It's no secret that Intel has been playing catch-up with AMD over the last few months as Team Red pulled ahead with Ryzen 3rd Generation – Team Blue has itself admitted this. But, some leaked benchmarks of Intel's next high-end desktop (HEDT) platform suggest it will fall behind AMD's mainstream platform.
This is all according to a leaked GeekBench 4 entry spotted by the folks over at Wccftech. In these results, the Intel Core i9-10920X scores a multi-core result of 44,046, compared to the 44,160 scored by the Ryzen 9 3900X in our review. If this leaked benchmark reflects reality, it won't look too good for Intel when Cascade Lake-X launches later this year.
Now, it's important to note that HEDT and mainstream processors aren't directly comparable, as they target different segments of the market. However, because HEDT chips are targeting high processor (CPU) performance for creatives and professionals, they're expected to crush mainstream silicon into the dirt – and the prices reflect that.
For instance, the last-generation Intel Core i9-9920X retails for $1,189 (£1,049, AU$1,799). So, if its successor is around the same price, which we don't know for sure, it should be able to beat AMD's mainstream flagship that's about half the price at $499 (£531, AU$809). It's true that the Ryzen 9 3900X is facing increased prices right now, but they've not increased that much.
Either way, these leaks may not represent reality, and we won't know the details of what Intel's Cascade Lake-X can do until Team Blue reveals its next desktop processors. Until then, all we can do is look at these leaks and try to guess what will happen next. At the very least, the PC components space is alive with competition once more.
AMD on Monday announced the availability of its 3rd generation Ryzen Pro processors for commercial and small business desktop computers. As with their consumer counterparts, the new Pro CPUs will pack up to 12 cores, and they will be available inside of desktops by HP and Lenovo in the fourth quarter. In addition, AMD also announced new Ryzen Pro and Athlon Pro 3000-series APUs with integrated graphics.
Small Desktops Get 12-Core CPUs
AMD’s latest generation of Ryzen Pro CPUs are based on the same Zen 2 "Matisse" microarchitecture as the consumer chips introduced earlier this summer. The initial Ryzen Pro 3000-series family will include three models in the AM4 form-factor, with all of them set for a 65 W TDP. These include the the 12-core Ryzen 9 Pro 3900, the eight-core Ryzen 7 Pro 3700, and the six-core Ryzen 5 Pro 3600.
The processors will feature support for all of AMD’s Pro-series features, including a built-in TrustZone security processor, DASH manageability, Secure Boot, Content Protection, per-Application security, fTPM 2.0, Transparent Secure Memory Encryption (TSME), and some other technologies that differentiate AMD’s Pro from the firm’s regular CPUs for client PCs. Once thing to keep in mind is that these products are truly CPU, and as such do not have integrated graphics.
AMD's 3nd Gen Ryzen Pro Specifications
Cores
Threads
Frequency
Cache
L2 + L3
GPU
TDP
Base
Boost
Ryzen 9 Pro 3900
12/24
3.1 GHz
4.3 GHz
70 MB
-
65 W
Ryzen 7 Pro 3700
8/16
3.6 GHz
4.4 GHz
36 MB
-
65 W
Ryzen 5 Pro 3600
6/12
3.6 GHz
4.2 GHz
35 MB
-
65 W
Initial customers for the Ryzen Pro 3000-series processors will be HP and Lenovo, with the former using them inside its EliteDesk 705 G5 SFF and Mini desktops, while Lenovo will use the chips for their upcoming ThinkCentre M75s-1 SFF and M75q-1 Tiny desktops.
Commercial PCs Get Radeon Vega Graphics
Meanwhile, for more streamlined PCs that need integrated graphics and fewer CPU cores, AMD has also introduced new APUs based on their 12nm Zen+ "Picasso" design, analogous to mainstream their Ryzen 3000 APUs. The new Ryzen 3000 Pro APUs will include the quad-core Ryzen 5 Pro and Ryzen 3 Pro, and the dual-core Athlon Pro 3000-series CPUs, all of which include integrated Radeon Vega graphics. The chips featuring TDPs of 65 W and 35 W depending on the SKU, with the processors slated to be used for select machines from HP and Lenovo, according to AMD.
AMD's 3nd Gen Ryzen Pro & Athlon Pro Specifications
Although Windows ships with its own full volume encryption tool called BitLocker, SSDs that claimed to offer their own hardware-based encryption were trusted by the tool and left alone.
Now though, after a recent update to Windows 10, Microsoft will assume that connected SSDs don't actually encrypt anything.
In a Twitter post, SwiftOnSecurity described why the software giant has decided to no longer trust SSD manufacturers, saying:
A report released in November of 2018 revealed that self-encrypting drives have a number of security flaws including the use of master passwords set by manufacturers. This means that those who purchased SSDs which were supposed to help keep their data secure might as well have purchased a drive that did not handle its own encryption instead.
SSD encryption
Users who purchased self-encrypting drives were actually worse off than they thought as Microsoft set up BitLocker to leave these drives alone completely. This was done to help performance without compromising the security of these drives as they could use their own hardware to encrypt their contents instead of using a system's CPU. However, now it seems as though Microsoft will no longer trust SSD manufacturers to keep customers data safe on their own.
In its release notes for the KB4516071 update to Windows 10, the company explained the changes it had made to how BitLocker handles self-encrypting drives, saying:
"Changes the default setting for BitLocker when encrypting a self-encrypting hard drive. Now, the default is to use software encryption for newly encrypted drives. For existing drives, the type of encryption will not change."
While it would be nice if self-encrypting SSDs were as secure as they claim to be, at least now users can rest easy knowing that BitLocker will secure their drives.
AMD just announced a new lineup of PRO processors, led by the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 3900. This processor's TDP (Thermal Design Power) is lowered to 65W from the Ryzen 9 3900X's 95W, which should mean it'll emit less heat and consume less power. But, it does also mean it won't be as fast.
The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 is accompanied by the Ryzen 7 PRO 3700 and Ryzen 5 PRO 3600, along with a bunch of G-series Ryzen processors with Radeon Vega graphics. It should be noted, that because these are all 65W parts, you shouldn't expect boost clocks to be as high – the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 only reaches up to 4.3GHz, compared to the Ryzen 9 3900X's 4.6GHz. Though, Ryzen processors are having trouble reaching their rated boost clocks anyways.
We went ahead and listed out the new AMD Ryzen PRO processors below:
It's important to note that these processors aren't intended for everyday users. If you're just trying to build a gaming PC, you're better off getting any other Ryzen 3rd Generation chip. These processors are primarily intended for business use, and will be included in a ton of pre-built desktops for that purpose.
