Gaming

An all-round device with some point deductions! The Acer Aspire 7 offers a good performance for an acceptable price. Thanks to the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050, the 15-incher also offers appropriate gaming performance. However, the case and the display lose some points.

Difficult position. Because of loot boxes, micro transactions, gambling loans, and pay-to-win tendencies, the publisher EA has become the target of some massive complaints. In our benchmark article, we are looking more at the question of how well the game is running on various desktop and notebook GPUs.

Max-Q done right. Nvidia's Max-Q technology launched for an absurdly high price of $3000+ USD. Not five months later, users can now own that same technology for under $900 USD. This latest Inspiron is perhaps the best example of Max-Q for the masses.

Next try. Even though the basic technology has been around for a while, Virtual Reality has not achieved a sweeping success yet. With Windows Mixed Reality, Microsoft makes a new attempt, competing against the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive. We are testing the VR system with the Medion Erazer X1000.

Revenge is sweet. The name says it all for the latest installment of the Need for Speed series. For a racing game, Payback turns out to be surprisingly story-focused. Our benchmark test will show if the technical aspects are convincing as well.

Priced to perform. The MSI GF62VR packs a punch for not a lot of change. However, users will have to deal with a fairly low quality screen and a cheaper plastic build quality. Are these tradeoffs worth the savings?

Fast, but hot and hungry. Schenker is using a new case for its Core 15 laptop and they have been keeping quiet about where they got it from. We will review whether the change was worth it and how well this 15-inch piece compares to similarly equipped gaming laptops.

Lukewarm Reception. With the previous installments in the series having drifted further and further into the realm of futuristic combat, Call of Duty is returning to its roots with its latest game, WWII. While the gameplay has changed little since the early days, the technology present has made improvements in leaps and bounds. We will test which hardware configurations are needed for the first person shooter game.

CPU eater. While frame rates in games usually scale with the performance of the graphics card, Assassin’s Creed Origins also requires a fair bit of CPU power. We examine whether the hardware requirements of Assassin's Creed Origins are justified.

Bridge the Gap. With the GTX 1070 Ti, Nvidia brings out a lower-priced alternative to the GTX 1080 and, in the process, forgoes the more expensive GDDR5X video memory. In the review, the Founders Edition card shall show how well it stacks up against the in-house competition.

Sleek, slim, speedy. In addition to a powerful CPU and a potent GPU the thin Aero 15X is also equipped with a matte IPS panel, an NVMe-SSD, and Thunderbolt 3. Even battery life is pretty decent.

Daring to be imperfect. What, a TN panel in an $1800 gaming notebook? Yes, MSI has done it again and prioritized 120-Hz and quick response times. If you can work with this, you will probably be happy to overlook the few problems this otherwise well-made notebook has. Only one of MSI's decisions is rather questionable.

Legendary or trashy? Like its predecessor the new Wolfenstein II combines humorous elements with a rather grave and serious suppressive regime rebel story. The underlying framework has been completely renovated though, and it is now based on the id Tech 6 engine. Our benchmark test will reveal which (mobile) GPU is going to be capable of running the first person shooter smoothly.

Another year, another refresh. The new Asus GL503VD represents a slight aesthetic redesign of Asus' highly-revered ROG line. Some will appreciate the simpler, less "gamery" redesign, but not much else has changed. The GTX 1050 still makes for a decent (if noisy) entry-level gaming experience.