The best CPU coolers

What’s cooler than being cool? That’s right, keeping your PC components ice cold. Before you go out to find more exciting components like the best graphics cards to soup up your rig, you have to seriously consider picking out the best CPU cooler first, as you’ll need it to build the best gaming PC you can. After all, keeping your CPU at a low temperature will increase your computer’s performance, not to mention, longevity.

The best CPU coolers will come in every shape, size and even price point, but finding the perfect cooler for your build depends on your processor, your budget and your overclocking demands. Luckily, even if you’re trying to save some cash, you can still pick up one of the best CPU coolers, as many air coolers are extremely cheap these days. If you’ve got the cash, on the other hand, you also have the option to splurge on a high-end liquid cooler, taking your cooling performance to the next level.

Regardless of what kind of CPU cooler you need, we’ll help you find the most ideal one. We gathered some of the best CPU coolers on the market, using our PC component expertise. And, because we’ve tested these coolers ourselves, you know these heat dissipators will be worth your money. Plus, with our price comparison tool, you’ll know you’re getting a killer deal every time.

Noctua NH-D15

Image Credit: Noctua

The Noctua NH-D15 is one of the best CPU coolers you can buy simply because it performs just as well as – if not better – than some liquid coolers, while costing a fraction of the price. You might not be too familiar with Noctua’s name, as they’re relatively small in the CPU cooler world, but its business is revolves around designing coolers, so you know that when you buy one of their products, you’re getting a product by people who really know their craft. On top of delivering a fantastic cooling performance, the NH-D15 is nearly silent as well. 

Cooler Master Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition


Cooler Master’s Hyper 212 CPU RGB cooler is back with a vengeance, and sporting a sleek gun-metal black brushed aluminum finish to boot. It’s not only jet black look that’s upping this CPU cooler’s cool factor – though it does help what with that aluminum top cover and nickel plated jet black fins to complete the look. It’s also easily one of the best CPU coolers on the market with its stacked fin array that ensures least airflow resistance, four heat pipes that boast Direct Contact Technology to better battle the heat, and a wide speed range for fine-tuning cooling performance and silent operation.

Noctua NH-L9

Image Credit: Noctua

Noctua is an Austrian manufacturer that does one thing, and one thing only: make the best CPU coolers and fans. What this means is that even though the Noctua NH-L9 is tiny, it is still more than capable of insane cooling with no compromises. This is a fantastic cooler for anyone with a smaller build, or even if you’re using a ton of large components, and you’re not comfortable with liquid cooling.

Corsair H100i Pro

Image Credit: Corsair

Corsair has enjoyed a position at the top of the liquid cooling game for a while now, and the H100i Pro continues the trend. Not only is this thing obviously strapped in RGB lighting, but it also boasts impressive cooling performance, thanks to Corsair’s unique and powerful fans, which you can control through the iCue software. All these combined, and you’ve got among the few best CPU coolers that not only performs well, but that is also completely customizable.

Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240P Mirage


With the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240P Mirage in your gaming rig, you won’t only end up playing for hours on end without worrying about thermal throttling or overheating. You might just an hour or so admiring your CPU, especially if you have one of those glass-window cases, as this CPU cooler is indeed hypnotically pretty. It’s mostly thanks to its transparent pump design that lets you see the impeller spinning while bathed in different RGB lighting, like a colorful spinning wheel at a funhouse. Performance-wise, it definitely deserves a spot in our best CPU coolers list, with its PPS+ glass fiber housing and nozzle that provides temperature and liquid resistance, EPDM rubber O-Ring that helps eliminate liquid emission, and a low-resistance radiator that increases flow rate, heat exchange efficiency and cooling performance.

NZXT Kraken X72

Image Credit: NZXT

If you’re running one of the best processors, and you want to push it to the limit, you’ll need one of the best CPU coolers for overclocking, like the NZXT Kraken X72. Not only does it pack a gigantic radiator, but its high fan speeds ensure that cooling performance is top-notch all the time. It also features addressable RGB and an infinite mirror design that looks amazing in any case. To top it all off, the NZXT Kraken X72 is backed by a 6-year warranty.

Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML120R RGB

Image Credit: Cooler Master

There isn’t a single component that can’t be improved through RGB, and Cooler Master is well aware – jumping on the RGB bandwagon with the MasterLIquid ML 120R RGB. What’s more, it integrates some of the first addressable LEDs seen on a liquid cooler. This all-in-one liquid cooling solution isn’t just about aesthetics – it features an oxidation free pump and an efficient radiator. This means that not only will it last longer – but it’ll keep your CPU cooler, and all without giving up too much case real estate, which is why it’s made our best CPU coolers list.

Arctic Liquid Freezer 120

Image Credit: Arctic

For less than 70 big ones, the Arctic Liquid Freezer 120 is a deal you can’t pass up if you’re on the prowl for a liquid cooler that won’t break the bank. While it lacks the bells and whistles of pricier, more extravagant liquid coolers, like the NZXT Kraken, the Arctic Liquid cooler is enough to get you by, not to mention it’s still a massive step up from the classic fan and heatsink pairing. So, while you can’t expect RGB lighting or software – or even hardware-based fan control, the 120mm variant of the Arctic Liquid Freezer makes our best CPU coolers list as it will keep your system refrigerated at a (mostly) quiet volume. 

Corsair Hydro Series H5 SF

Image Credit: Corsair

Even if your budget will allow you to really go all-out on a serious liquid cooling solutions, if you have a smaller PC case, you’ll likely not have enough space. That’s where something like the Corsair Hydro H5 SF comes into play. Even on the smallest PC cases, you’re able to use this CPU cooler to keep your CPU chilled, even if you have some beastly overclocks happening. Plus, because it’s a closed loop, you don’t even need to worry about maintenance. Set it up, and let it do its thing – you won’t be disappointed. 

NoFan CR-95C

Image Credit: NoFan

Rounding out our best CPU coolers list is the NoFan CR-95C. You’ve probably never heard of NoFan – unless you’re already neck deep into the rabbit hole that is silent PC assembly. The South Korean component company specializes in helping enthusiasts reach that 0dBA silent sweet spot. In doing so, of course, will severely limit your set-up in terms of power, with its CR-95C fanless solution being limited in compatibility to processors whose TDP fall below 95W. Still, the NoFan CR-95C is worth a shot if you want to build a low-power computer that completely blends into the background.


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The best monitors

Getting the best monitor you can afford will make your life so much simpler. After all, the monitor is the window into the computer’s soul. Everything is easier to digest, whether it’s watching a movie, photo editing or reading an ebook. 

And the better the monitor, the more immersive your experience will be. While there are quite a few displays which are outrageously expensive, you can still grab one of the best monitors for a decent price. Whatever your budget, you can get a great display.

What is the best monitor for you? Maybe it’s one with insanely fast refresh rates, or a massive screen, or even an especially high resolution. Or maybe you’ll want a gaming monitor or an ultrawide monitor to pair with the best gaming PCs. If you’re rocking an ultrabook as your main rig, maybe the best USB-C monitors are the way to go. Regardless, there’s something to meet any need.

We’ve compiled a list of our picks for the best monitor, all rigorously evaluated here  for your consideration. Whether you’re a gamer, a video editor, or just looking for a better display, you’ll find the best monitor for you below.

BenQ PD3200U


Now that the best PCs can handle 4K easier than ever before, the best 4K monitors are all over the place. That’s why BenQ released the PD3200U, a massive 32-inch Ultra HD display, as part of its Designer Monitor range. 3D designers particularly love this display, thanks to the factory-calibrated color accuracy and CAD/CAM mode. Marketed to creatives and professionals, BenQ has designed, seemingly by mistake, a panel that gamers will enjoy as well, making it one of the best monitors all-around – so long as they can find the space for it on their desks.

AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition


Though the AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition is a gaming monitor through and through, it’s one of the best monitors if you’re wanting an ultra-wide display. With its exceptional color support, strong contrast ratio incredibly speedy 120Hz refresh rate, everything you do on your PC will look better and feel faster. It’s on the more expensive side, but this ultra-wide monitor can significantly boost productivity, making it totally worth the hefty price. As long as you have the hardware to drive it, it’s one of the best monitors money can buy.

Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ


If you’ve been searching for one of the best monitors, and you’re ready to just give up and buy the most expensive monitor you can find, you’re in luck. The Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ combines so many high-end features that it almost seems like too much. It doesn’t just feature a 4K UHD display at 144Hz, but it also rocks Nvidia G-Sync and HDR. This is simply the best monitor on the market, but it will also cost an arm and a leg. If you’re playing games, doing photo and video editing work, or even just general desktop work, you can’t go wrong with this monitor, as long as you have the cash to shell out.

Acer Predator X34


When you’re growing tired of the same old 16:9 aspect ratio, nothing hits the spot like a cinematic 21:9 display. It’s not the best for watching Netflix or YouTube, but the Acer Predator X34 is a fantastic example of what an ultra-wide monitor can do. Boasting an eye-catching aluminum bezel and polygonal stand that looks like a bird’s foot, this massive 34-inch monitor is a marvel to behold. More significantly, armed with Nvidia’s G-Sync tech, you won’t require V-Sync stressing out your graphics card. The Acer Predator X34 does all the heavy lifting for you. This is about as immersive as a gaming monitor can get, and one of the best monitors.

Asus Designo Curve MX38VC


Ultrawide monitors have been around for a while: they’ve constantly made it on folks’ the best monitors list for a few years now, in fact. These wide monitors are lifesavers when it comes to productivity, and they’re only increasing in popularity. The Asus Designo Curve MX38VC, however, takes it to the next level. Not only does this monitor have a massive 3,840 x 1,600 resolution, but with USB-C compatibility and a Qi wireless charger built into the base, it’s going to be a workplace companion you won’t want to live without. It’s a tad pricey, and doesn’t feature HDR, but that’s a worthy sacrifice, especially for professionals.

Dell UltraSharp UP3218K


We don’t usually run into technology that’s so far ahead of the curve that we’re left dumbfounded, which is why the Dell UltraSharp UP3218K has impressed us even more. Finding one of the best monitors that can reach the raw gorgeousness this one can should be next to impossible. It’s not just the resolution, either. Dell went so far as to ensure that the build quality and color reproduction are the best in the business as well. The Dell UltraSharp UP3218K is aimed at professionals, obviously, so if that sounds like it’s made for you, it’s probably the best monitor you’ll ever find.

BenQ EX3203R


If you’re looking for a first-rate 1440p monitor with HDR for multimedia and gaming, then the BenQ EX3203R might be the display for you. One of the best monitors this 2019, this one’s noteworthy as it offers a ton of high-end features in a product that is very reasonably priced. Sure, 32 inches might sound like a bit much for a monitor, but the 1800R curvature on this BenQ panel means that it’s easy to use, both for productivity, as well as for immersion in your games and media.

Alienware 25


If you’re on a tight budget, then this might break the bank – like any Alienware product would. Still, Dell’s 25-inch gaming monitor will all but eliminate screen tearing, and whether you’re using an AMD Radeon VII or an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080, there’s a configuration for you. With G-Sync or FreeSync taking some of the heavy lifting off the GPU that would otherwise be spent on VSync, the Alienware 25’s 120Hz refresh rate might actually be reasonable. The 1ms response time? Well, that’s just the cherry on top.

BenQ Zowie XL2540


It might seem farfetched, but the BenQ Zowie XL2540 is every bit the gaming monitor that the Asus Predator X34 is. While it may not appear like it from the outside looking in, it does its job incredibly well too, giving up dazzling lighting effects for a ridiculous 240Hz refresh rate and almost-instantaneous 1ms response time. There’s no G-Sync or FreeSync, as this monitor assumes you already have a rig that’s more than capable of eliminating screen tears without any help. Instead, this monitor keeps it simple by providing you with lots of visual presets, an “S Switch” control pod for managing those presets and a pair of adjustable light screens.

MSI Optix MPG341CQR


If you’re searching for a gaming monitor with a super-wide 1440p resolution, incredibly fast response time of 1ms, a viewing angle of 178 degrees and a quick refresh rate, then the MSI Optix MPG341CQR is something you should consider. If not for those, then perhaps for the fact that MSI has decided to go with a VA panel, as opposed to IPS, giving it more contrast and punchier colors. A few bonuses are included, as well: snazzy “Mystic Light” RGD LEDs, USB-C connectivity, an integrated camera and a competitive price.

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How MSI builds some of the smallest gaming PCs in the world

MSI has been one of our favorite gaming computer makers of late. That's because, in the last few years, it’s introduced some of the smallest PCs we’ve ever seen – from a gaming-grade, Mac Pro look-a-like to one of the first backpack PC’s designed to power a wireless virtual reality experience. 

More recently, the company has introduced the Trident 3, a console-killing mini PC gaming system.

We caught up with MSI marketing manager Lenny Tang to get the low down on how the company designed some of its latest and smallest gaming PCs.

Welcome to TechRadar's PC Gaming Week 2019. We're celebrating the most powerful gaming platform on Earth with in-depth articles, exclusive interviews and essential buying guides that showcase everything PC gaming has to offer. Visit our PC Gaming Week 2019 page to see all our coverage in one place.

First published April 2017

TechRadar: Before the MSI Vortex, we've seen a few cylindrical chassis before, including the latest Mac Pro, what spurred MSI to pursue this form factor?

Lenny Tang: MSI strives to come out with unique products that fit into different usage and demand for the gaming PC market. When we first designed the Vortex, we aimed to see how much power we can fit into the smallest form factor.  Over the design period, we were able to fit in top of the line SLI graphics into a 6.5L cylindrical form factor.

TR: It's amazing that the MSI Vortex only requires one fan to cool the entire system.

LT: The idea is to have this powerful PC not only fit as a gaming setup but also in the living room. One of the top design limitations we had was to keep the unit as quiet as possible.  Since we are able to build it into a cylinder shape, we were also able to fit in a huge fan on top that perfectly drew out the heat without making much noise.

TR: MSI originally introduced a VR backpack PC that looked a lot like a cyclist's backpack, while the VR One sports a much more futuristic and vented design. What caused the shift?

LT: One of the top reasons why we shifted the design is to work out a lighter and smaller product without suffering in performance.

During the first introduction of the prototype design, one of the most common pieces of feedback from media and end users who tested it was air flow. The old prototypes blew heat out on the side, which could feel warm if you extended the arm too far to the back.

By redesigning the cooling system to exhaust away from the user’s back, we are able to keep the heat out of reach wherever possible, making it much more silent.

TR: There's a striking resemblance between the Trident 3 and VROne in both shape and design. Did the experience of creating a VR backpack PC help with the creation of the Trident 3?

LT: There are two different design teams who thought of the Trident and VROne, but there is some resemblance across our product line.

Our notebook, desktop, VGA, and motherboard teams have weekly synergy meetings, which allows each team to help provide input and suggestions in order to make the best product possible. You can also see some resemblance across our VGA and motherboard [products] as well.

TR: When MSI developed the Trident 3, how did the team balance making the system as compact as possible while still being accessible and familiar enough for DIY upgrades?

LT: It was a huge challenge to start with.

The idea is to build a console-sized PC that can run 4K gaming. Of course, most desktop users want their system to be future-proof. We had surveyed the top three upgrade parts from our users and they said VGA, SSD and memory – that’s why we designed the unit to be easily upgradable for years to come.

TR: Between all of MSI's compact systems, what is the hardest component to miniaturize or engineer around?

LT: Thermals is the most important component in our hardware. How can we keep the unit cool without sacrificing any performance?

We came out with a unique fan design for Vortex and Trident which is called Silent Storm Cooling. The specific airflow we create within the unit would be almost impossible without a combination of unique chassis designs and motherboards inside those units.

Of course, we need to keep the unit as quiet as possible so it can fit in living rooms or gaming rooms.

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Why Corsair believes in the wireless future of PC gaming

Corsair surprised us early in 2018 with its first wireless keyboard, the K63 Wireless, and while we rated it with a nearly perfect score in our review, we wanted the inside story behind it. So, we’ve traveled to Corsair headquarters in Fremont, California to hear the tale straight from the source.

