Dell G5 SE Gaming Laptop Review-In-Progress: Peak AMD

Dell G5 Se Gaming Laptop Review 02

Dell G5 SE gaming laptop in progress: Peak AMD

"The Dell G5 SE is an extremely competitive midrange gaming laptop."

  • Excellent CPU performance

  • Great gaming performance for the price

  • Solid value across configurations

  • Bulky

  • The benefits of AMD Smartshift are opaque

Nvidia does not manufacture PC processors. Intel doesn't make PC graphics cards – at least not yet. AMD is the only company that does both, and hopes that a more harmonious relationship between CPU and GPU can lead to additional performance.

The Dell G5 SE offers our first glimpse of this potential. It is equipped with both a Ryzen 7 4800H and the Radeon RX 5600M graphics card, the latest and greatest AMD it has to offer. Does it last?

performance

On the outside there is not much to say about the Dell G5. It looks like it used to – robust and armor-like. It's the opposite of slim in almost every way.

The "SE" refers to what happens under this conservative exterior. Thanks to the Ryzen 7 4800H, this laptop offers eight cores and 16 threads of computing power. It also has 36 processing units and GDDR6 memory in the RX 5600M GPU. My test device was also equipped with 16 GB RAM, a 512 GB SSD and a 144 Hz screen with 1080p – all for a cool $ 1,200. That is a very attractive price.

This is a gaming laptop, so I started with 3DMark. The results in Time Spy were very encouraging for AMD. It missed a midrange version of the Dell G7 that I tested in late 2019 and that was powered by a 9th generation Nvidia RTX 2060 and an Intel Core i7-9750H. A 5% gain isn't much in benchmarks, but a profit is a gain.

It's going crazy here. The G5 SE has managed to develop the best thin gaming laptops like the Razer Blade 2019, which we tested with the RTX 2070 Max-Q from Nvidia. This is impressive. The G5 SE is a chunky laptop by comparison, but it's also a lot cheaper.

The processor performance is strong in itself, but who is surprised with eight cores and 16 threads? AMD's mobile Ryzen blows Intel's 6-core gaming chips in Cinebench R20 and Geekbench 5 out of the water. Here, too, the Razer Blade beats Cinebench Multi-Core by 49% and Handbrake by the same amount in video coding. I'm not surprised, especially after reviewing other Ryzen 4000 laptops like the ROG Zephyrus G14 or Acer Swift 3.

However, the actual story is not just about these components. The real magic comes from working together.

Gaming performance

Playing is a good place to start. Games strain the GPU more than the CPU, but it's a combined effort that requires a balance between the components.

I tested three games: Civilization VI, Fortnite and Assassins Creed Odyssey.

Civilization VI is a CPU-intensive game, and this is where a Ryzen 4000 laptop can shine. There were only a few FPS (frames per second) behind the Razer Blade with an Nvidia RTX 2070, which reached 79 FPS in ultra settings. Compared to the Nvidia RTX 2060 in the Dell G7 I tested, you still see 19% better frame rates.

This trend continued in Fortnite. The AMD-powered G5 delivers 85 FPS with Epic settings, slightly behind the RTX 2060 in the G7 and the Zephyrus G14. You should probably set the settings to "High" to take better advantage of the laptop's refresh rate of 144 Hz. There the G5 SE achieved an average of 105 FPS.

The final challenge was Assassin's Creed Odyssey, a game that brought even the most powerful gaming laptops to a standstill. The gameplay was pretty smooth with an average of 53 FPS. With high quality – the middle setting of the game. At Ultra High, you drop to 44 FPS, which is still playable but a bit choppy.

All games were of course played at 1080p as this is the native resolution for the Dell G5 SE. As you can see, the RX 5600M isn't the most powerful graphics card in the world and sits comfortably between the Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti and the Nvidia RTX 2060. Fortunately, you can purchase a basic configuration of the G5 SE for as low a price as $ 880 that always still comes with the same GPU. This is great value compared to what you get from Nvidia at this price.

SmartShift in action

In addition to the new GPU and CPU, the Dell G5 SE also introduces AMD technology, which connects the two. It's called SmartShift, a way of organically sharing the energy between the two components. Every laptop has an upper limit on the performance it can play with. SmartShift uses AMD's InfinityFabric on both ends to transfer more power to the CPU or GPU when the thermal headroom allows – even beyond standard performance. According to AMD, SmartShift can lead to an up to 10% improved frame rate in games.

The problem is that SmartShift cannot be turned off. So I can't prove it works. My last attempt to test SmartShift was video rendering in Adobe Premiere Pro. I loaded a 2 minute 4K video clip and exported it to the ProRes 422 codec, carefully observing the power distribution between the CPU and GPU. Rendering video in Premiere is a task best suited for a processor with a high number of cores. However, you can also tap the graphics card. This way you can see how smart SmartShift really is.

