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Introducing a powerful new chapter for Windows PCs, accelerated by NVIDIA RTX Spark
Winsage
June 1, 2026

Introducing a powerful new chapter for Windows PCs, accelerated by NVIDIA RTX Spark

At NVIDIA's GTC event, Microsoft and NVIDIA announced a collaboration to launch powerful thin-and-light Windows PCs enhanced by NVIDIA RTX Spark technology, aimed at developers, creators, and power users for AI applications. The new PCs feature RTX Spark with 1 petaflop of AI performance, up to 6144 Blackwell RTX cores, 20 power-efficient Arm architecture cores, and up to 128GB of unified memory. Microsoft implemented workload profile scheduling (WPS) to optimize task distribution across cores and introduced the Microsoft Power and Thermal Framework (MPTF) for improved power efficiency. The Prism emulator has been optimized for these PCs, ensuring smooth operation of x86 applications. Microsoft is also enhancing Windows 11's performance and reliability, with a focus on securely building and running AI agents. A range of RTX Spark-powered devices will be available from manufacturers like Microsoft Surface, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and MSI starting this Fall. The Surface Laptop Ultra is specifically designed for creators, while other models from ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and MSI also emphasize AI performance. Additionally, Microsoft and NVIDIA are scaling Windows to NVIDIA DGX Station, which will feature the NVIDIA GB300 Grace Blackwell Ultra Desktop Superchip for advanced AI workloads.
From cutting-edge AI tech to sharper visuals: How the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra improves upon its predecessor's impressive gaming experience
BetaBeacon
May 29, 2026

From cutting-edge AI tech to sharper visuals: How the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra improves upon its predecessor’s impressive gaming experience

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is a better phone for gaming compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, with improvements in processor, cooling, battery life, visual capabilities, and more. The Galaxy S26 Ultra features a powerful customised processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, which offers faster CPU/GPU performance and integrates ray tracing and Vulkan optimization for smoother gaming. Additionally, the Galaxy S26 Ultra has a bright and smooth display with 2600 nits, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, and up to 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate, providing a more immersive gaming experience.
007 First Light's PC performance isn't quite martini-smooth, but it's a damn sight better than that stuttering reveal footage
AppWizard
May 29, 2026

007 First Light’s PC performance isn’t quite martini-smooth, but it’s a damn sight better than that stuttering reveal footage

Mark is reviewing the performance of the game 007 First Light on PC. Initial footage revealed framerate dips during intense action sequences, but after five hours of gameplay, the release build appears more stable, though some performance discrepancies remain. DLSS 4.5’s Dynamic MFG tool needs further fine-tuning. DLSS upscaling provides significant framerate improvements, especially on Quality mode with RTX 5080 at 4K and RTX 5050 at 1080p, where visuals are sharper than AMD FSR. A GTX 1070 struggled to maintain 30fps at native 1080p but improved to 45-50fps with Quality FSR. Performance fluctuations occur even on robust setups, with the RTX 5050 averaging 60fps in NPC-heavy scenarios but dropping to 45fps during action sequences. Frame generation enhances visual smoothness for RTX users but is not available for AMD or GeForce GTX GPUs. The classic 2x multiplier for DLSS frame generation improved framerates but higher multipliers may introduce lag and artifacting. Dynamic MFG has potential but requires careful adjustment to avoid performance issues. The game shows solid technical performance, benefiting from high-end hardware while remaining accessible to a broader audience, with optional ray tracing enhancing visuals.
silver Android smartphone
AppWizard
May 21, 2026

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is a textbook remaster

Ubisoft has released a remastered version of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, titled Black Flag Resynced, after a 12-year hiatus. The game features significant upgrades, including an overhauled combat system with dynamic animations, seamless transitions between cities and the ocean, dynamic weather conditions, and enhanced lighting effects using ray tracing. New gameplay features include a crouch button, a fast travel option to the Jackdaw from the map screen, and a shanty player for selecting songs. While some systems have been reinvented, the game retains familiar elements and largely stays true to its roots, preserving the essence of the original experience.
Intel's Big Battlemage Arc Pro B70 GPU benchmarked in games, ends up bang-on Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB performance
AppWizard
May 12, 2026

