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Alienware 34" Curved OLED Gaming Monitor

Alienware AW3423DW Details With the Alienware AW3423DW 34.18-inch Quantum Dot-OLED Curved Gaming Monitor, you can immerse yourself in the ultimate gaming experience. With its impressive 3440x1440 pixel resolution and a lightning-fast 175Hz refresh rate, every detail comes to life with stunning clarity. The 1800R curvature wraps around your field of view, pulling you deeper into the action. With a true 0.1ms gray-to-gray response time, motion blur is virtually eliminated, ensuring smooth and precise visuals. The 1Million:1 contrast ratio delivers rich blacks and vibrant colors, enhanced by the support for 1.07 billion colors. The Lunar Light design adds a touch of style to your gaming setup. With a brightness of 250 cd/m2 (typical) and a peak brightness of 1000 cd/m2, the monitor delivers vibrant visuals even in bright environments. Plus, with a maximum power consumption of 200 watts, it provides efficient performance for long gaming sessions. Get ready to take your gaming to new heights with the Alienware AW3423DW. Read More Alienware Waiting two weeks for this computer just felt too long, but it’s not unheard of, since I bought an Alienware computer that took nearly a month to ship to me (I’ll never do that again). …

Oh man! I survived Black Friday this year. Despite showing up a little early for MicroCenter’s Black Friday, there was a massive line outside the store (going past another store in the same area). They were letting in 20 people at a time, and my wait time was about 45 minutes to actually get inside the store.

Once inside, if you were buying a computer part, you had to stand in another line for a salesperson.

Since I knew what I wanted to buy, either an Alienware AW3423DW 34" 2K WQHD Curved OLED Gaming Monitor or a LG’s 48 inch OLED 4K Gaming Monitor, I headed to the computer display area. I found a salesperson right away (MicroCenter had probably had over 200% work force this Black Friday), and had him look up the Alienware monitor. I told him it was this or that 48 inch LG, but he agrees, at that size, it’s basically a television (and like I said earlier, I don’t know if it will even fit on my desk).

Now that I have the monitor and using it, I love it. This is one of the best image qualities that I’ve ever seen on a display, thanks to the QD-OLED’s perfect black and bright colors (per pixel) and literally no delay (.1ms response time). Not only does the images looks great, but motion is smooth and clear. There is no ghosting because of the non-existent delay in changing colors per pixel.

I do have some minor complaints about the monitor, however… and will break down the cons and the pros of the monitor:

Alienware 34" with HDR at 175hz with NVIDIA Ultimate

Nvidia Ultimate: First of all, the price is very high … even at a sale price! There is a cheaper version of this display, but they removed the NVIDIA Ultimate. I am fine with paying a little more for NVIDIA support because I have an NVIDIA 3060 card that will run the display at 175hz with HDR! Not every card can do this (some topped out at 100hz for HDR because they don’t have the ‘Ultimate’ option).

Resolution: My other complaint is the resolution is 3440 x 1440, which is not 4k. This is also related to my other complaint, which is the aspect ratio, which is 21:9 (UltraWide). Movies, YouTube, Xbox, Nintendo, PlayStation, and anything using a standard 16:9 will have two black bars on the side. The only saving grace is that since the black bars are true black, in a darkened room, you won’t notice the bars… but it still annoys me that I cannot take advantage of the full 34 inches. On the brighter side, since the monitor is so long, you have to think of it as having a dual 17-inch monitors setup.

No Built-in Speakers: No built-in speakers. This is common with computer monitors… but given the high price, you would think they could throw in a pair of speakers (even if they’re not good). Instead, you have to use the audio line-out port at the back of the monitor or headphone jack at the bottom of the monitor. For my PC, I’m using a USB speaker (plugged into the monitor), and for my Xbox, it uses an audio-out.

Anti-Glare: Anti-glare coating. While this is listed as “feature”, I am not a fan of it. I suppose in a bright room, the anti-glare makes sense… but I personally would prefer glossy over matted (I always find that matted colors look muted compared to glossy vibrant colors).

Burn-in: Also, obviously I haven’t experienced it, but there is a problem with burn-in common with OLED screens. How Dell is combating this problem is by shifting pixels every four hours or so. The screen also powers off when there is no movement on the screen for a certain time. Colors will auto-dim when there’s no movement, and other annoying things will only be noticeable once you use the screen for a period of time. All of this is done to keep the screen from burning in… which is good, but can be annoying.

Curve: Otherwise, this is an amazing premium display. Now some of the cool thing about this display: it’s a curve screen, giving an immerse view when your eyes look left and right. However, I wish it was curvier, more exaggerated … but Dell decided to only make it slightly curve (which may be more natural).

HDR: This screen also has HDR (high dynamic range) built in, which has better contrast… Unfortunately, not all games or movies are calibrated for HDR, but for the games that do support it, it looks great. I just have it on by default, and it hasn’t bothered me.