The Dell G5 SE didn't share as much power as I expected. The GPU was only occasionally tapped to keep the processor in the spotlight. The rendering time of the Dell G5 SE was good and the export was completed in just under 8 minutes. This happens fairly quickly and beats Intel laptops like the Razer Blade. More expensive options like the Dell XPS 15 or Microsoft Surface Book 3 surpass it by a few minutes.

SmartShift is said to work with an automated algorithm that determines the best performance allocation from moment to moment. However, according to Dell, AMD must also whitelist applications to better optimize their performance.

Battery life, display and more

There's more to tell about the G5 SE, including battery life and display quality. I will continue my in-depth testing and will update this review soon.

While the effects of SmartShift remain opaque, the Dell G5 SE is still an example of how dominant AMD processors have become in consumer hardware. While the company's top-end GPUs still can't compete with Nvidia, the Dell G5 SE is a competitive mid-range gaming laptop for its price.

The Dell G5 SE was available for sale on the Dell website on May 21, starting at $ 880. The start configuration has a Ryzen 5 4600H with six cores, 8 GB RAM, an SSD with 256 GB and the same RX 5600M graphics card as in my test device.

Editor's recommendations




TurboGrafx-16 Mini Review: Hardcore Retro Gaming

turbografx 16 mini pc motor core grafx review

TurboGrafx-16 Mini Review: Hardcore retro delight for everyone

"The TurboGrafx-16 Mini is the latest retro console you have to have."

  • Affordable price

  • Beautifully designed hardware and software

  • Extensive game selection

  • Optional multiplayer support

  • Second controller not included

  • Whimsical games can limit the attractiveness

Do you think you are a hardcore player? Do you usually end the video games you play in a couple of sessions and giggle when a friend describes a game as a "challenge" after hitting it several times? If it's you, it's time to put your money where your mouth is and buy the TurboGrafx-16 Mini, home to some of the toughest games ever.

Andy Boxall / Digitaltrends.com

The TurboGrafx 16 Mini, known in Japan as PC Engine Mini and in Europe as Core Grafx Mini, is another entry into the popular world of the newly released retro game consoles. Apart from its robustness, it is a little pleasure. I spent a long weekend diving in and out to see what it was like.

Design and furnishings

The model you see here is the European Core Grafx Mini, which exactly replicates the original model except for a 10% reduction in scale. The TurboGrafx 16 Mini is also a faithful replica of the original from the 90s, but differs greatly in its appearance. The small console is made of plastic and is very light. There are two USB Type A ports on the front for connecting the controller. One is included, but you can buy additional controllers and an adapter that lets you add up to five controllers for some games. This is a bit of a shame as it contains some great two-player titles. If you pay extra in addition to the $ 100 price, some people will be prevented from trying them out.

Andy Boxall / Digitaltrends.com

On the back there is a removable plate that hides the HDMI connection for your TV, as well as a micro USB for the power supply. You will receive a cable in the box, but no power supply. I used a basic charger that came with an Apple iPhone and it worked fine, so you don't have to buy a special charger before using the console. On the front there is a power switch in the same place as the original.

It only takes a few moments to connect the console and press the switch. At this point, it is immediately ready for use. There is no need to wait, no internet connection to be set up and no profile to be created. It's a welcome change from some of the more complex game consoles and makes the Core Grafx Mini perfect for quick game correction.

Andy Boxall / Digitaltrends.com

The two-button controller is the same size and design as the original and has quick switches for both buttons. It's smaller than a PlayStation 4 dual shock controller and a lot lighter. It's convenient to hold and use, and connects to a generous 3-meter cable, but anyone who has only used a modern controller will find it easy. The D-Pad is less precise than an analog stick or even a touchscreen, and it feels tight at first because of its small size, although I got used to it after a short time. All of this is part of the appeal, true to the original and representative of its time. This is also one of the reasons why the line-up of the games puts your skills to the test.

Menu and game selection

What a beautifully designed software and menu system this console offers. From the various background images – the animated with the moving PC Engine character – to the cheerful stereo music and the simplicity of the game selection, it is both lovingly created and perfectly executed. You scroll through a horizontal list of games organized by console. This means that you get a selection of games released on TurboGrafx 16 and PC Engine in Japan.

Select a game and you will receive a cool animation of the Hu-Card or CD-ROM, which is "inserted" into the virtual console, with precise sound effects. It is this care and attention that makes those who played with the original smile smile. This continues when you go to the Settings menu because you can play your game as if it were displayed on the handheld version of PC Engine. There is a 4: 3 aspect ratio CRT filter for added retro realism.

How about the games? There are 57 games preinstalled and the list contains most genres, with an emphasis on shooters, platform games, arcade ports and RPGs. There are several exclusive PC Engine titles and 32 PC Engine games in the original Japanese language. This can make getting into some of the more complex games challenging, but most games are easy to learn and play. This was before the on-screen instructions, the complicated control methods or the movement mechanics with several buttons. Therefore, in some games you will have to experiment a lot to find out what to do if no instructions are provided.

play games

Here are a few things you really need to know to play PC Engine games: some are pretty weird, there are a lot of shoot em ups, you probably won't have played many of the titles before, and almost all of them are it really hard. Shortly after it was released in Japan, I had a PC Engine, so some of the titles were known and I started to get into PC Engine games again.

