Home/Component/CPU/Some B450 and X470 motherboards support Smart Access Memory and Ryzen 5000 CPUs
João Silva 1 day ago CPU, Featured Tech News, Motherboard
AMD previously announced that 400-series motherboards would gain support for Smart Access Memory and Ryzen 5000 CPUs in January 2021. As it turns out, motherboard makers are eager to get the update out early, with beta versions of the BIOS already publicly available.
Motherboard vendors have started shipping a beta BIOS with AGESA v2 1.1.0.0. This introduces support for both Ryzen 5000 series CPUs and Smart Access Memory. According to Wccftech, ASRock B450 and Gigabyte B450 and X470 motherboards already support these features with this BIOS. Additionally, Asus has already launched a new BIOS featuring the AGESA v2 1.1.8.0. update for the B450 and X570 motherboard, which should also include the Curve Optimizer.
As if that wasn’t enough, Reddit user u/Gah_Duma has managed to get a Ryzen 5 5600X work on an ASRock B350 motherboard by flashing an ASRock B450 Gaming-ITX/AC BIOS, proving once again that even 300 series motherboard can run Ryzen 5000 processors.
When AMD announced Smart Access Memory (SAM), it stated users would need a Ryzen 5000 series processor, an AMD 500 series motherboard, and a Radeon RX 6000 graphics card to enable it. Although since then, AMD has said it would welcome other hardware vendors to add support for this feature.
KitGuru Says: Are many of you planning an upgrade to Ryzen 5000? Are you looking to keep your current motherboard for it, or will you also be upgrading to the 500-series chipset?
Become a Patron!
Check Also
MSI announces value-oriented RTX 3070 Twin Fan graphics card
MSI is getting ready to launch a new budget-oriented series of cards called Twin Fan. …
SilverStone plans to launch the small SUGO box 15, compatible with Mini-ITX and Mini-DTX motherboards but with full-size ATX fonts.
Contrary to models such as the Mini pyramid tower 806 by Azza, where aesthetics are prioritized instead of usable space, the SilverStone SUGO 15 arrives with a typical rectangular shape but with more interior space. This new model comes to replace the SUGO 14, launched at the end of this summer. In it we have some dimensions of 247 x 211 x 366 mm , a size practically identical to the previous one. However, in SUGO 15 has bypassed bay 5. 25 “which included in favor of having more space for the rest of the components.
In this way we have space for motherboards up to Mini-ITX, CPU heatsinks up to 182 mm, graphs of 330 mm and power supplies of 150 mm , which is covered by the ATX standard of 140 mm long. The outer body is now made of steel and aluminum, and the dust filters have been changed by others more versatile that also allow a greater flow of air through them.
For storage, the SilverStone SUGO 15 offers 2 bays of 3.5 “and another 3 of 2.5”. Ventilation is carried out by means of a fan of 12 cm rear (included) and two other sides of 12 cm, although all of them can be replaced by models of 14 cm . Despite its small size, double radiators can also be installed in the upper part (up to 280 mm ) and single 120 mm at the rear.
Unfortunately we have no price or availability of the same, but can be purchased in white or black.
End of Article. Tell us something in the Comments or come to our Forum!
Pablo López
With 15 years I started doing I overclocked my PC to get every extra FPS I could in gaming and scratch a few milliseconds in SuperPi, all the while relentlessly posting about hardware on the Geeknetic forum as a user and reader. They were probably so fed up with continually reading me on the forum that I became part of the writing team, where I continue to report on the latest in technology. Astrophysics and PC games are the hobbies that, after hardware, cover most of my free time.
Tower manufacturer Azza has just announced two pyramid towers for computer case enthusiasts to have a striking alternative when mounting their PCs.
We already saw in August the Azza Pyramid Mini tower 806, a model for ITX motherboards and power supplies. SFX power supply. The towers presented today are 2 models following the same structure, a perfect pyramid shape , that is, an isosceles pyramid ( all angles equal). In this way we have the Azza Pyramid 804 and the 804 V .
The two turn out to be identical except in few details, the 804 V is prepared to mount graphics cards in vertical arrangement . For the rest, it is a pyramid box of 490 x 490 x 585 mm, so it’s not exactly small. In fact, the chassis is made of SPCC and 2.5 mm thick aluminum , adding a weight of no less than 14 kg . Of course, it maintains a tempered glass on each side, having a total of 4.
In both models, the Azza Pyramid 804 and 804 V, can be installed motherboards up to E-ATX with a width of 300 mm. In the 804 we can install CPU coolers up to 80 mm high and graphics up to 280 mm long, while in the 804 V these dimensions extend from to 95 and 300 mm , respectively. Note that the height for the CPU cooler is quite limited. Both come with a riser of 150 mm long for the graph.
Regarding storage we have 2 bays of 2.5 ” and a 3.5 “convertible, while in order to cool the components we have space for an upper fan (included) and three lower fans, all of 12 cm. At the base of the pyramid you can install radiators up to 360 mm .
The manufacturer has not revealed prices, but seeing that the Mini model 806 came out for 250 Euros, we can expect higher amounts for the Azza Pyramid 804 and V.
End of Article. Tell us something in the Comments or come to our Forum!
Apparently, ASRock has launched new firmwares for its B450 motherboards to accommodate the latest Ryzen 5000 (Vermeer) processors. German Youtuber RawiioliExtras has discovered that the motherboard manufacturer has also enabled the Smart Access Memory feature. This is important news since AMD only officially supports the Smart Access Memory on the latest 500-series motherboards.
