If you’ve read the review of the NETGEAR Orbi LTE router, you might have guessed that this review was on its way. Indeed, this was the very first product I received for review in the UK, with testing done in a hotel while I was sorting out more permanent accommodations, as the next few pages will no doubt indicate. However, circumstances were such that I received two units accidentally, had to return the first one, and test the second unit, which meant the Orbi review was finished first. Regardless, here we are and thanks again to NETGEAR for sending a review sample to TechPowerUp!
The Nighthawk MR2100, also referred to as the Nighthawk M2, is an interesting product in more ways than one. It is obviously a mobile hotspot router, as shown by the way of the form factor and company image above. A few years ago, NETGEAR made waves with their MR1100, a truly all-in-one portable LTE router that worked with just about any carrier worldwide, but had poor battery life and a lower maximum throughput. They aimed to change that with the release of the MR2100 with a better battery and double the WiFi throughput, but somehow managed to create a product that never had a retail launch in the US. Sure, there were some ways to get it through certain carriers, but it is missing some LTE bands that a few specific carriers in the US and some European countries utilize. With the recent launch of their brand-new 5G WiFi 6 mobile router, does it still merit a place in 2021? We aim to address this question in this review that begins with a look at the specifications in the table below.
The high-end Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 router brings oodles of highly configurable features to your network. But in our testing, the performance wasn’t quite in line with the high price.
For
Tri-band router
Trend Micro security included
High-end hardware specs
WTFast
Against
Manual firmware upgrade bug
Only five Ethernet ports
Expensive
For those who live their life by the “these go to eleven” philosophy, Asus has a high-end router for you. The Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 ($450) includes nearly every feature you could reasonably ask for, then and adds in even more features for, as Nigel Tufnel would say “…that extra push over the cliff.” If you’re after a router that gives you lots of software tweaks and gaming-friendly options to prioritize your gaming traffic, it’s a solid choice. But don’t buy it for performance alone, because despite all those antennae, we’ve seen similar speeds on routers that cost much less—some of them from Asus’ own product stack.
Design
(Image credit: Asus)
If you’re after an unobtrusive router that can sit inconspicuously on a shelf, this is the polar opposite. The Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 is a horizontal router with no less than eight antennas deployed circumferentially around its chunky, square body, two to each side. Even its 3.8-pound weight will preclude it from some shelves, and it is quite visually loud. Adorned with orange accents, it would look more at home on the spaceship set of an Avengers sequel than in most living rooms, so plan your placement accordingly. To complete the look, the ROG logo in the center of the router is lit by Aura RGB, which thankfully can be turned off for those times when, for some reason, you don’t want to draw attention to the large techno-crab-looking beast at the heart of your wireless world.
Specifications
Processor
1.8GHz quad-core processor
Memory
256MB NAND flash and 1GB DDR3 SDRAM
Ports
RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for WAN x 1, RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for LAN x 4, Multi-Gig Ethernet port 2.5G/1G x1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 x 2
Encryption
Open system, WPA/WPA2-Personal, WPA/WPA2-Enterprise
Wi-Fi Technology
IPv6
Universal beamforming
2.4GHz x3, 5GHz-1 x3, 5GHz2 x3
Dimensions
11.3 x 4.74 x 14.86 inches
Weight
4.1 pounds
Price
$449.99
The specs for the ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 are undoubtedly impressive. At the heart is a quad-core 1.8 GHz CPU, with access to 256MB of NAND and 1GB of DDR3 SDRAM. The connections include a WAN port, along with four 1 GB Ethernet ports, and a 2.5 GB Ethernet port. If we want to nitpick, that does leave a total of five Ethernet ports, aside from the WAN, and we would have liked to have seen a few more. There are also a pair of USB 3.1 ports for adding networked storage. Physical buttons are as follows:
WPS Button
Reset Button
Power Button
Wireless on/off Button
Boost Key
Wireless specs here also aim to impress, with the ability to send out three simultaneous signals, better known as tri-band, that supports the Wi-Fi 6 standard (also designated as 802.11ax). For the older 2.4 GHz frequency that is up to 1148Mbps, and for the 5 GHz, each frequency is up to 4804Mbps. Peak theoretical throughput is achieved via use of 160 MHz-wide data lanes, and OFDMA with Beamforming.
Setup
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Setup of the GT-AX11000 starts with manually screwing in the eight antennas for the router. After attaching and plugging in the requisite wires, we next fired up our computer’s browser and followed the prompts for initial setup, including setting a wireless password.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
A glitch we initially encountered was that the shipping firmware on the router out of the box was not able to be updated, even when we purposefully triggered an update. We just got a message that the router could not connect with the server. Thankfully, the workaround to manually search for and download the firmware code from the Asus website and then manually upload it to the router was successful. After that, the router could then connect to the Asus server automatically for further updates.
