No long creative break: XFCE 4. 16 appears less than a year and a half after the last issue despite the simultaneous move of the source code from Cgit to GitLab.
The conversion to The inviting, self-hosted GitLab has already paid off, because according to the abbreviated release notes, thanks to the more accessible infrastructure, a number of new developers have already taken part and thus ensured a very long changelog.
The collaboration brought XFCE a 22 percent higher number of changes in a shorter time than at the last output. About 280 of almost 1000 Individual changes affect only the core components of XFCE 4. 16 , which with the new version gets rid of further GTK2 rudiments in the code, welcomes client-side window decorations and allows a graduated scaling of the desktop elements. In addition to the hundreds of detail improvements, XFCE 4. 16 is a clearly visible innovation, a standardized set of symbols , which replaces the previous icon mix and follows the design recommendations of Freedesktop.org.
The resource requirements have remained roughly the same compared to the previous version. XFCE still occupies, without running programs and depending on the Linux distribution, between 350 and 500 MB. So it is a frugal desktop that is still not stingy on customization options.
Not only superficial: innovations in detail The window manager “xfwm4” now sets to GTK 3. 22 and the Compositor with its OpenGL extensions (GLX) has seen a large number of bug fixes. In multi-monitor mode, the task switcher of the Alt-Tab key combination is only shown on the screen defined as the primary.
Scaling with intermediate steps is useful for high pixel densities, including factors such as 1.5 to be able to adjust. So far, XFCE could maximally double the size of the graphic elements of GTK3 or QT5 / 6 applications. Now even user-defined scaling is possible, making XFCE a pleasant desktop on laptops with difficult resolutions. The list of recognized, connected screens now also shows the standard resolution and the respective image proportions.
Revised: bars, file manager, energy management
For the freely configurable bars of the desktop, which, by the way, also look good vertically with rework, there is the new bar extension “Status Tray”, which combines information symbols and notifications. Window buttons of running programs show a retrofitted point to start a new instance of the respective binary by right-clicking in the bar. The executed ones are decoupled from the XFCE bar and are no longer child processes. This means that in the event of a crash, XFCE no longer carries away all started programs.
Refurbished appearance: XFCE 4. 16 already shows client-side decorations in some of its windows, such as the settings the window manager is no longer drawing, but the application itself.
For dark color schemes, the bars now support a dark mode to better adapt to program windows. Anyone looking for a specific switch in the settings will see the new, client-side window decorations from XFCE in the settings overview in the form of a search field that also reacts to terms in deeper settings. The run dialog has also been given a modified search function, which, if desired, shows the programs last called in the first place. The assignment of file types to applications and the selection of the standard programs have moved into a common dialog in the settings.
In prior years, if you needed a last-minute gift, you might run out to the store and brave the crowds, but in this year of pandemic, that’s not a good idea. Besides, it might not even be safe or practical to visit your giftee in person. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to buy and deliver last-second gifts that arrive instantly, via email, even on Christmas day.
The easiest, but least thoughtful, thing you can do is either send money or buy an Amazon.com gift card, which is almost as universal as cash. But a better idea is to purchase a digital gift that speaks to your giftee’s love of PCs, maker gear or gaming. Here are some digital gift ideas for the tech enthusiasts in your life.
1. Newegg Gift Card
Though it sells everything from crock pots to clothing, Newegg is known for having the best selection and often the best prices for computer components. With Amazon credit, your giftee may end up buying non-tech stuff like toilet paper or cat litter, but if you give them a Newegg card, they’ll almost certainly use it to treat themselves to new hardware or software.
Newegg Gift Card ($10 and up)
2. Adafruit gift card / Adabox
(Image credit: Adafruit)
If your giftee loves doing electronics projects with Raspberry Pi, Arduino or other single-board computers — and if they don’t, they should start — a gift certificate from Adafruit could be your best option. Not only does Adafruit stock all the major computers and controllers — every version of Raspberry Pi, for example — but it also has an entire universe of add-on boards, RGB light setups, robot kits and more. The company is not just a seller: as most of its custom boards and accessories are manufactured in its New York City-based factory. The company’s Braincraft HAT won our Raspberry Pi accessory of the year for 2020.
If you buy an Adafruit gift certificate, you can also feel good about supporting this amazing business. Founded in 2005 by Limor “Ladyada” Fried, Adafruit employs over 100 people and is dedicated to helping everyone learn more about STEM. The site has a vibrant community and over 1,000 tutorials to help you do everything from creating an LED sign to soldering or designing RGB clothes.
You can also give a subscription to Adabox, which is a blind box filled with everything you need to build an electronics project and comes out quarterly.
Adafruit Gift Certificates: Available in any denomination and emailed.
Adabox Subscriptions: Starting at $60
3. Digital Game Store Gift Card
No matter what platform your giftee plays on, there’s an associated digital store with downloadable games. PC Gamers will almost certainly find something they love in the Steam store. For console players, get a card for the PlayStation Store, the XBox or the Nintendo eShop, depending on what system they use. Most cards start at $10, but I recommend spending at least $20, the cost of many lower price games.
Xbox Gift Card ($10 – $70)
PlayStation Store Card ($10 – $75)
Nintendo eShop ($5 – $70)
Battle.net Store ($50): Lets you buy any Blizzard game (Warcraft, Overwatch, etc)
Steam Store ($5 – $100)
4. Minecraft Game or Minecoins
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Minecraft is a huge hit with kids from five to fifty. The game lets you explore and create worlds filled with 8-bit adventure and you can even use it to learn about programming. The game itself is available on every platform you can imagine, even the phone, but if your giftee already has it, consider getting Minecoins. Minecoins are used to buy all kinds of add-ons within the game.
Minecoin Pack: ($9.88)
Minecraft Windows 10 Starter Edition ($29.88)
Minecraft Dungeons for PC ($19.99): New Minecraft-based game
Minecraft Java Edition ($26.95): Good for Mac or PC (even Linux)
Minecraft for Xbox One ($19.99)
5. Individual Games
(Image credit: Amazon and Microsoft)
If you know what games your giftee wants and is likely to play, you can buy them a direct download. Here are some ideas for PC gamers.
NBA 2K21 ($29.99): The ultimate basketball game, NBA 2K21 features the latest players and teams.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 ($59.99): One of the most popular games of the year, flight simulator makes you feel like you’re flying a real plane in very realistic parts of the world.
Cyberpunk 2077 ($59.99): The game of the year has been slow on XBox One and PS4, but runs great on any PC that meets the Cyberpunk 2077 system requirements.
Star Wars Squadrons ($23.99): Fly an X-Wing or a Tie Fighter.
SimCity Complete Edition ($7.49): Who wouldn’t want to build a city? Includes two different games and five content packs.
Battlefield V: Definitive Edition ($14.99): This World War II battle game looks absolutely gorgeous, whether you have a GPU that supports ray tracing or not.
The Sims 4 ($4.99): A great game for giftees who like simulation games and have older PCs, the Sims 4 will run on a CPU as old as a Core 2 Duo (over 10 years old).
6. Streaming subscriptions
Whether it’s music or movies, there’s nothing quite like the gift of content. Here are some services you can buy.
Disney+ ($69.99 for a year): A great gift for anyone who is not already a Disney+ subscriber, this service features all the Star Wars, Marvel, Disney and Pixar content you can imagine.
BritBox ($69.99 for 1 yr): The ultimate gift for fans of British TV, especially Doctor Who, BritBox is the only place in the U.S. where you can stream all 26 seasons of Classic Doctor Who. It also has all eight seasons of Red Dwarf and a slew of British mysteries.
Netflix ($25 – $200): The good thing about this card is that, even if your giftee already has Netflix, they can always use this to either upgrade their plan or pay some months in advance.
Spotify ($10 – $60): The most popular music service has something for everyone. If your giftee already has a single-user subscription, they may want to use the extra credit to move up to a family ($14.99 / month) subscription.
Hulu ($25 – $50): Get access to a slew of movies, network TV shows and original programs like The Handmaid’s Tale and Castle Rock.
HBO Max ($69.99 for 6 months): WIth all the new Warner movies coming straight to HBO Max, this makes a great gift. However, there’s no gift code so you’d have to basically do it for someone with their knowledge.
7. Online game services
Sure, your giftee has a powerful game system with lots of games, but do they have the subscription they need to play online and broadcast streams? Here are some subscriptions that can help them. Unfortunately, the best offerings here are primarily for console gamers.
XBox Live Gold ($59.99): This service not only connects you with other gamers online and lets you stream to Twitch, but it also provides free games and huge discounts.
PlayStation Plus ($59.99): If your giftee has a PlayStation 4, this membership will allow them to play multiplayer, online games, store data in the cloud and even get a couple of free titles a month.
Nintendo Switch Online ($19.99): Play multiplayer Switch games and free access to some classic Nintendo titles.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold, the first folding-screen PC, shows a clever way of moving mobile computing forward and is built solid. But there are some kinks to work out in Windows 10 and other software.
For
Folding OLED display
Feels surprisingly durable
Luxury materials
No bloatware
Against
Starts at $2,499 without accessories
Subpar battery life
Some software bugs need to be ironed out
Intel’s Lakefield chips aren’t very powerful
For every innovation to happen, someone has to go first. The worry is how they stick the landing, as that often has implications for the perception of new technology for months or years.
Lenovo is the first to market with a foldable Windows 10 PC. The ThinkPad X1 Fold ($2,499.00 to start, $3,099.00 as tested) is a tablet. Or maybe a laptop? Maybe a book?
That price is eye-popping, which is often the case for first-generation technology. Lenovo has built this with an eye on durability, and added in some premium leather. It’s powered by Intel’s low-power Core i5 Lakefield processor, which enables the form factor.
But Windows 10 wasn’t made for foldables. Lenovo has done some nice work with its own software to soften that blow, but there’s still a bit to be done to make foldables like this take their place among the best Ultrabooks.
Design of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
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Your first impression of the ThinkPad X1 Fold may be disbelief. The device ships flat, like a tablet. Then you can just fold it closed. Like a book. Open, close. Open, close. Yup, this laptop… tablet — whatever you want to call it — can fold.
This isn’t the first foldable device in the world, of course. Samsung, Huawei, and Lenovo’s own phone arm, Motorola have all released folding phones, which have been of varying (often disappointing) quality. But this? No, this feels solid.
