HWiNFO, which is increasingly becoming a source of new hardware information, has added support of ‘some Asus Z690 and Maximus XIV,’ according to blogger @Komachi_Ensaka. Interestingly, the mention of the Z690 has been removed since he wrote his post.
Since Intel has confirmed that it is developing an Alder Lake-based desktop platform, it’s not exactly a secret that its motherboard partners are working on appropriate mainboards. But Asus seems to be the first company to confirm these works, albeit unofficially.
Much is still up in the air about what exactly the Intel Z690 chipset will bring with it. Yet we do know that it is set to support Intel’s Alder Lake-S platform, which means DDR5 memory and PCIe 5.0 interconnections. We also know that the platform (not the CPU or chipset specifically) is set to support Thunderbolt 4.
While there’s still much to learn about Intel’s Z690 chipset, what is important in this story is timing. We know from Intel that Alder Lake-S is due in the second half of the year — which technically starts in July. And apparently Asus is pretty far along with at least one Z690 motherboard. Does this mean that the CPU will be out rather sooner than later? Who knows?
Being a top-of-the-range product, the ASRock Z590 Phantom Gaming-ITX/TB4 naturally has support for addressable RGB lighting (using the ASRock Polychrome Sync/Polychrome RGB software) and has a very sophisticated input/output department that has a number of unique features, such as three display outputs and multi-gig networking.
Here’s a sentence that cryptocurrency enthusiasts and PC gamers will respond to very differently: Ethereum prices rose above $3,000 for the first time this morning.
That’s good news for cryptocurrency enthusiasts who started mining Ethereum when it was first introduced. According to the Coindesk price index, Ether was trading at less than $200 in May 2020. This morning its value peaked at $3,204.
People who have optimized their GPUs for Ethereum mining—or who simply bought into the cryptocurrency when it was trading for about $500 six months ago—are probably ecstatic that Ether is now 16 times more valuable than it was last year.
But it’s not great news for PC gamers. Ethereum miners have been quick to buy whatever graphics cards, gaming laptops, and other hardware they can get their hands on, which has exacerbated the ongoing shortage of those products.
It almost feels like hardware enthusiasts were tricked. Just a few days ago Ether’s price tumbled as much as 10.5% as the entire cryptocurrency market responded to a report that President Joe Biden planned to increase the capital gains tax this year.
Finally, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe someone could finally shop for one of the best graphics cards without having to worry about Ethereum miners (and their bots) buying up seemingly every retailer’s inventory after every restock.
This is the cryptocurrency market, though, and last month’s declining prices are this month’s record-setting values. It seems like waiting for Ethereum to be less attractive to miners isn’t going to work. It looks like we’ll just have to wait for GPU supplies to improve instead— or hope to be one of the 0.001% of Newegg Shuffle participants to win the chance to buy a graphics card as part of a bundle with a motherboard or power supply you probably don’t want.
Saturday’s Newegg Shuffle targets the best and the worst, at least in performance, of Nvidia’s Ampere lineup. The RTX 3060 and RTX 3090 are at polar ends of the GPU spectrum, and priced accordingly. Either way, you’re getting one of the best graphics cards — assuming you win the chance to buy one of these GPUs.
A dozen bundles comprise today’s offerings, with power supplies and motherboards being the common option, though there’s also one monitor bundle. Newegg likes to bundle hard-to-find graphics cards with other components as a way to push stock, and while it makes for more money up front, you’re still generally paying less than what you’d have to fork over if you tried to buy just the graphics card on eBay. In fact, our eBay GPU pricing index suggests some people might just be putting their ‘winnings’ up for sale to earn a buck, not that we’d recommend that.
If you’re wondering how the cards perform, our GPU benchmarks hierarchy has the details. We’ve also recently covered how modern GPUs perform in ray tracing benchmarks, where Nvidia’s DLSS can make a huge difference. Basically, RTX 3060 cards are about as fast as the RTX 2070 from 2018, but with more memory (and less memory bandwidth). The RTX 3090 meanwhile reigns as the king of the GPU hill, with 24GB of VRAM for good measure. It’s about 25% faster than the old Titan RTX, and right now costs nearly as much.
For those unfamiliar with the process, Newegg Shuffle uses a lottery format. Just select the component(s) you’d like to potentially buy. Then Newegg will hold a drawing later today, after which the ‘winners’ will be notified by email with the chance to purchase an item (only one) within a several-hour period. Based on our experience, you won’t get selected most of the time. But hey, it’s free to try.
We noted recently that Newegg says about 100,000 people enter the Shuffle each time, which would make your odds of winning pretty poor. Except, we don’t know how many of each combo are available. With 12 options today, if we assume 10 of each that gives 120 total winners. That would be a 0.12% chance of winning, though if there are more — or less — of the combos available, the odds obviously change. Our GPU editor has entered nearly every shuffle for the past month and got selected just once, while others say they’ve never been selected and some claim they’ve won multiple times. YMMV. Here’s the full list of today’s options:
EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 with EVGA 650W Power Supply for $469
EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 with EVGA 750W Power Supply for $510
EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 with EVGA 750W Fully Modular PSU for $512
Asus ROG Strix 3060 with Asus B450M motherboard for $635
Asus ROG Strix 3060 with Asus B450-F motherboard for $675
Asus ROG Strix 3060 with Asus PG259QN 1080p 360Hz monitor for $1,240
Gigabyte RTX 3090 Xtreme with Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master for $2,605
Gigabyte RTX 3090 Xtreme Waterforce with Gigabyte 850W PSU for $2,480
Gigabyte RTX 3090 Xtreme Waterforce with X570 Aorus Master for $2,705
Gigabyte RTX 3090 Gaming with Gigabyte 850W PSU for $2,860
Gigabyte RTX 3090 Gaming with Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master for $3,085
Gigabyte RTX 3090 Gaming with Z490 Aorus Master Waterforce for $3,335
The most enticing options seem to be the EVGA RTX 3060 combos, as we’re never sad about having a decent qualty spare PSU around. Plus, the prices are downright reasonable. Assuming $70–$100 for the power supply, that means the RTX 3060 cards only cost around $400. You won’t find a lower price on a modern graphics card right now!
The Asus 3060 bundles by comparison cost over $100 more, and while they come with more expensive motherboards, having a potential spare board isn’t nearly as helpful in our experience. If you’re planning on building a PC using a B450 motherboard, though, they’re still worth a look. The pairing of a top-tier eSports gaming monitor with a modest graphics card on the other hand just feels a bit… off.
Gigabyte rounds out the list with six different RTX 3090 bundles, all obviously in the extremely expensive range. Oddly, the 3090 Gaming bundles cost quite a bit more than the 3090 Xtreme and 3090 Xtreme Waterforce bundles, even though the 3090 Xtreme models actually have better cooling and higher factory overclocks. In other words, the RTX 3090 Gaming bundles aren’t recommended — unless you really want to drop a bunch of money to try your hand with one of the best mining GPUs?
With component shortages plaguing the PC industry, not to mention the smartphone and automotive industries, the latest word is that prices aren’t likely to return to ‘normal’ throughout 2021. If you can keep chugging along with whatever your PC currently has, that’s the best option, as otherwise prices are painful for all of the Nvidia Ampere and AMD RDNA2 GPUs.
