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Don't freak out, as it's long resolved now, but Android users should really think twice before clicking any links in the TikTok app after security flaws were found and reported that made it ridiculously easy to steal others accounts with a simple link. While it's been addressed for now, it's always good internet security advice to not go clicking unknown links and with an exploit this simple it's a good idea to be ever vigilant out there.
According to BleepingComputer, Microsoft reported the flaw to TikTok back in February but given the potential severity, it's not too surprising we aren't hearing about it until now. With a well crafted malicious link, reportedly more than 70 JavaScript methods could be used to get access to the app's webview, only used by the Android app.
From there, those with malicious intent can wreak all sorts of havoc on the users' account. They can modify and view basically all the data, including profile settings and private videos. Due to the ability to perform authenticated requests through the webview, it's by no means a stretch to say they could completely take over the account.
"Attackers could have leveraged the vulnerability to hijack an account without users' awareness if a targeted user simply clicked a specially crafted link," Microsoft 365 Defender Research Team's Dimitrios Valsamaras said, adding "Attackers could have then accessed and modified users' TikTok profiles and sensitive information, such as by publicizing private videos, sending messages, and uploading videos on behalf of users."
Tips and advice(Image credit: Future)
How to buy a graphics card: tips on buying a graphics card in the barren silicon landscape that is 2021
The surprising, yet good news is it seems the flaw doesn't seem to have been exploited while active, which is exactly why it was likely kept under wraps for a while. And it does look like TikTok has fixed the issue, in between trying to get into games.
Microsoft's investigations didn't find evidence of an attack using the link exploits, so hopefully it wasn't discovered by bad actors at the time. Though given TikTok's youthful audience, it could just be that not clicking weirdo links online has finally become common sense.
TikTok, like all apps, is by no means a flawless example of security and it's always wise to keep your wits about you on the internet. Keep not clicking those links while you enjoy your crazy dancing, angry emus, and huskies singing along to saxophones.
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It's a common dream among our terrestrial species to one day explore the stars. Some of us have grown up with boots on the moon long in our history and boots on Mars planned for 2040, causing us to look forward to a future of space exploration. Sadly, it's coming along a bit slower than what my dreams were hoping for, but NASA is still helping our stranded little species get a taste of space with things like these amazing photographs and 3D solar system renderings.
Back in 2010 NASA released a free software suite called NASA's Eyes Visualisation. It's an incredibly interesting tool that realistically simulates spacecraft, planets, and other items in our solar system based on real data. Just a few days ago the company released NASA's Eyes in browser format (spotted by HotHardware), so anyone with a computer can check out some of the happenings in our local system.
Jumping onto the new NASA's Eyes website will give you a 3D rendering of our system live, or you can play around with the controls to move time to your whim. Clicking on objects will give you more information about them, and you can move around them and zoom in and out fairly freely. Some objects' surfaces can even have high textures turned on to boot. It takes me back to mining resources in Mass Effect, but hopefully without the mining part.
There are still some other seriously cool features in this web browsing look at the solar system. It has a telescope mode that allows you to land on a planet and see the night's sky from that perspective. It's the closest I've ever come to pulling a Dr Manhattan and just chilling out on Mars while the world spins on without me.
Your next machine(Image credit: Future)Best gaming PC: The top pre-built machines from the pros
Best gaming laptop: Perfect notebooks for mobile gamingFor the NASA nerds among us, the Eye also shows off stories on the left hand side of the screen. These take you through various exploration missions in 3D, explaining what was found and how by the various instruments sent out into the void. You can get a look at what Voyager twins have been up to, watch the Perseverance Mars landing, and even see geysers get discovered on one of Saturn's moons – Spoilers, but it's probably not the one you think.
All of this gives space fans all over the world a great 3D exploration tool in any browser they can access. This is one great little tool that's great for learning tonnes of information about NASA missions, our solar system, the different planets and moons, or just mindlessly exploring space from the comfort of your PC.
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As the launch of AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series processors and AM5 platform draws near, it’s only natural that users will ask questions about what kind of RAM kit they should buy to use with the platform. Some fresh details on the memory support for AMD X670 platform have emerged. Though the speeds detailed are surely a worst-case scenario, it indicates that users planning to run four modules may face some difficulties running at higher speeds.
According to a new table provided by @momomo_us, when EXPO or XMP is disabled, four modules will drop to a sluggish 3600MHz speed. I believe this number to be for four dual rank modules. The same configuration runs at 3600MHz on a 12th Gen CPU too.
Four single rank modules are likely to perform better. While 3600MHz looks like a poor number, if you do enable EXPO or XMP, then I’d be surprised and disappointed if at least DDR5-4800 wasn’t possible with 4x16GB, and possibly a lot higher.
The table also suggests that speeds of 5200MHz or higher will be dependent on the capabilities of the individual CPU. AMD surely suggests this speed simply to stay on the safe side. Intel’s 12th Gen CPUs support an official maximum of 4800MHz, yet we know that they are capable of much higher speeds than this, with a 2x16GB kit at least. At this stage there’s little reason to doubt the previous rumours of a 2x16GB DDR5-6000 sweet spot with a 1:1 Infinity Fabric clock will hold true.
Gigabyte X670 Memory Support List pic.twitter.com/jVPRSYC8ZqSeptember 5, 2022
See moreIt’s important to note that AMD and Intel play it safe when it comes to official memory support. To use an example, if 99.9% of systems will run at DDR5-4800 but only 99% at 5600, they will set official support to 4800. That’s why higher speeds are considered to be ‘overclocking’ even if they are well within the capabilities of practically every memory controller.
As has historically been the case, users will need to choose between speed and capacity for their AM5 system. Gamers should choose speed. A good quality 2x16GB DDR5-6000 set and forget EXPO kit should perform well with a Ryzen 7000 CPU.
Moar RAMIf you need huge amounts of RAM, moving to 64GB or particularly 128GB will require a speed sacrifice, though if you’re one of the few who really do need 128GB of memory, the positives will outweigh the negatives. 32GB is just fine for a gamer, and will be for some time to come.
All of the remaining memory support and overclocking questions will be answered soon enough. Ryzen 7000 and AM5 motherboards are set to launch later this month. At that time, we’ll find out just how good (or not) the Zen 4 memory controller really is, and how it performs with different densities, speeds and rank designs.
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Why I Love
This article first appeared in PC Gamer magazine issue 373 in September 2022, as part of our 'Why I Love' series. Every month we talk about our favourite characters, mechanics, moments, and concepts in games—and explain why we adore them so much.
I've always been convinced that the best part of game development must be getting to write RPG flavour text. It's where RPG scribes can get weird or scratch a particular writing itch without the pressure that comes from fitting it into the main story, even if most of it ends up just falling into the nebulous category of 'lore'.
Whatever it is, I lap it up. There's just something extremely decadent about this kind of flavour text. It's all so unnecessary, but developers like Bethesda and Obsidian still dedicate what must be a not-insignificant amount of time and resources into what, let's face it, a substantial number of players aren't going to bother reading. It's a little treat. Like I'm having a wee nibble on some sweets I have secreted away between courses at a fancy restaurant.
And I know, when I'm snacking on this, that I'm lucky, because a lot of developers don't have the luxury to litter their worlds with so much ancillary stuff. Even the ones that are dense with lore don't typically turn that lore into a library's worth of books spanning nearly every genre imaginable. But for those that do, I'm eternally grateful.
Homework
Even when they end up being stuffy historical accounts, I appreciate the hint of that larger world that they provide. Sure, a lot of that stuff ends up being boilerplate fantasy nonsense with a bunch of unfamiliar names and a list of rote deeds, but even the less-than-evocative ones can contain a nugget of information that gives us a slightly better understanding of the digital universe we find ourselves temporarily inhabiting.
I appreciate the hint of that larger world that they provide.
An author you've never heard of recounting a fictional battle that happened hundreds of years ago is probably not going to have much bearing on the quest you're on, but it might explain old grudges still present today, or offer some insights into cultures involved in the fight, which in turn could inform you about what they're like now. Or it might just be a rollicking yarn that offers a diversion between quests.
Now, if you just learn that Barry the Orc fought Leonard the Elf in the fields of Gloomheim in the year 678, that's not going to mean anything, and that kind of worldbuilding we could probably do with a lot less of—but books inspire a little bit more effort. You've got to make that lore fit the structure of a novel or a collection of songs. Books demand more consideration. But they also provide more sources of inspiration. With all these different genres and formats to play with, suddenly a dry story about a famous sword could become a romantic epic or a tragedy that plays out across the stanzas of a poem.
(Image credit: Bethesda)Bookwyrm
The Elder Scrolls stands out as the best example of this, even using skill book to tell short stories. The volume is impressive, but games like Skyrim also benefit from the series' legacy. There are books that crop up in multiple iterations, and while probably the biggest reason for this is that it's efficient and reduces the amount of time and money that would need to be invested in the development of all this flavour text, the result is a world that feels so much more tangible and permanent.
Recycling books this way also makes me feel less guilty about enjoying this treat, because while I'm nibbling away I do get a bit worried that what I'm reading is the product of crunch or tyrannical management.
Anyway! I'm playing Skyrim once again, with a new modlist (which contains some nice 4K book covers) so I should probably get back to reading. My inventory is laden with stories. There are no e-readers in Tamriel, so I carry my library on my back. It's probably time to buy a house, but they're pricey, and surprisingly enough feverishly collecting every book you can get your hands on does not give you many opportunities to get rich.
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Love it or hate it, Munchkin has been a fixture of the tabletop gaming scene for 20 years, a take-that backstabbing card game where players seek to be the first, richest, most horrible little person to get level 10. It's finally coming to digital, as Dire Wolf has announced an adaptation in partnership with Munchkin publisher Steve Jackson Games.
In Munchkin, players compete with each other in a series of rounds to explore the dungeon, get loot, and take treasure. Along the way they find magical weapons, like the chainsaw of bloody dismemberment, get races and classes, and fight monsters like Internet Trolls and the Plutonium Dragon.
If you hadn't figured it out, Munchkin was at the time of its 2001 release a parody of tabletop roleplaying's least-liked type of players: The ones who weren't there to roleplay at all.
Dire Wolf plans to release its digital edition of Munchkin in the fall of 2022. It'll include cross-platform multiplayer for what looks like up to six players. There'll be a tutorial segment that promises to teach the "tricks of the adventuring trade" which I can only assume means how to make your friends mad. There'll also be "Solo Challenges with special rules!"
Dire Wolf's previous work runs the gamut of digital tabletop games. Their releases include games like Root, A Game of Thrones, and the recent adaptation of top board game Everdell. Dire Wolf has been pretty reliable in the past for—at the very least—nice, functional ports.
Depending on who you ask, Munchkin is either a legendary classic of tabletop gaming past or infamously miserable and overrated, with few opinions in between. It's one of those games that people either refuse to play, play to kill time, play while drunk, or take far too seriously and get real mad when they lose.
It's one of the most expanded-upon games I can think of, with reworks and expansions running the gamut from Cthulhu and Sci-Fi Star Munchkin to Zombies, Westerns, Super-Munchkin, Shakespeare, Adventure Time, Post-Apocalypse, Pathfinder, Mythology, The Wizard of Oz, Marvel, Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Age of Sigmar, and The Walking Dead. None of those are made up, I'm dead serious.
So I guess you can see why some people might be sick of Munchkin. I guess the real question is this: How many of those expansions do you think we'll see on digital, and will it let us throw them in one giant pile and mix them up like people do in real life? I doubt we'll see that kind of wild success, but we'll certainly find out when it releases this fall.
You can find Munchkin Digital on Steam.
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Tech Report
This article first appeared in PC Gamer magazine issue 373 in September 2022, as part of our 'Tech Report' series. Every month we explore and explain the latest technological advances in computing—from the wonderful to the truly weird—with help from the scientists, researchers, and engineers making it all happen.
As it turns out, we've been burning quite a lot of gas to make electricity. About 29% of our gas is used for generating it here in the UK. Also, 3% of all the gas we consume here comes from Russia, and since Russia invaded Ukraine that supply line's been compromised. That happened during a period of soaring wholesale costs for energy sources created by sudden post-pandemic demand, and as a result it now costs about £10,000 to boil a kettle.
We just have to laugh, otherwise we'd cry. The cost of living crisis is real, and let's not be so flippant as to suggest that running a gaming PC is among the chief concerns it creates, but let's also keep in mind that PC gamers are a broad group with varied financial backgrounds. In fact the only thing we all have in common in that regard is that we'd prefer to pay less for our expanding energy bills.
Watts up
These events have prompted many of us to seriously consider how much energy our gaming devices actually consume, perhaps for the first time. Before bills started skyrocketing in early 2022 onwards, you could use an average energy unit cost of 12.5 p/kWh to ballpark estimate your gaming PC's usage. Most PCs use 100-200W depending on their specs, so that would have cost you between 10p-20p per day.
Now the average energy unit cost is somewhere around 28 p/kWh, so you can go ahead and double that figure now. And then tack on another 40% if electric bills increase by as much as the news media is telling us they could this winter.
What can we do? Quite a lot, actually. Because we generally don't think about wattage until it's time to overvolt something, power an absurd new GPU with seven power connectors, or buy a new PSU—the least exciting upgrade possible—the marginal gains we can employ to reduce overall energy consumption and increase efficiency aren't necessarily at the forefront of our minds. Let us all channel our inner Martin Lewis and get our PCs looking after the pennies.
(Image credit: Getty)Turn it off
Let's start with the obvious: turning your PC off, as in actually shutting it down instead of leaving it on sleep mode. This isn't going to transform the complexion of your energy bills and save you tens of pounds, since PCs generally use about 3W per hour in sleep mode (versus 100W in an active state), but it's so easy to do. And what's the downside? Marginally slower boot times? You can absorb that inconvenience, Sammy Stopwatch.
Sleep mode does still have a part to play in helping out your energy bills though—by kicking in sooner after inactivity. In Windows 10's 'Power & Sleep' settings menu you can tell sleep mode to kick in sooner—say, after five minutes of inactivity instead of 20. Beats leaving your PC primed to run Crysis in seven different windows at a moment's notice while you pop away for a tea.
Also in Windows power settings, you can choose a power plan. Even though it seems to go against every tenet of our existence as PC gamers, it really is fine to select 'balanced' instead of 'high performance'. The former won't affect your in-game performance at all. It'll just power down your CPU into a lower power state when it's not being used, then throttle it back up when Windows detects that an app or apps are placing demands on it again. It's not so different from Sleep Mode kicking in, except it happens much more dynamically without your noticing, and much sooner than Sleep Mode would begin.
Cull the apps
While you're still reeling from the idea of not clicking the option that features the words 'high' and 'performance' from a drop-down menu, consider this: those annoying startup apps you never wanted to greet you every time you boot to Windows are costing you system resources, and by extension, a small amount of energy bill money. That's right, EA Origin. You knew this day would come.
It's time to disable all the startup apps you don't actually use or need.
It's time to disable all the startup apps you don't actually use or need. You can find the Startup tab in your Task Manager in Windows. For too long have we lived under Adobe Updater's cruel tyranny. Now we liberate ourselves, and spend energy bill money only on the programs we deliberately use, not the creepy ones in the background. Making these marginal gains at software level will help, but it probably won't be the difference between your energy bills being affordable or crippling. Hardware, on the other hand, makes a huge difference. Fortunately, the world of PC componentry's been making a real push towards energy efficiency for years anyway, quite independently of our current predicament, and that means you can shop around for some really low output parts.
