High latency is exactly what you don't want when you're playing games, breaking immersion and interrupting your gameplay in single-player games and, worse yet, negatively impacting aiming and response time in competitive multiplayer games. It's the dreaded delay in-between the inputs from your mouse and the corresponding actions on the screen. Even in millisecond increments, latency has the ability to make or break your PC gaming experience no matter the genre or platform.

Getting a little more technical, there are two main kinds of latency: network and system. Network latency, or lag, refers to latency caused by your internet connection, while system or local latency is related to input processing, your game engine, rendering, and components like mouse, keyboard, and display - ultimately, system latency is affected by your actual PC and not your internet speeds. Assuming you're happy with your internet plan, let's dive into system latency

There are three components to the system latency pipeline that you can improve to get you those faster response times you're looking for. If you're dealing with high peripheral latency, either your mouse or keyboard isn't up to the task of what you're playing, while high display latency means you need a PC monitor with a higher refresh rate. However, straight-up PC latency can be the main culprit, and there's something software-side that can be adjusted to quickly and painlessly lower your PC latency. That's where we'd recommend NVIDIA Reflex for compatible PCs.

NVIDIA Reflex was introduced as a way to minimize latency with a combination of SDKs and driver optimizations. The Reflex SDK is a tool afforded to developers for implementing low latency modes that sync up the game engine tasks to complete at precisely the right time for rendering, removing the GPU render queue while minimizing CPU back pressure in GPU-intensive game scenarios. In short, it reduces the time it takes for the pixels on screen to react to your mouse inputs, and it's easy to see how this would put the odds in your favor in a competitive shooter and simply make games run more smoothly in general.

Naturally, you'll need an NVIDIA GeForce GPU to activate Reflex, we recommend the latest GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs. Once you do, it's very possible you'll see some significant reductions in latency in compatible games, which can make or break your next round of Valorant, Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, or Overwatch 2.

Even single-player games can benefit greatly from the simple switching on of NVIDIA Reflex. For example, Remedy's 2023 GOTY contender Alan Wake 2 is a game with plenty of high-stakes, fast-paced battles in which lag can easily tilt the odds in your enemy or enemies' favor. The Nightingale boss fight in particular is one where you definitely don't want latency standing in your way, and again, as long as your PC is compatible, flipping Reflex on can mean the difference between triumphing over this undead monster and being sent back to the Dark Place.

That said, Reflex was designed to optimize response time in competitive gaming, and it's even more crucial to make sure you have it enabled if you're ranking up in Overwatch 2 or Apex Legends. NVIDIA reports that Reflex can reduce latency by substantial 51% in Apex Legends and packs an absolutely game-changing 61% latency saving in Overwatch 2.

If you aren't rocking a GeForce RTX GPU at the moment and you're ready to make the switch, there are plenty of solid options all across the budget spectrum, both for desktops and laptops. At the modest end, the GeForce RTX 4060 gets you into the latest line of NVIDIA GPUs at a reasonable price, offering superb 1080p performance per watt that puts even the RTX 3060 to shame. For right around $300, the RTX 4060 is a mighty and highly energy efficient contender for its bracket. If you're looking to jump up to 1440p, check out the RTX 4070 which offers excellent performance at 1440p resolution. For those of you looking for 4K, an RTX 4080 SUPER will offer maxed out settings with amazing performance.

On the mobile side, you obviously won't be able to swap out your GPU like you can on a desktop PC, but knowing which mobile GPUs are best suited for low latency and NVIDIA Reflex can help you narrow down your search for a new rig. I've personally had a great experience with the RTX 4060 Mobile, with it you'll see a huge benefit when enabling NVIDIA Reflex. Or, if you want something a little more future-proof, stepping up to the RTX 4070 will prove a worthy return on your investment without totally breaking the bank.

Should you buy the Anycubic Photon Mono M5s?

The Anycubic Photon Mono M5s has been hogging the top spot on our best 3D printers list for months now – and rightfully so. We’ve yet to come across anything that competes with its nigh flawless mix of print quality, speed, and ease of use. Given the great results you can get from this resin 3D printer pretty much straight out of the box, I’d recommend the Anycubic Photon Mono M5s to anyone from beginners to experts.

Now that the Photon Mono M5s’ price tag has been slashed so significantly, it’s an even better option for 3D printing newbies. Sure, $369 is still a hefty investment but getting your hands on a 3D printer with a self-leveling function that is capable of 12K prints is a decision you definitely won’t regret later in your journey with the hobby. 

