Check out these latest hardware announcements for today from around the web. Also included are some hardware news bits, and on some days, a few rumors tossed in for good measure. Click on the links below to read the official press release, visit the products web page, or to an independent news source.

• Antec Introduces the NX500 and NX600 Mid-Tower Chassis
• EK Introduces the Momentum Aorus Z390 Master D-RGB Monoblock
• BIOSTAR Formally Enables PCIe Gen 4 on its AMD 400-series Motherboards
• CORSAIR Launches New 32GB Modules of High-Performance VENGEANCE LPX DDR4 Memory
• EK Releases Classic Lineup Kits to Conquer the Price/Performance Market Segment
• ASRock Takes The Lead In Announcing Radeon RX 5700 Challenger Series Graphics Cards
• Toshiba Memory to Rebrand as “Kioxia” in October
• EK Expands Classic Line With a Water Block for MSI RTX 2080 Ti Trio
• MSI Launches New Revisions of AMD 300 and 400 Motherboards with 32MB Firmware
• Sharkoon Unveils Skiller SGM3 Wireless Mouse
• ZOTAC Rolls Out a Low-profile GeForce GTX 1650 Graphics Card

And there’s a month-long free trial

By Matt Wales @ Eurogamer

Back in June, amid the hubbub of E3, Ubisoft announced that it was preparing to launch its own PC games subscription offering, Uplay+. At the time, a library of more than 100 titles was promised for launch, and the publisher has now confirmed the full list of games that will be available when the service arrives on 3rd September.

A Uplay+ subscription costs €14.99/$14.99 USD a month (an official UK price is yet to be confirmed) and provides access to Uplay’s full PC games library, which, as you’d expect, includes all of Ubisoft’s blockbuster franchises – so the likes of Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs, and Far Cry are, unsurprisingly, accounted for – plus all of the publisher’s upcoming titles, including Gods & Monsters and Watch Dogs Legion.

There’s ample representation of classic series from Ubisoft’s enormous back catalogue too – Rayman, Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia, and The Settlers get a good airing, for instance – alongside the Steeps, Starlinks, and The Crews of this world.

Read on…

New Game Mode ‘Mercenaries’ Will Be Available From July 18th

Ubisoft has announced a free brand new game mode for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, “Mercenaries”, which will be available from July 18th . Mercenaries is an eight-player free-for-all PvPvE gameplay experience. The objective is to call for rescue, locate and reach the extraction point, then be the first to board the chopper. The new game mode will be available on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X and Windows PC.

Watch the Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands – Mercenaries Trailer HERE.

At the beginning of the match, the extraction point is unknown and players will have no ranged weapons, gear or items. Players will need to locate and activate radio transmitters to shrink the possible extract zone on the map. In the meantime, players will fight to be the first to gain intel on transmitter locations while looting gear, weapons and money. After the first player has activated three transmitters, the chopper will head to the extraction point and once landed, the location will be revealed to everyone. The first player to fill their extraction gauge and board the chopper wins.

Mercenaries mode introduces a wealth of new mechanics including:

• Looting for Gear: Players start the game just with a melee weapon and will need to find the best gear, weapons and consumables to fight the Unidad forces and enemy players. If a player dies, they will lose all of the loot gathered and start at square one when they respawn.
• Armor: Mercenaries mode will feature a new health and armor system. Based on the gear players pick up, an armor bar will appear. This bar will absorb a percentage of damage based on the penetration capability of the opponent’s weapon.
• Health: If players are hit by a weapon that deals penetration damage, they will bleed and gradually lose a percentage of their health. If they are injured, they will be able to loot three different types of healing items to get back into fighting shape: medikits, bandages and syringes.
• Destructible Doors: Destructible doors can be opened with CQC, behind which players may find intel, loot, or cover to aid them in their fight. Players will need to think tactically about when to use this as opponents will be able to hear the breaking doors if they are close by.