Today’s Newegg shuffle starts at 1 pm EST/10 am PST. The Newegg Shuffle normally lasts for 2 hours, so if you’re interested in any of these components, act fast!For other ways to get hard-to-find graphics cards, check out our RTX 3080 stock tracker and our feature on where to buy RTX 30-series cards. And for more Newegg savings, visit out page of Newegg promo codes.
ASRock’s Z590 PG Velocita is a full-featured Z590 motherboard that includes three M.2 sockets, Killer based networking (including Wi-Fi 6E), capable power delivery, premium audio, and more. It’s a well-rounded mid-ranger for Intel’s Z590 platform.
For
Killer based 2.5 GbE and Wi-Fi 6E Networking
10 USB ports on rearIO
Capable power delivery
Against
Last gen audio codec
No USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C on rearIO
Features and Specifications
Next up out of the ASRock stable is the Z590 PG Velocita. The Z590 version of this board comes with an improved appearance, enhanced power delivery, PCIe 4.0 capability for your GPU and M.2 device, fast Killer-based networking and more. Priced around $300, the PG Velocita lands as a feature-rich mid-range option in the Z590 landscape.
ASRock’s Z590 lineup is similar to the previous-generation Z490 product stack. At the time we wrote this, ASRock has 12 Z590 motherboards listed. At the top is Z590 Taichi, followed by the PG Velocita we’re looking at here, and three Phantom Gaming boards, including a Micro-ATX option. Additionally, there are two professional boards in the Z590 Pro4 and Z590M Pro4, two Steel Legend boards, two Extreme boards (also more on the budget end), and a Mini-ITX board round out the product stack. Between price, size, looks, and features, ASRock should have a board that works for everyone looking to dive headlong into Rocket Lake.
Performance testing on the PG Velocita went well and produced scores that are as fast or faster than the other Z590 boards we’ve tested so far. The PG Velocita eschews Intel specifications, allowing the Intel Core i9-11900K to stretch its legs versus boards that more closely follow those specs. Overclocking went well, with the board able to run our CPU at both stock speeds and the 5.1 GHz overclock we’ve settled on. Memory overclocking also went well, with this board running our DDR4 3600 sticks at 1:1, and DDR4 4000 was nice and stable after a few tweaks to voltage to get it there.
The Z590 PG Velocita is an iterative update, just like most other Z590-based motherboards. The latest version uses a Killer-based 2.5 GbE and Wi-Fi 6E network stack, adds a front panel USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C port, premium Realtek audio codec (though it is last generation’s flagship), three M.2 sockets and more. We’ll dig into these details and other features below. But first, here are the full specs from ASRock.
Along with the motherboard, the box includes several accessories ranging from cables to graphic card holders and an additional VRM fan. The included accessories should get you started without a trip to the store. Below is a complete list of all included extras.
Support DVD / Quick installation Guide
Graphics card holder
Wi-Fi Antenna
(4) SATA cables
(3) Screw package for M.2 sockets
(3) Standoffs for M.2 sockets
Wireless dongle USB bracket
3010 Cooling Fan with bracket
4010 Cooling Fan bracket
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(Image credit: ASRock)
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(Image credit: ASRock)
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(Image credit: ASRock)
Once you remove the Z590 PG Velocita from the box, one of the first things you’ll notice (if you’re familiar with the previous model) are the design changes. ASRock sticks with the black and red theme but forgoes the red stenciling on the black PCB from the last generation. The VRM heatsinks are large, connected via heatpipe and actively cooled out of the box by a small fan hidden in the left heatsink. ASRock includes an additional small fan and brackets for the top VRM heatsink (we did not use this in any test). The rear IO cover also sports the black and red Phantom Gaming design theme, along with the ASRock branding lit up with RGB lighting. The heatsinks on the bottom half of the board cover the three M.2 sockets and the chipset heatsink. The latter sports a PCB and chip under clear plastic for a unique look. Overall, I like the changes ASRock made to the appearance of this board, and it should fit in well with more build themes.
(Image credit: ASRock)
As we look closer at the top half of the board, we start by focusing on the VRM area. These aren’t the most robust parts below the heatsink, so additional cooling is welcomed. Just above the VRM heatsinks are two 8-pin EPS connectors (one required) to power the processor. To the right of the socket area are four unreinforced DRAM slots with latches on one side. ASRock lists supported speeds up to DDR4 4800(OC) with a maximum capacity of 128GB. As always, your mileage may vary as support depends on the CPU’s IMC and the kit you use to reach those speeds.
Located above the DRAM slots, we find the first two (of seven) 4-pin fan headers. The CPU/Water Pump and Chassis/Water Pump headers both support 24W/12A, with the remainder of the fan headers supporting 12W/1A. There are plenty of fan/pump headers on this board to support the motherboard running them all without a controller if you choose. A third 4-pin header is located in this area, while a fourth is in an odd spot, just below the left VRM heatsink. Outside of that, all headers auto-sense if a 3- or 4-pin connector is attached.
Just to the right of the fan headers up top are an ARGB (3-pin) and RGB header (4-pin). You’ll find the other two on the bottom edge of the board. The Polychrome Sync application controls these LEDs and any attached to the headers.
On the right edge are power and reset buttons, while just below those are the 24-pin ATX header for power to the board. Just below this is the first USB 3.2 Gen1 front panel header and the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C front panel header.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
ASRock uses a 12-phase configuration for the CPU. Power goes through the 8-pin EPS connector(s) and is sent to the Renesas ISL69269 (X+Y+Z=12) controller. The controller then sends power to six Renesas ISL6617A phase doublers and finally onto the 12 Vishay 50A SIC654 DrMOS power stages. This provides 600A total to the CPU. While not the highest value we’ve seen, the VRM’s easily handled our CPU at stock and overclocked, with some help from the active cooling fan. This board comes with another fan, however, we chose not to use it and after testing, found there wasn’t a need for it.
(Image credit: ASRock)
Moving down to the bottom half of the board, we’ll start on the left side with audio. Hidden below the plastic shroud is the premium Realtek ALC1220 codec. ASRock chose to go with the last generation’s flagship solution instead of jumping up to the latest 4000 series Realtek codec, likely to cut costs. We also spy a few Nichicon Fine Gold audio capacitors poking through the said shroud. This board doesn’t have a fancy DAC as more expensive boards tend to, but this solution will still be satisfactory for an overwhelming majority of users.
In the middle of the board, we see three full-length reinforced PCIe slots (and an x1 slot) as well as the heatsinks that cover the three M.2 sockets. Starting with the PCIe configuration, when using 11th gen CPU, the top two slots are PCIe 4.0 capable with the slot breakdown as follows: x16/x0, x8/x8, or x8/x8/x4 (PCIe 3.0). ASRock says the PG Velocita supports Quad CrossfireX, 3-Way CrossFireX and CrossfireX. As is increasingly common, there’s no mention of SLI support. The x1 slot is connected via the chipset and runs at PCIe 3.0 x1 speeds.
