Tech News 2018: May 2018

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Apple Watch rainbow-pride face celebrates inclusion - CNET

Ahead of WWDC next week, reports show there'll be a new Apple Watch face that's very colourful.

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Google takes aim at China's smartphone market with country-specific app - CNET

Its trying to tap one of the biggest smartphone markets in the world with a Chinese version of Files Go, a storage management platform.

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Spotify CEO tries to clear up handling of R. Kelly controversy - CNET

The new policy wasn't about punishing one individual, Daniel Ek says.

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Uber talking driverless-car partnership with Waymo - CNET

This is the same company that was suing Uber a few months ago for $1.8 billion.

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Google Pixel 3 XL may have notch, two front-facing cameras and arrive in October - CNET

Rumors about Google's next flagship phone point to a notched design.

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Microsoft just became more valuable than Google parent Alphabet by $10 billion - CNET

Microsoft is worth $749 billion, but still billions behind Apple and Amazon.

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This crypto-mining Asus motherboard supports 20 GPUs, because 19 wasn't enough - CNET

How to feed the Asus H370 Mining Master? Three power supplies, of course.

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California to become the first state to test digital license plates - Roadshow

The E Ink plates will run on batteries, feature GPS tracking and will cost $699 from select dealers.

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Hulu's live TV service hits 800K subscriber mark in first year - CNET

Milestone comes a month after Hulu said its streaming service had 20 million subscribers.

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Fallout 76 might be an 'online survival RPG' like DayZ or Rust - CNET

Sources tell Kotaku that Bethesda's next post-apocalyptic adventure isn't a straight-up RPG.

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AT&T CEO says he would have canceled Roseanne too - CNET

Randall Stephenson, whose company is trying to buy Time Warner, was quick to say ABC did the right thing in response to a racist tweet by the show's star.

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Watch Google fire a gun -- kinda - CNET

"OK, Google, start a conversation about autonomous weapons."

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HQ Trivia will give away its biggest cash prize ever -- depending on the NBA Finals - CNET

Yet another reason to hope for a Game 7.

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Type 'the1975..com' into your Google app. It's weird - CNET

Not your typical Android search result.

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The OnePlus 6 could have been nearly perfect if only... - CNET

Too bad "perfection" often comes at a price.

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California net neutrality bill passes state senate - CNET

California is on track to pass the strictest set of net neutrality protections in the country.

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Bitcoin is like Napster: an important flop, Ripple CEO says - CNET

Of course, Brad Garlinghouse prefers XRP, his own company's cryptocurrency.

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YouTuber reportedly arrested at Disney World for active shooter stunt - CNET

The 22-year-old man said he was recording people's responses to his false claim of an active shooter, WKMG reports.

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Don Panoz's EV company wants to build a factory in Honduras - Roadshow

Green4U has signed a memorandum of understanding with plans to build a major factory on the Honduran coast.

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Airbnb to appoint female board member? Yes. IPO? Maybe - CNET

CEO Brian Chesky talks about the upcoming year.

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Ambien maker tells Roseanne: 'Racism is not a known side effect' - CNET

Roseanne Barr got in a lot of trouble for a racist tweet, then blamed the medication she was on.

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You can buy this guy's personal Facebook data, just not on eBay - CNET

Oli Frost of London will sell you all the info Facebook gathered on him, including his ignored friend requests. But he won't be selling it on eBay anymore.

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Kaspersky Lab lawsuits against US thrown out - CNET

A judge says neither lawsuit has a leg to stand on. The US government's ban on the company's software will remain.

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Expect 125 million EVs on the road by 2030, says IEA - Roadshow

An International Energy Agency report anticipates 24 percent annual growth and triple the total in just two years.

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Mary Meeker: On-demand jobs are changing the way we work - CNET

The tech industry sage makes her annual predictions for upcoming internet trends.

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Aussie shoppers to be blocked from Amazon US thanks to new GST rules

Last year, it was announced that Aussies would have to pay GST on all overseas purchases from July 1, 2018, leaving the country's online shopping future uncertain in the process.

Just how the world's overseas online retail giants would react to Australia's new (and controversial) GST rules had since been confined to the realm of speculation... until now. US giant Amazon, which operates the world's largest online retail site, says it will no longer ship to Australian addresses starting from the aforementioned July 1, 2018 cut-off date.

After that date, Aussie customers who attempt to visit the US version of Amazon or any of Amazon's overseas sites will find themselves redirected to Amazon's Australian site, which offers a much smaller selection of items. Whether that decision to redirect users will also be applied to other Amazon-owned stores, such as Book Depository, is currently unknown.

According to the The Sydney Morning Herald, Amazon's US site provides access to roughly 500 million items, as opposed to the Aussie version, which features around 60 million products.

"While we regret any inconvenience this may cause customers, we have had to assess the workability of the legislation as a global business with multiple international sites," said an Amazon spokesperson.

What this means for you

Unfortunately, consumers who've spent the last couple of decades relying on the US version of Amazon to purchase products not readily-available in Australia may now have to start shopping elsewhere, likely at additional expense.

Thankfully, international third-party sellers' storefronts will still be accessible from the Australian Amazon site, although shipping costs on those items will be at the discretion of individual sellers, rather than Amazon itself.

Amazon has also announced a new 'global store' section of its site, which is said to give Australian customers access to 4 million additional products that were previously only available in the US.

"We have taken this step to provide our customers with continued access to international selection and allow us to remain compliant with the law which requires us to collect and remit GST on products sold on Amazon sites that are shipped from overseas," said Amazon.

eBay made a similar threat last April, stating that it may block Australians from international purchases in response to the GST changes. At present, the online marketplace has yet to comment on Amazon's decision, though you can read its current tax and import charges policy here.

We'll have more on this story as it unfolds.

The best Amazon deals and sales in Australia

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Optus is offering exclusive phone plans to keep Virgins from fleeing

With Optus having officially sacrificed Virgin Mobile, many former Virgin customers are likely now looking to take up new phone plans that offer similar value to what they had before.

Optus, which already hosts the Virgin network, has decided to throw those displaced Virgins a bone, announcing a number of plans and phone bundles that it hopes will make the transition over to the official Optus dominion a tad smoother.

On average, the new plans and bundles (which include 24-month contracts with a phone included, alongside 12-month SIM-only plans) are around $10-$15 cheaper than their standard Optus equivalents.

For example, Optus' usual SIM-only plan with 5GB of data (on a 12-month contract) is priced at $45 per month, while the version of that plan offered to former Virgin Mobile customers is available for only $30 per month.

If you're a Virgin Mobile customer looking to take advantage of the exclusive plans and bundles on offer, simply head over to the offer's landing page and enter your Virgin Mobile phone number.

Want to see what else is on offer outside of Optus? There are the best SIM-only plans in Australia

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The best SIM-only plans in Australia (Updated June 2018)

A SIM-only plan is a mobile phone contract that offers calls, texts and data in return for a monthly fee, but doesn't come bundled with a phone. Leaving the phone out of the equation means SIM-only plans can be much cheaper than general mobile phone plans which makes them ideal if you already have a handset or are eyeing up a SIM-free phone.

To make things easy for you, we've gone through and combed through all of Australia’s available SIM-only plans to picks the ones we think offer the most bang for your buck. Our choices start from $16 per month for a basic plan, but we've also looked at more expensive plans at $40 and $60, and there are some great options for power users who need loads of data.