Additionally, as a thank-you to players, the Lone Wolf Costume will be given as a reward after completing their first match. Along with the Lone Wolf Costume, players will be able to receive a series of rewards based on their wins.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands also has a Rewards Program available to all players until September 27th, 2019. Jump back into the Wildlands, complete the set challenges, and redeem special rewards in Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint. All rewards will also unlock unique ‘Memories of the Wildlands’ dialogues. More information can be found at: ghostrecon.com/RewardsProgram

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, please visit www.ghostrecon.com.

Matrix Games has released a new set of screenshots from the turn-based, tactical/operational war game Campaign Series: Vietnam, currently being developed by Campaign Series Legion, the veteran studio behind Campaign Series: Middle East.

The series portrays battles spanning from 1948 to 1979. Each scenario is played on a unique, historical map with nine view modes. Scenario maps are based on topographic maps from the period created on a hex grid. Hexes are 250 meters across.

Each scenario is based on a painstakingly researched historical engagement and has a variable number of turns in which you and your opponent attempt to achieve the maximum number of victory points, usually by destroying your opponent’s forces or by capturing objective locations. A wide variety of battle situations are represented in the game, including firebase defense, helicopter air assaults, meeting engagements, trench defenses, armored breakthroughs, battles of attrition, mobile defenses, search and destroy, and more.

The development of the game is progressing very fast and we are happy to show you screenshots featuring the Battle of Rung Sat and the encirclement of A Shau Camp.

Get more information about Campaign Series: Vietnam from its official product page.

By Matthew Hodgson @ Vortez

ASRock have been specialising in the development and manufacturing of motherboards since 2002 and have gone on to be a big player within an incredibly competitive market segment. They produce motherboards for both AMD and Intel and today we’ll focus on a high-end solution featuring the latest AMD X570 chipset.

The ASRock X570 Taichi is the latest in a line of premium motherboards that ASRock produce, offering a surfeit of features and performance. As you might have already heard, perhaps the biggest inclusion with the new X570 chipset is the long-awaiting PCI-E 4.0 specification, offering double the bandwidth, and full backwards compatibility, of the previous generation.

Read The Review Here

Expansion and M.2 Aplenty

By Thomas Soderstrom @ Tom’s Hardware

The price of AMD’s X570-chipset motherboards may be off-putting to buyers accustomed to AMD’s low-cost story, and the lower cost of previous-generation X470 boards that, a lack of PCIe 4.0 support aside, are still viable options for AMD’s new Ryzen 3000 processors. Gigabyte’s X570 Aorus Master competes in a high-end enthusiast segment that, thanks to the added cost of new technology, starts at around $300. Users who have adjusted their value expectations to current market conditions will find the $360 for this model reasonable, with our apologies to buyers in U.K. (where it’s £390).

Read The Review Here

Source: TechPowerUp!

AMD late Tuesday posted its latest version of Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition. Version 19.7.2 adds optimization for “GEARS 5″ beta. It fixes a number of issues, beginning with Facebook being unavailable with Radeon ReLive. “Star Wars Battlefront II” textures appearing pixellated or blurry with the DirectX 11 API has also been fixed. Radeon Overlay flickering in DirectX 9 apps with Radeon Image Sharpening enabled, is fixed. Valve Index HMD experiencing flickering when launching SteamVR on machines with Radeon RX 5700-series graphics cards, is fixed.

Radeon WattMan auto-tuning global settings not applying per-game has also been fixed. WattMan showing max values instead of increased values in auto-tuning results screen has also been fixed. The WattMan memory clock gauge now correctly auto-updates. Texture corruption on enemy models in “Doom” (2016) has been fixed. A bug that caused Radeon display drivers to fail to uninstall in hybrid graphics configurations has been fixed.

The new Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.7.2 drivers are available online at the AMD driver download page.

Check out these latest hardware announcements for today from around the web. Also included are some hardware news bits, and on some days, a few rumors tossed in for good measure. Click on the links below to read the official press release, visit the products web page, or to an independent news source.