Want some inspiration for awesome minis to print? Check out the best tabletop RPGs or these best Dungeons and Dragons books. And if you need something a little speedier to handle your slicing software, check out the best gaming PCs.

Following on from its last smartphone, the Infinix GT 10 Pro, it’s now launched a successor. The Infinix GT 20 Pro is here to capture the hearts of mobile Esports athletes, and a dual-chip setup that powers its 120Hz display is the key to doing so.

Under the hood of this beefy gaming phone lies a Dimensity 8200 Ultimate 4nm 5G Processor and a Pixelworks X5 Turbo Dedicated Gaming Display Chip. Now, any mobile enthusiast may be starting to sweat, because so much of the time all that power in a small chassis can mean overheating, and a lot of the time, power draining. Infinix seems to have thought of that, including a 73% larger VC Liquid Cooling system, thermal paste, and a PCM graphite sheet. In truth, software is the true killer of smartphone battery life these days, so Infinix has also utilized a Stable Frame-rate Engine that will help to optimize battery usage. 

Alright, so maybe the catch is in this mobile’s price, I hear you think from behind your screen. Well, for around $300, Infinix has said this is the only smartphone in its price range to feature a dual-chip architecture. Certainly, with the Infinix GT 10 Pro, the brand aimed to undercut the biggest names.

The official gaming phone for PUBG Mobile

That said, there are plenty of people out there who tend to trust only the biggest names in the market when it comes to smartphones. Well, if it’s any consolation, this newcomer to the mobile gaming flagship market has recently pulled off a pretty great endorsement. The Infinix GT 20 Pro will be the Official Gaming Phone of the PUBG Mobile Super League (PMSL) when it begins in mid-May. If that, and the brand’s line of laptops and other devices isn’t a sign of an exciting new underdog, we’re not sure what is. 

The Infinix GT 20 Pro will be available in Mecha Blue, Mecha Orange, Mecha Silver, and with either 12+256GB or 8+256GB of storage. 

At this point, it feels like there’s a GPU for everyone roaming around the best graphics card battlefield. At the start of the generation, both the main players did focus solely on having a dance off at the premium party, with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 catering to beyond enthusiast levels of performance and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX playing the role of a traditional flagship card. However, the red team’s next release proves that the year ahead is going to be about valve, and that’s fantastic news for those of you hoping to enjoy 4K PC visuals for a reasonable price.

In a press release, AMD reveals that the Radeon RX 7900 GRE will be released worldwide on February 27. As I already spoiled above, it’s set to come in at $549, which just so happens to be the same price as the original Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 that arrived in 2023.

In terms of specs, the RX 7900 GRE comes armed with a Navi 31 and 16GB GDDR6 VRAM, meaning it’s sort of a mix between the Radeon RX 7900 XT and newer RX 7800 XT. However, despite using the same RDNA 3 chip as the flagship, it’s 2,245MHz boost clock speed and slower memory mean it’s ultimately gunning for the mid-range crown.

Despite numerous references to the card being a mid-range rival, including in-house 1440p benchmarks, AMD does suggest the RX 7900 GRE is also a 4K GPU. I’d prefer to get my hands on one for testing before committing to that idea, but I reckon that it could pull off some impressive UHD tricks with some settings tweaks. Not to mention that it has access to HYPR-RX, consisting of both FSR 3.0 upscaling and Frame Generation tech.

I’m not saying the RX 7900 GRE will serve as a fully fledged 4K graphics card, nor do I think it’ll trump something like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super. That said, I do think for many players, it will provide just enough oomph and upscaling tricks to become a UHD option, and for $540, it's arguably better value than the rest of the upper mid-range crowd.

Looking for a rig that's ready to go? Check out the best gaming PC for powerhouse pre-builds. Alternatively, swing by the best gaming handheld and best gaming laptop options for systems you can play on the go.

AverMedia has been one of the only true, long-standing rivals to Elgato in the best capture card race, but its products have never done enough to make me switch camps. Its latest external option, the Live Gamer Ultra 2.1, is particularly enticing because it allows 4K60 passthrough and recording, but more importantly, variable passthrough refresh rates of up to 144Hz. As consoles continue to achieve slicker frame rates, the ability to reliably record footage while not compromising on in-game performance is a bigger and bigger draw. 

At $299.99 / £279.99 though, is this enough to make status-quo Elgato options look second-rate? And do most players really need to spend that much for the features on offer here? Well, as someone who's always been scared to spend that type of money on a brand that doesn't seem as gaming-focused as Elgato, I can say my fears have well and truly gone.

