PC Gaming

When it comes to SSDs, Samsung sells some of the best options on the market. As one of the big players in tech, it is the company’s job to always be on the lookout for how it can push technical boundaries and make a better product year-over-year. With the announcement of its 970 EVO Plus, Samsung is keeping its competitors on their toes.

The Samsung 970 EVO Plus follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, the 970 EVO, by providing significant improvements write speeds and more while also keeping its foot on the brakes when it comes to price.
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NVMe SSDs have really upped the game when it comes to read and write speeds. What once was only a pipe dream is now a common reality. Apple uses PCIe SSDs in their Mac lineup, and NVMe is the closest non-Apple users can get to it. Last year, WD announced its Black lineup of NVMe SSD, but now the company is updating the line with the SN750.

These NVMe SSDs feature an all-new design and a more sleek look. Plus, you can even get the SN750 NVMe SSD with an optional heatsink to give passive cooling, allowing you to maintain optimal levels of performance.

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Dell’s Alienware division decided to make a huge announcement at CES 2019, claiming that it’ll be the first manufacturer to sell a laptop with a 240Hz display built-in. Alienware will also offer an OLED version of the m15 gaming laptop, for those who would prefer that.

Also on the OLED front, Alienware announced a 55-inch 4K gaming monitor (more like display at that size). This massive screen features a 120Hz refresh rate, which is rare on 4K OLED monitors like this. Dell is also updating its XPS and G-series laptops with OLED as well, which is great for consumers everywhere. More details below.

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Last year, HTC released its Vive Pro VR headset. At CES 2019, the company is upping its game with the Vive Pro Eye. The Vive Pro brought dual OLED displays with high-end headphones built-in, which is something that hadn’t been done in mass market VR headsets prior to its release. The Vive Pro Eye broadens virtual reality horizons by introducing native eye tracking.

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If you’ve been in PC gaming for any length of time, you’ve likely noticed the huge price difference in Freesync and G-SYNC monitors. The variable refresh rate (VRR) options go from budget-friendly with AMD’s Freesync standard to NVIDIA’s high-end and high-priced G-SYNC standard. G-SYNC requires certification and licensing, but is by-and-large a better experience when it works well. At CES 2019, NVIDIA announced that it’s bringing its G-SYNC ecosystem to Freesync and other VRR monitors through a certification program with 12 monitors already being certified.

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With CES 2019 right around the corner, plenty of hardware manufacturers are pre-announcing products that they plan to debut at the show. Unsurprisingly, LG has gear to show off, and at the very least we know it plans to add two new UltraWide monitors to its existing lineup.

The two new monitors will have the model numbers 49WL95 and 38GL950G. Based on this information alone, it is pretty clear that the sizes will be 49 and 38 inches, respectively. The 49-inch model will be targeted at business professionals while the 38-inch option packs features that are akin to gaming.
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If you are a hardcore gamer, playing on a PC is typically the best way to go. Sure, some of the big releases like Red Dead Redemption 2 might be console-only at launch, but when games do make in onto PC, they look better than ever before. High-end graphics cards, more powerful CPUs, and large amount of RAM contribute to performance, but the monitor you’re viewing it all through is one of the most important factors. ViewSonic’s new 24-inch gaming monitor may not be the largest out there, but with built-in RGB lighting, it may be one of the most intriguing.
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I owned an early 2018 Razer Blade Stealth for quite a few months before making my journey back to macOS. It was a fantastic computer, but I just missed macOS too much to stay on it. The hardware was great, it was fast, and the screen was beautiful. But, the overall design was not really updated, and there were no dedicated graphics. Despite packing Intel’s latest, the machine simply felt dated.

Fast forward to today: Razer just announced an updated Blade Stealth. This update brings a “near bezel-less display”, better battery life, and now offers dedicated NVIDIA GeForce graphics for more power. Oh, and the only other grip I had was resolved: Razer now includes Windows Hello natively. Keep reading to learn more.

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CORSAIR is primarily recognized for their quality PC gaming peripherals, however, more recently they’ve been known for their components. The computer gaming company makes everything from keyboards and mice, to power supplies and now SSDs. A few years ago, CORSAIR introduced the Bulldog, which was basically a pre-built computer (though it was missing a few parts.) Now, you can get a complete pre-built system from the company, called the CORSAIR VENGEANCE 5180 Gaming PC.
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HyperX Cloud MIX is the latest entry in the company’s growing lineup of highly rated headsets. Known for its pro-quality audio solutions for gamers, HyperX is looking to branch out with the latest release. While it is very much designed with gamers in mind, its hybrid design allows it to transition from the living room to the street with ease.
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Razer has become a household name when it comes to PC gaming. From keyboards and mice to gaming laptops, phones, and eGPUs, I thought Razer was in just about every category it wanted to be in. But,recently it announced that it was entering the Wi-Fi game with the Razor Sila wireless router.