Features
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The GT-AX11000 has bucketloads of features, and is sure to cover the needs of just about every reasonable use case for a gaming router. This includes integrated VPN, the ability to work with other Asus routers to create a mesh network, and a traffic analyzer.
Focusing on the gaming features, the GT-AX11000 starts with tri-band frequencies, with the recommendation of Asus to designate one of the two 5 GHz bands only for gaming to avoid congestion altogether.
Then there is Triple Level Acceleration, with prioritization of the Gaming Port; Game First V which is client-side traffic shaping; Game Boost, Asus’ name for gaming priority adaptive Quality of Service; and WTFast, a gamer’s private network. Yes, that’s four, and perhaps should be renamed Quadruple Level Acceleration.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Finally, there is Game Radar, which can measure ping times to various servers of different worldwide locations. In the above screenshot, we are looking at latency to several Overwatch servers to choose the best one to minimize lag.
Security
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The GT-AX11000 has integrated security from Trend Micro, which supplies AiProtection Pro to the router for full network protection. Various functions are provided, which include a router security assessment to locate vulnerabilities and blocking of infected devices.
Performance
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Using our Netperf software for throughput testing showed some solid results between this Asus GT-AX11000 router and our Wi-Fi 6 client. The near test gets run at 8 feet away with a direct line of sight, and far is 36 feet away on a different floor with ductwork intervening. This also demonstrates the significantly faster speeds on the 5 GHz frequency.
2.4 GHz near
2.4 GHz far
5 GHz near
5 GHz far
Bandwidth (Mbps)
396.46
143.3
1296.48
937.21
Using our Netperf software for throughput testing showed some solid results between this Asus GT-AX11000 router, and the Wi-Fi 6 client. The near test gets run at 8 feet away with a direct line of sight, and far is 36 feet away on a different floor with ductwork intervening. It also demonstrates the significantly faster speeds on the 5 GHz frequency.
Testing Configuration
QoS
FRAPS avg
min
max
8K dropped frames
Pingplotter spikes
Ethernet
No
111.761
98
139
n/a
0
Ethernet + 10 8k videos
No
110.549
96
137
38.54%
1
Ethernet + 10 8k videos
adaptive, gaming priority
106.933
94
137
35.80%
1
Ethernet, 2.5G port
No
110.883
95
137
n/a
0
Ethernet, 2.5G port, 10 8k videos
No
24.283
9
41
62.20%
10
Ethernet, 2.5G port, 10 8k videos
adaptive, gaming priority
101.717
56
133
13.40%
6
5 GHz
No
105.683
92
132
n/a
0
5 GHz + 10 8k videos
No
109.067
92
134
57.90%
0
5 GHz + 10 8k videos
adaptive, gaming priority
111.467
97
138
3.30%
1
2.4 GHz + 10 8k videos
adaptive, game priority
109.7
94
127
27.80%
4
Next, we look at the network congestion testing of the GT-AX11000. It’s not that the results were not plenty solid—they were—but rather that the bar was set so high in our minds for such a top-end gaming router.
For example, the 5 GHz gaming test with the ten 8k videos playing and QoS set to adaptive/game priority shows us how well that staggering amount of network congestion is handled. Our Overwatch game played at 111.467 FPS, a rate that closely matches the same game on a wired connection, yet the dropped frame rate on our 8k video was low at 3.3%, much lower than the 35.8% rate that was seen when the same test was run on Ethernet.
The tests run on the 2.5G Ethernet port show no improvement compared to the 1G Ethernet. Given that our test laptop (an Asus G512LW-WS74) doesn’t have a 2.5GbE port, that’s not exactly surprising. But oddly, the 2.5G test with the ten 8k video streams had the highest of the dropped frames on the video with QoS disabled at a sky-high 62.2%, worse than the 1G Ethernet port. The reasons for this aren’t entirely clear, but could be some combination of hardware and software issues with the 2.5Gb port. Without a faster 2.5Gb device to test with, it’s hard to say. But if your laptop or desktop doesn’t have a 2.5Gb Ethernet port, the safe bet is to stick with one of the 1GbE port alternatives.
We also found that compared to the Asus RT-AX82U midrange router (which costs more than $200 less than its big brother) the scores are pretty similar, making it hard to justify the price difference, at least from performance alone.
Pricing
At a list price of $449, the Asus GT-AX11000 is clearly priced for the high-end market. The problem whenever you compare the top end of any product, such as a CPU, GPU or this router, is that you often bump up against the law of diminishing returns, with the price increasing substantially at the top end, while the features and performance are only a little better than the lower products beneath it. When analyzed from a pure value proposition, it is hard to argue in favor of the Asus GT-AX11000. But for those who want every possible bell and whistle in their wireless setup, then this Asus option makes a case for its crab-like self.
