Intel isn't quite done with the Arrow Lake platform, even though it has released 22 SKUs since its debut. An update to the Arrow Lake-S desktop lineup is reportedly planned for release in the second half of 2025. 

The Arrow Lake Refresh has been mentioned a few times in the past, but ZDNet Korea (via Tom's Hardware) has now expanded on it with some extra details. Importantly, this refresh will still use chipsets from the 800-series and keeps the LGA 1851 socket. This guarantees that existing motherboards will continue to be compatible.

The anticipated NPU4 is the biggest improvement coming with the Arrow Lake-S update. Like last year's Lunar Lake mobile chips, this next-generation NPU should offer 48 TOPS of performance, meeting Microsoft's Copilot+ AI PC requirements (+40 TOPS). Considering the current NPU used on Arrow Lake chips only delivers about 13 TOPS, that's a significant bump.

Intel's branding strategy for this update is still unclear; it may stay under the Core Ultra 200 series umbrella or move into a different tier. As the company gets ready for the more architecturally significant Nova Lake, which is still reportedly set for a 2026 release on the Intel 18A node, this move is probably a calculated attempt to prolong Arrow Lake's market lifespan.

KitGuru says: Nothing is official yet, but it sounds like we'll be getting some slightly faster Arrow Lake CPUs later in the year. 

The post Intel Arrow Lake Refresh reportedly features clock speed bump and new NPU first appeared on KitGuru.

One of the more surprising casualties from last week's Xbox layoffs was Romero Games. Founded by DOOM creator, John Romero, the studio was not owned by Microsoft, but its new game was being funded by them and when that funding was pulled, a number of employees made the claim that the entire studio had closed down. As it turns out, Romero Games is still ‘open', but it needs to find a new publisher to continue work on its game. 

While Romero Games has not named Microsoft or Xbox in any of its official statements, the company did confirm last week that it had lost publisher funding for the new First-Person Shooter it was developing. After reports that the studio was closing, Romero Games issued a correction, saying the studio is not closed, at least not just yet.

 

“We want to address recent reports regarding the status of Romero Games. These reports have contained inaccuracies, and we feel it's important to set the record straight. Romero Games is not closed, and we are doing everything in our power to ensure that it does not come to that. Any suggestion otherwise is factually incorrect. Indeed, we were in the studio today to discuss next steps with the team.”

While the company remains ‘in business', the lack of publisher for its new game means that the Romeros need to “reassess the entire staffing”. The studio also makes the claim that several publishers have been in touch to express interest in saving the project. However, there has been no pen to paper yet, so the situation is still evolving.

KitGuru Says: Hopefully Romero Games is able to recover funding from a new source and keep all of its staff. For now though, the future of this mystery game is still up in the air. 

The post Romero Games ‘in talks’ with publishers to save project after Xbox cuts first appeared on KitGuru.

Last week, Amazon announced the next round of free games for Prime Gaming. Now, with the annual Prime week sale kicking off, Amazon has announced a few bonus games that are free to claim for a limited time. 

Amazon Prime subscribers can currently claim free copies of Boxes: Lost Fragments (Epic Games Store) and Paquerette Down the Bunburrows (Epic Games Store). On July 17th, two more games will be available to claim – Endless Space 2: Definitive Edition and Beseige: The Splintered Sea.

On July 24th, you can claim a GOG code for Venba, and you can get a free copy of I Love Finding Wild Friends Collector's Edition. The final game of the month arrives on July 31st – Heroes of Loot (GOG).

Those were all of the games announced last week but what about the surprise bonus games? Well Amazon has now added free copies of Football Manager 2024 (Epic Games Store), Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Epic Games Store), Marvel's Midnight Suns (Epic Games Store) and Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2 (GOG).

All of these games will be available to claim for free until the end of July, just as long as you are an Amazon Prime subscriber. The only exception to this is Football Manager 2024, which is only available to claim until July 11th.

KitGuru Says: Will you be claiming any of this month's free Prime games?  

The post Amazon is giving away four more surprise games in July first appeared on KitGuru.

Solo Levelling: Karma, a new action RPG for PC and mobile platforms based on the hugely popular Korean webcomic and anime series, was unveiled by developer Netmarble. Similar to Netmarble's Solo Levelling: Arise (Overdrive), Karma looks to be a fast-paced, isometric dungeon crawler that is reminiscent of Hades.

Its anime adaptation has an average rating of 4.9/5 from over 826,000 user reviews on Crunchyroll, surpassing even critically acclaimed hits like One Piece and Demon Slayer. Solo Levelling: Karma is the most recent adaptation, and although its sleek, fashionable combat appears ready to compete for a place among the top action games, its most alluring hook is the opening line within the trailer. The trailer opens with, “As all battles come to a close, Sung Jinwoo's endless war begins anew”. Without giving away too much, this phrase is believed to refer to Solo Leveling's “Monarch War” arc, where there's a 27-year time skip.

 

Fans have mixed opinions over the ending of Solo Levelling, but this game presents an exciting opportunity to tell stories from that massive 27-year gap in the main narrative.

As of right now, Netmarble has not specified a specific release date for this title, only that it is “coming soon”. The game will be available on PC and mobile devices through Google Play and the App Store.

KitGuru says: Are you a fan of Solo Leveling? Do you think Karma will be better than Arise (Overdrive)?

The post Solo Leveling: Karma announced for PC first appeared on KitGuru.

