Today we are back with another extensive performance analysis, as we check out the recently-released Days Gone. As the latest formerly PlayStation-exclusive title to come to the PC, we test thirty graphics cards in this game to find out exactly what sort of GPU you need to play at maximum image quality settings. Has this game launched in a better state than when Horizon Zero Dawn first came to PC? Let’s find out.
Watch via our Vimeo channel (below) or over on YouTube at 2160p HERE
The first thing to know about Days Gone is that it is developed by Sony’s Bend Studio, and is built on Unreal Engine 4. Interestingly though, it uses DirectX 11, and there’s no option for DX12. That means there’s no ray tracing or DLSS features in Days Gone, something which is becoming more unusual these days.
In terms of visual settings, there are a number of options in the display menu. Textures, lighting, shadows and more can all be adjusted, while it’s great to see a field of view (FOV) slider as well as a render scale setting. There’s also a selection of quick presets – Low, Medium, High and Very High – and for our benchmarking today we opted for the Very High preset, with V-Sync of course disabled.
Driver Notes
AMD GPUs were benchmarked with the 21.5.2 driver.
Nvidia GPUs were benchmarked with the 466.47 driver.
Test System
We test using the a custom built system from PCSpecialist, based on Intel’s Comet Lake-S platform. You can read more about it over HERE, and configure your own system from PCSpecialist HERE.
CPU
Intel Core i9-10900K
Overclocked to 5.1GHz on all cores
Motherboard
ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero Wi-Fi
Memory
Corsair Vengeance DDR4 3600MHz (4 X 8GB)
CL 18-22-22-42
Graphics Card
Varies
System Drive
500GB Samsung 970 Evo Plus M.2
Games Drive
2TB Samsung 860 QVO 2.5″ SSD
Chassis
Fractal Meshify S2 Blackout Tempered Glass
CPU Cooler
Corsair H115i RGB Platinum Hydro Series
Power Supply
Corsair 1200W HX Series Modular 80 Plus Platinum
Operating System
Windows 10 2004
Our 1-minute benchmark pass came from quite early on in the game, as Deacon is riding on the back of Boozer’s motorbike, headed to Crazy Willie’s. This represents a reasonably demanding section of the game based on the first hour or so that I played through, and it is also highly repeatable which makes it great for benchmarking multiple GPUs.
1080p Benchmarks
1440p Benchmarks
2160p (4K) Benchmarks
Closing Thoughts
By and large, Days Gone is an impressive PC port that almost everyone will be happy with. I say almost everyone, as currently my main issue with the game is related to visible stuttering when using an RDNA 2 GPU. This didn’t happen for other AMD cards though, or Nvidia GPUs, so hopefully it is a quick fix for AMD’s driver team or the game’s developers.
As a DX11 title built on Unreal Engine 4, if we had to guess before testing the game, we would’ve thought Nvidia GPUs would perform the best, and that is certainly true. RTX 2070 Super is significantly faster than the RX 5700 XT, for example, while RTX 3070 also beats out the RX 6800 across the board, which isn’t something we usually see.
Even then, the game does run well across a wide variety of hardware. GTX 1060 and RX 580, for instance, aren’t far off from hitting 60FPS at 1080p with maximum image quality settings, with just a few small tweaks to the IQ needed to hit that figure. VRAM doesn’t appear to be in high demand either, with both the 4GB and 8GB versions of the RX 5500 XT performing almost identically.
If you do want to drop down some image quality settings, the game’s options scale well. We found that the High preset offered 35% more performance than Very High (which is more than enough to get a GTX 1060 averaging over 60FPS at 1080p), while you can almost double frame rates using the Low preset when compared to Very High.
The only other issue I noticed is what appears to be an animation hitching problem in the game, which is particularly noticeable when riding a motorbike – the game feels like it is slowing down but then correcting itself by speeding up again. This wasn’t a game breaker for me but it was most noticeable when frame rates were below 60FPS – the higher the frame rate, the less I noticed the issue.
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
KitGuru says: Days Gone is definitely in a better state at launch than what we saw when Horizon Zero Dawn hit PCs in 2020. There’s a couple of issues to be fixed, but by and large this game performs well across a good range of graphics cards.
Yesterday, Nvidia confirmed that it is releasing ‘Lite Hash Rate’ versions of the RTX 3080, RTX 3070 and RTX 3060 Ti with anti-mining measures in place. Some more information has since come to light – LHR versions of these GPUs will be shipping to third-party board partners only, meaning we won’t be getting LHR ‘Founders Edition’ cards.
In a statement sent over to PCGamer, Nvidia confirmed that it has no plans to make Founders Edition versions of the RTX 3080, RTX 3070 or RTX 3060 Ti using LHR chips, which are revised GPUs with additional anti-mining measures in place. All of these revised GPUs will instead go straight to board partners making their own custom-cooled RTX graphics cards.
It is speculated that this decision means that the Founders Edition RTX 30 series graphics cards are nearing or have reached end of life, at which point production would cease, making these FE cards even rarer.
Nvidia hopes that by releasing GeForce GPUs with mining performance halved, more of these cards will end up going towards the PC gaming market. To appease crypto miners, CMP series graphics cards are releasing instead.
KitGuru Says: I’ve been a big fan of the Founders Edition design, so its a shame to see there are no plans for a revival with LHR GPUs in place. Still, this will be good for board partners, who have struggled just as much to keep up with demand.
Shopping for a laptop can be stressful — doubly stressful if you or your children will be learning online for the first time. Kids of different ages have a range of different laptop use cases and different needs. And as the choices for best laptop and best Chromebook evolve, so do students’ needs. So I spoke to some experts on the subject: students themselves.
My recommendations here are meant to accommodate a variety of preferences and price ranges. But they’re a jumping-off point rather than an exhaustive list: every student is different. Before making a decision, you’ll want to make sure you read reviews and try out devices yourself if you can. I’ll do my best to keep this article up to date with items that are in stock.
Best laptop for students
Google’s Pixelbook Go has solid battery life and a rippled base that’s easy to grip, making it a good choice for kids.Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Best laptop for elementary school
For younger students, a touchscreen device is easier to use than a keyboard and touchpad, says Michelle Glogovac. Glogovac’s five-year-old son uses an iPad for Webex meetings with his kindergarten class. He’s gotten the hang of it; Glogovac says he’s already learned how to mute and unmute himself, “a skill that many adults aren’t familiar with.”
That said, it may be worth investing in a keyboard case if you go the tablet route. Glogovac has to type her son’s meeting codes and passwords for him, which can be cumbersome on the iPad’s flat screen.
As kids get older, their best laptop choice will vary depending on their needs. As a parent, it’s important that you and your child are in sync about how they intend to use it and the size of the programs they want.
Kristin Wallace purchased a budget HP laptop for her daughter, Bella, but didn’t realize how quickly the nine-year-old would fill up 32GB of storage. “It is really slow and has no space for games. I need a computer with more storage space,” said Bella, who uses the laptop to Zoom with friends and take virtual guitar lessons and math enrichment classes. Wallace plans to buy Bella a better device in the next few weeks.
Audio quality is an important consideration for kids’ laptops. Lisa Mitchell, an elementary library media specialist, says her students use their devices to watch YouTube videos in addition to their online classes. Battery life is also a plus, even for distance learners who may not be far from a wall outlet. Bella likes to use her laptop all around the house and doesn’t want to bring the cord with her.
