10 Aug
Blog

AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT: 1080p Gaming for a 1440p Price

AMD RX 6600 XT sits on a table.

AMD RX 6600 XT

RRP $ 379.00

"The AMD RX 6600 XT is a solid 1080p card at a time when GPU options are few and far between."

advantages

  • Smooth 1080p gaming

  • Doesn't take much strength

  • 1440p gaming possible

  • Support for FidelityFX Super Resolution

disadvantage

  • A little too expensive

  • Poor content creation performance

  • Poor ray tracing performance

Budget and 1080p gamers haven't had many graphics card options in the past few months, and AMD's new RX 6600 XT tried to solve that problem. It's a card that can deliver smooth 1080p gaming at high frame rates, and it uses a stripped-down core to alleviate some supply issues. But its price stretches the definition of what it means to be a budget graphics card.

AMD could have priced the RX 6600 XT almost anywhere for under $ 500 and still selling cards like there's no tomorrow. At $ 379, it nestles in a comfortable spot between Nvidia competition, and if you can get one at list price on launch, you won't find another card that works this well for the cost.

But should you? $ 379 is an attractive price given the current market conditions, but the RX 6600 XT still has to pile up the competition after the market launch boom ended. The Radeon RX 6600 XT is a solid card, but it is flanked by two great Team Green cards that are making their money.

design

AMD does not publish a reference design for the RX 6600 XT, so you are limited to options from board partners. For this test, I got my hands on MSI's RX 6600 XT Gaming X card, which uses a traditional dual-fan design.

AMD has shared designs from other partners, some of which include three fans, but most should come with two. Regardless of the model, the RX 6600 XT uses a single 8-pin power connector and requires at least a 500W power supply.

AMD RX 6600 XT sits on a table.

My device measured 10.88 inches long, which is what the slightly protruding bezel made. Each model is a little different – especially the triple fans – so double check before you pick one up. A standard dual-fan design should be no longer than the length of an ATX motherboard (12 inches).

During the test, the card stayed cool, peaking at around 62 degrees Celsius in Cyberpunk 2077. It is important to mention that in a Be quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 Rev. 2, which is a full tower chassis with a little more space for cooling. Your mileage may vary.

A welcome feature on my review unit was a backplate that was missing from the competing RTX 3060 I tested. At least one board partner design has a backplate based on the images provided by AMD, but this may not apply to all designs.

Specifications

The RX 6600 XT builds on AMD's existing RDNA 2 architecture, which we have seen in action over and over again. However, it is built with the Navi 23 GPU core, which is otherwise only found in AMD's workstation class Radeon Pro W6600 and W6600M. This marks the debut of the Navi 23 for the desktop audience.

An important note about Navi 23 compared to previous versions: It is much smaller. That means AMD can squeeze more GPU dies onto a wafer, which should help with supply. It's still built using chip maker TSMC's 7nm node, but with a smaller size, AMD can make more chips with each manufacturing pass.

Arithmetic units Shading units Game speed Increase speed Storage capacity TDP price
Radeon RX 6600 XT 32 2,048 1.97 GHz 2.59 GHz 8GB DDR6 160W $ 380
Radeon RX 6700 XT 40 2,560 2.32 GHz 2.58 GHz 12 GB DDR6 230w $ 480
Radeon RX 6800 60 3,840 1.82 GHz 2.11 GHz 16GB DDR6 250w $ 580
Radeon RX 6800 XT 72 4,608 2.02 GHz 2.25 GHz 16GB DDR6 300W $ 649
Radeon RX 6900 XT 80 5,120 2.01 GHz 2.25 GHz 16GB DDR6 300W $ 1,000

Regardless, Navi 23 builds on AMD's existing architecture, so we can make many comparisons with the rest of the range. Compared to the next level, the RX 6600 XT saves around 20% of the compute units (CUs) with a price difference of 20%. That would make sense if all the other specs are the same, but they are not. The RX 6600 XT corresponds to the boost clock of the RX 6700 XT, but comes with 4 GB less GDDR6 memory.

The RX 6600 XT shows a decent value compared to similar gaps in the range.

Still, it is better than a few other steps in the series. If you're switching from an RX 6800 to an RX 6700 XT, there's about a 20% price difference for a 40% difference in CUs – and that move also reduces 4GB of RAM. At least according to AMD's own list, the RX 6600 XT shows a decent value compared to similar gaps in the range.

There's no reason to compare it to Nvidia on the spec front – I'll touch on the better brand in the sections to come. However, the price of the RX 6600 XT in comparison to the competition should be emphasized. At $ 380, it's between Nvidia's RTX 3060 for $ 330 and the RTX 3060 Ti for $ 400.

The RTX 3060 Ti is also equipped with 8 GB of memory, while the RTX 3060 is equipped with 12 GB. When looking at prices, the way forward is clear. The RX 6600 XT should do a little below an RTX 3060 Ti and about 20% less than the RX 6700 XT. But does it do that?

Games

1080p benchmarks for the RX 6600 XT.

1440p benchmarks for the RX 6600 XT.

The RX 6600 XT is aimed at high refresh rate 1080p monitors. And based on my average frame rates, it hits that brand well. In the five non-ray tracing games I tested, it averaged 117.6 frames per second (fps), making it a great option for 1080p monitors with a 144Hz refresh rate. The 1440p performance is only slightly worse with an average of 86.6 fps.

Before you get to the individual results, it is worth looking at the average values ​​I have collected. At 1080p, the RX 6600 XT sits between the RTX 3060 Ti and RTX 3060 where it should, and slightly outperforms the last-gen RX 5700 XT. The price difference between the RX 6600 XT and its closest competitor, the RTX 3060 Ti is around 10%.

1440p showed similar results, but with a larger 18% difference between the RTX 3060 Ti and the RX 6600 XT. The RTX 3060 and RX 6600 XT were much closer with only 6% difference. Of course, such averages don't tell the whole story, so let's go through some individual tests to get a clearer picture.

I tested the RX 6600 XT on a machine that rocks an Intel Core i9-10900K, 32GB of RAM, and an Asus Tuf Z490-Plus motherboard. All of my tests were performed on a Crucial MX500 2TB hard drive with the latest version of Windows 10. Unfortunately, I didn't have an AMD processor to test Smart Access Memory, but you can expect a 5-10% increase in support for games if you have a current Ryzen processor.

Starting with the simplest fight, the RX 6600 XT took home a GPU score of 9,644 in 3DMark Time Spy. That's about 11% faster than the RX 5700 XT and RTX 3060, which were only one point apart in this test. As you'll see in other reviews, the RX 6600 XT comes close to the RX 5700 XT in most games. Here it actually shoots forward.

However, the RTX 3060 Ti resets the RX 6600 XT. It got a graphics score of 11,706 – a difference of about 19%. This also applies to the RX 6700 XT, which took the crown in 3DMark with a graphics score of 12,068.

AMD RX 6600 XT installed in a computer.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla is one of the games that preferred the RX 6600 XT over the RTX 3060 Ti. At 1080p with ultra high settings, the RX 6600 XT averaged 83 fps. That is within one frame of the RX 5700 XT, but still five frames ahead of the RTX 3060 Ti. The RTX 3060 and RTX 2060 Super lagged behind the field with 64 fps and 66 fps, respectively, while the RX 6700 XT again with 100 fps was ahead of the pack.

At 1440p Ultra High, the RX 6600 XT and RTX 3060 Ti swapped places. The AMD card reached 60 fps while the Nvidia card came in at 64 fps. The RTX 3060 was significantly lower at 51 fps, while the RX 6700 XT still showed its dominance at 76 fps. I've found similar results at high settings, with the RX 6600 XT outperforming the RTX 3060 Ti at 1080p but falling short at 1440p.

The Vulkan-based Red Dead Redemption 2 painted a slightly different picture, with the RX 6600 XT being closer to the RTX 3060. The RX 6600 XT averaged 68 fps at 1080p Ultra Quality, while the RTX 3060 averaged 65 fps. The RTX 3060 Ti showed a difference of 21% compared to the RX 6600 XT with an average of 84 fps.

I've seen similar performance at 1440p Ultra Quality, with the RTX 3060 Ti leading the way at 70 fps. The RX 6600 XT showed a difference of 24% to the RTX 3060 Ti with an average frame rate of 55 fps. As with 1080p, the RTX 3060 was only slightly behind the RX 6600 XT with a difference of 4%.

AMD has kept its promise to deliver 1080p gaming at high frame rates.

Civilization VI again showed a dominant lead for the RTX 3060 Ti, although the RX 6600 XT came closer than it was in Red Dead Redemption 2. The RX 6600 XT averaged 161 fps at 1080p Ultra settings, while the RTX 3060 Ti averaged 194 fps reached, which corresponds to a difference of about 19%. The RX 6700 XT was ahead of the other cards with an average of 219 fps.

I've seen similar scaling on 1440p Ultra. The RX 6600 XT achieved 137 fps and the RTX 3060 Ti achieved 163 fps, while the RTX 3060 lagged behind at 119 fps. Here the RX 6600 XT sits exactly where it belongs – right between the RTX 3060 Ti and RTX 3060.

Battlefield V produced similar results. The RX 6600 XT averaged 139 fps at 1080p Ultra settings. The RTX 3060 showed a difference of 12% at 123 fps and the RTX 3060 Ti showed a difference of 9% at 152 fps. The RX 6700 XT was able to prevail again with 164 fps.

At 1440p Ultra settings, the RTX 3060 Ti pushed itself even further in front of the RX 6600 XT. AMD's card averaged 100 fps and Nvidia's average 123 fps – almost a difference of 21%. The RTX 3060 was close to the RX 6600 XT at 97 fps, while the last generation RX 5700 XT achieved a slightly higher 110 fps.

AMD RX 6600 XT on a wooden backdrop.

Fortnite showed a closer race between the RX 6600 XT, RTX 3060 and RTX 3060 Ti. The RTX 3060 Ti led at 1080p Epic settings at 143 fps, but the RX 6600 XT was not far behind at 137 fps (only a 4 %). The RTX 3060 lags behind the group with 132 fps. All three cards scored well above the RTX 2060 Super and the RX 5700 XT – both of which never broke 110 fps – and showed some significant improvements over the previous generation.

The 1440p Epic showed a more dominant lead for the RTX 3060 Ti, where it averaged 100 fps. That's about 21% less than the RX 6600 XT, which averaged 81 fps. With an average of 86 fps, the RTX 3060 is a better comparison point to the RX 6600 XT at 1440p.

Overall, you can expect a performance difference of around 10% between the RX 6600 XT and the RTX 3060 cards, as the price suggests. At 1080p, the RTX 3060 Ti and RX 6600 XT are about a 5% price difference for a 10% difference in performance. With the RTX 3060 there is a price difference of 14% for a performance difference of about 11%.

Within AMD's own product range, the RX 6600 XT performs according to the specifications. Even with the memory gap between the two cards, the RX 6700 XT and RX 6600 XT show a difference of around 20%.

However, when I use the previous generation the RX 6600 XT shows some problems. The RX 6600 XT only marginally outperformed the RX 5700 XT in my tests, which was released for $ 399 two years ago. The RX 6600 XT is only $ 20 cheaper and only slightly more powerful. It includes ray tracing that the RX 5700 XT lacked, but that's not exactly the generational improvement I would have liked.

Still, AMD has kept its promise to deliver 1080p gaming at high frame rates, even if there are some slightly better options available from Nvidia at list prices.

Content creation

Gaming is the focus of the RX 6600 XT, so it is not surprising that the card takes a back seat when creating content. Here I ran tests using the Blender and PugetBench benchmarks for Premiere Pro. The RX 6600 XT can run both programs, but there could be a better option if your focus is more on it than gaming.

PugetBench for Premiere Pro benchmarks.

Blender benchmarks.