Design: The monitor is well-designed with great cable management. All the cables are tunneled through the metal foot stand, making for a nice, clean look. I recommend plugging in all the input right away, even if you’re not going to use those ports. The reason why is that it can be a hassle to put in cables because you have to remove the back cover and running the wire through the stand, etc.

USB Upstream: This Alienware monitor also comes with a USB 5 Gbps pass-through and hub. I never knew I needed this, but now that I have it on the monitor, I don’t think I can live without it now. How this work is you have one USB input cable that plugs in the back of the monitor. Once you plug it to your computer, you now have access to four additional USB on the monitor (2 at the bottom of the monitor and 2 hidden in the back). This is amazing. I have plugged in my keyboard, my mouse, my Xbox controller, and my headphones to the monitor. With one cable to my computer, I now have access to those four accessories! This frees up my computer’s three USB for other things.

Viewing Angle: You can adjust the monitor for height position, you can swivel, you can tilt, and you can slant the monitor. They’re limited to 20° and 4.3 inches, but it’s enough for that perfect viewing angle.

Cables Included: Also, I really appreciated that Alienware threw in all the cables that I will need: a high-speed HDMI cable, Display Port, Mini Display Port, and USB upstream cable. They could have saved some money and not included those cables, but I really appreciate using them since I trust that these are cables will take advantage of maximum throughput. For example, if you used an old 1.0 HDMI cable, you might not be able to use HDR or 1440p resolution, because of the limitation of the first-generation HDMI standards. Plus, Display Input or Display Input Mini are semi-rare, so I really like getting another cable for my collection.

So yeah, this is a great monitor… if you have a powerful PC to take advantage of all of its features. Remember, if your PC can only do 60 frames a second, that means the Alienware monitor will only display 60hz.

Anyway, for testing purposes, I’ve been playing The Last of Us Part I, which does support Ultrawide. It looks great, although you may not be able to see the HDR or various special effects on the screen shot… but what you do see is all the high details and how wide the game looks. You can see so much in the background. I will test out “dark” and scary games and see how much black we can (or can’t) see.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer

PS, I would have tested out more games on UltraWide (with HDR), but unfortunately, most of the big games I had uninstalled for space issues… so I’m re-installing some games just to try it out on the new display.

Last of Us Part I in Ultramax setting on Alienware display (3440 x 1440)

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vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Black Friday 2023

Read More Black Friday With Black Friday coming up this Friday (November 25), we are already starting to see some really good deals on Bluray/UHD discs. Some of my favorite A24 films are on sale, including X, Everything Everywhere All At Once …

The annual shopping holiday, Black Friday, is this week, November 24, 2023. However, if you have been paying attention, Black Friday sales actually started as early as November 1st.

The best deal I’ve seen for the Xbox Series X is this Target with a $75 Gift Card and $110 off for the Diablo IV bundle. That’s about $200 off, making the cost roughly $360 for the whole thing. If you already own an X, like I do, I’ll have to pass on this… but man, it’s a good deal since I paid full price of $500 with no free games.

LG 48” 4k WebOS TV for $570 (Black Friday 2022)

I’m also in the market for an OLED screen. Like last year, the cheapest OLED Television is from Best Buy, who is selling their LG 48” 4k WebOS TV for $550, twenty dollars cheaper than last year’s Black Friday Deals. I do want the television… but last year I spent my entire time looking at my computer’s monitor, so I’m more interested in an OLED Monitor.

Unfortunately, despite sales, the cheapest OLED monitors are still around $800 to $1,200 (and that’s the sale prices). The main reason for wanting OLED on a monitor is that the response time on these monitors is less than .3 millisecond, have higher refresh rates, and they have NVIDIA or AMD video card support (meaning fast response and no screen tearing).

Alienware AW3423DW 34" 2K WQHD Curved OLED Gaming Monitor (Dell)

I think I have my heart set on the Alienware AW3423DW 34" 2K WQHD Curved OLED Gaming Monitor. It is an ultrawide curved 2K screen (3440 x 1440), and has support for NVIDIA G-Synch at 175Hz with less than 0.1 ms response time. The best part is that it’s QD-OLED, which stands for quantum dot organic light-emitting diode. It’s basically a better version of OLED, as the Quatum Dots widens the color palette even further: brighter lights, better saturations.

There are some concerns with burn-in that is common with OLED displays… but I’m not that worried about this since you need to have the same images in the same spot for long hours. The other concern is that it’s an ultrawide. I’ve been using a standard 4k monitor and have gotten used to the large resolution. Downgrading to 2k might be tough, but with that said, with the curve display, with HDR-support, and gaming might be improved (running at a lower resolution), it might be a good tradeoff.

In the past, I have complained that some games do not support UltraWide, so in those cases, the games have large black borders on the left and right of the screen. It’s very annoying, but I can’t fault the monitor for not being a 16:9… but I blame the game developers for not taking into account people’s displays (or more like they don’t care).

