Review Index Page 20

  • LG V30 Review

    Occupying the flagship large-screen phone position in LG's line-up, the V30 is packed with interesting features, top-end hardware and enough good stuff to match this year's competitors. But it's once again up against some massive new devices, particularly the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and Google Pixel 2 XL, leaving LG with an uphill battle to ensure the V30 remains in the conversation.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    75
  • Eve V Review

    For a first-generation product, the Eve V is remarkably solid. It's especially impressive when you consider its direct competition - the Surface Pro - is well entrenched in the Windows tablet market and known to be an excellent option. From my experience with the Eve V so far, it's not just a great competitor to the Surface Pro: it is a better option in several ways.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    85
  • Star Wars: Battlefront II Review

    Star Wars: Battlefront II frustrates me in ways I never knew I could be frustrated. It is both a lovingly crafted companion to the films and a tangled mess of corporate meddling. There is a strong heart at the center but finding it means peeling back layers of unnecessary and infuriating nonsense.
    By Heather Alexandra on
  • 4th-Gen Core i7 vs. 8th-Gen Core i7

    After our recent feature comparing Intel's 8th-gen Core series against AMD's Ryzen processors, many of you have been asking us to get some older chips into the mix, with particular interest in seeing how Haswell-era processors hold up against Intel's latest offerings. We're also curious to see how well the Core i7-4770K has aged -- we first tested this CPU in June 2013.
    By Steven Walton on
  • Ignore the Pixel 2 XL. Buy the Pixel 2 Instead

    Issues with the Pixel 2 XL have overshadowed an awesome alternative on the market right now: the Pixel 2. Yes, it's smaller, and yes, it doesn't have an expansive display. But the Pixel 2 takes all the good parts of the Pixel 2 XL and packages them into an ergonomic frame, while leaving the terrible screen behind.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    85
  • Google Pixel 2 XL Review

    There has been no shortage of controversy around Google's latest phone, the Pixel 2 XL. While initial reviews painted the Pixel 2 line in a highly positive light, days later, the Pixel 2 XL's display was dominating discussion around the internet. But aside the phone's display, there's a lot of great technology packed into the Pixel 2 XL. Read on.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    75
  • Xbox One X Review

    In an simpler time, the Xbox One X might have been Microsoft's next-generation console. Instead its enhanced power is mainly being applied towards taking advantage of two of the hottest display technology buzzwords since 3D (R.I.P.) - high dynamic range (HDR) and 4K resolution.
    By Mike Fahey on
  • MSI GeForce GTX 1070 Ti Gaming Review

    Equipped with 5% less CUDA cores than the GTX 1080 and the same GDDR5 memory as the vanilla GTX 1070, it's not so simple to judge the performance of Nvidia's new GTX 1070 Ti.
    By Steven Walton on
  • Core i5-8400 vs. Overclocked Ryzen 5 1600

    After our last CPU roundup, we made sense of the numbers and the processors that brought the best value when overclocked. We decided then to make a more straightforward shootout -- this was also the most demanded by readers -- putting an overclocked Ryzen 5 1600 against the Core i5-8400.
    By Steven Walton on
  • Acer Predator Helios 300 Review

    On the surface, the Acer Predator Helios 300 isn't a head-turning gaming laptop. It's a 15" system packing Core i7 and GTX 1060 internals. But what piqued my interest was the price: the Helios is likely the cheapest gaming laptop with these specs on the market, at $1,049 on Amazon, and user reviews have been largely positive.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    75
  • Super Mario Odyssey Review

    For Mario, 3D used to mean freedom. In 1996, Super Mario 64 broke Nintendo's mascot from the shackles of having to run in a straight line, letting the player choose their own path. But for quite some time now-no matter how 3D the graphics may have been-Mario's adventures have reverted back to running on a straight line. With Super Mario Odyssey, that changes once more, and it's a glorious thing.
    By Chris Kohler on
  • Razer Basilisk Review

    Razer are pumping out new gaming mice faster than ever before. The latest addition to their line-up is the Basilisk, a high-end mouse designed specifically for first-person shooter gaming. At $69.99, it's in the upper end of wired mouse pricing, but for that price you get unique features and top-end hardware.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    95
  • Dell Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1 Review

    The Dell Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1 is a competitively priced Windows convertible, packing the new 8th-gen Intel quad core ultrabook CPUs, it's fast, but also brings solid hardware and value to the table.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    80
  • FIFA 18 vs PES 2018: Which is Better?

