Noctua today confirmed that all its CPU coolers and mounting-kits that support AMD AM4 also support the upcoming AM5 socket, except the NH-L9a-AM4 low-profile cooler and the NM-AM4-L9aL9i mounting-kit. For the latter, Noctua announced the new NM-AM5-L9aL9i kit that will be available free-of-charge from end of October. Mounting upgrade kits for older heatsink models that do not yet support AM4 will also be provided to customers at no additional cost.

“We have offered free-of-charge mounting upgrade kits to our customers ever since AMD introduced AM2 in 2006, and we’re proudly continuing this tradition with the upcoming Ryzen 7000 series processors and their new AM5 socket”, says Roland Mossig (Noctua CEO). “While all our current multi-socket coolers already support AM5 out of the box and don’t require any updates, customers will be able to upgrade the NH-L9a as well as most older coolers at no additional cost, so even 15-year-old coolers can be used on the latest processors!”
 

 

AM5 (LGA1718) is AMD’s upcoming socket for its next-generation Ryzen 7000 (Zen 4) series processors. In short, all Noctua coolers and mounting-kits that support AM4 are upwards compatible with socket AM5, except the NH-L9a-AM4 and the NM-AM4-L9aL9i.

All Noctua AM4 mountings except the ones of the NH-L9a-AM4 and the NM-AM4-L9aL9i attach to the threads of the standard AM4 stock backplate. Since these backplate threads and their pattern are identical on AM4 and AM5, our AM4 mountings that attach to the standard AMD backplate also support AM5.

This means that all SE-AM4 models as well as all Noctua multi-socket coolers purchased since 01/2019 already support socket AM5. Multi-socket coolers purchased before this date that have already been upgraded to AM4 using the NM-AM4 or NM-AM4-UxS kits also require no further upgrades. Older multi-socket coolers that have been purchased before 2019 and have not yet been upgraded to AM4 can be made compatible with AM5 using these upgrade kits. For easier identification, the NM-AM4 or NM-AM4-UxS kits will be renamed to NM-AM5/4-MP83 (for coolers with 83mm mounting pitch) and NM-AM5/4-MP78 (for coolers with 78mm mounting pitch).

The socket compatibility overview in the Noctua Compatibility Centre (NCC) allows customers to see at a glance which Noctua CPU cooler models support socket AM5 out of the box or via mounting upgrade kits and which upgrade kit is required for which cooler model. The AM5 motherboard compatibility list is currently being built up and will be expanded over the coming weeks so that customers can verify that their cooler is fully compatible with their new AM5 motherboard.

For ordering the mounting-kits free of charge via Noctua’s website, a proof of purchase of both an eligible Noctua CPU cooler and either an AM5/4 CPU or an AM5/4 motherboard will be required. Depending on the country, express shipping options may be available but will be subject to service charges. Alternatively, customers who need the kits urgently will be able to purchase them on Amazon for a suggested service charge of EUR/USD 7.90.

“Using a CPU cooler across several platform generations instead of buying a new heatsink for each generation is not only economical, but also helps to reduce unnecessary waste and save precious resources”, explains Roland Mossig (Noctua CEO). “By upgrading rather than replacing your cooler, you’re actively contributing to a more sustainable PC industry!”

The NH-L9a-AM4 and the NM-AM4-L9aL9i are not compatible with AM5 because they require replacing the standard AMD backplate with a custom one, which isn’t possible on AM5. Therefore, Noctua has announced the new NM-AM5-L9aL9i mounting-kit that will allow the NH-L9a, NH-L9a-AM4 and NH-L9i heatsinks to be upgraded to AM5. The NH-L9i-17xx cannot be used because it has been tailored to the different height specifications of the LGA17xx platform. Like the other mounting-kits, the NM-AM5-L9aL9i will be available free of charge via Noctua.at (from end of October). A new version of the NH-L9a cooler that already includes AM5 mounting hardware is planned for Q1 2023.

Links
NM-AM5/4-MP83
NM-AM5/4-MP78
NM-AM5/4-MP83 chromax.black
NM-AM5/4-MP78 chromax.black
NM-AM5-L9aL9i (available from end of October)
Socket compatibility overview (Noctua Compatibility Centre)
AM5 motherboard compatibility (Noctua Compatibility Centre)
FAQ: How can I check if my Noctua CPU cooler already includes AM4/5 mounting parts?
FAQ: 83mm (MP83) vs. 78mm (MP78) mounting pitch, which kit do I need?

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today premieres Dare to be Ultimate: Building a World-Leading Gaming Phone, the design story video that reveals the genesis of the new ROG Phone 6D series of gaming smartphones.

The ROG Phone 6D and ROG Phone 6D Ultimate are powered by the latest flagship MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ 5G chipset. Clocking up to 3.2 GHz CPU speeds[i], and boasting up to 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512 GB ROM of storage, the Dimensity 9000+ chipset provides flagship 5G experiences, perfect for mobile gamers.

“The pursuit of the ultimate performance and gaming experience has always been central for the ROG Phone. With each iteration, we consistently strive to surpass ourselves, achieving the spirit of For Those Who Dare," said S.Y. Hsu, Co-CEO, ASUS. “We are thrilled that this first collaboration with MediaTek has achieved such stunning performance, and we will continue to strive for continuous performance improvements.”

“The rollout of 5G has raised the bar for mobile gaming as users can enjoy super-fast connectivity on the go,” said JC Hsu, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of MediaTek’s wireless communications business unit. “MediaTek’s Dimensity 9000+ allows ROG Phone 6D users to enjoy fast and fluid gaming experiences, reliable connectivity, a fast refresh rate and immersive visuals, while also maximizing battery life.”

