It’s getting harder to ignore the widening silicon inequality gap in the tech world right now thanks to RAMageddon. On one side, you have consumer PC gamers dealing with overpriced PC components, wondering if a standard 8-core CPU and 16GB of VRAM is enough to handle modern AAA games. On the other side, you have enterprise AI machines operating in a whole other universe of compute.

During its Advancing AI 2026 event, AMD announced an enormous 256-core CPU alongside the AMD Helios Rackscale solution — a single server cabinet packing a staggering 31 terabytes of high-bandwidth VRAM. No, these numbers are not typos!

Naturally, you can’t walk into your local Micro Center and buy one of these. Don’t get me wrong, the numbers are cool, but in a time where I might have to donate a kidney to afford a decent amount of RAM, it leaves a bad taste to see 31,000 gigabytes of it being (potentially) used to generate low-quality AI videos.

Here's what you need to know about AMD's enterprise CPU and server rack, along with how they stack up against a popular consumer GPU.

The 256-Core CPU

To put things into perspective, let’s consider the best gaming PCs. A high-end gaming CPU like the Ryzen 9 9950X tops out at 16 cores, which is plenty for running Cyberpunk 2077 or editing 4K videos.

Conversely, AMD’s new 6th Gen EPYC 9006 Series (SP7) server processor packs up to 256 cores and 512 threads onto a single chip, with high-frequency variants like the EPYC 9006X pushing boost speeds up to 5.15GHz. That’s 16 times the core count of a flagship desktop processor. EPYC would be an entire LAN party on one chip.

So, what’s the need to have 256 cores on a single die? AMD built these chips specifically to handle the massive overhead of agentic AI. Modern AI agents have to run code in isolated sandboxes, manage huge system memory states, and coordinate heavy feeds. This all takes a massive amount of computing power and is a far cry from our gaming PCs having to render ray-traced shadows.

Helios Rackscale

If you thought the CPU numbers sound wild, the RAM numbers are even more mind-blowing. The centerpiece of AMD’s announcement is the Helios Rackscale solution, which is an open-architecture AI system.

Inside a single server rack sit 18 compute trays holding a total of 72 AMD Instinct MI455X GPUs. Combined, this single cabinet delivers 31 terabytes (31,000 GB) of HBM4 VRAM with a whopping 1.7 petabytes per second of memory bandwidth.

For context, 31TB of VRAM is equivalent to roughly 1,937 Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards chained together!

These are insane numbers when compared to what a typical gaming GPU is packing. It’s definitely impressive, but at the same time, that’s offset by the knowledge that a good chunk of the world’s RAM is going to server racks like this.

Helios Rack vs. RTX 5070 Ti

To give you an understanding of how monstrous a single Helios rack is, let’s compare its raw specs against one of the most popular upper-midrange consumer GPUs out now: The Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti (16GB GDDR7).

Looking at it through this lens, a single server rack packs the raw memory bandwidth of nearly 1,900 desktop PCs working in unison! This is a whole other level of computing, my friends.

Bottom line

AMD is certainly flexing its tech muscles with this announcement. However, there’s a sobering reality behind these staggering numbers. Seeing a single server rack hog 31 terabytes of high-bandwidth memory shows exactly where the global supply chain is funneling its resources. Namely, it’s all being swallowed by the AI boom (or bubble — however you see it). As a lifelong gamer, it hurts being pushed to the side.

Even if it stings, we can’t fault AMD for choosing to invest in more lucrative enterprise projects like this rather than in the average consumer. So, the next time you find yourself debating whether to pay a premium for a 16GB graphics card over an 8GB model, or wondering why PC component prices keep climbing, you now have a better idea of why.

More from Tom's Guide

• SK Hynix warns 2027 will be 'worst year' for RAM prices — right as a damning report reveals something that will add fuel to the price-fixing lawsuit
• OpenAI just made its biggest move against Nvidia — and it could make ChatGPT cheaper to run
• Apple seeks RAM from blacklisted Chinese company as memory shortage impacts everything — but it may not be enough

The big three memory makers told us RAMpocalypse was the unavoidable side effect of the AI revolution. But with one massive report from the Bank of America, that main alibi may have just gone up in flames.

So context, the AI Tax on tech has been insane recently with prices going up by an astronomical 700%, and the big three memory makers (Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron) have made serious cash off as the oligopoly that controls around 90% of the global DRAM market.

They claim that the reason prices are skyrocketing is because the demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI data centers is so massive, that consumer RAM supplies are naturally drying up. In response, a massive class-action lawsuit in California is calling their bluff and accusing them of price fixing.

For these memory makers, the defense should be a simple one: “we aren’t fixing prices, and we’re building new fabs as fast as we can!” You’ve heard a lot of this over the past few months about plans to open new plants to make more memory. BUT, a bombshell new report has potentially demolished that defense.

How this alibi collapses

According to a South Korean news outlet, a Bank of America report just dismantled the promises of doubled memory production capacity by 2030 — with SK Hynix only likely to bring about one-sixth of its planned new memory capacity online by 2028. Here’s why:

• Timeline: Setting up the advanced infrastructure needed for these plants is going to take upwards of a decade.
• Process upgrades: At the same time as it's building new plants, the manufacturing technology needs to be updated in older ones, which impacts output.

In late June, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung made the claim that production capacity will be doubled by 2030, which sounds great on paper. However, Bank of America's estimates claim this figure misses out the closure of older plants, and that doubling claim is way too optimistic.

For the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, this is going to be a juicy piece of circumstantial evidence. If it can be proven that SK Hynix is moving in slow-motion and severely under-delivering on its capacity promises, that narrative of “doing everything they can” to meet consumer demand is dismantled.

Instead, it strongly supports the core allegation: they’re happy to keep supply choked and prices inflated permanently.

They’re not reading the room

Adding insult to injury, the CEO of SK Hynix recently warned that 2027 will be the "worst year" for the memory shortage, and predicted the crunch will last until 2030. But if one thing is clear, consumers are not buying this spin anymore. “That CEO was probably struggling so hard not to look too happy as he gave this “grim outlook”,” one user posted on the PC Master Race Subreddit.

Across Reddit, the reaction has shifted from passive frustration to absolute cynicism, with calls to “prosecute the memory cartel again” ringing out across r/technology. The overarching sentiment? I knew we weren’t crazy.

The playbook is painfully familiar. Samsung and SK Hynix previously pleaded guilty to a massive DRAM price-fixing operation in 2005. Now, facing a historic lawsuit over the exact same behavior, it feels like they’re trying to hide behind the AI boom.

But with this latest report saying their shiny new fabs won’t save us anytime soon, the curtain has been pulled back. The AI memory shortage isn’t a tragic tech accident; it’s looking more and more like a highly profitable, coordinated choice. And we are all footing the bill.

More from Tom's Guide

• Lenovo warns that higher RAM prices are the "new normal" and we might never see them go back down
• ‘The squeeze is real’: I spoke to RAM crisis oracle, Carmen Li, about when this nightmare ends — here’s what she told me
• 'No one has a crystal ball': Lexar execs have a plan to reduce our RAM dependency if the AI data boom lasts 'for years'

The humble computer monitor — they come in all shapes and sizes and with all kinds of display tech, but the way you use them hasn’t really changed since the early 1950s. You plug it in and a pretty picture shows up … That’s about it!

But Lenovo’s Vice President and GM of Visuals business, George Toh, has ambitious dreams for how this peripheral will not only develop over time, but actually change the future of how we go about doing things at our desk.

I got the chance to speak to Toh following a bunch of concept device unveilings over the past few months, to see where he thinks things will go, and being real, I don’t think my desk is ready for the glow-up it’s going to get over the next few years.

Appearances will be deceiving

One of the first things Toh mentioned is that if we were to get into a time machine and travel forward, “the physics of a display won’t change.” It will be that same familiar rectangle on your desk. “I anticipate it to be a lot thinner, but still physically large — I expect it to look a lot more attractive than what it is today,” Toh added.

You can see this pursuit of thinness in a lot of monitors today, which comes up against the simple physics of the heat generated and the dimensions of the panel inside the case. Given the iterative pace of monitor tech, it really doesn’t surprise me that the sleekness will get even sleeker. On top of that, the price of these materials to build panels is coming down too — one of those rare moments in computing where something gets more cost effective.

“Even OLED panel costs are coming down,” Toh proclaimed. “We spend time working with panel and scaler manufacturers to figure out how to get higher refresh rates in a more cost effective way. For example, the cost is very minimal from 144 Hz to 160 Hz.”

But the real differences will come with what they can do, rather than what they look like.

The seamless hub of everything

So chances are you’ve seen us show off all the concepts and prototypes Lenovo brings to trade shows like CES and MWC — whether it’s the rollable ultra-wide gaming laptop, the AI Sense display that moves around with you, or the AI frame gaming display that can enhance resolution to zoom into areas of gameplay on-the-fly.

Lenovo shows these off to get feedback on ideas they have that could become features in future products, and George started to paint a picture of how these will come together. “I anticipate that more and more likely, your display will also be the center hub of your desk,” Toh explained. “When you walk close, it detects you and powers on, and if the device’s app your opening uses a camera, it will start to capture [from the camera on the monitor].”

Right now, the back of my desk looks like a nest of aggressively hostile snakes. I have dongles for my dongles. But Toh’s vision is a monitor that acts as an omniscient overlord. You walk up, it detects you, and it hijacks your camera automatically. The monitor isn't just a dumb screen anymore; it's the brains of the operation.

His vision is a monitor that is “smarter to what content you are displaying on the screen,” which is “able to adjust its own settings and know automatically for you.”

So it should come as no surprise that the key behind this will be agentic AI that runs locally on the monitor. This is something you’ve seen in a couple of conceptual forms — that AI frame gaming display concept used deductive AI to enhance details like flight simulator dials or distant enemies in an FPS with a chip built into it.

"We use a deductive AI mechanism that fills in the blanks on-the-fly, to smooth out the resolution — meaning you’re able to zoom in deep and get a quite good picture," Toh adds.

PC gamers are currently selling internal organs to afford GPUs that can render a blade of grass at 4K. Toh’s solution? Make the monitor do the heavy lifting. By putting agentic AI directly into the display to upscale the image on the fly, the monitor essentially becomes a co-pilot, saving your graphics card from catching fire during a Cyberpunk 2077 boss fight.

Next generation eye health

Then we turn our attention to Lenovo’s AI-powered personalized display and the wellness features it incorporated. We gravitated towards this a lot in our time going eyes on, and it seems like Lenovo’s planning a runway to this new version of eye health that transcends minimizing blue light.

“It tracks how often you blink and yawn. It tracks how much time you rested and can prompt you,” Toh added. “And also it uses things like a circular polarizer that diffuses light in a manner that is more attuned to natural sunlight.”

Modern monitors are essentially high-powered interrogation lamps aimed directly at our retinas. Toh's integration of circular polarizers doesn't just 'reduce glare' — it stops the screen from treating your eyeballs like a laser-tag target, diffusing the light so you don't feel like you've been staring at the sun after an eight-hour shift.

As someone who's spent far more time in front of a screen than he'd like to admit, this is probably the most welcome news of all.

Outlook

For the last 70 years, we've treated monitors like hostages — chaining them to our desks, plugging them into increasingly expensive PCs, and demanding they just sit there and look pretty. We've accepted the cable spaghetti and retinal fatigue as the inevitable cost of doing business.

But speaking with Toh, it's clear the industry has realized that just making a screen thinner isn't going to cut it anymore. Lenovo's vision is to finally give the monitor a brain.

Now, it might take a few years for agentic AI upscaling and circular polarizers to become standard. Until then, I'm stuck battling my nest of hostile cable snakes. But when this glow-up finally arrives, the monitor won't just be a passive window on your desk — it will be a bodyguard for your graphics card, a shield for your eyeballs, and the boss of your workspace.

The days of the "dumb" display are officially numbered. And honestly? Good riddance.

More from Tom's Guide

• I just tested ‘the perfect monitor for MacBook users’ with Nano-texture glass — and it's $600 cheaper than the Apple Studio Display
• Forget a regular TV — I just tested a 160Hz monitor that has Google TV built right in
• I just tested MSI’s $749 QD-OLED monitor — and the X50’s 500Hz refresh rate and colorful panel deliver a phenomenal gaming experience

The Alogic Clarity 6K Touch is, according to Alogic, the “world’s first 6K touchscreen” monitor at the time of writing. It’s plenty bright, and it boasts superior color accuracy and coverage, making it a great choice for creatives and professionals. Throw in versatile viewing angles that let you use the monitor upright or flat, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

But the monitor has noteworthy drawbacks, unfortunately. Its stylus, which is crucial for taking full advantage of the touchscreen, isn’t included with the monitor. Also, the monitor’s refresh rate is limited to 60Hz, and its glossy panel is like a mirror. Oh, and it’s rather expensive.

Is it still one of the best monitors for you? Read my full Alogic Clarity 6K Touch review to find out.

Alogic Clarity 6K Touch review: Specs

Alogic Clarity 6K Touch review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 6K touchscreen monitor with a 60Hz refresh rate
• Who is it for? Graphic designers, architects, and other creative professionals
• How much does it cost? Quite a lot! The Alogic Clarity 6K Touch is available for $1,999 / £2,199
• What do we like? The responsive touchscreen, bright 6K panel, superior color accuracy and coverage, and versatile viewing angles
• What don’t we like? The 60Hz refresh rate, stylus that isn’t included, and mirror-like reflections

Alogic Clarity 6K Touch review: The ups

From its versatile viewing angles and responsive touchscreen, to its excellent color coverage and accuracy, the Alogic Clarity 6K Touch is an excellent monitor for creatives.

Versatile viewing angles

I’ve tested many monitors in my time as a reviews writer, but none have been as versatile as the Alogic Clarity 6K Touch — specifically in terms of viewing angles. Featuring a specialized hinge and Fold Stand, the Clarity 6K Touch can be used in a standard upright desktop position, or at a flat drafting-table angle. Adjusting angles is easy as the hinge can be pulled and pushed as needed, but it’s also stiff enough to stay locked into place.

Another thing I appreciate about the Clarity 6K Touch is its 360° rotating base which makes it extremely easy to turn the monitor as and when needed. You don’t need to lift the monitor every time you want to, say, show your monitor to a colleague sitting opposite you. That’s good because this is a hefty boi, weighing a whopping 24.91lbs (including the stand). That’s nearly 10lbs heavier than the Apple Studio Display XDR ($3,299) and 17lbs more than the Apple Studio Display ($1,499) — both of which are the Clarity 6K Touch’s main rivals.

Of course, the Clarity 6K Touch has an ace up its sleeve here: neither of the two Apple monitors can be turned into an almost flat screen. Speaking of, if you’ve got the dough, the Clarity 6K Touch is a great Apple Studio Display alternative, offering seamless integration with MacBooks and you can even plug your iPhone or iPad into it. The monitor’s sleek design and aluminum frame makes it look like an Apple-esque display.

Connectivity and ports are there in spades too. There are two HDMI 2.1 and one DisplayPort 1.4 ports; one USB-C 3.0 port with up to 95W of power delivery; one USB-B 3.0 port; two USB-A 3.0 ports; and a 3.5mm audio out port. The monitor features two 5W speakers which sound decent, too.

Responsive touchscreen

The Alogic Clarity 6K Touch’s unique selling point is its touch panel, and Alogic claims that it’s the “world’s first 6K touchscreen.” The 32-inch LED-backlit panel has a maximum resolution of 6016 x 3384, or 6K, and it’s a great size and resolution for creatives. The touchscreen is extremely handy for architects, artists, graphic designers, and illustrators, and it’s extremely responsive.

To use the touchscreen, you’ll need to connect your laptop to the Clarity 6K Touch using the included USB-C cable — it won’t work over an HDMI or DisplayPort connection as those cannot transmit touch data. Trust me: I tried. Plugging my MacBook Air M2 directly made the touchscreen come to life, and I appreciated not having to install any third-party or proprietary drivers or software onto my laptop.

Once I connected my laptop, I was able to use my fingers to manipulate, control and navigate the screen — like I would do with my mouse, but with my hands instead. The real star of the show, though, is the tilt- and pressure-sensitive (4,096 levels) Clarity Active Stylus Pen 2. I tested it and found it extremely responsive, and I used it to make a few drawings on a free online app.

I’m not an artist or designer, but I thoroughly enjoyed drawing with the stylus. I even got a few of my colleagues to draw on the Clarity 6K Touch. I hope you enjoy our works of art in the gallery above. Everyone who used the stylus said they found it comfortable to hold.

Alogic’s stylus is shaped and designed like an Apple Pencil, and even has an eraser at the top, so you can just flip the stylus to get rid of what’s on the virtual drawing board. There’s also a quick-action button on the stylus which you can hold down to right-click on your desktop, and other shortcuts depending on the software you’re using. Oh, and the stylus magnetically clips to the bottom edge of the monitor, so you don’t need to worry about losing it.

Excellent color coverage

There’s no point in buying a monitor if it doesn’t boast excellent color coverage — especially one that’s as expensive as the Alogic Clarity 6K Touch. Fortunately, my lab testing showed that the monitor goes a long way to justifying its premium price tag, as its color coverage is something to behold.

My lab testing results blew me away, to be honest with you. As you can see in the table above, the Clarity 6K Touch covered 176.8% of the sRGB color space and 125.3% of the wider DCI P3 gamut. Anything above 100% is great, and the Clarity 6K Touch goes above and beyond, delivering a wide array of tones, which look vivid and beautiful on the display.

The Clarity 6K Touch blows its competition out of the water, upstaging other third-party monitors, like the BenQ MA270S ($999) and the BenQ PD3226G ($1,099). What impressed me the most, though, was how easily the Clarity 6K Touch flew past Apple’s first-party monitors. Both the Apple Studio Display and the Apple Studio Display XDR are excellent in their own right, but neither come close to the Clarity 6K Touch’s color coverage — especially in the DCI P3 color space, which will be important for professional video and photography production.

This monitor sounds great on paper and it’s even better in practice. Having used the Clarity 6K Touch for a week, I can confirm that all colors look lovely. Greens appear vivid and lush, while reds and blues look textured and deep, and I didn’t think any of the colors looked oversaturated or fake. The blacks appeared inky too — or as inky as they could on an IPS/non-OLED panel — and I enjoyed the contrast, especially while watching wildlife documentaries on YouTube.

Great color accuracy, too

In addition to wide coverage, colors appear extremely accurate on the Alogic Clarity 6K Touch too. Color accuracy is measured as a Delta-E number which is a numerical representation of how much two colors differ. It essentially tells you how close the color relayed on screen (i.e. the monitor) is to the color output from the source (i.e. the computer). The closer the score to zero, the better.

In my lab testing, the Clarity 6K Touch achieved a Delta-E score of 0.1, which is superb. This means that the colors displayed on the monitor are extremely close to the ones being sent to it by the source. The only monitor to beat that score is the BenQ MA270S, and even then, it edges the Alogic out by 0.01, which is negligible. The Clarity 6K Touch also performs better than the Apple Studio Display (0.2) and the Apple Studio Display XDR (0.2).

As someone who tests the best cameras and the best drones, color accuracy is crucial when I’m editing photos and videos. My lab tests reassured me that the colors I was seeing on the monitor were as accurate as they could be, and this gave me more confidence when editing photos for reviews and my photography Instagram account.

The Clarity 6K Touch also features 8-bit + FRC color depth. In addition to producing 16.7 million colors, the monitor essentially simulates 10-bit color depth by rapidly flashing two alternating colors so the human eye perceives it as 10-bit. This can sometimes cause flickering issues but I didn’t experience any such thing in my testing. If you want a true 10-bit color monitor, I’d recommend the BenQ MA270S instead.

Plenty bright!

Once I was done measuring color coverage and accuracy, I lab-tested the Alogic Clarity 6K Touch’s brightness, and you can see the results in the table below.

The Clarity 6K Touch achieved a peak brightness of 342.2 nits in SDR mode — only slightly dimmer than the BenQ MA270S. It’s also dimmer than the Apple Studio Display XDR but remember: that monitor is nearly two times pricier than Alogic’s offering. The Clarity 6K Touch reached 298 nits in HDR mode (10% window size) which is nothing to write home about, but hey, at least the monitor has an HDR mode — which the Apple Studio Display doesn’t.

Alogic Clarity 6K Touch review: The downs

The Alogic Clarity 6K Touch isn’t without its faults. Its refresh rate is limited to 60Hz, its gloss panel is like a mirror, the stylus needs to be bought separately, and it’s quite expensive.

60Hz refresh rate only

The Alogic Clarity 6K Touch is a productivity-focused monitor, and as such, it doesn’t have a very high refresh rate, topping out at just 60Hz, just like the Apple Studio Display. I wouldn’t recommend the Clarity 6K Touch to competitive or FPS gamers, but the monitor should suffice for casual, slower-paced gaming.

It’s worth considering one of the best gaming monitors if you spend a lot of your time playing video games. There are plenty of gaming monitors available that also have high color accuracy and wide color gamut coverage. And some are even cheaper than the Clarity 6K Touch, like the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 ($949) with its 360Hz refresh rate or even the 500Hz MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 ($749).

Gloss panel is like a mirror

The Alogic Clarity 6K Touch features a gloss panel, and you can’t buy the monitor with a matte screen. Positioning the monitor is, then, crucial. My office is west-facing and I sit in front of massive windows which let a lot of sunlight in, especially once it gets past noon. The Clarity 6K Touch’s gloss panel is very reflective: it’s almost like a mirror, and I even used it to fix my hair. There’s a lot of glare and there were a few instances where I had to adjust the screen to ensure I could see it. This also poses a risk to your eye health, as glare can quickly cause eye strain.

One of the biggest advantages of the Clarity 6K Touch’s glossy panel is its anti-fingerprint coating, which is important for any monitor, in my opinion. But is it worth the trade-off if you need to ensure the monitor doesn’t sit in front of big windows or in very bright rooms? I’m not entirely convinced. The BenQ MA270S’ panel is also reflective but not this reflective.

Stylus not included

When I was sent the Alogic Clarity 6K Touch, I was very surprised to find that its stylus wasn’t included in the box, especially given the monitor’s already steep MSRP. While you can use your fingers to manipulate the Clarity 6K Touch’s touchscreen, you need a stylus for drawing if you’re an architect, for instance, and graphic design, and Alogic recommends an MPP 2.0 stylus to use with this monitor.

I tested the Clarity Active Stylus Pen 2 with the Clarity 6K Touch, and it’s fantastic, as you read about earlier. The Clarity Active Stylus Pen 2, on its own, costs $100 at B&H Photo / £69 at Park Cameras, which drives up the monitor’s total cost to a whopping $2,099. And this is a nice segue into my next point…

Expensive

I’ll start this off by saying that while the Alogic Clarity 6K Touch is expensive, it’s still considerably cheaper than the $3,599 Apple Studio Display XDR. It has a retail price of $1,999 at B&H Photo / £2,199 at Park Cameras, so it isn’t for the budget-conscious buyer. That eye-watering price tag makes it more expensive than most other monitors I’ve tested, like the BenQ MA270S ($999), the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S ($1,199) and the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 ($949).

But again, the Clarity 6K Touch is a lot cheaper than Apple’s first-party monitors. It offers seamless MacBook compatibility and features a touchscreen, which neither the Apple Studio Display XDR nor the Apple Studio Display do — though the latter is $400 cheaper than the Alogic 6K Touch.

The Clarity 6K Touch’s premium price tag is more of a pre-purchase consideration than an outright drawback. If you’ve got the dough, I wouldn’t stop you from buying it, especially if you need a production monitor with a touchscreen. But if you’re a little tight on budget, it’s worth considering other alternatives, like the BenQ MA270S which also offers impeccable MacBook integration.

Alogic Clarity 6K Touch review: Verdict

How much money are you willing to spend on a monitor? If the answer is, “Just under $2,000,” then the Alogic Clarity 6K Touch could be the one for you. The monitor’s 6K panel is plenty bright, and the Clarity 6K Touch boasts excellent color accuracy and coverage. With its versatile viewing angles and seamless Apple compatibility (and sleek design), it’s a beautiful monitor for creatives.

But is it worth the money? I’m not entirely convinced. It’s got a 60Hz refresh rate only; it doesn’t come with a stylus (which costs an additional $100); and its glossy panel is highly reflective, almost like a mirror. Those drawbacks make that eye-watering price tag sting your eyes even more — but at least it’s cheaper than the Apple Studio Display XDR!

If those are drawbacks you can live with, and you need a high-resolution monitor with a touchscreen for professional purposes, then the Alogic Clarity 6K Touch is a solid choice. Its 6K panel really is stunning.

I’ve been a big fan of the Alienware 34 QD-OLED gaming monitor series since its launch in 2022. Subsequent models have introduced subtle but necessary improvements over the years, maintaining the line’s sterling reputation. Now, we have the best iteration yet — the new Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED (AW3426DW).

Like the AW3425DW before it, this latest model features an immersive 1800R curved panel with an ultrawide 21:9 aspect ratio. It retains the same flat, space-saving stand and the classy “Interstellar Indigo” color I’ve grown to love. This is a seriously sexy-looking gaming monitor.

As for what’s new, we get a higher refresh rate of 280Hz, up from the previous 240Hz. Then there’s the 4-stack Penta Tandem tech that delivers deeper blacks even in bright environments, along with sharper text with no fringing. Best of all, the panel is now brighter than before, which addresses my chief complaint with prior versions.

Given all its improvements and the same relatively low $799 asking price, the Alienware AW3426DW is another winner and an easy addition to our best gaming monitors list. Find out why in my full review.

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The Alienware AW3426DW is a curved ultrawide QD-OLED gaming monitor.
• Who is it for? For gamers seeking a curved OLED gaming monitor priced under $1,000.
• How much does it cost? The Alienware AW3426DW costs $799, which is the same price as last year's model.
• What do we like? We like the vivid ultrawide display, elegant design, fast performance, and clean UI.
• What don’t we like? Not worth upgrading from the previous model.

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED review: Specs

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED review: The ups

The Alienware 34 280Hz OLED is a phenomenal gaming monitor thanks to its sleek, space-saving design, vibrant picture quality, and buttery smooth performance.

Elegant design

The Alienware AW3426DW shares the same design as its predecessor, which I’m okay with given how lovely and practical it still is. It won’t look out of place in an office environment or a gaming den.

With its panel measuring 32.05 x 14.23 x 4.38 inches, you’ll need a decent-sized table for this beauty, but nothing overly large. The flat stand is unobtrusive, so it’s unlikely to get in the way of peripherals like your keyboard and mouse. The cutaway on the stand’s shaft makes cable management easy, and you can raise or lower the monitor to your desired height.

You can raise or lower the screen by 4.3 inches along the stand’s shaft and tilt it backward by 5 degrees or forward by up to 21 degrees. You can also swivel the screen 20 degrees left and right. Adjusting the screen to your preferred viewing angle is seamless and should take less than a minute.

There’s a good selection of ports on the back, including a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort, a USB-A port, a USB-B port, and a single USB-C port. There’s also an OSD (on-screen display) joystick just below the ports, which you use to access and navigate the display settings.

Again, I’m glad Alienware didn’t change the AW3426DW’s design, since it’s about as perfect as you can get. It might not immediately scream “gaming monitor,” but it keeps the focus on the display and, thus, on whatever game you’re currently playing.

Vivid panel

The Alienware AW3426DW draws you into whatever game you’re playing thanks to its immersive 1800R curvature, sharp 3,440 x 1,440 resolution, and expansive 21:9 aspect ratio. The image quality is so good that you won’t mind that it’s not a 4K OLED panel.

I tested Cyberpunk 2077 and was blown away by the rich picture quality. The increased contrast between dark and light elements is noticeable on this updated panel, making colors feel more vibrant. It’s also brighter than other OLED gaming monitors, resulting in a more vivid image overall.

Our lab tests align with my own testing. In its standard display mode, the AW3426DW produces oversaturated colors in sRGB and DCI-P3, while maintaining good color accuracy (Delta-E). As shown in the table above, its color representation and accuracy are comparable to those of the $899 Asus ROG Swift OLED (PG34WCDM) and the $349 Alienware 27 AW2726DM.

Where the AW3426DW literally outshines the competition is in brightness, which is generally around 300 nits. We even saw HDR nearly hit 500 nits on 10% of the display in certain modes. That might not sound high, but considering how similar gaming monitors are in the 200 to 250 nit range, this is marvelous. Right now, it’s one of the brightest gaming monitors I’ve tested.

You’ll find 11 display modes here. This includes modes dedicated to game genres like FPS, RTS, and Sports. The monitor also has a Creator mode, which offers better color accuracy for creatives (as the name suggests). Other than that, the modes are only slightly different from one another, depending on what they’re designed for.

Excellent performance

The AW3426DW performs like a dream thanks to its high 280Hz refresh rate and low 0.03ms response time. Compatibility with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync also ensures a buttery-smooth gaming experience for both casual gamers and professionals.

I tested the AW3426DW by connecting it to the new Alienware 16 Area-51 gaming laptop, which packs an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX CPU, an Nvidia RTX 5080 GPU, and 32GB RAM. You don’t need a gaming rig this powerful to enjoy the monitor, but having the extra horsepower helps if you’re trying to maximize frame rates to match the refresh rate.

Thanks to the high refresh rate and low latency, I had a smooth time playing Cyberpunk 2077. I couldn’t get the frame rate anywhere near the refresh rate, but having all that extra headroom effectively eliminates any choppiness. I also didn’t notice any input lag. Like previous models, you’ll get excellent gaming performance from the AW3426DW.

Intuitive UI

We get the same basic interface as on previous models. The UI features a black-and-gray background with blue-and-white lettering. Within the menus, you’ll find the aforementioned display modes and other settings to adjust the picture to your liking. While there’s certainly a lot to go through, it’s easy enough to find what you’re looking for.

As always, the OSD joystick you use to navigate the menus is responsive and easy to reach. It isn’t flimsy either, despite being a relatively small joystick.

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED review: The downs

If you’re new to the Alienware 34 QD-OLED series, you’re in for a treat thanks to everything this gaming monitor offers. However, if you own the previous model, you might want to hold off.

A minor upgrade

The Alienware AW3426DW is a nearly perfect gaming monitor for what it offers. If you’ve never owned a monitor in this lineup, then this is an easy recommendation. This is especially true thanks to its $799 asking price.

While the AW3426DW is undeniably great, it’s not a mandatory upgrade if you own its direct predecessor. Yes, the higher refresh rate and sharper image make a difference, but not a major one. Besides that, the AW3426DW has the same design as before and many of the same features.

If you own the original AW3423DW — which has lower performance and a less desk-friendly design — then upgrading to the AW3426DW is a no-brainer. If you have the 2025 model, then you can skip this one, as that older monitor is still fantastic.

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED review: Verdict

The Alienware AW3426DW is a phenomenal gaming monitor thanks to its immersive, sharp display, excellent performance, and elegant design. Though it’s not a major upgrade from last year’s model, it’s an easy choice for anyone looking to upgrade from an older monitor. And in a time when everything is going up in price, I commend Alienware for keeping this at $799.

If you’re looking for a smaller and more affordable gaming monitor with a QD-OLED panel and fast performance, you can’t go wrong with the $349 Alienware 27 AW2726DM. And if you’re willing to pay $100 for a more overtly “gaming” monitor, then the Asus ROG Swift OLED is a phenomenal pick.

