Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles:
Computers: The ThinkPad X13 (Gen 2) can't quite compete with ThinkPad X1 PCs
Cooling: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240 A-RGB AIO CPU Cooler Review
Gaming: Aliens: Fireteam Elite Review, Aliens: Fireteam Elite Review - Against One, Horror; Against Many, Tragedy, Moga XP5-X Plus Controller Review - Great for Mobile and Cloud Games, Psychonauts 2 on Xbox Series X review: A triumphant return for the franchise, Psychonauts 2 Review - Double Fine's Sequel Is Absolutely Mindblowing, Psychonauts 2 review: A triumphant return for Double Fine Productions
Graphics Cards: Adrenalin Software 21.8.1 Driver Performance Analysis, AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT PCI-Express Scaling, NVIDIA RTX A5000 Special Review - Water-cooled and overclocked workstation beast
Headphones: HarmonicDyne PD1 Review, OnePlus Buds Pro Review: Terrific Features, Tunable Sound, ThieAudio Legacy 2 In-Ear Monitors Review - Beryllium Bang for Buck!
Motherboards: This Gigabyte X570 motherboard is ideal for a compact AMD PC
Storage: SilverStone ECU06 & ECU07 USB-C Expansion Cards
Computers:
Windows Central: The ThinkPad X13 (Gen 2) can't quite compete with ThinkPad X1 PCs
This 13-inch business Ultrabook has a lot going for it, but its pricing puts it alongside Lenovo's ultra high-end X1 brand. Check out all the second-gen changes and where it might make sense to buy.
Review: The ThinkPad X13 (Gen 2) can't quite compete with ThinkPad X1 PCs
Cooling:
NikKTech: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240 A-RGB AIO CPU Cooler Review
ARCTIC just added RGB and A-RGB on two members of their very popular and award winning Liquid Freezer II AIO line and so today I’ll be testing the dual-fan 240 variant.
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240 A-RGB AIO CPU Cooler Review
Gaming:
MMORPG.com: Aliens: Fireteam Elite Review
The Alien franchise is full of hits and misses. The first two movies of the franchise? Hits. The third? Miss. The prequels and sequels since then have also been a mixed bag. And the video games based on the franchise follow suit. Aliens: Colonial Marines was some hot garbage, but that was followed up by Alien: Isolation which is considered one of the best games in the franchise. But how does Aliens: Fireteam Elite hold up?
Aliens: Fireteam Elite Review | MMORPG.com
Wccftech: Aliens: Fireteam Elite Review - Against One, Horror; Against Many, Tragedy
Despite being the first big action title in the universe since Isolation, players might consider Aliens: Fireteam Elite expendable.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite Review - Against One, Horror; Against Many, Tragedy
Wccftech: Moga XP5-X Plus Controller Review - Great for Mobile and Cloud Games
The Moga XP5-X Plus is a great mobile controller with a lightweight, comfortable design, battery pack, and a few extra buttons for your games
Moga XP5-X Plus Controller Review - Great for Mobile and Cloud Games
Neowin: Psychonauts 2 on Xbox Series X review: A triumphant return for the franchise
Psychonauts 2 is the latest adventure from Double Fine Productions. Razputin Aquato - now a Psychonaut intern - embarks on a new mission that will test everything he's learned over the years.
Psychonauts 2 on Xbox Series X review: A triumphant return for the franchise
Wccftech: Psychonauts 2 Review - Double Fine's Sequel Is Absolutely Mindblowing
Psychonauts 2 delivers on everything: old-school platforming with precision, a style that never falters and a world begging to be explored.
Psychonauts 2 Review - Double Fine's Sequel Is Absolutely Mindblowing
Windows Central: Psychonauts 2 review: A triumphant return for Double Fine Productions
After 16 years, the follow-up to Double Fine Productions’ classic platformer Psychonauts has finally arrived. Does Psychonauts 2 have the brainpower to live up to over a decade of expectations? In short. Yes. Hell yes.
Psychonauts 2 review: A triumphant return for Double Fine Productions
Graphics Cards:
BabelTechReviews: Adrenalin Software 21.8.1 Driver Performance Analysis
Adrenalin Software 21.8.1 driver performance analysis with an AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT (Reference) benchmarking 22 PC games.
Adrenalin Software 21.8.1 Driver Performance Analysis
TechPowerUp: AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT PCI-Express Scaling
When the Radeon RX 6600 XT launched with an interface limited to PCI-Express 4.0 x8, lots of discussion emerged about how AMD crippled the bandwidth, and how much it affects the gaming experience. In this article, we're taking a close look at exactly that, comparing 22 titles running at PCIe 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, and even 1.1. Frametimes are included, too.
AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT PCI-Express Scaling
IgorsLAB: NVIDIA RTX A5000 Special Review - Water-cooled and overclocked workstation beast
We’ve had it so many times: NVIDIA and AMD workstation graphics cards can’t (and shouldn’t) be overclocked. And yet, by chance, I found a way to do just that with the RTX A5000 for once. After the first test, I now go one better and even cool the card with waterblock and chiller to really expose all available boost steps. And yes, there’s really something going on, because the beat is skyrocketing! The performance of the card with 230 Watt TBP is far above what you get from the factory!
NVIDIA RTX A5000 Special Review - Water-cooled and overclocked workstation beast
Headphones:
MMORPG.com: HarmonicDyne PD1 Review
HarmonicDyne made its name on excellent open-back over-ear headphones that were perfect for audiophiles and gamers alike. We have its first hybrid in-ear in for review, blending planar and dynamic drivers into a premium package. Find out how it fares in our review!
HarmonicDyne PD1 Review | MMORPG.com
HotHardware: OnePlus Buds Pro Review: Terrific Features, Tunable Sound
OnePlus Buds Pro are $149 earbuds that offer compelling features (like ANC and wireless charging) but finicky sound that needs tuning.
OnePlus Buds Pro Review: Terrific Features, Tunable Sound
TechPowerUp: ThieAudio Legacy 2 In-Ear Monitors Review - Beryllium Bang for Buck!
ThieAudio breaks the sub-$100 barrier with the all-new Legacy 2 hybrid IEMs using one beryllium dynamic driver and one balanced armature driver. Promising ultra-fast and impactful bass coupled to neutral and accurate mids and highs, the former in particular is going to interest audiophiles.
ThieAudio Legacy 2 In-Ear Monitors Review - Beryllium Bang for Buck!
Motherboards:
Windows Central: This Gigabyte X570 motherboard is ideal for a compact AMD PC
Looking for an AMD motherboard that can fit inside a compact PC case? Gigabyte has one with the AMD X570 chipset and can easily handle even an AMD Ryzen 9 5950X.
Review: This Gigabyte X570 motherboard is ideal for a compact AMD PC
Storage:
Quick Look: SilverStone ECU06 & ECU07 USB-C Expansion Cards
While USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gbps connectivity is widely available on modern motherboards, there are plenty of scenarios where the theoretical 1.25 GB/s transfer speeds are insufficient. The SilverStone ECU06 and ECU07 provide USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interfaces capable of 20 Gbps or 2.5 GB/s, thus allowing for an easy upgrade path as long as a PCIe 3.0 x4 expansion slot is present.
Quick Look: SilverStone ECU06 & ECU07 USB-C Expansion Cards