ASUS GeForce RTX 5080 Noctua OC Edition review

Graphics cards 1102 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 12

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We review the ASUS GeForce RTX 5080 Noctua OC, the Silent Quad-Slot Powerhouse  - If you’re considering a high-end GPU that balances thermal performance with quiet operation, the ASUS Noctua GeForce RTX 5080 might catch your eye. This third-generation collaboration blends ASUS’s custom PCB and heatsink design with Noctua’s signature NF-A12 fans, aiming to tame temperatures without cranking up the noise. Performance-wise, ASUS ships the card with a 2700 MHz boost clock out of the box. An OC mode bumps that up to 2730 MHz, which is roughly 100 MHz above NVIDIA’s baseline. To move that heat away quickly, ASUS paired the cooler with three Noctua NF-A12 fans. These 120 mm fans are tuned for high airflow at lower RPM, so they push a lot of air through the heatsink but run quietly. Even under full load, you’ll notice a gentle hum rather than the typical grille-rattling whine you get from many stock GPU fans. If you’re considering a high-end GPU that balances thermal performance with quiet operation, the ASUS × Noctua GeForce RTX 5080 might catch your eye. This third-generation collaboration blends ASUS’s custom PCB and heatsink design with Noctua’s signature NF-A12 fans, aiming to tame temperatures without cranking up the noise. Performance-wise, ASUS ships the card with a 2700 MHz boost clock out of the box. An OC mode bumps that up to 2730 MHz, which is roughly 100 MHz above NVIDIA’s baseline. To move that heat away quickly, ASUS paired the cooler with three Noctua NF-A12 fans. These 120 mm fans are tuned for high airflow at lower RPM, so they push a lot of air through the heatsink but run quietly. Even under full load, you’ll notice a gentle hum rather than the typical grille-rattling whine you get from many stock GPU fans.
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MSI GeForce RTX 5080 EXPERT OC review

Graphics cards 1102 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 16

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The MSI RTX 5080 Expert graphics card introduces a sealed, blower-style cooler derived from NVIDIA’s RTX 40-series Founders Edition, enclosing its vapor chamber and heatpipes under an aluminum die-cast shroud that obscures internal components except the 16-pin power connector. Listed at $1,399 USD, this card adopts a dual-fan push-pull configuration: one fan intake at the bottom left drives air out the rear I/O, while the second fan intakes through a vent and exhausts via the backplate. Technically, the RTX 5080 Expert spans 12.56 × 5.91 × 2.36 inches and weighs 4.18 lbs. Its advanced vapor chamber cooler employs square-section heatpipes to transfer heat efficiently. The OC model reaches a maximum boost clock of 2,715 MHz and draws up to 360W. For display connectivity, it retains three DisplayPort 2.1b outputs alongside one HDMI 2.1b port.
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Review: Fossibot F3600 Pro power station

Smartphones and Gadgets 26 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 7

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The F3600 Pro weighs 42 kg and incorporates heavy-duty wheels and an ergonomic handle to facilitate transport between sites. Its modular battery design supports stacking additional modules to scale usable capacity from 7,680 Wh up to 11,520 Wh. A built‑in power management unit accepts wall, vehicle, and solar charging sources, regulating input up to 520 W while providing protection against overcurrent, overvoltage, and overheating. In off‑grid or emergency scenarios, the F3600 Pro’s robust 3,600 W continuous inverter output and 7,200 W peak capability can sustain high-demand appliances such as refrigerators, power tools, and network equipment. Multiple AC and DC outlets allow simultaneous operation of lighting, communications, and medical devices without reliance on fossil-fuel generators.
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Review: Lexar PLAY 2280 SE PCIe 4.0 SSD

Memory (DDR4/DDR5) and Storage (SSD/NVMe) 386 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

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The Lexar PLAY 2280 SE PCIe 4.0 SSD is engineered to expand storage on PlayStation 5 consoles and compatible M.2 2280 laptop systems. It delivers sequential read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s and write speeds up to 6,000 MB/s, supporting rapid data transfer and reduced load times. With a capacity of 4 TB, this module accommodates large game libraries or extensive multimedia archives without frequent file management.
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Ryzen Threadripper 9980X review: 64-Core (Zen5) Desktop Processor

Processors 216 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 24

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The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is a powerhouse CPU sitting at the top end of AMD’s Threadripper 9000X line, it brings an impressive 64 real CPU cores to the table. Thanks to simultaneous multithreading, it tackles up to 128 threads, which means it can handle massive multitasking workloads—think high-end content creation, virtualization labs, or compute-heavy simulations. Under the hood, this chip is built on TSMC’s 4 nm process and packs 66.52 billion transistors into its die, which also houses 256 MB of L3 cache. These specs translate into a base clock of 3.2 GHz and a turbo boost of up to 5.4 GHz, with an unlocked multiplier.
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Ryzen Threadripper 9970X review: The 32-Core (Zen5) PC Powerhouse