Durability is also worth paying for, according to Mitchell. If you’re using a tablet, get a protective case. “If a reasonably-priced insurance or replacement policy is available, it’s usually worth the extra expense.”
Check out:
Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition ($199): a colorful, fast tablet with kid-friendly content
Lenovo Chromebook Duet ($279): a tiny 10-inch Chromebook with a detachable keyboard
Apple 10.2-inch iPad ($329): a great budget tablet that supports the Apple Pencil
Microsoft Surface Go 2 ($399): a solid Windows tablet with a built-in kickstand
Google Pixelbook Go ($649): a sturdy touchscreen Chromebook
Lenovo’s Chromebook Duet is just $289, but it can run plenty of tabs and apps with no problem.Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge
Best laptop for middle school
The middle school students I spoke to don’t use their laptops for much more than web-based schoolwork and browsing. Don’t be too concerned about power — prioritize a machine that’s comfortable and easy for your child to use.
“We just got the most basic Chromebook and it is totally perfect,” says Gabrielle Hartley, an attorney and mother of three children who take a mix of in-person and online classes. “The most basic Chromebook serves all the needs of the basic middle schooler.”
Chromebooks, like this one from Acer, are a good choice for students who use Google Classroom.Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge
Hartley’s son Max, who is in eighth grade, agrees. “I would really like a gaming PC or gaming laptop that can plug into a monitor and run video games with 120fps, but I really don’t need that,” Max says. “Most eighth graders aren’t going to be running any video games on their laptops or any software that requires a lot of power.”
Max mostly uses his laptop for Google Classroom applications, including Gmail, Slides, Google Docs, and Google Sheets. They’re very easy to use on his device, which he describes as “a run-of-the-mill Samsung Chromebook.” That said, if your child is starting middle school this year, it could be worth checking with their teachers to see what operating system is most compatible with their workflow. Caspian Fischer Odén, a ninth grader from Sweden, told me he has trouble with his Chromebook because his school has blocked downloading apps from the Google Play Store.
Even kids with more demanding hobbies think a budget device can get the job done. Sam Hickman, an eighth grader from the UK who uses his laptop for photo and video editing, says, “For most middle schoolers, any processor developed within the last two years will be able to handle any tasks they can throw at it.”
So, what is worth paying for? A comfortable keyboard, several students told me. Many middle school kids aren’t used to typing for long periods of time. You should also look for a device that’s compact and easy for them to carry around, particularly if they’re preparing for in-person school. Shoot for an 11- to 13-inch model — certainly nothing larger than 15 inches.
Check out:
HP Chromebook x360 ($279): an affordable Chromebook with great battery life
Lenovo Flex 3 Chromebook ($350): a small but sturdy laptop made for students
Lenovo 300e ($378): a durable 2-in-1 with a stylus
Acer Aspire 5 ($466): a portable option for kids who need a 15-inch screen
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go ($549): an attractive, light Windows laptop
The Surface Laptop 4 is a capable, no-nonsense laptop — just what many high schoolers want.Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge
Best laptop for high school
High schoolers’ laptop needs can vary based on their interests, but most don’t need powerful machines with lots of bells and whistles — especially if they come with glitches or serious downsides that could interfere with schoolwork. Miles Riehle, a student at Laguna Beach High School, has a high-end Surface Pro 7 but finds it overwhelming. “There is so much other stuff that I don’t use very often,” he said. “Something simpler might be a little more straightforward.”
The best operating system may depend on what your child is used to. Aryan Nambiar, a student at Barrington High School in Illinois, has an iMac at home and enjoys using an iPad for his schoolwork. Riehle says he would prefer a Chromebook because he has an Android phone and often uses Google services.
But almost every student I spoke to agreed that the most important feature of a high school laptop is portability. Kids attending in-person classes may be carrying their device around for much of the day with a stack of other books. Look for a 13- or 14-inch screen, or a lighter 15- to 17-inch model.
Students also recommend something sturdy. “Most high schoolers I’ve seen will throw their laptop in their bag without too much care,” says Moses Buckwalter, a student at Penn Manor High School. Backpacks can be jostled in the hallway as well. Distance learners can still run into trouble at home. “Anything can happen,” says Aadit Agrawal, a high school student from India. “My own brother scratched my laptop with his nails.”
Battery life is another key feature. “It can be a real struggle to find a place to charge while in class,” says Cas Heemskerk, a sophomore from the Netherlands. Unlike college students, many high schoolers don’t have frequent breaks to juice up their devices, so try to find something that can last a full day.
Many students recommend a touchscreen with stylus support. Nambiar uses the feature for his biology class, where he does a lot of visual modeling. “The touchscreen is always a bonus for drawing diagrams, whereas if you’re using a laptop it’d be a whole process to submit a diagram you drew,” Nambiar says. Riehle uses a Surface Pen to fill out school forms and annotate PDFs. Agrawal finds it useful to take notes on the same screen as his online lessons.
Depending on the broadband situation in your area, you may also want a laptop with multiple connectivity options. Agrawal’s online classes are sometimes interrupted by powercuts, so he recommends an LTE model. Matej Plavevski, a junior at Yahya Kemal College in North Macedonia, recommends looking for an Ethernet port in case slower connections disrupt meetings. That’s hard to find on smaller laptops, but there’s a slew of affordable dongles and docks to consider.
Check out:
Acer Chromebook Spin 513 ($349): a convertible Chromebook with all-day battery
Apple iPad Air ($599): a powerful tablet with a great screen
Acer Chromebook Spin 713 ($629): a fantastic Chromebook that’s not too pricey
Dell XPS 13 ($931): a solid clamshell Windows laptop
Surface Laptop 4 ($999): an excellent, light laptop that’s comfortable to use
For college students seeking an affordable laptop, HP’s Envy x360 performs just as well as some expensive competitors.Photography by Monica Chin / The Verge
Best laptop for college
College kids are justified in spending a bit more money than other age groups. Some (especially in STEM courses) can expect to do some fairly demanding work. Assad Abid, an electrical engineering undergrad from Pakistan, needs to run simulation software for his assignments. Aakash Chandra, a student at New Horizon College of Engineering in India, does a lot of coding, in addition to creative work in Premiere Pro and Photoshop, and gaming. Students also noted that it’s worthwhile to pay for a laptop that will last for a few years after graduation. That means you won’t have to worry about finding and financing your next device until you’re (hopefully) settled into a job.
But among high-end, capable devices there’s still a wide range of options. Students stressed that a college laptop should be light. Expect to bring it between classes, meals, meetings, the library, and other locations on campus. “It’s a boon that I can carry my laptop as well as some notebooks without feeling like I’m carrying too much for six hours a day,” says Haseeb Waseem, a senior at Villanova University.
The Dell XPS 13 has a variety of configurations. Students with light workloads may prefer the base model, while gamers and creatives can add a GPU.Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge
Another universally-lauded feature: battery life. Waseem, who uses an HP Spectre, says the all-day juice gives him “the flexibility to study in a bunch of different locations, and even outside.”