Though there are certainly other solid options, few deliver the same brilliant experience as the Alienware AW3426DM. This is still my favorite gaming monitor line. As such, this model comes with my highest recommendation. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

It's not often that I test a gadget that I don't want to box up. It's a rare occurrence, sort of like a blue moon, or someone on the internet admitting, "You know what? You're right, I'm wrong." So when it does happen, I get really excited. It happened recently when I tested the Inkwon Tag, and originally, I was skeptical. "The world's first 4-in-1 portable inkjet printer? Really?" I thought to myself.

Well, skepticism begone. After having used the Tag for over a month, I can confirm that it's surprisingly competent — and I can't stop thinking about what I'll create next with it. As a 4-in-1 printer, the Tag does way more than just print paper. It can create temporary tattoos, stickers, and even heat transfers for designing your own t-shirts.

The Tag is a great little printer that's extremely easy to use — I wager even a 10-year-old could use it. Feeding in paper is easy, using the app is even easier, and it takes just over a minute to print out temporary tattoos, light fabric heat transfers, and more. Here's why it's the ultimate gadget for DIY projects — and for being the life of the party.

Setup and use? Easy as pie

It couldn't be easier to get started with the Inkwon Tag. Inkwon happily includes a starter cartridge (for 60 prints) that features a magnetic mechanism, so all you need to do is pop it into the printer after taking its top cover off. Once that's done, you need to download the AiYin app on Android or iOS and connect it to the printer via Bluetooth.

And you're ready to print! The app is super straightforward to use. You can either select your own design and edit it before printing, or choose a pre-made design to print out. The latter is handy for creating temporary tattoos as there are plenty of designs to choose from, such as animals, birds, seashells, and more.

Alongside easy setup and use, the Tag's other big selling point is its pocketable design. It measures just 4.13 x 3.82 x 1.77 inches and weighs 8.29oz, which means it's extremely easy to carry in your handbag, backpack or even pocket. It doesn't take up much space, so it's the perfect gadget to take to parties.

Call me a DIY guru

I've made a lot of prints with the Inkwon Tag. I've printed photos I've taken on Instax film-like paper (which has white space at the bottom for writing); and I've printed stickers which I've then cut and stuck on my laptop and phone. The quality of these prints is surprisingly good, too, so you shouldn't underestimate the Tag.

It utilizes a CMY three dye-based ink system, and it has a print resolution of 600 dpi, which is suited to small-sized prints. You can see a few examples in the gallery above. Images look detailed enough, and the colors look lovely too. One of the Tag's drawbacks is that it doesn't feature a dedicated black ink so blacks don't appear as deep and inky — but this isn't really a deal-breaker.

When I first heard the Tag is capable of printing temporary tattoos, I knew I had to test the claim. I've got nearly 20 tattoos — the permanent kind — and I'm always planning my next one. But given that I'm running out of space on my arms, I appreciate being able to visualize a tattoo's placement before getting in touch with a tattoo artist.

And the Tag makes that possible. There are several pre-made designs to choose from, so I printed out one featuring sharks, as you can see above. I then applied it to my skin and held a wet cloth over it for a few minutes. It instantly transferred to my skin and as you can see, it looks lovely! The colors look great, especially the rich blues.

Finally, I used the Tag to customize my own t-shirt too, using some pre-made designs as well as one my partner (who's an artist) made ("We are bodies of water"). Transferring the light fabric heat transfer designs on to a white t-shirt and a small tote bag was a walk in the park as I used the included transfer paper and a hot iron to do so.

As you can see above, the prints look beautiful on the t-shirt and the bag. The inks haven't bled and the designs haven't lost their resolution either. The Tag gives you very little to complain about, really.

Take it anywhere

If you attend a lot of fun parties or social gatherings, or you're into scrapbooking and creating physical prints of memories, then you need the Inkwon Tag in your life. Funded through Kickstarter, the Tag has a retail price of $299 for the basic pack which includes 60 sheets and one ink cartridge. The Mega Pack bundle costs $349 and it includes two cartridges, 120 sheets, a photo frame, a tote bag, and a plain white t-shirt.

Although initial costs are a little high, running costs aren't — around 33 cents per print, and $19 to $25 for paper (packs of three). Few other portable printers are as competent as the Tag, and if you want be the life of the party with temporary tattoos, create the ultimate scrapbook, and more, this is the one for you.

More from Tom's Guide

• I just tried ‘the world’s first 4-in-1 portable color inkjet printer’ — and the Inkwon Tag is perfect for stickers, temporary tattoos, and even designing your own t-shirts
• The 5 best all-in-one printers in 2026 worth your money, tested by experts
• The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 is already getting an update — I spent 3 days with the Osmo Pocket 4P in Malta and here's what I'm allowed to tell you (with sample footage!)

I test many of the best printers here at Tom’s Guide, and I’ve never seen one like the Inkwon Tag. Touted as the ‘world’s first 4-in-1 portable color inkjet printer,’ the Tag is a pocketable printer that can create temporary tattoos, photo prints, heat transfers for creating custom t-shirts, and stickers. It’s a lovely little printer for crafting, small print makers, and anyone who wants to be the life of the party by distributing temporary tattoos.

Priced at $229, the Tag is a little expensive, but the good news is that running costs aren’t that high. It boasts good battery life of up to 90 minutes, and its user-friendly companion app makes creating and printing a walk in the park. All isn’t perfect though, as the printer can’t create borderless prints and paper needs to be inserted one at a time.

Should you still buy it? Read my full Inkwon Tag review to find out.

Inkwon Tag review: Specs

Inkwon Tag review: Price & availability

The Inkwon Tag is the brand’s fourth-ever printer, and it’s truly one of a kind. It’s a 4-in-1 pocket printer that can print temporary tattoos, stickers, photos, and heat transfers for creating custom t-shirts.

Funded through Kickstarter, the Tag has a retail price of $299 for the basic pack which includes 60 sheets and one ink cartridge. If you’re willing to spend $349, you can grab the Mega Pack bundle which includes two cartridges, 120 sheets, a photo frame, a tote bag, and a plain white t-shirt.

The Tag is a little pricier than most other pocket printers on the market today. For instance, the Canon Ivy 2 Mini costs $119 and the Canon SELPHY QX20 retails for $189. You’ve also got printers from Fujifilm, like the Instax mini Link 3 which costs $113. As you can see, the Tag is a fair bit more expensive than all of them — but none of them are advertised as sticker or heat transfer capable, so if you want a 4-in-1 pocket printer, the Tag is it (get it? ‘Tag, you’re it?’ No? Okay).

Inkwon Tag review: Design

The Inkwon Tag is a tiny and cute printer. It’s small enough to fit into already-full backpacks, and you can slip it into your pocket too. It measures just 4.13 x 3.82 x 1.77 inches, so it’s smaller than my Google Pixel 10 Pro XL. It doesn’t weigh much either — just 8.29oz without any paper inserted. I’ve had no problem carrying it around in my pocket.

Located along one of the square printer’s edges is the paper feeding slot. All you need to do is insert the paper ever-so slightly and the printer will automatically pull it in. Frustratingly, paper needs to be inserted one at a time, as there’s no paper tray to store additional sheets. It’s not a huge problem, but it can get a little annoying when you want to create multiple prints back to back.

Inkwon Tag review: Setup & app

Setting up and using the Inkwon Tag couldn’t be easier. To get started, all you need to do is open the printer’s top cover and pop the cartridge in. It uses magnets so it instantly snaps into place — no fiddly mechanisms involved.

Once you’ve done that, you need to hit the triangular power button which automatically puts the Tag into Bluetooth pairing mode.

To get printing, you’ll need to download the AiYin app, which is available for free on Android and iOS. You’ll be using the app a lot for all your editing and printing needs, and thankfully, it doesn’t take up much space on your phone — just 110MB on my Google Pixel 10 Pro XL. The app asks you to sign up but you don’t have to if you don’t want to; you can simply choose to use a guest account. This makes it easy for your friends and family to use the printer too, as they can simply download the app and start printing.

Et voilà! You’re ready to print. The app itself is very easy and intuitive to use. You can print either your own designs and saved images, or choose from hundreds of pre-made designs. Once you’ve selected what you’d like to print, you can make adjustments to the images, such as brightness, saturation, contrast, and more, and then hit the print icon. It couldn’t be easier, really.

Inkwon Tag review: Print speeds

As is the case with most printers, the Inkwon Tag’s print speeds depend on the complexity of the images, and the number of colors involved. Keep in mind that this is a very small printer, so you won’t get rapid print speeds akin to those of, say, the Canon PIXMA Pro-200S ($647).

To kick things off, I used the included sticker paper to print a few images. It took the Tag one minute and 56 seconds to create a color sticker, and one minute and 45 seconds to create a black and white print. The included sticker paper is slightly thicker than the other types that Inkwon sent me for testing, so it isn’t surprising that the sticker printing times were the longest.

The next thing I did was print on the included light fabric heat transfer paper, which is used for transferring images onto t-shirts. A color print took one minute and 28 seconds while a black and white heat transfer took a minute and 27. Not too bad. I had a lot of fun transferring the designs on to the included white t-shirt too, and I’ll discuss that in the next section.

Last but not least, I printed a few of the pre-made designs onto the tattoo transparent transfer paper — something I was very excited for, as someone who has nearly 20 tattoos (the permanent kind). In my testing, the Tag took one minute and 20 seconds to print a color design, and a minute and 15 seconds to print a monochrome design.

If you aren’t in a rush and are using the Tag for printing temporary tattoos at a party, or creating stickers for your scrapbook, the aforementioned speeds shouldn’t give you much to complain about. I also found that the app was quick to tell the printer to start printing, and I didn’t notice any lag.

Inkwon Tag review: Print quality

I’ll preface this section with this: the Inkwon Tag is a small printer and you shouldn’t expect it to be able to create award-winning prints. It’s aimed at casual users. As an inkjet printer, it utilizes a CMY three dye-based ink system, and it has a print resolution of 600 dpi — which is suited to small-sized prints.

Because the Tag uses a CMY three ink system, it doesn’t have a dedicated black ink, so it mixes black using the other three. This results in prints that are low on contrast — and I’ll discuss this in detail below.

That said, print quality is surprisingly good. The photos in the gallery above were printed on sticker paper, and they can be peeled and stuck on most surfaces. Even though there isn’t a lot of real estate on the 3.5 x 2.12-inch paper, I appreciate how much detail the Tag has been able to print. For instance, the tattoo on my partner’s shoulder looks detailed and you can make out the individual tree leaves in the design.

The other images look great too, but as you can see in the sixth slide, the image of the pigeon, captured on the 44MP Leica SL3-P, looks fuzzy and has lost a fair bit of detail. This is a complex image, though, with lots of different elements and details, so I’m not surprised the Tag has struggled to accurately reproduce it.

As I mentioned earlier, the Tag uses CMY ink, and so doesn’t have a dedicated black ink (the 'K' in CMYK). This means blacks don’t appear as sharp or deep as on a CMYK printer. That’s what’s happened with the black and white print of my partner above. Having taken the image myself on the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, I know that the blacks are inky and deep — they don’t appear so in the print. They appear more gray than black, which is a little disappointing. The small CMY ink cartridges are a sacrifice you make for the size and convenience of the printer.

I also have an issue with the sticker paper — you can’t create borderless prints, so you have empty space at the bottom of each sheet. As such, the prints end up looking like they were printed out on one of the best instant cameras, à la Fujifilm Instax. It’s not necessarily a bad thing as it gives you space to scribble with a pen, but it’s still frustrating that you can’t utilize the entire space if you want to.

Images and designs printed on the light fabric heat transfer paper turn out well, though, as you can see in the gallery above. You need to peel the backing paper, put the print on a t-shirt (or any other fabric), put the included transfer paper on top of it, and use a hot iron to transfer the design. It’s quick and easy and I’ve really enjoyed doing it.

I printed out some pre-made seashells as well as a design my partner (who’s an artist) made, and they look lovely on both the t-shirt and the tote bag. The prints look high quality and even after being applied on the fabric, they haven’t lost their resolution, and the colors haven’t bled during the process either.

I was impressed with the quality of the temporary tattoos too. I printed out a pre-made design featuring sharks, as you can see in the gallery above, and then applied it to my skin using water. Not only do the shades of blue look deep and rich, the tattoo has retained the same vibrancy even on my skin. Being able to print temporary tattoos is not just fun for kids and at parties, but it can help adults, such as myself, determine the placement of a permanent tattoo before getting in touch with a tattoo artist.

Overall, I’ve been pleased with the Tag’s print quality, and I intended to use the printer for scrapbooking.

Inkwon Tag review: Ink cost & yield

The Inkwon Tag starter pack comes with one CMY 3-color dye-based inkjet cartridge, and it yields 60 prints. Extra ink cartridges are available as packs of three for $59, which means you’re spending approximately 33 cents — which isn’t exuberant, in the grand scheme of things.

Paper refills are available in packs of three too, ranging from $19 to $25 depending on the type of paper you’re buying (temporary tattoos, heat transfers, etc.). In comparison, 60 sheets of the Canon XC-60L Ink/Paper Set that the SELPHY QX20 uses costs $46. Meanwhile, 20 sheets of the Instax mini Film used by the Fujifilm Instax mini Link 3 retails for $32, making the Tag’s running costs feel more reasonable (and affordable).

Inkwon Tag review: Battery life

If you’re looking for a pocket printer that lasts a respectable amount of time between charges, the Inkwon Tag is a great choice. The Tag is rated for 90 minutes, and in my testing, it took just under 85 minutes for it to run out of charge. I was able to create around 65 prints before I had to charge the Tag, which is good.

In comparison, the Fujifilm Instax mini Link 3 is rated for 100 prints per charge, and both the Canon Ivy Mini 2 and the Canon SELPHY QX20 are rated for a measly 20 prints per charge each. These figures alone make it feel like you’re getting bang for your buck with the Tag.

Inkwon Tag review: Verdict

If you want a portable printer that enables you to print temporary stickers, create personalized t-shirts, and stickers for scrapbooking, the Inkwon Tag is a fantastic choice. It’s extremely portable and easy to use, and the print quality is surprisingly good. Running costs aren’t that high either, even though the printer itself is.

I’ve had a lot of fun testing the Tag, but I can’t overlook its shortcomings. While the companion app is user-friendly, it doesn’t allow you to create borderless prints. Paper also needs to be inserted one at a time which can be time-consuming if you want to create back-to-back prints.

As long as you don’t mind those drawbacks, you’ll be pleased with the Tag and its performance. It’s fun, quirky, and it’s a sure-shot way to be the life of the party.

Whenever I get the chance to test out the best gaming laptops, my first port of call is to actually game as a form of benchmarking. For years, Control has long been one of my go-to titles, but that will quickly change once Control Resonant arrives on PC.

Horrifying, bleak and messy — not exactly "positive" words to use for developer Remedy Entertainment's upcoming action-heavy sequel, but I mean these in the most endearing way possible from what I saw when playing Control Resonant on an RTX 5090 gaming PC during a three-hour hands-on session.

Fighting off hordes of The Hiss (the main threat in the game) is thrillingly horrifying with their grotesquely detailed forms, the bleak atmosphere of a warped Manhattan is enthralling and the mind-bending, twisted environments you get to explore are satisfyingly messy. If you thought The Oldest House in Control was a trip, just wait for what Control Resonant has to offer.

With Nvidia's RTX 50-series GPUs lending their power, though, with DLSS turned on and ray tracing set to high, Remedy's follow-up had me immersed. From the expert use of lighting in a chaotic world to the smooth, fast-paced combat, I already see Control Resonant being an all-new PC gaming benchmark.

You can check our Control Resonant preview for how the game plays and our interview with Remedy Entertainment's Creative Director for more on what is now one of my most highly anticipated games of the year. But for how it handles on PC, let's dive in.

Control Resonant PC requirements

While I played Control Resonant on a monster of a gaming PC (the RTX 5090 says it all), I was assured by the team at Remedy Entertainment that PCs that don't reach those heights, like many of the more affordable best gaming PCs, will be able to play the game without trouble.

Take a look at the system requirements for Control Resonant below, along with the PC specs I played on. Spoiler alert: you will need a lot of storage.

Brimming with power

First, a few preliminary points. As with most previews, this isn't the final version of Control Resonant. Not only is lighting and framerate still being worked on, but also audio mixing, hit impacts and more. This is still very much in beta, but honestly, from the time I had playing through the opening act and a mid-game area called The Sinkhole (it's a masterpiece), it's already looking to be in good shape.

I can imagine a lot of that has to do with the RTX 5090 working behind the scenes. With DLSS upscaling (no frame generation) and DLSS Ray Reconstruction (for sharper reflections and accurate lighting), zipping and levitating through a disfigured Manhattan as the all-powerful Dylan Faden (our up-close-and-personal protagonist) was a treat for the eyes.

And that was with graphics and ray tracing presets set to high, only made better by the 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution I was playing on. From the many twisted forms of The Hiss shown in terrifying detail to the deep contrast of red hues streaking across the screen, along with the subtle yet clear reflections in windows of buildings turned upside down, it's all beautifully crafted — and I often found myself taking it all in.

After leaving The Oldest House after the opening act, I was impressed by the visual distortion effect beaming off cars, with The Hiss floating in midair endlessly in the background. That, along with blaring, dangerous red lighting reflecting off the pavement. For those stationary moments, it all hits right.

In combat, with Remedy changing pace from a third-person shooter to pure melee action, things can get chaotic, but unsurprisingly, this rig could handle it all. As in, the copious amounts of rubble Dylan hurls at enemies while quickly dashing to slash through them using his Aberrant weapon (I chose the sword-like Flurry form as my weapon of choice), while the almost faded rainbow oil mist blasts off foes as he hits them.

It's smooth, clean action, which is what you'd want in a fast-moving action game. It's the little nuances, like the aftereffect of dashing being so crystal clear, like a sleek afterimage of static video, that make it work.

Now, I wasn't able to see frame rates or tinker with different settings, as it appeared the game was locked at a rock-solid 60 frames per second (FPS) for beta purposes. But even with the mass of Hiss shooting red beams from every direction during The Sinkhole section, along with the gravity-bending environment Dylan can shift through, it's clear Control Resonant will be taking full advantage of what Nvidia's GPUs have to offer.

And I'm here for it.

Reaching a new PC benchmark

While Remedy is still polishing off Control Resonant, especially the PC version, we can expect plenty of RTX features to be fully on show (just like path tracing in Resident Evil Requiem). That includes DLSS 4.5 and its dynamic multi-frame gen tech (expect frame rates to hit over 200 FPS), DLSS Super Resolution and path tracing for photorealistic lighting, no less.

That's exciting, considering just how well it already looks, and there's still plenty of time for the team at Remedy to cook. During my session, I had a chat with Lead Gameplay Designer Sergey Mohov, and he explained how there's now more to play around with.

"We weren't limited by hardware in terms of gameplay. It's very helpful that computers and consoles these days can actually run games like this, and we're able to put all of these enemies on screen, all of these effects and make it look nice while feeling very satisfying to kill them all.

"The hardest thing was actually making the world, making it bigger and increasing draw distances. But we've invested in improving our in-house engine (Northlight Engine) to handle these things. But, you know, we've done it."

I believe Mohov is spot on, taking the improvements we saw in Alan Wake 2 and pushing it even further. Of course, just like how Control is now available on iOS, there's the aim for Resonant to be flexible enough to be played on, well, anything that isn't just an RTX 5090 while still delivering great visuals and performance.

"We have a lot of people who are really excited about putting all the latest tech in. Nvidia is helping out, and we'll have all the latest Nvidia stuff in [Control Resonant]. So that's going to be pretty cool. But if somebody can run Control on, like, a potato or a fridge, I'll be pretty happy."

Control Resonant is set to launch on September 24, available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, macOS and cloud streaming via Nvidia GeForce Now. But just from my brief experience, it will be a PC purchase for me.

More from Tom's Guide

• The 6 best video games we've played in 2026 (so far) on PS5, Switch 2, PC and Xbox
• I just finished Star Fox on Switch 2 — and it’s better than the game I imagined I was playing as a kid
• 5 recently announced video games I’m most excited about, including a sequel I’ve been waiting 13 long years for

What do you get when you mix top Wi-Fi 7 speeds and range with 10Gbps wired ports and low latency technology? You get TP-Link’s Archer BE770, one of the best high-performing traditional routers on the planet. At $400, it blows the doors off other routers selling for hundreds more, making it the one to beat for those who demand top Wi-Fi speed.

My TP-Link Archer BE770 review will help you decide if this is the best Wi-Fi 7 router for your home network or if it’s worth considering one of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems instead.

TP-Link Archer BE770 review: Pricing and availability

With a list price of $400, the Archer BE770 is priced at $350 on Amazon at the moment. It’s a good bargain compared to Netgear’s $600 Nighthawk RS700S, which matches the BE770 just about spec for spec.

New and in demand, one online store is selling the BE770 at nearly double its list price.

TP-Link Archer BE770 review: Design

At 11.7 x 10.4 x 4.1 inches, the gray and black Archer BE770 stands in contrast to the company’s Darth Vader inspired Archer GE650. The roughly rectangular router is cinched in the middle and nearly two-thirds larger than the NetgearRS700S. It should still fit on a bookshelf though.

Its central LED diverges from the pixelated display on the Archer BE800 for showing LAN access, the time, weather or just some frivolous (but addictive) animations. I prefer its demure central status LED to the assault on the senses.

Inside, the BE770’s 10 internal antennas give it a tidy look compared to high-performance routers that have external antennas pointing every which way. Arranged in a staggered vertical array, it produces roughly spherical reception and has an antenna to tap into Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) zero wait technology, lowering the router’s latency.

An offshoot of the Archer BE700 design, the triband BE770 covers the Wi-Fi 7 bases with a Broadcom BCM67263 radio chip, 2.0 GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 256MB of storage space. Able to move a theoretical 18Gbps, it’s rated at a maximum of 688 Mbps over the 2.4GHz band as well as 5.764Gbps and 11.529 over the 5.0 and 6.0GHz bands.

As flexible as networking gets these days, the BE770 can operate as a traditional router, a wired access point or as an EasyMesh wireless node. It pushes throughput with everything from Multi-Link Operations (MLO) to 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) to its ultrawide 6GHz 320 MHz data channels. The router’s 10 independent data streams can accommodate up to 150 Wi-Fi devices and should satisfy those with multi-gig data plans.

While high-performance all the way, the BE770 lacks amenities that TP-Link reserves for the best gaming routers. These include pre-configured port forwarding options for gaming consoles and access to the WTFast links for the GPN (Gamers Private Network).

Still, it has a top-shelf port selection. It starts with 10Gbps ports for WAN input and very hot downstream links and extends to four 1 Gbps connections for more mundane clients, like printers or surveillance cameras. It lacks the Archer BE800’s SPF+ fiber optic port, but few will miss it.

The two USB 3.0 ports can add cross network data access. Around back, the router’s on/off button is complemented by its Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) and LED light switch. It has a recessed reset switch.

With hackers hiding in plain sight, the BE770 can shield data as a VPN server or client and includes TP-Link’s HomeShield base security subscription. Its defenses include preventing personal data leaking out, filtering out the worst the web has, and blocking dangerous apps. It can catch the major malware exploits of the day and is continually updated.

A little more paranoid online? Who isn’t. TP-Link’s Security+ plan costs $6 a month or $55 a year and ups the protection with isolation for IoT devices and extra parental controls. The first month is free.

TP-Link Archer BE770 review: Performance

Druing testing using an HP Envy X360 notebook and Keysight’s IxChariot networking benchmark, the Archer BE770 excelled with top throughput and range. In my 3,500 square foot home, it left a few dead zones in the basement.

Set to simulate 10 data-hungry users, IxChariot results start with the BE770’s ability to move 2.574Gbps using 15-feet of Ethernet cabling. It’s Meh compared to the TP-Link siblings: the Archer GE800 (at 4.449 Gbps) and the Archer GE650 (3.849 Gbps). Later, with the router and test system next to each other, the BE770 moved 2.574 Gbps wirelessly, slightly off the pace set by the Asus RT-BE96U at 2.685 Gbps.

In real world testing, the BE770 blew away Wi-Fi 7 routers costing hundreds of dollars more with 2.181 Gbps available at 15 feet. That’s eight percent more data flowing than the Archer GE650 and clearly ready for the multi-gig world. Although the BE770 often started off slowly, it gathered speed on subsequent runs. For instance, it took three initial runs at about 400 Mbps before getting to its peak performance. My patience was rewarded with throughput over 2 Gbps.

At 50 feet, the BE770 sprinted ahead of the Wi-Fi 7 crowd at 1.239 Gbps. That’s easily twice the data flow of the Archer GE650 or the Asus RT-BE96U. The closest to it was the Nighthawk RS700S’s 691.8 Mbps.

When I set up the test machine 75 feet from the router, I got 772.1 Mbps of throughput – roughly double the results of the Asus RT-BE96U. At 90 feet, the performance fell back to earth, but still outran the others at 70.9 Mbps, well ahead of the GE650, RT-BE86U or the RS700S.

The BE770 is the rare router with range to match at 130 feet. It easily outdistanced the RT-BE96U’s 105-foot range.

When I set the test machine up in an adjacent room 25 feet away from the BE770, it delivered 1.967 Gbps. That’s twice the bandwidth of the GE650 and even bested the RT-BE96U’s 1.810 Gbps. In other words, the BE770 doesn’t care if you live in a ranch, townhouse or McMansion, it can fill the building with data.

Over my two weeks with the BE770 of playing games, listening to music and streaming 4K video, I encountered some inconsistent results but no major problems. On the other hand, the BE770 is power hungry at 23.4 watts while working hard moving data around my home. Running 24/7, it should cost $35.88 in electricity bills if you pay the national average of 17.5 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity. The BE800 costs something closer to $41 per year.

The BE770 has two Eco Mode settings: Power Saving Mode and Ultra Power-Saving Mode, both of which reduce power use by lowering transmission range and throughput. This can be scheduled to only come into play at night.

Passively cooled, room air comes in through the bottom and warm air out the top vent. It hit a peak of 104 degrees Fahrenheit during testing.

TP-Link Archer BE770 review: Setup

After plugging everything in, I used my HP Envy X360 notebook and Chrome browser to run through the BE770’s setup routine. Starting at http://tplinkwifi.net, I needed to give each LAN a name and password. It worked on the first try, taking all of 6 minutes.

Finally, I switched to TP-Link’s MLO (Multi-Link Operation) to get to a single network name and password. The Tether app is more visual but offers much the same process.

TP-Link Archer BE770 review: Configuration

Using the Tether app, I started at the main page full of helpful things like the number of clients and current down- and upload rates.

Below, the tabs for Security, Family and the More catch-all category. I was able to see and change anything from blacklisted devices to the Internet connection details. The router’s Network Optimization can streamline access and reduce interference.

Meanwhile using a connected browser allowed fine-tuning the MLO connection, DNS servers and using DHCP auto IP addressing. It’s where I activated a flash drive connected to the router’s USB port.

The router’s two-year warranty and lifetime support blow Netgear’s one-year coverage and 90-days of included support away. The TP-Link support site has everything from firmware downloads to setup videos. Its manual, however, is only available online in HTML.

TP-Link Archer BE770 review: Verdict

If you’re on a budget, you don’t have to settle for slow Wi-Fi anymore because TP-Link’s Archer BE770 is the best of the best with equal parts peak throughput and extended range. It lacks the visual appeal of routers with info-screens, but for the easily distracted, like me, that’s a good thing.

Regardless of whether it’s streaming 8K video, global gaming or running the latest AI model locally, the BE770 is the one to get for those who demand top speed and range. Getting it at $350 is the icing on the networking cake.

When people think about upgrading to a big, immersive display, the latest 5K2K monitors from LG and Samsung are usually the first that come to mind. However, while they’re certainly some of the best monitors you can buy, they come with premium price tags of at least $1,000.

Fortunately, if you want more screen real estate but don’t want to pay as much as you would for a high-end graphics card, there are more affordable alternatives. A few months back, I tried out the 5K2K Innocn 401CU and it certainly fits the bill. While it has a list price of $999, I’ve seen it as low as $600 during major sales events.

After looking through the comments on that story though, I was surprised to see how many Tom’s Guide readers thought even that sale price was too expensive for a monitor, with many suggesting buying a budget 4K TV instead. To see if I could find a gem in the rough, I decided to try out Innocn’s even more affordable sibling: the 401CR ultrawide monitor.

At full price, it’s just under $500, but I’ve seen it go for as low as $350 while on sale. At that price, it’s a steal for a flat, 40-inch ultrawide with single-cable USB-C connectivity. Given Prime Day starts today, I expect it to see a deep discount.

If you need massive screen space for productivity and more immersive gaming, this underdog might just be the perfect upgrade for your desk setup.

Flat, wide and fully-specced

At 37.1 x 16.5 x 2.2 inches, the 40C1R is anything but a small display, and at roughly 20 pounds without the stand, it’s on the heavier side, too. Thankfully, Innocn includes a fairly heavy-duty stand with a thick metal baseplate and a plastic vertical arm that’s reinforced with a sturdy metal core.

Having unboxed my fair share of monitors over the years, I really like how Innocn includes a high-speed USB-C to USB-C video cable and a DisplayPort cable right in the box. You don’t get an HDMI cable though, but you likely have several of those laying around anyway. Likewise, you probably won’t want to use an HDMI connection with this display as your refresh rate will be capped at 100 Hz versus the full 144 Hz you get over DisplayPort.

With the monitor lying face down on my desk, you get a clear look at its overall structural design. Right off the bat, I love how Innocn uses standard, square 100 x 100 VESA mounting holes instead of those silly circular 75 x 75 ones you see on a lot of other gaming monitors. This makes it incredibly easy to swap out the stand for any of the best monitor arms since you won’t need to hunt for a proprietary adapter.

Looking at the back of the panel, the connectivity is split cleanly. The power port sits entirely on its own side, which highlights one of my favorite features: a built-in power supply. Just like the more expensive 40C1U, there is no bulky power brick to hide under your desk — just a single standard power cable. On the opposite side of the rear cutout, you'll find the main selection of ports, while the monitor’s physical OSD navigation buttons line the corresponding outer edge.

As for those ports, you get a great selection of connection options, including dual HDMI 2.0 inputs, DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C, and a 3.5mm audio jack. While the 40C1R drops the built-in USB-A hub found on the premium 40C1U to save on cost, it oddly beats its more expensive sibling in utility: its USB-C port delivers a massive 90W of power delivery as opposed to just 60W.

After unboxing the 40C1R, I installed the included stand using a single built-in thumb screw. With the monitor securely set up and plugged in, it was finally time to see how it performs.

Laptop power with gaming PC framerates

In order to test the 40C1R and make sure it was working properly, I first hooked it up to a MacBook Pro M5 I borrowed from work for another monitor review. Although 90W of power delivery is a bit less than the 140W provided by Apple's included charger, it is still more than enough juice to keep a 16-inch MacBook fully topped off even during heavy workloads. For the rest of the best laptops, 90W will be plenty to fast charge them while connected to this massive display.

With the MacBook Pro plugged into the 40C1R, the monitor’s IPS panel looked vibrant and crisp, with no dead pixels to speak of. While the 40C1R does come equipped with dual 5W built-in speakers, I ended up switching back to the ones on the MacBook Pro after a bit. Still, they are nice to have in a pinch, and they do sound much less tinny than the bottom-tier 2W speakers you find on a lot of other budget monitors.

Sadly, I no longer own a big, bulky gaming desktop anymore (as I’ve been using one of the best mini PCs for both work and play for the past few years) but fortunately, my favorite pocketable mini PC — the Khadas Mind 2S — can be instantly upgraded with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti desktop GPU just by dropping it onto Khadas’ Mind Graphics 2 dock.

