CES 2025 was packed with all kinds of techie announcements, but for me the highlight was all the new graphics cards. Nvidia and AMD both played their hands with next-generation products, with some caveats. Nvidia certainly stole the show, with the GeForce RTX 50 Series announcement serving as the key opening message in CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote speech. AMD was much softer in its talk, with sparse details on its new RDNA 4 graphics cards, resulting in similarly sparse enthusiasm. Let’s go over what we learned from both companies about their GPUs and where your attention should be in 2025. The good and the almost good… Right off the bat, here’s the good news for us: We’re definitely getting some new GPUs, starting with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 50 Series. The top-dog in that group will be the RTX 5090, featuring a staggering 32GB of fast GDDR7 VRAM. According to Nvidia, it may be as much as twice as fast as the outgoing flagship RTX 4090. While that’s certainly impressive, Nvidia is likely basing its claims on its DLSS 4 numbers, which feature several new technologies that help it achieve all this. Chief among them is Multi Frame Generation, using the power of AI to reach higher peaks in performance with little to no apparent drawbacks. Nvidia Even more impressive is the claim by Nvidia that the new RTX 5070 will have similar performance to the RTX 4090. That’s a bold statement considering that the RTX 5070 will have an MSRP of $549 while the RTX 4090 sold with an MSRP of $1,599. (More on this later, as once again AI is a big factor in these results.) The high end GPUs — such as the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5080 — also look promising, with both having 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM. The RTX 5080 appears to be half of what the RTX 5090 is, both in hardware specs along with its $999 MSRP. That’s where the good news is. Pricing. The GeForce RTX 5080 has stuck with the revamped $999 price point of its RTX 4080 Super predecessor, a marked improvement over the original RTX 4080’s unpopular $1,199. The RTX 5070 fares even better at $549, a $50 reduction compared to the current RTX 4070 Super’s $599 price tag. Couple with that a decent performance increase and it’s clearly a good value for the money. The RTX 5070 Ti also sees a price drop to $749, which is good news if you’re shopping in the high end. But then we have an outlier in the group: the mighty RTX 5090, which climbed 25 percent of the RTX 4090’s price, up to $1,999. Yet while that might seem steep, early rumors pinned the price of the RTX 5090 at well over this amount. We won’t know for sure until we review this GPU, but the price increase could be justified on paper. Not only does it feature a first-ever 32GB of VRAM in a gaming GPU, but the rest of the spec sheet also reads like a superhero comic book. It will be a stellar GPU for not just gaming, but productivity and other workloads, too. Adam Patrick Murray / Foundry The new technologies embedded within these GPUs will produce some stunning games in the future. Nvidia’s neural rendering looks very promising, utilizing the the 5th generation tensor cores. Upgraded RT cores will also have a significant impact on ray tracing, something that enthusiast gamers have started to find almost necessary for the most visually pleasing eye candy. These demanding technologies pair like fine wine with DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation, erasing any FPS performance penalties while not impacting visuals to a noticeable degree. Note: Early performance numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, of course, because Nvidia is showcasing the likes of DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation for its new GPUs. We don’t yet have the full context of what performance will be like across most games, especially those that may not support these new technologies. And the not-so-good… While Nvidia was busy dropping the mic, Radeon RDNA 4 GPUs were barely touched on by AMD. Details were amiss in AMD’s presentation, and specs for the new products were hard to find. The good news is that we at least have confirmation that GPUs like the Radeon RX 9070 XT will have 16GB of VRAM and will be coming soon. Even though the company devoted zero air time to the RTX 9070 in its CES keynote, AMD has a lot of positives with AI and RDNA 4 that should help its GPUs perform well. FSR 4 is also a notable technology that will allow AMD to compete with Nvidia’s DLSS 4, although Nvidia does have a head start as far as AI tech in the gaming space. AMD AMD has stated in the past that it isn’t chasing the crown for fastest GPU this generation, instead focusing on the mid-to-entry-high-range GPUs that’ll result in more gamers choosing its products. In turn, this will mean there are more developers willing to optimize for their GPUs and their larger base of users. (AMD has previously done well with RDNA 3 GPUs, such as the Radeon RX 7800 XT, bringing some great price-performance to the table in the battle against Nvidia.) While the strategy is fine, AMD did seem a bit too hush-hush on its new products at CES 2025. Perhaps they wanted Nvidia to fully play their hand, like announcing their intent to launch the $549 GeForce RTX 5070, a product that competes directly in the price range and market that AMD is targeting. The RTX 5090, not so much — unless AMD pulls out a surprise like they did with the RDNA 3-based Radeon RX 7900 XTX a few years ago. Nvidia vs. AMD in 2025: The takeaway There’s no doubt that AMD will have some excellent GPUs with RDNA 4, but the optics of a high-profile event like CES 2025 are also important. Even Nvidia, with its massive revenue stemming from data centers and AI, still gave proper attention to its gaming products during their keynote. Something like this can cause an early mindshare shift with gamers, since we don’t have details aside from a few pictures and sparse information. This fails to build enthusiasm and only gives the nod to Nvidia to bulldoze this generation of graphics cards for enthusiasts. Adam Patrick Murray / Foundry To be sure, apart from Nvidia-curated graphs, we don’t know the full details of the GeForce RTX 50 Series and its capabilities. But at least we have some rough ideas to get excited about, along with the all-important pricing that dictates what gamers will ultimately buy. We would’ve liked to see more info from AMD, even a slight mention in its presentation, to give us a sense of what to expect. Sadly, AMD really the dropped the ball. Only time will tell how much it affects Radeon’s prospects. Read...

