Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti graphics cards are dying in alarming numbers
Hundreds of disgruntled early adopters of Nvidia's RTX 2080 Ti graphics cards are reporting failures, crashes, BSOD issues, and overheating GPUs, leading to returns and replacements, sometimes multiple times. This raises concerns over the failure rate and quality control of Nvidia's new Turing GPUs.
Alienware to offer Threadripper 2 CPUs in new Area-51 builds
Dell is expanding its Alienware Area-51 configuration options with a new Threadripper Edition. It adds support for the first-generation 1900X, as well as the newer 2920X and 2950X CPUs. They can be paired with up to 64GB of memory, 4TB of storage, and a choice of graphics cards all the way up to the Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti.
Samsung Galaxy Book 2 vs. Pixel Slate
Microsoft might lead the 2-in-1 pack with its Surface range of products, but there are many pretenders to the crown. Samsung and Google both have their own offerings with unique features and hardware, so we pitted the Galaxy Book 2 vs. Pixel Slate in a classic head to head to see which is the best value for money.
‘Final Fantasy XV’ dev claims Nvidia’s new card greatly improves performance
Nvidia's RTX-graphics-powered DLSS technology could make a dramatic improvement on not only the visuals but the frame rate in the PC version of Square Enix's Final Fantasy XV. The technical director claimed in an interview that the developer may implement ray tracing in the game in the future too.
Yoga Book C930 vs. Surface Go
Finding a laptop that's also a good tablet isn't easy, especially if you want to do so without paying through the teeth for it. Lenovo and Microsoft have some entry-level options which could fit that bill, though. To find out which is best, we pitted the Yoga Book C930 vs. Surface Go in a classic head to head.
AMD’s next-generation Navi cards show promise in early lab testing
A new report on alleged performance of AMD's next-generation Navi graphics cards suggests that early versions are currently undergoing internal testing at AMD labs and that the results are impressive. The GPU is expected to make its debut in 2019 as a mid-range successor to Polaris cards like the RX 580.
Nvidia’s new GTX 1060 6GB could counter AMD’s rumored RX 590
Nvidia has debuted a new version of its GTX 1060 6GB graphics card with support for faster GDDR5X memory in what seems likely to be a move to go after AMD's rumored RX 590 GPU with its faster core clock. Specific details are still unavailable at this time, but the implications of the new card are intriguing.
Intel denies rumors that 10nm Cannon Lake CPUs have been canned
Intel may have canned its next-generation Cannon Lake 10nm design process over continued delays, concerns about yield, and other fabrication issues. Intel has denied new reports that suggest the design has been killed entirely, as fans and industry heads now wonder what this may mean for Intel's next chips.
Apple CEO demands Bloomberg retract its Chinese surveillance story
Following Bloomberg's report that Apple may have purchased compromised servers from Super Micro that were manufactured in China with embedded surveillance chips, Tim Cook is now calling for the publication to retract its story. Cook said that an internal investigation revealed no truth to the report.
Intel Core i9 vs. AMD Threadripper
Intel's Core i9 CPUs have been some of the most powerful in the world for years, but AMD's Threadripper offers new competition with tonnes of cores and comparable clock speeds. What's the difference between these two chip technologies? And when you pit Core i9 vs. Threadripper, which CPUs come out on top?
Samsung Galaxy Book 2 packs Snapdragon 850 into Always Connected Windows 2-in-1
Samsung has announced a new version of its Galaxy Book 2-in-1. The second-gen design ditches the Intel Core processor and replaces it with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 850. It also comes with a higher resolution display, improved battery life, and Gigabit LTE data connectivity to keep you connected on the go.
Ryzen shine! AMD’s next CPUs could beat Intel at gaming in 2019
AMD's next-gen Ryzen CPUs could offer a much bigger boost to performance than its Zen+ chips did. The latest rumor suggests that the Zen 2 design delivers as much as 13-percent increase in instructions per clock, which could make AMD CPUs better than Intel's best at gaming and single-threaded tasks.
Microsoft patent highlights a potential VR text input system
Microsoft has been awarded a patent for a new typing method in virtual reality and with console gamepads that leverages a radial wheel. The system has trappings of the Microsoft Surface Dial and could prove a more intuitive way to type out long messages while using virtual reality motion controllers.
Problems with Microsoft’s Windows October 2018 Update aren’t over yet
Microsoft still isn't quite ready to relaunch its October 2018 Update for Windows 10, despite two weeks of additional bug testing and fixing after its debut. The update continues to prove problematic with new concerns over audio issues and misreported CPU usage in Task Manager, as well as crashes.
Winamp eyes big comeback in 2019 with podcast, streaming support
Classic audio player Winamp is set for a big revamp next year, in what the developers hope will bring together all audio streaming solutions in a single application that's cross-platform. The newly updated app will support podcasts, local and cloud audio, radio stations, and other audio sources.
Qualcomm’s ‘Snapdragon 1000’ could bring octa-cores to Windows laptops
The rumored Snapdragon 1000 chip from Qualcomm could rival the performance of some of Intel's ultra low-power CPUs for laptops. The new report on its development suggests it will have a TDP of just 15w, despite packing as many as eight cores under the hood for use in high-power and low-power scenarios.
