20 Jan
Blog

Nvidia RTX 3080 12GB review: The bad version of a great GPU

RTX 3080 graphics cards among other GPUs.

Nvidia RTX 3080 12GB review: The bad version of a great GPU

RRP $1,249.00

"The RTX 3080 12GB is a powerful graphics card that has been acidified by Nvidia's shady practices."

benefits

  • Still a solid 4K graphics card

  • Outstanding design in MSI Suprim X version

  • Increased memory bandwidth

disadvantage

  • Significantly more expensive than the 10GB model

  • Slight improvement in performance over the 10GB model

  • Worse availability than other GPUs

  • Increased power consumption

  • Additional memory does very little

Imagine you are in charge of Nvidia. CEO Jensen Huang has retired to his kitchen, and now you can decide how to launch a new flagship GPU: the 12GB RTX 3080. What do you do? Do you use a list of influencers and media to spread the news? Do you use a big stage like CES?

No matter what you did, you probably wouldn't release a new flagship by burying the announcement at the bottom of a blog post focusing on a new GPU driver three days after the card's launch. And you certainly wouldn't launch the card a week after the biggest tech event of the year without day-one reviews.

That's what Nvidia did with the RTX 3080 12GB, and people are rightly confused. It's a graphics card that needn't exist with Nvidia's current offerings, and it shows a worrying trend for where GPU prices could be headed in 2022. The 12GB RTX 3080 is a bastardized version of one of the best graphics cards you can buy – and that's a shame.

price and availability

RTX 3080 on a pink background.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Our reviews usually start with a discussion of design, specs, and performance, but remember: it's impossible to talk about a graphics card other than price. Performance alone doesn't matter. The performance in relation to the price makes the difference.

And in this case, it's the most important element of the 12GB version of the RTX 3080.

Nvidia has never set a list price for this graphics card, and while the list price doesn't say much, it still serves as a comparison. Even amidst the GPU shortage that has prices rising and falling, the cards still stack up as list prices suggest – the RTX 3080 costs more than the RTX 3070 and so on.

So what is the price of the 12GB RTX 3080? At the lower end, it's around $1,249 – $50 more than the RTX 3080 Ti. For example, the EVGA XC3 Ultra version is listed at this price. That's $40 more expensive than the RTX 3080 Ti version of the same model and $440 more expensive than the 10GB version. I'm not comparing high-end cards either. These are the most basic versions of EVGA.

You pay an inflated price no matter where you get your card.

The Asus ROG Strix version costs $1,600, which is $400 more expensive than the 10GB ROG Strix model. Technically, it's cheaper than the RTX 3080 Ti version, but that's only because this card is non-stock and Asus doesn't offer list prices on its website.

Even with inflated prices, you're looking at a much more expensive graphics card. On eBay, the 12GB model sells for about $300 more than the 10GB model, which is actually closer to the prices advertised by retailers. Prices at retailers and on the used market may be closer now, but that just means you're paying an inflated price wherever you buy your card.

There are a number of speculative reasons why the 12GB RTX 3080 is so expensive, but it boils down to this: the 12GB RTX 3080 will continue to sell at scalper prices once the market settles down. I'm not against Nvidia or board partners taking advantage of their products, but I'm against releasing a marginal upgrade to a GPU at a significantly higher price point when most people still can't even buy the base model.

draft

RTX 3080 graphics card on a pink background.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

If it's not already clear, I'm not a fan of the 12GB RTX 3080. However, I have to give credit where it's due, and credit goes to MSI.

MSI was kind enough to send me a 12GB RTX 3080 Suprim X, which is great considering Nvidia doesn't have a Founders Edition model of the 12GB RTX 3080. Regardless of what Nvidia plans to do with this card, the Suprim X remains a wonderful design.

It's technically a dual slot card as it only occupies two slots on the back of your device, but the extra cooler height takes up almost enough space to occupy a third. As with other Suprim X models, this model includes a dual BIOS switch to toggle between Silent and Gaming modes, but even with Gaming mode set, the card was never loud enough to become an issue.

Despite the silicon underneath, MSI has created an excellent graphics card.

Similarly, it comes factory overclocked with a 180MHz boost over Nvidia's official spec, as well as a 50W power boost. To help with the increased power draw, the card uses three 8-pin connectors for power. To help with the massive cooler size, MSI includes a GPU bracket in the box.

Despite what I think about the underlying silicon, MSI has created an excellent graphics card here. I particularly like the RGB MSI shield on the backplate, which is accompanied by an RGB stripe that runs the entire length of the card.

Even in 2022, graphics card manufacturers are designing cards that look great from the front. The Suprim X looks great from the front, but MSI has gone to great lengths to make it look great while it's installed in your computer. This is perhaps the first time I like the backplate design more than the cooler.

Power connectors on the RTX 3080.

RTX 3080 RGB shield logo.

All of this is to say that MSI made a great graphics card, but Nvidia made a so-so GPU. The Suprim X makes the best of a bad situation, and if you have a choice between 12GB RTX 3080 models, this is the one to go for.

specifications

The 12GB RTX 3080 is just an RTX 3080 with 2GB more video memory, at least on the surface. The extra VRAM is the most noticeable change, but there's a little more going on in the specs, especially when compared to the RTX 3080 Ti.

RTX3080 12GB RTX3080 10GB RTX 3080Ti
CUDA cores 8,960 8,704 10,240
boost clock 1.71GHz 1.71GHz 1.67MHz
reminder 12GB GDDR6X 10GB GDDR6X 12GB GDDR6X
memory bus 384-bit 320-bit 384-bit
effective bandwidth 912.4GB/s 760.3GB/s 912.4GB/s
tensor cores 280 272 320
RT cores 70 68 80
power consumption 350W 320W 350W

This is almost an RTX 3080 Ti, but with a big emphasis on almost. Compared to the 10GB RTX 3080, the 12GB model bumps the memory bus to 384-bit and power consumption to 350W, both specifications of the RTX 3080 Ti. It also has a slightly lower base clock, but that doesn't make a difference when gaming , when the boost clock is almost always active.

The main difference is that the 12GB RTX 3080 has a 3% higher core count over the 10GB model, which is significantly lower than the RTX 3080 Ti. Here's how you feel about the card: It's an RTX 3080 Ti, but with the core count of an RTX 3080.

It's clear that the 12GB RTX 3080 doesn't have to exist.

You should also think of it as an RTX 3080 Ti. The 2GB bump in VRAM might seem insignificant, but combined with the larger 384-bit memory bus, the 12GB model has a much higher memory bandwidth: 912GB/s compared to 760GB/s for the 10GB -Model.

Even before you get to the performance data, it's clear that this is a graphics card that doesn't have to exist. It doesn't fill any requirement that isn't already met by the base or Ti model, and it illustrates a breaking point of granularity in Nvidia's lineup where the minute differences between the models become irrelevant.

Of course, the first question you ask yourself about a new graphics card is, "What are the specs?" In the case of the 12GB RTX 3080, where specs are more important than most other GPU versions, the technical data do not paint a clear picture. They are insignificant in some areas and impractical in others. The only way to know what the 12GB RTX 3080 is trying to do is to see it in action.

Play

RTX 3080 installed in a PC.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

An extra 2GB of storage doesn't matter when gaming – or at least that's what you'll hear ad nauseam in comment sections and forums around the web. It's true that at a certain point video memory doesn't play a huge role in performance, but the increased memory bandwidth does matter.

I ran all my tests with 32GB of memory, an Intel Core i9-10900K, and the latest version of Windows 10. My comparison GPUs are Founders Edition cards, so I downclocked the Suprim X and capped the performance to meet Nvidia's specs. With this particular card, you can expect higher average performance. Here are my results at 4K with the highest graphics preset.

12GB RTX 3080 10GB RTX 3080 RTX 3080Ti RTX3090
3DMark Time Spy 17,071 16.108 17,634 18,341
Red Dead Redemption 2 65 fps N / A 72 fps 77 fps
Fourteen days 76 fps 95 fps 93 fps 78 fps
Assassin's Creed Valhalla 61 fps 62 fps 55 fps 63 fps
Battlefield V 103 fps 100 fps 104 fps 121 fps
Civilization VI 212 fps 255 fps 259 fps N / A

My results are not too surprising. In 3DMark Time Spy, the 12GB RTX 3080 is about 3% slower than the RTX 3080 Ti and about 6% faster than the 10GB model. Battlefield 5 further illustrates this point, with just a single frame separating the 12GB RTX 3080 and RTX 3080 Ti.

Fortnite only yielded a two-frame difference between the 12GB RTX 3080 and RTX 3090. My middle two benchmarks were run on a different patch of the game, so don't compare these results to the others. The difference between the 12GB RTX 3080 and the RTX 3090 paints the picture clearly: the 12GB RTX 3080 doesn't offer a huge performance advantage.

Red Dead Redemption 2 and Civilization VI are superfluous. Here the trend is clear. The 12GB RTX 3080 is intentionally handicapped or free to run at full speed. It's a slight upgrade over the 10GB model and sits below the RTX 3080 Ti. The RTX 3080 Ti was already a slight improvement over the base model; This 12GB variant just splits the difference.

content creation

GeForce logo on the RTX 3080.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

I was hoping that the additional bandwidth of the 12GB RTX 3080 would boost content creation performance, but that wasn't the case. Even with no performance or clock speed limitations, the card performed at roughly the same level as the 10GB model, and by a decent margin to the RTX 3080 Ti.

12GB RTX 3080 10GB RTX 3080 RTX 3080Ti RTX3090
PugetBench for Premiere Pro 799 821 855 855
Blender BMW (lower is better) 19 seconds 23 seconds 19 seconds 17 seconds
Blender Classroom (lower is better) 100 seconds 71 seconds 56 seconds 79 seconds
Blender Koro (lower is better) 65 seconds 75 seconds 63 seconds 57 seconds

The chart above shows diminishing returns in action. There are only minor differences between the 10GB RTX 3080 and the RTX 3090, with the latter only offering an advantage in dedicated workstations. Overall, the 12GB RTX 3080 sits between the 10GB model and the RTX 3080 Ti as it should, but the results here are so close that it hardly matters.

Content creation is all about what you need the graphics card for. There aren't enough advantages to justify the 12GB RTX 3080 over the 10GB version, even if you only care about content creation. Given the pricing, which I'll get to next, the RTX 3080 Ti is the better choice overall, and the RTX 3090 takes the crown.

Our opinion

The 12GB RTX 3080 does not have to be present. Even the RTX 3080 Ti was a disappointment considering how much more expensive it was than the RTX 3080, and this 12GB variant just splits the difference between those two. It's unnecessary product segmentation for the sole purpose of increasing the RTX 3080's base price.

Nvidia says the 10GB model will live on, but I find it hard to believe. There's no reason to choose the 12GB RTX 3080 over the 10GB version or the RTX 3080 Ti, and Nvidia is aware of that. There's a reason we haven't had many day-one reviews or a public launch like we did with the RTX 3050 and RTX 3090 Ti.

Given the GPU shortage, you should buy almost any graphics card you can get at a reasonable price. There's a chance this is the 12GB RTX 3080, and in that case the card is a great performer. However, if the price trends I'm seeing continue, the 12GB RTX 3080 will remain a bad buy compared to the 10GB and Ti models, even with inflated scalper prices.

