benchmarking Archives

AppWizard

November 17, 2025

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 PC Performance Analysis

Activision has released Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, utilizing the IW Engine. Performance benchmarks were conducted using high-end hardware, including the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D and various graphics cards such as the AMD Radeon RX 6900XT and NVIDIA RTX 4090, on a Windows 10 system. The game features over 300 customizable settings for PC gamers and supports Intel XeSS and AMD FSR 4.0. Ray Tracing is available in Multiplayer and Zombies modes but not in the Campaign. All tested GPUs achieved over 60 FPS at 1080p on maximum settings, with AMD hardware showing superior performance. At 1440p, most GPUs maintained smooth gameplay, except for the NVIDIA RTX 2080Ti. At Native 4K, the top five GPUs exceeded 60 FPS, with AMD GPUs performing well against NVIDIA counterparts. The game has visual appeal but suffers from pop-in issues and inconsistent texture quality. Gameplay is smooth with minimal stuttering and responsive controls. Overall, the game performs well across various PC configurations, though its visual quality may not meet franchise expectations.

AppWizard

November 5, 2025

I’d pay $1,500 for an Xbox Ally X with 2.5x the performance, and this leaked AMD CPU could nudge that dream closer to reality

AMD is rumored to be developing the Ryzen AI Max+ 388 chip, featuring the largest integrated GPU it has produced, built on the Strix Halo design. This chip has a streamlined architecture with eight CPU cores and 40 compute units (CUs) based on RDNA 3.5 architecture, distinguishing it from its predecessor, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, which has 16 CPU cores. The Max+ 388's GPU is expected to be significantly more powerful than existing models like the Steam Deck and Xbox Ally X, potentially offering 2.5 times the performance of the Xbox Ally X. The current market for handheld gaming chips includes devices like the Steam Deck and Xbox Ally X, with the Max+ 388 anticipated to set a new benchmark for portable gaming performance. The only current handheld using the Strix Halo architecture is the GPD Win 5, priced around ,000.

AppWizard

November 4, 2025

Best Arc Raiders settings for optimized PC performance

The optimal settings for Arc Raiders on PC include: Graphics Settings: - Nvidia DLSS Frame Generation: Off - Vsync: Disabled - Nvidia Reflex Low Latency: On - Frame Rate Limit: Unlimited - Upscaled Resolution: 100% - Resolution Scaling Method: DLSS or FSR - Nvidia DLSS Quality: DLAA - Nvidia DLSS Model: Transformer - Field of View: 70 - Motion Blur: Off or your preference - Nvidia RTX Global Illumination: Dynamic - high - View Distance: Epic - Anti-Aliasing: Epic - Shadows: Epic - Post-Processing: Epic - Texture: Epic - Effects: Epic - Reflections: Epic - Foliage: Epic - Global Illumination Resolution: Medium Using these settings on an RTX 4070 yielded an average frame rate of 104fps at 1080p. At 1440p, the average frame rate was 78fps, and at 4K, it dropped to 43fps, which improved to over 70fps when settings were adjusted to high and DLSS upscaling was utilized. Audio Settings: - Use a quality gaming headset for better audio positioning. - Enable Night Mode for balanced audio mix. - Utilize push-to-talk for in-game proximity chat. Steam Deck Performance: Arc Raiders runs well on the Steam Deck at a native resolution of 1,280 x 800 with low detail settings, achieving frame rates of 40-50fps. Running the game in Proton Experimental mode is necessary for optimal performance. Testing Setup: The testing rig included an Intel Core i7-11700F, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 12GB, 32GB of DDR4 RAM, and an MSI B560 motherboard, with assessments conducted at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. SSD Recommendation: While not required, using an SSD is recommended to reduce loading times. Performance Monitoring: Nvidia users can monitor performance with the in-game overlay (ALT + R), while AMD users can use the Radeon overlay (CTRL + SHIFT + O). Free software like CapFrameX or Nvidia FrameView can also be used for benchmarking.

Tech Optimizer

October 31, 2025

AI-powered tuning tools for Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL and Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL databases: PI Reporter

AWS offers services like Amazon CloudWatch and CloudWatch Database Insights for monitoring Amazon RDS performance metrics. Users can create custom dashboards for Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL and Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible Edition. Essential metrics to monitor include Database Connections, CPU Utilization, Freeable Memory, and various I/O metrics. PI Reporter is an open-source tool designed to capture performance metrics and workload snapshots for Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible Edition. It integrates with Amazon Bedrock to analyze data and provide actionable recommendations. Users can generate detailed HTML reports comparing performance metrics over time, assess workload changes, and identify performance issues. To use PI Reporter, prerequisites include enabling Amazon CloudWatch Database Insights and the pg_stat_statements extension. Installation involves cloning the repository, configuring IAM policies, and executing commands to create snapshots and reports. The tool is designed for ease of use and can be run on Amazon EC2 or on-premises. The report generated by PI Reporter includes a summary of findings, root causes, and recommendations for performance improvement. It also identifies resource utilization issues during specific operations, such as bulk data inserts or idle transactions. Users are advised to validate AI-generated recommendations with database experts and to monitor for idle transactions to optimize performance. Costs may be incurred from resources created by Amazon Bedrock, and users should clean up these resources when no longer needed.

