The PC gaming market is flooded with newer and more efficient hardware which has the gaming community psyched since the Nvidia Pascal release in 2016. Given all of this, it is curious to see how many budget gaming laptops still use the older GPUs, mostly GTX 950M and 960M. We will see as we look closely at individual laptops, how good of a performance they pack for the aforementioned budget. The most crucial deciding factor other than the GPU, will be high speed storage, CPU and of course, the display.
Review
Best Laptop under 400 Dollars 2018
In our previous article we reviewed four of the most loaded laptops around the $500 tag. We have lowered it further to $400 to see what the market segmentation is like at that price point. The point of high end laptops was to provide performance and we cared little about weight and battery life. Surely, at this budget if we are not asking for gaming, we can get good laptops for lightweight productivity and casual use. Can’t We?
Well the market is segmented differently from the perspective of a few manufacturers. Somehow, they want to convince consumers that at $400 they can provide everything just as well as those high end products. As a result, we end up with products that aren’t good for power users or the casual ones. These are the products which you would want to avoid. Also considering your personal needs is important while deciding what you might prefer. For example, if you are a blogger who likes to travel to different places and write about them then reliable battery performance is going to matter more than CPU performance or the RAM size. Similarly, a corporate executive can appreciate a faster SSD which would make boot time extremely small and programs like Microsoft Office would load quickly.
Notice that we are considering products that can be regarded as laptops and are not convertible tablets or Chromebooks. The main reason for doing this is not so much the form factor but the CPU inside it. Anything with an Intel Core M from any generation is something we are intentionally avoiding just to stick to laptop department alone. There is an entire range of Macbooks and Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Book, but those things cost north of a $1000 price tag. Something a budget conscious person would avoid.
Best Gaming Monitor under 200 dollars 2018
Having a good gaming monitor to compliment the hardware in your PC is an essential addition to any serious gamer. The difference a quality monitor can make is huge, and can greatly improve a user’s experience. Unfortunately, quality comes with a price tag and affording a high spec monitor isn’t always the easiest on your wallet or purse.
Anyone who has built their own PC for gaming purposes will know that you spend most of your hard earned cash on a graphics card. For a good GPU, you’d be looking to spend $250+ and that would be for one of the bottom end models. There’s no getting away from that price tag, but for those of us on a tight budget, there are options for quality Monitors below the $200 mark. Spending below that mark can be a perfect way to get the most out of your current GPU and improve your visual experience.
Best Monitor for Macbook Pro (Retina) / Mac Mini / Macbook Air
Tutorial about how to choose a monitor to combine with a Mac computer. There are many models available, with pretty different prices and features. A short review about the main technologies, certifications, reference standards to consider.
The choice of a Monitor to use with a computer is not an easy task: there are many models for each price range, apparently similar but often with functions and features even much different from each other…So what are the best 2016 monitors to match a Mac computer with? And which parameters should I consider to choose them?
Keeping the average Mac user as parameter in mind, we’ve thought to explain the elements to consider in order to combine a monitor with a computer, which can be a Mac Mini, a Mac Pro, but also an additional display for a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro. There’s really an unlimited number of them, with displays suitable for people who professionally work with photos and videos, and other ones realized for design, yet other ones for gaming and multimedia, or pretty generic and cheap ones, suitable for people who do an office job (writing, emailing, web surfing etc.). We’ll shortly see the main technologies, certifications and the reference standards to consider.
Which connections should a Monitor be equipped to work with a Mac?
All pretty recent Mac computers provide, as standard, a Mini DisplayPort port (Thunderbolt); you can use this one to connect monitors that integrate this port: DVI, HDMI, or the old VGA monitors can be connected with specific adapters. Apple and third party producers provide Mini DisplayPort-DVI, Mini DisplayPort-VGA, Mini DisplayPort/DVI-Dual-Link and Mini DisplayPort-HDMI adapters. The current Mac Pro can handle without any problem up to three displays with 5K resolution and six Thunderbolt displays (we redirect you to this support document by Apple to know details about the types of Ultra HD monitor supported and how to set them up).
Echo Dot Review: how good is Amazon’s 3rd generation of Smart speaker with Alexa?
Verdict
When we tested the second generation of Amazon’s Echo Dot, we were forced to conclude that it was not particularly well-suited to playing music. However, in contrast, the third generation of Amazon’s connected speaker is quite good; the newest Echo Dot has vastly improved audio quality. What’s more, given its affordable price, it is unquestionably the most inexpensive way of bringing Alexa into your home. Our only criticism is that it no longer features a customizable plastic shell as previous versions did. Apart from this shortcoming, for its price, the Echo Dot is a near-perfect connected speaker..
What we liked
- No HDD, only 256GB storage space
- Poor battery life
- Only one USB 3.0 port
- Not the latest Bluetooth version (v4.0)
Con
- it’s no longer customizable
By launching its Echo Dot, Amazon took a giant leap forward in the field of connected home technology. The Echo Dot is the most affordable way to bring Alexa into your living room and it also makes a great gift.
AOC AG322QCX Review: large gaming monitor with 144Hz
144Hz, 31.5” curved display with QHD resolution, and all sorts of ergonomic functions – the AOC AG322QCX awaits with features to please gamers. I have tested it to see whether the concept has taken off.
Pro
- Good workmanship
- Adaptive sync
- Good image quality
Con
- The buttons on the QuickSwitch controller
Before we begin with the complete test, here is an overview of the technical specifications once again. For those of you who are really keen to know, you can jump to the conclusion here.