Are there alternatives?

Yes. The 10GB RTX 3080 and RTX 3080 Ti are close enough to this model to serve as viable alternatives. On the AMD side, the closest competitor is the RX 6800 XT, although it struggles with ray tracing.

How long it will take?

While the 12GB RTX 3080 is a disappointing graphics card, it's not bad. Like the base 10GB model, this one will last at least the next few years at 4K and probably several years at lower resolutions.

should you buy it

No. The 12GB RTX 3080 would be among the best graphics cards if it weren't for the 10GB version and the RTX 3080 Ti. They do, and they strike a much better balance between price and performance.

Editor's Recommendations



21 Dec
Blog

Asus ROG GA35 Review: A Great Gaming PC, But Not The Best

asus rog ga35 test g35dx 07

Asus ROG GA35

RRP $ 4,999.00

"A top-of-the-line gaming PC held back by some frustrating design decisions."

benefits

  • Stay cool under loud

  • Vertical GPU looks great

  • Two USB-C ports on the front

  • Hot-swappable SSD drives

  • Standard size components

disadvantage

  • No horizontal GPU option

  • A little loud

  • Upgrades are more frustrating than they should be

If you want one of the best gaming PCs available in 2021, building your own isn't an option. Pre-built versions used to be overpriced, underperforming options compared to building your own PC, but thanks to the lack of a GPU, they're downright a bargain. And that's the Asus ROG GA35 G35DX – a great offer for 2021.

I have some issues with this compared to boutique options from Origin and Maingear, but the ROG GA35 still has plenty of power to impress. It's not too expensive either, at least in the price crisis that is plaguing PC components at the moment. If I didn't already have a graphics card from queuing at Best Buy, the ROG GA35 would be at the top of my option list.

It probably wouldn't make the cut, however. Small issues like poor cable management and the lack of thumbscrews keep the GA35 from reaching the top tier of pre-built gaming PCs. That doesn't mean it's a bad choice, especially with high-end Asus hardware under the hood.

draft

Earlier Asus G-series desktops used a taller, more traditional mid-tower case design, but the GA35 did not. It has a squat case design that is 16.5 inches long and just under 11 inches wide to accommodate a two-chamber design. I'm a fan of dual chamber cases, but it doesn't feel like the GA35 is making effective use of space.

Asus G35DX sits on a table.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

I'll talk more about the internal build later. For now, all you know is that both chambers are the same size. The rear contains the power supply and the tangled cables, and the front contains all of the beautiful RGB components required for any modern gaming rig. Hiding ugly things, showing glitter – that's what double-chambered covers offer.

There are some strange design choices, however. The all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooler is installed in the rear chamber and sucks air that has no inlet. It also causes the braided fluid hoses to be clumsily laid across the motherboard, which I noticed with the GA35's internal layout.

Air circulation wasn't a problem, but it could have been better. The only fan included is a 92mm vent on the back of the case, and there is no space to mount other fans. The device was a bit noisy during my test, but it wasn't like the Lenovo Thinkstation P620. It didn't get too hot either, because the CPU climbed to 48 degrees Celsius after a 30-minute AIDA64 stress test.

The GA35 is a cohesive, RGB-controlled PC that looks wonderful.

This is mainly due to the back of the open case design. On the angular edges of the GA35 there are filters that are cleverly hidden in the corners and edges of the housing. None of them have dust filters, so you need to be careful to keep the inside clean.

The temperature surprised me as the GA35 uses a vertical mount for the power-hungry RTX 3090. The vertical bracket also works wonders visually. The GA35 is adorned with as many ROG Strix products as possible, including the RTX 3090. The result is a cohesive, RGB-controlled PC that looks wonderful when lit.

Connectivity

Connections on the front of the Asus G35DX.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Asus makes some of the best gaming motherboards you can buy, so I wasn't surprised that the GA35 comes with great connectivity. You get a pair of USB-C and USB 3.0 ports on the front of the case, as well as separate headphone and microphone inputs that put even expensive devices like the Origin Neuron in the shade.

On the back you have access to a further seven USB 3.2 ports, another USB-C port, Gigabit Ethernet and the usual audio connections. All of these ports are great, but the two front USB-C ports make all the difference to me. My personal rig, which I built with a Lian Li PC-011 Dynamic, only has a single USB-C port on the front. I'm jealous that I don't have a second now because I was able to plug both my Samsung T5 and Steelseries Prime Wireless into the GA35 without reaching around the back.

The memory expansion is also excellent. The case offers two hot-swappable SSD slots on the front as well as an additional slot for a 3.5-inch hard drive in the HDD cage. The motherboard has two M.2 expansion slots – one of which is filled from the factory – though you'll have to struggle to get the GPU out to access it.

Expansion ports on the Asus G35DX.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

The port selection is great and can rival boutique designs like the Falcon Northwest Talon. I also like the additional storage space, but I would have liked Asus to focus this effort on swapping out other components rather than adding more storage space.

Specifications and internals

Asus had four models of the GA35 that offer different GPU and CPU configurations. Each model has the same specifications otherwise – 16 GB DDR4-3200 memory, a custom Asus X570 motherboard, an 80 Plus Gold power supply and 3 TB total storage (1 TB NVMe SSD and 2 TB HDD).

Central processor AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
GPU Asus ROG Strix RTX 3090
Motherboard Customized Asus ROG Strix X570-F motherboard
case Customized Asus ROG case
reminder 16 GB DDR4-3200. unbranded
warehouse 1 TB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD, 2 TB HDD
Power supply Delta 850W 80+ gold
USB ports Nine USB-A, three USB-C
Networking 1Gbit Ethernet

I tested the GA35DX-XB999 which comes with a Ryzen 9 5900X and an RTX 3090. This machine costs around $ 5,000, which is a better deal than you might think. I configured a machine that is identical to the GA35 and it was actually $ 100 more expensive (thanks, GPU shortage). A similarly configured Origin Neuron was $ 500 more expensive, but with better cable management and more RGB.

The GA35 is good business on the component front. My only complaint is the PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD. Ryzen 5000 chips support PCIe 4.0 so it's just a matter of Asus where it is possible.

I like the dual chamber design of the GA35, but I don't like how closed it is for upgrades.

The GA35 has some internal problems outside of the components. Cable management is sloppy, component swaps are annoying at best and impossible at worst, and the case actively fights you when you try to get inside. I like the dual chamber design of the GA35, but I don't like how closed it is for upgrades.

It's not like the Alienware Aurora R10. You can still swap out components as everything inside complies with ATX standards. It's just a hassle to get there. There are extra screws on every corner, and they're buried. There aren't even thumbscrews to unlock the side panels, let alone a tool-less design like the HP Omen 30L.

A plastic cover covers the outside of the chassis, which is cheap and frustrating. I immediately broke one of the plastic tabs holding the front cover and didn't apply enough pressure to get off. There are long plastic tubes in the center of each part of the bowl to keep you out and that's all they're good for.

Cable management is sloppy, but you don't see it right away. It's like shining a flashlight on a dusty desk in a dark room, revealing all the messy things you didn't know about. When I opened the case, I quickly noticed that ketchup and mustard cables led to the graphics card, an additional CPU power connector hung just on the side, and several small wires for RGB and fan connections that were pressed into crevices around the motherboard. All of the chunky cables are also routed through a single channel, exposing a small bird's nest of cables in the front that only grows in the rear chamber.

Cable in the back of the Asus G35DX.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

The vertical GPU bracket is a welcome addition, but it's your only option. The RTX 3090 fits straight flat and the GA35 does not have a bracket for this type of configuration. It only has two vertical brackets that will keep you from upgrading to a triple-slot GPU in the future.

In terms of specs, the GA35 is as high-end as PCs have come. Asus has made some clear design choices to deter users from upgrading, even though the form factor allows for those upgrades.

Productivity performance

CPU pump on the Asus G35DX.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

The Asus GA35 is a powerful machine, but the Ryzen 9 5900X is slowly showing its age compared to the best and brightest from Intel. It's still way ahead of Intel's 10th and 11th generation chips, and the single-core performance is great for gaming. However, the higher number of cores of the Ryzen 9 5950X and the hybrid architecture of the Core i9-12900K give them an advantage over the Ryzen 9 5900X.

Asus ROG GA35 Custom PC (Core i9-12900K, RTX 3090) Origin Neuron (Ryzen 9 5950X, RTX 3080 Ti)
Cinebench R23 multicore 21,907 27,344 25.166
Cinebench R23 single core 1,501 1,989 1,587
Geekbench 5 multicore 12,695 18,282 15,872
Geekbench 5 single core 1,692 1,962 1,682
PugetBench for Premiere Pro 1,115 1,283 1,088
Mixer (average in seconds, lower is better) 53 N / A 53
Handbrake (seconds, lower is better) 58 47 50

You can see that clearly in my results. In terms of single-core performance, the machine corresponds to the Ryzen 9 5950X in the Origin Neuron in Cinebench and Geekbench. Unsurprisingly, the Ryzen 9 5950X scores well above the 5900X in the multi-core tests, with the four additional cores providing an increase of up to 15%.

Outside of pure processor benchmarks, the GA35 shows more performance. It was able to score higher than the Origin Neuron in PugetBench for Premiere Pro, which shows the RTX 3090's slow acceleration, and it matched the Neuron in Blender. I tested Blender with CUDA rendering, so this is my most interesting result. The RTX 3090 showed no advantages over the RTX 3080 Ti.

Intel's Core i9-12900K raises this tricky comparison between the Ryzen 9 5950X and 5900X. It's faster across the board, sometimes by up to 25%. However, this does not apply to older Intel chips. Go back to the Core i9-11900K, and the GA35 can mop the floor.

The GA35 does about what I expected. It's great, but I wouldn't recommend configuring it with the RTX 3090. In some cases it gives a small boost, in others it is of no use at all. That's even more true when it comes to gaming performance, which is probably why you're interested in the GA35.

Gaming performance

Components inside the Asus G35DX.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

The GA35 is built for 4K – and better with an RTX 3090 under the hood. I ran a number of benchmarks across resolutions, but I only recorded my results in 4K with the highest graphics preset possible. This should tie performance to the GPU and remove the CPU from the equation. But my results show some big differences.

Asus ROG GA35 Custom PC (Core i9-12900K, RTX 3090) Origin Neuron (Ryzen 9 5950X, RTX 3080 Ti)
Forza Horizon 4 147 fps 160 fps N / A
Red Dead Redemption 2 73 fps 79 fps 72 fps
Assassin & # 39; s Creed Valhalla 69 fps 66 fps 55 fps
3DMark time spy 17,356 19,511 17,937
Fourteen days 78 fps N / A 89 fps

In Forza Horizon 4 and Red Dead Redemption 2, the GA35 underperformed my custom built rig with an RTX 3090. The processors are different, but they shouldn't affect performance much. Even the aging Core i9-10900K performed better in these two games when paired with the RTX 3090.

RAM is the problem. The GA35 only comes with 16 GB of RAM, which is an odd configuration for such a high-end system. Asus does not use any branded RAM modules beyond the capacity. I was told by a company representative that the modules use Samsung, Micron, and Hynix memory. And if you know anything about Ryzen processors, you know how much of a difference these these can make.