When it’s closed, the ThinkPad X1 Fold looks like a fat notebook – but a premium one, like a Moleskine. It’s bound in black leather with the ThinkPad X1 logo stamped in the front. On the back, there’s a kickstand that folds out. There is a bit of a space between the screens, though if you use the optional physical keyboard (more on that below) then no space shows at all.
You open the device the same way you would open a book, and that’s when the 13.3-inch foldable touchscreen amazes, revealing itself without showing the crease. There is, however, a significant bezel hiding some of the components.
While you can’t see the crease while the display is on (it’s visible when off), you may feel it. All you need to use the screen is a light touch. But if you press a bit harder, you can feel some of the pieces under the OLED panel. But I opened and closed this plenty, and I really didn’t have any doubts about durability, as long as you don’t toss it around.
The bezel and the sides are made from plastic, but the X1 Fold doesn’t feel cheap. There are, however, only two ports: a pair of USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports. You can use either for charging, and depending on the way you use the device (more on that in the next graph), it’s possible the other port will be covered. The rest of the sides are populated by a power button, volume rocker and some speaker grilles.
There are a handful of different ways you could hold or use the device. The most obvious is using the Fold as a straightforward Windows 10 tablet. That works exactly how you would expect, and you can use it in landscape or portrait, with Windows rotating automatically.
You could also bend the X1 Fold part way and hold it like a book, perhaps if you have an e-reader program that supports two pages at once, or if you wanted to consult two documents at the same time. This was the posture I used the least while trying the Fold though; I was just more comfortable holding it like a tablet.
But you can also use it folded part of the way on its side, sort of like a laptop. The Windows 10 touch keyboard leaves a lot to be desired, but you can attach the Fold’s small Bluetooth keyboard to the half with magnets and use half of the 13.3-inch display like a regular laptop.
Alternatively, you can keep the Fold like a tablet and stand it up with a kickstand. Pair that with either the mini keyboard (which works both on or off the screen and has a touchpad) or your own separate Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and you’ve got an instant work setup. It won’t replace a primary monitor, though if you plug one in via USB Type-C, it could be a secondary one. This, to me, was my favorite way to use it. The kickstand works great in landscape mode, but while it works in portrait mode for those who want a taller display, it doesn’t feel as steady.
At 2.2 pounds, the X1 Fold isn’t much heavier than competing notebooks. But in such a compact package, it can feel a bit heavy in your hand. It’s 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches folded and 11.8 x 9.3 x 0.5 inches unfolded, which is remarkably thin for a Windows device.
There’s one other laptop powered by the same Intel Lakefield chip to enable lightweight designs: the Samsung Galaxy Book S, which is 2.1 pounds and 12 x 8 x 0.5 inches in a more standard clamshell shape. Another portable tablet-style device, the non-folding Microsoft Surface Go 2, is lighter at 1.2 pounds and is 9.7 x 6.9 x 0.3 inches.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Specifications
CPU
Intel Core i5-L16G7
Graphics
Intel UHD Graphics
Memory
8 GB LPDDR4X-4267
Storage
1TB PCIe SSD
Display
13.3-inch, QXGA, 2048 x 1536 foldable OLED touchscreen
Networking
802.11ax Intel Wi-Fi 6. Bluetooth 5.1
Ports
2x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2
Camera
720p
Battery
50 Wh
Power Adapter
65 W
Operating System
Windows 10 Pro
Dimensions(WxDxH)
Folded: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches / 236 x 158.2 x 27.8mm
Unfolded: 11.8 x 9.3 x 0.5 inches / 299.5 x 236 x 11.5 mm
Weight
2.2 pounds / 1 kg
Accessories
Lenovo Mod Pen, Lenovo Fold Mini Bluetooth Keyboard
Price (as configured)
$3,099.00
Productivity Performance on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
With the Intel “Lakefield” Core i5-L16G7, 8GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, the ThinkPad X1 Fold trades some performance for flexibility. The processor is good enough for basic computing needs, but no more. Ths chip uses one Sunny Cove core for loads that need bursts of power along with four low-power Tremont cores. If you have a few browser tabs and email, you’ll be fine. Beyond that, consider alternatives.
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On Geekbench 5.0, the Fold notched a single-core score of 871 and a multi-core score of 1,799. Both of those are higher than the scores from the Lakefield processor in the Samsung Galaxy Book S, but there may have been some optimizations and software updates since then. The Microsoft Surface Go 2, with an Intel Core m3-8100Y, had a higher single-core score (1,147) and multi-core score (3,117).
The X1 Fold copied 4.97GB of files at a rate of 452.51MBps. That’s not the fastest out there, but it’s speedier than both the Galaxy Book S and the Surface Go 2.
It took the ThinkPad 33 minutes and 42 seconds to complete our Handbrake test, which transcodes a 4K video to 1080p. The Galaxy Book S took 41:16 and the Surface Go 2 lagged at 48:14. Mainstream laptops often take less than 20 minutes. The Dell XPS 13, for instance, took 18:22.
To stress test the ThinkPad, we also ran a modified version of our Cinebench R23 gauntlet. Usually, it goes for 20 repetitions, but because of Lakefield’s slow performance and an attempt to complete the test before the heat death of the universe, we ran it five times to stress test the Fold. It was largely stable. Surprisingly, the first score was the lowest at 1,775. It went up to the 1790’s across the next three runs, and then settled in the 1780’s.
Usually, we measure CPU speeds. Logging software we tried seemed to be way off on measurements, listing impossibly fast clock speeds that you can’t achieve even on high-end desktop processors. HwInfo did, however, suggest CPU temps of around 81.4 degrees Celsius (178.5 degrees Fahrenheit) on the Sunny Cove core and 82.7 degrees Celsius (180.9 degrees Fahrenheit) on the Tremont cores. But you should take that with a grain of salt, considering the clock speeds displayed.
Display on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
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If there’s anywhere the ThinkPad X1 Fold has to completely and utterly nail it, it’s with the 13.3-inch, 2048 x 1536 foldable OLED touchscreen. After all, it’s the part the entire device literally hinges around, and it has to look and feel good.
You can’t see the hinge when the screen is flat, as long as the display is on. But it does appear faintly when the display is powered off. You also can’t feel the hinge, though if you press hard enough you may feel other components under the display. Luckily, a soft touch is all you need.
I’m not all that worried about durability or anything getting under the screen. Unlike the original Samsung Galaxy Fold smartphone, the X1 Fold has a border completely surrounding the screen. Something could get in the leather folio’s spine, maybe, but it would be tough to get something under the screen.
The 13.3-inch screen has a 4:3 aspect ratio, which is a good choice. As a tablet or monitor, it’s tall and provides plenty of space for work. When you fold it to use like a laptop, it’s more cramped — half of the monitor is covered and you get a 1536 x 1006 resolution and around 9.5 inches diagonally. The netbook is back, baby!
The display covers 104% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is one of the benefits of OLED. The blacks are deep, and in a trailer for Wonder Woman 1984, the blue seas outside Themyscira made me long for an island vacation (or any vacation, really). The Galaxy Book S (80.5%) and Surface Go 2 (76.1%) are still good, but they don’t use OLED. That preserves the battery (see the battery section below), however.
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The X1 fold measured 301.4 nits on our light meter, falling behind both the Book S (334 nits) and Surface Go 2 (408 nits). I didn’t have any issues with this in the most colorful scenes, but there were a few rare times where I wanted to mash the brightness toggle just a few more times.
Keyboard, Touchpad and Stylus on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
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Without any other accessories, the keyboard on the ThinkPad X1 Fold is the touch keyboard that’s built into Windows 10. If you have the device folded halfway like a laptop, it’s still a bit cramped, and a touch solution won’t let you type as quickly or efficiently as on a physical keyboard.
There are solutions to this — you can use any Bluetooth keyboard and mouse you want, especially if you have it set up as a full display with the kickstand.
Our package included the $89.99 Lenovo Mod Pen and $229.99 Lenovo Fold Mini Bluetooth Keyboard, which really feels like the way the X1 Fold is intended to be used. The keyboard is super thin, tiny, and can be attached to half of the X1 Fold with magnets (this shuts off that half of the screen). You can also use it like a normal Bluetooth keyboard.
But to fit in the Fold, the keyboard is tiny and cramped. The letters and numbers are laid out well enough, but when you get to special characters, things get weird. For instance, one key is used for a period, right carrot, question mark and slash. It’s a period by default, or a right carrot with a shift. That’s expected.
For a slash, you need to press function and that key, and for a question mark you need to hit function, shift and that key. There are several keys like that, and most of them have common special characters that require three keys to use. It’s incredibly frustrating for even the most simple documents and emails. Some keys, like the colon and tilda, are dramatically shortened. There’s no backlight, but I can get past that.
I hit 98 words per minute on the 10fastfinger.com typing test, which is fairly low for me, and my errors skyrocketed. And that was on a test without special characters.
The touchpad is minuscule. It’s honestly kind of adorable. I was surprised to see it uses Windows Precision drivers, and with the exception that I often hit the edges of the touchpad, it largely was OK to use, even if it didn’t feel great. If you like four-finger gestures, that may be out of the question, but I could make three-finger gestures work.
You can charge the keyboard wirelessly by placing it in between the folded screen.
In the future, I would love to see Lenovo try to make something wider, or perhaps that extends. I might even be willing to work with something that wraps around the foldable for a better typing experience.
The Mod Pen fits into a loop on the side of the keyboard, so it all travels as one package. Mercifully, the pen charges over USB Type-C rather than using batteries, which many styluses of this size do. Lenovo claims it will last 156 hours on a charge. It has 4,096 degrees of pressure sensitivity and works at up to a 60 degree angle. I don’t see this being used much for art on this type of device, but it’s fine for note taking.
I do wish Lenovo would steal from Microsoft’s Surface Pen and include an eraser on the back, but you can assign that feature to one of two programmable buttons if you use Lenovo’s optional Pen Settings software.
Audio on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
I’m not going to say that the audio experience on the Fold is amazing, but it’s far better than I expected. In general, I’d say it’s about as good as the average laptop, but not as loud. It didn’t quite fill my apartment with sound as I listened to the Arctic Monkeys’ “Do I Wanna Know?”, though for listening on my own it’s fairly usable. The song’s drums and bassline were clear, but lacked a kick. Interestingly, all of the speaker grills are on the left side of the device, or the top when in portrait mode, which did kind of throw off my balance.
