It's been months already and the problem still persists. It's certainly worrying.

Maybe putting the extra cache at the bottom has unintended side effects.

Honestly, though, the internet has a way of blowing things out of proportion and I doubt ASRock mobos fail more than the 12VHPWR connectors (~0.1% on the first year).

Probably. It's always the case that people are less inclined to leave positive reveiws than negative ones, because we take for granted that things will work and be fine, and so we only talk about it when they don't.

But at the same time, ASRock isn't the biggest motherboard maker out there, which makes the facr that most problems are related to them all the more problematic.

I built a system with an Asrock A880GMH-US3 using an AMD Athlon X4 640, 8GB DDR3, onboard graphics (With the MOBO's built in 128MB Graphics Ram) back in 2010 for an elderly gentleman just for emails, facebook and web browsing, it's still going fine. (Even if it's Anecdotal.)
I think 15 years is a good run, not in a rush to replace it considering it handles everything just fine and is still quick and responsive and problem free.

Asrock was always the "budget" brand to Asus, but in the last several years their quality had stepped up and they started making premium facing products.

Asrock is *huge* in the motherboard space, they are actually the third largest brand... With several markets where they have 60% marketshare or more, completely decimating Asus and Gigabyte. I.E. South Korea and Japan.
https://wccftech.com/asrock-beats-asus-in-overall-motherboard-market-share-in-japan-first-time-in-10-years/

In saying that, I will always go Asus, their Firmware and Drivers tend to be better than competitors... And there is never any bizarre behavior like with Gigabyte boards and vdroop.

I am actually surprised we haven't seen any rush to the bottom with Chinese manufacturers filling in the budget sector for motherboards these last few years, they have infiltrated everything else, that could potentially disrupt Asrock.

Hopefully these quality issues are just isolated incidents, the internet likes to make small things into big issues when they aren't.

I thought they were the smallest one of the main 4 brands (Asus, Gigabyte, MSI and them). Goes to show what I know.

I was very close to buy their B650E Taichi Lite for my current setup, as it was the "cheapest" AM5 motherboard featuring the 7 segment display for errors and such (my track record building PCs is quite hit and miss and having that was almost a necessity for me), but it was out of stock and so I went with Asus, that had the second less expensive one.

As an anecdote, I've been having an Asrock B650 PG Lightning for almost two years now, and I haven't noticed any issues with it yet.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 sees first price drop below MSRP in Europe

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-geforce-rtx-5090-sees-first-price-drop-below-msrp-in-europe

Another MSI yellow-tipped power cable burns on GeForce RTX 5090

https://videocardz.com/newz/another-msi-yellow-tipped-power-cable-burns-on-geforce-rtx-5090

Intel promotes its Core Ultra 200HX and Core Ultra 200H CPUs for mobile workstations

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-promotes-its-core-ultra-200hx-and-core-ultra-200h-cpus-for-mobile-workstations

GeForce GTX 970 upgraded to 8GB VRAM gets tested: up to 40% faster than stock model

https://videocardz.com/newz/geforce-gtx-970-upgraded-to-8gb-vram-gets-tested-up-to-40-faster-than-stock-model

Seasonic presents power supply with six 12V-2×6 GPU connectors and “12V-2×6 Ti Smart Power Cable”

https://videocardz.com/newz/seasonic-presents-power-supply-with-six-12v-2x6-gpu-connectors-and-12v-2x6-ti-smart-power-cable

First Case of AI Mimicking a “Terminator-Like” Scenario Surfaces; OpenAI LLMs Changes Computer Code In Order To Prevent Shutdown

https://wccftech.com/first-case-of-ai-mimicking-a-terminator-like-scenario-surfaces/

Traditional Matrix Typewriter Converted Into A Fully Working PC: Here Is How A User Crammed All The Hardware Inside A Tiny Box

https://wccftech.com/traditional-matrix-typewriter-converted-into-a-fully-working-pc/

Hi and welcome! These are the Monday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

GOG brings two new promos:

• The Managerial Promo has games upto 92% off during 6 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20250526_managerial_promo
• And the Loot Drop Promo features up to 95% discounts, during the same 6 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20250526_loot_drop_promo

Steam has these new deals and sales/events:

• Shashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography is going to be 40% off until the 1st of June: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1632490/Shashingo_Learn_Japanese_with_Photography/
• SpongeBob SquarePants™: The Patrick Star Game will have a 50% discount until June, the 4th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2322380/SpongeBob_SquarePants_The_Patrick_Star_Game/
• PAW Patrol World will be 55% off until the 4th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1952520/PAW_Patrol_World/
• 112 Operator gets an 80% discount until the 5th of June: https://store.steampowered.com/app/793460/112_Operator/
• Iratus: Lord of the Dead is going to be 90% off until the 8th of June: https://store.steampowered.com/app/807120/Iratus_Lord_of_the_Dead/
• And the following are the new sales/events:
  • The TooManyGames 2025 Convention takes place between the 27th and the 29th, but at Steam has many upcoming games, some with demos, and only one games on sale, 25% off until May 30: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44973690/sale/TooManyGames2025IndieGameShowcase
  • The International Game Developers Association, or IGDA, brings the DLC 2025 Download for Charity Sale with up to 85& discounts until the 1st of June: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45339303/sale/IGDAF-DLC
  • The 2025 Spy Video Game Rendezvous, the “first-ever Steam festival for spy video games” has games up to 90% off. The length of the deals vary, with some ending on the 30th of May while others will last until, at least, June 4th: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45263338/sale/SpyVideoGameRendezvous
  • indie.io brings the indie.io Summer is Loading Sale, with up to 85% discounts. The deals I’ve seen will end between the 6th and the 8th of June: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/38394018/sale/indieio_summer_is_loading_sale
  • The OTK Games Expo has lots of upcoming titles to check, plus some games on sale, up to 50% off. The lengths of the deals vary between May 31 to June 8: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/42428269/sale/OTKGamesExpo2025">ZZ
  • The last one is the Arc System Works Publisher Sale, featuring up to 90% discounts until the 8th of June: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/asw_publishersale2025

Fanatical has three new 24h Flash Deals:

• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is 33% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/indiana-jones-and-the-great-circle
• Nordhold has a 35% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/nordhold
• And Castlevania Dominus Collection features a 41% deal: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/castlevania-dominus-collection

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

INTEL Arc Graphics 32.0.101.6795 driver
https://videocardz.com/driver/intel-arc-graphics-32-0-101-6795

HIGHLIGHTS
Gaming Highlights
Intel Game On Driver support on Intel Arc B-series, A-series Graphics GPUs and Intel Core Ultra with built-in Intel Arc GPUs for:

• Dune: Awakening
• Elden Ring Nightreign
• F1 25

Game performance improvements on Intel Arc B-series Graphics GPUs versus Intel 32.0.101.6793 software driver for:

• Monster Hunter Wilds (DX12)
  • Up to 9% average FPS uplift at 1080p
  • Up to 6% average FPS uplift at 1440p

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

New GTA 5 Enhanced Edition Mod overhauls its driving system and brings realistic physics to all vehicles
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-gta-5-enhanced-edition-mod-brings-realistic-physics-to-all-vehicles/
GTA5 fans, here is something for you. Modder ‘JohnDiscord’ has brought the amazing Drive V Mod to the Enhanced Edition of Grand Theft Auto 5. This mod will overhaul the physics of all vehicles, and will bring to the game a more realistic driving system.
In case you didn’t know, Drive V is a special mod that took 5 years and over 2,000 hours to make. It was created by a modder named PermissionToLand. This mod is all about making driving feel realistic and fun. What makes it really cool is that every car or vehicle feels different to drive. Each one has its own physics, so they don’t all handle the same.
The most important change the modder made was fixing the way cars turn on the Z-axis. In the original game, cars felt way too twitchy and reacted too quickly when you moved the steering wheel. Now, bigger and older cars have a realistic delay when you steer. This means they don’t turn right away, just like in real life. You’ll also notice that cars like the Emperor have soft suspension and more body roll, kind of like how cars felt in GTA IV. On the flip side, sporty cars now have stiffer suspension, so they feel tighter and more stable when driving fast.
Here is an example. The taxi now has worse steering and weaker brakes compared to the police car. This shows the taxi’s wear and tear from being used so much. The police car has more power and better handling because of special police upgrades. But it still feels like a big, heavy Crown Victoria, and it can slide or oversteer if you’re not careful. The Interceptor, on the other hand, drives more like a modern car. It’s faster, smoother, and easier to control.
PermissionToLand has changed how fast and powerful each car is to make them feel more like their real-life versions. For old muscle cars, the modder even did the math to find their true horsepower, since they used a different rating system in the past. Off-road driving is now more realistic too, so cars behave better on dirt and rough roads. The mod also makes crashes look more real by increasing how much cars get damaged or bent, kind of like in GTA IV. Downforce (which helps cars stick to the road at high speeds) has been removed from all vehicles, except for real supercars that would actually have it in real life. Lastly, the mod raises the ride height (how high a car sits off the ground) to better match real-world cars. So now, cars look and feel much more realistic.
>> The article has an over 10 minutes video.

