Archives for October 7, 2019

It’s AMD’s new 1080p gaming king.

The Radeon RX 5500 is pulling double duty for AMD: As a desktop card, it’ll offer solid 1080p performance for budget gamers. But it’ll also show up in laptops as the RX 5500M, a slightly less powerful GPU that’ll still deliver decent performance. It was really only a matter of time until AMD gave us something slightly below the RX 5700 and 5700 XT, its latest mid-range desktop GPUS. But it’s more surprising to see AMD make a stand in laptops with a standalone GPU, and not just Vega graphics tied to a Ryzen processor like it has for the past few years.

The desktop and mobile versions of the Radeon RX 5500 will offer 22 Compute Units and 1,408 Stream Processors, but they differ significantly otherwise. The desktop GPU features clock speeds between 1.7GHz and 1.85GHz, 8GB of GDDR6 memory and up to 5.2 TFLOPs. The laptop variant, on the other hand, goes from 1.4GHz to 1.64GHz with 4GB of RAM and 4.6TFLOPs.

While the RX 5700 cards are all about 1,440p gaming (and in a stretch, passable 4K), the RX 5500 is dedicated to delivering a solid 1080p experience. AMD claims you’ll see around 92 FPS in Gears 5 and 60 FPS in Ghost Recon Breakpoint while running in DirectX 11 with medium settings. You’ll also see some pretty significant performance differences against NVIDIA’s GTX 1650: the RX 5500 hits 135 FPS in Overwatch compared to NVIDIA’s 89 FPS, and it also outpaces the GTX 1650 by nearly 50 FPS in Rainbow Six Siege.

On the laptop side, you can expect the RX 5500M to be around 30 percent faster than the GTX 1650. That’s particularly significant, since AMD has effectively been shut out of the gaming laptop market for many years. Now, it finally has a way to take on NVIDIA when it comes to budget gaming notebooks. MSI’s Alpha 15 will be the first laptop to use the RX 5500M, and it’ll also include a Ryzen 7 3750H processor and a 1080p 144Hz display. And yes, AMD says you can expect to see other laptop makers using the RX 5500M soon.

Unfortunately, we don’t have pricing for the new GPUs yet, but I’d wager the desktop version will be competitive with the GTX 1650, which retails for around $150. AMD says the RX 5500, and systems powered by it, will be available in the fourth quarter.

The Onn models are more accessible at $129.

Were you tempted by Roku’s Smart Soundbar and Wireless Subwoofer only to be put off by the $180 price tag? Walmart has your back, provided you’re willing to make some compromises. It’s releasing Onn-branded versions of both devices that start at an easier-to-swallow $129. They don’t appear to have Roku’s voice control remote (just a basic model), but you’re not otherwise giving up too much. They’ll arrive at Walmart stores sometime in the “coming weeks.”

The soundbar is effectively a Roku Ultra built into a 32-inch audio system. In other words, it’s a one-stop shop if you want both a 4K HDR-capable streaming device and a compact TV speaker upgrade. The Wireless Subwoofer, meanwhile, augments the soundbar with 250W 150W of extra oomph for your blockbuster movies. Neither is going to make you regret buying high-end speakers for the living room, but $258 for the combo might be an easy choice if you’re setting up a simple home theater.

Update 10/7 9:55AM ET: Now that the news is official, Walmart and Roku have clarified one conspicuous downgrade: the subwoofer’s power. The Onn version puts out 150W instead of the usual 250W. That’s still a significant amount of kick, but you’re definitely getting less with that $50 price drop.

They have built-in access to Google Assistant and Play Store.

Samsung has released not one, but two follow-up devices to the Chromebook 3, and they’re both just as affordable as their predecessor. The Chromebook 4 has an 11.6-inch HD (1,366 x 768 pixel) display and weighs 2.6 pounds like its predecessor, while the larger Chromebook 4+ has a 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) display and weighs in a bit more at 3.75 pounds. Both devices are powered by a Celeron N4000 processor and can have up to 64GB of storage and up to 6GB of RAM. They also have Gigabit Wi-Fi capabilities, as well as built-in access to Google Assistant and the Play Store.

Samsung says the smaller Chromebook can last up to 12.5 hours on a single charge, though, while the larger one has a shorter battery life that lasts up to 10.5 hours. As you can see in the photos, the smaller device also seems to have wider bezels. You probably won’t leave your bank account empty whichever you choose: Chromebook 4’s prices start at $230, while the Chromebook 4+ will set you back at least $300. They’re now available from Best Buy, Samsung’s website and from select retailers.

You can also score its 3a XL counterpart for $429.

Google’s Pixel 4 is right around the corner, but the hottest deals might be for its budget Pixel 3a and 3a XL counterparts. Amazon has discounted both phones for the first time, cutting $50 off the price to sell the 64GB Pixel 3a for $349 and its larger 3a XL sibling for $429. When the Pixel 4 is likely to cost much more, that makes these deals considerably sweeter if you’re looking for an official Google phone without the frills.

You are making some compromises, although Google is careful to preserve the regular Pixel 3’s best features. Both 3a models have the signature AI-assisted camera technology that leads to top-notch pictures, and they even improve on the formula with a headphone jack and longer battery life. You’re mainly giving up some performance, screen quality and water resistance. If you can accept those trade-offs and don’t think you’ll suffer from buyer’s remorse when the Pixel 4 appears, there’s a good chance you’ll be pleased.