Monster Hunter Wilds has been one of the biggest disappointments of 2025, in large part due to the game running poorly on both PC and consoles like the PS5. In fact, the performance issues are so prolific that shareholders are asking executives about it at meetings. With that in mind, I was quite shocked to hear this week that Capcom had been planning a conference talk this week titled “Monster Hunter Wilds runs smoothly! Everything you need to know about optimisation”. 

As reported by Automaton and VGC, Japan's largest game developer conference, CEDEC, is due to take place this week. Capcom developers had planned to host a talk at this conference, one titled “Monster Hunter Wilds runs smoothly! Everything you need to know about optimisation”.

It is honestly quite baffling to see that headline and it makes me very curious to see what was going to be said at this talk. However, we won't get that opportunity, as Capcom cancelled their conference talk.

Capcom says that it has had instances of “slander, libel, denigration, intimidation and threats to harm or disrupt business” in recent weeks, as backlash over the lack of game improvements continues on social media. This is all going on amid Monster Hunter Wilds dropping to an Overwhelmingly Negative user score on Steam.

KitGuru Says: Have you tried Monster Hunter Wilds since launch? Have you had issues with performance or has the game met your expectations? 

The post Capcom cancels conference talk as Monster Hunter Wilds frustration boils over first appeared on KitGuru.

To expedite the development of the top-down action-RPG, Vaultbreakers, Square Enix has made an undisclosed “major investment” in BetaDwarf, a Danish game development company. Square Enix will acquire a minority stake in BetaDwarf as part of this agreement.

For BetaDwarf, the studio behind games like Forced and Minion Masters, this investment is regarded as a significant step. A visit to BetaDwarf's studio led to the decision to invest, according to Hideaki Uehara, General Manager of Business Development at Square Enix Holdings. BetaDwarf CEO and Game Director Steffen Kabbelgaard was excited about the collaboration, saying that Square Enix's involvement offers “amazing access to a combination of knowledge, talent, and resources”.

Additionally, Kabbelgaard stated that Vaultbreakers' development is already well advanced. With a “huge amazing community” and “15+ tests with more than 50,000 players”, the game has been continuously improved throughout production. In particular, the new funding will help BetaDwarf expand its community-driven development strategy and improve its production capabilities. The PvE mode and solo queue are results of that strategy. BetaDwarf recently released the first gameplay trailer for Vaultbreakers, and a week-long public playtest is being held from July 3rd to the 9th.

Copenhagen-based BetaDwarf had previously raised $6.6 million in 2019 to create social gaming experiences that promote friendships. Minion Masters, the company's most recent game, has amassed “millions of players”, and Forced, their 2013 debut game, has sold more than 500,000 copies.

KitGuru says: Have you already tried Vaultbreakers? What's your opinion on it?

The post Square Enix-backed ARPG ‘Vaultbreakers’ revealed in new trailer first appeared on KitGuru.

This week, DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation is multiplying performance in Mortal Online 2 and RuneScape: Dragonwilds. Additionally, Brickadia will enter Early Access on July 11th with day-one support for DLSS 4.

Runescape: Dragonwilds launched with day-one support for DLSS 3 with Frame Generation, Nvidia Reflex and DLAA. Now, a new update brings DLSS 4 to the game with Multi-Frame Generation, so RTX 50 graphics card users can obtain an even bigger performance boost.

Mortal Online 2 is getting its first major expansion this month, titled ‘Reckoning' and one of the big tech upgrades coming with this update is the inclusion of DLSS 4. After the update, the game will support DLSS Frame Generation, Super Resolution and Reflex.

The final game on this week's list of new DLSS titles is Brickadia, which enters Early Access on July 11th. The game will release with DLSS 4 in place from day-one, and it features UE5's Lumen ray-traced lighting technology, which RTX graphics cards are adept at handling thanks to hardware RT acceleration. 

KitGuru Says: Are you installing any of this week's new DLSS titles? 

The post Runescape: Dragonwilds, Brickadia and more get DLSS 4 upgrades this week first appeared on KitGuru.

James was impressed by the Corsair Frame 4000D so we have high hopes for this Frame 5000D which is larger in all three dimensions and supports more cooling hardware. The key difference between 50000D and 4000D is support for a 420mm liquid cooler in the roof. Push it to the limits and Frame 5000D can accommodate 12x 140mm fans, which sounds mega.

Time stamps

00:00 Start
01:02 A quick catch up
02:35 Some configs and options
03:26 Billet aluminium motherboard tray
04:06 Prototype case from Computex
04:35 The Elite Motherboard Tray – fitting
08:08 5000D pricing and cooling support
09:21 Removing panels
11:12 Inside the 5000D
12:23 Stealth motherboard support
13:20 PSU
14:18 Installing hardware
17:00 Testing Noise and Temps
18:45 Leo’s Closing Thoughts