There are a ton of features in these new processors that are particularly useful for businesses, but probably won't make much sense for everyday consumers. For example, each of these AMD Ryzen PRO processors come with a built-in security processor packed with AMD's GuardMI tech. This will help protect PCs from some of the most severe cold boot cyber attacks.
AMD has also partnered with HP and Lenovo, and is able to include Lenovo ThinkShield and HP SureStart support at the silicon level for pre-built systems, like the HP EliteDesk 705 G5 and Lenovo Thinkpad M75q-1.
So, while we don't think these processors will be featured in any of the hottest gaming PC builds any time soon, we definitely expect some businesses to make the jump, especially media companies who can use that extra horsepower for editing video.
PC gaming has a reputation for being really expensive to get into. It’s easy to scrounge the internet, finding examples of extremely high-end systems that can cost thousands of dollars to build. But, there’s more to the best gaming PCs than what the 1% can afford.
To prove that point, we’ll show you how to build a cheap gaming PC that doesn’t, well, suck. The system we’ll walk you through here won’t be able to play Control at 4K with ray tracing maxed out, but 1080p at high settings? Easy.
If you’re building a system out of new parts, you’re not going to be able to beat the Xbox One X at the same price point. 4K gaming is pretty much out of the question until you get to the mid-range. You can get around this by picking up used parts, but that’s not something we’d recommend if you're afraid of your PC components spontaneously combusting.
But, the other benefits that a gaming PC can offer more than make up for the higher price tag. And, even if PC gaming has a higher entry price, you’ll still save a ton of money over time on PC games.
So, if you’re ready to build a cheap gaming PC that can still handle modern AAA games at 1080p, you’ve come to the right place. We've picked out the best PC components that you can get for cheap, and we've already got a guide to building a PC that is still totally valid – PC building really hasn't changed much in a few years. We’ve been building PCs for years, so you can be sure you won’t run into any compatibility issues with our suggested builds.
What you'll need
Despite what you may have thought, you don’t need too much in the way of tools to build a cheap gaming PC. A phillips head screwdriver is the only absolutely necessary tool. However, there are a couple things that can help you out. Because you’ll be dealing with a lot of screws, having a parts tray helps a lot. If you don’t have one of those lying around (who can blame you), you can just use a couple bowls to keep things sorted.
Also, you have to be on the lookout for static electricity. An anti-static wristband is a godsend if you have one, but if you don’t, just make sure you’re not standing on carpet when building, and discharge any latent static electricity by touching some metal, like your power supply or PC case.
Most importantly, however, you need a clean space to build. If you can clear off the dining room table for a couple hours, that’s perfect. You just need enough space to hold all of your PC components.
The parts
There are so many PC components out there these days that you could theoretically build dozens of PCs without having the same parts list. Luckily, we follow PC components literally every day, so we used our expertise to pick out the best bang-for-your-buck PC components for this cheap gaming PC, and why those parts are the best choices for a budget PC build in 2019. And, once you’ve gathered up all the best PC components that don’t suck we’ll show you how to build a PC.
This AMD Ryzen processor (CPU) is the holy grail of budget PC components. It’s a quad-core chip with a boost clock of 4.0GHz, which would be enough to get some PC gaming done on its own. Where this chip really gains its budget bragging rights, however, is in the on-board Radeon Vega 8 graphics. This integrated graphics processor (GPU) isn’t powerful enough to play top-end games, but it should be enough to try some of the best indie games while saving up for a beefy graphics.
Intel alternative: we’d suggest the Pentium G4560. It’s only a dual-core chip, but with high clock speeds and hyper-threading it can keep up with the latest PC games.
When you’re picking out a motherboard, you don’t want to skimp too much. It’s one of those components where if something goes wrong, you have to rebuild the entire PC. The ASRock Fatal1ty B450 Gaming will get the job done, while saving you plenty of cash. It’s not the most feature-rich motherboard out there, but you’re just looking for a dependable board. Just keep in mind that you'll have to update the BIOS to at least version P3.20 to use the Ryzen 3 3200G. But, if you're not comfortable with that, you can always pick up the Ryzen 3 2200G instead – you won't lose much performance.
Intel alternative: if you’re going with Team Blue, you can save quite a bit on the motherboard by going with the ASRock B250M-HDV motherboard. It’s an older chipset, so you can find a bargain.
For budget gamers, sticking with 8GB of memory (RAM) is reasonable. There are some heavy duty games that will really start to push past that limit, but those are few and far between – especially at 1080p. So, we recommend picking up an 8GB kit of G.Skill Ripjaws V DDR4. It’s not the fastest or the flashiest, but it gets the job done.
A 128GB SSD may sound small to you, and it is, but when you’re just trying to get an affordable PC build done, it’s perfect. The Adata Ultimate SU800 128GB is big enough to fit your operating system on, which means your computer will be nice and fast, and more importantly, it’s dirt-cheap. This drive is just $20, and you should be able to find it for even cheaper during seasonal sales like Black Friday.
Unfortunately, SSDs are so much more expensive than the best hard drives when it comes to mass storage – that’s just a fact of life. That’s why picking up a 1TB hard drive, like the WD Caviar Blue, just makes sense for a cheap gaming PC. You’ll install your OS and maybe like one game on your SSD, and everything else can just go on your hard drive.
When you’re shopping for the best graphics card for your build, the most important advice we can give you is to consider what you’re going for. A lot of people will tell you that the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is the best graphics card out there, but not everyone has $1,200/£1,200to throw at a GPU. That’s why the AMD Radeon RX 570 8GB is such a gem. It’s extremely affordable, and should be good enough to handle most games at 1080p at high settings.
Nvidia alternative: If you’re looking for an affordable Nvidia card that trades blows with the AMD Radeon RX 570, you’ll want to take a look at the GeForce GTX 1650. It’s not super powerful, but it will get you through your 1080p gaming.
With a PC case, you really don’t need the most badass tower to get the job done. And, the Corsair 100R s a perfect example of a cheap PC case that doesn’t suck. It doesn’t have all the RGB lights and tempered glass panels that a more expensive case might, but what matters is that there’s plenty of room for case fans, and more than enough space for full length graphics cards if you want to upgrade later.
When you’re setting out to build a cheap gaming PC that doesn’t suck, it's easy to find the cheapest power supply and toss it into your PC. But, because that could literally present a fire hazard, you should at least find something like the Corsair VS550K. This budget power supply just has an 80+ efficiency rating, rather than the Gold, Silver or Bronze efficiencies of more expensive PSUs, but it should still be good enough to get the job done. Just keep in mind that this power supply isn’t modular, so you might have to find some creative ways to hide the extra cables.
