Gaming

Some Ashes of the Singularity benchmark comparison results for the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 have been posted online. While both the RX 6800 XT and RTX 3080 performed capably, the results for the pricey RTX 3090 once again demonstrate that this card is not aimed at the mainstream market for gaming.

Three video cards that were unveiled by Sapphire Tech last week are now up for pre-order on Multitronic's website. The Finnish retailer has the Radeon RX 6800 listed for roughly US$870, while the two RX 6800 XT variants have price tags of US$990 and US$1,020. Sadly, there is no delivery date available yet.

The PlayStation 5 is one of the world’s hottest products at the moment, which means many gamers will have been struggling to make a purchase due to the undesirable actions of scalpers and bots. However, a simple Chrome extension called OctoShop has recently been updated to help in the quest for securing a brand-new PS5 console.

Although no main storyline achievements were included in this recent leak, those that surfaced online via the GOG Galaxy app provide quite a few hints about the kind of side quests that will be included in Projekt RED's upcoming title. By the looks of it, Cyberpunk 2077 will have a total of 45 achievements.

GamersNexus recently confirmed that NVIDIA is working on a platform-agnostic alternative to AMD's Smart Access Cache technology. According to NVIDIA, their Resizable BAR solution delivers a similar performance uplift as Smart Access Cache (up to 10 percent, depending on the title).

The lack of a native 1440p mode on the PlayStation 5 has created issues for owners of 1440p displays. MSI announced an innovative "fix" on some of its monitors, allowing certain 1440p monitors to accept the PlayStation 5's 4K signal and downsample.

Shortly after the RX 6800 XT surfaced in some leaked benchmarks, the upcoming AMD Radeon RX 6800 does the same. According to a Basemark listing (that seems to have been removed in the meantime), the RX 6800 will feature no less than 16 GB of memory and will be much faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070.

The workstation from Asus scores some major points with its high level of performance, 4K screen and 16 GB of VRAM. Moreover, it also comes with 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB NVMe SSD. However, there is no Thunderbolt 3 port.

There will be a 12 GB version of the GeForce RTX 3060, Videocardz has confirmed. A 6 GB SKU will be offered too, but there will only be an 8 GB version of the RTX 3060 Ti. The RTX 3060, RTX 3050 and RTX 3050 Ti are now thought to be arriving in January 2021, too.

We can already imagine the overclocking potential of the upcoming custom RX 6900 XT cards planned for early 2021. If the RX 6800 XT can match the RTX 3090 that easily, Nvidia's rumored RTX 3080 Ti might still not be enough to secure the crown.

Available in black or black-gray, the Sharkoon SKILLER SGS40 gaming chair comes with two cover choices: synthetic leather and fabric. All models have a load capacity of 150 kilograms (330 pounds) and can be already acquired from various online and offline stores for a manufacturer's suggested price of 299 Euros (roughly US$353).

The PlayStation 5 has now joined the Xbox Series X in being officially launched, and the two current-gen consoles have united with a superfast Sabrent Rocket NVMe M.2 PCIe 4.0 1 TB SSD in a game load time comparison against a lowly PC hard drive. The real celebration here involves saying farewell to last-generation load times.

Numerous videos of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S in various states of malfunction have started appearing online, with clips of the next-gen console blowing out plumes of smoke being the most widely reported. While many of the videos are likely fake, some of them do appear to be genuine, especially when showing signal issues and disc-reading problems.

We have not even got a chance to explore the limits of the new RX 6000 GPUs based on the RDNA 2 architecture, and AMD is already planning some impressive performance gains for the upcoming RDNA 3 cards that should release in late 2021. The performance uplift should be facilitated through MCM structures and the jump to 5 nm.

NVIDIA has a plan to rival AMD's Radeon RX 6900 XT, and it will come in the form of the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. Confirmed by HKEPC and Videocardz, the RTX 3080 Ti is thought to be based on a GA102 GPU with 10,496 CUDA cores. Apparently, the RTX 3080 Ti will apparently arrive in January 2021 for US$999, while it will also have 20 GB of GDDR6X VRAM.

The new JetStream video card by Palit is based on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 and features customizable ARGB lighting, two 120 mm fans, a Triple-A Die casting Plate kit, as well as a dual-BIOS design that allows users to choose the silent or performance mode. The price will exceed US$500 but it is still unknown at this stage.

Expected by many gamers to perform as good as the RTX 2060 with less power required — and less heat generated, of course — the upcoming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 is now rumored to use the GA107-300 graphics chip with 2,304 cores and a TGP value of just 90 Watt. Sadly, it is only expected to arrive in January 2021 and NVIDIA has not confirmed it yet.

A new project utilises an ESP32-based developer board as the basis for a portable NES. The so-called Arduino NES features a small display, several buttons and a battery.

PlayStation 5 launch dates for nations in South America and Southeast Asia have started appearing on the official country-specific websites. Key markets such as Brazil and Singapore can still expect a PS5 launch on November 19, and there are a few countries that will have to wait until December, but there is a 2021 launch for Indonesia.

Don't want to wait a few more months for the Zen 3 mobile APUs? How about some custom laptops with desktop-grade Ryzen 5000 CPUs like the NS-15 AMD workstations from Origin PC? They sure are pricier, but you are essentially replacing your desktop PC. You can choose among all four new Ryzen 5000 CPUs, including the Ryzen 9 5950X flagship.

The PlayStation 5 may be a huge console, but it could have been even larger, had its design had his way. There may be some Easter eggs hidden within the next-generation console too, and not just the pattern of the DualSense controller that has already been discovered.

AOC's latest gaming monitor has been developed in partnership with Porsche Design, and it certainly looks the part. However, the Agon PD27 also packs a 27-inch panel that has a WQHD native resolution and a 240 Hz refresh rate. The Agon PD27 is VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified too and will be available from this month for US$799.99.

