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Motorola Razr 50 Ultra review
11:30 am | November 12, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Tags: | Comments: Off

This review first appeared in issue 360 of PC Pro.

Motorola’s latest high-end flip-phone is competitively priced. At £1,000 inc VAT it costs the same as an iPhone 15 Pro, and more importantly £50 less than its direct rival, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip6. So the question is: has anything been sacrificed?

It’s certainly not style. In fact, I’d argue that the Razr 50 Ultra is the coolest phone you can buy. It comes in four colors that are as striking as the names Motorola gives them, namely Spring Green, Midnight Blue, Peach Fuzz and a Hot Pink that’s a throwback to 2005’s pink Razr V3. Everything about the design is thoughtful and slick, from the soft, suede-effect “vegan leather” (i.e., plastic) back that shows off the paint job nicely, to the humongous cover display – but more about that later.

It feels great in the hand, too. I found the size and weight very comfortable, whether the phone was opened or closed, and the folding mechanism snaps open and shut so satisfyingly that it becomes addictive. An IPX8 rating means it can take a dunk underwater without issue.

The specs are not to be sniffed at, either. The UK model has 12GB of RAM as standard, plus a roomy 512GB of built-in storage, and is powered by Qualcomm’s shiny new Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset. It’s a very tempting package with – as we’ll see – only a handful of shortcomings.

Displays outside and in

The most immediately striking thing about the Razr 50 Ultra’s design is its full-face cover display. It’s conspicuously bigger than the outer screen on last year’s Razr 40, and than the display on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6. As well as offering a decent amount of space for apps, it’s so sharp and bright – it’s rated at a maximum of 2,400cd/m2 – that it’s a joy to use in its own right.

The only catch with the outer display is the two holes punched out for the camera lenses, plus a third smaller one for the flash. I like the way the screen flows around the cameras, but it can cause practical obstacles – for example, some of the buttons on the Roku TV remote app were inaccessible. You can resize apps to fit better, but it’s a chore; this isn’t something that afflicts Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip6.

The foldable inner display is even brighter than the outer one, at 3,000cd/m2. It looks just as good, and it opens out impressively flat: I couldn’t even see the crease unless I held the phone at an angle, and I could barely feel it when I ran my finger across the screen.

Front view of the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra when folded upright

The foldable inner display opens out to an almost imperceptible flatness (Image credit: Future)

Software sins

The Razr 50 Ultra runs Motorola’s version of Android, but compared to other manufacturers the company has a light touch with customizations. The whole experience looks and feels a lot like using a Google Pixel, although Motorola only promises three major OS updates, versus five from Google and Samsung.

Motorola does, however, make a number of interesting additions to the Android interface, notably its gesture shortcuts. For example, I love the way you can open the camera app by twisting your wrist a couple of times. This works even when the phone is closed, which means you can grab a selfie by simply applying a quick double twist of your wrist, then holding the phone up in front of you. I also like the way you can “chop” the phone twice in the air to toggle the front light on and off.

Sadly, not everything about Motorola’s Android platform makes such a good impression. The Razr 50 Ultra software includes an AI wallpaper generator, which can in theory generate any background you describe – giving you a much freer hand than you’ll get with Google or Samsung phones.

Unfortunately, the results clearly suffer from the sort of AI bias I thought we’d left behind years ago. If you ask for people you’re certain to get white people, while “friends at the beach” produced images of girls in bikinis, and “a strong person” got me a shirtless muscleman. Such stereotyping leaves a sour taste in the mouth – and you can’t just keep trying until you get results you’re happy with, as there’s a limit to how many wallpapers you can render in a month. There’s not even an option to buy more images; you must wait until the following month to have another go.

Camera tricks

The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra is fun to shoot with in almost every situation. As I’ve mentioned, you can grab selfies without needing to unfold the phone, by just twisting your wrist (or tapping the Camera app). Open the phone up for portraits and the cover display gives the subject a handy view of what the camera’s seeing; it’s great to watch friends smile when they see themselves on the cover screen.

You can also use the phone’s folding design to stand it up on its own, and start a countdown by raising a palm. My favorite feature is the ability to switch into “camcorder mode” by simply opening out the screen halfway and aiming the camera at the action. The Razr Plus starts recording video automatically, and you can stop with a tap anywhere on the bottom half of the screen.

As for image quality, photos and videos captured by the Razr 50 Ultra make a great first impression, with bright, rich colors – but I did hit a few issues in my testing. Focusing didn’t always hit the mark, especially with close-ups, even after I’d tapped on my desired focus point; and while I took care to use the digital level, my landscape photos sometimes came out crooked. I also felt that blurred bokeh backgrounds looked processed and artificial, without the smoothness you’d get from a full-sized camera lens. Still, the overall quality is fine for everyday casual snaps, and I’m inclined to forgive a few foibles when the act of shooting is such a joy.

Motorola Razr 50 Ultra main image

The superb outer display is extremely bright and highly practical (Image credit: Future)

Performance and battery

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset inside the Razr 50 Ultra is a middleweight model, delivering similar levels of performance to last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (as in the Galaxy Z Flip5) but with lower power demands.

That means it can’t keep up with the Flip6, which includes the full-fat Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip: it scored 4,848 in Geekbench 6’s multicore test compared to 7,022 for the Flip6. But this remains a fast phone. My apps ran perfectly smoothly and snappily; even fancy tricks such as opening the camera with gestures, or moving an app from the big internal display to the smaller cover screen, worked without delay. The phone also did a great job playing games and movies, including high-resolution multiplayer games such as Call of Duty: Mobile.

The only hiccup I encountered was with Motorola’s AI features. Leaving aside my issues with the wallpaper generator, I found AI-enhanced features such as text editing and photo editing laggy, especially compared to similar features on the Pixel 8 Pro and Galaxy S24 – and sometimes tasks would fail completely.

It’s a clunky experience, but that may be down to first-generation software. Qualcomm claims the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 has a generous amount of on-device AI processing power, and I found Google Gemini ran smoothly on the Razr 50 Ultra’s cover display (something you can’t do on the Galaxy Z Flip6). Motorola says that new AI capabilities will be coming to the phone in future updates, so here’s hoping that overall performance will also be optimized and improved.

While the Razr 50 Ultra isn’t the fastest phone around, it’s admirably power-efficient. Its 4,000mAh battery is only 7.5% larger than the cell in the Galaxy Z Flip5, yet it achieves almost 50% more battery life. In our tests we regularly enjoyed more than 14 hours of screen time with the Razr 50 Ultra.

The phone supports fast 45W charging too, although there’s no charger included in the box, so if you want speedy top-ups you’ll need to source a suitable power supply separately. You can also recharge via a Qi2 wireless charger, although when I tried this I experienced an odd glitch where the screen woke up every few seconds while charging. Hopefully a future software update will fix this.

The sleek plastic casing of the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra

The “vegan leather” back adds to the phone’s good looks (Image credit: Future)

An open and shut case

If you’re sick of the same old smartphone designs, the Razr 50 Ultra is the perfect cure. Aside from the inherent appeal of the folding format, it’s bright and colorful inside and out, the king-sized cover display is both attractive and practical, and the hinge snaps open and shut with a terrifically pleasing action.

There are rough edges. The AI-powered image generator should never have been released with its current biases, and the other AI tools aren’t as snappy as they are on other handsets.

Frankly, though, you can ignore the AI gimmicks and still find much to like about the Razr 50 Ultra. Perhaps the best reason to hold off buying this phone is that, historically, Motorola has a habit of offering great discounts on its top-end handsets once the initial launch period has passed – and often also adds new colors to the range, in partnership with Pantone. Even at full price, though, the Razr 50 Ultra is a decent deal in a selection of great-looking finishes. It’s an easy recommendation for anyone looking to take a walk on the flip-side.

We also rated the best phones that incorporate artificial intelligence.

Motorola Razr 50 review
11:27 am |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Tags: | Comments: Off

This review first appeared in issue 360 of PC Pro.

If the Razr 50 Ultra is too pricey, Motorola also offers a regular version of its latest flip phone. At only £800 inc VAT it’s the cheapest of the current generation of foldables, yet it manages to match much of the style and appeal of the Ultra.

It too comes in a cool choice of colors, ranging from sober Koala Grey through tasteful Beach Sand to Spritz Orange. The vegan leather casing remains, with its contoured edges and lightweight feel, and the updated folding mechanism opens and closes with a satisfying snap.

