions. It looks like Nintendo might have found their next Pokémon GO, with the recently-released Pokémon TCG Pocket having made more money in its first year compared to 2016’s viral sensation.
Last week, we reported that the card collecting Pokémon TCG Pocket had surpassed 150 million downloads ahead of its 1st anniversary on the 30th of October.
With the game now officially one year old, industry analysts AppMagic revealed that Pokémon TCG Pocket managed to earn almost $1.3 Billion during its first year on the market.
For comparison (as reported by ‘PocketGamer'), 2016’s Pokémon GO ‘only’ managed to make a Billion in its first year – though this still far outpaces any other Pokémon game released on mobile.
Given that Pokémon GO has since gone on to be downloaded over 600 million times while amassing over $5 Billion in revenue, it will be interesting to see whether TCG Pocket winds up having just as strong legs as Pokémon GO.
KitGuru says: What do you think of TCG Pocket? Are you surprised by its rapid success? Will it surpass Pokémon GO in the long run? Let us know your thoughts down below.
When it comes to controllers designed for mobile devices, Backbone is perhaps one of the most well known, having worked alongside both PlayStation and Xbox to create officially licensed smartphone controllers. Furthering this effort, Backbone has now announced a limited edition Death Stranding 2 controller.
Made in collaboration with Kojima Productions (and officially licensed by PlayStation), the Backbone One – DEATH STRANDING 2 Limited Edition controller is designed as a “utilitarian symbol of survival and delivery in the DEATH STRANDING universe.”
While ostensibly a regular gen-2 Backbone One, this limited edition version – of course – features a unique design, but also a special aluminium D-Pad and PlayStation buttons.
Being more of a collectors’ item (limited to just 1,350 units), the DS2 edition of the Backbone One is shipped in a themed “numbered hard case made only for this release.”
The Death Stranding 2 Backbone One officially goes on sale this Thursday the 6th of November.
Today we’re taking a look at another prebuilt desktop from the folks over at PCSpecialist, and this time it’s the turn of the Hyperion Master. Featuring a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD, this could very well be the sweet spot for 1440p gaming. What's more, PCSpecialist have lowered the price to just £1649. It certainly looks a bargain on paper, but can it bring the performance to match?
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:53 Pricing and Warranty Details
01:34 CPU and GPU
02:59 Memory / Some tests
03:26 Storage
04:15 Motherboard
05:22 PSU
05:53 CPU Cooler
06:20 The Case
07:23 Mat's thoughts so far
08:07 Any problems with the build?
10:06 How we will test games
10:37 F1 2025 1440p / 4k
10:59 Hogwarts 1440p / 4k
11:27 Cyberpunk 2077 1440p / 4k
12:00 BlackOps 6 1440p / 4k
12:33 Forza Horizon 5 1440p / 4k
13:03 DLSS / Frame Gen testing
15:08 CPU and GPU real world operation
16:23 Thermal Camera footage
16:44 Noise output
16:58 So is it worth buying?
Specifications:
FRACTAL EPOCH TG RGB GAMING CASE (BLACK)
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core CPU (Up to 5.2GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 6000MHz CL30 (2 x 16GB)
12GB ASUS PRIME GEFORCE RTX 5070 OC – HDMI, 3 x DP
2TB CRUCIAL P310 GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7100MB/sR, 6000MB/sW)
CORSAIR 750W RMe SERIES ATX 3.1, MODULAR, CYBENETICS GOLD
PCS FrostFlow 240 Series ARGB High Performance Liquid Cooler
1 x PCS ARGB LED Fan
The core specs are confirmed in the following CPU-Z and GPU-Z screenshots:
We tested the Hyperion Master desktop through a series of games at both 1440p and 4k. A selection of results are in the screenshots below, but for full details, watch the full video review over on YouTube.
Overall, the system manages to provide a great gaming experience at 1440p, with many titles exceeding 100fps while running at maximum graphics settings with no scaling or frame generation. Performance could be improved even further with various setting tweaks to create an optimal experience in certain titles such as Black Ops 6 or Cyberpunk. Pushing the resolution up to 4k, obviously comes with a fairly substantial hit to framerates, but the system still managed to maintain 60+fps, again at maximum graphics settings, on more than one occasion.
Battlefield 6 (2560×1440 – Max Settings)
Battlefield 6 (3840×2160 – Max Settings, DLSS Performance, 4x Multi Frame Generation)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (2560×1440 – Max Settings)
Cyberpunk 2077 (3840×2160 – Max Settings, DLSS Performance
F1 25 (3840×2160 – Max Settings)
Forza Horizon 5 (2560×1440 – Max Settings)
Closing Thoughts
PCSpecialist’s Hyperion Master is a well-balanced, capable gaming desktop that delivers exactly what most people want at 1440p – that being strong performance, sensible component choices, and fair pricing. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D and RTX 5070 pairing works really well together, backed up by fast 32GB DDR5 memory and a 2TB Gen 4 SSD that keeps things feeling responsive. Cooling performance is solid too, with the Frostflow 240 AIO keeping temperatures under control without adding unnecessary noise.