Discover our picks for the best outright mobile phones on the planet

Below, you'll find the very best SIM-only plans in Australia as of June 2018. Whether you’re after the cheapest plan possible, want to dig out the best-value big data SIM plan or just want an all-round great deal but don’t know how much to spend, you should find a recommendation here that suits your needs.

Best SIM-only plans for under $25 a month

Hate contracts but love data? Belong's Regular 5GB Plan might be for you. You get unlimited talk and text within Australia, as well as 5GB of monthly data — all on Telstra's 4G and 3G network. Plus, any data you don't use during the month will rollover to the next month.

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With its new SIM-only, pay-as-you-go plans, Amaysim is offering terrific value when it comes to data, talk and text. $20 will get you 2.5GB of data, unlimited national talk and text, all on the Optus 4G Network.

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A plan that offers terrific value, Vaya's Unlimited 3GB plan offers unlimited national calls and texts with 3GB of data for just $24 per month. Best of all, there are no contracts involved, so your minimum cost is the initial monthly payment.

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Best SIM-only plans for under $40 a month

A fantastic package on a pay-as-you-go plans, Amaysim is offering 15GB data, plus unlimited national talk and text. You'll also get unlimited international calls to 10 specific countries, and 300 minutes to a further 22 countries. Amazing value for only $40 per 28 days.

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If you're willing to go on a 12-month contract, Think Mobile's Ultimate $30 Plan is exceptional value. Those who choose the 12-month option will get 20GB of monthly data, unlimited national calls, unlimited national and international texts — all for only $30 per month. Minimum cost $360 over 12 months.

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While this plan does require you to sign up to a 12-month contract, there's plenty of value included here for just $40 per month. You get 15GB of total monthly data (10GB + 5GB bonus when you sign up or recontract), as well as data-free streaming through selected apps, with an Optus Sports subscription also included. Minimum cost $480 over 12 months.

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Best SIM-only plans for under $60 a month

Another terrific pay-as-you-go plans from Amaysim gives you 250GB data, plus unlimited national talk and text. You'll also get unlimited international calls to 10 specific countries, and 300 minutes to a further 22 countries. Unbeatable value at $50 per 28 days.

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Offering a huge amount of data at an appealing price, Optus $50 SIM only plan on a 12-month contact is great value for power users. You get a whopping 30GB of monthly data, unlimited talk and text, data-free streaming of certain apps and an Optus Sports subscription (if that kind of thing excites you),

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A whopping good deal from Optus that's heavy on the data, you get 50GB of data per month, as well as unlimited talk and text, data-free streaming from certain apps and an Optus Sports subscription – all for just a tenner more than the previous deal. You'll need to go on a 12-month contract, though, which carries a minimum cost of $720 over the year.

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Should I go SIM-only?

If you a) want to save some money; b) don't want to be tied into a lengthy contract; or c) both of the above, then going SIM-only is well worth considering. In fact, you're probably in one of two situations if your thoughts are turning to a SIM-only mobile plan:

You're coming to the end of your contract and your network is calling you a million times a day to get you to upgrade. Well if your phone is dying a death or you just fancy a change, head to our best mobile phones deal page to see what bargains are lurking, but otherwise going SIM only on your current phone is a no-brainer. You'll wind up paying much less than you are under contract, and you can stick to a rolling 30 day contract so that if your circumstances change, you can get out of the arrangement tout suite.
It's time for a shiny new smartphone and you want to get the best value humanly possible. You'll have to find a few hundred bucks up front for the handset (be sure to check our SIM free comparison chart) but box clever and you'll end up paying less over the next 24 months (see below). Plus, if you're a commitment-phobe, most SIM-only plans don't require you to sign up for two years like you would with a normal contract.

What SIM card size do I need?

There are three sizes of SIM card that you can get for your phone, and the one you need will depend on your handset. It's been a while since the traditional, so-called standard SIM (15 x 25mm) has genuinely been the staple in new phones. Instead, any phone you've bought within the last five or so years is much more likely to require a micro (12 x 15mm) or nano (8.8 x 12.3mm) SIM – the iPhone 5 was Apple's first mobile with a nano SIM, while Samsung began using the smallest size in its Galaxy S6.

Before you purchase your new SIM, double-check the manufacturer's website to see what size you require. And if you're simply not sure, most networks now simply send out a triple SIM, so you'll get one of each size.

What contract length should I get?

Unlike with a contract, there's a lot more flexibility available when it comes to how long your SIM-only plan will last. Two year commitments are virtually unheard of, with the norm being either one year or rolling one month contracts for ultimate flexibility. You can often get better prices if you tie yourself in for 12 months, especially on larger data tariffs. But sticking to one month at a time means that you can effectively hand pick a new plan to suit you every 30 days or so.

How much data do I need?

Because you can change your plan up more regularly than a normal, lengthier contract, it's less crucial to get this nailed from the start. But if you're thinking of grabbing a 12-monther or just put a personal pride on getting things right first time, then we'll help you pick out the sweet spot of data for you.

Firstly, check your phone to see how much data you've been using to date, and whether you have the tendency to use more than your current allowance every month. Then, if you're still unsure, check out our guidance:

0-1GB Tiny amounts of data on SIM only plans could be a blessing or a curse. If you're putting it in a rarely used phone that will scarcely be away from wi-fi then you're quids in. But if you end up with one because your head's turned by the incredible price, then you could end up paying more if you continually go over your allowance.
2-3GB For anybody who needs data for little more than the occasional Google Maps route planning, 2GB and 3GB plans come cheap and give you much more freedom to check the football scores and scroll Facebook away from the wi-fi without danger.
4-8GB If you can't leave the house without having a music streaming service like Spotify pouring into your ears, then it might be worth paying for some extra GBs of data.
10-16GB This is a significant amount of data and some networks offer it for a very appetising price. Whether streaming music, downloading podcasts, watching social media videos, or all three is your thing - you should be covered.
20-30GB Only smartphone junkies that need regular (and hefty) data fixes need bother with this avalanche of GBs. You'll be able to rinse Netflix, Spotify and online games without too much fear of topping out.

Do I need unlimited calls and texts?

Call it practicality, call it greediness, call it what you want - it's human nature to want 'unlimited' anything if offered. But you should think genuinely about whether you really need it in a world where the likes of WhatsApp and Skype let you call and text for free over wi-fi or 4G. If you decide that a few thousand monthly minutes and texts should do you, then you could shave off some cash from your bill.

The SIM-only plans on this page are checked regularly, so make sure you visit often if you want to get the most up-to-date information on the plans that are currently available!

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Best sat nav: the ultimate GPS units on the market right now

Searching for the best sat nav? Look no further as we've gathered up the best sat navs on the market for 2018.

Getting lost is not just a waste of time; it also means added stress, especially when you're trying to get somewhere in a hurry. Few things are more frustrating than leaving home with plenty of time to get to your destination, then becoming horribly, hopelessly lost.

Smartphones may have supplanted sat navs for many people, but phones don't have the same robust navigation capabilities as a dedicated sat nav device.

There's something especially reassuring about following directions on your sat nav versus on your phone, which can start to feel unreliable once it starts "rerouting" every few seconds. Plus, few applications drain your phone's battery life faster than navigation.