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If you’re thinking of taking the plunge with AMD for your new processor or graphics card, perhaps with the swiftly incoming Black Friday in mind as a good time to make a move, then some new promo deals are giving away top-class games for free.
If you buy an AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation processor or an AMD Radeon graphics card, you'll be able to claim some free games, including Borderlands 3 and The Outer Worlds. And, if you buy both an AMD Ryzen processor and a Radeon GPU, you'll be able to get three games. The best part? These promotions will remain live until the end of the year (December 31).
First up, AMD’s Radeon ‘Raise the Game’ bundle means those who purchase a Radeon RX 5700 series, RX 590, RX 580 or RX 570 graphics card – or certain Radeon-powered desktop PCs or laptops – can choose between a PC copy of either Borderlands 3 or Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint.
And the Ryzen ‘Equipped to Win’ bundle gives purchasers of a Ryzen 7 3700X, Ryzen 5 3600X, Ryzen 7 2700X or Ryzen 7 2700 processor a choice of either Borderlands 3 or The Outer Worlds for free.
So, you can probably see where this is going if you want all three of those games. AMD fans who buy both a Ryzen 9 3000 or Ryzen 7 3800X CPU along with a Radeon RX 5700 GPU, or RX 590, RX 580, or RX 570 graphics card get the full trio: Borderlands 3, Ghost Recon Breakpoint and The Outer Worlds.
Buy any of the above graphics cards with a Ryzen 7 3700X, Ryzen 5 3600X, Ryzen 7 2700X or 2700 processor and you can have your pick of two games from those three.
Borderlands 3 is already out – offering a “rollicking good time”, as our review concluded – and you’ll get the other games after they launch, which is on October 4 for Ghost Recon Breakpoint, and October 25 in the case of The Outer Worlds.
As an added bonus, all these bundles come with a free three-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass for PC, so you can give that a spin.
The Google Pixelbook has been out for more than a year now, but it’s still easily the best Chromebook on the market right now. It’s the perfect example of what the Chromebook is capable of. We gave it a raving five-star review for that reason alone.
The Pixelbook stands up to the test of time, even in the face of the Google Pixel Slate, which all but replaces it. And, the Google Pixelbook will continue to dazzle well into the future, especially now that virtual desktops are coming to Chrome OS. In addition, its follow up could be getting the face unlocking feature that Google has announced will be on the upcoming Pixel 4 smartphone.
Still, in our minds, the “perfect product” doesn’t exist – there’s always room for improvement. The Google Pixelbook is no exception to that rule. So, we have put together a wishlist of things we want to see in the follow-up, whether its going to be called Pixelbook 2 or christened Pixelbook Go, which is rumored be a new high-end Chromebook that Google is unveiling at its Made by Google event.
Because the original Pixelbook has already been out for a while, we may see the next Pixelbook in the very near future. So, keep it locked to TechRadar, and we’ll update this article with any new information or rumors that come our way.
Cut to the chase
What is it? The second Pixelbook, a high-end Chromebook
When is it out? Sometime in 2019
What will it cost? Likely as much as – if not more than – the current model
Rumor has it that Google might unveil a new high-end Chromebook at its Made by Google event.
Google Pixelbook 2 release date
Google has been holding a special annual event for the past few years, pushing new Pixel phones. This event takes place every October, with the phones hitting the shelves a few weeks later.
In 2017, alongside the Pixel 2 and Pixel Buds, the company announced the first generation Pixelbook. However, when Google held this event in 2018, the Pixelbook 2 wasn’t in their roster. Instead, we got the Google Pixel Slate, a Chrome OS-powered tablet, which Google billed as the successor to the Pixelbook’s legacy.
This year, however, rumor has it that Google is planning to unveil a new high-end Chromebook at its Made by Google event in October. This device is expected to be the follow up to the Google Pixelbook Chromebook. However, it won’t be called the Pixelbook 2; it has been given the name Pixelbook Go instead.
It would be amazing to see Google drop its pricing structure.
Google Pixelbook 2 price
When Google has released a Chromebook of its own, be it the original Chromebook Pixel or more recent Pixelbook, it has priced the laptops at the high end.
Google has always positioned its devices as inspiration for its partners to strive for when developing Chromebooks of their own.
It would be amazing to see Google drop its pricing structure a couple hundred dollars, but we don’t see that happening.
Expect the Pixelbook 2 to start around the $999/£999 mark and go up from there. That is, if it is in the works at all.
Google will most likely continue to refine this industrial design, solidifying it across its entire lineup.
What we want to see from Pixelbook 2
Design The Pixelbook’s current combination of glass, metal and silicone is the same approach to design used throughout the rest of the company’s products. Turn the Pixel 2 XL around, as an example, and you’ll find a similar glass top and brushed aluminum back. Google will most likely continue to refine this industrial design, solidifying it across its entire lineup.
With the Pixelbook 2, however, we would love to see more color options. Indeed, the silver and white color scheme of the first generation Pixelbook looks stunning. However, adding more color options – perhaps something as funky as the Really Blue Pixel, complete with orange button highlights like we’ve seen on the Pixel 2 – might boost the sales performance.
Google is a company that’s not afraid to be bold so bucking the trend of boring laptop design is something Google should strive towards.
Overall spec bump Now that Intel has released its Whiskey Lake mobile processors, we fully expect to see both the latest Core i7 and i5 CPUs in the Google Pixelbook 2. Then again, we could see Google waiting until Intel’s Ice Lake hits the market later this year.
Additionally, even though a webcam may not be the most used part of any laptop, the Google Pixelbook 2 deserves more than a 720p shooter. We aren’t asking for a 4K webcam, but in 2018, it needs at least a Full HD camera.
It’s unclear what kind of impact Linux apps (more on those in a minute) will have on system performance, but it can’t hurt to have more RAM. With the Pixelbook, users are given the option of 8GB and 16GB, depending on configuration. And unfortunately, the 16GB setup is only available in the priciest configuration – a Pixelbook with an Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage will cost you a whopping $1,649.
For the Google Pixelbook 2, we’d love to see 16GB of RAM across more configurations, and not just for anyone with deep pockets.
Display There’s not a lot of room for improvement when it comes to the Pixelbook’s display. The 12.3-inch screen, with a resolution of 2,400 x 1,600 pixels and 3:2 aspect ratio, is certainly easy on the eyes.
