Month: July 2020

With AMD’s B550 models now on the shelves, a lot of focus around its launch was based on pricing – or rather the lack of very low-cost entry-level models.

The motherboard manufacturer Colorful has today unveiled two new micro-ATX sized B550 motherboards: the CVN B550M Gaming Frozen V14 and B550M Gaming Pro V14 models. Some of the primary features include a Realtek ALC892 HD audio codec, two PCIe M.2 slots with one Gen4 and one Gen3 slot, as well as a Realtek Gigabit Ethernet controller.

The most striking of the new pair from Colorful is the CVN B550M Gaming Frozen V14 model. It features a very aesthetically pleasing white and silver color scheme, with Naval inspired CVN aircraft carrier class branding and an actively cooled chipset heatsink with a red ring around the fan for contrast.

Although the Colorful CVN B550M Gaming Pro 14V follows a black and silver aesthetic, both models share the same feature set, with a full-length PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, a full-length PCIe 3.0 x4 slot, and a small PCIe 3.0 x1 slot. For storage, both models include a single PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slot, and a secondary PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slot, with four SATA ports that includes support for RAID 0, 1, and 10 arrays. Each model also includes four memory slots with support for up to DDR4-4000, with a maximum capacity of up to 128 GB. Colorful is also advertising a 10-phase power delivery on both boards but doesn’t go into detail in regards to the componentry or design.

Neither model includes any USB 3.2 G2 connectivity, but there are three USB 3.2 G1 Type-A, one USB 3.2 G1 Type-C, and two USB 2.0 ports. Also present is a pair of video outputs including HDMI and DisplayPort, with six 3.5 mm audio jacks powered by a Realtek ALC892 HD audio codec. For networking is a single Ethernet port which is powered by a Realtek 8111H Gigabit controller, with a PS/2 combo port which finishes off the pairings rear panels.

The cool-looking Colorful CVN B550M Gaming Frozen V14 has an MSRP of $126, while the black and grey B550M Gaming Pro V14 comes with a slightly cheaper MSRP of $121. Although Colorful hasn’t divulged when or where these models will be available, they are likely to hit stockists of Colorful motherboards in the coming month.

Dell has been doing some remarkably exciting things lately in the laptop space that are hard to ignore. Its XPS revamp, which started in late 2019, has culminated now in the recently reviewed XPS 15 (now in arctic white) and the new 17-inch XPS 17 (9700), with the latter, just arriving on our doorstep.

The XPS 17 (9700) is arguably more interesting than the XPS 15. While the XPS 15 is now like a 14-inch laptop in size, the XPS 17 is closer to what a 15-inch workstation was like in 2019.

While it is undoubtedly bigger, the XPS 17 also has a new vapor chamber thermal solution, a bump to RTX graphics, and it gets a whopping 5.1 GHz 8-core Intel Core i7-10875H processor. Toss in optional 64GB of RAM, a 2TB SSD, and four full (4x) Thunderbolt 3 ports, and you have a very powerful workstation. The 97WHr battery also pushes things to the max, meaning this thing shouldn’t die in four hours.

First reactions are essential, and so far, the XPS 17 has piqued my interest more than any laptop coming out this summer. While it is too early to reach any firm conclusions about battery life, performance, and overall reliability, out the gate, it certainly wows.

With a screen-to-body ratio of 93.7 percent – slightly higher than the XPS 15’s 92.9 percent – there is just so much display here. (I’m sticking to my guns here that Sharp IGZO is the best display tech in a laptop in 2020.)

Some will lament the obvious: no number pad. While the critique is valid for some, I am personally glad it is not here. Besides never using one, the XPS 17 looks more balanced without it, plus it lets Dell put in those two (relatively) massive top-firing speakers (matched by two more on the bottom).

Regarding the trackpad, Dell is reportedly on top of the manufacturing process to ensure no more wobbly ones slip through. Indeed, the one on our review unit is solid and, besides being massive, is incredible to use.

