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MSI Prestige 13 Evo review: MSI goes for the premium ultrabook crown
1:37 pm | September 22, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

MSI Prestige 13 Evo: Two-minute review

Make no mistake: the MSI Prestige 13 Evo is a premium laptop. This almost feels like the blueprint for the best ultrabooks, a supremely lightweight but still powerful laptop with a whole host of features and a sleek, minimalist aesthetic.

Coming in either white or gunmetal gray colorways, the Prestige 13 Evo is equipped with almost everything you could want from an ultrabook; a wide variety of physical ports, a large, responsive trackpad, and a selection of useful security features.

Weighing in at just 0.99kg (2.18lbs), this laptop sits in the same weight class as the popular LG Gram, and it's even lighter than the eminently portable M2 MacBook Air. With a 13.3-inch display and a thickness of just 1.7cm, it's phenomenally easy to pick the Prestige 13 Evo up and take it wherever you go - in fact, the AC adapter is also very lightweight, but you won't need to bring that everywhere since this ultrabook also offers some impressive battery life.

The MSI Prestige 13 Evo ultrabook pictured on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

My immediate comparison point for any compact ultrabook like this is the Dell XPS 13, which has long sat among the best laptops out there. MSI's laptop is actually a bit closer in price to the XPS 13 Plus, which I recently reviewed - and I think it just about edges out Dell's competitor thanks to slightly better average performance and a more practical physical design.

The 13th-gen Intel Core CPU at the heart of this laptop more than pulls its weight, giving you the option of some light gaming and creative work alongside the usual productivity tasks we test for on ultrabooks. I was impressed by the smooth, responsive user experience and generally strong performance in our benchmarking suite - more on that later.

The MSI Prestige 13 Evo ultrabook pictured on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

While the stripped-down appearance might not appeal to everyone (the XPS 13 Plus certainly has this one beat purely in terms of aesthetics), it's function over form here; and I personally like the straightforward design choices made by MSI.

If I had to level some criticisms at the MSI Prestige 13 Evo, they'd probably focus on the pricing. At $1,499 (£1,399.99, about AU$2,350) with apparently only one configuration available (though the baseline specs vary a bit between regions), it's undeniably expensive, matching the XPS 13 Plus model I reviewed. At this price point, the Prestige's relatively run-of-the-mill FHD+ display pales a bit in comparison to the 3.5K OLED screen of the Plus - and I mean pales in a literal sense, since it simply can't match the OLED's brightness and rich color density.

Other than the somewhat lackluster display, though, I have very little to dislike here; MSI has knocked it out of the park with this one, and I almost wish I could keep the Prestige 13 Evo forever - my own daily laptop is starting to look a little tired...

MSI Prestige 13 Evo: Price & availability

  • How much does it cost? $1,499.99 / £1,399.99 / about AU$2,350
  • When is it available? Available now
  • Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK, no official Australian release yet

MSI's pricing can be somewhat arcane at the best of times, but I've done my best to work this one out for you. There appears to be only one standard model of the MSI Prestige 13 Evo available in western territories, but it's not quite identical across every region.

It looks like my review unit is a UK-only model, but the only significant difference here is that it uses 16GB of DDR5 memory instead of the 32GB found by default in the US-spec version. I've only listed the review model's specs below, but bear in mind that you'll be getting some extra RAM if you buy this laptop in the States.

Since MSI doesn't maintain its own storefronts in the US and UK, you'll need to purchase the Prestige 13 Evo from a reseller like Amazon - for any British readers, you should absolutely check out this deal at Scan.co.uk, which puts the laptop down to just £779.99, a frankly ridiculous deal. Over in the US, the 32GB version is mildly discounted to $1,299.99 at Amazon at the time of writing.

There doesn't appear to be any immediate availability in Australia, so my commiserations go out to our friends down under - your only option will be to import one.

  • Price score: 4 / 5

The MSI Prestige 13 Evo ultrabook pictured on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

MSI Prestige 13 Evo: Specs

As I noted above, our review unit appears to be UK-only; you can't buy the 32GB version here, and I couldn't find the 16GB model for sale anywhere in the US. I've listed the UK spec below, but other than the RAM, it's identical to the US model in every way.

The Intel Core i7-1360P processor has become a staple of many premium ultrabooks recently, and you get plenty of high-speed storage thanks to the 1TB M.2 SSD. Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 ensure you're getting the best in wireless connectivity too. Barring the middling display, this is a solid selection of specs.

  • Specs score: 4.5 / 5

MSI Prestige 13 Evo: Design

  • Minimalist exterior
  • Lots of ports and security features
  • Display really should be a bit better

As far as ultrabooks go, the MSI Prestige 13 Evo isn't particularly exciting - but that's not to say it's bad. The design is straightforward, with a robust screen hinge that gently angles the keyboard towards you when opened and a large touchpad at the bottom.

The exterior construction is plastic (to further serve the goal of reducing the overall weight) but thankfully it doesn't feel cheap, with sturdy rubber feet and minimal flex in the casing when you press firmly on the keyboards.

Speaking of the keyboard - it's a little cramped for my liking, with the bottom-right keys in particularly feeling a tad squished together, but I'm conscious that I have pretty large hands (I'm 6'3", if you were wondering) and most users probably won't have any trouble typing on the Prestige 13 Evo. My partner - who has regular-sized hands - tried it out, and reported no problems with the keyboard. The keys themselves have a good amount of travel and the touchpad feels firm and responsive.

The MSI Prestige 13 Evo ultrabook pictured on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

I mentioned higher up that the display here is sub-par. For the avoidance of doubt, I don't mean it's a poor-quality display exactly, because the maximum brightness and color reproduction are more or less what I'd expect from an IPS panel at this resolution. The anti-glare coating works fine in well-lit environments and I definitely do like the 16:10 aspect ratio, which gives you more screen space for scrolling and the esoteric 1200p resolution.

My beef is more with the fact that if I spend this much on a laptop, I'd expect a slightly better display. Plenty of ultrabooks at this price point offer either higher-resolution screens or superior panel types like OLED or AMOLED; with its bog-standard 60Hz refresh rate and middling contrast, this one failed to impress me even if it was fine in practice for everyday work.

At least the screen bezels are pleasingly thin - with just enough room along the top for a 1080p webcam, something that I did lampoon the Dell XPS 13 Plus for lacking in that review. At this price point, 720p just doesn't cut it. The microphone array and dual speakers are also good, if not mind-blowing.

The MSI Prestige 13 Evo ultrabook pictured on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

Mediocre screen aside, the Prestige 13 Evo excels in virtually every other area when it comes to design. MSI has pleasingly declined to worship at the altar of the MacBook and instead opted for a wide range of physical ports: no USB hub required here, as we've got two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, one conventional USB-A, HDMI video out, a microSD card reader (an increasingly rare inclusion on ultrabooks) and of course the humble 3.5mm audio jack.

The only thing missing here is an Ethernet port, but that shouldn't be necessary thanks to best-in-class WiFi 6E and the latest Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity. Wired internet is mostly reserved for gaming laptops these days, anyway.

Lastly, the Prestige 13 Evo rounds out its feature set with a selection of excellent privacy and security add-ons. We've got a fingerprint scanner built into the power button, an IR camera for facial recognition logins via Windows Hello, and dedicated buttons for shutting off your webcam and microphone - backed up by a physical shutter you can slide over the webcam itself for maximum digital privacy.

These features will best serve professional users who use their laptops to handle potentially sensitive data, but shouldn't be overlooked by less security-focused users; the speedy convenience of Windows Hello is always good.

  • Design score: 4.5 / 5

MSI Prestige 13 Evo: Performance

  • Intel Core i7-1360P is strong
  • Slightly outperforms some rivals with similar specs
  • Light gaming definitely an option here
MSI Prestige 13 Evo: Laptop benchmarks

Here's how the MSI Prestige 13 Evo performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark Night Raid: 18,320; Fire Strike: 5,419; Time Spy: 1,772
GeekBench 6: 2,458 (single-core); 9,643 (multi-core)
25GB File Copy: 1,659MBps
Handbrake 1.6: 10m 41s
CrossMark: Overall: 1,665; Productivity: 1,617; Creativity: 1,746; Responsiveness: 1,577
Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm (1080p, High): 37.9fps; (1080p, Low): 54.2fps
Web Surfing (Battery Informant): 12 hrs 3 mins

I was thoroughly impressed with the performance of the MSI Prestige 13 Evo - even though I've seen the same Intel Core i7-1360P CPU powering other laptops I've reviewed.

Here, the processor seems to be operating at its maximum potential: I saw strong performance across the board in both synthetic benchmarks and practical tests, with the processor even managing to offer some entry-level gaming capabilities in Civilization VI and Valorant - both relatively undemanding titles in terms of hardware requirements, but still great games.

The MSI Prestige 13 Evo ultrabook pictured on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

General use is speedy and lag-free; I could open a dozen tabs in Google Chrome with Steam and Spotify running in the background and didn't experience any slowdown whatsoever.

In synthetic benchmarks like GeekBench 6, the i7-1360P demonstrated excellent single-core performance and solid multi-core results, putting it head and shoulders above its 12th-generation Intel counterparts. The SSD is also relatively speedy at about 1.65GB/s - not the fastest laptop drive I've ever seen, but quick enough to make moving files around a breeze.

It's probably worth noting that the 32GB version available in the US might benefit from its larger memory in certain RAM-intensive workloads, so if you're aiming to do stuff like code compiling, that might be a good pick over ultrabooks with the standard 8GB or 16GB of memory.

The MSI Prestige 13 Evo ultrabook pictured on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

Naturally, the lack of a dedicated graphics card means you won't be doing any high-end gaming or 4K video editing tasks on this laptop, but that's fine - it's a small sacrifice to make for the incredibly thin-and-light design.

Thermal performance is also excellent here; the Prestive 13 Evo has a large perforated section on the underside for venting excess heat, and the interior thermal solution clearly works well - it barely even got warm throughout our testing process.

  • Performance score: 5 / 5

MSI Prestige 13 Evo: Battery

  • Solid battery life, not quite best-in-class
  • More than 10 hours of regular use
  • Compact charger

Battery life is a make-or-break area for many ultrabooks, but thankfully the Prestige 13 Evo delivers. You can get more than 10 hours of everyday use on a single charge, and using features like Windows 11's built-in battery saver mode can let you stretch that time even further.

The battery does drain a little faster if you're doing anything more demanding - for example, playing videos at maximum brightness with the speakers turned up - but overall I was very pleased with the longevity of this ultrabook. It doesn't quite match up to Apple's MacBooks, but it's at least in the same ballpark as the M1 MacBook Air.

The bundled AC adapter is relatively compact too, connecting via USB-C. Strangely, the Prestige 13 Evo also has a proprietary power connector, which was compatible with a different MSI laptop charger I had lying around. With the EU aiming to make USB-C the standard for charging our devices, that sort of port will soon be a distant memory.

  • Battery score: 4 / 5

The MSI Prestige 13 Evo pictured on a wooden desk with AC adapter.

(Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the MSI Prestige 13 Evo?

Buy it if...

You want solid Windows performance
Barring the powerful M-series silicon found in Apple's MacBook Air, this is some of the best performance you can get from a compact ultrabook - good job putting Intel's 1360P to work, MSI.

You don't want to use a USB hub
If laptop makers could stop removing everything except USB-C ports from their devices, I'd be very grateful. The port selection on offer here is strong, with HDMI output for connecting a second display being particularly welcome.

Don't buy it if...

You want a great display
While it's far from a complete disaster, at this price point I was really hoping to see a better screen than this. The maximum brightness is good but colors look a little bit washed out compared to other laptops I've seen in the same price range.

MSI Prestige 13 Evo: Also consider

If the MSI Prestige 13 Evo has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...

How I tested the MSI Prestige 13 Evo

  • Replaced my everyday laptop
  • Tested productivity work, web browsing, gaming
  • Used for a full day on battery power

As usual, I swapped out my normal HP Spectre x360 for the MSI Prestige 13 Evo as my everyday work laptop, doing all my typical tasks on it - word processing, video meetings, and web browsing - for several days. I only ever charged it overnight, and didn't run into any battery-related difficulties whatsoever.

I also used it casually, taking it out into the backyard on a nice evening to watch some Netflix with my partner and on a different occasion using it to play some Into The Breach, a game I will probably always be quietly addicted to.

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2023

Rokid Max AR glasses review: another passable pair of smart specs
6:06 pm | September 21, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Software Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality | Comments: Off

Rokid Max AR glasses: One minute review

The Rokid Max AR glasses are par for the course when it comes to AR glasses. They offer a lightweight wearable second screen for compatible devices, effectively providing you with a private, portable home theater. They’re not perfect, though.

I'm not a fan of the glasses' design overall, but one major negative aspect of the design isn’t just down to my personal tastes. The bridge of the glasses – the part pressed up against your face – gets hot. It never burns, but it is unpleasant, and the glasses heat up fairly quickly.

Picture-wise, the Rokid glasses are fine – roughly on par with a decent budget projector. This means you’ll get fairly vibrant colors when the brightness is turned up to max, but you’ll need to use the optional lens cover or use them in a dark environment for the best visuals. No matter your setup, contrast in dark scenes is weak, with onscreen details of scenes in shadow or set at night losing any intricacy. 

Similarly, audio is passable, but the Rokid Max’s inbuilt speakers lack any kind of force in the bass department, so expect your favorite film score to sound less impactful than you’re used to. There’s also a fair amount of audio leakage, so unless you want everyone around you to hear what you’re watching, we’d recommend using headphones – though headphones aren’t usable with the Rokid Station.

Speaking of the Rokid Station, this add-on may be officially optional, but I’d recommend picking it up if you can. It turns the glasses into a portable Android TV (with a roughly five-hour battery life), giving you access to a host of streaming services. You can also cast videos from your phone to it just like you would with a Chromecast.

