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After what seems like ages, there seems to be news on the high-end AMD GPU front. An AMD device codenamed “ATI-102-D18802” recently passed RRA certification and while this might seem like just a random string of digits, I used to trawl the now-dead Zauba all day long for relevant shipping entries which followed the same naming convention – and was quickly able to decipher it. The GPU in question is a much powerful variant of the Navi GPU (judging from the nomenclature) and here is the full story. That said, considering this is based on just a certification which could end up being scrapped/revised again for all we know, please do keep a pinch of salt handy.

AMD’s Big Navi GPU gets getting its RRA certification, Radeon graphics cards preparing for a comeback in the high-end GPU market

I am sure AMD wanted to keep this under wraps and make a comeback, but as they should know from Zen, the leak scene reigns supreme in the end. Before I go any further, I want to clarify that passing an RRA certification is usually the first step in the final phase of getting a product to market. It can take anywhere from 3 months to 6 months before you finally see a polished product hitting the shelves.

The RRA certification is something all consumer ASICs have to go through in South Korea – just like in the US. Unlike the States, however, RRA publishes its certifications in the public domain, which is great for us because it allows us to sniff out interesting new GPUs that are in the official pipeline. The AMD ATI-102-D18802 GPU received its RRA certification yesterday, meaning AMD has not only finalized its plans for the upcoming GPU but submitted it to the authorities as well (no more changes in design are now possible).

The naming convention at play here is the one AMD used for shipping manifests during the Zauba years and something we were able to readily decode. To give you a recap: Hawaii boards were named C6XXXX, Tonga boards C7XXXX, Fiji boards C8XXXX, Polaris boards C9XXXX, Vega boards D12XXX and small Navi boards were named D18XXX.

In fact, if we are being specific about it, then the exact code names were:

Hawaii XT had the C67101 code name.

Tonga had the C76501 code name.

Fiji XT had the C88001 code name.

Polaris 11 had the C91103 code name.

Vega 64 had the D12201 code name.

‘Small’ Navi had the D18205 code name.

You should be able to see a very clear pattern here. The first couple of digits represent the generation while the succeeding digits represent the relative performance metrics. The reason I know we are looking at a Navi GPU is because the three-digit alphanumeric sequence is the same: namely D18. The succeeding three digits represent the relative performance of the GPU and 805 represents a much more powerful variant of Navi compared to 205.

Considering it just passed the certification, we are likely looking at the RDNA2-based full Navi die that will support ray tracing at a hardware level. This is the same GPU that will power the next-generation PlayStation 5 and the Xbox as well (remember AMD designed Navi for the consoles, read more about that over here). In all likelihood, we are finally catching our first glimpse of “big” Navi. You might remember my exclusive published a year and a half back that predicted that the flagship Navi part won’t land earlier than 2H 2019 or early 2020. Well, there you have it, folks, it’s finally happening.

I do want to turn on the cold shower a bit here, however, just because a GPU has passed RRA certification does not mean you will see it on the shelves anytime soon. In fact, a minimum of 6 months is a very good time frame to keep in mind and this can easily extend to over a year. We spotted Vega almost a full year back on RRA before it was finally released – which should give you an idea of the time frames involved.

Asus is rolling out a new gaming monitor that has the potential to be a nice upgrade, based on the specifications. However, that will depend in large part on how pricing shakes out for the new TUF Gaming VG249Q.

On paper, there is not much to complain about. The monitor is built around a 23.8-inch (we’ll just call it 24 inches) IPS panel, so it should offer better visuals and a much large viewing sweet spot than a TN display.

It’s a Full HD 1080p (1920×1080) monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time. That latter figure is an MPRT (moving picture response time) rating and not gray-to-gray, and I’ve never gotten a concrete answer on how the two measurements compare, as touted on some gaming monitors. Blur Busters offers a bunch of technical details, though, if you’re curious. In short, it uses backlight strobing to sort of trick your eyes into seeing a faster response time. Asus calls these Extreme Low Motion Blur (ELMB).

Size—23.8 inches (16:9 aspect ratio)

Color saturation—72 percent NTSC

Panel type—IPS

Resolution—1920×1080

Brightness—250 nits

Contrast ratio—1000:1 (typical)

Viewing angles—178 degrees (horizontal and vertical)

Response time—1ms MPRT

Refresh rate (max)—144Hz

This also supports AMD’s FreeSync technology.