Compared to the Surface Book 3 (15-inch), a radically different device, the XPS 17 is remarkably similar in size. The two differ mostly because the Surface Book has a taller 3:2 display compared to the 16:10 of the Dell. But they are close.

The good news is there is no shortage of fun 17-inch laptops. The LG Gram 17 is a unique Ultrabook that is great for basic productivity, whereas the Razer Blade Pro 17 (also being reviewed soon) is positioned better for those who need to game with the best performance and a 120Hz 4K screen.

The XPS 17 starts at $1,372, though our review unit is configured at the $2,939 tier with 32GB of RAM, a Core i7 CPU, and a 1TB SSD. A version with the new Core i9-10885H is currently unavailable, but it is expected later this summer.

Anyway, we’ll be reviewing the XPS 17 (9700) in the coming weeks, so you can now take a gander at some photos. Let me know what questions you have about it that you want to be answered in the review.

Patriot does a lot of things for tech fans; solid state drives, gaming keyboards, gaming mice, headsets as well as RGB memory modules. It’s a popular brand and one that has been well received by reviewers (including us) for more than a decade. 

However, unbeknown to many is that they have a USB flash drive brand (AKA thumb drives) that is nothing short of exceptional for two reasons.

First, its flagship model, the 1TB Supersonic Rage Elite (PEF1TBSRE3USB) is one of the cheapest 1TB USB flash drives on the market. At the time of writing, it was the most affordable one, costing a mere $155 at Newegg. 

(Unfortunately, the popular US retailer does not deliver to every single country in the world, so international customers may have to use a specialist parcel forwarding service if they want to take advantage of the deal)

An alternative to cloud storage

Then, there’s the little known fact that Patriot claims that it is an extremely fast drive, one of the fastest on the market with a read speed of up to 400MBps and a write speed of up to 300MBps. 

It has a rubber coated housing which should protect it from most bumps, its retractable design means there’s no cap to lose, it has an LED light indicator and comes with a three-year warranty.

Bear in mind that you need to have a USB 3.0 connector to make the most of out it; this is a USB 3.1 Gen 1 rather than a real USB 3.1 (which is now USB 3.1 Gen 2). And while demand for flash drives may have fallen due to the popularity of microSD cards and cloud storage services, they do represent with a great alternative to either of the aforementioned solutions.

Android apps are now a fixture on Chrome OS and Chromebooks, but they don’t all run as smoothly as you might hope – and that includes games. If you’re looking for gaming experiences that work well on a bigger screen, run without a hitch, and even offer keyboard and trackpad support (in some cases), then these are the best games we’ve found for playing on a Chromebook.

1. Game Dev Tycoon (£5)

Play a game about developing games – why not? Game Dev Tycoon takes the tried and trusted tycoon sim format and applies it to the scenario of an up-and-coming software studio. Your job is to allocate resources and finances, as well as come up with the best ideas, to successfully move from your garage up to an office building as your company expands.

There are a few nice touches of humour in the game and plenty of variety in the visuals and gameplay to keep you interested over a long gaming session on your Chromebook. Game Dev Tycoon is also a game that will give you a different experience every time you play it. Having originally started out on Windows, it adapts perfectly to Chrome OS-powered laptops.

2. Alto’s Odyssey (freemium)

Like Alto’s Adventure before it, Alto’s Odyssey is one of the best endless runner games to ever appear on mobile devices, and the gorgeous graphics, immersive sounds, and simple control system all translate really well to Chromebooks. We can’t be held responsible if you spend more time immersed in this scrolling virtual world than you really should.

If you’ve never played an Alto game before, here’s what to expect: You’re essentially sliding down a hill, avoiding obstacles, performing tricks, picking up points and bonuses, and so on. What makes Alto’s Odyssey much better than that brief outline makes it sound is the care and attention that’s gone into the aesthetics of the game, and the diversity of the various environments.