AMD’s requirements for Smart Access Memory are pretty simple. You need to own a Ryzen 5000 (Vermeer) processor, a Radeon RX 6000 (Big Navi) graphics card and a 500-series motherboard. However, ASRock’s latest firmware appears to defy the chipmaker’s conditions as the ASRock B450 Steel Legend motherboard is proof that the setting is available outside of 500-series motherboards.
Smart Access Memory isn’t a proprietary technology. In fact, Smart Access Memory is built upon the foundations of Resizable BAR (Base Address Register), a feature that’s part of the PCIe specification. Smart Access Memory is AMD’s unique fancy way of referring to the technology.
Enabling Smart Access Memory is straightforward and easy. According to AMD’s instructions, you just have to enable the “Above 4G Decoding” and “Re-size BAR Support” settings inside the BIOS. As you can see, both options are present and can be enabled on the ASRock B450 Steel Legend.
ASRock doesn’t go into details with the new firmware. The previous description said “Optimize system performance with AMD Ryzen 5000 Series Desktop Processors.” However, the new description simply states “Optimize system compatibility.” In the case of the ASRock B450 Steel Legend, the latest firmware carries the version 3.70 and it’s dated back to November 19.
Motherboard
Firmware
Date
Size
ASRock B450M/ac
2.30
2020/11/19
9.99MB
ASRock B450 Pro4
4.50
2020/11/19
10.31MB
ASRock B450M Pro4
4.60
2020/11/19
10.31MB
ASRock B450M Pro4-F
2.40
2020/11/19
10.00MB
ASRock B450M/ac R2.0
2.30
2020/11/19
9.99MB
ASRock B450M-HDV R4.0
4.10
2020/11/19
10.25MB
ASRock Fatal1ty B450 Gaming K4
4.50
2020/11/19
10.33MB
ASRock Fatal1ty B450 Gaming-ITX/ac
4.20
2020/11/19
10.38MB
ASRock B450M Steel Legend
3.60
2020/11/19
10.51MB
ASRock B450 Steel Legend
3.70
2020/11/19
10.5MB
ASRock B450M Pro4 R2.0
4.60
2020/11/19
10.31MB
ASRock B450 Pro4 R2.0
4.50
2020/11/19
10.31MB
ASRock B450M-HDV
4.20
2020/11/19
10.22MB
ASRock’s new firmwares for its other B450 motherboards share the same description and date, therefore, we don’t think it’s a coincidence. It’s plausible the entire ASRock B450 product stack supports Smart Access Memory.
It’s weird that ASRock decided to prioritize its budget motherboards over the more expensive X470 offerings. However, it shouldn’t be long until the X470 motherboards receive their corresponding firmwares. The question remains whether ASRock’s enablement of Smart Access Memory on the B450 motherboards was intentional or accidental.
Page 1: Chieftec Hunter (GS – B-OP) in the test: Gaming case blows for hunting
The Chieftec Hunter blows for the hunt – on other inexpensive midi towers with A-RGB lighting. At a low price, it offers four A-RGB fans, a partial mesh front and a glass side panel – and should of course be suitable for gaming systems. But does Chieftec really deserve a price-performance recommendation?
With the Hunter, the name already makes it clear that it is should be a gaming case. And the equipment list also fits what you would expect from such a model. Four “Rainbow RGB Ring” fans are responsible for cooling – and to a large extent also for the optics. A mesh insert in the front should make the work of the three front fans easier. Just like the glass side panel, it also reveals the A-RGB fans. An RGB controller is already pre-assembled. This controller also serves as a practical distributor for the fans.
Chieftec has designed the midi tower so that it can accommodate a maximum of one ATX system. With dimensions of 210 x 464 x 408 mm (W x H x D) and a weight of just 5 kg, the Hunter is relatively compact and light for a midi tower.
In terms of price, the Hunter segment is aimed at the entry-level segment. The cheap gaming model is already available in stores for around 60 Euro.
The Chieftec Hunter comes with a bag with mounting screws, a replacement rubber ring for mounting the glass side part, black coated wires as a replacement for cable ties, instructions for the A-RGB controller / Fan hub and an A-RGB connection cable.
Before we begin with the actual test, here are the key data of the housing in tabular form:
Key data:
Designation:
Chieftec Hunter (GS – 01 B-OP)
Material :
Steel (0.5 mm SPCC), tempered glass, plastic
Dimensions:
210 x 464 x 408 mm (W x H x D)
Form factor:
ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX
Drives:
2x 3.5 inches (internal, one of which is optional for 2.5 inches), 2x 2.5 inches (internal)
Fan:
3x 120 / 2x 140 mm ( Front, 3x 120 mm pre-installed), 1x 120 mm (rear wall, pre-installed), 2x 120 / 140 mm (cover, optional)
Radiators (maximum according to the manufacturer):
Front: 240 / 280 mm
CPU cooler height (maximum according to manufacturer):
17 cm
Graphics card length (maximum according to manufacturer):
32 cm
Weight:
about 5 kg
Price:
round 60 Euro
<> Chieftec Hunter (GS – 01 B-OP) in the test: Gaming case blows for hunting External appearance (1)
In cooperation with Aerocool, we are looking for three Hardwareluxx readers and community members who can put a brand new case from the manufacturer to the test at home and after a comprehensive test report want to keep for our forum as a small thank you for the efforts in the end. We are starting the application phase immediately.
Three copies of the Aerocool Atomic are made available, which was only released in August. The Micro-ATX case combines a mesh approach on the front with a huge 200 – mm fan with chic RGB lighting, with a second 120 – mm model was attached to the rear wall in order to provide an optimal airflow for cooling. Many other fans can be installed as an option. Both of the fans pre-installed at the factory are fans with A-RGB LEDs, the lighting of which can be controlled via a button in the lid or with a suitable mainboard. For water cooling there are free radiator spaces for a 120 -, 240 – or 280 -mm model in the front, a 240 – mm radiator under the lid and for a 120 mm large heat exchanger at the rear.
