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Hardware

Apple Unmasks Range of Devices

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iPhone SE

The iPhone SE comes in a compact and durable design that incorporates a 4.7-inch display, aerospace-grade aluminium and glass along with IP67 rated water and dust resistance.

It features iOS 15 and has upgrades including the A15 Bionic chip packed with a 6-core CPU, which powers advanced camera capabilities such as photo editing, gaming and augmented reality. It also features a 12-megapixel ƒ/1.8 aperture Wide camera that offers features such as Smart HDR 4, Photographic Styles, Deep Fusion and Portrait mode. Along with 5G, the device comes in three colours i.e. Midnight, Starlight and (PRODUCT)RED.

The iPhone SE will be available from March 18 onwards, in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB variants starting at INR 43,900.

ipad Air

The iPad Air features the M1 chip that comes combined with an 8-core CPU and an 8-core GPU for faster and more power-efficient performance, along with a 16-core Neural Engine that powers machine learning functions. It comes with an ultra-wide 12MP front camera with Center Stage function that automatically pans to keep users in view as they move. It also has a 12MP wide camera on the back for 4K video, scanning documents and AR functions. It comes with 5G and connectivity features include eSIM and Wi-Fi 6 support, along with a USB-C port, with data transfers up to 10Gbps. It has a thin and light design and comes in Space Grey, Starlight, Pink, Purple and Blue colours in 64GB and 256GB configurations. The device has a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display and landscape stereo speakers. Accessories include the Apple pencil which comes with wireless charging and pairing.

The iPad Air will be in stores from March 18, at a starting price of INR 54,900 (Wi-Fi) and INR 68,900 (Wi-Fi + Cellular).

Mac Studio

The Mac Studio is powered by M1 Max and the new M1 Ultra chips.

The device is built from a single aluminium extrusionwith a square footprint of 7.7 inches and a height of 3.7 inches. Its thermal design includes a system of double-sided blowers, precisely placed airflow channels to help cool the M1 Max and the M1 Ultra chips.

M1 Ultra builds on M1 Max and features the UltraFusion architecture that interconnects the die of two M1 Max chips, creating a system on a chip (SoC) and consisting of 114 billion transistors. It features up to 64GB of unified memory on systems with M1 Max and up to 128GB of unified memory on systems with M1 Ultra. The SSD in Mac Studio delivers up to 7.4GB/s of performance and a capacity of up to 8TB. Connectivity options include four Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 10Gb Ethernet port, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port and a pro audio jack for high-impedance headphones or external amplified speakers. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 are built in as well.

Studio Display

The Studio Display features a 27-inch 5K Retina screen with over 14.7 million pixels, 600 nits of brightness, P3 wide colour, and support for over one billion colours. Its design includes narrow borders and an all-aluminium enclosure with height-adjustable and tilt display (up to 30 degrees). A VESA mount adapter option is also available. It features True Tone technology that automatically adjusts the display’s colour temperature as the environment changes.

It also comes with the A13 Bionic chip, along with the 12MP Ultra Wide camera with Center Stage feature. The device includes a three-microphone array with a low noise floor and features a six-speaker sound system and four force-cancelling woofers that support spatial audio for music and video with Dolby Atmos. Connectivity options include three USB-C ports (up to 10Gb/s) and a Thunderbolt port (connected using a single cable that can also deliver 96W of power to a Mac notebook). The Mac Studio and Studio Display are available for on apple.com/in/store and in the Apple Store app. They will be in available select Apple Store locations and Apple Authorised Resellers, beginning Friday, March 18. The price for Mac Studio starts at INR 1,89,900 while the Studio Display starts at INR 1,59,900.

Level Up Your Game with New Western Digital NVMe SSDs

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Western Digital has released its latest addition to the WD_Black portfolio, the WD_Black SN770 NVMe SSD. The new drive fuels gaming PC rigs with faster speeds and longer gameplay, offering up to 40 percent faster performance and up to 20 percent more power efficiency at maximum speed over the previous generation.

Product image

The WD_Black SN770 NVMe SSD features a PCIe Gen4 interface that delivers ultra-fast read speeds of up to 5,150MB/s (1TB and 2TB models only) to fuel in-game responsiveness, minimise stutter, and provide smooth streaming for a performance boost that gamers can see and feel. The drive is an accessible option for gamers looking to transition to Gen4 while also being backwards compatible for those with Gen3 systems. Purpose-built for PC gaming, it is an ideal solution for enthusiast PC builders and long-time gamers looking to elevate their gaming experience.

