Upgrading to that will add $700/£700/AU$1,050 to the final price, but for people who want to take advantage of HBM2 (High Bandwidth Memory 2), rather than GDDR6, then it could well be worth an upgrade.
SSD kit for Mac Pro
Apple’s Mac Pro also gets a new SSD kit that allows customers to add extra super-fast storage to their powerful PC.
The kit is apparently easily installed by customers themselves, all includes two SSD modules with options for 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB capacities.
This offers some welcome flexibility to people – especially creative professionals – who want to expand the storage of the Mac Pro.
Both the new GPU option for the 16-inch MacBook Pro and the SSD kit for Mac Pro are available to buy right now.
New rumors have emerged that Nvidia is gearing up to launch its RTX 3000 series of next-gen graphics cards this September with the widely-expected GeForce RTX 3080 going on sale alongside a rather unexpected addition – the RTX 3090.
The rumors come from Igor’s Lab (and reported by Wccftech), which is based on a timetable reportedly provided by its reliable sources. According to the rumors, Nvidia will be starting mass production of the GPUs in August, with a reveal and media event (including first official benchmarks) in September 2020.
As Wccftech points out, with this timetable, it’s likely that Nvidia could show off the GPUs a bit earlier than the media event at a public event, possibly at Gamescom 2020 – which is going digital-only this year.
Surprise RTX 3090
While we’ve been expecting the Nvidia RTX 3080 to launch around that time, one thing that stands out about this new rumor is the mention of an RTX 3090 launching at the same time.
We’ve heard a few rumors about an RTX 3090 before now, but if Nvidia actually does release a GPU by that name, it’ll still come as a bit surprise.
This is because Nvidia hasn’t released a x90 chip since the GTX 690 back in 2012. Before then, an x90 GPU was a dual-chip card – and that’s something Nvidia hasn’t made since the Titan Z in 2014.
Instead, Nvidia’s flagship consumer cards are the Ti cards, like the RTX 2080 Ti. At first we dismissed the idea of an RTX 3090, and assumed that previous rumors were either false, or they were mistakenly talking about the RTX 3080 Ti.
However, the persistence of RTX 3090 rumors is giving us second thoughts. What we don’t know is that if (and that’s a big ‘if’) the RTX 3090 exists, will it be a step above the RTX 3080 Ti, or will it simply replace it?
Also, would the RTX 3090 once again be another dual-chip GPU?
Nvidia going back to the x90 naming convention would certainly be an odd choice – and could end up confusing people.
Wccftech actually has an interesting theory about why Nvidia may be embracing the x90. With both AMD and Intel releasing ‘9’ series enthusiast products (the Ryzen 9 and Core i9 respectively), could Nvidia be aligning its products as well?
If consumers are beginning to associate products with a ‘9’ in their names with high performance, enthusiast, components, then that could be an explanation.
Either way, we shouldn’t have too long to wait to find out, if this new rumor is to be believed.
If there’s anything we’ve learned from the game reveals for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, it’s that you don’t need to wait for next-gen to arrive – just play on a PC.
You see, when Microsoft showed off its ‘gameplay’ reveal earlier this year, which was designed to get us excited about the Xbox Series X, what little gameplay that was actually shown off (most of it was pre-rendered cinematics) was rather unexciting for PC gamers.
This is because there was nothing shown off that screamed ‘this is next-gen’. All the games looked like they could be easily played on a modern gaming PC or gaming laptop.
There’s also that knowledge that with Microsoft’s conference, any game it shows off for Xbox Series X will also be available for PC. It’s a bit of an odd strategy, as it means most PC gamers would have no reason to buy an Xbox Series X, but I’m not complaining.
So, I approached Sony’s recent PS5 reveal event with a lot more interest. Despite primarily being a PC gamer, I’ve also always bought (and enjoyed) PlayStation consoles as well. Plus, unlike Microsoft, Sony usually shows off stuff that will make PC gamers jealous as they can’t play the games on PC.
However, once again many of the games shown off at the event didn’t look like they would cause most gaming PCs much of a problem.
This means, once again, that the PC is the best gaming platform if you want to play the broadest amount of games possible.
Should PC gamers buy a PS5?
However, unlike Microsoft, which has yet to give PC gamers a reason to buy an Xbox Series X, Sony could still convince some of us to part with their cash.
For a start, while a fair amount of PS5 games will arrive on PC, many won’t. I loved the original Spider-Man game on PS4, and if I want to play the expanded Miles Morales version, it looks like I need a PS5.
Also, the two most technically-impressive games of the show, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Horizon Forbidden West, are PS5-exclusive, and are likely to stay that way for a long time.
THey were also two of the games that made me think maybe my ultra-powerful gaming PC couldn’t handle them.
Horizon Forbidden West looks absolutely gorgeous, and if the final product matches what we saw at Sony’s event, then it could end up being one of the most graphically-impressive games ever made.
Meanwhile, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart showed the potential of the PS5’s incredibly fast SSD as players are able to seamlessly jump between different universes in-game.