I couldn't verify the chips used for the modules in my tester. However, I used Corsair memory in the other two machines that use Samsung B-Die modules (which are known to work best with Ryzen chips). With 16 GB DDR4-3200, Asus chose the lowest reasonable option – and it shows in my results. DDR4-3600 modules would solve the problem, but otherwise leave slightly lower performance on the table.

In fact, the RTX 3090 shows a great advantage in Assassin's Creed Valhalla.

3DMark Time Spy shows how well the device compares to the Origin Neuron. My custom rig was able to get a higher score, but that's on the back of the Core i9-12900K.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla is also interesting. This game is still having issues with Intel's 12th gen platform which explains the lower scores I've seen with my custom PC. The RTX 3090 actually shows a big advantage here by sliding the GA35 over the Origin Neuron. In most other cases, the added power of the RTX 3090 was of no use.

The GA35 is a super fast gaming PC. There is no doubt about that. However, there are a couple of small issues that are mostly related to system memory. In most cases the differences are no more than a few frames. But they are there and you should keep them in mind if you are planning on losing $ 5,000.

Guarantee and support

Asus offers a one-year warranty for the GA35 as standard. Finding that out, however, was tedious. The warranty information is not printed on the warranty card and you cannot find it on the Asus website. Instead, it's listed on a sticker on the back of the device, just labeled "12M" with no context. It is frustrating that Asus encloses a copy of this sticker with the warranty card – just without the warranty information.

Warranty sticker on Asus G35DX.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

You can purchase insurance cover plus accident protection for up to three years. The standard warranty only covers defects and workmanship. One year is common for desktops. However, Asus could make it easier to access the warranty instead of splitting the information across three locations.

A product support card is included with the warranty information. Asus offers 24/7 phone support as well as live chat and email. For the second two, the support brochure points you to a website that is not working. I had to navigate through the Asus support site to find the right post.

Like the device itself, Asus doesn't go wrong with its warranty or support. There are just additional unnecessary steps that can make the process frustrating.

Our opinion

The Asus GA35 is a damn good gaming PC. It's packed with top-notch hardware that provides gaming and productivity without getting too hot (even though the fan is noisy). It also uses a standard form factor so upgrades are possible even though they may not always be practical.

It's just not all it could be. Thumbscrews, black power cords, and paying more attention to upgrades would put it at the top of our list of best desktop computers. I recommend the GA35, but you should know its quirks before you lose $ 5,000.

Are there alternatives?

Yes. The Origin Neuron and Maingear Vybe are the most direct competition, and the Vybe costs about $ 1,000 less. The HP Omen 30L is also a solid alternative thanks to its high-end hardware and tool-free housing design.

The Alienware Aurora R14 and Falcon Northwest Talon are also high-end gaming options, although they are both slightly different from the GA35. The Aurora R14 is more restrictive when it comes to upgrades, while the Northwest Talon uses all off-the-shelf parts and costs a little more.

How long it will take?

The GA35 is packed with powerful hardware, so what's in it should last for years. You can upgrade at any time, but the case doesn't make upgrades as easy as they could be.

Should you buy it?

Yes, as long as you considered the other options. The Maingear Vybe and Origin Neuron are both top-of-the-range gaming PCs, and the GA35 is just a small step below. It still works fine, but the options from Maingear and Origin are a bit easier when it comes to upgrading.

Editor's recommendations



06 Dec
Blog

Halo Infinite Review: A Great Shooter, Still in Progress

New Spartan armor in Halo Infinite.

Halo infinite

RRP $ 60.00

"Halo Infinite isn't going to reinvent the shooter genre, but it's a fun solo and multiplayer experience that can only get better over time."

advantages

  • Classic multiplayer action

  • Creative weapons

  • Varied battles in single player

  • Grappleshot is awesome

disadvantage

  • Sometimes disappointingly safe

  • Campaign is lacking in ideas

  • Unfinished at startup

"Why do you keep doing this?"
"That is everything I know."

This little exchange between an Echo 216 pilot and the Master Chief in Halo Infinite's campaign is a thesis moment for the game itself. Xbox has stood for Halo for 20 years. The shooter series defined Microsoft's entire foray into gaming, with Master Chief achieving icon status. Even after the series took a downturn when 343 Industries first took the helm of Bungie, Microsoft and Xbox fans alike remained committed to the future of the franchise. It's all they knew

Halo Infinite is careful not to disappoint – perhaps too cautiously. Gone are the days when 343 experimented with groundbreaking tweaks that would polarize longtime Spartans. Instead, Infinite plays it safe in multiplayer mode, while all experiments are limited to the single-player, lower-stakes campaign.

The end result is a reliable return to form, evoking the glory days of Halo 3. A lack of signature ideas means the first person shooter genre is unlikely to advance like its best contributions, but it doesn't have to. Halo is Halo, and the formula still works.

Safe multiplayer mode

Halo Infinite's multiplayer has been in beta for a month now, which gives me the rare opportunity to criticize a live service game after actually seeing what it will look like from week to week. After spending dozens of hours partying with friends, I came to a simple conclusion: Halo Infinite is a great multiplayer game, just not a central one.

The nuclear weapon game is second to none. Rather than continuing the unpopular experiments of Halo 4 and 5, 343 Industries stuck to the basics. Infinite feels like it's been pulled out of a box labeled "Halo" – and I don't mean that. The formula works as well as it ever has here, and there's little reason to tinker with it. The games are fast but not too fast, and players are rewarded for using every tool they can. It's less about landing headshots with precision than about using everything you can to melt an opponent's shield.

Halo Infinite captures the flag.

The best innovation here is the game's arsenal of weapons. Classic halo weapons, like the assault rifle and pistol, have been fine-tuned here to make them feel better than ever. But some of the newer weapons stand out in particular. The Cindershot is a powerful grenade launcher with a lot of power, while the Spit is essentially a harpoon that can blow a vehicle to pieces. They're not all winners (guns like the Ravager feel useless), but players have more options than ever, and that can radically change the feel of the game.

The main problem with multiplayer is a lack of personality. While 343's decision to play it safe is understandable, I can't help but feel like Infinite has no defining properties – and the potential is there.

Players can pick up multipurpose gadgets like shield walls that add an extra layer to battles. The standout tool is the grappleshot, a grappling hook that is an absolute blast when firing. With Grappleshot, vehicle-free players can race across Big Team maps, counter an incoming warthog by clinging to the driver, or pounce on enemies for a close-range kill. It's so comfortable that I immediately felt depressed that I didn't always have it fitted. I keep it so seldom that I practically never get to use it.

Infinite feels like it was plucked from a box labeled "Halo" and I don't mean that.

I understand why 343 didn't build the gameplay around the grappleshot. Long-time fans have complained about the tool and accused the studio of ruining Halo again. But I wish 343 had more faith in his gameplay ideas here. Instead of including their own innovation in the formula, the developers just flirt with new ideas. This makes Halo Infinite feel like a fun shooter, but not one that will change the genre as significantly as its predecessors.

Spider chief

The game's single player campaign takes some bolder moves. A complete reinvention of the Halo formula, it deals in linear missions for open world fluidity. This structure goes surprisingly well with Halo. One of my favorite moments was when I abducted a banshee from the sky, flew it across the map to an outpost, rained fire on a couple of unsuspecting grunts, and then got into a dogfight with another banshee. These little moments between the missions naturally combine the Infinite campaign with the multiplayer Big Team Battle mode.

It's the simple joys that make current single player gameplay work. As in multiplayer, there is a lot of heavy lifting involved in shooting. Even in the weakest moments of the campaign, it's always fun to make waves of opponents forget with a click of the mouse. The wealth of weapons is particularly noticeable here. Every time my clip went off, I knew I could always pull a random weapon from a corpse that would completely change the pace of a fight. I barely touched weapons like the Scattershot Heatwave in multiplayer until I was able to experiment with them in single player.

Movement is the main hook that brings us back to my beloved grappleshot. Unlike multiplayer, Master Chief has always equipped everything here, and that's the best. Traversing the map is an act of joy as Chief can drive up cliffs like Spider-Man. It also adds adorable new tricks to the fight. I always enjoy snatching a distant plasma coil into my hands and throwing it at a pack of enemies. Small details like these enrich an already entertaining shooting system and make every encounter appear different.

It's the simple joys that make current single player gameplay work.

These joys mask many of the campaign's flaws – and there are many. There isn't much variety in open world design. Non-story card activities (like evacuating bases or … evacuating smaller bases) are repetitive. The actual missions usually take place in chrome corridors, which cannot be distinguished from one another. Missions overwhelm the trope of “find a battery to power a door”. Recycled assets and ideas complete the campaign and make it appear much bigger than it actually is.

Master Chief speaks to an AI companion in Halo Infinite.

My biggest annoyance is the tone of the campaign. Characters are constantly joking like Marvel heroes, which can be a scratchy thing. Even the jokes are recycled. On two separate occasions, Chiefs A.I. Companion says a line that ends with a "Wait, don't reply to" punchline. Grunts that were once delightful moments of comic relief now crack one-liners constantly during combat. It's all exhausting and robs every personality from Halo's great science fiction saga.

Despite these issues, the campaign is compact enough not to pull it down completely. While this is an open world game, it is not a maximalist one. Players can play through the story in around 10 hours, even with additional exploration. You can spend a lot more time ticking off card symbols, but the lean approach works here. Longer and the seams of the game would become clearer.

At least it's Halo

Halo Infinite is a strange game to review because it starts in an incomplete state. By introducing a live service model, 343 Industries has a lot of flexibility here. It is able to hold functions until a later date or fail now and fix it later. I described it as a great game surrounded by bad decisions. Some of the choices in the game are so startlingly strange that it feels like they have to change at some point. Some do.

Spartans attack each other in Halo Infinite

Take the game's Battle Pass, for example. At launch, players were slow to gain experience points by completing daily and weekly challenges. Leveling up on the Battle Pass can take hours, which sucks the feeling of progression from the games. It didn't help that the actual Battle Pass cosmetics are generally lame too (rewards are a single shoulder pad or visor color). The progression system got so much play before it was released that 343 made several changes to fix it. It feels better now, although more tweaks are likely to be imminent.

Halo Infinite is a strange game to review because it starts in an incomplete state.

There are other quality of life issues that have not yet been addressed that are just as confusing. One of them is the fact that playlists are currently limited. Output 343 says it should be dealt with shortly after launch. Players can either jump into Quick Play, Leaderboards, or Big Team Battle, which contain a couple of modes. Currently, you can't just jump into a Team Slayer playlist if that's the only mode you like. You have to battle through objective modes like Oddball for a chance to play the mode you want.

This is especially noticeable in Big Team Battle, which features the game's absolute worst mode, Stockpile. The large-scale twist on Capture the Flag has players slowly walking energy cells to their base over and over again, placing the emphasis on the combat and mobility of the game. I hate it so much that I've largely decided against playing Big Team Battle. It's just not worth it.

Halo players compete against each other in a Halo Infinite multiplayer match.