Main features

• Supports Reverse Connection Motherboards –Asus BTF, MSI Project Zero, and Gigabyte Project Stealth validated with plenty of connector and cable cutouts and tie-downs to keep things tidy even where you can’t see them.
• Versatile Connectivity –The FRAME 5000D offers four USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C front I/O panel. The I/O ports have also been relocated to the bottom of the case to make it easy for folks with their PC on their desk to connect devices.
• Drives, Drives, Drives –Included drive trays for dual 3.5” hard drives or four 2.5” SSDs, or they can be removed entirely to make room for custom liquid cooling components and cables.
• Solid GPU Support (Literally) –Modern graphics cards are bigger and heavier than ever, which is why every 5000D comes with an included GPU Anti-sag stabilization arm.
• Just a Bit Bigger –GPUs are getting bigger and hotter, which is why the Frame 5000D was designed slightly longer and wider than most other mid-tower cases.
• Built for iCUELink –Designed from the ground up for easy iCUELINK integration, the FRAME 5000D has cable hooks, increased tie downs, and a dedicated mounting pocket for an iCUELINK System Hub (sold separately).
• Touches of Elegance –The Frame 5000D includes a number of features displaying CORSAIR's attention to detail. They include external cable management points, captive screws that won’t get lost, fully colour-matched rivets, screws, and plastic components, an attractive Frost White option, and built-in rotatable PCI slots for vertical GPU mounting fans.
• RapidRoute2.0-FRAME 5000D features the next generation of CORSAIR's cable-routing hardware, with a pegboard-style motherboard tray that allows for custom mounting points for tie-downs and buckles. It also comes with several types of cable clips, or you can 3D print your own. It includes six cinching straps and two wire loom pairs to secure extra cable lengths for a tidy interior.

Specification:

• Motherboard support: E-ATX (up to 305mm), ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX.
• Power supply support: ATX.
• Expansion slots: 8+3.
• Included fans: 3x 140mm RS140 front intake, 1x 140mm RS140 rear exhaust.
• Fan mounts: 3x 120mm/140mm or 2x 200mm front, 3x 120mm/140mm roof, 1x 120mm/140mm rear, 2x 120mm PSU shroud, 2x 120mm/140mm floor.
• Radiator mounts: 360mm/280mm front, 360mm/420mm roof, 120mm/140mm rear, 360mm/280mm side.
• 5.25-inch optical drive bays: None.
• Internal drive bays: 2x 3.5-inch, 6x 2.5-inch.
• Front I/O ports: 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, audio.
• Dimensions: 542mm H x 556mm D x 250mm W.

Testing

To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an Intel core Ultra 9 285K, Palit RTX 5080 and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Corsair Frame 5000D’s cooling capabilities.

Test System:

• Processor: Intel core Ultra 9 285K
• CPU Cooler: Corsair iCUE Link Titan 420 RX RGB
• Motherboard: Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Pro Ice
• Memory: 48GB Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5 8400
• Graphics card: Palit RTX 5080 Gamerock OC 16GB
• Power supply: Corsair RM1000x Shift 1000W Gold
• SSD: Corsair 2TB MP600 Elite M.2 NVMe
• OS: Windows 11 Pro

Cooling Performance

Cooling Performance Overview

You can gauge by eye that the Frame 5000D is likely to flow air well, and of course we have the knowledge that Frame 4000D works well in the cooling department. Added to that we are using the four supplied 140mm case fans and the three 140mm fans on the Corsair iCUE Link Titan 420 RX RGB, so we are working with a total of seven 140mm fans. The result is exactly as expected, which is that the Frame 5000D cools well and can be run with the fans low and slow. Ramping up fan speeds is both noisy and entirely unnecessary.

Closing Thoughts

The easiest way to compare and contrast the Corsair Frame 5000D and the Frame 4000D (review HERE) is to look at every surface where the 4000D supports 2x 140mm fans and you can be confident the 5000D supports 3x 140mm fans. The snag is that while you may assume the 5000D will support a 420mm liquid cooler in the front and side positions  this is not actually the case; 3x 140mm fans – Yes, 420mm cooler – No. You can see the result where we struggle to install a 420mm Corsair AIO in the roof where it is supported in theory but not really in practice.

The solution, in our view, is to ignore 420mm AIO coolers and radiators and to stick to tried and true 280mm and 360mm which work brilliantly well. This might make you wonder why you need a Frame 5000D in the first place and our answer is that you do not. The Frame 4000D will do everything you want and the Frame 5000D is just for lazy people who like the extra space to make life easy when they build their PC.

You can buy the Corsair Frame 5000D RS ARGB for £149.99

Pros:

• Easy to build in with good access to everything, inc EPS cables.
• Good airflow.
• The promised accessories look interesting.

Cons:

• We need slightly more space in the roof to properly support 420mm.
• The promised accessories are not available and will likely be expensive.
• Our early sample had some teething problems.
• Turn up the fan speeds and the case gets noisy.

KitGuru says: The Frame 5000D isn’t quite large enough to deliver on its promises. But it is a very good case.

The post Corsair Frame 5000D Review (with $300 Elite Tray) first appeared on KitGuru.

Amazon Prime Week has arrived. We've had a look through some of the big tech deals on offer this week. Here, we break down some of the best gaming laptop and monitor deals from Acer.

On the monitor front, there is an excellent deal available to those looking to make the jump to a 21:9 ultra-wide display. The Acer Nitro XZ342CU 34-inch Gaming Monitor boasts 3440×1440 resolution, combined with a fast 180Hz refresh rate. On sale, the price is down to £199. If you want a 16:9 option, the Acer Nitro XV27 is down to £149 and offers a 27-inch 1440p display with 180Hz refresh rate.

If you want a 4K option, the Acer Predator XB27KV3 is down to £299 and offers a 160Hz refresh rate and HDR, making for a satisfying gaming upgrade. For 1080p gamers, the Acer Nitro KG241Y S3 offers a 180Hz refresh rate and HDR for less than £80.

