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Is LK-99, the new substance that has taken the scientific community by storm, the world’s first room-temperature superconductor, a regular superconductor or a non-discovery? As more time passes since the release of Sukbae Lee et al.’s original paper, more researchers are trying to synthesize their LK-99 samples and test them for diamagnetism and superconductivity. New studies from groups in Mainland China, Taiwan and India claim that there’s no breakthrough and that the material may not even be diamagnetic. 

In summarizing the findings of these three research groups, the University of Maryland’s Condensed Matter Theory Center tweeted, “With a great deal of sadness, we now believe that the game is over. LK99 is NOT a superconductor, not even at room temperatures (or at very low temperatures).”

However, these dispositive studies are far from the final word, particularly since each group made its own LK-99-like substance, which may not have been identical to what Lee et al. created. We also still have studies from other sources who claim they have replicated some of Lee et al.’s claims. 

Kapil Kumar et al., a group of scientists from India’s CSIR National Physical Laboratory, released a paper explaining that an LK-99 sample they created in the lab had no evidence of superconductivity at any temperature and was “highly resistive” as well. This result is exactly the opposite of what you’d want to see. The sample was apparently diamagnetic at 280K (6.85 degrees Celsius), but that doesn’t necessarily correlate with LK-99 being a superconductor.

A separate group from National Taiwan University (NTU) ran LK-99 experiments in a live video broadcast on YouTube but failed to show superconductivity. Wang Limin, a professor of physics at NTU, told Liberty Times that on the fifth evening of testing, the material was found to have diamagnetism, but it was not a superconductor. However, he also said that the research continues. 

Diamagnetism occurs when both magnetic poles repel a substance. In the last week or so, we’ve seen several videos which show a tiny black substance, claimed to be LK-99, floating above or below a magnetic field. Superconductors exhibit diamagnetism, so these videos imply that the magnetic levitation proves LK-99 to be a superconductor. However, as the Condensed Matter Theory Center pointed out in a tweet, “NO, diamagnetism is NOT interesting, many materials (e.g. Pb, Cu, P going into LK99) are diamagnetic. It is a run-of-the-mill property.”

Meanwhile, Kaizhen Guo et al., researchers at Peking University’s International Center for Quantum Materials, published a paper claiming that LK-99 actually has some soft ferromagnetic components which cause it to “half levitate” (levitate while still partially touching supporting materials). However, the group stated that they didn’t detect the Meissner Effect or zero resistance, both required for superconductivity.

These three studies certainly suggest that LK-99 could be more useful for powering a hype machine than superconducting electricity. But it’s important to note that each of these groups synthesized its own substance, meaning the material they tested may not have been identical to the sample that Sukbae Lee et al. used in their experiments.

One solution: get LK-99 samples directly from the group in Korea that’s making the superconductivity claims and test those. Apparently, that is happening. According to the Flat Hat, a student newspaper from the College of William and Mary, Korean researchers are sending some LK-99 samples directly to physics professors at Virginia University. So stay tuned.

A new security vulnerability, called Downfall, was revealed today by Intel and the researcher who discovered it, Daniel Moghimi. The new attack uses Gather Data Sampling to steal data and other sensitive information from other users on a computer with Intel processors from 2015 through 2019 ranging from sixth gen Skylake through eleventh gen Rocket Lake and Tiger Lake.

Intel has posted about the vulnerability in a security advisory, INTEL-SA-00828, and has reserved CVE-2022-40982.

Moghami, a senior research scientist at Google (and formerly of the University of California San Diego posted details on downfall.page.

“The vulnerability is caused by memory optimization features in Intel processors that unintentionally reveal internal hardware registers to software,” Moghami wrote. “This allows untrusted software to access data stored by other programs, which should not be normally be accessible. I discovered that the Gather instruction, meant to speed up accessing scattered data in memory, leaks the content of the internal vector register file during speculative execution.”

On the page, Moghami shows demos stealing 128-bit and 256-bit AES keys from other users, as well as spying on typed characters and taking data from the Linux kernel. He suggests that even if you don’t own an Intel powered-device, Intel’s dominance in the server market means that everyone on the internet is affected, and that “in cloud computing environments, a malicious customer could exploit the Downfall vulnerability to steal data and credentials from other customers who share the same cloud computer.”

Intel is releasing microcode for its affected chips. The company “recommends that users of affected Intel Processors update to the latest version firmware provided by the system manufacturer that addresses these issues.” If you’re not using Intel SGX, a hardware-based memory encryption technology from Intel, you can load it from the operating system.

The overhead, per Moghami and Intel, could be as high as 50% depending on if a workload uses Gather. Notably, Intel will have an “opt-out mechanism” in the microcode that allows the mitigation for Downfall to be disabled in order to “avoid the performance impact on certain vectorization-heavy workloads.”

The researcher recommends against opting out: “This is a bad idea. Even if your workload does not use vector instructions, modern CPUs rely on vector registers to optimize common operations, such as copying memory and switching register content, which leaks data to untrusted code exploiting Gather.”

Moghami will present Downfall at the BlackHat USA conference on August 9 and USENIX Security Symposium on August 11. His technical paper can be found here.

Newer Intel chips, like 12th Gen Alder Lake, 13th Gen Raptor Lake, and Sapphire Rapids server chips aren’t affected. 

