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AMD FreeSync vs. G-Sync: is AMD FreeSync a Efficient and low-cost Variable Refresh Rate Technology?

You probably remember that our first experience with FreeSync was, to say the least, disappointing. We would like to remind you that behind the name FreeSync lies AMD’s answer to Nvidia’s G-Sync, that is to say a technology for the handling of variable display refresh rates. The idea behind this concept is that it helps to improve the game-play experience by providing an increased sensation of fluidity. How is FreeSync doing these days you might ask? As long as the proper monitor is used, it actually works quite well and costs quite a bit less than G-Sync!

AMD FreeSync

After much fanfare in January 2014, the arrival of the first FreeSync compatible monitor had to wait until March of 2015. And, unfortunately, their performance was far from impressive. On paper, the advantages offered by this technique of monitor management were many fold, starting with the fact that it relied on an open technology standard which is much less costly than that of Nvidia’s G-Sync. However, entry-level monitors which didn’t provide the required fluidity left us feeling disappointed with the whole concept.

Adaptive-Sync, FreeSync and G-Sync

Under the banner of these three terms, or brands if you prefer, lies the technology for the management of variable refresh rates (VRR). A classic fixed refresh rate of 60 Hz will offer an imperfect visual experience when playing video games. As each image is different, it follows that the time required for the calculation of each image also differs. This discrepancy results in synchronization problems. While a higher refresh rate, of 144 Hz for example, decreases the impact of the problem it does not eliminate it entirely. The graphics card might miss a display cycle, spend too much time waiting for the next cycle or disregard a cycle entirely, all of which will result in image breakup (tearing).

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How to get the most out of a VPN connection?

The use of VPN connections has a number of advantages that allow us greater privacy when browsing the internet.

In a world where the Internet is essential for a large part of human activities, and where being disconnected is either an eccentric quirk, an age thing or materially impossible, where threats to the security of the network are numerous, growing and continuous and, moreover, where accessing content can depend on the country in which you find yourself, feeling protected and free to explore all the virtual universe is a reassuring and even pleasant experience.

VPN

And something that can help us to achieve this is a VPN connection (virtual private network) such as the irreverent Hide My Ass! since with them we can use the web as a private network as it were, i.e. as an extension of a secure local network over a public one without controls. Any computer connected to a VPN sends and receives data hiding your real IP address under any of the shared network, giving the impression that the user is where the VPN servers are, which prevents its location being known and puts a barrier network and all its safety measures up against threats, all this with the corresponding encryption of the information.

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Our readers speak: Mid-range or high-end graphics?

When we assemble a PC or update an existing configuration we have the option of choosing high-end or mid-range graphics cards, a decision that can end up being rather complicated , especially if we have a decent budget.

The decision is important because it affects not only user experience when it comes to playing our favourite games, but also the upgrade cycle which we will be subjected to.

If we opt for a high end graphics card it is very likely that we won’t have to upgrade for up to four or five years if it our monitors native resolution doesn’t change. On the other hand if we chose a mid-range graphics card it’s is very likely that we will have to upgrade sooner (between two and three years).

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Kaspersky Free vs Avast Free vs Bitdefender Free, what do the free antivirus have to offer?

Increasingly more users are deciding to rely on free antivirus to protect against malware. While for a long time the two free antivirus stars have been Avast and Avira, the main antivirus companies have decided to enter this sector of the market of releasing free versions of their paid antivirus so that users who don’t want to part with their cash have a basic security tool. Kaspersky is the latest security company to launch its free antivirus for Windows.

Yesterday afternoon, Russia’s Kaspersky Security firm announced its new security product: “Kaspersky Free Antivirus”, a free version of its well-known paid antivirus falls into the gap for the users looking for a solution free of charge to protect their systems.

What has Kaspersky deleted from it’s antivirus to make it free?

A characteristic shared by all the free antivirus on the market is that they typically only provide users with free antivirus protection, but the rest of the protective shields and security modules are limited to users of the paid versions. Kaspersky Free is no different.

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ASUS Zenbook 3 Deluxe UX490UA-XS74-BL 14-Inch laptop Review

Although the laptop market has been greatly affected by convertible and 2-in-1 devices, current technology provides smaller components and more efficient processors that make laptops the talk of the town, and models such as those in ASUS’ ZenBook lineup are the centerpiece when talking about outstanding devices sporting thin and light designs.

We already reviewed the ZenBook 3 UX390UA, which is a model that won our best ultrabook on the market prize thanks to its good finish and performance, when it was launched. This year, the company announced that model’s successor: the ZenBook 3 Deluxe UX490UA currently sitting on our hands, with which the brand takes advantage of the new bezel-less displays and of additional connectivity options, updating their flagship ultrabook.

ASUS Zenbook 3 Deluxe UX490UA

Specifications

  • 14 “FullHD Display
  • Processor Intel Core i7-7500U 2.7GHz @ 3.5GHz (7th Gen Kaby Lake)
  • 16 GB of RAM 2.133 MHz LPDDR3
  • 512 GB PCIe 3.0 X4 SSD
  • 2x USB 3.1-C with Thunderbolt 3.0 at 40 Gbps
  • 1x USB 3.0-C
  • Backlight keyboard
  • Fingerprint Sensor
  • 4 Asus SonicMaster Harman Kardon speakers
  • WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1
  • 8.4 x 13 x 0.5 inches
  • Weight: 2.4 pounds

Design

The ZenBook 3 Deluxe UX490UA’s general design barely changes, because, as some say, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

ASUS Zenbook 3 Deluxe UX490UA

It still has a premium feel thanks to its polished aerospace-grade aluminum unibody chassis, its golden diamond-cut edges and its concentric finish, giving it a unique touch when we compare it to other average ultrabooks on the market. In this case, we have the blue variant, which undoubtedly gives it a very original touch.

