Razer, the leading lifestyle brand for gamers, announced today its all-new 27-inch gaming monitor concept, the Razer Raptor. The desktop screen will be unveiled at CES 2019 as an early-design-phase model, with production units slated for release later this year. Razer Co-Founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan says, "Razer has worked alongside partners in the past to bring the Razer experience to monitors, but the full potential was never fully realized. We have decided to tackle this space on our own and are very excited to expand our presence to include desktop displays."

ASUS today announced TUF Gaming FX505DY and TUF Gaming FX705DY, a pair of gaming laptops powered by the latest AMD Ryzen 5 3550H processor, with up to 32GB of RAM, and a range of storage options. This new platform is paired with discrete Radeon graphics tightly coupled to vivid FreeSync displays. Slim bezels frame the NanoEdge displays to further enhance immersion and shrink the overall footprint, while the reinforced chassis help the machines survive everyday life. Intelligently designed and carefully built, FX505DY and FX705DY balance performance, battery life, and affordability to provide a better gaming experience.

AMD's Ryzen processors have taken desktops by storm, and TUF Gaming laptops lead the deployment of the newest version. Otherwise known as Picasso, this 2nd Gen Ryzen Mobile APU is built with industry-leading 12 nm technology. The Ryzen 5 3550H chip powering FX505DY and FX705DY boasts four cores and eight threads that deliver capable performance for popular games and everyday work. Multithreaded performance is particularly strong, yet the processor fits into a 35W power envelope that doesn't compromise battery life.

GIGABYTE's gaming brand AORUS has been expanding its product portfolio to just about any piece of kit a PC gamer can and will buy. From graphics cards to motherboards, RAM, and all manner of peripherals, there's little pieces of hardware that were missing - and AORUS is apparently preparing the last piece of the puzzle in the form of a FreeSync compatible monitor.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced three new monitors: the modern and minimalist Samsung Space Monitor, the CRG9 designed for an unparalleled gaming experience and the UR59C, a stunning 4K UHD curved monitor ideal for content creators. Each monitor offers the best in technology ranging from ultra-wide screens and lifelike colors for immersive gaming to space-saving designs that increase productivity.

"Samsung's latest monitor lineup is incredibly versatile, and demonstrates our commitment to continued innovation and leadership in the category," said Seog-gi Kim, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. "All of these monitors are part of our larger strategy this year, to keep giving you choices so you can get what you want- beautiful, hardworking devices that inspire you to do more."

Acer announced the release of another FreeSync monitor to their lineup. The Predator XR343CKP offers a 34", ultrawide, curved IPS panel with a 3440 x 1440 resolution. Being an IPS panel, the 1 ms response time (with MPRT, so, an added blur reduction mode is taken into account for this response time) is a premium specification. It features an up to 100 Hz refresh rate with FreeSync technology enabling variable refreshes without screen tearing.

The panel offers a typical 1,000:1 contrast ratio with a relatively low 350 cd/m² typical brightness, 172/178 viewing angles, 1.07 billion color depth and standard sRGB color gamut. Display Inputs include HDMI, DisplayPort, and 5x USB ports. All of this can be available for the modest amount of $1799... Which isn't at all the number I expected to be quitting based on the specs alone, and looking at other market offerings. But that's what's being shown on Acer's page - though some retailers, such as Amazon Germany, are offering this for some €893 (~$1000), which is much more realistic.

You know RGB LED lighting as a"feature" has hit critical mass when it starts getting integrated into monitors. Enter ViewSonics XG240R with it's ELITE RGB accent lighting, which is part of the ELITE RGB Alliance that includes; Thermaltake, Razer, and Cooler Master. Supposedly the accent lighting on this monitor can be synced with other peripherals. However, no details have been given on how that will work just yet. Still, love it or hate it RGB LED illumination is helping sell products, and now ViewSonic is ready to join the party, as for the panel itself it is the same 144 Hz, 1080p, WLED backlight, TN offering used in the XG2402 monitor released previously. No high refresh rate monitor is complete without some form of adaptive sync, with this model, in particular, using FreeSync with a range of 48 Hz to 144 Hz and has a 1 ms response time with Overdrive enabled and a 5 ms response time without.