In Blender I did three test renderings and averaged the times. When it comes to supporting CUDA and OptiX rendering in Blender, the RTX 3060 Ti is unsurprisingly. However, the RX 6600 XT still managed to beat the RTX 3060 by about a 11% difference. Nevertheless, the RTX 3060 Ti and RX 6700 XT showed a clear lead.

PugetBench for Premiere Pro favored the Nvidia cards even more. The RX 6600 XT recently scored a total of 625 points, while the RTX 3060 Ti received 807 points. Note that PugetBench takes into account a number of features in Premiere Pro, so the endnote doesn't just rest on the shoulders of the graphics card.

I was surprised that the RX 6600 XT shows up a bit in my Blender review, but overall it's not a great card for content creation. It's powerful enough to work in apps like Blender and Premiere Pro, but if you use those apps a lot, Nvidia still has the edge.

Super resolution and ray tracing

Normally, Nvidia would have a clear lead over AMD with Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) and ray tracing. This is not the case with this generation. The RX 6600 XT also comes with hardware-accelerated ray tracing and has access to a DLSS-like function in the form of FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR).

I took Control and Cyberpunk 2077 to test ray tracing. I ignored DLSS in all of the testing to see how the RX 6600 XT would hold up in a fair fight. Like other cards in the RX 6000 series, it clearly lagged behind the Nvidia competition.

Cyberpunk 2077 ray tracing benchmarks.

Control ray tracing benchmarks.

In Cyberpunk 2077, the RX 6600 XT showed about a 79% decrease when switching from the Ultra preset to the Ultra RT preset, while the RTX 3060 only saw a 53% decrease. Remember, this is with DLSS disabled. Even without the upscaling advantage, the cards of the RTX-30 series from Nvidia handle ray tracing better than the RX-6000 series.

1440p Ultra RT was not playable on any of the cards I tested. As a reference, the RX 6600 XT only achieved an average of 3 fps in this mode. The most powerful card, the RTX 3060 Ti, averaged just 23 fps.

Ray tracing is challenging regardless of the hardware used, but Nvidia's cards can still handle the heat better than AMD's.

Control was much more forgiving. It's at least playable with ray tracing enabled at 1080p, but the RX 6600 XT still showed a 54% drop and the RTX 3060 only showed a 38% drop.

At 1440p, the RX 6600 XT dropped 62% – 47 fps to 18 fps – with ray tracing enabled – while the RTX 3060 dropped 40%. I used the RTX 3060 as a benchmark as it was the closest competitor in these tests, but the RTX 3060 Ti showed similar dips when turning on ray tracing.

The difference here makes sense. Nvidia uses dedicated ray tracing cores, while AMD opts for a "ray accelerator" packed into each computing unit. Ray tracing is tough regardless of the hardware used, but Nvidia's cards can still handle the heat better than AMD's – and the RX 6600 XT doesn't change that.

AMD RX 6600 XT over other graphics cards.

In the case of an Nvidia card, I would point out DLSS to increase ray tracing performance. AMD has an alternative in the form of FSR, but Nvidia usually bundles ray tracing with DLSS, while FSR is a bit scattered. That could change over time, but Nvidia's cards still have the best of ray tracing features.

As my tests show, you really need an upscaling function to run ray tracing at playable frame rates. AMD has this feature now in the form of FSR, but many popular ray tracing titles – including Cyberpunk 2077 and Control – don't yet support the feature.

Nevertheless, FSR is available to you with the RX 6600 XT. As we found in our FidelityFX Super Resolution test, it is a very powerful upscaling feature that can significantly improve your frame rates. Image quality isn't quite as good as DLSS, but the differences are easy to forgive when everything goes well.

Our opinion

In a perfect world with list prices and GPUs on the shelves, I would definitely recommend the RX 6600 XT's RTX 3060 Ti. It's only $ 20 more expensive and performs better almost anywhere. The RX 6600 XT is a bit overpriced at $ 380 – it should be closer to $ 350 given its performance. However, having an extra $ 30 is hard to argue with considering how expensive graphics cards are right now.

Much of this depends on what card you can find and what the price is. When starting at the list price, the RX 6600 XT is a slam dunk in view of the popular graphics cards. When the initial inventory is gone, you should classify the RX 6600 XT between the RTX 3060 Ti and RTX 3060 in terms of performance and take the offer price from there.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes, the RTX 3060 Ti is a better alternative. However, given the price of graphics cards and the difficulty of finding them, the list price doesn't say much. If the price of the RX 6600 XT is between the RTX 3060 and the RTX 3060 Ti, it's a great 1080p card for high refresh rate monitors.

The other alternative is the RX 6700 XT, which even outperforms the RTX 3060 Ti, albeit at an additional cost.

How long it will take?

The RX 6600 XT is set to last for the next few years for 1080p gaming. If you want to use features like ray tracing or want to upgrade to a higher resolution, you will probably feel the weaknesses of the RX 6600 XT within a few years.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The RX 6600 XT is about $ 30 too expensive, but still a lot cheaper than any other card you can buy right now. However, if you're missing out on the launch boom, consider upgrading to the RTX 3060 Ti instead if you can find it at a reasonable price.

Editor's recommendations



10 Jul
Blog

Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT Review: Good Beyond Gaming

Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT

RRP $ 269.00

"Corsair's Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT isn't perfect, but the way it offers the practicality to replace both your gaming headset and everyday headphones puts it in a league of its own."

advantages

  • Great chic looks

  • Excellent workmanship

  • Versatile connectivity

  • Can replace two headsets

  • Practical RGB mic mute display

disadvantage

  • Below average battery life

  • Short radio range

  • Expensive

Buying a gaming headset is not easy. It can be if you keep your expectations low, but if you're looking for something exclusive the thought of losing $ 269 on a wireless gaming headset can be a little daunting.

That's the price of Corsair's newest flagship gaming headset, the Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT, and while it's certainly worth the price, let's see if the stuff you can't see is good enough. Unlike many headsets, there is a lot to cover with this one, so let's dive in.

Build quality and comfort

As expected, the workmanship of the Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT is excellent. The headset uses a lot of synthetic leather and metal, which gives it a very chic look and feel. Corsair's elementary back-to-basics design also plays well here, as it gives the headset a very "contemporary headphone" look rather than the look of many garishly styled offerings.

I actually really like the design, and since the microphone is detachable and supports Bluetooth with Apt-X, you can easily use this set on the go in public. The bright bit of RGB might even attract curious eyes.

In terms of comfort, the Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT is generally good, but a bit missed – that may be a personal observation, but I find the ear cups too flat. This is done, of course, to get a sleeker profile for the modern look, but it presses a little against my right ear which causes discomfort with prolonged use.

That's my only complaint about comfort – the faux leather is soft, the pillows are … cushiony, and the clamping force is minimal so you won't get a headache. If your ears fit better than mine, which is more likely than not, you'll find the Virtuoso XT very snug. For larger ears, Logitech's G Pro X (wireless) headsets are generally more comfortable thanks to roomier ear cups.

The ergonomics of the controls are also great, with most of the buttons on the bottom of the right earcup. The only button that is on the left cup is the microphone mute button, and in fact, it's on the microphone itself, right on the base where it connects to the headset.

The microphone even has an RGB light ring at the end, and I think it's awesome, even if it's not exactly an ergonomic thing. It glows bright red when you mute the microphone and participates in whatever light show you have when it doesn't. This may seem like a small detail, and it is, but tell me, when was the last time you forgot you muted yourself and wondered why your friends weren't answering? Yesterday? Today? Yes me too. Every headset has to have that.

Connectivity

Most PC wireless gaming headsets have two or three types of connectivity. First and foremost there is a wireless interface with its own dongle, then a 3.5 mm jack if you need the cable anyway, and they often work via their USB charging cable too.

But Corsair has an additional treat: Bluetooth with support for the Apt-X codec. With most gaming headsets, this wouldn't be all that important, but this one looks pretty good and it's nice to be able to connect it to your phone for use on the go. Unplug the mic and no one would say it was a gaming headset. The next alternatives with this feature set are the Steelseries Arctis 9 and Arctis Pro wireless headsets, as they also support Bluetooth but don't support Apt-X and still look a lot like gaming headsets, which they are less likely to be worn in public makes suitable.

The headset also supports multiple device inputs at the same time, which is another handy feature. Connecting the headset to your PC via the dongle and your phone via bluetooth is not only great for easy toggling on the go, but you also don't have to take the headset off when you receive calls. The music quality is also better than Apt-X.

A quick range test showed disappointing results. In my apartment, I have my office at one end, and most headsets can reach halfway to the kitchen while maintaining a stable connection. The very best headsets stay connected to the other side of my apartment, but not the Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT: I could barely step out of my office into the hallway.

Audio quality

The sound quality is always a bit mixed with gaming headsets, especially wireless devices. That makes sense, of course: the drivers are tuned to pick up the enemy's footsteps and reloading noises and provide appealing bass for explosions. And since the wireless connection is geared towards low latency rather than audio quality, you end up with sound that audiophiles generally don't like.

And while the Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT is no exception to this set of requirements, it actually does quite well, especially over the Bluetooth connection when using a source device that supports the Apt-X codec. Music is fun, voices are clear, and there is enough detail to please most listeners. It won't compare to the best hi-fi headphones out there – it's not even in the same league – but for a gaming headset as practical as your everyday headphones, it's more than enough .

But again, keep in mind that the audio quality suffers a bit with the included 2.5 GHz dongle on the PC – you will not notice this at all in the game, since most games do not have sufficient audio quality anyway. The incoming voice streams from multiplayer chats aren't good either, but if you're playing music for pleasure you may want to do it from your phone or use a wired connection. The only catch is that the battery life on dual devices is pretty limited – you'll be happy to hit 15 hours.

Our opinion

Corsair's Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT is a stunning wireless gaming headset that tries to achieve anything. And while it doesn't do a perfect job, it offers a ton of practicality with its great connectivity options, great user ergonomics, nice production quality, and decent convenience. If you're wondering if the $ 269 price tag is worth it, I'd probably say – when you need a headset that can do it all. Just keep in mind that wired headsets often sound better, battery life isn't the best, and they have a very short wireless range.

Are there alternatives?

There are always tons of alternatives in the gaming headset space, but few look as good as the Corsair cans and practicality remains an issue – Bluetooth is often absent on many models and a microphone that is not detachable together with garish gamer styling, makes its use as an everyday outdoor headset for many devices a hard best seller. With this combination of connectivity functions, the Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT is in a league of its own. The next alternative would be the Arctis 9 and Arctis Pro headsets from Steelseries, but they don't offer the same visual appeal and neither do they support the Apt-X codec for high quality sound over Bluetooth.

If you're looking to save some cash and skip Bluetooth altogether, Logitech's G Pro X wireless headset is a great alternative that is more convenient but less practical.

How long it will take?

This headset should last around three to four years, depending on how you use it. The delicate faux leather is likely to fall apart first after heavy use, and I've had my battery life concerns over the years as it's not the best to start with.

Should I buy it?

If you're looking for a new wireless gaming headset and want to use it as your everyday go-to headphone, the Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT is definitely worth considering. It's a little expensive, but since it can replace multiple headphones, the price is justified.

Editor's recommendations



07 Jul
Blog

Razer Blade 14 Review: The Gaming Laptop Usurper Has Arrived

Razor blade 14 review 03

Razer blade 14

RRP $ 2,200.00

"The Razer Blade 14 is stealing the crown as the best gaming laptop you can buy right now."

advantages

  • The gaming performance is excellent

  • Colorful 1440p display

  • Surprisingly small

  • Cheaper than Razer Blade 15

  • Great battery life

disadvantage

  • Warm surface temperatures

  • Thick bezels

The Razer Blade 15 was already the smallest gaming laptop in the world. Building an even smaller version of the Razer Blade 14 is, on the one hand, exciting. On the other hand, I had serious concerns about how Razer could possibly keep these components cool enough.

