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Nov 23, 2020
"What graphics card within my budget gives me the best bang for my buck?"
That simple question cuts to the core of what people hunting for a new graphics card look for: the most oomph they can afford. Sure, the technological leaps behind each new GPU can be interesting on their own, but most everyone just wants to crank up the detail settings on Battlefield and get right to playing.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 23, 2020
Intel called out its rival this morning, claiming that AMD's Ryzen 4000 mobile CPUs suffer major performance penalties when running on battery.
The company said its testing found that multiple Ryzen laptops experienced as much as a 48 percent performance drop when running on battery as opposed to being plugged into the wall. Unsurprisingly, laptops using Intel's own 11th-gen Tiger Lake showed far less of a hit, the company said.
The Big Mac is better than the Whopper, really
While you're likely extremely skeptical of Intel's claims—which are akin to McDonald's dumping on Burger King or Ford dissing Chevrolet—Intel said it has homework to back up its assertions. PCWorld, in the meantime, is in the process of trying to replicate these results.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 23, 2020
The Frame TV brings fine decor and art to your wall. It's excellent in that role, though it doesn't deliver Samsung's very best motion video technology.
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Nov 23, 2020
If you still think of wireless mice as laggy, battery-sucking substitutes for a real mouse, we've got good news for you. Mouse manufacturers have largely solved the latency, connectivity, and power-efficiency problems that once blighted these devices. The best of today's wireless mice rival their wired counterparts in performance, battery life, features, and design.
There are two rather obvious benefits of a wireless mouse. It eliminates the tether to your computer, giving you greater range—essential if you are constrained by your work area or playing PC games on your TV—and removes a source of friction that often interferes with speed and accuracy. It also makes an essential device more travel friendly. No one objects to one less cord in their gear bag. You'll probably pay a bit more for a wireless mouse than a wired one, but if you value this kind of convenience it's worth it.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 23, 2020
Dell's XPS 13 2-in-1 9310 is mostly an evolutionary update to the XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 we reviewed last year, but with one key change. Thanks to Intel's 11th gen Core i7-1165G7 chip, gaming is actually conceivable on this sub-three-pound laptop.
Most other things didn't change, and we have our beefs about the design. But that game-ready performance boost alone makes the XPS 13 2-in-1 special.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 20, 2020
Apple isn't supplying a power adapter with new iPhones anymore, so we've rounded up a list of our favorite ones.
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Nov 20, 2020
We've come a long way from Intel's original Next Unit of Computing modular computer that brought tiny computing to the mainstream. We've come so far, in fact, we're not sure what's actually "NUCy" about Intel's new NUC M15 laptop, which is intended as a "whitebook" design that other notebook makers can utilize for their own products.
Intel unveiled its in-house-designed laptop yesterday with a list of specs that is simultaneously welcome and somewhat confusing. The NUC M15 and comes with either an 11th gen Core i5-1135G7 or Core i7-1165G7 processor, paired with either 8GB or 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM. For ports, you get two USB-A connections and a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, plus a full-size HDMI port, lock port and headset jack.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 20, 2020
We've come a long way from Intel's original Next Unit of Computing modular computer that brought tiny computing to the mainstream. So far, in fact, that we're not sure what's actually "NUCy" about Intel's new NUC M15 laptop, which is intended as a "whitebook" design that other notebook makers can utilize for their own products.
Intel unveiled its in-house-designed laptop yesterday with a list of specs that is simultaneously welcome and somewhat confusing. The NUC M15 and comes with either an 11th gen Core i5-1135G7 or Core i7-1165G7 processor, paired with either 8GB or 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM. For ports, you get two USB-A connections and a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, plus a full-size HDMI port, lock port and headset jack.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 20, 2020
We've come a long way from Intel's original Next Unit of Computing modular computer that brought tiny computing to the mainstream. We've come so far, in fact, we're not sure what's actually "NUC-y" about Intel's new NUC M15 laptop, which is intended as a "whitebook" design that other notebook makers can utilize for their own products.
Intel unveiled its in-house-designed laptop yesterday with a list of specs that is simultaneously welcome and somewhat confusing. The NUC M15 comes with either an 11th gen Core i5-1135G7 or Core i7-1165G7 processor, paired with either 8GB or 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM. For ports, you get two USB-A and two Thunderbolt 4, plus a full-size HDMI port, lock port, and headset jack.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 20, 2020
Intel's latest power play isn't about toppling AMD, but about energy efficiency. The company's new ATX12VO power supply standard is designed to help desktop PCs meet increasingly stringent government standards on idle power consumption.
ATX12VO does require a sacrifice. Newer power supplies will jettison support for old-school 3.3-volt and 5-volt rails, and concentrate solely on producing 12-volt power. But after kicking the tires on a pair of ATX12VO motherboards as well as an actual ATX12VO PSU, we can say that the future of desktop PC power looks brighter—and your old-friend legacy parts aren't moving too far away.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 20, 2020
In this episode of The Full Nerd, Gordon Ung, Brad Chacos, Alaina Yee, and Adam Patrick Murray are joined by a very special guest. Radeon VP Scott Herkelman returns to answer questions and dive deep into the Radeon RX 6800 and 6800 XT, two fantastic graphics cards that compete with Nvidia's high-end offerings for the first time in a long time.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 20, 2020
Microsoft's DirectX 12 Ultimate, a new version of the graphics technology underpinning both Windows and the Xbox Series X, seeks to bind the two platforms even closer together with an array of cutting-edge features. Better yet, you can now actually buy DX12 Ultimate hardware in the form of Nvidia GeForce RTX 30-series graphics cards, AMD Radeon RX 6000-series graphics cards, and of course the Xbox Series X.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 20, 2020
The latest news in dash cams: Not one, not two, but three cameras, to cover your front, rear, and interior. We look at just such a model, the Zenfox T3 3CH ($249.90 on Amazon), and find out that fitting three cameras into your car may take a little extra thought. Read our full review. Meanwhile, 4K dash cams continue to be hot—but there are caveats, which we'll discuss below and in the individual reviews.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 20, 2020
Gateway's back! This once-famous PC company from the 1990s was purchased by Acer some years ago. It sat idle until Acer resuscitated the Gateway brand earlier this year, complete with spotted-cow mascot, as a Walmart exclusive. One of the first new offerings, the poetically named Gateway GWTN156-3BK, builds a Comet Lake-H mobile CPU and a modestly aggressive Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 chip into a laptop costing just $999 at Walmart.
