AMD’s Radeon RX 7800 and 7700 could be launching any day now – here’s why I’m excited
With the RX 7900 XT and XTX already in the market, AMD has a big gap in its mainstream Radeon lineup. The company could be ready to fill it with the new Radeon RX 7800 and 7700 graphics cards, based on Navi 32 silicon.
According to YouTube channel Moore’s Law Is Dead, the new cards are set to launch this September. They will come in two variants, a full-size Navi 32 chip with 60 Compute Units and a cut-down version with either 48 or 54 CUs and 16GB of VRAM. The full-size chip is likely to be called the RX 7800 XT, while the cut-down chip will probably get the RX 7700 XT name.
The performance-mainstream cards are expected to perform better than the current RX 6800 and 6700 XT, delivering a gen-over-gen upgrade of around 16%. Renowned hardware leaker All The Watts!! posted a 3DMark Time Spy benchmark score of 18,957 points, which is very close to Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4060Ti (18,800).
While the prices and performance numbers have yet to be confirmed by AMD itself, the rumours seem fairly legitimate. The upcoming cards are said to be based on the same GPU architecture as the RX 7900 XT and 7900 XTX, but with lower clock speeds.
Aside from that, the 7700 and 7800 will be using a more power efficient memory configuration. They will also be using smaller GDDR6 memory chips, which should allow them to fit within the $269 and $549 price brackets of the current RX 7000 series lineup respectively.
What isn’t clear, though, is whether the non-XT versions of the cards will be released before the XT models. The RX 7900 XT is supposed to be harvesting the unused dies from the 7900 XTX and XTXX, so it’s not too hard to imagine that a vanilla version of the card would use some of those chips as well.
Considering the current state of the GPU industry, it’s quite likely that AMD will release the new RX 7800 and 7700 before the end of the year. It will be a nice boost for consumers who want to enjoy high-resolution gaming on their PCs without having to spend a fortune on the latest GPUs. Of course, if you can’t wait for the new cards to arrive and don’t feel like dropping over $700 on a graphics card, there are plenty of RX 6700 and 6800 XT alternatives out there that offer comparable performance for a much lower price. You can check out some of the best options in our list of the Best Graphics Cards to Buy.
New Sony Xperia 5 V leaks suggests the phone will bizarrely lose its telephoto lens
Sony has a habit of taking its time with revealing its midrange phones, but one of its latest unveilings has been leaked well ahead of schedule. A promotional video has appeared on Reddit, from a user by the name of JB2unique, showing off what appears to be the next Xperia 5 V. The video shows the smartphone from both the front and back, revealing some interesting details.
The most notable change comes from the rear of the phone, where the Xperia 5 V will lose its telephoto lens. Instead, it will feature a dual camera setup with a wide and ultra-wide lens. This would be a significant downgrade from the Xperia 1 V and 10 V, which both have three lenses on the back. However, the Xperia 5 V’s cameras do still appear to feature ZEISS branding, so the quality should remain unchanged.
Aside from the cameras, the rest of the design looks fairly similar to the Xperia 5 IV that it will replace. The front will have a large bezel at the top with a selfie camera underneath. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is good news for those who still prefer this type of port. In terms of color, the Xperia 5 V will come in black and white at launch, while a blue variant may be released later on.
On the inside, it’s likely that the Xperia 5 V will run on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, paired with either 16GB or 12GB of RAM. This is an improvement over the Xperia 5 IV, as the older model had only 8GB of RAM. TechRadar suggests that Sony may be trying to keep the price of the Xperia 5 V as low as possible, which would explain the decision to downgrade some of its hardware specs.
While we don’t know when the Xperia 5 V will actually be launched, it’s expected to arrive sometime this September. The alleged marketing video that was posted on Reddit suggests that the company will release the phone much earlier than normal, and this early leak has been pretty accurate in the past.
The Xperia 5 V will be the first smartphone from the Japanese electronics giant to feature a 6.2-inch display with an FHD+ resolution. It’ll be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, which will include support for the latest LPDDR5X memory.
The Xperia 5 V will be available in black and white at launch, while rumors suggest a third color option will be available later on. As for pricing, the Xperia 5 V is expected to be priced in line with other smartphones of its kind. A starting price of around $400 is a possibility, and this could be the lowest-priced smartphone from Sony to date. The company is reportedly working on an even cheaper version of the Xperia 5 V that will have some of the same features but without a telephoto camera. For more information, check out our Sony Xperia 5 V preview.