Bottom Line
Overall, while the Asus GT-AX11000 doesn’t offer the best bang for the buck, it does still provide a solid piece of gear for those that can afford this higher price point. The pros include the integrated gaming features such as WTFast, adaptive QoS, and Game Radar. We also appreciate the included security to protect the network. Some shortcomings are the automatic firmware upgrade issue we encountered, the benchmark results in our testing that did not significantly best Asus’ own midrange alternative and only five Ethernet ports. But for those who like its looks, and who want their router to go to eleven, this Asus GT-AX11000 is a feature-packed, aggressive-looking option.
Just note the one cutting-edge feature this model lacks is 6E Wi-Fi, which makes use of the newly uncluttered 6GHz spectrum. For that, you’ll need to pay $100 or so more, at least on the Asus side, and opt for the ROG Rapture GT-AXE1100. You may have to wait a bit to find that model in stock, however, as availability when we wrote this was pretty spotty, not unlike some of the best graphics cards or best CPUs.
Last year, AMD released the Ryzen 5000 series desktop processors and finally took the gaming performance crown Intel had held for so long. This final step completed the Red brand’s ascent back into the forefront of the desktop processor market that began with the launch of the first generation of Ryzen CPUs.
With the Ryzen 3000 launch last year came the AMD X570 chipset. Featuring PCIe 4.0 support, X570 was an impressive leap from generations past. Ryzen 5000 did not launch with a new chipset, but many manufacturers are still launching improved versions of their best X570 boards in order to best cater to new AMD adopters. Today, we are looking at ASRock’s newest launch with the ASRock X570 Taichi Razer Edition.
As the name suggests, the ASRock X570 Taichi Razer Edition is a collaboration with Razer, the world’s first motherboard to natively support Razer Chroma RGB lighting. Along with the improved RGB lighting and support for Razer’s Synapse 3 RGB software, the ASRock X570 Taichi Razer Edition also features 2.5 Gb/s LAN from Killer Networking, as well as Killer Networking WiFi 6 and a beefed up VRM design to top everything off.
A brand-new look of an award-winning board, the X570 Taichi Razer Edition has a lot going for it, but is the performance still there?
Specifications
Specifications
CPU Support:
AMD AM4 socket Ryzen 3000, 4000 G-Series, and 5000 series processors
Power Design:
CPU Power: 16-phase Memory Power: 2-phase
Chipset:
AMD X570
Integrated Graphics:
Dependent on installed CPU
Memory:
4x DIMM, support for up to dual channel DDR4-4666+(OC) MHz
BIOS:
AMI UEFI BIOS
Expansion Slots:
3x PCIe 4.0 x16 slots (x16/x0/x0 or x8/x8/x0 or x8/x4/x4) 1x PCIe 4.0 x1 slots
Storage:
8x SATA 6 Gb/s port 3x M.2 port (SATA3/PCIe 4.0 x4)
2x Antenna ports 1x HDMI port 1x Clear CMOS Button 1x BIOS Flashback Button 1x Optical SPDIF out port 1x LAN (RJ45) port 1x USB 3.1 (Gen2) Type-C port 1x USB 3.1 (Gen2) Type-A port 4x USB 3.1 (Gen1) ports 2x USB 2.0 ports 5x 3.5 mm Audio jacks 1x PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard combo port
Audio:
1x Realtek ALC1220 Codec
Fan Headers:
6x 4-pin
Form Factor:
ATX Form Factor: 12.0 x 9.6 in.; 30.5 x 24.4 cm
Exclusive Features:
ASRock Super Alloy
XXL Aluminum Alloy Heatsink
Premium 60A Power Choke
50A Dr.MOS
Premium Memory Alloy Choke
Nichicon 12K Black Caps
I/O Armor
High Density Glass Fabric PCB
2 oz copper PCB
Killer 2.5G LAN
Killer 802.11ax WiFi
Killer DoubleShot™ Pro
ASRock steel Slot Gen4
ASRock Full Coverage M.2 Heatsink
ASRock Ultra USB Power
ASRock Full Spike Protection (for all USB, Audio, LAN Ports)
ASRock has announced its new series of ultra-compact form-factor (UCFF) PCs that combine small dimensions with performance of desktop APUs from AMD. ASRock’s Jupiter X300-series is only slightly larger the company’s Mars 4000U-series machines launched last November, but it clearly packs considerably more performance and features than its smaller brother.