Andy Boxall / Digitaltrends.com

When I originally bought the PC Engine, I did it for a shoot-em-up known internationally as Gunhed or Blazing Lazers. It's here and it's as fun as it was then. It rolls vertically, has a cool selection of upgradeable weapons, an unforgettable soundtrack, and some tough enemies. This sets the tone for most games on the console. However, it's not the only shooter I've played on the new console, and it turns out to be a treasure trove of crazy shoot-em-ups.

Soldier Blade and Super Star Soldier are very similar to Blazing Lazers. The intense, exclusive title of the super CD-ROM Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire is joined by many others. Don't be fooled by the first relatively easy levels of the Soldier's Blade. It will be very difficult, very quick, but it has nothing to do with Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire. I had never played that before, but it immediately and totally obsessed me. It is so insanely difficult, so incredibly difficult that you giggle when your ship is blown up again. It does a lot of things that got old quite quickly and made Soldier Blade and Super Star Soldier more fun to play with.

Massively difficult shooters are common here. Dragon Spirit has both land and sky enemies to roast. With Fantasy Zone, you can move both left and right through a landscape (a crazy world that's like a twist in The Beatles & # 39; Yellow Submarine movie, just with bullets), in which enemies come from all directions shoot. Psychosis lives up to its name because the ship does not move as fast as you want it, so that you are overwhelmed in a few moments. It is interesting that I don't mind trying the games over and over again, because the challenge is welcome and still fun.

What else? I love the pinball game Alien Crush, the bubble bobble-like Parasol Stars and the PC Engine classic Ninja Spirit. Yes, it's difficult too, but achievable because of the mega-weapons and a steep but reasonable learning curve. The Space Harrier arcade game comes along with R-Type and the best Bomberman games, including Bomberman Panic Bomber, an excellent Tetris / Candy Crush-style mashup.

turbografx 16 mini pc motor core grafx rating d pad "class =" m-carousel - picture dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn7.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/turbografx-16-d-pad - 640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAndy Boxall / Digitaltrends.com

turbografx 16 mini pc motor core grafx review controller basis "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn8.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/turbografx-16-controller-base - 640x640.jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAndy Boxall / Digitaltrends.com

turbografx 16 mini pc motor core grafx check buttons "class =" m-carousel - picture dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn9.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/turbografx-16-buttons-640x640. jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7Andy Boxall / Digitaltrends.com

What about the craziness? There is enough of that. Probably the best is Lords of Thunder, a barking, crazy side-scrolling shooter straight out of the imagination of an 80s metalhead. There is a hair metal guitar soundtrack, a Thor-like character and a high level of difficulty. Then there is J.J. and Jeff, a weird platformer with cackling birds and a farting hero, as well as other weird but really fun platform games like Air Zonk, PC Genjin, and Bonk & # 39; s Revenge. Be sure to check out the Japanese-language sports game Appare! Gateball, which is a bit like croquet and a lot more fun than it sounds.

This little console has hours of entertainment. The games above have kept me busy for a weekend, and all before I looked at some of the longer RPG games like Neutopia and Neutopia 2. Just be aware that none of these games is easy. Whether it is the control method, the mechanics or the game design itself, you are absolutely challenged by many games here. Of course some are frustrating because of that, but not so many. The best titles are fair and well designed, so you rarely feel like you can't get ahead with a little more practice.

Andy Boxall / Digitaltrends.com

The list of quirky titles and extremely tough gameplay may not appeal to anyone who has never played games from that time or heard of PC Engine. It is probably the least mainstream of the retro consoles out there. I was familiar with him and some of the games, so I knew what it was going to be like. That doesn't mean you shouldn't get one, just because you know it's a little different.

Unfortunately, this time I wasn't able to try multiplayer on the console, but when I saw an early version in early 2020. Playing Bomberman against a real opponent is ridiculously entertaining, and if you have like-minded friends, investing in a second controller increases the longevity offered here.

Price, availability and guarantee

The TurboGrafx-16 Mini costs $ 100 through Amazon in the US and £ 100 through Amazon in the UK. Although the console could already be pre-ordered, deliveries were delayed and the dates are still in the air. Konami sent Digital Trends the following shipping and approval status statement:

“We are working closely with Amazon to provide regular updates to our customers who pre-ordered the Core Grafx Mini and TurboGrafx-16 Mini PC engines. For the latest delivery date information, visit the Track Your Package page on Amazon. Amazon is still accepting new pre-orders for the consoles and we are working hard to resume normal delivery schedules as soon as possible. We thank everyone for their patience in this uncertain time. "

Our opinion

The TurboGrafx-16 Mini was reborn from a time when no prisoners were caught. The wonderful list of games means that one title is too hard and another is waiting to seduce you. Thanks to the extensive list of real classics on board, not only retro fans will appreciate the console, but also fans of shoot-em-ups. Lovingly designed software, simple setup and a reasonable price make this mini console accessible to everyone.

