Call Of Duty: Vanguard Review: Innovating Backwards

Soldiers walking in Call of Duty: Vanguard promo.

Call of Duty: Vanguard

RRP $ 59.99

"While it adds some interesting new features to the Call of Duty formula, Vanguard's mixed changes make it an entry to remember."

advantages

  • Guns feel wonderful

  • Classic, fast-paced multiplayer

  • Destructible environments add depth

disadvantage

  • Forgotten campaign

  • The new zombies formula isn't that fun

  • Unbalanced weapons in multiplayer

  • A cheat's paradise

I fell in love with Call of Duty again two years ago when the series' Modern Warfare storyline restarted. The game contained many of the good parts of the classic Call of Duty experience while adding some fun new parts at the same time. The tactical sprint was a joy, new options for varied gameplay with equipment and new weapons (including a lever rifle that I spent way too much time improving with) were a joy. Call of Duty: Vanguard seemed to mimic a lot of this before its release, using the same engine as Modern Warfare, and mimicking the more realistic feel.

However, Vanguard is all show and very little substance. It bends off some features and claims they are new if it's really just one of them. Outside of multiplayer, both Vanguard's campaign and zombie modes try to reinvent their classic interpretations, though both fail in those attempts. After spending around 15 hours playing the game so far, I'm happy to put my controller down and leave Vanguard for good.

Characters have no character

I have some expectations when diving into a Call of Duty game as I've been a gamer for years. I expect a straightforward campaign that lets actions speak louder than words and a zombie mode where I can turn my brain off completely and enjoy the carnage with a few friends. Vanguard tries to mix up both experiences with some pretty radical changes, though the result is that both changes left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

Call of Duty: Vanguard's campaign brings the franchise back to World War II one more time. Instead of viewing the war through the lens of the fighters of a particular faction, the players are introduced to the Vanguards, a select group of highly qualified specialists from the allied nations. Everyone has their own backstory, methodology, and even special skills. Each is also painfully uninteresting, along with the rest of the campaign.

Very few of Vanguard's combative encounters get the blood pumping like previous entries in the franchise.

Vanguard puts his characters at the center of the story, not their battle. It's a big twist on a Call of Duty title that would work better if the game actually managed to get me interested in one of the Vanguards. Instead, the group presents itself as a motley team of stereotypes. The Australian was in and out of jail and ignores orders, the American is a lone fighter, the Russian is vendetta-happy and the team is led by a rational British. These descriptions are the beginning and the end of the depth of the characters that players slip into. They're typical Call of Duty characters – superficial and uninspired – yet they're in the spotlight nonetheless.

The action set pieces that usually get all the attention in a Call of Duty title are also a little disappointing. Most of Vanguard's missions follow the formula of having the player sneak before engaging them in a firefight. However, very few of Vanguard's combat-heavy encounters get the blood pumping like previous entries in the franchise.

Call of Duty: Vanguard - crawl through a jungle

Establishing tradition

If Vanguard manages to bring the intensity, it does so with weighty weapons and fantastic sound design. Each weapon in Vanguard has its own sound profile that is fascinating to listen to. I can still hear the somewhat hollow, tinny sound that an MP40 makes when it is reloading. Firing guns is a simple joy in Vanguard, and the fact that they can blow away cover (or even body parts) only gives this power that power.

Each character's skills don't add much to the power trip that players should be feeling. They are all extremely simple: highlighting enemies, commanding teammates, making players hold onto different types of explosives, etc. These skills set any character apart during the game, but they made little difference in the end.

Each weapon in Vanguard has its own sound profile that is fascinating to listen to.

Vanguard's campaign turns everything players should expect from the single-player Call of Duty experience on its head. It lacks those massive action-packed moments, instead it tells its story through character-oriented cutscenes. The same quick change of direction also applies to the game's Zombie mode, which now features a slew of characters who shout commands at players as they complete objectives. Killing zombies is not a pointless action in Vanguard, but a goal-based mode in which the next steps the player must carefully consider.

Zombies run in Call of Duty: Vanguard.

The game's lone map, The Beginning, places players in a hub area and leads them to portals that lead to zones where players must complete objectives. Some objectives are as simple as killing zombies and surviving, while others challenge players to collect drops from zombies and take them to a giant obelisk. While it's fun to revisit old zombie maps like Shi No Numa from Call of Duty: World at War and have instant access to the Pack-A-Punch machine in the hub, Vanguard's Zombie Mode felt like it was through its goals and made me wish it were more directional like its previous iterations.

The sign is missing

A Call of Duty game is characterized by its multiplayer mode, in which almost all players spend a large part of their time. And while I can testify that Vanguard's multiplayer is better than the other two game modes, this isn't exactly a high quality bar. The multiplayer in Vanguard offers satisfactory gunplay overall, but suffers from far too many balancing issues that punish players who are unwilling to grind up the game for a weekend.

When you step into Call of Duty: Vanguard's multiplayer, you get a basic set of weapons and perks. But what the game doesn't tell you is that these weapons and perks are some of the worst around. Low level players are constantly being outdone by high level players who have access to the game's better weapons and weapon accessories. The game's STG-44, its starting assault rifle, for example, is incredibly difficult to control with its starting attachments when shooting. But higher-level players who have leveled up the weapon can turn it into a laser beam that knocks down players in no time.

Vanguard's multiplayer also encounters some classic first-person shooter multiplayer problems. On some of the smaller, more chaotic maps in the game, it's not uncommon to spawn in front of an enemy and give them a quick, free kill. This problem isn't uncommon enough as not to jeopardize the outcome of a game at times or to give opponents easy access to their killstreaks, some of which are problematic in themselves. Some of Vanguard's killstreaks drop bombs on the map, and while they won't always harm you, they are guaranteed to send a cloud of smoke into the player's face. It's a disorienting effect that easily made me lose shootings and generally feeling unfair.

Call of Duty Vanguard's multiplayer mode.

Vanguard's biggest problem, aside from weird spawns and balancing issues, it shares with Call of Duty: Warzone. During my time with the game, I have played a handful of games where it was clear that a player was cheating. Killcams showed them locking onto players, sometimes through walls, before mowing them down with extremely precise fire. Cheaters will eventually make their way into any game, but given the competitive nature of some of Vanguard's game modes, such as Search and Destroy, encountering cheaters can be a game-breaking experience.

During my time with the game, I have played a handful of games where it was clear that a player was cheating.

But when everything is going right in a Vanguard game, when things don't feel too unbalanced and there are no cheaters around, the game's innovations shine. Adding destructible environments to the game brings a new level of depth as entire chunks of cover are eventually blown away, transforming the cards. Being able to burst through walls is just a tough move, like something ripped straight out of a '90s action movie. It is unfortunate that these features are overshadowed by Vanguard's more prominent issues.

Our opinion

Vanguard does what every entry in the Call of Duty franchise tries to do. It is supposed to develop the fast-paced action of the series and in some places turn entire game modes upside down. But Call of Duty: Vanguard is an example of innovation in the wrong direction. It emphasizes the wrong parts of a Call of Duty campaign and zombie mode, making them the worst versions of themselves. The only redeeming factor in the game is the multiplayer, which keeps the good ol 'run-and-gun playstyle the the players should expect. However, it is bogged down with its own problems, ranging from cheaters to potentially game-destroying spawns. These issues can be fixed, however, and once they are fixed, Vanguard could be left as an overall decent entry into the franchise for multiplayer aficionados.

Anyway, I'll be playing Modern Warfare for at least another year from 2019.

Is there a better alternative?

If you're looking for a new multiplayer FPS, Battlefield 2042 is easy to recommend.

How long does it take?

The Call of Duty: Vanguard campaign goes by quickly and lasts a little over six hours. Anyone looking to unlock everything in the game's multiplayer should be able to chat with the game until another Call of Duty title comes out next year.