The Razr 50 also has a generously sized cover screen, with the same two punched-out holes for the camera lenses. It doesn’t quite cover the entire front of the phone as the Ultra’s does, but it’s big enough to be both useful and attractive, with a 90Hz refresh rate and a sharp 413ppi pixel density. You can happily capture selfies with the rear cameras, use the half-unfolded phone as a desk display and even run full apps without opening up the case. It’s protected by a Gorilla Glass Victus coating, and the whole thing boasts an IPX8 water resistant design.

The 6.9in OLED inner display looks great, too. This has the same sharp density as the outer screen, a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and a maximum brightness of 3,000cd/m2, making it a joy to use even in direct sunlight. The crease is visible, but less so than on older flip phones.

Close up of the Motorola Razr 50 camera

The outer screen has a 90Hz refresh rate and a sharp 413ppi pixel density (Image credit: Future)

One significant difference between the Razr 50 and the Ultra is that this model doesn’t have a telephoto lens, instead pairing a decent 50MP main camera with a 13MP ultrawide. I prefer this arrangement for vlogging, selfies and group photos, as the ultrawide lets you capture more of the scene, while an upgraded photo booth mode works with both the inner and outer displays. In camcorder mode the Razr 50 can capture 4K video at up to 60fps, in either vertical or horizontal positions, although there’s no HDR support.

The Razr 50 also benefits from the AI enhancements to improve photo quality and stabilize your videos, and when I compared image quality between this phone and the pricier Razr 50 Ultra I couldn’t see much difference. The colors are more subdued and dynamic range isn’t as good in the shadows, but the Razr 50 still produces fine photos. The biggest compromise is the all-digital zoom; it works pretty well, but look closely and zoomed-in images are smudgy compared to those taken with the 50 Ultra.

Another noteworthy difference between the Razr 50 and the Ultra is the processor. In place of the Ultra’s Snapdragon chip, the standard Razr uses a MediaTek Dimensity 7300X chip, which is a mid-range performer. It’s also backed up by a more modest 8GB of memory and 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage.

Even so, apps run smoothly, and in everyday use I barely noticed any difference between this phone and the Ultra. While it got a little hung up during intense battle scenes in Age of Origins, gaming is certainly achievable. Indeed, there’s an optional Turbo mode to eke out the best gaming performance possible, at the expense of battery life.

Woman taking a photo of a friend using the Motorola Razr 50

The outer screen comes into its own when you’re taking photos of friends (Image credit: Future)

I’m pleased to see all of Motorola’s software enhancements here, too. I love the personalisation options for the outer display, and the gestures such as chopping to instantly turn on the torch. The Razr 50 also includes Google Gemini, which can be accessed directly from the external display, but it’s worth noting that this phone won’t get the full set of future Moto AI features that are supposed to be coming to the Ultra. At this point it’s difficult to say how much that matters, but it could become frustrating over the lifetime of the phone. On that point, the Razr 50 also has a comparatively short software support period, with Motorola promising only three years of major Android updates.

One thing the Razr 50 isn’t short of is battery life. In our rundown test it managed an excellent screen-on time of 14hrs 37mins – almost half an hour longer than the Ultra – and in real-world use I’ve found it generally ends the day with a remaining charge of around 35%.

Motorola Razr 50 main image

At only 15.9mm thick when closed, the Razr 50 is eminently portable (Image credit: Future)

For recharging, the Razr 50 supports fast 30W charging, which got me from zero to 58% in half an hour, plus 15W wireless charging for cable-free top-ups.

In all, the Razr 50 is an impressive proposition. Sure, it’s not the greatest flip phone in the world: if you want optical zoom, top-tier gaming performance and the full set of AI features you’ll need to pay the extra for the Ultra. Even so, the Razr 50 offers a laundry list of plus points, including a great outer screen, an attractive design with water resistance, decent performance, strong battery life and a pretty positive camera experience. For the price, it’s a fantastic deal.

We also tested the best Android phones.

CyberPowerPC Infinity X145 Elite review
11:24 am |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Tags: | Comments: Off

This review first appeared in issue 360 of PC Pro.

Timing is everything when buying a gaming PC. You want to squeeze every last morsel out of your budget at the moment of purchase, and right now, CyberPowerPC is backing Intel’s mid-range Core i5-14400F processor due to its bang-per-penny: you have ten cores and 16 threads when you need them, but a single core can push up to 4.7GHz using Intel’s Max Turbo mode. A generous 32GB of DDR5 RAM means that memory will never be a bottleneck.

The Intel chip’s main partner in crime is Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4060 graphics, which inevitably don’t have the numbers of the RTX 4070 Super in the Palicomp system opposite – their respective scores of 10,518 and 18,932 in 3DMark Time Spy underline the difference in power – but are enough for fluid 1440p gaming.

You may have to compromise on detail settings if you want to hit 100fps, however. At High detail, Cyberpunk 2077 averaged 80fps, Dirt 5 hit 97fps, Shadow of the Tomb Raider broke through to 103fps but Metro Exodus Enhanced managed only 63fps. Moving to Ultra detail dropped those respective results to 53fps, 77fps, 93fps and 59fps. 4K gaming is too ambitious with this set of games, only breaking the 60fps barrier when I activated DLSS in Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

CyberPowerPC Infinity X145 Elite benchmarks

(Image credit: Future)

For this PC’s foundation, CyberPowerPC chooses the MSI Pro Z790-S WiFi, which is part of MSI’s professional series. That means no RGB, with chunky black heatsinks the order of the day. This includes a shield to cover the main M.2 drive, a fast 1TB WD Black SN770, with a second M.2 slot available.

You also get Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 built in, while the rear of the board offers a 2.5GbE LAN port, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 port (20Gbits/sec) and six USB-A ports. There’s no support for case-mounted USB-C ports, which may be one reason why CyberPowerPC opted for the Eluna 243 chassis. This includes three USB-A ports conveniently located along the front, next to the power button. The button kept sticking in my tests, but when I brought this to the attention of CyberPowerPC it assured me the problem had now been fixed.

That’s a relief, because this is a nice-looking chassis, with a subtle white grille effect on the front that allows the trio of RGB fans to shine through in a subtle haze rather than a blast of color. Naturally, there’s a tempered glass panel on the side to give an unimpeded view, which will be dominated by the 120mm RGB fan atop the Cooler Master air cooler. Having read Lee Grant’s views on liquid coolers this month, I’m more than happy with that choice.

The chic and spacious chassis of the CyberPowerPC Infinity X145 Elite

The Eluna 243 chassis provides lots of room for expansion (Image credit: Future)

This provides ample cooling to Intel’s Core i5 processor, which performed to its full in every test: along with the Geekbench 6 scores below, it scored 13,829 in Cinebench R23 multicore, while switching to the newer Cinebench 2024 (the scores aren’t comparable with R23) it hit 837 in the multicore section, 106 for a single CPU core and 9,747 in the GPU-specific test. That compares to 1,028, 110 and 18,785 for the more expensive Palicomp PC opposite.

CyberPowerPC Infinity X145 Elite's elegant air cooler and fan

A 120mm RGB fan sits on top of the air cooler (Image credit: Future)

CyberPowerPC’s choice wins for efficiency, however, consuming 52W at idle and peaking at 309W across our tests. It was a quiet guest in my lab, too, only going above a low hum when playing games. A high-quality 650W, 80 Plus Cooler Master power supply means you have plenty of “power budget” if you decide to upgrade any components, while there is room for internal expansion thanks to three empty PCI-E slots. Technically two DIMM sockets are also free, but you’ll need to switch coolers as its fan overlaps the first slot. Remove the chassis’ left-hand panel and you’ll also find space for three more drives, with one 2.5in drive mounting plate and caddies for two 3.5in disks.

I also appreciate the five-year warranty, with the first two years covering parts, labor and courier costs; the final three years are labor-only, and you’ll need to stump up for shipping to CyberPowerPC UK’s Gateshead base. In fact, I liked everything about this PC apart from the niggles I faced with that power button.

We also ranked the best gaming consoles.

Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Gen 9 review
10:52 am |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Tags: | Comments: Off

This review first appeared in issue 360 of PC Pro.

While HP’s Elite x360 2-in-1 laptop would wear a bowler hat if it could, the Yoga 9i is a free spirit. It wants you to make art not presentations, to view films not spreadsheets, to sit in cafés not end-of-quarter sales meetings. That’s not to say it can’t look serious – if anything, the slim, dark blue metal chassis could be a funkier color – but it essentially screams entertainment.

