Currently serving as a News Reporter at Tech4Gamers, I have the privilege of combining my love for gaming with the art of storytelling. My role involves crafting engaging narratives that keep our audience abreast of the latest developments in the gaming world.
Story Highlight
Former Rockstar director says that GTA won’t visit international locations or even other American cities aside from the existing ones.
He says there’s a big distance between each entry and that technology makes depiction different even of the same location.
Next GTA game likely to revisit Liberty City, LA, or Las Vegas.
One of the main reasons the GTA series is so successful is that it is a satirical recreation of America, and every aspect of the game mocks real-life events that have happened in the Land of the Free.
However, fans have wondered if Rockstar would ever consider visiting a location outside the U.S. While a Tokyo GTA game almost happened, a former Rockstar North director dismisses the prospect of an overseas setting, claiming the series is stuck in a loop of the same existing location.
Why it matters: A GTA game set outside of the U.S would lose its identity, and there aren’t many locations that are considered to be exciting or fitting for the series.
GTA London Was An Expansion Of The Original Game And The Only Time The Series Took Place Outside Of The U.S.
Obbe Vermeij worked for Rockstar North on GTA 3, Vice City, San Andreas, and GTA 4 in the early 2000s before departing the studio. Now working on smaller-scaled entries, Vermeij was interviewed regarding his thoughts on the series more than a decade after leaving Rockstar.
Regarding international settings or even in other cities within the U.S., Vermeij had the following to say:
It’s just not realistic. I would love it, and if games still took a year to make then yeah sure, you can have a little fun, but you’re not going to get that when there’s a GTA every 12 years.
With such a big gap between entries, the director argues that Rockstar won’t take a huge risk on a different setting, and because technology changes so much, the entire depiction of a location does too.
The Same Director Argues That GTA 6 Will Be A Regularly Priced Game
As an example, he said that nobody will skip out on GTA 6 just because they’ve played Vice City. Similarly, GTA San Andreas and GTA 5 were also completely different depictions of Los Santos.
For future entries, he thinks that GTA 7 will take place in Liberty City, LA, or maybe even Las Vegas, saying that people should get used to being stuck in the loop of the same cities.
What are your thoughts on this story? Would you want a GTA game set outside of America or even in a different city? Let us know in the comments below, or at the official Tech4Gamers Forums.
At Tech4Gamers.com, I cover the latest news and rumours in the gaming industry, from new game releases to hidden gems and video game leaks. Furthermore, I occasionally write tech articles about video game consoles, providing insights into the hardware and software that powers our gaming experiences.
Story Highlight
Finish a small project instead of failing a big one.
Write down core rules early to avoid wasting time.
Prioritize consistent art and smooth gameplay over photorealistic visuals.
Making a computer game used to be something only large studios could afford. Today, solo developers and small teams can realistically build and release PC games.
Engines are easier to use, tools are cheaper, and learning resources are everywhere. What hasn’t changed is how easy it is to get overwhelmed and abandon a project halfway through.
Before doing anything else, it’s important to look at your real limitations. Team size, time, budget, and experience will shape every decision you make. Most first-time projects fail because the idea was too big.
A small, focused game that actually ships is far more valuable than an ambitious concept that never gets finished.
Planning and Game Design
Use game engines to build a rough, playable version quickly.
Game design starts by defining the core experience. You need to know what kind of game you’re making, what the player spends most of their time doing, how progression works, and what rules hold everything together. These decisions don’t need to be fancy, but they do need to be clear.
Writing things down early helps keep development on track. When design is vague, teams tend to change direction constantly, which leads to wasted time and unfinished features. Locking the core ideas early gives the rest of the project a stable foundation.
Teams with larger budgets sometimes choose to work with a game art company rather than growing the core team. This approach can ease the workload by letting external artists handle asset production, while the in-house developers stay focused on gameplay and technical systems. It’s usually a practical decision tied to time management and project scale, not just visual ambition.
Once the design is clear, visuals begin to take shape. Game art covers everything from characters and environments to menus and icons.
Consistency matters more than detail. Many PC games succeed with simple styles that match the gameplay instead of chasing realism.
Animation adds life to the game, but it also affects performance. PC players use a wide range of hardware, so heavy animations and effects can cause problems if you’re not careful.
Keeping things readable and responsive is usually more important than pushing visual complexity too far.
Development and Tools
This is where everything comes together into a playable build. Early versions of the game won’t look impressive, and that’s fine. The goal is to test mechanics, spot issues, and iterate quickly.
Most developers rely on engines like Unity or Unreal Engine to handle rendering, physics, and input. These tools save time and let teams focus on gameplay. If the game is fun in a rough state, polishing it later becomes much easier.
Cost and Scope
Game development usually takes longer than planned.
The cost of making a PC game depends almost entirely on scope. Smaller indie projects can stay relatively affordable by limiting features and reusing tools, while larger games quickly become expensive due to art, testing, marketing, and long-term support.
Time is often the biggest hidden cost. Development usually takes longer than expected, especially for new teams. Planning for delays helps avoid burnout and rushed decisions.
Releasing and Supporting the Game
Finishing the game doesn’t mean the work is done. Releasing on PC platforms like Steam or GOG requires store pages, builds that meet platform rules, and clear pricing. Thinking about publishing early makes the launch much smoother.
It’s also important to factor in the cut that digital storefronts take from your sales. Platforms like Steam, Epic Games Store, and others take a percentage of every copy sold. Steam’s standard revenue split means a noticeable portion of your income goes to the platform, while Epic offers a lower cut but comes with its own discoverability trade-offs.
After release, players will find bugs and performance issues you missed. Post-launch support includes fixes, balance updates, and small improvements. Some games also add new content over time, but that depends on your goals and resources.
Developing a computer game is equal parts creativity and discipline. Tools have lowered the barrier to entry, but finishing a game still requires realistic planning and steady progress.
