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Alienware Pro Wireless gaming mouse review: a right-handed pro gamer’s dream

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Alienware Pro Wireless gaming mouse: Two-minute review

Along with the gaming keyboard comes the Alienware Pro Wireless gaming mouse, which has been specially developed and tested with professional gamers in mind to make it one of the best gaming mice available – and possibly one of the best mice in general. It’s a massive upgrade from the Alienware AW720M with reduced weight, better feet, and improved specs.

The DPI is still at 26,000, mainly because there is little point in increasing such an absurdly high spec. However, it features both 4KHz wireless and 8KHz wired polling rates, 0.25ms and 0.125ms response time, respectively, which is a significant leap over the 1KHz polling rate (1ms response time) of the Alienware AW720M. 

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ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) review: Not just for gamers

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ASUS’ latest 14-inch gaming laptop is an incredibly versatile and stylish all-rounder. But for those who want something even beefier, there’s the ROG Zephyrus G16. Not only does it feature a more powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU, it supports up to NVIDIA RTX 4090 graphics cards. That’s not all. Its OLED display refreshes twice as fast at 240Hz and it has surprisingly good speakers as well as a full-size SD card reader for quickly transferring files from a camera. So despite being aimed at gamers, the G16 is better equipped to serve as a portable editing rig, which makes this a great system even for people who don’t care about bunny-hopping and fragging.

Design

The G16’s new all-aluminum chassis is simply fantastic. That’s because in addition to being a touch lighter (about 0.1 pounds) and thinner (about 0.2 inches) than the previous model, it feels even sturdier. For 2024, ASUS ditched the dot matrix display on its lid for a single diagonal slash with white (not RGB) LEDs running down the center, which gives the laptop a much more sophisticated look without becoming boring. It’s like a teenager who grew up and learned to dress properly without losing touch with their gamer roots. On the inside, there’s a backlit keyboard with rainbow lighting (though it’s single-zone and not per-key) flanked by some surprisingly punchy speakers with an absolutely massive touchpad below. All told, it’s a beautifully designed system that looks as good as it feels.

ASUS / Engadget

Like its smaller sibling, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 combines a vivid display with a super sleek build but with better connectivity and even longer battery life.

Pros

  • Vibrant 240Hz OLED display
  • Sleek design
  • Great speakers
  • Solid performance
Cons

  • Memory is soldered in
  • A bit pricey
  • Reduced wattage CPU and GPU
  • Amoury Crate app is clunky

$2,700 at Best Buy

ASUS has also included the right blend of connectivity options. The G16 features two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A slots, two USB-C ports (one of which supports Thunderbolt 4), HDMI 2.1, a full-size SD card reader and a 3.5mm audio jack. This is the kind of arrangement that lets you travel freely without needing to worry about extra dongles or adapters. Plus, thanks to ASUS’ new Slim Power Jack, you don’t have to hog any other ports while charging. And in a pinch, you can also juice up the G16 via USB-C, albeit at slower speeds (up to around 100 watts) than with the included 240-watt brick.

Display

The G16’s 2.5K (2,560 x 1,600) OLED screen might be the best component here. It’s vivid and supports a huge color gamut (100 percent of DCI-P3), while its 240Hz refresh rate makes it great even for gamers looking to squeeze out every last competitive advantage. Though brightness is just average at around 400 nits in standard definition mode or 450 nits in HDR, I didn’t really have any trouble seeing the screen unless the G16 was in direct sunlight. One last bonus for photo and video editors is that ASUS does include a few calibrated viewing modes in its Armoy Crate app for sRGB, D65 P3 and DCI-P3 so you can more accurately adjust hues or color grade footage.

Performance

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16's 240Hz OLED display might be one of its best components thanks to vibrant colors and a handful of calibrated presets for photo and video editing. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16's 240Hz OLED display might be one of its best components thanks to vibrant colors and a handful of calibrated presets for photo and video editing.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The G16’s performance is pretty solid thanks to an Intel Core ultra 9 195H CPU, up to 32GB of RAM, 2TB of storage and NVIDIA RTX 4090 graphics. However, here’s where some trade-offs for the G16’s slim chassis factor in. Compared to similarly-sized rivals like the Razer Blade 16, the G16 features a lower overall TDP (total device power), which means even if they appear to have the same listed components, there’s still a difference in capabilities. For example, on our review unit with an RTX 4080, the amount of power sent to the GPU caps out at 115 watts versus 175 watts for the Razer. The G16’s RAM is also soldered in, so you can’t add more post-purchase.

In Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p and ultra graphics with ray-tracing on, the G16 hit 68 fps, which is just barely ahead of what we saw from a smaller Razer Blade 14 (66 fps), despite the latter having a lower tier RTX 4070 but with a similar wattage. That said, those figures are more than adequate to keep AAA games running smoothly. And let’s not forget that the Blade 14 model I referenced costs $2,700, which is the same price as our G16 review unit. This makes it an apt comparison even if Razer’s laptop has a smaller footprint.

Battery life

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 has a great selection of ports including two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A slots, two USB-C ports (one of which supports Thunderbolt 4), HDMI 2.1, a full-size SD card reader and a 3.5mm audio jack.The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 has a great selection of ports including two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A slots, two USB-C ports (one of which supports Thunderbolt 4), HDMI 2.1, a full-size SD card reader and a 3.5mm audio jack.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

One of the main advantages of a larger system is having extra room for a bigger battery. On PCMark 10’s Open Office rundown test, the G16 lasted 9 hours and 17 minutes versus just 5:12 for the smaller G14. That’s a solid mark considering it’s also better than an XPS 16 (8:31) we reviewed. However, overall longevity depends on your workload, because when I ran the battery test a second time only using the GPU instead of relying on NVIDIA’s Optimus graphic switching feature, that time dropped to just 3:08. That means the system will last all day if you’re using basic productivity app, but for more demanding tasks like gaming or video editing, you’ll want to keep ASUS’ 240-watt power brick close by.

Wrap-up

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 has a spacious keyboard and a massive touchpad. We just wish it had per-key RGB lighting instead of a single-zone setup. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 has a spacious keyboard and a massive touchpad. We just wish it had per-key RGB lighting instead of a single-zone setup.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Just like its smaller sibling, ASUS’ ROG Zephyrus G16 is an almost ideal thin-and-light gaming laptop. It’s got a sleek all-aluminum build, a gorgeous 240Hz OLED display and longer battery life. Granted, it might not be quite as powerful as some of its rivals thanks to lower-wattage components, but it’s still got enough oomph to handle practically anything you can throw at it. And thanks to a full-size SD card reader, it makes for an even better portable editing workstation. But most importantly, with a starting price of $1,750, the G16 is more approachable than many of its high-end (and bulkier) competitors, which makes it a great pick for people who want a larger system that won’t weigh them down.

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World of Warcraft is always ready for Mac gamers

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World of Warcraft looks and performs very well on Mac. It’s a standout option for gamers frustrated that few other big-name games come to macOS.

Blizzard’s perennially popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game offers constantly evolving content so you won’t get bored. And you don’t need a PC to play.

Use your Mac to pay a visit to World of Warcraft

The game is set in the fantasy world of Azeroth, which is populated by various races: humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, and trolls, among others. Players create a character from one of these races then choose to be a warrior, mage, rogue, etc.

Then your character goes out to complete quests, explore the world and battle monsters and other players. And it’s not all fighting — crafting and trading are also part of the game.

None of that’s going to be fun if the game doesn’t play well, but a wide range of Mac users report generally positive experiences with WoW, not just me. Blizzard made a native Apple Silicon version of the game, and Apple’s M-series chips are powerful, with speedy GPU cores built into them.

Of course, the new and more advanced the processor, the better the performance. But that’s always true for every platform — games always push the limits of computer power.

Generally, the worst that happens is the number of frames-per-second temporarily slows down when there’s more going on than the processor can handle, or the amount of detail shown gets momentarily reduced.

World of Warcraft plays well on Mac as long as the computer meets recommended specs.
World of Warcraft plays well on Mac as long as the computer meets recommended specs.
Photo: Blizzard

WoW on Mac recommended system requirements

OS: macOS 11 or later
Processor: Intel i7 or Apple M1 Max or better
Video: AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 8 GB or Apple M1 Max or better
Video Resolution: 1024 x 768 minimum display resolution
Memory: 8GB RAM
Storage: 100GB available space
Internet: Broadband
Input: Multi-button mouse with scroll wheel

Blizzard keeps it fresh

While the game uses a standard fantasy RPG formula, it’s a very popular one. World of Warcraft launched twenty years ago and there are still roughly 130 million active players.

Part of the reason people stick with it is because Blizzard keeps releasing new expansion packs that add fresh content such as areas to explore, monsters to conquer and storylines to follow. There are often new races, classes, and gameplay mechanics, keeping the game fresh and engaging.

There’s no better example than Dragonflight from 2022. This expansion pack sends players to the Dragon Isles where you become a dragonrider. Before that was Shadowlands, in which characters travel to the realm of the dead. And these are only a couple of the packs.

Get a group together

Among the most important features of WoW is its social aspect. Players can form parties and guilds to tackle challenges together, and the game encourages cooperation and teamwork, particularly in more difficult content like dungeons and raids.