If you’re buying a USB docking station, especially one with USB4, keep an eye out for an updated USB labeling scheme that will help you identify the USB technology being used. In 2019, the names used by the USB Implementor Forum’s engineering teams to describe the various speeds of USB got leaked, and the backlash (including our own) was harsh. Names like “USB 3.2 Gen 2” mean nothing to consumers — but neither do marketing-style terms, such as “SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps.” It’s the latter speed-only designation that became the default standard, where users cared less about numerical gobbledygook and more about just how fast a cable was. (Our reviews simply refer to the port by its shape, such as USB-A, and its speed, such as 5Gbps.) In 2022, the USB world settled upon an updated logo scheme that basically cut out everything but the speed of the device or cable. Thankfully, the USB-IF has taken the extra step and extended its logo scheme to the latest versions of the USB specification, including USB4. It also removes “USB4v2” from consumer branding. USB-IF If you’re buying a USB4 or USB4v2 docking station, you’ll simply see a “USB 80Gbps” or “USB 40Gbps” logo on the side of the box now. While it may be a little disconcerting to see a new logo like this, at least you’ll know exactly what you’re buying. This is a welcome move on several fronts. For one, USB-C ports typically go unlabeled on PCs, so you can’t be sure whether the USB-C port is an older 10Gbps port or a more modern USB4 or Thunderbolt port. (Thunderbolt 4 and USB4v2 are essentially identical, though Intel has its own certification process. Thunderbolt ports aren’t identified by speed, either.) USB-IF representatives told me that they’d heard a rumor that Dell would begin identifying its ports like the primary image above. The USB-IF is also applying common-sense logos to cables, too, informing users what its throughput and power transmission capabilities are. Finally, the updated USB logos will also apply to cables. Jeff Ravencraft, president of the USB-IF, said that was done to clearly communicate the only things consumers cared about: what data speeds the cable supported and how much power it could pass between two devices. Read...

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The folks at Zero Breeze don’t think air conditioning should just be an indoor phenomenon. Why shouldn’t we enjoy cool air when we’re out barbecuing on our backyard decks or even on while tent-camping far from an AC outlet? So, the company unveiled its Zero Breeze Mark 3 Portable Air Condition at CES 2025 just for such scenarios. Designed to combine portability and performance in one efficient unit, the Mark 3 can not only run on AC battery but it also comes with a battery—with a multi-battery option—or you can plug it into your vehicle’s 12-volt power outlet. Zero Breeze aims to provide a reliable cooling option for outdoors enthusiasts, workers in challenging environments, and anyone needing efficient climate control in tight spaces. The Mark 3 offers significant upgrades over the Zero Breeze Mark 2. The model features a compact, lightweight design that weighs less than 22 pounds, making the Mark 3 easy to transport and set up. The unit houses a micro twin-cylinder compressor capable of delivering 5,280 BTUs of cooling power, nearly double the performance of its predecessor. The Zero Breeze can run on batteries (multiples, stacked), AC power, or 12-volt power from a car battery.Zero Breeze The Mark 3 also offers improvements in energy efficiency. Using spot cooling technology, it directs airflow where it’s needed, reducing waste and maximizing battery life. A 1022Wh swappable battery can provide up to seven hours of cooling on a single charge and can recharge to 80 percent of its capacity in about two hours. For longer usage, owners can power the Mark 3 with additional batteries or external power sources. The unit includes seven cooling, from a powerful Rocket Mode for intense cooling to a quieter Sleep Mode for overnight use. Users can adjust the temperature between 61 degrees Fahrenheit and 82 F (16 – 28 C), making it versatile for a range of outdoor conditions. Designed for spaces up to 150 square feet, the Mark 3 is well-suited for small areas like tents, RVs, or workstations. Practical features like a dual-duct system improve efficiency and the Mark 3 also includes an automatic condensation drain system that helps to prevent leaks and spills, something that’s especially useful for those using the unit in vehicles or confined spaces. The Mark 3 is available for pre-order now at $1,299.99, with the first units expected to ship in late February. Zero Breeze hopes the device will be a practical choice for those seeking portable cooling, whether for recreational activities like camping or more demanding applications in work environments like construction sites or trucking. By improving efficiency and portability, Zero Breeze has positioned the Mark 3 as a device that can make compact cooling devices accessible to a larger audience. In those situations where a traditional fan would only redirect hot, humid air towards a person without providing any relief, the Mark 3 allows AC aficionados to enjoy chilled air wherever they go. Read...

