ISSUE 379|COMPUTERSHOPPER|SEPTEMBER (^201915)
WE’VEMENTIONEDBEFOREhow AMD has
been makingacomebackover the past couple
of years, with the Ryzen processorsbringing
proper competitionto Intel’s Core line-up,and
the RadeonRX graphicscards offering decent
pixel-pushingpower forcompetitiveprices.
But AMD’sprocessorswere still kept at bay
by Intel’s CPUs in single-coreand gaming
performance,while Nvidia’s GeForce RTX
graphicscards beat RadeonGPUs in terms of
advanced features and high-endperformance.
However,the third-generationRyzen
processorstap intoamore efficient CPU
architecture,havefaster clock speedsand can
handle 15% more instructionsper clock than
Ryzen CPUs based on the first-generationZen
architecture,accordingto AMD.Inearly
benchmarks,albeit AMD’sown, the top-end
new Ryzens equal or beat equivalent Core
processors,yet come in at cheaperprices.
On the graphicsside,it’s asimilar story.
AMD’snew Navi Radeoncards look to
challengeNvidia’s GeForce RTX2060 and RTX
SOWHAT?
GDPRcompliance
The UK’s data protection watchdog, the
InformationCommissioner’s Office,
discovered that its website’scookie
policy was in breach of the General
Data Protection Regulation
Windows pricing
Higgs boson particle
seeker CERN has opted for
Linux-based operating
systems rather than
moving from Windows 7
to Windows10, citing cost as the reason
Laptop safety
Since 2016, 58 NHS hospitalshave
managedto lose almost 1,300 electronic
devices, many of which were laptops
and tablets,accordingto researchfrom
the ParliamentStreet think-tank
Tech payequality
Whitetechnologyworkersacross the
globe earn an average $7,000 more than
Hispanicworkersand $11,000more
than black workers,accordingto Hired
Zuckbucks
Facebookwill launch acryptocurrency
called Libra next year,but the firm won’t
controlit directly,sothe privacy-
consciouscan breath alittle easier
EE 5G
5G has finally launchedproperlyin the
UK, with EE leadingthe charge by
switching on its next-generationservice
in Belfast, Birmingham,Cardiff,
Edinburgh,London and Manchester
Core blimey
Overclockingselect Intel Core
processorsjust got easier with the Intel
PerformanceMaximisertool, which
cleverly and automaticallyoverclocksa
user’s CPU to suit its ‘individualDNA’
Packingwood
HP has unveiledits Envy Wood Series,
which slathersits mid-rangelaptops
with achoice of wood finishes
THISTRADEBANmight seem to be the
domainof politicsand big business,but it could
have adirect effect on you. And although
Googleand others are challengingthe ban, it
doesn’t look like it’ll be lifted any time soon.
This is aproblem,as Huawei
makes impressivephones;you
might not like its take on
Android,but its hardwareis
top-notch. But with no future
Androidsupportfrom Google,
its flagshiphandsetswill be
severely neutered.
Having access to core Googleservicesand
the PlayStore,with all the apps it provides, is
essentialforAndroid handsetsoutsideChina;
inside China, many Googleservicesare blocked
so the trade ban isn’t as significant.
But no Googlesupportmeans no Google
servicesforHuawei phones;nor does it appear
theywill get securityupdates after August.
The irony here is that Huaweiphonesare
pretty safe; all the US government’sconcerns
are centredaroundtelecomsinfrastructure.
Huaweihas said it will make its own
operatingsystem, but Googlehas warnedthe
US that if Huaweibases it on the open-source
versionof Androidthen it could end up
creatingaless secure mobile OS than Google’s
own full version.
Googlehas warnedthis will
have the effect of leadingto a
less secure situationforthe
US, as it could result in Huawei
having an OS that’s easier to
hack than Android.
Huaweihas also been
makingwaveswithitsMateBooklaptopline-up.
But no Windows10 supportwill effectively
make that difficultto recommendin the future,
This is pretty bad news forpeople after
well-priced,well-speccedand well-made
laptops. It also stymiesinnovation in the
computingworld.
Huaweihas remainedfairly confidentin
hopingto resolvethe situation,but the sheer
weight of the ban it currentlyfaces is quite
the hurdle to overcome.
SOWHAT?
2070 GPUs; the top-end RTX2080 and 2080 Ti
will remainthe target of the RadeonVII.
AMD’sown benchmarksshowcasesome
solid performancefrom the RX 5700 cards. Yet
these cards are cheaperthan their rivals, and
with AMD’shistory of aggressivepricing,we
wouldn’t be surprisedto see the cards get a
price cut once the launch buzz dies down.
AMD hasn’t gone down the ray-tracing
route, but the RX 5700 modelsbring in some
slick features, such as RadeonImage
Sharpening,which uses GPU upscalingto
sharpengraphicsthat might have been
smoothedout by post-processingeffects on
high-resolutiondisplays. And RadeonAnti-Lag
aims to reduce the lag betweenhitting abutton
and somethinghappeningon the screen.
AMD’snew Radeoncards look to offer
some renewedcompetitionin the mid-range
graphicsarena. As aresult, rumoursabound
that Nvidia will be offering new boosted RTX
cards offering more performance,while cutting
the price of its currentGeForce range.
Wedidnot
expectthey
wouldattackuson
somanyaspects”
HuaweiCEORenZhengfei
c. jardin
(C. Jardin)
#1