Author: Morry Teitelman @ PC Perspective

With the release of Intel Z270 chipset, GIGABYTE is unveiling its AORUS line of products. The AORUS branding will be used to differentiate enthusiast and gamer friendly products from their other product lines, similar to how ASUS uses the ROG branding to differentiate their high performance product line. The Z270X-Gaming 5 is among the first to be released as part of GIGABYTE’s AORUS line. The board features the black and white branding common to the AORUS product line, with the rear panel cover and chipset featuring the brand logos. The board is designed around the Intel Z270 chipset with in-built support for the latest Intel LGA1151 Kaby Lake processor line (as well as support for Skylake processors) and Dual Channel DDR4 memory running at a 2400MHz speed. The Z270X-Gaming 5 can be found in retail with an MSRP of $189.99.

Read The Review Here

Source: TechPowerUp!

AMD has released the 17.2.1 WHQL version of its Radeon Software Crimson ReLive. This release features Multi GPU profiles and support for For Honor (with an up to 4% performance improvement on Radeon RX 480) and Sniper Elite 4 (with a 5% performance improvement being registered here). Look after the break for a list of known, fixed issues. Compared to the previous 17.2.1 Beta release of the ReLive driver suite, this one is virtually the same, the only difference being the WHQL signing.

You can download the Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Drivers version 17.2.1 here.

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.

• Cooler Master Intros MasterLiquid 120 and 240 CPU Coolers with Low-profile Pumps
• Adesso Launches AKB-636 Mechanical Keyboard
• FSP Group Announces Its Latest Transparent Chassis Cover the CMT210
• EK Water Blocks Releases Monoblock for ASUS ROG Maximus IX Hero Motherboard
• BYKSKI Announces the XPR-A CPU Water Block for AMD Ryzen
• CyberPowerPC Launches Ryzen Series of Fully-Customizable Gaming Enthusiast Rigs
• TP-Link Launches Archer C5400X Router with Quad-core SoC at 5433Mbit/s
• NVIDIA Counts Down to GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Launch
• AMD Radeon Drivers Cease Support for Windows 8.1 32-bit
• AMD Shows Its 8-Core Ryzen CPU Beating Intel’s Best At Half The Price

Regular testing featuring cross-platform battles on PC and PS4 in a variety of game modes, environmental settings and lineups to start this weekend.

Gaijin Entertainment today announced the start of regular weekly testing sessions for the second phase of its Naval Forces Pre-Beta test, available cross-platform on both PC and PS4. Every weekend over the coming weeks, aspiring captains will now be able to try a variety of naval craft and game modes as the developers introduce new features and finalize core game mechanics and naval physics for the upcoming Closed Beta for ships.

From the 24th to 27th, the first event to run will allow Pre-Beta participants to see the debut of a brand-new lineup of top rank torpedo and gunboats, which all come with awesome firepower and mobility, together with countless other changes implemented on the basis of recent tester feedback.

The forthcoming Closed Beta for ships will provide a huge array of seafaring craft for players to research and upgrade, with details to be profiled on War Thunder’s devblog in the coming weeks. For those keen to get involved in Pre-Beta and subsequent Closed Beta testing for ships, more information is available here.

Participants of the Pre-Beta were already able to try different naval vessels ranging from fast torpedo and gunboats to multi-purpose escort ships and submarine chasers. The battles took place on various locations including the ‘Ice Fields’ of Scandinavia, the ‘English Coast’ and the tropical waters of Africa, while new game modes presented players with challenges customized to the Naval Forces gameplay. In ‘Convoy’, both teams have to destroy a group of large, armed merchant ships belonging to the enemy while protecting their own fleet against attacks from sea and the air. In the future, participants of the Pre-Beta will continue to see more Naval game modes, locations and, of course, ships.

You can find out more about War Thunder and  download the game for free at the official War Thunder website.

New Trailer Highlights All-New Map Launching With Update 0.19

Developer and global publisher My.com unveils more information about a new PvP map named “Chemical Plant” for Armored Warfare. In the world of Armored Warfare, this is one of the last working chemical plants. It lies deep in the Mojave Desert and must be captured at all costs. This processing facility is priceless to several corporations. Mercenary forces have moved in to slug it out, one last time, and both sides are preparing for the decisive battle that will decide the fate of the region for years to come. The layout is semi-open and it allows for a large scale of tactics suitable for every vehicle class. The map provides players with plenty of opportunity for fast-paced action, daring flanking maneuvers as well as tactical gameplay. The “Chemical Plant” PvP map will be the newest addition to Armored Warfare and launches with update 0.19. Watch the “Chemical Plant” trailer here.

Features introduced with Update 0.19:

• Chemical Plant PvP Map
• Raiding Party PvE Mission
• Watchdog PvE Mission
• Balance 2.0

Balance 2.0 is a catch-all for a set of changes and improvements coming to Armored Warfare in Update 0.19 based on community feedback, which solves the problems in high tier gameplay and alleviates the power creep between tiers throughout the game. Another major part of Balance 2.0 is the re-evaluation of every core gameplay mechanic, including: damage mechanics, class abilities, retrofits, upgrades, and crew skills. This fulfills the purpose of ensuring these mechanics are working cohesively to deliver balanced and exciting gameplay as intended. Learn more details about Balance 2.0 on the dedicated page to the upcoming changes HERE.