Speakers and webcams are often overlooked, even in top-end devices. But students say it’s worth looking for good ones if you’re starting college this year. Zoom will be a large part of university life this semester: many kids will be attending virtual classes, while others will still be meeting with clubs, study groups, and professors as well as hanging out with friends online. Waseem isn’t satisfied with his laptop’s audio and picture quality, which he says has made it difficult to pay attention in class and to engage with other students.
Many students will need to invest more in areas tailored to their interests and schoolwork needs. Chandra’s dream laptop would include a stylus and touchscreen for his creative work as well as a high-end GPU. Waseem, who uses his laptop for a hodgepodge of activities, including streaming, coding, social media, video chatting, and Microsoft Office work, would prefer to prioritize a large screen to keep track of his multitasking.
Check out:
Acer Swift 3 ($613): a super light laptop that performs well
HP Envy x360 13 ($689): a fast and stylish 2-in-1
Dell XPS 13 ($930): a solid clamshell Windows laptop
Surface Laptop 4 ($999): an excellent, light laptop that’s comfortable to use
HP Spectre x360 14 ($1,269): a premium convertible with standout battery life
When Intel introduced its ATX12VO (12 volts only) power connector specification last year, it only got support from a small number of motherboard and power supply manufacturers. A year later, the situation among motherboards is looking better. That’s good news for Intel’s upcoming 12th Gen Alder Lake CPUs, which should arrive for desktop PCs by early 2022.
State of the ATX12VO Union
Intel formally introduced its ATX12VO spec on April 30, 2020. Meant to cut down on idle desktop power, the power connector was initially supported by ASRock with its Z490 Phantom Gaming 4SR motherboard and High Power with its HP1-P650GD-F12S power supply. While Intel also talked about PSU support from Corsair, Channel Well and FSP, (which actually demonstrated an ATX12VO PSU at CES 2020), those power supplies never hit retail
This week, overclocker Roman “der8auer” Hartung asked several makers of the best motherboards and best power supplies about their plans to support ATX12VO this year. ASRock revealed that it’s about to release its Z590 Pro 12VO motherboard. And as noted by German tech site HardwareLuxx today, Asus already has a version of its Prime Z490-S with an ATX12VO connector. The enthusiast’s video also pointed to Asus working on an ATX12VO motherboard.
Meanwhile, Gigabyte and MSI have not made any comments regarding their ATX12VO motherboard plans.
Of course, Intel’s partners are keen on staying mum on future plans regarding the unreleased Alder Lake platform. However, a rumor last week pointed to Intel pushing motherboard makers to adopt ATX12VO for the platform’s upcoming LGA1700 motherboards.
On the PSU side of matters, Seasonic told der8auer that it has already developed its Focus GX650 that complies with Intel’s ATX12VO requirements, and other models are awaiting Intel’s certification. Corsair, which sometimes sells Seasonic-made power supplies, also indicated plans to release a Corsair-branded ATX12VO PSU. In the meantime, those who already have an ATX12VO motherboard and a standard PSU can use Corsair’s ATX12VO adapter cable.
Useful Tech or Much Ado About Nothing?
The single-rail ATX12VO power delivery standard is appealing for a few reasons. First, the new ATX12VO connector is smaller, which is important for modern ultra-compact form-factor (UCFF) PCs.
Second, the most power-hungry components today only use 12V rails; whereas many of those that need 5V and 3.3V either have their own power circuitry (for example, M.2 SSDs) or can use DC-to-DC converters that are now sometimes located inside PSUs (but which could be re-located to the motherboard). That means transitioning to ATX12VO could simplify PSUs and potentially make them cheaper.
Next, conversion of 12V to 5V and 3.3V on motherboards is said to be more power-efficient, so ATX12VO is expected to reduce desktop PCs’ power consumption.
From an environmental point of view, every watt counts, so as various government regulations get stricter, it makes sense for pre-built PCs to identify paths to efficiency. Usage of 80Plus Titanium or 80Plus Platinum-badged PSUs is expensive, so ATX12VO seems like a potential way for OEMs to reduce power consumption of their low-end and midrange PCs.
Yet, the industry is not eager to transit to ATX12VO. For one, moving DC-to-DC converters to the motherboard won’t radically reduce power consumption of a PC. Unless someone runs millions of PCs, 4-5W savings aren’t significant.
On top of that, adding converters to motherboards increases their overall footprint and bill-of-materials (BOM) cost.
Further complicating things, 3.3V and 5V rails are used by all controllers, all SATA storage devices, all add-in-cards, (including graphics cards, audio cards, RAID controllers and Thunderbolt adapters) and the vast majority of USB devices.
So far, Intel’s ATX12VO has not gained much traction on the DIY market, largely because it does not bring any significant benefits. With some motherboard vendors sharing plans to increase ATX12VO adoption, this could change, but only time will tell how enthusiastic PC builders will be about ATX12VO.
With OEMs, the situation may be different, as many systems have to comply with new environmental regulations. But it remains to be seen which route PC makers will choose.
We’ll have to keep our eyes on this space to see if ATX12VO takes off or falls flat like DTX motherboards.
Solid-state drives have a number of advantages when compared to hard drives, which include performance, dimensions, and reliability. Yet, for quite a while, HDDs offered a better balance between capacity, performance, and cost, which is why they outsold SSDs in terms of unit sales. Things have certainly changed for client PCs as 60% of new computers sold in Q1 2021 used SSDs instead of HDDs. That said, it’s not surprising that SSDs outsold HDDs almost 3:2 in the first quarter in terms of unit sales as, in 2020, SSDs outsold hard drives (by units not GBs), by 28 perecent.
Unit Sales: SSDs Win 3:2
Three makers of hard drives shipped as many as 64.17 million HDDs in Q1 2021, according to Trendfocus. Meanwhile, less than a dozen SSD suppliers, including those featured in our list of best SSDs, shipped 99.438 million solid-state drives in the first quarter, the same company claims (via StorageNewsletter).
(Image credit: Trendfocus/StorageNewsletter)
Keeping in mind that many modern notebooks cannot accommodate a hard drive (and many desktops are shipped with an SSD by default), it is not particularly surprising that sales of SSDs are high. Furthermore, nowadays users want their PCs to be very responsive and that more or less requires an SSD. All in all, the majority of new PCs use SSDs as boot drives, some are also equipped with hard drives and much fewer use HDDs as boot drives.
Exabyte Sales: HDDs Win 4.5:1
But while many modern PCs do not host a lot of data, NAS, on-prem servers, and cloud datacenters do and this is where high-capacity NAS and nearline HDDs come into play. These hard drives can store up to 18TB of data and an average capacity of a 3.5-inch enterprise/nearline HDD is about 12TB these days nowadays. Thus, HDD sales in terms of exabytes vastly exceed those of SSDs (288.3EB vs 61.5EB).
Meanwhile, it should be noted that the vast majority of datacenters use SSDs for caching and HDDs for bulk storage, so it is impossible to build a datacenter purely based on solid-state storage (3D NAND) or hard drives.
Anyhow, as far as exabytes shipments are concerned, HDDs win. Total capacity of hard drives shipped in the first quarter 2021 was 288.28 EB, whereas SSDs sold in Q1 could store ‘only’ 66 EB s of data.
