Organizer
Gadget news
I’m slowly being converted into a cuff-style open earbuds fanatic, thanks to this top effort from Soundcore
1:30 pm | April 10, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Comments: Off

Anker Soundcore AeroClip: review

If you’re the athletic type or maybe just a regular gym goer, the Anker Soundcore AeroClip could be the perfect set of open earbuds for you. These clip-on buds have the basics down: solid sound, a secure and comfortable fit plus nifty companion app functionality. And although they’re not perfect, their more-than-fair price of $129.99 / £129.99 (about AU$210) makes them an option well worth considering.

Generally, my problem with open-ear headphones and open earbuds is that they don’t offer a proper seal and let in a lot of ambient sound. That means you’ll hear all sorts, from squawking gulls to wailing children. As you can imagine, that can make it difficult to indulge in a high-quality listening experience. But after putting my anti-open-ear bias to one side, I discovered that the Anker Soundcore AeroClip pleasantly surprised me in a number of ways – especially in terms of their audio performance.

From the off, I was met with clean, impressively immersive audio and an airy, ear-filling quality brought out the best in Não Tem Nada Não by Marcos Valle. Similarly, when tuning into Remind Me by Patrice Rushen, I was delighted to hear clear, distortion-free vocals, layered with smooth, tonally accurate bass and controlled percussion. Even at higher volumes, vocals didn’t sound muddied in the overall mix and higher pitched percussion didn’t get tinny either. That sort of performance is exactly what I’d expect from a pair of the best open ear headphones.

Sure, there are no fancy audio codecs, like LDAC, for a more detailed sonic experience, but the AeroClip were still pretty well-rounded, considering some similarly priced rivals struggle to even manage clean, balanced sound.

When listening to wyd? by wev, I encountered a couple of sonic shortcomings, though. First up, the track’s deep bass was a little much for the AeroClip to handle at times. I could almost hear the drivers overextending themselves to manage the tune’s low-end, something you’re not going to experience when using a pair of the best earbuds, for instance. Secondly, I felt that the excitable treble was a little understated, meaning the record’s energy was sapped out slightly.

There wasn’t much I could do about that first point, but help was at hand for my treble trouble. I took to the Soundcore app and created my own custom EQ – one which put a bit more emphasis on high-end frequencies, while also bumping bass and slightly lowering mids. That gave the AeroClip a far more colorful, charismatic sound profile than the balanced, yet sometimes slightly unexciting Soundcore Signature tuning.

On top of custom EQ options, you can also pick from a small selection of presets: Bass, Treble, or Volume Booster (all pretty self-explanatory), or Classical (big dips in the mids, large bumps to bass, sub-bass and treble) and Podcast (essentially the opposite of that). With the right tuning, you’re going to get energetic, yet crisp highs, clean mids and relatively rich bass – just don’t expect these to reach into the depths of sub bass with too much skill.

However, one characteristic of the Soundcore AeroClip that will either make or break your listening experience is their open design. As I mentioned earlier, their lack of a proper seal means that a lot of noise from your surroundings will creep through. Now, if you’re someone that loves a good run and you want to keep an ear out for traffic or people around you, that could be ideal.

But personally, I prefer to focus on my tunes and the lack of external noise nixing really did prevent that at times. Chatter in public, wind and even typing in my office were all very much audible – there’s no ANC or anything to counter that either, something the Edifier LolliClip open ears supply. These Soundcore headphones are also prone to leaking sound to those around you, especially above 50% volume.

Anker Soundcore AeroClip on a circular surface

(Image credit: Future)

There might not be any ANC, but what features do these open ear headphones offer? Well, if you head into the very slick Soundcore app, you can mess around with the aforementioned EQ options, toggle multi-point or customize touch controls. And the touch controls were really responsive in my experience. You can double tap to pause or triple tap to skip – the absence of a single tap option means you’re unlikely to make accidental, unwanted adjustments too.

What’s here works very nicely, but I would have liked to see a more fleshed out feature-set, in honesty – even just the addition of auto-pausing media when you remove the buds from your ears. Another aspect that could be better is battery life. You get a respectable eight hours of playtime per charge, which I found to be accurate during my testing. But with the charging case, you only get a maximum of 24 hours – not that much compared to the 40 hours from the Honor Earbuds Open, for instance.

Before I put an end to my moaning, I want to point out a couple of slight design shortcomings. Firstly, these are only IPX4 waterproof rating, meaning there’s no guarantee on dustproofing and you’re only getting resistance against sweat and water droplets. A lot of rivals outdo the AeroClip here – the splendid Huawei FreeArc, for example, are IP57 rated, meaning they can survive submersion under a meter of water for 30 minutes.

Secondly, I’d argue that these aren’t the prettiest buds around. I quite like the look of the batteries and buds, but the clips do appear slightly cheap-looking. On the other hand, these are still highly comfortable and secure on-ear, so you’ll never have to worry about them flinging off mid-workout.

Having said all this, I want to end on a real positive note: mic quality. These open ears claim to deliver AI-enabled clear calls. And I found them to be plenty clear – though I’m not so sure how much of that is thanks to AI. During a phone call, I was told that my voice sounded “crisp”, even at lower volumes – something that I also felt when listening back to a voice recording.

So all in all, are the Soundcore AeroClip worth a $129.99 / £129.99 outlay? I’m not 100% sure. If you’re only after an open design, I’d say yes – you get great sound for this headphone type, as well as impressive calling capabilities. But if you want noise cancelling and a more premium design, I’d suggest pursuing a pair of the best wireless earbuds instead, for awesome audio and ANC.

Edifier LolliClip review: specs

Someone picking a bud from the Anker Soundcore AeroClip charging case

(Image credit: Future)

Anker Soundcore AeroClip review: price and availability

  • $129.99 / £129.99 (about AU$210)
  • Launched in March 2025

The Anker Soundcore AeroClip released in March 2025, marking the manufacturer’s latest foray into the world of open ear headphones. They launched with a list price of $129.99 / £129.99 (about AU$210) and are available in three colorways: Midnight (black); Rosy Brown (pink and brown) ; and the variant I tested, Champagne Mist (white and gold).

These are very similar in price to the Nothing Ear (open), which launched at the tail-end of 2024. And they’ll set you back far less than a premium option like the wonderful Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, which carry a sizeable list price of $299 / £299 / AU$449.95…woah!

Anker Soundcore AeroClip in charging case

(Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the Anker Soundcore AeroClip?

Buy them if...

You want open ears that still sound up-to-scratch
The AeroClip sound surprisingly crisp, offering rich bass, clean mids and controlled treble. You can even use the Soundcore app’s preset and custom EQ options to get the right tuning for you. It’s still worth noting, though, that the open design of these means that they may not produce audio as faithfully as a pair of the best wireless earbuds, such as the Technics EAH-AZ100.

You want earbuds suitable for a workout
OK, the waterproofing could be better – more on that below – but still, these earbuds are awesome for workouts. They have a highly comfortable, secure fit, and IPX4 rating, enabling them to discard excess sweat and water droplets. You’ll also be able to hear ambient sounds if you’re in a traffic-heavy area, for instance.

