To avoid any performance issues with DirectX 12 titles, we used the Vega 64 Liquid Cooled graphics card for testing and the 720p results should help alleviate any GPU bottlenecks. I might go back and test with a GTX 1080 Ti if we feel that’s called for. Please note that none of the CPUs have been overclocked, but we plan to do an overclocked version of this test soon. Also, as always, the Intel CPUs had their turbo core features disabled and all the chips were tested using DDR4-3200 CL14 memory....

In January, a European court ruled in support of Intel over its appeal of the 1.06 billion Euros ($1.2 billion) fine that the European Commission levied against it in 2009. The case revolved around Intel allegedly paying manufacturers, including Dell, HP, and Lenovo, to favor its processors over AMD’s from 2002 to 2007 by giving them special treatment in the form of rebates. The Commission returned the $1.2 billion payment to Intel after its court defeat....

Based on a 32nm process, they were the first modern CPUs to incorporate an on-die GPU, which was dubbed Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD. Although Clarkdale chips solved many of the HTPC-specific problems faced by its predecessors, it still lacked proper support. Intel has since replaced Clarkdale with today’s “Sandy Bridge” range, which boasts superior CPU and GPU performance with even less power consumption. We recently reviewed a Mini-ITX Asrock motherboard designed to accommodate Intel’s second-gen Core processors....

You would expect any Z97 motherboard over $150 to include at least one of these new features but that expectation isn’t met with the EVGA Z97 FTW, which is virtually indistinguishable from previous Z87 versions besides improved CPU support. Technically, the Z97 FTW does support M.2 devices, though we say technically because in terms of practicality it doesn’t. The M.2 key on this board is designed for USB 2.0, SDIO, UART and PCM devices, i....

On Monday, Apple released a patch for iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 to fix a critical vulnerability. The security weakness allows attackers to execute code with kernel-level privileges. An anonymous bug hunter reported it to Apple on October 11. Cupertino acknowledged that bad actors may have already exploited this zero-day flaw. The vulnerability (CVE-2022-42827) could allow an app to commit an out-of-bounds write. This occurs when the software attempts to place data before or after the intended buffer....

The Core i7-3770K was a fraction faster than the i7-2600K when testing in Dirt 3, making it the fastest processor tested in this game using the same graphics card (GeForce GTX 580). The Core i7-3770K was again the fastest processor tested, this time when benchmarking with Just Cause 2. The Core i7-3770K was a fraction faster than the Phenom II X4 980 and Core i7-2600K processors. The last game we are going to look at when pairing the processors with a discrete GPU is The Witcher 2 and here you see that the Core i7-3770K delivered virtually the same performance as the i7-2600K, though it was a fraction faster....

Dorsey outlined the basics of the proposal in an e-mail to the Bitcoin-dev mailing list. In it, he said litigation and continued threats to the community are having their intended effect as some individual defendants have chosen to surrender in the absence of legal support. The Bitcoin Legal Defense Fund would be a non-profit entity tasked with helping developers minimize legal headaches. Specifically, the fund would assist with finding and retaining defense counsel, developing legal strategies and paying legal fees....

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Biden was asked if Musk posed a national security threat and if the help he received from Saudi Arabia to buy Twitter should be investigated—Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and his Kingdom Holding Company represent Twitter’s second-largest investor after Musk with a $1.89 billion stake in the company. “I think that Elon musk’s cooperation and/or technical relationships with other countries is worthy of being looked at,” Biden said....

Lenovo also includes a few of their own software suites such as DirectShare, Security Suite and SmileDock. Lenovo DirectShare syncs all of your files and data between computers and USB drives in your local network. Security Suite protects you from unauthorized users accessing your data and trying to steal valuable data for identity theft. SmileDock is a transparent smiley face icon on your desktop that expands into a toolbar with links to commonly used programs such as CrossLoop, WeatherBug and iTunes....

Living up to its reputation, I’ve generally been pleased with Lenovo’s overall build quality and performance. The recently reviewed IdeaPad U260 was a real work of art and excelled in nearly every category except for one – it narrowly missed Intel’s Sandy Bridge processor refresh which would have offered even better all-around CPU and GPU performance. Today we’ll be looking at our first notebook based on Intel’s second generation Core processors, the ThinkPad X220....