With the custom SSD of the PS5 reaching potential sequential read speeds of 5.5 GB/s – far outstripping pretty much any SSD you’d find in a current gaming PC. This will allow the PS5 to stream in assets at impressively fast speeds, allowing for effect like the ones seen in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, where new worlds are seamlessly loaded as you jump between dimensions.
While there will be SSDs for gaming PCs out there that can compete with the PS5’s SSD eventually – Samsung could bring one out as early as August – for most people, their gaming PCs won’t be able to compete with the PS5 in that respect.
Also, for PS5-exclusive games, where devs know players will have access to the super-fast SSD, they can design their games to make full use of those speeds. For PC games, devs are going to develop their games knowing that the majority of players won’t have those kind of SSDs.
Potentially, this gives the PS5 a pretty big advantage. Throw in the fact that we won’t be able to play games from critically-acclaimed developers like Naughty Dog on anything but a PlayStation console, and it’s looking like enough reasons for this PC gamer, at least, to splash out on a PS5 as well.
New rumors have emerged that hint at the direction Microsoft will be taking with its upcoming Surface Laptop 4 and Surface Go 3 devices.
While the Surface Book 3 and Surface Go 2 have just been released, no one was expecting Microsoft to take its foot off the pedal, and these new rumors suggest the company is focusing on its flagship and its affordable range.
The first rumor pertains to the Surface Laptop 4, and comes from some leaked benchmarks that apparently show the device running Windows 10 May 2020 Update, and powered by the AMD Ryzen 5 4500U processor.
This is based on AMD’s Zen 2 technology, and is a six-core processor with a 2.3GHz and a boost clock of 4GHz.
It’s a CPU that’s aimed at providing excellent performance in thin and light devices, so we’d love to see it in an upcoming Surface device from Microsoft.
Last year’s Surface Laptop 3 was the first time Microsoft offered a Surface device running on AMD hardware, and if these benchmarks are correct, it means Microsoft has felt that was enough of a success to carry on the partnership.
The Surface Laptop 3 was also available with Intel CPUs as well, and we imagine that would be the case with the Surface Laptop 4 as well.
Surface Go 3 going AMD as well?
The second rumor focuses on the Surface Go 3, but be warned: this is a lot more nebulous. It comes for a forum poster on Tablet PC Review, who claims to be a Microsoft insider. They say that “we are testing in house the new Ryzen mobile chips including the new very low power 4.8 watt one for our own custom devices but that could also conceivably be used in a Go 2 successor.”
That could mean that AMD could be providing the chips for the Surface Go 3 – which would be a first for the budget tablet.
Again, this rumor needs to be taken with a hefty amount of salt, as it’s from an unverified poster. However, as Windows Latest observes, this poster previously correctly disclosed the specs of the Surface Go 2 before Microsoft officially revealed them.
The chip is apparently codenamed 'Pollock' and will have a very low power consumption of just 4.8 watts.
However, while it is a low-powered part, according to the poster, “heat is still an issue and would be doubly so in an enclosure as packed as the [Surface] Go is”. If accurate, this means that Microsoft is struggling to fit the part into a Surface Go-like device due to how small it is – as the chip is running too hot.
Apparently, though, Microsoft has “relayed what we have found to AMD and we will be working with them on possible alternate solutions”.
This means it might not even show up in the Surface Go 3. However, with the Surface Go 2 having only just released, we aren’t expecting the Surface Go 3 until at least 2021, which gives Microsoft and AMD time to iron out problems – again, if this post is true.
The forum post also suggests that Microsoft could use its own custom chips in a Go 2 successor. Microsoft has previously released the Surface Pro X with its own custom chip (rather than one made by Intel or AMD), so this wouldn’t be too much of a surprise, either.
We’ve no doubt that Microsoft is planning both a Surface Laptop 4 and Surface Go 3 for the future, and hopefully we’ll get some more concrete details about the upcoming products soon.
There are emerging reports of a new Windows 10 May 2020 Update problem that appears to have broken Drive Optimizer, one of the more useful tools that Microsoft ships with its operating system.
As Windows Latest reveals, numerous users are complaining that the built-in Drive Optimizer is not behaving as it should be.
This tool, which used to be known as Disk Defragmenter in previous versions of Windows, contains a number of applications, one of which is called Optimize Drives, which can run maintenance tasks on a PC’s storage to help boost performance. If your PC has traditional hard drives (rather than SSDs), you can also defragment the drives to ensure they are running as well as possible.
You may not have heard about Drive Optimizer, but by default it’s run every week to keep your PC running smoothly, and can even help speed up Windows 10 boot times. For IT admins and businesses with lots of PCs, this is also an important tool to help keep devices performing as well as possible.
So, news that the new update is causing problems with the tool won’t be too welcome.
What’s going on?