Find out more about Armored Warfare and to download the game for free, visit: aw.my.com.

Developer Cats Who Play have revealed their new single-player RTS project, Syrian Warfare, is now available on Steam! With the release announcement, a new release trailer is now available. You can view it here.

Here’s some game info:

Our planet has seen to many wars, and that’s a sensitive subject for all of us. That’s the way the world wags, and every day we see consequences of numerous conflicts taking place in faraway lands. We see them in the news, we see them in the refugees at our borders.

This war has been going on for a long time, and it’s hard to say when it will be over. We got so used to it that news from Syria has become trivial. We’ve even already forgotten how it all started, and where the roots of the terrible terror lie – the terror that swept across Europe in recent years.

Syria is all over the news, and it’s become a subject of many documentaries. We, however, want to show the story through the lens of the game, and don’t let the word “game” mislead you. This game does not claim to be a history lesson, but it shows the course of the war in all its seriousness through the major milestones, from the first days till the latest important victories over terror.

Syrian Warfare is:

• Real Time Strategy game with a high degree of realism.
• Detailed simulation of modern weapon systems.
• Close to reality tactical actions of different types of troops.
• Game based on a true story.
• Realistic graphics.

It’s is not a cheap actioner, but rather a game claiming to look and feel like a non-fiction doc. Following the game progress will bring you to better and clearer understanding of the hornet’s nest that has been stirred up in the Middle East. Understanding of how it all started and how all sides of the conflict tend to act now. We do understand the seriousness of the subject and we are not afraid to take on it.

Find out more on the official Syrian Warfare webpage.

Paradox’s WWII Strategy Wargame Conquers the World

Paradox Development Studio is thrilled to announce that Hearts of Iron IV, its World War II themed strategy wargame, has sold 500,000 copies worldwide since its release in June 2016. This milestone follows record sales for Stellaris, Europa Universalis IV and Crusader Kings II, once again confirming Paradox as the premier developer of computer strategy games.

Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive, underlines how the continued success of Paradox games justifies the company philosophy.

“The PC remains the primary platform for games of this nature,” Wester says. “Even genres that have traditionally been seen as niche can find a large audience, if a developer is dedicated to quality, variety and learning from both previous experiences and the community at large.”

Hearts of Iron IV recently saw the release of Together for Victory, the first major expansion to the game. Lead Designer Dan Lind is very pleased with the ongoing development of the game, and the team remains committed to continually improving the HoI experience.

“As a result of this success we are able to take advantage of extra time to add tweaks and polish to the game. Our community has high standards, and we will work hard to to live up to their expectations in the coming weeks and months. We really want HoI to be the best it can be for our fans.”

Hearts of Iron IV is currently 33% off at the official Paradox Store. The game is also available on Steam.

We have the pleasure to announce that we’ll be running a very special preview stream of Afghanistan ’11!

Our Agrippa Maxentius will tackle the game, show you its many innovative features and attempt to win a war based on counter-insurgency and winning the Hearts & Minds of people! Will he manage to stabilize Afghanistan?

Keith Boschoff, lead programmer of Afghanistan ’11 and member of Retro Epic will also be there, ready to answer to any question you might have! The stream will commence at 5 pm CET / 4 pm GMT / 11 am EST on Thursday February 23rd, only on the Slitherine Group’s Official Twitch Channel.

We are receiving news from the Korean peninsula about an American mobilization of troops and warships after the confirmation that Pyongyang has conducted a new series of nuclear tests! The Command: LIVE Team has been dispatched in the region to gather all the information about this crisis! Watch the report here!

The situation on the Korean peninsula is becoming more dangerous month by month. The bellicose statements from the ‘Supreme Leader’ notwithstanding, its North Korea’s foray into the Nuclear weapons arena that has made the situation critical.

The Supreme leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, in somewhat typical fashion has been making extremely provocative boasts in the lead up to Generalissimo Day, a day which honors his father Kim Jong Il, the 14th of February. The main thrust of these rants is characteristically anti-western but there was a hint of something big that intelligence communities are taking seriously. True to form, both a successful missile launch and a Nuclear test on the same day startled the world.

Command LIVE: Korean Missile Crisis will be available on February 28th!

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.

• MSI Announces New GTX 1050, 1060 and 1070 Aero Series Graphics cards
• Alphacool Presents the “Eislicht,” a Revolution in Illumination
• AOC Reveals New AGON Curved and Frameless Gaming Monitors
• Intel Launches Site Detailing Optane Requirements: Skylake Users Need not Apply
• GeIL Announces World’s First Fully RGB Illuminated DDR4 Memory Module
• MSI Adds Low-Profile AMD Radeon RX 460 Graphics Cards to Lineup
• AMD Ryzen Stock Cooling Solutions Detailed
• BenQ EW2775ZH VA Full HD Monitor Released
• AMD Ryzen 1700X, 1600X & 1300 Benchmarks Leaked
• Phanteks Adds Glacier G1080 Series VGA and Glacier C350i Water Blocks
• BIOSTAR RACING Series Motherboard Lineup for AMD RYZEN Announced
• AMD Ryzen CPUs Pictured