Michael Grey, Senior Product Line Manager at Corsair, tells us that “what really got us started was the wireless technology, first of all, was it had gotten to the point of one millisecond latency."

“The technology had been around for a couple of years before we put the keyboard out there,” Grey explains. “But, the reason we launched when we did is because the 1ms wireless hadn't been tested and vetted properly.”

 Michael Grey, Senior Product Line Manager at Corsair 

As with other wireless technology we’ve seen from Logitech and beyond, Corsair began its testing in anechoic chambers that basically absorb sound and any sort of electromagnetic waves. In this controlled environment, Corsair was able to figure out where the strongest wireless signal came from: 45 degrees to the right of the gaming keyboard’s center.

The company then took the keyboard for testing in its lab to see how various distances would affects signal strength. Grey’s team also introduced various home objects, such as routers or other wireless dongles, to add interference.

“We tested the Corsair K63 wireless in our own lab, which is really dirty with wireless signals, to come out with a product that we really feel felt comfortable with and that we could tell gamers, ‘look, this wireless now is as good as wired technology,’” Grey expounds. “It shouldn't be any different of a user experience to use this versus wired counterparts.”

Getting technical

The underlying wireless chip Corsair uses isn’t actually of its own making, but rather from a third-party supplier that Grey declined to name. However, Grey explains that Corsair works closely with its mystery supplier to customize it, put its own firmware and ‘secret sauce’ on the chip in order to optimize signal speed and integrity.

“We really like the chipset that we use because it actually gives us Bluetooth capability, which other chip sets in the market don't provide that capability,” Grey says. “So, that gives us the unique potential to have three modes of connectivity in our products with Bluetooth, one millisecond 2.4GHz and even wired USB.”

Grey tells us that a greater amount of development went into fitting everything into its existing Corsair K63 platform, which was its smallest tenkeyless keyboard.

“We had to figure out how to fit a battery in there, how to design an antenna, where to put these added chip sets,” Grey illuminates. “And then, there's all sorts of challenges with a what capacity battery, how to maximize battery life. All the tricks that people who've been making wireless keyboards for a very long time know very well.”

“Quite frankly, it was a lot more work than anyone thinks,” he says. “Everyone sees it just like ‘oh, they just put a battery in it and wireless.’ No, no, no, no. It took a lot more than that. Especially, because all of these products were Corsair's first shot at wireless products. A lot of people don't get a necessarily good reception on their first wireless products because it's very complicated to do and it's fraught with issues.”

Next level hurdles

While the Corsair K63 Wireless was designed to be as fast as wired – and it actually is in our book – getting it to work just so, especially with the lighting, continues to be a challenge.

“When you're USB mode on any of our standard wired products; iCUE, our software, takes control and sends data back to the keyboard to control all of the lighting,” Grey explains. “On wireless, we're not able to do that because the packets [sent to the Corsair K63 Wireless have to be] so small.”

“Even though we're still able to send the data out quickly, it's receiving data [on the keyboard] that's a little more challenging,” he says.

What the team ultimately had to do was bake all of the lighting options into directly into the keyboard and the software only tells the K63 Wireless when to trigger it. Grey explains that this is one of the reasons why there isn’t any RGB lighting on its wireless keyboard –  on top of the fact that it would draw three times more energy.

“RGB is always an opportunity – I mean, here we love RGB – to do in the future, but there's a few technology pieces that need to improve first before we're comfortable with that,” Grey promises.

“I've got some schools of thought on how that would be accomplished, but it wouldn't be the same as a wired keyboard where it's doing it what we call frame-by-frame,” he says. “So, every millisecond, it's sending out data on what to go play next. We wouldn't be able to do that. It would have to be a new, unique approach.”

An all wireless future?

Despite the challenges wireless technology introduces, Grey truly believes in a wireless future.

“I think you see it everywhere, that everyone is trying to figure out how to make everything go wireless,” Grey expounds. “Because wires are inconvenient and I think the future of everything is wireless.”

“We're in a society that values convenience, and throughout history,” he says. “If we can make something more convenient, and it works, great. Let's do it. Let's do it to everything, and wireless is going to be no different.”

Even on an esports level, Grey sees there being the potential of a wireless future especially when it can remove any interference for the highest level of play.

“Getting rid of the wire is actually a big thing because you no longer have drag it around,” Grey says. “[Even] if you use a mouse bungee, for instance, it can limit your mouse movement. [Wireless] just makes the experience a little bit cleaner. I mean, how would you like to go play a game of tennis with a cord strapped to your racket?”

“But again,” Grey warns, “we're just at the point where the wireless technology hit that one millisecond. Hit that sweet spot of performance. There are technologies, of course, in development down the line that are going to make that wireless signal and speed and all that stuff even better. We're just at the birth or genesis of gaming wirelessly.”

Welcome to TechRadar's PC Gaming Week 2019. We're celebrating the most powerful gaming platform on Earth with in-depth articles, exclusive interviews and essential buying guides that showcase everything PC gaming has to offer. Visit our PC Gaming Week 2019 page to see all our coverage in one place.

First published June 2018

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Windows Mixed Reality: everything you need to know

Windows Mixed Reality (MR) can be a confusing concept. Is it virtual reality (VR), like the Oculus Rift, or it is more like augmented reality (AR), which Microsoft has already dabbled in with its HoloLens?

Even though Microsoft has made HoloLens 2 available for pre-order, the answer is ultimately a mix of the two – though it’s far more VR than AR.

Microsoft’s unique combination of VR and AR is designed to immerse more users in the digital experience with lower priced and easier-to-drive headsets. To this end, Microsoft has teamed up with some PC manufacturers like Dell, HP, Asus, Samsung and Lenovo to develop a more accessible head-mounted display (HMD) standard with less ground rules. And, it’s working – the Mixed Reality adoption rate continues to grow.

Similar to high-end VR Headsets like the Oculus Rift, you wear a head-mounted display with two built-in screens to peer into a virtual world. And, with Windows Mixed Reality for Steam VR, the barriers between Mixed Reality and high-end VR continue to dissipate. You can now interact with your virtual world using handheld controllers or an Xbox One gamepad. Just don’t expect Mixed Reality on the Xbox One. Even if you’re not into gaming, Mixed Reality on SharePoint will make life way more interesting for professionals.

Instead of HTC Vive lighthouses, Oculus Waypoints or other infrared beacons, however, Microsoft Mixed Reality headsets use integrated sensors to scan the surrounding environment. And, because Microsoft Mixed Reality isn’t solely focused on gaming, like other VR headsets, Microsoft is able to produce easy-to-drive headsets that can be run by the best Ultrabooks. This means that you can experience and share digital worlds that anyone can enjoy.

Additionally, each new version of Windows 10 has beefed up Microsoft’s support for Windows Mixed Reality devices. And, most recently, Viveport is now offering Windows Mixed Reality support, allowing headset owners to download compatible games, as is Google Chrome.

Cut to the chase

  • What is Mixed Reality? Microsoft’s blended VR/AR standard
  • When is Mixed Reality out? October 17
  • What will Mixed Reality cost? Headsets start at $299 or AU$599 (about £225)

Windows Mixed Reality

Image credit: TechRadar

Windows Mixed Reality release date

Microsoft Mixed Reality has been a priority for the Redmond computing giant since October 2016, and since the release of the Fall Creators Update in October 2017, Mixed Reality has been a standard feature of Windows 10. Since then, Microsoft has been adding a wide array of updates to the platform, with many coming in the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, as well as the Windows 10 October 2018 Update.

It looks like this is going to continue, as well. We fully expect Microsoft to continue adding Mixed Reality improvements to all of its future updates, though with middling sales, it’s also possible that Windows Mixed Reality’s days could be numbered.

Windows Mixed Reality price

The biggest differentiator between headsets for Windows Mixed Reality and those designed for VR is that the former can cost half as much. With prices for Mixed Reality headsets starting at $224 (AU$638, £225) when first released, Microsoft’s new platform competes more closely with mobile VR devices – like the Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream View – than with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

Adding motion controllers doesn't dramatically up the cost, either – a few manufacturers, like Acer, are bundling a complete headset package for $296 in the US. For a full price breakdown, let’s look at all the headsets currently available.