Looking at M.2 storage, the top socket, M2_1, is connected directly to the CPU and offers the fastest speeds (PCIe 4.0 x4 @ 64 Gbps), supporting up to 80mm devices. The second slot down, M2_2, is chipset connected, supporting PCIe 3.0 x4 speeds and accepting SATA-based modules. The bottom socket, M2_3, is also fed from the chipset and runs both SATA-based drives and PCIe, at 3.0 x4 speeds. If M2_2 is occupied, SATA ports 0/1 will be disabled. If M2_3 has a SATA-type drive installed, SATA 3 will be disabled. In the worst-case scenario, when all M.2 sockets are populated (one with a SATA drive), you’ll still have three SATA ports available as well. The top two sockets hold up to 80 mm modules while the bottom supports up to 110 mm drives.
To the right of the PCIe socket sits the chipset heatsink and its PCB-under-plexi look. Continuing to the right edge, we spot another 4-pin fan/pump header, the second USB 3.2 Gen1 header and six SATA ports. Below that is another 4-pin fan header and finally a clear CMOS button to reset your BIOS. Around the SATA ports are the mounting holes for the included GPU support bar. Including this in the box is a great value add, especially with graphics cards seemingly getting larger and heavier as time goes on.
Across the board’s bottom are several headers, including more USB ports, fan headers and more. Below is the complete list, from left to right:
Front-panel audio
Thunderbolt header
UART header
RGB and ARGB headers
USB 2.0 header
TPM header
(2) Chassis/WP headers
Dr. Debug LED
Temperature sensor, water flow headers
Speaker
Front panel header
(Image credit: ASRock)
Flipping the board around to the rear IO area, there’s the pre-installed IO plate which matches the colors and design of the rest of the board. There are 10 USB ports: You get two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (Type-A and Type-C), six USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and two USB 2.0 ports, all of which have ESD protection. Two of these ports, outlined in red, are the Lightning ports. The ports are sourced from two different controller interfaces, allowing gamers to connect their mice/keyboard with the lowest jitter latency–according to ASRock. On the video front, the PG Velocita includes an HDMI port and DisplayPort for use with the integrated video on the processor.
Also here are the Intel (black) and Killer (blue) Ethernet ports on the networking front. The Killer LAN can communicate directly with the CPU, yielding lower latency than chipset-connected LAN–again according to ASRock. Next up are the antenna ports for Wi-Fi 6E and, finally, the gold-plated 5-plug audio stack plus SPDIF.
Although Thermaltake’s The Tower 100 isn’t the most practical case, it’s joyfully weird and doesn’t cost much.
For
+ Unique new case design
+ Showpiece from all angles
+ Easily accessible top IO
+ Reasonable thermal performance
+ Affordable
Against
– Cheap build quality
– Lacking cable management
– Impractical build process
– Limited cooling potential
Features and Specifications
Thermaltake’s The Tower 100 is a new ITX chassis that comes with a totally different design from what we’re used to. It places the motherboard along the back wall of the chassis, GPU directly into the PCIe slot, rear IO at the top under a cover, and a large ATX power supply in the basement. It’s bigger than most ITX cases, but it’s got a unique design that may appeal to those who want to show off their hardware, thanks to the glass on three sides.
But although it’s a small showcase, it does limit practicality somewhat by favoring form over function. Without further ado, let’s dig a bit deeper and find out if the case is good enough for a spot on our Best PC Cases list.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Specifications
Type
Mini-ITX
Motherboard Support
Mini-ITX
Dimensions (HxWxD)
18.2 x 10.5 x 10.5 inches (462.8 x 266 x 266 mm)
Max GPU Length
13.0 inches (330 mm)
CPU Cooler Height
7.5 inches (190 mm)
Max PSU Size
ATX, up to 7.1 inches (180 mm)
External Bays
✗
Internal Bays
2x 2.5-inch
Expansion Slots
2x
Front I/O
2x USB 3.0, USB-C, Headphone, Mic
Other
✗
Front Fans
✗
Rear Fans
1x 120mm
Top Fans
1x 120mm
Bottom Fans
✗
Side Fans
✗
RGB
No
Damping
No
Features
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Touring around the outside of the chassis, two things that are immediately clear are the lavish amount of glass that’s included for an ITX case, and the ventilation. Glass doesn’t do many favors for cooling, but ventilation does, and from the looks of it, there’s plenty to be found here.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The materials quality isn’t the most stunning, but given that this chassis carries an MSRP of just $109, it’s nothing to be upset about and more than adequate. Only the shroud around the top of the chassis is made from cheap plastic, though it is color-matched quite well to the rest of the case.
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Front IO comprises two USB 3.0 ports, a USB Type-C port, dedicated microphone and headphone jacks, and of course power and reset switches. This is all very complete, and much appreciated at the case’s price.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Meanwhile, air filters are also provided on all possible air intake locations. All the side and front vents have filters. The top and rear exhaust have filters, and the bottom PSU intake has an air filter. Of course, that’s a good thing, but there’s a good reason for it: With no dedicated spots for fan-assisted air intake, every corner better have filtration or you’ll end up with significant dust buildup.
Opening Up the Tower 100
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Opening up The Tower 100 is a bit of a tedious process, but let’s start with the teardown to reveal the case’s internals. First, you pop off the top cover by pressing down the back to click it out, revealing access to the top-mounted rear IO location. You’ll also spot an exhaust fan here, along with all the cabling for the front IO.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Then, you have to remove five screws to remove the plastic shroud. It then comes right off, and you can remove the glass panels.
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Then, we remain with the bottom vents, which are removed by unscrewing them from below. The thumbscrews here are quite tight, so you’ll need a screwdriver to get them off. Personally, I would have preferred to see the front and sides as a single panel and the top shroud stuck on with clips. As designed, it’s quite a bit of work to get the side panels off – a lot more than most ATX cases.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The rear panel comes off by removing four thumbscrews, again bring your screwdriver.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
And with that, we have the chassis stripped down to its bare essentials.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The only remaining thing to mention about the internals of the chassis is the dual SSD brackets on the right side, where you can mount your 2.5-inch drives somewhat on display.
A Word on Hardware Compatibility
This chassis is primarily aimed at offering a lot of GPU space and compatibility. As such, fitting large GPUs up to 13 inches (330mm) is a breeze, but you won’t get a lot of CPU cooling potential. The biggest AIO that fits in here is a 120mm unit, which isn’t much. For gaming, this will be fine, but if you’re also running a very powerful Intel CPU and doing a lot of CPU-intensive tasks, you may want to look elsewhere.
Just when we thought that smart cities, smart factories, IoT devices, autonomous vehicles, and robots will be the main generators of data that will require storage space in the coming years, Chia cryptocurrency just demonstrated that it will also be a formidable generator of data, at least for the time being.
In a about a month’s time storage space allocated to Chia network increased from 120PB all the way to 1143PB, or 1.14 Exabytes. 1.14EB equals 1,140,000TB, or 63,333 20TB hard drives.