Samsung Unpacked 2023: foldable phones and everything we expect to see
Samsung usually hosts two Unpacked events a year: one for its flagship S series phones and another for the Galaxy Z series. The company’s latest Galaxy foldable phones are likely to be the main attraction at the next event in July. The exact date of the Galaxy Unpacked 2023 event has yet to be confirmed by Samsung but based on historical release patterns, it’s safe to assume it will take place in mid-July.
Samsung Unpacked has been held in a number of major cities around the world including New York, London, and Barcelona but this will be the first time that it’s hosted in Seoul, South Korea. The country’s capital is known for its dynamic culture and innovation and Samsung says that hosting the event in Seoul “embodies the spirit of Unpacked by highlighting the next generation of mobile experiences.”
The last time that Samsung hosted an Unpacked event was in October and it introduced the Galaxy Tab S9, Watch6, and Galaxy Buds 2 Pro during the show. The Galaxy Fold and Flip 5 were expected to be the focus of this July’s event but based on leaks, we could see some other exciting gadgets announced as well.
In terms of the Galaxy Fold and Flip 5, we’re expecting to see a few big improvements over their predecessors. For starters, both devices are rumored to have bigger cover displays that will give them a leg up over competing models like the Pixel Fold and Moto Razr Ultra 40. We’re also expecting to see more durable materials for long-term use, better camera hardware, and faster processor chips.
If you’re interested in watching the Samsung Unpacked 2023 event live, you can do so by following this link to Samsung’s official YouTube channel. The live stream will begin at 7 a.m. ET on July 26.
If you’re eager to try out the Galaxy Fold or Flip 5 before they hit shelves, you can pre-order the devices starting today. You’ll need to pay a deposit and then you’ll be able to choose from the various payment plans available depending on your preferred financing option. You can get more details by visiting Samsung’s website. The pre-order window closes on July 26 so if you’re interested, be sure to act quickly.
AMD Ryzen 7000 Pro CPU takes aim at Apple’s M2 Pro but fails to impress
Amid a plethora of desktop and laptop launches at its AMD Tech Summit keynote, the chipmaker huffed and puffed about a new Ryzen Pro CPU that takes aim at Apple?s M2 Pro but ultimately fails to impress.
The Pro series chips are based on Phoenix silicon and are optimized for machine learning and AI workloads, but they also offer high performance gaming and creative features. For example, the smart-shift ECO tech enables the processor to split graphics tasks between the iGPU and a discrete GPU to save power. The chips will also offer hardware video decoders and encoders to accelerate game loading times.
AMD is ringfencing a chunk of transistors in its Ryzen Pro chip to improve performance for artificial intelligence (AI) processing tasks. The resulting feature is called Radeon AI, and AMD says it will allow apps to run faster and more smoothly. The company provides an example of a Windows Studio feature that blurs the background, tracks eye movement and frames a user when using a laptop camera.
The company threw in a few other neat features, too, including an enhanced version of Precision Boost 2 that will expose the maximum boost frequency for two cores at all times. This means you won’t have to manually enter a BIOS option to disable the feature, and it also improves responsiveness when running multiple games or streaming via OBS at the same time.
Another interesting feature is the ability to enable PCIe 5.0 on a motherboard by default. This allows up to 32 lanes of data per controller for superfast transfer speeds. This could be a huge benefit for SSDs, as the latest Micron drives can reach 400MB/s read and write speeds with the right motherboard.
AMD also added its X-CPU tech to its Ryzen Pro lineup, which offers security and IT management features. This is similar to Intel?s vPro platform and typically adds software and hardware tweaks for performance and power efficiency. For instance, it will add support for AVX512 instructions to boost the performance of the iGPU, while enabling lower core count processors to run more applications simultaneously.
If you’re a professional or business user, you can expect to see the new PRO models in devices from Lenovo, Dell, HP and other big brands this year. Moreover, many of the challengers from Asus, Acer, MSI and Gigabyte will likely offer them in their business-oriented laptops, too.
