Gaming

Do your best to show off how Lucky the dragon can look when fused with the Venom Symbiote and you could win a new MSI Trident 3 mini PC or 27-inch curved gaming monitor. The contest celebrates the release of the movie Venom starring Tom Hardy in the titular role.

AMD has a very favorable position on the CPU market, especially now that Intel is going through rougher times caused by shortages. The red team should be able to increase the market share with the release of its 7 nm Ryzen 3000, Threadripper 3000 and EPYC "Rome" CPUs, plus the Instinct GPUs in early 2019.

The Razer Phone appealed to a large enough crowd that Razer has confirmed it will be releasing a successor to the gaming device. Renders of the Razer Phone 2 surfaced a short while ago, showing a device that looks identical to its predecessor bar a few changes.

Microsoft has begun seeding the Windows 10 October 2018 Update in a staggered manner and one of the important aspects of this update is that it comes with the latest version of DirectX 12 that supports DirectX Raytracing (DXR) thereby, enabling the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX cards to perform their best in raytracing-enabled games. What this also means is that cards from other companies such as AMD will also be able to take advantage of this new API.

Dell has taken a page from its lauded XPS 15 series to create one of the strongest 15.6-inch narrow-bezel gaming laptops we've seen so far. The brand new design is 38 percent lighter, 17 percent thinner, and 30 percent smaller than the Alienware 15 R4. The system is even 20 percent lighter and 14 percent thinner than the current Alienware 13.

At the recently concluded XDC 2018 conference, Intel's Linux graphics kernel developer, Manasi Navare touched upon the support for DisplayPort 1.4a and Display Stream Compression capabilities of the upcoming generation of Intel integrated graphics. The Gen 11 iGPU is slated to be a part of the 10nm 'Ice Lake' CPU family expected to launch sometime in holiday 2019.

Sources claim that a few Ryzen 3000-series CPU samples have arrived at Radeon Technologies Group in order to tune the GPU drivers for the new interconnects. Tests have revealed that the upcoming CPUs are faster than the i7-8700K from Intel, but are very unstable and crash very often at the moment.

Google has partnered up with the French gaming behemoth Ubisoft to show off the American company’s new Project Stream service. The California-based technology giant is hoping its rather prosaically named offering can take media streaming to a whole new level by allowing gamers to enjoy live interaction with graphically challenging titles, such as the upcoming RPG Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.

In desktops and laptops alike, RAM is usually the easiest component to upgrade. However, tablets and smartphones all come with the memory chips soldered to the motherboards. In both cases you have to weigh all the options before making your purchase decision. How much memory do you need in a laptop? Is memory capacity more important than storage capacity? We will answer your questions in our in-depth article.

Manufacturer of SSDs and RAM kits ZADAK has unveiled its new 32 GB DDR4 RAM module with a height far greater than that of typical RAM sticks. Mainstream PCs with 4 DIMM slots could support 128 GBs of RAM using these modules.

Xiaomi is set to release a direct successor to its Black Shark gaming phone soon, and the device surfaced on TENAA a short while ago carrying three rear cameras and otherwise similar hardware to the original Black Shark.

While the 14nm CPU shortage did not initially affect US retailers, it has become clear that it finally has. Intel's flagship 8700k CPU has gone from $350 to $399 in under a month, which is nearly a 15% increase in price.

A leaked benchmark of Ashes of the Singularity supposedly shows metrics for the upcoming Intel Core i9-9900K. Compared to the current Intel Core i7-8700K, the 9900K offers marginal improvement. In heavy CPU workloads, the 9900K is noticeably better, but if the leak is legitimate, the CPU may not warrant an upgrade. We will of course release our own benchmarks when the CPU is released next year.

TechSpot, a website known for its reviews on hardware such as CPUs and GPUs, investigated Nvidia's new RTX technology known as DLSS, an advanced form of super sampling that is similar to anti aliasing. The website found that DLSS can improve the image quality of a 1440p image to look like an 1800p image.

AMD is planning to launch a 7 nm gaming GPU codenamed Arcturus some time in 2020, but before that, the red team needs to come up with a viable alternative to Nvidia's new Turing GPUs first. Rumor has it the Navi GPUs scheduled for next year are still on the GTX 1000-series level, but, since the RTX 2000-series is overpriced for now, AMD might have enough time to fine-tune the Navi cards and even push for more aggressive prices.

