New | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Tue, 12 Dec 2023 14:41:36 +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 New | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Square Enix returns to the Mana series with Visions of Mana https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/joao-silva/square-enix-returns-to-the-mana-series-with-visions-of-mana/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/joao-silva/square-enix-returns-to-the-mana-series-with-visions-of-mana/#respond Mon, 11 Dec 2023 15:00:49 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=640338 A brand new entry to the Mana series is coming in 2024. Named Visions of Mana, this new game is the first mainline instalment in the Mana series in over 15 years. The game will be a return to the series' roots, capturing themes of nature and the elemental aspects of mana through stunningly detailed …

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A brand new entry to the Mana series is coming in 2024. Named Visions of Mana, this new game is the first mainline instalment in the Mana series in over 15 years. The game will be a return to the series' roots, capturing themes of nature and the elemental aspects of mana through stunningly detailed environments and vibrant, colourful graphics.

The new Mana game takes players on an expansive, action-packed adventure across a semi-open world. You take the role of Val, a carefree young man who lives in the Fire Village of Tianeea. Once every four years, the Faerie visits regions of the world to choose alms, people who are fated to travel to the Tree of Mana. Val invites his childhood friend to a festival to welcome the visitor, but as the night falls, the sky lights up with sparkling lights, and the Faerie chooses her as the alm. With the blessings of his village, Val sets out on a journey to accompany his friend to the Tree of Mana as her soul guard.

Fans of the series will find many similarities with other Mana games, from staple monsters like Rabites to the party-based combat in real-time. In addition to these features, the team also comprises many developers who have previously worked on other entries in the series. That includes producer Masaru Oyamada (Secret of Mana 2018, Trials of Mana 2020, Legend of Mana 2021), sound designers Hiroki Kikuta (Secret of Mana 1993, Trials of Mana 1995, Trials of Mana 2020), Tsuyoshi Sekito (Secret of Mana 2018, Trials of Mana 2020, Echoes of Mana), and Ryo Yamazaki (Trials of Mana 2020, Echoes of Mana), character designer Haccan (Adventures of Mana, Secret of Mana 2018, Trials of Mana 2020), monster illustrator Airi Yoshioka (Dawn of Mana, Children of Mana, Heroes of Mana), and series monster design supervisor Koichi Ishii (Grezzo).

Visions of Mana is scheduled to launch in 2024, for PC, Xbox and PlayStation.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you a fan of the Mana series? Will you be picking up Visions of Mana at launch?

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Nvidia GB202 GPU to feature 24,576 CUDA cores and a 512-bit memory bus https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/joao-silva/nvidia-gb202-gpu-to-feature-24576-cuda-cores-and-a-512-bit-memory-bus/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/joao-silva/nvidia-gb202-gpu-to-feature-24576-cuda-cores-and-a-512-bit-memory-bus/#respond Fri, 29 Sep 2023 12:15:15 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=632200 A recent report from a well-known Nvidia leaker suggests the upcoming GB202 GPU (Blackwell), which will presumably be used on the RTX 50 series flagship card, could be significantly faster than the AD102 GPU. According to kopite7kimi, the GB100 GPU (data centre use) will feature 8 GPC (graphics processing clusters), each with 10 TPCs (texture …

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A recent report from a well-known Nvidia leaker suggests the upcoming GB202 GPU (Blackwell), which will presumably be used on the RTX 50 series flagship card, could be significantly faster than the AD102 GPU.

According to kopite7kimi, the GB100 GPU (data centre use) will feature 8 GPC (graphics processing clusters), each with 10 TPCs (texture processing clusters). Seeing as each TPC has 2 SMs (streaming multiprocessors), GB100 would have 160 SMs. This setup implies an increase in overall core count over GH100 (144).

Moreover, the leaker also claimed that the GB202 GPU (presumably for gaming and workstation cards) would pack 12 GPCs with 8 TPCs each. Assuming that, like in previous Nvidia GPU architectures, each TPC has 2 SMs, we have 192 SMs, which matches what has been previously reported. Unless something changes, this 192 SM configuration amounts to 24,576 CUDA cores, a significant boost over the AD102 GPU currently used on the RTX 4090 and RTX 6000 ADA. However, Nvidia has yet to fully use the 144 SM count, with the closest offering being the flagship workstation graphics card with 142 SMs enabled. Unfortunately, information on the Tensor and RT Cores configurations is currently unknown.

Additionally, kopite7kimi also corroborated the previous rumours about the GB202 GPU, which supposedly has a 512-bit memory bus. Still, note that this arrangement may not be used in the RTX 5090. As for the type of memory, rumours are all over the place, with some saying it will use GDDR7, while others claim it will use GDDR6X/W.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Although these rumoured specifications don't show the whole picture, if accurate, we're seeing yet another massive leap in GPU performance. 

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AMD Ryzen 8000 “Strix Point” APUs show up in AMDGPU LLVM backend https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/joao-silva/amd-ryzen-8000-strix-point-apus-show-up-in-amdgpu-llvm-backend/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/joao-silva/amd-ryzen-8000-strix-point-apus-show-up-in-amdgpu-llvm-backend/#respond Tue, 18 Jul 2023 10:30:15 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=623507 AMD's future APUs have been spotted in the AMDGPU LLVM set, more specifically in the LLVM 17 compiler code. A brand-new GFX1151 ID was found in addition to the codename GFX1150, which AMD developers have previously mentioned. Phoronix spotted the GFX1150 and GFX1151 IDs on the AMDGPU Github page. As of now, we don't know …

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AMD's future APUs have been spotted in the AMDGPU LLVM set, more specifically in the LLVM 17 compiler code. A brand-new GFX1151 ID was found in addition to the codename GFX1150, which AMD developers have previously mentioned.

Phoronix spotted the GFX1150 and GFX1151 IDs on the AMDGPU Github page. As of now, we don't know which APUs these codes point to, but based on previous rumours, we may have a hint or two.

As you may know, AMD is working on two Strix APUs: the 12-core Strix Point and the 16-core Strix Halo (aka Starlak). The former is planned to target the mainstream mobile market with a 54W TDP and 16 CUs, while the latter may operate with a 120W TDP and pack 40 CUs. As such, the two SKUs are expected to be completely separate product tiers. Although there's a good chance these two are the GFX IDs we see in the LLVM backend code, it's unclear which one is which.

The new APUs are expected to come next year with the Ryzen 8000 mobile series. Although the preliminary information is now accessible, it lacks data to corroborate the various rumours that have been floating online. Still, we do know that the AMD Ryzen 8000 APU series will use an improved version of the RDNA 3 architecture, usually referred to by leakers as Navi 3.5.

KitGuru says: Although AMD's upcoming APUs look promising, they won't come without their rivals. Apple is expected to release the M3 chip soon, and people have already found a Meteor Lake-based APU with 128 EUs in the wild. Competition will be fierce in this market, but if priced accordingly, there will be room for all of them.

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Unreleased Intel Meteor Lake-P CPU spotted at Computex https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/joao-silva/unreleased-intel-meteor-lake-p-cpu-spotted-at-computex/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/joao-silva/unreleased-intel-meteor-lake-p-cpu-spotted-at-computex/#respond Mon, 05 Jun 2023 08:45:00 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=618149 Last week at Computex, MSI launched a new range of laptops. As it turns out, one of these models was housing an unreleased Intel Meteor Lake processor, something that was noticed by a few visitors, who were also able to run a benchmark on the system.  Notebookcheck first noticed that the MSI Prestige 16 on …

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Last week at Computex, MSI launched a new range of laptops. As it turns out, one of these models was housing an unreleased Intel Meteor Lake processor, something that was noticed by a few visitors, who were also able to run a benchmark on the system. 

Notebookcheck first noticed that the MSI Prestige 16 on display was running an Intel Meteor Lake-P CPU after checking via Device Manager. However, the Wccftech team at Computex took it a bit further, running a Cinebench R23 benchmark.

The laptop is the MSI Prestige 16 EVO/Studio, housing an unidentified Meteor Lake P/H/U class CPU. It boasts 6 Performance cores and 10 Efficient cores, of which two are integrated into the SoC.

The software analysis also revealed the presence of integrated Arc Graphics, based on Intel Xe-LPG architecture, a low-power variant of the existing Arc discrete GPU series. The graphics configuration includes 128 EUs, amounting to 1024 ALUs, matching the desktop Arc A380 series specs. Regarding power limits, we see a PL1 of 15W (configurable up to 20W) and a PL2 of 28W (configurable up to 65W). According to HWiNFO, the sample can achieve a peak boost of 121W.

Regarding benchmark performance, the Meteor Lake sample scored 4261 points in the multi-core Cinebench R23 benchmark, a score achieved with less than 21% CPU utilisation, as the system was not set up for benchmarking. It is also worth noting that this may have been a pre-production sample rather than a final retail unit, so scores should be taken with a grain of salt.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: A sneaky benchmark on the Computex floor is not the ideal scenario for performance testing. Still, even operating at low clock speeds, the Meteor Lake score beats out Intel's Core i7 Ice Lake mobile CPUs. 

