Gaming

Several Alienware m15 R5 laptops are apparently reporting just 4,608 CUDA cores for the RTX 3070 Laptop GPU instead of 5,120. Apart from the CUDA cores, even the clocks, TMUs, and pixel fillrates are being reported to be lower than normal leading to performance loss. Currently, a possible workaround is to flash the VBIOS from an m15 R4 that seems to restore the correct values and performance.

Though this price range is typical for a GeForce RTX 3060 laptop, the CPU and display offered here are definitely faster and better than pretty much any other 15.6-inch gaming laptop retailing for around $1000 USD.

A price tag and potential pre-order information have been leaked in regard to the new Nintendo Switch hardware. The console, which is still tentatively known as the Nintendo Switch Pro, has a true next-gen console price tag to go along with its rumored high-end specs. According to one leak, fans may need to start emptying bank accounts within days.

Looks like Nvidia is playing the prudent game and is not touching any smartphone chips before completing the ARM acquisition. Its current solution for Android and iOS devices is the GeForce Now cloud gaming service, allowing AMD and Samsung to be first to market with the upcoming Exynos SoC that integrates an RDNA2 GPU later this year.

A new model number for the Sony PlayStation 5 console has been spotted in documents filed with a Peruvian government communications agency. However, it seems more likely the number will be used for a hardware revision rather than a completely new console such as a PS5 Pro or PS5 Slim model.

This move might not surprise too many, but it does show that Nvidia can still be caught off guard by AMD, even when Team Red announced the arrival of the mobile RDNA 2 dGPUs half a year ago. On top of this, AMD might not even come up with a decent supply of RX 6000M dGPUs due to the ongoing chip shortages.

The powerful hardware of the Schenker XMG Core 17 brings all the current computer games smoothly to the responsive display (WQHD, IPS, 165 Hz, 17.3 inch). The preinstalled Control Center allows you to adjust the performance development of the CPU and GPU.

Labeled 2.7 "Red Skies" and released earlier today, the latest update to War Thunder introduces rank VII jets, alongside two new locations, 11 new ground vehicles (including modern Chinese SPAA), 5 helicopters, 6 new ships, as well as a comprehensive list of minor tweaks and fixes.

Intel's graphics chief Raja Koduri showed off the Xe-HPG DG2 512 EU GPU on Twitter indicating that now it's software engineering's turn to optimize performance in benchmarks and games. Raja also clarified to a query that Intel is indeed looking into considering AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) technique in the interest of ISVs.

The Huawei MateView and MateView GT are now official in Germany. The former is a creator-specific 4K monitor, while the latter is a curved, 165Hz WQHD SKU earmarked for gamers. Prices start at EUR 549 for the MateView GT and EUR 699 for the MateView.

NVIDIA is bringing its DLSS image upscaling technology to Linux users via Proton. This will enable supported games on Linux to leverage the Tensor cores on RTX GPUs for AI-based supersampling. NVIDIA said that DLSS will be enabled for Vulkan games this month followed by DirectX titles in the fall.

AMD surprised everyone during its Computex 2021 keynote today by demonstrating the first 3D stacked vertical cache called 3D V-cache. AMD showed a 192 MB 3D V-cache (64 MB per CCD) implemented successfully on the Ryzen 9 5900X. The 3D V-cache brings several improvements over conventional 2D and microbump 3D packaging and was demonstrated to yield up to 15% performance gains in today's games with the current 7 nm Zen 3 architecture.

This new NUC goes into beast mode with an 8-liter enclosure that can fit full-size GPUs plus a PSU. It also supports 45 W Intel Tiger Lake-H CPUs including the HK overclockable models, but apparently only supports air coolers, so it might get some TGP restrictions. Nevertheless, it also comes with a NUC 11 Extreme Compute Unit that includes features such as PCIe 4.0, Optane Memory, 2x Thunderbolt 4.0 connectors and even a 10 Gb NIC.

The latest video cards to join ZOTAC's GAMING line-up are based on the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti and 3070 Ti GPUs and feature RGB lighting, advanced cooling, active fan control, as well as RGB LED backplates and metal front plates. Those interested will be able to buy the new cards starting later this week.