X is giving advertisers new ways to have some control over what type of content can appear near their ads. The company formerly known as Twitter new “sensitivity settings” that allow advertisers to choose between different types of content filtering for their ads.

The new controls arrive as X is increasingly desperate to win back advertisers. The company’s ad revenue has dropped since Elon Musk took over as brands cut spending on the platform amid concerns about the rise of hate speech and other unsavory content. Since then, watchdog groups have reported several instances of ads from major brands being placed near accounts, and other users.

With the new tool, X says it “will use machine learning to reduce adjacency to varying levels of content according to a brand’s sensitivity threshold in an upcoming campaign.” For now, the two settings available to advertisers include “conservative” and “standard.” The company notes that all rule-breaking content is meant to be excluded from ads regardless of what advertisers have opted into.

X

Under the most restrictive “conservative” setting, ads would be excluded from appearing near “targeted hate speech, sexual content, gratuitous gore, excessive profanity, obscenity, spam and drugs” in the “for You” timeline. The “standard” option would avoid the same topics, but allow spam and drug-related content, according to an example shared by X. The company also plans to add a “relaxed” setting for advertisers who want to “maximize reach” of their ads with the fewest limits on what can appear nearby.

The update isn’t the first time X has introduced tools to promote brand safety. The company previously added other keyword-based that were also meant to limit ad-buyers’ exposure to problematic content. But those changes, introduced in December, seem to have had little effect on X’s ad business. 

Though the company has repeatedly claimed that it has successfully the reach of hate speech on its site, researchers have said otherwise. Last month, Bloomberg that researchers at the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) indicating hate speech has surged, both in terms of sheer volume and in engagement, since Musk’s takeover of the company. X the findings and is now CCDH, alleging the group “illegally” scraped data.

A mouse pad might seem unnecessary these days, especially when optical mice will work on just about any desk surface. But a good mouse is critical for serious gamers — a level, consistent surface optimized for smooth, accurate movements might be just what you need to stay ahead of the competition. 

Gaming mouse pads come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are pretty standard, designed to fit under your best gaming mouse, and that’s it. Others are enormous, and can easily pad the space under your best gaming keyboard and more. Some might even be bigger than your desk, so double-check those dimensions before you buy. 

Many gaming mouse pads also feature RGB lighting, which might seem a little frivolous — but you’re adding a peripheral anyway, and it doesn’t hurt to have it coordinate with the rest of your rig, right? But all RGB isn’t the same, so if pretty lights are a priority, you’ll want something with bright, consistent colors and enough RGB zones to create seamless effects.

We’ve tested dozens of mouse pads over the years. These are the best gaming mouse pads, whether you want something for just your mouse or your entire desk.

The quick list

The Best Mouse Pads You Can Buy Today

Best Mouse Pad for Most People

If you don’t need RGB (does anyone need RGB?), the SteelSeries QCK Heavy is an extra-thick, non-RGB cloth mouse pad that comes in three sizes. SteelSeries also makes a standard QCK mouse pad that’s one-third as thick as the QCK Heavy, but we feel the slight extra cost is worth the extra durability and more stable surface you get with the QCK Heavy.

Both the QCK Heavy and the regular QCK feature a micro-woven cloth surface that makes for easy but precise sliding, and are hand-washable. Decoration is light — a small SteelSeries logo in the bottom left corner is the only thing that might distract you from your game. The mouse pad has a non-slip rubber base that keeps it firmly rooted to your desk — it didn’t budge no matter how hard our reviewer moved their mouse. 

The only minor gripe with the QCK Heavy is that it’s so thick that it can take a bit of extra time to flatten out when you first take it out of the box. This isn’t too much of an issue if you don’t plan on moving it a lot, but be careful not to keep it rolled up too long when traveling. We suggest placing a heavy book or weight on top of it overnight before the first use. 

Both the QCK Heavy and the QCK should fit most desks, thanks to the various size options. Our reviewer tested the large size (17.7 x 15.7 x 0.24 inches / 450 x 400 x 6 mm), but the QCK Heavy also comes in medium and XXL, while the regular QCK comes in small, medium, large, 3XL, 4XL, and 5XL. 

Best RGB Mouse Pad

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If you’re looking for RGB, the Razer Firefly V2 has it in spades. This ultra-colorful mouse pad has a whopping 19 customizable zones and its bright LEDs visibly outshine the competitors (despite the relatively thin lighting strips).  

The mouse pad has what Razer calls a “micro-textured” plastic surface that’s fit for competitive gaming. It feels slightly rough and enables speedy mouse movements, but it easily gathers fingerprints and smudges. The Firefly V2 is only 0.12 inches (3mm) thick, but its rubber base prevented any movement during our tests. It has a cable catch, which might seem like a small detail, but it successfully kept our mouse’s wire in check. 

RGB tweakers have full reign over the 19 lighting zones through Razer Synapse 3. You get brightness controls, seven presets (including a reactive one that works with supporting Razer mice), and you can sync the lighting with other Razer peripherals and devices. We also appreciated the toggle to “switch off lighting when the display is turned off.” The software’s Chroma Studio is where the more advanced customization occurs, with numerous effects layers and the ability to control effects’ cycling speeds, duration, and intensity — but its complexity means it takes longer to master than simple apps. 