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Thermaltake reveals the ToughAir 710 dual-tower CPU cooler https://www.kitguru.net/components/cooling/joao-silva/thermaltake-reveals-the-toughair-710-dual-tower-cpu-cooler/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cooling/joao-silva/thermaltake-reveals-the-toughair-710-dual-tower-cpu-cooler/#respond Fri, 31 Mar 2023 13:00:06 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=609539 Thermaltake is expanding its CPU cooler lineup with the new dual-tower ToughAir 710. Packing two 140mm fans, seven heat pipes, and a large dissipation area, Thermaltake's new high-end air CPU cooler looks very promising. Designed for the latest Intel and AMD CPUs, the Thermaltake ToughAir 710 comes in a dual-tower design with two 140mm fans …

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Thermaltake is expanding its CPU cooler lineup with the new dual-tower ToughAir 710. Packing two 140mm fans, seven heat pipes, and a large dissipation area, Thermaltake's new high-end air CPU cooler looks very promising.

Designed for the latest Intel and AMD CPUs, the Thermaltake ToughAir 710 comes in a dual-tower design with two 140mm fans in a push-pull configuration. With RPM ranging between 500 and 1400, these fans are rated to provide an airflow of up to 81.96 CFM and a static pressure of 1.81 mmH2O with a peak noise level of 23.9 dBA. Alternatively, you can use the low noise adapter to reduce maximum operating noise to 18.5 dBA, decreasing fan speed to 300-1,100 RPM, limiting maximum airflow to 65.03 CFM and static pressure to 1.3 mmH2O. The fans' lifetime is estimated at 40,000 hours.

The first component of the cooler to get heated by the CPU is the copper base with anti-corrosive nickel plating. The heat is then transferred to seven U-shaped heat pipes connected to two large aluminium heatsinks featuring an asymmetric fin structure. According to the company, the ToughAir 710 can handle up to 250W thermal loads, exceeding all previous ToughAir CPU coolers.

The ToughAir 710 is compatible with Intel LGA 2066/2011/2011-3/1700/1200/1156/1155/1151/1150 and AMD AM5 and AM4 sockets. Pricing and availability are unknown at the moment.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Do you think the ToughAir 710 can stand against other top-tier CPU air coolers such as the Noctua NH-D15? 

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LEGO franchise is getting a new open-world racing adventure game https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/joao-silva/lego-franchise-is-getting-a-new-open-world-racing-adventure-game/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/joao-silva/lego-franchise-is-getting-a-new-open-world-racing-adventure-game/#respond Thu, 23 Mar 2023 10:30:48 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=597630 LEGO 2K Drive isn't your average racing game. Instead of a straightforward racing game where you fight to be the first to cross the finish line, LEGO's new racing game takes a more “adventurous” approach, offering an open world to explore. IGN was the first to publish the story, but it has since been taken …

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LEGO 2K Drive isn't your average racing game. Instead of a straightforward racing game where you fight to be the first to cross the finish line, LEGO's new racing game takes a more “adventurous” approach, offering an open world to explore.

IGN was the first to publish the story, but it has since been taken down, possibly due to breaking the embargo. Published by 2K and developed by Visual Concepts, LEGO 2K Drive is described as an open-world AAA driving adventure game where you can drive street racers, off-roaders, or boats. Besides cars from some LEGO collections (LEGO City, Creator, Speed Champions), you can also build one yourself using the over 1,000 LEGO pieces the game has to offer.

The upcoming title offers both single and multiplayer game modes and features an actual story that will let you explore various biomes, races, minigames, and challenges. In multiplayer, you can play against up to six players or cooperatively with friends. Local split-screen multiplayer is also present.

The game will be available in three editions. The Standard Edition will go for $69.99 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S and $59.99 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. Then, there's the Awesome Edition for $99.99, which includes a new vehicle, vehicle flair, an in-game mini-figure, and the Year 1 Drive Pass. Lastly, there's the Awesome Rivals Edition, priced at $119.99 and featuring multiple vehicles, a vehicle flair, multiple in-game mini-figures, and the Year 1 Drive Pass.

All pre-orders include the “Aquadirt Racer Pack,” which has the Aquadirt Racer Street Car, Off-Road Car, and Racer Boat. This pack is included in the Awesome Edition and Awesome Rivals Edition regardless of pre-order. The game will be available on May 19th.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Although they belong to a franchise known for letting you build whatever you want with tiny blocks, most LEGO video games lack such mechanics. Contrary to those, this one allows us to create something in a sandbox-like environment, something that could captivate LEGO fans to try it even if they aren't into racing games.

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Nvidia may have quietly retired its MX series laptop GPUs https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/joao-silva/nvidia-may-have-retired-its-mx-series-laptop-gpus/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/joao-silva/nvidia-may-have-retired-its-mx-series-laptop-gpus/#respond Fri, 20 Jan 2023 16:00:24 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=590706 Nvidia's discrete MX laptop GPUs don't top the performance charts, but historically they've still provided a bit more grunt than a mobile CPU's iGPU. iGPUs are getting better and better however, and now they're often replacing the MX series in laptops that you would expect to have a dGPU. As such, Nvidia is possibly retiring …

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Nvidia's discrete MX laptop GPUs don't top the performance charts, but historically they've still provided a bit more grunt than a mobile CPU's iGPU. iGPUs are getting better and better however, and now they're often replacing the MX series in laptops that you would expect to have a dGPU. As such, Nvidia is possibly retiring the laptop GPU series.

Nvidia hasn't yet made it official, but ITHome (via @momomo_us) believes that's the case. The last two laptop MX GPUs announced by Nvidia were the MX570 and MX550 in 2021. Aimed at the thin-and-light notebook crowd, these GPUs offered better graphics performance than any iGPU back in the day. Fast-forward to CES 2023, where we saw heaps of new lightweight laptops, but not a word about new MX GPUs.

Rumours claim AMD is continuing to invest in its iGPUs such as the Radeon 680M which generally beat the MX450. However, with the release of the Radeon 780M later this year, performance is expected to be even better.

Even if Nvidia does retire the MX series, the green team can still leverage its RTX 4050 and older xx50 GPUs for some low-power laptops. With the RTX 4050 reportedly going as low as 35W and the RTX 2050 TDP range starting at 30W, the power gap between these and iGPUs may now be too small to justify the existence of the MX series.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Have you ever owned a laptop with an MX series GPU? Do you think Nvidia should keep the MX series alive?

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Valve and AMD working to ensure Steam Deck is Windows 11 compatible https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/joao-silva/valve-and-amd-working-to-ensure-steam-deck-is-windows-11-compatible/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/joao-silva/valve-and-amd-working-to-ensure-steam-deck-is-windows-11-compatible/#respond Wed, 11 Aug 2021 14:41:29 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=527113 By default, the Steam Deck will run SteamOS 3.0, Valve's own custom version of Linux. However, since the Steam Deck is an unlocked PC, there is nothing stopping someone from installing Windows on it instead. With Windows 11 currently on the way, Valve and AMD are working to ensure that the Steam Deck is compatible …

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By default, the Steam Deck will run SteamOS 3.0, Valve's own custom version of Linux. However, since the Steam Deck is an unlocked PC, there is nothing stopping someone from installing Windows on it instead. With Windows 11 currently on the way, Valve and AMD are working to ensure that the Steam Deck is compatible with Microsoft's new OS. 

Valve hardware designer, Greg Coomer, recently spoke with PCGamer, explaining that initially, Valve tested Windows 10 compatibility, but due to Windows 11's new TPM requirements, more testing needs to be done: “There's work looking at TPM just now. We've focused so much on Windows 10, so far, that we haven't really gotten that far into it. Our expectation is that we can meet that.”

To make the Steam Deck Windows 11-ready, Valve will need the help of AMD to ensure TPM is supported at the BIOS level: “It's also a conversation that's going on with AMD, to make sure that, at the BIOS level, we can accommodate that. So there's nothing to indicate to us yet that there'll be any issues with Windows 11.”

With those quotes in mind, there should be no issue installing Windows 11 on a Steam Deck by the time the system launches. Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Would you install Windows 10/11 on your Steam Deck, even if all Steam games were compatible with SteamOS 3.0?

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Gigabyte details massive 48-inch Aorus FO48U OLED gaming monitor https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/joao-silva/gigabyte-details-massive-48-inch-aorus-fo48u-oled-gaming-monitor/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/joao-silva/gigabyte-details-massive-48-inch-aorus-fo48u-oled-gaming-monitor/#respond Fri, 04 Jun 2021 09:14:41 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=518308 We first heard about the Gigabyte Aorus FO48U in April, although details were still scarce at that time. Now during the week of Computex, the full spec has been revealed, with Gigabyte's new giant monitor sporting an OLED panel and 120Hz refresh rate.  Featuring a 48-inch 4K OLED panel with 120Hz refresh rate and a …

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We first heard about the Gigabyte Aorus FO48U in April, although details were still scarce at that time. Now during the week of Computex, the full spec has been revealed, with Gigabyte's new giant monitor sporting an OLED panel and 120Hz refresh rate. 

