Articles about Gaming

What an exciting time to be a PC gamer! There are so many great games to play and the underlying hardware is more powerful than ever. It is amazing to see what game developers are putting out these days. Thanks to the upcoming Steam Deck, these hardcore PC games can be easily taken on the go too.

If you are in the market for a pre-built gaming PC, I have some exciting news. Manufacturer ZOTAC has unveiled gaming desktops that are both Windows 11 ready and assembled in the USA. Called "MEK HERO," there are two models (G1 A5636 and G1 A5837) from which to choose, and they are both powered by high-end AMD CPUs and hardcore NVIDIA GPUs. And yes, they have RGB lighting and glass side-panels. The higher-end MEK HERO G1 A5837 model features CPU liquid-cooling.

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As pre-orders for the latest version of the Nintendo Switch system continue to pour in, Nintendo made some interesting news this week related to how the media has been reporting on the new device. And it has ignited even more discussion about the unique new benefit (and the unique exclusion) of the upgraded console.

The new OLED Switch boasts a significant improvement to the console's built-in screen and … not much else. At one point, there was reporting that it would support 4K output when used in TV mode, but Nintendo never officially announced that and did not include it as a feature. So some Nintendo fans may have felt ripped off when a recent Bloomberg article was posted, saying that the OLED Switch would have a higher profit margin.

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Despite all the unease and uncertainty of the past 18 months, it is comforting to know that there are some things you can rely on: like the billions of dollars in recurring credit card transactions that every media conglomerate has continued to rake in. From legacy names to brand new offerings that launched during the pandemic, the streaming video industry is one of the obvious winners in a world where people spend more time at home.

With that world starting to fade away, though, and as a year and a half of boredom slowly transforms into demand for outdoor and real-world activities, there is no way these services can keep up their record levels of growth and momentum. But that doesn't mean that they're not trying.

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Switching from Windows to Linux is pretty easy nowadays -- unless you're a gamer. If you are into PC gaming, Windows is still the best operating system for maximum compatibility and performance. Gaming on Linux has gotten better thanks to Steam's Proton, but still, Windows clearly reigns supreme.

With all of that said, Linux gaming is about to get much more possible. You see, Valve's new handheld gaming console is basically just a PC running an Arch Linux-based operating system. The OS is named "SteamOS" and it uses KDE Plasma.

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It’s been over a decade since Finnish game maker Rovio hit the big time with Angry Birds. New levels were periodically added to keep players interested and, capitalizing on that success, the company followed it up with other games such as Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds 2. They also released a tournament-based version called Angry Birds Friends. 

Rovio has kept the tournament version fresh and exciting by releasing loads of new levels every week. The goal of the game is to beat the people you're playing against and after completing each level you will see where you rank amongst those ahead and behind you  -- both places and points. 

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When people think of PC gaming gear, they aren't likely to think of furniture. Instead, they probably conjure images in their heads of mice, keyboards, and controllers. But the gamer's computer and monitor need to sit upon a desk or table, right? And of course, the players themselves need to sit in a chair. So, yes, gamers do need furniture.

Believe it or not, gaming chairs are a things these days, providing extra comfort for long gameplay sessions. Not to mention, these chairs look cool, appealing to the style of gamers. One of the companies that makes such chairs, Vertagear, has a model called PL4500. And now, that chair is getting a special new variant. You see, Vertagear has partnered with Swarovski to emblazon the PL4500 with beautiful crystals. Très chic!

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The solid state drive market is evolving very fast lately. Not only do we now have an external drive with a huge 16TB storage capacity, but PCIe 4.0-capable motherboards are becoming more prevalent. Why is PCIe 4.0 so important? Bandwidth, baby. Compared to PCIe 3.0, the new 4.0 has double the bandwidth. From a storage perspective, this means PCIe 4.0 solid state drives will provide insanely fast speeds.

Today, MSI unveils a trio of new PCIe NVMe M.2 solid state drives under its new "SPATIUM" branding. Called "M370," "M470," and "M480," one drive uses PCle 3.0, while the other two utilize the faster PCle 4.0. In other words, the company is providing options, allowing consumers to choose the speed that best meets their needs (and budgets).

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Hardware that is designed for gamers can be expensive. This is because gaming gear is often built to higher standards. Of course, it can also be artificial price increases, as manufacturers know gamers aren't afraid of disposing of their income.

