Gaming

While some are not happy to hear that the successor of the XPS 15 9570 is not being developed yet, many users are still waiting for Dell to make things right for them. The issues that need to be fixed are the DPC latency, coil whine, and the dGPU throttle.

The MXM form factor preceding DGFF never took off even though it was marketed for its versatility and ability to support future GPUs. If Dell isn't careful, they may repeat the same mistakes and run into a wall with DGFF once Nvidia launches a Turing successor.

The AMD keynote for this year mainly revolved around the announcement of the Radeon VII GPUs. However, the company's CEO also revealed that the third generation of Ryzen desktop processors would become available soon. There was not much additional detail given on this new CPU line, besides that it is definitely of a 7-nanometer architecture.

As a direct competitor to Nvidia's RTX 2080 GPU, the Radeon VII will target gamers as well as content creators. AMD is citing more than 30% average performance gains for content creators and more than 25% improved performance in games over the Vega 64 GPUs. Also, it looks like the Radeon VII can beat the RTX 2080 in certain scenarios, but costs US$50 less.

These two classic Alienware laptops have reached End-of-Life (EOL) status in order to make room for the thinner, lighter, and sleeker Alienware m15 and m17 successors. The Alienware 17 in particular is being succeeded by both the Alienware m17 and the much more versatile Alienware Area-51m desktop replacement.

Dell is pulling a Clevo by offering a laptop with desktop CPU options and an upgradeable GPU. Instead of adopting the MXM GPU form factor like MSI and Clevo, however, Dell has created its own proprietary DGFF GPU form factor that promises better support and easier serviceability.

Dell has announced at CES that it is upgrading the G5 15 5590, G7 15 7590, and G7 17 7790 with the new Nvidia RTX mobile GPUs, including the top-of-the-line RTX 2080. An OLED screen option is also being added, similar to the offering in earlier models of the Alienware 13.

MediaTek has unveiled its new silicon for connectivity at CES 2019. This chipset is compatible with next-generation WiFi (Wi-Fi 6, or 802.11ax) and also delivers Bluetooth access points. It supports 2x2, 4x4 and multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO). It is also flexible enough to adapt to any changes in the new WiFi standard before it becomes official later this year.

Sony has even more than CES launches to crow about these days. The company has released its latest sales figures, which encompass the years 2013 to 2018 in general and the 2018 holiday season in particular. They show that nearly 92 million PlayStation 4 (PS4) units were sold during its lifespan, as well as just under 880 million games for the platform.

ZOTAC has announced two new GPUs based on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 at CES 2019. The RTX 2060 Twin Fan and RTX 2060 AMP feature the company's IceStorm 2.0 cooling mechanism and FireStorm fine tuning utility. The latest ZOTAC Magnus E series Mini PC now comes with the mobile GeForce RTX 2070 GPU and an 8th generation Intel Core i5 CPU in a compact footprint.

NVIDIA is expanding its G-Sync technology to more monitors, the company has announced at CES in Las Vegas. NVIDIA has already certified 12 AMD FreeSync monitors as being "G-Sync Compatible" and will roll out the functionality for GeForce GTX 10 series and RTX 20 series GPUs in its 2019 Game Ready driver on January 15. The company has also rebranded G-Sync HDR, which it only announced at last year's CES, as G-Sync Ultimate.

Initially believed to be stripped of the whistles and bells brought by the RTX features on the high-end desktop GPUs, the RTX 2060 is now confirmed to be a powered-down version of the RTX 2080 SKU. Nvidia claims it is 40-60% faster than the GTX 1060 and it even occasionally beats the GTX 1070 Ti. It should be able to provide 60 fps with RTX features enabled on low details in Battlefield V.

Lenovo aims to become more competitive in the mobile gaming market with the Legion Y740, the company's latest flagship gaming laptop. The Y740 comes in two sizes, a 15-inch and a 17-inch model. Both variants sport Intel's 8th generation H-series CPUs, up to 32 GB of DDR4 RAM, and up to a 512 GB PCIe SSD / 512 GB SATA SSD or 2 TB HDD combo. The 15-inch model will come with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, while the 17-inch model gets the powerful GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q. The Legion Y740 is expected to be available next month for $1750 (15-inch) or $1980 (17-inch).

Lenovo's latest gaming monitors are beasts that boast high refresh rates. The Legion Y44w is a massive 43.6-inch Ultrawide (3840x1200, 32:10) FreeSync monitor with a 144 Hz refresh rate. The Legion Y27gq is a 27-inch QHD (2560x1440, 16:9) G-Sync display with a blazing fast 240 Hz refresh rate.

Samsung has announced details of its latest gaming device, the Samsung Notebook Odyssey. The South Korean manufacturer introduced its Odyssey line-up in early 2017 and now the company has put together a new laptop to try to entice gamers away from the usual suspects. An 8th generation hexa-core i7 processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 come as part of the package.

