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Lenovo Legion R45w-30 review: A large ultrawide that doesn’t cost the earth

8:26 pm | March 5, 2024

Lenovo Legion R45w-30: One-minute review

It’s easy to see the appeal of ultrawide monitors, as long as you’ve got the space for them. You get loads of horizontal screen real estate to give you more screen space to use, and that can wrap around you to get you more immersion.

It’s also gotten to the point where you can get solidly specced choices that don’t cost the earth, relatively speaking, That’s where Lenovo is aiming to push their latest screen, the Legion R45w-30, which is one of the larger ultrawide panels available on the market today, and undercuts many of the best ultrawide monitors around in price by quite some distance in the name of offering a solid overall experience backed by a massive 44.5-inch screen.

Lenovo Legion R45w-30: Price & availability

The Lenovo Legion R45w-30 ultrawide gaming monitor on a desk. — (Image credit: Future)

How much does it cost? $799 / £799 / AU$999
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the UK and USA

The Lenovo Legion R45w-30 is available in both the UK and USA for reasonable sums of money compared to other ultrawides, and was subject to a handy discount in the UK this past Black Friday to bring its price down further.

It matches reasonably well against our top ultrawide monitor choice, the LG UltraGear 38GN950, which clocks in at a third more in price than this Lenovo option, at £1200 or so. That panel offers a smaller screen size and aspect ratio, but makes up for it with higher brightness and contrast. It lacks some other nice-to-have features though, including extra USB ports and a KVM switch, making this Lenovo choice especially good value.

Other options from the likes of Samsung are going to cost nearly double that of the Legion R45w-30, given they are OLED, making the Legion R45w-30 a rather great value-for-money choice in its category.

Value: 4 / 5

Lenovo Legion R45w-30: Design

Easy setup
Plenty of connectivity options
Lackluster speakers

The Legion R45w-30 is a good-looking monitor, and carried a lot of presence when placed on my desk. It filled my 120cm desk entirely, and offers a lot of display real estate for the price, that’s for sure. Its black plastic construction feels sturdy, and the flecks of metal across the base of the stand were a nice touch alongside the small Lenovo logo. It means that it should fit well in virtually any setup, with looks to it that are far from being the most obnoxious.

On the point of the stand, that’s especially sturdy, as it would have to be to support such a large monitor. The Legion R45w-30 is also especially easy to put together, and requires no tools to do so. This proved useful if you’re someone who has no dexterity in your hands like I do, so being able to put this Lenovo ultrawide together with little effort was rather handy. You do have to be a bit stronger to put it on the VESA mount if you don’t want to use the included stand, though - and of course, for that you’ll need to make sure you’ve got a stand that supports a monitor that weighs 8.3kg without the stand.

Lenovo Legion R45w-30 Key Specs

Panel size: 44.5 inches
Panel type: VA WLED
Resolution: 5120 x 1440
Brightness: 450 nits (quoted)
Contrast: 3000:1
HDR: HDR400
Pixel response: 1ms
Refresh rate: 165Hz
Inputs: 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DP 1.4, 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x USB-B upstream, 3x USB-A downstream, 1x Ethernet

The scope for adjustment is decent, and you can tilt and pivot the Legion R45w-30 to your liking. It can swivel left and right up to 30 degrees, as well as being height adjustable with a scope of five inches, while its tilt is between 5 and 22 degrees, which is useful for making sure you’re comfortable. Admittedly, in using the Legion R45w-30, the massive screen did take some getting used to.

The vast array of inputs on offer pushes the Legion R45w-30 up a lot in my estimations, given it also packs in some options you don’t usually see on more affordable panels. You get a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4 as well as an Ethernet jack, a trifecta of USB-A downstream ports, a USB-C upstream and USB-B upstream, as well as a headphone jack. That gives you a lot of options for connecting additional devices, speakers, and multiple desktops or laptops.

Design: 4 / 5

Lenovo Legion R45w-30: Features

Easy-to-use UI
KVM switch is useful
Weak, thin-sounding 3W speakers

The OSD that the Legion R45w-30 provides is easy to navigate, especially with the mixture of buttons and a joystick to navigate through its numerous modes. Inside it, you can toggle between various HDR modes and profiles, and fiddle with more traditional settings such as brightness and contrast. I did find myself pressing the wrong buttons inherently, but that’s down to my own incompetence more so than the monitor. Having the joystick for navigating inside menus was a godsend though, and made my life a lot easier.

You even get access to a KVM switch, meaning you can have two devices connected to the Legion R45w-30 and use the same input devices. Switching over from my MacBook Pro to my desktop PC using the same peripherals (don’t worry, my keyboard has dual legend keycaps) was seamless. If you want to, you can also split sources on-screen by using either USB-C or the DP port with picture-in-picture, allowing you to work on two systems at the same time, which is a nice touch, and means you can take full advantage of the 44.5-inch screen for multitasking. Features like that truly exhibit the purpose of an ultrawide panel for productivity workloads.

There are built-in 3W speakers, although they aren’t the best, sounding thin overall, although they do give plenty of volume. You’ll definitely be thankful for the presence of that 3.5mm jack for connecting some external speakers to boost your audio performance.

Features: 4 / 5

Lenovo Legion R45w-30: Performance

Overall image quality is fantastic
Deep blacks and vibrant color reproduction in games
HDR performance is weak

In testing the Legion R45w-30, it provided some good detail and especially smooth output when running Counter-Strike 2, Assetto Corsa Competizione, and Forza Horizon 5 - even if the latter would only run at 21:9, so it couldn’t take advantage of the full wide 32:9 aspect ratio on offer.

Nonetheless, the Legion R45w-30 impressed me, with its good colors and responsive feel. Having never used an ultrawide panel for games before for an extended period, I can certainly see the appeal. ACC especially impressed me, with the entire cockpit of the GT3 Bentley Continental I was driving around Silverstone wrapped around me. Using such a wide monitor seemed to also take away the need to use the camera navigation buttons to move around, as I physically turned my head to take note of where competitors were. The Legion R45w-30 worked wonders for sim racing, not least when I moved from using an Xbox Elite 2 controller to my trusty Logitech G29 wheel.

It also proved to be much the same story when playing Dirt Rally 2, with sharp images and smooth motion thanks to the 165Hz refresh rate. On tight, twisting rally stages with lots of quick changes of direction, the sharper output was most certainly welcome. Counter-Strike 2 was a lot of fun in ultrawide form, with detailed visuals and smooth frames with that 170Hz refresh rate, even if I was terrible at killing enemies.

Out of the box, the Legion R45w-30 offered up relatively deep blacks and near-perfect whites alongside wonderfully accurate colors. It offered a crisp experience for both work and play, and the 5120 x 1440 resolution served up some excellent detail whether I was bombing my way across a New Zealand rally stage or watching some mindless content on YouTube.

A peak brightness of 367 nits is good enough for the price, and meant images did look rather vibrant. Cranking things up to that level didn’t have that much of an impact on whites, although blacks weren’t quite as deep. However, as much as SDR performance here was great, the same can’t be said for HDR. Enabling HDR400 on the monitor and in Windows revealed more washed-out colors and lower color accuracy, meaning this isn’t necessarily the best panel for those workloads. Stick to SDR though, and you’ll be golden.

Performance: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Lenovo Legion R45w-30?

Buy it if...

Don't buy if...

Also Consider

Lenovo Legion R45w-30: Report Card

How I tested the Lenovo Legion R45w-30

Spent nearly two weeks testing
Used for gaming, as well as photo editing and watching videos and day to day work.
Tested using a colorimeter for verifying overall image quality

During my time with the Lenovo Legion R45w-30, I used it as my main working monitor, using it for day-to-day work writing articles and editing images with Photoshop. I also used it to watch streaming content on Disney+ and Prime Video after work, as well as to play a variety of games, including sim racing and shooter titles.

This is a monitor primarily designed for gaming, hence my testing in eSports titles such as Counter-Strike 2, where you’re more likely to feel the benefit of the panel’s 165Hz refresh rate, and using it in sim racing titles such as Assetto Corsa Competizione and Dirt Rally 2 allowed me to gauge its true immersion capabilities. Its fantastic color accuracy and detail also make it suitable for productivity and generalist workloads.

As someone who has a few years of experience writing reviews and testing all sorts of monitors, I’ve got the right tools to help you through the minefield of whether a monitor is actually any good or not. You can trust me to take everything into account to help you make the right buying decision.

LG UltraGear 45GR75DCB: Two-minute review

The LG UltraGear 45GR75DCB is a special monitor, to say the least, and is effectively a new benchmark for the best ultrawide monitors thanks to its phenomenal balance of price, performance, and features.

The 45GR75DCB stretches its ultrawide display up from the usual 3,840 x 1,440p resolution up to 5,120 x 1,440p (32:9, rather than the more typical 21:9), and spreads that across just under 45 inches (44.5 to be precise) of display running up to 200Hz.

Then there are various features ranging from KVM capabilities for use across various devices, AMD Freesync Premium Pro compatibility, and more. Most importantly, the 45GR75DCB lacks the incredibly high $2,000 launch price tag of the LG UltraGear 38GN950, instead coming in at $799. This makes the 45GR75DCB one of the best gaming monitors currently available in its class.

