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Hardware

Reviews, tutorials and articles about hardware components, laptops, smartphones, computers, and gadgets of all kinds. Learn how to manage your hardware and its settings.

review ASUS ROG Strix RX 6650 XT Gaming 8GB OC Edition review

ASUS ROG Strix RX 6650 XT Gaming 8GB OC Edition review

During the last months, AMD launched a couple of new graphics cards based on the RDNA2 architecture, with fairly good retail recommended prices. In an attempt to match Nvidia’s propositions, the current AMD gaming GPUs sometimes amaze with their specs, while sometimes not so much. One of the newest AMD graphics cards is the Radeon RX 6650 XT, which comes with slightly higher clocks
tutorial What is XMP? How to enable XMP to speed up your RAM

What is XMP? How to enable XMP to speed up your RAM

Ever wondered what XMP means and does? Did you read about memory modules that support XMP? Or maybe you’ve heard a friend talk about RAM SPD, JEDEC, overclocking, and XMP? Read on if you want to know more about XMP, what it is, and how to use XMP profiles on your computer. In this guide, we’re explaining everything, including how to check whether your
review Intel Core i9-12900K review: A beast in every way!

Intel Core i9-12900K review: A beast in every way!

The 12th generation of Intel processors proved to be a significant leap forward for the silicon giant. After a couple of years of lagging behind AMD, the company is back on track and back in pole position. Its Alder Lake processors are powerful and fast, and all of them seem to outmatch their direct competitors. Except for Intel’s Core i9-12900K, a high-end proposition that
review Synology RT6600ax review: Exceptional in many ways!

Synology RT6600ax review: Exceptional in many ways!

Synology is a less known brand in the world of consumer electronics and some people know the company only for its advanced Network Attached Storage (NAS) solutions. However, Synology also manufactures wireless routers for consumers and small businesses. It has a few models, accompanied by outstanding firmware and software support, and they just launched their first Wi-Fi 6 router - Synology RT6600ax. Yes, it’s
review Kingston Fury Renegade SSD review: High-end storage for enthusiasts

Kingston Fury Renegade SSD review: High-end storage for enthusiasts

Kingston continues to amaze us with the extremely fast storage devices it designs. The last one, reviewed in this article, is called the Fury Renegade, and its technical specs are, simply put, incredible. It can theoretically read data sequentially at a speed of 7.3 GB/s! And writing is done at up to 7 GB/s! If you want high-performance storage, then this solid-state drive might
review Kingston Fury Beast DDR5-6000 32GB review: It’s super fast!

Kingston Fury Beast DDR5-6000 32GB review: It’s super fast!

DDR5 RAM is slowly but surely going to replace DDR4, and although the prices I’ve seen are still quite high, the good news is that nowadays, it looks like you can actually find DDR5 memory modules in stores. Kingston is one of the companies that do quite well in this market, their best DDR5 RAM to date being the Kingston Fury Beast DDR5-6000 32GB.
review Xiaomi Mi Router AX9000 review: Loads of power and potential!

Xiaomi Mi Router AX9000 review: Loads of power and potential!

When I first looked at pictures of the Xiaomi Mi Router AX9000 and its official specifications, I was impressed and looking forward to test it. This router has a daring design, powerful hardware, and it can work with 2.5 Gbps internet connections that are slowly gaining ground all over the world. But how do all these elements translate into the real-life experience of users?
article Fast charging standards: How many are there? How are they different?

Fast charging standards: How many are there? How are they different?

Many smartphones offer support for fast charging technologies. By using them, our smartphones can charge a lot quicker than older smartphones could. That can only be a good thing considering how fast modern processors have become and how much energy our smartphones need. Unfortunately, there are a lot of different fast-charging standards used by hardware manufacturers, and while some are compatible with others, some
review Xiaomi 12 review: Great high-end compact Android smartphone

Xiaomi 12 review: Great high-end compact Android smartphone

Stores everywhere seem to be filled with devices made and sold by Xiaomi. The company has become one of the biggest players in the tech world, and the Android market is one of its main targets. On top of price-accessible phones, Xiaomi also offers high-end, premium smartphones. And one of the best, at least on paper and in advertisements, is their latest Xiaomi 12.
article realme 9 vs. realme 9 5G: Which is better?

realme 9 vs. realme 9 5G: Which is better?