The ROG Phone 6D Ultimate introduces an all-new AeroActive Portal feature, a heat-dissipation 'door' that works in conjunction with the AeroActive Cooler 6 and the heat-dissipation fins on the ultrathin vapor chamber to introduce cool air to the chipset for outstanding cooling performance. The thermal surface area is increased by up to 9X[ii], and thermal efficiency is boosted by up to 20% when the AeroActive Portal is activated[iii].

The upgraded GameCool 6 cooling system features novel 360° CPU cooling technology to unleash maximum sustained performance. A monster 6000mAh battery capacity[iv] provides extended battery life for long game sessions. Supreme visuals are delivered by a 6.78-inch Samsung AMOLED HDR10+ display that uses exclusive ROG tuning technology to achieve an amazing 165 Hz refresh rate, an industry-leading 720 Hz touch-sampling rate[v]. The new series is fully compatible with the existing range of exciting ROG Phone 6 accessories, including the AeroActive Cooler 6 and ROG Phone 6 Glass Screen Protector.

ROG Phone 6D and ROG Phone 6D Ultimate: invincible power and supreme specifications

The ROG Phone 6D series is powered by the latest flagship MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ 5G smartphone platform, a flagship powerhouse that delivers power and performance enhancements for the ultimate boost across all on-device experiences. Dimensity 9000+ offers amped-up gameplay — unleashed with the full suite of HyperEngine 5.0 features plus an improved MediaTek Mali GPU — and delivers more than a 10% performance improvement[vi] when compared to the Dimensity 9000.

The devices are backed by up to 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512 GB of storage, for the most reliable and stable gaming experience. The ROG Phone 6D Ultimate features an all-new AeroActive Portal design. After adding heat-dissipation fins to the ultrathin vapor chamber, it is installed in the heat-dissipation 'door' of the AeroActive Portal. The other end of the vapor chamber is connected to the system-on-a-chip (SoC). When the AeroActive Cooler 6 is connected to the mobile phone, nearly one liter per second[vii] of cold air will be blown onto the fins, and the carefully designed wind tunnel cools the chipset to dissipate heat. The specially designed fins increase the thermal surface area by up to 9X[viii] and boosts thermal efficiency up to 20% when the AeroActive Portal is activated[ix].

The upgraded GameCool 6 cooling system includes 360° CPU cooling technology, a 30% larger vapor chamber and 85% larger graphite sheets[x], along with a centered-CPU design to increase heat dissipation from the core. Combined with the performance manager in Armoury Crate, the ROG Phone 6D series allows gamers to tune performance settings for different games, giving them a competitive edge in any gaming scenario.

For ultra-smooth and ultra-responsive gaming visuals, the ROG Phone 6D series is equipped with a 6.78-inch 165 Hz AMOLED HDR10+ display with an industry-leading 720 Hz touch-sampling rate. This astonishing display can be set to 60 Hz, 90 Hz, 120 Hz, 144 Hz, or 165 Hz for an unparalleled gaming experience. The superb visuals are tuned in collaboration with leading visual-processing company Pixelworks^® for world-beating color accuracy.

For even more advanced control possibilities, the AirTrigger 6 has been significantly upgraded this year. The ultrasonic sensors fully support various gestures, including features such as Dual Action, Press and Lift, and Gyroscope Aiming.

The GameFX audio system on the ROG Phone 6D series features symmetrical dual speakers that fire forward for truly balanced stereo sound effects, and there is also a convenient 3.5 mm headphone jack. The sound has been optimized in collaboration with the Swedish digital audio pioneer Dirac, making the ROG Phone 6D series rare beasts — gaming phones with truly impressive audio quality. The ROG Phone 6D series features the Dirac Virtuo^™ spatial audio solution, which uses patented algorithms to enable immersive stereo sound from the smartphone's built-in speakers while enhancing the speakers' overall sound quality.

The monster 6000 mAh battery features advanced battery-care features for better battery performance and an extended lifespan, and there's also a 65-watt HyperCharge adapter for rapid charging.

The ROG Phone 6D series is equipped with a triple-camera system featuring a flagship Sony^® IMX766 50 MP main wide-angle camera with improved image quality and HDR processing, an ultrawide 13 MP second camera, and a macro camera. Enhanced software features include HDR10+ Video Mode, and there’s also a 12 MP front camera for high-quality group selfies and live-streaming videos.

The ROG Phone 6D and 6D Ultimate are available exclusively in Space Gray. ROG Phone 6D comes equipped with Aura RGB lighting on the back, 12 GB / 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and 256 GB ROM of storage with the price starting from €949[xi]. ROG Phone 6D Ultimate, which is boxed with the AeroActive Cooler 6, features a color ROG Vision matrix display on the back, 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM memory, and 512 GB ROM of storage with the price €1399[xii].

Extensive array of accessories

The existing ecosystem of modular and fully-compatible ROG Phone 6 accessories allows gamers to optimize their gameplay experience on the ROG Phone 6D series. Accessories include the AeroActive Cooler 6, ROG Kunai 3 Gamepad for ROG Phone 6, ROG Phone 6 Glass Screen Protector, cases and more. The clip-on AeroActive Cooler 6 has an AI-powered thermoelectric cooler, and a fan that delivers increased cooling airflow directly to hotspots on the back cover of the ROG Phone 6D Series. The result is that it can lower the surface temperature by up to a stunning 25°C.[xiii] The AeroActive Cooler 6 also adds four extra physical buttons to allow a genuine console-like control experience.

Exclusive influencer tournament

To continuously honor mobile gamers, ROG will also hold an influencer tournament, where 10 influencers from 6 countries — including Germany, UK, France, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand — will interact and compete with ROG fans on Tier-1 game titles. This tournament will be held between September and November, according to product availability in each market.