Design

Capture cards don't usually put much emphasis on their aesthetics. For the most part, they're simple little black boxes that have some minor branding but don't exactly sing and dance. The AverMedia Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 has a tantalizing RGB array on its front though, which really cements it as something that tries to go above and beyond what's come before. You can sync this RGB lighting with your PC hardware if you're so inclined, and at the time of writing, AverMedia has support for ASRock Polychrome and MSI Mystic Light, as well as settings in its own gaming utility tool. 

Pretty lighting aside, the Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 is still easy on the eye. It sits flat and routes all of its cables through its spine, making it easy to access and lovely to display on a TV stand or gaming desk. 

Remarkably, as light as this capture card is at 115g, it actually manages to sit flat when cables are routed through it. Most of the best HDMI cables are so thick that they make horizontal capture cards like this sit up on one end, but the Ultra 2.1 holds fast, which is something we found the AverMedia Live Gamer Extreme 3 struggled with. 

The IO on the back of the Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 isn't quite as heavy-duty as the Rode Streamer X, but it does allow for some really solid connectivity for capturing footage. There's a standard HDMI-in and HDMI-out - both of which are 2.1 compatible so you can 4K to your heart's content. There's a USB-C port for connecting the card to a gaming PC or laptop, and there's a 3.5mm headphone jack for routing audio as well. Something I absolutely adore though, is the final port you'll find. 

If you stream on a console with an external capture card through a PC, and you want to play with headphones, chat with your friends, hear everything clearly, and record your chat audio, you will likely run into some very infuriating technical issues. For Elgato's older capture cards, this meant you needed to invest in a separate chat-link cable which just made things so much more complicated. For the Live Gamer Ultra 2.1, AverMedia has put an ingenious second 3.5mm headphone jack on board and supplied a cable for it in the box. Basically, this means you can put the supplied 3.5mm cable into your PS5 controller, route all your audio into the capture card, but then plug your headset into the capture card's second audio port and you'll still be able to hear everything without having to completely mess up your PC's audio settings. 

Features

As mentioned, the AverMedia Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 allows for recording in up to 4K 60fps, but in truth, that's just the beginning. At 4K, you can record footage at 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94, and 60fps. I particularly like the ability to record at the 29.97 and 59.94fps rates because a lot of video editing suites work to that speed rather than full-fat 30 or 60fps.

You can, however, record at a wad of other resolutions. The Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 supports 1440p recording and has ultra-wide recording capabilities as well. There's a lot of versatility to be had with your recording setup here, and as someone who records footage on varying platforms and is very particular about their video editing settings, I appreciate that. 

There's also allowance for HDR, which will be a big plus for current-gen console gamers who don't want to miss out on color accuracy in online play, which can give them a big leg-up against the competition. 

RECentral is the companion software for capturing footage or live streaming, although OBS and Streamlabs will obviously work as well. In RECentral though, you'll be able to record in 2160p, 1440p, 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i, 480p, 480i, and in YUY2, NV12, RGB24, P010(HDR) formats. Exporting works a treat, and the software gives you the option of H.264 or H.265 codecs at varying video and audio bitrates. Finally, you can customize how many audio channels go into each recording, and choose to route your best mic for streaming and gaming into the mix as well.

Performance

Although an external capture card is what you pay for, companion software is honestly where true value for money lies with this kind of accessory. This is where Elgato has always fallen short for me, not because its application lacks settings but because it can be very volatile, bringing in a load of infuriating technical issues. Those technical issues for me have included random freezes, hours of lost gameplay recordings, and bizarre firmware bugs that mean restarting your application or sometimes your whole system. These things are a nightmare, and not what you want after spending money on a bespoke product that's designed for this specific purpose.

AverMedia has dodged every one of those bumps in the road, and during my entire time testing the new Live Gamer Ultra 2.1, it's been plain sailing. It is, however, a bit bizarre to me that AverMedia has allowed for such a vast array of recording setups when it comes to resolutions, framerates, and bitrates, and yet it hasn't updated its software to allow for things like color grading, capture editing, or even a render progress bar. 

I was slightly wary of not being able to edit things like contrast levels and saturation - for more artsy creators this will need to be done in post. Luckily, when I reviewed the recorded footage from this card, I was amazed at the brilliant clarity and vivid colors that greeted me. It just so happened that when this capture card arrived on my doorstep I had a lot of footage to record for a video all about gaming landscapes - and it made every single gaming vista I featured look stunning. 