Featuring a 48-inch 4K OLED panel with 120Hz refresh rate and a 1ms G2G response time, the Gigabyte Aorus FO48U monitor isn't your typical gaming monitor. The 10-bit panel can cover 98% of the DCI-P3 wide colour gamut and 130% of the sRGB colour gamut and a 135000:1 contrast ratio.

The Aorus FO48U features AMD FreeSync Premium to eliminate tearing and Aim Stabilizer sync to reduce motion blur. There's also a dashboard overlay to monitor the system, Black Equalizer to brighten up the darker areas, and GameAssist overlay features. Other appealing features included with the monitor are an auto software updater, a KVM switch and a 6-axis colour control.

Gigabyte gave special attention to the sound component of the Aorus FO48U. With Space Audio and a sound system consisting of 2x 15W speakers and 20W speakers, this gaming monitor allows you to choose between 4 modes to better enjoy the sound experience. Users may also control the volume through the included remote controller.

The monitor is TUV-certified for Eye Comfort, meaning it has flicker-free technology and blue light reduction. Connectivity ports include 2x USB-A 3.0 ports, a USB-C port, 2x HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The monitor doesn't have any ergonomic capabilities, but users can mount it on a VESA 300x300mm arm if they wish so.

KitGuru says: The lack of ergonomic capabilities for a monitor with this size isn't surprising. Would you consider buying this monitor even if it's not adjustable? Would you buy a compatible arm to enhance its ergonomics?

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Logitech launches G-Series colour collection for gaming peripherals https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/joao-silva/logitech-launches-g-series-colour-collection-for-gaming-peripherals/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/joao-silva/logitech-launches-g-series-colour-collection-for-gaming-peripherals/#respond Tue, 25 Aug 2020 07:04:26 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=482914 Logitech is about to launch a new collection of peripherals focused on “self-expression and the fun side of gaming”. The Logitech G-Series colour collection is led by the Logitech G733 headset, a wireless headset available in four different colours to better suit your style, and previously released peripherals with additional colours. White and black coloured …

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Logitech is about to launch a new collection of peripherals focused on “self-expression and the fun side of gaming”. The Logitech G-Series colour collection is led by the Logitech G733 headset, a wireless headset available in four different colours to better suit your style, and previously released peripherals with additional colours.

White and black coloured peripherals have been the most prominent for quite some time. With the expansion of gaming into pop culture, personal style and expression have become a key point for the community. User generated content (UGC) have become more popular and with content creators showcasing their setups with a wide variety of colours and gear, the viewers have also started to put more thought in their setups. So, Logitech decided to launch the G-Series colour collection of peripherals so users can choose high-quality peripherals that reflect their personal style while offering an “immersive gaming experience”.

As the centrepiece of this collection, there's the Logitech G733 wireless headset. Available in blue, lilac, white, and black, the G733 weighs 278g and features reversible suspension headbands and dual-layer memory foam earcups. Additionally, the G733 will come with Lightsync RGB lighting customisable on the G HUB software, a detachable microphone with Blue Vo!ce technology, and DTS Headphone X 2.0 surround sound support.

Alongside the G733, Logitech also announced a collection of coloured headband straps and a set of microphone covers, both compatible with all Logitech G headsets and microphones. Other peripherals that are part of the G-Series colour collection include the G203 and G305 gaming mice and the G915 TKL gaming keyboard. Both mouses will be available in black, white, blue, and lilac while the G915 TKL will only receive an additional white version.

Ujesh Desai, general manager of Logitech G, stated that with the increased popularity of gaming, “personal expression and style have become a huge part of a gamers’ identity”. By taking this into consideration, Logitech designed the G-Series colour collection to offer “high-performance gaming gear in a fun and colourful way”.

The Logitech G733 headsets are expected to be available in September, alongside the G203, G305, and G915 TKL new versions. The G733 will be priced at £129.99, the G203 will cost £34.99, the G305 will be available for £49.99, and the G915 TKL will retail for £199. You can learn more about this headset HERE, and the remaining G-Series colour collection HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Do you already own a wireless headset? Would you replace it with the Logitech G733? Which colour would you choose?

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iiyama launches new Prolite XU2792UHSU-B1 4K IPS monitor https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/joao-silva/iiyama-launches-new-prolite-xu2792uhsu-b1-4k-ips-monitor/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/joao-silva/iiyama-launches-new-prolite-xu2792uhsu-b1-4k-ips-monitor/#respond Thu, 02 Jul 2020 08:20:24 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=474900 iiyama is about to release a new 4K monitor for high-resolution lovers. The Prolite XU2792UHSU-B1 is similar to the company's Prolite XUB2792UHSU, with the main difference being the non-adjustable monitor stand. With the launch of the Prolite XU2792UHSU-B1, iiyama is adding its first 4K monitor to the company's XU series. Using a 27-inch IPS panel with a 4K …

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iiyama is about to release a new 4K monitor for high-resolution lovers. The Prolite XU2792UHSU-B1 is similar to the company's Prolite XUB2792UHSU, with the main difference being the non-adjustable monitor stand. With the launch of the Prolite XU2792UHSU-B1, iiyama is adding its first 4K monitor to the company's XU series.

Using a 27-inch IPS panel with a 4K resolution and matte finish, the iiyama Prolite XU2792UHSU-B1 features a 75Hz refresh rate, 178°(H)/178°(V) viewing angles and 4ms G2G response time. The IPS panel supports up to 1.07 billion colours (8bit + Hi-FRC), 300 nits of brightness, and a contrast ratio of 1000:1, covering 100% of the sRGB colour gamut and 72% of the NTSC colour gamut.

Like most monitors for office and general use, the XU2792UHSU-B1 uses Flicker-Free technology and a low blue light mode to reduce eye fatigue and strain. It also supports Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture for increased productivity, and multiple settings are accessible through the monitor's OSD to adjust colour, brightness, contrast, audio and more.

Available display inputs include 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort. There's also a 3.5mm audio jack, 2x 2W speakers, and a 2-port USB (3.0) hub. Additionally, the Prolite XU2792UHSU-B1 can tilt from -5º to 22º and supports VESA mounting (100×100).

Pricing and availability details are yet to be disclosed. You can learn more about the iiyama Prolite XU2792UHSU-B1 HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you on the look out for a new 4K monitor for your setup? Would you consider the iiyama Prolite XU2792UHSU-B1?

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Gigabyte refreshes its UD Pro series of TLC-based SSDs https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/joao-silva/gigabyte-refreshes-its-ud-pro-series-of-tlc-based-ssds/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/joao-silva/gigabyte-refreshes-its-ud-pro-series-of-tlc-based-ssds/#respond Thu, 14 May 2020 09:35:10 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=466778 Gigabyte has updated the UD Pro series of SATA SSDs with better performance, increased capacity, and an extended warranty. Featuring 96-layer KIOXIA 3D TLC NAND flash memory, the updated UD Pro SSDs are designed to offer enhanced endurance, performance and reliability. Available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB models, the 2.5-inch Gigabyte UD Pro series features …

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Gigabyte has updated the UD Pro series of SATA SSDs with better performance, increased capacity, and an extended warranty. Featuring 96-layer KIOXIA 3D TLC NAND flash memory, the updated UD Pro SSDs are designed to offer enhanced endurance, performance and reliability.

Available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB models, the 2.5-inch Gigabyte UD Pro series features 256MB of external DDR cache and uses a SATA III 6Gbps interface to reach sequential read/write speeds of up to 550/530MB/s, and up to 98/89K random read/write IOPS.

The MTBF (mean time between failure) of 1.6M hours and endurance figures of up to 750TBW for the 1TB model, 370TBW for the 512GB model, and 175TBW for the 256GB model mean these drives should keep you going for a while. UD Pro also has a rated shock resistance of 1500g/0.5ms.

The Gigabyte UD Pro SSDs support both TRIM and S.M.A.R.T. Additionally you can use the SSD Tool Box to monitor the status of your UD Pro SSD, including the firmware version, health condition, and temperature. You can also use SSD Toolbox to wipe the drives through the Secure Erase feature.

Pricing and availability have not been disclosed yet, but these SSDs come with a 5-year warranty. You can learn more about the Gigabyte UD Pro SSD series HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Do you use any type of SSDs in your system? Would you consider upgrading your hard drive with one of these Gigabyte UD Pro SSDs?

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Deepcool introduces the GAMMAXX 400 EX dual-fan cooler https://www.kitguru.net/components/cooling/joao-silva/deepcool-introduces-the-gammaxx-400-ex-dual-fan-cooler/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cooling/joao-silva/deepcool-introduces-the-gammaxx-400-ex-dual-fan-cooler/#respond Mon, 04 May 2020 08:15:44 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=465081 Deepcool has added a new CPU cooler to its budget-oriented GAMMAXX series. The new dual-fan GAMMAXX 400 EX is an upgraded version of the original GAMMAXX 400, offering improved performance and an aesthetic overhaul compared to the original model. While still a compact air tower cooler like its predecessor, the GAMMAXX 400 EX features a …

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Deepcool has added a new CPU cooler to its budget-oriented GAMMAXX series. The new dual-fan GAMMAXX 400 EX is an upgraded version of the original GAMMAXX 400, offering improved performance and an aesthetic overhaul compared to the original model.

