Design & Create | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Tue, 20 Dec 2022 16:08:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Design & Create | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 PNY NVIDIA RTX A4500 Professional Graphics Card Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/james-morris/pny-nvidia-rtx-a4500-professional-graphics-card-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/james-morris/pny-nvidia-rtx-a4500-professional-graphics-card-review/#respond Mon, 19 Dec 2022 13:00:47 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=585137 Looking for a pro GPU? We check out the RTX A4500

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Although AMD has made huge inroads into the workstation CPU market, it still hasn't had the same success where graphics acceleration is concerned. NVIDIA continues to rule the workstation GPU roost. Since the release of the Ampere-generation RTX Ax000 series, NVIDIA has launched Ax500 models that widen the range. We took at a look at the mainstream NVIDIA RTX A4500 from PNY and ask the question: should you upgrade from the A4000?

The first thing we should mention is that NVIDIA has dropped the Quadro branding with the Ampere professional GPUs. There's an Ada generation just emerging, too, but that is only available with the top-end 6000 model so far. As its number suggests, the A4500 sits between the A4000 and A5000. However, where the A4000 uses NVIDIA's GA104 GPU, the A4500 uses the GA102 like the A5000. That means the GPU is related to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, where the A4000 is related to the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti.

In terms of specification, the A4500 unsurprisingly sits between the A4000 and A5000. However, it's a little more like the A5000, with a faster base and boost GPU clock, faster memory, and a wider bus width. The memory allocation also sits precisely in between the two other models.

The key thing, however, is that while the A5000 is almost £1,000 more than the A4000, the A4500 is only £300 more. That means it could be exactly what you need if the A4000 is just that little bit underpowered but you don't have an extra grand in your budget. So exactly how much more performance do you get for the extra £300? We ran the A4500 against the A4000 with a suite of professional workloads. Read on to discover what we learned.

GPU PNY NVIDIA RTX A4000
PNY NVIDIA RTX A4500 PNY NVIDIA RTX A5000
RT Cores
48 56 64
Tensor Cores
192 224 256
CUDA Cores
6,144 7,168 8,192
GPU Architecture / Variant GA104 GA102 GA102
Base Clock 735 MHz 1,170 MHz 1,170 MHz
GPU Boost Clock 1,560 MHz 1,695 MHz 1,695 MHz
Total Video memory 16 GB GDDR6 20 GB GDDR6 24 GB GDDR6
Memory Clock (Effective)
1,750 (14,000) MHz 2,000 (16,000) MHz 2,000 (16,000) MHz
Memory Bandwidth 448 GB/sec 640 GB/sec 768 GB/sec
Bus Width 256-bit 320-bit 384-bit
Manufacturing Process 8nm 8nm 8nm
TDP 140 W 200 W 230 W
Display Outputs 4 x DisplayPort 1.4 4 x DisplayPort 1.4 4 x DisplayPort 1.4
Display Resolution
4 @ 1920×1080
4 @ 3840×2160
4 @ 5120×2880
1 @ 7680×4320
(all at 60Hz)
4 @ 1920×1080
4 @ 3840×2160
4 @ 5120×2880
1 @ 7680×4320
(all at 60Hz)
4 @ 1920×1080
4 @ 3840×2160
4 @ 5120×2880
1 @ 7680×4320

(all at 60Hz)
Software API Support DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 3.0, Vulkan 1.3 DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 3.0, Vulkan 1.3 DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 3.0, Vulkan 1.3

PNY NVIDIA RTX A4500 Retail Price: £1,439.99

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AMD Radeon Pro W6800 Professional Graphics Card Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/james-morris/amd-radeon-pro-w6800-professional-graphics-card-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/james-morris/amd-radeon-pro-w6800-professional-graphics-card-review/#respond Mon, 09 Aug 2021 07:43:55 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=523692 Has AMD hit the spot? The 32GB Frame buffer certainly seems promising ...

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AMD's CPUs have taken over the workstation market, made huge inroads for servers and cloud providers, and its Instinct GPUs are now being used in the fastest supercomputers in the world, like the Oak Ridge Frontier and Nuclear Security Administration's El Capitan. But it still plays a very quiet second fiddle to NVIDIA in the mainstream workstation graphics market. AMD is still chipping away, though, and each generation gets that little bit closer to a serious challenge. With the latest Radeon Pro W6000 series, AMD is bringing its 7nm RDNA2 architecture to the professional arena, and we got our hands on the top W6800 model.

The W6800 follows on the heels of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700 and W5500, but is a significant upgrade over either. The manufacturing process is still 7nm, but this card now uses Navi 21 from AMD's RDNA 2.0 architecture, also known as “Big Navi”. This is the same generation as the AMD Radeon RX 6000 series gaming cards, in particular the Radeon RX 6800, 6800 XT and 6900 XT. As the W6800's name suggests, it is most closely related to the RX 6800, sporting 60 compute units and 3,840 stream processors.

So the W6800 has 67 per cent more Stream Processors than the W5700, but the big news is just how much memory it has on board – a whopping 32GB. This is GDDR6, delivered on a 256-bit bus with 512GB/sec bandwidth. Putting this in perspective, this is four times as much as the W5700, twice as much as any previous professional AMD card apart from the Apple Mac Pro-only Radeon Pro Vega II, and more than any NVIDIA Quadro except the RTX 8000, A6000 or GV100.

In other words, the AMD Radeon Pro W6800 is designed to handle huge viewsets that were previously just the domain of the highest-end NVIDIA Quadro cards costing around £5,000 (in the case of the RTX 8000) or £4,500 (in the case of the RTX A6000). You won't get much change out of £9,000 for a GV100.

The W6800 wasn't listed for sale on any UK website at the time of writing, but in the US it is available for $2,499 (£1,797) which is in the same ballpark as the NVIDIA Quadro RTX A5000. It has a third more memory than the latter, but how does it compete on performance? We managed to get our hands on all the latest Ampere-generation NVIDIA Quadro RTX cards to compare. Read on to see how it shapes up.

GPU AMD Radeon Pro W5700
AMD Radeon Pro W5500
AMD Radeon Pro W6800
Compute Units
36 22 60
Stream Processors
2,304 1,408 3,840
GPU Architecture / Variant Navi 10 XL Navi 14 PRO XL Navi 21
Base Clock 1,183 MHz 1,354 MHz 2,075 MHz
GPU Boost Clock 1,930 MHz 1,855 MHz 2,320 MHz
Total Video memory 8 GB GDDR6 8 GB GDDR6 32 GB GDDR6
Memory Clock (Effective)
1,750 (14,000) MHz 1,750 (14,000) MHz 2,000 (16,000) MHz
Memory Bandwidth 448 GB/sec 224 GB/sec 512 GB/sec
Bus Width 256-bit 128-bit 256-bit
Manufacturing Process 7nm 7nm 7nm
TDP 205 W 125 W 250 W
Display Outputs 5 x Mini-DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C 4 x DisplayPort 1.4 6 x Mini-DisplayPort 1.4
Display Resolution
5 @ 1920×1080
5 @ 3840×2160
5 @ 5120×2880
1 @ 7680×4320
(all at 60Hz)
4 @ 1920×1080
4 @ 3840×2160
4 @ 5120×2880
1 @ 7680×4320
(all at 60Hz)
6 @ 1920×1080
6 @ 3840×2160
6 @ 5120×2880
2 @ 7680×4320

(all at 60Hz)
Software API Support DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 2.1, Vulkan 1.2 DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 2.1, Vulkan 1.2 DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 2.1, Vulkan 1.2

AMD Radeon Pro W5500 Retail Price: $2,499 (£1,797)

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AMD Radeon Pro W5500 Professional Graphics Card Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/james-morris/amd-radeon-pro-w5500-professional-graphics-card-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/james-morris/amd-radeon-pro-w5500-professional-graphics-card-review/#respond Mon, 14 Dec 2020 08:39:21 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=495063 We look at AMD's W5500 workstation GPU - how does it compare to Quadro P2200?

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AMD has been providing stiff competition for Intel in the workstation CPU market, with the Ryzen and Ryzen Threadripper now delivering a lot more performance for the money for professional content creators. But the company's pro-grade graphics haven't been giving NVIDIA such a hard time. The Radeon Pro WX 8200 posed a short-lived challenge to the Quadro P4000, until the RTX 4000 came along, and then the Radeon Pro W5700 arrived to take over the battle, with only some success. Now, we have its little brother, the Radeon Pro W5500.

The W5500 is another AMD graphics card based on its 7nm process and the Navi GPU family, like the W5700. However, it uses a more recent spin of Navi, the Navi 14 RDNA GPU. It only has 22 compute units and 1,408 stream processors, compared to the W5700's 36 and 2,304 respectively. However, it still comes with 8GB of GDDR6 memory, so supports resolutions up to 8K, although the interface is merely 128-bit making bandwidth half as much.

But the W5500 is also less than half the price of the W5700, so it is not competing against the market leading NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000. In fact, NVIDIA doesn't have an RTX card aimed at this price level, so the Quadro P2200 from the Pascal GPU generation is the main opposition for almost exactly the same money. This gives the W5500 a clear window of opportunity, because if it can deliver better performance, it also has more frame buffer (the P2200 only has 5GB), so it could be a budget contender for professional content creation. Let's find out how it fares.

