The remastered take on arguably the best Diablo game is launching this fall. At E3 Blizzard announced that Diablo II: Resurrected will be available on September 23rd. It’s coming to the PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. Blizzard says that, if you’re playing on capable hardware, the game “supports up to 4K resolution and includes fully remastered 7.1 Dolby Surround audio.” That said, you can also go retro, with an option to play in the original 800×600 resolution.
Resurrected was first announced at a virtual Blizzcon event earlier this year, but it’s also part of a bigger push for the franchise. In addition to the remaster, Diablo is also expanding to mobile, while the flagship Diablo IV is also in the works — though it’s not clear when it will launch. An open beta for Resurrected’s multiplayer will be available in August on “supporting platforms.”
(Pocket-lint) – Xiaomi really, really wants you to pay attention to the Mi 11 series. That’s clear because there’s a Mi 11, a higher-end Mi 11 Ultra, a lower-spec Mi 11 Lite 5G, plus a bunch of regional specifics – including this model on review, the Mi 11i, which is also known as the Mi 11X Pro in India.
Whew. Lost count yet? Us too. But that’s not even every Mi 11 model available – there’s actually eight in total at last count. We shant bother you with the additional options right here, but it does make us wonder if Xiaomi has taken its eye off the ball somewhat. There’s delivering something for everyone, then there’s delivering something excessively.
The Mi 11i, however, is a powerful handset that sits just below the original Mi 11, making for an ought-to-be-more-affordable option (its price is, at the time of writing, to be confirmed). It doesn’t sacrifice much in the pursuit of that saving, though, so is the ‘i’ the more favourable Mi model to go for or just a Mi too far?
Design & Display
Display: 6.67-inch AMOLED panel, 1080 x 2400 resolution, 120Hz refresh
Finishes: Celestial Silver, Frosty White, Cosmic Black
Dimensions: 164.7 x 74.6 x 7.8mm / Weight: 196g
Side-positioned fingerprint scanner
At a brief glance and the Mi 11i doesn’t look especially different to the Mi 11. But there are tell-tale signs: the ‘i’ doesn’t feature a curved screen; instead its 6.67-inch panel is not only a mite smaller than the Mi 11’s, but it’s flat too, which some will prefer – but we don’t think looks quite as flashy from a visual perspective.
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The screen is quality, though, delivering a Full HD+ resolution – note that’s lower than the Mi 11’s WQHD+ offering – and capable of up to 120Hz refresh rate for smooth visuals. We’ve already seen the likes of this panel in the Redmi Note 10 Pro, so its performance is one and the same – i.e. decent quality.
As it’s an AMOLED panel that means the Mi 11i can have an always-on display activated – which illuminates the edges in a subtle fashion when there’s a notification, as one example – for visuals to be shown on the lock screen without actively needing to turn the display on. The screen tech also means deep blacks and rich colours as standard (and you can further tweak to your preference within the settings).
There’s little to criticise about the screen – although its brightness isn’t as searing as some. Still, it’s a sensible panel selection for this level, even better paired with this device than the Redmi, really, as the Mi 11i has more power to support that 120Hz fast refresh – ensuring support across more demanding situations.
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Also similar to the Redmi, the Mi 11i drops the under-display fingerprint scanner for a side-positioned one in the power button. Although setting this up suggested it wasn’t going to be especially responsive – for some reason it was being fussy while registering – ongoing use has proven it to be highly responsive. We might even prefer it to an under-display option, as it happens.
Flip the Mi 11i over and, again, it looks largely similar to the original Mi 11. That means there’s a glass panel that’s curved at the edges, which picks up light nicely, but fingerprints show in abundance sadly. We much prefer the fingerprint-resistant and colourful finish of the Mi 11 Lite 5G.
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Where things do differ is in the camera arrangement. The triple unit, which has two particularly large lenses, does protrude rather incessantly, but that’s all part and parcel of a flagship phone these days – the 11i’s isn’t as disruptive as the giant lump on the Mi 11 Ultra anyway. The really peculiar thing about the Mi 11i is the integrated microphone sandwiched between the two main lenses. Like, seriously, what is that all about? We’re weirded out every time we have to look at it.
Performance & Battery
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, 8GB RAM
Storage: 128GB UFS 3.1 (no microSD)
Battery: 4,520mAh; 33W charging
Software: MIUI 12 (on Android 11)
Dual SIM, 5G connectivity
Unlike the aforementioned Redmi device, the Mi 11i steps things up in the power department, utilising the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 platform as found in the original Mi 11. That’s the top-grade processor that you’ll find in any phone during 2021, which translates into really great performance.
Pocket-lint
As we said, it gives the Mi 11i an upper hand in ensuring that higher frame-rates are achievable for making the most of that fast-refresh panel. So whether you’re admiring the smooth scrolling around the MIUI software, or playing your very best PUBG: Mobile, it’s an impressive outlay.
Even when gaming we’ve not found heat dissipating from the body to be a problem – likely the result of a plastic rather than metal shell? – while the 4,520mAh battery has been holding up really well under our mixed use. We’ve been getting about 14 hours use, which has seen us arrive at just under half battery by bed time on most days. It also sports 33W fast-charging to get topped-up again nice and quick.
Part of the reason for this long battery innings is the fairly high impact of Xiaomi’s MIUI software. There are lots of options to pick through, a number of alerts to suggest limiting certain functions to retain battery, and a lot of per-app permissions that you’ll need to tinker with to ensure everything runs as you please. They’re not all in the one place, either, so you’ll really need to dig deep to find everything.
As we said of the original Mi 11: that’s kind-of good, but kind-of bad all at the same time, because there’s so much footwork to get everything functioning as you expect – and sometimes you won’t know there’s a ‘problem’ with a specific app until, say, it doesn’t send you a notification. And we’ve found Gmail slow to update and Outlook largely ill-responsive when it comes to notifications on this software platform.
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All that said, however, we’ve not run into as many considerable hurdles while using the Mi 11i as with some other Xiaomi handsets. It’s quirks rather than total experience killers. And this is running MIUI 12.0.4 – so it’s still not on the expected 12.5 update. How much difference that will genuinely make is yet to be seen though.
On the cameras front the Mi 11i is largely similar to the Mi 11. Both have triple rear systems, both of which feature a 108-megapixel main camera, a wide-angle, and a macro. However, the ‘i’ model downgrades the wide-angle’s resolution (from 13MP to 8MP) and drops the optical stabilisation of the main camera too.
Pocket-lint
: Wide angle camera (full size image)Wide angle camera (full size image)
Still, we’re glad that there aren’t other throwaway cameras like with so many other phones at the moment. Each lens has its own distinct task. Sure, that built-in microphone looks like its been installed by a 1970s Bond-esque spy team, but otherwise there’s not excesses to be seen. And, no, there’s no zoom lens here – but that wouldn’t be expected at this level.
The main lens uses nine-in-one pixel processing to produce 12-megapixel images as standard – smaller than the four-in-one 27-megapixel output offering from the standard Mi 11 device. There’s still heaps of detail crammed in, though, so it’s a decent enough optic to deliver good results – just don’t expect too much in lower-light when you can’t hold the phone steady. The Night Mode isn’t that great, really, but it can get you out of a tricky low-light situation.