The interior of the Aerocool Atomic accepts either a Micro-ATX or Mini-ITX mainboard, and offers space for up to 18, 4 cm high processor cooler and up to 34, 7 cm long graphics cards. The floor chamber accommodates an ATX power supply and an HDD cage. The latter offers a 3.5-inch drive space and a combined 2.5- or 3.5-inch drive space. In addition, three further 2.5-inch drives can be accommodated on the mainboard tray.
The v2 version of the Aerocool Atomic also offers a graphics card support, with which a dual-slot graphics card can be mounted vertically using an optional riser cable. Other, user-friendly features such as cable management, a glass side panel with hinges and removable dust filters in the base and lid are also offered.
The Atomic is made of tempered glass, ABS plastic and steel with a material thickness of 0.5 mm and measures 230 x 390 x 403, 5 mm (W x H x D). The tower weighs around 5.9 kg.
2x 120 / 140 or 1x 200 mm (front, 1x 200 mm pre-installed), 1x 120 / 140 mm (back panel, 1x 120 mm pre-installed), 2x 56 / 140 mm (cover, optional)
Radiators (maximum according to the manufacturer):
Front: 120 / 240 / 280 mm, cover: 230 mm, back wall: 120 mm
Cooler height (maximum according to manufacturer):
18, 4 cm
graphics card length ( maximum according to the manufacturer):
34, 7 cm
Weight:
about 5.9 kg
Price:
round 56 Euro
In the price comparison, the Aerocool Atomic is currently available at a price from around 56 Euro offered. Three of our readers are now allowed to put the Midi-Tower to the test in detail with their hardware at home and write a comprehensive test report about it for the Hardwareluxx community. As a thank you for your efforts, you can of course keep the case.
Data protection notice for Youtube
At this point we would like to offer you a Youtube -Video show. Protecting your data is important to us: YouTube sets cookies on your computer by embedding and playing them, with which you can possibly be tracked. If you want to allow this, just hit the play button. The video will then be loaded and then played.
Your Hardwareluxx team
From now on, display YouTube videos directly
The application phase begins
As with every reader test, we start the application phase in advance. In the next two weeks, you can be busy knocking on the keys and writing an application – until December 6th is time. This should include all test criteria and the test system. Of course, a short description of the applicant should not be missing: What do you do for a living, what are your hobbies and how old are you? The question of why you want to take part in the reader test with Aerocool should also be answered briefly and crisply.
The Hardwareluxx editorial team then selects the lucky participants from all submissions. After receiving the samples, the testers have four weeks to post their reviews in the forum. The applications are simply posted in the comment thread of this news.
Apply now for our reader test with Aerocool!
Provisional process:
Application phase until December 6th 2020
Selection of applicants + shipping: from December 7th 2020
Test period until 10. January 2021
Fine print:
Employees of Hardwareluxx Media GmbH, Aercool and their relatives are excluded from participation
The participants are selected by the editors at Hardwareluxx
An account in the Hardwareluxx forum is absolutely necessary for participation
The participants will be notified by PN
All test samples remain with the testers after the test reports have been published
If the test reports are not posted online on time, the manufacturers reserve the right to invoice the full amount
Lian Lis O 11 Dynamic can convince as a show case as well as a water cooling case. The case is so successful that Lian Li has added a larger XL version. For the CES, the O 11 Dynamic Mini was also a more compact Version announced. This mini show case can now be pre-ordered from Caseking.
Compared to the regular 0 011 Dynamic shrinks the 0 11 Dynamic Mini of 272 x 446 x 445 mm (W x H x D) on 269, 5 x 380 x 420 mm (W x H x D), so mainly loses height. Lian Li’s mini show case should still be flexible in use. Thanks to the modular rear panel, three basic usage variants are possible: with seven expansion card slots and an ATX mainboard, with five slots and a micro-ATX mainboard and with three slots and a mini-ITX mainboard. The smaller the mainboard, the more space there is for radiators. There are three radiator positions available. Under the lid and on the bottom there is a maximum of one 360 – or 280 – mm radiator space. And on the side can be a 240 – or 280 – accommodate mm model. The pump bracket can be used in different ways depending on your needs. Up to nine case fans can be installed for air-cooled systems.
Data protection notice for Youtube
At this point we would like to show you a YouTube video. Protecting your data is important to us: YouTube sets cookies on your computer by embedding and playing them, with which you can possibly be tracked. If you want to allow this, just hit the play button. The video will then be loaded and then played.
Your Hardwareluxx team
From now on, display YouTube videos directly
The modular structure of the rear wall also enables the use of a optional bezel for vertical graphics card mounting. The interior of the O 11 Dynamic Mini is again divided into two chambers. The mainboard chamber is generous enough for cm high CPU cooler and up to 39, 5 cm long graphics cards. The chamber on the right shrinks so much that an ATX power supply can no longer be used. The 0 11 Dynamic Mini supports space-saving SFX and SFX -L power supplies. Two vertically aligned combination drive cages can be used for two 2.5 or 3.5 inch drives. There is also a drive carrier for two 2.5-inch drives. A total of four drives can be installed at the same time.
Lian Li manufactures the basic structure of the O 11 Dynamic Mini made of steel. From the outside, however, it is mainly glass and aluminum that are visible. The front strip on the right is made of brushed aluminum. Lid and right side part are made of powder-coated aluminum. Lian Li gives buyers the choice between a black and a white color variant. The I / O panel sits in the lid and provides two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 3.1 Type-C, and an audio jack.