Viewing comfort with the XG240R and the XG2402 was a priority for ViewSonic with both monitors having height, tilt, pivot, and swivel adjustment options. Connectivity is also quite robust featuring 2x USB Type A 3.0 ports, 1x USB Type B 3.0 port, 2x HDMI 1.4 ports, 1x DisplayPort, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Overall the XG240R has a good set of features, excellent connectivity and a high refresh rate all at a suggested MSRP of $272.99. Meaning the inclusion of the RGB accent lighting will only cost you $10 more over the XG2402.The full specification list follows.

LG has announced another bang-for-buck entry in their monitor line-up, which is usually one of the best in the specs-pricing department. For the modest amount of $349, the 32QK500-W is a 31,5" affair with a QHD (2560*1440) resolution, which supports AMD's FreeSync technology for synchronized refresh rates and greater fluidity in gaming. There's an 8-bit + FRC IPS panel, with a minimum 250 cd/m² brightness (300 typical), which isn't much, but should be enough to be used in a not-too-bright room.

Of course, some of the panel's specifications do point towards the cost-cutting that needed to be done in order to get it to this price-point; the brightness isn't anything to go by (not even close), the FreeSync support tops out at a maximum of 75 Hz, and the 8 ms response time is enough for casual gaming, but not for cutthroat competitive gaming. Some LG technologies such as Black Stabilizer, Crosshairs, and Reading Mode are available. Output connectors stand at 2x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort, and 1x MiniDP, with an additional headphone jack. The monitor is VESA wall-mountable.

AMD today released their yearly driver update called Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition v18.2.2. For the past three years, the company has been releasing year-end feature-packed updates to Radeon Software. The 2017 version saw the introduction of Radeon Software "Adrenalin", before which we had Crimson/ReLive and Omega. The company also sped up its driver release cycle to match AAA game releases, and over the years, increased its reliability score and customer satisfaction. With Radeon Software Adrenalin, AMD is targeting three key consumer segments: Gamers, Enthusiasts, and Creators.

Introducing the brand-new AOC G2590PX G2 Esports Signature Edition gaming monitor. Created in partnership with G2's sponsor and favorite display provider AOC, this special edition monitor combines performance, style and affordability into one package ensuring a smooth, tear and stutter-free gameplay experience. AOC designed this specialized G90 monitor specifically for the G2 Esports professional teams and all gamers who want to upgrade the look of their battle station.

You can find our launch-day reviews of the Radeon RX 590 here: Sapphire RX 590 Nitro+, XFX RX 590 Fatboy

AMD today unveiled the Radeon RX 590 graphics card, an advanced 12 nm GPU designed to deliver amazing gaming experiences and outstanding performance for the latest AAA, eSports and Virtual Reality (VR) titles.

Powered by AMD "Polaris" architecture, the AMD Radeon RX 590 graphics card provides faster clock speeds for higher gaming performance than the AMD Radeon RX 580 graphics card2, and delivers up to 20 percent or higher performance-per-dollar than the competition. Paired with the advanced AMD Radeon FreeSync gaming display technology and loaded with the latest AMD Radeon Software features, the AMD Radeon RX 590 graphics card delivers an exceptional gaming experience.

AMD is very close to launching its new Radeon RX 590 graphics card, targeting a middle-of-market segment that sells in high volumes, particularly with Holiday around the corner. The card is based on the new 12 nm "Polaris 30" silicon, which has the same exact specifications as the "Polaris 20" silicon, and the original "Polaris 10," but comes with significantly higher clock-speed headroom thanks to the new silicon fabrication process, which AMD and its partners will use to dial up engine clock speed by 10-15% over those of the RX 580. While the memory is still 8 Gbps 256-bit GDDR5, some partners will ship overclocked memory.