3. Animal Super Squad (£4.20)

Animal Super Squad is a whole lot of fun whatever platform you play it on, and that includes Chromebooks (support for keyboard controls is included). It’s a classic side-scrolling platformer game, but with a host of ingenious physics-based puzzles that you need to solve, Angry Birds-style, in order to progress.

The graphics are simple but very effective, and the speed and variety of the levels means you won’t have a chance to get bored. It’s obvious that a great deal of care and attention (and plenty of tongue-in-cheek humour) has gone into Animal Super Squad – it’s actually like playing five games in one – and we wholeheartedly recommend you play it.

4. Asphalt 9: Legends (freemium)

Asphalt 9 is one of the best racing games on Android no matter what device you’re using, and on Chromebooks it makes use of the extra screen space very well. Even better, the touch controls get automatically remapped to the keyboard, so you don’t have to be tapping the screen as you’re zooming around the various landscapes.

If you’re new to the Asphalt racing series, the emphasis is on high-speed stunts and collecting as many points as possible, rather than careful or skilful driving, and the simple set of gameplay mechanics makes it an obvious choice for trying out on Chrome OS. It’s also free to get started, so you only have to pay for upgrades you really want and need.

5. Thimbleweed Park (£9)

What better way to make use of a keyboard and trackpad than with a good old-fashioned point-and-click adventure? Thimbleweed Park has got heritage behind it, too: It’s been developed by Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick, the creative geniuses responsible for such classic PC point-and-clickers as Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion.

Thimbleweed Park isn’t cheap, as far as games go, but you will get plenty of value from it as you investigate a mystery set in the eponymous location. Expect dead bodies, government conspiracies, dark and murky locations, and the occasional clown, as well as the sort of humour and attention to detail that Gilbert and Winnick’s previous games were known for.

6. #Drive (freemium)

Not all racing and driving games play that well on Chromebooks, but #Drive is one that does. Take to the open (and endless) road and push your car and its gas tank to the limit, trying to avoid other vehicles, the cops, and a variety of additional obstacles along the way. It’s smart and slick and a lot of fun to play through.

As with all the best games on mobile, #Drive combines a simple gameplay mechanic with some top-notch graphics and sound effects, and there are enough environments and vehicles here to ensure that you can spend many hours in the world of #Drive. You will need to use the touchscreen rather than the keyboard, but it’s all intuitive enough.

7. Fallout Shelter (freemium)

This was a smash hit on Android and one that translates well to Chromebooks, too, not least because you’ve got a lot more space to see everything. Your challenge is to keep all of your sheltering human beings alive, balancing the need to produce resources with the requirements of keeping everyone happy and the lights on in your underground bunker.

Clicking and dragging with the touchpad is a little more precise than trying to jab around with a finger, and the keyboard of course comes in handy whenever you’ve got any text to input. The deeper you go into the game the more engaging it gets, and even if you’ve already played this on your smartphone, it’s worth another look on a Chromebook.

8. Mars (freemium)

Engaging gameplay, stylish graphics, a wealth of locations to explore, and a variety of characters to play as – it’s hard to find anything to dislike about Mars, which is a physics-based platformer that sends you on a mission across the surface of the Red Planet. It’s not a very complex game, but it’s perfect for dipping into for a few minutes.

The aim of the game is to make it between refuelling platforms without crashing – it’s a bit like Flappy Bird but far less annoying and much better to look at. Various boosts and power-ups are available along the way, and if you make it far enough, you’ll have more than 60 different explorers to choose from, each with their own style and characteristics.

9. Anything on Google Stadia (prices vary)

One of the benefits of a game-streaming service is that you don’t need particularly powerful hardware to run top-tier games – just a reliable broadband connection. Officially, Google Stadia will work on any Chromebook (and on any computer with Chrome installed), though the newer the Chromebook the better your experience will be.

Log into Stadia in a browser tab and away you go. One advantage of taking a Chromebook approach to Stadia is that you can use a keyboard and mouse, or the official Stadia controller (any title you’re playing will let you customise the controls as required). Games can be claimed as part of a Stadia Pro subscription, or purchased directly from Google.