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on (#46SDD)
The latest Radeon driver is the first release of 2019, and so it follows that it's called Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition. Driver version 19.1.1 is an optional release, and there's not a whole lot to it. However, if you (or your kids) like to yeet people off hastily-constructed stairways and then floss over their comically positioned ragdolls, then you'll probably appreciate this update's optimizations for Fortnite. AMD says this driver offers a staggering 4% performance uplift on Epic's mega-hit battle-royale builder.
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Techreport
| Link | https://techreport.com/ |
| Feed | http://techreport.com/news.rss |
| Updated | 2024-11-21 18:18 |
on (#46QVX)
Cooler Master showed off three low-profile keyboards at CES 2019, each one sporting Cherry MX RGB Low-Profile Red switches and wireless capabilities. Between the three models, Cooler Master has multiple layouts covered. The SK621 is a 65%, the SK631 is a TKL, and the SK651 is the full-size option. ...Read more...
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on (#46QC0)
Howdy, folks! The big announcements have been made at CES, so you'll soon be looking at multiple stories about some of the most interesting and just plain quirky bits of kit at the show. While we carefully brew said information, though, you'll of course want to peruse today's selection of sweet hardware deals. Here they are. ...Read more...
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on (#46PWT)
Coincidentally, we're signing loan documents today for 20 kW of solar panels going on our roof very soon.
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on (#46NW8)
Remember the Mini-STX form factor? Do you remember "5x5," then? Well, in any case, the smallest socketed desktop systems around are based on Mini-STX, a somewhat obscure size class for systems created by Intel. ASRock offers a few tiny barebones built around the form factor, but going 5x5 meant going Intel—until now, anyway. Check out the DeskMini A300. ...Read more...
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on (#46NG4)
There was a time, not that long ago, when not everything in the PC universe was brimming with RGB lighting. But as LEDs have crept into and onto everything from cases to keyboards to cupholders, the limitations of current popular lighting tech has begun to come into view. Corsair is trying to bring some leaner, meaner LED solutions into the market, and it's showing off those efforts at CES 2019 in its new Dominator Platinum RGB RAM. ...Read more...
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on (#46N9W)
After the Radeon VII demo at its CES 2019 keynote, AMD CEO Lisa Su talked a bit more about gaming and then moved straight into the Zen 2 reveal. The new CPU core will naturally be finding its way into both datacenter and desktop processors, and AMD talked a bit about both. The company also demoed some early Socket AM4 silicon for us. ...Read more...
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on (#46MWD)
Even though the company will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, AMD's keynote today was its first ever at CES. During the show, AMD CEO Lisa Su announced the next high-performance Radeon graphics card: the Radeon VII.
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on (#46N69)
Toshiba's ball-grid-array SSDs offer OEMs a tempting blend of low cost, small size, and energy efficiency, but thus far those perks have come at the cost of speed. Historically, the company's BG-series drives skipped onboard DRAM and depended on NVMe's Host Memory Buffer (HMB) feature to offset the performance implications of that omission. However, as we saw when we reviewed the BG3's consumer-facing cousin, the RC100, HMB isn't a perfect substitute for good ol' memory chips. Toshiba acknowledges that fact and consequentially equipped BG3 drives with only a two-lane PCIe link. ...Read more...
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on (#46M8D)
Toshiba's ball-grid-array SSDs offer OEMs a tempting blend of low cost, small size, and energy efficiency, but thus far those perks have come at the cost of speed. Historically, the company's BG-series drives skipped onboard DRAM and depended on NVMe's Host Memory Buffer (HMB) feature to offset the performance implications of that omission. However, as we saw when we reviewed the BG3's consumer-facing cousin, the RC100, HMB isn't a perfect substitute for good ol' memory chips. Toshiba acknowledges that fact and consequentially equipped BG3 drives with only a two-lane PCIe link. ...Read more...
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on (#46M30)
Do you prefer your storage devices to be understated and out of the way? Well, too bad. Gigabyte's new Aorus RGB NVMe SSDs demand to be seen. The drives come in both M.2 and PCIe add-in-card form factors. Both version require four PCIe lanes, support the NVMe 1.3 protocol, and offer AES-256 encryption. The components powering the drives are Toshiba's 64-layer BiCS TLC NAND and an unnamed Phison controller, likely the E12. ...Read more...
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on (#46KFF)
HTC is already the lead dog in the VR world, and it continued its effort to separate from the pack by announcing two new headsets at CES 2019. One delivers eye tracking, and the other is an untethered device with inside-out tracking.HTC Vive ...Read more...