Keep the scope under control, understand each stage of development, and focus on shipping something complete. That alone puts you ahead of most first-time developers.
I’ve previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, I love to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games and breaking exclusive stories. Besides my passion for gaming journalism, I love spending my leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited my articles.
Story Highlight
Sony’s first-party Ghost of Yotei failed to enter Metacritic’s top 10 PlayStation list for 2025.
It came at the 19th spot, only managing to surpass Silent Hill f in the process.
Meanwhile, Xbox’s Forza Horizon 5 was in third spot due to its high metascore.
Ghost of Yotei is certainly a huge improvement over Tsushima but failed to wow gamers enough amid other stellar releases this year. Sony’s first-party offering even failed to win any awards at The Game Awards 2025 show.
Sony dubbed it Game of the Year in its own award event, but many gamers and critics like to place it at a much lower ranking. Therefore, the publisher’s only first-party launch failed to break into Metacritic’s top 10 list of the best PlayStation 2025 games.
Why it matters: Ghost of Yotei was the front face of Sony’s portfolio this year. However, it was left in the dust compared to many other smaller projects in Metacritic rankings.
Ghost of Yotei was at the top 19th spot on the Metacritic list.
Ghost of Yotei is at 19th spot on the Metacritic list due to its 86 rating, which is not bad but fails to keep up with many other 2025 hits. It only surpassed Silent Hill f, which was another good title outshined by many others.
PlayStation saw no other traditional first-party releases this year. Despite being published by SIE, Death Stranding 2 doesn’t fall under first-party because Kojima Productions owns the IP and worked on it independently. It was the 7th-highest rated game on the list.
Many smaller AA and indie projects dominated this year, including Expedition 33 with its top 92 Metascore on the list. Additionally, Xbox’s Forza Horizon 5 is also in third spot due to its high rating.
The third-party Expedition 33 was the best-performing PlayStation release.
Regardless, Sony’s performance in the Metacritic list of best games might be much better in 2026, as games like Phantom Blade Zero and Marvel’s Wolverine are expected to launch.
Do you think Ghost of Yotei barely entering Metacritic’s year-end list of best PlayStation games is a cause for concern? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
At Tech4Gamers.com, I cover the latest news and rumours in the gaming industry, from new game releases to hidden gems and video game leaks. Furthermore, I occasionally write tech articles about video game consoles, providing insights into the hardware and software that powers our gaming experiences.
[Press Release] ASRock arrives at CES 2026 with a compact but complete hardware lineup. The company is set to introduce new motherboards, graphics cards, gaming monitors, power supplies, mini PCs, and its first full range of AIO liquid coolers. The focus stays on performance, reliability, and practical design.
AIO Liquid Coolers
ASRock debuts next-generation AIO liquid coolers across the Taichi, Phantom Gaming, Steel Legend, Challenger, Pro, and workstation series. These coolers use an improved pump and optimized flow design to support modern high-core CPUs. Select models feature LCD displays, advanced fan materials, and a six-year warranty for long-term use.
B850 Rock Series and Challenger Motherboards
The new Rock Series motherboards target builders who want balanced features at a fair price. B850 and B860 models arrive in ATX and mATX sizes with WiFi 7 support. The Challenger Series also expands with new AMD and Intel chipsets, including compact mATX options in black and white designs.
Taichi OLED Gaming Monitors
ASRock introduces 27-inch Taichi OLED gaming monitors with WOLED and QD-OLED panels. These displays offer 2K and 4K resolutions, refresh rates up to 540Hz, high color accuracy, and HDR True Black certification. Phantom Gaming OLED models deliver 2K 240Hz performance with USB-C connectivity.
Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi White Graphics Card
The Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi White 16GB OC becomes ASRock’s first white graphics card with an integrated LCD screen. It combines strong gaming performance with ARGB lighting and real-time system monitoring through Polychrome software.
Platinum Power Supplies & Mini PCs
New Phantom Gaming SFX and Steel Legend Platinum power supplies range from 850W to 1200W. They meet 80 PLUS Platinum standards, feature native 12V-2×6 cables with thermal monitoring, and include a ten-year warranty.
ASRock also reveals the DeskSlim mini PCs, compact 4.9-liter systems that support high-wattage CPUs, PCIe 5.0 discrete GPUs, and DDR5 memory. These systems are designed for AI workloads, content creation, and professional use.
At Tech4Gamers, I contribute as a Senior News Reporter, combining my skills and gaming enthusiasm to keep our audience updated on the latest developments.
Story Highlight
A heavily modded MSI RTX 5090 Ventus, running at 1350W, almost suffered a major burn incident.
The GPU was saved by ASRock’s ATX 3.1 power supply, which shut down automatically after detecting rising temperature.
Thanks to the early detection, the GPU did not suffer major damage, unlike similar incidents in the past.
Nvidia’s flagship RTX 5090 is expected to become significantly more expensive in the coming months due to persistent memory shortages. At the same time, the graphics card is known to be susceptible to burn damage, with multiple such cases reported in the past.
Fortunately, the latest report on the matter is quite different. A user on the Overclocked Forum has confirmed that his GeForce RTX 5090 survived a potential burn incident thanks to ASRock’s smart power supply design.
Why it matters: Multiple burn incidents have left RTX 5090 GPUs completely dead in the past due to extremely high temperatures.
The RTX 5090 Was Left Mostly Unharmed Following The Incident
Motivman recently posted on the Overclock forums and noted that his MSI RTX 5090 Ventus was saved by ASRock’s ATX 3.1 power supply.
According to the user, the RTX 5090 in question was overclocked and pushed to the limits at around 1350W. It was also modded with water cooling and liquid metal to support this incredibly high power draw in benchmarks.