It doesn't help that Halo Infinite starts with no full functionality. There's no co-op play until at least May, and the custom blacksmithing mode is even farther away. The lack of co-op at launch is especially disappointing as the campaign feels well suited for this. I want to believe this isn't a big deal. The core multiplayer is good enough that I'll be kept busy by then, but I'm also a little skeptical of the proposed schedules. Will Forge actually make it this year? Will collaboration be delayed if 343 is forced to make more fundamental changes in the quality of life? Playlist issues and weapon balance feel more urgent right now, and I wouldn't be surprised if they priority.

I can only criticize Halo Infinite with promises at this point. It's not the game it will be in five years. The question is, do I feel that it is in a good position to realize its potential? Historically, 343 is a responsive developer and I'm sure he will quickly address the more basic fan complaints based on his reaction to the Battle Pass. There's just no telling how quickly it can do that, especially given the game's already slow development cycle.

However, it is a strong foundation and one that is specially designed to deal with disasters. No matter what, Halo Infinite's problems are not fundamental. The safe approach to multiplayer means that any problem can be dismissed with an "Uh, at least Halo" answer.

Halo Infinite is a fitting name. When done right, core shooting really feels infinitely playable. The title isn't so much a great statement of the quality of the game; It's just comfort that 343 didn't rock the boat this time.

Our opinion

Halo Infinite is a worthy Halo game, pure and simple. Multiplayer doesn't do much to evolve the series or shooter genre, but the formula still works and there are some new twists here to make it feel fresh enough. The compact open-world campaign is a bit lacking in ideas, but the moment-to-moment gameplay is fun enough to make up for uninspired design. It's a shame it starts in an unfinished state and lacks key features like campaign co-op, but there's a lot to get players to log in for now.

Is there a better alternative?

Splitgate is a more creative shooter that builds on the Halo formula instead of repeating it. For a longer, more complex open-world FPS, try Far Cry 6.

How long it will take?

The campaign will likely last 15 hours for most players if they do a healthy amount of open world activity. Multiplayer will likely be supported for a good portion, if not all, of the life of the Xbox Series X.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. Or more precisely, if you have the Xbox Game Pass, you should download the free multiplayer and try the campaign. Both aspects are very entertaining, even if they don't do much to advance the series.

Halo Infinite was verified using an early verification code from Microsoft.

Editor's recommendations



16 Nov
Blog

2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid Review: 7 Seats and Great MPG

Front driver's side from an angle of the 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid in a meadow.

2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid

RRP $ 33,590.00

"It's not even a close comparison – the Sorento Hybrid is one of the best mid-size SUVs."

advantages

  • Tons of technology

  • Noble design

  • Compact car MPG

  • Spacious first and second row

  • Doesn't feel slow

disadvantage

  • Tight third row

  • Model 2022 has more functions

The three-row midsize SUV segment is one that automakers are slow to electrify. It makes sense – these hulking SUVs tend to have boxy designs that aren't efficient at first. Finding a way to reduce fuel consumption without sacrificing all that space is a huge challenge – so there may be few options to choose from.

With the brand new 2021 Sorento Hybrid, Kia has found a way to make this work. The Sorento name has been around since 2002, but this is the first time you'll find hybrid drive in an SUV. This powertrain not only gives the Sorento its own place in the Kia range, but also in the overall segment. If you are looking for a midsize hybrid SUV, go straight to a Kia dealer to test the Sorento Hybrid before anything else.

The entry-level S starts at $ 34,760, including the target fee of $ 1,170. The EX-Trim we tested starts at $ 37,760. Our tester was painted in Runaway Red Paint, which costs $ 445, bringing the price of our tester to $ 38,205.

Design and interior

The last Sorento had an old-fashioned design – not exactly hideous, but awkward from some angles. In that regard, the new Sorento Hybrid is a massive improvement. It doesn't have the same street presence as the larger Telluride, but it still has its own kind of American boast. Not many midsize SUVs and even fewer hybrids look cool, but that's exactly what the Sorento Hybrid does.

Front end close-up of the 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid in a meadow. Joel Patel / Digital Trends

Kia's Tigernose grille gives the Sorento Hybrid a familiar design compared to the automaker's other SUVs, such as the Niro, Seltos and Telluride. Compared to the regular Sorento, the Sorento Hybrid doesn't look drastically different. From our point of view, that is a good thing. The only noticeable difference between the two is the glossier trim on the hybrid.

Not many midsize SUVs and even fewer hybrids look cool, but that's exactly what the Sorento Hybrid does.

The interior design of the Sorento Hybrid is just as beautiful as its exterior with a stylish look that feels just as classy as the exterior. The center console rests in the middle of the vertically aligned air vents and the toggle switches for the HVAC temperature control and the heated seats make the cabin look like the cockpit of an airplane – this is also fully functional. The biggest downside is the select-operated gear shifter, which seems like a good thing on paper but not in the real world.

One of the main advantages of the Sorento Hybrid over other hybrids is that it can accommodate up to seven people. Only a few midsize SUVs can claim the combination of hybrid drive and seating for the whole family. Thanks to clever packaging, the Sorento Hybrid offers just as much cargo space as the Sorento. Unfortunately, it's not as spacious as its competitors. Behind the third row there is 12.6 cubic meters of cargo space. Folding down the rear seats gives 45 cubic feet of cargo space, while the Sorento Hybrid can hold a maximum of 75.5 cubic feet of cargo.

Technology, infotainment and driver assistance

The main disadvantage of the Sorento Hybrid is its infotainment system. Kia does not fit the Sorento Hybrid with the same available 10.25-inch touchscreen of the regular model. Instead, you get a standard 8-inch device for the full range of products. It's not a bad touchscreen, but the extra space that is available in a regular Sorento leads to envy. It's like looking at your neighbor's backyard and then realizing that yours doesn't quite fit. For patient people, Kia made things the same for 2022.

It's not the fanciest list of features, but there's something reassuring about a car with easy-to-use technology.

Close-up of the infotainment system in the 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid showing fuel consumption. Joel Patel / Digital Trends

The size of the touchscreen might not impress, but its features will. The EX equipment we tested came with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, satellite radio, a 4.2-inch display in the instrument cluster, eight USB ports, a wireless charging pad and six audio speakers. It's not the most famous list of features, but there is quite a bit to be said about a car that doesn't choke on technology.

The touchscreen's graphics aren't as sharp or as colorful as those of the larger 10.25-inch touchscreen, but they're still really good. It's also nice to be able to use logically placed buttons and knobs. Someone could get into this car and become familiar with it within 10 minutes – this is not the case with many new vehicles.

Kia equips the Sorento Hybrid with its Drive Wise suite of advanced safety functions. The suite includes collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition, pedestrian recognition, rear cross traffic warning, exit warning and rear parking sensors. The EX equipment adds adaptive cruise control, cyclist detection, intersection assistant and front parking sensors.

Experience at the wheel

The Sorento Hybrid is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbo engine paired with an electric motor and a 1.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. The combined power is 227 hp, while a traditional six-speed automatic transmission handles the shifting. It's a departure from the norm as most other hybrids use a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). If there's a downside to the Sorento Hybrid's powertrain, front-wheel drive is the only configuration available.

Compared to the competitors from Ford and Toyota, the Sorento Hybrid no longer has any power. The Ford Explorer Hybrid has a 3.3 liter V6 engine and an electric motor for a combined 318 hp. Toyota's Highlander Hybrid, on the other hand, comes with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and two electric motors that produce 243 hp. Against that crowd, the Sorento Hybrid sounds like it could use a little more punch, but the SUV feels very powerful. There's a bit of a lag off the line, but it's still peppy, just about a second away from the regular Sorento's regular 2.5-liter, four-cylinder turbo engine in a sprint to 60 mph. Overtaking on the autobahn, which is usually a test of patience with a hybrid, is uneventful.

The six-speed automatic transmission is gentler than options with a CVT like the Highlander, but it's not exactly trouble-free. During our week with the SUV, we noticed that it jerked a few times when switching between reverse gear and drive. Downshifts can be slow if you're trying to speed them up using the paddles on the steering wheel, but that's to be expected on a powertrain where fuel economy is paramount.

Of the few hybrid mid-range SUVs on the market, the Sorento Hybrid is the most efficient of the bunch.

Side profile of the 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid from the passenger side in a meadow. Joel Patel / Digital Trends

While Kia's driving modes usually result in a noticeable change, the Sorento Hybrid's Comfort, Smart, and Sport modes don't make radical changes to the SUV's performance. So it makes a lot of sense to keep it in eco mode most of the time. Additionally, Kia's Eco mode doesn't suppress the responsiveness of the accelerator pedal, so it feels more like a normal driving mode. The eco mode also matches the compliant driving behavior and easy steering of the Sorento Hybrid for a relaxed driving experience.

Gas mileage and safety

Of the few three-row midsize SUVs on the market with hybrid drive, the Sorento Hybrid is the most efficient of the bunch. The hybrid is rated to get up to 37 mpg combined (39 mpg city, 35 mpg highway). The best the Toyota Highlander Hybrid can get is 36 mpg combined, while the Ford Explorer Hybrid has a paltry 28 mpg combined rating. The Sorento Hybrid is so efficient that it is almost on par with smaller hybrids like the Honda CR-V Hybrid and Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Blue, which have 38 mpg combined ratings.

Engine compartment of the Kia Sorento Hybrid 2021.Joel Patel / Digital Trends

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has not yet subjected the Sorento Hybrid 2021 to crash tests. However, the regular Sorento received the “Top Safety Pick” rating after receiving a “Good” rating in all six crash tests – a “Superior” rating for its front crash prevention technology and headlights, which ranged from “Bad” to “Good” " are sufficient. In testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Sorento Hybrid received an overall safety rating of four stars in 2021.

Kia supports the Sorento Hybrid with a 5-year basic warranty of 60,000 miles and a 10-year warranty for the powertrain of 100,000 miles. The warranty exceeds that offered by Toyota and Ford, which includes a three-year base warranty of 36,000 miles and a five-year powertrain warranty of 60,000 miles.

How DT would configure this car

Skip the $ 3,000 EX trim that doesn't justify the price. The standard Sorento Hybrid has an extensive list of safety functions, two-zone climate control, six audio speakers, wireless smartphone compatibility, synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats and an 8-inch touchscreen, making it well-equipped for most drivers.

Our opinion

Best-in-class fuel economy is just one characteristic that makes the Sorento Hybrid such an impressive vehicle. It also comes with nifty tech features, a relatively spacious cargo area, a peppy drivetrain, and a long warranty. The breathtaking design of the Sorento Hybrid cannot be overlooked either. It's not even a close comparison – the Sorento Hybrid is one of the best mid-size SUVs on offer.

The Toyota Highlander Hybrid is available with a larger 12.3 inch touchscreen, although its graphics and menu layout look dated, it can hit up to 36 mpg combined, it has up to 84.3 cubic feet of cargo space, it has 243 horsepower, and it can pull up to 3,500 pounds. The Highlander Hybrid isn't as stylish as the Sorento Hybrid, but it is available with all-wheel drive.