According to Windows Latest (which also ran the tool to see if the problems were present, and they were), the Optimize Drive tool is not always reporting the correct status – so it doesn’t always log if a scan has been run, and therefore warns that the drive is unoptimized, when in fact it is.
It seems this is an issue with Drive Optimizer not recording the dates of the last scan correctly.
So, while the tool is still doing its job – your hard drives should still be scanned and optimized – it’s not correctly recording when this has happened, which could cause issues (and undue worry).
Microsoft appears to have been made aware of this bug back when a user reported it back in January, and the company claimed to have fixed it in a blog post on January 23, 2020. However, it seems to a slipped into Windows 10 May 2020 Update, which was recently released.
Hopefully, Microsoft will be able to ship a fix pretty quickly.
When Intel Kaby Lake-G processors were unveiled in 2018, many of us were surprised – pleasantly so – due to its unique collaboration with AMD, which provided the graphics power for Intel’s CPU. However, that rare teaming up of the old rivals seems to have finally fallen apart with AMD apparently ending driver support for Kaby Lake-G processors.
Intel itself discontinued the processors back in October 2019, leaving AMD to continue to issue drivers for the integrated graphics while it focused on its newer products – including its upcoming Intel Xe discrete GPUs.
Driver support for Kaby Lake-G processors has been pretty patchy in the past – with the chips going a full 12 months without a single update – even though Intel promised five years of driver support.
Ceding updates to AMD brought hope to Kaby Lake-G owners, as they began getting updates through AMD’s Adrenalin 2020 package, which brought security fixes and performance improvements.
However, it now seems that will come to an end.
No more updates
While there hasn’t been an official statement from AMD (or Intel), users with Kaby Lake-G processors have found they couldn’t install the latest WDDM 2.7 driver (20.5.1) and WHQL (20.4.2) drivers.
What’s particularly galling for Kaby Lake-G owners is that it appears they are once again being locked out of the latest drivers, and this seems to include AMD’s latest enhanced drivers that the company released for the new Windows 10 May 2020 Update.
Our colleagues over at Tom’s Hardware tried to install the new drivers on their Hades Canyon NUC mini PC, and encountered an error message saying the hardware was not supported.
We’ve contacted AMD to find out more about this, but for the moment it seems like support for Kaby Lake-G is now at an end – and so it is that rare collaboration between Intel and AMD.
Steam has published the results of its May 2020 Hardware and Software Survey, which compiles information about PC gamers' setups, and the latest results are good news for AMD, and relatively bad news for Intel.
The Steam Hardware and Software Survey is updated every month, and while it only contains information from Steam users who have opted in, the fact that the Steam games store is so popular gives us a good idea of hardware and software trends.
And current trends seem to show PC gamers are slowly, but surely, switching from Intel to AMD when it comes to processors.
May’s results show that while Intel still has a commanding lead in market share – a whopping 77.54% of all respondents have an Intel CPU – that number dropped 0.74 percentage points from April’s results.
While that drop may not seem huge, Intel should still feel unhappy about this for a number of reasons. First of all, its chief rival, AMD, saw its market share grow by exactly the same amount, which suggests that Intel owners are now switching to AMD.
Another thing to concern Intel is that apart from in March, the company has been losing market share every month of 2020. That’s certainly not a trend that the company will like to see continue, no matter how big its current lead is.
AMD’s GPU struggles
While AMD should take comfort from its growing CPU market share, which has no doubt been boosted by a series of impressive releases recently, on the GPU side, it appears it’s still struggling to make headway.
Its rival in the GPU space, Nvidia, completely dominates the market, with nine out of the top 10 GPUs being cards from team green, with the GTX 1060 being the most-used GPU for Steam users. Meanwhile, the AMD Radeon RX 580 is the only card from team red that manages to sneak into the top ten… and only just, at number 10.
In fact, AMD has just 15.98% GPU market share. Intel, which at the moment doesn’t even make dedicated gaming GPUs, isn’t that far behind on 10.63%.
Interestingly, according to May’s Steam Hardware and Software survey, the overwhelming majority of gamers use gaming monitors running at 1080p resolution (63.51%). The next most popular resolution is the rather low 1,366 x 768 with 10.91% of people using that resolution, which is a common resolution found on laptops.
Meanwhile, 4K (3,840 x 2,160) resolution seems to be struggling to make much of an impact at the moment, with only 2.17% of respondents running that resolution.
As far as software goes, Windows 10 64-bit reigns supreme with it being installed on 85.58% of PCs. However, that’s actually a bit of a drop compared to last month. The second most-used OS remains Windows 7 – and frustratingly for Microsoft, that actually saw a slight rise in use in May (up 0.61%), despite Microsoft ending support for the ageing operating system back in January.
So, it seems like this month’s results are a bit of a mixed bag for AMD and Microsoft, while Nvidia remains relatively secure in its domination of gaming GPU market share. Intel is still CPU king as well, but it will want to do something to stop it losing market share soon.