While still a compact air tower cooler like its predecessor, the GAMMAXX 400 EX features a number of changes to the design. For instance, the 400 EX comes with two TF120 ‘high performance' PWM fans that use a hydro bearing, while each spins at 500~1500 RPM±10% and can generate up to 52 CFM of airflow without exceeding 27.6dB of noise.

Additionally, total surface area has increased by 20% compared to the original 400, with the new heatsink sporting 56 aluminium fins. The base plate uses Core Touch Technology “to dissipate heat more efficiently”, and it transfers heat via 4x ‘sintered copper heat pipes'. The top of the heatsink is also covered with a black shroud, giving a “unique appeal” to the system.

Measuring 129×103×157.5mm (L×W×H), the GAMMAXX 400 EX should be fine to install in most cases. Socket support includes Intel's LGA 1151, 1150, 1155, and 1366 platforms – alongside AMD's AM4, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2, FM2+, FM2, and FM1 sockets. Deepcool also claims it has revamped the ‘mounting tools' to provide ‘a whole new installation experience.'

Pricing and availability details have not been shared. You can learn more about the Deepcool GAMMAXX 400 EX HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Have you ever used a GAMMAXX series CPU cooler? Would you consider this one for a new build? 

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AMD introduces new 12nm Ryzen 3 1200 https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/joao-silva/amd-introduces-new-12nm-ryzen-3-1200/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/joao-silva/amd-introduces-new-12nm-ryzen-3-1200/#respond Wed, 22 Apr 2020 09:00:37 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=463218 AMD's Ryzen 3 1200 launched back in 2017, using the original Zen architecture and 14nm process node. However, the CPU is getting a refresh this year as AMD is updating it to the 12nm process node, due to the lack of supply of 14nm wafers. In a very similar way to what AMD did with …

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AMD's Ryzen 3 1200 launched back in 2017, using the original Zen architecture and 14nm process node. However, the CPU is getting a refresh this year as AMD is updating it to the 12nm process node, due to the lack of supply of 14nm wafers.

In a very similar way to what AMD did with the Ryzen 5 1600 AF by pushing it to the 12nm process node, now the Ryzen 3 1200 to get the same treatment. The refreshed Ryzen 3 1200 was “created to replace the 1st gen Ryzen 3 1200”, said AMD to PCGamer. Additionally, the company also confirmed that the change from 14nm to 12nm was made because the “1st Gen model is based on old 14nm wafers” that AMD can no longer supply. Besides the updated process node, this processor also uses the Zen+ architecture, offering better core performance and improved cache access.

The refreshed version was created given that there are markets where the Ryzen 3 1200 is still important. Since there are no downsides for the customer, AMD thought it “was OK” to keep its name the same.

If you are interested in buying the revised Ryzen 3 1200 instead of the original one, pay attention to the OPNB (Ordering Part Number Boxed). The revised Ryzen CPU OPNB is YD1200BBAFBOX, differing from the OPNB of the original (YD1200BBAEBOX). The “AF” in the OPNB of the revised Ryzen 3 is the reason why you may find it sometimes referred to as “Ryzen 3 1200 AF”.

X370 and B350 motherboards will be compatible with the Ryzen 3 1200 AF, but they will need a BIOS update, since the new Ryzen 3 is a Pinnacle Ridge chip, unlike the original Summit Ridge.

The AMD Ryzen 3 1200 AF processor is available now for about 55€/£50.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Do you think the refreshed Ryzen 3 1200 is a good deal? Would you consider it for a budget build or would you rather spend more on the upcoming Ryzen 3 3000 series?

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Xigmatek launches new open frame Perseus chassis https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/joao-silva/xigmatek-launches-new-open-frame-perseus-chassis/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/joao-silva/xigmatek-launches-new-open-frame-perseus-chassis/#respond Tue, 31 Mar 2020 07:05:33 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=459709 Xigmatek has announced its new open frame chassis, known as Perseus. This case is aimed at gamers that want to showcase and customise their systems while keeping it cool, thanks to the open nature of the case and its support for up to 6x fans. Featuring a 1mm thick chassis structure and 4mm tempered glass …

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Xigmatek has announced its new open frame chassis, known as Perseus. This case is aimed at gamers that want to showcase and customise their systems while keeping it cool, thanks to the open nature of the case and its support for up to 6x fans.

Featuring a 1mm thick chassis structure and 4mm tempered glass panels on both sides, the Perseus is crafted using the “sophisticated CNC & NCT production” method and is designed to offer superior airflow and ventilation.

According to TechPowerUp, this case supports up to 2x 120mm fans on the front, 2x 120mm fans on the top, and 2x 120mm fans on the back. Radiators are supported too: one 120mm radiator on the back and one 120/240mm radiator on the top. No fans come included with this case.

Measuring 610x230x540mm (LxWxH), the Perseus supports 1x 2.5-inch drive on the motherboard panel, and 2x 2.5-inch drives or 1x 3.5-inch drive on the case's central bay, located behind the front panel. Additionally, there are 7x PCI expansion slots and the I/O panel has 2x USB 3.0 Type-A ports, 1x Power button, 1x LED button and 1x HD Audio jack. Motherboard support includes ATX, M-ATX and Mini-ITX formats, while the GPU's maximum length is 400mm, a CPU cooler's maximum height is 170mm, and a PSU's maximum length is 180mm.

There are no details regarding price or availability of the Perseus, yet. If you want to learn more about the Xigmatek Perseus, visit the official product page.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Have you ever built a PC in an open frame chassis? Would you like to built with the Xigmatek Perseus?

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Thinkware to showcase Augmented Reality navigation device at CES https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/james-dawson/thinkware-to-showcase-augmented-reality-navigation-device-at-ces/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/james-dawson/thinkware-to-showcase-augmented-reality-navigation-device-at-ces/#respond Tue, 24 Dec 2019 09:05:20 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=443610 A big player in the dash cam market, Thinkware, has announced its attendance at CES 2020 in January and will be showing off some of its exciting dash cam products and new Augmented Reality solutions at the big electronics event. Dash cams are becoming one of the latest must have pieces of tech for your …

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A big player in the dash cam market, Thinkware, has announced its attendance at CES 2020 in January and will be showing off some of its exciting dash cam products and new Augmented Reality solutions at the big electronics event.

Dash cams are becoming one of the latest must have pieces of tech for your car as they help lower insurance premiums and in the unfortunate event of a collision, they can help prove who was at fault. Thinkware has taken its years of experience in the dash cam market and is finding new ways to use the technology.

Thinkware will be showcasing one of these new ideas at CES, the company will have a demo of its new Augmented Reality navigation solution on hand at the event in Las Vegas. The new device comes equipped with a heads-up display and uses the latest local map data to ensure drivers are safe and informed. The Augmented Reality navigation device also features an advanced user interface and a library-type solution that uses maps of locations around the world, while game engines can display AVN, CLUSTER, HUD and other information on the device.

Specific details about the new Augmented Reality solution are a little sparse, no doubt more in-depth information will be unveiled CES. In addition to this new Augmented Reality solution, Thinkware will be showcasing other new dash cam products at CES including:

  • U1000: THINKWARE’s first dash cam that features strikingly clear 4K resolution and boasts a comprehensive driver-assistance warning system.
  • QXD Mega 4CH: A 4-channel dash cam that covers the entire vehicle (Front/Rear/Right/Left).
  • Q800 PRO: The next generation of the F800 PRO dash cam, featuring Quad High Definition (QHD) technology.
  • Blade: The next generation of THINKWARE’s existing F770 model launching in summer 2020. The Blade offers users detachable, full high-definition front and rear cameras with a slim design in addition to Cloud and LTE-M connectivity.
  • T700/ X700 (LTE-M): THINKWARE’s most connected dash cams yet. With a 4G LTE modem and THINKWARE Cloud 2.0. The T700 is capable of transmitting videos with LTE Cat 4, while the X700 (LTE-M) can transmit motion jpeg and location information.
  • X700: Offering an easy to navigate touch screen, full HD two-channel, advanced driver assistance, parking surveillance mode and more
  • F200: A versatile dual-channel dash cam with built-in Wi-Fi
  • F70: An entry-level dash cam featuring the latest Energy Saving Parking Recording Mode

“CES 2020 is a fantastic opportunity for us to unveil our suite of new, exciting technological enhancements,” said Tim Sagar, THINKWARE’s Business Development Manager. “New products, such as the Blade, will be introduced with LTE-M capability built-in, while we also look to make the technology compatible with our existing X700 and U1000 models.”