Should you buy it?

Call of Duty: Vanguard doesn't hit Modern Warfare's 2019 quality mark, which is holding up well to this day. If you are in dire need of new Call of Duty content, feel free to purchase the game, but if you are happy with the game in the franchise you are playing, hang on and forego this one.

Call of Duty: Vanguard publisher Activision-Blizzard is currently facing legal proceedings over the company's alleged history of toxic behavior in the workplace. If this could influence your purchase decision, we recommend that you read up on the situation.

Editor's recommendations



Intel Core i9-12900K Review: Let’s Call It a Comeback

Intel Core i9-12900K in one motherboard.

Intel Core i9-12900K

RRP $ 619.00

"The Intel Core i9-12900K undercuts the competition in terms of price and delivers too high a performance."

advantages

  • Outperforms the Ryzen 9 5950X on most workloads

  • Significantly cheaper than the Ryzen 9 5950X

  • DDR5 support

  • Solid overclocking headroom

  • PCIe 5.0 on supported motherboards

disadvantage

  • High power requirement

  • Runs a little hot

"Intel is back." It's a phrase you've mumbled ad nauseam if you've been paying attention to CPUs in the past few years, even before Intel fell behind AMD. It wasn't until AMD started to hit the desktop market with the introduction of Ryzen 5000 that Intel started putting those words into action – and the result is Alder Lake.

The Core i9-12900K is Intel's flagship Alder Lake chip and, after thorough testing, has earned a spot on our list of the best processors you can buy. Not only does it represent a new generation of processors, it's also the first release under a new CEO, the first time Intel has used its 10nm manufacturing process on the desktop, and the first time we have a hybrid CPU architecture in a slot-in processor.

It also represents a company that has rested on its laurels long enough to lose the thunder. AMD has overtaken Intel in the desktop and server market, and Apple has abandoned its longstanding partnership with Intel to develop its own chips that are faster and more efficient. However, Alder Lake shows that Intel is indeed back.

Specs: What is the difference between Alder Lake?

Intel Core i9-12900K box.

The Core i9-12900K is Alder Lake's flagship chip that sits above the Core i5 and Core i7 models. There are two variants available, both of which are enabled for overclocking.

The KF series chip lacks integrated graphics, but is also a little cheaper. In terms of performance, the two chips are identical.

Cores Base frequency Max. Boost frequency Intel Smart Cache (L3) Integrated graphics Basic service Maximum turbo performance Suggested price
Core i9-12900K 16 (8P + 8E) 3.2 GHz (P core), 2.4 GHz (E core) Up to 5.2 GHz 30 MB Intel UHD 770 125W 241W $ 589
Core i9-12900KF 16 (8P + 8E) 3.2 GHz (P core), 2.4 GHz (E core) Up to 5.2 GHz 30 MB N / A 125W 241W $ 564
Core i7-12700K 12 (8P + 4E) 3.6 GHz (P core), 2.7 GHz (E core Up to 5.0 GHz 25 MB Intel UHD 770 125W 190W $ 409
Core i7-12700KF 12 (8P + 4E) 3.6 GHz (P core), 2.7 GHz (E core) Up to 5.0 GHz 25 MB N / A 125W 190W $ 384
Core i5-12600K 10 (6P + 4E) 3.7 GHz (P core), 2.8 GHz (E core) Up to 4.9 GHz 20 MB Intel UHD 770 125W 150W $ 289
Core i5-12600KF 10 (6P + 4E) 3.7 GHz (P core), 2.8 GHz (E core) Up to 4.9 GHz 20 MB N / A 125W 150W $ 264

A comparison of the specifications with AMD brings practically nothing. Not only do AMD and Intel use different architectures, the latest AMD chips don't use a hybrid architecture like Intel's. Both the Core i9-12900K and AMD's Ryzen 9 5950X are 16-core processors, but these cores couldn't be more different.

That's because the Core i9-12900K uses two types of cores. Instead of 16 large cores, it uses eight high-performance (P) cores and eight efficient (E) cores. The P-cores do the big, important tasks, while the E-cores clean everything up in the background. The Core i9-12900K is technically a 16-core processor, but only eight of these cores are comparable to AMD.

The two specs I can compare are price and performance. The Intel chip draws a lot more for performance – up to 241 watts at maximum turbo. The 5950X is only rated at 105W, although it can get closer to 200W when overclocked. However, this is well below the Core i9-12900K. The 5950X only requires a single 8-pin CPU connector while the Core i9-12900K requires two.

The power consumption is higher on the Core i9-12900K, but the price is lower. At recommended price, the Core i9-12900K is $ 210 cheaper than the 5950X, although prices are closer to most retailers. The Core i9-12900K retails for around $ 650 while the Ryzen 9 5950X costs around $ 750. However, a $ 100 price difference is a significant loophole.

Test configurations

Intel Core i9-12900K in one motherboard.

Before I get into the results, here are the four rigs I used for testing:

Erlensee DDR5 Erlensee DDR4 AMD Zen 3 10th generation Intel
Central processor Intel Core i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K AMD Ryzen 9 5950X Intel Core i9-10900K
GPU Nvidia RTX 3090 Founders Edition Nvidia RTX 3090 Founders Edition Nvidia RTX 3090 Founders Edition Nvidia RTX 3090 Founders Edition
R.A.M. 32GB SK Hynix DDR5-4800 32GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3200 32GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3200 32GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3200
Motherboard MSI Z690 Carbon WLAN MSI Pro Z690-A DDR4 Gigabyte Aorus B550 Elite Asus Tuf Gaming Z490-Plus
CPU cooler Corsair H115i Elite Capellix Corsair H115i Elite Capellix Corsair H115i Elite Capellix Corsair H115i Elite Capellix
power supply Be calm! 850W 80 Plus platinum Be calm! 850W 80 Plus platinum Be calm! 850W 80 Plus platinum EVGA G6 1000W 80 Plus Gold
storage Corsair MP400 1TB SSD Corsair MP400 1TB SSD Corsair MP400 1TB SSD Crucial MX500 2TB SSD

For my most important CPU and gaming tests, I ran the Alder Lake bank with DDR5. DDR5 is a platform perk, after all, so it should sit next to the processor to show what the Alder Lake and Z690 are capable of. Similarly, I ran my tests on the latest build of Windows 11 to make sure it was downloading the patches for the recent bugs caused by AMD chips.

Of course, DDR5 and Windows 11 Alder Lake appear in the most positive light. Even so, I retested DDR4 and Windows 10 to see the differences, and while there are some clear differences, they don't apply to all workloads.

power

Intel has promised a huge leap forward with Alder Lake, and based on my results, the Core i9-12900K delivers. In my testing, one thing became clear: Intel is capable of delivering the same 16-core performance as the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, and not only at a lower price, but with half of its cores at full power.

Intel Core i9-12900K AMD Ryzen 9 5950X Intel Core i9-10900K
Cinebench R23 single core 1,989 1,531 1,291
Cinebench R23 multicore 27,344 27,328 13,614
Geekbench 5 single core 2,036 1,726 1,362
Geekbench 5 multicore 18,259 14,239 10,715
PC Mark 10 9.092 8,254 7,593
Handbrake (seconds, lower is better) 47 58 72
Pugetbench for Premiere Pro 1,066 992 855
Pugetbench for Photoshop 1,315 1.009 1,023
7-zip 126.215 139,074 86,172

Cinebench R23 illustrates this perfectly. This demanding benchmark tasked the CPU with rendering an image, so it's a great way to isolate the processor from other components. If all cores are working, the Core i9-12900K and Ryzen 9 5950X deliver almost identical results.

