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HP Spectre x360 14 Review: The New Best 2-in-1 Laptop

Our Verdict

The HP Spectre x360 14 is a beautifully constructed 2-in-1 laptop with a vibrant 3:2 OLED touch screen to showcase your work. It has an excellent keyboard and a variety of ports for all of your accessories. Those who prioritize battery life may want to consider a non-OLED configuration, however.

For

Sleek, attractive design
Vivid 3:2 display shows more of your work
Clicky, responsive keyboard
Thunderbolt 4 and USB Type-A ports

Against

OLED model doesn’t last all day
Difficult to upgrade SSD

There’s no need to beat around the bush: the HP Spectre x360 14 ($1,219.99 to start; $1,699.99 as tested) is one of the best ultrabooks we’ve tested in the last several months. It’s exquisitely designed with a 13.5-inch, 3:2 display that showcases more of your work, whether it be words, numbers, or code.

You’ll pay a premium price for it, but it sure feels premium, with a sleek chassis, clicky keyboard and both USB Type-C and Type-A ports, as well as a microSD card reader.

The model we reviewed had an impressive

OLED

screen with a 3,000 x 2,000 resolution. It looks great, but if you want all-day battery life, you may consider alternative configurations.

Design of the HP Spectre x360 14

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HP makes a handsome laptop. The Spectre x360 doesn’t make a ton of changes to what has largely become a tried and true design. It’s an aluminum notebook with solid construction. Ours came in “nightfall black” with copper accents, which I think is a bit showy for my tastes these days, but you can also get in “Poseidon blue” or my likely choice, “natural silver.”

The back two edges near the 360-degree hinge are chopped off, one of which makes room for a Thunderbolt 4 port. It’s a divisive choice, but it’s grown on me. That placement lets you flip from a laptop into a tablet while it’s charging and barely move the cable at all.

When you unfold the laptop for the first time, you’ll notice the big difference with this Spectre: a 13.5-inch, 3:2 display that feels incredibly luxurious compared to the 16:9 screen on the smaller

Spectre x360 13

that we recently reviewed. There’s minimal bezel around it, putting the focus on your work. It also creates a slightly longer profile for the whole device.

Unlike many 2-in-1s, the power button is on the keyboard, rather than the side of the device. As a person using it primarily as a laptop, I prefer this choice, though tablet-heavy users might be annoyed. There’s also a fingerprint reader next to the arrow keys, this, combined with the IR camera, allows for security options beyond a password whether in tablet or laptop mode, which I appreciate. The speaker grilles above the function keys make for a nice accent.

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There aren’t a ton of ports on the Spectre x360 14, but there’s enough for most people’s everyday use. Most of the action is on the right side, where you’ll find two Thunderbolt 4 ports (one on the right corner), a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a microSD card. On the right, there is one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port. The rest of that side of the notebook is magnetized to fit the included HP Tilt Pen.

At 2.95 pounds with an 11.75 x 8.67 x 0.67-inch footprint, the Spectre is fairly compact. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 9310 is 2.9 pounds and 11.69 x 8.15 x 0.56 inches — a bit smaller — but also has a 13.4-inch screen in a 16:10 aspect ratio. The MacBook Pro is a 3 pound clamshell and measures 11.95 x 8.36 x 0.61 inches, and the Asus ZenBook Flip S UX371 is 2.7 pounds and 12 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches.

HP Spectre x360 14 Specifications

CPU	Intel Core i7-1165G7
Graphics	Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Memory	16GB LPDDR4-3733
Storage	1TB PCIe NVMe SSD with 32GB Intel Optane
Display	13.5-inch, 3000 x 2000 OLED touchscreen
Networking	Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX 201 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5
Ports	2x Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, Headphone/microphone jack, microSD card reader
Camera	720p IR
Battery	66 WHr
Power Adapter	65 W
Operating System	Windows 10 Home
Other	HP Rechargeable MPP2.0 Tilt Pen
Dimensions(WxDxH)	11.75 x 8.67 x 0.67 inches / 298.45 x 220.22 x 17.02 mm
Weight	2.95 pounds / 1.34 kg
Price (as configured)	$1,699.99

Productivity Performance on the HP Spectre x360 14

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Our HP Spectre x360 14 review unit came with an Intel Core i7-1165G7, 16GB of LPDDR4 RAM and a 1TB PCIe

NVMe SSD

with 32GB of Intel Optane memory. In my use, it could handle plenty of browser tabs and streaming video without an issue.

On the Geekbench 5 overall performance benchmark, the Spectre earned a single-core score of 1,462 and a multi-core score of 4,904. The ZenBook Flip S was in a similar range. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 had a higher score in multi-core performance (5,639). The MacBook Pro, too, had a higher multi-core score when emulated through Rosetta 2 to run the same version of the test (5,925).

The Spectre transferred 25GB of files at a rate of 533.61 MBps, faster than the XPS 13 2-in-1, but slower than the ZenBook Flip S (979.37 MBps).

In our Handbrake test, which transcodes a 4K video to 1080p, the Spectre x360 14 finished the task in 18 minutes and 5 seconds. While this was four minutes faster than the ZenBook, the XPS 13 2-in-1 was speedier and the MacBook Pro led the whole pack, even while emulating x86 instructions.

To stress the Spectre, we ran it through 20 runs of Cinebench R23. It was fairly consistent in the low 4,000’s, though there were some peaks up to around 4,300. The CPU ran at an average of 2.61 GHz and an average temperature of 74.07 degrees Celsius (165.33 degrees Fahrenheit).

Display on the HP Spectre x360 14

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The 13.5-inch touchscreen on the Spectre x360 has a 3:2 aspect ratio, making it taller than it is wide. It’s an opulent amount of space, especially for doing work. You’ll see more text, code, spreadsheet cells or whatever else you’re working on because the screen is taller. It’s a big improvement over 16:9 displays, and makes for a more natural shape as a tablet, as it’s similar in shape to a piece of paper.

Our main review configuration was an OLED model with a 3,000 x 2,000 resolution. It looked incredible, with deep blacks and vibrant colors, as has been the case on most OLED monitors we’ve seen to date. Of course, most videos are still 16:9, so when I watched the trailer for Godzilla vs. Kong, it was letterboxed on the top and bottom. The beginning of the trailer features the titular ape on a barge during a sunset, and its blue and orange hues were beautiful as jets flew overhead.

The OLED screen covers 139.7% of the DCI-P3 color gamut (the non-OLED, 1920 x 1280 screen covered 74.6%). The next best was the ZenBook Flip S, also with an OLED display, at 113.1%. The MacBook Pro measured 78.3% and the XPS 13 2-in-1 covered 70%.

The Spectre’s display measured an average of 339 nits on our light meter. This never seemed like an issue in regular use, though the ZenBook, XPS 13 2-in-1 and MacBook Pro all got far brighter.

Keyboard, Touchpad and Stylus on the HP Spectre x360 14

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The keyboard on the Spectre takes up as much room as possible, moving from edge to edge of the

chassis

. This gave HP room to include a full keyboard, including an extra column for home, page up, page down and end keys. The tilde key is a little squeezed, but not enough for me to be inconvenienced.

The keys are clicky (they even have a bit of a clicky sound!), and I really enjoyed typing on them. On the 10fastfingers typing test, I reached 105 words per minute with my usual 2% error rate.

There’s a fingerprint reader built into the keyboard on the right side, next to the arrow keys. On the function row, there’s a key to kill the camera. The F1 key is sort of wasted, though, in that it is programmed exclusively to open the browser and search for “how to get help in

Windows 10

.”

HP has equipped the Spectre x360 with a 4.5 x 2.8-inch touchpad. It’s slightly smaller than the MacBook Pro (5.1 x 32 inches), but is still plenty spacious. With Windows 10 precision drivers, it responded immediately to every gesture.

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A rechargeable stylus is included with the laptop, the “HP Rechargeable MPP2.0 Tilt Pen.” (MPP is short for Microsoft Pen Protocol.) It’s round with one flat edge that connects to the left side of the laptop with magnets. That flat side also has two customizable buttons

The Spectre’s palm rejection worked pretty well, and the stylus worked well with both tilting and shading in supported applications. In Paint 3D, using the crayon tool required extra pressure for a deep hue, just like the real thing. I do wish, like some of Microsoft’s styluses, that HP would add an eraser to the end.