Pocket-lint
: Main camera (full size image)Main camera (full size image)
The telemacro, which also doesn’t feature any stabilisation either, can be a bit tricky to use. But its results are fun. You’ll get some great close-ups, but there’s not the same degree of accomplishment with sharpness or detail as the main lens – partly because it’s 5-megapixels only, partly because the autofocus is limited. But at least it’s a step better than the no-good 2-megapixel macro lenses that so many makers are mindlessly putting on their phones.
All in all, despite the absence of proper optical zoom lenses, the Mi 11i’s take on cameras is decent for this level. There are limitations, though, and the wide-angle isn’t very good here, but in terms of an accomplished main optic without too many distractions it works.
Verdict
The Mi 11i is, on the one hand, a confusing entry to Xiaomi’s series because it adds yet another handset to the Mi 11 line-up. And that muddies the waters between the standard Mi 11 and the Mi 11 Lite 5G – the latter which we’d buy beyond both others given its preferable design.
On the other hand, the Mi 11i doesn’t get anything truly wrong, per se, it functions smoothly as there’s heaps of power – which is a reason you’d consider it above and beyond more budget contenders, such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro.
Using the Mi 11i feels largely effortless, but as it’s an exercise in market flooding there’s also no distinctive reason to opt for one.
Also consider
Pocket-lint
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
Of all the Mi 11 handsets this would be our choice. It’s the best looking, the slimmest, and while not the most powerful just feels best balanced as the handset to own. Especially in the minty colour finish, as pictured, which we think looks super.
Read our review
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Pocket-lint
Redmi Note 10 Pro
It’s less powerful, but then it’s cheaper. With the same screen as the Mi 11i, but lesser protruding rear cameras, and software that – for whatever reason – we found more consistent, this money-saving option would be our budget alternative pick.
(Image credit: Future / Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Xbox Game Studios)
LG’s premium OLED TVs now come with a five-year warranty, so any defects within that time period will be fixed free of charge.
It applies to the LG OLED G1 (above), which comes in 55-, 65- and 75-inch sizes, and the OLED Z1 8K set, which comes in 77- and 88-inch sizes.
The warranty starts from the date you buy the TV. It covers parts and labour for the first year after purchase, and a free panel service for the five-year period.
The 65-inch version of the G1 bowled us over, earning five stars in our review. It boasts a beautiful, punchy, sharp picture with tons of detail and a better remote control. About the only downside we could find was the lack of feet or stand in the box, and the slightly underwhelming audio performance. But that can always be righted by adding a soundbar or surround sound system.
It’s interesting that the C1 OLED, which sits just below the G1 in LG’s 2021 OLED range, doesn’t get the same warranty. Could this be another way in which LG is attempting to encourage purchasers to step up to the next model?
We haven’t tested the Z1. But considering it’s an 8K monster, it’s sure to deliver tons of fun.
Th G1 range starts at £2000, while the Z1 will set you back a cool £20,000 for the 77 incher, and £30,000 for the 88-inch model. For that money, we’d certainly want any problems fixed by our own personal batman.
MORE:
Look at the best TVs around
Ready for a deep dive? LG 2021 TV lineup: everything you need to know
Compare that with the full Samsung 2021 TV line-up
With the launch of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, we’re collecting information about all of the partner cards that have launched or will launch soon. We have listings from seven companies, ranging from top-end liquid cooling models to budget-friendly cards.
The RTX 3070 Ti, is Nvidia’s latest mid-range to high-end SKU for the RTX 3000 series lineup. The GPU is based on a fully enabled GA104 die consisting of 6144 CUDA cores, operating at up to a 1770MHz boost frequency for the reference spec. The GPU will come with 8GB of GDDR6X memory operating at 19Gbps and a TDP of 290W.
EVGA
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To keep things simple during this GPU shortage crisis, EVGA has only released two SKUs for the RTX 3070 Ti, the XC3 Gaming and the FTW3 Ultra Gaming. You can grab both of these cards right now on EVGA’s store if you have the companies Elite membership. If not, you’ll need to wait until tomorrow to grab the cards if they happen to be availably.
Nothing has really changed with the RTX 3070 Ti’s FTW3 and XC3 designs, both cards feature a triple-fan cooler design, along with a fully blacked-out shroud. The XC3 is a much more stealthy dual-slot cooler, with barely any RGB insight.
The FTW3 model is much larger at 2.75 slots in thickness, and features much more RGB than its cheaper counterpart.
The FTW3 model runs at a boost frequency of 1860MHz while the XC3 runs at a lower 1770MHz.
Gigabyte
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Gigabyte has done the exact opposite of EVGA and released five different SKUs for the RTX 3070 Ti, ranging from the flagship Aorus Master model down to the RTX 3070 Ti Eagle, a more budget-friendly card.
Because Gigabyte does not have its own store, expect to buy (or wait to buy) these cards from popular retailers such as MicroCenter, Newegg, Amazon, Best Buy and others.
Aesthetically, each RTX 3070 Ti SKU has subtle differences between the RTX 3080 and RTX 3070 versions. For each SKU, Gigabyte has adjusted the design of the cards, giving them the same colors as the 3080 and 3070 cards, but offering slightly different design elements.
The only exception to this is the RTX 3070 Ti Vision, which shares the exact same design as the RTX 3080 and 3070 models.
All RTX 3070 Ti models are triple-fan cooler designs, presumably due to the 3070 Ti’s really high TDP of 290W. The Aorus Master is the top trim with a beefy triple slot heatsink, and lots of RGB. The Gaming variant is Gigabyte’s mid-range SKU, and the Eagle represents Gigabyte’s lowest-end offering. The Vision model is aimed more towards the prosumer market, with less “gamery” aesthetics.
MSI
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MSI will be offering three custom-designed versions of the RTX 3070 Ti, the Suprim, Gaming Trio and Ventus. Each model also comes with a OC model, doubling the amount of options to six.
The Suprim is the flagship card with a silver and grey finish, and a shroud that measures beyond two slots in thickness. RGB can be seen by the fans and on the side.
The Gaming Trio is the mid-range offering, featuring a blacked out shroud along with red and silver accents. The card is similar in height to the Suprim and is over two slots thick.
The Ventus is MSI’s budget entry level card featuring a fully blacked out shroud, with grey accents and again, is more than two slots thick. If you want a stealthy appearance this is the card to go for.
Compared to the RTX 3080 and RTX 3070 equivalent models, there’s very little difference between them and the RTX 3070 Ti SKUs. They all are incredibly similar in size, and aesthetically are largely identical besides a few backplate design changes and a couple of accent changes on the main shroud.
Zotac
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Zotac is coming out with just two models for the RTX 3070 Ti, the Trinity and AMP Holo.
Both the Trinity and Holo feature triple-fan cooler designs, with largely identical design elements to them. Both feature grey and back color combinations, along with
The main difference between the cards is a slightly different boost speed of 1800MHz on the Trinity vs 1830MHz on the Holo, and the Holo features a much larger RGB light bar on the side, making the Trinity the more “stealthy” of the two.
Inno3D
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Inno3D is releasing four different SKUs for the 3070 Ti, the iChillX4, iChill X3, X3 and X3 OC.