GPU AMD Radeon Pro W5700
AMD Radeon Pro W5500
NVIDIA Quadro P2200
Compute Units
36 22 80
Stream Processors / CUDA cores
2,304 1,408 1,280
GPU Architecture / Variant Navi 10 XL Navi 14 PRO XL Pascal GP106
Base Clock 1,183 MHz 1,354 MHz 1,000 MHz
GPU Boost Clock 1,930 MHz 1,855 MHz 1,493 MHz
Total Video memory 8 GB GDDR6 8 GB GDDR6 5 GB GDDR5X
Memory Clock (Effective)
1,750 (14,000) MHz 1,750 (14,000) MHz 1,251 (10,000) MHz
Memory Bandwidth 448 GB/sec 224 GB/sec 200.2 GB/sec
Bus Width 256-bit 128-bit 160-bit
Manufacturing Process 7nm 7nm 16nm
TDP 205 W 125 W 75 W
Display Outputs 5 x Mini-DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C 4 x DisplayPort 1.4 4 x DisplayPort 1.4
Display Resolution
5 @ 1920×1080
5 @ 3840×2160
5 @ 5120×2880
1 @ 7680×4320
(all at 60Hz)
4 @ 1920×1080
4 @ 3840×2160
4 @ 5120×2880
1 @ 7680×4320
(all at 60Hz)
4 @ 1920×1080
4 @ 4096×2160
4 @ 5120×2880
(all at 60Hz)
Software API Support DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 2.1, Vulkan 1.2 DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 2.1, Vulkan 1.2 DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 1.2, Vulkan 1.2, CUDA 6.1

AMD Radeon Pro W5500 Retail Price: £404.30

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iiyama launch a new 43-inch 4K monitor for professionals https://www.kitguru.net/professional/office/james-dawson/iiyama-launch-a-new-43-inch-4k-monitor-for-professionals/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/office/james-dawson/iiyama-launch-a-new-43-inch-4k-monitor-for-professionals/#respond Mon, 02 Mar 2020 14:19:28 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=454626 iiyama has announced the introduction of a new 43-inch 4K monitor being added to its desktop solutions range. The ProLite X4372UHSU is equipped with an IPS panel featuring 4K resolution with excellent colour reproduction and wide viewing angles. The ProLite X4372UHSU-B1 from iiyama is designed to make work more comfortable with a large 43-inch display …

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iiyama has announced the introduction of a new 43-inch 4K monitor being added to its desktop solutions range. The ProLite X4372UHSU is equipped with an IPS panel featuring 4K resolution with excellent colour reproduction and wide viewing angles.

The ProLite X4372UHSU-B1 from iiyama is designed to make work more comfortable with a large 43-inch display and 16:9 aspect ratio providing four times the resolution of traditional Full HD displays. Thanks to the Ultra HD resolution (3840 x 2160 @60Hz) and wide aspect ratio, the ProLite X4372UHSU-B1 offers a picture-by-picture (PbP) function allowing multiple displays of images from up to four input signals, making it ideal for demanding workloads and multitasking.

This PbP function allows busy professionals to run multiple applications such as CAD, photography and data virtualisation side by side and without the interference of monitor bezels getting in the way or a stack of tangled cables which is common with multi-monitor setups. Another bonus of this large-format display is the fact it can be used after work for watching 4K movies or gaming with a 4ms response time and included support for High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology providing smooth and detailed images.

In terms of connectivity, the ProLite X4372UHSU-B1 is equipped with an array of digital inputs, including two HMDI 2.0 ports and two DisplayPort 1.2 ports. As well as four USB Ports (2 x USB 2.0 and 2 x USB 3.0) and a headphone output. The monitor also includes built-in 9W speakers to deliver sound for multimedia or during work use.

iiyama has added Flicker-Free technology and a Blue Light Reducer to relieve eye strain during long periods of use as well as tilt adjustment of the stand for improved ergonomics to relieve fatigue. The ProLite X4372UHSU-B1 features a native contrast ratio of 13000:1 and 450 CD/ m² typical brightness, as well as an infrared remote control to adjust volume and menu OSD functions. On the rear is a handy headphone hook along with a VESA standard mounting arrangement for wall mounting the monitor.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: I like the idea of picture-by-picture in large-format displays such as the iiyama X4372UHSU-B1 from iiyama. This should give the workspace a less cluttered feel and keeps everything on one screen. What do you guys think of this new 43-inch 4K display from iiyama?

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Zotac to launch a new line of Mini PCs at CES https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/james-dawson/zotac-to-launch-a-new-line-of-mini-pcs-at-ces/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/james-dawson/zotac-to-launch-a-new-line-of-mini-pcs-at-ces/#respond Fri, 03 Jan 2020 10:48:48 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=444454 Zotac is preparing to debut a new product range at CES 2020 next week, along with expanding its line of ZBOX Mini PCs. The company will be at the Caesars Palace Forum Suite in Las Vegas with some interesting new products on show. Attendees at CES will be given a first look at Zotac’s brand-new …

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Zotac is preparing to debut a new product range at CES 2020 next week, along with expanding its line of ZBOX Mini PCs. The company will be at the Caesars Palace Forum Suite in Las Vegas with some interesting new products on show.

Attendees at CES will be given a first look at Zotac’s brand-new series, Inspire Studio is a new product line aimed squarely at content creators. The new device is a unique looking, compact system packed with powerful hardware and includes a desktop-sized Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX Super graphics card and a 65W eight-core Intel Core i7 processor.

Additionally, the Inspire Studio is equipped with 32GB memory, a 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD, 2TB HDD, Wi-Fi 6 and dual ethernet, with Windows 10 Pro pre-installed. All this performance should provide the ideal high-end system required for the demanding workloads of content creators.

Zotac Imagine Studio

Zotac will also be introducing the ZBOX edge line of Mini PCs at CES too. The ZBOX on edge will feature an ultra-thin form factor and is equipped with an Intel Core i5 processors. The new ZBOX is just 28.mm thick, with an overall volume of 0.64 litres and is one of the world’s thinnest systems to incorporate an Intel Core processor. The ZBOX MI643 features 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5 and dual gigabit Ethernet ports. To maintain the thin design, the MI643 relies solely on M.2 SSD for storage and supports up to 64GB RAM.

The ZBOX E series from Zotac is due to be upgraded with more powerful graphics at CES, an Nvidia RTX Super card will be found in the system for the first time. The ZBOX MAGNUS E series is designed for enthusiasts who require the most powerful hardware inside the ZBOX Mini PC. The ZBOX E series is also packed with a 45W Intel Core i7 or i5 processor, with support for up to 64GB RAM the ZBOX E-series takes compact performance to the next level.

Zotac will also be launching a ZBOX nano equipped with a 15W AMD Ryzen 3 processor that is passively cooled for near-silent operation in the C-series CA621 nano version. The ZBOX nano series will also be the first in the ZBOX line to be equipped with a 10th generation Intel Core processor at its heart.

Zotac ZBOX on Edge

Another interesting product Zotac will be showcasing at CES is the VR GO 3.0 Backpack PC. The VR GO 3.0 is designed to power the latest VR headsets with a mobile Nvidia RTX 2070 GPU and Intel Core i7 processor. The backpack fabric is made from a sweat-resistant material and the VR GO 3.0 will feature a similar design to the 2.0 version with added SPECTRA 2.0 RGB lighting.

Discuss on our Facebook Page HERE.

KitGuru says: Zotac has some interesting new products lined up for CES, some of the new Mini PC specifications sound like they could offer great performance. What do you guys think to these announcements from Zotac? Anything interest you?

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Gigabyte and MSI win Taiwan Excellence Silver Awards https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/james-dawson/gigabyte-and-msi-win-taiwan-excellence-silver-awards/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/james-dawson/gigabyte-and-msi-win-taiwan-excellence-silver-awards/#respond Mon, 02 Dec 2019 15:00:47 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=439470 Taiwan Excellence Awards were handed out recently with both Gigabyte and MSI winning awards for their innovative products. Two of Gigabyte’s motherboards and a content creation product from MSI were among the winners of the awards. Gigabyte’s Z390 Aorus Xtreme Waterforce motherboard has won a Taiwan Excellence Silver award by impressing the judging panel with …

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Taiwan Excellence Awards were handed out recently with both Gigabyte and MSI winning awards for their innovative products. Two of Gigabyte’s motherboards and a content creation product from MSI were among the winners of the awards.

Gigabyte’s Z390 Aorus Xtreme Waterforce motherboard has won a Taiwan Excellence Silver award by impressing the judging panel with its innovative, cutting edge Ultra-Durable design. Along with the Aorus Xtreme Waterforce, Gigabyte had another award winner in the form of the X570 Aorus Xtreme motherboard picking up the Taiwan Excellence award for its next-gen design.

The Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Xtreme Waterforce includes an all-in-one monoblock that covers the CPU, VRM and the chipset to provide excellent out of the box liquid cooling performance. The motherboard features exclusive leakage detection which immediately activates a protection mechanism if any liquid is detected on the monoblock. Customisable RGB lighting is integrated into the monoblock and other areas of the motherboard for enhanced aesthetics.

“It’s an honour for us to receive a Taiwan Excellence Silver Award for the Z390 AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE and a Taiwan Excellence Award for the X570 AORUS XTREME. Winning the awards is a testament to the hard work and dedication we put forth into developing these two motherboards,” said Jackson Hsu, Director of the GIGABYTE Product Development Division.

MSI was also a winner of the Taiwan Excellence Award with its Content Creation series Prestige P100 desktop system picking up a Silver Award too. The Prestige P100 aims to provide the best performance for content developers with its high specification, including Intel 9th generation Core K series processors, supporting a total of 64GB RAM and featuring the latest Nvidia RTX 20 series graphics cards. MSI claims the Prestige P100 no longer looks like a computer, but an art piece.

“MSI not only continues to maintain its innovative spirit in the Gaming industry, but also launches the Content Creation series with the combination of top-notch technology and modern boutique aesthetics, specifically tailored to content creators. It is a great honour to have the Prestige P100 achieved this time! In the future, MSI will continue to bring new and leading technology products to the world,” said Sam Chern, MSI Marketing VP.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Taiwan Excellence Awards pick out some of the most innovative and cutting-edge hardware from the year. If you had the chance, which hardware released this year would you hand an excellence award to?   

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Gigabyte offers a range of premium products for content creators https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/james-dawson/gigabyte-offers-a-range-of-premium-products-for-content-creators/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/james-dawson/gigabyte-offers-a-range-of-premium-products-for-content-creators/#respond Sun, 01 Dec 2019 11:00:50 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=439339 With a rise in popularity of streaming platforms like Twitch and so many people turning to YouTube to broadcast their skills, products aimed at content creation is becoming a large and lucrative market for hardware manufacturers. Gigabyte has a whole host of products available for the growing community of content creators and is eager to …

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With a rise in popularity of streaming platforms like Twitch and so many people turning to YouTube to broadcast their skills, products aimed at content creation is becoming a large and lucrative market for hardware manufacturers.

Gigabyte has a whole host of products available for the growing community of content creators and is eager to show off what it has to offer. Gigabyte's comprehensive lineup of premium hardware including motherboards and graphics cards is ideal for content creators. The company offers brand new HEDT motherboards for Intel X299X platforms along with new AMD TRX40 motherboards and the latest external GPU solution, the Aorus RTX 2080 Ti Gaming Box.