"Ultrathin gaming" probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think "Alienware". Dell is looking to change all that this year by launching the thinnest gaming laptop the company has ever made.

The ultrathin 17.3-inch Alienware x17 integrates vapor chamber cooling, Dell's in-house liquid metal formula, and four individual fans for a starting price of $2099 USD when it launches on June 15. The system ushers in a new era of Alienware where thin and light may soon take priority over the traditionally thick and bulky Alienware designs.

NVIDIA kicked off its Computex 2021 keynote with a slew of gaming announcements and has officially launched the RTX 3070 Ti and RTX 3080 Ti GPUs for US$599 and US$1,199 MSRP, respectively. The company also showed off a Doom Eternal demo running on the RTX 3080 Ti at 4K with RTX on and confirmed that RTX features are coming to several current and upcoming games in the coming weeks.

AMD offered some details on its much anticipated FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) upscaling technique, which is pegged as a competitor to NVIDIA's popular DLSS technology. AMD FSR will be a part of GPUOpen and will offer four quality presets that work with almost all modern GPUs on the market. AMD demoed the technology with Godfall running on the Radeon RX 6800 XT and also on the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060.

AMD has unveiled the RDNA 2-based RX 6000M mobile GPUs for gaming laptops to take on the competition from NVIDIA Ampere Laptop GPUs. The RX 6000M lineup includes the RX 6800M, RX 6700M, and the RX 6600M designed to target 100 fps+ gaming at 1080p and 1440p. AMD is also introducing the AMD Advantage Design Framework, which is a collaborative effort with OEMs to introduce performance standardization in AMD gaming laptops.

AMD just announced its newest and most powerful mobile GPUs ever — too bad only two laptops are actually going to use them when they launch later this month. We can only hope that manufacturer support for mobile Radeon graphics will grow quickly over time to better compete against the ocean of GeForce-powered gaming laptops.

Asus has modified its high-end ROG Strix G17 gaming laptop with an AMD graphics card. The Asus ROG Strix G17 Advantage Edition features a Ryzen 9 5900HX processor, a Radeon RX 6800M GPU, 32GB of DDR4-3,200 RAM and a high-refresh-rate screen.

ASUS has revealed the ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition, a 15.6-inch laptop that combines two of AMD's most powerful laptop components. The G15 Advantage Edition will be available with up to a Ryzen 9 5900HX and a Radeon RX 6800M, with the latter capable of operating at up to 2,300 MHz.

More references to a new Nintendo Switch and Switch Pro have been spotted online. This time, the rumoured console has made its way to a major retailer, albeit briefly.

When a manufacturer already uses one of the most powerful graphics cards in its laptops, a new CPU also needs to ensure a higher performance.

The affordable gaming headphones retail for just under $70 USD with 50 mm drivers, a steel headband and lots of adjustment options. Its stiff microphone arm and volume adjuster, however, could use some more work.

A Czech webstore now offers what is claimed as the recently-launched Asus ROG Zephyrus M16; then again, the new listing contains specs that are considerable downgrades on what the OEM announced while debuting this machine. For example, this apparent M16 leak involves the Core i7-11800H processor, as opposed to the i9-11900H on official product pages.

Youtuber The Resident Gamer got hold of Necromunda: Hired Gun days before the game's June 1st launch. An extended gameplay video indicates that Hired Gun will feature fast-paced gunplay that brings Doom: Eternal to mind.

According to a new report, Nintendo has finalised the specifications for the so-called Switch Pro and its revised dock. While the console is believed to be launching in some regions before October, it could take a while longer to reach European shores.

Acer has launched an upgraded version the Predator X38 that was originally announced during CES 2020. The new Predator X38 S is now VESA DisplayHDR 600-certified and comes with a built-in NVIDIA Reflex Latency Analyzer. The rest of the features including the 2300R UWQHD+ panel are similar to the previous version.

NVIDIA is expected to announce the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti on May 31, its latest GA102-based graphics card. A leak has not only confirmed that NVIDIA plans to sell a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Founders Edition, but it has also provided a hands-on look at its design.