Sideview of Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Gen 9's chassis

The Yoga 9i is encased in a slim, dark blue metal chassis (Image credit: Future)

Let’s start with the 14in OLED panel. While it peaked at a modest 402cd/m2 in our SDR tests, its VESA TrueBlack 500 certification shows in punchy colors when watching films or playing games. It covers 119% of the DCI-P3 gamut and you can trust its colors, too, with an average Delta E of 0.45. The native color temperature is a fraction warm, so whites aren’t as blazing as I like when typing in Word, but a density of 242ppi thanks to its 2,880 x 1,800 resolution makes the edges of text look razor sharp.

Lenovo includes its Slim Pen stylus, which magnetically attaches to the top of the lid. I love the firmness of the connection, but it doesn’t charge at the same time; there’s a USB-C slot at the top of the pen. As ever when using a plastic tip on a glass surface you can’t expect a paper-like experience, but digital artists will appreciate the minimal 18ms lag, and the Smart Notes app is great for scribbles and sketches. At 1.3kg this isn’t an iPad rival, but I was happy holding it in the crook of my arm while doodling.

The keyboard is no ThinkPad in terms of “feel”, but there’s a generous 1.5mm of travel and the keys are large and easy to hit. Lenovo adds a bunch of shortcut keys on the right-hand side: eye-care mode, mute, a shortcut to its useful Vantage app for controlling settings, and a performance mode switcher.

Full view of the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Gen 9

This is by no means a bad laptop, but others offer better value (Image credit: Future)

During benchmarking I opted for Lenovo’s high-performance mode, but don’t get too excited.

Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H is a fine processor, but the Geekbench 6 scores printed below won’t concern AMD or Qualcomm, while its PCMark 10 score of 6,392 is strong but not incredible. Likewise a multicore result of 816 in Cinebench 2024.

Where Intel’s chip continues to beat Qualcomm is gaming, and there is potential here: 41fps in Dirt 5 at 1200p is a respectable return, as is 30fps at the screen’s native resolution, but you’ll need to find less demanding titles to benefit from the panel’s 120Hz refresh rate. I thoroughly enjoyed Dirt 5’s pumping soundtrack through the Yoga’s speakers, though, with far more bass than I’m used to from laptops. That’s thanks to a pair of 2W woofers in the base.

Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Gen 9 benchmarks

(Image credit: Future)

Unlike the ThinkPad T14s (see p56), the Yoga 9i isn’t designed for easy maintenance. The difficulty isn’t so much in getting inside the chassis – four Torx T5 screws offer little resistance – as what you can do once you’re there. It’s good to see QR codes to help identify components, but I would only feel confident replacing the M.2 SSD – a scorching 1TB unit that returned 6,197MB/sec sequential reads – and the 75Wh battery.

Two months ago, I would have been full of praise about this laptop’s battery life: 12hrs 40mins under light use is a fine result. Or it was, until Snapdragon-based chips almost doubled my expectations. Still, that’s enough to mean you don’t need to sling the 65W charger into your bag on the daily commute, and it recharges speedily: 41% in half an hour, 75% after an hour.

Convertible chassis of the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Gen 9 folded for viewing pleasure

Colors pop when watching films or playing games (Image credit: Future)

Lenovo is throwing in a couple of sweeteners. Use the part code 83AC000FUK and you’ll receive a swanky cover – complete with a loop for the stylus – and a three-in-one USB-C hub that adds USB-A, VGA and HDMI. These complement the three USB-C ports and one USB-A port tucked into the laptop’s narrow base (there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, too). It’s a shame the hub doesn’t include an RJ45 port, and while I’m wishing it would also have been nice to see Wi-Fi 7 rather than Wi-Fi 6E. You can configure the Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Gen 9 on Lenovo’s website, with options such as 32GB of RAM, a higher-res screen and a grey finish rather than blue. But this pre-configured system is better value, especially as it was on sale for £1,500, a £200 discount, at the time of going to press. Still, I’m not convinced that’s bargain enough. Despite all the quality on show, the price feels like it should be closer to £1,300 to compete with the deluge of laptops currently appearing on shelves.

We also rated the best gaming PCs.

Zyxel USG Lite 60AX review
10:47 am |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Comments: Off

This review first appeared in issue 360 of PC Pro.

SMBs and home offices seeking an affordable all-in-one security router will find Zyxel’s USG Lite 60AX a worthy contender. This diminutive desktop unit teams up a Wi-Fi 6 access point (AP) with an integral multi-gigabit switch, and the price includes a lifetime subscription to Zyxel’s Security Cloud.

This service includes a firewall, ransomware and malware prevention, VPN proxy, intrusion, dark web and ad blockers, application identification, GeoIP country restrictions, and mail fraud and phishing protection. The optional Elite Pack licence enables the Trellix-powered real-time threat intelligence and web category filtering services as well as a Nebula Pro Pack and costs £33 per year.

The router is designed to be desk-mounted, with the small and flimsy base stand rotated round to keep it upright. The switch has two 2.5GbE multi-gigabit ports for WAN and LAN connections and partners them with another four gigabit LAN ports, while the AX6000-rated AP claims speeds of 1,148Mbits/sec on the 2.4GHz radio and 4,804Mbits/sec for the 5GHz one.

Full view of the Zyxel USG Lite 60AX router

The tiny USG Lite 60AX has been designed to sit on a desk (Image credit: Future)

The router’s local web interface provides only a basic status view and, to manage it, you assign it to your Nebula cloud account. This is easy enough to do: we used the Nebula iOS app on an iPad to scan the QR code on its base and add it to our site.

The device appears in the Nebula dashboard as a new security router, and the main view can be easily customized. Dedicated widgets are provided for the router’s uptime and firmware status, threat detection by category and client, the top ten apps discovered by the application identification service and an OS chart of connected clients.

For wireless services, you can create up to eight site SSIDs each with their own WPA2 or WPA3 authentication scheme and decide which radios are active on each one. Setting the guest option on an SSID enables L2 isolation so wireless clients can’t see each other. You can assign custom captive portals with your own logos and greeting messages, a walled garden and clickthrough, voucher, Facebook or Nebula authentication.

Web interface of the Zyxel USG Lite 60AX

Zyxel’s Nebula cloud portal provides remote management (Image credit: Future)

Wireless performance will depend on whether the application identification service is enabled – when testing Zyxel’s SCR 50AXE desktop router, we found it hit wireless speeds by up to 50%. Fortunately, the USG Lite 60AX has a more powerful quad-core 2GHz CPU so its impact was far less concerning.

We tested with a Lenovo Windows 11 Pro 24H2 client equipped with a TP-Link Archer TBE550E Wi-Fi 7 PCI-E adapter. With application identification disabled, we recorded close-range file copy speeds between the client and a server on the 2.5GbE LAN of 164MB/sec, which dropped by 16.5% to 137MB/sec with it turned on.

The six threat management components are accessed from the Nebula security router settings page and can be enabled or disabled using slider bars. Nebula’s threat report provides an activity graph, a map showing the countries they’re coming from and tables of threats by category and client, with the latter allowing you to instantly block systems if their hit rate is excessive.

Application identification provides options to apply custom app blocking lists and traffic shaping rules for selected clients. The Elite Pack licence is well worth considering as its web content filtering presents 103 URL categories and access can also be fine-tuned for clients or IP addresses.

The USG Lite 60AX is a great entry-level security router, and lifetime support for Zyxel’s Security Cloud service means there are no ongoing costs to worry about. Application identification does have a modest impact on performance but it delivers a fine range of security features, and businesses with remote workers will appreciate Zyxel’s Nebula cloud management.

We also compared the best routers for gaming.

BenQ Mobiuz EX321UX review: performance matches the price
9:36 pm | November 11, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets | Comments: Off

BenQ Mobiuz EX321UX: Two-minute review

BenQ has built a strong reputation for delivering great monitors that cater to creators and gamers. Supporting both ends of the spectrum is the BenQ Mobiuz EX321UX. One of the finest 32-inch mini-LED displays released this year, this 4K monitor is highlighted by an IPS panel that features a peak brightness of 1,000 nits and DisplayHDR 1000 certification. Offering a fantastic contrast ratio of 1000:1, there are 1,152 local dimming zones with a color gambit covering 99% Adobe RGB and 99% P3.

That alone would make this a fine monitor for creatives who stream or edit photos and videos. Meanwhile, PixSoul Engine does a fantastic job of making game visuals top-tier by using BenQ’s Game Color Database for advanced game-specific color modes. It also incorporates AI calculations for real-time adjustments of brightness and contrast, meaning regardless of what style of games you’re into, the visuals will look fantastic.