HP claims it lasts 30 hours on a charge. When you slide up the top of the stylus, a USB-C port is revealed, which is a neat addition. A ring light on the very top tells you its charging status.

Audio on the HP Spectre x360 14

HP’s collaboration with Bang & Olufsen has produced winning laptop audio for a while now, and the Spectre x360 14 is no exception.

These things get loud — too loud, even. As I listened to Spotify, I turned the volume down as Fall Out Boy’s “Bob Dylan” stormed through my apartment. The drums, vocals and guitars were clear. Bass was a bit quiet. I tried changing that manually in the Bang & Olufsen control center, but to a little effect. There are presets in that app, but I found most of them to be overkill.

Upgrading the HP Spectre x360 14

Unfortunately, HP has made upgrades and repairs to the Spectre x360 14 more difficult for the average person than they need to be.

There are two visible Torx screws on the underside of the laptop, but underneath the rear rubber foot, there are four more Phillips head screws. The feet are applied with adhesive and could rip when you remove them. HP makes extras available to authorized repair shops.

If you did get into the laptop, per

the maintenance manual

, you would find that while the RAM is soldered down, the SSD, WI-Fi module and battery are user replaceable.

Battery Life on the HP Spectre x360 14

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Like most laptops with OLED screens, the Spectre x360 14’s battery life isn’t exceptional. It will last you most of the day, but you’ll want to bring the braided USB Type-C charger with you.

On our test, which continuously has laptops browse the web, run OpenGL tests and stream video over Wi-Fi at 150 nits, the Spectre ran for 7 hours and 14 minutes. A non-OLED version with a 1920 x 1280 screen ran for 12:11, should you value battery life over image quality.

The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 lasted 10:52, while the ZenBook Flip S (also with OLED) ran for 8:11. The MacBook Pro with Apple’s M1 processor lasted the longest at a whopping 16:32.

Heat on the HP Spectre x360 14

We took skin temperature measurements on the 14-inch Spectre x360 while running our Cinebench R23 stress test.

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The center of the keyboard measured 34.8 degrees Celsius (94.64 degrees Fahrenheit), while the touchpad was a cooler 29.4 degrees Celsius (84.92 degrees Fahrenheit).

The hottest point on the bottom was 47.1 degrees Celsius (116.78 degrees Fahrenheit).

Webcam on the HP Spectre x360 14

It’s a shame this beautiful, high-resolution screen wasn’t paired with a beautiful, high-resolution

webcam

. Like most laptop cameras, the Spectre x360’s is still stuck at

720p

An image I took at my well-lit desk was color accurate, catching my navy shirt, blue eyes and the mixed shades of brown in my hair and blue. But overall, the picture was grainy, and light coming in from some nearby windows was blown out.

On the bright side, it works with Windows Hello for facial login. While there’s also a fingerprint reader on the keyboard, this is better for logging in when it’s a tablet.

Software and Warranty on the HP Spectre x360 14

While the Spectre x360 is undoubtedly a premium device, it has the kind of bloat you would expect from some budget machines.

HP has a lot of its own software. I wish it would combine more of these disparate programs into the main app, HP Command Center, which lets you make performance adjustments based on temperature and sound and also lets you decide which software gets network priority.

There are separate pieces of software for choosing among different display modes, switching between headphone and speakers, changing HP telemetry settings and adjusting the buttons on the stylus. There’s also HP Quick Drop to move files between your phone and the laptop.

On top of all that, there is MyHP, which gives you your serial number and is otherwise filled in with some fairly vapid tips for using your PC. HP has also added LastPass, ExpressVPN, Netflix, trials of Adobe software and a promotion with Dropbox for new users to get 25GB of free space. There’s also a suite of McAfee software, including McAfee LiveSafe, Personal Security and File Lock.

Amazon Alexa is also preinstalled, which may be divisive. It sure is more useful than Cortana. Either way, it’s not actively listening. Instead, you have to sign in to your Amazon account.

Of course, there’s also some bloatware that’s included in most Windows 10 installs, like Hulu, Roblox and Hidden City: Hidden Object Adventure.

HP sells the Spectre x360 14 with a 1-year warranty.

HP Spectre x360 14 Configurations

We tested the Spectre x360 14 with an Intel Core i7-1165G7, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD with 32GB of Intel Optane memory, a 3000 x 2000 OLED display. It comes in black and costs $1,699.99 at Best Buy as of this writing.

HP sells other configurations on its own website, starting at $1,219.99 with an Intel Core i5-1135G7, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD with16GB of Intel Optane memory and a 1920 x 1280 touchscreen. Changing to black or blue adds $10 to the price, and for more money, you can go up to 2TB of storage (up to an extra $320).

Bottom Line

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The HP Spectre x360 14 is the best 2-in-1 laptop you can get right now. The 3:2 display highlights your work in laptop mode and is more natural than 16:9 or 16:10 screens in tablet mode. It offers solid performance, has a variety of ports, includes a stylus and has an excellent keyboard.

If battery life is your priority, the OLED screen won’t do you any favors, but the 1920 x 1280 model might be more your speed. The

MacBook Pro with M1

, a clamshell alternative, is top of the class in endurance. If you prefer a smaller footprint, the

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 9310

is still very good, though it has fewer ports and a 16:10 screen rather than 3:2.

But the Spectre x360 14 largely has it all, making this one easy to recommend if you’re willing to pay a premium price.

Crucial X6 Portable SSD Review: Affordable and Responsive

Our Verdict

Crucial’s X6 is an affordable and very portable USB Type-C SSD that dishes out fast and responsive performance, but its relatively small cache results in reduced performance during larger sustained data transfers.

For

Sleek, compact, and light design
Responsive performance within the cache and fast to recover

Against

Lacks an activity light
Lacks USB-C to USB-A adapter
Lacks hardware-based AES 256-bit encryption
Slow after cache write is exhausted during sustained workloads

Go to page:

Features and Specifications

Crucial’s X6 is a well-designed USB 3.1 Gen-2 Type-C SSD that’s highly portable and compatible with nearly any host with a USB port. With a heavy focus on value over blazing-high speeds, the X6 is based on similar hardware as the company’s popular BX500 SSD and pushes out up to 540 MBps of sequential read throughput.

In fact, at just $0.09 per GB, the X6 is one of the cheapest portable SSDs at the 2TB capacity point, and it will provide ample performance for your games library or backing up your files, but it falls short under heavy write workloads due to the slow native write speeds of its QLC flash.

Specifications

Product	Crucial X6 1TB	Crucial X6 2TB
Pricing	$104.99	$189.99
Capacity (User / Raw)	1000GB / 1024GB	2000GB / 2048GB
Interface / Protocol	USB-C / USB 3.2 Gen 2×1	USB-C / USB 3.2 Gen 2×1
Included	USB Type-C Cable	USB Type-C Cable
Sequential Read	540 MBps	540 MBps
Sequential Write	N/A	N/A
Interface Controller	ASMedia ASM235CM	ASMedia ASM235CM
NAND Controller	Silicon Motion SM2259XT	Silicon Motion SM2259XT
DRAM	Crucial 96L QLC	Crucial 96L QLC
Default File System	exFAT	exFAT
Endurance	Drop-resistant up to 6.5 ft (2 m)	Drop-resistant up to 6.5 ft (2 m)
Security	N/A	N/A
Dimensions (L x W x H)	11 x 69 x 64 mm	11 x 69 x 64 mm
Weight	42 g	42 g
Part Number	CT1000X6SSD9	CT2000X6SSD9
Warranty	3-Years	3-Years

Crucial’s X6 comes in two capacities of 1TB and 2TB that retail for $104.99 and $189.99, respectively. Crucial rates the X6 to deliver up to 540 MBps of sequential read speed, but the company doesn’t provide an official write speed rating.

The X6 relies on SLC caching to hit its peak measurements, and based on our testing, the 2TB model comes with a cache that measures roughly 250GB. The cache is dynamic, so so it will scale down in available capacity as you fill the device.

The Crucial X6 comes formatted from the factory with the exFAT file system, and it is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Android, as well as devices such as the iPad Pro, Xbox, and PlayStation gaming consoles. You’ll need to format the portable SSD with an NTFS file system if you want to take advantage of the TRIM functionality.