Connectivity options consist of HDMI, DisplayPort, and VGA ports (one each). There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack and onboard 2W stereo speakers, but no built-in USB hub.

On the ergonomics side, the stand supports making tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustments.

We’ll have to wait and see how this stacks up against the VG248QE, which we list as the best monitor for gaming in the 1080p category. The VG248QE uses a TN panel, though, so the TUF Gaming VG249Q potentially offers the same resolution and fast speed in a higher quality package.

There’s no word yet on when the VG249Q will be available or how much it will cost. So for now, if you’re looking for something relatively cheap, have a look at our list of cheap gaming monitor deals.

Google may be one of the world’s biggest smartphone makers but it has come up with a way to help people use their device less.

Dubbed the Paper Phone, the tech giant’s latest experiment is aimed at promoting “digital wellness” by offering a simple solution to smartphone addiction.

It allows users to give up their phone for an entire day by putting any information needed – such as contact details, map directions and meetings – into a printable, phone-sized booklet.

“A lot of people feel like they spend too much time on their phones and miss out on the things that are right in front of their eyes. But it’s hard to use our phones less because we’ve come to depend on them,” explains a video showcasing the Paper Phone.

“We’ve come up with a simple way to have a digital detox. All you need to do is choose the things which are important to you and our app will print out your very own paper phone.”

Google is not the first tech firm to attempt to address issues relating to digital addictions, with Apple’s latest iOS 12 update including a feature called Screen Time that allows users to set limitations on how much they use their iPhone or iPad.

Google has also included similar features in Android, while apps like Quality Time monitor how much time someone spends on certain apps and provides incentives to cut down.

Several studies have pointed to the negative impact that social media and excessive smartphone use can have on people with regards to their mental health.

Earlier this year, the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) launched Scroll Free September in an attempt to get people to take back control of the technology in their lives by cutting back on social media.

In the same way Dry January aims to encourage people to abstain from alcohol, the Scroll Free September campaign hoped to prompt people to reconsider their use of apps like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

“Many of us are guilty of becoming consumed by social media and whilst there are many benefits to using the various platforms which are available, it’s important to take some time out,” said Chris Elmore, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on social media and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

“Whether it’s scrolling before bed stopping you sleeping, following aspirational and unattainable accounts denting your self-esteem, or the ever-presence of phones getting in the way of your face-to-face interactions with friends and family.”

Google said about its Paper Phone: “We hope this little experiment can help you try a digital detox from technology and help you focus on the things that matter the most.”

It seems as though the an upgraded version of Apple’s AirPods have been rumoured for months. We had a minor upgrade earlier this year, but all those came with was better connectivity and battery life. Both are very useful, but not the kind of thing people were expecting. Now, though, Apple’s gone and made the AirPods Pro official.

The first thing you might notice about the AirPods Pro are that they have a brand new design. Rather than that rubbish design that always seems content to sit in your ear without any sort of secure fit, these are in-ear earbuds. In other words Apple has promised they have a better seal and fit than AirPods have before. As with most in-ear buds, those tips are removable, made from silicone, and come in three different sizes to better suit your unique ear shape.

That seal is quite important too, since these come with active noise cancellation, which has been rumoured for next-gen AirPods for what seems like forever. That’s done with two microphones that can remove the background noise in a way Apple says is custom to you. The same is true for the ‘Adaptive EQ’, which Apple says will automatically tune the low and mid frequencies of the music according to the shape of your ear.

Other features include Siri control (obviously) water and sweat resistance (good) and a ‘transparency mode’ that lets you listen to the AirPods while still being able to hear what’s going on around you. In case you want to hear tannoy announcements or something. So far, so standard.

Apple has also included a new force sensor on the stem, which can be used to control what you hear, though users can also use the iOS Control Center or the Apple Watch to do some of that as well.

Battery wise Apple is promising four and a half hours of listening time (or three and a half hours talk time), and as usual you can use the case to top them up for a maximum of 24 hours use. The case also features wireless charging as standard.

Micron has surpassed the record set by G.Skill Trident Z, which was set a mere month and a half ago. Micron set the new record speed of DDR4 ram to 6024.4MHz which might not seem like a lot of a difference until you learn that this RAM was rated for 4000MHz. This means that the Micron was able to overclock this ram to an amazing 151% off the original base clock.

