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The Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E. is, by default, the best Xbox controller from the brand to date – but the lack of improvements is disappointing

4:00 am | November 6, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: Final Fantasy, PC, UK, US | Comments: Off

Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E.: one-minute review

We’re big fans of Thrustmaster’s eSwap products at TechRadar Gaming but the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E. isn’t exactly the big leap forward the brand’s controller lineup needs. As for changes, the clue’s in the name. The H.E. packs in a pair of Thrustmaster’s H.E.A.R.T. Hall effect thumbsticks, which is nice, and means you won’t need to buy them separately. It's one of the best Xbox controllers, but slightly better.

If you’re buying an eSwap controller for the first time, then the H.E. is definitely the one to get. By default, it is the best eSwap gamepad to date by packing those Hall effect sticks in with the already excellent eSwap X2. And yes, you can still expect brilliant build quality and Thrustmaster’s commitment to accessibility and customizability through its swappable stick and D-pad modules.

But don’t expect any changes beyond that, which also means issues that we had with the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 are still present here. It’s a bulky controller that, while ideal for big-handed players, can be a bit unwieldy for anyone else. I also found the D-pad to be a little uncomfortable over long play sessions.

Finally, I’m still baffled by the lack of a wireless connectivity option, given the relatively high price of the controller. This is a competitive-facing controller, and naturally wired connections offer little to no input latency. However, as we see in rival controllers like the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, wireless polling rates are improving, further reducing input lag over 2.4GHz wireless connections on PC. It’s something I’d like to see Thrustmaster at least consider if and when it gets around to making the eSwap X3.

Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E.: price and availability

List price: $169.99 / £139.99 (around AU$260)
Cheaper than the eSwap X2 in the UK
Price remains identical to the eSwap X2 in the US

The Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E. launched on October 1, 2025, and is available to buy from Thrustmaster’s website and other stocking retailers for $169.99 / £139.99 (around AU$260). In terms of price, it’s on par with the original Thrustmaster eSwap X2 in the US. In the UK, the eSwap X2 H.E. is £10 cheaper than the first eSwap X2, coming in at £149.99 as opposed to the prior model’s £169.99. Bonus.

Looking at the wider controller market, when it comes to pads compatible with Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC, the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E. finds itself among a busy crowd. While cheaper than the excellent Razer Wolverine V3 Pro ($199.99 / £199.99), it finds company with the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 ($179.99 / £159.99).

And frankly, I’d recommend the eSwap X2 H.E. over that official Xbox pad in a heartbeat, due to the former’s Hall effect sticks and generally superior build quality.

Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E. review: Specs

Price	$169.99 / £139.99 (around AU$260)
Weight	10.6oz / 0.3kg
Dimensions	6.3 x 4.7 x 2.4in / 160 x 120 x 60mm
Compatibility	Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
Connection type	Wired (USB-C)
Battery life	N/A

Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E. review: design and features

The Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E. remains largely identical to the original eSwap X2 in design. It’s the exact same shape and has all the same features. That includes swappable thumbstick and D-pad modules, trigger locks, and four remappable buttons on the rear of the pad.

You also have a row of on-board function buttons at the bottom of the controller, and these are for headset volume and mic muting, as well as swapping between custom button profiles. You can hit a ‘map’ button to customize the rear remappable buttons, too, if you don’t like the fact that they’re assigned to the four face buttons by default.

The controller does feel quite bulky in the hands, and the thumbsticks rest higher than what you’ll find on the average pad. As such, it really benefits players with larger hands, or those looking for an especially sturdy grip. It’s not quite to my personal preference, but I absolutely can see it being many players’ go-to pad for specifically this reason.

Much like the Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded, the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E. supports swappable stick and d-pad modules. These are magnetic, and pop out either by pulling them (don’t worry, you’re not at risk of breaking these as they’re especially sturdy and there’s no physical connection), or the included screwdriver which slots into the D-pad. This makes it easy to adopt a symmetrical stick layout if you prefer, or to swap out with other Thrustmaster modules that are sold separately.

As was the case with the eSwap X2, you can expect build quality to be solid here. After all, it is for all intents and purposes also an eSwap X2, just with the addition of those Hall effect sticks included in the box. So no movement or changes on that front.

Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E. review: Performance

The inclusion of Thrustmaster H.E.A.R.T. thumbsticks really is the selling point here. These resist stick drift and are a massive improvement over the eSwap X2’s default sticks. They feel super smooth, too, reminding me greatly of the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller’s sublime stick feel.

Like the original X2, the face buttons here are impressively responsive and tactile, offering a mouse click-esque press. You’ll feel the difference immediately if you’re used to the softer, spongier button presses of cheaper pads like the Xbox Wireless Controller. The immediacy of presses here are super satisfying, and that also goes for the clicky bumpers and D-pad.

Speaking of, the D-pad here actually isn’t among my favorites. While I appreciate its responsiveness, the raised, bumpy design is something I found to be quite uncomfortable to use over longer stretches of time. It’s far from horrible, but for platformers, arcade-style games, and the best fighting games, it’s not a great fit.

One other thing to note is that the H.E. is still a strictly wired controller. To an extent, this is to be expected, as what we have here is essentially a slight revision of the eSwap X2. The ‘definitive’ version, quite possibly. I’d definitely like to see Thrustmaster offer a wireless solution for its next big gamepad release, though, as I strongly feel the option should be there when your controller is north of the $120 / £120 mark.

Should I buy the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E.?

Buy it if...

You’re new to the eSwap line
If you’re looking to buy an eSwap controller for the first time, then the H.E. really is the only choice you need to make. Depending on where you live, it’s the same price or slightly cheaper than the standard eSwap X2, and offers Hall effect sticks in the box.

You want a chunky, sizable controller
There aren’t many controllers that seem designed primarily for larger hands. This may not have been the intended design goal with the eSwap X2 H.E., but its chunky build and high quality make it extra comfortable if your hands are on the larger size.

Don't buy it if...

You own an eSwap X2
Quite simply, if you already have a Thrustmaster eSwap X2 controller, there’s no reason to buy this latest revision. Instead, you should consider picking up the H.E.A.R.T. modules from Thrustmaster’s website.

Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E. review: Also consider

Not too keen on the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E.? Here are a couple more controllers worth considering if you’re planning to upgrade from the stock Xbox Wireless Controller, or otherwise.

	Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E.	Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded	Nacon Revolution X Unlimited
Price	$169.99 / £139.99 (around AU$260)	$209.99 / £179.99 (around AU$322)	$199.99 / £179.99 (around AU$300)
Weight	10.6oz / 300g	9.3oz / 265g	11.53oz / 327g
Dimensions	6.3 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 160 x 105 x 60mm	6.3 x 4.2 x 2.6in / 160 x 106 x 66mm	7.5 x 7.4 x 3.5in / 190 x 189 x 89mm
Compatibility	Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC	Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC (PlayStation version sold separately)	Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
Connection type	Wired (USB-C)	Wireless (2.4GHz), Wired (USB-C)	Wireless (2.4Ghz, Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C)
Battery life	N/A	Around 20 hours	Around 10 hours

Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded
The Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded is more expensive, but offers wireless connectivity and a similar module-swapping tech to the eSwap X2 H.E. You’re even getting a ‘fightpad’ module in the box that works excellently with fighting games or your favorite arcade classics.

Read our full Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded review

Nacon Revolution X Unlimited
Certainly a strange one at first glance with its built-in LCD display. But this ends up being the Revolution X Unlimited’s best feature, offering plenty of convenient options and features right on the deck without needing to open any external software. A real winner and one of my favorites.

Read our full Nacon Revolution X Unlimited review

How I tested the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E.

Tested for a week
Played a variety of games across Xbox and PC
Compared to the previous eSwap X2, and the Victrix BFG Pro Reloaded among others

I tested the eSwap X2 H.E. for about a week for this review. I was already familiar with the original eSwap X2 via its excellent Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree special edition, and I found the H.E. to be completely identical in design and performance, with the addition of those included Hall effect sticks.

I played games across Xbox Series X Digital Edition and PC, including Final Fantasy 14 Online, Tekken 8, Ninja Gaiden 4, The Outer Worlds 2, and Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage.

I compared my time with the eSwap X2 H.E. primarily with that of the Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded. Victrix’s pad is the most similar to Thrustmaster’s with its swappable modules. While I do prefer the Pro BFG Reloaded overall, that mainly comes down to personal preference given its aptitude for fighting games and a comfier build for my smaller hands. Still, the eSwap X2 H.E. is more affordable, which is a strong reason to consider it here.

First reviewed October/November 2025

Dyson Hot+Cool HF1: two-minute review

The Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 is a sleek and smart fan heater with the bladeless and aesthetically pleasing design we expect to see from the brand.

Availability in other regions

At the time of publishing, the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 has only been released in the UK, and we’ve had no response regarding when it will be released elsewhere as yet.

In the meantime, I recommend taking a look at the previous model, the Dyson Hot+Cool Fan Heater AM09, or the purifying Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10.

With a premium list price of £399.99, the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 can be found at Dyson and a few other retailers. Sadly, it’s only available in the UK at the time of publishing, but I’ll provide an update if it ever makes its way off the island.

The HF1 offers ten fan speeds, three oscillation options of up to 70 degrees, a heater that can kick out up to 90ºF / 32ºC, and, most excitingly, some desirable smart features.

During testing, I found the HF1 to be very efficient in both Cool and Hot modes. The lowest setting delivered a delicately cooling breeze to me as I sat on my couch six feet away.

There are plenty of ways to control the HF1, with a few onboard controls, a remote, and the MyDyson app, which gave me access to the whole suite of settings and features.

I could perform most actions with the remote, but its communication with the HF1 was a bit patchy at times. The MyDyson app made controlling the HF1 delightfully easy and offered me a wider range of timer options, as well as scheduling, historical ambient temperature data, and, pleasingly, the option to turn on heat mode remotely so I could return to a warm living room.

The remote control is placed on top of the Dyson Hot and Cool HF1. — (Image credit: Future)

The fan’s volume was perfectly acceptable and on par with most of the similar fans I’ve tested. Sleeping with the HF1 a few feet from the bed was a smooth ride, for the most part. However, when it came to using Hot mode, I found that it would go through a period of being particularly noisy for a few moments as it got up to temperature, which it would do whenever the ambient temperature dropped below the target I’d set.

This wasn’t so bad in the daytime, but as one of its selling points is that you can use it in your bedroom overnight to keep the temperature at a desirable level, it’s worth bearing in mind if you’re a light sleeper.

Someone is using the dial to adjust the temperature of the Dyson Hot and Cool HF1. — (Image credit: Future)

If you have children or inquisitive pets, it’s also worth noting that the metallic edging at the front of the air purifier can get very hot very quickly, and that the child lock only applies to the onboard controls. So if you have a rampaging toddler or a clumsy cat, this could potentially prove inconvenient.

Overall, though, the Hot+Cool HF1 is a satisfyingly efficient fan heater. While it has a high price tag, it’s worth it for the performance and convenience, especially with those clever smart features.

If you’d like to explore more options, our guide to the best fans has our top recommendations.

Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 review: price & availability

List price: £399.99
Launch date: October 2025 (UK)
Availability: UK only at time of publishing

The HF1 is a premium option packed with some fantastic features, but as is often the case with Dyson, it has a premium price tag to match, costing £399.99.

The Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 is currently only available in the UK, and can be purchased from Dyson, Currys, and a few other retailers.

There’s a price difference of £150 between the HF1 and the Dyson Cool CF1, which is actually pretty reasonable considering the addition of Hot mode and the fantastic smart features.

Overall, with its good performance and a number of convenient features, the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 won't disappoint if you have the money to spare. However, it’s worth considering the drawbacks I’ve covered in my review to ensure they won’t pose an inconvenience before you stretch your budget.

Value for money score: 4 / 5

Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 review: specs

Type	Fan heater
Speeds	10
Oscillation	15, 40, 70 degrees
Dimensions	8 x 8 x 23 inches / 20.4 x 20.4 x 58.5cm
Weight	5.12 1bs / 2.6kg
Control	Onboard buttons, remote, app
Timer	Yes
Additional modes	Sleep mode

Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 review: design and features

Small and lightweight design, which can be tilted
The HF1 has 10 fan speeds and outputs temperatures up to 90ºF / 32ºC
MyDyson app offers extra settings and features, including a pre-heat function

Setting up the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 was a quick and simple process of attaching the plastic base plate and connecting the HF1 to the MyDyson app.

The Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 is conveniently sized, with a max diameter of 8 inches / 20.4cm once the base is attached; however, at 23 inches / 58.5cm, it might feel a smidge tall for desktop use.

Though it feels a little wrong, as I’m used to using larger-scale formats like the Dyson HP10, it worked perfectly well on the floor. Whether you place it on a tabletop or the floor, the vertical angle of the airflow can be adjusted slightly by shifting the fan’s body backwards or forward to tilt it.

The Dyson Hot and Cool HF1 tilted back. — (Image credit: Future)

Predictably, the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 fan features a bladeless design, making it easier to clean and a safer option to bladed fans for those who happen to have curious offspring or pets.

In addition to its 10 fan speeds, the HF1 can oscillate 15, 40, or 70 degrees. Both of these functions can be adjusted via the onboard controls, with a power button/dial combo that can be turned to increase or decrease the fan speed, a button to cycle through oscillation angles, and another button that enables Hot mode.

Hot mode offers a temperature range of up to 90ºF / 32ºC, and the combination of the ceramic heater plates and Air Multiplier technology can apparently increase whole-room temperature by one degree in as little as one hundred seconds.

Someone is holding the remote of the Dyson Hot and Cool HF1. — (Image credit: Future)

Like the Dyson Cool CF1, the Hot+Cool HF1 also comes with the standard Dyson-style magnetic remote control, which can be stored on top of the loop amplifier. It features power, oscillation, fan speed, and temperature control buttons, as well as ones to enable sleep mode, set the timer, and engage the child lock.

One advantage the HF1 has over the Cool CF1 is its app integration, which gives access to an advanced range of settings, historical temperature readings, outdoor air quality data, and easy remote control, whether you’re out and about or sitting on the couch. Plus, there’s the option to connect the HF1 to your smart home system, so it can be controlled without lifting a finger.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the HF1's smart capabilities is the ability to preheat a room to your desired temperature, ready for when you return home.