The user states that ASRock’s PSU shut down due to excessive temperatures and would not power on until the cable temperature dropped to a stable level. Moreover, the user noted that the GPU connector was only slightly discolored after the incident.
The good news is that ASRock’s built-in NTC temperature sensor prevented a potential fire since cases of burnt RTX 5090s are not a rarity.
Over the last few years, GPU and power supply vendors have struggled to provide sturdier 12V-2×6 power connectors following multiple reports of burnt and melted connectors. In ASRock’s case, the smart use of a temperature sensor showcases one potential solution to the issue.
The RTX 5090 traditionally runs at a TDP of around 600W, so the fact that this heavily overclocked and modded MSI Ventus version of the GPU came out of the entire situation relatively unscathed is a major feat for ASRock’s power supply.
I’ve previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, I love to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games and breaking exclusive stories. Besides my passion for gaming journalism, I love spending my leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited my articles.
Story Highlight
Metacritic’s best PlayStation games of 2025 list reveals that no Sony first-party title made it to the top 10.
The 7th-best Death Stranding 2 is not considered first-party since Kojima Productions is independent.
The top 2025 launch on PlayStation was Expedition 33, a third-party AA entry by Sandfall.
Although many third-party entries landed on PS5 this year, Sony’s first-party output has been quite lacking due to delays and such. Most of the brand’s projects, including Phantom Blade Zero and Marvel’s Wolverine, are planned for 2026 and beyond.
A lack of authentic Sony titles resulted in a lot of backlash, as Ghost of Yotei was arguably the only impressive first-party title to launch this year. However, Metacritic’s list of the best Sony games of 2025 shows that no first-party titles climbed the top 10 rankings.
Why it matters: Sony’s first-party portfolio barely saw any releases this year, which has disappointed many gamers. 2026 is expected to be much better in terms of output unless there are delays.
The third-party Expedition 33 was the best-performing PlayStation release in 2025.
The Metacritic report shares the following list in order, from top 1 to 10:
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Forza Horizon 5
Split Fiction
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
Dispatch
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (PS5)
Monster Hunter Wilds (PS5)
Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
BALL x PIT
Being in the top 7, Death Stranding 2 is a special case entirely. It is certainly not a traditional first-party title, as Kojima Productions is independent and owns the IP. Gaming aficionado Hideo Kojima led the charge with the sequel and saw stellar reviews.
Some gamers argue that it should be considered first-party since it is a timed exclusive, with Sony also being the funder and publisher.
Regardless, the undisputed first-party Ghost of Yotei by Sucker Punch barely made it into the list at the top 19 with its 86 review score.
Regardless of its status, Death Stranding 2 was reportedly one of the most impressive releases this year.
While 2025 is ending on a somewhat sour note, we might see a lot of improvement with Sony’s first-party offerings next year. Perhaps multiple PlayStation-made games will make it into the next year’s Metacritic list.
Do you think Sony’s low quantity of first-party games this year is justifiable? Will the next year be any better, or can we expect more delays? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
As a Senior Hardware Reviewer at Tech4Gamers with over a decade of hands-on experience, I dive deep into benchmarking GPUs, CPU coolers, and motherboards, pushing hardware to its limits. Passionate about overclocking and fine-tuning performance.
You might already know the brand Noctua, renowned for making top-tier CPU air-coolers and fans without compromise, focusing on the best cooling performance, quiet operation, and incredible build quality. In our previous reviews, we have already praised Noctua for its amazing engineering, build quality, and longevity. Noctua has sent us their NH-D15 G2 Chromax Black, which features their latest Noctua G2 PWM fans. These were the best-performing fans in the previous fan testing we have done, thanks to their advanced aerodynamic engineering and additional improvements, including winglets and an impeller. The cooler NH-D15-G2 is a major step up from its predecessor, offering more heatpipes and a much denser finstack, with improved mounting accessories and a kit, including an offset design for better clearance.
Why Trust Tech4Gamers
Usman Sheikh is one of our most senior and experienced hardware reviewers. He loves spending hours (sometimes days) in his lab, testing and comparing different GPUs, CPUs, coolers, and more.
80+ CPU coolers tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
900+ hours spent testing different coolers for our reviews.
At Tech4Gamers, ensuring you get reliable information is our priority. That’s why every hardware round-up undergoes a meticulous review process by our team of experts and editors. Each review is carefully examined against our strict editorial guidelines, guaranteeing you trustworthy insights you can depend on.
Let’s talk about the specifications of this cooler
Noctua NH-D15 G2 Chromax Black is the same cooler as the original NH-D15 G2, which launched this year. Chromax Black features an all-black, stealthy aesthetic for users who prefer it over Noctua’s traditional brown/beige design. The Chromax Series targets PC builders who care about aesthetics and custom colour schemes, while retaining the cooler’s signature quiet, high-quality performance.
What About The Availability & Pricing?
NH-D15 G2 is available in two variants. The original D15 G2 comes in the traditional brown/beige colour scheme, while the chromax black variant provides the cohesive, stealth look, popular for theme builds and slightly more expensive than the original G2 edition.
Model
International MSRP
United States
Europe
NH-D15 G2 Chromax Black
$159.90
$189.90
€159.90
NH-D15 G2
$149.90
$149.90
€149.90
Packaging
Let’s take a look at the packaging!
The Cooler arrives in a black colour scheme chromax traditional cardboard packaging, with the cooler itself displayed at the front alongside the model and branding. Noctua has also highlighted the cooler’s features on the box’s back panel.
Looking at the sides, Noctua has highlighted the coolers’ detailed specifications and shown the fan performance graphs. Overall, the packaging is on point and straightforward.
Accessories
Let’s take a look at what’s included in a box!
Upon Unboxing, you are greeted with the traditional cardboard accessory box. Noctua has done a good job of printing the list of accessories on the front of the box.
