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Acer’s focus grows with a new smartwatch, VR headset, and 360 camera

This year's Acer event was full of announcements spanning several major product categories, with a few that pair up interesting features.
Computing News
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Close to the Metal Ep. 40: The Optane Difference

Intel's Optane Memory will start arriving in systems this week, so on Close to the Metal, we'll let you know who it's a good fit for.
Computing Podcasts
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Missed out on the NES Classic? Don’t worry, building one is easier than you think

Nintendo may be discontinuing the NES Classic, but that doesn’t mean you must give up on playing classic Nintendo games. Crafting your own is as easy as picking a few parts off Amazon and formatting a memory card.
Gaming Features
MSI Trident 9S6-B90611-02S review

MSI Trident 3 review

With fast components and compact design, the Trident 3 has a lot to offer, but it’s MSI’s system to screw up. Can the popular system builder avoid its previous pitfalls?
Gaming Computing
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Close to the Metal Ep. 39: The RX 570 Live Review

Join us on this week's Close to the Metal as we breakdown performance and price on the new AMD Radeon RX 570.
Podcasts Computing
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Asus Strix Radeon RX 570 OC 4GB Review

AMD’s Radeon RX 500 series cards might not be the most exciting ever, but the RX 570 packs a level of gaming performance that budget-conscious gamers can’t afford to ignore.
Computing Reviews
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Close to the Metal Ep. 38: The Ryzen Roundup

The Ryzen 5 chips offer an interesting performance proposition that’s impossible to ignore. We’ll talk over the whole series thus far and let you know where the best chips lie.
Podcasts Computing
Ryzen 3

AMD Ryzen 5 1600X review

AMD’s quest to return to relevance continues with the show-stopping six-core Ryzen 5 1600X. It’s the most concentrated blow to Intel’s massive machine yet, as it hits the mark in more ways than one.
Computing Reviews
AMD Rizen 5 series 1500X

AMD Ryzen 5 1500X review

The Ryzen 5 1500X competes well at its price point with other mid-range offerings, but the Ryzen 7 chips were attractive because of their incredible core count – and the 1500X lacks that.
Computing Reviews
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Close to the Metal Ep. 37: Does the Windows 10 Creators Update live up to its name?

Ready or not, the Windows 10 Creators Update is rolling out to systems. On this week's Close to the Metal, we'll dig in and assess the damage.
Podcasts Computing
Logitech Brio

Logitech Brio 4K webcam review

Logitech’s glossy Brio webcam captures beautiful 4K video, a first for the category, and at a reasonable price. But as it turns out, not everyone can handle that kind of power.
Computing Reviews

Here are the 5 best new features in the Windows 10 Creators Update

While some of the landmark upgrades in the Windows 10 Creators Update may not have made it in time, there are still great new features to get excited for, from privacy updates to new Edge improvements.
Computing Best Ofs
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Microsoft’s Paint 3D shows promise, but it’s more toy than tool

There’s a lot of promise in Microsoft’s redesigned Paint 3D, but taking the complexity out of 3D modeling may have rendered pipe-dreams of mixed reality fun and 3D printed toys unable to hold water.
Computing Features
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Close to the Metal Ep. 36: Optane Memory has arrived, but who is it really for?

Intel Optane Memory is right around the corner, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions surrounding its release.
Podcasts Computing
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Intel’s Optane Memory hopes to give your aging hard disk a kick in the pants

Intel's Optane Memory is finally here, complementing older HDDs with lightning-fast performance. But is it trying to solve a problem that SSDs are already the answer to?
Computing Features
Razer Blade 2016

Razer Blade (2017) review

The Razer Blade is thin and light, unlike pretty much every other gaming laptop you can buy. You may not get quite as high of framerates, but the high-end components, excellent build quality, and portability make it stand out from other gaming laptops. Is it the right one for you though?
Computing Reviews
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Close to the Metal Ep 35: We’re not over the moon about Mass Effect: Andromeda