Ideally, you and group of friends can play together, each on your own computer. It’s an easy way to socialize because no one has to leave home.

Consider WoW boosting

As play progresses, characters gain experience points and new abilities, equipment and areas to explore. That’s standard … it’s a big part of what makes World of Warcraft an RPG.

Whether progressing upward through the game takes too long depends on who you ask. Some people complain there’s too much grinding — wandering around and around looking for monsters to fight to level up.

Fortunately, WoW boosting is always an option. You can buy boosts to your level, powerful equipment, etc. It’s not cheating — Blizzard sells boosters itself.

World of Warcraft subscription cost

World of Warcraft is free to play until your character reaches level 20. After that, the only way to play  is via a subscription. It’s $12.99 per month or $155.88 a year, though special deals are available at various times. Expansion packs vary in price but generally run about $50.

A subscription system is a vastly better option than Blizzard making the game “free.” The company released Diablo Immortal as a free game and it’s swamped with in-app purchases.

The other advantage of a subscription payment system is you can load WoW on your Mac for a month, confirm it performs well and decide whether you like it before you have to pay anything. You don’t have to buy the whole game just to find that out.

And you don’t need a gaming PC. You can play World of Warcraft on the Mac you already own.

Download from: Blizzard
Price: Free to try; or $12.99 a month or $155.88 a year.



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Nvidia RTX 5090 could have up to 77% more memory than 4090, a win for gamers

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The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 has long since been a hot topic in the tech rumor mill as possibly the best graphics card in the future market, with the latest ones revealing even more information about its memory specifications.

According to well-known and reliable Twitter hardware leaker Kopite7kimi, the RTX 5090 will feature a 512-bit memory bus that is 33% wider than the one on Nvidia’s RTX 4090. This would allow for higher levels of memory bandwidth and increased GPU memory capabilities. It could even have 32GB of VRAM thanks to its two 16GB GDDR modules.



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News

T-Force GE PRO NVMe Gen 5 SSD designed for gamers

Team Group T-Force GE PRO NVMe Gen 5 SSD

In the fast-paced world of high-performance gaming, a new solid-state drive (SSD) has emerged that promises to elevate the experience of gamers everywhere. Team Group Inc.’s T-FORCE brand has introduced the T-FORCE GE PRO PCIe 5.0 SSD, a device that combines speed, reliability, and innovative technology to meet the demands of the most avid gamers says the press release.

At the heart of this SSD is the InnoGrit 12 nm IG5666 controller, a marvel of engineering that boosts the drive’s performance while managing power consumption. This results in read speeds that can reach up to 14,000 MB/s, which means games load in a flash and systems run smoother than ever before. Such speed is a significant advantage for gamers who crave quick loading times and seamless gameplay.

The T-FORCE GE PRO SSD also excels in keeping cool under pressure. It features a patented ultra-thin graphene heatsink that is highly effective at dissipating heat. This is crucial during intense gaming sessions when drives are prone to overheating. With this advanced cooling technology, the SSD maintains optimal temperatures, ensuring that gamers can push their systems to the limit without fear of performance drops due to overheating.

NVMe Gen 5 SSD

Data security is a critical concern for many users, and the T-FORCE GE PRO SSD addresses this with its Security Isolation technology. This feature protects your data from external threats, giving you peace of mind that your personal and gaming information is safe.

The SSD doesn’t stop at security; it also includes smart power management and thermal regulation technologies. These work together to balance performance and temperature, preventing the drive from getting too hot and extending its lifespan. This is complemented by 4K LDPC error correction, which maintains data integrity by ensuring accurate data transfer and storage, reducing the chances of errors that could disrupt gameplay.

SSD designed for gaming

For those who like to keep a close eye on their system’s health, the T-FORCE GE PRO SSD supports S.M.A.R.T. monitoring software. This tool allows for real-time tracking of the SSD’s condition, enabling users to identify and address potential issues before they become problems.

Team Group Inc. is also mindful of its environmental impact. The T-FORCE GE PRO SSD is made using materials that comply with RoHS regulations, are halogen-free, and lead-free. The packaging is recyclable, reflecting the company’s commitment to sustainable manufacturing practices.

Gamers looking to upgrade their systems will be pleased to know that the T-FORCE GE PRO PCIe 5.0 SSD will be available for pre-order starting February 9, 2024. It will be sold through major retailers, including Amazon and Newegg in North America, and Amazon Japan. This presents an opportunity for gaming enthusiasts to be among the first to integrate this advanced SSD into their setups and enjoy a superior gaming experience.

Filed Under: Hardware, Top News





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