Realme is launching two new entry-level smartphones in Europe and other countries worldwide. They’re named realme 9 and realme 9 5G; both have very competitive prices and interesting technical features. The first is a 4G smartphone, while the second supports 5G mobile networks, as its name implies. However, even if their names and designs are similar, they’re not identical devices and have many surprising
article What is FPS (frames per second)?

What is FPS (frames per second)?

If you’re new to gaming or videography, you might have stumbled into strange terms like FPS, frame rate, and refresh rate. In this article, we define FPS, we compare FPS to the refresh rate and see why it’s important to have a high FPS. Ever wondered how many FPS the human eye can see? Or if there is such a thing as FPS in

How to protect your smartphone’s battery

If you recently bought an expensive Android flagship or the newest iPhone, you naturally want to take care of it as much as possible. You buy a screen protector, a case, and you try not to drop it. But what about protecting its battery so that it lasts longer? Charging the smartphone correctly can make the difference between replacing the battery after a year or having a trouble-free experience for
review Xiaomi Watch S1 Active review: a potential winner

Xiaomi Watch S1 Active review: a potential winner

The new generation of Xiaomi smartwatches is here. The Xiaomi Watch S1 targets the users who are more interested in the design of their wearables, while the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active is aimed more towards sports and health enthusiasts. In this review, I take a closer look at the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active. It has an impressive list of features and a balanced price.
article What is Smart Connect on your Wi-Fi router and how it works

What is Smart Connect on your Wi-Fi router and how it works

Some features are touted by manufacturers of wireless routers only to make them more appealing and give you the impression that they’re truly advanced. Smart Connect is one such feature that’s implemented on all modern routers, aiming to simplify your Wi-Fi experience. But what does Smart Connect do? And does it work well? Are there any drawbacks to Smart Connect? In this article, I
review Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 review: Punching hard on 5 GHz!

Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600 review: Punching hard on 5 GHz!

I continue my reviews for Xiaomi Wi-Fi 6 routers with an exciting model: Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600. It has an interesting design, powerful hardware, a reasonable price, and a unique combination of strengths and weaknesses. If you want to know more about this model and whether it is a good purchase for you, read this detailed review: Xiaomi Mi AIoT Router AX3600:

How to tell if your smartphone's battery is dying

If you are reading this article, it’s probably because your smartphone is acting up or you’re worried that its battery is nearing the end of its life. And you have good reason to worry about the longevity of smartphone batteries. No matter how well you treat your mobile device, eventually, the battery will lose its capacity to hold a charge and your smartphone or tablet will need servicing. Are you
article How long does it take to install Windows 11?

How long does it take to install Windows 11?

Windows 11 has been out in the wild for some time now, and many have already installed and tried it. But, like with any operating system, many others didn’t get it yet and have questions regarding the download and installation processes. One of the most popular ones on forums and social media is “How long does it take to install Windows 11?”. In this
tutorial You don’t have to safely remove USB drives from Windows

You don’t have to safely remove USB drives from Windows

A long, long time ago, the story says, you had to use the “Safely Remove Hardware” option when you wanted to unplug a USB memory stick or eject an external hard drive from Windows. It was something you had to do; otherwise, you risked corrupting files on your portable USB drives. But that’s no longer true. Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 let you
article 30 or 60 fps? What's best for smartphone video recording?

30 or 60 fps? What's best for smartphone video recording?

Smartphone manufacturers have generally settled on having 30 or 60 fps available for video recordings, but some are pushing the boundaries, offering 120 or even 240 fps. Are they viable or just a marketing trick to make us buy more expensive and advanced, but not necessarily more useful smartphones? In this article, I’m going to answer a few questions that you may have regarding