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on (#46K63)
Hybrid storage is nothing new. Back in the early years of SSDs going mainstream, some companies started to make drives and systems that sought to combine the blazing speeds of NAND flash with the cheap capacity of good old magnetic storage. There are basically two ways to go about this. The first is to just shove some NAND into an HDD and develop a controller smart enough to coordinate access between the flash and the rust, as Seagate did with its SSHD line. The second is to use physically distinct SSD and HDD devices, but present them as a single logical volume with some kind of software running the show. This is how Apple's Fusion Drive tech works. ...Read more...
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on (#46K3X)
While we all want to carry around the performance of our big towers in our backpacks, the reality is that laptops need to be svelte and long-serving, not just speedy. Dell's XPS 13 balances all of these requirements with remarkable panache. However, the last gen's low-slung webcam left us showing off our lovely septums to unfortunate video callers. That's just one of the things the company has patched up in the 2019 edition of its slimmest ultrabook, known as the XPS 13 9380. ...Read more...
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on (#46JJP)
Thermaltake is well known for their cases and cooling parts, among other things, but the company has expanded its reach once again. It sells RAM now. No, really—check out Thermaltake's WaterRam RGB liquid-cooling memory. ...Read more...
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on (#46J42)
Good afternoon, gerbils and gerbilettes. CES is in full swing and pretty much every manufacturer is looking to make as big as splash as possible. Just recently, Intel showed off its 10-nm wares and more ninth-gen CPUs, Nvidia made everyone's mouth agape by revealing it's supporting FreeSync displays, and we've reviewed Corsair's Harpoon and Ironclaw mice. It's easy to forget the important things in life in the middle of all the news though, like sweet hardware deals. Here they are. ...Read more...
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on (#46HR8)
Intel may have announced six new Core CPUs at its CES keynote in Las Vegas last night, but that's not really the company's most interesting announcement at the show. That title probably rests on the shoulders of four upcoming Intel products based on the company's beleaguered 10-nm fabrication process: the Lakefield low-power client processors, the Snow Ridge network SoC, and Ice Lake chips for every market segment. ...Read more...
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on (#46HJP)
I've you've never seen it, I highly recommend going somewhere that you can see the real night sky from.
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on (#46GY0)
As the week's CES news continues to stream out, we've rounded up a raft of new Geforce RTX 2060 models for you to take a gander at. These are all powered by a variously clocked TU106-200 Turing GPU running 6GB of GDDR6. No 3-GB model has yet been announced with this generation. We already wrote about the finer details regarding the RTX 2060, and we put together a review roundup, too. The necessary Tech Report review will be coming, but initial reports are encouraging.Nvidia ...Read more...
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on (#46GPR)
Patriot brought a staggering array of components and peripherals to display at CES this year, including its entire current SSD lineup. The Burst and Scorch internal drives and EVLVR external have all been on the market for months, but alongside those familiar faces were a trio of fresh ones. ...Read more...
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on (#46G6D)
At its CES 2019 keynote, Intel moved very fast. To be fair, the company had a lot to show—or at least, a lot to talk about. One of the first announcements that Intel SVP Gregory Bryant swiftly sped through was that the company just launched six new Core-series desktop CPUs. See for yourself:If you're wondering what the heck an "F" CPU is, don't feel bad—we didn't know either. As it turns out, the "F" designation indicates a processor with its integrated graphics disabled. The blinded versions of the Core i9-9900K, Core i7-9700K, and Core i5-9600K are ...Read more...
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on (#46F8Z)
As you are no doubt already aware if you are reading this, Nvidia announced the GeForce RTX 2060 last night at its pre-CES show. The review embargo lifted this morning and a bunch of sites that got Founder's Edition cards early have published their reviews. We don't have one of our own, but we're curious enthusiasts and we've collected our impressions from the reviews we've read for you.The GeForce RTX 2060 is based on the same TU106 processor as the RTX 2070. Nvidia has selectively disabled one-sixth of the chip and a quarter of its memory interface to produce the new model, and those cuts don't seem to result ...Read more...
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on (#46E6H)
Along with its other announcements at CES 2019, Nvidia also announced some updates to G-Sync. One of those updates is G-Sync Ultimate, a new premium tier of G-Sync displays similar to the previously-announced G-Sync HDR. Most likely the more interesting news, though, is that Nvidia is finally going to be offering some support for VESA Adaptive Sync displays. ...Read more...