A variety of accessories is included, each in a clearly labelled bag for either AMD or Intel platforms. The cooler supports Intel sockets LGA1700, LGA1851, LGA1954, LGA1156, LGA1155, LGA1150, LGA1151, LGA1200 and is compatible with AMD AM4/AM5. Noctua provides a detailed manual and extras, including an AM5 thermal-paste guard, NT-H2 thermal paste, a screwdriver, a Noctua badge, an alcohol wipe, and several cable extensions. The accessories are neatly organised in the packaging.
Here is the structured table of what you get inside the box:
Accessories
Detail
Fans
2x NF-A14x25r G2 PWM chromax.black
Fan Connectivity
2x NA-RC16 Low-Noise Adaptor (L.N.A.)
NA-YC1 4-pin PWM splitter cable
Mounting
Black SecuFirm2+™ multi-socket mounting system
Tools/Extras
Noctua NT-H2 Thermal Paste
Thermal Paste Guard AM5
Alcohol Cleaning Wipe
NM-SD1 Torx® T20 Screwdriver
Noctua metal case-badge
Close Look Assembly & Heatsink
Taking a first look at the NH-D15 G2 Chromax Black, it has a similar footprint to the original DH-15 G2, but with an all-black-out design.
The G2 offers 58 aluminium fins in an asymmetrical design, keeping compatibility, memory, and GPU clearance in mind. The heatsink is large; it’s almost 168mm tall (6.6 inches), so users with small or mid-tower chassis need to make sure it fits. Also, this cooler weighs around 1525 grams with the fans, which is really heavy. However, users can relax: motherboard PCBs can withstand that amount of weight because they’re flexible. If you’re moving your PC, we highly recommend uninstalling the cooler first. The fans are preinstalled on the cooler and need to be removed before installing the cooler on your processor.
Taking a look at the top side of the heatsink. The shroud has an industrial, stealthy black look with a matte black finish. The embossed Noctua logo feels premium and subtle. The cooler uses 8 copper heat pipes; each bump corresponds to one heat pipe.
As the cooler features a dense, vertically stacked array of 58 aluminium fins with a symmetrical layout, it pushes towards the motherboard’s top VRM, providing enough clearance for graphics cards and RAM. Looking at the bottom, you will notice some of the fins are cut away, which is intentional and allows the taller ram to sit without causing any problems.
The fin stack appears rigid and solid overall. The heat-pipes are distributed across the base with proper heat-pipe spacing and airflow-aware geometry, demonstrating Noctua’s Engineering. Though I’m a little disappointed, a top cover/heat sink cap would have been a nice addition in all-black for the Chromax series at this price point.
Looking at the base, it and the heat-pipes are nickel-plated. The cooler features 8 heat-pipes sandwiched into the base. The soldering feels really great with no visible gaps or flex. The base comes with a preinstalled mounting bridge with spring-loaded screws.
Fans
Let’s discuss about the fans!
The fans in question are 2x NF-A14x25r G2 PWM chromax.black, which are 140mm and circular. They can reach 1500 RPM and deliver a max airflow of 91.5 CFM. These fans carry the exact features as the original G2 120mm fans we reviewed earlier, including tons of new aerodynamic enhancements, an improved centrifugal turbulator hub, and winglets with a tight tip clearance of 0.7mm, focusing on performance-to-noise efficiency. The fan features 9 blades.
Here are the specifications of the fans.
NH-D15 G2 Chromax Black Fan Specifications
Fan Model
NF-A14x25r G2 PWM Chromax Black
Size (Form factor)
140 x 140 x 25 mm (round)
Airflow (max.)
155.6 m³/h (91.58 CFM)
Acoustical noise (max.)
24.8 dB(A)
Static pressure (max.)
2.56 mm H₂O
Connector
4-pin
Colour
Black
Warranty
6 Years
Installation (AMD)
We’re using the AMD platform, so our installation steps will only be provided for that.
Prepare the socket
We’re using the AMD system. The first step is to remove the AMD stock retention brackets that come preinstalled on the motherboard. Place the gray spacers in the mounting holes around the socket. Now, place the AMD mounting bars (NM-AMB14a and NM-AMB14b) on the spacers and secure them with the four long screws. Noctua has provided two methods for mounting the brackets. We are following the offset position at -7mm (Highlighted on the mounting bars), which allows more pressure right above the CPU CCDs (Core Complex Die), resulting in better temperatures on our AMD Ryzen 9000 Series.
Make sure you have removed the sticker from the copper base. However, in our sample, our cooler did not have any stickers. The next step is to apply the thermal paste; we are using ID-Cooling X45 for all coolers. Now it’s time to mount the cooler and secure the heatsink using the included NM-SD1 Torx T20 screwdriver. We did not find any issue in installing the cooler.
Cooler Installed
Finished Looks
NH-D15 G2 Chromax Black assembled in HYTE Y70. Users who are buying this cooler need to take certain things into account. We had to move the second fan upwards due to the interference with our XPG Lancer Blade DDR5 memory. We also removed our vertically positioned ZOTAC Solid RTX 5080 due to the fan conflicting with the GPU power connector. The GPU wouldn’t cause any issue when horizontally installed.
Assembled
Assembled
Testing Methodology
CPU Configuration:
We evaluate the cooler’s performance using three different benchmark methods. Noise-normalized testing is performed at 40dB(A) at the 105W TDP and 170W TDP (Stock) of the Ryzen 9 9950X. We then test the cooler’s performance at the maximum PWM speeds for both TDP configurations. After that, we unlock the power limits of the CPU to see how much cooler it can dissipate the heat in terms of watts at the maximum PWM Speeds.
Controlled Environment:
We have eliminated the influence of ambient temperatures in our data, and all results are presented as deltas over the ambient conditions. The tests were done in a controlled environment with a room temperature of 25°C.