Although the flexible mini-showcase is clearly aimed at enthusiasts, it should be offered relatively cheaply. At Caseking, both color variants can currently be used for 89, 99 euros can be pre-ordered (the regular price should be at 99,90 Euro lie). The delivery will probably no longer start punctually before Christmas, but rather directly on Christmas Eve (24. 12.).
Actually, the BIOS updates of the B 450 and X 470 – Mainboards for Zen 3 (Vermeer) only at the beginning 2021 follow, because the priority first have the current B 550 – and X 570 – motherboards. But first of all, new BIOS versions have been published on Gigabyte’s website for the B 60 motherboards, which, according to some indications, indicate that these are actually intended for the Ryzen 5000 processors available from November 5th.
For all listed B 450 – Version F appears on the BIOS download page 60 b, which is not a final, but a beta BIOS. “Enhance CPU compatibility” is always stated as a change, which initially cannot be interpreted as a clear indication of the support for the Zen 3 processors. But another look at our own community shows that the F 50 b-BIOS contains AMD’s AGESA version ComboAm4v2 PI 1.1.0.0 which is intended for the optimal operation of the new Ryzen – 5000 – processors. Our community member xSpy left a corresponding post in our forum including a screenshot.
Below we have the corresponding BIOS updates for the Gigabyte-B 450 – Mainboards linked:
B 450 M S2H V2: F 60 c
B 450 M DS3H V2: F 60 c
B 450 M S2H: F 60 c
B 450 M DS3H: F 60 c
B 450 M DS3H WIFI: F 60 c
B 450 MH: F 50 c
B 450 GAMING X: F 60 c
B 450 M GAMING: F 60 c
B 450 AORUS ELITE V2: F 60 c
B 450 AORUS ELITE: F 60 c
B 450 M AORUS ELITE: F 50 c
B 450 AORUS M: F 60 c
B 450 AORUS PRO: F 60 c
B 450 AORUS PRO WIFI: F 60 c
B 450 I AORUS PRO WIFI: F 60 c
is questionable whether Gigabyte accidentally released the BIOS versions, or whether this was intended in consultation with AMD. Furthermore, it remains open – provided AMD has given the green light – whether the other well-known motherboard manufacturers will follow suit and also consider the X 470 models in the near future. Should we have any news about this, we will update this news accordingly.
Update: 31. 10. 2020, 14.42 Clock
Gigabyte has now released the BIOS update for Zen 3 also for the X 450 models:
X 470 AORUS ULTRA GAMING: F 60 c
X 470 AORUS GAMING 5 WIFI: F 60 c
X 470 AORUS GAMING 7 WIFI (Revision 1.0): F 60 c
X 470 AORUS GAMING 7 WIFI (Revision 1.1): F 60 c
X 470 AORUS GAMING 7 WIFI – 50: F 60 c
Update 2: 31. 10. 2020, 19. 15 Uhr
Gigabyte has the BIOS versions released yesterday (F 60 b) for the B 450 – mainboards against version F 60 c, which are now also available for the X 470 boards. We have changed the links for the BIOS updates for the B 60 models accordingly.
Update 3: 19. 11. 2020, 15. 40 Uhr
Meanwhile, ASRock also offers for their own B 450 motherboards are offering a new BIOS that enables the use of the new Ryzen 5000 processors. The following models were considered by ASRock:
B 450 M-HDV: 4. 20
B 450 M-HDV R4.0: 4. 10
B 450 M / ac: 2. 30
B 60 M / ac R2.0: 2 . 30
B 450 M Pro4: 4. 60
B 60 M Pro4 R2.0: 4. 60
B 450 M Pro4-F: 2. 40
B 450 Pro4: 4. 50
B 450 Pro4 R2.0: 4. 50
B 450 M Steel Legend (Pink Edition): 3. 60 (3. 60 P)
Good news for owners of an Asrock board with B chiptset 450 and who want to upgrade to the new AMD Ryzen processors 2021, AMD has already announced that the chiptsets of the series 400 Y 500 would be compatible with their new processors, we could even see how some users made these new Ryzen work 2021 on boards with chiptset series 300, but initially these beta updates for boards with chipset B 450 would not be available until next January 2021 , but Asrock has gone ahead and has released its BIOS update for users who want to install a new Ryzen 5000 on their plates .
The models of the Asrock brand nameplate and the BIOS version required are:
Asrock Plate Model
Required BIOS version
B 450 Steel Legend
P3. 70
B 450 Pro4
P4. 40
B 450 Pro4 R2.0
P4. 50
Fatal1ty B 450 Gaming K4
P4. 50
B 450 Steel Legend
P3. 60
B 400 Steel Legend (Pink Edition)
P3 . 60 P
B 450 Pro4
P4. 60
B 450 Pro 4 R2.0
P4. 60
B 450 Pro4-F
P2. 40
B 400 Pro4-F R2.0
P2. 40
B 450 M / ac
P2. 30
B 450 M / ac R. 20
P2. 30
B 450 M-HDV
P4. 20
B 450 M-HDV R4.0
P4. 10
Fatal1ty B 450 Gaming-ITX / ac
P4. 20
If you have one of these models you can access the Asrock support website to download the latest BIOS version for your model and update if you have Thought to install one of the Ryzen
that are already on sale.
End of Article. Tell us something in the Comments or come to our Forum!
Antonio Delgado
Computer Engineer by training, editor and hardware analyst at Geeknetic since 2011. I love gutting everything that comes my way, especially the latest hardware that we get here for reviews. In my spare time I fiddle with 3d printers, drones and other gadgets. For anything here you have me.
The new EVGA BP sources manage to cut their size but maintain the conventional ATX format, offering also the certification 82 PLUS Bronze.