Lastly, the Rokid Max AR glasses are slightly more pricey than some of their rivals – such as the Xreal Air glasses – and I don’t feel they offer a better experience for the money. During sales, you've previously been able to pick up a bundle of the glasses and Rokid Station at a reasonable price, so I’d recommend waiting for a deal before buying a pair.

Hamish hector Wearing the Rokid Max AR glasses

Look, I'm wearing the Rokid Max glasses (Image credit: Future / Hamish Hector)

Rokid Max AR glasses: Price and availability

The Rokid Max AR glasses usually cost $439 – they’re currently only available in the US unless you ship them internationally – though at the time of writing, they’re on sale for $399 at Amazon.com and the official Rokid store. Both prices are in the same ballpark as similar AR glasses, however, they’re at the higher end of the scale. The Rokid Max glasses cost more than rivals like the Xreal Air AR glasses (at $379) and don’t offer a compelling enough reason to consider them over the competition.

The Rokid Station is an optional add-on (which we’d recommend you pick up with the glasses as they turn it into a standalone Android TV) for $129. Though at the time of writing, the Max and Station can be bought in a bundle for $489, saving you $89. This deal won’t be around forever, but always look out for similar sales, as it’s hard for us to recommend these smart specs at full price. As a pair – at the discounted price – the Rokid Max and Station are a formidable duo compared to the competition, offering simplicity and good performance at a relatively decent price.

In general, we’ve found AR glasses feel a little too much like an early adopter’s gadget. By that, we mean that the price you pay is high for what you get. While they do serve slightly different purposes, it’s hard not to compare AR glasses to a VR headset like the Oculus Quest 2 – which costs as little as $299 and offers considerably more bang for your buck.

  • Value score: 3/5

Rokid Max AR glasses: Performance

  • Colors look vibrant with max brightness
  • Struggles with shadowy scenes
  • Sound lacks fullness and oomph

The image quality from the Rokid glasses is comparable to a decent budget projector – fine but not faultless.

With the Rokid Max AR, I could enjoy full-HD (1080p) video on a virtual 210-inch screen, which is pretty awesome when just lying back in my bed. In a dark environment, the picture looks solid with decently vivid colors – though I’d recommend setting the brightness to max for the best image. If you’re in a brighter environment, the black cover is a must, as you'll struggle to see what’s happening without it.

Unfortunately, as is the case with other AR glasses, these specs struggle to reproduce dark scenes with clarity. Watching the finale of a film like Spider-Man: Homecoming – where our protagonist faces off against a villain with a dark costume in a dingy warehouse at night – making out details is a challenge. Characters’ facial expressions were sometimes impossible to see when they were in shadow, and the villain’s costume and glider just looked like dark blobs rather than intricate designs.

A person watching a show with someone in a space suit exploring a red planet, the screen is floating virtually in front of the person thanks to the Rokid AR glasses

A mock up of what using the Rokid Max glasses is like (Image credit: Rokid)

A minor annoyance is that the screen can become somewhat blurry at the edges. Generally, this isn’t a problem as the action is in the middle of the screen, but details on the fringes won’t be in focus, which can be an immersion-breaking distraction when you’re trying to enjoy a show.

Audio-wise, the Rokid glasses are passable in terms of mid and higher-range tones, but the bass lacks any kind of oomph to it. That said, if you’re planning to use them for film and TV rather than music videos you should be fine, just expect your favorite scores to sound a little more flat and emotionless than you're used to.

Additionally, audio does leak a considerable amount at moderate to loud volumes, so if you're using the Rokid Max AR glasses in a public space (like on a train during your commute to work), then you need headphones – though headphones will only work if you connect the glasses to your phone, using the glasses and station means you’re forced to use the in-built speakers. 

  • Performance score: 3.5/5

Rokid Max AR glasses: Design

  • Fit really well
  • Not my favorite design aesthetically
  • Get uncomfortably hot

Design-wise, the Rokid Max AR is a mixed bag, with some factors I love and others that are disappointing.

On the positive end, I love the fit of the glasses. They’re comfy to wear at just 75g and come with two interchangeable nose clips. What’s more, they offer 0.00D to -6.00D myopia adjustment wheels for each eye, and you can buy an optional lens attachment at a fairly decent price (the site says they’re usually $30, though I’ve seen them on sale for $15) if you need a bigger adjustment. Ideally, this lens clip would be free, as you also need to provide your own prescription lenses, but at least it’s there if you need it. Not every pair of AR smart glasses is as accessible for prescription glasses wearers.

On the negative end, they suffer the same major design issue I found with the TCL Nxtwear S glasses; the bridge (which is pressed up against your face) gets hot when the device is in use, rather than an outer edge that's not against your skin as with the Xreal AIr glasses. The heat was never painful, but it did get uncomfortable, especially during the hot weather we were experiencing in the UK while I was testing these out. 

I also think the glasses are pretty ugly with their bug-eyed look and choice of blue plastic covering. This just gives me an excuse to never remove the optional cover, as it gives the glasses a nicer shape (at least to me).

The Rokid Max AR glasses with a cover and the Rokid Station sat on a polka dot covered table

The Rokid Max AR glasses, station and optional cover (Image credit: Future / Hamish Hector)

Lastly, while the case is annoyingly close to being perfect, it falls short and is still kind of a failure. Yes, it’s great storage for the glasses and its cables but, ideally, it would also store the  Rokid Station. There’s a perfect slot in the base of the case for the station – it fits so precisely that this must be intentional – but then there’s only space to fit the glasses too, and no room for the necessary connector cable that attaches the two pieces together. 

I tried shoving everything in to see if it could work but ended up breaking the zip – it’s fixed now, thankfully. No other AR case included with the glasses I’ve tested offers the ability to carry the glasses and adapter in a single pouch; I was hoping Rokid would be different, but I’ve been disappointed again. Maybe a future iteration will finally fix this frustrating problem.

  • Design score: 2/5

Rokid Max AR glasses: Compatibility

  • Compatible with devices that support Display Port over USB-C
  • Rokid Station is easy to use

The Rokid Max glasses are par for the course in terms of compatibility. If your gadget supports Display Port over USB-C, then you can plug these specs in and use them as a second screen. This includes many laptops, smartphones (such as the Samsung Galaxy S23), and even the Steam Deck. To be able to hook up other devices like a Nintendo Switch, PS5, iPhone 14, or PC with only HDMI-out you’ll need to buy additional adapters, which Rokid sells for around $40 each.

You could also pick up the Rokid Station to turn your smart glasses into a smart TV powered by the Android TV OS. This little AR smart glasses hub is really neat and one of the easiest to use that I’ve tested. Once you’ve logged in with your Google account, you can download a range of apps for the best streaming services – including Netflix and Disney Plus. Alternatively, using the in-built Chromecast, you can cast videos from your phone to the Station.

The advantage of this is that your glasses will use the Station’s five-hour battery rather than your smartphone’s. You can even charge the Station while using it, so you can endlessly enjoy your favorite streamed content.

The Rokid Max AR glasses arm seen from the side. You can see the speakers on top, the nose clips and inner screens

The Rokid Glasses from the side (Image credit: Future / Hamish Hector)

Should you buy the Rokid Max AR glasses?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if...

Also Consider

How I Tested The Rokid Max AR glasses

  • Used for a couple of weeks
  • Tested with a range of devices 

To test out these AR smart glasses, I used them for a couple of weeks in my home – using them as a second screen for a laptop, smartphone, and the Rokid Station. This was to get a feel for how easy they are to use with a selection of compatible gadgets.

I also made sure to watch a range of content types through the glasses, including music videos, movies, and YouTube videos, to understand the audio and visual capabilities of the Rokid Max glasses. In particular, I made sure to listen to bass-heavy music and very visually dark content, as these can be challenging for AR glasses. During my tests, I also made sure to watch the same content multiple times to get a sense of the glasses' performance with and without the cover in rooms of varying brightness.

Read more about how we test

[First reviewed September 2023]  

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023) review: the laptop I wish I’d had as a student
7:13 pm | September 20, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Chromebooks Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops | Tags: | Comments: Off

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023): One-minute review

The single best thing about the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 is how easy it is to take around with you, no matter where you’re off to or what carrier bag you’ve got this laptop will become your most helpful travel companion. I was pleasantly surprised when I first received our review unit of the laptop and was able to slip it into my little tote bag, with room to spare for both the charger and my current paperback of choice. 

In terms of design, for what the Chromebook is offering in terms of simplicity and portability I think it looks like the perfect productive machine. No fancy aesthetics or unnecessary frilly, this is likely my favorite Chromebook design so far, and as a long-time Macbook girl that claim carries a lot of weight coming from me. The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 could be the best laptop for you if all you want is something to work on, maybe watch a few shows, and put away until the next day. 

I worked with this laptop for several days and honestly, it was the most stress-free testing I’ve done in a while. Because it’s so thin and light, I could slip it into my bag and carry on with my life without my shoulders screaming, and with a good 10 hours of battery life sometimes it wouldn’t leave my bag for a day or two purely because there was no rush to plug it in and charge it. As usual, the simple ChromeOS interface is free of any unnecessary apps or clutter and you can boot it up, sign in, and get to work in like 10 minutes right out of the box. 

If you’re looking for the best student Chromebook, you’ve come to the right review. The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 is everything you need and more to get you through the school year without splashing out a frightening amount of cash. The touch display makes reading digital textbooks or annotating notes a breeze, and the glass-like trackpad is a joy to use. 

The Intel Pentium processor inside means you can work and watch at the same time without any impact on performance, making multitasking easier - of course, part of the credit here goes to Google for making ChromeOS such a resource-light operating system. Overall, I really enjoyed my time with the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 and I’m actually quite sad I can’t hold onto it forever. 

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023): Price and availability

  • How much does it cost?  $380 / £329 / around AU$661 
  • When is it available? Available now
  • Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK, tricky to find in Australia 

Chromebooks are often heralded for their affordability compared to other laptops, and the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 lives up to that and more. This is probably one of the best cheap laptops you can buy right now in terms of pure value for money.

Keep in mind that the cheaper price tag often indicates somewhat limited capabilities, so if you want to play games beyond mobile app games (via the Google Play Store), you’ll have to look elsewhere. 

This sentiment extends to users looking for a device with some serious computing power, as once again, Chromebooks are for your everyday basic tasks - if you want to run resource-intensive software, you’ll need to find something else. For everything this device offers, the price is very reasonable.

  • Price: 5 / 5

Sid view of Acer Chromebook SPIN 314

(Image credit: Muskaan, Future)

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023): Specs

There are a few different models of the Acer Chromebook Spin 314, with our review unit effectively taking the entry-level position. There is actually a cheaper Spin 314 that uses a MediaTek Kompanio processor, but that model is older and uses a slightly different chassis.

As for other models, it's a bit confusing; the US Acer website list a far more expensive model ($679.99) but it's missing some specs, most notably any storage details - and I couldn't find it for sale anywhere, either. As such, I've included only the specs for our standard-model review unit below.

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023): Design

  • Solid, functional chassis
  • Sleek and Stylish
  • Comfortable typing experience 

I absolutely love the design of this laptop. This may be my youth showing, but I think it looks so retro and cute. The silver plastic chassis and overall rounded design remind me of the laptops my dad used to use - and sometimes let me play Minesweeper on - and I think the choice to go 'back to basics' was a smart move on Acer's part. 

Image 1 of 3

Acer Chromebook Spin 314

(Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 3

Acer Chromebook Spin 314

(Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 3

Acer Chromebook Spin 314

(Image credit: Future)

Of course, it wouldn’t be called a Spin if it didn’t spin - well, at least offer some kind of mobility. The full HD touchscreen offers impressively sharp colors without feeling too harsh, and the ability to turn your thin laptop into a slightly chunky tablet thanks to the 360-degree hinge is perfect if you want to snuggle up in bed to binge your favorite shows.

In terms of connectivity, you get a good selection of ports that include two USB-C ports, standard USB-A, and HDMI, so you can hook up quite a few peripherals and also connect it to a monitor if you want a dual-display setup. 

Typing on this laptop is a dream once you get used to the Everything Button (ubiquitous on ChromeOS devices) replacing the caps lock, and as someone who notoriously hates most laptop touchpads, the Acer Chromebook Spin's is very tactile. Also, Acer uses ocean glass in the touchpad's construction, meaning the pad is made of recycled materials - a small but welcome addition that I appreciate.

Although its minimalist appearance might not be for everyone, I can’t really fault the design of the Acer Chromebook Spin 314; it’s probably my favorite Chromebook so far. That's saying a lot, because I’m not very sweet on Chromebooks myself as a committed Macbook girl.

  • Design: 5 / 5

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023): Performance

  • Good performance 
  • Great storage speed
Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023): Benchmarks

Here's how the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

Mozilla Kraken (fewer is better): 608.1ms
Speedometer: 301
JetStream 2 (higher is better): 213.4 points
TechRadar battery life test: 10h 15m

Of course, the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 runs on Google’s ChromeOS, the easiest system to navigate and learn if you’re just starting out on your laptop journey. It’s suitable for most everyday tasks like browsing the web, collaborating on documents, streaming a favorite show, or just watching YouTube. The laptop is generally geared towards lightweight web-based activities, though that's not to say it isn't a strong contender for our list of best student laptops or even the best Chromebooks. 

The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 can pull a decent level of speed and computing prowess from its Intel Pentium Silver N6000 processor, and both within the benchmarks and general stress tests - plus frantic multitasking from me trying to do a million things at once - it breezed through everything I threw at it.

This laptop comes with 4 GB of DDR4 memory, which I'd say would be insufficient for a Windows laptop but is less of an issue here. There's also only 128GB of local eMMC storage, which again could be an issue were it not for ChromeOS's reliance on cloud storage via Google Drive. Naturally, these specs are modest overall, but that's not a huge problem for a Chromebook - especially one as competitively priced as this.