Best Budget-Friendly RGB Mouse Pad

If you don’t want to spend much on a mouse pad but you also don’t want to give up flashy RGB, the Cooler Master MP750 (M) features RGB lighting and can usually be found for $20 – $35, though the price fluctuates. According to Cooler Master,  the finely textured cloth offers a “slick texture and smooth maneuverability,” but while it was sufficient for the average game session during our testing, it didn’t otherwise feel particularly special. It does, however, have a spill-resistant coating: we spilled water on it and the large droplet rolled off and was easy to clean up with a tissue. It also features a detachable cable for when you don’t need RGB. 

The MP750 (M)’s RGB border shines pretty brightly. A handy button lets you cycle through static colors without opening software. Unfortunately, black stitching interrupts the RGB frame, and we’re a little worried about getting things (such as jewelry) caught between the loops and causing damage. 

Since there’s only one RGB zone, there’s not that much to do in the Cooler Master Master Plus software. There are four lighting modes — Color Cycle, Static, Breathing or off — and five speed settings via a toggle. Static and Breathing modes offer a color picker, but it wasn’t always accurate. For example, we tried to make  a peach/white breathing effect, and ended up with a white-ish purple flickering. The MP750 also comes in large and extra large versions.

Best Hybrid Surface Mouse Pad

The Razer Strider Chroma has a hybrid surface — harder and slicker than a cloth mouse pad, but with enough texture for controlled, precise movements. It’s the best of both worlds, perfect for gamers who need both speed and control, and it’s water-resistant and easier to keep clean than most cloth mouse pads.

The Razer Strider Chroma only comes in one size — extended, which is large enough to hold both your keyboard and mouse without covering your entire desk. The Strider Chroma has a thick, no-slip rubber base and looks fantastic on your desk with seamless edges (no visible stitching) and 19 zones of bright, Chroma-infused RGB lighting that can be customized in Razer’s Chroma Studio with different colors and effects (including audio-reactive effects). 

The main downside to the Strider Chroma is its price — with an MSRP of $130, it’s practically like buying a keyboard or a mouse. But it’s so beautiful it just might be worth it.

Best Hard Surface Mouse Pad

If speed is your top priority, a soft, cloth mouse pad is not for you — and even a hybrid mouse pad will slow you down. You need a hard, smooth, low-friction surface made of plastic, ceramic, aluminum, or glass, like our favorite hard surface mouse pad, the Razer Atlas. 

The Atlas is Razer’s first tempered glass mouse pad, and it’s entirely analog — no RGB, no Razer Synapse, nothing. Its smooth, matte surface is micro-etched with 2μm texturing that’s designed to work with optical sensors, and features an easy-to-clean oleophobic coating. The Atlas felt amazing and tracked perfectly with every laser and optical mouse we threw at it — though Razer recommends using a mouse with a Razer Focus Pro 30K Optical Sensor, such as the DeathAdder V3 Pro, of course. Its oleophobic coating offered just the right amount of friction (read: none) for maximizing speed without sacrificing precision. 

Our main issue with the Atlas was its size — at 17.72 x 15.75 x 0.19 inches (450 x 400 x 5mm), and made of rigid glass, it’s a little too large to easily fit on the average desk, as it can’t be placed on uneven surfaces, nor are you supposed to put heavy, rough, sharp, hot, cold, etc. objects on top of it. Even just a little smaller would make this mouse pad an easier fit for the more deskspace-challenged.

Read: Razer Atlas Hands-On 

Best XL Cloth Mouse Pad

With how big mouse mats are, it’s important that they don’t just provide your mouse with a good surface to slide around on, but also your wrists with a comfortable surface to rest on. The Corsair MM350 knocks this out of the park. While it does come in a smaller, more pad-shaped size, we’re recommending the mouse mat-sized, XL Extended version here so you can get the most out of that luxurious feel while not being too bothered by the seams at its edges.

While the mat’s surface feels great — almost like a cooling pad — it does come decked out with a battle-damaged gunmetal gray pattern that won’t be for everyone. This is a shame, as it’s easily our favorite non-RGB mouse mat, and folks who are already avoiding RGB might prefer to have a plain version available.

Still, the slick-but-not-slippery surface and large size make it an excellent buy for function alone.

Best XL Cloth Mouse Pad with RGB

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The HyperX Pulsefire mouse mat is HyperX’s first RGB mouse mat in its rectangular XL size, and is easily the company’s best RGB mouse pad for larger desks. At a spacious 35.43 x 16.54 x 0.2 inches, it’s a little too big for some setups, but it’s also a great way to cover as much of your desk as possible if you have the space. And at $50, it’s got a cheaper MSRP than similar rectangular options from the likes of Steelseries and Thermaltake.

Construction is solid across the board here, with a textured cloth surface that gives you plenty of grip without feeling uncomfortable on your wrists and arms. The silicone shielding around the RGB-lit edge also means this mouse pad’s corners aren’t likely to fray anytime soon. Plus, the textured rubber on the mouse pad’s underside means it won’t slip around with your sweeping arm movements while you’re gaming.

The RGB is a little less robust than we’d like. There are only two zones, and while you can select from a wide variety of patterns and colors, there’s no integration with Discord and the list of games with special integration for HyperX’s RGB software is pretty sparse. Still, the mouse pad’s RGB touch sensor is a nice bonus, allowing you to easily cycle through 3 RGB presets without needing to dive into software.

Make sure to measure your desk before getting this mouse pad so it doesn’t end up hanging over the edge!