That doesn't look good, but it's important to keep an eye on Alder Lake's hybrid architecture – and the fact that it's $ 200 less than the Ryzen 9 5950X. The single-core score highlights the discrepancy where the Core i9-12900K is almost 30% faster. Compared to the Core i9-10900K, the new chip is almost 62% faster in the single-core Cinebench R23 test.

The Core i9-12900K competes with the Ryzen 9 5900X in terms of price and the 5950X in terms of performance.

Geekbench 5 is a bit tighter, whereby the Core i9-12900K leaves the AMD chip behind by around 28% in the multi-core test. That's a massive improvement, but almost entirely on the back of DDR5. With DDR4, the Core i9-12900K is actually slower in the multi-core test than the Ryzen 9 5950X, but it retains the lead in the single-core test.

However, PC Mark 10 provides a good look at how these chips stack up overall. There the Core i9-12900K is around 10% faster than the Ryzen 9 5950X and around 20% faster than the 10th generation chip.

Both Intel chips have the edge when it comes to creative apps. Although the Core i9-10900K scores below the Ryzen 9 5950X in the Premiere Pro benchmark, it shouldn't be anywhere near as close as it is. The biggest difference comes from Photoshop, where the Core i9-12900K has a 30% lead over the Ryzen 9 5950X – likely on the back of DDR5.

Pins on Intel Core i9-12900K.

Of the seven benchmarks I ran, the Ryzen 9 5950X only took first place in one: 7-Zip. In this test, the Ryzen 9 5950X is about 10% faster than the Core i9-12900K. This result explains the narrower Geekbench results because Geekbench takes into account file compression and decompression.

Intel supplied. The Core i9-12900K competes with the Ryzen 9 5900X in terms of price, but competes with the Ryzen 9 5950X in terms of performance – and comes out with a clear lead.

Games

Intel has touted the Core i9-12900K as the best gaming CPU out there, and my results confirm it. It shows some clear advantages over the Core i9-10900K, but largely corresponds to the Ryzen 9 5950X. Still, there are a few issues with Alder Lake and certain games.

All of the tests listed below were run at 1080p with the graphics presets High to Ultra. I also ran tests at 1440p and 4K, although there isn't much to report. The differences are consistent at all resolutions, and at 4K, where games are tied to the GPU, the three chips show no difference in performance.

Intel Core i9-12900K AMD Ryzen 9 5950X Intel Core i9-10900K
3D Mark Time Spy 19396 17922 18341
Red Dead Redemption 2 137 fps 135 fps 129 fps
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 118 fps 121 fps 122 fps
Forza Horizon 4 234 fps 201 fps 200 fps
Civilization VI (shooting time, lower is better) 7.3 seconds 7.5 seconds 6.5 seconds

Assassin's Creed Valhalla is the best place to start as it is an example of a game that struggles with Alder Lake. It lags behind both the Ryzen 9 5950X and the Core i9-10900K. Worse, I couldn't get the benchmark to work consistently. The game crashed instantly, causing a headache for hours when I fixed an issue with no clear answer.

Ubisoft and Intel confirmed that Valhalla has an issue with the Core i9-12900K, but did not want to provide any further details. Regardless, if the game worked, it performed slightly below the Ryzen 9 5950X and Core i9-10900K. I haven't encountered any issues with other games, which suggests that this issue is on Ubisoft's side.

3D Mark shows a clearer scaling between the three chips, with the Ryzen 9 5950X and the Core i9-10900K in a close grouping, while the Core i9-12900K shoots forward. The end result is about 8% faster than the Ryzen 9 5950X, likely aided by DDR5's improved bandwidth. As I'll go into in the next section, DDR5 showed a clear advantage in this benchmark.

For the first time in a while, Intel is showing a clear lead in gaming.

My Ryzen 5950X result was almost identical to the one I got with the same chip in the Origin Neuron. However, the average score of the 3DMark leaderboards is slightly higher. This is likely a memory problem; Even with XMP enabled, the Ryzen 9 5950X delivered below-average results. You'd have to tighten the timings to get a higher score, an issue the Core i9-12900K doesn't have.

Forza Horizon 4 produced the largest difference in raw frame rate, with the Core i9-12900K having a 16% advantage over the other two chips. Forza also delivers frame rates specifically from the CPU, and the Core i9-12900K has some great advantages. At 1080p, it outperformed the Ryzen 9 5950X by 21% in CPU render frame rate and 10% in CPU simulation.

That game also showed a difference at 1440p, with the Core i9-12900K maintaining a solid 22 fps lead over the other two chips. While some games don't benefit much from Alder Lake – take my Red Dead Redemption 2 results as an example – others will do so for big wins.

For the first time in a while, Intel is showing a clear lead in gaming. The Core i9-12900K may be over the top for most games – after all, it's still tied to the GPU at 4K – but it still seems to go beyond last-gen parts and the competition.

DDR4 vs. DDR5

Intel Alder Lake box with DDR5 memory.

I did my main tests with DDR5. There is no getting around it: DDR5 offers advantages over DDR4. There's no world in which I could compare the Core i9-12900K to the Ryzen 9 5950X without sacrificing Intel's newer version.

DDR5 is an Alder Lake perk, so it's as relevant to performance as the processor itself. Even so, I retested a limited set of benchmarks with DDR4 to gauge how much difference you can expect with the new memory standard.

DDR4 DDR5
PC Mark 10 8794 9092
3D Mark Time Spy (total) 18175 19396
Red Dead Redemption 2 (1080p Ultra) 114 fps 115 fps
Geekbench 5 single core 1902 2036
Geekbench 5 multicore 12969 18259
Pugetbench for Premiere Pro 1019 1066

Overall, the differences are small – apart from an oddly large gap in my multi-core Geekbench 5 results. In games, DDR5 made no difference in Red Dead Redemption 2, and in 3D Mark Time Spy it meant a nearly 7% increase. That's not to be sniffed at, but consider the differences between the runs and the difference doesn't look that big.

Likewise, PCMark 10 with DDR5 only showed a 3% increase, and PugetBench for Premiere Pro showed virtually no difference. The eccentric is Geekbench's multi-core test, which showed an increase of almost 41% with DDR5. This illustrates the main performance point of DDR5: it really depends on the application.

DDR5 has a lot more bandwidth, but that comes at the expense of latency. Obviously, modern applications prefer bandwidth more, but some do so much more than others. Overall, you can see a slight upturn in DDR5, with some applications taking up the new memory standard particularly well.

However, I want to use this section to clear up some confusion. Although Alder Lake supports DDR4 and DDR5, they are not interchangeable. You cannot insert a DDR4 stick into a DDR5 motherboard or vice versa. Before you pick it up, make sure you know what type of memory your Z690 motherboard supports.

Windows 11 vs. Windows 10

Windows 11 start deck.

Alder Lake not only represents the introduction of DDR5, but also the introduction of Windows 11. AMD chips have some issues with the new operating system, so I have the same limited set of tests on the Core i9-12900K and Ryzen 9 5950X on Windows performed 11 and Windows 10 to see the differences. There is not much to report.

Intel Core i9-12900K Windows 11 Intel Core i9-12900K Windows 10
PC Mark 10 9092 7919
3D Mark Time Spy 19396 19511
Red Dead Redemption 2 115 fps 112 fps
Geekbench 5 single core 2036 1962
Geekbench 5 multicore 18259 18282
Pugetbench for Premiere Pro 1066 1283

With the Core i9-12900K, the differences are largely negligible. The most noticeable increase came from PC Mark 10, where my Windows 11 rig was almost 15% faster. This is due to a high Creation Score in PC Mark 10, for which Alder Lake seems to be particularly well suited.

Premiere Pro also showed a big difference: about 20% more in favor of Windows 10. However, I used an older version of Premiere for my testing – v15.4, in case you're wondering – which may not have the same optimizations for Windows 11.