Leaked benchmarks suggest rumored AMD GPU could be king of midrange graphics
A supposedly AMD RX 590 graphics card has appeared in results for 3DMark's TimeSpy benchmark and the results are intriguing. With 200MHz more on the core clock than an RX 580, it beats the older Polaris GPU and pulls well ahead of the GTX 1060, slotting firmly between it and a GTX 1070 in raw performance.
Memory is still expensive, but Intel’s 9th-gen CPU lets you have 128GB of it
Intel's new 9-series CPUs, like the 9900K, 9700K, and 9600K, will have support for as much as 128GB of RAM using new double-height modules. Pricing remains unclear for such a system, but the new kits will no doubt be inordinately expensive, making these sorts of high-capacity PCs unlikely to be commonplace.
Did your Windows 10 audio stop working after the update? Microsoft has a fix
Microsoft's latest update for Windows 10 fixes an audio issue that materialized after the rollout of its October 2018 Update. Affected users received no sound from their speakers or headsets at all, with only some driver uninstalls fixing the issue temporarily. This official fix should put a stop to it.
Personal info of 30,000-plus Pentagon employees compromised in contractor breach
More than 30,000 Pentagon employees may have had their personal information, including credit card details, revealed during a recent hack. A government contractor was said to be responsible for the breach and the Department of Defense is continuing an investigation into how and when it occurred.
Why Intel and Nvidia controversies prove you should always wait for benchmarks
Recent launches of hardware from Intel and Nvidia have been mired by concerns over misleading benchmark results which heavily favored their new products over the competition. This is a great time remind ourselves that pre-ordering hardware without third-party test results is a bad idea for a number of reasons.
Surface Studio 2 vs. iMac Pro: Which all-in-one rules them all?
Apple and Microsoft have faced off in many hardware and software arenas over the years, but the all-in-one space is as hotly competitive as any other. Pitting the Surface Studio 2 vs. iMac Pro sees two of the most powerful singular computing systems in the world competing head to head, to see which is the best.
Windows Insiders get fix for October 2018 Update’s data delete bug
Microsoft has released an updated version of its Windows 10 October 2018 update to Windows Insiders which includes a fix for the data deletion bug that plagued a few users upon the initial release of the OS overhaul. Insiders will get a chance to test this patched version before the rollout resumes.
3DMark’s new Night Raid benchmark gives integrated graphics their own test
UL Benchmarks has launched a new benchmark as part of its 3DMark test suite called Night Raid. Aimed at integrated graphics chips and Microsoft's Always Connected line of ARM-powered laptops, the test will give those with lower-powered systems the chance to see how capable their PCs are at basic gaming.
Superpowered MSI Trident X packs RGB lighting, Intel 9900K, and a GTX 2080 Ti
MSI's new Trident X gaming PC is a compact powerhouse with RGB lighting and some of the best components in the world isolated into their own cooling chambers. Options include RTX 2070, 2080, and 2080 Ti GPUs, and up to a Core i9900K CPU with 32GB of memory for near-unparalleled gaming power for the foreseeable future.
More Spectre protection comes with some of Intel’s new 9th-gen CPUs, but not all
Intel's upcoming ninth-generation Core CPUs have a number of enhancements over their predecessors, but its K-chips have the potential to be the most impactful. They are the first desktop CPUs to come with hardware fixes for the dangerous Spectre and Meltdown bugs which have plagued millions of chips.
AMD Ryzen will add two budget CPUs, gaming-oriented update October 29
AMD will expand its range of Threadripper CPUs on October 29 with the launch of the 2970WX and 2920X chips. They will be joined by a new Dynamic Local Mode software update, which AMD claims will improve the gaming performance of its WX CPUs, potentially making them the new kings of benchmarking.
Intel Optane memory: Everything you need to know
Intel's new Optane technology powers the fastest drives we've ever seen and can even enhance older drives to give them the performance of much faster modern storage devices. But what's happening under the hood to make that happen? And does Optane memory turn traditional storage dynamics on their head?
Confused by Wi-Fi standards? Simplified branding will start with Wi-Fi 6
The future 802.11ax specification for wireless internet connectivity is set to be renamed as Wi-Fi 6, with retroactive renaming of the last two generations of Wi-Fi as Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 4. This rebranding is hoped to make it easier for consumers to understand what speeds and features they can expect from new purchases.
Windows’ October 2018 update wants to be best buds with your phone
Windows 10's October 2018 update is finally upon us and it brings with it a number of great productivity and quality of life improvements to a number of facets of the OS. From Microsoft Edge, to Office 365, it should be easier to use, with new AI enhancements, and better integrated with our smartphones than ever before.
Oculus Quest vs. Oculus Go
Since the original Oculus Rift debuted, Oculus VR has spent much of its efforts in making the technology more accessible. The Oculus Go and Oculus Quest improve ergonomics, reduce the price, and cut out the need for additional hardware. But which offers the better entry-level VR experience for new users?
HP tries out a new premium laptop look with the leather-clad Spectre Folio
A leather laptop? You didn't misread that. HP's Spectre Folio is a laptop that's wrapped and bonded with premium, real leather that might not please animal rights' activists, but could be the first entry in a new breed of premium, fashion statement laptops that provide a warmer, softer touch to modern computing.