Easier installation? Yes, that’s why it’s done. Daisy-chaining fans using contacts in their frames is great, but it often also comes with pitfalls that reduce “cooling efficiency”. Manufacturers deal with this in different ways. One does it technically one way, another differently. In any case, they know that a frame that is too thick means less space for the blades. And that does not improve airflow per unit of noise. Read more “Fan frame daisy-chaining trend. When is it (not) helpful”
Low price also applies when it comes to the Stratus 140 White ARGB fans. Considering the presence of vivid ARGB lighting, there aren’t many cheaper models in the 140 mm category. Its excellent aerodynamic characteristics are held back by one thing only, and that’s higher vibration levels, and it doesn’t appear to be a “one‑off sample issue”—as usual, our detailed testing is based on multiple units. Still, the trade-off seems to be worth it. Read more “Endorfy Stratus 140 White ARGB: Great, apart from high vibrations”
In cooperation with DeepCool, we have prepared a cyclical activity for this year, which may be of interest to HWCooling readers. We’ll post a detail of some piece of hardware and you can guess what it is. You can compete (and eventually win something) on a regular basis, with a new challenge every month. But for now, you need to get “to the next round” through the next one, in April. Read more “DeepCool Riddle (4/2026). Can you guess what’s in the photo?”
NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs are the most popular solution for PC gaming, but they are also designed for use across a wide range of semi‑ and fully‑professional workflows and creative tasks. NVIDIA Studio drivers open give GeForce RTX 50‑series GPUs in desktops and laptops capabilities that were previously limited to much more expensive professional GPUs. That means you can confidently tackle demanding 3D work with them. Read more “Nvidia GeForce RTX 50 Series: Your ideal graphics studio”
The second quarter has begun, and it has nasty things in store—another round of price increases for RAM and SSDs. In February we discussed a TrendForce forecast, noting that the price surge so far was likely the biggest jump in history. That itself was based just on the increases in Q4 2025 and Q1 2026. But as if those weren’t enough, another drastic price spike is coming now between April and June, making the situation even worse. Read more “Further price hikes of memory and SSDs, up to 75% in spring”
Communication, trust, and fair dealing are fundamental. Only after that come detailed methodologies or anything else… Thermal Hero failed in this regard, did not honor what was agreed upon, and we want to use this opportunity to warn anyone who might be tempted to believe in something great. Yes, their liquid metal Metalliq looks that way, but if… let’s call it “other things” don’t work, then having a captivating product simply isn’t enough. Read more “Beware of Thermal Hero! Attractive products, but…”
It wants to go head‑to‑head with the Phanteks T30-120 fan, while also having a slight edge in every respect. That’s Asus’s marketing—and now comes reality in HWCooling’s in‑depth analysis. The ProArt PF120 fans are truly something exceptional and worth paying attention to. High cooling efficiency and elegant daisy‑chaining are just the beginning. The overall design of Asus’s fans is impressive. Read more “Asus ProArt PF120: The most efficient fan at low noise level”
Last year’s Nvidia GeForce RTX 5000 and AMD Radeon RX 9000 GPU launches were widely criticised for “fake MSRP.” That refers to situations where companies announce an attractive price that creates a good first impression and earns praise in reviews, only for the cards to immediately become more expensive or never actually appear at the advertised price. It now looks like something similar may be happening with Intel’s new processors. Read more “Arrow Lake Refresh CPU pricing considerably higher than announced”
Yesterday we reported on an update to the Nvidia App utility for GeForce graphics cards, which brought owners of the latest‑generation GPUs the ability to use 6× frame generation and a dynamic mode in DLSS 4.5. But that’s not the only new feature the company has prepared. This version of Nvidia App includes another improvement that can free you from the annoying waiting for shader compilation, which often takes several minutes. Read more “Nvidia App solves the problem of long shader compilation in games”
Unreliable 12V‑2×6/12VHPWR GPU power connectors have been causing trouble for years—especially on Nvidia hardware. Unfortunately, the problem remains unresolved because the company insists on pushing the connector, meaning the risk of overheating and melting cables can only be mitigated or worked around. MSI is now introducing its own attempt at such a workaround, adding a protection and early warning feature to its power supplies. Read more “MSI PSUs feature GPU Safeguard+ against 12V-2×6 cable melting”
Although memory and SSD prices are currently very high, the it wasn’t nearly as bad in the CPU market—Intel just released the new “Plus” refresh CPUs at surprisingly low pricing, and AMD responded with discounts. Unfortunately, rising manufacturing costs driven by demand for AI hardware will likely hit this segment as well. Both Intel and AMD are reportedly preparing CPU price increases, which will make PCs even more expensive. Read more “Intel and AMD to increase CPU prices by 10–15 %”
Established and well-known producers in the field are certainly familiar to our readers. In recent years, several new companies have appeared on the scene that may not yet be widely recognized. This series focuses precisely on such relatively new players. Although these brands have been on the market for a short time, their ambitions, fresh ideas, and technical solutions should not be underestimated. The last one arrived with a complete portfolio. Read more “New stars in the cooling hardware universe, part 7—Formula V Line”
Ever since the first 3D V‑Cache processors in 2022, the possibility of a desktop CPU with 16 cores and 3D V‑Cache mounted on both CPU chiplets has been on the table. AMD never made it reality despite many asking for it, until now. Hints such a CPU was coming started pouring in last year though. It didn’t arrive with the gaming 9850X3D model in January, but this week, AMD is finally making this long-awaited CPU real. Read more “Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition is here: 16‑cores and 2× 3D V‑Cache”
Intel is launching new CPUs for the LGA 1954 socket, refreshed “Plus” models of the Core Ultra 200S “Arrow Lake” lineup. These focus on offering great bang for buck, adding more cores. As a result, Intel abandoned the pricier Core Ultra 9 flagship and gave full core count to the lower-tier Core Ultra 7 270K Plus. In the end, it will even be faster than the previous Core Ultra 9 285K—in practice, ironically running at higher clock speeds. Read more “Core Ultra 270K Plus beats existing high-end. No KF version, though”
We interviewed a Noctua representative who revealed many details about the direction of this company’s cooling components. Do you already know everything about Noctua fans? Or do you have an idea of how far the cooling performance of pump-less liquid coolers will go? This and much more (hopefully of interest) was covered in the interview. The information that emerged is compiled within this article. Read more “Interview with Noctua: Thermosiphon liquid cooler aims high”
We have recently covered a leak of driver files that revealed the incoming launch of AMD’s improved AI upscaling, FSR 4.1. Because the library itself was leaked, FSR 4.1 had already been tested in practice. Now this technology is officially arriving for all users (or at least those with sufficiently new GPUs) with version 2026.3.1 drivers, which the company released alongside the launch of the Crimson Desert game. Read more “FSR 4.1 released with higher quality and faster Ultra Performance”
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