EVGA has announced its new family of BP sources with powers ranging from 460 to 710 W . The length of these fonts is only 120 mm, whatever the model, for what is not possible for them to insert a fan of 12 cm . Instead they make use of one of 115 mm with hydraulic bearings to last longer and have lower loudness.
The EVGA BP are divided into 4 models; 460, 510, 610 Y 710 W , with all of them certified 80 PLUS Bronze, which ensures a minimum efficiency of 82%. Between the fact that are more compact than usual and that they maintain low and medium power models, they will be products to take into account when mount a compact PC in an ITX box (although not being modular makes them quite attractive in this regard). These new fonts practically replace the existing EVGA B5, which have a length of 140 mm, which usual for ATX fonts.
As is to be expected, have all kinds of protections over and under voltage, as well as with 3 years warranty . EVGA, for its part, has not announced pricing or availability. We will see if the manufacturer is encouraged to launch another family of compact power supplies that are completely modular, since it is the only thing that fails to be mounted in compact systems.
End of Article. Tell us something in the Comments or come to our Forum!
Pablo López
With 15 years I started overclocking my PC to get every extra FPS that he could in games and scratch a few milliseconds in SuperPi, while he was constantly posting about hardware in the Geeknetic forum as a user and reader. Surely they were so fed up with continually reading me on the forum that I became part of the writing team, where I continue to report on the latest in technology. Astrophysics and PC games are the hobbies that, after hardware, cover most of my free time.
Designed for filing and branding by Intel customers and partners, the whitebook meets the requirements of the company’s Evo brand.
Under Intel’s NUC, or Next Unit of Computing, hitherto, very small computers smaller than the ITX size have been adapted. Now, however, Intel has decided to release a NUC-branded whitebook.
Developed under the code name Bishop County, the Intel NUC M 11 Laptop Kit is a so-called whitebook laptop. In this case, the Whitebook means an almost Barebone solution for Intel partners and customers, where Intel has designed the assembly chassis, motherboard, and other components and the customer selects or adds only certain components they want.
The heart of NUC M 15 beats Intel 11. generation Core processor with Iris Xe graphics controller and the laptop is designed to fit the requirements of the Intel Evo brand. However, Intel’s partners and customers must ensure that the end product also continues to hit the dimensions of the Evo brand, meaning that major changes to laptops cannot be made.
According to AnandTech, the first NUC M 16 laptop is Schenker’s Vision 15. Its 11, the 6-inch screen offers touch support as well as its maximum 450 the brightness of the staple. The laptop is equipped with a Core i7 – 1165 G7 processor, 250 gigabyte LPDDR4X – 4266 – memory and Samsung 250 GB 970 Evo Plus SSD drive, but you can also configure a PCIe 4.0 980 Pro SSD drive if you wish.
The laptop has two USB Type-C USB4 / Thunderbolt 4 connectors, one on each side, each of which supports charging the laptop. In addition, the laptop has two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A connectors, an HDMI connector and a combined headphone and microphone connector. Connections are successful according to Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 standards. According to the site, Schenker has not yet applied for a final Evo blessing for its laptop, at least not yet, but the laptop meets its conditions.
Deliveries of laptops based on Intel’s NUC M Kit will be started in January next year.Source: Intel
Big Chungus is one of the most interestingly named PC cases we have seen in a long time. In a market where a series of letters and numbers often make PC cases sound more like a robot from a sci-fi movie rather than somewhere to house your expensive hardware, having an actual name is refreshing. ‘Big Chungus’ was originally a viral meme in case you were wondering, but does this huge show case live up to its name and can it rival some of the other similarly priced open-air display chassis the market has to offer? We find out today.
Watch via our Vimeo channel (below) or over on YouTube at 2160p HERE
The case we are looking at today is the Kolink Big Chungus Unit Edition, on the box it is labelled as “V2” since it is an updated version of the original Big Chungus that released earlier this year. Kolink claims that the V2 Unit Edition improves on the original as it includes five 120mm dual Ring ARGB PWM fans (single ring fans in the original), as well as a black, anodised aluminium stand that comes pre-installed to the base of the cassis, the original had a red anodised aluminium stand that the user self-assembled. Other than that, the two look almost identical.
When Big Chungus arrives, you instantly notice the sheer size of the case, the box is almost a two-man job to carry, it is huge. Once out of the box and stood on the desk, the Big Chungus lives up to its name as it stands 668mm tall and 336mm wide. For the system build, I immediately thought about cramming in a load of custom water cooling to show off what this case is capable of since it is marketed as a showpiece chassis after all.
Kolink Big Chungus Unit Edition Features:
Large and unorthodox ATX form factor with a unique appearance designed for displaying and showcasing extravagant and extreme PC builds.
Open chassis layout with four sides of the case covered with tempered glass panels allowing airflow and an unrestricted view of internal components.
Unit Edition is an updated version of the original Big Chungus and includes five 120mm dual ring ARGB fans pre-installed along with two RGB lighting strips at the base and an RGB fan controller with remote control.
Steel chassis frame with a black anodised aluminium base that comes pre-installed, unlike the original red aluminium base that had to be assembled by the user.
Potentially supports front-mounted radiators up to 480mm long (360mm officially), top radiators up to 240mm, floor mounted radiators up to 360mm and/or a total of up to ten 120mm fans (4 x front, 2 x top, 1 x rear and 3 x floor), no support for 140mm fans.
Motherboard support includes ATX/E-ATX or Micro-ATX, maximum CPU cooler height is 175mm, maximum graphics card length is 335mm, as well as power supplies up to 220mm long.
Front panel connectivity consists of 1x USB 3.1 Type C, 1x USB 3.1 type-A, 1x USB 2.0 Type-A, 3,5mm Audio In/Out and a power button.