Both the X299X series from Intel and the new TRX40 platform from AMD offer a great base for building a professional-grade high-performance workstation – ideal to help speed up the workflows of content creators and design professionals. Both platforms offer support for high core count CPUs and high memory capacities, up to 256GB, meaning they will easily handle multitasking and memory-intensive workloads.

If Intel is your preferred platform then Gigabyte has a bunch of motherboards including the X299X Designare 10G, the X299 Aorus Xtreme Waterforce and the X299X Aorus Master. All these motherboards are certified by Intel for content creation. For those of you looking for native Gen4 PCIe support, Gigabyte has your back with its range of brand-new AMD TRX40 motherboards with the TRX40 AORUS XTREME, the TRX40 Aorus Master, the TRX40 PRO WIFI and the TRX40 Designare.

Additionally, Gigabyte can keep creators up to speed in producing live streaming with its Z390 and X570 platforms that support the latest generations of desktop CPUs and offer Aorus Memory Boost in the BIOS which allows users to boost read/write performance by 4%. For creators on the move, the Gigabyte Aorus 2080 Ti Gaming Box provides a portable solution for gaming and rendering 3D models on the go with its ultra-high-performance GPU.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Gigabyte has content creation covered with its range of premium motherboards and high-end GPUs. Any of you guys getting into the business of content creation and thinking of investing in Gigabyte products?

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AMD Radeon Pro W5700 Professional Graphics Card Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/james-morris/amd-radeon-pro-w5700-professional-graphics-card-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/james-morris/amd-radeon-pro-w5700-professional-graphics-card-review/#respond Tue, 26 Nov 2019 14:57:07 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=436612 Based on the new Navi architecture, could the W5700 prove a compelling purchase for professionals?

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AMD professional graphics have played second fiddle to NVIDIA's for some years now. Although the Radeon Pro WX 8200 put up a considerable challenge to the Quadro P4000, the RTX 4000 arrived a few months later and redressed the balance back to NVIDIA again. But AMD's early adoption of 7nm process technology has given it a real boost amongst consumer graphics, and now that benefit is being fed into the professional graphics market. The first product to hit the shelves is the Radeon Pro W5700.

The W5700 is, as its model number implies, a professional parallel to the consumer-grade Radeon RX 5700. The core specs are very similar, with a Navi 10 XL / RDNA GPU inside that sports 36 compute unites and 2,304 Stream Processors. That is considerably fewer than the Radeon Pro WX 8200's 3,584, but the W5700 has both a higher base clock and a much higher boost clock, which will go some way in compensation. It also uses GDDR6 memory instead of HBM2, which has a positive benefit for price since HBM is more expensive. You get the same 8GB of frame buffer, too.

This is a future-proofed card in terms of connectivity, with five Mini-DisplayPort connections and USB-C. You can connect up to five 4K screens and even run an 8K screen at up to 60Hz. The TDP is 205W, which isn't too onerous, so there's potential to get a lot of performance per Watt as well.

So while the specs don't imply that the W5700 will be a complete Quadro RTX 4000 killer in terms of performance, it should be reasonably competitive, and the price of $799 makes it potentially better value, particularly now that the Radeon Pro WX 8200 is actually more expensive than the Quadro RTX 4000. Let's find out how it performs.

GPU AMD Radeon Pro W5700
AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200
AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100
Compute Units
36 56 64
Stream Processors
2,304 3,584 4,096
GPU Architecture / Variant Navi 10 XL Vega 10 / Vega 10 XT Vega 10 / Vega 10 XT
Base Clock 1,183 MHz 1,200 MHz 1,200 MHz
GPU Boost Clock 1,930 MHz 1,530 MHz 1,500 MHz
Total Video memory 8 GB GDDR6 8 GB HBM2 16 GB HBM2
Memory Clock (Effective)
1,750 (14,000) MHz 1,000 (2,000) MHz 945 (1,890) MHz
Memory Bandwidth 448 GB/sec 512 GB/sec 484 GB/sec
Bus Width 256-bit 2,048-bit 2,048-bit
Manufacturing Process 7nm 14nm 14nm
TDP 205 W 230 W 230 W
Display Outputs 5 x Mini-DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C 4 x Mini-DisplayPort 1.4 6 x Mini-DisplayPort 1.4
Display Resolution
5 @ 1920×1080
5 @ 3840×2160
3 @ 5120×2880
1 @ 7680×4320
(all at 60Hz)
4 @ 1920×1080
4 @ 3840×2160
3 @ 5120×2880
1 @ 7680×4320
(all at 60Hz)
6 @ 1920×1080
6 @ 3840×2160
3 @ 5120×2880
1 @ 7680×4320
(all at 60Hz)
Software API Support DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan 1.1 DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan 1.1 DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan 1.1

AMD Radeon Pro W5700 Estimated Retail Price: $799

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Asus launches the ProArt StudioBook Pro X (W730) https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/notebook/james-dawson/asus-launches-the-proart-studiobook-pro-x-w730/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/notebook/james-dawson/asus-launches-the-proart-studiobook-pro-x-w730/#respond Thu, 21 Nov 2019 14:00:32 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=437329 Asus has announced a new laptop designed for professional creators, the ProArt StuidoBook Pro X (W730) is the first Quadro laptop powered by an Intel 9th generation Xeon processor with Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 graphics. This CPU and GPU combination makes the StuidoBook Pro X ideal for professionals to achieve creative workloads in the office …

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Asus has announced a new laptop designed for professional creators, the ProArt StuidoBook Pro X (W730) is the first Quadro laptop powered by an Intel 9th generation Xeon processor with Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 graphics.

This CPU and GPU combination makes the StuidoBook Pro X ideal for professionals to achieve creative workloads in the office or on-the-move. The ProArt StudioBook Pro X can deliver the performance required to create, edit and render multi-layered files with its latest generation of Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 graphics utilising Nvidia Turing architecture.

Creators can take advantage of the power of hardware-accelerated ray tracing, deep learning and advanced shading techniques with the Intel’s Xeon processor, designed for complex, multithreaded workloads, taking mobile computing to another level in a smooth and responsive high-performance laptop.

The Asus ProArt StudioBook Pro X ensures users can enjoy optimal stability and performance from their preferred professional software with ISV certification. The StudioBook Pro X meets ultra-demanding durability requirements by conforming with the MIL-STD 810G military standards, to ensure the system performs in harsh environments such as high altitude, extreme temperatures and humidity.

The ProArt StudioBook Pro X is the first in the Asus lineup to feature ScreenPad 2.0, an interactive secondary touchscreen provides an upgrade to the traditional laptop experience that offers users with a smartphone-like interface to manage tasks and generate workflows with ease. Another feature of the StuidioBook Pro X is Pantone validation that delivers excellent colour accuracy from its 16:10 aspect ratio WXUGA panel, using Delta-E < 1.5, with a wide 97% DCI-P3 gamut.

Asus ProArt StudioBook Pro X Specifications:

  • Processor – Intel® Xeon® E-2276M processor
  • Graphics – NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000,16GB GDDR6 VRAM
  • Display – 17″ LED-backlit WUXGA (1920 x 1200) NanoEdge display
  • Memory – 64GB (upgradable to 128GB) DDR4 2666MHz (SO-DIMM x 4, supports ECC)
  • Storage – 4TB (upgradable up to 6TB), PCIe® NVMe Gen 3 x4 SSD x 2, HDD x 1 Supports CPU-attached RAID 0/1 (up to 48Gbps)
  • Connectivity – 2 x Thunderbolt™ 3 USB-C™ with Display Port 1.4 (40Gbps), 3 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A ( 10Gbps), 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x SD 4.0 / UHS-II card reader (312MB/s), 1 x Audio combo jack, 1x RJ45 LAN , 1 x Kensington lock, 1x DC-in
  • Wireless – Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth® 5.0
  • Keyboard and touchpad – Full-size backlit keyboard with 2.0 mm key travel and privacy hotkeys, 19 mm key pitch, integrated Numeric keypad, Touchpad with fingerprint sensor and Windows Hello support, ScreenPad™ 2.0
  • Camera – HD webcam
  • Battery and power – 95Wh 6-cell lithium-polymer battery, 280W power adapter, Plug Type: ø6.0 (mm), (Output: 20V DC, 14A, 280W), (Input: 100-240V AC, 50/60Hz universal)
  • Weight – 5.51lb
  • Dimensions – 15.04 x 10.43 x 1.11 in

The Asus ProArt StudioBook Pro X (W370) is available to purchase in the U.S now with an MSRP of $4999.99, UK pricing and availability is yet to be confirmed. However, Scan has the laptop listed for pre-order at £5,998.99.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: The Asus ProArt StudioBook Pro X (W730) offers some impressive specs for creative professionals. Are any of you guys interested in purchasing one?

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Overclockers UK and noblechairs on the look-out for talented creators https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/james-dawson/overclockers-and-noblechairs-new-youtube-series-creators-uncovered-is-looking-for-talented-creators/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/james-dawson/overclockers-and-noblechairs-new-youtube-series-creators-uncovered-is-looking-for-talented-creators/#respond Fri, 08 Nov 2019 11:00:15 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=435087 Ever since the online stream platforms such as Twitch became mainstream, we have seen some amazing characters presenting their personalities in public for all to see. Not everyone who places themselves in front of a camera to livestream footage will succeed – it takes a person with a real unique selling point to really stand …

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Ever since the online stream platforms such as Twitch became mainstream, we have seen some amazing characters presenting their personalities in public for all to see. Not everyone who places themselves in front of a camera to livestream footage will succeed – it takes a person with a real unique selling point to really stand out from the crowd.

With over 15 million viewers daily across the platform worldwide, Twitch has become hugely popular among gamers and social media influencers. Some of the stars of Twitch have become massive celebrities in their own circles with huge followings and have made some serious income along the way.

Overclockers UK and noblechairs are working with two up and coming Twitch streamers, who are jokingly referred to as the most ‘obscene' personalities on the platform. The pair are unintentionally breaking the Twitch terms of service by offending viewers whenever they are live on stream, with rather explicit language and physical gestures your mother would be ashamed of.