• Introducing New Starter and Streaming PCs from NZXT BLD
• GeIL Announces EVO X II and EVO X II ROG-certified DDR4 RGB Gaming Memory
• InWin 309 Mid-tower Launched with 144 RGB LED ‘Dot Matrix’ Front Panel
• Patriot Presents Value-Oriented P200 Series SSDs
• New Gigabyte X570 BIOSes Adds Three Profiles Positions for the Chipset Fan

New Chapter Pack introduces eight new and unique playable faction leaders, infantry-crushing heavy cavalry and more.

The year is 291 CE, and the Jin Dynasty is divided. A generation has passed since the tumultuous events of the Three Kingdoms period began. Despite the brief unification of the kingdoms under the Jin dynasty, civil war was never more than a heartbeat away. Its many ruling princes are hungry for power, each with self-serving ambitions and views of their own. Will you stand by the emperor, or will you carve out a legacy that will echo through the ages?

Watch the Total War: THREE KINGDOMS – Eight Princes Reveal Trailer HERE.

Playable in both Records and Romance mode, the Eight Princes Chapter Pack is a new standalone campaign which takes place in the immediate aftermath of the THREE KINGDOMS storyline. This pack introduces eight legendary princes to Total War: THREE KINGDOMS, each with their own unique traits, playstyles, and units such as the revered heavy cataphract cavalry, mounted archers, and imperial guardsmen.

Eight Princes can be pre-ordered here via Steam.

Today, Ubisoft announced that Judgment of Atlantis, the final episode of the post-launch story arc of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: The Fate of Atlantis, is now available on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X and Windows PC.

Watch the Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: Judgment of Atlantis Gameplay Preview Trailer HERE.

Judgment of Atlantis takes players to the legendary world of Atlantis, a gorgeous landscape of architectural wonders, and a playground for Isu knowledge and power. As the last trial to master the Staff of Hermes, players must make the hardest decisions yet in a world where humans and Isu coexist. In this often unstable world, Poseidon, ruler of Atlantis, tries to maintain balance and hopes that our hero, dubbed the Dikastes, will bring harmony to his kingdom.

Each of the episodes of The Fate of Atlantis introduced new ability enhancements related to different branches of the skill tree – Hunter, Warrior and Assassin. In this third episode, players will discover three new ability enhancements, including:

• Ares Wrath (Warrior branch of the skill tree) – an enhancement to the Ring of Chaos ability. Players smash the ground with the Broken Spear to create a large area where all enemies inside slow down and take damage after a few seconds.
• Blessing of Kronos (Assassin branch) – an enhancement to the Venomous Attacks ability. Player’s receive the Isu Power for a limited amount of time, giving immunity to Isu effects, such as Adrenalin Freeze and Adrenalin Drain.
• Kronos’ Punishment (Assassin branch) – an enhancement to the Call to Arms ability. Create a replica of our hero that performs a stealth attack on the target, so players can assassinate enemies without exposing themselves when there are many enemies close together.

In order to play Judgment of Atlantis, players must complete the previous episodes from The Fate of Atlantis in addition to the below:

• Following the main game, players will have to complete the questline Between Two Worlds, the mythological main game story arc and the Lost Tales of Greece questline Heir of Memories that is available after completing the former questline. Finally, they must have reached character level 28 or above.
• For players who have not completed the main game, a shortcut was developed allowing them to enter Greece at level 52 with all their preset abilities and resources, so they can access Heir of Memories to start their adventure into the afterlife. However, player progression using the shortcut will not carry over to the main game save, and they will not be able to obtain achievements.

The Assassin’s Creed Odyssey post-launch plan has been the biggest and most ambitious in the franchise, and season pass owners have access to two major episodic storylines, Legacy of the First Blade and The Fate of Atlantis. The season pass also includes Assassin’s Creed® III Remastered and Assassin’s Creed® Liberation Remastered, which released for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X and Windows PC. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey players will continue to access to free content including the story-focused episodic Lost tales of Greece as well as daily and weekly in-game events.

For more information on Assassin’s Creed, please visit assassinscreed.com.