ASRock’s Jupiter X300 barebones PC uses AMD’s easy-to-find socketed Ryzen 2000/3000/4000 APU with up to eight cores, built-in Radeon Vega graphics as well as an up to 65W TDP cooled using a copper heatsink and a high-performance blower. The APUs can be paired with up to 64GB of DDR4 3200 MHz memory (using two SO-DIMM modules), an M.2-2280 SSD with a PCIe 3.0 x4 or SATA interface, and a 2.5-inch/9.5-mm drive.
The manufacturer says nothing about compatibility of its Jupiter X300 systems with AMD’s not-yet-announced Ryzen 5000-series ‘Cezanne’ APUs, but the machines are based on a rather outdated AMD X300 chipset. Meanwhile, since the motherboard uses a proprietary form-factor, it will prove tricky to upgrade.
(Image credit: ASRock)
The Jupiter X300 chassis measures 178 × 178 × 34mm, so not as compact as a NUC, but not too far away from NUC-like dimensions. The system — which is actually smaller than Apple’s MacMini — can be attached to VESA mounts of a display or used on the desktop.
(Image credit: ASRock)
Connectivity department of ASRock’s Jupiter X300 is quite advanced. The machine can be equipped with Intel’s AX200 Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5 module (or any other adapter if you buy it separately), it has one Gigabit Ethernet port, three display outputs (a DisplayPort 1.2, an HDMI 2.0, and a D-Sub to support legacy monitors), two 3.5-mm audio connectors, and eight USB ports (two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, four USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, two USB 2.0), which might be a record for an UCFF PC.
(Image credit: ASRock)
ASRock positions its Jupiter X300-series machines for home, office, and enterprise customers. Since the latter often require remote management and advances security, ASRock offers them its X300-serie DASH barebones with a DASH-enabled LAN, trusted platform module 2.0, an anti-intrusion sensor. Obviously, to use remote management and other advanced features of AMD’s business platform, the systems have to be equipped with the company’s Ryzen Pro-series APUs.
ASRock did not announce MSRPs of its Jupiter X300-series barebones PC.
So here I am, having moved out of the US after spending what seems like an eternity in Taiwan before finally moving to my new home in Europe for the time being. As it turns out, things are different here! Broadband internet connectivity can vary from country to country, but generally is far superior to the USA in terms of options, pricing, and bandwidth caps. Yet there remain issues in fiber connectivity to a lot of places; options are still limited in speed and stability even for a wired connection. The other improvement is with mobile networks, and when I started looking at this further, I realized that I was for once in a situation where mobile broadband for the home was a viable consideration. NETGEAR clearly thought the same with a portfolio of such products available for the consumer. Today, we take a look at another of their Orbi WiFi routers, but this time it is not a WiFi system and allows for 4G LTE connectivity as well.
An Orbi router by itself rather than a system of router and satellite units seems almost blasphemous, but there is good reason for it. The NETGEAR Orbi LBR20 is their current flagship performance router for mobile broadband connectivity, with no 5G option at this time. The other options from the company are mobile hot spots, of which we will look at one separately in detail soon, and a standalone WiFi 6 LTE Nighthawk router that has lower throughput compared to this. The LBR20 does retain the option to pair with satellite units (purchased separately) for further coverage expansion as needed, but this review covers the individual unit, beginning with a look at the specifications in the table below.
Specifications
NETGEAR Orbi LBR20 4G LTE WiFi Router
Combined Wi-Fi Speed:
2,200 Mbps (866 + 866 + 400Mbps)
Coverage:
1,500 sq ft
Dedicated Backhaul (Wireless):
2×2 (866 Mbps)
WiFi Technology:
Tri-band IEEE® 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
LTE Support (North America):
4G band (LTE-FDD): B2,4,5,7,12,13,14,17,25,26,29,30,66,71; 4G band (LTE-TDD): B41; 3G band: B1,4,5;
LTE Support (EU/AU):
4G band (LTE-FDD): B1,3,5,7,8,20,28; 4G band (LTE-TDD): B38,40,41; 3G band: B1,3,5,8;
Counter-Strike players could be returning to in-person competition soon thanks to a new agreement on safety protocols. The Counter-Strike Professional Players’ Association announced a new series of protocols, created in conjunction with two major tournament organizers — the ESL and DreamHack — that could see players return to LAN tournaments early this year.
“The players are eager to play LAN events again, but only if it can be done in a safe and responsible manner based on clear protocols approved by the players,” Mads Øland, CEO of the CSPPA, said in a statement. “With this protocol now in place, we move one step closer towards returning to LAN.”
According to the announcement, the protocols were created in part after observing how player unions in the NBA, NFL, and elsewhere adapted to competing amid the pandemic. The announcement includes what appears to be a fairly straightforward list of rules on testing, travel, creating controlled environments, and ensuring plans are in place in case players do test positive for COVID. The CSPPA also says that these protocols will be updated “on an ongoing basis” as the situation changes and depending on the country in which the event takes place.