However, according to Evan Blass, the new Pixelbook will have smaller bezels around the screen. If that is indeed the case, then expanding the size of the display while leaving the overall size of the Pixelbook the same is something we’ll welcome with open arms.
The 3:2 aspect ratio should stay though. It looks good in landscape and portrait, as well as lends itself to displaying books, magazines and movies in a natural-feeling layout. It also makes for a more sensible experience when using the stylus on the Pixelbook’s display for notes or sketches.
Better battery life Google advertises the Pixelbook as having a battery life that lasts all day, but that’s a subjective measurement. Our tests have shown the battery to not quite hit that mark, which isn’t all that uncommon.
So, we’d like to see both better power efficiency and more battery juice out of its successor. Perhaps software improvements could improve power efficiency, like Microsoft has done with its Battery Saver feature in Windows 10.
Linux goes official Project Crostini for Chrome OS is bringing official support for Linux apps. Currently, the project is only available to users who are brave enough to run Chrome OS in developer mode.
Google is constantly updating the project as it gets closer to official public release. We can’t think of a better time to officially launch a major feature such as this than along with brand new hardware.
The new Pixelbook might have smaller bezels around the screen.
Fingerprint sensor or face unlock
Smart Lock is a handy feature, utilizing a paired Android phone’s fingerprint sensor to unlock a Chrome OS device when the two devices are close to each other. But, picking up the phone to unlock a computer is still a lengthier process than using a fingerprint reader on the computer itself.
If the current design remains relatively unchanged, Google could place the reader near the power button on the left side. This provides access to the scanner, regardless of orientation, which has already been done on countless 2-in-1 laptops.
It’s possible that the next generation Pixelbook will offer a face unlocking feature akin to that of Apple’s, which is even better and more convenient. Specialist website Chrome Unboxed found a mention of Face Detection in an update for the Chromium open-source project, which itself is responsible for the ChromeOS software. This could mean that the follow up to the Pixelbook will support this feature.
Smart Display Mode The Pixelbook was the first Chrome OS device to ship with a dedicated Google Assistant key. Eventually the Pixelbook was updated with the option to respond to hands-free commands, but only while unlocked and the screen turned on.
With the second Pixelbook, Google should take Assistant one step further by adding an always-listening feature, regardless of unlock status, and replicate a similar experience to that found on the Lenovo Smart Display.
Pen included Though the Pixelbook works with a stylus, it’ll still cost you an additional $99/£99 just to write or draw on your screen.
Arguably, jotting notes on the lock screen is very handy, but with the Pixelbook already sitting atop the pricing scale, including a pen at no extra cost isn’t too much to ask for … is it?
Ditch the palm rests Have you seen what the white palm rests just below the keyboard look like only after a few months of use? It’s disgusting. The amount of dirt that shows is embarrassing, even after you’ve cleaned them.
Hopefully, if Google insists on utilizing a similar material, they use something that is either not white or has some level of dirt and grime resistance.
Regardless, come back to this page every now and then ahead of the possible launch for the latest Pixelbook 2 rumors and leaks.
Google is reportedly working on an all-new Chromebook developed in-house, codenamed ‘Hatch’ in several benchmark listings and other leaks over the past few months. Rumors regarding the laptop’s capabilities have been shared as well, painting a rather clear picture.
With the latest leak showing off up-to-date Intel Core processors (CPUs) and more memory (RAM) than most Chromebooks, the Hatch is getting set up to be a truly worthy successor to the excellent Pixelbook of 2017.
With that, Google clearly has quite a lot to live up to with this Chromebook release, especially considering whatever losses were caused by the failure in reception to Pixel Slate. Here’s everything we’ve heard so far about the Hatch, codename for Google’s next Chromebook.
Cut to the chase
What is it? Google’s next in-house Chromebook
When is it out? Possibly October 15 with Pixel 4
How much will it cost? Hopefully no more than Pixelbook did
The Google 'Hatch' would hopefully have Thunderbolt 3, too.
Google Hatch release date
While rumors and leaks of a release date are rather thin right now, many reports from MySmartPrice and NotebookCheck peg this Chromebook to release alongside the Google Pixel 4. That would mean a debut date of October 15, which is already anticipated by Pixel fans.
With that, it would be more than likely to see the Hatch hit store shelves and online retailers before the end of October. At the very least, an October 15 debut would all but guarantee a release before the Christmas shopping season.
Google Hatch price
Unfortunately, nothing in these leaks and reports comes close to discussing a potential price for the Hatch. However, we do know that the Chromebook is expected to run some of the latest 10th-generation (Comet Lake) Intel Core CPUs, starting with the dual-core Intel Core i3-10110U.
This would obviously put the Hatch in line with premium-priced Ultrabooks, like the Dell XPS 13. So, we can safely expect this Chromebook to reach similar prices, much like that of the previous Pixelbook that we so loved.
The previous stylus was not stow-able, sadly.
Google Hatch specs and features
We now know of several key specification points and features expected to be included in the Hatch Chromebook product. For starters, we’re again aware that Google is reportedly equipping the laptop with Comet Lake Intel CPUs.
This is based on recently leaked Geekbench testing information made publicly available, specifically listing the Intel Core i3-10110U part in use, with outlets further speculating that Google won’t stop here. It’s likely that Google will include Comet Lake options for the Core i5 and perhaps even the Core i7.
Coupled with at least 8GB of RAM listed in the Geekbench results, this will make for a Chromebook that’s decidedly more powerful than most, which has been a hallmark of Google’s homemade Chrome laptops since their start.
Rounding out the known rumored feature list are a 2,400 x 1,600-pixel display with a 3:2 aspect ratio – just like the Pixelbook of 2017 – along with a new built-in stylus, backlit keyboard and a proper fingerprint reader for additional security.
All told, the Google Chromebook codenamed ‘Hatch’ is may be among the very best once more. However, judging by the Pixel Slate downturn, Google would be wise not to rest on its laurels here.
Microsoft is expected to launch new Surface hardware at its press event this Wednesday, October 2, and some marketing images have just leaked, allegedly giving us a glimpse – albeit a rather distant one – of the devices set to be unveiled.
The rumor mill contends that we’re going to see the new Surface Pro 7 and Surface Laptop 3 at the event, and that would seemingly be what these leaked images depict, which were posted on Twitter by prolific Microsoft leaker WalkingCat (as spotted by Windows Central).
However, there is also the prospect that, rather than the Surface Pro 7, the images could show an all-new Surface 7, which has also been the subject of speculation recently.
