Ryzen 9 7950X: AMD’s elite CPU beats but also doesn’t beat Core i9

We saved our tests of the most powerful Ryzen 7000 processor for last, for a number of reasons, as the last “X” model to expand the results database from this generation. The Ryzen 9 7950X, with its 32 threads, stands up to its 32-threaded competitor in the form of the Core i9-13900K with sovereignty, despite having eight fewer cores. Some might even state that it is the more cost-effective processor. But it comes down to your own point of view. Read more “Ryzen 9 7950X: AMD’s elite CPU beats but also doesn’t beat Core i9” »

MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi: The cheapest of the decent ones

The higher price of motherboards is one of the main topics around desktop PCs. Especially in the context of the AMD platform. However, if you decide to build your rig on DDR5 memory with the vision of a longer life expectancy, the B650 Tomahawk WiFi, in comparison to similarly equipped motherboards with Intel chipsets, is rather higher on the “price” scales and with a more attractive price/value ratio. Read more “MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi: The cheapest of the decent ones” »

Intel Core i5-13400F: Best price/perf ratio, questionable for games

Thanks to the addition of E cores even in the lowest Core i5 Raptor Lake models (13400F and 13400), the raw performance between generations has advanced the most in years. However, the improvement may not always happen, the relatively small number of performance ones (P) combined with the lower Turbo Boost 2.0 clock speeds some games don’t like, and when they reach for E cores, the concept of big.LITTLE is at once detrimental. Read more “Intel Core i5-13400F: Best price/perf ratio, questionable for games” »

Asus TUF Gaming TF120: Cheap, lighted and efficient fan

Asus’s efforts in the field of standalone PC fans are on the rise. After the premiere in the form of the ROG XF120, there is now the half-price TUF TF120, which also gives more attractive results in some applications. And that’s even compared to other, similar fans with ARGB LEDs. The geometry of the TF120 is quite sensible, which is why it often beats its competitors in its price range. Read more “Asus TUF Gaming TF120: Cheap, lighted and efficient fan” »

EKWB EK-M.2 re-test: Pioneer among SSD coolers after years

You may remember our old tests of SSD coolers, which were topped by the EKWB EK-M.2. The latter was something of a minor miracle five years ago, beside the various unfinished solutions. Given that its production is still ongoing, it’s interesting to see how the once cutting-edge SSD cooler stands up against the current competition. That’s why we dusted it off (a new piece with fresh pads, of course) and sent it into battle. Read more “EKWB EK-M.2 re-test: Pioneer among SSD coolers after years” »

Raijintek Morpheus 8069: GPU cooler with 400W TDP is ready

You’ve known for some time that Raijintek has been working on a new Morpheus (8069) graphics card cooler. Last year’s images of its design were already pretty much final, but we’re only now learning a lot of the essential things that were still a question mark. After Raijintek released the Morpheus 8069 cooler and published all the basic specs for it. This also removes the confusion around how the memory will be cooled. Read more “Raijintek Morpheus 8069: GPU cooler with 400W TDP is ready” »

The NA-FG1 or how Noctua perfected the circular grille

That this or that can no longer be improved? It can only seem that way until someone points out the possible shortcomings. This also applies to the circular grille in front of fans, on which Noctua has found a few weak spots, where their solution (compared to traditional circular grilles) lead to higher efficiency – the drop in airflow is supposed to be even lower with an even smaller increase in noise. And all of it makes sense. Read more “The NA-FG1 or how Noctua perfected the circular grille” »

Intel Core i3-13100F: Tailor-made for cheap gaming builds

Within the Raptor Lake-S CPU segmentation, it belongs to the lowest class (Core i3), but at the same time it is the fastest 4-core processor at all. AMD hasn’t had anything that directly competes with the Core i3-1x10xF processors in this segment for quite some time. So Intel, alone in the field, is pushing these processors in small steps, and the Ci3-13100(F) is already a very well “polished” foundation for budget gaming PCs. Read more “Intel Core i3-13100F: Tailor-made for cheap gaming builds” »