I mainly tested this card with a PS5 hooked into my PC, and the only times I thought the software/capture card was failing me was when I recorded two different games in two separate files, back to back. If you've used an external capture card before, you'll likely know that it's important to let one video render completely before starting the next recording. However, without the addition of any kind of "render-export-ometer," it's a bit tough to know when you're safe to get going again. Even hooking this capture card up to the Acer Predator Orion X and utilizing its unlocked i9 processor and RTX 4080 GPU, I got a few bits of choppy footage that lacked a bit of clarity when recording back-to-back. Luckily, framerates were always consistent so this didn't cause any video editing headaches.

What I was really impressed with, was the AverMedia Live Gamer Ultra 2.1's ability to capture solid 30fps footage even in games that had unreliable framerates. Sable is one of my favorite games from recent years, and personally, I think its janky framerate dips can add to its charm. Nonetheless, it is a choppy game to try and snag footage of for that reason, and yet the Ultra 2.1 turned out blissfully smooth 1440p video. When recording on a lesser card or on the PS5 itself, that definitely hasn't been the case for me, so that's a big win. 

But what of that high refresh rate passthrough? While external capture cards specialize in console recording, to me, that 144Hz refresh rate tells me this one is designed to make the most of higher-end PC gameplay too. While it's slightly more unorthodox to hook up an external capture card between a GPU and a monitor, that's what I did, and the results were pretty telling. My Acer Predator BiFrost Intel Arc A770 does struggle with video encoding at times, and any time I've tried recording footage directly from it the results haven't been the best. A versatile external capture card like this definitely helped to take the strain off my PC components and captured more consistent footage overall. If you have the CPU and RAM to help the program run while also playing demanding games at 4K60, this can definitely help. 

Should you buy the AverMedia Live Gamer Ultra 2.1?

If you're looking to take your content creation, whether it's lets plays, live streams, or video essays, to the next stage, external capture cards don't get much better than the AverMedia Live Gamer Ultra 2.1. If you want 4K60 passthrough, variable refresh rates, and recording capabilities up to that point, this is probably the most competitive external option we've tested at the time of writing.

However, this capture card doesn't come cheap, and the money could arguably be put towards one of the best graphics cards or an internal capture card instead - although that will only really suit those recording off a PC. 

Admittedly, I don't have much need to record footage at 4K60, but having wanted to boost the resolution of my YouTube videos for a while now, this is definitely something I'll be looking to do from now on. Really, this is a perfect capture card for console gamers looking to stay competitive while streaming. The passthrough, at least in competitive games, is where a lot of value is heading these days, and if you can afford it, this is a product you can count on. 

For me personally, this has put an end to years of technical issues I suffered from with Elgato cards, and that's exactly what I was hoping for.

How we tested the AverMedia Live Gamer Ultra 2.1

I put the AverMedia Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 to the test by hooking it up to my gaming PC and PS5 to capture a bunch of footage for a YouTube video. I recorded predominantly at 1440p/30fps, but also tested recordings at 4K60, 4K30, and 1080p as well. To test how reliable the recordings were, I put them into an Adobe Premiere Pro editing session and carefully examined how they matched up. For an extra test, I used the capture card with my PC to record test footage and take the strain off my components. I also integrated it into my streaming setup and Streamlabs loadout to see how it would play with other bits of hardware. 

For more on how we test the latest streaming gear, check out our hardware policy.

Looking for more live-streaming accessories? Get our thoughts on the best webcams, the best green screen, and the best ring lights.

Admittedly, picking up one of the best Alienware gaming PC builds will set you back more than a single graphics card, but not by as much as you’d think. Thanks to this Dell Presidents Day deal, you can currently grab the Aurora R15 armed with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, 32GB RAM, and a chonky 2TB SSD for $2,899.99, thanks to that aforementioned $1,000 discount. 

Still a considerable investment to say the least, but keep in mind that some custom RTX 4090 graphics cards currently come in at $2,200 (looking at you, MSI Gaming Trio). Therefore, you could say picking this up this entire PC is better value for money, as you’re getting some pretty serious specs for what is effectively $700 more than some single GPUs out there.

Should you buy an RTX 4090 gaming PC?

I’ve tested a few RTX 4090 gaming PCs, and I’d say they’re more of an impressive luxury than a universal necessity. Using a machine like the Alienware Aurora R15 will effectively save you from thinking about adjusting in-game settings, as it will make short work of even the biggest, newest releases at 4K with every bell and whistle turned on. Even if you do find that frame rates are dipping, you can take advantage of DLSS 3.5 and use Frame Generation to ramp things back up to unprecedented levels. 