Around Christmas time, Ventiva launched its Ionic Cooling Engine (ICE), the latest in what has been an unexpectedly disappointing industry of fanless cooling solutions for laptops. But with Ventiva, there’s a key difference: It has a customer. Ventiva, Intel, and Dell have collaborated on a proof-of-concept laptop that the company is showing off here at the CES show in Las Vegas. Inside is Ventiva’s ICE, which uses electrohydrodynamic airflow to strip about 25 watts’ worth of heat from a Core Ultra 200 (Lunar Lake) laptop — and essentially silently, to boot. To be fair, Dell hasn’t formally committed to shipping the unnamed laptop, though it casually placed Ventiva’s name on its concept laptop, something that you don’t often see. Intel even endorsed the technology in its CES materials. Carl Schlachte, Ventiva’s chief executive, describes the Ventiva technology this way: In a typical laptop, a heat pipe passively moves heat via conduction from the PC’s core logic out to near the external vents, where it radiates into the air. A fan or blower kicks in under load, sucking cool air from vents underneath the laptop. The fans then blow the warmed air outside the laptop. It’s an effective solution, but one that can be noisy and somewhat distracting if not well engineered. How Ventiva’s ICE technology works Ventiva’s ICE doesn’t use fans, rendering it virtually silent. Instead, the technology ionizes the air passing through. A closeup of the ICE and its charging wire.Mark Hachman / IDG Each ICE looks a bit like a PCI Express slot, laid horizontally, but open on both ends. Running down the middle of the ICE, horizontally, is a tiny, charged wire. The ICE applies a charge, grabbing electrons from air molecules that flow through the ICE and creating a dense collection of positively-charged ions that are repelled from the positively-charged wire. As they’re pushed away, the ions bump into other, neutrally charged air molecules, pushing the mass of air away and creating airflow. The amount of air movement (and thus heat dissipation) depends on both the size of the ICE as well as the current applied. In a display case, Schlachte showed off a family of different-sized ICEs, nothing more than a few inches. When asked, Schlachte said that the largest can move a maximum of about one cubic foot of air per minute (1 cfm), but that it was largely dependent upon the current applied. ICEs can be made in different sizes, though it’s the charge applied to the wire that seems to have the most effect.Mark Hachman / IDG It’s a different approach than companies like Frore or xMEMS have used. Those companies applied charge to what is essentially a vibrating membrane, using that as means to move air and dissipate heat. Form customizing laptops to working with Intel For now, Schlachte said that Ventiva is focused on stripping heat from premium, thin-and-light notebooks at $1,000 or above. Dell’s unnamed laptop, a “gorgeous design,” he said, was to his knowledge “the thinnest it’s ever done.” Ventiva’s ICE was under development for several years, but the company wasn’t aggressively marketing it as a product. “We went to LA,” Schlachte said. “We were out with the laptop guys first before we talked. We weren’t even trying to get a design win. We’re like, look, here’s what we’re doing, right? We’re thermal people. They’re thermal people. There is kind of a weird brotherhood, a weird, nerdy brotherhood. And then they picked up the phone, called Intel, and Intel called us.” If you look closely, you can see the small “ICE” labels where the air is pushed out of this Dell prototype. Also note the Ventiva reference at the very top.Mark Hachman / IDG Schlachte said that company engineers would just go into a local Best Buy, buy an off-the-shelf laptop, retrofit it, and then take it with them to executives at major laptop companies. “And eventually, they would ask me, how soon can I get one of these in my laptop, and I’d say, ‘Here you go.