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X Windows 11 AMD Ryzen 9 5950X Windows 10
PC Mark 10 8254 8041
3D Mark Time Spy 17922 17572
Red Dead Redemption 2 135 fps 133 fps
Geekbench 5 single core 1726 1710
Geekbench 5 multicore 14239 14084
Pugetbench for Premiere Pro 992 994

There was no difference with the Ryzen 9 5950X either. While 3D Mark Time Spy and Red Dead Redemption 2 had some minor changes, none of them have any consequences. It's true that AMD chips had problems with Windows 11 before, but the latest Windows and AMD updates seemed to have solved them – at least in the tests I ran.

Overclocking, clock rates and thermals

The Core i9-12900K has a single-core boost of 5.2 GHz, which I have repeatedly achieved during testing. All-core frequencies are of course lower. In a 30-minute AIDA64 stress test, the chip reached an all-core frequency of 4.8 GHz and reached a peak value of 84 degrees Celsius with a power consumption of 210 W.

It's 84 degrees, but the Core i9-12900K didn't stay there long. AIDA64 is also a stress test that is still 16 degrees below the maximum operating temperature of 100 degrees. The chip usually stayed at 50 to 60 degrees Celsius under moderate load and only climbed higher when all cores were pushed to their limits.

As high-performance as it is, the Core i9-12900K has a high power requirement.

I dug into Intel's Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU) briefly to get a moderate overclock working. With Speed ​​Booster, I was able to increase the frequency to 5 GHz with the press of a single button. Originally this created a much higher temperature, but after putting my cooler back in place everything went smoothly.

Alder Lake chips are rectangular, so the tried and true pea method of applying thermal paste didn't cover the chip. I just spread the paste a little – not to the edges – as I put it back on to cover it completely. The temperatures have returned to normal.

Although the Speed ​​Booster allows you to overclock without any work, you can get higher clock speeds by manually optimizing the cores. I applied a 300MHz boost to all cores with the Intel Thermal Velocity Boost turned on and was able to hit 5.4GHz while using 300W of power. That is much. As powerful as it is, the Core i9-12900K follows in the footsteps of earlier Intel generations with high power requirements.

Pins on Core i9-12900K.

While there is still a lot of research to be done about how the P-Core and E-Core respond to overclocking, I noticed a few general trends during testing. The increase in the E-Core frequency did not have a major impact on power consumption, thermals or performance. The difference is workload specific, so overclocking your E-cores won't do anything for applications that primarily use the P-cores. On the flip side, the P-cores made up the majority of the performance and heat increases when overclocking, so it's best to be conservative with your P-core overclocks.

Our opinion

The Core i9-12900K represents many things for Intel, but most of all it represents a company ready to get competitive again. Even in the worst case, the Core i9-12900K is the same as the Ryzen 9 5950X – and at a significantly lower price. At best, it outperforms both the best that AMD has to offer and everything else on the market.

Power supply is a problem, as has been the case for the past several generations of Intel. However, high performance demands are much easier to swallow when extra power is on the table, and that's exactly what the Core i9-12900K offers.

Are there alternatives?

There's currently nothing on the desktop like the Core i9-12900K. The closest competitor is the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, although it's not nearly as fast as the Core i9-12900K.

How long it will take?

The Core i9-12900K will last for at least the next few years. When you buy a top of the range processor like the Core i9-12900K, you'll likely be upgrading before performance becomes a major concern.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. At the moment there is nothing that works as well as the Core i9-12900K. That said, it uses a lot of power, so make sure you buy a hefty power adapter and cooler to go with it.

Editor's recommendations



JBL Tour One Review: ANC Headphones With Super Call Quality

JBL Tour One wireless noise-canceling headphones.

JBL Tour One test report: Noise canceling cans for frequent callers

RRP $ 300.00

"A large battery and a pleasant call quality make these cans ideal for work or travel."

advantages

  • Effective ANC

  • Good sound quality

  • Excellent call quality

  • Great battery life

disadvantage

  • No sidetone for calls

  • No aptX / aptX HD / LDAC codecs

Right now, Sony's $ 350 WH-1000XM4 are the best noise-canceling headphones you can buy. We like them so much that they also top our list of the best wireless headphones and the best headphones overall. Sony's success has not gone unnoticed by its competitors, which has led to several attempts to mimic the XM4, including JBL's $ 300 Tour One.

The Tour One isn't just a bit like the XM4. From size, weight, shape, and materials to controls and features, it's almost like JBL used the XM4 as a blueprint for the Tour One and then figured out how to sell it for $ 50 less.

The question you're probably asking is, should I buy the Tour One and save that $ 50, or has JBL trimmed too many features to slip below the price of the XM4? I think the Sony headphones are still the ones to buy, but JBL still managed to make the Tour One worth it thanks to a few things it does really well. Let's get into that.

What's in the box?

Scope of delivery of the wireless JBL Tour One headphones with noise cancellation.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

JBL still has a lot to learn about sustainable packaging. The Tour One Box contains a lot of foam padding and coated cardboard, which makes recycling difficult.

Open the box and you will find the Tour One in its own semi-rigid zippered tote bag. This is your first hint that JBL was inspired by Sony. Not only is the case almost exactly the same size and shape as the one Sony uses for both the WH-1000XM3 and XM4, but it also has the same mesh pocket sewn to one side for small accessories or perhaps a credit Card and ID can be used if you have taken it to the gym.

Inside the case, the Tour One is folded into exactly the same position as the Sony cans and there is a paper insert with a diagram to remind you how to put the headphones in to make them fit again, just like Sony did.

If Sony's designs are too conservative for you, the Tour One adds just enough bling not to look boring.

The similarities continue into the small compartment that houses the included accessories: a USB-A to USB-C charging cable, a 3.5mm to 2.5mm analog cable and a Double pin flight adapter.

Unlike Sony, JBL's charging cable actually has a usable length (40 inches compared to Sony's ridiculously short 9 inches). The USB-A side is reversible for rate-free use – a nice touch.

design

JBL Tour One wireless noise-canceling headphones next to the Sony WH-1000XM4.JBL Tour One (left) and Sony WH-1000XM4. Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Given the similarity of the Tour One to the WH-1000XM4, the overall design is hard to criticize. It has a compact shape that keeps the ear cups and headband close to your head so you don't look like you've just walked off the set of a daft punk video.

The auricles pivot, fold, and articulate gently to adapt to the shape of your head. The headband is well padded and the sliders move with a precise "notch" that is both easy to adjust and secure once adjusted.

The Tour One are still very light and very comfortable.

JBL has given the Tour One a slightly satin finish to the plastics and added some black chrome accents that give the cans an extremely high-quality look. If Sony's designs are too conservative for you, the Tour One adds just enough bling not to look boring.

In terms of controls, JBL is improving Sony's design. JBL keeps things simple by replacing Sony's swipe gestures for a combination of simple taps on the right earcup for playback controls and a dedicated set of buttons for volume. A combined power / Bluetooth pairing switch on the right ear cup and a single multifunction button on the left ear cup round off the Tour One's controls.

Comfort, controls and connections

The wireless JBL Tour One headphones with noise cancellation control the close-up.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Although not quite as light as the WH-1000XM4 (9.45 ounces vs. 8.95 ounces), the Tour One is still very light and very comfortable. The ear pads and headband are generously padded and I was able to wear them for three hours without getting tired, even with glasses. One thing that bothered me towards the end of this period was the depth of the auricles. My ears stick out quite a bit – maybe a little more than average – and their outer edges are touching the inner lining. At some point this pressure point needed some relief.

If your ears are like mine, both the Sony WH-1000XM4 and Bose Noise Canceling Headphones offer 700 deeper ear cups.