Welcome to our pick of the best all-in-one computers money can buy in 2020. One this page you'll find top picks for all-in-one PCs that offer the power of a traditional desktop PC, but with all the internal components installed in the display, which makes them ideal for decluttering your desk.
The best all-in-one computers are great for offices, homes or studios where desktop space is at a premium. It’s no coincidence that all-in-one computers are favored by professionals in the creative industry, especially the Surface Studio 2 or iMac Pro.
Their space-saving and decluttering benefits aside, another good reason to opt for one of the best all-in-one computers– instead of a traditional tower PC – is that they can save you some money as well.
Many AIO computers boast more than enough power to meet all your computing needs for the price of one. Think about it: if you get a tower with comparable power, you’ll have to pay separately for a monitor as well. That is, unless you’ve already got a really good one at home already. If you opt for an AIO, the display already comes with the package.
Back when the original Surface Studio hit the streets, it was a game changer for artists and content creators alike. And, even in 2019, the sequel still stands in a league of its own. The Surface Studio 2 doesn’t just feature the same gorgeous display and unique functionality, but it also ups the power significantly, making it a much more future-proof device. It’s still extraordinarily expensive, but if your use case is right for the Surface Studio 2, then, it’s hard to think of a better all-in-one PC.
The iMac Pro, more than any other computer on this list, is aimed squarely at professionals – and it has the hardware to back it up. Packed with up to an 18-core Intel Xeon processor and up to 128GB of RAM, there isn’t a single thing you could throw at the iMac Pro to slow it down. And, while it is, without a doubt, outrageously expensive – it doesn’t really matter. If you’re the type of person that needs this level of power (you know who you are) then the price is absolutely justified.
The Dell XPS 27 AIO comes with this amazing articulating stand, and it comprises a mix of a massive 4K UHD resolution touchscreen with six ear-numbing speakers. Not only is it an attractive design, but it’s also top notch when it comes to power. Whether you’re making your own beats or listening to someone else’s, watching movies or editing your own, the Dell XPS 27 AIO is easily one of the best all-in-one PCs, and should be at the top of your list when shopping for a new PC.
Not to be shown up by the 5K iMac or new Dell XPS AIO, HP has its own unique take on the all-in-one desktop. Though it also has all its components stored in its base like the Surface Studio, the HP Envy Curved All-in-One also adds in a booming speaker bar. Add in the ultra-wide curved screen and this is one of the best and most immersive PC for enjoying movies.
We went all of 2018 without a new iMac, but it looks like the wait was worth it. And, while the new iMac looks exactly like the 2017 model, it’s what’s inside that counts. Apple’s all-in-one PC has been refreshed with all new components, including 9th-generation Intel desktop processors, Radeon Pro graphics and faster SSDs. And, because that luxurious 5K Retina display is still there, it’s a no brainer for all the Apple fans out there.
Lenovo’s latest all-in-one offering isn’t as powerful as Apple’s premium AIO, the iMac Pro, or even the recently updated iMac, which now offers a 9th-generation Intel Core configuration. After all, the 8th-generation chips and Radeon RX 560 graphics are aging at this point. However, it is still plenty powerful to meet the needs of creative professionals out there who are not entirely impressed by Apple’s pricey machines. On top of that, the Lenovo Yoga A940 has a few aces up its sleeves, including 100% Adobe RGB support and Dolby Vision, a set of Dolby Atmos speakers, a port offering that’s more generous than Apple’s all-in-one, and a stylus included in the box.
Now has never been a better time to install the best GTA 5 mods. Despite being seven years old, GTA 5 remains one of the most popular games ever – it was recently announced it has now sold over 130 million copies.
An influx of new and returning players is also expected after the Epic Games Store gave away GTA 5 on PC for free. And while that offer has now expired, you can still pick it up cheap – and if you’re one of the few people yet to play it, then you definitely should. There’s a reason why it’s still considered one of the best PC games ever made.
But what about the best GTA 5 mods? These are free modifications made by a passionate community, and GTA 5 mods not only give the game an overhaul when it comes to visuals (and makes it look like a modern game), but it can add extra gameplay features – and even turn GTA 5 into a completely new game.
Over the past seven years, GTA 5 has built up a huge library of mods, so it can be difficult to find the best Grand Theft Auto V mods that are worth installing. While many GTA 5 mods are excellent, there are also a huge amount which, sadly, aren’t very good at all.
So, to make things as easy as possible, we’ve highlighted the very best GTA 5 mods that you can install in 2020. We’ve also included a guide on how to install GTA 5 mods on PC.
The best GTA 5 mods can breathe new life into Grand Theft Auto V, but you need to do a couple of things before you begin tweaking the game. Follow these steps, and you’ll be playing the best GTA 5 mods in no time.
1. Download and install Script Hook V for GTA 5
The first tool you need is Script Hook V. Download the .zip file, then open it up and copy the ScriptHookV.dll file to the main GTA V folder where GTA5.exe is. For people using Steam, this is found in SteamAppscommonGrand Theft Auto V on the drive where you installed GTA 5.