Is there a better alternative?

No. If you want to play TurboGrafx-16 and PC Engine games, there aren't many other ways to do it than to locate an original console and buy games. However, if you just want a retro gaming experience and are not interested in the console, there are several other options. The $ 80 Sega Genesis Mini will likely offer a larger selection of more popular games, as will the $ 80 Nintendo SNES Classic, if you find one on sale.

How long it will take?

The console should withstand normal use with no problems, and even the controller should be fine, even if a frustrated bump or two falls on the floor. The list of games is extensive and varied, and some are difficult to master, providing hours of entertainment. The best thing about such retro consoles is how quickly they can be set up and used. Even in a few years, when the temptation to play arises, it's easy to get started quickly.

Should you buy one?

Yes, definitely. The generous list of games as well as the nifty software and design make it easy to recommend.

Editor's recommendations




Nvidia GeForce Now Review (In-Depth): Cloud Gaming For Less

nvidia geforce is now reviewing Assassin's Creed Odyssey 1080p 2

Nvidia GeForce Now Review (detailed): Great cloud gaming on a budget

"It's not perfect, but Nvidia's GeForce Now is a great cloud gaming platform that is both affordable and accessible."

  • Affordable prices

  • Simple software

  • Great game selection

  • Low input latency

  • So-so picture quality

  • Requires an excellent bandwidth

  • No iOS app

Updated 02/23/2020: Added information about Activision-Blizzard and Bethesda that are withdrawing from GeForce Now.

What do you do with a thick stack of high-end GPUs and data center hardware expertise? If you are Nvidia, create a cloud gaming platform.

I was surprised when I first heard about GeForce Now in early 2018. After further consideration, however, this makes sense. Nvidia has dominated consumer graphics for the past decade, but has also expanded its presence in data centers. The company's revenue from this market increased tenfold between 2015 and the end of 2019.

This is a stroke of luck for Nvidia. However, there is no question that gaming remains central to the company. High-performance PC hardware is the entire brand of the green team. GeForce Now brings the company's new strength to home in data centers, while larger competitors such as Google and Microsoft are entering cloud gaming.

This is how GeForce Now works

Nvidia's GeForce Now calls itself a "cloud-based game streaming service", but it differs from most of its competitors. Unlike Google Stadia and PlayStation Now, GeForce Now is not a digital storefront. The company does not sell games to you. It only sells the service. You bring your own collection from other digital storefronts.

Nvidia is compatible with hundreds of titles across a variety of storefronts, including Steam, The Epic Store, and Ubisoft (Activision-Blizzard discontinued its games soon after launch, as did Bethesda, unfortunately). You buy the games in other stores as if you wanted to play them on a home PC.

This means that game ownership and the GeForce Now service are completely separate. You can buy a Steam game with the intention of playing on GeForce Now, but the two are never connected or interdependent. If you log out, you will still have the game on Steam and can play it on any PC.

Eight of the ten most played titles on Steam can be played on GeForce Now

This approach may feel counterintuitive, but bypasses the library problem that has stalled Stadia's launch by Google. GeForce Now is already compatible with many games and there is a good chance that you have at least some.

Personally, I got into GeForce Now with over 50 compatible games. And since I've already paid for them, they're all games I'm interested in. The library has gaps: Activision-Blizzard and Bethesda have disappeared and you won't find anything from Electronic Arts.

However, many popular games are compatible. Fortnite, Warframe, Civilization VI, Metro Exodus, Assassins Creed Odyssey, Destiny 2 and ARK: Survival Evolved are available, among others. At the time of this writing, eight of the ten most played titles are playable on Steam on GeForce Now.

Availability: Windows, MacOS and Android (not iOS)

Like Stadia, Shadow, and most cloud gaming services, GeForce Now relies on a local application to stream games to your device. Nvidia supports Windows, MacOS, most Android smartphones and tablets and Nvidia's Shield.

IOS support is the gap in this lineup, and it doesn't appear that Nvidia will appear there anytime soon. When asked, Nvidia's Jordan Blade said reporters should "talk to Apple about it."

As an iPhone fan, this is a problem. I have access to an Android device for testing purposes, but it is not my daily driver. Due to the lack of iOS support, GeForce Now is a no-go for portable games. I hope Nvidia and Apple can fix their gap and bring an app for iOS soon.

Software, registration and setup: simple, with some problems

Joining GeForce Now could be easier. Some loops have to be skipped to download the client, although this is not serious. Click "Join Today", sign in, and download it. Nevertheless, these obstacles seem strange given the simplicity of the service and Nvidia's free service level. Nvidia should offer a download link directly from the GeForce Now homepage and ask users to sign in only after downloading the client.

Once installed, the GeForce Now client is quickly available. I've tried numerous PCs, from high-end desktops to a five-year-old laptop. No system stumbled for a moment.