Performance-minded gamers needing a competitive edge have much to appreciate about the EX321UX. Paired with the respectable 144Hz refresh rate, the EX321UX also has a 1ms response time and FreeSync Premium Pro capabilities. Then there are various graphic overlays for both frame rate counters and crosshairs as well. Outside of PC gaming, there are enough ports to satisfy streamers and multi-platform gamers alike. As with most higher-end BenQ monitors, the EX321UX comes with an intuitive remote control, which makes applying various settings an easy task.

Those ports also allow for KVM, letting you use a set of keyboard and mouse inputs on two video import devices. This is great for streamers who use one PC for gaming and another for streaming with software like OBS. On the sound side of things, an eARC HDMI port gives 7.1 channel audio support for your choice of speakers.

The EX321UX could be considered the best mini-LED display in the 32-inch space now if a few things didn’t hold it back. The most notable aspect is the high $1,199 price point, which, when compared to the rest of the best 4K gaming monitors available that offer similar performance, might be a bit too much. Then again, the image quality alone is worth the price of admission.

The other issue is that the focus on adding eARC compatibility means this monitor doesn’t have a built-in speaker system. If money isn’t a problem and you have a nice speaker or headset system ready for use, the EX321UX is an absolute must-buy.

BenQ Mobiuz EX321UX: Price & availability

A BenQ Mobiuz EX321UX monitor on a table

(Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)
  • How much does it cost? $1,199/£ 1,099.99/ AU $2,199
  • When is it available? Available now
  • Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

The BenQ EX321UX is now available in the US, UK, and AU territories for $1,199, £1,099.99, and AU $2,199 respectively. Potential buyers across those countries can buy directly from the manufacturer’s online store or various retailers like Amazon. For an IPS mini-LED panel, the cost may seem like a lot compared to other 32-inch 4K gaming monitors. However, the 1,000 nits brightness, HDR, PixSoul AI Engine, and 99% P3 and Adobe RGB makes this one of the best looking gaming monitors available. That doesn’t even count the loads of extras from eARC HDMI and KVM capabilities to the selection of ports and overlays.

If that’s a bit much, the Gigabyte M32UC is a wonderful alternative for around $450 and comes with built-in speakers. One would say that for the $1,199 price range, potential buyers could move into the OLED realm through outstanding gaming monitors like the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9.

  • Value: 4.5 / 5

BenQ Mobiuz EX321UX: Specs

BenQ Mobiuz EX321UX: Design

A BenQ Mobiuz EX321UX monitor on a table

(Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)
  • The overall design is more in line with function over form
  • Features remote control and loads of ports

Weighing in at around 16 lbs, the BenQ Mobiuz EX321UX is easy to control during setup. There’s an attached screw at the base that connects to the neck which is then linked to the display’s back panel. Once that’s done, you can adjust for height, tilt, and swivel. Going for more of a three-leg base means that the front legs aren’t obtrusive and won’t take up much space.

When it comes to the visual design on the EX321UX, it’s definitely more function over form. The front looks pretty boring - but who cares when the image quality is that beautiful? Having an all white back panel does offer a slight amount of aggressive flair, and you won’t find customizable RGB lighting.

Power comes from a standard power port that connects to a brick adapter before the power socket. The power port sits next to a large number of ports that allow you to connect various video and audio outputs alongside features like KVM capabilities. Outside of the singular eARC HDMI port, there are two standard HDMI 2.1 ports and a singular DisplayPort 2.1. Then there are three USB-C connections for various usage in addition to three USB-A ports. Rounding out the ports is a 3.5mm headphone jack so you can connect one of the best gaming headsets available to make up for the lack of built-in speakers.

On the bottom center is the power button, thumbstick for settings navigation, and quick switch button. These do a good enough job of changing various options, but the included remote comes in pretty handy, too. Navigating menus to change settings such as audio, video, and feature settings or even just turning it on and off was a breeze.

  • Design: 4 / 5

BenQ Mobiuz EX321UX: Features

A BenQ Mobiuz EX321UX monitor on a table

(Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)
  • PixSoul Engine provides great image enhancement
  • eARC HDMI allows great audio experiences
  • KVM and various overlays significantly add to the total package

As mentioned previously, the highlight of the BenQ EX321UX’s outstanding image quality is an accumulation of its mini-LED IPS panel, high brightness, and 1,152 local dimming zones with a color gambit covering 99% Adobe RGB and 99% P3. Taking things over the top is the PixSoul Engine, which utilizes BenQ’s Game Color Database for game-specific color modes and integrated AI algorithms for real-time adjustments of brightness and contrast. This does a fantastic job of making games look better while providing necessary visual information and avoiding damage to the immersive experience. Though the pre-selected image filtering looks great, the default Display HDR mode is simply wonderful in terms of image quality.

Not many gaming displays feature eARC HDMI as many gamers usually use headphones anyway. However, having the port that supports 7.1 channel audio on hand is something special for video editors and gamers who don’t want to put on a headset. Of course, video content through YouTube or streaming services like Netflix could benefit from the capability if you’re fine with using supported speakers.

KVM capabilities are perfect for streamers who offset the heavy computing of games on one computer with high-fidelity video streaming on another device. It works pretty simply and switching between devices takes roughly as long as switching between video inputs. Finally, there are various overlays for frame rates and crosshairs for shooter fans. All of these features are controlled through the in-display thumbstick or handy remote control.

  • Features: 4.5 / 5

BenQ Mobiuz EX321UX: Performance

A BenQ Mobiuz EX321UX monitor on a table

(Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)
  • Image quality is outstanding and enhanced by PixSoul
  • Game performance sets the standard for high-end gaming monitors

Modern PC gaming benchmarks of visual fidelity look amazing on the EX321UX, such as Cyberpunk 2077, Hellblade II: Senua’s Sacrifice, Alan Wake II, and more. The 1,000 nit brightness and 1,152 local dimming zones allow for bold, crisp color and incredibly deep blacks. HDR capabilities further enhance visuals without the brightness making images look flat. This even applies to more general computing tasks like web browsing where font reading is a pleasurable experience. Color accuracy is fantastic thanks to its high color gamut which many Adobe Suite users will appreciate.

Gaming performance is pretty top tier as well. The max 144Hz refresh rate allows for buttery smooth gameplay while the 1ms response time allows for lag-free tracking of on-screen elements. Holding all of that together to prevent screen tearing is FreeSync Premium Pro compatibility. Some of the games we tested, such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, Forza Motorsport (2023), and Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, proved that the EX321UX can handle fast-paced, twitch leaning gameplay. Add various overlays like crosshairs and competitive gamers will definitely have an edge with this display.

  • Performance: 5 / 5

Should you buy the BenQ Mobiuz EX321UX?

Buy it if...

You want fantastic gaming performance

Aspiring esports gamers or gaming enthusiasts are going to appreciate the 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and FreeSync Premium Pro.

You need outstanding image quality

The excellent image quality of this 32-inch mini-LED 4K gaming monitor is due to its 1,000 nits brightness, DisplayHDR 1000 certification, PixSoul AI Engine, and 99% DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB color coverage. This makes it ideal for gamers and creatives.

You want a lot of extra features

KVM and various screen overlays from frame rate counters to crosshairs are met with the fantastic PixSoul AI Engine.

Don't buy it if...

You need something affordable

$1,199 is likely out of the price range for more budget-minded consumers.

You want built-in speakers

Having a headset and eARC HDMI means users will be taken care of audio-wise, but other monitors for the same price offer in-display speakers.

Also consider

Gigabyte M32UC

Though the brightness and HDR doesn’t match the BenQ EX321UX, the $450 Gigabyte M32UC is more than serviceable for gamers in need of a 32-inch 4K gaming monitor.

Read the full Gigabyte M32UC review

Samsung Odyssey OLED G9

Paying over $1,000 for a gaming monitor with an IPS panel may not make much sense when OLEDs are making waves. For example, the ultrawide Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 could be something potential buyers can consider.

Read the full Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 review

How I tested the BenQ Mobiuz EX321UX

The BenQ Mobiuz EX321UX was tested over a two-week period. During the day, tasks primarily involved using Google Chrome and Slack. This included working with Google Docs, project management software Asana, and social media management tools like Hootsuite.

Slack was also used extensively for communication across different channels, providing an opportunity to test the monitor's performance during general everyday use. Additionally, Adobe Suite software, including Premiere Pro and Photoshop, was used to evaluate color accuracy on the monitor.