Does it deliver? Absolutely. While both the available memory and SSD are sparser than we'd like, our tests revealed satisfactory to very good gaming performance. The design has its highlights too, including a decent keyboard and a good mix of connectivity options.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 20, 2020
Even better news: A revamped exterior design corrects Kwikset's most glaring flaw.
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Nov 20, 2020
This bot cleans floors, walls, windows and more. No bucket required.
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Nov 20, 2020
The $250 Zenfox T3 three-channel dash cam covers action to the front, rear, and inside of your car. It's large for a dash cam, which makes it super-easy to handle, set up, and use. In fact, it's one of my favorites in that regard.
However, the size and the placement of the interior camera mounted far up the body unit forces some interesting decisions on where to place the unit. It's not a deal-killer, but it warrants consideration.
This review is part of our ongoing roundup of the best dash cams. Go there for information on competing models and how we tested them.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 19, 2020
The whole point of Nvidia's superb GeForce Now is to let you stream your PC games from the cloud to any device you want. Now the service is spreading its wings even further. On Monday, Nvidia announced that GeForce Now will land on iPhones and iPad on November 19, and beam games directly to Google's Chrome browser starting in the first quarter of 2021.
And get this: GeForce Now's arrival on iOS means that Fortnite will soon return to iPhones, too.
Both sneak in through the same semi-sanctioned almost-backdoor: your browser. Fortnite disappeared from the App Store over the summer as Epic launched a high-profile lawsuit targeting Apple's hefty 30-percent tax on digital apps and games. Likewise, Apple has proved resistant to allowing game-streaming services like GeForce Now, Microsoft's xCloud, and Google Stadia into the App Store for arcane, seemingly anti-consumer reasons. So GeForce Now comes to iOS in the form of a progressive web app accessible via the Safari browser, rather than a dedicated app for iPhone and iPads. Notably, Nvidia representatives said they were pointed in this direction by Apple itself.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 19, 2020
Apple's M1 SoC makes this desktop Mac a great value.
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Nov 19, 2020
Q: What's the proper way to remove a cooler from a CPU? I don't want to accidentally rip the CPU out of the socket and bend the pins.
Usually warming up the thermal paste before unmounting a CPU cooler does the trick—cold thermal paste is more likely to keep the heat sink and processor welded together. Just run your system for about 10 to15 minutes, then go about your normal process for removal. (Powering down, unplugging from the wall, etc.) The thermal paste should have become gooey and pliable, allowing you to detach the cooler with ease.
When you do remove the cooler, use a very gentle back-and-forth twisting motion. Start very small first, moving slowly in a direction until you meet a bit of resistance, then going back in the opposite direction. With warm thermal paste, you shouldn't have too much trouble freeing the cooler and then pulling it up and away.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 19, 2020
Blue is a vast improvement over ADT's first smart home security system, but bugs remain.
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Nov 19, 2020
Welcome back to the high end, AMD. After years of being mired in second place, far behind the top GeForce offerings, the $580 Radeon RX 6800 and $650 Radeon RX 6800 XT deliver blistering performance on a par with—or better than—than Nvidia's flagship gaming graphics cards in everything but ray tracing, as we covered in our AMD Radeon RX 6800-series review.
You need a pixel-packed monitor to push these graphics cards to their limits, however (though AMD's RDNA 2 architecture scales down to 1080p much better than rival Nvidia GPUs). For most people, that means a 4K or 1440p display. But there's another option: 3440x1440 ultrawide monitors split the performance difference between a 4k and 1440p display in terms of raw pixel count, and provide a level of immersion you just can't achieve on a standard rectangular display. Better yet, AMD's latest graphics cards come stuffed with a massive 16GB of onboard memory that can handle any high-resolution textures your games can throw at it, even under strenuous ultrawide conditions.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 18, 2020
Given the ups and downs of 2020, Black Friday's muted vibe comes as no surprise. While you can find good deals, they're not nearly as plentiful or tantalizing as last year, due to demand and a flood of recent product launches. On average, expect to spend about 10 percent more compared to 2019.
Still, with some digging around, we're unearthing solid discounts on items that we particularly care about at PCWorld: CPUs, GPUs, monitors, and more. Keep an eye on these lists, as we'll expand them as sales ramp up between now and Black Friday.
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Nov 18, 2020
Now you can ask Google Assistant to leave "Family Notes" on your Google display. Also: Google Assistant gets a "find my family" feature.
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Nov 18, 2020
AMD's next-gen Radeon RX 6000-series graphics cards are here, and they're amazing. The $579 Radeon RX 6800 and $649 Radeon RX 6800 XT bring a fierce battle to Nvidia's flagship GeForce CPUs, offering flat-out outstanding performance, a vastly improved cooling solution, and more.
We've already dug deep into AMD's fresh RDNA 2 architecture, and delivered our comprehensive verdict on the Radeon RX 6800 and 6800 XT. Check those out if you want more detailed info, but for the quickest hit, here are the five things you need to know about AMD's new Radeon RX 6800-series graphics cards.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 18, 2020
Apple has reduced its App Store rates for developers making less than a million dollars a year, but the fight against Epic will continue.