EA's new Mass Effect title should be a visual showpiece, but as you'll hear on this week's Close to the Metal, not all that glitters is gold.
Computing News
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Intel’s Optane DC 4800X blurs the line between RAM and solid state storage

We've heard a lot about Intel's new Optane drives based on XPoint technology, but they're finally here -- sort of.
Computing News
LaCie Rugged Type-C

LaCie 4TB Rugged USB Type-C review

Lacie’s Rugged drives are still the beefiest mechanical externals around after ten years, but SSDs bring a different type of durability that’s more appealing as prices start to drop.
Computing Reviews
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Close to the Metal Ep. 34: Quantum Computers are finally landing, but it’s still early

Quantum computing is finally here. Still in its infancy, we'll discuss the implications of the most headache-inducing topic in computing.
Podcasts Computing
AMD Ryzen 7 1700 review

AMD Ryzen 7 1700 review

AMD’s $329 Ryzen 7 1700 may not be making as much of a splash as the flagship Ryzen 7 1800X, but it competes directly with Intel’s Core i7-7700K, and it may pose a real threat.
Computing Reviews
A Windows 10 laptop sitting atop a desk.

Windows 10 Insider Program: Latest Windows Builds, Updates, and News

Whether you're in the fast ring, or hanging back in the slow ring, there are lots of new features in Microsoft's new Windows 10 beta update.
Computing News
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Close to the Metal ep. 33: Ryzen is here, but is AMD really back?

AMD is hoping its new Ryzen chips are its chance at a big comeback -- just like every other chip release from the red team.
Podcasts Computing
AMD Ryzen 7 1800X review

Ryzen proves the PC industry can no longer ignore AMD’s comeback

AMD's Ryzen may not dominate every aspect of performance, but its presence may be enough to jolt an industry starved for competition back to life.
Computing News
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Close to the Metal ep 32: Tonight’s the Night for New GPUs

On this week's Close to the Metla, we wait not-so-patiently for tonight's possible announcement of new GPUs from both Nvidia and AMD
Podcasts Computing
Dell XPS Tower 2017

Dell XPS Tower Special Edition 8910 SE review

Dell’s pint-sized XPS Tower Special Edition provides plenty of power for the masses, though not every configuration is a great value, and a hard drive upgrade is sorely needed.
Computing Reviews
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LG announces every Gram notebook for 2017, starts selling them immediately

LG's new lineup of Gram notebooks with Intel's Seventh-Generation processors are in stores now, and the heaviest is just 2.4 pounds.
Computing News
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‘For Honor’s’ performance will cut down many PCs, but you can fight back

Ubisoft’s For Honor is putting gaming PCs on notice with an appetite for power, and you’ll be sent packing if your machine can’t hold up its own sword. Here’s what to expect.
Computing Features
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Close to the Metal ep 31: Steam is changing the game for indie developers

Steam is ditching Greenlight in favor of a more direct-to-consumer approach. How will that change affect developers?
Podcasts Computing
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Technical slides reveal new truths about Ryzen's power management

As an alleged Ryzen launch inches ever closer, more technical details have come to light regarding AMD's upcoming processors.
Computing News
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Close to the Metal Ep. 30: For Honor will kick your gaming PC's butt

This week on Close to the Metal, we'll ask why PC games are so much harder to run, and see if Microsoft has a potential solution.
Podcasts Computing
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MSI GS63VR Stealth Pro gaming laptop review

Better components means a better gaming laptop, and MSI’s GS63VR is benefitting from that, with a slimmed-downed chassis and competitive performance. But can it outpace its generic origin story?
Gaming Computing
Plextor M8Pe PCIe SSD

Plextor M8Pe 256GB SSD review

There aren’t many PCIe SSDs on the market, but the form factor is useful for systems looking for better storage without an M.2 slot. Plextor’s M8Pe may be just what the doctor ordered.
Computing Reviews
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Close to the Metal Ep. 26: Nintendo Switch fills a gap in PC gaming

Nintendo's upcoming Switch console is already making waves, particularly among the PC gaming community. On this episode of Close to the Metal, we'll discuss why that might be the case.
Computing Gaming
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