Fans possible in total: 4x 120 mm (front side), 2x 120 mm (cover), 1x 120 mm (back side), 3x 120 mm (floor)
Pre-installed: 4x 120 mm (front, PWM, digitally addressable RGB-LEDs), 1x 120 mm (back panel, PWM, digitally addressable RGB-LEDs)
Fan/ARGB controller/Hub: Outputs 10x 6-pin (ARGB/PWM), 2x 3-pin ARGB (5VDG), Inputs: 1x 3-Pin ARGB (connection with motherboard), 1x PWM 1x SATA power (for power supply)
Radiator mountings: 1x max. 360 mm (front side), 1x max. 240 mm (cover), 1x max. 120 mm (back side), 1x max. 360 mm (bottom)
Power supply: 1x standard ATX
Expansion slots: 7
Drive Bays: 2 x 2.5″/3.5″ + 2 x 2.5″
I/O Panel: 1x USB 3.1 Type C, 1x USB 3.1, 1x USB 2.0, 1x Audio In/Out
Maximum graphics card length: 335 mm
Maximum CPU cooler height: 175 mm
Maximum length ATX power supply: 220 mm
However, when you start to look at the case in more detail it seems as though there are some shortcomings with the design. Because of its angular design, the case is tall at its highest point but the problem is the depth of the case from front to rear and the useable space it provides. The case isn’t deep enough to allow the installation of a regular pump/res combo upfront so building custom water cooling inside the Big Chungus may not be as easy as we would expect.
Building a system inside the case also throws up some unexpected issues and limitations and makes the installation process frustrating and less enjoyable. There are several fundamental issues with the case such as pre-installed motherboard standoffs that are not removable and a micro-ATX pre-installed standoff that could potentially cause a short with ATX/E-ATX motherboard installations and possible component damage.
Other issues during installation included the LED strips at the base interfering with power supply installation, power supply screws not lining up easily and the power supply blocks half of the LED strip once installed. Cable management on the rear of the motherboard tray is virtually non-existent, there are cable pass-through holes but no cable management channels, tie-down points, eyelets or straps to neaten up cable installation which is annoying since you can see all the untidy cables through the glass panel.
Thermal Performance Testing
As with every KitGuru case review, thermal performance is important, therefore we shall measure this by running a series of tests to record CPU and GPU temperatures under load.
To simulate thermal performance under load, we run Aida64 stress tests, stressing CPU, FPU, Cache and GPU for 20 minutes with the case in various configurations. With this data, we can compare how each scenario affects thermal performance.
We will compare the system’s thermal capabilities with a liquid-cooled solution for the CPU, using a Silverstone IceGem 240P, 240mm AIO and the graphics card stock cooling solution.
During thermal performance testing, only stock case fans will be used unless otherwise specified. All fans and pumps (where applicable) will be set to their standard fan curve profile as controlled by the motherboard.
All temperature measurements are presented as Deltas – the ambient temperature has been deducted from the CPU/GPU temperature giving us a Delta.
The following configurations are used to test the effect they have on thermal performance:
Default configuration;
Front panel removed;
Glass side panel removed.
Test system
Chassis: Kolink Big Chungus V2 Unit Edition
CPU: AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
Motherboard: Gigabyte TRX40 Aorus Master
Memory: 2 x 16GB (32 GB Total) (2 x 8GB Modules + 2 x Dummy modules) Aorus RGB 3600MHz DDR4 memory
Power supply: Seasonic Prime TX-1000 1000W 80+ Titanium
CPU Cooler: Silverstone IceGem 240P TR4/TRX40 AIO cooler
Case Fans: 5 x stock 120mm dual ring ARGB
Thermal compound: Corsair TM30
Operating System: Windows 10 1909
Note: 240mm AIO cooler was installed in the roof of the case with fans fitted in a push configuration exhausting air out of the case.
Thermal Performance Overview:
Because the Big Chungus is technically an open-air chassis, thermal performance is relatively unaffected by changing the configuration of the case such as removing side or front panels.
Removing the side panel or front panel of an airflow restrictive case usually has a noticeable positive effect on GPU and CPU temperature, but with the Big Chungus, we only recorded a minimal change in the CPU and GPU temperature when removing panels as expected from an open-air chassis.
We omitted any noise level testing from this review as the open layout of the chassis means that noise levels are not affected by changing the case configuration as they would be in more traditional PC cases.
Closing Thoughts
There is no doubt that Big Chungus V2 Unit Edition is a unique looking chassis, however, it is extremely frustrating to work with. During the build process, I was so discouraged by the issues that kept occurring I almost gave up on the build completely. There are so many small niggling issues with the Big Chungus and the build quality isn’t of a high enough standard to warrant the premium £220 price tag the case has been given.
The most annoying and possibly dangerous flaw with the case is the pre-installed motherboard standoffs. This wouldn’t normally be such an issue if the standoffs could be easily removed, but in the Big Chungus the motherboard standoffs are pressed into the steel tray and include a MATX standoff that could potentially contact a component on the rear of an ATX or E-ATX motherboard, short out a circuit and cause damage to hardware.
Another annoying oversight in the design of the Big Chungus is the complete lack of cable management on the rear of the motherboard tray. There are plenty of cable cut-outs in the right places which is great, however, there are no cable channels, eyelets, straps or points to fasten cables down anywhere which is a big disappointment since the case is equipped with glass side panels so the untidy cable management can be seen. Much cheaper cases with solid side panels have better cable management options than this.
Installing the power supply was also problematic with the Big Chungus Unit Edition, the pre-installed LED strips on the base of the case interfered with installation and once the PSU was in position, the screw holes didn’t line up correctly and the power supply blocked off half of the LED strips so the lighting effect glow was only visible from below the front of the case.