The streamers we are referring to are Sweet Anita and MrGregles, who are both full-time partners of the Twitch platform and are entertaining viewers several times per week. Sweet Anita began her streaming adventure in June 2018. Within months, she had over 40,000 followers on the platform and has since been recognised by Twitch celebs such as Pokimane and PewDiePie.

On the other hand, MrGregles has been live streaming for a number of years by entertaining viewers with his amazing improvisational drumming skills, which has kept his followers coming back for more. MrGregles is also well known for using the most cameras on Twitch ever!

Both these charismatic Twitch streamers have the uncommon neurological disorder, Tourette’s, which means while they are live streaming, they will unintentionally come out with repetitive sounds and movements known as tics. Quite often the tics include some rather tasty profanity and blasphemous language, which is uncontrollable for anyone who has Tourette’s.

However, the pair don’t take themselves too seriously and rather than feel down and depressed by the problem, they embrace it and so do their audience, as often the Tourette’s outbursts lead to some very embarrassing and extremely funny moments.

Overclockers and noblechairs had the chance to sit down with Sweet Anita and find out more about her streaming antics with a behind the scenes look at how she has used her Tourette’s to her advantage, while helping others with mental disorders along the way and building a strong community of followers on the streaming service. Overclockers UK are making a Youtube series called Creators Uncovered to look at what goes on behind the scenes with interesting content creators like Bad Obsession Motorsport, Sweet Anita and MrGregles. who have all featured on the series in the past.

“I work with many content creators, and it’s great to see Anita and Greg utilising their Tourette’s to their advantage, it’s refreshing to see them both talking about their issues openly by supporting others but at the same time raising positive awareness through their online communities.” said Steven ‘fiveub’ Levitt, UK Business Development Manager at noblechairs.

In addition, Steve “Lingy” Ling, Executive Director at Overclockers UK says, “We have a huge passion for games, we’re all gamers ourselves and we watch a lot of content online. It’s great to work with and support the creators of this content. We hope that our Creators Uncovered series will help promote their channels and inspire others to emulate their success.”

If you feel like you have the qualities of the content creators who have already been featured in the Overclockers UK Creators Uncovered broadcasts and would like to be involved in their next video, you can reach out to Overclockers UK to express your interest. Overclockers UK have an affiliate programme for content creators to earn money while promoting their brand.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: With so many big streaming celebrities on platforms such as twitch these days, it can be difficult for new users to break through and reach their audience without a little help. If you think your streams have this unique appeal, get in touch with the guys at Overclockers and you could be the next to feature on their Creators Uncovered series. 

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ASUS ProArt PA34VC 34in Monitor Review https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/james-morris/asus-proart-pa34vc-34in-monitor-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/james-morris/asus-proart-pa34vc-34in-monitor-review/#respond Tue, 07 May 2019 10:07:35 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=410920 It's a new professional ultrawide monitor from the ASUS ProArt family - just how good is it?

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Professional screens, being a serious matter, haven't tended to offer trendy fripperies like a curved panel or ultrawide aspect ratio. But if you're creating immersive content, or need all the screen real estate you can get for your software interface, a curved 21:9 monitor with a high resolution could well be just what you're after. So ASUS' new ProArt PA34VC might be just what you're looking for. A 34in panel with 3,440 x 1,440 resolution, it's got pixels aplenty.

The PA34VC isn't the first curved screen we've seen with this size and resolution, but it's the first one aimed at professionals, and we were quite excited about the possibilities when we first heard news of it. We reviewed Samsung's CF791 over two years ago, and appreciated both the quality and the width. But that wasn't quite aimed at professionals, being more a jack of all trades with some work and entertainment combined. Being an ASUS ProArt, the PA34VC is clearly targeting content creators, and has a price in excess of £1,000 to match.

Whereas the Samsung CF791 uses a VA panel, the ASUS PA34VC opts for IPS. This provides the same 300cd/m2 brightness rating, but a lower 1,000:1 contrast and relatively relaxed 5ms grey-to-grey pixel response. The maximum refresh is the same 100Hz, and adaptive FreeSync is supported should you want to play a game or two. However, this panel isn't as curvy as Samsung's with a 1900R rating rather than 1500R.

More importantly for the professional user, the panel is rated at 100 per cent sRGB and comes factory calibrated. It also supports HDR-10, so in theory can provide a 10-bit colour depth capable of displaying the Rec.2020 colour space, which will be great for watching HDR movies, but also if you're creating content destined for this level of quality. There's also a specific Rec. 709 preset, which is the colour space for HDTV.

There are plenty of ports to play with. To start with, you get a pair of HDMI connections plus DisplayPort. But there are also two Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C ports, plus a trio of USB 3.0 Type A and an audio minijack output. You even get stereo 2W speakers.

A full range of physical adjustments are available, including tilting forwards and backwards, height adjustment, and swivelling. So this is a comprehensively specified screen at a hefty price. Whether it's worth the money depends on how well it fares in the quality stakes. Read on to find out our results.

Specification:

  • Screen size: 34-inch, 21:9 aspect
  • Native resolution: 3,440 x 1,440
  • Curvature: 1900R
  • Refresh rate: 100Hz
  • Panel type: IPS
  • Contrast ratio: 1,000:1 (typical)
  • Brightness: 300cd/m2
  • Response time: 5ms Grey-to-Grey
  • Display inputs: HDMI 2.0b x 2, DisplayPort 1.2, Thunderbolt 3 USB-C x 2
  • USB hub: 3 x USB 3.0 Type A
  • Tilt: 5 degrees forward, 23 degrees backward
  • Raise: 120mm range
  • Swivel: 30 degrees each way
  • Other: Audio output, 2W stereo speakers, Thunderbolt 3 USB-C output (for diasy chain)

Retail Price: £1,069 (inc. VAT)

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AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200 Professional Graphics Card Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/james-morris/amd-radeon-pro-wx-8200-professional-graphics-card-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/james-morris/amd-radeon-pro-wx-8200-professional-graphics-card-review/#respond Mon, 15 Oct 2018 13:00:47 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=386612 This is a great professional video card from AMD - read on to find out why.

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AMD's processors have made a big comeback in the professional market, but its most recent workstation graphics haven't met with the same fanfare. The Vega-based Radeon Pro Vega Frontier Edition and WX 9100 are capable 3D accelerators, but the former is a limited edition, and the latter a £1,500 high-end card in the same price range as the NVIDIA Quadro P5000. The Vega range didn't offer anything hugely competitive below £1,000 for professionals. That's all set to change with the AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200.

The WX 8200 isn't just sub-£1,000, it's sub-$1,000, although these days there's not so much difference between the two currencies. Nevertheless, the WX 8200 should undercut the NVIDIA Quadro P4000 in price, perhaps by as much as £100. Yet it's not so far behind the much more expensive WX 9100. Where the latter has 4,096 Stream Processors, the WX 8200 still has a very healthy 3,584. The innovative HBM2 memory is still used, but you only get 8GB instead of the 16GB of the WX 9100.

In other words, you're getting around 88 per cent the GPU power and half the memory for around half the price. Since applications that need more than 8GB frame buffer are still quite specialised, this seems like a great deal.

AMD might not have the grunt in the Vega to compete with the top-end graphics from NVIDIA, but it could well have a very competitive affordable workstation option in the Radeon Pro WX 8200. In this review, we will thoroughly test it against its main current NVIDIA competition – the Quadro P4000, P5000 and P6000.

GPU AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200
AMD Radeon Pro Vega Frontier Edition
AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100
Compute Units
56 64 64
GPU Cores  3,584 4,096  4,096
GPU Architecture / Variant Vega 10 / Vega 10 XT Vega 10 / Vega 10 XT AIR Vega 10 / Vega 10 XT
Base Clock 1,200 MHz 1,384 MHz  1,200 MHz
GPU Boost Clock 1,530 MHz 1,600 MHz  1,500 MHz
Total Video memory 8 GB HBM2 16 GB HBM2 16 GB HBM2
Memory Clock (Effective)
1,000 (2,000) MHz 945 (1,890) MHz  945 (1,890) MHz
Memory Bandwidth  512 GB/sec  484 GB/sec 484 GB/sec
Bus Width  2,048-bit 2,048-bit   2,048-bit
Manufacturing Process 14nm  14nm 14nm
TDP  230 W 300 W 230 W
Display Outputs 4 x Mini-DisplayPort 1.4 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0 6 x Mini-DisplayPort 1.4
Display Resolution
4 @ 1920×1080
4 @ 3840×2160
3 @ 5120×2880
1 @ 7680×4320
(all at 60Hz)
4 @ 1920×1080
4 @ 3840×2160
3 @ 5120×2880
1 @ 7680×4320
(all at 60Hz)
6 @ 1920×1080
6 @ 3840×2160
3 @ 5120×2880
1 @ 7680×4320
(all at 60Hz)
Software API Support DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan 1.1 DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan 1.1 DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan 1.1

AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200 Estimated Retail Price: £762.93 (inc. VAT)

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Iiyama ProLite XB3070WQS 30in Professional Monitor Review https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/james-morris/iiyama-prolite-xb3070wqs-30in-professional-monitor-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/james-morris/iiyama-prolite-xb3070wqs-30in-professional-monitor-review/#respond Fri, 05 Oct 2018 09:54:42 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=385615 It's a professional-grade monitor from Iiyama, but is it worth £690?

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Iiyama has a long reputation for producing professional monitors, dating back to the days of the CRT. Although we have recently reviewed some of the company's more consumer-oriented models, such as the Red Eagle G-MASTER GB2560HSU, we haven't seen anything from its professional ProLite range for a while. With the ProLite XB3070WQS we aim to set the record straight. This hefty 30in screen is very much for the serious user.

The XB3070WQS is unusual in today's monitor market in that it uses the 16:10 aspect ratio rather than 16:9. So whilst it has 2,560 pixels horizontally, there are 1,600 pixels vertically, when most consumer-grade screens would have 1,440. Before 16:9 became the norm, the 16:10 aspect was the main widsecreen option, and the extra vertical screen real estate will always come in handy for creative work.

Unsurprisingly for a professional monitor, IPS panel technology is used, in this case a variant called AH-IPS. Since this isn't a gaming screen, no high refresh rates are on offer, although up to 75Hz is possible. The brightness and contrast ratings are typical, with 350cd/m2 and 1,000:1 respectively. The 5ms pixel response is also typical, but again as this isn't a gaming monitor it's nothing to worry about.

