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samsung odyssey 15 gaming laptop first take ces 2017 03

Samsung Odyssey 15: Our First Take

Samsung hopes to change the course of the gaming market with its Odyssey 15 gaming laptop, but its price may be too high for the hardware.
Computing Reviews
Intel Core i7-7700K review

Intel Core i7-7700K review

The Core i7-7700K is Intel’s latest flagship enthusiast processor, and it looks quick on paper. It fails to make significant architecture or production process changes that might boost performance. Does that halt it, or does it fight on?
Computing Reviews
Digital Storm Velox (Kaby Lake) 2016

Digital Storm Velox (Kaby Lake) review

Digital Storm’s Velox is the first desktop to reach us with Intel’s Core i7-7700K processor, the latest in enthusiast-grade computing. Better still, Digital Storm has overclocked the snot out of it, hitting a stable 5GHz in the configuration we received. That’s the highest clock speed of any PC we’ve ever reviewed. It’s easy to fixate […]
Gaming Computing
Oculus Touch review

Oculus Touch review

Oculus' intuitive Touch controllers are getting Rift owners out of their seats and onto their feet. But is that enough to shake up the comfortable lead enjoyed by HTC’s Vive?
Virtual Reality Apple
close to the metal back school pc ctm full

Close to the Metal Ep. 26: Oculus Touch live review

Oculus Touch is here, just in time for the holidays. It adds much needed motion controls to the Rift headset, but is it a step up from the Vive?
Podcasts Computing
best products of 2016 computing surface studio computer blue topic

Best Products of 2016: Computing

2016 saw the release of numerous important PCs from Apple, Acer, Asus, and others – but it’s Microsoft’s unique all-in-one that takes home this year’s top prize.
Computing Best Ofs
Alienware 13 R3 review

Alienware 13 R3 review

The Alienware R13 pairs fast internals with a beautiful display, but it’s not as small or portable as its display’s size might lead you to hope.
Gaming Computing
close to the metal back school pc ctm full

Close to the Metal Ep. 25: The best and worst of computing in 2016

2016 was one heck of year. Thankfully, for PC enthusiasts, the good largely outweighed the bad. We discuss what impressed us, and what disappointed us.
Podcasts Computing
AMD Radeon RX 470

AMD just released an awesome new benchmark for DirectX 12 games – here’s how to use it

OCAT, new from AMD, is the first good all-purpose DirectX 12 benchmark. It works with both AMD and Nvidia graphics cards.
Computing Guides
close to the metal back school pc ctm full

Close to the Metal Ep. 24: What can you do about a bad console-to-PC port?

The PC is by far the most powerful platform for modern gaming, but its technical greatness is often held back by poor console-to-PC ports.
Podcasts Computing
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Close to the Metal Ep. 23: You should buy a monitor this holiday season

The holiday shopping season means hot sales, and this year there's a particular category of hardware the stands out. Monitors.
Podcasts Computing
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Close to the Metal Ep. 22: Apple MacBook Pro live review

Apple's MacBook Pro has finally received an update, but it's expensive. Is it worth the upgrade? We go in-depth on this week's Close to the Metal podcast.
Podcasts Apple
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Close to the Metal Ep. 21: Whoa, 2-in-1s are suddenly good

The 2-in-1 PC is a category that's received a lot of attention from manufacturers, but consumers seem wary. These devices tend to be expensive, and the benefits aren't obvious - but a new wave of excellent 2-in-1s may win you over.
Podcasts Computing
Lenovo Yoga 910 review

Lenovo Yoga 910 review

The 2-in-1 market is big this holiday season, but laptops that are also tablets haven’t always proven the best choice. Lenovo’s new Yoga 910 takes a different tactic. Rather than try to be all things to all people, it focuses on power users first.
Computing Reviews
close to the metal back school pc ctm full

Close to the Metal Ep. 20: What do you get from a $10 gaming mouse?

Gaming mice are know to be expensive, yet the Amazon.com best-selling list is dominated by super-cheap, $10 gaming mice. Are they worth considering?
Podcasts Computing
close to the metal back school pc ctm full

Close to the Metal Ep. 19: The new MacBook Pro is revealed, but is it fast?