Don't buy them if...

You’re looking for noise cancelling earbuds
Like a lot of open-ear models, the Soundcore AeroClip skip on active noise cancellation. If that’s something you’re looking for in an open design, check out the Edifier LolliClip below. But if you’re instead looking for top-tier external noise reduction, you can instead assess the options in our best noise cancelling earbuds guide.

You want ultimate protection against the elements
These open ear headphones are only IPX4 waterproof rated, meaning they aren’t dustproof and only resist sweat and water. If you want something a bit more hardy, I’d recommend the IP57-rated Huawei FreeArc below.

Anker Soundcore AeroClip review: also consider

Edifier LolliClip
There’s a lot of similarities between Edifier’s LolliClip open-ear headphones and the Soundcore AeroClip. Both go for that jewellery-esque aesthetic, offer high comfort and crucially, supply impressive sound considering their build. The big differentiator is that this Edifier model incorporates adaptive ANC, which is decently effective. You’ll also get better waterproofing and battery life here, but the companion app is less user friendly. Read our full Edifier LolliClip review.

Huawei FreeArc
The Huawei FreeArc serve up surprisingly strong sound quality, fantastic protection against the elements and high comfort levels. They’re available for less than £100 (about $130 / AU$200) and at that price, they’re an absolute steal. There’s no ANC and battery life could be better. But still, these are an excellent value pick. Read our full Huawei FreeArc review.

Anker Soundcore AeroClip review: How I tested

Anker Soundcore AeroClip charging case connected to USB-C cable

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested for one week
  • Used in the office and while out and about
  • Predominantly tested using Tidal

I put the Anker Soundcore AeroClip to the test over a one week period. I predominantly listened in the office, but also made use of them at home and when out and about. I tinkered with each and every feature, engaged in both casual and critical listening and compared them with the Edifier LolliClip for on-ear comfort.

When listening to music, I tapped into Tidal on my Samsung Galaxy S24 FE. And as per usual, I flicked through the whole TechRadar testing playlist, which includes tracks from a wide range of genres and is optimized for judging sound quality across the frequencies. In addition, I played a bunch of tunes from my personal library.

I liked the capacity and number of ports on the VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank, but it’s a little too bulky for very light travel
9:20 pm | April 9, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phone Accessories Phones | Comments: Off

VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank: review

The VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank is a basic power bank with a high capacity and versatile port selection, catering to various charging needs on the go.

It adopts a functional aesthetic, but looks smart enough. The large, shiny screen adds some interest, as does the linear texture of its bottom half, which also provides some useful traction when holding it in the hand.

The VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank is quite thick and long, although considering its large capacity, this is to be expected; it still isn’t much bigger than many of the best power banks with the same battery size. It’s reasonably heavy, though, so combined with its dimensions, this isn’t a battery you can easily pocket.

It feels quite solid overall, although the screen doesn’t feel the most durable or premium; and despite its large area, the actual display itself is quite small and sparse, severely underutilizing its allotted space: only the battery percentage is displayed, with no other interface features beyond this, apart from a small green symbol to signify charging, which is helpful.

The VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank has four ports, divided into two USB-A outputs, one USB-C combined input and output, and one micro USB input. Three-way simultaneous charging is also possible. Given that the USB-C port outputs the most power (20W compared to 18W for each USB-A port), it’s a shame that the VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank only comes with a USB-A-to-C cable, rather than C-to-C.

It took just over 90 minutes for the VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank to charge the 4,385mAh battery in my Google Pixel 7a completely via the USB-C port, which is a decent performance. The bank lost about a quarter of its battery life in the process, which should mean you’ll get about 3-4 charges from it, which again is commendable.

The VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank has a claimed charging time of eight hours from empty to full, thanks to the 18W input capability. Based on my tests, this figure appears to hold true.

The VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank represents good value considering its relatively low price compared to other power banks of this size. However, there are some that perhaps represent better value, such as the JUOVI J2621, which is only slightly more expensive, and despite having the same capacity, it has over double the power.

It also features two USB-C ports, but on the downside, it’s bulkier than the VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank. But considering neither is practical for pocket carry, this is somewhat of a moot point, and ultimately means that the JUOVI may be a better alternative in this case.

VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank on plinth with pink background

(Image credit: Future)

VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank review: price & specs

Close-up of ports on VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank, on plinth on table with pink background

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank?

Buy it if…

You want plenty of capacity
It has enough juice for several phone charges, thanks to that 20,000mAh rating.

You need multiple ports
The two USB-A ports and one USB-C ports are certainly welcome, and there's even a micro USB port too, although this is input only.

Don't buy it if…

You want the best portability
The VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank is still quite bulky, although many batteries this size are. Still, you can't exactly carry it in your pocket.

You need multiple USB-C ports
It's a shame there's only one USB-C port on the VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank, given this standard is beginning to take over.

VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank review: Also consider

JUOVI J2621 20000mAh 45W Power Bank
For not much more than the VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank, you could have the JUOVI J2621 instead. This has the same 20,000mAh capacity, but much more power (45W). It also has two USB-C ports rather than one, in addition to two USB-A ports. It’s bulkier than the VRURC 20000mAh 20W Power Bank, though, but neither bank is suitable for pocketing, and are better placed in a bag instead. Read our JUOVI J2621 20000mAh 45W Power Bank review.

I tested out this robot that can charge your phone in mere minutes and it’s a triumph
9:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phone Accessories Phones | Comments: Off

UGreen Nexode RG 65W review

If the joy of getting back up to 100% charge isn’t enough for you, then you simply have to check out the UGreen Nexode RG 65W. This cheerful charging robot will get your laptop, phone or tablet back to fighting fit with a smile, thanks to its LED display and accompanying emoticons.

And this charger will get not one, not two, but three devices back to 100% in no time. That’s because it has three ports: two USB-C and one USB-A. You can get up to 65W in single-port mode, 45W and up to 20W (using USB-C Port 2) in duo mode and 45W plus 7.5W in the remaining slots when tri-port charging.

In terms of actual performance, this model does very nicely too. I tried charging my Samsung Galaxy S24 FE alongside the Soundcore Space One Pro and Bose SoundLink Flex Gen 2 speaker. Despite using all three ports, the UGreen Nexode RG 65W ensured my phone – which has a 4,700mAh battery – hit full charge from 0% in just under 80 minutes. That’s the sort of speeds you’d expect to see from some of the best Android phone chargers and best iPhone chargers. Smart temperature monitoring also ensured that this lil’ robot never got too hot either.

This model will display one of three emojis depending on charging status. Closed eyes on standby, smiling when fast charging and a blank expression when trickle charging or achieving a full charge. These are all pretty fun, but not quite as emotive as the faces you get on the UGreen Uno 100W. That said, this more chibi 65W model still has a load more character than most charging plugs.