Now, I know what you might be thinking when looking at a compact setup like this: airflow. I too was worried about putting this docked mini PC directly underneath the 40C1R at first. However, after pushing the hardware and running a few demanding games on it, I didn’t run into any thermal throttling or heating issues at all. I chalk this up to Khadas' excellent internal cooling design and the fact that the dock's entire outer shell is machined from aluminum, which acts as a giant heatsink.

With the 40C1R confirmed to be fully operational and paired with a surprisingly powerful eGPU dock, it was time to see how this budget-friendly 40-inch ultrawide handles real-world productivity and immersive gaming.

Big screen on a budget

Back when I tried out Innocn’s more premium 40-inch ultrawide, I did play a few games on it. However, with a massive resolution of 5120 x 2160, the Framework Desktop I was using at the time struggled to push smooth frame rates. With a lower — yet still reasonably high — resolution of 3440 x 1440, I knew that my mini PC with its desktop-grade RTX 5060 Ti would have a much easier time keeping up. Likewise, given this is an outright gaming monitor instead of a productivity-first screen like the 40C1U, it actually features a much higher 144 Hz refresh rate.

For the past few months, I’ve been making my way through Death Stranding 2, and on an ultrawide display like this one with a 21:9 aspect ratio, it’s been an absolute joy to play. Not only was the game’s world wider than it was on my PS5 Pro, but I could crank the framerate past 60 fps all the way up to a buttery-smooth 144 fps. In fact, if you’re coming from a console and are playing on an ultrawide, you might end up double-dipping on a few titles just to experience them at full width without any distracting black bars on the sides.

In addition to Death Stranding 2, I also really enjoyed playing my go-to skateboarding game Session and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart on this wider display. It also helps that the monitor comes equipped with AMD’s FreeSync Premium, so you can turn on VRR (variable refresh rate) for a tear-free experience. The 40C1R does have HDR support, but I preferred leaving it off since it's an HDR400 panel that tops out around 400 to 500 nits of brightness. Without local dimming, SDR content actually looks a lot punchier.

With an ultrawide display like the 40C1R, streaming content online can be awesome, too... if you find the right video. While most TV shows are locked to standard 16:9, you can find plenty of movies and even some music videos — like Drake’s "2 Hard 4 The Radio" pictured above — that are natively available with a cinematic 21:9 aspect ratio. After upgrading to an ultrawide, I highly recommend going to YouTube, searching for 21:9 trailers, and turning the resolution all the way up. You won’t be disappointed.

Overall, I’m quite impressed with the 40C1R, especially given the fact that it’s a four-year-old monitor design. While you might think you need the latest and greatest OLED display to upgrade your desk setup or battlestation, my experience with this monitor proves you definitely don’t.

One for work, one for play

I’ll admit, I was lucky enough to experience Innocn’s latest and greatest 40-inch ultrawide before tying out this more budget-friendly model. However, after thoroughly testing both of them, they each clearly have their place depending on your use case and how much you’re willing to spend.

With its higher resolution and built-in USB hub, the Innocn 40C1U is a fantastic productivity monitor. You can see substantially more on the screen at the same time, and if you want to switch between two computers — say a Mac and a Windows machine like I’m doing here — you won’t need to buy a separate KVM switch. However, for gaming at that native 5K2K resolution, you’re going to need a really beefy graphics card with frame generation turned on for your favorite titles to truly shine.

Given its higher refresh rate and lower price, the Innocn 40C1R stands out as a fantastic ultrawide monitor for gaming, even if the underlying panel design is several years old now. While it comes equipped with legacy HDMI 2.0 ports instead of newer HDMI 2.1 ones, that won’t be a problem since you’re going to want to use a DisplayPort cable anyway to make full use of its faster 144 Hz refresh rate. Although a built-in USB-A hub would have been nice to see, I’m sure most people would rather have the massive 90W of power delivery over USB-C so they can fast charge a laptop and utilize it to its fullest potential at the same time.

Now, would I recommend either of these monitors for gaming on a console? Absolutely not, since even the more powerful PS5 Pro is still strictly locked to a standard 16:9 aspect ratio. That could very well change down the road with the PS6 and Xbox’s upcoming Project Helix, but for now, if you want to experience a wider, more immersive field of view while gaming, PC is your best and only option.

At the moment, I have the Innocn 40C1U set up as my dedicated work machine powered by the ultra-powerful Geekom A9 Max 2026 Edition, and I’m using the Innocn 40C1R right alongside it for gaming. If I was on a strict budget and had to pick one over the other, the 40C1R would easily be my choice because you’re getting a flat, massive 40-inch ultrawide with a high refresh rate and better power delivery over a single USB-C cable. That’s not to say the 40C1U is a bad monitor by any means, but at 100 Hz with a demanding 5K2K resolution, it’s simply much better suited for spreadsheets and content creation than it is for high-framerate gaming.

More from Tom's Guide

• I built a completely distraction-free desk setup with these 10 gadgets and now I’m truly locked in
• Monitor stand vs monitor arm: how to pick the right one for your display
• I spent a week with dual Apple Studio Displays and realized I’ve been lying to myself about glossy screens for years

The Apple Studio Display is expensive. That shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the Silicon Valley giant's products. It's expensive, and some might argue it's worth the premium — and I won't lie, I've always been a little envious of those who own it. Have you seen how good it looks, how great it performs?

But as someone who reviews great tech day in and day out, I've finally found an Apple Studio Display alternative that's expensive but nowhere near as pricey as the first-party monitor. I've spent the last week testing the BenQ MA270S, and boy, I shed a tear when I boxed up our review unit to ship it back.

Unlike most of the other monitors I've tested, the MA270S is a MacBook-first monitor, and it's designed for owners of Apple's powerful laptops. Its design, interface, selection of ports, and companion app are all very Apple-esque. It packs a bright and vivid 5K Nano-texture glass panel that's a joy to look at. As a MacBook user, this is the monitor of my dreams, and here's why it's worth buying if you can't get the Apple Studio Display.

Nano Gloss for the win

I've used and reviewed my fair share of the best monitors, and one of the reasons why the BenQ MA270S is the perfect display for MacBook users is that it features a Nano-texture glass display — or Nano Gloss. It's the same glass you'll find on the Apple Studio Display and the Apple Studio Display XDR. This panel delivers true blacks and refined highlights, and it's one of the reasons why the colors appear Mac-like.

The MA270S' Nano Gloss panel is designed to diffuse the light source softly, making it more comfortable to look at. The surface diffuses the light so it looks like it has a velvety finish. What's great about the MA270S is that its panel features flicker-free technology, and it has received the industry's stamp of approval. Eye Comfort 3.0 certification from TÜV Rheinland and EyeSafe 2.0 mean that the monitor is designed to reduce visual fatigue and protect eye health.

As someone who spends up to eight hours a day, five days a week, staring at a screen, using a monitor that doesn't hurt my eyes or make them feel achy is a necessity for me. Now that I've used a Nano Gloss screen, I don't know how I'm going to go back to my work-sanctioned monitor.

Mac-like, true-to-life colors

Alongside the Nano-texture glass that protects your eyes during prolonged use, the BenQ MA270S boasts Mac-like colors, as the monitor has been fine-tuned for this. This makes it a class apart from all of the other screens I've tested. BenQ says that its Nano Gloss panel goes toe-to-toe with the Apple Studio Display.

According to BenQ, in side-by-side tests, "color tone and saturation were remarkably close," and it "maintained contrast and color that stayed consistent with Mac colors, ensuring accuracy whether working flexibly or sharing the screen." When I plugged my MacBook into the MA270S, I immediately noticed the colors looked just like on my work-sanctioned MacBook Air M2, so I was looking forward to seeing how the monitor performed in my lab tests.

And lo and behold, the MA270S performed formidably. I measured the color coverage and accuracy, and imagine my surprise when the MA270S upstaged the Apple Studio Display and the very expensive Apple Studio Display XDR. Have a look at the table below. As you can see, in my lab tests, the MA270S covered 158.7% of the sRGB color space and 112.4% of the wider DCI P3 gamut, blowing both Apple displays out of the water.

As for color accuracy? Also better than both Apple displays, as the MA270S achieved a Delta-E score of 0.09. This goes to show that the color relayed on the monitor is extremely close to the output from the source. The closer the Delta-E score to zero, the better, and the MA270S's 0.09 score is quite a bit better than the Apple Studio Display's and the Apple Studio Display XDR's (0.2 each).

Throw 10-bit color into the mix, and you've got a beast for productivity and creative work. The colors I saw on the MA270S appeared bright, vivid, and nothing short of stunning, and I felt fully immersed in whatever activity I was doing — whether that was going about my daily task or watching 4K wildlife compilations on YouTube.

I even edited some photos to share on my Instagram account, and knowing that the colors I was seeing on the monitor were as accurate as they could be gave me a lot of confidence in post-production.

Ports for days

For power users and those who have many, many devices they like hooking up to their monitors, the BenQ MA270S sports a wide array of ports. Ready to find out what they are? Let me take a deep breath in. Okay. Here we go:

• A power port (obviously)
• Two HDMI 2.1 ports
• One Thunderbolt 4 port with 96W power delivery
• A second Thunderbolt 4 port with 15W power delivery
• And another Thunderbolt 4 port for daisy-chaining
• Two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 downstream ports with 10Gbps transfer speeds and 7.5W power delivery
• One USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 downstream port also with 10Gbps transfer speeds and 15W power delivery
• And a USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode port with 35W power delivery

Phew! Give me a second to catch my breath. Okay, I'm back now. Having that many ports at your disposal means you don't need to worry about hooking up any additional USB hubs or docks. Cable management is a breeze, too, as BenQ happily includes a cable holder that can be clipped around the monitor's stand.

For MacBook users, I really can't think of a better monitor. Well, there's the Apple Studio Display, yes, but not everyone has $1,600 just lying around. If you're happy to fork over $999 at B&H Photo / £884 at Amazon U.K., the MA270S is a no-brainer. It's stunning to look at and use; it features more ports than you might have use for, and its color coverage and accuracy easily outdo Apple's first-party displays.

What do you think? Would you buy the MA270S? Or is there another MacBook-first monitor you use? Let me know in the comments below! And check out my full BenQ MA270S review for all the details.

More from Tom's Guide

• Forget Apple Studio Display — I just tested the BenQ MA270S and its Nano-texture glass display is ‘one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen’
• BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S review: The endgame of productivity monitors
• Best monitors in 2026

I’ve always been envious of people who own the Apple Studio Display, but I’m also aware that it’s very much out of my budget. First-party products aren’t everything, though, and the BenQ MA270S proves that you don’t need to spend a fortune to get a Nano-texture glass display. Having spent a week with it, I’m finding it very hard to go back to my old monitor now.

The MA270S sports a gorgeous, bright 5K panel that’s easy on the eyes — no, really, it carries industry-leading certification that make it safe for prolonged use. Boasting outstanding color coverage and accuracy, the MA270S is perfect for creatives and photo editors, especially those who own MacBooks as the monitor features seamless Apple integration. There’s no shortage of ports and cable management is a delight.

Could this be the best monitor for you? It certainly is for me! Read my full BenQ MA270S review to find out more.

BenQ MA270S review: Specs

BenQ MA270S review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 5K monitor with a bright, detailed and colorful Nano Gloss panel
• Who is it for? MacBook users and Apple fans who don’t want to spend thousands on the Apple Studio Display
• How much does it cost? The BenQ MA270S is available for $999 / £884
• What do we like? The 5K panel, wide color coverage, accurate colors, plethora of ports, and Apple-like app for controls
• What don’t we like? The 70Hz refresh rate and high(ish) price… but that’s about it

BenQ MA270S review: The ups

From its beautiful, bright 5K Nano Gloss display and its wide range of ports, to its color coverage and accuracy, the BenQ MA270S doesn’t give you much to complain about.

Built for MacBook users

The BenQ MA270S is advertised as a monitor designed for MacBook users, and as someone who uses a MacBook Air M2 for work and a MacBook Pro M1 at home, I can confirm that this is an Apple-first display, through and through. Just like the Apple Studio Display ($1,599), the MA270S features a Nano-texture glass (or Nano Gloss), so that’s where the similarities start. I’ll talk about the panel shortly but before that, I want to talk about the MA270S’ Apple-first compatibility.

When you buy a monitor that isn’t made specifically for MacBooks or Mac minis — the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 ($749), for instance — you may not get the right colors. The MA270S, however, boasts BenQ’s Mac color-tuning technology, which means that it shows the exact same colors sent by your MacBook (in short: color accuracy is spot on). This is backed up by my lab testing, which I’ll discuss in detail soon.

Adding to the MA270S’ appeal for MacBook users is the synchronized controls — if you have the companion app installed (more on that shortly). If you press the brightness or volume buttons on your MacBook, both your MacBook and the MA270S will be adjusted simultaneously. I love this feature as it means I don’t have to use the monitor’s joystick to adjust the brightness every time. It has simplified my workflow in a small but meaningful way.

Apple-esque app for controls

To take full advantage of the BenQ MA270S and its many features, you’ll need to download the Display Pilot 2 app, available for free on Windows, macOS and Linux. I downloaded and tested it on my personal MacBook Pro M1. It runs in the background and you can access it via an icon in the primary Menu bar — akin to the MacBook’s Control Centre.

Display Pilot 2 essentially lets you control and customize the monitor directly from your connected source, and without having to fiddle with the physical joystick and buttons. You can use the app to quickly change resolution, adjust the monitor’s speakers’ volume, choose a layout, customize blue light settings, auto-match and synchronize color profiles when changing color modes, and even customize the speakers’ five-band equalizer.

I personally love having an app for changing monitor settings. That means I don’t have to physically move — call me lazy all you want, but at least it isn’t breaking my flow!

There's no remote control, though, which was something we loved on the BenQ PD3226G editing monitor — with its round hotkey puck. The physical desk puck let you switch functions without even having to change software window, making it a handy workflow addition.

Stunning 5K Nano Gloss display

I’ve used many monitors, and as a reviews writer, I’ve tested my fair share of displays. The BenQ MA270S is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful monitor I’ve ever seen. As I alluded to earlier, the MA270S features a Nano Gloss or Nano-texture glass, similar to the one you’ll find on the Apple Studio Display and the Apple Studio Display XDR ($3,599). The Nano Gloss panel delivers true blacks and refined highlights, and colors appear lifelike and exactly how they do on your MacBook — and I’ll discuss color coverage and accuracy shortly.

The MA270S’ Nano Gloss panel features flicker-free technology as well as Eye Comfort 3.0 certification mark from TÜV Rheinland and EyeSafe 2.0. These are industry-leading certifications which reaffirm that the monitor is designed to reduce visual fatigue and protect eye health. In theory, that’s fantastic, and in practice, it’s even better. The MA270S is a sheer delight to look at, and even after eight straight hours of use, my eyes haven’t felt tired or achy.

Another thing I love about the MA270S is how bright the monitor gets. Similar to the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S ($1,199), the MA270S features a 27-inch 5K IPS panel with a resolution of 5120 x 2880, and it’s bright, colorful and easily readable under office lights.

My lab testing confirmed the same. As you can see from the table above, the MA270S reached a peak brightness of 387.4 nits in SDR mode, and it’s the brightest of any other third-party monitor I’ve tested so far. It’s dimmer than the Apple Studio Display and the Apple Studio Display XDR, but both monitors are far pricier than the MA270S.

While the MA270S’ HDR brightness is nothing to write home about at just 272 nits (10% window size), at least it has an HDR mode, which the Apple Studio Display doesn’t.

Superb color coverage

As someone who spends a lot of time editing photos and videos, I need a display that boasts great color coverage and accuracy — and the BenQ MA270S does just that. According to BenQ, its Nano Gloss panel “maintained contrast and color that stayed consistent with Mac colors” in side-by-side tests with the Apple Studio Display, so if you want Mac-like colors on a third-party monitor, this is the display to get.

I put the MA270S through its paces to see how it fared against other monitors. In my lab tests, the MA270S covered 158.7% of the sRGB color gamut and 112.4% of the wider DCI P3 color space. Anything over 100% is good, so the MA270S goes above and beyond.

As you can see from the table above, the MA270S outperforms its cousins, the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S and the BenQ PD3226G ($1,099). It also upstages the the Apple Studio Display and the Apple Studio Display XDR, neither of which even come close to covering the entirety of the DCI P3 color gamut. The MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 covers even more of the spaces but you don’t get a Nano Gloss panel or as many productivity-focused features, as it’s a gaming monitor.

So, all of that sounds great on paper, but what about in real-world usage? I’ve thoroughly enjoyed testing the MA270S. The greens look vivid and rich, while reds appear deep and blues are intense and pure. None of the colors look oversaturated or fake, whether I was watching a 4K wildlife video on YouTube or playing a neon-bright game like Cyberpunk 2077. There was plenty of detail to enjoy in the shadows, and highlights didn’t appear blown out either.

I used the monitor to edit some photos I’d taken on the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, and I was able to color-grade accurately, as the fine color differences were more visible. The MA270S also features 10-bit color so it’s capable of displaying 1.07 billion individual hues — again, perfect for creatives who, like myself, use the best drones or best cameras.

Outstanding color accuracy

Alongside wide coverage, colors appear accurate on the BenQ MA270S too. We measure color accuracy as a Delta-E number, and this is a numerical representation of how much two colors differ. It gives you an idea of how close the color relayed on screen (i.e. the monitor) is to the color output from the source (i.e. the computer).

You ideally want the Delta-E score to be as close to zero as possible. As you can see from the table above, the MA270S achieved a Delta-E score of 0.09 in my lab tests, which is phenomenal. This means that the colors displayed on the monitor are near-identical to the ones being sent to it by the laptop.

The MA270S displays colors even more accurately than its closest competitors. Once again, it performs better than the Apple Studio Display and the Apple Studio Display XDR, as well as the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S and the BenQ PD3226G. That isn’t to say that any of the monitors are bad — but when it comes down to on-paper specs, the MA270S just that little bit better.

My lab tests reassured me that the colors I was seeing on screen were as accurate as they could be, and this gave me more confidence when editing photos for my photography Instagram account.

A plethora of ports

BenQ rarely skimps on ports, and its MA270S isn’t any different. It hosts plenty and plenty of ports, all present to streamline your workflow and keep your devices powered — just like on the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S. A selection of ports is located around the back and another at the bottom of the panel. These include a power port (duh) and two HDMI 2.1 ports for hooking up your MacBook, console or other laptop.

Now, allow me to word-vomit for a second. You get three Thunderbolt 4 ports: one with 96W of power delivery, another with 15W of power delivery, and a third for daisy-chaining. Then there’s a bunch of USB ports. You’ve got two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 downstream ports with 10Gbps transfer speeds as well as 7.5W of power delivery. There’s a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 downstream port too, with 15W power delivery and, again, 10Gbps transfer speeds.

And last but not least, there’s a USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode port with 35W power delivery. I know you’re probably wondering, “What’s DisplayPort Alt Mode?” Essentially, it means the monitor's USB-C port can receive video signals using the DisplayPort protocol. This gives you extra connectivity options; can help you cut down on cables; and is also super handy if you're routing graphics through a docking station via USB-C, as you can still access the high resolutions and supported refresh rates of DisplayPort.

BenQ includes a handy cable holder which you can clip around the monitor stand. You can then bunch up your cables and run them through the holder to create a nice and tidy setup. It’s great and I wish all monitors came with one.

BenQ MA270S review: The downs

There isn’t a lot to dislike about the BenQ MA270S but it’s important to note that its refresh rate is limited to 70Hz, and it’s a little expensive (but still cheaper than the Apple Studio Display).

70Hz refresh rate only

The BenQ MA270S competes directly with the Apple Studio Display, and it serves as a cheaper alternative to Apple’s first-party monitor. In the same vein, the MA270S doesn’t have a very high refresh rate either, topping out at just 70Hz — that’s only 10Hz more than the Apple Studio Display’s 60Hz refresh rate. Because of this, I wouldn’t really recommend the MA270S for competitive or FPS gamers.

If you spend a lot of your time playing games, it might be worth checking out one of the best gaming monitors instead. There are plenty of options available around the $1,000 mark, like the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 ($749) and the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED ($1,099). Of course, you’ll miss out on that lovely Nano-texture glass with either of those options, though.

Expensive… but cheaper than a Studio Display!

BenQ monitors don’t come cheap — it’s the price you pay for the premium build and features after all. The MA270S isn’t the cheapest monitor around, retailing for $999 at B&H Photo / £884 at Amazon U.K. This makes it pricier than some other monitors I’ve tested, like the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 ($749) and the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 ($949), and it’s only slightly cheaper than the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S ($1,199).

But none of those monitors have seamless Apple compatibility akin to a first-party monitor. And even though the MA270S sounds expensive as a standalone product, it really isn’t when you compare it to Apple’s monitors. It’s a lot cheaper than the Nano-texture glass variant of the Apple Studio Display XDR which costs a whopping $3,599. It’s also cheaper than the entry-level Apple Studio Display which retails for $1,599.

Given that, I’d say the MA270S’ premium price tag is less of a drawback and more of a pre-purchase consideration. You’re getting great MacBook compatibility and a stunning Nano Gloss display, as well as a wide array of ports, all for at least $600 less than the Apple Studio Display.

BenQ MA270S review: Verdict

You don’t need to spend thousands to get a Nano-texture glass monitor like the Apple Studio Display, and the BenQ MA270S proves that. Designed with MacBook users in mind, the MA270S combines a stunning Nano Gloss 5K panel, excellent color accuracy and coverage, and comes with a plethora of ports for efficient cable management.

The MA270S’ 5K display is the star of the show, delivering outstanding sharpness and vibrant yet accurate colors. It’s comfortable to use all day long, thanks to industry-recognized eyecare certifications, making it great for creatives and power users. Add in seamless Mac integration and a user-friendly companion app, and you forget that the monitor’s refresh rate is limited to just 70Hz.

If you’re a MacBook user looking for a cheap alternative to the Apple Studio Display, the MA270S should be your port of call. After using it, I’m dreading going back to using my old monitor.

Last week, our sister site Tom’s Hardware carried a report with comments from Lexar’s Regional Manager for Australia & New Zealand, Chris Xia. Xia was discussing the current RAM crisis and how he expects prices to double by the end of the year.

It’s a terrifying prospect to say the least! But I’ve been in China visiting Lexar’s production and R&D facilities these last few days. So I thought I’d put the question directly to the CTO, Daniel Guo, and Van Baer, General Manager of North America, to see if it's a claim they agree with.

Moreover, I want to know if these executives at the very heart of the computing industry can tell me if there are any ways to ease the pain of RAMageddon.

Pricing is 'unpredictable'

The first thing Lexar was quick to do was talk about how this is a “personal view” from the company’s regional manager, rather than a business position on the situation.

“Instead of reactive pricing, we’re ensuring that our products remain competitive. We have our in-house R&D, and we’re relying heavily on that to diversify our products,” Baer commented.

After this comment, another Lexar PR rep chimed in: “I think it’s important to note that no one has a crystal ball. No one out there can predict what it is, and I think that the general manager over there made their own opinion on things.”

That being said, they’re not explicitly denying the problems in place here — the prices are rising, and as Van told Tom’s Guide, raw material prices are “sort of out of our control.”

The main mission for Lexar right now is to “maintain competitiveness regardless of the prices.”

Because if there's one thing that felt worryingly inevitable from their comments in the Q&A I attended, it’s that the AI build-out currently engulfing the world may very well cause this surge to last “for years.” The consensus was that massive enterprise demand is causing a period of “unpredictability.” Like Lexar, we’re all waiting to see what happens with this pesky AI bubble.

Any mitigations?

The company did confirm it will not be manufacturing its own RAM wafers to bypass the monopoly powers of SK Hynix, Samsung and Micron — saying that it’s “not necessarily practical,” and that investing in this could risk “over capacity” of memory.

Which, in layman's terms, means they’ll lose money. Guo told me that DRAM is “about six times more expensive” to manufacture than NAND flash.

What the company’s engineers are doing is finding workarounds that use less RAM.

For example, Guo talked about how its “AI storage solution” will bypass expensive DRAM chips by offloading tasks to the cheaper NAND flash — reducing a system’s need for RAM by 40%.

These work by offloading large AI models to these more affordable NAND chips that make up SSDs — Guo did say that on its storage, AI responses can start within one second.

Throw in Lexar actively working on partnerships with other manufacturers to create an “economy of scale on the supply side,” and it becomes apparent the company has a plan to try to reduce our RAM dependency. How it works out in practice though remains to be seen.

More from Tom's Guide

• Ever wonder why ChatGPT is free? The answer is far more calculated than you might think
• 4 ways to use solar power in your garden to transform your backyard without running up your electric bill
• I tested iOS 27 — and these 12 hidden features are more useful than Siri AI

The best gaming monitors can elevate your experience and make your favorite games feel extremely immersive — and the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 does just that. This is one of the finest monitors you can buy today, as it boasts a blistering 500Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms response time. With wide color coverage and accurate shades to boot, the X50 gives you nearly everything you could ask for.

Almost, because the monitor isn’t perfect. It isn’t the brightest monitor around, and it doesn’t feature enough ports for complex setups. It’s on the expensive side of things, too. On the plus side, though, the monitor sports a minimalist design and it’s a jack of all trades.

To find out if this is the perfect monitor for you, and whether those compromises are worth making, read my full MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 review.

MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 review: Specs

MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 27-inch QD-OLED monitor with a 0.03ms response time and 500Hz refresh rate
• Who is it for? Competitive as well as casual gamers who want best-in-class performance
• How much does it cost? It’s not cheap. The MSI X50 retails for $749 / £599
• What do we like? The exceptional gaming performance, great color coverage and accuracy, and sleek and minimalist design
• What don’t we like? The low brightness, lack of ports, and premium price tag

MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 review: The ups

From its minimalist design to its 500Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time as well as color coverage and accuracy, the MSI X50 is a superb monitor.

Minimalist, sleek design

The MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 is a sleek and minimalist monitor that can fit right into most setups — whether that’s work-first or a gaming den. It comes in all-black with minimal branding and no loud RGB. The 27-inch panel is perfect for those short on space and to me, it feels like the sweet spot, or Goldilocks, of monitor sizes. Not too big, not too small.

The X50’s panel is held together by a body that measures 24 x 20.9 x 9.5 inches, including the stand. Weighing 17.6lbs, the monitor isn’t too heavy so it can be easily moved around if you’re cleaning or rearranging your setup. The stand itself feels fairly compact, sporting a mostly flat, shield-shaped base, and it doesn’t take up too much space. Its height can be adjusted up to 4.33 inches, and the monitor can swivel horizontally, tilt vertically, and even rotate into a 90° vertical position.

Incredible gaming performance

If you need a mid-range monitor that doesn’t skimp on gaming performance, the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 is the one for you. As you do on many other gaming monitors, the X50 features several picture modes, such as Premium Color, FPS, RTS, RPG, and others. But that’s not even the best part.

The X50 boasts a whopping 500Hz refresh rate for PC gaming and a 0.03ms response time, making it excellent for slow- and fast-paced titles alike. You can plug in a console too, and the X50 supports HDMI VRR and a resolution of up to 1440p at 60Hz or 120Hz — if you’re using a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S, that is.

I tested the monitor for PC gaming, and regardless of the title I played, the X50 didn’t let me down. I didn’t experience any choppiness while playing fast-paced games like Forza Horizon 5, as well as first-person titles like Counter-Strike 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 where I was comfortably running 480-500fps. No motion blur and no noticeable ghosting made for an extremely enjoyable gaming experience — and that’s thanks to the 0.03ms response time which is on-par with pricier monitors, like the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 ($949) and the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED ($1,099).

The X50’s QD-OLED panel is nothing short of stunning, too. The screen boasts outstanding color reproduction, so neon-bright lights in Cyberpunk 2077 were well-balanced against the dark, inky shadows, and the game looked incredible. Meanwhile, in Forza Horizon 5, desert scenes appeared warm with the beige tones not appearing too yellow or oversaturated. There was plenty of detail to enjoy in close-up shots of the drivers’ faces in F1 25 too, as I could see the face wrinkles and fine lines in detail.

My lab testing further confirmed the X50’s color coverage across the two most common color gamuts: sRGB and DCI P3. As you can see from the table above, the X50 covered 192.9% of the sRGB space — though you don’t need more than 100%, this goes to show that the X50 boasts great tonal range. DCI P3, a wider color gamut used primarily for cinematic video editing, is easily covered by the X50 too at 136.7% coverage.

The extensive color coverage makes the X50 fantastic for gamers who also partake in creative work, such as photo and video editing. The monitor upstages the Alienware AW2725D ($499), the MSI MPG 272URX, and the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36, to name a few. The only monitor that outdoes the X50 is the HyperX Omen OLED 27q ($499), but by a very narrow margin.

Great color accuracy

In addition to superb color coverage, the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 features great color accuracy, as proven by my lab testing and real-world use. Color accuracy is measured as a Delta-E score, which is a numerical representation of how much two colors differ — and how close the color relayed on screen (the monitor) is to the output from the source (a computer or console). The closer the score to zero, the more accurate the colors.

The X50 achieved a Delta-E score of 0.11 in my lab tests, which is exemplary, especially compared to its competitors. In the table above, the X50 performed better than the five other monitors I pitted it against. I can also confirm that the colors I saw on the monitor appeared extremely accurate to me.

As I mentioned earlier, the X50 is a competent monitor for photo and video editing too, and the great color accuracy further bolsters that aspect. Color modes like sRGB and Display P3 are available for color grading and correction in post-production, and the X50 even features an Adobe RGB mode.

Adobe RGB is a color space that covers a wider range of colors used by CMYK printers, and is essential for photographers who print. Editing in this mode ensures color accuracy for creating prints. What’s surprising is that the X50, a gaming-first monitor, features an Adobe RGB mode when creativity-oriented monitors, like the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S ($1,199), don’t. The X50 isn’t just a one-trick pony.

MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 review: The downs

The MSI X50 is fantastic but it isn’t without its shortcomings. It isn’t the brightest and it doesn’t feature a ton of ports. Oh, and it’s a little expensive too.

Not the brightest

If you’re looking for the perfect brightness stats and specs on paper, the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 might not be for you. While the monitor looks fairly bright in real-world usage, my lab testing showed that it doesn’t get very bright. This isn’t the X50’s fault; OLED and QD-OLED monitors just aren’t very bright, especially compared to IPS panels.

Have a look at the table above. I measured the X50’s brightness in both SDR and HDR (10%, 40% and 100% window sizes). It achieved a peak SDR brightness of 289.6 nits, and though that doesn’t sound especially bright, the X50 outclasses its competition.

HDR is another story, and it doesn’t have a happy ending for the X50. Measured in a 10% window, the monitor reached only 284 nits. The only other monitor it upstages here is the HP Omen Transcend 32 and its 241 nits. Every other monitor, however, blows the X50 out of the water.

Don’t let the X50’s poor on-paper results put you off. In real-world situations, it’s plenty bright. Having used it extensively, I haven’t had any issues seeing or reading the monitor, even when it’s been sunny and a lot of sunlight has made its way into the room. Low brightness, on paper at least, is just a limitation of OLED panels, sadly.

Could use more ports

One of my biggest gripes with the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 is the lack of ports. Located around the back, you’ll find two HDMI 2.1 and a DisplayPort 1.4 ports. There’s also a USB-C port with 15W of power delivery, and it enables you to charge your handheld console or laptop while keeping it connected to the monitor — thereby negating the need for a separate charger. You got a 3.5mm audio out port too to plug in your headset.