It’s difficult to make too much in the way of judgements, because the devices in the pictures are pretty distant in the various lifestyle images (and not even visible at all in the last one, unless that’s the new Surface Car – in which case, Microsoft really has left Apple choking on its exhaust fumes). And moreover, the purported Surface products are shown from the rear, as well as from afar.
So, if we take it as read that these are genuine leaked marketing materials from Microsoft – they certainly look convincing enough, and are from a relatively trustworthy source – there’s not all that much that can be discerned. Except, if this is a revamped Surface Pro 7 and Surface Laptop 3, the design hasn’t changed much; although that's not much of a surprise.
We can make some interesting guesses, though. First, in the image below, the device shown – presumably the Surface Laptop 3 – looks a touch thinner, and again it wouldn’t be unexpected for Microsoft to have slimmed the notebook down.
Secondly, the image at the top of this article shows what is, at first glance, presumably the Surface Pro 7 (with the kickstand). However, the device looks strangely tall compared to our Surface Pro 6.
The size of the device relative to the webcam at the top also makes it look longer – and generally larger – than the existing Surface Pro 6, although it’s difficult to make too much of a judgement on these factors from the rather distantly-pictured device.
Still, this could indicate Microsoft has something of a surprise up its sleeve…
Surface with Snapdragon?
Could this be the Surface 7 device which has popped up in fresh rumors recently? French tech site Frandroid previously reported on this alleged rebirth of the non-Pro version of the Surface tablet, which would represent a big redesign, with much thinner bezels around the screen, USB-C connectivity, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU.
So this would theoretically be Microsoft’s ‘always connected’ Surface which has been previously floating around as a rumor earlier this year, and it would be based on a modified Snapdragon 8cx chip.
As PC World reports, that chip could be completely rebranded for the device, and it further observes that it was told separately, before the Frandroid report, that the new Surface devices would include CPUs from Intel, AMD, and a modified Snapdragon chip.
Also note that the above image mentions ‘LTE service availability’ which would fit in with this being an ‘always connected’ Snapdragon-powered Surface. Although, of course the Surface Pro does have an LTE spin, and if this was the Snapdragon 8cx, wouldn’t Microsoft’s marketing spiel mention 5G?
Okay, so this is starting to become something of a minefield of guesswork, and while it’s interesting to speculate on these images, we simply can’t draw too much in the way of conclusions just yet.
Luckily, we won’t have long to wait to find out if Microsoft might just have a Surface 7, as well as a Surface Pro 7 and Surface Laptop 3, ready to rock in a couple of days.
If you’ve been a PC gamer for as long as we have, there’s a very high chance that you’ll have at some point played on a PC that’s powered by one of Intel’s processors. For a long time Intel was the king of gaming processors, and while AMD has been putting up a brilliant fight recently, as you can see from our list of the best processors of 2019, Intel’s latest processors dominate the list.
With PC games becoming ever more graphic- and processor-intensive, while PC gamers require more from their gaming rigs, it’s meant that companies like Intel have had to rise to the challenge to keep on producing hardware that keeps up with our demands.
We sat down with Steve Shakespeare, EMEA Enterprise Solutions Director at Intel, to chat about Intel’s involvement in PC gaming, and what challenges – and rewards – there are when you build platforms for gamers and enthusiasts.
Image credit: Intel
The war’s back on
One of the first things we wanted to chat about with Shakespeare was how, in the last 12 months, the processor wars between Intel and its rival AMD have been renewed, with a re-invigorated AMD winning over a lot of PC gamers and enthusiasts with its well-received Ryzen line of processors, which includes the brilliant 16-core Threadripper 1950X.
Not to be outdone, Intel fought back with some excellent processors of its own, including the Intel Core i7-8700K and the beastly 18-core Intel Core i9-7980XE. Since then, we’ve seen a steady stream of excellent processors coming out of both camps. Intel's latest high-end processor, the Intel Core i9-9900K, is an octa-core beast, and one of the best processors money can buy for PC gamers who are serious about building the ultimate gaming rig.
"There’s an insatiable desire for computing power from this gaming audience."
Steve Shakespeare
It's certainly an exciting time for processors, and according to Shakespeare, Intel shares that enthusiasm. “I think the excitement is back and there is so much exciting stuff going on in the PC category right now. I think we’ve all seen the double-digit growth in the overall gaming enthusiast category. From our perspective we’re thrilled about that, we invest very heavily to get behind the products, behind the whole CPU family, and it feel like that is enabling the excitement that we’re seeing in the market.”
The increased expectations of what gamers expect their gaming PCs should be able to achieve has also appeared to invigorate Intel.
“We’re seeing increased demand for premium processors because there’s an insatiable desire for computing power from this gaming audience. It amazes me what people want to do, right? Not only do they want to play a great game, which in and of itself is intensive on the CPU, intensive on graphics as well, but they also maybe want to record that, they want to stream it onto Twitch, they want to have a real-time conversation with people, and watching other stuff at the same time. It just amazes me.”
The gaming gold rush
While there is often a lot of doom and gloom when it comes to the state of the desktop PC market, it appears that PC gamers are responsible for an increase in desktop and laptop sales.
“We see gaming being a big growth-engine in the market, for desktops and notebooks. We’re seeing gaming grow in both areas. Interestingly, gaming is growing faster on notebooks, but it’s from a smaller base.”
With mobile processors for laptops becoming ever more powerful, alongside thinner dedicated graphics cards which can fit inside thin and light notebooks, gaming laptops are becoming ever more viable. Just look at our list of the best gaming laptops, for example.
The Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701 is one of the best gaming laptops on the market. Image Credit: TechRadar
“There are some really great desktops that give you that infinite flexibility that some people want, but you also see some really super high-performance notebooks,” Shakespeare explains, and with Intel’s Coffee Lake S CPUs, that innovation for gamers and enthusiasts seems to be only improving.
“Coffee Lake S, which is the 8th generation desktop part… [has] up to 40% stronger performance, generation on generation. So versus that 7th generation CPU that is already really good for gaming, as [we’ve] put 40% headroom on it. We’re going to put up to six cores in the platform, and then when you marry that with a high-performance graphics card you’re going to get phenomenally powerful systems that are going to be able to play games at super-high settings, and offer that really immersive experience that gamers want.”
The six-core Coffee Lake processors, such as the Intel Core i7-8700K aren’t just making games even better, they are also allowing people to live stream while gaming, as well as creating and editing in-game footage on the fly.
This sort of high-level multitasking is at the forefront of what Intel is doing, according to Shakespeare, and it’s that demand which is helping drive high-end processors.
