The HDMI cable lets you transfer audio and video data by using a connection that allows to put the quality first (HDMI is the acronym for High-Definition Multimedia Interface).
The first uses of the HDMI interface are dateable to the end of 2003: at that time, actually, it was important – looking at the future – to predict a valid replacement for the VGA and DVI interfaces.
Over the years, the HDMI had a gradual evolution with several specific versions (1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.0 and 2.1), and each of them introduced new features and functions.
Ultra-panoramic monitors are and will be one of my weaknesses. From the first experiences up until now I must admit that it’s a format that I really like. For working with them as well as for consuming media or enjoying the latest PC games. For some weeks I’ve been testing the Asus ROG PF348Q, an ultra-panoramic monitor aimed at gamers.
This Asus display belongs to the ROG family (Republic of Gamers), which offers different solutions such as the PG278Q monitor or the more recent Asus GX7000 laptop which we analyzed here. Going back to one of its distinct features, for some, an ultra-panoramic panel might not seem attractive and they might prefer a 1080p monitor with lower response time and greater refresh speeds. This is totally valid since it’s a matter of personal taste, especially if you also want to use it for playing console games. But if you were looking for something different or you simply don’t want to use two monitors for an extended gaming setup then pay close attention.
Asus ROG PF348Q, specs
The tech specs of the Asus ROG PG348Q monitor are very similar to those of other screens on the market. The differences are, in addition to the curved panel that not all 21:9 include, in the refresh rate improvement which can reach 100Hz with turbo mode and the software extras for its configuration. Still, let’s review the most important ones.
Screen: Curved IPS (3800R radio)
Size: 34 inch
Resolution: 3440x1440p
Density of pixel: 109ppi
Refresh Rate: Up to 100Hz via DisplayPort and 50Hz over HDMI
Color reproduction: 10 bit
Contrast: 1.000:1
Brightness: 300 cd/m2
View angle: 178º
Response Time: 5ms
Connections: 1 x DisplayPort 1.2, 1 x HDMI 1.4, 4 x USB 3.0, handset / speaker output
Extras: Nvidia G-Sync technology, Flicker-Free backlight, HDCP, VESA support, different picture modes and other extras to enhance the gaming experience
A very gaming aesthetic
When you sit down in front of a monitor like its logical that you will be surprised at first. With its 34 inch display, the Asus ROG PG348Q doesn’t let down. It’s overwhelming to see that ultra-panoramic image right in front of your eyes. Of course it’s also a bit shocking if you’re used to 16:9 screens.
The “Join the Future of Play” event took place November 3rd, an event aimed at the press in order to show the new capabilities of the PS4 PRO in light of the release of the new console from Sony. We’ll tell you in detail what we saw, played and learned there.
We know that many of you have questions about the PS4 PRO, is it worth it if you don’t have a 4K TV? Is it worth it even I have a 4K TV but already have a PS4? We will try to answer all of your questions after the Join the Future of Play event organized in London focused on the press to observe first hand the capabilities of Sony’s new console. This is what we were able to discover and learn about the Pro model of the Playstation 4.
After a welcome we could admire the Playsation VR and its peripherals, as well as the PS4 Slim and Pro and the new official controllers from Razer and Nacon, they took us to a conference where they explained to us what HDR consists of and how the PS4 was going to improve the gaming experience with HDR like no other console had previously with Mike Somerset and Simon Rutter. They also gave us some technical specifications of the console: 4.2 F of power, Overclocking the GPU as well as the CPU, new dedicated Chips… After the presentations of Kazunori Yamauchi, creator of the GT Saga and Yosuke Hayashi, creator of Nioh and main designer of Team Ninja, we went on to what we were all waiting for, the games.
PS4 Pro and HDR
One of the main improvements to the PS4 is that it focuses on HDR. Xbox ONE S as well as PS4 have and will have compatibility with HDR, not but all HDRs are the same. Normal screens, like the ones most of us have at home, called SDR (standard dynamic range) can display a maximum of 100nits. A nit is a unit that measures color, contrast and brightness. The HDR supported by the PS4 and the Xbox ONE S is HDR1000, which can display 1000nits, 10 times as much as standard screens. In addition, PS4 PRO is compatible with the BT2020 system which is capable of displaying up to 10.000 nits, 10 times as much as the Xbox ONE S and 100 times more than normal screens.
The EW3270ZL Eye-Care is a new 32 inches monitor with different technologies to make it more comfortable to the eye and avoid problems arising from long periods of use.
The functionalities related to “eye care” can be found in its LED lighting system without PWM to avoid micro-blinking and also in a lighting system adaptable via an ambient light sensor. Naturally, it includes a blue light filter in one of its modes of operation.
The panel used is an AMVA+ with 1.070 million colors and a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels with viewing angles of 178º both vertically and horizontally. Its response time reaches 4 ms GtG and features DisplayPort MiniDP HDMI and audio inputs for its two 3W speakers. Its price is still unknown.