Best Mouse Pad Accessory

Quick Shopping Tips

Mouse pads aren’t that complicated, but there are some variables to keep in mind while you shop:

• Material: Hard, plastic surfaces are more slippery, so your mouse will glide rapidly with little force from your hand. These are best reserved for more competitive gamers (or at least players with a mouse featuring DPI control). Soft, cloth mouse pads offer more precise pointer control, but may not be as quick as you’d like. You can also find hybrids, which are, well, hybrids. Hard and hybrid mouse pads will wear down skates more quickly than soft mouse pads.
• Size:  Mouse pads start small but come in a few sizes — the largest ones will take up your entire desk. Do you need a gigantic mouse pad? If you play games that require extreme precision and control — such as first-person shooters — you might want to consider a larger pad; precision is generally attained with a lower DPI, and a lower DPI means bigger hand/arm movements. You definitely don’t want to run out of room when you’re lining up a headshot.
• RGB: RGB mouse pads are pretty, but they’re powered via USB. This doesn’t necessarily need to plug into your PC, unless you want to customize the pad’s RGB with software (or have it coordinate with your other peripherals). Also, not all RGB is created equal. The number of RGB zones (not the same as the number of LEDs) will determine how complex the light show can get.
• Cleaning: If you do more than just occasional snacking at your desk, make sure any mouse pad you choose is easy to clean. Smooth, slippery surfaces are easy to wipe down, while cloth pads usually need more care (although some are treated to be spill-resistant). You’ll need to take extra care with RGB mouse pads.

Finding Discounts on the Best Mouse Pads

Whether you’re shopping for one of the best RGB mouse pads or considering a model that isn’t on our list, you may find some savings by checking out our lists of the latest Best Buy promo codes, Newegg promo codes and Micro Center coupons.

Nvidia on Tuesday unleashed a revamped version of its next-generation Grace Hopper Superchip platform with HBM3e memory for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. The new version of the GH200 Grace Hopper features the same Grace CPU and GH100 Hopper compute GPU but comes with HBM3e memory boasting higher capacity and bandwidth. 

The new GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip is based on the 72-core Grace CPU outfitted with 480 GB of ECC LPDDR5X memory as well as the GH100 compute GPU that is paired with 141 GB of HBM3E memory that comes in six 24 GB stacks and uses a 6,144-bit memory interface. While Nvidia physically installs 144 GB of memory, only 141 GB is accessible for better yields.

Nvidia’s current GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip comes with 96 GB of HBM3 memory, providing bandwidth of less than 4 TB/s. By contrast, the new model ups memory capacity by around 50% and increases bandwidth by over 25%. Such massive improvements enable the new platform to run larger AI models than the original version and provide tangible performance improvements (which will be particularly important for training).

According to Nvidia, Nvidia’s GH200 Grace Hopper platform with HBM3 is currently in production and will be available commercially starting next month. By contrast, the GH200 Grace Hopper platform with HBM3e is now sampling and is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2024. Nvidia stressed that the new GH200 Grace Hopper uses the same Grace CPU and GH100 GPU silicon as the original version, so the company will not need to ramp up any new revisions or steppings.

Nvidia says that the original GH200 with HBM3 and the improved GH200 with HBM3E will co-exist on the market, which means that the latter will be sold at a premium given its higher performance enabled by the more advanced memory. 

“To meet surging demand for generative AI, data centers require accelerated computing platforms with specialized needs,” said Jensen Huang, chief executive of Nvidia. “The new GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip platform delivers this with exceptional memory technology and bandwidth to improve throughput, the ability to connect GPUs to aggregate performance without compromise, and a server design that can be easily deployed across the entire data center.”

Nvidia’s next-generation Grace Hopper Superchip platform with HBM3e is fully compatible with Nvidia’s MGX server specification and is, therefore drop-in compatible with existing server designs.

Valve is now selling refurbished Steam Decks, dropping the prices for the devices, which now start at $319. The used Decks will be available both on Steam and, in limited quantities, at GameStop locations.

The company says that “Each Certified Refurbished Steam Deck has been thoroughly tested to the same high standards as our retail units,” though they may have some “cosmetic blemishes.” (Specifically, Valve says these aesthetic issues are small scratches or imperfections on the case — not the screen — that may have resulted from previous use). 

Valve’s site for refurbished Steam Decks claims that over 100 tests are performed on these models, including assessing the battery and checking the screen and controls. Each unit is factory reset and gets the latest set of performance updates.

On Steam, the 512GB model sees the biggest drop-off, at $130 off compared to a new model. It’s $519 compared to a new $649 top-end Steam Deck. Meanwhile, the 256GB version cuts $110 off the price, bringing it to $419. The 64GB starting Steam Deck drops $80 to $319.

Each refurbished Steam Deck has the same one-year warranty as a brand new one (or longer, as some countries have more lengthy warranty requirements). The power supplies, too, are refurbished and may have a bit of cosmetic damage but should work just fine.

GameStop is selling the refurbished Steam Decks exclusively to Pro users. In the US, at least, this is the first time the Steam Deck has been sold at a retail store. On the 64GB and 512GB models, it charges an extra 99 cents, but its 256GB price tag is $10.99 higher than Valve’s. That’s the price of getting to take it home the same day, I suppose. You can see if a GameStop near you has the Steam Deck in stock with GameStop’s store searcher.