Add in an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor and up to an Nvidia RTX 3080 – and you have the potential for a hot mess. Fortunately, the Razer Blade 14 is anything but.

Razer did the impossible and delivers an amazing gaming experience in a tiny form factor. With a lower starting price of $ 1,800, there's little reason to pick the Razer Blade 15 as its smaller brother stole the crown from the best gaming laptop. A new king has arrived.

design

Play Fortnite on the Razer Blade 14.

Despite its smaller size and asking price, it looks almost identical to the Razer Blade 15. It has the same completely black aluminum housing, the green snake logo on the lid and few large ventilation openings or gaudy design elements. It's the same kind of minimalist gaming laptop with amazing build quality that the Razer Blade line has always delivered. There's a reason people call these laptops the MacBooks of the gaming laptops.

The most important change in the Razer Blade 14 is of course the size of the screen. The 14-inch gaming laptop is a new trend led by popular options like the ROG Zephyrus G14 and the Predator Triton 300 SE. This isn't actually the first 14-inch Razer Blade – there was a model back in 2013. But apart from the screen size, this new version has little to do with the 2013 model. The processor, graphics, and cooling technology have finally caught up with the demand for smaller gaming laptops – and the 2021 Razer Blade 14 is the answer to that desire.

The Razer Blade 14 is the thinnest 14-inch gaming notebook and the smallest overall in terms of volume.

However, a smaller screen also means a smaller footprint overall, which is why I am a little unsure about the ability of this laptop to keep the components cool enough in this test. The Razer Blade 14 is the thinnest 14-inch gaming laptop and the smallest overall by volume – just 0.66 inches thick and 3.9 pounds. That makes it an insanely portable gaming laptop, especially considering how powerful this thing is.

Because of its size, it's also a great regular laptop. It's only 0.08 inches thicker than the Dell XPS 13 and only 0.03 inches thicker than the MacBook Air. It's an incredible feat of engineering.

The Razer Blade 14 offers excellent image quality.

Of course, Razer already makes the Razer Blade Stealth 13 and Razer Book 13 – if you really just want the Razer stylings with no power. But the Razer Blade 14 feels like the laptop that can do it all without sacrificing portability or design – or performance – too much.

That has been the promise since this laptop was announced. I was thrilled that the Razer Blade 14 kept that promise. Mainly.

As can be seen in many photos, the Razer Blade 14 is an absolute fingerprint magnet. That was always the case with these black Razer Blades, which is why I wish the Mercury White option would be offered for the 14-inch model. The latest update to the Razer Blade 15 tried to fix this issue with a fingerprint-resistant coating, but the Razer Blade 14 didn't.

Ports

The Razer Blade has a great port selection including HDMI 2.1.

The Razer Blade 14 has a healthy range of ports available. On the left you'll find USB-C, USB-A, a headphone jack, and the proprietary Razer charging port. On the right side you get a USB-A, another USB-C and even HDMI 2.1. HDMI will likely be your primary method of docking the Razer Blade 14 to a monitor, although both USB-C ports also have DisplayPort 1.4 and power.

However, when gaming, consider using Razer's own power adapter, which has a nicely braided cord that plugs into a 230 watt power adapter. It's big for this size of laptop, but when you're juicing performance-hungry components like this one, it's inevitable.

I would have liked the Razer to have a full-size SD card slot like the Blade 15, which is extremely convenient for photographers and videographers.

The Razer Blade 14 also offers Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 for the latest in wireless connectivity.

display

The Razer Blade 14 shows off some impressive graphics with its 1440p screen.

In terms of screen quality, the Razer Blade 14 is on par with what the 15-inch model offers. It is a 16: 9 1440p IPS display with a refresh rate of 165Hz. That's both high resolution and high refresh rate that is the best of both worlds. That's no surprise as it's becoming the norm for gaming laptops.

The picture quality is the real surprise. The Razer Blade 14 offers fantastic color saturation and reaches 90% of the AdobeRGB and 100% of the sRGB color space, which is basically unknown for gaming laptops. The color accuracy is also pinpoint accurate and the maximum brightness is 315 nits. That's nowhere near as bright as the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, the brightest gaming laptop I've ever tested.

Would I wish it looked more like the Razer Book 13 with its 16:10 screen and tiny bottom bezel? Absolutely. A larger screen would have allowed a smaller bottom frame and more screen space without having to shrink the overall area. For now, Razer seems to be sticking to 16: 9 for its gaming laptops. Despite my affinity for thin bezels, it's hard to complain about a screen that looks this good.

performance

I never doubted that the Razer Blade 14 would be a beautiful, well-constructed laptop. Performance and thermals worried me. But once I started using the Razer Blade 14, many of those worries were aside.

In some ways, the Razer Blade 14 is actually more powerful than its bigger brother. This is thanks to the processor inside, which is the 8-core, 16-thread AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX. In terms of sheer performance alone, this is the king of gaming laptop processors right now. The fact that it finally has a home in the Razer range feels like an important moment for AMD.

The back of the Razer Blade 14 shows the redesigned fans.

I know Cinebench isn't the be-all and end-all of processor performance, but it's overwhelming that installing this Ryzen chip in the Razer Blade 14 beats the Razer Blade 15 out of the water in this benchmark. It's a similar result in a video encoding test in Handbrake, where the Razer Blade 15 with its Intel processor was 25% slower.

Add an RTX 30 series graphics card to the mix and you will be very happy with the content creation performance.

Speaking of graphics, my configuration came with the RTX 3070. It's still hard to grasp that you can put an RTX 3080in here as well if you want to. The 3060 is the base model option, which will still be pretty impressive, but on other laptops I've tested there's a big leap in performance between the 3060 and the 3070. Either way, you get a full 100 watts of power to the GPU, which is why I was so worried about the temperatures too.

In terms of cooling, Razer has achieved the impossible.

But I'll just say this – Razer did it. You get really good gaming performance, even at 1440p, and I've never seen GPU temperatures rise above 87 degrees Celsius. Well, that's not exactly what I would call "cool", but for a laptop this size and with so much power, I'm impressed. Here is a massive steam chamber that covers almost all of the built-in components and is supposedly even larger than the 15-inch model.

There are also some new fans inside, each with 88 0.1 mm fan blades. Of course, the huge vapor chamber means you can't swap out the memory, but it protects the performance and thermals that actually make the Razer Blade 14 such a great gaming laptop. Fortunately, all configurations of the Razer Blade 14 come with 16 GB of dual-channel RAM and a full terabyte SSD.

Gaming performance

Benchmark Assassin's Creed Valhalla on the Razer Blade 14.

How good is the gambling? Well, most of the games I've tested hit at least 60 frames per second (fps) on max 1440p settings, including Fortnite, Battlefield V, and Civilization VI. The Battlefield V performance was particularly noteworthy at 78 fps, which even beats the much clunkier Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, a thick 16-inch laptop that we also tested with the RTX 3070.

On the whole, this Lenovo laptop averages better frame rates, especially in Fortnite where it was up to 18% faster. Better airflow in a thicker case always means better temperatures and ultimately better performance – but the Razer Blade 14 isn't as far behind as you might think. It really makes you wonder why we don't see high-end graphics options in laptops like the Zephyrus G14.

The table below shows 1080p performance for a comparable comparison to cheaper 1080p laptops like the ROG Strix G15. Here you can see how closely the Blade 14 can often keep up with much larger and bulkier laptops like the 16-inch Lenovo Legion 5 Pro or the 15-inch MSI GS66 Stealth.

Laptop 3DMark time spy 3DMark fire strike Assassin's Creed Valhalla (1080p Ultra High) Battlefield V (1080p Ultra) Fortnite (1080p Epic) Civilization VI (1080p Ultra)
Razer Blade 14 (RTX 3070) 8605 19673 60 fps 96 fps 96 fps 84 fps
Asus ROG Strix G15 (Radeon RX 6800M) 10504 26800 77 fps 109 fps 108 fps 91 fps
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro (RTX 3070) 9175 21033 61 fps 73 fps 101 fps 101 fps
MSI GS66 Stealth (RTX 3080) 9097 19175 70 fps 97 fps 140 fps 140 fps

There have been a couple of heavier titles I've tested that put the Razer Blade 14 in a fight for its money. Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Cyberpunk 2077 both couldn't quite reach 60 fps in 1440p. They arrive in 1080p, however, and Cyberpunk plays well enough if you turn up the DLSS settings.

Surface temperatures are a different story. The Razer gaming laptops are notorious for being hot, largely because there just isn't a lot of ventilation here. They have a few vents along the hinge for the vapor chamber as well as two above the fans in the back, but Razer sacrifices a lot of airflow by not drilling holes throughout the case. And the Razer Blade 14 is no different from previous blades in this regard.

The palm rests of the Razer Blade 14 tend to get nice and warm, which can be uncomfortable.

It can get really hot at certain key points, for example in the space between the keyboard and the display. But that's normal. However, the palm rests bothered me the most and set it apart from other gaming laptops that I have tested. The palm rests of the Razer Blade 14 tend to get nice and warm, which can be uncomfortable. If you're at home and have a long gaming session ahead of you, you'll likely want to dock it and use an external keyboard.

Even when not playing, the Razer Blade 14's palm rests stay warmer than other laptops. The fans spin even if you're just using a web browser, and the case never feels cold to the touch. It's unfair to compare the Razer Blade 14 to an ultra-efficient laptop like the M1 MacBook Pro, but surface temperatures are a compromise for being able to play modern 3D games anytime.

Keyboard and touchpad

The Razer Blade 14 keyboard and touchpad.

Everything else is what you would expect from a Razer laptop. The keyboard and touchpad are both great, and the RGB backlighting per key is as customizable as it gets with an insane 15-level brightness control. It sounds over the top, but compared to the three or four tiers that many gaming laptops have, I can't fault it.

Razer even adds some nice touches like the above-screen Windows Hello IR camera and some decent speakers. They're upward facing and THX certified, which basically just means THX helped test them to make sure they weren't causing any distortion at high volume levels. The result is decent speakers for watching videos or listening to music. Unfortunately, the fan noise disturbs the appreciation of the speakers when gaming.

Battery life

Razer promises 12 hours of battery life with the Blade 14. That's unheard of on a laptop with a beefy RTX 3070 or 3080, but the Razer Blade comes surprisingly close. In our local video playback test, it landed 11 hours and 20 minutes, which is almost three hours longer than the Razer Blade 15. It's a similar comparison in our light web browsing test, where it took eight hours and 17 minutes.

The Razer Blade 14 also outlasts the ROG Zephyrus G14 and Predator Triton 300 SE, which were previously champions in gaming laptop battery life.

You only get that much battery life from a laptop with an RTX 3070 inside, but Razer got more out of the 61.6 watt-hour battery that I thought was possible.

Our opinion

There are many cheaper gaming laptops that are just as powerful as the Razer Blade 14, such as the all-AMD ROG Strix G15. But none of its competitors have the premium fit and workmanship of the Razer Blade 14, nor the extremely small size. Add in good battery life, a colorful display, and surprisingly good gaming performance, and you have what it takes to become a new standard for gaming laptops. The fact that it's $ 500 cheaper than a similar configuration to the Razer Blade 15 is the icing on the cake.

Are there alternatives?

Other 14-inch gaming laptops are the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE and the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14. Both are limited to an RTX 3060 and are a few hundred dollars cheaper than the Razer Blade 14.

The Razer Blade 15 obviously has a bigger screen, but costs $ 500 more for the same configuration.

How long it will take?

A couple of Razer Blade reliability issues have been well documented online, including the problem with the high battery, which is apparently the most notorious culprit. However, it is still not an issue that has been officially addressed by Razer.

Barring potential reliability issues, the Razer Blade 14 should last four or five years before it needs to be replaced. The vapor chamber makes it difficult to replace or repair yourself, but RazerCare offers up to three years warranty over a thorough (and expensive) upgrade to the standard one-year warranty.

