Review Index Page 13

  • Asus ROG Swift PG35VQ 35" Gaming Monitor Review

    The gaming monitor we're reviewing today has been a long time coming. The Asus ROG Swift PG35VQ is, in short, a wallet-destroying 200Hz HDR ultrawide monitor: 35-inch 3440 x 1440 curved VA panel running up to 200 Hz, full HDR functionality, 1,000 nits of peak brightness and G-Sync Ultimate support.

    By Tim Schiesser on

    90
  • Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super and RTX 2060 Super Review

    The long time coming GeForce RTX Super graphics cards are here: the RTX 2060 Super is a slightly cut down version of the original RTX 2070 (but now at $400) as both use TU106 silicon. Meanwhile, the RTX 2070 Super is a boosted version of the original for the same price, reaching closer to 2080-levels of performance.

    By Steven Walton on

  • Razer Blade Pro 17 Review

    The Blade Pro 17 for 2019 is as sleek and well crafted as ever, with a fantastic metal unibody encompassing the base and lid. The minimalist all-black design sits at the top of the food chain as the best slim and light performance laptop design.

    By Tim Schiesser on

    90
  • Two Years Later: AMD Ryzen 7 1800X vs. Intel Core i7-7700K

    With 3rd-gen Ryzen set to hit stores very soon, we're warming up to that launch by revisiting some heated CPU battles from the past couple of years that can bring further context to current owners of these processors. Today's battle is between the first-gen Ryzen 7 1800X flagship and Intel's competing Core i7­-7700K quad-core.

    By Steven Walton on

  • MSI GE75 Raider Review

    Today we're looking at one of the most powerful laptops you can get in a reasonable form factor for a reasonable price, the MSI GE75 Raider 9SF. This 17" notebook packs a 1080p 144Hz display, the new Core i7-9750H, the full variant of the RTX 2070 GPU and 16GB of dual-channel DDR4, plus a decent hunk of SSD storage.

    By Tim Schiesser on

    90
  • Budget RTX 2060 or Premium RTX 2060?

    Today we're going to compare the most affordable RTX 2060 graphics card you can buy right now to one of the most expensive models from MSI. Prospective buyers often ask this and particular details aside, you could extrapolate this comparison to other GPU series as well.

    By Steven Walton on

  • Two Years Later, Who Won? Ryzen 5 1600 vs. Core i5-7600K

    This is a comparison we've been wanting to put together for some time. With Computex 2019 out of the way and the full confirmation of 3rd-gen Ryzen, before that hits us here's an updated comparison between the Ryzen 5 1600 and Core i5-7600K. It's time to see which processor offers gamers the best performance in 2019.

    By Steven Walton on

  • Total War: Three Kingdoms Review

    Ever since Rome 2's disappointing release back in 2013, it feels like the Total War series has been lost and in search of something. From Attila and Thrones of Britannia's tinkering to the Warhammer games' explosion of personality there has been wild experimentation between titles. Three Kingdoms is the culmination of that adventure -- and this game is amazing.

    By Luke Plunkett on

  • Radeon VII vs. GeForce RTX 2080

    Honestly we're not sure why the overwhelming interest, but we've been getting a surprisingly large number of requests for a Radeon VII re-test over the past few weeks, and we couldn't refuse. In what may be the last GPU shootout we put together before Navi arrives, today we have a 38 game benchmark covering 1440p and 4K resolutions.

    By Steven Walton on

  • Intel Core i7-9750H vs i7-8750H Review

    Intel recently launched a new collection of 9th-gen H-series processors for gaming and high-performance laptops. The focus of this review is on the Core i7-9750H which is the new mainstream CPU that will be seen in many gaming laptops moving forward and the drop-in replacement for the 8750H.

    By Tim Schiesser on

  • LG 32GK650F 32" QHD Gaming Monitor Review

    We were excited about testing today's monitor because the product falls into one of our favorite categories: affordable but decent gaming monitors. Lots of companies try and target this market segment but it's difficult to come away with a winner, but we think LG might have just managed it with the 32GK650F.

    By Tim Schiesser on

    95
  • Acer Nitro XV273K 27" Gaming Monitor Review

    The Acer Nitro XV273K is the first monitor to bring a 4K resolution and 144 Hz refresh rate to gamers at a more affordable price point. At about $900, we wouldn't call this a value offering, but given what's on offer and at half the cost of competing high-refresh 4K monitors, it is no doubt a tempting proposition for those buying a premium display.

    By Tim Schiesser on

    85
  • GeForce GTX 1650 Tested without PCIe Power

    Last week we checked out the new GeForce GTX 1650 for the first time and we were disappointed that it was no rival for AMD's RX 570. We've since tested the 75-watt model lacking an external PCI Express power connector and have to admit we're pleasantly surprised.

    By Steven Walton on

  • Mortal Kombat 11 Review

    Mortal Kombat 11 builds upon the story and game mechanics established in Mortal Kombat X beautifully, for the most part. The game's story is even more involved and engaging. The fighting feels more deliberate and calculated. MK 11 lets players create their own fighting styles, picking and choosing which moves they wish to include.

    By Mike Fahey on

  • GeForce GTX 1650 Review: Turing at $150

    Based on the TU117 die the new GeForce GTX 1650 still includes all of the new Turing shader innovations that improve performance and efficiency. The TDP is just 75 watts, meaning it doesn't require external power, making it the fastest graphics card available that won't need external PCIe power.