Acer Windows Mixed Reality HMD

Image credit: TechRadar

Acer Windows Mixed Reality HMD

Acer was one of the first companies to come out of the gate with a Windows Mixed Reality headset. It offers a display resolution of 1440 x 1440 per eye. Users can flip up the screen to quickly return to the real world – this is a regular feature of most, if not all, headsets in its class. Acer’s headset is also among the cheapest, at $296 (£399, AU$799) with a pair of wireless motion controllers.

Dell Visor

Image credit: TechRadar

Dell Visor

The Dell Visor (and all Mixed Reality headsets, really) have a lot in common with Acer’s, but we’ll go over the specs nonetheless. It boasts two 2.89-inch, 1440 x 1440-resolution LCD displays that you can, once again, flip up for a quick exit from the virtual world. There are a few extra creature comforts in the shape of removable foam inserts, cable management loops and an easily adjustable headband for a comfy and tight fit. The Dell Visor is available worldwide for $349 (£649, about AU$501), all of which include motion controllers.

HP Windows Mixed Reality Headset Developer Edition

Image credit: HP

HP Windows Mixed Reality Headset Developer Edition

HP’s take on the Windows 10 MR headset looks much more Tron-like than the others. It keeps up with its rivals thanks to a 2880 x 1440 combined resolution and 90Hz display, but its field of view is a narrower 95 degrees. HP’s Mixed Reality headset is available now for $299 (£449, AU$429).  

Lenovo Explorer

Image credit: TechRadar

Lenovo Explorer

The Lenovo Explorer featured all the same specs and comforts as the other Mixed Reality headsets. Its field of view also ran smack in the middle of the pack at 105 degrees. It was more affordable than Acer’s at $399 (£400, about AU$799) with motion controllers included. Unfortunately, Lenovo has since discontinued it, and it has yet to release a replacement.  

Asus Windows Mixed Reality Headset

Image credit: TechRadar

Asus Windows Mixed Reality Headset

Asus differentiated its MR headset with a futuristic geometric front facade. Looks aside, it had all the same specs as its rivals, although its field of view is on the low side at 95 degrees. It did fall in line with the other headsets, priced at $399 (£429, about AU$335). However, it’s looking as if Asus has also discontinued it, and while some third-party sellers may still have some units on hand, it’s no longer largely available.

Samsung HMD Odyssey

Image credit: Samsung

Samsung HMD Odyssey

The Samsung HMD Odyssey is the latest Windows MR headset on the block, and it’s both the most advanced as well as the most expensive device of its class. For starters, it packs larger 3.5-inch AMOLED displays for more vibrant, lifelike images. Built-in AKG headphones also add in the immersive soundscape of 360-degree spatial sound. Costing a cool $499 (about £377, AU$638) with controllers included, the Samsung HMD Odyssey shipped later than the other Windows Mixed Reality Headsets on November 6, 2017. Currently, the HMD Odyssey is only available at third-party retailers for more than its original cost.  

Windows Mixed Reality requirements

Unlike virtual reality, you won’t need a killer rig to jump into virtual worlds. The minimum specs required for a Windows Mixed Reality PC are lightweight enough for most modern Ultrabooks to power a headset.

At the very least, you will need the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, an Intel Core i5-7200U processor or better, 8GB of DDR3 dual channel RAM or better, 10GB of free disk space, an Intel HD Graphics 620 or DX12-capable GPU, and HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort 1.2 as well as USB 3.0 Type-A or Type-C.

Keep in mind that the above specs are only good enough for a 60-frames-per-second (fps) experience. To get to 90fps, Microsoft suggests a system specced with at least a desktop-grade Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD Ryzen 5 1400 3.4Ghz – or another quad-core processor. You'll also need a discrete GPU at least on the level of an Nvidia GTX 1050. Just keep in mind, if you’re going to take advantage of Mixed Reality on Steam VR, system requirements may vary by game.

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Intel Ice Lake release date, news and features

When Intel Ice Lake made its way into laptops in Fall 2019, we cheered as we finally got something new from Intel. These processors for laptops marked the first time 10nm processors made their way to the mainstream – since Cannon Lake completely missed the boat. 

Initially revealed way back at Computex 2019, Intel Ice Lake processors are the first time an Intel processor moved away from the aging 14nm process, even if Team Blue has continued to produce Comet Lake chips that are built on the 14nm process. 

However, Intel Ice Lake is about to face its toughest battle yet, as AMD's Zen 2 CPU architecture is about to make its way to a laptop near you in the form of AMD Ryzen 4000. The big question when those AMD laptops hit the market is going to be whether or not Intel Ice Lake can maintain Intel's lead in the mobile space. 

Until then, however, Ice Lake is uniquely featured in most of the best laptops and Ultrabooks on the market, including the beloved Dell XPS 13 2-in-1, HP Spectre x360 (2020) and the Surface Pro 7.  

Cut to the Chase

  • What is it? Intel’s next-generation, 10nm CPU lineup
  • When is it out? Out now
  • What will it cost? Depends on the laptop running it

Intel Ice Lake

The Intel Ice Lake is already featured in a ton of the best laptops and Ultrabooks on the market.

Intel Ice Lake release date

Intel announced Ice Lake  back at CES 2019, which came as a bit of a surprise, especially when Team Blue announced that it would be slated for release before the holiday season hit. Even more surprising is the fact that Intel kept its promise despite the time crunch, rolling out the Intel Ice Lake processors on August 1, 2019. 

The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (2019) was one of the first laptops to benefit from Intel's new tech. On the other hand, the latest Ice Lake-equipped processors to hit the streets are the new Surface devices revealed by Microsoft at its October Event. And, now it seems like every mainstream laptop coming out like the Razer Blade Stealth 13 (2019) and the HP Spectre x360 (2020) are packing these processors. 

You'll probably see entry level laptops using the Intel Core i3-1005G1. (Image Credit: Intel)

Intel Ice Lake price

Intel Ice Lake is a mobile platform. While that does mean that laptop manufacturers have to pay Intel for the right to use its laptops, the price of the laptops using the chips will differ depending on the product. 

Still, we’re looking at entry level laptops using the Intel Core i3-1005G1, while only the most powerful flagships get the Intel Core i7-1068G7.

Intel Ice Lake

It looks like there's going to be a significant bump in performance over Whiskey Lake.

Intel Ice Lake specs

The key feature of Intel Ice Lake is, of course, the new underlying 10nm Sunny Cove architecture. What’s more, these new processors are the first chips to boast next-generation Gen11 graphics. 

Intel says that these processors are supposed to deliver a 2x performance increase, thanks to the smaller fabrication processes and the die shrink from 14nm. However, Ice Lake mobile processors are limited to 4-cores.

On top of the chips’ main microarchitecture, Ice Lake CPUs also come with native support for Thunderbolt 3, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and DL Boost.

The new graphics are a considerable improvement from the Gen9 GPU found in Intel’s previous line of CPUs. Those only had 24 EUs, or Execution Units, while these new Ice Lake chips offer up to 64 in the Intel Core i7-1068G7.

One thing we did observe right away is that the boost speeds these processors have are somewhat lower than their Whiskey Lake predecessors. For example, the Intel Core i7-8565U boasts a boost clock of 4.6GHz, next to the 3.9GHz boost of the Intel Core i7-1065G7. This is somewhat disturbing, but because these chips feature higher IPC performance, we should see an increase in speed anyway – something we're sure to see once we get our hands on an Ice Lake laptop and take one of these chips out for a spin.

Finally, Intel says that Ice Lake is supposed to help devices reach a battery life of over 25 hours. That’s truly impressive, and it’s mostly thanks to Team Blue performing a top-to-bottom analysis of power draw to reduce energy consumption. In addition, using AI to intelligently alter the processor's performance helps to maximize efficiency.