Acer Chromebook Spin 314

(Image credit: Future)

I worked on this laptop for a few days and while it was an adjustment to get used to the Everything Button, I’m genuinely sad I have to let go of this laptop. While I was using it I was thinking about my younger self, in school and university, and wondered at how much easier my life could have been if I had my hands on a laptop like this.

I wouldn’t have had to lug around a monstrously heavy machine, and it could've comfortably pulled double duty as an entertainment device in tablet mode. I can’t stress enough how much I recommend this laptop to students. 

If you’re going to be doing an essay-heavy degree, you should be looking at the Acer Chromebook Spin 314. Thanks to Google's cloud ecosystem, you can just pick up where you left off with your coursework on any device. 

Plus, it’s super refreshing to work on a device without all the clutter of regular desktops but still with basically everything you’d need to get through the day. 

  • Performance: 4 / 5

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023): Battery life

Acer Chromebook Spin 314

(Image credit: Future)
  • 10-hour battery life
  • All-day use out of a single full charge 

The battery life of the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 lives up to the 10-hour estimate provided by Acer, clocking in at 10 hours and 15 minutes during our battery life benchmark. 

In the time I spent reviewing it, I only had to charge it twice - which is pretty impressive, and my biggest pet peeve when reviewing laptops is needing to have them constantly plugged in. You can leave the house, work on it all day, then come home and get at least two hours of Netflix time before you have to plug it in again.  

  • Battery life: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023)?

Buy it if...

You’re a student on a budget
Acer keeps it simple but sweet here: this is a plain laptop that is designed to get you through the day, and for the price you're getting a good, reliable product.

ChromeOS is your thing
ChromeOS has gained popularity and is genuinely a very good operating system, particularly if you work across multiple devices and want to take advantage of the Google ecosystem.  

You’re often on the move
There are lighter machines and smaller machines, but for a 14” laptop this is tough (and cheap) enough to happily withstand the hustle and bustle of commuting.

Don't buy it if...

You need more computing power 

Chromebooks are perfect for day-to-day or low-intensity work, but if you need a machine to run statistical programs or withstand some heavy-duty workloads, this isn't for you. 

You need to use specific programs
If you need to use rendering software, want to dive into animation, or play the latest games, you're not going to be doing that on this - or most other Chromebooks, for that matter. Perhaps a MacBook Air would be a better choice? 

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023): Also consider

If our Acer Chromebook Spin 314 review has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...  

How I tested the Acer Chromebook Spin 314

  • Several hours a day over the course of a week
  • Office work, general web use, Android games and apps, media playback
  • Techradar benchmark suite, real-world tests, using the laptop for work

I used the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 as my main device for a few days for work and as a personal computer over the weekend, testing it over a week in total. I did all my usual work with it - which mostly comprises word processing, online research, and video calls - and then used it in tablet mode to watch YouTube at home.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2023

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 review: a fair price for a fine device
8:13 pm | September 19, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Two-minute review

Acer's Predator line of laptops is well-known at this point, offering everything from desktops like the Acer Orion 7000 to high-end laptops such as the Acer Helios 300. The latest gaming machine to grace my test bench is the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 - a more budget-conscious entry into the Predator line.

That's a welcome sight since many of the best gaming laptops are fearsomely expensive; sure, I love the new Razer Blade 14, but it starts above two thousand bucks, and the average person just can't afford to casually drop that amount of money on a gaming machine. 

In today's fraught economic landscape, good-value hardware is king - and I reckon the Predator Helios Neo 16 checks that box. With this redesign of Acer's existing Helios laptop line, we've still got a high-quality machine with the latest internal components, but now at a new (and more accessible) price point.

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 photographed on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

Now, I'm not saying that the Helios Neo 16 is worthy of our best budget laptops list - it's still a gaming laptop and therefore not exactly cheap, as you'll see below. However, it offers plenty of bang for your buck thanks to 13th-gen Intel processors and RTX 4000 GPUs across a variety of different configurations.

It also doesn't feel cheap, thanks to its RGB keyboard, sturdy chassis, and large display. Although the more affordable versions pack an FHD display, my review unit is a slightly pricier model packing a QHD+ screen that looks fantastic. The hinge is also suitably durable, with minimal wobble if the laptop is moved or picked up.

Will this Helios spin-off earn a spot among the best laptops? How does it stack up against rival laptops in the same price range? Let's take a deeper look.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Price & availability

  • How much does it cost? Starting at $1,199.99 / £1,399 / AU$1,998 
  • When is it available? Available now
  • Where can you get it? Available in the US, the UK and Australia

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 starts at $1,199.99 / £1,399 / AU$1,998, although I noted while verifying prices for different models that the base US configuration (which features an RTX 4050 GPU) actually isn't available in the UK and Australia; those starting prices are for RTX 4060 models.

The highest-end model, which uses an RTX 4070 and i7-13700HX, will run you £1,799 / AU$3,999 (about $2,230), though I couldn't find that configuration anywhere in the States. The highest-spec model there appears to be my review unit, which features an RTX 4060 and costs $1,549.99 / £1,399 (around AU$2,400).

While these prices aren't exactly budget, the definition of an 'affordable gaming laptop' has shifted somewhat over the last few years. With this goalpost-moving in mind, I feel pretty comfortable saying that the Helios Neo 16 is actually a great-value product, despite costing more than a budget gaming laptop did five or ten years ago.

Interestingly, the aforementioned entry-level RTX 4050 model is already on sale at Best Buy at the time of writing, going for just $999.99 - a pretty stellar deal in today's gaming laptop market, so consider snapping that one up!

  • Price score: 4.5 / 5

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Specs

As I noted above, configurations of the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 vary wildly between regions. I've done my best to include the base, review, and high-end configurations here, but bear in mind that the top-spec model listed below isn't actually available in the US (not yet, anyway).

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 photographed on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Design

  • Stylish design
  • Beautiful display
  • Plenty of physical ports

The first thing I noticed upon unboxing the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 was the printed design on the exterior of the lid. My understanding is that not every Neo model has this design, but it certainly adds to the aesthetic of the laptop and makes it a bit more eye-catching than the average gaming system.

Opening the Neo up, I'm immediately treated to an excellent display. I've long been a fan of the 16:10 aspect ratio now becoming more common in laptops since it gives you that extra little bit of vertical screen real estate that makes scrolling through web pages or documents a little easier. The 1600p resolution on my review unit is excellent, with strong color density and deep blacks.

Considering that this isn't an OLED screen, it's one of the best IPS displays I've seen on a laptop. The anti-glare coating works well in all but the most brightly lit environments, and the maximum brightness of 500 nits is excellent. The 165Hz refresh rate (also found in the cheaper 1200p version of this display) is a great inclusion for anyone who plays fast-paced competitive games.

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 photographed on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

Moving down to the laptop's bottom half, we've got a relatively normal membrane keyboard that is mostly comfortable to use. The WASD, PredatorSense, and arrow keys are partially translucent to give them extra highlighting when the RGB lighting is turned on.

I have very little to say here; the keys don't feel overly squishy, but it's also not the best keyboard on a laptop I've ever used. Middle-of-the-road is perfectly fine at this sort of price point though, so I can't complain.

I will complain about the touchpad, however! While the pad itself felt suitably responsive and offered a decent amount of tactile feedback when clicked, the positioning seems a little... off. It's set to the left-hand side (already a risky move since the standard gamer hand position sees your fingers sitting atop the WASD keys), but it's also not properly aligned with the spacebar.

I actually struggled to put my finger on what exactly was putting me off, but it just feels slightly wrong. The palm rejection worked fine for the most part, although there were one or two occasions when my left thumb would catch the touchpad and register unwanted input while I was gaming. The large size of the touchpad - otherwise a good feature - made this an issue, though I imagine many users wouldn't have the same problem. I ended up disabling the pad since I was using a mouse anyway.

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 photographed on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

The overall casing is plastic, not the machined aluminum you'll find on more expensive gaming laptops, but it doesn't feel flimsy. In fact, the Neo's chassis feels quite robust, and the 1080p webcam embedded in the slim display bezel is another bonus - a lesser manufacturer might've opted for a cheaper 720p camera here instead, considering the overall price.

Around the edges of the Helios Neo 16, we've got a veritable smorgasbord of physical ports - something I love to see in this era of MacBook-inspired port minimalism. We've got 3 USB-As, 2 USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, HDMI for video output, RJ-45 for wired internet, a headphone jack, and even a microSD port.

This level of port support should be considered aspirational among gaming laptop makers. Please don't starve me of my ports; I still use physical flash drives!

  • Design score: 4 / 5

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Performance

  • Decent gaming performance
  • 4060 can run anything at 1080p, most games at QHD+
  • Fans are loud but the system runs cool
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Benchmarks

Here's how the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark Night Raid: 65,825; Fire Strike: 24,487; Time Spy: 11,146
GeekBench 6: 2,490 (single-core); 14,658 (multi-core)
Total War: Warhammer III: 1080p Ultra: 83.6 1080p Low: 223.8
Dirt 5: 1080p Ultra: 97.2 1080p Low: 164.6
Cyberpunk: 1080p Ultra RT: 61.1 1080p Low: 152.0
PCMark 10 Battery Life: 1hr 41m
TechRadar Movie Battery Life: 2hr 55m 

Considering the price tag, my RTX 4060-equipped review model of the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 performed admirably. I've seen slightly better figures from other 4060-wielding laptops, but the difference is pretty marginal.

If you drop the resolution to 1080p (the standard we use for benchmarking games), there's basically nothing you can't play with a clean framerate. Even Cyberpunk 2077's Ultra preset with ray-tracing turned on just about managed to clear the 60fps barrier, and performance in synthetic tests was also strong.

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 photographed on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

Dial things up to native resolution, and you might find yourself having to drop your graphical settings a tad to maintain a high framerate, though this won't be the case for every game. I was able to play Dirt 5 at 1600p Ultra without my fps dropping below 60, and plenty of games can now take advantage of Nvidia's DLSS upscaling tech to boost framerates when you're playing above 1080p.

CPU performance was also pretty strong - again, not the very best I've seen, but great when factoring in the price point here. I didn't experience any slowdown while opening numerous Chrome tabs or running two games at once. While the Neo comes with a perfectly acceptable 16GB of RAM in most configurations, it can be upgraded to 32GB if you're planning to run any memory-intensive software.

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 photographed on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

My only real gripe with the Helios Neo 16 during my testing process was the fan noise. Boy, those suckers are LOUD, even when using the balanced power preset. Knock things up to Turbo mode and it sounds like a jet engine firing in your living room.

That being said, the Neo did run pretty darn cool throughout my whole testing process, so those fans are clearly doing the job. The fans are custom-engineered all-metal 'AeroBlades' connected to five heat pipes and liquid metal thermal grease, which evidently works as advertised - props to Acer's laptop cooling team.

  • Performance score: 4 / 5

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Battery life

  • Unimpressive battery life
  • Large, heavy AC adapter

Sure, gaming laptops are hardly known for their all-day battery longevity, but it's always nice to find one that outlasts the competition.

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is sadly not that laptop, clocking in at less than two hours in the PCMark 10 mixed-use battery life test and only faring a bit better in our looped video playback test. In practical gaming tests I got similar results, with just over 90 minutes of playing Deathloop using the balanced power preset before the laptop gave up the ghost.

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 photographed on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

The Neo does at least charge pretty quickly, but the included AC adapter is huge and heavy, which severely impacts the laptop's portability. Ultimately though, most buyers will (and should) primarily use this as a desktop-replacement system, so it's not a huge issue - or at least, it's an issue shared by 95% of gaming laptops, so I can't knock the Neo too much for it.

  • Battery score: 3 / 5

Should you buy the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16?

Buy it if...

You want good value for money
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is competitively priced with a sensible starting price, meaning you get plenty of bang for your buck here - the higher-spec configurations aren't ridiculously expensive, either.

You want a multipurpose machine
The comfortable keyboard and 16:10 display make the Helios Neo 16 a perfectly good choice if you want a desktop-replacement laptop that will serve you for work just as well as play.

Don't buy it if...

You crave portability
The Neo isn't just a big laptop, it's also on the heavy side - and with its poor battery life, you'll also have to lug around the chunky AC adapter. This one's best left on your desk at home.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Also consider

If the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...

How I tested the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16

  • Replaced my everyday system for one week
  • Used for general gaming for around two weeks

I played a wide variety of games on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, not just our regular suite of test titles. I spent a decent amount of time in the evenings replaying Deathloop and also dipped my toe back into Apex Legends and Valorant (the latter of which I still suck at).

To test the brightness and glare resistance of the display, I used it during the daytime and at night, even sitting out in my backyard in the middle of the day. I used it in place of my desktop PC to write most of this review as well as some of my regular everyday work, including video calls to test the webcam.

I also took the Neo with me to my friend's house, playing the rather excellent Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun for a brief period on the train. Trust me, you don't want to try using a 16-inch gaming laptop on British public transport. Just don't do it.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2023

Corsair Virtuoso Pro review: Open-back gaming headset? Don’t mind if I do
4:01 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computer Gaming Accessories Computers Computing Gadgets Gaming Computers | Comments: Off

Corsair Virtuoso Pro: Two-minute review

If you think about it, it makes a lot of sense to use a pair of open-back headphones when gaming as that tends to give the audio a bit more room to breathe, which should lend itself well to delivering that immersive soundstage and accurate sound imaging you want during gameplay. So, it’s kind of strange that not many gaming headset manufacturers are keen to jump on that bandwagon.

Luckily, Corsair is making up for lost time with its bold new Corsair Virtuoso Pro, an open-back addition (its very first) to its already excellent gaming headset line, many of which are among the best gaming headsets on the market.

