Intel’s “Skylake-X” and “Kaby Lake-X” processors were launched this summer, as part of the company’s latest Core X-Series processors for enthusiasts. (For reference, see our analysis of the Intel Core i9-7900X, which is the latest top-of-the-line chip available at the time of writing in late July.) And, predictably, Asus has already released at least seven…
In mid-2016, Intel’s “Broadwell-E” processors (led by the Core i7-6950X and Core i7-6900K) hit the market, prompting a surge of motherboards targeted at gamers who were upgrading their systems with new processors. Since the Intel X99 chipset that drives these boards hasn’t been modified, motherboard manufacturers have filled the boards with new functionality, rendering them…
The Asus ROG Strix B350-F Gaming motherboard was a good board for its time, but it should have been more. With the ROG Strix B450-F Gaming board, Asus has attempted to renovate the space, adding support for AMD’s StoreMI software storage acceleration technology, which intelligently transfers data from a hard drive to an SSD, as…
It’s much simpler to build a PC in a large ATX case than it is to build one in a tiny Mini-ITX case. However, it’s easy to see that so many gamers are tempted: A gaming PC in a Mini-ITX case is simple to transport to a friend’s house or to fit into a little…
If motherboards were classified according to their economic status, Asus’ $299.99 ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming will be an upper-middle-class aspirant driving an imported SUV with golf clubs in the back. Even if it can’t quite fit sophisticated premium boards like Asus’ own Maximus XII series motherboards in terms of functionality, this aspirational ATX board is…
With hardware prices being as high as they are, you are much better off building your own computer than wasting time on a pre-built PC. However, building a PC might be easier said than done. Apart from the obvious fact that you’re going to have a hard time finding the actual hardware, there are also…