An LG UltraGear 45GR75DCB on a desk — (Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)

The LG UltraGear 45GR75DCB has a simple set-up out of the box. Three parts need to be connected including the base, stand, and display itself. The base has an easy screw at its bottom that connects to the neck.

Once that’s done, the neck connects to four slots on the display’s back. Weight distribution feels pretty even during setup so putting all the parts of the 45GR75DCB together wasn’t difficult. Power is supplied by a slightly enlarged brick that connects to a jack in the rear near a larger collection of ports.

An LG UltraGear 45GR75C on a desk — (Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)

The ports sit on the right side of the back panel directly next to the display neck. In this section are two HDMI ports alongside a singular DisplayPort, USB-C port, USB-B, and two USB-A ports for KVM capabilities.

At the panel bottom near the power button/menu stick is a 3.5mm audio jack that also features DTS Headphone:X for virtual surround sound. It’s incredibly easy to navigate system menus with the stick as the user interface is pretty snappy as well. Unfortunately, there aren’t any internal speakers so headphones or external speakers are going to be mandatory.

When it comes to aesthetics, it won’t win any awards for beauty as it's more about function over form. For a small bit of oomph, there is an UltraGear logo on the back panel and that’s about it. The bezels are thin enough not to interfere with display real estate due to its 3-sided virtually borderless design.

Thankfully, the feet of the base don’t spread out wide enough to be a nuisance, which is great. The 45GR75DCB also doesn’t have any of the customizable lighting of the 38GN950 but that’s fine, and some might even see that as a positive. Though it’s impossible to rotate the 45GR75DCB vertically to get into portrait mode, there are enough height, tilt, and swivel adjustment ranges for a comfortable setup.

There are plenty of features that come packed in the LG UltraGear 45GR75DCB that add to various levels of functionality from creative work to pure gaming applications. The USB-C port allows for various functions including video and data transfer alongside power delivery up to 90W.

There also are a slew of various picture-by-picture and picture-in-picture modes as well as the splitting the monitor between two 2560 X 1440p displays. Multitasking is taken even further through KVM capabilities which allows a single mouse and keyboard input over two devices. This is perfect for gamers who want to stream content through one monitor and set of inputs.

When it comes to more image quality-focused features, the 45GR75DCB has a 1500R curve and 178° viewing angle. The 44.5-inch VA panel produces true-to-life images and videos, boasting 1.07 billion colors and VESA DisplayHDR 600 certification for high-dynamic range, encompassing 95% of the DCI-P3 gamut. Additionally, it offers a 3000:1 contrast ratio and a brightness of 400 nits among its standout features.

Real-time frames per second data can be splashed across all four corners of the display through an FPS Counter. Though the accuracy of the counter is a bit wonky during our test, it’s a great resource to keep up with fps data without using a third-party app that could take away system resources. Shooter fans looking to become as accurate as possible have several choices of a center-display crosshair for improving precision and accuracy. Though the 45GR75DCB doesn’t have external speakers, having DTS Headphone:X certification for virtual surround sound is a phenomenal plug-in-play feature.

General gaming performance on the LG UltraGear 45GR75DCB is pretty fantastic despite the wide visual real-estate. High frame rate games like Doom Eternal, Fortnite, and Counter Strike 2 definitely make the most of the blistering fast 200Hz display. Input lag while playing those games was non-existent thanks to its 1ms (GTG) response time, as well. Moreover, its compatibility with multiple variable refresh rate standards, including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, allows users to seamlessly apply the suitable variable refresh rate function to any PC or console.

Fans of games including Forza Motorsport, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and recent PlayStation ports of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered are going to be in for a treat. They not only perform well but feature ultrawide support for incredibly immersive gameplay. Just be sure that you have the best gaming PC you can get because it'll need to be powerful enough to get the most out of the ultrawide resolution and refresh rate.

When it comes to general image quality, the UltraGear 45GR75DCB is respectable but is held back by its 400 nits of brightness alongside the anti-glare screen, which ultimately produces colors that aren’t as vibrant or crisp as they could be. This is more noticeable when HDR is turned on as colors feel even more flat and drab.

This means that the ultrawide desktop should be avoided by content curators like photographers or colorists. While using Photoshop, it was an issue getting internal monitor settings to look right. For optimal image quality, it’s best to leave HDR alone unless one wants to do a lot of tinkering. Like many premium gaming monitors, there are several genre-specific color settings for first-person shooters, racing, and the like. However, they don’t do much to help improve image quality.

Overall, though, the LG UltraGear 45GR75DCB is one of the best gaming monitor options for those who want the real estate of an ultrawide monitor but aren't looking to spend a fortune to get one. When it comes to functionality and performance, you'd be hard-pressed to find better, just don’t expect a premium look for overall image quality.

LG UltraGear 45GR75C: Price and availability

The LG UltraGear 45GR75DCB is available now in the US for $799.99 and in the UK for 979.94, though there isn’t a release date for the UK or Australia right now. For the size available, this pits it against larger ultrawide screens like the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 or Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 but significantly cheaper.

Though the UltraGear 45GR75DCB lacks a lot of the image quality of those other ultrawide gaming displays, it nearly matches them with its functionality and performance.

Should you buy the The LG UltraGear 45GR75DCB?

Buy the LG UltraGear 45GR75DCB if...

Don't buy it if...

You want better overall image quality
Colors lack boldness and contrast compared to other ultrawide monitors in its tier. Though it’s good enough for gaming, creatives may have some issues when it comes to color correcting.

You don’t have a powerful PC
Gamers who already have trouble running games like Fortnite and Call of Duty Warzone at high frame rates on their rig, let alone higher fidelity games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Alan Wake 2, won't be able to take full advantage of this display.

The LG UltraGear 45GR75DCB: Also consider

If my LG UltraGear 45GR75DCB review has you considering other options, here are two more monitors to consider.

How I tested the LG UltraGear 45GR75DCB

We tested the LG UltraGear 45GR75C for about a little over a week
We used it for gaming, creative work and general computing tasks
We used various games alongside Adobe Suite software

The LG UltraGear 45GR75DCB was made for high performance gaming so a majority of the time was spent playing various titles. To test the performance prowess of the monitor, I played games like Counter Strike 2, Fortnite, and Doom Eternal to test how far refresh rates could be pushed. When it comes to games displaying high levels of visual fidelity, I played Alan Wake II, Cyberpunk 2077, and Forza Motorsport.

I used Adobe Suite software including Photoshop and Premiere Pro to test its color accuracy and image quality. To test video capabilities, various YouTube videos were played across a range of image qualities as well.

I’ve spent the past several years covering monitors alongside other PC components for Techradar. Outside of gaming, I’ve been proficient in Adobe Suite for over a decade as well.

First reviewed March 2024

Asus ROG G22CH review: the Intel NUC Extreme lives on, at least in spirit

7:00 pm | March 1, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Gaming Computers Gaming PCs | Tags: DLSS, GPU, RGB, Total War | Comments: Off

Asus ROG G22CH: One-minute review

As chipsets get smaller and more efficient, the past handful of years have seen a rise in smaller-form gaming PCs like the Asus ROG G22CH.

Not only are they non-intrusive compared to the biggest and best gaming PCs, but they have a nice amount of portability as well. Most importantly, clever cooling and component management allow them to pack a nice performance punch at the cost of real upgradability.

In the case of the ROG G22CH, the rig looks like a horizontally wider version of the Xbox Series X. There’s a sleek all-black look that’s accented by some nice angles with customizable RGB lighting. With that said, the performance specs are also miles ahead of a similar console.

The ROG G22CH has an Intel i9-13900K CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. That’s more than enough for some solid native 1440p gaming with the ability for 4K through DLSS upscaling.

Starting at 1,399.99 in the US (about £1,120/AU$1,960), it can get expensive pretty quickly as you increase the specs, with UK and Australian buyers more restricted in the kinds of configurations they can buy.

This is a bit of an issue since upgradability down the line is likely going to be a problem due to the extremely tight chassis. When packing so much performance within such a small rig, efficient cooling is a must. There are two different options including fans and liquid but both are loud during intensive tasks.

That said, potential buyers looking for a small-form gaming desktop should definitely keep the Asus ROG G22CH in mind, since it's one of the few available on the market now that Intel has retired its NUC Extreme line. Beyond its pretty aggressive styling, its performance prowess is where it matters the most, and it excels in this regard. The gaming desktop can run all of the most popular esports games at high frame rates such as Fortnite and Valorant while handling more visually demanding games like Alan Wake 2 without much fuss. If cost and upgradability are a problem, it might be best to go with a gaming rig that has a bigger case

An Asus ROG G22CH on a desk — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Asus ROG G22CH: Price & availability

How much does it cost? Cost range between $1,399 and $2,499
When is it available? It is available now in U.S., UK and AU
Where can you get it? From various stories depending on territory

The Asus ROG G22CH is relatively expensive regardless of what configuration one has. For gamers looking for some solid 1080p gaming, the $1,399 option comes with an Intel Core i5-13400F, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, 16GB DDR5 RAM, and a 512GB SSD.

That’s definitely a solid choice for anyone looking to play some of the bigger esports games like Fortnite, Rocket League, Call of Duty, or Valorant. Our review configuration came to about $2,299 and for $200 more users can pump up to the Intel Core i9-14900KF, though this isn't necessarily a huge jump in CPU power.