Design score: 4 / 5

Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 review: performance

Good performance for its size in both Cool and Hot modes
Very easy to control, thanks to the MyDyson app
Quiet overall, but noisy while getting up to temperature in Hot mode

The Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 was simple and straightforward to use, especially when using the app. I often used the remote, too, but there was a bit of a lag whenever I made an adjustment, and the HF1 didn’t register the command at all at times.

When testing from my couch, which was around 6ft / 1.8m away from where I’d placed the HF1, the breeze from speed one wasn’t really detectable when the fan was static, which isn’t really a surprise considering its size. However, when I set it to oscillate at 40 degrees, it was enough to give a gentle and surprisingly effective cooling breeze.

As you’d imagine, the breeze felt a little more prominent with each setting increase, until speed five, when the airflow felt noticeably amplified, and I could hear a quiet windrush past my ears.

Someone is using the dial to increase the fan speed of the Dyson Hot and Cool HF1. — (Image credit: Future)

The airflow was satisfyingly strong at top speed 10, though it was a little noisy at 45dB from 6 feet away, which was loud enough for me to need to turn the volume up on my TV.

When I measured the sound output of the HF1 in Cool mode from the usual 2ft distance, I found that it produced a similar volume to the Dyson Cool CF1 and the Levoit Circulair. However, its readings of 29dB at speed one, 36dB at speed five, and 50dB at speed ten, conveyed that the HF1 is a whole 10dB louder at its top speed than the Meacofan Sefte 8in.

These aren’t bad volumes, though, with the HF1 operating as quietly as a whisper, to as loud as moderate rainfall when in Cool mode. Some may find the oscillation sound mildly distracting because, as I discovered when reviewing the Cool CF1, it’s reminiscent of the droning of a document scanner. The oscillation itself is only around 28dB, however, and the whirring was subtle enough that I could fall asleep to it.

The Dyson Hot and Cool HF1 is sitting on a coffee table in a pink living room. — (Image credit: Future)

As it’s getting mighty chilly in the UK as I write this, I’ve been very grateful to have the opportunity to test out Hot mode.

I could easily find out the current room temperature by looking at the fan’s display or checking the app, and the temperature was very straightforward to adjust a degree at a time using the buttons or the slider in the app.

It’s important to note that, while Dyson states that the HF1 is safe for family and pets as there are no exposed heater elements, it would appear this doesn’t eliminate the chance of scalding, as I found that the metallic edging around the air outlets became too hot to touch within just a couple of minutes in Hot mode at 73ºF / 23ºC.

Hot mode starts off noticeably louder than Cool mode. The HF1 is fairly quiet for the first few moments, then quickly ramps up before settling down to a consistent volume. For example, when using Hot mode at fan speed five, the volume quickly rose to 42dB, then settled down to 37dB.

The display of the Dyson Hot and Cool HF1 shows a padlock to indicate the child lock has been engaged. — (Image credit: Future)

True to Dyson’s claim, the HF1 did increase the temperature by a degree in less than two minutes, though I’m not sure how accurate the temperature reading is when it comes to the ambient temperature across a large room.

As the ambient temperature is monitored for Hot mode, I would have liked to see Dyson use it for an auto function for Cool mode so that it could adjust the fan speed based on how hot the room is, as I loved this feature in the Meacofan Sefte 8in.

Another change I’d love to see is the extension of the child lock beyond the onboard controls, so the remote cannot be used either. Having access to the app should mean this wouldn't cause inconvenience for adults, but even if not, Dyson could take a leaf out of other brands’ books and assign a combination of buttons to unlock the remote.

A view of the back of the Dyson Hot and Cool HF1. — (Image credit: Future)

When I set the HF1 to sleep mode at bedtime, it turned off the display and reduced the fan speed to four, which has a volume of 29dB, though I could still adjust the speed if required.

Due to the weather in the UK right now, I mostly used the hot mode overnight. Aware that a key feature of the HF1 is that it will start up whenever the temperature drops, and having witnessed how noisy Hot mode can get, I set it to fan speed one to minimize disturbances.

The display of the Dyson Hot and Cool HF1 shows a crescent moon to indicate that it's in sleep mode. — (Image credit: Future)

I can recall it waking me up at one point in the early hours of the morning, but it wasn’t loud enough to shock me awake, and I fell back to sleep once it had settled down. It should hopefully be bearable enough for most people, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend it if you’re a particularly light sleeper.

While the hot mode might be good for speedy heating, it would be great if the sleep mode could increase the heat gradually, so there wouldn't be such a sudden volume increase. It’s also worth noting that the display doesn’t appear to turn off when in sleep mode if you’re using the heat function.

Overall, though, I quite like the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1. I appreciate how no fan speed felt redundant from six feet away, and that it was light enough to relocate without much effort. So, while the HF1 may not be the right fan heater for you if you’re a light sleeper who intends to use Hot mode overnight, for everyone else its smart features, effortless remote control, energy-saving Hot mode, and satisfying airflow make it a great choice.

Performance score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1?

Section	Notes	Score
Value for money	The HF1 is a premium-priced fan heater, but it’s worth it for the convenient smart features and well-performing functions.	4/5
Design	This bladeless fan heater is satisfyingly compact and easy to control, thanks mainly to the MyDyson app, which houses a host of settings and smart features.	4/5
Performance	The HF1 performed well during testing, delivering surprisingly strong airflow for its size. The smart features proved convenient, especially the pre-heating function. However, the heater’s louder volumes and the hot surface of the air outlet might be a cause for concern for some.	4/5

Buy it if...

You want to preheat a room ready for when you arrive home
Having the opportunity to set off Hot mode remotely is fantastic, as it ensures a toasty welcome once you’re in and ready to slump down on the couch.

You love smart appliances
With smart home integration, remote app control, and temperature data, the HF1 is a great choice for anyone who wants to get the most out of their devices.

Don't buy it if...

You’re a light sleeper
While I appreciated not waking up to a freezing cold room, I was woken by the noise of the fan starting up to maintain the target temperature.

You’re on a budget
While the HF1 is well-performing and convenient, its price tag is undeniably high. Therefore, it would be cheaper to buy a separate fan and heater from a more affordable brand.

Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 review: Also consider

	Dyson Hot+Cool HF1	Shark TurboBlade Cool + Heat	Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10
Type	Fan heater	Fan heater	Purifying fan heater
Price	£399.99	$399.99 / £349.99	$529.99 / £549.99
Speed settings	10	10	10
Oscillation	Up to 70 degrees	Up to 180 degrees	Up to 350 degrees
Timer	Up to 9 hours	Up to 8 hours	Up to 8 hours
Controls	Onboard buttons, remote, app	Touchscreen buttons, remote	Onboard buttons, remote
Companion app	Yes	No	No
Additional modes	Sleep mode	Natural Breeze, Sleep, BreezeBoost, Thermo IQ, Focus, and Comfort mode	Auto purifying, Sleep mode
Dimensions	8 x 8 x 23 inches / 20.4 x 20.4 x 58.5cm	13.8 x 11.8 x 45.9 in / 35.1 x 30 x 116.6cm	9.8 x 9.8 x 30.2 inches / 25 x 25 x 77cm
Weight	5.12 lbs / 2.6kg	19.8 lbs / 9kg	11.7 lbs / 5.3kg

Shark TurboBlade Cool + Heat
If you want something a little more powerful that can distribute the airflow over a larger space, it’s worth looking at this Shark fan heater. The fan’s arms can be positioned horizontally, vertically, and diagonally, and the vents can be adjusted so that they slant up, down, or straight forward, offering plenty of opportunity to perfect the airflow direction. It also has a broader range of oscillation than the HF1, as it can oscillate up to 180 degrees. If you’d like to learn more, check out our full Shark TurboBlade Cool + Heat review.

Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10
The HP10 is practically a larger version of the HF1 without the smart features and temperature sensor, but it has the added benefit of air purifying, which makes it a good choice if you’re trying to save space. It’s also a great choice if you’re concerned about the hot edging of the HF1, as I didn’t find the all-plastic casing of the loop amplifier to get anywhere near as toasty. It operates quietly for its size, and I’ve become particularly fond of its heat functions over the last few months. If you’re in the market for an air purifier alongside your fan heater, take a look at my full Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 review.

How I tested the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1

I used the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1 in multiple locations
I explored the features and settings in the MyDyson app
I evaluated the strength of the airflow and the sound levels

I unboxed the Dyson Hot+Cool HF1, attached its base, and set it up on the MyDyson app. I tested it out on different surface heights, on the floor, and next to my bed. I did most of my testing with the HF1 where I usually place my table fans, about six feet away from my couch and near my bed at nighttime.

I adjusted the settings using the onboard controls, the remote control, and the MyDyson app. In the app, I went through the setup process before exploring the different settings and sections.

I used all the fan speeds in Hot and Cool mode, and measured the sound output. I used it in Hot mode on my bedroom windowsill when I went to bed at night, using the timer so that I didn’t get too toasty after I fell asleep.

First reviewed: October 2025
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I tested the Aqara Camera G100, and it’s an extremely versatile security camera for indoors or out

9:00 pm | November 2, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Home Security Smart Home | Tags: Australia, UK, US | Comments: Off

Aqara Camera G100: two-minute review

Security cameras now come in many different varieties, including those meant solely for indoor use and those meant mainly for outdoors. However, what the Aqara G100 offers is, on the face of it, the best of both worlds

Weatherproof with an IP65 rating, it can be used indoors (to keep an eye on pets and children), or outdoors (to see who is at the front door or in the backyard). It’s small too, perfect for placing on a bookshelf or mounting upside down in a porch using the screw and wall plug provided.

However, what really differentiates the Aqara G100 from many of its competitors is its comprehensive smart home compatibility. Whereas many of the best home security cameras are now compatible with Amazon’s Alexa (including the Amazon-owned Ring and Blink, of course), the Aqara G100 is also compatible with Google Home, Samsung SmartThings and – crucially for those invested in the Apple ecosystem – Apple HomeKit including Home KitSecureVideo (HSV).

Not only can the camera’s built-in motion sensor and spotlight be used within home automation routines, it’s also possible to stream a live feed from the Aqara G100 on Apple TV. The only technical limitation here is that Apple caps the video resolution at 1080p for some reason, despite the camera being capable of a more impressive 2K resolution (2,304 x 1,296 pixels). It’s even possible to hook up your Apple Photos library to the Aqara camera to recognize faces it captures via the motion sensor.

Nor is smart home compatibility the only trick up the Aqara’s sleeve either. It works perfectly well as a standalone security camera too. Indeed that’s how most buyers will probably use it. Mains powered via a USB-C cable, it usefully boasts a MicroSD card slot for storing up to 512Gb of footage. This means you don’t have to pay a monthly fee to store video in the cloud as you do with many cameras, especially some of the cheaper models (Apple users can also use their iCloud storage via HomeKit Secure Video).

Close-up of Aqara Camera G100 — (Image credit: Chris Price)

You don’t even have to pay a monthly subscription fee for basic AI functionality. However, if you want the full shebang, including pet and parcel detection, then you will need to pay for Aqara’s HomeGuardian subscription service (see details below).

If you have multiple Aqara cameras, the HomeGuardian Unlimited package also includes an innovative Fire Detection feature based on a flame recognition function. However, this isn’t intended to replace conventional fire-detection systems such as smoke alarms and heat sensors

Finally, the camera offers two-way audio so you can reassure your pets if they seem distressed, or tell your family members when you’ll be home.

Aqara Camera G100: subscription options

HomeGuardian Single Camera: £3.99 (about $5 / AU$8) per month, or £39.99 (about $50 / AU$80) per year for a single device. Includes: 90 days of video event history, person, animal, vehicle, package, fire detection.

HomeGuardian Unlimited: £7.99 (about $10 / AU$16) per month, or £79.99 (about $100 / AU$160) per year. Supports unlimited cameras in one home, 90 days of video event history, person, face, animal, vehicle, package, fire detection, Premium AI Event Detection, AI Video Summary, AI Video Search.

Aqara Camera G100: price and availability

Costs £34.99, $34.99, AU$89
Available since July 2025
Sold in the US, UK, and Australia

Generally, security cameras are not expensive to buy. Even the most advanced models offering solar power and mobile phone (4G/5G) connectivity tend to cost less than £200. However, many are priced quite cheaply because you need to pay a monthly fee to store video clips in the cloud.

The Aqara G100 is unusual in that not only is it very cheap, it also comes with a built in MicroSD card slot for video storage. Yes, you will have to buy a MicroSD card, but these only cost around $15 / £10 / AU$20 so you soon make your money back from not having to fork out the cost of a subscription. That said, you can pay a monthly fee for storage if you want (Aqara’s HomeGuardian costs from £3.99 (about $5 / AU$8) a month) if you want advanced AI functionality, such as the ability to differentiate between different people and objects.

Given its low price tag, it’s also worth noting just how well equipped the Aqara G100 is for the money. One of my criticisms of Aqara’s recently-launched G410 Video Doorbell is that, despite costing over £100, it didn’t incorporate waterproofing – unbelievably remiss for a product that’s going to sit on the outside of your house all year round.

Yet this G100 camera – which is intended for indoor and outdoor use – does feature decent IP65 water resistance. Not only that, but it also comes with other useful features that make it a very versatile piece of kit. These include compatibility with a number of smart home platforms as well as AI functionality.

Value score: 5/5

Aqara Camera G100: design

Versatile indoor/outdoor mounting
Available in black or white
Waterproof connectivity

Again, one of my criticisms of the recently reviewed Aqara G410 video doorbell was its design which was extremely big and bulky. In fairness, that’s partly because it is powered by four AA batteries, whereas the G100 only uses mains power. Nevertheless, it’s true to say that its stablemate, the G100, is a much more compact and better-looking piece of kit – similar in looks to a Nest camera, but not quite so sturdy.

Available in black or white (we tested the black), it comes with a simple mount for standing on top of a cupboard or bookshelf. Alternatively, you can do what I did and install it inside a cabinet using the wall plug and screw provided (remembering to change the viewing setting to upside down in the Aqara app). Usefully, the camera can be rotated 360 degrees within the mount to get the perfect angle, while the field of view is a decent 140 degrees.