(Image credit: Chia)
Chia is a proof of space-time cryptocurrency that uses storage space on farmers’ systems to store a collection of cryptographic numbers called ‘plots.’ When the blockchain broadcasts a challenge for the next block, farmers’ systems scan their plots to see if they have the hash that is closest to the challenge. This method eliminates the Proof of Work concept used by Bitcoin and Ethereum therefore lowering vast power requirements for mining, which developers of Chia call ‘farming.’
Meanwhile, the probability of winning a block is the percentage of the total space that a farmer has compared to the entire network, which essentially means that someone with more available space has more chances to win. So, while accelerators and GPUs are not needed for Chia farming, someone with more storage space to host more plots earns more.
At present each plot requires around 350GB of storage space and 4GB of RAM, so when one wants to store 100 plots, they need a system with 35TB of space and 400GB of RAM. While buying four 10TB HDDs is not cheap, 400GB of RAM (and host CPUs to support them) cost a lot.
(Image credit: https://github.com/xorinox)
Thousands of Chia farmers now build machines with tens of HDDs that can store tens terabytes of data. While one of such drives does not consume a lot — about 6.5W when operating and about 5.6W when idling — tens of such HDDs can consume hundreds of Watts when they work and usually more when starting up. For example, a system with 32 Western Digital HC550 18TB HDDs (like the one pictured above) powered by a monster motherboard with 32 SATA ports can consume around 180W when idling, which does not count power consumption of memory and compute modules.
For obvious reasons, there are no consumer PC chassis or NAS boxes with 32 3.5-inch bays. Meanwhile, rack-based chassis with backplanes for data centers are quite expensive. As a result, hardware used for Chia farming is either DIY or designed specifically for this purpose and nothing else. Essentially, in just about several months’ time a new segment of hardware market for Chia farming has developed.
It remains to be seen how Chia cryptocurrency mining will develop going forward. But at this rate the amount of storage space used by Chia network will be gargantuan a year from now.
Scammers are hacking into the accounts of Target gig workers and draining their bank accounts, Motherboard reports. Since March 28th, more than 30 employees who work for Shipt, Target’s delivery app, have posted on Facebook about being attacked. The company employs about 300,000 contract shoppers in the United States.
In some cases, the scammers are spoofing Shipt’s phone number and pretending to be corporate employees. They say they’ve noticed unusual activity on the worker’s account and ask for the person’s password. Once they get in, they transfer the worker’s earnings to themselves.
The scam is made possible in part by an “instant payout” feature Shipt rolled out earlier this year. The feature allows workers to cash out their earnings within the hour. But it also enables scammers to instantly get access to workers’ funds. Previously, workers only had access to their earnings once a week.
The scammers appear to know workers’ names and phone numbers, making some people nervous that their information leaked in a data breach. Motherboard found evidence that some workers’ information was exposed in data breaches at other companies — but not at Shipt.
A representative from Shipt’s trust and safety team left a voicemail for a worker who’d complained about phishing attacks. “I just wanted to let you know about this issue that it’s something we’ve been looking into and something that we’ve been reviewing a lot of recently,” the representative said, according to a recording obtained by Motherboard.
Some workers received emails asking them to reset their passwords prior to getting the scam call. According to Motherboard, the emails were likely an attempt to trick workers into thinking there was suspicious activity on their account. Other shoppers had two-factor authentication set up but were deceived into reading the codes to scammers who called them on the phone.
In a statement emailed to The Verge, Danielle Schumann, a Shipt spokesperson, said the company knows about the attacks but does not believe they have impacted a large number of Shipt workers. “We’re aware of the prevalence of scams like these that are often the result of phishing or an account takeover,” Schumann said. “A very small number of shopper accounts have recently experienced this kind of activity.”
The company also said it has reimbursed shoppers for the full amount lost, and taken several steps to educate people on how to secure their accounts, including proactively emailing all shoppers.
Six workers told Motherboard that they did not see the email containing security information since the company sends so many updates.
Shipt workers have been talking about the attacks in private Facebook groups. Some have described what happened to them in detail. But others appear to have been censored when they tried to get information on the attacks. In one instance, the company seemingly blocked a contractor from asking colleagues about phishing schemes. “Curious has anyone experienced a phishing scam on Shipt?” the worker wrote. Moderators for the group did not approve the post.
Shipt has a history of allegedly censoring contractors who speak out about working conditions on the platform. According to Motherboard, the company has retaliated against workers who complained about app changes and pay on social media.
Chinese motherboard manufacturer Onda (via ZOL) has launched the brand’s new Chia-D32H-D4 motherboard. The model name alone is enough to tell you that this motherboard is aimed at farming Chia cryptocurrency, which has already caused hard drive price spikes in Asia.
Designed for mining, rather than to compete with the best motherboards for gaming, the Chia-D32H-D4 is most likely a rebranded version of Onda’s existing B365 D32-D4 motherboard. It measures 530 x 310mm, so the Chia-D32H-D4 isn’t your typical motherboard. In fact, Onda has produced a special case with an included power supply for this specific model. The unspecified 800W power supply arrives with the 80Plus Gold certification, while the case features five cooling fans.
The Chia-D32H-D4’s selling point is obviously the motherboard’s 32 SATA ports, allowing you to leverage up to 32 hard drives. The B365 chipset can only provide a limited amoung of SATA ports, so the Chia-D32H-D4 depends on a third-party SATA controller such as Marvell to get the count up to 32. We counted seven SATA controllers in the render of the motherboard. Assuming that each controller delivers up to four SATA ports, the remaining four should come from the B365 chipset itself.
At 18GB per drive, the motherboard can accommodate up to 576GB of storage for all your Chia farming activities — enough for around 5,760 101.4GiB plots. Based on the current Chia network stats, that would be enough for about 0.05% of the total Chia netspace, though that’s likely to decrease rapidly in the coming days if current trends continue, never mind the time required to actually generate that many plots.
In terms of power connectors, the Chia-D32H-D4 comes equipped with a standard 24-pin power connector, one 8-pin EPS connector and up to two 6-pin PCIe power connectors. The latter is designed exclusively to power the hard drives.
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Chia-D32H-D4 (Image credit: ZOL)
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Chia-D32H-D4 (Image credit: ZOL)
Based on the LGA1151 socket and B365 chipset, the Chia-D32H-D4 is very flexible in regards to processor support. It’s compatible with Intel’s Skylake, Kaby Lake, Coffee Lake and Coffee Lake Refresh processors. The motherboard utilizes a modest six-phase power delivery subsystem, but it should be sufficient to house processors up to the Core i9 tier.
Besides the deep storage requirements, Chia farming is reliant memory as well. A single Chia splot requires around 4GB of memory. The Chia-D32H-D4 offers four DDR4 memory slots, providing the opportunity to have up to 128GB of memory in the system. On paper, you can plot up to 32 plots in parallel.
Expansion options on the Chia-D32H-D4 are limited to one PCIe x16 slot, one PCIe x1 slot and one M.2 slot. Connectivity, however, is pretty generous. For connecting displays, you can choose between the HDMI port or VGA port. There are also four USB 3.0 ports and two Gigabit Ethernet ports. A power button is located on both ends of the motherboard.
Onda hasn’t listed the Chia-D32H-D4 motherboard on its website nor its pricing. However, rumor on the street is that motherboards are already in the hands of Chia farmers.