Oblivion Remastered Just Got a True First Person Camera Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/oblivion-remastered-just-got-a-true-first-person-camera-mod/
Modder ‘3AMt’ has just released a really cool new mod for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. This mod adds a true first-person camera, making the game feel much more realistic and immersive. It’s a small change, but it can make a big difference when exploring the world of Oblivion.
With this mod, the camera is placed right where your character’s head is, instead of floating a bit above like in the regular version of the game. Even better, you can now see your character’s arms, legs, and body while walking, running, or fighting. This makes the game feel more natural and lifelike, just like you’re really there.
>> You’ll find another over 10 minutes long video in this article.

Skywind, Morrowind Remake Mod for Skyrim, gets a brand new 20-minute gameplay video
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/skywind-morrowind-remake-mod-for-skyrim-gets-a-brand-new-20-minute-gameplay-video/
The team behind Skywind, the Morrowind Remake Mod for Skyrim, has released a brand new 20-minute gameplay video for it. So, if you are a fan of these two The Elder Scrolls games, you should definitely check it out.
Going into more details, this video shows off the Rescue Joncis Dalomax quest. The video shows off some of the spells, creatures, and locations its dev team has created thus far. Moreover, it includes text highlights of things the team is especially proud of. Some of those things are the new weathers, new jump mechanics and spell, underwater combat, new dungeon traps, and book art.
For those unaware, Skywind is a free fan-made mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It’s a project that aims to recreate the world of Morrowind with Skyrim’s graphics and features. Not only that but Skywind’s user interface, combat, graphics, and system requirements will be similar to those of Skyrim. So, if you can run Skyrim, you’ll be good to go for Skywind.
While there is still no ETA for when Skywind will come out, the team has shared a progress update. According to it, all the all base game art complete, and they are now working on nice-to-have art and extras.
All base game writing is also complete, and the team is now working on flavor texts and extras. Spellcrafting and the UI are close to complete, and all the essential 3D creatures have been modelled. Right now, only three tilesets remain to be finalized.
Interior levels are 60% done and ready to review. On the other hand, only the Red Mountain, Ashlands and Zafirbel Bay are still in progress. All the other exterior levels are complete. The team is also making good progress on animations, asset implementation and navmesh.
The Skywind has also made strong progress on weathers, the spell VFX is 75% complete. And while overall development is progressing steadily, there is still a lot of work left. So, I don’t think we’ll see Skywind in 2025. Or at least that’s the vibe I got from its Progress Update.

Move over, Daggerfall Unity—now there's a project to make the oldest, least accessible Elder Scrolls game actually playable
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/move-over-daggerfall-unity-now-theres-a-project-to-make-the-oldest-least-accessible-elder-scrolls-game-actually-playable/
Confession time! I have never played The Elder Scrolls: Arena. I was the ripe old age of seven when it released, and my PC gaming debut was still several years away. I have toyed with the idea of going back to it. But I've always fretted it will simply be too crusty for me to properly enjoy. Even Morrowind, a game which I played and loved on launch, is a difficult adjustment in 2025, so the notion of grappling with a game two iterations older is a big hurdle to overcome.
Yet retro gaming salvation may be at hand in the form of OpenTESArena. This is an "open-source engine reimplementation" for Bethesda's original Elder Scrolls game, one that aims to replace Arena's existing engine with bespoke tech that runs natively on Windows, Mac and Linux. As explained on the project's Github page: "The goal is to replicate all aspects of the original game with a clean-room approach while making quality-of-life changes along the way."
OpenTESArena has been in development for several years. But this week it released a major update. Primarily, the update integrates Jolt Physics, facilitating actions like climbing, jumping and swimming. Moreover, the update also adds hit registering, killable enemies, and item pickups, basically rounding out all the fundamental interactions you'd expect from a 3D, first-person RPG.
The result, as you can see in the video above, is an Arena that looks like the original, but runs crisply at a high resolution and has smooth first-person controls. While I'm unsure if this is the plan for the final version, I'm also in favour of the HUD-less UI design. It instantly makes the game more approachable, removing a big icon-covered barrier to entry.
It's worth noting that the underlying game is very barebones at this point, still lacking many key features like working enemy AI and functional RPG stats. There's also no sense of how much longer it will take to finish. Developer Afritz1 has been diligently plugging away at it for years. This makes me confident that they will see it through, but it seems likely that it will be another few years at least before that happens.