Accessories

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Crucial’s X6 comes with a nine-inch long USB 3.2 Gen-2 Type-C cable (10Gb/s) but lacks a USB Type-C to Type-A adapter (sold separately for $9.99). Unfortunately, the SSD lacks an activity light.

A Closer Look

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Measuring 11 x 69 x 64 mm and weighing in at under 42 grams, the Crucial X6 is a very compact portable SSD. The Crucial X6’s casing is plastic, but with such a small size and shape, the drive is pretty durable. It’s rated to withstand drops up to 6.5 feet, but it can definitely survive higher falls. We tested the drive by throwing it 15 feet into the air and allowing it to land on concrete, and it withstood the challenge.

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Internally, Crucial took care to ensure the X6 could remain cool, even under heavy usage. Not only is the device wrapped in copper foil, but it also comes with thermal pads that cover both sides of the PCBs.

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Like Crucial’s X8, the X6 comes packed with QLC NAND flash, but rather than leverage an NVMe SSD like the X8, the X6 uses a BX500-like SATA 6Gbps SSD and a small Type-C adapter. The X6 features Silicon Motion’s SM2259XT SSD controller, and the device connects to the host via an ASMedia ASM235CM USB 3.2 Gen 2×1 to SATA 6Gbps bridge chip.

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The SM2259XT is a DRAMless SATA 6Gbps SSD controller built on the 28nm node for low cost and power efficiency. It has a four-channel, single-core design that uses Silicon Motion’s proprietary NANDXtend ECC (1KB codeword LDPC + RAID) and end-to-end data path protection to help ensure data integrity with the Micron 96-Layer QLC flash in either 2-plane or 4-plane operation.

MORE: Best SSDs

MORE: How We Test HDDs And SSDs

MORE: All SSD Content

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Features and Specifications

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ROCCAT Burst Core Review

Introduction

Established in 2006, ROCCAT is a peripherals company based in Germany. After the critically acclaimed Burst Pro, ROCCAT releases the Burst Core, essentially a budget version of the Pro. The Core retains the shape, lightweight construction, and optical main button switches which ensure low latency along with no double-clicking. Instead of the PMW3389, PixArt’s PMW3331 capable of 8500 CPI is used. Furthermore, the Burst Core comes with a stiffer rubber cable in place of the soft, braided one the Pro is outfitted with. Additionally, regular black-dyed mouse feet are used, and RGB lighting only extends to the scroll wheel. As with the Pro, extensive configuration options are available through ROCCAT Swarm.

Specifications

ROCCAT Burst Core
Size:	120 mm x 58 mm x 38.70 mm
Size (inches):	4.72″ x 2.28″ x 1.52″
Ambidextrous:	Yes
Weight:	68 g
Number of Buttons:	6 (including wheel click)
Main Switches:	ROCCAT Optical
Wheel Encoder:	Mechanical
Sensor:	PixArt PMW3331
Resolution:	200–8500 CPI
Polling Rate:	125/250/500/1000 Hz
Cable:	1.80 m, rubber
Software:	Yes
Price:	$29.99
Warranty:	2 years

Twitter’s voice DMs arrive in India

Twitter has rolled out support for voice direct messages on iOS and Android in India starting today, the company has announced. Android Central reports that the audio messages are now available in three countries worldwide: India, Brazil, and Japan. Plans for voice DMs were first announced last year. Twitter says the feature, which it’s calling an “experiment,” will roll out in India in phases.

In a statement, Twitter India’s managing director, Manish Maheshwari, said voice messages are designed to “give people a new way to express themselves and help them connect through the nuances, emotion, and empathy built by hearing someone’s voice.” Similar features are already available on other services like Messenger, Instagram DMs, and WhatsApp.

test, test: Starting today, you’ll be able to record and send voice messages in DMs Here’s how

PS. The experiment will be rolled out in phases. pic.twitter.com/aqQM6h9sof

— Twitter India (@TwitterIndia) February 17, 2021

A video released by Twitter India shows how the feature works. Users can start recording using a small icon to the right of the message box, and voice messages can be up to 140 seconds in length. There’s an option to review a voice message before sending it. Although it isn’t possible to send voice messages from the web at the moment, browsers can reportedly still play back the audio clips.

While Twitter has traditionally been a text-based platform, it’s tested a number of audio-centric features over the last year, including audio tweets the company has been testing on iOS as well as Twitter Spaces, which are voice chat rooms similar to what Clubhouse offers. However, Twitter’s audio ambitions faced criticism for their lack of accessibility options. In response, the company announced it was setting up new accessibility teams within the company and that it would be adding automated captions to audio and video on the platform in 2021.

Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB SSD Review – MLC No More

Introduction

As one of the world leaders in digital technology, Samsung pretty much makes any type of electronic device you can think of. Their products are used by millions of people around the world.

Being a leader in DRAM and flash memory production, it comes as no surprise that they are also a huge player in the SSD business. Their EVO and PRO Series SSDs are highly popular among upgraders, system builders, and enthusiasts.

Today, we’re reviewing the Samsung 980 Pro SSD, which is a high-end M.2 NVMe drive that introduces support for the PCI-Express 4.0 interface. Internally, the Samsung 980 Pro uses Samsung’s new eight-channel “Elpis” controller. Everything on the 980 Pro is produced by Samsung—the flash chips are their V-NAND v6, which uses between 110 and 136 layers of TLC. A DRAM chip is also included—it provides 1 GB of storage for the mapping tables of the SSD.

Samsung offers the 980 Pro in capacities of 250 GB ($90), 500 GB ($135), 1 TB ($230), and 2 TB ($460). Endurance for these models is set to 150 TBW, 300 TBW, 600 TBW, and 1200 TBW respectively. Samsung provides a five-year warranty for the 980 Pro.

Specifications: Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB SSD
Brand:	Samsung
Model:	MZ-V8P1T0BW
Capacity:	1000 GB (931 GB usable) 24 GB additional overprovisioning
Controller:	Samsung Elpis S4LV003
Flash:	Samsung 110 to 136-layer 3D TLC V-NAND v6 K9DUGY8J5C-DCK0
DRAM:	1x 1 GB Samsung LPDDR4 K4F8E3D4HF-BGCH
Endurance:	600 TBW
Form Factor:	M.2 2280
Interface:	PCIe Gen 4 x4, NVMe 1.3c
Device ID:	Samsung SSD 980 PRO 1TB
Firmware:	2B2QGXA7
Warranty:	5 years
Price at Time of Review:	$215 / 22 cents per GB

New Xbox Wireless Headset supports Dolby Atmos and DTS Headphone:X

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Microsoft has announced a new wireless gaming headset for the Xbox Series X and Series S. Called the Xbox Wireless Headset, it launches on 16th March and will cost £94.99 ($99.99, AU$129.99).

It connects wirelessly to your console without needing a separate dongle and supports spatial audio technologies such as Dolby Atmos, DTS Headphone:X and Windows Sonic.

The gaming headset has some clever controls, too. You can adjust the volume and the game/chat balance by twisting the rotating ear cup dials, while the microphone tucks out of the way when not needed. Those ear cushions promise to be comfortable enough for all-day sessions, and the 15-hour battery life should be more than enough for the average gaming session.

Speak, and voice isolation focuses the mic on your voice, reducing background noise, so you can be heard loud and clear. Stop talking, and auto-mute kicks in, helping keep the comms channels clear. There’s also a manual mute option to give you some privacy.

A light indicator tells you when the mic is on, so you always know when people can hear what you’re saying.

You can fine-tune the audio output using the Xbox Accessories app on your console, adjusting the equaliser, bass boost, auto-mute sensitivity and mic-monitoring levels. You can even adjust the brightness of the mic indicator light. And the headset can connect to your mobile device over Bluetooth to double as a pair of ordinary wireless headphones when you’re not gaming. You can also pair to your console and phone at the same time, so you can simultaneously be in a Zoom meeting while blasting aliens.

In a blog post announcing the headset, Xbox Wire’s Will Tuttle was keen to big up the spatial sound capabilities.

“You’ll have the advantage by being able to hear all the subtle, yet critical sounds (like enemy footsteps sneaking up on you) that elevate great gamers above the rest,” he wrote.

Erik Garcia, Project Architect and Lead, added:

“We spent a lot of time in the audio testing chambers trying to characterize and understand how the headset reproduces audio in different room environments. It goes in your living room, game room, and dorm room and we want it to sound the best for all types of audio.”