  • Intel Core i7-1068G7 – 4-cores, 8-threads | Intel Iris Plus | 64 EUs| 4.1GHz boost
  • Intel Core i7-1065G7 – 4-cores, 8-threads | Intel Iris Plus | 64 EUs|3.9GHz boost
  • Intel Core i5-1035G7 – 4-cores, 8-threads | Intel Iris Plus | 64 EUs|3.7GHz boost
  • Intel Core i5-1035G4 – 4-cores, 8-threads | Intel Iris Plus | 48 EUs|3.7GHz boost
  • Intel Core i5-1035G1 – 4-cores, 8-threads | Intel UHD | 32 EUs | 3.6GHz boost
  • Intel Core i3-1005G1 – 2-cores, 4-threads | Intel UHD | 32EUs | 3.4GHz boost

Ice Lake Y-Series processors: 

  • Intel Core i7-1060G7 – 4-cores, 8-threads |Intel Iris Plus |64 EUs | 3.8GHz boost
  • Intel Core i5-1030G7 – 4-cores, 8-threads |Intel Iris Plus |64 EUs | 3.5GHz boost
  • Intel Core i5-1030G4 – 4-cores, 8-threads |Intel Iris Plus |48 EUs | 3.5GHz boost
  • Intel Core i3-1000G4 – 2-cores, 4-threads |Intel Iris Plus | 48 EUs | 3.2GHz boost
  • Intel Core i3-1000G1 – 2-cores, 4-threads | Intel UHD | 32 EUs | 3.2GHz boost

If the early numbers and Ice Lake specs are anything to go by, it looks like there's going to be a significant bump in performance over Whiskey Lake. However, we can’t know for sure until we actually get our hands on an Ice Lake-powered laptop. We'll be sure to update this guide as soon as we have more information about these Ice Lake chips.

  • Intel Core i7-1060G7 – 4-cores, 8-threads |Intel Iris Plus |64 EUs | 3.8GHz boost
  • Intel Core i5-1030G7 – 4-cores, 8-threads |Intel Iris Plus |64 EUs | 3.5GHz boost
  • Intel Core i5-1030G4 – 4-cores, 8-threads |Intel Iris Plus |48 EUs | 3.5GHz boost
  • Intel Core i3-1000G4 – 2-cores, 4-threads |Intel Iris Plus | 48 EUs | 3.2GHz boost
  • Intel Core i3-1000G1 – 2-cores, 4-threads | Intel UHD | 32 EUs | 3.2GHz boost
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Intel Lakefield release date, news and rumors

Intel must be feeling the heat from Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered laptops, because the company is now developing its first hybrid processor or system-on-a-chip (SOC).

Cue Lakefield, an Intel processor unlike anything that you’ve ever seen. It comes packed with more than one type of CPU core to create a more stable and better-rounded chip. Plus, these hybrid SOCs can even come with their own integrated memory, I/O interface, wireless connectivity, and, of course, integrated GPUs.

Because it has so many different components built into the chip, Lakefield operates more like the ARM processors found in the best smartphones, than the traditional CPUs that have been powering laptops and desktop computers practically since they were invented.Lakefield could just change the computer game for the first time in years.

It’s not surprising that Intel isn’t the only one chasing the SOC dream, as AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation chips are also architecturally designed to be hybrid processors. Before this new wave of SOCs hits us, here’s everything you need to know about Intel Lakefield. 

Cut to the Chase

  • What is it? Intel’s first hybrid processors
  • When is it out? Sometime in 2019
  • What will it cost? TBD

Intel Lakefield release date

So far, Intel has only promised that Lakefield will be in production this year. However, Intel has also stated that it’s committed to having 10nm devices on shelves in time for the 2019 holiday shopping season in the US, so we can reasonably expect to see Lakefield-powered products become available sometime between October and December.

Intel Lakefield

Image credit: Intel

Intel Lakefield price

Pricing on Lakefield processors is going to be really hard to pin down, because as we’ve mentioned these will be Intel’s first ever hybrid processors. Without any pre-existing chips to use as a point of reference, we don’t really have much to base our speculation on.

Additionally, it seems like Lakefield will primarily be integrated into laptops and other types of mobile devices, rather than appearing on store shelves as boxed processors. With this in mind, these hybrid CPUs will likely only be available to commercial partners such as system integrators and original device manufacturers – so the chances of you being able to buy standalone Lakefield CPUs are slim.

Intel Lakefield

Image credit: Intel

Intel Lakefield specs

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the makeup of an Intel Lakefield processor, it’s worth discussing the guiding principle or technological revolution behind the company’s first hybrid x86 CPU: Foveros.

To start this journey, we’ll first take a look back at where Intel has been. 

For the most part, Intel’s processors up to now have utilized either monolithic or 2D integration packaging – that is to say, that’s how the chips are built. The former process has been used for the bulk of Intel’s processors, in which the CPU core, integrated memory, I/O and graphics are all integrated into a single die or unit.

Intel Lakefield

Image credit: Intel

Intel recently introduced 2D integration with its Kaby Lake G processors, which placed Intel CPU cores with discrete-class AMD graphics next to each other. Although the two separate components are ultimately built into a single package, they’re connected through the use of Embedded Multi-die Interconnect Bridge, which enables high-speed communication.

Foveros is essentially an evolution of this 2D integration, in which other components can be stacked on top of each other in a form of logic-on-logic integration.

The influence Foveros has had on the design on Intel’s Lakefield processor can be easily seen thanks to a recently released video that dissects the hybrid processor. We can clearly see the 12mm square package is stacked like a sandwich, with integrated memory sitting on top of the chip’s main components. 

The CPU itself includes a mix of different cores, including one big 10nm Sunny Cove core for performance and four, smaller 10nm Atom cores for low-energy tasks. This mix of differently performing CPU cores will supposedly allow small-form-factor devices to deliver both performance and power efficiency at the same time.

What's more, this chip comes with Intel’s Gen11 integrated graphics, as well as interfaces for cameras and hardwired connections, or I/O – not to mention the integrated memory sitting on top of all these components.

Intel Lakefield

Image credit: Intel

Despite their stacked nature, Intel Lakefield processors will still fit into the smallest of devices. At its CES 2019 keynote, Intel demonstrated how its hybrid processor can be fitted onto a motherboard no larger than a Roku Streaming Stick.

Intel has said that Lakefield can scale from low-power systems to full PC performance machines. This wide range of devices includes traditional notebooks, 2-in-1 (convertible or detachable) laptops, and even dual-screen laptops. Devices similar to the Intel Tiger Rapids and Asus Project Precog could get this new hybrid processor.

That’s everything we know about Intel Lakefield so far, but we’re sure to learn more about Intel’s innovative hybrid processor soon. Stay tuned to this page, as we’ll be bringing you the latest developments as we learn about them.

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AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation specs and prices spill out after a retail leak

We got a hearty helping of information about AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation processors at the start of the year, but all has been quiet for a while. Thankfully, this long silence has been broken by a massive retail leak that may have spelled out the entire Ryzen 3000 lineup.

It appears Ryzen 3rd Generation will include many new additions and an overall increase in core counts – if Bigzam’s recently published product catalog is to be believed.

Image Credit: TechRadar

At the head of the family is a new Ryzen 9 3850X processor equipped with 16 cores and 32 threads, with clock speeds ranging between 4.3GHz and 5.1GHz. Just below that is a very similar Ryzen 9 3800X that will supposedly feature the same number of cores and threads, but clocks in at a slower 3.9GHz base and 4.7GHz boost speed.

Ryzen 2nd Generation skipped over including a Ryzen 7 2800X to replace the Ryzen 7 1800X, so it appears AMD is making up for lost time by introducing a new flagship processor with twice the number of CPU cores.

The Ryzen 7 3700X will also apparently get a bump up in cores with a total of 12  alongside 24 threads. Comparatively, the Ryzen 7 2700X only featured eight cores and 16 threads.

It’s only until we get to the Ryzen 5 3600X do we see a more traditional eight-core, 16-thread processor, which again is a spec bump from the hexa-core Ryzen 5 2600X. Interestingly, the Ryzen 5 3600 is also rumored to get a G-series variant, which will purportedly feature integrated Navi graphics.