If fuel economy is what you're looking for, the Ford Explorer Hybrid likely won't fit the bill. It's rated at up to 28 mpg combined, which is way behind the Sorento Hybrid's number. On the other hand, its drive train delivers up to 318 hp, well above the Sorento Hybrid. The Explorer Hybrid can also pull the most cargo with a valuation of up to 5,000 pounds. When it comes to cargo space, the Explorer Hybrid has the most space with up to 87.8 cubic feet of cargo space. Ford offers the Explorer Hybrid with rear-wheel and all-wheel drive.

Should you get one?

Yes sir. The 2022 model adds more technology and all-wheel drive available, but the 2021 model is still worth buying.

Editor's recommendations



09 Nov
Blog

2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid Review: 7 Seats and Great MPG

Front driver's side from an angle of the 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid in a meadow.

2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid

RRP $ 33,590.00

"It's not even a close comparison – the Sorento Hybrid is one of the best mid-size SUVs."

advantages

  • Tons of technology

  • Noble design

  • Compact car MPG

  • Spacious first and second row

  • Doesn't feel slow

disadvantage

  • Tight third row

  • Model 2022 has more functions

The three-row mid-size SUV segment is one that automakers are slow to electrify. It makes sense – these hulking SUVs tend to have boxy designs that aren't efficient at first. Finding a way to reduce fuel consumption without sacrificing all that space is a huge challenge – so there may be few options to choose from.

With the brand new 2021 Sorento Hybrid, Kia found a way to make this work. The Sorento name has been around since 2002, but this is the first time you'll find hybrid drive in an SUV. This powertrain not only gives the Sorento its own place in the Kia range, but also in the overall segment. If you are looking for a midsize hybrid SUV, go straight to a Kia dealer to test the Sorento Hybrid before anything else.

Entry-level S starts at $ 34,760, including the target fee of $ 1,170. The EX-Trim we tested starts at $ 37,760. Our tester was painted in Runaway Red Paint, which costs $ 445, which brings our tester's price to $ 38,205.

Design and interior

The last Sorento had an old-fashioned design – not exactly hideous, but awkward from some angles. In that regard, the new Sorento Hybrid is a massive improvement. It doesn't have the same street presence as the larger Telluride, but it still has its own kind of American boast. Not many midsize SUVs and even fewer hybrids look cool, but that's exactly what the Sorento Hybrid does.

Front end close-up of the 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid in a meadow. Joel Patel / Digital Trends

Kia's Tigernose grille gives the Sorento Hybrid a familiar look compared to the automaker's other SUVs, such as the Niro, Seltos and Telluride. Compared to the regular Sorento, the Sorento Hybrid doesn't look drastically different. From our point of view that is a good thing. The only noticeable difference between the two is the glossier trim on the hybrid.

Not many midsize SUVs and even fewer hybrids look cool, but that's exactly what the Sorento Hybrid does.

The interior design of the Sorento Hybrid is just as beautiful as its exterior with a stylish look that feels just as classy as the exterior. The center console rests in the middle of the vertically aligned air vents and the toggle switches for the HVAC temperature control and seat heating make the cabin look like the cockpit of an airplane – this is also fully functional. The biggest downside is the selector-operated gear shifter, which seems like a good thing on paper but not in the real world.

One of the main advantages of the Sorento Hybrid over other hybrids is that it can accommodate up to seven people. Only a few midsize SUVs can claim the combination of hybrid drive and seating for the whole family. Thanks to clever packaging, the Sorento Hybrid offers just as much cargo space as the Sorento. Unfortunately, it's not as spacious as its competitors. Behind the third row there is 12.6 cubic meters of cargo space. Folding down the rear seats gives 45 cubic feet of cargo space, while the Sorento Hybrid can hold a maximum of 75.5 cubic feet of cargo.

Technology, infotainment and driver assistance

The main disadvantage of the Sorento Hybrid is its infotainment system. Kia doesn't fit the Sorento Hybrid with the same available 10.25-inch touchscreen of the regular model. Instead, you get a standard 8-inch device for the full range of products. It's not a bad touchscreen, but the extra space that is available in a regular Sorento leads to envy. It's like looking at your neighbor's garden and then realizing that yours doesn't quite fit. For patient people, Kia made things the same for 2022.

It's not the fanciest list of features, but there's something reassuring about a car with easy-to-use technology.

Close-up of the infotainment system in the 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid showing fuel consumption. Joel Patel / Digital Trends

The size of the touchscreen might not impress, but its features will. The EX equipment we tested came with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, satellite radio, a 4.2-inch display in the instrument cluster, eight USB ports, a wireless charging pad and six audio speakers. It's not the most famous list of features, but there is quite a bit to be said about a car that doesn't choke on technology.

The touchscreen's graphics aren't as sharp or as colorful as those of the larger 10.25-inch touchscreen, but they're still really good. It's also nice to be able to use logically placed buttons and knobs. Someone could get into this car and become familiar with it within 10 minutes – this is not the case with many new vehicles.

Kia equips the Sorento Hybrid with its Drive Wise suite of advanced safety functions. The suite includes collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition, pedestrian recognition, rear cross traffic warning, exit warning and rear parking sensors. The EX equipment adds adaptive cruise control, cyclist detection, intersection assistant and front parking sensors.

Experience at the wheel

The Sorento Hybrid is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbo engine paired with an electric motor and a 1.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. The combined power is 227 horsepower, while a traditional six-speed automatic transmission handles the shifting. It's a departure from the norm as most other hybrids use a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). If there's a downside to the Sorento Hybrid's powertrain, front-wheel drive is the only configuration available.

Compared to the competitors from Ford and Toyota, the Sorento Hybrid no longer has any power. The Ford Explorer Hybrid has a 3.3 liter V6 engine and an electric motor for a combined 318 hp. Toyota's Highlander Hybrid, on the other hand, comes with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and two electric motors that produce 243 hp. Against that crowd, the Sorento Hybrid sounds like it could use a little more punch, but the SUV feels very powerful. There's a bit of a lag off the line, but it's still peppy, just about a second away from the regular Sorento's regular 2.5-liter, four-cylinder turbo engine in a sprint to 60 mph. Overtaking on the autobahn, which is usually a test of patience with a hybrid, is uneventful.

The six-speed automatic transmission is gentler than options with a CVT like the Highlander, but it's not exactly trouble-free. During our week with the SUV, we noticed that it jerked a few times when switching between reverse gear and drive. Downshifts can be slow if you're trying to speed them up using the paddles on the steering wheel, but that's to be expected on a powertrain where fuel economy is paramount.

Of the few hybrid mid-range SUVs on the market, the Sorento Hybrid is the most efficient of the bunch.

Side profile of the 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid from the passenger side in a meadow. Joel Patel / Digital Trends

While Kia's driving modes usually result in a noticeable change, the Sorento Hybrid's Comfort, Smart, and Sport modes don't make radical changes to the SUV's performance. So it makes a lot of sense to keep it in eco mode most of the time. Additionally, Kia's Eco mode doesn't suppress the responsiveness of the accelerator pedal, so it feels more like a normal driving mode. The eco mode also matches the compliant driving behavior and easy steering of the Sorento Hybrid for a relaxed driving experience.

Gas mileage and safety

Of the few three-row midsize SUVs on the market with hybrid drive, the Sorento Hybrid is the most efficient of the bunch. The hybrid is rated to get up to 37 mpg combined (39 mpg city, 35 mpg highway). The best the Toyota Highlander Hybrid can get is 36 mpg combined, while the Ford Explorer Hybrid has a paltry 28 mpg combined rating. The Sorento Hybrid is so efficient that it is almost on par with smaller hybrids like the Honda CR-V Hybrid and Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Blue, which have 38 mpg combined ratings.

Engine compartment of the Kia Sorento Hybrid 2021.Joel Patel / Digital Trends

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has not yet subjected the Sorento Hybrid 2021 to crash tests. However, the regular Sorento received the “Top Safety Pick” rating after receiving a “Good” rating in all six crash tests – a “Superior” rating for its front crash prevention technology and headlights, which ranged from “Bad” to “Good” " are sufficient. In testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Sorento Hybrid received an overall safety rating of four stars in 2021.

Kia supports the Sorento Hybrid with a 5-year basic warranty of 60,000 miles and a 10-year warranty for the powertrain of 100,000 miles. The warranty exceeds that offered by Toyota and Ford, which includes a three-year base warranty of 36,000 miles and a five-year powertrain warranty of 60,000 miles.

How DT would configure this car

Skip the $ 3,000 EX trim that doesn't justify the price. The standard Sorento Hybrid has an extensive list of safety functions, a two-zone automatic climate control, six audio speakers, wireless smartphone compatibility, synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats and an 8-inch touchscreen, making it well-equipped for most drivers.

Our opinion

Best-in-class fuel economy is just one characteristic that makes the Sorento Hybrid such an impressive vehicle. It also comes with nifty tech features, a relatively spacious cargo area, a peppy drivetrain, and a long warranty. The breathtaking design of the Sorento Hybrid cannot be overlooked either. It's not even a close comparison – the Sorento Hybrid is one of the best mid-size SUVs on offer.

The Toyota Highlander Hybrid is available with a larger 12.3 inch touchscreen, although its graphics and menu layout look dated, it can hit up to 36 mpg combined, it has up to 84.3 cubic feet of cargo space, it has 243 horsepower, and it can pull up to 3,500 pounds. The Highlander Hybrid isn't as stylish as the Sorento Hybrid, but it is available with all-wheel drive.

If you're looking for fuel economy, the Ford Explorer Hybrid probably won't fit the bill. It's rated at up to 28 mpg combined, which is way below the Sorento Hybrid's number. On the other hand, its powertrain delivers up to 318 hp, well above the Sorento Hybrid. The Explorer Hybrid can also pull the most cargo with a valuation of up to 5,000 pounds. When it comes to cargo space, the Explorer Hybrid has the most space with up to 87.8 cubic feet of cargo space. Ford offers the Explorer Hybrid with rear-wheel and all-wheel drive.

Should you get one?

Yes sir. The 2022 model adds more technology and all-wheel drive available, but the 2021 model is still worth buying.

Editor's recommendations



03 Nov
Blog

Microsoft Surface Duo 2 Review: A Great Second Impression

The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 has a unique design with two screens.

Microsoft Surface Duo 2

RRP $ 1,499.00

“The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 resolves almost every concern we had with the original. It's a quirky phone that is fun. "

advantages

  • Marked camera upgrade compared to its predecessor

  • Large aspect ratio for reading and multitasking

  • Software is largely repaired

  • Top tier flagship specs

  • Superior multitasking skills

disadvantage

  • Poor lowlight camera performance

  • Awkward to hold for camera use

  • There are still a few software bugs that need to be fixed

You only have one chance to make a first impression. But if your second impression is good enough, you can undo a lot of damage. A year ago. Microsoft has tried to create a new class of mobile devices with the Surface Duo that lives somewhere between the phone and tablet. It is designed for multitasking professionals who need to prepare a presentation before a meeting or put the finishing touches to a contract before it is sent to the lawyers. To fit into that category, Microsoft created the Surface Duo – and it failed quite spectacularly.

This year, Microsoft released the Microsoft Surface Duo 2, which is a pretty big correction in course while still trying to fill the same niche. The Microsoft Duo 2 is still a device for power users and multitaskers who want to get things done. It's a flagship for those who have a hell of a lot of on-demand disposable income. I am a writer and blogger. I am not the target audience for this phone. But that doesn't make it any less fun to use.