Should you buy it?

Yes. It's the best gaming laptop you can buy right now, especially if you want your gaming laptop to be just as suitable for non-gaming activities.

Editor's recommendations



03 Jul
Blog

Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Review: Move Aside Thin Gaming Laptops

lenovo legion 5 pro rating 01

"The display quality and performance make the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro a fantastic mid-range gaming laptop."

  • Excellent gaming performance

  • Beautiful 1440p display

  • Satisfactory, accurate keyboard

  • Good cooling

  • Inexpensive touchpad

  • Thick and chunky

Gaming laptops are getting thinner and thinner. Still, there's plenty of room in the market for gaming laptops that don't forego unbridled performance on the altar of portability.

The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is one such gaming laptop. Its design is nothing spectacular, nor is the strain you will feel as you lug around.

But for a decidedly old-school gaming laptop, the Legion 5 Pro brings the basics together in a way that will make many performance-minded PC gamers very happy. The affordable entry-level price of $ 1,700 will put a smile on your face too.

design

The front of the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro with the lid open.

The Legion 5 Pro is not an eye-catcher. The oversized Legion logo on the lid isn't exactly subtle, and the sleepy, storm gray color and keycap font come straight from Lenovo's business laptop designs. Add in the ThinkPad-like keyboard and black vent pieces that seem glued on, and it's a bit of a Frankenstein design.

I have no problem with a stealth gaming laptop that hides its gaming roots – like the Predator Triton 500 SE or even the Razer Blade 15. But the Legion 5 Pro seems torn between the two identities. The name itself seems a bit confusing, as it can be found both in the Legion gaming line and as a "Pro" laptop. It's less of a mix and more of a mishmash.

The design has its strengths. For example, the super thin bezels around the screen look amazing. Even the lower bezel is relatively small, which makes for a modern design that puts the screen in the foreground. This is thanks to the 16:10 aspect ratio, which is a new trend in gaming laptops. Extra vertical screen space may seem unnecessary when gaming, but it's sure to come in handy when you need to get some work done. Again, 16:10 makes a lot of sense because the Legion 5 Pro hits the line.

The back of the lid of the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro.

The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro when closed.

The screen is also larger than the average 15-inch gaming laptop that is 16 inches diagonally. That's the same as the Predator Triton 500 SE, but it's still an unusual screen size for gaming laptops. But here, too, thanks to its small bezels, it does not add any additional size to the overall print.

And that's important because the Legion 5 Pro is by no means small. It weighs 5.4 pounds and is 1.1 inches thick – clunkier than your average 15-inch laptop and most high-end gaming laptops out there. As we'll see later, this extra size makes for excellent thermal performance, especially when compared to the Razer Blade 15, MSI GS66 Stealth, or even the Alienware m15 R4.

Ports

The ports are on the back of the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro.

The Legion 5 Pro offers an increasingly popular port placement option: the back of the device. This makes the laptop's footprint even bigger, but it does a good job of keeping messy cables out of the way.

On the back you will find HDMI 2.1, RJ-45 Ethernet, a power jack, three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports and a USB-C port that supports both USB 3.2 Gen 2 and DisplayPort 1.4.

This leaves only ports on the sides that you really need to access quickly. On the left you will find a headphone jack and another USB-C. There is a single USB-A port on the right.

In terms of connectivity, the Legion 5 Pro supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1.

display

The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro with Cyberpunk 2077 is played.

The Legion 5 Pro offers an excellent screen for both gaming and standard work. Native resolution is 2560 x 1600 to support 16:10 aspect ratio and can be scaled down to 1920 x 1200 for lower resolution games.

According to my colorimeter, the Legion 5 Pro has one of the best displays I've ever tested on a gaming laptop. First of all, it's unusually bright, reaching a brightness of 550 nits. That's even brighter than the latest MacBook Pro or Razer Blade 15. It's also a decently color-accurate panel that hits 77% of the AdobeRGB color space.

The Legion 5 Pro has one of the best displays I've ever tested on a gaming laptop.

It's rare to see such a bright, vibrant, and well-calibrated screen on a gaming laptop. Like the Predator Triton 500 SE, the Legion 5 Pro offers that great picture quality alongside a fast refresh rate, although 165Hz isn't as high as the 360Hz panels you can get in 1080p gaming laptops. But let's face it – unless you're a professional esports gamer, you probably wouldn't notice the difference while gaming anyway. The gameplay feels very responsive and fast, especially since you are running most of your games in the native resolution.

The increase in resolution is worth the tradeoff, especially with such a large screen. Pixels are disappearing thanks to the sharpness that matches what you get on the MacBook Pro. And thanks to the power you will use the full range of 165 Hz even with native resolution.

performance

As I mentioned earlier, the Legion 5 Pro is a chunky gaming laptop that offers better cooling. The result is pretty amazing gaming performance.

My configuration came with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, Nvidia RTX 3070, 16 GB of RAM and two 1 TB PCIe SSDs. Lenovo also offers an identical configuration with the exception of the RTX 3060. This saves 150 euros, but the RTX 3070 option should offer a noticeable increase in frame rates. It's not currently available, but Lenovo reportedly also has a confusing mid-tier model with just 1TB of storage but 32GB of RAM. Most gamers will choose more memory and less memory.

Laptop 3DMark time spy 3DMark fire strike Assassin's Creed Valhalla (1080p Ultra High) Battlefield V (1080p Ultra) Fortnite (1080p Epic) Civilization VI (1080p Ultra)
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro (RTX 3070) 9175 21033 61 fps 73 fps 101 fps 114 fps
Asus ROG Strix G15 (RX 6800M) 10504 26800 77 fps 109 fps 108 fps 150 fps
MSI GS66 Stealth (RTX 3080) 9097 19175 70 fps 117 fps 140 fps 149 fps
Razer Blade 15 (RTX 2080 Super) 7637 16895 58 fps 98 fps 110 fps 134 fps

I included the benchmarks in 1080p in the table above to level the playing field between these different laptops that include both 1080p and 1440p resolutions. The Legion 5 Pro masters all games with over 60 frames per second (fps), including the tough assassin Creed Valhalla. As for the lighter esports tariff, the Legion 5 Pro averaged over 100 fps in Fortnite, with room to use the full 165 Hz range in lower settings.

At native resolution, which is the number of people who will likely be using the Legion 5 Pro, you'll still get over 60 fps in most games. Battlefield V was right on the line at 60 fps, while Fortnite played fantastic at 83 fps. The system slowed to 52 fps at 2560 x 1600 in Valhalla, so you should probably stick to lower resolutions for heavier titles like this one.

The Legion 5 Pro offers an excellent price-performance ratio.

Although the Legion 5 Pro with RTX 3070 consistently beat the MSI GS66 Stealth with RTX 3080 (and 1440p screen) in 3DMark runs, the MSI device was well ahead in every recent game I have tested. Of course, newer configurations of the GS66 Stealth aren't widely available right now – and if so, they'll get quite a bit more expensive. The same goes for the Razer Blade 15, which will easily cost you at least $ 1,000 more.

All of this makes the Legion 5 Pro an excellent price-performance ratio for the performance it offers. The only problem is the Asus ROG Strix G15, which offers a base configuration for a similar $ 1,650. It's a more powerful laptop, no doubt about it. It's a strength of AMD's new Radeon RX 6800M graphics card that beats the RTX 3070 in every way and challenges the RTX 3080 in some. The performance of the ROG Strix G15 is undeniable. I prefer the design and screen of the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, but it's hard to beat the ROG Strix G15 in terms of price.

Cyberpunk 2077 plays on the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro.

During my tests, the Legion 5 Pro turned out to be a well-cooled device. The GPU temperatures never rose above 86 degrees Celsius, while the CPU temperatures were even cooler. The surface temperatures got warm at times, but never quite as hot as on slimmer laptops like the MSI GS66 Stealth or the Razer Blade 15.

All configurations of the Legion 5 Pro feature the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H. It's a powerful 45-watt chip with eight cores and 16 threads. This gives you improved CPU performance over the 35-watt processors found in something like the ROG Zephyrus G14. The Legion 5 Pro had a particularly impressive single-core score of 1430 in Cinebench R23. It also does a lot better than Intel-powered laptops such as the MSI GS66 Stealth.

I also tested the CPU-based video encoding in HandBrake, and the Ryzen 7 was an absolute runabout. In comparison, the GS66 Stealth was 24% slower in the same test. That ensures the Legion 5 Pro is just as good a machine for content creation and heavier CPU-based workloads as it is for gaming.

Still, it's not quite as fast as the Ryzen 9 5900HX that you can find in the ROG Strix G15 or ROG Zephyrus G15.

battery

The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro doesn't have great battery life. Other gaming laptops have made strides in this area, like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, but the combination of the RTX 3070 and G-Sync panel is a recipe for frequent use of the charging port. The 80-watt-hour battery isn't quite as big as some of the 99-watt-hour batteries you'll find in premium gaming laptops.

Still, the battery life isn't nearly as bad as a laptop like this one has been for years, probably thanks to the efficient Ryzen processor inside. A little more than seven hours of light surfing on the internet isn't a bad thing. However, the second you boot up the discrete GPU, you'll find that it drops off pretty quickly. On the other hand, you probably shouldn't be playing without being plugged in anyway.

I should also mention the massive 300 watt power brick that comes with this thing. It's a tank and adds some weight to the backpack if you plan on traveling with the Legion 5 Pro.

Keyboard and touchpad

The illuminated keyboard of the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro.

The Legion 5 Pro uses a precise, ThinkPad-style keyboard. It's an odd look for the keycaps on a gaming laptop, but it offers one of the best typing experiences you will find. The key travel of 1.5mm is luxurious and the layout is perfect. The backlight is pretty limited with only four adjustment zones (including the number pad) and a disappointing software experience with Lenovo Vantage. The joy of typing more than makes up for the lack of a stylish backlight.

The quality of the touchpad was all the more disappointing. It's the kind of quality you'd find on a $ 400 Chromebook, not a powerful gaming laptop. It's a big touchpad which I appreciate. But the surface isn't very smooth, which means that clicking and dragging, pinch-to-zoom, or other gestures that require close tracking can skip or feel awkward. It's frustrating, especially on a laptop doing so many things right.

There is a 720p webcam above the screen, which Lenovo fortunately included. It's still omitted from Asus' ROG gaming laptops to allow for a thinner top bezel. However, the laptop does not contain any security features, but it lacks both a Windows Hello IR camera and a fingerprint reader. These have become more common lately even on mid-range gaming laptops, so it's a shame to see Lenovo force you to rely on passwords and PINs to log in.

Our opinion

The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is the real deal. If you're done with gaming laptops trying to be too thin at the expense of the right cooling and performance, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is what you've been waiting for.

Are there alternatives?

Most gaming laptops at this price point cannot be compared to what the Legion 5 Pro has to offer. The Predator Triton 500 SE corresponds to the screen size, but is limited to an RTX 3060.

The Legion 5 Pro's two biggest competitors come from Asus. The all-AMD ROG Strix G15 is the gaming laptop with the ultimate price-performance ratio, while the ROG Zephyrus G15 corresponds to the Legion 5 Pro in almost all specifications for the same price. It doesn't have such a good screen, but the Zephyrus G15 has a sleeker design and options for up to an RTX 3080.

How long it will take?

The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro should last at least five years. It's a powerful gaming laptop that can handle the latest AAA games for many years.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro isn't the most stylish gaming laptop in the world, but its performance and display more than make up for the difference.

Editor's recommendations



20 Mar
Blog

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE Review: Gaming, Display, Battery

Acer Predator Triton 300 se review 01

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE Review: Small stature meets powerful gaming

"The Acer Predator Triton 300 SE is small, but powerful."