    By Steven Walton on

    60
  • Dell UltraSharp U4919DW 49" Monitor Review

    Dell's UltraSharp U4919DW is a 49-inch monitor with a 5120 x 1440 resolution, giving it a 32:9 aspect ratio. This display is equivalent to two 27-inch 1440p displays side by side without a bezel in-between. So if you were planning to run with a dual-screen 1440p setup, something like the U4919DW might be a better choice.

    By Tim Schiesser on

    85
  • The Ray Tracing Slideshow: DXR on Nvidia Pascal Tested

    During this year's GDC, Nvidia announced that GTX graphics cards would be getting basic ray tracing support with a driver update. For putting together this test we took the most powerful Pascal GPU we had on hand - the Nvidia Titan X - and pitted it against Nvidia's RTX line-up in the three games that support ray tracing thus far.

    By Tim Schiesser on

  • Intel Core i5-9400F vs. AMD Ryzen 5 2600X

    Intel's been having some trouble competing with the wave of Ryzen processors, forcing the chip maker to be a little more creative. Today we have the Intel Core i5-9400F on hand, which is basically a refreshed i5-8400 with a 100 MHz clock speed boost, no integrated graphics and a lower price point.

    By Steven Walton on

  • Ryzen 5 2600X vs. Ryzen 7 1700

    When we recently updated our Best CPUs feature, we noticed that access to affordable first-gen Ryzen processors remains an attractive option for many. The Ryzen 7 1700 is a standout option for an 8-core/16-thread part selling for $160, meaning you can either buy the R7 1700 or the R5 2600 at the same price.

    By Steven Walton on

  • Fortnite Battle Royale Review

    It's hard to say how Fortnite is turning out because it keeps turning into something else. Skins and storylines come and go. Landmarks appear and disappear. Weapons are added and removed. Recently, a mysterious excavation site appeared, but it was dug up and abandoned by the time I got there the next day. There's never a perfect time to say what Fortnite is.

    By Riley MacLeod on

  • Five Years Later: Revisiting the GeForce GTX 970

    Recently we've looked back at the GeForce GTX 980 Ti and the GTX 960, both popular GPUs from yesteryear. Those features have been warmly welcomed, but besides the overall positive responses what we noticed in common in your feedback was the request to test the GeForce GTX 970, which was the performance/value offering of the time and a GPU some of you are still rocking in today's games with some success.

    By Steven Walton on

  • Old Mainstream GPU: GeForce GTX 960 vs. GTX 1660 & RTX 2060

    When we recently tested the new GeForce GTX 1660 we noted that Nvidia was making a bold claim in the review guide saying that the 1660 was a whopping 113% faster than the GTX 960, making it a perfect upgrade option for owners of the old mid-range Maxwell GPU.

    By Steven Walton on

  • Alienware m15 RTX Gaming Laptop Review

    Today we're taking a look at another gaming laptop, the brand new Alienware m15, which is the company's portable laptop offering to rival systems like the MSI GS65 Stealth, Gigabyte Aero 15 and Razer Blade. Historically we haven't been huge fans of Alienware's chunkier laptop designs, but the m15 is one of the best we've seen from the company so far.

    By Tim Schiesser on

    70
  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Review

    In Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the thread between life and death is tenuous. As the One-Armed Wolf, a loyal shinobi seeking to save a young noble with a cursed bloodline, you traverse a feudal Japan so saturated with the remnants of war that the idea of mortality becomes fickle.

    By Natalie Degraffinried on

  • Asus ZenBook Pro 14 Review

    To say there are a ton of laptops out there is an understatement. As is the case with smartphones, within a given segment or budget often there isn't much that differentiates them---other than components and small design changes. But with Asus' latest ZenBook Pro, there's one element that really makes it stand out from the crowd: a touchpad that's also a touchscreen.

    By Rob Thubron on

    80
  • The Smallest Ryzen Yet: Asrock DeskMini A300 Review

    The Asrock DeskMini A300 is a tiny PC that takes advantage of Ryzen processors. Almost every custom designed mini PC that we've seen to date has used Intel inside and while Intel CPUs are very good, they aren't the best choice for this kind of system. At least if you want to game or do any kind of 3D work, for that AMD's Ryzen APUs are unrivaled.

    By Steven Walton on

    90
  • MSI GS75 Stealth Gaming Laptop Review

    The top-of-the-line MSI GS75 Stealth 8SG is a slim and light portable gaming system sporting a 17.3" 1080p 144Hz ISP display, an RTX 2080 Max-Q GPU, Core i7 CPU, 32GB of dual-channel memory and a dual 512GB SSD setup in RAID 0. It's a beastly gaming laptop worth checking out.

    By Tim Schiesser on

    90
  • GeForce GTX 1660 Tested: 33 Game Benchmark feat. The Division 2

    This is our second look at the new GeForce GTX 1660. Not to be confused with the 1660 Ti that was released a month earlier, both GPUs offer great value at mid-range prices of $220 for the GTX 1660 and $280 for the Ti version.

    By Steven Walton on

  • Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q Review

    Following our coverage into Nvidia's laptop RTX GPUs, today we're reviewing the top-end RTX 2080 Max-Q. As an "RTX 2080" Turing part, this GPU comes with 2944 CUDA cores, 368 Tensor cores and 46 ray tracing cores. But that's where the similarities between the RTX 2080 Max-Q and the desktop RTX 2080 end.

    By Tim Schiesser on

    80
  • Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Review: Going for 200

    The latest member of the Turing GTX family is making its debut in the form of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660. An anticipated release after the launch of the GTX 1660 Ti, which proved to be a great buy, now the vanilla GTX 1660 has been set at $220 and it looks to provide great value for your money.

    By Steven Walton on

    95