When it comes to the UK, there’s only one option available which includes an Intel Core i7, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, 16GB RAM, and 2TB SSD for £2,099. Australian buyers have two configurations they can buy. Both have an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, 32GB DDR5, and a1TB SSD, but for AU$4,699 you can get an Intel Core i7-14700F configuration, or for $4,999 you can get an Intel Core i9-14900KF system.

For good measure, there’s even an included mouse and keyboard that comes packed in with all configurations. Serious gamers will probably want to check out the best gaming keyboard and best gaming mouse options though, as the stock peripherals aren't spectacular.

Small-form PC Gaming rigs are usually expensive and naturally face issues when it comes to upgrading. However, the Acer Predator Orion 3000 is the most approachable price-wise and the lowest configuration is a bit more powerful than the ROG G22CH. Meanwhile, if performance is a main concern regardless of money the Origin Chronos V3 with a little bit of upgradable wiggly room and the Corsair One i300 has the best form-factor.

Asus ROG G22CH: Specs

The Asus ROG G22CH currently comes in a variety of customizable configurations.

Asus ROG G22CH: Design

The case is 4.53" x 12.72" x 11.30" inches and weights 18.52Lbs
An all-black design is accented with two strips of RGB lighting
There's not much room for GPU upgrading

Balancing form and functionality are the most important attributes of a small-sized gaming PC, and the Asus ROG G22CH does a solid job with both. When it comes to design, there’s much to appreciate in terms of the all-black chassis. Having two vertical strips of customizable RGB lighting on the front panel does lend the rig some personality.

There’s one small stripe on the upper left side and a longer one on the lower right side. Between them is an angular cut alongside the ROG logo. When it comes to ventilation, there’s some form of it on all sides of the ROG G22CH. Just looking from the front panel, the overall design is really sleek and could give the Xbox Series X a run for its money.

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There are plenty of ports available as well. The top IO panel features two USB-A ports alongside a singular USB-C, a 3.5mm combo jack, and a power button. Unfortunately, that USB-C port is the only one available on this PC. On the back are four USB-A split between 2.0 and 3.2, three audio jacks, and a gigabit Ethernet port. That should be more than enough for most PC gamers and creatives though.

Though upgradability will be tough, the ROG G22CH does somewhat make the process easier. Featuring a tool-free design, there’s a sliding latch that allows both sides and upper portions to be lifted to access to its inside. Having that ability without using screws does help a lot, outside of possibly RAM and SSD, getting a large GPU or attempting to swap out motherboards in the future is going to be difficult, if not impossible.

Asus ROG G22CH: Performance

1440p performance is spectacular
DLSS can do 4K when needed
Fans will run at full volume

Benchmarks

Here's how the Asus ROG G22CH performed in our series of benchmarks:

3DMark Speed Way: 4,404; Fire Strike: 34,340; Time Spy: 17,500
GeekBench 6 (single-core): 2,866; (multi-core): 17,650
Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 137 fps; (1080p, Low): 343 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 123 fps; (1080p, Low): 162 fps
Dirt 5 (1080p, Ultra): 173 fps; (1080p, Low): 283 fps

Outside of gaming, the Asus ROG G22CH is a phenomenal workhorse for various general and creative tasks. Using Google Chrome in addition to listening to high-fidelity music through Tidal are fine working experiences.

Using Adobe Suite worked totally fine on the G22CH as well. Photoshop was able to handle multiple-layer projects with incredibly high-resolution photos without issue. Editing videos through Premiere Pro allowed easy editing of 4K videos with speedy export times.

That said, this is a gaming desktop, and it's its gaming performance where the G22CH really shines.

When it comes to handling the top tier of high-fidelity visuals in gaming, the G22CH can handle Cyberpunk 2077, Red Dead Redemption II, Alan Wake II, and the like at native 1440p at high frame rates without breaking a sweat. Our Cyberpunk 2077 tests produced an average 123 fps on Ultra settings at 1080p. Bumping to 1440p with path tracing placed frame rates in the high 90s. Having everything turned to the max in settings allowed Alan Wake II to run in the high 60s.

If wanting to go up to 4K, users are definitely going to have to rely on Nvidia’s DLSS technology, but it's possible with the right settings tweaks.

When it comes to high esports-level performance, users right now can enjoy a serious edge over the competition. Games like Call of Duty: Warzone, Valorant, Country Strike 2, and Fortnite were able to pump out frame rates well over 100 fps on high settings which is more than enough for the best gaming monitors. For more competitive settings, it’s easy enough to reach past 200 fps.

Just understand that users will know when the G22CH is being pushed to the limit. When playing rounds of Helldivers 2 and Alan Wake II, the noise from the PC's fans reached around the low 80-decibel mark. This means that headsets are going to be necessary when gaming.

Should you buy the Asus ROG G22CH?

Buy the Asus ROG G22CH if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Asus ROG G22CH

I tested the Asus ROG G22CH over two weeks. During the day, many general computing tasks were done including Google Chrome and Tidal. Having multiple Google Chrome tabs allowed me to use Asana, Google Docs, and Hootsuite. For creating graphics alongside short-form social media video content, I used Adobe Premiere and Photoshop.

Testing out high frame rate possibilities, games played included Call of Duty: Warzone, Valorant, and Fortnite. To see how hard we could push visual fidelity, we tried games including Cyberpunk 2077, Alan Wake 2 and Forza Motorsport (2023).

I’ve spent the past several years covering monitors alongside other PC components for Techradar. Outside of gaming, I’ve been proficient in Adobe Suite for over a decade as well.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2024

AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE: AMD’s China-only card goes global—and upends the midrange market

7:42 pm | February 28, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Computing Components Gadgets | Tags: CPU, GPU, RAM, SSD | Comments: Off

AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE: Two-minute review

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE was originally launched in China back in July 2023, and from what everyone was told, that card was going to be exclusive to that region.

Well, following the launch of the RTX Super series of GPUs last month, AMD's decided to surprise everyone and launch the RX 7900 GRE globally, starting this week, and it looks primed to upend the midrange GPU market in a pretty huge way.

That's because the RX 7900 GRE (Golden Rabbit Edition) is going on sale starting at $549, which puts it directly in competition with the Nvidia RTX 4070 on price, and undercuts the Nvidia RTX 4070 Super by offering competitive performance for just over 90% of the cost.

To be clear, the card that is being released globally is the same card that has already been available for Chinese consumers, and so it has been extensively benchmarked for months, with much of that data freely available online for everyone to see.

This has no doubt driven much of the global interest in the RX 7900 GRE since it originally launched back in July, and I fully expect this card to fly off the shelves since it is without question one of the best graphics cards for the midrange you're going to find.

In terms of raw synthetic performance, the RX 7900 GRE follows the familiar AMD-Nvidia pattern where the Radeon card is better at pure rasterization while the GeForce card is the better ray-tracer, but the difference between the RX 7900 GRE and the RTX 4070 Super in ray-tracing performance isn't as wide as it might have been last generation.

What's more, when it comes to gaming, Nvidia's advantage in native ray tracing is overcome by the RX 7900 GRE as soon as you bring upscaling into the mix, which you invariably have to do whenever ray tracing above 1080p is involved.

The RX 7900 GRE is even a much more capable creative card than I was expecting, so long as you're not working with CUDA, but for graphic designers, photographers, and video editors, this is a surprisingly powerful GPU for a lot less money than it's rivals.

Overall, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE isn't so powerful that it completely knocks out Nvidia's RTX 4070 Super, but it's hitting Nvidia's newest GPU a lot harder than I think Nvidia was expecting so soon after launch. Unfortunately, this does put the only-slightly-cheaper-but-not-as-good AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT in a bit of an awkward position, but for gamers looking to get the best performance for their money, more options are better in this case.

An AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE from PowerColor on a desk with its retail packaging — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE: Price & availability

How much does it cost? $549 (about £440/AU$770)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE is available starting February 27, 2024, with a US MSRP of $549 (about £440/AU$770). This is the same price as the Nvidia RTX 4070, $50 less than the RTX 4070 Super, and $50 more than the RX 7800 XT.

This launch doesn't include an AMD reference card, so you will need to buy the RX 7900 GRE from third-party partners like ASRock, Gigabyte, Sapphire, and others. The sample I was sent for review is the PowerColor Hellhound RX 7900 GRE, a model line that typically sells for AMD's MSRP or below (when on sale).

AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE: Features & specs

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE is a modified Navi 31 GPU with four fewer compute units than the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT, as well as slower clock speeds. It's power requirements are also officially lower at a starting TGP of 260W, but this will vary by which card you go for.

The Radeon RX 7900 GRE also has 16GB GDDR6 VRAM to the RX 7900 XT's 20GB, and while the RX 7900 XT has a 320-bit memory bus, the RX 7900 GRE has a slimmer — but still sizeable — 256-bit bus. With a memory clock of 2,250 MHz (compared to the RX 7900 XT's 2,500 MHz), the RX 7900 GRE comes in with an effective memory speed of 18 Gbps and a memory bandwidth of 576 GB/s, which is a notable decline from the RX 7900 XT's 800 Gbps and 800 GB/s, respectively.