Preparing System:
The Coolers are tested in realistic conditions. We don’t use the open bench system; instead, we have installed the cooler in our HYTE Y70 case, mounted at the top. We ensure the airflow is adequate in the case and that the case fans are running at the fixed PWM speeds.
We are using ID-Cooling X45 thermal paste for all coolers.
Software:
We have ensured that no other software is running on the computer that could influence the CPU load.
We’ll be using the Cinebench R23 Loop for 20 minutes after the warm-up test has been completed. Each test has a 10-minute cool-down time.
Let’s take a look at the Noise and RPM Readings. We conducted tests across four different PWM range levels.
25-50% PWM
Noise / RPM Readings
1 of 2
25% PWM
50% PWM
75-100% PWM
Noise / RPM Readings
1 of 2
75% PWM
100% PWM
Here is the structured table illustrating fan noise levels at various PWM percentages. The Floor Noise Level is 36dB(A).
PWM (%)
RPM
Noise dB(A)
25%
353 RPM
36 dB
50%
737 RPM
37 dB
75%
1110 RPM
45 dB
100%
1481 RPM
53 dB
Should You Buy It?
Buy It If
✅ You Want a CPU Cooler That Will Last Forever: The NH-D15 G2 Chromax offers exceptional build quality while maintaining Noctua’s stellar track record. Noctua coolers are also known for their long-term compatibility, as the company typically provides mounting brackets for next-generation processors.
✅ You Want Good Acoustics: Thanks to Noctua’s exceptional engineering, the fans performed remarkably well in our noise testing. They were nearly silent at 50% PWM and produced only 45 dB(A) at 75% PWM, which falls within an excellent noise range.
✅ You Want The All-Black Stealth Build: The NH-D15 G2 Chromax is ideal for an all-black stealth-themed build. The shroud features an industrial, stealth-inspired design with a matte black finish.
Don’t Buy It If
❌ If You’re Someone Who Prefers ARGB or Lighting effects: Lacking ARGB, this cooler may not appeal to all PC builders.
❌ If You’re Budget Conscious: More affordable alternatives are available, such as models from ID-Cooling or ThermalRight priced at $59.99 USD. Rather than paying a premium for this CPU cooler, you may be better off investing in a CPU or GPU upgrade.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, we’d like to share our final observations.
Cooling Performance And Noise
The NH-D15 G2 Chromax demonstrates excellent cooling performance. It handled the 170W TDP AMD Ryzen 9 9950X with ease. When compared to liquid coolers, the performance gap is minimal at lower TDP levels, such as 105W. However, at the 170W. Our processor’s stock TDP, the Noctua, performs approximately 6 °C warmer than the best-performing liquid cooler in our test chart.
Noise performance is another area where the NH-D15 G2 Chromax stands out. In our noise-normalized benchmarks, the fans operated at around 65% PWM, producing only 40 dB(A), which is excellent for a typical room environment. According to our noise charts, this is the quietest cooler we have tested, while still delivering exceptional thermal performance.
Build Quality / Design
Noctua has delivered it once again; likewise, we did not feel anything was missing in terms of build quality. First, Noctua has done an incredible job with its mounting hardware and engineering, supporting a wide range of Intel platforms and providing different mounting options for AMD, including offset mounting, which improves cooling performance on dual-CCD processors without requiring a separate bracket.
The heatsink is very well designed, featuring a dense vertically stacked array of 58 all-black aluminum fans, with a symmetrical layout that balances compatibility and aesthetics. However, one thing I’d point out is that, since the Chromax series mainly focuses on aesthetics, I’d have loved extra cosmetics for the cooler, including at least a shroud cover or cap, which would have made it look even more appealing.
The warranty is another thing that I’d love to highlight here. Noctua provides a 6-year warranty, but since there aren’t any mechanical parts, like in an all-in-one, the cooler would last forever. The 2x NF-A14x25r G2 PWM fans are included, which are built on the foundation of Noctua Next-Gen Engineering. We reviewed their G2 120mm fans earlier and were impressed by how they stood out as one of the best-performing fans for cooling while also focusing on noise.
Value
NH-D15 G2 is the premium cooler priced at $159.90 internationally. You could literally get the decent all-in-one at this price, which would even perform better. There are several other options from ID-Cooling and Thermal Right that could rival Noctua’s performance.
Noctua needs to set a few things right here and provide more value to customers while remaining competitive with other brands on pricing. If you’re someone who doesn’t care about the price and is looking for something that will last forever in that part, I can recommend D15-G2 only if you want something that won’t break after a few years, keeping Noctua’s incredible support in mind.
I’ve previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, I love to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games and breaking exclusive stories. Besides my passion for gaming journalism, I love spending my leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited my articles.
Story Highlight
A report reveals that the price of the RTX 5090 will increase up to $5000 USD in 2026.
This massive increase is due to a memory crisis and the industry’s increasing focus on AI.
The price increases are expected to happen every month and will affect the entire product line.
Therefore, it’s unsurprising that GPU prices are expected to rise starting in January 2026 as AMD and Nvidia face DRAM shortages. A new report now reveals that Nvidia’s flagship RTX 5090 will see an exorbitant price increase of up to $5000 USD next year.
Why it matters: After the worsening memory crisis, making high-end RAM kits more expensive than most consoles in recent months, GPU prices will also shoot up massively next year. This will turn AAA gaming into a more expensive hobby for many users.
The RTX 5090’s price will see a bump of about 150% from the original MSRP in 2026 | Credit: Newsis.
The report by Newsis says that price increases will first hit consumer GPUs, including the RTX 50 series and AMD’s Radeon RX 9000 lineup. The RTX 5090, which had an original MSRP of $1999, will go as high as $5000 next year. It is nearly a concerning 150% increase.