Most movies are shot on Widescreen (16:9), so you’ll get black bars on the sides. However, since I do enjoy Shaw Brothers films, they use “Shaw Scope”, which is basically UltraWide… so you can maximize Shaw Brothers films on these monitors.

Anyway, the Alienware monitor is normally $1,299.99, but it’s currently on sale for $900 at MicroCenter… which I may actually have to pick up this Black Friday. Also, I did notice that there were two returns, so you can get an open box for $650. I’m not sure if there are missing items, but if I can save even more, I will ask about it.

Update: It appears that MicroCenter has dropped the Alienware monitor to $800, making it a little more desirable than going with an open-box. Also worth checking out is the LG’s 48 inch OLED 4K Gaming Monitor is $700. That’s $800 off and seems like such a good deal. I think my problem is that 48 inches might be a little too large for a computer desk. I don’t know how close I want to sit next to the monitor... but at that size, it would make for a really good television. Of course, you have to factor in buying a speaker system to pair with the monitor. Still, that is something doable, since I do have audio solutions (or can look into buying a good soundbar).

I will be at MicroCenter this Black Friday to make my OLED monitor purchase. At the moment, I am leaning heavily towards the Alienware, but if I walk out with the LG Monitor, no one can blame me for going with a larger display for a cheaper price...

Yours,

Weekend Gamer

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vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Weekend Gamer: Warhammer: Vermintide 2 free on Steam

Read More Warhammer 40,000 I got the free promotional game Warhammer 40,000: Darktide - Imperial Edition when I bought the Lenovo Legion. At first, I thought the game code is inside the box, but that is not the case ....

Weekend Gamer here. Just a reminder that the Warhammer 40,000: Vermintide 2 is free until November 7th. The giveaway is due to Fatshark’s next game Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, released seven years ago.

In addition to the free game, Steam is also giving away a free DLC Trail of Treachery, starting November 8th (mark your calendar!)

This is exciting, considering that if you bought a NVIDIA 3060, 3070, 3080, or 3090, you were also given a free copy of Warhammer 40,000: Darktide - Imperial Edition (which I happily redeemed Nov 2).

There’s never been a better time to be a Warhammer 40k fan.

Additional details:

November 30th marks the release of Fatshark’s next game Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, an intensely brutal cooperative game set in the Warhammer 40,000 world. This release will be the 3rd installment of “Tide” releases over the past 7 years and adds to the already critically acclaimed Vermintide series.

Throughout November and leading up to the release of Darktide, there'll be activities and updates from Fatshark for all "Tide" players to celebrate its launch. This includes a free copy of Vermintide 2*, a free update to Vermintide 2 (Trail of Treachery DLC), access to play Darktide early for pre-order players, and a free download of the Devoted Rejects DLCfor all Vermintide 1 or 2 players who jump in and play Darktide.

For a limited time only, you can download Vermintide 2 for free and keep it in your library forever

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vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Lenovo Legion Gaming PC

Specs Intel Core i5 11th Gen 11500 2.7GHz Processor NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB GDDR6 16GB DDR4-3200 RAM 512GB SSD+1TB HDD Microsoft Windows 11 Home 10/100/1000 Network 2x2 802.11ax WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.1 400 Watt Power Supply Free game: Warhammer 40,000: Darktide - Imperial Edition (must be redeemed by 11/10/2022) Read More Lenovo With Lenovo Smart Display, it’s pretty much free. If you want music, you can upload all your MP3s to Google Music and access them via the Smart Display. Of course, if you prefer, you can subscribe to Google Music, YouTube Music … iBuyPower Since owning the new iBuyPower’s Fallout computer, I’ve been spending a lot of time on the computer. I’ve been really into RGB lighting for my computer and recently purchased …

Since I got the the Straight Talk Home Internet, which promises 10-100mbps 5G speed, I’ve been enjoying fast downloads of games for my Steam Deck and Xbox Series X. I average about 30-50mbps. Unfortunately, my aging Fallout iBuyPower Computer could not enjoy the same download speed. This is because the Wi-Fi chip in the system is old (2017) and uses old protocol. Plus the computer was downstairs, far from the router. Whatever the reasons is, it has trouble connecting to the network and the speed it was getting was often under 1-4mps. I suspected it was the Wi-Fi card because the Xbox, sitting right next to my computer, was doing 80mps!

As I’ve previously mentioned, I’ve been looking around for a new gaming computer, and this was just the final straw. There are numerous problems with the Fallout computer, first the fan is starting to rattle and prevents me from doing audio recording because it was so noisy. Next, in order to upgrade the video card, I would have to replace the power supply. Also, the old computer would just not upgrade to Windows 11. Plus, it was just getting slow.

So, it was time. I bought the Lenovo Legion T5i 26IOB6 Gaming PC for $850 today from MicroCenter. This is a great price, it’s about 40% off the original asking price. Most of that money probably goes to the Nvidia 3060 video card. Just a quick Amazon search, shows that the average 3060 card is $400-$500. The 3060 card will be a massive improvement over my old 1660 card.