Welcome to TechRadar's guide to the best sat nav systems on the market right now, a list we've compiled to help drivers who are prone to getting off course, as well as those who want to make sure it never happens to them.

These are the sat nav devices that go beyond the GPS in your smartphone and the free maps you've picked up at random road stops over the years. Stow away those paper maps, put your phone away, buckle your seat belt, and get ready to obey the digital voice commands emanating from the sat nav on your dashboard.

The following sat navs are dedicated to giving directions, so will get you from Point A to Point B, or Point C to Point G, if you ask them really nicely.

We've done our best to highlight sat nav devices that straddle a number of price points and offer a bundle of features that will make you want to get in your car right now and just drive (with a planned route, of course).

To be honest, we'd be lost without the following best sat nav recommendations.

TomTom's Via 53 very much sits in the mid-range category of sat navs. It offers connectivity options via a Bluetooth smartphone connection.

Through this connection, you get live traffic updates, can take advantage of hands-free calls and your text messages can also be read out by the device.

When it comes to mapping, the TomTom Via 53 is very good - the 5-inch touchscreen that requires light gestures, while voice control is warrantedEverything is clear and precise.

The design is a bit too chunky, however, and the one-hour battery life is a touch disappointing. Those niggles aside and what you have is a well-specced and connected sat nav that comes at a decent price.

Read our TomTom Via 53 review

With the Garmin DriveSmart 61 has created a premium-looking sat nav that's packed with features you'll want to use. Its screen is responsive, the information it offers clear and concise.

Yes, it's expensive but it's one of the best GPS systems available to get you from A to B.

Read our Garmin DriveSmart 61 review

The Garmin Drive Assist 51 is a fine, premium alternative to getting maps on your phone. If you want a dedicated sat nav that doesn't rely on a handset then the Drive Assist 51 is an excellent choice.

It's wide feature set, ease of use and simple docking means it's a great for those less tech savvy.

The Garmin Drive Assist 51 is laser focused on the navigation experience, and it's one that excels when you're behind the wheel. It's hard to say if it's better than your smartphone, they're very close, but it's certainly no worse.

Read our Garmin Drive Assist 51 review

The TomTom Go 5200 has a 5-inch touchscreen that sits neatly within a sleek plastic chassis. It feels solid in the hand, and the magnetic connection gives a reassuring click into a robust connection with the stand.

It's a wonderful top-of-the-range sat nav that is a pleasure to use, with a bevy of additional features for the frequent driver. If you’re looking for a world-class driving aide, this is the one for you.

Read our TomTom Go 5200 review

The TomTom Go 520 is a smart well built sat nav that's simple to use. It comes with voice functionality - both integration of Siri and Google Now and its own voice system - and some of the best maps around.

It does lack connectivity while on the go which will be an issue for some. You can get around this with a simple hook-up to a smartphone, though.

Battery life is a problem. Up to an hour is quoted but we never really got past the 45-minute mark. In a real-case scenario, though, most will use the supplied charger, given that a sat nav is usually used on longer journeys.

If you are looking for the premium smarts of the TomTom Go 5200 at a smaller price, then this is for you.

Read our TomTom Go 520 review

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4K HDR World Cup matches coming to BBC iPlayer – but there's a catch

Good news! You'll be able to watch the World Cup in 4K HDR thanks to the BBC and its iPlayer platform. Bad news! It's a limited trial run, meaning that it'll be serving up the Ultra HD football streams to a select number of viewers.

All 29 of the matches the BBC is broadcasting will be available in 4K, with the broadcaster hoping to deliver “tens of thousands” of high-resolution streams. Though 4K screens in homes aren’t quite as common as HD ones, there may still be some viewers left without access to the UHD content.

“The BBC has brought major live broadcasting breakthroughs to UK audiences throughout the history of the World Cup,” said Matthew Postgate, BBC Chief Technology & Product Officer.

“From the very first tournament on TV in 1954 and England’s finest hour in 1966, to the first colour World Cup in 1970 and full HD in 2006. Now, with these trials we’re giving audiences yet another taste of the future.”

The trial will be used to fine tune the delivery of large-scale 4K events in the future, with the Beeb making use of the Hybrid Log-Gamma version of HDR it helped to develop alongside Japanese broadcaster NHK.

You can find out if your screen is compatible with the Beeb’s 4K streaming option by clicking here.

Virtual reality action

It’s not just 4K getting some love from the BBC though – it’s also invested some money, time and development in delivering virtual reality content for the 2018 World Cup too.

The BBC Sport VR - FIFA World Cup Russia 2018’ app will be free on iOS, Android, Gear VR, Oculus Go and PlayStation VR platforms, and lets fans watch live matches from a “private box” in the Russian stadiums.

Live stats will pop out of a virtual coffee table too, while there’s also the option to watch the action from cameras placed behind each goal. In addition, when live coverage isn’t available, the app will continue to offer highlights and analysis.

All in all, despite holding its cards close to its chest in the run up to the tournament, it’s a comprehensive offering from the BBC. Just make sure to start those streams early if you want in on the 4K action.

The best 4K TVs: the best screens to watch the footy on

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Nest Hello video doorbell is finally coming to the UK

The Nest Hello video doorbell is coming to the UK, after having a North American launch at the end of 2017.

The smart video doorbell from Google-owned Nest will be available from June 13, and there are two different prices: £229 for just the doorbell, £329 for the doorbell plus professional installation.

The doorbell is what’s commonly referred to as wired-wireless, with its power coming from wires but the connection to the internet happening over Wi-Fi.

Smarter than your average doorbell

Nest’s entry isn’t exactly hitting the market hot on the heels of its biggest competitor, as (Amazon-owned) Ring is already generations into its product cycle, so it’ll be interesting to see if Nest is able to carve itself a niche in an already-establishing market.

When we were briefed about the Hello, we asked what would make a consumer choose Hello over its competition, and a Nest spokesperson said: I’m going to be blunt. We deliver a better experience. It’s a security guard that won’t sleep because we’re powered all the time. The video is [optimised] for your front door. You can have a conversation without speaking. All-in-all we’ve developed an experience that is more complete.“

What he’s referring to are the features that make Nest stand out. The aspect ratio of the image is 4x3 rather than 16x9 so you don’t have to turn your phone on its side to look at the image, plus you get a full image of the person rather than just the face. Layered on top of this wide aspect ratio is computer effects that counter the warping you get with a standard fish-eye lens.

The ‘conversation without speaking’ element is a feature that allows you to select from a set of pre-recorded soundbites (think along the lines of ‘Just leave it by the door’ for delivery people) so that if you’re in a meeting and your doorbell goes at home, you can respond to it with a tap of the app.

Currently these are fairly limited and there’s no option to record your own messages, although we get the impression this feature may come at some point.

As part of the Nest family, if you are a subscriber to the club services, the Nest Hello will be able to use the portfolio of recognised faces in your account, and will actually be able to tell you who is at the door over your Google Home speaker or the app.

They are certainly some interesting (and genuinely useful) features, and if Nest does manage to take some market space, it wouldn’t be the first time that Google had pulled off a move like this, with the Google Home smart speakers steadily gaining ground on Amazon’s Echo range.

Best smart home devices: get your pad connected

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Intel Cannon Lake release date, news, and rumors

Remember how Intel was going to release Cannon Lake in 2016? And, then when it got pushed back to 2018? Well, according to Intel’s Q1 financial results we won’t see the long-awaited follow-up to Kaby Lake until 2019 – at least in a consumer-ready state.

