Just days after rumours suggesting AMD might be reconsidering or even cancelling the 8GB variant of their upcoming Radeon RX 9060 XT desktop graphics card, a new report refutes those claims. According to this new report, citing reputable sources close to AMD board partners, the 8GB RX 9060 XT is, in fact, still very much on schedule.
According to Benchlife (via VideoCardz), the initial rumour about the 8GB model's potential cancellation stemmed from the poor market and review reception of Nvidia's competing RTX 5060 Ti 8GB. As seen by various media outlets and independent reviewers, that card struggled with VRAM limitations in some modern titles.
Countering this, Benchlife's sources reportedly indicate that the 8GB RX 9060 XT variant is not only still planned, but production is already underway. However, while the variant itself isn't cancelled, the report does claim that the 8GB version of the RX 9060 XT may not get a traditional rollout to the wider DIY PC market and may end up being reserved for OEMs and system integrators.
KitGuru says: With games nowadays demanding more and more VRAM, we would like to see the industry push for more 12GB+ GPUs, particularly in the £200 to £400 market segment.
The post New report suggests AMD RX 9060 XT with 8GB memory is still planned for release first appeared on KitGuru.Evil Dead: The Game only just came out in 2022 but this week, the game mysteriously began disappearing from store fronts. At this point, the game is no longer available to purchase on Steam, PlayStation and Xbox. Now, publisher and developer, Saber Interactive, has spoken out.
Saber Interactive did not comment on the game's removal earlier this week when fans first found the game missing from the PSN, Epic Games and Steam Stores. Now with the game's delisting completed, Saber has finally confirmed that yes, the game is going away.
Here is Saber Interactive's full statement on the matter (via VGC):
“We can confirm we’ve begun the process of removing the game from digital storefronts. Anyone who has purchased the game will still be able to play it as we plan to keep our servers online for everyone. We want to extend a sincere thank you to our community, to those who have been part of the game from the very beginning, and those who have recently joined us. We appreciate all of your support.”
Typically when a game is going to be delisted, developers will give fans a heads up, leaving the door open for last-minute purchases before a game disappears for good. Saber unfortunately did not take that approach here, keeping its licensing details secret until the very end.
KitGuru Says: The handling of this has been abysmal, but it wouldn't be the first time that Saber Interactive has failed to communicate with its audience effectively.
The post Saber Interactive confirms Evil Dead: The Game is being removed from sale first appeared on KitGuru.KitGuru was first introduced to the Lian Li Lancool 217 at CES this year and our first impressions were excellent. Happily the time has now come for a full review of this chassis which is landing at £110 here in the UK. Is it just another airflow-focused case in an already crowded market, or has Lian Li managed to deliver something special? We find out today.
Specification:
Testing
To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D processor, Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Lian Li Lancool 217's cooling capabilities.
Test System:
Cooling Performance Overview
The Lian Li Lancool 217 does a good job and our advice would be to run the fans low and slow to keep noise levels to a minimum. You certainly can turn them up and slightly help the cooling but the noise levels rapidly get unbearable.
The Lancool 217 continues Lian Li's habit of getting pretty much everything correct while avoiding errors with a product that caters for a mass market at a very acceptable price. Clearly some PC builders would prefer glass on four sides to mesh, while others want stacks of ARGB lighting bling, and no doubt those people will be disappointed by the Lancool 217.
On the other hand we are confident a large swathe of the buying public wants a spacious case that is populated with high quality fans and which flows air with ease. The fact the UK price is lower than the US dollar price adds to our delight and makes it even easier for us to strongly recommend this case for your next PC build.
You can buy the Lian Li Lancool 217 for £109.99 from Scan (from May 5th) HERE.
Pros:
Cons:
KitGuru says: The Lian Li Lancool 217 is packed with goodness.
Since seeing the trailer in December 2023, fans around the world have been eagerly awaiting the release date for GTA 6. Today, Rockstar finally made that announcement, pushing the game out of 2025 and landing on a May 2026 launch date. While this news is being celebrated around the industry, it has made some investors skittish.
At the time of writing, since dropping the news that GTA 6 has been delayed, Take-Two shares have dropped by just shy of 7 percent. In a statement published on the Take-Two Investor Relations website, CEO, Strauss Zelnick, backed the decision to delay the game, adding that leadership is confident in Rockstar's ability to deliver a hit when GTA 6 does release next year.
“We support fully Rockstar Games taking additional time to realize their creative vision for Grand Theft Auto VI, which promises to bea groundbreaking, blockbuster entertainment experience that exceeds audience expectations. While we take the movement of our titles seriously and appreciate the vast and deep global anticipation for Grand Theft Auto VI, we remain steadfast in our commitment to excellence.”
While GTA 6 is not coming out this year, Take-Two still has a very strong line-up ahead for 2025, including the likes of Borderlands 4 and Mafia: The Old Country.
KitGuru Says: Some investors are going to be very upset with themselves when May 2026 rolls around, as GTA 6 projects to be the biggest video game launch in history.
The post Take-Two investors spooked by GTA 6 delay, CEO releases statement first appeared on KitGuru.It has been a while since Valve's new multiplayer game, Deadlock, made headlines. That changed this week thanks to the discovery of a secret new build of the game – one that looks to be much closer to a 1.0 launch build.
When the masses learned about Valve's secret Deadlock alpha last summer, it didn't take long for Valve to open the floodgates, inviting hundreds of thousands of testers to try out the game. It turns out that there is a secret build not shared to all Deadlock alpha testers.
The new build was revealed by Deathy, a prominent Deadlock livestreamer who accidentally launched the wrong version of the game on Steam. The original livestream was deleted, as was the VOD version of the stream, but eagle-eyed gamers were quick to save screenshots.
The new build of Deadlock includes a much larger roster of playable characters, as well as redesigned versions of heroes already announced for the game. In general, it looks to be a much more polished version of the game, indicating that despite the public alpha, Valve has continued to work away on the game in secret.
With this new build now discovered, it seems that Valve will be making new announcements around Deadlock in the coming months.
KitGuru Says: Deadlock had its viral moment in 2024 but we still have no idea when the game will come out. With this new build of the game surfacing, it would seem that official announcements from Valve are now imminent.
The post Valve has a secret Deadlock build circulating amongst streamers first appeared on KitGuru.G.Skill is bringing ultra high-speed and high-capacity DDR5 memory kits to AMD Ryzen based systems. The new G.Skill DDR5-8400 128GB kit is available starting this month, packing high-performance DDR5 ICs from SK-Hynix.
The new DDR5-8400 128GB (2x 64GB) RAM kit was tested and validated on a system using an Asus ROG Crosshair X870E APEX motherboard, paired with an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU. This speed is achieved via the high-performance SK-Hynix ICs, allowing G.Skill to crank the speeds higher on larger capacity modules.
This latest overclock achievement showcases G.Skill's continued pursuit for high speeds. The company has continually raised the bar for high-speed RAM in the past and G.Skill has not slowed down at all during the DDR5 era.
Just recently, G.Skill memory was used to set the world record for DDR5 overclock speeds and with the annual OC World Cup taking place at Computex, we may see more world records broken in just a few weeks.
KitGuru Says: How fast is the RAM in your system?
The post G.Skill unveils 128GB DDR5-8400 kits for AMD Ryzen systems first appeared on KitGuru.The era of the Lian Li Lancool 216 is over. This year, Lian Li is introducing the Lancool 217, a direct successor featuring design and aesthetic tweaks to suit new PC builds.
The new LANCOOL 217 is available in Dark Walnut or Light Beech colour options, with real wood accents a touch of warmth to the colour scheme. The chassis is designed with thermal performance in mind, with five pre-installed fans out of the box, including two unique 170mm fans in the front of the case, bringing in fresh air to cool all of your components.