According to a slide deck seen by VideoCardz, AMD is setting the baseline price of the Radeon RX 590 at USD $279.99, which is about $50 higher than RX 580 8 GB, and $40 higher than the price the RX 480 launched at. AMD will add value to that price by bundling three AAA games, including "Tom Clancy's The Division 2," "Devil May Cry 5," and "Resident Evil 2." The latter two titles are unreleased, and the three games together pose a $120-150 value. AMD will also work with monitor manufacturers to come up with graphics card + AMD FreeSync monitor bundles.

AOC, a worldwide leader in monitor display technology, today announces the V2 Series of frameless monitors with a gorgeous slim design and advanced IPS panel. The V2 Series includes three monitors: a 22-inch (22V2H), 24-inch (24V2H) and 27-inch (27V2H) model. The entire line sports a Full HD IPS panel with frameless design and AMD FreeSync technology. The true zero-edge design makes them perfect for multi-monitor setups in the home office. The V2 Series is available at Amazon and Newegg starting at $99.99.

The V2 Series offers great image quality at its full HD resolution; the monitor itself also features a gorgeous ultra slim design. The line uses an advanced IPS panel which produces brilliant colors and offers wide viewing angles. The monitor is perfect for home entertainment or professional tasks such as watching videos, editing photos or gaming.

AOC, a worldwide leader in monitor display technology, today announces the first member of the premium AGON monitor line with HDR support, the AG322QC4 gaming monitor. The AG322QC4 is a curved 32-inch, QHD HDR gaming monitor with a refresh rate of 144Hz, 4ms response time and AMD's FreeSync2 technology. FreeSync2 is AMD's HDR-compatible technology. This monitor is made for enthusiast gamers, who want both high-performance visuals without stutter, screen tearing or motion blur, and a gorgeous visual experience with HDR. This is AOC's first monitor with Display HDR400 certification.

The 32-inch monitor features a 2560 x 1440 QHD screen with a 1800R curve. The curved VA panel offers vibrant colors with high dynamic range for a more exciting and immersive visual experience to be enjoyed while gaming. The display also covers 85 percent of the NTSC. The AG322QC4's curve conforms to the way the eye sees and helps reduce eye fatigue.

Being able to play at 4K resolutions is a palpable reality that has been consolidated with the launch of the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2000 Series. To do so, however, it is necessary to have a monitor with 4K support, and that is where LG Electronics has put its new bet in this area on the table. The new LG 32UK5500-B is a monitor with 4K resolution (3840 x 2160), HDR10 support, and covers 95% of the DCI-P3 color space (100% sRGB color gamut). Also important, it integrates AMD FreeSync technology to offer a dynamic refresh rate that in this case can hit between 40 and 60 Hz.

This new monitor is based on a 31.5-inch VA panel (178°/178° viewing angles) that is factory-calibrated. The display offers its users a native brightness of 300 nits, a contrast ratio of 3000:1, a response time of 4 ms GtG and a refresh rate of 60 Hz, but there are other features clearly oriented to gamers.

AMD today released the latest version of Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition. Version 18.9.3 beta comes just in time for "Assassin's Creed: Odyssey," posting up to 5% higher performance at 1440p, when tested with a Radeon RX Vega 64; and up to 3% higher performance at 1080p, tested with an RX 580. The game also comes with optimization for "Forza Horizon 4," although AMD did not put out performance guidance for that game. AMD also addressed a couple of issues, beginning with fixing a stutter observed when exceeding FreeSync refresh-rate range in some high frame-rate scenarios. Also addressed is machines with 16 CPU cores experiencing a random system reboot during driver installation, when upgrading from 18.8.1 drivers. Grab the drivers from the link below.DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 18.9.3 beta

The change-log follows.

Acer has announced two incoming budget-yet-premium gaming monitors to power AMD's FreeSync-supporting graphics cards. The new XZ1 series will come in 27" (XZ271U) and 31.5" (XZ321QU), thus appealing to two different market segments. The new monitors both sport a 144 Hz, 1 ms, 16:9 VA panel with WQHD (2560 x 1440) resolution. Both are curved affairs; contrast stands at 3000:1; color coverage is at 85% of the NTSC color-space; and we're saying they are HDR10 ready because with their maximum brightness of 250 and 300 cd/m², respectively, they'll never be able to showcase the tiniest amount of HDR10 detail. Like the initial HD ready TVs which only supported 720p resolution but could process higher-density images, so does this HDR10 badge not mean there's an actual ability to properly display HDR10 content as it was meant to be.