`” Intel, meanwhile, was on the hunt for an improved cooling solution. According to Schlachte, Intel was frustrated by an unsuccessful co-engineering effort with a competitor, and heard through its network of partners about Ventiva. Intel, for its part, said this week that it’s potentially considering Ventiva’s ICE cooling solution as part of its Evo program. Intel representatives didn’t reply to a request for comment by press time. This is how Ventiva could arrange the ICEs to create an (eventual) 40W cooling solution.Mark Hachman / IDG Dust and ozone: Ventiva’s critics say its tech has risks In just a few weeks, Ventiva’s ICE solution has attracted some scrutiny and some critics. For one, the ICE solution essentially is creating ozone (O3), which occurs naturally, and beneficially, in the atmosphere — the “ozone layer” — via a plasma field. Ozone can be mildly harmful when breathed in large enough quantities, however, potentially causing irritation to mucus membranes in the nose and mouth. When you think about how Ventiva’s ICEs emit ozone, and there can be several in a single laptop, and they could be constantly emitting ozone just inches from your lungs. Well, the worries don’t seem unrealistic. A Ventiva solution that could remove 40W of heat from a laptop used five ICE devices, according to a physical model Ventiva showed. Ventiva showed PCWorld a draft paper that addresses the issue via a third-party testing lab. Acceptable ozone concentrations vary (the EPA allows 0.080 parts per million, or ppm; OSHA permits 0.100; the FDA allows 0.050 ppm). According to Ventiva’s findings, the ozone emitted moves in all directions, but is concentrated in the direction of the exhaust. At that angle, at 900mm (35 inches or just under three feet) the ozone exposure would be 50 parts per billion, or 0.05 ppm, with 0.5W of charge placed on the wire, which is close to government limits. (Ventiva also says that since ozone is unstable, it will dissipate quickly at a further distance and won’t be present when the ICE is turned off.) To play it safe, Ventiva developed what is essentially a catalytic converter: applying manganese dioxide. The compound can be applied to heat sinks or their thermal fins, at the discretion of the laptop maker. According to the company’s third-party testing, it’s quite effective. Ventiva Schlachte said, however, that the ozone may be detectable by those with sharp noses. He said that some noses can detect ozone at 30 parts per billion. “So there is a chance; we never deny it,” he said. “We don’t shy away from it.” The other risk is one all laptop makers face: Dust or other airborne crud like cat dander. In this, Schlachte shrugs his shoulders. “So I guess the first thing I should say is, nobody has conquered dust, including us,” Schlachte said. “Anybody who tells you they’re immune, impervious, that kind of thing — it’s just not true.” Traditional blowers can get coated with dust, or clogged with hair, enough that they slow down or can stop working. Ventiva can’t do anything about intakes getting clogged with gunk, but he said that the ICE has a secret capability: “It’s a pretty good air sensor,” he said. Schlachte wouldn’t quite commit to saying that the ICE can act like an air quality sensor, detecting particles as they fly though the air, but almost. “The reason I’m being little cautious around on this is that there is some work being done around this, that, that’ll probably get announced in the future,” he said. But that particle information can be handed over to the laptop’s internal control logic, which can decide what it can do from there. Here, Ventiva’s playing it a bit cagey. Moving ahead Right now, Ventiva is working with a single-source supplier, though it may add a second soon. That all means that Ventiva’s impact will be modest, for now. It doesn’t have the capacity to go beyond one or two laptop models, Schlachte said. Still, it’s a step forward. Laptop makers and consumers alike value passive cooling, because it can be close to or totally silent. But they also want a cooling solution powerful enough that it can run their laptop at top speeds. Ventiva hopes to provide customers with the best of both worlds. Read...