There were a few minor build details worth noting, but nothing serious and not something we’d usually expect from PC Specialist. The overall presentation is neat, the cable management is tidy, and the Fractal Design Epoch case gives it a simple, smart look that suits most setups.
At £1649, the value on offer is impressive. Building the same system yourself would cost about the same or slightly more, which makes this a very competitive prebuilt package. A cleaner, more understated version without RGB would be a nice future option, but as it stands, the Hyperion Master is an excellent all-round system for anyone wanting reliable 1440p gaming performance straight out of the box.
You can buy the Hyperion Master prebuilt desktop directly from PC Specialist for a limited time for £1649 HERE.
Pros:
Great 1440p gaming performance.
Excellent pricing.
2TB SSD will hold plenty of games.
6000MT/s CL30 memory is the sweet spot for Ryzen.
Good cable management.
Cons:
A few quality control issues upon delivery, like a loose screw and some plastic left on the GPU backplate.
RGB balance is a little off – the system would have been great as ‘lights out’ build.
KitGuru says: Despite the minor attention to detail issues, the Hyperion Master is a very well priced machine that provides a solid all-round 1440p gaming experience.
AMD has issued another statement clarifying its Radeon GPU driver strategy after its latest Adrenalin Edition release (version 25.10.2) created a fair bit of confusion and anxiety among owners of older graphics cards. In less uncertain terms (compared to its previous statement), AMD reassures owners of Radeon RX 5000 and 6000 series GPUs they
We're already into November and that means Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are right around the bend. However, don't feel like you have to wait a few more weeks to score a great bargain. The discounts are coming in fast and furious as retailers get an increasingly early start on the annual sales bonanza, and if you're in the market for
AMD is partially reversing course after a recent announcement that it would move RDNA 1- and RDNA 2-based GPUs into “maintenance mode”, halting the development of game-ready drivers for these cards. Following significant backlash from the PC gaming community, the company has clarified that game optimisations for these cards will not be abandoned entirely.
This decision was met with immediate criticism, as it affects a massive install base. RDNA 2 is the architecture powering the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and the Steam Deck. It's also used in the original Asus ROG Ally handheld and as integrated graphics in numerous Ryzen 6000 and 7000 series laptops. Furthermore, popular cards like the Radeon RX 6700XT remain prominent despite the oldest RX 6000 cards being around five years old.
In a new statement to Tom's Hardware, an AMD representative attempted to clarify the situation: “New features, bug fixes, and game optimisations will continue to be delivered as required by market needs in the maintenance mode branch”. While AMD confirmed that day-zero support for games will continue, the term “as required by market needs” is vague. The clarification seems to suggest that major feature development will still be focused on RDNA 3 and 4, but popular new game releases may still get optimisations.
Epomaker is expanding its line of ergonomic keyboards, targeting users looking to reduce the physical strain associated with traditional single-piece boards. The company has launched the new Epomaker Split70. Like the existing 65% Split65, the new model is built around a true split design, allowing users to position the two halves independently to suit their shoulder width.
The Split70 offers the ability to split the keyboard in two, intended to improve arm and wrist alignment during extended typing sessions. The halves can be used together, or the left-hand section can reportedly connect independently for a compact gaming or control setup. Internally, the keyboard uses a gasket-mount structure and is packed with five layers of sound-absorbing materials, including latex and PET sheets, to dampen acoustics. Epomaker claims this provides a “creamy” sound profile and is an upgrade over the four-layer system found in the Split65.
For customisation, the board is hot-swappable and features south-facing LEDs to avoid interference with Cherry-profile keycaps. It comes populated with factory-lubed Wisteria Linear V2 switches, an update from the V1 switches used in the earlier model. Productivity features include four pre-programmed macro keys (set to Undo, Cut, Copy, and Paste) and a tactile rotary knob on the right side for volume control or scrolling, which also functions as a mute button when pressed. Full VIA compatibility allows for remapping of all keys.
Connectivity is handled via tri-mode wireless (Bluetooth 5.0 and 2.4 GHz) and a wired USB-C connection, with support for switching between up to five paired devices. Mac users are also catered to, with modifier keycaps included in the box. The Epomaker Split70 is now available in a minimalist black version and a white and blue colourway on the company's official website, priced at € 89.95/$115.99.