Khalid Wani, Senior Director – Sales, India, Western Digital, said, “Our WD_Black portfolio provides a variety of innovative, high-performance solutions that are purpose-built for every type of gamer, at every level. Today we have introduced SN770 NVMe SSD, which is designed for PC gaming with blazing fast speeds and additional storage for quick game load times, smooth streaming, and minimal in-game stutter.”

“As more gamers look to make the transition to PCIe Gen4 systems, we believe it is important for the PC gaming community to have a variety of reliable, high-performing solutions to level up their gaming rigs,” said Jaganathan Chelliah, Senior Director – Marketing, India and Middle East and Africa, Western Digital. “The new WD_Black SN770 NVMe SSD makes Gen4 technology more accessible, helping more gamers get into the game faster and improve their overall gaming experience.” He added.

The WD_Black SN770 NVMe SSD is available in capacities ranging from 250GB up to 2TB, starting at an SRP of ₹4,749.

Colorful launches Intel B660 Micro-ATX Series Motherboards

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Colorful Technology Company Limited, a professional manufacturer of graphics cards, motherboards, all-in-one gaming and multimedia solutions, and high-performance storage, has launched its Intel B660 micro-ATX motherboard line-up which consists of the CVN Series and Battle-AX Series models. These are the CVN B660M GAMING FROZEN V20, CVN B660M GAMING PRO V20, and the BATTLE-AX B660M-HD DELUXE V20 motherboards.

Based on the Intel B660 chipset for the 12th generation Intel Core processors, the COLORFUL B660M motherboards offer PCIe 5.0 support and the use of older-generation but cheaper DDR4 memory in a compact micro-ATX motherboard form-factor. These motherboards are the budget-friendly options compared to the premium Z690 motherboards, offering PC builders the opportunity to incorporate the latest Intel Core processors at a lower cost.

COLORFUL CVN B660M Series

The CVN B660M Gaming Frozen and the CVN B660 Gaming Pro motherboards feature PCIe 5.0×16 slots. They also offer support for the latest high-end NVIDIA or AMD GPUs. Furthermore, both motherboards come with four DDR4 memory slots that support up to DDR4-3200 and up to 64GB (4x16GB) memory capacity. For storage, the motherboards have two M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots that support high-speed PCIe Gen4-enabled NVMe SSDs along with four SATA 3.0 ports for SSDs and HDDs.

The COLORFUL CVN B660M Series motherboards sport a 15+1 digital power phase design with 8-pin + 4-pin 12V ATX power connectors offering decent overclocking capabilities for unlocked 12th generation Intel Core processors. The motherboards also feature a high-speed USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port with 10 Gbps transfer speed. For networking, both motherboards come with Intel 2.5GbE LAN. The CVN B660M GAMING FROZEN motherboard features a built-in Wi-Fi 6 with Bluetooth module for wireless networking.

Designed for gaming PCs, the CVN B660M Series motherboards come with 3 fully customizable RGB lighting zones. For enthusiasts looking to build an all-white gaming PC, the CVN B660M GAMING FROZEN is integrated with white heatsinks and a white PCB. Below are specifications of both the CVN B660M GAMING motherboards.

Gaming Pro
Gaming Frozen

COLORFUL Battle-AX B660M Series

The COLORFUL BATTLE-AX B660M-HD DELUXE V20 is an entry-level motherboard, ideal for system builders on a tight budget adopting the latest 12th generation Intel Core processors. The motherboard has a PCIe 4.0 X16 slot for graphics cards and two DDR4 DIMM slots supporting up to 64GB (2x32GB) of memory. Nevertheless, the BATTLE-AX B660M-HD DELUXE supports plenty of storage components which includes two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots for NVMe M.2 SSDs and four SATA 3.0 ports for SATA SSDs and HDDs.

The BATTLE-AX B660M-HD DELUXE’s rear I/O consists of a VGA, HDMI, and DisplayPort output ports, four USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A ports, two USB 2.0 ports, PS/2 port, and 1 GbE LAN port.