Given that Sony’s rival console, the PS5, launched with its own optional gaming headset (the Pulse 3D) at launch, it’s surprising Xbox has taken so long to follow suit. And we’ll tell you if it’s been worth the wait just as soon as we get our hands on a review sample.

MORE:

Not convinced? Take a look at our list of the best gaming headsets

These are the best over-ear headphones around

Still trying to buy? Xbox Series X stock checker: where to buy

Evil Genius 2 initial review: Getting our hands (on) dirty

(Pocket-lint) – When the original Evil Genius was released for PC, it brought a breath of fresh air to the real-time strategy/base building genre. Putting you in the shoes of a Bond-style villain was, well, genius.

There are few things better than planning and building your own evil lair, and we’ve often returned to the sim ever since.

Now, more than 16 years later, Rebellion has followed it up with a sequel that retains everything that was great and good about the first outing, but brings it kicking and screaming into the 20s.

We’ve had a chance to play through the tutorial that starts Evil Genius 2: World Domination to give you our initial thoughts.

Taking over

Like the original, Evil Genius 2 puts you in the shoes of a megalomaniac with a penchant for world domination and his own evil lair. This time though, the base is on a tropical island and hidden behind a casino, at least in the tutorial campaign we’ve played so far.

There are four evil geniuses in the game in total, each with their own full campaign and story – Max, Ivan, Emma and Zalika. There are also three islands to play on and a host of different types of henchmen and minions to help you in your quest.

Rebellion

Each villain also gets his or her own unique doomsday device to develop throughout the story, and super agents that will visit to halt your evil plans.

We played as Max in the tutorial and opening of the campaign, who is perhaps the most known of the geniuses being as he was also on the cover of the first game. However, the main star we’ve encountered so far is the lair itself.

Building blocks

Like all great base builders, the most important thing to get right initially is constructing your lair. It’s incredibly simple to get to grips with in Evil Genius 2 and feels familiar, even if you haven’t played the original.

You draw a grid on an available zone, make sure you include a door frame and your minions will do the rest. Depending on the room, you will be offered different furniture or gadgets to install.

Rebellion

You also have to take into account where spies might enter, as they will attempt to undo all your good work, but we didn’t get that far in our relatively brief play – we’ll have to update you more when we get to review the game in full closer to its end of March release date.

Some of the more specialist rooms enable you to create more specialist minions, while others help you take on the numerous important objectives and side missions you’ll encounter in the campaign.

One hugely impressive aspect this time around is that your lair can be massive and complex, not only stretching over a large area but also multiple levels. Even after the first half-an-hour or so, you’ll have numerous rooms built and the plan will start to look busy and intricate. It also looks great both close-up and from a distance/above, not least thanks to sticking to the 1960’s graphical style of Evil Genius 1.

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Smooth operators

We have to admit, we need a lot more play time with EG2 to get more of a feel for global operations (objectives outside of your base) and the nuances of different henchmen, but we can safely say that Rebellion has got it spot on when it comes to the aesthetics.

Rebellion

Evil Genius 2 is stunning looking. We played the preview build on an Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX531, running an Nvidia RTX 2080 and it ran like butter – as smooth and silky as you like. Of course, this genre of game isn’t known to be graphically demanding, but the animation of each individual minion, when you zoom in close, is great. Plus, when you have plenty of rooms built and hundreds of employees whizzing around, you will be pleased at the level of detail on offer.

The game has a keen sense of character, with great comedy elements and subtle moments. Certainly, we spent a large amount of time just observing what was going on in the background and look forward to doing so more when the final release version is available.

First Impressions

To be honest, we’ve spent too fleeting a time with the game so far, but can already see it’s shaping up nicely. It’s exhibiting signs that it will be a more than worthy successor to one of our favourite sims of yesteryear.

It looks right, beautifully styled and seemingly will have enough extra depth to provide a decent challenge, no matter your skill level.

Add to that the announcement that, for the first time, it will include a free sandbox mode where you can build a base without the constraints of a story, and it could be everything a fan of the original could have hoped for.

We can’t wait to get the full game in for testing, that’s for sure.

Evil Genius 2: World Domination will be available for PC from 30 March 2021. It’ll be available exclusively on Steam and those who pre-purchase it will get 10 per cent off. That rises to 15 per cent if you own the original Evil Genius.

Writing by Rik Henderson.

Best gaming laptops 2021: Alienware, Asus ROG, Razer, Acer Predator, HP Omen and more

(Pocket-lint) – The desktop is dead, it would seem – and long gone are the days where a gaming laptop could only be a ridiculously overpowered, heavy and LED-encrusted monster that would take your arm off and crush your femurs should you try to either carry it anywhere or rest it on your thighs.

Everyone’s at it nowadays, quite cleverly realising that a slightly bumper-sized notebook is where it’s at for the modern-day video gamer. But, with so many out there to choose between, and so much cash at stake, which are the ones you really want to be thinking of? Here are our choices for the best gaming laptops on the market right now, for those who’d rather buy one than build.

Our pick of the best gaming laptops to buy today

Pocket-lint

Acer Predator Triton 500

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With the Predator Triton 500 Acer has made the sensible choice to not necessarily focus too madly on the looks – it’s a functional machine that makes performance its priority, and does so with real success. That said, the clean design of its chassis is quietly nice stuff. Underneath that metal is a spec list that can be tuned to absolutely eye-watering degrees if you’re willing to pay.

More mid-range bundles are probably advisable, though, and can still have you gaming away without hitches or lag, and connections galore mean you can hook it up to anything you’re likely to need to. The display is cracking, and performance is reliable without getting too hot, although battery life wasn’t top-class at around three hours. This is nonetheless a seriously solid effort from a manufacturer that’s a bit newer to the field.

Acer Predator Triton 500 (2020) review: Sensational gaming powerhouse

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AsusROG Zephyrus G14

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If you’re looking for a capable gaming machine, but still want something that’s portable, easy-on-the-eye and powerful too, then look no further than the Zephyrus G14.

This is a 14-inch gaming laptop that packs enough power to play the latest games on the highest settings, while also having a battery that’ll support standard use throughout the day.

You can even get a variant of this machine which sports 1,000 customisable LEDs on the lid, meaning you can make it your own with various designs, logos or gifs. We thoroughly enjoyed this small notebook and thought it had plenty of character despite its small stature.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 review: Good gaming in a small package

Pocket-lint

Gigabyte Aorus 17X

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This guy is a bit of a Rolls-Royce, an absolute monster of a machine that can completely crunch the latest games on their highest settings.

A 17-inch display and chunk design means it’s right on the edge of being portable at all, but the details are all finely tuned, meaning a great keyboard, trackpad and performance in all walks of computing.

It’s a pricey machine, and no mistake, but if you priority is sheer brute force, this is a great choice.

Gigabyte Aorus 17X review: Gaming to the extreme

Pocket-lint

Razer Blade 15 (2020)

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Razer’s Blade laptops were a bit of a revelation when they first debuted a few years back – although they took a few tries to get it right, the form factor and performance offered make for a fairly unreal combination. Now it feels like Razer improves the Blade every time it tweaks it, and this refresh of the Blade 15 brings ray-tracing power to the table without any compromises.

It’s about as understated as a gaming laptop comes, in a good way, and costs a bomb, but is lightning fast and crunches through current-generation games easily. It gets a little hot under pressure, although that’s hardly a unique issue. Battery life is also solid, and you won’t find ray-tracing in many current machines this small. If looks are your number one priority, the Razer Blade 15 might just be top of the pile.

Razer Blade 15 Advanced review: Fast ‘n’ loud

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HP Omen 15

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HP’s Omen line has been around for what feels like ages, and has been putting out reliable machines for most of that time. The Omen 15 is a solid continuation of that heritage. It’s pretty chunky, but with a great display and genuinely reasonable starting prices is a great option for those looking to spend slightly less to get gaming.

The Omen 15 does look distinctly gamer-y, with a crest on the back of the screen that won’t go unnoticed, but makes up for it with great performance and customisation options. Its 144Hz display is a joy, while HP is one of the few laptop makers that allows you to upgrade various components down the line if you get left behind – something that we’d love to see become more widespread in this age of sealed laptops. As an all-rounder, the Omen 15 is well worth a shout, especially for smaller budgets.