Krafton, the developer behind PUBG: Battlegrounds, has unveiled its new AI-driven companion, ‘PUBG Ally', at Nvidia's “GeForce Gamer Festival” in Seoul. Krafton is labelling it a ‘Co-Playable Character' (CPC), designed to interact and collaborate with live players, going well beyond what you would expect from your typical NPC.
The system is built using Nvidia Ace technology and runs on an on-device Small Language Model (SLM). Kangwook Lee, Head of Krafton AI, detailed the partner's capabilities, stating that ‘PUBG Ally' is designed for both cooperative and independent gameplay, unlike standard bots. Lee said it can “discuss strategies with players and adjust its playstyle accordingly”, which means that, in-game, the AI can make autonomous decisions during combat, fetch specific items for the player, or assist with revives, all while modifying its approach as conditions change.
Lee also emphasised that ‘PUBG Ally' enables voice-based communication. The system supports English, Korean, and Chinese. The AI is trained explicitly on PUBG terminology, including map locations and item attributes, to allow for natural player communication. As we reported earlier this week, players will get to test PUBG Ally in early 2026 as part of PUBG: Battlegrounds Arcade.
Razer has announced a partnership with Valve for a new line-up of Counter-Strike 2-branded peripherals. The collection features the iconic and highly sought-after Dragon Lore AWP skin, which is applied to five of Razer's esports-focused products.
This collaboration is primarily an aesthetic overhaul, wrapping the distinct yellow and orange design around existing Razer's high-end hardware. The collection includes the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro wireless headset, which features Razer's HyperClear Super Wideband mic and comes with pre-tuned CS2 audio profiles. It is joined by the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL, a keyboard equipped with Razer's Gen-2 analogue optical switches, which offer adjustable actuation from 0.1 mm to 4.0 mm, as well as a Rapid Trigger mode for faster repeated inputs.
For mouse users, the Razer Viper V3 Pro gets the new Dragon Lore treatment. This 54g symmetrical wireless mouse features the Focus Pro 35K Optical Sensor Gen-2 and Gen-3 optical mouse switches, and is capable of a true 8000 Hz wireless polling rate. Rounding out the collection are the Razer Gigantus V2 soft mouse mat (available exclusively via bundle with the Viper V3 Pro – Counter-Strike 2 Edition) in a large size, and the Razer Iskur V2 X ergonomic gaming chair.
The Counter-Strike 2 Editions of the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro and the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL are now available for £269.99/€289.99/$269.99 each. The Viper V3 Pro – Counter Strike 2 Edition is available alone for £179.99/€189.99/$179.99, while the bundle, including the Gigantus V2 Counter Strike 2 Edition, costs £219.98/€239.98/$219.98. Lastly, the Razer Iskur V2 X – Counter-Strike 2 Edition is now available for pre-order at $399.99.
ARC Raiders had its cross-platform launch on October 30th, and two days later the game has already met and exceeded 295 thousand concurrent players on Steam—a number we've had to update several times during the writing of this article. When we started the newsroom this morning, it was just 250K, and when I started the final writeup, it had
Microsoft is testing a feature in its Insider Preview builds that allows audio to be shared between two separate Bluetooth LE audio devices. This means that two Bluetooth audio accessories can play back the exact same audio stream simultaneously. Microsoft says that this "lets students share music with a friend while studying, or brings fmaily
A creepy collection of stories that will give you nightmares - and that's just (in)Security corner! We've got RAM prices, Nvidia Trillions, 16GB GPUs, Soundcards, and smart fridges! (It's a spooktacular show)
Microsoft and its retail partners are celebrating Black Friday early with deals on wireless Xbox controllers, a couple of which are now on sale for the lowest price we've seen. We're talking about a 38% markdown for what we consider to be one of the best wireless controllers for both PC and console gaming. Time is of the essence, though, as
Shining Mask is an app that controls just about all LED Halloween masks on the market and unfortunately, or perhaps amusingly, they couldn't be bothered to properly implement a secure connection between…
AMD made some waves recently when it announced that it would be relegating its RDNA 1 and 2 based Radeon RX 5000 and 6000 Series GPUs to a security-update focused branch of its Radeon GPU driver software. In follow-up comments made to Tom's Hardware, however, AMD has since clarified that this does not mean the GPUs will no longer be supported
If you pay attention to gaming news at all, you've almost assuredly heard by now that Epic Games won its case against Google last year. Google still wants to take the case to the Supreme Court, but for now, it has to abide by the US District Court and Judge James Donato's judgment, where they decided that Google had engaged in unlawful anti-competitive
A new threat in is the wild affecting sites that run WordPress, a popular content management system. Wordfence, a company that focuses on security research in the WordPress ecosystem, is reporting that a vulnerability is affecting the Anti-Malware Security and Brute-Force Firewall plugin that’s currently deployed on over 100,000 websites.