You’ll get a slim build on Sila, and this router prioritizes applications so your online game is never interrupted. There are multiple new technologies used here, and some are proprietary engines build by Razer itself. The Razor Sila Wireless Router is designed to give you reliable and high-performance networking for gaming, but what all does it do that normal routers don’t provide? Keep reading to find out more.

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There’s a craze sweeping PC gamers worldwide. It’s called RGB, and nothing seems to be safe from it. We have RGB mice, keyboards, headsets, mousepads, and even speakers. Just last week, we showed you how to start a budget-friendly RGB setup. The latest victims of this RGBification are SSDs from HyperX. Though RGB SSDs have been around for a while, these new models are sure to spice up any custom PC build.

HyperX’s latest FURY RGB SSD lineup brings colorful sections to the logo and surrounding areas, making your SSD go from something that blends into making a statement. The company also announced its SAVAGE EXO Portable SSD today, which boasts PS4/Xbox One compatibility as well as the ability to be used with your PC or Mac easily.

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Keyboards are something that many of us spend hours a day in front of. In fact, I spend the better part of 10+ hours a day with my fingers either on, or really close to my keyboard. It only makes sense that the less your fingers have to move, the more productive you are, right?

Well, that’s what Das Keyboard though with its latest X50Q RGB Smart Mechanical Gaming Keyboard (X50Q for short). According to Das, this is the “world’s first smart gaming keyboard” but what does that really mean, and could it actually benefit you in the long run?

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Now that IFA is officially underway, there are plenty of announcements to go around. We’re seeing some awesome new computers heading into the holidays from companies like Lenovo and Acer.

Lenovo is launching a number of products with new laptops, and Acer has several different offerings from laptops to chairs, Mixed Reality Headsets, and more.

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Gamescom, a trade fair for video games, has been held in Cologne, Germany annually since 2009. At this year’s event, ASUS has certainly made a splash with lots of new products including two new TUF Gaming notebooks. With FX505 and FX705, ASUS is offering two size options for gamers that appreciate rugged design. The FX505 has the smaller display of the two, coming in at 15.6-inches, while the larger FX705 packs a 17.3-inch screen.
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NVIDIA, one of the biggest names in computer gaming, is back at it with the company’s latest graphics cards. Featuring NVIDIA Turing architecture, the 20-series GPUs feature something computer gamers have long wanted: real-time ray tracing. This, along with more performance, could make the 20-series graphics cards one of the biggest updates to gaming in a long time…but should you upgrade?

Last year, I upgraded from my GTX 970 to the GTX 1080, and it was one of the best computer upgrades I had done in a long time. With Turing, however, I’m likely going to be passing, at least at the start.

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Earlier today, Dell announced two new gaming monitors that will soon join its line-up that will be referred to as 2419HGF and 2719DGF. Its new offerings are sized at 24- and 27-inches, providing consumers two sizes to consider for their next display. If you were expecting size to be the only differentiator, you would be wrong. The 27-inch monitor packs a higher resolution in addition to faster refresh rates. Each display packs connectivity options that include HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB, but the number and specifications of ports vary between models.

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While most people enjoy the plug-and-play conveniences offered by consoles like Playstation 4 Pro, Xbox One X, or Nintendo Switch, many prefer the customization and higher-end graphics options that come with PC gaming. While the more tech-minded gamers typically prefer to build a desktop, many others are looking for something that they can take with them while on-the-go. When choosing the second route, gamers are left looking for a laptop that is both portable and powerful. These are features that ASUS is cramming into its new ROG Zephyrus S, which it claims to be the ‘world’s thinnest’ gaming laptop.
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Razer has been expanding into new categories lately, with one of the latest being its Nommo speaker line. We reviewed the Nommo Chroma earlier this year and absolutely loved them, but today the Nommo Pro launched and are available for purchase.

The Nommo Pro speakers are similar to Nommo Chroma, but with quite a few extra bells and whistles. You’ll find THX-certification, an added subwoofer, and more on the higher-end Nommo Pro, but is this the speaker set you need? Keep reading to find out more.

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NZXT is well-known in the custom PC world for making quality cases and now motherboards. Another thing NZXT made a name for itself through was custom-themed computer cases. Well, the company is back at it again with a custom H700 to help you survive in a post-nuclear apocalyptic wasteland through the refreshing taste of Nuka-Cola.

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Destiny is a beloved gaming franchise from Bungie that people play on every platform. I’ve been a huge fan of the series from the first game on my original Xbox One, and now own Destiny 2 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Destiny 2 was great at the beginning, but quickly flittered out and I lost interested like with the original game.