Amazon workers at four different facilities near Staten Island have begun the process of unionizing with the Amazon Labor Union. The organizing effort is being led by Christian Smalls, a former warehouse worker who was fired in March after organizing a walkout to protest unsafe working conditions during the pandemic, according to Protocol.
The company has responded by posting anti-union messages on TV screens at JFK8, the fulfillment center where Smalls used to work. “KNOW THE FACTS BEFORE YOU SIGN A UNION CARD,” reads one of the messages obtained by Motherboard. “If someone asks you to provide your personal information or sign a union card, do not release your personal information without knowing all the facts.”
Several hundred workers at JFK8 have already signed cards in support of the union, Smalls told Protocol. In total, the warehouse employs roughly 5,000 workers. The union could present the cards to Amazon as early as June.
The effort comes on the heels of a bitter defeat for Amazon organizers in Alabama. Earlier this month, warehouse workers in Bessemer voted against unionizing with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), although the organization is currently contesting the results.
After Smalls was fired, he filed a class action lawsuit against Amazon (the case is ongoing). He also created the Congress of Essential Workers, which grew into the Amazon Labor Union, according to Protocol.
The Amazon Labor Union isn’t affiliated with a national group like the RWDSU, which could complicate the high-stakes unionizing effort. Typically, unions like RWDSU provide much-needed resources and experience to employees trying to organize their workplace. For now, most of that work is being done by Smalls and the various organizations he founded since leaving the company. The group has also set up a GoFundMe to cover organizing expenses.
Smalls told Protocol that he thinks independence will be helpful. “We have nothing to compare ourselves to,” he said. “That puts us at an advantage. Workers can’t say we already tried it and failed. When talking to workers, we can say this is us creating this together as workers of Amazon. We’re all in this together.”
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Verge.
Matthew Wilson 8 hours ago Featured Announcement, Memory
Earlier this month, HyperX and MSI were able to set a new DDR4 memory overclocking world record, reaching speeds of 7156MHz. Now, just a few weeks later, this record has been broken, with MSI and HyperX hitting 7.2GHz speeds.
HyperX is of course the gaming division of Kingston (soon to be acquired by HP) and has served the memory market for decades now. This particular record-breaking overclock was achieved by the MSI OC team in Taiwan, using an 8GB HyperX 4600MHz Predator memory stick, an MSI MEG Z590 UNIFY-X motherboard and an 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11900KF running at 3.5GHz.
The hardware setup is similar to what was used to set the 7156MHz record a few weeks ago, but the motherboard has been swapped out for a different one. This paved the way for the MSI OC team to reach 7200MHz this time around.
As you would expect, HyperX is very pleased with the result, with the company’s DRAM business manager, Kristy Ernt, saying: “HyperX is thrilled to be part of this breakthrough in DDR4 overclocking history, with HyperX Predator memory used to set two world records within the past month. Our HyperX engineers continue to focus on improving high-speed yields to get faster products in the hands of our customers and push previously unattainable performance records.”
While you are unlikely to achieve an overclock this high at home using standard cooling methods, HyperX does sell a number of validated high-speed memory kits. The HyperX Predator DDR4 kit used here is available in speeds up to 4800MHz with latencies between CL12 and CL19. Single-dimm kits can be found in capacities of up to 32GB, if you get a kit with multiple dimms, you could install as much as 256GB of memory on a system.
KitGuru Says: HyperX is leading the overclocking race at this point and with DDR5 on the way, we have to wonder if this record will be broken again before we shift away from DDR4.
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Once a year, we ask you, our readers, to tell us what’s hot and what’s not in our unique KitGuru Reader Survey. This year, Zotac has offered up a stunning prize for one lucky participant to win: a very special ‘barebones’ PC that comes complete with an Intel Core i7-10700 processor and an Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics card!
AMD’s Threadripper consumer HEDT processors continue to be praised strongly for their excellent compute performance and connectivity options. But what if you want more than 256GB of memory? What if you want your RAM to run in 8-channel mode? What if you want more than 64 PCIe Gen 4 lanes? Well… that’s where Threadripper Pro comes in.
Watch via our Vimeo Channel (Below) or over on YouTube at 2160p HERE
Video Timestamps:
00:00 Start
00:15 Some details/pricing
01:15 Star of the show – Threadripper Pro 3975WX
03:20 The CPU cooler
03:46 Memory setup / weird plastic shrouds with fans
05:27 AMD Radeon Pro W5700 GPU
07:00 Motherboard
08:55 Storage options
09:41 1000W PSU (Platinum) and custom setup
10:32 Luke’s thoughts and I/O panels
11:22 The Chassis
11:40 Cooling and tool less design
12:35 Summary so far
14:02 Performance tests
16:49 System temperatures, power and noise testing
19:05 System under idle conditions – ‘rumbling’ noise we experienced
19:22 Pros and Cons / Closing thoughts
Primary Specifications:
32-core AMD Threadripper Pro 3975WX processor
128GB of 3200MHz ECC DDR4 memory in 8-channel mode
AMD Radeon Pro W5700 graphics card with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM
WD SN730 256GB NVMe SSD
1kW 80Plus Platinum PSU
We are examining the Lenovo ThinkStation P620 workstation that is built around Threadripper Pro and its 8-channel memory support. There are a few options for the base processor on Lenovo’s website including 12, 16, 32, and 64 core options. Specifically, we are looking at the 32-core Threadripper Pro 3975WX chip and we are hoping that Lenovo can keep it running at the rated 3.5-4.2GHz speeds beneath that modestly sized CPU cooler.
Partnering this 280W TDP monster with its 128 PCIe Gen 4 lanes is 128GB of 8-channel DDR4 3200MHz ECC memory. While a 128GB installation is merely small-fry for Threadripper Pro, the 3200MHz modules running in 8-channel mode should allow for some excellent results in bandwidth-intensive tasks. Plus, you get a 1600MHz Infinity Fabric link for the Zen 2 cores.
I will, however, emphasise my dislike for Lenovo decision to deploy a 40mm fan and shroud to cool each DIMM bank. This seems unnecessary for a 128GB installation and merely adds additional noise and points of failure. Metal heatspreaders on the DIMMs would have been better, if enhanced cooling is deemed necessary.
Graphics comes in the form of an 8GB Radeon Pro W5700 blower-style card which we have already reviewed on KitGuru. That makes this an all-AMD system as far as the key components go. Another key benefit is ISV certification for the Lenovo P620. That point will be music to the ears of system buyers in a business environment with users who run software on the guaranteed support list.
Another point that will garner particular attention from prospective buyers is the display output connectivity. On its ‘pro-grade’ card, AMD deploys five Mini-DisplayPort 1.4 connections and one USB-C port. That gives you convenient access to six total display outputs which is super. As highlighted in our review of the Radeon Pro W5700, you can power five 4K monitors or three 5K alternatives, making this an excellent workstation proposition.
Lenovo uses its own WRX80 motherboard to house the sWRX8 Threadripper Pro CPU. The power delivery solution looks competent and Lenovo’s use of proper finned VRM heatsinks with passive cooling is to be commended. Six total PCIe Gen 4 slots are provided by the motherboard – four x16 bandwidth and two x8. However, only two x16 slots remain usable due to the slot spacing, and the top one will likely interfere with the RAM fan’s header.