The Tour One's hinged hinges are great for wearing around your neck, and they fold properly so that the ear cups are facing down and the ear cushions are against your collarbone. Sony does this too, but Bose makes the peculiar decision to put the headband's far less comfortable sliders on your collarbone.

Despite its comfortable fit, the Tour One has a greater tendency to move on its head than the Bose or Sony. It's by no means a deal breaker, but if you want a full-size set of cans for the gym as well as the office or airplane cabin, keep this in mind.

The controls of the Tour One are very easy to use. The single, double, and triple tap touches on the right earcup register every time (as long as you tap the center) and I like having a power button that turns the headphones on instantly. The Bose 700 also turns on instantly, but the Sony XM4s require more patience with a gesture of pressing and holding the power button.

Using the JBL Headphones app offers some adjustments to the controls. Both the multifunction button and the tap-and-hold gesture on the touch panel can be set to control the Active Noise Canceling (ANC) / TalkThru modes or to trigger your voice assistant.

The bluetooth connectivity is excellent.

The auto-pause option works really well. If you pull the ear cups away from your head, the melodies will pause immediately and then resume just as quickly when they are snapped back into place. You can deactivate the function in the headphones app if you want.

The bluetooth connectivity is excellent. Even though I wasn't considered a Class 1 Bluetooth device like the Beats Studio 3 headphones, I was still able to leave my phone at my desk and walk all the way to my garage (about 18 meters, one floor and several walls in terms of the distance). and the signal stayed strong. You can also connect the Tour One to two Bluetooth devices at the same time, although this once caused a static noise that was fixed by disconnecting and reconnecting my phone.

Sound quality

JBL Tour One wireless noise-canceling headphones.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Out of the box, the Tour One has a relatively neutral EQ. There's a nice definition over the frequencies and excellent clarity in the upper mids and highs. The bass reproduction is snappy and not intrusive. You can tell that JBL has tuned these sockets as genre-independent as possible, which is in contrast to headphones, which tend to be low-end.

Compared to the Sony XM4, the Tour One doesn't offer as much warmth or such a wide soundstage, but the difference isn't that big. Strangely enough, the Tour One, just like the other flagship radio sockets from JBL, the Club One, are not equipped with high-quality Bluetooth codecs such as aptX, aptX HD or LDAC. While you can play frequencies from 20 Hz to 40 kHz (and are therefore considered Hi-Res audio compatible), you will never experience this anywhere when using the headphones wirelessly. The XM4 gives you LDAC, which doesn't do much for iPhone owners, but offers better sound quality for those with Android phones.

When you listen via bluetooth you can enjoy the bones of the song, but when you are wired you can hear its soul.

And that's a shame, because if you connect the Tour One to a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with the supplied analog cable, they deliver a lot more depth and resonance.

One of my favorite test tracks is Billie Eilish's Bad Guy. Not only does it have incredibly deep bass, but it also superimposes Eilish's whispering voice, creating a torture chamber for audio equipment. It's also a deceptively complex shot. When you listen via bluetooth you can enjoy the bones of the song, but when you are wired you can hear its soul. Suddenly Eilish is not only whispering through the lyrics, she is whispering directly in your ear – it's an ASMR-level experience that creates goosebumps.

I don't want to miss out on the wireless performance too much as it's actually very good, and I like the fact that you can access EQ presets and manual EQ adjustments from within the app. This can radically change the sound signature of the Tour One. So if you're not a fan of the so-called flat EQ, you don't have to put up with it.

Noise cancellation and transparency

JBL Tour One headphones with wireless noise cancellation in close-up.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Tour One does a good job of canceling out external noise, but its performance can be a little uneven. Unlike the Sony XM4 and Bose 700, the Tour One seems to struggle to produce a nice, even canceling effect. I have a fan under my desk that produces both even sound and even wind. JBL's ANC blocks it well enough, but it cannot decide exactly which of the fan’s frequencies to block, so you can actually hear it chasing around and the result can be a little uncomfortable.

This mostly happens when you use JBL's True Adaptive ANC mode which tries to respond to your listening conditions in real time. Turning this feature off helped a lot. To be fair, my desk fan situation is a minor anomaly – I wasn't even aware of the problem at other times – but both the Sony XM4 and Bose 700 handled it flawlessly, with the Bose being by far the best of the three.

The Silent Now mode is useful if you just want to be quiet: it activates ANC, but keeps Bluetooth communication switched off, saving the battery when you need it.

In short, I've never tested wireless headphones with better call quality than the Tour One.

JBL gives you two different transparency modes to choose from, and both of them have their advantages. For a better general awareness of your surroundings, you can choose Ambient Aware – which lets in a lot of external sounds without affecting your music. Or, if you actually need to talk to someone, you can activate TalkThru mode, which is just like Ambient Aware but also drops the volume of your audio to a point where it is barely noticeable.

Oddly enough, you can toggle between full ANC mode and TalkThru by double-clicking the multifunction button. However, if you want to switch between ANC and Ambient Aware, you need to switch between three modes: ANC>, Ambient Aware>, Ambient Aware Off> ANC.

Call quality

JBL Tour One wireless headphones with noise-canceling headband in close-up.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

So far, most of the qualities of the JBL Tour One have more or less placed them where one would expect them to be compared to the Sony WH-1000XM4 and the Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700. But one area where the Tour One blows away those other headphones is their call quality.

I could walk down a very busy street, with varying degrees of traffic noise, including loud buses and some construction equipment, and yet if you listen to the recording I made you would swear I was sitting alone in a quiet park – so little outside noise got recorded by the microphones of the Tour One.

Not only will your voice be interrupted by these competing sounds, but it will sound really good too. The Tour One captures and preserves the lower notes of your voice, adding depth and resonance to it, which is in sharp contrast to most other headphones and earbuds.

In short, I've never tested wireless headphones with better call quality than the Tour One.

The only caveat here is that JBL has dedicated all of the Tour One's microphones to noise suppression and voice quality optimization, which means there is no sideline and no way to be in Ambient Aware mode or TalkThru mode while on a call to stay. While your callers will love your sound, they may not hear your own voice as clearly.

Battery life

JBL Tour One wireless noise-canceling headphones, folded.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

JBL claims that the Tour One gives you 50 hours of battery life if you disable ANC, and about half that if you leave it on. I didn't run it for a full charge / discharge cycle, but after about 10 hours of playing music at 50% volume with ANC, the JBL Headphones app gave me a 55% battery level, which is pretty close to what JBL claims.

These are great numbers. Better than Sony, better than Bose, and even a tiny bit better than the Marshall Monitor ANC II, our best premium cans for battery life to date.

They take two hours to empty, but you can get three hours of playtime on a 10 minute quick charge.

Extras

JBL's Tour series, which includes the Tour One headphones and Tour Pro + True Wireless earbuds, is one of the few on the market that offers hands-free access to the Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa of your choice.

Once you've chosen your assistant, you can say “Hey Google” or “Alexa” and then ask for anything – including controls for playback, answering calls, and volume. When you use this option, one of the gestures on the multifunction button is released, giving you more control over other headphone functions.

I only tested Amazon's Alexa, but it worked just fine. JBL hasn't stated whether using the speakerphone will reduce battery life (and I haven't been able to determine if it does), but it is very likely that it will.

You also get JBL's My Alarm feature, which lets you choose from a variety of soothing sounds, combined with a customizable sleep timer.

Our opinion

For those looking for premium noise-canceling headphones, the JBL Tour One offers an excellent (and cheaper) alternative to Sony and Bose, with only a few sacrifices for the cheaper price. And they're killers for phone calls.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes, overall it is Sony WH-1000XM4 are still a better set of noise-canceling headphones that outperform the Tour One in sound quality, ANC, comfort, and Hi-Res wireless audio. But if you can't find them on sale, they're a fair bit more expensive than the JBL Tour One. If you don't mind the compromises, I see no reason not to buy the Tour One instead of the Sony's.