Chinese testers note that the new GA106-302 chips featuring the LHR limiter included with the new RTX 3060 cards provides the same gaming performance as the original versions, but effectively halves the Ethereum mining performance in half. The same is apparently true for the upcoming RTX 3080 Ti cards.

We now know the final specs for the reference RTX 3080 Ti cards, including the base and boost clocks, VRAM specs and TGP. Performance should be very close to an RTX 3090, but the first Ashes of the Singularity tests do not seem to support this.

ROCCAT has introduced its new Syn Pro Air as its latest high-end gaming headset. It combines a range of potential advantages of its maker's association with Turtle Beach in its build, including a TruSpeak flip-up mic, the Superhuman Hearing sound setting and ProSpecs ear-cushions. The Syn Pro Air also supports Stellar Wireless connectivity and the AIMO RGB system.

Due to restrictions in California for in-person gatherings, BlizzCon 2021 has officially been cancelled. However, the team behind BlizzCon promises a make-up event will take place in early 2022.

NVIDIA's cloud-gaming service GeForce NOW has announced support for no less than 22 new games, including Biomutant, Maneater and Imagine Earth, which have also just launched on Steam. The platform is also starting to add DLC without the downloads, supporting major expansions for 3 titles thus far.

Nubia's premium Android gaming brand has launched a new variant for its 2021 smartphone series. This 6R has frankly near-mid-tier looks, yet still manages to pack the Snapdragon 888 processor and up to 12GB of RAM. It starts at ~US$425, although its top-end Buddha IP Limited Edition is closer to $630.

In a celebratory livestream for Dragon Quest's 35th anniversary, Square Enix announced four new Dragon Quest games, including Dragon Quest 12, the first mainline game in four years. Other titles include an HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest 3, a Dragon Quest 11 spinoff, and a Dragon Quest-themed puzzle game for smartphones.

Unreal Engine 5 is available as a demo starting today, and users are gravitating toward its Temporal Super Resolution feature. TSR is similar to Nvidia's DLSS in that, while advertised as an anti-aliasing technique, it vastly improves high-resolution frame rates by upscaling lower resolutions. The technology is impressive at first glance.

NVIDIA is seemingly only a few days away from announcing the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, but marketing renders of two Gigabyte cards have already leaked. The renders confirm that the GA104-based card has GDDR6X VRAM, an improvement on the RTX 3070. The RTX 3070 Ti may nearly match the RTX 3080's power consumption, too.

Acer has refreshed its Predator Orion 300 (P03-630) gaming desktop with current-generation hardware, including an Intel Core i7-11700 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card. Gamers can buy the entry-level SKU in June 2021 for EUR 1,099 (US$1,337).

Acer has updated the hardware on its Nitro 50 desktop. One can now pick between 11th-generation Intel Rocket Lake and the AMD Ryzen 5000 series of processors. GPU options max out at the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Its entry-level model costs EUR 999 (US$1,216).

Acer's new high-end gaming monitor is finally here. The Predator CG437K has a 42-inch 4K panel that refreshes at 120Hz, Nvidia G-Sync support, VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification and more. It will hit shelves in November 2021 for EUR 1,599 (US$1,947).

Acer has announced the Predator Triton 500 SE powered by the latest Intel Tiger Lake-H45 processors and up to an NVIDIA RTX 3080 Laptop GPU. The Triton 500 SE also offers two high-refresh rate display options and Killer networking for low-latency online gaming.

NVIDIA has confirmed when it will launch new GeForce RTX cards, expected to be the RTX 3070 Ti and RTX 3080 Ti. However, ASUS has filed trademarks for multiple RTX 3070 Ti and RTX 3080 Ti SKUs with the EEC, while Gigabyte has already started marketing the RTX 3080 Ti on Twitter.

A new report concerning the successor to the Nintendo Switch has offered up some details in regard to potential release schedule and pricing. The upgraded console, which has been called the Switch Pro and Super Switch in the press, might be coming sooner than expected but unlikely at the same US$299 introductory price of the current model.

The Acer Nitro 5 AN515-55 is a mid-range gaming laptop with a great price-to-performance ratio. However, to achieve a great level of performance at a low price, Acer had to cut some costs.