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on (#46E4C)
It was perhaps inevitable that Razer would add yet another gaming-focused peripheral to its ever-growing lineup, so it’s not all that surprising to see the Razer Raptor 27, the company’s first desktop monitor, emerge. But the monitor alone is not the whole story regarding Razer and its focus on display tech at CES 2019.Buried in a lengthy press release about Razer’s new Blade 15 laptop models ( can I get an “RTX Max-Q†shout from the back? ) is a tidbit about two laptop displays. They’re being prototyped on Blade 15 laptops. One is a 15.6†FHD display that ...Read more...
on (#46E1P)
Nvidia rolled out its midrange RTX 2060 Turing-based graphics cards, fleshing out its desktop card family tree, and the company is also turning its attention to the gaming laptop sector. By the end of the month, you’ll have more than 40 RTX-equipped laptop models to choose from in more than 100 configuration combinations.They’ll include a full complement of RTX 2080, RTX 2070, and RTX 2060 GPUs, and they’ll include the key Turing technologies, so you can expect real-time ray tracing and Deep Learning Super Sampling. These mobile versions also support WhisperMode , which reduces ...Read more...
on (#46DYW)
Nvidia finally took the wraps off of its mid-tier RTX graphics card, the RTX 2060. Like its up-market counterparts, Nvidia’s new card supports ray-tracing and Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS). The RTX 2060 is the cheapest Turing-based graphics card available, but even at $349, it seems that ray tracing is still a bit of a luxury item. ...Read more...
on (#46CJP)
Along with the reveal of the second-generation Ryzen Mobile processors, AMD also announced a couple of new chips bound for Chromebooks. The long-time x86 underdog hasn't traditionally had any presence in that market, but now it seems that the company is trying to get its foot in the door with the "AMD A-Series Processors for Google Chromebook PCs."If those specifications don't look terribly familiar, they perhaps should. AMD confirmed to us that these processors are new additions to the Stoney Ridge family of low-power APUs that were initially introduced in 2016 . That means they're based around a single Excavator module—giving them two ...Read more...
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on (#469JV)
Samsung announced three new displays ahead of CES that are designed for workspace efficiency, gaming performance, and content creation, respectively. All three monitors will be on display at the show, though they don't yet have release dates or price information. ...Read more...
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on (#469AP)
Greetings. Brrr, it's chilly today. Yes, I know, I get really mild weather compared to other world regions, but I'm still entitled to moan about 0° C weather (that's 32° F for you 'muricans). The country's prone to some flooding during the spring season, though, and that has me particularly worried because, well, it's not been raining much. Last time that happened a few years ago, it rained for almost five months straight. That was not a fun time. Anyway, enough weather talk. Let's hit the deals. ...Read more...
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on (#468XK)
Publications across the web have commented on the wastebasket-like looks of the Mac Pro, but it's difficult to deny that it packs a lot of power into a petite package. If you're after something like that with specs that don't belong in a museum, check out Asus' latest release: the Mini PC ProArt PA90. ...Read more...
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on (#467KC)
By the way, can any gerbils vouch for a particular model of reusable drinking straw?
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on (#466QB)
It’s been nearly three years in the making, but the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has launched the USB Type-C Authentication Program. It’s a way for OEMs to implement the USB Type-C Authentication spec that defines the cryptographic-based authentication methods used to protect systems from firmware, hardware, or software threats, an even power surges from non-compliant chargers.OEMs get control over the actual security policies that they put in place, but the specification allows them to use a standard protocol to do so. “Using this protocol, host systems can confirm the authenticity of a USB device, USB cable or USB charger, including such product aspects as the ...Read more...
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on (#4655Q)
In case you've somehow lost track of time amid the holiday break, CES is a week away. As Seth noted, we'll be at the show, although this humble news-writer in particular is staying home. The first pre-CES announcement we've received comes from Adata, who we'll meet up with in Vegas. But the company already outed some of its new products.
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on (#4655S)
Howdy, folks. The Christmas and New Year festivities are over, and we'd guess that every gerbil is hung over from gorging on far too much food. I know that I've put on at least a few pounds, and now I need to converse with the treadmill and have lots of arguments (that I'll invariably lose) with the boxing bag. For the time being, though, I'm sitting happy, looking at PC hardware deals. Here are today's picks. ...Read more...
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on (#461TT)
Lawrence G. Roberts, the man whose work would eventually allow us to send each other cat GIFs and get into arguments in comments sections, has died of a heart attack in his California home. Roberts was a major force behind Arpanet, the direct precursor to the internet. He was 81.
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on (#45ZEV)
Greetings, gerbils! We’re in the midst of a funky stretch on The Tech Report, wherein there was a big bombshell piece of news, presently a lot of no-news, and soon a great deal of news.Big ...Read more...
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on (#45WMM)
Computer manufacturer Dell Technologies is back on the New York Stock Exchange this week, almost six years after one of the biggest buybacks in recent memory, putting a value of $34 billion on the company.While Dell was a huge innovator in the desktop PC space in the early 2000s, it missed the boat as the market shifted away from desktops and grew to include tablets, game consoles, all-in-one systems, and other kinds of PC hardware. Michael Dell, founder and CEO of the company, spent $24 billion to buy the company's shares ...Read more...