The average share of memory in the manufacturing cost of all GPUs has recently exceeded 80%.
-An Industry Official.
This memory apocalypse will result in price bumps happening nearly every month and will slowly affect the entire aforementioned product lines, as well as the GPUs made for AI data centers and servers, eventually.
The report mentions that the price of the typical VRAM used in GPUs, the DDR5 16G (2Gx8), was $5.5 in May but shot up to $20 in November. It explains the expected price hikes, as memory will continue to get more expensive for the foreseeable future.
On a side note, even console gamers aren’t safe; the rising memory prices could also cause next-gen Sony and Xbox consoles to be delayed, including Valve’s Steam Machine.
Do you think the rising memory prices and worsening stocks justify such a gargantuan price increase? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
I’ve previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, I love to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games and breaking exclusive stories. Besides my passion for gaming journalism, I love spending my leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited my articles.
Story Highlight
A Lionsgate executive has confirmed that the rumored AAA John Wick has been in development.
The title will be announced soon, alongside multiple others, including one based on the SAW IP.
The John Wick gaming adaptation is rumored to be a big-budget AAA action experience.
The John Wick franchise is one of Hollywood’s most prominent works because of its high-intensity action and hearty story carried by Keanu Reeves. Gamers have long been itching to relive the IP through a well-developed adaptation.
Lionsgate also held similar sentiments back in 2023, when it discussed making a big-budget AAA adaptation of the franchise. Now, those plans seem to have come to fruition, as an AAA John Wick game has been officially in development and will be announced soon.
Why it matters: An actual AAA John Wick action game could quench the thirst of gamers and fans of the franchise in general, possibly with a new storyline, even if the gameplay is half as accurate as the movies.
The AAA John Wick game could be based on a new storyline.
This tidbit was well hidden in Lionsgate’s Q2 2026 earnings call. At the 27-minute mark, chairman of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Adam Fogelson says the studio’s AAA John Wick entry and other gaming initiativeswill be announced soon.
Our AAA game opportunities and other gaming opportunities. around John Wick and Saw and some others that we’ll be announcing soon.
-Adam Fogelson, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chairman.
Adam also notes that Lionsgate has observed increased interest and opportunities to adapt its gaming franchises, and its progress remains on schedule. We may learn more details soon, including the studio involved in the John Wick gaming adaptation.
The John Wick project is expected to be a big-budget title that will be more in-depth than something like John Wick Hex. Keanu Reeves also has had good experience in the gaming scene by playing Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077. So, we might be in for a huge treat.
It’s unclear if the game would be an open-world experience.
Lionsgate also brought up a gaming adaptation for SAW and other IPs, which may include the likes of The Hunger Games. However, the scope of these other gaming titles remains unknown.
Do you think the AAA John Wick game will expand the franchise’s universe or explore an existing story from the movies? Are you looking forward to it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
As a Hardware Expert at Tech4Gamers, I bring my decade-long expertise in electronics design, embedded solutions, and prototyping. My knack for exposing misconceptions in the tech world finds a perfect outlet here.
While every other and even major PSU manufacturers are sticking with the same old mantra of designing a boring square metal box with some ventilation holes and the only “major” innovation for them these days is to color the 12V-2×6 connector differently for better insertion visibility, I have got to say, Lian Li has surely made PSUs interesting again!
Lian Li has very recently entered the PSU market and even though they first started with decent quality PSUs, they were following the same old footsteps of every other PSU manufacturer without anything new to offer to their customers.
It is important to note that there are only a handful PSU OEMs in the industry and it is extremely rare to see a brand requesting major design changes to the OEMs (may be because “if it ain’t broken don’t fix it”) and that’s why those brands are very limited to innovate anything from their side.
Lian Li must have realized this fact very soon and hence why they went with some new OEMs because they couldn’t resist innovating and applying some very unique and out of the box ideas for their next PSU series.
Lian Li started such crazy innovations from their Lian Li Edge series where instead of using the traditional power connectors design, they extended the PSU length and provided an extremely convenient layout to insert power cables absolutely hassle-free.
This time, with Lian Li’s RS1200G 80 Plus Gold PSU, we see..oh wait, is it for real?
This is the first time I have seen such a creative design on an AC power equipment. Though its actual use-case is very niche, I have got to give props to Lian Li for trying something very unique.
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The world’s first rotatable AC inlet design wasn’t enough of a flex for Lian Li because they also implemented the world’s first, dual side-mounted 24-pin connector design where on both sides of the PSU, you have option to plug-in 24-pin connector (imagine the growth of all those companies if they hadn’t thrown that meme guy out of the window).
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24-Pin Connector Side A
24-Pin Connector Side B
Metal Covers for 24-pin Connectors
This design implementation can be very handy because the beefy 24-pin connector takes up the space of almost x4 8-pin GPU connectors, placing it on a completely different side makes it super convenient for the user to plug in/out the rest of the power connectors.
There are two metal plates provided by Lian Li to hide one of the un-used 24-pin connector side – way too much and much appreciated attention to detail from Lian Li (or may be because otherwise the un-used 24-pin connector would be visible in most of the PC cases – if the PSU is used in a different orientation)
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4 Port R5 USB-HUB
4 Port R5 USB-HUB
R5 USB-HUB Plugged into the PSU
19D R5 USB-HUB On The PSU
Alongside a few completely unheard of features, let’s add another one and this time it’s R5 USB Hub that attaches on the back of RS1200G like a snap-in battery. This provides 4 user-accessible USB headers for your peripherals to be plugged in. With the recent blings we have been seeing lately in the gaming peripherals market i.e mini LCD screens, LCD/OLED equipped AIOs etc, this H5 USB Hub basically provides an absolute max future proofing.