HP Omen 15 review: A portable and punchy gaming machine

Pocket-lint

Acer Nitro 5 (2021)

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Acer’s latest budget laptop is really impressive despite its label, and packs in some really good specs while keeping the price down impressively.

Its build quality isn’t best-in-class, but that’s entirely forgiveable given the extremely solid performance it’ll get you in the latest games, and a really lovely display rounds out the package in style. This is a great bit of a value in a market that can sometimes be a little overpriced.

Acer Nitro 5 (2021, AMD) initial review: An affordable, customisable gaming laptop

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MSI GE65 Raider

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The MSI GE65 Raider is one of those gaming laptops that pleases in many areas. It has plenty of connectivity options (including Ethernet), a decent spec setup, snazzy looks and plenty of gaming prowess too.

Highlights to this laptop include the keyboard (by SteelSeries), a remote control functionality through an accompanying app and decent performance for the price as well. With a 240Hz screen, RTX capable graphics and much more besides the GE65 Raider is certainly a gaming laptop to consider.

MSI GE65 Raider review: Portable power, understated glory

Pocket-lint

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE

There aren’t too many 14-inch gaming laptops out there – it’s a form-factor that hasn’t got too much love. Loads of people prefer a smaller laptop, though, so we’re glad to see Acer indulging in it with this excellent build.

It’s also got a far more “normal” design than most gaming laptops, which is a good thing if you want to blend in a bit more.

On top of that, of course, you get really impressive performance in the latest games, making for a great package.

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE initial review: The everyday gamers’ laptop

Writing by Max Freeman-Mills.

Poco M3 review: Less than the sum of its parts

(Pocket-lint) – The Poco M3 is all about affordability. By dangling that low-price carrot, along with surprisingly well-specified features, a read-through of its spec rundown certainly sounds appealing.

But is it truly appealing in practice? With stiff competition from established players, such as the Moto G series, there’s plenty more to consider if you’re looking for an outright purchase on a budget. Here’s our verdict after living with the Poco M3 as our main device.

Design & Display

Display: 6.53-inch LCD, Full HD+ resolution (1080 x 2340), 19.5:9 aspect ratio
Dimensions: 162.3 x 77.3 x 9.6mm / Weight: 198g
Finishes: Cool Blue, Poco Yellow, Power Black
Side-mounted fingerprint scanner

Poco (or Pocophone as it once was) is an off-shoot of Xiaomi, targeting affordability as its primary focus. As such you’re not going to get ultra-luxe, well, anything. But the balance of build to price found here is fair – ignoring the vibration motor, which is the poorest implementation (complete with accompanying irksome noise) that we’ve seen/heard for some time.

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The M3 certainly wants you to know its a Poco, too. The massive logo emblazoned across the rear camera unit tells you that. We’re not a fan of that look, but each to their own. The rest of the rear is coated in a textured plastic, which looks rather more like a case than it belonging to the phone – sometimes just because of the way lint gets stuck between the camera unit and the main body.

As for the phone itself, it’s fairly large, in part down to the huge battery (it’s a 6,000mAh capacity) tucked away within, in part down to the large-scale display choice. A 6.53-inch panel might not read that massive these days, but it’s actually a smidge wider than you’ll find on many a flagship (the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra being one such example).

But it’s the screen specification where things get rather interesting. For it offers a Full HD+ resolution. And this is a phone that’s on sale for sub-£/€150. That’s rather unusual, because the Moto G9 Power, as one obvious competitive example, has nothing like that degree of resolution.

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Which sets the M3’s screen in pretty good stead. If the software wasn’t so keen to keep it dimmed so frequently then it’d be a solid panel on which to do your day-to-day tasks. The notch isn’t too distracting. Available brightness is more than good enough, once manually adjusted. And the degree of colour from an LCD panel does a fair job too.

Sadly, however, the touch-response of this panel is really poor. Especially towards the edges. It’s often failed to recognise very purposeful touches, which makes interacting and typing frequently just irritating.

Performance & Battery

Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor, 4GB RAM
64/128GB storage, microSD expansion, dual SIM
MIUI 12.0.5 software (over Google Android 10)
6,000mAh battery capacity, 18W charging

Even the specification, in context of this price point, reads pretty well. But, somehow, despite 4GB RAM and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor, there’s just a certain lack of cohesion in use.

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Which, we suspect, is down to the MIUI software. We’ve already pointed out the excessive auto-dimming. The user interface is also sluggish to respond, hesitating sometimes to the point that we’ve tried hitting the same close button three times over. The poor screen touch-response could compound that, too, of course.

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At this price point you really need to have a bar of expectation in what you’d like a phone to do. Because while the Poco M3 can certainly run games and apps without too much a bother, it can’t necessarily run them that well. Take our go-to favourtie, South Park: Phone Destroyer, and while it’ll load up fine, there are often stutters in animation and everything feels laggy and slow to the point that it’s taxing to play.

Sure, this is a budget phone, so it’s not going to be a gaming mecca. But with this kind of processor on board – which we’ve seen elsewhere, such as, again, in the Moto G9 Power – we’d actually expect better. Something just isn’t quite communicating quite correctly between hardware and software, delivering a user experience that’s below par.

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But without an ultra-powerful processor, the power drain is rather efficient – again, in part, down to software – and as there’s a massive 6,000mAh cell inside the M3 lasts and lasts. And then some.

If you’re looking for longevity then there’s no fear of this phone powering through a couple of days – we’d achieved over 24 hours with over 50 per cent battery remaining (partly due to being averse to wanting to game or use the device as much we might a more capable device).

As an “office in your pocket”, for calls and emails, then, the Poco M3 will last out for an age and is worthy of consideration on that front alone. So long as you can tinker with the software sufficiently – because there are various irks from the MIUI (v12.0.5) software that you’ll need to dig into various menus to tweak to your liking.

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It’s the software that’s holding things back in our view. There are battery saver per-app limitations, permissions limitations arranged in various parts of the settings that need attention, and so forth. It’s a maze to find and open things up, and even when you think you’ve got everything sussed there might be a delay in notifications from certain apps.

Just as we’ve said of so many MIUI devices in recent months, it’s the biggest hurdle that’s often holding back potential (especially in Xiaomi’s Mi 11 flagship). And with Poco Launcher here, there are additional bothers, such as the system-wide dark mode often making fields illegible by hiding them away.

Cameras

Triple rear cameras:
- Main: 48-megapixel, 0.8µm pixel size, f/1.8 aperture
  
  Macro: 2MP, f/2.4 / Depth: 2MP, f/2.4
Front-facing selfie camera:
- 8-megapixel, 1.12µm pixel size, f/2.1 aperture

Ignore the massive Poco emblazoned on the rear and your eyes will no doubt be drawn to the trio of lenses available. “Ohh, a triple camera,” we hear you say. Not so much, however, as the depth sensor and macro sensor are effectively pointless – the macro doesn’t have any way to activate it that we can see, while the depth sensor (utilised in Portrait mode) just isn’t necessary at all. It’s a classic case of overselling the cameras because “more equals better”.

Pocket-lint

With that said, however, the main camera unit isn’t too shabby. So think of it as a budget phone with one simple camera – no ultra-wide, no optical zoom – and it does the job well enough.

That main sensor is 48-megapixels, but using a four-in-one processing methodology means the M3 produces 12-megapixel results by default. Such images are still large in scale, and as so much data has been drawn in to process there’s ample detail.

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However, the camera app is a little slow, navigating the features is over-complex, and the focus in shots wasn’t always on point in our testing – there’s no optical image stabilisation or other such fancy features here to help out.

Verdict

In terms of specification the Poco M3 seems unrivalled for a phone at this price point. Impressive features such as a Full HD+ screen and massive 6,000mAh battery lead its charge.

But somewhere along the line there’s a breakdown in communication. For the decent spec may read well, but it doesn’t function quite well enough. Software irks, poor touch-response from the screen, stutters in both interface and apps, mean it doesn’t add up to be the dream budget experience.

If all you want is an outright affordable purchase for calls and emails then the Poco M3 will last an age and could serve you well. But the quality of even lesser-specified devices out there for a similar price – which run even better – simply means it’s not one to recommend.