Corsair isn’t, of course, a pioneer in the open-back gaming headsets scene – Epos, Audio-Technica, and even Philips all got there first. Still, this new arrival is a big deal, as none of the big gaming peripheral manufacturers have been intrepid enough to explore it. 

And what an impressive first entry it is, effortlessly rising to the ranks of the best wired gaming headsets out there and so much so it might convince Corsair’s rivals to make their own. It has me convinced.

Corsair Virtuoso Pro on a seat next to a pillow

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

Coming in black and white colorways, the Corsair Virtuoso Pro doesn’t stray very far from Corsair’s signature look. It has all the telltale signs – the elegant curves, the brand logo on the ear cups and yokes, and the luxurious but solid finish. It’s just as beautiful, in fact, as all of Corsair’s recent gaming headset releases, especially in white.

Corsair Virtuoso Pro on a seat next to a pillow

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

Understandably, as it is its very first attempt at an open-back gaming headset, there are design choices that could have been better. The headband foam is on the thinner side and not very plush, and the earpad fabric isn’t the softest. Plus, the headset itself, while fairly lightweight, isn’t the lightest out there at 338g, although that isn’t surprising as wired open-back gaming headsets do tend to be on the heavier side.

Corsair Virtuoso Pro on a seat next to a pillow

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

The one thing I don’t like about the design is the fact that the mic, which is detachable, is attached to the dual 3.5mm audio cable that also attaches to the right earcup for audio. It’s really not a lot different from a regular 3.5mm cable, but it just feels a lot more cumbersome in practice. Now that I think about it, it’s really the mic that’s the Virtuoso Pro’s weakest point, but more on that later.

Image 1 of 2

Corsair Virtuoso Pro on a seat next to a pillow

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)
Image 2 of 2

Corsair Virtuoso Pro on a seat next to a pillow

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

Despite those minor shortcomings, there’s plenty to love about the gaming headset’s design. The earpads are plush, big, and made of breathable fabric, enveloping your ears while still keeping things airy – though that is also the nature of open-back headphones. The ear cup yokes offer a lot of swivel, allowing the ear cups to conform to just about any head shape. And, the overall build is as premium as Corsair’s other high-end offerings. So, expect a cool and comfortable gaming session when you’ve got these on.

Image 1 of 2

Corsair Virtuoso Pro on a seat next to a pillow

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)
Image 2 of 2

Corsair Virtuoso Pro on a seat next to a pillow

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

The Virtuoso Pro is also extremely customizable. The speaker tags on the ear cups are replaceable and interchangeable – I’m assuming here that Corsair will roll out a line of accessories at some point. As are the earpads and the headband cushion, though the headband cushion takes a little bit of finagling to pry off.

As you may have concluded already, this is a wired 3.5mm gaming headset, which means that you will be tethered to your laptop or PC. But, you do get a nice set of cables in the box, a 3.5mm to dual 3.5mm audio cable with the mic boom, a 3.5mm to dual 3.5mm audio cable, and one y-adapter cable, which is necessary if you're connecting to your gaming PC.

If you’re not familiar with open-back headphones and gaming headsets, there are a few things to keep in mind. Open backs are generally more spacious and wider in soundstage as the sound is going everywhere, instead of being stuck inside the ear cups. They also tend to have brighter highs that deliver lots of details and clarity. And, for better or worse, that sound tends to bleed out, which means your office neighbors might hear heavy gunfire or whatever beats you’re listening to if you don’t keep that volume down.

And, that’s basically what you’ll get with the Corsair Virtuoso Pro. This headset delivers a lot of space, its soundstage even wider than the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro. I AB’ed the two during testing, and my beloved Arctis Nova Pro now feels very confined next to it. And its sound imaging is just as impressive. When playing Hogwarts Legacy, it was apparent that all the sound elements had clarity to them, and I could hear precisely where they were in the soundstage, resulting in a very immersive experience.

Corsair Virtuoso Pro on a seat next to a pillow

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

It helps that it has 50mm graphene drivers – similar to those in the Logitech Pro X 2 Lightspeed – that also contributes to its very detailed audio quality. Speaking of detailed audio, the highs are incredible here, bright without being painful or fatiguing except in a handful of situations, and with lots of detail and clarity. The synths and highs in Taylor Swift’s Bejeweled were bright and sparkly, and the ukelele in Florence and the Machine’s Dog Days Are Over was bright and clear.

There’s plenty of bass as well. It’s not in your face like other gaming headsets, but it has good low-end response, especially considering that it’s an open-back headset. Both Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s All the Stars and Kavisky’s Nightcall had good bass and even decent rumble.

It’s not all perfect, performance-wise, however. The mids are a little pulled back, and since the high end is pushed forward, you’re getting harsher guitars, which means that the sound can be unpleasant with rock songs. Listening to The Strokes’ Reptilia hurt my ears and gave me a mild headache.

Corsair Virtuoso Pro on a seat next to a pillow

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

Then there’s the mic. Your voice will come through loud, clear, and audible here, which means that your teammates (or coworkers, if you choose to use this as your work headset as well) won’t have trouble understanding you. However, your voice will come through a little compressed and harsh-sounding. There will be some sibilance as well. To its credit, it is a very directional mic so that folks you’re chatting with won’t be able to hear any background noise – yes, that includes you tapping or button-mashing away at your keyboard.

Those flaws are minor at best, however. Overall, you’ll find the Corsair Virtuoso Pro a pretty impressive gaming headset – perhaps one of the best in the market right now. Not too shabby at all for a first entry in the open-back gaming headset game.

Corsair Virtuoso Pro: Price & availability

  • How much does it cost? $199.99 / £169.99 / AU$239 
  • When is it available? Available now
  • Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

The Corsair Virtuoso Pro is not a cheap purchase. At $199.99 / £169.99 / AU$239, it sits in the premium market, especially considering that it’s wired. In fact, you’ll find that it’s a bit more expensive than offerings from Epos and Audio-Technica. However, I can guarantee that it’s worth the splurge over the competition - if you have the money to spend.

That’s especially because it is cheaper than both the wired SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro and the graphene-driver-fitted Logitech Pro X 2 Lightspeed, which sit at the top of the gaming headset pile in terms of performance and value.

If you are ready to explore the world of open-back gaming headsets, however, and you just don’t have that money to spare, I would look at some of Philips’ offerings. They are a lot cheaper, and they’re better-reviewed than what AT has on offer.

  • Value: 4 / 5

Corsair Virtuoso Pro: Specs

Should you buy the Corsair Virtuoso Pro?

Corsair Virtuoso Pro on a seat next to a pillow

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

Buy it if...

You want an open-back gaming headset
This might not be the first open-back gaming headset or the most affordable, but if you want top-notch sound for gaming, this is the best.

You don't care for wireless
If you don't want the hassle of needing to charge every few days, this is one of the best wired gaming headsets out there.

You got a collection going
If you're a gaming headset collector like me, this is a fantastic addition to your collection. It's more expensive than other open-back gaming headsets, but it's worth it.

Don't buy it if...

You prefer closed-back headsets
If you're not ready to jump on the open-back gaming headset bandwagon, you should skip this one... for now.

You're on a tight budget
If you are ready to experience the joys of open-back but don't have the money, Philips has a few cheaper alternatives.

Corsair Virtuoso Pro: Also consider

How I tested the Corsair Virtuoso Pro

  • Spent a week testing it
  • Used it for gaming, streaming, and music listening
  • Tested it with a variety of games, songs, and movies

I tested the Corsair Virtuoso Pro for a week, using it as my main headset for gaming, media consumption, and work video calls. I made sure to test its open-back quirks, AB'ing it with my favorite closed-back gaming headset, and put its features through their paces, making note of its build quality and comfort in the process.

I’ve been testing, reviewing, and using gaming headsets for years as a freelance tech journalist and now as one of the Computing editors at TechRadar. My years of experience along with my discerning audio tastes make me more than qualified to test and vet these devices for you.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2023

Logitech G Yeti GX review: a master at minimizing artefacts
10:05 am |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Peripherals & Accessories | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Logitech G Yeti GX: Two-minute review

When Logitech told us it was going to release a new addition, the Logitech G Yeti GX,  to the Yeti lineup, rounding it out to four models, expectations were understandably high. 

After all, the original Yeti has sort of become a household name in the USB mic sphere. People don’t necessarily declare it to be the absolute best USB mic in the market, but it's definitely secured its place near the top for its audio quality, build, and design. And it set a standard that all Yeti mics that follow it have to live up to. 

The Logitech G Yeti GX takes a different approach, however. Whereas the Yeti looms over most of the other USB mics I’ve tested with its big and tall design with multiple pickup patterns, this new model is small and short and only supercardioid. And, just to make it clear to potential buyers that it’s meant for gaming and streaming rather than for podcasts, vlogs, and music production, it throws in RGB lighting for good measure.

Logitech G Yeti GX on the author's desk

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

That design choice is well-executed, though. The Logitech G Yeti GX is still an elegant-looking mic, with its beautiful capsule form, soft matte finish, solid build, and premium-feeling pop filter. Though it can be mounted on a boom arm – an adapter is included in the box for this purpose – it comes with a very stable desktop stand and has great articulation and robust build quality. It even has a dial to easily adjust the mic’s position and lock it in.

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Logitech G Yeti GX on the author's deskr

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)
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Logitech G Yeti GX on the author's deskr

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

There aren’t many physical controls on the mic itself, just a mic gain dial with a light indicator and a mute button, but for what it’s made for, you really don’t need anything else. And to connect it to your PC or laptop, there's a USB-C port at the bottom. And that’s about it.

Be mindful when using that manual gain control dial, as this mic has a lot of gain, and you don't want it turned up all the way up. Between 30-50% volume should be good enough when you’re recording or talking to your teammates in-game. Luckily, it has a smart audio lock, a pro-quality audio-processing technology that holds mic gain level to prevent clipping and distortion. But more on that later.

As I mentioned, there is a light indicator, which is helpful. It tells you when the mic gain level is too high (it flashes red) and when the smart audio lock is on (it turns cyan). 

Logitech G Yeti GX on the author's desk

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

Those who aren’t big fans of RGB lighting – yes, they exist – need not be appalled. The RGB lighting is tastefully done here, cupping the bottom of the mic and radiating a soft yet still bright glow that’s not at all obnoxious. There are 13 lighting zones, each of which is customizable via the Logitech G Hub app, where there are several lighting animations to choose from and the option to adjust brightness. If you’re too lazy to use the app, the mic itself gives you five effects on the fly.

Now, one might assume, due to its size and gaming aesthetic, that the Logitech G Yeti GX isn’t a USB mic to be taken seriously. But it’s actually pretty impressive, even if, admittedly, there’s room for improvement in terms of sound quality. 

Logitech G Yeti GX on the author's desk

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

It’s important to note that this is a supercardioid dynamic mic. That means it’s a cardioid mic with a tighter field of view – which should, in theory, make it better at side rejection – and a front address (it captures audio at the top). Now, dynamic mics are better at capturing sound that's directly in front of them, while condenser mics have a wider stage of sound and tend to sound better due to their fuller frequency range.

Keeping that in mind, it’s not surprising that the Yeti GX delivers audio quality that is a little cheap-sounding. I found that there wasn't much dimensionality to my voice – in my test recordings, it’s a tiny bit compressed, like it's about to distort. Having said that, it sounds more than good enough if you’re live streaming your gameplay or communicating with your teammates during an online gaming sesh – you will come through clearly and audibly.

Again, there’s a lot of gain here, so sticking at 30% to 50% volume or toggling the Smart Audio Lock is wise. Turn it up all the way and your audio will sound harsh with distorted mid-highs. To be fair, the audio will still sound clear, just not pleasant to the ears. I highly recommend utilizing that Smart Audio Lock feature. It works like a charm, and you can actually hear it gradually adjusting as needed. 

Logitech G Yeti GX on the author's deskr

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

On the upside, it’s very good at handling sibilance and plosives. It also has no proximity effect, which means you can speak right up on it, and you'll sound the same as when you're a foot and a half away. 

It’s also amazingly good at rejecting vibrations and background noise. I tapped on its stand until my fingers were raw, and none of those taps registered. If I’m button-mashing on a keyboard while talking, you’ll still hear the clicky noises, but they’re very muted, even though the keyboard is only a few inches away.

So, honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re creating a podcast or YouTube videos that require a more professional-sounding mic. However, the Logitech G Yeti GX delivers a level of sound quality that’s great for gaming and game streaming, and it comes with the necessary features for those, which is really the whole point.

Logitech G Yeti GX: Price & availability

  • How much does it cost? $149.99 (about £120, AU$230)
  • When is it available? Available now
  • Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

You will be paying a hefty price for such a small USB mic, however. At $149.99 (about £120, AU$230), the Logitech G Yeti GX is almost as expensive as the Yeti X, the pro-level model in the Yeti line, and about the same as the fantastic-sounding Elgato Wave:3, which managed to secure our coveted five-star rating.

If you’re looking for something less pricey, the HyperX Duocast is a more affordable option that delivers a sound quality that’s fantastic for podcasting. Just remember that both the Wave:3 and the Duocast are condenser mics, and neither is supercardioid. 

  • Value: 3.5 / 5

Logitech G Yeti GX: Specs

Should you buy the Logitech G Yeti GX?

Logitech G Yeti GX on the author's desk

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

Buy it if...

You stream your games
If you're an online gamer or you live-stream your games, this is a great USB mic to consider.

You want beautiful RGB lighting
Its radiant RGB lighting is elegantly executed so that it looks good and isn't obnoxious.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best value for your money
For something that doesn't have the absolute best sound quality, this is actually pretty expensive.

You need pro-level sound quality
You'll come through clear and audible, but there's not a lot of dimensionality to your voice.