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: If in-car technology is of interest to you and you are going to CES next month, head over to the Thinkware booth and check out what they have on show. The Augmented Reality device will be an interesting one to see more details about for sure.

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Surface Book 2 firmware patch finally fixes CPU and GPU issues https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/james-dawson/surface-book-2-firmware-patch-finally-fixes-cpu-and-gpu-issues/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/james-dawson/surface-book-2-firmware-patch-finally-fixes-cpu-and-gpu-issues/#respond Sun, 13 Oct 2019 09:17:25 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=429724 Microsoft has finally released an update for the Surface Book 2 to correct an Nvidia discrete GPU problem and CPU throttling issues, that have been plaguing the device for months. Microsoft has been blocking the Windows 10 update (1903) on Surface Book 2 devices for months, as it was found that users with an Nvidia …

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Microsoft has finally released an update for the Surface Book 2 to correct an Nvidia discrete GPU problem and CPU throttling issues, that have been plaguing the device for months.

Microsoft has been blocking the Windows 10 update (1903) on Surface Book 2 devices for months, as it was found that users with an Nvidia discrete GPU had an issue where the dedicated GPU driver would disappear from the Device manager, leaving users with Intel’s integrated graphics only. A firmware update has been released to fix this issue now.

Along with this, a further issue has been patched in the updated firmware to correct a CPU throttling problem. Over the last few months, some users have been reporting that the CPU in the Surface Book 2 would throttle down to just 400 MHz – apparently due to the Intel CPU flag BD PROCHOT. Microsoft claim this problem has been fixed with the latest firmware patch.

Microsoft has issued a full changelog for the firmware patch, which can be found on their support site. Additionally, the updated firmware should offer users improved battery stability too.

Since Microsoft has now fixed these issues through a firmware patch, in theory, users should be able to download and install the latest version of Windows 10 (1903) on their Surface Book 2 devices again. Once this mass update has happened, we should find out if the firmware patch has been 100% successful in eliminating both issues.

kitGuru says: Did any of you guys suffer from either of these issues on your Surface Book 2? If so, we would like to hear how the firmware patch is working and if you are able to download the windows 1903 update now.

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Red Dead Redemption 2 Gameplay (Part 2!) https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/bomenzzz/red-dead-redemption-2-gameplay-part-2/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/bomenzzz/red-dead-redemption-2-gameplay-part-2/#respond Fri, 02 Nov 2018 19:51:09 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=393438 Today we present part two of our Red Dead Redemption gameplay. This time around, we spend more time exploring the huge open world, as well as the different customisation options you get.

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Earlier this week, I dove into Red Dead Redemption 2 with the first in a series of long gameplay videos. Due to the size of the game and the sheer amount of content, we are presenting part 2 today. During this video, we take more time exploring the open world and different customisation features the game has to offer. 

If you missed part one of our Red Dead Redemption 2 gameplay, then you can find it, HERE.

This time around, I wanted to experience more of the open world areas of the game and show you guys what else the game has to offer outside of the main story missions. There are a few early story missions included but generally, I found myself wandering off in different directions exploring the map. The game itself is absolutely beautiful and presents so many opportunities to take incredible screenshots.

I've been playing on a standard PS4 PS4, so I'm not getting all that I potentially can out of the game graphically. However, I'm still very impressed with the visuals and all of the attention to detail provided. If you have yourself a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X and a 4K TV, then you are in for an even better experience as the settings are cranked up even further.

This time around, Rockstar has implemented many more customisation options to play around with. Firstly, we have weapons customisation, which you can access at any of the gunsmiths at towns spread out across the world. Weapons and their parts can be swapped out for different colours, wood finishes and you can even add personalised engravings. Beyond that, there are also weapon upgrades, which can increase power, range and accuracy.

Horses in Red Dead Redemption 2 are also brimming with personality. I was over the moon to realise that when you take a horse back to the stable, or buy a new one, you have the option to make changes to its hair, tail and saddle. Each time you get a new horse, you can give it a name, adding a more personal touch. I had a beautiful looking shire horse from the very beginning of the game and made its tail long and white. Upgrading your saddle bags also has the benefit of more inventory space. There are also ways to upgrade horse stamina and speed. You'll need to make sure you take care of your horse though, keeping it fed and brushing it every so often.

Overall, I think this is a wonderful addition for Red Dead Redemption 2, it gives you a real connection to your steed as you travel across the huge open world together. Of course, your horse can die if it gets shot, hits something too hard or falls off of a big cliff- so if you don't save often, or forget to grab a horse revival potion, then be prepared to be hit right in the feels. On the plus side, you can go back to a stable and get a new horse, starting the cycle all over again.

After 6+ hours in Red Dead Redemption 2, I really haven't got that far into the game, which I'm pleased about. This game has so much to offer and I can't wait to explore more of it.

KitGuru Says: Have many of you picked up Red Dead Redemption 2 yet? If so, how are you finding it so far?

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Red Dead Redemption 2 PS4 Gameplay (Part 1) https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/bomenzzz/red-dead-redemption-2-ps4-gameplay-part-1/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/bomenzzz/red-dead-redemption-2-ps4-gameplay-part-1/#respond Mon, 29 Oct 2018 14:46:36 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=392642 Red Dead Redemption 2 is finally out! Over the weekend, BoMenzzz checked it out on PS4, providing lengthy gameplay and first impressions.

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ROCKSTAR GAMES has done it again! Finally, after enduring the long, 8-year wait, Red Dead Redemption 2 has launched and we couldn't be more excited to jump in. The game has already garnered heavy critical acclaim with a whopping 97 score on Metacritic. Will Red Dead Redemption 2 end up being the game of the year?

Red Dead Redemption 2, just like the first in the series, is a wild west themed action-adventure game with a big open world map. In Red Dead Redemption 2, you follow the story of an Outlaw called Arthur Morgan, a member of Dutch Van der Linde's gang. On your journey, you'll come across some very familiar faces, with some carrying over from the first game. Currently, the story mode for Red Dead Redemption 2 is available but an online mode is heading our way before the end of the year.

The map in this game is HUGE and features many of the same areas as the first game. The graphics are top-tier, giving us a chance to get immersed within the beautiful surroundings before doing typical rootin' tootin' Outlaw things.

Over the weekend, I managed to squeeze in a few hours of gameplay, with the first three-hours or being more scripted than the rest of the game. It takes a while, but you'll get to a point in the story where the map fully opens up and you are free to explore. At launch, you have the option to play in either third-person or first-person, although in my personal opinion, Rockstar's games don't work too well in first-person.

While playing through the opening missions, Rockstar does a good job of reintroducing you to the different mechanics and gameplay systems. There are completely new features, in addition to mechanics that players of the first game will be familiar with. Here are some examples:

Weapon Wheel – Instead of having the ability to choose any weapon you would like to you use while on the go, you have 3 slots for guns. Guns are stored on your horse and you'll need to switch your loadout from the Horse's saddle bags, adding a more realistic feeling to the game. The horse can also be used to store other useful items like medicines, food, drinks etc. Having an extra inventory slot on the horse comes in handy, as it makes it less likely that you'll be unable to pick up new loot while ex

Surviving You have to eat, drink, sleep, shave and bathe in order to be healthy and make people happy.  But it isn't as easy as just eating a load of food and thinking that's okay. You can become overweight and this slows your character down, so stamina gets used up faster and  regenerates slower. Players will need to maintain a healthy life style in order to avoid stat reductions. Weapon degradation is also a new feature, meaning you'll need to clean your guns and maintain them over time to stop them from breaking. Horse's also have their own stats and can die permanently, so taking care of it is a vital part of surviving in the world. So, look after your steed and feed, groom, pet and give them all the love so you don't regret it and lose your 4-legged storage container and have to capture a new one, or buy one. 

HuntingThe game includes around 200 different species of animals and you will need to hunt them for food and crafting materials. You can use ‘eagle eye' to spot animal tracks in the wilderness, you can then follow the path. You need to be careful while hunting though as there is a ‘wind indicator' while tracking wildlife- if you are downwind, they may pick up your scent and flee as you approach. 

Rockstar has gone to great lengths to boost realism and immersion in Red Dead Redemption 2 but there are points where it might be taken a bit too far. While playing through, I was disappointed in the long looting animations. Many times, I encountered a large amount of enemies and upon killing them, I wanted to go back and loot their bodies. Unfortunately, this process is very time consuming, as you have to sit and watch Arthur Morgan bend down, rummage through, grab the loot and then stand back up. I understand what Rockstar was going for, but given the amount of enemies you'll be taking down, and the fact that each one potentially has something worth picking up, this method does become a bit tedious.

There is definitely a lot more within the game for you guys to experience, and as always, there is a huge amount of content to get engrossed in. If you are on the fence, then check out our gameplay video above and see the game in action for yourself, all running on a PS4.

KitGuru Says: Red Dead Redemption 2 is another impressive game from Rockstar. There is still so much of the game left to play through. Did any of you pick this one up over the weekend? What do you think of it so far? 