Since adoption of SSDs both by clients and servers is increasing, dollar sales of solid-state drives are strong too. Research and Markets values SSD market in 2020 at $34.86 billion and forecasts that it will total $80.34 billion by 2026. To put the numbers into context, Gartner estimated sales of HDDs to reach $20.7 billion in 2020 and expected them to grow to $22.6 billion in 2022.
Samsung Leads the Pack
(Image credit: Trendfocus/StorageNewsletter)
When it comes to SSD market frontrunners, Samsung is an indisputable champion both in terms of unit and exabytes shipments. Samsung sold its HDD division to Seagate in 2011, a rather surprising move then. Yet, the rationale behind the move has always been there for the company that is the No. 1 supplier of NAND flash memory. Today, the move looks obvious.
Right now, Samsung challenges other SSD makers both in terms of unit (a 25.3% market share) and exabyte (a 34.3% chunk of the market) shipments. Such results are logical to expect as the company sells loads of drives to PC OEMs, and high-capacity drives to server makers and cloud giants.
Still, not everything is rosy for the SSD market in general and Samsung in particular due to shortage of SSD controllers. The company had to shut down its chip manufacturing facility that produces its SSD and NAND controllers in Austin, Texas, earlier this year, which forced it to consider outsourcing of such components. Potentially, shortage of may affect sales of SSDs by Samsung and other companies.
“Shortages of controllers and other NAND sub-components are causing supply chain uncertainty, putting upwards pressure on ASPs,” said Walt Coon, VP of NAND and Memory Research at Yole Développement. “The recent shutdown of Samsung’s manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas, USA, which manufactures NAND controllers for its SSDs, further amplifies this situation and will likely accelerate the NAND pricing recovery, particularly in the PC SSD and mobile markets, where impacts from the controller shortages are most pronounced.”
Storage Bosses Still Lead the Game
(Image credit: Trendfocus/StorageNewsletter)
Western Digital follows Samsung in terms of SSD units (18.2%) and capacity (15.8%) share to a large degree because it sells loads of drives for applications previously served by HDDs and (perhaps we are speculating here) mission-critical hard drives supplied by Western Digital, HGST (as well as Hitachi and IBM before that).
The number three SSD supplier is Kioxia (formerly Toshiba Memory) with a 13.3% unit market share and a 9.4% exabyte market share, according to TrendFocus. Kioxia has inherited many shipment contracts (particularly in the business/mission-critical space) from Toshiba. Kioxia’s unit shipments (a 13.3% market share) are way lower when compared to those of its partner Western Digital (to some degree because the company is more aimed at the spot 3D NAND and retail SSD markets).
Being aimed primarily at high-capacity server and workstation applications, Intel is the number three SSD supplier in terms of capacity with an 11.5% market share, but when it comes to unit sales, Intel controls only 5% of the market. This situation is not particularly unexpected as Intel has always positioned its storage business as a part of its datacenter platform division, which is why the company has always been focused on high-capacity NAND ICs (unlike its former partner Micron) for advanced server-grade SSDs.
Speaking of Micron, its SSD unit market share is at an 8.4%, whereas its exabytes share is at 7.9%, which is an indicator that the company is balancing between the client and enterprise. SK Hynix also ships quite a lot of consumer drives (an 11.8% market share), but quite some higher-end enterprise-grade SSDs (as its exabytes share is 9.1%).
Seagate is perhaps one exception — among the historical storage bosses — that controls a 0.7% of the exabyte SSD market and only 0.3% of unit shipments. The company serves its loyal clientele and has yet to gain significant share in the SSD market.
Branded Client SSDs
One interesting thing about the SSD market is that while there are loads of consumer-oriented brands that sell flash-powered drives, they do not control a significant part of the market either in terms of units nor in terms of exabytes, according to Trendfocus.
Companies like Kingston, Lite-On, and a number of others make it to the headlines, yet in terms of volume, they control about 18% of the market, a significant, but not a definitive chunk. In terms of exabytes, their share is about 11.3%, which is quite high considering the fact that most of their drives are aimed at client PCs.
Summary
Client storage is going solid state in terms of unit shipments due to performance, dimensions, and power reasons. Datacenters continue to adopt SSDs for caching as well as business and mission-critical applications.
Being the largest supplier of 3D NAND (V-NAND in Samsung’s nomenclature), Samsung continues to be the leading supplier of SSDs both in terms of volumes and in terms of capacity shipments. Meanwhile, shortage of SSD controllers may have an impact on the company’s SSD sales.
Based on current trends, SSDs are set to continue taking unit market share from HDDs. Yet hard drives are not set to give up bulk storage.
(Pocket-lint) – Your computer’s internal speakers aren’t really supposed to perform very well. They’re the thing that always gets pushed aside to make way for better processors, more efficient fans, and sleeker designs. So if you’re often watching videos or listening to music on your computer, it’s a great idea to go for some external speakers.
The sound will be so much bigger so you’ll actually be able to understand what people are saying. No, people really don’t sound so tinny in real life.
As with most other speaker systems, there’s a wide variety to choose from in terms of cost and design. You can get the classic two speaker pod design that fits nicely on either side of your computer. Then there’s the soundbar design that works well with desktops unless you have an alternative space for them around your laptop. For that full bass sound, you can go for a subwoofer too.
Our guide to the best computer speakers to buy today
Creative
Creative Pebble 2.0 USB-Powered Desktop Speakers
squirrel_widget_2680865
We really like the subtle styling of the Creative Pebble 2.0 USB-Powered Desktop Speakers. The black rounded casing and exposed copper driver make a nice distinction from the standard rectangle and mesh speakers you so often get.
It’s USB-powered, so no long cables looking for a wall socket needed. And it’s simple. You just have a volume knob and no complicated adjustments to get good sound.
ELEGIANT
ELEGIANT 10W RGB Desktop Speakers
squirrel_widget_4575841
Computers can be quite drab, so for those that want to brighten up their desks, the ELEGIANT 10W RGB Desktop Speakers can provide that colour.
It’s got both wired and Bluetooth compatibility, and two 5W drivers pushing out a peak of 200W. That makes for a decent sound for sure. There’s a focus on bringing through both the highs and lows, so you get a nice, deep bass rumble.
Razer
Razer Nommo Chroma Computer Speakers
squirrel_widget_148867
These are such cool looking speakers that pack way more of a punch than you’d expect. The Razer Nommo Chroma Computer Speakers are made to bring out the clarity and breadth of the sound of games and movies.
The Custom 3-inch Woven Glass Fiber Drivers and rear-facing bass ports are the sources of all that great sound. And they even have LED lights under their bases for that dash of colour.
Cyber Acoustics
Cyber Acoustics CA-3602FFP 2.1 Speaker Sound System
squirrel_widget_4612347
Sometimes you just need to feel that bass rumble at your feet, you know? And nothing will deliver that like a dedicated subwoofer. So bring back the noughties, because this three-piece Cyber Acoustics CA-3602FFP 2.1 Speaker Sound System hits hard.
Each speaker has two 2-inch drivers and combined with the 5.25-inch subwoofer, you get 62 watts peak power and 30 watts RMS. And there’s a neat Desktop Control Pod with the controls and a couple of extra AUX inputs.
Sanyun
Sanyun SW102 Computer Speakers
squirrel_widget_4612373
For a small, unintrusive speaker set, check out the Sanyun SW102 Computer Speakers.