The Chill X4 and X3 are almost identical in everything; The only major add for the X4 is a quad fan setup, with an extra fan to give the card some active airflow from the side. We are not sure how much this will affect temps, but it’s a cool looking feature.
Both the Chill X3 and X4 feature very aggressive styling for a graphics card, with a black and metal finish, with several screws drilled into the metal, similar to race cars. To the side is a very bright and large strip of RGB that looks like something from Cyberpunk 2077. The RGB itself has a neon glow to it, with the ‘iChill’ logo installed in the middle.
The Chill X3 and X4 feature 1830Mhz boost frequencies and thicknesses beyond 2 slots.
INnno3D’s RTX 3070 Ti X3 and X3 OC on the other hand, are the complete opposite of the Chill cards. The shroud is a very basic black shroud with no RGB or lighting anywhere on the card. This is Inno’s budget-friendly option which explains the simplistic design.
The card comes with a 1770MHz boost clock, with the OC model featuring a 1785MHz boost frequency. The X3 comes with a flat 2 slot thickness, allowing the card to fit in slimmer chassis.
Galax
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Galax is coming in with four different versions of the RTX 3070 Ti, including dual fan options.
The flagship model for Galaxy is the 3070 Ti EXG, available in Black or White colors. These cards feature large triple-fan cooler designs and thicknesses beyond two slots. The shrouds are very basic, with just a pure black or pure white shroud, depending on the color you purchase. Making up the lighting are the fans with RGB illumination.
The RTX 3070 Ti SG is probably the most interesting of all of the 3070 Ti cards as a whole, with a unique add-on cooling solution. The card comes with the same shroud and fan design as the EXG, but features a significantly cut-down PCB, to make way for a large cut-out at the end to allow the installation of an additional fan to the rear of the card. If space allows, this additional fan gives the rear of the card a push-pull design, for maximum airflow.
Next, we have the 3070 Ti EX, a dual-fan option available in black or white flavors. This is the first SKU we’ve seen with a dual-fan solution for the 3070 Ti, so this will be a great option for users looking for a compact solution for smaller chassis. However, like the other Galax cards, the thickness is higher than two slots, so keep that in mind for smaller builds.
Besides the dual fan cooler, everything else is very similar to the EXG models with a pure black or white finish (depending on the flavor you choose) and RGB fans.
Lastly, there’s the Galax RTX 3070 Ti, a card with no fancy name, representing the budget endo Galax’s lineup.
The card is super basic with a carbon fiber-looking black shroud, and black fans. Unlike the EX model, this card is boxier with fewer angles to the design.
Palit
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(Image credit: Palit)
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(Image credit: Palit)
Palit is introducing three versions of the RTX 3070 Ti: the GameRock, GameRock OC, and Gaming Pro.
The GameRock appears to be the company’s flagship model for the 3070 Ti. The card comes in a wild-looking grey shroud paired with a layer of see-through diamond-like material all along the fan area. This part is all RGB illuminated.
The cards are triple fan cards with sizes larger than two slots in thickness.
The GamingPro, on the other hand, is a more normal card, with a black and grey shroud and some fancy silver accents which act as fan protectors on the middle and rear fans. This card is similar in size to the GameRock cards.
The GameRock OC comes with a 1845MHz boost clock, the vanilla model features a 1770MHz boost clock, and the same clock goes for the GamingPro.
Tesla will hold a delivery event for its new, high-performance “Plaid” version of the Model S on Thursday. It’s an effort by Elon Musk’s company to reignite interest in its nearly decade-old electric sedan, which is also facing stiff competition from Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. When its released, Musk claims the Plaid Model S will be the “quickest production car ever made.”
The event, which will be held at Tesla’s factory in Fremont, CA, will be livestreamed for the public starting at 7PM PT / 10PM ET. It was originally scheduled for June 3rd, but Musk pushed it to the 10th after tweeting that the vehicle needed “one more week of tweak.”
The delivery of the refreshed Model S has also been delayed, with the company originally stating that it expected to begin shipping to customers in March. A revamped version of the Model X SUV was also expected to begin deliveries in March but has been pushed to an unspecified future date.
The Plaid Model S wasn’t inevitable. Despite persistent rumors for years, Musk seemed uninterested in the idea, tweeting in 2019 that “[t]here is no ‘refreshed’ Model X or Model S coming.” Tesla instead was constantly making minor improvements to both vehicles, he said.
But less than two months later, a prototype version of the Plaid powertrain made its debut at the Laguna Seca raceway, lapping the famous California racetrack in just one minute and 36 seconds. The company later showed off another prototype as part of its Battery Day presentation in September 2020. Plaid, much like the “Ludicrous” acceleration mode in Tesla’s cars, is a reference to one of Musk’s favorite movies, Spaceballs.
We already know most of the relevant specs: an estimated range of 390 miles, a top speed of 200mph (with the “right tires,” Musk has said), and a 0–60mph sprint in 1.99 seconds (although there’s been some questions about the validity of that last claim). The new model is priced at $129,990, compared to $79,990 for a long-range Model S. A “Plaid Plus” version of the Model S, which was supposed to have a range of more than 520 miles, was canceled after Musk tweeted that basic Plaid is “just so good.”
The new Model S will also feature a simplified interior, with a landscape touchscreen similar to what’s found in the Model 3 and Model Y. There’s also a stalkless U-shaped butterfly steering wheel, much like what Tesla has said will appear in the forthcoming second-generation Roadster. And there’s an added screen behind the center console for rear-seat passengers. Unlike the Model 3 and Model Y, the new Model S still features a cockpit screen behind the steering wheel.
Tesla says that the Plaid Model S should be able to do five times as many quarter-mile runs as previous Model S sedans, thanks to the new powertrain and the new heat pump that was developed for the Model Y. It will also come with an infotainment system that’s powered by a chip capable of 10 teraflops of processing power, allowing passengers to play games like The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 (with wireless controller support).
When it first launched in 2012, the Tesla Model S redefined electric luxury, with a sleek design and long driving range. But the company is facing a new wave of competition, with the release in recent years of the Porsche Taycan, Audi E-tron GT, Lucid Air, and Mercedes EQS. If Tesla wants to stay in the luxury EV game, it needed to make some changes to its flagship vehicle.
The abrupt cancellation of Plaid Plus, however, is raising questions about the automaker’s battery plans. Plaid Plus was supposed to feature Tesla’s new tabless 4680 battery cells. These cells, which are supposed to enable longer ranges of 500 miles or more, are bigger than the company’s current cells, measuring 46 millimeters by 80 millimeters (thus the name). In addition to more energy and power, the new cells are expected to result in a 14 percent reduction in cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) at the cell form factor level only.
Plaid Plus was supposed to get a range of 520 miles. While Musk could shock everyone Thursday night with a longer range Plaid than originally advertised, he also recently threw cold water on the idea of needing ranges longer than 400 miles. In a statement to Electrek, Musk said “more range doesn’t really matter. There are essentially zero trips above 400 miles where the driver doesn’t need to stop for restroom, food, coffee, etc. anyway.”
Ignoring for a moment that most restroom breaks last shorter than the time it takes to recharge an electric vehicle, Musk’s reversal on Plaid Plus could signal a delay in the production of Tesla’s 4680 battery cells. In addition to Plaid, the new cells are supposed to be used in Tesla’s Cybertruck and Semi vehicles, which are still expected later this year.