If you are after a pre-built gaming desktop to go with your monitor, then the Acer Nitro N50-650 gaming desktop is down to £749 and features a 13th Gen Core i5 CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and an RTX 4060 GPU.

There's a long list of Acer gaming laptop deals on the go this week too. Starting off with previous-gen RTX 40-equipped models, we have the Nitro V, with an RTX 4050, a FHD 15.6″ 165Hz display and a 13th Gen Core i5 CPU down to £749.99. If you want an RTX 4060 instead, you can find the Nitro V 16 with a 14th Gen Core i6 and a 16″ 165Hz WUXGA display down to £829.99.

If you want to make the jump to RTX 50, then there are entry-level RTX 5050 and RTX 5060 laptop models on sale this week. For £849.99 you can get an Acer Nitro V 15 with an RTX 5050, a 512GB SSD and a 165Hz FHD display. For £899, you can make the jump to the RTX 5060-equipped Acer Nitro V 15 instead, which has a larger 1TB SSD as well.

The new Acer Predator Helios 18 laptop is on sale this week too. The RTX 4070 version is down to £1299.99, the RTX 5080 version is down to £2999.99 and the RTX 5090 model is down to £3699.99.

You can find all of Acer's Prime Day deals HERE.

KitGuru Says:  Are you planning on picking up anything during this week's sales?

The post Acer slashes gaming laptop and monitor prices for Amazon Prime Week first appeared on KitGuru.

Following months of leaks and rumours, the long awaited follow-up to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 was officially announced in the form of THPS 3+4. With the game finally set to launch in just a couple days, early reviews for the title have gone live – revealing what looks to be a solid remake (with some caveats).

Though subject to change as more reviews are published, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 currently sits at an 83 on Metacritic, with an OpenCritic rating of 85 – just slightly behind its predecessor THPS 1+2 (89).

That said, unlike the first three titles, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 in particular shook the formula up a bit upon its original release back in 2002, adding more of a campaign mode when compared to prior entries.

Unfortunately, THPS 3+4 axed said campaign mode, instead replacing it with a challenge system more similar to that of the first 3 games – a change which according to reviews will be “disappointing” to those who enjoyed the 4th Pro Skater’s format.

All in all however, it appears as though Iron Galaxy successfully took over the reins from Vicarious Visions (who worked on THPS 1+2) for this remake.

It will be interesting to see what fans think of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 when it officially launches for everyone on the 11th of July.

KitGuru says: Have you been looking forward to THPS 3+4? What do you think of the changes to the 4th game’s campaign? Is it a dealbreaker? Let us know down below.

The post Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 reviews reveal a solid remake first appeared on KitGuru.

LC-Power is debuting some very attractive options for the budget CPU cooler market. The latest DIGI cooler embraces new technologies, such as integrated displays in the heatsink and modern heat distribution methods, while keeping the price tag fairly low. LC-Power also has new black and white air coolers joining the line-up too.

There are a few models in this series, including the DIGI LC-CC-120-DB6, which is the most expensive model, followed by the AERA LC-CC-120-B4 and W4. These two are the same cooler, but one is black and the other is white.

Focusing on the LC-CC-120-DB6 to start. This cooler is equipped with six copper heat popes, paired with aluminium cooling fins and a copper-aluminium base. The 120mm fan has a fluid dynamic bearing to ensure long-lasting and quiet operation, better yet – the fan comes preinstalled, so you won't have to waste any time while setting the cooler up. At the top of the heatsink you'll find a digital display, which can show system stats taken from BIOS readings, or it can be paired with the LC-Power companion software for further customisation.

This cooler is rated to handle up to 230W TDP and supports Intel LGA 1851, 1700, 1200 and 115x sockets, as well as AMD's AM4 and AM5 sockets, enabling broad compatibility across multiple generations of processors. The cooler will cost £39.99 in the UK.

Next up we have the new AERA LC-CC-120-B4 and LC-CC-120-W4 coolers. The B4 is the black version and the W4 is the white version. In both cases, the entire heatsink is coated, creating a cohesive look that will pair well with other system components.

The AERA coolers are designed for modern Intel and AMD systems. They use four copper heat pipes, combined with aluminium cooling fins and a copport heat spreader. The 120mm fan has a fluid dynamic bearing, ensuring long-lasting operation with minimal wear over time.

These coolers are rated to handle up to 190W of TDP and support the Intel LGA 1851, 1700, 1200 and 115x sockets, as well as AMD's AM4 and AM5 sockets. Both coolers will be priced at £29.99 in the UK.

KitGuru Says: All three coolers here are very competitively priced and would certainly be a huge upgrade over a stock cooler. 

The post LC-Power unveils new DIGI and AERA CPU coolers first appeared on KitGuru.

While the Steam Deck and SteamOS have been taking the PC gaming space by storm over the past few years, there remains a subset of titles which struggle to run on the platform – those being games which user kernel level anti-cheat. Fortunately, it appears as though some developers are working to try and keep their multiplayer games supported on the platform, with The Finals committing to continued functionality on Steam Deck despite their newly-added anti-cheat.

As part of the latest update to The Finals, the team at Embark Studios officially detailed the game’s new anti-cheat, writing: “In the coming months, we will also begin an incremental rollout of a new kernel-based anti-cheat solution, intended to significantly raise the bar for cheat makers.”