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The evolution that AMD’s Ryzen has had since its launching

Introduction

The new AMD’s Ryzen processors’ performance took everybody by surprise by taking us back to those times when the competition between AMD and Intel was much harder and when users were always introduced to better products at more attractive prices.

I do not know if it is already too late for AMD to go back to the position it had almost a decade ago, but Ryzen has undoubtedly given us back the hope for a less monopolized and more open PC world. Right now, no one doubts that Ryzen processors are a technical success, but it is too early to tell if they are also a commercial success since AMD does not provide sales figures. Today we will go over the progress that the product has made in the past few months, although it could not escape some controversy.

AMD’s Ryzen

Software and programs optimization

Although x86 is a well-known architecture that has been around for some time, there is always room for resource optimization and performance improvement. All of this is usually done on several software levels where every one is equally, or even more important than the others.

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Here they come: Intel Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X with 18 cores for home PCs

Today is the day that Intel officially launched its new high-performance HEDT platform for enthusiasts. Two architectures join forces for the first time during the launching, Kaby Lake-X and Skylake-X, besides unveiling the Core i9 lineup, a new Intel X299 chipset and the new LGA-2066 socket with a 55 pin increase in contrast to the the previous LGA 2011.

Intel Skylake-X

Not every Skylake-X processor announced will arrive right away. Actually, the company has postponed the most interesting models’ arrival to the domestic market: Core i9 chips with 12, 14, 16 and even 18 cores and prices from $1,200 to $2,000.

Intel Skylake-X

In fact, the models that Intel launched today are an improvement on the models already existing in its Broadwell-X lineup, with models ranging from 4 to 10 cores. The first i9 to hit the market will have precisely 10 cores, the 10-core Core i9-7900X with 20 threads and a speed of up to 4.5 GHz.

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Corsair T1 RACE Gaming Chair Reivew

Introduction and specifications

The PC Gaming world has grown to become one of the most important hardware sectors. It is not only formed by RGB components, aggressive esthetics or special variants with more speed and performance. Currently the products in the market that engulf the PC world not only focuses on the PC but there is a series of peripheral devices as well as furniture with that esthetic focused on creating a space for those who use the computer for a gaming platform.

There is no need to present Corsair. Everyone knows this company for their RAM memory, their liquid refrigeration systems, mice, keyboards, boxes, SSD, PCs, and much more. With this Corsair T1 RACE a new gamma of products is inaugurated as the gaming chairs for players.

Corsair T1 RACE

It´s not the first chair of this type that we analyze on Geeknetic. We had previously talked about trying the Bultaco´s option. Let´s see what new is offered with this Corsair T1 RACE and what it´s capable of.

Specifications

  • Adjustable height
  • Adjustable tilt with lock
  • Armrests with 4-way adjustment
  • Maximum seat height: 42 cm
  • Minimum seat height: 32 cm
  • Maximum arm height: 38 cm
  • Minimum arm height: 28 cm
  • Back height: 95 cm
  • Back Shoulder Width: 56 cm
  • Anti-scratch Nylon Wheels
  • Lumbar cushion
  • Cushion for cervicals

Design and detailing

One of the problems that we can come upon at the time we purchase a gaming chair of this type is that the great majority use a common structure fabricated by a third party to which personalized external materials by each company are applied. For example, the Bultaco GT301 that we analyzed, in its day, had one of those common structure designs and in the case of the Corsair, it isn´t an exception either although it isn’t the same design as that of the Bultaco. It is common to other models of other fabricants but with materials and detailing created by Corsair themselves.

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The guide to improve your gaming performance on Windows 10

We are now in full E3, one of the most important gaming events, and to celebrate it, we wanted to dedicate this Sunday’s guide to pick and explain a series of key points that will help you to improve your gaming PC’s performance.

To make the guide as useful as possible, we will make a complete list with simple and affordable tips that will help you to improve your PC’s performance without having to spend money, but we will also give you a series of recommendations at the end where we will review the most important graphics adjustments.

gaming performance

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How to choose a Computer and Monitor for Photo / Video editing

Some of the most common questions I receive are about photography. I have already spoken in some detail about the choice of cameras and lenses, but I have not yet spoken about how to choose a computer to be used for the purposes of photography.

In fact, in this age of digital photography, the computer has become an indispensable extension of the photographic process. First of all for storing your photos as well as for displaying them, but especially for developing them. I have already said on numerous occasions that: the post-processing of images is a natural extension of the photo taking process. It is indispensable for finalizing your photos. I will not expand any further on the reasons why I say this, suffice it to say that there are some important things that just CANNOT be done while shooting and which must be managed during post-processing, namely contrast and color levels as well as the intensity of bright zones and shadows, etc.

Computer for Photo Editing

Long story short, to heighten the quality of your photos, you will need to go through post-processing, which raises the question of choosing a computer that will allow you to do so comfortably.

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