The most important of all, though, is your power supply. Yes, that again. PSUs with higher 80 Plus energy efficiency ratings are not only more efficient under higher loads, but produce much less heat as a result, and that requires the fans on your PC to kick in less frequently and at lower speeds. So if you want lower bills in the long run, making an initial outlay on an 80 Plus Titanium or Platinum-rated PSU will keep your whole PC cooler and ask less of your fans and liquid cooling.
(Image credit: Getty)Renewables
We don't know what energy prices will do over the next few years. But what we do know is that making your PC more energy efficient isn't just good for your finances, but for the environment. Using less electricity means burning less gas and coal to produce it—at least until renewables tip over into becoming our primary electrical fuel source, and hopefully that will be soon. So we've got an opportunity as PC gamers not just to save money, but to be a bit kinder to the planet by making these changes.
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Would you believe that one of the best Sonic games in years doesn’t contain a single blue hedgehog? Recently released on Steam, Spark The Electric Jester 3—a mouthful of a title—caps off a trilogy of heavily Sonic-inspired platformers by Brazilian solo developer Felipe ‘LakeFeperd’ Daneluz, who first broke into game development making Sonic fangames. While I’ve enjoyed the whole trilogy, Spark 3 is the first to transcend its inspirations and give Sega some genuine competition.
Much like A Hat In Time and Demon Turf take heavy inspiration from 3D Mario games while doing their own thing, Spark 3 has its own feel while being immediately intuitive if you've played 3D Sonic. The first key difference is combat. Spark spends most of his time running extremely quickly and bouncing off smaller enemies, but sometimes slows down to engage bigger foes in some Devil May Cry-lite combat, building up a combo multiplier that also amplifies damage done. It’s a decent combat engine with a satisfying parry mechanic, but it can break up the flow of some levels. There are some vehicular segments and even a giant mech battle at one point, but for the most part, this is a game about extremely fast movement.
While familiar, the movement has its own feel. While the fundamentals are very Sonic-esque (loops, rails to grind, a homing attack that bounces you through smaller enemies), there’s a consistent physics engine at work here. With the right combination of speed boosts and wall-jumps it’s possible to launch Spark through levels at preposterous speeds and into areas that look otherwise unreachable. You can make some absolutely vertigo-inducing leaps, which is a wonderfully liberating feeling, and while mastering Spark's expansive moveset (some of which is unlocked with money collected in levels) is mentally demanding, I found it very gratifying to milk every additional technique for extra speed, height and power in combat. Just expect to use almost every button on the gamepad.
Up And down and all around
The pursuit of mastery is just as fundamental here as the joy of running quickly through Spark’s brightly colored sci-fi world. If you just make a beeline from the first level to the end credits, then Spark 3 clocks in at maybe five hours, which isn’t unreasonable for a speed-focused platformer, but you’ll also barely have a chance to take in the environments, including a city under martial law (featuring crowd-surfing on protestors as a level gimmick), an orbital platform and a colossal desert mining facility, all of which are scenic in their own maximalist way. If you want to see everything it has to offer and explore these environments, you’ll easily double or triple that figure due to how cleverly most of its stages have been built for replayability.
I can only describe Spark 3’s final hour as Sonic filtered through Dragon Ball Z by way of Yoko Taro
While there are a handful of levels that are just straight point-to-point sprints, the majority of Spark 3’s stages have multiple, mutually exclusive victory conditions, awarding medals for speed, exploration or scoring through combat and collecting bonus items. 'Diamond’ rankings (especially in the speed category) often require sneaky shortcuts and mastery of movement physics, making a sprint to the end exhilarating and surprisingly technical, but it’s the exploration that sets the level design apart for me.
Areas off in the far distance that appear to just be bits of backdrop are often alternate paths, filled with fights, surprises and hidden exploration medals. While a first run through a level may feel like the entire experience was on rails, replay reveals that it’s possible to jump off the tracks and run wild whenever you see fit, and you’ll probably find something interesting in the process. It’ll take four or five runs through many levels before their full scope becomes clear. That can take a while too: the last couple levels in particular are staggering sci-fi megastructures that take an age to traverse, even at blistering speeds.
The sheer scale and variety of the levels makes it all the more impressive that this was a mostly-solo project. Aside from the soundtrack (which is consistently great, although not my favorite in the series) and a few art assets, this is a one-man show, and yet it puts the almost purely linear design of many of Sonic’s bigger outings (including Colors, Forces and Generations) to shame.
The ultimate life form?
Image 1 of 7(Image credit: Feperd Games)Image 2 of 7(Image credit: Feperd Games)Image 3 of 7(Image credit: Feperd Games)Image 4 of 7(Image credit: Feperd Games)Image 5 of 7(Image credit: Feperd Games)Image 6 of 7(Image credit: Feperd Games)Image 7 of 7(Image credit: Feperd Games)Being a small indie production, there are some rough edges to Spark 3. Mostly minor bugs and typos, but there are some irritations like graphics options that don’t save properly at the time of writing. That one's a particular shame because it looks shockingly good on maximum settings, especially when you can see all the way across miles of unbroken level. Most issues have been acknowledged and will likely be patched, but the downside of a one-man studio is that such things can take a while.
Spark 3’s story is totally skippable if you just want to go fast, but for better or worse it’s a wild ride. It only makes sense if you’ve played the whole trilogy, but I can only describe Spark 3’s final hour as Sonic filtered through Dragon Ball Z by way of Yoko Taro. I could criticize, but I’m still in awe at the audacity of its plot twists.
While I’ve seen the credits roll on Spark 3, I’ve barely explored many of the levels, and some post-game unlocks have opened up even more options for optimizing speedrun routes, although there doesn’t seem to be much extrinsic reward for mastery. Some of the top leaderboard times seem almost impossible, proving that there’s plenty more for me to learn. If I let the speedrunning bug bite, I can see myself losing a great many hours here. If you’ve gotta go fast, at the very least take Spark 3’s hefty demo a spin.
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Phasmophobia developer Kinetic Games has released an updated roadmap outlining its development plans for the remainder of 2022 into 2023. It has also revealed that the game's long-awaited custom difficulties are coming this month alongside a big update.
"We've squeezed in loads of extra things and even a few new [REDACTED] for you to enjoy, all will be revealed when the update trailer drops very soon," the post says. Per the updated roadmap that includes new map sunny meadows alongside a report system.
Originally scheduled to release earlier this year, complexities with Phasmophobia's VR rework delayed it. The team instead released a few small minor patches with bits of content in between, like new ghosts, a truck overhaul, and new spots to hide from ghosts.
The difficulty update will now release this month, but what else will come this year? The Progression updates will be pushed into 2023, but instead an URP Upgrade is on the way, introducing new weather effects and volumetric lighting alongside some optimization. In a game that's all about the spooky, more environment is always welcome.
That URP update is composed of stuff that was supposed to come in the Progression updates scheduled for this year, but embiggened and broadened as its own thing.
That 2023 bit of the roadmap now has space for three progression updates, with new player models, new equipment, a new version of the levelling system, and new challenges to master. Kinetic calls it the "biggest programming and art overhaul that Phasmophobia will ever receive, with many systems, models, and animations getting completely reworked or created from scratch." The idea behind splitting that material into three updates is to avoid one massive overhaul patch that takes half a year or more to arrive.
Later 2023 updates include Horror 2.0, New Locations, and New Equipment. What does Horror 2.0 even mean? I'm already afraid, thanks. "We'll be replacing all of the ghost models and adding a plethora of new effects, events, sounds, and interactions to scare you out of your skin," says Kinetic.
You can read the full update for yourself on Steam.
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Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty has said it's his "dream" to turn to "transformational" AI and machine learning as an alternative to human QA testing.
Booty dove into his desire for AI testers during his "Storytime With Matt Booty" panel during PAX West. He said QA testing has "not really kept up with how quickly we can make content," as reported by VGC, and went on to compare changing something minor in a game as opposed to a movie.
"If we're working on a movie and you come in and say 'hey, this ending let's tighten this up, let's edit this, let's cut that scene,' it usually doesn't break anything at the beginning of the movie," he said. "But in a game you can be ready to ship and a designer's like 'I've got this one little feature, I'm just going to change the colour on this one thing' and then it somehow blows up something and now the first 10 minutes of the game doesn't play. So that testing aspect, every single time anything new goes into a big game the whole game has to be tested, front-to-back, side-to-side."
Booty continued by saying it's his "dream" to see AI testers become a reality, adding "there's a lot going on with AI and machine learning right now, and people using AI to generate all these images. What I always say when I bump into the AI folks is 'help me figure out how to use an AI bot to go test a game,' because I would love to be able to start up 10,000 instances of a game in the cloud. So there's 10,000 copies of the game running, deploy an AI bot to spend all night testing the game, then in the morning we get a report. Because that would be transformational."
It seems unlikely Booty is advocating for doing away with human QA testers entirely, so much as theorising about about how a new technology could be used in the QA process. It's not the best look at a time when the wider industry faces ongoing actions and controversies over QA testing practices: tester roles are a notoriously underpaid, underappreciated and overworked part of the development process (and sometimes don't even get appropriate in-game credits). QA units at both Raven Software and Bioware have formed unions this year to tackle unfair pay and dismissals. To suggest that the dream future of QA should be all about machine learning feels somewhat tone-deaf in such a context.
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We are living in the age of the franchise. The MCU has bulldozed its way through the movie-making business on the backs of supercharged mascots. HBO's Game of Thrones is rumbling back to life, and Amazon's billion-dollar Rings of Power is right behind it. To turn a profit in the entertainment industry, everything in your oeuvre must exist within the same constellation, opening the door for constant cameos to stoke Reddit conspiracies.
Where did movies learn this trick? Look no further than the games industry's long history of crossovers. After all, if you want to be outrageously generous, Mario and Zelda exist in the same universe. Link showed up in Mario Kart 8 on the back of a Hyrule chopper, and Zelda's Castle in Ocarina of Time included a few sly snapshots of the Mushroom Kingdom cast in the royal bedroom. (Maybe we can blame Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein for the modern movie industry, but it's a little funnier to point the finger at Mario).
Studios do this all the time—it's practically tradition to bake in a few references to the rest of your catalog as you're ushering players into a brand new world map. But in this list, we're trying to shy away from nods, quirks, and cutesy shoutouts. Instead, we're focusing on the sort of interdimensional continuity between video games that feel a bit more substantial than, say, Mario counting a TKO in Punch-Out. For instance, did you know the Normandy might have had a close encounter with Thedas? Or that Black Mesa and Aperture have collaborated on a few projects?
Video games were masters of the multiverse long before Elizabeth Olson donned the crown. Here's all the proof you need.
Titanfall and Apex Legends
(Image credit: EA)The battered, beleaguered Titanfall community has been crying out for a formal sequel to the beloved mecha shooter for years now, but that possibility has been put on ice by the rampant success of Apex Legends. Respawn's battle royale arrived in early 2019 with a bounty of color-coded loot, a revolutionary communication system, and holdovers from the overarching Titanfall canon. The connections are everywhere: Titanfall 2's heavy, Kuban Blisk, actually founded the Apex Legends gladiatorial league, Wraith has a conspicuously familiar phase shift ability, and Ash logged plenty of warfighting shifts as a Titan pilot before jumping into the fold.
Maybe someday Apex Legends will be blessed with a suite of giant robots. Until then, we'll stay carping for Titanfall 3.
Alan Wake and Control
Remedy Entertainment has a flair for pulpy, basic-cable storytelling, so I don't think anyone is surprised that there are more than a few tendrils between Alan Wake and Control. I mean, both of these games are about normal people experiencing close encounters with an eldritch interdimensional menace, so when you're pouring through the stacks of the Federal Bureau of Control, you might come across a few documents implying that the agency did investigate the Alan Wake incident, but didn't turn up much. However, in the 2020 DLC for the game, AWE, you are literally guided around the bowels of the Bureau by an apparition of Alan Wake, which was like Nick Fury showing up at the end of Captain America for Remedy-heads like me.
An Alan Wake sequel is on the way in 2023. When it turns up, I wouldn't be surprised if these two universes are formally merged into one.
Dark Souls and Bloodborne
FromSoftware, by the studio's nature, leaves a lot of their lore up to our interpretation. It's been more than a decade since I started playing their games and I still barely know what it means to go "hollow." So any allusions between their various franchises should be taken with a grain of salt. That said, in the DLC for the first Dark Souls, you can find an NPC named Marvelous Chester who is dressed in a distinctly Bloodborne-ish regalia. (Top hat, trenchcoat, all black leather.) He is apparently a traveler from a distant future, which is an obvious innuendo towards the cobblestone roads and flintlock pistols of Yharnam.
Will a shared, Soulsian universe ever be totally formalized? I mean, this is From we're talking about, so probably not.
Unreal and Mortal Kombat
Yes, this is stretching if not outright breaking the easter egg rule, but there's just enough lore behind this crossover to hang a neat shared universe on. Back in 2005, Mortal Kombat Thuner God Raiden was a playable character in Unreal Championship 2, an Xbox-only UT spin-off. Championship 2 is maybe the strangest Unreal game: it lets you switch from first-person shooting to third-person melee weapon swinging, so Raiden got to grab himself a gun and pummel aliens into giblets with an electrified staff.
You could say Raiden's appearance here was just a desperate promotional hail mary from struggling publisher Midway, but Unreal's developers really went the extra mile to ground it in Mortal Kombat's famously wild lore. Raiden's in-game character description says he "relinquished his immortal status to travel amongst the realms, gathering the support of the greatest warriors against the coming storm. And there is no better place to recruit the champions of the Galaxy than the Liandri Tournament." It's believable backstory for a guy who spent Mortal Kombat 9 completely 'frelling' up the timeline.
Commander Keen and Wolfenstein
(Image credit: id)B.J. Blazkowicz defended the world from Nazis; his grandson William J. Blazkowicz II, aka Billy Blaze, aka Commander Keen, defended it from aliens. id Software cut its teeth on the candy colored platformer series Commander Keen before upending the entire gaming industry with Wolfenstein 3D and Doom a couple years later. There are Keen Easter eggs in a number of id's games, but the Blazkowicz family connection is about as explicit as game shared universes get. According to id veteran Tom Hall, Doomguy is also a Blazkowicz descendant, which explains the alien-blasting, demon-killing pedigree. And the square jaw.
Firewatch and Gone Home
(Image credit: Fullbright)Firewatch and Gone Home have a ton in common in their aesthetics, storytelling pacing, and overwhelming ennui, but the studios behind the games—Campo Santo and Fullbright respectively—have also spindled their disparate plot threads together. During those languid days in Wyoming, Firewatch players can uncover a book, called The Accidental Savior, which is written by failed author and Gone Home patriarch Terrence L. Greenbriar. Not to be outdone, Gone Home included a Firewatch wrinkle in its console release; you can find a box of matches emblazoned with a logo for the Overlook Restaurant, with a distinctly orange, Rocky Mountain vista that immediately summons up memories of its sister game. Walking simulators, unite!
Kane & Lynch and Hitman
(Image credit: IO Interactive)IO Interactive are responsible for a long line of comically grim, neo-noir crime fantasies, so it is probably not shocking that the sagas of Adam Kane, James Lynch, and Agent 47 are intertwined. In Hitman: Blood Money, the psychopathic duo can be found occupying headlines in the game's level-recapping newspapers, and in the sequel—the better-off-forgotten Hitman Absolution—Kane and Lynch actually make an appearance in a biker bar. 47 can kill them both, which honestly should be regarded as the canonical ending for their disreputable partnership.
Final Fantasy 10 and Final Fantasy 7
(Image credit: Resetera / Square Enix)At the risk of rankling the Square Enix diehards out there, we need to cover this. Yes, there is nothing functionally related between the plots, characters, and overall vibe of Final Fantasy 10 and Final Fantasy 7. Yes, the founding principle of all Final Fantasy games is the idea that they are self-contained universes divorced from any overarching chronology. But that does not change the fact that, towards the end of 10-2, a boy named Shinra makes reference to the idea of siphoning off the planet's life force to power a metropolis. That, of course, is a direct reference to the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company, which is the core antagonistic force in FF7.