These sound fine, but I’m surprised that there isn’t a USB hub as found on many other monitors, like the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 or the HP Omen Transcend 32. The existing array proves limiting if you need to hook up more devices for complex workflows. I suppose MSI had to reserve something for its pricier X36, eh? And hey, at least you get a 3.5mm audio out jack — something that’s missing from the Alienware AW2725D.

A little expensive

There’s no denying that the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 is an excellent monitor in almost every regard — and it carries a premium price tag, too. The X50 retails for $749 / £599 at Amazon, though you can sometimes find it for up to 20% off during sales events. For instance, at the time of writing, it’s down to $649 / £498, so it’s worth keeping an eye out during Black Friday and the like.

This retail price makes the X50 pricier than a lot of its competition, like the Alienware AW2725D ($499) and the HyperX Omen OLED 27q ($499). It’s a lot cheaper than the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED ($1,099), though, and features a much higher refresh rate. If you find yourself with another $200 to spare, you could even get the ultra-wide curved MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 ($949).

Of course, this isn’t to say that the X50 is unjustly overpriced. It packs plenty of performance and best-in-class features that make it worth the premium. Think of this as less of a drawback and more of a pre-purchase consideration.

MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 review: Verdict

The MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 doesn’t skimp on features or performance. For gamers, it packs a blistering 500Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms response time, which combine to produce incredibly smooth, responsive gameplay with virtually no motion blur or ghosting. The 27-inch QD-OLED panel delivers stunning image quality with best-in-class color coverage and accuracy.

The X50 doubles as a capable creative-work display too, thanks to its dedicated color modes. Additionally, sporting a minimalist, low-key design, the monitor fits right into most existing setups. But the monitor isn’t perfect. HDR brightness is underwhelming compared to its rivals, and the limited port selection may frustrate users with more complex workflows. It also costs noticeably more than several strong alternatives from HP and Alienware.

At the end of the day, though, if it’s sheer speed and beautiful visuals you’re after, the X50 is still a more-than-capable monitor. For the 500Hz refresh rate alone, the X50 almost justifies its premium asking price.

As expected, there are plenty of monitors here at Computex 2026. Asus unveiled a bunch of new displays, including its first monitor with a Tandem OLED panel. Alienware also showcased new products, such as the Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED monitor, which brings some serious upgrades to one of the best gaming monitor lineups around.

That said, I've always believed there's still room for innovation in this space, and not everyone is looking for the highest refresh rates or the fastest response times. Here at Computex 2026, I came across a new monitor from a relatively young brand that does something completely different — it comes with Google TV built directly into the monitor.

This monitor is basically a smart TV

Traditionally, monitors and external displays have relied on an external input source to display anything on screen. They're essentially "dumb" displays that require a Windows PC, Mac, console, or streaming device to do anything useful. But that's not what Amzfast's new monitor is trying to do.

The company has introduced a new 27-inch 4K monitor at Computex 2026 that runs Google TV out of the box. This means that alongside working with gaming PCs and Mac devices, the monitor independently runs Google TV — which is essentially Android TV with Google's modern interface — giving it access to Android apps and the Google Play Store.

That means you can run apps like YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, and more without connecting any external hardware to this monitor. In fact, the bundled remote even includes a Live TV button that provides access to Freeplay, Google's free streaming TV channels.

In terms of the display itself, you're looking at a Fast IPS panel with 4K resolution and support for up to a 160Hz refresh rate. It includes a USB-C port with 65W Power Delivery, two HDMI 2.1 ports, and a DisplayPort for connectivity.

There are also plenty of software settings you can tweak, including the ability to boot directly into a connected device when powering on. The monitor also supports multiview, allowing you to display two sources simultaneously. In theory, that means you could have your desktop workspace on one side while streaming content through the built-in Google TV interface on the other.

The company hasn't disclosed the internal specifications yet, including what chipset is powering Google TV behind the scenes. However, during my roughly 15-minute hands-on session on the show floor, the experience felt surprisingly fluid. Apps opened quickly, navigation felt responsive, and because it runs Google TV, you'll also be able to cast directly from supported apps on your phone.

Amzfast hasn't announced pricing or availability just yet. However, given that competitors, including Asus, sell similar smart monitors for around $350, I'd expect the company to undercut that price in some way.

Representatives told me they're "trying" to bring the monitor to the U.S. market as soon as possible, although they denied to share any launch timeline. It would've been great to see this arrive before the FIFA World Cup, though.

There's another monitor from this brand worth keeping an eye on

The Google TV monitor wasn't the only display Amzfast had on show. It also showcased several new monitors, including its first move into the OLED market. Historically, the brand has relied on IPS panels to keep prices low, but that's changing with their new AMZG27P1QL.

The monitor features a 27-inch 2K OLED panel with support for up to a 280Hz refresh rate. Amzfast claims response times as low as 0.03ms, alongside HDR support, which could make this a compelling option for gamers. There's also a built-in blue light filter designed to reduce eye strain during longer gaming sessions.

Of course, being a more budget-conscious brand, it isn't packing cutting-edge technologies like Tandem OLED panels or GaN-based power supplies. That said, if you're looking for an OLED gaming monitor that focuses on the fundamentals and keeps the price within reach, this could be worth considering.

Similar to the Google TV monitor, though, Amzfast hasn't shared pricing for the OLED model just yet, but it does say it plans to launch the monitor in the U.S. later this year for under $500.

More from Tom's Guide

• 5 Google TV features you're probably not using but definitely should
• I just tested Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra — Nvidia RTX Spark brings life to one of the best laptops I’ve ever tried
• I gamed for 250 hours on AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE — it’s a $549 nightmare for Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti

I get it. One read of my Best GPUs buying guide is enough to make your bank account weep. RAMageddon has sent graphics card prices into a crisis, but AMD is fighting back with the Radeon RX 9070 GRE.

Eagle-eyed PC gamers may have already seen these out in the wild over the past year, and they're readily available in China over the past year and starting to leak from retailers across the U.S. Now, I can confirm it’s official, and I’ve been testing one for the past few weeks. In short, if they can keep to their $549 promise, this could be a rare value win in GPUs in 2026.

In raw gaming performance, this closely matches Nvidia’s RTX 5070 (which is around $150 more on average) and comfortably breezes past the 16GB RTX 5060 Ti ($20 more on average). For that out-of-the-box, ray-traced gaming performance without any AI trickery, the RX 9070 GRE is a winning 1440p formula.

Not to say it’s the perfect formula, and you’ll have to decide what matters most for you here. It doesn’t have the same productivity chops as an Nvidia card (in both creator workloads or AI). And while FSR Redstone support is starting to expand, and it’s a great AI-infused game performance booster, Nvidia’s DLSS 4.5 continues to have a clear lead in feature set and game support.

But with all that being said, provided this suggested price of $549 holds true (AMD did confirm to Tom’s Guide that a lot of stock has been produced), if your sole focus is gaming bang for your buck, this is a top option that challenges the extortionate GPU prices found elsewhere.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? This is a mid-range PC graphics card.
• Who is it for? This is for people who are looking for great 1440p gaming performance at maxed-out settings.
• What does it cost? The SEP is $549, and I’m praying it stays that way.
• What do I like? For $549, this is an impressively performant card for 1440p gameplay, with FSR 4 unlocking some 4K experiences. It's a great bang-for-your-buck pick!
• What don’t I like? I’m suspicious of that price tag (hopefully I’m proven wrong), and, much like the RX 9070 XT, while it’s a great raw performer, FSR 4 support doesn’t match Nvidia’s DLSS 4 game compatibility, and AI and productivity aren't as strong here.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE: Specs

AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE: 3DMark tests

AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE: The ups

So let’s tuck in. For transparency, I tested the RX 9070 GRE in my build with AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU and 32GB DDR5 RAM. And as I started tweaking settings, playing and testing, I quickly realized the raw capabilities that lie under the hood.

Challenging the gaming throne

The price of Nvidia’s GPUs has been going crazy in the U.S. Now that the Radeon RX 9070 GRE is here on sale for $549 (for now), I can only anticipate a market correction given how much more this offers for less.

This is coming close to the far more expensive RTX 5070, while pulling comfortably ahead of the 5060 Ti. With those improved ray tracing cores, you’re starting to see AMD get more comfortable with shiny surfaces and reflective windows.

At 1440p, there’s enough headroom in that 12GB of video memory, and it forms a better value for money option than the RX 9070, and is frankly miles ahead of Nvidia’s RTX 50-series lineage in performance-per-dollar.

FSR Redstone is getting better

When I reviewed the RX 9070 XT, the idea of FSR Redstone was only a glimmer in AMD’s eye, and the broader support for its upscaling/frame generation tech was left reeling. Now, over 200 games support it, and the AI trickery looks great here with extremely minimal ghosting around fast-moving objects and impressive detail even on a character’s hair.

Of course, one key difference here from the likes of Nvidia’s DLSS 4 is how it handles frame generation. With Team Green, you’re getting multi-frame generation where it can stuff up to six AI-generated frames in between two GPU-generated ones. With FSR Redstone, you’re only getting one.

But I have a counterpoint to that. With the frame rates you see in these games, does a couple of hundred frames per second even matter? In my gameplay time, I can honestly say it didn’t.

And the second point, the latency is actually a few milliseconds lower without the additional frames. Food for thought!

AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE: The downs

That doesn’t mean the RX 9070 GRE is an all-around Nvidia beater. There are two clear places where this mid-ranger does falter — one comes down to Nvidia being in the AI game for longer, and the other is a side effect of when you throw all your eggs in the gaming basket.

Nvidia keeps the compatibility advantage

Chances are, you’ve seen a whole lot of AAA games in 2026 come with an Nvidia logo in their opening credits. Team Green has been busy building relationships across the board, and while AMD is catching up, Nvidia still has an advantage in this space.

Not only in-game compatibility, but also in the number of tools available. Team Red is offering the core tools needed to make all this work well (and it does), but whether you think they’re controversial or not, Nvidia’s AI trickery is evolving quickly as more games come under its umbrella.

Productivity performance is lacking

Gaming’s all good and everything — definitely the key priority for most of you reading this. However, if you need something more multipurpose, it’s clear that AMD is focusing on gaming here. You can see that in the Blender and AI benchmark results.

While Nvidia has the drivers and capabilities of doing more across the board, Team Red is focusing in. No such problem for most of you looking at this, of course, as chances are you just wanna play games fast here. But just a heads up to the creators and AI workers out there.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE: Verdict

So, to answer the fundamental question, yes, the RX 9070 GRE is a great 1440p GPU with better rasterized performance than its similarly priced competitors. Productivity performance is underwhelming compared to Nvidia, but if gaming is your main thing, this is a stellar pick.

But as the hours continued to melt by in all my favorite games, one thing became clear. I look at the grim backdrop of GPU pricing and can only pray that the RX 9070 GRE holds true to its $549 retail price. Because if it does, it could move the needle and encourage price drops across the board.

Asus went all-in on OLED monitors at Computex 2026, and we got our first hands-on look at some of them.

Over the past few years, the company has tried to make OLED the default choice, whether you're a competitive esports player or someone building a work-and-gaming setup. Asus wanted to cast the widest net possible, and mostly to great effect.

I spent a good chunk of my time checking out Asus' gaming monitors at Computex 2026, but I found only one worth spending my time with. Read on to find out what it was!

The 32-inch ROG Swift OLED is everything you'd want from a flagship monitor

I've seen a lot of OLED gaming monitors over the past couple of years, and at this point, it's honestly difficult to get excited about yet another 32-inch 4K OLED display. But Asus' ROG Swift OLED PG32UCWM (yes, the name is a mouthful) brings a few genuinely interesting upgrades.

As expected, you're looking at a 32-inch 4K OLED panel. The monitor uses Tandem RGB Stripe OLED technology. The Tandem OLED part means there's a dual-layer OLED stack designed to improve brightness, while the RGB Stripe pixel structure means the underlying panel ditches the traditional white sub-pixel entirely and relies solely on red, green, and blue sub-pixels.

The result, Asus says, is noticeably sharper text, which has long been one of the biggest complaints about such monitors, along with better color reproduction compared to previous OLED generations. Asus even had a digital microscope connected to the display to show the sub-pixel layout.

The monitor runs natively at 4K and 240Hz, but it can also switch into a Full HD mode capable of reaching 480Hz. As you'd expect, it also supports Dolby Vision, while Asus claims a response time of just 0.03ms. Connectivity is equally impressive, with DisplayPort 2.1 offering full 80 Gbps bandwidth, alongside HDMI 2.1 and USB-C with 90W PD.

One of the more interesting details wasn't the display itself but the internals powering it. The rear of the monitor still carries the usual ROG industrial design language, but Asus has also integrated GaN-based power delivery technology into the monitor's power system.

According to the company, using GaN improves power efficiency and reduces heat generation, which is increasingly important when driving a tandem OLED panel at such high resolutions and refresh rates.

Asus also confirmed that a 27-inch version is coming later this year. Unfortunately, the company still isn't talking about pricing just yet.

This 540Hz OLED monitor is where things get interesting

Another arguably more interesting monitor from a technology perspective was the ROG Strix OLED XG259QWPG Ace. Asus is calling it the world's first OLED esports monitor, and honestly, there is a pretty good reason for that claim.

Until now, most 500Hz+ monitors have relied on LCD technology (TN or IPS panels). Asus is taking a different approach by using a Tandem WOLED panel in the ROG Strix OLED XG259QWPG Ace. As you'd expect, the move to Tandem OLED brings a number of benefits, including up to 15% higher peak brightness, 25% larger color volume, and up to 60% longer OLED lifespan compared to previous-generation WOLED panels.

The monitor itself features a 24.5-inch display and can reach an eye-watering 540Hz refresh rate with a 0.02ms response time. It's pretty clear that this monitor is aimed at professional esports players and competitive gamers. Asus is also using its GaN tech here to help improve efficiency and keep temperatures under control.

The company has even added measurement markings directly onto the stand and base, allowing players to consistently position the monitor exactly how they like it, something professional esports players will probably appreciate more than anyone else.

I also got to see the ROG Strix OLED XG259QWPG Ace side by side with a traditional high-refresh-rate gaming monitor that wasn't OLED, and the difference was immediately noticeable. The OLED panel delivered noticeably better color reproduction, especially when viewed from off angles.

Outlook

Computex is always packed with monitors, gaming gear, and other ridiculous hardware. And with the event now officially underway, there's still plenty more weird and wonderful tech to check out.

I'll be spending the next few days getting hands-on with even more peripherals and displays to find the coolest gadgets at Computex 2026, so stay tuned!

More from Tom's Guide

• I just tested the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ — it leaves ROG Xbox Ally in the dust with breakthrough Intel Arc G3 power
• I tested the Acer Predator Atlas 8, and played a game Intel told me not to
• I just tried the new Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED — and my favorite gaming monitor is better than ever

For the last few years, a 240Hz refresh rate has been the standard for the best gaming monitors that promise buttery smooth performance. However, with Computex 2026 kicking off in Taipei this week, monitor manufacturers are cranking the Hz to the limit.

Our friends at Tom's Hardware reported that Acer is boosting its Predator gaming monitor up to 1,000Hz. And Samsung is expected to reveal 32-inch QD-OLED that offers 360Hz at 4K and 680Hz at 1080p, per PCWorld.

But unless you're a professional FPS gamer, you may not need those super speeds. Recently, my colleague Tony Polanco got a chance to check out LG's "world's first" 1,000Hz gaming monitor.

"All the slides moved very smoothly at 240Hz and up. I’m sure a eagle-eyed esports player could tell the difference between 1,000Hz and 720Hz, but I sure couldn’t," Tony wrote of the experience.

Tony also recently went eyes-on with Samsung's new 6K gaming monitor saying it "can offer a truly rich viewing experience."

One nice thing about these new super monitors is that it makes slightly older, but still quality monitors a bit cheaper. I've picked out four that you can pick up right now for under $1,000 and under $500 that still over 240Hz refresh rates and optimal performance.

240Hz OLED gaming under $500

If you're looking to save some money, then the HP HyperX OMEN QD-OLED and Alienware's new AW2726DM are both newer monitors released this year the won't break the bank. Neither monitor will blow you away with design or the best specs but they perform mighty well at their price point and tick all the right boxes.

Just under $1,000

These next two monitors are both bigger than the sub-$500 ones we looked at but also more expensive. However, Samsung's 6k monitor is expected to launch around $1,600 and the LG 1,000Hz beast is expected to be well north of $1,000 when it releases.

At launch both the Lenovo Legion Pro 34WD-10 OLED and LG UltraGear 45GX90SA had equally sky-high prices. However, they're both about a year old now and between sales and a natural price drop have reached friendlier waters.

The Lenovo has seen the biggest drop as it launched closer to $1,200 but is now only $879 on Amazon.

"The Legion Pro 34WD-10 is an excellent performer. The exquisite QHD OLED panel has enhanced every aspect of my gameplay, from immersion to performance. And having the space of the ultra-wide aspect ratio has been incredibly useful for operating multiple windows when working," my colleague Peter Wolinski said in his hands-on testing.

Meanwhile, the LG UltraGear is so good that we described as both a good gaming monitor and an impressively feature OLED TV. this set can pull some true double duty if you need. Problem is it launched with a massive $1,700 price tag. Fortunately, it's nearly halff off now.

If you're in the market for a new gaming monitor don't wait for spec monsters that you don't actually need. Try out any of these suggested monitors and your eyes will be in for a treat and a super smooth performance.

More from Tom's Guide

• The 6 best curved monitors of 2026, tested and rated
• I ditched my dual-monitor setup for a single 40-inch ultrawide — and two screens aren’t better than one
• I added a portable monitor next to my main display and this inexpensive upgrade is a game changer

The biggest news at Computex is official, as Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang just announced RTX Spark Super Chip family — the company's first-ever all-in-one laptop silicon that takes on Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm in a big way with a GPU equivalent to an RTX 5070.

Set to release this fall, this is not your ordinary ARM chip. The RTX Spark is packed with CUDA cores, which is sure to make that integrated GPU one helluva gaming monster. Plus, Spark is set to change the way you interact with Windows PCs forever with an AI agentic twist. I will be testing the chip extensively during my time out here at Taipei, and talking to a couple of the engineers behind it.

But for now, I’ve taken a deep dive into the specs tables and found what could be a breakthrough moment similar to when Apple brought the M1 to the world back in 2020.

Nvidia RTX Spark Super Chip specs

Nvidia RTX Super Chip devices

Nvidia is expecting a huge lineup of systems to launch with RTX spark — with plans to release over 30 laptop models and well over 10 desktop variations, targeting a range of price points.

But as of now, there are a whole lot of devices launching this fall with the RTX Spark Super Chip inside. On the laptop side, we have:

• Asus ProArt P14 and P16
• Dell SPX 16
• HP OmniBook
• Lenovo Yoga Pro 9
• Microsoft Surface Ultra
• MSI Prestige N16

These devices will be as thin as 14 millimeters, and as light as three pounds — a serious upgrade over the chunky Nvidia gaming laptops you're used to.

But they're not stopping at laptops. In an announcement that probably woke up Anthony Spadafora (our mini PCs king) from his nap, RTX Spark will be coming to small form-factor desktops that are "small enough to disappear on a desk."

These will be made by Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, MSI, Acer, and Gigabyte.

Explain it with pizza

This is partly inspired by the tasty ‘za I found while typing this, but also shoutout to Nvidia for specifically pointing out that I just “love to explain stuff with pizza.” You asked for it, and now you’re getting it!

In the laptop space, you’ve got various ways of serving pizza.

• The standard meal (an x86 SoC): This is like ordering a plain cheese pizza. It works perfectly fine for everyday eating, but if you want heavy flavor (think intense gaming or AI generation), it lacks all the necessary toppings. Don’t get me wrong, Intel and AMD have been adding some new garnish, but they’re still a little hampered by architectural limitations.
• The combo meal (x86 CPU + dedicated GPU): For that premium flavor, you have to order the standard pizza plus a massive side of premium toppings. Passing these ingredients back and forth across the table does the job, but it takes up way more space (think thicker gaming laptops) and requires a whole lot of power.
• The efficiency slice (Snapdragon X Elite): Qualcomm is already dealing in making efficient single-crust pizza using a similar recipe (Arm architecture). It’s great for saving power, but Nvidia's world-famous secret sauces (CUDA and RTX) can’t be matched.

So in this backdrop, I can only describe the RTX Spark Super chip as a “super pizza.” Instead of ordering a meal with lots of separate sides, this is the all-in-one slice baked onto a single, highly efficient crust. Half of the pizza is that custom CPU, and the other half is loaded with incredibly spicy, high-end toppings in that Blackwell GPU.

But the magic is in the cheese (the memory). Instead of dividing the cheese between the crust and toppings, Spark uses up to 128GB of “unified cheese” that the entire pizza shares instantly at blazing speeds (five times faster than standard PCIe Gen 5). And because it’s baked so efficiently, you can take this super pizza anywhere without it getting cold (all-day battery life).

…am I stretching this analogy? Absolutely. Do I regret it? No (hi Nvidia if you’re reading this).

Going agentic

With this increase in RTX Spark's brute force, Nvidia is working with Microsoft to shift personal computing on Windows from a passive tool to a proactive agent.

This is a one petaflop AI superchip... For context, some quick math I did while sitting in the keynote, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 can do around 60 Teraflops. This thing is built differently. To go back to the pizza analogy, not only can it make a mean slice, but it can probably feed it to you, too.

It can work across apps on your device — stringing together different tools like any user would to get the job done. For example, an artist can provide a sketch and a mood board, then use Photoshop not only to generate the art locally but also to turn it into a 3D image and animate it into a video. And this is all done without ever needing cloud compute.

Or if you’re a gamer, you can use G-assist to tweak critical settings like monitor optimization, or (if you’re streaming) tell it to operate your lights, mute the mic, and turn on your be right back scene in OBS.

Essentially, it can take complete control of your system — even the mouse and keyboard to navigate as a human user would. Keeping this all secure is Nvidia OpenShell, which brings enhanced security to ensure your model use works locally and privately. It can even mask personal information before ever using a cloud-based AI model to do anything.

For the players

But of course, there are big gaming capabilities here too. This is Nvidia, after all. Team Green says this falls into the same performance class as an RTX 5070 laptop GPU but uses significantly less power to reach that level.

That means you could be playing the likes of Cyberpunk, Doom, or Indiana Jones at 100 FPS at 1440p resolution. And given its ARM, the RTX Super Chip is capable of this level of performance both when plugged and unplugged.

Of course, battery life will vary based on how much you throw at it, but when I asked Nvidia, a tweak of maximum frame rate and graphics settings can optimize this nicely for long gameplay sessions on flights.

Now, what about the emulation part of it? General apps are included in this, too, but gaming has been the big test for Windows on Arm, and that Prism emulation layer used to translate apps written for other CPUs to this new architecture. Well, Nvidia’s thought of that too.

The company is working with a large list of developers to either port games natively to Windows on Arm or ensure they run well through the emulator. And with that hefty GPU, anything that’s particularly taxing on that will have almost no negative effect on performance.

Plus, Nvidia has collaborated with all first- and third-party anti-cheat software providers to ensure competitive multiplayer games launch without a hitch.

Nvidia RTX Spark vs Apple M silicon vs Snapdragon X2 Elite

So, since I’m calling this Nvidia’s M1 moment, how does it stack up with Apple laptop silicon? While I’m at it, I'm gonna throw Snapdragon into this comparison too, as they’re all similar-ish in Arm architecture.

But the crucial differences show that it’s not about the tools you have, but rather how you use them. You see, Apple silicon isn’t just about the brute force of the hardware; it’s also about its tight integration with software that extracts that performance. In gaming, for example, the MetalFX layer has enabled MacBook Pros to do some pretty great things, like run Cyberpunk 2077.

And while Snapdragon X2 Elite is level pegging in certain benchmarks, there are still some moments where it can feel like a bit of a blunt instrument against Windows 11 — especially in that GPU department.

But with RTX Spark, this is Nvidia we’re talking about. That integrated GPU supports DLSS 4.5, so you can bet your bottom dollar that the out-of-the-box gaming performance is going to be clearly superior to Apple and Snapdragon.

On top of that, Team Green and Windows are rewriting the rules on local agentic AI, so you’re getting a heap of AI coworkers too, with those CUDA cores for the raw brunt.

Nvidia RTX Spark vs Intel Core Ultra Series 3 vs AMD Ryzen AI 400 series

Why did I put these separate from the face-offs with Snapdragon or M5? Well, it comes down to the different ways these chips compute stuff. Nvidia, Apple and Qualcomm all have Arm architectures, which do things very differently to the x86 chips from Intel and AMD.

That being said, the 30+-year-old x86 architecture does bring some material benefits over ARM — namely, zero app compatibility issues whatsoever. It’s a challenge that Microsoft and Nvidia are overcoming with a separate Arm-specific version of Windows 11, alongside working closely with developers. That could narrow the library you can play!

However, for what it may lack in this area, it absolutely makes up for in a sweeter blend of performance and power efficiency. While x86 is all about multitasking its way to doing things you ask it to (not the best on that battery), ARM tackles one task at a time very quickly. That’s easier on the power while bringing high speeds to the table, too.

Outlook

It’s been a long road since the first time we heard rumblings about this chip. In fact, I even put this in my Computex 2025 predictions! But now it’s here, I think it’s fair to say that RTX Spark is far beyond any expectations I had.

Not only is it a beastly integrated GPU for monstrous performance and impressive power efficiency (especially in gaming), but the software tie-ins fundamentally change how a Windows laptop works with you. This is going to be an interesting few months as we count down to the fall launch.

Now the wait is on for an Nvidia RTX Spark gaming handheld…that would slap so hard!

More from Tom's Guide

• I just tested the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ — Intel Arc G3 is a breakthrough for handheld gaming, but at what cost?
• Intel Arc G3 is here to shake up handheld gaming, and AMD should be terrified — Acer Predator Atlas 8, a new MSI Claw and more launching soon
• I built a touchscreen MacBook Pro using this snap-on accessory, and I'm baffled why Apple hasn't made its own for years

The Alienware 34 QD-OLED gaming monitor series has been my favorite ever since the first model launched in 2022. Now, it’s set to receive a new model later this year. While the Alienware AW3426DW isn’t a radical change from the past, it delivers meaningful upgrades for an even richer gaming experience.

Some enhancements include a higher refresh rate of 280Hz, up from the previous 240Hz. The display’s new 5-stack Penta Tandem tech helps deliver darker blacks in bright environments, higher peak brightness, and sharper text with no fringing. As before, the 34-inch curved display does an excellent job of immersing you in games.

The Alienware 34 AW3426DW has debuted at Computex, but I’m currently testing it at the office. My full review will come in due course, but for now, I want to outline the basics of what has a good shot at making our best gaming monitors list. Here’s what I think of the AW3426DW.

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED hands-on: Specs

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED hands-on: Display

Like previous models, the AW3426DW has an immersive 1800R curvature and a sharp 3,440 x 1,440 resolution. Yes, it’s not a 4K OLED panel, but everything looks bright and vibrant. And thanks to the cinematic 21:9 aspect ratio. If you’ll pardon the pun, it’s a sight to behold.

I tested Cyberpunk 2077 on the AW3426DW and was impressed by the rich picture quality. The greater contrast between dark and light elements is noticeable and makes colors feel more vibrant. That said, the standard picture mode isn’t as oversaturated as on other gaming monitors, which helps everything feel more realistic.

Naturally, I’ll need to test more games, and we need to run our display benchmarks to see what the AW3426DW can really do, but for now, I can say it delivers a superlative gaming experience.

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED hands-on: Design

The Alienware AW3426DW has the same design as before, which I certainly won’t complain about because it’s both lovely and practical.

With its panel measuring 32.05 x 14.23 x 4.38 inches, you’ll need a decent-sized table for this beauty, but nothing overly large. The flat stand is pretty unintrusive, so it’s unlikely to get in the way of peripherals like your keyboard and mouse. The cutaway on the stand’s shaft makes cable management easy, and you can raise or lower the monitor to your desired height.

Again, I’m glad Alienware didn’t change the AW3426DW’s design, since it’s about as perfect as you can get. It might not immediately scream “gaming monitor,” but it keeps the focus on the display and, thus, on whatever game you’re currently playing.

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED hands-on: Performance

Performance gets a nice boost thanks to the higher 280Hz refresh rate and lower 0.03ms response time. And as before, compatibility with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync also helps deliver a smooth gaming experience.

To test the AW3426DW, I connected it to the new Alienware 16 Area-51 gaming laptop, which packs an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX CPU, an Nvidia RTX 5080 GPU, and 32GB RAM. You won’t need such a beastly rig for this monitor, but it certainly helps.

Thanks to the high refresh rate and low latency, I had a smooth time playing Cyberpunk 2077. I couldn’t get the frame rate anywhere near the refresh rate, but having all that extra headroom effectively eliminated any choppiness. I also didn’t notice any input lag.

Alienware 34 280Hz QD-OLED hands-on: Outlook

I’ll need more hands-on time with the Alienware AW3426DW, but for now, I can say it brings meaningful updates to an already fantastic gaming monitor.

Even if it gets outclassed by the new Alienware 39 5K OLED, it should still be an excellent option for those who want a smaller monitor with excellent features. Stay tuned for my full review!

More from Tom's Guide

• I checked out the world’s first 6K gaming monitor — and it's a sight to behold
• I just saw LG’s 'world's first' 1,000Hz gaming monitor in person — and my eyes couldn’t keep up
• Microsoft Build 2026 preview — all the big announcements to expect

Printing your photos using one of the best printers can give you newfound appreciation for your own work — and that’s exactly what happened when I used (and tested) the Canon PIXMA Pro-200S. This is arguably one of the greatest printers for photographers as it can make large and tiny prints, ranging from A3+ to postcard-sized.

The Pro-200S is quick to print, and the resulting prints are high-quality and nothing short of stunning. Whether you’re printing to sell, exhibit, or for personal use, this printer gives you very little to complain about. While Wi-Fi connectivity could be easier to set up, and the yield isn’t the highest, these are minor drawbacks in the grand scheme of things. Neither should stop you from getting the Pro-200S.

For the complete breakdown, read my full Canon PIXMA Pro-200S review.

Canon PIXMA Pro-200S review: Specs

Canon PIXMA Pro-200S review: Price & availability

For photo printers and prosumers, the Canon PIXMA Pro-200S is an excellent choice — and it’s well-worth the investment if you want gallery-style prints to sell. The Pro-200S retails for $647 / £459 at Amazon. If that sounds like a lot, it’s worth keeping an eye out during sales events, like Black Friday, as we’ve seen the printer drop to $429 / £367 in the past.

The Pro-200S is cheaper than its direct competitor, the Epson SureColor P700 ($849) which is also a 13-inch A3+ printer. While there are even cheaper photo printers available, like the Epson Expression Photo XP-8800 ($329) and the Canon PIXMA G620 ($356), the Pro-200S is the better choice if you want best-in-class A3+ size prints and peerless quality.

Canon PIXMA Pro-200S review: Design

The Canon PIXMA Pro-200S is a hefty boy, and given that it’s an A3+ printer, it takes up quite a bit of space. The printer measures 25.2 x 15 x 7.9 inches and weighs 32lbs, so it’s best suited to staying put in one place. It sports an all-black design with subtle branding, so it fits right into most office and home spaces.

This is a print-only printer so unlike multifunction ones, like the Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II ($702), it can’t scan or make copies. The Pro-200S features a rear automatic document feeder (ADF) which can, as the name suggests, automatically feed either 100 A4/A5/B5 sheets or 50 A3/B4 sheets.