The charger’s general build quality is strong. It’s pretty weighty, though thanks to GaN technology, you still get a highly compact model. The prongs aren’t foldable – something I typically like from a wall charger – but there are some feet that you can slot the charger into when it's out of use. That’s not only a neat design quirk, but a practical addition if you want to slide the charger into your pocket without getting poked by its prongs.

Given its solid power output and charming display, I’d argue that this model is very well priced too. It has a list price of $49.99 / £34.99 (about AU$80) but can regularly be found on sale for less than $40 / £30. Given the Belkin BoostCharge 3-Port USB-C Wall Charger with PPS 67W is typically $44.99 / £39.99 / AU$89.95 and has no display, that’s an excellent price.

It’s worth noting that the price may vary depending on which color option you get, though. I tested the standard Black variant, but if you want to spice things up, you can grab this model in either Cyan or Purple – the latter is adorned in a small purple bow.

All in all, this is another great, charismatic charger from UGreen that I can recommend to anyone. It may not include a USB-C cable in the box and the emojis aren’t as captivating as the 100W model’s, but the triple port configuration, power output and LED display make it well worth its already modest list price.

UGreen Nexode RG 65W in socket with tired face with feet holder next to it

(Image credit: Future)

UGreen Nexode RG 65W review: Price & specs

UGreen Nexode RG 65W on block in feet holder

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the UGreen Nexode RG 65W?

Buy it if…

You want a charger with character
The standout attraction of the UGreen Nexode RG 65W is its quirky LED display. There are three different emojis that can pop up, depending on charging status. Although they’re not as detailed as the ones from this model’s 100W sibling, there’s still a lot more character here than you’ll find from the vast majority of other chargers.

You need to charge multiple devices at once
Thankfully, this charger has three separate ports – two USB-C and one USB-A – meaning you can charge a bunch of devices simultaneously. And there’s plenty enough power to go around if you want to charge, say, your phone alongside a pair of the best wireless earbuds and best headphones.

Don't buy it if…

You want a top-tier laptop charger
If you have one of the best MacBooks or best Chromebooks, the 65W power output might not be enough for peak charging performance, especially if you’re juicing up other devices simultaneously. If you want a bit of extra power, I highly recommend the Anker Charger 140W, 4 Port, PD 3.1, which includes a USB-C cable and a display too.

You need a USB-C cable
This model doesn’t come with a USB-C cable included, so if you’re still stuck with your old USB-A alternative, you’ll have to purchase one separately. I would argue that’s worth it, but if you want a cheap all-in-one package, the Anker 335 Charger 67W is a very solid pick – more on this below.

UGreen Nexode RG 65W review: also consider

Anker 335 Charger 67W
In terms of pure value, the Anker 335 Charger 67W is an awesome charging option. For less than $40 / £40, you’re getting 67W of power, three charging ports, foldable prongs and a USB-C cable – not bad at all! Sure, this isn’t the most compact charger out there and it lacks a display, but if you want a cheaper, yet effective option, this is worth considering. Read our full Anker 335 Charger 67W review.

Panda Dome
7:10 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Comments: Off

Panda Security is a Spanish-based company with a strong record of antivirus innovations. From launching daily signature updates in 1998 to introducing behavioral monitoring in 2004 and cloud scanning in 2007, Panda has been involved with a host of technologies we might now take for granted.

The company has several plans for its home users - Panda Dome Essential, Panda Dome Advanced, Panda Dome Complete, and Panda Dome Premium - all building upon each other in terms of features, and each offering a firewall, WiFi protection, online shopping security, a Dark Web Scanner, and at least some VPN.

Higher tiers offer even more tools, including parental control, anti-ransomware, PC optimization, password manager, file encryption and shredding, update manager, and so on. And the best part? All tiers have a 30-day free trial.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: Panda Security)

Panda Dome Essential

At a reasonable price starting at $34.99 (renewing at $49.99) for a one-year, one-device license, the Essential package goes well beyond the basics of real-time antivirus and URL protection and covers up to 10 Windows, Mac, and Android devices (the price increasing depending on this number).

To complement its real-time antivirus protection with link filtering, Panda Dome Essential adds a simple firewall to block network attacks and even free VPN access. Okay, with no choice of location and 150MB of free data per day, you won't be using it for streaming movies or heavy torrenting, but it's fine for emailing on public Wi-Fi hotspots when you're out and about.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: Panda Security)

Setup

Panda Dome Essential is downloaded and launched within a few seconds. Once the setup was complete, Dome Essential asked us to register the program by providing our email address. Some may prefer an antivirus program that allows you to stay anonymous, but many competitors do much the same as Panda. And at least we didn’t have to hand out any payment details.

The installation procedure itself was relatively speedy, with no complaints about ‘incompatible’ software or other hassles. In terms of being one of the most antivirus apps around, this seems to be quite true in Panda’s case, as its four core background processes only consumed a minimal 20-50 MB RAM during normal PC use.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: Panda Security)

Features

To launch a scan, you can simply click the Scan button on the top-left, choose the scan type (Critical Areas, Full, or Custom Scan) and wait for the results. Scans can run concurrently with no impact on the speed of either one of them or the system.

Although the regular scan buttons give you almost no control over how your system is checked, the Scheduled Scan feature is a little smarter. You can select which drives and folders to scan, exclude particular locations, and customize how the scan works in a few ways.

Scan times are average, at least initially. So, for instance, even the fastest Critical Areas scan took four minutes to check our test system. But effective optimization sees this drop over time, and our second scan took barely two minutes. A full scan took a little under 40 minutes the first time, and only 26 minutes the second.

Dome Essential’s firewall does its best to keep life simple, with a basic opening screen that just asks you to choose your current Wi-Fi location between Home, Work, and Public Place - enough for a basic user.

That said, if you know what you’re doing, heading off to Settings > Firewall enables defining its operating rules, and provides expert-level intrusion prevention settings relating to port scans, ping handling, flooding, and more.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: Panda Security)

A handy Process Monitor displays all the running processes, highlighting any that are accessing the internet and warning you of potential threats. That’s all very straightforward for beginners, but again, real power is only one or two clicks away.

The full Process Monitor report lists the name of every process, when it was detected and last scanned, where it was downloaded from, how many HTTP connections it has established, and lets you view whatever resources it was trying to access.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: Panda Security)

A welcome option is to create a bootable USB rescue drive to help remove malware that the regular package can’t reach. Other nice features include a software whitelisting system to control what runs on your PC, and a virtual keyboard to protect against keyloggers.

There’s also a monitor that raises alerts if you connect to unsecured Wi-Fi networks, and an option to ‘vaccinate’ USB keys to reduce the chance of infection by autorun viruses.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: Panda Security)

Another great addition is the Dark Web scanner that constantly monitors the dark corners of the internet and notifies you by email if your credentials appear in a new security breach, so you don’t have to worry about periodically performing these checks yourself.