Logitech G Yeti GX: Also consider

How I tested the Logitech G Yeti GX

  • Tested the USB mic for a few days
  • Used it for recording, on calls, and during gaming
  • Made sure to test its special features and employed my usual mic-testing process

Using the Logitech G Yeti GX for a couple of days on video calls, while gaming, and in recordings, I played close attention to sound quality and any artefacts it might have picked up. I also made sure to test its control, light indicators, and the accompanying software to see how easy it is to use, especially for beginners. 

During testing, I spoke from the front, as well as from the back, from the sides, and from different distances. I also checked how it handled things like vibrations and background noise by tapping on the surface it was on and on its stand and making noises in the background during recordings.

I’ve been testing devices like computing peripherals for years. Mics are a newer thing for me, having only started testing them last year, but my experience with audio devices like gaming headsets, headphones, and speakers made it easy for me to understand USB microphones and what matters most to users during testing.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed [Month Year]

Friday website builder review 2025
8:12 pm | July 17, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Software | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Our latest Friday Website Builder review reveals a platform that balances simplicity with powerful functionality, making it accessible to both beginners and experienced developers. While it competes in a crowded market alongside many options in our best website builders roundup, it distinguishes itself through its all-in-one approach and solid feature set.

TechRadar reviewers have spent thousands of hours testing 140+ website builders to bring you expert insights. Friday's single pricing model sets it apart from competitors, though this approach has both benefits and drawbacks. For users seeking our top recommendation, Wix remains our pick for the best website builder in 2025, offering more flexible pricing options.

Friday launched recently as a new player in the website building space, focusing on eliminating the complexity often associated with development workflows. Its approach centers on providing everything users need in a single package, with some impressive tools that cater specifically to developers and pros.

Friday Website Builder: 2-minute review

Friday Website Builder positions itself as an all-in-one solution for users who want professional websites without the brainwork. It offers a rich user experience with its drag-and-drop editor, template library, and developer mode for advanced customization. Other standout features include ecommerce capabilities, AI content assistance, and SEO tools that help websites rank better in search results.

However, Friday's single $50/month pricing plan creates a significant barrier for users, especially when competitors like Wix offer plans starting at $17/month. While this pricing includes all features without restrictions, it may offer poor value to users who only need basic functionality. Also, limited scalability options and a restricted plugin ecosystem pose challenges for rapidly growing businesses.

What is Friday?

Friday Website Builder is a user-friendly platform that allows individuals and businesses to create professional websites without the need for coding knowledge or technical skill.

It provides a range of intuitive tools and templates to streamline the website creation process, enabling you to design and customize your sites according to your unique preferences and requirements.

With Friday, you can add and edit content, incorporate multimedia elements, optimize for mobile devices, and publish your websites with just a few clicks.

Features

Friday features on dashboard

(Image credit: Friday)

Friday comes with all the features you would expect from one of the best website builders on the market. This ranges from a full website builder to help you get your site from idea to live, along with dedicated features to help you grow your business including an AI content assistant, photo editor, easy pop ups, the ability to create coupons, and multi-language websites.

During my testing of Friday's website builder, I discovered a wide range of powerful features that enhanced my website building journey. Firstly, the platform provided robust ecommerce capabilities, allowing me to effortlessly set up an online store, manage products, and inventory.

The developer mode feature allows the flexibility to edit and add code and make customizations according to my specific requirements. The built-in blog builder offered a seamless way to create engaging blog posts and share my thoughts and ideas with my audience.

I was also impressed with the comprehensive web analytics feature that provided valuable insights into visitor behavior and helped me optimize my website for better performance.

With the option to use a custom domain, you can choose any name for your website to add a professional and personalized touch. Friday's SEO tools proved to be invaluable in optimizing a website for search engines and increasing its visibility online.

The inclusion of SSL security feature helps to keep visitors' data protected. Friday uses AWS hosting which ensures reliable performance and scalability for your websites.

Moreover, the platform's mobile optimization feature automatically adapted my test website to different devices, ensuring a seamless user experience for mobile users. The unlimited bandwidth feature allows the handling of high traffic volumes without any concerns.

Tools

Friday analytics page

(Image credit: Friday)

Friday Website Builder provides a comprehensive suite of tools designed to streamline the website creation process. These tools range from basic design elements to advanced ecommerce and marketing features, all integrated into a single platform.

Drag-and-drop editor

The core of Friday's offering is its intuitive drag-and-drop editor that requires no coding knowledge. You can easily add, move, and customize elements by simply dragging them into position. The editor provides real-time visual feedback, allowing you to see changes instantly as you build your site.

Developer mode

For users with coding experience, Friday offers a developer mode that provides access to HTML and CSS editing. This feature bridges the gap between simplicity and advanced customization, letting you fine-tune your website's appearance and functionality beyond the standard editor limitations.

Template library

Friday provides an extensive collection of professionally designed templates covering various industries and website types. Each template is fully customizable and mobile-responsive, giving you a solid foundation to build upon while maintaining design consistency.

Ecommerce tools

The platform includes solid ecommerce functionality with inventory management, automated shipping calculations, and secure payment processing. You can set up product catalogs, manage orders, and create discount codes without needing additional plugins or integrations.

SEO suite

Friday's SEO tools include meta tag management, Google PageSpeed optimization, schema markup support, and AI-generated alt text for images. The platform also features IndexNow integration and automatic sitemap generation to help improve search engine visibility.

AI content assistant

The built-in AI assistant helps generate content suggestions and provides recommendations for website improvements. This tool can assist with writing copy, optimizing content for SEO, and suggesting design enhancements based on best practices.

Ease of use

Friday website builder dashboard

(Image credit: Friday)

Friday is designed to be user-friendly and easy to use, even for individuals with limited technical expertise. The platform prioritizes simplicity and intuitive navigation, making it accessible to beginners and experienced users alike.

One key aspect contributing to Friday's ease of use is its drag-and-drop functionality. You can effortlessly add and rearrange elements on your websites by simply dragging and dropping widgets, images, text, and other components onto the desired location. This eliminates the need for complex coding or technical knowledge, streamlining the website creation process.

Additionally, Friday offers a visually-oriented interface that allows you to see real-time changes as you make adjustments to your websites. This instant visual feedback provides a clear understanding of how the site will look and function, empowering you to make informed design decisions.

The platform also provides a user-friendly dashboard that serves as a central hub for managing various aspects of the website. From this dashboard, you can access different tools and features, navigate through pages, customize themes, and track website analytics. The organized layout and intuitive controls contribute to a seamless user experience.

Pricing

screenshot of friday website builder pricing page

(Image credit: Friday)

There is a lot to love about Friday's pricing structure. Unlike the majority of website builders that offer host different plans and packages, which often confuse you more than they help you - Friday offers one plan for everything. Plus, you can cancel at any time, so you aren't tied into any expensive contracts.

When you sign up for Friday you get a 7-day free trial. This offers you an opportunity to make sure the website builder does everything you want. Once your free trial is over, you will then be charged $50 a month.

This may seem a little steep, especially when you look at competitors such as Wix offering plans for as little as $17/mo and Squarespace offering plans from $16/mo. Needless to say, if you are looking for a very basic website builder to build a basic website, Friday won't offer you doo value for money.

However, when you consider the fact that Friday offers you an all-in package for $50/mo, whereas Wix's all-in package is $159/mo and Squarespace's is a similar $49/mo, suddenly Friday seems like a fair to good deal.

Ultimately, it will come down to which tools and features you need. If you just want a simple package, Wix or Squarespace is probably better. But if you want an advanced website builder with plenty of powerful features, Friday is certainly worth considering.

Security

Friday SSL certificate

(Image credit: Friday)

Friday prioritizes the security of its users' websites by offering two essential security features: SSL certificates and backups.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates are crucial for establishing a secure connection between a website and its visitors. SSL certificates ensure that sensitive information remains confidential and protected from potential hackers or malicious actors by encrypting the data transmitted between the user's browser and the website's server. Friday allows you to install SSL certificates, thus enabling secure communication and instilling trust in visitors who access your websites.

In addition to SSL certificates, Friday provides a backup feature to safeguard your website data. Regular backups are vital in the event of unforeseen circumstances such as data loss, server issues, or accidental changes that may compromise the website's functionality or content. By enabling backups, you can restore your websites to a previous state and recover lost data, minimizing potential disruptions and preserving the integrity of your online presence.

By offering SSL certificates and backup functionality, Friday aims to provide a secure environment for your websites. This contributes to maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your data and helps protect against potential security vulnerabilities or data loss incidents.

Support

Friday customer support

(Image credit: Friday)

Friday offers customer support through various channels, including a comprehensive knowledge base and email support. These options ensure that you have access to the assistance you need when encountering any issues or requiring guidance while using the platform.

The knowledge base serves as a valuable resource, providing you with a collection of articles, tutorials, and frequently asked questions that cover a wide range of topics. It offers step-by-step instructions, troubleshooting guides, and detailed explanations of features, empowering you to find solutions to your queries independently. The knowledge base serves as a self-help tool, allowing you to access information and guidance at your convenience.

For more personalized support, Friday provides email support through two dedicated email addresses: support@findfriday.com and hello@findfriday.com. You can reach out to the support team with your inquiries, concerns, or technical issues. The support team is committed to providing prompt and helpful responses, addressing your queries, and providing guidance to ensure a smooth experience while using the platform.

By offering both a comprehensive knowledge base and email support, Friday ensures that you have access to the resources you need to overcome challenges and make the most of the platform's features.

Alternatives

With just one (fairly expensive) plan, Friday website builder certainly isn’t for everyone.

As our top rated website builder, Wix is a worthy alternative. With plans starting at just $16/mo, Wix is almost certainly better for those who don’t need the full power of Friday. However, even on the entry level plan, with Wix you get access to a whole host of powerful website building tools, many with AI integration.

Read our full Wix review to find out more.

Squarespace is another good option to consider. Similar to Wix, plans start much cheaper at $17/mo and come with a huge range of website building tools. Squarespace is also known for its stunning website designs, making it ideal for those who want to make a big visual impact with their website.

Our Squarespace review goes into more detail on what the platform has to offer.

Friday Website Builder: Summary

Determining whether Friday website builder is the right choice for you depends on various factors such as your website creation needs, technical expertise, budget, and desired level of customization.

However, if you are looking for a user-friendly platform with drag-and-drop functionality, a range of customizable themes, and tools for adding pages, widgets, and blog posts, along with ecommerce capabilities, then Friday website builder could be a suitable choice that caters to your requirements and empowers you to create and manage a professional-looking website with relative ease.

Friday's comprehensive SEO and settings options and 24/7 customer support through a knowledge base and email assistance could also be the deciding qualities for your choice of website builder.

FAQs

What makes Friday different from other website builders?

Friday distinguishes itself through its single, all-inclusive pricing model and focus on providing enterprise-level features in a user-friendly package. Unlike competitors that offer multiple tiers, Friday includes all features — from basic website building to advanced ecommerce and SEO tools, in one plan. The platform also provides both drag-and-drop simplicity and developer mode for code editing, making it suitable for users across different skill levels.

Is Friday suitable for ecommerce websites?

Yes, Friday includes robust ecommerce capabilities with features like inventory management, automated shipping and tax calculations, and secure payment processing. However, the platform may not be ideal for large-scale or rapidly growing online stores due to its single pricing tier and limited scalability options. Small to medium-sized businesses will find Friday's ecommerce tools comprehensive and easy to implement.

How does Friday's pricing compare to competitors?

Friday's $50/month pricing appears expensive compared to entry-level plans from competitors like Wix ($17/month) or Squarespace ($16/month). However, when compared to premium plans that include similar features, Friday becomes more competitive - Wix's comprehensive plan costs $159/month while Squarespace's comparable offering is $49/month. The value depends on whether you need all the included features or would prefer a more basic, affordable option.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060: the best midrange graphics card for the masses
4:00 pm | June 28, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Computing Components Gadgets | Tags: , , , , | Comments: Off

Editor's Note

• Original review date: June 2023
• Launch price: MSRP at $299 / £289 / AU$479
• Lowest price now: $445.60 / £279 / AU$543

Update – April 2025: With the recent release of Nvidia's 50 series graphics cards—and the mixed reviews they've received from both reviewers and customers alike—the Nvidia RTX 4060 would look like the best graphics card to buy for upgrading your 1080p GPU under normal circumstances, but unfortunately this card is becoming increasingly hard to find on store shelves.

Worse still, those places that do still have the card in stock are selling it for much more than the card's MSRP in the US, making it a much less attractive option when the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 will launch at the same MSRP in a few weeks (the UK and Australia have an easier time finding it at or near RRP). Even with the current US market's price inflation, the RTX 5060 will likely sell for the same amount as the inflated RTX 4060 prices I'm seeing online today.

If you can find this card for its MSRP or less and you only want something cheap for 1080p gaming, definitely consider it, as it's one of the best cheap graphics cards you're going to find. Otherwise, I'd recommend you wait and see what the RTX 5060 looks like, not to mention the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT and RX 9060, which are also due out in the next month or two and should be priced similarly.

Original unedited review follows...

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060: Two-minute review

Nvidia really wants you to know that the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 is a card for those who are still running a GTX 1060 or RTX 2060, and it's really Team Green's best marketing strategy for this card.

To be clear, the Nvidia RTX 4060 is respectably better than the Nvidia RTX 3060 it replaces, and comes in at a lower launch MSRP of $299 (about £240/AU$450) than its predecessor. Its 1080p gaming performance is the best you're going to find under $300, and its 1440p performance is pretty solid, especially when you turn on DLSS. If you're playing a game with DLSS 3 and frame generation, even better.

Unfortunately, the card's 4K performance suffers due to the limited video memory it's working with, which is a 50% decrease from the initial RTX 3060 run's 12GB VRAM pool (though at least it doesn't go below the 8GB of the later RTX 3060s).