How long will they last?

As far as I can tell, both the build quality and materials of the Tour One are superb, and I suspect they are roughly on par with the Sony and Bose models in terms of durability. They may even have an advantage thanks to their longer battery life, as batteries in a set of wireless headphones are usually the first part to deteriorate.

JBL supports the Tour One with a one-year guarantee.

Should you buy it?

Yes. They're a solid option for anyone looking for comfortable noise-canceling headphones with good sound quality, great battery life, and great call quality

Editor's recommendations



OnePlus Nord 2 5G Review: Just Call It the OnePlus 9 Lite

OnePlus Nord 2 from behind, held in the hand.

OnePlus Nord 2 5G Review: Just Call It OnePlus 9 Lite

“The OnePlus Nord 2 offers everything we like about OnePlus phones, from fast charging and a great screen to a practical alert slider at an affordable price. It also looks stunning in the Blue Haze color. "

advantages

  • Compact design with nice color

  • Very attractive screen

  • Reliable software with guaranteed updates

The OnePlus Nord 2 is a particularly important new smartphone as it was the first time that OnePlus released a phone without a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip inside. The Nord 2 uses a modified version of MediaTek's flagship Dimensity 1200 chip and is arguably the company's best-known partnership to date, at least outside of Asia. While OnePlus is obviously looking for success, MediaTek will also be looking closely.

Plus, it's a big moment for the Nord series. The original Nord managed to bring OnePlus back to its value-based roots, but lacked identity. OnePlus gave the Nord 2 identity, but oddly enough, by doing so it accidentally created another OnePlus 9 phone, which makes me question what the Nord range is about.

So there is a lot to drive on the Nord 2 so how is it? I spent four days on the phone, enough time for a detailed pre-evaluation but not quite enough for a final, in-depth review. I will be returning to this review after a long time with the Nord 2 and so the score given at this point may change depending on how the phone continues to work.

design

Let's come to the color of our test model. It's called Blue Haze and it's absolutely stunning. OnePlus usually gets its colors right, but this may be for the best. The aquamarine hue has a glossy finish but does not attract fingerprints, and the Gorilla Glass 5 panel is very effective in hiding stains. It stays clean and sharp.

The OnePlus Nord 2 held in the hand, seen from the rear.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The camera module uses the same hue, but reflects the light differently because it is not made of glass, and gives the back of the Nord 2 a lot of character. The glass even manages to hide the ugly legal text that has to be stamped on the back. I think the Nord 2 looks amazing and I like how it blends in with the design of the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro so that it feels like part of the family.

Another important family feature is the Alert Slider on the side of the Nord 2, which allows you to quickly switch between Silent, Vibrate and Ring modes. It's quick and convenient, and it's a feature that sets OnePlus apart from other brands. The presence of the slider and pretty design make it look and work like a real OnePlus phone, which I think wasn't the case with the OnePlus Nord CE.

The screen of the OnePlus Nord 2.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The construction – a fiberglass frame with a “metallized” surface – and the size are essentially the same as the first OnePlus Nord, with a width of 73 mm and a thickness of 8.2 mm, which makes the phone easy to use and one-handed is to use. It feels solid and solid, and the modest weight of 189 grams ensures that it fits in your pocket without disturbing.

There's no water resistance rating, but I vouch for the Nord 2's durability. It's quite slippery, and the first day the phone slipped out of my pocket and crashed on the cobblestones. It survived with only the slightest mark in the upper right corner of the chassis. The glass back and the screen are fine. I may have been lucky so a case is advisable if you're prone to dropping slippery phones.

The OnePlus Nord 2 and the OnePlus 9 Pro.OnePlus 9 Pro (left) and OnePlus Nord 2 (right) Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

I found the first Nord a little faceless, but OnePlus changed that for the Nord 2 and effectively turned it into a OnePlus 9 Lite. That's not a bad thing, and really, it's the name that would go better with the Nord 2. Leaving the Nord name on cheaper models like the Nord CE that lacks vital OnePlus elements could be a better strategy.

Aside from the confusing branding, the Nord 2 is well proportioned, well made and – if you can get one in Blue Haze – an absolute beauty too.

Screen and software

It's a 6.43 inch, 20: 9 aspect ratio, liquid AMOLED screen on the Nord 2, complete with a refresh rate of 90 Hz and a resolution of 2400 x 1080. It doesn't seem to have HDR10 + certification like the Nord, however it has two artificial intelligence (AI) modes called AI Color Boost and AI Resolution Boost. However, these only work with certain apps. Both cooperate with YouTube, but otherwise AI Color Boost only works with MX Player Pro and VLC, while AI Resolution Boost works with Snapchat and Instagram.

The Nord 2's screen is beautiful and its resemblance to the 9 Pro makes the phone very desirable.

The screen is brighter and more vibrant than the Nord CE's screen, and there is surprisingly little to split between it and the OnePlus 9 Pro when watching video. The AI ​​Color Boost increases the saturation and thus goes beyond the 9 Pro. Turn it off, and it's not quite as noticeable. The AI ​​Resolution Boost is less noticeable since so much YouTube content is already available over 1080p.

When I'm not watching video, the Nord 2's screen isn't as bright as I'd like it to be, but it is still legible outdoors in sunlight. Other than that, the Nord 2's screen is beautiful and its resemblance to the 9 Pro makes the phone very desirable. The sound comes from stereo speakers that are amazingly loud but not very sophisticated. I had no desire and actually no need to take it over about 40% volume.

OnePlus' Oxygen OS user interface version 11.3 is installed and based on Android 11. It is largely the same as the OnePlus 9 Pro, but there are some strange differences in the settings. For example, on the OnePlus 9 Pro you can change the environment display, icons and font in the customization menu, while on the Nord 2 you can do this in the customization menu. Performance is great so far, with smooth scrolling through apps and menus.

My test phone received a software update since I started using it, and I'm still in the process of evaluating the software and its day-to-day reliability.

camera

The Nord CE's camera was inconsistent and the first Nord's camera suffered from poor performance. The Nord 2's camera improves the specification with both a 50 megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) and an 8 MP wide-angle camera with electronic image stabilization (EIS). A 2-megapixel monochrome camera completes the rear setup, along with a 32-megapixel selfie camera, also with EIS.

The camera module of the OnePlus Nord 2.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

So far I have only taken about 100 photos with the Nord 2, so we have yet to get deeper insights. However, at this point it is obvious that the Nord 2 is an improvement over the Nord and Nord CE, but since OnePlus always takes a while to really improve the performance of its cameras, there are still a few issues but updates are likely to arrive to speak to you.

The focus, color management and dynamic range of the Nord 2 are usually very good. Shooting outdoors on sunny days can result in a slight oversaturation, while edge enhancement and processing can be harsh and noticeable. There are differences in exposure between the main and wide-angle cameras, but it's not drastic. OnePlus annoyingly adds quick access in the camera app to 2x and 5x zoom, but these are digital zoom modes and the quality really suffers. It is worth mentioning the selfie camera which has a nice natural tone with lots of detail.

So far, the Nord's camera has taken some great shots that are very easy to share without editing, but it has also disappointed with its aggressive processing. The camera performance has not yet been included in the evaluation. It's also worth noting that unlike the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro, the camera was not edited by Hasselblad.

The focus, color management and dynamic range of the Nord 2 are usually very good.

Performance and battery life

The MediaTek Dimensity 1200 that OnePlus uses for the Nord 2 is the first to emerge from MediaTek's Dimensity Open Resource Architecture (adorably known as DORA) initiative, which allows the phone maker to tweak the chip to do better with the hardware to work. You have the choice between 6 GB, 8 GB or 12 GB RAM and 128 GB or 256 GB storage space. My test phone is the 12GB / 256GB version.