Valve notes that the GameStop refurbished Steam Decks are different than its own; “GameStop’s refurbished Steam Decks have been refurbished in their own facilities, and they will come with a different warranty provided by GameStop,” it wrote in an FAQ.  GameStop’s website doesn’t list its refurb process.

Everything else, from the AMD Zen 2 “Aerith” APU to the 1280 x 800 display and 16GB of RAM should be the same. No specs have changed here, just that they’ve been fixed up and reset.

These models may go in and out of stock. The company claims that these units come from returns that have met precise testing requirements, so the availability will depend on how many are returned and which of those can be resold.

Videocardz reports that Sparkle, one of Intel’s AIB partners, is reportedly creating a new lineup of low-profile graphics cards called the Genie series, including low-profile flavors of the Arc A380 and A310. These new cards will target the mainstream consumer market, featuring dual-fan cooler designs.

It might be strange to see new low-profile GPU options in a world where many mini-ITX cases can now support massive triple-slot gaming GPUs. However, many newer and older systems still support the compact PCIe standard. As a result, there is still demand for these low-profile GPUs since these cards provide the only way to increase GPU horsepower with low-profile machines.

Sparkle’s new low-profile graphics cards will come with a respectably sized dual-fan, dual-slot cooler design extending to the end of the PCIe connector. The dual-slot design will make the card a bit thicker than single-slot solutions, but the cooler’s short length should make it fit in any case that supports a 16-lane device. Once we get these cards in for review, we’ll know how well their cooling performance is, but expect good performance anyways since Sparkle’s dual-slot cooler design is substantially beefier compared to its industrial low-profile A310 graphics card that is equipped with a much skinnier single-slot single-fan cooling solution.

The new Genie cards also come with three display outputs, including a single HDMI connection and two Mini-DisplayPort connections, making these GPUs an excellent solution for powering several additional monitors.

Don’t expect serious gaming performance out of the Arc A380 and A310. Both GPUs are part of Intel’s entry-level GPU segment featuring just 8 Xe cores and 6 Xe cores, respectively. We’ve covered Arc’s A380 several times before, but if you haven’t heard of the Arc A310, it is a newish entry-level GPU option Intel quietly launched late last year. The A310 is even less powerful than the A380, featuring a cut-down ACM-G11 die with 6 enabled Xe cores, 4GB of GDDR6 memory, and a 64-bit memory bus. It is essentially Intel’s version of the GT 1030 but with a much newer GPU architecture and AV1 encode/decode support. (Albeit it is faster as well.)

The only unfortunate news is that Sparkle did not announce any release date for these GPUs. Hopefully, the Intel AIB will release these cards sooner than later, but there’s no guarantee.

Enthusiasts know that three of the most important criteria for choosing the best gaming monitors are speed, contrast and resolution. All will affect price, so how can one find the best bang for the buck? Where’s the sweet spot where performance and price are most advantageous?

Of the three major panel technologies, IPS, VA and OLED; VA offers the most contrast for the least money. IPS can provide stunning contrast when paired with a Mini LED backlight, but it is expensive. OLED has the greatest dynamic range of all with its infinite black, but it is also expensive. A VA panel can deliver a great picture for relatively little money.

AOC offers a few VA monitors in its budget line and one of the latest examples is the CQ27G3Z. It’s a 27-inch curved monitor with QHD resolution, 240 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR, wide gamut color and retails for less than $400.

AOC CQ27G3Z Specs

The CQ27G3Z doesn’t have much in the bells and whistles department, but like any good budget screen, it delivers it where it counts. The picture is excellent thanks to a VA panel with around 4,000:1 native contrast. It’s curved tightly at 1000R to create a more immersive effect. I put that in the realm of individual preference when talking about any 16:9 aspect curved monitor. There is some slight image distortion with a tight curve in this screen size. But for games, it delivers an enhanced experience.

Color is wide-gamut, with over 86% coverage of DCI-P3. You can find larger gamuts for a little more money, but the extra color is also an enhancement. Accuracy is decent with calibration and there is a usable sRGB mode.

The most significant value-add is the CQ27G3Z’s 240 Hz refresh rate. There aren’t a plethora of 240 Hz QHD screens out there, and most of them are premium displays. AOC is undercutting the competition with a price of $375 at this writing. You also get Adaptive-Sync with FreeSync from 48 to 240 Hz and G-Sync compatibility, as confirmed by my tests. The CQ27G3Z has not been certified by Nvidia.

Additional features are sparse. You get a frame counter and an aiming point. In addition. blur reduction via backlight strobe can be used in lieu of Adaptive-Sync. The full 240 Hz can be enjoyed over the two DisplayPort 1.4 inputs with HDR at QHD resolution, while two HDMI 2.0 ports support 120 Hz operation with VRR for consoles. There are no USB ports or speakers, nor is there LED lighting. But you get a solid package with everything needed for high-performance gaming for less than $400.

Assembly and Accessories

The CQ27G3Z comes from its crumbly foam in three parts. The panel snaps on after attaching the upright to the base with a captive bolt. The panel mount has a 100mm VESA pattern with fasteners included. The power supply is internal, so you get an IEC cord plus DisplayPort and HDMI cables.

Product 360

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The CQ27G3Z is attractively styled with simple molded shapes and a smooth curve across the back. Red trim signals its gaming intent, but no additional LED lighting exists. The front bezel is nearly frameless on three sides, with 7mm borders on the top and sides and 23mm on the bottom. The red trim is also visible from the front, with accent strips and a hole in the upright for cabling.