Protection

Panda Dome has earned an AAA award from SE Labs for the period between October and December 2024, as it has shown a Total Accuracy Rating of 99% and not a single false positive - better than Microsoft Defender and Webroot, but not quite at the level of Avast, Kaspersky, or McAfee, all of which had the perfect 100% score.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: SE Labs)

At the same time, AV-Test’s Product Review and Certification Report for September - October 2024 has given Panda a 6/6 score for protection, 5.5/6 for performance, as it performed just a tad poorer than the industry average in some segments, and 6/6 for usability.

On the other hand, Panda Free Antivirus had a bit more false flags than recommended in AV-Comparatives’ False Alarm Test for September 2024, with 28 misidentified cases, with only Norton delivering more, and all the other tested platforms having significantly fewer.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: AV-Comparatives)

It also had a rather poor offline detection rate of 36.6% in AV-Comparatives’ Malware Protection Test for September 2024 and a somewhat better online detection rate of 77.6%, albeit its online protection score was a strong 99.25%.

Final verdict Essential

Panda Dome Essential is a likable product that is easy to use and includes some genuinely valuable extras, especially for experts, but it still can't quite match the virus-detecting power and accuracy of the market leaders.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: Panda Security)

Panda Dome Advanced

If Dome Essential isn’t powerful enough for you, opting for the $41.99 (renews at $59.99) Dome Advanced for a one-year one-device plan gets you everything from the lower tier, plus parental controls and additional layers of protection - against ransomware.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: Panda Security)

Antivirus

Like Essential, Panda Dome Advanced has several scanning options. A Critical Area scan checks the most commonly infected areas of a PC; the Custom scan only inspects the files or folders you specify; and the Full System scan, of course, checks everything.

If that's not enough, you can also set multiple scheduled scans. These start with a Critical Areas, Full System, or Custom scan, but you can also exclude particular folders or file types (handy for speeding up scans.)

Scan times were reasonable during testing. Panda Dome Advanced checked our 50GB of test executables in 39 minutes for the first scan, within the 15–50-minute range we typically see. There's some optimization for subsequent scans, and Panda took 24 minutes for scan #2.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: Panda Security)

Ransomware

Panda Dome’s anti-ransomware relies on behavior-based detection, file access control, and whitelisting, as well as generates backup copies to recover files in the event of infection.

Among its tools is a data shield that configures the control and whitelists, decoy files used as bait, and shadow copies of files and folders to restore their previous versions in case of data loss, file corruption, or any other issue.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: Panda Security)

Parental control

Panda Dome Advanced includes Parental Control, but this has barely any features you'd expect from a specialized parental controls application. You can't control app use, there's no way to limit screen time or restrict internet access, and no clever geofencing support. The only option is content filtering.

The platform does at least give you lots of categories. Instead of a single catch-all Adult category, for instance, you can individually block or allow subcategories like 'Lingerie and Swimsuit', 'Nudity', 'Sex,' and 'Sex Education.' Although this works, it's nonetheless extremely basic.

Final verdict Advanced

Panda Dome Advanced has a decent core antivirus engine, detecting and removing malware with ease. And although other big names in the industry might outperform its capabilities, it’s still a solid solution with plenty of basic and advanced features.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: Panda Security)

Panda Dome Complete

The next step up, Dome Complete, adds system clean-up tools, and a password manager for $53.99 for a one-year one-device license, renewing at $89.99 for each subsequent year of service.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: Panda Security)

Cleanup: PC Optimization

With PC Cleanup, you can free up space on your PC by removing various files (including trash, temporaries, registry, cookies, browsing history, and the like), you can select which programs you want to run at startup, schedule a cleanup task with specific parameters, or defragment your hard disk.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: Panda Security)

Password manager

Panda’s password manager does pretty much what any other such product does - managing all of your passwords under a single master key, auto-filling forms, generating strong passwords, and syncing them across all your devices.

It also supports the creation of ‘secure notes’ - encrypted virtual Post-It notes only you can access using your master generic-addon, as well as deleting your browsing history and closing your web pages and services remotely.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: Panda Security)

File encryptor

This tool allows you to encrypt any file with a password or an automatically generated key through the right-click menu, transforming data into a sequence of unreadable characters that no one can decipher without the corresponding encryption key.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: Panda Security)

File shredder

Finally, this feature facilitates an irreversible and secure shredding process of your confidential or sensitive information to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. It does this by overwriting a file’s contents with random data or zeroes to hide the original content and make it extremely difficult or impossible to recover.

Final verdict Complete

Panda Dome Complete provides a few useful extras anyone might appreciate, including a file encryptor and shredder, a password manager, and PC optimization tools. However, if you don’t need these, then Panda Dome Essential or Advanced might be a better choice.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: Panda Security)

Panda Dome Premium

Finally, the top-of-the-range Panda Dome Premium gets you unrestricted VPN access to all available server locations, an update manager, and unlimited premium technical support - all that at $56 per year for one-device coverage initially, renewing at $139.99.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: Panda Security)

Premium VPN

Panda Dome Premium also removes any limitations to its VPN use from the lower-level packages and equips the user with unrestricted VPN for secure browsing, connectable to any location where it has servers, including 60+ countries, for up to 5 devices.

Testing the VPN connection to the recommended server hailed solid download and upload speeds, not much slower than our basic connection, and connecting took only a couple of seconds. Connecting to more distant locations (like Thailand) than our own (in Europe) was only slightly lagging.

Panda Dome

(Image credit: Panda Security)

Update Manager

Panda Dome Premium’s Update Manager helps keep your computer up to date to prevent any security breaches. It lets you perform a critical or in-depth scan for any available updates to the operating system or apps installed on your device or even schedule these scans.

For each program detected and included in the list, the product provides the possibility of applying the patch separately or ignoring it. It also includes an option to update all programs at the same time.

Final verdict Premium

Panda Dome Premium is a perfectly rounded antivirus suite that is well worth the price when taking into account the free trial and significant discounts for the first year of its use, particularly if you plan on relying on the VPN, Update Manager, and Dark Web Scanner. However, renewing might be a bit costly if you intend to continue.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE is one of the most confusing smartwatches I’ve ever tested
2:06 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness Smartwatches | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy Watch FE: Two minute review

First unveiled in mid-2024, the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE is Samsung's answer to the Apple Watch SE. At least in theory. It's designed to be a cheap, entry-level smartwatch that offers many of the features you'd expect from a wearable without the loftier prices of the best smartwatches on the market.

For Apple, it's a strategy that works well. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 10 stand out against the very cheap Apple Watch SE 2. You get some basic features and a much friendlier price tag.

Yet, Samsung's attempt to emulate this strategy has left me confused and bewildered, and after a few days with the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE, I'm afraid I simply can't make head or tail of this watch or the purpose that it serves.

I could tell you about the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE's figures and performance statistics. I could tell you that during workout tracking, it performs generally well against my Apple Watch Ultra 2, tracking heart rate, distance, and GPS admirably. I could also tell you that it needs to be charged out of the box for around 90 minutes before you can use it and that even with the always-on display turned off, battery life will offer just 22 hours on a single charge.

Samsung Galaxy Watch fE

(Image credit: Future)

I could tell you that Wear OS, while amply equipped with plenty of health tracking and smartphone connectivity features, performs very poorly, thanks to a rather underpowered chip borrowed from the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4.