Nvidia GeForce Now interfaceNvidia GeForce Now PC client

Navigating in the PC client like on the website could be easier. GeForce Now cannot automatically scan Steam, Epic and GOG to find compatible titles that you already own. Instead, you need to search for titles. There is also no way in GeForce Now to check if you own a game before launching. So you can add a game to your library that you don't own. I think some users will find this confusing. For most apps (games or otherwise), you cannot add a title to your library before checking ownership.

Starting a game opens a bandwidth test, which, if all goes well, will soon be followed by the game stream. It gets uncomfortable here.

As mentioned earlier, GeForce Now is exclusively a game streaming service. The games you play are the same ones that you would play on a regular PC and you start them through the respective services. This means that you have to sign up twice to play a game, once for Nvidia Now and again after launching Steam, Epic or any other service on which the game is located.

My display settings and other configuration details were not always saved.

GeForce Now typically stores your digital storefront credentials, but not always. I only had to sign in to Ubisoft's Uplay once, but Steam asked me to sign in every time. I also noticed that my display settings and other configuration details were rarely transferred between sessions.

The GeForce Now software client might be better, but it benefits from the simplicity of the Nvidia service. Since Nvidia does not sell games, neither a shop front nor the luggage provided is required. There is no shopping cart, no refund, no reviews. There are only three things you can do in the client: view your account settings, add games to your library, and start games. This makes GeForce Now easy to understand, despite its shortcomings in the user interface.

Latency and responsiveness: cloud gaming at lightning speed

Nvidia's official review documentation does not provide specific information about the latency of GeForce Now. The same applies to the company's website. Aside from a bizarre statement about negative latency, Google Stadia also avoids certain promises about latency.

There is a competitor that does it better: Shadow. The dark horse of cloud gaming offers a robust real-time monitoring tool with a real-time latency monitor. Shadow doesn't make promises either, but at least it makes latency a breeze.

GeForce Now has an advanced network analysis tool that is available with a keyboard shortcut (Ctrl + Alt + F6). However, it is clearly intended for debugging. The information contained therein is difficult to understand without a cheat sheet.

In most cases, GeForce Now's latency is not high enough to cause a serious problem. Nvidia's network analysis tool reported a latency of 25 to 35 milliseconds over WiFi and 20 to 30 milliseconds over Ethernet.

As a reference, every frame of a game that runs at perfectly smooth 60 frames per second remains 16.667 (of course repeated) milliseconds on the screen. GeForce Now latency is equivalent to a delay of one to two frames at 60 frames per second. This is noticeable and can spoil the fun in some games.

However, I spent most of my time in Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Age of Wonders: Planetfall. In these games, I found no reason to complain. I also spent some time in Destiny 2 and Civilization VI. Again, latency was rarely an issue.

Nvidia's network analysis tool reported a latency of 25 to 35 milliseconds over WiFi and 20 to 30 milliseconds over Ethernet.

Latency is usually not a problem for Google Stadia, but it can become a problem if connections are not optimal. Shadow is now on par with GeForce Now and reports between 20 and 30 milliseconds over an Ethernet connection and a few milliseconds over it via WLAN.

Overall, GeForce Now is a smooth and clear experience, even with connections that don't meet Nvidia's ideal recommendations. It is clear that Nvidia makes responsive gameplay a priority.

Graphics quality: 1080p is fast, but not attractive

In contrast to Google Stadia or Shadow, Nvidia GeForce Now only promises a resolution of 1080p at up to 60 frames per second. This decision is not intuitive. Nvidia, a leading provider of PC graphics, is closely associated with visual fidelity and high frame rates. However, Nvidia's competitors have the upper hand and offer support for higher resolutions and frame rates.

I understand Nvidia's motivation. The company points out that the vast majority of PC gamers are playing at 1080p resolution and they're right. According to Steam's hardware survey, around 64% of players play at 1080p and most of the remaining players play at a lower, not higher, resolution. Less than 6% of gamers play at 1440p and less than 2% play on a 4K display.

nvidia geforce is now reviewing Assassin's Creed Odyssey 1080p 2 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn2.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/assassins-creed-odyssey-geforce- now -1080p-2-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAssassin's Creed Odyssey at 1080p / Ultra

nvidia geforce now checks Assassins Creed Odyssey 1080p 3 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn3.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/assassins-creed-odyssey-geforce- now -1080p-3-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAssassin's Creed Odyssey at 1080p / Ultra

nvidia geforce is now checking Assassins Creed Odyssey 1080p 4 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn4.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/assassins-creed-odyssey-geforce- now -1080p-4-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAssassin's Creed Odyssey at 1080p / Ultra

Despite its resolution limitation, Nvidia throws a lot of hardware on GeForce Now, and it shows. I launched Assassins Creed: Odyssey, a notoriously challenging game that even high-end gaming desktops can hardly handle. After five test runs on three different systems, the Odyssey benchmark averaged 62 frames per second.