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Leo Says EP11 – Razer Project Linda, Corsair wanted to buy EKWB? CES coverage CoolerMaster, Phanteks & Seasonic https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/announcements/zardon/leo-says-ep11-razer-project-linda-corsair-wanted-to-buy-ekwb-ces-coolermaster-phanteks-seasonic/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/announcements/zardon/leo-says-ep11-razer-project-linda-corsair-wanted-to-buy-ekwb-ces-coolermaster-phanteks-seasonic/#respond Wed, 17 Jan 2018 17:34:58 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=360806 In the eleventh episode of ‘Leo Says' – our grumpy guru Leo is just back from CES at Vegas and he discusses many topics of interest including AMD and Intel's new CPU venture, Cooler Master Products and the cool partnership in place with Seasonic and Phanteks. He also discusses some rumours he heard from various …

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In the eleventh episode of ‘Leo Says' – our grumpy guru Leo is just back from CES at Vegas and he discusses many topics of interest including AMD and Intel's new CPU venture, Cooler Master Products and the cool partnership in place with Seasonic and Phanteks.

He also discusses some rumours he heard from various sources, including a possible EKWB takeover by Corsair. He is also really impressed with the early demo he got of Razer Project Linda, which turns your phone into a laptop!

00:24 Intel was fairly absent as Coffee Lake is old news
01:32 Meltdown and Spectre
03:05 Rain in Las Vegas stops play
04:03 AMD has Ryzen 2000 coming and Raven Ridge is here
04:40 Nvidia is all about automotive, machine learning and big screens
08:00 Razer Project Linda
09:11 Cooler Master is looking better for 2018
10:52 Phanteks has good stuff, including Sea Sonic
13:30 Intel and Micron part ways
15:45 Did Corsair want to buy EKWB?

KitGuru says: Be sure to let us know your thoughts and if you agree (or disagree) with LEO. Love him, or hate him- he says it, cause he means it.

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Game of Thrones season opener triggers piracy surge https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/game-of-thrones-season-opener-triggers-piracy-surge/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/game-of-thrones-season-opener-triggers-piracy-surge/#comments Tue, 26 Apr 2016 10:28:18 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=290767 With the official debut of this season's episode one of Game of Thrones, millions of people around the world have been eagerly watching to find out what is set to happen to some of their favourite characters. Not everyone did so through official channels though. Indeed, more than a million people have downloaded the show …

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With the official debut of this season's episode one of Game of Thrones, millions of people around the world have been eagerly watching to find out what is set to happen to some of their favourite characters. Not everyone did so through official channels though. Indeed, more than a million people have downloaded the show from illegal sites and services already.

Game of Thrones has been the most pirated show in the world for the past few years. In 2014 it set new records and that was again trumped in 2015 when the 5th season aired. While we aren't quite ready call Guinness this week, season six is off to a strong start, with even now more than 100,000 people actively sharing the first episode.

Yesterday that number was far higher, as TorrentFreak points out. We're likely well past 1.5 million downloads at this point in time and that's only via torrents. As illegitimate streaming services and private trackers provide additional illegal viewing options, the total of people who watched the show without paying for the privilege could easily be north of two million.

gameofthrones

Viewers seem to come from all over the world too, with the highest percentage (12.5 per cent) coming from Australia, while the UK contributed to just shy of seven per cent of that total.

While HBO will no doubt go to some effort to curtail those watching the show illegally, the fact that so many fans of the show choose not to go down the official route, is telling. Whether it's because of a dedicated viewing time as opposed to on-demand viewing, the fact that it's locked behind a paywall or the varied broadcast times around the world, clearly HBO hasn't managed to offer a product everyone is willing to pay for.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If you pirate Game of Thrones, what's your reasoning? Do you not want to pay for Sky? Do you want it to be shown at the same time around the world? 

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Exclusive interview with Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/mouse/andrzej/exclusive-interview-with-razer-ceo-min-liang-tan/ Tue, 16 Jun 2015 13:08:06 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=254743 As the Electronics Entertainment Event (E3) prepares to kick off in the Los Angeles Convention Centre, KitGuru managed to get an exclusive interview with Razer CEO and Founder, Min-Liang Tan. As well as getting a feel for what's coming at E3, we also managed to speak with him about how he feels about innovation, companies that …

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As the Electronics Entertainment Event (E3) prepares to kick off in the Los Angeles Convention Centre, KitGuru managed to get an exclusive interview with Razer CEO and Founder, Min-Liang Tan. As well as getting a feel for what's coming at E3, we also managed to speak with him about how he feels about innovation, companies that copy his designs and his view on just how big eSports can be.

With the Razer Mamba Tournament Edition in the KitGuru Labs, this was the perfect opportunity to get the inside scoop on subjects as wide ranging as professional gaming and Razer's Blade gaming laptop innovation. Will Razer be the star of the E3 show?

Rzr_Mamba_TE_v02_PNG
Discuss on our Facebook page, over HERE.

KitGuru says: While Razer might not have it all its own way in today's competitive market for gaming accessories, the brand strength is impressive. It will be interesting to see how far outside his company's core markets Min wants to take that brand equity.

The post Exclusive interview with Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
AMD Radeon 2015 roadmap leaks: Whole lineup now revealed https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-radeon-2015-roadmap-leaks-whole-lineup-now-revealed/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-radeon-2015-roadmap-leaks-whole-lineup-now-revealed/#comments Tue, 09 Jun 2015 22:29:16 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=253645 A web-site has published a slide that reveals AMD’s graphics products lineup that will be available later this year. The image does not only unveil the names and positioning of AMD’s upcoming Radeon solutions, but also code-names of the new graphics processing units from the company. If the slide published by VideoCardz is genuine, then …

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A web-site has published a slide that reveals AMD’s graphics products lineup that will be available later this year. The image does not only unveil the names and positioning of AMD’s upcoming Radeon solutions, but also code-names of the new graphics processing units from the company.

If the slide published by VideoCardz is genuine, then AMD’s new lineup of graphics adapters will consist of seven new models based on various graphics processing units. The flagship products based on the code-named “Fiji XT” and “Fiji Pro” graphics processors will not formally belong to the Radeon R9 300-series. Previously it was reported that the new boards will carry the Radeon Fury brand-name. It is noteworthy that the new Radeon Fury graphics cards based on the “Fiji” GPUs will be available a little later than the members of the Radeon R9 300-series, which may indicate that the new flagship products will not hit the market right after formal announcement of the 16th of June.

The high-end Radeon R9 390 and R9 390X will be based on the “Grenada” graphics processing units, which are claimed to be improved versions of the “Hawaii” chips with higher clock-rates and revamped architecture. Both boards will carry 8GB of memory and will cost $329 and $389, respectively, according to WccfTech. Higher clock-rates of GPU and memory will help the new cards to offer performance that will be higher than that of Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 970, but it is unclear how the Radeon R9 390-series will compare against GeForce GTX 980.

amd_radeon_roadmap_2015

AMD also plans to introduce Radeon R9 380 with 4GB of memory based on the code-named “Antigua” chip also known as “Tonga Pro”. The product is expected to cost $235. In addition, AMD wants to offer Radeon R9 380 with 2GB of memory for $195.

AMD also intends to roll-out Radeon R7 370 and Radeon R7 360 based on the “Pitcairn” and “Bonaire” graphics processors, which have been available for years. The outdated GPUs will address $100 – $175 market segment. Keeping in mind that graphics boards based on the “Pitcairn” and “Bonaire” GPUs have been available for years, it is unlikely that the new Radeon R7 will actually get popular. People who wanted them have already bought such boards.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Although AMD’s Radeon R9 390-series graphics adapters may actually be rather competitive, it is obvious that they are late. AMD needed to respond to Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 970 and 980 last September, but decided to cut prices of existing solutions, not offer anything new.

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Specifications of AMD’s Radeon Fury confirmed by benchmark database https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/specifications-of-amds-radeon-fury-confirmed-by-benchmark-database/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/specifications-of-amds-radeon-fury-confirmed-by-benchmark-database/#comments Tue, 09 Jun 2015 16:20:05 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=253573 Even though Advanced Micro Devices openly demonstrates its next generation graphics processing unit, it has never confirmed specifications of the product. Nonetheless, multiple leaks have already revealed the vast majority of technical details about the upcoming AMD Radeon Fury graphics card and recently specs of the device were confirmed once again. According to database of …

The post Specifications of AMD’s Radeon Fury confirmed by benchmark database first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Even though Advanced Micro Devices openly demonstrates its next generation graphics processing unit, it has never confirmed specifications of the product. Nonetheless, multiple leaks have already revealed the vast majority of technical details about the upcoming AMD Radeon Fury graphics card and recently specs of the device were confirmed once again.

According to database of CompuBench benchmark, a test suit used to compare parallel compute performance of CPUs, GPUs and accelerators, AMD’s code-named “Fiji” graphics processor has 64 compute units, reports VideoCardz. Since every GCN compute unit has 64 stream processors, the total amount of SPs in the new GPU is 4096, as reported a number of times before. The chip is expected to feature 256 texture mapping units.

