Glorious Releases GMBK Membrane Keyboard with MX Keycap Compatibility

Glorious, usually known for its pricey mechanical and Hall effect gaming keyboards, has officially announced the GMBK 75% gaming keyboard. As the name suggests, the GMBK is a 75% gaming keyboard, but instead of mechanical keys, the GMBK uses membrane switches as a way to keep the price down. Unlike most membrane keyboards, though, the GMBK 75% still uses cross stems, making the keyboard compatible with regular MX-compatible keycaps generally used with mechanical keyboards. The GMBK targets the entry-level gaming market, although the pricing is on the higher end of what you might expect from a membrane keyboard, although a membrane keyboard at this price usually doesn't feature MX keycap compatibility or standard plate-mounted stabilizers. It also boasts an IP57 dust- and water-resistance rating, which is unique in the keyboard space.

[Editor's note: Our in-depth review of the Glorious GMMK 3 Pro HE is now live]

The GMBK 75% comes stock with shine-through UV-coated ABS keycaps (no mention of the profile used, but it looks like OEM), which complements the 10-zone RGB backlighting, which is customizable through Glorious Core. Glorious pitches the MX keycap compatibility as a solution for customization, which is usually restricted to expensive mechanical keyboards, but the Glorious GMBK launches at $59.99, which is right around the price of an entry-level mechanical keyboard, especially when you're willing to forego wireless connectivity. The Glorious GMBK is also wired-only, but it still utilizes a detachable USB Type-C cable, which, along with the keycap compatibility, is a boon for repairability. Glorious doesn't make mention of NKRO, but the spec sheet confirms that 1 kHz polling is present, which should be responsive enough for most gamers. In keeping with the "budget" target market, the GMBK is entirely made of plastic and comes in at 540 g weight, unlike many mechanical boards, which exceed the 1 kg mark. Glorious has still seen fit to include a knob on the GMBK, which is a somewhat premium touch, given the price. Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/340356/glori...patibility

(PR) GameSir Unveils X5s Wireless Mobile Game Controller with Tri-Mode Connectivity

GameSir, a leading innovator in gaming peripherals, has announced the launch of the X5s Wireless Mobile Game Controller, a high-performance, multi-platform controller that delivers precision engineering and immersive features for gamers on the go. Building on the success of the X5 Lite, the X5s retains its lightweight, travel-friendly design while introducing tri-mode connectivity for broader compatibility, native motion control, dual HD rumble motors, and swappable ABXY layouts. The result is a controller designed to meet the demands of modern gaming, whether at home or on the move. The GameSir X5s is available for $49.99/£49.99 from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Best Buy and the GameSir website.

With Bluetooth, USB-C wired, and 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity (dongle sold separately), the X5s works seamlessly across Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Android, iOS, and PC. Supporting devices between 105-213 mm in length, it adapts to a wide variety of smartphones and handheld consoles. At just 174 grams, the X5s is exceptionally portable, and comes complete with a durable PP storage case for protection during travel. Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/339924/games...nnectivity

This Week in Gaming (Week 35)

Believe it or not, but we're already hitting the last week of August and we have a week packed of remakes for you. That said, this week's major release is about saving a younger sibling from dimensional invaders while not worrying about losing your soul or something along those lines. This is followed by a game that takes place outside of the map, some kind of war that apparently involves gears, an anime-inspired MMO for one to four players, a game where you apparently have to eat snakes and finally you get to dress up in white as a Japanese assassin.

Lost Soul Aside / This week's major release / Friday 29 August
Run the gauntlet of formidable enemies and colossal bosses in this breathtakingly stylish single player action-adventure RPG; chaining weapon and spectacular attack combos in high-octane, dynamic combat. Adapt your fighting style, solve puzzles, and evolve incredible abilities on a truly heroic quest. Steam link Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/340262/this-...ng-week-35

Noctua Blames GPU Supply Issues for Lack of Beige and Brown RTX 5090 "At the Moment"

ASUS and Noctua recently released the pricey NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Noctua Edition graphics card, which comes Noctua's classic beige and brown color scheme, three noise-optimized NF-A12x25 G2 fans, and a whopping $1,500 MSRP, putting it squarely in flagship price territory. According to a report by KitGuru, however, Noctua wants to make an even more premium RTX 5090 Noctua Edition, but the current supply issues relating to the RTX 5090 are getting in the way.

