NZXT has announced its entry into the premium fan market with the introduction of the Performance series. The new models include the F120X, F140X, F240X, F280X, and F360X, all featuring a single-frame design, Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) construction, and RGB lighting.

The frame and blades of each fan are constructed from LCP, an ultra-rigid material intended to resist flex and vibration at high speeds. This is paired with an optimised aerodynamic design that features a thicker 30 mm frame (up from the standard 25 mm), allowing the blades to move more air. NZXT also claims a minimal blade-to-frame gap to reduce turbulence.

Internally, the fans use a hybrid magnetic levitation and fluid dynamic bearing system. This is supported by a reinforced metal bearing enclosure and a 3-phase, 6-pole motor, which NZXT states is more efficient and provides smoother speed control. For aesthetics, the fans feature brushed aluminum side panels and subtle RGB lighting.

While the F120X and F140X are single-fan models, the other three are not. The F240X, F280X, and F360X integrate multiple fans into a single, solid frame, simplifying installation and significantly reducing cable clutter. All fans in the series are PWM-controlled and come with anti-vibration rubber corners.

The NZXT Performance fan series is now available in both black and white, and a 5-year warranty is included with all models. Pricing starts at £39.99/$44.99/€44.99 for the F120X and £44.99/$46.99/€46.99 for the F140X. The single-frame units are priced at £74.99/$84.99/€84.99 for the F240X, £79.99/$89.99/€89.99 for the F280X, and £99.99/$119.99/€119.99 for the F360X.

KitGuru says: How much would you spend on new case fans? 

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AOC's potential 2026 AGON monitor lineup has been leaked, showing some promising upcoming monitors. Out of the four monitors in the roadmap, the most significant reveal is a prototype 27-inch monitor apparently capable of a 1000Hz refresh rate.

Based on VisionTang data shared by ITHome (via Guru3D), this prototype reportedly achieves this using a dual-mode function, running at 1000Hz at a 1920×1080 resolution while also offering a 500Hz mode at 2560×1440. The panel is said to use dual-frequency rendering (DFR) technology, likely with integer scaling, to manage the pixel load.

The 2026 lineup isn't just focused on raw refresh rates. The leak also points to a 27-inch AGON model featuring Nvidia G-Sync Pulsar technology. This panel will run QHD resolution at 360Hz, but the Pulsar technology, which synchronises backlight strobing, is claimed to deliver an “effective motion clarity” of 1000Hz. For the esports purist, a more traditional 24.1-inch TN panel is also mentioned, pushing a 400Hz refresh rate.

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KitGuru says: Which of the four displays mentioned in the roadmap interests you the most?

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Voting for the “Ultimate Game of the Year” category at the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 is now open to the public. The annual awards ceremony is scheduled for November 20th, but the public vote for its main prize is running now.

Voters can select up to three titles from a shortlist of twelve via GamesRadar. That 12-strong list includes the two critically acclaimed PS5 exclusives, Death Stranding 2 and Ghost of Yotei, both of which are among the year's best-rated games. The RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which launched back in April to high praise, is also a clear contender for the top spot. On the indie side of things, there's Hades 2 and Hollow Knight Silksong as the fan favourites.

The complete list of nominees can be found below:

• Indiana Jones and The Great Circle
• Ghost of Yotei
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Blue Prince
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Silent Hill f
• Hades II
• Split Fiction
• Peak
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Remember that, as the Ultimate Game of the Year award is decided entirely by public vote, any of the twelve nominees could take the prize with enough support. This was seen last year, when Black Myth: Wukong secured the win, despite not having the same level of success at other industry events.

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KitGuru says: What were your favourite games of 2025? Are they nominated for the Ultimate Game of the Year category at the Golden Joystick Awards 2025?

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SK Hynix unveiled its latest memory roadmap at the AI Summit 2025, and for PC builders, the main takeaway is this: don't hold your breath for DDR6. According to the timeline, the new RAM standard isn't expected to be a significant factor for mainstream PCs until around 2030. 

SK Hynix's roadmap shared by @harukaze5719 (via Wccftech) shows that while the company plans to launch DDR6 products in 2029, it will, as always, be destined for the server market first. This suggests DDR5 has a much longer lifespan ahead of it than many anticipated. The same long-term timeline appears to apply to storage, with PCIe 6.0-based SSDs also unlikely to hit the consumer market for a long time.