You get the full complement of connection options, with VGA, DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort all present, alongside an analog minijack for headphones when using digital audio from the HDMI or DisplayPort connections. Stereo 3W speakers are built in as well, plus a minijack for analog audio input. There's no USB hub, however.

The range of adjustments is reasonable, including 107mm of height variation, swivelling 45 degrees left and right, and 17 degrees of backwards tilt (but none forwards). With a price under £700, the XB3070WQS isn't quite in the same premium category as the ASUS ProArt PA32UC, but with Iiyama's pedigree, this could be a more mainstream professional option. Let's find out how it fares.

Specification:

  • Screen size: 30-inch, 16:10 aspect
  • Native resolution: 2,560 x 1,600
  • Refresh rate: 75Hz
  • Panel type: AH-IPS
  • Contrast ratio: 1,000:1 (typical)
  • Brightness: 350cd/m2
  • Response time: 5ms Grey-to-Grey
  • Display inputs: HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, VGA
  • USB hub: No
  • Tilt: 0 degrees forward, 17 degrees backward
  • Raise: 107mm
  • Swivel: 45 degrees left and right
  • Other: Minijack audio input and output, stereo 3W speakers

Retail Price: £687.78 (inc. VAT)

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

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CableMod shows off new WideBeam hybrid LED case lighting strips https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/cablemod-shows-off-new-widebeam-hybrid-led-case-lighting-strips/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/cablemod-shows-off-new-widebeam-hybrid-led-case-lighting-strips/#comments Fri, 25 Nov 2016 12:35:06 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=313079 Although most enthusiasts have thrown some LED fans in their PC at some point in their gaming career, if you want to really customise the look of your case's interior, light strips are the way to go. CableMod's new Widebeam Hybrid LED strips offer a new, multi-purpose lighting solution, with traditional LEDs on one half …

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Although most enthusiasts have thrown some LED fans in their PC at some point in their gaming career, if you want to really customise the look of your case's interior, light strips are the way to go. CableMod's new Widebeam Hybrid LED strips offer a new, multi-purpose lighting solution, with traditional LEDs on one half and UV LEDs on the other.

WideBeam Hybrid LEDs let you have a background glow to your system, as well as illuminating any components that are UV reactive. While some traditional lighting options would see you running two light strips to achieve such an effect, with WideBeam Hybrids you save space and install time too.

leduv

Positioning these strips is easy since there are two adhesive options. Built in magnets mean that if you're running a steel case, you can attach them without the need for any glue or tape. That makes re-positioning them much easier. However if you are running an Aluminium, or similarly non-magnetic case, a strong adhesive comes pre-attached to each strip, making them just as easy to put in place.

Measure twice, place once guys.

leduvkit

CableMod's new LED kits come with quite a bundle of accessories. Along with the light strip itself, you get a remote control for making changes on the fly, as well as splitter cables and a receiver for the remote. Since the control uses RF, rather than infrared technology, you don't even need line of sight for it, which can be a real issue with complicated case builds.

If you don't want all the extras you can buy the strips individually at lengths of 30 and 60cm, or with the bunch of accessories too, priced between 20 euros and 40 euros.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I swore off LEDs after I turned my childhood bedroom into a blue-tinted spaceship, but these are rather impressive. You guys have sent us some awesome looking systems over the years, but will these sorts of LEDs let you do something even better?

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Black Desert MMO character creator released as standalone game https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/black-desert-mmo-character-creator-released-as-standalone-game/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/black-desert-mmo-character-creator-released-as-standalone-game/#respond Wed, 20 Jan 2016 08:49:36 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=281373 Korean MMO Black Desert, is set to finally arrive in the west sometime later this year, with the last beta opening up in February for those who pre-order specific packages. In the mean time though, the developers have released the game's character creation module for free. Considering Black Desert's customisation system has been hailed by …

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Korean MMO Black Desert, is set to finally arrive in the west sometime later this year, with the last beta opening up in February for those who pre-order specific packages. In the mean time though, the developers have released the game's character creation module for free. Considering Black Desert's customisation system has been hailed by many as the best in the world, it will be interesting to see what people come up with.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvALq8G48Fk']

We first wrote about Black Desert back in 2014 when it first launched in Korea, where it's received a number of accolades for its seamless world and high-fidelity visuals. However it's the character creator that has received the most press, as the people it helps create are not only astoundingly detailed, but heavily customisable too.

Bone structure can be altered, hair colour and placement, facial expressions, fullness of muscles, flesh and bone. All of it is tweakable and it can lead to some amazingly lifelike creations, as well as some bizarrely less so. Some attempts at recreating celebrities in the engine have been rather successful in the past too.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHMypeMzxOw']

There is a point to playing around with the engine though, beyond just seeing what strange ‘people' you can create, because when the game is made available in February or later on in its full capacity, you'll be able to import your custom creations straight into it. This gives you extra time to play with settings at your pleasure, knowing you have enough space to touch on all the options, not just quickly blast through them to get to the game.

Black Desert's beta launches on 18th February, with a final release on PC later this year (thanks PCG)

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: That's the only difficult thing with editors like this. When you buy a new game and want to get playing, often it can become tiresome fiddling with character creation, especially if it's highly detailed. Now though you can take your time with Black Desert and get everything ready.

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PEGI ratings may need adjustment after commercial VR launches https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/pegi-ratings-may-need-adjustment-after-commercial-vr-launches/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/pegi-ratings-may-need-adjustment-after-commercial-vr-launches/#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2015 11:28:30 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=275909 For a few years now PEGI has been the dominant age and content rating system for videogames, giving parents a ballpark age range for players and an idea of what it might contain – without having to play through it themselves first. However now it's discussing creating all new ratings purely for virtual reality games, …

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For a few years now PEGI has been the dominant age and content rating system for videogames, giving parents a ballpark age range for players and an idea of what it might contain – without having to play through it themselves first. However now it's discussing creating all new ratings purely for virtual reality games, as it believes that some, specifically horror titles, could cause legitimate trauma in some individuals.

dreadhalls

I'm not kidding when I saw my 20+ year old brother cried when confronted with the Dreadhalls lady

This might sound like something entirely overblown, like being scarred mentally by a movie or a piece of music, but there is something much more engaging about virtual reality. Anyone who's played a VR level of Alien Isolation or tried to survive Dreadhalls corridors will know that when faced with an enemy wanting to kill you – which your brain believes is literally feet from your face – it's terrifying on a level far removed from traditional gaming.

Whether it's shocking enough to cause legitimate mental scarring is debatable and will be something that will need to be researched a lot in the wake of commercial VR hardware releases.

*Video contains NSFW language*

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl7fz__6B-4′]

PEGI will take part in some of that, with operations director Dirk Bosmans telling MCV that PEGI planned to examine different VR products with specific focus on fear and scary imagery, which currently only specifically limit games to Age seven and 12 respectively. In virtual reality it seems likely that even without other themes horror games may need to encourage much older players to avoid traumatic experiences at more tender ages.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I must admit when I saw the first person VR footage of someone shooting down innocents in the latest Grand Theft Auto, I felt uncomfortable. I wonder if with VR we'll see a wave of much less violent games because of that?

Image source: Dreadhalls Oculus Share

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Great Scott! Rocket League adding Delorean on BTF2 date https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/great-scott-rocket-league-adding-delorean-on-btf2-date/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/great-scott-rocket-league-adding-delorean-on-btf2-date/#respond Tue, 13 Oct 2015 07:39:33 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=271606 Although eager sharers on Facebook and elsewhere have been fooled for years into thinking “today is the day,” that Marty and Doc travelled ‘Back' to the future in the second film, that date is now only a few days away. Yes the 21st October 2015 is when the pair of intrepid time meddlers ended up …

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Although eager sharers on Facebook and elsewhere have been fooled for years into thinking “today is the day,” that Marty and Doc travelled ‘Back' to the future in the second film, that date is now only a few days away. Yes the 21st October 2015 is when the pair of intrepid time meddlers ended up in the “future,” so no doubt a number of people will be sharing that image once again. But that's not the only celebration. In Rocket League, the developers are patching in a Delorean to show their appreciation for the classic trilogy.

“We used to fantasise and joke about having the DeLorean Time Machine in our game months before it even came out. We were all such huge Back to the Future fans here at Psyonix, that it was one of the few ‘Holy Grails' we had hoped for besides having a hit game,” the developers said on the PlayStation Blog.

delorean

This car isn't quite like any of the others in the game either, as it has some unique visual effects which allow it to really stand out. While all cars have boost trails – the Delorean being no different – it also has trails of fire once it gets up to speed. On top of that, Psonix revealed that when you go for an aerial, the wheels fold away as the car enters jet mode.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWTGyIwgvZw']

The Delorean is set to go on sale on the iconic 21st October for $2 or likely around £2 in the UK, as part of the “Back to the Future Car Pack,” though Psyonix does remind us that the Revenge of the Battle-Cars DLC pack is now on sale too, including more cars, hats and effects.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The sound effects alone in that trailer get me all excited. I might need to rewatch the trilogy now. 

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Ubisoft buys up Ivory Tower and The Crew https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/ubisoft-buys-up-ivory-tower-and-the-crew/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/ubisoft-buys-up-ivory-tower-and-the-crew/#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2015 07:46:59 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=270743 With The Crew set to receive a big expansion called Wild Run this November, Ubisoft has decided that it would like to have a bit more involvement in its developer than just publishing it. So it's purchased Ivory Tower, the developer behind the mixed-bag of a racer. There has been no mention of the publishing …

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With The Crew set to receive a big expansion called Wild Run this November, Ubisoft has decided that it would like to have a bit more involvement in its developer than just publishing it. So it's purchased Ivory Tower, the developer behind the mixed-bag of a racer. There has been no mention of the publishing giant renaming the studio or shaking it up too much, as it will continue to work on new content for The Crew, though there was a hint in the announcement that it may now help with other Ubisoft projects.