GAMING NEWS

Watch 33 minutes of gameplay from Battlefield 6’s latest beta
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/watch-33-minutes-of-gameplay-from-battlefield-6s-latest-beta/
This weekend, EA held a big beta testing phase for Battlefield 6. And, although the beta had an NDA, it appears that a new video has been leaked online, showing 33 minutes of gameplay.

Monday gaming news, part two:

Helldivers 2 and Palworld devs wish players understood that 'easy' additions and updates are sometimes really hard: 'That's half a year's work. That takes six months'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/game-development/helldivers-2-and-palworld-devs-wish-players-understood-that-easy-additions-and-updates-are-sometimes-really-hard-thats-half-a-years-work-that-takes-six-months/
I don't envy game developers sometimes, nor do I envy the assumptions they have to hear time and time again from their players. Assumptions like, 'Why didn't they add a theft/crime system?' or 'Why don't they just do this, it's so simple?' and, most infuriatingly, 'These devs are so lazy'. As a critic, I might absolutely dunk on the end product—but I'm never in doubt that folks worked hard, even when it's a stinker.
That same frustration comes clear in some responses to a recent mega-interview by GamesRadar's Austin Wood—which is well worth a read. It's an assemblage of dozens of developers across the industry, who're keen to dispel myths about how they make their games.
>> Related to the same GamesRadar interview is this other aritcle: Most players 'know next to nothing about how games are made': New Blood devs sound off on gamedev misconceptions .

REPO will feature 'moon phases' as part of the new update, ramping up the difficulty every 5 levels
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/repo-will-feature-moon-phases-as-part-of-the-new-update-ramping-up-the-difficulty-every-5-levels/
REPO has been gearing up for its first significant update for a while now, and alongside new levels and weapons, it's also introducing difficulty-based progression.. In a video published by semiwork, this new system has been explained in more detail, clearing up any confusion from previous videos and sharing the changes that have been made since it was first hinted at.

This XCOM-style strategy game dares to ask: What if Napoleon Bonaparte was a woman who had an army of battlemechs?
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/this-xcom-style-strategy-game-dares-to-ask-what-if-napoleon-bonaparte-was-a-woman-who-had-an-army-of-battlemechs/
The French Revolution was a time of overwhelming and quotidian violence. As Louis Antoine de Saint-Just—the revolution's Angel of Death himself—put it in Georg Büchner's play Danton's Death, "Is it so remarkable that the stream of the revolution should at every bend and cataract cast up its corpses? … Are a few hundred dead bodies to hold us back? Moses led his people through the Red Sea and into the wilderness till the old corrupt generation was exterminated… Legislators! We have no Red Sea and no wilderness, but we have war and the guillotine!"
You know what would have made everything better? If they'd also had mechs.
This is the thesis of Bonaparte: A Mechanized Revolution, which puts you in the uniform of Bonaparte themself in the turbulent years of 1789 onwards. You know, Bonaparte! Cesar or Celine Bonaparte! The famous revolutionary hero(ine) who fought for either the Ultraroyalists, the Moderates, or the Jacobins depending on which choice you pick at the start of the game. Why, who did you think I meant?

Larian insists it did not accidentally leak Divinity: Original Sin 3, it was just a glitch on X
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/larian-insists-it-did-not-accidentally-leak-divinity-original-sin-3-it-was-just-a-glitch-on-x/
There was a brief surge of excitement a couple days ago when Larian Studios temporarily changed its handle on X from @larianstudios to @divinity. This was a big deal (or at least it appeared to be) because prior to hitting the big big time with Baldur's Gate 3, Larian was known as the studio behind the very long-running Divinity series of mostly-RPGs—and the name change had an awful lot of fans thinking that maybe the studio was going back to its roots for its next big game.
(...)
So, Divinity: Original Sin 3 then? Well, not so fast. Shortly after reports of the social media switcheroo started to gain traction, Larian director of publishing Michael Douse took a break from his day to throw cold water all over the whole thing.
"Unfortunately (depending on your perspective) this is just part of the process to take stock of what we own, and what we have and haven't claimed when it comes to our IPs," Douse posted on X. "Turns out it's a good idea to own the @'s relating to IPs that are yours. For example, to prevent people scamming off the back of your brand, etc. Twitter are transferring a bunch to us, but inexplicably swapped out this one for the Larian account.

'We're gonna do right by you': Splitgate 2 CEO apologizes for server meltdown after the open beta goes live
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/were-gonna-do-right-by-you-splitgate-2-ceo-apologizes-for-server-meltdown-after-the-open-beta-goes-live/
The Splitgate 2 open beta is not going well—in fact, it's not going at all. After running headlong into serious technical problems following the launch of the beta test on May 22, developer 1047 Games has taken the servers offline and is now "working around the clock" to get things fixed and back online.