You can change some equalizer presets in the Dolby Access software that’s included, but it’s not very in-depth, and I didn’t find it to make much of a difference.
Upgrading the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
The big difference between configurations of the X1 Fold is storage. Buy what you’ll think you’ll need for the long run, because the device is effectively sealed.
Yes, there are some visible screws underneath the kickstand. There’s even a small door, but you can’t completely access it, as it’s partially covered by the cover. A maintenance manual shows that you effectively have to remove the entire leather cover and then open the device to get to anything, which could void your warranty if you’re not careful. Consider this thing a closed box.
Battery Life on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
An OLED display and a battery small enough to fit into a foldable won’t get you all-day battery life. On our battery test, which browses the web, runs OpenGL tests and streams video, all while connected to Wi-Fi and set at 150 nits of brightness, the X1 Fold ran for 6 hours and 3 minutes. This number was achieved from a separate unit with 256GB of storage, due to testing equipment being spread out during the pandemic, but we expect numbers would be similar on the 1TB version.
That means that while the device itself is extremely portable, you may have to also consider bringing the charger along, which is a bit of a bummer.
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The Samsung Galaxy Book S, another Lakefield device, ran for 9:40. That didn’t have an OLED screen, though. Microsoft’s Surface Go 2 ran for almost two hours more than that, lasting 11:38.
Heat on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
We took heat measurements while running our Cinebench R23 stress test. That benchmark is far more than one would usually run on this computer, so it shows us some worst-case scenarios for heat.
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Notably, our heat camera showed that the left side of the tablet (in landscape) heated up far more than the right side, suggesting that the processor is in that portion of the device. The hottest it got was 40.5 degrees Celsius (104.9 degrees Fahrenheit). On the back, the same portion hit 36.4 degrees Celsius (97.5 degrees Fahrenheit).
Webcam on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
The 720p webcam on the ThinkPad X1 Fold is about what you might expect. Like many laptop webcams released this year, it takes a picture you could consider serviceable, but not great. A photo at my desk was grainy and a bit dim. The Surface Go 2 was the gold standard this year, with a camera that supports 1080p video, and I hope to see something like that in more laptops and foldables in 2021.
But the bigger issue is the placement. As a tablet held in landscape, the camera works exactly as you would expect. But if you turn it to portrait, or use it like a laptop with the keyboard attached, the image appears sideways in video calls, as that’s the way the camera is oriented (my colleagues were very confused when I called into a meeting like that).
Lenovo does have software to try to combat this, and you can use it to rotate the image. At best, then, using the X1 Fold in those postures creates an image more like a phone, tall with black bars on the side. It’s better than being sideways, but it feels more than a little unrefined.
Software and Warranty on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
The ThinkPad X1 Fold we reviewed had no junk at all, not even the usual bloat that comes with Windows 10.
On most Windows 10 notebooks, Lenovo only includes its Vantage software (seen here in a dedicated enterprise version) for easy access to warranty status, quick camera and microphone toggles and to easily check your serial number.
But in this case, Lenovo has a bunch of other software just to make the foldable work as expected. When the X1 Fold was originally revealed, there was a plan to release it with Windows 10, and then later with Windows 10X, a touch-focused version of the operating system designed for foldable devices. But with Windows 10X delayed to 2021 — and starting on single-screen laptops instead of foldables — it working on regular Windows 10 is more important.
Most of the hard work is handled by Lenovo Mode Switcher, which lives in the task bar, recognizes which way your device is aligned and provides a method to move windows side-to-side or one on top of the other. It works as expected, but if you switch modes or rotate the device, the windows often don’t stay organized.
There’s also Lenovo Camera Settings, which lets you rotate your camera picture, Lenovo Display Optimizer to calibrate the OLED screen and the optional Lenovo Pen Settings to adjust the buttons on the pen and check its battery status.
All of this points to one issue — Windows 10 isn’t fully there as a tablet-only operating system, nor as one for foldables. Windows Hello is needed, and Lenovo deserves credit for getting it to work this much, even if there is some jankiness around it. Once, I got the Windows 10 login screen to turn vertical, as if it were on a Windows phone, with large black bars on the sides. It stayed that way on the desktop, too.
Lenovo sells the ThinkPad X1 Fold with a 1-year warranty, which can go up to three years at an additional cost.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Configurations
Our ThinkPad X1 Fold review unit was the top-end, $3,099 configuration with an Intel Core i5-L16G7 “Lakefield” processor, 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM a 1TB PCIe SSD and Windows 10 Pro.
There are a number of other configurations, but they all have the same CPU and memory. The other differences come down to the amount of storage, which version of Windows 10 you get, and if the package includes the keyboard and stylus accessories.
The base option is $2,499, with 256GB of SSD storage and Windows 10 Home. Notably, this option doesn’t include the keyboard or stylus. If you want those later, the Mod Pen costs $89.99 on its own, while the mini keyboard runs for an eye-watering $229.99.
To get that option with the accessories included in the box, it’s $2,749 with Windows 10 Home or $2,799 with Windows 10 Pro. From there, prices increase with storage and all have Windows 10 Pro.
In 2021, configurations with 5G support will be available, but exact pricing and availability hasn’t been announced.
Bottom Line
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There is no doubting that the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold is a first-gen product that isn’t for most people. If the $2,499 and up price tag (before accessories) doesn’t scare off all but tech-savvy CEO’s, it’s the fact that there are still some kinks to work out in the software.
And yet, I’m really surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed using it. While the Core i5 Lakefield chip isn’t the most performance-oriented slice of silicon, all of my x86 apps work on it, and as long as I stick to my normal workflow of browsing, writing, using some spreadsheets and watching video, this will handle things nicely. For photo editing, I would want just a tad more power.
The keyboard is a smart idea that needs more time in the oven. No individual key on the keyboard should require three buttons to press, especially if it’s as commonly used as a plus sign, a hyphen or a question mark. I would also like to see it somehow attach to the back of the device, as I tended to leave it elsewhere in my apartment and had to search for it when I needed it.
The hardware could use some slimming down, but it’s sturdy. I trust this to fold and not break. But I need Lenovo — and any other PC vendor considering moving into folding PCs — to ensure that the UX is perfect. That may mean waiting for Windows 10X, if Microsoft does a better job of adapting its own OS to the form factor than an OEM could do.
But Lenovo, for a first try, has impressed. Still, the expense and the quirks you get for this high price mean that you should probably wait for future generations. But I have hope that these kinds of devices will get a lot better before too long.
[Editor’s Note: The Tom’s Hardware staff first published a version of this poem in 2014 on Christmas Eve. We updated it a little bit and ran it again each year at the same time. The poem was given a complete overhaul in 2018 and 2019.
We understand that this holiday season follows a challenging year unlike any other, and wish you and your loved ones the best. In putting out this simple poem, we hope to spark a bit of joy. Thank you all for the support and participation you offer throughout the year, and we wish you Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.]
‘Twas the holiday season and where the elves roam,
All the PCs worked on Folding@Home.
Some folded protein for research assistance,
But the rest helped Santa give gifts from a distance.
He booted a Windows PC (that’s one in a billion),
But his Excel rows counted a trillion.
So he ran XLOOKUP to match data with flair
From the comfort of his fifteen-hundred-buck chair.
Then he a got a drink from his Xbox fridge,
But he couldn’t be late, not even a smidge.
The children had waited for presents for days,
Santa can’t ape Intel’s 7 nanometer delays!
Santa couldn’t go into houses right now,
But he found a way to do his job anyhow.
He’d fly planes from Microsoft Flight Simulator To deliver gifts from here to the equator.
And while this may sound silly or a little bit funny,
Santa Claus had to spend Lisa Su-level money To buy all of the planes, the supplies and the wares
And he hadn’t made much with his Corsair shares.
But the gifts this year were all very large
There were several PlayStation 5s in his charge,
And in the cargo hold he’d need to find spots
For RTX 3090s that take up three slots!
But he managed to get everything packed,
Like Zen 3 CPUs and some new M1 Macs,
And for those who need places to go rest their heads,
He readied embarrassing twin gamer beds.
Of course some companies bought gifts for themselves. Nvidia grabbed Arm – that didn’t need elves. AMD took hold of Xilinx for $35 billion,
Bringing it to team red. (Or is it more vermillion?)
The planes took to the skies without any hitches,
And Microsoft patched most of its flight sim glitches.
They dumped Big Navi GPUs through the air
With RGB keyboards that were glowing like flares.
The only tech that didn’t fall through the sky
Was that one Ryzen laptop that you couldn’t buy,
So that Ryzen 7 4800U Yoga Slim 7
Was the one notebook that didn’t rain from the heavens.
When Santa was almost done with his gift-giving spree,
The plane sprung a leak, like Windows XP.
He tried to land safely on the earth’s ground floor
But crashed harder than Cyberpunk on PS4.
But Santa’s moves at the flight stick were simply outstanding,
And he used the sim to pull off an emergency landing.
Santa couldn’t stop when he’d gotten this far,
Luckily he’d included an emergency car.
That he could pilot remotely and control on a whim
With Razer’s concept esports racing sim.
He felt every bump, every turn, every drift,
But his car helped deliver every last gift.
As the snowy weather started to worsen,
He said “next year I hope to do this in person.”
Then he stood from his chair and he shouted “I did it!”
But no gifts for Huawei, theU.S. forbidit.
He went to go sleep; his energy hit rock bottom,
Tomorrow he’ll build with parts Mrs. Claus bought him.
We’re now at a point where you can comfortably describe the Nintendo Switch as “mature.” It’s no longer a new device, but one several years into its life, with a robust and varied line-up of games available. There’s a good chance you picked up a Switch to play one of Nintendo’s tentpole franchises — whether that’s Super Mario, Animal Crossing, or Pokémon — but there are a lot of different kinds of experiences available on the tablet. That includes big social titles, classic games, and inventive indie releases. Heck, one of my favorite experiences this year has been relearning chess on the Switch.
If you’re new to the Switch ecosystem, here are 10 great games to get you started.