I could also tell you that the strap is fairly comfortable, but that the 40mm size, very large bezel, and small display make for a quite disappointing viewing experience.

Really though, the only thing I'm actually going to tell you is that you should buy a Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 instead.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is only one year older than the FE. Despite this, it sports a more powerful CPU – clocked to 1.4GHz, not 1.18GHz – and more memory that will give you snappier performance, faster app loading, and more longevity from software updates.

While the FE is available as a 40mm model only, the Watch 6 can be found in two different sizes, including a larger 44mm configuration. The display on the Galaxy Watch 6 is larger and brighter, measuring 1.3 inches on the 40mm as opposed to 1.2 inches on the FE.

The Galaxy Watch FE also features the same internal storage and comes with more sensors. Finally, the battery capacity of the Galaxy Watch 6 is considerably larger.

This all makes sense on Samsung's website, where the Galaxy Watch 6 is considerably more expensive than the FE. However, out in the real world, you'll routinely find the Galaxy Watch 6 discounted to the same price or less than the enigma that is the Galaxy Watch FE.

If I may be so bold, I've even seen the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 discounted to less than the list price of the Galaxy Watch FE in both the UK and the US. Even at its own discounted prices, I've generally seen the FE similarly priced to the Galaxy Watch 6 on numerous occasions.

There's one scenario in which the FE makes more sense, and at the time of writing, I recently saw it half price. If you can get one for literally $100/£100, it's more enticing. However, that puts you squarely in really cheap smartwatch territory, and for that price, I'd recommend the absolutely stunning Amazfit Active 2, which handsomely beats the Galaxy Watch FE in terms of style, performance, features, and battery life. That's why we crowned it one of the best cheap smartwatches money can buy.

As such, while there's more I could say about the Galaxy Watch FE's performance, it's a smartwatch that I find myself unable to recommend to anyone.

At its usual price, it's simply no match for a discounted Galaxy Watch 6 or Galaxy Watch 7. Even with the heftiest discount, it's no match for the more stylish and performant Amazfit Active 2.

If the Galaxy Watch 8 arrives later this year, I'll return to this review and replace all the 6's to 7's to reflect that the Galaxy Watch 7 is now a better proposition than the FE.

Sorry, Samsung, but this one is a swing and a miss.

Samsung Galaxy Watch FE: Specifications

Samsung Galaxy Watch FE: Price and Availability

Samsung Galaxy Watch fE

(Image credit: Future)
  • $199 / £199 / AU$399
  • LTE Version $249 (US only)
  • Barely cheaper than the much better Galaxy Watch 6

Available now, you can buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE at a host of different retailers around the world. Prices start at $199/£199/AU$399, the only exception being the $249 LTE version that gets you cellular connectivity and is only available in the US.

Strangely, the only place you won't find it is Samsung's UK website, which lists the device as no longer available. However, UK fans can get their fix at the likes of Currys, Argos, and, of course, Amazon.

Price-wise, the FE is an extremely strange proposition. Despite being essentially a repackaged Galaxy Watch 4, the FE retails for more than you can buy a distinctly more impressive Galaxy Watch 6. For all the aforementioned reasons, you should probably buy that instead.

The FE is also priced squarely alongside the Apple Watch SE and is vastly more expensive than many of the best cheap smartwatches, notably the Amazfit Active 2 and Nothing's CMF Watch Pro range.

  • Value score: 1/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch FE: Scorecard

Samsung Galaxy Watch FE: Should I buy?

Samsung Galaxy Watch fE

(Image credit: Future)

Buy it if...

It's less than $100 / £100

This is the only price at which this smartwatch makes sense, and even then, I'd consider alternatives.

Don't buy it if...

You want value for money

The FE is generally the same price or more expensive than the much better Galaxy Watch 6

You want a good budget smartwatch

If you're really on a budget, consider the Amazfit Active 2 or a CMF Watch Pro from Nothing.

Samsung Galaxy Watch FE: How we tested

I used the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE as my main smartwatch for fitness tracking, sleep tracking, and more. I fully drained the battery to test battery life and tracked multiple workouts against my Apple Watch Ultra 2 to compare accuracy.

Samsung Galaxy Watch FE: Also consider

One of our very favorite cheap smartwatches, the Amazfit Active 2, is cheaper and has better battery life than the Galaxy Watch FE.

Read our full Amazfit Active 2 Review

The CMF Watch Pro 2 is a classy circular smartwatch that's very cheap, has great battery life, and performs more consistently than the FE

Read our full CMF Watch Pro 2 Review

The Galaxy Watch 6 is often the same price as the FE, if not cheaper. It comes in more sizes, is faster, and has more features.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 review

First reviewed: April 2025

The Ninja Swirl by Creami is a new twist on a popular ice cream maker, and I put it to the test
1:35 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances | Comments: Off

Ninja Swirl by Creami: one-minute review

If you've been wanting to make your ice cream at home but you've been holding out for soft serve, you'll be thrilled with the Ninja Swirl by Creami. You can make real soft serve ice cream or healthier soft serve treats tailored to your own personal tastes and dietary considerations. You're not limited to soft serve; you can also make all of the frozen treats you can make in other Ninja Creami models or other ice cream makers. There are 13 different settings for all manner of frozen delights. The Ninja Swirl by Creami even has a special setting specifically for high protein, low fat, low sugar creations called CreamiFit.

There's definitely a learning curve when you unbox the Ninja Swirl by Creami. Once you have made a few pints, muscle memory kicks in and it's actually quite easy. You do have to freeze your pints for 24 hours before processing them, so you'll want to have some pints made, frozen, and ready to go for when ice cream cravings hit. The Ninja Swirl by Creami comes with two pint containers, so you can always have at least one pint deep frozen and ready to process.

All of the Ninja Creami machines are essentially drills that turn your solid frozen pints into a beautiful ice cream texture. With the Ninja Swirl, you start by making regular ice cream first. You can eat that as is, or you can add mix-ins, or you can proceed to the soft serve mechanism. In a few minutes, you'll have lovely soft serve just like you get at your local ice cream or frozen yogurt shop.

Ninja Swirl by Creami in action

Real soft serve ice cream (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

Ninja Swirl by Creami: price and availability

  • List price $349.99 / £272.90 / AU$572.77
  • Comes with two model-specific pint containers
  • Nearly double the price of the original Ninja Creami

The Ninja Swirl by Creami retails $349.99 / £272.90 / AU$572.77. You can buy it directly from Ninja, or from the usual third-party retailers such as Amazon, where it currently sells for a slight discount.

The Ninja Swirl is substantially more expensive than the other Creami models. The Ninja Creami Deluxe retails for $249.99 while the original Ninja Creami retails for $199.99. The older models can also be had for a significant discount at third-party retailers.

Note that the pint containers that you use with the Ninja Swirl are different from the ones that come with the other models and are not compatible at all. If you like to have extra pint containers on hand, they will run you $34.99 for a two-pack or $64.99 for a four-pack.