NVIDIA's share price could reach as much as US$400 thanks to new estimations by Evercore ICI. This company is pinning a lot of earning potential on the graphics giant due to its position in the emerging AI market. However, other analysts are not quite that optimistic.

The new free content update for Sea of Thieves, dubbed "Forsaken Shores," comes with a new volcanic region. Suggestively called "The Devil’s Roar," the new area allows players to encounter volcano eruptions, terrifying earthquakes, unpredictable geysers that can fling them into the air, as well as dangerous super-heated water that surrounds the islands.

The popular Nintendo DS puzzle game Professor Layton and the Curious Village is now available for Android. The port features an HD graphical overhaul and new animated cutscenes while maintaining the addictive puzzle gameplay and excellent soundtrack.

Do you want to own one of the first consumer laptops with 32 GB of DDR4 SODIMM RAM? Then be prepared to give up an arm and a leg. Eurocom has just updated its lineup of laptops to include the new 1.2 V 32 GB SODIMM modules from Samsung and they are definitely not coming cheap.

The new Razer Nari is a line of gaming-focused headsets that will incorporate Razer HyperSense. This is an advanced form of haptic feedback intended to intensify an immersive experience. The Nari headsets will also feature THX Spatial Audio and improved engineering for those who wear glasses or similar equipment.

Facebook and RED have launched the jointly developed Manifold 360-degree VR camera. What sets the camera apart from the competition is its ability to create fully immersive content with full 6DOF support.

The RTX 2070 Founders Edition will run for $600 or about $100 less than the current price of a new GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. Variants from other OEMs like Asus are expected to come in the same week that will hopefully alleviate stock concerns. Pre-orders for the RTX 2070 are not yet open as of this writing.

The tech blog WCCFTech has published exclusive leaks from sources they claim are associated with AIB NVIDIA partners. It includes more detailed information on how the US tariffs on Chinese exports will affect prices for products that integrate the GeForce RTX 20-series of graphics cards.

Razer's new Ifrit headset is designed to be an unobtrusive audio solution for game streamers. While the headset looks sleek, there's little word on the actual quality of its earbuds and microphone. The Ifrit is on sale now for $99.

The Turbo RTX 2070, Dual RTX 2070, and Strix RTX 2070 will all boast IP5X dust resistance while the higher-end model will support the new VirtualLink standard for simplifying VR setups and have a host of auxiliary features. Asus is promising a completely silent GPU should the core temperature be below 55 C. No prices have been announced.

The barely released NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 has already found its way to the innards of the Alienware Aurora desktop PC for gamers. Those interested — and with a generous budget — can get the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 OC-powered Aurora for US$2,155.99. This machine also comes with 16 GB of memory, Intel Core i7-8700K processor, and 256 GB SSD + 2 TB HDD storage.

Less than two years ago, Telltale Games was hiring new staff and getting ready to launch quite a few Nintendo Switch titles. Unfortunately, the studio seems to no longer have a future, as around 250 employees have just been laid off and the small team of 25 that remains will complete a few ongoing projects before Telltale Games becomes history.

Back in 2009, Alienware opened up the gates of its first retail store in the US. In the meantime, the brand's network of brick-and-mortar locations expanded all over the world and even got to China. Now, the time has come for a new Alienware flagship store and Frank Azor is flying there for the grand opening.

While DRAM prices have been dropping since January of this year, the price of DDR4 memory is still significantly higher than it was in 2016. Now, during a time of reduced demand, Samsung may be planning to cut down on supply in order to keep today's prices.

NVIDIA's target stock price has been downgraded to US$273, and has had its market value suffer, after Morgan Stanley took the relatively restrained improvements of the new GeForce RTX 2080 over older cards. However, a WCCFTech analyst has hit back, asserting that the financial giant does not grasp what the new Turing architecture brings to gaming.

Over the past week, fewer and fewer Chinese users have been able to access Twitch. As of September 20th, Twitch's site and official iOS App were shut down in China, rendering them inaccessible within the nation. While the reason for the ban is unknown, it is not unlike other censorship measures exercised by China.

For this week only, Razer will be throwing in one free PC game of your choice from a select few. The promotion applies to all new purchases of three specific Blade models including the Blade 15 and Blade Pro 17. The timing of the deal coincides with the recent availability of GeForce RTX graphics cards for desktops.

Less than 24 hours after its launch, Nintendo's Switch Online service has already been hacked to allow gamers to load their own custom NES ROMs in to the NES library. The process, which seems to be simple, is possible because of Nintendo's use of common .nes ROM files, the same filetype used by ROM sites online.