The Ryzen 5 3600G and Ryzen 3 3300G appear to be follow-ups to AMD's previous-generation APUs – the Ryzen 5 2400G and Ryzen 3 2200G – that included discrete-class, integrated Vega graphics. There’s isn’t any mention of whether the GPUs built into these chips will also be 7nm, like the AMD Radeon VII, but we’re hoping they will be.

Image Credit: TechRadar

Kingly sum

Lastly, we come to pricing, which seems to be a bit high compared to the cost of Ryzen 2nd Generation processors. For example, the Ryzen 7 3700X will supposedly run for approximately $370 (about £280 / AU$520), whereas the Ryzen 7 2700X costs only $329 / £329 / AU$509. 

Of course, these are price conversions from Singaporean dollars, and there’s no way to tell if Bizgram has listed these CPUs above their usual market rate. Earlier this month, Adored TV listed prices that seem to be more in line with what we would typically expect from AMD, but there’s also no way to be sure any of this information is legitimate.

We’re going to take these retail listings with a healthy dose of skepticism. We’ll keep you up to date with all of the latest information legitimizing or disproving this report as we hear it.

Via The Inquirer

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Nvidia GTX 1650 may have just showed up in a laptop

Nvidia Turing GTX series graphics cards have been popping out of the woodwork, and now we’re hearing that each of these new GPUs will also have laptop equivalent versions.

The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 has apparently appeared in a 3DMark entry – for a gaming laptop of all things. Thanks to a screenshot taken by TUM APISAK, we can surmise that the mobile version of the GTX 1650 will feature a base clock of 1,395MHz, with 4GB of GDDR5 video memory operating at 8Gbps speeds on a 128-bit memory bus.

Comparatively, the Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti found in current gaming laptops comes with a 1,345MHz base clock, 4GB of GDDR5 VRAM (7Gbps) and a 128-bit memory bus. So it looks like the GTX 1650 could add a nice bump in power for entry-level gaming laptops, if the rumors are true.

There’s no word on how many CUDA cores this purported GTX 1650 mobile chip will carry, but we guess it’ll be around 768 to 640, as seen on the mobile versions of the GTX 1050 Ti and GTX 1050, respectively. It’ll also be interesting to see how the desktop version of this GPU turns out, as we’ve only heard it will feature 4GB of GDDR5 video memory.

It looks like the GeForce GTX 1650 will deliver some amped up gaming performance over the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, but we’ll wait until Nvidia’s official announcement and our own testing before we fully vouch for these rumors.

Via Wccftech

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Thunderclap hack makes Macs and PCs with Thunderbolt ports vulnerable

If you’ve bought a recently released MacBook, Windows laptop or really any PC equipped with a Thunderbolt port, there’s a new vulnerability you should watch out for.

The new vulnerability has been dubbed Thunderclap and it could leave computers open to serious attacks such as running malicious code on your system. This is on top of the usual, unwarranted access to important data like passwords, encryption keys and any other sensitive data stored on your system.

It’s really bad news mainly because Thunderbolt’s protocols are designed with OS-level access and direct-memory access (DMA) to support high-speed data transfer, video out and its other myriad features. This vulnerability takes advantage of all that high-level access to do more harm.

According to the group of researchers that announced Thunderclap at the Network and Distributed System Security Symposium in San Diego, the Thunderclap vulnerability won’t just affect the latest machines equipped with Thunderbolt 3, but older devices that provide Thunderbolt connectivity through DisplayPort instead of USB-C. 

Thunderclap will specifically affect “all Apple laptops and desktops produced since 2011 are vulnerable, with the exception of the 12-inch MacBook. Many laptops, and some desktops, designed to run Windows or Linux produced since 2016 are also affected." 

How to stay protected from Thunderclap

Now the good news is the team of researchers discovered the problem in 2016 and have been working with manufacturers to develop fixes ever since. 

MacBooks and other Apple computers running at least macOS 10.12.4 should be partially protected from the bug and newer updates should provide even better protection. Meanwhile, Windows 10 version 1803 provides firmware level protection for devices.

The best way to protect yourself from being Thunderclap-ped is to immediately update any computers you have with the latest version of their respective operating systems. Users who want that extra layer of protection can also disable Thunderbolt protocols in your computer's BIOS or UEFI settings.

For the most part, this probably won’t be a vulnerability that will affect most users as it can only be introduced directly through a device’s Thunderbolt port. Most users should be safe just by being vigilant about what they plug into their devices. 

Via The Verge

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Intel Lakefield video guides us inside its first hybrid processor

Intel has released a new video to give us a detailed look and breakdown of its upcoming Lakefield hybrid processor.

Lakefield should sound familiar if you caught wind of it during CES 2019, when it was first unveiled as a hybrid processor designed to compete with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon computing APUs. In fact, this new video is actually more of an extended cut of the demo video that Lakefield debuted with at Intel’s keynote.

From the video, we can see the Lakefield processor makes use of the Foveros 3D design packaging to stack a massive array of memory on top of the chips’s main cores, which in themselves contain a mix of 'big' and 'small' CPUs. Intel has told us this chip will use a mix of 10nm Sunny Cove performance-focused CPUs and other 10nm-based smaller low-energy CPUs. 

Aside from those main processor components, we can see other pieces like Intel’s Gen11 integrated graphics as well as interfaces for cameras and hardwired connections, or I/O.

This layout essentially makes the Intel Lakefield processor more like a System on a Chip (SoC) processor you would find in your phone, wherein almost every major component is found on the processor chip, and a major deviation from the monolithic chips typically found in computers today. 

But, don’t think Intel is making a CPU for just phones and tablets, the video ends by showing how Lakefield can power a wide range of devices from traditional notebooks to 2-in-1 convertible and detachable laptops. The footage even suggests dual-screen laptops similar to the Intel Tiger Rapids and Asus Project Precog could get this new hybrid processor.

Intel Lakefield

Image Credit: Intel

Lakefield might seem like a pipe dream, but Intel has promised it will be in production this year. The company has yet to announce a possible ship window, but you can be sure we’ll report the date – and anything else – as soon as we hear it.

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Best Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti: which version is best for your PC?

The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is hard to beat as the best budget GPU out there. Even in the shadow of the GTX 1660 Super, the GTX 1660 Ti still rules the roost for budget options. In fact, it’s the fastest growing card among Nvidia's Turing offerings.

Nvidia essentially took its Turing architecture then removed the RT and Tensor cores that handled the RTX and DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) technologies, giving us a cheaper alternative that still delivers the same foundational performance as the RTX cards. So, what you’re getting here is an excellent balance of great performance and reasonable price.

The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is certainly among the best graphics cards, and if you’re on a budget, you can’t do much better than this Nvidia Turing GPU. Since there are some variances in price, due to the fact that this GPU doesn’t have a Founder’s Edition, we’re here to help. We’ve rounded up the best Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti card 2020 has to offer, so you can skip searching and get right on gaming.

PNY GeForce GTX 1660 Ti XLR8 Gaming OC

PNY GeForce GTX 1660 Ti XLR8 Gaming OC delivers the dream of 1440p Ultra quality gameplay at 60 fps.

The PNY GeForce GTX 1660 Ti XLR8 Gaming OC may not look like much, being tiny and all. But, this one’s small yet mighty, packing a punch with its 70MHz factory overclock and solid specs. This card delivers the dream of 1440p Ultra quality gameplay at 60 fps, and it’s guaranteed to blow you away. If that isn’t enough, all of this performance will cost less than 300 smackers. This is the one of the best bang-for-your-buck graphics cards you’ll find right now; your wallet will thank you.

Read the full review: PNY GeForce GTX 1660 Ti XLR8 Gaming OC 

Asus ROG Strix GTX 1660 Ti OC

Thanks to its extreme cooling system, overclocking the Asus ROG Strix GTX 1660 Ti OC is a breeze.

If you’re looking to max out the performance of the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, then the Asus ROG Strix GTX 1660 Ti OC might just be the card for you. It’s an ace in our book, especially considering that it delivers the highest factory overclock we’ve seen on this mid-range graphics card yet. In addition, its enormous heatsink and triple axial fans keep this card running a full 10C cooler than most of its rivals. Thanks to its extreme cooling system, overclocking this card is a breeze.

