10 Best ASUS Gaming Laptops 2017

August 6, 2017August 6, 2017Jeremy Leave a comment

Mid-2016 Nvidia changed the gaming scene with the release GeForce GTX 1070 which was hyped to be the holy mecca of graphics cards. This prompted Intel to release a processor that could keep up with the ultra-performing graphics card. This was pure bliss for gamers worldwide. Here is a comprehensive list of the best ASUS gaming laptops including the new breed that comes equipped with both the 7th Gen. Intel Processor and GTX 1070. The asus rog g series was specifically designed to meet gamer’s needs, and the brand didn’t disappoint when they incorporated some welcomed hardware upgrades and technologies. This has made ASUS the major brand it is as their laptops perform well and provide comfort when gaming. These features cool your laptop as you put it through vigorous gaming. After extensive research and a consideration of factors such as CPU and GPU performance, processors, RAM, hard drive rotational speed, memory speed the following list was created.

Best ASUS gaming laptops 2017

1. ASUS ROG NX500

This is a high performance and gaming laptop. This new release from ASUS is 15.6-inches and packs a 7th gen 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 processor chip. The turbo version of the processor clocks3.8GHz. The laptop also has the 8GB Ge-Force GTX 1080 graphics card. This makes sure your games don’t lag, and the display is 4K. The screen is can be controlled by touch. The RAM size is 16GB and has a 512 GB solid state drive. The laptop comes with Windows 10 pre-installed.

2. ASUS ROG GX700

The ASUS ROG G701VI OC is a 17.3-inch gaming Laptop. The laptop comes with the latest Intel Core i7 6820HK overclocked processor and has NVIDIA GTX 980 graphics card. The laptop has a 64GB RAM, and the solid state drive is 1TB with 7200 rpm.

3. ASUS ROG G752VT

This is a 17.3-Inch virtual reality supporting gaming laptop. This beast comes with the 6th generation Intel Core i7-6700HQ 3.5 GHz processor. Graphics were not left behind as it comes with an 8GB NVIDIA GTX 1070 graphics card. The RAM size is fair at 8 GB (expandable to 16GB), and the solid state drive is 512 GB. It also comes with 1TB HDD.

4. ASUS ROG GL752VW

This beast of a gaming laptop retails at less than a thousand dollars and does not disappoint. It has a 17.3-inch screen that supports matte FHD display. It packs a 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics card. It also has the latest Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor. The hard drive is 1TB, and clocks 7200 rotational speed and the DDR4 RAM is 16GB.

5. ASUS ROG G501VW

This is one of the best budget gaming laptops available. The laptop comes with the 6th generation 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-7700H processor and 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics card. The RAM is 8GB, 1TB hard drive with 5400 rpm and 128GB Solid state drive that helps boost your gaming performance experience. It supports 1920 x 1080 display.

6. ASUS GL753VE

This gem from ASUS is pocket friendly and holds its own when it comes to gaming. It features a 16GB RAM and 1TB hard drive. The processor is the latest 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor and the 4gb nvidia geforce gtx 1050 ti graphics card. The combination of the two makes for a memorable gaming experience.

7. ASUS K501UW Gaming Laptop

The ASUS K501UW-AB78 retails at prices lower than $900 and is a beast when it comes to gaming. It has 8GB RAM, 512 GB Solid-state drive, and the 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M GPU.

8. ASUS ROG G750JM

This is a 17.3-inch gaming laptop. It is relatively cheap as it retails at prices under $1200 which is a complete steal. This complete bargain comes equipped with 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7-4700HQ processor and 4GB GeForce GTX 960M graphics card. It has 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB hard drive and 256GB solid state drive.

9. ASUS FX502VM Gaming Laptop

This is a relatively big gaming laptop with screen sizes of 15.6 inches. The laptop comes with the powerful 6th Gen 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor. It has the 3GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GPU. The RAM is 16GB, and also the1TB hard drive clocks 7200 rotational speed.