  • Value score: 3.5/5

Ninja Swirl by Creami: design

  • Large in every dimension
  • Designed for ideal ice cream texture
  • Loud and delicate

The footprint of the machine is fairly large at 15.16 x 10.04 inches. Additionally, the 17.52 inch height means that you'll need to measure to make sure the machine will fit under your cabinets. The Ninja Swirl actually doesn't fit under mine, so I had to place the machine near my sink, the one spot in my kitchen where there are no upper cabinets. Plus, you'll need some elbow room to the right of the machine, in order to operate the soft serve dispensing handle.

There are 13 different programs on the Ninja Swirl. When you put your frozen pint into the machine to process it, you'll first select Scoop or Soft Serve, because certain programs are only compatible with one or the other. If you're making Scoop ice cream, you can use the Ice Cream, Light Ice Cream, Sorbet, Gelato, Frozen Yogurt, Milkshake, or CreamiFit buttons. If you're making Soft Serve, you can select Ice Cream, Lite Ice Cream, Fruit Whip, Frozen Custard, Frozen Yogurts, or CreamiFit buttons. The different settings run the blade at different speeds for varying amounts of time. If you're using the Ninja recipes, you'll be told which setting to use. If you're not sure, the recipe book includes a description of each setting so you can make the best choice.

After the initial spin, which is generally 4-6 minutes, you can eat it as is or you can select Re-spin or Mix-In. You'd choose to re-spin if the texture is too crumbly or snowy. If you're not doing soft serve, you can add a mix-in such as candy, cookies, or fruit for a chunky ice cream treat.

Note that the machine is quite loud; it triggered the "Loud Environment" warning on my Apple Watch. It got up to 96 decibels in my testing. The Creami, after all, is drilling through a solid block of deep-frozen ingredients. You don't actually have to stand over the machine while it spins, however. You can step out of the room while it does its thing to avoid the noise.

Ninja Swirl by Creami and mango fruit whip

Mango and juice cups turned into fruit whip (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

The Ninja Swirl by Creami is not a blender, it's a drill. Be sure to follow the instructions in the included booklet or on Ninja's website. For example, the surface of your frozen ingredients must be flat. An uneven surface can result in blade damage. Don't process a solid block of (water) ice or ice cubes. Don't try to make a smoothie or process hard, loose ingredients. Because of the nature of drilling through a solid frozen mass, if you do incur damage, it may ruin the machine entirely.

That said, this machine is designed to make legit ice cream. The taste of your creations depends entirely on what you put in it, but the texture and looks are pretty amazing every time. Once you have your pint frozen, and a little practice under your belt, the processing is pretty quick and easy.

  • Design score: 4 / 5

Ninja Swirl by Creami: performance

I started with some very simple ideas from Ninja's recipe booklet. For the bright orange fruit whip above, I just tossed two mango fruit cups with the juice included into the pint container and froze it. I processed it on the Fruit Whip setting and then through the Soft Serve mechanism. It was a super simple, healthy, and incredibly delicious treat. I did the same thing with pear fruit cups; you can do it with any fruit cups or canned fruit you like.

I made over two dozen recipes. I started with recipes from Ninja's booklet but soon found other recipes online and then created my own recipes. For me, the main reason to buy a machine like this is to make healthier treats, so that was my focus. My son wanted real ice cream, you can see him making the standard vanilla soft serve from the booklet in the image near the top of the article.

Ninja Swirl by Creami Frozen yogurt scoops

Simply strawberry yogurt (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

Another super easy "recipe" is simply freezing your favorite yogurt. Just transfer it from the cup in comes in to your Ninja Swirl pint, flatten the top, and freeze. The image above is just strawberry frozen yogurt with nothing added. I scooped it out rather than putting it through the soft serve mechanism and then added some toppings, which you can see below. I ate that for breakfast!

Ninja Swirl by Creami breakfast bowl

Ice cream for breakfast? Why not, when it's just yogurt, frozen. (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

I experimented with various protein "ice creams" using ready-made protein drinks and protein powders mixed with milk. There are many ideas in the recipe book and countless more online. While the Ninja Swirl does a fabulous job giving these frozen protein concoctions an authentic ice cream consistency, they tend to taste like, well, frozen protein drinks. I had the best luck mixing protein powders with yogurt, pudding mixes, and other more flavorful ingredients. Below you can see one of my healthier concoctions (if you don't count the chocolate on top.)

Ninja Swirl by Creami hot fudge sundae

Yogurt, protein powder, almond milk, pudding mix, and vanilla extract high protein "ice cream" with melted chocolate on top (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

After you run the initial cycle, the results are often crumbly or snowy. This is easily remedied by running a Re-spin cycle. You may need to re-spin it more than once, or add a bit more milk or other liquid before re-spinning. If you're not going to make soft serve, you can add mix-ins at this step for a chunkier treat. If there isn't a hole in the ice cream already, you'll want to create a hole with your spoon for your mix-ins in order to ensure they make it all the way to the bottom of your pint.

Ninja Swirl by Creami after spinning

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

Particularly after making soft serve, you're going to have a lot of dishes to wash. Every part of the Ninja Swirl is dishwasher safe, but I found myself washing the parts by hand anyway since I wanted to make more ice cream right away. After all, the pint must be frozen for 24 hours before processing.

The image below also shows that there is some product stuck in the various parts that doesn't make it into your cone or cup. Of course, you can have at it with a spoon, but I wouldn't bother. The sides and bottom tend to be quite icy.

Ninja Swirl by Creami dirty dishes

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

This leads me to a tip for avoiding icy chunks in your ice cream. The sides and bottom of the pint do get icy, it seems no matter which recipe you use. After the initial spin, scrape down the sides and bottom of the pint before running the Re-spin cycle.

What if you don't finish the pint in one go? Certain recipes will leave you with an ice cream that is scoopable even after re-freezing but this is rare. After you eat your portion, use a spoon or spatula to pat down the surface of your leftovers in the Ninja pint container. Once fully re-frozen, you can just process it again on the same cycle you used before. Just as before, you'll need to process the ice cream before putting through the soft serve mechanism.

Remember that the Ninja Swirl is not a blender. If your ingredients include chunks, you'll want to blend your mixtures before freezing to ensure uniformity. For example, if you're making cottage cheese ice cream, you'd probably want to blend that first. If you want to upgrade your current blender, check out our list of the best blenders.

You can check out some of my creations by clicking through the gallery below.

