Review Index Page 11

  • Asus ROG Swift PG259QN Review: Hitting 360Hz

    The Asus ROG Swift PG259QN is the first monitor to hit a 360Hz refresh rate, giving us motion clarity that's unlike anything we've seen with LCD panels before. It also does it using an IPS panel, not a TN.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    95
  • HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop Review

    If you're in the market for a complete gaming system with reasonably modern hardware and the ability to tackle new games with ease, you can't go wrong with the HP Omen 30L.
    By Cohen Coberly on
    85
  • AMD Ryzen 7 4800U Review

    Today's review is all about the Ryzen 7 4800U, AMD's top-of-the-line APU for lightweight laptops, also known as ultrabooks. This is the best Renoir die AMD has to offer from an efficiency standpoint, aiming to bring the great performance to 15W and 25W power envelopes.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    95
  • GeForce RTX 2080 Ti vs GTX 1080 Ti vs GTX 980 Ti: Flagship Versus

    Today's comparison uses brand new fresh data for the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, GTX 1080 Ti and GTX 980 Ti. We're currently in the process of updating all our GPU data in anticipation of Nvidia's soon to be released GeForce 30 series. So we thought, why not compare five years of flagship GeForce GPUs while we're at it?
    By Steven Walton on
  • Crusader Kings III Review

    Crusader Kings III is an immense game, but also an immense achievement. There's really nothing else quite like it. It's a strategy game, and a good one at that, and like I've said if you only want to raise armies and conquer the world, this will let you do that and you'll have a good time with it.
    By Luke Plunkett on
  • HP Omen 15 Review

    The HP Omen 15 marks an attempt to introduce a new design language and a more mature vibe to the gaming range. The new machine packs a Ryzen 7 4800H, GTX 1660 Ti graphics, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD and a 1080p 144Hz display for $1149.
    By Mike Jennings on
    80
  • Superhot: Mind Control Delete

    Stark, minimalist graphics. Time warping, freeze frame action. Glide past bullets, dance between enemies -- a ballet of epic destruction. The smash hit of 2016 is back, bigger and bolder. Welcome to Superhot: Mind Control Delete.
    By Nick Evanson on
  • AMD or Intel for GeForce RTX 3080 Benchmarking: Is PCIe 4.0 a Factor?

    Nvidia is set to introduce faster next-gen Ampere GPUs next month. That's exciting, but we've got a tough choice to make. The new graphics cards will support PCIe 4.0, but our GPU test system that was just upgraded to a Core i9-10900K, doesn't, rather it's limited to PCIe 3.0. Should we go Ryzen 9 instead?
    By Steven Walton on
  • Same Laptop, Different CPU - Part 2: Ryzen 4000 vs. Intel 10th-gen Gaming Battle

    This is part two of our investigation into Ryzen Mobile 4000 versus Intel's 10th-gen Core processors in the same laptop design. Before we had covered productivity performance and today we're rounding that off with a look at gaming.
    By Tim Schiesser on
  • Same Laptop, Different CPU: Ryzen 4000 vs. Intel 10th-gen Battle

    You've seen the results of our numerous tests of Intel 10th-gen Core laptops as well as for AMD models using Ryzen 4000 CPUs. Comparing them has been somewhat tricky however. Today's test is an exciting one for that same reason. XMG has provided us both Ryzen Mobile 4000 and Intel laptops... using the same design and chassis!
    By Tim Schiesser on
  • EarFun Air wireless earbuds: $60 AirPods killer?

    Wireless audio has ballooned in popularity, in part thanks to Apple AirPods. In terms of user experience, AirPods are tough to beat, but that comes with a steep price tag and ecosystem limitations. So when electronics startup EarFun offered us to review a set of AirPods alternatives that would only cost $60 on Amazon, we were all ears.
  • LG 34GN850 34" Review: The New 21:9 Ultrawide Performance King

    The LG 34GN850 is the company's latest 34" 3440 x 1440 ultrawide display and the direct successor to the best performing ultrawide display we tested a few years back. The 34GN850 iterates on that winning formula with a few notable improvements, including their latest 1ms Nano IPS tech.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    90
  • The Old King of Gaming: Intel Core i7-8700K Revisited

    It's time we revisited the good old Core i7-8700K, an Intel CPU we're rather fond of after it remained at the top of the game for quite some time. From day one we called it 'The King of Gaming' and although it was technically superseded by the 9900K and then the 10900K, it's still a very capable gaming processor.
    By Steven Walton on
  • AMD B350 vs. B450 vs. B550 Tomahawk Motherboards

    Over the past week we've been testing AMD B550 motherboard VRMs and today we'll look at MSI Tomahawk motherboards from the past few generations comparing B350, B450 and B550 models, as well as some new and worthwhile B550 budget variants.
    By Steven Walton on
  • Desktop GeForce vs. Laptop GeForce: Gaming Performance Compared

    In today's review we'll unravel the performance difference between Nvidia's desktop and laptop GPUs of the same name, covering all options from the GTX 1660 Ti up through to the RTX 2080 Super. Hopefully this will make it much clearer next time you're buying a new gaming system, knowing what level of performance you're getting.
    By Tim Schiesser on
  • Intel Core i3 vs. Core i5 vs. Core i7 vs. Core i9