AMD Ryzen 7 7700X: More efficient, but much weaker than Core i7

It clearly outperformed its predecessors (including the R7 5800X) and also the Core i9-10900K, which has two more cores. But it can’t compare with the Core i7-13700K in heavy MT workloads, and that’s just a month after its release. In ST loads, however, it’s even performance-wise, as in games, where Ryzen 7 is more efficient. Whether the R7 7700X is worth more than the Ci7-13700K for similar money, however, you’ll have to judge for yourself. Read more “AMD Ryzen 7 7700X: More efficient, but much weaker than Core i7” »

A host of BeQuiet! news: Cheap ATX 3.0 PSU and thermal pastes

Shortly after the Dark Power 13 power supplies, BeQuiet! is releasing significantly cheaper alternatives from the Pure Power range (12 M), in up to five output variants starting at 550 W. In this instance too, these are PSUs that are designed to meet the more stringent ATX 3.0 standard. In addition, BeQuiet! is expanding its range of thermal pastes, one of which is actually a liquid metal with a higher stated thermal conductivity than TG Conductonaut. Read more “A host of BeQuiet! news: Cheap ATX 3.0 PSU and thermal pastes” »

Gelid IceCap vs. more than 40 other M.2 SSD coolers

The number of tested SSD coolers is piling up, and the inter-comparison of different models is already quite voluminous. It includes inefficient structures, simpler (but efficient) and more complex designs. The IceCap cooler, which is the subject of this analysis, is among the more reasonable solutions for a few euros. In short, an inexpensive option to consider when thinking about how to reduce SSD temperature. Read more “Gelid IceCap vs. more than 40 other M.2 SSD coolers” »

Noctua NH-L9a(-AM5) cooler now also available for Ryzen 7000

Many small coolers designed for SFF systems that are compatible with the AMD AM4 platform can’t be mounted on AM5. The NH-L9a(-AM4) top-flow cooler also made the list, and Noctua had to modify its mounting system. The implementation is quite clever, the work is already done and the old-new coolers, whose design is basically unchanged, go on sale. We also have information on which processors they support and under what circumstances. Read more “Noctua NH-L9a(-AM5) cooler now also available for Ryzen 7000” »

Ryzen 5 7600: Raphael in AMD’s most popular series scores again

This time, it wasn’t as long a wait as for the Ryzen 5 5600. On the contrary, the Ryzen 5 7600 came out very shortly after the faster model with the “X” in the name. AMD apparently hurried with this lower-power model also because of dissatisfied reactions that 7600X criticize the worse cooling. With the significantly more efficient R5 7600, the situation with silicon is brighter. Plus it’s cheaper and doesn’t lose all that much in performance. Read more “Ryzen 5 7600: Raphael in AMD’s most popular series scores again” »

Second, prettier generation of ARGB DeepCool LS (SE) coolers is out

The new DeepCool LS SE coolers go on sale relatively soon after the LT series models were introduced. Given the very similar parameters, this is an alternative that offers a particularly different look. Mainly in the fact that in this case, fans with ARGB LEDs are used, but the design of the water block cover is also significantly different. This also distinguishes these liquid coolers from older models without SE in the designation. Read more “Second, prettier generation of ARGB DeepCool LS (SE) coolers is out” »

Axagon CLR-M2XL: Only one SSD cooler can be the best

The designers have really gone all out with the CLR-M2XL cooler. Some of the details are really surprising for an SSD cooler, but you can see a clear intention – to squeeze the most out of the available material. Finding a more powerful model than the CLR-M2XL in the current offer among passive SSD coolers will be very difficult, with a better price/performance ratio probably impossible. Despite the superior cooling performance, Axagon held back on pricing. Read more “Axagon CLR-M2XL: Only one SSD cooler can be the best” »

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