The 2020 Remake went a step further, as Cloud stumbles across a group photo including all of Shin-Ra's employees. Smack dab in the middle is the same boy from 10-2. If Rikku shows up in the sequel, know that you've been warned.
Dragon Age and Mass Effect
(Image credit: EA)Writing this list means one must walk a fine line between games' bevy of easter eggs and in-jokes and, like, actual canonical worldbuilding. Case in point: Bioware has buried a number of inter-RPG winks in both the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series. (There's a mounted Krogan head in Orlais; a Dragon Age Ogre statue can be found in a Mass Effect 2 DLC. Hahaha.) However, those connections became a bit stronger after eagle-eyed Bioware fans noticed a distinct similarity between the moon in Dragon Age, and the moon hovering above the arid plains of a derelict, inhospitable alien world. Apparently, these elves, humans, and dwarves lived on a planet called Klendagon(!) which was once the home of a great civilization before calamity struck. Ominous! If Commander Shepard ever enters the Fade, don't say we didn't warn you.
Half-Life and Portal
(Image credit: Valve)Both Half-Life and Portal contain heady, semi-parodic tales of questionable scientific institutions mucking around in the dark edges of reality. So there should be no surprise that Valve's two beloved franchises have plenty of biological links. Aperture Science—the dystopian company responsible for inventing the portal gun before falling into ruin—is mentioned by name in Half-Life 2: Episode 2. The Borealis, the ship Gordon Freeman and Alyx were going to embark on in the sequel, (sigh,) was said to have been chartered by Aperture. In Portal 2, you can find some residue of the once-and-future Borealis, hinting that maybe Freeman and Alyx did make that trek off-screen.
There is a universe out there where these two games merged together, and Freeman would find himself solving puzzles with the portal gun in the best Half-Life game ever made, but alas, we do not occupy that universe. A bummer!
Saints Row and Red Faction
Volition's two big series are united by a common enemy. What started as a fun nod to Ultor, the evil Mars mining company of the original Red Faction, in the first Saints Row ballooned into a generational conflict. In Saints Row 2, the Saints go up against megacorp Ultor in its bid to take back the city of Stilwater. In Red Faction Guerilla, released a year later, future Ultor has graduated to interplanetary mining operators with a fascist grip on Mars. That makes it all the more awkward when Saints Row The Third comes around and Ultor has partnered with the Saints to help sell their brand.
I enjoy that Volition, as a company, has an official villain: an evil-sounding name and logo that embodies the various ways that corporations poison the world and can be very hard to actually kill.
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Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is coming to get the gang back together. At some point, anyways. After the ending of Dragon Age: Inquisition's final DLC made it obvious that the story of Thedas was far from over, I've been waiting for the fourth game in the series to finally arrive.
BioWare spent years artfully dodging confirmation that a fourth game was in the works, but now they've stopped being coy and said they're working on the next Dragon Age game. Confirmation aside, we still don't know a lot of hard details. We do finally know its name, so we can stop calling it Dragon Age 4, but information has otherwise been coming at a yearly drip.
Reports have claimed that Dragon Age 4 has abandoned a focus on multiplayer elements and been retooled as an entirely singleplayer game, and BioWare has since described it as a "single-player focused experience". That may be a big deal, as we've been wondering how EA's online service game aspirations would trickle into BioWare's historically singleplayer series.
We're still missing a proper look at Dragon Age: Dreadwolf's gameplay, but BioWare did reveal a more alluring teaser trailer in December 2020 than what we'd seen prior. But that's going on two years ago now. While we patiently wait for a proper unveiling, here's everything we know about Dragon Age: Dreadwolf's story, possible release date, trailers, characters, and more.
Is there a Dragon Age: Dreadwolf release date?
We don't have a release date for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf yet. We do know that it's likely still quite a ways off. In August 2020, then general manager Casey Hudson described it as still in "early production".
When BioWare revealed the official title Dreadwolf, it also confirmed that the game won't launch in 2022. I don't think anyone was expecting it to, but just in case. "While the game won’t be releasing this year, we’re growing closer to that next adventure," BioWare said, adding that it would be talking more about Dreadwolf later in 2022.
The latest tiny crumb of a clue circling the internet is a tweet from game director Corinne Busche in August 2022 with a picture of a PS5 controller that says "Couch, coffee, controller and ready to play
:
" The coy emoji code isn't too much of a brain teaser, fortunately. We don't know exactly how far along in production Dreadwolf is, but apparently it is playable on a console. Next year isn't sounding so farfetched after all.What trailers are there for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf?
(Image credit: Electronic Arts, BioWare)The latest Dragon Age: Dreadwolf trailer
During The Game Awards in December 2020, BioWare showed off a teaser trailer for the next Dragon Age game. The trailer does at least seem to confirm one returning character: dwarven archer Varric Tethras, a party member in both Dragon Age 2 and Dragon Age: Inquisition.
Aside from that, the trailer also confirms that, as is Dragon Age tradition, we'll have a new protagonist for the next game. Oh, and it's seriously pretty. The series seems to be getting even further away from its grimy Ferelden roots into some of the more grand and colorful magic of the world. Call me a silly superfan if you must, but even two years later this trailer gives me chills.
What other teasers and trailers are out there?
Image 1 of 8Concept art of an Antivan Crow balancing on a rooftop with a sabre shared by Christian Dailey on July 2, 2021. (Image credit: BioWare)Image 2 of 8Concept art of Grey Warden in full armor shared by Christian Dailey on April 30, 2021. (Image credit: EA)Image 3 of 8Concept art of a mage in Minrathous shared by Christian Dailey on March 19, 2021. (Image credit: EA)Image 4 of 8Concept art of a magical archer shared by Christian Dailey on January 7, 2021 (Image credit: BioWare)Image 5 of 8An image from the series of short stories published on Dragon Age Day (December 4th) 2020 (Image credit: Electronic Arts)Image 6 of 8A screenshot from the 2020 Behind The Scenes video (Image credit: BioWare)Image 7 of 8A screenshot from the 2020 Behind The Scenes video (Image credit: BioWare)Image 8 of 8A screenshot from the 2020 Behind The Scenes video (Image credit: BioWare)In 2021, many of the Dragon Age: Dreadwolf teasers we saw were concept art shared by then executive producer Christian Dailey. You can flip through a couple of those above.
The Gamescom 2020 Opening Night Live show gave us a look at some of the early production of the next Dragon Age. The video shows off concept art, some 3D environments, a bit of voice acting production, and some gameplay prototypes. It's a bit too early to count anything seen as true Dreadwolf gameplay, but getting a look at the process is something at least. Dragon Age might still be far out, but the trailer successfully sells the excitement of returning to BioWare's fantasy world.
In June 2020, EA didn't mention Dragon Age by name during EA Play but did make some allusions to it. "BioWare imagines and creates worlds where you become the hero of your own story. And we're using this next generation of technology to make those fantasy worlds your reality," it said, while sharing some 3D environment clips that sure look like they included red lyrium.
The first teaser for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf was during The Game Awards in 2018. It was a very brief video with voiceover from Solas, the Dread Wolf himself, who we're definitely assuming will be the game's antagonist.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf's setting and gameplay
Minrathous, the mage-run capital city of the Teviner Imperium. (Image credit: Electronic Arts, BioWare)What is the setting for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf?
Tevinter—it's official. We'd been operating on this assumption for years now, given the less-than-subtle ending of Dragon Age Inquisition's final DLC, a 2019 report about the game's development, and the short story collection called Tevinter Nights from 2020. BioWare finally confirmed it in their huge studio history book "Bioware: Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development".
Tevinter has yet to appear in a Dragon Age game properly, though the country run by mages is often mentioned and we've had several party members from up north. The glimpse of Tevinter capitol Minrathous we saw in the 2020 Game Awards teaser had an almost cyberpunk feel to it with the colorful urban nighttime and floating central segment.
It's possible that, like Inquisition, Dreadwolf will not be set just in one country but will visit other nations as well. BioWare's studio history book includes some of the same concept art that we've seen in their behind the scenes video from summer 2020. Among the small selection of artwork chosen for the page are the Necropolis in Nevarra and an Antivan Crow assassin, suggesting that we could be visiting both locations as part of the story. Oh, and the Deep Roads, too. We're probably not escaping a Dragon Age game without a visit underground.
What will Dragon Age: Dreadwolf's gameplay be like?
(Image credit: Electronic Arts, BioWare)It will certainly be an RPG, or so one would assume, but beyond that any real details about Dragon Age: Dreadwolf are still very hush-hush. From Kotaku's 2019 report on the first version of the sequel, codenamed Joplin, "a large chunk of Joplin would center on heists. The developers talked about building systemic narrative mechanics, allowing the player to perform actions like persuading or extorting guards without the writers having to hand-craft every scene. The goal was to focus as much as possible on choice and consequence, with smaller areas and fewer fetch quests than Dragon Age: Inquisition."
Game development is a highly iterative process, especially so at BioWare, according to Kotaku's reports on both Dragon Age and Anthem. Dragon Age: Dreadwolf has definitely changed staff and has likely changed vision as well since then. It's still possible that BioWare is attempting to make a smaller, denser open world for Dreadwolf after player critique that Inquisition's open world felt somewhat empty.
In a post to BioWare's blog following the teaser trailer from December 2018, then producer Mark Darrah wrote that "we have been building a new team around a core of Dragon Age veterans, people I've worked with on Dragon Age, Jade Empire, and some of whom I've worked with since the Baldur's Gate days." While that may just be a way to reassure players of the quality the team that will produce for Dreadwolf, it might also mean that BioWare is looking to channel its earliest CRPG roots for its next game.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will be a story about having no power
In the Gamescom trailer, lead writer Patrick Weekes described how Dreadwolf's story will diverge from Inquisition. "For the game we're working on now, we want to tell the story of, 'What happens when you don't have power?' What happens when the people in charge aren't willing to address the issues?" Weekes said. Now that we know the game will be set in Teviner, that's starting to make a lot more sense.
From the sound of it, BioWare is aiming for the story and its characters to feel a little less important to the world than in Inquisition (at least at first). Dragon Age games have typically followed the rise of a seemingly inconsequential hero to a position of power, though it almost sounds as if Dreadwolf will follow a character who never breaks into Thedas's traditional power structures.
Which characters will be in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf?
(Image credit: Electronic Arts, BioWare)We don't know yet which former and future Dragon Age characters will be party companions just yet. Even those who make a return could take on non-combat roles like Dragon Age Inquisition's advisors. Even if we don't know who's made the cut for the adventuring party yet, here's who we think could show up in some way during the game.
Solas
One character we know will play a part in the events of Dreadwolf is, naturally, the Dread Wolf himself. Solas has been featured in both teaser trailers so far and his relationship to the greater struggles of Thedas means he's not going anywhere any time soon. It seems unlikely that he'll actually be included in your party this time though. You know, because of the Dread Wolf stuff.Varric Tethras
Beloved party member and storyteller Varric narrated the second teaser trailer for Dreadwolf, so it seems safe to assume he'll be making an appearance too. He was a party member in Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition. Will he be in the fray for a third time, or staying on the sidelines like Inquisition's advisor characters?Who else?
Dragon Age has a history of recurring characters, like Alistair who was a companion in Origins and returned for appearances in the two sequels or Leliana who shares a similar trajectory. It's safe to say that we'll see some more familiar faces in Dreadwolf, but which ones?So far BioWare has committed to hanging up its protagonists between Dragon Age games. Each adventure comes with a new hero, though the Grey Warden and Hawke do have the ability to cameo in Dragon Age: Inquisition. It's possible we might then see an appearance of The Inquisitor in Dreadwolf, but they'll likely not be center stage.
Flemeth, like Solas, is either elven legend or a god going by many names, who has seemed to be an underlying force in the overarching plot of the series, as has her daughter Morrigan. It seems likely that one or both will make an appearance as well.
Another old friend that may make a comeback is Fenris, the Tevinter elven warrior from Dragon Age 2. He was the star of a Dragon Age comic called Blue Wraith in 2020. It's hard to say whether Fenris appearing in a comic is setting him up for a cameo in the next game or for retirement as a character. Previous party members showing up in supporting Dragon Age media have gone both ways in the past.
Tevinter mage Dorian Pavus seems like another likely candidate given that he headed back to his homeland in Inquisition's final DLC. He also made a quick appearance in the Tevinter Nights stories. Some of the concept art shown during the behind the scenes video in summer 2020 sure looked like that familiar mustached mage too.
What other information do we have on Dreadwolf?
Dreadwolf won't be a live-service game like Anthem
In early 2018, Kotaku reported that the next Dragon Age game had been rebooted as a "live" game to better fit with EA's push for "games as a service" that could continue to generate revenue after initial launch sales.
However, as of 2021, Dragon Age: Dreadwolf has reportedly ditched all multiplayer elements to stay a singleplayer experience. This news came shortly after BioWare announced plans to cease work on Anthem, the live-service sci-fi game that it had been attempting to overhaul after its poor reception in 2019.
We don't know exactly what plans for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf's multiplayer were before this decision, but it's safe to say now that it definitely won't be an online-only game like Anthem. BioWare is now calling it a "single-player focused experience".
Based on what the studio has historically done well, this seems like a good decision. Mass Effect 3 and Andromeda had a multiplayer mode that was actually pretty decent, but singleplayer stories remain the focal point for both series.
There's a Dragon Age anime coming in December
(Image credit: Netflix)We might not be getting Dragon Age: Dreadwolf in 2022, but Dragon Age fans are getting something. Netflix announced that Dragon Age: Absolution, an all-new anime series collaboration with BioWare, will be releasing in December.
We've only seen a Dragon Age: Absolution teaser so far, but Netflix has confirmed that, like Dreadwolf, the series will be set in the magocracy of Tevinter. Who knows how much it'll tie into the next game, but expect some thematic crossover, at least. The series will follow an "ensemble of new characters," and sounds like it'll be painting with plenty of the established Dragon Age palette: mages, Qunari, templars, elves, all the hits.Are there going to be DAD jokes?
(Image credit: Electronic Arts, BioWare)In game? Who knows. From fans? Yeah, I'm expecting a lot of dad jokes and "daddy" jokes too. BioWare knows how you feel about Solas.
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The best AIO cooler does it all in one. It keeps your CPU down at an appropriate temperature and saves you the hassle of setting up a liquid cooling solution yourself. A low-temperature gaming PC is essential if you plan on pushing it with high-graphics settings in the latest games. An AIO cooler can handle toasty CPUs and help you hold onto any overclocks you plan to do. A good quality AIO cooler not only keeps your rig cool and quiet, it can also directly impact the performance of your system.
What follows is a list of our favourite AIO coolers, all of which have been tested by us. We know our readers have different wants and needs, so we’ve picked a range of options to suit all budgets and use cases. Which one you go for will depend on your particular needs. There's a lot to consider; there's the radiator size and case compatibility, the cooling capacity, value for money, noise levels, reliability, and yes, looks are important too.
Perhaps the most important consideration of all is choosing one that will fit your case. Can it house larger radiators? You’ll also want to choose a cooler that can handle the TDP of your processor. A 120mm cooler is a no-no with an AMD Ryzen 9 5950X or Intel Core i9 12900K. Do you overclock? Are low noise levels a priority or is cooling ability your main concern? You’ll want to look at the fan specifications and noise ratings.