You also get more sophisticated ray tracing and tensor cores than those found in the Ampere generation, and this maturity shows up in the card's much-improved ray tracing and DLSS performance.

There are also some added bonuses for streamers as well like AV1 support, but this is going to be a lower-midrange gamer's card, not a streamer's, and for what you're getting for the price, it's a great card.

The real problem for this card though is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. For more than a year after the RTX 3060 Ti hit the scene, it topped our best graphics card list for its spectacular balance of price and performance, punching well above its weight and even outshining the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070.

Ever since the crypto bubble popped and Nvidia Lovelace cards started hitting the shelves, the last-gen Nvidia Ampere cards have absolutely plummeted in price, including the RTX 3060 Ti. You can now get the RTX 3060 Ti for well below MSRP, and even though the RTX 4060 outperforms the RTX 3060 by roughly 20%, it still falls short of the RTX 3060 Ti, so if you are able to get an RTX 3060 Ti for near or at the same price as the RTX 4060, it might be a better bet. I haven't seen the RTX 3060 Ti drop that low yet, but it's definitely possible.

The reason why the RTX 3060 Ti is competitive here is especially because many of the best features of the RTX 4060 depend on other people implementing Nvidia's DLSS 3 technology in their products. DLSS 3 with Frame Generation is incredible for most games (though there are some latency issues to work out), but the number of games that implement it is rather small at the moment.

Many newer games will have it, but as we've seen with the recent controversy over Starfield partnering with AMD, one of the biggest PC games of the year might not have DLSS implemented at all at launch. It's a hard thing to hold against the RTX 4060 as a solid negative, since when the technology is implemented, it works incredibly well. But it's also unavoidable that Nvidia's biggest selling point of this generation of graphics cards is explicitly tied to the cooperation of third-party game developers.

With something like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, DLSS 3 is a nice feature to have, but it doesn't make or break the card. With the RTX 4060, its appeal is deeply tied to whether or not you have this tech available in your games, and it seriously undercuts the card when it isn't. Its non-DLSS performance is only better than the RTX 3060 by a standard gen-on-gen uplift at 1080p, and without DLSS, 1440p gaming is possible, but will be severely hampered by the limited VRAM. 4K gaming, meanwhile, would be out of the question entirely.

All that said, the Nvidia RTX 4060 is still going to be one hell of an upgrade for anyone coming from a GTX 1060 or RTX 2060, which is really where this card is trying to find its market. RTX 3060 gamers will honestly be better off just saving up some more money for the RTX 4070 than worrying about the RTX 4060 (and you can probably skip the Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti, honestly).

If you're looking for the best cheap graphics card from Nvidia, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 is probably as good as it's going to get for a while, since there have been few - if any - rumblings about an Nvidia RTX 4050 or Nvidia RTX 4050 Ti coming to the budget segment any time soon. Whether it's worth upgrading from an RTX 3060 is debatable, but if money is tight and looking for an upgrade from the Pascal- or Turing-era 60-series cards, you'll absolutely love this card.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060: Price & availability

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 on a table with its retail packaging

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
  • How much is it? MSRP is $299 / £289 / AU$479
  • When is it out? June 29, 2023
  • Where can you get it? Available globally

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 is available on June 29, 2023, for an MSRP of $299 / £289 / AU$479, which is about 10% less than the RTX 3060 was when it launched in 2021.

There is a caveat to this pricing in that there is no Nvidia Founders Edition of the RTX 4060, so it is only available from third-party partners like Asus, PNY, and others. These manufacturers can charge whatever they want for the card, so you can expect to see many of the cards priced higher than Nvidia's MSRP, but there will be those like the Asus RTX 4060 Dual that I tested for this review that will sell at MSRP.

While this card is cheaper than most, it's not the cheapest of the current generation. That would be the AMD Radeon RX 7600, which has an MSRP of $269.99 (about £215/AU$405), which still offers the best performance-to-price value of any of the current-gen cards. Still, given the actual level of performance you get from the RTX 4060, it definitely offers a compelling value over its rival cards, even if they are cheaper in the end.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060: Features and chipset

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 on a table with its retail packaging

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
  • 3rd-gen ray tracing and 4th-gen tensor cores
  • Only 8GB VRAM
  • DLSS 3 with Frame Generation under $300

In terms of specs, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 is a marked improvement over the Nvidia RTX 3060 thanks to a smaller TSMC 5nm process node compared to the RTX 3060's 8nm Samsung node. It also features much faster clock speeds, with a roughly 39% faster base and boost clock speed.

You also have a faster memory speed, but a smaller VRAM pool and smaller memory bus, so you end up with a roughly 25% smaller memory bandwidth, which really puts a ceiling on higher resolution performance.

Still, with faster clock speeds, more mature ray tracing and tensor cores, and a lower TGP than its predecessor, this is one of the most powerful and energy-efficient graphics cards in its class.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060: design

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 on a table with its retail packaging

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

There is no reference design for the Nvidia RTX 4060, since there is no Founders Edition, so the design of the card is going to depend entirely on which version you get from which manufacturer.

In my case, I received the Asus GeForce RTX 4060 Dual OC edition, which features a dual fan design and a much smaller footprint befitting a midrange card. Thankfully, the card uses an 8-pin power connector, so there's no need to fuss with any 12VHPWR adapter cables.

Image 1 of 2

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 on a table with its retail packaging

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Image 2 of 2

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 on a table with its retail packaging

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

It comes with the now-standard three DisplayPort 1.4 and one HDMI 2.1 video outputs on this generation of Nvidia cards, so those with one of the best USB-C monitors will once again be out of luck here.

The card is a dual-slot width, so you shouldn't have any issues getting it into a case, and it's light enough that you really should be able to get away without having to use a support bracket.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060: Performance

An Nvidia RTX 4060 slotted into a test bench

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
  • Best-in-class 1080p gaming performance
  • Huge improvement if coming from RTX 2060 or older
Test system specs

This is the system we used to test the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060:

CPU: Intel Core i9-13900K
CPU Cooler: Cougar Poseidon GT 360 AIO
RAM: 64GB Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR5-6600MHz
Motherboard: MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk Wifi
SSD: Samsung 990 Pro 2TB NVMe M.2 SSD
Power Supply: Corsair AX1000
Case: Praxis Wetbench

When it comes to 1080p, the Nvidia RTX 4060 offers the best gaming performance under $300.

The AMD RX 7600 gives it a run for its money in pure rasterization performance, and even manages to beat out the RTX 4060 on occasion, but once you start cranking up ray tracing the RTX 4060 absolutely pulls away from its rivals.

This is especially true when you flip the switch on DLSS, which makes 1440p gaming a very feasible option with this card. While this definitely isn't going to be one of the best 1440p graphics cards, on certain titles with certain settings, you'll be surprised what you can get away with.

Synthetic Benchmarks

When it comes to synthetic benchmarks, you get the typical blow-for-blow between Nvidia and AMD cards that we've seen in the past, with AMD outperforming on pure rasterization tests like 3DMark Time Spy and Firestrike, while Nvidia pulls ahead on ray tracing workloads like Port Royal and Speedway.

The RTX 4060 and RX 7600 are close enough in terms of raw performance that it might as well be a wash on average, but it's worth noting that the RTX 4060 is about 20% better on average than the RTX 3060. I point that out mostly to contrast it with the RTX 4060 Ti, which was only about 10-12% better than the RTX 3060 Ti on average.

A 20% improvement gen-on-gen, on the other hand, is much more respectable and justifies considering the RTX 4060 as an upgrade even with an RTX 3060 in your rig. You might not actually make that jump for an extra 20% performance with this class of GPU, but it's at least worth considering, unlike with the RTX 4060 Ti.

Gaming Benchmarks

Where the RTX 4060 really takes off though is in gaming performance. Compared to the RX 7600, it's more or less even when just playing at 1080p with max settings without ray tracing or upscaling. Notably, the RTX 4060 actually underperforms the RX 7600 by about 9% in Cyberpunk 2077 when you're not using ray tracing or upscaling.

Crank ray tracing up to Psycho in Cyberpunk 2077 though, and the value of the RTX 4060 really starts to show through. The RX 7600 absolutely tanks when RT is maxed, but that's not universal across the board. In other games, the RX 7600 is competitive, but Cyberpunk 2077 really is AMD's Achilles' Heel. Meanwhile, the RTX 3060 holds up fairly well on some titles, while the RTX 4060 pulls ahead by a substantial amount on others.

With upscaling turned on, the RTX 4060 manages to substantially outperform both the RTX 3060 and the RX 7600. If you leave the base DLSS settings and don't mess with frame generation, the RTX 4060 pulls off a clean win on Cyberpunk 2077, while it has a slightly lower average framerate than the RTX 3060, but a higher minimum framerate, it's a much more stable experience across the board.

Once you turn on frame generation though, things swing dramatically in the RTX 4060's favor. You can even increase the resolution in Cyberpunk 2077 to 1440p with Frame Generation on and you'll get more fps on average and at a minimum than you would with the RTX 3060 at 1080p, while the RX 7600 simply can't keep up at this level.

Unfortunately, a lot of this is dependent on developers implementing Nvidia's new technology. Without DLSS 3 with Frame Generation, you still get respectably better performance than the RTX 3060, but nothing that absolutely blows you away.

Meanwhile, the RX 7600 offers a compelling alternative if you're looking to save some money and don't care about 1440p or ray tracing.

Still, if you can toggle a setting and give yourself an extra 50 fps on a demanding game, there really is no comparison, and on this alone, the RTX 4060 wins out by default.

Should you buy the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060?

A man's hand holding up the Nvidia RTX 4060

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Buy it if...

You want the best 1080p gaming under $300
This card is a 1080p champ in its weight class, even if it walks right up to the line of the middle midrange.

You want fantastic ray tracing support
Nvidia pioneered real-time ray tracing in games, and it really shows here.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best value
While the RTX 4060 is very well-priced, the AMD RX 7600 offers a much better price-to-performance ratio.

You don't care about ray tracing or upscaling
Ray tracing is honestly overrated and a lot of games don't offer or even need upscaling, so if you don't care about these features, Nvidia's RTX 4060 might not offer enough for you to spend the extra money.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060: Also consider

AMD Radeon RX 7600
Team Red's competing midrange card is a fantastic value while offering compelling 1080p performance (so long as ray tracing and upscaling aren't your biggest concerns).

Read the full AMD Radeon RX 7600 review

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
With graphics card prices for the Nvidia RTX 3000-series continuing to come down, its possible that this card might come in close to the RTX 4060's MSRP, and with its better performance, it offers a compeling alternative.

Read the full Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti review

How I tested the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060

  • I spent about a week testing the card
  • I looked at the cards gaming performance and raw synthetic performance
  • I used our standard battery of graphics card tests and several current PC games to push the GPU to its limits.

I spent extensive time testing the RTX 4060 over a number of days, using synthetic tests like 3DMark and Passmark, while also running several games on the card at different settings and resolutions.

I also tested its closest rival card as well as the card it is replacing in Nvidia's product stack and compared the performance scores across the cards to assess the card's overall performance.

I did this using the latest Nvidia and AMD drivers on a test bench using all of the same hardware for each card tested so that I could isolate the graphics card's contribution to the overall performance I found in-game or in synthetic benchmarks.

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed June 2023

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 review
4:00 pm | April 12, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Computing Components Gadgets | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Editor's Note

• Original review date: April 2023
• Launch price: MSRP at $599 / £589 / AU$1,109
• Lowest price now: $792.99 / £485.28 / AU$899

Update – April 2025: With the release of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, you'd hope that it would force the price of the RTX 4070, one of the best graphics cards of the last generation, down somewhat, but that doesn't appear to be the case in the US (UK and Australian shoppers can actually find this card for less than RRP right now).

With the lowest price I've found for the RTX 4070 is in the US, coming in at just under $800, it's a much harder card to recommend in 2025, especially with AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT cards selling for much less and much more readily available online.

Original unedited review follows...

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070: Two-minute review

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 is here at long last, and for gamers who've been starved for an upgrade, go ahead and pick this one up. It can do just about everything.

It's hard to follow up the RTX 3070, one of the best graphics cards of all time, and in our Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 review, we praised that card for being an outstanding performer at 1080p and 1440p — which is where the overwhelming number of PC gamers game at — while also being a much more affordable option over the other two launch cards for Nvidia's Ampere lineup. We especially noted how the RTX 3070 offered comparable performance to the RTX 2080 Ti for half the price.

Everything we said about the RTX 3070 applies just as easily to the RTX 4070, only now it doesn't just dabble in 4K; it can competently game at every resolution, making it a graphics card that everybody can fall in love with without spending a fortune.

A lot has changed since the RTX 3070 launched towards the end of 2020, and unfortunately, not everything changed for the better. Things are more expensive pretty much everywhere you look, and the Nvidia RTX 4070 isn't immune. At $599 (about £510 / AU$870), the RTX 4070 is fully 20% more expensive than the RTX 3070 was at launch.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card standing on top of its retail packaging

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

I'm not happy about this at all, and you shouldn't be either, but all you have to do is look at the scores the RTX 4070 puts up on the board and you'll be as hard pressed as I am to dock it any points for this. It consistently puts out RTX 3080-level performance more or less across the board and even manages to bloddy the nose of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, and while the RTX 3080 beats out the RTX 4070 at native 4K, turn on DLSS and the RTX 3080 simply gets blown out.

On the other side of the aisle, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is Team Red's nearest real competition, and it struggles to justify itself in the presence of the RTX 4070. While the RX 7900 XT solidly outperforms the 4070, it's also 50% more expensive, and the benefits of the RX 7900 XT get quickly drowned out by the power of DLSS, especially in titles with DLSS 3.