Ultimately, if you’ve got serious cash to spend on a rig, you’ll want to consider an RTX 4090 rig like the Alienware Aurora R15 featured above. Otherwise, you’re probably better off considering some of the other best gaming PC configurations out there, as you can spend a lot less on a machine that will still pack a punch. That said, I know some of you out there won’t settle for anything less than maximum performance, and that’s exactly why I think this offer is worth highlighting.

Looking for more seasonal deals? Check out the best Newegg Presidents Day deals for offers on on the best gaming CPU and best gaming RAM kit options for your rig.

Out of all the best graphics card contenders available right now, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 is without a doubt the most expensive. That hasn’t stopped some enthusiasts picking on up, as AMD has yet to whip up a challenger that can actually take the GPU head on. That situation has sadly meant that the card has been rocking out at the premium party consistently since its release, maintaining a price tag that’s well over MSRP.

Thankfully, there are signs that the RTX 4090 is ready to come down from its expensive pedestal and mingle with the masses. According to a report by 3DCentre, the graphics card is starting to creep into a lower price range in Europe, following a massive hike after release (via Videocards). The stats suggest that the GPU will currently set players back between €1,850 and €1,950 as of February 2024, a drop from between €1,900 and €2,100 during the latter half of 2023.

Those of you outside of Europe might be wondering how this actually affects graphics card prices for you specifically, as regional differences will always be a thing. Ultimately, it’s more evidence of a shift in value than prices plummeting in the US, as it suggests card sales within the enthusiasts scene could be tapering off. 

Perhaps that’s to be expected given that in another year’s time, a new Nvidia RTX GeForce RTX 5090 could show up and supersede the expensive component, and even the smallest rumours have the power to deter serious players from investing. That said, it’s important to remember there’s every chance these figures will start trending again upwards in coming months, and a consistent decline is not remotely a given. 

As for current RTX 4090 prices in the US, the cheapest model at Newegg right now is the ASUS TUF RTX 4090 OG OC Edition for $1,899.99. Not remotely what I’d describe as a real deal, and it’s substantially more expensive than Nvidia’s $1,599 MSRP. While the flagship card is still top in terms of raw performance, you might want to check out alternatives like the one featured in our Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super review instead. Not only does the mid-range card come with an easier to digest price tag, but it’s surprisingly capable when it comes to 1440p and 4K.

Looking for a rig that's ready to go? Check out the best gaming PC builds for a selection of high spec systems. Alternatively, swing by the best gaming laptops and best gaming handheld options for ways to play your Steam games on the move.

Does it take my breath away or do something no-one else has tried before? Not necessarily. But the Anycubic Kobra 2 manages what it sets out to do – provide fast but accurate prints – exceptionally well. So far as filament machines go, it's a contender for our list of the best 3D printers. 

Anycubic Kobra 2 features & design

• Speeds up to 300mm/s
• Automatic leveling
• New and 'upgraded' cooling

The Anycubic Kobra 2's biggest party trick is its ability to print at 300mm/s. Sure, the recommended level is 200mm/s, but still – that's incredibly nippy. It's also packing automatic leveling with Smart Z-Offset, meaning you don't have to faff about as much with getting it ready to go.

Actually building the printer is just as straightforward. This machine comes partially assembled out of the box, and slots together really easily with minimal effort - it's just a few screws for the uprights, plugging in the connectors, and screwing on the screen. That's it.

There is a key difference to what's come before, though; alongside a new direct extruder, it also comes with an "upgraded cooling system."

Anycubic Kobra 2 performance

• Can print incredibly quickly
• Prints tend to be of a high quality
• Fans are loud

Much like Anycubic's other printers, this is dead simple to operate and prints perfectly every time. I literally booted it up, inserted the filament – which was admittedly a nuisance because it didn't feed in nicely at first – and off I went. 

Speed is the Kobra 2's secret sauce. Anycubic says that it's six times faster than standard, and it certainly doesn't hang about. Thanks to that max setting of 300mm/s and a recommended speed of 200mm/s, the Kobra 2 can complete tasks at a furious clip. I found that it was able to breeze through standard Benchy tests in around 30 or so minutes, for example, and larger pieces (such as tabletop scenery) were finished over an hour sooner than they would have been on my old Vyper.