In an April earnings call, Musk said that Tesla was still “12… to 18 months away from volume production of 4680.” It remains to be seen whether we’ll get an update on that estimate at the event Thursday evening. But with Musk, you never know for sure.
(Pocket-lint) – OnePlus announced an addition to its Nord range of smartphones during an event in June in the form of the Nord CE 5G.
The device sits below the original Nord, which means it subsequently sits under the flagship OnePlus 9 series.
You can read more about how the Nord CE 5G compares to the original Nord in our separate feature, but here we are covering how it stacks up against the OnePlus 9. Should you spend the extra cash?
Design
Nord CE 5G: 159.2 x 73.5 x 7.9mm, 170g
OnePlus 9: 160 x 74.2 x 8.7mm, 192g
The OnePlus Nord CE 5G features an all-plastic design that has a pill-shaped rear camera housing in the top left corner, a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom of the device alongside the charging port, and a singular punch hole camera in the top left corner of the display.
The display is flat, there is no official IP rating and the Nord CE 5G comes in three colour options.
The OnePlus 9 meanwhile, has a glass rear, though it has a plastic frame, and it features a more prominent rectangular camera housing on the rear. Two of the three camera lenses are larger and have a metal surround, making more of a feature on the back.
On the front, the display is flat on the OnePlus 9, like the Nord CE 5G, and it also features a punch hole camera in the top left corner. There is no official IP waterproof rating, though the 9 Pro model does offer this if that’s a feature you are desperate for.
The OnePlus 9 has an alert slider – something the Nord CE 5G doesn’t have – but there is no 3.5mm headphone jack.
Display
Nord CE 5G: 6.43-inch, 2400 x 1080 (410ppi), 90Hz
OnePlus 9: 6.55-inch, Full HD+ (402ppi), 120Hz
The OnePlus Nord CE 5G has a 6.43-inch display that sports a 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution to deliver a pixel density of 410ppi.
The flat display has an aspect ratio of 20:9 and it offers a 90Hz refresh rate. It’s a Fluid AMOLED screen.
The OnePlus 9 meanwhile, has a slightly larger screen at 6.55-inches. It has a Full HD+ resolution like the Nord CE 5G though, which results in a pixel density of 402ppi.
The 9 has a Fluid AMOLED display like the Nord CE 5G, but it offers a higher refresh rate at 120Hz and it also supports HDR. Both the OnePlus 9 and Nord CE 5G have under-display fingerprint sensors.
Hardware and specs
Nord CE 5G: Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G, 6/8/12GB RAM, 128/256GB storage, 4500mAh
Under the hood, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G 5G processor, with a choice of 6GB, 8GB and 12GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage, though not all variants will be available in all regions.
There’s a 4500mAh battery that supports Warp Charge 30T fast charging. There is no wireless charging on board.
The OnePlus 9 meanwhile has the flagship – and more powerful – Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor under its hood, with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage.
The same 4500mAh battery capacity is on board the OnePlus 9 too, but it offers support of 65W fast charging and there is support for wireless charging too.
Both devices are 5G capable.
Cameras
Nord CE 5G: Triple camera (64MP main + 8MP ultra wide + 2MP mono), 16MP front
OnePlus 9: Triple camera (48MP main + 50MP ultra wide + 2MP mono), 16MP front, Hasselblad partnership
The OnePlus Nord CE 5G and OnePlus 9 both have a triple camera on their rears, but they are made up of different lenses, while the OnePlus 9 also has a Hasselblad partnership on board.
The triple camera on the Nord CE 5G is comprised of a 64-megapixel main camera (f/1.79), an 8-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera (f/2.25) and a 2-megapixel mono-lens camera (f/2.4).
The triple camera on the OnePlus 9 meanwhile, is a 48-megapixel main camera with f/1.8 aperture, a 50-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera with f/2.4 aperture and a 2-megapixel monochrome sensor.
Both the OnePlus Nord CE 5G and the OnePlus 9 have a 16-megapixel front camera on board.
Price
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The OnePlus Nord CE 5G starts at £299 in the UK.
The OnePlus 9 starts at £629 in the UK, making it quite a bit more expensive.
Conclusion
The OnePlus 9 is likely to feel like a more premium device compared to the Nord CE 5G thanks to the materials used. It also delivers a more powerful processor, faster charging capabilities, a larger display with a faster refresh rate, and likely better camera capabilities.
The Nord CE 5G appears to offer quite a lot for its price point though, with a good battery size, 5G capabilities, nice design and what looks like it could be a good camera load out.
We would expect the OnePlus 9 to be the better device, naturally, but based on the specifications alone, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G looks like it could be a good option to consider if the 9 is too expensive.
After a few weeks of leaks, Sony has today formally announced its latest flagship true wireless earbuds. The new WF-1000XM4 earbuds cost $279.99, and the previous WF-1000XM3s, released in 2019, will remain in the company’s lineup at $229.99. The new headphones will be available in either black or light gray — both with gold accenting. They’re available starting today from retailers including Amazon and Best Buy.
Featuring a completely revamped design that’s 10 percent smaller than their predecessors, the 1000XM4 buds also have a new processing chip that results in improved noise cancellation “at all frequencies,” according to Sony.
Image: Sony
Battery life has been upped to eight hours of continuous playback when NC is enabled, which soundly beats competitors like the Apple AirPods Pro, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, and Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. The charging case has been significantly downsized and is 40 percent smaller than before. Aside from plugging in over USB-C, it also supports Qi wireless charging.
Sony has also addressed a disappointing omission from the 1000XM3s: these new earbuds are rated IPX4 for water and sweat resistance. The 1000XM4s also have an updated voice call system that uses both beamforming mics and bone conduction sensors to improve performance. But here’s the one standout disappointment: there’s still no support for multipoint Bluetooth connections.
If you’re wondering how all of this shakes out, I’ve been using Sony’s new premium buds for several days. You can read my full review of them right now.
Twitter user HXL has discovered the first photograph of Intel’s upcoming NUC 11 Extreme (codename Beast Canyon) system. More interestingly, although the pictures don’t show the processor, the leaker claims that the NUC features one of the chipmaker’s latest Tiger Lake B-series processors. Take this claim with a pinch of salt as it is unconfirmed, but it would make sense given Intel’s shifting target audience.
Intel briefly teased Beast Canyon at its Computex 2021 keynote. Beast Canyon is the successor to the chipmaker’s Ghost Canyon NUC. However, Beast Canyon marks a fundamental turn for NUCs as it’ll be the first device to offer support for a full-length discrete graphics card, making it more akin to a small form factor (SFF) system than a traditional NUC.
The Beast Canyon NUC will even come equipped with its own power supply, but Intel didn’t mention the capacity. Unless it’s a really generous capacity, it’ll probably limit the type of graphics card you can install in the chassis.
Like its predecessor, Beast Canyon will also leverage Intel’s “The Element” compute module. Everything from the processor and memory to display outputs will reside on the module itself, which then slots into a PCIe slot.