10. ASUS Republic of Gamers G701VO-CS74K Overclocked Gaming Laptop

ASUS ROG G701VO is one of the best ASUS gaming laptops available in today’s market. It comes equipped with the 6th generation Intel i7-6820HQ 2.7GHz processor. It packs a 4GB RAM and the 8GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 graphics card. It has a 1TB solid-state drive. It is a slim and lightweight laptop that has a sleek design.

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HDD vs. SSD

February 24, 2017February 27, 2017Jeremy

HDD v. SSD

Recently in the world of laptops, there seems to be a major boost to replace traditional hard drives Hard Disk Drives to the latest and faster SSD Solid State Drive. This issue presents a difficult question for future notebook buyers, and especially for those considering buying a laptop for games.

What system of data storage should you go with?

Now, the SSD or Solid state drive are not new, they have been around since the 70s but were mainly used in applications of nests in the past. Are these flash drives replacing one of the last hold outs of the moving parts of data storage – the hard drive?

What a hard drive?

HDD Seagate Most computer users are familiar with hard drives because they are present in most computers and laptops. A data store HHD rotating magnetic platters, which have different speeds, so you often see 5400rpm and 7200rpm associated with hard drives. Data is written to and read from these plates by a block of read / write heads, which are controlled by a micro-controller.

For your information may be stored in different parts on a hard disk, the time required to obtain and recover data may vary considerably. Keep in mind, these mobile devices are mechanical and are therefore subject to all the problems associated with moving parts and can sometimes fail, crash. Most of us have been there, done that!

What is a Solid State Drive?

SSD Samsung Now DSS is an entirely different creature from a hard disk. Solid State Drives uses a flash memory chip managed by a micro-controller to store its data. The important thing to remember, SSDs are generally slow write times, but have very fast read times. Like most users to read rather than write information, the DSS can be much faster than hard drives.

In addition, SSDs have no moving parts so they are more durable and much quieter than traditional casks. In addition, you can use less energy and fewer problems with vibrations interfering with ongoing operations.

What you’ve probably already guessed, SSDs are ideal for laptops and small devices such as netbooks. The growing popularity of these handy machines portable prompting SSD at the forefront of computer technology. Our Need for Speed has always been insatiable, but also has our need to make things smaller and smoother.

SSDs are better suited to these devices and all major notebook manufacturers like Dell, Apple, HP, Levono … have all recently started to offer laptops with SSD. Toshiba, which is one of the largest manufacturers of semiconductors, has also started to produce laptops with SSD. They also invented NAND flash memory, these chips are widely used in various memory cards such as SmartMedia and CompactFlash. Again, the main advantages is the access time faster, lighter, less power consumption, more resistant to shocks and more longevity.

Another trend which we see the SSD taking hold is the netbook market. This is a relatively new trend since the netbook has been launched by Asustek in autumn 2007 with its first Eee PC.Other handset manufacturers like Lenovo, MSI, HP, Dell … have all followed the long and jumped on this very popular and growing sector of the cell phone industry.

The cost of the SSD are higher

One of the main obstacles to the use of DSS must be the cost. SSDs are more expensive than hogsheads but prices will fall as costs by reducing production. However, for the moment, there is strong and many different laptop buyers will go with the cheaper hogsheads.

Another related issue is the amount of SSD can withstand. Because of cost, most current SSD storage have comparably small amounts to keep the overall cost of a unit downward. However, we now support a wider SSD 64GB, 128GB and 512 GB of memory. We even have an SSD drive that can store 1 TB (terabytes) of data produced by PureSilicon.

Another thing to consider, with SSD you should not cache since the system caches are usually made to solve the problems of hard drive performance. This may be a way to save money for future aircraft since the cache is expensive.

The future of SSD

The real future of DSS must be made in the growing popularity of the ultra-portable devices such as netbooks, mini laptops and others. The DSS is perfectly suited for these types of portable devices and as consumer demand becomes stronger, the future looks very bright DSS indeed.

Another market for the DSS should be in gaming laptops, which are optimal because the players use their machines primarily in reading rather than writing data. In addition, laptops and gaming GAMERS want the best performance at any cost, they do not hesitate to spend big bucks if they can get superior performance in return.