There’s a joke that goes a little something like this: “How do you make a bandstand?” “You take away their chairs!” Standing may be the only option for that unfortunate band, but there’ll be no standing for gamers that want to lap up every detail in the soundscapes of their favorite games now thanks to a partnership between Creative Technology and TGIF that promises to yield brilliant-sounding and ergonomically designed gaming chairs. Okay, so that introduction may have been beyond corny, but the partnership between Creative and TGIF does sound very cool. The two companies have effectively joined forces to merge the excellent audio fidelity you get in products like the Creative Pebble Pro and extreme comfort you get in TGIF products like the T0 gaming chair, all to create a more realistic sounding comfy experience. The product that’s being debuted at CES 2025 this week is called the T0 Aurena Speaker System. And, if what CES attendees are saying about it is true, you’re unlikely to find a better-sounding and snugger gaming chair short of zip-tying a Creative Pebble Pro to the back of a leather sofa. The T0 Aurena speaker system boasts Creative’s SoundBlaster CMSS3D+ technology that delivers rich, multi-directional audio with depth and clarity. It’s Creative’s premier technology for delivering a wide and immersive soundstage and surround sound in a desktop setup. Better quality sound means it’ll be easier for gamers and movie lovers to hear things like footsteps, explosions, and environmental sounds from where they’re sitting. More comfort means they can do that for longer, too – it’s a win, win. The T0 Aurena speaker system will launch sometime in Q2 this year. Read...

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CES 2025 did not disappoint monitor enthusiasts. Samsung, LG, Asus, MSI, Acer, and HP (among others) all came to the show with fresh monitors that push resolution and refresh rates to new heights. OLED once again stole the show, thanks to new 5K2K ultrawides and 4K 27-inch widescreens. But the show also brought new 6K options for content creators and an oddball 27-inch portable monitor from LG. These are the best monitors at CES 2025. LG UltraGear 45GX990A Matt Smith/Foundry The LG Ultragear 45GX990A is a 45-inch OLED ultrawide but, unlike most ultrawide monitors, it ups the resolution to 5,120 x 2,160. Despite that, it also has a refresh rate of 165Hz. If that refresh rate feels a bit slow, the “Dual-Mode” feature can reduce the resolution to 2,560 x 1,080 to achieve a refresh rate of up to 330Hz. It’s a nice upgrade from previous 45-inch ultrawides like the Corsair Xeneon Flex (which had a resolution of 3,440 x 1,440). And like the Xeneon Flex, LG’s 45GX990A is flexible. The OLED panel can bend with a radius of up to 900R or be used flat. But unlike the Xeneon Flex, which asked users to wrestle the panel using handles on each side, the LG Ultragear 45GX990A uses a motor to do the flexing for you. The LG Ultragear 45GX990A debuted at CES 2025, but pricing and availability remains to be announced. Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM Matt Smith/Foundry CES 2025 saw the debut of several new 27-inch 4K OLED monitors. Each has a QD-OLED panel and a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz, which makes choosing between them difficult. Still, I think the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM is the top pick. Image quality is exceptional. The monitor delivers the contrast and color vibrance of past OLEDs alongside a noticeable upgrade in sharpness. What sets the Asus apart from its competition, however, is its connectivity. The monitor’s DisplayPort 2.1a and HDMI 2.1 connections are joined by USB-C with Power Delivery, which is perfect for connecting and charging a mid-range laptop. The monitor’s stand also includes the tripod mount found on other ROG Swift monitors, which can be used to add a camera, ring light, or other accessory. Asus also looks set to bet its competitors to market. The monitor is announced to retail at $899.99 and will go up for pre-order on January 21. MSI MPG 272QR QD-OLED X50 MSI The 27-inch 4K OLED monitors that arrived at CES 2025 were joined by several new 27-inch 1440p monitors that up the refresh rate to a beautiful 500Hz. All of them provide a buttery-smooth gaming experience you really have to see to believe, but one option stands out: MSI’s MPG272QR QD-OLED X50. In addition to DisplayPort 2.1 UBHR 20, which is also supported by MSI’s competitors, the MPG 272QR QD-OLED X50 has a USB-C port with up to 98 watts of Power Delivery and a KVM switch. That makes the MSI option a better choice if your gaming den is also your home office. The monitor’s design isn’t half-bad, either, though its rivals (especially the Samsung Odyssey OLED G6) are also attractive. Pricing remains to be announced, and it’s expected to hit stores in the first half of 2025. Samsung Smart Monitor M9 Matt Smith/Foundry Smart monitors—monitors with a built-in OS that can access services like Netflix or Nvidia GeForce Now—were a trend at CES 2025, and the Samsung Smart Monitor M9 is the best of the bunch. It’s a 32-inch 4K OLED monitor with Samsung’s Tizen OS (the same used by the company’s televisions) and a remote control. It’s basically