Month: May 2020

Productivity and gaming laptops are distinct categories, but sometimes the lines get blurred. That’s the case with Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 3 laptops. Microsoft accurately bills the Surface Pro 3 as its “most powerful laptop ever,” and while it still comes dressed in productivity attire, it has some optional gaming chops—though at a higher price than many laptops that are purpose-built for gaming.

The Surface Book 2 that these new configurations replace also had some gaming options, but this time around, discrete GPU options are based on Nvidia’s latest generation Turing architecture. Buyers with the requisite funds can optionally make the leap from integrated graphics to a GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU with 4GB of GDDR5 memory on the 13.5-inch model, while the 15-inch model comes standard with a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q GPU with 6GB of GDDR6.

Max-Q variants mean you ultimately give up some performance to keep things cooler, which makes it possible to jam higher end GPUs into a thin and light form factor. However, both discrete GPUs are far and way better suited for gaming than integrated graphics.

To that end, Microsoft says “people who love to game” will find that the 15-inch model packs “enough power to play the top Xbox Game Pass for PC titles at 1080p in a smooth 60 frames per second.” In other words, Microsoft has gamers in its sights. Developers as well, who can opt for a model with a Quadro RTX 3000.

While the Surface Book 2 also shipped with a discrete GPU option (based on Pascal), the Surface Book 3 promises to be better suited for gaming, and not just in raw power. The Verge notes the Surface Book 2 it tested last year had trouble holding a full charge when plugged in and gaming because the AC adapter was under powered. For the Surface Book 3, Microsoft’s Robert Seiler told the site the charger’s been upgraded from 102W to 127W to address that very issue.

“When you max out the power you will not get it plugged in and not charging,” Seiler explained. “We’ve tested for it, it was one of the key things we wanted to address this time around.”

On the CPU side, the Surface Book 3 gets a bump to Intel’s 10th generation Ice Lake processors (10nm). There are two CPU options, both with 4 cores and 8 threads: a Core i5 1035G7 (1.2GHz to 3.7GHz, 6MB L3 cache) and a Core i7 1065G7 (1.3GHz to 3.9GHz, 8MB L3 cache).

Buyers can also outfit the Surface Book 3 with up to 32GB of RAM, twice as much as before, and what Microsoft claims is “the fastest SSD we have ever shipped.” Microsoft didn’t provide any performance figures, but we do know it’s using NVMe drives that shuttle data over the PCIe bus. Capacities max out at 1TB in the 13.5-inch model, and 2TB in the 15-inch model.

The caveat to all this is pricing. Here’s the breakdown:

13.5-inch w/ Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD—$1,599.99

13.5-inch w/ Core i7, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, GTX 1650 Max-Q—$1,999.99

13.5-inch w/ Core i7, 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD, GTX 1650 Max-Q—$2,499.99

13.5-inch w/ Core i7, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, GTX 1650 Max-Q—$2,699.99

15-inch w/ Core i7, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q—$2,299.99

15-inch w/ Core i7, 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD, GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q—$2,799.99

15-inch w/ Core i7, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q—$2,999.99

15-inch w/ Core i7, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD, GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q—$3,399.99

You’re looking at two grand to wade into discrete GPU waters, and a few hundred dollars more if you want the bigger model with the faster 1660 Ti.

Part of the premium pricing goes to the display. These are touchscreen panels with a 3000×2000 resolution on the 13.5-inch model, and 3240×2160 resolution on the 15-inch model, each with a high 1600:1 contrast ratio.

Other amenities include Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) connectivity, a 5MP front-facing camera and 8MP rear-facing camera, two USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A ports, a single USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port (with power delivery), a 3.5mm headphone jack, full-size SDXC card reader, and two proprietary Surface Connect ports.

These are slick laptops, and with Turing GPU options now available, the gaming angle is legit. It’s also a pricey proposition, if gaming is your primary (or only) goal. 

We’re starting to see some compelling gaming laptops based on AMD’s Ryzen 4000 mobile series, like the Asus TUF Gaming A15 with a GeForce RTX 2060 GPU for $1,300. And as we highlight in our roundup of cheap gaming laptop deals, MSI’s GF63 Thin with a GeForce GTX 1650 can be had for $699. And at the high end, a $3000 MSI GE66 Raider will include an RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, whereas for the same price you get a GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q in a Surface Book.