Also consider

Pocket-lint

Moto G9 Power

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There’s less resolution, but a far more fluid user experience is what makes this Moto the obvious choice. It’s a little bit pricier as a result, but worth pulling together that little bit of extra cash for the sake of usability.

Read our review

Writing by Mike Lowe.

Porsche Design AOC Agon PD27 240 Hz Curved Monitor Review: High Performance, High Style

Our Verdict

Unless you’re a backlight strobe purist, the Porsche Design AOC Agon PD27 has no flaws. It delivers premium gaming performance with 240 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR and a high-contrast VA panel with 144p resolution. And its physical aesthetic is unmatched at any price.

For

240 Hz
Wide, accurate color gamut
High contrast
Excellent HDR
Build quality, styling

Against

Backlight strobe causes some smearing
Expensive

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Features and Specifications

Most players are looking for a gaming monitor that provides maximum performance for the money. But many premium and mid-priced models include some kind of style element, usually a lighting feature, to set themselves apart. Occasionally, a company goes all out on aesthetics with a product that sits well above the rank and file. AOC has done this by partnering with a company that needs no introduction, Porsche Design.

The Porsche Design AOC Agon PD27 is one of the most attractive monitors we’ve seen, more stylish than most of the best gaming monitors with a unique stand and completely customizable lighting with glowing colors and a pattern that projects on your desk. There’s also an all-metal wireless remote that looks like something from a modern art museum.

But don’t think the PD27 places style over substance. Under the hood, there’s a 1440p resolution VA panel with 3,000:1 contrast, HDR, extended color, 240 Hz, Adaptive-Sync and a backlight strobe for fighting motion blur. There’s even strong sound, via two 5W internal speakers and DTS tuning with multiple sound effect modes.

Expensive? Of course ($750 as of writing), but if you want style, there’s nothing else like it.

(Image credit: AOC)

Porsche Design AOC Agon PD27 Specs

Panel Type / Backlight	VA / W-LED, edge array
Screen Size , Aspect Ratio & Curve	27 inches / 16:9
	Curve radius: 1000mm
Max Resolution & Refresh	2560×1440 @ 240 Hz
	AMD FreeSync Premium Pro: 48-240 Hz
Native Color Depth & Gamut	8-bit / DCI-P3
	HDR10, DisplayHDR 400
Response Time (MPRT)	0.5 ms
Brightness (mfr)	550 nits
Contrast (mfr)	2,500:1
Speakers	2x 5w, DTS-tuned
Video Inputs	2x DisplayPort 1.4
	2x HDMI 2.0
Audio	3.5mm headphone output
USB 3.2	1x up, 4x down
Power Consumption	34.6w, brightness @ 200 nits
Panel Dimensions WxHxD w/base	23.9 x 17.1-23.1 x 12.7 inches (606 x 434-587 x 322mm)
Bezel Width	Top/sides: 0.3 inch (8mm)
	Bottom: 1.1 inches (28mm)
Weight	19.6 pounds (8.9kg)
Warranty	4 years

This isn’t AOC’s first collaboration with Porsche Design. In 2018, we reviewed the PDS271, an enterprise monitor that brought a minimalist style and merely average performance to the table. The PD27 ups the ante considerably.

A 27-inch VA panel with a 1000R curve claims an honest 3000:1 contrast ratio. It’s Adaptive-Sync of choice is AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, which adds low framerate compensation (LFC) and HDR support compared to standard FreeSync. It’s not Nvidia-certified, but we also got G-Sync to run (see: How to Run G-Sync on a FreeSync Monitor).

HDR10 signals are supported with either Adaptive-Sync or blur reduction up to 240 Hz over the two DisplayPort 1.4 inputs. Alternatively, you can use either of the two HDMI 2.0 ports for refresh rates as high as 144 Hz (see: DisplayPort vs HDMI: Which is Better?).

Assembly and Accessories of the AOC Agon PD27

The AOC Agon PD27 ships in rubbery foam, not the crumbly kind, and is packaged beautifully, worthy of an unboxing video. The stand and panel are permanently mated, so there’s no option for an aftermarket arm or bracket, not that you’d want one.

Accessories are in a nice presentation-style box and include HDMI, DisplayPort and USB cables along with a large external power supply.

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Style? Oh yeah, there’s lots o’ dat. Right from the start, the eye is drawn to the AOC Agon PD27’s unique metal stand, making the lack of VESA mounting understandable. The stand is made from chrome-plated tubing meant to evoke a racecar’s roll cage. While it doesn’t have visible weld marks like the real article, it does remind us of something automotive. It’s quite beautiful and substantial. Not only is it rock-solid, but the footprint is quite deep at nearly 13 inches. You’ll need to clear a little more space on your desk than you would for the average 27-inch monitor.

In front, the Porsche Design logo is proudly displayed in shiny metal letters against a brushed finish. The top and side bezels are thin and flush, just 8mm wide. If you reach around the right side, you’ll find the joystick, which integrates all monitor controls, including power. You can tell power status via a tiny LED: orange for standby and white for powered.

The chrome-plated stand is one of the most solid pieces out there, and it offers full ergonomics. You get nearly 6 inches of height adjustment, along with 150degree swivel either way and 23-degree tilt. Movements are as good as it gets with just the right resistance level and easily controlled positioning.

Gamers will enjoy not only the PD27’s advanced video processing and 240 Hz refresh rate, but also its extensive lighting features. The lighting effect comes in two flavors. An LED ring surrounds the stand/panel pivot point and casts a large glow off the back of the AOC Agon PD27. A projector is also included that casts the Porsche Design logo on your desktop. There are dozens of preset effects or you can customize the color with RGB values for both sets of lights in the OSD.

-Tying it all together is one of the coolest remotes we’ve ever seen. Not too many 27-inch monitors include remotes, but AOC has created a slick metal piece that works wirelessly. It has full OSD navigation ,plus three programmable keys for preset modes. Like the rest of the Agon PD27, it’s quite substantial and definitely worthy of a premium display like this.

The input panel is well-stocked and split across two sections. Video inputs include two each of HDMI 2.0 (144 Hz) and DisplayPort 1.4 (240 Hz). Both interfaces support Adaptive-Sync and HDR. A 3.5mm audio jack is right next to the DPs. On the other side are USB 3.2 ports, one upstream and four down.

OSD Features of the AOC PD27

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The PD27 unique styling carries all the way down to its OSD, well with a cascading card look to denote the eight sub-menus. Once you dig in, you’ll find it arranged like that of other AOC monitors and easily controllable. Osd2

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Game Setting menu has three game-specific picture modes and three user memories apart from the image presets in the Luminance menu. To keep things simple, we left Game Mode off and did all testing in the Standard Eco mode. This menu also has Shadow Control, which makes dark detail brighter. Its five settings are very coarse and even one click will turn the lovely deep blacks into a murky gray. MBR is the PD27’s blur reduction feature. It operates at up to 240 Hz and cancels Adaptive-Sync. We found a few issues there, which we’ll tell you about in the Hands-on section.

Overdrive has three levels and works well at its Medium setting. If you want to monitor frame rates, turn on the FrameCounter.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Audio menu has much more than just volume and mute controls. There are five sound modes that use phase and frequency manipulation to create different sound stages. Or choose Off and set the equalization yourself over five bands from 200 Hz to 7 kHz.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

LightFX is where you’ll find the many options for the main LED ring around the stand’s pivot. There are preset modes, or you can change intensity, color and pattern manually. Color is controlled with RGB sliders, so, in theory, there are millions of possibilities. Oddly, the control for the logo projector is in another menu called Extra. It too has user selectable intensity and color options.

Porsche Design AOC Agon PD27 Calibration Settings

You won’t need to calibrate the AOC Agon PD27 if you do one thing: change the color temp to User Define. That single adjustment provides superb accuracy in all metrics within the DCI-P3 color gamut. If you prefer to play your SDR games in sRGB color, there’s an option for that in the color temp menu, and it, too, is quite accurate. We tweaked the RGB sliders just a bit for ego’s sake. There are three gamma presets, but again, the default setting is best.

Below are our recommended calibration settings for the Porsche Design AOC Agon PD27 and SDR content.

Eco Mode	Standard (Game Mode Off)
Brightness 200 nits	70
Brightness 120 nits	21
Brightness 100 nits	7 (min. 89 nits)
Contrast	50
Gamma	1
Color Temp User	Red 49, Green 50, Blue 49

When you apply an HDR signal, the AOC Agon PD27 switches over automatically and offers four additional picture modes. DisplayHDR is the default and best choice. There are no adjustments for HDR content, but none are needed, as you’ll see on page four.