Thankfully, not all companies are intent on taking advantage of gamers. Logitech, for instance, offers quality products at various price points, allowing gamers to have good gear without breaking the bank. Today, Logitech launches its latest wired gaming headset, and it is designed to be affordable. Called "G335," it is compatible with PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and mobile.

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Pink has traditionally been a color for girls and women -- at least here in the United States. Of course, just because it is tradition, that doesn't mean it is set in stone. These days, anybody can proudly wear the color pink -- regardless of gender -- and rightfully so. If you like the color pink, nobody should make you feel bad about that.

Today, HyperX (now an HP company) launches a special pink variant of its popular Cloud Stinger gaming headset. Yes, this affordable headset for gamers can now be had in the same color as Pepto Bismol or bubble gum.

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Every once in a while, a manufacturer will release a memory card that is branded for gaming. Consumers often wonder if there is anything different about these cards that will truly benefit gamers. The answer is largely no. A storage card that is designed for gaming is really just marketing hype. Sorry, but it's true.

With all of that said, today, Silicon Power launches what it calls a "Superior Gaming" microSDXC card. While it is intended to be used for the Nintendo Switch, it should also be a good choice for mobile gamers using an Android phone or tablet. The card will, of course, also work with any device that uses such a card, including Raspberry Pi, drones, digital cameras, and more.

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The E3 gaming show is currently taking place in Los Angeles with many big names in the business there. You can expect announcements from hardware makers as well as games companies.

Today headphones maker Audeze and Japanese gaming powerhouse Capcom are announcing a special bundle of Audeze's Mobius headphones with Capcom's new Resident Evil Village game.

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Hardcore gaming laptops are usually big and heavy -- unwieldy beasts with poor battery life and even worse portability. While that is often the case, it is not always. Case in point, today, Razer re-launches its Blade 14 laptop, and while its power is downright godlike, the laptop is surprisingly svelte and light -- it is just .66-inches thin while weighing only 3.92 pounds.

The 2021 edition of the Razer Blade 14 is powered by the insanely powerful 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series mobile GPUs. It comes with a 16GB of (non-upgradeable) DDR4-3200MHz RAM and a 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD. Believe it or not, despite the hardcore specifications, Razer promises up to 12 hours of battery life. Obviously, battery life will vary wildly depending on usage.

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For those of you that build your own desktop computers, you know that choosing the right brands can really matter. Why? Well, if you opt for an unknown company for your RAM, power supply, or storage, there is a very good chance you will run into problems. This is why I always recommend sticking with reputable brands -- saving a few dollars is never worth the headaches caused by troubleshooting crashes.

Patriot is a company that offers both reliability and affordability. While not as well known as some other brands, it is a company whose products have proven reliable for me. Today, it launches the ELITE II DDR4 RAM under its "VIPER," gaming brand. While this memory is designed for PC gamers, any enthusiast should appreciate its impressive specifications and good looks. I find the red aluminum heat spreaders to be quite pretty.

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Earlier in the year, we shared some huge news with you -- Kingston was selling HyperX to HP for nearly $500 million. Shockingly, HyperX memory was not included in the deal, meaning HP pretty much only bought the accessory business -- keyboards, mice, and headsets -- and not RAM. Today, that acquisition is officially complete.

At the time, I was unsure how the branding would work moving forward. Would Kingston continue to use the "HyperX" name for its gaming RAM? Today we learn that will absolutely not be the case. You see, it seems like the name "HyperX" entirely belongs to HP. Going forward, "Kingston FURY" will instead be the new name of the gaming RAM. Yes, FURY was previously a type of HyperX RAM, but Kingston is simply reusing that name. There are three types of FURY memory kits -- Renegade, Beast, and Impact.

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If you are a PC gamer, you have reason to be very excited today. You see, following many leaks and rumors, NVIDIA has finally officially unveiled the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti and 3080 Ti graphics cards. These GPUs will be both expensive and undoubtedly very difficult to get due to extreme demand.

Popular company PNY is launching new GeForce RTX 3070 Ti and 3080 Ti GPUs under its "XLR8 Gaming" branding. Both card types can be had in two body designs. Called "REVEL" and "UPRISING," each body style comes with three cooling fans for optimal cooling. The RTX 3070 Ti has 8GB of GDDR6X memory, while the 38080 has 12GB.

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