Moreover, the RTX 4070 makes for a pretty competent creator GPU, offering indie developers and artists who don't have the funding to get themselves an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 a handy option for getting some work done within a more limited budget. It's not going to power a major movie studio or anything, but if you're dabbling in 3D modeling or video editing, this card is great compromise between price and performance.

Finally, wrap this all into a package that feels like a downright normal graphics card from ye olden days, back before you needed to include support brackets and balast to keep your gaming PC from tipping over, and you end up with a graphics card that can easily power some of the best gaming PCs that can actually fit into your PC case and your budget.

This graphics card has its issues, which is inevitable, but given what's on offer here, it's easy enough to look past its shortcomings and enjoy some truly outstanding performance at at a reasonable enough price.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 review: Price & availability

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card seated inside its retail packaging

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
  • How much is it? $599 (about £510 / AU$870)
  • When is it out? April 13, 2023
  • Third-party cards retail prices will match or exceed Nvidia's MSRP

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 is available starting April 13, 2023, with an MSRP of $599 (about £510 / AU$870). Third-party partners will have their own versions of the RTX 4070 that will vary in price, but they will always have a matching or higher regular retail price than the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Founders Edition.

Notably, the RTX 4070 is getting a 20% price increase over the card it's replacing, the RTX 3070, which had a launch price of $499 in the US (about £425 / AU$725). While we'd have loved to see the price stay the same gen-over-gen, this should come as no surprise to anyone who has been watching GPU price inflation recently.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, for example, has a ludicrously high MSRP of $1,199 (a roughly 72% jump over the RTX 3080), while the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 also increased its price over the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 to $1,599 from the 3090's $1,499.

Meanwhile, we haven't seen AMD's direct RTX 4070 competitor yet, the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT, but the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the closest AMD has this generation with an $899 / £799 (around AU$1,350) MSRP, putting it 50% more expensive than the RTX 4070.

This card is also the same price as the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, for what it's worth, and considering that the RTX 4070 punches well above the 3070 Ti's performance, you do at least get a better sense of value out of this card than anything from the last generation.

  • Price score: 4 / 5

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 review: Features & chipset

The power connector for an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
  • DLSS 3 with full Frame Generation
  • Third-gen Ray Tracing Cores and fourth-gen Tensor Cores
  • Lower TGP than RTX 3070

The Nvidia RTX 4070 doesn't change too much on paper over its last-gen predecessor, featuring the same number of streaming multiprocessors, therefore the same number of CUDA cores (5,888), ray-tracing cores (46), and tensor cores (184).

It does bump up its memory to the faster GDDR6X and adds an additional 50% VRAM for a total of 12GB. With a 192-bit bus and a memory clock of 1,313MHz, the RTX 4070 has an effective memory speed of 21 Gbps, equal to that of the Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti, for a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s.

It has a lower base and boost frequency than the 4070 Ti, clocking in at 1,920MHz base and 2,475MHz boost (compared to 2,310MHz base and 2,610MHz boost for the 4070 Ti), but this is a substantial bump up from the 1,500MHz base and 1,725MHz boost frequency of the RTX 3070.

This is owing to the 5nm TSMC process used to fab the AD104 GPU, compared to the Samsung 8nm process for the RTX 3070's GA104. Those faster clocks also power next-gen ray tracing and tensor cores, so even though there are the same number of cores in both the RTX 4070 and the RTX 3070, the RTX 4070's are both much faster and more sophisticated.

Also factor in Nvidia Lovelace's DLSS 3 with Frame Generation capacity, something that Nvidia Ampere and Turing cards don't have access to, and what looks like two very similar cards on paper turns out to be anything but in practice.

Finally, thanks to the 5nm process, Nvidia is able to squeeze more performance out of less power, so the TGP for the RTX 4070 is just 200W, making it a fantastic card for a lower-power, sub-600W build.

  • Features & chipset: 5 / 5

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 review: Design

The RTX 4070 logo etched into the trim of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
  • Same size as the RTX 3070
  • 16-pin power connector
  • Same design as RTX 4090 and RTX 4080

With the RTX 4070 Founders Edition, Nvidia finally delivers a next-gen graphics card that can actually fit in your case without requiring a construction winch to hold it in place.

OK, the previous cards weren't that bad, and even at the reduced form factor and weight, you'll still want to toss a GPU bracket into your case for good measure (there's no harm in protecting your investment, after all).

Image 1 of 6

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Image 2 of 6

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card on its retail packaging

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Image 3 of 6

The output ports of an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Image 4 of 6

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card standing upright on a pink desk mat

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Image 5 of 6

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card standing upright next to the RTX 3070

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Image 6 of 6

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card sitting in front of a much larger Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics card

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

But holding the RTX 4070 in my hand, this is the first card of this generation that doesn't feel like a piece of machinery. Even the more modestly-sized AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT feel substantial, while the RTX 4070 feels like an old school GeForce graphics card from a couple years back.

The RTX 4070 Founders Edition keeps the same fan design as the RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 that preceeded it (a fan on the front and back), but it shrinks everything down to a dual-slot card about two-thirds the size of those monsters. The RTX 4070 also features the same outputs as previous RTX Lovelace cards (so no USB-C out), and a 16-pin power connector with an included adapter for two 8-pin leads to power the card.

With a TGP of 200W, Nvidia could theoretically have just gone with a single 8-pin connector, but Team Green seems absolutely committed to the 12VHPWR cable, it seems. I'll never stop complaining about this, but it is what it is. If you have an ATX 3.0 power supply, you won't need to worry about that, but the rest of us will have to deal with additional cable management.

  • Design score: 4.5 / 5

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 review: Performance

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card slotted into a motherboard

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
  • Phenomenal gaming performance
  • Can easily push 60 fps in 4K gaming with DLSS
  • RTX 3080 performance at 60% of the power

Right out the gate, let's just say that the Nvidia RTX 4070 is the best 1440p graphics card on the market right now, and it's likely to remain at the top of that list for a good long while.

Its performance prowess isn't limited to just 1440p, mind you, and when I get into the gaming performance, you'll see that its 4K gaming potential is exciting (with caveats), but for starters, we can dig into its synthetic performance in tests like 3DMark to see how the fundamentals stack up.

General Performance

As you can see, the RTX 4070 outperforms the RTX 3070 by about 21% overall, while underperforming the RTX 3080 by about 1.37%, which is close enough to effectively tie the last-gen 4K powerhouse, and underperforms the RTX 3080 Ti by about 6%. Considering that the RTX 3080 Ti's MSRP is nearly twice that of the RTX 4070, this is an astounding result.

The RTX 4070 does lag behind the RTX 4070 Ti and the RX 7900 XT by quite a bit, averaging about 22% worse performance than the RX 7900 XT and about 13.5% worse performance than the RTX 4070 Ti. These current-gen cards also have substantially better hardware, so this isn't unexpected.

Creative Performance

When it comes to creative performance, well, we have a more limited dataset to work with since Blender Benchmark 3.5.0 decided it only wanted to test half the cards I tried to run it on (including failing to run on the RTX 4070), so we'll have to come back to that one at a later date once the benchmark is updated.

In the meantime, the tests I was able to run really showcased how well the RTX 4070 can handle creative workloads. On Adobe Premiere and Adobe Photoshop, the RTX 4070 performed noticeably better than the RTX 3080 across both apps and fell in very close behind the RTX 4070 Ti for an overall second place finish.

In lieu of Blender's Benchmark, V-Ray 5 is a fairly good stand-in, as well as an excellent benchmark in its own right. Here, the RX 7900 XT wouldn't run, since it doesn't use CUDA or Nvidia's RTX, but we can see the RTX 4070 coming in a respectable runner up to the RTX 4070 Ti.

One of my recent favorite workloads, Lumion 12.5, renders an architectural design into either a short movie clip at 1080p or 4K at 60 fps, making it one of the best benchmarks for creatives to see how a graphics card handles production level workloads rather than synthetic tests.

It requires the same kind of hardware as many of the best PC games in order to light a scene, create realistic water effects, and reproduce foliage on trees, and it's the kind of real-world benchmark that tells more about the card than a simple number devoid of context.

Considering that it can take a five-second, 60 fps movie clip an hour to render at production quality, I switched things up a bit and rather than calculate frames per second, like I do with Handbrake's encoding test, I use frames per hour to give a sense of how long a movie clip you can produce if you leave the clip to render overnight (a common practice).

In the case of the RTX 4070, it rendered a five-second movie clip at 60 fps at draft (1-star) quality 13% faster than the RTX 3080, about 7% faster than the RTX 3080 Ti, and nearly 23% faster than the RX 7900 XT.

It lagged behind the RTX 4070 Ti, though, by about 8%, a deficit that grew wider at 1080p production (4-star) quality, where the RTX 4070 rendered the movie 25% slower than the 4070 Ti and 6.78% slower than the RX 7900 XT.

For Handbrake, the RTX 4070 manages to pull out its first clean win on the creative side, though not by a whole lot. Still, 170 frames per second encoding from 4K to 1080p is not bad at all.

Overall then, the RTX 4070 puts in a solid creative performance, besting the RTX 3080, the RX 7900 XT, the RTX 3070 Ti, and the RTX 3070, while barely losing out to the RTX 3080 Ti.

Gaming Performance

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card on a pink desk mat

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

As good of a creative card as the RTX 4070 is, in its bones, this is a gamers' graphics card, so gaming performance is definitely where I spent most of my time testing the RTX 4070. I want to note that the included figures here are a representative sample of my testing, and that not all test results are shown.

When it comes to gaming performance, the RTX 4070 offers some of the best you're going to get at this price, though there are some stipulations to bring up right out the gate.

First, broadly speaking, this card can game at 4K on most games not called Cyberpunk 2077 or Metro: Exodus using max settings natively, so long as you keep things within reasonable limits. Or, really, one limit: keep ray tracing turned off.

Overall, the RTX 4070 gets about 58 fps on average at 4K when not ray tracing, with a floor of 45 fps at 4K, which is eminently playable. Turn ray tracing to the max and your get an average fps of 34 with a floor of 25, which is just better than a slideshow.

The RTX 3080 doesn't fare too much better on this metric, managing 40 fps on average with a floor of 29 fps at max settings with ray tacing turned on, while the RTX 3080 Ti averages about 36 fps and a floor of 19 fps. This does put the RTX 4070 just behind the 3080 Ti in terms of average fps and with a higher fps floor than the 3080 Ti.

If you're dead set on ray tracing, the RTX 4070 can certainly deliver, thanks to DLSS, which can bump those numbers back up to 79 fps on average with a floor of 55 fps. Compare that to the RTX 3080's 80 fps average with a 58 fps floor in our tests and the RTX 4070 can definitely go toe to toe with the RTX 3080 when ray tracing on max settings if DLSS is on.

In addition, the RTX 4070 gets about 10% less fps on average than the RTX 3080 Ti at 4K with ray tracing and DLSS on, (79 fps to the 3080 Ti's 88 fps), and a roughly 14% lower fps floor than the RTX 3080 Ti (55 fps to the 3080 Ti's 64 fps).

Overall, the RTX 4070 manages an average 57 fps at 4K, with a floor of 41 fps, across all the settings I tested. This is about 28% lower than the RTX 4070 Ti (79 fps average, overall), about 10% lower than the RTX 3080 (63 fps average, overall), the RX 7900 XT (64 fps average, overall), and the RTX 3080 Ti (64 fps average, overall).

These numbers skew a bit against the RTX 4070, since the RTX 4070 Ti, RX 7900 XT, RTX 3080, and RTX 3080 Ti all handle native 4K gaming much better, but so few people play at native 4K anymore that is a fairly meaningless advantage.

Meanwhile, the RTX 4070 actually beats the RX 7900 XT by about 20% when using DLSS (versus the RX 7900 XT's FSR) at 4K with max settings and ray tracing; 79 fps on average to 66 fps on average, respectively. It also manages to strike a dead heat with the RTX 3080 (80 fps average) and come just 10% short of the RTX 3080 Ti's average RT performance at 4K with ray tracing.

It's important to note as well that these don't factor in DLSS 3 Frame Generation, to make it a fair comparison.

As for the RTX 3070, the RTX 4070 manages about 39% better average 4K performance, with a 53% higher fps floor (57 fps average with a 43 fps floor for the RTX 4070 compared to the RTX 3070's 41 fps average and 28 fps floor).

When it comes to 1440p gaming, the RTX 4070 is on much more solid footing, even if some of the bigger cards definitely perform better in absolute terms. The RTX 4070 underperforms the RTX 3080 by about 8% in non-ray-traced, non-upscaled 1440p gaming, on average (105 fps to the RTX 3080's 115 fps), though they both have a very similar floor around 80-85 fps.

Meanwhile, the RTX 4070 falls about 12% short of the RTX 3080 Ti's 119 average fps at non-ray-traced, non-DLSS 1440p.

Both the RTX 4070 Ti and RX 7900 XT kinda clobber the RTX 4070 with roughly 25-29% better performance at non-ray-traced, non-upscaled 1440p gaming, and this carries over into gaming with ray tracing settings maxed out, though the RTX 4070 is still getting north of 60 fps on average (67 fps, to be precise), with a relatively decent floor of 51 fps.

The real kicker though is when we turn on DLSS, at which point the RTX 4070 beats out everything but the RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 3080 Ti, including the RX 7900 XT, which it outperforms by about 29% on average (125 fps to 97 fps), with a much higher floor of 88 fps to the RX 7900 XT's 60 fps, a nearly 49% advantage.

The RTX 4070 also beats the RTX 3080 here too, with about 5% better performance on average and a 7.5% higher fps floor on average than the RTX 3080. Incredibly, the RTX 4070 is just 3% slower than the RTX 3080 Ti when both are using DLSS at 1440p with max ray tracing.

