Today's reviews cover a 1,000 Hz monitor, a 3,200W power supply, and a near-waste-free 3D printer
Nine fresh hardware verdicts from September 2026, from Acer's OLED-matching LCD to Thermaltake's 230V-only flagship.
It's a busy day in the review pipeline. This morning we worked through nine products, from cases and power supplies to monitors, keyboards, and one 3D printer that claims to waste almost nothing. Several earned our applause. Others earned a raised eyebrow. Here's what stuck.
Fast, big, and borderline ridiculous
Acer's Nitro XV273U F5 runs at 1,000 Hz. Not in a gimmicky overclock either. At its native 2,560×1,440 it tops out at 540 Hz. Cut the resolution to 1,280×720 and you're looking at a full 1,000 Hz. Tom's Hardware calls it one of the fastest flat LCDs available and hands it Editor's Choice. The price is $699.99.
The interesting part is that it's a flat IPS panel, not an OLED. That gives you OLED-ish speed without burn-in worry, plus measured contrast a hair over 2,000:1 against the claimed 1,000:1. It does have no real HDR contrast bump and zero USB ports, though. If raw speed is your religion, that's a fair trade.
Tom's Hardware: Acer Nitro XV273U F5 gaming monitor review: One of the fastest LCDs on the planet
This 27-inch QHD IPS panel boasts 540 Hz and 1,000 Hz at HD resolution.
Acer Nitro XV273U F5 gaming monitor review: One of the fastest LCDs on the planet
The Thermaltake AX 3200W has a real problem for US readers. It's the most powerful ATX power supply Hardware Busters has tested, with a single 12V rail pushing a hair under 3,200W. It can drive four flagship GPUs and a workstation CPU at once. The catch is that it only accepts 230–240V. A standard 120V North American outlet can't run it, so there's no US pricing and no 115V testing.
Efficiency is genuinely excellent at Platinum level. Noise is the weak spot. It averages 48.47 dBA, just missing Cybenetics' quietest tier, because the 140mm fan has to dump over 300W of heat at full load. It costs about $655 (CNY 4,399) in the markets it's sold in, but that 230V-only limitation keeps it out of most American rigs.
Hardware Busters: Thermaltake AX 3200W ATX v3.1 PSU Review
Thermaltake AX 3200W review: we test the 3200W CWT platform at 230V, from efficiency and noise to ripple, transient response and ATX 3.1 compliance.
Prusa teamed up with Bondtech for the CORE One+ INDX, and the toolchanger is genuinely clever. It's the first multicolor 3D printer to drop the prime tower entirely. A small wiper flicks out a filament blob the size of a grain of rice between color changes instead of building a waste-heavy purge column.
Tom's Hardware ran the Prusa and a Bambu Lab H2C side by side on the same model. The Prusa came out roughly nine hours faster, wasted 83.58 grams less, and printed three extra colors. It earns Editor's Choice and is arguably setting a bar other makers are scrambling to clear. It's pricey at $1,699 for the DIY kit ($2,119 assembled with eight tools), with conversion kits from $749, and it has no flex-filament profile at launch.
Tom's Hardware: Prusa CORE One+ INDX review: Time for a 'Tool' change
Eight colors on tap, plus cloud-free security
The rest of today
Antec and Noctua have banded together for the Flux Pro Noctua Edition, a full tower that ships with six premium Noctua G2 fans and claims to run up to 8 dBA quieter than the standard Flux Pro. You get E-ATX support, room for a 455mm GPU, and restrained brown-and-beige styling rather than a rave. It's a purpose-built enthusiast chassis. Not for everyone, but for the acoustically minded it's a strong move.
NikKTech: Antec Flux Pro Noctua Edition Full Tower Review
The Antec Flux Pro Noctua Edition successfully blends Antec's proven chassis design with Noctua's renowned cooling expertise, resulting in a premium enclosure that feels purpose-built for enthusiasts who refuse to compromise on airflow, acoustics or build quality.
If your idea of fun is analytical chemistry, igor'sLAB dug into SPLAVE ONE thermal paste. It's a formula from an extreme-overclocking figure, and the numbers are mixed. It posts a higher apparent conductivity than the reference Halnziye HY-P17, at 7.19 against 6.726 W/mK. But it also carries a far higher contact resistance, an advantage that vanishes in thin bond lines. It handles sub-10 µm layers under heavy pressure, so it suits Direct-Die and bench setups. For the average builder running 25 to 200 µm, HY-P17 is the better pick. Long-term pump-out durability wasn't conclusively proven either.