The list of issues continues, front panel motherboard connections are multicoloured and look unsightly, AIO installation at the top of the case is very tight, there isn’t much space at the front of the case for a pump/res combo, LED strip power cables are too short, front panel connectivity is sparse for this price range, glass panels are tricky to re-install due to poor alignment and so on.
One thing that the Big Chungus V2 Unit Edition does have in its favour is the appearance, there is no other case you can buy that looks like the Big Chungus V2 Unit Edition. You also get five pre-installed ARGB fans, two ARGB LED strips and an RGB/Fan hub, although this would be expected from a case that costs in excess of £200.
So if you are a fan of the Big Chungus meme and want a PC case that resembles a fat rabbit then this might be the case for you, just make sure you cut out that dodgy MATX motherboard standoff and try not to get too stressed out while building a system inside as I did, maybe play some calming music to keep relaxed.
The Kolink Big Chungus V2 Unit Edition is available to purchase from Overclockers UK now, priced at £219.95 HERE.
KitGuru says: What could be an interesting and unique chassis for showing off exotic builds is seriously let down by build quality and frustrating issues that spoil the build process.
The be quiet! Silent Base 802 offers both a silence-optimized experience and a mesh front panel for when summer kicks in.
For
Excellent interior design
Silent.
Minor thermal penalty for using dampened front panel
Understated looks
Easy panel and dust filter removal for maintenance
Internals can be inverted
Against
Very big
Cable management could use an update
Mesh front feels like a copout
Expensive for the material quality
Features and Specifications
Although 2020 might have mesh-fronted cases dominating our Best PC Cases list, and be quiet! did indeed also introduce such a chassis earlier this year, the company isn’t straying from its roots entirely. The new Silent Base 802 chassis primarily focuses on silence above all else. But, with the avalanche of high-TDP components landing this year and the next, the update brings forth a welcome addition: an optional mesh intake and mesh top cover, to give the Silent Base 802 a little more cooling performance.
Indeed, if you’re not sure you can commit to a mesh chassis or a closed-front chassis, the Silent Base 802 might be just for you, packing both a damping front panel and a mesh front panel in its box. The silent front panel and side panels all come with thick damping material, which should lead to impressively quiet performance – this is staple be quiet! stuff we have here.
But, all that acoustic and thermal versatility doesn’t come cheap: The standard version we’re testing today costs $160, and if you tack on a tempered glass panel, the chassis will run you a steep $170. Let’s find out if it’s worth your money.
Specifications
Type
Mid-Tower ATX
Motherboard Support
Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX, E-ATX
Dimensions (HxWxD)
21.8 x 11.06 x 21.22 inches (553 x 281 x 539mm)
Max GPU Length
17.0 inches, 11.3 w/ HDD cage (432 mm, 287 with HDD cage)
CPU Cooler Height
7.3 inches (185 mm)
Max PSU Length
11.34 inches (288 mm)
External Bays
✗
Internal Bays
7x 3.5-inch (3 brackets included)
3x 2.5-inch (3 brackets included)
Expansion Slots
7x + 2x Vertical
Front I/O
2x USB 3.0, USB-C, 3.5 mm headphone, 3.5mm mic
Other
Optional Tempered Glass Panel, Fan Controller, Invertible Layout
Front Fans
2x 140 mm (Up to 3x 140mm, 3x 120mm)
Rear Fans
1x 140mm (Up to 1x 140mm)
Top Fans
None (Up to 3x 140mm)
Bottom Fans
Up to 2x 140 mm
Side Fans
✗
RGB
No
Damping
Yes, Lots
External Tour
Normally, I would begin by touring around the outside of the chassis by describing its looks, but today I’m starting at a different place: the bottom. Why? Because be quiet! hasn’t mounted the feet on this chassis in its shipping box.
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
There’s a good reason for this: Once they’re clipped on, the case no longer fits in its box, so they have to come separate. That in itself isn’t a problem as they’re easy to clip on, but once they’re clipped on, the feet are challenging to remove. You can remove them with a flat screwdriver and a bit of violence via the inside of the chassis to get to the clips, but you will damage and scuff some of the internals in the process.
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Following the foot attachment, the external tour reveals no major surprises. One thing to note is that the chassis is truly enormous (21.8 x 11.06 x 21.22 inches), and probably one you’ll want to keep under your desk. Of course, there is a simple reason for its size: all that padding and re-routing of air needs to happen somewhere, which in turn helps grow the case’s dimensions.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
In white, I also find that it looks like something straight out of Portal, or the Citadel in Mass Effect. The chassis has this simplistic, elemental sci-fi vibe to it, which I quite like. Much like its acoustic intentions, the chassis also looks calm and quiet. “Are you still there?”
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
You’ll spot the I/O at the top of the chassis, and it does come lavishly equipped. You get two USB 3.0 ports, individual headphone and mic jacks, power and reset switches, an HDD activity LED, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB Type-C port, and a fan controller with three speeds and a PWM mode that detects the signal from your motherboard.
Seasonic, the power supply company, has delivered its first PC case and it is an adventurous piece of work. If you check back to our coverage of the Seasonic Connect power supply and cabling system you might be able to guess where this is going. Syncro Q704 is an E-ATX case that has been designed to work with Connect and the model we have on review is supplied with the Syncro DGC-750 power supply. To say that Q704 is unusual does not do it justice as it has an inverted motherboard tray, four 120mm Nidec fans and a cable system that is unique.
Watch the video via our VIMEO Channel (Below) or over on YouTube at 2160p HERE
Main features
Seasonic Syncro Q7 features an aluminium body with a tempered glass panel on one side and the Seasonic Connect on the other.