Last year, most esports leagues — including those for League of Legends, Call of Duty, and Overwatch — quickly shifted from in-person events to online competitions. Counter-Strike is one of the first to outline safety protocols for a return to LAN events, in large part because few other esports have player-driven associations to look out for their best interests.
In a separate announcement, the ESL said that it plans to host the majority of its CS:GO events in controlled studio environments without an audience present. “Our expected return to regular live events with audiences is slated for November, however the general guidance may change depending on how local and global guidelines change throughout the year,” the organization says. The first major ESL competition of the year will be IEM Katowice, which will be held online starting February 16th.
Elsewhere in esports, League of Legends competitions across the world are already underway, while the Call of Duty League plans to kick off next month, and the Overwatch League is due to begin in April. Epic also recently unveiled its plans for competitive Fortnite this year, including a prize pool of $20 million.
The Dreamhack gaming festival actually attracts thousands of computer game fans to the Leipzig Trade Fair in January – but this year everything is different. The Leipziger Messe and its partners organize the Dreamhack from 22. to 24. January as “Home Edition”. “This is a very slimmed-down version of Dreamhack, so that we can make an offer to the particularly loyal part of our community during this time as well,” said trade fair spokesman Felix Wisotzki.
This refers to the players who had secured a place at the big LAN party in previous years. 2000 it was in the previous year. You should also be able to have a LAN party this time – only from home. For example, tournaments in “CS: GO” (“Counter Strike: Global Offensive”) or “League on Legends” are offered. The fair sold tournament tickets for this. Wisotzki could not yet say how many players are taking part. The fair counts with less than 2000.
Much deleted This year everything that has taken place on the exhibition grounds since 2016 has been deleted: professional tournaments in e-sports with relatively high prize money, streaming events , the exhibition part. In January 2020 before the outbreak of the corona pandemic, this mixture was even more than 23. 000 Attracted visitors. Wisotzki said a lot is currently on hold in e-sports anyway. “Even the big tournaments in e-sports live from the atmosphere with an audience.”
The mini format was agreed with the Swedish licensor for the Dreamhack brand, said Wisotzki. “He thinks it’s good that something is happening at all.” The fair is also about maintaining the brand. The hope: 2022 everything should then run normally again.
Last year, AMD released the Ryzen 5000 series desktop processors in one of the most monumental hardware launches of the modern era. This final step completed the Red brand’s ascent back into the forefront of the desktop processor market that began with the launch of the first generation of Ryzen CPUs.
With the Ryzen 3000 launch came the AMD X570 chipset. Featuring PCIe 4.0 support, X570 was an impressive leap from generations past. It was also hot, which had motherboards often include chipset cooling fans. With Ryzen 5000 around the corner, as well as AMD’s RDNA2 GPU launch, there is more interest than ever in Team Red.
The TUF Gaming Alliance is a collaboration spearheaded by ASUS to produce a family of hardware with a common visual theme and exceptional quality and durability. The TUF Gaming aesthetic is typified with neutral blacks and grays with yellow accents for flavor, offering peace of mind to those looking for compatibility and stability along with a perfectly matched theme. ASUS TUF Gaming motherboards focus on balancing a rich feature set with a reasonable price tag.
The ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Pro (WiFi) has been outfitted with sixteen high-end power stages from Vishay Semiconductor, along with a formidable VRM heatsink to deliver cool and reliable performance even on the latest and greatest Ryzen 9 CPUs. Alongside the VRM, the ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Pro (WiFi) features 2.5 Gb/s LAN and a solid compliment of storage options including eight SATA ports. With a storied reputation to live up to, let’s see if the ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Pro (WiFi) is tough enough!
Specifications
Specifications
CPU Support:
AMD Ryzen™ 5000/3000/2000 Series desktop processors
8x SATA 6 Gb/s port 2x M.2 port (SATA3/PCIe 4.0 x4)
Networking:
1x Intel I225-V 2.5 Gb Intel WiFi 6 AX200
Rear Ports:
1x PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port 1x DisplayPort 1x HDMI 1x LAN (RJ45) port 1x Optical S/PDIF out 5x Audio jacks 1x BIOS FlashBack™ Button 1x ASUS Wi-Fi Module 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (up to 5 Gbps) ports 3x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (up to 10Gbps) ports
Audio:
Realtek ALC S1200A
Fan Headers:
6x 4-pin
Form Factor:
ATX Form Factor: 12.0 x 9.6 in.; 30.5 x 24.4 cm
Exclusive Features:
5-Way Optimization tuning: TPU Insight, EPU Guidance, DIGI+ VRM, Fan Expert 4, and Turbo App
A big thank you to ASRock for providing the review sample and Kingston for providing the system memory and SSD.