Connectivity stands at 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x mini DisplayPort 1.2, and 2x HDMI 2.0 headers. There are two 7 W stereo speakers and a headphone jack in each monitor, as well as a quad-port USB 3.0 Type-A hub. The stands can tilt between -5 to 25 degrees, swivel +/- 25 degrees, and provide height adjustments of up to 120 mm. Both panels can now be purchased at Amazon.com, with pricing set at $527 and $550 respectively (not final retail pricing for the Americas).

Today EPI, the brand license partner for Philips monitors and leading technology company, announces the availability of the Philips E Series. The E Series includes three monitors - a 27-inch (276E9QDSB), 24-inch (246E9QDSB) and 22-inch (226E9QDSB). This family of professional monitors provides vivid color in a stylish, minimal design. With an IPS panel with wide viewing angles and incredibly narrow side bezels, the E series is especially suited for a multi-display or tiling setup for graphic design or professional applications. The E line is available at Newegg starting at $109.99.

The Philips E Line features stylish design with extraordinary picture performance. The display is a Full HD IPS panel with a wide range of colors that provides better viewing angles and high color accuracy for color-intensive tasks like photo editing or graphic design. Users can expect to see more realistic colors and a true-to-life picture.

LG unveiled their new UltraGear lineup of desktop, gaming-oriented monitors, which bring top of the line features for gamers. The monitors both feature a 34" diagonal and a 3440x1440 resolution. They both feature a 21:9 aspect ratio; brightness is left at a relatively sparse 400 nits (with VESA's DisplayHDR standard compliance) and static contrast only reaches 1000:1. The G-Sync panel (UltraGear 34GK950G-B) offers up to 120 Hz refresh rates with 4 ms GtG response times (via overclocking, only 100 Hz out-of-the-box), while the FreeSync 2 monitor (34GK950F-B) brings that up a notch to 144 Hz with 5 ms GtG response times.

The usage of nanoparticles applied to the screen's LED backlighting serves to absorb excess light wavelengths and improve intensity, purity, and accuracy of the on-screen colors - LG claims that both LCDs can display 1.07 billion colors while covering 98% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. There's ULMB support for the NVIDIA monitor and a similar technology for the FreeSync 2 display; LG's proprietary DAS (Dynamic Action Sync) which follows TV's Game Mode to cut post-processing of images to reduce lag; and there are brightness presets according to game types (FPS, RTS) for the G-Sync panel, while the FreeSync 2 features a black stabilizer tech.

AOC, a worldwide leader in monitor display technology, today announces the new G1 Series of curved gaming monitors. This affordable line of gaming monitors packs powerful gaming specifications in an understated design with incredibly thin bezels, making them a perfect fit for the ultimate battle station. The G1 series is made up of four monitors - a 32-inch QHD (CQ32G1), 32-inch (C32G1), 27-inch (C27G1) and 24-inch (C24G1). The G1 series is available now starting at $229.99.

The G1 series provides an immersive gaming experience with its Full HD (QHD for the CQ32G1) resolution and 1800R (1500R for the C24G1) curved design. Additionally, it provides smooth and fluid gameplay with a 144Hz refresh rate, AMD FreeSync and a 1ms MPRT response time. With a 144Hz frame rate, every frame is rendered sharply and in smooth succession, so users can line up their shots accurately and can appreciate high-speed races in all their glory.

Intel's Chris Hook (there's something strange there) said in a conversation with r/Hardware's moderator dylan522p that the company is still planning on adding support for VESA's Adaptive Sync (also known as AMD's own FreeSync branding) in Intel GPUs. To put this in perspective, Intel is the single largest player in the overall graphics market; their integrated solutions mean they have the highest graphics accelerator share in the market, even against AMD and NVIDIA - and Intel hasn't even entered the discrete graphics market - yet.