As for the pricing, the Ryzen 7 Pro 7000 chips will start at $125. The B650E variants will support PCIe 5.0 for both the M.2 and GPU slots, while the standard B650 will limit it to 4.0. The B650E boards will also feature four display outputs over HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 HBR3 connections. The standard chips will be compatible with existing AM4 motherboards, too. The new chips are expected to launch in September, with the X670E motherboards arriving in October and the B650 boards coming in November.
The best laptop 2023: top portable picks for all budgets
If you’re in the market for a laptop, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get something that can keep up with you. In fact, we’ve found plenty of great portable computers that cost under $1,000/£1,200(opens in new tab) and still run Windows, macOS or Chrome OS. Whether you’re looking for a compact ultraportable, a powerful gaming rig or anything in between, we’ve rounded up our top picks below.
For those looking for a budget laptop that can handle most daily tasks, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is a solid choice. It has a good keyboard, trackpad and display, plus it’s pretty quick. Plus it has a good selection of ports, including USB-C and HDMI. It’s not perfect – the battery life isn’t fantastic and the display lacks colour, but if you’re after a cheap and reliable laptop for basic work this is worth considering.
A more powerful option is the Gigabyte G5. It’s not built to be as portable as the Razer Blade 14, but it makes up for it with pure power. The RTX 2090 GPU is capable of pushing out lots of frames in games, and the CPU is also very fast – even though it’s a desktop chip. The downside is that it can get quite noisy, especially when playing demanding games.
Finally, for those after a smaller gaming laptop that can still pack a punch, the HP Aero 13 is a great option. It’s a bit of a bargain, offering an eye-pleasing magnesium-aluminum chassis, strong processing performance and long battery life for under $500/£500. It’s not perfect – the keyboard and trackpad aren’t as nice as some of its competitors, but it’s definitely worth considering if you’re in the market for a budget-friendly gaming machine.
Another great choice is the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra. It’s not just a great portable laptop for working, but it can also play games thanks to its gorgeous 120Hz AMOLED display. It’s a real treat to use, and it makes games like Cyberpunk 2077 look stunning, with neon lights and other elements really popping.
There are lots of options to consider when shopping for a laptop, so take some time to think about what you need from yours before making a purchase. If you need help, our experts can guide you through the process – just drop us an email and we’ll be in touch. We’ll help you find a PC that’s powerful enough to deal with all your day-to-day tasks, comfy enough to be used all day and power-efficient so it won’t run out of juice unexpectedly.
YouTube is attempting to block your ad-blocker in new experiment
YouTube is taking steps to get viewers to disable their ad blockers, according to a Reddit user who was asked to do so as part of what appears to be an experimental message that some users are seeing while trying to watch monetized videos. The pop-up warns that “ad blockers are not allowed on YouTube” and asks the viewer to disable them or sign up for a paid YouTube Premium subscription if they want to go ad-free.
It’s no secret that ad blockers are bad news for content creators who rely on ad revenue to produce and promote their videos. YouTube in particular has been known for intrusive ad formats like unskippable pre-roll ads, and has even been accused of forcing some users to watch 10 of them in a row—a move that resulted in a lot of complaints. The YouTube ad-blocker warning might be a way to get users to disable their ad blockers and switch to Premium, but it’s not a complete solution as users can still find workarounds for this.
Regardless, this isn’t the first time that Google-owned YouTube has taken aggressive action against ad blockers—in fact, it has done so in the past, including removing purpose-built ad-blocking apps from the Play Store and modifying its Chrome browser to prevent ad blocking extensions from working on the site. It’s also been known to tweak its terms of service, as it did in 2022 by adding a clause that could be read as a total ban on any tools that modify or remove parts of its app.
For now, this new ad-blocking experiment seems to be limited in scope, but it might signal a shift in strategy as YouTube faces declining ad revenues and competition from rival TikTok. The company recently said that its ad revenue has declined for the third straight quarter, largely due to declining economic uncertainty and volatile digital ad market conditions.
The YouTube ad-blocking experiment was first spotted by Reddit user Sazk100, who shared a screenshot of the pop-up that they received. YouTube has since confirmed that this is a test, though it isn’t clear if the company will expand it to more users.
YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, three former employees of the American e-commerce website PayPal. It is available worldwide and provides users with a platform to share videos and earn money.
