TerraMaster D1 SSD Pro available

The TerraMaster D1 SSD Pro features an 80Gbps Thunderbolt 5 interface and a dual-chip controller architecture, providing stable and efficient data transfer and a truly silent operation experience. The D1 SSD Pro achieves read speeds of up to 7061MB/s and write speeds of 6816MB/s, transferring a 6GB file in just 1 second. The D1 SSD Pro features an aerospace-grade aluminum alloy body, precision-machined using CNC integrated molding technology, offering excellent strength and heat dissipation. This gorgeous piece of hardware is available today for $249.99.

The perfect cooler-to-case ratio

We miss the Phanteks PH-TC14PE. This massive dual tower was capable of cooling 65W CPUs without a single fan. Available in several colors this behemoth of a CPU cooler was discontinued a couple of years ago. This 14 years old build is powered by an Intel Core i7-3770 processor, features 16 GB of RAM, a 240 GB SSD, and still runs like a charm.  

Source: blocket

The 20 best thermal pastes tested & ranked

"When it comes to extreme overclocking, delidded CPUs or direct‑die cooling, liquid metals or PhaseSheet PTM unlock the largest margins, provided all precautions are taken. You pay a premium, but if you have the experience and are willing to try something new, there’s a performance advantage over traditional pastes.

For the majority of readers employing high‑end, long‑term systems where an extra 2–3 °C can improve acoustics or boost behavior, top‑tier pastes such as Apex, NT-H2 or MX‑7 justify their asking price by offering a top-class balance of performance, spreadability and ease of use.

But the margins are small..."

Source: Club386 

Tiny fan, huge headache

Actively-cooled mini PCs become noticeably louder after only a year. Small fans usually found in laptops are cute and save space, but they tend to clog with dust much faster than standard desktop fans. Not everyone has the patience or the confidence to disassemble a mini PC for maintenance, leading many users to replace their systems long before they actually wear out. It's not uncommon for a passively-cooled NUC to last for a decade. Go fanless!   

Source: reddit

The slimest fanless NUC case

The Akasa Plato is a premium, low-profile fanless chassis designed to transform an Intel NUC into a completely silent, passively cooled workstation. Built from high-quality brushed aluminum, the case acts as a massive heat sink that efficiently dissipates heat without the need for noisy fans. Its slim design, measuring 39mm in height, features a stylish front panel that fits into professional or home theater environments. It's also VESA mountable, allowing you to hide the entire system behind a monitor for a clean, cable-free desk setup. Current model, the Plato RC (A-NUC106-M1B) is compatible with both the NUC 14 Pro and NUC 15 Pro.

Discover the SBC world

This impressive collection of single-board computers belongs to our friend Bret who just launched sbc.compare a specialized comparison and database tool for SBCs, such as the Raspberry Pi, Orange Pi, and Rockchip-based boards. It allows users to filter, search, and compare hundreds of different boards based on technical specifications. Perfect for hobbyists and engineers looking to find the best hardware for projects like home servers, media centers, or industrial IoT applications.

Ryzen ThinkCentre IoT review

Courtesy of ETA PRIME

The NUC 16 Pro is a gaming PC

With the NUC 16 Pro, the dream of a fanless gaming mini PC is finally within reach. Recently unveiled at CES 2026, the Core Ultra X9 388H model featuring the new Intel Arc B390 integrated graphics is a beast. This Xe3-based iGPU delivers a massive leap in performance, reportedly doubling the frame rates of previous generations and rivaling discrete entry-level cards by hitting over 80 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p high settings. Passive cooling remains a significant challenge, as most fanless NUC chassis are rated for a 40W TDP, whereas the Core Ultra X9 388H can surge to 65W, and even 80W under heavy loads. 

Source: Digital Foundry via TechPowerUp and Tom's Hardware

A sad story

The e-waste gods smile on me once again, with two of these Advantech MIC-770 V2s, each with a 10900K and 64Gb of DDR4. They won't power on, but my guess is the power board is bunk. pic.twitter.com/GzwcekA6io

— Procyon (@Procyon86) January 7, 2026

Freshly repasted, fully reassembled, and ready for more testing. Shame I don't have any extra nvme drives laying around. pic.twitter.com/2yJHYSyl8w

— Procyon (@Procyon86) January 10, 2026

Fuck it. Un-fanlesses ur pc. pic.twitter.com/mi2OtyuSid

— Procyon (@Procyon86) January 11, 2026

DDR5 ZBOX announced

The ZOTAC ZBOX CI360 is an upgraded version of the N150-powered ZBOX CI338, announced at CES 2025 and never released. This new iteration supports up to 16GB of DDR5-4800 RAM and now features four USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, for speeds up to 10 Gbps. This particular fanless honeycomb design (launched in 2014) is not particularly good, and is feeling pretty dated by now. It’s definitely time for a total redesign, ZOTAC.

Source: ZOTAC