Two 5W drivers power these little cones, and they’re positioned to deliver 3D sound, so don’t worry about which direction they’re pointed.
You’re going to have to like blue lights though because they don’t change colour.
BeBom
BeBomBasics SP20 USB Powered Multimedia Small Desktop Speaker
squirrel_widget_4612481
The BeBomBasics SP20 USB Powered Multimedia Small Desktop Speakers are something you don’t need to feel precious about.
There are plenty of other super fancy speakers out there that need all the attention just to work properly. but these cheap and cheerful little speakers are a plug-and-play item that requires no thought to use.
TaoTronics
TaoTronics Computer Speakers
squirrel_widget_4612427
If you don’t want to mess about with individual speakers, then a soundbar design is perfect for you. The TaoTronics Computer Speakers comes in at a very attractive price.
It’s USB powered and has the obligatory AUX headphone jacks, so if you need to stick your headphones on for a while, it’s easy.
The large knob on the side is convenient too – you won’t be searching for it, that’s for sure.
Maboo
Maboo 3.5mm Jack PC Speakers Wired with Subwoofer
squirrel_widget_4612454
The Maboo 3.5mm Jack PC Speakers Wired with Subwoofer presents a 2.1 speaker system at a very reasonable price. There are two 3W speakers combined with a 2.5W subwoofer to make sure the bass keeps pace.
It’s a straightforward design, and we like the white on black contrast. They’re not large either, so won’t be taking up all the space on your desk.
ZETIY
ZETIY USB Computer Speaker
squirrel_widget_4575787
The ZETIY USB Computer Speaker is as basic as you get. And that’s a good thing.
It’s USB powered, so no extra cables going into the wall. The USB even takes place of the aux cable too.
And the single speaker means less fuss and space taken up. You can take it wherever you go because it’s small and there’s no worry about cables getting tangled.
Logitech
Logitech Z200 PC Speakers
squirrel_widget_4612535
We like brands who always deliver the goods while keeping the price in check. Logitech is just one of those brands, and their Z200 PC Speakers are exactly one of those products.
They’re small, but pack a punch, perfect if you don’t have much desk space but want to increase your computer’s audio. Their no-nonsense design is refreshing too.
Writing by Claudio Rebuzzi. Editing by Dan Grabham.
The Epos H3 gaming headset thumps out crystal-clear, bassy audio with excellent range. However, the microphone makes an annoying, persistent hissing noise.
For
+ Lightweight
+ Excellent audio reproduction and thump
+ Soft earcups
Against
– Not a lot of features for the price
– No software
Editor’s Note: This review was originally published on April 20, 2021 and was updated on May 19, 2021. We retested the microphone after learning it was originally tested with a faulty 3.5mm jack.
The Epos H3 is a solid choice for those seeking the best gaming headset for their rig. They’re also cross-platform compatible with Mac, PlayStation 5 (PS5), PS4, Xbox and Nintendo Switch, allowing you to have one pair of headphones for all your gaming needs.
Combining comfort with affectionately loud drivers boasting thunderous bass and crystal-clear audio worthy of praise, it’s money well spent at $119. The H3 also features passive noise canceling, raising the bar another level; although, you may still wish for a better microphone and roomier fit.
A quick glance at the H3’s specs sheet, and you might suspect that these are bulky, heavy cans. At 1.4 pounds, they’re weightier than many other wired gaming headsets, such as the MSI Immerse GH61 (0.6 pounds) and Roccat Elo X (0.7 pounds). However, Epos managed to distribute the weight and minimize pressure in such a way that the H3 actually feels lightweight. This is partially due to the memory foam and soft leatherette included on the headband and ears for comfort that cradles the head and ears without being overbearingly cushy. The unit is so lightweight that my only concern was them getting hot, like many other over-the-ear units using leatherette that I have reviewed, but, thankfully, I was able to wear them for over 2 hours at a time without ever even getting warm.
The H3’s earcups connect to the steel headband via a dual-axis hinge and are also designed to mold to the shape of human ears. But because I’m a huge person with an obnoxiously large head and substantial, malformed ears, I initially had issues getting the H3 to sound as expected. Here, I learned of the sturdiness of the steel headband. Adjustments were easy, and I was able to get the H3 so I could listen to The Best of Johann Sebastion Bach in pure comfort.
The Epos H3’s are stylishly elegant in Onyx Black as tested but are also available in Ghost White. Each ear cup holds an Epos logo, and the right ear cup has a built-in volume control knob that is responsive and with smooth controls easily activated by my thumb. On the left ear cup is the 3.5mm audio connection jack. The microphone is also on the left ear cup and pulls down nicely into place with a solid click to let you know it’s in place and ready to go. Lifting it back up conveniently mutes the microphone, so there are no embarrassments.
Overall, with its lightweight, but quality, plastics, and steel headband, the H3 is sleek and sturdy with the feel of a much more expensive gaming headset. They also lack the sometimes gaudy RGB lighting of other gaming headsets, which is great for when you simply want to game and not also put on a light show. The plastic keeps the headset trim at 0.6 pounds overall which adds to the comfort level I mentioned previously.
Audio Performance
Epos H3 uses closed drivers that deliver satisfactory audio as soon as you plug them in, which is good news since there’s no software available with the H3. The H3 gaming headset is truly plug-and-play, coming with a 3.5mm audio cable and a 3.5mm splitter cable, should your device require a separate mic input to record audio.
I fired up Borderlands 2, and as I was following the annoying robot Claptrap around, I could discern when one of the crazy characters tried to slide up on my right and start beating on me. I side-stepped and shot him dead with my weapons, and the gunshots were wonderfully reproduced and sounded realistic. When I threw a grenade at a couple of post-apocalyptic-looking gents, the explosions were rich, full, and crisp, making for a thoroughly enjoyable battle.
While playing Batman: Arkham Knight, I could easily trace the sounds of fire shots as they petered out into the distance. They sounded just as realistic as the gunshots I heard while playing Borderlands 2. The bone-crunching sound of Batman’s punches landing on the jaws of enemies I vanquished were exquisitely reproduced in my ear. When using the jet turbine in the Batmobile to launch from one roof to another, the thunderous roar was gratifying and clear with zero distortion.
Overall, gaming with the H3 ensured I could hear moving footsteps coming from different directions, or gunfire in the distance, and I didn’t find myself missing virtual surround sound or the ability to tweak audio performance with a dedicated app. These cans are lovingly loud, so it’s a good thing the H3’s volume knob is so responsive and easy to find with a blind thumb.
To test out the cans’ music prowess I turned to Busta Rhymes’ “Dangerous”. As soon as the baseline started pumping, I was thrilled, as the H3’s delivered the bombastic bassline with lust and passion few can compete with. At a typical listening volume, I heard sweetly produced highs and mid-range tones. And when I pumped the volume to the max, they delivered the same thump and clarity.
Microphone
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
I originally published this review reporting an audible hiss with the headset’s microphone, but since then I’ve learned that this was caused by a faulty 3.5mm jack in my PC. With that issue remedied, I retested the microphone, and the hissing issue disappeared. Now, the bidirectional mic is able to catch the full range of my deep throaty voice. In recordings I could hear my voice’s natural depth and timbre beautifully and without any distracting background noise, thanks to the mic’s effective noise-cancelling.