It’s reasonable to assume that Intel will offer Beast Canyon with different processor options. The one from the photograph is reportedly based on the Core i9-11900KB, which is the flagship chip from the Tiger Lake B-series lineup.
The Core i9-11900KB is a 10nm desktop chip that features BGA packaging. The Tiger Lake processor delivers eight cores, 16 threads and 24MB of L3 cache. The Willow Cove cores run with a 3.3 GHz base clock and flaunt a 5.3 GHz TVB (Thermal Velocity Boost) clock. Intel rates the Core i9-11900KB as a 65W part but allows OEMs to drop the TDP all the way down to 55W.
At Computex 2021, Intel confirmed that Beast Canyon would launch later this year. From the rumors that we’ve heard, we could be looking at a potential fourth-quarter release.
Amazon’s midsize Echo Show 8 is the best smart display in its lineup. It is larger and more capable than the diminutive Echo Show 5, while costing far less than the larger Echo Show 10. The Echo Show 8 is handy for watching video, listening to music, getting weather reports, controlling smart home devices, making video calls, and more.
So it’s no surprise that the second-generation model, which sells for $129.99 and is shipping this week, doesn’t rock the boat. It’s largely the same smart display as before but with slightly faster performance and an improved video calling camera. It has the same display, same design, same speaker system, and the same set of features as its predecessor.
Improving the video calling capabilities makes sense, given how much video calling has been done while everyone was (and for large part, still is) stuck at home during the pandemic. The new Echo Show 8 borrows the 13-megapixel camera from the flagship Echo Show 10, replacing the pathetically low-resolution, mediocre 1-megapixel camera that was in the first gen. As before, there’s a mechanical privacy shutter you can slide in front of the camera to both disable it and block its view.
The improvements in video calls are immediately noticeable. You can use the Echo Show for video calls to the Alexa app on phones or other Echo Show devices, or you can join Skype, Zoom, or Amazon’s Chime calls from it. In my testing with Zoom calls, the image is much sharper and more pleasant to look at, with better color and much more detail.
The Echo Show 8 doesn’t have the motorized base on the bigger Echo Show 10, but it still can automatically frame you and follow you around as you move thanks to its high resolution. The autoframing isn’t as good as the new iPad Pro’s Center Stage feature, and it moves much slower and tends to constantly reframe itself, like you’re the star of a Ken Burns documentary. But the Echo Show is a $130 smart display, not an $800 tablet, so it’s hard to complain, so long as you stay relatively still during video calls. If you don’t want the camera to autoframe, you can say “Alexa follow off” to disable it.
You can use the Echo Show 8 for Zoom calls, but it works best for one-on-one calling, not groups
That said, there’s still plenty of room for improvement. The new camera has a much wider-angle lens, which allows it to do those auto-framing tricks. But it can also cause the image to look distorted at times and isn’t always very flattering.
The Echo Show 8’s eight-inch display works fine for one-on-one video calls, but it’s too small to comfortably use for a group call. If you are on a call where someone is sharing a screen, it’s hard to see what’s happening, and while you can view messages posted to a chat, you can’t type any out yourself on the Echo Show’s display. Joining Zoom calls can be done entirely by voice, but it’s much easier to call up the Zoom app on the Echo Show by saying “Alexa, open Zoom” and then typing in a meeting code or starting one yourself from the touchscreen.
I also observed an echo of my own voice in several Zoom calls, both with individuals and group calls, which made it hard to use the Echo Show for anything work related. Other parties on the line also said there was an annoying echo of my voice whenever I unmuted my mic. Amazon says it is looking into this problem and I will update this review if a solution is found.
The new processor in the second-gen Echo Show 8 does make the smart display respond quicker to taps and swipes than its predecessor. It’s not a huge difference, and Amazon’s software still has a long way to go to make it more useful via touch, but when compared side by side, the new one opens menus and screens quicker.
Elsewhere, the changes are either nonexistent or very minor. The wedge-shaped design is exactly the same; you can still get it in the same white or black color options as before. (Annoyingly, both colors come with a white power cord.)
The display has the same 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, but now it can adjust its color and white balance to the lighting in the room. Like the new processor, the difference isn’t huge, but the new model is slightly warmer and more pleasant to look at when the adaptive color setting is enabled. I’m still more impressed by the ability of Google’s Nest Hub to mimic the look of a printed photo by adapting its color to the lighting in the room.
The dual-driver speaker system is unchanged and it’s as loud and full sounding as the first gen. The Echo Show 8 can fill a small room with sound surprisingly well, and its bass response is better than expected. At times, it might even sound too bassy, but you can adjust the EQ in the Alexa app easily enough to compensate for that. Unfortunately, Amazon dropped the 3.5mm output jack on the back of the new model, so it’s not possible to hook it up to a larger speaker system with a wire.
You can watch Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Netflix on the Echo Show, but Disney Plus, Peacock, HBO Max, and many other streaming services aren’t available. YouTube is available through the Echo Show’s Silk browser, but it’s not as seamless of an experience as available on Google’s Nest Hub, and you can’t easily cast videos from your phone to the Show’s screen.
The Echo Show 8’s software is the same as what debuted on the Echo Show 10 earlier this year. Amazon is starting to make better use of the display, with split screens that show weather data alongside news, but it still feels very much like a voice-first device. Though the new Echo Show 8 is faster, it’s still a chore to tap through all of the screens to get to the smart home controls, and managing what shows up in the rotating information screens on the display requires a lot of menu diving and trial and error to get what you want. (And even then, you’ll still probably get nagged about new Alexa Skills or other Amazon promotions you don’t care about.)
There are of course many, many other things you can do with an Echo Show smart display — far too many to cover in the scope of this review. The things that I find it most useful for are weather reports, managing a grocery shopping list, and viewing the video feed from a doorbell or security camera.
The Echo Show 8’s main competition is the second-gen Nest Hub from Google, which has a slightly smaller seven-inch screen and costs $30 less. The Nest Hub supports more video streaming services, has a more useful touch interface, can track your sleep, and works with the Google Assistant instead of Alexa. But it doesn’t have a camera for video calling, its single speaker is blown away by the Echo Show’s dual speakers, and it’s much slower and laggy to use. Ultimately, the choice comes down to how you want to use the smart display and which smart assistant you prefer.
Facebook’s 10-inch Portal is another option if you plan to use a smart display primarily for video calling, but it loses to the Echo Show 8 in effectively every other aspect.
If you do prefer Alexa, the new Echo Show 8 remains the best smart display to get, as it has a big enough screen to read from across the room, doubles as a great speaker, and comes with a host of camera-related features, including the aforementioned video calling and security camera features. It’s also over $100 less than the motorized Echo Show 10, while still providing many of the same features and capabilities. And given Amazon’s frequent discounts, you’ll likely be able to find the new Echo Show 8 for less than its sticker price quite often.
The new Echo Show 8 doesn’t redefine what a smart display can be, but it’s still a very good virtual assistant with a screen for an attractive price.
The Realme GT, Realme’s Snapdragon 888-equipped flagship phone, is coming to Europe and will sell for €549 (about $670) for a model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, according to the company’s website. The price makes it among the cheapest Snapdragon 888 devices available to date, if not the cheapest. Xiaomi’s excellent-value Mi 11 started at €749 (~$910) for an 8GB / 128GB model, for comparison.