Also notable are the two 8-pin power connectors, which won't require you to fuss around with a 16-pin connector like Nvidia's latest graphics cards require you to do, whether that's through an adapter or an ATX 3.0 power supply.

AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE: Design

While there is an AMD reference card for the RX 7900 GRE, AMD has said that global availability will only come through AIB partners, so the design you get with your card will vary by manufacturer.

The card I tested, the PowerColor Hellhound RX 7900 GRE, sports a triple-fan cooler with RGB lighting in the fan. It's a long card to be sure, and even though it's technically a dual-slot card, the shroud makes for a tight fit.

The backplate of the Hellhound RX 7900 GRE has some notable features, like the Hellhound logo, the exposed GPU bracket, and a hole in the backplate opposite the third fan to leave an open path for air to pass over the GPU cooler's heatsink fins to improve cooling efficiency.

An AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE from PowerColor in a test bench — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE: Performance

Now we come to the heart of the matter. I can't tell if AMD was inspired by the release of the Nvidia RTX 4070 Super or not, but whatever convinced Team Red to bring the RX 7900 GRE out of China to the rest of the world, midrange gamers everywhere should be grateful because this is easily the best midrange graphics card on the market right now.

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Rx 7900 GRE synthetic benchmark results — (Image credit: Future / Infogram)

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Starting with synthetic benchmarks, the typical rasterization-ray tracing divide between AMD and Nvidia remains, but like we've seen with other cards this generation, the gap is narrowing. The Nvidia 4070 and RTX 4070 Super definitely pull ahead in terms of raw compute performance, but overall, the RX 7900 GRE is the champ of the under-$600s.

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Rx 7900 GRE creative benchmark results — (Image credit: Future / Infogram)

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For creative use, the RX 7900 GRE is the strongest rasterizer, but lags Nvidia with video editing, and serious stumbles when it comes to 3D rendering as seen in Blender Benchmark 4.0.0.

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RX 7900 GRE 1080p gaming benchmarks — (Image credit: Future / Infogram)

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RX 7900 GRE 1440p gaming benchmarks — (Image credit: Future / Infogram)

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Rx 7900 GRE 4K gaming benchmark results — (Image credit: Future / Infogram)

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When it comes to gaming, though, the RX 7900 GRE is the clear winner among midrange cards, with spectacular 1080p and 1440p gaming performance, with only slightly worse ray tracing performance than the RTX 4070 Super.

As a 4K graphics card, however, the RX 7900 GRE isn't that far behind the RTX 4070 Ti, with the former getting an average 55 fps (30 fps minimum) and the latter getting an average of 63 fps (minimum 42 fps). The RTX 4070 Super, meanwhile, only averages 41 fps at 4K, with a minimum of 28 fps.

Ultimately, the RTX 4070 Super can't really be considered among the best 4K graphics cards, but the RX 7900 GRE definitely can, thanks to its wider memory pool and larger memory bus.

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Power and Temperature benchmarks for the RX 7900 GRE — (Image credit: Future / Infogram)

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Of course, this performance comes at the cost of power draw. You can throw the official 260W TGP right out the window here, with the RX 7900 GRE pulling down 302W, but the strong cooling performance on the PowerColor Hellhound card did manage to keep the RX 7900 GRE below 53 degrees Celsius.

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Final benchmark results for the RX 7900 GRE — (Image credit: Future / Infogram)

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Creative benchmarks for the RX 7900 GRE — (Image credit: Future / Infogram)

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Overall, then, there's just no getting around the fact that the RX 7900 GRE effectively outperforms any other card in the midrange. And despite the RX 7900 GRE falling well short of the RTX 4070-series GPUs overall, it's worth keeping in mind that with Photoshop and similar rasterization-dependent programs, the RX 7900 GRE performs the best, and it doesn't fall too far behind the RTX cards when it comes to video editing.

The weakness of the RX 7900 GRE is that most, if not all, 3D modeling software relies so heavily on Nvidia's CUDA that it heavily skews the creative performance averages, that it can be somewhat deceptive—unless you NEED this graphics card for 3D modeling. If that's the case, nothing else matters, and you need to go with an RTX 4070-class graphics card despite the RX 7900 GRE's superior performance everywhere else.

How many people will that stipulation apply to ultimately? Not enough to hold the RX 7900 GRE from claiming the crown as the best graphics card in the midrange, and since its final value score is just shy of the RX 7800 XT's, there really isn't any reason to opt for any other card right now. The RX 7900 GRE is honestly just that good.

Should you buy the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE?

Buy the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE if...

You want the best midrange graphics card
The AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE is the best overall graphics card for under $600 you can get.

You want to game at 4K
Thanks to the RX 7900 GRE's 16GB VRAM and wide memory bus, you can absolutely game effectively at 4K with this card.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best ray-tracing graphics card
The AMD RX 7900 GRE is a good ray-tracing graphics card, but it's not as good as the RTX 4070 Super.

You do a lot of 3D modeling
If you're a 3D modeling professional (or even a passionate amateur), you need an RTX card, full stop.

AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE: Also consider

If my AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE review has you looking for other options, here are two more graphics cards to consider...

How I tested the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE

I spent about a week with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE
I tested its synthetic, creative, and gaming performance
I used our standard suite of benchmarks

Test system specs

This is the system I used to test the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE

CPU: Intel Core i9-14900K
CPU Cooler: MSI MAG Coreliquid E360 AIO Cooler
RAM: 32GB Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR5-6000
Motherboard: MSI MPG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi
SSD: Samsung 990 Pro 4TB NVMe M.2 SSD
Power Supply: Thermaltake PF3 1050W ATX 3.0
Case: Praxis Wetbench

I spent about a week testing the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE, including extensive benchmarking as well as general use of the card in my primary work PC.

I also made sure to benchmark other competing graphics cards in the same class with updated drivers to ensure correct comparable data, where necessary.

I've been reviewing computer hardware for years, and I have tested and retested all of the best graphics cards of the past two generations, so I know very well how a graphics card in a given class ought to perform.

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

Read more about how we test

First reviewed February 2024

Acer Predator BiFrost Arc A770 OC review: a flashy makeover for those who want that RGB

5:00 pm | February 25, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Computing Components Gadgets | Tags: Forza Horizon, GPU, RGB | Comments: Off

Acer Predator BiFrost Arc A770 OC: Two-minute review

Following years of anticipation, Intel jumped into the GPU market dominated by AMD and NVIDIA with some respectable results last year.

Both the Intel Arc A750 to the Intel Arc A770 showed real promise and managed to undercut the best graphics cards both chipmakers had to offer despite, at least on price if not necessarily matching performance benchmarks.

Regardless, the A770's price just kept it from being one of the best cheap graphics cards for those looking for a GPU that could provide good ray-tracing alongside hardware-accelerated AI upscaling. Though it couldn’t match the sheer raw 1440p power of an AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT or Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti, general performance was more than respectable for the $349 launch price.

With third-party variants of the A770 available, the Acer BiFrost Arc A770 OC might be a more attractive buy, especially now that the Intel Limited Edition cards are no longer being manufactured. There are a few things that lean in its favor including customizable RGB lighting through the Predator BiFrost Utility and overclocking capabilities.

Sure, the lighting that comes with the BiFrost Arc A770 OC looks more attractive than the original A770, but that’s pretty much the biggest plus when it comes to this GPU over the Intel reference card. Performance power doesn’t increase much even with overclocking, which means that the dual-8-pin connection pulls even more power for no real reason, but you can make adjustments to its power draw if that's an issue. Be sure to make sure Resizable BAR is activated through your motherboard's BIOS settings as well because performance will absolutely tank if you don't.

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An Acer Predator BiFrost Arc A770 OC on a gray deskmat — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

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As mentioned previously, the Acer BiFrost Arc A770 OC comes feature-packed with ray-tracing and AI upscaling capabilities. When it comes to ray-tracing, it’s not going to deliver performance that matches AMD let alone Nvidia, but that doesn’t mean that ray-tracing performance wasn’t good.

When tested with the Dead Space Remake and Cyberpunk 2077, framerates stayed within the 30 fps ball-park. On the other hand, Intel’s XeSS AI upscaling technology is as good as DLSS and AMD FidelityFX in games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023), Forza Horizon 5, and Hi-Fi Rush. Though 1440p performance is generally great, for more fps, brining it down to 1080p delivers better overall results.

There are around 70 games that support XeSS so far with more popular games like Fortnite, League of Legends, and Counter Strike 2 missing from the list. During playtesting some games performed horribly including Crysis Remastered and Forza Motorsport (2023) even when dropped down to borderline potato settings.

As in TechRadar's original A770 review, older games may have performance issues due to driver compatibility, since games developed with DirectX 9 and Direct X 10 were not made with the Arc GPUs in mind, meanwhile, AMD and Nvidia drivers have over a decade of legacy support for these games built-in since earlier versions of the drivers were developed back when those games were first released. That said, DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 performance is much better, and Intel's drivers are being actively improved to support these games.

One thing that surprised me is that the A770 provides pretty decent performance when using Adobe Suite software like Premiere Pro and Photoshop if your project scope is kept reasonable. In the meantime, it’ll be interesting to see Adobe provide official support for the graphics card in the future.