The stand is lightweight and solid with a 5.1-inch (130mm) height adjustment, 40 degrees swivel to either side and 5/23 degrees of tilt. There is no portrait mode. Movements are firmer than the CQ27G3Z’s light weight suggests. Build quality is definitely above the price point here.

The input panel is well stocked with two HDMI 2.0 and two DisplayPort 1.4. You’ll need the latter for full 240 Hz operation with HDR and Adaptive-Sync. The HDMI ports support 120 Hz with HDR and VRR for consoles like the PS5 and Xbox One. There are no internal speakers, but you can plug headphones or powered speakers into the 3.5mm audio jack.

OSD Features

The CQ27G3Z’s OSD is controlled by four keys which you’ll find across the bottom right part of the panel. They are a bit clunky compared to the joysticks found in many of the latest displays. The ribbon-style menu is the same one I’ve used in AOC monitors for the past ten years. It’s intuitive and divided into seven sub-menus.

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The Luminance menu controls brightness and contrast, offers seven picture modes, three gamma presets, a dynamic contrast option and HDR modes that appear when an HDR signal is present. I don’t recommend the dynamic contrast as it clips highlight and shadow detail. The CQ27G3Z has plenty of contrast already. The HDR modes are Display, Game, Movie and Picture. The default and best option is Display. It has the best color accuracy but also presents one downside, edge enhancement. I’ll discuss that more in the hands-on section below and in the HDR tests on page five.

In Color Setup, you can adjust the white point with presets or RGB sliders. Also here is the sRGB mode, which has a fixed grayscale. It correctly renders the sRGB gamut if you want to use it for SDR content or color-critical tasks.

Picture Boost is something unique to AOC monitors. You can create a window on the screen, size and move it, and adjust its brightness and contrast independently of the rest of the image. It’s handy for highlighting areas of the picture.

OSD Setup has the expected options but also includes the DisplayPort version and a break reminder. This is a timer that pops up on the screen when it’s time to stop fragging and get a drink or snack.

The CQ27G3Z adds a PIP option; not all AOC monitors have one. You can size and move the window and swap between two video sources.

In Game Setting, you’ll find additional game modes, which are picture presets. Hint, leave this off lest you become lost in the many possible combinations of picture and game modes. The Standard mode from the Luminance menu is all you need. Also here is a three-level overdrive, FreeSync toggle and the frame rate counter. If you’d rather use a backlight strobe for blur reduction, that’s also here with 20 intensity settings. As you increase the value, the screen gets darker, and motion becomes smoother as the pulse width changes. It works well with almost none of the phasing artifacts common to backlight strobes. It is a viable alternative to Adaptive-Sync and overdrive, especially when speeds exceed 200fps.

In the Extra menu, there is an off timer, factory reset and basic signal information. You can also change inputs here or by pressing the leftmost control key.

AOC CQ27G3Z Calibration Settings 

In the CQ27G3Z’s default Standard picture mode, grayscale is a bit green in tone, with visible errors in the brighter parts of the image. Gamma is slightly dark on its number 1 setting, which is fine for a high-contrast panel like this. I achieved much better grayscale with a few tweaks of the RGB sliders in the Color Setup menu. More importantly, color accuracy and contrast are improved as well. My recommended settings are below.

In HDR mode, the default mode, Display, offers the best color accuracy but also adds visible edge enhancement. You can avoid this by selecting the Game mode, which introduces some clipping in the red primary. I’ll explain this with charts on page five. Ultimately, I preferred the look of the Display HDR mode.

Gaming and Hands-on

When considering the CQ27G3Z for daily productivity, I had expected some image distortion given its 1000mm radius, which is tighter than most curved screens. I was pleasantly surprised that I could barely notice a difference. It helps that the screen is 16:9, so you won’t be moving document windows out to the edge of your peripheral vision. After a few hours of use, I concluded that the CQ27G3Z is as useful for work tasks as any other 27-inch flat screen. So, don’t let the curve dissuade you.

The curve is undoubtedly welcome for gaming. Though I would choose a 21:9 monitor over a 16:9 one for play, the CQ27G3Z’s curve clearly enhances the experience. I had no trouble finding a good position for the screen since the stand has plenty of height. I could keep it vertical and have my eyepoint in the center, the optimal setup for curved display gaming.

Once I had spent a few hours playing Doom Eternal and Call of Duty WWII, I found the CQ27G3Z to have excellent feel and response. 240 Hz is clearly smoother than 165 or 144. And with reasonably low input lag, I could keep my aim true and consistent. Stopping on target was easy, and I had no trouble making out fine detail in distant objects thanks to the 109ppi pixel density.

The HDR experience was average compared to all the monitors I’ve experienced, meaning that contrast and color were very good but not at the level of a premium screen. That’s no surprise given the CQ27G3Z’s $375 price tag. When that is considered, it’s a champ. The HDR image popped nicely with clear detail at all brightness levels and nicely saturated color.

During the SDR tests, I noted that calibration is required for best results. The default image is a bit flat, thanks to grayscale errors. But if you plug in the settings above, you’ll see a much better picture.