Download Speed

The key thing for me is the WiFi 6 card, which is the latest protocol. Of course, the first thing I did when I started up the computer was doing a speed test… and yes, it’s now fast and on par with what my Xbox was getting, in terms of download speeds.

With the fast internet connection, I’m able to re-download all the software that I need. All my movies and music are on external hard drives, so physically moving them to the new computer was effortless. I’m just afraid that with so many hard drives (6 in total), that the 400 Watt power supply might not be powerful enough. The first game I’ve re-downloaded is Elden Ring, which I am enjoying on the Steam Deck.

The new computer does have one USB-C, which is great. I’m going to have to get a USB hub to take advantage of it.

This is my first Windows 11 machine, so, at first, I’m not used to it. At first I wish it was Windows 10, as it’s what I’m familiar with… but I suppose over time, I will learn to understand and get used to Win 11.

Otherwise, I’ve zero complaints about the new computer. It’s fast, and it runs whisper quiet, which I absolutely love.

Yours,

- Weekend Gamer

PS I got the free promotional game Warhammer 40,000: Darktide - Imperial Edition when I bought the Lenovo Legion. At first, I thought the game code is inside the box, but that is not the case. If you buy it, look for the game code on your receipt. The promotion ends 11/10/2022, which is in about a week. The game official comes out November 30. You’ll need both an Nvidia and Steam account… but if you’re into PC gaming… you’ll already have one.

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vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Weekend Gamer Update (September 2022)

Read More Steam I’ve put down my $5 to preorder my Steam Deck. I decided to get the $400 entry model. I think that is a fantastic price, considering that I looked at similar handheld PCs, such as the Aya Neo and OneXPlayer, and they are usually $1,000 or more … Cyberpunk For some odd reason, Best Buy, allowed me to pick up my pre-order for Cyberpunk 2077 video game for the PC. The game is not officially out until December 10, 2020, on a variety of platforms: Windows …

I received my Steam Deck today. I haven’t played any games on it, as each games takes a million years to download on my cellular hotspot. But so far, so good, everything is working as expected.

First impression: the Steam Deck is massive! I had no idea, I mean I knew it was bigger than the Nintendo Switch, but it’s way bigger than I thought. It’s definitely not a pocketable device. Still, it’s more portable than, say a heavy gaming laptop. I’ll have more to say about the Steam Deck once I actually start playing games on it.

Prior to receiving my Steam Deck, I’ve been buying various accessories for it. I got a decal, a screen protector, and a very expensive 1TB SD card… and I think eventually I will upgrade the 2230 NVMe SSD chip (even though Valve does not recommend it because the SSD might draw too much power and brick the device).

The sticker decal sucked, it arrived folded, and the printing looks blurry. Plus it ripped when I was putting it on. I don’t think I will be buying anymore decals for the Steam Deck unless it’s official or at least licensed.

The other prepping thing I’ve done is buy some more Steam games (even though I own many of them on GOG or Xbox). So yeah, I bought Cyberpunk again. Yeah, I re-bought Elden Ring again on Steam.

Logitech G Cloud

Speaking of Steam Deck, Logitech announced their Logitech G Cloud, a $350 handheld device that can stream your Xbox Cloud Gaming, Steam Link, and NVIDIA GeForce Now games. The pricing doesn’t make any sense to me. You can buy a non-portable Xbox Series S or the original Nintendo Switch for less.

And speaking of Cyberpunk, you may recall that I bought the game in Dec 2020 and I noted that there will likely be bugs in the game. What I didn’t anticipate was the massive backlash against the game as it did not run properly on “last gen” consoles. I bought it for the PC, so it ran as expected. I personally didn’t have any complaints about Cyberpunk, but I understand why fans were so angry.

Fast-forward to today, with the recent update / upgrade to Cyberpunk for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the fans did a 180 turn and all negatives were forgiven. With over 1 million players playing the game every night since the update it’s good to see the game doing so well, two years after it originally released.

As I previously mentioned, I did re-buy the game on Steam so I can test it out on my Steam Deck… so I’ll be joining one of the many players returning to the game.

Yours,

- Weekend Gamer

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Asus ROG Strix G15: Electro Punk Gaming Laptop