We’ve rounded up our favorite and most-used games, apps, and entertainment. Check out our app picks for iPhones, Android phones, Windows PCs, and M1-equipped Macs; our favorite mobile games from Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass; and our top choices for gaming PCs, the PS5, Xbox One and Series X / S, Nintendo Switch, and VR. We’ve also listed our favorite streaming shows on Disney Plus, Hulu, ESPN Plus, and Netflix; some great sci-fi books; and exciting new podcasts. (Note: pricing was accurate at the time of publishing but may change.)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing: New HorizonsPhoto: Nintendo
With New Horizons, Animal Crossing went from a quaint and charming life sim to one of Nintendo’s most important franchises, up there with Mario and Zelda. It’s still a game about carving out a humble, cozy life on an island full of animals, but the addition of online play, more robust customization tools, and the fact that virtually everyone in the world was stuck at home this year, turned it into an important cultural touchstone. New Horizons brought people together, caused family drama, and touched on communities ranging from Twitch streamers to streetwear enthusiasts. And it’s still going strong, with (free!) seasonal updates that add more depth and texture to its pleasant world.
Clubhouse Games
Clubhouse GamesPhoto: Nintendo
Sometimes you just need something familiar, and Clubhouse Games fills that niche perfectly. It’s an incredibly simple concept: a collection of more than 50 physical games, from chess to darts to bowling, that you can play on your Switch. The package was clearly put together with lots of love and a level of care and attention to detail that makes this more than just a simple collection. Each game has a pleasantly tactile feel, despite being a digital recreation. Clubhouse Games is full of familiar favorites but will likely also introduce you to new games from all over the world. It’s the perfect thing to pick up and play in between other, more complex experiences.
Coffee Talk
Coffee Talk Photo: Toge Productions
The name Coffee Talk couldn’t be more apt: this is a game about both talking and coffee. You take the role of a barista at a late-night cafe in an alternate version of Seattle, one full of magical creatures, all of whom bring their own personal problems with them when they enter the shop. From behind the counter you’ll hear all of the drama, occasionally chiming in with some advice, all while making sure to serve the perfect latte or hot chocolate. It’s warm and comforting, and it’s a great way to spend a cozy evening.
Hades
HadesPhoto: Supergiant Games
Ever since its debut with Bastion, developer Supergiant Games has released a steady stream of hits, from the cyberpunk Transistor to the magical Pyre. All of the studio’s work features incredible 2D visuals, deep and engaging worlds, and a gameplay hook that makes it hard to step away. Hades feels like a culmination of the team’s past efforts. In your efforts to escape the underworld you’ll die a lot, but each failure is a chance to explore new techniques and learn more about the incredible cast of characters. Get ready to lose some sleep.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildPhoto: Nintendo
No Switch collection is complete without The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Nintendo’s first true open-world game upended the genre, with an experience that feels vast and deep, yet leaves much of the exploration and discovery up to players. In a world full of games with copious signposts and mini-maps packed with points of interest, Breath of the Wild lets you move and learn at your own pace. It could be both thrilling and quiet, overwhelming and subtle, all at the same time. I’m still learning new things about the game more than three years after launch. Even better: now you can dig further into the story with the spinoff Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.
Murder By Numbers
Murder By NumbersPhoto: Mediatonic
Sometimes two things go together so well you have to wonder why no one tried it before. Such is the case with Murder By Numbers. It’s a silly-yet-touching crime drama that plays out like a visual novel, one that’s packed with lovable characters and surprising plot twists. But it’s also a puzzle game, one where you complete sudoku-like challenges in order to find clues and solve crimes. It may not make a lot of sense on the surface, but in practice these two halves fit together just about perfectly.
Pokémon Sword and Shield
Pokémon Sword and Shield Photo: Pokémon
There are few things that match better than Pokémon games and Nintendo handhelds, but Sword and Shield go an extra step by also being great console experiences thanks to the Switch’s hybrid nature. The base game that launched last year remains one of the best roleplaying games available on the Switch, and it’s since been made even bigger thanks to two significant expansions that add new storylines to dissect, locations to explore, and — most importantly — pocket monsters to collect.
Ring Fit Adventure
Ring Fit AdventurePhoto: Nintendo
Ring Fit Adventureisn’t just a great game, it’s also one of a few ways to get a decent workout, thanks to COVID-related restrictions. It also does something very rare: makes the tedium of a workout fun. Ring Fit is structured like a fantasy roleplaying game, one where you travel to distant worlds fighting all kinds of magical creatures. But in order to attack, you’ll need to do yoga poses, squats, and a whole lot of planks. It’s exhausting in the best possible way, and Nintendo has also released an update that turns Ring Fit into a rhythm game complete with classic Super Mario tunes.
Streets of Rage 4
Streets of Rage 4Photo: SEGA
Sometimes you just want to hit things. Streets of Rage 4 is here to oblige. The newest entry in the classic beat ‘em up series doesn’t change the formula: you still play as one of a handful of heroes, exploring side-scrolling levels while pummeling every street punk in sight. This time, though, the 2D visuals look incredible, and the gameplay has been streamlined so that it feels a bit more modern. Surprisingly, the best part might just be the music, with an incredible soundtrack that includes new tunes from famed composer Yuzo Koshiro.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars
Super Mario 3D All-StarsPhoto: Nintendo
This collection brings together three of Mario’s most influential 3D adventures: Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. Not every element stands up in 2020, so you might find yourself frustrated with 64’s relic of a camera, or the awkward controls of Sunshine’s water pack. But for the most part, each game in Super Mario 3D All-Stars remains fun, and playing through them today is a great way to see how Nintendo’s design philosophy has changed over the years. You’ll never look at Super Mario Odyssey the same way again.
Whether you’ve just gotten a new Windows-based gaming laptop or desktop, or you just want some new game ideas, we have ten suggestions to make your gaming experience fun. Not all of them are new or the most graphically demanding, but they should provide you with hours of enjoyment.
Unlike gaming on a console, there are several ways for PC gamers to get their fix, from Steam and the Epic Game Store to GOG and Xbox Game Pass. It’s important to know that not all platforms offer the same games due to exclusivity rights. But in most cases, you can (and should) shop around — you might find a better price at one storefront versus the other.
We’ve rounded up our favorite and most-used games, apps, and entertainment. Check out our app picks for iPhones, Android phones, Windows PCs, and M1-equipped Macs; our favorite mobile games from Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass; and our top choices for gaming PCs, the PS5, Xbox One and Series X / S, Nintendo Switch, and VR. We’ve also listed our favorite streaming shows on Disney Plus, Hulu, ESPN Plus, and Netflix; some great sci-fi books; and exciting new podcasts. (Note: pricing was accurate at the time of publishing but may change.)
Hades
HadesImage: Supergiant
Hades is the latest game from Supergiant, the developer of Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre. Fresh out of early access this summer, Hades offers tons of depth, the writing is excellent (and often funny), and the controls are responsive. It doesn’t seem at first like there’s much depth, but I’ve had 60 runs and counting with no end in sight. If you want an idea of just how deep Hades’ rabbit hole goes, check out my colleague Nick Statt’s piece on how the game continues to unravel its secrets even after you’ve “beaten” it.
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077Image: CD Projekt Red
Cyberpunk 2077, the latest open-world RPG from CD Projekt Red, was released just a few weeks ago. While buggy in its early days, it seems like a worthwhile adventure to take if you’re into the idea of strolling through a neon-lit cyberpunk universe filled with unusual quests and upgrades. It’s a stunning game, too, built to take advantage of the latest Nvidia graphics cards with ray-tracing effects.
Star Wars: Squadrons
Star Wars: SquadronsImage: EA
EA built the definitive Star Wars-themed dogfighting simulator in Star Wars: Squadrons. Whether you’re playing on a traditional monitor or through an Oculus or SteamVR virtual reality headset, you’ll likely get plenty of excitement both from the single-player campaign and the multiplayer. One thing, though: it’s not a simple game to play.
Amnesia: Rebirth
The latest game in the Amnesia series is the direct successor to Dark Descent, the first-person horror game that put the series on the map. While the stories are somewhat linked, Verge reviewer Adi Robertson says that Rebirth “tweaks the original game’s design and themes in compelling ways.” Its setting is more awe-inspiring, taking place in a variety of locales that Dark Descent doesn’t. Though it still retains its ability of making you question what awaits you in the darkness.
Among Us
Among UsImage: InnerSloth
Among Us is perhaps the most popular game of 2020, judged on buzz alone. It’s so popular that even politicians like AOC stream it on Twitch, and the premise of the game makes it easy to see why. You join a group of other workers tasked to maintain a spaceship — except one of you is an imposter. Your role as the imposter is to blend in and not let anyone find out who you are. The fun lies in making everyone else betray each other in their efforts to figure out who is playing the imposter. It’s a simple, yet nuanced Clue-like game that costs only $5. Get some friends, buy the game, and have fun.
Persona 4: Golden
Persona 4: GoldenImage: Atlus
Why is a game from 2012 on this list? Well, it’s because Persona 4: Golden, a JRPG masterpiece from Atlus, only made its way to the PC in 2020. It’s nothing new content-wise for folks who have already played the game on the PlayStation Vita, but it has enhanced graphical options for the PC. And really, it’s special to see some memorable characters on the big screen looking sharper than ever, with the earworm beats backing the experience.
Fortnite
FortniteImage: Epic
Fortnite is Epic’s ever-evolving battle royale game that deserves a spot on most gamers’ hard drives. It’s free to play, so there’s your main reason to at least give it a shot. Epic Games brings new content and cosmetic updates (including God of War’s Kratos, along with many other branded character skins) to the game on a frequent basis, so if you have friends who play, there will likely be something new to enjoy together each time you play.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight SimulatorImage: Microsoft
In a year when traveling was something most of us couldn’t do, Microsoft’s new Flight Simulator felt especially timely. It’s a super-detailed flight sim where you simply pilot airplanes. There are challenges to complete, but really, it’s about relaxing, enjoying the view, and appreciating the globe from a birds-eye view. It’s also a very intensive game, so you can really stress test your new components (or consider upgrading if you really want to max out the graphical settings).
This game is available for purchase through Microsoft or Steam, and it’s playable with a subscription from Game Pass for PC (which costs $1 for the first three months for new subscribers, $14.99 per month otherwise).