Side view of Aqara Camera G100 — (Image credit: Chris Price)

While most people will probably choose to use the camera indoors, there is the option for mounting it outdoors providing you have access to mains power (it doesn’t have a built-in rechargeable lithium battery). Unusually, the USB-C cable provided connects to the camera via a waterproof sleeve below the camera. This can easily be swapped over to a much longer USB cable if you're running the cable from an indoor power source.

A waterproof cover is also provided for the MicroSD card slot and reset buttons while at the back of the camera is a small speaker. On the front of the camera is the lens itself plus a surprisingly powerful spotlight, blue power light button and a microphone.

Design score: 4.5/5

Aqara Camera G100: performance

2K image quality
Good night vision
Slightly complex menus

When it comes to performance it’s fair to say that the Aqara Camera G100 is solid, rather than spectacular. Certainly, the 2K camera won’t win any awards and the field of view isn’t the widest either. However, for the super-low price tag we didn’t have any major complaints – it simply does the job.

Night vision is actually quite good thanks to dual night vision modes that gives you a choice between color night vision (with the built-in spotlight) or black and white night vision which is the default mode. The camera isn’t overly sensitive either which is a good thing as sometimes they are triggered by the slightest movement.

Live video in Aqara Camera G100 app — (Image credit: Chris Price)

Less impressive is the two-way audio through the tinny speaker, but again this isn’t unusual and in reality you probably won’t use it that often (unless you want to have a chat with your dog while you are out!). One unusual feature is the voice disguising option which can turn your voice into that of a robot or clown, or otherwise disguise it.

This feature is also provided on Aqara’s recently launched G410 video doorbell where it makes more sense, especially for women who may want to protect their identity from those ringing the doorbell. However, it probably isn’t that useful on a general camera which is probably going to be used mostly indoors.

Using Aqara Camera G100 to speak with people — (Image credit: Chris Price)

One small gripe is around the onscreen menus within the app which take a little bit of getting used to, partly because there are so many different options. For example, as well as being able to see a Live View from the camera, you can view a Video Event history divided into different categories (person, motion etc). You can also program different actions, such as turning on the lights in the house when the motion sensor is triggered or opening and closing the curtains.

Face-recognition in Aqara Camera G100 app — (Image credit: Chris Price)

For advanced users, these are all useful perhaps, but if you want a simple plug and play solution, then there are easier cameras to use. That said, it's not difficult to set the camera up in the first place thanks to voice-based instructions, and we didn’t have any issues with broadband connectivity between the camera and router despite the device only working on the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi frequency, not 5GHz. It was also straightforward adding the Aqara camera to Apple HomeKit, although as previously noted, picture resolution is restricted to 1080p.

Performance score: 3.5/5

Should you buy the Aqara Camera G100?

Attribute	Notes	Score
Value	Put simply, the Aqara is unbelievably good value for money. Featuring a MicroSD card slot you don’t even have to pay a monthly subscription for storing video clips.	5/5
Design	Available in black or white, the Aqara is a compact circular shaped camera with a versatile mount and waterproofing for installation either indoors or outdoors.	4.5/5
Performance	Offering 2K video quality, the Aqara Camera G100 provides reasonable quality images although sound quality from the built-in speaker isn’t the best.	3.5/5
Overall	An extremely versatile security camera with a very competitive price tag. Can be used indoors or outdoors and with multiple smart home platforms - including Apple Home.	4.5/5

Buy it if

You need a versatile home security solution

Undoubtedly this is one of the most versatile security cameras on the market, suitable for either an indoor or outdoor installation and compatible with multiple smart home platforms.

You have a limited budget

It’s difficult to imagine a security camera offering better value for money, especially when you consider you can store video clips on a MicroSD card rather than having to pay a monthly subscription.

Don't buy it if

You want to install outdoors but don’t have mains power nearby

The Aqara can certainly be used outdoors but will need to be connected to the mains as it doesn’t offer battery power. At the very least, you will probably need to invest in a new USB-C lead for outdoor use.

You want the highest sound and video quality available

Don’t get me wrong, the Aqara’s sound and video quality is OK, but there are much better performing security cameras around if you have a bigger budget.

Aqara Camera G100: also consider

Product	Aqara Camera G100	Blink Outdoor 4	Ring Spotlight Cam Pro (Battery)	Eufy 4K S330 Security Camera
Subscription price	From £3.99 a month	From £2.50 a month	From £4.99 a month	None
Viewing angle	140 degrees horizontal	143 degrees horizontal	140 degrees horizontal	360 degree view
Network connection	Wi-Fi (2.4GHz)	Wi-Fi (2.4GHz)	Wi-Fi (2.4G/5Hz)	Wi-Fi/4G
Audio	Two-way audio	Two-way audio	Two-way audio	Two-way audio
Video	2,304 x 1,296 pixels	1080p	1080p Full HD resolution	4K video resolution
Power	Mains	Battery	Battery	Battery, solar
Hardware price	£34.99	£69	£199 (battery model only)	£189 (with solar panel)

Ring Spotlight Cam Pro (battery)

Available in black or white, this outdoor security camera boasts two 3000°K spotlights. You can also buy a mains-powered version as well as a separate solar panel.

Read our full Ring Spotlight Cam Pro review

Eufy 4K S330 security camera

An extremely innovative battery and solar-powered camera, the Eufy 4K S330 can be used with the supplied 4G Sim card to capture recordings - ideal for those who live in areas with poor Wi-Fi/broadband.

Read our full Eufy 4K Security Camera review

How I tested the Aqara Camera G100

I used the camera indoors
I installed it myself
The camera was connected to Apple Home

As is clear from the review, the Aqara Camera is a very versatile piece of kit, so I installed it in several places around the home – including the kitchen and my home office. However, it wasn’t installed outside because I didn’t have a suitable mains power connection outdoors.

Using the wall plug and screw provided I mounted the camera inside a cabinet to focus on a small balcony. I also adjusted the mount to focus on the door and other areas of the room to see how sensitive the lens was to movement (it is quite sensitive).

The camera was used over a period of seven days mostly via the Aqara app. However, I also connected it to Apple Home, where I was also able to control the camera’s functionality including switching the spotlight on and off, testing two-way audio and viewing live footage.

First reviewed October 2025

I really like Beyerdynamic’s newest on-ear headphones, but more for their looks, battery life, and portability than their sound quality

2:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones Wireless Headphones | Tags: Australia, DNA, UK, US | Comments: Off

Beyerdynamic Aventho 100: Two-minute review

I really like the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 and have enjoyed my time reviewing them, but feel a little conflicted because their sound quality may actually be one of their least interesting qualities.

That’s not to say that they don’t sound good – in fact, I think anyone shopping for a pair of headphones for under $250 (and are used to cheaper headphones) will have nothing but great things to say about how these sound. They’re fun to listen to, just a little exaggerated in their tuning (a little hyped, if you will) particularly through the low end and not as detailed as I would expect, especially from an audio specialist such as Beyerdynamic.

But if their big brother, the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300, can hang with the best wireless headphones in terms of audio quality, the Aventho 100’s best attributes have more to do with their design, from the cool old-school Aviator look to the fact that they fold up to a relatively small size for easy portability. They also come with a very healthy battery life that adds to their long-haul flight appeal.

Overall, these are fun headphones that are great for anyone looking for something a little distinctive or a bit more portable, where the last word in audio quality is not the most important factor (again, they sound good, but they don’t do anything particularly special on the audio front at this level either).

Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 headphones on a wooden table — (Image credit: Future)

Beyerdynamic Aventho 100: Price and release date

Priced $229.99 / £199.00 / AU$314.00
Released on July 8, 2025
Available in the US, UK, and Australia

The Beyerdynamic Aventho 100‘s price tag of $229.99 / £199.00 / AU$314.00 is firmly in mid-range territory. And that’s appropriate for these headphones. They have a solid feature set, but it’s not the full kitchen sink. And these on-ear headphones are meant a little more for those looking for a unique looking pair of 'lifestyle' headphones than those wanting the ultimate audio performance, which in the Beyerdynamic ecosystem are the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300.

The Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 are available in the US, UK, and Australia. If you’re in the EU, they’ve been available since July of this year whereas those in North America have been able to order them since September.

Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 review: Specs

Drivers	Not stated
Active noise cancellation	Yes
Battery life	More than 60 hours (or more than 40 hours with ANC)
Weight	220g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive; USB-C charging
Waterproofing	N/A

Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 review: Features

No proprietary spatial audio or headtracking
Supports lossless over Bluetooth
Adaptive ANC and transparency modes available via app

While the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 doesn’t have the full bag of tricks of more expensive headphones like head tracking or Dolby Atmos, they have enough to satisfy most people. To start, these headphones support lossless audio including aptX Lossless and the aptX Adaptive codec (which automatically balances quality and latency over Bluetooth) as well as the more vanilla AAC and SBC. Multipoint connectivity is on offer as well, which is useful.

Most of the Aventho 100’s adjustable features are accessible via the easy-to-use mobile app. The presses and holds on the action button can be remapped to a small number of different options, though I do wish Beyerdynamic could have facilitated the enabling / disabling of active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency modes here.

On that note, not only are both ANC and transparency modes available in the companion app, but both have three levels (low, medium, high). Both work reasonably well. I was able to use the ANC while working in a cafe and didn’t hear anything but the music I was listening to. The transparency mode does a good job as well, though as soon as I play music at anything but a low level, I can’t really hear my surroundings.

Overall, I appreciate the inclusion and think these profiles work well, particularly so given that these are on-ear headphones, but they aren’t going to be quite as robust as what you'll find in flagship Bose or Sony headphones – Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), I'm looking at you…

Features score: 4.5/5

Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 review: Design

Cool if not quite premium old-school Aviator aesthetic
Foldable with soft case
Very long battery life

The Beyerdynamic Aventho 100’s design are notable in comparison to other headphones not only because they’re on-ear as opposed to over-ear (as the majority of $200+ headphones tend to be these days), but because they sport an old aviator-style aesthetic that is marked contrast from the competition.

Of course, the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 aren’t the only aviator-inspired on-ear headphones out there. The Master and Dynamic MH40 already fit the bill (see the heritage MW50 Wireless too), but are also often double the price. Unlike those M&D headphones, the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 are half metal and half molded plastic, which keeps them from feeling as premium on my ears as they look in their advertising images. Still, whether you get the black, brown, or cream colorway, they do have quite the vibe.

Filling out the look are the removable ear cups and headband padding. Both have a relatively plush feel and are covered in what I can only assume is some kind of pleather-type material.

On that note, the feel and fit is comfortable. There is plenty of adjustment for different size heads via the ear cup yokes and that padding is soft enough that I’m able to wear the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 for long listening sessions without feeling fatigued. They do sit a little tight on the head initially, but this can be stretched out.

The controls all sit on the right earcup (left and right are marked on the cloth inside the earcups) and consist of a volume up, action, volume down, and power / bluetooth pairing button. And they responded quickly and accurately, whether I’m adjusting the volume or pressing the action button twice to go to the next track.

One thing I appreciate about the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 is that they’ve been designed for easy travel. They not only come with a soft traveling case and USB and Aux cables (the former for charging), but have foldable ear cups so that they take up less space. That makes these much more attractive for those who travel light like myself over something like their big brother, the Aventho 300, or even bigger headphones like the Apple Airpods Max or Sony WH-1000XM6.

Lastly, the battery life on the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 is quite impressive. With ANC on, they still last 40 hours, and without, can last 60 without needing a recharge. Plus, if for some reason you get really low, 15 minutes of charging turns into 15 hours of playback. That kind of fast charging is very helpful.

Design score: 4.5/5

Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 review: Sound quality

Lots of bass
Fun, but not very neutral or accurate sound
Has low latency for watching media

When using the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100, I listened to all sorts of music for a benchmark. This included rock, hip hop, electronic dance to acoustic and jazz. After my extended time with these headphones, I was struck by the amount of low-end the default audio profile has.

In fact, I had to go into the EQ settings in the app and use the “neutral” setting to get a more balanced sound. Simon & Garfunkel's Scarborough Fair doesn’t sound quite as good as Kendrick Lamar's DNA. It’s no surprise then that this setting cuts the bass quite a bit, along with an extreme high-end cut.

Speaking of that high end, the Aventho 100 have plenty of presence, sometimes even sounding a tiny bit harsh (also helped with that neutral setting). Somehow though, they don’t have quite the resolution that I’ve experienced with other Beyerdynamic headphones.

I appreciate that the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 support lossless audio, but these are not audiophile-grade listening headphones. I may sound a bit negative on these headphones, but they actually do sound fun to listen to. They’re just not accurate in the way the Aventho 300 are – and I also tested those.

Since many people also use headphones when watching TV and movies, it’s worth noting that these work well with streaming Netflix or Youtube. Not only do they use Bluetooth 5.4 but have a low latency mode available through the app. I didn’t notice any lag or latency when watching something on my phone or computer.

Sound quality: 4/5

Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 review: Value

Not overpriced, but not exceptional value, either
Significantly cheaper than their big brother
Competition at this price will have other compromises

Some headphones punch way above their weight compared to their price tag and some come with a hefty price tag that are only really justified by their name or because they’re marketed as "premium".

The Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 fit into neither of those categories. At $229.99 / £199.00 / AU$314.00, they’re about what I would expect them to cost. As mentioned, they look cool but are partially molded plastic instead of more premium (and costly) materials. Their sound quality is also fairly middle-of-the-road. Of course, they’re a step down in terms of sound quality from the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300, but those have an MSRP of $399.99 / £359.00 (about AU$640). That’s almost double, and it's not lost on me – because the Aventho 300 do sound better.

I’ve also mentioned the Master & Dynamic MH40, a pair of headphones that takes similar influence from past headphones but use more premium materials, sound a little better, but also cost around $400.

At a similar price point, the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro focus less on style and more on value. They’re also slightly cheaper at $199.99 / £149.99 (about AU$300), though being an Anker product means it will see regular discounts below that price tag. They support high-res audio but aren’t any more detailed than the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100.