The decade-old Call of Duty: Black Ops has just got modded to run in 4K with ray tracing effects and the result is quite impressive. To record the video posted on YouTube, the game was running on a rig consisting of the following: Intel Core i7-9700K, 32 GB of memory, and a single NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super video card.

With a suggested price of just 30 Euros, the new Sharkoon RUSH ER30 USB gaming headset comes with a rich and attractive set of features and technical specs that includes RGB illumination, 50 mm drivers, a generous cable with gold-plated connectors that measures no less than 2,2 meters, as well as two sets of ear pads.

Recently, reports of a fire breaking out at MSI's plant in Bao'an, Shenzhen arose on social media and on news sites. Now, the OEM has officially stated that these reports were true, although the incident in question was immediately met with appropriate action. No harm to workers at the factory was reported.

The sale is expected to last for only a week. Unlike most other cheap configurations, this particular offer doesn't skimp on RAM, storage, or display quality even though it comes with the fast GeForce RTX 2070 GPU.

The official PlayStation blog has recently published its “Ultimate FAQ” aimed at future owners of the PlayStation 5. Some interesting tidbits include the absolute confirmation of an RDNA 2-based GPU, the inclusion of a base in the PS5 box, hardware-based ray-tracing capability, and the requirement for a day one system software update download.

AYA has finally begun shipping the NEO, its compact and handheld games console. The AYA NEO Founder comes with a translucent shell, an AMD Ryzen 5 4500U APU and a 47 Whr battery. AYA is only shipping the NEO Founder in China for the time being, though.

GPD is working on a new handheld games console, the Win 3. Based on a 5.5-inch display and an Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, the Win 3 features a 96 EU Iris Xe Graphics G7 GPU, 16 GB of RAM and Thunderbolt 4.

PlayStation 5 critical reviews have been rolling in and have been full of praise for Sony’s console, although one particular complaint has surfaced numerous times. But a video clip of the DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback in action has highlighted why the PS5 controller is the true star of the next-gen show.

At a whopping 200 W when gaming, the PS5 demands as much power as some of the fastest gaming laptops you can buy at the moment. The Asus Strix Scar 15 with the GeForce RTX 2070 Super, for example, consumes 201 W when gaming.

Square Enix has published its earnings report for the last 6 months (ending on September 30, 2020). It claims to have made 172.7 billion yen (~US$1.7 billion), or 46% more in sales year-on-year (YoY), for this period. This was attributed to strong performance in areas of its business such as its games (mobile titles including) and merchandising arms.

The upcoming action game Spider-Man: Miles Morales offers future PlayStation 5 owners the choice to play at either 30 fps and enjoy the ray-tracing effects throughout the title or at 60 fps with reduced graphics output. Various PS5 gameplay comparison videos have been helping gamers resolve this fps-related quandary.

When booting up some games that were a pain to load on the existing consoles, the next-gen Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 make the painfully long load times only a memory. However, next-gen patches for the titles used in this comparison should make the whole process even faster for both gamers on both consoles.

New temperature and noise tests for the PlayStation 5 have surfaced, and as expected, the console warrants its next-generation title when compared to the previous-generation PS4 Pro. Initial results for the PS5 point to good thermal development and more than acceptable noise emissions.

A new title to join the Mass Effect universe is now in the making, and BioWare has also just confirmed that Mass Effect Legendary Edition is on its way for a Spring 2021 launch. The game promised to include all content from the first three games in the series, but everything is remastered and optimized for 4k Ultra HD.

An image showing the customized straps for a OnePlus Watch Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition wearable has leaked online, leading to speculation that the smartwatch could see the light of day soon. The OnePlus Watch was expected to appear at a launch event in October but was later reported to be indefinitely delayed.

A Chiphell forum user showcased the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X running on an older, entry-level A320 motherboard from ASRock. This indicates that some motherboard manufacturers may plan on supporting the Ryzen 5000 series on entry-level AM4+ boards, despite AMD's claims to the contrary.

It's worth spending a bit more on the G512LW not just for its 2x faster graphics performance, but also for its significantly better display. The ghosting and poor colors on the G512LI display are disappointing for a dedicated gaming laptop.

Eluktronics will be one of the first to offer Advanced Optimus on its MECH-15 G3 and MAX-15 Ultra laptops this month for a starting price of $2100 USD. The reseller promised in September that it would begin shipping the systems before the end of the year.

Sony may boast that 'Play Has No Limits', but there will be a limit to the PlayStation 5 if you try to game at 1440p later this month. According to IGN Italia, Sony has confirmed that its next-generation console will not support the resolution that is popular with PC gamers, for some reason.

LG's CX and C9 OLED TVs may look exquisite, but they have a serious issue with displaying content with variable refresh rate (VRR) enabled. From washed-out dark areas to image flickering and instability, VRR is currently a no-go on some of LG's expensive OLED TV series. A firmware update may not be able to resolve the issues, either.

An alleged image of a PlayStation 5 overheating warning message has appeared on social media, leading to speculation of whether the console runs too hot or not or whether this particular PS5’s enclosed environment was the main cause for the thermal-driven shutdown on show.

A Sony spokesperson has confirmed that PlayStation 5 users will not be able to install their own NVMe SSDs on the console at launch. Users may have to wait for a few months for Sony to enable the feature via a software update. However, the console will support external USB hard disks, allowing users to play last-generation titles with ease.

Fully compatible with the brand-new AMD Ryzen 5000 desktop processors, G.SKILL's Trident Z Neo DDR4 memory kits feature low-latency CL14 timings, up to 4000 MHz frequencies, and come in capacities that go all the way up to 64 GB. Sales will kick off before the end of the month.