VERDICT
MSI’s cooler is effective, but the underlying GPU lacks a generational performance leap
NVIDIA HAS TYPICALLY taken a few extra months after the release of its most powerful GeForce graphics card before launching an even faster Ti version, but with the latest-gen RTX models, both the RTX 2080 Ti (Shopper 371) and the RTX 2080 have arrived at the same time. This, happily, gives performance minded PC builders a choice of options straight away; as mighty as the RTX 2080 Ti is, £1,099 for a single card is a big ask, and with the RTX 2080 also offering 4K resolution capability, ray-tracing and Deep Learning Super-Sampling (DLSS) anti-aliasing, it has the potential to be a more affordable alternative.
EARLY ADOPTER
Not that much more affordable, mind. The MSI-designed model we tested is £799, and some water-cooled variants reach up to £830, so you’re unavoidably paying more than Nvidia’s previous top dog, the GTX 1080 Ti.
To an extent, this is understandable. Ray-tracing and DLSS are interesting features on a consumer-grade GPU; the former might well bring CGI film-quality lighting effects to games that implement it, while DLSS (which uses an Nvidia supercomputer to develop AA algorithms for individual games) could produce quality edge-smoothing without the usual performance hit.
Denne historien er fra February 2018-utgaven av Computer Shopper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra February 2018-utgaven av Computer Shopper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
XIAOMI Mi Mix 3 5G
VERDICT This is the most affordable of the first 5G smartphones, but even with great hardware, the service isn’t yet worth the expense
RHA T20 Wireless
VERDICT They’re not cheap, but these well-designed earphones deliver superb sound quality
Protect And Preserve
Data might be A Valuable Commodity, But It’s Remarkably Easy To Lose Or For Others To Get Their Hands On. Mike Bedford Provides Guidance On How To Preserve, Recover And Destroy Data, And Looks At The Technologies Involved
NZXT H510i
VERDICT Some qualities shine through, but this is an underwhelming case from a maker we know can do better
Kicking Off A New Era Of Football?
With the new football season well and truly under way, David Crookes talks to Jon Hare about reviving the spirit of Sensible Soccer with a new, more sociable offering that he hopes will avoid an own goal
NAIM Mu-so 2
VERDICT A luxurious and fine-sounding slab of metal, but for most homes it won’t be worth the expense
Motorola One Vision
VERDICT The One Vision comes close to being a brilliant mishmash of tech – shame about the camera
JBL Xtreme 2
VERDICT With top-quality sound and a versatile design, this is a great – if expensive – rugged Bluetooth speaker
HUAWEI MateBook 13
VERDICT What the MateBook 13 lacks in flourish, it makes up for in value and performance
GIGABYTE X570 Aorus Master
VERDICT A loaded and forward-thinking motherboard, but not one that fully justifies its high price