But, before we get into all the juicy rumors surrounding Cannon Lake, we’re going to take a step back, because Intel’s recent releases have been kind of hard to follow. So, in the past, Intel followed a predictable ‘Tick-Tock’ release schedule, where generations would switch between introducing a new die process and architecture. This is why we all expected Cannon Lake to succeed Skylake in 2016.

Obviously, that didn’t happen. Instead, Intel switched things up by pushing Cannon Lake back and released Kaby Lake instead – an ‘optimization’ in a new ‘process-architecture-optimization’ release schedule. Ok, so the 10nm Cannon Lake would follow after Kaby Lake, right? Well, that’s what we thought too. Instead Intel launched its 8th-generation Kaby Lake R and Coffee Lake processors, the fourth and fifth releases using Intel’s 14nm process.

If you find this to be confusing, trust us, you’re not alone. Now, the good news is that we’ve seen a listing for the first Cannon Lake processor. It’s just a 10nm laptop chip with no graphics, but, hey, it’s a start – Cannon Lake is actually real. Now we just have to wait until 2019. And, hey, maybe Intel will give us a hint at Computex 2018 – but we wouldn’t hold our breath.

Either way, there’s not a lot of solid information to run on, but that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate using our CPU expertise. But, be sure to keep this article bookmarked, as we’ll update it with all the latest and greatest Cannon Lake information that comes our way.

Cut to the Chase

What is it? Intel’s next generation, 10nm CP1U lineup
When is it out? Sometime in 2019
What will it cost? TBD

Release date

We were supposed to get Cannon Lake twice already. The presumably 9th-generation Intel CPUs were initially supposed to follow Skylake in 2016, then Kaby Lake in 2018. But according to Intel’s Q1 2018 financial report, it’s “currently shipping low-volume 10nm product and now expects 10nm volume production to shift to 2019.” So, we’re not getting Cannon Lake in 2018.

But, when in 2019 will we see it? Well, we can look back at past Intel releases for some guidance here. Coffee Lake was released back in October 2017, Intel is probably not going to make consumers wait two years for new processors, so we think we’ll see Cannon Lake CPUs pop up in Q1 2019, much like their Kaby Lake counterparts.

Price

Intel probably isn’t going to rock the boat too much here. We expect prices to fall in line with the current lineup of 8th-generation Coffee Lake processors. We’ve taken the liberty of listing some of the prices here.

Intel Core i7-8700K – $350 (£290, AU$520)
Intel Core i7-8700 – $313 (£290, AU$430)
Intel Core i5-8400 – $190 (£183, AU$250)
Intel Core i5-8600K – $257 (£190, AU$325)
Intel Core i5-8600 – $213 (about £150, AU$277)
Intel Core i3-8100 – $130 (£99, AU$145)
Intel Core i3-8350K – $180 (£160, AU$240)
Intel Core i3-8300 – $138 (about £98, AU$180)

Unfortunately, we won’t know until Intel actually releases pricing information, but between generations, Intel doesn’t generally shift its pricing all that much.

Specs

This is where things are going to get interesting. It’s been a very long time since we’ve seen a die process shrink at Intel, but when Broadwell succeeded Haswell (yeah, it’s been that long), we saw 30% gains in efficiency. This will mean that battery life in the best laptops will surge, and we’ll be able to overclock even harder while keeping temps manageable.

Tom’s hardware has reported that a dual-core Cannon Lake CPU was shipped last year according to a Spectre microcode guidance document, but it’s highly unlikely that consumer units will be the same. Otherwise AMD would eat them alive for that. We’ll likely see higher core counts, as Intel is going to want to go up against AMD in a major way.

This dual-core chip was likely that Intel Core i3 8121U processor that was just listed by Intel. According to the product listing the processor features two cores and fou threads delivering 2.2GHz of base performance and boost clock of 3.2GHz. It also has a TDP of just 15W and a 4MB cache.

We’ve also seen a leaked document that suggests a new X399 chipset in the works that would support existing Coffee Lake CPUs and possibly Cannon Lake processors as well, suggesting enthusiasts won’t need to upgrade their motherboard to get on the Cannon Lake train.

Ultimately, we won’t know what performance advantages Cannon Lake CPUs will offer until Intel shares some more information about it, but because it’s been pushed back until 2019. It’s likely we won’t hear anything from the tech behemoth until CES 2019. But, don’t worry if anything changes, we’ll update this page. So, keep your eyes glued to this page.

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AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2nd Generation release date, news and rumors

In April 2018, AMD launched its Ryzen 2nd Generation processors and completely blew the first generation out of the water in terms of performance, becoming the best processors you can buy in 2018. But, what about the high-end Ryzen Threadripper CPUs that put Intel on the Core X defensive in 2017?

Well, we’re expecting to see that follow-up in the second half of this year.

With AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2nd Generation, similar to the move from Ryzen to Ryzen 2nd Generation, we’re expecting a huge leap in performance – from better power management to higher clock speeds. This is thanks to the move to the same 12nm Zen+ architecture used in the recent Ryzen 2nd Generation processors.

We may not have much in the way of concrete information, but that will change, so be sure to keep this page bookmarked – as we’ll keep it updated with any Ryzen Threadripper Generation 2 news that comes our way.

Cut to the Chase

What is it? AMD’s next generation of high-end desktop CPUs
When is it out? Rumored for Q3 2018
What will it cost? Hopefully around the same price as the first generation

Ryzen Threadripper Generation 2 release date

Thanks to some information shared by AMD at CES 2018, we’re expecting to see Ryzen Threadripper Generation 2 processors come out in the second half of 2018. And, according to a new report from Wccftech, AMD has started sampling Ryzen Threadripper 2000 series processors, so we can expect to see them sometime in Q3 – likely around the one-year anniversary of Threadripper.

And, in an interview with Forbes, Jim Anderson, Senior Vice President and General Manager of AMD, said that we can assume to get another three CPUs for the high-end – the same as the first generation of Ryzen Threadripper.

The original line of Threadripper CPUs launched in August 2017, and seeing as Ryzen 2nd Generation CPUs released on April 19, 2018 – just one month later than the March 2017 release date for the first gen – we expect to see the Ryzen Threadripper Generation 2 launch date to fall in line this September or later.

Ryzen Threadripper Generation 2 price

We don’t have much concrete information on the pricing of Ryzen Threadripper Generation 2, but we can still speculate based on the pricing of Generation 1. And, we can also look at the difference in cost from AMD Ryzen to AMD Ryzen 2nd Generation.

The prices of Threadripper are as follows, and we don’t think Threadripper Generation 2 is going to be wildly different:

Ryzen Threadripper 1950X: $999 (£845, AU$1,359)
Ryzen Threadripper 1920X: $799 (£689, AU$1,069)
Ryzen Threadripper 1900X: $549 (£384, AU$629)

Ryzen Threadripper Generation 2 specs

Luckily, it looks like AMD is planning on staying with the same TR4 Socket for a while, according to a report from Anandtech, so anyone looking to upgrade once Threadripper Generation 2 drops shouldn’t have to worry about buying a new board. However, just as they did with Ryzen 2nd Generation and the X470 chipset – we’re expecting to see a new chipset for the new Threadripper chips that will optimize performance and power consumption.