Once you’ve settled on a list of criteria, then you can consider whether you want RGB or not or whether you have other components from the same manufacturer (so you don’t have to install yet another control app). Some AIOs even come with LCD or OLED screens atop the pump, so you can really tailor your own unique look. They’re pretty, but pricey. If AIO doesn't seem to be for you, our all-encompassing Best CPU coolers list might be more up your street.
Best AIO coolers
Image 1 of 2(Image credit: EKWB)Image 2 of 2(Image credit: EKWB)1. EK-AIO Basic 240
A step up from even the best air coolers
Socket support: Intel LGA: 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1200, 2011, 2011-3, 2066, AMD AM4 compatible | Scale: 240mm | Full radiator dimensions: 275 x 120 x 27mm | Fan speeds: 550–2200RPM | Noise level: Up to 33.5dB(A)
Cooling performance nips at the heels of 360mm coolersGood value for moneyNo RGBIf cooler aesthetics bother you at all, it is rather plain-lookingIn the world of liquid cooling, EK is a name that needs little introduction. The EK Basic series focuses on value for money and performance. Plus, it doesn’t feature any RGB at all, which helps to keep the pricing down too. If this appeals to you then the EK AIO Basic 240 is well worth a look.
The EK Basic 240 really stands out thanks to its build quality. It's hefty and well built. The included EK- Vardar fans are very good and have a wide operating speed range. It’s good to have some high-speed headroom on tap if you need it. Most of the time it stays essentially silent.
What really impresses us is the cooling performance on offer. We find it goes very close to 360mm levels of cooling capability, It does get noisy if you try to push an overclocked Rocket Lake CPU, but then pretty much every other cooler does too.
The EK-AIO basic 240 is perfect for builds with a stealthy focus or closed case builds where lighting doesn’t matter. With its build quality and high performance, it's a cooler that you can surely set and forget, out of sight, out of mind and out of earshot.
Image 1 of 3(Image credit: Deepcool)Image 2 of 3(Image credit: Deepcool)Image 3 of 3(Image credit: Deepcool)2. Deepcool Gammaxx L240 V2
Awesome bang for buck 240mm liquid cooling
Socket support: Intel LGA20XX, LGA1366, LGA1200, 115X, AMD AM4, AM3, AM2, FM2, FM1 | Scale: 240mm | Full radiator dimensions: 282 x 120 x 27mm | Fan speeds: 500–1800RPM | Noise level: Up to 30dB(A)
Terrific valueGood cooling abilityEffectively silent at idleCan get loud under significant CPU loadDeepcool is well known for its capable AIOs at affordable prices, and the Gammaxx L240 V2 is one of the cheaper 240mm coolers on the market. That makes it a great option for users looking to step up from air cooling into the world of AIO cooling.
The Gammaxx 240mm features basic RGB lighting on the pump head and fans. There’s a more expensive ARGB version should you really want it. Deepcool likes to talk about its ‘Anti leak technology’ which seeks to maintain an optimal pressure balance inside the loop. Which certainly can’t hurt.
The Gammaxx 240 is capable of cooling most processors, too, though like many of the chip chillers on this list it draws the line at AMD's Threadripper beasts. But it keeps the rest running with remarkably low noise levels, which is one of the main reasons we recommend it.
At idle the L240 is effectively silent. As you’d expect, you will start to see an increase in temperatures and noise levels with high TDP processors, especially when overclocking. Our 5800X CPU with PBO enabled is about the maximum we’d consider appropriate for a 240mm cooler. Under load, the fans can and do ramp up quite a bit.
If you’re after a 240mm AIO that’s inexpensive and quiet under less demanding loads, then the Deepcool Gammaxx L240 is a great choice. Sure, it’s noise levels can get high if you push it hard, but at this price it comes highly recommended.
Image 1 of 5(Image credit: MSI)Image 2 of 5(Image credit: MSI)Image 3 of 5(Image credit: Future)Image 4 of 5(Image credit: Future)Image 5 of 5(Image credit: Future)3. MSI MAG CoreLiquid P240
A quiet and discrete 240mm option
Socket support: LGA115x,1200,1700,1366,2011/2011-3, 2066, AMD AM4, AM3, AM2, FM2, FM1 | Scale: 240mm | Full radiator dimensions: 276 x 120 x 27mm | Fan speeds: 500 ~ 2000 RPM | Noise level: 14.3 to 34.3 dB(A)
Great value AIO coolingLow idle noise levelsNo RGB frillsIf you're after an attention grabber, you'll need to look elsewhereCan get noisy under a heavy loadMany AIO coolers come with fancy screens or ARGB fans, but those features usually push up the cost and add exactly zero to the actual cooling capability of the unit. Enter the MSI MAG CoreLiquid P240. It won't win the local AIO beauty pageant, but it will cool your CPU and do it at a great price.
The P240 is a newer model which means it comes with LGA 1700 compatibility right out of the box. It will fit pretty much any socket from the last 10 years, with the exception of AMD's Threadripper models.
The P240 features a slightly unusual design. The pump isn't located inside the head unit as you might expect, but is inside the radiator itself. MSI claims that this can extend the life of the pump by moving it away from the rapid temperature changes experienced by the CPU block.
The noise levels of the P240 are very good, though when stressed by the demanding all-core load of our PBO-enabled Ryzen 5800X test system, the fan speeds and noise levels ramped up. A hot CPU like a 12900K will be beyond it, especially if you overclock it.
Sometimes, less is more. If unicorns dancing on rainbows isn't your thing or you're looking for a capable and quiet AIO cooler that you can install and forget, then the MSI CoreLiquid P240 is an easy recommendation.
Image 1 of 3(Image credit: Asus)Image 2 of 3(Image credit: Asus)Image 3 of 3(Image credit: Asus)4. Asus TUF Gaming LC 240 ARGB
A 240mm for those who want their PC to be seen but not heard
Socket support: Intel LGA 1200, 1150, 1151, 1152, 1156, 1366, AMD AM4 | Scale: 240mm | Full radiator dimensions: 272 x 121 x 27mm | Fan speeds: 800–2000RPM | Noise level: Up to 29.3dB(A)
Excellent low noise performance under loadGood value for moneyStrong warranty offeringLow noise means slightly higher temps under loadAsus wouldn't be the first name on most people lips when it comes to affordability, but the TUF Gaming LC 240 offers great value for money and, thanks to its support for addressable RGB, it's a good way to add colour and capable cooling at the same time, all without having to spend a whole lot of your hard earned cash.
As an Asetek-built unit underneath, it is in many ways similar to a lot of other coolers, but Asus has chosen to include fans that are tuned for low noise operation, with a maximum noise rating of just 29dB(A). Even when it's running at full speed, it stays very quiet, though this also means that it won't deliver the low temperatures of some other 240mm units. But unless you're loading up a high core count processor for long periods, this won't be a concern.
If you're looking for an affordable AIO with ARGB support that's also quiet and affordable, then the LC 240 ARGB is well worth a look. Install it and you'll forget you’re even running a liquid cooler. One of the other key characteristics of the TUF brand is reliability, and the LC 240 ARGB comes with a six-year warranty for that little bit of extra peace of mind.
Image 1 of 3(Image credit: Cooler Master)Image 2 of 3(Image credit: Cooler Master)Image 3 of 3(Image credit: Cooler Master)5. Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360R RGB
An old favourite that still impresses
Socket support: Intel LGA20XX, LGA1366, 1200, 115X, 775, AMD AM4, AM3, AM2, FM2, FM1 compatible | Scale: 360mm | Full radiator dimensions: 394 x 119 x 27mm | Fan speeds: 650–2000RPM | Noise level: Up to 30dB(A)
Value for moneyCooling performanceLarge radiator means you will have to check your case for scaleThe Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360R RGB isn't the newest cooler on the market, but it's been one of our favourites for a long time. It offers a good blend of cooling performance and ARGB customisable good looks. It just so happens to be one of the better value RGB-supporting 360mm coolers on the market. What's not to like?
The ML360R comes with its own RGB controller, which is great if you hate installing too much software on your system. There might be a bit of cable spaghetti, but with some careful routing, this shouldn't be a problem.
Performance-wise, the ML360R is very good, though AIO manufacturing has come a long way and it's no longer the class-leading performer it once was. That probably sounds too harsh, because the ML360R is certainly no dud and it will handle a modern high core count processor with ease.
The Cooler Master ML360R is a very good all rounder. If your case can handle a 360mm rad, you'll find it offers a great blend of cooling ability, good noise levels, ARGB good looks, and as it is now a mature market entrant, offers very good value for money. The ML360R is an oldie but goodie, and it remains a favourite AIO of ours.
Image 1 of 2(Image credit: NZXT)Image 2 of 2(Image credit: NZXT)6. NZXT Kraken Z73
High end cooling with a touch of luxury
Socket support: Intel LGA 1200, 115X, 1366, 2011, 2011-3, 2066, AMD AM4, TRX40 and TR4 compatible | Scale: 360 mm | Full radiator dimensions: 394 x 121 x 27mm | Fan speeds: 800–2800RPM | Noise level: Up to 36dB(A)
Excellent cooling abilityCustomisable pump head unitExpensive compared with other 360mm chip chillersSometimes only the best will do, and short of a fully custom loop, it's hard to go past the NXZT Kraken Z73. It's pricey to be sure, but is oh-so-pretty, and has awesome performance to go with it.
The highlight of the Z73 is its head mounted LCD. It can display monitoring info in conjunction with NZXT’s CAM software, or you can use your own custom GIFs. It adds a lot of cost to the unit, but it really does look great. Do note that the fans don’t have any lighting at all. This one is all about the pump head.
The Kraken Z73 can tame pretty much any chip you care to throw at it. Its fans can run as high as 2800 RPM, which means it can get loud, but we don’t mind having some optional headroom for times when you want outright performance—noise levels be damned. Under normal circumstances, it is very quiet indeed.
The Kraken Z73 is pricey, no doubt about it, but it’s the kind of cooler you’ll want to show off. It provides great cooling performance, there’s a lot of headroom for OC and once you’re done with that, you’ll spend ages playing with the LCD display on the way to creating a truly unique look for your rig.
Best AIO cooler
Is an AIO cooler worth it?
If you really want to go all out, you’re maybe better off with a fully custom water-cooling loop, but they are complicated, expensive, require maintenance, and have far more points of failure. AIOs are simple, they’re all but maintenance free, they're cheaper, and cool almost as well, at least the 360mm ones do anyway.
Is an AIO better than an air cooler?
The first question people have is usually this: Air or water? Air cooling is generally cheaper and simpler. High end air coolers are better than ever but they're very bulky, and good quality AIOs generally outperform them. Water cooling is more efficient, as water is a better thermal conductor, which means it's better at transferring heat away from your CPU. There remains a tiny risk of leakage, but this is becoming exceedingly rare.
Noise levels are highly dependent on the fans used, but other than outliers, such as comparing a 120mm AIO to a twin tower/fan combo, a good quality AIO will be quieter than an air cooler when presented with a high heat load.
In terms of actual peak cooling performance there's not a lot in it between the best of each category, but AIOs are generally quicker at getting from peak to idle temperatures than a straight air cooler is.
Do you need to refill AIO coolers?
The reliability of AIO coolers has come a long way. AIO leaks are exceedingly rare. Like any other mechanical device, there’s always the low possibility of a pump failure but luckily modern CPUs have protection built in should it get too hot. The bottom line is that you can run an AIO in your system with peace of mind. Coolers can 'degrade' over time, as coolant very slowly evaporates or falls out of solution but these kinds of things are becoming less of a concern as manufacturers learn new tricks and methods after years of testing and feedback. A modern AIO should serve you well for many years.
Can you use an AIO on any CPU?
As we move towards late 2021, an important thing to consider is socket support. LGA1700 compatibility is only just becoming a topic of discussion. So, if you're planning on building a 12th Generation system, pay close attention to the list of supported sockets. Stock from earlier in 2021 will lack support. You can expect manufacturers to offer compatible mounting kits and updated SKU's but if you're in doubt, make sure to check with the retailer or manufacturer to ensure your choice of cooler includes LGA 1700 support.
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Knowing the Destiny 2 lost sector rotation is a good way to get ahead of which mini-dungeons are coming up in the game, and what exotic armor type you can hope to farm from them. As with the last few seasons, Bungie has added some powerful exotic armor pieces that you can only get by running Legend or Master lost sector's solo. There are also lots of exotics from previous seasons you can only get this way as well.
Since Legend and Master lost sectors can also reward you with any exotic, they are perfect for new players looking to farm those fancy armor pieces that they might have missed in past expansions and seasons. Here, I'll list the current Legend and Master lost sector rotation, what the new exotic armor pieces are, as well as some tips on how to unlock these special Lost Sectors if you want to take them on.
What is the Destiny 2 lost sector rotation?
Here is the Legend and Master lost sector rotation for the next two weeks, as well as what exotic armor type you can earn for each, but be aware that this could change if Bungie chooses to add some Nessus lost sectors:
Date Lost sector Destination Exotic type September 5 The Conflux Europa Helmet September 6 The Rift Europa Legs September 7 K1 Crew Quarters Moon Arms September 8 K1 Logistics Moon Chest September 9 K1 Communion Moon Helmet September 10 Skydock IV EDZ Legs September 11 Scavenger's Den EDZ Arms September 12 The Quarry EDZ Chest September 13 Excavation Site XII EDZ Helmet September 14 Concealed Void Europa Legs September 15 Bunker E15 Europa Arms September 16 The Conflux Europa Chest September 17 The Rift Europa Helmet September 18 K1 Crew Quarters Moon Legs September 19 K1 Logistics Moon Arms September 20 K1 Communion Moon Chest After this, the order will continue as helmet, legs, arms and chest but we'll update the following two weeks before that in case there are changes. You can also find a handy calendar of them all on TodayInDestiny.
If you're farming, the EDZ lost sectors are generally a lot shorter than those added in expansions, so if Skydock IV, The Quarry, Scavenger's Den, or Excavation Site XII match what you need, it's well worth doing them when they come up.
What are the new lost sector exotics?
Image 1 of 3Gyrfalcon's Hauberk (Image credit: Bungie)Image 2 of 3Fallen Sunstar (Image credit: Bungie)Image 3 of 3Point-Contact Cannon Brace (Image credit: Bungie)While there is a variety of exotic armour you can only get by running Legend and Master lost sectors solo, there are three new pieces that have been added in the Season of Plunder:
- Gyrfalcon's Hauberk (Hunter): A chest piece that gives you and nearby allies a reserve Void overshield when you use a finisher while invisible, as well as making all enemies around you Volatile. It also boosts damage for a brief period after invisibility.
- Fallen Sunstar (Warlock): This helmet improves the ability regen of Ionic Traces and the speed at which they are drawn to you. When you get one it also grants ability energy to nearby allies.
- Point-Contact Cannon Brace (Titan): These gauntlets restore energy when you defeat enemies with the Thunderclap melee ability. Nearby targets are also hit with lightning strikes, which are buffed if you are Amplified.
Can you farm exotic armor in lost sectors?
Image 1 of 2You can view the champion and shield types on the destination map (Image credit: Bungie)Image 2 of 2Anti-champion mods are unlocked in the seasonal artifact by earning XP (Image credit: Bungie)Unlike dungeons and raids, where you only have limited weekly opportunities to grab the exotic, you can farm lost sector's to your heart's content, and considering the drop rates for some of the exotic armor pieces, it's likely that you'll have to. If you're just starting out and have never done a Legend lost sector before, you'll have to do the regular lost sector first in order to unlock the icon on the map. It also wouldn't hurt to reach 1570 power.
When you do your first Legend, make sure to check the champions you'll be fighting using the map, and unlock the relevant anti-champion mods in the seasonal artifact so you can stun and damage them properly. You'll also want to bring an energy weapon that matches the shield type, so you can strip shields from enemies.