Video processing delivered an average experience with one positive exception that I’ll note in a moment. Adaptive-Sync worked perfectly on both FreeSync and G-Sync systems. The overdrive is a bit weak because it doesn’t completely remove black trail artifacts from moving objects. But in most cases, this issue did not distract from gameplay. I also noted a better-than-average use of backlight strobing when I tried the blur reduction. Like most monitors, it requires you to turn off Adaptive-Sync but at 240 Hz, but this isn’t a big deal. The CQ27G3Z’s backlight strobe is much better than average because the phasing artifact common to this feature is almost entirely invisible. AOC’s MBR option is one of the best examples of blur reduction I’ve seen.

Test Takeaway: The CQ27G3Z delivers high frame rates with solid video processing and low input lag. Its HDR image is of average quality for the price, but it’s nice that the support is there. Aside from a weak overdrive, it is a good gaming monitor and well-suited for daily tasks. 

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

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Nvidia has introduced three high-performance professional graphics cards based on the Ada Lovelace architecture for workstations as well as a server-grade grade professional board that can be used both for remote graphics and light AI applications. The introduction completes transition of Nvidia’s ProViz family of high-performance products to its latest Ada Lovelace architecture.

To address performance-demanding professional graphics applications, such as computer aided design and digital content creation, Nvidia add three new products: the RTX 4000 20GB, the RTX 4500 24GB, and the RTX 5000 32GB boards based on the Ada Lovelace architecture. In addition, Nvidia is rolling out its L40S datacenter board with 48GB of memory.

The new Nvidia RTX 4000 20GB workstation graphics card largely mimics the RTX 4000 SFF product released several month ago, but it uses a full-height PCB albeit comes with a single-slot cooling system and is rated for 130W. The part is powered by the AD104 GPU with 6144 CUDA cores that is clocked higher compared to the SFF variant and thus delivers up to 26.7 FP32 TFLOPS of compute throughput, which is comparable to compute performance of Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4070. This board will offer higher performance than the RTX 4000 SFF for the same price of $1,250 in September.

The green company is also rolling out its Nvidia RTX 4500 24GB featuring the AD104 GPU with 7,680 CUDA cores that offers up to 39.6 FP32 TFLOPS of compute performance, which is on par with the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti. The ProViz graphics card is equipped with a dual-slot cooling system with a blower fan and is rated for up to 210W of power. The product is set to be available in October for the price of $2,250.

Yet another graphics cards that is being rolled out today is the Nvidia RTX 5000 32GB based on the severely cut-down AD102 graphics processor with 12,800 CUDA cores that delivers compute performance of 65.3 FP32 TFLOPS. This unit is positioned to sit below the flagship RTX 6000 Ada and the whopping performance difference between the two parts implies that over time Nvidia might offer a solution that will sit between these models. In the meantime, Nvidia will have its RTX 5000 32GB for $4,000 and RTX 6000 48GB Ada for $6,800.

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The new workstation boards will be used by companies like Boxx, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Lambda in their upcoming workstations this fall. In addition, these boards will be available from Nvidia’s resellers, such as Arrow and Ingram from such AIB suppliers as Leadtek, PNY, and Ryoyo,

But as there are professionals who use remote workstations, Nvidia is also rolling out its L40S Ada datacenter card that uses the AD102 GPU with 18,176 CUDA cores that delivers a whopping 91.6 FP32 TFLOPS, which is in line with performance of the RTX 6000 Ada. The L40S Ada will be first used in Nvidia’s OVX servers used for graphics AI, and video processing, but eventually they will likely end up in different machines as well. While the L40S Ada is clearly a datacenter product with a passive cooling solution, it still has display outputs, so it can be installed into a workstation assuming that there is enough airflow inside or a special blower attached to the board. 

“As generative AI transforms every industry, enterprises are increasingly seeking large-scale compute resources in the data center,” said Bob Pette, vice president of professional visualization at NVIDIA. “OVX systems with NVIDIA L40S GPUs accelerate AI, graphics and video processing workloads, and meet the demanding performance requirements of an ever-increasing set of complex and diverse applications.”

We don’t blame you if you’ve never heard of the Radeon RX 580 2048SP. It is a China-exclusive SKU, after all, and far from being able to compete with the best graphics cards. However, a Chinese manufacturer has breathed new life into the five-year-old Radeon RX 580 2048SP.

AMD China released the Radeon RX 580 2048SP in 2018, so the Polaris 20-based graphics card is a bit long in the tooth. While the Radeon RX 580 2048SP sounds cool because of the model name, it was, in essence, a rebranded Radeon RX 570 8GB with a moderately higher boost clock. The Radeon RX 580 2048SP may seem like a dud, but it sells pretty well in the Chinese market, so manufacturers still love it after all these years.

Kinology, a Chinese vendor, has given the Radeon RX 580 2048SP a new twist. Kinology isn’t an official AMD partner. Like many other Chinese companies, it’s likely just a local outfit that relabel and resells OEM graphics cards. Kinology (via realVictor_M) has released a particular Radeon RX 580 2048SP with an upgraded memory subsystem to 16GB of GDDR5. For comparison, the regular Radeon RX 580 2048SP is only available with 4GB and 8GB configurations. Kinology’s model has triple or twice as much memory, depending on which SKU you compare it to.

Although Kinology gave the Radeon RX 580 2048SP more memory, the company used slower GDDR5 memory chips. The vanilla Radeon RX 580 2048SP uses 7 Gbps GDDR5, which across a 256-bit interface, provides 224 GB/s of memory bandwidth. In contrast, the Kinology Radeon RX 580 2048SP employs 6 Gbps chips, limiting the bandwidth to 192 GB/s. It has more memory, but the bandwidth takes a 14% hit.