You have the option to manually feed sheets as well, one at a time. The manual sheet feeder is ideal for thicker fine art media or creating banners up to 39 inches long and 13 inches wide.The Pro-200S packs a front-feeding tray too which can be used for printing directly onto white-faced CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays.

Build quality is sublime as the Pro-200S features a metal chassis build, and there are no hollow-sounding parts, so you’re getting great value for money here. Just as sublime are the Pro-200S’ controls and buttons. The physical navigation, home and back buttons are located around the 3-inch color LCD screen which can be used to check ink levels, among other things. You’ll find the print and power buttons next to the front tray. All of them give good tactile feedback when pressed, and I found them to be highly responsive in my testing.

Canon PIXMA Pro-200S review: Setup

It’s extremely straightforward to set up the Canon PIXMA Pro-200S. The first thing you need to do is remove the orange tape on the printer’s body and inside the paper trays. Once that’s done, you need to plug it into mains and turn it on by pressing the power button. It takes about a minute or two for the printer to come to life from a completely powered-down state — and a few seconds when it’s waking up from its sleep state.

After that, all you need to do is follow the on-screen instructions which are self-explanatory and easy to understand. You’ll then need to install the print head and the ink tanks. The ink tank placements are color-coded so simply pop them in until you hear clicks. If you’re struggling, refer to the included physical manual or Canon’s helpful online guide.

Loading the paper into the rear ADF is easy to do as well. The Pro-200S features automatic skew correction to ensure the fed paper is absolutely straight, which prevents misprinting (and wastage of paper). When you’ve loaded the paper and selected ‘OK’ on the screen, the printer will perform an alignment check which takes a couple of minutes, depending on the paper size.

Once you’re done setting up the printer, you can get printing, and there are two ways to do so: wired or wirelessly. You can plug in an Ethernet cable or a USB-B to USB-A cable into the back — the USB-A side would go into your laptop. You’ll then be able to print directly.

If you want to print wirelessly, you’ll need to download the Pro-200S dedicated driver onto your Windows or macOS machine. Follow the on-screen instructions to hook up the printer to your Wi-Fi. Once that’s done, the Pro-200S will synchronize with the Wi-Fi network, enabling you to print from any device that’s connected to the same network.

While it doesn’t take long to get the Wi-Fi hooked up, I do wish the process was easier. For instance, the Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II requires you to punch in the Wi-Fi password on its touchscreen — no software required.

Canon PIXMA Pro-200S review: Print speeds

Any printer’s print speeds will naturally depend on the complexity of the image, and the number of colors involved. Keeping that in mind, the Canon PIXMA Pro-200S takes neither too long nor too little to produce prints. As this is a photo printer, I put it through its paces by printing a number of photos on four different kinds of paper of varying sizes.

I kicked things off with printing on A3 Pro Luster paper, in standard quality, and it took the Pro-200S one minute and 14 seconds to produce a color print. This dropped to one minute and 10 seconds when producing a mono print. I was impressed with how quickly the Pro-200S printed a packed image of flowers that I’d taken on the Leica SL3-S. Printing at the highest quality took a little longer, with a color print taking three minutes and 40 seconds — still not bad, and the quality was exceptional, which I’ll discuss shortly.

The next thing I did was print on A3+ Premium Matte paper. The Pro-200S produced a color print in one minute and 58 seconds, and a monoprint in a minute and 57 seconds. Both these prints were borderless, and perhaps the printer would be even quicker to produce bordered prints. Printing on A4 MP-101 matte paper didn’t take very long either, with a colored print taking 58 seconds and mono print 38 seconds — almost four times faster than the category average of four minutes.

I love that the Pro-200S isn’t just for large format printing. The printer can accommodate smaller prints too, all the way down to 4 x 6-inch. Canon provided me with a pack of 4 x 6 PP-201 Glossy II paper for testing purposes, so I printed out a few photos I’d captured. It took the Pro-200S 40 seconds to produce a color print and 39 seconds to produce a mono print.

The Pro-200S produces small prints quicker than the Epson Expression Photo XP-8800 which, in our testing, took a minute and 27 seconds to do the same. The Pro-200S performs much better than the category average of one minute and 56 seconds.

Canon PIXMA Pro-200S review: Print quality

As an inkjet printer, the Canon PIXMA Pro-200S utilizes eight dye-based Chroma Life 100+ inks and runs on CLI-65 cartridges. Because the printer utilizes eight inks, it delivers a wide color gamut and extensive tonal range, so prints turn out beautiful and detailed. Additionally, according to Canon, Chroma Life 100+ inks create prints that are resistant to fading for over 100 years when stored in an album.

Print quality is sublime, especially on glossy or luster paper, in both standard and high quality modes. I especially like how vivid shades of greens turn out, as well as the bright blues that feel textured. My favorite print is the one of an Icelandic waterfall, where the water gushing down looks highly detailed. If I look closely, I can see the individual water droplets. The printer performed phenomenally here.

Color printing on matte paper is good but not as beautiful as on glossy paper. To me, the same photo of the waterfall lacks depth ever-so slightly, and appears flat. For glossy color prints, the Pro-200S is second to none, and it suffices for matte prints too.

Printing in black and white is another area where the Pro-200S dominates. The Pro-200S did well to produce rich, deep and inky blacks with plenty of detail, and the overall tonal range is simply excellent, as I noticed in the photo of the man standing outside a theatre. The shadows and highlights are balanced well, and the image looks just like it did when I edited and prepared it for printing.

Small prints look lovely too, and I appreciate the ability to make bordered or borderless prints as the former frames the images well. The Pro-200S’ ability to produce small prints is fantastic for those who want to make postcard-like prints for selling, or for personal use.

Canon PIXMA Pro-200S review: Ink cost & yield

The Canon PIXMA Pro-200S comes with a set of eight ink tanks, 12.6ml each, to get you started — but they won’t last you very long. Canon says that you’ll be able to create just 139 A3+ mono prints with these, or 860 4 x 6-inch mono photos. While that isn’t a lot, the Pro-200S’ running costs aren’t that high.

Each CLI-65 ink tank costs $15, and a set of eight tanks will set you back approximately $120, which isn’t too bad — and certainly not as expensive as the Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II’s cartridges and toner. These are similar costs to the inks used by the Epson Expression Photo XP-8800.

As with other Canon printers, you can sign up for Auto-Ink Delivery when buying the Pro-200S directly from Canon, or even after you’ve bought it. When your printer is running low on ink, it automatically notifies the company who then ships out ink without you having to place an order manually.

Canon PIXMA Pro-200S review: Verdict

It really wasn’t difficult to rate the Canon PIXMA Pro-200S so highly. Once I saw the print quality, I was floored. Designed for photographers and creative professionals, the Pro-200S delivers exceptional print quality across a range of sizes — from postcard to gallery-worthy A3+ prints. Thanks to the printer’s eight-color dye-based ink system, colors appear vibrant, and blacks are deep and rich.

There are a couple of drawbacks preventing a perfect score, such as the complicated wireless setup, and low ink yields for heavy users. But these issues are relatively minor considering the overall experience.

At the end of the day, the Pro-200S stands out as one of the best photo printers in its class, offering professional-quality results that will have falling in love over and over again with your own work.

If you’re after the best laser printer for your small office or personal use, look no further than the Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II. Its inconspicuous, all-white design makes it fit into most professional spaces, and it comes with four cartridges to get your started — and they’ll last you a while, too.

What makes the MF753Cdw II an outstanding choice in a crowded market are its rapid print, scan and copy speeds. The printer is outfitted with a larger paper output tray, and if you want to increase the input capacity, you can buy an additional accessory for around $250. Oh, and the printer’s got a customizable and responsive touchscreen too.

To find out if this is the best all-in-one printer for you, read my full Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II review.

This printer goes by two different names: Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II in the U.S., and i-SENSYS MF754Cdw II everywhere else. For the purpose of this review and your convenience, I’ll refer to it as Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II, its American name.

Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II review: Specs

Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II review: Price & availability

The Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II is a solid mid-range printer, and it retails for $702 at Amazon U.S. We’ve seen it drop to $499 in the past though, so it’s good to keep an eye out during sales events. Outside of the U.S., the printer goes by i-SENSYS MF754Cdw II, and is available for £539 at Amazon U.K. Similar to the States, the printer can be bought for around £390 during sales events.

This printer is available in white only. As a 4-in-1 laser printer that can print, scan, copy and fax, the MF753Cdw II finds itself competing with the likes of the Brother MFC-L8930CDW ($899), the Brother MFC-L2750DW XL ($689), and the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301fdw ($859). It’s ideal for small office owners and those who work from home.

Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II review: Design

The Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II sports an all-white design with black accents, and it fits right into a professional office space. It doesn’t look too loud so it doesn’t draw eyeballs to your desk. It’s big but not too large, measuring 18.2 x 16.8 x 17 inches. It’s a little heavy, though, weighing 48.5lbs so it’s best for it to stay put in one spot.

As a multifunction printer, the MF753Cdw II can scan, fax, print and copy, and it’s well-equipped to do so. It features a 50-sheet Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) on top with a glass scanner located underneath it. There’s a main paper in-tray at the bottom which can hold up 250 sheets, and an out-tray which can accommodate 150 prints in the middle. If you want even more print storage — say, 550 sheets of letter or A4 paper — you can grab the Canon PF-K1 Optional Cassette for $284.

Located on the right-hand side is a 5-inch color LCD touchscreen that can be tilted vertically to optimize the viewing angle. It can be customized too, to display functions and settings you use the most. There’s a power button located under the screen to switch off the MF753Cdw II or wake it from sleep (takes about seven seconds).

Overall, the MF753Cdw II is designed well, and the settings on the touchscreen feel accessible and easy to understand. Additionally, the build quality feels solid too, and you can rest assured that you’re getting bang for your buck here.

Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II review: Setup

Setting up the Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II couldn’t be easier. It takes about 14 seconds for it to warm up from a powered-off state, or seven seconds when waking from sleep mode.

When using it for the first time, all you need to do is plug the printer into the mains and follow the on-screen instructions. It took me just a few minutes to get the printer up and running. Fitting or replacing the ink cartridges is fairly straightforward too, as all you need to do is open the tray, align the cartridge with the color-coded slot (Black, Cyan, Magenta, or Yellow), and press down firmly until it clicks into place.

There are two ways to use the MF753Cdw II: wired or wirelessly. You’ll find ports for Ethernet and fax modem cables at the rear, and a USB-A port on the front. You can use the front USB-A port to print directly from USB sticks too, which is quite handy and doesn’t require any settings to be changed.

To print wirelessly, you’ll need to use the touchscreen to enable Wi-Fi and input your network’s password. Once that’s done, you’ll see the printer pop up in your computer’s (or phone’s) settings. You may need to download the printer’s driver from the Canon website if your laptop doesn’t automatically detect it. I found this easy to do, and Canon happily provides a QR code on the printer’s touchscreen that you can scan with your phone to access the Quick Start guide, if you’re in a pickle.

If you’re in a literal jam when paper gets stuck in any of the trays, the touchscreen will show you step-by-step instructions to remove the blockage too. I encountered paper jam only once in my testing, and I found the on-screen instructions super easy to follow.

Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II review: Print speeds

The Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II’s print speeds are extremely impressive. If it’s rapid printing you’re after, this is the printer for you. I put it through its paces by printing a variety of documents. It took the MF753Cdw II 11.31 seconds to print a five-page text document — or 26.5 pages per minute (ppm). That’s really quick, and the MF753Cdw II bests the likes of the Brother MFC-L2750DW XL and its 18.5 ppm.

I then printed a two-side text document, which took 9.55 seconds, and the MF753Cdw II managed to print a 10-page text document onto five double-sided sheets in 30.13 seconds. These are the fastest printing times of our most recently reviewed laser printers.

The MF753Cdw II is capable of printing mixed documents rapidly too. I put this to the test by printing a six-page mixed PDF consisting of text and color graphics, such as charts and graphs. It took the printer 18.74 seconds to do so, or 19.21 ppm. The Brother MFC-L2750DW XL, on the other hand, can do only 11 ppm, making the MF753Cdw II the better choice.

Laser printers are better suited to printing documents and inkjet printers are best for photo printing. Even so, the MF753Cdw II is capable of printing decent color prints. I printed an 8 x 10 hi-res image, taken on a Leica SL3-S, on Canon Photo Paper Glossy II. In 7.06 seconds, the print was ready. I’ll get into print quality shortly to discuss what the print looked like — but as speediness goes, the MF753Cdw II doesn’t give you much to complain about.

Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II review: Copy & scan speeds

The Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II boasts best-in-class copy and scan speeds. In my testing, it took 6.86 seconds for a black-and-white copy and 8.6 seconds for a color copy. It’s faster than the Brother MFC-L2750DW XL which takes 8.4 seconds to make a copy.

Scanning is just as quick. I inserted a USB-A stick into the front port and chose that as the save destination. A color scan took 6.22 seconds while a black-and-white scan took exactly six seconds. Again, it’s faster than the Brother MFC-L2750DW XL which takes 8.4 seconds to scan a monochrome document, and a snail’s pace 38.4 seconds for color scanning in JPEG format.

Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II review: Print & copy quality

The Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II makes attractive prints and copies, both color and black and white. The text-only documents I printed came out with sufficient contrast, and looked just as they did on my screen. I found the text easy to read, and none of it was misaligned on any of the prints.

Graphic prints were fairly attractive too, as the colors appeared natural and the different hues and tones appeared well-balanced. The colors didn’t appear oversaturated or heavily edited. I didn’t notice any bleeding either.

I was very surprised by the quality of the glossy photo print. As I mentioned earlier, inkjet printers are better suited to photo printing. Still, the MF753Cdw II’s photo quality is respectable. The print packed plenty of detail, such as the flowers’ stigma and the patterns in the petals. Greens appeared vivid while pinks appeared bright — albeit slightly more saturated than I’d have preferred. But again, this isn’t a photo-first printer. You may want to consider the Canon PIXMA TR8620 ($199) or the Canon PIXMA Pro-200S ($647) if you want a photo printer.

Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II review: Ink cost & yield

The Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II’s box comes bundled with four starter toner cartridges, and Canon claims that these can last you 1,100 color pages or 2,100 monochrome prints. This should be enough to get you started.

It’s important to note that it isn’t cheap to run the MF753Cdw II. The printer’s 069 cartridges cost $142 each, which is quite a bit. For four cartridges, you’re looking at an expenditure of $568 — or 51 cents per color page and 27 cents per mono print. The Brother MFC-L2750DW XL offers lower printing costs, approximately 3.75 cents per page.

If you don’t want to buy the cartridges manually every time you’re about to run out, Canon offers an Auto Replenishment Service which you can sign up for at checkout. An order is automatically placed with Canon when your printer is running low on toner. You can do so after you’ve bought the printer, too.

Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II review: Verdict

The Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II is an exceptional all-in-one laser printer designed for small offices. You can print, copy, scan and fax — and speedily too. The MF753Cdw II delivers blazing-fast output speeds across the board, and the resulting text prints are sharp while color graphics are bright and detailed.

Beyond raw performance, the MF753Cdw II provides a seamless user experience. Setup is ridiculously easy, and the 5-inch customizable touchscreen makes navigation a breeze. The all-white design, though unremarkable, fits right into any workspace — but its 48.5lbs footprint means you’ll need to find a fixed spot for it.

While some people may find the high cost of replacement cartridges a tough pill to swallow, I don’t think that should put you off from getting the MF753Cdw II. If it’s a robust, reliable workhouse you’re after, few laser printers are better than the MF753Cdw II.

The eufyMake E1, the personal 3D-texture UV printer that became the #1 most-funded project on Kickstarter, has landed in the UK at early access pricing, and there are only days left before the discount disappears!

From 6 May through 31 May, you can pick up the Basic Bundle (E1 UV Printer + Ink and Cleaning Cartridge Kit) for £2,069, or the Deluxe Bundle (which adds a UV DTF Laminating Machine and a Rotary Printing Attachment) for £2,599.

Standard pricing kicks in on 1 June at £2,249 and £2,949 respectively, so you’re looking at savings of £180 on the Basic and £350 on the Deluxe, so it's well worth getting in early.

But wait, there’s more! Every E1 purchase during the early access window comes with £80 off eufyMake Care plus free shipping protection, and Deluxe Bundle buyers get a second Ink and Cleaning Cartridge Kit thrown in for free!

The E1 printer is a compact A3-size desktop UV printer that handles over 300 surface materials such as wood, leather, acrylic, metal, glass and ceramic. Meanwhile, the specialised rotary attachment can handle cylindrical objects like mugs, bottles, flasks and tumblers.

Special UV inks cure under integrated LEDs in seconds, and they can even make 3D textures up to 5mm high directly on the print, for amazing tactile raised-edge art that sets it apart from the competition.

And for the sticker lovers out there, the UV DTF laminator pairs with the E1 to produce custom stickers on demand.

With May 31st closing in, this is probably the cheapest the E1 UV printer will be for a while, so get yours quick!

The eufyMake E1 UV Printer is in stock and shipping within 72 hours, delivering desktop full-color and 3D-texture printing. Your investment is fully protected by a 12-month warranty covering all repairs, replacements, and shipping, backed by expert support within 24 to 48 hours. Get started today with flexible PayPal financing for as low as £749 a month for 3 months.

In all my time testing Panther Lake, it’s been clear that Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chips are huge for gaming — packing a beasty internal GPU with all that XeSS 3 AI trickery to boost frame rates to unseen levels in anything outside of a dedicated Nvidia RTX 50-series gaming laptop.

Team Blue knew they were onto something, and confirmed a different version of this chip with that same GPU will be coming to gaming handhelds. And now at Computex 2026, it’s finally happening. Meet the Intel Arc G3 and Arc G3 Extreme processors — you can expect full testing and a deep dive from me soon, but for now, here’s everything you need to know.

Intel Arc G3: Specs comparison

The deep dive

A lot more details (and hands-on time) will be shared at Computex, and you'll see these handhelds start to roll out in June, with broader availability "throughout the year."

Translation: expect to see Arc G3 and Arc G3 Extreme handhelds launch sometime in August.

These chips take that breakthrough integrated GPU from the Core Ultra X series chips — the 10-core Arc B370 for the G3, and the 12-core Arc B390 for the G3 Extreme — and stuff them into a handheld with a lower wattage.

The result? I predict shockingly good gameplay on the go with power efficiency at its heart (thanks to that improved power management and the new efficiency cores being able to take on more of the load).

But the advantages over AMD keep coming. Intel is able to precompile in-game shaders using cloud servers (no more waiting ages for your cloud shaders).

Oh, and XeSS 3 is the big thing here, with AI-based resolution scaling, multi-frame generation up to 4X, and low-latency tech to ensure those AI frames don't bog down your gameplay responsiveness.

What handhelds will pack Arc G3?

At the moment, we know of three.

Acer Predator Atlas 8

As the name suggests, it’s an 8-inch handheld that sports this new silicon to support ray tracing alongside all that XeSS 3 AI-powered goodness. To keep it cool, there’s the Predator AeroBlace thermal management with the first metal fan in a handheld for up to 10% better airflow.

“Handheld gamers want PC-class performance without being tied to a desktop or charger,” Jim Johnson, SVP and General Manager of Client Computing at Intel, commented.

“With Intel Arc G-Series processors and Acer’s Predator Atlas 8, we deliver smooth, high-fidelity gameplay with exceptional battery life in a form factor you can take anywhere.”

Speaking of not being tied to a charger, the Atlas 8 sports an 80Wh battery (for the G3 Extreme — the G3 gets a 60Wh cell), and games are sure to look pretty on that 1920 x 1200 panel with 120Hz refresh rate and a variable refresh rate.

As for the ergonomics, you've got full-size analog sticks, and (what looks like) well-placed buttons directly alongside them, as well as Hall Effect triggers for all your pressure variations in racing games (plus a micro-switch mode to make them instant clicks for shooters).

The others

However, when Intel made the announcement on stage at CES 2026, other brands were connected to it, and Team Blue has confirmed the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ and OneXPlayer will be launching too.

So all eyes are on Computex as more are inevitably revealed in Taipei! I’ll update this piece when we know more.

Intel Arc G3 vs AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme

On paper, if you were to look at the specs table, the numbers on that GPU are bigger on AMD’s silicon. But as I found out testing Panther Lake, it’s not about what you have, it’s about how you use it.

XeSS 3 has already blown my mind in a laptop, to the point that I begged Intel way back in October to bring this tech to the handheld space. The secret sauce is that resolution scaling and 4x multi-frame generation that extracts so much more performance-per-watt out of these machines. I tested it (in a laptop) against Nvidia’s DLSS 4, and my mind was blown.

At 1080p, there’s definitely a gap in frame rates, but nowhere near the kind of gap you’d expect in integrated vs dedicated graphics. To get something akin to this on something as small as a handheld is going to be a truly generational shift.

Throw in the fact that you’re only getting 44ms of latency on Intel vs Nvidia in-game, and you start to see just how earth-shaking this could be.

Now, what about AMD? Well, the Ryzen Z2 Extreme was a minor uplift over the Ryzen Z1 Extreme — it uses an RDNA 3.5 architecture, and at the moment, its own FSR resolution scaling and frame generation doesn’t hold a candle to XeSS.

That being said, Team Red did recently say that its latest AI-fueled FSR upscaling 4.1 will be coming to RDNA 3 GPUs. In July, this will be limited to just the desktop-class RX 9700 card, but given the cores are the same, this is AMD’s big chance to keep up.

Bottom line

You can expect more hands-on testing from me in the very near future as I head to Computex. But for now, it's fair to say that if you’ve been waiting for an actual next-generation handheld (maybe you’ve been holding onto that Steam Deck for a few years now), it’s happening now.

Intel Arc G3 and G3 Extreme are really bringing the heat in terms of a monstrous integrated GPU and XeSS 3 to deliver what will be one of the best handheld gaming experiences you can get.

One thing we don’t know is price, and given the massive price increase of Steam Deck recently, that makes me nervous. But time will tell on this around whether the price-to-performance is still there.

More from Tom's Guide

• Computex 2026 predictions: I'm hoping for Nvidia N1X, Intel Arc G3 handhelds, a new Asus ROG Ally and the industry's fightback against RAMageddon
• I can finally turn my MacBook Pro into a gaming laptop (sort of) — GameHub just fixed my Mac’s biggest weakness in minutes
• I’ve driven over 10,000 miles in Forza Horizon 6, and can confirm it is a dream game for car lovers

Your Wi-Fi signal reaches every room in your house except the one where you actually spend time. The bedroom gets perfect coverage. The hallway is fine. But your living room couch, where you actually sit and stream, buffers constantly.

The problem is that routers broadcast in all directions equally, which sounds fine until you realize that means blasting signal into walls, out through windows, and into your neighbors' living rooms. Half your coverage is going somewhere you'll never use it.

A sheet of aluminum foil positioned behind your router can redirect that wasted signal toward the rooms that actually need it. It sounds like the kind of tip your uncle shares on Facebook, but research from Dartmouth College confirms it. Here's how to set it up.

Have another crazy tech hack that actually works? Tell us in the comments!

More from Tom's Guide

• 11 aluminum foil hacks to clean, cool, and keep pests out of your home and garden
• Best Wi-Fi 7 routers of 2026: The future of Wi-Fi is here
• This aluminum foil hack keeps birds away from grass seed — and it actually works

I recently reviewed the LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B, which can hit a 720Hz refresh rate. I thought we couldn’t get higher than that, but LG decided that wasn’t enough and has now unveiled what it claims is the world’s first native 1,000Hz Full HD gaming monitor. No, that’s not a typo, my friends.

During a recent LG event, I got to see the new LG UltraGear 25G590B first-hand. While I wasn’t able to test any games on the prototype model, I did see a test pattern that demonstrated how much smoother things can run at 1,000Hz compared to lower refresh rates. I also learned about some of the AI features meant to provide a more immersive experience.

While I’m not the competitive gamer this monitor is designed for, I’m still impressed that it can hit such a lofty refresh rate. Here are my eyes-on impressions of the LG 25G590B.

LG UltraGear 25G590B hands-on: Display & performance

Most of LG’s recent UltraGear lineup comprises dual-mode monitors, but the 25G590B is 1,000Hz by default. The company told me that this lets players play (and compete) under consistent visual conditions. I take that to mean you won’t have to worry about the monitor's refresh rate when you're using it.

The test pattern I saw showed several slides running at different refresh rates. Naturally, 30Hz to 120Hz looked the choppiest compared to the higher refresh rates. However, all the slides moved very smoothly at 240Hz and up. I’m sure a eagle-eyed esports player could tell the difference between 1,000Hz and 720Hz, but I sure couldn’t. Regardless, I could still see that the 25G590B does indeed offer buttery smooth movement.

This monitor is best suited for first-person shooters like Counter-Strike and Call of Duty, where you need ultra-fast response times to survive. Despite the 1080p resolution, everything from in-game menus to interfaces comes through clearly, even if you’re moving fast in a game. That’s thanks to a new Motion Blur Reduction Pro technology (as LG calls it) that ensures fast-moving objects are sharp and easy to track.

LG says the 25G590B’s IPS panel has a low-reflection film meant to offer consistent color reproduction while reducing glare. There was a light directly above the monitor I was viewing, and I can confirm it didn’t significantly degrade the image quality. This is all meant to increase visibility across various in-game environments.

LG UltraGear 25G590B hands-on: Design

The 25G590B has a 24.5-inch FHD panel. As I was told, this is the size professional gamers prefer because it lets them see everything on the screen without moving their heads.

Design-wise, LG has kept things simple and efficient. For instance, the stand’s base has a small footprint, so you have more room to move your mouse. There are even calibration indicators on the stand to let you adjust the height, swivel, and tilt settings. This way, you can achieve an optimal viewing angle.

The main embellishment is on the back, with a nifty UltraGear Logo that creates ambient illumination. I wasn’t able to test this at the event, but if this is like other UltraGear monitors I’ve reviewed, you’ll be able to customize the RGB lighting to your liking.

LG UltraGear 25G590B hands-on: AI features

The LG 25G590B boasts AI features, such as AI Scene Optimization, which adjusts picture quality to suit different game genres. We didn’t get to see this feature in action, but one of the slides showed how AI is used to improve image quality and clarity. Given how this is a 1080p display, this seems like a smart feature.

Then there’s AI Sound, which will apparently create spatial audio and deliver clearer in-game communications when used with compatible headsets. Sound is almost as important as visuals in fast-paced first-person shooting games, so it’s good to know LG has taken that into account for a competitive-focused gaming monitor.

LG UltraGear 25G590B hands-on: Outlook

I’ll need to test the LG UltraGear 25G590B myself to see if the insane 1,000Hz is more than just tech flexing. Now that LG has taken the refresh rate wars to literal new heights, it’ll be interesting to see if competitors follow suit.

The LG UltraGear 25G590B should launch in the second half of 2026 in select markets. Let us know in the comments if you would want a 1,000Hz monitor or if you think it's overkill.

More from Tom's Guide

• New report gives me hope that the MacBook OLED won't get delayed
• I played 3 hours of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced
• I checked out the world’s first 6K gaming monitor — and it's a sight to behold

The Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) is the world’s first 6K gaming monitor, according to Samsung. While this 32-inch monitor focuses on high pixel counts, it also has two refresh rates that favor cinematic or competitive gaming.

I recently went hands-on with the G80HS at a Samsung event, and was stunned by the sharp picture quality it delivered in both its 6K 165Hz and 3K 330Hz display modes. Not only that, but the vibrant colors and smooth performance made me demo the monitor longer than I typically would. It’s a thing of beauty.

Though it doesn’t have an OLED panel, its ultra-sharp resolution and immersive 32-inch canvas make for a fun gaming experience. Here’s what I think of the Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS).

Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) hands-on: Display

Naturally, the 6K resolution is the main draw here. And I have to say, it’s not just number-flexing.

When I played Cyberpunk 2077 on the Odyssey G8, I purposely focused on buildings in the distance. Despite being so far away, I could make out the individual windows and even the dirt around the building’s facade. Of course, objects in the foreground, like the car and the grimy streets I rode across, also came to life in stunning detail.

3K resolution is just slightly less detailed than 6K, but no less stunning. I’m used to 1440p monitors, so the step up from that is noticeable, even if it's not as sharp as 4K. I could tell the immediate difference when I switched between 3K and 6K modes. However, you’re not getting a diminished viewing experience with either mode.

We’d need to get the Odyssey G8 in for testing, but to my eyes, everything looked bright and colorful on the 32-inch display. I don’t know which display mode it was set to, but the colors didn’t appear overly saturated. Despite this not being an OLED panel, you still get excellent overall picture quality.

Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) hands-on: Performance

Dual-mode gaming monitors are all the rage these days, and the Odyssey G8 follows suit with its two refresh rates.

6K resolution gives you 165Hz, while 3K mode bumps that to 330Hz. 6K 165Hz mode is ostensibly for “cinematic” games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Ghost of Tsushima, where you’d want the very best picture quality. Conversely, competitive gamers who need faster performance can flip over to 3K 330Hz. In this way, the G80HS is basically two gaming monitors in one.

Since I’m not a competitive gamer, I couldn’t notice a huge difference between the modes in terms of performance. However, I’m sure hawk-eyed Esports players will notice the difference right away. Regardless, both modes feel incredibly smooth and responsive.

Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) hands-on: Design

The G80HS has the familiar design of the Odyssey series, with its sharp angles and relatively dark color way. Besides the display, the only other light source is the RGB ring around the monitor stand, which creates a nice glow when the monitor is close to a wall.

Other features include a flat stand that doesn’t get in the way of your peripherals, and easy access to the ports on the back. I was also able to raise, lower, and tilt the monitor to my liking.

Overall, this is a nice and practical design that keeps the focus on the game you’re playing.

Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) hands-on: Outlook

Right now, the Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) isn't yet available to purchase. However, it should cost around $1,600 on Samsung's online store. That's not cheap, but for what it offers, it could be worth it for you.

I’ve tested a lot of the best gaming monitors over the years, so it’s nice to have the Samsung Odyssey G8 G80HS flip the script by featuring a 6K resolution. That might sound ludicrous (and perhaps it is), but there’s no denying that it can offer a truly rich viewing experience.

I can’t yet say whether this should be the new standard, but it’s certainly impressive. I should have a full review of the Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80HS) soon, so stay tuned for more!

More from Tom's Guide

• The new Microsoft Surface Laptop 8 is great but it's hard to recommend
• Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is my new favorite Lego game
• Googlebooks vs. Chromebooks: Biggest differences explained

If your Windows or Linux computer uses one of best graphics cards made by Nvidia, you're going to want to make sure you're using the latest drivers. This week, the company issued a security alert and driver updates to combat a variety of vulnerabilities.

The alert highlights 15 issues, nine of which Nvidia has marked as "high-vulnerability." The high-risk flaws run the gamut of what bad actors can do to your PC. That includes letting hackers get access to your PC kernel, inject malicious code, steal crucial data, or gain administrative access. All the stuff you don't want happening.

For both Windows and Linux, you can download the driver update directly from Nvidia. On Windows, you'll want to make sure you upgrade to driver version 569.49.

On Linux, you want to make sure you update to version 590.48.01. The new versions were released about a week ago, so most people who have automatic updates turned on should have the update. But check your driver version just in case.

According to the alert, all Nvidia drivers before version 596.36 — version 482.53 for GTX 10-series and below — are potentially at risk from these vulnerabilities.

Keep your PC safe from malware

This is a general reminder to ensure all your drivers are up to date. Most driver releases patch security flaws like the ones outlined by Nvidia.