As mentioned, most games which utilise kernel-level anti-cheat are unable to run on SteamOS due to its use of Linux. That said, Embark took to their Discord to reaffirm their commitment to the Steam Deck / SteamOS, stating:

“Hey guys! There are no plans to drop support for SteamOS/Proton/Wine and/or SteamDeck, despite us not officially supporting the platform, we will do our upmost best to maintain your ability to play.”

Adding to this, the team claimed to be “working pretty closely with CodeWeavers to QA every release we put out there since about Season 5, and I don't see a reason to stop that. It's not exactly a collaboration, but we do catch issues with SteamDeck early because at the very least they do a pass on the game before we release a patch.”

So, while it appears as though issues may arise as a result of this new implementation, the team at Embark seem to be committed to ensuring The Finals continues to run on the Steam Deck and SteamOS as a whole.

KitGuru says: What do you think of anti-cheat? How many games can’t you play on Steam Deck because of it? Let us know down below.

The post The Finals will continue to work on Steam Deck despite new anti-cheat first appeared on KitGuru.

There’s been a great deal of discussion surrounding Xbox Game Pass and its viability, with some developers expressing concerns with the subscription service’s long-term sustainability. That said, Microsoft has for quite some time claimed it to be a profitable service. While this may be true in some regard, it seems as though the console maker might have been stretching the meaning of the word somewhat.

In a post discussing the viability of Xbox Game Pass in the wake of the latest mass lay-offs at Xbox, known industry insider Christopher Dring took to Twitter to offer some clarity on the common claim that the service is profitable and has been for a while, writing:

“So costs associated with the Game Pass business is fees paid to third-parties, marketing, service costs… and by that measure, it’s profitable.”

Dring continued, “What they don’t count is the lost revenue that Xbox’s first-party studios are seeing as a result of the service. I have to imagine if first-party studios received similar compensation, that profitability might not be correct.”

Considering that Game Pass’ whole USP is the fact that all first-party games are added day-one to the service, not counting these costs feels somewhat disingenuous – and perhaps offers greater insight into how Microsoft is currently perceiving Xbox and Game Pass.

It will be interesting to see whether Microsoft will have anything to say on the matter in future.

KitGuru says: Did you believe the ‘Game Pass is profitable’ claims? Does this recent addendum make more sense? Should Microsoft stop offering first-party titles day-one? Let us know down below.

The post Game Pass isn’t as profitable as it’s claimed, according to insider first appeared on KitGuru.

Today we’re checking out the GEEKOM IT15 Mini PC – A tiny machine equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H processor, 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory, and a 2TB Crucial P3 Plus SSD. It features Intel Arc 140T integrated graphics, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, dual USB4 ports, and support for up to four external displays. Can this tiny PC deliver big performance?

Timestamps:

00:00 Start
00:40 Specs and Pricing
04:01 Inside / Ports I/O
05:46 Size and Build Quality
06:53 Cooling and setup
07:25 Light Gaming
09:38 Productivity
10:42 Fans and Noise
11:09 Power / Heat / Clock Speeds
13:15 Thermal Camera
13:58 Closing Thoughts

Specifications

• Form Factor – 117 × 112 × 45.5 mm w/ rubber foot
• CPU – Intel® Core Ultra 9-285H
• GPU – Integrated Intel® Arc 140T GPU
• Memory – Dual-channel DDR5 262PIN 5600 MHz SODIMM, up to 64 GB
• Storage – Crucial P3 Plus M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 2TB SSD
• I/O Port –
  • 1 × USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A and 1 × USB 2.0 Type-A (back panel)
  • 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, supports S5 power delivery
  • 1 × USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (front panel)
  • 2 × USB4, one support PD (back panel)
  • 1 × 3.5mm stereo headset jack (front panel)
  • 1 × 2.5G RJ45 (back panel)
  • 2 × HDMI(back panel)
  • 1 × DC in (back panel)
  • 1 × Power Button
  • 1 × Kensington Lock
  • 1 × SD Card 4.0 Reader
• Internal Connector
  • 1 × M.2 key-M slot for PCIe ×4 Gen 4 NVMe SSD, 2280
  • 1 × M.2 key-B slot (SATA), 2242
  • 1 × M.2 key-E slot for CNVi/PCIe WIFI, 2230
  • 1 × FAN
  • 1 × 5 ping header for SATA/HDD LED
  • 1 × USB 2.0 pin header
  • Ethernet – Intel 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps RJ45
  • Wireless LAN – Intel M.2 Wi-Fi 7 , Bluetooth 5.4
  • Adapter – 19V power supply adapter (120W) with geo-specific AC cord (IEC C5)
  • Operating system – Microsoft Windows*11 pro 24H2(64-bit)
  • Accessory – VESA Mount

Coupon code 10% Off: IT15KT10

This exclusive coupon will remain valid till August 2025 UK buy link direct: https://tinyurl.com/ylfggovl US buy link: https://tinyurl.com/yufdkmdv

Amazon UK buy link: https://tinyurl.com/yv9xuujp (Seems to be £854 – we dont know for how long). US buy link: https://tinyurl.com/yufdkmdv

KITGURU MAKES NOTHING from sales of PC's from either link above.

