Apple already has a packed hardware lineup expected this fall, headlined by the debut of its first foldable iPhone alongside the iPhone 18 series, as well as new Apple Watch and Mac models. Now, Apple fans may have another upgrade to look forward to, with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reporting that the company is preparing to launch a new iPad mini with an OLED display as early as October.

It would be the most significant refresh the iPad mini has received since its full redesign in 2021, and the first time Apple brings OLED technology to its smallest tablet. OLED means richer colours, higher contrast, and true blacks compared to the LCD display on the current model.

The new iPad mini, codenamed J510, is said to feature an 8.4-inch LTPS panel with hybrid OLED, a slight increase in size over the current 8.3-inch screen. However, one thing it will not get is ProMotion, with other leaks suggesting the display will remain at a fixed 60Hz refresh rate. On the chip side, the new model is rumoured to run either an A19 Pro or A20, a significant jump from the A17 Pro in the current generation.

AMD recently re-released the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, giving gamers on the AM4 platform the option to upgrade to a highly performant CPU for gaming even by today's standards. However, for gamers looking to build a new rig, AM4 is substantially less appealing even with the 5800X3D being an option for $349. ComputerBase published an article revealing that the Ryzen 7 7700X3D is faster with one stick of RAM compared to the Ryzen 7 5800X3D with two sticks.

The computer-focused outlet showed off its benchmarks of most of AMD's Ryzen X3D parts and showed that even with just one DDR5 DIMM, the Ryzen 7 7700X3D handily outperforms the Ryzen 7 5800X3D with two sticks. The memory configuration of both CPUs makes the performance results more impressive, with the Ryzen 7 7700X3D being paired to a rather slow DDR5-5200 CL26 memory stick, while the Ryzen 5 5800X3D was paired with two DDR4-3200 sticks at a very low CL14 latency. DDR4-3200 at CL14 is one of the lowest-latency memory configurations you can buy for DDR4.

At 720p, ComputerBase's benchmark results show the 7700X3D performing 14% better than the 5800X3D on just a single DDR5 stick. Adding another stick to the 7700X3D only improved performance by 5%.

We're continuing our TweakTown giveaways, rewarding our registered members and newsletter subscribers with top-tier hardware every week. For our latest giveaway, we've teamed up with ASRock to give one lucky winner a strong foundation for a modern AMD gaming PC, covering both the motherboard and power supply.

There will be one winner in total, and the prize includes an ASRock B850 Riptide WiFi motherboard and an ASRock Phantom Gaming PG-850G power supply.

The ASRock B850 Riptide WiFi provides the foundation for this week's prize bundle. Built around AMD's Socket AM5 platform, the motherboard supports Ryzen 9000, 8000, and 7000 Series processors, giving the winner a wide range of CPU options when planning a new gaming system. Its 14+2+1 phase power design uses 80A Dr.MOS components for the processor and system-on-chip power stages, supported by enlarged heatsinks and an eight-layer PCB. The board also includes four DDR5 memory slots, supporting up to 256GB of memory and DDR5-8000+ speeds via overclocking.

While the memory shortage shows no signs of easing for consumers, one company is quietly climbing the ranks of the DRAM industry. ChangXin Memory Technologies, better known as CXMT, is on track to nearly match Micron's production capacity by the end of 2026, according to new analysis from Citrini Research. In just six years, the Chinese memory maker is projected to grow from 40,000 wafer starts per month in 2020 to 350,000 by the end of this year, compared to Micron's estimated 375,000.

The company is building cleanrooms in roughly 12 months, compared to the 21 to 24 months typical for the rest of the DRAM industry. State-backed financing has also removed many of the funding constraints faced by Western competitors. The Chinese government is also actively encouraging CXMT to share its DRAM technology with other domestic manufacturers.

CXMT's current output is not cutting-edge by global standards. The company relies on older DUV lithography with multi-patterning techniques rather than EUV, since US export controls block access to advanced equipment. Its chips are not competitive with high-end DDR5 or HBM products.

The RTX 50 Super series has been swinging between rumoured cancellations and signs of life depending on which leak you believe. The latest update lands somewhere in between. According to VideoCardz, at least one NVIDIA board partner has already received physical RTX 50 Super graphics cards, meaning development is past the prototype stage. The catch is that NVIDIA has reportedly told its partners to hold off on the launch.

The reason is the cost of 3GB GDDR7 memory chips. The entire Super series is built around these higher-density modules, which allow NVIDIA to increase VRAM capacity without changing the number of chips or widening the memory bus. A single 3GB GDDR7 chip currently costs between $60 and $70 according to VideoCardz's sources. A standard 2GB GDDR7 chip costs around $20. That is three times the price for 50% more capacity, and across a card with six or eight modules, the difference amounts to hundreds of dollars in additional memory costs per GPU.