This corresponds to Nvidia's RTX 2060 Super, which averaged 64 frames per second when we tested it at the end of last year. GeForce Now can't quite keep up with the best graphics cards from Nvidia. The RTX 2080 Super achieves an average of 78 frames per second in Assassins Creed: Odyssey with 1080p and ultra-high details. Even the RTX 2070 Super is faster and reaches 70 frames per second.

nvidia geforce now checks fate 2 1080p 4 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn5.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/destiny-2-geforce-now-1080p - 4-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAADestiny 2 at 1080p / Highest

nvidia geforce now checks fate 2 1080p 5 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn6.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/destiny-2-geforce-now-1080p - 5-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEADestiny 2 at 1080p / Highest

nvidia geforce now checks fate 2 1080p 6 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn7.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/destiny-2-geforce-now-1080p - 6-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEADestiny 2 at 1080p / Highest

However, the comparison is not that easy. A cloud gaming service like GeForce Now is theoretically updated over time at no additional cost to you, while buying a new graphics card is a significant hassle. A full year of GeForce Now costs $ 60. The GeForce RTX 2060 Super costs $ 400. The sale price of this card could apply to GeForce Now for more than six years.

And remember, GeForce Now only promises 60 FPS. This means that anything over 60 frames is wasted. These additional frames are lost because regardless of how fast the hardware works on the server side, you are bound to the 1080p 60FPS stream that is transferred to your device.

A full year of GeForce Now costs $ 60. The GeForce RTX 2060 Super costs $ 400.

While the gameplay is smooth and correct with a stable connection, the image quality is not as robust as I hoped. At first I thought my complaints were due to poor connection quality. However, when I tested on more systems, I had to accept the limitations of GeForce Now.

The most important thing seems to be the resolution. GeForce Now claims up to 1080p, but I haven't seen that in many situations, even with connections that are superior to those specified by Nvidia. Image quality was often muddy compared to 1080p rendered on a local GPU, suggesting my stream was below target resolution. An insight into the extended diagnosis (accessible via the key combination Ctrl-Alt-F6) resulted in a stream that was often 720p and not 1080p.

nvidia geforce now checks civilization 6 1080p 1 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn8.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/civilization-6-geforce-now-1080p -1-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAACivilization 6 at 1080p / Ultra

nvidia geforce now checks civilization 6 1080p 3 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn9.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/civilization-6-geforce-now-1080p -3-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEACivilization 6 at 1080p / Ultra

nvidia geforce now checks civilization 6 1080p 4 "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn1.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/civilization-6-geforce-now-1080p -4-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEACivilization 6 at 1080p / Ultra

Macroblocking, a result of video compression, was more visible than I would prefer. This was most striking in high-contrast scenes with considerable movement. Any game that uses light shafts or blooms liberally will likely bring this problem to the fore. But sometimes I noticed it when I scrolled the map in Age of Wonders: Planetfall.

I admit that GeForce Now is undoubtedly an upgrade of what the PCs I've played with can usually offer. Compared to Stadia or Shadow, however, GeForce Now felt a step back. Compression artifacts were more common and obvious, and resolution output was below 1080p more often than expected. GeForce Now is fluid, but the graphics didn't impress me.

Graphics quality: 1440p and higher

Unfortunately, the problems I had with 1080p games were just the tip of the iceberg.

Most of my devices are not connected to a 1080p screen. My home desktop display is 1440p. My office display is ultra wide at 3,440 x 1,440. Most GPU tests in the Digital Trends office are performed on a 4K monitor in the Digital Trends laboratory. If you limit the resolution to 1080p, the devices I play games with will not match the maximum resolution of GeForce Now.

nvidia geforce is now reviewing Assassins Creed Odyssey 2 4k "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn2.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/assassins-creed-odyssey-geforce- now -2-4k-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAAAssassin's Creed Odyssey 4K / Ultra

nvidia geforce is now reviewing Assassins Creed Odyssey 5 4k "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn3.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/assassins-creed-odyssey-geforce- now -5-4k-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAAAssassin's Creed Odyssey 4K / Ultra

nvidia geforce is now reviewing Assassins Creed Odyssey 6 4k "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn4.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/assassins-creed-odyssey-geforce- now -6-4k-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAAAssassin's Creed Odyssey 4K / Ultra

The problem is compounded by GeForce Now's disappointing image scaling. The image quality on my 1440p monitor was poor and the output was blurry, blocky, and confused. In comparison, 1080p YouTube videos look like a dream. I had the same experience on a 4K monitor.

nvidia geforce now checks fate 2 4k "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn5.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/destiny-2-geforce-now-2- 4k -640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP//yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEADestiny 2 4K / Supreme

nvidia geforce is now checking fate 2 6 4k "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn6.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/destiny-2-geforce-now-6 -4k-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAABADestiny 2 4K / Supreme

nvidia geforce is now checking fate 2 4 4k "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn7.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/destiny-2-geforce-now-4 -4k-640x640.png "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAAABADestiny 2 4K / Supreme

Even stranger, the quality of a 1440p monitor or a 4K monitor has improved (if only slightly) when the resolution of this display has been manually set to 1080p. I am not the only one to notice this. Users on the Nvidia forums and GeForce Now Reddit have seen the same result. For me, this suggests that something is wrong with the way GeForce Now handles resolution beyond 1080p.