Realme says the GT will ship to Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Portugal, though the device isn’t currently available to actually order. It’s not clear which other European markets it’ll be available in when it does launch.
Realme announced the Chinese version of the GT in March. It started at 2,799 yuan there for the 8GB / 128GB model, or about $440 at current exchange rates. Madhav Sheth, CEO of Realme’s Indian and European business, confirmed last week that the GT would get a global launch — a performance-focused flagship model in June and a camera-focused flagship model in July.
The GT series will be a part of realme’s new flagship focusing on high-performance and image, respectively. This will not only allow us to achieve technological breakthroughs but will also keep us ahead of the market.
— Madhav Max 5G (@MadhavSheth1) June 3, 2021
It’s not quite clear yet how those models will differ in Europe spec-wise, but the Chinese version of the GT had a 64-megapixel primary camera with an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel macro sensor, so there’s certainly room for improvement on the camera flagship. Elsewhere, the GT has a 6.43-inch 120Hz OLED display, up to 12GB of RAM, and a 4,500mAh battery with 65W fast charging.
Realme started out as a sub-brand of Oppo focused on the Indian market but quickly turned into a major force in its own right and is now focusing on capturing Europe with more premium devices. The launch of the GT follows last year’s €499 X3 Superzoom, which had a Snapdragon 855+ and a periscope telephoto lens.
Honor has released a couple of official images for its upcoming 50 series smartphone via its Weibo page and Twitter. The images focus on the rear of the phone, showing an eye-catching pair of circular camera bumps. The Honor 50 series is currently due to be announced on June 16th.
Amidst a sea of square and rectangular camera bumps, the dual circle design is an interesting look for Honor’s next flagship. It’s also a style that Honor’s former parent company Huawei is planning to use for its next flagship, the similarly-named P50. It’s possible that the two companies finalized their designs before Huawei sold off Honor late last year, but it’ll be strange to see such similar looking devices released from two distinct manufacturers within such close proximity to one another.
From the images it appears as though Honor’s next handset will have four rear cameras in total. The upper camera circle has one large lens, and it’s joined by three more on the lower bump. In contrast, Huawei’s P50 appears to have three lenses on the upper circle, and a single camera paired with a flash on the bottom.
Beyond its design, Honor’s next flagship will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 778G processor, will feature 100W fast charging, and will also come with a “hypercurved screen.” It may also mark the return of Google’s apps and services to Honor’s devices (including the Google Play Store) if a now-deleted tweet from the company’s German Twitter account is to be believed. Honor was prevented from including Google’s software because of sanctions placed on its former parent company Huawei, but these are believed to not apply since it became independent.
A spokesperson from Honor previously declined to comment to The Verge as to whether or not Google’s software would be available on the upcoming 50 series. But with an official launch just round the corner, we won’t have long to wait to find out.
Intel’s Optane SSD P5800X introduction late last year included four models with different capacities. So far, the company has brought the 400GB, 800GB, and 1.6TB SKUs to market, but the flagship 3.2TB model still isn’t available and Intel recently removed the product listing from its website. That is a bit surprising because Intel recently reaffirmed its commitment to the data center lineup after it killed off its entire line of Optane drives for desktop PCs.
There appears to be some confusion among Intel’s own ranks, too, as a report has surfaced that cites the company saying it is unsure if the 3.2TB model will see the light of day. However, after our own inquiries, the company tells us the drive is still on track for release this year.
Intel’s Optane SSD P5800X drives use second-gen 3D XPoint and Intel’s new proprietary SSD controller with a PCIe interface. The drives are aimed at data centers and deliver market-leading performance of up to 7.2 GB/s of sequential throughput, up to 1.5 million 4K random IOPS, and up to 1.8 million IOPS in mixed workloads. That performance comes paired with unbeatable endurance of 100 drive writes per day.
At present, only three of four Optane SSD P5800X models are available for purchase (for $1,224 ~ $3,823). Considering that the supply of second-gen 3D XPoint is uncertain (Micron listed the only fab that produces this kind of memory for sale recently), the fate of the highest-capacity P5800X model was unclear, especially after Intel removed all mentions of the 3.2TB SKU from its website. Furthermore, the company did not provide concrete answers to ComputerBase.de when asked about the 3.2TB Optane SSD P5800X.
(Image credit: Intel)
The good news is that Intel has not abandoned the 3.2 TB version of the Optane SSD P5800X, and it is on track to be available later this year. The price of the drive is unknown, though, but it will certainly not be cheap.
“The Intel Optane SSD DC P5800X series is currently available in 400GB, 800GB, and 1.6TB capacities, and we expect the 3.2TB drive to be available later this year,” said Kristie Mann, Senior Director, Optane DC Persistent Memory Products, Intel.
Since the Optane SSD DC P5800X drives are designed for data centers, they aren’t very interesting to the vast majority of enthusiasts (especially at a price that starts at $1,224). Intel recently canceled its entire lineup of Optane drives for the desktop PC, so we won’t see any future generations of its Optane SSDs in enthusiast rigs.
Nvidia does not have plans to bring its ray tracing-enabled GPU architectures to smartphones or other ultra-mobile devices right now, CEO Jensen Huang told journalists at a Computex meeting this week. The statements come just days after AMD confirmed that upcoming Samsung smartphones using AMD RDNA2 GPU architecture will support ray tracing.
According to Huang, the time for ray tracing in mobile gadgets hasn’t arrived yet.
“Ray tracing games are quite large, to be honest,” Huang said, according to ZDNet. “The data set is quite large, and there will be a time for it. When the time is right we might consider it.”
AMD, meanwhile, has licensed its RDNA2 architecture, which supports ray tracing, to Samsung for use in the upcoming Exynos 2200 SoC expected to power its laptops and other flagship mobile devices. AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su said this week that the SoC will indeed support ray tracing.
“The next place you’ll find RDNA2 will be the high-performance mobile phone market,” Su said, as reported by AnandTech. “AMD has partnered with industry leader Samsung to accelerate graphics innovation in the mobile market, and we’re happy to announce we will bring custom graphics IP to Samsung’s next flagship SoC, with ray tracing and variable rate shading capabilities. We’re really looking forward to Samsung providing more details later this year.”
Currently, Samsung’s Exynos-powered smartphones use Arm Mali-powered graphics; whereas, Qualcomm Snapdragon-based handsets use Adreno GPUs.
Nvidia is in process of taking over Arm, which develops general-purpose Cortex CPU cores as well as Mali graphics processing units for various system-on-chips (SoCs). Nvidia has long tried to license its GeForce technologies to designers of mobile SoCs and devices without any tangible success. If Nvidia’s acquisition of Arm is approved by various regulators, Nvidia will be able to offer its latest GeForce architectures to Arm licensees. Yet, it appears Nvidia has no immediate plans to bring GeForce RTX to smartphones.
Nvidia’s Ampere and Turing architectures seem to be too bulky for smartphone SoCs (and even for entry-level PC graphics) anyway. For now, the company will have to use its GeForce Now game streaming service to address demanding gamers on smartphones and tablets.
“That’s how we would like to reach Android devices, Chrome devices, iOS devices, MacOS devices, Linux devices — all kinds of devices, whether it’s on TV, or mobile device or PC,” said Huang. “I think that for us, right now, that is the best strategy.”