ASRock announced its luxurious Intel Z490 Aqua motherboard on Tuesday. It stands out with built-in water cooling, PCIe 4.0 support, overclocking proficiency and a jaw-dropping design. The catch? Like the AMD-powered X570 Aqua motherboard from last year, the company’s only making 999 units.

Newegg lists the ASRock Z490 Aqua for a hefty $1,099.99 with a May 20 release date. That’s $100 over the AsRock X570 Aqua released for AMD CPUs last year, but such is the life for Intel devotees. ASRock advertises this as its new flagship motherboard, but the limited quantity and high price tag make it clear — this is a status symbol.

The Z490 Aqua is as much a statement piece as it is high-end equipment. Featuring copper PCBs, PCIe 4.0 and “up to 95% VRM efficiency,” the key feature here is the built-in Aqua Cooling Armor water cooling heatsink.

Encased in a white aluminum shell to evoke glaciers, the Z490 Aqua also has programmable RGB lighting that follows and highlights the water flow. 

Tucked alongside the I/O shield’s internals is an OLED display for reading motherboard stats, like fan speed and CPU temperature, which users can configure in the BIOS. There’s also what looks to be an extension of the armor on the bottom right of the motherboard over the Z490 chipset that’s fully decked out in RGB.

A metal backplate covers most of the motherboard’s backside, while a similar metal plate surrounds the PCIe slots, three PCIe 3.0 x16 slots that are PCIe 4.0-ready (and, therefore, will be limited to performance of the PCIe 3.0 interface) and two PCIe 2.0 x1 slots.

A PCIe 4.0 external base clock generator also aids in overclocking, while a PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD slot helps boost SSD speeds. Two M.2 SATA slots provide additional storage, and you get four DDR4 RAM slots.

With a board this elite, the connectivity options keep coming. You get a USB 2.0 header (two ports) and two USB 3.2 headers (four ports total), giving the back I/O shield eight USB Type-A connections total. Two Thunderbolt 3 ports bring USB Type-C connectivity. A front USB 3.2 Type-C header provides a data transfer rate of to 10 Gbps. 

The Z490 Aqua can also help you bring Wi-Fi to your PC build with Intel 802.11ax WiFi and two Ethernet connectors with varying speeds.

Besides its strong specs, visual appeal is clearly a chief motivating factor here, so we recommend your best PC case with a transparent panel for this motherboard.

Popularity of the compact mini PCs is on the rise, because not everybody needs massive gaming PC locked in an oversized case. Many users actually prefer the small compact factor and also great consumption numbers. Chinese brand CHUWI is mostly known for their tablets and laptops, but they have recently delved also in this area as well. And their CHUWI HeroBox mini PC is still one of the best options in the category of affordable models with solid specs. So what can we expect from it ?

For starters CHUWI HeroBox is a really compact MiniPC with 37,3 x 187,6 x 138,3mm and 0.59kg of weight. The design would indicate a gaming platform, but that’s certainly not the case. But the little metal box at least looks nice. Inside we can find Intel N4100 processor from the Gemini Lake platform paired with dual-channel 8 GB LPDDR4 RAM and fast 180 GB SSD disk. You can also easily add up to 2 TB SATA drive in the available 2.5″ bay. Thanks to effective passive cooling it’s completely fanless and thus quiet, points for the HeroBox.

HeroBox is also not short of very solid connectivity options featuring 2 x USB 3.0 ports, 2 x USB 2.0 ports, USB Type-C port, HDMI 2.0 supporting 4K@60Hz, gigabit LAN and even older D-Sub port. Wireless is also nothing to scoff at with dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0. Full consumption of the unit is under 10W, so it’s really very efficient little gadget. With VESA bracket you can also easily mount it on the back of your monitor. And of course you are getting a licenced Windows 10 system with your purchase, but HeroBox also supports Linux if needed.

So if you are looking for a rock solid office mini PC, HTPC or media server, then you can’t go wrong with CHUWI HeroBox. It’s not scared of 4K videos thanks to VP9 10bit codec support, so as a multimedia platform it will do pretty good as well. And the price is currently around $230 on the official store. More information about the nifty mini PC can be of course found on the official website.

Following a resurgence of motherboards decked out with custom monoblocks, ASRock has announced details on its Z490 Aqua. It includes a familiar aluminium plated copper custom monoblock, with just 999 units available for purchase. It includes two Thunderbolt 3 Type-C ports, three PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slots, an Aquantia 10 G and Realtek 2.5 G Ethernet controller pairing, including hardline water cooling fittings within the accessories bundle.