AMD’s Radeon Fury will be the first graphics card to use SK Hynix’s stacked high bandwidth memory (HBM). The new type of DRAM is expected to provide unprecedented memory bandwidth of 640GB/s thanks to 4096-bit memory bus and 1.25GT/s transfer rate. The graphics boards will be equipped with 4GB of HBM memory.

amd_radeon_artwork_angle_new

AMD’s upcoming flagship graphics card will use hybrid liquid cooling solution and will be physically shorter than today’s high-end graphics adapters.

Pricing of AMD’s Radeon Fury X remains unknown. It is expected to be formally introduced on the 16th of June, 2016.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The main intrigue about AMD’s Radeon Fury X remains its actual performance. The graphics card is expected to demonstrate excellent results in high resolutions, but it is completely unclear how it will compare against Nvidia Corp.’s GeForce GTX Titan X. According to CompuBench, the new graphics processor from AMD is considerably faster than the Titan X. However, actual performance in games depends not only on pure compute performance.

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AMD teases ‘Fiji’, but refuses to reveal ‘Fury’ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-teases-fiji-but-refuses-to-reveal-fury/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/amd-teases-fiji-but-refuses-to-reveal-fury/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2015 07:30:34 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=252659 At a press conference at the Computex trade-show Advanced Micro Devices has officially demonstrated its first graphics processing unit with high bandwidth memory (HBM) code-named “Fiji”, which is set to power AMD’s next-generation flagship graphics card known unofficially as the Radeon Fury X. But while the company did show its “Fiji” chip, it did not …

The post AMD teases ‘Fiji’, but refuses to reveal ‘Fury’ first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
At a press conference at the Computex trade-show Advanced Micro Devices has officially demonstrated its first graphics processing unit with high bandwidth memory (HBM) code-named “Fiji”, which is set to power AMD’s next-generation flagship graphics card known unofficially as the Radeon Fury X. But while the company did show its “Fiji” chip, it did not want to show the “Fury” card, reports Leo Waldock, a KitGuru editor, from Taipei.

amd_radeon_fiji
AMD “Fiji” graphics processing unit is held by Lisa Su, chief executive of AMD. Photo by WccfTech

Leo arrived at Nangang at 9am and was told the floor was closed to the Press until 9:30am. He took the opportunity to head up to Sapphire, who were in a separate room, so he could say hello and grab a chair. At the Sapphire booth, Leo bumped into Ron Myers, Corporate Vice President of Corporate Marketing at AMD. Ron is a big guy in every sense of the word and only slightly intimidating.

Earlier AMD waved a “Fiji” chip around on stage. They refused to give its name but the unnamed chip had four stacks of HBM so it was “Fiji”, no question.

AMD is showing a running and apparently fully working version of “Fiji” to customers but not to the Press, so Leo asked Ron if he might relent. They both knew the other side of the Sapphire NDA door was the card Leo wanted to see, so Leo asked if he could see the card and take photos.

“How about static without performance?” Leo asked.

“No,” said Ron, and that was the end of that.

sapphire_nda_demo
The closed door

While it was impossible to take photos of the AMD Radeon Fury X, Leo tried to discuss some aspects of the flagship graphics card that only features 4GB of memory (compared to 12GB on Nvidia’s GeForce GTX Titan X). His question about the 4*1GB limit was side-stepped so it is unclear whether AMD could install 8GB of HBM if they choose. A natural guess is they cannot. Ron Myers assured that 4GB of high bandwidth memory is plenty for 4K gaming so it is not just a question of the amount of memory, but also the speed and bandwidth. Put it another way, the requirement for 8GB (or whatever) is in combination with the current, slower bandwidth.

Apparently, AMD wants to build the marketing impetus for the 16th of June, when the first reviews hit the Web, or the 24th, when the graphics cards hit the stores. The problem is, many aspects about the graphics board are already known: it has 4GB of memory, it has short printed circuit board, it requires two 8-pin PCI Express power connectors, it is power hungry (may consume up to 375W of power), it uses hybrid liquid cooling system, etc. The main intrigue about the AMD Radeon Fury X graphics board is its performance. Obviously, a static image of the product cannot reveal any performance details. Moreover, an image of the graphics card itself was recently published by Johan Andersson, technical director of Frostbite at Electronic Arts, in a Twitter post.

amd_radeon_fiji_unofficial
Image of AMD Radeon Fury X published by Johan Andersson

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It is hard to understand why AMD is not prepared to show “Fiji” to the Press. During the conversation Leo called the chip both “Fiji” and “Fury” and Ron did not blink, so we know that it is the correct name.

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The name of flagship AMD Radeon revealed: Fury is back https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/the-name-of-flagship-amd-radeon-revealed-fury-is-back/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/the-name-of-flagship-amd-radeon-revealed-fury-is-back/#comments Sat, 30 May 2015 00:50:24 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=251878 AMD’s next next-generation flagship Radeon graphics card will be the world’s first add-in-board to use stacked high-bandwidth memory (HBM) that will ensure unprecedented performance and will open a number of new doors for graphics adapters. It is rather ironic that for a graphics card that shows the future of GPUs, AMD has reportedly decided to …

The post The name of flagship AMD Radeon revealed: Fury is back first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
AMD’s next next-generation flagship Radeon graphics card will be the world’s first add-in-board to use stacked high-bandwidth memory (HBM) that will ensure unprecedented performance and will open a number of new doors for graphics adapters. It is rather ironic that for a graphics card that shows the future of GPUs, AMD has reportedly decided to use a name from the past.

In a bid to emphasize that its next-generation flagship Radeon graphics adapter based on the code-named “Fiji” graphics processing unit is a very special product, Advanced Micro Devices plans to assign a special name to it, not a model number. The new top-of-the-range graphics board from the company will reportedly be called AMD Radeon Fury, which should imply how furiously fast the new GPU is.

AMD’s flagship Radeon Fury “Fiji XT” graphics processing unit is reportedly based on the revamped GCN 1.3 architecture and integrates 4096 stream processors (64 compute units), 256 texture units as well as all-new memory controller to support vertically stacked high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips with 1024-bit input/output interface. The top-of-the-line Radeon graphics adapter is expected to carry 4GB or 8GB of HBM memory with up to 640GB/s of bandwidth (thanks to 4096-bit memory bus and 1.25GT/s transfer rate). The Radeon Fury graphics card will feature a hybrid liquid cooling system and will require two 8-pin PCI Express power connectors.

amd_radeon_artwork_angle_new

The AMD Radeon Fury reminds of ATI Rage Fury, a popular graphics card for gamers from ATI Technologies in 1998. The add-in board was among the first graphics adapters to feature 32MB of SDRAM, but it was not nearly as popular as 3dfx Voodoo or Nvidia Riva TNT. While it did demonstrate great performance in 32-bit colour mode, it was not a dream graphics solution and certainly was not a legend.

It is interesting to note that the dual-chip Radeon Fury Maxx launched in 1999 introduced the alternate frame rendering multi-GPU technique to the consumer market, but received a bad reputation for poor drivers and lag issues. Nowadays all multi-GPU sub-systems use AFR method of multi-GPU rendering.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The Radeon Fury is definitely a nice name. Moreover, many experienced gamers will clearly remember good-old days of 1998 – 1999 as well as the ATI Rage Fury and the ATI Rage Fury Pro graphics cards (which were actually manufactured by ATI in Canada back then!). But the key to success of AMD’s new flagship is not nostalgia. They keys to success are actual performance in video games, price and availability. Will AMD Radeon Fury deliver? Let’s wait and see! In the meantime, let's think, what variations of AMD Radeon Fury we can expect from Advanced Micro Devices. The dual-chip could be called Radeon Fury Maxx, whereas a slightly slower version could carry the name Radeon Fury Pro…

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KitGuru Annual Awards 2014 https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-reviews/andrzej/kitguru-annual-awards-2014/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-reviews/andrzej/kitguru-annual-awards-2014/#comments Mon, 05 Jan 2015 12:34:11 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=226848 We love this industry and the logic behind that love is quite simple. Billions are spent on R&D each year – much of which goes toward making games run quicker and film/video stream quicker/smoother than ever before. In other words, thousands of scientists around the world are working toward one thing: Making KitGuru readers happy. The …

The post KitGuru Annual Awards 2014 first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
We love this industry and the logic behind that love is quite simple. Billions are spent on R&D each year – much of which goes toward making games run quicker and film/video stream quicker/smoother than ever before.
In other words, thousands of scientists around the world are working toward one thing: Making KitGuru readers happy. 
The KitGuru Annual Awards is our way of saying ‘Thank you!' to that huge, evolving body of scientific improvement.  

To help us achieve our goals, gaming and professional, we expect hardware to keep getting faster, more powerful & feature-rich over time. That’s where KitGuru Labs testing comes in.

We also expect to pay less for it – which brings in the KitGuru editor’s ‘value' determination.

In all of these respects, 2014 has been a mixed bag – with slightly more positive results than negative.

