Aorus RTX 4080 Super Master 16G: A problem for the RX 7900 XTX

The new RTX 4080 in the Super variant attacks the competing Radeon (RX 7900 XTX) fiercely in every way. Their advance is not only due to faster GPUs (versus the non-Super RTX 4080), but also for higher memory bandwidth. Of all the GeForces built on Nvidia’s Ada Lovelace architecture, the latter is the highest on the RTX 4080 Super. On top of that, the RTX 4080 Super in the tested Aorus Master 16G variant is a truly extreme graphics card. Read more “Aorus RTX 4080 Super Master 16G: A problem for the RX 7900 XTX” »

Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Pro X: White for Raptor Lake Refresh

We tested the first Z790 motherboard primarily designed for use with the 14th generation Intel Core (Raptor Lake) processors. The chipset’s features haven’t changed, but there’s a lot of new, noteworthy stuff around it. That includes upgraded network connectivity headed by WiFi 7 and, finally, 5-gigabit Ethernet. And in the year that it’s been at it, Gigabyte has worked on a lot of details too. Some were more successful, others less so. Read more “Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Pro X: White for Raptor Lake Refresh” »

256GB RAM: 64GB DDR5 modules coming, motherboards are ready

Early this year DDR5 memory modules got capacity boost when 24GB and 48GB modules hit the market. These were based on 24Gb chips. However, it looks like another leap is coming and 64GB modules could soon be on the market, allowing up to 256GB of RAM to be installed into regular desktop PCs, or 128GB for laptops or Mini-ITX boards. Board manufacturers are already gearing up support, hopefully this time there won’t be compatibility issues. Read more “256GB RAM: 64GB DDR5 modules coming, motherboards are ready” »

12VHPWR cable thermal imaging: Different PSU, different temps

Something for warm-up. We’ll start our ATX 3.0 PSU tests with perhaps the most talked about topic surrounding them, the temperatures of the new cables with 16-pin PCIe connectors. The overview of the PSUs of twelve brands answers well the question of how the manufacturers handled which models. With high current loads, the temperature differences can be quite significant, both on the connector housings and on the wire insulation. Read more “12VHPWR cable thermal imaging: Different PSU, different temps” »

This is the complete ATX 3.0 power supply test lineup

Recently, in fact for most of 2023, we’ve been collecting various ATX 3.0 power supplies. In total, twelve have been collected, which is also the final number with which we are now leaving for measurements. Before we start publishing the tests, you can check out a comprehensive overview of all the models. Or leave a comment, which we can eventually incorporate into our analyses. Read more “This is the complete ATX 3.0 power supply test lineup” »

Gigabyte GP-UD850GM PG5W: Let’s make it bright!

The last of the dozen ATX 3.0 PSUs that we’ll be looking at in comparison tests is the Gigabyte GP-UD850GM PG5W. We have this one available in the “rarer” white variant, and if there’s anything else these Gigabyte (UD850GM) PSUs have going for them, it’s an attractive price. It is decidedly the cheapest PSU we will test. And among other things, it also has a smaller footprint with extra compatibility. Read more “Gigabyte GP-UD850GM PG5W: Let’s make it bright!” »

Gigabyte RTX 4060 Windforce OC 8G: Save both power and space

Catching up where we’re behind, we come to the GeForce RTX 4060. Across designs, these graphics cards represent not only the most efficient and lowest-power across the latest generation of Nvidia Ada Lovelace, but overall (i.e., even compared to the latest Radeons, including the competing RX 7600). The advantage of the tested (RTX 4060) Windforce OC 8G design is in its smaller size and extra compatibility. Read more “Gigabyte RTX 4060 Windforce OC 8G: Save both power and space” »

Aorus 15 BSF (2023): The less expensive of the powerful laptops

It took longer than I planned, but we finally got our hands on an Aorus gaming laptop. Specifically, the 15-inch model set for 2023 with a Raptor Lake Core i7 processor and an Ada Lovelace RTX 4070 graphics card. This configuration may impress with a rather attractive price. But then again, in the fierce competition from ROG, MSI and Legion models, the Aorus 15 BSF won’t have it so easy. Read more “Aorus 15 BSF (2023): The less expensive of the powerful laptops” »