ROG Strix G15: Electro Punk ASUS - ROG Strix G15 15.6" Gaming Laptop The ROG Strix G15 Electro Punk embodies streamlined design, offering a formidable core experience for serious gaming and multitasking on Windows 10. Featuring up to the latest 10th Gen Intel Core CPU and a NVIDIA GeForce GPU, it offers high-FPS power that takes full advantage of up to a blazing fast display Game at Professional Speed: An ultrafast 144Hz refresh rate makes the flow of fast-paced action look impeccably smooth and reduces motion blur for precision target tracking. ROG Intelligent Cooling: ROG's Intelligent Cooling philosophy mixes the right features and system settings to ensure the best experience. Performance is boosted with cutting-edge enhancements like liquid metal compound on the CPU and a well-ventilated exterior that keeps noise levels lower than the last generation. Comprehensive Connectivity: Get blazing fast transfers at Gen 2 speeds via the USB 3.2 Type-C with DisplayPort 1.4, or connect an ROG G-SYNC monitor for silky smooth gaming. Three Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports are ready for your favorite gaming gear, while HDMI 2.0b allows you to enjoy content on a 4K monitor or TV at up to 60Hz. Reliable Wi-Fi: Ultrafast Intel Wi-Fi 6 with Gig+ (802.11ax) lets you game reliably at LAN speeds wherever compatible connections are available. Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) enables a peak interface bandwidth up to 2.4Gbps.* Windows 10 Home Edition 15.6" Full HD display 144Hz (1920 x 1080) 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H mobile processor (6-core) 8GB system memory 512GB Solid State Drive (PCI-e) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 TI (4GB GDDR6) Virtual Reality Ready Weighs 5.29 lbs. and measures 1" thin HDMI output Wireless/Wired connectivity (WiFi 6 - 802.11 ax) RGB backlit keyboard Headphone/microphone combo jack. Read More MicroSoft Anyway, when I saw that the new MicroSoft’s Surface Pro 7 (with keyboard cover) on sale for $600, I couldn’t pass it up. Currently their price is $700, but MicroSoft’s website is still showing $600. ...

I’ve been quietly looking for a gaming laptop for a while now. Let’s face it, as much as I like the Surface Pro 7, that machine is not capable of playing any modern games. I wasn’t looking to spend too much money, trying to keep it under $1,000, so when I saw this ROG Strix G15: Electro Punk laptop for $899, I couldn’t pass it up. Both New Egg and Walmart are selling this same laptop for over $1,100… so getting the laptop sub-$1k is still a good price.

For those that don’t know, this the Republic of Gamers Strix (ROG Strix) is a gaming laptop brand from ASUS. The G15 or G17 refers to the screen size, at 15 inch and 17 inch, respectively. Personally speaking, for portability, I prefer smaller screens, so I don’t mind the 15 inch, as it keeps the laptop lighter.

You can get the ROG Strix in a variety of colors, for example “Glacier Blue” or Black. This “Electro Punk” version (Black with Neon Pink trims) may actually be part of a bigger rollout of Electro Punk-related products… such as a Cherry Mechanical Keyboard, mouse, and headphones (and headphone stand?). Personally speaking, I probably won’t be buying any of those accessories, simply because I’m not a fan of the color scheme and I already own great products from Razer or Corsair, and they serve their purpose.

In order to keep costs down for the Electro Punk, there are some subpar or missing features. I’ll address some of these things, so you know what or what not to expect.

The laptop is all (or mostly) made out of plastic. It still looks good, but doesn’t have a “premium” look that some aluminum or metal laptops. The plastic looks durable to me, and I like the weird vents and cyberpunk look, so it looks fine to me.

The Electro Punk edition also has only 8GB Ram. The Strix G15 normally has 16GB, so I feel this is a stepdown. The good news is that you can always upgrade the RAM with one of their open Ram slot. I may eventually upgrade the RAM down the road, but for now, it’s not that important to me.

It also a lack of built-in webcam. This is a problem for game streamers, so if you’re one of those, you probably need to avoid this laptop. You can always buy an external USB webcam if you really need one. Most built-in webcam aren’t great anyway, it’s just a matter of convenience.

It doesn’t have a SD card reader, which really sucks… but again, you can always use an external USB dongle. Same goes for DVD/CD-Rom drive… if you need it, you’ll have to buy an external USB drive. That is not a problem for me, simply because I don’t want moving parts in a mobile device.

Keep in mind that not including those things above keeps the retail price to $999, so I think they made the right decision. If they offer a built-in SD Card Reader for $50 more, I would personally pay for the upgrade.

Let’s highlight some of the main features of the Electro Punk.

The best part about this laptop is that it has a 144Hz screen, which is unheard of for a sub-$1000 laptop. What that means is smoother gameplay. For example, it doesn’t matter if your game is outputting 120 frames per seconds if your screen can only show 60Hz (60 frames). You can only take advantage of the fast refresh screen natively on the laptop. If you output to a 4k monitor using the HDMI-out, it can only display 60Hz. I think 60 is fine.

We’re also getting an i7 with 6-core chip. Again, almost unheard of for a budget laptop. Most budget laptops or desktop uses an i5 chip (or i3). The last few computers I’ve had, I have used i5 and never thought it was lacking anything. The i5 chip is fast, so I feel i7 is just going to be better.

You also won’t find this in other laptops, but the 2020 edition of the ROG Strix comes with “Liquid Metal”, which was intended to keep the laptop cool. They use this technology on their high-end laptops, so I’m very happy to see it on their cheapest laptop as well.