The alarm slider of the OnePlus Nord 2.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

During the time I've been using the Nord 2, a software update has improved the phone's performance and reliability, which was a bit shaky at first. Nothing bad – notification support was a hit-or-miss and some apps were slow – but the issues seem to be resolved now. I've played Asphalt 9: Legends and haven't noticed any slowdowns or issues affecting gameplay. However, it gets a little warm after about an hour.

I have not yet put the Dimensity 1200 through its paces, but it has not yet made itself known for everyday use. This may sound like a disadvantage, but it isn't. Good processors just do their job and we shouldn't even notice them. You can quickly find out if a phone has a badly configured chip. For the Dimensity 1200 it currently looks positive.

However, it gets a little warm after about an hour.

Battery life so far suggests two days of moderate use is possible, but if you're playing a game, watching videos, and making video calls, it will likely drop to 30% by the end of the first day. The super-fast Warp Charge 65T charger from OnePlus brings the 4,500 mAh cell from flat to 100% in less than half an hour. This is the same system used on the OnePlus 9 Pro and an evolution of the Warp Charge 30T used on the Nord CE.

The alarm slider of the OnePlus Nord 2.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

I haven't tested the 5G connection yet, but it's good to see that both slots in the dual SIM tray support it. The under-screen fingerprint sensor is fast and reliable, but not as lightning-fast as the sensor on the OnePlus 9 Pro. There's Face Unlock too, and it's very quick to respond.

Price and availability

The OnePlus Nord 2 will hit the UK, Europe and India on July 29th. There are currently no indications of a US launch. It will cost £ 399 and will be sold through OnePlus' own online store, Amazon, John Lewis retail stores, and the Three and O2 networks.

Our opinion

The OnePlus Nord 2 is either at the top of the Nord range or at the end of the OnePlus 9 range, which isn't a bad position. It takes a lot of what I like about the OnePlus 9 models – nice design, great screen, good performance and software, very fast charging and the alert slider – then it charges less for it.

It's a great start. I have to use the camera even more, assess the battery life, try the MediaTek powered 5G connection, and use the phone longer before I can make a final judgment, but for now the Nord 2 has impressed. However, I can't help but think that OnePlus would sell more if it were called the OnePlus 9 Lite.

Is there a better alternative?

For a smartphone priced at $ 500 or £ 400, we recommend the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G. It has a few advantages over the Nord 2 with water resistance, two day battery life, a microSD card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It's similarly powerful and has a great screen with a refresh rate of 120 Hz.

Alternatively, the Apple iPhone SE (2020) and Google Pixel 4a both cost roughly the same price and offer something different. The iPhone SE is much smaller but still offers a great iOS experience, while the Pixel 4a has an excellent camera.

How long it will take?

OnePlus promises two years of version updates for the Nord 2 plus four years of security updates. For comparison: Samsung also offers four years of security updates plus three years of Android version updates for the Galaxy A52 5G. The phone is not waterproof and is made of glass but has proven to be quite durable in my anecdotal experience. It has 5G so you can connect to the newest and fastest network and quickly charge the battery. It should easily survive the version updates that are guaranteed for two years.

Should you buy it?

At the moment, the OnePlus Nord 2 5G can't quite beat the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, but that may change if I've been using the phone for a longer period of time. The number of points received by the phone at the moment is not final and is subject to change. Look out for a review update very soon.

Editor's recommendations



How to Find the Best Medical Call Center?

Medical call centers are not new to many medical professionals these days, and many have yet to find out about them. A doctor should understand its benefits and receive the service to better manage the patient's calls at work. Maintain a good reputation for the clinic by hiring a medical call center where patients can respond quickly and efficiently. Choosing the right call center is crucial for health professionals as it helps them in many ways.

Health care organizations should consider a medical call center to reduce the burden and facilitate the free flow of information between patients and staff. Medical call centers act on behalf of the medical service and take and manage calls from the patient to streamline the whole process. Medical call centers review patient calls and messages directed first to an operator who is reviewing them from urgent to non-urgent and forward them to the doctor who is the right person to handle the patient inquiry regarding their medication, treatment and Edit appointment.

Find a medical call center that complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). It offers protection for health organizations that can view specific health data of patients. This makes a doctor's practice safe and complies with all essential rules.

A HIPPA-compliant medical call center is a must for a modern medical office that cares for patients and ensures they don't spend time on hold. This can relieve staff and focus on other things instead of wasting time on patient calls. A 24/7 medical call center service is available where doctors can select on-call procedures to connect with their patients outside of business hours. They can receive calls and messages through their home numbers, pagers and emails.

Typically, a trained receptionist on behalf of the doctor's office greets patients politely and professionally and forwards patient calls to help, where they can respond promptly to their problems. A medical call center has many advantages. It helps gain a patient's trust by responding to them quickly. It creates the connection between the doctor and patient's health and makes them feel valued.

A medical call center can do a lot in a doctor's office, which is better than hiring staff. Doctors don't have to spend on advertising and hiring a receptionist to take calls when they decide to hire a medical call center service. So cut costs and save time by hiring a medical call center. It has become important to have a dedicated medical call center in the medical practice as it makes communication easier.

There are many medical call center service providers out there today. A healthcare provider needs to scrutinize the service and find the right one. No matter what, a doctor's office should have a medical call center to better prepare for emergencies. However, there are a few important points you need to consider before choosing a medical answering machine.

How do I choose a medical answering machine?

Doctors can customize their medical call center service to suit their needs. For example, you will get patients who speak many languages ​​and come from different cultural backgrounds. It is important for a doctor to consider a service that does not use a specific language but can answer calls in many different languages.

Imagine a reliable medical call center service that works 24/7 and provides well-managed services to its customers. A call center should have the right staff and the right infrastructure to handle high volumes and avoid dropped calls. One can also consider a call center, which is not limited to just calling but should also include text, email, web chat messages, and callback options. Consider hiring a medical call center that is on budget, but it doesn't mean ignoring a few key factors when it comes to choosing a service like quality and initial call resolution rates.

Hire a reputable and trained medical call center as a medical call center is the backbone of service. It is important to choose a service that represents a medical practice in a professional and sensitive manner. Make sure a company has qualified and trained personnel to understand the medical industry and its day-to-day tasks. Inquire at the call center whether the employees have received the process and technology-related training. Find out about confidential training information and soft skills training to get the best service for patient satisfaction.

Many service providers now offer medical services. It is important to choose a service provider who can meet most of the above requirements to ensure that they have the best medical call center in place for call management and patient satisfaction improvement. So, with these important tips, choose the best service and keep the practice name.

Call of Duty: Warzone Review: The Definitive Battle Royale

Call of Duty Warzone Duos squads leaked trio

Call of Duty: Warzone Review: Looting the Competition

"Call of Duty: Warzone is the final Battle Royale experience right now."

  • Enough unique aspects to stand out from the crowd

  • Decades of foundation ensure a solid experience

  • The looting mode is a welcome surprise

  • Position audio is somewhat overblown

  • Existing players may have a small charging advantage

After an embarrassing number of rumors and leaks, Call of Duty reentered the Battle Royale scene with Warzone for the second time. a free portion of the larger 2019 release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

The first attempt to get on the train with the heavily marketed blackout was largely forgotten in the weeks after it started. Activision, probably worried about trying again, then sold its next annual shooter release without mentioning the mode that would eventually fill the empty space in its main menu.

However, Warzone doesn't just refer to the game's belated Battle Royale experience. A separate mode called Plunder is also available and could turn out to be the next big thing.