I've been using the Surface Duo for three days since it was released, which isn't enough time for a full review, but it's enough time to get a pretty good idea of ​​what Microsoft is trying to do. This is just a hands-on review that will remain something of a living document as I really put this phone through its paces over the coming days and weeks.

The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is intended for business people who do business tasks.Adam Doud / Digital Trends

Design and display

As with the first generation Microsoft Duo, the workmanship on this phone is exquisite. You have two 1892 x 1344, 90 Hz screens with up to 800 nits of brightness. They are connected by a thin hinge and there is a bit of curved glass on the hinge side. (We'll talk about the meaning in a moment). The polycarbonate ring that runs around the outside of the screens and the camera bump are the only knock we have on the design. It looks good but feels downright cheap. Occasional hairs can get caught in the seam between glass and plastic, which does not look nice.

When you use this phone people will notice and ask you about it. Be prepared.

On the hinge-free side there is a power button with an integrated fingerprint sensor and volume rocker. There is a single USB-C port on the bottom. The hinge itself is a 360 degree hinge that allows you to put the phone in many different positions, such as: B. in tent mode, tablet mode, laptop mode and more. On the back there are three camera sensors in a camera mound large enough to be shown on some topographic maps. It's not subtle.

The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is the thinnest 5G phone in the world.Adam Doud / Digital Trends

The two screens are curved on the hinge side, which gives you what Microsoft calls a viewing bar. The two curves form a notification window that can show you which notifications you are waiting for, your battery level and the time. I found this to be of limited use in my short time with the device. Personally, I prefer to put the phone open on the table so I can see everything.

The big screen is both a blessing and a curse. The 4: 3 aspect ratio gives you plenty of screen space when reading or scrolling. It's pretty refreshing to read in bed or scroll through the latest Twitter crisis. But the size of the screens serves as a disadvantage when doing something with one hand or taking a photo. Remember that to take a photo you need to have the phone open, but not open so that the second screen is blocking the camera module. I found it most convenient to take photos by opening the screen 90 degrees and resting the lower half on the palm of my hand while leveling the camera. It's not particularly convenient, but honestly, when you have a phone like this one, you have to compromise.

Overall, however, I am more satisfied with the design than I expected. This is a beautiful phone and Microsoft knows it. When you use this phone people will notice and ask you about it. Be prepared.

software

Last year, Microsoft really dropped the ball in the software department. It had an extra year to weed out bugs and peccadillos and it's safe to say it's showing, but there is still work to be done here. When using this phone, it is important that you are as conscious as possible when using gestures. Also, note that Microsoft has changed some of the gestures to suit what it wants to do.

Usually when you're using an app in landscape mode on an Android phone, the gesture still shows up from the bottom. That is not the case here. Microsoft had to change that in order for the dual screens to work. Every time you use an app with the phone in landscape mode, the swipe gesture to multitask and return to the home screen is instead swiped in from the right side. It's a strange, if necessary, change, and hard to get used to.

The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 has a number of apps optimized for this, including Amazon Kindle.Adam Doud / Digital Trends

As for bugs, despite the fact that I've only been using this phone for three days, I've already seen a few oddities that made me shake my head, including a case where I got stuck on a blank home screen and had to boot Restart the phone to get everything back to normal. One constant irritation is the software keyboard's insistence on covering the text field I type in in chat apps like Teams or Slack. This wouldn't be overly irritating, except that I found this behavior most often in Teams, Microsoft's own software, and suggests poor optimization or just a simple oversight.

Fortunately for the keyboard, it's not bad. Microsoft uses its own Swiftkey keyboard that is pretty accurate when it comes to typing and autocorrection. I also installed Gboard to play around with. Gboard works fine, and in fact, I enjoy typing with Gboard in 4: 3 aspect ratio, but when you open an app across multiple windows, Gboard won't be shared while Swiftkey does it automatically. Both keyboards work pretty well in laptop mode, with the keyboard taking up the bottom of the screen while your text field taking up the top half. I was pleasantly surprised that Gboard worked as well as it did in this pose.

The Microsoft Surface Duo is a great device for multitasking.Adam Doud / Digital Trends

Microsoft has also designed its apps to work well when they span both screens. Outlook opens your message list on the left, while your messages are displayed on the right. Microsoft has also partnered with a few third-party apps like Asphalt 9, Kindle, and TikTok, so they all use both screens – with varying degrees of success.

Microsoft has also partnered with a few third-party apps like Asphalt 9, Kindle, and TikTok, so they all use both screens – with varying degrees of success.

Microsoft has come a long way when it comes to software, but there is still work to be done. I shouldn't have to restart a phone due to an error in the first 48 hours. Needless to say, this part of the phone requires a ton of more testing before I'm happy with the overall performance.

Performance and battery

Speaking of performance, it should come as no surprise that this phone works quite well. The Snapdragon 888 and 8 GB of RAM ensure that everything runs smoothly and efficiently. There weren't any stutters or lags that I noticed even while playing Call of Duty Mobile. I haven't had a chance to put heavy loads on the phone, such as running benchmarks, but I haven't had any complaints about performance so far.

The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is almost too big for a car holder. Almost.Adam Doud / Digital Trends

The battery life isn't bad. My standard battery test includes GPS for 30 minutes at 75% brightness, streaming Netflix over WiFi at the same brightness for 30 minutes, and playing Call of Duty Mobile for 30 minutes at maximum brightness. After all that, the phone came in at 76% which is the lowest of the phones I've tested using this method so far including the iPhone 13 Pro which got 81%. I spent the rest of the day off charging and ended up at 20% before bed. All in all, that's not a bad thing. I've used both screens quite a lot during the day and was surprised it lasted that long.

camera

The camera sensors are a 12-megapixel wide-angle sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS), a 12-megapixel dual telesensor and an ultra-wide 16-megapixel sensor with a 110-degree field of view. They're an improvement over the original Surface Duo cameras, but that was a very low bar. Unfortunately, the camera hump prevents the Surface Duo 2 from lying flat when you fold one screen behind the other, but like most other flaws in smartphones, you get used to it.

The cameras are definitely an improvement; But let's face it, a potato would be an improvement over the first generation sensor. This camera module was built in-house by Microsoft. There are three cameras on the back and one on the front. The cameras are pretty average on most points, with a few surprises. The term I would use is "social media good," which means that the photos you get here are usually good enough for social media, but probably not much more.

The Microsoft Surface Duo uses both screens in the camera app.Adam Doud / Digital Trends

There are a few issues here in terms of software and performance. The camera is often quite slow to take photos. Missing moments to capture, I ended up with a dog's back rather than its head. That was too bad. I also often had to rotate photos that I had taken because the camera was in the wrong orientation. That quickly became annoying.

As for the camera itself, it worked admirably during the day. The color rendering between the three sensors is very close, and you won't notice a significant change in color. Portrait mode in particular seems to be quite good. It's one of the best I've seen, even when stacked against the iPhone 13 Pro. The camera is able to blur the background without capturing anything in the foreground other than a few strands of hair. That was a pleasant surprise when it came to the camera.

Most cameras these days can work very well if the light is good. If the light isn't good, a camera can glow or, in the case of the Surface Duo, fall behind. The nightly photo samples I took were all pretty bad except photos from the main camera sensor. Again, this is usually the case when it comes to a typical phone camera set. The selfie camera is very poor, with focus problems and excessive pixelation in the dark behind the subject. Avoid selfies at night.

On the video side, none of the cameras can record stable videos despite optical image stabilization, which makes any kind of movement almost nauseating. Recording a video while walking is erratic and jarring regardless of the resolution or the software Microsoft is using under the hood. All cameras are pretty bad at night. This is common, unfortunately even the best cameras struggle mightily when recording video at night.

Price and availability

The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is available from $ 1,499.99 on Microsoft.com and in retail stores such as: Best buy. It is available in the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, and Japan. The phone starts shipping today.

Our opinion

It's a cliché to say this about second generation hardware, but this is how the first generation duo should have been. But the reason it's a cliché is that it's true so often. I posted my wish list for improvements from the Surface Duo to the Surface Duo 2 and Microsoft ticked all the boxes. The phone is more powerful and comes with a much improved camera set.

Then we come to the price. Microsoft is charging $ 1,500 for this phone, which is quite a lot, especially after the ball was dropped with the first generation. But since Microsoft fixed most of the bugs in the previous generation, it's not difficult to justify this price. This is a pretty good phone in a mostly new form factor. It's a pioneer in the Wild West, breaking new ground for mobile devices. That deserves a lot of recognition.

At the same time, this phone doesn't offer the perfection that the price tag demands. The hardware is awesome. The software is very good. The camera is no match for a modern flagship, but that's probably fine for the customers Microsoft is targeting. All of the above statements come with the caveat that I will need even more testing time with the phone before I can make my final judgment.

Is there a better alternative?

Secure. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is only $ 300 (around 20%) more than this phone and has better software and a better set of cameras. One could argue that the Surface Duo 2 is better than the Fold 3 in terms of hardware, but that's more subjective. The Fold 3 is aimed at a different audience than the Duo 2. Microsoft wants this to be your productivity powerhouse, while the Fold 3 is meant to be a multimedia tablet that fits in your pocket (and admittedly has a lot of productivity potential). . But who these companies imagine as users of their devices are two different things. Microsoft wants the business power user. Samsung wants everyone.

How long it will take?

Despite the standard one-year warranty, a smartphone is a piece of hard hardware that needs to be protected. Most smartphones are glass sandwiches, but the duo is a glass sandwich on a glass sandwich. Plus, it's hard to find a good case for it. That's enough to make anyone nervous. On the plus side, when a screen breaks it doesn't fold, so it's probably not that expensive to replace. But it's fair to say that there are some question marks here that I can only answer after a long time with the device.

Should I buy it?

It's just beginning of my review, but I'll say yes – if you fit into Microsoft's audience. These are business people who want to get things done on the go and who are also heavily invested in Microsoft services. You can buy this phone even if you have a lot of disposable income lying around. While it's expensive, the tech, beauty, and productivity here make this a good buy … if you can afford it.

Editor's recommendations



23 Aug
Blog

Govee RGB Strip Lights Review: Great Features, Low Price

Govee Strip Lights in a home

Govee RGB Strip Light Test: Great features without the high cost

RRP $ 39.99

"Equipping your home with intelligent light strips does not cost a fortune with Govee's offer."

advantages

  • Affordable price point

  • Lots of functions

  • Impressive music effects

  • Bright and vivid lights

disadvantage

  • Bad setup experience

  • Disorganized app

Strip lights add an element to the decor that normal lights simply cannot compete with. Think how many home theater setups you've seen with ambient lighting on the back of the TV or a string of lights under a chair. Not many. The problem is that the best light strips like the Philips Hue Lightstrip or the LIFX Z LED are sometimes prohibitively expensive, reaching prices of up to $ 70 or more.

Govee's RGBIC Strip Lights offer largely the same functionality as higher-priced models, but at a fraction of the cost. A 16.4-foot section starts at $ 23 while a 32.8-foot section starts at $ 49.