Processors 216 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 3

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The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9970X stands out as a powerhouse for serious desktop users, packing 32 physical cores and 64 threads through SMT. If you’re running large-scale simulations, rendering video, or hosting multiple virtual machines, this CPU delivers parallel processing capabilities you’ll appreciate. Its Zen 5 Shimada Peak architecture sets the foundation, and while each core starts at 4.0 GHz, it can ramp up to 5.4 GHz when workloads demand it. The generous 128 MB L3 cache helps keep data close to the cores, reducing latency for repetitive tasks. Under the hood, it uses TSMC’s 4 nm process technology, fitting over 33 billion transistors onto the silicon. That combination of high core count, smart cache distribution, and advanced lithography makes the 9970X a clear choice for anyone who needs raw CPU horsepower.
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Review: GALAX GeForce RTX 5060 EX White 8GB

Graphics cards 1102 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 4

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The Galax GeForce RTX 5060 EX White is a custom graphics card based on NVIDIA's latest RTX 50-series GPU. It comes with a sleek, premium appearance thanks to its fully white design. The cooler shroud and backplate are both white, giving it a clean, appealing look. The printed circuit board (PCB) underneath is considerably smaller and hidden by the oversized cooler, contributing to a neat overall aesthetic. The cooling system features two large fans blowing air through an aluminium heatsink that spans the card’s full length of 25 cm. Illuminated fans add an extra touch of lighting, enhancing the visual appeal. Connectivity options on the RTX 5060 EX White are straightforward and practical, offering three DisplayPort 2.1b outputs and one HDMI 2.1b port. This makes it suitable for multi-monitor setups, appealing to content creators who need wide work areas and gamers seeking immersive, panoramic experiences. Additionally, it supports technologies like DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and NVIDIA G-SYNC, ensuring excellent performance across a variety of applications and games.
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Review: Intel Core Ultra 9 285H in the Geekom IT15 Mini PC

Mini and Desktop PCs 53 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 3

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The Intel-powered Geekom IT15 mini PC offers a single M.2 slot that supports PCIe 4.0 SSDs for fast storage. It also includes an additional M.2-2242 connector, but this one is limited to SATA 3.0 speeds. Users can also install a 2.5" SATA hard drive to expand storage options. Compared to the previous QS1 model, the IT15 adds a USB4 port, but it does not have a built-in fingerprint reader or microphones. This mini PC is designed to handle demanding technical tasks with a focus on efficient processing and AI performance. It comes equipped with a range of Intel Core Ultra processors, including the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H and other alternatives. These processors support applications requiring high computational power and AI capabilities. The top configuration can deliver up to 99 TOPS (trillions of operations per second) by combining the CPU, GPU, and NPU performance. Despite its small size, the IT15 packs advanced hardware to support various computing tasks, making it an ideal choice for professionals who need a compact system without sacrificing processing power.
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Review: NZXT Kraken Elite 420 RGB (2025 model): Super Cool and Unique LCS cooler

Cooling 205 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 10

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The 2025 addition to NZXT’s Kraken Elite series is the 420 mm liquid cooler, offered exclusively in an RGB configuration. This flagship cooler features a matte-white or matte-black finish, with no non-RGB alternative for this size. It extends the existing Elite V2 lineup, which already includes 240 mm, 280 mm, and 360 mm variants, positioning the 420 mm model as the top-tier option for users seeking maximum radiator surface area.
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Review: MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi

Mainboards 345 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 16

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The MSI MPG X870E Carbon Wi-Fi motherboard offers high-end features at a significant price, suitable for those with demanding performance needs. As with most premium motherboards, this product can be considered an investment, and users may find that the price point of X670 or X870-based motherboards tends to be higher than their B-series counterparts like B650 or B850. These B-series motherboards typically offer a lower price while providing similar functionality, albeit with fewer premium features or slight downgrades in performance. 
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ASUS TUF B850-PLUS WIFI motherboard review

Mainboards 345 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 4

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The TUF Gaming B850-Plus WiFi motherboard, built for the B850 chipset, follows the standard ATX form factor and includes essential features like a maximum RAM capacity of 256GB and support for speeds up to 8000MT/s. The motherboard also includes a 14+2+1 VRM power phase configuration, designed to handle moderate overclocking with the Ryzen 9000 series CPUs. Additionally, the motherboard includes a primary Gen5 graphics card slot, offering future-proof expansion for the latest GPU models. While the B850-Plus WiFi includes three NVMe M.2 slots, which are sufficient for many users, it falls short of providing four slots like some competitors in the same price range.
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Review: NZXT H9 Flow Plus - Dual-Chamber Layout and Dust Mesh Chassis