You can find the full specs for the Lian Li LANCOOL 217 below:
| Model | LANCOOL 217 |
| Case Type | Tower Chassis |
| Dimensions | (D) 482 x (W) 238 x (H) 503mm |
| Color | Black / White |
| Material | Steel 4.0mm tempered glass Wood |
| Motherboard Support | SSI-EEB (max. 330mm wide) E-ATX (max. 280mm wide)/ ATX / Micro-ATX / Mini-ITX |
| Back Connect Motherboard | ATX / Micro-ATX |
| Expansion Slot | 7 |
| Storage | Behind MB Tray: 2 x 2.5″ SSD or 1 x 2.5” SSD(When using Back-connect Micro-ATX motherboard) 2 x Hard Drive Cage: Each cage support 1 x 3.5″ HDD + 1 x 2.5″ SSD + ( 1 x 3.5″ HDD or 1 x 2.5″ SSD) PSU Cover: 1 x 2.5” SSD |
| GPU Length Clearance | 380mm(Max) |
| CPU Cooler Height Clearance | 180mm (Max.) |
| PSU | Standard: ATX (Under 220mm) Rotated: ATX (Under 180mm) |
| Fan Support | Front: 170mm x 2 (pre-installed) or 140mm x 3 or 120mm x 3 Top: 120mm x 3 or 140mm x 2 Above PSU Shroud: 120mm x 3 (2 x pre-installed) Or Under PSU Shroud: 120mm x 2 Rear: 140mm x 1 (pre-installed) or 120mm x 1 |
| Radiator Support | (Top) 360 / 280 / 240 |
| I/O PORTS | USB 3.0 x 2 USB 3.2 Gen2x2 20G Type C x 1 Audio x 1 Power Button x 2 |
| Dust Filters | Front x 1 Bottom x 1 |
| Fan Hub | ARGB/FAN Hub with 6 x PWM Fan Headers and 4 x 5V ARGB Headers x 4 |
The Lian Li Lancool 217 will be available priced at $119.99 for the Dark Walnut version, or $124.99 for the Light Beech version. We have one in house at the KitGuru labs, so expect a review soon.
KitGuru Says: Are you planning a new PC build for 2025? Are you considering a Lian Li case?
The post Lian Li’s Lancool 217 arrives in Dark Walnut and Light Beech colours first appeared on KitGuru.Intel's latest generation of Arc graphics cards, codenamed Battlemage, might soon receive a new entry. The G31 GPU has been the subject of numerous rumours, with some suggesting that Intel had either abandoned or significantly changed its plans since late 2024. However, new information sourced from leaked shipping manifests contradicts those cancellation whispers.
According to the shipping manifest found by Haze, the hardware labelled ‘Battlemage G31' or ‘BGM-31' is still being transported between Intel labs. Specifically, shipments from late March were reportedly sent to Intel Vietnam, the facility previously responsible for producing Intel's Limited Edition (reference) Arc cards like the B580 and B570. This could hint that Intel is working on a new Limited Edition design for an upcoming Battlemage desktop GPU based on the G31 die.
Despite this apparent confirmation of ongoing development, the exact release timing for G31 remains unknown.
In addition to the BMG G31 GPU, there are rumours of an Arc GPU with 24GB of VRAM. It's unclear if this GPU is targeting gamers or professionals, but the sheer amount of VRAM suggests the latter.
KitGuru says: Do you think Intel will still launch a higher-end Battlemage GPU? If so, how would it compare with AMD and Nvidia graphics cards?
The post Shipping manifest reveals Intel Arc Battlemage G31 GPU first appeared on KitGuru.Intel's next-generation mobile platform, Panther Lake, is officially confirmed to launch this year. While Intel has reiterated a 2025 debut multiple times, they haven't specified the exact scope of this initial rollout, and new reports suggest it might be quite narrow.
According to Meng (via VideoCardz), only a single Panther Lake variant is set to arrive this year, with remaining versions pushed back to 2026. This configuration is rumoured to feature 4 P-cores and 8 E-cores but will not include low-power cores. Instead, it's said to come equipped with four Xe 3 graphics cores. The platform is predicted to have a 45W TDP, indicating a significantly higher power envelope compared to Lunar Lake's typical 17W-28W range.
This rumoured variant lacking low-power E-cores hasn't been mentioned in previous reports, suggesting it's a new configuration developed more recently. Without the low-power E-cores, this configuration is likely aimed at gaming laptops, where a powerful integrated GPU is less important. Meanwhile, the other Panther Lake variants expected to be released later are likely targeting premium laptops without discrete graphics.
Panther Lake succeeds Lunar Lake in Intel's roadmap, although it won't feature the same memory-on-package design due to associated costs.
KitGuru says: What are your expectations for Intel Panther Lake?
The post First Intel Panther Lake CPUs could come in 2025, more models to come in 2026 first appeared on KitGuru.
We've been waiting months for Rockstar to give an update on GTA 6. The game was officially announced last year, with a record-breaking trailer garnering hundreds of millions of views. At the time, Rockstar has a 2025 release window in mind, but today's announcement has pushed GTA 6 to 2026.
Grand Theft Auto VI is no longer releasing this year but Rockstar has narrowed down a date – May 26th 2026. In a statement, Rockstar thanked fans for their patience and said that the delay would aid in achieving “the level of quality” fans expect from a Rockstar game.
Here is Rockstar's statement in full:
“We are very sorry that this is later than you expected. The interest and excitement surrounding a new Grand Theft Auto has been truly humbling for our entire team. We want to thank you for your support and your patience as we work to finish the game. With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations, and Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception. We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.”
The GTA 6 release date has been a hot topic of debate recently. As Rockstar announced a 2025 release window for the game, many publishers have been holding off on announcing release dates for their own games. Now with the GTA 6 release date confirmed, we can expect to see a flurry of release date announcements as we head towards Summer Game Fest in June.
KitGuru Says: GTA 6 is coming to consoles in May. Hopefully by this time next year, we'll start to hear rumblings about the PC version.
The post Rockstar delays GTA 6, announces May 2026 release date first appeared on KitGuru.Each month, those who are subscribed to Amazon Prime are able to acquire a wide range of ‘free’ games as part of the company’s Prime Gaming initiative. Over the course of May, subscribers will be able to claim 22 different titles, including but not limited to LEGO Star Wars; Wolfenstein II; Saints Row and more.
Available as a staggered release throughout the month, May’s Prime Gaming offerings range from massive franchises to obscure indie games, with the following titles being added:
Available Now
Arriving on the 8th of May
Available on the 15th
Dropping on the 22nd
29th of May
Though it would be preferable that more games be given away through Steam, having almost two dozen new games to play is certainly not worth complaining about – especially as a decent number of them are GOG codes.
KitGuru says: Are you subscribed to Amazon Prime? Do you like the current system or would you rather they offer fewer-but-higher-quality games? Which title are you most looking forward to playing? Let us know down below.
The post May’s free Amazon Prime Gaming titles begin rolling out first appeared on KitGuru.2025 has been pretty good for Xbox Game Pass so far, with the service seeing a number of major day-one additions including the highly-anticipated Oblivion Remaster and GOTY contender Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Given that they are both GP titles, it’s not surprising to see that a majority of players so far have utilised the service. Interestingly, Game Pass players have also put significantly less time into these titles compared to other platforms.
As reported by Ampere Analytics (via TheGameBusiness) the recent influx of day-one Game Pass releases seems to be sparking the interest of its subscribers.
According to the report, so far, 47% of all Oblivion players did so through Game Pass (PC and Xbox) with 45% of Clair Obscur players also using the service. The second biggest ‘platform’ for the GOTY contender was PlayStation, with 30% of the Clair Obscur market – followed by Steam with 25%.
When it came to Oblivion meanwhile, the stats are reversed somewhat, with second place going to Steam with 34% of the market; and 3rd place being PlayStation at 19%.
Interestingly, it seems those who purchased the game had more of an incentive to play though it, as Game Pass subscribers have put far less time into both titles compared to the other platforms.
For Oblivion, Game Pass subscribers have so far played for 2.2 hours on average. This represents just over half the time of the other consoles, with PlayStation at 3.8 hours and Steam with 3.6.
Offering similar results, Clair Obscur also saw roughly double the playtime on non-Game Pass platforms, with 4.4 hours on average for both Steam and PlayStation – compared to just 2.2 hours on Game Pass.
Of course, Game Pass is positioned as the Netflix of games, and so it perhaps makes sense that subscribers are putting in roughly as much time into each title as they would a standard film. It will be interesting to see how these figures evolve as more people get the chance to check out either of these two games.
KitGuru says: Have you been playing either of these titles? Which platform are you using? How many hours have you put into these games so far? Let us know down below.
The post Half of all Oblivion players are on Game Pass – despite much lower playtime first appeared on KitGuru.A couple days ago Nintendo released one of the biggest firmware updates the Nintendo Switch has seen in its 8 years on the market – adding a ton of welcome additions while preparing the system for the upcoming Switch 2. Though a solid update overall, a number of users have encountered major issues while trying to install the patch – causing some systems to be bricked.
Earlier this week we reported on update 20.0.0 for the Nintendo Switch, preparing it for the upcoming Switch 2 by adding the likes of Game Chat; digital game keys and more. Unfortunately, the update has not been without its issues, with some users reporting that their systems have been bricked following the update – showcasing the error code ‘2206-1015’.
