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Latest by M. Smith

Nvidia earnings call

Nvidia introduces GTX 1080 Ti with 11GB of video memory at $699, pre-orders available March 2

Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang to announce the GTX 1080 Ti, which will be available next week for $699. He also slashed the price of the GTX 1080 to $100.
amd ryzen processors available for preorder logo

AMD’s Ryzen 7 too expensive for you? Its affordable siblings will be here soon

AMD's Ryzen 7 has been released, but it's just the tip of the spear. AMD also plans more affordable versions, the Ryzen 3 and 5 series.
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The wait for Ryzen is over, pre-orders now available starting at $329

AMD has fully and unofficially unveiled the Ryzen chips it will launch on March 2, and you can pre-order one now.
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Looking for a Ryzen desktop? Here's over a dozen good places to start

AMD talked about its work with partners, including enthusiast system builders that design high-end rigs. Take a look at these hot new Ryzen-powered desktops.
Apple MacBook 13-inch Touch Pad

The MacBook Pro’s battery life is better, but it’s still not the best

Our review of the MacBook Pro 13 revealed thoroughly average battery life. Since then, Apple has made several tweaks. Did it help?
Alienware 13 R3 review

Bring on the neon! Gaming laptops are gaudy for a reason

Gaming laptops can be gaudy, but to demand they become a pillar of design and elegance is missing the point. Gaming is about performance,
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AMD reveals details of new Vega GPU architecture, goes all-in on HBM2

AMD has finally dished out details on Vega. As expected, it has HBM 2 memory, and it focuses reducing memory consumption of modern triple-A games.
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Samsung Odyssey 15: Our First Take

Samsung hopes to change the course of the gaming market with its Odyssey 15 gaming laptop, but its price may be too high for the hardware.
AMD Radeon RX 470

AMD just released an awesome new benchmark for DirectX 12 games – here’s how to use it

OCAT, new from AMD, is the first good all-purpose DirectX 12 benchmark. It works with both AMD and Nvidia graphics cards.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 24: What can you do about a bad console-to-PC port?

The PC is by far the most powerful platform for modern gaming, but its technical greatness is often held back by poor console-to-PC ports.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 23: You should buy a monitor this holiday season

The holiday shopping season means hot sales, and this year there's a particular category of hardware the stands out. Monitors.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 22: Apple MacBook Pro live review

Apple's MacBook Pro has finally received an update, but it's expensive. Is it worth the upgrade? We go in-depth on this week's Close to the Metal podcast.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 21: Whoa, 2-in-1s are suddenly good

The 2-in-1 PC is a category that's received a lot of attention from manufacturers, but consumers seem wary. These devices tend to be expensive, and the benefits aren't obvious - but a new wave of excellent 2-in-1s may win you over.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 20: What do you get from a $10 gaming mouse?

Gaming mice are know to be expensive, yet the Amazon.com best-selling list is dominated by super-cheap, $10 gaming mice. Are they worth considering?
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Close to the Metal Ep. 19: The new MacBook Pro is revealed, but is it fast?

Apple has revealed all the details of the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch and 15-inch, including what's inside. How do they stack up against Windows PCs?
Windows 10 Creators Update

You OK, Apple? As Windows 10 hits its stride, MacOS is wheezing

It wasn’t so long ago that Windows looked dead in the water, treading water while Apple’s Mac confidently swam laps around it. But now, with Windows 10 released and Surface seeing success, Microsoft is leading the charge.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 17: Can you really live with just one USB port?

Some of the best new laptops have just one or two USB Type-C ports. Can you really get by with one port, and if so, how?
A chip with the Nvidia logo.

Nvidia's new GTX 1050 and 1050 Ti aim to put your aging desktop back in the game

Nvidia’s Pascal architecture is coming to the budget market. The company has taken the wraps off the much-rumored GTX 1050 and 1050 Ti cards.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 16: WD Blue SSD live review, and how fast should your SSD be?