Besides the memory, the Kinology Radeon RX 580 2048SP has nothing else to offer. It still uses the 14nm Polaris 20 silicon with 2048 shaders that boosts 1,206 MHz, so it’s somewhat lower than AMD’s reference 1,284 MHz boost clock. From a performance standpoint, the Radeon RX 580 2048SP is slower than the GeForce GTX 1060. The Kinology model is 170W, 20W higher than the regular model, probably due to the added memory chips. The Kinology Radeon RX 580 2048SP still employs a single 6-pin PCIe power connector.

The Kinology Radeon RX 580 2048SP sells for $83 on JD.com, which isn’t a bad price. The faster Radeon RX 580 starts at $129 in the U.S. market, so the Kinology Radeon RX 580 2048SP’s price tag gets a pass.

TSMC in collaboration with partners Bosch, Infineon, and NXP, on Tuesday unveiled plans to form a joint venture and construct a chip fabrication facility near Dresden, Germany. The joint venture named European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC) will own a fab that will produce chips for automotive, industrial, and IoT applications using TSMC’s 12nm, 16nm, 22nm, and 28nm-class process technologies starting from late 2027. 

The planned ESMC fab is expected to have a production capacity of around 40,000 300-mm wafer starts per month, though TSMC does not disclose whether by a wafer it means a wafer processed on a 28nm node, or a 12nm process technology. By modern standards, a fab with a 40,000 WSPM is not exactly a large production facility (GlobalFoundries’ Fab 1 in Dresden has capacity of well over 100,000 WSPM), but since this particular fab will be used almost exclusively for German and Austrian automakers, industrial equipment producers, and IoT companies, it should be just enough to meet their demands in the latter half of the decade.

 “This investment in Dresden demonstrates TSMC’s commitment to serving our customers’ strategic capacity and technology needs, and we are excited at this opportunity to deepen our long-standing partnership with Bosch, Infineon, and NXP,” said Dr. CC Wei, CEO of TSMC. “Europe is a highly promising place for semiconductor innovation, particularly in the automotive and industrial fields, and we look forward to bringing those innovations to life on our advanced silicon technology with the talent in Europe.”

Meanwhile, the fab will use TSMC’s mature technologies, such as 28nm and its various specialized derivatives, including 22nm low power fabrication process. TSMC has been trying to urge automakers and other customers to transit their long-living designs to its 28nm-class nodes for a couple of years now and cease using legacy 45nm, 65nm, 90nm, and older nodes. Now that there is a 28nm-capable fab in Europe, they will certainly be more inclined to do so. In addition, the fab will be capable of processing wafers on TSMC’s FinFET-based 16nm and 12nm production nodes that are gaining popularity among automakers today.

The new fab is meant to ensure a consistent chip supply for German and Austrian automotive giants in the second half of the decade. There is a catch though. Complex system-in-packages for self-driving and infotainment will define value of autos in the coming years. And yet, automakers like BMW, Mercedes, Stellantis, and VAG — which are investing heavily in proprietary silicon for their autos due in the coming years — will have to produce their SoCs and SiPs either in Taiwan or the U.S. if they go with TSMC. Alternatively, they will have to use Intel’s fab near Magdeburg, Germany, to make their leading-edge processors.

“Infineon will use the new capacity to serve the growing demand particularly of its European customers, especially in automotive and IoT,” said Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon Technologies. “The advanced capabilities will provide a basis for developing innovative technologies, products and solutions to address the global challenges of decarbonization and digitalisation.”

The ESCM fab is slated to start constriction in the second half of 2024 and begin production in late 2027. TSMC will operate the fab.

As far as ownership is concerned, TSMC is poised to command a majority 70% stake in the venture, whereas the remaining partners —Bosch, Infineon, and NXP— will equally share the remaining equity, each securing a 10% stake. Investments in the fab are expected to be around €10 billion with €5 billion rumored to come in subsidies from from the German government and under European Chips Act.

Right now at Best Buy, you can find the Asus Zenbook 14 Q410 for one of its best prices to date. It has a recommended price of $799 but is currently marked down to $499. It’s not clear for how long the $300 discount will be made available.

This deal is notable for its 13th Gen Intel processor and 2.8K OLED touchscreen display. For a laptop with these specs in this price range, it’s definitely worth a look whether you’re in the market for something casual or a little beefy for media purposes.

Under the hood, you’ll find an Intel Core i5 13500H processor which can reach up to 4.7GHz. It’s accompanied by Intel Iris Xe graphics which outputs to a 14.5-inch touchscreen OLED panel with a resolution of 2880 x 1800px. For storage, users get a 512GB internal SSD to take advantage of which connects using a PCIe 4.0 interface. This is alongside 8GB of LPDDR5-4800 for memory.

The Zenbook 14 Q410 has an integrated mic and 1080p webcam for video conferencing. A 3.5mm jack is also available for audio peripherals. As far as ports go, it has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two HDMI ports, two Display Ports, a USB Type-A 3.2 port and one USB Type-C port. It’s powered by a 10Hr battery and is supported by Asus with a limited 1-year manufacturer’s warranty.

To get a closer look at this deal, check out the product page for the Zenbook 14 Q410 over at the Best Buy website.