I think a lot of people might scoff at the built-in 512GB SSD PCI Express, saying there’s not enough storage. You have to remember that you’re getting this in a budget gaming laptop, so it’s not a surprise that they are cutting corners on storage. The good news is that there are TWO NVME slots on the motherboard. This is amazing. Most modern desktop or laptops only offers one slot. I have already put in a 1TB NVME and plan on putting in another 1TB (for a total of 2.5TB of storage) soon.

That’s not all. We also get a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti graphic card (4GB GDDR6). It’s a mobile version, but it’s still very fast and can handle all my games. In addition, it’s powerful enough to fuel Virtual Reality headsets, like Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. Unfortunately, this is budget Graphic Card, so it’s not going to have the latest “Ray Tracing” technology that all the new GPU cards are touting.

What is funny is that one of the main features that Asus is promoting is that the Electro Punk laptop weighs 5.29 lbs. I feel this is very heavy, but compared to other gaming laptops, 5.29lbs is actually reasonable. The 1" thinness (when closed), is pretty compact for a gaming laptop.

We also get the latest WiFi6 (802.11ax). They could’ve kept it cheap and used an older (and more common) WiFi chip, so I appreciate the latest wireless technology. Unfortunately, my current router does not support the latest 802.11ax, but I like the idea that the laptop can take advantage of a faster WiFi… for future proofing.

You typically don’t see extra RGB light strips in a budget laptop, so what’s nice about the Electro Punk is that there are underlighting in sync with your keyboard RGB lights. It uses the ASUS’ Aura software to control the lights. For example, you can have the light display red when it hits 60 degree Celcius, as a visual indicator that the laptop is hot. There are also games that will take advantage of Aura, maybe flashing lights when you’re low in health or when it spots an enemy.

I do have some minor nitpicks on the laptop. I think the Neon Pink accents might actually discourage this for boys. I mean, why not go for Neon Green or Orange? I think any color would go great with the black. If you ignore the pink, and maybe think of this as a Cyberpunk design, it sort of make sense.

The other annoying thing is that venting fans are loud. They run all the time. I don’t think you can turn these off (even on “Silent Mode”). In a quiet room, you can definitely hear the laptop running.

It’s also expected, but I should reiterate, that you should not run games on this laptop on battery. Not only do games drain the battery incredibly fast (a 30-min session cut the battery by 50%), but games are choppy and doesn’t run very well. If you do light browsing and email, the laptop will probably run for less than three hours… so you’ll always want to bring the power adapter with you.

I definitely recommend the Electro Punk laptop, if you’re in the market for an all-in-one gaming PC solution. You can use it as a laptop, or you can always get an external monitor and workstation dock and treat the laptop as a desktop.

If money is no object to you, Asus advertised an Electro Punk with GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER version, but I’m assuming it will be a lot more expensive than $1,000. Overall, I’ve been very impressed with my Electro Punk and its capabilities.

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GeForce Now

GeForce Now Benefits Underserved Mac gamers, now you can play any PC game on your Mac without Bootcamp or Parallels. It also supports macOS 10.10 or better. All supported GeForce NOW titles work on Macs. With over 400 supported top games, like PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS, Fortnite, and more from Steam, Uplay, and other popular digital stores, you can play your favorite PC games on nearly any device anywhere you go. Select games from your personal PC game library or purchase new ones, with new games being added all the time. Your favorite titles load faster and stay up-to-date with the latest patches when you stream from the GeForce NOW cloud service. Ease and Accessibility: With the technology of tomorrow available today, it’s never been easier to use your existing devices as high-powered gaming rigs. Transform nearly any laptop, desktop, or even your SHIELD TV streaming device into the gaming PC you’ve been dreaming about with GeForce NOW. It’s powered by NVIDIA GeForce GPUs, so quality and performance are covered. Winning the game is up to you. AAA Windows PC Games: You provide your own game content--whether it’s your own vast library of titles or your collection of free-to-play favorites. Don’t own a game? Look at our GeForce NOW supported games list to see where you can get started. Enjoy your favorite PC games, like PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS, Fortnite, Far: Lone Sails, and access to over 200 pre-installed popular titles, with new games getting added all the time. Instant Installs; No Maintenance Required: Instantly install supported games on GeForce NOW directly onto your cloud gaming rig in seconds. Say adios to long wait times for game patches and driver updates. GeForce NOW eliminates the lengthy wait so you can focus on the win. Ultra Streaming Mode: This mode increases the speed that GeForce NOW streams games to your Mac, Windows PC, or SHIELD TV from 60 FPS to 120 FPS or higher, reducing latency. You’re welcome. Read More Nvidia I wanted the best of the best Android TV, and eventually just bought the Nvidia Shield when they had a sale. I was holding out for a new model of this device (since the internal hardware had not been changed …

When I first heard about Google’s Stadia cloud gaming service, I thought that there are several services out already, including Sony’s PlayStation Now and Nvidia’s GeForce Now… so why is anybody excited about Stadia? If Google could solve the latency problem of WiFi, perhaps by a combination of compression and auto-downloading in the background… then streaming games might be more attractive.