Technical specifications and some photos from several motherboards that Asus plans to launch with Intel’s next processor using Kaby Lake have leaked. More specifically, the motherboards which have been filtered belong mainly to the ROG series of this manufacturer and have, as expected given the range, the Z270 chipset, although another motherboard of a more normal range has also been leaked. The leaked models are the ROG Strix Z270E Gaming, the Strix Z270F Gaming, the TUF Z270 Mark 1 and the Prime Z270-A.
Starting with the most “basic” model of all, the Asus Prime Z270-A, is a model that moves away from the ROG series and concentrates on fulfilling its functions, but not just in any way since it comes as standard with power supply phases of type 8 + 2 + 2 managed by a digital controller, including an 8-pin connector and solid capacitors accompanying four slots for DDR4 RAM that allow the installation of modules that operate up to 3,866 MHz, three PCIe 3.0 x16 slots (wired electrically as x16/x8/x4), four PCIe 3.0 x1 and two M.2 slots that are capable of moving data at a speed of 32 GB/s.
And now moving onto the more gaming oriented models, I’d like to start by speaking of the Asus TUF Z270 Mark 1, the model intended for those users looking for reliability and resistance above all else. After all, the motto of the TUF range is precisely “Tough inside and out”. This model follows the same specifications of the previous almost exactly except in the audio section, in this case the manufacturer has provided a SupremeFX SF1220A chip that comes with capacitors of the famous brand Nichicon for audiophiles.
Comparing the PS4 version with the 1080p version in Ultra
Final Fantasy XV is already on sale all over the world, a title that has led Square Enix to take dozens of difficult decisions over the last ten years until now that finally, it is available to fans …
This process is simple, but keep in mind that hardware support or compatibility is limited and therefore we can find problems supporting our hardware, mainly aspects like the network card, processor, memory, etc.
Basically we should look for an x86 processor with support for 64-Bit (it does not have to be Intel), at least 1GB of RAM, Realtek or very basic Intel network card and, very important, a PC with a classic boot system, like Bios or Legacy and a storage controller type SATA AHCI or, at least, compatible.
We therefore need a basic system, with ethernet, a flash drive with at least 25MB capacity (if you find one of less than 1GB it will be quite the achievement) and a main storage unit to which we can then add more units, either internal or external. As I said before I can not assure you success but i can show you the PC I used for this experiment.
My computer has seen better times, it has been through several crazy projects, and it now looks like this. It is completely passive and using 2.5 ” units saved me having to use more power cables. I just need to feed the Brix and an Ethernet cable.
This is a veteran Gigabyte Brix N2807, which we discussed in this article, with an Intel Celeron N2807 dual-core processor, where I installed 4GB of RAM and a 32GB SSD that I’ll use to run the system. A basic system I found for less than 90 dollars during Black Friday in a well known store.
Which motherboard to choose, sometimes, can be a real pain, since the motherboard is the intermediary of all components of the computer, and is the one that guarantees its functionality.
The type of socket the PCI express ports, HDMI outputs, VGA, USB 3.0 ports, the motherboard is a fundamental and key component of every computer, sometimes, trying to save some money on this aspect can cause incompatibility problems in the present and future, so we advise you to be very careful so that you won’t have any regrets when choosing a motherboard for your PC.
What should you consider when choosing a motherboard? We’ll explain:
1. The processor and our motherboard
As we already mentioned in this article, you can’t use a socket 1155 processor with a motherboard compatible with 1150 processors. So, the socket of the motherboard should match the processor’s.
As we saw in this article, choosing a motherboard for our computer can sometimes be a real headache. The type of socket, the PCI express ports, HDMI outputs, VGA, USB 3.0 ports… the motherboard is a fundamental and key component of every computer, for that reason we will make it easy for you, in this article we will show you the best Intel 1151 socket motherboards that currently exist organized by price.
Low Cost Motherboards
These motherboards are designed for modest computers, perfect for office or home PCs which are not used a lot and that don’t require too much RAM. Although they are modest, we should mention that they can handle any current processor based on the 1151 socket, but they are somewhat limited. These boards usually only have two sockets for RAM, a PCI-E and a basic sound card. The options we recommend are:
The PS4 PRO, the new version of PS4 oriented to the most demanding gamers, is already here, and among its features are the possibility to run games at 4K and in HDR, but very few of you have a TV that supports these features, and you probably think this console is not for you. That is why we have prepared an article to help you if you intend to renovate your TV in view of this new technological leap.
4K, two characters that lately we see repeated throughout the length and width of technology articles, but really, what is 4K? This refers to the 3840×2160 resolution, also called UHD (Ultra HD), a resolution four times greater than the standard 1080p, 1920×1080 or FullHD. Four times is almost as much as the difference between 480p (resolution of the PS2) and 1080p.
This is why there is so much trouble reaching 4K, since that increase of resolution has a high cost in power, if you want to multiply the resolution by four, you need also four times the power. It is for this reason that Sony decided to keep the vast majority of games to an intermediate resolution between 1080p and 4K and apply a rescaling which gives a really good result.