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Horizon: Zero DawnImage: Alloy
If you’re a PC gamer who’s been wanting to play the PS4-exclusive Horizon: Zero Dawn open-world game, you got lucky this year. The game has come to digital storefronts with all of the graphical options you might dream of. While it had stability issues at launch, most of the kinks seem to have been ironed out, so now is a good time to enjoy Aloy’s debut adventure before Horizon: Forbidden West hits the PS5 (and hopefully the PC) in 2021.
Valorant
ValorantImage: Riot Games
League of Legends developer Riot Games launched competitive first-person shooter Valorant this year, and it quickly took hold as an esports staple. While it’s class-based like Overwatch, with each character having their own unique abilities, it’s more reliant on twitch-based skills and tactical gameplay a la Counter Strike. It’s a free-to-play game, downloadable only through Riot’s own launcher, and you can pay cash for costumes and weapon skins if you want to customize the look of your characters.
The HP Omen Spacer is a reliable gaming keyboard for grown-ups. Backlighting is limited to red and white with very few customization options, and the key caps could be more premium. But the keyboard offers comfortable typing and good battery life.
For
Comfy, magnetic wrist rest
Mature look
Long battery life
Against
No media keys
Mediocre keycaps
Limited backlight colors, customization
Brown switches only
If you can live without a numpad, a tenkeyless (TKL) keyboard design is a great balance between functionality and efficiency. You get some extra space to move your mouse around, which is particularly good news for PC gamers, and reclaim some desk space without having to sacrifice basic functions, such as arrow keys, like 60% keyboards have you do. Chop off the cord, and the design gets even more efficient and the desk space even more aplenty. It’s no wonder this keyboard is named the HP Omen Spacer.
The Omen Spacer has an MSRP of $160 but is on sale currently for a more appropriate price of $100. At $160, it’d be competing with the pricier members of our Best Gaming Keyboards and Best Wireless Keyboards lists. That’s despite the Omen Spacer lacking much in the way of premiums, even the all too common per-key RGB. But not everyone needs millions of colors and extra keys built in their mechanical keyboard. The Omen Spacer is a mature keyboard that’s purely about getting to business — whether that business is work or play.
HP Omen Spacer Specs
Switches
Cherry MX Brown
Lighting
White and black backlighting
Onboard Storage
5 macro keys with Fn
Media Keys
With FN
Interface
2.4 GHz USB Type-A dongle or USB Type-A cable
Cable
USB-C to USB-A detachable, braided
Additional Ports
None
Key Caps
Plastic
Construction
ABS plastic
Software
HP Omen Gaming Hub
Dimensions (LxWxH)
Keyboard: 14.5 x 5.5 x 1.4 inches (369.3 x 139.4 x 36.1mm)
Wrist rest: 14.5 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches (369.3 x 104.1 x 17.8mm)
Weight
Keyboard: 2.1 pounds (952.5g)
Wrist rest: 0.6 pounds (272.2g)
Extra
Wrist rest, USB extender
Design of HP Omen Spacer
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With a notable price tag, there’s a lot that has to be done for the Omen Spacer to look like it’s worth the cost. HP makes its attempt without the colorful LEDs available in a countless range of colors. Instead, the Omen Spacer’s backlighting is red and/or white only. In a world where the ability to pick the color of each individual key is commonplace among gaming keyboards, especially expensive ones, this stands out.
If you download HP’s Omen Gaming Hub software (more on that in the Features and Software section), you can choose among premade effects that are mostly white except for the WASD and arrow keys. Other effects, such as MOBA, turn off all the lights except for on certain clusters, like white for 1-6, Shift and Ctrl and red for WASD. The WASD and arrow cluster can only be red, never white. Some will rejoice at this scaled back approach to gaming peripheral lighting, and the Omen Spacer is still a looker. But for others, it’ll be hard to ignore the lack of customization options that similarly priced and cheaper gaming keyboards offer.
The Omen Spacer’s chassis is all plastic — ABS substrate to be exact. It feels solid and sturdy and carries a matte painted finish. In terms of build and look, it’s a decent replacement for something better known for durability, like aluminum. However, for this price an all-plastic keyboard is a little underwhelming.
Indeed, the plastic theme, in a more mundane way, carries over to the key caps. They’re each stamped with a modern font that’s both slender and strong and looks unique whether lit up in backlighting or not. The key caps themselves are built comfortably with comfortable grooves for your fingers, but they also attract fingerprint smudges. Also, I noted a small chip in my Esc key’s black finish after a few weeks of heavy use. It’s possible I scraped it with another piece of hardware, but this does show that it’s possible to chip the paint off the key caps if you’re not careful enough.
A handy battery indicator helps you know when you’ve turned the keyboard on or off (or if the battery’s running low). The power switch on the top edge also shows green when on, and combined with the battery indicator it helps alleviate any confusion when charging the Omen Spacer or pairing it with your PC.
Speaking of, a USB-C port lives next to the power button, allowing you to charge or use the keyboard with its braided USB-C to USB-A cable. HP also includes an extender that you can insert the helpfully Omen-stamped USB Type-A 2.4 GHz dongle into to further reduce potential connection uses.
The Omen Spacer lives up to its name and saves you desk space by skipping dedicated media controls or macro keys. Instead, you get five macro keys (labeled P1-P5) on F1-F5 that you can program and activate by holding the Fn key. Volume and media track control also lives in the FN row. This is better than nothing but not as easy to manipulate as a volume roller, for example, especially since there’s no left Fn key (as is common with TKL keyboards).
At 14.5 x 5.5 x 1.4 inches without its wrist rest, the Omen Spacer is less long and less wide than other TKL keyboards. Take the Logitech G915 TKL, another wireless TKL. It’s 15.2 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches, keeping a short height with its low profile mechanical switches. There are trimmer TKLs though, such as the wired Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro (14.2 x 5.3 x 1.3 inches).
There’s a subtle Omen logo engraved on the keyboard’s bottom edge that you’ll almost never see, especially if you use the included wrist rest. Other than that, superfluous details are at a minimum, keeping the design straightforward and efficient.
Although this wouldn’t have taken up much space, the Omen Spacer also leaves out flip-out feet. I usually keep my keyboards flat in an attempt to help keep my wrists flat, and I found the Omen Spacer’s height comfortable. However, those who like some flexibility or, perhaps, plan on using a thicker wrist rest than the one that comes in the box will be disappointed.
The wrist rest you get magnetically attaches to the bottom of the keyboard and offers a nice, soft faux leather feel and some plush. After a couple weeks of heavy use, I could see the leather starting to wrinkle a little, especially where I keep my left wrist. And it’s easy for debris to crawl into the border around the fake leather. It may start looking a little scraggy down the line, but this wrist rest is still better quality and more comfortable than many that come free with gaming keyboards.
Typing Experience on HP Omen Spacer
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Keeping with its simpler approach to the wireless gaming keyboard, the Omen Spacer is only available with one type of mechanical switch: Cherry MX Browns. These tactile switches have 4mm total travel with a 2mm actuation point, 4mm total travel and require 55g of force to actuate. It’s an excellent option for frequent typists and a good balance for gaming too. But there’s no opportunity for linear switches, which are popular for gaming, or clicky switches, which are popular for making a lot of noise.
We’re happy to see full-size switches from a trusted brand, which will help make for a familiar experience for the many mechanical keyboard fans who’ve tried out tactile brown switches. Logitech’s G915 TKL wireless keyboard uses low profile switches from Logitech, and you’ll find some of the best wireless keyboards opt for Cherry copycats, such as Outemu switches. Another TKL competitor, the Corsair K63 Wireless is only available with linear Cherry MX Red Switches, so HP’s offering is a good alternative for those who like this form factor but prefer to feel a reassuring bump as they press each key.
The Omen Spacer’s key caps don’t offer much resistance. They have comfortable grooves that fit my fingertips nicely, but there’s some mild slipperiness to them that made typing slightly more exhausting. But with the keys’ Cherry MX Brown switches and significant amount of space between them, typing was a delight. On the 10fastfingers.com typing test I hit my average speed but dropped about 2% in accuracy, possibly because I still needed to adjust to the distance between the keys.
There’s a plasticky feel to each press, from the slightly slicked top of the key caps to the more hollow plastic sound of the arrow keys and plastic rackety sound of the spacebar. Despite it being quieter than something with Cherry MX Blue switches or a lot of metallic dinging when bottoming out (that sound is rare on this keyboard), the Omen Spacer is far from silent.
Note that out-of the box, there’s no Scroll Lock button. You have to download the keyboard’s software to change that. Otherwise, Scroll Lock is replaced with a button for bringing up the keyboard’s software with a single button or toggling the backlight brightness (low, medium, brightest or off) with Fn.
Gaming Experience on HP Omen Spacer
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
After a couple of weeks using the Omen Spacer regularly, I didn’t experience any obvious connectivity issues with the 2.4 GHz dongle, and the lack of a cable didn’t obviously impact the keyboard’s responsiveness either. It’d take a very keen eye to notice any lag, and I encountered zero dropped connections. I had no need for an extender, but that’s also an option if your PC is particularly far from the keyboard.
HP says the USB-A dongle uses its bespoke Warp Wireless technology. Even when pairing it with my best gaming headset that also had a 2.4 GHz dongle and a Bluetooth wireless mouse, I had no issues. There’s nothing particularly special about the Omen Spacer’s wireless connection. It’s a reliable dongle connection just like many gaming vendors are offering today. But I can at least confirm that Warp worked well in the HP Omen Vector wireless mouse too (you’ll also find HP Warp branding in the upcoming HP Omen Frequency wireless headset).
HP opted for just one mechanical switch option here, Cherry MX Browns. Many gamers prefer linear switches because hitting keys quickly or repeatedly is easier without having to press through a bump. There’s no linear option here, but Cherry MX Browns may have their own gaming advantage. Some people enjoy them for how easy they are to double-tap, especially compared to stiffer, clicky switches, like Cherry MX Blues. They reset at 2mm, which is just slightly quicker than Cherry MX Red’s reset point (under 2.5mm). But Browns also require more force to actuate (55g versus the Red’s 45g). It’s all about preference, but if you plan on doing a lot of typing in addition to gaming, these switches can be a good fit.