“After several years of successful collaboration, Ubisoft is excited to be integrating the studio’s expertise into its global network of talents,” a statement on the Ubisoft blog reads. It continues by talking up the relationship that the two companies have had, and that the experience Ivory Tower has developed in building “games as a service,” will help both continue forward.

ivorytower

“We’ve always enjoyed a very positive relationship with Ubisoft. Working together on The Crew, and celebrating its success, made us both understand that we have huge potential in continuing to work together in the future,” said Ahme Boukhelifa, managing director of Ivory Tower. “By joining Ubisoft, the team will continue to benefit from Ubisoft’s infrastructure, support, tools, technology and vision. In return, we will contribute our own expertise to the broader Ubisoft story.”

While it seems likely that the developer will be moved on to other projects – at least in some capacity – soon if it hasn't already, for now it's finishing up The Crew's big expansion, Wild Run, which is set to launch on 17th November. However, eager beavers can get a look-in early, with the beginning of a beta on the 15th October. To celebrate that, Ubisoft released a brand new trailer.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPlC-hBm__M']

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: What did you guys think of The Crew? There's been a lot of high profile racing games on consoles and PC in the last couple of years. How do you feel it stacked up?

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Stanley Parable developer unveils new “Beginner’s Guide” project https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/stanley-parable-developer-unveils-new-beginners-guide-project/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/stanley-parable-developer-unveils-new-beginners-guide-project/#respond Wed, 30 Sep 2015 07:41:51 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=270015 While games were once announced when they were nearing completion, perhaps with a bit of coverage in a popular gaming magazine, today they are often detailed years in advance, with teasers, community interaction, feedback from the fans and of course funding through crowd sourcing. That's not been the case with the next game from Stanley …

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While games were once announced when they were nearing completion, perhaps with a bit of coverage in a popular gaming magazine, today they are often detailed years in advance, with teasers, community interaction, feedback from the fans and of course funding through crowd sourcing. That's not been the case with the next game from Stanley Parable maker Davey Wreden however, who announced this latest development yesterday, with a planned release date of tomorrow, 1st October.

Although the official site and Wreden himself have said much about what The Beginner's Guide even is, he did show off a few screenshots “to tease,” us prior to its release tomorrow. They don't us much, but they're all we have for now.

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The screenshots are all pretty abstract, which makes sense considering who they're coming from, but it doesn't give us much to go on. There are some testimonials by fellow developers who helped test it, with all quoted giving heavy praise to the project; though they do acknowledge its weirdness.

Beyond that, who knows. We'll have to take a look when the game releases tomorrow.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: What a refreshing way to launch a game that allows it to build its hype and interest after release, when it's available. Here's hoping that's a business model that still works and could be adopted by more companies.

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Mario is quickly becoming UE4’s unofficial mascot https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/mario-is-quickly-becoming-ue4s-unofficial-mascot/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/mario-is-quickly-becoming-ue4s-unofficial-mascot/#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2015 07:40:03 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=257526 Mario has been Nintendo's most popular mascot since his inception in the '80s, spawning whole libraries of games within his universe and others, as he battled bosses, goombas and played a variety of sports for our entertainment. And yet somehow, in the second half of the second decade of the new millennium, he's becoming a …

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Mario has been Nintendo's most popular mascot since his inception in the '80s, spawning whole libraries of games within his universe and others, as he battled bosses, goombas and played a variety of sports for our entertainment. And yet somehow, in the second half of the second decade of the new millennium, he's becoming a mascot for Epic Game's Unreal Engine 4 too.

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Mario certainly feels more “super” with this rad pink cape on

At least, he's taking part in demonstrations of the engine's capabilities. Just last week we saw him cavorting round in some of the beautifully detailed worlds that people have created to show off the engine and how pretty its light effects are, but now he's demoing what its physics are like too.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WavKbGsIHGA']

In a new video demo, Youtuber CryZENx had Mario running around various ball filled rooms, wearing a cloth cape, disrupting falling boxes and otherwise kicking stuff around to show how many moveable parts he can manipulate without bringing the frame rate crashing to the ground.

Admittedly the plumber does have a fair number of CPU cores backing up his antics, but not once does he seem to suffer from frame rate issues.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfZZjwK0OWE']

In case that wasn't enough for you either, there's even a hairy version of him, and a bunch of random heads flinging their hair around.

There's also a hair spider. So maybe stop a minute in if you're an arachnophobe.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It almost looks like someone threw iron shavings at a magnetic version of metal Mario. 

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Richard Carriere SVP of CyberLink speaks exclusively to KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/andrzej/richard-carriere-svp-of-cyberlink-speaks-exclusively-to-kitguru/ Sat, 30 May 2015 09:12:32 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=251901 Richard Carriere is Senior Vice President for CyberLink, a successful Taiwanese company that finds itself operating in a very fluid market. As Microsoft changes its playback strategy again, removing Media Player from Windows 10, so Cyberlink has new opportunities. We caught up with Richard to ask about the challenges and opportunities that Microsoft's decision will …

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Richard Carriere is Senior Vice President for CyberLink, a successful Taiwanese company that finds itself operating in a very fluid market. As Microsoft changes its playback strategy again, removing Media Player from Windows 10, so Cyberlink has new opportunities. We caught up with Richard to ask about the challenges and opportunities that Microsoft's decision will create.

Whether as a pre-installation on a system or as a separate boxed product, CyberLink has sold an impressive 2 billion copies of its PowerDVD software. Before moving onto Media Player, we asked Richard about CyberLink's position in the market today.

“CyberLink has been around for almost 20 years”, he explained. “It all started with PowerDVD and it's now number one in the market by sales volume. It's also the most complete media player”.

“Since our inception we have extended our expertise into video and photo editing, in addition to bringing several digital media utility software tools to the market”, said Richard. “Today, our number one product still remains PowerDVD, with version 15 just launched last month, closely followed by our Director family of creative software. These products retail between £50 and £240 in the UK”.

Richard-Carriere-CyberLink-KitGuru

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KitGuru Complete Guide to Buying a Workstation https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/james-morris/kitguru-complete-guide-to-buying-a-workstation/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/james-morris/kitguru-complete-guide-to-buying-a-workstation/#comments Fri, 22 May 2015 13:50:19 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=246243 From the advent of affordable internet in the 90s to the explosion of broadband services over the past 5 years, content has been getting better and better. From building designers to game developers, from training companies to broadcasting organisations, everyone is processing larger and larger media files and regularly sharing them with colleagues on the other …

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From the advent of affordable internet in the 90s to the explosion of broadband services over the past 5 years, content has been getting better and better. From building designers to game developers, from training companies to broadcasting organisations, everyone is processing larger and larger media files and regularly sharing them with colleagues on the other side of the planet. With so many of us working in/around the digital content creation (DCC) zone, there seems a paucity of intelligent, accessible buying advice for professional systems. Today, we begin the first in a new series at KitGuru, which aims to give you a complete buying guide to workstations – beginning with the options available to you and the differences in the kind of load that each package places on your hardware. 

Given the applications you want to run and the type of data you are working with, where should you spend your hard-earned money?

When considering which hardware vendors to work with on this project, we remembered something from the PC Specialist ‘online system configurator' that impressed us a while back when we visited their old production centre. If you created a system that only draws 350w, but then opted for a 750w PSU, the configurator would flag the potential mis-match and ask if you were certain that you wanted the more expensive power supply unit.

PC Specialist wanted to make sure that you were not spending money unnecessarily. Which is exactly how we are approaching this guide – so PC Specialist was a natural choice. Given the lion's share of the workstation market is owned by Intel and NVIDIA, choosing Xeon/i7 processors and Quadro graphics cards built onto an Asus mainboard was also a simple decision.

KitGuru-Complete-Guide-to-Buying-a-Workstation-Quadro-Cards-PC-Specialist

What do we mean by ‘Spending money unnecessarily'?

If you have a modelling package that scales with the number of CUDA cores available, then it makes sense to buy as many CUDA cores as possible within your budget. But what if your package is sensitive only to the number of CPU cores available?  Then the focus of your spend should be to increase the amount of parallel processing available in your CPU.

While on the subject of the CPU, you need to consider how ‘multi-thread aware' your package is. There is no point in buying a 48-thread CPU if the performance of your package only scales with CPU clock speed. During our research, we found one specialist workstation company that regularly pairs expensive NVIDIA Quadro cards with Intel's highly overclockable Anniversary Edition G3258 for some customers, because a well-cooled G3258 running close to 4GHz can outperform a £1,000 Xeon at 2.6GHz in some professional applications.

This series will look at many different options and present you with a ton of data, as well as expert analysis on the options available and the choices we think you should make.

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But first we want to give you some background on our hosts for this series, PC Specialist.

As the largest custom PC builder in the UK, PC Specialist has a wide range of customers. In recent times, the company has been getting more requests for business and professional systems than ever before. One area where PC Specialist’s reputation for quality control and customisation for performance comes into its own is in the area of workstations. For those unfamiliar with the company, let us merely say that the company has just had to relocate to larger premises for the third time in four years, and if you watch any of England's recent international friendlies, then you would have see a lot of PC Specialist branding around the football grounds.

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Conker returns in Project Spark’s Big Reunion https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/conker-returns-in-project-sparks-big-reunion/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/conker-returns-in-project-sparks-big-reunion/#comments Thu, 09 Apr 2015 07:48:37 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=244133 If you have an N64, one game you want to own is Conker's Bad Fur Day (BFD). Not only because it's worth a lot of money these days, but because it's one of the best games on the system and came too late to be fully appreciated. Despite that greatness though, Conker hasn't had many …

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If you have an N64, one game you want to own is Conker's Bad Fur Day (BFD). Not only because it's worth a lot of money these days, but because it's one of the best games on the system and came too late to be fully appreciated. Despite that greatness though, Conker hasn't had many other outings, only appearing on the original Xbox in a remade multiplayer version of BFD called Live and Reloaded. Now though, he's making a return, in his Big Reunion, an episodic adventure built within Microsoft's Project Spark.

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Conker made a big splash when he showed up in original Project Spark teaser videos, so it's not too surprising that he's one of Microsoft's big content packs for Project Spark. The episodic adventure will cost Xbox users just $5 (so, likely £5) for the game itself, or they can pay double that to get a hold of all the assets used to create it, which means those interested will be able to make their own Conker games.