Best
While nVidia’s Maxwell architecture clearly moved graphics into a whole new zone back in February, CPU advancement from Intel has been slower than we’d like. At the same time, AMD’s progression has been largely notable for its absence in the mainstream/desktop zone.

We’ve seen major moves from Intel on the platform side of things, including X99 and Z97, but the pricing for a complete upgrade is still prohibitive for a lot of people.

Back in April, Microsoft began to pull support for legacy desktop operating systems, hoping to increase pressure on buyers to choose Windows 8 – while on 1st October it gave the good news that Windows 10 would be here very soon, as it kicked off a major beta test programme. Anyone who has booted Windows 10 to see the return of the Start Button will feel a great sense of relief that Microsoft’s pattern of ‘great OS -> not so great OS’ has continued and that ‘10’ will be a return to winning ways for enthusiasts.

Outside the PC itself, Sky’s inability to deliver broadband to many customers continues (with almost no change in experience from November 2013 to 2014) is a bitter disappointment for thousands of people.

At the same time, we have seen pricing on next-gen wireless routers dropping fast, led by companies like Asus and TP-Link. With David Cameron promising that 800MB films will be available to download in a single second using 5G in the not so distant future, you have to hope that the broadband companies have more up their collective sleeves. We do live in the UK however, so don't hold your breath.

Across the board, improvements are being made and the third KitGuru Annual Awards gives our editorial team a chance to step back from the day-to-day business of in-depth testing and analysis, to instead focus on the ‘Best of the Best’ across a 12 month period.

Enough preamble, let’s get to the results: Which products were the best of the best in 2014?

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PlayStation 4 Slim, possibly with lower price, could emerge next year https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/sony-playstation-4-slim-possibly-with-lower-price-could-hit-the-market-next-year/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/anton-shilov/sony-playstation-4-slim-possibly-with-lower-price-could-hit-the-market-next-year/#comments Wed, 05 Nov 2014 23:23:52 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=220503 Last week it transpired that Advanced Micro Devices is already working on a 20nm version of system-on-chip for Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox One game console, which will enable the software giant to introduce a smaller and cheaper version of its system sometimes in 2015. Keeping in mind that Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 4 relies on a similar …

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Last week it transpired that Advanced Micro Devices is already working on a 20nm version of system-on-chip for Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox One game console, which will enable the software giant to introduce a smaller and cheaper version of its system sometimes in 2015. Keeping in mind that Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 4 relies on a similar chip as Xbox One, it is possible that next year Sony will also get a 20nm version of its SoC.

Under the terms of the agreement between AMD and its partners – Microsoft and Sony – the chip designer sells them system-on-chips for their Xbox One and PlayStation 4 game consoles at pre-determined price-ranges in volumes they demand. Since prices are believed to have minimal flexibility, it is in AMD’s interestы to reduce its manufacturing costs in a bid to maximize its gross margins. Making chips using thinner manufacturing technology decreases their costs.

sony_playstation_4

Since AMD has already started to work on a 20nm flavour of the Xbox One SoC, it is logical to assume that the company has also started to develop a shrunk version of the PlayStation 4 system-on-chip as well. While everything about a 20nm PS4 SoC is a pure speculation at this point, it is in AMD’s best interests to start making cheaper versions of both SoCs as soon as possible.

As TSMC’s 16nm FinFET (CLN16FF) and 16nm FinFET+ process technologies rely on the back-end-of-line (BEOL) interconnect flow of the company’s 20nm SOC (CLN20SOC) fabrication process, but use FinFET transistors instead of planar transistors, from production cost standpoint the chips made using these three manufacturing technologies should be pretty similar. Therefore, there is no need for AMD to rush with 16nm FinFET versions of the SoCs, but to focus on 20nm flavours of the processors that power the latest consoles from Sony and Microsoft.

sony_ps4_soc
First-generation PlayStation 4 SoC. Image by iFixIt.

20nm chips for new-generation consoles will consume lower amount of energy than SoCs made using 28nm fabrication process. As a result, it will be possible for Microsoft and Sony to simplify designs of the consoles’ mainboards, use cheaper cooling system and to cut down their manufacturing costs. The latter should let the companies to reduce their prices and/or introduce slimmer versions of PS4 and XB1.

Platform holders usually cut prices of their systems two years after their introduction. Therefore, it is important for Sony and Microsoft to get new chips for their consoles next year.

Both Microsoft Xbox One and Sony PlayStation 4 are based on similar system-on-chips designed by AMD. The SoCs feature eight x86 “Jaguar” cores, Radeon graphics engines based on the GCN [graphics core next] architecture, multi-channel DDR3/GDDR5 memory controllers as well as various custom logic.

Sony, Microsoft and AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Please note that at present we only assume that AMD has started development of a 20nm SoC for Sony’s PlayStation 4. Still, since the consumer electronics conglomerate needs the chip inside its systems next year and keeping in mind typical chip development schedules, it is highly likely that the new SoC will be taped out in the coming months.

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Phanteks launch Enthoo Pro Chassis https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/bill-smyth/phanteks-launch-enthoo-pro-chassis/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/bill-smyth/phanteks-launch-enthoo-pro-chassis/#respond Tue, 06 May 2014 15:40:49 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=191513 One of the more unusually named items in the history of computing, there's no denying that the Phanteks products we've seen so far DESERVE to stand out. With today's launch of the latest version, KitGuru wonders if this specialist engineering and design company can pull it off again? Not only did the original Enthoo do …

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One of the more unusually named items in the history of computing, there's no denying that the Phanteks products we've seen so far DESERVE to stand out. With today's launch of the latest version, KitGuru wonders if this specialist engineering and design company can pull it off again?

Not only did the original Enthoo do well as a stand alone product. back in August last year, it also mastered the KitGuru Annual Awards – picking up top spot among all chassis. Here's a key section of that review – so you know what Phanteks' latest offer is up against.

“The brushed aluminium finish looks marvellous and ensures the case will satisfy the high end enthusiast audience. It looks very expensive in the flesh, which is always a bonus. The interior design of the case is quite unusual and has been suitably geared towards supporting water-cooling configurations. There is room for a vast array of different radiator combinations in various locations, for example you could fit two 480 mm radiators in this case.
There are also pre-drilled holes for mounting a water-cooling reservoir, which is sure to appeal to water-cooling enthusiasts. The Phanteks Enthoo Primo is priced at around £200 and we feel this is priced fairly competitively and will make a great alternative to the likes of the Corsair Obsidian 900D, which is significantly more expensive”.

Impressive stuff.

So what will you be getting with this year's release of the Enthoo Pro?

In a nutshell, it has the following qualities:-

  • Full Tower Chassis
  • Simulated Brushed Aluminium Front and Top Panels
  • Ultimate Water Cooling Solution
  • Removable Dust Filters
  • Innovative Reservoir Bracket
  • Modular HDD Cages
  • Drop-N-Lock SSD Brackets

We like the sound of ‘Drop-n-Lock' for drives.

At the front, there is a massive 200mm ultra quiet fan and another 140mm fan in the rear. Adding more fans is straightforward and you should enjoy smooth air flow with the ‘hidden PSU and drive bays' design.

Water cooling is well taken care of – with up to 4 mounting points for your radiator systems.

Overall, you can see where Phanteks has tried to make its multi-award winning design available to a wider audience, with the promise of sub £90 pricing for the windowed version.

Phanteks-Enthoo-Primo-Pro-KitGuru

Phanteks-Enthoo-Primo-Pro-Inside-KitGuru

KitGuru says: We will be putting this chassis through its paces in the KitGuru Labs shortly – with one eye on its predecessors performance and another on the new challenger's price tag.

Let us know what you think over on our Facebook page.

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Win Limited Edition 120mm KitGuru fans! https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/competitions/carl/win-limited-edition-120mm-kitguru-fans-4/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/competitions/carl/win-limited-edition-120mm-kitguru-fans-4/#comments Thu, 03 Apr 2014 14:10:50 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=185772 Today we have a very special competition in place to celebrate KITGURU's partnership with Sharkoon to create a limited edition run of Silent Eagle 2000 fans sporting Kitguru site branding and colours. You could be one of only a handful of people to own these collectors items! The Sharkoon Silent Eagle 2000 is a fantastic …

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Today we have a very special competition in place to celebrate KITGURU's partnership with Sharkoon to create a limited edition run of Silent Eagle 2000 fans sporting Kitguru site branding and colours. You could be one of only a handful of people to own these collectors items!

The Sharkoon Silent Eagle 2000 is a fantastic high quality fan, very quiet with a metal sleeve bearing and a universal connection cable with a 3 pin and 4 pin peripheral connector. The cable is protected with a rubberised fabric sheathing.

This 120mm fan is whisper quiet and ideal for a wide range of system builds, including media centers and gaming systems. These are expensive, quality fans which will provide great airflow and low noise characteristics.

To enter this competition it is simple, we won't have you jumping through hoops!

Simply join in this thread on Facebook and tell us why you need a couple.

I will pick a winner on Friday. We want the winner to send us some pictures of them in their system.

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