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Nov 18, 2020
With the debut of the Radeon RX 6800 and RX 6800 XT, AMD is clearly on a roll.
Mere weeks ago, the company's Ryzen 5000 processors seized the unquestionable performance lead from Intel—yes, even in games—for the first time in over a decade. On Wednesday, it's the graphics division's turn to shine with these two Radeon RX 6000-series "Big Navi" graphics cards powered by AMD's new RDNA 2 architecture.
Rival Nvidia has largely been competing against itself in the high-end GPU space for several years now. AMD's Vega offerings showed up disappointingly late and disappointingly underpowered in 2017, followed by (awesome) first-gen RDNA cards that sadly topped out with the midrange Radeon RX 5700 XT in 2019. The Radeon RX 6000-series ends Nvidia's streak.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 18, 2020
RDNA 2. The graphics architecture at the heart of AMD's kick-ass new Radeon RX 6000 graphics cards may sound like a simple iteration upon the original "RDNA" GPUs that came before it, but RDNA 2—which also powers the next-gen Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 consoles—is much more than a mere refresh. Significant tweaking has resulted in a stunning 54-percent increase in power-per-watt over AMD's last-gen Radeon RX 5000 GPUs. Perhaps more notably, the Radeon RX introduces an innovative new "Infinity Cache" technology that reimagines how memory behaves in graphics cards. Oh, and ray tracing? AMD does that now, too.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 18, 2020
If you rip and library your own media, there's no better tool for storing and streaming it than a NAS box. These versatile storage devices also serve as the perfect personal, secure cloud for backing up your PCs and other devices.
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Nov 18, 2020
Add your own amp and speakers and you'll have a killer audio system on a reasonable budget.
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Nov 17, 2020
Anyone who uses a smartphone knows the importance of carrying a backup battery pack. But try searching for one on Amazon, say, and you're likely to feel overwhelmed by the vast number of options. Besides the various charging specs, ports, and even cables you have to consider, there are a ton of competing brands. How are you supposed to know which ones actually live up to their promise?
Cheat sheet: Best power banks 2020
Mophie Powerstation XXL: Best overall [mophie.com]
Aukey Basix Slim 10,000 mAh: Best budget option [amazon.com]
Xiaomi 10,000mAh Mi Power Bank: Most portable [amazon.com]
Sherpa 100AC Portable Power Bank: Best for road warriors [goalzero.com]
Anker Powercore 26800 PD: Best USB-C pack with Power Delivery [amazon.com]
We've done the legwork for you, evaluating a wide range of power banks from different manufacturers, costing different prices, and some offering unique features. Our testing is extensive, too, subjecting the packs to real-world usage (read about our testing process in detail below). Our picks below reflect a range of needs. (You might also be interested in our our roundup of USB car chargers if you spend a lot of time in transit.)
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Nov 17, 2020
Apple's new M1 MacBooks are closer than ever to the update I've wanted for years, but I'm still saving my money for a little longer.
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Nov 17, 2020
Pluton, a technology Microsoft and AMD co-developed to prevent the Xbox from being hacked, will be added to Windows PCs via the CPUs themselves.
According to Microsoft, Pluton helps greatly eliminate the chance that the PC's Trusted Platform Module (TPM) will be compromised. The TPM creates a root of trust, governing a number of critical functions within the PC: guaranteeing that it will securely boot with the trusted combination of hardware and software, for example, and securely update to trusted firmware. Windows' BitLocker disk encryption system uses the TPM, as do other Windows components.
Traditionally, the TPM has existed outside of the processor, connecting to it via an external bus. Now it will be integrated within AMD, Intel, and Snapdragon CPUs itself—though when, and in which processors, remains very murky for now. What this means, however, is that there will be a third-party logic block built into an Intel Core or AMD Ryzen system-on-chip, which will create its own secured channel to Microsoft's Azure service to manage trusted updates. Microsoft is also seizing the opportunity to manage your PC's firmware updates, which sounds like it could mean that the firmware your motherboard and PC supplier provides could be replaced with Windows Update.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 17, 2020
It may be nothing more a processor change, but what a processor!
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Nov 17, 2020
The low-end MacBook Pro offers remarkable speed and battery life, bringing excitement back to the Mac lineup.
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Nov 17, 2020
The XPG Gammix S50 Lite didn't benchmark the fastest of the 4th-gen PCIe M.2 NVMe SSDs we've reviewed, but it proved nearly as quick as the best of them with real-world transfers. It's also considerably cheaper than previous PCIe 4 drives, which hopefully portends the end of early-adopter (read: high) pricing in this segment of the SSD market.
Design and specs
The XPG Gammix S50 Lite is an x4 PCIe gen 4 using 96-layer TLC (Triple-Level Cell/3-bit) NAND and a Silicon Motion SM2267 controller. The drive sports a dark-silver heat spreader, with the XPG logo featured prominently on the top side.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 17, 2020
I have seen the light. Or more specifically, I have seen the brightness, contrast, and pixel density.
After weeks of testing, I'm ready to declare the iPhone 12's Full HD (1920x1080, or 1080p) screen just as good as the Note 20 Ultra's WQHD (2560x1440) one, if not better. Android phone makers have convinced us that we need 2K or higher screens to get the best viewing experience, but that's just not the case.
I don't want to make this about Apple vs Android, but the fact of the matter is, we never needed displays with WQHD resolution. We simply wanted them--or rather, phone makers convinced us that we wanted them. Full HD displays have become relegated to budget Android phones as more emphasis is placed on immersive, edge-to-edge, pixel-packed experiences.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 17, 2020
TiVo vs. Tablo vs. Channel Master vs. Plex: None are ideal, but one might work for you.