More than likely, older motherboards will also need to be updated with a new BIOS that also may require you to boot them with an original Ryzen Threadripper CPU.

Other than that, we’re expecting to see the same improvements that we saw in the transition from Ryzen to Ryzen 2nd Generation that gave us the best processor we’ve gotten our hands on in a while, the Ryzen 7 2700X.

But, because Ryzen Threadripper Generation 2 is going to be using the same microarchitecture as the first generation, we likely won’t see much improvement beyond faster clock speeds and power consumption – rather than radical improvements like increased core counts (not that 16-cores and 32-threads is anything to scoff at anyway).

At the end of the day, we won’t have any solid information on the Ryzen Threadripper Generation 2 specs until AMD tells us what they are – so be sure to keep coming back to this page, as we’ll update it as soon as we know more details.

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Nvidia Turing release date, news, and rumors

Will the real next-generation Nvidia graphics card architecture please stand up? Like, seriously.

Today, there are three different architectures that may be behind the anticipated GTX 1180 and co. between Volta, Ampere and Turing – and right now our money would be on Turing. We were hoping Nvidia would announce the identity of the architecture back at GTC, but that didn’t happen – we just got some AI and autonomous car info, cool stuff, just not what we wanted. Thanks to some new information, however, we may be seeing the GTX 1180 launching in July, so we’re expecting Nvidia Turing to make a showing at Computex 2018 next week.

Similar to previous generational leaps, like Maxwell to Pascal, we’re expecting the Nvidia GeForce GTX 11 series GPUs to bring efficiency, and maybe PC gaming as a whole, to an entirely new level with true 4K, 60 frames-per-second gaming with a single GPU.

Cut to the chase

What is it? Nvidia’s next generation graphics cards for gamers
When is it out? Rumored for July 2018
What will it cost? Hopefully not much more than Pascal

Nvidia Turing release date

Word on the streets, from multiple sources points to Nvidia’s next generation graphics cards releasing this summer, with the GTX 1180 Founders Edition set to launch in July. Sources say that Nvidia will be sending the GPU and memory to partners around June 15. It’s happening.

If these rumors are true, the soonest we may see an announcement would be Computex in June. However, we believe it’s more likely that we’ll see the GTX 11 series make its debut at Gamescom in August. Still, we haven’t heard any concrete information to suggest Tom’s Hardware’s information is correct.

We’ve also seen reports of Turing-powered laptop GPUs launching by the end of 2018. Whether or not this points to when the desktop graphics cards will be getting their launch remains to be seen.

Nvidia Turing price

Given the current state of GPU prices in a cryptocurrency-crazed world, we can’t but help to predict higher prices for graphics cards in the near future. Especially given that the Pascal graphics cards came at a slightly higher premium over the last-generation Maxwell cards they replaced.

With that all in mind, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the price of Turing GPUs take a slight uptick over these following Founders Cards that are currently available:

Nvidia Titan Xp - $1,199 (£1,099, AU$1,950)
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti - $699 (£679, AU$1099)
Nvdia GTX 1080 - $599 (£600, AU$925)
Nvidia TX 1070 Ti - $449 (£419, AU$759)
Nvidia GTX 1070 - $379 (£379, AU$699)
Nvidia GTX 1060 - $199 (£279, AU$429)

Nvidia Turing specs

Given that Nvidia has already introduced its new 12nm manufacturing process with Volta, we expect it to trickle down to the company’s consumer-facing Turing line. Beyond that, however there aren’t really any confirmed details about the details surrounding Nvidia’s next line of graphics cards.

That’s not to say we can’t speculate, however. An entry for the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1180 has popped up on the TechPowerUP GPU database, with a ton of details about the unreleased card. This is all rumor, but more evidence keeps popping up every day that the GTX 1180 will run with 3,584 CUDA cores, 224 TMUs and packs double the VRAM of the GTX 1080 – with 16GB of the GDDR6 VRAM found on the Nvidia Titan V.

That’s not all, either. We’ve also seen some speculation pop up on Wccftech about a possible GTX 1170 with massively better specs than the GTX 1070, including 2,688 CUDA cores, 168 TMUs and a whopping 9.75 TFLOPS.

Whatever the case, we fully expect Nvidia to deliver with new GPU technology that pushes the envelope for PC gaming as it always has.

Meanwhile, this the latest in AMD Vega

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AMD Ryzen 2nd Generation release date, news and features: everything you need to know

For years, Intel has sat on the CPU throne, as the creator of the best processors. However, times are changing, thanks to the runaway success of AMD Ryzen. Team Red unveiled its 14nm Ryzen processors in late 2016 and released them to the public in early 2017, featuring high core counts and better multi-thread performance. AMD then knocked it out of the park again with the release of AMD Ryzen 2nd generation, establishing a solid lead. And, now that Ryzen Threadripper 2nd Generation is on the way, it’s looking like it’s going to stay that way.

AMD Ryzen was a successive series of hits. The Ryzen 7 1800X was a stunning victory life, as AMD breathed new life into a stagnating processor market. As time marched on, we were even more impressed by the Ryzen 5 1600X for its stunning price-to-performance ratio, and were also amazed by the cheap Ryzen 3 1300X. Then AMD topped it all off by unleashing the powerful Ryzen Threadripper 1950X, bringing core counts into the high teens at a price well below Intel’s comparable CPUs.

It doesn’t look like AMD is slowing down, either, as the manufacturer is planning to release a large variety of new Ryzen 2000 series processors throughout 2018, including the much-anticipated Ryzen APUs for laptops.

Now that we’ve finally gotten our hands on, and reviewed a wide range of Ryzen 2nd Generation CPUs from the Ryzen 5 2600X to the powerhouse that is the Ryzen 7 2700X – not to mention the Ryzen 7 2800X, coming at a later date, that will push performance even further. And, now, we’re ready to start looking to the far future – with AMD’s mysterious Zen 5 architecture.

Cut to the chase

What is it? AMD's upgraded, budget-friendly processor chips
When is it out? April 19, 2018
What will it cost? $199 (about £140, AU$260) starting price for the Ryzen 5 2600

AMD Ryzen 2nd Generation release date

The wait for the new AMD chips is finally over. The first generation Ryzen processors shipped out in March 2017 and rolled out throughout 2017. Now, Ryzen 2nd Generation chips have launched at around the same time of year, on April 19, 2018.

Beyond the first few chips AMD released, the timeline points to released for both the 2nd Generation Ryzen Pro and Ryzen Threadripper chips throughout the second half of the year. Ryzen Pro chips are designed for business and IT use-cases, with up to 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper is the ‘big daddy’ of AMD’s offering with 16 cores for die-hard gamers. And, Forbes has reported that AMD is planning on releasing a similar number of Ryzen 2nd Generation chips as last year – including the anticipated Ryzen 7 2800X.

Those are all desktop chips, mind you – AMD's official 2nd Generation rollout timeline doesn't include laptop versions on the 2018 calendar. It does show first-generation Ryzen 3 mobile chips out during the first quarter of the year, with Ryzen Pro following in Q2.

AMD Ryzen 2nd Generation price

AMD plans for its second generation of Ryzen chips to be just as affordable as the first batch. Granted, delivering more affordable CPUs has always been AMD's edge, but for the first time in years, the cheaper Ryzen chips could honestly hang with, if not surpass, Intel's offerings.