Also copy over dsound.dll and NativeTrainer.asi to the same folder.
2. Install GTAV LUA Plugin
Some mods also require the GTAV LUA Plugin. Download and open the .zip file, then move LUA.asi into the same folder at GTA5.exe (as in step 1).
3. Install GTA 5 mods
With those two tools you should be able to download and run any GTA 5 mod. Different mods have different instructions, so read them carefully when you download them. Most should simply need copying over to the main GTA 5 folder.
However, when you download a mod that requires the LUA Plugin, make sure you copy the LUA file that comes with the mod into the ‘addins’ folder, which itself can be found in the ‘scripts’ folder of GTA 5.
Now you should be ready to install and play the best GTA 5 mods.
1. GTA V Redux
GTA V Redux is our pick of the best GTA 5 mod of all time. It brings a huge graphical overhaul to GTA 5, with 4K textures, new weather effects, and much more. After seven years GTA 5 isn’t looking as cutting-edge as it once was, but GTA V Redux makes it look as good as any modern game.
Not only does it bring graphical improvements, but also makes vehicles handle better, fixes the police system so it’s more fair and improves NPC behaviour, so people in Los Santos act more believably.
2. Open All Interiors
The world of GTA 5 is large and wonderfully realized, but there are many buildings that you can't access. There are certainly fewer buildings you can enter than previous games, it feels. However, the Open All Interiors mod for GTA 5 changes all of that, by allowing you to enter a large number of previously inaccessible buildings.
Not only does this make an already large map even larger, but it helps make the world of GTA 5 even more immersive and realistic.
3. Complex Control
If you want a GTA 5 mod that essentially changes every aspect of the game, then Complex Control is the mod for you. It brings battle royale mechanics, popularized in games like PUBG and Fortnite to GTA 5, as well as over 100 unique character skins, new abilities and a lot more.
Complex Control is a perfect example of how ambitious the best GTA 5 mods can be.
4. Gang and Turf
GTA 5 is the spiritual successor of the PlayStation 2’s GTA: San Andreas, being both set in the fictional state of San Andreas. However, while GTA 5 improves on a lot of the PS2 game, there are some noticeable absences, such as the fun gang warfare feature.
If you were gutted that GTA 5 didn’t include that, then you can relive it with the Gang and Turf mod.
5. Funny Vehicles Pack
Fill GTA 5 with ridiculous – and famous – vehicles with the Funny Vehicles PacK #1 and Funny Vehicles Pack #2. With these mods installed, you can ride around in cars such as The Poolmobile, which features a tiny swimming pool, BBQ and sunbathers, as well as iconic vehicles like the motor home from Breaking Bad.
6. Gravity Gun
Bring a touch of Half Life 2-inspired chaos to GTA 5 with the Gravity Gun script. Simply equip the gun like you would with any other weapon in GTA 5, then hold down E on the keyboard to pick up basically anything in the world, including cars, pedestrians and animals, then fire them off into the distance. Ridiculously fun.
7. NaturalVision Evolved
NaturalVision Evolved is a highly ambitious GTA 5 mod that aims to take the graphics of Grand Theft Auto V to a whole new level. While there are plenty of great visual mods for GTA 5 out there, NaturalVision Evolved goes even further, and gives us a hint of what GTA 6 could look like in the future.
Unlike other mods on this list, NaturalVision Evolved is a work in progress, and you need to pay for early access. Usually this would be a bit of a red flag, but it does seem like this is a truly ambitious mod. Plus, you can try a (very) early version of it for free.
8. GTA Iron Man Armour
Put a bit of the MCU in GTA with the GTA Iron Man Armour mod, which lets you suit up and blast around San Andreas. Not only does it let you take to the skies, but it’s also a brutal weapon as well, and allows you to dish out justice using rockets and repulsor blasters.
9. Crime and Police Rebalance & Enhancement
One of the biggest complaints about GTA 5 is the rather overzealous police department, which will swarm you with cops no matter how minor your offence is – even if there doesn’t seem to be any witnesses.
As the game is all about you being a criminal, brushes with the law are a big part of the GTA 5 experience, so if you want the cops to behave more realistically (and fairly), then make sure you install the Crime and Police Rebalance & Enhancement – it will make the game far more enjoyable.
10. Vice Cry:Remastered
GTA: Vice City is one of the most fondly-remembered Grand Theft Auto games, and the Vice Cry:Remastered brings the PS2 classic to modern PCs. The full game is included, all rendered in GTA 5’s engine.
If you can’t get enough of GTA, then this mod brings you one of the best entries in the series with updated visuals. It’s an amazing feat.
The rumors come from a cryptic tweet from the HXL Twitter account (which you can see below), and expanded upon the VideoCardz website. The details are thin on the ground, but VideoCardz claims the information comes from an AMD source – though it was unable to confirm this, so take it with a pinch of salt.
As you can see from the tweet, these new CPUs would be announced on June 16 and go on sale July 7. So not too long to wait, then.