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Nov 16, 2020
If there's one knock against the Google Pixel 4a, it's that it comes in only one color: Just Black. After COVID 19-related production issues reportedly forced Google to push back the 4a's launch, the budget Pixel finally landed in August in just a single configuration.
Just in time for the holidays, Google has launched a new color for the Pixel 4a: Barely Blue. It's not the first time Google has offered a blue hue for its products—the original Pixel came in Really Blue, the Pixel Slate is midnight blue, and the Nest Home Mini is available in Aqua, for instance—but this shade is on the subtle side. Like the Purple-ish Pixel 3a and Not Pink Pixel 3, the shade of blue here is very light and unassuming.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 16, 2020
Starting on Tuesday, Fire TV users will finally be able to watch Succession, Game of Thrones, Big Little Lies, and more using the HBO Max app.
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Nov 16, 2020
Watch out, Nvidia. AMD's long-awaited "Big Navi" graphics cards are almost here, and for the first time in a long time, Team Red is setting its sights on the high end. The $579 Radeon RX 6800 and $649 Radeon RX 6800 XT take direct aim at the GeForce RTX 3070 and RTX 3080, respectively, while the $999 Radeon RX 6900 XT sets its sights on Nvidia's crown jewel—the $1,500 GeForce RTX 3090. Hot damn. You can find all the Radeon RX 6000 details you need to know here.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 16, 2020
After a 15-year hiatus, the Cold War between PC and Mac began anew when Apple unveiled two new Mac laptops using its Arm-based M1 chip instead of an Intel x86 CPU.
The Mac is therefore no longer a "PC" as classically defined by tracing lineage from the IBM PC 5150 running DOS and its derivative OSes. The new MacBooks are computers you use personally, they are not PCs.
Is that just semantics, or does it really matter? Before you click that "buy now" button, we'll help you understand just what you're getting into if you choose a new Mac over a traditional PC.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 16, 2020
Individual socket control and broad support for smart home standards are the highlights of this otherwise generic offering.
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Nov 15, 2020
Let me just say it out loud, OK? Apple is full of it. I'm referring to Apple's claim that its fanless, Arm-based MacBook Air is "faster than 98 percent of PC laptops." Yes, you read that correctly: Apple officials literally claimed that the new MacBook Air using Apple's custom M1 chip is faster than 98 percent of all PC laptops sold this year.
Typically, when a company makes such a claim, it publishes a benchmark, a performance test or actual details on what it's basing that marketing claim on. This to prevent lawyers from launching out of missile silos across the world.
Apple's website restates the claim by stating: "M1 is faster than the chips in 98 percent of PC laptops sold in the past year." The site also includes a detail note that states: "Testing conducted by Apple in October 2020 using preproduction 13-inch MacBook Pro systems with Apple M1 chip and 16GB of RAM. Performance measured using select industry-standard benchmarks. PC configurations from publicly available sales data over the last 12 months. Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect approximate performance of MacBook Pro."
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 13, 2020
The gaming laptop landscape is experiencing an earthquake-like shift. With the near-simultaneous launches of AMD's Ryzen 4000 and Intel's Comet Lake-H mobile CPUs, we have a real fight for the first time ever, focusing on Ryzen 4000's cores vs. Comet Lake-H's clock speeds. We have to say, Ryzen 4000 is looking awfully good--check out our new top budget 15-inch laptop, the Acer Nitro 5, below. Meanwhile, Nvidia has unveiled a new generation of mobile graphics technologies. Check out our top picks immediately below, and keep reading to catch up on the latest news and reviews.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 13, 2020
The best laptops of 2020 are part of a pitched battle between AMD and Intel: Ryzen 4000's cores vs. Core's clock speeds. Most recently, Intel launched its Tiger Lake CPUs for thin-and-light laptops, promising yet again that thanks to flexible clock speeds, and its potent new Iris Xe discrete graphics, it would hammer Ryzen 4000. Or so Intel says. And meanwhile, AMD's laptop share is increasing. Check out the latest news and reviews, along with our top picks below. Looking for holiday laptop deals? We have those—and much more, in our Black Friday deal roundups.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 13, 2020
Before you even peel the plastic off your new iPhone 12 mini or iPhone 12 Pro Max (or maybe even a new iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro), read this setup guide.
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Nov 13, 2020
Smart, motorized shades and blinds cost a pretty penny, but do they ever bring the wow.
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Nov 13, 2020
Wood blinds look more elegant than fabric shades, but their greater mass limits the onboard motor in this smart model to tilting the slats—you'll need to raise and lower the blinds by hand.
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Nov 13, 2020
PC gamers know that high refresh rate monitors make games look smoother. But do higher refresh rate displays make games feel smoother, too? After getting our grubby paws on gear that measures system latency, we can definitely say that yes, fast monitors provide more responsive gameplay experiences for esports enthusiasts—though its effectiveness depends on the visual settings you're using to play those games, and the tangible benefits taper off the faster you go.
We recently received a 1080p Asus ROG Swift PG259QNR display in our labs. This silky-smooth 360Hz G-Sync monitor runs a whopping six times faster than a typical 60Hz screen. Better yet, it comes with Nvidia's Reflex Latency Analyzer tool. Built into select 360Hz G-Sync Esports monitors, Nvidia Reflex Analyzer can measure how long it takes for your mouse clicks to register as an action on-screen. Check out our Nvidia Reflex primer if you want to learn more about GeForce's suite of responsiveness-focused features.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 13, 2020
Vava's VD009 dash cam takes some of the most detailed video we've seen—day and night, front and interior. We were slightly disappointed that it doesn't feature Vava's usual hockey-puck form factor, but given its features and performance—we'll get over it. That's a joke folks; it's a very nice dash cam, even if it is a little pricey ($180 on Amazon).