I haven’t used PS Now, since it’s expensive at $19.99 a month, but I have dipped my foot in the water with GeForce Now. Originally, I used GeForce Now via my Nvidia Shield… but later I started using it on my PC.

The GeForce Now service is currently free, while Nvidia’s service is in beta. The price they want to charge is $7.99 a month. That price is low, because you can only stream games you already own. You’re essentially paying for the option to stream a game from one of Nvidia’s computers.

The beauty of GeForce Now is that I might play a game on a low-powered laptop instantly (without having to download the software), and then continue the same game (using cloud saves) on another local (but more powerful) computer.

With that in mind, here’s a scenario you might have: While you install a game on a local computer, you could potentially be playing that same game using GeForce Now. By the time your regular computer downloads and installed your game, you can pick it up right where you left it off from GeForce Now.

Now for the negatives:

For streaming purposes, resolution is reduced to 540 or 480p.

Does not support Ultrawide resolution (21:9)

Not recommended playing over WiFi (you need to be on a fast network).

Lots of artifacts and frame skipping if you’re on WiFi

Not intuitive, for example it’s not clear that you have to “install” the game first

Cannot change third party login option, especially if you don’t have an account with another service.

If you’re on WiFi, the service will work, but based on the low resolution and video artifacts, I can’t really recommend playing games over WiFi. I haven’t tested it out using a direct connection to the router, but my computer situation prevents me from trying. I can imagine the game will run much better.

Is the service worth $7.99 once they start charging for it? I would have to say no for now. For $0.00, I do think you should at least give it a try. You do have to request a key from nvidia.com, but it’ll be worth it.

For now, I think I’ll be gaming on my computer… unless I’m in a bind and need to continue the game on my television (using my Nvidia Shield).

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Nvidia Shield

NVIDIA Shield 2017 Read More The Mi Box That left me with my only choice: The Mi Box. If you aren't familiar with the Mi Box, it's a $69 Android TV box sold by Chinese company Xiaomi. When you get the Mi Box ... Roku I recently purchased the third generation Roku 2 at the end of July. I've been keeping an eye on the Roku for a long time, but have finally decided to get one based on the fact that they now support DLNA. ... Apple TV Apple TV is the only one that supports iTunes purchased movies and "Air Play", but if you don't live in the Apple Universe, a workaround is with UltraViolet (via Flixster or Vudu). You can read more about UltraViolet here. ...

It’s been about three years since I purchased The Mi Box and it was just time I needed to upgrade the device.

I know the trend right now are Micro PCs, but I don’t think it’s an elegant solution, since Windows 10’s fonts are tiny, sitting 10 feet away - and not to mention that you still have to use a mouse and keyboard to navigate.

Android TV (which includes Amazon’s limited version called Fire TV), Roku, and Apple TV, are basically the main three competitors in this streaming box market. I have own all three types and I love and hate them all. Many of you already have one of these boxes, and they’re fine for most of you. I just find that Roku and Apple are very limited in what you can actually do with their boxes.

I wanted the best of the best Android TV, and eventually just bought the Nvidia Shield when they had a sale. I was holding out for a new model of this device (since the internal hardware had not been changed since its launch in 2015), but I eventually gave in.

The new smaller 2017 version (with new redesigned controller) is the model I bought, and to be perfectly honest, it’s still a very good streaming box, thanks to the Tegra X1 chip (with 3GB of RAM). It’s fast enough to run any Android software and seems to handle 4k content better than most TV devices of its kind.

Overall, I’m still very happy with the Nvidia Shield and it’s the only device that I use regularly on my TV.

Pros:

The best, fastest, most updated Android TV on the market

4k/HDR/Dolby Atmos 7.1 support

Voice Control and Google Assistant

NVIDIA GeForce Now (currently FREE)

The only Android TV device that can officially run Amazon Prime Videos (Amazon and Google

Game controller is the best I’ve used on any streaming box

Ability to control Shield with Google Home Hub

Can run Dolphin Emulator (other devices on the market are not fast enough to run this software)

Official Google Play store apps, like Kodi, MAME4droid, Snes9x EX+

Supports Google Music and Amazon Music!

Ability to sideload any APK applications, such as Morpheus TV, StopAds, Adblocker

Shield exclusive games, like Doom 3, Tomb Raider, Half-Life 2

Cons:

The most expensive Android TV on the market

No Micro SD reader (found in the original 2015 model, but not in the latest model)

Small storage (only 16GB)

Short battery life on the game controller

Remote controller does not have volume control

Remote controller is flimsy

Remote controller’s batteries are not rechargeable

Needs a special base to stand the Shield upright

The Shield will unwantedly turn on (or off) the TV

I actually hated the remote controller that came with the Shield … so I’m using the game controller for everything and may be the reason why I’m complaining about the controller’s battery life. I find myself recharging it every other day, and it’s a little annoying.