Image 1 of 15

Ninja Swirl by Creami various recipes

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Image 2 of 15

Ninja Swirl by Creami various recipes

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Image 3 of 15

Ninja Swirl by Creami various recipes

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Image 4 of 15

Ninja Swirl by Creami various recipes

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Image 5 of 15

Ninja Swirl by Creami various recipes

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Image 6 of 15

Ninja Swirl by Creami various recipes

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Image 7 of 15

Ninja Swirl by Creami various recipes

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Image 8 of 15

Ninja Swirl by Creami various recipes

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Image 9 of 15

Ninja Swirl by Creami various recipes

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Image 10 of 15

Ninja Swirl by Creami various recipes

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Image 11 of 15

Ninja Swirl by Creami various recipes

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Image 12 of 15

Ninja Swirl by Creami various recipes

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Image 13 of 15

Ninja Swirl by Creami various recipes

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Image 14 of 15

Ninja Swirl by Creami various recipes

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Image 15 of 15

Ninja Swirl by Creami various recipes

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
  • Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Ninja Swirl by Creami

Buy it if

You love ice cream, particularly soft serve, and eat a lot of it

It's worth the expense and counter space if you really love ice cream and eat it frequently. The soft serve mechanism is about half the machine's footprint, so this is the machine for soft serve fanatics.

You have specific dietary needs

It's easy to find good ice cream at the grocery store. But if you have allergies, you're vegan, or your have other dietary needs and preferences, being able to customize your frozen treats to your exact specifications is priceless.

Don't buy it if

Budget is a big concern

There are plenty of ice cream machines that cost quite a bit less, even in Ninja's own Creami lineup.

You have limited counter space

This is a pretty big machine in both footprint and height. Plus you need a bit of elbow room on the right to operate the soft serve mechanism. Be sure to measure your space before buying.

Ninja Swirl by Creami: also consider

Ninja Creami Deluxe

Don't really need the soft serve feature? Save about $100 with the Ninja Creami Deluxe, which has nearly all of the features of the Ninja Swirl minus the soft serve. It also has 50% larger pint containers. Save even more with the original Ninja Creami, which has fewer cycle options but still the same basic functionality.

Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker

If you've got to have that soft serve but you don't want to spend the money on the Ninja Swirl by Creami, take a look at the Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker. Read our full review to learn all about it.

How I tested the Ninja Swirl by Creami

I ate a lot of ice cream in the name of science. I used the Ninja Swirl by Creami for several weeks and made dozens of ice cream treats. I made a handful of recipes from Ninja's recipe booklet as well as recipes I found online and others I made up myself. I used various cycles including Ice Cream, Fruit Whip, Frozen Yogurt, CreamiFit, Re-spin, Mix-in, and of course the Soft Serve cycle.

For more details. see how we test, review, and rate products at TechRadar.

First reviewed April 2025

I tried out the Scan 3XS GWP-ME A132C – read what I thought of this powerful workstation
10:33 am |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Comments: Off

This review first appeared in issue 348 of PC Pro.

Scan opts for the Intel route with its lower-priced system, as the 3XS GWP-ME A132C packs the best Intel CPU available in this class. Where other manufacturers chose the Core i9-13900K, Scan steps things up with the i9-13900KS. This incorporates eight P-cores with Hyper-Threading and 16 E-cores without, but the P-cores have a base frequency of 3.2GHz and 6GHz maximum boost, while the E-cores start at 2.4GHz and go up to 4.3GHz (although the latter is the same as the K variant).

Scan also takes advantage of the processor’s support for DDR5 memory by supplying 64GB of 5,600MHz RAM in the form of two 32GB DIMMs. This leaves two slots free for upgrade. The graphics choice is dependable, too: you can’t go wrong with Nvidia’s RTX A5000 handling 3D acceleration. Sporting 8,192 CUDA cores and 24GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus providing 768GB/sec of bandwidth, the A5000 is a potent GPU.

The components of this workstation are built into a capacious Fractal Design Meshify 2 chassis, which offers lots of space for storage upgrades. Scan supplies only a single drive, but it’s a good one – a 2TB Corsair MP700 NVMe M.2 SSD, which supports PCI Express 5. According to testing with CrystalDiskMark 8.0.4, this drive provides sustained reading of 10,074MB/sec and writing at 10,190MB/sec, nearly 50% faster than the best PCI Express 4 NVMe SSDs. Only the Crucial T700 used by Armari this month is faster.

Front view of the Scan 3XS GWP-ME A132C

(Image credit: Future)

Despite its Core i9-13900KS CPU, the A132C came second to systems equipped with the K variant in the PC Pro benchmarks, although a score of 827 is still superb. Its Maxon Cinebench R23 CPU rendering result of 37,442 was also beaten by the Chillblast Apex Core i9 and Armari’s AMD Ryzen 9 7950X. However, the Blender CPU rendering time of 296 seconds beat other Intel-equipped workstations.

The RTX A5000 graphics delivered as expected with SPECviewperf 2020 v3.1 viewsets, showing competent scores for 3D animation, engineering and CAD. The excellent OpenCL result in LuxMark 3.1 of 15,287 was mirrored by a Blender GPU render time of just 143 seconds, although Armari’s AMD Radeon W7800 was faster, and the PCSpecialist Onyx Pro’s Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 was in a different league entirely.

This is an excellent workstation for £4,500, and superb value when you consider its components, but it’s pipped to the top spot by Armari’s entry this month.

We also ranked the best digital art and drawing software.

I tested the PCSpecialist Onyx Ultra – see what I thought of this beast of a workstation
10:20 am |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Comments: Off

This review first appeared in issue 348 of PC Pro.

PCSpecialist has thrown everything at its £10,000 workstation. Not only does it incorporate AMD’s range-topping 64-core Threadripper Pro 5995WX, but it also includes AMD’s latest professional graphics.

The CPU supports multithreading so offers 128 threads. The base clock is 2.7GHz with a boost to 4.5GHz. While there’s no DDR5 support yet for the Threadripper Pro, the eight-channel memory configuration improves bandwidth. PCSpecialist includes a whopping 256GB of 3,200MHz RAM in the form of eight 32GB modules, taking advantage of the extra throughput.

PCSpecialist opts for the brand new AMD Radeon Pro W7800 for graphics acceleration. This combines 4,480 RDNA 3 unified shaders with 32GB of GDDR6 frame buffer operating with 576GB/sec bandwidth.

Two storage devices are supplied with the Ultra. The 2TB Samsung 990 Pro NVMe M.2 drive operates at PCI-E 4 speeds. It achieved sustained reading at 7,404MB/sec and writing at 6,818MB/sec. The other storage device is a capacious 10TB Seagate IronWolf Pro 7,200rpm mechanical hard disk, delivering 261MB/sec reading and 253MB/sec writing.

Front view of the PCSpecialist Onyx Ultra

(Image credit: Future)

The Onyx Ultra managed a score of 794 in the PC Pro benchmarks, beaten only by the systems using Intel’s Core i9. Its main weakness 231 in image editing, which is a single-core task. The Cinebench R23 multicore rendering score of 71,519 is phenomenal, although Armari went further with the same processor. The Blender Gooseberry CPU render time of 134 seconds was also behind Armari.

Although the AMD Radeon Pro W7800 is a fantastic new graphics accelerator, it benefits from being paired with fast single-core CPU speeds, which the Threadripper Pro can’t offer. With SPECviewperf 2020 v3.1, the scores of 194 in 3dsmax-07 and 792 in maya-06 are superb, but Armari did better by partnering the GPU with a Ryzen 9 7950X. Similarly, engineering and CAD viewsets were behind. However, a number of these scores were ahead of the Nvidia RTX A5000 and A6000. The LuxMark 3.1 score of 12,317 and Blender GPU time of 153 seconds were more mediocre.