The
While the graphics performance of Intel's upcoming “Panther Lake” mobile CPUs has been the subject of much speculation, we now have our first look at the platform's CPU capabilities.
Laptopreview (via VideoCardz) has shared a set of Cinebench R23 multi-core benchmarks for two of the new Core Ultra 300 series chips. According to the new data, the top-tier Core Ultra X7 358H scored approximately 20,000 points in the Cinebench R23 multi-core test, about 10% less than the Core Ultra 7 255H. A second chip, the Core Ultra 5 338H, reportedly scored around 16,000 points in the same benchmark. Both of these tests were allegedly conducted at a TDP of 60/65W.
The specs for these chips were also detailed, aligning with previous rumours. The Core Ultra X7 358H is reportedly a 16-core processor, comprising four P-cores, eight E-cores, and four LP-cores, and will feature a 12-core Xe3 integrated GPU. The Core Ultra 5 338H is a step-down 12-core model, which achieves its lower core count by reducing the number of E-cores to four.
While the CPU performance numbers are new, the leak also provided an updated graphics score. The Time Spy score for the Core Ultra X7 358H is now listed at 6,830 points, compared to the initial reports of around 6,200 points. If these latest numbers are accurate, that's over 70% faster than the Core Ultra 7 255H's integrated GPU.
KitGuru says: It's a bit disappointing to see a lower CPU performance in the multi-core test, but the massive uplift in the graphics capabilities of this chip makes up for it.
Earlier this week, Amazon underwent a new round of layoffs, removing much of the Amazon Games division and cancelling multiple projects. As it turns out, Amazon's major game, an online Lord of the Rings title, has also been cancelled amid this shake-up.
New World isn't the only major MMO from Amazon impacted by the layoffs this week. As reported by VGC, one Amazon Games worker shared on LinkedIn that they had been let go, alongside their entire team. These people were all working on The Lord of the Rings MMO project.
It was reported that Amazon Games will no longer focus on Massively Multiplayer Online Games due to how expensive they are to make and maintain. Moving forward, a smaller Amazon Games team will focus smaller, cheaper projects instead, assuming Amazon Games isn't shut down altogether.
Amazon has announced its plans to create a Lord of the Rings MMO back in 2023. Amazon also had an agreement in place with LOTR rights holder, Embracer Group, to publish the next Tomb Raider game. It is unclear if plans for the next Tomb Raider were affected by the layoffs this week.
KitGuru Says: We aren't getting a new LOTR MMO, but The Lord of the Rings Online does still exist for anyone who doesn't mind playing something a bit older.
The World of Warcraft: Midnight closed alpha test kicked off just four weeks ago. At that same time, rumours of a February launch date emerged and now, that release date looks even more likely, as Blizzard is quickly moving on to beta testing.
World of Warcraft: Midnight has wrapped up alpha testing. Next, Blizzard will be testing the beta build of the game throughout November and December, after that, Blizzard will close the testing servers and put the finishing touches on the expansion ahead of its planned release.
While the release date for World of Warcraft: Midnight has not yet been announced, the expansion is expected to release by February 26th next year.
World of Warcraft: Midnight is the second expansion in the Worldsoul Saga, a planned trilogy of expansions that began with The War Within back in 2024. Midnight is the second chapter in this on-going story arc and will introduce a host of fundamental changes to the game in an effort to simplify the need for third-party mods and to reduce the complexity of playing certain classes.
The final expansion in this trilogy is set to be called The Last Titan, and if Blizzard keeps up with its current cadence, it should drop sometime in 2028.
A few weeks back, we learned that Silent Hill 2 Remake, Blooper Team's excellent re-telling of one horror's all-time greats, might be coming to Xbox. Now, it appears that ratings boards have confirmed exactly that, with an Xbox version of the game now rated.
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has listed Silent Hill 2 Remake for Xbox Series X/S consoles. The game achieves the same rating classification as the previous PC and PS5 versions of the game, which released in October 2024. The ESRB listing was later pulled, but not before VGC captured the evidence.
With the game being just over a year old, whatever exclusivity period Konami had in place with Sony should now be expired, meaning the Xbox version of the game could release any day now.
Typically, with ratings board listings, a release happens within a few months. Occasionally, that timeline can be sped up to just a matter of weeks. Microsoft reportedly has an Xbox Partner Showcase planned for November, so the game is likely to be announced there.
KitGuru Says: Have you played the Silent Hill 2 remake?
Connexion
ATX 3.1, MODULAR, CYBENETICS GOLD