On the other hand, memory for mobile devices is accelerating. The roadmap indicates that LPDDR6 will arrive much sooner, with an expected release as early as next year. This new memory will be used in the next-generation SOCAMM2 standard, replacing LPDDR5X in high-performance laptops.

Also mentioned in the roadmap is HBM (High Bandwidth Memory). Development is relentless, with HBM4 starting in 2026, followed quickly by HBM4e, and subsequently HBM5 in 2029 and HBM5e towards 2031. SK Hynix is also moving toward Custom HBM (HBM4E/5/5E), which would allow clients to add logic functions to the memory's base die.

Lastly, for graphics memory, the roadmap teases “GDDR7 Next”. This is likely a nod to the emerging GDDR8 standard, which has appeared on other roadmaps in a similar timeframe. Alternatively, it could be something like GDDR7X.

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KitGuru says: The DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 generation still has plenty of time left on the clock. 

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Intel's “Game Days” promotion, which wrapped up in late October, has already been replaced, though you could be forgiven for not noticing. Intel hasn't made any formal announcements, but new game packages spotted on retailers like Newegg indicate that the blue team is already underway with a new promotion.

While the previous promotion was relatively straightforward, focusing solely on Battlefield 6, this new bundle, spotted by VideoCardz, is split into two distinct tiers: Standard and Platinum. The list of included titles has grown significantly, and Battlefield 6 Phantom Edition is also now part of the offer in the Platinum tier.

Image credit: VideoCardz

The Standard tier appears to have shifted focus. It no longer applies to Raptor Lake CPUs, instead being restricted to Intel Core Ultra 200 series processors and Intel Arc Alchemist or Battlemage desktop and laptop GPUs. Buyers who qualify for this tier get to select one game from a pool of four major titles. The choices include Battlefield 6, Assassin's Creed Shadows, Sid Meier's Civilization VII, or Dying Light: The Beast. In addition to the single game, the Standard bundle also includes a suite of software. This package, which appears to be shared with the Platinum tier, offers in-game content for Marvel Rivals alongside productivity applications, including Vegas Pro 23, XSplit Premium Suite, Canvid, and Cephable Plus.

Things get more interesting with the Platinum deal. This one is aimed at high-end laptops, requiring a Core Ultra 200 series CPU from the H or HX families. As for the bundle's content, instead of choosing one game, Platinum buyers reportedly receive three games. The bundle is said to include the Battlefield 6 Phantom Edition and the Assassin's Creed Shadows Digital Deluxe Edition outright. On top of those two, buyers will be able to choose between Sid Meier's Civilization VII and Dying Light: The Beast, making for a much more substantial package.

The table lists the OEMs and retailers offering the Platinum bundle in each country (Currys in the UK). This new promotion is apparently already active and is set to run until January 31st, 2026. Anyone who snags a code will have until March 15th, 2026, to redeem their games.

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KitGuru says: Are you planning to take advantage of this new campaign to get some extra value for your purchase?

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The October 2025 Steam hardware and software survey shows that Linux gamers have surpassed the 3% threshold for the first time, while Windows' share dropped by almost 1%.

According to the new data, Linux user share rose by 0.41% to hit 3.05%. This growth comes at the expense of Windows, which dropped 0.75 percentage points to 94.84%. macOS also saw a bump, rising 0.34% to 2.11%. This trend has been visible for some time, likely accelerated by the end-of-support for Windows 10, pushing more users to experiment with alternatives.

Based on GamingOnLinux Steam Tracker, the primary driver for this growth in Linux users is the Steam Deck. The handheld, which runs on SteamOS Holo, remains a top 10 global seller on Steam and accounts for the most significant chunk of Linux users at 27.18%.

The rest of the Linux landscape shows significant fragmentation. Arch Linux holds second place with a 10.32% share. The survey also reveals considerable movement, with notable new entries for Linux Mint 22.2 (6.65%) and CachyOS (6.01%). Interestingly, Flatpak runtimes, such as the Freedesktop SDK, are now appearing in the breakdown, alongside other gaming-focused OSs like Bazzite.

Valve has not provided an updated monthly active user (MAU) count since 2022, but even based on that old figure, the Linux user base would be well over 4 million. Given the millions of Steam Deck sales since then, the actual number is likely higher.

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KitGuru says: Have you already joined the Linux gang, or will you remain with Windows for the time being?