Fortunately, Nintendo is already aware of the issue, taking to Twitter to write: “We are currently receiving inquiries from some customers about the occurrence of ‘Error Code: 2206-1015’ after updating to Nintendo Switch system version 20.0.0. We are currently investigating how to deal with this issue. We apologize for the inconvenience, and ask that you wait for further information.”
While certainly a massive issue, it appears to be far from a permanent problem. Hopefully Nintendo will be able to resolve this through a simple over-the-air update – or at the very worst a USB-based installation.
KitGuru says: Have you updated your Switch? Did it brick your console? What do you think of the new digital game card menu? Let us know down below.
The post Nintendo warns that recent Switch update may brick your device first appeared on KitGuru.Forza Horizon 5 remains one of the few games today which publicly lists just how many players have tried the game out at any given time. Right ahead of the game’s launch on PS5, Horizon 5 was confirmed to have surpassed 45 million total players. Since the arrival of the game to PS5 mere days ago however, player counts have risen by almost 1 million.
In going to the main menu on Forza Horizon 5, it can be seen exactly just how many people have signed-in / registered to play the game (a requirement before gaining full access).
As mentioned, in the lead up to its launch on PS5, the total player count rested at just over 45 million (45,125,376 players to be exact).
Since then, as reported by ResetEra user ‘Theorry’ the total number of players has increased to 45,984,734 players – an increase of around 850,000 players.
Of course, during this time, Forza Horizon 5 would have seen new Xbox and PC players also and so the exact figure for PS5 players is not quite set in stone.
Still, it is interesting to see some early stats for how the game is likely performing on PS5. It will be curious to see whether Microsoft releases any concrete sales figures at some point.
KitGuru says: Have you picked up Forza Horizon 5 on PS5? What do you think so far? Are you more of an arcade or sim-cade racer? Let us know down below.
The post Forza Horizon 5 sees nearly 1 million new players since PS5 launch first appeared on KitGuru.
When Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was announced last year, it came out of nowhere and immediately captured the attention of role-playing game enthusiasts. With traditional party-based role-playing games finding less and less representation in the AAA space, the debut game from Sandfall Interactive looked like the game that could bring the genre into the spotlight without being a nostalgia-fueled experience, as the setting, story and main cast of characters looked very unique, and far removed from those we are now used to see in similar games. In the end, the game's dark fantasy Belle Époque setting, the members of Expedition […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/review/clair-obscur-expedition-33-dont-fear-the-paintress/
The Highlights
With removable feet that can be swapped from the top to the bottom, Montech has 2 new cases that can quickly invert.
Those two cases are based on the same chassis: They are the Montech HS01 Pro and HS02 Pro cases, differentiated by the glass or mesh, and each includes 5 fans.
Editor's note: This was originally published on April 30, 2025 as a video. This content has been adapted to written format for this article and is unchanged from the original publication.
Steve Burke
Patrick Lathan
Vitalii Makhnovets
Tim Phetdara
Jimmy Thang
Major points of interest include the recessed motherboard tray, ventilated rear chamber cover, and abnormal power supply location up in the front. It’s not all good news, however. The power-supply area has some ventilation problems we’re not happy about, but there are some mechanical upsides.
The rear fans remove as a single piece without becoming a proprietary nightmare, which is a welcomed feature. The case tries to plan around back-connect boards, running into the chicken-or-egg problem that both boards and cases are facing.
As always, we have some critiques of the case, but we were also overall happy with its build quality and assembly. The cases land at $130 to $140 with fans or $100 to $110 without them.
| Model Name | HS01 PRO | HS02 PRO |
| Color | Black / White | Black / White |
| Dimensions | (L*W*H) 480*235*368mm (Case) / 563*323*573mm (Carton) | 480*235*368mm (Case) / 585*334*532mm (Carton) |
| MB Support | ATX /Micro-ATX / Mini-ITX (Back-Connected MB Supported) | ATX /Micro-ATX / Mini-ITX (Back-Connected MB Supported) |
| Front I/O | USB3.0*2 / Type-C*1 / Mic*1 / Power Button / Audio*1 / LED Button*1 | USB3.0*2 / Type-C*1 / Mic*1 / Power Button / Audio*1 / LED Button*1 |
| PCIe Slots | 7 | 7 |
| Compatibility / Maximum | CPU Cooler 170mmGPU 400mmPSU 200mm ATX / SFX | CPU Cooler 175mmGPU 420mmPSU 200mm ATX / SFX |
| Drive Support / Maximum | 3.5” HDD 22.5” SSD 4 | 3.5” HDD 22.5” SSD 4 |
| Pre-installed Fan(s) | Bottom 120mm*3Rear 120mm*2 | Bottom 120mm*3Rear 120mm*2 |
| Fan Support | Top 120mm*3Front 120mm*3 / 140mm*2Bottom 120mm*3Rear 120mm*2 | Top 120mm*3Bottom 120mm*3Rear 120mm*2 |
| Radiator Support | Top 120 / 240 / 360mmBottom 120 / 240mmRear 120mm | Top 120 / 240 / 360mmBottom 120 / 240mmRear 120mm |
| Dust Filter | Bottom | Bottom |
| EAN | 4710562747621 / 4710562744712 | 4710562741377 / 4710562745719 |
| Warranty | 1 Year | 1 Year |
Specs copied from manufacturer materials, please read review for our own measurements and opinions
Montech is probably best-known for its King 95 chassis. The company has had some hits and some misses since it started, but the HS01 and HS02 blur the lines between a more traditional case and a dual-chamber case.
The big marketing play is toward inversion. Cases have inverted in the past, but some of the original invertible cases we covered were difficult to flip around and required dozens of screws.
Modern invertible cases, like the be quiet! Light Base series, have made this process way faster.
Inversion is the headlining feature of the HS cases, and the process is extremely easy. The top cover moves to the bottom, the bottom filter and legs move to the top. That's it.
The process is optionally toolless: the legs are magnetic, but they can also be screwed into place when the case isn't inverted. The main downside of making the process so simple is that aspects of the case which are designed to work right-side-up aren't altered at all in the inversion process, so the side panels and rear fan bracket are installed upside-down when the case is inverted and the PSU power switch becomes inaccessible.
Other aspects of case configuration are also easy to deal with. The top panel is magnetic and pulls off easily. The company uses a rubber/fake leather strap at the back. The rear two-fan bracket comes off as a single unit (which we liked), and the rear expansion slots rotate vertically with minimal effort. Removing the top panel gives immediate access to the PSU switches (like power and eco mode), as well as the RGB hub connections in Pro variants.
The HS02 has what Montech calls "an 8° Curved Glass front pane." It’s not 8 degrees -- it’s 90, so maybe they meant the radius of the bend was 8mm.
The media kit came complete with an illustration of the corner with an 8° label though. Either way, the bend is, in fact, 90 degrees in total, and the front panel butts up against the side panel to look (sort of) like a continuous pane, similar in some parts to the King 95. It's not as impressive as the HAVN HS420 (read our review), but it's definitely less expensive. The glass panels are beveled where they meet the angled plastic pillars for a flush fit.
The chassis design strikes us as being optimized for back-connect boards. Back-connect boards have gotten some traction, but they aren’t a significant portion of the market yet. Case makers have a challenge: It's too early to prioritize back-connect at the expense of compatibility with normal boards (unless marketing specifically for a back-connect board), but also, not building for it at all means no adoption of change.
The motherboard and fans have what Montech describes as a "sink-in design," meaning that ATX or even mATX boards are surrounded by metal on all sides. As a consequence, it's difficult to reach board connections with normal motherboards (which is most of them): for example, we were forced to use the stock flat EPS12V cables for our SilverStone PSU because our custom-sleeved CableMod replacements couldn't cleanly fit. Routing the 24-pin cable required an uncomfortable bend, and fitting the USB headers into place was nearly impossible. There's no good route for the GPU power cable either, although that's a common issue with open-bottomed cases and not specific to Montech.
The PSU area leaves a lot to be desired: Unfortunately, we end up with 3 layers of blockages from the PSU case mesh, the interior cover door mesh, and the exterior panel mesh. The two case panels overlap and obstruct each other, which already overlap with the PSU ventilation. Stacking 3 layers atop each other reduces flow and increases resistance, which can increase noise or minimally reduce cooling. Fortunately, PSUs tend to be less thermally sensitive, but we’d like to see fewer overlapping obstructions.
With the PSU fastened down, we found our normal SilverStone PSU pushed the cover up without screws to hold it in place, which we added.