It makes sense that the blue giant would be pursuing this option - royalty-free frame syncing beats developing a proprietary alternative. A quick thought-exercise could point towards NVIDIA's G-Sync being rendered irrelevant with such strong support from the industry.

Acer at IFA 2018 today announced new monitors catering to both NVIDIA and AMD users - those who want to take advantage of either G-Sync or FreeSync capabilities in gamer-centric monitors, that is. As it stands, Acer has been using the Predator branding for its G-Sync enabled monitors, while the Nitro lineup stands on AMD's side. For NVIDIA, Acer is sticking its guns on the single XB273K - a $1,299 with G-Sync, 144 Hz refresh rates, and an IPS panel, running at 4K resolution. The Predator XB273K covers 90 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut, and is VESA DisplayHDR 400-certified. It also offers Acer's exclusive VisionCare technology to help your eyes manage long gaming sessions with technologies including flicker-free, low-dimming and blue light emission reduction. Oh - and it includes a shroud to protect your gaming feats from prying eyes.

Today, gamers around the world will face off against an ancient, forgotten evil power in the highly anticipated Strange Brigade. AMD and Rebellion have worked closely to ensure smooth, immersive gameplay on Radeon RX Graphics in Strange Brigade.

• FreeSync 2 HDR: Brings low-latency, high-brightness pixels and a wide color gamut to High Dynamic Range (HDR) content for PC displays, enabling Strange Brigade to preserve details in scenes that may otherwise be lost due to limited contrast ratios. Ultimately, it lets bright scenes to appear much brighter and dark scenes to be truly dark - all while keeping details visible.
• Asnychronous Compute: Strange Brigade by default has asynchronous compute enabled improving GPU utilization, input latency, efficiency and performance by tapping into GPU resources that would otherwise be underutilized. For example, running various screen space effects during the shadow map rendering.

Newer generations of NVIDIA GPUs such as "Pascal" and "Maxwell" meet or exceed the hardware requirements of AMD FreeSync, as they feature DisplayPort 1.4 connectors that include the features of DisplayPort 1.2a, required for VESA adaptive sync. In a bid to promote its own G-SYNC technology, NVIDIA doesn't expose this feature to monitors or software that support FreeSync. Redditor "bryf50" may have found a way around this. The trick is deceptively simple, however, you'll need games that support on-the-fly switching of rendering GPUs, and an AMD Radeon graphics card at hand.

When poking around with system settings in "Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth," bryf50 discovered that you can switch the "rendering GPU" on the fly, without having to physically connect your display to that newly selected GPU. You can start the game with your display connected to VGA1 (an AMD Radeon GPU), and switch the renderer in-game to VGA2 (an NVIDIA GPU). FreeSync should continue to work, while you enjoy the performance of that NVIDIA GPU. In theory, this should allow you to pair your high-end GTX 1080 Ti with a $50 RX 550 that supports FreeSync, instead of paying the $200+ G-SYNC tax.

Samsung Electronics has expanded its ground-breaking curved display line-up upon the global launch of the new CJ79 (Model name: C34J791) monitor. The CJ79 34-inch curved monitor is the first of its kind to feature Intel's Thunderbolt 3 connectivity.

Compatible with Macs and PCs, the CJ79 features two Thunderbolt 3 ports that transmit display, data and power at a superhero processing speed of up to 40 Gigabits per second (Gpbs), eight times faster than USB 3.0, and simultaneously charges devices up to 85 watts(W), all through a single cable.

ASUS today introduced the VP248QGL-P, a cost-effective 24-inch gaming-grade monitor with AMD FreeSync technology support. If you can get past the TN-film panel with 1080p resolution, you'll also find that it features response times as low as 1 ms, and up to 75 Hz refresh-rates. Viewing angles are 170°/160° (H/V). Among its feature-set is ASUS Splendid display management software, blue light filtering, and ASUS GamePlus, which is a collection of game genre-specific display presets. Display inputs include one each of DisplayPort 1.2a, HDMI 1.4a, and D-Sub. Stereo speakers and 3.5 mm-jack make for the rest of it. Expect a sub-$175 price.