Winsage

October 19, 2025

Switch to Windows 11 and your PC will be TWICE as fast, Microsoft claims

Microsoft claims that laptops and desktop PCs running Windows 11 are "up to 2.3x faster than Windows 10 PCs," based on benchmarking data from Geekbench 6. Windows 10 will reach its end of support on October 14, leaving around 5 million users in the UK vulnerable to security risks. Microsoft offers a free upgrade to Windows 11 for users with a legitimate copy of Windows 10, although not all existing devices may support it. The upcoming Windows 11 Version 25H2 update will provide a smoother installation experience and introduce features like a redesigned Start menu and CPU throttling for better power management. Microsoft will offer free security updates to Windows 10 users who subscribe to OneDrive, while others will need to pay a one-time fee of £22 for updates. Some users report that Windows 10 may have better gaming performance, which could affect their decision to upgrade.

AppWizard

October 18, 2025

Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 is painful to play on PC, with severe performance issues and bugs

Bloodlines 2 is experiencing performance issues on PC, even with recommended settings. Players report struggling to achieve smooth gameplay due to bugs and frame rate drops. The system requirements are modest, but advanced technologies like Nvidia DLSS 4 do not resolve performance problems. Optimal settings for Bloodlines 2 on PC include: - VSync: On - Frame Rate Limit: Unlimited - Nvidia Reflex Low Latency: Enabled + Boost - Nvidia DLSS: Quality - Nvidia DLSS Frame Generation: 4x for RTX 5000 cards; 2x for RTX 4000 cards - Global Illumination: High - Shadows: High - Anti-Aliasing: High - View Distance: Far - Texture Quality: High - Effects: High - Reflections: High - Post-Processing: High Testing on a GeForce RTX 5070 showed an average frame rate of 61fps at 1080p, dropping to 52fps at 1440p and 21fps at 4K. Enabling multi-frame generation improved frame rates significantly, but 1% lows remained unchanged. Players encountered various performance issues, including stuttering and synchronization problems. Bugs included the Enter key disrupting fullscreen mode and mouse cursor misalignment. Bloodlines 2 offers four graphics presets: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, along with an auto-detect tool for optimal settings. The game does not require an SSD for installation, but using one is recommended for faster loading times. Performance monitoring can be accessed via in-game overlays for Nvidia and AMD users or through third-party software like CapFrameX.

Tech Optimizer

October 8, 2025

IBM and CockroachDB partner to bring PostgreSQL to mainframe

IBM has entered into an OEM agreement with Cockroach Labs to modernize mission-critical applications that have relied on mainframe hardware by providing a cloud-native PostgreSQL database compatible with hybrid environments. The collaboration aims to facilitate the transition to cloud-native and Kubernetes environments without rewriting core applications, although some intermediary components may still be needed. CockroachDB will be accessible on LinuxONE or Linux on Z mainframes, allowing customers to modernize in place while maintaining IBM hardware. Cockroach Labs is partnering with automation technology providers to ease migrations, but experts express skepticism about the complexities of migrating existing applications from Db2 to CockroachDB. Additionally, Cockroach Labs has released an open benchmark showing that CockroachDB has five times the resilience of Oracle's Globally Distributed Database, with less downtime.

Winsage

October 7, 2025

Microsoft blocks popular local account workarounds for Windows 11

Microsoft is enforcing the use of Microsoft accounts for Windows 11, making it difficult for users to bypass this requirement. Recent updates have rendered several previously effective workarounds, such as the ‘oobe/bypassnro’ command and ‘start ms-cxh:localonly’, ineffective. This change complicates the installation process for users assembling PCs for others, particularly in situations where internet access is limited or security concerns arise. Users are currently advised to use older installer versions followed by updates as a potential workaround.

AppWizard

October 7, 2025

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X review – now my favorite budget gaming CPU

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a budget gaming CPU with six cores and a peak boost clock of 5.4GHz, priced at 9 after a reduction from its initial price of 9. It features 12 threads, a 65W TDP, and is built on the AMD Zen 5 architecture with Socket AM5 compatibility. The CPU has a 32MB L3 cache and supports Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT). In gaming benchmarks, it outperformed the Ryzen 5 7600X and the Intel Core i5 14600K in several titles, achieving an average of 211fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at High settings. However, it lags behind in multi-threaded applications, scoring 16,286 at 65W TDP in Cinebench R23, compared to the Core i5 14600K's score of 23,990. The 9600X's thermal performance is efficient, peaking at 68°C during tests.

AppWizard

September 26, 2025

Acer Predator Orion 7000 2025 review – a well-built, quiet PC in a decent case

The Acer Predator Orion 7000 features a sleek design and strong GPU performance, particularly with its Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card, which has 10,752 CUDA cores and 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM. The system is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF CPU and includes 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. It is equipped with a 360mm AIO cooler for effective thermal management and operates quietly under load. The dimensions are 8.62 x 18.05 x 19.88 inches, and it weighs 35.62lb. The price is £3,299 (approximately ,700). The system offers various ports, including USB 3.2 and Thunderbolt 4, and comes with a one-year warranty. While it performs well in gaming, especially at 2,560 x 1,440 resolution, it faces competition from alternatives like the Alienware Aurora R16, which offers similar specs at a lower price.