1. NVIDIA RTX 5090: A Power-Hungry Titan
The whispers regarding NVIDIA's Blackwell architecture are no longer confined to obscure Chinese hardware forums; we now have leaked documentation giving us a glimpse of the beast we are dealing with. The latest reports from Board Partners confirm that the next flagship, the GeForce RTX 5090, will be an absolute glutton for energy.
Analyzing the 500W TDP
According to the leaked schematics, the Thermal Design Power (TDP) of this card has climbed to a staggering 500W to 550W. For context, the RTX 4090, which was already considered a space heater, had a TDP of 450W. This 100W increase implies several critical upgrades for your rig:
- Mandatory PSU Upgrades: If your Power Supply Unit (PSU) is rated below 1200W, you are likely in the danger zone. The new ATX 3.1 standards are essential to handle the transient power spikes of this card.
- Cable Management 2.0: After the melting 12VHPWR cable fiasco of the 40-series, NVIDIA has promised to use the revised 12V-2x6 connectors. However, pushing 500W continuously through a single cable remains a daunting engineering challenge.
Is the Performance Worth the Wattage?
Early Engineering Sample benchmarks suggest that the RTX 5090 is approximately 60% to 70% faster in Ray Tracing workloads compared to the 4090. If you are a 4K native gamer or a developer working with local LLMs (AI models), this card will be the undisputed king. But for the average 1440p gamer? Buying this card is akin to buying a tank for a grocery run.
2. Steam Winter Sale: 5 Hidden Gems Under $10
Gabe Newell has reached into our pockets once again. The Steam Winter Sale is live and runs until January 5th. However, in this ocean of discounts, which titles offer genuine value? The TekinGame editorial team has curated 5 games that cost less than a sandwich but offer hundreds of hours of premium entertainment.
The TekinGame Curated List:
- 1. Titanfall 2 ($3): If you still haven't played this, you are missing one of the greatest single-player FPS campaigns in history. At $3, it’s practically legal robbery.
- 2. Hollow Knight ($7): The masterpiece of the Metroidvania genre. With the sequel, Silksong, finally slated for a 2026 release, now is the perfect time to conquer Hallownest.
- 3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ($10): The Complete Edition with all DLCs. Even in 2025, its storytelling and world-building surpass 90% of modern releases.
- 4. Disco Elysium ($9): The best text-based RPG of the decade. If you appreciate deep narrative and psychological gameplay, this will blow your mind.
- 5. Celeste ($5): A punishingly difficult yet incredibly rewarding platformer with a touching story about anxiety and perseverance.
3. Nintendo Switch 2: $399 for an LCD Screen?
Yesterday, a report from Japanese market analysts claimed that Nintendo has finalized the pricing for its next-gen console at $399. But where is the controversy? It lies in the screen technology: an LCD panel instead of OLED for the base model.
A Step Backward in 2025?
We are in late 2025. Even mid-range $200 smartphones feature OLED displays. The idea that Nintendo would launch a $400 console with an LCD panel has sparked outrage in the community.
Nintendo's Logic: Cost reduction to prioritize the processor. Rumors indicate the new NVIDIA T239 chip in the Switch 2 boasts raw power equivalent to a PS4 Pro and fully supports DLSS.
The Likely Launch Scenario:
Nintendo will likely adopt a strategy similar to the Steam Deck:
1. Base Model (LCD + 128GB) at $399.
2. Premium Model (OLED + 512GB) at $499 (potentially launching later or simultaneously).
The core question remains: Are you willing to sacrifice handheld screen quality to play Mario and Zelda in 4K (docked mode)?
4. Epic Games Store: Today’s Mystery Game Leaked
The "15 Days of Free Games" campaign by Epic Games has reached its climax. Based on previous years' algorithms and leaks from the reliable insider Billbil-kun, today’s mystery drop is expected to be a major AAA Title.
Speculation is swirling around titles like Guardians of the Galaxy or potentially the base version of Cyberpunk 2077. Last year, Epic broke the internet by giving away the Tomb Raider Trilogy.
Warning: You only have a 24-hour window (until 7:30 PM tomorrow) to add this to your library. We strongly advise opening the Epic Launcher now to claim it, even if you don't plan to download it immediately.
5. Windows 11 & The 'Auto SR' Revolution
Microsoft has finally decided to use Artificial Intelligence for something other than Copilot. In the latest Windows 11 Insider Build, a feature named Auto SR (Super Resolution) has been spotted.
What Does It Do?
This technology functions exactly like NVIDIA’s DLSS or AMD’s FSR, but at the Operating System level. This means you can enable upscaling for virtually any game, even older titles that do not natively support DLSS.
How It Works:
The game renders at a lower resolution (e.g., 720p) to relieve stress on the GPU. Then, the Windows NPU (Neural Processing Unit) upscales the image to 1080p or 1440p.
The Result: Higher frame rates in demanding titles without needing to buy a $1,000 graphics card. This is arguably the most gamer-centric feature Microsoft has released in years.
6. Galaxy S26 Ultra: A Console in Your Pocket
Although we are technically still in December 2025, early benchmarks for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5—the beating heart of the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra—have leaked ahead of the January Unpacked event.
Breaking Records
In GPU stress tests, this chipset has reportedly outperformed Apple's A19 Pro by a margin of 15%. Samsung, in collaboration with AMD, has successfully integrated the RDNA 4 graphics architecture into a mobile form factor.
- Real Ray Tracing: Titles like Warzone Mobile run with lighting and shadows comparable to home consoles.
- Thermal Management: Samsung has doubled the size of the Vapor Chamber to solve the throttling issues seen in previous generations during extended gaming sessions.
If you are a mobile gamer planning an upgrade, waiting for the official reveal in late January is the only logical move.
7. Daily Debrief: The Hard Choice
Today’s news presents a conflict. On one hand, future hardware (RTX 5090 and Switch 2) promises limitless power but at eye-watering prices. On the other, software solutions (Steam Sale and Windows AI) attempt to deliver more fun for less money.
The smart strategy for the end of 2025 seems to be: Spend your cash on discounted masterpieces now, and save the big budget for the hardware wars of 2026.
❓ Question of the Day:
If you only had a $400 budget, would you prefer to buy a Nintendo Switch 2 (LCD Model) or upgrade your current PC's graphics card? Let us know in the comments below. The best response will be featured in tomorrow’s podcast!