IgorsLAB: SPLAVE ONE Review: 7.19 W/mK, but High Contact Resistance
SPLAVE ONE achieves 7.190 ± 0.260 W/mK, but loses its thin-film advantage due to a contact resistance of 6.950 ± 1.178 mm²K/W compared with HY-P17.
APH Networks just put the Epomaker HE65 V2 TMR under a microscope, though technically we've only seen page one of a four-part review. The specs look strong on paper: a 65% gasket-mounted board with magnetic TMR switches, 8,000 Hz polling, and a 4,000 mAh battery. There's even a funny side detail. The review unit shipped from Shenzhen to Calgary, and the box reads "TMR Verison," a typo the reviewer caught immediately. The full teardown and conclusion are still pending, so hold your judgment.
APH Networks: Epomaker HE65 V2 TMR Review
If you do not know, everyone is quite hyped for Grand Theft Auto VI. I personally think it is a bit crazy how much anticipation this game already has. Yes, I will acknowledge the fact that GTA carries a very big name being the popular series it is, but realistically what are we actually getting? The GTA formula has always been the same. I assume the gameplay will be the same as all the other entries. The only real update I know for certain is that it will be shinier and prettier. I will admit that the stories in GTA games are actually pretty well done, but are fans really excited about this? I have always played the game just to mess around and be dumb. I am personally more excited for the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake and Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, and I do not care for Nintendo at all. Ocarina of Time is purely out of nostalgia with the fact that it seems like a faithful recreation of my childhood memories. Fire Emblem is a different story, where it is another series that copy-and-pastes its formula for every game it makes. The key difference is that Fire Emblem typically has a specialized mechanic for each game and also tends to have very good stories. Now that being said, will I play GTA 6? I probably will. But while the gaming industry keeps re-releasing the same core experience wrapped in a prettier engine, I am far more interested in hardware that takes a familiar formula and actually evolves it, which brings me to the Epomaker HE65 V2 TMR. The HE65 V2 TMR is a keyboard that utilizes the next evolution of analog switches for keyboards. Will the Epomaker HE65 V2 TMR be worthy of my praise? Keep reading to find out!
ASRock's Challenger series is meant to be the value pick on AM5, and the X870E Challenger WiFi backs it up. Funky Kit gave it 8.4 out of 10, with a perfect 10 for price. Performance and aesthetics both land at 8, and audio rides on an ALC4082 codec. RAM overclocking headroom is underwhelming and the BIOS needs polish, but at $229.99 it's a hard argument to beat for a mainstream board.
Funky Kit: ASRock X870E Challenger WiFi Motherboard Review
The Challenger Series motherboard represents fearless play, bold breakthroughs, and relentless evolution. With solid specs, Wi-Fi 7, and gamer-focused features like Lightning Gaming Ports and toolless installation, it’s a perfect choice for gamers.
For the military flight-sim crowd, Thrustmaster refreshed the WARTHOG. The Mk. II is all-metal, weighs around 7.5 kg, and keeps backward compatibility with branded grips through a new 6-pin connector. It drops the Z-axis twist on purpose, mirroring the real A-10C, so rudders still need pedals or a separate grip like the $129.99 T.Flight. Combined with a steeply curated T.A.R.G.E.T. app, that keeps it firmly niche. At $599.99 it's a killer bundle for dedicated combat-sim fans. Poor value for anyone else.
Windows Central: I tested the new Thrustmaster HOTAS WARTHOG MKII, an imposing metallic flight stick for hardcore milsim fans
Refined in an all-metal shell, this A-10C Thunderbolt II HOTAS replica is heavy, lifelike, and utterly satisfying.
Finally, a webcam that sounds better than most people's setup. The Dell Pro 7 Webcam 4K earns praise for its microphone, which Tom's Hardware says ranks among the first built-in webcam mics worth actually recommending. Image quality is solid in perfect light, and Windows Hello support is a nice bonus. Low-light performance is weak and auto color balance was off in testing, so it's not a clean win. At $199.99 it faces the Logitech MX Brio and Insta360 Link 2, but for a well-lit room it's a compelling pick.
Tom's Hardware: Dell Pro 7 Webcam 4K Review: Sounds surprisingly great
But you don't really buy a webcam for its mic, do you?