Acer does have a Predator BiFrost Utility that allows users to change RGB lighting within its card, but outside of that, it’s not as useful as Intel’s own Arc Graphics utility driver. Both allow users to have various system overlays alongside overclock power limit, temperature limit, and fan speed. One thing's for sure, even when running at full power, the Acer BiFrost Arc A770 OC wasn’t incredibly loud compared to other power-hungry GPUs available.

Acer Predator BiFrost Arc A770 OC: PRICE & AVAILABILITY

How much does it cost? US MSRP $399 (about £320 / AU$560)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

The Acer Predator BiFrost Arc A770 OC is currently available now in the US, UK, and Australia. Right now, there are ways to get around the $399 MSRP with some stores like Newegg selling the GPU for around $279. With the original A770 going for as high as $429, the BiFrost Arc A770 OC could be considered a better buy.

For gamers on a more restricted budget looking for the best 1440p graphics card capable of playing many of the best PC games of the past couple of years, the BiFrost Arc A770 is definitely more accessible than comparable Nvidia and AMD graphic cards. Individuals who are working with a higher budget should definitely consider getting the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, which is just $50 more at $449 and provides much better 1440p performance.

Acer Predator BiFrost Arc A770 OC: Specs

Should you buy the Acer Predator BiFrost Arc A770 OC?

Buy the Acer Predator BiFrost Arc A770 OC if...

You need for budget level price with nearly mid-tier performance
With solid ray tracing and AI upscaling capabilities, the 1440p performance on the BiFrost A770 OC is commendable.

You require a GPU to match your RGB ready desktop’s flyness
The dual fan design and RGB lighting does look cool compared to the original A770.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best midrange GPU
Due to developer support at the moment, the A770 lags behind AMD and NVIDIA, which means performance won’t be the best for many of the top-tier games.

You want a GPU that uses less power
The Acer BiForst Arc A770 uses a lot of power but the performance doesn’t really reflect that.

Also consider

If my Acer Predator BiFrost Arc A770 OC review has you looking for other options, here are two more graphics cards to consider...

How I tested the Acer Predator BiFrost Arc A770 OC

I spent around two weeks with the Acer Predator BiFrost Arc A770 OC
I used the Acer Predator BiFrost Arc A770 OC for gaming and creative test

Testing with the Acer Predator BiFrost Arc A770 OC happened over a two-week period on a second home computer where I split between gaming and creative tasks. On the gaming side, titles played during testing included Crysis Remastered, Call of Duty Modern Warfare III, Forza Horizon 5, Forza Motorsport (2023), and Dead Space (2023).

Creative usage was split between Premier Pro and Photoshop. I’ve been testing gaming desktops alongside components for around three years for TechRadar and fully understand how GPUs are supposed to perform compared to similar tech.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed February 2024

Netgear Nighthawk RS700S review: Netgear’s first Wi-Fi 7 router provides blistering performance

1:30 am | February 24, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Computing Components Gadgets Servers & Network Devices | Comments: Off

Netgear Nighthawk RS700S: One-minute review

Netgear originally announced the Nighthawk RS700S as its first Wi-Fi 7 router back in March 2023, although it didn’t go on sale in the US until the end of the year. What's more, the Wi-Fi Alliance that oversees the development of Wi-Fi technology didn’t officially launch the new standard until CES 2024 – under the somewhat odd label ‘Wi-Fi Certified 7’ (also known as IEEE 802.11be, for the more technically inclined).

So, what we have with the Netgear Nighthawk RS700S is some bleeding-edge tech that makes it a shoe-in for a spot on our best WiFi router page, though not without caveats.

Unsurprisingly, the state-of-the-art RS700S is seriously expensive, with a single unit costing $699.99 in the US, and a whopping £799.99 in the UK (not to mention the additional subscriptions that Netgear tries to sell you as well).

To be fair, Wi-Fi 7 does blow away previous generations of Wi-Fi, with the tri-band RS700S boasting a top speed of 19Gbs using the 2.4GHz, 5.0GHz, and 6.0GHz bands. Netgear also claims that it has the ability to reliably connect to 200 devices all at once, though I don't have nearly that many devices to attempt to test such a claim.

Of course, all of this is probably overkill for most of us – especially since there aren’t many computers or mobile devices that even support Wi-Fi 7 yet - but the RS700S certainly gives us a fascinating glimpse into a future where 8K video and VR headsets and gaming are the norm.

And, of course, Wi-Fi 7 is still backwards-compatible with older computers and mobile devices, so it will still work with your existing devices as well, but if you don't have the kind of hardware that can take advantage of the new tech, you're better off waiting until you do.

A Netgear Nighthawk RS700S on a table — (Image credit: Future)

Netgear Nighthawk RS700S: Price & availability

How much does it cost? $699.99/£799.99/AU$1499.00
When is it available? Available now
Where is it available? Available in the US, UK and Australia

There are very few Wi-Fi 7 routers currently available, so the RS700S doesn’t have many comparable rivals at any price. However, top-of-the-range Wi-Fi 6E routers such as the Asus Rapture GT-AXE11000, which runs at a still impressive 11Gbps, come in at around $400/£450/$700, so you’re paying quite a premium for the extra performance of Wi-Fi 7. It’s early days, though, so hopefully prices will begin to fall as rival manufacturers start to release their own Wi-Fi 7 routers and mesh systems throughout 2024.

Netgear Nighthawk RS700S: Specs

Netgear Nighthawk RS700S: Design

The tall, upright design and blinking lights of the RS700S are certainly eye-catching, and a departure from the winged ‘Cylon battle-cruiser’ designs of previous Nighthawk routers.

Standing a lofty 282mm high, the slimline black pillar looks more like the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey, with a series of LEDs on the front panel that provide information about both wired and wireless connections.

Netgear also claims that this upright design helps the RS700S and its eight internal antennae to more effectively transmit a Wi-Fi signal through a full 360 degrees, giving it a reach of 3,500 sq. ft (quoted as 3,000 sq. ft in some countries due to differences in national regulations).

You also get some idea of the power of the RS700S when you spot the large cooling vents on both the top and bottom panels, and a glimpse at the spec sheet reveals that the router is driven by a powerful quad-core processor running at 2.6GHz, backed up by 2GB of memory and 512MB of internal storage.

The size of the router also leaves plenty of room for additional connectivity features, including no less than six Ethernet ports on the back panel and a USB-A port for connecting a network hard drive.

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The mobile app interface for the Netgear Nighthawk RS700S — (Image credit: Future)

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The web interface for the Netgear Nighthawk RS700S — (Image credit: Future)

Netgear Nighthawk RS700S: Features

The ample ports give you an indication of the performance offered by the RS700S, as they include one 10 Gigabit Ethernet port for your Internet connection (via your existing broadband router or modem), along with a second 10 Gigabit port to provide a high-speed wired connection for a laptop, gaming console or other device that requires the fastest possible connection.

There are also four Gigabit Ethernet ports for wired connections as well, with the ability to combine two ports (known as ‘link aggregation’) to provide a 2 Gigabit wired connection.

Just as important, though, are the features provided by the Nighthawk app. It gets the basics right, walking you through the initial set-up process quickly and easily.

To keep things simple for first-time users, the app has a Smart Connect feature that automatically connects your computers and mobile devices to the frequency band that provides the best performance in that particular room or location.

However, you can turn this off and create separate networks for each frequency if you prefer, and also set different passwords for each network. And, for more experienced users, there’s also a web browser interface that provides more in-depth control over your network settings.

It's worth mentioning that the RS700S also includes a 12-month subscription to Netgear’s Armor security service, which can protect your network and devices from online threats such as malware and phishing websites. But, after 12 months, you’ll need to pay $99.99 per year to continue with the service.

The RS700S also seems to be something of a work in progress, as there’s one important new feature in Wi-Fi 7, called ‘multi-link operation’ that allows devices that support Wi-Fi 7 to connect to all three frequency bands at once (rather than a single band, as is the case with previous versions of Wi-Fi).

Netgear says that this feature will require a software update that is due in Q1 of 2024, so if you’re keen to see the full potential of Wi-Fi 7 it might be worth watching the Netgear website for updates.

Netgear Nighthawk RS700S: Performance

Benchmark results

Ookla Speed Test - 2.4GHz (download/upload)
Within 5ft, no obstructions: 123Mbps/80Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 78Mbps/45Mbps
Ookla Speed Test - 5.0GHz (download/upload)
Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps/150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps/150Mbps
Ookla Speed Test - 6.0GHz (download/upload)
Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps/150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps/150Mbps
20GB Steam Download - 2.4GHz
Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 70Mbps
20GB Steam Download - 5.0GHz
Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps
20GB Steam Download - 6.0GHz
Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbp

Even so, the RS700S still provides more than enough speed for most home and office networks.

Even on the slower 2.4GHz band it outperforms the sluggish 85Mbps of our office router, hitting 123Mbps on the Ookla speed test for devices that are in the same room as the router.

And, as I switch to the 5.0GHz and 6.0GHz bands, I feel as though the router is giving me the side-eye as both bands breeze along to the full 150Mbps provided by our office broadband.