The existing Ryzen 3000 chips already do a good job of competing with Intel’s new CPUs, and a refresh would allow AMD to tighten the screws, potentially increasing the performance (and maybe even boosting the core count to 10 to take on the Core i9-10900K).
AMD Zen 3 release date, specs and price: everything we know about AMD Ryzen 4000
Having new chips would also likely result in the prices dropping for the existing Ryzen 7 3700X and Ryzen 7 3800X chips, again putting pressure on Intel. We’ve also seen rumors that AMD is looking to drop the price of the Ryzen 9 3900X in response to Intel’s new chips as well.
Refresh confirmed?
Of course, the so-called 'Matisse Refresh' rumors are pretty thin if based on a single tweet. However, as VideoCardz points out, a recent slide from Gigabyte showing off its new motherboard mentions 'Matisse & Refresh', which could hint at future plans.
Interestingly, the slide also mentions 'Vermeer' and 'Renoir' APUs, which haven't been released either.
So, it looks like AMD isn’t going to take any chances with Intel winning back its market share. As soon as we hear more, we’ll keep you posted.
If you're a photographer looking for the best PCs for photo editing, then you've come to the right place. On this page you'll find top computers that we've carefully picked to provide professional photographers (and keen hobbyists) with the power needed to handle photo editing software like Photoshop.
As you'll be working with high resolution photos, the best PCs for photo editing usually come with a dedicated graphics card, rather than a less powerful integrated GPU, and while you won't need an expensive high-end graphics card (unless you want to do video editing or 3D rendering and modelling as well), it's worth buying a PC with a decent mid-range or higher graphics card, so your PC can keep up with your workload.
When buying the best photo editing PC for your needs, you should also make sure it has enough RAM, as this allows you to have a number of programs and images open at once. We recommend at least 8GB of RAM for a modern photo editing PC.
You'll also want a high capacity hard drive for storing your photos on, we'd recommend 1TB or higher. The larger your photo collection is, the more space you'll need. The good thing about PCs is that you can add extra hard drives reasonably easily (especially compared to laptops), but by buying a photo editing PC with plenty of storage space already will save you having to fiddle about installing extra hard drives later on.
In search of a photo book to store your edited prints?
Best PC for photo editing at a glance:
Apple Mac mini 2018
Lenovo ThinkCentre M900
Microsoft Surface Studio 2
Apple iMac Pro
Lenovo Yoga A940
iMac (27-inch, 2019)
HP Pavilion Wave
Intel Hades Canyon NUC
The new Mac mini was a long time coming, but it was well worth the wait, as Apple has packed it with some brilliant modern components, including the latest 6-core processors from Intel, along with support for up to 64GB RAM and loads of storage as well, all in that small and stylish body we've come to love. It's perfectly powerful enough for photo editing, and small enough for photographers to carry around with them. The only disappointment is that it does not come with discrete graphics, but Intel's integrated UHD Graphics 630 aren't too shabby, and you can also plug in an external GPU for extra graphical oomph.
The Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 is an excellent desktop PC for photo editing, as it combines speed and power with an excellent build quality and reliability which is essential for PCs used for heavy duty image manipulation. Best of all, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 comes in a range of configurations, with the top-end model boasting a huge amount of power. This flexibility lets you build a Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 that suits your needs, and there's plenty of room to upgrade and expand this desktop in the future.
The Surface Studio 2 ups the power significantly, making it a much more future-proof device. (Image credit: TechRadar)
If you’re looking for an incredibly powerful, yet stylishly designed, all-in-one PC that’s not made by Apple, then Microsoft’s brilliant Surface Studio 2 will be for you. It comes at a price, but for build quality and performance, you’ll not want to look any further, especially if you work with photo editing applications. Microsoft's all-in-one PC fits comfortably on a desk, and it's built-in screen makes your photos look fantastic, even before you've edited them. As it run Windows 10 you get a huge range of comparible photo editing apps as well.
If you're a professional photographer and digital creative, then the iMac Pro is one of the best PCs money can buy. This is a seriously powerful all-in-one that was released last year with cutting edge tech, and a choice of powerful Intel Xeon W processors, bags of RAM and hefty graphical processing power. All of this in an iconic Apple design. If you have the budget for it, the iMac Pro is one of the best PCs for photo editing money can buy. However, for some people, you may find it has a level of power that you do not require, so read on for more modest (and affordable) PCs for photo editing.
Lenovo Yoga A940 is plenty powerful to meet the needs of creative professionals.
Lenovo’s latest all-in-one offering isn’t as powerful as Apple’s premium AIO, the iMac Pro, or even the recently updated iMac, which now offers a 9th-generation Intel Core configuration. After all, the 8th-generation chips and Radeon RX 560 graphics are aging at this point. However, it is still plenty powerful to meet the needs of professional photographers who can't afford Apple's more pricey machines. It's one of the best PCs for photo editing thanks to its screen that offers 100% Adobe RGB support and Dolby Vision, plus a stylus and dial as well, for better control over your photo editing work.