To assess overall image quality, games such as Alan Wake II, Forza Motorsport (2023), and Hellblade II: Senua’s Sacrifice were played, focusing on technical visual details and art direction. Performance and game enhancement features were tested with games like Fortnite and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. Other games played included Starfield and Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon.

I have spent several years covering monitors and other PC components for TechRadar. In addition to gaming, I have over a decade of experience with Adobe Suite.

  • First reviewed November 2024
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D review: a gaming dynamo with new, unexpected suprises
8:24 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Computing Components Gadgets | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D: Two-minute review

This generation of processors has been a mixed bag at best (and disappointing at worst), so it makes sense that Team Red would go all out to ensure the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D delivered something that exceeded expectations.

In that regard, the 9800X3D is a smashing success, delivering substantially better gaming performance than the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D that it replaces, though at a slightly higher $479 / £449.99 (about AU$700) price point. For gamers though, most will happily pay a bit more for a roughly 15% increase in gaming performance on average.

The chip isn't without faults, though. It isn't the absolute best processor for gaming in terms of framerates (that title belongs to the Intel Core i9-14900K over several games, averaged out), but where the last-gen Intel flagship simply threw raw wattage to get to the top, AMD's latest gaming processor uses substantially less power to come within 6% of the 14900K's overall gaming performance, a difference that is so close to being within the margin of variance and test setups that if I reran all my tests next week, the 9800X3D might beat it outright.

But, honestly, it doesn't need to do that. Intel's 14900K is overkill for anyone not running creative workloads like video editing, and the power cost is simply too high to justify getting an extra 6% overall gaming performance in synthetic tests. The Ryzen 9800X3D, meanwhile, will get you effectively identical actual performance and at a lower cost, both in MSRP terms, but also reduced power consumption and indirect savings like not needing to shell out for a 360mm AIO cooler to get the most out of the chip.

For that, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is indisputably the best processor for gaming you can buy right now, and it cements 3D V-Cache as the second most impressive innovation for gaming hardware after AI upscaling and it's something that Intel just doesn't have an answer for it.

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D: Price & availability

An AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D in its retail packaging

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
  • How much is it? Its MSRP is $479 / £449.99 (about AU$700)
  • When is it out? It went on sale November 7, 2024
  • Where can you get it? You can get it in the US, UK, and Australia

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is available now in the US, UK, and Australia for $479 / £449.99 / AU$799, respectively.

This is a bump up from the price of the Ryzen 7 7800X3D it replaces, which launched at $449 / £439 / AU$779. I would have loved to see the price remain the same, of course, but the last-gen chip wasn't exactly a cheap processor to begin with, and both chips are very much targeted at an enthusiast market where the price bump here isn't exactly going to be a dealbreaker—so long as the performance increase justifies the bump in price.

In terms of Intel's competing offerings right now, on the performance side, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (and Intel Core i9-14900K, for that matter) is $110 / £100 / AU$300 more expensive to get the same kind of gaming performance. As for in-class silicon, the 9800X3D is about 15-20% more expensive than the competing Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, and is roughly 33% more expensive than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X.

Essentially, the 9800X3D is a specialist chip for gamers, and while it isn't a performance slouch, at this price it's really only for PC gamers who want the best overall gaming processor and don't much care about stellar performance elsewhere. For those who need more than just a gaming chip, other options from AMD and Intel will be a better fit for the price.

  • Value: 3.5 / 5

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D: Specs

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D: Features & chipset

A mockup of the design of AMD's 2nd-generation 3D V-cache

(Image credit: AMD)

The fundamental specs of the 9800X3D aren't much different from the 7800X3D. They both sport the same 8-core/16-thread setup as the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, but like the 7800X3D, the 9800X3D has an additional 64MB L3 cache while the Ryzen 7 9700X only has 32MB L3 cache.

This 3D V-Cache in the Ryzen 7 9800X3D has been redesigned from the previous two generations of AMD X3D chips. This second-generation 3D V-Cache, as AMD calls it, fundamentally changes how the 3D V-Cache die interfaces with the main processing die, which addresses some of the main complaints of the previous two generations of X3D chips.

In the first iteration of 3D V-Cache, the extra cache die was stacked on top of the main processing cores, but with 2nd-generation V-Cache, the extra cache die is underneath the main die, leaving the main processing cores free to directly interface with the CPU cooler.

This is a big deal, since the processing cores are where all the heat is being generated, so having an extra layer of silicon between it and the CPU cooler had a lot of implications for what the chip could do. Thermals had to be carefully managed, so clock speeds had to be kept in check and there was no ability to overclock the chip.

By moving the 3D V-Cache die underneath the main processor core complex, the thermal restraints around clock speeds and voltage no longer apply, so the 9800X3D is the first 3D V-cache chip to feature full overclocking support, allowing precise voltage controls at the same voltage limits as the rest of the Ryzen 9000-series lineup.

Compared to the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, then, the 9800X3D benefits from noticeably faster base clock and boost clock speeds out of the box, and overclockers can now tinker with their CPUs without too much concern that they'll brick the chip (though with overclocking, that is always possible and can void your warranty, so use caution).

Beyond that, the only major change from the previous generation is faster DDR5 memory support, from 5200MHz with the 7800X3D to 5600MHz with the 9800X3D, though both chips support AMD EXPO memory overclocking for even faster memory speeds.

  • Features: 4 / 5

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D: Performance

At the end of the day though, all that fancy new tech wouldn't amount to much if the chip's performance didn't deliver, and thankfully, it does - though not universally.

In the synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D showed very strong single-core performance on par with the rest of the Ryzen 9000-series lineup. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D, meanwhile, lags behind its Ryzen 7000 siblings noticeably, owing to the need to control thermals by limiting clock speeds. The Ryzen 9800X3D does not have this problem. Likewise, its multi-core performance is also unconstrained, running ahead of the Ryzen 7 9700X across the board.

On the creative front, this is generally not going to be a chip for creatives to concern themselves with - though there is one exception. If you're a photographer or graphic designer who does a lot of work in Adobe Photoshop or its alternatives, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D's extra cache is going to be a serious benefit for your workflows, beating out even the Intel Core i9-14900K in PugetBench for Adobe Photoshop be a few hundred points.

Everyone else though, this chip is not going to do much for you.

On the gaming side, this is where the 9800X3D really shows off, though there's a bit of a caveat to that. In games where the main CPU bottleneck is game logic, such as Total War: Warhammer III or Civilization VI, the extra 3D V-Cache isn't necessarily going to help your game performance. In that instance, you're going to want something with the fastest clocks possible to plow through all those AI decision trees or physics calculations before a game frame is even drawn.

As such, Intel's last-gen (and even current-gen) chips have an advantage in some games like Returnal (where complex bullet and geometry physics are the main CPU workload) or Total War: Warhammer III (where a lot of individual actors need to have their logic calculated quickly) because these gaming workloads benefit from faster clock speeds.

Where 3D V-Cache really benefits gaming is when there's data being communicated from the CPU to the GPU, like texture files or model geometry, and that additional cache memory can retain these smaller-but-not-tiny files in the fastest possible memory that can hold it. This mitigates the latency introduced when drawing a new game frame when the CPU has to go back to RAM to fetch a file because it didn't already have it in its much closer cache memory.

Games like F1 2023 and Tiny Tina's Wonderland benefited mightily from the extra available cache. In the case of the former, the Ryzen 9800X3D just wallops the Intel Core i9-14900K, and in the case of the latter, runs a very close second to it.

Taken all together, the Intel Core has a slight advantage just given the mix of games I used to test these chips, but for most gamers, the odds are good that the thing you're going to be looking for is a processor that works with your graphics card the best most of the time, and in this case, that'll be the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

Overall, then, with performance that comes in neck-and-neck with the best Intel processors in gaming workloads on average, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D would already be an incredible chip.

But I simply can't get over the fact that the 9800X3D can do this with just 53% of the power of the Core i9-14900K. Add to that the Ryzen 7 9800X3D's impressive single- and multi-core performance, surprisingly great Photoshop performance, and gen-on-gen performance gains at very little power or monetary cost, and the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is easily one of the best AMD processors ever made.

  • Performance: 5 / 5

Should you buy the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D?

An AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D in a masculine hand

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Buy the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D if...

On balance, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is as good a gaming processor as you'll ever need.

Unlike its predecessor, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D can keep up with its peer class in general performance as well, not just gaming.

Don't buy it if...

If you're looking for more of a general-purpose processor, this chip isn't really for you.

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D isn't cheap, and for those on a budget, there are good processors out there that will get the job done.View Deal

Also consider

The Intel Core i7-14700K is still my favorite processor for its incredible performance at an accessible price.