Note that the H3 doesn’t have its own software, so microphone performance adjustments aren’t readily available. However, I didn’t miss it too much because my recordings were still very clear and of premium quality worthy of some podcasting.
Epos specs the H3’s mic as covering a frequency range of 10-18,000 Hz.
Features and Software
Although Epos does have a gaming software suite, the H3 does not work with it. But the audio quality is so good, I did not miss having software assistance.
One of my favorite features of the Epos H’3 is the responsive audio knob that is built-in to the right ear cup. It makes adjusting the volume quick and easy. Also, you will need to adjust the volume as these cans can get very loud, which I love.
Bottom Line
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
At $119, the Epos H3’s audio quality is equal to its price tag; however some may find it steep when you compare it to units that come with gaming-ready features, like RGB lighting, software for tweaking and the option for virtual surround sound. If you’re someone who doesn’t need many extras, the H3 also earns its price with strong build quality and comfort, (especially for those with smaller heads, who won’t have to fuss with adjustments).
The downside comes from the microphone, which records really clear audio but also adds a hissing noise that I couldn’t eradicate no matter what adjustments I tried or software I used. Overall the mic performance is solid but not the best in its class and certainly not a replacement for the best USB gaming microphones.
But if you’re interested in a gaming headset that sounds amazing right out of the box and can put up with the ok microphone, these are for you.
Best Buy have listed a $750 Intel Iris Xe powered “CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme Gaming Desktop” on their site, and it has already sold out. While the Intel Iris Xe may not be a graphical powerhouse, this budget gaming system comes with an 11th Gen Rocket Lake CPU.
(Image credit: Best Buy)
The Intel Iris Xe GPU is interesting, despite its lack of pixel prowess. The Xe DG1 is just visible in the top PCIe slot of the machine pictured on Best Buy’s site, is a passively cooled card with 4GB of LPDDR4X VRAM, and 640 shading units spread across 80 execution units. Best Buy doesn’t supply a pic of the back of the PC, but we’d expect DVI-D, HDMI, and DisplayPort ports, in line with the Asus card already revealed.
The PC in question is a Gamer Xtreme Gaming Desktop from CyberPower going for $750, with an 11th-gen Intel i5-11400F (six cores, 12 threads, boost up to 4.4GHz) with the ‘F’ designation meaning it doesn’t pack integrated graphics. There’s 8GB of RAM and a 500 GB NVMe SSD, so you know you’re not looking at a particularly highly powered model here. Similar money gets you PCs with GTX 1650 GPUs, and the benchmarks that leaked a few months ago don’t look brilliant.
Still, while this is perhaps not the kind of PC that would have us dancing in the streets, it’s an important moment in the history of GPUs: Xe is here, there are now three players in the market, and with the launch of the DG2 cards, built on the more powerful Xe-HPG architecture with hardware-accelerated ray-tracing later this year, things are about to get really interesting.
Bitcoin is currently down 17% while Ethereum is down 25% after news that China will be banning financial institutions like banks and payment services such as Paypal from offering or processing any crypto services. This also follows news that the United States OCC will be reviewing the crypto currency guidance it has issued over the past year.
Three industry bodies in China said in a joint statement on Tuesday that “Recently, crypto currency prices have skyrocketed and plummeted, and speculative trading of cryptocurrency has rebounded, seriously infringing on the safety of people’s property and disrupting the normal economic and financial order.” Which is a lot of words to say that Chinese financial institutions can no longer offer clients any crypto currency services, including registration, trading, clearing or settlement.
The statement reiterates earlier bans from 2013 and 2017, but also addresses new services that were not previously mentioned. These include bans on accepting virtual currencies as payment as well as on offering exchange services between crypto currencies and more traditional currencies like yuan or the US dollar. The statement also prohibits Chinese financial institutions from offering crypto currency savings or trust services, as well as prevents firms from using crypto as an investment target.
Crypto exchanges and initial coin offerings are both banned as well, although individuals can continue to hold cryptocurrency.
News of the ban hit Bitcoin prices hard overnight, with the online currency falling from a record $64,895 high on April 14th to a current price of $35,462 (as of writing).
To individual PC users, the bright side is that parts availability might soon pick up if cryptocurrency enters into a new dormant stage. New, more powerful mining gear has caused a bit of a bull run for cryptocurrency as of late, but the crypto market’s 2017 crash shows that miners’ presence in the components market isn’t guaranteed.
That said, as new currencies like Chia Coin innovate with models like the storage based proof of space, the market remains difficult to completely predict.
While other countries will likely not crack down on crypto currencies as hard as China has, the US Office of the Comptroller of Currency is currently reviewing its crypto currency guidelines. New acting comptroller Michael Hsu said in prepared remarks on Wednesday that he has requested a review of all of the OCC’s pending matters, interpretative letters and guidance, including those involving digital assets and cryptocurrency.
“At the OCC, the focus has been on encouraging responsible innovation,” Hsu said. “For instance, we created an office of Innovation…and interpreted crypto custody services as part of the business of banking. I have asked staff to review these actions.”
Hsu then explained that his concern is “that these initiatives were not done in full coordination with all stakeholders.”
Kristin Smith, the executive director of the industry lobbyist Blockchain Association, replied to Hsu’s review news with an optimistic outlook. “It’s not surprising that a newly appointed Acting Comptroller would review recent policy decisions upon showing up to the job,” she said. “We are encouraged by Acting Comptroller Hsu’s nod to the importance of financial innovation, and we hope to be a resource to him in his new position.”
An early look at the next game from Dishonored developer Arkane Studios
Deathloop is a game about, well, death loops.
The next release from Dishonored developer Arkane Studios, Deathloop puts you in the role of a man named Colt who wakes up in a strange-yet-stylish 1960s-inspired place called Blackreef. Like the studio’s past work, the game is a first-person action / adventure where players can use different weapons and supernatural skills in order to tackle problems — which usually involve murder — in different ways. But there’s a twist when Colt discovers he’s stuck in a time loop. As soon as he dies, he goes right back to the start of the same day. In order to break that cycle, he’s told, Colt must kill eight characters called “visionaries” before the day is over.
It’s an interesting premise, but also one that raises a few questions. Namely: how do the loops actually work in practice?
Dinga Bakaba, the game director on Deathloop, provided some insight during a recent hands-off demo. The main thing, it seems, is that this is a game all about player freedom. Early on, players will be guided through the world and story — there are even on-screen prompts representing Colt’s memories, which serve as a tutorial of sorts — but eventually, things open up. Players will explore four different districts, and there are also different time periods that change what’s going on; one area might be very different in the morning versus the evening, for instance.
“Now you have this moment where you can choose between the four districts,” Bakaba says of when the game opens up. “And then you go into a district, you do something and you get out, and then time moves to the next period. At this moment, so that you’re not lost, you end this opening section with a pair of leads, like an investigation. All of these leads have steps; it could be something like go to Aleksis’ space and go through her stuff to know more about Egor, or something like that. Those are your goals. That’s how you progress. You can also do those steps in the order that you want.”
He adds that “You’re very free with your progression. It’s not a game where a day is something that you do from beginning to end, and when you die, you have to restart the whole game over and over. That’s definitely not the case here. It’s about what you are doing in the world that keeps resetting itself.”