Installation and setup

Installing the Govee light strips is a simple task. All you have to do is plug the power adapter into the wall and hook up the lights to it yourself. A physical controller allows you to cycle through various color options and turn the device on and off, while 3M tape on the back of the strip makes it easy to mount on the underside of a counter, along the wall, or any other location around the lights place.

Setting up the strip light, on the other hand, is a bit strange. The Govee app isn't the best-designed application I've ever used, and when it came time to connect the lights to the Wi-Fi, it didn't auto-detect the Wi-Fi network and neither did I. not be able to choose from one of the available connections. I had to manually enter the network's SSID and password. Govee also has many different light strips to choose from, so you'll need to know the model number of your lights to find them in the app. The organization of the app leaves a lot to be desired.

Govee strip lights in a loft

However, after I completed this section of the setup process, everything else went smoothly. Note that unlike some RGB strips, the lights cannot be cut. RGBIC lights are controlled by a single IC chip, so cutting the strip on either side of the cut can cause malfunction, especially if you don't cut it in the right place. Also, the cut section cannot be reconnected to another power supply.

Another thing to be aware of is the heat generated by these LEDs. Most LED strips hardly get warm, but the Govee strips can get uncomfortably warm when rolled up. Make sure to unroll the strip before using it, even if you don't need the full length. Leaving it rolled will make the lights dangerously hot.

Features and performance

In the list of functions, the Govee RGBIC Strip Lights stand out. The lights are able to display up to 16 million different colors with their bright 5050 LEDs. The luminosity of these LEDs is impressive – they are significantly brighter than other LEDs in the same price range.

The lights can be controlled by a physical controller that provides access to a wide range of spot colors as well as multiple color changing effects. However, the best features are in the app. It gives users access to all of the top options for using the Govee strip light, including the timer function and the ability to manipulate the brightness or switch between the four different modes.

The luminosity of these LEDs is impressive.

the Music mode causes the lights to flash and change to the beat of the music. It will listen to music through the phone's microphone, but you can adjust the sensitivity if it picks up too much background noise. You can choose between the options Party, Dynamic and Quiet, as well as whether the music mode changes color automatically or you can select it manually. Party mode is the most hectic option and is the fastest to change the color option, while sleep mode offers the slowest transition. You can also choose from a number of other options, some of which don't make much sense because of their names: Shiny, Sprouting, Day and Night, etc.

Color mode is self explanatory and lets you change the colors of the light. However, there is more to it than just basic colors. You can set different segments of the strip to different colors, adjust the brightness, and much more. You can also save custom colors. With the “Recommended Color Schemes” function, you can choose between different styles, scenes and color adjustment methods to customize the appearance of your light strip. Some quick math shows that there are millions of different color combinations and setups just for spot colors, let alone the flashing light options.

the Scene mode offers more than 64 preset scenes for almost every occasion. The scenes are divided into Life, Emotion, Festival and Natural. I recommend either the Lightning or Deep Sea scene – both make impressive use of the lights and do a great job of imitating their namesakes.

The last mode available in the app is Home improvement. This mode allows you to create your own streak of light effects with a variety of adjustments. However, there are little to no instructions on how this mode works, so you can learn through a lot of experimentation and trial and error. I still haven't fully understood how it works, but the ability to create my own scenes and flickers was really impressive.

The Effects Lab is another feature worth trying out. It's divided into a color gallery, an effects lab, a gaming lab, and the Harmony lab. The last one – the Harmony Lab – really stands out. Each of the selections plays sound through your phone and has a matching scene. Some of these effects, like Rain Drops or Stream, create almost meditative experiences. The effects are calming and well beyond what I would expect from a series of light strips. You can turn off the sound at any time and also keep the flicker effect.

At full brightness, the lights are almost too bright to be viewed directly and they work best as ambient lighting. However, you can adjust the brightness between 1 and 100, with the lower section providing more than enough light without dazzling you.

According to the specification, this light bar only works with Bluetooth. However, I found that even with the bluetooth turned off, I could only control it via Wi-Fi.

Integration of intelligent assistants

The Govee Strip Lights work with both Alexa and the Google Assistant. Alexa can easily create routines, change the color of the lights or even activate certain scenes if you know their names. However, the wizard cannot set the lights to one of the effects from the Effects Lab.

Within the Alexa app you can change the color, set up scenes and create certain routines. You can also turn the lights on and off at specific times. I placed the lights in my loft as part of a playroom setup and they go perfectly with the rest of the decor in the room. Unfortunately, they cannot function as ambient lighting. I haven't found a way to connect them to the scene on a TV to match the ambient color on the screen.

Govee Strip Light Controller at night

Our opinion

My first impression of the Govee RGBIC Strip Lights wasn't that great. The setup process left me frustrated and confused with the lack of features that apparently should be included by default, but after that I learned to enjoy those lights. The wide range of features and color options is really impressive, and I really appreciate the physical controller. Some lamps I've worked with in the past, like the LIFX Z LED, don't include physical controls. Sure, it takes up more space on the cord, but when the phone is out of range or the lights aren't connected to a smart assistant, having a real button to press is useful. All in all, the pros definitely outweigh the cons, especially at this price point.

Is there a better alternative?

There are alternatives, but few better options at this price point. Philips Hue and LIFX both have light strips that are packed with features and tremendous construction quality, but both are also way outside the price range of Govee RGBIC lights.

The Twinkly Line has a lot of features and presets, but costs $ 67. You can also use ultra-budget on lights with no smart features, but which are only $ 8 for a 16.4-foot strip. If you want lots of smart features and smart wizard integration, the Govee RGBIC Strip Light is your best bet at this price point.

How long it will take?

The plastic on the controller isn't of the highest quality, but it doesn't feel overly fragile either. With proper care, these lamps should last for many years. Note, however, that the glue is intended for single use only. After you've placed the lights and peeled them off, they'll need help staying attached elsewhere. Even if you accidentally place it incorrectly and pull the lights off to put them back on, you will find that the section sags and comes off.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. At this price you will hardly find a lamp that comes close to this quality.

Editor's recommendations



26 Jul
Blog

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Review: No Objections

A character points a finger in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles – Nintendo Switch

RRP $ 40.00

"The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a must for fans of the series and anyone interested in visual novels."

advantages

  • Great writing

  • Dynamic new characters

  • Excellent new mechanic mechanic

  • Fresh identity

  • Strong writing

disadvantage

  • Some legal proceedings drag on

  • Sometimes too familiar

When it comes to visual novels, Capcom's Ace Attorney range is superior to the rest. The series started with the first entry, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney on the Gameboy Advance. Its popularity has ushered it into a new age, and after being a Japanese exclusive for six years, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles series has finally made its way west.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles bundles the two titles of the prequel spin-off series. These games take everything that made previous entries so great and mix them up with a new time and place – late 19th century Meiji-era Japan and Victorian Britain. This archaic setting offers new avenues for solving legal proceedings and new barriers for returning fans of the series eager to pass judgment.

While the first game in this duology sometimes felt almost too familiar and others even felt a little unfulfilled (since this is a special Ace Attorney title where the story is not stand-alone and is expanded further in 2), both titles can be played back back solves this problem. The range of packages and great additions to the series make the long wait for The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles worthwhile.

Memorable characters

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles begins on very familiar territory and evolves into a unique story that receives an identity that sets it apart from the modern day stories of the Mainline Ace Attorney series. For certain fans, this breakup can feel like a burden as the first title is almost too similar to the previous episodes. Thankfully, the amazing characters and charming writing keep things interesting. I found myself very invested in where it was going next.

The first entry begins in Japan with Phoenix Wright's ancestor and protagonist Ryunosuke Naruhodo, who died after his alleged murder of university professor Dr. John H. Wilson is on trial. In this first trial, Ryunosuke's best friend, who is a law student, Kazuma Asogi, represents him in court.

The Great Ace Attorney, Herlock Sholmes, holding his hat.

After Ryunosuke's innocence is proven and his judicial awakening, the two travel to the UK, where Asogi will graduate and make his debut in court. This trip ushers in a series of events that push Ryunosuke further into his legal calling with his new partner Susato Mikotoba and the English detective Herlock Sholmes at his side.

These characters and their interactions really make this spin-off so valuable. They all feel unique and can even rival the charms of older characters in the main entries. I fell in love with Asogi straight away, as I expect many will. He and Ryunosuke's dynamic in the courtroom quickly made them my favorite duo on the show.

These characters and their interactions really make this spin-off so valuable.

As with every game in the series, there will be various lawsuits throughout the story and players will uncover more secrets that appear along the way. As far as I can speak of the story. The narrative twists and turns are what make Ace Attorney so special. So the fewer players who know how to get in, the better.

Detect better

As with previous games in the series, gameplay is the typical investigative and experimental formula. However, certain twists have been introduced to better reflect the period, with the tests seeing the most noticeable changes.

The Great Ace Attorney, trigger completion screen.

The new mechanic of the dance of deduction is a remarkable addition. Whenever Herlock Sholmes begins putting the facts and arguments together, it is up to Ryunosuke to point out the contradictions in his quick bursts of logic. To do this, players must carefully look at all of their evidence. This literally means that said evidence is turned upside down to find clues Herlock may have overlooked, which may lead to a different conclusion.

The test segments now differ significantly from the main series. You're a little closer to the witch trials in the crossover title Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Players will still face the series' usual penal system while harassing a witness and producing evidence to find inconsistencies in testimony, but players may have to cross-examine multiple witnesses at the same time this time around. Another mechanism straight out of the Professor Layton crossover is the ability to interrupt a witness's dialogue in order to conduct further investigation and get closer to the desired truth and judgment.

Once the players reach the English court system, another twist is made predominant with the addition of jurors who work with the judge to decide a final verdict. Throughout the trial, these jurors can change their minds based on how they think about the case at hand, each with their own thoughts. Players will reach out to the jury and can even use the testimony of one judge to find a contradiction in someone else's testimony.

A great new feature in the courtroom is the summation check. The new mechanic shows up whenever the jury agrees on a guilty verdict. If it happens, players can ask for a summation and try to dissuade the jury from their guilty vote.

These fresh gimmicks have made these two spin-offs my favorites on the series.

The jurors of the Great Ace Attorney.

All of this appeal makes it clear that this court system is nothing like what veterans of Ace Attorney have ever played. As in Professor Layton's crossover, the court is much more archaic. Players will not use technology or surefire evidence to reach a desired judgment, but will have to come up with logical explanations while finding flaws in those of others in order to succeed.

These fresh gimmicks have made these two spin-offs my favorites on the series. They make the games so unique and more dynamic than ever. Trust me when I say your first moment with Sholmes ‘Conclusions will change your life. These new mechanics are brilliant and I hope they return in some form or another with the next main series entry.

A little too familiar

While the games offer a lot of new ideas, the first game has some familiarity issues. This first half of the Chronicles story feels a lot like the plot of the original Phoenix Wright trilogy, which sometimes left me disinterested other than how the characters interact and grow. It quickly became clear that this first entry was mostly just a setup to lead into the more unique sequel.

The slow pace of this first half was further fueled by a series of legal proceedings that felt they were taking too long. Although I enjoyed it, starting with the first case, I thought, “Wow, are we going with this case?” I feel like this is a by-product of the environment the title is placed in, and this one Spin-off was originally very experimental.