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 12, 2020
Roku's high-end streaming box has more to like than ever, but still might leave you wanting more.
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Nov 12, 2020
Apple's new M1 MacBooks are closer than ever to the update I've wanted for years, but I'm still saving my money.
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Nov 12, 2020
Aukey's accessory lineup is wide-ranging, with items like charging cables, wall adapters, and battery packs. The company's packs have performed just okay in the past, with overall efficiency failing to crack the top half of all the portable battery packs we've tested.
That changes with the 10,000mAh (37Wh) Basix Slim battery pack from Aukey. This $19.99 pack punches above its price in performance, although the overall build quality leaves us somewhat disappointed.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 12, 2020
Roku gets AirPlay support, and it changes everything.
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Nov 11, 2020
Choosing the right virtual private network (VPN) service is no simple task. A VPN should keep your internet usage private and secure, but not every service handles your data in the same way.
Rest assured, we've done the legwork to determine if a VPN service has a history of good or bad behavior. A service has to protect online privacy; allow you to keep anonymity; offer a good variety of locations from which to direct your traffic; offer fast, reliable performance; and provide an easy-to-use interface.
Scroll to the bottom of this article to learn more about VPNs and what to look for when choosing one.
Updated 11/11/20 to include our review of TorGuard VPN, a good VPN with acceptable speeds, that works with Netflix, and has decent pricing. See links to all of our VPN reviews at the bottom of this article.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 11, 2020
On Wednesday, Google announced a major change to its policy on storing photos and other documents: All will start contributing to your overall storage cap, pushing you to eventually pay for Google's Google One cloud storage, or risk being deleted.
The changes won't take place immediately. Beginning on June 1, 2021, any new photo that you take with a smartphone not made by Google will count towards your cap, which is currently 15GB within Google's free tier. The same is true of any new Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, or Jamboard files. Existing photos and documents, however, will not.
The change is a major one for Android smartphone users, but can affect iOS users too. Generally speaking, when you take a photo with your Android smartphone, it's backed up to Google, as well as any other services you've linked to your phone, such as Box or Microsoft's OneDrive. Likewise, iPhone users can back up their photos into Google Photos as well as iCloud.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 11, 2020
On Wednesday, Google announced a major change to its policy on storing photos and other documents: All will start contributing to your overall storage cap, pushing you to eventually pay for Google's Google One cloud storage, or risk having files deleted.
The changes won't take place immediately. Beginning on June 1, 2021, any new photo that you take with a smartphone not made by Google will count towards your cap, which is currently 15GB within Google's free tier. The same is true of any new Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, or Jamboard files. Existing photos and documents, however, will not.
The change is a major one for Android smartphone users, but can affect iOS users too. Generally speaking, when you take a photo with your Android smartphone, it's backed up to Google, as well as any other services you've linked to your phone, such as Box or Microsoft's OneDrive. Likewise, iPhone users can back up their photos into Google Photos as well as iCloud.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 11, 2020
Microsoft's Xbox All Access, a monthly subscription that will provide gamers access to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, now includes an option to jump on board the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S console.
The price of Microsoft's new Xbox All Access program depends on which console you choose, and it's slightly increased from the Xbox One X generation. Now, you'll pay $34.99 per month for 24 months ($839.76) for an Xbox Series X and 24 months of Microsoft Game Pass Ultimate. Microsoft will charge $24.99 per month for 24 months ($599.76) for an Xbox Series S and 24 months of Game Pass Ultimate. There's also an option for an Xbox One S and 24 months of Game Pass Ultimate for $22.99 per month ($551.76) for 24 months, too.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 11, 2020
After one of the most impressive CPU launches in an era, AMD is facing criticism from customers who cry "paper launch," because they can't actually buy the "best consumer CPU we've ever seen."
As summed up by PC Gamer, AMD exec Frank Azor denied that he owed anything to some rando on Twitter who had bet him the Ryzen 5000 CPU would be a paper launch, much like Nvidia's frustratingly hard-to-get RTX 3000-series GPUs.
Twitter
"There's a big difference between a ‘paper launch' and shipping tons of units but demand exceeds supply," Azor responded. Frustrated AMD fans then piled on, insisting that because they couldn't buy one, it was a paper launch.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 11, 2020
It's hard to tell the difference between the new M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, so we've broken them all down for you.
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Nov 11, 2020
Microsoft's Game Pass for PC may be the best deal in gaming, and we've previously listed five reasons to back that up. Now we can add a sixth: Even more games from EA Play are joining Xbox Game Pass for PC on December 15.
If you're an Xbox owner, you already know what we're talking about: Over 60 games from EA Play became available to Xbox owners on November 10, including sports titles like the latest Madden NFL 20, FIFA 19, UFC 2, and Fight Night Champion. Other titles included the Battlefield series, Mass Effect, and more. Now, at least some of them are coming to the PC, too. At press time, there were a whopping 229 titles available for you to play on Game Pass for PC—and that's before EA adds the new titles.
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Nov 11, 2020
Most of the features we love about the top-of-the-line Nest Learning Thermostat—at almost half the cost.
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Nov 11, 2020
Apple's announcement of the first Macs running on its own M1 Arm silicon just might be the boost that Windows on Arm needs to pass the finish line. Or so we can hope.
Granted, there was some tap-dancing during Apple's Tuesday launch of a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini that all use Apple's first M1 processor, based on the Arm architecture. With eight cores inside (four cores for efficiency, four more for higher-power loads) we're seeing big promises, including longer battery life (18 hours for the new 13-inch MacBook Air) and faster performance.