  • Small, portable design

  • Stay cool and quiet when you're not playing

  • Smooth gaming at 1080p and 144 Hz

  • Good battery life

  • Limited configurations available

  • Not as fast as the Zephyrus G14

The ROG Zephyrus G14 was a revolutionary gaming laptop. With a screen size of just 14 inches, an RTX-grade graphics card, and decent battery life, it was a breath of fresh air. and for almost a full year there was no challenger to what this laptop could do. The Acer Predator Triton 300 SE is finally a worthy rival. So on the surface.

It's also a 14-inch gaming laptop, has the same RTX 3060 GPU and a 144Hz refresh rate screen. All of that costs $ 1,400, along with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.

Because of its size and design, you may not even be able to identify the Triton 300 SE as a gaming laptop. But can a laptop this size really be powerful enough for modern gaming? You might be surprised.

design

Being the thinnest or lightest device rarely results in being the "best" device. The sacrifices made are often not worth the compromise. However, the Predator Triton 300 SE is less space-saving than ultra-thin or light.

Do not get me wrong. At 3.7 pounds and 0.70 inches thick, it's amply portable. But many gaming laptops have hit the 0.70-inch mark in the past few years, including the ROG Zephyrus G14. The 14-inch screen size is what makes the Predator Triton 300 SE so small. At just 12.7 x 8.9 inches, it doesn't feel much bigger than a 14-inch non-gaming laptop like the HP Specter x360 14.

Due to its smaller size, the Triton 300 SE can not only be used as a gaming laptop. It's easy to carry, easily fits in a backpack, and doesn't take up excessive table space. The Razer Blade Stealth 13 is the only gaming notebook that surpasses it, but the Razer's nowhere near as powerful.

The Triton 300 SE looks like this too. It's not overly game oriented or aggressive. The only freebies are a small Predator logo in the top right corner of the lid and some vents along the hinge. It's not as flashy as the ROG Zephyrus G14, but there are little bits of style if that's what you're looking for. It's a good balance, and I prefer the subdued aesthetic over the larger Predator Helios 300.

But that doesn't mean the design is totally modern. The fake brushed metal texture on the lid feels a bit dated, as does the bright silver color. Once opened, there are some features that are not keeping up with modern trends. First off, the lower bezel is quite large. A 16:10 screen would reduce this without having to shrink the overall size of the case. A black bezel on the sides may also have helped lessen the effect, even if it's still made of plastic.

I also don't like the location of the fingerprint scanner, which is in the top right corner of the touchpad. Most modern laptops incorporate this into the power button, although it is still rare in gaming laptops these days.

The location of the ports is a little awkward to make room for the side slots, but the variety will no doubt make you happy. On the left you will find a USB-A port, a Thunderbolt 4 port, and a barrel-shaped power plug. The Thunderbolt port can be connected to a display, used for ultra-fast data transfer or even charged the laptop. However, when gaming, you should use the proprietary charger.

On the right side, the Triton 300 SE has an additional USB-A port, HDMI 2.0 and a headphone jack. If you plan to use this laptop for photo or video editing, you will be missing an SD card slot, but the port selection is otherwise perfect.

display

I've talked about how important the size of the Triton 300 SE's screen is, but image quality is also important. It uses an IPS screen of 1,920 x 1,080 with a refresh rate of 144 Hz – ideal for smooth, responsive PC games. The matte layer on the screen means fewer reflections, but also less bright. I measured it at a maximum of 290 nits, which is just below the 300 nits I would like to see minimum on laptops.

Fortunately, the screen makes up for this with good color saturation and contrast. Achieving 99% of the sRGB and 77% of the AdobeRGB color spaces is quite good for a gaming laptop, as is the contrast ratio of 1,500: 1. The color accuracy is not that spectacular, although the Triton 300 SE does not rely on precise color corrections is designed. The ROG Zephyrus is better in this regard and also hits a maximum of 332 nits.

Of course, the refresh rate is the most important aspect of the display, which makes the performance under the hood of the RTX 3060 really flexible.

performance

Aside from its size, the Triton 300 SE's performance is the most intriguing proposition. It uses a unique 35-watt processor that sits right between a standard ultrabook (like the Dell XPS 13) and a traditional gaming laptop (like the Predator Helios 300). The ROG Zephyrus G14 also uses a 35-watt chip, although it's made by AMD instead of Intel.

The Triton 300 SE represents the attempt by Intel to develop such a processor type. The important thing is to use the latest 10nm SuperFin architecture, which is not yet available on the larger 45-watt gaming laptops. This is our first taste of what these chips will look like in a sense.

The special chip in my test device is the Intel Core i7-11375H, a quad-core processor with a base clock rate of 3.3 GHz. From now on the Triton 300 SE will only be offered in this single configuration, which also contains 16 GB DDR4 RAM and a 512 GB SSD. In addition, it is only sold through Best Buy, which means that availability is scarce. While it's a balanced configuration (especially at $ 1,400), I hope there will be more options available at some point.

In my runs in Geekbench 5 and Cinebench R23, this 35-watt processor consistently delivered stronger multi-core scores than ultrabooks (which also have four cores) and stronger single-core scores than 10th generation gaming laptops. Of course, 15-inch gaming laptops like the MSI GS66 Stealth or the Razer Blade 15 can support six- or eight-core chips, which achieve far better multi-core results. It is also far behind AMD's Ryzen CPUs with eight cores – even the 15-watt variants.

Cant say I am overly impressed by the raw performance of the Intel H35 chip.

Perhaps the most interesting comparison is between the Triton 300 SE and a 14-inch U-series laptop like the HP Specter x360 14 or Lenovo Yoga 9i 14. The multi-core values ​​of the Triton 300 SE are even 33% higher than those . That's what gives you 7-10 extra watts of power.

This improved multi-core performance should result in better results for content creation applications. I started with a CPU tied handbrake test encoding a 4K movie trailer for H.265. The results were good and took just under three minutes. That's about 17% faster than the Lenovo Yoga 7i 14. However, the eight-core Ryzen 9 4900HS in the ROG Zephyrus G14 stomped on the Triton 300 SE and did the job in just a minute and 40 seconds. Cant say I am overly impressed by the raw performance of the Intel H35 chip.

Fortunately, things get a lot better when you factor in the Triton 300 SE's discrete graphics card. In the PCMark 10 Creative test, for example, the Triton 300 SE is 12% ahead of the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14. Of course, you can make more money for video editing with a larger 15-inch laptop. If this type of performance is more important to you, the Triton 300 SE is not for you. The additional multi-core performance in the Zephyrus G14 is a better choice.

Gaming performance

The RTX 3060 in the Triton 300 SE naturally makes it a proven gaming laptop. Smaller gaming laptops like the Razer Blade Stealth with its GTX 1650 Ti are good for light gaming, but the Triton 300 SE is almost twice as powerful for gaming.

I haven't tested the updated version of the Zephyrus G14 yet, but as you'll see, this hasn't stopped even the older model from improving the Triton 300 SE's frame rates.

Laptop 3DMark Time Spy 3DMark Fire Strike Assassin's Creed Valhalla (1080p Ultra High) Battlefield V (1080p Ultra) Fortnite (1080p Epic) Civilization VI (1080p Ultra)
Predator Triton 300 SE (RTX 3060) 6038 13794 50 frames per second (fps) 68 fps 78 fps 84 fps
ROG Zephyrus G14 (RTX 2060) 5861 13876 n / A 70 fps 91 fps 91 fps
Razer Blade Stealth (GTX 1650 Ti) 3035 7186 n / A n / A n / A 49 fps
MSI GS66 Stealth (RTX 3080) 9097 19175 70 fps 117 fps 140 fps 149 fps

The Predator Triton 300 SE can almost keep up with the Zephyrus G14 in Battlefield V, but remains behind in other games. The frame rate is 14% lower in Fortnite and 8% lower in Civilization VI. You don't want to see that against the predecessor model of a direct competitor. I would expect the recently introduced RTX 3060 version of the G14 to move forward even further.

I didn't have a comparison rating for Assassin's Creed Valhalla for the Zephyrus G14, but I tested Assassin's Creed Odyssey on both systems. None of the laptops could play this game at 60 fps at extremely high settings, with the Triton 300 SE averaging 51 frames per second (fps). This was the only game in which the Triton 300 SE beat the G14, which only hit 42 fps.

Overall, however, the Zephyrus G14 is the faster gaming notebook in most cases. It seems that Asus has a more efficient cooling system and can push the graphics harder than the Triton 300 SE. Given that the two laptops are almost the same size, this is remarkable.

But I would be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy the gaming experience on the Triton 300 SE. If you set the settings to Medium or High in most games, the frame rates will jump over 100. This is the ideal place for silky smooth animation. The difference between the G14's 120 Hz and the Triton 300 SE's 144 Hz won't appear too often, but having extra leeway to play is never bad.

In addition, there is a clear trade-off in terms of fan noise. The Triton 300 SE is better able to stay quiet for simpler tasks, which was one of my main complaints with the Zephyrus G14. The vents on the top of the keyboard get warm during gaming, but the Triton 300 SE keeps the surface temperatures on the keyboard and palm rests extremely low. All of this helps the Triton 300 SE double as a standard work laptop better than the Zephyrus G14.

Battery life

I don't normally expect long battery life from gaming laptops, but the Triton 300 SE is different here, too. A lower power CPU is being used, which is designed to improve lifespan on a single charge. Acer claims that the Triton 300 SE can even last up to 10 hours under its specific conditions.

I tested this in two ways: a local 1080p playback test and an iMacros web browser test. The video loop lasted just under eight hours on a single charge, while the system lasted just under seven and a half hours in the more realistic web browsing test. You're far better with 25-watt laptops, but I was pretty impressed with how long the Triton 300 SE can last.

The system traded beats with the Zephyrus G14 in terms of battery life. The G14 lasted two more hours on the video loop and just under six hours on the internet. Other gaming laptops with decent battery life include the MSI GS66 Stealth and the Razer Blade 15, both of which are only 30 to 60 minutes shorter than the Triton 300 SE.

Keyboard and touchpad

The keyboard is not my favorite aspect of this laptop, but it is serviceable. Acer decided to move the standard Predator keyboard over to the Triton 300 SE, which feels like a missed opportunity. It's not a bad keyboard, but I would have preferred something with less feel, bigger keycaps, and more precise bottom-out action. The multimedia buttons on the right don't bother me, although I have to admit that they always put me off when screen brightness and volume control are not next to each other.

The keyboard has a three-zone RGB backlight with four levels of brightness for the backlight. Colors and patterns can all be customized in the PredatorSense application.

The touchpad does better. It's very big and the pursuit is smooth. It's a high quality touchpad, and even the click mechanism feels solid.

The Triton 300 SE has a 720p webcam above the screen. However, it lacks an IR camera, so Windows Hello hands-free logins are not possible.

Our opinion

The Predator Triton 300 SE represents a new generation of gaming laptops. Smaller, yes, but just as powerful. At $ 1,400, it's not overly expensive for a gaming laptop, either. For me, it's the future of gaming laptops.

The only problem? The Zephyrus G14 came here first and has better performance in both gaming and content creation. They are similar in price and end up in the same category depending on size. However, I prefer the way Acer optimized the Triton 300 SE for cooler and quieter operation, which makes it a better work laptop.

Are there alternatives?

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 can hardly be surpassed in this category. It is gaining performance across the board, which makes it a better option for most people. Asus also offers a lot more configurations, including options for cheaper graphics or higher resolution screens.

The Razer Blade Stealth is an even smaller gaming laptop, despite being more expensive and not as powerful.

When you're ready to move on to a bigger 15-inch laptop, you can find some more powerful options like the Razer Blade 15 and MSI GS66 Stealth.

How long it will take?

The Predator Triton 300 SE should last at least four or five years, especially if your main focus is on competitive esports games. The laptop comes with a standard one-year warranty.

Should you buy it?