The Big Reunion is said to give players around an hour of content, and has been built in the style of the original game, we're told.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgHrM7SPC1A']

Perhaps best of all though, Microsoft did say in its announcement that original Conker design lead and voice actor, Chris Seavor, did offer “guidance and support,” during the creation of this game. If that's not a stamp of approval I don't know what is, but maybe with his old creation doing the rounds again Mr Seavor can be encouraged to finish up his let's play series of the original game.

Conker's Big Reunion will be released on 23rd April.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: OK I'll admit it. This is the first thing that's made me wish I had an Xbox One.

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Jay Z launches new Tidal streaming service with friends https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/jay-z-launches-new-tidal-streaming-service-with-friends/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/jay-z-launches-new-tidal-streaming-service-with-friends/#respond Tue, 31 Mar 2015 08:14:14 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=242857 Rapper Jay Z has (re)launched the Tidal streaming service with a new plan to make it a more profitable way for artists to share their music with the world. To commemorate the occasion, he, along with a number of other high profile artists all signed a “declaration,” at the service's launch ceremony, which had the …

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Rapper Jay Z has (re)launched the Tidal streaming service with a new plan to make it a more profitable way for artists to share their music with the world. To commemorate the occasion, he, along with a number of other high profile artists all signed a “declaration,” at the service's launch ceremony, which had the likes of Kanye West, Madonna, Daft Punk, Jack White and Nicki Minaj in attendance.

Much like a combination between Spotify and Youtube, the subscription based platform will offer video and audio content from all artists that it signs on, as well as what's described as “exclusive experiences,” though you have to wonder how any digital content won't be pirated and made available elsewhere under that sort of model.

However, what may make Tidal stand out, is that fact that it's legacy – before Jay Z bought it as part of his purchase of WiMP owner Aspiro for £37 million – is the streaming of high quality music, something that's a bit harder to find elsewhere. It's tracks are streamed at datarates up to 1,411 kilobytes per second, more than four times the quality of Spotify's high-end 320kbps streams.

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For those considering sitting through the unskippable launch ceremony, there's a lot of self congratulatory clapping

On top of that, Jay Z's service clearly has the support of a number of artists. Taylor Swift has symbolically added her catalogue to the service, following her trashing of Spotify's licensing model, claiming that she earned very little from the platform and that since art was rare, it should have an intrinsic monetary value.

While you could easily argue that point with her, what can't be argued with is that Tidal already has a decent presence around the world. It currently operates in 31 countries according to the BBC and there are plans to launch in six others in short order. It has a catalogue of over 25 million songs, which isn't far off rivalling Spotify's as well as tens of thousands of music videos.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYYGdcLbFkw']

Its pricing is £10 a month for standard quality music and £20 a month for the high-fidelity streams. It doesn't have an advert supported free version beyond a month's trial which certainly helped Spotify grow in its early days. However, with all of the artist support and the focus on quality, it will be interesting to see if Tidal can make the impact its supporters clearly want it to.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Although I don't think there's anything wrong with paying artists for the work they do, having a number of the most successful and wealthy musicians in the world sign a “declaration,” to join a new platform that pays them more, because they feel cheated in their chosen career path, feels a little distasteful. 

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Reactive in-game music system, PSai, comes to Unity https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/reactive-in-game-music-system-psai-comes-to-unity/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/reactive-in-game-music-system-psai-comes-to-unity/#respond Tue, 06 Jan 2015 10:03:35 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=229099 The Unity engine is one of the most versatile out there at the moment, providing a solid back-bone for games big and small, on platforms from the PC to the tablet. However it isn't particularly well known for its artistic merits, at least when compared to some of the juggernauts of the industry. That is …

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The Unity engine is one of the most versatile out there at the moment, providing a solid back-bone for games big and small, on platforms from the PC to the tablet. However it isn't particularly well known for its artistic merits, at least when compared to some of the juggernauts of the industry. That is slowly changing however, and it's about to get a little auditory boost thanks to Psai, an adaptive score system that can now be found in the Unity Asset Store.

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Psai is a game-score system that allows you to create music and not only implement it in your game and have it play at appropriate times, but have it adapt and shift depending on what the player is doing. If you want jump inducing stings, or tension ramping rises and falls just at the right moment, it's designed to give your game that, and thanks to its new Unity integration, games that are powered by that engine can now use it too.

Perhaps the best part however, is that it works with both Unity Free and the Pro version of the engine, so even those that can't afford the full license can make use of it. It's currently priced at $5 (discounted from $50) over at the Unity Asset Store.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1gDyl5ICRk'] Skip forward to 5:50 for a quick demo of how an “evil painting” can affect the score

Psai is already being used in a number of titles, as Gamasutra points out. They include the likes of Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, as well as Black Mirror III.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Do we have any budding game developers among KG readers? If so, feel free to get in touch, perhaps we could do a little exposé on your title. 

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Transition to flat user interfaces is inevitable, but will take time – former Apple engineer https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/transition-to-flat-user-interfaces-is-inevitable-but-will-take-time-former-apple-engineer/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/transition-to-flat-user-interfaces-is-inevitable-but-will-take-time-former-apple-engineer/#comments Sat, 13 Dec 2014 08:25:22 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=226202 If you do not like modern graphics user interfaces of the latest operating, you will have to get over it because this is exactly how GUIs will look like going forward, according to a former Apple engineer. Flat is the new black. Millions of users have criticized Apple and Microsoft Corp. for changes of user …

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If you do not like modern graphics user interfaces of the latest operating, you will have to get over it because this is exactly how GUIs will look like going forward, according to a former Apple engineer. Flat is the new black.

Millions of users have criticized Apple and Microsoft Corp. for changes of user interfaces (UI) in their iOS, Mac OS X and Windows operating systems in the recent years. The new UIs lack the majority of skeuomorphic elements, are flat, minimalistic and very clean. However, in many cases they are not as intuitive or beautiful as previous-generation interfaces. Bill Fernandez, the first full-time employee of Apple and a well-known expert in user interfaces, believes that transition to flat UIs is just an inevitability.

“Years ago a friend asked what I thought Web pages of the future would be like and I said ‘like magazines,’” said Mr. Fernandez in an interview with Cnet News. “I thought we would see flatter designs, expert typography, beautiful, magazine-advertisement-like page layouts, etc. That prediction is coming true with the trend toward ‘flat' UI design.”

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When graphics user interfaces emerged in the eighties and evolved in the nineties, many of their elements were skeuomorphic, made to recreate actual objects, goods or devices. This helped to make UIs more intuitive for people not familiar with particular programs as well as more stylish. Many skeuomorphic design elements outlived actual items they were to depicture. We no longer use diskettes, folders, sketching boards, notepads, players and many other things we used just a decade ago. As a result, there is no more need to emulate the “real world” on displays: elements on displays have become the real world for many, if not all users.

Since modern user interfaces no longer have to resemble anything, it is time to make them clean and intuitive. Unfortunately, some things get lost on this path. Eventually, developers will figure out how to make “flat” UIs perfect.

“In moving towards flat design we are losing much of the wisdom that was embedded in the old 3D style of UI, for example: a user must be able to glance at a screen and know what is an interactive element (e.g., a button or link) and what is not (e.g., a label or motto); a user must be able to tell at a glance what an interactive element does (does it initiate a process, link to another page, download a document, etc.?); the UI should be explorable, discoverable and self-explanatory. But many apps and websites, in the interest of a clean, spartan visual appearance, leave important UI controls hidden until the mouse hovers over just the right area or the app is in just the right state. This leaves the user in the dark, often frustrated and disempowered,” explained the legendary engineer.

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Although it is an art to design user interfaces of software, Bill Fernandez reckons that visual design is only one element that users interact with. In reality user interacts with a lot of things and all of them have to be made very well.

“The true user interface is the gestalt of many things: industrial design, ergonomics, internal hardware, performance, error handling, visual design, interaction, latency, reliability, predictability, and more,” said the legendary engineer. “I am glad to see my profession moving from the concept of user ‘interface’ (where the user interacts with the screen) to user ‘experience’ (where more the above factors are considered),” said Mr. Fernandez.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The ideas behind transitions to flatter designs are well known. The problems that modern UIs bring are also evident in many cases. Still, in many cases modern UIs are actually easier to use than older interfaces, which is why they will continue to evolve, whereas skeuomorphism as we know it will cease to exist.

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Computer tricks humans into thinking it’s one of them https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/computer-tricks-humans-into-thinking-its-one-of-them/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/computer-tricks-humans-into-thinking-its-one-of-them/#comments Mon, 09 Jun 2014 09:30:30 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=197228 Computer chatbots are always easy to spot aren't they? They repeat themselves, don't understand conversational tools like sarcasm or irony and are never, never funny, but it looks like that might not be the case for much longer. A pair of researchers have managed to create a computer that was able to trick enough people …

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Computer chatbots are always easy to spot aren't they? They repeat themselves, don't understand conversational tools like sarcasm or irony and are never, never funny, but it looks like that might not be the case for much longer. A pair of researchers have managed to create a computer that was able to trick enough people into thinking it was a real boy, that it successfully passed the Turing Test, the first computer ever to do so.

At a test of five computing systems at the Royal Society in London recently, humans were asked to have a five minute text conversation with each of the machines and to judge whether they thought the chat was with a person or a computer. This is the measure of the Turing Test – introduced by Alan Turing in the '50s – which requires a score of 30 per cent or more to pass and this particular computer, known as Eugene Goostman if you asked it, was able to do so.

pinnochioo
No word on whether he could actually turn into a “real boy,” though. 

Developed by Russian born Vladimir Veselov and Ukrainian Eugene Demchenko, Goostman was able to trick 33 per cent of those testing it, into thinking that it was a real 13 year old boy. While other computers have been hailed as the first to past the Turing Test, they often had pre-ordained questions, or used extracts from real conversations, so the machines weren't thought to be really thinking for themselves. Goostman on the other hand, does. Or at least appears to.

Veselov said of his machine's victory: “It's a remarkable achievement for us and we hope it boosts interest in artificial intelligence and chatbots.”

He and his partner Demchenko, also believe that developments like this will one day have profound questions for our society, where we try to judge whether a computer behaving just as we do, is alive or not.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Anyone who's watched ‘Her' will no doubt have pondered these same sorts of things. What do you guys think of artificial intelligence? Can it ever be considered alive as we are?