It is actually disappointing to see Lenovo offering up sub-par expansion slot capability. There is no clear way to use the 128 lane capability from Threadripper Pro. That is especially disappointing to users who will want multiple graphics card alongside high-bandwidth networking and storage devices. However, the limited expandability is a clear compromise from Lenovo’s use of a compact chassis with just a couple of 80mm fans for intake and exhaust airflow.
At least you do get dual, cooled M.2 slots on the motherboard. One of those is occupied by a 256GB WD SN730 SSD in our install. Clearly, most users will want to adjust the storage configuration. But this is clearly a very subjective requirement, so I respect Lenovo for offering a basic, cheap drive for the baseline configuration.
Power is delivered by a 1kW 80Plus Platinum unit. Lenovo highlights 92% efficiency on the configurator page, but this is likely a mistake for 230/240V UK customers given the more stringent 80Plus Platinum requirements for those operating voltages. The PSU’s tool-less design is absolutely superb and works very well; a single connector port feeds power from the unit through the motherboard where it is then distributed accordingly, including via break-out cables for PCIe and SATA connectors.
Connectivity for the system is just ‘OK‘. You get 10GbE Aquantia AQC107 networking onboard, but a secondary network adapter is disappointingly omitted. I would have liked to see a few more USB ports on the rear IO, including some in Type-C form and preferably 20Gbps high-speed rated. However, the front IO is excellent with four 10Gbps USB connections, two of which are Type-C. I also appreciated the system’s included audio speaker when using the unit without a proper set of speakers.
The chassis build quality is good and feels very well-built given its compact form. Man-handling the hefty system is easy thanks to the front handle. And the internal tool-less design is excellent. Lenovo’s configurator gives an option to upgrade to a side panel with key locking to prevent unauthorised access, which is good to see.
With that said, cooling certainly looks to be limited with just two 80mm intake fans on the chassis. The graphics card, CPU, PSU, and (annoyingly) RAM also have fans to take care of their own cooling. If you are thinking of adding a second high power GPU, though, the internals are likely to get very toasty.
Priced at around £5.5-6K inc. VAT in the UK (depending on the graphics card situation given current shortages), we are keen to see how Threadripper Pro performs in this reasonably compact workstation.
Detailed Specifications
Processor: AMD Threadripper Pro 3975WX (32 cores/64 threads, 3.5/4.2GHz, 280W TDP, 144MB L2+L3 cache, 128 PCIe Gen 4 lanes, up to 2TB 8-channel DDR4-3200 ECC memory support)
Motherboard: Lenovo WRX80 Threadripper Pro Motherboard
Memory: 128GB (8x16GB) SK Hynix 3200MHz C24 ECC DDR4, Octa-channel
Graphics Card: 8GB AMD Radeon Pro W5700 (RDNA/Navi GPU, 36 compute units, 2304 stream processors, 205W TDP, 1183MHz base clock, 1750MHz GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus for 448GBps bandwidth)
System Drive: 256GB WD SN730 PCIe NVMe SSD
CPU Cooler: Lenovo dual-tower heatsink with 2x 80mm fans
Tuesday’s Newegg shuffles always seem to have the most options, and today’s shuffle brings with it a sale on one of AMD’s best CPUs plus a wide selection of Nvidia’s best graphics cards. Only the former is up for grabs solo, but you’re still able to sign up for a chance to buy the Ryzen 9 5900X, RTX 3060, RTX 3070, RTX 3080 or RTX 3090 today. Plus, the Radeon RX 6800 XT is on offer today too, if you want to go for a pure AMD build.
While previous shuffles have had solo purchase options, consoles or bundles with monitors, today’s shuffle brings us back to motherboard, RAM and power supply pack-ins. They’re not overpriced, but you’re not saving anything on these components, either. Newegg is just tacking them on to hard-to-find graphics cards so that you have to buy one to get the GPU you’re probably actually here for.
That said, there is an option to buy a Ryzen 9 5900X on its own for $549 in today’s shuffle, which is probably the most enticing offer today. There’s also an RTX 3080 and 1440p @ 165Hz monitor bundle that’s up for grabs and is probably less likely to give you a redundant part than a motherboard bundle — who doesn’t want a second (or third) monitor?
Of course, you can also splurge on other graphics cards across Nvidia’s RTX 30-series lineup, and there’s even some pretty fancy third-party custom options with water cooling and RGB lighting available. Just be prepared to get a motherboard or other component with your GPU. The Radeon RX 6800 XT bundles also have some pretty swank looking gear from ASRock, plus it’s pretty high up in our GPU benchmarks hierarchy. Although, you’ll be trading away DLSS and some ray tracing capability if you go AMD.
While it’s true that the prices in Newegg Shuffles are higher than the MSRPs for these items, our eBay GPU pricing index shows that they’re still generally far lower than what you’re likely to get from scalpers. In most cases, even with the bundled components you’ll end up with a lower price than on eBay for just the GPU.
For those unfamiliar with the process, Newegg Shuffle uses a lottery format. Just select the component(s) you’d like to potentially buy. Then Newegg will hold a drawing later today, after which the ‘winners’ will be notified by email with the chance to purchase an item (only one) within a several-hour period. Based on our experience, you won’t get selected most of the time. But hey, it’s free to try.
Today’s complete options and prices consist of the following:
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X for $549
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X with Antec 550W Power Supply for $594
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X with Cooler Master Water Cooler for $679
Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 3060 Elite with Gigabyte B550 Aorus Elite Motherboard for $674
Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 3060 Elite with Gigabyte B550M Aorus Pro Micro ATX Motherboard for $644
Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 3060 Elite with Gigabyte B550 Gaming Motherboard for $719
MSI GeForce RTX 3070 Ventus OC with OLOy 2 x 8GB RAM for $844
MSI GeForce RTX 3070 Ventus OC with OLOy WarHawk RGB 2 x 8GB RAM for $839
Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 3070 with Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro Motherboard for $994
Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 3070 with Gigabyte 750W Power Supply for $899
Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 3070 with Gigabyte X570 Aorus Elite Motherboard for $994
Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3080 with ASUS TUF Gaming 27 inch 1440p @ 165Hz Monitor for $1,409
Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3080 with Asus Strix B550-F Gaming Motherboard for $1,269
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 Vision OC with Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master Motherboard for $1,454
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 Vision OC with Gigabyte Z490 Aorus Master Motherboard for $1,464
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 Vision OC with Gigabyte 850W Power Supply for $1,229
ASRock Radeon RX 6800 XT with ASRock B550M Steel Legend Micro ATX Motherboard for $1,439
ASRock Radeon RX 6800 XT with ASRock Z490 Aqua Extended ATX Motherboard for $1,789
Gigabyte Geforce RTX 3090 Vision OC with Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master Motherboard for $2,504
Gigabyte Geforce RTX 3090 Vision OC with Gigabyte 850W Power Supply for $2,279
Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 3090 Xtreme Waterforce with Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master Motherboard for $2,704
Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 3090 Xtreme Waterforce with Gigabyte 850W Power Supply for $2,479
Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 3090 Xtreme Waterforce plus AIO Cooling System with Gigabyte 850W Power Supply for $2,479
Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 3090 Xtreme Waterforce plus AIO Cooling System with Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master Motherboard for $2,704
Regarding those pumped up prices, it’s worth noting that some of these components are also third-party custom options that generally include some extra features. It’s also unclear how much of the pricing increase comes direct from Newegg as opposed to from the AIB partners, though we do know that multiple GPU vendors announced higher prices due to increased tariffs several months ago.