In Overwatch, the amount of space between the keys made it easy for me to keep track of my fingers without having to take eyes off the screen. However, the keys are a little wobbly. That made times when I was resting fingers on a key / move, anticipating the perfect moment to strike, a bit more uncomfortable, as it was harder to keep my finger still and ready. The key caps’ slight slickness didn’t help either but probably won’t be too much an issue, unless your hands get very clammy.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Outside of its red and white backlighting patterns that cater to different game genres, the Omen Spacer uses other features to appeal to gamers. Handy for gaming (and productivity, depending how you use it) are the keyboard’s five P-keys that you can program to your liking, including macro programming moves or in-game actions or launching programs. You have to download the software to program the keys, and they’re not as seamless as having dedicated macro keys, but those would also take up more space.
The Omen Spacer is also able to read all key inputs, even if you’re pressing every key simultaneously, and it’s easy to disable the Windows key by hitting Fn and Print Screen or opening the keyboard’s software.
Battery Life of HP Omen Spacer
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The longevity of the Omen Spacer’s battery will, of course, depend on how much you blast the backlight (off, 25% brightness, 50% or 100%). You can check the battery status via the Omen Gaming Hub app, and the battery indicator on the keyboard will turn orange once battery life is low.
With all keys lit at 100% brightness, my test unit lasted 17 hours and 20 minutes before it died.
That number, not surprisingly, jumps dramatically with the lighting off, where I had my Omen Spacer on for about 59 hours and 15 minutes with heavy use, and its battery meter still said 60%. (Although, battery life could have been as low as 51%, since the meter only moves in 10% increments, and we can’t guarantee battery life drains at a consistent pace regardless of current battery remaining.)
HP claims up to 75 hours battery life with the Omen Spacer and 6 hours of playtime after 5 minutes of charging. That’s a big jump over the 15 hours peak Corsair claims with the K63 Wireless and Logitech’s 40 hours for the G915 TKL. Given the amount of time we got out of the Omen Spacer without any backlighting, we’d say that 75 hour figure is definitely reasonable if not modest.
Features and Software of HP Omen Spacer
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If you download HP Omen Gaming Hub, you’ll first be met with excessive ads. Once you find the small amount of space actually dedicated to controlling the keyboard, you can access the battery meter, as well as various settings.
The Omen Spacer has one onboard memory profile, allowing you to carry over functions programmed into the five P-keys (F1-F5) across PCs without software. You can carry RGB settings and additional profiles across systems by downloading the software, making a login and turning on cloud sync.
The Omen Gaming Hub’s Lighting section offers control over the backlight’s brightness (0%, 25%, 75% or 100%). You can also choose among different templates, but remember that the WASD and arrow keys will either be red or have no backlight. There are also animated effects — Ripple, Breathing and Left or Right Wave with the option to pick between a speed of “slow,” “medium” or “fast.”
The Key Assignments menu lets you pick what holding down Fn and F1-F5 does. That makes it easy to program moves in games, keyboard shortcuts, app launches and more, but not as easy as being able to do it with one button press instead of two.
You can make different profiles for individual games or apps, but they won’t launch automatically with the game. Omen Gaming Hub lets you assign a picture and name to each profile though.
There’s also an option to turn on Game Mode (disables the Window key) and 128-bit encryption, which is said to be unbreakable by humans (it’d take about 1.02 x 1018 years to crack it, according to security vendor Comodo). The latter, according to HP’s software, “offers more security but may add latency.” This is probably for overkill, especially if you’re using this keyboard for gaming rather than high-security work. But I always had the feature on during gaming and didn’t notice any obvious latency with it activated either.
Bottom Line
When did gaming keyboards (and the rest of gaming peripherals, for that matter) get so gaudy? The HP Omen Spacer proves that not all of them have to be. You can still get a serious looking keyboard with premium mechanical switches and features you want on the battlefield, like a trim build, macro functionality and even an above-average wrist rest freebie.
But the Omen Spacer also leaves somes choices out. It’s only available with tactile switches, no smooth, linear switches or clicky ones. Per-key RGB is also common among rivals but missing here.
Alternative TKL wireless gaming keyboards also come at a price though. The Corsair K63 Wireless has a cheaper MSRP ($110) and uses Cherry MX Red switches and dedicated media keys but has a blue-only backlight. The Logitech G915 TKL, meanwhile, is almost in a different class, from its luxurious dedicated media keys, aluminum accent, low profile design and Bluetooth. Its price tag is much higher ($180-$230), but you also get your choice of tactile, linear or clicky low profile switches.
If you don’t need Cherry switches, there are budget TKL wireless options, including the $85 Keychron K2 or its hot swappable twin. The Redragon K596 Vishnu is $73 at this writing and has media keys.
But the HP Omen Spacer will easily slide into your office or gaming den and encourages carefree playing without taking up too much space or overwhelming you with bling.
A new gaming PC is coming through a new crowd-funded campaign. At $799, the GPD Win 3 is a portable gaming PC running Windows 10 with a game pad integrated into the hardware. Under the 5.5-inch 720p screen is a keyboard that’s revealed when the screen slides up. There is also a fully integrated gamepad with two joysticks, four triggers, a directional pad, and four action buttons.
It has intake air vents on the rear, and an exhaust vent on the top. There’s also a USB-A port, power key, headphone jack, and built-in microphone. The bottom is where you’ll find the loudspeakers and a USB-C Thunderbolt 4.0 port. Finally, there are two customizable buttons on the rear side of the controller grips, which also contain rumble feedback.
The hardware’s design seems to borrow inspiration from the Sony Vaio VGN-UX series. I’m talking about a Vaio-branded handheld PC that Sony released to the market in 2006 – a year before the very first iPhone. It had every feature you could think of including a cellular modem for internet on the go. The Sony VGN series cost around $2000, ran Windows XP, and was painfully slow.
Sony Vaio VGN-UX Series (2006)
The GPD Win3 will, however, be much better equipped to handle modern PC games. The device will be powered by the latest 11th-generation Intel Core i5 (2.4 – 4.2GHz) or i7 (2.8 – 4.7 GHz) and come paired with 16GB of LPDDR4 RAM with 1TB of internal PCIe 3.0 SSD storage. It’s got an Intel Xe GPU and comes with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and support for a microSD card.
The Win 3 will be powered by a 65W Power Delivery charger. Battery life is expected to last between 2 to 3 hours when playing heavy games, or between 6 to 8 hours with moderate use, or 11 hours with light use.
GPD Win 3 and its dock
Games can be played on the 720p screen in handheld mode, or the device can be docked to support a host of I/O connections. The dock will offer support for an external display via HDMI 2.0b, 1Gbps Ethernet, USB-C X1, USB-A X3.
With the integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics processor, gamers can expect the latest triple-A games to run at 60fps – the same refresh rate that the display will cap at. Remember, this display is a 720p panel, so even more demanding games will be easier to run with an integrated graphics setup.
The concept is interesting, and the price seems reasonable, but given the product is crowd-funded on Indiegogo, it will be interesting to see how well the final product will be executed. Check out the source link for the full specifications and benchmark tests run with the Win 3.
Telegram has announced that it closing in on the 500 million active user mark. To keep a service of this scale operational, the company has announced plans of monetization through the co-founder Pavel Durov’s public channel on Telegram.
Durov laid out a two-fold plan on monetizing the service starting next year. The first part of this will be introducing premium features for business or power users. While all existing features will continue to remain free, the service will introduce some new features that are aimed at fulfilling the needs of the more demanding userbase.
Durov’s community post
The other part will be introducing ads in the public channels. These channels are like massive open group chats run by an individual or a group of people and allows anyone to join in. Over the years, the popularity of these groups has really skyrocketed, with users treating them as the modern day forums or an alternative to services like Discord.
Telegram will be showing ads in these groups using their own ad network, which will also get rid of any ads that the group owners may currently be placing manually by sending them as posts. The ads will be integrated within the app and have a better interface instead of masquerading as posts.
As for one on one and private group chats, those will remain free of ads.
In his post, Durov also assured users that Telegram will remain an independent company. The steps they are taking with monetization will help keep the company afloat and also avoid having to sell it to make money. Never one to mince his words, Durov also pointed to WhatsApp as an example of how things can go bad when platform owners prioritize profits over user privacy.
The company also released a major update on the mobile platforms that adds voice chat support to groups. Unlike voice calls, voice chats are like an open voice channel that people can go in and out of as they please and those in can continue talking or just listen to the others. You can continue to use the rest of the app while the voice chat is open in the background. On Android, a floating widget will appear on the screen when a voice chat is active and can be minimized to a chat bubble.
The feature will also be available on Telegram desktop client on Windows and macOS.
The update also brings other enhancements, such as faster loading stickers that show and outline before they finish loading, SD card storage on Android for moving their Telegram files from the internal storage to external storage, new app animations on Android, ability to announce your messages using Siri on iOS, ability to edit photos on Android after you’ve sent them, and finally, more animated emoji.
The app update is now live on mobile platforms. More details on the monetization aspect will be revealed in the future.
Who doesn’t love 4K? With a whopping 8.3 million pixels, a 3840 x 2160 resolution is quite the luxury these days. With a 4K monitor or TV, movies and games look impeccably sharp and detailed, and productivity also gets a boost. But that’s assuming your content is actually being delivered in 4K resolution.
If you own a 4K game or a 4K Blu-Ray, for example, and you’re playing it on a 4K display, you’re in the clear. But when it comes to 4K streaming, there’s more involved. Part of that is due to video codecs, of which there are two key ones today: H.265 and H.264.
Long story short, both are international standards for video compression, so that things like streaming and storage are easier. H.265 is the successor to H.264 and particularly important for video in 4K and higher resolutions. And coming next is H.266.
What is a codec?
Before we get into the individual H.264 and H.265 codecs, you’ll first want to understand what a codec is. A codec can be software or a device that encodes / decodes digital signals. For example, if you use Windows 10, you probably have Windows Media Player, which has the MP3 codec (among others) and, therefore, can play many music files. However, Windows Media Player doesn’t have the proper codec for playing Blu-ray discs, so if you pop one into your PC, it won’t play on Windows Media Player.
Video codecs specifically compress raw video data into a smaller form that’s more appropriate for streaming, storage, broadcasting et cetera. A 4K video, for example, is comprised of a series of frames, with each frame consisting of 8.3 million pixels — that’s a lot of data. A video codec, such as H.265 or H.264, makes running 4K video easier by taking away some of the footage’s detail. That process is called lossy compression, and you should note that too much lossy compression can lead to stuttering footage that doesn’t look smooth. After compression, your PC, TV or media player also uses a video codec to decompress this data for output.