Do you like small GPUs? Gigabyte RTX 4060 Windforce OC 8G details

Nvidia’s smallest, lowest-power, cheapest, and possibly most efficient Ada Lovelace GPU is already a reality in GeForce RTX 4060 graphics cards. Thanks to the low power draw, even very small designs with excellent compatibility with surrounding components are possible. The Gigabyte Windforce OC 8G, which does not outweigh even a half-liter can, is one of these. Read more “Do you like small GPUs? Gigabyte RTX 4060 Windforce OC 8G details” »

Gigabyte A620M Gaming X vs. 200+W. No fireworks in sight!

Some people paint disasters around cheap motherboards (literally, flames in the graphics editor and such… natural disasters sell), yet often you have nothing to worry about and nothing burns up anywhere. Such A620M Gaming X can handle even the most powerful processors for AMD AM5 socket with ease. It doesn’t make much sense to pair it up like this, as the features are tailored to the undemanding user, but it is an option. Read more “Gigabyte A620M Gaming X vs. 200+W. No fireworks in sight!” »

Gigabyte Aorus RX 7900 XTX Elite 24G. If RTX 4090 is too costly…

The most powerful Radeon (RX 7900 XTX) is both slower and less efficient compared to the GeForce RTX 4090, but it’s also roughly 700 EUR cheaper. And that’s what gives it an unprecedented price/performance ratio for a high-end graphics card. The latter is more attractive even than the lower-end RX 7900 XT, and that’s also the case with Gigabyte’s top-of-the-range Aorus Elite, which, oddly enough, only comes at a minimal premium. Read more “Gigabyte Aorus RX 7900 XTX Elite 24G. If RTX 4090 is too costly…” »

One of the fastest, Gigabyte RTX 4090 Gaming OC 24G

For a long time they were missing in our test database, but now we are adding them – the results of a GeForce RTX 4090. When it comes to gaming performance, graphics cards with AD102 GPUs have no competition, but it often costs an extreme 450 W. The Gigabyte Windforce cooler handles such an onslaught by a wide margin though, on top of, and now hold on to your hats, non-loud coils, somewhere on the level of the RTX 3060 (Ti). Really. Read more “One of the fastest, Gigabyte RTX 4090 Gaming OC 24G” »

A620 chipset specs in detail: a PCIe Gen4 uplink surprise

Last Friday, the last day of Q1, low-cost AM5 boards for Ryzen 7000 processors based on the low-end A620 chipset were released by all the manufacturers in a coordinated fashion (we’ve put together an overview of the models here), but AMD itself didn’t make any announcements at first, so we didn’t have exact specs. These have been published now and include one surprising thing which makes the A620 better than expected. Read more “A620 chipset specs in detail: a PCIe Gen4 uplink surprise” »

Cheap A620 AM5 boards are out, starting at $85. Here’s the models

In the last few days, inexpensive A620 chipset-based AM5 motherboards for Ryzen 7000 started leaking. We’ve already seen photos of one model and it seems that AMD has timed the unveiling and release for the last day of March (maybe they wanted to formally make it before the end of the first quarter). And now, boards with this chipset were launched from all the usual manufacturers, with the cheapest ones going as low as $85. Read more “Cheap A620 AM5 boards are out, starting at $85. Here’s the models” »

Gigabyte Aorus 140 ARGB: Short/quiet and lighted (blades)

Blade length is always the “topic”, but will be more common with 140mm fans than smaller variants. Some bet on long blades for preference of selected features, the other manufacturer on short ones. And such (short) and overall more robust blades are also used by the 140mm Aorus fan. From certain points of view this is quite a big advantage, but for which something had to be sacrificed. It’s a quid pro quo. Read more “Gigabyte Aorus 140 ARGB: Short/quiet and lighted (blades)” »

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