With component shortages plaguing the PC industry, not to mention the smartphone and automotive industries, the latest word is that prices aren’t likely to return to ‘normal’ throughout 2021. If you can keep chugging along with whatever your PC currently has, that’s the best option, as otherwise prices are painful for all of the Nvidia Ampere and AMD RDNA2 GPUs.
Today’s Newegg shuffle starts at 1 pm EST/10 am PST. The Newegg Shuffle normally lasts for 2 hours, so if you’re interested in any of these components, act fast!
For other ways to get hard-to-find graphics cards, check out our RTX 3080 stock tracker and our feature on where to buy RTX 30-series cards. And for more Newegg savings, visit out page of Newegg promo codes.
The ID-Cooling SE-207-XT is a great option for builders looking for the performance of larger-air cooling on a budget. It isn’t going to perform like a $100 premium air cooler, particularly in the highest-end CPUs, but it does provide enticing performance for a lot less.
For
+ Budget pricing
+ Easy to install
+ Simple, aesthetic design
Against
– Fan noise at full speed
– Lags behind larger, premium air coolers
Features and Specifications
ID-Cooling’s SE-207-XT is a seven-heatpipe, dual-tower assault on large air cooling with a name that makes it difficult to remember–but that might all soon change. Making use of a pair of 120mm cooling fans with zero RGB capability, the SE-207-XT is menacingly matte black, making for a no-nonsense approach for system builders seeking a stealthed-out PC.
The SE-207-XT isn’t as large as some of the behemoth heatpipe coolers we’ve seen in recent years. And while it is true that it isn’t going to jump to the top of our cooling charts, it isn’t lagging that far behind the leaders, either. This makes the SE-207-XT a great mid-range, budget-priced, large air cooler for those looking for the cooling benefits of a huge CPU cooling tower, while focusing the majority of their build budget on other components.
ID-Cooling SE-207-XT Specifications
Height
6.125″ / 155.6mm
Width
4.88″ / 124mmmm
Depth
4.0″ / 101.6mm (5.63″ / 143mm w/ fans)
Base Height
1.75″ / 44.5mm
Assy. Offset
0.0 (centered), 1.0″ / 25.4mm w/ front fan)
Cooling Fans
(2) 120 x 25mm
Connectors
(2) 4-pin PWM
Weight
40.1 oz / 1138g
Intel Sockets
115x, 1200, 2011, 2066
AMD Sockets
AM4
Warranty
2 years
Web Price
$60
Features of ID-Cooling SE-207-XT
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The SE-207-XT is accompanied by a modest set of mounting hardware to accommodate most current AMD and Intel desktop CPU sockets. The Intel backplate features pre-assembled mounting posts, making it very strong and eliminating tedious assembly steps which we normally find for backplate setups. A third set of spring wire clips are provided and can be used to allow the cooler to have an additional fan for a push/pull/pull configuration, if you are so inclined. Likewise, an included 3-way PWM splitter is ready to handle the default 2-fan setup out of the box, or ythat triple fan layout.
An included syringe of ID-TG25 (ID-Cooling) thermal compound means system builders won’t be left ordering in a tube of thermal paste or making an extra trip back to your local electronics supply store.
ID-Cooling covers the SE-207-XT with a 2-year warranty.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The SE-207-XT makes use of seven copper heatpipes which snake through 44 individual stacked cooling fins on each divided tower. The heatpipes are offset for dissipation and airflow throughout each cooling tower and collect at the base within the solid cantilever mounting brace. The cooling fins on each cooling tower allow air to flow both straight through as well as out the lateral sides of the tower, rather than ducting air all the way through the cooler.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The solid base collects the seven heatpipes and encapsulates them within the cantilever mounting plate with a milled-copper base to make direct contact with the CPU IHS. The machine screws on the mounting plate are permanently affixed and align over the mounting bars, which are secured to the motherboard socket hardware mounting locations. The mounting screws help align the SE-207-XT when it comes time to tension the cooler down and finish the installation process, which we will detail shortly.
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The base of the SE-207-XT is milled perfectly flat, as there is not any visible ambient light seen between a steel rule and the milled copper baseplate. Additionally, the offset of the heatpipes and the fixed tension screws can be seen a bit more clearly from this angle.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The base of the SE-207-XT makes for a consistent thermal compound spread patch during installation and seems to be a bit more ‘clingy’ to residual MX-4 compound than usual, although nothing alarming.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Cooling for the SE-207-XT comes from a pair of included 120mm ID-Cooling ID-12025M12S series, 4-pin PWM fans rated up to 1800 RPM and 76.1 CFM. These fans also feature rubber noise -educing mounting pads on each corner of both sides and utilize a hydraulic bearing.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
During installation, the mounting crossbars are affixed atop the SE-207-XT’s plastic offsets to the backplate mounting posts. And chunky, machine-cap nuts hold everything securely to the motherboard. The center of the image shows the tension screws secured to the threaded studs on the mounting cross bars, which help align the cooler directly over the CPU and simplify installation.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Once the SE-207-XT is mounted, each of the 120mm PWM fans are secured to the cooler to move airflow right to left toward the rear case fan, providing a direct channel of air through the cooling tower. While the fan positioning on the cooler via the spring clips can be adjusted to account for taller memory DIMM modules, be advised that RAM height can be an issue in some instances, where those sticks of RAM might cause interference directly beneath the cooling tower itself.
The Patriot Viper Steel RGB DDR4-3600 C20 is only worthy of consideration if you’re willing to invest your time to optimize its timings and if you can find the memory on sale with a big discount.
For
+ Runs at C16 with fine-tuning
+ Balanced design with RGB lighting
+ RGB compatibility with most motherboards
Against
– Very loose timings
– Overpriced
– Low overclocking headroom
Patriot, who isn’t a stranger to our list of Best RAM, has many interesting product lines in its broad repertoire. However, the memory specialist recently revamped one of its emblematic lineups to keep up with the current RGB trend. As the name conveys, the Viper Steel RGB series arrives with a redesigned heat spreader and RGB illumination.
The new series marks the second time that Patriot has incorporated RGB lighting onto its DDR4 offerings, with the first being the Viper RGB series that debuted as far back as 2018. While looks may be important, performance also plays a big role, and the Viper Steel RGB DDR4-3600 memory kit is here to show us what it is or isn’t made of.
Viper Steel RGB memory modules come with the standard black PCB with a matching matte-black heat spreader. It was nice on Patriot’s part to keep the aluminum heat spreader as clutter-free as possible. Only the golden Viper logo and the typical specification sticker is present on the heat spreader, and the latter is removable.