Micron was able to achieve a new DDR4 memory frequency world record of 6016.4MHz With AMD’s Ryzen 3000 CPUs

Micron had to make a dry ice rig to cool both the CPU and the RAM, otherwise, that would’ve most definitely overheated. The rig that was attached to the motherboard by the end of the record-shattering run was covered in condensation and icy build up (Pictured below).

All this ice and condensation got all over the components of the PC, making this not an option for normal everyday use.

The specs that helped achieve this accomplishment is a Ryzen 5 3600X with a core clock of 2208.4Mhz rather than the stock base clock of 3800MHz, The Micron team underclocked the CPU to make the DDR4 memory difference really show during the recording-breaking test. The Motherboard that this test used was X570 ROG Crosshair VIII Impact motherboard. The RAM that ended up breaking the record was a single 8GB Ballistix, which ended up topping at the frequency of 6024.4MHz.

“We’re thrilled to have partnered with Ballistix to achieve this new world record,” said Albert Chang, general manager of the motherboard BU for ASUS. “Both overclocking teams worked tirelessly to fine-tune BIOS settings on our newly-released ROG CROSSHAIR VIII IMPACT board to unleash the capabilities of the Micron die. Setting the new world record of 6024 MT/s with Ballistix Elite 4000 memory on our new ROG AMD X570 motherboard is a powerful demonstration of the engineering excellence ASUS ROG and Micron bring to the gaming ecosystem.”

It is stated that the engineering teams from both ASUS and Crucial worked tirelessly, setting multiple records by adapting and changing BIOS settings to perfect the RAM. They changed everything from the multiplier in the BIOS settings to the timing of the RAM itself to further set this RAM apart other runs to shatter the previous record. The record-breaking frequency is posted on HWBOT, and the valid CPU-Z screenshot can be found here.

Ballistix within the last five months set three overclocking world records, this is a big achievement for Micron who owns both Ballistix and Crucial (Ram manufacturing companies), While Ballistix’s ram is more focused the gaming community, while Crucial is more focused on providing a good cost to performance ratio.

With this breaking the previous record set by G.Skill which broke the 6GHz speed limit which was previous thought to be impossible to pass with DDR4, with DDR5 coming out earlier next year, how can they push DDR4 before DDR5’s release?

As promised, Google Assistant can now help find your Tile trackers with very little effort. Link the Bluetooth gadget in the Google Home app, set up Voice Match in Assistant and you can ask the voice helper to locate your trackers (and hopefully, the items attached to them) using a simple sentence rather than adding a prefix like “ask Tile to” every time. You can tell Assistant to ring your keys or find your bag.

This works on any Assistant-capable device, although you will need the Tile app on Android or iOS for the initial setup. While Assistant’s support for Bluetooth trackers is still pretty slim (Chipolo is the only other brand we know to work at present), this is still a pretty big addition. You might be more likely to use trackers like these if you know that you can easily ask for help finding them while you’re in the midst of rummaging through your home.

Romanian tech site Lab501 apparently managed to get an early sample for the upcoming Extreme Edition chip and got it running on a Gigabyte Aorus Master X299 motherboard with an updated BIOS. The CPU-Z screenshot lists this chip with (ES) in the specification, indicating that it is an engineering sample, rather than the final retail version.

Since the Ryzen 9 3950X and 3rd Gen Threadripper CPUs have not launched yet, the Core i9-10980XE is compared to the Ryzen 9 3900X, Ryzen 7 3700X, Ryzen 7 2700X, Core i9-9900K, Core i7-9700K and Core i7-8700K.

We’ll run down a few examples of benchmark results, starting off with DaVinci Resolve 15. In this test, Lab501 reports the Core i9-10980XE crunching through a 4K/UHD video file in 96 seconds, which is closely followed by the Ryzen 9 3900X at 109 seconds. The next closest score came from the Ryzen 7 3700X, which got through the test in 157 seconds.

In a single-thread run of Cinebench R20, the Core i9-10980XE does fall behind the Ryzen 9 3900X, scoring 458 points versus 522. However, while running it in multi-thread mode, the 10980XE gains a big advantage, scoring 8563 points compared to the Ryzen 9 3900X’s 7076 points. In a PCMark 10 run, the Core i9-10980XE is shown as scoring 7214 points, while the Ryzen 9 3900X edges it out with 7571 points.