PC Cases and Modding 237 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 9

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The NZXT H9 Flow introduces a dual-chamber chassis designed to accommodate high-performance components while addressing airflow and cable-management challenges. Building on the pentagonal design concept from the smaller H6 Flow, the H9 Flow retains the angled front panel (“kink”) pattern, which increases surface area for ventilation. The case is scheduled for availability concurrent with Computex 2025 to coincide with new component launches. The layout supports full-size motherboards, large radiators, and multiple storage drives. Internally, the dual-chamber configuration separates the power supply and cable runs from the main component area, reducing interior clutter and improving thermal performance.
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Review: ASUS ROG STRIX B850-F Gaming WIFI motherboard

Mainboards 345 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 4

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If you're building a gaming PC and want a motherboard that offers great features without breaking the bank, the ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi is a solid option. This board is built for gamers, offering support for the latest tech, like PCIe 5.0, DDR5 memory, and Wi-Fi 7. It works with AMD’s AM5 processors and is compatible with chips from the 7000, 8000, and 9000 series. You can even install up to 256GB of DDR5 RAM for maximum performance. Even though it’s packed with high-end features, the ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi is pretty affordable. The design includes RGB lighting, which can add a bit of flair to your build, and the layout is simple and straightforward, making installation easy. Plus, it has HDMI and DisplayPort outputs, so you can use the integrated GPU if you’re not using a dedicated graphics card right away. 
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Review: Micron Crucial P510 (Phison e31t PCIe Gen 5.0 NVMe SSD @ 10GB/s)

Memory (DDR4/DDR5) and Storage (SSD/NVMe) 386 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 12

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We got our hands on the Crucial P510 SSD, a new drive that takes full advantage of the ultra-fast PCIe 5.0 technology, leaving older PCIe 4.0 SSDs behind. Crucial has designed the P510 using a sleek, single-sided M.2 board and switched to the powerful Phison E31T controller—an upgrade from the previous generation's E21T. With the latest Micron G9 276-layer 3D NAND NAND flash memory onboard, the Crucial P510 SSD hits impressive speeds, boasting sequential read speeds of up to 10-11 GB/s and write speeds around 8 GB/s. Crucial's decided to build the P510 without a dedicated DRAM cache. This design choice helps balance fast performance, affordability, and compatibility across various systems. In practical terms, you can expect data transfer rates to reach up to 10,300 MB/s, which is perfect for handling demanding tasks.
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MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi Review: Great Performance and Value

Mainboards 345 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 19

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The MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi motherboard, designed for the AMD AM5 platform, utilizes the AMD B850 chipset to offer an attractive mid-range solution for users seeking solid performance at a price of $229.99. Compatible with AMD Ryzen 7000 and 9000 series processors (Zen4 and Zen5), this board supports DDR5 memory with speeds up to 8400MT/s through overclocking. It features four M.2 slots, two of which are Gen 5 NVMe with 128Gbps speeds, and three PCIe slots (PCIe 5.0 x16, PCIe 4.0 x4, PCIe 3.0 x1) for flexibility and expandability. In addition, the motherboard supports advanced connectivity options, including Wi-Fi 7, 5G LAN, USB 20Gbps, and Bluetooth.
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XFX Radeon RX 9060 XT Swift OC review

Graphics cards 1102 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 3

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XFX’s Swift OC lineup brings the RX 9060 XT to market in several flavors. You can pick a standard black model or get a white-shrouded version, and both come in either 8 GB or 16 GB GDDR6 configurations. The cooling solution is identical across the board: choose between two fans or three fans, all with multiple heat pipes and dense fins. Each card carries a “game clock” of 2780 MHz and can boost up to 3320 MHz, so regardless of memory size or color, performance targets should be roughly the same. Digging a bit deeper, independent benchmarks find that Swift OC models draw about 20 W more than AMD’s reference RX 9060 XT when they’re pushed hard. That edges them close to the Navi 44 XT die’s upper limit, so operating temperatures can creep up if your case airflow isn’t solid. The silicon itself has 32 RDNA 4 compute units (2,048 stream processors) that can boost as high as 3.3 GHz.
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ASUS Radeon RX 9060 XT TUF OC review