At 44mm (1.73 inches), the Viper Steel RGB isn’t excessively tall, so we expect it to fit under the majority of the CPU air coolers in the market. Nevertheless, we recommend you double-check that you have enough clearance space for the memory modules. The RGB light bar features five customizable lighting zones. Patriot doesn’t provide a program to control the illumination, so you’ll have to rely on your motherboard’s software. The compatibility list includes Asus Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic Light Sync, and ASRock Polychrome Sync.
The Viper Steel RGB is a dual-channel 32GB memory kit, so you receive two 16GB memory modules with an eight-layer PCB and dual-rank design. Although Thaiphoon Burner picked up the integrated circuits (ICs) as Hynix chips, the software failed to identify the exact model. However, these should be AFR (A-die) ICs, more specifically H5AN8G8NAFR-VKC.
You’ll find the Viper Steel RGB defaulting to DDR4-2666 and 19-19-19-43 timings at stock operation. Enabling the XMP profile on the memory modules will get them to DDR4-3600 at 20-26-26-46. The DRAM voltage required for DDR4-3600 is 1.35V. For more on timings and frequency considerations, see our PC Memory 101 feature, as well as our How to Shop for RAM story.
Comparison Hardware
Memory Kit
Part Number
Capacity
Data Rate
Primary Timings
Voltage
Warranty
G.Skill Trident Z Royal
F4-4000C17D-32GTRGB
2 x 16GB
DDR4-4000 (XMP)
17-18-18-38 (2T)
1.40 Volts
Lifetime
Crucial Ballistix Max RGB
BLM2K16G40C18U4BL
2 x 16GB
DDR4-4000 (XMP)
18-19-19-39 (2T)
1.35 Volts
Lifetime
G.Skill Trident Z Neo
F4-3600C16D-32GTZN
2 x 16GB
DDR4-3600 (XMP)
16-16-16-36 (2T)
1.35 Volts
Lifetime
Klevv Bolt XR
KD4AGU880-36A180C
2 x 16GB
DDR4-3600 (XMP)
18-22-22-42 (2T)
1.35 Volts
Lifetime
Patriot Viper Steel RGB
PVSR432G360C0K
2 x 16GB
DDR4-3600 (XMP)
20-26-26-46 (2T)
1.35 Volts
Lifetime
Our Intel test system consists of an Intel Core i9-10900K and Asus ROG Maximus XII Apex on the 0901 firmware. On the opposite side, the AMD testbed leverages an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and ASRock B550 Taichi with the 1.30 firmware. The MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming Trio handles the graphical duties on both platforms.
Intel Performance
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Things didn’t go well for the Viper Steel RGB on the Intel platform. The memory ranked at the bottom of our application RAM benchmarks and came in last place on the gaming tests. Our results didn’t reveal any particular workloads where the Viper Steel RGB stood out.
AMD Performance
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The loose timings didn’t substantially hinder the Viper Steel RGB’s performance. Logically, it lagged behind its DDR4-3600 rivals that have tighter timings. The Viper Steel RGB’s data rate allowed it to run in a 1:1 ratio with our Ryzen 5 3600’s FCLK so it didn’t take any performance hits, unlike the DDR4-4000 offerings. With a capable Zen 3 processor that can operate with a 2,000 MHz FCLK, the Viper Steel RGB will probably not outperform the high-frequency kits.
Overclocking potential isn’t the Viper Steel RGB’s strongest trait. Upping the DRAM voltage from 1.35V to 1.45V only got us to DDR4-3800. Although we had to maintain the tRCD, tRP, and tRAS at their XMP values, we could drop the CAS Latency down to 17.
Lowest Stable Timings
Memory Kit
DDR4-3600 (1.45V)
DDR4-3800 (1.45V)
DDR4-4000 (1.45V)
DDR4-4133 (1.45V)
DDR4-4200 (1.45V)
G.Skill Trident Z Neo DDR4-3600 C16
13-14-14-35 (2T)
N/A
N/A
N/A
19-19-19-39 (2T)
Crucial Ballistix Max RGB DDR4-4000 C18
N/A
N/A
16-19-19-39 (2T)
N/A
20-20-20-40 (2T)
G.Skill Trident Z Royal DDR4-4000 C17
N/A
N/A
15-16-16-36 (2T)
18-19-19-39 (2T)
N/A
Klevv Bolt XR DDR4-3600 C18
16-19-19-39 (2T)
N/A
N/A
18-22-22-42 (2T)
N/A
Patriot Viper Steel RGB DDR4-3600 C20
16-20-20-40 (2T)
17-26-26-46 (2T)
N/A
N/A
N/A
As we’ve seen before, you won’t be able to run Hynix ICs at very tight timings. That’s not to say that the Viper Steel RGB doesn’t have any wiggle room though. With a 1.45V DRAM voltage, we optimized the memory to run at 16-20-20-40 as opposed to the XMP profile’s 20-26-26-46 timings.
Bottom Line
It comes as no surprise that the Viper Steel RGB DDR4-3600 C20 will not beat competing memory kits that have more optimized timings. The problem is that C20 is basically at the bottom of the barrel by DDR4-3600 standards.
The Viper Steel RGB won’t match or surpass the competition without serious manual tweaking. The memory kit’s hefty $199.99 price tag doesn’t do it any favors, either. To put it into perspective, the cheapest DDR4-3600 2x16GB memory kit on the market starts at $154.99, and it checks in with C18. Unless Patriot rethinks the pricing for the Viper Steel RGB DDR4-3600 C20, the memory kit will likely not be on anyone’s radar.
AMD’s 300-series motherboards were never part of the chipmaker’s support plan for Ryzen 5000 (Vermeer) processors. However, an avid enthusiast (via HKEPC) has modified ASRock’s firmware to support AMD’s latest Zen 3 chips.
First and foremost, it’s important to emphasize that it’s a Beta firmware, and an unofficial one at that, which doesn’t come from ASRock. An unknown source provided the firmware files to Hong Kong-based news outlet HKEPC for distribution. The publication has tested the firmware and confirmed that Ryzen 5000 processors indeed work without hiccups on the select few X370 ASRock motherboards. Of course, there are bound to be bugs or stability issues with unofficial firmware, although none have been reported so far that we know of. So, use at your own risk.
The altered firmwares are vailable for six ASRock X370 motherboards, including the X370 Gaming K4, X370 Gaming X, X370 Killer SLI, X370 Killer SLI/ac, X370 Taichi and Fatal1ty X370 Professional Gaming.
Getting Ryzen 5000 processors to work on unsupported motherboards is one thing. But yu’ll still be losing out on PCIe 4.0 functionality, one of the biggest selling points for Zen 3. Since X370 motherboards weren’t built with PCIe 4.0 in mind, you won’t be able to enjoy the fastest SSDs on the market. However, you will have access to Zen 3’s prowess though, which ushered in IPC uplifts up to 19%. That alone should be enough incentive to upgrade to the new Ryzen 5000 series. And if you can’t afford a new motherboard when doing so, this is at least an option to get things up and running–albeit one you should probably think long and hard about before flashing the board and dropping in your new chip.
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