In our review of the RTX 5080 Noctua OC, the Noctua OC put out the most impressive noise-normalized results we've recorded so far for the class, suggesting that Noctua might be able to tame the RTX 5090 equally well. Jakob Dellinger, Noctua PR and Product Manager, told KitGuru that even if the company would "love to do a 5090," there isn't enough supply of 5090 chips to be able to pursue a 5090 version. Likely as a result of these shortages, the prices for RTX 5090 cards have been sky-high, which has caused a drop in demand, as we previously reported. That said, the door isn't completely closed on a Noctua RTX 5090, with Dellinger specifically saying that the supply limitations make the graphics card impossible "at the moment."


https://www.techpowerup.com/340233/noctu...the-moment

(PR) MSI Expands MLG Series into Premium PC Gaming Components and Peripherals

MSI proudly unveils the MLG Series—an original character universe created celebrating creativity, performance, and storytelling in gaming. At its heart is Loong: Nia, also known as MLG (Mo-Loong-Gi, meaning "Dragon Princess" in Chinese)—the beloved youngest daughter of the Ancient Dragon King, and the first chapter in this epic saga. Inspired by her passionate and curious nature, the MLG Series features bold red accents that capture her fiery determination and adventurous spirit.

This signature design not only honors her legend but also delivers a striking, unmistakable style that sets gamers apart. The debut lineup infuses the MLG spirit into every corner of a premium gaming setup, including the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card, B850 motherboard, CORELIQUID A17 liquid cooler, PANO 130R chassis, VERSA Wireless mouse, FORGE TKL Wireless keyboard, and A850GLS power supply. Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/340160/msi-e...eripherals

Borderlands 4 To Rely on NVIDIA DLSS 4 and FrameGen To Hit High Framerates

NVIDIA has officially shown off Borderlands 4 running with DLSS 4, MFG, and RTX enabled in a YouTube video, although fans of the game's franchise have some concerns that the game will depend entirely on generated frame to hit high frame rates. In the trailer, the POV character is facing off against a boss, and the on-screen frame counter reads "262 FPS, 4K DLSS 4," and RTX is enabled. In theory, this means that the game is running at around 65 FPS with MFG disabled, since MFG can insert three generated frames for every rendered frame. The community response to this has been lukewarm, to put it mildly, with many lamenting the implications for the perceived input latency, even if the motion smoothing technology does help make the game look smoother at higher detail levels. Others see it as a sign to come for what to expect for the future of game optimization, now that developers have frame generation technology to lean on.

Assuming NVIDIA is using its best and brightest for this test, this would mean Borderlands 4 could potentially see some very noticeable frame rate issues on lower-end video cards, especially since the minimum specifications call for an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070. Meanwhile, the recommended specifications call for an RTX 3080. Previously, concerns were also raised when it was revealed that Borderlands 4 on the Nintendo Switch 2 would target 30 FPS, with some frame rate dips in heavy action scenes and multiplayer. Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/340103/borde...framerates

Intel "Bartlett Lake-S" Steppings Suggest Third Rebrand of "Raptor Lake" as "Bartlet

"Bartlett Lake-S" is an interesting chip by Intel, given that its "Nova Lake-S" desktop processors with large L3 caches won't arrive before mid/late 2026. The chip is built on the idea that the "Raptor Cove" P-core offers gaming performance comparable or better to the "Lion Cove" P-cores implemented on "Arrow Lake-S." Intel figured that for a monolithic silicon with a similar die-size of "Raptor Lake-S," which has 8 P-cores and 4 E-core clusters, it could design a silicon with 12 P-cores for the same number of ring-stops, sharing the same 36 MB of L3 cache. A recent post on Twitter by Jaykihn highlights the stepping of this silicon as A0, but there's more to the story—apparently Intel will recycle its older "Raptor Lake" and "Alder Lake" silicon within "Bartlett Lake" generation, and refer to them as "Bartlett Lake Hybrid."