ASRock has become a significant provider of motherboards and graphics cards since its formation in 2002. The company has stuck to their 3C design concept of “Creativity, Consideration, Cost-effectiveness,” which has taken them from humble beginnings to enthusiast favorite. Over time, their product portfolio has also expanded from simple motherboards to high-end offerings, alongside graphics cards, routers, components, mini-PCs, and industrial systems.
Today, I look at the ASRock NUC BOX-1165G7 barebones system with an Intel i7-1165G7 at its core. The processor is an Intel 10 nm 4-core, 8-thread Tiger Lake offering with the company’s Iris Xe Graphics, which has 96 execution units. Overall, the CPU has a maximum turbo frequency of 4.7 GHz with a base clock of 2.8 GHz. Meanwhile, it can support up to 64 GB of DDR4-3200. To test the system, Kingston provided both 16 GB (2x 8 GB) and 32 GB (2x 16 GB) kits of DDR4 3200 MHz memory, which retail for $80 and $160 respectively as I am writing this, along with a 500 GB KC2500 M.2 NVMe SSD, which retails for $107. To be thorough, I have tested both sets of memory to see if going big has any tangible benefits.
The latest version of VLC, 3.0.12, brings some major improvements for macOS users. Especially those who got an M1-powered Mac, since this is the first version of the video player to natively support Apple silicon.
Note that after updating to v3.0.12 you will still have the x86 app. You need to hit Check for updates from the menu again, then you’ll be shown v3.0.12.1, which is the actual ARM version of the app.
Even if you have an Intel-powered Mac, you should download this update as it fixes the audio distortion issues that happened on macOS. It has some UI improvements for Big Sur as well.
VLC 3.0.12.1 gains native support for running on the Apple M1 chip (image credit)
Macs aside, the latest VLC adds support for the RIST protocol, improves how settings for adaptive streaming resolution are handled, updates the YouTube and Vocaroo scripts, touches up the web interface and patches several security issues. Also, crashes with Direct3D video filters have been fixed.
You can find download links and the full changelog at the Video LAN website.
MSI is getting ready to launch two budget-oriented AM4 motherboards belonging to the MAG series: the A520M Bazooka WiFi and the B550M Vector WiFi. Both feature a similar black and grey design and rear I/O connectivity, but there are still some differences that might make users choose one over the other.
The MSI A520M Bazooka is an mATX motherboard measuring 244mm x 244mm and featuring a mildly sized heatsink for the VRM and MSI’s M.2 shield Frozr heatsink for a PCIe NVMe SSD. This board uses a 4+2+1 duet rail power system to deliver the power to the CPU and 2oz thickened copper on the PCB to improve heat dissipation. Additionally, it comes with double ESD protection to prevent static discharge surges from damaging the motherboard and any other components connected to it.
Featuring 4x DIMM slots for up to 128GB of DDR4 at a maximum speed of 4400MHz, this board has a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, 2x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots, an M.2 slot, 4x SATA 6Gbps ports, Realtek ALC897 audio Codec, Realtek RTL8111H LAN controller, and Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168 with Bluetooth support. The board’s rear I/O comes with 4x USB-A 3.2 Gen1 5Gbps ports, 2x USB-A 2.0 ports, an RJ-45 ethernet port, audio and WiFi antenna connectors (antennas included), an HDMI 2.1 port, and a DisplayPort.
The MSI B550M Vector WiFi also is an mATX motherboard, but it’s a bit shorter, measuring 244x210mm, and comes with a slightly smaller heatsink. Similar to the A520M Bazooka WiFi, the B550M Vector WiFi features MSI’s M.2 shield Frozr heatsink, double ESD protection, a 4+2+1 duet rail power system, and 2oz thickened copper on the PCB.
Instead of 4x DIMM slots, the B550m Vector WiFi comes with only 2x DIMM slots (64GB max.), but it supports higher clocked memory up to 4600MHz. Just like the A520M Bazooka WiFi, it also features a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, 2x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots, an M.2 slot, 4x SATA 6Gbps ports, Realtek RTL8111H LAN controller, and Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168 with Bluetooth support, but the audio codec could either be the Realtek ALC897 or the older 892. The rear I/O is exactly the same, including 4x USB-A 3.2 Gen1 5Gbps ports, 2x USB-A 2.0 ports, an RJ-45 ethernet port, audio and WiFi antenna connectors (antennas included), an HDMI 2.1 port, and a DisplayPort.
MSI hasn’t disclosed the pricing and availability details of these motherboards. You can learn more about the A520M Bazooka WiFi HERE, and the B550M Vector WiFi HERE.
KitGuru says: Out of these two MSI motherboards, which one would you choose for an entry-level AMD system?