Gaming and Hands-on with the AOC Agon PD27

The curve is pronounced with a tight 1000mm radius. That’s as tight as it gets these days. You’ll see some distortion of things like spreadsheets and documents on the PD27, but moving images look natural as they cross the screen. We’ve experienced this extreme curve before in the Samsung Odyssey G7 32-Inch It’s a real asset to gaming and movie watching though a 32-inch screen makes better use of the radius than the AOC Agon PD27.

The AOC Agon PD27 is a bit small for its extreme curvature for a balance of workday tasks and gaming. 1000R is as curvy as it gets, and we’ve tried this spec with the Samsung G7 but were spoiled by its 32-inch size and extra height compared to the PD27. But the AOC has excellent color with a bright and sharp picture, so it is certainly capable of pushing through spreadsheets and word processing.

Watching video is pleasure with a screen that wraps this much. We felt a greater sense of immersion when checking out movies and TV shows through various streaming services. And the audio quality was well beyond what we usually hear from internal monitor speakers. Audio is provided by two 5W speakers with DTS-tuning and multiple effects modes. Or you can tailor the sound yourself with a multi-band equalizer in the OSD, setting the equalization yourself over five bands from 200 Hz to 7 kHz. Sound quality is a cut above the norm for internal monitor speakers with rich full audio and a feeling of spaciousness.

The DTS tuning created a far larger space with sounds clearly coming from different parts of the screen. Some phased effects even seemed to come from behind, giving a decent approximation of surround sound. There isn’t a ton of bass, but dialogue sounded crystal-clear and never chesty.

Gaming is clearly the PD27’s forte. Both FreeSync and (unofficial) G-Sync worked perfectly with or without HDR. An RTX 3090 video card had no trouble maintaining 240 frames per second (fps) in both Tomb Raider and Call of Duty: WWII with detail set to maximum. Our Radeon RX 5700 XT managed about 200 fps with the same games. The AOC Agon PD27 can keep up with your best graphics cards and favorite games. HDR only cost us about 10 fps and definitely enhanced the Call of Duty experience with clearer shadow detail and bright highlights.

Color and contrast were excellent in both SDR and HDR modes. The large and accurate gamut was apparent, especially in bright and colorful material, which looked vibrant and three-dimensional. VA contrast is on full display here as the PD27 has a very broad native dynamic range. If AOC ever wished to add dynamic contrast to the monitor’s HDR mode, it would look even better. But we had no complaints; HDR looked better than it does on most of the IPS screens we’ve tested.

When monitors run at 240 Hz or faster, it’s feasible to choose the backlight strobe over Adaptive-Sync. We did this successfully in our recent review of the Alienware AW2521H, where ultra-low motion blur (ULMB) at 240 Hz provided smoother motion than G-Sync at 360 Hz. The PD27, however, is not in that category. Its blur reduction (AOC calls it MBR) doesn’t work all that well. It looked fine when running BlurBusters test patterns, but in games, there was a slight smearing effect that can’t be solved with the overdrive.

The best choice is to leave Adaptive-sSnc turned on and run the overdrive at its Medium setting. That keeps detail clear when the action gets intense. If you are a backlight strobe purist, the AOC Agon PD27 is not for you. But its implementation of adaptive sync and overdrive is flawless.

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Features and Specifications

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Moon 680D

Our Verdict

Moon’s 680D network streamer couples refined sound quality and fine build with a generous features set

For

Refined, well-imaged presentation
Articulate and fluid midrange
Fine build and finish

Against

Needs more sonic punch
Bluetooth not aptX HD

If you’re the kind of person who judges hi-fi by its specifications, high-end network streamers present quite a problem. On paper, there’s usually little to separate them from those available at a fraction of their price. The mass-produced budget offerings often lead the way in cutting edge technology, thanks to economies of scale and the sheer buying power of the larger companies that invariably make them.

In order for smaller brands such as Moon to compete successfully, they have to look upmarket to price points where obsessive attention to engineering detail is valued and sound quality takes absolute priority.

Don’t take that to mean that this Moon 680D streamer is in any way a stripped-out purist affair. Music streamers from the likes of Linn and Naim have shown that it’s possible to have an extensive features set and still deliver great sound, and this Moon simply reinforces that.

Features

(Image credit: Moon)

You’ll find no shortage of connectivity here. There’s an impressive array of digital inputs taking in USB, AES/EBU, optical, and coax in both RCA and BNC forms. There are nine inputs in total, though number eight is reserved for the built-in streaming module and input nine is for aptX Bluetooth (though we would have hoped for aptX HD in a newly released product at this level).

Moon 680D tech specs

(Image credit: Moon)

AirPlay 2 Yes

Roon ready Yes

Inputs USB, AES/EBU, SPDIF, optical, ethernet, wi-fi, aptX Bluetooth

Frequency response 2Hz – 100kHz

Dimensions (hwd) 10 x 48 x 43cm

Weight 18kg

While Bluetooth invariably falls short of the hard-wired inputs in terms of performance, we’re still happy that Moon has chosen to include it. Such an input makes the 680D a more inclusive device, allowing a quick listen from a friend’s phone or to provide better sound reproduction from a YouTube video.

You can connect the 680D to your home network wirelessly, but we would recommend taking the wired ethernet route – not that there’s anything innately wrong with Moon’s wireless implementation, more that the cable approach is always the most stable way to go.

The analogue outputs are the usual sets of single-ended RCAs and balanced XLRs. In our set-up, which includes a Burmester 088/911 Mk3 amplifier, paired either to the ATC SCM50 or Wilson Benesch Precision P2.0 speakers, the Moon’s balanced outputs sound bolder and more dynamic. We use the Naim ND555/555PS DR music streamer as our digital source with an Apple MacBook Pro (loaded with Audirvana music-playing software and plenty of hi-res music) providing the USB signal and general back up.

Build

(Image credit: Moon)

Look inside the 680D and it’s hard not to be pleased by the build quality on offer. We’re impressed with the care taken over the circuit layout and power supply arrangement. The 680D uses Moon’s MHP (Moon Hybrid Power) power supply module, as used in the company’s even pricier, reference products.

The MHP module mixes both traditional linear and switch mode technologies to deliver a stable, low-noise and power-efficient energy feed to the signal circuitry. The digital and analogue sections are powered by separate outputs from the supply to avoid unwanted interactions and optimise performance.

Those wishing to boost performance further can add an outboard power supply unit in the form of Moon’s 820S, which at £7200 ($8000, AU$14,000) is a pricey upgrade and would almost double your outlay. We don’t have one on hand for our review, but we can’t help thinking that most potential buyers will think that a jump too far. That said, our experiences with Naim, Nagra and others have shown that such power supply upgrades invariably improve sound quality dramatically.

Each of the nine digital inputs feed into an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that identifies the file type – whether that’s PCM, DSD or MQA – and re-clocks the signal accordingly. We have no complaints regarding the Moon’s file compatibility, which is up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 files and should, therefore, cover pretty much everyone’s music file collection.

The digital heart of the 680D is based around ESS Sabre’s ES9028PRO DAC chipset. The chip packs no fewer than eight DAC chips, configured so that four combine to create the signal for each channel. The output of each chip is carefully calibrated so that none of them are set to work at the same level. Doing this is claimed to reduce the effect of any distortion that may be common at any specific output level.

Great care has been taken with the digital clocking system, too. It is carefully positioned to minimise jitter effects and has a dedicated precision voltage regulator to ensure a stable power feed. Once the digital music stream is converted to analogue, it passes through a fully balanced output stage that, as expected, is packed with high-grade components.

Sound

(Image credit: Moon)

The Moon 680D sounds pretty good from cold but improves considerably over a few weeks of use. Given time, it becomes clearer and more transparent, gaining an appreciable amount of openness in the process.

We start with the digital inputs, which prove remarkably consistent. In our experience, many high-end companies struggle to make their USB inputs sound as good as the others. We suspect that has something to do with the fact that the USB receiver module tends to be a ready-made unit bought from third-party suppliers that may not match up to the standards of the rest of the DAC circuitry. We’re pleased to report that Moon avoids any such issues.