H.265, also known as HEVC, is the most current video codec. It’s the successor to H.264, also known as AVC. H.264 was preceded by MPEG-4.
What is HEVC / H.265?
H.265 is the latest international standard for video compression (you can find the full specification here). It’s also known as HEVC, which stands for High Efficiency Video Coding. It dictates a standard approach to encoding and decoding video. H.265 also dictates the types of tools that the codec can use. Developed by ISO/IEC MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) and ITU-T VCEG (Video Coding Experts Group), the H.265 standard was first made available in 2013.
With H.265, you can stream in 4K, rather than relying on a physical storage source, such as a Blu-ray disc. Major streaming services including Netflix, Amazon and Hulu all use HEVC for at least some of their streams, even some that are 1080p. An H.265 video encoder compresses the source video (a series of frames), and that bitstream is then stored or transmitted. Then, a video decoder decompresses it to output a series of decoded frames.
One compression tactic H.265 uses is identifying macroblocks, which may all be the same color or same image (such as a background) for numerous frames, and storing/streaming them in blocks instead of storing / streaming the color of each individual pixel. This means the frame will ultimately be a smaller, more digestible size.
HEVC vs. AVC
Before HEVC / H.265, the standard was AVC / H.264. AVC is short for Advanced Video Coding, and the standard was first published in 2003.
HEVC compresses video in a more efficient manner than AVC but with the same level of image quality. H.264 isn’t efficient enough for 4K streaming, but with H.265 4K content is compressed to a size that allows for streaming over something like Netflix, assuming you have the recommended Internet speed. With H.265, the video data takes up less space or needs less transmission capacity than with H.264 but with the same level of quality.
One of the key ways H.265 is more efficient goes back to those macroblocks we mentioned. While H.264 can identify macroblocks up to 16 x 16 pixels in size, H.265 can work with macroblocks as large as 64 x 64 pixels.
Does my PC support HEVC / H.265?
In order for your Windows PC to play HEVC videos, you need to be running Windows 10. You also need an Intel 6th Generation Skylake or newer / AMD 6th generation Carizzo or newer CPU, OR an Nvidia GeForce GTX 950 / 950 graphics card or newer / AMD Radeon R9 Fury / Fury X / Nano or newer.
If you’re an Apple user, you need macOS High Sierra or newer.
Smartphones and other media playback devices can also playback HEVC video with the right hardware. Here are some SoCs known to support HEVC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 805/615/410/208 or newer
Apple A8 or newer
Nvidia Tegra X1 and newer
Raspberry Pi fans will be happy to hear that the Raspberry Pi 4 B has HEVC decoding built into hardware, though earlier models do not.
H.266 / VVC: Coming Soon
This week saw the announcement of the H.266 codec, also known as VVC, which stands for Versatile Video Coding.
The H.266 codec is said to bring an improved compression algorithm. The result is the same image quality of HEVC but with with a 50% smaller bit-rate. This makes the codec fitting for high-res content, like 4K and 8K, and streaming through mobile networks used for smartphones. Generally speaking, reduced bandwidth is very promising for data caps and taking up less storage.
“Through a reduction of data requirements, H.266/VVC makes video transmission in mobile networks (where data capacity is limited) more efficient. For instance, the previous standard H.265 / HEVC requires ca. 10 gigabytes of data to transmit a 90 minute [4K] video,” Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI), which announced the spec, explained.
“With this new technology, only 5 gigabytes of data are required to achieve the same quality. Because H.266 / VVC was developed with ultra-high-resolution video content in mind, the new standard is particularly beneficial when streaming 4K or 8K videos on a flat screen TV.”
Additionally, H.266 / VCC will support 360-degree videos and HDR content.
But you’ll have to wait a while before you can take advantage of VVC. According to Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute HHI, which developed the codec with the likes of Intel, Huawei, Microsoft, Qualcomm and more, the CPUs required to handle this codec aren’t available yet — — particularly those for laptops.
HHI announced the first software for encoding and decoding that supports H.266 / VVC, in September.
This article is part of the Tom’s Hardware Glossary
Further Reading:
Best 4K Gaming Monitors
Best Gaming Monitors
How to Choose the Best HDR Monitor: Make Your Upgrade Worth It
Sapphire NITRO + RX 6800 XT is the first custom with AMD RDNA 2 GPU to arrive in the editorial office. With a different heatsink than the reference one and clock frequencies higher than the factory ones, will it be able to make the difference compared to the valid reference model packaged by AMD? Let’s find out together in this review!
by Manolo De Agostini published on 23 December 2020 in the Video Cards channel Radeon Sapphire Ships AMD
A few weeks have passed since the debut of the solution AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT , a card that although it is nowhere to be found offers very high performance for 4K gaming in traditional titles without ray tr acing, equal to those guaranteed by an equally powerful proposal, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX card 3080.
In our review, in addition to performance, we have seen how AMD has finally upped the ante also with regard to the design of its reference solutions , equipping them with a totally metal heatsink characterized by three fans that ensure adequate temperatures and controlled noise.
The task of the custom models of AMD’s partners is therefore today more difficult than ever, because it emerges compared to a failed project is simple, but doing it over a good cooling system is a different kettle of fish. And this is the theme of the analysis of the card Sapphire Nitro + RX 6800 XT that reached us in the editorial office in recent days. Once removed from the box, a clear difference immediately emerges with the reference model: weight and dimensions .
Sapphire’s card is longer (310 x 134, 3 x 55, 3 mm), but at the same time weighs less (just over 1.2 kg) thanks to the plastic cover. This last point, in particular, allows you to safeguard the PCI Express slot (recently we have seen many manufacturers insert support brackets in the bundle of their proposals). In terms of footprint, the NITRO + takes up approximately three slots on the motherboard.
The card is accompanied by three fans, two side by 100 mm and a central 90 mm (which runs in the opposite direction to the others), as already seen on other products. These fans, according to Sapphire, are “ hybrid “, as they blend the characteristics of the axial and blower fans, improving both the flow and the air pressure, while at the same time containing noise. Like all cards now on the market, also in this case the fans remain stationary in the absence of load, i.e. under a certain operating temperature, not generating any type of noise.
The radiator is made up of three aluminum parts, connected to the copper base which is solely responsible for cooling the GPU. The heat produced by the graphics chip is transported into the three-part radiator via six 6mm heatpipes . Sapphire has also installed another radiator, which takes care of cooling the memory chips and power supply circuitry.
In the back of the card we find a metal backplate that hides K6.5 thermal pads, characterized by various openings and a final part with a window designed to let the hot air pass towards the top of the case, so that it can be captured and ejected outside the chassis. On the backplate we also find a logo that lights up with RGB LEDs , one of the luminous elements in addition to the classic side part .
The card, however, has other interesting details: there is a switch that allows you to switch between a Performance and a Silent BIOS . In reality, the positions that the switch can take are three, as one allows you to switch between Performance and Silent modes through the Trixx software directly from the Windows operating system. Another peculiarity is the presence of a ARGB connector towards the end of the card to synchronize the lighting with that of your motherboard. Model i is completed by two 8-pin PCIe connectors for power supply and video outputs, three DisplayPort 1.4 (one more than the reference model) and one HDMI 2.1 . The NITRO + 6800 XT therefore has no USB C port.
Radeon RX 6800 XT reference
Sapphire NITRO + RX 6800 XT
Architecture
RDNA 2
RDNA 2
Productive process
7 nanometers
7 nanometers
Number of transistors
26, 8 billion
26, 8 billion
Die size
519 mm2
519 mm2
Compute Unit
72
70
Stream processor
4608
3840
Ray Accelerator
72
70
Texture unit
288
288
ROPs
128
128
Game Clock
until 2015 MHz
BIOS Performance: 2110 MHz BIOS Silent: 2045 MHz
Boost Clock
until 2250 MHz
BIOS Performance: 2360 MHz BIOS Silent: 2285 MHz
AMD Infinity Cache
128 MB
128 MB
GDDR6 memory
16 GB a 16 Gbps
16 GB a 16 Gbps
Memory bus
256 bit
256 bit
Memory Bandwidth
until 512 GB / s
until 512 GB / s
Regarding the PCB, the Sapphire board has one more phase than the AMD reference: 13 phases are dedicated to the GPU, three more to the memory . As for the specifications , the BIOS Performance pushes the frequencies to 2110 MHz in Game Clock (+ 95 MHz on the reference specifications ) it’s at 2360 MHz in Boost Clock (+ 110 MHz on the reference ), while the rest of the technical characteristics are identical to the RX 6800 XT reference. The Silent BIOS, on the other hand, sets the two frequencies respectively to 2045 MHz and 2250 MHz.
Test configuration
Tests were conducted at resolutions of 1920 x 1080 pixel, 2560 x 1440 pixel and 3840 x 2160 pixels, looking for if mpre to use very high quality settings to shift the load as much as possible on the GPU. Below are the video cards included in this comparison:
AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (reference)
Sapphire NITRO + RX 6800 XT (custom)
AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT (reference)
AMD Radeon RX 6800 (reference)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 (Founders Edition)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 (Founders Edition)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 (Founders Edition)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (Founders Edition)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Founders Edition)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 (Founders Edition)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super (Founders Edition)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super (Founders Edition)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 (Founders Edition)
AMD Radeon VII (reference board)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (reference board)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 (reference board)
AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (Sapphire Pulse)
Below is the configuration of the system used for the tests:
Operating system: Windows 10 Pro Italian
Processor: Intel Core i9 – 10900 K
Power supply: CoolerMaster S ilent Pro Gold 1200 Watt
We performed a restricted selection of tests that we carry out at the launch of a new design, on the other hand it is not necessary to do many to verify the performance differences between one 6800 XT reference and Sapphire’s NITRO + model. The custom board tests were carried out with the BIOS Performance and we also included two tests with only the ray active tracing, mostly to show the difference between AMD and Nvidia cards in that respect (and Nvidia, remember, can count on DLSS).
Despite the higher frequencies of Sapphire’s proposal (+ 4.7% on the Game Clock – + 4.9% on the boost clock), the difference in performance with the reference version is very contained , in the order of 1-2%.
