By Reiner A.·Oct 17, 2026

Gaming Hardware News: Two Weeks to October 17, 2026

The first reviews of RTX Spark laptops are in, and they confirm what we suspected: the GPU is good, but there are better ways to play. Also this fortnight, the RTX 5090 vanishes from Nvidia Marketplace and Micro Center, DLSS 5 gets faster, and Gigabyte gives LGA1700 boards a second life.

RTX Spark reviews: the GPU delivers, gaming on Arm less so

RTX Spark laptops went on sale on October 16 and independent tests are out. Tom’s Hardware measured the Surface Laptop Ultra in God of War Ragnarök at 1440p ultra with DLSS: 41 to 47 FPS. Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p, highest settings, hit 89 FPS. Red Dead Redemption 2 simply wouldn’t run (Tom’s Hardware). Tom’s Guide got Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p ultra with DLSS Balanced at 82 FPS and puts the GPU near a laptop RTX 5070, though Apple still wins on CPU (Tom’s Guide). PC Gamer was blunter: impressive for Arm, but not a laptop it would recommend if gaming is all you want (PC Gamer).

It’s the usual Windows-on-Arm story: when a game works, it works well; when it doesn’t, there’s nothing you can do. That lottery is the problem, not raw power. Numbers differ by outlet, settings and unit, so compare within each review rather than across them.

What it means for your next purchase: what we said last week stands. For $2,600 or more, an x86 laptop with an RTX 5070 gives you full compatibility with your library. See best gaming laptops 2026. RTX Spark makes sense if your work is AI or content creation and gaming is a bonus.

The RTX 5090 disappears from Nvidia Marketplace, and Micro Center marks it “not carried”

Between October 15 and 16, several outlets noticed the RTX 5090 no longer shows up in the US Nvidia Marketplace selector, and Micro Center switched most listings from “out of stock” to “not carried”, which suggests it doesn’t plan to restock. Partner models from ASUS, MSI and Gigabyte are still listed online, but with no stock in physical stores (Tom’s Hardware, VideoCardz, TechPowerUp).

Nvidia hasn’t confirmed or denied anything. “Production halt” is an explanation going around, not a fact; what’s established is that the card is gone from two major storefronts. In the last edition we saw it at $4,299 at Walmart; now it isn’t even on Nvidia’s shelf.

What it means for your next purchase: most readers weren’t going to buy a 5090, and nothing changes for them. If you are, don’t wait for discounts: remaining stock is more likely to get pricier or sell out. For everyone else, best GPU for 1440p and best GPU for your budget remain the reference.

DLSS 5 reaches more games with a faster model, but only on RTX 50

Nvidia updated DLSS 5 with a model it says is twice as fast. NBA 2K27 got it on October 16, Hogwarts Legacy gets it on November 5 and Where Winds Meet in late November. It’s available on RTX 50 cards, RTX Spark laptops and GeForce NOW. Nvidia talks about up to 1.4x the FPS (Nvidia, VideoCardz).

That 1.4x is Nvidia’s chosen best case, not independent measurement. And the fine print matters more: if you have an RTX 40 or older, this isn’t for you. It’s one more argument for Nvidia in the current generation, but not a reason to swap a card that already performs well.

What it means for your next purchase: if you’re picking a GPU today and play titles getting DLSS 5, count it in Nvidia’s favor, but weigh it against price. In Nvidia vs AMD we explain when paying for features is worth it and when it isn’t.

Gigabyte confirms BIOS support for future CPUs across its LGA1700 boards

On October 9 Gigabyte announced support for future Intel processors on its B760 and H610 boards; four days later it extended that to Z790, both DDR4 and DDR5. It hasn’t said which chips: the press calls them “Raptor Lake Next” and Intel hasn’t confirmed the name or dates. A Gigabyte post mentioning early 2027 was deleted (VideoCardz, PC Gamer, The FPS Review).

It’s a sign that new CPUs are coming for an old socket, not a product promise. With no models, prices or performance, there’s nothing to evaluate yet.

What it means for your next purchase: if you have an LGA1700 board with DDR4, your platform may get a last cheap upgrade, but don’t buy blind. If you’re building from scratch today, best CPU for your budget and Intel vs AMD still hold.

AMD raises suggested prices in China for Q4

According to a post on the Board Channels forum picked up by the press, AMD raised the suggested price of the RX 9070 by ¥700 (to ¥6,299) and the 16 GB RX 9060 XT by ¥600 (to ¥4,899); the RX 9070 XT is unchanged. Memory and manufacturing costs are cited (TweakTown, HWCooling).

These are Chinese prices from an unofficial source. There’s no confirmation they’ll reach other markets, though international adjustments are being discussed. With the RX 9070 GRE below launch price a week ago, the signals are mixed.

What it means for your next purchase: if you had a Radeon in mind, don’t rush over a China rumor, but don’t wait a month either: memory costs are pushing prices up.

What to do with all this

Gaming laptop: skip RTX Spark for now and look at x86 in our guide.
High-end GPU: the RTX 5090 is getting hard to find; unless you really need it, a mid-to-high-end card gives better price per FPS.
AMD or Nvidia card: if you’re buying this month, don’t bet on drops; compare the day’s price.
LGA1700 board: don’t switch platforms waiting for unnamed CPUs.

Sources

Heads-up: performance results come from the cited outlets’ reviews and vary by settings; DLSS 5 figures are Nvidia’s claims; AMD’s China prices come from a forum and aren’t official; Nvidia hasn’t explained the RTX 5090 disappearance.

Missed the last edition? Here’s the October 10 recap, with RTX Spark laptops on preorder and the RX 9070 GRE below launch price.