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It appears Embark Studios is facing a classic case of success-induced server strain. This weekend, Arc Raiders saw its concurrent player count on Steam explode, rocketing past an all-time high of over 350,000 players. While this is a massive milestone for the extraction shooter, the victory wasn't achieved without its issues, as many who tried to log in on November 2nd.

While the peak concurrent user number is incredible (peaking at 354,836, according to SteamDB), it could have been much larger if not for the login issues the game experienced during the past weekend. Players hoping to jump in were instead met with significant queues and extended matchmaking times. Reports flooded in of queue waits ranging from five to ten minutes, only for some to be met with matchmaking errors that sent them back to the start.

The sudden influx of users clearly put more stress on the servers than anticipated. SteamDB charts showed a noticeable drop in player numbers shortly after the new peak was established, suggesting the server issues were actively preventing players from accessing the game.

Developer Embark Studios has acknowledged the problems. In a statement on the official Arc Raiders Discord, the studio confirmed it was aware of the widespread server, party system, and voice chat instability. About an hour later, Embark deployed a temporary login queue to handle the situation.

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KitGuru says: Have you already tried Arc Raiders? Did you face any problems while logging in?

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AMD is partially reversing course after a recent announcement that it would move RDNA 1- and RDNA 2-based GPUs into “maintenance mode”, halting the development of game-ready drivers for these cards. Following significant backlash from the PC gaming community, the company has clarified that game optimisations for these cards will not be abandoned entirely.

The controversy began when AMD stated its Adrenalin Edition 25.10.2 driver would place the Radeon RX 5000 and RX 6000 series in maintenance mode. This was intended to concentrate on optimising and delivering new features for its latest GPUs. The original statement implied that older cards would only receive critical security and bug fixes, cutting off game-ready support.

This decision was met with immediate criticism, as it affects a massive install base. RDNA 2 is the architecture powering the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and the Steam Deck. It's also used in the original Asus ROG Ally handheld and as integrated graphics in numerous Ryzen 6000 and 7000 series laptops. Furthermore, popular cards like the Radeon RX 6700XT remain prominent despite the oldest RX 6000 cards being around five years old.

In a new statement to Tom's Hardware, an AMD representative attempted to clarify the situation: “New features, bug fixes, and game optimisations will continue to be delivered as required by market needs in the maintenance mode branch”. While AMD confirmed that day-zero support for games will continue, the term “as required by market needs” is vague. The clarification seems to suggest that major feature development will still be focused on RDNA 3 and 4, but popular new game releases may still get optimisations.

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KitGuru says: Are you glad AMD isn't stopping to develop game-ready drivers for its older graphics GPUs?

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Epomaker is expanding its line of ergonomic keyboards, targeting users looking to reduce the physical strain associated with traditional single-piece boards. The company has launched the new Epomaker Split70. Like the existing 65% Split65, the new model is built around a true split design, allowing users to position the two halves independently to suit their shoulder width.

The Split70 offers the ability to split the keyboard in two, intended to improve arm and wrist alignment during extended typing sessions. The halves can be used together, or the left-hand section can reportedly connect independently for a compact gaming or control setup. Internally, the keyboard uses a gasket-mount structure and is packed with five layers of sound-absorbing materials, including latex and PET sheets, to dampen acoustics. Epomaker claims this provides a “creamy” sound profile and is an upgrade over the four-layer system found in the Split65.

For customisation, the board is hot-swappable and features south-facing LEDs to avoid interference with Cherry-profile keycaps. It comes populated with factory-lubed Wisteria Linear V2 switches, an update from the V1 switches used in the earlier model. Productivity features include four pre-programmed macro keys (set to Undo, Cut, Copy, and Paste) and a tactile rotary knob on the right side for volume control or scrolling, which also functions as a mute button when pressed. Full VIA compatibility allows for remapping of all keys.

Connectivity is handled via tri-mode wireless (Bluetooth 5.0 and 2.4 GHz) and a wired USB-C connection, with support for switching between up to five paired devices. Mac users are also catered to, with modifier keycaps included in the box. The Epomaker Split70 is now available in a minimalist black version and a white and blue colourway on the company's official website, priced at € 89.95/$115.99.

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KitGuru says: Have you ever tried a split keyboard? If not, would you consider something like the Split70 to try it out?