This also means that Deathloop has a unique approach to time. Once you’re in a district, there’s no time limit. You can spend as much or as little time there as you need inside of it. But as soon as you exit to go somewhere else, time will move forward. Here’s how Bakaba explains it:
When you start the day, you start the day in the morning, and you can choose where you want to go. When you’re inside the district, you can take however long you want, and it’s when you exit that we move from the morning period to the noon period. And same thing, you can choose where you go. Basically time advances each time you exit one area. If you die and you’re out of rewinds, you’ll go back to the beginning of the day. And you can choose to skip a time period to go directly where you need to be, or where you want to explore.
This might make Deathloop sound a bit like a roguelike, a genre most recently popularized by games like Hades and Returnal where players explore procedurally generated worlds but have to restart once they die. (Bakaba notes that “Returnal is a really great game, I’m having a blast with it.”) Arkane even has some experience with the genre through Mooncrash, a roguelike expansion for Prey. But Bakaba believes that there are some fundamental differences that make Deathloop different from more traditional roguelikes.
“My belief as a designer is that it’s not [a roguelike],” he explains. “There are a number of reasons for that. First of all, I think a good roguelike is about overcoming challenge, it’s going through these areas that are familiar but not the same. So you go through the first biome, and then you get to the next biome that’s even more difficult, and then you get to the ending and you’re super happy because that was super, super hard to get there, and you had to be both very skilled and lucky to get there. Which feels really nice, and lends itself to replaying. Spelunky is probably my favorite roguelike.
“But here with Deathloop it’s a bit different because getting to the end of the day isn’t an objective at all. It’s not even a milestone for the player. So there is no increasing difficulty, and there is no repetition. It’s weird to say that about a time loop, but there’s no forced repetition in the sense that if you don’t want to do the morning section, you can just jump to the night. It’s your choice. You’re really free to use the space and use the time to your liking… You get to this point where you’re basically a superhero in this world. At this point it’s not about difficulty. It’s about having this feeling of mastery, which for us is very important in this time loop fiction.”
It all sounds very cool, but it’ll be some time before we get to experience those loops (and deaths) for ourselves. Deathloop is slated to launch on September 14th on PC and the PS5.
The foldable computer is almost here, and there will be a version of Windows 10 for it. But maybe not exactly the one you know. It’s called Windows 10X, and it is the operating system that will power dual-screen laptops and folding PCs.
Update, May 18, 2021: Microsoft has officially shelved Windows 10X, with plans to integrate some of its features into Windows 10. Microsoft mentioned the change in a blog post following reports of the change in early May.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
The operating system, which was codenamed Santorini internally, is based on the little-spoken of Windows Core OS. The brief version of Core OS is that it’s a stripped-down, simplified version of Windows that can be expanded or shrunk down to meet the needs of different devices.
Is Windows 10X like Windows 10 S?
No. Additions can be made to that Core, and Windows 10X offers “newly implemented support for running Win32 applications in a container.” wrote Windows and education corporate vice president Eran Meggido in a blog post.
That means that with Windows 10X, you won’t be limited to Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps. What we don’t know yet is if there are further limitations to a stripped down version of Windows 10.
When will Windows 10X be available? What devices will it be on?
Windows 10X was put on the back burner in May 2021 to integrate some of its features into Windows 10.
Windows 10X was at one point scheduled to launch in the fall 2020. It will power Microsoft’s own Surface Neo, as well as computers from partners including Lenovo, Dell, Asus and HP. Each of the devices were to be powered by Intel (Surface Neo, specifically, will use one of Intel’s Lakefield chips).
Lenovo confirmed to Tom’s Hardware that its foldable ThinkPad X1 device would use Windows 10X, though it launched with Windows 10 Pro prior to Microsoft changing its plans.. Asus would neither confirm nor deny if it planned to use Windows 10X for Project Precog. We have seen Concept Ori and Concept Duet — one with a foldable OLED panel and one with a hinge.
What can Windows 10X do?
Editors’ note: It’s unclear which Windows 10X features will be brought to Windows 10. The below summarizes what we knew about Windows 10X as its own operating system.
Frankly, we’re still in the dark on many of the specifics, though at its October event, Microsoft showed off some neat features that should make using a dual-screen device easier.
One of them was easy access to search. Another was that programs that are opened will show up on the side of the device in which it was invoked. And if you want it on two screens, you can pinch it and drag it to the center, which Microsoft referred to as “spanning.”
With the a Bluetooth keyboard (the Surface Neo has a magnetic one that covers part of one display), the “WonderBar” is invoked, with room for a touchbar, emojis, smaller screens or other menus.
Additionally, the extra space can be put to good use, like having Outlook in one window and opening new calendar invites or emails in the other without having to switch back and forth.
Microsoft has said that updates to Windows 10X will download and install in 90 seconds, which would be far faster than regular Windows 10.
There may be a little more we know. At Computex, Microsoft corporate vice president of operating systems Roanne Sones detailed a vision for a more modern Windows. That included seamless updates, security, 5G and LTE and sustained performance. She also discussed cloud connectivity, the ability to fit on several form factors, and inputs from pens, touch and even gaze.
Per leaks, the Start Menu will be referred to as the “Launcher,” which sounds more like a phone. Additionally, facial recognition with Windows Hello may be faster, with users skipping the step to dismiss the lock screen before going to the desktop.
Other leaked features include a modernized File Explorer, a quicker Action Center and a focus on Win32 apps and Progressive Web App (PWA) version of Office rather than UWP from its own store.
When will developers get their hands on Windows 10X?
Windows 10X is currently available through emulation with the Microsoft Emulator. You can see our hands-on with it here. You can get the emulator and image from the Microsoft Store. It requires Windows 10 Pro and the latest version of the Windows Insider build.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Microsoft chief product Panos Panay said that part of the reason for debuting the Surface Neo early was to empower developers to build experiences for its two screens. Perhaps we’ll hear more about it at the next Microsoft Build, which will take place between May 19 and May 21 in Seattle in 2020.
Photo Credits: Microsoft
This article is part of the Tom’s Hardware Glossary.
If Zotac’s Firestorm software is to be trusted, the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti might not be the only Ti SKU that Nvidia releases this generation: Twitter user Japanese PC mania has discovered references to a GeForce RTX 3090 Ti and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti baked into the software.
The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is surely one of Nvidia’s worst kept secrets. Everything relevant to the Ampere graphics card’s specifications pricing is already out in public; we’ve even seen photographs of GeForce RTX 3080 Ti pallets making their way to U.S. retailers. The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti’s pricing is undefined, but the general expectation is between $999 and $1,099.
We haven’t heard anything about the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti before today’s discovery, though. The GeForce RTX 3090 already blurs the line between a GeForce SKU and a Titan SKU. We’re not sure that a GeForce RTX 3090 Ti would fit into Nvidia’s Ampere product stack at this time. Nvidia is very proud of its Titan graphics cards, so it’s pretty much a given that we will see an Ampere Titan down the line. If Nvidia makes the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti, we don’t think there will be a Titan and vice versa. However, only time will tell.