Yes. It represents a new category of gaming laptop that many PC gamers will love. The category is still in its infancy, but the Triton 300 SE has confirmed to me that the highly portable 14-inch gaming laptop will become an extremely attractive option for PC gamers going forward.

Editor's recommendations




12 Mar
Blog

HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop Review: A Gorgeous Glass House

HP Omen 30l Gaming Desktop Rating 6

HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop

"The HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop is the most beautiful gaming desktop you can buy."

  • Smooth 4K gaming

  • Beautiful design

  • Accessible internals

  • Ready to upgrade

  • Good value

  • Can get very loud and hot

Everyone wants to build their own PC these days. The problem? It is next to impossible to find affordable components these days. If it's your first rodeo, putting one together from scratch can be daunting.

HP has developed its new Omen 30L Gaming Desktop precisely for this target group. With all of the industry-standard upgrades and a DIY-friendly setup, it's unlike anything you'd find on an Alienware or ROG desktop.

Did I mention this thing is absolutely awesome? It is. With a starting price of $ 1,100, it's pretty affordable too. Obviously, this is not the configuration anyone should buy. You pay over $ 2,000 to get a model with the new RTX-30 series graphics.

If you can grab one, you're going to be pampered.

design

The aesthetics of the HP Omen 30L fit my tastes perfectly. The case is simple and nifty, similar to NZXT or Lian-Li. The edges are straight, the vents are small and even the lighting is tasteful. Don't even compare this to a desktop from ROG or Predator.

The branding is also minimalist. A simple diamond shape adorns the front and glows in bright white like a kind of alien obelisk. Let's call it mid-century modern gaming desktop design.

Let's call it mid-century modern gaming desktop design.

Still, HP added a few details that set this device apart from the standard PC case that you can buy off the shelf. The front is made of tempered glass and offers a glimpse of the RGB-lit fan inside, interrupted by the pattern of triangular vents on the side. It feels like you're in a museum looking at an ancient relic. HP charges extra for this, but I love the ultra-reflective look.

The vent design is also along the top plate, which is made entirely of machined aluminum. Like any other surface on the tower, it feels extremely stiff. At the top you'll also find a number of ports including a headphone / microphone combo jack and two SuperSpeed ​​USB-A ports. I'd love to see a USB-C port offered here, which includes options like the Asus ROG Strix GT35 and Falcon NW Talon.

HP Omen 30l Gaming Desktop Rating 7

HP Omen 30l Gaming Desktop Rating 3

For all the metal and glass, HP managed to keep the system pretty light. It weighs 28 pounds, making it lighter than the 30 pound Lenovo Legion Tower 5i and the 35 pound Falcon NW Talon. However, the Omen 30L is slightly larger thanks to the large rubber feet underneath. According to HP, that empty space significantly increased airflow from below.

The tempered glass is also used for the side panel, which gives you a clear view of your hardware. At the top there is a row of RGB lights that pour the fixtures into a beautiful bath of color. Again, it's a touch that is similar to what many custom PC makers go for.

Internals

The Omen 30L Gaming Desktop uses a custom micro-ATX motherboard that is typical for this tower size. The board is even matte black, which is a nice touch. The Falcon NW Talon uses a full-size ATX board, which offers a few additional features but makes the internal layout feel a bit cramped. The Omen 30L is beautiful and spacious.

The card enables an additional M.2 SSD and two SATA drives in the available storage bays.

Cable management is a bit sloppy.

I wouldn't call it clean, however. Cable management is a bit sloppy, especially if you're from a boutique PC maker like Origin or Falcon NW. They are crossing each other in all directions and it would be quite a mess to untangle and redirect them. This is part of the DIY aesthetic that is better avoided in a pre-built system.

Fortunately, the internals are completely tool-free. The textured button on the back opens in the side area. It's an extremely simple and easy-to-use design. I even prefer the door hinges that open like the Falcon NW Talon, which can be inconvenient if you leave your tower on your desk.

The other side wall can be removed with just one screw. This also applies to the graphics card, which is held in place by a plastic brace to prevent sagging and ensure safe delivery. The Omen 30L has plenty of room for cards, even if it's as big as the massive Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090.

My test unit was a water-cooled system, although the base model uses a standard air cooler. In both cases, HP has partnered with Cooler Master for all of the thermal, including the front intake and rear exhaust fans. There's not much room for additional fans, though HP mentioned that there may be room on top to install a larger cooler. The 750 watt power supply is also provided by Cooler Master. Unfortunately there is no manual off switch included.

After all, the RGB memory sticks in my test unit came from HyperX, a company that HP now fully owns. My system was 32GB of Fury DDR4, which is the maximum amount you can get.

Game performance

With options from Intel, AMD, and Nvidia, the performance you get will vary. As it turns out, your choice of these processors and GPUs is a crapshoot too. Third-party manufacturers also have inventory issues. HP says an RTX 3060 configuration will also be available at some point.

However, if you get a configuration similar to mine, you won't be disappointed with the performance. It came with an Intel Core i9-10900K, an Nvidia RTX 3080, and a 1 TB M.2 SSD.

In 3DMark Time Spy, the Omen 30L fell right between some of its closest competitors. With a score of 16,108, it lands 11% in front of the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i and 5% behind the Falcon NW Talon. Both systems were also equipped with the RTX 3080. The lead over the Legion Tower 5i was reduced to only 3% in the older DirectX 11 benchmark Fire Strike.

The RTX 3080 is meant to be a 4K capable card, so I plug it into my 4K 144Hz monitor to see what it can do. It could play any game I tested in 4K at well over 60 fps (frames per second) on maximum settings, with the exception of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. The in-game benchmark of this title spit out an average of 52 fps.

It's the only game I've preferred the 1440p experience where it was 70 fps faster on average. It was between 5% (1080p, High) and 15% (4K, Ultra High) behind the Falcon NW Talon in various graphics settings and resolutions, which was a performance difference from the other games I also tested.

With the highest fidelity, the Omen 30L often exchanged beats with the talon. But in 1080p it fell behind the talon. The clearest example was Civilization VI, which is already more CPU-dependent than the others. The Omen 30L averaged 158 fps in 4K on Ultra, but that's 11% behind the Falcon NW Talon. This lead was increased to 22% with 1080p Medium, which shows how much the CPU has bottlenecks compared to the Omen.

There have been cases when the fan noise was very loud. How scary loud.

This was also true for Fortnite, where the Omen was faster than the Talon and Legion in 4K (95 fps) but was 10% behind the Talon in 1080p. I suspect most gamers won't be too offended by the inequality, but it's worth a mention if you're trying to get the absolute fastest frame rates out of your system.

It's hard to blame the Omen 30L too much, especially since there have been games like Battlefield V where there was a much more even battle between the three systems, with no deviations of more than 5 fps. Regardless, playing in 4K at 100 fps feels awesome and shows just how groundbreaking the RTX 3080 really is.

The more serious problem with the Omen 30L was fan noise. It wasn't bad during most of the games – but there were times when it was very noisy. How scary loud. During my 3DMark Time Spy, I also saw occasional spikes in CPU temperatures as high as 97 degrees Celsius, which you don't want to see. The system has leveled itself to about 73 degrees for most of the load, but the thermals should have tinkered a little more between the temperature peaks and the fan noise.

Creative achievement

Gaming is a priority for the HP Omen 30L, but there's no reason you can't try it in creative applications like Adobe Premiere or Blender. CPU performance is good, although you obviously get more multi-core juice if you go for AMD's Ryzen platform.

The Ryzen 5950X, which I tested in the Falcon NW Talon, for example, drew circles around the Core i7-10900K in both the PugetBench Premiere Pro and the Blender benchmarks. PugetBench tests critical tasks like 4K playback and video encoding. That's why the multi-core capabilities of the Talon with Ryzen drive exceeded the omen by 18%.

That said, the HP Omen 30L is a capable creative workstation, especially if you can use that monster GPU.

Our opinion

The HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop is the most beautiful gaming desktop you can buy – hands down. Boutique options like the Falcon NW offer slightly better performance and far more neat cable management. But for the price, the HP Omen 30L is my preferred pre-built gaming desktop in its category.

Are there alternatives?

The two obvious options are the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i and the Alienware Aurora R11. The Legion Tower 5i is a good option, although you can't currently configure it with RTX 30 series cards. So forget about him.

Both the Alienware Aurora R11 and the Asus ROG Strix GT35 are larger and more powerful than the Omen 30L, but also more expensive. And nowhere near as good-looking.

Finally, both the Falcon NW Talon and Origin Neuron are good choices, but they are far more expensive.

How long it will take?

The HP Omen 30L will last as long as you have it. That's the beauty of desktops that are easy to update. Everything can be exchanged even if you run into technical problems.

However, HP's protection plan isn't very good. There is only a one-year standard warranty.

Should you buy it?

Yes. If you can find one of the high-end configurations, you won't find a better pre-made gaming desktop.

Editor's recommendations




04 Jan
Blog

LG 27GN850 Review: The Perfect 4K Gaming Monitor?

LG 27gn950 Monitor Review dsc02946

"The LG 27GN950 is a 4K gaming monitor designed for the next generation of PC graphics."

  • Extremely good image quality

  • Excellent fast gaming performance

  • Intuitive, sharp and responsive OSD

  • Classy appearance

  • Easy access to I / O

  • No HDMI 2.1

  • Inconspicuous stand

If you're one of the lucky few who managed to get your hands on one of the latest graphics cards, you need a 4K gaming monitor to go with it too.

But even the best monitors have a hard time delivering both great image quality and a high refresh rate. LG's new 4K gaming monitor the 27GN950 claims to do just that. With nano IPS screen technology, it may be as close to perfection as possible without jumping all the way to an OLED TV.

design

As a 27-inch monitor, the first thing you notice about the 27GN950 is that it is not very large. Among the massive ultrawide monitors and 32-inch 4K giants, this 27-inch panel is a breath of fresh air as the focus is exclusively on a razor-sharp image.

The bezels around the panel are hair thin, with the lower one being slightly thicker than the others. There is no LG logo on the front of the panel. Without a curve, it looks surprisingly elegant – if you leave out the somewhat garish stand.

Looking at the back of the monitor, you'll find that the display case isn't made out of the fancyest materials. It's just cheap, scratchy plastics. Fortunately, it's in the back so it won't hit you too often.

Around the bracket and the entry / exit island there is a large RGB ring that lights up with the monitor and can adapt its colors to the colors displayed. This is a good party trick to add immersion despite the modest panel size.

Then there's the stand of the display, which I'm not a fan of. The adjustment mechanism has all the necessary settings for height, tilt and rotation. But with a panel that looks so elegant, I find that the stand itself is designed a little too aggressively. It's like a throwback to an older generation of gaming equipment, but I'm not nostalgic.

The front feet are strangely connected to the main pillar, and I wish LG had turned off the logo for a cleaner aesthetic. However, if you're a minimalist like me I would drop the stand and use a monitor arm. There are VESA 100 mounting holes to aid in this.

Connections and controls

If you're a pure PC gamer, the 27GN950's rear input / output panel is a good choice. It comes with a DisplayPort 1.4a connector that supports DSC (Display Stream Compression) to provide full 4K, 160Hz, 4: 4: 4 RGB support when using an RTX 20 GPU or later.

If you're someone who has a console in addition to your PC to get access to Sony's exclusive products, you may feel a little disappointed for one simple reason: the lack of HDMI 2.1. In fact, given the promising 4K gameplay from the Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X over HDMI 2.1, it seems a little strange that LG chose to only install an HDMI 2.0 controller, even though most of its latest TVs support HDMI 2.1 . This means that the maximum refresh rate supported by the 27GN950 through the HDMI ports is only 60 Hz. There are at least two HDMI ports here, so you can hook up two consoles if you're okay with the refresh rate being compromised.

There is also a USB hub with two ports and a headphone jack. The monitor is powered by an external 110 watt power supply module that is thin and easy to hide under your desk.