If the iMac Pro above is too expensive (and offers a level of performance that you simply don't need) but you want an Apple all-in-one, then the standard iMac is more than capable of helping you with your photo editing. While the iMac 2019 doesn’t feature a touchscreen or an adjustable stand, the option for a 4K P3 wide color gamut display means it will accurately display your photos. This year's model also offers upgraded components that make it an even better productivity machine for photographers.
Though at first you might confuse it for a fabric-wovenMac Pro refresh, the HP Pavilion Wave is anything but. This compact Windows machine packs in 6th-generation Intel Core processors and optional discrete AMD graphics with a uniquely integrated Bang & Olufsen speaker. Wrapped in a handsome fabric exterior, this is the perfect PC to have on the desk. If you love listening to music while you edit your photos, then this is a brilliant – and stylish – PC to consider.
If you’re looking for a great desktop experience for photo editing, but don’t have a lot of space, look no further than the Intel Hades Canyon NUC. In this tiny bare-bones PC, you have an insanely powerful 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, and discrete-class Radeon graphics – once you throw in some RAM and storage, you've got a small and easily portable PC that can handle photo editing with ease. If you often travel around and want a powerful and dependable PC for photo editing, then this is definitely worth considering.
Game Mode, a feature introduced to Windows 10 way back with the Creators Update of 2017, was supposed to make gaming a much better experience – but it seems the opposite is true.
Many PC gamers have noticed that with Game Mode enabled, which should usually prioritise games and minimise background tasks to improve performance, many games actually encountered poorer frame rates, stutters and freezes.
It’s certainly frustrating, especially as Game Mode is supposed to improve game performance, but thankfully it can be easily fixed by disabling Game Mode.
How to turn off Game Mode in Windows 10
The process of turning off Game Mode in Windows 10 is pretty straightforward. To do this, open up the Start Menu and click the icon of a cog. This opens up the Settings app.
In the app, click ‘Gaming’ then on the left-hand menu, select ‘Game Mode’ then click the toggle to turn it off.
You should now see improved gaming performance. Hopefully Microsoft is aware of this issue and will fix it in a future update to Windows 10. We’ve contacted Microsoft for comment.
Imagine buying a new laptop, only to find that three years later Microsoft/Apple stopped offering software updates for it, effectively forcing you to upgrade in order to ensure you had a machine that was secure and ran smoothly.
And imagine that, during those three years, each software upgrade your laptop did get felt like it was purposefully designed to slow down the device, again nudging you towards upgrading.
With this imaginary laptop, you were unable to install any other operating system on it (perhaps in a bid to continue to get security updates) without voiding the warranty. You couldn’t download and install programs that hadn’t been vetted by the OS maker, and you were unable to open it up and replace or upgrade certain things, like the battery or hard drive.
Then, imagine that the new version of the laptop you’re being encouraged to upgrade to comes with fewer ports than the model you currently own – so your current peripherals won’t work with it.
Sounds awful, doesn’t it? But that’s what’s basically happening in the smartphone world at the moment. Take the original Google Pixel. Launched in 2016, it was a very good smartphone (I should know, I owned one), and in 2020 it should still be a good smartphone.
The problem is, Google announced in 2019 – a mere three years after the Pixel launched – that it was no longer providing essential security updates for the phone.
Meanwhile, following the launch of the iPhone SE 2020, and with iOS 14 coming later this year, it’s expected that the iPhone 7 – launched in 2016 – will no longer be supported with updates from Apple.
While we seem to have come to accept that kind of behavior from smartphone makers, the thought of a laptop no longer being supported after only a few years is (at the moment, at least) ludicrous.
Sure, Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 7 this year – but that’s 11 years after the OS still launched. And laptops running that old operating system were encouraged to upgrade to Windows 10, so machines didn’t suddenly become useless once Windows 7 reached its End of Life phase on January 14, 2020.
Yes, I’m actually painting Microsoft in a good light here. And, while I’m not a fan of what Apple does with its phones, when it comes to supporting older Macs and MacBooks, its reputation is a lot better; there’s a reason, after all, why you meet people who boast about still using a 10-year-old MacBook, but no one who still uses the original iPhone, for example.
However, both Microsoft and Apple are bringing elements of smartphone design into their laptops, and it’s something I’m beginning to worry about.
One of the most annoying things about most modern phones is the fact that they have non-replaceable batteries. Over time, batteries hold less and less of their charge, and back in the day you could simply whip out the old battery and put in a new one – but if the battery is non-replaceable, it means either getting the manufacturer to install a new battery, or replacing the whole device.
Both Apple and Microsoft have been taken to task for including non-replaceable batteries, and for soldering and gluing in components, in their MacBook and Surface devices respectively. By preventing users from easily upgrading or fixing their laptops, they're sailing dangerously close to introducing the forced obsolescence that I feel is plaguing the smartphone market.