This is something that Destiny is known for, launching with a fairly decent game that’s fun for a while, but not really becoming a must-play until a few updates later. Well, we’re at those updates, and Destiny 2: Forsaken is just around the corner, promising the “most transformative moment in Destiny 2.”

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UltraWide is the new 16×9 when it comes to monitors, but some companies take it to the extreme. Both Samsung and Philips offer a 32:9 49-inch monitor (behemoth, insanity, call it whatever you like), and that’s just too wide. While I love my 21:9 35-inch UltraWide monitor, I’ve been wanting something slightly larger, but not quite as large as the Samsung or Philips 49-inch offering.

Well, Samsung now makes a 32:10 43-inch curved monitor and that seems slightly more manageable. Though the previous Samsung 49-inch was locked at a 1080p resolution, this new 43-inch offering has a slightly higher pixel density with a 3840×1200 resolution. With this higher resolution, a built-in KVM switch, a 120Hz refresh rate, and more, could Samsung’s 43-inch C43J89 be my next monitor?

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Gaming chairs have started to take the PC gaming world by storm. With car racing inspired design, these chairs can both vary in price, function, and feature set. Most gaming chairs are around $250-500 and are seen as a higher-end option to regular chairs, but lower-priced options compared to buying something like a Herman Miller.

High-end office furniture is never cheap, and some office chairs, like Herman Miller, can go for upwards of $1,000 or more. What if you’re on more of a budget and still want to get good lumbar support, fully adjustable armrests, and comfort for long gaming sessions? That’s where Respawn comes in. Its latest RSP-300 gaming chair is a reclining option with a fully mesh back and seat, plus tons of other feature you’d generally only find on higher-end models.

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Seagate has long been a go-to company when it comes to computer storage. A storage company for over 30 years, Seagate has produced some of the world’s most-used hard drives. The company hasn’t had a consumer-focued solid state drive in years, but that changes today.

Generally if you buy a Seagate drive it’s a regular platter-based hard drive or an SSHD hybrid drive that combines regular platters with a smaller portion of solid state storage to give you the best of both worlds. With its recently-announced BarraCuda Solid State Drives, however, Seagate is finally back in the SSD game and enters with fairly competitive pricing.

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Razer is becoming one of the larger gaming peripheral brands, and also gaming computer brands, on the market. With its recent upgrading of the Razer Blade 15, the company has poised itself to dominate the PC gaming market in 2018.

I have long used Razer gaming peripherals for price, quality, and feature set. Razer Synapse, the company’s computer-based controller software for its peripherals, is one of the better programs on the market when it comes to configuring RGB, macro, and other keyboard, mice, and peripheral features. Razer today announced its latest keyboard line, which is the first Opto-Mechanical offering, dubbed the Huntsman and Huntsman Elite.

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A few years back when the original 12-inch MacBook came out in 2015, people were clamoring for a monitor that could not only send video, but also audio, and power to the notebook all over a single USB-C cable.

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When it comes to gaming accessories or computers, Razer is normally high up on the list. One of the first companies to introduce the eGPU (and with its recently-released model becoming more affordable), Razer is normally at the forefront of gaming engineering when it comes to computers.

The Razer Blade has seen a few updates throughout the years, but never really any huge “upgrades” – until now, that is. The gaming company finally gave one of the best laptops on the market a worthy upgrade with a bigger screen, better look, and a trend I’m loving a larger trackpad.

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Desktop speakers are generally not thought of as a “pretty” accessory. They can look good, sure, but they’re not usually the most beautiful part of a setup. However, Razer decided to change that. At CES 2018, Razer announced its Nommo line of speakers, and we have spent some time with the Chroma version to let you know what we think.

At $150, Nommo Chroma is on the higher-end of “normal” desktop speaker pricing, but with built-in RGB lighting, unique design, and fantastic sound, I cannot recommend Nommo Chroma enough. Read on for our full review.

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Dell is known for owning Alienware, the gaming computer company. Alienware computers are great and powerful, though sometimes a little too flashy and expensive. Some people don’t want to drop thousands of dollars on a gaming computer, or maybe they don’t want something that looks like it just came off of a spaceship.

That’s where Dell’s new G line of laptops comes in. With the G3, G5, and G7 computers, Dell is delivering mid- to high-end performance at prices that won’t completely break the bank. With starting prices of around $750, this new series of computers should be great for someone who just wants higher-end performance without the higher-end price.

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When it comes to PC gaming, most people think it’s an unattainable dream. Some think that building even a budget gaming system will still run $2,000 or more. Well, that’s not true at all. We set out to build a affordable gaming and productivity computer for right around $1,000 and did just that.

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