Three Super models are affected: the RTX 5070 Super with 18GB, the RTX 5070 Ti Super with 24GB, and the RTX 5080 Super with 24GB. The RTX 5050 9GB is also on hold for the same reason. Without these 3GB chips, the Super series loses its entire identity, as the RTX 5070 Ti Super and RTX 5080 Super carry the same CUDA core counts as their standard counterparts. Only the RTX 5070 Super gets a minor 4% bump in CUDA cores.

Amazon's God of War TV series has suffered a major setback after an on-set injury forced a recast of Kratos. Ryan Hurst, who had been cast in the lead role, tore a bicep while performing a stunt in late June and required surgery. With recovery expected to take four to six months, delaying production until 2027 was reportedly not an option for Amazon and Sony Pictures Television.

As a result, the decision has now been made to recast Kratos, with production targeting a mid-October restart. According to Deadline, four episodes had already been completed and will now need to be largely reshot with Hurst's replacement. The actor had reportedly gained 40 pounds of muscle for the physically demanding role and had spent months filming in Vancouver before the injury.

Callum Vinson, who plays Kratos' son Atreus, is just 12 years old, and the series was originally set to film two seasons back-to-back to avoid visible growth spurts between seasons, an issue that has affected productions like Stranger Things. With filming now delayed, reshooting the four completed episodes is reportedly considered necessary to maintain continuity.

GameStop has uniquely insulated its business against disruptions in the retail software sales chain by necessity, and Sony's recent business decision to cut physical PlayStation game disc production has no real effect on GameStop's operations, current CEO Ryan Cohen says.

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen wants to buy eBay for $56 billion and create an ultra-synergized e-commerce marketplace. The idea is to combine the strengths of eBay and GameStop together to sell games, collectibles, merch, and even establish an in-game digital store.

With GameStop having moved away from actual game software sales some time ago, instead embracing the highly-profitable world of collectibles like Funko Pops and Magic and Pokemon cards, Sony's recent decision to kill off PlayStation game discs won't cause anything but small chip damage to GameStop's armor rating. The retailer once relied on second-hand game sales to stay afloat, but those days are long gone.

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen explains why he wants to buy eBay in basic terms, and shares a vision for what could end up being a digital microtransaction depot for in-game items should GameStop and eBay join forces.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen discussed his unsolicited $56 billion buyout offer for eBay. Cohen believes there are enormous synergies between the two companies in terms of e-commerce, but the CEO also mentioned plans for an in-game digital marketplace if eBay is purchased.

Exact details of what it is Cohen was referring to remain unknown, but it's possible he is referring to GameStop's current store where it sells codes for digital games directly to consumers.

Microsoft has reportedly paused the rollout of its latest Windows Update on certain Dell PCs as a result of a driver conflict causing the affected Dell PCs to shut down unexpectedly. BleepingComputer reports that KB5101650, released this Tuesday for Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2, is causing a driver conflict that is responsible for the shutdown issue.

Microsoft states that affected Dell PCs will show a yellow exclamation point in Device Manager next to the Intel Innovation Platform Framework Processor Participant driver, making it easy for users to identify if their system is affected (and has the latest Windows Update installed). The issue is specifically caused by an alleged incompatibility between the aforementioned Intel driver and Windows 11's new Windows USB-C connection Manager interface that was introduced with KB5095093 last month. The new Type-C connection manager is part of Microsoft's Type-C connector system software interface (UCSI) driver that is responsible for handling Type-C and Thunderbolt ports on a machine.

Microsoft is planning to release a resolution that will reportedly arrive in the next several days. Again, affected users need not worry about the update as Microsoft has already halted KB5101650's rollout to affected users.

Exclusives are back at Xbox, but will big heavy-hitters like Elder Scrolls and Fallout be among them? Bethesda isn't ready to say just yet.

Xbox is embracing exclusive games to add more value to the core Xbox brand--console and Windows. Microsoft's current exclusive strategy includes two games, and the lineup seems to lack the must-have starpower required to really make a difference...however that could change if high-profile games like The Elder Scrolls VI or even Fallout 5 are made exclusive. Or, perhaps, a Fallout spin-off?

While nothing has been confirmed, Bethesda just released a new studio update that briefly discussed future games. The group says that four new Fallout games are in development, including Fallout 5, remasters of both Fallout 3 and New Vegas, and a joint collaboration project with Obsidian. Then in a recent interview with Windows Central, Bethesda's Todd Howard was asked about TESVI and FO5 going Xbox exclusive, and he replied that it was too early to comment.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has obliterated launch expectations, reportedly doubling the Steam sales of Shadows on its first day, marking a tremendous success for the title.