With around 50% of the total Raspberry Pi sales, over 17 million units, going to the industrial sector, it is clear that there is a demand for the disruptive single board computer. The Compute Module range was developed to meet the needs of the industrial sector and embedded platform by offering an embeddable version of the Pi in a common form factor. The ClusBerry 9500-CM4, from Techbase, is the latest industrial-focused product that sees up to eight of the latest Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 squeezed inside a DIN-Rail housing, common to industrial applications.
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(Image credit: TECHBASE Group Sp. z o.o.)
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(Image credit: TECHBASE Group Sp. z o.o.)
The ClusBerry 9500-CM4 is a customizable platform that enables the end-user to adapt their units to serve their needs via a series of modules. For example, there are modules for a SATA-based file server, LAN / WAN router, and extra USB 3 ports. If reliability is important to your use case, then a power management module sees a backup power supply in the form of a Li-ION battery and a supercap. This high-capacity capacitor charges quickly and can be used to power devices in the event of power loss.
With up to eight Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 in use, things will get a little warm. The Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 uses a very similar System on Chip (SoC) to the Raspberry Pi 4, and they both require cooling for best performance. The ClusBerry 9500-CM4 uses a shared heatsink with pipes shunting the waste heat into a single heatsink. It would be interesting to see how effective that is!
Right now, Techbase is working on the first prototypes, with an expected delivery time of two months, depending on your configuration options. There is no word as yet on price; typically, products such as this will be tailor-made for the customer, which means prices can vary.
The routers that adhere to the WiFi standard 6E can also take advantage of the 6 GHz band, as well as the 5 and 2.4 GHz ones. This allows you to have up to 7 extra channels from 160 MHz and greatly expanded device functions.
by Rosario Grasso published 11 January 2021 , at 12: 11 in the Peripherals channel ASUS ROG
Asus announced ROG Rapture GT-AX 11000 , a router based on the recent standard Wi- Fi 6E (802. 11 ax) . Wi-Fi 6E technology, which ensures full support for all existing wireless devices, takes full advantage of the radio spectrum in the frequency of 6 GHz , ensuring a large increase in bandwidth and adding up to seven frequency bands from 160 MHz to the two already made available by Wi-Fi 6.
Among the other advantages of the Wi-Fi 6E standard is the fact that the 6 GHz band operates without the Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) function , so that devices can connect instantly without running into the delays imposed by DFS. In the standard 5 GHz frequency in Wi-Fi 6, the channels at 160 MHz must necessarily operate using DFS, which can slow down the process of connecting or reconnecting to the wireless network.
Among the features of the new high-end router from Asus we find a combined Wi-Fi speed up to 11 Gbps and 2 Gbps WAN and WAN aggregation / 2.5 Gbps LAN for 4K / 8K broadband streaming in densely populated networks. Regarding the Wi-Fi bandwidth, the router provides 1148 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band, 4804 Mbps on the 5 GHz band and 4804 Mbps on the 6 GHz band. GT-AXE 11000 also has the WAN aggregation function to reach Internet connection speed up to 2 Gbps .
Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX 11000 is also equipped with a quad-core CPU a 64 bit from 1.8 GHz assisted by 1 GB of RAM to allow parallel processing when handling data generated by multiple high performance devices. To reduce power loss and maximize coverage, Asus ROG engineers have minimized the distance between the motherboard connectors and the antennas. The new antenna design optimizes the signal strength that spreads in every direction and each of the eight antennas is well isolated from the neighboring ones, with particular attention to the four antennas dedicated to the 6 GHz frequency.
We also find advanced software features which include Triple-Level Game Acceleration, VPN Fusion, ASUS AiMesh and ASUS AiProtection Pro for network control while gaming. The new Asus ROG router includes a dedicated Gaming Port that gives a high priority to any device wired to it connected, ensuring that data transferred over this connection always takes precedence – this lowers ping values and reduces game latency.
Game Boost is an adaptive QoS that allows players to prioritize packets in transit that relate to games within the network. GT-AX 11000 also includes a free trial of 90 days of Outfox to ensure a faster and more stable connection to the game server. GT-AX 11000 also supports ASUS AiMesh, which allows gamers to create their own mesh Wi-Fi system inside the house so you can connect with other AiMesh compatible routers, all with seamless roaming, synchronized functions and centralized control.
GT-AX 11000 finally includes the free AiProtection Pro service for life, a solution for networking protected by layers professional security backed by Trend Micro and that protects all devices on the network. Periodic automatic updates are made available on a regular basis to ensure that the network is always up to date.
benefits of Wi-Fi 6
The combination of technologies OFDMA and MU-MIMO of Wi-Fi 6 improves network efficiency and capacity up to four times compared to WiFi 5 (802. 11 ac), plus higher efficiency in multi-device environments. Wi-Fi 6 also has the function called “Target Wait Time “ with program the data transmissions in order to allow particular types of devices, such as IoT sensors, to remain in standby for longer periods and, consequently, reduce the energy consumption of the device itself, with the result of obtaining a significantly improved battery life.