Given that, AMD had to continue its course with the 2nd Generation models. It was imperative that they deliver affordable, high-performance CPUs, so ideally we would see prices that aren't too far off from what AMD asked for the last time around. Surprisingly they're actually even more affordable than before.

AMD Ryzen 7 2700X: $329 (about £230, AU$420)
AMD Ryzen 7 2700: $299 (about £210, AU$380)
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X: $229 (about £160, AU$290)
AMD Ryzen 5 2600: $199 (about £140, AU$260)

Last year, the quad-core Ryzen 3 1300X debuted at $129 (£112, AU$169), while Intel's Core i3 7350K went for $149 (£169, AU$299). Bump up to the hexa-core Ryzen 5 1600X, and we saw it offered for $249 (£249, AU$359) – compare that to the quad-core Intel Core i5-7600K at $239 (£219, AU$339), although you lose a couple of cores in the process.

We saw the biggest price difference with the Ryzen 7 1800X, which at $499 (£500, around AU$650) was nearly half the price of Intel's Core i7-5960X/6900K. Of course, this lead to Intel introducing a more affordable Intel Core i7-8700K and Intel Core i7-7820X. Meanwhile, the AMD Threadripper 1950X came in at $999 (£999, AU$1,439) and delivered even stronger performance than Intel's like-priced Core i9-7900X.

Of course, AMD recently dropped its Ryzen prices across the board alongside the 2nd Generation announcement, keeping things competitive with Intel as the two companies wage war for your CPU-buying dollars.

AMD Ryzen 2nd Generation specs

Ryzen 2nd generation processors offer quite the generational leap over their predecessors . They're built using a new 12-nanometer process, which will cram in even more transistors and thus provide more raw speed along the way.

According to AMD 12nm process results in an approximately 16% performance increase and 11% better lower power draw over the original Ryzen's 14nm process.

We could also see Ryzen 2nd Generation CPUs that will do away with the need for GPUs for anyone playing older games or eSports titles that focus on speed rather than sheer graphical output. If the first set of Ryzen APUs – including the Ryzen 5 2400G and Ryzen 3 2200G – are any indication, the company's 'discrete class' Vega graphics pack an incredible punch.

AMD says that the Ryzen 2nd Generation chips will be the smallest and fastest desktop processors to date – lofty promises, but ones that are sure to excite PC enthusiasts and users of all stripes. Ryzen 2nd Generation chips will deliver higher clock speeds and introduce the enhanced Precision Boost 2 technology to boost performance during high-drain scenarios.

And, now that we’ve gotten our hands on the Ryzen 7 2700X and the Ryzen 5 2600X, we know that AMD has succeeded in pushing its specs. The 2700X with its 8 cores, 16 threads and speedy boost clock of 4.3GHz outperforms the Intel Core i7-8700K, finally embracing the enthusiast market. Even the lower-end Ryzen 5 2600X pushes performance into the next generation with 6 cores, 12 threads and a 4.2 GHz boost clock.

AMD Ryzen 2nd Generation is a distillation of everything AMD wanted to do with Ryzen. And, if the specs of the early Ryzen 2nd Generation CPUs are anything to go off of, we’re very excited to see what this lineup looks like by the end of 2018.

AMD has a very technical primer on Precision Boost 2 from its Ryzen Mobile Processor with Radeon Vega Graphics, in case you want to dig into the specs.

We've seen some SenseMi improvements in AMD's recent Ryzen-based desktop APUs, so it stands to reason that we'll see similar performance and efficiency increases in the Ryzen 2nd Generation line. That could include optimized power usage through Pure Power smart sensors and improved overclocking potential from Extended Frequency Range 2.

And there's some good news for prospective upgraders: unlike Intel, AMD will keep the same AM4 socket as the last Ryzen chips, so you won't need to buy a new motherboard to slot one of these CPUs into your machine. There will also be an enhanced X470 chipset that's optimized for Ryzen 2nd Generation and claims lowered power consumption, as well.

Note that AMD is calling the heart of the Ryzen 2nd Generation a Zen+ core, rather than the Zen 2. What's the difference? Well, Zen 2 will be an entirely new architecture built on a 7nm process, which – as you can imagine – could provide a world of difference when it comes to performance boost.

AMD's roadmap shows the Zen 2 and Zen 3 (listed at "7nm+") cores coming somewhere between the release of the Zen+ and the year 2020, so that's more likely to appear in 2019.

Zen 2 design is reportedly complete at this point, and it "improves on Zen in multiple dimensions" according to AMD. And the Zen 3 is "on track," as well. AMD could be primed to shake up the CPU industry all over again with the Zen 2, but that's not what we'll see this year: Zen+ is what's powering the Ryzen 2nd Gen chips.

Even so, there's plenty of reason to get excited for the Ryzen 2nd Generation CPUs, especially if you are (or will be) in the market for a new or upgraded PC in 2018. Now that Intel is on the defensive, though, we'll see whether AMD is able to repeat its surprising feat from last year.

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Best RAM 2018: the top memory for your PC

Even if you already have one of the best PCs, you’ll inevitably face some slow down eventually, especially as operating systems like Windows 10 and macOS High Sierra become more demanding. If your computer is starting to show its age, you may want to consider upgrading, replacing or adding the best RAM. Even if your computer is relatively new, the best DDR4 RAM can still be a major upgrade.

However, when you pull up your favorite online retailer looking for the best RAM, you’ll immediately notice the wide range of RAM available. If you’re not familiar with PC hardware, this can be intimidating. That’s why we created this list of the best RAM you can buy today.

Each memory kit on this list has been handpicked by TechRadar, so you should be confident that you’re getting the best RAM, no matter your needs. So, whether you want an upgrade so that you can open more chrome tabs on your laptop, or even if you’re a gamer looking for the fastest RAM money can buy, read on for the best RAM you can buy today.

Best RAM: Corsair Vengeance LED

Some of the best overall RAM on the market comes from Corsair. Their Vengeance series has something for everyone with its LED DDR4 offerings topping our list. On top of giving PC builders that extra touch of vibrancy lighting brings, the Corsair Vengeance LED series’ built-in heat spreaders maximize cooling for higher overclocking and maximum performance. Corsair’s Vengeance LED DDR4 series offers CL16 latency and 3,466 MHz speeds and color coordinated computing.

Best DDR4 RAM: G.Skill Trident Z RGB

G.Skill has given the Trident Z RGB series great performance and the ultimate lighting setup for personalization. The top of each memory stick features a full-spectrum rainbow wave light bar that you can use to match your RGB lighting across all your components. Trident Z RGB DDR4 RAM comes with CAS Latencies between 14 and 19, and between 2,400MHz and 4,266MHz. No matter what your style, the best full-spectrum RAM is definitely the G.Skill Trident Z RGB.

Best DDR3 RAM: Kingston HyperX Predator

Kingston’s high-performance HyperX has some of the best DDR3 RAM on the market and the Predator models is particularly tuned for and extreme-performance that’s further expandable with XMP profiles. The Predator DDR3 series achieves CL9 to CL11 latencies and speeds between 1866MHz to 2666MHz.

This product is only available in the US at the time of this writing. UK and Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Kingston HyperX Fury

Best Budget RAM: Kingston HyperX Fury

The Kingston HyperX Fury is auto-overclocked memory that won’t empty your wallet. This smart DDR3 or DDR4 RAM auto-detects system components to overclock to the highest speeds possible, optimizing performance for all of Intel’s latest chipsets. It comes with latencies between CL14 and CL16, and has speeds between 2,133MHz and 2,666MHz. While it costs little, it can have a huge impact on the performance of your rig.