According to the latest Alinea Analytics report, the game sold 701,000 copies on Steam in 24 hours, generating $35 million in gross revenue, which outpaces Shadows' launch day revenue by 2.35 times. Additionally, the report states Black Flag Resynced also pulled in nearly $1 million from its day-one DLC, while hitting a peak concurrent player count of 416,000 on Steam. As for specifics, Steam day-one sales for Black Flag Resynced generated $22.4 million, which is far more than Shadows' $9.5 million day-one Steam revenue.

The success of Black Flag Resynced compared to Shadows highlights a growing fatigue with Ubisoft's latest entries in the Assassin's Creed franchise, with many critics pointing to invasive and unnecessary cosmetics in a single-player game, repetitive gameplay, lackluster campaigns, and a general sense the franchise has strayed far and wide from its roots.

Bethesda has released a large studio update that confirms the status of the group following mass layoffs at Xbox, outlining various new projects in development.

Xbox's latest layoffs have cast doubt on what's next for various studios. Bethesda has issued an update that confirms its slate of games, including mainline games like Fallout 5, The Elder Scrolls VI, as well as remasters. The studio confirms that The Elder Scrolls VI is the top priority, and that Fallout 5 is in pre-production phases, with both games sharing the common Creation Engine 3 technology.

Remasters of Fallout New Vegas and Fallout 3 are also confirmed, as well as official acknowledgement of a new Fallout game with Obsidian: "We're happy to confirm [our longtime friends at Obsidian Entertainment] are working with us on a new Fallout project."

The last time we heard about GameStop, the CEO was attempting to buy eBay by selling items on eBay after the online marketplace asked how the CEO was going to afford the acquisition, and now GameStop has officially partnered with Uber Eats to deliver new video games, consoles, accessories, and collectibles to customers nationwide. So, in theory, you will be able to order Grand Theft Auto 6 and pizza in the same cart when the game releases this November, and get both dropped off for an epic night.

The collaboration brings the world's top physical gaming retailer into the delivery space, allowing consumers to order directly through the Uber Eats app from participating GameStop locations. The move expands GameStop's reach beyond physical stores and into the digital retail ecosystem, a space the company should have adopted many years ago.

According to the press release, customers can now choose between immediate or scheduled delivery, with products ranging from the latest game titles to high-end hardware. The partnership is a clear attempt to digitize GameStop's presence in a market that is moving away from physical media, and, in all honesty, it's an effort to prevent the retailer from being phased out altogether.

ZeniMax Online Studios is undergoing a leadership overhaul as part of Microsoft's broader Xbox restructuring, which confirmed that 1,600 jobs will be immediately let go, and as many as 6,400 across Microsoft's entire workforce, equating to approximately 2.1% of all Microsoft employees.

Studio head Joe Burba and three other senior leaders are exiting the company, according to recent reports. The cuts, revealed in a WARN notice, include 379 roles eliminated in Maryland, with more than 200 from ZeniMax Online Studios alone, including positions such as Studio Head, Studio Operations Director, Studio Game Director, Studio Art Director, and various other C-level positions. Burba, who took over the studio alongside ESO executive producer Susan Kath, game director Rich Lambert, and production director Ala Diaz, will be departing.

The leadership transition is expected to take "a few months," with Josh Henderson taking over as head of ZeniMax Online Studios, who was previously head of business operations, and Nick Giacomini, who was promoted to Game Director last August, will be taking on a larger role. The news of executives departing, along with a selection of employees, has raised concerns about the continued growth of Elder Scrolls Online, a massively multiplayer online game (MMO) that maintains its player base through constant content updates.

Steam has generated an estimated $11 billion in the first six months of 2026, which is more money than the platform made in the entire year of 2017.

New data estimates from Alinea Analytics put a number on Valve's successful PC games storefront. According to the firm's latest estimates, Steam could have made up to $11.1 billion in gross sales revenue throughout the first half of the year. This milestone could make 2026 a record-breaking year for PC gaming. One important thing to remember is that this is the total sum of all the earnings and sales from games and content on Steam--it doesn't just represent Valve's cut, but the whole pie.

"Steam's full-year revenue has climbed from around $5.5B in 2017 to roughly $20B in 2025," Alinea's Rhys Elliott said in the coverage. The FTC v Microsoft trial from 2023 also revealed that Valve's Steam storefront was estimated to have made $7 billion in 2021, illustrating a major boost to sales over nearly 10 years.