This puts it in the same ballpark as the Creality Ender-5 S1, an equally nimble machine. Indeed, there isn't much between them from my experience; they're broadly similar in terms of speed and quality. Actually, the best compliment I can give the Kobra 2 is that I didn't notice the difference at all when swapping between them. (The S1 had been my go-to printer until then.)

Anycubic's machine has it beat in a few key areas, though. While the down-and-dirty printing is similar enough that we're splitting hairs, the Kobra 2 doesn't have the bulk of Creality's square frame. In addition, I preferred the design of Anycubic's extruder fan. It feels a little more slick than the Ender-5 S1's mass of black plastic. Oh, and I'd wager that it's ever so slightly more efficient. Prints wouldn't take quite as long on the Kobra 2 as they would with the Ender-5 S1.

The problem? It's very loud. Few printers are dead silent (the Anycubic Kobra Go being one of the few I've tried that comes close), but this is significantly noisier than even the big boy S1. It works perfectly well and shouldn't trouble you if you operate it behind closed doors, but I was taken by surprise nonetheless.

Fortunately, this is my one and only criticism. Everything else works swimmingly – not least the self-leveling software. Anyone that's read my 3D printer coverage will know that I find this to be the most frustrating part of the hobby, but I haven't needed to worry about it once with the Kobra 2. After setting it to auto-level, it's been spot-on ever since.

Should you buy the Anycubic Kobra 2?

The majority of us rattle through our day wishing for just a little more time in it, so the speedy Anycubic Kobra 2 comes highly recommended – it gets you the goods a lot faster than most competitors. The quality doesn't suffer too much, either.

This puts it head and shoulders above rival machines, and the self-leveling tech keeps it there. Want a reliable printer that'll smash through almost any task you throw at it in record time? It doesn't get much better than the Kobra 2. 

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How we tested the Anycubic Kobra 2

I spent weeks putting this machine through its paces; I worked on classic tests like the Benchy boat, more ambitious models for D&D terrain, and wargaming buildings designed for the (tiny) Epic scale. I even ran this alongside the Creality Ender-5 S1 for a direct comparison, not to mention at various settings for a broad overview of the machine's capabilities.

For more details on our process, be sure to check out our Hardware policy.

Want to get some ideas of what to print next? Check out the monsters and heroes of the best tabletop RPGs.

I’ve reviewed most of the best graphics card contenders out there, and while I’m not entirely sold on AI being the solution to everything, it does have its uses when it comes to gaming PC performance. Tools like DLSS 3.5 and Super Resolution can help even the ricketiest of rigs pull off acceptable frame rates, while high spec machines are able to produce realistic ray traced visuals that wouldn’t be possible natively today without some assistance. 

That said, even with artificial intelligence creeping into the PC graphics conversation, I didn’t expect to be talking about how you can talk to cards like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090. Dubbed Chat with RTX, the new application allows you to use a chatbot on your PC using a local dataset. That means you won’t have to go online, but you will have to free up over 35GB to install the app. Once you’re up and running, you can hook it up to language models like Mistral and Llama, saving anyone who’s into the whole chatbot thing from relying on big data centres.  

In case you can’t already tell, I’m not really here for the whole AI revolution. Sure, the tech will have its use cases, and I’ve already confessed I’m a fan of DLSS. However, it definitely feels like more of a fad right now than anything else, one that has its sights set on graphics card supplies. Call me paranoid, but having just got through a few years of GPU supplies being slurped up by the crypo community, the idea of having graphics cards do things other than, well, graphics, rubs me the wrong way. 

Nvidia does have specialist cards available, but $40K AI GPU options like the Nvidia H100 are naturally reserved for big enterprises. So, there’s a chance smaller operations and enthusiasts will have more of an excuse to turn to consumer graphics cards now that there’s a chatbot designed specifically for them, reversing the progress we’ve made with available over the past few years. 

Of course, there’s no guarantee we’ll end up in the exact same situation, especially since last time we were last dealing with global component shortages. Still, I’m hoping we don’t end up with a bunch of graphics cards becoming artificial chat assistants, rather than providing someone with pretty visuals in their favorite PC games. 

As a side note, if you're looking for the low down on the green team's newest mid-range GPU, swing by our Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super review for a deep dive.

Looking for a complete system? Check out the best gaming PC builds with powerhouse GPUs inside. Alternatively, take a peep at the best gaming laptops and best gaming handheld options if you'd rather play on the go.