The model featured in the review has a full RRP of £1299 but is currently on sale for £999 (as of 04/07/25) – GEEKOM are running special pricing for Amazon Prime Day 2025 and have provided our readers with an extra 10% off on their website using the code: IT15KT10

Pros:

• Extremely small form factor
• Solid build quality with inner metal frame
• 32GB of DDR5 memory on all models
• 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD included with the model we reviewed
• Great for light 4K editing
• Decent gaming performance in titles that support Intel XESS
• Spare M.2 slot for additional storage (Sata speeds)
• Easy to disassemble and upgrade

Cons:

• Hampered by thermal throttling and triple digit CPU package temperatures when under sustained CPU intensive workloads
• Expensive for the top spec model

KitGuru says: The IT15 is a useful, powerful and compact computer. Unfortunately it is hampered by very high CPU temperatures when under intensive CPU workloads. 

 

The post GEEKOM IT15 Mini PC Review first appeared on KitGuru.

Deep Rock Galactic Survivor has been one of my most played games on Steam Deck over the past year, even in its early access state. Now, the extremely fun spin-off is nearing its full release.

Deep Rock Galactic Survivor is heading towards V1.0, which will also mark the end of its time in Early Access. The Survivor team is preparing a whole new gear system for the 1.0 launch, which will provide a lot more variety to your builds with each run. With the release version, gear will be divided up into six types – armour, mods, canisters, gadgets, tools and chips.

Armour will give you more health and damage resistance, mods will alter your guns to do various types of damage, canisters alter explosion potency and radius, gadgets improve your mining skills, tools improve your weapon reload speed and range, and chips will make changes to drones.

This isn't the only major change coming with V1.0, but we'll hear more about other additions in the weeks leading up to launch. Deep Rock Galactic Survivor is launching on September 17th.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Have you tried Deep Rock Galactic Survivor since the early access launch? Are you looking forward to V1.0? 

The post Deep Rock Galactic Survivor leaves Early Access in September first appeared on KitGuru.

Borderlands 4 is just a couple of months away. The $80 launch disaster has been avoided and 2K is slowly revealing more details about the game. In a new deep-dive video, developers give new insight into the history and lore of Kairos, the new planet where the events of Borderlands 4 take place. 

On Kairos, players will encounter a number of key factions, including the Outbounders, Augurs, and Electi. Each one of these factions controls their own piece of the map, but the true bad guy for this game is the tyrannical Timekeeper.

Here is a piece of the new teaser for Borderlands 4:

“Kairos is hungry for a revolution. There are various factions vying for survival. The Outbounders, a group that crashlanded on Kairos and have not been able to leave, the Augurs, descendants of the first miners sent to acquire resources on behalf of the Timekeeper, and the Electi, the Kairos elite who are locked out of the city walls are all learning to survive. The Vault Hunters are thrown into this unstable world of Kairos – and all roads lead to the Timekeeper, who maintains control through cybernetic implants called Bolts”.

Borderlands 4 launches worldwide on September 12th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store. It will also be coming to Nintendo Switch 2 later in 2025.

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KitGuru Says: Are you looking forward to Borderlands 4? 

The post Borderlands 4 dev diary gives us a deep dive into Kairos, enemy factions and more first appeared on KitGuru.

Monster Hunter Wilds has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons recently. While the announcement of the game's new free content update should have been a celebrated moment, the lack of any performance improvements led to a flurry of negative reviews. Now, Capcom has been forced to address the elephant in the room.

Capcom has finally addressed the on-going complaints around optimisation in Monster Hunter Wilds. Since launch, the game has had performance problems on both PC and console. Now that the game has drifted to an ‘Overwhelmingly Negative' user score on Steam, Capcom executives have finally had to face the music in the most recent shareholder meeting.

As reported by PCGamer, one shareholder asked Capcom's board if the development staff was ‘aware of the feedback' around optimisation and content volume in Monster Hunter Wilds. In response, Capcom said that it is “committed to enhancing user satisfaction” with future updates for the game.

It is a fairly standard response, but it is an interesting turn. Capcom has mostly received praise in recent years for its quality releases. The fact that shareholders are asking questions about optimisation and content volume shows that standards have slipped with recent projects like Monster Hunter Wilds, and that will need to be corrected for upcoming releases for games like Resident Evil Requiem.

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KitGuru Says: Have you tried Monster Hunter Wilds since it came out? Does the game run well on your system?

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CPU-Z has been updated to version 2.16 for Windows x86/x64, bringing with it support for lots of newly launched hardware. This update is particularly significant for enthusiasts following the latest developments from both AMD and NVIDIA. 

Regarding AMD, the Ryzen Z2 and Z2 Extreme CPUs, which are frequently known by their codename “Strix Point,” are now fully supported by CPU-Z 2.16. These processors are already appearing in devices like the Legion Go S and were created especially for portable gaming devices. Additionally, the update expands its compatibility to the Dragon Range refresh lineup, correctly identifying SKUs like the Ryzen 9 8945HX and 8940HX and Ryzen 7 8840HX and 8745HX, which are 55W processors targeted at the high-end laptop market.

Nvidia's latest GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs are also now correctly detected. CPU-Z 2.16 includes support for the Radeon RX 9060 XT and Nvidia's recently launched RTX 5060 Ti, RTX 5060, and RTX 5050. The complete list of all new devices supported by CPU-Z version 2.16 can be found below:

• AMD Ryzen Z2 and Z2 Extreme (Strix Point).
• AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX, 8940HX, Ryzen 7 8840HX, 8745HX (Dragon Range refresh).
• Improved support of AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 and Ryzen AI 5 340 (Kraken Point).
• Zhaoxin KaiXian KX-U6780A and KX-U6580 (LuJiaZui, 8 cores).
• AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT (Navi 44).
• NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti (GB206), RTX 5060 (GB206), RTX 5050 (GB207)

Those interested in downloading the latest CPU-Z version can do so HERE.

