Hilbert Hagedoorn

ASUS has announced five ROG power supplies that ship with its ROG Equalizer GPU cable as standard. The models are regional refreshes of the Thor 1200W Platinum III and Strix Platinum families, with retail sales beginning October 30 in Japan. The new cable is the main change: ASUS says its patented conductive bridge balances current across the conductors in a 12V-2x6 connection to reduce uneven loading and localized heat. The cable uses wiring rated for up to 17A and includes a two-color visual indicator intended to show connection status. ASUS describes the raised, embossed cable design as more flexible to route than a conventional sleeved lead. These features address a real builder concern around high-power GPU cabling, but the company has not supplied independent thermal tests in this market announcement. The 17A rating should not be interpreted as a guarantee that every installation or connector condition is safe; proper seating and compatible hardware remain important.

Formula V Line has announced the Crystal Z3 Plus, a mid-tower case with a panoramic, pillarless glass layout and a removable bottom-fan bracket. The case was announced on October 28 and is listed as available, with black and white variants priced at US$79.99 and US$89.99. Those dollar prices are already in U.S. currency and are presented unchanged. The front and left side use tempered-glass panels to expose the interior and lighting. The case's rear expansion-card bracket can rotate by 90 degrees, supporting conventional horizontal GPU mounting or a vertical presentation facing the glass. A riser cable is optional, so the vertical arrangement requires an extra purchase and should be included in any total-build cost comparison. The distinctive feature is the lower intake arrangement. Air enters through openings along the lower front and side and is directed toward the bottom fans. Rather than making users work around a fixed fan cage when cleaning, the bracket can be removed after loosening two screws. Formula V Line says that makes it easier to remove the dust filter and service the intake area. It ships with three 120mm PA2 fans—two at the bottom and one at the rear—with four-pin PWM control and three-pin ARGB lighting. The chassis supports up to eight 120mm fans overall.

MSI has announced the PRO MAX EDGE AI+ 11M-008JP, a compact desktop aimed at local AI work, with a launch set for November 5.

HKEPC reports that a large number of Synology NAS devices have been compromised by a ransomware campaign that encrypts files with the .L0CK3D or .L0CK3D. extension and drops a ransom note named read-me3.txt.

HAVN has announced the global launch of its HS 360 and HS 360 VGPU mid-tower cases, bringing the compact members of its panoramic, GPU-oriented chassis range to international markets. The global launch date is 29 October. Manufacturer listings show the standard HS 360 at $199.99 and the VGPU package at $279.99 in the US. The HS 360 had already appeared in Chinese retail earlier in October, so this update is principally about the worldwide rollout, final regional pricing, and the VGPU model's hardware details. Both cases use a dual-chamber layout that places the graphics card prominently behind a curved panoramic glass panel. The chassis measures 490.9 × 242.1 × 520.9 mm. HAVN says the HS 360 family is 19.4% smaller and 29.5% lighter than its HS 420, while using a revised curved glass profile and a structure it claims is 36% stronger. These percentages compare the manufacturer's own case designs; they are not independent measurements of airflow or build quality. The key distinction is the graphics-card mounting system. The standard HS 360 supports horizontal GPU installation, while the VGPU variant includes a vertical bracket and PCIe 5.0 x16 riser cable. HAVN's product listing says the adjustable bracket supports cards from 1.8 to four slots and up to 433mm long. A magnetic airflow divider above the GPU is designed to guide fresh intake air toward the card and reduce recirculation of warm exhaust. HAVN claims this can lower GPU temperatures by up to 6°C; that result is a manufacturer claim and will depend on the GPU, fan layout, ambient temperature, and test conditions.

Intel has confirmed that its next-generation Nova Lake client processors will use its 18A-P manufacturing process, marking a concrete change in the roadmap for its upcoming desktop and laptop CPUs. CEO Lip-Bu Tan said on the company's 29 October earnings call that Nova Lake is tracking ahead of schedule and is expected to secure twice as many design wins as Panther Lake had at launch. Intel plans to share more details at CES in January; it has not yet disclosed Nova Lake's configurations, performance targets, or launch date. The process confirmation matters because Intel had not previously clearly stated which node Nova Lake would use. Intel describes 18A-P as an enhanced version of 18A. Its published process figures claim up to 9% better speed at the same power, or 18% lower power at the same speed, compared with 18A. Those are manufacturing-process comparisons, not promised CPU performance gains. Intel has also described 18A-P as a drop-in replacement for 18A, suggesting it can use the process without redesigning products already targeted at 18A.

China's CXMT intends to sell HBM3E memory even though its yield is estimated at 20 to 30 percent. The headline figure matches other reporting from September, so the new element is the stated intention to commercialize parts at that yield level. I could not retrieve the article body, so the sales volumes, customers, and pricing are not confirmed here. Earlier reporting gives context. The Information reported in late August that CXMT had begun small-volume HBM3E production, with early parts going to Alibaba's T-Head and Cambricon for qualification, and that mass production would expand from 2027. A ChosunBiz report in September cited a front-end yield near 30% and a back-end pass rate near 70% for 8-layer HBM3, which combine to roughly 21%, with an overall figure cited at about 25%. Those numbers refer to HBM3 and do not carry over directly to HBM3E. Yield determines cost per good stack. HBM stacks multiple DRAM dies with through-silicon vias, and a defect in any layer can invalidate the stack. With a composite yield of 20 to 30 percent, most stacks are discarded or downgraded, so the manufacturer must absorb the cost of discarded dies and packaging. Selling at that yield suggests either a pricing strategy that covers the loss, subsidized production, or a calculation that early volume secures customers for later improvements.

DDR5 memory prices in Akihabara continued to rise in the latest survey by Akiba PC. The report covers prices observed from October 17 to 24 and was published on October 29. It found increases across several capacities and data rates, with the highest reported price attached to a DDR5-6000 kit containing two 64GB modules. After a recent restock, the 128GB kit was listed at ¥514,800, approximately $2,872 under the requested pricing convention. Akiba PC's September 12 survey had placed the same configuration at ¥316,980. The increase of ¥197,820 represents a rise of 62.4% since that report. The year-on-year comparison is more dramatic. When the specification was first included in the survey in early October 2025, it cost ¥59,800. Its current listed price is 760.9% higher than that figure. Akiba PC notes that ¥500,000 around October 2025 could have bought a gaming PC equipped with an RTX 5090 or at least an RTX 5080. In the current survey, a 128GB memory kit is listed at a similar amount.

Black Friday is just around the corner, making late October a good time to review your tech budget before the major shopping season begins. Alongside hardware upgrades and accessories, software is another expense worth planning ahead.

The MSI Prestige N16 Flip AI+ C1XM brings NVIDIA's RTX Spark platform to a 16-inch convertible laptop designed for local AI, creative work, and everyday productivity. Its 360-degree hinge lets it switch between laptop, tablet, tent, and presentation modes, while touch support and MSI Nano Pen compatibility add hands-on flexibility for note-taking, drawing, and editing.