The Smart Access Memory feature is far from perfect. And although it is a useful technology overall, it also proves to be very unstable. What was true today may not tomorrow, and an in-depth analysis shows all those patches. On the one hand, those that eliminate the biggest problems that no one boasts about, and on the other hand, those that raise average performance in small steps. Read more “SAM tests on the RX 6800. AMD tunes more than it reveals”
In our tests, you will increasingly encounter measurements of the “frequency response” of the sound of PC components. These are useful and rare measurements. As one of our readers has pointed out – for those who can read spectrographs, they are a gem. It’s worse if you don’t understand them. Then they won’t tell you much, and that’s a shame if you also care about the exact “noise” value of computer components, or their sound expression. Read more “Get familiar with measuring the frequency response of sound”
The NH-U9S chromax.black cooler is a new addition to the Noctua Chromax series. Although the original version of the cooler has been on the market for several years, the typically brown-beige color design of the fan may not suit everyone’s liking. Chromax series coolers solve this problem with a matte black finish from the fan to the last screw. However, the question remains whether this surface treatment does not have a negative effect on the efficiency. Read more “Noctua NH-U9S chromax.black – Small, quiet and very expensive”
The popular Meshify C case from Fractal Design finally has a successor on the market after five years. It was introduced on this day and brings a new soul in the old body. The fact that the case has undergone significant innovations is also evidenced by the weight gain of more than one and a half kilograms. The new Meshify is not heavier for no reason, also thanks to this it leaves the first generation far behind. Read more “The FD Meshify 2 Compact is out and we’ve already tested it!”
The Radeon RX 6800 is the cheapest graphics card equipped with a Navi 21 graphics chip. That is naturally slower in this card than in the RX 6800 XT and RX 6900 XT, but the RX 6800 clearly offers the most attractive price/performance ratio of the three. And the power draw is also not bad, the efficiency is remarkably very decent here, despite the large, partially deactivated core. However, some flaws can be found on the AMD reference card. Read more “AMD Radeon RX 6800 test: More affordable “Big Navi””
Asus has taken a very bold and quite surprising step this year with its gaming laptop portfolio. It switched extensively to Ryzen 5000 processors and combined them with the new GeForce RTX 3000 mobile graphics cards. The new ROG Strix SCAR 17 is thus the first look at a new stage of mobile gaming, in the highest configuration with 8-core processor and a 16-gigabyte RTX 3080. Read more “ROG Strix SCAR 17 – Ryzen 7 5800H with GeForce RTX 3080”
Without application/computational tests, graphics card tests would be incomplete. Therefore, we will focus on this area outside of gaming that most hardware magazines neglect. We understand the reasons, there are several of them, but even so, it is possible with a little effort to make at least a few measurements. So hopefully they will also help multimedia creators in choosing the right graphics card. Read more “RX 6800 XT vs. RTX 3080. Part 2/2: Non-gaming tests”
We still have the Smart Access Memory turned off in the standard graphics card methodology (until there is support for GeForce as well). However, for AMD owners, SAM can be very beneficial, but on average you get a plus 5%. But also lower noise, which decreases remarkably. But in some areas AMD’s exclusive technology is also damaging. So be vigilant and broaden your horizons in a test in which we gave Radeon a hard time. Read more “AMD SAM on RX 6800 XT: up to +44% performance (and lower noise)”
Eighteen selection games in various resolutions and settings, performance tests in computing applications, detailed analysis of power draw and generated sound, in which we go up to the level of frequency responses. This captures the new robust methodology for graphics card testing. And right at the beginning, popular high-end models from both camps are going to undergo the tests. Read more “Duel: Radeon RX 6800 XT vs. GeForce RTX 3080 (part 1/2)”
We have recently looked at several multimedia-oriented, design or professional monitors, but most of you will probably be most interested in gaming models. We got a hot news from MSI with the complicated designation Optix MAG274QRF-QD. It has a 27″ QHD 165 Hz display with Quantum Dot and G-Sync support, which are really solid features. Are we looking at a new go-to monitor for passionate gamers? Read more “MSI Optix MAG274QRF-QD: gaming monitor with pro features”
Intel brought the 11th generation of processors relatively quickly, which naturally means that most laptop manufacturers have updated their models. These include Asus, which in addition to the new Flip S also introduced a revamped ZenBook 13 and 14. We reviewed the last generation’s 14, now we will test the smaller 13-inch model. Expectations are high, as I considered the ZenBook 14 to be one of the best ultrabooks of the year. Read more “Asus ZenBook 13 UX325E – Tiger with a smaller body”
FSP Group is known in our region mainly for PC cases and power supplies under the Fortron brand. However, this manufacturer also offers coolers. And it is the Windale 4 that is a cost-effective middle-class cooler that we will look at today. Considering its specifications and price, it should compete in a very close battle with the SilentiumPC Fera 3 or Arctic Freezer 34 coolers, which we’ve also recently tested. Read more “FSP Windale 4 – Don’t trust the first impression”
Lenovo Legion is no longer a start-up brand, quite the contrary. In recent years, it has gained a strong position among gaming brands such as Asus, MSI and Gigabyte. This is mainly due to gaming tournaments, where we see Legion quite often, but especially on the gaming laptop market. The new flagship Legion 7i must not only resume where its great predecessor left off, but also beat strong competition. Read more “Lenovo Legion 7i – the best gaming notebook of 2020?”
At the end of 2020, I prepared another review of a middle-class cooler for you. The Hyper 212 Evo V2 from Cooler Master is the latest model from the popular Hyper 212 series. This latest upgrade offers a simplified mounting system, 100% compatibility with RAM modules and also a quiet fan. Its construction and specifications place it in the same group as the SPC Fera 3 or Arctic Freezer 34. So I’m expecting a very tight fight. Read more “CM Hyper 212 Evo V2 – Evolution of the legend among coolers”
This year is packed with technological innovations and laptops are an area where it’s all happening. In addition, Intel is under a lot of pressure, which was reflected in the relatively fast release of the new gen of Tiger Lake processors, and the first novelty from Asus has already reached our editorial office. What is the new ZenBook Flip S like and is the 11th gen of Intel Core even sensible compared to the 10th gen in the recently tested ZenBook 14? Read more “Asus ZenBook Flip S – Flip Tiger Lake”
Latest comments