During Computex 19, ASRock unveiled its X570 Aqua motherboard which we since reviewed, which is currently one of the most stunning desktop models in existence. The new ASRock Z490 Aqua builds upon the success of its AMD based model, with a full cover block monoblock which cools the CPU and the 16-phase power delivery. Following the same design as the X570 model, the ASRock Z490 Aqua adds an OLED display which can display with CPU voltages, temperatures, system and POST statuses, with an abundance of premium controllers and features onboard.

Included in the long list of features are three full-length PCIe 3.0 slots which run at x16, x8/x8, and x8/x8/+4, with two PCIe 3.0 x1 slots. It uses a 16-phase power delivery which is kept cool by the large monoblock, and benefits from 90 A power stages with a maximum Vcore current of up to 1260A. Providing power to the CPU is a pair of 8-pin 12V ATX CPU power inputs, with an Intersil ISL69269 PWM controller operating in a 14+2 configuration. There is support for DDR4-4700, with a total capacity of up to 128 GB across four memory slots. It does have support for ECC DDR4 UDIMMs, but these will operate in non-ECC mode.

New for the Z490 Aqua is a pack of hardline water cooling fittings which come in the board’s accessories bundle. This includes six knurled silver straight fittings, four 90° right-angled fittings, with a filling and drawing value, and two stop-cap fittings with the Aqua logo, all packed into a nice presentation box.

The rear panel of the ASRock Z490 Aqua is stacked with two Thunderbolt 3 Type-C and two accompanying Mini DisplayPort input ports. Also present are three USB 3.2 G2 10 Gbps Type-A, one USB 3.2 G2 10 Gbps Type-C, and four USB 3.2 G1 Type-A ports. For users intending to leverage Intel’s integrated graphics, there is a single HDMI video input. For users demanding premium networking, the Z490 Aqua is using an Aquantia AQC107 10 G and Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5 Ethernet controller pairing, as well as an Intel Wi-Fi 6 wireless interface which provides support for BT 5.0 devices. There are five 3.5 mm color-coded audio jacks and S/PDIF optical output which are powered by a Realtek ALC1220 HD audio codec, which is assisted by an ESS Sabre 9128 DAC which controls the front panel audio. Finishing off the rear panel is a clear CMOS switch and a BIOS Flashback button.

The ASRock Z490 Aqua is expected to weigh a considerable amount when all the aluminium, the backplate, and custom monoblock is factored in; the ASRock X570 Aqua for reference weighed a whopping 2.5 kg (~5.5 lbs). Only 999 units will be available for purchase which will add an element of exclusivity, which we expect to add to the price tag. ASRock has also enabled support with redrivers and a PCIe 4.0 clockgen designed for Intel’s Rocket Lake when it is ready to launch. While this doesn’t benefit the Intel’s Comet Lake processors, 

ASRock hasn’t unveiled pricing at this time, but we expect the Z490 Aqua to be available either at the launch of Intel’s 10th Generation Comet Lake processors or shortly after.

Memory manufacturer Golden Emporer International Limited, or known generally as GeiL, has announced its new memory line with support for Intel 10th Gen and AMD Ryzen 4000 series processors. Casually calling its new 64 GB product simply ‘SO-DIMM’, it will be available in a 2 x 32 GB DDR4-3200 kit.

With mobile processor architecture improving at a steady rate, memory capacity limits have increased designed to give gamers and content creators more robust memory capabilities. Designed to support Intel’s 10th generation and AMD’s Ryzen 4000 mobile series, the GeiL SO-DIMM offers users to upgrade its notebooks with 64 GB of memory. Not only DDR4-3200, but the GeiL SO-DIMM series also includes DDR4-2666 and DDR4-2933 variants.

With its black and simplistic design, the DDR4-3200 64 GB (2 x 32) kit has a CAS latencies of 22-22-22-52. GeiL states every kit is tested with its DYNA 4 SLT technology but doesn’t state publically what that entails. The DDR4-2666 kit has latencies of 19-19-19-43, while the DDR4-2933 has latencies of 21-21-21-48 (these sub-timings are similar to other vendors). Every 2 x 32 GB kit has an operating voltage of 1.2 V and is also backed by GeiL’s limited lifetime warranty.