Value: 4/5

Should I buy the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100?

Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 scorecard
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	ANC, transparency mode, and multipoint connectivity are just some of the features on hand, only missing Dolby Atmos support.	4.5/5
Design	The Aventho 100 look cool and fold into a small package, making them fairly portable	4.5/5
Sound quality	The sound quality is good with plenty of bass, but doesn’t sound as detailed as one might hope from this brand.	4/5
Value	They cost about what they should, neither being overpriced or offering a particularly excellent value	4/5

Buy them if…

You want some cool looking on-ear headphones
If you don’t mind the half plastic build, the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 look really cool with their throw-back vibes.

You want portability and a long battery life
These headphones last a long time and fold up pretty small making them ideal for on-the-road use.

Don’t buy them if…

You care about audio quality above all else
I feel bad that I keep saying this because they sound good, but you can find other headphones in the same price point with fewer features or stripped down in some other way that sound better.

You want premium
While these look very cool, they still don’t look like the premium headphones that their aesthetic presents them as. This is a small gripe, but worth noting since the Aventho 100 are big on style.

Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 review: Also consider

Anker Soundcore Space One Pro
The Anker Soundcore Space One Pro are just a little cheaper with a comparable audio quality. There’s plenty of bass and a decent (though not great) amount of detail. They also have have an impressive battery life. Of course, aesthetically, they’re a bit on the chunky side.
Read our full Anker Soundcore Space One Pro review

Beyerdynamic Aventho 300
The Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 might be almost double the price, but they offer the kind of pristine audio quality that Beyerdynamic is known for. They’re also a little more feature-filled, mainly including Dolby Atmos, not to mention have a similarly long battery life.
Read our full Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 review

How I tested the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100

Tested the various features over two weeks
Tested with different music as well as video streaming

I spent a week using the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 as my daily headphones. While using them, I listened to all sorts of genres from electronic and hip hop to rock and acoustic music to compare the frequency range and soundstage. I also tested them with streaming video and used the various settings such as ANC, transparency mode, EQ, and multipoint.

After testing, it seems that the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 are best suited for those wanting a pair of headphones that look and sound fun.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing audio equipment and have spent even longer using my critical ear as a listener and musician to understand what does and doesn’t sound good.

First reviewed in November 2025

Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

I test gaming PCs for a living, and the Quoted Tech Shield is a great entry point for getting into PC gaming

12:54 am | October 31, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Desktop PCs Gadgets | Tags: PC, RGB, UK, US | Comments: Off

Quoted Tech Shield: Two-minute review

The Quoted Tech Shield is the latest pre-built gaming PC from boutique Canadian PC maker, and it's an ideal gaming PC for anyone looking to get started playing the latest AAA games.

Everything about the Shield feels like it’s made to bring first-time PC gamers into the hobby by offering great components, easy setup and access to internals, and simple repairs (and warranties) in case things go awry.

The configuration I received, the Shield Extreme—which currently retails for CA$1299 (US$927, £975, AU$1,993)—features an AMD Ryzen 7 9700X CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and 2TB SSD storage. This is a fantastic spec for blistering-fast framerates at 1080p and with very respectable framerates at 1440p, though some settings tweaks might be necessary for QHD gaming.

First-time PC gamers might not immediately appreciate just how easy everything is to set up. I have reviewed dozens of gaming PCs over the years, and I can say that few gaming PCs make it this straightforward to get going, while lower-quality PCs can be a downright nightmare.

This extends to the easy access to the internals through a pin-drop hinged door, and the relieving lack of complicated bloatware that plagues most pre-built PCs.

Probably the most impressive part of the Shield is its three-year parts and five-year labor warranties, which deliver peace of mind for first-timers navigating their way through the intricacies of a gaming PC by ensuring a more reliable and less complicated experience than many established competitors.

A Quoted Tech Shield gaming PC on a desk — (Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)

Those positives don’t mean that there aren’t some issues potential buyers should understand before buying.

Most of the Quoted Tech Shield’s problems are with the case design and port selection.

First, the Shield skips out on USB-C ports entirely, which might complicate things if you want to buy the best gaming mouse and best gaming keyboard you can afford to complement your new PC, as many modern peripherals are making the move to USB-C.

The overall case design also feels a bit fragile, and more serious PC gaming enthusiasts may have an issue with the lack of personalization software—especially RGB aficionados, as the Shield only has a few pre-configured RGB effects that you can cycle through with buttons on the top panel. That said, the Shield is all about keeping things simple, so the lighting presets might actually be a plus for some users.

Overall, however, the Quoted Tech Shield makes up for its faults by delivering fantastic 1080p and strong 1440p performance, quiet operation, and a user-friendly design to account for future upgrades. Combined with its generous three-year parts and five-year labor warranties, the Shield is unquestionably one of the best gaming PC options available for an inviting, low-risk PC gaming experience without the intimidation of traditional PC building or more complicated pre-built offerings.

Quoted Tech Shield: Price & availability

The Quoted Tech Shield starts at $1299 CAD (about USD $930 / £975 / AU$1,995)
Available now in the US, UK, and Australia through Quoted Tech's website

The Quoted Tech Shield can be purchased through the company's website, starting at $1299 CAD (about US$930 / £975 / AU$1,995).

There are eight different configurations ranging from the starting 1080p esports build to high-end 4K set-ups, which will set you back CA$3,049 (about US$2,205 / £1,820 / AU$3,530).

My Quoted Tech Shield "Extreme" configuration targets 1440p gaming, and will set you back CA$2,449, or about US$1,775 / £1,465 / AU$3,530.

Overall, these are respectable price points for a gaming PC at any level, though those looking for something cheaper or more premium can easily do so.

Value: 4 / 5

Quoted Tech Shield: Specs

Quoted Tech Shield specs
	Starting configuration	Review configuration	Max configuration
Price	$1,299 CAD (about USD $930 / £975 / AU$1,995)	CA$2,449 (about US$1,775 / £1,465 / AU$3,530)	CA$2,449 (about US$1,775 / £1,465 / AU$3,530)
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 7500F	AMD Ryzen 7 9700X	AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
GPU	Nvidia RTX 5050	Nvidia RTX 5070	Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti
Memory	16GB DDR5-5600	32GB DDR5-5600	32GB DDR5-5600
Storage	1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD	2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD	2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
Connectivity	WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, 1Gbps Ethernet	WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, 1Gbps Ethernet	WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, 1Gbps Ethernet
Ports	9xUSB-A	9xUSB-A	9xUSB-A
CPU Cooling	120mm Tower Air Cooler	120mm Tower Air Cooler	120mm Tower Air Cooler
PSU	650W 80+ Bronze (Non-modular)	650W 80+ Bronze (Non-modular)	750W 80+ Gold, Full Modular
Dimensions (L x W x H)	40.5 x 21.0 x 42.5 cm	40.5 x 21.0 x 42.5 cm	40.5 x 21.0 x 42.5 cm
Weight	25 lbs \| 11.34kg	25 lbs \| 11.34kg	35 lbs \| 15.88kg

Specs: 4 / 5

Quoted Tech Shield: Design

Internals are easily accessible through the hinged side panel
Chassis is very basic and lacks customizable RGB lighting
No USB-C ports

One of the best things about the Quoted Tech Shield design is how simple everything is, from the side panel that’s opened with a simple pin-drop hinge to the easily removable front panel screen for quick fan maintenance.

There isn’t a part that doesn’t have easy access on this gaming PC, making future upgradability a straightforward process, especially for those who are new to PC gaming.

That does come at the cost of a case that doesn’t necessarily feel durable. In fact, I would go further to say that the overall design of the chassis feels somewhat flimsy compared to others on the market.

Though the all black colorway looks great, the case feels like it's made of very thin steel; something that was apparent when our review unit arrived and the rear panel port panel and front screen panel had small dents in them. As such, the Quoted Tech Shield isn’t the type of gaming desktop that you'll0 want to move around too much if you're concerned about its aesthetic.

The RGB lighting will also strike you as entirely simple or entirely problematic, depending on your tastes. The Quoted Tech Shield prides itself on not offering bloatware, which I genuinely love, but that means you need to cycle through preset RGB color schemes via a button on the top panel. Thankfully, one of the settings allows users to turn off the lighting completely.

When it comes to port selections, there are plenty of standard USB-A ports, including three top-panel USB-A ports, as well as a pair of 3.5mm jacks for a headset and a dedicated mic. That’s more than enough for many gamers, content creators, and everyone else in between.

The biggest problem comes from the lack of a USB-C ports, as many accessories are making the switch to this interface, so you might have to invest in USB adapters to use new peripherals in the future.

Design: 3 / 5

Quoted Tech Shield: Performance

1080p performance is outstanding
1440p performance is respectable
Don’t expect any performance customization options

The plug-and-play design of the Quoted Tech Shield Extreme configuration I received is complemented by its impressive gaming performance. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 serve as a solid middle ground between basic gaming and high-end 4K performance, with very high frame rates at 1080p resolution and great performance at 1440p, even without having to rely on frame generation.

As mentioned previously, this is great for those who don’t feel like thinking much about customizing performance modes, wattage usage, fan speed, and the like.

CPU benchmarks vs competition
	Quoted Tech Shield	Alienware Aurora ACT1250	NZXT Player PC	Lenovo Legion Tower 5
Geekbench 6 (Single)	3,355	3,071	3,081	2,594
Geekbench 6 (Multi)	16,234	20,010	18,984	13,554
Cinebench R23 (Single)	2,223	2,257	2,263	1,693
Cinebench R23 (Multi)	19,778	35,446	35,226	17,376
Cinebench R24 (Single)	136	136	137	104
Cinebench R24 (Multi)	1,157	1,979	1,923	934
Crossmark Overall	2,311	2,301	2,298	1,846
Crossmark Productivity	2,147	2,152	2,159	1,734
Crossmark Creativity	2,628	2,548	2,495	2,127
Crossmark Responsiveness	1,960	2,069	2,166	1,454

For the more competitive side of gaming, the Shield Extreme will work perfectly in both 1080p and 1440p.

Games like Battlefield 6, Fortnite, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and Valorant ran well past 100 fps at 1440p with settings maxed out. Meanwhile, Marvel Rivals at max settings averaged around 60fps at 1440p. All of this was without relying on upscaling, much less frame generation, so you can definitely push the visual framerate much higher for a smoother experience.

GPU benchmarks vs competition
	Quoted Tech Shield	Alienware Aurora ACT1250	NZXT Player PC	Lenovo Legion Tower 5
3DMark Fire Strike	45,474	44,913	45,049	43,845
3DMark Steel Nomad	5,308	5,224	4,967	5,495
3DMark Speed Way	5,898	5,741	5,855	5,960
3DMark Port Royal	14,318	14,062	14,139	14,302

For non-competitive titles, especially newer, more visually demanding games like Assassin's Creed Shadows and Black Myth: Wukong are going to need upscaling to maintain high frame rates at 1440p, though native-only gamers can still get high framerates at 1080p with settings maxed out without ray tracing.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows ran at about 58 fps at 1080p on ultra high settings without upscaling, while it hit around 33 fps on average without upscaling. Likewise, with Black Myth: Wukong, I was able to achieve an average of 55 fps at 1080p with Cinematic settings, and about 30fps at 1440p on the same settings without upscaling.

The worst results were for Cyberpunk 2077, which hit around 20fps on the Ultra preset at native 1440p. Turn on DLSS 4 with the transformer model set to balanced, without frame generation, and at 1440p, I consistently hit an average of 74 fps.

Gaming benchmarks (average FPS) vs competition
	Quoted Tech Shield	Alienware Aurora ACT1250	NZXT Player PC	Lenovo Legion Tower 5
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra)	69	69	70	72
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, Highest)	204	202	201	207
F1 2024 (1080p, Very High)	99	104	97	119
Total War: Warhammer III: Mirrors of Madness (1080p, Ultra)	180	181	182	172

General computing and creative content curation worked well outside of gaming. Opening multiple tabs in Google Chrome didn’t lead to any slowdown or OS hangs, while Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro not only ran well but also exported files fairly quickly.

Overall, the Quoted Tech Shield proves itself as a strong, no-fuss gaming desktop that balances accessibility with performance, making it an appealing, well-rounded choice for both casual gamers and multitasking creators.

Performance: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Quoted Tech Shield?

Quoted Tech Shield scorecard
	Notes	Rating
Value	Regardless of which configuration you go go for, the Quoted Tech Shield offers a nice no-frills purchase backed by a nice warranty package.	4 / 5
Specs	With a very wide selection of configurations, there's a build to target every gaming resolution.	4 / 5
Design	The easy access through the pin-drop hinge is great for upgrades and maintenance. However, the chassis feels flimsy, lacks USB-C ports, or any customizable RGB lighting.	3 / 5
Performance	Though performance benchmarks favor 1080p more, 1440p resolutions run just fine at acceptable frame rates.	4 / 5
Total Score	Despite being held back by some questionable design choices, the performance, upgradability, and warranty-protection of the Shield are more than enough to recommend this PC, especially for PC gaming newcomers.	3.75 / 5

Buy the Quoted Tech Shield if…

You are looking for respectable 1080p / 1440p performance
The AMD Ryzen 7 9700 CPU matches well with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5070 for high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p from visual spectacles to competitive leaning games.

You need easy set-up and upgrade potential
Opening and closing the case is as simple as pulling the pin drop hinge. Also, anyone new to PC gaming has an easy guide to set it up.

You want some great customer-friendly additives
A three year warranty on parts will be clutch for those who have issues going down the line and five years of labor warranty couldn’t be more of a cherry on top.

Don’t buy it if…

You need a USB-C port
Many modern PC gaming accessories utilize USB-C ports, and the Quoted Tech Shield has none, forcing you to use an adapter for USB-C peripherals.

You want a more durable case
Despite having easy access to internal components and even fans, the overall chassis feels somewhat flimsy and prone to denting.

You want customizable RGB lighting
The no-frills package of the Quoted Tech Shield means no bloatware. This also means that RGB lighting is cycled through a handful of presets via a button on the top panel.

Also Consider

If my Quoted Tech Shield review has you considering other options, here are two other gaming desktops to consider...