“As I mentioned, the up to six cores in the 8th generation Coffee Lake desktop part, for example, gives you that many more cores, so you have lots of parallel processes running, and they’re all high-performance cores...that enables you to do lots of things. So, you might have some of the cores playing the game, some of the cores enabling your Twitch streaming, some of the cores maybe recording, some of the cores maybe doing other tasks, so that gives you that real performance.”
CPUs for all budgets
Of course, there are also the 16 and 18-core processors Intel released last year which offer up even more impressive multitasking performance. While these Core i9 beasts are aimed at enthusiasts who need the very cutting edge technology and performance, Intel is careful to make sure it has impressively-performing CPUs aimed at gamers and content creators no matter what their budgets.
“What we have is a ladder, and you can work your way up,” explains Shakespeare. “So, whether you want a Core i3 or a Core i5 or a Core i7 or a Core i9, they’re all there. [We’ve got] 8th gen obviously...on desktops… [as well as] 8th gen on the H-series mobile parts, giving you up to 40% improvement on gaming on laptops. Then we’ve also got i9 [on laptops] as well.”
Intel having a wide range of cutting edge CPUs for all manner of budgets isn’t a surprise, and, as Shakespeare says, “we’re responding to what the market’s demanding, and you know we also absolutely believe we’ve got the leadership technology at all the levels”.
"We’re really excited about virtual reality and how that’s extending the experiences that people can have with gaming.”
Intel is also particularly proud of its Core i9 offerings. “That 18-core Core i9 product, that is our first teraflop PC, can you imagine that? You remember when teraflop computing was super-computing that occupied a room, that kind of controlled a city? Well, now you can get it on your desktop and run that. So, I think that’s really fascinating.”
These high-end CPUs aren’t just allowing PC gamers to multitask, they also offer new experiences in Virtual Reality as well.
“We’re really excited about virtual reality and how that’s extending the experiences that people can have with gaming,” Shakespeare explains. “And, what’s really exciting for esports is that we are starting to see virtual reality esports games come in, and the enthusiasm for that is fantastic. So, one of the things that we are doing with our processors is making sure that we can enable the best virtual reality gaming experience as well.”
Virtual reality gaming is placing new demands on gamer's hardware. Image credit: HTC
So, how vital is the processor to virtual reality? For Shakespeare and Intel, it is an essential part of the puzzle.
“A lot of people say ‘Hey virtual reality, isn’t that a graphics card thing? Don’t you just need a good graphics card for that?’ The answer is you need both; you need a great graphics card and you need a great CPU. And here’s the reason why: in order to do virtual reality well, there’s a whole bunch of artificial intelligence that has to take place, there’s a whole bunch of logic that has to operate to support the game. So, the graphic card does the rendering, the CPU does the AI, as well as the physics.”
That’s the key to immersion. When in a virtual reality world, you want it to behave realistically. Shakespeare has an example.
“When I shoot that bullet and it hits that wall, what’s going the happen? Well, it’s going to make a hole, and some bits are going to fly in the air somewhere, right? So, the CPU works out what’s going to happen mathematically, then the graphics card presents that on the screen. If you get that in balance you get the best experience for your platform.”
Taking gaming seriously
One of the biggest drivers of the PC gaming renaissance has been the growing popularity of esports, where players and teams play PC games competitively to a huge – and expanding – audience. It’s also something that Intel has been very involved with.
“So, esports has got this massive following, about 385 million people worldwide are following esports, and for Intel this is a really important endeavour. We work with the electronic sport league, with the ESL, and we have the Intel Extreme Masters competition. So, we’re investing really heavily in esports to make sure that we understand what that audience needs, and we can bring them the best computing platforms to deliver those games.“
For Shakespeare, it was attending the Intel Extreme Masters final in Poland that really opened his eyes to the excitement of esports.
“I was at the final, and 170,000 people turn up at a stadium for a weekend to watch this. And you suddenly appreciate it. You say, ‘Wow, I get it’. This is like a sporting event, it’s like going to see a soccer match or a rugby match. People are in the audience, they’re supporting their team, they’re cheering excitedly, and I love that.”
"We’re investing really heavily in esports to make sure that we understand what that audience needs."
Shakespeare also has a vision for the future of esports, and it’s one Intel shares. “I think the next level that we’re now seeing is around VR. And, we want to help enable that. Not only do you have powerful hardware to play VR games on, which is what we’re doing with our Intel products, you also need to be able to broadcast that so the audience can see it. So, they’re in a stadium but also online.”
So, if you thought broadcasting normal games while also playing them was stressful enough for your hardware, playing and broadcasting in virtual reality will be even more demanding.
“I think at IEM, for example, there was something like 45 million streaming viewers of the event. That’s just monumental, and a worldwide audience. But, if you think about it, to make that interesting to the viewers, you’ve got to be able to broadcast what’s going on. So, if you’re in a VR game, at the same time your PC has got to take that information, package it all up and then it’s got to be able to stream it out onto Twitch. So again, you need a strong platform to do that. So, that’s kind of what we’re trying to support.”
The future of PC gaming is bright
So, with a steady stream of amazing games, esports and virtual reality, it’s never been a more exciting time to be a PC gamer, and Intel seems enthused as well, enjoying the challenges posed by gamers who expect ever more from their gaming rigs.
“Innovation is alive and well, not just with gaming enthusiasts, it’s this whole new industry and this whole new sporting industry with esports that’s coming to life. I love it when I see so many people excited about it.”
Welcome to TechRadar's PC Gaming Week 2019. We're celebrating the most powerful gaming platform on Earth with in-depth articles, exclusive interviews and essential buying guides that showcase everything PC gaming has to offer. Visit ourPC Gaming Week 2019page to see all our coverage in one place.
As a new term begins at university – or you've settled back in at school or college, you might be looking for a new laptop which can tackle not just coursework and the like, but also provide some downtime with demanding gaming sessions. And naturally you'll want something portable, too. Nobody wants to lug a bulky or heavy notebook around campus with them, or anywhere else for that matter.
In the past, these different needs would work against each other. A high-performing notebook would be a larger, heftier machine, simply because manufacturers couldn't fit more powerful, chunkier components inside a thinner laptop chassis.
However, the good news is that these days, laptop tech has moved on considerably, and a truly surprising amount of power can be packed into a thin-and-light laptop – with Nvidia leading the way on the graphics front in this respect with its latest GeForce RTX and GTX mobile GPUs.
These Turing-based graphics cards are very impressive performers, delivering close to desktop PC levels of GPU performance in neatly compact laptops, and therefore offering some potentially major cost-savings.