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KitGuru says: Do you use CPU-Z? Have you gotten a system with any of the new stuff supported by CPU-Z 2.16?

The post CPU-Z adds support for RX 9060 XT, RTX 5060, RTX 5050 and Ryzen Z2 first appeared on KitGuru.

MSI Afterburner has forgone support for AMD's most recent Radeon RX 9000 series graphics cards, in large part due to the fact that MSI does not make any. Now, the developer behind Afterburner is correcting this with a new beta update, which brings support for RDNA 4 graphics cards. 

The most recent beta versions of MSI Afterburner, specifically Afterburner 4.6.6 Beta 6 Build 16591, and its companion program, RivaTuner Statistics Server Beta 7 Build 28220, now support RDNA 4 GPUs. These builds can be found in Guru3D (via UNIKO's Hardware), but they are not yet accessible on the official Afterburner website.

The official patch notes for MSI Afterburner v4.6.6 Beta 6 Build 16591 can be found below:

• Extended +3000MHz memory clock overclocking range tweak for NVIDIA RTX 5000 series graphics cards, which was available as separately downloadable hardware database for the previous beta, is now integrated into distributive.
• Added some future NVIDIA RTX 5000 series GPUs to hardware database.
• Added unofficial AMD RDNA4 GPU family support
• Relaxing preemptive sleep delay is now excluded from cumulative polling time displayed by performance profiler on Overdrive8 capable graphics cards to avoid confusing beginners.
• Fixed missing CPU Power sensor on Intel Arrow Lake CPU family
• RivaTuner Statistics Server has been upgraded to v7.3.7 beta 7

Note that compatibility for “future GPUs from NVIDIA” is also mentioned in the changelog for this beta update. Although this might be a reference to the recently released RTX 5050, it also raises the possibility that there are other unannounced Nvidia products in the works.

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KitGuru says: This update offers the much-needed support for RDNA 4 graphics card users who rely on Afterburner to adjust GPU settings, apply custom fan curves, or prefer the powerful overlay features offered by RTSS.

The post MSI Afterburner beta introduces Radeon RX 9000 series support first appeared on KitGuru.

A handful of classic games were announced for Nintendo Switch Online as part of the Switch 2 launch. Now, as we near the next Nintendo Direct showcase, it looks like fans have figured out what new titles will soon be announced for the service, including Smash 64. 

The next Nintendo Direct may include a new wave of Nintendo 64 classics for the Switch Online library of games. ImakuniVT and AndreSegers of GameXplain both went viral on social media this week with claims that the original Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64 will be joining the Switch Online library based on a Switch Online bug that placed the box art for the game within the app.

The bug also showed boxart for Donkey Kong 64, Forsaken 64 and Glover, so these should be the other Nintendo 64-era games joining the Switch Online library. Fans are also anticipating the release of Pokémon Coliseum for the Switch Online GameCube emulator sometime this month.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: There are so many classics in Nintendo's library that have yet to appear as part of the Switch Online service. A Donkey Kong 64 announcement this month would be very fitting, as a new 3D Donkey Kong game is launching for the Switch 2 later this month. 

The post Smash Bros, Donkey Kong 64 and more to join Switch Online library first appeared on KitGuru.

For years now, a Final Fantasy 9 remake has been rumoured. When Square Enix announced plans for a special 25th anniversary event for the game, an announcement became widely anticipated. However, the stream came and went this week with absolutely no mention of a new Final Fantasy 9 game.

The Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary stream included new merch, some fancy new character art, but no mention of a new game. Leaker NatetheHate, who has spoken about the Final Fantasy 9 Remake in the past, claims to have heard that the game was ‘in trouble' recently. However, other outlets like VGC report that the game is still in development.

Final Fantasy 9 first released for the PS1 in 2000, before re-releasing in 2010 for more modern platforms of the time, like the PSP and PS3. The game is also available today on newer consoles, mobile devices and PC.

We first learned of plans for a Final Fantasy 9 remake in 2021, when a GeForce Now database leak revealed project names and working titles for hundreds of unannounced games. Many of the games first spotted in this leak were later confirmed, including Square Enix titles like Chrono Cross Remastered, Kingdom Hearts 4 and the PC version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

If the remake is still in development, then we should get some kind of nod towards it from Square Enix at some stage this year. However, the company has been reluctant to confirm it so far, although producers like Naoki Yoshida have commented on the idea in interviews before.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The stream last night will have been disappointing to anyone who has been following the remake leaks in recent years. I do wonder if the lower-than-expected sales for Final Fantasy Rebirth could have given Square Enix cold feet. In all likelihood, Final Fantasy 9 Remake would have been split up into multiple parts too. 

The post Final Fantasy 9 Remake a no show at 25th anniversary stream first appeared on KitGuru.

The Stop Killing Games petition has surpassed one million signatures in the EU, meaning the movement may soon move towards next steps to getting new consumer protection laws in place targeting the video game market. As a result of this, a lobbying group backed by Ubisoft, Take-Two, WB, Riot Games, Activision Blizzard, Microsoft, and Nintendo, has spoken out against the petition.