To be fair, some driver updates can cause issues, but later this year, Microsoft will automatically roll back bad Windows drivers to the most recent stable version. Still, keeping your drivers up to date is good practice.

If you're on PC, Microsoft releases new security updates every second Tuesday of each month.

Additionally, you'll want to ensure that Windows Defender is enabled. It largely does a great job of catching threats before they do damage.

For extra protection, you should consider the best antivirus software. Paid antivirus solutions usually update regularly, plus you often get access to VPNs, a password manager and other security goodies.

New vulnerabilities crop up all the time, but if you practice good cyber hygiene you devices and data should stay safe.

More from Tom's Guide

• Nvidia is teaming up with Span to install mini AI data centers right on the side of your house, turning residential neighborhoods into a distributed supercomputing network that actually pays homeowners for their unused electricity
• I test gaming laptops all year — here are the only 8 I recommend in 2026
• Nvidia RTX 5070 laptop GPU gets 12GB VRAM — here’s why it's a game-changer

At $499, the HyperX Omen OLED 27q is arguably a lot to spend on a 1440p 240Hz gaming monitor. That’s especially true when you compare it to the wide selection of 1440p monitors on Amazon, most of which sit under $200. Some of those sub-$200 monitors even have higher refresh rates than the HyperX Omen. However, compared to pricier competitors offering similar specs, it's a great deal.

Considering that four of the five displays on our best gaming monitors list have OLED panels, there’s a reason critics keep turning back to the technology, even as more competitive miniLED panels are hitting the market.

OLED has benefits that standard IPS displays have yet to match. From vivid colors to eerily dark blacks, the richness on display is hard to match. OLED does suffer from lower peak brightness, but given that most people sit inches from their monitors, it should still be bright enough for most.

If budget is a concern, then it ultimately comes down to the type of work you’ll need the monitor for outside of gaming. For creatives who need the color accuracy of OLED, the 27q is an easy choice. For everyone else, there might be more to consider. Still, if you've eyed a more expensive monitor at $1,000+, this one is a steal.

Here's my full HyperX Omen OLED 27q review.

HyperX Omen OLED 27q review: Specs

HyperX Omen OLED 27q review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A flat 27-inch 2560 x 1440 QD-OLED monitor with a 0.03ms response time and 240Hz refresh rate.
• Who is it for? Creatives and enthusiast gamers who want the richest colors and top gaming performance.
• How much does it cost? It’s marketed at $499, but at time of writing, it's $399 on HP's website.
• What do we like? It’s hard to match OLED's vividness, and the 240Hz refresh rate makes it a top performer for gaming.
• What don’t we like? There’s no forward tilt, so the display looks like it’s leaning back slightly when on its stand.

HyperX Omen OLED 27q review: The ups

The HyperX Omen OLED 27q delivers the good thanks to its vivid picture quality and fast performance.

OLED or nothing

Fans online jest that once you go OLED, you never go back. That’s the case with the HyperX Omen OLED 27q, or any other OLED gaming monitor on the market.

Given the richness of color and the near-instantaneous response time, jumping to an IPS display can feel like a significant downgrade. Although miniLED monitors are starting to hit the market, the gap in color contrast is closing.

At a 2560 x 1440 resolution, it won’t take the highest-end graphics cards to push this monitor. However, getting all 240Hz out of a game like Cyberpunk 2077 or Alan Wake 2 will require an Nvidia RTX 5080 or above. Actually, when testing Cyberpunk 2077 on my gaming rig, which is equipped with an RTX 5090, it struggled to maintain a consistent 240 fps. Granted, that framerate is totally overkill for this type of game.

The HyperX Omen OLED 27q has eight display modes, with some dedicated to genres like RTS, RPG, and FPS. There are also some creator-centric modes, such as Display P3 and sRGB. These modes are the same as you'd get on similar monitors, albeit with more balance between gaming and creativity.

For creative work, that’s where color accuracy and brightness come into play. In our testing, the 27q spanned 116% of the sRGB and 82% of the DCI-P3 color gamuts in the monitor's sRGB display setting. For creatives, the 27q will likely suffice for photo editing and other use cases.

Like all OLED gaming monitors. HDR brightness isn't exactly impressive. This is a small knock, but not out of the ordinary for similar monitors.

Esports performance

My competitive game of choice on PC is Overwatch. My personal monitor is a Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED, a 49” behemoth of a display with an absurdly wide 32:9 aspect ratio. When playing Overwatch, however, it crops down to a 21:9 aspect ratio. It’s also a 240Hz panel, making it a fair comparison to the 27q.

While playing Overwatch, I noticed no difference between the two displays aside from their aspect ratios. I was still able to land headshots with Kiriko’s kunai as efficiently as I always do, depending on how sharp my mind feels at the moment.

That’s the thing with OLED. The technology is rather standardized, meaning the colors, depth, and response times will feel very similar across similarly spec'd monitors. So, if you’ve decided to take the plunge on an OLED gaming monitor, it simply comes down to the size you want and how much you’re willing to pay, in my opinion.

For competitive gamers, the 27q features a crosshair, which places a reticule at the center of your display to make aiming easier. I personally don’t use this function, so I can’t speak to it at greater length. But if it’s a feature you prefer in your gaming displays, know that it’s here.

The 27q also includes a speedrun and countdown timer, which is handy when trying to run through Super Mario Bros. or Sonic Adventure 2 as quickly as possible. I’m not a speedrunner, so this is less useful to me, but I’m sure those in the speedrunning community might find this to be a valuable add-on.

More importantly, the 27q does feature both Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium. While on HP’s website and on the monitor's box, only G-Sync is advertised, in the settings, you can enable FreeSync.

HyperX Omen OLED 27q review: The downs

As a gaming monitor, there really isn't much to ding the 27q on. It delivers the performance advertised on the box.

Bland design

I also noticed that the 27q, while being able to tilt backward or turn 90 degrees, had limited forward tilt when affixed to the included stand. As a result, the monitor leans back slightly, making it a bit awkward to look at it directly. Although I did have the monitor rather close to me when it was on my desk. If you move the monitor a few inches back, it should make for a better experience.

The number of ports is also rather limited. It only sports two HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Granted, given that this monitor is relatively small at 27 inches, it’s not like you’d be using a KVM switch to use two computers on it simultaneously.

The monitor's design is kind of boring. There also aren’t any fancy RGB lights on the back, although some may prefer that. But other than that, there really aren’t many demerits to throw at the 27q.

Good enough but not standout

There are certainly faster OLED monitors on the market, such as the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36. But at $870, it's more than double the price of the 27q.

And honestly, at that price, I feel it might be better to opt for a super ultrawide monitor, like the Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED, which is also around the $900 range, depending on sales. That's also assuming your desk can accommodate it.

HyperX Omen OLED 27q review: Verdict

The HyperX Omen OLED 27q is a solid monitor at a competitive price, but it doesn’t do much to set itself apart. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as most OLED displays on the market are rather standardized, meaning that manufacturers don’t have incredible leeway in making their displays more unique. At most, consumers are faced with choosing between higher refresh rates, wide aspect ratios, and sometimes gimmicky AI features.

But this is good for consumers, in my opinion. The commodification of OLED technology means it can reach more people at a wider range of price points. The fact that someone can walk into a Best Buy and pick up a 27-inch OLED monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate would have been unheard of a decade prior. After some online research, I found that 1440p IPS monitors with a 144Hz refresh rate from 2016 were over $700.

Ultimately, I recommend the 27q. I would tell someone with a $200 budget to consider saving up for the 27q. Also, yes. Would I personally opt for the 27q when there are 21:9 and 32:9 ultrawide OLED monitors available on the market? No. But that’s me. For many, a 27-inch display is the perfect sweet spot. It’s compact and is ideal for esports titles like Counter-Strike 2 and Overwatch.

If you’ve been in the market for an OLED display and have the cash to spend, go for it.

Who needs two monitors when you can get an ultrawide, 40-inch beast that makes your space look tidy? The Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide, as its name suggests, is a 40-inch monster featuring a gorgeous 5K panel, and it’s one of the best monitors for Mac users. Boasting excellent color coverage and accuracy, the Edge 5K is great for creatives, photo and video editors, and everyone in between. There’s a plethora of USB ports, too, which eliminates the mess of cables and additional docks.

But the Edge 5K isn’t perfect. It’s heavy and unwieldy, and it doesn’t feature the strongest hinges, making the screen wobble when it’s touched. Oh, and there’s the small matter of that price tag — it’ll set you back nearly $1,500!

For the complete breakdown, read my full Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide review.

Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide review: Specs

Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 40-inch ultrawide Mac-first monitor with a 21:9 aspect ratio
• Who is it for? Photographers, video editors, creative professionals, and anyone and everyone in between
• How much does it cost? It ain’t cheap as it retails for $1,499 / £1,399!
• What do we like? The excellent color coverage and accuracy, 5K panel, array of USB ports, and Mac-first design
• What don’t we like? The unwieldy design, loose hinges, and premium price

Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide review: The ups

The Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide’s panel is gorgeous, and its color coverage and accuracy will give you little to complain about. There’s a plethora of USB ports, too, and the monitor’s Mac-friendly design makes it fit right into existing setups.

Huge 40-inch 5K panel

Who needs two or three monitors when you can have one massive display instead? The Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide, as its name suggests, features a 40-inch 5K IPS panel with a resolution of 5120 x 2160. I’m more accustomed to using 27-inch screens, and my office desk consists of two of these. If you don’t fancy two separate monitors, the Edge 5K is the perfect monitor for you.

I’ve found the 40-inch panel to be extremely handy for navigating multiple browsers and windows at the same time. It also makes quick work of trawling through massive spreadsheets and Slack threads. 5K monitors are becoming increasingly popular amongst creatives, and the Edge 5K’s panel is stunning. Colors are bright and vivid (more on that shortly), and the monitor gets quite bright too.

I lab-tested the Edge 5K’s brightness and was very impressed with the results in SDR mode. As you can see in the table above, the Edge 5K reached a peak brightness of 417 nits (Alogic advertises 400 nits), which is better than the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S ($1,199) and the Dell UltraSharp 40 ($2,399), both of which are also 5K monitors. The Apple Studio Display XDR ($3,299) gets a tad brighter, but most users won’t be able to tell the difference.

However, the Edge 5K disappoints when it comes to HDR brightness. In my lab testing, the monitor achieved a peak HDR brightness of 168 nits only (100% window size), which pales in comparison to all the other monitors on the list. If that’s an issue for you, it’s worth considering other displays — the PD2730S is my top pick, as long as you don’t mind stepping down to 27 inches.

Excellent color coverage

The Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide is a beautiful monitor for creatives and photo editors, and that’s because it boasts excellent color coverage and accuracy. Alogic claims that the monitor covers 100% of the sRGB color space and 99% of the wider DCI P3 gamut. Manufacturer claims are usually conservative, as I’ve seen with other monitors, so I had to lab-test the monitor to see for myself.

In my lab tests, the Edge 5K covered 104.5% of the sRGB and 99.8% of the DCI P3 color spaces, surpassing Alogic’s aforementioned claims, which is superb. The monitor performs slightly better than the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S in the DCI P3 space, but only by a small margin. It also blows the Apple Studio Display XDR and the Apple Pro Display XDR out of the water.

So, the Edge 5K performs formidably on paper, but what about in practice? In real-world usage, this monitor lives up to those numbers. All shades appeared vivid and bright. Reds and purples appeared rich while greens and blues looked lushious. I watched a few 4K videos on YouTube and I noticed there was plenty of detail in the shadows, and highlights never appeared blown out or oversharpened.

I even edited some photos I’d captured on the best cameras and best drones, and I appreciated being able to see the different shades and hues. Thanks to 5K resolution, editing 4K videos was a walk in the park as I could accurately make extreme crops without losing detail.

Accurate colors

Alongside wide color coverage, the Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide boasts great color accuracy too. When I measured color coverage, I measured the accuracy as well, known as Delta-E, which is a numerical representation of how much two colors differ. Delta-E gives you an idea of how close the color relayed on screen (i.e. the monitor) is to the color output from the source (i.e. the computer). You want the score to be as close as possible to zero.

The Edge 5K achieved a Delta-E score of 0.08 in my lab tests, which is outstanding and better than every other monitor in the table above. A score of 0.08 means the colors displayed on the monitor are extremely accurate. When I was editing photos, this gave me reassurance that the colors on the monitor were appearing as intended, and I could confidently continue editing.

A range of creative features

As you’d expect from a creativity-focused monitor, the Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide packs a range of creative features. Naturally, you get access to color modes like sRGB and Display P3. There’s also a dedicated Adobe RGB color mode for photographers who print, and this gives the Edge 5K a leg-up over the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S, which surprisingly doesn’t feature it.

The Edge 5K also features Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture modes which can be accessed via the on-screen display settings by using the joystick. These modes, essentially, enable windows from different sources to be simultaneously displayed on the monitor. In Picture-in-Picture, you can adjust the window size and position to suit your needs, while Picture-by-Picture splits the monitor into two, giving you essentially two different screens. I’m certain many creatives will find these useful.

Designed for MacBook owners

Though the Alogic 40-inch 5K Ultrawide is compatible with Chromebooks and Windows machines, it is advertised as a Mac-first monitor. That’s due in part to its ports (more on those shortly) and its design. You can buy the Edge 5K in either Silver or Space Gray colors. Sound familiar? Those are the colors used by MacBooks, of course, so this monitor will fit your setup effortlessly and is ideal for those chasing visual aesthetics.

Plenty of USB ports

The Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide doubles as a USB dock thanks to its extensive array of ports, designed with macOS users in mind. As a productivity-oriented monitor, it packs all the ports that would be needed by creatives, photographers and videographers. Around the back, you’ll find an HDMI 2.0 port and a DisplayPort 1.4 port for connecting your laptop or PC to the monitor.

Located next to these is a USB-C 3.0 Gen 1 port with 90W of power delivery and display capabilities, so you can plug in, say, your MacBook Air M2 and charge it simultaneously. You also get two USB-C downstream ports (although Alogic doesn’t specify the data transfer speeds), an Ethernet port, as well as a 3.5mm jack for headphones or computer speakers. There are no USB-A ports, unfortunately, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing — you may want to pick up a USB-C to USB-A adapter for around $12.

Throughout my testing period, I haven’t felt the need for more ports, as the one’s on the Edge 5K are more than enough for hooking up my laptop and other peripherals.

Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide review: The downs

The Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide is an excellent monitor, but it’s important to note that it’s heavy and unwieldy, and it doesn’t come with the strongest of hinges. Oh, and it’s a little expensive too.

Heavy and unwieldy

As is the nature of ultrawide monitors, the Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K is heavy and large, weighing 18.36lbs and measuring 37.04 x 27.32 x 9.64 inches (with stand). I’m used to using heavy monitors — the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S, which I tested most recently, weighs 18.12lbs. However, because the PD2730S is a 27-inch monitor, I didn’t have any issues lifting it or moving it around.

The Edge 5K is a different story, as I found it quite difficult to move around and reposition it. It’s unwieldy and is best suited to staying in one place, so if you like to rejig your setup every now and then, you may want to start hitting the gym.

Not the sturdiest hinges

One of the things I’m most disappointed by is the Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide’s hinges — yes, the ones that keep the screen attached to the stand, and enable you to swivel and extensively adjust the viewing angle. When I first assembled the monitor, I immediately noticed that the hinge felt loose, and the screen moved a lot if I lightly pressed it with my finger.

After setting it up on a desk, I sat in my chair, pulled it forward and in the process of doing so, banged the chair’s arms against the table. When that happened, I saw the Edge 5K’s screen wobbling. Now, I’m not saying that this monitor won’t stand the test of time, but seeing it jiggle and wobble like that doesn’t fill me with a lot of confidence. I haven’t had this issue with any of the (many) other monitors I’ve used and reviewed.

Expensive

This is more of a pre-purchase consideration than an outright flaw: the Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide doesn’t come cheap. But this is the nature of 5K monitors, especially ones with huge displays. The Edge 5K retails for $1,499 at B&H Photo / £1,399 at Park Cameras, so it costs almost the same as the base Apple Studio Display ($1,599). The Edge 5K is worth the investment if you want a Mac-compatible monitor that isn’t made by Apple but at this price, why wouldn’t you just buy the first-party monitor? Obviously, if you need a 40-inch screen, the Edge 5K is the way to go.

The Edge 5K is pricer than other 5K monitors I’ve tested, like the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S ($1,199) but again, the latter features a smaller 27-inch screen. Luckily, Alogic’s offering is cheaper than the Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub which starts at a whopping $2,399. There’s also the LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B ($1,999), but it’s a gaming monitor rather than a productivity-first display, so that might not be everyone’s bag.

Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide review: Verdict

For productivity power users and creatives, the Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide is an excellent choice. It delivers on its core promise of replacing a multi-monitor setup with one expansive 40-inch screen, as well as features like Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture. Its 5K display offers excellent brightness and sharp detail, and exceptional color coverage and accuracy make it perfect for photo and video editors.

That said, the monitor isn’t without its faults. Its sheer size makes it tricky to reposition, and the wobbly hinge design undermines confidence in an otherwise premium package. Given that this monitor costs nearly $1,500, I honestly expected better.

But if these are compromises you’re okay with, nothing is stopping you from getting the Edge 5K. At the end of the day, it’s a color-accurate productivity monitor that gives you very little to complain about.

As someone who uses a MacBook Air M2 for work and a MacBook Pro M1 for personal use, I've always been envious of people with the Apple Studio Display. After all, it looks good and it packs performance in spades. But the more I review monitors, the more I realize, I don't need an Apple Studio Display, especially as it's quite expensive and a little out of my budget. The solution? A third-party monitor with exceptional Mac compatibility, and there are few options better than the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S.

BenQ is a well-known brand in computing circles, and it's the brains behind some of the best monitors you can buy today, one of them being the PD2730S. I've thoroughly lab-tested it and used it for the better part of two weeks for everyday productivity, and the results are in: it's glorious. Pretty Delightful, really, and no other monitor has streamlined my workflow as much as the PD2730S has.

Hosting a plethora of productivity-focused ports, many photo editing features and color modes, as well as being accompanied by a handy control accessory, there are many things to love about the PD2730S. Though it's a little expensive, it's $400 cheaper than the base Apple Studio Display, making it a fantastic alternative for Mac users.

A simply stunning 5K panel

My favorite thing about the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S is its gorgeous 5K panel. It's bright, colorful, and features an anti-reflective coating to protect your eyes from glare. In my lab tests, the PD2730S achieved a peak brightness of 382 nits, which dropped to 346 in HDR (window size 100%). While that might sound like a lot, in real-world usage, I had no issues seeing everything on the screen in exceptional clarity, even in a brightly lit room.

But color coverage and accuracy is where the PD2730S truly comes into its own. Colors appear extremely accurate, bright, vivid and detailed, which is crucial to me as someone who reviews the best cameras and the best drones. My lab testing further confirmed what I was seeing on screen. You can scroll through the results in the table below.

As you can see, the PD2730S covers 104.9% of the sRGB gamut and 98.3% of the DCI P3 space, and it even crushes the much pricier Apple Studio Display XDR and the Apple Pro Display XDR in the DCI P3 color space! The PD2730S' Delta E score of 0.1 is also slightly better than both Apple displays, which means that the monitor relays colors extremely accurately (the closer the Delta E score to zero, the better).

Overall, the PD2730S hasn't given me anything to complain about when it comes to how it displays colors — and that's one of the many reasons why it earned 4.5 stars from me in my full review.

Streamline your workflow

I won't lie: I love a good accessory when it's not just a gimmick and is actually useful. BenQ includes what it calls a Hotkey Puck with the Creative Pro PD2730S, and it's essentially a controller that gives you quick access to the monitor's settings.

There's a scroll wheel and a few buttons which can be customized to access color modes, input, DualView and even app launch. If you frequently swap between color spaces, this accessory would be a boon for you.

Also in the PD2730S' arsenal is its range of photo editing features. You get sRGB, Display P3, DCI P3, Rec.709, HDR, and even a Darkroom mode. Oh, and there's a CAD/CAM mode for product designers; an Animation mode for game designers; and the aforementioned DualView mode which displays designs side-by-side to streamline your workflow.

Having used the Hotkey Puck (and I love that pun) and the monitor extensively, I don't know how I've gone so long without it — and it will be an uphill battle for any other productivity-first monitor to upstage the PD2730S.

You've convinced me: where can I buy it?

So, you want to buy the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S: great! The monitor is available for $1,199 / £988 at Amazon, and you even get a 12-month subscription for Pantone Connect Premium, a mobile app for color matching on the go. Given that the Apple Studio Display starts at $1,599, the PD2730S feels like a much cheaper, perhaps even better, investment.

Of course, it won't be for everyone. The monitor's lack of a dedicated Adobe RGB color mode sticks out like a sore thumb, as it limits its use for photographers who print. Adobe RGB covers a wider range of colors used by CMYK printers versus sRGB, so colors may not appear as accurate when you're going to print them.

But in the grand scheme of things, the PD2730S doesn't really have many other flaws, and if you can get over the lack of Adobe RGB, I'm confident you'll be extremely satisfied with all the other goodies the monitor has to offer.

More from Tom's Guide

• I just tested this 5K Mac monitor that's $400 cheaper than the Apple Studio Display — and it offers vivid colors, excellent accuracy, and streamlines your workflow
• I ditched my dual-monitor setup for a single 40-inch ultrawide — and two screens aren’t better than one
• I've tested 100 monitors and these are the best ones for work, gaming and everyday use

I spend up to eight hours a day, five days a week, staring at a screen, so having one of the best monitors is a non-negotiable for me. I’ve just tested a monitor that puts nearly every other 27-inch screen to shame, and that’s the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S. This 5K monitor is a sight for sore eyes, offering plenty of editing and productivity-oriented features to streamline your workflow. Whether you’re a professional creative or someone who just wants a nice screen to look at, this is the monitor for you.

The PD2730S boasts excellent color coverage and accuracy, and it’s got a wide array of ports to hook up all your peripherals or quickly transfer data. BenQ happily includes a Hotkey Puck that also helps you make changes on-the-fly and without the need to dig through menus. It is truly marvelous — but not without its flaws.

To find out if this is the right monitor for you, read my full BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S review.

BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S review: Specs

BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 27-inch 5K monitor with a 60Hz refresh rate and a plethora of ports and editing features
• Who is it for? Creatives, photographers, videographers, graphic designers, game designers, what-have-you
• How much does it cost? Quite a bit, the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S is available for $1,199 / £988
• What do we like? The bright panel, outstanding color coverage and accuracy, wide range of ports and editing features, and the included Hotkey Puck
• What don’t we like? The lack of an Adobe RGB mode and the steep price

BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S review: The ups

The BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S is a stunning monitor, packing a lovely 5K display with excellent color coverage and accuracy. For creatives, there’s plenty of productivity-first features and ports to take advantage of, too — as well as a handy Hotkey Puck.

Gorgeous and bright 5K panel

The BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S features one of the most beautiful panels of any monitor I’ve used or tested so far. Fitted with a 27-inch 5K IPS panel with a resolution of 5120 x 2880. A 27-inch panel, for me, is the sweet spot, as it isn’t too big that it takes up all the space on your desk, and it isn’t too small that you can’t see everything that’s displayed properly and in depth.

I was able to easily fit the PD2730S on my already-crowded office desk, as I slotted it in perfectly next to another 27-inch monitor and a pair of computer speakers. That’s because the monitor measures 24.17 x 16.83-22.74 x 9.53 inches, and its base isn’t too wide either. The monitor, with the stand, weighs 18.12lbs, so it can be easily moved around.

Speaking of the panel, the PD2730S is quite bright, as I was able to read it properly under bright office lights as well as when bright sunlight came in through the big windows behind my office chair. My lab testing confirmed the same.

In SDR mode, the PD2730S achieved a peak brightness of 382 nits, and it dropped to 346 in HDR (window size 100%). This monitor is much brighter than the BenQ PD3226G ($1,199), the MSI MPG 272URX ($1,099) and the Dell UltraSharp 40 ($2,500). The PD2730S pales in comparison to the Apple Studio Display XDR ($3,299), but I’ll caveat that by saying the Apple display is three times the price of the BenQ. For the price you’re paying, the PD2730S is plenty bright.

Productivity-focused ports

Much like many other BenQ monitors, the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S is a productivity-oriented monitor, suited to game designers, photographers and videographers. It is, then, not surprising that it packs in loads of productivity-friendly ports. Naturally, there’s a power port, an HDMI 2.1, and a DisplayPort 1.4 around the back for display connection.

Alongside these, there are two Thunderbolt 4 ports. One’s a 90W upstream port for either hooking up to the display or as a power-out for your laptop. The other’s a 15W port for charging and daisy-chaining. You also get two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2: a data-only upstream one and a 7.5W downstream charging port, both with 10Gbps transfer speeds. *takes a deep breath* There’s also three USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, two with 4.5W of power delivery and one with 7.5W. And to top it off, there’s a 3.5mm audio out port too.

That’s a lot of ports, and they cover everything you need for a clean, well-managed desk. If you use a lot of devices and peripherals, the PD2730S is the perfect monitor for you. What more could you ask for, really?

Outstanding color coverage

The ports and the 5K panel would be utterly useless if the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S didn’t feature excellent color coverage. Thankfully, it does! BenQ claims the monitor covers 100% of the sRGB color gamut and 98% of the wider DCI P3 color space. But as I’ve seen with most other monitors I’ve lab-tested, manufacturer claims are usually conservative, so I put the PD2730S through its paces.

As you can see in the table above, the PD2730S covered 104.9% of the sRGB gamut and 98.3% of the DCI P3 space — both of which are higher than BenQ’s aforementioned claims. The monitor doesn’t perform as well as the BenQ PD3226G, but all you really need is a percentage more than 100%, which the PD2730S achieves in the sRGB test.

The PD2730S also crushes the much pricier Apple Studio Display XDR and the Apple Pro Display XDR in the DCI P3 color space, surpassing both with ease. The MSI MPG 272URX performs formidably, too, but it’s a gaming monitor and doesn’t have as many productivity features as the PD2730S.

Numbers on paper are one thing, but how does the PD2730S perform in real-world usage? I’ve been thoroughly impressed in my testing. All shades appeared vivid and detailed, and there was plenty of detail to be found and enjoyed in the shadows, too. Highlights never appeared too sharp or peaking, especially while watching 4K videos on YouTube.

I love the 10-bit color depth too, which means that the PD2730S is capable of displaying 1.07 billion individual hues. I found this handy as I usually capture 10-bit 4:2:2 RAW video with the best cameras and the best drones.

Excellent color accuracy

In addition to superb color coverage, the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S boasts excellent color accuracy, too. BenQ says that the PD2730S should have a Delta-E score of less than or equal to 2. Delta-E is a numerical representation of how much two colors differ, and it gives you an idea of how close the color relayed on screen (i.e. the monitor) is to the color output from the source (i.e. the computer). The closer the score to zero, the better.

Naturally, I put this to the test with my own lab-testing, and the monitor achieved a Delta-E score of 0.1. This means that the monitor relays colors extremely accurately, and even more accurately than some of its competitors. As you can see in the table above, all other monitors — including the pricey Apple Studio Display XDR and the Dell UltraSharp 40 — score higher than the PD2730S. This doesn’t mean they’re bad; it simply means that the PD2730S is either on par or better. It’s what we’d expect from a high-end monitor, too.

And indeed, I was seeing colors very well on the PD2730S. The lab tests reassured me that the colors I was seeing on screen were accurate, which helped me edit photos accordingly and confidently for my reviews and my photography Instagram page. The monitor also has a 60Hz refresh rate which feels plenty to watch videos I record at 60fps — but of course, if you want more, you might want to consider the BenQ PD3226G with its 144Hz refresh rate.

Industry’s stamp of approval

The BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S carries a few official accreditations and certifications for added reassurance. It features Pantone and Pantone SkinTone Validation, which are industry-standard color definitions for printing — perfect for creatives who print. With the monitor, you get a 12-month subscription for Pantone Connect Premium, a mobile app for color matching on the go.

This monitor is Calman Verified as well. Calman is well-known for making display calibration software (it’s what we use to test the best TVs!), and the certification ascertains that Calman approves of the monitor’s AQColor technology.

A range of editing features

For photo and video editors, the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S features plenty of editing features. Let’s talk about the color modes first. You get a range of these, including but not limited to: sRGB, Display P3, DCI P3, Rec.709, HDR, and even a Darkroom mode for those who want to mimic the heightened color perception achieved in a darkroom.

Then you’ve got dedicated modes for specific tasks. There’s a CAD/CAM mode for product designers as this mode displays superior contrast between lines and shapes in illustrations. Game designers and animators can take advantage of the Animation mode which enhances the clarity of dark areas without overexposing bright ones. The last is the DualView mode which, as the name suggests, displays designs side-by-side to streamline your workflow.

I also appreciate the anti-reflective coating which reduces glare. The PD2730S’ panel has a TUV-certified reflection-free feature too, which enhances eye comfort during long periods of use. As someone who stares at a screen for up to eight hours, five days a week, this is a blessing.

An accessory that streamlines your workflow

Last but certainly not least, the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S comes with a controller pad accessory which BenQ calls a Hotkey Puck (get the pun?). It’s the same as the one you get with the BenQ PD3226G: a white circular remote with a scroll wheel and a few buttons. While you can control the monitor via the physical buttons, it’s much easier to use the Puck as you don’t need to extend your arms or get up from your seat.

On the Puck, you’ll see three buttons, and these are fully customizable. You can remap these to gain quick access to Color Modes, Input, DualView, KVM or app launch. This speeds up and streamlines your workflow, and it’s especially useful if you frequently swap between color spaces.

The KVM switch is a boon, too, as it enables you to use the same monitor and peripherals with multiple computers — ideal for those working across different machines.

BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S review: The downs

While the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S is an outstanding monitor, it’s important to note that there’s no dedicated Adobe RGB mode, and that it costs a pretty penny.

No Adobe RGB mode

Similar to the BenQ PD3226G, the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S lacks a dedicated Adobe RGB mode, which essentially deters its use for photographers who print. Adobe RGB covers a wider range of colors used by CMYK printers versus sRGB. When editing photos for print, small or large, colors may not appear as accurate as you want them to be.

sRGB is perfectly fine for online use, and for photographers or game designers who are making a digital-first product. In my testing, I had no issues ensuring color accuracy while editing photos I’d taken on a range of different cameras. If Adobe RGB is important to you, I’d recommend the Asus ProArt Display PA27JCV ($799) instead.

A little expensive

By now, I’m certain it’s clear that the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S is an excellent monitor, perfect for game designers, photo editors, productivity power users, and everyone in between. But all of those goodies don’t come cheap. The PD2730S retails for $1,199 / £988 at Amazon, which is quite a bit of dough. Studio displays generally cost a lot of money — let’s not forget that the Apple Studio Display XDR starts at a whopping $3,299.

Of course, if you’re restricted by your budget and don’t want to spend over a grand on the PD2730S, there are other options. The 27-inch version of the Asus ProArt Display PA27JCV costs $799. It’s Calman-verified and comes with similar productivity-oriented ports as the PD2730S. You don’t get BenQ’s hotkey pad with the Asus, naturally, but if that’s a sacrifice you’re willing to make, do so by all means.

BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S review: Verdict

For creatives and professionals, the BenQ Creative Pro PD2730S is a powerhouse, period. With its stunning 5K panel, wide color coverage and accuracy, and comprehensive connectivity, it sets a high bar for productivity displays. It’s a reliable companion for photo and video editing, thanks to its many color modes and settings, and the included Hotkey Puck does well to streamline workflows and save you a few minutes here and there.