Read the full Intel Core i7-14700K reviewView Deal

  • Originally reviewed November 2024
Bluetti Handsfree 2 portable power station review
7:37 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Comments: Off

Having reviewed several portable power stations from varying brands across the years, the noted mainstays of the industry was mainly copy and paste with few tweaks and features. Nearly all of them were of a large boxlike design often with a status screen, varying power in and outputs and maybe an app. Portable was only the word used in that you could pick it up and cart it off elsewhere, but some of them were bulky and pushing north of 20kgs in weight.

The Bluetti Handsfree 2 brings a whole new designed approach with portable the forefront of the product aimed at a niche of customers who may find this the very thing they are after. With a power bank shaped differently (narrower, flatter body shape) compared to the standard box. How does it compare to the best portable power stations? I put it to the test.

Bluetti Handsfree 2: Packaging

We received the Bluetti Handsfree 2 which is a Bluetti branded dark blue rucksack like bag, in it containing the power bank with 512Wh of power storage and a maximum combined output of 700W.

The box was a plain cardboard box which we have come to expect from Bluetti with only text on the outside detailing what’s within.

Pulling the bag out we found everything to be contained within the bag including the following:

  • The aforementioned bag
  • The Bluetti Handsfree 2 700W 512Wh power bank
  • AC charging cable
  • An XT60 to MC4 cable
  • Manual and Warranty Card
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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )
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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )

Bluetti Handsfree 2: Fit and feel

Firstly, we will have a look at the power bank, measuring 382mm high by 300mm deep by 99mm wide you can tell is not box shape, think more like the “under monitor PC case” often seen in business office shape.

When talking of the power bank we will be discussing it in its upright position as the lettering clearly indicates that this is the right way up for the unit. At the base of the unit are two large rubber feet on the bottom to prevent sliding or tipping. The sides of body have the now recognisable Bluetti ridge effect on the sides we have seen I the previously reviewed AC240 and AC200L. One of the sides is clearly considered the down side if the unit was to be laid flat as there are 10 rubber feet.

At the front is the status screen, more on this later, below the screen are the only buttons, they are the on/off buttons for the unit itself, DC and AC. Below that are two USB-C, both capable of 100W outputs, below that are two USB-A with 15W output. Lastly at the front is the XT60 DC input for the unit supporting between 12 to 45Volts with a max 8.2amp or 350W input to charge the power bank.

At the rear is the AC output outputting 230V with a maximum 700W, the inverter capable of Pure Sine Wave output at 50 or 60Hz, in the centre is the AC input, thankfully a standard C13 connector and lastly the earthing screw point for the unit.

It was noted that our review unit was originally built for the EU market as it came with the Schuko Type F AC cable and AC outlet built into the unit meaning that for us to use and review it, we had to use an EU to UK plug travel adapter. Of note, this power bank does have UPS capability.

The status screen is the typical layout expected in Bluetti products, if you have used their other power banks before, you’ll be familiar with this one. In the centre is the total % remaining with a rough running time below depending on in/outputs. On the left is the input wattage for both AC and DC, on the right is the output wattage for AC or DC with indication as to which one is being used.

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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )
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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )
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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )
Image 4 of 4

Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )

Now on to the ruck sack itself. The bag is made from a very high-quality Polyester fabric/material with padding in several places with some useful built in features.

At the front is the Bluetti logo, at the top is a small zip pouch, below that is a pouch with a hook and loop fastened flap with 6 loops of fabric tape that resembles MOLLE loops but isn’t and at the bottom is a large zip up pouch which contains some internal pockets for ID badges, pens etc. Between the flaps are buckles so that items and things can be looped through them.

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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )
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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )
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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )

Opening the first part of the bag reveals what I like to call “the personal compartment” of the bag, this has a more typical carryon luggage type of compartment, it has mesh compartments both zipped and not as well as the straps often found in such type of luggage. There is a zip the runs all the way around that allows you to expand the entirety of the compartment so that you may fill it with clothes, toiletries and personal effects.

Image 1 of 2

Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )
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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )

The next compartment I like to call the “equipment compartment”. This has a pouch for a laptop, I was able to easily fit a 13” and 15” laptop, both at the same time. This compartment has various padding dividers allowing you to customise the inside based on what devices you wish to carry such as cameras, drones etc.

Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )

The last compartment and the one closest to your back is the power bank one, the space is a snug compartment for the power bank with hook and loop straps to hold it in and a top divider allowing you use the last 20% of the rear compartment for personal effects. The sides of this compartment have vented rubber like flaps which can be opened to allow access to the front and back of the power bank without having to remove it from the bag itself, inside this is also a nice little leather detail of Bluetti’s logo and a slogan. An odd note was that the covering flap said “only use with Handsfree 1” though this is the Handsfree 2?

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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )
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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )
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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )

Finally, some other points of the outside of the bag are, at the top is a security 3-digit combination lock for the equipment section, at the bottom are two carrying straps which can be used to cinch items to the bag, I pictured a camping mat. Some smaller loops on the front of the bag for hooking carabiners or as they show in their publication, portable solar panels to charge the power bank. On either side are two straps which can be used to hold the side flaps up and open for access to the power bank. There are two mesh pockets to stash water bottles or small items and towards the top bungee cords for securing longer items and objects.

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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )
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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )

The two shoulder straps are well padded with various adjustment straps above the shoulders and at around the waistline. On the left strap is a non removable GoPro mount just above the chest strap. Then there are the waist straps which have little pouches built into them, I also located the storm cover in the right waist strap pouch. On that note all external zips have a rubber like lining to them to improve water repellency as does the fabric of the bag itself.

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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )
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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )
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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )
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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )

Bluetti Handsfree 2: In use

Using it is as simple as charging up the power bank in your method of choice, slip it into the bag and fill it up with what you need. The first thing that was noticed was the heft of the bag even when empty weighing in at a little over 10Kgs.

Once filled with equipment and clothes at the maximum expansion, it was noted how chunky the bag was protruding from my back, in the image the manual is A5 in size. It is so big and heavy I don’t think it can be classed as carry on luggage at all, battery capacity notwithstanding as most airlines have a maximum lithium battery capacity size of 160Wh.

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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )
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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )

The bag has no internal rigid frame meaning that the body of the bag is made by the battery, not a bad thing as it lightens the weight. One person pointed out that a frame with wheels at the base and a pull handle like those seen on carry-on and larger suitcases would have been a nice touch as carrying it by back or hand would rapidly be tiring.

I handed this to a person who works in emergency services, where remote power was often needed or necessary for on site incidents to have a go at using. Using it for a week, he noted that the external zips on the battery compartment flaps snagged the mesh pockets on the side, which in turn tore the mesh netting leading to a hole (see photo).

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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )
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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )
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Bluetti Handsfree 2 during our review process

(Image credit: Bluetti )

He noted that this was the only design flaw of the bag, he commented on how well built the bag was but that it wasn’t made for emergency services in mind as the compartments shape and size did not suit him. The weight was another factor as he was now carrying around a far bigger battery pack than before, also comments from colleagues about the sheer size of the bag.

So, who is this product made for? My guess, and that of Bluetti’s, is for the drone operator or photographer who needs to carry their equipment, needs an amount of portable power and maybe a change of clothes for an overnight shoot or job at a remote location which requires only walking to for that last mile or two from a larger base camp or vehicle. I cannot see this being used as an every day carry for daily use unless you want a work out.

There is the standard Bluetti App which faultlessly syncs to the battery giving you more control, status and options than the three buttons on the front. The app is well made showing you more detail on charge and discharge stats.

Bluetti Handsfree 2: Price

Currently this product isn’t available in the UK or EU markets, the US shows it retailing with a launch price of $399 but an RRP of $599 (£305 GBP and £460 GBP respectively). No tell of when there will be a UK or EU launch date for this product.

Oddly, you can buy the battery which comes with the bag or the bag itself for $199 USD (£152 GBP) but you can’t buy the battery alone, I would say that there is probably a market for those that want this battery size.

Bluetti Handsfree 2: Final verdict

Overall as a product, it is very well made, the battery power bank is large enough to handle most day to day charging of small electronic devices with ease without seeming to be underpowered when compared to smaller battery banks. If you need more output wattage then the bigger brethren of the Handsfree 2 would be needed such as the AC200L.

The ruck to carry it is very well made for a company who are not specialised in ruck sacks or equipment bags, its quite clear that Bluetti did their research and know that this product is aimed for the tech gear person who travels (but not by air) and needs portable power but not the heavy lifting of larger battery banks.