The PSU mounting bracket can be rotated to mount either a standard ATX or a smaller SFX PSU; this bracket then slides into place and is screwed to the top of the chassis. There's no particular reason to use an SFX PSU with this case. The extension cable that runs from the rear of the case to the bracket at the front must be routed through the bracket before it's installed.
This is mostly an air cooling case, which is how we’re testing it. Radiator support is restricted, though. The front of the HS02 obviously doesn't support radiators since there are no mounts, but even in the HS01, the PSU placement overlaps with the front fan mount. That means there's only space for mounting on the outside of the chassis, and only normal 25mm thick fans fit (no radiators and no extra-thick fans). At the top of the case, Montech claims support for radiators up to 123mm wide, which is a strict limit due to the bumps on the ATX PSU bracket that pokes through, leaving small bumps to interfere with clearance. The bottom mount works fine for radiators other than obstructing the bottom edge of ATX boards, but Montech (correctly) doesn't claim compatibility above 240mm due to the cramped space. There's no 140mm-wide radiator compatibility in either case, and only the HS01 has support for any 140mm fans.
Generally speaking, we don't like all the plates and covers and brackets that Montech has stuffed into the HS01 and HS02. They hide some cable clutter, sometimes at the cost of thermals, but most clutter would be invisible behind the steel side panel anyway. There are times where we like this type of feature, but with this case, there are already tradeoffs in the depth and the accessibility for some connectors in some areas. Sacrificing more of that for the metal plates can sometimes work against it. Even still, cable management space is generous, but we'd happily trade some of that space for better access to normal motherboard connectors and some small clearances in the main chamber.
Moving on to the hardware: Cases generally include a set of "SSD" screws for attaching 2.5" drives. The HS01 and HS02 do not, however: as the manual notes, every screw included in the accessory kit is 6-32 TPI. The cases claim compatibility with up to four 2.5" drives, so the screws are a strange omission. It’s not a big deal to bring your own screws, but not standard for a case to cut this corner.
The front panels of the HS01 and HS02 aren't directly interchangeable since there are some differences to the support structures, like the support corner pillar in the HS01 and some plastic trim in the HS02 that’s not on the HS01. This was inconvenient for our testing, but it's unlikely to ever come up from a customer perspective, so it doesn’t matter much unless you wanted to swap it later.
All variants include ARGB lighting strips at the bottom of the case, with the Pro cases also including ARGB fans and a built-in controller. The fans use separate (standard) connections for ARGB and fan control, which we generally prefer, but it does lead to a confusing mess of wires. If you've bought into one of the proprietary RGB ecosystems, the Pro cases really aren't the best for working with that.
The Pro variants ship with fans and the non-Pros do not, so all stock tests shown here represent Pro performance. We tested the HS01 stock and inverted, but Montech's marketing materials push the "natural airflow" chimney effect angle, so by that logic, inverting the case without rearranging the fans should lead to worse performance. We'll see.
We’ll start with noise-normalized CPU thermals, which means we use our hemi-anechoic chamber in the lab to collect highly controlled noise data for comparison.
Inverting the case didn’t produce a significant change. The HS01 Pro ran at about the same temperature in both tests. The glass panel versus mesh panel also had minimal impact.
The stock fan layout is the same in both cases, meaning that the HS01's mesh front won’t do much unless the fans are re-arranged; if anything, it could allow some air to escape where we’d rather keep it in. The CPU averaged 49 degrees Celsius above ambient in the HS01 Pro, 52 degrees on the P-cores, and the results for the inverted HS01 and for the HS02 were within the normal range of variance. The fans were run at slightly different speeds in each of the three configurations to hit the 27 dBA threshold, which is where the chamber comes into play (as we can actually measure those tiny acoustic differences now), but that wasn't enough to make a difference thermally.
Montech's own moderately more expensive King 95 Pro with a glass front beat the HS cases in this test with an average of 47 degrees above ambient. The Antec C8 ARGB (read our review) is also more expensive, but it has relatively weak CPU cooling with the stock fan layout, and the HS cases beat it by 1-2 degrees. More traditional designs like the Lancool 207 (read our review) and 216 (watch our review) fly past the HS01 and HS02, setting a ceiling and giving perspective on cooling. The G400A (read our review) also accompanies these two.
The range for the GPU thermal results was just as tight, with the inverted HS01 averaging 42.8 degrees above ambient and the HS02 averaging 43.2, which is within variance, but that’s still not even one full degree of difference.
It's not a surprise that the chimney effect isn't a factor when active airflow is involved, nor is it a surprise that changing the front panel has no impact when there aren’t any fans installed at the front of the case.
Although the different configurations didn't make much difference, the HS cases performed well overall for GPU thermals, respectably close to the C8 ARGB's 42 degree average. Like the C8, the HS cases have bottom intake fans that force cool air directly into and through the GPU and with minimal obstruction beyond a dust filter. The King 95 Pro also has bottom intake fans, but they're less effective, resulting in a 48 degree average. The Flux Pro and Lancool 207 remain leaders here, but one is in a different price class and both are different styles.
Full speed case fans are next, dropping the noise control and testing GPU thermals.
At full speed, we can finally see a difference between at least the regular and inverted HS01 results, with the inverted layout averaging 40 degrees above ambient to the regular layout's 42 degrees above ambient. The bottom intake fans move enough air that flipping them to the top of the case where they can breathe more freely is beneficial. The inverted layout also directed slightly more noise towards our mic placement, but not enough for an audible difference at 38.5 versus 38.0 dBA. The regular HS02 result closely matched the HS01 result at 42 degrees, but the HS02 was quieter (as measured from the front) due to its solid front panel blocking noise egress. The drop to 35.8 dBA is noticeable, if barely. However, remember that at the 27 dBA threshold performance and noise levels were both equal.
As before, the Antec C8 ARGB's GPU cooling is on par with the performance of the HS cases at 41 degrees above ambient, with noise levels equivalent to the HS01. The King 95 also averaged about 37 dBA, but with worse GPU thermals, averaging 46 degrees.
Our standardized set of fans can't be installed in the HS02 due to the lack of 140mm mounts, which made this test simple. We installed the two 140mm intake fans at the front of the HS01 and the single 120mm exhaust in the lower of the two rear slots.
With this layout, average CPU temperature was 41 degrees above ambient and 45 degrees for the P-cores. For this case specifically, those are lower than the stock results, but that's not surprising given the more direct airflow aimed at the CPU cooler. It’s also completely normal performance for a mesh-fronted case in this test, landing between the Fractal Meshify 2 Compact (watch our review) and Phanteks P400A Digital (watch our review). The Antec C8 and King 95 Pro results on this chart were both tested with side intake, so performance is predictably worse than the HS01.
On the other hand, moving to the normal front-to-back layout with the standardized fans hurt GPU thermals. Removing the stock bottom intake fans that made the HS01 competitive in this category led to an average GPU temperature of 45 degrees above ambient, which isn't terrible, but allowed the King 95 Pro and C8 ARGB to take the lead at 43 degrees for both. Montech's stock fan layout seems like the best compromise.
To finish things off, we'll move back to the noise normalized testing. VRM thermals were nearly identical for each of the three tested configurations, averaging 33 degrees above ambient in the HS02 Pro, which lands the HS cases in the middle of the chart between the C8 ARGB at 33 degrees and the King 95 Pro at 31.
The SPD Hub sensor readings from the RAM told a similar story: all three configurations averaged close to 25 degrees above ambient, close to the C8 ARGB's 24 degree average, although the King 95 Pro scored well in this specific instance at 21 degrees.
Montech's strength has always been in the budget space. The Montech HS01 Pro and HS02, however, are sort of in that mid-range category with their prices. The recent tariff situation is obviously going to affect that market. Montech contacted us to confirm MSRPs a few days prior to launch, so hopefully these prices will stay stable for some time.
As a fishtank case with a curved corner, the $140 HS02 Pro is a reasonably priced alternative to the more expensive cases that match that description like the HAVN HS420, Antec C8 Curve, HYTE Y60 (watch our review), or even Montech's own King 95 Pro. We seriously recommend watching the build section of our video review, because there were some features we didn't like, but it's up to you to decide whether the savings are worth it. If you use a back-connect motherboard, that may solve many of the issues we saw, including with cabling.
The HS02's thermal performance wasn't abysmal or amazing. It was fine. Of these two cases, we're more willing to accept middling performance from the one that looks interesting, in other words, the glass-fronted option.