Dual Color 12V 12×6 Power Cable
We also get to see some improvement claims on the dual color 12V-2×6 power connector from Lian Li. As per Lian Li, they are using an improved and rugged designed copper pins for their 12V-2×6 connector and instead of crimping the heavy 16AWG wires, they are soldering the wires directly to the connectors for better reliability and much lower resistance.
Magnetic Cable Comb Attachments
To be honest, at this point if I tell my viewers that Lian Li also comes with a unique feature that pours champagne in a glass every time they win a game they surely won’t be surprised!
Here we have one last unique and quite an impressive attention to detail from Lian Li – Magnetic cable comb attachments for making your cable management like a soft breeze.
Cable & Connectors
Connector Type
Quantity
Motherboard cable (24/20-pin)
1x
CPU / EPS 12V connectors (1x 8-pin, 1x 4+4-pin)
2x
PCIe 12V-2×6 connector (16-pin)
1x
PCIe connectors (6+2-pin)
5x
SATA connectors
12x
4-pin Peripheral connectors
4x
USB Cables (Internal & Type A)
2x
Teardown & Component Analysis
Teardown Top
Lian Li seemed to have gone with a new OEM (Sirfa/High-Power) this time for their new PSU lineups, most likely this was the only OEM that could keep up with the extensive and challenging demands from Lian Li’s design team.
The main platform looks densely populated and uses vertically mounted modular PCBs to effectively use the limited space.
Lian Li RS1200G utilises two TO-247 package MOSFETs on its APFC Boost circuit instead of traditional TO-220. The bigger surface area of the TO-247 package allows much better power and heat handling capabilities.
Half Bridge MOSFETs
For the secondary rail generation, Half-Bridge LLC topology is used via two MOSFETs. The PCB design allows mounting/soldering of two additional MOSFETs for a Full-Bridge LLC topology, but Lian Li kept it to only two for keeping the cost down.
Keeping the tradition of being unique and different, Lian Li has opted for a capacitor brand (for its primary bulk capacitor) that in my knowledge, hasn’t ever been used in the PSU market (both for consumer and server).
We usually have seen brands bragging about “100% Japanese capacitors” in their PSUs. This has been the utmost quality standard since the beginning and may be according to Lian Li, this has kind of become an old fashioned approach because now enters the new tag-line, “German capacitors” (maximum flex threshold has reached…)
Bulk Electrolytic Capacitors from EPCOS
EPCOS has been a widely popular brand in industrial, automotive and power grid applications that require the most rigorous and challenging demands. EPCOS, which was a German brand, was acquired by TDK (a well known Japanese brand that also produces high-quality capacitors) and by the mid of 2026, TDK has decided to replace the EPCOS branding name with their own TDK. Now the funny thing is, how will Lian Li be keeping the “marketing” bar high of being unique and different than others as the German branding wall will fall soon? (you see what I did there? 😀 )
Polymer & Electrolytic Capacitors
Polymer Capacitors
Rest of the electrolytic as well as polymer capacitors are also from well reputable brands i.e Nippon-Chemicon & Teapo. Lian Li doesn’t seem to have compromised on the quality of the components in any way in RS1200G.
Primary Side Heatsinks
For an 80 Plus Gold rated PSU with 1200W of specs, Lian Li RS1200G seems to be lacking decent chunks of Aluminium heatsinks. This is most likely due to space limitations which for a full form factor 1200W ATX power brick, seems a bit odd but then when you see a huge square plastic block has taken up much of the internal space (the rotatable AC inlet thingy) then it all started to make sense. Due to the densely populated PCB and not much of an empty space for the air to freely roam and cool down the components, Lian Li may either have put an aggressive fan profile or might have just increased RS1200G’S efficiency levels, we will see it in our test.
Rotatable AC Inlet Acquired Most Of The Space Inside
Main Transformer
The main 12V rail Transformer design is very similar to what many new OEMs have been implementing lately and we have also seen the similar looking ones previously in the PSUs we have tested before. This unique design uses flat copper coil/wire with more increased surface area than traditional copper wire. This allows the transformer to be switched at a much higher frequency and, as a result, increases its power handling capability as well.
12V Rail MOSFETs
Two vertically mounted PCBs are placed directly near the transformer where 12V rail SMD MOSFETs are soldered.
DC-DC Converter Board for 5V & 3.3V Rail
A small vertical daughter board for minor voltage rails (5V and 3.3V)
135mm FDB Fan From HongHua
A 135mm FDB (Fluid Dynamic Bearing) fan is used from Hong Hua. The PSU doesn’t feature any Hybrid-Fan mode switch, instead this feature is implemented by default – meaning the PSU will automatically kick in the fan at adequate load.
PSU Load Testing
Voltage Regulation
Load in %
12V Rail
5V
3.3V
20%
12.03
5.06
3.33
50%
11.97
5.05
3.33
70%
11.93
5.05
3.32
90%
11.93
5.03
3.32
100%
11.92
5.03
3.32
Lian Li RS1200G has excellent voltage regulation for 12V rail throughout different load variations.
PSU Efficiency
Load in %
Efficiency
Power Factor
20%
92.59%
0.953
50%
93.38%
0.989
70%
92.71%
0.995
90%
91.75%
0.998
100%
91.18%
0.998
I was skeptical at first for not having adequate aluminium heatsinks in RS1200G but seeing the absolutely amazing efficiency numbers that average out at 92.32%, it easily exceed Gold efficiency and even touches Platinum levels, I am really impressed how Lian Li and Sirfa/High-Power have worked together to make this platform so efficient.
Voltage Ripple Performance
Load in %
12V Ripple
20%
12.8
50%
18
70%
20
90%
24
100%
26
Voltage ripple performance is very good. This platform from Sirfa/High-Power seems more than capable of even lower voltage ripple numbers. I think if all 4 MOSFETs were used (for the Full-Bridge LLC instead of the Half-Bridge) we would have been seeing some exceptional performance in this test.