A great bag for drone operators as it has space for one or two drones, batteries and kit for them. Dare I say a certain country would love this product where they have plenty of field drone operators, the need for portable power in a small, agile product.

Creative Zen Air SXFI earbuds review: good budget buds let down by iffy ‘Super X-Fi’ and Ambient sound profiles
5:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones | Comments: Off

Creative Zen Air SXFI: Two-minute review

The Creative Zen Air SXFI are true wireless earbuds at a tempting price with plenty of advanced features, from active noise cancellation (ANC) to Creative’s proprietary ‘spatial holography’ mode, Super X-Fi. But are these earbuds set to enter our best noise-cancelling earbuds guide – and ultimately, are they really worth your consideration?

The Zen Air SXFI Earbuds certainly look the part, with a tasteful matte gray colorway and metallic detailing, alongside a charging case and supplementary cloth bag (unusual!) for carrying around your earbuds in style. An IPX5 rating means they can withstand jets of water too (though not full submersion), so they might be a good choice for walkers, runners and other exercise freaks on a limited budget.

And I was a fan of the sound quality, at least when Creative let the earbuds do their own thing. It’s when additional modes come into the picture that things get tricky – whether it’s the Super X-Fi audio mode distorting the sound, or Ambient Mode funneling scratchy recordings of the outside world into your ear.

You get an impressive suite of features for the $80 / £70 price tag, though some of them are better ignored – so honestly, it can be hard to figure out what the Creative Zen Air SXFI earbuds actually offer in terms of stone cold value over the competition. However, there’s something to be said for its IPX5 water resistance and a lot to be said for the 39-hour battery life. Elsewhere, it's good to see Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity and important to note that these earbuds still get the key metrics right, despite some iffy implementation of their more premium features.

Creative Zen Air SXFI review: Price and release date

  • $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$139.95
  • Launched in June 2024

The Creative Zen Air SXFI headphones retail for $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$139.95, having been released in June 2024. That’s roughly the same price as the older Creative Zen Air Pro model was at launch, though the latter is now heavily discounted to make way for the new version.

If you're looking for over-ears, it's worth giving a shout-out to the May 2024-release Creative Zen Hybrid SXFI at $99.99 / £89.99 / AU$69.95. Here, we actually loved Creative's proprietary spatial audio side-sauce – which, as you'll soon see, sadly isn't the case here. 

Creative Zen Air SXFI headphones review: Specs

Creative Zen Air SXFI review: Features

Creative Zen Air SXFI charging case and cloth bag

(Image credit: Future / Henry St Leger)
  • Adaptive ANC and Ambient Mode
  • SXFI app
  • Bluetooth 5.3

The Creative Zen Air SXFI headphones use Bluetooth 5.3. This basically means that you’re getting fast, energy efficient connections with a good range that are unlikely to drop out easily, and the ability to connect simultaneously with other devices. (I did struggle connecting the earbuds to any device at first, but the issue seems to have resolved itself before I needed to call in a new unit, and I haven’t had a problem since.)

These earbuds do feature touch controls, which is a great inclusion for the price. Essentially, holding down the left earbud decreases volume, whereas holding down the right increases it – there’s no slider here. Double tapping the right earbud pauses or restarts playback, whereas double tapping the left cycles through ANC, ANC Adaptive, ANC off, and Ambient Mode.

As a refresher, ANC – or active noise cancellation – works by using built-in microphones to record outside noise and cancel out those wavelengths. Adaptive is the same idea, but it’s able to respond more dynamically to fluctuations in outside noise.

The ANC implementation works fine. It's not going to wow you for creating a bubble of silence around you (there’s only a minor reduction to extraneous low-level noise such as an AC unit above me) but it does do a little to soften environmental noise. Ambient Mode is where I ran into trouble, as you have to double tap the earbud to deactivate it, and I repeatedly ended up banging the microphone while doing so, sending a wave of static into my ear. And I wouldn’t generally recommend using the mode anyway, given that during my tests I found the mics actually made outside noise sound worse than if you weren’t wearing the headphones at all.

There’s also Creative’s SXFI, or Super X-Fi spatial audio tech, which is intended to capture “the listening experience of a high-end multi-speaker system in a professional studio”, by virtually upscaling its stereo audio into something approaching three-dimensional sound. There’s a dedicated SXFI app you need to download, before building a personalized sound profile based on the size and shape of your ears, but it is available for both desktop and mobile. I'll mention this in more depth in the audio quality section though, since there's plenty to say. 

Features score: 3.5 / 5 

Creative Zen Air SXFI review: Design

Gray Creative Zen Air SXFI earbuds

(Image credit: Future / Henry St Leger)
  • USB-C charging case
  • Lightweight with a cloth carry case
  • Battery life indicator

For headphones that only cost $80, the Zen Air SXFI look pretty sleek. Each earbud is a light matte gray, with a small Creative logo (a metallic triangle) and a shape similar to the AirPods Pro (bulbous body with a thin pipe hanging down over the earlobe).

The charging case has the same color scheme, with the four letters of SXFI embossed on the top, a USB-C charging port along the underside, and a multifunction button on the front. There’s also a four-point indicator that tells you how much battery life is left, or whether it’s in pairing mode, though it can be hard to make out the green LEDs in light environments.

The case has lightly curved edges, making it comfortable to hold or stick in a pocket, and it doesn’t pick up fingerprints, meaning it stays pretty even after a few weeks of testing. The inside of the case is where the affordability of these earbuds shows, with a cheap-looking metallic finish, though you won’t have to look at it often! Just note that the charging case’s curved edges means that it’s a little wobbly when sat upright, especially when the case’s top is open.

In a nice touch, you also get a small cloth bag to pack the charging case – preventing loose earbuds rattling around in your luggage – though with IPX5 water resistance you shouldn’t need to worry too much about the earbuds getting wet.

Design score: 4 / 5

Creative Zen Air SXFI review: Sound quality

Gray Creative Zen Air SXFI earbuds in charging case

(Image credit: Future / Henry St Leger)
  • Clear, warm audio
  • 10mm drivers
  • SXFI doesn’t quite land

So, does Creative’s Super X-Fi tech actually work?

I’ve tested other SXFI models I was impressed by – specifically the Creative Zen Hybrid SXFI over-ear headphones, which have enough of a wide soundstage to manipulate the audio for a more spatial quality.

These Zen Air SXFI earbuds, however, don’t offer the same luxury – with compact 10mm drivers, and more restricted in-ear hardware – and while there’s a slight difference in the sound during music, it’s hard to quantify or call an improvement.

I actually enjoyed using SXFI more during podcasts, where the difference is more notable, subtly shifting the voices of talking heads so that the sound appears to fill more of the room around you in a natural way.

But regardless of Creative’s virtual trickery, I was pretty happy during my time with the Zen Air SXFI earbuds. They have a clear, crisp sound – at least, for the price – without the harsh notes or sibilance that can plague lower-cost audio hardware. 

Sure, you’re not getting pinpoint detail, or the powerful bass of headphones with bigger, more impactful drivers, and these earbuds work best for pop vocals and mid-range frequencies, rather than thumping club tracks. 

Listening to Chappell Roan’s Good Luck, Babe!, the earbuds do a decent job of capturing the singer’s playful vocal inflections, with clear separation between the vocals, drums, and other instruments cutting across the soundstage. You lose a little of the fast transition between different notes – something Roan’s voice does so aptly – but it’s still a good time overall.

While the sound is a little soft around the edges, it does make the Zen Air SXFI earbuds very easy on the ears, and good for listening for longer sessions. With a frequency range of 20-20,000Hz, you’re getting the standard spectrum of sound recreation – and, unlike the Zen Hybrid SXFI headphones, we had no trouble using these earbuds for podcasts or streaming apps.

Sound quality score: 3.5 / 5

Creative Zen Air SXFI review: Value

Gray Creative Zen Air SXFI earbuds

(Image credit: Future / Henry St Leger)
  • Active noise cancellation
  • Sub-$100 price
  • Stylish design for the price

The Creative Zen Air SXFI headphones are absolutely good value, with a slick design, Bluetooth 5.3, and a number of advanced features that include ANC and Super X-Fi Audio – even if the implementation is a little basic.

The touch controls are generally workable, despite when switching out of Ambient Mode, and overall you’re getting a good feature set with some sensible corners cut. For the price tag, these are acceptable true wireless earbuds with the ambition to be something better.