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Nov 11, 2020
The HP Pavilion x360 Convertible 14 (dw0097nr) is a competent convertible laptop for handling the day-to-day workload of a work-from-home or distance-learning experience. It also offers some unique features, including a rare cellular option and a full-sized SD card slot. The USB-C and HDMI ports allow for two additional displays, including 4K support. While these attributes work in the Pavilion x360's favor, its middling performance and underwhelming battery life make other laptops we've tested in its price range seem like a better deal.
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Nov 10, 2020
As in previous years, Black Friday began early in 2020—no one's waiting until the day after Thanksgiving to kick off sales. Amazon got the ball rolling in October this year, and other retailers like Walmart will offer staggered waves of deals throughout November.
We've started listing the best deals below—keep an eye peeled for further updates as the days tick by.
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Nov 10, 2020
As in previous years, Black Friday began early in 2020—no one's waiting until the day after Thanksgiving to kick off sales. Amazon tried to get the ball rolling as early as October this year, and other retailers like Walmart are trying to tempt shoppers with staggered waves of deals in November.
Despite a more low-key vibe from stores this fall, several tantalizing deals have popped up already, with more likely to come between now and Black Friday proper (November 27). Unlike previous years, you may want to purchase items as discounts surface, due to shipping delays and increased demand for certain types of products.
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Nov 10, 2020
Let me just say it outloud, OK? Apple is full of it. I'm referring to Apple's claim that its fanless, Arm-based MacBook Air is "faster than 98 percent of PC laptops." Yes, you read that correctly: Apple officials literally claimed that the new MacBook Air using Apple's custom M1 chip is faster than 98 percent of all PC laptops sold this year.
Typically, when a company makes such a claim, it publishes a benchmark, a performance test or actual details on what it's basing that marketing claim on. This to prevent lawyers from launching out of missile silos across the world.
Apple's website restates the claim by stating: "M1 is faster than the chips in 98 percent of PC laptops sold in the past year." The site also includes a detail note that states: "Testing conducted by Apple in October 2020 using preproduction 13-inch MacBook Pro systems with Apple M1 chip and 16GB of RAM. Performance measured using select industry-standard benchmarks. PC configurations from publicly available sales data over the last 12 months. Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect approximate performance of MacBook Pro."
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Nov 10, 2020
Apple's "One more thing" event has wrapped up and as expected. we got new Macs. Here's how it all went down.
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Nov 10, 2020
Update: With Apple announcing three M1-based Macs this morning, our advice still stands that you should not buy a MacPro or MacBook Pro 16 unless you want to risk being abandoned as we lay out below.
Apple's news on Monday that it will be dropping Intel's x86 CPUs for its own ARM chips can mean only one thing to anyone who doesn't want to be left behind: Don't buy a Mac.
You may think this is another Internet-baiting hot take that will argue that x86 is better than ARM. Or you might think the math doesn't add up that Apple—despite its near-infinite loop of resources and cash—can outwit AMD, Intel and Nvidia.
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Nov 10, 2020
Ray tracing. Zen 2. Variable refresh rate. 4K/60fps gaming. RDNA 2. 120Hz refresh rate.
The tech specs for the Microsoft Xbox Series X and Sony PlayStation 5, which hit shelves this Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, contain a familiar list of elements for PC gamers. In fact, outside of RDNA 2, they're all old news at this point. Looking at the next-generation consoles, you could easily think, "Why not just build a PC? It'll only be a little more expensive."
Everyone's favorite Greek chorus (aka the internet) would agree. Vocal commentors like to claim that a PC equivalent to a PS5 or Xbox Series X costs as little as $800—or the "true" price of those consoles after factoring in the mandatory subscriptions for online play.
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Nov 10, 2020
We expect Apple to unwrap its new MacBooks (or maybe PowerBooks?) on Tuesday, and we at PCWorld are as excited as anyone else—to see if Apple can finally catch up to all the things we already enjoy on Windows laptops.
It wasn't that long ago that Apple's innovative MacBooks made Windows-based laptops look clunky and slow. Not anymore. Whether it was the GPU and battery problems with the 2016-era MacBook Pros, the long-reviled MacBook Butterfly keyboard that finally died, or the slow uptake of new Intel processors, Apple has fallen far, far behind in laptop technology over the last few years.
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Nov 10, 2020
Though rough around the edges, this affordable smart plug includes some excellent features, such as energy monitoring.
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Nov 09, 2020
Micron has announced it's shipping 176-layer TLC NAND flash memory to customers, a move that portends larger, faster and even cheaper SSD drives for all.
The company said its 5th-gen 3D NAND memory should put its density about 40 percent higher than its nearest competitors, which are using 128-layer NAND. Micron said read and write latencies are reduced by 35 percent compared to its 96-layer NAND, and by 25 percent compared its 128-layer NAND. Micron isn't the only NAND memory manufacturer that has 176 layers, but it is the first to start volume shipments.
The Micron NAND is TLC, or three-bits per cell, and is said to have 33 percent faster transfer rates, as well as a 35 percent improvement in read and write latencies. And because it's TLC NAND instead of QLC, the new memory should offer better drive endurance, too.
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Nov 09, 2020
Lightweight, easily readable in direct sunlight or, on models equipped with a built-in backlight, in the dead of night, an e-reader is an excellent choice for browsing periodicals, documents, comic books, and of course, books. Most are capable of storing thousands of books—and with power-efficient E Ink displays, word aficionados can typically read for weeks at a time before their device's battery will need to topping off.
These are all great features but, as they're all features that most e-readers share, choosing which device to buy can be daunting. Don't worry, we're here to help you find the device that suits your needs. We've assembled reviews of the most popular e-readers on the market today—as well as some you might not have heard of that deserve your attention.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 09, 2020
Roku Streaming Stick vs. Amazon Fire Stick vs. Chromecast vs. Apple TV, and more. Which streaming device is best for cord cutters? Our buying guide will help you pick the right accessories for your TV.