The flagship series from MSI is getting updated specs that include the newly announced RTX 2000 mobility GPUs from Nvidia, a large array of NVMe / SATA SSDs / SATA HDD storage options, plus features like synchronized RGB lights and haptic feedback placed underneath the palm rest area in order to enrich the gaming immersion.

Apart from updating the specs of the Stealth slim gaming laptops with the latest RTX 2000 Max-Q GPUs that do not require active cooling, MSI also updated the design with stylish gold trim and accents plus a sandblast metallic black finish. The displays feature thin bezels, and there is a larger glass touchpad for increased precision.

For gamers who prefer unique chassis esthetics to go along with the unparalleled performance, MSI has updated the Raider series with new GE75/63 models. The covers now feature special lighting elements like the L-shaped RGB cutouts on the GE63 model, or the 3D Dragon Spines with anodized red diamond-cut finish on the GE75 laptops.

When it comes to gaming laptops, the budget sector is what really drives profits for most OEMs. MSI's updated budget series is represented by the GL73/63 models that now integrate RTX 2060 GPUs and up to gen 8 Core i7 CPUs from Intel. The keyboards only get a red backlight, while the displays are limited to 120 Hz FHD TN panels.

In addition to the upgraded Blade 15 Advanced, Razer is also showing two interesting prototypes at CES. The first one sports a 240 Hz full HD display, while the other one comes with a 4K OLED touchscreen. Sadly, these might not make it to the masses anytime soon, since both are only being evaluated at this stage.

The Razer Raptor 27 is the gaming company's entry into the gaming laptop market. The 27-inch 1440p monitor boasts a quick 144 Hz refresh rate, response times as low as 1 ms, and a bright (420 nit) HDR400 certified IPS panel. The monitor will ship with flat acid green cables tailor-made for the display's cable management system.

Acer today announced the new Predator Triton 900 2-in-1 gaming notebook. The Predator Triton 900 is the world's first gaming convertible and features high-end specs that include a 17.3-inch 4K G-Sync display, a Core i7-8750H CPU, and the just announced laptop version of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080. Acer has equipped the Predator Triton 900 with a 4th generation AeroBlade 3D cooling system to keep temperatures under control.

The Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model has been upgraded with new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2000-series graphics cards for every budget, starting with the RTX 2060 with 6 GB GDDR6 and going all the way up to the RTX 2080 with 8 GB GDDR6. The top two configurations feature a Max-Q design and all will be available starting at the end of the month.

Acer expands its Predator Triton lineup with the Predator Triton 500. The new model is an especially powerful laptop with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q that is still very mobile.

Asus has announced the TUF Gaming FX505DY and FX705DY laptops featuring AMD’s Ryzen 5 3550H APU and Radeon RX 560X GPU. If that isn’t enough to tempt prospective buyers, the Taiwanese manufacturer has also incorporated IPS-level FHD NanoEdge displays into the two laptops that utilize AMD’s FreeSync dynamic refresh rate technology for enhancing gaming sessions.

AMD has confirmed that it will be directly providing driver updates for its Ryzen Mobile APUs via Radeon Software updates. This is a welcome move from AMD as it had previously put the onus of providing APU driver updates on laptop OEMs. Hopefully, this will bring APU users on par with desktop GPU owners in getting access to timely day-zero game support, feature updates. and bug fixes.

The new Alienware m17 is essentially the 17-inch version of the existing Alienware m15. Dell will launch the laptop later this month with next generation Nvidia Turing Max-Q graphics.

Debuting alongside the Nvidia Turing series for laptops, the upcoming Zephyrus GX701 will carry GTX 2080 Max-Q graphics and a 17.3-inch 144 Hz display with 3 ms response times for an ultra-smooth 1080p gaming experience. Its super-thin design is inspired by the existing 15.6-inch Zephyrus GX531.

All the negative feedback about the cameras on certain laptops has nudged Asus to simply throw in a USB camera in the box for its upcoming Zephyrus GX701 gaming laptop. Should the narrow bezel trend continue, we can see this becoming the norm in the short term.

Clevo is showcasing a wide variety of gaming laptop models powered by Nvidia's freshly announced RTX 2000-series mobility GPUs. There are models that come with Intel's gen 9 and gen 8 desktop-grade CPUs and all the new mobility GPUs from Nvidia are featured, including the Max-Q variants that are integrated in world's first 16.1-inch slim gaming models.

Can the GeForce RTX 2080 fit in a chassis the size of a Dell XPS 15? Apparently so. Gigabyte has updated its most popular 15-inch laptop ever with CPU and GPU options normally reserved for thicker and larger gaming laptops. Day-to-day performance will also be boosted by Microsoft Azure AI.