a small smart television, though it does lack a TV tuner. The monitor also has a pair of AI features. AI Picture Optimizer detects content on-screen and adjusts image quality as appropriate (it can increase color saturation when displaying a game, for example). The monitor also has 4K AI Upscaling Pro, a feature that upscales the quality of lower-resolution video sources. Televisions have offered AI image upscaling for well over a decade, so it’s great to see it finally trickle over to monitors. Pricing and availability for the Samsung Smart Monitor M9 remains to be announced. Acer Predator XB323QX Acer The Acer Predator XB323QX is among the more unique monitors to break cover at CES 2025. It’s a 5,120 x 2,888 IPS monitor with a refresh rate of 144Hz. It also supports Nvidia’ G-Sync Pulsar, a new G-Sync technology that first debuted at CES 2024 but didn’t ship in any monitors last year. Delivering a refresh rate of 144Hz at 5K is remarkable. A resolution this sharp provides a clear boost over 4K and should satisfy even the most critical pixel peepers. If you want a higher refresh rate, however, the monitor has a dual-mode function that can drop the resolution to 2,560 x 1,440 to increase the refresh rate to 288Hz. Pricing and availability for the Acer Predator XB323QX was not announced at the show. KOORUI G7 In my CES 2025 monitor preview I said to expect a lack of new super-high-refresh monitors, and that mostly proved true, but there was a notable exception. The Koorui G7, a new 1080p monitor with a refresh rate up to 750Hz (a new record for a display that will ship to consumers). The monitor achieves that by sticking to an old-school TN display panel. Though not as attractive as IPS, it tends to offer higher refresh rates thanks to lower pixel response times and better transitions. Refresh rate aside, the Koorui G7’s specifications are typical for a competitive gaming monitor. It has a 24.5-inch panel, can cover up to 95% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and, though it does list HDR support, it only lists “HDR 400” support. Note the lack of VESA in that specification, which implies the monitor is not VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified but only promised to perform similarly. The Koorui G7’s pricing and availability remains to be announced. MSI MPG 274URDFW E16M MSI The tidal wave of more affordable and capable OLED panels has reduced the appeal of Mini-LED monitors, but there was one notable Mini-LED at the show: MSI’s MPG 274URDFW E16M. You’ll forgive me if I call it “the MSI” for brevity. MSI’s Mini-LED has a native resolution of 3,840 x 2,160, a refresh rate of 160Hz, and 1,152 dimming zones. These specifications should make it a go-to choice for gamers who want to enjoy HDR games at high refresh rates, and the monitor is VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certified. If you want a higher refresh rate for a competitive game, the monitor’s dual-mode feature can increase the refresh to 320Hz at 1080p resolution. The MSI’s pricing and availability remains to be announced. Asus ProArt PA32QCV Matt Smith/Foundry The Asus ProArt PA32QCV’s appeal is easy to explain. It has a native resolution of 6,016 x 3,384 pixels and a retail MSRP of $1,249. That’s far less than prior 6K monitors, which typically retail for $2,000 or more. Resolution aside, the PA32QCV also has a wide color gamut (up to 98% of DCI-P3), an ambient light sensor, a LuxPixel matte display coat, and great connectivity which includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports and up to 96 watts of Power Delivery to charge connected devices. The PA32QCV’s release date remains to be announced, but it’s expected in the first quarter of 2025. LG StandbyME 2 Matt Smith/Foundry The award for “strangest, yet oddly alluring, monitor” goes to LG’s StandbyME 2. It’s a 27-inch monitor with a built-in battery. LG thinks it will have equal appeal as much to people who need a large portable display for conferences as it will to people who want a way to have movie night at a campsite. LG provides several upgrades over the original StandbyME. The StandbyME 2 increases battery life from one to four hours and bumps the resolution from 1080p to 1440. But the best feature, in my opinion, is the new folio case (pictured above) that effectively converts the display into a super-sized portable office monitor. Pricing and availability remain to be announced; the original StandbyME, which is still available, has a retail price of $999.99. HP Omen 27qs G2 HP The HP Omen 27qs G2 is among the more attractive mid-range monitors to debut at CES 2025. It has a 27-inch IPS Black display panel, a new type of IPS panel that roughly doubles contrast compared to prior IPS panels. It’s also the first IPS Black monitor to achieve a refresh rate of 280Hz at 2,560 x 1,440 resolution. Make no mistake: the monitor’s image quality isn’t going to rival OLED alternatives. IPS has its perks, however, including higher brightness and better sharpness at 1440p resolution. These improvements will make the Omen 27qs G2 alluring for gamers who want a display for competitive title. The Omen 27qs G2 will be released in June 2025 at an MSRP of $449.99. Read...

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