The stylus delivers the most amazing writing experience I’ve ever seen from a stylus-equipped device. Unlike with most other solutions, there is absolutely no noticeable lag between writing on the slate and drawings appearing on the display. I’m used to seeing a very slightly delay between stylus input and on-screen feedback, but with the Yoga Book, it feels like I am literally transferring ink to the screen. Plus, with 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity, how you write on paper is how drawings appear on screen....

Sadly, voice calls on the Nitro HD are sometimes problematic. There appears to be something loose in the ear speaker on the phone that rattles under the right (wrong) circumstances - noticeably when speaking with women who tend to have higher pitch voices. At first I thought this was just a one-off problem phone, but some of my colleagues in the industry have had similar issues. Call volume is a bit low, as well, and the rattling problem would be even worse if the phone’s volume were stronger....

In dual mode, system one can utilize up to an E-ATX or EBB motherboard while the second system can use up to a mini-ITX board. The chassis can accommodate two power supplies and further features individual front panel controls for each system. The motherboard tray is removable to make core hardware installation and cable management less of a hassle. Lian Li’s case can support up to 16 fans as well as three 480mm radiators and a 360mm radiator....

The full-size MX Mechanical and compact MX Mechanical Mini ship standard with low-profile tactile quiet (brown) switches. Both can also be configured with clicky (blue) or linear (red) switches should you choose. The boards also come equipped with smart backlighting that adjusts brightness based on ambient light and turns the lights off when not needed to conserve battery life. Speaking of, battery life is rated for up to 15 days on a full charge or up to 10 months if you’re willing to disable the backlight....

Video playback is one common case scenario where efficiency is crucial and where a lengthy battery life is an infrequently found godsend. Hopping on an intercontinental flight and wanting to catch up on Game of Thrones? The number of episodes you can watch is going to be dictated by your laptop or tablet’s battery life, and of course, settings like screen brightness and background tasks. But what you may not realize is that the video player itself, and the format your videos are encoded in, can also have an impact on battery life consumption....

Meta’s regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) shows that the company spent more than $15.2 million last year keeping Zuckerberg safe at his homes and during personal travel. He was also given $10 million as a pretax allowance for his family’s security, along with $1.6 million for the use of a private aircraft for personal travel. The amount it costs to protect the Zuckerberg clan is rising each year....

This week, Microsoft sent a lengthy defense of its Activision Blizzard acquisition to Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE). It mainly says that Sony’s fears of anticompetitive exclusivity practices are unfounded. Last week, many large game companies, including Sony, responded to an inquiry from CADE, one of many international competition regulators scrutinizing the Microsoft-Activision deal. Sony told CADE that it thinks Call of Duty would be irreplaceable if Microsoft ended the development of PlayStation versions — that no other developer or publisher could release a game that competes on the same level....

Microsoft said that as platforms like AltspaceVR evolve, it’s important to look at existing experiences and evaluate whether they are properly serving the needs of customers today and in the future. Shielding users from inappropriate behavior and harassment is part of the process, and in an effort to do that while moving forward with its true plans for the platform, the following changes are being rolled out from today:...

Microsoft 365 Defender Research Team dubbed the vulnerability (CVE-2021-30970) “powerdir” named after the software exploit created by Microsoft researcher Jonathan Bar Or. Microsoft notified Cupertino of the security flaw in July 2021. Apple patched the flaw in December with macOS 11.6 and 12.1. “We discovered that it is possible to programmatically change a target user’s home directory and plant a fake TCC database, which stores the consent history of app requests,” explained Or....

The results are impressive. Praydog has managed to implement full 6DOF motion controls and a first-person camera which is a big deal by itself. However, he took things a step further by implementing actual weapon impacts and projectile physics – you can manually throw grenades, and strike enemies from any angle you desire with either the butt of your firearm or the blade of your knife. We’ll admit that the melee doesn’t seem to be the most impactful thing in the world, but that’s no surprise....