Best High-end RAM: Corsair Dominator Platinum

Corsair’s Dominator Platinum is the best type of RAM for high-intensity tasks – and those who need chrome heat spreaders for maximum performance. Massive heatsinks and optional fans on your memory might seem absurd, but they’re absolutely necessary for C19 memory operating up to 4,000MHz. On the low-end, Corsair also offers a low-latency C14 version of the Dominator Platinum operating at 2,400MHz.

Best Gaming RAM: Team T-Force Night Hawk

When looking for the best possible specs for gaming, then look no further than the Team T-Force Night Hawk DDR4 RAM. It comes with CL15 or CL16 latencies, and between 2,666MHz and 3,200MHz frequencies so no matter which kit you get, it’ll run at peak performance. It’s also available in a full-spectrum RGB model for users who need personalization and gaming aura.

Best RGB RAM: HyperX Predator DDR4 RGB

HyperX has always been a huge name in desktop memory, and it’s not hard to see why. The DIMMs they release always feature the latest technologies without pushing the price higher than it really needs to be – and the HyperX Predator DDR4 RGB is yet another example. Not only is this ram fast, but it looks good, too – with Infrared Sync tech that promises to actually synchronize the lighting between DIMMs. And, with its stylish black heat spreaders, this is the best RAM if you want your gaming PC to reach max aesthetic.

Best Low-Profile RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX

RAM in the LPX series of Corsair Vengeance memory is made for users who want the maximum performance with minimum size. This low-profile RAM is essential for PC builds with massive CPU coolers. Despite being so short, they also feature an eight-layer heat spreader to cool while overclocking. And while it’s thin design doesn’t allow for LEDs, you can get it in three colors: black, red or blue. Corsair’s Vengeance LPX DDR4 series clocks in with CL12 to CL19 latencies and between 2,400MHz and 4,600MHz.

Best Mac RAM: G.Skill Mac RAM

Just like their dedication to laptop and desktop RAM, G.Skill has RAM upgrades for Macs, too. Adding more memory on the Apple Store is needlessly expensive, so going with a third-party kit can help you save a ton of money – assuming that your machine is one the last remaining MacBooks or iMacs that are still upgradable. These SO-DIMM have a CAS latency between 9 and 11 and have between 1,333MHz and 1,600MHz. The best bang for the buck seems to be the G.Skill DDR3-1333 for Mac.

Best Laptop RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport

Crucial is the go-to replacement RAM for laptop systems. They’ve designed their Crucial Ballistix Sport SODIMMs for efficient battery life in mind while still delivering good speeds for multi-tasking. It’s perfect for those wanting a little more out of their laptop, and this memory will likely offers higher performance speeds than anything coming stock in your laptop., with a latency of CL16 and speeds between 2,300MHz and 2,666MHz.

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The best motherboard 2018: the top Intel and AMD motherboards we've seen

They may not be as exciting as the best processors or graphics cards, but the best motherboards are arguably more important than any other component in your system. Featuring the latest technologies behind all of the best PCs, the best motherboards serve as the backbone of your entire system. These technologies can help your PC reach its full potential by fully utilizing your hardware. They can even give your CPU more overclocking headroom, further expanding your potential performance.

Because of how important the best motherboards are, it’s essential to make sure you get one that will last. If you try and cut corners and pick up an unreliable motherboard, it could fail – then you’ll have to deal with the nightmare of having to replace it. To replace a failing mobo, you have to pull apart your entire PC and rebuild it from scratch – it’s not like upgrading to one of the best graphics cards. Long story short, you should just buy one of the best motherboards today, so you don’t have to replace it tomorrow.

Fortunately, if you pick up a new Coffee Lake processor, you won’t be stuck with the expensive Z370 chipset anymore, as Intel has announced the much cheaper H370, H310, Q370 and B360 chipsets. Therefore, you shouldn’t have to worry about your bank account when you buy a Coffee Lake compatible motherboard anymore.

That’s why we created this list to help you find the best motherboard for your needs in 2018. Every single motherboard here has been hand picked by our knowledgeable TechRadar editorial staff. Not only will the motherboards on this list do everything you need them to do and more, they are built to last. And, considering how many different kinds of motherboards are out there, it’s important to know exactly what to look for.

If money isn’t an issue, the Z370 Aorus Gaming 7 from Gigabyte literally shines. Packed with more RGB lighting than you can shake a stick at, its the best way to celebrate Intel’s 8th-generation Coffee Lake Processors in an ATX tower case. It’s also an overclocking champion – its only limits are the restraints of your other components. You can reasonably expect upwards of 5GHz consistently with this motherboard. We’re not joking.

If you want to take advantage of Intel Coffee Lake, but don’t want to fork over the cash for a high-end motherboard, you’re in luck, as Intel H310 boards have started coming out. And, the MSI H310-A PRO is among the most inexpensive motherboards featuring this chipset. While it doesn’t have a lot of high-end features like M.2 storage or SLI compatibility, it does feature plenty of PCIe x1 slots, making it one of the best mining motherboards for anyone trying to maximise their ROI.

The ASRock H370M Pro4 is one of the best motherboards for anyone aiming to create a compact build. Compatible with 8th-generation Coffee Lake processors, this motherboard is packed front to back with awesome features like two M.2 slots, Intel Optane support and CrossFireX for anyone who wants to build one of the best gaming PCs. Really, the only thing that holds this motherboard back from perfection is the lack of SLI, but with everything it gets right, it’s easy to overlook.

The Asus ROG Strix Z370-I Gaming isn’t just the best Intel Mini-ITX motherboard – it’s also one of the best Z370 motherboards you can buy today. Featuring the chipset behind Intel’s 8th-generation Coffee Lake processors, the Asus ROG Strix Z370-I Gaming will support everything from the Core i7-8700K all the way down to the Core i3-8100. It might lack SLI and Crossfire support, but it does ship with an included Asus 2 x 2 Wi-Fi adapter.

With the X470 Aorus Gaming 7 Wi-Fi, Gigabyte further illustrates its mastery of motherboard design. Rocking the new AMD X470 chipset, allowing full support of the new AMD Ryzen 2nd Generation processors, this is the best motherboard if you’re looking to side with Team Red. What’s more, it supports Quad-GPU SLI and extremely fast RAM (up to 3,600 MHz) for peerless expandability, and thanks to its multi-zone RGB lighting, it looks good while it does it.

For years, AMD has been the reigning champion of budget builds, and in 2018 that doesn’t seem to be changing. Marketed exclusively to gamers, the MSI X470 Gaming Plus is loaded front to back with features like 2 PCIe M.2 slots and quick performance tweaking buttons to make sure you’re on top of the game at all times. And, since it’s a gaming-centric motherboard, you can expect it to have all kinds of flashy RGB lighting that you can even customise from your smartphone.

If you want to get where you need to go, and you don't care about things like fancy RGB lighting or eye-catching, futuristic-looking heat dissipators, the AB350M Pro4 is the motherboard for you. In spite of its plain-Jane looks and no-frills aesthetic, this is a solid motherboard with plenty of room to expand and grow with your computer needs.