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Krafton, the developer behind PUBG: Battlegrounds, has unveiled its new AI-driven companion, ‘PUBG Ally', at Nvidia's “GeForce Gamer Festival” in Seoul. Krafton is labelling it a ‘Co-Playable Character' (CPC), designed to interact and collaborate with live players, going well beyond what you would expect from your typical NPC.

The system is built using Nvidia Ace technology and runs on an on-device Small Language Model (SLM). Kangwook Lee, Head of Krafton AI, detailed the partner's capabilities, stating that ‘PUBG Ally' is designed for both cooperative and independent gameplay, unlike standard bots. Lee said it can “discuss strategies with players and adjust its playstyle accordingly”, which means that, in-game, the AI can make autonomous decisions during combat, fetch specific items for the player, or assist with revives, all while modifying its approach as conditions change.

Lee also emphasised that ‘PUBG Ally' enables voice-based communication. The system supports English, Korean, and Chinese. The AI is trained explicitly on PUBG terminology, including map locations and item attributes, to allow for natural player communication. As we reported earlier this week, players will get to test PUBG Ally in early 2026 as part of PUBG: Battlegrounds Arcade.

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KitGuru says: Do you think we'll start to see more Nvidia ACE AI NPCs in games in the coming years? 

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Razer has announced a partnership with Valve for a new line-up of Counter-Strike 2-branded peripherals. The collection features the iconic and highly sought-after Dragon Lore AWP skin, which is applied to five of Razer's esports-focused products.

This collaboration is primarily an aesthetic overhaul, wrapping the distinct yellow and orange design around existing Razer's high-end hardware. The collection includes the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro wireless headset, which features Razer's HyperClear Super Wideband mic and comes with pre-tuned CS2 audio profiles. It is joined by the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL, a keyboard equipped with Razer's Gen-2 analogue optical switches, which offer adjustable actuation from 0.1 mm to 4.0 mm, as well as a Rapid Trigger mode for faster repeated inputs.

For mouse users, the Razer Viper V3 Pro gets the new Dragon Lore treatment. This 54g symmetrical wireless mouse features the Focus Pro 35K Optical Sensor Gen-2 and Gen-3 optical mouse switches, and is capable of a true 8000 Hz wireless polling rate. Rounding out the collection are the Razer Gigantus V2 soft mouse mat (available exclusively via bundle with the Viper V3 Pro – Counter-Strike 2 Edition) in a large size, and the Razer Iskur V2 X ergonomic gaming chair.

The Counter-Strike 2 Editions of the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro and the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL are now available for £269.99/€289.99/$269.99 each. The Viper V3 Pro – Counter Strike 2 Edition is available alone for £179.99/€189.99/$179.99, while the bundle, including the Gigantus V2 Counter Strike 2 Edition, costs £219.98/€239.98/$219.98. Lastly, the Razer Iskur V2 X – Counter-Strike 2 Edition is now available for pre-order at $399.99.

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KitGuru says: Do you like the aesthetics of the Counter-Strike 2 Dragon Lore collection?

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While the graphics performance of Intel's upcoming “Panther Lake” mobile CPUs has been the subject of much speculation, we now have our first look at the platform's CPU capabilities.

Laptopreview (via VideoCardz) has shared a set of Cinebench R23 multi-core benchmarks for two of the new Core Ultra 300 series chips. According to the new data, the top-tier Core Ultra X7 358H scored approximately 20,000 points in the Cinebench R23 multi-core test, about 10% less than the Core Ultra 7 255H. A second chip, the Core Ultra 5 338H, reportedly scored around 16,000 points in the same benchmark. Both of these tests were allegedly conducted at a TDP of 60/65W.

The specs for these chips were also detailed, aligning with previous rumours. The Core Ultra X7 358H is reportedly a 16-core processor, comprising four P-cores, eight E-cores, and four LP-cores, and will feature a 12-core Xe3 integrated GPU. The Core Ultra 5 338H is a step-down 12-core model, which achieves its lower core count by reducing the number of E-cores to four.

While the CPU performance numbers are new, the leak also provided an updated graphics score. The Time Spy score for the Core Ultra X7 358H is now listed at 6,830 points, compared to the initial reports of around 6,200 points. If these latest numbers are accurate, that's over 70% faster than the Core Ultra 7 255H's integrated GPU.

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KitGuru says: It's a bit disappointing to see a lower CPU performance in the multi-core test, but the massive uplift in the graphics capabilities of this chip makes up for it.

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