YouTube allows users to rate videos, subscribe to channels, and comment on them, although the number of “likes” a video receives isn’t publicly visible. The website also offers its creators the option of creating a channel where they can promote their videos and interact with fans. In addition to videos, YouTube also hosts other types of content, such as music and games. It is available on a variety of platforms, including smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, and the Apple TV.
Windows 11 widget change could give you flashbacks to Windows Vista – but don’t panic
While Windows 11 is all about making improvements based on WinUI, the latest update also brings back something that was once familiar to many people. The widgets that were a feature in both Windows Vista and 7 are back, although they can no longer be pinned to the desktop, and only appear in a widgets board instead of appearing as individual apps on your PC.
The widgets board flies out when you click the icon in the taskbar, use the keyboard shortcut (Windows key + W), or swipe in from the left edge on touch screen devices. It contains your widgets, plus a news feed powered by Microsoft Start. The news feed encompasses a variety of topics, including weather, traffic, stocks, sports, entertainment, and tasks from your Microsoft To Do app.
To change the language used in the widgets, open the Microsoft app or service that generates the content. For example, the weather widget gets its information from the Weather app, so updating that will automatically update the widget. You can also tailor your interests by clicking the profile picture in the top left corner, then selecting Manage interests at the bottom of the page.
If you’d rather not see the news feed, or you find the selections aren’t relevant to you, the widgets can be disabled in the Settings menu. You can disable the widgets entirely, or you can choose to just hide the panel. The widgets will still remain on the computer, however, and they can be enabled at any time if you want them back.
Another way to disable the widgets is to modify a registry value. According to Windows Latest, this is a fairly simple step, but it’s not advisable for anyone who doesn’t know what they are doing. First, make sure the ‘Microsoft’ folder is selected in the right-side panel of the Registry Editor. Then, create a new DWORD key called AllowNewsAndInterests by right-clicking an empty area and selecting ‘New’ followed by ‘DWORD (32-bit) Value’. Double-click the new value and set it to 0 and then close the Registry Editor.
If you decide to enable the widgets again in the future, it’s recommended that you backup the Registry before modifying it. This will ensure that you can revert the changes if necessary. If you do decide to disable them again, you’ll need to repeat the steps outlined above. Alternatively, you can also change the ‘TaskbarDa’ value in the same way.
Android 14 rumors and everything we know so far
The Android operating system has a long history of bringing new features and updates to mobile devices. It is arguably the most popular mobile OS and is also considered as one of the best for security.
Android is an open-source software that runs on a wide range of devices including smartphones, tablets, and Chromebooks. It is developed by Google and has a lot of different features that can be customized to suit the needs of users.
Every year, Google releases a new version of the Android operating system with new features and improvements. The latest version, Android 13, was released a few weeks ago and has been available on some Android phones.
It’s always interesting to see what Google brings in its latest operating system. For example, in the last year, we’ve seen Google introduce a new system icon that looks like a rocket.
Another notable feature of Android 14 is that it will include a number of accessibility improvements. These include the ability to scale text up to 200%. This was previously limited to 130% in Android 13.
Aside from this, the new operating system will also feature a predictive back gesture which is said to be a great way to navigate between apps and screens. It will allow users to see what their next step is in the app they are in, without having to exit the current app.
Moreover, it’s also expected that this new version will include a more powerful internal broadcast system which will help improve battery life. This will also make the operating system faster and more stable as it won’t have to rely on cellular data for background tasks.
Other features that are expected to come with Android 14 includes a new sharing menu that will look consistent across all Android devices. This will make it easier for users to share files with other people and apps.
There is also evidence that the new Android operating system will support app cloning, which will enable users to re-install applications from their personal library. This is similar to the feature that’s been available in iOS for a while now.
In addition, there’s a possibility that the system will be able to detect when a phone is out of date and update its security certificates, which will help owners of old phones stay connected and use basic online services.
The Android system has a long history of introducing new accessibility features to help users with disabilities and other challenges. It has made great progress over the years, but there’s still room for improvement.
Aside from accessibility, Android 14 is said to bring a number of other exciting features and improvements to the operating system. These include a new system icon, a predictive back gesture and updatable root certificates that are used to establish trust between the user’s device and websites or apps.
The company will be releasing the first developer preview of Android 14 in February, followed by another developer preview in March. The final public beta should be released in April or May, with a full release expected later in the year.