Legend and Master lost sectors actually drop all exotic armour, so they can be a great way of farming what you don't have if you're starting a fresh class. However, you will have to run the lost sectors solo in order to have a chance of dropping exotics at all. Simply head to the relevant lost sector, shown by the marker on the map, and rather than running inside, activate the flag near the entrance and choose your difficulty to begin. You only have limited lives and time before permadeath kicks in and you won't be able to revive anymore, but you can earn more lives by defeating champions.
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PAX West 2022 was in full swing last weekend, and for Dwarf Fortress developers Tarn and Zach Adams, plus publisher Kitfox Games, that meant it was time to show off an hour of the new Dwarf Fortress Steam Edition in all its unscripted glory, complete with imported barrels of crow blood. For those who know DF by its reputation as intimidating and hard to play it'll be a real revolution in how you view this venerable simulator.
In the hour-long video, you can see a lot of examples of how the in-development game looks accompanied by the deadpan narration of the Adams brothers. They look over stuff like how easy it is to set up rooms, designate mining, and initiate trade. There's also a good overview of the neat new notifications system for big events.
Later in the stream they dive into a fully matured fortress, checking out things like artifacts, throne rooms, and volumes of procedurally generated books.
Zach Adams also shows off his innovative solution for disposing garbage and/or corpses: "You can bury your dwarves in caskets, but I just throw them in the lava and make gravestones so the ghosts don't haunt me." He even set up a minecart system so that it's automated garbage and/or corpse disposal.
It's nice to see this new version of the game really coming together. Its been a little over three years since it was first announced, and over two since they really got to work on the Steam Edition in earnest. The fruits of that labor are really showing now, with Dwarf Fortress' ambitious worlds laid out in 32x32 sprites and tiles with, for the first time, an interface that could almost be considered modern.
In related news, and discussed during the demo, is Dwarf Fortress' shiny new soundtrack. The only music that the game has had for a long time is a looping guitar track, a four minute classical guitar piece played by creator Tarn Adams.
Kitfox Games recently showed off a few samples from the new, full soundtrack of guitar pieces by various professional musicians, some of whom even sang in Dwarf Fortress' in-game Dwarfen tongue. They really keep the musical spirit that people have been playing DF to for two decades now.
As someone who has sunk well over a thousand hours into Dwarf Fortress since 2008, just before the introduction of a z-axis to the world, these are heartening things to see. The layer of accessibility and polish might not bring Dwarf Fortress to the mainstream, but it'll certainly bring it out of the niche-within-a-niche that it resides in currently. It's a glorious niche and all that, gilded and venerated like a holy icon, but it'd be nice for it to see some daylight.
Otherwise, I bring news from the mountainhomes: The world is the same as ever. You can find the page for Dwarf Fortress on Steam, where it will release whenever they finish its new UI.
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The best PC controller is probably a mouse and keyboard, though there are oodles of games out there designed primarily with controllers in mind. It's not always the case, and you can bet the best gaming mouse and best gaming keyboard combo will win out in most instances, but add a great controller to the mix and you've got the vast majority of games covered.
When youre looking to play certain games, such as Elden Ring with its half-assed mouse and keyboard controls, a controller is your best bet. With driving games too, most keyboards don't offer pressure-sensitive key switches, so an analog stick is your best bet for accurate movement. A bunch of games that are console ports end up with frustratingly confusing control systems, so joining the best gamepad club is our best advice.
Many will begrudge the fact, but the truth remains: controllers are sometimes the best tool for the job. This is true even for games held to be PC classics. The Witcher 3, for example, actually has a far more straightforward control system when played with the best PC controller, as opposed to a mouse and keyboard.
Just think, with the best PC controller, you don't have to hunch over your gaming keyboard. Instead of ruining your posture, you can get into a laid-back gaming session. We've tested boatloads of today's top console controllers and PC controllers to find out which ones are worth cheating on your trusty keyboard and mouse with.
Best PC controller
Image 1 of 5(Image credit: Microsoft)Image 2 of 5(Image credit: Microsoft)Image 3 of 5(Image credit: Microsoft)Image 4 of 5(Image credit: Microsoft)Image 5 of 5(Image credit: Microsoft)1. Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2
The best wireless gaming controller
Weight: 0.76lbs (345g) (+/-15g) | Connectivity: USB Type-C, Bluetooth, 2.4GHz | Features: 3-step trigger modes, replaceable thumbsticks, paddle switches | Battery: Internal Rechargable Battery (40 Hours)
Lots of customization optionsDetachable Charging Dock via USB-CBluetooth-enabled (finally)Heavy compared to most controllersSeriously expensiveIf you use the Microsoft Elite Series 2 controller for more than ten minutes, you'll understand why we have it at the number one spot. Everything about the Series 2 screams luxury. The near-endless customization options give you an unparalleled level of control (pun intended) over your gameplay. Being able to tweak all aspects of the controller, like d-pads, shift paddles, and joystick tension, is an absolute godsend.
The most significant changes in the Series 2 over the Series 1 (which we also loved) include a neat little carrying case that doubles as a portable USB Type-C powered charging station for the controller's new rechargeable battery, which has around 40 hours of juice. Finally, with project Xcloud and Apple Arcade bringing some great games to mobile devices, you can easily pair the Series 2 controller via Bluetooth.
You now have a market-leading PC controller and something that’ll pair with a phone.
It comes with a bunch of custom bits: 6 thumbsticks, 2 d-pads (cross-shaped and faceted) 4 rear pedals and one tool for adjustable thumbstick tension.
The Series 1's surprising lack of Bluetooth is something that drew major criticism, but thanks to the Series 2 adopting Bluetooth, you now have a market-leading PC controller and something that’ll pair with a phone to play the Apple Arcade offerings or mess around Xbox streaming. It makes the controller that much more versatile, which is essential given the high price of admission.
The returning hair-trigger locks are still among one of my favorite things about the Elite. For those who haven’t used them, they control how far you need to pull the trigger, so there’s no wasted effort or time in competitive shooters, where milliseconds matter. The four additional back paddles are a neat feature too and can make for some interesting controller layouts. Never want to take your thumbs off of the thumbsticks? Simply assign the face buttons to the back paddles and you're good to go. In fact, the extreme flexibility of the Series 2 has the additional benefit of making the controller highly accessible, meaning that more people can use it to play PC games.
Some people might find the more hefty controller a bit jarring at first since it's heavier than the standard Xbox One controller by a few ounces. And while it's nice to swap out the standard d-pad, both the cross and faceted alternative d-pads take some getting used to especially in fighting games like Dragonball FighterZ or Mortal Kombat 11.
Spending $160 for a controller is a tough sell for most people, that's near four times the price of an Xbox One controller, but if you're a serious gamer who values performance and extreme levels of customization, the Series 2 is a no brainer and worth every penny.
Read our full Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 review.
Image 1 of 5(Image credit: PowerA)Image 2 of 5(Image credit: PowerA)Image 3 of 5(Image credit: PowerA)Image 4 of 5(Image credit: PowerA)Image 5 of 5(Image credit: PowerA)2. PowerA Spectra Infinity Enhanced
Best budget PC controller
Weight: 13.4oz (380g) | Connectivity: micro USB | Features: LED edge-lighting, 3-way trigger locks | Battery: N/A
Great button feelMatches Xbox Series X|S controllerGood priceImproved lighting over previous modelNo wireless supportTrigger locks are sub-parPowerA's Spectra Infinity Enhanced wired controller is a step up over the Spectra Enhanced we used to rate in this guide. The latest version has more similarities to the Xbox Series X|S controller, not too surprising since the Spectra is an official Xbox license product, though it has notably more bright lights. It's a pretty swanky controller nowadays, considering its budget price.
I compared the Spectra and an official Xbox One controller while playing all the usual suspects like Call of Duty: Warzone and Mortal Kombat 11, and found that the joysticks are almost the same amount of tension and even the face buttons had similar feel when you pressed down on them.
The button layout is nearly identical to an Xbox One controller, even down to the same texturized rubber on the joysticks, and the two extra programmable buttons in the back of the controller are well placed right around the grip. They're reachable via your ring-fingers, so you don’t have to change your grip when playing. The 3-way trigger locks are great for competitive shooters, but although it's a nice feature, they didn’t feel all that different regardless of where you set the lock, unlike the Series 2.
The Spectra would have scored higher, but the lack of any wireless connectivity is a big let down in the days of untethered gaming. Instead, it comes with a 10ft snap-lock detachable micro-USB cable that's a little overkill for playing at a desk, but great if you're using it in the living room.
It's a shame it isn't wireless, but that sweet edge lighting and extra programmable buttons might be a decent compromise for $40, especially if you'd rather not deal with batteries but need a controller to give your little brother.
Read the full PowerA Spectra Enhanced (non-Infinity) review.
Image 1 of 2(Image credit: Xbox)Image 2 of 2(Image credit: Xbox)3. Xbox Wireless Controller
The most reliable game pad
Weight: 9.9oz (281g) | Connectivity: Xbox Wireless; Bluetooth | Features: Hybrid D-pad, Textured Grip, Share button | Battery: 2x AA
AffordableComfortableOfficially supported by most gamesShare ButtonNot rechargeableThe original Xbox One Wireless Controller was a staple for PC gaming. With the Xbox Series S/X release, we were all curious to see how Xbox improved on an already killer gamepad.
This controller retains a lot of what we loved about the original. Keeping it very comfortable overall design with texturized rubber grips makes you feel extremely great in your hands. Much like the original, it boasts a vastly superior d-pad that you won't dread using in fighting games and platformers, taking cues from the Xbox One Elite Series controllers. You might have noticed a new button in the center of the controller; a much-requested Share button now lets you capture screenshots and gameplay footage without diving too much into the menus.
We capitalize Wireless for a reason, not because the word is a proper noun per sé, but because the Xbox Wireless controller of late leverages Microsoft's wireless protocol it calls "Xbox Wireless." Though the name could benefit from some creative workshopping, you can take solace in the fact that, after 2016, the Xbox Wireless controller graces us with a much-needed helping of Bluetooth compatibility. And now it's practically standard fare for console transplants deterred by the learning curve mouse and keyboard gaming presents.
Best gaming laptop | Best gaming monitor |Best gaming headset | Best wireless gaming headset| Best computer speakers | Best capture card
Image 1 of 3(Image credit: Sony)Image 2 of 3(Image credit: Sony)Image 3 of 34. Sony DualSense Wireless Controller
The most impressive game pad around
Weight: 9.9oz (280g) | Connectivity: USB Type-C, Bluetooth | Features: Touchpad, haptic triggers | Battery: Li-Ion (6-12 hours)
Super accurate thumbsticksAdaptive TriggersHaptic RumbleFeature support limited on PCBattery life isn't amazingThe PlayStation 5 DualSense has a "you have to touch it to believe it" quality thanks to its new haptic motors and "Adaptive" triggers, which can offer resistance under your finger. Firing a bow can actually feel like firing a bow, for example. The rumble is also easily the best and most nuanced we've ever felt in a controller. It really is as good as people say.
The bad news: the DualSense's most advanced features don't work in PC games yet, since games will need to be programmed to take advantage of them. But Steam already offers full support for the controller, so it's at least a breeze to plug in and use like any other pad. It's a hair less comfortable than the Xbox Series X controller, and not as simple to use in non-Steam games, but if you prefer Sony's analog stick layout or love gyro aiming, this is the one to get.
And maybe someday we'll see PC games take advantage of those new triggers and haptics, too.
Image 1 of 4(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 4(Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 4(Image credit: Future)Image 4 of 4(Image credit: Future)5. Scuf Instinct Pro
The best alt-pad outside of Microsoft and Sony
Weight: 9.9oz (280g) | Connectivity: USB Type-C, Xbox Wireless, Bluetooth | Features: Changeable thumbsticks, removable faceplates, paddle switches | Battery: 2x AA
Great customisation optionsFeels reassuringly solid in the handResponsive and accurateCustomisation really costsAA batteries, not rechargeableIt's just not the Elite...Scuf doesn't mess around with its controllers, offering some of the best premium pads outside of Sony and Microsoft. And the Instinct Pro is the absolute best Microsoft-focused pad controller should you wish to eschew the two big bois of the console world. But when the Elite Series 2 exists in the world, how does anyone else compete in the enthusiast controller space
There are more customisation options on offer with the Instinct Pro than with pretty much any other pad you could name. Scuf is offering a huge variety of different cosmetic and physical customisation options from the initial store page. The faceplate options, and the rings around the thumbsticks, are the most obvious, but you also get to pick your choice of actual thumbsticks in terms of length and topper (convex or concave).
Scuf has at least acknowledged there's little point trying to one-up Microsoft when it comes to the overall design of the Instinct Pro, because it looks physically identical to a standard Xbox Series X/S controller.
There are also options to change the D-pad, button facades, as well as the styling of both the bumpers and the triggers. Interestingly, there is also the option to remove the rumble motors from inside the controller which is something you'll often find the pros end up removing from their tournament controllers, to cut down on the inherent distraction of hand-wobble.
Though that will definitely impact the price—with my own choices I managed to bump the cost up to just shy of $250. But did create a gloriously pink pad without the distraction of rumble packs.
Scuf has at least acknowledged there's little point trying to one-up Microsoft when it comes to the overall design of the Instinct Pro, because it looks physically identical to a standard Xbox Series X/S controller. Obviously aside from the faceplate, rings, and mute button on the front.
The thumbsticks are reassuringly solid and responsive during gaming a session. Hammering the sticks with quick switches of direction in a twitch game haven't had an impact on the pad, and they still feel smooth and accurate when you're in something less fast-paced. The triggers have a pleasing action, too, maybe not quite so deep as the Elite, but still just as accurate.
The rest of the button-feel is robust and reassuringly clicky too, though I would say the hair-trigger mode feels a little too shallow for my tastes. But I can see where some folk might prefer it, so I'm not going to count that as anything more than personal choice, not a negative.
The Scuf Instinct Pro requires AA batteries, like standard Xbox pads, unlike the Elite which houses a lithium ion battery. The ability to swap in a fresh pair of batteries mid-tournament is potentially a selling point, and lithium ion batteries are meant to have a finite shelf life. Though it's not something I've ever experienced with my Elite pad in the past few years of use.
Either way, it's a fantastic controller that feels great in the hand and is as responsive as you could wish for. It's just painfully pricey with all my chosen greebles.
Read our full Scuf Instinct Pro review.
Image 1 of 2(Image credit: Razer)Image 2 of 2(Image credit: Razer)6. Razer Wolverine Ultimate
Clicky with a side of Chroma
Weight: 9.6oz (272g) | Connectivity: USB wired | Features: 10ft (3m) cord | Battery: N/A
Swappable sticks and D-padLoud, satisfying face buttonsExpensive for a wired controllerNeeds a separate app to configureRazer's Wolverine Ultimate could very well be the best gamepad available today, save for one critical disqualifying factor: it can't connect to a PC wirelessly. The Xbox-style gamepad offers many of the same luxury features as the Xbox One Elite Wireless Controller, like a swappable d-pad and customizable back paddles. It's also nearly the same price, which begs the question: why not just buy one of those instead?
Well, it's not for everyone, but the Wolverine Ultimate does have its fair share of unique, downright enticing features. For starters, the face buttons—the ones labeled A, B, X, and Y—click like mouse buttons. This seemingly minuscule detail makes a world of difference. It's like using nothing but membrane keyboards your whole life and then making a move to mechanical switches. So while the enclosed 10-foot braided micro USB cable takes some getting used to, tactile button presses are a worthy trade-off.
