Source: PC Gamer

NVIDIA today released a new Game Ready driver package containing performance tweaks and optimizations for three games: Sniper Elite 4, For Honor, and Halo Wars 2.

The new driver, version 378.66, is WHQL certified and not a beta release. It’s a relatively minor update in that it doesn’t introduce any SLI profiles that weren’t already included in prior 378 drivers, though it did add 3D compatibility mode profiles for Sniper Elite 4 and For Honor, both listed as “excellent.” You can grab the release notes here.

You can download the new GeForce 378.66 WHQL drivers from GeForce Experience and GeForce.com.

Source: Guru3D

You can now download Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition 17.2.1. This new driver adds support for For Honor and Sniper Elite 4 as well as offering a number of fixes. Check out the release notes here.

Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition is AMD’s advanced graphics software for enabling high-performance gaming and engaging VR experiences. Create, capture, and share your remarkable moments. Effortlessly boost performance and efficiency. Experience Radeon Software with industry-leading user satisfaction, rigorously-tested stability, comprehensive certification, and more.

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

Source: EVGA

Featuring a total of 11 global patents (pending and granted), iCX from EVGA is efficiency perfected. With 9 additional sensors embedded on the PCB, a newly designed diecast baseplate and backplate, purposefully directed airflow chambers, and full control using EVGA Precision XOC, EVGA’s iCX is the very definition of Interactive Cooling.

With PC gaming growing, it is important to provide “Peace of Mind Gaming” to the user. With EVGA’s new iCX technology, users can have a better understanding of their cards operation. This includes temperature monitoring on key components (not just GPU), interaction with other devices and better cooling with asynchronous fan control providing better overclocking capabilities.

Watch a video to find out more about EVGA iCX Technology here. EVGA is also offering an ACX 3.0 to iCX Upgrade program. You can find out how to upgrade here.

F

Source: TechPowerUp!

Benchmarks have leaked on AMD’s upcoming Ryzen CPUs, and if accurate, these are the ones that will change the name of the game from “Hype Train” to “Reality Check”. Part of a verified Passmark entry, the test system consisted of an AMD Ryzen 8-core, 16-thread ES clocked at 3.4 GHz (which puts it closely on the Ryzen 7 1700X territory, though it isn’t known whether Turbo to its rated 3.8 GHz was active or not), seated on an entry-level MSI A320 AM4 motherboard (absent of overclocking functionality) and 16GB of 2400MHz DDR4 memory.

The tests include integer math, floating point performance, prime numbers, encryption, compression, sorting, SSE performance and physics. The AMD Ryzen 7 1700X outperformed every other CPU in 5 out of the 8 tests, including Intel’s fastest 8-core chip, the $1099 Broadwell-E i7 6900K. When put side by side against Intel’s slightly less expensive $999 8 core extreme edition Haswell-E i7 5960X, Ryzen was faster in 6 out of the 8 tests. The 1700X showed particularly good performance in integer math and encryption, workloads typically associated with server workloads (and where the bulk of the profit is).

Read on…

1943. Outnumbered and deep behind enemy lines, an elite specialist hunts a Nazi Officer through the streets of Southern Italy.

There’s a time to be stealthy and a time to be lethal. A time to go low and a time to go high. A time to strike and a time to move … TIMING IS EVERYTHING!

Sniper Elite 4‘s launch trailer shows agent Karl Fairburne use all of his cunning, adaptability and ruthless precision, just as players can when Sniper Elite 4 launches on February 14th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC!

Season Pass Detailed

Rebellion today also revealed that the Sniper Elite 4 Season Pass will give players access to ALL 12 of the game’s post-launch content packs, including 4 full campaign missions for 1-2 players!

The Season Pass includes the following:

ALL PRE-ORDER BONUS CONTENT

• Target: Führer campaign mission – Infiltrate a secret Mediterranean U-boat facility and use wits and creativity to take out the target in over 30 ways.
• Camouflage Rifle Skin Pack – Blend into the lush environments of wartime Italy with highly detailed skins for all seven of the game’s starting rifles, for use in any mode.

THREE HUGE NEW CAMPAIGN MISSIONS
• A completely new three-chapter campaign, separate from the main storyline, which features massive, diverse new environments that eventually lead Karl out of Italy for a thrilling finale.

THREE CONTENT-STUFFED EXPANSION PACKS
• Each expansion pack will be released alongside a campaign mission, and they’ll each include 3 new weapons, 8 new weapon skins and 2 new characters.

WEAPON AND CHARACTER PACKS
• Three further weapon packs – including silenced weapons, famous wartime Allied rifles, and equipment for taking on foes at close quarters…
• Three new characters for use in both co-op and multiplayer.