As for the RTX 3070, the RTX 4070 gets about 35% better performance at 1440p with ray tracing and DLSS 2.0 than the card it replaces (125 fps to 93 fps), with a nearly 53% higher fps floor on average (87 fps to the 3070's 57 fps), meaning that where the RTX 3070 is setting the 1440p standard, the RTX 4070 is blowing well past it into territory the RTX 3070 simply cannot go.

The story is pretty much the same at 1080p, with there being essentially no difference between the RTX 4070, the RTX 3080, the RTX 3080 Ti, and the RX 7900 XT, with the RTX 3070 languishing about 30% behind and the RTX 4070 Ti off on its own out ahead of everyone else.

There has been a lot of talk about the RTX 4070 ahead of its launch as benchmarks have leaked and people have looked at numbers out of context and downplayed the performance of the RTX 4070 based on one or two tests. They've even pointed to the price increase to say that this card is a disappointment.

Granted, I'm not thrilled about the 20% price increase either, but there's no getting around the fact that you're getting a graphics card here with just 200W TGP that's putting up numbers to rival the RTX 3080 Ti. And I haven't even touched on the new features packed into Lovelace that you can't get with the last-gen Nvidia graphics cards.

The numbers are what they are, and the RTX 4070's performance is simply outstanding across every resolution in all the ways that matter.

  • Performance score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 ?

A man's hand holding the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Buy it if...

You want next-gen performance for less than $600
The Nvidia RTX 4070 offers performance on par with the RTX 3080 and even the RTX 3080 Ti for a good deal less.

You don't want a massive GPU
Graphics cards are starting to resemble transformers nowadays (both the autobot and power plant variety), so it's nice to get a graphics card that's just normal-sized.

You want next-gen features like DLSS 3
Nvidia's hardware is often on the bleeding edge of the industry, but things like DLSS 3 and Nvidia Reflex are Nvidia's not-so-secret force multiplier here.

Don't buy it if...

You can get an RTX 3080 cheap
Generally, the RTX 4070 is going to outperform the 3080, but if you don't care about the advanced features and can grab the 3080 in a bargain bin, you could save some money.

You're looking for Nvidia's next budget card
The RTX 4070 is a lot cheaper than the rest of the current-gen graphics card lineups from Nvidia and AMD, but at $600, it's still too expensive to truly be a "budget" GPU.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 review: Also consider

If our Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 review has you considering other options, here are two more graphics cards to consider...

AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT
While its bigger sibling gets a lot more attention, don't sleep on the RX 7900 XT. It's one of the best graphics cards AMD has ever produced, and while it's a good bit more expensive than the RTX 4070, it's powerful and future-proofed enough for 8K gaming that you'll be able to get a lot of use out of this card in the long-term.

Read our full AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT review

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti
The Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti doesn't have a Founders Edition, so it's going to be more expensive than its $799 MSRP, but the performance on offer here makes this an excellent alternative to the RTX 4070 if you've got some extra cash to spend.

Read our full Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti review

How I tested the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card slotted into a motherboard

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
  • I spent about 50 hours with the RTX 4070 in total
  • Besides general benchmarking, I used the card for everyday gaming and creative work
My test bench specs

Here is the systems I used to test the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070:

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D
CPU Cooler: Cougar Poseidon GT 360 AIO Cooler
DDR5 RAM: 32GB Corsair Dominator Platinum @ 5,200MHz & 32GB G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo @ 5,200MHz
Motherboard: ASRock X670E Taichi
SSD: Samsung 980 Pro SSD @ 1TB
Power Supply: Corsair AX1000 80-Plus Titanium (1000W) Case: Praxis Wetbench

When I test a graphics card, I start by making sure that all tests are performed on the same test bench setup to isolate GPU performance. I then run it through a series of synthetic benchmarking tools like 3DMark as well as in-game benchmarks in the most recent PC games I can access like Cyberpunk 2077 and F1 2022.

I run everything on the maximum settings possible without upscaling tech, and I run all tests at the resolution a reader is most likely to use a given card at. In the case of the RTX 4070, this meant testing at 1080p, 1440p, and 2160p.

I also make sure to install the latest relevant drivers and rerun tests on any competing graphics card that I might have already reviewed and tested, like the RTX 4070 Ti, RX 7900 XT, and RTX 3080 to make sure that I have the most current scores to account for any driver updates. All of these scores are recorded and compared against the card's predecessor, its most direct rival, and the card directly above and below it in the product stack, if those cards are available.

I then average these scores to come to a final overall score and divide that by the card's MSRP to see how much performance every dollar or pound spent actually gets you to find how much value the card actually brings to the table.

Finally, I actually use the card in my own personal computer for several days, playing games, using apps like Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator, and watching for any anomalies, crashes, glitches, or visual disruptions that may occur during my time with the card. Having extensively covered and tested many graphics cards over the years, I know what a graphics card should do and how it should perform, and can readily identify when something is not performing up to expectations and when it exceeds them.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed April 2023

Acer Chromebook 516 GE review
3:11 am | January 13, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Chromebooks Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Editor's Note

• Original review date: December 2022
• Launch price: $650 (around £530 / AU$955)
• The Acer Chromebook 516 GE is still available, and a new model hasn't been announced as of September 2024

Update – September 2024: The Acer Chromebook 516 GE, one of the first gaming-oriented Chromebooks to hit the market, is still available. Its successor hasn't been announced, though it's unlikely any time soon since the specs for this device are still about as good as you can hope for in a Chromebook at this price.

Since the real focus of this device is to empower cloud gaming services through Nvidia GeForce Now, this Chromebook is as good today as it was when we reviewed it in December 2022.

Original review follows.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE: Two minute review

The Acer Chromebook 516 GE claims to be the world’s first gaming Chromebook, which is a title that is both technically true and utterly meaningless. With game streaming services like Nvidia GeForce NOW, any Chromebook with a solid internet connection can be a gaming machine, and that’s precisely how the 516 GE functions as of now, since the ChromeOS Alpha that would allow for Steam compatibility isn’t out yet.

That being said, this is a great Chromebook. Its performance is excellent, efficient and speedy in a way that belies its specs, and when you have a high-speed internet connection it streams games without a single hitch. Its airflow is great as well, as even playing demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 or Dying Light 2 for extended periods of time only makes the machine run slightly warm. And its superior performance extends to productivity, as it easily handles conference calls, web browsing, video streaming, spreadsheets, and more with no hiccups or slowdown.

The benchmarks back up these claims, as the scores for each test are much higher than most other Chromebooks. And supporting such great performance is the HD 2560 x 1600 display, and 120Hz refresh rate. However, there is one aspect that underwhelms: the sound quality. To put it bluntly, it’s really bad. At normal volume levels it’s just fine but as you raise the volume the sound quality becomes more congested. This is also a noticeable issue when gaming, which means you’ll have to invest in some gaming headsets to offset this.

The port selection is quite good for a Chromebook with two Type- C USB ports, one USB Type-A USB port, one Ethernet port, one combo jack, and one HDMI 2.0 port. You have something for all your needs, much like a dedicated Windows gaming laptop. It also has an excellent battery life, lasting seven hours on average during both normal and gaming use. Most other gaming machines can’t even come close to those numbers, which makes the 516 GE worth investing in alone. 

Its pricing, $650 (around £530 / AU$955), is a little steep for a Chromebook and the availability is not too great either, being nearly impossible to find outside the US. Within the US, there’s only a single model that has 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage space, as well as a Core i5-1240P CPU and Iris Xe Graphics GPU. It would be nice to see improved availability and options in the future, to better suit a wider variety of needs.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE: Price and availability

a dark laptop opened

(Image credit: Future)
  • How much does it cost? The single available model is $650 (around £530 / AU$955)
  • When is it out? It's out now
  • Where can you get it? In the US only
Acer Chromebook 516 GE Key Specs

Here is the Acer Chromebook 516 GE configuration sent to TechRadar for review:

CPU: Intel Core i5-1240P
Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
RAM: 8GB
Screen: 16" WQXGA (2560 x 1600) 16:10 120 Hz
Storage: 512GB
Optical drive: None
Ports: 2 x Type- C, 1 x USB Type-A, 1 x Ethernet, 1 x combo jack, 1 x HDMI 2.0
Connectivity: Wireless Wi-Fi 6E AX211, Bluetooth 5.2
Camera: 720p
Weight: 3.75 lbs
Size: 14 x 9.8 x 0.84 inches (W x D x H)

The price is more than right for the Acer Chromebook 516 GE that’s currently selling for $650 (around £530 / AU$955), an absolute steal for a gaming laptop. Of course, it has much more limited utility than the best gaming laptops running Windows, as it currently doesn’t have Steam available for download and can only game through Nvidia GeForce NOW, but gaming through the streaming service offers performance just as solid as through normal means.

Unfortunately, the availability of this Chromebook is already pitiful in the US, with just a single model available for purchase. And if you want this laptop in other regions like the UK or Australia, then you’re completely out of luck. In the US though, you may be able to save via the Acer promo codes currently available so remember to look.

  • Value: 3.5 / 5

Acer Chromebook 516 GE: Design

a keyboard

(Image credit: Future)
  • Lightweight with a solid chassis
  • Great keyboard but no numlock
  • Bad sound quality

The first thing you’ll notice about the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is that it’s huge for a Chromebook, which makes sense since it’s built for gaming. It’s not exactly sleek looking either, with a plain black chassis that’s more round than slender. But it’s still pretty lightweight despite it all.

Though the chassis is light, it doesn’t feel nearly as flimsy as many Chromebooks tend to, though it doesn’t have the same hardy weight and build as your average Windows gaming laptop. It works to the 516 CE’s advantage, making it far more portable and easier to carry around than said laptops.

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The keyboard functions well, with nice-sized keys that avoid excessive typos and a solid, responsive touchpad. It also comes with RGB backlighting, which makes it well-suited for late-night gaming sessions as well. We wish it had a numlock pad, which would have been super convenient for both gaming and any productivity work you might want to do. Instead, there are two speakers built-in on the sides, similar to the Alienware x15 R2, which should mean better sound quality, right?

Except that the sound quality is pretty bad. Even just listening to regular music on YouTube produces a very tinny, muddy sound quality with too much congestion, let alone how poor it sounds when gaming. You’ll definitely need to pick up one of the best PC gaming headsets for this laptop for your more serious gaming sessions and streams.

The port selection is pretty solid as well with one HDMI port, an Ethernet LAN port, two USB 3.2 Type-C ports, and a USB 3.2 Type-A port. Though I wish we had another Type-A port, there’s plenty going with a wide variety of ports for many different tasks and uses.

  • Design: 4 / 5

Acer Chromebook 516 GE: Performance

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  • Excellent performance
  • Can't run Steam on its own

The display is surprisingly great for a Chromebook, sporting a QHD panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio, 100 sRGB color reproduction, solid maximum brightness, and a 120Hz refresh rate. All this means is that games will look and run well onscreen, which is vital for more hardcore gaming sessions featuring fast-paced high-end PC titles.

Running a streaming service like Nvidia GeForce NOW, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE performs quite well. We tried it out using titles like Dying Light 2 and Dirt 5, which often have tons of objects or enemies on screen and would serve as a solid stress test for the Chromebook. 

Even using the basic streaming plan that offers a strict time limit and no frills like a more powerful graphics card, we rarely experienced any framerate drops and the graphics were quite good. The RTX 3080 tier, which is the highest possible tier for the GeForce NOW service, is where the 516 GE shines. The graphics and framerate are incredible, to the point that you forget you're even playing on a Chromebook in the first place. Of course, this all depends on the strength of your internet connection, so it's also best to invest in a high-speed connection.

We used the Kraken Javascript, Jetstream2, and Speedometer benchmarks to test the Acer Chromebook 516 GE. The first one tests general performance speed using real-world applications and libraries, the second tests the performance of browsers, and the third one measures the speed and responsiveness of a browser. 

Benchmarks

Here's how the Acer Chromebook 516 GE performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

Kraken benchmark: 498
Speedometer: 629
JetStream 2: 253
Movie battery test: 7 hours 15 minutes

Compared to other similar Chromebooks, the 516 GE Kraken Javascript benchmark is much faster than most other Chromebooks on the market, some by over a thousand milliseconds or more. The same goes for its Jetstream 2 benchmark scores, which are much higher than most other Chromebooks. Finally, the 629 score for Speedometer is incredibly high, over double the 300 score that’s already considered solid by testing standards. This Chromebook is a performance beast and is tailor-made to support any game streaming.

An important caveat to note, however, is that this Chromebook currently can’t run Steam on its own. According to Acer, this model is set to soon have the ChromeOS Alpha available, allowing the storefront to run properly. But even when that first launches, it’s still an alpha build which means bugs, instability, performance issues, and more will be waiting for you until the final version is hashed out. So don’t go buying this Chromebook unless you’re prepared to only invest in the Nvidia GeForce NOW or Amazon Luna streaming service subscriptions.

  • Performance: 5 / 5

Acer Chromebook 516 GE: Battery life

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(Image credit: Future)
  • Amazing battery life for a gaming machine
  • Charges fast thanks to the Type-C charger

Unlike most gaming laptops, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE has a great battery life, which is one of the defining features of the best Chromebooks, generally. In our movie test, which involved looping a dynamic, 1080p video until the battery gives out, The 516 CE lasted on average above seven hours, and for around the same amount of time for everyday use.

When gaming, the battery lasts just a little less than that, which is phenomenal for any gaming machine. If you’re in need of a quick gaming session and can’t get to an outlet, the 516 GE has your back. And it charges quickly thanks to the USB Type-C charger, so even a limited window of time (about an hour) will net you nearly a full charge.

  • Battery Life:  5 / 5

Should you buy an Acer Chromebook 516 GE?

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5, in silver, on a wooden desk

(Image credit: Future)

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

Acer Chromebook 516 GE Report card

  • First reviewed December 2022

How We Test

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

Read more about how we test

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