Antec Performance P120 Crystal Mid-Tower case is a combination of aesthetics and performance

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The Antec P120 Crystal follows the minimalism design of the Performance Series and takes it to the next level through front and side tempered glass panels, which provides a panoramic view of the PC setup and the custom water-cooling loop as well.

Users can bid goodbye to thumbscrews, and the P120 Crystal comes with an industry-leading slide button design on the tempered glass side panel. Through quick sliding, users can easily swing the side panel and get their hands on the inner components.

The top-mounted PSU chamber frees the space at the bottom of P120 Crystal, allowing users to have more options to plan their custom water-cooling loop and radiators. P120 Crystal also comes with 7 horizontal and 3 vertical expansion slots, offering huge space for you to explore more potential PC configuration.

The inbuilt aluminium VGA holder is flexible, providing plenty of possible positions. The P120 Crystal supports the following:

A. Motherboard Support: Up to E-ATX (Up to 12″ x 11″)
B. 2.5″ SSD: 3
C. 3.5″ HDD/2.5″ SSD (convertible): 2/1
D. Graphics Card Support: Up to 450 mm
E. CPU Cooler Support: Up to 185 mm
F. PSU Support: Up to 294 mm

The Crystal supports up to 7x120mm or 6x140mm fans, and is also crafted to mount 2x360mm radiators simultaneously.

The Crystal also facilitates power heat dissipation through abundant air intake in the bottom to allow the GPU to cool faster. The 3xPCI-E slots provide more space for the GPU and improve the thermal performance too.

Attractive visual effects, combined with faster cool down of the CPU can be achieved when installing a radiator at the side. The case fan is at the rear and is for heat emission, thus completing the air circulation.

The P120 is easy to access and clean. The magnetic dust filter on the right-side panel can be lifted and removed easily. You also have to pull out the dust filter below without moving the case.

For more information on the Antec Crystal P120, please visit this page.

ASUS launches new Intel Z690, H670, B660 and H610 Motherboards

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Announcing several new Z690, H670, B660, and H610 motherboards to support 12th Gen Intel Core processors, ASUS is delivering a wide range of options that offer the latest technologies.

The Z690 lineup expands with new ROG Strix and TUF Gaming models, a full lineup of B660 and H670 motherboards brings the 12th generation platform to the mainstream, and H610 boards make sure there is an option for every budget. Meanwhile, ASUS gives DIY builders a high-performance option for cooling their CPU with the new ROG Ryujin II ARGB liquid cooler.

The new ROG Strix Z690-A Gaming WiFi, TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WiFi and TUF Gaming Z690-Plus all arrive with support for DDR5 memory modules. ASUS has also collaborated with TeamGroup for a brand-new T-FORCE DELTA TUF Gaming Alliance RGB DDR5 5200 MHz 16 GB memory kit, with components that have been subjected to tests that surpass
industry standards to ensure better compatibility, stability, durability and elite performance. For even more reliable gear tuned for compatibility.

ASUS now offers a variety of motherboards based on the new Intel B660 chipset. These models feature a PCIe 5.0 slot, memory overclocking, and support for DDR5 or DDR4 memory modules. And for DIY builders d, ASUS offers a variety of new motherboards that use the H670 chipset. All such models include one PCIe 5.0 slot, multiple PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots, and support for DDR4 memory modules. ASUS also offers motherboards with the new H610 chipset to make sure there is an option for every budget.

ASUS also offers the ROG Ryujin II ARGB AIO cooler that pairs premium performance with extravagant style. Its 7th Gen
Asetek pump, embedded downward-facing pump fan, and fans with the proven ASUS Axial-tech design will tame CPU temperatures while staying quiet.

Its integrated 3.5-inch OLED panel gives users a canvas for displaying custom graphics or vital system information. The AIO cooler is available with 360 mm or 240 mm radiators to fit a wide range of cases. And with the new ARGB Fan, the ROG Ryujin II ARGB series gives users more options when it comes to setting up a customizable lighting array for their gaming rig.

ASUS embraces its social responsibility by announcing new modes for all Z690, H670, B660, and H610 motherboards that reduce their overall energy footprint without diminishing their exceptional performance.

Please refer to this buying guide for more information. And for full and detailed information on any particular Intel 12th Gen model, head over to this page.