Review Index Page 26

  • Be Quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 Review: A Great PC Case

    In its most basic form, the new Be Quiet! Dark Base 900 is a large well-made enclosure that makes good use of steel, aluminum and glass. However take a closer look and it's without a doubt one of the most flexible and customizable computer cases on the market and possibly the best full-tower of 2016.
    By Steven Walton on
    95
  • Huawei P9 Review

    The Huawei P9 is a high-end flagship constructed with precision and quality while packing modern hardware in every corner. But it isn't just your typical collection of high-end specs. Huawei has attempted to think outside the box in some respects, packing in features like two 12-megapixel cameras on the rear, and a home-grown HiSilicon Kirin 955 SoC on the inside.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    80
  • Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK Review

    In an effort to capture some of the lucrative gaming market, Intel has developed a new NUC aimed at enthusiasts and gamers with the Iris Pro Graphics 580. The Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK is marketed for "intense gameplay," but we'll have to see about that.
    By Steven Walton on
    75
  • HP Spectre Laptop Review

    The Spectre is a thing of beauty. At 10.4mm, it's the world's thinnest laptop. It's also very light for a 13-inch device, at just 2.45lbs, making it a perfect companion for the businessman on the go. But the design... it's truly unlike any Windows laptop I've seen before, thanks to a breathtaking hinge and use of premium materials.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    85
  • Testing GTX 1080 SLI Performance with Dual Palit GeForce Cards

    In this article, we're taking a close look at the GTX 1080's dual-card SLI performance at 4K resolution to see exactly how much more graphics-crunching horsepower that second GPU brings to the table.
    By Steven Walton on
  • Umi Touch Review: All specs, no polish

    Umi is a relatively unknown Chinese manufacturer with a mission to make affordable devices with compelling feature sets. Priced at $160, the Touch carries a respectable list of specs including a 5.5-inch 1080p display, 13-megapixel Sony IMX328 camera, a huge 4,000 mAh battery, a metal design, and even a fingerprint sensor.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    40
  • Inside Review

    Back in 2010, a Danish indie studio called Playdead released a macabre side-scroller called Limbo. It was good. In 2016, that same studio is releasing a new macabre side-scroller. This one's called Inside, and it's really, really good. I played the game from start to finish in one sitting. I laughed a lot, often in horror. Inside is a perfectly paced series of escalating "holy shit" moments.
    By Kirk Hamilton on
  • AMD Radeon RX 480 Review

    Touted as the perfect VR solution for the masses, AMD is hoping to claw back a bit of market share with the new Radeon RX 480 which is aimed at the mainstream $200-250 segment, with other affordable Polaris GPUs expected to follow.
    By Steven Walton on
    85
  • Acer Chromebook 14 Review

    The Acer Chromebook 14 is a svelte machine that aims for a perfect blend of style, features and performance. Unlike the Pixel, this laptop comes in at just $300, powered by a quad-core Intel Celeron N3160 processor and Intel HD Graphics 400 alongside 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM and 32GB of flash storage.
    By Shawn Knight on
    85
  • Mighty No. 9, the unofficial Mega Man reboot unfortunately doesn't deliver

    Mighty No. 9, released yesterday for most of the platforms it was promised to, is not Mega Man with a new name. It shares a lot of ingredients with Mega Man, but these are lower quality ingredients combined with none of the finesse of Capcom's classics.
    By Mike Fahey on
  • ASRock DeskMini 110 mini-STX PC Review

    The Asrock DeskMini mini-STX form factor PC certainly has an industrial look about it, and it looks a bit drab sitting next to the Cubi 2 Plus from MSI. What it lacks in aesthetics, however, it makes up for in ease of installation and flexibility, thanks to those very same design choices, with support for pretty much any Skylake desktop processor and high-speed NVMe SSDs.
    By Steven Walton on
    90
  • Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 G1 Gaming Review

    Since first testing the reference Founders Edition GTX 1080 a month ago, we have been eagerly anticipating getting our hands on the board partner versions. The Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 G1 Gaming is a triple fan cooled 1080 that also boasts a redesigned PCB. Even though it's currently out of stock pretty much everywhere, we expect availability to improve shortly.
    By Steven Walton on
  • Razer Turret Review: Hobbit-sized Couch Gaming

    Razer's latest product aims to capture the market of PC gamers who are sneaking sessions in on their couch. The Turret is a complete package comprising of a keyboard with mouse pad along with a small mouse and a charging station. With a compact form factor and wireless connectivity it has everything you need to get your living room PC gaming on right out of the box.
    By Steven Walton on
    80
  • Edge of Nowhere Review: Gaming with the Oculus Rift

    You control Victor with a controller that you cannot see, because you play this game with the Oculus Rift VR headset strapped to your face. You push Victor forward with a tilt of the analog stick and make him leap, icepicks drawn, toward the side of a glacier. You're not simply playing a game like Uncharted or Tomb Raider. You're inside of one.
    By Stephen Totilo on
  • HTC 10 Review

    The HTC 10 marks the start of a new chapter for HTC. The signature metal body has returned, complete with new additions like a fingerprint scanner and USB Type-C. The camera, a problem area for HTC's past devices, has been completely overhauled, and we're seeing welcome iterations such as a new 5.2-inch 1440p LCD and a Snapdragon 820 SoC.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    85
  • Intel Core i7-6950X Review: The First 10-Core Desktop CPU