The HS01 has greater cooling potential thanks to its mesh-front panel, but it's also more generic: there aren't a ton of fish-tank cases that can compete with the HS02's price, but there are many, many $100-$150 mesh-fronted cases that can compete with the HS01. These include options like the Lian Li Lancool 207, Fractal North (watch our review), Phanteks G400A, or many of the other cases we've reviewed in the past couple years are all viable alternatives to a mesh-fronted case. There’s a lot of competition at that price class.
If you love Montech’s case here or really like how it looks, we can say “it’s fine.” We do think the fish-tank version makes a little more sense for most people. If you really want a mesh case, there are better alternatives.
Leakers digging through official AMD repositories and related databases have found new details about Team Red's future processor roadmap. Based on their posts, they've discovered entries about upcoming desktop, mobile, and workstation product lines, offering a glimpse into products beyond what has been officially announced.
Among the Olrak29 and InstLatX64's findings (via VideoCardz) are more mentions of Zen 5-based products that we have heard about previously. This includes the purported Ryzen Threadripper ‘Shimada Peak' 9000WX family for workstations, which should be announced soon, potentially during Computex 2025 in early June. For the desktop space, the Ryzen 9000G ‘Gorgon Point' APU series, combining Zen 5 cores with RDNA 3.5 integrated graphics, has also reappeared in these databases, seemingly confirmed for the AM5 desktop socket.
The leaks extend into the mobile space and beyond. Entries related to Ryzen AI Mobile SoCs on an FP8 socket were found, with one of them suggesting ‘Gorgon Point' would succeed ‘Strix Point' mobile APUs, contradicting the previous reports and rumours. Additionally, a ‘Krackan2' appears to be a refresh of the current ‘Krackan Point' APUs.
Another rumoured AM5-bound lineup discovered is the EPYC 4005 ‘Grado' series, which some believe could be built on existing designs but adapted for entry-level commercial/enterprise use, potentially succeeding processors like the EPYC 4004. Perhaps most intriguingly, an FF5-based ‘Soundwave' processor design has surfaced alongside these future mobile chipsets, fuelling industry rumours that AMD might be exploring or planning to use Arm architecture at a lower product tier.
KitGuru says: Of all AMD's upcoming products, which one are you the most curious about?
The post AMD’s future AM5 plans reportedly include Ryzen 9000G “Gorgon Point” and EPYC 4005 “Grado” first appeared on KitGuru.The InWin Prism chassis matches its name nicely with its tilted tempered glass panels. The new case uses a three-piece glass panel to form a frameless wall for those looking to show off their systems.
Beyond its looks, the Prism is designed with ample cooling in mind. Large mesh filters provide tool-free dust prevention and are intended to ensure optimal air circulation. The case supports up to 10 fans in total and accommodates radiators up to 360mm for extensive liquid cooling setups (including 240mm and 280mm options). InWin preloads the case with four of their Vortex fans, featuring PWM control and vibrant ARGB illumination.
The Prism offers broad compatibility for high-end hardware, including BTF motherboards. There's generous clearance for large components, supporting CPU coolers up to 175mm tall and graphics cards up to 435mm long. For those wanting to display their GPU vertically, the case supports this via a modular PCI-E slot bracket. Keeping things tidy, two 2.5-inch SSD bays are hidden behind the motherboard tray.
Managing the included ARGB fans and preinstalled LED strips (located at the top, bottom, and front) is done via the integrated 6-channel ARGB hub. This hub supports multiple coordinated lighting effects, easily controlled through a button on the front I/O panel. The front panel also features two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a 3.5mm HD audio combo jack, and a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (40 Gbps) Type-C port.
KitGuru says: As expected from InWin, its new Prism PC case can easily stand out in this crowded market. However, do you like the aesthetics of it, or do you find it a bit over the top?
The post InWin unveils Prism mid tower with unique tempered glass design first appeared on KitGuru.PlayStation Plus subscribers have some interesting new titles coming their way in May. Leading the lineup for this month are the hugely popular Poker/roguelike hybrid Balatro, the retro-styled shooter Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, and the ambitious survival title Ark: Survival Ascended. All three games will become available to add to your library starting Tuesday, May 6th.
Balatro has taken the gaming world by storm with its incredibly addictive poker-meets-roguelike gameplay, and PS Plus members can now see what all the hype is about on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. For old-school shooter lovers, dive into the grimdark universe of Warhammer 40,000 with Boltgun, a fast-paced first-person shooter featuring graphics reminiscent of classic 1990s titles, a varied arsenal, and satisfyingly frantic action. Boltgun will be available on both PS4 and PS5.
Lastly, for those seeking a survival experience, Ark: Survival Ascended is a remaster of the 2015 original, utilising Unreal Engine 5. This version includes all previously released DLC (Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Ark: Genesis Part 1, and Ark: Genesis Part 2), supports up to 70-player online multiplayer, and features two-player local split-screen. However, note that this version is exclusive to PlayStation 5.
As the digital doors open for new titles, others must make way. PlayStation Plus subscribers have a short window left to claim the April PlayStation Plus games. You'll need to make sure you've added titles like the well-received RoboCop: Rogue City and Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker's Memory to your game collection by Monday, May 5th, before they depart the service.
KitGuru says: Are you subscribed to PlayStation Plus? Are you planning on claiming any of these games?
The post This month’s PlayStation Plus lineup includes Balatro, Ark and Warhammer first appeared on KitGuru.Weeks following Sony's price hike for PS5, Microsoft has now announced plans to increase Xbox Series X/S prices. The price increase will take effect in Europe, Australia, the US and the UK. Microsoft has also announced plans to follow in Nintendo's footsteps and raise the price of “some first party games” to $80.
The timing here is odd as Xbox revenue was up in Microsoft's recent quarterly earnings report, however, most of this growth is attributed to content sales. Xbox console sales actually did drop year-on-year for the quarter. There are other economic factors likely at play here too, as the effect of US tariffs on tech begins to take effect.
In the UK, The Xbox Series X will be going up from £479 to £499, and the Xbox Series S will go up from £279 to £299. These are the prices for base storage models, so 1TB for the Xbox Series X and 512GB for the Xbox Series S. The larger storage version (2TB) of the Series X is going up to £589.99.
In a statement sent to Eurogamer, Microsoft confirmed the price adjustments, saying: “As of 1st May, we have adjusted recommended retailer pricing for our consoles and controllers worldwide. We also expect to adjust the pricing of some of our new, first-party games starting this holiday season to $79.99. Those titles purchased on the Xbox store have the benefit of Xbox Play Anywhere, allowing players to buy once and play on console and PC at no additional cost. We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development. Looking ahead, we continue to focus on offering more ways to play more games across any screen and ensuring value for Xbox players”.
The game price hike will take longer to go into effect, but this statement essentially confirms that Call of Duty is going to be more expensive starting this year.
KitGuru Says: It is only a matter of time before the industry at large accepts this new $80 standard for new games. There is already a strong push for it from Nintendo and Microsoft, so I'd be shocked if Ubisoft, EA and Square Enix didn't follow.
The post Microsoft raises Xbox console prices, says ‘new first party games’ will be $80 first appeared on KitGuru.
In early 2023, we got our first taste of the latest PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSDs, offering up to 10,000 MB/s read and write capabilities. These drives were fast, but we knew that faster drives would enter the market sooner or later as the technology matured. Furthermore, these Gen5 drives became more accessible to a wider range of audiences with the introduction of mainstream AMD & Intel boards. While offering 10 GB/s speeds as a start, SSD manufacturers have quickly started rolling out faster drives by optimizing thermal designs and utilizing enhanced NAND solutions. Crucial has been at the top of […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/review/crucial-p510-1-tb-2280-with-heatsink-nvme-ssd-review-dram-less-gen5-is-here/
Microsoft's Q3 earnings report is in, and things are looking up for Xbox. The Xbox business showcased another quarter of growth across game sales and subscriptions/services. A big portion of this growth is being attributed to Microsoft's increasingly strong presence on PlayStation.
Xbox grew by 5% overall compared to the same quarter the previous year. This was primarily driven in revenue from Xbox content and services, with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella specifically highlighting Game Pass, Call of Duty and Minecraft as key driving factors.
Nadella seems pleased with Microsoft's shift to multiplatform game releases. For the quarter, Microsoft was the top-selling publisher on both PlayStation and Xbox. As reported by VGC, Nadella stated on the call:
“We continue to transform the business and focus on margin expansion, as we bring our games to over 500 million monthly active users across devices. We ended the quarter as the top publisher by pre-orders and pre-installs on both Xbox and the PlayStation Store. PC Game Pass revenue increased over 45% year-over-year.”
