If you're trying to build a gaming setup on a budget, or just want to upgrade to a good gaming monitor that isn't going to hurt your wallet, the Samsung Odyssey G3 is going to be it. This monitor has been around for a little while in Samsung's monitor lineup, but the 2024 version is going to offer some of the best bang for your buck, thanks to its improved specifications over previous models.

An AMD Radeon GPU. | Image: AMD AMD’s Q3 2024 earnings call today wasn’t bullish on gaming revenue overall, but it did confirm a hot new rumor on GPUs — specifically, the launch of AMD’s next-gen RDNA 4 parts early next year. “We are on track to launch the first RDNA4 GPUs in early 2025,” said AMD CEO Lisa Su, and the company confirmed to PCWorld that it’s the first time it’s shared those plans publicly. “In addition to a strong increase in gaming performance, RDNA 4 delivers significantly higher ray tracing performance and adds new AI capabilities,” Su said on the call.AMD confirming those chips might help lend credibility to other leaks, too. Earlier today, a Chiphell leaker rumored that AMD would announce its RDNA 4 graphics at CES 2025 in January, alongside its l... Continue reading…

If you're looking to expand your current desktop setup, you have a few options, with the most common and affordable option being a USB hub. Of course, if you're already maxing out that solution, and are looking for something more robust, a docking station is going to be your best bet. The only problem is that docking stations are expensive, but sometimes you have no other choice.

The Profile Wireless microphones can be clipped or magnetically attached to clothing. | Image: Sennheiser Sennheiser has announced a new portable wireless microphone kit designed to be an affordable and flexible all-in-one solution for content creators and videographers. The Profile Wireless system features a wireless receiver that can be connected to various devices, a pair of compact clip-on transmitters with built-in microphones that can also be used as handheld or tabletop mics, and a mobile charger.The Sennheiser Profile Wireless kit isn’t expected to start shipping until late 2024 or early 2025, but it’s available for preorder starting today for $299. That’s cheaper than both the popular $349 DJI Mic 2 kit, which includes similar hardware, and the Shure MoveMic system, which is $499 when bundled with a wireless receiver. Rode’s... Continue reading…

Illustration: The Verge Amazon has spoiled Apple’s week of Mac announcements by sharing details of the new Mac Mini a bit early. The listing has been pulled but MacRumors managed to grab a few screenshots first.The one tiny image of the new silver Mac Mini shows what appear to be a headphone jack and two front-facing USB-C ports, presumably with at least Thunderbolt 4 support. It’s available with a base or Pro version of the new M4 chipset, with up to 14 CPU cores, 20 GPU cores, 64GB of memory, and 8TB of storage. The backside ports will remain a mystery for now.The M4 will be a significant jump from the M2 found in current Mac Minis, last refreshed in January 2023. That boost in power should help with current and future Apple Intelligence processing, jumping... Continue reading…

I've been a PC gamer most of my life, starting before Intel, AMD, and Nvidia were the dominant forces in PC components. Whether I've built a gaming PC, picked up a prebuilt, or decided to chill out on the couch with a PC gaming handheld, picking the right components for your PC is only part of the equation. You still need an operating system to run your games on, and for most, that's Windows. Out-of-the-box, Windows is a lot better than it used to be for gaming, but it's still set up for general use, so there are a number of tweaks you can make for better performance. Whether it's limiting background tasks or making sure your drivers are on the latest version, all of these tweaks together will enhance your PC gaming experience.

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K is a powerful processor with 24 cores and support for DDR5-6400 memory, though you can push higher with the right system setup. You must install rapid system memory to get the most from this Arrow Lake CPU. Thankfully, with the power of XMP, you can purchase most DDR5 RAM kits available today and have an excellent experience with this processor. Like AMD chips, the faster your modules and the lower the latency, the better the overall system will perform. The sweet spot seems to be in the 7000s to 8000MT/s for Intel Core Ultra CPUs and the 285K will be no exception.

For some users, the Gmail web client is absolutely perfect. Gmail itself is free, and the features included in the web interface are all they need. In professional use, though, Gmail isnt the most effective desktop email client, and it's probably worthwhile to find a more robust alternative. Here are five reasons why Gmail might not be your best email client anymore.

Image: Mr.Nelson design for The Verge / Getty Images An endorsement of democracy, solving problems, and Kamala Harris. Continue reading…

Universal Serial Bus (or USB for short) ports on a PC are typically used for connecting input devices, accessories, and storage drives. The standard has been around since the late 1990s, has evolved over generations, and is now used by billions of devices worldwide. There's a good chance you have one or two connected to your PC right now. You may not realize your system providing power through these ports, but this is a great way to add cool and truly whacky objects to your desk. I've rounded up some bonkers USB devices, in case you've wondered "What else could I plug into a USB port?"

Windows Hello is one of the best features Microsoft has added to Windows, making it easier to sign in and unlock your PC using biometric data such as facial recognition or a fingerprint sensor. Most premium laptops these days come with Windows Hello support, but for a desktop user, you might need some external hardware, such as a USB fingerprint reader or a a webcam that supports facial recognition with IR.

Canon’s budget-friendly VR lens will be available in November with an estimated retail price of $449.99. | Image: Canon Canon has officially announced its new RF-S7.8mm F4 STM Dual lens, which features stereoscopic elements that have been squeezed into a body no larger than a traditional 2D camera lens. It was originally teased during the Apple WWDC 2024 keynote last June and is designed to work with a Canon EOS R7 as a more affordable tool for creators making 3D VR content for headsets like the Meta Quest 3 or spatial videos for the Apple Vision Pro.The company hasn’t set a specific date for when the new 3D lens will be available, but it says it will be sometime in November 2024, with an “estimated retail price” of $449.99. That’s considerably cheaper than Canon’s existing dual-fisheye lenses designed to capture 3D video content, including the $1,999 R... Continue reading…