Yet, ray tracing is nothing new on mobiles. Imagination Technologies architectures since the PowerVR GR6500 introduced in 2014 have supported ray tracing, so it’s up to hardware designers to decide on implementing the capability and game designers to leverage it. Imagination’s PowerVR ray tracing implementation is currently supported by Unreal Engine 4 and Unity 5, but it’s unclear whether it’s primarily used for eye candy, performance increase and/or power reduction.
The new Pixel Buds A are available in a dark green color
The $99 Pixel Buds are a better buy than their pricier predecessors
With the new, awkwardly named Pixel Buds A-Series, Google is trying to do more than merely introduce a much cheaper set of true wireless earbuds: the company wants to get it right this time — and get it right for under $100. Google’s second-generation Pixel Buds were certainly an improvement over the company’s original wireless earbuds; let us never forget the most overly intricate carrying case of all time. But the 2020 earbuds came with issues of their own. At the top of that list were concerns with stability. Google never managed to get the two Pixel Buds connected as reliably as many competitors, and some owners still complain of audio dropouts even after numerous firmware updates.
In several ways, Google has succeeded at its goal. The $99 Pixel Buds A-Series are more comfortable to wear over longer stretches of time than the pricier earbuds. They retain the same enjoyable sound quality, and hands-free “Hey Google” access to Google Assistant and features like real-time language translation are still useful tricks to have at your disposal. The carrying case is just as fun to fidget with as before (though it lost wireless charging) and has the same satisfying thunk when you close it. Google promises the same five hours of continuous battery life, with a total of 24 hours when you include case recharges.
The bad news is that Google didn’t fully overcome the connectivity issues, though it made some improvement. I recently talked with Google’s Sandeep Waraich, who went over some of the changes made to the A-Series buds that were meant to enhance wireless reliability. Each earbud connects individually to the source device. Both the antenna and chipset architectures were optimized for stronger transmission power and increased range to avoid cross-body audio dropouts. There’s even an all-new chipset inside, though Google declined to tell me who manufactures it.
But in my experience so far, the Pixel Buds A-Series still have more occasional blips and audio interruptions than those from many competitors. It’s not as much of a glaring problem as before, and I really only encountered it on the move (and on busy streets with plenty of wireless interference), but it’s still something you’ll run into at times. But I find that it’s easier to tolerate things like this for $99 than the $179 that Google still asks for the 2020 Pixel Buds.
Google also told me about some subtle improvements it made to the physical design. The A-Series earbuds look nearly identical to the 2020 Pixel Buds, but according to Waraich, the nonremovable “stabilizer arc” — a source of discomfort last time after prolonged listening — has been made softer and smaller than before. I’ve got large ears, and it seems like the hook never settles into the folds of my ear the way it’s meant to, but the Pixel Buds A-Series sit snug and stable regardless.
The Pixel Buds A-Series look just like the regular Pixel Buds.
Google also shaved off a few milligrams of weight from each earbud. The Pixel Buds A-Series come in either white or olive green, and the inside of the carrying case is now color matched to whichever earbuds you get. In the ear, the Pixel Buds continue to have a very discreet, flush style and can be hard to spot when looking at someone head-on.
They still have a discreet design that sits flush against your ear and doesn’t stick out far.
The acoustic architecture is unchanged, so the sound signature between the Pixel Buds and Pixel Buds A-Series is very consistent. That’s a good thing. Google aims for full, natural audio reproduction, and that’s what you get from these earbuds and their 12-millimeter drivers. You can still enable the “bass boost” option in settings to give the low end some added oomph. Even with bass boost active, the Pixel Buds don’t match the boominess of something like the Jabra Elite 75ts or Sony’s WF-XB700s. Still, there’s a level of clarity that outshines many earbuds that sell at the $100 mark. Waraich told me that Google increased overall volume levels across the board after some customers found the 2020 Pixel Buds couldn’t crank as high as they’d hoped.
The carrying case is also similar, though this one lacks wireless charging.
But although the Pixel Buds A-Series can get louder, they still have to contend with a lot of the outside world. Like the previous model, these A-Series earbuds just aren’t very good at noise isolation. While working from the outdoor seating area at my local coffee shop, I could hear an annoying level of traffic at all times. I think it partially comes down to their vented, airy design, but Google seems to struggle with this more than other companies.
Google says it actually tweaked the spatial vents to allow less outside noise in, but it’s still a noticeable downside of these earbuds. I think it’s inherently got something to do with the fit and “gentle” in-ear seal that Google had in mind with the design. What’s become clear to me is that the next flagship Pixel Buds really need some form of active noise cancellation to counteract this. I know there are people who prefer some awareness of what’s happening around them, but you get a little too much of that with the Pixel Buds.
I already mentioned the loss of wireless charging, but other sacrifices that Google made to hit the $99 price aren’t as obvious. The swipe forward / back gestures that let you easily control volume on the Pixel Buds are gone; now you’re limited to just taps for track controls. The A-Series earbuds also ditch the “experimental” attention alerts feature that could detect specific sounds like sirens, dog barks, or a baby crying. And the LED that was on the inside of the Pixel Buds case (to indicate charge status of the buds) is also history. These omissions make sense to me, and Google has at least preserved other important vitals like IPX4 water and sweat resistance. Voice calls also remain a Pixel Buds strength on the A-Series, with dual beamforming mics that do a good job of plucking your voice out of noisy environments and maintaining clarity during phone chats or work conference calls. Voice commands to Google Assistant were also recognized loud and clear.
The “adaptive sound” feature, which automatically adjusts volume based on your surroundings, is also carried over from the 2020 Pixel Buds. It works reasonably well and only activates when there are sustained changes in ambient noise as you move between different locations, but I’m old-school and prefer controlling volume myself rather than letting algorithms do it. The Pixel Buds A-Series still support Android’s Fast Pair feature for quick setup. On Pixel smartphones, the companion app is built in, but you can also grab it from the Play Store on other Android phones. With it, you can locate your earbuds, toggle settings like bass boost and in-ear detection (another thing Google didn’t skimp on), or check battery levels for the earbuds and case. No such app exists for iOS, however.
By holding onto a lot of what worked best on the 2020 Pixel Buds — namely sound quality and hands-free voice controls — and improving other parts that didn’t, Google has ended up with an appealing set of $99 earbuds. The Pixel Buds A-Series haven’t fully stamped out the biggest issue that dragged down their pricier older sibling, and the level of outside noise your tunes compete against will turn some people away. But even with some of the things Google left out, you’re getting a better overall product for less money.
NZXT’s N7 Z590 is a full-featured Z590 motherboard that includes two M.2 sockets, Intel-based Wi-Fi 6E, capable power delivery, premium audio, and more. It’s a well-rounded mid-ranger for Intel’s Z590 platform, though for a similar price, there are other options with more and better parts.
For
+ Wi-Fi 6E/2.5 GbE Networking
+ Improved and capable power delivery
Against
– Last-gen audio codec
– Only two M.2 sockets and four SATA ports
Features and Specifications
NZXT has joined the Intel Rocket Lake motherboard party with the N7 Z590, bringing PCIe 4.0 capability (with a Rocket Lake CPU), capable power delivery, Intel Wi-Fi 6E, and a unique design aesthetic that easily matches most themes. With an MSRP of $279.99, the N7 positions itself as a strong competitor in the mid-range Z590 space.