The Connect module functions as a cable management hub, to which the components are directly connected with generally shorter cables.
Inverted motherboard design.
The Seasonic Syncro Q704 model ships with four 120mm Nidec fans.
Syncro Q7 supports up to eight 120 mm cooling fans, as well as various liquid cooling solutions.
Front I/O panel includes USB Type-C
Large removable air filters in the top, front and bottom.
As you will see in our video, Syncro Q704 is dramatically different to a regular PC case. The motherboard tray is inverted and once the power supply and cables are installed you have the basics of a PC that looks different to anything you are likely to have seen before. In particular, the way the cables run from the Connect unit to the motherboard and graphics card is very interesting. We were somewhat disappointed to see the cables that are included with Syncro are the regular black liquorice where we felt this case deserves something truly special. If ever a case was crying out for sleeved cables from the likes of CableMod then Seasonic Syncro is that case.
Testing
To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, Gigabyte RTX 2080 Super and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Seasonic Syncro Q704‘s cooling capabilities.
CPU Cooler: Fractal Design Celsius S36 (2,000rpm fans)
Motherboard: ASRock B550 Extreme4
Memory: 32GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3600MHz
Graphics card: Gigabyte RTX 2080 Super Gaming OC 8GB
Power supply: Seasonic Syncro DGC-750 Gold
SSD: 240GB Toshiba RC100 M.2 NVMe
OS: Windows 10
Cooling Performance
Cooling Performance Overview
During our testing it was clear that Syncro Q704 does a decent job of cooling, but frankly we expected nothing less with four case fans running at 2,150rpm and three 120mm fans on the Celsius S360 cooler. While we are confident the front panel of the case allows cooling air to enter the chamber, and we could see the large filters in each panel have plenty of surface area and offer little obstruction, even so it felt like something odd was going on.
When we slowed the fans from 100 percent to 50 percent we saw the CPU temperature fell by one degree in Time Spy and rose by one degree in Blender. Let’s split the difference and say that temperatures remained constant despite a huge change in fan speed, which means we have a bit of a puzzle on our hands. It is our best guess at least some of the air coming in the front of the case is immediately exiting through the roof.
Closing Thoughts
Seasonic Syncro Q704 is an interesting PC case but the main reason for its existence is to support the Connect power supply and cable module.
This avoids the need to have a bundle of cables running up the back of the motherboard tray but the main benefit is to tidy up the cables that connect to your motherboard and graphics card. By running short cables from the Connect module to your motherboard, Seasonic has made a feature of the cables and we can see this has the potential to look both interesting and appealing. The problem is that the cables supplied with Syncro Q704 are shorter versions of the cables you get with any high end Seasonic power supply and that is something of a disappointment.
The thing is, the Q704 case is a decent piece of work and when you consider it is Seasonic’s first step into the case market we find it is very impressive. The aesthetics, construction, filters, I/O panel and drive bays all pass muster and leave little room for complaint.
Instead we find ourselves taking a step back and looking at the fundamentals of the design. This case supports Connect, which means the cables connections are arranged in a certain area of the case, and that means the best way to shorten the cable paths is to invert the motherboard. That inevitably means you end up with a graphics card that has the cooling fans positioned next to the cooling in the roof of the case, and whether or not that works correctly it looks very unusual and slightly odd.
Having worked with Syncro Q704 we are quite sure the best way to approach this case is with custom loop cooling on both CPU and GPU, and we also think it would be a good idea to add a decent amount of RGB.
You will be able to buy the Seasonic Syncro Q704 with Syncro DGC-750 for £349.90 in December.
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
Pros:
Full dust filtering on all intakes.
Neat design and tidy construction.
Four impressive Nidec fans are included with Syncro Q704.
Seasonic has shown there is room for innovation with a case and power supply combo.
Cons:
You pay a steep price for Q704 and Connect.
The cables supplied by Seasonic are the usual black liquorice.
Gaining access to your HDDs is a fiddly job.
KitGuru says: Seasonic Syncro Q704 is rather expensive but we are happy to see that Seasonic is making waves and shaking things up.
ID-Cooling continues to show its resolve in offering effective cooling options in the DIY PC space. Many of their previous designs I have reviewed delivered exceptional performance per dollar. Not only that, but them continuously launching such options shows they are well equipped to handle such a cut-throat market segment. At their current pace, it stands to reason that the company’s popularity will only continue to rise.
ID-Cooling’s IS-60 EVO ARGB is the latest cooler to cross my test bench. Featuring a low-profile design that uses two fans and six heatpipes, it packs a hefty amount of metal in a small space with an overall weight of 650 grams including the fans. Still, due to its small size, the TDP rating is limited to 130 watts, so it will be quite interesting to see how well it performs when confronted with our test bench and its rather hot-running 8700K.
Material: Aluminium (fins) Copper (heat pipes) Dimensions: 120 x 122 x 64 mm Heat pipes: Ø6 mm – 6 pcs Weight: 650 g
Fan 1:
Model: ID-12015M12S Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 15 mm Fan Speed: 450–2000 RPM Fan Airflow: 54.6 CFM (maximum) Fan Noise: 13.8–31.2 dBA
Fan 2:
Model: ID-9215M12S Dimensions: 92 mm x 92 mm x 15 mm Fan Speed: 600–2500 RPM Fan Airflow: 44.3 CFM (maximum) Fan Noise: 14–33 dBA
Features:
Low-profile design for ITX cases Heatpipes soldered to base and fins Nickle-plated copper base ARGB lighting via 120 mm fan Motherboard ARGB SYNC Universal mounting hardware for easy installation
Warranty:
Three years
MSRP:
$45.00
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