Having instant access to brightness controls is extremely valuable.

The OSD (On-Screen Display) control panel from LG is in a league of its own. The user interface is controlled by a single directional switch at the bottom of the display and is extremely clear, responsive and easy to navigate. To control the brightness of the display, simply press the switch forwards or backwards to jump directly into the brightness controls. To adjust the volume of the headphones, simply switch left or right to decrease or increase the volume.

The OSD is also easy to navigate. It has five main sub-menus including Game Mode with some presets and Game Customization with advanced options like Adaptive-Sync, a black stabilizer to improve detail in the dark, and a deceptive crosshair. The Image Adjustment menu provides options for adjusting the settings for brightness, contrast, sharpness, and color. Finally, there is a submenu for inputs and a submenu called General System.

The only complaint I have about the OSD is that it doesn't seem to render in high resolution. The 4K panel can display extremely sharp and razor-sharp images. So it's a little weird that the OSD is rendering a bit fuzzy even though you don't spend much time here anyway and it's still better than most of the others.

picture quality

LG's Nano IPS-based gaming monitors are characterized by high image quality, and the 27GN950 is no exception. The company promises that the 27GN950 will cover 98% of the DCI-P3 space, and while our device didn't quite hit that number, it wasn't far off with a tested value of 96%. Our sample included 100% of the sRGB space and 88% of the AdobeRGB.

We also tested the monitor's color accuracy, which resulted in an average Delta-E (difference from real) of just 0.69. Keep in mind that anything below a Delta-E of 2 is generally considered good enough for professional work, and you'll probably agree that the 27GN950 is great for creative graphics work, which we don't often see on gaming monitors see.

However, where the display gets stuck is the contrast performance. The fast Nano IPS panel is ideal for fast reactions, high frame rates, a wide range of colors and precise colors. However, one of the weaknesses of IPS is its poor contrast performance. Our sample achieved a value of 980: 1 at full brightness, which is pretty much the promised 1000: 1 ratio on the data sheet. If you like to play games at night and don't need the wide color gamut and color accuracy, you might opt ​​for a cheaper VA panel.

The 27GN950 is great for graphic work – something we don't see often on gaming monitors.

The maximum brightness we achieved with the 27GN950 was 462 nits, which is more than adequate for most use cases including brightly lit rooms and is more than promised on the spec sheet. Gamma performance was perfect right away too, and the 6900K white point is pretty close to the 6500K target, although this can be easily corrected with OSD settings or calibration.

After calibrating the monitor, I was able to pull out 1% more DCI-P3 cover, correct the white point and increase the color accuracy from 0.69 to just 0.63. While these are improvements, it's safe to say that calibrating the 27GN950 is of little use and that most users won't have to worry about it.

Gaming performance

When it comes to gaming on the LG 27GN950, there is one thing you need to consider before you take the plunge: this display requires a ton of GPU power if you're running modern titles at the full 4K resolution and want to take advantage of the high refresh rate.

This isn't that big of an issue with older games, but today's AAA titles, especially those with ray tracing, will be tough to push. You need at least a GeForce RTX 3070 or Radeon RX 6800 XT if you want smooth performance. Even with these cards, you won't get near the high end of the panel's 144Hz refresh rate when you run the games at maximum settings.

However, this is not a fault of the monitor. When it comes to panel performance, the 27GN950 puts on an impressive show. The Nano IPS control panel reacts extremely quickly and can easily be overclocked to 160 Hz after updating the firmware of the display with just one push of a button. The stuttering and tearing is dealt with by the compatibility of FreeSync Premium Pro and G-Sync, and the display has low frame rate compensation for the inevitable drops in modern titles.

In contrast to VA panels, the Nano IPS panel does not smear here.

The smaller 27-inch form factor is also good for competitive gameplay because you can keep an eye on the entire game. It's also a great monitor for those who want to get up close and personal during intense gaming thanks to the sharp image.

In contrast to VA panels, the Nano IPS panel does not smear here either. High refresh rate budget monitors often come with VA panels. Although they offer better contrast ratios, they can lead to noticeable color smudging, especially in dark scenes. The 27GN950 has no such error.

What is special about the 27GN950, however, is the combination of this outstanding gaming performance with the sharpness of 4K and the extremely wide range of colors offered by the 96% DCI-P3 coverage.

I've played a fair amount of Horizon Zero Dawn on this panel, and this game makes great use of its wide range. The way it portrays the colors of the sun, the intense red sunsets, the vibrant green for the foliage and the deep blue for the water, along with the sharp image … it was something to see.

The downside is that it's not as impressive as the LG 34GN850 Curved Ultrawide with the same nano-IPS technology, but not everyone wants a huge ultrawide monitor on their desk.

What to Expect from the HDR600

The 27GN950 is also supported by HDR600, which means it can produce a peak brightness of up to 600 nits with just one of the HDR zones. It comes with 16 edge-lit dimming zones, which is fine but not great. It is certainly not an OLED panel, and VA panels are usually better able to produce deep black levels.

Of course, if you want a true HDR experience on a gaming monitor, you'll have to find one with FALD (Full Array Local Dimming) lighting, but this LED arrangement behind the panel instead of edge lighting costs a lot of money. Think two big amounts of money.

Personally, I prefer to play with HDR turned off. It's nice to play around with what the 27GN950 can offer, but the cleanest picture is produced with the picture off. Also, Windows looks very hidden with HDR turned on, and you need to enable it in Windows in order to enable it in your game settings.

Our opinion

If you are looking for a 4K monitor for gaming and creative work in the market, the LG 27GN950 is as good as your only option right now. If it offers a responsive panel with a refresh rate of up to 160 Hz, while maintaining a large color gamut and extremely good color accuracy that we don't see often. It is also one of the first 4K gaming monitors to use DSC.

The main drawbacks are the contrast performance, a nondescript booth, and the distinct lack of HDMI 2.1, which is an odd omission considering that LG has been using it on its OLED TVs since 2019, and next-gen consoles don't have enough bandwidth to run high To achieve frame rates.

Are there alternatives?

Currently the only two alternatives are the Asus XG27UQ and the Acer Nitro XV273K, both of which are a bit cheaper. They're not overclockable to 160Hz, but limited to 144Hz, and their overall look is a little stickier. Aside from the stand, the LG 27GN950 looks simple, clean, and refined.

How long it will take?

Although the low contrast ratio of IPS technology is showing its age, the 4K 160 Hz panel means this monitor should last a while as it will be a few more years before GPUs can reach their refresh rate.

The monitor should last as long as most monitors: at least 5 years. However, LG only offers a 1 year guarantee.

Should I buy it?

Yes, if you need a monitor for work and play and it has to be 4K, the LG 27GN950 is a great option.

Editor's recommendations




28 Oct
Blog

Bose QuietComfort 35 II Gaming Review: Lost In Translation

bose quietcomfort 35 ii gaming review boseqc35iigaming1

Bose QuietComfort 35 II Play

"Bose is a noob in gaming audio, and it shows."

  • Pleasant, balanced sound

  • Light and comfortable

  • Excellent active noise cancellation

  • Lack of virtual surround sound

  • Lacks audio punch in action games

  • Not wireless when gaming

  • Bad value

I have four headphones. That may sound silly, but I suspect you're not far behind me. Here is my list:

  • Wireless PC gaming headset
  • Sony PlayStation 4 wireless headset
  • Wireless earbuds
  • Wired headphones

I blame this absurd situation with the clutter of audio compatibility that can be found on different devices. My PC gaming headset works great for my PC, but not well with the PlayStation 4, and not at all with something that lacks USB-A. My Sony PS4 headset is only useful for the PS4. My wireless earbuds technically connect to anything I own. However, due to their short battery life, I am reserving them for use with my phone. And my wired headphones, now 12 years old, are still the best choices for music, but they require a 3.5mm headphone jack and are too big to be used from the comfort of a desk.

Obviously, my life would be less cluttered with just one device to get it all done. Enter the Bose QuietComfort 35 II Gaming. Based on the popular QC 35 II wireless noise-canceling headphones, the gaming model has a wired microphone for lag-free PC games. They connect to everything I own and can even connect two devices at the same time.

At $ 330, however, the promise of all-round connectivity doesn't come cheap. Can QC 35 II Gaming keep its promise?

Audio quality

Crystal clear audio is the main goal of this headset. It is a conversion of a wireless headset that is usually aimed at audiophiles. So I was expecting an excellent experience.

I'll start with the bad news. The Bose QuietComfort 35 II Gaming begins its life as wireless headphones, so they lack the taste in sound that I expect from a wireless gaming headset. They're balanced and crystal clear, but lack surround sound virtualization, a feature that is now combined with games like butter on toast.

Matthew S. Smith / Digital Trends

Simply put, the QC 35 II Gaming is not trying to take your socks off. They're great for Final Fantasy XIV, where the game's amazing soundtrack can take center stage, or Microsoft Flight Simulator, where clear sound makes air traffic control chatter easier to hear and modest bass rewinding an airplane engine drone.

However, in Call of Duty: Warzone, the lack of punch was so noticeable that at first I thought my audio settings were wrong. It wasn't you. The QC 35 II Gaming can't keep up with the impressive virtual surround sound of headsets like the Logitech G733 or the SteelSeries Arctis 7.

The tradeoff for this is the great audio quality everywhere else, which is important. Modern gaming headsets are big bucks, but usually have a muddy sound that strips away details and nuances.

Matthew S. Smith / Digital Trends

Switching from a Logitech G733 to the QC 35 II is a day versus night difference – and I really enjoy the G733. The headset from Logitech is flawless in almost every situation. But put them against Bose on my Spotify Rewind playlist, and Bose will train the Logitech.

Your opinion on the sound of the QC 35 II Gaming depends on what you are playing. If all you want to do is gamble and play games that make adequate use of virtual surround mode, a dedicated gaming headset is better for you. If you're looking to listen to a wide variety of media or play games that have great soundtracks and audio design above volume, the Bose QC 35 II might make sense.

Microphone performance

The Bose QuietComfort 35 II games are defined by an additional microphone that is connected to the audio jack on the headset. The microphone is then connected to a puck using a 3.5mm audio jack. And this puck, which also functions as a volume control, is then connected to your PC via USB.

Confused? Here's the real head scratcher. The QC 35 II Gaming already has a built-in microphone. So why another corded microphone?

The answer to that question – which hardcore gamers have already guessed – is lag. Bluetooth is not a perfect solution for gaming due to latency. It is not ideal to hear an opponent's rifle 200 milliseconds after firing. Because of this, wireless gaming headsets come with proprietary wireless dongles instead of using Bluetooth. However, the QC 35 II Gaming already has Bluetooth, so Bose taps on a wired microphone that is also used to connect the headphones.

Matthew S. Smith / Digital Trends

It's not a good solution. At $ 330, the QC 35 II Gaming is at the high end of wireless gaming headsets. They're not actually wireless when playing games, however. More precisely, the QC 35 II Gaming are wireless Bluetooth headphones that can be converted into a wired gaming headset.

The company makes this clear in its marketing out of fairness to Bose. The QC 35 II Gaming is designed as a gaming headset that also has a "wireless lifestyle mode". Bose doesn't lead anyone astray. However, that doesn't make the wired microphone any less annoying.

At least the wired microphone is excellent. I compared it back to back to the Logitech G733, the Logitech G533, and the Razer Kraken. The QC 35 II Gaming was the clear winner. All four headsets are sufficient, but the QC 35 II Gaming has a clean, crisp quality that is a step above the norm.

Comfort and design

Alright. I've been banging on this evil for a while now – and rightly so. It's a cumbersome attempt to turn a great pair of wireless headphones into a gaming headset, and it doesn't quite work. The Bose QC 35 II Gaming, however, remains at its core the Bose QC 35 II. You can read our Bose QC 35 II review to get the expert perspective of our A / V editor, but I'll summarize the benefits.