But I wish I could say the PD2730S was perfect, as it isn’t. The lack of a dedicated Adobe RGB mode is a notable omission for photographers who work in print, and the $1,199 price tag is a steep investment. However, having tested this monitor extensively, I believe the PD2730S is an exceptional tool that does enough to justify its cost. It’s a premium, purpose-built display that delivers exactly what modern creatives need to succeed.

There’s no ideal desk setup that works for everyone. While one person might be content with a laptop or a single monitor, another might want multiple monitors. Likewise, your old desk setup might have been perfect at the time but now, it no longer meets your needs.

As someone who builds desk setups for a living, I’m constantly trying out new configurations when it comes to how many displays I have and what’s driving them. Although I spent years using a single ultrawide monitor by itself, I later added a portable monitor underneath it specifically to keep up with work chats. Of course, I wasn’t done there.

From stacked monitors to dual monitors and even triple monitors, it feels like my desk is constantly evolving and rightfully so. However, at the beginning of this year, I put together a dual-monitor setup that I just couldn’t bear to break down. That all changed though, when I finally had a chance to try out a larger, 40-inch ultrawide.

Even though the Innocn 40C1U’s screen is only six inches wider than the 34-inch ultrawide I’ve used for years now, it’s made a massive difference. So much so that I don’t think I could go back to using a dual-monitor setup anytime soon. If you’ve also been considering upgrading your own desk setup, here’s why you might want to go wider instead of adding another display.

No curves here

At 40 inches, the Innocn 40C1U is certainly an outlier. With most monitors, once you go beyond 34 inches wide, you no longer have the choice between a flat or a curved display. Since I have multiple monitors for my various desk setups stored in a closet, I don’t really have the option to use curved ones as they take up far too much space when not in use.

After eying the Innocn 40C1R online for what seemed like ages, the company reached out and asked if I’d be interested in trying out the more powerful 40C1U instead. Since I just reviewed the Apple Studio Display XDR, I decided to give this 5K2K monitor a try and I’m glad I did.

In the box, you get a surprisingly capable stand along with a high-speed HDMI cable, a USB-C video cable and a power cable. The fact that Innocn includes a USB-C cable in the box is a nice touch. However, like with the LG DualUp monitor I reviewed back when I first started at Tom’s Guide, I would have loved to see a USB-B to USB-A cable included as well — but more on that in a bit

While the 40C1U is definitely on the less expensive side for a 5K2K monitor, I really like how it has a built-in power supply instead of a bulky power adapter with a barrel port connector. Likewise, it has standard 100 x 100 VESA mounting holes instead of the 75 x 75 ones you see on many of the best gaming monitors. If you’ve ever tried to lift a display like that up off your desk using one of the best monitor arms, then you know how much of a hassle it can be.

In terms of ports, the 40C1U has a generous selection on the right side including two HDMI 2.0 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4 connection, an upstream USB-C port with 65W of power delivery, two USB-A ports, a USB-B port and a headphone jack. As such, you can connect up to four devices at the same time.

After unboxing the 40C1U and attaching the included monitor stand, it was time to take it for a spin. Given I had a MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro chip on hand, I figured that would be perfect for testing out this monitor as I previously used that laptop with the Studio Display XDR. Fortunately, there weren’t any dead pixels or other issues to be worried about and everything worked like a charm right out of the box.

With my initial testing out of the way, I decided to build a new desk setup based around the Innocn 40C1U to see just what this 40-inch, 5K2K ultrawide was capable of.

Mac or PC: why not both?

Deciding between a Mac or a PC for work can be difficult which is why many people like myself use both. Normally, I spend my time working on my Mac mini M4 at one desk setup and on one of the best mini PCs at another. This time though, I wanted the best of both worlds and figured having two computers on the wider Secretlab Magnus Evo desk wouldn’t be a problem, so I did just that.

On the left side, I set up that MacBook Pro in a vertical stand with the computer set to not go to sleep with its lid closed. Then on the right, I plugged in the Framework Desktop which, in addition to being a powerful PC for work, holds up surprisingly well when gaming despite not having a discrete GPU.

Normally, you’d need two separate keyboards and mice with a setup like this one. However, remember those USB-A ports and that USB-B port around back? Well, like many of the best monitors, the 40C1U features a built-in KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) switch. So instead of having to connect, disconnect and then reconnect my mouse and keyboard over Bluetooth, I plugged their respective 2.4 GHz USB dongles into the back of the 40C1U. This let me use the same mouse and keyboard with multiple computers.

Since the USB-C cable plugged into the MacBook Pro handles both video and data, I was able to use my peripherals on Mac with just a single cable. However, because I connected the Framework Desktop via HDMI, I had to connect a USB-B to USB-A cable at the back of the monitor and then plug it into my PC. If you get a monitor with a built-in KVM switch that doesn’t come with this cable, don’t worry. Just like I did, you can likely borrow the one from your printer until you pick up a new one.

What I like about using the Innocn 40C1U with both of these computers is that I don’t have to press any buttons or mess around in the display’s settings menu to use my mouse and keyboard. Instead, I just switch inputs and the monitor does the rest, automatically assigning my peripherals to whichever computer is currently on screen. Having the option to use macOS or Windows 11 while working has been great and I’m kind of surprised I didn’t try something like this earlier.

With my dual-OS desk setup for work finished, it was time to try pushing the 40C1U — and the Framework Desktop too for that matter — to its limit.

Work hard, play wide

Now I know what you might be thinking: gaming on a 5K2K monitor requires a beefy gaming PC. I thought the same thing when I first booted up Steam on the Framework Desktop. Using a massive panel like the 40C1U for gaming seems impractical since you need to render a whole lot more pixels than you would on a 1080p or 1440p display.

I know Nvidia’s DLSS and AMD’s FSR upscaling tech sometimes get a bad rap due to "fake frames," but in this instance, FSR was a lifesaver. When I first loaded up Death Stranding 2, everything looked a bit blurry at this high resolution. After updating AMD’s software and enabling FSR, however, the game was surprisingly playable.

I did have to drop the game’s internal resolution down to 2560 x 1080 and let FSR upscale it back to 5K2K. Much like when I brought the Framework Desktop to my living room to play on my 4K TV, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip and built-in Radeon 8060S graphics in this mini PC really surprised me.

Playing Death Stranding 2 on a 40-inch ultrawide adds so much immersion. With FSR enabled, my frame rate stayed at around 70 fps — even with the graphics set to high. I also didn’t have to worry about hooking up bookshelf speakers as the 40C1U has built-in audio. While you’ll still want one of the best gaming headsets for a truly premium experience, the monitor’s built-in speakers were more than capable.

It’s worth noting that with its 100Hz refresh rate, the 40C1U is a productivity monitor first and foremost. If you have a powerful GPU or don't mind enabling frame generation, you can certainly game on it, but running games natively at 5K2K will be a tall order for most rigs.

If you’re after a larger ultrawide primarily for gaming, the Innocn 40C1R is the better (and cheaper) choice. It has a more manageable 1440p resolution and a faster 144Hz refresh rate. Still, while it's better for high-speed gaming, you lose out on the incredible clarity and text crispness you get with the 40C1U’s 5K2K resolution.

The cost of simplicity

Deciding between a dual-monitor setup and a single ultrawide is a tough choice. You can pick up a pair of identical monitors — or even use mismatched ones like I did here — for a whole lot less than a massive ultrawide display. However, doing so requires a bit more work, both during the initial setup and in your daily workflow.

With two screens, you have twice the cables to manage. You also might need to swap out your power strip for one with more outlets and be much more deliberate with your cable management. Using a dual-monitor arm can help, but as I’ve found, this often requires longer cables to route through the arms and down to your computer.

When using a single ultrawide like the Innocn 40C1U, you cut your cable count in half. But since the display is so large, you might need to invest in a heavy-duty monitor arm. If you use a standard one, your monitor will likely droop instead of staying firmly in place.

After years of testing both configurations, I’d recommend setting aside some extra cash for a single, wider display. You don't have to worry about lining up bezels or managing a nest of wires. At the same time, both Windows and macOS also tend to play better with a single monitor than they do with multiple screens.

The Innocn 40C1U was the upgrade I needed to finally break down my previous setup and go back to an ultrawide. I’m not saying I won’t build another dual-monitor setup in the future — or finally tackle a quad-monitor one — but for now, I’m more than content using multiple computers on a single, massive display.

More from Tom's Guide

• I built a completely distraction-free desk setup with these 10 gadgets and now I’m truly locked in
• Monitor stand vs monitor arm: how to pick the right one for your display
• I spent a week with dual Apple Studio Displays and realized I’ve been lying to myself about glossy screens for years

The LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B ($999) is one of the wildest devices I’ve tested. Like most of LG’s current gaming monitors, it lets you switch between two refresh rates. The difference is how high those numbers go: 540Hz at 1440p resolution and 720Hz at 720p resolution. No, those numbers aren’t typos! As things stand, this is certainly one of the fastest gaming monitors you can buy, but that’s not all the UltraGear 27GX790B-B has going for it.

The main complaint I have with every OLED gaming monitor I’ve reviewed is the dim HDR compared to other monitors. LG’s latest bucks that trend by delivering some of the brightest brights I’ve seen on similar devices. In fact, the company claims this is the world’s brightest OLED gaming monitor. I can’t verify if that’s true, but I’m inclined to believe it, especially after our testing.

As with all LG UltraGear monitors, this 27-inch model features an elegant design that’s well-suited for any office or gaming setup. Since this is a gaming monitor, you can enable RGB backlighting for fun. You also get a great range of motion to help you achieve the best viewing angle.

The insanely high refresh rates are certainly impressive and ensure that everything runs buttery smooth. However, unless you’re a professional gamer, you likely won’t be able to tell the difference between what you get here and what you’d get from a similar 240Hz monitor. In fact, I even question whether professionals can tell the difference.

Other than refresh rates that feel like tech flexing and the monitor topping out at 1440p, I have little to complain about. Faults aside, it’s certainly one of the best gaming monitors, especially if you want such high refresh rates. Find out more in my full review.

LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B is a 27-inch OLED gaming monitor featuring two refresh rates: 540Hz at 1440p and 720Hz at 720p.
• Who is it for? For competitive gamers who need the absolute highest refresh rates.
• What does it cost? The LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B costs $994 on Amazon.
• What do we like? We like the elegant design, high HDR brightness for an OLED gaming monitor, and relatively affordable price.
• What don’t we like? The super high refresh rates aren’t essential for most gamers, and the display tops out at 1440p resolution.

LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B review: Specs

LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B review: The ups

The UltraGear 27GX790B-B impresses thanks to its insanely high refresh rates, bright HDR brightness, and overall sleek design.

Lovely design

The 27GX790B-B has the classic LG UltraGear design, which is to say that it’s sleek and elegant. I like how the all-silver understated aesthetic can work just as well in an office environment as it would in a proper gaming den. Even the RGB lighting surrounding the monitor arm on the back is relatively subdued, should you choose to turn it on.

Gliding the monitor up and down along the stand is a smooth process, as is tilting it forward and back for that perfect viewing angle. If you want, you can also rotate the monitor a full 90 degrees for vertical orientation—something I certainly appreciate.

You get a good amount of ports, including two HDMI, one DisplayPort, a lone USB-C, and a pair of USB-A. All the ports are located on the back, so you’ll need to turn the whole monitor and stand around to access them. The button to switch from 540Hz to 720Hz is conveniently located underneath the display’s bottom bezel, along with the OSD joystick.

The wide and flat stand keeps the monitor in place even when you’re swiveling it. It’s also large enough to place items like your phone or an extra controller. The shaft doesn’t have an opening for tucking your cables through, but this isn’t a deal-breaker.

Vivid display

The 27-inch OLED panel on the 27GX790B-B is a sight to behold. Even though it tops out at 1440p, you get sharp, crisp picture quality when playing games or scrolling through websites. The OLED itself delivers strong contrast between dark and light elements, which helps oversaturated colors look even more vivid.

I played Cyberpunk 2077 on this monitor and was impressed by how vivid the dystopian Night City looked. All the cars, buildings, pedestrians, and holographic displays popped out, heightening my immersion. Similarly, YouTube videos and websites looked great.

The 27GX790B-B has 14 display modes, including modes dedicated to game genres like FPS and RTS. Most of the modes are only slightly different from one another, depending on their intended function. If these presets aren’t to your liking, the “Personalized Picture” mode offers a greater degree of customization.

One of the big selling points here is the HDR brightness, which LG claims is the highest ever for an OLED gaming monitor. To that end, let’s take a look at what our lab results had to say about the Max Brightness display mode.

As you can see from the table above, the LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B produces oversaturated colors (sRGB and DCI-P3) and decent color accuracy (Delta-E). We saw similar values across most of the other modes. The Alienware AW2726DM also produces oversaturated hues, though it has better color accuracy (closer to 0 is best).

You’ll notice that the LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B delivers significantly higher brightness than its Alienware counterpart. While 561 nits across 10% of the display might not sound impressive, keep in mind that this is nearly double what most OLED gaming monitors deliver. It makes a huge difference, making everything appear more vibrant.

Smooth performance

Thanks to its “Dual Mode” feature, discussing the 27GX790B-B’s performance isn’t as straightforward as it is with other gaming monitors. The default setting is 1440p at 540Hz. With the press of a button, you can switch to 720p at 720Hz. Both of these are tailor-made for professional competitive gamers or hardcore enthusiasts.

Regardless of which mode you choose, both have the same low response time of 0.02ms. Compatibility with Nvidia G-SYNC Compatible & AMD FreeSync Premium Pro also ensures smooth performance.

For my testing, I had the 27GX790B-B connected to the new Razer Blade 16 gaming laptop, which packs an Intel Core Ultra 9 “Panther Lake” CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 mobile GPU, and 32GB of RAM. That’s a pretty powerful gaming laptop, but even with such a rig, you’ll struggle to get frame rates that match this monitor’s refresh rates—even if you drop the graphics settings to low and disable all effects like ray tracing.

That said, even if you can’t get a game to run at 540 frames per second, games will run very smoothly. During my time testing Cyberpunk 2077 on this monitor, I never experienced screen tearing or input delays. The low response time also contributes to the excellent performance.

Simple UI

The 27GX790B-B has the same simple and clean interface I’ve come to expect from UltraGear monitors. This is where you’ll find the aforementioned display modes, along with picture adjust, sound, input, and general options. Everything is easy to locate.

The OSD (On Screen Display) joystick under the display is small but intuitive to use. You don’t have to apply much pressure when you’re moving it up, down, left, or right with your finger.

LG’s interface is pretty bare, but I like the simplicity since I always know where to find what I’m looking for. As I’ve said in previous reviews, the less time I spend fiddling around in the menu, the more time I can spend actually playing games.

LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B review: The downs

The LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B is certainly impressive, but its defining feature is also its greatest weakness.

Obscenely high refresh rate

The big selling point of this monitor is its super-high refresh rates. While it’s certainly impressive to see a monitor going as high as 720Hz, I don’t think it’s completely necessary.

The main issue is that very few games can achieve frame rates high enough to match the refresh rate. Perhaps you could pull it off if you’re playing an ancient game on the lowest possible settings and on a gaming rig with an RTX 5090 GPU and an obscene amount of RAM, but that’s the only scenario I can imagine.

Then there’s the loss of visual fidelity. 540Hz at 1440p looks fine, but everything looks very blurry when playing at 720Hz at 720p resolution. I understand you’re prioritizing performance over visuals, but if you can’t clearly see enemies in a game, is the extra refresh rate even worth it?

I realize I’m not the target esports player who would want such ludicrously high refresh rates. I might feel different if I had the reflexes and timing required for professional gaming. But as an average gamer, I’d rather have a monitor with a more modest refresh rate.

No 4K option

This ties into the last point, but to achieve such lofty refresh rates, resolution had to take a hit—hence why this isn’t a 4K monitor. That’s a shame, considering how the LG UltraGear 32GS95UE-B has a default setting of 240Hz and 4K resolution.

Again, I’m sure professional gamers are fine with sacrificing visuals to achieve the best performance possible—but I’m not that kind of gamer!

LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B review: Verdict

There’s no denying that the LG UltraGear 27GX709B-B offers unprecedented performance. It also delivers astonishing HDR brightness for an OLED gaming monitor. For what you get, it’s certainly worth considering, even if it's admittedly for niche use cases.

That same focus on a specific audience is also this monitor’s greatest weakness. Yes, it’s cool that it can achieve such monumental refresh rates, but most folks don’t need that level of performance. And while the $999 asking price isn’t offensive, something like the $349 Alienware AW2726 has excellent performance and picture quality for a third of the cost—even if it doesn’t get nearly as bright.

The LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B isn’t a gaming monitor for everyone, but it’s arguably the best at what it does. For that reason, I say check it out if you are a hardcore competitive gamer who wants what is arguably the fastest gaming monitor available.

Shortly after I began writing for Tom’s Guide, I covered a news story about an Asus gaming monitor boasting a 240Hz refresh rate. At the time, my team and I thought it was over the top. Who but the most hardcore gamer needed such high refresh rates? In the years since, we’ve only seen refresh rates on certain gaming monitors climb even higher.

What’s the point of all this? Simply put, the higher the refresh rate on the best gaming monitors, the smoother everything looks on screen. For competitive gamers, matching a game’s frame rate to a high refresh rate makes your actions feel fast and responsive. But even if you’re just a regular gamer, you can still benefit from a higher refresh rate.

I’m currently testing the LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B ($994 on Amazon), a dual-mode monitor that can switch between 540Hz at 1440p and 720Hz at 720p. This monitor completely blows away the Alienware 500Hz monitor I reviewed a couple of years ago. While testing it, I can’t help but ask the obvious question: Do such high refresh rates truly benefit gamers, or is this all just flexing?

For this article, I’ve reached out to two Future colleagues: Brandon Hill from Tom’s Hardware and Dave James from PC Gamer. As hardware reviewers, they know their stuff and provided me with some great insight on this topic. Here’s what they had to say about high-refresh-rate gaming monitors, along with my own thoughts.

High refresh rates can be beneficial

Not everyone chasing ultra-high refresh rates is doing it purely for bragging rights. I checked in with my colleague Brandon Hill, senior editor at Tom’s Hardware, and he’s a firm believer that high-refresh-rate monitors are a boon for gaming — so long as you have the hardware to push them and the personal drive to take advantage of them.

He regularly games on a massive 49-inch 240Hz DQHD QD-OLED paired with an RTX 5090. Even with that kind of power, he often hovers around 180 FPS in Battlefield 6 while keeping the graphics settings high. “I prefer eye candy over insane refresh rates,” he told me.

The same thinking carries over to today’s dual-mode monitors. Brandon gets why the most hardcore esports players “would kill to eke out every possible frame to gain the upper hand online,” especially when you’re talking pixel response times in the 2ms range and super-low input lag. But he’s quick to admit he’s not in that camp. “I play for fun, not for competitive aspirations.”

Given the choice between 540Hz at crisp 1440p or 720Hz at 720p on something like the Sony Inzone M10S II, his pick is an easy one: “I’d choose the former every single time — and twice on Sundays.”

I agree with Brandon’s take here. While you certainly want games to run as smoothly as possible, it shouldn’t be at the expense of visual fidelity. My eyes scream whenever I switch to the LG UltraGear’s 720Hz mode since it’s locked to 720p resolution. And since I legit cannot tell or feel the difference with 720Hz gaming, sacrificing visuals really makes no sense.

Bragging rights?

Dave James, Editor-in-Chief of Hardware at PC Gamer, has a similar perspective about the benefit of insane refresh rates on gaming monitors. They can surely be beneficial, but they do feel like companies flexing what their hardware can achieve.

Dave says it largely depends on who you are and what kind of games you play. For those of us who mostly enjoy single-player or co-op experiences, he argues that 144Hz is still a fantastic refresh rate, with 240Hz now a realistic and worthwhile target. He understands why competitive players want to chase the absolute highest refresh rates they can manage, but stresses that they only become relevant “if you have a system that can drive frame rates to match.” This is something that’s getting easier thanks to upscaling technologies.

When you can actually keep up with the monitor, Dave says playing a competitive shooter on a super-fast screen “almost becomes like looking through a window.”

That said, Dave is much more skeptical about the other end of the spectrum. Once you get to numbers like 720Hz that are extremely difficult to fully utilize, he believes it shifts away from actual benefit. “Beyond genuinely achievable frame rates, these extra high refresh rates become less about gaming and more about numbers on a spec sheet you can use for marketing and one-upping the competition,” Dave told me. “At this level, those numbers aren't for us gamers.”

This is where I fall on this topic. I find it very impressive that LG and others can achieve such lofty refresh rates on their respective gaming monitors. However, it’s hard to see how this benefits anyone but the most hardcore professional gamers.

Bottom line

After hearing Brandon and Dave’s thoughts and spending time with the LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B, my stance hasn’t changed much. These insanely high refresh rates are impressive, but they’re not essential for most gamers.

If you’re an esports competitor, monitors like this can give you a real edge. For everyone else? 144Hz or 240Hz at crisp resolution still delivers smooth gameplay and great picture quality without any sacrifice.

More from Tom's Guide

• The Acer Swift 16 AI’s touchpad is just too large
• Panther Lake handhelds could put AMD on notice
• Buying a laptop in 2026 is complicated

If there’s only one monitor you buy this year, make it the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36. This 34-inch QD-OLED monitor is an absolute delight and doesn’t give you much to complain about. For gamers, you’ve got a silky smooth 360Hz refresh rate and quick 0.03ms response time. For productivity power users, there’s accurate and wide color coverage and 10-bit color depth. It’s the ultimate hybrid monitor.

With plenty of connectivity options packed into a sleek design that doesn’t take up heaps of space on your desk, the X36 is one of the best curved monitors I’ve personally used and professionally tested. Performance on paper is just as solid as real-world use, and even though the monitor is expensive, it’s well worth the premium for a plethora of reasons.

For the complete breakdown, read my full MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 review.

MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 review: Specs

MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A curved, ultrawide 34-inch QD-OLED monitor with a 0.03ms response time and 360Hz refresh rate
• Who is it for? Power users needing expanded screen real estate and best-in-class gaming performance
• How much does it cost? Quite a bit. The X36 retails for $949 / £999
• What do we like? The 360Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time for gaming, accurate and wide color coverage, sleek design, and AI features
• What don’t we like? The slightly dim panel and premium price tag

MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 review: The ups

From its silky smooth 360Hz refresh rate and accurate color reproduction, to its 0.03ms response time and useful AI features, the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 is the cream of the crop.

Sleek design

Though the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 features a 34-inch panel, it sports a sleek design. It comes in all-black with minimal branding and good-looking RGB lighting around the back. The panel is held together by a body that measures 32 x 8.9 x 21.3 inches, including the stand, and with the stand, the monitor weighs 29.7lbs. I didn’t find it too bulky or unwieldy to move around — trust me, I’ve carried it between studio spaces.

The base of the X36 stand is fairly compact too, as it has been upgraded from the previous Y-shaped stand to a sleek, flat base that’s thin enough to slide a keyboard over. The monitor can now sit closer to the wall for a more efficient and cleaner desk setup. If you like having two monitors on your desk, you’ll be pleased with how much the monitor can be tilted (20°), swivelled (60°) and pivoted (20°) — plenty of movement to achieve the ideal, ergonomic viewing angle.

Plenty of connectivity options

There’s no dearth of connectivity options and ports on the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36. You’ll find the ports around the back, and these include: power, two HDMI 2.1, a DisplayPort 2.1a, two USB-A, one USB-B, a USB-C 98W PD, and a 3.5mm audio out for headphones. The X36 has you covered in basically every aspect. The USB-C port with its 98W power delivery means you can use your laptop or handheld console using a single cable.

Setting up is a walk in the park and it took me less than a minute to connect my laptop to the monitor. If you want to take advantage of the 360Hz refresh rate, which I did for the most part during my testing, you’ll need to use the DisplayPort 2.1a port.

Powerful gaming performance

If you want a curved monitor for an immersive and powerful gaming experience, there are few better than the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36. Firstly, there are plenty of picture modes for both gaming and professional use, such as AdobeRGB, FPS, RPG, Premium Color, RTS, and… Black and White. The monochrome mode is good for accessibility reasons and can help reduce eye strain — or if you want a cinematic or aesthetic experience, if that’s your speed.

The X36 boasts some impressive specs, such as its 360Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time. Regardless of the game I played, I didn’t experience any choppiness during fast-paced games, such as F1 25, and competitive first-person shooters, like Counter-Strike 2. The smooth, blur-free performance was nothing short of outstanding. The 0.03ms response also meant that I didn’t experience any ghosting or motion blur. This response time is on par with other high-end gaming monitors, such as the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED ($1,099), and even faster than the Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED (0.1ms, $1,099).

The QD-OLED panel is a sight for sore eyes, and playing on the X36 is some of the most fun I’ve had while gaming on a PC (as I’m more of a console fan). The X36’s screen is bright and boasts accurate color reproduction. In Forza Horizon 5, the greens were vivid and there was plenty of detail and depth to enjoy in the sand dunes. I also appreciated the level of detail revealed in the shadows in the moody Lies of P, where the world is always dark. I avoided a few jumpscares as I could see the faint outline of enemies in the black areas, which you may not necessarily notice otherwise.

My lab testing further confirmed the X36’s wide color replication, as you can see in the table above. The X36 covers the entirety of the sRGB color spectrum and then some, and this is also true in the case of the wider DCI P3 color gamut. While the Alienware AW3423DWF does slightly better on paper, colors on the X36 still look gorgeous and won’t give you much to complain about — and it performs better than the Lenovo Legion Pro 34WD-10 OLED ($,199) too.

The 34-inch panel makes for a thoroughly immersive experience, especially in the first-person F1 25 where I felt like I was actually in the driver’s seat. The 21:9 aspect ratio wraps around your peripheral vision, which makes games feel more realistic, and because of the increased screen real estate, you can see more of the game world without needing to pan the camera as often.

Fantastic for work, too

If you’re spending big bucks on a 34-inch monitor, chances are you’ll be using it for things other than gaming — like work. The MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 is a fantastic monitor for productivity, and I used it as my daily driver for writing articles, scrolling through long message threads on Slack, navigating ginormous spreadsheets, and some photo editing too.

As I noted earlier, the X36 boasts excellent color coverage, and the accuracy is not too shabby either, as proven by my lab testing and real-world use. The Delta-E score is a numerical representation of how much two colors differ, and how close the color relayed on screen (i.e. the monitor) is to the color output from the source (i.e. the computer). The closer the score to zero, the better.

The table above shows that the X36 has a Delta-E score of 0.15, compared to the Alienware AW3423DWF’s score of 0.24 (worse) and the Lenovo Legion 34WD-10’s score of 0.08 (better). While the X36 doesn’t rank as well as the 34WD-10, 0.15 is still excellent. Colors on screen appeared extremely accurate to me, and the monitor made quick work of color grading photos and videos in post-production.

For photographers who print, there’s an Adobe RGB color mode too. The Adobe RGB color gamut covers a wider range of colors used by CMYK printers versus sRGB. This, in turn, ensures color accuracy when editing images for printed photography. It’s great to see MSI include this color mode in a gaming-first monitor, as we were surprised to see it missing from the productivity-first BenQ PD3226G ($1,099).

You also get 10-bit color depth, which means that the X36 is capable of displaying 1.07 billion individual hues. This is great for those who capture 10-bit 4:2:2 raw video with the best cameras or the best drones. Having such a large display at your disposal also means there’s plenty of room for accessing all the controls and different settings in Adobe Photoshop and other software.

Useful AI features

Located just below the MSI logo on the front of the X36, you’ll find what looks like a webcam. It is, in fact, not a webcam, but an AI Care Sensor instead, which can automatically alter the X36’s settings by detecting a human in front of it. The AI Care Sensor, basically, detects images every 0.2 seconds to identify human presence and enable auto turn-offs to conserve energy.

While this is technically a camera, MSI was keen to point out to us that there is no storage functionality — it’s a camera with on-sensor autofocus subject detection capabilities, but it doesn’t actually write (store) that data, to allay any privacy concerns. Imagine a mirrorless camera with autofocus and detection, but with no SD card inserted to save images or video.

Via the settings menu, you can enable Active Mode, Wake On Approach, Lock on Leave, and more, and adjust the timers. If you’re sitting in front of the monitor and decide to get up to stretch your legs or get a coffee, the monitor will automatically turn off. It will turn itself back on when you return to your desk. This worked smoothly in my testing, and I think it’s quite a handy feature, especially if you want to protect your privacy or sensitive documents from onlookers. It’s also something I haven’t seen before on other monitors, so the X36 is well worth the premium (more on this shortly).

MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 review: The downs

There’s a lot to love about the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36, but it’s important to note that the QD-OLED panel isn’t especially bright for use in bright conditions, and it’s quite expensive.

A little dim

There isn’t a lot wrong with the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 but if you’re someone who wants the perfect brightness stats on paper, it’s worth noting that the monitor is a little on the dim side. OLED and QD-OLED monitors just aren’t very bright especially compared to IPS panels.

To test the X36’s brightness, I measured it in the standard SDR and HDR modes. As you can see in the table above, even though the X36 doesn’t sound especially bright, it still outclasses both the Alienware AW3423DWF and the Lenovo Legion 34WD-10 with its 280.2 SDR and 278 HDR scores. But the MSI MPG 321URXW ($1,099) and the LG UltraGear 45GR75DC ($899) are both much brighter in HDR — and LG’s offering is cheaper than MSI’s too.

While those scores aren’t particularly ideal for using the monitor in extremely bright or direct sunlight, chances are you’ll be using the X36 indoors anyway. I tested the X36 in the office with big windows located right behind me. Even when sunlight crept in, I was still able to see and read everything displayed properly on the monitor. Again, keep in mind that this isn’t a problem exclusive to the X36 — it’s just a limitation of OLED panels.

Expensive

If you’re planning on buying a QD-OLED ultrawide monitor, chances are you’ll be paying a premium. That’s just the nature of these monitors because of the technology and materials used, and the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 is no different. MSI lists the monitor for $1,099 on its website, but you can grab it for $949 at Walmart U.S. / £999 at Currys U.K. — which saves you $150 in the States.

This is more of a pre-purchase condition and not necessarily a drawback. Many other QD-OLED monitors we’ve tested cost either the same or a little less. For instance, the Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED costs $1,099 too, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 34WD-10 OLED retails for $1,199. Heck, even some of MSI’s non-ultrawide monitors, like the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED, cost nearly $1,100. That’s the price of admission for a QD-OLED panel.

Since the X36, at the time of writing, came out only in the first quarter of 2026, we haven’t seen it get any major discounts yet, but it’s worth keeping an eye on Black Friday sales if you don’t want to pay full price.

MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 review: Verdict

MSI has knocked it out of the park, once again, with the MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36. This monitor is nothing short of gorgeous, with bright, vivid and accurate colors. Its 34-inch QD-OLED panel makes for an immersive gaming experience, and it’s a productivity powerhouse too. 360Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms response time, and actually useful AI features make the X36 a formidable monitor.

The X36 doesn’t take up too much space on your desk either, thanks to its sleek design, and there’s plenty of room for your peripherals and trinkets. Minimal branding also helps the monitor fit right into a professional office environment. If you want to use a second monitor with the X36, you should have no trouble doing so.

Is it worth nearly $1,000, though? I believe so. Not only is the X36 exceptional in real world use, my lab testing showed that it’s just as good on paper too. At the end of the day, the X36 is the crème de la crème of curved monitors.