In gaming tests, results show the Core i9-10980XE coming within a few frames per second of the Core i9-9900K and trading blows with the Ryzen 9 3900X depending on resolution and the specific game. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the Ryzen 9 3900X beats the Core i9-10980XE by one frame per second at 4K with an RTX 2080Ti. However, the two CPUs get matching scores at 1440p and 1080p with 4x AA enabled. In Metro Exodus, the results are similar, with the Ryzen 9 3900X getting a 1fps advantage at 4K, although AMD’s CPU is able to maintain a small lead at 1440p and 1080p as well.

There are a bunch of other benchmarks in their review if you want to take a look at the full post. Just keep in mind that we can’t verify any of these results ourselves at this point in time, as we still need to do our own testing. With that in mind, take the results with a pinch of salt until additional sources start posting their results for final retail samples. We should know the full extent of performance within the next few weeks as we get closer to the full launch.

The Realme X2 Pro is the first mainstream phone to hit Europe with Samsung’s 64MP camera sensor, which sits alongside three other cameras to deliver a flagship-grade wide/ultra-wide/telephoto setup.

Realme is a relatively unknown entity in the UK, but it’s part of the same group that owns OnePlus and Oppo, so is definitely not small fry. Its latest X2 Pro is an aggressive effort to claim the affordable flagship crown from devices like the OnePlus 7T and the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro.

It’s doing this by making waves with its specs, and that 64MP camera is most definitely leading the charge – vying for the best camera phone top spot. There’s also a top-tier Samsung Galaxy S10 beating processor, better than Pixel 4 XL storage options and fast charging that deliver almost three times the speeds of the iPhone 11 Pro Max’s power brick – zoinks.

Realme X2 Pro: Price and release

The Realme X2 Pro will be available in the UK at Amazon from early November 2019. While we’re still waiting on local pricing, the starting capacity of 64GB storage with 6GB RAM is set to cost €399, going up in €50 increments. That means the 128GB/8GB version costs €449, and the maxed-out 256GB/12GB version costs €499.

Realme X2 Pro: specs and features

The Realme X2 Pro is available in two colors, Neptune Blue and Lunar White, with a curved back and Gorilla Glass 5 protection either side. On the front, is a screen protector, and the 24MP selfie camera is nuzzled in a water droplet notch.

Adding to the premium feel of the curved glass is a metal frame, there’s a USB-C port at the base alongside a headphone jack, and one of the two Dolby-tuned stereo speakers.

The Realme X2 Pro’s screen is incredibly compelling for the price with its Super AMOLED technology and 90Hz refresh rate. The Full HD+ resolution isn’t Galaxy Note 10 Plus sharp, but it still clocks in at 405 pixels-per-inch, outclassing the iPhone 11 from a PPI point of view.

The Realme X2 Pro also features a huge 4000mAh battery and a class-leadingly fast 50W charger in the box, which Realme claims will power the phone up from 0-100% in just 30 minutes.

With Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 855+ processor, it’s also incredibly powerful, and in its most premium configuration, combined with 12GB RAM, no other Android flagship should, in theory, be able to topple this incredibly affordable smartphone when it comes to power other than the overclocked ROG Phone 2.

Realme X2 Pro camera

The Realme X2 Pro’s quad-camera experience starts with that primary 64MP sensor made by Samsung. Just like Sony’s IMX586 which has a 48MP resolution and captures 12MP images, it combines information from four pixels into one, capturing 16MP images. The sensor itself is 1/1.7” and is paired with an f/1.8 lens and features PDAF.

There’s also a 13MP, f/2.5 telephoto camera with a 1/3.4″ sensor and 1.0µm pixels, which offers roughly 2x optical zoom, and a 13mm ultra-wide-angle camera with 8 MP resolution and an f/2.2 lens. Finally, the fourth camera is a depth sensor which captures perspective information to improve background separation for portrait mode photography.

The Realme X2 Pro’s video capture credentials also impress, with up to 60fps 4K recording and time-stoppingly powerful 960fps slow-motion video capture at 720p.

In our brief time with the camera, there’s nothing standout about the shooting modes, other than an Ultra 64MP mode, which captures full-resolution 64MP photos, and the Ultra Macro mode, similar to the 2.5cm focus mode of the OnePlus 7T-series.