Read the full review: Asus ROG Strix GTX 1660 Ti OC review 

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Windforce OC

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Windforce OC utilizes 3D molded curves on its fan blades for an extremely effective airflow.

Prefer a more middle of the road Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 card? The Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Windforce OC is the nearest thing you can find to the average GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. It’s only packed with a middle-of-the-road dual-fan cooler. However, Gigabyte offsets that by utilizing 3D molded curves on its fan blades for an extremely effective airflow, which is further improved by the graphics card’s fans also spinning in alternate directions. Rounding its features out is a 1,845MHz boost clock. This card undoubtedly delivers more performance for not much more cash.

Palit GeForce GTX 1660 Ti StormX OC

Palit GeForce GTX 1660 Ti StormX OC packs all the power of a full-sized GTX 1660 Ti.

Besides being one of the best Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti available, Palit GeForce GTX 1660 Ti StormX OC is one of the most compact graphics cards ever designed, intended to fit in the tiniest of PC cases. Don’t let the small size fool you, however: this graphics card still packs all the power of a full-sized GTX 1660 Ti and then some, with a factory set 1,815MHz boost clock. Best of all, you won’t have to pay extra for this mini GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, so it will also save you some silver.

MSI GeForce GTX 1660 TI Gaming X 6G

The MSI GeForce GTX 1660 TI Gaming X 6G is easily the best looking of the bunch.

Just because it’s a mid-range card doesn’t mean it can’t also be trendy. If you’re building a cool-looking and immersive gaming rig, the MSI GeForce GTX 1660 TI Gaming X 6G is easily the best looking of the bunch, with a stylish aesthetic and fully programmable RGB lighting. You can personalize how it glows in sync with an MSI motherboard, which only enhances your immersion in the game. As far as performance, this card also delivers a solid one, which it couples with a Twin Frozr cooler to keep things chilled.

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Nvidia Turing release date, news and features

The wait for Nvidia’s next-generation Turing graphics cards was excruciating. However, the latest and greatest GPU architecture have powered our graphics needs for quite sometime now, and we must say that the sheer power of Nvidia Turing was definitely worth the long wait.

Now that we finally have Turing-powered Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, RTX 2080, RTX 2070 and RTX 2060 cards in our hands, we know they’re the best graphics cards for the games we’ll be playing for the next few years. And, that’s without factoring in Nvidia’s Super RTX cards, which are also out now. Nvidia Turing will be behind some creative work too, thanks to the recently introduced Nvidia Titan RTX.

Nvidia Turing is all about the real time ray tracing, taking this long-awaited graphics technology to the mainstream. This brings about a graphical revolution in the way the best PC games are rendered. And, judging by high-profile games like Metro Exodus and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, that revolution has begun – especially considering you can enable ray tracing on non-RTX cards (to the tune of a major performance hit).

Of course, there are Nvidia Turing cards out there for people that don’t need the unique RTX tech. Nvidia released the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, GeForce GTX 1660 and GeForce GTX 1650 for that purpose. They’re not quite as powerful as their ray tracing cousins, but they’re significantly more affordable. Additionally, Nvidia officially announced its mobile Turing graphics processors, along with a ton of laptops equipped with them.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? Nvidia’s latest graphics card architecture
  • When is it out? Out since September 20
  • What will it cost? $599 (£569, AU$899) - $10,000 (£7,830, AU$13,751)

Nvidia Turing

Image Credit: Nvidia

Nvidia Turing release date

All of the currently-announced Nvidia Turing GPUs are now out in the wild – from the GTX 1660 and 1660 Ti to the RTX Super cards, RTX 2060 Super and RTX 2070 Super. Well, that is, except for the RTX 2080 Super, which doesn’t come out until the 23rd. Thankfully, the RTX-series cards are readily available now after some initial limited availability. Additionally, thanks to the release of the newer cards, you’ll likely find more than a few older models on sale every day.

At CES 2019, we didn’t just finally get an RTX 2060 announcement, but also over 40 gaming laptops sporting the mobile version of Nvidia RTX graphics. These days, the best gaming laptops, alongside the ones we saw at CES 2019 like the Alienware Area 51m, are all packing the latest Nvidia Turing graphics. 

And, we’re sure that they’ll be packing the Super RTX cards in no time. If you were looking for a graphics card that you won’t have to take out a personal loan to afford, the affordable GeForce RTX 2060 Super and GeForce RTX 2070 Super recently hit the streets on July 9 to compete with the AMD Navi cards, which were released on July 7.

Nvidia Turing

Image Credit: TechRadar

Nvidia Turing price

Although the Nvidia Turing series started with the Quadro RTX GPUs, we're far more interested in the graphics cards available for consumers. If you wanted to check out these enterprise-leaning parts head on here. Otherwise, these were how much these announced consumer cards cost when they were first released:

  • Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti: $1,199 (£1,099, AU$1,899) 
  • Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super: $699 (about £560, AU$1099)
  • Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080: $799 (£749, AU$1,199) 
  • Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super: $499 (about £395, AU$720)
  • Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070: $599 (£569, AU$899) 
  • Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super: $399 (about £315, AU$580)
  • Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060: $349 (£329, AU$599)
  • Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti: $279 (£259, AU$469) 
  • Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660: $219  (£219, AU$389)
  • Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650: $149 (about £115, AU$210)

Overall, the prices for Nvidia's newest graphics cards seem to have risen with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti taking the place of Nvidia’s past Titan cards. This shift up can sadly be seen across the entire lineup. 

That’s without mentioning the prices on the store for the RTX 2080 Ti and RTX 2080, which were a bit higher than what Nvidia CEO and founder Jensen Huang revealed at the Nvidia Geforce Celebration at Gamescom 2018 – at the time of writing. For instance, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti was initially revealed at $999, but that price is rarely reflected outside of some occasional discounts like Amazon Prime Day.

Then there’s the GTX Turing cards. These are led by the $279 (£259, AU$469) GTX 1660 Ti, and provide phenomenal value at the low end. The most recent of these cards, the GTX 1650 is priced at $149 (about £115, AU$210), and is positioned to compete with the AMD Radeon RX 570.

The great news is that Nvidia has taken points from AMD, rolling the Super versions of its RTX 2060, RTX 2070 and RTX 2080 at a much more accessible price point, offering better price-to-performance value.

Nvidia Turing

Image Credit: TechRadar

Nvidia Turing specs

The headline feature of Nvidia Turing is the inclusion of ray-tracing tech, which can render more realistic visuals and lighting in real time without having to fall back on programming tricks. These specialized RTX cores basically calculate how light and sound travel in a 3D environment at a rate of up to 10 GigaRays on the RTX 2080 Ti. These specialized cores also allow Nvidia Turing-based graphics cards to process ray tracing up to 25 times faster than Pascal.

When these RTX Cores aren’t in use for processing ray tracing, they’ll essentially switch off, ceasing to draw any power.   

In addition to these RTX cores, the Turing Architecture also features Tensor Cores, like the ones found in Volta. These specialized cores enable artificial intelligence and neural networking so that Turing cards get better at rendering over time – something previously exclusive to supercomputers. 

With the ability to deliver 500 trillion Tensor operations a second, this technology accelerates deep learning training and inferencing. This allows Nvidia to offer Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), which could be a version of super sampling that won’t bring your computer to its knees. 

Even for games that don’t support this new DLSS tech, these AI-fueled cores should deliver traditional anti-aliasing much more efficiently – up to eight times.

As with Volta, Nvidia Turing is adopting GDDR6 memory – up to 11GB in the RTX 2080 Ti, which can clock in at up to 14Gbps, quite the leap over the Pascal-powered Nvidia Titan Xp that clocked in at 11.4Gbps.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is an absolute behemoth of a GPU. With 4,352 CUDA cores, 11GB of GDDR6 VRAM with a 352-bit memory bus and 18 billion transistors, it’s capable of 4K Ultra gaming at high refresh rates for years to come. It’s no wonder it comes with such a high price tag. 