Longer, sustained downloads on Steam give the router more time to ramp up to speed and all three bands hit 150Mbps with no effort at all. Moving further away, to a back office separated by some partition walls, the Ookla test slows a little to 78Mbps when using the 2.4GHz band, while Steam downloads dip to 70Mbps.

Even so, that’s still almost twice as fast as the 40Mbps that our normal router provides for both tests. And, needless to say, the 5.0GHz and 6.0GHz bands don’t have any trouble as I wander along the corridor to that back office, with both the Ookla and Steam tests maintaining a smooth and steady 150Mbps throughout.

Should You Buy The Netgear Nighthawk RS700S?

Buy the Netgear Nighthawk RS700S if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

First reviewed February 2024

Keychron C3 Pro review: punching way above its weight

2:59 am | February 23, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Keyboards Peripherals & Accessories | Comments: Off

Keychron C3 Pro: Two-minute review

The Keychron C3 Pro keyboard thrives in a league of its own with a price point that’s below $40 while offering features usually reserved for the heavier hitters with money to spend.

To get a good keyboard for less than $50 usually means sacrificing a lot to give the illusion of more premium-priced products. When it comes to performance, the most obvious cut-back in the design are the key switches, lack of programmable keys and the like. Regardless of how one uses the C3 Pro, the mechanical keyboard is backed by a sophisticated gasket mount design and sound-absorbing foam that keeps keystrokes relatively quiet.

Having a black and red design aesthetic, the ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) chassis feels durable. Adding comfortability are three adjustable typing angles and curved keycaps. If there’s anything exactly wrong with the C3 Pro’s design its the location of the USB-C port that sits near the back-panel center.

The awkward placement can be a nuisance but it also allows better cable management as there are both vertical and horizontal nooks. This can be a problem for those who want to travel with the keyboard, but the average desktop user won’t think much about it after installation.

The Keychron C3 Pro on a purple deskmat — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The C3 Pro is a mechanical switch keyboard with a 1000Hz polling rate and ARM architecture with 256KB flash storage. With N-Key Rollover into the mix, you have an incredibly solid gaming keyboard that goes a bit beyond casual usage.

Serious gamers who need quick keys or maybe more pronounced media keys may find trouble with the C3 Pro, but considering its price, anyone with those complaints should probably spend the extra money on the best mechanical keyboard they can afford and save themselves the trouble.

For most users though, it won’t matter if you use this keyboard for gaming or general tasks, the keystrokes will always feel good. They are tactile and springy enough for quick multiplayer rounds of Call of Duty or writing editorials through Google Docs.

The C3 Pro’s versatility is also one of its biggest assets, featuring the ability to switch between Windows and macOS keysets. All users have to do is hold the function key and tap the CAPS Lock.

Add QMK/VIA software support and there’s some crafty customization that can take place when using the C3 Pro. The open-source nature even contributes to some intricate backlight effects due to the per-key lighting that only comes in red. Interestingly enough, there are over 14 types of red back lights to choose from though many may have an issue with the singular color type.

Overall though, the Keychron C3 Pro is a masterpiece of customization, performance, and price, and is absolutely one of the best keyboard offerings we've seen so far this year, and it will be hard to beat.

Keychron C3 Pro: Price & Availability

Priced at just $36.99 in the US, the Keychron C3 Pro is currently available in the US and the UK through both Keychron’s website and Amazon. Australian residents are out of luck, however. At least for now.

Considering the budget nature of the C3 Pro, it stands tall against various rivals in both gaming and creative sectors. When it comes to rivals within its price point, the Logitech G213 Prodigy and Roccat Pyro RGB lean more into gaming. The Logitech G213 Prodigy provides more gaming specific features, tenkey number pad, and dedicated media keys in exchange for Mech Dome switches at the same price.

Meanwhile, the Roccat Pyro RGB has mechanical switches alongside dedicated media keys but is a bit more expensive at around $80. Considering those are more serious gaming keyboards, they lack the versatility provided by the C3 Pro. For someone looking for a keyboard on a budget, this is definitely something to consider.

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Keychron C3 Pro: Design

As mentioned above, the Keychron C3 Pro’s black and red design adds a bit of flair to the ABS chassis. Despite the plastic material, it successfully rides the fine line between being lightweight but flimsy and sturdy but heavy, giving it the right amount of strength without adding too much weight.

This means that the C3 Pro can also survive a rough time in a backpack alongside some reasonable drops to the floor. Part of that may come from the internal keyboard plate material being made out of steel. The backlight design comes in over a dozen modes that affect the keys alongside light bars that run along the side. And while the all-red LED looks fine and also helps save on cost instead of per-key RGB lighting, some other solid color options would have been nice.

To make sure that users are on the correct operating system layout, there’s a small LED light that sits next to the CAPS Lock notification, which is a nice touch. The C3 Pro is also made to be configured with different keycaps so you can personalize its look somewhat. By itself, the key placement is laid out well enough while allowing users to easily switch between layouts for Windows and macOS. Considering there aren’t any additional media buttons or anything, the function button works well with the function keys.

Comfort really takes centerstage in this the design, starting with three separate typing angles, and the key quality if outstanding, making it great to type on. If anything, the biggest design issue I have is the location of the USB-C port on the back panel near the center. The trade-off is that there is both a horizontal and vertical nook for better cable management, but it can still be a pain sometimes.

Keychron C3 Pro: Performance

The Keychron C3 Pro was billed as a keyboard that’s ideal for “gaming and work.” When it comes to casual gaming experiences, it does more than a good job. Having a 1000Hz polling rate and N-Key Rollover makes the experience of playing fast paced shooters like Doom Eternal, El Paso, Elsewhere and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III a blast.

Keystrokes were springy, tactile, and responsive, and the additional foam padding underneath the switches also ensures that this keyboard won’t disturb anyone in the office with a whole lot of clickity clack.

As mentioned previously, switching between Windows and macOS is as easy as hitting the function button neat the CAPS Lock, and when using a Macbook, users can easily set spaces, change brightness, and more. In an interesting touch, there’s an AI assistant button for Apple users who need Siri to make an appearance.

Users looking to customize their button layout can use either QMK or VIA for support as the keyboard also has a 256KB flash storage. Serious gamers who want more dedicated macro buttons in addition to other functions are going to have to pay a bit more or leave the mechanical switches aside for something less.

Though less complex shooters like the ones mentioned above will work more than fine with the C3 Pro, gamers into macro-heavy games like League of Legends and high-level Fortnite play might want to look elsewhere. Again, within the bounds of its $36.99 price point, the C3 Pro can hang in there with rivals double its price even if some features are missing.

Should You Buy the Keychron C3 Pro?

Buy the Keychron C3 Pro if...

You want a cheap yet quality keyboard
At $36.99, there isn’t a better budget mechanical keyboard for gamers who have to get general task work done as well.

You are ambidextrous for Windows and macOS
Users who love both Windows and macOS are going to appreciate the C3 Pro a lot.

Don't buy it if...

You need a more gamer-centered keyboard
Serious gamers or individuals with e-sports aspirations may want to spend the money for something that offers a bit more in terms of feature set.

You want a colorway and backlight that’s more than red
While the black and red colorway looks great, it would be nice to have other color options available.

Keychron C3 Pro: Also consider

If my Keychron C3 Pro review has you looking for other options, here are two more keyboards to consider...

How I tested the Keychron C3 Pro

I tested the Keychron C3 Pro over a week’s time. When using Windows, some of the games played included Palworld, Alan Wake 2, Robocop Rouge City, El Paso, Elsewhere and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. When not working, Google office suite and Adobe Photoshop were used as well. For macOS, Google Office suite and Adobe Photoshop were used as well.

Since 2020, I’ve been covering various gaming laptops, monitors, keyboards and more for TechRadar. As a PC Gaming enthusiast, I can definitely help anyone who is looking for a quality keyboard for various price tiers.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed February 2024

Patriot Viper VP4300 review: a long-lasting SSD workhorse for PC and PS5

1:08 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Computing Components Gadgets Storage & Backup | Tags: PC, SSD | Comments: Off

Patriot Viper VP4300: Two-minute review

With Sony’s PlayStation 5 offering support for a handful of SSD drive types, PC and console gamers alike have more choices when it comes to expandable storage and the Patriot Viper VP4300 comes with a lot to recommend it.

The Viper VP4300 SSD utilizes PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe technology and includes a DDR4 DRAM cache. It offers two heat shield design options: an aluminum heat shield & graphene heatshield, both available on the 1TB and 2TB variants. Patriot promises sequential read speeds up to 7,400MB/s and sequential write speeds up to 6,800MB/s, and this is born out in my testing.

The 2TB SKU we got in for review has a US MSRP of $189.99 (about £155/AU$270), which isn't cheap, but few, if any, of the best SSD models that offer this kind of performance will be any cheaper right now. The 1TB SKU comes in much cheaper at $119.99 (about £100/AU$168), so if you're on something of a budget, you do have some options here.

Plus, there’s so much to appreciate with the Viper VP4300 SSD that it's easily the best M.2 SSD for gamers who might want to use it in their PC or PS5, making it a worthwhile investment.

Whatever gaming machine you're buying it for, it'll work, and the graphene heatshield will help keep things cool inside your PS5 while the aluminum heatshield will do the same in your PC.

