ASUS Launches Hardware Upgrade Giveaway

The "Upgrade What Matters" giveaway from ASUS runs globally from March 9 to May 18, 2026, with a total prize pool valued at US$13,000. Entry is handled through the Gleam platform, where participants complete social media-related tasks to earn chances to win. The giveaway's top-tier prizes feature the latest generation of PC hardware, including Nvidia's GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards built on the "Blackwell" architecture, which were first announced at CES 2025. The prize pool also includes AMD's Ryzen 9000 series CPUs and the corresponding 800-series motherboards required to support them. Nvidia's GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs, such as the ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5080 offered in the contest, began rolling out in January 2025. These cards are manufactured on a custom TSMC 4N process and introduce fourth-generation RT cores for ray tracing and fifth-generation Tensor Cores for AI-driven features like DLSS 4. The new 800-series motherboards for both Intel and AMD platforms support next-generation technologies like DDR5 memory, PCIe 5.0, and WiFi 7. AMD's X870 and X870E motherboards are designed for its AM5 socket, supporting Ryzen 7000, 8000, and 9000 series processors, while Intel's Z890 boards support its Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake-S" CPUs. The bundled game, *Resident Evil Requiem*, is the ninth main installment in the survival horror series from Capcom. It was released on February 27, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2. *Requiem's* story is set in 2026 and features the return of protagonist Leon S. Kennedy alongside a new playable character, FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft. Developed on Capcom's RE Engine, the game alternates between Grace's survival horror-focused sections and Leon's more action-oriented gameplay.