    Do you need to buy a Core i9 for gaming, and is a Core i3 sufficient for general desktop work? How about upgrading to a Core i5, how much faster is that? Our CPU reviews provide more than enough data to answer those questions, but this review will serve as a great reference for those wanting to compare Intel Core i3, i5, i7 and i9 processors directly.
    By Steven Walton on
  • Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Review

    Intel has always ruled the laptop world, but AMD is finally fighting back. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is among the first notebooks to deploy a Zen 2 processor, and the Ryzen 9 4900HS chip used in this laptop is stunning with an enviable 8-core, 16-thread specification.
    By Mike Jennings on
    90
  • Samsung Odyssey G7 32" Monitor Review

    This is one of the most heavily requested monitor reviews we've had in quite some time. The Samsung Odyssey G7 sports a 2560 x 1440 resolution, 240Hz refresh rate, VA panel, 1000R curvature and even some DisplayHDR 600 functionality. Part of the anticipation comes from this next generation Samsung VA panel that can handle a 240Hz refresh rate.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    80
  • Ryzen 3 vs. Ryzen 5 vs. Ryzen 7 vs. Ryzen 9

    There are many third-gen Ryzen processors to pick from, but you can narrow the choices down easily and having an intended budget will help you quickly do that. It's also good to understand what kind of performance boost you'll get by going up a tier, or how much you'll be sacrificing by going down to save some money.
    By Steven Walton on
  • Ryzen 7 1700 vs. Ryzen 3 3300X: GPU Scaling

    AMD's old-time favorite, the Ryzen 7 1700 seems to have aged rather well. Budget PC builders right now can choose between a Ryzen 3 3300X or a second hand R7 1700 for $130. The 3300X is a 4-core/8-thread CPU that enjoys all the advantages of the Zen 2 architecture, while the R7 1700 has twice as many cores, but older Zen ones. So which wins?
    By Steven Walton on
  • AMD Ryzen 3600XT, 3800XT and 3900XT Review

    After some speculation and anticipation, today we're taking a look at AMD's Ryzen 3000XT series. These are technically new processors and you'll want to know if they're worth buying. But let's just stop right there to say, spoiler alert: they're a big fat nothing-burger that you should avoid.
    By Steven Walton on
  • GTA Online is Bigger than Ever, Let's Review It in 2020

    Rockstar never meant to support GTA Online for nearly a decade and counting. That was never the plan. Yet GTA Online continues to be updated, and oddly, now in 2020, it's bigger than ever.
    By Zack Zwiezen on
  • GeForce Laptop Roundup: GPU Performance Compared

    Today we return to the realm of laptop graphics hardware to talk about Nvidia's refreshed line of GeForce GPUs. We've already looked at two of the new GPUs: the RTX 2070 Super Max-Q and RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, but alongside these Nvidia has also updated the rest of the series with spec improvements.
    By Tim Schiesser on
  • AMD Ryzen 5 4500U Review

    This is our first review of AMD's Ryzen Mobile 4000 U-series processors, the low power variants intended for slim, light, ultraportable laptops. Our exploration starts with the mid-range Ryzen 5 4500U, a 6 core, 6 thread part with 6 Vega GPU units. All with a default TDP of 15W.
    By Tim Schiesser on
  • AMD B550 Motherboard First Look & VRM Temperature Test

    At long last AMD more budget-oriented B550 motherboards will finally go on sale. There's been plenty of talk about the B550 chipset and all the supporting boards for weeks, and we're now able to share our results with you. On hand for testing today we have the MSI B550M Mortar, MSI B550 Tomahawk, Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro and Gigabyte B550 Aorus Master.
    By Steven Walton on
  • Ryzen 7 2700X vs. Ryzen 7 3700X: High Refresh Gaming Comparison

    Following up to our recent CPU comparison in competitive titles using low quality settings, we're pitting the Ryzen 7 3700X and 10th-gen Core i5-10600K against the 2700X to see how the previous-gen Ryzen stacks up.
    By Steven Walton on
  • Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q Review

    Today we're checking out the GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, this is Nvidia's fastest laptop GPU for power or thermally constrained laptop form factors. We're testing it on MSI's GE66 Raider high-end gaming laptop that also sports a flagship Core i9-10980HK.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    90
  • Just How Much Faster are Intel CPUs for Gaming?

    Today we're going to compare the Ryzen 7 3700X and Core i5-10600K in a number of games, but we'll be doing so with low or esports level of quality settings in games such as Fortnite, World of Tanks, Rocket League, and about half a dozen other competitive titles.
    By Steven Walton on
  • Intel Core i9-10980HK Review: Flagship Laptop CPU

    The Core i9-10980HK is Intel's flagship mobile processor in their 10th generation line-up. This is the third CPU we've looked at in the Comet Lake H-series, after the Core i7-10875H and Core i7-10750H, so we're starting to get a pretty comprehensive outline of where Intel is positioned in the market right now. This Core i9 chip is typically found in the most expensive laptops you can get, but it also promises to be the fastest.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    85
  • Asus TUF Gaming VG279QM 280Hz Gaming Monitor Review

    We continue our look into the latest generation of high-refresh IPS gaming monitors with a review of the Asus TUF Gaming VG279QM. This affordable monitor can "overclock" from 240 Hz to 280 Hz and also features ELMB-Sync support, which allows you to use backlight strobing and adaptive sync at the same time.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    90