Alienware Aurora ACT1250
The Alienware Aurora gaming desktop is an iconic gaming PC, and its latest iteration features fantastic performance at a decent enough price, though internal component access and upgradability are more limited.

Read the full Alienware Aurora ACT1250 review

Lenovo Legion Tower 5
The Lenovo Legion Tower 5 is a fantastic gaming PC with solid hardware and one of the best first-party apps for tweaking performance in the Lenovo Advantage tuner. It's a bit cramped though, making future upgradability a bit more complicated.

Read the full Lenovo Legion Tower 5 review

How I tested the Quoted Tech Shield

I tested the Quoted Tech Shield for a little over a week
I ran our standard battery of benchmark tests, as well as games like Ninja Gaiden 4, Battlefield 6, Dying Light: The Beast, Valorant, and Forza Motorsport (2023).

I spent a little over a week testing the Quoted Tech Shield, using TechRadar's standard benchmarking suite and real-world experience across a range of demanding tasks.

During work hours, I used Google Chrome for multitasking—running several tabs for productivity tools and browsing sessions—alongside Adobe Creative Suite for video editing and design work.

For gaming, I split my time between games like Dying Light: The Beast, Black Myth: Wukong, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II to measure performance in visually demanding titles.

For competitive gaming, I spent time with Battlefield 6, Valorant, and Marvel Rivals.

I've been reviewing gaming PCs for several years now, so I know exactly how a gaming PC at this level should perform, so you can trust that anything I recommend is worth the investment.

First reviewed October 2025

I test gaming PCs for a living, and the Quoted Tech Shield is a great entry point for getting into PC gaming

12:54 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Desktop PCs Gadgets | Tags: PC, RGB, UK, US | Comments: Off

Quoted Tech Shield: Two-minute review

The Quoted Tech Shield is the latest pre-built gaming PC from boutique Canadian PC maker, and it's an ideal gaming PC for anyone looking to get started playing the latest AAA games.

This extends to the easy access to the internals through a pin-drop hinged door, and the relieving lack of complicated bloatware that plagues most pre-built PCs.

Those positives don’t mean that there aren’t some issues potential buyers should understand before buying.

Most of the Quoted Tech Shield’s problems are with the case design and port selection.

Quoted Tech Shield: Price & availability

The Quoted Tech Shield starts at $1299 CAD (about USD $930 / £975 / AU$1,995)
Available now in the US, UK, and Australia through Quoted Tech's website

The Quoted Tech Shield can be purchased through the company's website, starting at $1299 CAD (about US$930 / £975 / AU$1,995).

There are eight different configurations ranging from the starting 1080p esports build to high-end 4K set-ups, which will set you back CA$3,049 (about US$2,205 / £1,820 / AU$3,530).

My Quoted Tech Shield "Extreme" configuration targets 1440p gaming, and will set you back CA$2,449, or about US$1,775 / £1,465 / AU$3,530.

Overall, these are respectable price points for a gaming PC at any level, though those looking for something cheaper or more premium can easily do so.

Value: 4 / 5

Quoted Tech Shield: Specs

Quoted Tech Shield specs
	Starting configuration	Review configuration	Max configuration
Price	$1,299 CAD (about USD $930 / £975 / AU$1,995)	CA$2,449 (about US$1,775 / £1,465 / AU$3,530)	CA$2,449 (about US$1,775 / £1,465 / AU$3,530)
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 7500F	AMD Ryzen 7 9700X	AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
GPU	Nvidia RTX 5050	Nvidia RTX 5070	Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti
Memory	16GB DDR5-5600	32GB DDR5-5600	32GB DDR5-5600
Storage	1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD	2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD	2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
Connectivity	WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, 1Gbps Ethernet	WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, 1Gbps Ethernet	WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, 1Gbps Ethernet
Ports	9xUSB-A	9xUSB-A	9xUSB-A
CPU Cooling	120mm Tower Air Cooler	120mm Tower Air Cooler	120mm Tower Air Cooler
PSU	650W 80+ Bronze (Non-modular)	650W 80+ Bronze (Non-modular)	750W 80+ Gold, Full Modular
Dimensions (L x W x H)	40.5 x 21.0 x 42.5 cm	40.5 x 21.0 x 42.5 cm	40.5 x 21.0 x 42.5 cm
Weight	25 lbs \| 11.34kg	25 lbs \| 11.34kg	35 lbs \| 15.88kg

Specs: 4 / 5

Quoted Tech Shield: Design

Internals are easily accessible through the hinged side panel
Chassis is very basic and lacks customizable RGB lighting
No USB-C ports

There isn’t a part that doesn’t have easy access on this gaming PC, making future upgradability a straightforward process, especially for those who are new to PC gaming.

Design: 3 / 5

Quoted Tech Shield: Performance

1080p performance is outstanding
1440p performance is respectable
Don’t expect any performance customization options

As mentioned previously, this is great for those who don’t feel like thinking much about customizing performance modes, wattage usage, fan speed, and the like.

CPU benchmarks vs competition
	Quoted Tech Shield	Alienware Aurora ACT1250	NZXT Player PC	Lenovo Legion Tower 5
Geekbench 6 (Single)	3,355	3,071	3,081	2,594
Geekbench 6 (Multi)	16,234	20,010	18,984	13,554
Cinebench R23 (Single)	2,223	2,257	2,263	1,693
Cinebench R23 (Multi)	19,778	35,446	35,226	17,376
Cinebench R24 (Single)	136	136	137	104
Cinebench R24 (Multi)	1,157	1,979	1,923	934
Crossmark Overall	2,311	2,301	2,298	1,846
Crossmark Productivity	2,147	2,152	2,159	1,734
Crossmark Creativity	2,628	2,548	2,495	2,127
Crossmark Responsiveness	1,960	2,069	2,166	1,454

For the more competitive side of gaming, the Shield Extreme will work perfectly in both 1080p and 1440p.

GPU benchmarks vs competition
	Quoted Tech Shield	Alienware Aurora ACT1250	NZXT Player PC	Lenovo Legion Tower 5
3DMark Fire Strike	45,474	44,913	45,049	43,845
3DMark Steel Nomad	5,308	5,224	4,967	5,495
3DMark Speed Way	5,898	5,741	5,855	5,960
3DMark Port Royal	14,318	14,062	14,139	14,302

Gaming benchmarks (average FPS) vs competition
	Quoted Tech Shield	Alienware Aurora ACT1250	NZXT Player PC	Lenovo Legion Tower 5
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra)	69	69	70	72
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, Highest)	204	202	201	207
F1 2024 (1080p, Very High)	99	104	97	119
Total War: Warhammer III: Mirrors of Madness (1080p, Ultra)	180	181	182	172

Performance: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Quoted Tech Shield?

Quoted Tech Shield scorecard
	Notes	Rating
Value	Regardless of which configuration you go go for, the Quoted Tech Shield offers a nice no-frills purchase backed by a nice warranty package.	4 / 5
Specs	With a very wide selection of configurations, there's a build to target every gaming resolution.	4 / 5
Design	The easy access through the pin-drop hinge is great for upgrades and maintenance. However, the chassis feels flimsy, lacks USB-C ports, or any customizable RGB lighting.	3 / 5
Performance	Though performance benchmarks favor 1080p more, 1440p resolutions run just fine at acceptable frame rates.	4 / 5
Total Score	Despite being held back by some questionable design choices, the performance, upgradability, and warranty-protection of the Shield are more than enough to recommend this PC, especially for PC gaming newcomers.	3.75 / 5

Buy the Quoted Tech Shield if…

You need easy set-up and upgrade potential
Opening and closing the case is as simple as pulling the pin drop hinge. Also, anyone new to PC gaming has an easy guide to set it up.

Don’t buy it if…

You need a USB-C port
Many modern PC gaming accessories utilize USB-C ports, and the Quoted Tech Shield has none, forcing you to use an adapter for USB-C peripherals.

You want a more durable case
Despite having easy access to internal components and even fans, the overall chassis feels somewhat flimsy and prone to denting.

Also Consider

If my Quoted Tech Shield review has you considering other options, here are two other gaming desktops to consider...

Read the full Alienware Aurora ACT1250 review

Read the full Lenovo Legion Tower 5 review

How I tested the Quoted Tech Shield

I tested the Quoted Tech Shield for a little over a week
I ran our standard battery of benchmark tests, as well as games like Ninja Gaiden 4, Battlefield 6, Dying Light: The Beast, Valorant, and Forza Motorsport (2023).

I spent a little over a week testing the Quoted Tech Shield, using TechRadar's standard benchmarking suite and real-world experience across a range of demanding tasks.

During work hours, I used Google Chrome for multitasking—running several tabs for productivity tools and browsing sessions—alongside Adobe Creative Suite for video editing and design work.

For gaming, I split my time between games like Dying Light: The Beast, Black Myth: Wukong, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II to measure performance in visually demanding titles.

For competitive gaming, I spent time with Battlefield 6, Valorant, and Marvel Rivals.

I've been reviewing gaming PCs for several years now, so I know exactly how a gaming PC at this level should perform, so you can trust that anything I recommend is worth the investment.

First reviewed October 2025

The RIG R5 Spear Pro HS gaming headset surprised me with rich, crisp audio that punches above its price point

7:00 pm | October 25, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: Europe, PC, UK, US | Comments: Off

RIG R5 Spear Pro HS: one-minute review

Nacon RIG R5 Pro HS — (Image credit: Future)

Quality gaming audio doesn’t have to cost the earth; something that Nacon’s RIG brand has proven time and again with some of the best PS5 headsets around. Now, its RIG R5 Spear Pro HS wired gaming headset has landed around the top end of the budget spectrum, and yes, it’s also a winner.

I’m usually wary of cheapish gaming headsets as there’s usually always at least one glaring weakness, even if other aspects impress. However, the R5 Spear Pro is a fantastic all-rounder, providing great build quality, a high level of comfort thanks to its plush ear cups, and superb audio for both gaming and listening to music.

I guess the one big ‘weakness’ here is that the R5 Spear Pro is a wired-only gaming headset, an advantage the aptly named SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wireless would have over it, for example. That means you won’t be going wireless via 2.4GHz or Bluetooth. But the silver lining here is that the headset will work with any platform, device, or controller that has a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The R5 Spear Pro is advertised as a PlayStation-facing headset, compatible with PS5 and PS4, while also supporting the brand’s Tempest 3D audio profile. However, you can expect it to work just fine on Xbox Series X, Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, and others, given its simple wired connection.

I really have very little to complain about here, so expect a review on the shorter side. Some on-board features would’ve been nice, like mic muting or EQ switching, but what’s here is impressive for the price.

RIG R5 Spear Pro HS: Price and availability

List price: $69.99 / £69.99 (around AU$99)
Available now in the UK and Europe; US release on November 1
Comparable in price to the Epos H3 and Corsair HS50

The RIG R5 Spear Pro HS gaming headset is having a bit of a staggered release right now. It’s available in the UK and Europe now, but US folks will have to wait until November 1. It retails for $69.99 / £69.99 (around AU$99), and can be bought from Nacon’s website or regional stores.

It’s a pretty fair price tag for what you’re getting here, finding itself between the retail prices of the Epos H3 - our pick for the best wired gaming headset - and another budget banger in the Corsair HS50. Though at this price and sound quality, RIG might just knock Epos’s long-conquering headset off its throne.

RIG R5 Spear Pro HS: specs

Price	$69.99 / £69.99 (around AU$99)
Weight	0.74lbs / 0.34kg
Drivers	40mm graphene
Compatibility	PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X\|S, Xbox One, Switch, Switch 2, PC
Connection type	Wired (3.5mm)

RIG R5 Spear Pro HS: design and features

Out of the box, the R5 Spear Pro presents a seriously no-frills package. You’re getting the headset itself and a pair of PlayStation-branded mod plates for the ear cups’ exterior. More on those soon.

The headset doesn’t draw much attention to itself with a largely matte black finish. The RIG logo is emblazoned on top of the headband and mod plates, but it’s an otherwise low-key aesthetic. Which, hey, we definitely expect at this price point.

The headset, like other RIG products, is made from sturdy plastic that’s strongly resistant to wear and tear. RIG headsets are always impressively durable, and it’s a similar story here. It’s incredibly comfortable, too, with plush material for the headband and earcups resting nicely on your head without irritating over longer gaming sessions.

The headset naturally features a mic attached to the left earcup. It’s unfortunately not detachable, meaning you probably won’t be leaving the house with it, but it’s impressively flexible and easy to shape into a position that feels right for you.

The centerpiece of the R5 Spear Pro’s design, though, is its bespoke magnetic mod plates, which attach to the headset’s ear cups. As mentioned, the box contains a pair with the PlayStation logo slapped onto them, but you can buy other official designs separately. That includes one specifically designed for the EVO fighting game tournament.

RIG R5 Spear Pro HS: performance

The R5 Spear Pro simply provides brilliant, crisp audio for the price. When I got to testing by plugging it into my DualSense Wireless Controller for a Ghost of Yotei play session, I was immediately struck by the impressively layered audio that picked up on everything from the swaying breeze to distant clashes of swords.

Directional audio is brilliantly accurate, too, with audio flitting between left and right channels in an impressively immersive manner. The absorbing soundtrack of Tetris Effect Connected really came alive here, its audio-reactive gameplay really playing to the R5 Spear Pro HS’s strengths. Its 40mm graphene drivers, overall, provide pristine audio with little distortion even at higher volumes. I’d have preferred its bass register to be a little stronger, but it’s by no means underwhelming here.

Microphone quality is also solid. Not quite as impressive as with the RIG 900 Max HS’s crystal clear quality, but this one still more than gets the job done. It certainly works best on consoles, this flip-to-mute mic, as on my Windows PC I did have to wrestle a bit to get it to recognize the mic. However, using it while connected to a controller on PC solved that issue for me in the short term.

As mentioned, there isn’t much in terms of on-board functionality. The cable does have a volume slider, though it’s honestly a little stiff, and I ended up preferring using software settings on console and PC to adjust the headset’s audio.

Should I buy the RIG R5 Spear Pro HS?

Buy it if...