The fact that this kind of behavior isn’t the norm – and that the idea of a laptop no longer being supported a mere three years after its launch seems so far fetched – gives me hope that the laptop market isn’t picking up too many bad habits from smartphones – for now.
But why do we accept this when it comes to phones? Many smartphones are just as expensive – if not more so – than laptops.
In my view, we shouldn’t. I’ve got a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 – a brilliant smartphone that I’d be happy to use for years. However, I’m very aware that Samsung – and my cellphone network – wouldn’t want me to do that. They would want me to toss aside this perfectly good phone in a few short years, and upgrade to the latest version.
It’s a sorry state of affairs – and it isn’t just a bad deal for consumers, who feel the need to spend big money on a new phone, or be locked into contracts where they pay off the handset (plus interest) over several years.
It’s also a bad deal for the environment. If we keep on treating perfectly good electronics as useless piles of junk after only a few years, the environmental impact will be severe. In these trying times, continuing to use our existing tech – or finding new uses for it (like turning an old Android smartphone into a system monitor for a gaming PC) – is the ethical way forward.
If you are looking for a new smartphone, and you're concerned about getting a bad deal, there are at least some things you can do. There are some brilliant mid-range phone deals out there – so if your phone is only going to last you a few years at least you won't have spent a fortune on it – and well as SIM-only deals that give you more freedom when it comes to how long you get to use your phone for before being pestered to upgrade.
But let's home laptop manufacturers resist the temptation to follow phone makers any further down the path of enforced obsolescence – for the sake of both our wallets, and our planet.
It looks like Nvidia and AMD are gearing up to produce next-gen 7nm graphics cards, with both companies reportedly snapping up any spare 7nm capacity TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) has.
Lots of tech companies use TSMC to build their chips, and for quite a while Apple was its biggest customer for 7nm chips. However, Apple is now planning to move to using 5nm chips in its products, which could free up TSMC to work with its other customers. It seems Nvidia and AMD aren’t wasting any time in grabbing that opportunity.
The revelation that Nvidia and AMD are increasing their orders with TSMC comes from a report by DigiTimes, which says that "A ramp-up in short lead-time orders placed by AMD and Nvidia will allow TSMC to post relatively strong results compared to other foundries in the first half of 2020, according to industry sources."
As Wccftech reports, it now seems that AMD is on track to become TSMC’s largest 7nm customer by the second half of 2020, overtaking Qualcomm and HiSilicon.
Preparing for battle
The report also claims that Nvidia has bought up a lot of freed-up 7nm capacity, suggesting it’s preparing for the launch of its next-gen Ampere graphics cards. Wccftech also claims that it has heard from a trusted source that Nvidia was planning on revealing a new server GPU at its GTC conference – which ended up getting cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The website also claims that Nvidia is waiting to see what AMD does with its Big Navi flagship GPU launch before revealing its next-gen RTX 3000 graphics cards.
We might have seen these at Computex 2020, which has been postponed until September 2020 due to the pandemic. While this seems to have impacted the launch plans for both companies, it appears in the background they are both continuing to build up their inventories in preparation for their inevitable next-gen battle.
In fact, the Covid-19 pandemic seems to have helped them out, somewhat, as it has caused other companies to scale down (or cancel) their orders with TSMC, hence the increase in its available 7nm capacity – which has now been bought up by the two GPU giants.
It seems Windows 10’s update woes are still continuing, with Microsoft’s latest patch, KB4549951, reportedly causing serious issues for some users.
As MSPowerUser reports, some users who have tried to install the latest update have seen error messages such as 0x8007000d, 0x800f081f, 0x80073701 popping up, with the installation then failing.
Windows 10 KB4549951 is an important security update for Windows 10 1903 and 1909 – the two most recent versions of Windows 10 – so some users are understandably concerned that they can't install the update.
However, it appears that even if you can install it, you may encounter serious issues, with other users complaining that once the update is on their PCs, they start to encounter some very annoying problems.
Feeling blue
One complaint is that after the update is installed, Bluetooth stops working on the affected machine.
It’s also being reported that the new update breaks Wi-Fi connectivity for some people, while reports of the dreaded Blue Screen of Death error message have also emerged.
Blue Screen of Death problems are particularly nasty, as they mean that the entire PC becomes unresponsive – and the only solution is to reboot the machine, possibly losing any unsaved work you had open.
How to fix it
We’ve reached out to Microsoft for comment, but so far the company has not acknowledged issues with the update, which was made available on April 14.
For the moment, the only reliable way to fix the issues introduced with Windows 10 KB4549951 is to uninstall the update. However, we should note that because this update introduces important security fixes, you should only uninstall it if you’re experiencing problems.
If you’ve installed the update and are having issues, follow the steps below to uninstall it:
First, open the Settings app (the cog icon in the Start menu) click 'Update & security' and then click on 'Windows Update' in the left-hand menu
Next, click 'View update history'. Click 'Uninstall updates', find KB4549951 in the list of updates, select it, then click to uninstall.
