Intel

Report: Intel's Upcoming Xe 7nm GPU Is Codenamed Ponte Vecchio

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(Image credit: Shutterstock)

As per a VideoCardz report citing Intel this week, Intel has reportedly baptized its future 7nm Xe graphics card after Ponte Vecchio, a stone bridge that overlooks the Arno River in Florence, Italy. Ponte Vecchio won't be a gaming graphics card upon release, but will instead target exascale computing.

Intel seemingly picked the Ponte Vecchio codename to symbolize the high-speed Compute Express Link (CXL) interconnection, which Ponte Vecchio graphics cards will use to communicate with each other. Ponte Vecchio


Raspberry Pi 4 Review: The Gold Standard for Single-Board Computing

Our Verdict

The best Raspberry Pi yet is faster and more functional than any of its predecessors, without raising the price.

For

  • Much faster than prior Raspberry Pis
  • USB 3 Ports
  • Ability to output 4K video at 60 Hz
  • Dual-monitor support

Against

  • Key software doesn’t work at launch
  • Poor high-res video playback
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Raspberry Pi 4 Cooling Review: Pimoroni Heatsink and Fan Shim Tested

Our Verdict

The Pimoroni Fan Shim for Raspberry Pi 4 prevents throttling even at overclocked speed, but it won’t work with some hats.

For

  • Incredibly effective cooling
  • Boosts long-term performance
  • Quiet

Against

  • Incompatible with I2S HATs
  • Moving parts
  • Button needs a pending GPIO Zero software update
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Corsair's New iCUE QL PWM Fans Pack 34 Addressable RGB LEDS Each

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(Image credit: Corsair)

It appears that RGB has been in the market for so long that companies are starting to feel the need to up the ante, which is exactly what Corsair is doing with its new iCUE QL RGB PWM fans announced today. For the time being, the company is only announcing them in 120 and 140mm variants.

What’s special about these RGB-enabled fans is that they have not one, two or even three lighting zones. No, they have four

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Aorus CV27Q 165Hz Curved Gaming Monitor Review: Pixel-Dense Winner

Our Verdict

The Aorus CV27Q ticks all the boxes for performance gaming. It delivers excellent color and high contrast coupled with a reliable 165 Hz refresh rate and adaptive sync. Add HDR and extended color, and you have a winner for less than $450.

For

  • Contrast
  • Color accuracy
  • Speed and responsiveness
  • FreeSync & G-Sync (unofficially) with HDR
  • Build quality

Against

  • Inaccurate sRGB mode
  • No image controls for HDR
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Aorus CV27F 165Hz Curved Gaming Monitor Review: HDR on Budget

Our Verdict

For less than $300, the Aorus CV27F delivers everything a performance-oriented gamer could want. Its color quality and contrast are excellent, and it sports HDR with both FreeSync and G-Sync PCs. Its versatility is truly impressive.

For

  • Smooth gaming performance up to 165 Hz
  • FreeSync 2 (can run G-Sync unofficially)
  • HDR with FreeSync and G-Sync (unofficially)
  • Accurate DCI-P3 color
  • Good build quality

Against

  • Elevated HDR black level
  • Low pixel density
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New Benchmark Lets You Test Ray Tracing With AMD or Nvidia Graphics Cards

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(Image credit: Crytek)

You might think that you need a fancy Nvidia RTX graphics card to demo ray tracing , but Crytek is here to prove us wrong. Its new Neon Noir benchmark is a ray-tracing demonstration that works on all modern-day graphics cards , including Nvidia’s Pascal architecture-based cards and AMD’s latest 5000-series graphics cards.

The Neon Noir ray tracing benchmark shows a drone flying through a dark rainy cityscape, where you can see reflections all around you


Intel

AMD Athlon Gold 3150U APU Appears Out of Thin Air

AMD might have announced the Athlon 3000G just last week, but apparently, the chipmaker isn't finished with the Athlon lineup just yet. A recent Geekbench listing points to an unreleased Athlon Gold 3150U APU , which is likely aimed at laptops .

Interestingly, it appears that AMD will take a page out of Intel's marketing playbook for the upcoming CPU with integrated graphics. Intel uses the Gold and Silver monikers to segment its Pentium and Xeon CPU lines. This is the first

Athlon Gold 3150U

Google Stadia's Upcoming Launch Looking Increasingly Incomplete

Google Stadia controller

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Google Stadia is set to debut on November 19. That launch already had several caveats, however, including the fact that not everyone who pre-ordered the Founder's Edition bundle will receive their hardware in time for the platform's debut. Now the company has said that many of Stadia's multiplayer-centric features won't be ready in time for the game streaming platform's launch either.

The additional information about Stadia's launch arrived during an Ask Me


Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R10 Gaming Desktop Review: a 16-Core 3950X Spaceship

Our Verdict

The Alienware Aurora R10 Ryzen Edition sports a cool design and offers strong performance, but it runs loud and needs better cooling if you’re opting for the configuration with the 16-core CPU.

For

  • Attractive new design
  • Ample front port selection
  • Strong performance

Against

  • Inadequate cooling for 3950X
  • Noisy under load

AMD’s Ryzen processors have a found a new home. The Alienware Aurora R10 Ryzen Edition ($3,629.99 as tested) is housing

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