The image quality on my 1440p monitor was poor. The output was blurry, blocky, and confused.

This puts GeForce Now at a huge disadvantage for some players. Stadia may have difficulty maintaining 4K resolution, but still looks pretty sharp. Shadow has no problem with 1440p. In fact, I've used it extensively with a 1440p display, and sometimes I was really amazed at how sharp it looks. The current version of GeForce Now cannot overshadow these alternatives if you intend to achieve a resolution above 1080p.

Ray tracing feels like a controversial point for now

GeForce Now subscribers get access to RTX ray tracing. It's an appealing feature on paper, but it remains a niche. The selection of games that support RTX ray tracing remains small, and the visual impact of the feature isn't as important as you might think.

Over time, ray tracing may become more important as more games support it. On the other hand, there is no reason why Stadia, Shadow or Microsoft xCloud could not take over the function in the future.

Connection reliability: stick to Ethernet for the best experience

GeForce Now, like all cloud gaming services, is a data eater. The Nvidia documentation recommends a connection of at least 15 Mbit / s for 720p60 or 30 Mbit / s for 1080p60. A low-latency 50Mbps connection is recommended for the best experience.

Remember that this is the actual connection speed. Therefore, an Internet service at home that announces 50 Mbit / s can be neglected. You also need a strong, reliable Wi-Fi network. The WiFi router provided by your Internet service provider only cuts it off if you play in the same room as it.

These restrictions limit GeForce Now to strong internet connections in clear home networks. The office for digital trends easily meets the requirements of GeForce Now on paper and lands on average between 100 and 200 Mbit / s per second. However, the office network serves hundreds of devices, which GeForce Now holds back. The service endeavored to maintain a constant image quality and occasionally suffered dropouts that could last for several seconds.

I admire the tenacity of GeForce Now. GeForce Now doesn't issue dropouts, but doesn't give up. I can't remember a single interruption throughout my testing period. The client warns of a bad connection before real problems occur and aggressively lowers the resolution to maintain a stable session. So if you don't get up and take an insane blow against your router's direction, I doubt you'll be booted by a game.

GeForce Now did better at home, where I'm lucky enough to have gigabit internet. This is as fast a connection as most people in the US can hope for, and GeForce Now appreciates the extra bandwidth.

On the Gigabit Internet via GeForce Now, GeForce Now delivers a smooth and reliable stream. Dropouts are rare and occur only a few times during my tests for this connection. Even then, the drops only lasted milliseconds and then turned out to be more than a minor annoyance.

I can't remember a single interruption throughout my testing period.

The connection quality was poor, but still good over WiFi. The connection was usually reliable, but occasional dropouts and interruptions occurred. Sometimes my connection problems were obviously a limitation of Wi-Fi. I have found that the quality of GeForce Now deteriorates significantly when someone walks down a hallway that happens to be directly between the router and my HTPC.

However, Google Stadia and Shadow have similar problems with Wi-Fi. You need an Ethernet connection or an extremely fast and extensive mesh Wi-Fi network to get the best experience with any cloud gaming service.

Data usage: It's a lot, but less than some competitors

GeForce Now warns that up to 10 gigabytes of data can be used per hour. In my tests, GeForce Now transmitted an average of 6.6 gigabytes of data per hour over a Gigabit Ethernet connection. This is in line with my analysis of the GeForce Now beta in January 2018.

This is less than Google Stadia, which I tested at up to 10 gigabytes per hour (other publications have claimed that data usage is 20 gigabytes per hour). The advantage of GeForce Now is not a big surprise given the 1080p limitation. The resolution has a huge impact on the bandwidth.

Nevertheless, there is a lot of data. A player with an average of two hours a day would consume a hair of almost 400 gigabytes each month. Most ISP service plans allow this, but that adds to other streaming (like Netflix or Hulu) and game downloads.

However, if you're lucky enough to have an unrestricted gigabit connection, data usage is not a problem. The connection quality over a gigabit connection was smooth and consistent – as long as I was within reasonable range of my router. I didn't notice any performance issues when other home devices streamed movies or downloaded large files.

Whether data uses a problem simply depends on your internet connection and the data limits of your internet service provider. It's hard to predict how well it will work without trying first. It's good that basic access to GeForce Now is free and you can try it out before you pay cash.

GeForce Now on Mobile: As good as Stadia

I didn't focus on the GeForce Now mobile app during my review. As already mentioned, there is no app for iOS available for Nvidia. But I broke out an Android device to try mobile games. In short, I used the exact same setup that Google sent for my Stadia review – a Google Pixel 3a connected to the Google Stadia controller.

Yes that's right. The Google Stadia controller worked. Most USB and Bluetooth controllers should do this because Android's gamepad support is extensive. Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controllers should work wired or wireless with minimal setup.

As with Stadia, Mobile is an excellent place to experience GeForce Now. It's as easy and simple to use as it is on a PC, and I didn't find the login process confusing. Games also look better because the display of a smartphone is smaller. A 720p stream looks great on a 5-inch or 6-inch smartphone display. The same 720p stream doesn't look particularly good on a 24-inch 1080p monitor.