The QC 35 II Gaming are compact, foldable for mobility and come with a travel bag. They are light and comfortable to wear. The ear cups, while still an over-ear design, are smaller than most gaming headsets and breathe well. The processing quality is excellent. The phone app that manages wireless connections (the QC 35 II Gaming can connect to two Bluetooth sources at the same time) is simple, but works well enough.

Matthew S. Smith / Digital Trends

It is in the so-called "lifestyle mode" that these advantages are most important to the gaming version, and this is not an unattractive pitch. You can use the QC 35 II Gaming at home with a gaming rig, listen to music on your phone while doing housework, or take them for a walk around the neighborhood.

You can now buy gaming headsets with lag-free wireless connectivity and built-in bluetooth like the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless. Just like the QC 35 II Gaming, these headsets can also serve as all-in-one audio devices. However, they're bigger, heavier, often don't work as well with mobile devices, and usually have a retractable (rather than detachable) microphone.

Don't forget the QC 35 II Gaming's active noise cancellation either. It's effective, eliminating most repetitive sounds, and making everything else much less loud. This is less useful for gaming than it is for traveling. Bose is the master of ANC and the ANC quality of the QC 35 II Gaming is superior to any gaming headset or wireless headphones I have used.

Battery life

The battery life of the QC 35 II Gaming underlines the cumbersome conversion of the headset. Bose claims up to 40 hours in wired game mode and up to 20 hours in wireless lifestyle mode.

That's right. Battery life is limited in wired mode. Forty hours is a long, long time. I usually don't play more than two hours a day, so the QC 35 II would theoretically last three weeks and I've never compromised its endurance while wiring it. On the other hand, gamblers who gamble a lot will eat through a fee in two or three days.

Bose quotes 20 hours of wireless battery life. They seem close to that number. The QC 35 II QC gaming headphones are so comfortable that I wore them more than usual. That's a good sign, although I charged it once every two to three days – more often than the less comfortable Logitech G533, which is my usual daily driver. Still, I can't knock on Bose for wanting to wear the QC 35 II Gaming.

Additional functions

The QC 35 II Gaming has a customizable button that can be used to control ANC. It can also call Alexa or Google Assistant. This is an important function for the QC 35 II wireless headphones, but irrelevant for a gaming headset. This can be useful when using the QC 35 II Gaming as wireless headphones. The built-in microphone is preferable to telephoning from anywhere in the room.

As already mentioned, the QC 35 II Gaming comes with a volume puck. Inclusion is a wise decision by Bose as it will ease the annoyance of using cables. Without the puck, you'd have to plug the headset directly into your desktop's 3.5mm audio, and that would be a chore. Adjusting the volume by rotating the puck is also more convenient than using the headphones' volume buttons.

However, wire length was still a problem. A short 3-foot 3.5mm audio cable connects the microphone to the puck. It's barely long enough for the job. I usually run the audio cable from my wired headphones on the side of my desk so it doesn't get caught on my keyboard or the HOTAS (Hands on Throttle-and-Stick) I use for Microsoft Flight Simulator. However, this is not possible here.

Our opinion

The Bose QuietComfort 35 II Gaming are great wireless headphones that are built into a disappointing gaming headset. They look great, sound great, and have an excellent ANC. The wired implementation of gaming connectivity isn't ideal, however, and it's difficult to balance that with the $ 330 price tag.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. The SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless, Sennheiser GSP 670 and HyperX Cloud Flight S are examples of great gaming headsets that can connect via WiFi or Bluetooth. If all you want is a gaming headset, solid entries like the Logitech G733 start at $ 130.

The Bose QC 35 II Gaming beat them as everyday headphones. But when you buy a gaming headset, gaming is a priority. Other gaming headsets are easier to use, support wireless gaming, and have 7.1 virtual surround sound.

How long it will take?

The QC 35 II Gaming are exceptionally well built and personally I have never broken a headset or headphones (despite washing my AirPods). Accidents aside, you can assume that the QC 35 II Gaming will last as long as the battery life lasts. Heavy users might want a new pair in three years, but I think most owners will be in use for at least five years.

Should you buy it?

No. The Bose QuietComfort 35 II are great wireless headphones, but disappointing as a gaming headset. Gamers should stick to headsets that are designed from the ground up for gaming.

Editor's recommendations




09 Oct
Blog

Lenovo G27c-10 Review: 165 Hz curved gaming monitor For $200

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"The Lenovo G27c-10 is a great entry-level option to get into the fluidity of high FPS games."

  • Affordable

  • 165 Hz: Smooth playing

  • Remarkably accurate colors

  • Immersive size and curve

  • Bare minimal I / O

  • Low-maximum brightness

  • Limited color gamut

  • No DisplayPort cable included

If you are buying a fast gaming monitor on a budget, there is a good chance that you will or will come across the Lenovo G27c-10 in your efforts. It is a 27-inch full HD gaming monitor with a VA panel and a refresh rate of 165 Hz. This is a promising start to a great gaming experience.

The display's biggest selling point, of course, is its price, which comes in at $ 219 MSRP but often drops below $ 200, which is absolutely outstanding value for a 165Hz monitor.

How does it work in practice? Can the panel keep up with the refresh rate of 165 Hz? Is the picture quality good? And will it end up on our list of the best monitors? Let's find out.

design

When you unpack the G27c-10, you will find that it is an extremely simple monitor. The stand plugs into the bottom with a hand-turned screw and the monitor simply falls onto it. The locking mechanism takes care of the rest. The stand comes with height and tilt adjustments – and that's it – but you probably didn't intend to use this in portrait orientation. A cutout to pass cables through would have been nice, but no big deal.

Then there is the curve. Lenovo doesn't provide a curve radius, but we estimate it's in the range of around 1500R. It's certainly not as aggressive as the 1000R curve on Samsung's G7 monitors, nor as subtle as LG's curved displays either. Overall, it offers a good balance for its panel size and should please most gamers. The bezels are slim, which is very much appreciated at this price point, although we would have preferred not to see the pointer and performance graphics for the on-screen display (OSD) on the lower bezel as it adds no value and is a nuisance otherwise causes a clean design.

Other than that, the G27c-10's design doesn't offer much to comment on – it's about as clean as possible.

Connections and controls

Like the general design of the monitor, Lenovo didn't go to great lengths to give you extensive connectivity. The G27c-10 has an HDMI port and a DisplayPort port (which you need to use if you want G-Sync on an Nvidia GPU) and an audio-out jack in case you decide to run your headphones over your monitor.

The G27c-10's OSD is simple but has everything you need for a budget gaming monitor. Operation is via a direction switch at the lower right end of the monitor and is divided into four main sections: image settings, color settings, inputs and system settings. Inside you will find basic color controls, color temperature adjustments, brightness and contrast, FreeSync on / off, overdrive settings, game mode and a dark gain setting to brighten dark areas and gain a competitive edge in gaming.

picture quality

For the G27c-10, Lenovo opted for a VA panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, which is not particularly high for a 27-inch panel. This means that you will not get a sharp picture that is good for photo editing, although it will be enough for everyday use. Also in the game you are more interested in the high refresh rate of 165 Hz (keep in mind that most "normal" monitors are updated at 60 Hz), and the lower resolution means your GPU can pump out more frames and actually produce more frames using that high one Refresh rate.

We released our Spyder X Elite colorimeter on the G27c-10 and it was reported that the panel covered 96 percent of the sRGB space and 75 percent of the AdobeRGB. This isn't impressive and certainly won't please the photo editors, but it is enough. If you're buying a $ 200 gaming monitor, you probably won't mind that this isn't a wide range. If you're looking for a large color space, then you should check out something like the Acer ConceptD CM2.

The G27c-10 is remarkably color accurate with a Delta E of just 1.32.

However, when we tested the panel for color accuracy, the G27c-10 achieved a surprising Delta E (difference to the real) of 1.32. Any Delta E below 2 is considered good enough for image editing programs. Although the G27c-10 does not cover a large color space, the colors displayed look accurate.

The G27c-10 doesn't offer retinal-scorching brightness, which can be a problem depending on usage. We recorded a maximum of 328 nits, which is below the 350 nits stated by Lenovo, and subjectively the display wasn't very bright. For a good experience, make sure you're in a relatively dark room with maximum brightness play. For example, we don't want to use this monitor directly across from a window.

VA panels are known for their impressive ability to darken dark colors and create ink blacks rather than the dark gray that IPS panels create. Unfortunately, the G27C-10's best contrast ratio was 2350: 1, which is below the expected 3000: 1 value. Even so, most VA panels don't even come close to the 3000: 1 specification. In that regard, 2350: 1 is a reasonable achievement and for the most part leads you towards black and white. It's also better than you'd expect from a TN or IPS panel, especially at this price point.

The calibration of the G27c-10 had little to offer – it is as good as ex-factory.

We calibrated the display with the Spyder X Elite, but only lost more contrast, failed to achieve any color gamut and actually deteriorated the color accuracy. So it's safe to say that calibrating the G27c-10 is challenging. However, the out-of-the-box color accuracy is solid so this is less of a concern.

Gaming performance

As you'd expect from a 165Hz monitor, games look silky smooth when you have a GPU powerful enough to handle high frame rates. You want to dive into Windows settings and configure the panel to run at 165 Hz (Windows is 60 Hz by default on new monitors). Once you've done this and checked in the monitor's OSD and Nvidia's GeForce Control Panel (or AMD's Radeon Control Center) that G-Sync or FreeSync are running properly, your games will run smoothly with no stuttering or tearing . Note that to use G-Sync on an Nvidia card you need a DisplayPort cable, which is not included in the scope of delivery.

Since this is a VA panel, it can easily lag when bright objects move across a dark screen (like a mouse on a black background image). However, for the price of the display, the blurring is quite acceptable. If you want close to zero VA pollution levels on a gaming monitor, you'll have to increase your budget significantly for something like Samsung's 27-inch G7, but that monitor costs a whopping $ 650, which is just not worth it at that most buyers.

It's also worth noting that the display doesn't support HDR, which together with the relatively low brightness and limited color space means it won't blow you away with its image quality.

Once you stop pecking, the G27c-10 provides an extremely enjoyable gaming experience

Once you stop looking over the little flaws, the Lenovo G27c-10 is a good monitor. The curve is great for immersion and at 27 inches, it's the right size for most desks.

A great GPU to pair with this monitor would be Nvidia's GTX 1650 Super or AMD's RX 5500XT, which while not flagships, will get most of the games on this monitor into high frame rate areas without breaking the bank. You don't need the latest Nvidia RTX 3000 series card for this monitor unless you want to play a game like Metro Exodus with maximum ray tracing capabilities.

Our opinion

The Lenovo G27c-10 is by no means a perfect monitor, but it only costs $ 220. Prices often drop below the $ 200 mark, which is an incredible price for a 165Hz curved gaming display. It's not small either, measuring 27 inches diagonally, and it will work wonders for entry-level, high-FPS (frames per second) gaming setups.

The shortcomings are limited I / O connections, a modest color gamut, a little VA smear on the move, and a less sharp picture. However, these issues are easily excused by the monitor's very affordable price.

Are there alternatives?

Absolutely, but you will have to spend a little more to get them. Gigabyte's G27FC has similar specs but costs $ 50 more. Same goes for the MSI Optix MAG271VCR, which costs $ 260 but gives you a wider gamut of color and some luxury RGB items. The Lenovo is priced very competitively with other budget gaming monitors.

How long it will take?

Lenovo's G27c-10 should last as long as any monitor today: At least 5 years. Lenovo offers a one year warranty. However, aside from its fast refresh rate, it doesn't impress with its technology. So don't be surprised if you're looking for an upgrade about three years later.

Should I buy it?

Yes. If you're just looking for a fast gaming monitor on a budget with no needs other than gaming, the G27c-10 won't disappoint.

Editor's recommendations




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