Regardless of the input chosen, the sonic signature is familiar enough. The company’s products have always been smooth and refined performers and this one is no different. It’s a friendly and accommodating balance – one that isn’t easily provoked by bright or aggressive recordings.

That doesn’t mean the 680D isn’t revealing – this is a wonderfully detailed-sounding product – but rather that its easy-going nature means it doesn’t tend to get ruffled easily. We play Hans Zimmer’s The Dark Knight Rises OST (24-bit/192kHz) and the Moon delivers a large-scale and sumptuous sound.

There’s also a trace of extra warmth to the sound compared with hard-line neutral alternatives, such as the pricier dCS Bartók. That warmth isn’t overdone; it simply adds an attractive bloom to the sound, making it less demanding to listen to over longer listening sessions.

Instrumental textures come through convincingly and it’s easy enough to follow subtle musical strands in the dense production. We’re pleased with the Moon’s composure when pushed hard, as well as its ability to organise all that information into a cohesive and musical whole.

It’s rare to hear a network streamer render such an expansive and layered soundstage while populating it with such tightly focused instruments. Everything stays stable even when the music becomes busy – which, as you’ll know if you’ve heard this recording, is saying something, as Zimmer doesn’t hold back on his trademark bombast.

(Image credit: Moon)

But here, the Moon starts to split opinion. While loving its civilised approach to music making, we can’t help but wish for more muscularity when it comes to expressing dynamic contrasts and punching out crescendos. It’s not that the Moon can’t do these things, more that it sounds a little restrained while doing them.

Restraint is something that shouldn’t suit Kanye West’s Yeezus, yet the Moon’s agility and articulation make listening to this album a pleasure. Sure, a little more directness and rhythmic drive would be nice, but there’s no denying that the Moon can entertain. It conveys the attitude of the music well and there’s never any doubt as to what West wants the listener to feel.

We switch to the onboard streaming module and find it to be a slick performer. There’s a dedicated app, and it works well. Moon has been making streaming products for a number of years now and that experience tells in the consistency and stability of operation.

Over our test period, everything operates as it should, without issue. Alongside the ability to stream music files from a NAS drive on your network, the app also provides access to Tidal Masters, Qobuz Sublime+ and Deezer Hi-Fi. The 680D is AirPlay 2 and Roon-ready too. There really is little to complain about on the features front here.

Sonically, the balance matches what we hear through the digital inputs. There’s the same grace under duress and the kind of sophisticated and cultured delivery that works well across a range of recordings and genres. It’s an engaging listen, though given the expectations of the price point we still have questions over its dynamic punch and ability to communicate the momentum in a piece of music. These shortcomings are more obvious here than when using other digital sources (bar through Bluetooth, of course).

Verdict

The streaming module is essentially the same as that used in the company’s Mind 2 network streamer, which is available for £1950 ($1950, AU$3199) and looks like a good performer for the money. Whether it’s a good enough source to make the most of such an ambitious DAC design is open to question.

Regardless, there’s no denying that the 680D remains a strong performer overall. It’s slick in use, nicely made and built with care. We have no complaints about file compatibility, and we’re huge fans of its refined and articulate sonic nature. At the very least it deserves a place on the shortlist.

SCORES

Sound 4
Features 5
Build 5

MORE:

Read our guide to the best music streamers

Here’s how to add a streamer to your hi-fi system

Read our dCS Bartók review

Manufacturer (OEM)	CWT
Max. DC Output	650W
Efficiency	80 PLUS Bronze, Cybenetics Silver (85-87%)
Noise	Cybenetics S++ (30-35 dB[A])
Modular	✗
Intel C6/C7 Power State Support	✓
Operating Temperature (Continuous Full Load)	0 – 40°C
Over Voltage Protection	✓
Under Voltage Protection	✓
Over Power Protection	✓
Over Current (+12V) Protection	✓
Over Temperature Protection	✓
Short Circuit Protection	✓
Surge Protection	✓
Inrush Current Protection	✓
Fan Failure Protection	✗
No Load Operation	✓
Cooling	120mm Fluid Dynamic Bearing Fan (HA1225H12F-Z)
Semi-Passive Operation	✗
Dimensions (W x H x D)	150 x 85 x 140mm
Weight	1.97 kg (4.34 lb)
Form Factor	ATX12V v2.52, EPS 2.92
Warranty	3 Years

Rail	3.3V	5V	12V	5VSB	-12V
Max. Power	Amps	20	20	54	2.5
Watts	110	648	12.5	3.6
Total Max. Power (W)	650

`Native Cables`
Description	Cable Count	Connector Count (Total)	Gauge	In Cable Caps
ATX connector 20+4 pin (660mm)	1	1	18-22AWG	No
8 pin EPS12V (650mm) / 4+4 pinEPS12V (+150mm)	1	1 / 1	18AWG	No
6+2 pin PCIe (560mm+150mm)	2	4	18AWG	No
SATA (560mm+150mm+150mm) / 4-pin Molex (+150mm)	2	6 / 2	18AWG	No
SATA (560mm+150mm) / 4-pin Molex (+150mm) / FDD (+150mm)	1	2 / 1 / 1	18-20AWG	No
`Modular Cables`
AC Power Cord (1380mm) – C13 coupler	1	1	18AWG	–

`General Data`	–
Manufacturer (OEM)	CWT
PCB Type	Single Sided
`Primary Side`	–
Transient Filter	4x Y caps, 2x X caps, 2x CM chokes, 1x MOV, 1x CAP200DG (Discharge IC)
Inrush Protection	NTC Thermistor SCK – 2R58 (2.5 Ohm)
Bridge Rectifier(s)	1x GBU1506 (600V, 15A @ 100°C)
APFC MOSFETs	2x Great Power GP18S50G (500V, 18A, Rds(on): 0.19Ohm)
APFC Boost Diode	1x On Semiconductor FFSP0665A (650V, 6A @ 153°C)
Bulk Cap(s)	1x Nippon Chemi-Con (400V, 470uF, 2,000h @ 105°C, KMW)
Main Switchers	2x Silan Microelectronics SVF20N50F (500V, 12.6A @ 100°C, Rds(on): 0.27Ohm)
PFC/PWM Combo Controller	Champion CM6800TX & Champion CM03X
Topology	Primary side: APFC, Double Forward Secondary side: Passive Rectification (12V) & DC-DC converters (5V & 3.3V)
`Secondary Side`	–
+12V	4x PFC PFR30L60CT SBR (60V, 30A)
5V & 3.3V	4x Sync Power SPN3006 (30V, 57A @ 100°C, Rds(on): 5.5mOhm) PWM Controller: ANPEC APW7159C
Filtering Capacitors	Electrolytic: 5x Elite (2-5,000h @ 105°C, ED), 5x Elite (2-5,000h @ 105°C, EK), 4x Elite (4-10,000h @ 105°C, EY), 2x Elite (3-6,000h @ 105°C, EV), 1x Elite (3-6,000h @ 105°C, EG), 2x Elite (2,000h @ 105°C, PF) Polymer: 2x Elite
Supervisor IC	IN1S429I – DCG
Fan Model	Hong Hua HA1225H12F-Z (120mm, 12V, 0.58A, Fluid Dynamic Bearing Fan)
`5VSB Circuit`	–
Standby PWM Controller	Power Integrations TNY287PG

Type	Mid-Tower ATX
Motherboard Support	Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX, E-ATX (280 mm)
Dimensions (HxWxD)	18.7 x 9.3 x 19.5 inches (475 x 235 x 494 mm)
Max GPU Length	15.1 inches (384 mm)
CPU Cooler Height	6.9 inches (176 mm)
Max PSU Length	8.3 inches (210 mm)
External Bays	✗
Internal Bays	3x 3.5-inch
	2x 2.5-inch
Expansion Slots	7x
Front I/O	2x USB 3.0
	3.5 mm Headphone
	3.5mm Mic
Other	2x (Removable) Tempered Glass Panel
	Chroma RGB Controller
Front Fans	None (Up to 2x 140mm, 3x 120mm)
Rear Fans	1x 120mm (Up to 1x 120mm)
Top Fans	None (Up to 2x 140mm)
Bottom Fans	None (Up to 2x 120 mm on PSU shroud)
Side Fans	✗
RGB	Yes, Razer Chroma
Damping	No
Warranty	1 Year

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