With results trending positive, it is likely that Microsoft will lean more into this multiplatform direction moving forward. There are rumours that iconic exclusives like Gears of War and Halo could make the transition to PlayStation for the first time. It is also rumoured that Bethesda's 2023 Xbox exclusive, Starfield, may come to PS5 later this year.
In more recent months, Forza 5 and Indiana Jones have both become available on PS5. DOOM: The Dark World, developed by id Software and published by Bethesda, is launching as a multi-platform title and will be available on PS5 from day-one.
KitGuru Says: Despite Xbox's growth, console hardware sales have dipped. The new revenue coming in from game sales on PlayStation and Game Pass growth is keeping Xbox earnings trending in the right direction.
The post Xbox revenue climbs thanks to game sales on PlayStation and PC growth first appeared on KitGuru.Evil Dead: The Game only just came out in 2023 but it would seem that the license has already expired. The game has suddenly been delisted from PlayStation and PC via both Steam and The Epic Games Store.
At the time of writing, the game is still available on the Xbox web store, but with the game being removed from sale and search results on all of the other stores, I don't expect that availability to last very long.
Evil Dead: The Game was a take on the Dead by Daylight formula starring iconic characters from the Evil Dead franchise. Players would group up as a team of four survivors, trapped in with a player as the killer. Unfortunately, the game has been suddenly delisted without warning from the developers and it is unclear if it will ever come back.
It is also unclear if those that own the game can still access online servers. Saber Interactive will have to make things clear with a statement soon. We will update once they speak out.
KitGuru Says: Did many of you play Evil Dead? Are you surprised to see it being delisted so soon?
The post Evil Dead: The Game has suddenly been delisted on Steam first appeared on KitGuru.Yesterday following news of the release date for Borderlands 4 being brought forward, Gearbox revealed all-new details about the game and dropped a gameplay trailer.
Borderlands 4 continues to make headlines today with the release of the new gameplay trailer. Gearbox has a marketing deal with PlayStation for Borderlands 4, so the game got its own State of Play stream, joining the likes of Final Fantasy 16 and Hogwarts Legacy as major third-party titles to get their own dedicated State of Play.
The gameplay trailer sets the stage for a showdown with Timekeeper, a ruthless dictator on the planet Kairos. In the longer state of play stream, Gearbox showcased more gameplay of two of the four new Vault Hunter characters – Vex (Siren) and Rafa (Soldier). Each Vault Hunter class in Borderlands 4 aims to offer a unique playstyle. Users will be able to tweak things to their liking with access to three ability trees.
As the new game takes place on a new planet, Gearbox has spent a lot of time coming up with new weapon types, all stemming from three new in-universe weapons manufacturers. That list includes:
Gearbox has also made improvements to looting, making farming for coveted gear “much more intuitive”. Players will be able to replay missions as many times as required to obtain certain drops, or you can use the Big Encore Machine to replay specific boss fights.
Borderlands 4 will be launching on the 12th of September for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The game is also coming to Nintendo Switch 2.
KitGuru Says: Are any of you looking forward to Borderlands 4?
The post Gearbox reveals new Borderlands 4 gameplay details first appeared on KitGuru.Sudokoo is a new PC cooling brand that you may not have heard of. In fact, when they reached out to ask if we could review one of their coolers, I hadn’t heard of them either. The company says it sources its hardware from a well-known OEM based in Taiwan, and is aiming at the premium market with its first 360mm AIO, the Proteus 360. We've got our hands on a sample of this new cooler and in today's review we will find out if it's worth the £260 price tag, or whether the Sudokoo Proteus 360 is just a bit of a puzzle.
Timestamps:
00:00 Start
00:44 Pricing and Overview
01:37 As it is supplied
02:35 Radiator / Covers / Tubing
05:29 CPU Block / Screen / Warranty
06:13 Pump / Software / Fans
07:03 Fitting the plastic covers carefully
07:54 The Hub / Fan Tech details
08:55 Accessories / Compatibility
09:34 Cooler DNA?
13:00 Installation Process / Software
15:57 Thermal Performance and Noise Output
17:59 James Closing Thoughts
Features:
Specifications:
Back in 2022, the team at Yacht Club Games announced and released Shovel Knight DIg – 2D side-scrolling dungeon-crawling roguelite platformer. At the time, the game was only available on Steam, Nintendo Switch and Apple Arcade. Finally, Shovel Knight Dig – and all its DLC – is coming to PlayStation as well as Xbox.
Making the announcement, the team at Yacht Club Games wrote “Our fast-paced action-platformer Shovel Knight Dig is tunneling onto Xbox and PlayStation 5 on May 15, 2025. This ultimate edition includes the complete game and all downloadable content.”
Interestingly, the PS5/Xbox launch will coincide with the game’s final major update, bringing with it new bosses, quests, secrets, and game-changing upgrades as part of the Wicked Wishes DLC.
While fans continue to patiently wait for the team’s much-anticipated action-adventure title Mina the Hollower, PlayStation and Xbox players in particular will soon have a whole new experience to keep them busy while waiting for Yacht Club’s next big thing.
KitGuru says: Did you play Shovel Knight Dig back in 2022? How did it compare to the main game? With Dig coming to PlayStation/Xbox, is the team finally shifting focus to Mina the Hollower? Let us know your thoughts down below.
The post Shovel Knight Dig finally comes to PlayStation and Xbox this month first appeared on KitGuru.Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was one of Ubisoft’s more underrated titles in recent years, with the side-scrolling Metroidvania becoming the 2nd highest rated entry in franchise history. Unfortunately, sales for the game did not meet Ubisoft’s expectations, leading to the cancellation of a potential sequel. Despite this, new fans have continued to flock to the game – with it now surpassing 2 million total players.
Making the announcement on Twitter, the official Prince of Persia page shared the following: “Well over 2M players by now. You’ve revived the legend. The Prince is back, and believe us — he's just warming up.”
It is worth noting that 2 million players does not equate to 2 million copies sold, especially as The Lost Crown is available through PlayStation Plus. Still, the team did confirm back in January that the game had sold over 1.3 million copies.
Combine this with the more recent release of the game to both iOS and Android, and it’s possible that the game has sold at least 1.5 million copies.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the announcement was in the tease which stated “The Prince is back, and believe us — he's just warming up”. As mentioned, it was previously confirmed that The Lost Crown would not be getting a sequel, meaning they are unlikely to be teasing such a project.
Beyond this however, Ubisoft is still working on the remake for Prince of Persia The Sands of Time, as well as on-going development on the Early Access rogue-like ‘The Rogue Prince of Persia’; so perhaps that’s what they are referring to. We will have to wait and see.
KitGuru says: What did you think of The Lost Crown? Would you like to see a sequel made? What do you think they meant by “he's just warming up”? Let us know down below.
The post Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown surpasses 2 million total players first appeared on KitGuru.Astral Ascent is a highly fun 2D side-scrolling rogue-like offering cooperative gameplay alongside a ton of cool and unique characters to experiment with. Since its release back in late 2023 the game has seen a great deal of support – both in terms of free patches and paid DLC. In what is perhaps the biggest update yet, Astral Ascent 2.0 is now live, bringing with it dozens of changes and additions.
Making the announcement via their Steam page, the team at Hibernian Workshop wrote the following: “Today is the day, exactly 4 years ago we finished our Kickstarter Campaign for Astral Ascent and today, after 6 months of work (we nearly doubled the game content, it takes time!), we finally release the 2.0 Update: The Outer Reaches which is by far the biggest update to the game so far.”
The full list of changes and additions can be found HERE, but some of the most notable include:
Beyond the 2.0 update, Astral Ascent has also gotten its next DLC release. Though a paid expansion, the Alternative Worlds DLC adds 4 new worlds; 32 new enemies; 16 new traps/elements and more.
If you have yet to try out Astral Ascent, now is as good a time as any, with the game currently being 50% off for the next two weeks.
KitGuru says: Have you played Astral Ascent? What do you think of it? What’s your favourite rogue-like in recent years? Let us know down below.
The post Indie Rogue-like Astral Ascent gets major 2.0 update first appeared on KitGuru.Assassin’s Creed Shadows was one of the most important games for Ubisoft in quite some time, as its success could determine the future of the publisher in a ton of ways. Fortunately, Shadows has so far been a pretty big success. Wanting to keep the momentum going, Ubisoft has now revealed the full Year 1 roadmap for AC: Shadows.
Releasing a dev-log onto YouTube, the team at Ubisoft Quebec said “The launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows marks just the beginning of an evolving journey. Our post-launch plan is shaped by ongoing community feedback and a commitment to keeping the world alive with new free quests, feature updates, Codex expansions, special collaborations, and community-driven improvements. This roadmap is built to grow alongside our players — and we can’t wait to show you what’s next.”