Major cost-savings
Cost-savings? How does that work? Well, let's imagine that you decide to go for a cheap bottom-of-the-range laptop for your work at uni or college. Such a model will be nowhere near capable of gaming, so if you want to enjoy some Fortnite or Borderlands 3 in your downtime, then you're looking at also buying a separate desktop PC for gaming.
And when you add up the cost of a decent desktop gaming rig and a basic notebook, it's likely to be far more expensive than getting a good laptop with a capable Nvidia GPU which can handle work, gaming, and indeed anything else you throw at it.
Not only this, but you also get all those portability advantages, as a slim notebook is dead easy to take round to a friend's place, or indeed to a LAN party. A big old desktop rig? Not so much…
Furthermore, there's another reason why Nvidia is a leading player in laptop graphics, and that’s the company's innovative Max-Q technology.
Max-Q is essentially Nvidia's way of optimising the design and power requirements of the graphics solution inside a laptop – inspired by NASA engineering, no less – allowing a powerful gaming notebook to be even slimmer.
There are other benefits of Max-Q, as well, one of which is that it helps devices to run quietly, with no loud fans or other potential sources of noise pollution that could disrupt an environment like a library or lecture hall.
Even when tackling demanding gaming sessions, this tech helps to keep noise levels down, so while you might be piloting an F-15 in a virtual world, your laptop won't be making any convincingly realistic impressions of your fighter's jet engines (unlike some gaming laptops we’ve used in the past).
There's a final good reason to consider taking the plunge with a GeForce-powered laptop, and that's some of the deals available on these machines right now. There are lots of top-notch laptops suitable for students with some impressive discounts lopped off, so to give you some inspiration, let's highlight a few models.
Check out these machines (some of which use Max-Q technology) which are currently being offered in mighty tempting 'back to uni' deals which boast up to £300 off.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G
First up is the Asus ROG Zephyrus G GA502DU, a gaming notebook which runs with an AMD Ryzen 7 3750H quad-core processor and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (6GB) graphics card that utilises Max-Q technology.
Those core components are backed up with a healthy 16GB of system RAM, and a seriously quick 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD for storage. The 15.6-inch Full HD display has a refresh rate of 120Hz (meaning you'll be able to play games at up to 120 frames per second) and extremely thin bezels. The laptop itself is less than 19mm thin, and can currently be had with a £300 discount from Box.
Acer Predator Helios 300
Then there's the Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-53-71HF which is built around a six-core Intel Core i7-9750H processor capable of Turbo up to 4.5GHz. That's partnered with a GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q (8GB) graphics card, a combo that will make very short work of any game you throw at it.
This Acer gaming laptop is also equipped with 16GB of RAM and a pair of 512GB SSDs (for 1TB of storage in total). You also get a 17.3-inch Full HD screen with a refresh rate of 144Hz. Box has dropped the price on the Predator Helios 300 by £200.
Asus TUF Gaming
Looking for something a little less high-end? Consider the Asus TUF Gaming FX505DT-AL086T which still packs more than enough power with an AMD Ryzen 5 3550H quad-core CPU twinned with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 (4GB) graphics card.
This laptop has a 15.6-inch Full HD display with a 120Hz refresh rate, along with 8GB of system RAM and a 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD. It has been knocked down by £150 at Box.
HP Omen 15
Finally, if you want a machine that hits more of the middle ground – with plentiful storage – check out the HP Omen 15-DC1001NA. This laptop runs with an Intel Core i5-8300H quad-core CPU with Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB) graphics. For system memory, you get 8GB, and there's lots of storage in the form of a 256GB NVMe SSD paired with a 1TB hard drive.
Whatever your 'back to uni' budget, there's a thin-and-light laptop out there with Nvidia GeForce graphics that can cater for all your computing, work and gaming needs in one neat and highly portable package.
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Windows 10 will take another step forward with the second feature update of 2019 later this week, by all accounts, although it's set to be a minor upgrade compared to past efforts.
Windows 10 19H2 (aka version 1909) is shipping to insiders on the Release Preview ring, and has appeared on WSUS – the Windows Server Update Services server.
As Windows Latest observes, that latter development means this is likely the RTM build (final release candidate), and there’s also plenty of buzz online that the 19H2 update is ready to go.
The other thing to consider is that timing-wise, Microsoft has a big press event on Wednesday, October 2 – where lots of new Surface devices are expected – so it would seem likely that the update will be shown off there, and the rollout could kick off the day after (or Friday).
We don’t know this for sure, naturally, but everything seems to be lining up for this to be the case.
Update in a minor key
Of course, nobody is getting too excited about version 1909 of Windows 10, because, as mentioned, it doesn’t introduce any major new features – it’s more like a service pack of old, with various fixes and under-the-hood improvements.
That said, there are some interesting introductions in Windows 10 19H2 which might not be major features, but are certainly noteworthy.
That includes the promise of better battery life for laptops running certain processors, and a potential performance boost for CPUs that have multiple 'favored' cores (with any workload being better distributed amongst those particular cores, so any given task should run a bit faster).
While it’s likely that this upgrade will be called the October 2019 Update, it's possible that Microsoft will want to avoid that particular name given past history (and the calamity that was the October 2018 Update); it’s also possible that a different naming scheme could be called for given that this is a more minor update.
Building a gaming PC could be fun, or it could be rather frustrating, depending on how you approach the pursuit, and of course your own personal circumstances. You may be constrained by a tight budget, and therefore experience difficulty picking the right parts to achieve what you want in terms of performance. Or you might be a relative tech novice, and unsure of how to best put together a PC which can cope well with modern games.
Don’t worry, because help is at hand. Beginners should head over to our article on how to build your first gaming PC, and then this guide gives you all the info you’ll need to subsequently put the thing together, all broken down into easy to follow steps.
That’s all the core stuff covered, then – but what about the trimmings? In this feature, we’re going to look at five additional tips you may not be aware of that will help make sure that your gaming PC is everything it should be.
As you’re probably aware, processors aren’t created equal. For any given specific model of CPU, there’ll be slight variances in the manufacturing process that will mean some chips are a little better than others (although they will all be in the same ballpark).
So when you buy an unlocked processor – which can be overclocked – folks refer to the ‘silicon lottery’, essentially meaning that you’re keeping your fingers crossed that you get one of the better examples of that particular CPU model. Because these slightly superior products might overclock with considerably more headroom.
But you don’t have to rely on blind luck to secure a good CPU in this respect. That’s because there are companies out there who buy in processors, test them to see exactly how good they are, and then sell them on to PC builders who want a guarantee of what speed they’ll be able to overclock up to.