This is a fantastically powerful workstation, although PCSpecialist hasn’t squeezed as much rendering performance out of the CPU or modelling ability from the GPU as Armari. It’s well worth considering, though, with great all-round abilities and lots of storage for media assets.

We also rated the best free video-editing software.

I tried the PCSpecialist Onyx Pro – read what I thought of this powerful workstation
9:49 am |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Tags: | Comments: Off

This review first appeared in issue 348 of PC Pro.

PCSpecialist takes a unique approach in this month’s Labs by supplying its system with consumer-grade graphics. It’s also the only company to provide secondary storage along with a main drive. So this workstation has a lot in common with a high-end gaming rig; if you design games for a living, this could be exactly what you want.

The CPU is unquestionably potent. This is a 13th generation Intel Core i9-13900K with 24 cores. Eight of these are P-cores with a 3GHz base clock rising to 5.8GHz on maximum boost with Hyper-Threading, while the other 16 are E-cores that operate at 2.2GHz or boost to 4.3GHz, but without Hyper-Threading. So you still get 32 threads like the 16-core AMD CPUs, but 24 of these are full physical cores not virtual ones.

Since Intel Core i9 processors have supported DDR5 memory for a couple of generations now, PCSpecialist has opted for this RAM type, offering 5,200MHz DIMMs. But it has gone further than this – much further. This system includes an incredible 192GB, which is the maximum supported by the Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero motherboard. This is supplied as four 48GB modules, although this isn’t a quad-channel system. It’s safe to say that you won’t be needing to upgrade the memory on this system at any point during its useful lifetime.

Full view of the PCSpecialist Onyx Pro

There’s space for upgrades, but you won’t need to add to the 192GB of RAM (Image credit: Future)

Now we get to the elephant in the room: the consumer-grade graphics. This is cheaper than the professional equivalent, meaning you can get more power for your money. In fact, PCSpecialist has opted for an Asus TUF GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition, which is the most powerful consumer GPU currently available. This provides 9,728 CUDA cores, almost as many as the Nvidia RTX A6000, but the 4090 has a newer GPU core design and runs at a much higher clock speed, so promises significantly higher raw processing power – of which more later.

The trusty Fractal Design Black Solid chassis is supplied to house all these components. This isn’t as big as the XL, but still has plenty of space inside and options for storage upgrades. There are six 2.5in/3.5in bays included, with up to 14 possible, and two 2.5in trays as standard, but four possible. PCSpecialist opts to use an M.2 slot for NVMe SSD main storage, but also uses one of the 3.5in bays for a conventional hard disk.

The SSD is a Samsung 990 Pro running at PCI Express 4 speeds. It delivered sustained reading of 7,404MB/sec and writing speeds of 6,818MB/sec, which are good for non-PCI Express 5 storage. The hard disk is a 4TB Seagate IronWolf Pro 7,200rpm mechanical hard disk, offering 260MB/sec reading and 257MB/sec writing. This is pedestrian throughput compared to the SSD but fast for a hard disk, and the extra storage will be handy for greedy media such as 8K video.

Front and rear views of the PCSpecialist Onyx Pro

The Onyx Pro packs plenty of power for many (but not all) GPU rendering tasks (Image credit: Future)

The Intel Core i9 CPU is very much in its element with everyday tasks. Its overall score of 849 in the PC Pro benchmarks is the joint fastest we’ve ever seen, particularly aided by the multitasking score of 1,057. However, while 35,990 with multicore Maxon Cinebench R23 rendering is superb, Armari’s AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is just ahead, and CPU rendering with Blender is similarly behind AMD, with the Gooseberry frame taking 312 seconds.

But then there’s that GPU. CUDA-accelerated Blender rendering took an incredible 64 seconds, and the LuxMark 3.1 score of 31,713 is staggering. This is also a supreme accelerator for some – but not all – content-creation viewsets. Running SPECviewperf 2020 3.1, the GeForce 4090 managed 316 in 3dsmax-07 and 792 in maya-06. This is a brilliant card for 3D animation. However, while catia-06 saw 165 and solidworks-07 a jaw-dropping 732, snx-04 could only reach 54.57.

If you’ll be running engineering workloads, in particular Siemens NX (represented by snx-04), you’re best avoiding a system with consumer-grade graphics like the Onyx Pro. But if you’re a game designer or 3D animator utilizing GPU rendering, this is a phenomenally powerful machine, and comes highly recommended.

We've also rated the best animation software.

I tested the Lenovo ThinkStation P620 Tower – see what I thought of this cheap workstation
9:47 am |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Comments: Off

This review first appeared in issue 348 of PC Pro.

We haven’t seen many blue-chip brands in our workstation Labs for some years. This has largely been because these manufacturers stuck with Intel Xeons, even when AMD was in the ascendancy, so wouldn’t have fared well. But Lenovo has been offering the AMD alternative for some years and was the initial partner for the Ryzen Threadripper Pro when it arrived last year. Now we get our first look at what Lenovo can do with this potent CPU.

The system is based on the AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 5945WX, which has the lowest number of cores of any CPU this month – just 12. These run at a base 4.1GHz and boost 4.5GHz, with multithreading and support for eight-channel memory. But Lenovo only provides four 3,200MHz DDR4 DIMM modules, so the bandwidth is quad channel with half the throughput of eight-channel, even though the total was a wholesome 64GB.

Lenovo offers a choice of AMD and Nvidia graphics with the P620, and our system came with Nvidia’s RTX A4000. This places this configuration as a modelling workstation rather than more general purpose. Lenovo was IBM’s hardware manufacturer, and when IBM became a services company Lenovo inherited its server and workstation business. The chassis is still reminiscent of the former brand, with excellent tool-free design.

Front view of the Lenovo ThinkStation P620 Tower

(Image credit: Future)

In this high-powered company, the P620 fell behind, achieving 529 in the media-focused benchmarks, 21,580 in the Cinebench R23 multicore rendering test and 486 seconds for the Blender CPU render. These would have been amazing scores a year ago, but all other systems here are way ahead. The Adobe Media Encoder results were impressive, however, taking 121 seconds with CUDA acceleration enabled.

Although the Threadripper Pro has a solid 4.5GHz top single-core frequency, this clearly held it back when modelling. The SPECviewperf 2020 v3.1 results were excellent on an absolute scale but were beaten by every other system. The 2TB Samsung PM981ab was also the slowest NVMe drive here, delivering just 3,519MB/sec reading and 2,986MB/sec writing.

It’s hard to mark down the Lenovo P620 Tower for lagging behind in performance. It’s the cheapest system in this labs test by nearly £900 inc VAT and if upgraded to £4,500 would be far more competitive. It’s also a solid, well-built workstation. With the right specification for your money, it could be well worth considering.

We've also ranked the best monitors for dual-screen setups.

« Previous Page — Next Page »