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Samsung is replacing its Mobile Design Chief https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/samsung-is-replacing-its-mobile-design-chief/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/samsung-is-replacing-its-mobile-design-chief/#respond Thu, 08 May 2014 09:52:56 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=191824 Samsung's Galaxy flagships have been defiantly plastic for years despite other manufacturers moving on to more premium designs like the metal body of the HTC One. However, it seems that the company is looking for change as it has replaced its Chief of Mobile Design, Chang Dong-hoon. Dong-hoon isn't losing a job though, he is being …

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Samsung's Galaxy flagships have been defiantly plastic for years despite other manufacturers moving on to more premium designs like the metal body of the HTC One. However, it seems that the company is looking for change as it has replaced its Chief of Mobile Design, Chang Dong-hoon.

Dong-hoon isn't losing a job though, he is being shifted to the head of Mobile Design Strategy to focus more on the business side rather than the creative, he will be replaced by his VP, Lee Min-hyouk, a Samsung spokesperson announced on Thursday.

samsung-galaxy-lineup

A statement from the company said: “The realignment will enable Chang to focus more on his role as head of the Design Strategy Team, the company's corporate design centre which is responsible for long-term design strategy across all of Samsung's businesses, including Mobile Communications.”

Lee has actually been a huge success at Samsung, he became the youngest company executive in 2010 thanks to his part in designing the Galaxy line of smartphones, which has since gone on to dethrone Apple seeing Samsung Galaxy devices selling twice as much as the iPhone. That said, there are far more variations of Galaxy phones than there are iPhones.

Samsung's persistent use of plastic build materials and now its fake leather backing has been bugging critics for a while now, other manufacturers such as HTC and LG have stepped up in the design field to deliver premium feeling devices but for whatever reason, Samsung has held itself back. Maybe now we will see a design change that can reinvigorate the brand.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Hopefully this new Design Chief will make next year's flagship feel new rather than seeming like a slightly tweaked version of what came out the year before.

Source: Reuters 

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Unreal Engine gets Xbox One, PS4 – not Wii U – support https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/unreal-engine-gets-xbox-one-ps4-not-wii-u-support/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/design-create/jon-martindale/unreal-engine-gets-xbox-one-ps4-not-wii-u-support/#respond Fri, 25 Apr 2014 08:50:46 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=189012 The first major update for the Unreal Engine was rolled out yesterday, giving it official support for both Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PS4, meaning developers can get cracking on making UE4 games for both major consoles. Unfortunately for Nintendo though, there's no sign of Wii U support to be found. Epic announced the news …

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The first major update for the Unreal Engine was rolled out yesterday, giving it official support for both Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PS4, meaning developers can get cracking on making UE4 games for both major consoles. Unfortunately for Nintendo though, there's no sign of Wii U support to be found.

Epic announced the news via its Unreal blog, where it explained how all developers can get their hands on the engine, and much more: “All Unreal Engine subscribers who are registered Xbox developers or registered PlayStation developers (including members of the ID@Xbox indie program) can receive access to UE4’s complete source code for their respective console platforms, at no extra cost,” it said.

As it stands, you'll need to be able to compile the code when developing your game for either system, since this first release comes in source code form. However, in the future, Epic plans to release support for binary-only development, making it easier for artists and designers to get in and chance things themselves without getting too technical.

ue4rollercoaster
UE4 already supports the Oculus Rift, which this new rollercoaster showcases perfectly

Epic also pointed out in the release, that the new Unreal Engine 4.1 also has support for Sony's unreleased Morpheus VR headset, as well as the Oculus' Rift.

When it comes to the Wii U, the lack of support with UE4, is likely linked with the console's underpowered internals, but considering we've seen the engine run in a Firefox browser and that UE3 with Batman: Akrham City and Mass Effect 3 were such big launch titles for the platform, you'd think Epic would find a way to make the new engine work.

KitGuru Says: This is good news for console gamers, since the latest Unreal engine is likely to be used in a lot of new games over the next few years, though it'll have to go some to outstrip its predecessor, UE3, which found its way into a large body of titles from the last gen.

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Microsoft unwraps DirectX 12 for PCs, tablets, smartphones and Xbox https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/microsoft-unleashes-directx-12-for-pcs-tablets-smartphones-and-xbox-one/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/microsoft-unleashes-directx-12-for-pcs-tablets-smartphones-and-xbox-one/#respond Thu, 20 Mar 2014 23:34:24 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=183596 Microsoft Corp. on Thursday unveiled DirectX 12, the latest incarnation of one of the world’s most popular application programming interfaces. The new API can not only greatly improve rendering performance, but to also bring top-notch quality graphics to all Microsoft platforms, including personal computers, tablets/smartphones and even Xbox One. One of the key innovations of …

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Microsoft Corp. on Thursday unveiled DirectX 12, the latest incarnation of one of the world’s most popular application programming interfaces. The new API can not only greatly improve rendering performance, but to also bring top-notch quality graphics to all Microsoft platforms, including personal computers, tablets/smartphones and even Xbox One.

One of the key innovations of DirectX 12 is that it will allow game developers to access hardware resources on a “close-to-metal” level, video games will benefit from reduced GPU overhead via features such as descriptor tables and concise pipeline state objects. In addition, the DirectX 12 will allow games to significantly increase multithread scaling and CPU utilisation. Finally, the new API also presents a set of new rendering pipeline features that will improve the efficiency of algorithms such as order-independent transparency, collision detection, and geometry culling.

microsoft_directx11_3dmark microsoft_directx12_3dmark
During the presentation of DirectX 12 the software giant demonstrated how the 3DMark benchmark recompiled for the new API can improve CPU scaling by up to 50%.

Another key aspect of DirectX 12 is that it now supports various mobile devices. The latter are hungry for additional graphics performance these days, but they also need longer battery life. By improving efficiency of various computations (and essentially their performance), devices can accomplish the job done faster and thus save battery life. Moreover, thanks to better use of multi-core CPUs and highly-parallel GPUs, mobiles can increase their overall performance, which means that portable devices will be able to do the same things as modern notebooks (expect PC and console games to be playable on smartphones and tablets).

Initially, DirectX 12 will be supported by AMD Radeon graphics hardware powered by the GCN architecture; Intel Core i-series processors code-named Haswell and Broadwell with Iris graphics inside; Nvidia GeForce graphics processing units featuring Fermi, Kepler and Maxwell architectures; Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile system-on-chips with advanced Adreno graphics.

DirectX 12 preview will be available this year, but the official release timeframe is unknown. According to Microsoft 50 per cent of PCs will support DirectX 12 at launch. What is unclear is whether there will be certain DX12 functions that the currently available hardware will not be able to support and there will be “native” DirectX 12 graphics processors.

microsoft_directx12_forza5

Microsoft has also demonstrated how Forza Motorsport 5 game, which is only available on Xbox One, can run at 60fps on a PC. Perhaps, that was not a hard thing to accomplish, given that the rig it was run featured Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan Black, one of the highest-performing graphics card today.

There are three key areas that should speed up rendering of 3D graphics in applications that rely on DirectX 12 API: pipeline state representation, work submission, and resource access.

Pipeline state objects. Direct3D 11 allows pipeline state manipulation through a large set of orthogonal object, which provides a convenient, relatively high-level representation of the graphics pipeline, however it does not map very well to modern hardware since modern GPUs re-use their building blocks for different tasks. The Direct3D 11 API allows these to be set separately, but the driver cannot resolve things until it knows the state is finalized, which is not until draw time. This delays hardware state setup, which means extra overhead, and fewer maximum draw calls per frame. Direct3D 12 addresses this issue by unifying much of the pipeline state into immutable pipeline state objects (PSOs), which are finalized on creation. This allows hardware and drivers to immediately convert the PSO into whatever hardware native instructions and state are required to execute GPU work (which PSO is in use can still be changed dynamically and much easier than in case of Direct3D 11). The result is significantly reduced draw call overhead, and many more draw calls per frame.

Command lists and bundles. In Direct3D 11, all work submission is done via the immediate context, which represents a single stream of commands that go to the GPU. Direct3D 12 introduces a new model for work submission based on command lists that contain the entirety of information needed to execute a particular workload on the GPU. Each new command list contains information such as which PSO to use, what texture and buffer resources are needed, and the arguments to all draw calls. Because each command list is self-contained and inherits no state, the driver can pre-compute all necessary GPU commands up-front and in a free-threaded manner. The only serial process necessary is the final submission of command lists to the GPU via the command queue, which is a highly efficient process. In addition to command lists, Direct3D 12 also introduces a second level of work pre-computation, bundles. Unlike command lists which are completely self-contained and typically constructed, submitted once, and discarded, bundles provide a form of state inheritance which permits reuse, which further improves efficiency and lowers the amount of data needed to be sent within a GPU.

Descriptor heaps and tables. Resource binding in Direct3D 11 is highly abstracted and convenient, but leaves many modern hardware capabilities underutilized. Direct3D 12 changes the binding model to match modern hardware and significantly improve performance. Instead of requiring standalone resource views and explicit mapping to slots, Direct3D 12 provides a descriptor heap into which games create their various resource views. This provides a mechanism for the GPU to directly write the hardware-native resource description (descriptor) to memory up-front. To declare which resources are to be used by the pipeline for a particular draw call, games specify one or more descriptor tables which represent sub-ranges of the full descriptor heap. As the descriptor heap has already been populated with the appropriate hardware-specific descriptor data, changing descriptor tables is an extremely low-cost operation. In addition to the improved performance offered by descriptor heaps and tables, Direct3D 12 also allows resources to be dynamically indexed in shaders, providing unprecedented flexibility and unlocking new rendering techniques. With dynamically indexable resources, a scene with a thousand materials can be finalized just as quickly as one with only ten.

KitGuru Says: What Microsoft says looks extremely good on paper. The industry needs to boost efficiency of processing, additional performance and close-to-metal approach for those developers who want to make breakthrough content. The thing is that DirectX 12 will still have to support hardware from at least four designers, which means that at least some operations may be done to fit all, meaning lower efficiency compared to proprietary technologies like Mantle. In case Microsoft manages to make DX12 nearly as efficient as Mantle, the latter will not be needed and will vanish into oblivion; but if AMD manages to further enhance efficiency of Mantle, it will have a chance to get popular on the PC, which will catalyse Nvidia to respond with its own proprietary API.

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