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Nov 09, 2020
Apple is holding its final event of 2020 this week and it's going to be packed with new stuff. Here's what we expect to see.
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Nov 09, 2020
TorGuard in brief:
P2P allowed: Yes
TorGuard is a no-nonsense VPN service. You won't find a ton of extra features. There are no double VPN connections, specialized TOR over VPN connections, or anything like that. It's a straight-up VPN connection over OpenVPN, WireGuard, or OpenConnect, with 46 country options on OpenVPN to choose from.
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Nov 09, 2020
Intel users aren't the only ones jealous of the gobsmacking performance of AMD's new Ryzen 5000. Those on older versions of Ryzen are probably green with envy too.
Before you wade into the scrum of trying to buy one of AMD's hot new Ryzen 5000 chips, though, you should know whether it's really worth upgrading or not.
Generation-over-generation upgrades are rarely ever worth it, whether you're talking CPUs or GPUs. To see if that applies here, we collected CPU performance figures from chips we've tested internally and supplemented them. This means they're a little less precise, but because the test, Cinebench R15, is mostly a pure compute test, it's precise enough for this purpose.
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Nov 09, 2020
Intel users aren't the only ones jealous of the gobsmacking performance of AMD's new Ryzen 5000. Those on older versions of Ryzen are probably green with envy too.
Before you wade into the scrum of trying to buy one of AMD's hot new Ryzen 5000 chips, though, you should know whether it's really worth upgrading or not.
Generation-over-generation upgrades are rarely ever worth it, whether you're talking CPUs or GPUs. To see if that applies here, we collected CPU performance figures from chips we've tested internally and supplemented them. This means they're a little less precise, but because the test, Cinebench R15, is mostly a pure compute test, it's precise enough for this purpose.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 09, 2020
Fire TV Stick (2020) and Fire TV Stick Lite review: Improved hardware, TBD software.
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Nov 09, 2020
The combination of features, including a programmable front-panel LED, makes this unit ideal for most computer owners.
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Nov 09, 2020
The combination of features, including a programmable front-panel LED, makes this unit ideal for most computer owners.
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Nov 06, 2020
In this episode of The Full Nerd, Gordon Ung, Brad Chacos, Alaina Yee, and Adam Patrick Murray dive into AMD domination in both PCs and gaming consoles.
We kick things off by recapping Gordon's Ryzen 9 5950X and 5900X review. Bottom line? AMD's promises were true, and for the first time in a tremendously long time, its chips dominate Intel's rival Core processors in every possible way. "Ryzen 5000 simply gives no quarter to its Intel arch-nemesis in any single task," our review declared. "Heavy lifting multi-core work? AMD. Light single-threaded tasks? AMD. Gaming? AMD. PCIe 4.0? AMD. No need to throw away your existing motherboard? AMD." We dissect what that means on the show.
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Nov 06, 2020
Are you on the hunt for a totally new gaming machine, only interested in gaming, and want as much raw firepower as possible for your money? Then you might want to consider the $500 Xbox Series X launching on November 10. There's no way you can even come close to building a Series X-equivalent PC for anywhere near the $500 price tag of Microsoft's next-generation console. We tried.
But in the battle of Xbox Series X versus gaming PCs, there's a lot more to consider than just pricing. Let's dig in.
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Nov 06, 2020
Want to get more immersion out of your PC gameplay? Imagine this: You're aiming down the sights of a rifle in Call of Duty, straining to track the player who's been sniping you from afar and get him in your crosshairs. Suddenly a barrage of missiles rain down from overhead, blanketing your area in explosions and vibrating your headphones with a long, low rumble. Not only have you lost your target but your heart is racing from the intense sounds coming from the battlefield, literally shaking your head.
Corsair's $130 HS60 Haptic headphones have rumble motors—like the ones found in gaming controllers—built into each earcup. They read the low frequencies coming through the USB connection to your PC and use that to trigger vibrations so you can feel the sound as well as hear it. The adjustable wheel on the right ear cup adjusts how hard the rumble pushes (and boy, can it crank) but it's dependent on the overall volume output. Less low end frequencies present in the signal means less vibration intensity, and vice versa.
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Nov 06, 2020
We've long been fans of Acer's line of affordable Nitro 5 gaming laptops. This new entry in the series, just $670 at Best Buy, ups the ante with eye-popping CPU performance and great battery life.
Note that it keeps the same GTX 1650 graphics card that we saw in a similar model last year, so don't expect ray tracing or frame rates much higher than 60 fps or so. But with its revamped cooling system and Ryzen 4000-series CPU, the updated Nitro 5 manages to squeeze every last ounce of performance from its limited GPU power, making it an enticing pick for gamers on a budget.
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Nov 06, 2020
Excellent active noise cancellation, but the sound quality is slightly veiled, marring an otherwise excellent headphone.
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Nov 06, 2020
An unusual design is perhaps the only frill on this smart plug.
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Nov 05, 2020
With reviews officially declaring AMD's Ryzen 5000 the best CPU in a generation, you're probably wondering if the Zen 3-based chip is for you. To help you quickly break down all the reasons to invest in this chip, here are five reasons you'll want a Ryzen 5000 in your desktop PC.
You want the very best multi-core performance
For a number of years, AMD has left Intel in applications that rely on a lot of CPU cores. We're talking about 3D animation, certain video editing chores, and workstation-level applications. In this category, AMD's Ryzen 5000 (not to mention its predecessors) have flattened Intel for years. See our Ryzen 5000 multi-core benchmarks in 3D rendering and content creation for evidence.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 05, 2020
If you yearn for Razer hardware, but you don't actually need to play games on your laptop, the new Razer Book 13 might be your thing.