Big things come in small packages – a fact that ASUS aims to prove with the ROG Strix X470-I. Supporting the latest AMD chipset, everything in this tiny board is designed with performance in mind. Even down to the BIOS, where you can find a stress-test for overclocks before you boot into Windows. This board even elevates beyond the constraints of the Mini-ITX form factor by including a M.2 Audio Combo riser, so that you can install your M.2 NVMe drive without getting in the way of other components.

The X-series processors are here and they're spectacular, so if you want to take advantage of all they have to offer, you need an X-series motherboard. This ASRock X299 is an excellent choice, with support for overclocked memory speeds up to 4400MHz(!!!) and 8 different slots for memory modules. It also supports up to 128GB of RAM, so with an X-series processor and a good graphics card (or 3…) this thing will absolutely tear apart anything you throw at it.

If you're the type of builder with lots of cash to burn and an ‘everything and the kitchen sink’ build-method, this Ryzen Threadripper board is certainly for you. It supports 4-way SLI or Crossfire configurations, so you can just empty your bank account in the name of PC glory. All that graphical horsepower can be supported by as much as 128GB DDR4 memory, and it even features some flashy RGB lighting to let everyone know what they’re looking at.

Coming to terms

If you’re unfamiliar about what makes the best motherboards, well, the best, we would like to include a bit of a primer for anyone who might not know what to look for. Motherboards are available in a range of different form factors, most commonly ATX and micro ATX. However there are plenty of more esoteric form factors including the recent mini ITX. Don’t worry though, because most of the time PC cases will support one or both of these form factors.

Moreover, in our rundown of the best motherboards, we detailed the socket type that each mobo adheres to. For those not in the know, the socket is the part on the motherboard that the CPU locks into. Typically, newer Intel processors use either LGA 1151 or 2066 while the latest AMD Ryzen architecture is designed for the AM4 chipset.

Next up, these are the best gaming monitors you can buy this year

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Best SSDs 2018: the top solid-state drives for your PC

For the longest time, if you wanted to expand your PC’s storage, you were stuck with whatever speeds the best hard drives of the time could offer – with their spinning disks and tedious transfer speeds. Luckily, we live in the future now, and in 2018, the best SSDs, or solid state drives, are fast enough to free you from the shackles of mechanical drives with lightning fast file transfers and boot times.

You don’t even need one of the best PCs to take advantage of these awesome benefits either. The best SSDs and the best Ultrabooks were practically made for each other – the portability and lightweight design of the Ultrabook perfectly complements the speed and durability of SSDs. Even if you don’t even have a computer, and you’re just a console gamer – you can say goodbye to long loading times. Plus, in 2018, the best SSDs just keep getting faster, bigger and cheaper – seemingly by the minute. There’s never been a better time to buy one of the best SSDs.

If you look on Newegg or Amazon, you’ll see there are great SSDs on the market, and they’re available at every price point you can think of – which is a good thing if you’re on a budget. We here at TechRadar, then, have taken this as a cue to create a list of the best SSDs on the market in 2018. And, you can be confident that every SSD on this list is going to be worth your time and money – we’ve tested them ourselves.

Samsung’s Evo line of SSDs just continues to get better, and the Samsung 970 Evo is no exception. Building on the already-impressive performance of the 960 Evo and even out-powering the higher-end 960 Pro, this drive will make short work of any file transfer. And, now that it’s available with up to 2TB of storage, you’ll never have to worry about running out of space either.

Read the full review: Samsung 970 Evo

When you’re playing the best PC games, there’s nothing worse than having the action stop for a load screen (we’re looking at you, Half-Life 2). Luckily, with the WD Black NVMe SSD, you can basically say goodbye to long loading screens forever, as this drive absolutely blows the pants off of every other SSD in its price range. At just under $300 you won’t find a faster drive that will last as long as the WD Black NVMe SSD. We can say without a doubt that this is the best SSD for gaming. Trust us on this one.

Read the full review: WD Black NVMe SSD

The NVMe standard is designed to maximize the strengths of solid-state drives, and the Samsung 960 Pro takes full advantage. With an M.2 form factor and ridiculous read speeds of up to 3500 MBps, these SSDs are already enticing, but the fact it's available as large as 2TB is incredible. All that storage doesn't come cheap, but if you need lots (and LOTS) of fast storage, it's definitely worth it.

If you're looking for plenty of options, the Toshiba OCZ RD400 series of drives come in 4 sizes and three different form factors: M.2, M.2 2280, and add-in card (AIC). Not all sizes are in all form factors, so if you're looking for a fast 1TB drive, make sure you have room in your computer case.

This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Samsung 960 Evo

Featuring a 5-year warranty and some pretty jaw-dropping read/write speeds – up to 2,050MBps read and 800 write on the 512GB model – the WD Black NVMe is one of the best SSDs for OS purposes. And, because it’s available in a 512GB size, this makes it a great drive for the best PC games as well.

SATA 3 might not be the hottest SSD tech in the world anymore, but with the Samsung 860 Pro, Samsung shows that there is life in the aging form-factor after all. Offering storage of up to 4TB and transfer speeds that approach the theoretical maximum of the SATA 3 connection and top-of-the-line reliability and security – the Samsung 860 Pro is the best SSD for anyone still clinging onto SATA 3.

Read the full review: Samsung 860 Pro

The U.2 standard allows for bigger SSD capacities and uses your computer's PCIe x4 slot to send all that data back and forth. The Intel 750 series includes a cable so you can mount the drive in the bay on your case and still plug it into the PCIe slot on your motherboard.

The Samsung 850 Evo was an extremely successful and popular SSD when it released back in 2014, due to its fantastic performance that was affordable and attainable by the masses – so Samsung had a hard act to follow – it succeeded. Though limited by the SATA3 interface, the Samsung 860 Evo delivers performance that iterates on its predecessor with improved read/write speeds and an array of form factors, while maintaining its great price. The 860 Evo is undeniably the best SSD for anyone who is looking to dip their toes into blazing fast loading speeds without having to break open their piggy banks.

Read the full review: Samsung 860 Evo

If you need an SSD that will last through multiple computers, the HP S700 Pro is exactly what you want. Its life will far exceed its warranty, offering up to 2 million hours of use and up to 650 terabytes written. This is one of the best SSDs you can buy if you need something that’ll last, but the SATA interface may slow things down a bit in the read/write department, which technically helps it last even longer.

This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Samsung 860 Evo

For years, NVMe SSDs have been far too expensive. However, with their 760p SSDs, Intel is trying to change the world – of SSDs. The 760p features top-shelf performance that’s only slightly behind the Samsung 960 Evo, reaching speeds of 3,056 MB/s read and 1,606 MB/s write. But what makes the Intel 760p one of the best SSDs you can buy is the fantastic price-to-performance ratio for this drive. Sure, there are faster NVMe drives, but you’ll be paying a premium that, frankly, isn’t worth it. This drive makes us excited for the future of the best SSDs.

Read the full review: Intel 760p Series SSD

Unless your laptop or desktop computer employs the USB Type-C Gen 2 interface, you might want to look elsewhere for an external drive. Otherwise, with read/write speeds of up to 540/515MBps, respectively, the Samsung Portable SSD T5 can keep up with some of the more modest PCIe players, resulting in one of the best SSDs for anyone who has to work on the go.

Read the full review: Samsung Portable SSD T5

Gabe Carey has also contributed to this article

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