Whether you’re building a new computer or just upgrading your current one, the CPU (central processing unit)—being the ‘brain’ of the computer—is an important component to get right.
But, with all the improvements and advancements in recent years on both the hardware and software sides, how many CPU cores do you need?
The Ryzen 9 3950X was released about 2 weeks ago, but only hit the marketplace yesterday. Do not worry about buying one: These new chips are so good that they went out of stock instantly. But why is the R9 3950X good, and what does it replace? And what other changes are coming to the top tiers of the chart?
It’s been over two decades since Intel released a discrete graphics card (the last was the disappointing Intel740, which hit the market back in 1998). That is set to change in 2020, when Intel intends to release its new discrete GPU, the Intel Xe.
Intel is being characteristically tight-lipped about what we can expect with their new cards, but if the Xe (pronounced “ex-ee”) proves to be a reliable alternative to Nvidia or AMD cards, PC builders might soon have more options at their disposal.
This article will tell you what we know about Intel Xe so far.
This week on, “things we didn’t ask for…” comes the i9-9900KS. Now, is Intel providing a genuine improvement here? Or are you just paying to have an S at the end of your CPU model, like certain recent NVIDIA GPU releases? Let’s have a look.
Up until a few years ago, the value king for gaming was the Intel i5 processor. More recently, AMD’s Ryzen APUs have stolen the show at the low tiers, and we all know that no integrated graphics from Intel can currently compete with AMD’s Vega 8 and Vega 11 iGPUs. So it’s a no-brainer for gaming builders at very low budgets (who are entirely skipping graphics cards) to go with Ryzen APUs.
But outside of such head-to-head CPU comparisons, a broader value question remains for upper-low-tier (and lower-mid-tier) builders: how would a self-built system balanced around AMD’s newest R3 (including a discrete graphics card) compare to a highly discounted prebuilt system with a few key upgrades?
We’ve previously introduced PCIe lanes in Data Transfer Rates Compared (RAM vs PCIe vs SATA vs USB vs More!). Today, we review PCIe lanes in more depth, and discuss their relevance to you as a user.
This month, we’re bringing lots of small updates to our main build chart (and reaffirming some decisions from last month):
With Intel fleshing out their 9th-generation range, now comes the i5-9400. So we take a look at what it takes to build a balanced PC with this $185 CPU!
With the release of the highly-anticipated i9-9900k, gamers running Intel systems may still be wondering whether it’s worth upgrading to this pricey CPU, even over less-expensive options like the i7-9700k and the year-old i7-8700k. It can be tempting to default to the latest flagship model, but that may not be the best option for every builder.
PLEASE NOTE: We now have a thorough, regularly updated big guide article on building a PC for Apex Legends over on our main site. Check it out!
Now that you have read our warning, you may return to the content of this older blog post:
Apex Legends, the free-to-play battle royale title from the creators of Titanfall, launched on February 4 and quickly became a huge hit, gaining 25 million players in its first week. Built off the Titanfall universe, the game unites players in squads of three to battle it out against 20 other teams, all vying to be the last squad standing.
The game’s success is thanks in large part to how well the game runs on a variety of PC specs. But for this article, our purpose is simple: We’ll recommend PC builds for two different budgets, both intended to run the game smoothly—one for playing at 1080p with max settings, and one for playing at 4K with max settings.