Of course, no Razer product would be complete without a healthy dose of Chroma, the three-headed green snake company's signature brand of RGB lighting. However, rather than integrating it into the existing Synapse 3 app for Windows, Razer decided to develop an app specifically for Xbox One. So if you do plan on using this controller for your PC, bear in mind you'll need a separate app to configure it.
Best controller for PC FAQ
Can you use a console controller on PC?
The short answer is yes. The slightly longer answer is that you might need to perform a little fiddling the first time you set it up—although after that it will just be a case of plugging it in.
How to set up your controller on PC:
- PS5 controller on PC
- PS4 controller on PC
- PS3 controller on PC
- Nintendo Switch Pro controller on PC
- Xbox One controller on PC
Is PC gaming better with a controller?
This might seem like an utterly offensive question to ask in the annals of PC Gamer, but it remains true that certain PC games are far better played with a controller than with the classic keyboard and mouse combo.
Sports games are the most obvious, as anyone who has tried to play FIFA using the strange keyboard/mouse control scheme can attest to. But there are other titles, specifically those which were primarily designed for consoles whose control schemes are so unwieldy away from a pad that playing them any other way is a pain.
You could play Witcher 2 without a controller, for example, but it actually felt far better using a pad on PC.
How do we test controllers?
Ignore those who seem to think every game is best with a mouse and keyboard. Assassins Creed Valhalla is not best played with a keyboard. Street Fighter 5 is not best played with a keyboard. True, we play most games with a mouse and keyboard, but for PC gamers with ranging tastes, a good controller is a must.
Though I've done some testing with first-person shooters, I've largely ignored the genre. While it may be necessary for console gamers, we're almost always going to use WASD for any kind of shooter. With that in mind, the games I used mainly for testing are the ones mentioned below:
Katana Zero: A game that requires excellent d-pad control and responsive face buttons.
Street Fighter V: I've put a lot of hours into Street Fighter V with both controllers and fight sticks, so I know how it ought to feel. If I can't crush an AI opponent as Ken, something isn't right.
Forza Motorsport: I chose Forza primarily to test the analog sticks, which according to my preferences, need three qualities: springy enough to quickly snap back to center, sensitive and resistant sufficient to make slight steering adjustments, and comfortably contoured. Hence, my thumbs aren't bloody stumps at the end of a few hours.
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There was a time, in the not so distant past, when talking about hair in relation to Final Fantasy was as passé as opening a wrestling review with something about sweaty men in tights. But the great wheel of time ever turns. Now we have TressFX and Aloy's voluminous braids, and Final Fantasy is less about immaculately wafting locks and more about killing Chaos and extreme farming. That's the only excuse needed to go back and look at 10 of the best haircuts in the series. And, for the sake of science and practicality, each 'do has expert analysis from Jamie from Hacketts hairdressers in Bath.
*Reloads hairspray like a shotgun*
Aerith – Final Fantasy 7 Remake
(Image credit: Square Enix)Professional verdict: "Not a modern day hairstyle—I can't imagine anyone would choose to get this. The length would require a lot of maintenance and brushing."
An obvious and necessary first choice, perhaps, but at least we didn't pick Cloud. Aerith's hair is an embarrassment of tumbling plaits, topped off with a cascading fringe that apparently forgot gravity exists. And if our expert Jamie is unimpressed by this, let's just be glad we didn't show him Aerith from the original version of Final Fantasy 7, which is basically the same, but taller and built out of Mega Bloks.
Balthier – Final Fantasy 12
(Image credit: Square Enix)Professional verdict: "The top and sides are definitely something people would have today, but no one would have those sideburns."
Balthier is such a fan favourite that we often forget his aesthetic crimes, such as the open-backed sandals, embroidered vest, and sweet shop jewellery. But something about those sideburns, especially when combined with the beckoning finger, screams, 'Come to my keg party uninvited and I'll give you an atomic wedgie, nerdlinger.' But, as Jamie points out, the top and sides are great: soft, wafting blonde spikes that gradually converge into threatening burnsides, subtly hinting at the conflict and complexity that resides within us all.
Clive Rosfield – Final Fantasy 16
(Image credit: Square Enix)Professional verdict: "A lot of people do like a textured look, but this is an extreme version. Hair that long would never stick out that much, it would just fall flat."
I'm going to come out and say it: nobody called Clive in the history of human civilization has ever had hair this cool. Not least because, as Jamie mentions, the level of texture on display here is an affront to the pomade gods. On the wrong head this could make Clive look more like the proverbial Karen, but the tone and density make it sing. It's like dark matter disguised as a haircut.
Estinien – Final Fantasy 14
(Image credit: Square Enix)Professional verdict: "He's got really thick hair and that's not a natural white colour—most people would have grey tones. That fringe also would be in his eyes while fighting—the ponytail won't help him much."
In the Endwalker expansion for Final Fantasy 14, Estinien ties his hair back as a means to contend with the heat of Thavnair. But let's be real: however much he might wish to control it, the haircut is in charge here. What we have is essentially a fringe with an Elezen attached. But that's what this list is all about. Never mind the blinding impracticality or pointless ponytail. Estinien will kick your 'donkey' while looking like someone's glamorous nan, and you'll like it.
Garnet – Final Fantasy 9
(Image credit: Square Enix)Professional verdict: "Her hair would never come out that clean cut from one cut, it'd need to be done in sections to get that layering."
Yes, this haircut looks lovely, but it comes with a dose of crushing realism from our expert. No matter how dramatic or heartfelt the reason for lopping off your hair with a dagger, it's always going to look like you had an accident preparing vegetables. But perhaps this is why Garnet belongs here: she manages to saw off her mop with Zidane's knife and still come out looking like the vivacious romantic lead in a '90s teen comedy. Never mind being a summoner: that's real magic.
Jack Garland – Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
(Image credit: Square Enix)Professional verdict: "This is quite a common male haircut although most men wouldn't be endowed with a head of hair this thick—it's quite long on the sides."
As a man with hair like cobwebs on a boiled egg, I have a special admiration for Jack Garland's hair. On the face of it, it's the antithesis of the classic Final Fantasy 'do: no towering spikes; no challenging pastel shades. But this is precisely why we should celebrate it. It's the tireless Volvo of haircuts. There's no needless swagger or desperate desire to be noticed, just a crew cut with the density of a deep pile carpet you can only afford in the smallest room in your house.
Lightning – Final Fantasy 13
(Image credit: Square Enix)Professional verdict: "This is a really popular colour for girls right now. Though it's unlikely that she'd have straight hair on one side and curls on the other. This one is my favourite."
And there we have it. For perhaps the first time in living memory, Lightning is someone's favourite. This is everything you want from a Final Fantasy haircut. There's enough detail there that you can spend a good few hours staring at the fringe and still not see every strand. And, in a concession to the game's classic tonsorial impracticality, there's a secret second hairdo hiding in there in the shape of those inexplicable curls.
Rikku – Final Fantasy 10
(Image credit: Square Enix)Professional verdict: "That's a mess of different styles. I don't know how you'd even style that, there's no logical way to cut that to make it work."
A brutal takedown of Rikku's hair from Jamie, and not without reason. It's like someone has spent months meticulously styling a haircut that shouts, "I'm honestly not really bothered!" So why does it deserve a place on this list? Because it's a display of follicular generosity that borders on the vulgar. This isn't one haircut: it's at least 50, erupting with wild abandon from the head of a single, slightly-annoying character.
Rydia – Final Fantasy 4
(Image credit: Square Enix)Professional verdict: "Green never lasts very long at all—it's the most short lived colour to achieve. It only really looks good for a day before it fades."
A day. A single day. That's how long Rydia's hair would last before fading. And considering that the shortest playthrough of Final Fantasy IV is likely to last around 22 out-of-game hours, it's a measure of how great her hair is that it manages to remain as vibrant as a 90s Warhammer base for the entire duration of the game.
Sice – Final Fantasy Type-0
(Image credit: Square Enix)Professional verdict: "You'd need a lot of product and spray to get that kind of lift and it wouldn't last the day. You could maybe do it for a photo shoot or a single catwalk, but it wouldn't last any longer than that. That fringe would really get on her nerves in her eyes like that."
This is the most gravity defying haircut on the list, and it still feels moderately sensible compared to the likes of Cloud. As Jamie points out, in real life Sice's striking look probably wouldn't last long enough for you to read this paragraph before it began to droop. But this isn't real life. It's an article about great Final Fantasy hair, and anyone who questions Sice's spikes is getting impaled on them.
Tidus – Final Fantasy 10
(Image credit: Square Enix)Professional verdict: "The choppy texture and highlights are quite '90s which is starting to come back in again. He's got a bit of a short mullet look going on—this style would be pretty achievable."
This isn't just a great haircut: it's a reminder that nothing in the world is new. A reminder that, if you wait long enough, things that once defined you will crawl back to relevance like an injured dog. When they return, however, you'll see they aren't yours anymore. They belong to a different generation, who don't see you as a person but as a concept; a timid echo of times past; the human equivalent of old man smell on a second-hand jacket. And what little relevance you thought you had will pour out of you like juice from a damaged Capri Sun. Lovely sun-kissed highlights, though.
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Recent updates to the remastered versions of BioShock 1 and 2, plus BioShock Infinite, have rendered the games unplayable for Linux users. The patches, which are called "Quality of life updates" in the accompanying patch notes, only make two deliberate changes: adding 2K account linking, and forcing the games to run through the 2K launcher "which includes a Store to purchase new content" after they boot the game from Steam.
It's the launcher which appears to be causing trouble for people running the games through Proton on desktop and Steam Deck, and which has completely broken Infinite's native Linux build. The Linux gaming subreddit is awash with players angry that their once perfectly functional game has been broken by an update that only sought to jam yet another intermediate launcher between Steam and the actual game. The games' Steam pages have likewise recently filled up with reviews decrying the update. Some users are saying they'll simply pirate a pre-patch version of the game rather than deal with the inconvenience that has been pointlessly foisted on them.
The good news, if you're hoping to play one of these games on Linux, is that your mileage may vary. GamingOnLinux performed some tests and found that—while the native Linux version of Infinite was toast—the games seemed to work on Proton 7.0-4 on Steam Deck. Trying to run them the same way on a Linux desktop was sometimes unsuccessful, though.
The updates would be galling even if they didn't completely fry an entire platform's version of the game. Calling your patch a "Quality of life update" and then only inserting a completely redundant launcher in the hope that one of the players you annoy might buy something from it is already absurd. Doing all that and breaking the game too is the cherry on top of a particularly irritating parfait.
With any luck, 2K will notice it's accidentally cut off an entire operating system from the BioShock games and issue a new patch—hopefully not containing further quality of life improvements—to rectify the situation. Then again, perhaps this whole thing is just the company adopting a bold new definition of the term "quality of life". Maybe 2K just wants us to put down our Steam Decks and touch grass.
I've contacted 2K for comment and will update with any response.
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League of Legends spinoff Arcane was a commercial hit for Netflix and Riot Games, topping charts worldwide, and has now put the cherry on the cake by becoming the first streaming show and the first based on a videogame to scoop a bunch of Emmys.
The big award was for Outstanding Animated Program, and given out at the Emmys' Creative Arts ceremony, and Arcane won over a shortlist that featured Bob's Burgers, Rick and Morty, The Simpsons and Marvel's What If…?
The show's co-creator Christian Linke picked up the award on behalf of the creative team.
"Thank you for this," said Linke per Deadline. "It's a big deal for us as we come from video games. It's been amazing to see the world embrace our characters and our stories so thanks to Netflix who believed in us from the beginning, thanks to Riot Games, who worked on the whole IP… and to all the people that have been with our game and League of Legends for the last 12 years or so who helped make it as big as it is now."
The Emmy joins three three Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation Emmys, which earlier this year were given to individual episodes ('The Boy Savior', 'Happy Progress Day' and 'When These Walls Come Tumbling Down').
The Arcane account later tweeted out a nice pic of the creatives picking up the gong, and don't they look pleased about it:
Honored doesn’t even begin to describe how we feel about winning the #Emmy for 𝑶𝒖𝒕𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑨𝒏𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎.Thank you to our incredible team at @RiotGames and Fortiche, the @TelevisionAcad, and the greatest fans (yes, you) for making this possible. pic.twitter.com/xFNWt4eNc7September 4, 2022
See moreAs they should be. Well before the Emmy, Arcane had proven its chops, being quickly confirmed for a second season before Riot straight-up bought a chunk of the animation studio behind it. It's also recently released 'Bridging the Rift', a documentary about the making of the show (the first episode is at the top of the article).
Incidentally, there is an argument that the Black Mirror episode Bandersnatch could be considered the first videogame Emmy winner in 2019, with its alt-history of a doomed game development and multiple-choice structure, but I reckon Black Mirror is its own thing and not really a videogame show. It certainly ain't a League of Legends spinoff.
The Emmy joins the nine (!) Annie Awards already in Arcane's trophy cabinet, and expect to be hearing a lot more about the show in the future. The second season doesn't yet have a release date, but here's everything we know about it.
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The scheduled Konami event at next week's Tokyo Game Show has become a kind of video game Rorschach test. Everyone looking at it sees something different: surely it's going to be about Metal Gear remasters, or Silent Hill remakes, or maybe they'll just dedicate the entire thing to announcing they're finally porting Symphony Of The Night to PC (it won't be this, but it should be)?
But a slowly growing collection of circumstantial evidence has one neglected community excited that they might finally get a new entry in a series that's been silent for a decade. Suikoden hasn't seen a new game since Suikoden: Woven Web Of The Centuries released on PSP in 2012, but fans are daring to dream that the "world-loved series" that will get a new game at TGS might actually be the fondly remembered JRPG cult classic.
The reasons are several. First, the Konami show is set to be hosted by Yuki Kaji, a prolific voice actor who Konami "invited as a guest to represent the fans of a series which is loved all over the world". Kaji has only starred in three Konami titles, two of which were Suikoden games (and the third of which is not "well-loved around the world"). Second, VGC reports that its sources say the announcement will be about a "smaller project" than the revivals of games like Metal Gear and Silent Hill.
The phenomenal success of Eiyuden Chronicle's Kickstarter campaign, a spiritual successor to Suikoden made by original team members, might also have prompted Konami to remember it still holds the game's licence. Eiyuden Chronicle eventually pulled in $4.5 million in funding, nine times its original $500,000 goal. It's expected to release some time next year.
None of it is a smoking gun. Just because rumours say the announcement won't be about Metal Gear doesn't mean that it will be about Suikoden. The Eiyuden Kickstarter was successful in large part because of the presence of original team members like Yoshitaka Murayama and Junko Kawano. Yuki Kaji is there to "represent fans," which could mean he has nothing to do with the game being announced. Recent reports that the series has had its trademark renewed don't really tell us much either, and only pertain to very specific merchandising in Mexico.
But it's the brightest spark of hope the Suikoden community has had for some time, and the subreddits are already abuzz with arguments about what this could mean. I hope they're right to be excited, both because I've wanted to play Suikoden for years and because the potential for heartbreak at this point is too much to bear. Remakes and remasters of Konami's most famous franchises seem like a matter of time at this point, but more niche classics like Suikoden feel like they run a risk of being left in the dustbin of history if they don't get some love. Let's just hope a finger on the monkey's paw doesn't curl and deliver us a microtransaction-filled and enormously lucrative new Suikoden game for iOS and Android next week.
We'll find out soon enough. Tokyo Game Show will run from September 15 to 18, and Konami's announcement is expected on the 16th.
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Striking Distance CEO and The Callisto Protocol director Glen Schofield has walked back a tweet appearing to glorify crunch culture after it received backlash online.