As previously announced, all new multiplayer maps and modes released after launch will be FREE for the whole community.

The Sniper Elite 4 Season Pass will be priced $34.99 / €34.99 / £29.99 and will be available at launch.

For more game info head to the Sniper Elite 4 website.

Today we have decided to take a more in-depth look at the next DLC in the Order of Battle series: Kriegsmarine.

Why the Kriegsmarine?

Well, mostly three reasons.

First, the upcoming Skirmish Mode has several naval maps available. By giving Germany an extensive roster of naval units, the nation can be also used on these types of maps.

Second, we haven’t had meaningful naval combat in any campaign since the release of the original Pacific War content. The Kriegsmarine DLC allows us to revisit this aspect of the game and gives us the opportunity to tweak and add gameplay mechanics to make naval warfare even more exciting.

Third… very few strategy games cover the Kriegsmarine in an extensive way. While its historical role was fairly small in comparison to the air and land battles waged by Germany, it none the less allows us to add a lot of exciting new units, scenarios and features to the game. It is an incredibly fascinating subject, and we felt it’d make for a unique and original DLC.

Read on…

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 ARCTIC Range of ATX and mATX Z270 and B250 Motherboards
• SilverStone Intros the FG Series RGB LED Fan Mounts
• Lian Li PC-O11 Dual-Chambered Case Available
• EVGA Intros its iCX Technology Suite – 9 Sensors on the Card
• Jonsbo Announces Four New Cases, New RGB Fan Sets
• Intel i7 8th Generation to be >15% Faster than 7th Generation
• EK Waterblocks Releases RGB Monoblock for GIGABYTE Z270X Motherboards
• US Prices of AMD Ryzen Processors Surface
• AMD Confirms it Won’t Ship Ryzen Drivers for Windows 7
• NEC Announces MultiSync EX341R Curved Ultrawide QHD Display
• CORSAIR ONE PC Announced
• Intel Core i7-7740K and i5-7640K Codenamed “Kaby Lake-X,” 112W TDP, No IGP
• New Rosewill RK-9300 Gaming Keyboard Won’t Give Users the Blues

By Joseph Conner @ WWII Magazine

John Huston entered the U.S. Army in 1942 with distinctive credentials. In the previous two years, he had directed three hit films, including The Maltese Falcon starring Humphrey Bogart, which garnered an Academy Award nomination for Huston’s adapted screenplay. The army put his cinematic talents to good use. Major Huston filmed two ambitious documentaries for the Army Signal Corps in the next three years—one on army life in the Aleutian Islands, the other about the fighting near San Pietro, Italy.

Now, he had a new assignment. As the war in Europe wound down and American forces approached the Japanese home islands, the army wanted to document the medical treatment of battle fatigue casualties evacuated back to the United States. Because the condition—an acute nervous reaction to the stresses of combat—had received little publicity during the war, the army feared that those affected would be “misunderstood, mistreated, and looked upon with suspicion” when they were discharged into the civilian workforce. It wanted to reassure the public, especially employers, that those former servicemen were not dangerous and could function as well as the next man.

Read on…

Tigers on the Hunt: Kursk will be released tomorrow, and to celebrate this important occasion, our friend Idjester will stream the game on his Twitch Channel on Thursday Feb 9th from 6:00-9:00 pm EST and again on Friday Night from 6:00-9:00 pm EST!

Watch the Stream here!

Tigers on the Hunt: Kursk is a DLC containing three Campaign Game Scenarios for Tigers on the Hunt, focused on the key operations during Operation Citadel. This nice addition features a different type of gameplay from the original base game, giving the players a more challenging experience!

A Campaign Game Scenario is a much larger scenario with a lot of units on a large map. The battle lasts generally over several days and nights before the Campaign Game winner is called. To do this the Game Turns are divided into portions for Day (8 Game Turns) and Night (4 Game Turns). See more information on how it works on the official product page here.

Following the steps of the base game, Tigers on the Hunt: Kursk will make you toiling for every inch conquered, fighting against an unforgiving AI!

Get more information about Tigers on the Hunt: Kursk from its official product page.

By MAC @ Hardware Canucks

The model that we are going to be reviewing is the Z270 Gaming Pro Carbon, which as you might have guessed features a carbon fiber aesthetic. While carbon fiber might be a premium material, thankfully this motherboard retails for a fairly reasonable $175 USD / $230 CAD. Starting off with an attractive price is always a good position to be in, but only if the product doesn’t exhibit any signs of cost cutting. Thankfully, at least on paper, this model has everything that we have come to expect from a modern motherboard.

Read The Review Here