In the past week, we've seen tools like HWMonitor, HWiNFO, AIDA64, and others expand their support for GeForce RTX 50 Series GPU monitoring by adding readings for GPU hotspot temperatures. This was a feature that was actively blocked by NVIDIA, even though it's been a staple of previous generations. It was third-party monitoring tools and engineering that restored access to hotspot readings, and it's opened the door for countless gamers to re-run benchmarks and tests to get a clearer picture of the thermal performance of their GeForce RTX 50 Series cards.

And with that, we're starting to see some concerning results across a wide range of cards. In one case, a user with a COLORFUL iGame GeForce RTX 5080 Vulcan graphics card found that their GPU hotspot temperature hit 98.5 degrees Celsius even though the overall GPU temperature reading was sitting at 68.6 degrees. This is a 30-degree discrepancy and enough of a cause for concern that they got in contact with COLORFUL's support team.

The good news is that COLORFUL's response was detailed and reassuring, noting that sustained temperatures above 90 degrees were abnormal, that if this continued after a sustained 10 minutes of gaming, it could indicate faulty cooling, and that they should contact "after-sales service" for next steps. But first, they suggest ruling out airflow issues and even dust to ensure that the cooling was working as intended.

A couple of days ago, we got word that Valve was reportedly ceasing production of replacement parts for the original Steam Deck LCD gaming handhelds, which are no longer being produced in favor of the refreshed OLED models. This was based on a response from the hardware repair specialists at iFixit, who had received a customer request stating that Valve was sunsetting the availability of replacement batteries for the device.

The firm expanded on the response by adding that it was looking at and testing alternatives due to Valve no longer supplying replacement batteries, which led to stories like ours popping up online, and a consensus among the PC gaming community that dropping repair support so soon for the Steam Deck LCD handheld was not a consumer-friendly or PC gamer-friendly move from Valve. One of the reasons why batteries currently need to be sourced directly from Valve comes down to "special calibration not publicly available."

Well, it turns out that the sunsetting is no longer happening or was never really a thing, as iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens has taken to the social media platform X to confirm that, "Valve has reached out and is sending us a new batch of Steam Deck LCD batteries."

According to a new report over at VideoCards, which cites access to Intel's internal roadmap, we've got some new details on the company's upcoming next-generation desktop CPUs built on the Nova Lake-S architecture. The report stated that these CPUs will adopt the Intel Core Ultra 400 Series branding, with multiple models on track for release in 2027.

The report includes an image of the unannounced Intel Core Ultra 9 400 K processor, which you can see above. This release plan aligns with previous rumors that Intel would use CES 2027 as both an announcement and a launch platform for the lineup.

As with all Intel CPU generations, there will be multiple models; however, this new information points to the company's first Nova Lake-S CPUs being 28-core DS packages or models, which are on track for Q1 2027 - specifically late January through to March 2027.

If you're wondering what an Inkjet-printed OLED display is, here's a quick primer. And yes, if you're thinking about an office printer, you're on the right track. Essentially, it's an updated, more efficient manufacturing process that allows OLED makers to precisely "print" RGB pixels directly onto the panel, eliminating the need for stencils and more costly traditional methods for creating OLED displays.

The big thing with Inkjet-printed OLED display production, which is still brand-new, is that it means less material waste. And the result is a boon for users, too, as it leads to a more precise RGB stripe layout, delivering improved brightness, text clarity, and color accuracy.

TCL CSOT recently began large-scale mass production of Inkjet-printed OLED displays, and the new Lenovo Legion R9000P laptop is the first notebook in the world to feature one of these new panels. TCL touts the "Real RGB Stripe side-by-side subpixel arrangement" as a boon for the laptop, saying it offers more detail for crisper text and images, along with 99% of the DCI-P3 color gamut for impressive color accuracy.

With PlayStation announcing the end of physical disc production for new games in January 2028, game ownership and physical media have become hot topics. However, one PC gamer on Reddit isn't ready to let go of physical media just yet, turning old 2.5-inch SSDs into custom Steam game cartridges complete with printed cover art and 3D-printed cases.

Reddit user Jibril-sama shared the setup online, where it has since picked up over 17,000 upvotes. The games are installed onto individual 128GB SATA SSDs, each dressed up to look like a game cartridge. When one is plugged into a SATA dock, a script automatically navigates Steam to the game's page and offers the option to launch it automatically as well. The SSDs were picked up for around $7 to $8 each, making this an affordable flex as much as a practical one.

The system runs on Linux, using a udev rule to detect when an SSD is connected and triggering a systemd daemon that finds and executes the launch script. Jibril-sama notes that it should be replicable on Windows as well, though without the seamless auto-navigate and auto-launch functionality that Linux enables.