A character points a finger in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles.

The environment itself is another weak point in the first entry. The Great Ace Attorney doesn't really take advantage of the setting and its limits. There were points at which I felt the same things could have been accomplished with another modern day ace attorney instead of going the 19th century path.

It quickly became clear that this first entry was mostly just a setup to lead into the more unique sequel.

Certain highlights, new mechanics and the superior sequel complete the package. The second game improves on the first in almost every way, including the use of the settings – although some of the game's modern technology tools feel like a cheat.

I found The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles more than worthy of the long running series, with both games quickly becoming two of my favorite posts. It can be a bit of a chore at first, but this spin-off quickly finds its own unique voice and takes full advantage of its individuality.

Our opinion

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a must have for fans of the Ace Attorney franchise and the visual novel genre at large. It's a perfect entry point for anyone interested in the genre or series. Although it has some slow points, strong writing and charming characters are enough to make up for its weaknesses. Thanks to those strengths and the very fun new mechanic, I wanted more.

How long it will take?

Since both titles run for around 30 hours each, the entire package should take around 60 hours. However, due to the nature of visual novels, there isn't much replayability.

Is there an alternative?

Some players who want a darker and more active gaming experience can enjoy the popular Danganronpa range. It's one that I would highly recommend investing your time in after you've enjoyed your time with an Ace attorney, and vice versa.

Should you buy it?

Yes. This double pack is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a good visual novel to empathize with.

Editor's recommendations



03 Jul
Blog

WoW Burning Crusade Classic Review: Great Then, Ok Now

World of Warcraft Burning Crusade Classic Review presented wow

World of Warcraft Burning Crusade Classic Review: True to Its Roots

"Aside from a serious lack of player flexibility, Burning Crusade Classic is a rewarding MMORPG that is high-asking but is careful to tip generously."

  • Great community

  • Robust leveling experience

  • Rewarding RPG elements

  • Lack of helpful mechanics

  • Some design decisions show their age

The opportunity to revisit an iconic MMO like World of Warcraft after witnessing the growth, decline and reinterpretation of its entire genre is not often. So what did I find while playing World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Classic, an update to a game that once devoured my life as a lost, lonely teenager? The same thing I missed when I moved on: Community. And then I lost it. Again.

World of Warcraft's 2004 pop culture hit introduced players to fierce level grinds, sprawling PvP, and intricate, coordinated raids on bosses hideouts. It was a coming-of-age for the MMORPG genre that got it firmly into the mainstream. The Burning Crusade expansion years later challenged players to do it all all over again in a sprawling new zone with more bosses, bigger backstories, and even bigger weapons. It sounds easy; actually almost unnecessary. But it was exactly what the players wanted more of. And it worked.

A player avatar attacking the Fel Reaver from World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade

Burning Crusade's storytelling methods are basically non-existent in the face of today's modern day MMOs, but the core experience is still a craze. At least it was for the first week or two.

A great start

Burning Crusade Classic begins like it did back then. As it should. The players sprint to the Blasted Lands south of the Eastern Kingdoms and storm wildly through the Dark Portal. The iconic gate was the starting point of Warcraft history in the 1990s, and when you trudge back through it with an army of friends and future allies, it never gets boring. It's just a shame it's so damn hard to stay with them after this lovely moment.

With no server downtime leading to the grand transition from Vanilla WoW to Burning Crusade Classic, Blizzard has really nailed the execution required to expand this gigantic MMO like the grand adventure that it is. Blizzard has had its fair share of disastrous online releases over the decades, but this was not one of them.

Without any problems, we were able to relive the iconic moment when waves of players stormed forward together and their passion for continuing the search that began years ago fueled their foray into the unknown. Hundreds went in, and server sharding – a method of temporarily dividing players among smaller servers – kept the first zone, where we were supposed to spend a dozen hours, from becoming overcrowded.

Blizzard has had its fair share of disastrous online releases over the decades, but this wasn't one of them.

A Tauren player character who rides a mount against the backdrop of the Hellfire Peninsula in Burning Crusade Classic.

Same game, different experience

Although I originally only started playing World of Warcraft when the Wrath of the Lich King expansion was just around the corner, some of my fondest memories come from the 60-70 experience presented here – the struggle to get the Hellfire Peninsula something exploring early at 58, a disdain for the Zangermarsh zone and a growing reverence for the vast green plains of Nagrand.

All of these memories came back as I spent two weeks rediscovering the place I called home as a teenager. The good, the bad and that which arrives differently after years with countless other supposed "WoW killers".

As fantastic as the hype and the structure of walking through the Dark Portal were, the fatal error has shown itself once again. The enemy? Nostalgia.

After the initial onslaught of players making their way through WoW Classic, the few who were late for the party struggled to make it to the top. They were brought in by the hype, but spat out by Blizzard's group-based hardcore game design. And it happens again.

A druid who fights an elemental in Burning Crusade Classic.

Since I've barely gone through half the leveling experience with work and other commitments, it's already become much more difficult to find people in my level who run the 16 hyper-specific dungeons of the expansion. Without them to replenish my experience points, I fight alone and do hundreds of repetitive quests in slightly different locations until I reach level 70.

When I get there, I don't have any social connections that bring me into the group content that players are leveling for in the first place. It's a curse. Those who are lagging behind will be forced to keep falling. And who knows how many will be left to do level 70 content when casual gamers like me catch up.

Create the problem, forget the solution

It's not that leveling is impossible without a few dungeon runs, but it's getting old. And lonely. As time goes on and as the player base continues to thin, we'll think about what could have been done to address the problem.

What World of Warcraft has always done well is delighting players with basic RPG mechanics. Leveling up can take some time, but that "thing" and every kill or search for it always feels rewarding. It can be tedious and unnecessarily time-consuming, but whether it's a new skill here or a rare random item, you'll be constantly fed cake on the way to the frosting.

As much as the classic experience is why we're here, the dual-spec feature from the Wrath of the Lich King below is a quality of life feature that should definitely have been brought forward. It could have made a huge difference without poisoning the well.

Most classes can fill two or all three of the usual roles in a group, but the "talent" system ties them to being viable in only one and makes exchanges increasingly expensive. The dual-spec feature basically gave players a secondary loadout to switch to when needed, which not only offered the ability to change role to a group if needed, but also to change their playstyle to avoid boredom by pressing the same buttons day in and day out.

The system had no drawbacks. It was just respect for a player's time. And when you're playing a class that caters to four different classes at once, it's annoying not to be able to be who my next team has to be.

A cat-shaped tauren druid battles a boar in Burning Crusade Classic.

(/ pullquote) After returning to Burning Crusade Classic, I'm reminded again of the magical modern MMOs that slipped away from me. (/ pullquote)

World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Classic may lack the hard-hitting story beats of most other games in its class, but the depth of its RPG elements represents old-fashioned values ​​still sorely missed in other MMOs. It's just a shame that some key tweaks haven't been brought forward to address the issues that the inevitably smaller player base is likely to encounter much sooner than the original version.

Our opinion

Whether you fight, craft, or collect, your actions always serve a purpose in the Burning Crusade Classic campaign. Everyone can feel like they are either contributing to their own guilds and groups, or to the server as a whole. Leveling up can feel sluggish at times, but talent points, meaningful equipment upgrades, and a clear endgame goal create an RPG experience that nonetheless makes it an experience that makes it an experience when you have the time, even when it's more demanding than we normally tolerate games like these.

Retail gamers can still see Burning Crusades Outland almost bit by bit without this release, but for veterans of the franchise it will feel like coming home with the title after a decade. As it should. It's just a shame that it doesn't last nearly as long this time.

Is there a better alternative out there?

If you prefer more flexibility in the use of time, Final Fantasy XIV is still a better option. The community is nice and creative, and you can play any role you want and level up in different ways to get there.

How long it will take?

It takes about 18 months for Wrath of the Lich King Classic to inevitably get World of Warcraft Classic back to its peak. Until then, more raids, new gear, and bigger stories will appear in the coming months.

You should buy it

Since it is technically only the price of a World of Warcraft subscription, absolutely. It's incredibly rare to have the opportunity to travel back in time with an ever-changing MMORPG. Experience history. You probably won't get a third chance.

Editor's recommendations



28 Jun
Blog

A Set Of Great Exercises To Attain Well-built Butt

Butt workouts are a very efficient series of exercises that move the entire buttock muscles. They mainly focus on the work of three hip muscles – the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. If you do these exercises regularly, you can get a multitude of benefits. Building stronger glutes will allow you to build better athletic performance and avoid the risk of injury. In addition, they are essential for building better body stability and maintaining correct posture. They not only strengthen your glutes, but also stabilize your back muscles and enable better movement of your legs.

Below are some coordinated and helpful butt workouts that will result in better buttock shape and stronger glutes.

The perfect butt workouts to get stronger glutes:

Below are some very efficient and helpful exercises that will help you get properly formed and stronger buttocks muscles in no time!

1. Squats

Squats are considered the best butt exercise because of their multifunctional capabilities and benefits. Performing this exercise is fruitful as it strengthens your core, reduces body calories, increases your athletic performance, reduces the risk of injury, and much more.

Directions:

1. First, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your chest up as you look forward. Then stretch your arms forward to keep your balance. This is your starting position.

2. Then bend your knees and stick your butt out to appear as if you are sitting in an imaginary chair.

3. Then bend down as low as you can, keeping your back straight and your chest raised.

4. While keeping your body taut, return to the starting position by pushing your heels through.

2. Lunge steps

Lunge steps are an excellent butt exercise because their main purpose is to tone your buttocks, legs, and core. It also helps increase your muscle mass and improve your posture to a great extent. They also ensure proper body balance and better body stability. This exercise is also responsible for weight loss and better resting metabolism.

Directions:

1. First stand with your feet hip-width apart and your core activated. This is your starting position.

2. Then take a large step forward with one leg and start shifting your body weight forward. This is done to make sure your heel hits the ground first.

3. Now bend your body until the same leg is parallel to the floor.

4. Return to the starting position by pressing on your right heel.

Repeat the above steps with your other leg.

3. Hip extensions

Hip extensions are considered one of the best butt workouts because they promote strong glutes. This exercise primarily targets your hip extensor muscles – hamstrings and glutes. It is also responsible for promoting better back support and greatly improving your athletic performance. The exercise given below involves the use of stability balls.

Directions:

1. First, lie down with your feet on the floor, hands on your sides and knees bent on your back. This is your starting position.

2. Now push through your heels to lift your butt off the floor, aligning your middle back and knee.

3. Hold for a second to squeeze your glutes.

4. Return steadily to the starting position.

Frequently asked Questions:

1. What exercises do you lift your buttocks?

Some exercises that will lift your bum include clamshells, leg kickbacks, frog jumps, lateral belt running, gluteal bridges, hip kicks, and fire hydrants.

2. How many lunges should I do to get a better built butt?

To build and tone your buttocks, try doing three sets of 12-15 repetitions on a regular basis.

3. How many squats should I do in a day?

You should aim for three sets of 12-15 repetitions each day.

4. What exercises will help me get a bigger butt?

Some exercises that will allow you to get a bigger butt include walking lunges, squats, clamshell, one-legged deadlift, banded side stride, and weight training.

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