The GeForce RTX 3070 Ti reportedly features the full GA104 silicon with a total of 6,144 CUDA cores. The GeForce RTX 3070 Ti would potentially arrive with 8GB of GDDR6 memory. It’ll be interesting to see how it stacks up against the GeForce RTX 3080, more importantly, the Radeon RX 6800 XT.
Zotac’s image files for the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti, RTX 3080 Ti, and RTX 3070 Ti were previously hidden inside a folder in the Firestorm directory. Surprisingly, the files are dated April 21, so they are pretty fresh. The inclusion of the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 3070 Ti lends credence to the rumor that the new Ampere graphics cards are right around the corner.
If the time frames are accurate, both the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti should be announced on May 31. The NDA for product reviews should lift on June 2 and June 9, respectively. The actual product launch, on the other hand, is still a mystery. As for the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti, let’s treat it as a unicorn for now.
Microsoft has pulled the trigger on the May 2021 update and the patch is available to download right now. The update comes with a couple of new features like Windows hello multicamera support, the removal of the legacy Microsoft Edge browser, and a ton of bug fixes and other quality of life improvements to Windows 10.
If you want to download the update, you can either use Microsoft’s Update Assistant/Media Creation Tool or manually “check for updates” through Windows Update (in Settings). However, not every PC will have 21H1 available if you use the Windows Update method. This is perfectly normal as Microsoft releases new updates in ‘waves’ to ensure the reliability of the product.
If you use your PC for work or you need a stable system, we recommend waiting until Windows Update automatically installs 21H1, instead of manually updating to it. While this new May update does have a lot of bugs and improvements, plenty of Microsoft’s updates in the past have had major problems upon the first release.
Microsoft’s focus on bug fixes and quality of life for the 21H1 update makes a lot of sense, as the companies next big feature update for Windows 10 codenamed ‘Sun Valley’ is supposed to be the largest update to Windows 10 we’ve ever seen. Sun Valley plans to give Windows 10 a big overhaul to its user interface and also bring in features from its now canceled Windows 10X operating system.
Microsoft finally addressed the state of Windows 10X in a blog post about the May 2021 update. Reports of Windows 10X being shelved started showing earlier this month.
“Following a year-long exploration and engaging in conversations with customers, we realized that the technology of Windows 10X could be useful in more ways and serve more customers than we originally imagined. We concluded that the 10X technology shouldn’t just be confined to a subset of customers,” vice president of program management John Cable wrote.
“Instead of bringing a product called Windows 10X to market in 2021 like we originally intended, we are leveraging learnings from our journey thus far and accelerating the integration of key foundational 10X technology into other parts of Windows and products at the company.”
We’re unlikely to see too much of that here, but the upcoming 21H2 update may have a far bigger redesign.
Noctua is primarily known for its highly efficient air coolers that offer high performance and are also surprisingly quiet. Yet, some customers want to have a PC that produces no noise at all and who prefer fanless cooling systems and cases. Bringing Noctua’s expertise to passive coolers has always been something that its customers were enthusiastic about, and it looks like their dreams are about to come true ‘very soon.’
Noctua first demonstrated its prototype fanless CPU cooler in mid-2019 at Computex. The tower heatsink featured multiple aluminum fins, six heat pipes, and weighed in around 3.3 pounds (1.5 kilograms). It was designed to cool a CPU with an (up to) 120W TDP in a completely fanless case, or a processor with an (up to) 180W TDP in a case equipped with quiet fans, or when equipped with a fan itself. The device was designed primarily for AMD’s AM4 and Intel’s LGA115x platforms, though it is reasonable to expect it to be compatible with LGA1200 and eventually LGA1700, too.
Noctua is traditionally very serious about its R&D process and validation of its products, so it took the company quite a while to finalize its passive CPU cooler. Noctua’s latest roadmap indicates that the fanless cooler is set to be launched in Q2 2021. When asked to be slightly more precise, a company’s representative said on Twitter (via TechPowerUp) that the unit is ‘coming very soon.’
Recently Noctua talked about challenges it faced designing its fanless CPU cooler. Given how modern desktop processors work and their bursty behavior, their cooling systems have to remove relatively large amounts of heat at all times. Therefore, a passive cooling system for a processor is not just a large heatsink with loads of fins and without a fan (as such a design is intended to work with a fan or even two fans to be efficient) but is a completely different device from an engineering standpoint.
“The key challenge is that for a passive cooler to be truly effective, design parameters such as fin pitch and fin thickness need to be quite different,” said Jakob Dellinger, a representative for Noctua, in an interview with RelaxedTech. “You need a certain pitch to get low enough flow resistance for sufficient natural convection and a certain fin thickness in order to get the mass that is required for absorbing enough thermal energy.”
“This means that different manufacturing machinery is required, e.g., much stronger stamping presses, etc. Getting this sorted in a reasonably cost-efficient way was quite a challenge. […] We found the technical possibility thrilling and hope that many customers will share this feeling. There’s a certain beauty and simplicity to going completely fanless rather than just running slow fans, there’s no real possible point of failure, less dust build-up, and of course, the bliss of complete silence.”
Noctua has yet to disclose the pricing of its passive cooler, but at least we now know that the product is set to hit the market shortly.
InWin has developed two new AIO liquid coolers, the BR24 and BR36, with more functionality than your typical AIO. Both coolers not only cool your CPU, but an additional fan mounted directly on the pump gives your motherboard components (like power delivery, GPU backplates, and RAM) more airflow to keep them cool.
The BR36 is InWin’s 360mm AIO with triple RGB 120mm fans, and the BR24 is (as you guessed) a 240mm AIO with dual 120mm RGB fans. The fans equipped are ARGB compatible and spin up to 1800 RPM with a maximum airflow spec of up to 26.93 CFM.
Both the BR36 and BR24 also come with a specialized pump infused directly into the tubes themselves and located right next to the radiator. This is a great feature to have if you need to install your radiator below the CPU block, as it will prevent air bubbles from reaching the pump.
Perhaps the most striking feature of all is the large fan placed about the CPU block. This allows your system compounds around the CPU to have active cooling, which might be necessary for some PC builds with restricted airflow.
(Image credit: InWin)
For some builders, having active airflow on your memory and power delivery is necessary to keep those components cool and prevent overheating. This is especially true if you are either memory overclocking and/or CPU overclocking. But also, if you’re using a motherboard with an average power delivery system that is prone to overheating.
CPU air coolers often do the job of cooling the memory and power delivery since the heatsink is close to the motherboard. With your typical AIO, this is not the case. The radiator and its associated fans are so far away that the only air traveling over your system components (besides the CPU) comes from case fans that might not have enough airflow to keep them cool. This is often a niche problem, though, as having passive airflow over the motherboard is often fine.
This is not the first time we’ve seen a fan mounted on the CPU block, either. Cryorig’s A40 and A80 AIOs have a directional fan you can place on the CPU block to control airflow, whether to the RAM, GPU/M.2 slots, or the power delivery subsystem.
This is where InWin’s design is a bit more mature — the fan is non-directional and blasts air around the entire CPU area, meaning all system components around the CPU receive air instead of just one component.
Unfortunately, InWin isn’t selling the BR36 or BR24 to the United States at the moment. However, European buyers can purchase the BR24 and BR36 AIOs for 109.99 and 124.99 Euros, respectively.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