First impression, delivery and assembly
The first impression is very good, even the packaging gives a positive impression. The assembly instructions are in one of the higher flaps on the packaging, you can’t miss it. I also really like the spacers for the monitor – with that you can put it on the table when assembling it knowing that it will not bend the curved display.
The delivery has everything that you need. Along with the monitor, there is also the power cable, a DisplayPort cable, an HDMI cable, a 3.5mm cable, a USB-B 3.0 cable and the QuickSwitch controller. The usual papers have been condensed onto one small product information sheet. In addition, there is also a CD with the operating instructions.
Google Home Max Review: a powerful yet disappointing connected speaker
Apple’s only connected speaker is the HomePod (which makes up for Siri’s shortcomings with its excellent acoustic quality). Google, on the other hand, offers several such products geared to “Home” use, with names like Mini and Max. The largest of these products, the Google Home Max, is the one we will be discussing here.
Retailing for around 399$, this connected speaker was engineered to satisfy even the most demanding listeners. In other words… to make you forget about the mediocre acoustic performance of the Google Home (which retails for much less: 129 dollars). A world leader in wireless technology, Google is now seeking to validate its wireless connected speaker. And, after having spent a few weeks testing the Home Max, we have to say that it still has a lot of room left for improvement.
The Home Max isn’t very elegant but it does have some great features
A connected speaker designed to fit in with a person’s interior decor should, above all, be aesthetically appealing. However, it would be fair to say that the Google Home Max is somewhat lacking in this respect. Very massive, the Google Home’s big brother is not very elegant: it resembles a large gray or black brick (your two color options) that sticks out when it is placed on top of a piece of furniture. At least the Home Max has very good finish quality (there’s nothing protruding from the speaker’s case); also noteworthy is its ability to be placed vertically in the manner of a bookshelf speaker. Google also supplies a small, magnetic silicone support to prevent the speaker from being in direct contact with the surface it is sitting on.
We did like this speaker’s front panel: it is covered with thin fabric that is translucent enough to allow the speaker’s four luminous indicators to show through when using the Google Assistant. Of course, the direction of these indicators will depend on the speaker’s orientation. At the top of the speaker (or on its side if it is being used vertically), can be found a tactile surface (distinguishable by its darker color) which will allow you to increase/decrease the speaker’s volume or pause audio playback. These controls work very well and can be used if you prefer not to make use of the speaker’s voice commands.
Acer Predator X34P Review: luxury beast with minor weaknesses
The Acer Predator X34P is unbelievable. 120 Hertz, 1440p resolution, 34-inch, 21:9 curved display and NVIDIA G-Sync. It has almost everything today’s gamer wants, but of course at a price which would shock many. With our test you can find out whether it is really worth 900 dollars.
Pro
- Sleek 120 Hz panel
- NVIDIA G-Sync
- 21:9 format
Con
- “mellow” frame
- No HDR
- 5ms response time
The Acer Predator X34P really does want to be a predator. At such a high price, it should at least be able to make coffee. To cut a long story short, the Acer Predator X34P is a stylish monitor which does everything right. Unfortunately, though, there are more problems in the B note, which costs it the title of the perfect gaming monitor. Let’s begin as we always do by looking at the specs.
Delivery and assembly
A 34-inch 21:9 monitor does not come in a small box. At least you can still carry it by yourself. In the box you can find, next to the Acer Predator X34P, the HDMI cable, display port and the power cable with a German and British plug layout. You also get a remote control and metal plate, which you need to hang it on the wall. Not necessarily a lot, but it is enough.
Cheap Gaming Monitor 2018 Recommendation (144 Hz, Low input Lag, 4K)
Arguably the most important peripheral, a good monitor is supposed to provide a good immersive experience for gaming and productivity. There are myriads of factor to be considered here, first and foremost being the resolution and the color reproduction. Next and equally important factor, especially for gamers, is the refresh rate of the monitor and the availability of FreeSync or G-sync for smoother gaming experience. The unknown factors are of course backlight bleed and dead pixels, especially, if you are going for esoteric Korean panels which have flooded the market these days.
Our review however is concerned with the most well-established manufacturers with relatively uniform production quality and better customer support. If you want to take the risk, go ahead and experiment with a Korean panel.
Your personal workload is also an important factor in deciding the kind of panel you may want to use. Want higher response time and really low latency for your fast-paced Counter-Strike then you may want a TN panel. Most people prefer using an IPS panel, because of better viewing angle and higher color saturation. This is good for content creators and people who watch movies with their friends and family using their monitor.
Best Laptop under 600 Dollars 2018
Are you looking for the best possible laptop but do not want to spend too much? It’s difficult trying to find good gaming or office laptop within a budget when you have to do all the research by yourself. Luckily, you have come to the right place if you want guidance and reviews of the best gaming laptops under 600 dollars.
In this article, we will guide you about things you should be looking for in a budget laptop before buying it. We will also share with you our list of Best laptops under $600 that we feel are the best in this budget.
Buying a laptop within $600 means that you will have to make some compromises. When you are trying to find a budget laptop, you won’t be getting the latest tech and the highest possible storage at once.
For example, there would be one laptop with an excellent display, but on closer inspection, you will find that the computer has a processor that is two generations behind the latest generation of processors. Alternatively, Probably, you will find a laptop that has specs that are far beyond what you were expecting but lacks a graphics card.