While the product naming scheming is somewhat unimaginative, the SO-DIMM range of dual-channel 64 GB kits for mobile platforms is GeiL’s first 64 GB SO-DIMM kit. Geil hasn’t announced when the SO-DIMM 64 kits will be available, nor has it revealed pricing at this time.

One of the more significant announcements from CES 2020 (which honestly feels like a million years ago at this point) was that JBL was joining the ranks of other premium gaming headset manufacturers releasing its own line of PC gaming headsets and speakers. I’ve been spending some quality time with the flagship headset of the JBL Quantum range of headsets, the Quantum One, over the last couple of weeks.

What the Quantum One does differently than the rest of the Quantum line of headsets is its handling of spatial sound. Once calibrated with a special mic, its propriety “Quantum Sphere 360” tech uses built-in head tracking and a custom algorithm to produce a surround sound effect.

JBL’s Quantum Engine software does a decent enough job of being an easy to use source for doing things such as customizing your EQ, headset lighting and, more importantly, setting the Quantum Sphere 360 surround sound. As it turns out, though, it’s a little bit more of a process than just hitting a switch.

First, you need to calibrate the headset to your height then you have to pop in a special earplug that measures your earholes to best attune the sound to your own unique ear canal shape. The process only took a few minutes and had to be done every time a new firmware update dropped throughout pre-release. 

Thankfully, calibrating the head tracker is a bit easier to do, though, I did find I have to recalibrate every few days whenever the surround sound felt a bit off. The fact that there’s a button on the headset to calibrate head tracking lets me think this sonic drift is probably a more prevalent issue that needs addressing. Sometimes it was easier just to turn it off when just listening to music.

Quantum Sphere 360, when compared to DTS (which is also available on the wireless Quantum 800s), gives you a fuller, more balanced sound when listening to music (when it works). I hear a lot of bass-heavy tracks, so it’s nice to feel it creep up from behind you when listening to artists like Future or Travis Scott. Currently, I’ve gotten into the all-nighter playlist on Spotify that play a lot of electronic and trap beats. It’s a strange sensation being entirely enveloped by the music while I work, which is kind of cathartic. 

The Audeze Mobius, and its HyperX Cloud Orbit S derivative, are the best new headsets with 3D head tracking, but this comes in at a pretty close second. I did run into a problem where the Sphere 360 occasionally would wig out and would make music sound distant and would mess around with the balance on game audio. 

The fix was, again, recalibrating. JBL is releasing a firmware update at launch that it says should address some of these issues.

The Quantum One shines in shooters. Lately, I’ve been playing an ungodly amount of Call of Duty: Warzone and Apex Legends, both are games where being able to decipher where gunshots and footsteps are coming from is crucial to surviving and getting those Ws. Hearing footsteps frantically running around adds a fun level of tension towards the end of the game, where only a handful of players remain in tight quarters. I also played Resident Evil 3 Remake, which only heightens the stressful encounters as you hear Nemesis’ murderous stomp slowly approaching you. 

If you’re a competitive gamer and don’t need the bells and whistles, you might opt for a lighter wireless headset with a great mic. It feels like this gaming headset is designed to cut you off from the rest of the world. Honestly, it’s kind of what I’ve needed for the last couple of weeks.

Design-wise, JBL really went for it. The RGB lighting circuit board design took a while for me to warm to since I’m always apprehensive about excessive lighting in general. A feature that worked well was the TalkThru that lowers the background sound enough so you can have a chat with your friends on Discord. 

The left earcup is where all the buttons live, such as the volume wheel, ANC, TalkThru, and mute. I do wish the placement of the buttons was a smidge lower.

The detachable boom mic works just fine. But just fine. For $300, I want a microphone that’s more than just fine. I recorded some lines so you can hear how it compares with other headsets and microphones we’ve tested this year. As you can hear, my voice sounds clear, but a bit tinny when compared to other headsets. When playing Apex Legends, my teammates had no problem hearing me call out things. Right now, however, the gold standard for a detachable mic is still clearly the Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless SE.

That $300 price tag is a big ask for a gaming headset that isn’t wireless and doesn’t have audiophile-quality drivers, but the sound and build, especially the Quantum Sphere 360 surround sound, really suck you into whatever you’re playing—when it works. 

Even with the shortcomings of JBL’s propriety tech, the Quantum One still provides you rich, crisp game audio, easy-to-use software, and overall excellent build quality. For JBL’s first attempt at a gaming headset, the Quantum One is a fine headset to lead the charge. But really only just fine.