Not every game is playable on the go. They are largely limited to games with controller support, since games based on mouse input are largely or completely unplayable. This leaves most strategy games off the table. I would like to play Stellaris on Android via GeForce Now, but that is not yet feasible.

GeForce Now on Mac: The best cloud gaming option

I haven't spent much time using GeForce Now on Mac either, but I wanted to give it a try. I broke out the lab workhorse Mac, a MacBook Air around 2015, and installed GeForce Now. The judgment? It is solid.

The app itself looks identical to the PC version. I'm sure there's a difference somewhere, but I can't find it under any circumstances. It doesn't look like modern Mac apps, but it works without problems.

GeForce Now on Mac

The gameplay was impressive and underlined the unique ability of cloud games to eliminate platform differences. With GeForce Now, I was able to access dozens of games that I usually can't play on a Mac. They all looked and played the same way as with GeForce Now on a Windows laptop.

In short, GeForce Now shares all the strengths and weaknesses of the service on Windows. However, since MacOS does not offer extensive game support, GeForce Now provides access to a completely new game world.

Pricing

GeForce Now memberships

You can use Nvidia's GeForce Now for free with some restrictions. Free players do not have priority access to servers, so login queues may occur at peak times. They also have a session duration of one hour. Then you have to log in again. After all, free players cannot activate RTX graphics.

You can use Nvidia's GeForce Now for free.

The free tier limits mean you probably won't be using it as your main gaming platform, but Nvidia isn't stingy. Denken Sie daran, dass GeForce Now kein Geschäft ist und dass Spiele, die Sie im Service spielen, nicht gekürzt werden. Ich bin überrascht, dass es überhaupt eine kostenlose Stufe gibt.

Die Gründerstufe ist die einzige kostenpflichtige Abonnementoption. Derzeit sind es 4,99 US-Dollar pro Monat, und die Preise werden irgendwann in der Zukunft steigen. Nvidia hat nicht gesagt, wo der Preis landen wird, aber ich denke, es ist sicher zu spekulieren, dass Nvidia jeden Monat zwischen 7,99 und 9,99 US-Dollar berechnet. Gründer haben vorrangige Anmeldezeiten, eine nahezu unbegrenzte Sitzungsdauer (laut Nvidia sechs Stunden) und können RTX-Raytracing in Spielen aktivieren, die diese Funktion unterstützen.

Umweltschutz & Nachhaltigkeit

Wie alle Cloud-Gaming-Dienste ist auch die GeForce Now von Nvidia auf riesige Rechenzentren angewiesen, die viel Strom und in einigen Fällen auch andere Ressourcen wie Wasser verbrauchen. Dies führt zu Umweltproblemen. In einigen Fällen kann ein Cloud-Gaming-Dienst die CO2-Auswirkungen von Spielen insgesamt erhöhen.

Googles Rechenzentrum in The Dalles, OregonGoogles Rechenzentrum in The Dalles, Oregon Daven Mathies / Digitale Trends

Im Gegensatz zu Google oder Microsoft hat sich Nvidia nicht dazu verpflichtet, klimaneutral zu werden. Es werden auch keine Energieeffizienzkennzahlen für seine Rechenzentren oder Rechenzentren veröffentlicht, mit denen es zusammenarbeitet. Obwohl Nvidia erklärt hat, dass das Unternehmen in Zukunft klimaneutral sein will, gibt es keinen spezifischen Zeitplan.

Diese Mängel ändern nichts an der Qualität des Dienstes, aber Sie sollten dies berücksichtigen, wenn Sie vom Klimawandel betroffen sind. Nvidia könnte (und sollte) es besser machen.

Our opinion

GeForce Now ist eine kostengünstige Alternative zu Google Stadia mit mehr Spielen und einer kostenlosen Stufe, die das Ausprobieren erleichtert. Die Bildqualität ist jedoch nur mittelmäßig und das Gameplay ist nur über eine extrem schnelle und zuverlässige Verbindung stabil.

Is there a better alternative?

Google Stadia ist teurer und verfügt über eine kleinere Spielbibliothek, bietet jedoch meiner Erfahrung nach eine bessere Bildqualität. Es unterstützt auch Funktionen wie 4K-Auflösung und HDR. Shadow ist insgesamt zuverlässiger und funktionaler.

Stadien und Schatten sind jedoch teurer, und das ist für beide ein Problem. GeForce Now unterbietet den Preis und liefert dennoch eine solide Spielbibliothek. GeForce hat jetzt auch eine kostenlose Stufe, sodass Sie es ausprobieren können, bevor Sie einen Cent bezahlen.

Solltest du es kaufen?

Yes. GeForce Now ist noch lange nicht perfekt, aber mit einer kostenlosen Stufe für alle und einer niedrigen Abonnementgebühr von 4,99 US-Dollar ist GeForce Now der intuitivste und zugänglichste Cloud-Gaming-Service, den es je gab.

Editor's recommendations