You want exceptional audio quality for less
It’s hard to find sound quality this good at this price point. While not the absolute cheapest budget-friendly headset out there, I feel the R5 Spear Pro HS comes in at a very reasonable price given its fantastic audio and strong build quality.

You play on a variety of platforms
Whether you’re on PlayStation, Xbox, or Switch consoles or PC, the R5 Spear Pro HS is an impressively versatile gaming headset, delivering stellar audio quality across all major platforms.

Don't buy it if...

You prefer having on-board buttons and features
Aside from its volume slider, there are no quick shortcuts or buttons on the headset itself. It doesn’t need many, to be fair, but it means you won’t have access to desirable features on other headsets like EQ profiles.

You want better customization
With no compatible companion software, the R5 Spear Pro HS is very much a case of ‘what you hear is what you get.’ Not a terrible thing in and of itself, as you can always rely on Dolby Atmos or Tempest 3D, but those after a more customizable audio experience won’t find it here.

RIG R5 Spear Pro HS: Also consider

Here are a couple more gaming headsets that come highly recommended if you’re not keen on the RIG R5 Spear Pro HS.

	RIG R5 Spear Pro HS	Turtle Beach Atlas 200	SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X Wireless
Price	$69.99 / £69.99 (around AU$99)	$59.99 / £49.99 (around AU$79)	$109.99 / £99.99 / AU$109.99
Weight	0.74lbs / 0.34kg	0.62lbs / 0.28kg	0.57lbs / 0.27kg
Drivers	40mm graphene	50mm Nanoclear	40mm Neodymium
Compatibility	PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X\|S, Xbox One, Switch, Switch 2, PC	PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X\|S, Xbox One, Switch, Switch 2, PC	PC, Xbox Series X (Xbox version only), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
Connection type	Wired (3.5mm)	Wired (3.5mm)	Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless (USB-C receiver)

Turtle Beach Atlas 200
A real budget powerhouse, once again providing shockingly good audio for the price. Throw in a comfy fit and a crystal clear mic, and this one just may tempt you away from the RIG R5 Spear Pro HS for good reason.

Read our full Turtle Beach Atlas 200 review

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X Wireless
One for consideration if you’re looking for wireless options instead, but want to keep costs down. The Arctis Nova 3X Wireless is a brilliant, cost-effective gaming headset that’s multiplatform-capable and has a lightweight build that remains comfortable for hours on end.

Read our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X Wireless review

How I tested the RIG R5 Spear Pro HS

Tested for two weeks
Tested across PS5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC
Compared to other RIG headsets like the RIG 900 Max HS

I tested the RIG R5 Spear Pro HS for two weeks for this review. While I mostly played games with the headset, I also used it for work purposes, as well as casually listening to music in my spare time.

I used the headset across all major platforms, including PS5, Xbox Series X Digital Edition, Nintendo Switch 2, and my gaming PC. For this review, I played titles including Ghost of Yotei, Final Fantasy 14 Online, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, Tetris Effect Connected, PUBG Battlegrounds, and Tekken 8.

During testing, I went back and forth between the R5 Spear Pro HS and the pricier wireless offering, RIG 900 Max HS. I found audio quality to be largely identical across both products, though, as you might expect, build quality is better on the more expensive product, which also feels more durable thanks to its metallic, flexible headband and better materials used overall. Still, the R5 Spear Pro HS isn’t far off.

First reviewed October 2025

MSI Cyborg 15: Two-minute review

The MSI Cyborg 15 is a budget gaming laptop with a basic spec, but one that should still suffice for enjoyable 1080p gaming.

I was pleasantly surprised by the elegance of its design, at least when compared to others in this sector. It’s not too thick or too bulky across any of its dimensions, although its weight hampers portability somewhat.

While not the most premium, the materials are of sufficient quality. Personally, I found the translucent accents did enough to add some aesthetic interest, too. However, it isn’t as well-made as the best gaming laptop models, with the display enclosure being a particular concern on this front, given the amount of flex it has.

All the salient ports for gamers are present and correct on the Cyborg 15. There are two USB-A ports and one USB-C port, as well as Ethernet, HDMI, and headset jacks. The placement of these ports might prove impractical for some gamers, though, depending on their setup; all but two are placed on the right-hand side, while there is none on the back.

Rear three-quarter view of MSI Cyborg 15 open on desk on a pink background — (Image credit: Future)

As you might expect from the RTX 3050, my Cyborg 15 review unit couldn’t handle the AAA titles with high settings applied very well. Cyberpunk 2077 rendered at 30-40fps on average with the game’s Ray Tracing: Low preset selected, no matter what I did with the upscaling. Turning off Ray Tracing altogether didn’t result in any noticeable gains either.

Thankfully, the Cyborg 15 isn’t distractingly loud under load. It also remains admirably cool, with only the rear exceeding lukewarm temperatures – and even then, it’s still not too hot to touch.

The display is also very good, being sharp and vibrant enough for enjoying all kinds of content. It also staves off reflections quite well.

Better still is the keyboard on the Cyborg 15. It’s full-size, so it includes a number pad, yet the keys don’t feel cramped, which makes for easy typing. They also feel great to press, striking the ideal balance between clicky and dampening, while also offering a pleasing amount of travel.

However, the battery life of the Cyborg 15 is less impressive. It didn’t manage to break six hours when playing back a movie on a continuous loop, nor did it break an hour in PCMark’s gaming scenario battery test. Both of these results are at the lower end of the gaming laptop spectrum.

The competition is becoming evermore fierce at the budget end of this market, but the Cyborg 15 certainly sets out its stall with its eye-catchingly low price. You’ll have to settle for mediocre performance, but the Cyborg 15 is a solid pick for those looking to spend relatively little on a gaming laptop and still have a good time.

MSI Cyborg 15 review: Price & Availability

Close-up of webcam on the MSI Cyborg 15 on a pink background — (Image credit: Future)

Starting at $999 / £649 / AU$1799
Available now in the US, UK and Australia

The Cyborg 15 is available now in the US, UK, and Australia, starting at $999 / £649 / AU$1799. My review model, the Cyborg 15 A13U, comes equipped with an Intel i5-13420H, an RTX 3050, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. All these components can be upgraded with costlier configurations.

This is a decent budget price for a gaming laptop. However, if you’re willing to spend about £150 more you could get the base model of the Acer Nitro V 15, which features an RTX 4050 – a significant upgrade over the RTX 3050.

Another great budget pick is the MSI Katana 15, which again packs a 4050 into its base model. It’s similarly priced to the Nitro, but features an i7 CPU rather than the i5 in the base models of both the Nitro and the Cyborg 15. It’s a great performer, which is why we think it’s currently one of the best budget gaming laptop options around.

Value: 4.5 / 5

MSI Cyborg 15 review: Specs

MSI Cyborg 15 review configuration specs
Price		£649 / AU$1799 (about $870)
CPU		Intel Core i5-13420H (2.1GHz, 8 Cores)
GPU		NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050, 6GB
RAM		8GB DDR5
Storage		512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
Display		15.6" FHD (1920x1080), 144Hz, IPS-Level
Ports and Connectivity		2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x RJ-45, 1x 3.5mm combo audio; Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2
Battery		53.5Wh
Dimensions		14 x 9.8 x 0.9in (359 x 250 x 23mm)
Weight		4.37lbs / 1.98kg

MSI Cyborg 15 review: Design

Close-up of WASD keys on the MSI Cyborg 15, with blue backlighting on — (Image credit: Future)

Surprisingly slender
Quite heavy
Flimsy display enclosure

The Cyborg 15 might not push the boat out in terms of looks, but it’s surprisingly sleek for a gaming laptop, avoiding unsightly bulges and maintaining a relatively thin profile. This helps to make it more portable, although its substantial weight means you wouldn’t want to carry it around for long.

The chassis material feels smooth to the touch and has a subtle speckled finish. I also liked the transparent edges around the lid chassis, which adds interest and helps to lighten up the dourness tones of the body. However, MSI definitely missed a trick by failing to install LEDs behind these parts, as they would’ve been the perfect place for RGB effects to shine through.

On the whole, the Cyborg 15 feels well put together, with a relatively sturdy construction. The lid hinge is also pleasingly solid, offering a stable hold while being easy to operate. However, the lid itself has a considerable amount of flex, which is somewhat concerning.

The body materials aren’t the most premium, either, but they suffice. Thankfully, the keys feel more upmarket, thanks to their smooth, subtly textured finish. Their backlighting is also bright enough to make them clearly visible in dark environments.

Close-up of left-side ports on the MSI Cyborg 15 on a desk — (Image credit: Future)

There are a variety of useful shortcuts, including some unique options bound to the arrow keys. For instance, you can instantly adjust the fan speed with Fn+Up, and turn off the main display with Fn+Right. Meanwhile, Fn+Down brings up a static red crosshair in the middle of the screen, which is something I haven’t seen before and can only assume is there for some sort of calibration purpose.

Underneath you’ll find four feet in each corner, which are smaller and offer less ground clearance than those installed on many other gaming laptops. However, their small profile does at least help to maintain the overall sleekness of the Cyborg 15.

The port selection of the Cyborg 15 is reasonable, catering to most gamers’ needs. There are two USB-A ports and one USB-C, ideal for connecting peripherals. HDMI, RJ-45, and headset ports round out the rest.

Some may take issue with the distribution of these interfaces. Most are loaded on the right-hand side, save for one USB-A port and the headset jack, which are on the left. Meanwhile, no ports are to be found on the rear, not even the power connector. Of course, the practicality of this arrangement will depend on your setup, but personally I would’ve preferred a more even spread.

To tweak various settings, the Cyborg 15 comes preinstalled with the MSI Center app. From here you can install further modules, including one for adjusting fan speed and performance presets. The software proved reasonably stable during my time with it, and while the interface is a little buggy, it responds swiftly and is easy to navigate.

Design: 4 / 5

MSI Cyborg 15 review: Performance

Close-up of right-side ports on the MSI Cyborg 15 on a desk — (Image credit: Future)

Lackluster AAA performance
Good display
Excellent keyboard

MSI Cyborg 15 benchmarks

Geekbench 6 (Single Core): 2,394; (Multi Core): 10,165
Cinebench R23 (Single Core): 1,692; (Multi Core): 10,471
Cinebench R24 (Single Core): 100 (Multi Core): 601
Crossmark Overall: 1,576
3DMark Fire Strike: 10,675; Steel Nomad: 924; Solar Bay: 21,226; Speed Way: 1,071; Port Royal: 2,685
BlackMagicDisk Read: 4,475MB/s; Write: 3,124MB/s
Civilization VII (1080p, Medium): 203fps; (Max Resolution, High): 77fps; (Balanced Upscaling, Max Resolution, High): 86fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, Medium): 74fps; (Max Resolution, Highest): 63fps; (Balanced Upscaling, Max Resolution, Highest): 82fps
Total War: Warhammer III: Mirrors of Madness (1080p, Medium): 57fps; (Max Resolution, Ultra): 26fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Medium): 48fps; (Max Resolution, Ultra): 34fps; (Balanced Upscaling, Max Resolution, Ultra): 51fps
F1 2024 (1080p, Medium): 113fps; (Max Resolution, Max Quality, No RT): 40fps; (Balanced Upscaling, Max Resolution, Max Quality with RT): 29fps

The performance of the Cyborg 15 isn’t anything spectacular. Given my review unit was equipped with an RTX 3050, this wasn’t exactly surprising, but it really is starting to feel its age at this point.

It didn’t handle Cyberpunk 2077 particularly well with the Ray Tracing: Low preset applied, with fps figures oscillating between the late 30s and early 40s. This was with DLSS upscaling enabled, and its various modes, from Auto to Balanced to Performance, seemed to make little difference.

My sessions were also blighted by frequent slowdowns when encountering busy scenes. Even dropping down to the Ultra preset, which disables Ray Tracing, failed to yield significantly better results.

As with virtually any gaming laptop, fan noise is certainly noticeable on the Cyborg 15. However, it's not loud enough to be distracting, and the best PC gaming headsets should provide sufficient isolation.

What’s more, the fans seemed to be doing a fine job, as temperatures never rose to uncomfortable levels during my time with the Cyborg 15. The keyboard became nothing more than lukewarm, while the rear, despite bearing the brunt of the highest temperatures, still remained touchable.

Close-up of number pad with blue backlighting on the MSI Cyborg 15, on a desk — (Image credit: Future)

Another impressive aspect of the Cyborg 15 is its display. The 1080p resolution doesn’t feel stretched across its 15-inch real estate, rendering games and various interfaces sharply. Colors are vibrant, too, and reflections are kept at bay to a large extent.

The full-sized keyboard also feels great to use, thanks to the generous spacing of the keys, meaning it doesn’t feel cramped. This is all the more impressive given the fact that a number pad is included.

The keys are fit for gaming and typing equally, thanks to their tactile feel. They have more travel than you might expect from a gaming laptop keyboard, which yet remain light and easy to press. What’s more, they strike the perfect balance between being clicky and dampened, which makes them all the more satisfying to use. They even come close to rivaling the best gaming keyboard switches in this regard.

I also appreciated the wide Control key, as I usually struggle to hit this comfortably when gaming on other keyboards. It provided plenty of margin for error when trying to navigate towards it blindly with my little finger, which in turn made it much easier to hit consistently than I’m accustomed to, based on my experience with other keyboards.

The touchpad on the Cyborg 15 can get in the way when typing, though. It’s easy to accidentally click – let alone swipe – it with the palm of your thumb, thanks to how readily it actuates. Thankfully, it’s easily disabled with an Fn shortcut.

Performance: 3.5 / 5

MSI Cyborg 15 review: Battery Life

Close-up of touchpad on the MSI Cyborg 15 on a desk — (Image credit: Future)

Poor battery life
Reasonably quick to charge

The battery life of the Cyborg 15 is subpar. It lasted about five and a half hours during our movie playback test, which is easily beaten by many of its rivals. The Nitro V 15 Intel that I tested lasted about an hour longer.

It didn’t fare much better in the PCMark Gaming battery test, either. It didn’t manage an hour before giving up the ghost, again placing it towards the back of the pack. At least the Cyborg 15 is quick to recharge, taking just over two hours to get from empty to full.