More details on the new Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX 11000 can be found on the official Asus website.
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Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE 11000 – technical specifications
Below are the complete specifications of the new Asus RO router G:
ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX 11000
Antennas
8 external antennas
Frequency of operation
2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz
Wi-Fi Data Rate
802. 11 ax (2.4 GHz): f up to 1148 Mbps 802. 11 ax (5 GHz): up to 4804 Mbps 802. 11 ax (6 GHz): up to 4804 Mbps
Supported standards
IEEE 802. 11 a, IEEE 802. 11 b, IEEE 802. 11 g , IEEE 802. 11 n, IEEE 802. 11 ac, IEEE 802. 11 ax, IPv4, IPv6
Memory
256 MB NAND Flash 1 GB DDR3
I / O ports
1 x RJ 45 00 / 100 / 1000 Mbps for WAN 4 x RJ 45 10 / 100 / 1000 Mbps for LAN 1 x 2.5G WAN / LAN 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1
Buttons
Power on / off, Reset, WPS, WIFI on / off & LED
DC power adapter
AC Input: 100 V ~ 240 V (50 ~ 60 Hz) DC Output : 19 V / 3. 42TO
SFF builder Shuttle has a new Ryzen-based SFF barebones PC ready for the European market; the XPC slim DA320. Measuring in at just 1.3 liters the DA320 is one of the smallest SFF units you can buy which supports Ryzen based processors. Luckily the unit features a lot of connectivity support, so you sacrifice very little with the DA320’s ultra-small form factor.
For CPU support, the DA320 supports all Ryzen 2000 series and 3000 series APUs, as well as AMD’s budget Athlon 2000 series APUs. For memory, the SFF unit can run up to 2933 MHz DDR4 (1.2v) RAM with a maximum capacity of 32GB (16GB per DIMM). For storage, you have options for both SATA based and NVMe M.2 based drives, along with space for a single 2.5 inch SATA drive.
Unfortunately, the DS320 does not come with built-in WiFi support, instead, there’s an additional M.2-2230E slot on the motherboard that supports M.2 based WiFi cards.
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(Image credit: Shuttle)
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(Image credit: Shuttle)
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(Image credit: Shuttle)
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(Image credit: Shuttle)
For connectivity, there are a plethora of options; in the front, you get four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, an SD card reader, plus a microphone and headphone jack. In the rear, there are dual Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports alongside four more USB ports; two USB 3.2 Gen 1 and two USB 2.0 ports. Surprisingly you also get a couple of D-Sub RS232 serial COM ports, which are useful for industrial applications.
For display outputs, there are three in total; two DisplayPort 1.4 connectors and a single HDMI 2.0 connector. All connectors can be used simultaneously for a triple monitor setup thru AMD’s Vega integrated graphics.
If you want to order the DA320, you’ll have to buy it from European retailers as that is the only area where Shuttle sells its barebones PCs. Currently, the XPC Slim DA320 can be found at Reichelt – a German retailer site for 235 Euros, approximately $284.
With the Fanless Chromebox, ASUS wants to appeal to users who are looking for a silent Chromebox. ASUS uses an aluminum housing with cooling fins for this. In combination with the two W-LAN antennas, the flat Fanless Chromebox has such a design that you could mistake it for a router at first glance.
ASUS installed inside an Intel Core processor of the 10. Generation or a Celeron processor. Specifically, there are three models to choose from: Intel Celeron 5205 U, Core i3 – 10110 U or Intel Core i7 – 10510 U. The latter model is an economical quad-core SoC based on the Comet Lake architecture. The integrated Intel HD Graphics serves as the GPU. With one exception, the selectable CPUs are congruent with those that are also offered for the ASUS Chromebox 4. In the compact Chromebox 4, however, ASUS uses a fan. For the Fanless Chromebox 4 or 8 GB RAM and 10 or 64 GB eMMC storage or a 128 GB M.2 SSD can be configured.
On 207 x 148 x 32 mm (W x D x H) large housing of the 1.2 kg fanless Chromebox shows numerous connections, including five USB Type-A, once USB Type-C, two HDMIs and a network socket. A microSD card reader can also be used. The Fanless Chromebox supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. With its VESA attachment, it can be attached to the back of suitable monitors. A Kensington lock can be used for simple theft protection. ASUS lists both a 65 – and a 90 – watt Power adapter.
Various sources report on a US launch in February and a starting price of 399 dollars. According to Computerbase, the Fanless Chromebox in Germany will initially only be sold to bulk buyers and not to end customers.
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