GeForce RTX owners will soon have an objective 3DMark benchmark made specifically for testing their ray tracing capabilities. On the other end of the spectrum, a second entry-level benchmark will be coming next month for testing low-power DirectX 12 devices.

The default clocks on the RTX 2080 Ti might not deliver the performance we deserved, but at least the overclocking potential is there. Professional overclocker KINGPIN managed to push the GPU clock to 2.41 GHz and GDDR6 VRAM frequencies to 8.63 GHz, breaking all the records in 3DMark and effectively ending the Titan V supremacy.

The PlayStation brand is celebrating 25 years of existence on December 3 this year, and Sony is launching the PlayStation Classic mini console to mark the special anniversary. Sony will preload the PlayStation Classic with 20 iconic games like Final Fantasy VII, TEKKEN 3 and R4: Ridge Racer Type 4. Also included in the bundle are two controllers for local split-screen multiplayer sessions.

Whether you are looking to purchase your very first laptop or just upgrading from a five-year-old model, the following list of points should help you navigate the mine-field that is the modern technology world. We point out some of the tricks manufacturers employ to get you to buy their products and share quite a few tips in a simple, easy to understand manner.

Samsung is banking on its striking chassis design to draw in gamers looking for an ultra-thin notebook akin to the MSI GS65, Asus Zephyrus GX501, or Razer Blade 15. The Odyssey Z was available first in Asia before finally making its way to North America for quite the hefty asking price.

A now-deleted tweet on Nokia's Indian Twitter account teased a gaming-centered smartphone. The post, which was hastily taken down, said that we should "stay tuned for a phone you can #GameOn," heavily implying that Nokia may have plans for a gaming smartphone. Given the recent rise in mobile gaming, this wouldn't be unwarranted.

The first benchmarks of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 and the RTX 2080 Ti are here and seem to reflect what we've been expecting so far. While the RTX 2080 Ti posts some impressive performance numbers and is easily the most powerful GPU in this generation, the RTX 2080 is on par with the GTX 1080 Ti in performance while still costing US$200 dearer. While these numbers reflect non-RTX performance, it will still be sometime before the worth of these cards can be estimated on actual RTX-enabled games.

The most comprehensive War Thunder update to launch this month — 1.81 "The Walkyries" — introduces a few new ground vehicles, locations, and a new aircraft. However, the most important change involves the attack helicopters that have been added to the US and Russian branches of vehicles. Sadly, they are not available for everyone yet.

The official Gigabyte AORUS Twitter published a 10 second long teaser video advertising a new motherboard. The implication seems to be that the Z390 chipset (and perhaps 9th generation Intel CPUs) are coming in early October.

The Sega Mega Drive & Genesis Collection, which bundles over 50 16-bit Sega games, is coming to the Nintendo Switch this winter. Nintendo just posted a trailer for the collection on YouTube. The Collection is further evidence of Sega's good response to retro gaming and stands in stark contrast to Nintendo's less-than-stellar retro track record.

Although Intel only grabbed the leading place in one category, this category is probably the most important. TechSpot's best CPU for gaming is the Intel Core i7-8700K, while various AMD Ryzen chips own the crown in the following categories: best extreme desktop CPU, best value CPU for productivity, best all-round value CPU, and best budget CPU.

Even if the RTX 2000-series cards turn out to be worth the advertised MSRP, the market prices might end up higher due to Trumps tariffs imposed on Chinese exports and inventory problems caused by crypto miners. This would also apply to individual PC components, but pre-built systems, laptops and components already in stock are not to be affected.

AMD has listed a couple new CPUs, the Ryzen 5 2600H and Ryzen 7 2800H. Both chips are definite upgrades over the Ryzen 5 2500U and Ryzen 7 2700U, respectively, but their 45 W nominal TDP suggests that they will be used in gaming laptops upon release. This is curious, as the onboard Vega GPUs are far outpaced by even entry-level gaming laptops.

The RTX 2080 Ti was supposed to be launched on September 20 together with the RTX 2080, but, it seems that Nvidia had some inventory problems and had postpone the RTX 2080 Ti availability by a whole week. For those who managed to pre-order this model before it went out of stock, shipping will still occur between September 20 and 27.

In the days leading up to the RTX series's review day, yet another leak has emerged on performance. The RTX 2080 and 2080Ti have been tested on Final Fantasy XV's built in benchmark.