Battery Life: 3 / 5

Should I buy the MSI Cyborg 15?

MSI Cyborg 15 Scorecard
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	Not many offer such quality for so little, but you will have to sacrifice spec for the best deals.	4.5 / 5
Design	The Cyborg 15 is pleasingly sleek and well-made, although the flimsy display is somewhat concerning.	4 / 5
Performance	The Cyborg 15 struggles to keep pace with modern AAA titles at the highest settings, so you'll need to dial those back a bit. The keyboard and display are great, though.	3.5 / 5
Battery Life	Towards the lower end of the sector in this regard. At least it’s quick to charge.	3 / 5
Total	The low price of the MSI Cyborg 15 certainly makes it tantalizing, especially when you consider the quality of the display and keyboard. But those after peak AAA performance will be disappointed.	3.75 / 5

Buy the MSI Cyborg 15 if...

You want a great keyboard
Whether you’re gaming or typing, the keyboard on the Cyborg 15 is always a joy to use.

You want to save money
The Cyborg 15 is very well priced for a gaming laptop, and its design and quality belie its budget cost.

Don't buy it if...

You want top-tier performance
My review unit, with its Intel i5 and RTX 3050, couldn’t handle demanding titles at the highest settings.

You want the best battery life
Most gaming laptops are wanting in this area, but the Cyborg 15 is among the worst on this front.

MSI Cyborg 15 review: Also Consider

Acer Nitro V 15 Intel
The Nitro V 15 is another great budget machine that punches above its weight. The review unit I had featured a 5060, therefore it's significantly more powerful – and expensive – than the Cyborg 15. However, it still comes in under a thousand pounds, which represents good value in the gaming laptop world.

Read our full Acer Nitro V 15 Intel review.

How I tested the MSI Cyborg 15

Tested for several days
Played games and ran benchmarks
Plentiful gaming laptop experience

I tested the MSI Cyborg 15 for several days, during which time I used it for gaming, typing, and general browsing.

I played AAA titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, and ran our extensive series of benchmark tests, which covered all aspects of performance, from gaming and creative to AI and battery life.

I've reviewed plenty of gaming laptops in the past, ranging greatly in their spec, form factors, and pricing. I've also been PC gaming for over a decade, and have build my own machines in that time, so I'm well-positioned to know a great gaming laptop when I use one.

Asus ROG NUC (2025): Two-minute review

I'll start this review off by simply saying this: the Asus ROG NUC absolutely belongs on our list of the best mini PCs, and perhaps indeed the best computers overall - expect to see it make an appearance on those pages in the near future.

Asus has been hard at work on the NUC series, which was originally conceived by Intel as a new breed of compact desktop PCs before being sold off to Asus in 2023; amidst Intel's multitude of troubles at the time, it was deemed a necessary move to streamline the company and focus on chipmaking rather than PC production. The NUCs were historically pretty good devices, but it's clear that Asus has taken them to an entirely new level.

The new-for-2025 ROG NUC is a wonder; an ultra-compact desktop system packed with some of the most powerful cutting-edge gaming components, including a 2nd-gen Intel Core Ultra processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5000 GPU (the one in my review unit is an RTX 5080), plus 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD.

The Asus ROG NUC photographed on a dark marbled worksurface with a painted sunset in the background. — (Image credit: Future)

The whole system is essentially constructed around that graphics card, which is technically a laptop GPU - one can only assume that a full-scale desktop 5080 would be too chunky, even though Nvidia worked hard to scale down the comically gigantic cards of the RTX 3000 and 4000 eras. As you might expect, performance is excellent; expect high framerates and smooth gameplay at 1440p and even 4K, though the sorry state of modern PC game optimization means you'll probably need to turn on DLSS in some titles at 4K.

Those powerful components mean the ROG NUC is also a competent workstation system, which could prove to be a boon for professional creatives who need a powerful PC but have limited desk real estate to work with (and don't want to jump ship to macOS with the admittedly excellent M4 Mac mini).

Of course, a spec sheet like that does mean that the Asus ROG NUC is far from cheap. I'll get into the details in the pricing section below, but my review unit will set you back $3,199 / £2,599 (around AU$4,925) - no small sum for anybody, and a lot more than Apple's signature mini computer will cost you. Of course, any pre-built RTX 5080 desktop from a reputable manufacturer is going to cost you at least somewhere in the range of $2,800 / £2,000 / AU$5,000, so it's not an entirely ludicrous proposition even if it does place the ROG NUC beyond the budgets of many PC gamers.

Despite this, I loved using the new Asus ROG NUC, and having tested NUC devices in the past, I can comfortably say that it's one of the best iterations on the formula yet. If you've got the money to spend and want something that delivers a lot of power in a small package, this device is the way to go.

Asus ROG NUC (2025) review: Price & Availability

Starts from $2,599 / £2,129 (about AU$4,000)
Available now in the US and UK
Both RTX 5070 Ti and 5080 models available

Starting at $2,599 / £2,129 (about AU$4,000) for the base configuration, which sports an RTX 5070 Ti rather than the 5080 in my review unit, along with less storage and RAM as you can see in the spec table below, the new ROG NUC isn't exactly what I'd call affordable. Meanwhile, the 5080 model featured in this review - which is externally identical - will run you a hefty $3,199 / £2,599 (around $4,925).

Still, it's not absurdly priced for what it offers; considering the sheer lack of powerful compact PCs on the market, the best option for many potential users will be to build your own ITX system, and having spent plenty of time mucking about with compact PC cases in my years as a computer hardware journalist, I can say with certainty that it'll be a lot harder than simply buying a ROG NUC. Oh, and it most likely won't be as small, and will potentially end up being more expensive too!

So while the NUC is undeniably a pretty expensive piece of kit, I can't mark it down too much for that; if a powerful but ultra-compact PC for serious gaming or content creation work is what you want, this might be the single best option out there right now. Of course, a PS5 Pro will cost you a lot less... but it also doesn't fill the role of a fully capable desktop PC.

The Asus ROG NUC (2025) is already available to purchase direct from Asus and partner retailers in the US and UK, but it seems our Aussie friends will have to wait a little longer - though Asus did confirm that the new model will indeed be coming to Australia. Regional pricing for Australia is currently unconfirmed (the figures listed above are only conversions).

Value: 4 / 5

Asus ROG NUC (2025) review: Specs

Asus ROG NUC (2025) Intel Specs
	Asus ROG NUC (2025) Base Config	Asus ROG NUC (2025) Review Config
Price	$2,599 / £2,129 (about AU$4,000)	$3,199 / £2,599 (around AU$4,925)
CPU	Intel Core i5-13420H (8 cores, 2.10GHz)	Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (2.70GHz)
GPU	Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16GB Laptop GPU	Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 16GB Laptop GPU
RAM	16GB DDR5	32GB DDR5
Storage	1TB PCIe NVMe 4.0 M.2 SSD	2TB PCIe NVMe 4.0 M.2 SSD
Ports and Connectivity	6x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (Thunderbolt 4), 2x HDMI 2.1, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, 1x RJ-45, 1x 3.5mm combi audio jack, Kensington Lock	6x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (Thunderbolt 4), 2x HDMI 2.1, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, 1x RJ-45, 1x 3.5mm combi audio jack, Kensington Lock
Dimensions	11.1 x 7.4 x 2.2in / 28.2cm x 18.8cm x 5.7cm	11.1 x 7.4 x 2.2in / 28.2cm x 18.8cm x 5.7cm
Weight	6.79lbs / 3.12kg	6.79lbs / 3.12kg

Asus ROG NUC (2025) review: Design

Amazingly compact design
Surprisingly good amount of ports
Limited upgrade potential for a desktop PC

Making a compact PC chassis can take designers in a lot of different directions. Do you aim for a low, flat design like Apple's Mac mini, or build upwards with a small footprint like the fantastic Corsair One i500?

As you can no doubt tell from the pictures, Asus has gone for the latter approach, with a thin tower design that produces a footprint of less than eight-by-six inches (full dimensions in the spec sheet above). It can technically also be laid on its side with the stand removed - ideal for putting it in a TV stand as a console-style living room PC - but after disassembling it, I can say that I wouldn't particularly recommend that unless you're willing to prop it up on something to ensure that the exhaust fans have enough breathing room to vent properly.

Speaking of disassembly: I don't always dig around in the guts of pre-built systems, but this was one case where I felt obliged to. See, the NUC series (standing for 'Next Unit of Computing') was originally founded by Intel in 2013 with the goal of creating a small-form-factor barebones PC with customization and upgrade potential.

Asus has clearly moved away from this ethos somewhat, as the ROG NUC is not only a fully-fledged system, but also has relatively little upgradability.

Upgrade options here are effectively limited to the RAM and SSD, and you'll need to discard the old RAM if you want more, since there are only two DIMM slots and they're both already occupied. There is, however, a spare M.2 slot for fitting a second SSD, should you want to expand your storage.

Really, this level of upgradability might be a slight step down from the more classic barebones NUCs Intel used to make, but it's pretty par for the course as far as modern mini PCs go.

The case is also easy enough to open up for any upgrade work, which is nice to see; I've dealt with mini PC cases that seemed determined not to let me get at the goodies inside.

Thermal management is handled by multiple fans, with vents on both flat sides and the top. It's quite effective at keeping the whole unit cool (even at the peak of my benchmarking process, the ROG NUC didn't get particularly warm to the touch), although I would note that the fans can get rather loud when running resource-intensive games; if you're planning to play in 4K, I'd recommend a headset or one of the best computer speakers.

Overall, I like the design; it's a bit less visually busy than last year's model, while still managing to fit in a good range of physical ports for connecting your devices. In addition to two HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs for connecting multiple monitors, you also get two Thunderbolt USB-C ports, six USB-A ports, an RJ-45 Ethernet slot, and the good ol' 3.5mm headphone jack. As mini PCs go, this NUC has it all.

Design: 5 / 5

Asus ROG NUC (2025) review: Performance

Runs AAA games at high settings
Strong performance in creative and AI workloads
Fans do get rather noisy

Asus ROG NUC (2025) Benchmarks

Here's how the Asus ROG NUC (2025) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

Geekbench 6 (Multi Core): 19,683; (Single Core): 2,977
Geekbench AI (Single Precision): 28,951; (Half Precision): 50,926; (Quantized): 22,406
Cinebench R23 (Multi Core): 34,413; (Single Core): 2,188
Cinebench R24 (Multi Core): 2,011; (Single Core): 132
Crossmark Overall: 2,338
3DMark Fire Strike: 39,680; Steel Nomad: 5,309; Solar Bay: 106,741; Speed Way: 5,809; Port Royal: 14,233
BlackMagicDisk Read: 4,333MB/s; Write: 4,928MB/s
25GB Copy Test: 1,493MB/s
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, Medium): 225 FPS; (1080p, Highest): 219 FPS; (Balanced Upscaling, 1080p, Highest): 224 FPS
Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Medium): 319 FPS; (1080p, Ultra): 176 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Medium): 178 FPS; (1080p, Ultra): 148 FPS; (Balanced Upscaling, 1080p, Ultra): 157 FPS
Metro: Exodus (1080p, Medium): 239 FPS; (1080p, Extreme, No RT): 102 FPS; (Balanced Upscaling, 1080p, Extreme RT): 137 FPS

As you'd hope from a system with an Nvidia RTX 5080 - even the trimmed-down laptop version inside the ROG NUC - the gaming performance on offer here is undeniably strong.

Our standard benchmarking process uses games tested at 1080p (primarily without any upscaling tools, like Nvidia's DLSS) to provide a realistic comparison point between systems. Needless to say, the ROG NUC absolutely blasted through these, offering stellar performance with triple-digit framerates in literally every test I ran.

Bump things up to 1440p and you'll get similarly great performance, especially if you do turn on DLSS (no need for frame-generation here, honestly). At 4K, I found most games could still clear that prized 60fps mark, with only Cyberpunk 2077 and Metro Exodus requiring DLSS to maintain a stable framerate when turning on maximum ray-traced graphics. It's worth bearing in mind that upscaling has more of an impact at higher resolutions; at 1080p, DLSS in Balanced mode only gained me an extra nine frames per second in Cyberpunk at the Ultra graphical preset, while at 4K that differential increased to a whopping 38.

I'd also like to address some of the concerns many gamers clearly have about DLSS (yes, I spend too much time on Reddit, I see those posts too). It literally works great. That's all I have to say; the tech is four generations in at this point, and it's been refined enough that I noticed no discernible difference in gameplay at 4K.

Frame-generation is a different story, of course - 4x Multi Frame Generation from Nvidia is frankly still wonky even if it does boost your FPS - but at this stage, we should all be using upscaling for playing games at any resolution above 1080p.

Outside of raw gaming performance, the ROG NUC performed admirably in synthetic tests across graphical, AI, and creative workloads.

The 3DMark graphic benchmark suite brought back results that were broadly what I anticipated: strong, but not quite on par with the 'true' desktop RTX 5080, so don't buy this if you're expecting a fully-fledged 5080 desktop experience squeezed into a compact chassis. At a fundamental level, this is more like a 5080 laptop in a desktop form factor.

Still, the results were good; the Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU also delivered solid numbers, with great performance in the Geekbench and Crossmark benchmarks, placing it comfortably on par with laptops equipped with the same processor. AI performance was also good, since the presence of a discrete GPU easily outweighs anything the Intel chip's built-in NPU brings to the table.

Lastly, the SSD that comes with the ROG NUC is fast. With read and write speeds in excess of 4GB/s, the only thing that'll constrain you in terms of file transfers is your internet connection. Games load up fast, and Windows 11 boots up faster.

Performance: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Asus ROG NUC?

Asus ROG NUC (2025)Scorecard
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	Although it's far from cheap, the pricing doesn't place it ludicrously higher than similarly-specced systems, and the compact chassis is quite unique.	4 / 5
Design	A fantastically compact design that somehow manages to cram in a ton of physical ports, the ROG NUC is one of the best-crafted mini PCs I've ever seen.	5 / 5
Performance	Great gaming performance at any resolution, along with strong performance in creative and AI workloads - just bear in mind that this isn't a full-fat desktop GPU.	4.5 / 5
Total	The ROG NUC is, simply put, one of the best compact gaming PCs I've ever seen. I do wish it wasn't quite so expensive, but Asus has really made something special here.	4.5 / 5

Buy the Asus ROG NUC (2025) if...