Now, a few caveats here. Of course, these operations – which also include the likes of Overclockers UK and German retailer Caseking – obviously charge more than the RRP for these CPUs, and some folks believe that you’re simply better off spending that extra money on upgrading other components to boost performance in your gaming rig.
Indeed, whether this makes sense or not, and how much mileage you might get out of going this route, will likely vary depending on the exact build and processor you’re looking at. In some cases, the expenditure might be such that it could simply be a better idea to step up to a faster (different) CPU (assuming there is one and you aren’t looking at the flagship already).
Also bear in mind that you may need to buy a certain spec of motherboard (i.e. not an entry-level model) to run a particular chip at the speed advertised by Silicon Lottery (or whoever you are buying from).
Still, this is certainly an interesting option for those who don’t mind forking out extra in some scenarios to achieve the absolute best build for their gaming PC. Finally, remember that these CPUs can be delidded by the company to lower the temperature they run at, which again is a useful boon for those looking to really push their processor to the limits.
2. Don’t skimp on the PSU
It’s not uncommon to see some pretty beefy gaming PC builds proposed online, where the builder has picked cheap, maybe even bottom-of-the-line, non-critical components. By which we mean the stuff which is normally considered not as important as the core components of the processor and GPU, motherboard, memory and primary storage.
We’re talking mainly about the PC case and power supply (PSU) here. These might seem like good areas to save money so you can afford that better graphics card – but hold your corner-cutting horses there a minute…
Do not – we repeat, do not – be tempted to purchase a cheap power supply for your gaming PC.
The CPU is generally regarded as the engine of your PC, but if that’s the brain of the machine, then the power supply is the beating heart that keeps everything running smoothly. Or not – if it’s a flaky second-rate model, it won’t provide much stability for any overclock you’re going to attempt. And if you get a cheaper model with a relatively low wattage rating, it may struggle to handle the load from a bunch of higher-end components when they’re really pushed.
Also remember when you upgrade your PC, maybe to a much beefier GPU down the line, say, you might need some room to breathe with that wattage. In other words, a low-wattage PSU may interfere with the future-proofing of your PC.
Furthermore, there’s also the prospect that a budget model might be so unreliable it completely gives up the ghost, meaning you have to buy another PSU (buy cheap, buy twice). And potentially worse still, when that power supply goes pop, it could take out some of your other components, leaving you well out of pocket.
All this said, there’s no need to purchase a hugely juiced-up 1,500W PSU or similar. Such units can be prohibitively expensive, and may not give you the best power-efficiency when your machine is idling (which may well be a good deal of the time). Indeed, these sort of high-powered PSUs will almost certainly be overkill for anything but the most over-the-top gaming PC.
Exactly how much power you will need depends on the sort of gaming machine you’re building – whether lower-end, or a beast of a rig. You can use a wattage calculator and enter your intended components to get an indication of what sort of PSU you might require, but be sure to leave a decent amount of headroom for future-proofing (at least 25% or so).
And get a PSU with at least an ‘80+ Bronze’ rating for efficiency, from a quality brand (such as Corsair or Seasonic – we have some recommendations for the best PC power supplies here). That way it will likely last you for a long time going forward, which will save you money in the long run (you can use that same PSU in your next gaming PC).
In summary, there’s no need to go stupidly overboard – but get a quality model, and do not skimp.
3. Coolest case
Following on from the above, while we wouldn’t place quite the same emphasis on purchasing a good case for your PC, at the same time: buy a cheapo one at your own risk.
A basic PC case which may not offer a huge amount of space could leave the internals feeling very cramped when all your components are inside (and heaven forbid something doesn’t fit, of course). And such a case might not have many options for cable management.
Well thought out cable management design involves leaving plenty of holes so you can run cables tucked away behind the motherboard tray, and a decent amount of tie-down spots to allow you to anchor cables more tidily.
Not having lots of cables – some of which can be quite thick – snaking around your components helps with better airflow throughout the case, and therefore better cooling of your critical hardware like the CPU and GPU. In short, not only does neat cabling have the additional benefit of looking cool, but it actually keeps your PC cool (or cooler, anyway).
Naturally, a better case is also likely to have a superior design in terms of fan and vent placement, and airflow in general, all to that same end. And as we’ve already touched on, cooling can be a pretty vital issue if you’re going to be overclocking hardware with your gaming PC.
A couple of quick general tips here: if you do go for a smaller case, it might be a good idea to buy a graphics card that vents heat out of the rear plate – away from the case – rather than inside the case. Because in a crowded environment, the latter is bad news. Also, make sure intake fans are guarded by dust filters, because dust is the other enemy of PC components when it comes to overheating.
Bearing that in mind, when you purchase your gaming PC, also buy yourself a can of compressed air, and every six months or so, use it to get rid of internal dust before this begins to accumulate in any quantity. Obviously turn off your PC first, and be gentle when doing this. When cleaning dust off the blades of a fan, be sure to hold it still (don’t spin the fan around with your air spraying, as that may damage it).
It might be a good idea to set up a recurring ‘clean my PC’ reminder on a calendar somewhere so you don’t forget.
Finally, remember that just like a PSU, a quality case can be carried over to your next build(s), leaving you set with a great foundation going forward.
4. Ask the experts
Once you’ve decided on your build, post the full list of proposed components on a techie forum populated by experienced PC builders (or preferably a few forums). This is a step that many folks don’t bother with – as it might take you a little time to sign up to these message boards, assuming you aren’t already registered – but it’s well worth the effort to do this just before you pull the trigger on buying all that hardware.
You’ll usually get some interesting feedback, and perhaps comments on alternatives or different configurations that may work better, or indeed things that you may have plain missed. You could well be glad of this advice prior to opening your wallet, and it could be a real money saver.
Don’t forget, PCPartPicker can be a useful resource when putting together and detailing/sharing your build – and can itself point out potential compatibility problems.
5. The importance of software
As well as all your juicy hardware, don’t forget the software side of the equation when you finally put together your gaming PC. When your rig first springs into action, HWiNFO (or alternatively CPU-Z) is a great little free utility for monitoring how your components are performing and highlighting any potential issues before they worsen.
Prime95 is a useful tool for stress testing and ensuring the stability of your processor, and we discuss this in our article that shows you how to overclock your CPU.
MSI Afterburner is another smart piece of software which is invaluable when overclocking your graphics card, and fine-tuning the fan speed of your GPU (note that this isn’t just for MSI video cards).
And there are other top-notch free apps that are useful for any gaming PC which we’ve rounded up here, including f.lux which helps protect your eyesight when indulging in long gaming sessions that stretch into the night.
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