Since the advent of PUBG and Fortnite, the industry has been practically floating in Battle Royale variants. I wouldn't blame you for having all Battle Royale titles created equally, but the industry knows that blatant imitators don't float. Not if you need large numbers of players to get a single game going. Those who survive stick to the defining characteristics of the genre: around a hundred players struggle to be the last to be on a battlefield that is gradually shrinking to the size of your average community allocation.

Warzone sticks to that, but brings decades of industrial polish and a few new ideas to the table.

Good morning Verdansk!

In the Warzone version of Battle Royale, the usual limit of 100 people is increased to 150 to allow the three-man team to line up. Just like EA's response with Apex Legends, Activision seems to be pushing for longevity through social interaction. The more the better and all of that. Camping is not a good spectator sport, and the bigger the squad, the more likely a hot-headed soldier will go against the grain. Pressing a forced group scenario won't help the scared lone wolf, but a "Mute All" button is clearly visible to rule out all of this potential negative energy.

CoD Warzone fall

Solo mode was introduced in a post-release patch, but since it can be removed at any time, get ready to roll the dice in a squad queue at some point in your career. After all, you can't expect every player to want their time to be at the command of a predetermined team. Form a ready-made strategy if you are looking for a maritime strategy and fraternal pats on the back and are concerned only with the fact that games are for some entertainment. no job.

What will help the conscious player, however, are the numerous respawn options that are available after taking a few too many on the chest. Squads can take seriously injured teammates, but even if you succumb to your injuries, it doesn't mean you're not in the game. Step into the bucket and you'll be taken to the Gulag – a card that current Modern Warfare players are undoubtedly aware of – to win their freedom in a one-on-one game. The loadouts are chosen randomly each time. So you have to change your usual duel tactics to have a chance of winning. Live and you get a second chance on the field. Waste your chances or fall again, and surviving allies can throw some cash into a local donor box to bring you back again.

Competition creates innovation

The battle royale genre secured a place in the video game's hall of fame through its survival aspect at a time when sandbox survival simulations were making decent numbers. The idea that death means death resonated with those tired of the running and weapon tactics of most online shooters. It is interesting to see that competitors are gradually deciding to upset the delicate balance of the genre, but this second chance mechanic should make a huge contribution to promoting player loyalty.

CoD Warzone Bullet Trails

Without a ranking season, top players will always mix with the less experienced and relative newcomers, so the 99% have little hope of ending a game. Where is it fun to step into the bucket faster than is required to load a lobby? What Call of Duty has done here doesn't seem to be in the best interests of the professionals, but in reality it's a way to give the less competitive people a reason to stay with them. Big esports players don't rely on respawns to get to the top. The only thing that should do this is to give more people the chance to enjoy the action while filling up the champions' points.

Constantly supplying the grinder with meat is not the only thing Warzone does to mix up the well-known formula. Do you feel selfish or don't you have a buddy who brings you back to life? With this money, you can collect your favorite killstreaks, extra ammo, or even extra armor if you expect a big brawl. The unpredictable nature of long-range killstreaks, drawn from nowhere, will prove to be just as annoying as any regular match, but it's hard to deny that gameplay spices that buy killstreaks can add to the otherwise predictable experience. Battle Royale fanatics have worked out a carefully orchestrated script for success over the years, and anything that shakes the status quo will give Warzone a definite reason to coexist with the established titles over time. And there is more to it than that.

CoD Warzone weapons

Loadouts that come into play regularly reward a high-risk play style. They are similar to airdrops in the well-known Battle Royale titles, but they do not offer random, high-quality loot that everyone can argue about, but a selection of predefined loadouts, complete kits with combat-ready tools and equipment to get you back in the fight. Warzone, like the others, also offers tiered loot. It is not immediately clear what rarity one weapon has over another, but expect those found in caches scattered around the site to have more accessories than the average assault rifle.

Finally, there are contracts and missions that you can find on site and that can be completed for a bit more money on the road. These mark targets (such as loot caches or even enemy squads) on the map and give the teams even more reasons to risk life and limb outdoors and actively look for ways to start a fight. Exploration is a big part of the Battle Royale experience, and Warzone is doing everything in its power to facilitate and promote the outbreak of violence. It sounds stressful, but it's another reason why I see it as an advantage over the competition when it comes to engaging players and viewers. It is rarely boring.

Looting is not a mistake

Aside from the Battle Royale aspect, there is another 50% of the Warzone experience – and that's the best part. At a time when we can't take two steps without falling from a plane into a life or death battle over a desert island, Plunder is here to offer something completely unique. The best parts of modes like Kill Confirmed and Search & Destroy are required to offer a huge cat and mouse game in the same expansive environment as its older siblings.

CoD Warzone locations

You won't find that many players in this mode, but it's the best. Groups of three players fall on the island (with their full loads) and sprint to get cash and deposit it for safe keeping. This is done by expensive balloons or by risking everything with a helicopter pickup. If you die in cash on yourself, a substantial amount will be deducted with the aim of securing the best before the long timer expires. Respawns are activated here. While you don't want to die and drop your money for the most part, it isn't the end of the world if you have some gross spawns.

It's like The Weakest Link, only Anne Robinson has a gun.

Just like in Battle Royale mode, there is a lot going on to advance the match. Contracts are everywhere, helicopters can be shot for big splashes of money, you can raid your enemies' wallets, and there is huge amounts of money stowed in caches scattered around the map. To improve competitiveness, top earners pinged their locations on the map throughout the game, resulting in a messy pursuit that will undoubtedly result in the types of montages you'll only see in a hype trailer before release . Rather than fear for your own life at every step, fear for the money you couldn't throw into a helicopter or fancy balloon. It's like The Weakest Link, only Anne Robinson has a gun.

Like it or not, the Battle Royale "madness" is unlikely to go anywhere. Each. The good news here, at least, is that Activision's second try is currently one of the best – not only because of what it adds to the genre, but also because of the foundation on which it is based. PUBG, the one who triggered this whole gold mine rush, is still struggling with groundbreaking errors and inconsistent spatial audio cues three years after its release. Warzone has largely avoided these audio problems with the exception of a few thundering steps in a skyscraper.

With nearly two decades of releases, Call of Duty had the foundation for the perfect Battle Royale experience long before the idea became mainstream – Activision just had to show it some love. There is a reason why the series attracts the trigger-minded player type. It just nailed the feeling of firing a round. It's not quite as authentic as Battlefield, but it's clear that Activision's rotating developer teams have developed an addictive sense of shooting over the years that ensures that most players know what to expect before they do take the plunge. It's tense, but fair and oh so rewarding.

Conclusion

Our opinion

I'm inclined to say Call of Duty: Warzone is currently the final Battle Royale experience. I'm not afraid to say that Activision used the best of Call of Duty's extensive history to create a more complete Battle Royale experience, but Plunder is currently the standout piece of the package, and I'm a firm believer in it is convinced that in the near future it will not only become a popular pastime for fans, but also an integral part of the Twitch and Mixer websites.

Is there a better alternative out there?

It won't appeal to the Fortnite builders out there. Neither will it reach those who enjoy the slower pace and survival-oriented practicality of something like PUBG. But if you are looking for a serious shooter with a real shine, this is the one for you.

How long it will take?

Hopefully as long as the other big names in the game right now. Both modes appear to be specifically designed for spectator sports where the money should flow into development. Given the experience that existing Call of Duty weapons and maps are used to flesh this out, we can't be sure how much new content will come, but since Activision is always working hard on the next iteration of the series we hope that Warzone will borrow from his brothers in the coming years.

Should you buy it

It's free. Its value as a product cannot be compared. Given that trying the closest competitor (PUBG) still costs a penny or two, this is a no-brainer for those who want to take part in the latest and greatest role. The only thing that stands in your way is a long download.

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