Temperature
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Max Temp @Exhaust
Max Temp @Cable Side
Max Temp @Back
That’s where I am a bit confused. Not because the temperature performance was bad, no! The PSU kept everything cool inside and the max temperature on the back only reached about 59.4C which of course thanks to its Platinum level efficiency. But still Lian Li has made RS1200G’s fan profile very aggressive! When the load exceeds 700W the fan noise gets extremely loud and annoying. Lian Li must take a look at this issue and improve the fan curve because 700W load on a 1200W rated PSU can easily be exceeded using modern high-end gaming PC hardware.
Should You Buy it?
Buy It If
✅ You want versatile mounting options: Lian Li RS1200G features a very unique design for both the 24-pin connector and the mains AC inlet, making it fully compatible with some of the most unconventional and creative PC case layouts out there.
✅ You want extreme efficiency for the price: For what you’d normally pay for a Gold-rated PSU, the RS1200G delivers efficiency that’s basically flirting with Titanium levels.
✅ You want peace of mind with next-gen GPUs: Lian Li includes an improved dual-color 12V-2×6 connector, letting you game worry-free on power-hungry GPUs like the RTX 5090 without stressing about connector safety.
✅ You care about long-term future-proofing: With a hefty 1200W power rating and a feature set that just keeps going, the RS1200G is the kind of PSU you’ll likely stick with for well over a decade.
✅ You want the best bang for the buck: At this price point, most competitors offer “safe but boring” PSUs. The RS1200G stands out by delivering genuinely unique features and thoughtful extras that you simply won’t find elsewhere.
Don’t Buy It If
❌ You want silent operation: Unfortunately, fan noise is the RS1200G’s weak spot. Lian Li clearly poured their energy into innovative design and features, but the loud fan can be hard to ignore if silence is high on your priority list.
My Final Thoughts
Lian Li has genuinely shaken up the boring PSU market with the RS1200G, offering smart features like a rotatable power plug and convenient side-mounted connectors. It performs incredibly well with efficiency that actually beats its rating, making it a fantastic value for high-end builds. The only real catch is the fan noise, which gets surprisingly loud and annoying once you start pushing the power supply hard.
Currently serving as a News Reporter at Tech4Gamers, I have the privilege of combining my love for gaming with the art of storytelling. My role involves crafting engaging narratives that keep our audience abreast of the latest developments in the gaming world.
Story Highlight
New listing reveals that the Ryzen 7 9850X3D could be priced $499.
The official price will be unveiled at the CES in January next month.
A lower price could be due to the RAM inflation.
AMD’s Ryzen 9000 series has been an incredibly successful endeavour for them, and the tech giant doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. The release of the highly awaited Ryzen 7 9850X3D is just around the corner, and spoiler alert, it may be a reasonably priced CPU release from Team Red.
A new listing determined the retail price of the Ryzen 7 9850X3D, which is at just $499, cheaper than what was expected considering recent hardware costs. Furthermore, it is just $20 more than the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.
Why it matters: Recent hardware costs, especially RAM, have surged beyond affordability. It’s nice to see new component releases being reasonably priced in this situation.
Ryzen 7 9850D3D Listed On NEBuMAX
As seen in the screenshot above, the processor is listed for a price of $511.44 retail, implying that the official price may be just $500.
In terms of features, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D has a base clock of 4.7 GHz, boosting up to 5.6 GHz, 400MHz more frequency in turbo than the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. Other than that, it has the same specs, with an 8-core processor that has the same 120W TDP based on AMD’s 3DV technology.
Officially, the price is expected to be released at the CES in January alongside the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2, AMD’s flagship release.
The lower retail price might be due to increased DDR5 RAM prices in recent times, and AMD is probably consolidating customers on the CPU side. Still, sales are expected to be low as buying power will be reduced next year due to the AI boom repercussions.
I’ve previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, I love to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games and breaking exclusive stories. Besides my passion for gaming journalism, I love spending my leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited my articles.
Story Highlight
An ex-BioWare producer says AAA games are losing their essence and encouraging the use of AI.
The AAA industry is focused on exploiting risk-free formulas, which have severely backfired.
However, AAA studios can recover if they spend some budget exploring new paths like indie titles.
AAA games have certainly become more gorgeous with expanded scope and gameplay features over the last decade. However, many of them take half a decade to develop, require a lot of profits to break even, yet still fail to innovate enough to stand out.
Ex-BioWare producer and industry expert Mike Darrah claims these negative factors affecting AAA titles are the reason they feel soulless. The industry’s exploitative nature and promises of shorter development timesare also making gen AI more attractive for developers.
Why it matters: Focusing on the same formulas has taken away everything that made AAA games fun, making soulless experiences the norm. This negative feedback loop is boosting the emergence and acceptance of AI in the industry.
While speaking in a YouTube video, Mike reflects that AAA studios’ profit-first and risk-free approach has made their entries feel like empty products despite all the technical improvements.
in an effort to remove risk, in an effort to address as large of an audience as possible, all of the spirit, all of the art has been sanded away from the resulting product. […]
-Former BioWare Producer, Mike Darrah.
This exploitation of gamers is making them more open to accepting gen AI since the AAA industry already feels more corporate than ever before. In comparison, AA experiences like Expedition 33 stand out for innovating and satisfying players.
This [is] one of the reason why some consumers may be willing to accept generated AI may be them feeling like to some degree a lot of media has become soulless already.
MindsEye is yet another example of a massive AAA failure in recent months.
Mike argues that AAA studios also need to focus some of their inflated budgets on exploration, like the indie industry, to stand a chance moving forward.
There will be failures, sure, but the new formulas that work out with gamers will be a huge win for the developers.
Do you think AAA studios have a secure future if they focus on innovations and exploration in the industry? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