Value score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Creative Zen Air SXFI?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Creative Zen Air SXFI review: Also consider

How I tested the Creative Zen Air SXFI

  • Tested for 2 weeks
  • Used at home, on commutes, and in public cafes
  • Predominantly tested using Spotify service on OnePlus 8

I’ve worked as a gadget reporter for seven years now, including a substantial stint at TechRadar as its News & Features Editor. I’ve tested countless headphones and reported on audio tech in London, Las Vegas, Berlin and Shanghai.

My first over-ear headphones, back in 2009, were made by Creative, so I have a long history with the brand, and was excited to test out their products a full 15 years later.

I spent two weeks testing out the Creative Zen Air SXFI headphones in my home office, alongside outdoor walks, runs, and commutes over train and bus throughout the city. I primarily used my Android smartphone, a OnePlus 8, for testing, but switched to a MacBook Air for wired listening also.

  • First reviewed in September 2024
HyperX Quadcast 2 review: great audio with zero hassle
9:00 pm | November 10, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming Gaming Accessories | Tags: | Comments: Off

The HyperX Quadcast 2 is an excellent pick for content creators who want a USB microphone. Just plug it into your PC and out of the box it will deliver great audio, with no tweaking of audio settings required.

Part of that ease of use comes from the HyperX app not offering lots of audio settings that you need to fiddle with. This won't be a dealbreaker for less demanding users considering the high-quality performance this mic delivers, but if you prefer having plenty of customization options you may want to look elsewhere.

Design-wise there’s not much to fault, with the mic coming equipped with useful tools like an in-built shock mount, a USB adapter so it can connect to your PC via USB or USB-C port, and useful RGB lighting which shows you which audio pattern is selected,. and if the mic is live or not.

The RGB lighting being only in red is a disappointment – if you want more variety in your lighting effects the upgraded HyperX Quadcast 2 S comes with full-color RGB options at an added cost.

Speaking of cost, at $149.99 / £124.99 the Quadcast 2 isn’t the priciest option out there, but it isn’t the cheapest either. You certainly get what you pay for, but while complete newcomers to content creation might appreciate this mic’s ease of use, its price positions it as more of a step-up option for those looking to make their first setup upgrade to one of the best microphones for streaming.

HyperX Quadcast 2: Price and availability

The HyperX Quadcast 2 is available in the US and UK for $149.99 / £124.99. The full-RGB HyperX Quadcast 2 S costs $199.99 / £169.99 – it comes with 32-bit / 192kHz audio compared to the base Quadcast 2’s 24-bit / 96kHz audio.

This means you get solid, high-quality audio out of either mic, though the HyperX Quadcast 2 S is worth upgrading to if you want the solid sound and visual boost it offers.

HyperX Quadcast 2: Specs

HyperX Quadcast 2: Features and Design

  • Simple audio features
  • Red RGB only
  • Different audio recording patterns

The HyperX Quadcast 2 offers four recording options – basically the standard set you’ll find on other mics: cardioid, stereo, omnidirectional, or bidirectional. You can flick between them using the HyperX Ngenuity app, or by holding down the mic’s volume knob for two to three seconds. The top of the mic will glow with different patterns to tell you which mode you're in: the front quarter for cardioid, the full ring for omnidirectional, the side quarters for stereo, and the front and back quarters for bidirectional.

Beyond the polar pattern the app also lets you turn the high-pass filter on or off and adjust the gain (mic volume), and that’s it. Given that the HyperX QuadCast 2 does a pretty good job out of the box, this lack of in-app audio manipulation isn’t a big loss. However, those who prefer having more control over their sound will want to turn to third-party audio apps, or grab a different mic like a Blue Yeti and its Logitech G Hub app.

The HyperX Quadcast 2 shown in the HyperX Ngenuity app.

(Image credit: Future)

Design-wise there’s plenty to like, even if here too the HyperX Quadcast 2 is relatively simple.

It comes with an in-built shock mount to reduce vibrational noise, and the in-box mic stand puts it at a good height for recording but it easily connects to a mic arm if you have one (HyperX’s own arm or a third-party alternative). The USB-C cable comes with an adapter so you can plug the mic into your PC’s USB-C port or a Type-A port – which is handy if you have plenty of PC attachments and are running low on port options.

There’s also a little bit of foam-like material inside the black honeycomb pattern of the mic's frame, but it doesn’t provide much in the way of an in-built pop filter to your harsh plosive ‘b’ and ‘p’ sounds. You can outfit the microphone with an add-on like the official HyperX shield (or a third-party alternative) but there’s also a free and low-tech workaround. For a solo recording simply angle the microphone at a 45-30 degree angle and position it so that you’re talking slightly over the top of it. In the cardioid setting it’ll still pick you up fine, but it won’t capture those annoying pops.

My favorite feature is the light. Not because I'm some RGB obsessed gamer, but because of its utility. Using the app you can set the mic to different presets to make it pulse or have the mic light up as you talk, but my go-to is the ‘Solid’ option at about 25% brightness.

Close up of the HyperX Quadcast 2 microphone's top, showing the cardioid lighting effect

(Image credit: Future)

It’s a super-handy and obvious indicator as to whether or not the mic is hot – as the light is off when it’s muted and on when it’s not. It greatly minimizes the risk of embarrassing mishaps in a work meeting or your livestream chat because you thought you the microphone wasn’t recording when it was. To mute it simply tap the top of the mic, and tap it again to unmute.

My only gripe is that the base model is stuck with red for the lighting color. For full light controls across the RGB spectrum you’ll need the HyperX Quadcast 2 S.

HyperX Quadcast 2: Performance

  • Great sound out the box
  • Good background noise cancellation
  • Cardioid is the only option worth using

As a plug-and-play microphone for recording vocals, you won’t be disappointed by the Quadcast 2’s performance. Recordings are warm, and the cardioid mode boasts crystal-clear clarity; whether you’re hopping on a Discord call, taping a voiceover, or relying on the mic for your next gaming stream, you’ll sound great – and you won’t be disrupted by background noise.

What makes this performance especially awesome is the HyperX Quadcast 2 sounds this good out of the box. There are no fiddly audio settings that you have to spend time customizing, or add-ons you need to buy in order to get to a good baseline – you literally just plug the microphone into your PC and off you go.

Close up of the HyperX Quadcast 2 microphone's volume knob

(Image credit: Future)

I’ve been using this mic to record all of my at-home content for the TechRadar TikTok channel, and for participating in my regular Discord D&D sessions with friends, and it’s fantastic. The background noise cancellation is well-tuned – cutting out the distractions but not my voice – and my VO comes through really clear, even as I move around a little while gesticulating.

On settings other than cardioid, however, the mic is noticeably worse at cutting out background noise, so if you’re podcasting with multiple users you'll need to get every person their own microphone.

Should you buy the HyperX Quadcast 2?

Buy it if…

You need something simple
The Hyper X Quadcast 2 just works, straight out of the box, and it sounds pretty darn good too. If you’re looking for a simple audio upgrade this is a mic to consider.

You need an all-rounder
This microphone is great for podcasting, streaming, shorts, and even as a gaming mic on PC or on a PS5. Plus, you can unhook it from the shock mount to make it a more portable and handheld microphone option for IRL content creation.

You want great audio
This mic delivers crystal-clear and great-sounding audio with zero hassle.

Don’t buy it if…

You’re on a tight budget
The Quadcast 2 isn’t the cheapest microphone out there, which means it isn't the perfect starter microphone for a newbie content creator. That said, if you can afford to splash out on it, the ease of use and audio quality count in its favor.

You want full RGB control
If you go for the base model you're stuck with red for the lighting color. For full control of the microphone’s lighting effects you’ll want to upgrade to the Hyper X Quadcast 2 S.

You need a non-USB mic
While this microphone has an adapter for flipping between USB and USB-C, you’ll need different hardware if you’re after a non-USB mic like an XLR.

Also consider

Rode PodMic USB microphone
This Rode mic is a little pricier but has a few advantages, such as an XLR connection option as well as USB.

For more information read our full Rode PodMic USB microphone review. View Deal

SteelSeries Alias
Another mic that's inspired by the world of gaming the Alias has its own striking aesthetic and offers similarly solid audio out of the box.

For more information read our full SteelSeries Alias review.

How I tested the HyperX Quadcast 2

To test the HyperX Quadcast 2 I used it as my go-to mic for several weeks. I’ve used it for Discord calls, producing content, and in-game chat. I also performed some test recordings in Audacity and listened back to those.

During my time testing the microphone I also downloaded the HyperX Ngenuity app to explore the light and audio settings it offers.

First reviewed November 2024

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