The Razer Book is crafted using the company's signature CNC-milled construction, which has given Razer laptops a reputation for being built tough. Inside, it'll feature Intel's new 11th-gen "Tiger Lake" CPU with Iris Xe graphics.
To keep Intel's new CPU cool, Razer uses a vapor chamber construction rather than a lower-cost heat pipe. The new laptop won't exactly be light at 2.95 lbs but it's fairly small at 11.6 x 7.8 x 0.6-inches.
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Nov 05, 2020
Ask the internet if you should wait until Black Friday to upgrade your PC, and you'll get a stream of comments dismissing it as a time for good deals.
They're not wrong, but they're not right, either. Sure, if you've got your eye on a very specific part, your chances of a deep discount are generally a toss-up. It can be as likely you'll get a better price at another time of the year as you will during Black Friday. The more niche it is, the rougher your odds.
But if all you care about is price and are semi-flexible on features for your components, you can chain together Black Friday deals for ultimate savings. (In fact, you can go the full distance and build an entire budget PC for stupid cheap.)
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 05, 2020
If you've been waiting anxiously for weeks to drop AMD's new "Zen 3" Ryzen 5000 processors into your 500-series AM4 motherboard, the time is finally here. And the wait was worth it, as CPUs like the Ryzen 9 5900X and Ryzen 9 5950X so utterly destroy Intel's rival Core i9 that we're still stunned by the severity of the sweep.
You will have to do a few things to prepare your X570 or B550 motherboard first, though. AMD official said for any 500-series AM4 motherboard to boot a new "Zen 3" Ryzen 5000 chip, it'll have to have a UEFI/BIOS featuring an AMD AGESA BIOS numbered 1.0.8.0 or higher.
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Nov 05, 2020
Hotly anticipated Radeon cards expected to sell out. Shortages of GeForce GPUs. Even if you wanted to build a gaming PC right now, obtaining the all-important discrete GPU is practically impossible. But there is an alternative: The Xbox Series X.
For the past week or so, I've tested a $499 Xbox Series X console provided by Microsoft. Announced Thursday and due to ship November 10, it remains one of the most accessible ways to play next-gen games at PC-like resolutions and frame rates. There are also a few things it can do that the PC can't.
So who needs a gaming PC? Read on to see why you don't.
Horrendous GPU shortages? Buy an Xbox!
The GPU shortage is real. Nvidia's cards are selling out within minutes. Gamers are livestreaming and liveblogging their attempts at purchasing them. What good is listing the best graphics cards for PC gaming if you can't even buy one? And even if you could, the price of the RTX 3070 FE is $499, the same price as the Xbox Series X. (The slightly less powerful Xbox Series S, which we do not have, costs $299.) That's before you start testing the waters at eBay, where RTX 3070 prices currently run $700 and above.
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Nov 05, 2020
Many will see today as an historic shift in computing power. With its new Ryzen 5000 desktop CPUs, AMD has finally knocked Intel to the floor, and is raising its boxing gloves in victory as the flash bulbs pop and the ref declares a winner. The headline takeaway: Ryzen 9 5900X and Ryzen 9 5950X have trounced Intel's Core i9.
The Ryzen 5000 chips using AMD's Zen 3 cores are arguably the best consumer desktop CPUs the world has ever seen. Ryzen 5000 simply gives no quarter to its Intel arch-nemesis in any single task. Heavy lifting multi-core work? AMD. Light single-threaded tasks? AMD. Gaming? AMD. PCIe 4.0? AMD. No need to throw away your existing motherboard? AMD.
To read this article in full, please click here
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Nov 05, 2020
Q: Why do people get so heated about the node that different companies use? Intel gets a lot of flak for being on 14nm, and so has Nvidia for being on Samsung's 8nm process. It's as if anyone not on TMSC 7nm has made a fatal error.
You can chalk up much of the uproar to human nature. For the same reason that people align themselves with a particular sports team or burger joint, they'll loyally defend a CPU manufacturer—or go on the attack against any critiques. As my colleague Brad Chacos often points out, no one likes feeling as if they chose the wrong product, especially when it's an expensive electronic investment. That sensation (or even the hypothetical threat of it) tends to spark fiery wrath in staunch fans.
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Nov 05, 2020
If you have the right plan and connect to the right network, 5G on the iPhone 12 can be insanely great. But for a lot of us, it's not worth paying for right now.
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Nov 05, 2020
Bose is offering great prices on these ANC cans this time of year, and you can have them customized for just a little extra cash.
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Nov 04, 2020
In another lifetime, Black Friday was a single day of shopping excess. People woke up early the day after Thanksgiving, headed to malls, and fought over deeply discounted sweaters and TVs.
Then Black Friday gradually morphed into a vaguely defined period in November that mixed together incredible loss-leader discounts, solid price reductions, and a slew of questionable "bargains." The time creep is dramatically worse this year, with "Black Friday" sales beginning in October, right after Amazon's later-than-usual Prime Day deals. On top of that, some major retailers (like Walmart) say they're releasing their best Black Friday deals in staggered waves in the lead up to the day proper.
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Nov 04, 2020
When it comes to gaming PCs, nothing matters more than your graphics card. To push as many pixels as possible you're going to want the fastest graphics card you can afford—but ever-shifting prices and product lineups make it difficult to keep track of what's available.
In honor of keeping frame rates high, we decided to rank all the major available discrete GPUs from Nvidia GeForce and AMD Radeon, starting with the fastest graphics card available and working on down. This list focuses on each company's most current GPU lineups, and doesn't include significantly older graphics cards (yet). Price to performance is not a consideration here—just pure performance. (Concrete example: The GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is technically more powerful than the GeForce RTX 3070, and hence higher on this list, but it's essentially tied in performance and the newer GeForce option is significantly cheaper, making it a better buy.)
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