The more mainstream RTX 2080 and RTX 2070, as well as the RTX 2060 Super and RTX 2070 Super, are also quite impressive and absolutely destroy the previous generation of GPUs. The former will feature 2,944 CUDA cores, 8GB of GDDR6 memory and clocks in at a 1.5GHz base frequency. The 2070, though is be a bit weaker, coming with 2,304 CUDA cores 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM and clocked at a 1,410Mhz base frequency.

And, while the RTX 2060 is basically just a cut-down RTX 2070, with the same TU106 GPU, but with 1,920 CUDA cores, 6GB of GDDR6 VRAM and a boost clock of 1,680 MHz, it’s still a formidable graphics card.

Nvidia has also launched some non-RTX cards, starting with the GTX 1660 Ti. This entry-level card features 1,536 CUDA cores, 6GB of GDDR6 VRAM at 12Gbps, and a base clock of 1,500 MHz. It’s slower than the RTX 2060, but it’s a substantial upgrade over the GTX 1060 it replaces.

Team Green’s second non-RTX GPU, the GTX 1660 features 1,480 CUDA cores, 6GB of GDDR5 video memory and a reference boost clock of 1,785MHz. It might not sound mighty on paper, but between its low price and fantastic 1080p gaming performance, it’s currently the absolutely best entry-level graphics card you can buy.

A third non-RTX GPU has been released, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650. This low-end GPU features the TU117 GPU, clocked at 1,485GHz with a boost of 1,665GHz. This budget card features 4GB of GDDR5 VRAM with 128GB/s of memory bandwidth on a 128-bit bus.

Nvidia Turing Performance 

As long as you have the high-end specs to back them up, the new Turing RTX cards are able to perform much faster than their Pascal equivalents, and will be able to push it even further once DLSS or deep learning super sampling is more widespread. Plus, due to the AA improvements in the Tensor cores, we’re seeing about a 20-40% increase in games that don't support DLSS.

In our benchmarks, the GeForce RTX 2080 outperforms the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti  by about 11% and the Nvidia GTX 1080 by a more impressive 32% in Middle Earth: Shadow of War in 4K. This performance difference is even more massive when you look at the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. It’s not only 20% faster than the RTX 2080 in the same title, but beats out the last-generation 1080 Ti by a massive 30%, destroying the GTX 1080 with a 45% performance delta. 

The Nvidia RTX 2070 is less impressive so while it does absolutely wipe the floor with the GTX 1070, it is essentially neck in neck with the GTX 1080 – barely hitting a 10% performance increase at 4K in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. At its price point, we were hoping for more, especially after seeing the RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 Ti’s impressive performances.

On the other hand, we’re very impressed with the two Super RTX cards’ price-to-performance ratio. This is especially true for the RTX 2070 Super, which offers a much better performance than the RTX 2070 at $100 cheaper. With boosted specs, the RTX 2060 Super will easily handle 1440p gaming with ray tracing enabled, rivaling the RTX 2070’s performance. The RTX 2070, on the other hand, definitely outperforms the RTX 2070 and in certain cases breaches RTX 2080 territory.

The RTX 2060 is obviously the weakest of the bunch, but you shouldn’t dismiss it outright. The mid-range Nvidia Turing card far outclasses the GTX 1060, but what’s more surprising is that it surpasses the GTX 1070 Ti – for a lower asking price. We were able to get 90 fps in Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p, whereas the 1070 Ti lagged behind at 86 fps. That’s not a huge difference, but the 2060 is $100 cheaper at launch. 

In traditional games, there’s no question that Nvidia Turing marks a total upgrade from Pascal. And, over time as drivers mature and users get ready to start overclocking their Turing cards, the difference is only going to grow. That’s not to mention the inclusion of incoming DLSS and ray tracing in games, which should only increase the Nvidia Turing performance gap.

When it comes to ray tracing, there was only one title that supported it at the time of writing: Battlefield V. And, in that title, the Nvidia Turing cards use a hybrid rendering technique – combining both traditional rasterization and ray tracing in order to produce playable frame rates.

Nvidia utilizes “Bounding Volume Hierarchy,” or BVH to track large portions of the scene being rendered for whether or not a ray is being bounced. The RTX cores will then dig deeper into these large rendering zones until it finds the polygon that’s getting hit by the light ray. 

This method impacts performance far less than tracking each ray live, but it’s still very demanding. In our own testing, you’ll be stuck at 1080p if you’re looking for smooth gameplay with ray tracing turned on. However, with Nvidia’s latest RTX drivers, it’s claiming to increase performance by up to 50% for ray tracing. We’ll be sure to test this and report back, but we have to wait for the new Battlefield V patch to do it. 

As for the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, you can expect much better performance than the GTX 1060 for less money – up to 56% faster in Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p in our testing. That makes the 1660 Ti a beast when it comes to value.

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Cheaper Nvidia GTX 1660, 1650 graphics cards might be coming soon

Nvidia GTX graphics cards are alive and well following the release of the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. Apparently, Team Green’s new mid-range GPU will soon be joined by two more affordable models.

Digitimes reports there are plans to release a GeForce GTX 1660 on March 15th for $229 (about £170, AU$320). What’s more, there will also purportedly be a GeForce GTX 1650 launching on April 30th for $179 (about £135, AU$250).

If this report is true, Nvidia could quickly dominate the entry-level market in the PC gaming world, especially if both of these GPUs are as impressive as the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti.

Producing GeForce GTX 1660 and the GeForce GTX 1650 cards certainly wouldn’t be a difficult task for Nvidia. The company could just use cut-down versions the its existing Turing TU116 GPU core with fewer CUDA cores or slightly lower operating frequencies to produce more affordable models.

According to VideoCardz, the GeForce GTX 1660 will feature 1,280 CUDA cores with either 6GB or 3GB of GDDR5 video memory. The GeForce GTX 1650, on the other hand, is still heavily shrouded in mystery and we’ve only heard it will come equipped with 4GB of GDDR5 VRAM.

The motive behind Nvidia’s sudden stream of affordable GPUs is far more transparent. Earlier this month, the company announced its Q4 FY2019 results with revenue dipping to its lowest levels since mid-2017. Part of its poor performance was due to the low sales of high-priced GeForce RTX graphics cards.

It’s almost certain that Nvidia is trying to reverse its fortunes for the better by selling as many mid- and entry-level graphics cards it can.

  • Here is our full review of AMD’s latest graphics card, the Radeon VII

Via Wccftech

Posted in Uncategorised

Cheaper Nvidia GTX 1660, 1650 graphics cards might be coming soon

Nvidia GTX graphics cards are alive and well following the release of the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. Apparently, Team Green’s new mid-range GPU will soon be joined by two more affordable models.

Digitimes reports there are plans to release a GeForce GTX 1660 on March 15th for $229 (about £170, AU$320). What’s more, there will also purportedly be a GeForce GTX 1650 launching on April 30th for $179 (about £135, AU$250).

If this report is true, Nvidia could quickly dominate the entry-level market in the PC gaming world, especially if both of these GPUs are as impressive as the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti.

Producing GeForce GTX 1660 and the GeForce GTX 1650 cards certainly wouldn’t be a difficult task for Nvidia. The company could just use cut-down versions the its existing Turing TU116 GPU core with fewer CUDA cores or slightly lower operating frequencies to produce more affordable models.

According to VideoCardz, the GeForce GTX 1660 will feature 1,280 CUDA cores with either 6GB or 3GB of GDDR5 video memory. The GeForce GTX 1650, on the other hand, is still heavily shrouded in mystery and we’ve only heard it will come equipped with 4GB of GDDR5 VRAM.

The motive behind Nvidia’s sudden stream of affordable GPUs is far more transparent. Earlier this month, the company announced its Q4 FY2019 results with revenue dipping to its lowest levels since mid-2017. Part of its poor performance was due to the low sales of high-priced GeForce RTX graphics cards.

It’s almost certain that Nvidia is trying to reverse its fortunes for the better by selling as many mid- and entry-level graphics cards it can.

  • Here is our full review of AMD’s latest graphics card, the Radeon VII

Via Wccftech

Posted in Uncategorised