In this week's episode we discuss Western Digital's first solid state drive, then dive into the surprisingly deep and complex market for solid state drives.
hp envy fall 2016 model update makes the name premium again

HP makes the Envy name premium again with new laptops, all-in-one, monitor

HP has launched major update of four key products in its high-end Envy and Spectre line, just in time for the holiday buying season.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 15: 7th-Gen Intel Core and holiday laptops

Intel's 7th-gen Core processors are now appearing in laptops available online and in stores. How important is it to get the latest processor?
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Close to the Metal Ep. 14: GTX 1060 review, and what’s up with video card prices?

We took a close look at a high-end GTX 1060 from Zotac. Though its performance was great, the price was hard to tolerate, given its increase over MSRP.
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Razer’s new DeathAdder Elite is its first mouse with mechanical switches

Razer has announced several new products, including an upscale version of the DeathAdder, and a giant mouse pad for gamers who like to play it slow.
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Universal Stylus Initiative 1.0 is here, but devices won’t be until 2018

Tired of expensive, device-specific styluses? The Universal Stylus Initiative wants to blow the category open and make any device work with any stylus.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 13: Does MacOS Sierra prove Apple doesn’t care about the Mac?

Apple's newest version of Mac OS X - sorry, MacOS - offers a few interesting new features, including Siri. But is it enough to restore faith in Mac fanatics?
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Affordable laptops aren’t just ‘good enough’ anymore, they’re amazing

Laptops have been fast enough for years, but design hasn't kept up until now. After years of bulky designs, quality hardware is available at a reasonable price.
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Was Intel’s decision to (almost) kill Core M deceptive, or was it inevitable?

Some have accused Intel of deception over its decision to kill the Core M brand, but perhaps Core M's days were numbered.
Qualcomm VR hands on

Hands on: Qualcomm Snapdragon VR820

Qualcomm, known for designing the chips that power phones and tablets, is getting into the VR game. Its Snapdragon VR820 reference platform is a little rough around the edges, but demonstrates revolutionary new tech.
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Acer’s Predator 21 X is a bit curved, a bit crazy, and outrageously quick

There was one laptop that stood out as special among Acer's buffet of announcements -- the Predator 21 X. It claims the title of first curved-screen laptop.
Intel 7th Generation Core

Better battery life, 4K love, and more of the perks to Intel’s next Core chips

Intel has taken the wraps off its 7th-gen Intel Core processor, codenamed Kaby Lake. The chips have a New Media Engine, which focuses on decoding 4K video.
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LG makes a 38-inch ultrawide monitor worth emptying your wallet for

LG stunned us by announcing a $1,500 monitor, but its 38-inch ultrawide panel is nothing to laugh at.
Lenovo Yoga Book

Lenovo’s IFA 2016 lineup includes a laptop with virtual keys and a supercharged 2-in-1

This week, Lenovo revealed four new devices during IFA 2016, one of which introduces Lenovo's new Halo Keyboard technology and its new Real Pen peripheral.
LG 4UC98

LG is showing off a monster 38-inch ultra-wide monitor at IFA

LG is using IFA 2016 to launch a trio of big ultrawide monitors, including a 38-inch behemoth, the largest ultrawide monitor ever produced.
OLED Laptop Lenovo ThinkPad X1

You can buy a laptop with an OLED screen now, but should you?

OLED's beauty will leave you wondering how you ever did without, but the new tech may leave you searching for the nearest power socket.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 9: Will Deus Ex: Mankind Divided also divide PC gamers?

PC gamers love to play games with all the details turned up. But as Deus Ex: Mankind Divided proves, there's a recent uptick in what maxed-out games demand.
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Intel gives the deets on how the Universal Stylus Initiative will make digital ink better

The Universal Stylus Initiative is an emerging standard that hopes to make your stylus easier to use, and compatible with multiple devices.
Intel Project Alloy

Intel won't lead the VR revolution, but it will power those who do

Intel seems to be getting into virtual reality, and its presence may establish new standards for VR that we'll use for years, even decades, to come.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 8: Intel joins the VR revolution

Intel's Developer Forum in San Francisco is the company's most important yearly event. This year, virtual reality is the focus. But what is Intel's angle?