|
Think of the Snapdragon X Plus as Qualcomm's version of the Intel Core i5: It's based on the same design as the Snapdragon X Elite, the Arm PC processor that Qualcomm has been talking about since last fall. But it's stripped down, with fewer cores, and without the "turbo" characteristics of its more powerful sibling. On the other hand, Qualcomm still believes that it will compete with and surpass Intel's latest processors.
Qualcomm began talking about the Snapdragon X Elite last fall, and has since made waves with a pretty open quasi-testing process where journalists have been able to monitor benchmarks Qualcomm employees have run, along with hands-on gaming opportunities. At the beginning of the month, Qualcomm began comparing the Snapdragon X Elite to the latest Core Ultra processors, and let me have a turn playing the PC games Control and Redout 2. Both games ran above 30fps at 1900×1200 resolution and Low settings.
Now the company is taking Snapdragon performance down a notch… or is it? Qualcomm is claiming that the Snapdragon X Plus will still outperform the Core Ultra 7 155H at the same power levels by a whopping 28 percent in the latest multithreaded Cinebench benchmark, Cinebench 2024. And it's 10 percent faster than the Apple M3, too.
|
|
Let's face it: Processor naming schemes have become ridiculously complex. AMD launched its with an actual decoder ring, and the names still don't make sense. But Intel began this nonsense more than five years ago, when trying to figure out what the 10th-gen Core chip names meant necessitated its own story.
Now it's Qualcomm's turn. And boy, is it a doozy. (Qualcomm also released a list of the four Snapdragon X Elite and Plus processors, complete with names and clock speeds — which it hasn't done before. Unfortunately, before we list those, we have to explain what the names and numbers mean. We apologize in advance. Take note of the similarity to the name of Elon Musk and singer Grimes' child: X Æ A-12.)
How to talk about the Snapdragon X Series to your teens
Let's face it: The Snapdragon X1E-78-100 will never be mentioned in polite society. It will not appear in a sonnet, or in a card you send to your spouse for your anniversary. If it is ever mentioned that evening, it will be in
|
|
From today until April 28, using coupon code MGTDR23298 at checkout saves you $27 off the 10-device plan, slicing a whopping 60 percent off the normal price of $45. You don't even need to enter the code at checkout; Newegg now appears to apply coupons automatically.
AVG Ultimate bundles together three of AVG's products: AVG Internet Security, which shields your devices from malware, network intrusions, and other threats; AVG Secure VPN, which keeps your internet activity private (and thus safe from prying and possibly shifty eyes); and AVG TuneUp, a collection of PC utilities meant to keep your PC up to date and running optimally.
When we last reviewed Internet Security, we gave it 4 out of 5 stars for its straightforward interface, top-rated antivirus protection, and affordable pricing. The latest test results from AV-Test and AV-Comparatives rank AVG among the highest performing antivirus engines, with a 100 percent block rate for AV-Test's zero-day and widespread malware benchmark. Similarly, we liked AVG Secure VPN for its ease of use, speeds, and ability to
|
|
This monitor uses the near-standard 34-inch, 3440×1440 resolution, and 21:9 aspect ratio, a great choice for gamers who want more screen real estate without stepping up to a GPU-punishing 4K resolution. The OLED panel with its vibrant colors and perfect blacks is the big draw, of course, but at 165Hz with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, the AW3423DWF can also handle fast-paced competitive games with aplomb.
Connections include double DisplayPort plus HDMI, so this makes a great pick if you're building a battlestation with multiple PCs or a console on the side. Though the monitor doesn't do USB-C video or rapid laptop charging it does have four USB-C ports for accessories and a pass-through headphone jack, plus a little bit of RGB bling on the rear logos. It's compatible with VESA mounts if you're looking for a clean setup. You can
|
|
The Corsair K70 Pro Mini Wireless RGB (hoochimama what a mouthful) packs most of the features you'd expect from a high-end board, including high-quality PBT doubleshot keycaps and dual-mode wireless with 2.4GHz dongle for gaming and Bluetooth for mobile devices. It also has a really satisfying aluminum case, and comes with speedy Cherry MX switches from the famous German switch maker.
RGB and sub-1ms wireless speed are a given for Corsair keyboards at this point. But for my money, the best feature is the hot-swap sockets, which allow you to pop in any MX-compatible switches that you like. That makes the K70 a great platform for customization, both for keycaps with its standard layout and for typing or gaming feel. The only real downer is that Corsair's programming software won't let you move the Fn key, which makes it tricky to get arrow keys in the top layer. You can read my full review of the keyboard here.
At the moment Amazon's deep discount is only available for the white version of the keyboard, and then only with the linear Red switches. But it's still a savings of about a hundred bucks on a design that was prohibitively expensive at launch. If you want a gaming keyboard that can customize
|
|