Intel’s Big Battlemage Arc Pro B70 GPU benchmarked in games, ends up bang-on Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB performance

Intel's Arc Pro B70 graphics card performs comparably to the Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti in traditional raster gaming scenarios but lags behind when ray tracing is enabled. It is not marketed as a gaming GPU but as a cost-effective solution for running local AI models, featuring 32 GB of VRAM at a price point of approximately ,000. The B70 measures 368 mm² and is produced using a TSMC N5-class node, making it larger and more expensive to manufacture than the RTX 5060 Ti, which is built on a 181 mm² chip. The B70 delivers RTX 5060 Ti-level performance but is less appealing in a price-sensitive market due to its size and cost. It has 32 Xe cores, making it faster than the previous generation G21, but still trails the RTX 5070 by 87% in gaming performance.
Review: Pragmata PC Review: Path Tracing Is A Game Changer
AppWizard
May 6, 2026

Review: Pragmata PC Review: Path Tracing Is A Game Changer

Path tracing scalability is maximized on the RTX 5090 with 4K DLSS quality mode, while the RTX 5070 can achieve a commendable experience using optimized settings at 1440p DLSS balanced mode. The RTX 5070 is the most prevalent Blackwell GPU according to the Steam Hardware Survey, indicating that path tracing is becoming mainstream. Optimal performance in Pragmata on an 8GB GPU requires selecting the lowest texture quality setting due to bugs and potential stuttering with medium settings. Higher mesh quality settings may reduce geometry on 8GB cards. Optimized settings for Pragmata include various configurations for ray tracing, texture quality, and shadow quality, closely mirroring developer settings for current-generation consoles. Enabling the shadow cache option significantly improves frame rates by reusing existing shadow data.
Half of all PC gamers now have GPUs with more than 8GB of VRAM
AppWizard
May 5, 2026

Half of all PC gamers now have GPUs with more than 8GB of VRAM

Approximately 49.95% of PC gamers are using graphics cards with more than 8GB of VRAM, with 23.51% using 16GB, 13.45% using 12GB, and 26.76% using 8GB. Additionally, 6.19% of gamers have GPUs with 24GB or more VRAM. The demand for higher VRAM is driven by the need for better image fidelity in gaming, particularly with high-quality textures and effects like ray tracing. The growth of GPUs with 16GB of VRAM is notable, led by models such as the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB and Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB. Despite this trend, the current memory crisis may keep 8GB cards relevant for another generation.
PlayStation 5 Linux Tested: Steam PC vs Native PS5 Games
AppWizard
May 5, 2026

PlayStation 5 Linux Tested: Steam PC vs Native PS5 Games

Linux has been successfully implemented on the PlayStation 5, allowing users to run an open operating system on the console. This implementation, led by security researcher Andy Nguyen (TheFlow), utilizes an exploit for PS5 consoles with system software versions up to 4.5. Users can boot Linux from a USB or SSD, with Ubuntu 26.04 LTS providing around 15GB of usable memory. The PS5's hardware, including its Zen 2 processor and GPU, is fully accessible, with CPU speeds reaching up to 3.5GHz and GPU speeds up to 2.23GHz when boost mode is activated. However, running Linux on the PS5 presents challenges, such as sourcing a unit with the required firmware and limitations in resolution, as users cannot exceed 1080p. Performance tests showed that Linux can match the PS5's performance in some titles, but issues with memory management were noted, leading to stuttering and crashes in certain games. For example, reducing texture quality improved performance in games like Pragmata, while rendering issues were observed in Crimson Desert. The implementation allows for a unique gaming experience, but it also highlights the complexities and limitations of running Linux on a gaming console.
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