NZXT worked with ASRock to bring you this board which appears to be based on the ASRock Z590 Steel Legend. We reviewed that board a couple of months back, and overall liked what ASRock offered at the price point. The N7 Z590, like previous NZXT motherboards, employs unique-looking shrouds/heatsinks that cover most of the board, giving it that signature NZXT appearance.
Performance-wise, the N7 Z590 did well overall. Its results traded punches with the other boards in most tests. Like the Steel Legend it’s modeled from, this board follows Intel specifications, and in a couple of tests (Handbrake, Cinebench/POV-Ray single thread), the times/scores were lower than the others. To bypass that, simply adjust the power limits up, as the other boards do from the factory. The N7 board set our DDR4 3600 sticks at 1:1 with the memory controller, and we saw solid results in our memory bandwidth and latency tests. Overclocking was a breeze too, as we set our CPU to 5.1 GHz while running the memory at DDR4 4000 (with a few tweaks for stability).
Although you can’t tell the difference by looking at the board, the Z590 version of NZXT’s board strives to improve upon the last generation and does so with aplomb. The N7 Z590 includes PCIe 4.0 M.2 socket (two total sockets, the other is PCIe 3.0) and a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, additional USB ports including a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C on the rear panel, improved power delivery, and more. We’ll cover these features in detail and more below. But first, here are the full specs from NZXT.
Inside the box included with the motherboard are a few accessories. Our review board didn’t even have a driver disk (perhaps because this is a pre-launch sample), but what’s inside should allow you to get going without an extra trip to the store. For drivers, if a disk isn’t included in the retail packaging, you can get them from the NZXT website. Below is a complete list of the included parts.
Motherboard Guide
Wi-Fi Antenna
(4) SATA cables
(2) Screw package for M.2 sockets
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(Image credit: NZXT)
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(Image credit: NZXT)
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(Image credit: NZXT)
After taking the board out of the box, we get a chance to see the nearly completely covered 6-layer matte-black PCB. Just about the only design cues are the punched-out circles above the chipset and left VRM bank heatsinks. Additionally, some NZXT branding resides on the top M.2 socket cover and over the rear IO area.
If you’re looking for integrated RGB lighting, you’ll have to look somewhere else, as the N7 Z590 doesn’t include any. That said, the board has two RGB headers, a 3-pin ARGB and 4-pin RGB, along with two NZXT RGB LED connectors. The NZXT CAM software handles all RGB lighting control. Overall, I like how this board looks. The mostly covered PCB gives the board a premium look and feel that matches most any build theme. If a stealthy all-black motherboard isn’t your thing, the N7 Z590 also comes in white.
(Image credit: NZXT)
Looking at the top half of the board, there isn’t much to see outside of shrouds. On the left, the IO cover reaches out over the rear IO chips and touches the left VRM bank. The heatsink doesn’t have a lot of surface area. but does an excellent job keeping the power bits cool, even while overclocked as we’ll see later.
Above the heatsink on the top edge, we find the 8-pin EPS (required) and a 4-pin EPS connector (optional) to feed power to the CPU. To the right are two (of seven) 4-pin fan headers. Each fan/pump header on the board is capable of 2A/24W output, as well as auto-detecting what type of fan is connected (PWM or DC). Continuing right are two 4-pin NZXT RGB headers and two more fan headers.
To the right of the socket area are four unreinforced DRAM slots that support up to 128GB of RAM. NZXT lists supported speeds up to DDR4 4600(OC). This is on the lower side compared to other boards, but most users will run RAM well under that speed. Our DDR4 4000 kit worked with a minor voltage change to the VccIO Memory voltage (0.10+), so we know it’s good to at least that point. Much beyond that and you pay a steep premium for little in the way of gains anyway.
On the right edge of the board, the only thing visible from the top is the 24-pin ATX for board power and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C front-panel port.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
NZXT lists the N7 Z590 as a 12-phase Dr.MOS VRM, which breaks down to a 12+2 configuration for the Vcore and SOC. A Richtek RT3609BE (X+Y=8) 8-channel controller handles the CPU while a Renesas RAA229001 controls the SOC. The eight-channel controller feeds 12 Vishay Sic654 50A MOSFETs for CPU Vcore in a teamed/parallel configuration. In other words, NZXT does not use phase doublers on this board. This configuration is plenty for both 10th and 11th generation CPUs on this platform.
(Image credit: NZXT)
Focusing in on the bottom half of the board, we’re again greeted primarily by shrouds. Hidden underneath on the left-hand side is a Realtek ALC1220 codec, along with five audio caps and a Texas Instruments NE5532 OpAmp. While the ALC1220 codec is a solid audio solution (it was the flagship of Z490) most users are happy with, I would like to have seen the latest and greatest ALC4080/4082 here instead.
In the middle are a few PCIe slots and two M.2 sockets. Starting with PCIe, there are two full-length slots and three x1 size slots. The top slot is PCIe 4.0-capable with a Rocket Lake-based CPU, while the second full-length slot runs PCIe 3.0 x4 max and is fed from the chipset. The documentation doesn’t mention multi-GPU support. But by lane count, it should be able to run 2-Way CrossfireX. The three x1 slots are PCIe 3.0 and fed from the chipset as well. I like the x1 slot location, so you can easily insert an AIC without worrying about the location covering a full-length slot.
The top M.2 socket is located to the right of the top x1 slot. When using a Rocket Lake-based CPU, this socket runs at PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds and supports up to 80mm modules. The bottom M.2 socket runs at PCIe 3.0 and accepts SATA-based modules up to 80mm. The manual does not mention RAID functionality. Worth a mention is that although the M.2 covers are metal, they do not contact the M.2 modules to help with cooling. If you have hot-running M.2 modules, you may want to keep an eye out on temperatures.
As we move further to the right, we pass over the chipset heatsink on the way to the right edge. Here, hidden under the shroud with horizontally oriented connectors, we spy a USB 3.2 Gen 1 header and the four SATA ports. Although most users would be happy with four SATA ports and two M.2 sockets, this is less than most other boards at this price point. Many have three M.2 sockets and six SATA ports, all of which can be active (though not always) in specific configurations.
Across the board’s bottom are several headers, including more USB ports, fan headers and more. Below is the complete list, from left to right:
Front-panel audio
UART header
RGB and ARGB headers
(3) USB 2.0 header
(3) System Fan headers
Q-Code LEDs
Clear CMOS jumper
USB 3.2 Gen 1 connector
Power/Reset buttons
Front panel header
(Image credit: NZXT)
Flipping the board around to the rear IO area, we see the black pre-installed IO plate, which matches the colors and design of the rest of the board, along with the NZXT branding in white. In total, there are 10 USB ports: You get four USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (3x Type-A, 2x Type-C), four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and two USB 2.0 ports. A single HDMI port handles video output when using the integrated graphics on the CPU. You’ll also find the Wi-Fi antenna headers, a Clear CMOS button, the Realtek 2.5 GbE and the 5-plug plus SPDIF audio stack.
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