Konami re-recorded the Snake Eater theme for Metal Gear Solid Delta, but don't worry—it's still the same excellent vocalist belting "Snaaaaaaaaake Eaaaterrrrrrrrr"
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/konami-re-recorded-the-snake-eater-theme-for-metal-gear-solid-delta-but-dont-worry-its-still-the-same-excellent-vocalist-belting-snaaaaaaaaake-eaaaterrrrrrrrr/
Snake Eater is special. And as much as I love Cold War Metal Gear, I'm not talking about the game. I'm talking about the song. From the first drum hits and horn blasts, the Snake Eater theme, sung by vocalist Cynthia Harrell, is in perfect alignment with the game it's introducing.
(...)
So when I saw a Eurogamer headline saying Konami had re-recorded the Snake Eater theme for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta remaster, I instinctively reached for my pitchfork. As a rule I try to avoid indulging in internet outrage, but if I'm going to bat for anything, it's Cynthia Harrell singing about a hypercompetent weirdo's tactical reptile lunch.
If seeing those words gave you the same spike of terror, don't worry: They got Harrell back in the booth. Konami uploaded the remastered Metal Gear Solid Delta opening movie earlier today, featuring a new performance recording from Harrell and reworked visuals from title sequence designer Kyler Cooper.

Paradox is bringing back White Wolf for tabletop RPGs and at least one videogame
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/paradox-is-bringing-back-white-wolf-for-tabletop-rpgs-and-at-least-one-videogame/
10 years after buying White Wolf from CCP Games, and seven years after eliminating it as a "separate entity," Paradox Interactive is bringing it back as "the official licensing and publishing entity for all its transmedia properties, including Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, and Hunter: The Reckoning."

Microsoft's take on Civilization is getting an expansion that lets you play through the Bronze Age collapse, the Mongol invasion, and something inexplicably called 'Spider World'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/microsofts-take-on-civilization-is-getting-an-expansion-that-lets-you-play-through-the-bronze-age-collapse-the-mongol-invasion-and-something-inexplicably-called-spider-world/
There's a case to be made that the Bronze Age collapse has the coolest name of any historical period. Sure, the Dark Ages might be moody and mysterious, while the Renaissance has flair on its side. But the Bronze Age collapse is pure drama. If your era of existence has the word "collapse" in it, you know shit went down. This ends my lecture on ancient Mediterranean history.
Anyway, when I learned that Ara: History Untold's upcoming expansion will let you play through the societal disintegration of the eastern Mediterranean in the 12th century BC, I was immediately curious. Titled Untold Scenarios, the DLC will let you play through several historical and hypothetical challenges within Oxide Games' turn-based strategy.

Mech farming sim Lightyear Frontier is getting a complete overhaul, adding a bigger map, massive tornados, and an interplanetary delivery cannon: 'It's been clear that we were not living up to the fantasy'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/mech-farming-sim-lightyear-frontier-is-getting-a-complete-overhaul-adding-a-bigger-map-massive-tornados-and-an-interplanetary-delivery-cannon-its-been-clear-that-we-were-not-living-up-to-the-fantasy/
Lightyear Frontier seemed well liked when it launched into Steam early access last March, garnering a Very Positive rating from players for its ingenious synthesis of first-person mech piloting and farming simulation. But it seems there's been some discontent bubbling beneath that big blue thumbs up.
In announcing its imminent Shifting Gears update, Frame Break opens with something of a mea culpa, explaining why it hasn't provided more information about the game's progress in the last six months. "Since we started, we've had the privilege of watching our game grow together with our amazing community," the studio writes. "As we've listened closely to your feedback, it's been clear that we were not living up to the fantasy that Lightyear Frontier promised."

The Finals' latest update adds a limited-time mode that's mostly just hitting each other with hammers
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/the-finals-latest-update-adds-a-limited-time-mode-thats-mostly-just-hitting-each-other-with-hammers/
I've always been a fan of The Finals' destructible environments, although I've sometimes felt its desire to be a proper, grown-up multiplayer shooter obstructed the simple pleasure of ripping a building apart Red Faction: Guerilla style. But that looks set to change, at least temporarily, with the game's newly added limited-time mode. This is a straight-up 5v5 slugfest that mostly involves hitting everyone with hammers, and it's perhaps the closest The Finals has got to pure destructive chaos yet.