    Meet Broadwell-E: Hide Your Credit Card: Intel has officially unveiled Broadwell-E, which consists of four processors covering 6, 8 and 10-core configurations. These chips differ quite a bit in terms of specifications and pricing, all the more reason to explore them in better detail.
    By Steven Walton on
    75
  • Overwatch Review

    Overwatch has only been out for a week, but it's already a phenomenon. Normally, hype tells you nothing concrete about a game, but the hype around Overwatch has become a key part of the experience. The excitement around the game acts as a testament to Blizzard's dedication to craft, refinement, and iconic character design.
    By Patricia Hernandez on
  • Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Review

    As attractive as the GeForce GTX 1080 is, many enthusiasts are undoubtedly holding out for the much more affordable GTX 1070. Partner cards will start at $380, while Nvidia's Founders Edition will retail for $450. With Titan X and 980 Ti-like performance, the GTX 1070 looks like the best option for 1440p gamers, delivering well north of 60 FPS in nearly every game we tested.
    By Steven Walton on
    100
  • Total War: Warhammer Review

    I was so ready to hate this game. Yet here I am, the finished product in my hand, and I'm a changed man. My misgivings counted for nothing. This is the best Total War game in years, and I was a fool for fearing otherwise.
    By Luke Plunkett on
  • Overwatch Benchmarked: Graphics & CPU Performance Tested

    Overwatch is impressive looking yet runs well on a wide range of hardware. It scales down to work on low-end hardware but can also be cranked up to take advantage of high-end gear, especially at the 4K resolution. Coming from an impressive open beta that attracted 9.7 million players, Overwatch is poised to be hugely popular among PC gamers. Only one question remains: can your hardware handle it?
    By Steven Walton on
  • LG G5 Review

    With the G5 LG has boldly redesigned their flagship to include new ideas that they hope will capture the eyes of buyers. The biggest and most obvious one is the modular design, which sees the battery slide out the bottom of the handset attached to a swappable module, that can be used to add in other features. There's also an all new metal design and an upgraded 2-lens camera system.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    75
  • Corsair Lapdog: PC Gaming on Your Lap

    Dubbed as the "Gaming Control Center" the Lapdog allows you to take a gaming mouse and mechanical keyboard and place it comfortably on your lap for PC living room gaming.
    By Steven Walton on
    80
  • Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Review

    First to market with a true next generation GPU is Nvidia and this could very well be the biggest step in GPU technology we've seen in recent years. The new GeForce GTX 1080 is faster, built using the 16nm design process and packed with GDDR5X memory, it promises to put away the Titan X while consuming less power than the 980 Ti. We put this and other bold claims to the test.
    By Steven Walton on
    100
  • DOOM Benchmarked: Graphics & CPU Performance Tested

    The Doom reboot is a gift to the PC Master Race. The 4K visuals are amazing, excellent high resolution textures cover every surface, the lighting and shadows are on point and this all comes together to make those glory kill animations look insane. The question that remains now is, what kind of hardware do you require to enjoy those glory kills in all of their gory glory?
    By Steven Walton on
  • Samsung Galaxy TabPro S Review

    Over the past few weeks I've been using the Samsung Galaxy TabPro S. The name isn't catchy, but there's a lot to like about the hardware in this slim 12-inch Surface competitor, including the AMOLED display and fanless Core M CPU on the inside. Samsung also bundles a keyboard cover with this device, because these sorts of key accessories should be included in the purchase price.
    By Tim Schiesser on
    75
  • Corsair K70 RGB Rapidfire Mechanical Keyboard Review

    Corsair is building upon its previous collaboration with Cherry to bring another exclusive line of switches to the mechanical keyboard market. Aimed squarely at gamers, the new MX Speed switches are not only quiet but also reduce travel distance to 1.2mm for a lighting fast 4ms actuation speed on the K65 RGB Rapidfire, K70 Rapidfire and K70 RGB Rapidfire being tested today.
    By Steven Walton on
    90
  • Uncharted 4 Review

    For a time there Uncharted 4 feels like little more than a familiar, obligatory sequel. Thankfully, after a few chapters, the game dramatically improves and hits a great stride for much longer. By the end, it justifies the creation of a sequel in this nearly decade-old series beyond the need to check off the box between Ratchet & Clank and Wipeout on the PlayStation franchise list.
    By Stephen Totilo on
  • Corsair Carbide Spec-Alpha ATX Mid-Tower Review

    The ATX Mid-Tower has always been a favorite of PC builders. It can be transported with relative ease, while still managing to hold a respectable amount of very high-end hardware. The Spec-Alpha is Corsair's latest entry to the market and has gamers squarely in its sights. Priced at $80, this is a case that we very much expect to be a dominant force for a few reasons.
    By Steven Walton on
    90
  • MSI Cubi 2 Plus Review

    One of the first companies to adopt the new mini-STX form factor is MSI with its new Cubi 2 Plus, a tiny 1.42L computer that not only supports a desktop Skylake Core i7 processor but also accept up to 32GBs of DDR4 memory and a high-speed NVMe SSD for good measure.
    By Steven Walton on
    90
  • Dark Souls III Benchmarked: GPU & CPU Performance

    Dark Souls III is arguably the biggest game to launch this month. Using the engine from developer FromSoftware's 'Bloodborne', Dark Souls III looks quite impressive but you can certainly tell this is a console port. The tweakable options are decent though the game gives no real explanation of what you are enabling. You do get enhanced graphics, better performance and higher resolutions.
    By Steven Walton on