With that, the first planned expansion is called Claws of Awaji. Coming later this year, this DLC will be free for all those who pre-ordered the game and introduces a brand new island region ‘Awaji‘ to explore, alongside the addition of new abilities, enemies and a weapon in the form of a bo staff.
Beyond this, Shadows is also getting a ton of fully-free updates, said to feature other new abilities; allies; activities and backstories – the first of which is called ‘The Works of Luis Frois’ coming in Early May.
The game is also planned to receive regular title updates with “impactful additions and changes”, the first of which is arriving in late may and is focusing on bringing a bunch of improvements to the game’s parkour (one of the biggest complaints held towards Shadows currently).
The second free title update is planned for June and will add new difficulty settings; additional immersion options and an expansion to the alarm system.
Last but not least, other future updates and enhancements will include a NewGame+ mode, increased stealth and combat difficulty options – also arriving in June.
While you could argue that many of these upcoming additions could and should have been available from day-one it is welcome nonetheless to see Ubisoft Quebec committed to improving almost all aspects of AC Shadows.
By the time it reaches its end-of-life, Assassin’s Creed Shadows could very well be one of the best entries in the series. We will have to wait and see.
KitGuru says: What do you think of the roadmap? Should these have all been available at launch? Which update are you most excited for? Let us know down below.
The post Ubisoft shares ‘Year 1’ roadmap for Assassin’s Creed Shadows first appeared on KitGuru.
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There is a short devlog video for Subnautica 2 over at Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN which shows off a bit of the game and some details on what Unknown Worlds Entertainment has…
Today there are more ARM processors than people, they have shipped somewhere in the neighbourhood of 300 billion chips over the past four decades, but the architecture comes from very humble roots. …
Today we look at a new power supply from Endorfy, the Supremo FM6. Endorfy are releasing two capacities in this range a 850 watt unit, and a 1000 watt unit which they sent us for review. These power supplies have an 80 Plus Gold certification on the box, are fully modular and ship with a 10 year warranty. Sadly we didn't see Cybenetics certifications on the box, but Endorfy told us they have gotten those certifications recently, and we will talk more about that later in the review.
Endorfy have set the pricing to be very competitive in the UK for this unit, around £120 inc vat – which (special etailer offers aside) puts it in the lower end of the pricing spectrum currently on the UK Market. Endorfy told me that they are planning to release 750 watt version of the PSU later, but no date on this is confirmed just yet. An 850 Watt and 1000 Watt unit ticks most of the boxes in the enthusiast sector anyway, so focusing on these two capacities makes a lot of sense to me.
Endorfy have been promoting these units and focusing on aspects such as the Fluctus fan, Japanese Capacitors, ATX 3.1 support and 80 Plus Gold certification.
The post Endorfy Supremo FM6 1000W Review first appeared on KitGuru.EA has announced yet another round of mass layoffs. Hundreds of employees are set to be let go in the coming months at studios across EA. Respawn has been hit particularly hard, losing 100 employees, resulting in two cancelled projects.
According to a Bloomberg report, around 300 to 400 employees will be cut, including 100 employees from Respawn. In the case of Respawn, the studio is restructuring to further focus on its Star Wars projects and Apex Legends.
One of the projects cancelled at Respawn was a new Titanfall game, but the title was still in early development and was not close to release. In recent months, rumours have claimed that Titanfall 3 was in development but it appears that was not the case. The cancelled Titanfall project was supposedly set to be an extraction shooter.
This new round of job cuts follows on from a rough 2024, during which EA ended up letting go of around 700 staff members across its teams. The poor performance of Dragon Age The Veilguard and lower than expected sales for EA FC 25 have led to a substantial dip in EA's market value in Q1 2025.
KitGuru Says: I am interested more in hearing about EA FC 25 failing to hit expectations. If the EA Sports empire begins to wane, then there won't be much left to prop up development for the few single-player games remaining in EA's arsenal.
The post EA cuts hundreds of jobs, Titanfall project cancelled at Respawn first appeared on KitGuru.GameMax is making a statement in compact PC design with their new T20 chassis. This Micro-ATX case features eye-catching three-sided tempered glass panels, offering a continuous and panoramic view perfect for showcasing your build's components.
The T20 features a distinctive internal layout with a 90° motherboard arrangement, a design approach that GameMax claims creates a “stack cooling” effect intended to enhance natural heat dissipation. The chassis comes equipped with two pre-installed 120mm Tornado T12-R ARGB PWM fans, but it supports up to a total of 5x 120mm fans, including accommodation for radiators up to 360mm for serious liquid cooling.
Despite its small size, the T20 has quite good compatibility with modern hardware. It supports motherboards with rear connections, often referred to as BTF (Back to Front) designs, offering cleaner cable management by hiding connectors on the reverse side. Power supply support is limited to SFX and SFX-L units, which are common in smaller form factor builds. Another feature is the ability to install the GPU vertically, eliminating the need for a separate PCIe riser cable.
The GameMax T20 will be available in both black and white finishes. The black version is priced at $79.99, while the white variant comes in slightly higher at $83.99.
KitGuru says: GameMax is relatively new to the pc case market but it is already making a strong name for itself with these unique designs.
The post GameMax’s new T20 PC case features three tempered glass panels first appeared on KitGuru.XPG, Adata's gaming brand, is unleashing their latest high-performance SSD series onto the market. Meet the XPG Mars 980 PCIe Gen 5 SSDs, Adata's new gaming drives boasting speeds of up to 14,000 MB/s for reads and 13,000 MB/s for writes, powered by an efficient 6nm process controller and available in capacities up to 4 TB.
The Mars 980 series comprises three distinct models: the Mars 980 Storm, Mars 980 Blade, and Mars 980 Pro, each equipped with different cooling solutions tailored to specific user needs and scenarios. Leading the lineup in terms of cooling performance is the Storm, featuring what XPG claims is the industry's first hybrid liquid-and-air SSD cooling solution. Using a patented design with copper heat pipes and a vertical, symmetrical dual-fan configuration, this active cooling system is powered directly via the M.2 slot. It is said to reduce operating temperatures by approximately 20% compared to typical fanless heatsinks, making it ideal for handling heavy workloads.
The Mars 980 Blade is the series solution for when space is limited. This model is designed specifically for laptops, micro PCs, and even consoles like the PlayStation 5, allowing them to leverage PCIe Gen 5 speeds. Despite reaching the same top sequential speeds, its efficient 6nm controller and slim design enable it to sustain high performance without requiring additional cooling, even in confined spaces.
Lastly, the Mars 980 Pro is positioned as a balance of performance and value for enthusiasts. This model features a more standard active cooling solution consisting of an aluminium alloy heatsink paired with an integrated fan, while still fitting inside a PlayStation 5. This setup effectively dissipates heat generated during high-speed operations, reportedly lowering temperatures by 15% compared to ordinary fanless alternatives. Like the Storm, it's powered directly from the M.2 slot.
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KitGuru says: Would you consider any of the three new Mars 980 PCIe Gen 5 SSDs from Adata XPG?
The post Adata XPG Mars 980 PCIe 5.0 SSD boasts up to 14,000MB/s speeds first appeared on KitGuru.Thermaltake is going big with their new AX case lineup. The new series, designed specifically for high-performance builds that demand serious space and versatility, includes the AX500, AX700, and AX700 TG models, available in both black and white finishes, as well as the AX100 expansion module.
Kicking off the series is the AX500, a case featuring a roomy, modular design that prioritises cooling with extensive radiator support, including capacity for dual 420mm radiators and up to 14x 120mm fans. Compatibility extends to E-ATX and SSI-EEB motherboards, including support for hidden-connector designs, as well as multiple options for HDD and SSD storage. Built-in features, such as a GPU holder and revised cable management channels, aim to streamline the build process.
Stepping up to the AX700 and AX700 TG models, these cases were built to house extreme configurations for high-end video creation, intensive gaming, and AI tasks. These towers boast impressive compatibility, including support for XL-ATX motherboards and ample clearance for up to five dual-slot GPUs with lengths up to 630mm. Cooling options are also vast, supporting up to 18 fans (120/140mm) and radiators up to 560mm (DIY) or 420mm (AIO), alongside storage slots for up to 18 drives. The AX700 TG features tempered glass alongside perforated panels, while the standard AX700 comes with dual perforated, tool-free hinged panels for easy access.