The X2 Pro won’t capture RAW photos, though nothing else seems to be missing, with other modes including a comprehensive expert mode, night, panorama, time-lapse, slo-mo and a portrait mode.

Early verdict

We can’t help but be blown away by the Realme X2 Pro’s value. While it’s far too early to comment on its camera quality, the phone’s design and specs alone guarantee it a spot in the bang for buck hall of fame.

The camera will be interesting to test, not just because it features such a high-resolution sensor, but also because it’s one of the few Samsung sensors used in a flagship-grade smartphone available now.

How will it stack up to Sony’s ubiquitous 48MP IMX586? Where does the Realme X2 Pro sit in the sea of midrange smartphones currently available? Can it really charge up 100% in just 30 minutes? So many questions – for all the answers, keep it locked to Digital Camera World for the full review coming in the next few weeks. 

AMD’s patent which was filed all the way back in February of this year seems to suggest that for either an upcoming update or upcoming graphics card, VRS or Variable Rate Shading, would be implemented. Variable Rate Shading is a technique already in use by Nvidia in its graphics cards, VRS allows the GPU to spend more of its focus to the more complex/action orientated part of the screen, by saving resources on the less complex parts of the screen. The technique has helped Nvidia stay ahead of the AMD when it comes to raw performance.

AMD’s new graphics cards could come with VRS (Variable Rate Shading) to help them beat Nvidia’s overwhelming odds in the GPU market.

While there has been no confirmation from AMD revolving around this issue, to be able to use VRS would most definitely shorten the gap between their GPUs and NVIDIA.

The RX Vega 64 is the GPU that I currently have in my system and it uses much more power than the NVIDIA counterpart because it isn’t able to take advantage of VRS to only spend power on the more complex part of the screen. This is also one of the reasons that AMDs Graphics cards are usually more power-hungry than their NVIDIA counterparts.

While AMD has been historically lagging behind NVIDIA in the GPU market and Intel in the CPU market, AMD seemingly kicked everything into high gear to surpass its long known rivals, first, AMD has been going toe to toe with Intel. AMD might be planning to use VRS to like it used the Zen Architecture with Intel.

It was theorized that Variable Rate Shading would be present in the now released NAVI GPUs the RX 5xxx series. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like this was added to them in time for their release and where this is the most apparent is in the Virtual Reality, where any place the GPU can save some memory it should, and without VRS the GPU is rendering the entire shading at full aspect rather than saving power on the background.

If AMD plans to incorporate this into their upcoming GPUs then they might be able to steal the top spot away from NVIDIA’s claim that they are the best GPU manufacturer out there.

watchOS 6 has been available for over a month…but only for the Apple Watch Series 3, Series 4, and Series 5. If you have an older Apple Watch Series 1 or Series 2, you’re still waiting on that watchOS 6 update. Here’s what we know about when it might be released.

What does watchOS 6 include?

In case you missed it, watchOS 6 includes several notable new features for the Apple Watch. A range of new watch faces are arriving with watchOS 6, but those unfortunately aren’t supported with Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2.

For all Apple Watch models, watchOS 6 brings several new first-party apps to the device, including apps for the Calculator, Voice Memos, and Audiobooks.

watchOS 6 also marks the introduction of a dedicated App Store for Apple Watch apps. Users will be able to search, discover, and download apps directly from their watch, making the device less reliant on iPhone. Furthermore, developers will also be able to release applications that are completely independent of iPhone.

watchOS 6 also includes new health and fitness features, inlacing something called “Trends” to see how your activity compares over time as well as Highlights and Favorites.

When will watchOS 6 be released for Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2?

If you’ve been waiting eagerly for watchOS 6 on an older Apple Watch, the wait will likely soon be over. Apple itself has only said that watchOS 6 will be available for Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2 sometime this fall, but the writing is on the wall.

The Series 1 and Series 2 are both included in the watchOS 6.1 beta. This is notable because the two devices were left out of watchOS 6 release last month. This implies that watchOS 6.1 will be the first public version of watchOS 6 to support Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2.

watchOS 6.1 is currently in developer beta testing, with Apple having just released the fifth beta this week. For comparison’s sake, watchOS 5.1 went through five developer betas before it was released to the public in October of last year.

Are you still using an Apple Watch Series 1 or Series 2? What watchOS 6 feature are you most excited to try? Let us know down in the comments!