The small storage and lack of SD card reader isn’t really a deal breaker, because you can address this with a rather large USB stick or USB Harddrive. For most people looking to just stream their content, 16GB will be fine for them.

As for the Shield turning on and off the TV, you can disable this “feature” under CEC power management, so it’s not a big deal.

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Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Read More The Witcher I also picked up The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, at Walmart, which came with a lot of bonus items like a DVD and Soundtrack (all at the normal cost of a game product). They are on the right track, I definitely …

I'm a big fan of CD Projekt, the maker of the Witcher series. One of the main reason is that they allow their games to be played offline on a PC, which is how I prefer to play my games. In return, I'll always support the software company. CD Projekt's latest game is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the game came out internationally last Tuesday. I finally got a chance to play the game over the long weekend, starting on Friday evening and running the game all weekend long.

As with the previous Witcher game, the PC version comes with a bonus CD soundtrack of the game. I'm not sure if the soundtrack is free for the PS4 or Xbox One version.

Just initial thoughts, but the game is very good. It feels like a cross between Skyrim, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and a little bit of Red Dead Redemption (particularly for the horse riding).

Although I own the two previous Witcher games (both on discs and digital -- couldn't pass up the sale leading up to Witcher 3), they were just so long that I actually never finish either games... and I suspect that I probably won't have the time to see The Witcher 3 to its end. That's fine, I have always felt I got my money's worth when it comes to these games.

I couldn't get my PC to run the game at Ultra Setting (I've read actually that even the latest Nvidia cards have trouble with the highest setting), but even at 1080p/60fps was good enough for me. Gameplay was pretty smooth and enjoyable, even on my budget Nvidia 750ti and my midrange Intel i5 chip. Your mileage may vary, depending on your rig.

Anyway, right now I'm in a middle of a boss fight that is really tough. I might restart the game and do all the side quests to bring up my levels. I think my character is too weak right now to take on this long quest (which I think I jumped in way too early in the game).

As for complaints about the game, my one small gripe is the way the character moves. It's very slow to start, as if the controls aren't very responsive.

If there are no other games coming out... I think Witcher 3: Wild Hunt may be my game of the year.

PS I have been giving a lot of thoughts into upgrading to a 960 video card (on sale for $200). I figure if games are pretty good on my current computer, wouldn't they will be amazing on something faster?

Witcher, Witcher 2, and Witcher 3

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Site Update: September 2014

Read More Site Update I have an old laptop that basically takes forever to bootup. When the original iPad was released in 2007, I knew this device was going to replace my laptop! I bought the original cellular AT&T version which worked great for a while...

I have been meaning to upgrade the graphics card in my computer for a long time now. The integrated Intel video card, for the most part, worked fine, but it won't exactly run graphically intensive games (shooters, big diablo-style games). I knew that I eventually had to upgrade the graphic card, but my main problem is my i5 Gateway DX4870-UB318 computer only came with a 300 Watt Power supply. If you knew anything about modern gaming graphic cards, they usually have a 500+ Watt requirement (in fact, I just saw a card that required 750 Watt the other day).

If I had to upgrade the graphic card, then logically I had to upgrade the power supply, right? Not so! Enter the Nvidia Maxwell Chipset. The GeForce GTX 750 and 750 Ti came out last year, but I finally got my hands on one (EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti Superclocked) for my computer. The box lists a 400 Watt requirement, but I just installed it on my computer and it ran on my 300W. It should be noted that evga.com only lists a 300W requirement.

Installation was literally a 'snap': as long as your computer had enough room to fit in a PCI Express card, then the GeForce 750 will work. There is no extra cable needed to draw power, so it's insert and go! And the best part: I did not have to restart the computer after I installed the latest Nvidia drivers. The card came with a CD for drivers and software, but I normally would prefer to just download it.

This is my current computer (Sleepergate):

My Rig

CPU: Intel Core i5 3450 @ 3.10Ghz
GPU: GeForce GTX 750 Ti
Memory: 8GB DDR3-1333 SDRAM
OS: Windows 8 (64 Bit)
HD: 1TB 5,400RPM Hard Drive
DVDRW Drive
Memory Card Reader
10/100/1000 Network
802.11a/b/g/n Wireless
Bluetooth

I've tested out various games that previously did not run correctly on my old computer setup, and I have to say the GeForce card handled these games (at max setting) without any problems! Pretty happy with the card at the moment.

Some key features of the EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti Superclocked card: 2GB of GDDR5, 640 CUDA Cores, 3 output (DVI-I, HDMI, DisplayPort), 4K ready (4096x2160), low power requirement (300 Watt), and small size (6.7in in length).

NOTE: Are you confused by the EVGA name? There are various hardware maker in this space, they produce these cards based on Nvidia's design and architecture. As a result, you can shop around for the same card from different manufacturer. For example PNY and Zotac produced the same card, but with slightly different outputs (the Zotac offered mini-HDMI and PNY offered the old, outdated VGA port). To be fair, EVGA gave us a DVI-I to VGA adapter in the box.

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