Frequencies, consumption, temperatures and noise
Let’s move on to the more interesting analysis, namely the comparison in terms of clock, consumption, temperatures and noise between the Sapphire NITRO + RX 6800 XT and the Radeon RX 6800 XT of reference. We ran six consecutive sessions of the Metro Exodus benchmark in 4K with Ultra details, in order to load the cards just enough to put tighten the cooling system.
In terms of clock frequencies, Sapphire’s card climbs steadily beyond 2300 MHz, which the reference version does not do and neither does the Silent BIOS setting . If we take the entire test session, therefore also the periods of low frequency and decline between the loading of one session and the other, the average tells us that the custom card touches 2050 MHz, against 1990 MHz of the reference one: therefore dance about sixty megahertz, and it is for this we do not see significant performance differences.
Sapphire NITRO + RX 5916 XT
Sapphire NITRO + RX 6800 XT
Sapphire NITRO + RX 6800 XT
Sapphire NITRO + R X 6800 XT
If we pass to the temperature , a very interesting topic since it is the cooling system an important element to consider when buying a custom solution, we see that Sapphire’s proposal keeps the GPU at about 70 / 71 ° C , while the reference card goes to 78 / 79 ° C (Sapphire’s Silent BIOS stops 2 ° C below peak, but the temperature is more ballerina). Nothing to worry about in all the cases analyzed, but Sapphire’s proposal comes out very well because it combines everything with a contained noise, even with the BIOS on Performance.
To conclude, the consumption : the highest power limit of the GPU on the Sapphire card leads to an average of 255 watts throughout the test session with the Performance BIOS, while the Silent one stops at just over 232 W. The GPU on the reference proposal touches about 228 W.
Overclock
Overclocking is not an exact science, and the capabilities of one sample may differ from those of another, even with the same design. The only certainty is that from the AMD control panel for now you can’t raise the memory frequency beyond 2150 MHz . As for the GPU, the chip on our board managed a minimum frequency of 2450 MHz and a maximum of 2600 MHz with the power limit at “full scale” and intervening to partially modify the profile of the fans. A nice leap that returns a further improvement in performance and demonstrates the “malleability” of the RDNA 2 architecture at high frequencies. The problem is that the GPU consumption rises to 290 W, but clearly those who overclock do not pay attention to this parameter.
Conclusions
Let’s sum up this NITRO + proposal from Sapphire. The Radeon RX solution 6800 XT has proven to be a card capable of good performance in 4K or 1440 p combined with a high refresh rate monitor, at the level of the GeForce RTX 3080 . This is true for traditional rendering, while in ray tracing AMD still has to work to reach the levels of Nvidia (which among other things can count on DLSS). Sapphire’s proposal delivers performance in line with AMD’s reference proposal – the higher clock doesn’t seem to have much impact.
Regarding the design of the card, not only we like the aesthetics (neither tacky nor anonymous) , but we also appreciated the weight much lower than the reference proposal . The dual BIOS functionality is useful for those who are a fussy about silence, even if we must say that in Performance mode we have identified problems from this point of view. The Silent BIOS tries to reduce the noise slightly, and in fact in our test it “cuts” roughly 200 RPM compared to the Performance profile , but in terms of noise the difference is not so marked.
The dissipator therefore does its job very well , maintaining the pretty cool card without making a fuss. The price is clearly a “ neo “of this proposal, at least for the moment: the card is nowhere to be found and the few that appear are sold at off-market prices. Sapphire has communicated a price list for Italy of 989 euro, an increase of 320 euro on the price communicated by AMD for the 6800 XT reference: this is a value that we understand, being the flagship Sapphire proposal, but which represents a much, too high premium. A problem that however takes a back seat in front of the persistent absence of the new Radeon RX 6000 in stores and at the prices circulating in these weeks.
Short Tests: Student Tutorial, USB Management Tool, Note Scanner Learning program: Medienwerkstatt Mühlacker learning workshop 10 USB management tool: USBDeview Note scanner: Capella-scan 9 Students in grades 1 to 6 practice with the learning workshop 10 independent math and German. The large pool of learning material also includes the first English and French vocabulary.
The freeware USBDeview from Nirsoft shows all USB devices that are or have been connected to a Windows PC. This enables monitoring of the USB ports. This is supplemented by command line commands and a speed test.
Capella-scan 9 digitizes sheet music very easily and has received a tidier user interface. Compared to the previous version, however, there are also steps backwards.
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Was announced today there ?? virtual reality arrival for Microsoft Flight Simulator: players will now be able to access it via their favorite PC VR headset
of Rosario Grasso published on 23 December 2020 , at 09: 41 in the Videogames channel Microsoft
As promised, Microsoft has made the VR mode available within Flight Simulator . To access it just download the latest free update for the flight simulator.
Microsoft has made efforts to make the update compatible on a wide range of supported devices, including many models for Windows Mixed Reality (including HP Reverb G2 ), as well as viewers Oculus, Valve and HTC . In order to access virtual reality, it will be sufficient to download the latest update of Microsoft Flight Simulator.
“The community of fans of flight simulators has been an indispensable ally in the making of this update and continues to be a key partner in our ongoing simulation development. The addition of virtual reality to Microsoft Flight Simulator was a direct result of community feedback and we are absolutely willing to continue this close relationship with the players “. For more information, you can read the dedicated blog post on Xbox Wire.
Microsoft Flight Simulator, now available on PC, will arrive in 2021 also in Xbox One and Xbox Series X formats. In the meantime, don’t miss our technical analysis of Microsoft Flight Simulator .
As we can read in the blog of Parallels , some owners of Mac computers equipped with a processor Apple Silicon M1 will be able to try to use Windows 10 on them through virtualization capabilities processor that allows creating virtual machines for operating systems designed to run on ARM platforms.
According to the announcement, which was originally created on 10 of November and recently updated to indicate the existence of the technical preview , which should allow us to test Windows ARM on our computers MacBook Pro, Macbook Air and Mac Mini with Apple M1 processor.
It should be noted that for now is unknown how you could get to install Windows 10 ARM in a Parallels virtual machine , because although we can usually make use of ISO images for the installation of operating systems in virtual machines, there is no such thing for this version of Windows, although if we take a look at the Windows Insider portal, We will see that we have the option to create a virtual machine with an Insider version of the system.
In any case, the important thing is that something that at first seemed impossible will finally reach the new Macs, and is nothing other than Windows 10, even in its ARM version and especially in the form of a virtual machine.
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Jordi Bercial
Avid technology and electronics enthusiast . I mess around with computer components almost since I learned to ride. I started working at Geeknetic after winning a contest on their forum for writing hardware articles. Drift, mechanics and photography lover. Don’t be shy and leave a comment on my articles if you have any questions.
The manufacturer, known in the world of desktop and portable solutions, has decided to introduce a new desktop computer for developers. MSI Creator P 88 X, as the computer is called, is an extremely compact device, but don’t let its dimensions fool you. There is quite a powerful set of components inside that will support creative work in projects requiring huge computing power. Depending on the selected configuration, users will be able to count even on the presence of 10 – Intel Core i9 – 10900 K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics cards 2000 and 64 GB of DDR4 RAM operating at the frequency of 2933 MHz . Today we are taking the most powerful configuration of this set for the workshop, valued at nearly 15000 PLN.
Author: Damian Marusiak
When we look at the design of MSI Creator P 100 X, we can see a lot of similarity to consoles. The novelty from the Taiwanese manufacturer is really “compact”, if you can say that about a desktop computer. The equipment is available in two color variants – matt white with gold accents and gray with silver elements. We received a white color version for testing, which looks very tasteful live. In a housing with dimensions of 131. 85 x 372. 2 x 408. 88 mm closed motherboard with Intel Z chipset 490. In the top configuration we find 10 – core and 20 – Intel Core i9 thread processor – 10900 K with 3.7 GHz base clock (up to 5.3 GHz in Intel Thermal Velocity Boost mode) and NVIDIA GeForce RTX card 2080 COOL. Processors will be supported by up to 64 GB of DDR4 RAM clocked at 2933 MHz (two U-DIMMs).
MSI Creator P 100 X is the newest computer from a Taiwanese manufacturer, prepared for content creators, e.g. . photo or video. Equipped with 10 – Intel Core i9 core processor – 10900 K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is one of the most efficient cards based on the Turing architecture, the base clock is 1560 MHz, which in GPU Boost 4.0 mode increases to 1740 MHz , the card’s TDP is 225 W. Here we find a full, not truncated Turing TU core 104 from total 3072 CUDA cores 8 GB GDDR6 type VRAM with effective clock speed 15 500 MHz, which in turn translates into bandwidth of the order 500 GB / sec. Core Turing TU 100 further equipped with 384 Tensor Cores, 48 RT cores for hardware acceleration, Ray Tracing and DLSS 2.0, 192 texturing units and 64 rendering units. Turing TU chip surface 104 equals 545 mm² next to 13, 6 billion transistors.
Dedicated graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER
Power adapter 650 In 80 Plus Gold Certified PSU
1TB SSD / Samsung SM 981 / M. 2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe
2x 2TB HDD / Seagate BarraCuda / SATA III
Operating system: Microsoft Windows 10 Professional 20 H2
MSI Prestige P 100 X has a motherboard with Intel Z chipset 490, and the installed processor in the LGA socket 1200 this 10 – core and 20 – threaded Intel Core i9 – 10900 K. Intel Core i9 – 10900 K successor to Intel Core i9 – 9900 K, which has ten physical cores and can execute twenty threads simultaneously, thanks to Hyper Threading technology support. The base frequency of Intel Core i9 – 10900 K is 3.7 GHz, although under full load of all cores the actual value orbits in around 4.9 GHz (or at least under certain specific conditions). A single thread can achieve a maximum of 5.3 GHz in Thermal Velocity Boost mode, at least as long as the temperatures allow the clocks to be raised and the unit has an energy budget. Intel Core i9 – 10900 K also has a Turbo Boost 3.0 profile that guarantees 5.2 GHz on the two best cores, while the absolute minimum is 5.1 GHz. The default TDP of the tested processor is 125 W – On MSI PC, PL1 is as high as 130 W while short-lived PL2 ( seconds) reaches 250 W. The set also has 64 GB of RAM with a clock speed of 2933 MHz, so compatible with the processor’s memory controller.
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