Yep, I’m just as tired of writing about RAM prices as you are reading about them — the cost is indeed ludicrous, and it’s starting to hit more devices like Meta Quest 3, all PS5 models and Samsung Galaxy phones. But MediaTek’s Head of Global Sales Eric Fischer has said the company is “cautiously optimistic” that things will get better later this year.

A couple of weeks ago, I offered a light at the end of the tunnel: a market correction showing that memory prices had dropped by over 20% last month. But you’d be hard-pushed to find it with RAM still at $400 on Amazon. This is the Great Thaw of 2026, as prices are eroding at the speed of a glacier.

And that’s what makes Fischer’s thoughts (and the tech industry as a whole) seem a little weird. It’s cautious optimism, but the average joe is stuck between agonizingly slow price drops on Amazon and a tech industry that has officially lost its mind (looking at you, Allbirds).

So I wanted to take a beat and just look at where we’re at, and I still see the signs of a war of attrition that the people will eventually win, and the significant red flags of an AI bubble that may improve things.

MediaTek’s ‘cautious optimism’ vs your bank account

I’ve got to go a bit corporate here, because while Fischer may talk about a “slowdown” in companies raising prices of their products in the second half of 2026, we are talking about a silicon giant that is (to put it mildly) doing rather well with $19.1 billion in revenue.

Their secret? By “locking up capacity agreements” early, the memory is there. But in his own words: “from the pricing perspective, things are a little bit more challenging.” This is the corporate version of the frustration we see on the likes of Amazon or Newegg — the supply is there, but the price tag is a moving target.

And this is the source of MediaTek’s cautious optimism. Fischer notes that the high demand for memory-heavy products (that Q1 jump in PC sales reported by IDC for example) could just be an illusion of people buying now before prices get worse. If true, that means we’re well on our way to hitting a ceiling where “the consumer’s ability to spend” breaks. To Fischer, that moment is looking to arrive in the second half of this year.

The Amazon slow-burn

If you’ve been keeping a 32GB DDR5 kit or a laptop in your Amazon “Save for Later” list, you already know you’re locked in psychological warfare. And with this tiny pullback, it’s clear this isn’t a firesale, but rather a standoff. Because sure, the prices are technically getting better, but it’s still significantly more than what we were paying before all this mess.

Market analysts call this “plateau noise” or “trading noise” — retailers are testing the ceiling of what we’re willing to pay, and given the strong computing sales in the first part of this year (driven largely by panic buying), that’s where the dark times got worse.

But now that the panic has subsided and turned into people increasingly voting with their wallets by not buying until the numbers make sense, you’re starting to see a slow-burn. A calculated attempt to find just the right price where you’ll finally hit buy.

Put simply, it’s a waiting game that MediaTek has called out, so keep holding on!

The tariff refund wildcard

Remember those tariff refunds? Well, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is set to launch its portal to distribute up to $166 billion back to companies on April 20. Starting this Monday, over 330,000 importers can begin to receive payments.

Now here’s the ultimate question: will we actually see this money at checkout? In one word, no. Chances are they’ll absorb these “I owe yous” to make their balance sheets look better for the shareholders. And as Asus’ Director of Technical Marketing, Sascha Krohn, said back in January, no company “wants to be the first one to lower prices.”

If anything, this’ll be a tool in the arsenal used in conjunction with your diamond hands — holding until the numbers make sense. Don’t expect a Tariff Refund Sale on Newegg next week, but watch those prices closely over the next few months, as we may start to see how the refunds fuel this slow-burn of price drops.

The Allbird in the coal mine

I’ve been waiting for a chance to talk about this — the sign of a very healthy speculative market (stop asking about it). In a move similar to Long Island Iced Tea just throwing Blockchain in its name, Allbirds ditched its footwear business and put on a Silicon Valley disguise by rebranding to NewBird AI. And by simply doing that, share prices went up over 600% in a single day.

It feels like a fever dream, right? While we struggle to find affordable computing gear, a struggling footwear brand is outbidding developers for GPUs for AI compute. But history tells us how this ends, and fuels MediaTek’s (and my own) cautious optimism, because I believe we’re in the “Pets.com” stage of the 2020s.

We might not have cheap RAM yet, but it seems like we're approaching that post-AI hangover: the bubble pop. Need proof? By yesterday, that knee-jerk reaction had dissipated, as analysts questioned the substance of the pivot and Allbirds shares plunged by 36%.

Outlook

The hardware market is a surreal landscape where companies like MediaTek are swimming in record billions, a shoe company is LARPing as a GPU provider, and the RAM in your Amazon cart is dropping in price at the speed of a dial-up connection. Where does that leave you?

I still stand by what I recommended before: wait until back-to-school season to see what the impact of a lot of these developments actually are. There are, of course, other factors I didn’t mention here like the conflict in the Middle East or new Chinese RAM suppliers being certified by laptop makers, so that gives all these levers some time to see which are pulled and whether they help your bank balance.

That being said, there is a non-zero chance that you may see a few savvy tech retailers launch sales on April 20 to compete for your stimulus-adjacent dollars. Don’t expect prices to go back to normal, as hardware is being treated like a volatile commodity — gold with a heatsink.

However, I’d keep that “Save for Later” list open and your wallet closed. Don’t let marketing FOMO dictate your build, because if the “consumer spend challenge” Fischer predicted actually hits in the second half of 2026, retailers will be forced to slash prices to move inventory.

It’s a war of attrition, and it may look bleak right now, but the wind is in our sails.

More from Tom's Guide

• ‘The squeeze is real’: I spoke to RAM crisis oracle, Carmen Li, about when this nightmare ends — here’s what she told me
• Toy Story in your pocket — I tested AI Image to Video 2.0 on the Honor 600 series, and it made me question what a photo is
• AI ate his job, now he’s saving his town from the AI bubble with this viral speech

The Alienware AW2726DM ($349) is something that’s becoming rarer these days: a premium device that won’t break your bank account. Sure, there are similarly-priced or even cheaper gaming monitors out there, but few have all the features you’ll find here.

So what do you get for $349? For starters, a 240Hz refresh rate that helps your games run buttery-smooth, along with a super low 0.03ms response time that offers virtually no lag. The 1440p resolution ensures a clear and sharp image on the 27-inch display, and the OLED panel delivers excellent contrast levels and vivid colors.

Aside from the relatively dim HDR and lack of RGB lighting, you’re not dealing with many trade-offs. The AW2726DM is so good, I’m half tempted to tell you to stop reading here and go out and buy one now. Of course, if you want to know more, then keep reading. Suffice it to say that the AW2726DM is one of the best gaming monitors you can buy — and good enough to find a home in my personal setup.

Alienware AW2726DM review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The Alienware AW2726DM is a 27-inch OLED gaming monitor featuring a 240Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms response time, and a 1440p resolution.
• Who is it for? For anyone who wants a decent-sized and feature-rich gaming monitor that’s extremely affordable.
• What does it cost? The Alienware AW2726DM costs $349 and is available now on Dell’s website.
• What do we like? We like the affordable price, vibrant image quality, small footprint, and its host of gamer-friendly features.
• What don’t we like? We don’t like the relatively dim HDR and lack of RGB.

Alienware AW2726DM review: Specs

Alienware AW2726DM review: The ups

The Alienware AW2726DM is a spectacular gaming monitor thanks to its rich feature set and jaw-dropping low price.

Vibrant OLED panel

The OLED panel is the star of the show, especially at this price. At 27 inches, you get just enough space to see everything clearly, even small text. The sharp 2560 x 1440 resolution also helps everything appear nice and sharp, even if it’s half the pixels of a 4K monitor. Thanks to the screen size, you also have enough space to place several open windows or apps.

When I tested Cyberpunk 2077 on the AW2726DM, I was impressed by the richness of the colors and the overall sharp image quality. The holographic fish floating above Night City’s busy financial district, along with the towering buildings and bustling streets, made you feel like you were in the middle of this cyberpunk dystopia.

As you can see in the table above, the AW2726DM delivers oversaturated hues on its standard setting. Color representation (sRGB and DCI-P3) is well above the target 100%, which makes the colors very rich. Color accuracy (0.24) is also quite strong. The numbers don’t lie, this monitor delivers some truly vivid colors.

The Alienware AW2726DM has 11 display modes. This includes modes dedicated to game genres like FPS, RPG, and Sports. The modes are only slightly different from one another, depending on their function. If you’re not happy with any of the preset modes, the “custom color” option allows you to create one from scratch.

Understated design

The Alienware AW2726DM has an understated all-black design that makes it look more like a standard monitor than a gaming device. While it won’t draw attention when you’re using it around others, I personally love its simple, elegant chassis.

The 27-inch monitor rests on a sturdy 8.80-inch stand that doesn’t take up much space on your desk. Since the stand is flat, you’re able to place items like a game controller or phone to keep your desk even tidier. The bearing ring on the base of the stand lets you turn the entire thing 360 degrees.

It’s easy to move the monitor up or down 5.2 inches along the shaft’s stand with minimal force. You can also rotate the display a full 90 degrees if you need it to be vertical. The display tilts 5 degrees forward and 21 degrees backward. All of this lets you achieve your desired viewing angle.

Lastly, there's the port selection, which includes a pair of HDMI ports, a lone DisplayPort, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Reaching the ports is easy since you can turn the monitor 360 degrees on its base. While the port selection isn't extensive, you get the bare basics.

Excellent performance

The AW2726DM delivers phenomenal performance thanks to its buttery-smooth 240Hz refresh rate and fast 0.03ms response time. Keep in mind, those are features you usually get with more expensive gaming monitors. Compatibility with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync also helps deliver smooth gaming performance.

For my testing, I had the AW2726DM connected to the new Razer Blade 16 gaming laptop packing an Intel Core Ultra 9 “Panther Lake” CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 mobile GPU, and 32GB of RAM. You don’t need such a powerful gaming laptop or gaming PC for Alienware’s monitor, but that type of rig can help you utilize it to its full potential.

Cyberpunk 2077 ran like a dream thanks to the 240Hz refresh rate. I also didn’t notice input lag since the response time is a low 0.03ms. Professional gamers who are used to playing on something like the Alienware AW2524H with its insane 500Hz refresh rate might notice a difference, but average gamers like myself won’t. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed by the AW2726DM’s performance.

Clean interface

The Alienware AW2726DM has the same basic interface as other Alienware gaming monitors I’ve reviewed, such as the Alienware AW3425DW.

The user interface maintains its familiar look, featuring a black-and-gray background contrasted with blue-and-white text. Despite the extensive array of options, including display modes and various lighting adjustments, the clean layout ensures that navigating the settings is straightforward.

The OSD joystick used for sorting through menus is very responsive and easy to reach. Its flat, concave top allows you to have a firm hold as you’re clicking through the menus.

Alienware AW2726DM review: The downs

You’re getting fantastic value with the Alienware AW2726DM, but some compromises were made to keep its price affordable.

Not the brightest OLED

This is an issue with virtually all OLED gaming monitors I’ve ever reviewed, but the AW2726DM doesn’t deliver overly bright HDR. In fact, SDR brightness is overall dim across its various display modes.

As you can see above, the HDR brightness is about 340 nits at 10% of the display, so you do get good contrast between dark and light elements. Still, don’t expect eye-scorching levels of brightness even in the dedicated HDR modes. SDR brightness is also lower than the competition.

While I wish the display got brighter, you won’t exactly be squinting when using the monitor. Our office is pretty well lit, but the monitor’s lighting was suitable for the environment. I imagine it would look just right in my comparatively darker apartment.

No RGB

Alienware and RGB lighting are pretty synonymous, so it’s interesting that the AW2726DM has no RGB lighting of any kind. Even the Alienware logo on the back remains dark.

The lack of RGB isn’t a big deal for me since I’m neither for nor against it. And even if there were some RGB lighting on the back, it’s not like I’d be able to see it when I’m in front of the display. However, if you do like RGB, you might be disappointed.

Alienware AW2726DM review: Verdict

On its own, the Alienware AW2726DM is a brilliant gaming monitor that ticks all the right boxes for picture quality and performance. The fact that it only costs $349 just makes it all the better, especially during a time when gaming devices are becoming so expensive.

While you’re not getting bright HDR or RGB lighting, the AW2726DM’s faults are easy to overlook given its generous asking price. If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming den with a new or extra monitor, don’t pass up on this one. Right now, it’s the best value gaming monitor out there. As I said in the headline, it's so good that I'm buying two for myself!

TP-Link’s Deco BE23 marks a fresh start for affordable mesh networking that combines Wi-Fi 7’s charm and speeds with a low price tag. What do you get for $180? In addition to three powerful mesh networking devices, the BE23 provides surprisingly fast wireless data that can fill the typical house.

While it lacks top speed 6GHz throughput and skimps on networking ports, the BE23 offers a lot of mesh networking for the money for the typical family but might not provide enough networking oomph.

My TP-Link Deco BE23 review will help you decide if this is the best mesh Wi-Fi system for your needs or if you’re better off spending more for one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers with tri-band connectivity.

TP-Link Deco BE23 review: Price and availability

If you’re looking for a Wi-Fi 7 mesh bargain, TP-Link’s Deco BE23 does the trick with a list price of $250 for three devices; Amazon has it for $180 – or $60 per unit. I used the $140 two-pack; a single BE23 unit costs $80.

Right now, it defines the entry level for this genre of home mesh networking at a big discount compared to the $230 Orbi 370 two-pack. According to TP-Link, the two- and three-packs can cover 4,500 and 6,500 square feet.

TP-Link Deco BE23 review: Design

Less than a year ago, when reviewing the Netgear Orbi 370 devices, I marveled at how small, powerful and inexpensive they were. What a difference a year makes with the TP-Link Deco BE23 devices coming in one-third smaller at 5.9 x 5.9 x 2.4 inches while pushing throughput to new highs and pricing to new lows.

The small white and gray BE23 units are so understated that they can hide in plain sight on a bookshelf, coffee table or windowsill. The discs lack cutouts for wall-mounting, but several online firms sell brackets. Underneath is a subtle status LED that’s green when everything is working and red means something’s amiss; it can be turned off in the app.

With a BE3600 rating, the BE23 uses Qualcomm’s IPQ5312 and QCN6422 Wi-Fi chips, a 1.1GHz quad-core processor, 128MB of RAM and 512MB of storage space for the firmware and settings. The devices use 2X2 streaming over the 2.4 and 5GHz bands for peak 688Mbps and 2.882 Gbps throughput and up to 150 connections. The BE23 ignores the 6GHz band and super-wide 320MHz data channels.

Based on Wi-Fi 7’s 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM), Multi Link Operations (MLO) and Multiple Resource Unit (Multi-RU) technology, the BE23 streamlines data flow. The devices are set up as the host router and mesh nodes during installation and use artificial intelligence to speed things up and adapt to new situations.

Some will find the lack of a USB port and the pair of 2.5 Gbps networking ports limiting, but you can always connect a network switch to get more. In addition to a Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) button for quick connections, there’s one to reset the device.

It’s secured with TP-Link’s HomeShield’s included basic plan that scans the router for flaws, camera security and rudimentary parental controls. The Security+ plan ($5 a month or $36 a year) adds advanced IoT protection and in-depth reports on networking flaws while the $70 annual Total Security package is comprehensive with malware protection, VPN and password manager.

The router’s two-year warranty includes unlimited support for the product’s life. By contrast, the Orbi 370’s one-year warranty includes 90 days of support. Beyond that, you need to pay.

TP-Link Deco BE23 review: Performance

I set the Deco BE23 up in my 100-year-old home and gauged its performance with Keysight’networking benchmark IXChariot set to simulate 10 data-hungry users. Using an HP Envy X360 notebook, the BE23 delivered an excellent balance between price and performance, starting with 1.667 Gbps of throughput next to the test notebook. That’s 43-percent higher than the Orbi 370’s 1.169 Gbps.

At 15-feet, the BE23 delivered a real-world data speed of 1.449 Gbps, compared to the Orbi 370’s 1.074 Gbps and the MSI Roamii BE Lite at 970.3 Mbps. It’s below the tri-band Deco BE63 at 1.821 Gbps though. For all but the family’s data hog it’ll likely be enough throughput.

The BE23 recorded 953.7 Mbps at 50 feet, nearly double the Orbi 370’s 515.4 Mbps, while besting the more expensive BE63’s 610.7 Mbps. It led at 75 and 90 feet with 350.4 and 150.1 Mbps versus the Orbi 370’s 191.2 and 85.0 Mbps. The BE23 had a 115-foot range.

It finished its benchmarking clean sweep with 1.256 Gbps available in an adjacent room 25-feet away and delivered 450.7 Mbps with the test system 40 feet from the upstairs node. That’s well ahead of the Orbi 370’s 930.5 Mbps and 375.3 Mbps.

For two weeks, the BE23 network faithfully delivered gaming, 4K video, emails and music streaming. Having a third unit would likely have filled many of the dead zones in my 3,500 square foot home. The BE23 lacks a USB phone backup for when the Internet connection goes south, something more expensive products add.

The devices passively pull cooling air in from the bottom and the unit ran warm at 104.4 degrees Fahrenheit. The Orbi 370 was cooler at 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

The host BE23 and nodes used 10.4 and 5.9 watts. If the network operates 24/7, the three units should cost about $25 a year based on the national average of 17.5 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity. By contrast, an Orbi 370 host and node might cost a few dollars more annually.

TP-Link Deco BE23 review: Setup

Unlike Netgear Orbi mesh sets, either of the TP-Link devices can be the host router. I picked one, plugged it in and used TP-Link’s Deco app on my Samsung Galaxy S25 phone. I couldn’t do it with a connected browser.

After adding names for the network and device, I connected the upstairs node. In 3 minutes, the LAN was supplying my house with data.

TP-Link Deco BE23 review: Configuration

With a wide array of configuration choices, the Deco BE23 app has a nice main Network screen. It shows the LAN layout, how many clients are online and has a link to test the Internet speed.

In addition to a separate IoT network, the BE23 can integrate and control Tapo, Kasa, Philips Hue and Matter home automation devices.

Below are tabs for Security (with a vulnerability scan) and Parental Controls (to configure Web limiting features). The More section is my fav with QOS and Wi-Fi assistant choices, while the Advanced category has IPTV, fast roaming and beamforming choices.

TP-Link Deco BE23 review: Verdict

TP-Link’s Deco BE23 may not be the fastest or most feature rich Wi-Fi mesh set around, but it delivers more data for the buck than other mesh sets. At $180 for a three pack, it may lack enough networking ports and access to 6GHz data streaming, but it has the advantage today when it comes to the best balance between performance and price.

Fine for anything short of a mansion with a gigabit data plan, the Deco BE23 shows that the price really is right.

As you may have seen, we rather love Pragmata right now, and I can give all you PC gamers out there the lowdown on how well it’ll run on your rigs. Spoiler alert: just like Resident Evil Requiem, path tracing adds a night and day difference.

So I threw it at my pricey RTX 5080 and mid-range RTX 5060 Ti rigs to see how far I can stretch those fidelity settings with DLSS 4, and how well it performs with this incredibly demanding graphical tech running.

What settings should you use?

As I always say, Nvidia’s DLSS is a helluva tool for extracting more gameplay value out of your GPU — provided you use it the right way. Because sure, a game can look smooth, but if you’re adding all the AI trickery on top of a game that is running at 20 FPS, it will not feel smooth to play.

That’s why you’ll need to go into the settings to tinker the base rate a little before overlaying DLSS features. Just as a general reminder:

• If your game is a slower-paced single-player title, aim for 40 FPS
• Need quick reflexes? Aim for 60 FPS
• For competitive multiplayer, either don’t use it or aim for 120 FPS

From mine and Tony’s time playing Pragmata, you can safely put it in that 40 FPS target category. There is combat that requires you to dodge attacks and shoot, but with plenty of time to telegraph enemy moves, the really fun puzzle elements and button-based quick-time events, you’ll still get a game that feels good to play at this level.

By the numbers

So allow me to introduce you to the machines that will be taking this on (quite proud of my rebuilds):

• Remember that PC I built for myself at Scan computers? I’ve done a transplant into the gorgeous Micro ATX case you see in the top image — doing some space saving while preserving power. It packs an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, RTX 5080 and 32GB of DDR5 RAM. You can watch the whole big build here.
• The second is a modified RDY Element 9 Pro R07 — sporting an Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, RTX 5060 Ti (16GB) and 32GB of DDR5 RAM.

Same rules apply as my Requiem testing, so I’m stress testing at resolutions fair to each card (4K for the 5080 and 1440p for the 5060 Ti) at maxed out path tracing settings. Of course, as I said above, you can tweak some graphical settings to squeeze even more frames out of the base rate.

And as you can see, the multipliers really start to pile on the additional frames nicely here — making the game look silky smooth.

Latency checker

So there’s big frame rates happening up above, but that’s half the story. As I said up above, the game’s got to feel smooth too, and in this stress test (just like what happened with Requiem), this is where it becomes clear that DLSS 4.5 performance is your go-to option if you wanna go all-out in the settings.

DLSS always comes with a small penalty to that base frame rate, as the GPU’s attention is turned to the AI background work. And while these are mostly playable, Quality or Balanced upscaling does lead to some noticeable latency. Performance is your sweet spot.

Path traced sci-fi fun

If you follow my advice from up above, you’ll have a great experience with what has become one of my personal surprise favorite games of 2026. Path tracing really does make a material difference to the visual fidelity here and draws you into the immersion of this fascinating sci-fi world.

I demoed this game a few months ago and immediately fell in love with the hybrid shooter/puzzler gameplay, but I did feel a little nervous about how far this could go before it becomes tiresome. Turns out the answer is it never gets old! New layers of complication are added over time and discoverable elements keep things fresh. Oh, and the boss battles are epic.

More from Tom's Guide

• PC sales are up, but don’t be fooled — IDC report warns RAMageddon is just getting started
• I tested DLSS 4.5 Dynamic Multi Frame Generation: It’s not just AI trickery, it’s Nvidia’s cheat code for 4K 240Hz and a true console killer
• I really wanted to love the Asus TUF Gaming A14 (2026), but it’s an expensive heartbreaker

The Alienware AW2726DM is the gaming monitor we need right now. With RAMageddon driving up the price of electronics, a $349 device that’s so feature-rich is almost miraculous. Yes, there are similar monitors out there, but none offer this kind of bang for your buck.

I’ve been testing the new Alienware monitor for a week after first seeing it at a press event, and it’s been a revelation. You get a sharp 27-inch 1440p QD-OLED panel with a smooth 240Hz refresh rate and an ultra-low 0.03ms response time. Thanks to those specs, everything looks and runs like a dream. The fact that there are virtually no compromises for the price is wild.

I’ll have my full Alienware AW2726DM review for you soon. Right now, here’s why this affordable gaming monitor has won me over and why I’m ready to buy at least two of them for my own home setup.

Display

Naturally, the star of the show is the display.

While I’m slightly more partial to 34-inch monitors, I won’t say no to a more compact 27-inch display — especially when it looks this good. This size helps the 2560 x 1440 resolution look sharp and lets you clearly see everything on the screen. For work, you also get plenty of space to comfortably keep several windows open.

Cyberpunk 2077 ran buttery-smooth on this monitor, thanks to the 240Hz refresh rate. I also didn’t notice input lag, since the response time is a low 0.03ms. I’ve only seen that on much more expensive monitors. Unless you’re a professional gamer who needs an even higher refresh rate, you won’t be disappointed with the performance.

There are nine main display modes, and each delivers generally oversaturated colors that make games look vibrant. You can see a handful of the modes in the table above for reference.

HDR brightness isn’t all that bright, but that’s something I’ve come to expect from OLED gaming monitors. As you can see above, the brightness is about 340 nits at 10% of the display, so you do get good contrast between dark and light elements. Still, don’t expect eye-scorching levels of brightness even in the dedicated HDR modes.

Design

Since the Alienware AW2726DM is a 27-inch gaming monitor, it’s easy to find a spot for it in just about any gaming or office setup. I’ve been using it at the office, and no one has caught on that it’s a gaming monitor.

The square 8.80-inch stand provides sturdy support. Its flat design lets you easily place items like your phone or an extra controller on it, helping keep your desk tidy. You can glide the monitor 5.2 inches along the stand’s shaft, rotate it 90 degrees, and tilt it 5/21 degrees. There’s also a bearing ring on the base that lets you turn the entire thing 360 degrees.

The monitor has a simple, all-black design that I quite like. There’s an understated Alienware logo on the right side, but nothing else beyond that. One concern is that there is no RGB lighting, even for the logo. I personally don’t mind this since I’m somewhat neutral on RGB lighting, but it’s worth noting as one of the few trade-offs.

Alienware AW2726DM Outlook

I still need to test more games before rendering my final verdict, but given what you get for the price, I can already see the Alienware AW2726DM finding a spot on our best gaming monitors guide. You get a sharp, vivid display with excellent performance in an easy-to-manage design. It ticks all the right boxes.

At the risk of undermining my own review, I say just go out and buy the Alienware AW2726DM now. As I said, I’m seriously considering buying a pair for myself. That price is extremely enticing. But if you’d rather wait for my full review before pulling the trigger, keep it locked here. Stay tuned!

More from Tom's Guide

• Pragmata is my favorite surprise game of 2026
• I’ve used a MacBook as my primary computer for two weeks
• I just tested the Dell XPS 16 and it’s my new favorite Windows laptop

We’ve spent the last two years talking about whether AI will take our jobs. But maybe we should’ve been asking if it’s going to take our water and power. In a viral speech that just ground a massive Ohio tech expansion to a halt, one ex-insider reminded us that while the “cloud” sounds airy and ethereal, it’s actually a hungry, thirsty beast made of copper and chemicals.

Will Hollingsworth is a former programmer, content creator and digital artist who used Midjourney in his role and (in his own words) trained “the very machine that would eventually replace me." He recently took a stand during a public hearing in Ravenna, Ohioand and made an incredibly powerful speech about how this aggressive data center buildout is a big gamble. His argument: companies are fearing being left behind — these decisions are not being made because of a proven sustained demand for AI subscriptions.

Brilliant speech of an employee against the ai bubble from r/pcmasterrace

And at the end of the day, there are very real consequences. Data centers are massive energy vampires that put a strain on electricity grids; they consume so much water that could be going to humanity, and massive, windowless buildings bring noise, traffic and resource depletion without providing many local jobs.

Here’s the speech in full, but let me break it down.

What he says and why it matters to you

Hollingsworth made a lot of great points. But to me, three things should concern you.

First, there’s a moment where he references a funny moment in Portage County lore, where the Sheriff's Office posted an AI-generated image on Facebook showing them arresting Bigfoot — joking about deporting him.

But the point he was making by bringing this up is not about Sasquatch, it’s about the fact that the county is being asked to provide 5 million gallons of water a day (enough to support a city of 50,000) so that people can create these images, generate deepfakes or create poems.

In a way, it’s trading life for toys, and you can see just how many liters of water it consumes by going over to watercost.live (over one billion liters today alone).

He called it a “21st century luxury” bought “with a 19th century resource heist,” and highlighted the environmental risks of the forever chemicals used in the specialized cooling systems.

The second major point comes down to the ghost town gamble going on here. Tech giants are spending billions to build data centers and extract vital resources like power (enough power to run as many as 100,000 homes) but often employ fewer than 10 to 50 permanent staff. The argument is that the few jobs created vs the heightened bills and reduced water communities have can be pretty devastating.

And finally, the choice between tech and humanity. “A drop of clean water for a Ravenna child is worth more than a billion AI-generated images.”

There’s much more in this speech in terms of closed-loop cooling, the pay-to-play model of the data center system with self-funded studies giving people a sales pitch rather than the science, and highlighting the landmark Ohio House vote that paused this industry to study it. But these are the key takeaways.

A ‘David vs Goliath’ moment

Outside of this AI bubble causing RAM prices to skyrocket, it’s easy to forget these impacts on critical infrastructure, and how we are ultimately footing the bill for a lot of this — both financially and environmentally.

But what’s most inspirational here is that the people are actually winning out here. By clearly, calmly and articulately laying out the problems here, the committee voted for a one-year moratorium on all new data center projects in the Ravenna-Shalersville area. Reasons cited were exactly the speaker’s points: the water footprint of AI and the environmental risks of forever chemicals.

It shows that grassroots opposition can work at the local level — Hollingsworth spoke the industry’s own language back to the board. And if your town is facing a similar pressure, you can do the same too.

More from Tom's Guide

• PC sales are up, but don’t be fooled — IDC report warns RAMageddon is just getting started
• ‘The squeeze is real’: I spoke to RAM crisis oracle, Carmen Li, about when this nightmare ends — here’s what she told me
• I was high on the Asus Zenbook A14 and A16 with Snapdragon X2 Elite — then something very weird happened to the price

Over the past decade, I’ve looked at over 200 of the best Wi-Fi routers and while giving each a hard workout, I checked their temperature with my trusty Fluke 62 Mini Infrared Thermometer. Its red laser pointer allowed me to nose around the router looking for thermal hotspots. Inefficient sure, but I got pretty good at it.

Lately, I’ve found a better way to take a router’s temperature. I now use Topdon’s TC004 thermal imaging camera that delivers a thermal image instead of random temperature readings. The 3.5-inch display shows temperature as color with a scale on the right.

Here’s how it helped me find the ideal spot for my Wi-Fi router and why I should have invested in a thermal imaging camera years ago.

Seeing is believing

At any time, I can snap a screenshot or shoot video that’s saved on its 64GB of internal storage. They end up in the TC004’s gallery showing four thumbnails at a time. The files can easily be moved on to my computer with the included USB-C cable. Topdon also has Windows transfer software (sorry, no Mac software yet) as well as the TopInfared app for Android and iOS that connects over Wi-Fi to deliver a live view as well as access and synchronize the stored files.

At 18 ounces, the black and blue TC004 feels heavy compared to the 9-ounce Fluke 62 although its grippy handle compensates for that. Sturdily built, the TC004 is protected against dust and water with an IP54 rating. For the clumsy – like me – it’s been engineered to survive a 6-foot drop.

Like the Fluke IR thermometer, Topdon’s thermal camera has a red laser pointer that helps aim the infrared sensor to measure the intensity of heat-carrying infrared wavelengths between 8 and 14 microns; it has a 2 percent accuracy over its -4 to 1,022-degree Fahrenheit range. The 56-degree vertical field of view helps with large items — like a car’s engine — while the 4X digital zoom helps with small ones – like a hot AC adapter.

I started with the heat pattern of my hand, where my warm fingers glowed yellow. The device’s LED lights up the target to add a realistic video overlay on top of the thermal image.

It all came together with a hot Netgear Nighthawk AX6 router in a basement bookshelf. The TC004’s thermal image showed 123 degrees Fahrenheit and a bright yellow hot spot at the apex of the device’s vent. It’s all because I committed the cardinal sin of placing the AX6 where it was starved for cooling air.

After cleaning the dust underneath, I put the AX6 on a vertical stand away from the bookshelf’s wall to self-cool. The temperature dropped to a more reasonable 91 degrees Fahrenheit.

An ideal tool for any tester

Priced at $369, Amazon often sells the Topdon TC004 for $289, making it a hot bargain. If that’s too much for a glorified thermometer, there’s also the $160 Mini version that can’t record video and has a smaller screen.

For my money, the full size TC004 is one of the hottest items in my testing toolkit and I want to keep it that way.

More from Tom’s Guide

• I upgraded to Wi-Fi 7 and it convinced me to finally ditch cable internet for fiber
• FCC just banned sale of all Wi-Fi routers made outside US — what you need to know
• I built a hidden network hub to declutter my home office but it can do so much more