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on (#45WCR)
Boy, the folks in charge of Steam sure do love their data, don't they? They're not alone in that regard, but unlike certain other organizations we'll refrain from naming, Steam shares its data with the rest of the world. The digital content delivery platform just announced its "Best of 2018" results, and the information is enlightening. Let's take a peek. ...Read more...
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on (#45THS)
Gerbils, it's time to strap on your muck waders and sit down with the whole can of Morton's, because we're about to wade into the rumor mire. The color: Nvidia green. The company released its latest generation of graphics cards with the high-end RTX 2080 and 2080 Ti models back in September, followed by the lower priced RTX 2070 cards. Presumably, Nvidia will follow will RTX 2060 and RTX 2050 variants; nothing has been confirmed or released yet, but predictably, there are rumors and leaks aplenty.
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on (#45TE8)
Howdy folks! So, how are we today, after all the Christmas festivities and subsequent gorging of food? Can you still fit through the door? Yeah, didn't think so. Looks like you'll have to be stuck playing games at your desk, and perhaps shop some sweet PC hardware. E-tailers are running some nice discounts after the rush to Christmas, and we'll gladly take them. Here are today's picks. ...Read more...
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on (#45NF4)
Whoosh. That's the sound of 2018 going out the door. This year saw the introduction of AMD's second-gen Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7, and Ryzen Threadripper CPUs, as well as Nvidia's RTX graphics cards. Intel brought out its ninth-generation Core CPUs to the party, too.The cryptocurrency-mining crisis died a much-deserved death, bringing graphics card prices down from the stratosphere, all while memory and SSD prices descended to sane levels. Nice monitors, particularly gaming-oriented ones, are as ...Read more...
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on (#45N9C)
Hi there, folks. I bet you can smell the eggnog already. But local homes usually have a slightly different odor to them this day. You see, Portugal's obsession with cod has a rather unique twist. We eat cod for Christmas Eve dinner, which isn't unexpected. Yet out of all the thousands of tasty manners in which to cook the dang fish, tradition dictates that today it should just be boiled with potatoes and cabbages. If you're thinking "seriously?!", your thoughts mirror mine. The things we do for our loved ones. Anyway, here's today's selection of deals. Get yourself or one of your loved ones a nice gift. ...Read more...
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on (#45GRF)
Good news, fans of home cinema projection: LG announced the imaginatively named HU85L, the second in its CineBeam Laser 4K family of ultra-short-throw projectors. ...Read more...
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on (#45GGK)
The TR staff and crowd in general tend to love high-performance, high-priced gear with all the cowbell and a few whistles. Not every build needs pricey equipment, though, whether due to budgetary constraints or simply because its duties are modest in nature. For this situation, AMD's recently-announced Athlon 220GE and 240GE processors could fit the bill just fine. ...Read more...
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on (#45G25)
It's been a slow week because of incoming Christmas festivities, but suddenly, out of nowhere, there are new GTX 1060 6 GB cards. Gigabyte's announced a trio of GTX 1060 6 GB cards with GDDR5X chips, an apparent upgrade from the boring old GDDR5 in standard-issue cards.We looked at the newcomers quite hard and we're hard-pressed to find meaningful differences between them and the previous models. The GPUs' ...Read more...
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on (#45EBP)
The recent release of AMD's Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition is positively packed with features. As any developer knows, however, with a great number of features comes a great amount of bugs. Thankfully, AMD's devs are on the ball, and they just released the Radeon 18.12.3 driver package.The latest update doesn't list any fancy new features, but does stomp down on a handful of bugs. The biggest one is of particular interest to owners of Vega cards, since they might have seen memory clocks locked ...Read more...
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on (#45E3D)
It's pretty much common knowledge that motherboard firmware quality can be hit-or-miss, to put it rather mildly. Far too often we've reviewed high-end circuit slabs tainted by undercooked UEFI implementations. Microsoft, of all companies, thinks it can help with its recently announced Project Mu. ...Read more...
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on (#45DK6)
Howdy, folks. We're coming into the home stretch before Christmas, and around here supermarkets are stuffed to the gills with salted cod. We have at least a couple thousand ways to cook the darn fish, but thankfully about 90% of them are quite tasty. Oddly enough, for Christmas specifically, boring and plain boiled cod and potatoes is the typical dish. That makes about as much sense as nipples on a chicken, but it's difficult to argue with tradition. Anyway, here's today's selection of deals. ...Read more...
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on (#45BHZ)
Raise your hands, everyone who's ever wanted to quickly check if a given program is kosher or will murder your system. Glad to see we're all here. The savviest gerbils probably have a clean virtual machine (VM) somewhere for this purpose, but that approach still entails some work and substantial disk space. Microsoft has good news, though: a compact, fast, and disposable Sandbox is coming to Windows 10. ...Read more...
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