You want something powerful but compact
On a fundamental level, there are very few systems out there that can match the gaming capabilities of the ROG NUC while still offering such a tiny form factor.

You want to connect lots of peripherals
If you're a power-user (or just a bit gadget-crazed), the ROG NUC has enough ports to support a whole bunch of monitors, mice, keyboards, webcams, speakers, stream decks... you get the idea.

Don't buy it if...

You're on a tight budget
Yeah, this thing is pretty dang expensive. If you just want an RTX 5080 system and don't care about size, you'll be able to spend less for the same (or even better) performance.

You want a silent system
Although the ROG NUC's cooling is surprisingly effective at keeping the system at a suitable temperature, those fans can get pretty noisy when running demanding software like games.

Asus ROG NUC (2025) review: Also Consider

NZXT Player PC
One of the best desktop PCs we've reviewed this year, the 'Player PC' from NZXT might have an awful name, but it delivers strong gaming performance in a well-constructed case - plus, as a 5070 system, it'll cost you a bit less than the NUC too.

Read our full NZXT Player PC review

Mac mini (M4, 2024)
If you’re looking for more of a creative workstation than specifically a gaming PC, but were drawn to the ROG NUC's powerful specs and compact design, then the M4 Mac mini is the device for you. We called it 'the best Mac ever' in our review, and it lives up to that epithet with stellar productivity and creativity performance in a truly tiny chassis.

Read our full Mac mini (M4, 2024) review

How I tested the Asus ROG NUC (2025)

Tested for a week
Used for work and general web browsing
Replaced my usual desktop for gaming in the evenings

I tested the Asus ROG NUC for a week, including the weekend, during which time it took the place of my usual home office desktop system - a far chunkier PC. I used it daily for work and assorted other online activities; I'm currently rewatching The X Files, and I also used it to host a virtual TTRPG session.

I also spent plenty of time in my off hours using the ROG NUC for gaming, which is a regular hobby of mine. I mostly tested triple-A titles (in addition to our regular suite of game benchmarks), including Avowed and Remnant II, plus a cheeky bit of Stardew Valley, which was unsurprisingly not very taxing on the system.

I've been reviewing PC hardware for more than seven years and have been a PC gamer for more than twice that time, with so many laptop and desktop reviews under my belt at various publications that I sincerely can't even count them. This was my first time reviewing a NUC unit since Intel sold the brand off to Asus, and needless to say, I'm very pleased with the work Asus has done.

First reviewed: October 2025
Read more about how we test

Garmin Venu 4 review: Your do-it-all companion, from meetings to mountain biking

7:02 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: Apple Watch Series, Australia, UK, US | Comments: Off

One-minute review

The Garmin Venu 4 is a gem, and one that should satisfy moderate-to-serious exercise enthusiasts that want a great smartwatch with a generously sized battery and heavy focus on fitness. While it isn’t as rugged as the Forerunner, Instinct or Fenix range, this is a watch better-suited to people who want an unobtrusive, premium-looking watch for the office and a powerhouse for runs and rides, something between a Samsung Galaxy Watch and a regular Garmin.

The Venu 4 delivers on this promise, packing a suite of features from the best Garmin watches into its sleek-looking stainless steel body and bright screen. It’s missing a few features that you might expect to find on an Apple or Samsung smartwatch, such as LTE connectivity and full-color maps – and at this price tag, you might miss at least one of them.

The operating system, as slick as it is, also has a few cumbersome quirks: I’m so used to Google and Apple’s raise-to-speak voice assistants that to use the upper button and touchscreen to get to Garmin’s voice assistant functionality, which I use to set kitchen timers and the like, seems almost archaic and counter-intuitive.

However, these are small niggles: generally speaking, the watch performs admirably. While the lack of full-color directional maps is disappointing, the interface works just fine when following courses during runs, and the voice assistant is as responsive as Siri, if not as sophisticated as on-device AI such as Gemini. The battery, said to be up to 12 days of use in smartwatch mode, is an accurate measurement: I wore the watch for around 10 days before needing to charge it, with quite a bit of working out. The heart rate readings from Garmin’s Elevate V5 sensor are accurate enough for all but elite athletes, but I’ll touch on that more in the Performance section of the review.

New health tools such as Lifestyle Logging and Health Status are useful, especially the self-reporting Lifestyle Logging structure, which allows you to assign tags to your day (caffeine, alcohol, healthy meals, heavy meals and so on) to show the effects of different stimuli on your metrics.

Garmin’s usual suite of outstanding metrics are present and correct: as a regular runner, I find stride length, cadence and so on useful for tweaking my technique, and Garmin’s Race Calendar and Primary Race widgets are second to none. It’s a worthy buy for anyone who wants a Garmin, but doesn’t like the outdoorsy look so many of them share.

Garmin Venu 4: Price and availability

$549.99 in the US
£469.99 in the UK
AU$949 in Australia

The Garmin Venu 4 costs $549.99 / £469.99 / AU$949, and this is true for both the 41mm and 45mm sizes. You get the choice of Silver, Slate and Lunar Gold colors – I have the Slate option, and it looks great – and you can pay an additional $50 / £50 /AU$69 for other bands. I’m seriously considering splashing out on a brown leather band, which would really set off the look of the Slate.

Value-wise, this is around the price of a more expensive Apple or Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic, and I’d say that’s about right for where this sits in the market; what it lacks in smart communication credentials, it makes up for in battery life and fitness features. There’s no getting around this is a price rise over the older Venu 3, but the premium metal body and additional features make it worth the tradeoff.

Value score: 4/5

Garmin Venu 4: Specifications

Component	Garmin Venu 4 (41mm)	Garmin Venu 4 (45mm)
Price	$549.99 / £469.99 / AU$949	$549.99 / £469.99 / AU$949
Dimensions	41 x 41 x 12 mm	45 x 45 x 12 mm
Weight	46g with band	56g with band
Case/bezel	Stainless steel/Polymer	Stainless steel/Polymer
Display	390 x 390px 1.2-in AMOLED display	454 x 454px 1.4-in AMOLED display
GPS	GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, Beidou, QZSS, SatIQ	GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, Beidou, QZSS, SatIQ
Battery life	Up to 10 days	Up to 12 days
Connection	Bluetooth, Wi-Fi	Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Water resistant	Yes, 5ATM	Yes, 5ATM

Garmin Venu 4: Design

Stainless steel body upgrade
Redesigned UI
Brighter screen – but bezels are thick

If you’ve got this far in our review, you’ll know I like the look of the Garmin Venu 4. Whereas the stainless steel element of the 3 was confined to the bezel, with the case itself made of plastic, Garmin has expanded its use of steel to include the case as well, and it looks all the better for it. The dark metal of my Slate model is understated and classy, and I can’t wait to pair it with a leather strap. The screen is bright, but the bezels could be slightly thinner for my taste. Still, it’s hard to complain about the looks of this watch.

As opposed to its more outdoor-oriented watches such as the Fenix, Forerunner and Instinct series, the Garmin Venu 4 has two buttons instead of five. Its snappy and responsive touchscreen does most of the heavy-lifting when it comes to navigating, although you can configure the buttons to operate on long and short presses. A long press on my “back” button ignites the LED torch (a great addition on all the best Garmin watches now), while a long press on my upper “start” button summons the Controls tab, through which I can activate the Voice Assistant, Find my Phone, DND and other functionalities quickly. It’s a nice system.

The redesigned UI isn’t quite as smooth and seamless as watchOS or Wear OS, but it isn’t far off. Garmin used to look downright basic in comparison (which I think had a charm all by itself to be honest, and part of me misses it), but it looks great and works well in practice when you’re swiping through widgets or teeing up a workout. Garmin users who choose to upgrade will find the new setup intuitive to use, as will first-timers.

Design score: 5/5

Garmin Venu 4: Features

New Health Status and Lifestyle Logging
Usual suite of excellent fitness tracking features
Speaker, microphone and LED torch

Tons of great features abound here. The new Health Status feature looks at five key metrics during sleep: heart rate, HRV, respiration, pulse ox and skin temperature. It details whether all of your metrics are in their normal range, and if one or more is out of whack, something is afoot.

Often, this can be combined with the Lifestyle Logging feature to self-diagnose potential issues. Lifestyle Logging allows you to tag your day with the amount of caffeinated drinks, meditation, alcohol, healthy meals, heavy meals, cold showers, or other custom tags you might care to add. If your skin temperature is outside your healthy range and you logged some alcoholic drinks at a party the day before, or your HRV is off after a day of too much caffeine, you’ll know what to change to bring yourself back in line. Still, it will be a cold day in hell before Garmin makes me give up my morning coffee.

The usual suite of wellness and fitness features are present, with the Venu 4 – like the rest of the best Garmin watches – excelling at running and cycling, in particular. Training plans from Garmin Coach, local courses generated in the Garmin Connect app and upcoming races can be loaded onto your watch to turn it into a training powerhouse. Advanced metrics such as power for cyclists, and ground contact time or vertical oscillation for runners really empower the watch to be particularly helpful for connoisseurs. I also use it to time my rest periods in the gym between sets – a useful feature in the Strength workout profile to keep my mind on my workout. I’m missing full-color maps here, but the basic follow-along directional arrow for longer courses will be good enough for most.

Smarts-wise, the Controls tab features the Find my Phone and Voice Assistant functionalities, which are serviceable and useful but pretty basic. There are no on-device AI smarts here, but I can set a timer easily enough. The LED torch is eminently useful in three tiers of powerful white light and a less aggressive red option for night runs. A speaker and microphone allow you to take calls on-wrist, which is useful in a pinch. However, without the option to connect the watch to your network without a phone via LTE, it’s a convenience rather than a necessity.

Features score: 4.5/5

Garmin Venu 4: Performance

Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Garmin Venu 4 on the same wrist outdoors — (Image credit: Future)

Elevate V5 sensor is accurate compared to industry-standard heart rate monitor
Battery life performs as described
The watch was comfortable and useful throughout the testing process

I compared the Garmin Venu 4’s Elevate V5 heart rate sensor to a chest strap – the Polar H10, described as the most accurate heart rate monitor available to most people, and used by professional and amateur athletes alike – during a couple of workouts.

During my tests, after a brief bit of initial variation, the Garmin Venu 4 tightened up and matched the Polar H10’s readings very closely. After a 30-minute run, the Polar H10’s average beats-per-minute for my heart rate registered as 156bpm. The Garmin Venu 4 registered 151bpm.

For training purposes, that’s certainly close enough for most – it isn’t really a serious statistical outlier – although I suppose it could be closer. The Apple Watch Ultra 3, which I also wore during this run, registered 155bpm. Still, 5bpm out across the entirety of the workout isn’t anything to worry about, and a good enough estimation to indicate the Elevate V5’s accuracy.

Battery life performs as described, too: the watch lasted a full 10 days with multiple workouts before needing a top-up. The Venu 4 was comfortable to use and better to sleep in than a lumpy Fenix – I hardly took it off all week.

Performance score: 4.5/5

Garmin Venu 4: Scorecard

Attribute	Comments	Score
Value	About right for its place in the lineup, but not a huge bargain	4
Design	Looks great and is intuitive to use. Top marks	5
Features	I would have loved LTE and full-color maps, but they’re my only quibbles	4.5
Performance	Accurate, long-lasting and looks great on wrist in the office. Enough smarts for most.	4.5

Garmin Venu 4: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You’re looking for an all-rounder

This smartwatch can be worn looking smart to social occasions, dressed up with a change of strap, and out on the trail.View Deal

You want battery life

Forty-two hours for the Apple Watch Ultra 3? Try 10 days with the Venu 4. View Deal

You’re a keen outdoor exerciser

While this will work fine for the gym, it’s a bit of a waste for gym-bunnies: it really shines on runs, hikes and rides. View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You’re a rugged adventurer

Those who spend their lives in the wild might prefer an Instinct or Fenix instead. View Deal

You want the smartest watch

If you’re looking for LTE connectivity, an AI voice assistant and seamless phone connectivity, you might be better off with a Wear OS or Apple Watch. View Deal

Also consider

Component	Garmin Venu 4 (41mm)	Apple Watch Series 11 (42mm)	Samsung Galaxy Watch8 (40mm)
Price	$549.99 / £469.99 / AU$949	From $399 / £369 / AU$679	From $349.99 / £319 / AU$649
Dimensions	41 x 41 x 12 mm	42mm x 36mm x 9.7mm	42.7 x 40.4 x 8.6mm
Weight	46g with band	30.3g (42mm)	30g
Case/bezel	Stainless steel/Polymer	Aluminum with a metal back or Titanium (100% recycled)	Armor Aluminum
Display	390 x 390px 1.2-in AMOLED display	Always-on Retina LTPO3 display Wide-angle OLED at 374 by 446 (42mm)	1.3-in super AMOLED
GPS	GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, Beidou, QZSS, SatIQ	L1 GPS, GNSS, Galileo, and BeiDou	GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo
Battery life	Up to 10 days	24 hours, 38 hours in Low Power Mode	Up to 30 hours
Connection	Bluetooth, Wi-Fi	Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, second-generation ultra-wideband chip, and 5G (Optional)	Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3
Water resistant	Yes, 5ATM	WR50 and IP7X	Yes, 5ATM

Apple Watch Series 11

The best all-around smartwatch for iPhone users, and a solid Venu 4 alternative.

Read our full Apple Watch Series 11 review

Samsung Galaxy Watch8

A terrific smartwatch and the best for Samsung users. Great run tracking, although again, battery life suffers compared to the Venu 4.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch8 reviewView Deal

How I tested

I wore the Garmin Venu 4 for two weeks, drained the battery down while completing gym, running and hiking workouts. I used features such as Lifestyle Logging, tested the Voice Assistant, ECG functionality, ran at night with the torch enabled, and conducted an accuracy test against the Polar H10 heart rate monitor and Apple Watch Ultra 3.

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