Gigabyte calls it the "world's first AI gaming laptop with Microsoft Azure AI" that can collect usage data, pass it through the Azure cloud platform for analyzing, and then automatically tweak the laptop to optimize performance and battery life. The chassis itself promises dual fans, six heat pipes, and plenty of ventilation for its new GeForce RTX GPU.

With mobile Nvidia Turing now officially out of the bag, OEMs everywhere can finally unveil what they have in store to take advantage of the new generation of GPUs. Dell will be one of the first to offer a Turing-based gaming laptop with an updated Alienware m15 configuration.

NVIDIA has finally announced its lineup of RTX GPUs for laptops at CES 2019. Coming under the N18 family, these GPUs will be available in both standard and MaxQ variants. The RTX 2080 and RTX 2070 will be coming in a total of three variants each — one standard and two MaxQ variants. NVIDIA said that over 40 notebooks from various OEMs will powered by the new mobile GeForce RTX GPUs and are slated be available starting this January.

Popular hardware review channel Hardware Unboxed is "fairly confident" that AMD's upcoming Ryzen 3000 series for the desktop will not be using AMD's chiplet design. Instead, AMD has allegedly opted for another traditional monolithic design, similar to last generation's Ryzen 2000 and 1000 series.

The refreshed model will boast post-Pascal Max-Q graphics from Nvidia as well, but it will otherwise have the same chassis design as last year's Omen 15. The significantly faster refresh rate should reduce screen tearing and benefit greatly from the new Nvidia GPU options.

Resident Evil fans will no doubt be chomping at the bit to get their hands on the upcoming Resident Evil 2 remaster that’s being released by Capcom on January 25. The developers have taken the classic 1998 survival horror hit and completely updated the visuals for a 21st century audience. In addition, the popular character Ada Wong has received a new look.

It is no mystery that 27 year old Tyler “Ninja” Blevins is renowned as one of the most popular streamers of all time but have you ever wondered how much this media sensation earned in 2018? Not only did Tyler reveal this information in a recent interview with CNN, he also claimed that 2018 was his best year so far in terms of earnings.

Mad Dog studios has caused a stir in the console gaming world with the announcement of what it claims will be the most powerful console ever made. Now, the CEO Ian Bell has tweeted some photos of what it will look like when it ships in the next two to three years.

Twitter user APISAK, a prolific leaker and data miner, has leaked an alleged codename for a Ryzen 3000 series engineering sample. According to speculation, this CPU will have 12 cores and a TDP of 105 watts, meaning the previously rumored 12 core 3700X could be real.

Gamers always like to get the most immersive experiences out of their laptops, but, for the moment, this requires additional monitors that do not come with the laptop itself. Dell wants to change this with the latest multiple display laptop design that relies on a magnetic hinge system. The patent shows a dual-display setup, but it looks like triple-display laptops are also a possibility.

Right now, the only way to benefit from OLED displays as a gamer is to buy a TV that has at least a 55-inch diagonal. This could prove to be quite the investment, and gamers have been looking forward to OLED monitors in the 20/30-inch range for several years now. 2019 might just be the year for such monitors, as Sony and Panasonic recently showcased 21.6-inch FHD and 4K OLEDs plus a 27-inch display for smart home applications.

Catch the event as it happens on January 6 at 8 PM Pacific Time. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will take the stage to kick start CES 2019 and possibly reveal a few surprises along the way.

This does not happen too often, but December 2018 brought an all-Chinese roster for the best performing Android handhelds. ZTE's Nubia Red Magic Mars and Nubia X managed to place first and 10th, respectively. Huawei showed a solid presence with five models and proved it really is the second largest phone-maker after Samsung. Xiaomi and OnePlus got pushed to the lower half this time.

Despite the steep losses in the GPU sector suffered by both AMD and Nvidia, the red team managed to see stock appreciation thanks to the CPU division. Nvidia was not that fortunate and took a hard dive in Q3 and Q4, but things should get better once the RTX 2000 GPUs see more adoption in 2019. Last, but not least, Intel virtually flat-lined throughout the entire 2018 because of the 14 nm CPU shortages.

Bethesda has announced that it will push another new updated to Fallout 76 in order to fix the numerous issues players have highlighted in the past. This new patch also apparently includes new features for the game itself, which include the ability to set up a player-run store. Fallout 76 will also gain new PvP functions and vaults.

E-Katalog, a Russian retailer, has put the entire line of Ryzen 3000 desktop CPUs (the 'Matisse' series) on its website. These listings may indeed just be placeholders; on the other hand, they contain detailed information on processors such as the Ryzen 9 3800X. It suggests that the new generation has seriously outpaced its predecessor, especially at the higher end.