When it comes to PC Gaming, the SSD drive’s performance is respectable though there were some weak spots, like its lower PassMark Disk benchmark score. Its CrystalDiskMark 8 scores were excellent and in line with the promised speed and expectations for a drive such as this.

This means that it’s speedy when it comes to tasks like installations or copying, saving, and transferring files, and my lived experience with it indicates that some anomalous scores we got during benchmarking were indeed outliers (but not all).

A Patriot Viper VP4300 on a desk — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

However, PC gamers should know that there are definitely faster SSD choices out there, especially if you have a PCIe 5.0-capable system.

VR games, for example, are notorious for long load times on PC and so the observed lower read speed on the Viper VP4300 could impact wait times with these kinds of cases. Even playing more visually low-impactful games like SuperHot VR and Cooking Simulator VR took nearly a full minute to get from SteamVR launching to the main menu screen.

More traditional non-VR games were affected by lower reading times as well. Alan Wake 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 took a bit longer than usual to load from start up to main menu but weren’t annoyingly slow. Even the initial load from the main menu to the most recent checkpoint took a little bit more time.

On the other hand, the Viper VP4300 may be great for gamers who are also creatives since export times to the drive in Adobe Premiere Pro were very zippy.

A Patriot Viper VP4300 in a motherboard — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

One huge positive in the Viper VP4300's column is its 2000TBW endurance rating, in addition to its standard five-year warranty. This means that theoretically, PC gamers who blow through their 2TB SSD drive storage can get a bigger storage replacement and use the Viper VP4300 on their PS5. Adding to those longer-lasting capabilities are the two heatsink options.

Benchmarks

Here's how the Patriot Viper VP4300 performed in our benchmark tests:
CrystalDiskMark Sequential: 7,389 read / 6,799 write
CrystalDiskMark Random Q32: 4,459 read / 3,805 write
Second 25GB file copy: 16 seconds
25GB file transferrate : 1,677 MB/s
PCMark10 SSD Overall: 2,660
PCMark10 SSD Memory Bandwidth: 323.93 MB/s

Our review unit came with the aluminum and graphene heat shields, though these definitely aren't hot-swappable. During testing, the Viper VP4300 got as hot as 57 degrees C when gaming but poked out a bit.

The other graphene headshield does look a bit better and leaves a smaller profile, especially useful for devices like laptops or the PS5. More so than gaming performance, it’s clear that the Patriot Viper VP4300's real niche is in its endurance.

While its read speeds don't top the charts, the Viper VP4300’s respectable performance, especially in write-intensive tasks, and compatibility with PS5 make it a versatile option that any gamer should consider. Additionally, its robust 2000TBW endurance and five-year warranty underscore its longevity, making the Viper VP4300 a valuable investment for gamers and creatives seeking reliable, high-performance storage.

Should you buy the Patriot Viper VP4300?

Buy the Patriot Viper VP4300 if...

You want an SSD compatible with Sony’s PS5
PC gamers and PlayStation 5 owners in need of additional storage may have a viable option

You require an SSD that’ll last a while
Having a 2000TBW endurance and five-year warranty means this SSD is going to last a long time.

Don't buy it if...

You want the absolute best in gaming performance
Again, having lower reading benchmarks means gaming performance for loading may not be up to snuff compared to rival SSDs available around the same price.

You need an SSD that’s affordable
The 2TB version of the Patriot Viper VP4300 is around $150 which many may find expensive compared to others that offer similar or better performance.

Patriot Viper VP4300: Also consider

If my Patriot Viper VP4300 review has you looking for other options, here are two more SSDs to consider...

First reviewed January 2024

Read more about how we test

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition review: a lightweight mouse that’s perfect for esports

9:18 pm | February 21, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computer Gaming Accessories Computers Computing Gadgets Gaming Computers | Comments: Off

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition: Two-minute review

The Asus ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition doesn’t come cheap, but it absolutely nails all the important features for a premium wireless gaming mouse. Its ambidextrous symmetrical form factor is streamlined and comfortable, making it ideal for longer play sessions or competitive settings. The responsive micro switches deliver clean, satisfying clicks that easily keep pace with even the fastest moments of first-person shooter titles like Counter-Strike 2 or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.

It’s a very versatile mouse too, with support for USB-C wired play in addition to wireless connectivity via Bluetooth and the proprietary 2.4 GHz Asus ROG Omni Receiver. Although the report rate of up to 1,000 Hz isn’t the highest on the market, it's more than enough for competitive use and I didn’t experience any noticeable latency using any of the three connection types during my testing.

Even so, the inclusion of a dongle extender in the package is a great added bonus, as it allows you to clip the ROG Omni Receiver directly to your mousepad to further reduce the chance of latency affecting your aim. This is especially important given the clear focus on esports, where many pros tend to veer towards wired gaming mice for their reliability.

What's in the box of the Asus Rog Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition mouse. — (Image credit: Dashiell Wood/Future)

There are two color options to choose from: black and white. In addition to a ROG logo on the palm rest, both sport two baby blue side buttons that inject a little color to help give an otherwise utilitarian design some element of personality. The RGB scroll wheel, while nothing ground-breaking, adds a further element of customizability thanks to the option to illuminate it in a variety of basic colors and modes. It even alerts you when the battery is running low, which should help prevent you from ever being caught out by a depleted mouse in the middle of a match.

There’s some optional grip tape for the mouse buttons and sides too, though you’re unlikely to really need it given the grippy, premium-feeling plastic used across the mouse. The side also sports grooves (alongside a very subtle Aim Lab logo decal) which prevents the mouse from ever feeling slippery in the hands.

The Asus ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition certainly looks premium, but it also packs some seriously high-end specs under the hood. The first area where this mouse really raises the bar is its sensitivity, which is a staggeringly high 36,000 DPI. It goes without saying, but this will be more than enough to satisfy even the twitchiest competitive gamer and should comfortably make this model worth considering if sensitivity is your number one priority.

That’s not all it has to offer, though, as the ultra-light 1.90oz (54g) weight is very impressive too. This is lighter than even the Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 Lightspeed, which comes in at 2.12oz (60g), and makes for a mouse that is not only very easy to transport but can glide smoothly across most surfaces with little friction or fatigue. There are still lighter mice around, like the wired 1.66oz (46g) Asus TUF M4 Air, but it's quite remarkable to see a wireless option this light.

There is also the matter of the Asus ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition’s namesake: its compatibility with Aimlabs. For those not in the know, Aimlabs is a freemium aim trainer program that is a popular choice for training among competitive FPS players. Aimlabs sees you undergo a series of short exercises, namely clicking on various targets in blank environments, in order to evaluate your overall performance. The Asus ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition is able to automatically find your ideal mouse settings based on these tests, even saving them to a special profile for easy access.

Aimlabs software — (Image credit: Aim Lab)

Although most esports competitors will likely already know their own preferred settings, this is still a brilliant addition that could prove genuinely game-changing for those not quite at that professional level. It is a shame, though, that the features offered by the compatible ROG Armory Crate software aren’t so strong. All the basics like the option to change your DPI, map buttons, or calibrate your mouse are at least here but the lack of premium additions like the ability to download profiles from the internet leave it lagging behind the offerings from leading esports brands like Zowie.

The only other real issue is the placement of the DPI button which is, unfortunately, on the bottom of the mouse. While this might not be an issue for some, I am someone who enjoys creating specific profiles for different games and alternating between them quite frequently so having more limited access to the switch is a little annoying.

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition: Price & Availability

Asus Rog Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition in my hands. — (Image credit: Dashiell Wood/Future)

How much does it cost? $139.99 / £139.99 / AU$189
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

Coming in at $139.99 / £139.99 / AU$189, the ASUS ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition is very much a high-end product. Even so, it is less expensive than current esports favorites like the Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 Lightspeed, which costs $159 / £149 / AU$299, and features better specs in most important areas including DPI and weight.

The real question here is whether it’s worth actually getting a wireless gaming mouse for esports in the first place. The wired Razer DeathAdder V3 features a higher report rate of 8000 Hz, a 2.08oz (59g) weight, and a very sensitive 30,000 DPI all for just $69.99 / £69.99 / around AU$99. Considering how many esports pros use wired mice, it might be worth weighing up just how much of a premium you’re willing to pay to cut out the cord. If you are shopping exclusively for wireless options, however, this is a very reasonable price for what you are getting.

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition: Specs

Asus Rog Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition mouse — (Image credit: Dashiell Wood/Future)

Should you buy the Asus ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if…

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition: Also consider

How I tested the Asus ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition

Tested for over a month
Used for both gaming and productivity
Tested with leading esports titles

I spent over a month using the Asus ROG Harpe Ace Aim Lab Edition every day. This included standard productivity tasks, plenty of internet browsing, and of course playing lots of different games. I was careful to test the mouse with fast-paced esports FPS titles, including Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

That said, I also used the mouse for plenty of other games including Anno 1800, The Sims 4, and The Caligula Effect 2, where I found that it performed well in a range of genres. I predominantly used the mouse with its wireless receiver, but was sure to test the other connectivity modes too. I experimented with both the ROG Armory Crate software and Aimlabs to try out all of the available features.