It's since been deleted, but was screenshotted and uploaded to Twitter by Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier. "We are working 6-7 days a week, nobody's forcing us. Exhaustion, tired, Covid but we're working," Schofield's tweet read. "Bugs, glitches, perf fixes. 1 last pass through audio. 12-15hr days. This is gaming. Hard work. Lunch, dinner working. You do it 'cause you love it."
Schreier pointed out how the whole thing stank like crunch, calling it "weaponised passion" and adding "this is why people burn out of gaming." Other industry figures chimed in too: Firaxis narrative lead Cat Manning called crunch "a failure of project management," while Metal: Hellsinger creator David Goldfarb remarked how it's "sad that this 'frack' continues even now."
Anyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about the people I work with. Earlier I tweeted how proud I was of the effort and hours the team was putting in. That was wrong. We value passion and creativity, not long hours. I’m sorry to the team for coming across like this.September 3, 2022
See moreThe backlash was enough to make Schofield delete his tweet and issue a sort-of apology in a follow-up. "Anyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about the people I work with," he said. "Earlier I tweeted how proud I was of the effort and hours the team was putting in. That was wrong. We value passion and creativity, not long hours. I'm sorry to the team for coming across like this."
It's a real bummer to know The Callisto Protocol is being made in such conditions—after all, I was really impressed with what I saw of it at Gamescom, quickly becoming one of my most anticipated releases. Unsustainable work hours and an environment ripe for burnout do sour those feelings rather a lot.
Just this year alone we've seen the impact crunch can have on the people working hard to push a game out. Reports for both Fallout: 76 and Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga were published this year detailing the gruelling culture staff were put through. Some studios are trying to learn from their past mistakes, like CDPR's desire for a crunchless development on the new Witcher game, but it remains a sad reality for too many developers at the coalface.
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Wireless mice have come a long way in recent years. Once they were always a compromise on latency and precision in exchange for wireless freedom. Cable drag on wired mice is one of my most hated things, though, so it's always been a worthy trade-off for me. Nowadays you don't actually lose out on latency or precision to go cable-free, anyways, and in 2022, we're seeing a trend of proficient RGB lightweight wireless mice. That's where the Roccat Burst Pro Air comes in.
The Roccat Burst Pro Air features the popular cut out look with RGB lighting shining through, but without the actual cut outs. Instead, this has a transparent layer with a honeycomb motif allowing the RGB goodness to shine through, and it looks like a cool piece of tech. The shadows on the hexagon patterning with the lights coming through has real sci-fi vibes, and reminds me of the tech builds in games like Ark.
Like other mice with this much RGB lighting, your hand still does cover a lot of it. At least here the light diffusion and extension right up into the scroll bar and mouse buttons has it shine through a bit more than other mice I've tried. It also doesn't have any cut outs, which means it's not quite as light and airy as some of those mice, but that also means I don't constantly worry about things falling into the holes.
Despite no actual cut outs this is still a nicely lightweight mouse. Coming in at 81 grams, it's still got that levity that allows and encourages faster movements, like flick shots or twitch reactions. I have accepted I'm never going to have pro esports skillz, but I can still see the benefit of shedding those grams for speedy movement.
Specs(Image credit: Future)Sensor: 19K DPI optical sensor
Battery: Up to 100-hour
Interface: 2.4GHz, Bluetooth, USB Type-C
Buttons: LR+ two thumb + scroll wheel + DPI
Ergonomic: Right-handed
Weight: 81g
Price: $170This is backed up by the precision of this mouse. As discussed earlier, latency in wireless mice nowadays isn't that big of an issue, and the Roccat Burst Pro Air is a great example of this. I've had no issues with the fairly standard receiver picking up positions accurately and without any real perceivable latency. It glides very nicely on a mouse mat, but not so well on a bare table, so the surface you're using may also come into play. The Roccat Swarm software, while annoying as all these things are, also lets you check the signal strength and help improve it if you're having problems, which is a nice feature to see.
Inside the Roccat Swarm software you can also remap the buttons, but there aren't very many to speak of. The main left and right buttons have a crisp click to them and a solid actuation. So there's no question on whether or not you've made the action. The two side buttons are similar in certainty, but can be a bit easy to hit accidentally. Aside from this is a standard affair scroll wheel and possibly the biggest DPI change button a mouse has ever seen. It's a bit bare bones, but does have the core of what most gamers would be looking for, especially FPS fans. At the price though, it would be fair to ask a little more.
Image 1 of 2(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2(Image credit: Future)This software also lets you alter other settings like RGB lighting, angle snapping, and power saving. It also shows a percentage battery for the mouse, which is appreciated, and the battery feels fairly standard in how long it lasts in use. However, even with power saving active I found that if my computer was on, it would run the mouse battery down before it disconnected to save battery. This meant that quite often I would return to my PC to have a drained wireless mouse, which isn't ideal. For anyone who can remember to charge it, or turn their PC off, it probably isn't an issue.
The Roccat Burst Pro Air is a pretty solid gaming mouse that looks like a futuristic beetle made for your hands. It's a little light on the buttons for choice, could definitely use a better power saving mode, and maybe some tweaks to its bottom pads for a better slide on more surfaces. But the clicky buttons as well as the great wireless connection and response still bring a lot to the desktop for many gamers.
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The best gaming PC is one that keeps those frames coming, but doesn't cost the world, and is actually available to buy right now. Picking a good gaming PC will be different for everyone, and there's a lot to be said for building your own gaming PC, but not everyone has the time, space, or patience for that. The list below is perfect for those people.
System building businesses—such as Alienware and HP—are not only well versed, they also have better odds of securing an elusive GPU or CPU than we do. That means no scouting for GPU deals, and the benefit of generous warranties to boot. Some warranties even cover labour, though many don't; make sure to check the policy before buying.
When ordering a prebuilt PC keep an eye on lead times, too. Some retailers have customers are made to wait three to four weeks before their custom PCs ships. Some places offer excellent deals on PCs that are ready to ship in days, but they're less likely to come customized. Since PC components like CPUs and GPUs are now becoming more readily available (thank goodness), lead times should be shorter. Though any amount of time is too long to be without a gaming PC, in my opinion.
Your future gaming PC should be packing the best graphics card, combined with the best CPU for gaming, as far as your budget will allow. That's why we tested systems that give you the best framerate per dollar at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. There's something here for everyone, from budget to high-end.
(Image credit: Alienware)1. Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition
The best AMD gaming PC
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600–5950X | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1650 Super–RTX 3090 | RAM: 8GB–64GB DDR4 3200MHz | Storage: 1TB HDD–2TB HDD + 2TB SSD | Warranty: 1 year (onsite)
AMD CPU + Nvidia GPU comboQuality Alienware/Dell designAfter sales careSounds like it'll take offDivisive case designOur favourite Aurora Ryzen config:
AMD Ryzen 9 5900 | Nvidia RTX 3070 | 16GB DDR4-3200
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 is a great card for 1440p gaming and when paired with the absolute powerhouse that is the 12-core, 24-thread 5900, it can turn its hand it pretty much anything you throw at it. View DealThe Aurora Ryzen Edition takes over the top spot from the Intel builds. The AMD Ryzen processors of the new generation are exemplary in terms of both performance and price. And with the potential for a 16-core, 32-thread chip inside your Alienware gaming PC, alongside an Nvidia RTX 3090, you're looking at something rather special.
The latest AMD Ryzen processors are exemplary in terms of both performance and price. The Ryzen 9 5900X stands out as a spectacular chip not just for productivity but also for gaming. That 12-core, 24-thread CPU shows just how far AMD has managed to push its smart chiplet-based Zen 3 architecture in order to deliver an affordable, seriously high core-count processor for a gaming PC.
These used to purely be server-side specs.
But the lower end has something to offer too. The different configurations on offer mean that for £1,249 you can get a six-core machine with a GTX 1650 Super inside it that will handle 1080p gaming in that sleek Alienware chassis.
It does have to be said that there is an Alienware premium attached to whichever components you choose. However, the higher-than-average price provides you with reliable build quality, exceptional customer service, and solid warranties. The numerous pre-fab options offered by Alienware also help eliminate much of the guesswork associated with customizing your system. Some options provide better value for the parts used, but for hassle-free PC gaming out of the box, it's tough to beat the ease of use that Alienware provides.
You should definitely take a look at the configuration options, because the lowest spec option only comes with a single stick of DDR4 memory, which will halve the available bandwidth compared to running a pair of them, even at the same capacity. That's expensive, however, and there aren't options to, say, either have one 8GB stick or two 4GB sticks.
Take a look at the SSD on offer, too. Something with a 256GB SSD in 2022 is not going to get you much change out of having Windows 11 and Forza Horizon 5 installed at the same time.
The unconventional design of the case exploits every inch of its limited space but does initially feel a bit awkward to tinker with. However, the ability to access nearly every part of the PC without tools is a definite plus and expedites upgrades and maintenance. There's an obvious priority here on providing a convenient, premium product with some potential for upgrades, and the Aurora Ryzen Edition accomplishes that goal.
Image 1 of 4(Image credit: Alienware)Image 2 of 4(Image credit: Alienware)Image 3 of 4(Image credit: Alienware)Image 4 of 4(Image credit: Alienware)2. Alienware Aurora R13
The best Intel gaming PC
CPU: Up to Core i9 12900K | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1650 Super–RTX 3090 | RAM: 8GB DDR5-4400 – 64GB DDR5 | Storage: Up to 2TB M.2 PCIe SSD + 2TB SATA HDD | Warranty: 1 Year (onsite)
New chassis with windowToolless accessUpgradeableSolid after-sale supportPricey higher end configsOur favourite Aurora R13 config:
Intel Core i7 12700KF | Nvidia RTX 3070 | 16GB DDR5-4400
Pairing the impressive RTX 3070 with one of Intel's newest Alder Lake CPUs will give you a great gaming PC without an offensively exorbitant price tag. This config also comes with 16GB DDR5-4400—importantly configured in dual-channel mode—and a 512GB NVMe SSD. You will need to select the GPU in configuration options, to get the superior graphics card.View DealLook, an Alienware Aurora with a side window. What a world. The new Aurora R13 uses the release of Intel's Alder Lake processors to deliver a slight redesign of its extraterrestrial chassis and offers a host of configurations, from the Core i5 12400F, thru the i5 12600KF and i7 12700KF, all the way up to the Core i9 12900KF.
They're paired with Nvidia GPUs from the GTX 1650 Super up to the unfeasibly expensive RTX 3090, or AMD Radeon cards from the RX 6600 XT up to the RX 6900 XT. That gives you a range of Alienware gaming machines from reasonably affordable 1080p gaming right up to blistering 4K workload-smashing performance, and the Alienware AIO cooling system will help keep the cozy interior of the case at a reasonable temperature too.
While the actual configs Alienware offers are great starting points, as with the Ryzen Edition, it's absolutely worth digging around in the customization options when it comes to picking the right rig for you.
It has to be said that Alienware is being a bit stingy with its DDR5 memory here. In that only the Core i7 or i9 versions of the Aurora R13 are able to be configured with dual channel memory out of the box, or have more than 8GB of DDR5. It's also not the fastest either, with only DDR5-4400 available.
I'll give it a break while DDR5 is expensive and hard to find, but it still stings and I'm not impressed.
(Image credit: CyberPower PC)3. CyberPowerPC Infinity X125 Gaming PC
The best machine for 1440p gaming
CPU: Intel Core i5 10400F | GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 3050 8GB | RAM: 16GB DDR4 3200MHz | Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD | Warranty: 5 year
Powerful and quiet runningStandout lighting and looksExcellent for 1080p and 1440p gamingNo USB Type-C portsOur favourite CyberPowerPC Infinity X109 config:
Intel Core i5 12600KF | Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti | 16GB DDR4-3200
This is a slight variation on the machine we recently looked at for review, boasting a more powerful Intel Alder Lake CPU alongside the 1080p/1440p powerhouse that is the RTX 3060 Ti. This an impressively quiet gaming PC that also looks incredible thanks to a wealth of RGB-lit fans.View DealWhen you buy a new PC, you're essentially looking for a powerful system that offers decent value for money from a reliable company. You want it to look good as well. Quiet running wouldn't hurt. Throw in a graphics card that you can't buy for love or money, and you have the Cyberpower Infinity X125 Gaming PC.
For just over a grand, you get a powerful Intel Core i5 12400F CPU. You also get a GeForce RTX 3050 (which you can and in fact should swap out for an RTX 3060 Ti), which is a solid mid-to-high-end card. It'll handle 1080p gaming just fine.
CyberpowerPC has decided to stick with DDR4 RAM as opposed to DDR5 for this build—Intel's Alder Lake chips support both memory types. Pricing for the new memory standard is starting to come down, but DDR4 is definitely in a better place for gaming. And for the money, we'd much rather see the healthy capacity and speed that this offers over just using the newest funkiest thing.
This also impacts the motherboard choice, as DDR5 motherboards tend to cost notably more than their DDR4 brethren. Here Cyberpower has used a budget MicroATX B660 motherboard from MSI, the PRO B660M-A WIFI, which as the name suggests, adds Wi-Fi 6 support to the mix. Don't worry though, there's an ethernet port of speedy wired connections too. This motherboard also houses the machine's 1TB SSD, which sits below a heatsink between the CPU and graphics card.
All of this is bundled neatly into a surprisingly good looking chassis for a budget build. This has been kitted out with four RGB fans to tick that gamer aesthetic as well, although you'll be pleased to know you can turn this light show off using the included remote control easily, too. This is a glass-fronted case, but don't worry there's plenty of airflow thanks to the grills on the right-hand side and a healthy gap between the fans and that front panel. It's a good solution, that runs quiet and keeps the system components running cool.
The only downside with this case is that there are no USB Type-C ports on the front panel, just USB 3.0 Type-A. There is a USB 4 port on the motherboard itself, but this hasn't been connected to anything, something that is compounded by a lack of Type-C ports on the rear I/O—a surprising omission for any motherboard in 2022.
When it comes to performance, the Infinity X125 sits exactly where you'd expect—just about capable at 1080p, although it's a tough call at times. You're going to want to tweak some of the settings to maintain a smooth frame rate, particularly when it comes to more exacting games, which probably isn't what you want to hear after dropping a grand on a new gaming PC.
Metro Exodus, for instance, averaged 50fps at the highest settings, while turning on RTX pretties drops this down to 41fps, and yes, that's with DLSS turned on. You can tweak the settings to hit 60fps, but then you're not getting the best visual experience. At least you have GeForce Experience on hand to make the whole thing as easy as possible.
This machine runs quietly and coolly even when pushed hard too. Even though Cyberpower has used the stock Intel cooler, the temperature still only hits 79°C. The RTX 3050 maxes out at just 66°C as well. Those case fans aren't just for the pretty RGB lights.
Overall then, there's plenty to like here. Component selection mostly makes sense and it's a surprisingly good looking system given its budget nature. I'd recommend upping the graphics card to an RTX 3060, for sure, and the lack of USB Type-C ports is annoying, but it's still a decent PC for the money. It's well built, using well-known components, and there's plenty of space for further upgrades too.
Image 1 of 4(Image credit: Corsair)Image 2 of 4(Image credit: Corsair)Image 3 of 4(Image credit: Corsair)Image 4 of 4(Image credit: Corsair)4. Corsair One
The best compact high-end gaming PC
CPU: Up to AMD Ryzen 9 5950X | Intel Core i9 11900K | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 | RAM: 32GB DDR4-3200 | Storage: Up to 2TB NVMe SSD | Warranty: 2 year
Slim, minimalist footprintIncredible looksOutstanding performanceHard to access interiorOur favorite Corsair One config:
Ryzen 9 5900X | RTX 3080 | 32GB DDR4-3200
Finding powerful, small form factor gaming PCs is tough going, but the Corsair One design has big Mac Pro energy, and this beastly mini machine sports both the finest AMD processor you can buy as well as Nvidia's best 30-series graphics card. And don't come at me with your overpriced RTX 3080 Ti...View DealCorsair has overhauled its compact One gaming PCs with the latest parts from Intel, AMD, and Nvidia—and we're absolutely here for it. The Corsair One i300 is the latest version of the compact high-end gaming PC. That's a lot of cutting-edge hardware for what can only be described as a helluva lot of money.