Apple has revealed all the details of the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch and 15-inch, including what's inside. How do they stack up against Windows PCs?
Podcasts Computing
2016 macbook pro touch bar supported apps v2

Apple’s new MacBook Pro doesn’t outrun competitors, but the Touch Bar is special

Apple’s new MacBook Pros bring an innovative Touch Bar that the world has never seen before, but high prices, so-so specs and a persistent reluctance to embrace touchscreens may hold the Mac back.
Computing Features
Windows 10 Creators Update

You OK, Apple? As Windows 10 hits its stride, MacOS is wheezing

It wasn’t so long ago that Windows looked dead in the water, treading water while Apple’s Mac confidently swam laps around it. But now, with Windows 10 released and Surface seeing success, Microsoft is leading the charge.
Computing News
close to the metal back school pc ctm full

Close to the Metal Ep. 18: GTX 1050 and 1050 Ti live review

Nvidia's GTX 1050 and 1050 Ti are the company's new budget video cards, with prices as low as $110. Can you use these cards as an upgrade to your existing desktop?
Podcasts Computing
Acer Swift 7 SF713-51-M90J

Acer Swift 7 review

Acer’s Swift 7 combines a slim, attractive build with long-lasting performance, but performance ends up suffering along the way.
Computing Reviews
nintendo switch hardware analysis vlcsnap 2016 10 20 13h55m22s239

Nintendo’s Switch is small, but it can slug it out with PS4 and Xbox One

While exact hardware specifications for the Nintendo Switch haven’t been released, we know enough to say how it’ll stack up against the Xbox One and PS4.
Gaming Features
close to the metal back school pc ctm full

Close to the Metal Ep. 17: Can you really live with just one USB port?

Some of the best new laptops have just one or two USB Type-C ports. Can you really get by with one port, and if so, how?
Podcasts Computing
A chip with the Nvidia logo.

Nvidia's new GTX 1050 and 1050 Ti aim to put your aging desktop back in the game

Nvidia’s Pascal architecture is coming to the budget market. The company has taken the wraps off the much-rumored GTX 1050 and 1050 Ti cards.
Computing News
WD Blue 1TB SSD

WD Blue 1TB SSD review

Western Digital has finally committed to the solid state drive market with its new WD Green and WD Blue SSD lines. We tested the WD Blue SSD 1TB to see if it can make room for itself in the crowded hard drive market.
Computing Reviews
close to the metal back school pc ctm full

Close to the Metal Ep. 16: WD Blue SSD live review, and how fast should your SSD be?

In this week's episode we discuss Western Digital's first solid state drive, then dive into the surprisingly deep and complex market for solid state drives.
Podcasts Computing
hp envy fall 2016 model update makes the name premium again

HP makes the Envy name premium again with new laptops, all-in-one, monitor

HP has launched major update of four key products in its high-end Envy and Spectre line, just in time for the holiday buying season.
Computing News

Looking for the Oculus Connect 3 keynote? You can watch it here

Oculus Connect 3 is the company's major annual conference. This year, we expect to see it announce official pricing and release details for the Oculus Touch controllers.
Computing News
asus zenbook 3 2016

Asus Zenbook 3 UX390UA review

Asus’ Zenbook 3 has been teased for half a year. Now, it’s finally here. Is this slim system as exciting as Asus’ lead us to hope, or does it make the same compromises as its peers?
Computing Reviews
close to the metal back school pc ctm full

Close to the Metal Ep. 15: 7th-Gen Intel Core and holiday laptops

Intel's 7th-gen Core processors are now appearing in laptops available online and in stores. How important is it to get the latest processor?
Podcasts Computing
world of warcraft legion leveling guide wow header

‘World of Warcaft: Legion’ review

'World of Warcraft’s last expansion saw the greatest loss of players yet. Luckily, its latest expansion, Legion, restores the series’ brilliance, appealing to newcomers and veterans alike.
Gaming Reviews
razer blade laptop getting linux support 2016 hero v2 800x533 c

Razer releases the Kraken — two of them, in fact

Razer has released the Kraken - two of them, in fact. Its new Kraken Pro V2 and 7.1 V2 go on sale in October are affordable prices.
Computing News
close to the metal back school pc ctm full

Close to the Metal Ep. 14: GTX 1060 review, and what’s up with video card prices?

We took a close look at a high-end GTX 1060 from Zotac. Though its performance was great, the price was hard to tolerate, given its increase over MSRP.
Podcasts Computing
razer blade laptop getting linux support 2016 hero v2 800x533 c

Razer’s new DeathAdder Elite is its first mouse with mechanical switches

Razer has announced several new products, including an upscale version of the DeathAdder, and a giant mouse pad for gamers who like to play it slow.
Computing News
Lenovo Y900

Lenovo Ideacentre Y900 review

Lenovo’s mid-tower gaming desktop isn’t flashy, and many aspects of its design follow conventional rules. But the system’s attention to detail, and awesome performance, put it a cut above most.
Gaming Computing
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