As a hardware writer over at TechRadar's sister site TRGaming, I have plenty of experience going hands-on with all kinds of gaming peripherals every day. I’m also a pretty avid FPS player and have played lots of games using a variety of different mice over the years.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed February 2024

Dell XPS 17 (9730) review: large and beautiful

8:30 pm | February 20, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops | Comments: Off

Dell XPS 17 9730: Two-minute review

The Dell XPS line has been the gold standard among laptops for some time now. Though some models stumble a bit, at least in relation to the heights of the best versions of the XPS, these laptops typically ooze quality and elegance.

The Dell XPS 17 9730 reviewed here, certainly does that. Of course, you miss out on the portability that makes the smaller versions such perennial members of our best Ultrabooks guide. This is on the heavier, bulkier side.

However, if you don’t need something that you can easily throw in a backpack for on-the-go work, the Dell XPS 17 is among the best laptops for its performance – including the fact that it can handle editing work and gaming – and elegant design. It also comes with a gorgeous screen, especially if you upgrade to the UHD+ resolution that our review unit sports.

If you’re looking for a larger laptop with more screen real estate with plenty of power, you can’t go wrong with the XPS 17 9730. Just be prepared to pay for it.

Dell XPS 17 9730: Price & availability

Dell XPS 17 laptop in use on a wooden desk — (Image credit: Future)

How much does it cost? Starting at $1,599 / £2,698.99 / AU$4,398.90
Where is it available? RTX 4050 model is only available in US, more expensive models worldwide

Though the Dell XPS 17 isn’t technically an Ultrabook, it comes from Ultrabook stock. After all, the Dell XPS 13 is the standard bearer for the category. It’s no wonder then that the Dell XPS 17 comes with the kind of premium price tag that these types of laptops come with.

Of course, part of that is the fact that even the base configuration, which goes for $1,599, comes with some powerful specs including an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050. Still, the price of entry is nowhere near budget. Also, it seems that the model with an RTX 4050 is only available in the US - for UK and Australian readers, the base model starts with the more powerful - yet also more expensive - RTX 4060 GPU.

In Australia, the base model comes with a 13th gen i7 processor, RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 512GB SSD storage for AU$4,298.80.

In the UK, the base model is more expensive, and while it comes with mainly the same specs as the Australian Dell XPS 17's base model, it only offers a minimum of 32GB of DDR5 RAM and 1TB SSD storage for £2,698.99.

You’ll have to spend even more if you want the review unit with its 32GB of RAM, slightly more powerful RTX 4060, and UHD+ screen. Specifically, you’ll have to spend $1,949 / £3,099 (about AU$2,990).

Now, the best 17-inch laptops usually aren't cheap. You can save a little money on an LG Gram if you don’t need all that power and want something a little more lightweight and portable. But, you’re still spending around $1,400 on one.

If you’re okay with a more gaming aesthetic and want some power to go along with that large screen, there are some other budget-ish options, such as the Acer Nitro 17. Its starting price of $1,249.99 (around £980 / AU$1,860) offers a bit of a saving, though you won’t end up with quite as elegant of a computer.

Price score: 4 / 5

Dell XPS 17 9730: Specs

The base configuration of the Dell XPS 17 is already pretty powerful with a 13th-Gen Intel Core i7, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD (in the US, at least). But, there’s plenty of customization to add even more power and/or storage. You can also choose a more powerful i9 CPU, up to an RTX 4080 GPU, and up to 64 of RAM. You can even upgrade to an 8TB SSD (technically two 4TB SSDs).

Beyond the internal specs, you also can choose between two different panels. There’s the more basic non-touch 1920x1200p screen or the one reviewed here that’s 3840x2400p with touch capabilities.

Specs score: 5 / 5

Dell XPS 17 9730: Design

It’s very large
Powerful components inside
Limited amount of ports, but they’re versatile

As you would expect with a 17-inch laptop, the Dell XPS 17 is large. And, unlike some models such as the LG Gram, it owns it instead of trying to balance that with portability. It weighs over five pounds to start, which while technically portable, is not the kind of weight you want to carry around all day if you’re hopping from coffee shop to coffee shop.

The Dell XPS 17 is not for that person. Instead, it offers the kind of components that typically can’t fit in those smaller models. So, it comes with a dedicated GPU (you can choose between the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, 406, 4070, and 4080) and you can also max out specs that you'd otherwise couldn’t with a smaller (and thinner) laptop, as you can upgrade to up to 64GB of RAM and 8TB of storage.

Since this is a Dell XPS laptop, it’s also a gorgeous computer with a platinum silver exterior machined aluminum shell with a black carbon fiber covering around the keyboard. It’s like a BMW version of a laptop.

Since it’s on the bigger side, that means it comes with a large 17-inch screen. While I’ll go into further detail on the display below, I’ll just mention for now that it has 'Infinity edge' bezels, so they’re tiny, and the upgraded UHD+ version reviewed here also has touch capabilities. On that note, the panel feels very high quality when using the touch functionality.

Port-wise, the Dell XPS 17 skews a bit more Ultrabook-ish with just four Thunderbolt ports and an SD card reader. However, all the Thunderbolt ports have power delivery and DisplayPort capabilities, so you can use an adapter to plug into an external display if that monitor doesn’t have USB-C inputs.

Since I’m used to using smaller laptops, the large keyboard and trackpad are a bit of an adjustment. However, they’re also of high quality and don’t create any issues other than being different from what I’m used to. Probably the biggest adjustment is that the keyboard is set further back than I would like. But, again, that’s just personal preference.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

Dell XPS 17 9730: Performance

Powerful performance
Great color accuracy and coverage
Webcam just 720p

Dell XPS 17 9730: Benchmarks

Here's how the Dell XPS 17 9730 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Fire Strike: 21,588; Time Spy: 9,467
GeekBench 6: 2,504 (single-core); 13,214 (multi-core)
Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm: 122fps @1080p
25GB File Copy: 12.9
Handbrake 1.6: 5:10
CrossMark: Overall: 1,895 Productivity: 1,776 Creativity: 2,115 Responsiveness: 1,657
Web Surfing (Battery Informant): 9:05:31

As someone who gets their hands on a lot of gaming computers, I’m always surprised when I get something that can hang that’s not really intended for that purpose. So, when booting up the Dell XPS 17, I can honestly say that I was surprised.

Whether you’re a bit shy about your extracurriculars or need a laptop that has the horsepower to handle editing work (within reason), the Dell XPS 17 is more than capable. The review unit tested here is quite powerful with a 13th-Gen Intel Core i7, 32GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060. Of course, you can scale down a little bit to 16GB of RAM and a 4050 GPU. But, you can also go up to 64GB of RAM and a 4080, not to mention an Intel Core i9 CPU.

Frankly, it might be more power than you might need, depending on what you’re considering this for. But, more power is better than not enough, especially when you have a high resolution screen to power. The UHD+ (4K in 16:10 ratio) panel here is sharp, bright, and vibrant and has a Delta-E of 0.24. Color coverage is 188.8% sRGB and 133.7% DCI-P3 as well so you don’t have to worry about accuracy or color gamuts if you want to do some photo or video editing. At the very least, watching the latest streaming series is a pleasure.

The sound quality is pretty good for a laptop, though don’t believe Dell’s claims that you can mix on this (for any budding musician that’s considering this – get some good speakers).

Interestingly, the only issue I have performance-wise is the fact that Dell only included a 720p webcam.

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Dell XPS 17 9730: Battery life

Battery life is average
Charges quickly

Considering the fact that the Dell XPS 17 is quite a powerhouse, it’s no surprise that it doesn’t quite perform as well in the battery department as the newest MacBooks or Ultrabooks. In our battery informant benchmark, for instance, it last just over nine hours. That’s not bad at all, all things considering. Just be aware that there’s a bit of a trade-off for powering the high-res display and GPU.

A little more disconcerting is the fact that it does seem to lose some charge over time when the lid is closed. While I won’t hold that against the XPS 17, it something to keep in mind. Since it receives power via Thunderbolt however, it doesn’t take long to charge back up.

Battery life score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Dell XPS 17 9730?

Buy it if...

You want power
This laptop has some serious power behind it. Whether you want a work laptop that can do some gaming when you’re done or you have to also do some editing work, the Dell XPS 17 is more than capable.

You want a premium looking and feeling laptop
True to the Dell XPS name, this laptop exudes elegance. Everything about it looks and feels like a lot of thought went into its design.

Don't buy it if...

You’re trying to save money
While its price tag makes sense for its size and power, this is not a cheap computer. If you’re on a budget, there are plenty of other options out there.

You need portability
As good as the Dell XPS 17 is, it’s not a portable computer. It’s heavy and a bit bulky, so you should look elsewhere if you need something to constantly take on the go.

Dell XPS 17 9730: Also consider

If our Dell XPS 17 9730 review has you considering other options, here are two laptops to consider...

How I tested the Dell XPS 17 9730

Tested for a couple weeks
Used for regular work as well as gaming
Used regularly unplugged

I used the Dell XPS 17 9730 for a couple weeks for work as well as for play. In particular, I wrote this review on it. I was able to play some demanding games like Battlefield 2042 on it, though with some adjustment to the settings, and spent some time streaming on it as well.

After spending time with the Dell XPS 17 9730, I was impressed by the fact that its power is more on par with a gaming computer than with its Ultrabook competition.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed February 2024

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