Don't dismiss the memory or storage in this rig either. DDR5 is currently incredibly hard to get ahold of. In 64GB trim like we have here, you know you're not going to come up lacking in any game on this front is welcome. Yes, it's overkill, but it means you won't need to upgrade anytime soon.
The Corsair One A200 and i300 deliver top-of-the-line gaming performance, which is perhaps unsurprisingly considering its credentials: up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti and AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, while on the Intel side you can have the latest Alder Lake chips, such as the incredible Core i9 12900K. It's wild what you can stuff into such a small chassis nowadays and have it run reasonably cool and quiet, too.
Something that hasn't changed too much since it first appeared on the scene, is that chassis. The idea of this being a beautiful PC is often banded around with expensive builds, but here it's genuinely warranted. This is a machine that you not only want to have in clear view on your desk, but it won't take up much room, or make too much noise if you do. Honestly, this thing is much smaller than you might think, measuring half as deep as most mid-tower systems.
The Corsair One achieves this by using two compact liquid coolers, one for the CPU and one for the GPU. You'll have to adjust your expectations for CPU temperatures perhaps a little above your comfort zone during intense operations, but there's nothing these chips aren't built to handle day in, day out.
When you're dealing with high-end kit, temperatures can get toasty. Very toasty. The Core i9 12900K in this build is a power-hungry chip (drawing up to 241W), and it can run hot when stressed even in much bigger systems with triple-fan coolers. Here, I witnessed the CPU temps touch 100°C a couple of times in testing, resulting in the chip throttling back—although only briefly even when pushed hard. This is still an incredibly powerful CPU too, so even allowing for this brief throttling, it's still one of the fastest machines I've ever used, and tops plenty of the benchmark tables.
Overall, the Corsair One ably achieves what it sets out to do. It's a compact gaming PC that showcases the latest technology an impressively smart, and dare I say, beautiful case. It's a machine that many gamers would love to own, but few can afford. But for those that can... it's a treat.
Read our full Corsair One i300 review and Corsair One A200 review.
Image 1 of 4(Image credit: HP)Image 2 of 4(Image credit: HP)Image 3 of 4(Image credit: HP)Image 4 of 4(Image credit: HP)5. HP Omen
The best gaming PC for under £1,000
CPU: Intel Core i5 10400F | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 | RAM: 16GB HyperX DDR4-2666 | Storage: 256GB M.2 SSD, 1TB HDD | Warranty: 1 year
Powerful componentsSober thrill-free designedEasy to upgradeOur favorite HP Omen config:
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X | Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti | 16GB DDR4-3200
The updated HP Omen desktop machine comes with a shinier chassis and can be configured to house an RTX 3060 Ti for under £1,400. It's worth upgrading the 256GB SSD at the time of purchase through, as that's a bit pokey by modern standards.View DealHewlett Packard has been around since before the Second World War, and that historical expertise is evident in the design and construction of the Omen line of gaming PCs. I mean, they are slightly smaller than they were back in the day, but the heritage remains. HP Omen offers a wide range of customization options with its Omen 25L, 30L systems, allowing you to take your pick of AMD, Intel, and Nvidia component CPU and GPU options.
You can also take that configuration to the memory and storage requirements, too, allowing you to really tailor your system. HP Omen rigs are on the more restrained side of PC gaming, so you won't find an over-elaborate liquid cooling system or a massive suite of spectacular RGB lighting. Tall, surprisingly thin towers still contain some of the best hardware around today.
Omen systems are appropriately named dense black blocks of computing power. If you value smooth lines and compact design over the flash and spectacle of RGB, you'll appreciate the dark, slightly brooding aesthetic of the HP lineup.
We've looked at machines with last-gen processors in them, and that can be a good way to save a little cash, because you can still get the very latest Nvidia GPUs inside them. You can also get last-gen GPUs, but we'd advise you to steer clear of either the RX 5500 or RTX 2080 Super builds; those are still relatively expensive and the graphics hardware will date far quicker than anything else in the system.
We haven't specifically reviewed the latest range of gaming systems from HP, but we've been testing its gaming PCs since the Obelisk range, and we've always appreciated its no-unnecessary-frills approach to system-building and the value proposition of its rigs.
Image 1 of 1(Image credit: Scan)6. Scan 3XS 3080 Gaming PC
The best PC for streaming
CPU: Intel Core i7 12700F | GPU: EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 10GB | RAM: 16GB DDR4-3000 | Storage: 1TB NVMe | Warranty: 3 year
Excellent build qualityStrong components selectionGreat warrantyAvailability fluctuatesOur favorite Scan 3XS Gamer config:
Intel Core i7 12700F | Nvidia RTX 3080 | 16GB DDR4-3600
It's not easy getting your hands on Nvidia's Ampere GPUs, but Scan is one of the biggest retailers in the UK and seems to have better access than most. This combo of Intel Core i7 12700F and RTX 3080 should see you right for years, even at 4K. View DealYour next upgrade(Image credit: Future)Best CPU for gaming: the top chips from Intel and AMD
Best graphics card: your perfect pixel-pusher awaits
Best SSD for gaming: get into the game ahead of the restScan has been a mainstay of system building in the UK for years, and we've used enough of their systems to know that we're in safe hands whenever we get a gaming PC in for review. The systems are well built, using well-known components, and all backed up by a brilliant three-year warranty (on-site first year). That warranty does bring peace of mind.
This 3XS Gamer 3080 is like a wishlist given physical form, boasting an RTX 3080 alongside Intel's excellent gaming CPU, the Core i7 12700F. This may not be the overclockable variant (it lacks that all-important trailing K for that), but given overclocking has little impact on gaming performance, we're cool with that. Speaking of being chill, the Corsair Hydro H100x does an excellent job of keeping the CPU in check.
You get a 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX kit for your money, which should see you good for years of gaming to come, and there's a healthy 1TB SSD from Intel to keep things humming along. This is all housed in the Corsair iCue 220T case, which is a good-looking case offering plenty of airflow to keep your components running optimally.
You can, of course, configure the machine to your heart's content, with faster processors, more memory, better storage options, you name. Scan also has a few other builds to get you started, including RTX 3070 systems from £1,500 and the option of going with either Intel's Core i5 10700 or AMD's brand new Ryzen 7 5800X.
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Best VR headset | Best wireless gaming mouse | Best CPU for gamingBest gaming PC FAQ
Should I buy a pre-built PC?
One of the most significant advantages to building your PC is the ability to hand-pick every single component in the system. This allows you to take your time shopping around for deals and finding the perfect combination of parts to fit your budget and performance needs.
The downside for most inexperienced builders is that this whole process can take some time and has the potential to cause quite a headache if something goes wrong. You only get warranties on the individual components, not your finished build, and this is where the best pre-built gaming PCs shine.
Are pre-built PCs good value for money?
When you pay the premium to configure or purchase a pre-built PC, you are paying for more than just the parts. You are paying for warranty service, support, and peace of mind that your system was put together by professionals. These are some of the things we value highly when considering what the best gaming PC is. We also look at other unique selling points like design, upgradability, and anything you wouldn't be able to do when building it yourself.
What's better, pre-built or DIY gaming PC?
One of the most significant factors that make PCs stand apart from the competition is the design. Pre-built systems like the Alienware Aurora R11 or Corsair One use unique in-house chassis designs you wouldn't be able to purchase when building it yourself. You can take some comfort in knowing that these systems were designed and built specially to house your configuration, though that can make upgrading more awkward later on down the line.
When we set out to choose our top choices of pre-built gaming PCs, we look at almost every major manufacturer and system integrator to find the best combination of value, reliability, customer feedback, design, and performance for various budgets and needs.
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The answer to today's Wordle is right here, alongside a wide range of tips, clues, and hints for the September 5 (443) puzzle to help make every day a success.
What a mess. I'm sorry Wordle, but I just don't know any words beginning with the useless jumble of letters you've left me—w-wait yes I do. I do love the unexpected turnaround that comes with a little thought and a lot of luck, an apparently unrelated pile of consonants suddenly forming a neat and orderly (and correct) line.
Wordle hint
Today's Wordle: A hint for Monday, September 5
A loud and always positive sound, usually alongside clapping, is the best way to describe today's word. The sort of thing you'd hear at a concert or with friends when someone wants to show they agree or approve of something, or are just really happy to be there. There's a repeating vowel to uncover today.
Wordle help: 3 tips for beating Wordle every day
If there's one thing better than playing Wordle, it's playing Wordle well, which is why I'm going to share a few quick tips to help set you on the path to success:
- A good opener contains a balanced mix of unique vowels and consonants.
- A tactical second guess helps to narrow down the pool of letters quickly.
- The solution may contain repeat letters.
There's no time pressure beyond making sure it's done by midnight. So there's no reason to not treat the game like a casual newspaper crossword and come back to it later if you're coming up blank.
Wordle answer
(Image credit: Josh Wardle)What is the Wordle 443 answer?
Let's make sure your week starts with a win. The answer to the September 5 (443) Wordle is WHOOP.
Previous answers
Wordle archive: Which words have been used
The more past Wordle answers you can cram into your memory banks, the better your chances of guessing today's Wordle answer without accidentally picking a solution that's already been used. Past Wordle answers can also give you some excellent ideas for fun starting words that keep your daily puzzle solving fresh.
Here are some recent Wordle solutions:
- September 4: INTER
- September 3: GULLY
- September 2: CHARM
- September 1: FUNGI
- August 31: PRIZE
- August 30: ONSET
- August 29: CHIEF
- August 28: GAUZE
- August 27: RUDER
- August 26: IRONY
Learn more about Wordle
Every day Wordle presents you with six rows of five boxes, and it's up to you to work out which secret five-letter word is hiding inside them.
You'll want to start with a strong word like ALERT—something containing multiple vowels, common consonants, and no repeat letters. Hit Enter and the boxes will show you which letters you've got right or wrong. If a box turns
️, it means that letter isn't in the secret word at all. 
means the letter is in the word, but not in that position. 
means you've got the right letter in the right spot.You'll want your second go to compliment the first, using another "good" word to cover any common letters you missed last time while also trying to avoid any letter you now know for a fact isn't present in today's answer.
After that it's just a case of using what you've learned to narrow your guesses down to the right word. You have six tries in total and can only use real words (so no filling the boxes with EEEEE to see if there's an E). Don't forget letters can repeat too (ex: BOOKS).
If you need any further advice feel free to check out our Wordle tips, and if you'd like to find out which words have already been used you'll find those below.
Originally, Wordle was dreamed up by software engineer Josh Wardle, as a surprise for his partner who loves word games. From there it spread to his family, and finally got released to the public. The word puzzle game has since inspired tons of games like Wordle, refocusing the daily gimmick around music or math or geography. It wasn't long before Wordle became so popular it was sold to the New York Times for seven figures. Surely it's only a matter of time before we all solely communicate in tricolor boxes.
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Customisation is key when it comes to PC gaming and that goes doubly hard for cases. Once all the hardware is sorted, it's time to find something glorious to jam it all into. Now this can of course be something nice and sleek, with low profile and excellent cooling - In fact, we have a tonne of suggestions for cases like that. Or you could just make a dinosaur.
Last year we were left agape looking at the creations out of the Case Mod World Series. People from all over the world came together to compete with their amazing case designs including things like a sneaker PC case, and also the most ridiculous and bad 'donkey' Dino Grimlock mode you've ever seen. Quite possibly the only one you've ever seen, too.
The Grimlock case from last year was made by Ed Mod Craft and it's a spiky badass metal monstrosity in all the best ways. It's incredibly metal, and also was made with the 4 R's (reuse, reduce, recycle, and refuse) in mind. Sustainably sick, and they're doing it again.
Now Ed Mod Craft is working on a God of Aorus themed case for the Cooler Master Case Mod World series 2022. With a name like that we can assume that the Gigabyte brand might be offering a level of inspiration to the piece, and it looks like these modders are set to make something godlike indeed.
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Best PC fans: super-silent and plastered in RGB
Best PC cases: big, little, and everything in-between.The concept shows a somewhat chibified proportion of a metal clad winged figure, complete with bird like cowl. It's very cool, but based on the picture alone you'd be hard pressed to see it as a case, rather it looks like sweet toy or action figure. Just what we expect from the folks behind a hardcore metal dinobot.
Things get even crazier when you see some of the other progress images that are being shown off. The metal skeleton structure for the piece appears to be mostly in place, and it looks huge. This is certainly no mini-ITX build going on. Rather, eyeballing it this unit looks easily over a metre tall, maybe closer to 1.5 or taller. It's going to be a huge metal beast and I can't wait to see how it turns out,
(Image credit: Ed Mod Craft)If this tickled your creativity nerves, you can also enter the Case Mod World series for 2022. There are several categories such as best tower mod, best scratch build, and best use of reusable materials. Each have their own prize pools and rules, so head on over to the official website to check it out.
The RTX 3080 20GB was real after all
in Gaming News
Posted
The bane of PC Gaming - GPU mining - is drawing to an end. The imminent move of Ethereum to proof of stake and away from energy intensive proof of work means bulk mining GPU purchases have ended. We can see this is reflected in the plummeting prices of new graphics cards and the flood of second-hand sales, including some that were live streamed.
During the peak of the mining boom, it was very difficult to get a new high-end card at a price that didn’t involve some non-essential organ harvesting. Miners on the other hand, had no problem shelling out big bucks for cards in bulk when Ethereum was at its all-time highs, making it easier to recoup their outlay costs.
If you want a card or two, you’d go to a retailer. If you wanted a hundred, try a distributor, but if you wanted a thousand, companies would certainly have been happy to take your call. MSI appears to be one such company. According to pictures posted by @hongxing2020 (via Videocardz), MSI sold unreleased RTX 3080 20GB cards directly to miners.
Back in time, there were rumours that Nvidia was considering selling 20GB RTX 3080’s. It made sense as 10GB feels a bit on the thin side compared to a 16GB RX 6x00 card or the RTX 3090. It turns out the card went far beyond the planning stage and actually made it to production.
Interestingly, the cards were FHR versions, meaning they delivered a better hash rate than the consumer LHR versions. Bad luck for you small time miners who had to deal with the hash rate block on retail 3080’s. Money talks it seems, and if there’s one thing big miners don’t lack, it’s money.
According to @hongxing2020 there are at least 100 available and they’re selling for ‘over 3,000 RMB’ or above US$400. That sounds like a bargain, right? But don’t buy one. Nvidia never released the card so there is no driver support. So, unless you plan to mine for a few more weeks, this card will end up as little more than a novelty collector’s edition.
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And even if you could buy one for gaming, it wouldn’t have made sense compared to the RTX 3080 12GB which features more cores and a wider memory bus. That means the 3080 20GB would be a downgrade over a 3080 12GB, and few games make use of more than 12GB of vRAM anyway.
A 3080 20GB would made a good choice for a prosumer working with large data sets, but why would Nvidia sell it in that market when it can push them towards a 3090 with 24GB? So while a 3080 20GB looks good on paper, the card would have been rather pointless when compared to its sibling cards.
The fact that the card exists goes to show just how much market power miners had. At a time when gamers had to pay exorbitant prices for cards, the GPU makers were quietly more than happy to sell to miners behind the scenes. All hail proof of stake!
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