This "Bartlett Lake Hybrid" line of processors will reuse B0, C0, and H0 chips. The B0 chip is the original "Raptor Lake-S," which comes with an 8P+16E core-configuration, 36 MB of L3 cache, 2 MB of L2 cache per P-core, and 4 MB of L2 cache per E-core cluster. The C0 silicon is derived from "Alder Lake-S," with an 8P+8E config that has 1.25 MB of L2 cache per P-core and 2 MB of L2 cache per E-core cluster, with 30 MB of L3 cache. The H0 silicon originally drove the lower half of the 12th Gen Core family, it has 6 P-cores, each with 1.25 MB of L2 cache, no E-core clusters, and 18 MB of L3 cache. Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/340023/intel...ake-hybrid

New Intel "Lunar Lake" Core Ultra 7 254V SKU Appears

Intel's unannounced Core Ultra 7 254V has begun appearing in benchmark databases, and the figures suggest this may be a deliberately trimmed member of the "Lunar Lake" family, aimed at more affordable laptops. PassMark lists a multicore score of 17,327 and a single-core score of 4,089, which places the 254V noticeably behind the 256V and 258V in multithreaded work, while maintaining single-thread performance in line with other Core Ultra 7 chips. The listing also shows 12 MB of L3 cache and confirms an eight-core layout, matching Lunar Lake's standard design. Separate Furmark traces point to integrated Arc 140V graphics running at approximately 2.0 GHz, a GPU clock similar to that of higher-tier 7-series SKUs, which suggests that Intel may be binning an existing 256V to create a lower-cost option rather than designing something entirely new.

What remains unclear is the memory configuration, as Lunar Lake utilizes LPDDR5X packaged inside the SoC, and suffixes have so far indicated RAM capacity, with 2x8V mapping to 32 GB and 2x6V mapping to 16 GB. A 2x4V suffix would imply an even smaller memory option, but no confirmed devices are shipping with the 254V yet, and we don't know if a version with less than 16 GB memory has ever been planned/shipped. If Intel does release it, the chip could widen Lunar Lake's reach by offering efficient battery life and acceptable day-to-day performance at a lower price, making it an attractive choice for potential budget-focused buyers.


https://www.techpowerup.com/340022/new-i...ku-appears

(PR) Pulsar Gaming Gears launches the Pulsar eS HE 70 Gaming Keyboard

Pulsar Gaming Gears, a leading developer of high-performance esports peripherals, today proudly announced the official launch of the Pulsar eS HE 70 ANSI gaming keyboard. This groundbreaking new peripheral is the direct result of Pulsar's deep commitment to developing cutting-edge products that truly empower esports athletes.

Based on extensive conversations with pro players and observations of the esports industry, the Pulsar eS HE 70 ANSI represents a new milestone in keyboard development. Pulsar saw firsthand the stress players face on stage, from having no access to their preferred software, to the necessity of making critical adjustments under pressure. The eS HE70's design philosophy is a direct response to these real-world challenges, borne from a deep, company-wide effort to understand the collective needs of professional gamers. Read full story


https://www.techpowerup.com/339915/pulsa...g-keyboard

U.S. Considers a Government Stake in Intel, Helping Foundry Stay Afloat

The United States government, under the Trump administration, is reportedly considering taking a stake in Intel to help the company, and more importantly, its foundry division, stay afloat. At the beginning of the week, we reported on the idea that Intel is collaborating with the Trump administration, as Intel's CEO Lip-Bu Tan was summoned to a meeting in the White House. However, it seems that a deal is nearing materialization. The latest proposed idea is that the U.S. government will take a state-owned stake in Intel, utilizing various methods of equity investments, guaranteed government purchases, loans, private financing, and other means to maintain the feasibility of Intel's and its leading-edge manufacturing operations. According to Bloomberg's private sources, a potential deal will focus on establishing two new, leading-edge node manufacturing plants in Licking County, Ohio.

Another interesting tidbit is that it is not the first time the U.S. government, specifically under the direction of President Donald Trump, has gotten involved in making a deal with a third-party company. A lesser-known name, MP Materials, also got a deal with the Department of Defense to accelerate the build-out of the U.S. rare earth magnet supply chain and reduce foreign dependency. Under the Trump administration, domestic companies are securing new deals to ensure that strategically important companies remain operational. For the U.S. national interest and strategic importance, continuing Intel Foundry's research, development, and manufacturing of leading-edge nodes is crucial. When asked about the deal, an Intel spokesperson commented, "We look forward to continuing our work with the Trump administration to advance these shared priorities, but we are not going to comment on rumors or speculation." Intel stock is up 7% on the news, so the market is pricing in the deal with high confidence that it will entirely go through.


https://www.techpowerup.com/339947/u-s-c...tay-afloat