Video Games Europe is a lobbying group backed by some of the biggest publishers across the industry. Its entire goal is to get involved with politics to ensure laws remain in line with industry interests. In a statement sent to press outlets like VGC, Video Games Europe makes it clear that it does not support the Stop Killing Games movement:

“We appreciate the passion of our community; however, the decision to discontinue online services is multi-faceted, never taken lightly and must be an option for companies when an online experience is no longer commercially viable. We understand that it can be disappointing for players but, when it does happen, the industry ensures that players are given fair notice of the prospective changes in compliance with local consumer protection laws”.

In response to those wanting the option for private servers, the group claims it is “not always a viable alternative option”, claiming that the lack of protections against illegal or unsafe content would leave the rights holder legally liable. In a response video published this afternoon, Ross, the creator of the Stop Killing Games petition, disputed the claim that rights holders would be legally liable for content found on privately hosted servers for an unsupported, End-of-Life game.

In his response video, Ross also disputes other portions of the Video Games Europe statement, reaffirming the stance that no developers will be forced to continue supporting their online games indefinitely, which the Video Games Europe statement seems to imply would be a problem if new game preservation laws were to go into effect.

The Stop Killing Games petition has reached its target number of signatures in the EU and UK, but more signatures are needed as there will inevitably be a number of signings that get discounted as being illegitimate.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It doesn't surprise me that games industry executives don't want new laws that would impact the ways they currently do business. However, there is growing concern around the industry's continued efforts to erode the rights of video game buyers, so something needs to change. 

The post Video game industry pushes back as Stop Killing Games petition gains traction first appeared on KitGuru.

Windows 11 has finally surpassed Windows 10 as the most popular Microsoft operating system, almost four years after its initial release in October 2021. Given that Windows 10's official end-of-support date of October 14th, 2025, is approaching, this change is not particularly surprising.

This marks a significant turning point for Microsoft, which has observed a relatively gradual adoption rate for Windows 11 over the past few years. However, as of July 2025, data from StatCounter (via PCGamer) indicates that Windows 11 now accounts for over 50% of all Windows PCs, finally surpassing Windows 10's market share (by about 6%).

Image credit: StatCounter

Given that almost all new Windows laptops sold since 2021 have Windows 11 pre-installed, this accelerated rise can surely be partially attributed to the natural cycle of hardware upgrades. As a result, some of the increase is just due to consumers buying new devices. But it's anticipated that more and more Windows 11 users will be “reluctant converts” from Windows 10 in the upcoming months, mainly because security updates will soon stop.

Although Microsoft recently provided a limited reprieve, offering a way to get a free extra year of Windows 10 security updates in exchange for signing in with a Microsoft account and backing up PC settings to the cloud, this is only a temporary fix. It is generally not recommended for individual users to continue using Windows 10 after security updates expire due to increased vulnerability, even though enterprise users have options to maintain older Windows versions beyond official support.

Users do have good options if Windows 11 isn't a good fit. Switching to a Linux distribution might be a wise decision, particularly for users with outdated hardware that doesn't support Windows 11's compatibility requirements. For gamers, excluding games that use kernel-level anti-cheat, the majority can now run smoothly on Linux thanks to Steam's Proton compatibility layer.

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KitGuru says: Are you already on Windows 11? How has your experience been up to now?

The post Windows 11 has more users than Windows 10 for the first time first appeared on KitGuru.

Nintendo has stayed away from the console wars for quite a few generations, especially when it comes to the power/performance of said consoles – instead opting for relatively modest hardware. With the Switch 2 having now been out in the wild for a bit however, we’re seeing more and more developers weigh in on the system’s capabilities and potential.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is an interesting handheld/console hybrid, with the system being far more powerful than 2017’s Switch 1 while also taking advantage of bespoke upscaling techniques such as DLSS.

That said, in terms of raw horsepower, the sequel system is seemingly still quite behind its contemporaries, with the studio behind the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta – Virtuos – telling WCCFTECH:

“GPU-wise, the Switch 2 performs slightly below the Series S; this difference is more noticeable in handheld mode. However, the Series S does not support technologies like DLSS, which the Switch 2 does. This makes the GPU capabilities of the two consoles comparable overall.”

Unfortunately, it seems as though Switch 2’s CPU is where the console falls behind the most, with the team continuing: “CPU-wise, there is a clearer distinction between the two consoles. The Switch 2 is closer to the PlayStation 4 in this respect, having a CPU just a bit more powerful than the PS4's.”

Offering some context for what this means with current-gen games, the team claimed “Any game shipping at 60 FPS on the Series S should easily port to the Switch 2. Likewise, a 30 FPS Series S game that's GPU-bound should also port well. Games with complex physics, animations, or other CPU-intensive elements might incur additional challenges in reaching 30 or 60 FPS or require extra optimization during porting.”

As always, even the most powerful console can run games poorly assuming the title was not optimised (cough cough MindsEye cough cough), and so the relative power of the Switch 2 functions more as an interesting anecdote. It’ll be curious to see just how much power developers manage to squeeze out of the Switch's successor throughout its lifecycle.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of the Switch 2's performance so far? Are you impressed by its power? How long will it take for the system to get its first ‘impossible port’? Let us know your thoughts down below.

The post MGS Delta studio compares Nintendo Switch 2 CPU to PS4 and GPU to Series S first appeared on KitGuru.