To further enhance the capabilities of the AX700 series, there's the AX100 extension module. This modular add-on is designed to stack onto the AX700 (either top, bottom, or both) to enhance storage and/or cooling, or even allow for a dual-system configuration. It provides space for a standard PS2 PSU, up to eight additional drives, up to eight fans, and even up to two massive 560mm radiators.
KitGuru says: This type of case featuring an industrial design was quite common about 15/20 years ago, but lately, there has been a gap in the offering for those looking for such enclosures. Fortunately, Thermaltake decided to launch some for those users.
The post Thermaltake unveils ambitious AX series PC cases first appeared on KitGuru.Earlier today, Gearbox confirmed that Borderlands 4 will be releasing sooner than originally announced. The release date has been brought forward to the 12th of September, but Gearbox head, Randy Pitchford, has been quick to stamp out speculation that the release date change has anything to do with Grand Theft Auto 6.
If you've been keeping up with industry news in recent months, you'll know that Gearbox was acquired by Take-Two Interactive last year. When Borderlands 4 was first announced for September, people began speculating about what this might mean for GTA 6. Many publishers across the industry are trying as best as they can to ‘plan around' GTA 6, as the game is expected to be so popular that it will cannibalise sales from other titles releasing within the same week or two.
As the Borderlands 4 date just changed, fans immediately began speculating that we'll be getting GTA 6 news soon, potentially with a September/October release date. According to Gearbox head, Randy Pitchford, the decision is “100 percent” down to the studio's own confidence in Borderlands 4 and has nothing to do with trying to avoid “any other product's actual or theoretical launch date”.
With that said, it seems unlikely that Gearbox would release Borderlands 4 in close proximity to GTA 6. It may be a reach but the message i'm getting here is that GTA 6 won't be a September release.
KitGuru Says: At this point, I am fully expecting GTA 6 in the mid October to late November timeframe.
The post Borderlands 4 release date change has nothing to do with GTA 6, Gearbox claims first appeared on KitGuru.Nvidia has announced its latest GPU game bundle. From now until May 21st, anyone buying an RTX 50 series graphics card, or a laptop with an RTX 50 GPU inside, will get a free code for DOOM: The Dark Ages.
The bundle includes RTX 5070 desktop graphics cards and up, and laptops equipped with an RTX 5070 or higher. The bundle includes the Premium Edition of DOOM: The Dark Ages, which includes early access starting on May 13th, two days before the game's true release date.
Aside from the new RTX game bundle, Nvidia has revealed the next batch of titles to get DLSS support. The list includes ARC Raiders, Oblivion Remastered, Deadzone: Rogue, Where Winds Meet, Diablo 4 Season 8 and Mistfall Hunter.
KitGuru Says: Have you picked up any of this week's new releases?
The post Nvidia is giving away DOOM: The Dark Ages with RTX 50 GPUs first appeared on KitGuru.Montech has launched two new cases that share a good amount of their DNA. Today we are reviewing the HS01 Pro which has a mesh front panel and five ARGB fans, and will soon review the HS02 Pro which has glass at the front. You get a load of hardware at a modest price and a bunch of interesting features that allow you to build your new PC in a number of different ways. Let's take a closer look…
Time stamps
00:00 Start / Pricing
00:44 A Closer Look / Fans
02:04 User Guide / Reverse / Features
04:42 PSU and Drives Install
08:09 Motherboard Install
09:27 GPU Install
11:34 Some more work
12:03 CPU Cooler Install
12:30 PWM Fan Hub
13:40 Front IO Panel
14:21 Panels back on / Start up
15:14 Test Results / Noise
16:58 Closing thoughts
Main features
Specification:
To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, an MSI GeForce RTX 4090 and a Gen 5 SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Montech HS01 Pro ‘s cooling capabilities.
Test System:
Cooling Performance
During our thermal testing the HS01 Pro performed tolerably well but yielded no surprises. It is a large case with plenty of airflow and is supplied with five 120mm fans. The result is a case that cools well enough and which can also get rather noisy.
Montech has added a number of interesting features to the HS01 Pro that give you plenty of options in the way you build your PC. In particular you can choose to flip the case so the motherboard is on the left hand side, rather than the right, and you can also choose to position your graphics card vertically (which requires a PCI Express riser cable).
The neat thing is these features add very little cost to the case, however they bring a degree of complication, which we show in our video. Balanced against that the five 120mm ARGB fans included in the Pro version of the case deliver a decent amount of value.
You can buy the Montech HS01 Pro for £99.99 HERE.
Pros:
Cons:
KitGuru says: Montech HS01 Pro is interesting and creative but requires you to put in the work during your PC build.
While Nintendo has typically updated and refreshed its console’s software and UI each generation, the jump from the OG Switch to Switch 2 offers a much more subtle change in this regard. Thanks to this however, the console maker is able to bring the software experience of the upcoming Switch 2 to the previous-gen system – with the OG console having now gotten a massive update.
Releasing the update with little fanfare ahead of time, the Nintendo Switch has now gotten firmware update 20.0.0. Unlike pretty much all previous updates however, this latest one brings with it a surprising number of changes.
In alignment with the enhancements coming to Switch 2, the OG system is seeing many of the visual changes made for the sequel console – including new icons for Virtual Game Cards, GameShare and a refresh of the others.
Beyond this, the system has also gotten new user-verification settings; improvements to the console’s data transfer; online licence settings; profile changes and more.
Though far from the largest overhaul to a console’s firmware and UI, this still represents one of the biggest updates to come to the Switch since its launch all the way back in 2017.
It will be interesting to see exactly how similar the two systems will feel in the wake of this update – and whether performance will be impacted.
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
KitGuru says: What do you think of the update? Does the Switch look more colourful now? Which Nintendo console had the best system UI in your opinion? Let us know down below.
The post Nintendo releases massive system firmware update ahead of Switch 2 launch first appeared on KitGuru.The Call of Duty series has had an association with weed for quite a few years now, with the annual franchise celebrating 4/20 each year. With Black Ops 6 season 3 launching a bit later than expected, the game’s plans seem to have been pushed back a bit – with a belated 4/20 event now set to go live from tomorrow (featuring Seth Rogen.)
As part of a blog post for Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Season 3 Reloaded, the team at Treyarch detailed all of the new content coming with tomorrow’s seasonal refresh. Alongside the likes of two new multiplayer maps; a new perk; multiple limited-time modes; a new weapon and more, Black Ops 6 is also getting a dedicated 4/20 event.
Set to go live almost two weeks after 4/20, the ‘High Art’ event begins on the 1st of May and will offer an event pass (essentially a half-price bundle which requires gameplay to unlock). While the free track will include some cosmetics alongside gameplay-altering additions, the premium track is where players can get their hands on the Seth Rogen operator.
Beyond the two operator skins, the premium track also includes a gun screen; weapon decal; two gun blueprints; an emote; finishing move and more.
Call of Duty has been far from the most realistic military shooter for many years now. Still, it will be interesting to see how the wider player base reacts to this latest upcoming addition.
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
KitGuru says: What do you think of Black Ops 6’s post-launch support so far? Is the 4/20 event too little too late? Throughout COD’s history, which celebrity operator has been your favourite? Let us know down below.
The post Seth Rogen comes to Black Ops 6 in belated 4/20 event first appeared on KitGuru.Starting development all the way back in 2014 as a one-man project, Lost Soul Aside has been eagerly anticipated by many thanks to its Final Fantasy Versus XIII (later FFXV) inspired visual design and flashy action combat. Over the years, the game’s ambitions grew, necessitating further additional development time. Though finally announced to be launching this May, the game has gotten a bit of a last-minute delay – now arriving in August instead.
Making the announcement on their Steam page, Yang Bing – the Game Director and CEO at Ultizero Games – confirmed a last-minute delay to Lost Soul Aside, writing:
“Dear Fans, We are truly grateful for the positive response we've received from players all over the world since we announced Lost Soul Aside. We remain committed to delivering a high-quality game experience.
To match the standards Ultizero Games have set for ourselves, we are going to take some additional time to polish the game. Lost Soul Aside will now release on August 29, 2025. We want to express our heartfelt thanks to our fans waiting for the launch.”
As mentioned, Lost Souls Aside has been in development for a decade now, with the game having had multiple different target release windows over the years – going as far back as 2018.
As such, waiting a couple more months shouldn’t be too much of an ask for fans of the upcoming game. Hopefully Lost Soul Aside proves to have been worth the long wait when it finally arrives in August.
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
KitGuru says: What do you think of this last-minute delay? Is it cause for concern? Let us know your thoughts down below.
The post Lost Soul Aside release date pushed back to August first appeared on KitGuru.
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