Typically, you’ll pay around $259.99 / £269.99 for an AMD Radeon RX 7600, placing it at the cheapest end of the best graphics card race. However, the one I’ll be testing today happens to be a custom Acer Predator Bifrost variant, which will set you back around $300. That means this model is sort of playing a game of price chicken with its main rival, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 –  a pretty bold move considering the entry-level Lovelace card has raw performance on its side.

Still, there’s a lot to like about the RX 7600, and AMD could really be onto something with its Frame Generation vision. I don’t think its Radeon AI tech is fully ready to take on Nvidia’s mighty DLSS 3.5 suite just yet, but with a little time and polish, we could be looking at a graphics card that can pull off ridiculous FPS trickery no matter what game you’re playing.

Specs

Packing just 8GB GDDR6 VRAM, the RX 7600 is firmly an entry-level graphics card. It’s not alone in the minimal memory department, as the RTX 4060 is rocking the exact same setup, but it’s still pretty low key considering the new RX 7600 XT is rocking 16GB. AMD argues that 8GB is plenty when it comes to running modern games at 1080p, and while I don’t think that’s entirely incorrect, it’s a generalisation that disregards the existence of poorly optimized PC games. 

As for cores, the RX 7600 is armed with 2,048 stream processors, just like the newer XT model. In fact, both cards utilise the same number of Compute Units, Ray Accelerators, and AI Accelerators, despite the fact each technically features a different version of AMD’s Navi 33 GPU. Simply put, the main draw to choosing the XT version rather than the one I’m about to talk about is that extra memory bump, and I’m not so sure that’s worth the extra $70 or so. However, the Acer Predator Bifrost model does feature a slightly higher 2,725Mhz boost clock thanks to factor overclocking, giving the custom variant a little bit of an edge.

As for connectivity, the RX 7600 wears HDMI 2.1 and three DisplayPort 1.4 ports, fairly standard for a modern age card. What does feel like a good step backward, however, is the fact it uses a traditional 8-pin power connector. It has that in common with the RTX 4060, but I’m just off the back of testing the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super, so I’ve had my fill trying to keep my case innards tidy while using a 12VHPWR dongle. 

Design

As I already spoiled above, I’ve been specifically testing the Acer Predator Bifrost RX 7600, and the model in question boasts a unique dual blower and fan combo. Prior to now, the last time I held a GPU with a blower-style cooler was when I finally ripped the Nvidia GeForce GTX 470 out of my rig back in 2012, so you’ll have to forgive me if I get all nostalgic. 

Naturally, the hybrid setup is designed with efficiency in mind, with the blower punting as much heat away from the card while the fan keeps things frosty. I was sceptical at first, as I always considered blower-style coolers to be an inferior option suited to cramped cases with bad airflow. Yet, under full load, the card typically sat at around 65°C during testing, so I’ll put those doubts back in my big drawer of wrong ideas. I also didn’t really hear much of a peep out of the card, unlike that old GeForce horror I used to play Left 4 Dead 2 with. 

Functionality aside, it is nice to see a graphics card in 2024 that isn’t just multiple big fans slapped on a chonky shroud. Not that the Predator Bifrost RX 7600 isn’t thicc, as it’s noticeably so compared to MSI’s floaty light RTX 4060. I suspect other models aren’t quite as weighty, but Acer’s take feels heavy duty. That’s not remotely a bad thing, as its mix of matt and glossy plastic and themed metal black plate add a quality feel, one that sets an impression when unboxing. 

Features

Just like with new Nvidia cards, AI tools are a big RX 7600 selling point. As I already spoiled above, AMD has added some extra bells and whistles to FidelityFX Super Resolution, namely Fluid Motion Frames. This new component links up with its existing dynamic resolution tech to improve performance, filling in missing frames to speed up visuals. Sounds familiar right? Well, yes, but the fight would already be over if Radeon cards didn’t try and pull off the same tricks. 

I say the same, but FSR 3 isn’t quite the same beats as DLSS 3.5. I’d argue the actual AI Frame Generation elements are the same, but it’s the AI upscaling elements that produce slightly different results. From experience. FidelityFX Super Resolution produces more weird effects than Super Resolution, with noticeable quirks that make it obvious resolution switching is happening.

On the flip side, DLSS isn’t as widely available across games as FSR, and while we’ll need to wait a bit for developers to embrace AMD’s latest version, you can technically use Fluid Motion Frames in any game you like right now. I’ll dive into what that actually entails down below, but let’s just say it’s an easy, but flawed way to combat low fps using some clever post-processing techniques. 