    FIFA 18 is a good game of football with an absolutely incredible singleplayer mode. PES 2018 is a fantastic game of football wearing clearance rack kit. That's about the sum of it.
    By Luke Plunkett on
  • Intel Core i7-8700K, i5-8600K, 8400 versus AMD Ryzen 7 1800X, R5 1600X, 1500X

    You've read the reviews and now we are putting them together on a single CPU comparison. On deck for this one we tested 8 processors in 9 games at not only 1080p, but also 720p and 1440p, amounting to more than 650 benchmark passes.
    By Steven Walton on
  • Intel Core i5-8400 Review

    Today we're checking out the most affordable six-core processor ever released, and this time it's not from AMD. The Core i5-8400 is more affordable than the $215 Ryzen 5 1600, though it can't be overclocked and lacks HyperThreading, but it should nonetheless be ample for gamers and may even be the new go-to solution for budget builders.
    By Steven Walton on
    90
  • Middle-earth: Shadow of War Review

    The underlying ethos of Shadow of War seems to be more. More types of orcs. Your playgrounds are bigger. The number of things you can do is overwhelming. There are also plenty of combat options. And with Talion's ability to swiftly climb everything, the game often feels like it is brimming with possibility.
    By Patricia Hernandez on
  • Four Cores for Ultrabooks: Core i7-8550U Review

    For generations we've put up with sub-10% YOY performance improvements on ultraportables, but with the threat of AMD's competition in the near future, Intel's low-power mobile chips are finally transitioning to quad-cores. Achieved while keeping within the same 15-watt TDP, let me tell you, the boost is huge.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    95
  • Intel Core i3-8100 and Core i3-8350K Review: RIP Ryzen 3?

    For $180 the Core i3-8350K is nearly a rebadged Core i5-7600K: both are 14nm quad-cores operating at ~4GHz, but the 8350K is 25% cheaper. Meanwhile, the Core i3-8100 goes for a more appealing $120. And although it's locked at 3.6GHz, it's roughly 40% more affordable than a comparable i5 from the last generation.
    By Steven Walton on
  • Total War: Warhammer 2 Review

    Let's keep this simple: Total War: Warhammer was a very good strategy game. Total War: Warhammer 2 is better. The game continues Creative Assembly's tradition of building on the release of a new Total War with a sort of semi-sequel. Only this time TWW2 almost does feel like an all-new game.
    By Luke Plunkett on
  • Intel Core i7-8700K Review: The New Gaming King

    Intel is hitting back with its eighth-generation Core series, which counters Ryzen with cores, lots of cores. On hand today we have the Core i7-8700K, based on Intel's new "Coffee Lake" architecture, it is designed to operate no slower than 3.7 GHz, with turbo boost taking it as high as 4.7 GHz.
    By Steven Walton on
    90
  • Nintendo SNES Classic Review

    The Super Nintendo Classic is a miniature blast of nostalgia, a sleekly packaged piece of hardware that will transport you back to the days of Dunkaroos and denim jackets. For $80, you get a tiny replica of the Super Nintendo, two controllers, a short HDMI cable, and a power plug.
    By Jason Schreier on
  • Intel Core i9-7980XE & 7960X Review

    Finally the Skylake-X series is complete. We now have Intel's new 16- and 18-core processors on-hand an while we don't doubt Intel had planned to release Skylake-X all along, did they really plan to offer something higher than a 12-core part before catching wind of AMD's Threadripper?
    By Steven Walton on
    80
  • Asus ROG Strix XG27VQ 27" Monitor Review

    Let's cut right to the chase. The Asus ROG Strix XG27VQ is a $350 gaming monitor, 27 inches in size, with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a refresh rate of 144 Hz. We're looking at a VA LCD panel here with FreeSync support, sporting an 1800R curvature.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    80
  • HP Omen Desktop PC Review

    HP's more modest gaming desktop is the simply named Omen Desktop, which is now available with AMD Ryzen processors inside. It's a more traditional tower-style chassis that's highly configurable, with prices ranging from just under $1,000 to over $3,200.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    85
  • Top 5 Worst GPUs

    Recently we put together a "Top 5 Worst CPUs" feature as a fun side article and readers loved it. The requests came in for a similar article looking at graphics chips and so we're going to have a go at that today.
    By Steven Walton on
  • Core i7 vs. Ryzen 5 with Vega 64 & GTX 1080

    By using the Core i7-7700K and Ryzen 5 1600, each with the Vega 64 and GTX 1080 at 1080p and 1440p we have some very interesting results to go over. Further, we suspect these are typical hardware combinations many are considering for building a new high-end rig when gaming is a big factor.
    By Steven Walton on
  • eSports Benchmark: GeForce GT 1030 vs. Radeon RX 550

    It's time for another GPU battle, though this one is a bit different with GPUs under $100: from AMD we have the Radeon RX 550 and on Nvidia's side is the GeForce GT 1030. Our focus will be primarily on eSports titles including CS:GO, Overwatch and Dota 2 running on a Ryzen 3 test bench.
    By Steven Walton on
  • AMD A12-9800 Review: Infecting the AM4 Platform

    While we wait for Zen-based APUs, AMD released Bristol Ridge through OEMs late last year, it recently became available on the retail market and this caught the attention of many. The A12-9800 costs $110 and along with promising pretty decent integrated graphics performance, you can take advantage of it on a new AM4 motherboard.
    By Steven Walton on
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  • Motorola Moto Z2 Play Review

    The most striking aspect to the Moto Z2 Play is its slim body. At under 6.0mm thick yet still packing a 3,000 mAh battery, the Z2 Play is one of the slimmest phones on the market right now, however at $500 it faces very tough competition.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    65