Graphics cards 1102 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 5

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The ASUS TUF Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB lands right in that sweet spot for anyone who wants Proper Full HD  and (Wide) Quad HD gaming without emptying their wallet. Clocking in with a generous 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, it’s priced around USD 349, putting it toe-to-toe with NVIDIA’s RTX 5060 (Ti) in real-world benchmarks. In today’s DirectX 12 blockbusters, it keeps pace even when you flip on ray tracing—so you get eye-catching lighting and reflections without a big performance hit. AMD trims down some of the extras—fewer display engines, just like the RX 6500 XT—so power draw stays near 160 W, and you only need a single 8-pin PCIe connector. Inside, you’ve got Navi 44 silicon with 32 RDNA 4 compute units, which means 2,048 stream processors humming away at up to 3.3 GHz on boost. Improved power management and beefed-up shader cores let it push harder when you need it and sip energy when you don’t. Compared to last generation, ray tracing performance has roughly doubled, so games that support it look sharper with richer shadows and more realistic reflections. All that extra horsepower doesn’t translate into extra noise or heat—it stays surprisingly cool and whisper-quiet, even under intense load. Whether you’re diving into the latest AAA title or cranking up your stream setup, the RX 9060 XT 16GB delivers solid frame rates, efficient power use, and a smooth experience you can count on.
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AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT review

Graphics cards 1102 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 29

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The Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB is a practical option for gamers who want to play in Full HD or Wide Quad HD without overspending. This graphics card comes with 16GB of GDDR6 memory, and there’s also an 8GB version for those with a tighter budget. At around 349 USD for the 16GB model, it sits right in the middle of the competition, directly going up against NVIDIA’s RTX 5060 and its Ti variant when you look at real-world benchmarks. In today’s DirectX 12 games, the RX 9060 XT holds up well, even when you turn on ray tracing for better lighting and reflections. It delivers those visual upgrades without dragging down your performance. Power is handled by a single 8-pin PCIe connector, drawing about 150 watts, which keeps things simple for most PC setups. Inside, this card uses Navi 44 silicon and has 32 RDNA 4 compute units, translating to 2,048 stream processors that can boost over 3.0 GHz. AMD’s improvements in power management and the upgraded shader cores mean the card works harder when you need it and saves energy when you don’t. Compared to the last generation, ray tracing performance is nearly doubled, so games that support it look noticeably better with deeper shadows and more lifelike reflections. Despite this extra power, the card runs quietly and doesn’t get too hot, even under load. Whether you’re diving into the newest AAA games or setting up a stream, the RX 9060 XT 16GB offers steady frame rates, good efficiency, and a consistent gaming experience. It’s a reliable pick for anyone looking to balance price and aperformance in their PC Gamers build.
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G.Skill Trident Z Royal Neo 64GB DDR5-6000MHz CL26 RAM Review

Memory (DDR4/DDR5) and Storage (SSD/NVMe) 386 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 0

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G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB 64GB 6000MHz CL26 is the newest star in the Neo RGB series. It tells its own story with a sleek heat spreader, topped by a striking crystalline light bar that catches every eye. Imagine a kit that not only looks stunning but also delivers lightning-fast performance with an ultra-low latency of just 8.66ns. Even more impressive, it outshines most other RAM kits simply by using its default EXPO settings, proving that sometimes less is truly more.
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ASUS GeForce RTX 5060 Prime review

Graphics cards 1102 Published by Hilbert Hagedoorn 106

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NVIDIA rolled out its new GeForce RTX 5060 lineup. The series starts with an 8 GB base model priced at $299 USD,. ASUS jumps in early with its GeForce RTX 5060 PRIME-RTX5060-O8G, a graphics card built to tackle today’s most demanding games and creative workloads. It packs 8 GB of GDDR7 memory, pushes its GPU up to 2,595 MHz, and uses 3,840 CUDA cores under the hood. DLSS 4 support means you get eye-popping visuals without losing smooth frame rates, whether you’re gaming or running professional applications. At the heart of the RTX 5060 sits NVIDIA’s Ada Lovelace-derived GB206 GPU. It activates 30 streaming multiprocessors—down from 36 on the Ti version—to power 3,840 CUDA cores, 120 Tensor cores, and 30 RT cores, along with 120 texture units and 48 ROPs. Boost clocks can hit 2.50 GHz, and the card uses a single 8 GB GDDR7 chip on a 128-bit bus. With a Total Graphics Power rating of 145 W (compared to the Ti’s 180 W), it needs just an 8-pin power connector—some partner models even drop down to a 6-pin—making PCB and cooler designs simpler and more efficient. We’ve put the Prime version through its paces and found its performance hits all the right notes. From fast frame rates in the latest titles to smooth, artifact-free ray tracing and AI-boosted upscaling, the RTX 5060 proves itself a well-balanced card for anyone looking to upgrade without breaking the bank
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