Performance

If you’ve already checked out my RTX 4070 Ti Super review, you’ll know that a recent Cyberpunk 2077 update borked the RPG on 13th gen Intel systems. Therefore, I’ve skipped on using it for benchmarks for now, but I’ll update this review with some figures once CD Projekt Red issues a fix. I’m planning on diving right into the whole FSR 3 and Fluid Motion Frames chat soon anyway, so I’ll no doubt be wandering the streets of Night City using the RX 7600 again soon. 

As for the rest of my benchmark selection, things panned out sort of how I was expecting for the most part. A few surprise results did catch me off guard, like the fact the RX 7600 reached an average of 130fps at 1080p in Hitman 3, as the RTX 4060 could only manage around 100fps. The card also pulled of 90fps in Total War: Warhammer 3, whereas its Nvidia competitor churns out around 84fps. 

Don’t let those figures fool you into thinking the RX 7600 is immune to taking L’s, as when it did let the side down, it did so rather heavily. Specifically, the card had a rough time trying to keep up in Shadow of Tomb Raider, just about pulling off an average of 95fps at 1080p. I’m not entirely convinced there isn’t something quirky going on that influenced this figure, as I noticed a few obscure frame spikes during benchmarking. Nevertheless, the result I ended up with leaves a pretty noticeable gap between it and the RTX 4060’s 131fps.

The RTX 4060 also outpaces the RX 7600 in Returnal – 84fps vs 96fps using Nvidia’s entry-level card. Not quite as disruptive, but definitely a performance boost that could sway you towards Nvidia if you’re a fan of gutsy PlayStation ports. That’s not to say every third person romp of this calibre will run better on the GeForce card, and you will typically pay more than you will for the RDNA 3 GPU. 

Where things really start to get spicy is when you delve into Fluid Motion Frames, as AMD’s Frame Generation methods pack an obscure punch. By that, I mean that I was able to pull off stunts like boosting 1440p performance in Total War: Warhammer 3 from 56fps to 97fps simply by enabling the driver-level option in Adrenaline. That same experiment helped me uplift my Hitman 3 4K figure from 54fps to 84fps, so the option is definitely worth its salt.

However, it’s well worth diving into the difference between FSR 3 Frame Generation and the Fluid Motion Frames toggle within AMD’s software. For starters, the former is only compatible with select games, like Square Enix’s Forspoken, while the global option post processes at a driver level. The results can be similar, but the latter absolutely comes with more caveats attached, such as potential lag and weird motion effects in fast paced scenarios. The setting will actually also turn itself off if it detects any disruptive visual shenanigans, in turn affecting the consistency of frame boosting benefits.

In any case, I did try out proper FSR 3 Frame Generation using Forspoken, just to get a feel for what the proper DLSS 3.5 competitor can do. Thankfully, the feature worked exactly how I imagined it would, hiking fps at 1440p max settings from around 49fps to 92fps. Naturally, AMD has some catching up to do when it comes to supported games, but if it rolls out in the same way as DLSS 3.5, we’re looking at a pretty competent competitor with the same performance boosting capabilities. Just keep in mind that the red team’s suite currently lacks an Nvidia Reflex equivalent, as Radeon Anti Lag can’t quite produce the same latency busting results. 

Should you buy the AMD Radeon RX 7600? 

Whether or not you should pick up the AMD Radeon RX 7600 over budget GPU alternatives ultimately comes down to price. If you’re looking to spend as little as possible on the new gen graphics card that can boost fps using AI and handle ultra settings at 1080p, this entry-level RDNA 3 card will serve your needs. That said, finding a model like the Predator Bifrost for cheaper than an RTX 4060 is anything but a guarantee, and the latter does provide a more rounded experience that feels less experimental. 

What I will say is that the idea of being able to enable a version of Fluid Motion Frames in every game is a big reason to buy the Radeon RX 7600. I’d still prefer to use baked-in support when available, but as time goes on, providing a widely available way to enhance performance using AI may help AMD win a few battles as the technology matures. But that aside, I’d only recommend picking this GPU up if it’s going cheap.

How I tested the AMD Radeon RX 7600 

For two weeks, I used the Acer Predator Bifrost Radeon RX 7600 in my main rig for both work and leisure. To measure performance, I used a specific collection of games so as to compare results against rival cards, minus Cyberpunk 2077 due to technical issues. I also played segments of Forspoken at 1440p to test FSR 3 support, enabling and disabling Fluid Motion Frames to assess potential performance uplifts. 

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