Specialists in major games, such as Alienware, offer the possibility of SSD in many of their laptops and even some desktop machines. Other manufacturers of portable games are next in the same direction. As with any technology there is a lag time before the old is replaced by the new. The traditional hard drives will be around for some time yet, but its days may only be numbered.

For the buyer portable type of player that you choose ultimately depends mainly on the objective of your new device. If you are looking for a quiet, long lasting, fast Netbook that can take more than a few hard knocks, then you should look at a machine with DSS. If you want a traditional desktop computer or laptop desktop replacement, you can save money by going with a unit with the HDD, they have worked perfectly well for years and will be around for some time in the future. Of course, if you are into gaming laptops and want a state of the art machine, and a Solid State Drive may be your best option, assuming that the money is no object.

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Guide to buying a laptop

November 13, 2016February 27, 2017Jeremy

Buying a laptop is an easy process. As with buying any electronics you should start by visualizing yourself using the item, try to see where and how you will be using your new laptop. Will you use it mostly at a desk? Will you travel a lot with it? Do you play games or use 3D rendering software?

As with any computer equipment the top of the line hardware costs disproportionately more than the mainstream stuff. This means it’s best to buy only what you need and not splash out too much on very expensive gear that will go out of date quickly. Having said that if you really could use a DVD burner and a high resolution screen then of course you should get them.

Are you a power user?

The majority of computer uses don’t need anything beyond Office applications, email and the Internet. So if you’re one of these people you should go for a very cheap Celeron based laptop, from Dell an entry level model such as this will be under $700. The standard 14.1″ or 15″ screen will be fine for light work, especially word processing and reading online articles. I really suggest you get at least 512mb of RAM since Windows XP is a real memory hog.

The drawbacks of an entry level laptop such as this are basically performance. These laptops use what’s called ‘integrated graphics’ or ‘shared memory graphics’ this means that the graphics subsystem shares access to the main memory with the central processor rather than having it’s own dedicated memory.

This ‘sharing’ of memory resources means that basically all 3D games won’t run on an ‘integrated graphics’ laptop and performance in graphics heavy applications will be poor (although most light users wouldn’t notice).

Another thing to remember is that Pentium 4s and Pentium 4 Celerons suffer much more of a performance hit from integrated graphics that Pentium M (Centrino) laptops. So for example if you have a digital camera and you intend to do a little bit of photography stuff on your laptop I would suggest going for an inexpensive Pentium M laptop rather than a Celeron (which is rock bottom in graphics performance).

One positive thing is that these entry level laptops are usually quite compact and generally have good battery life since they lack a lot of high drain components.

Laptops that do more

I expect most high power users will already know all of what I’m covering in this article so I’ll pitch this at first time ‘serious’ laptop buyers. If you plan on playing a few games or running multiple applications (say web designers) then you’ll want a laptop with a bit more performance.

For graphics professionals or serious hobbyists I recommend getting a Pentium 4 3Ghz or higher laptop with 128Mb of video RAM. Most filtering or rendering computations go much better on the Pentium 4 because of it’s high clock speed and memory bandwidth. While the Pentium M/Centrino is great for games and multitasking it doesn’t have the ‘legs’ for hard core tasks such as encoding DVD movies or music.

What the Pentium M/Centrino does have on it’s side is efficiency. It’s nearly as fast as the top end Pentium 4s but uses way less power and produces much less heat. This means that no matter what applications you use with your laptop, if you carry it around a lot and use it on the road I recommend you buy a Pentium M/Centrino laptop.

So if you’re after a large ‘desktop replacement’ laptop get a Pentium 4 otherwise get a Pentium M.

Mobile graphics processors

In the last year there has been a massive increase in the range and power of mobile graphics processors. Currently ATi has the edge over nVidia withe the Mobile Radeon 9700. This is a great graphics chip but unless you play games there’s no real reason to pay extra to get it. You’ll be fine with other options as long as they have at least 64mb of video memory.

Mobile hard drives

Again new 7200 rpm drives have hit the market in the last 12 months. Some notebooks such as the Sager 8890 support multiple drives in RAID arrays that can serious improve hard drive access speed. If you work with large files (such as heavy graphics, sound or video editing) then I would definitely go for a laptop that supports RAID 0 over 2 or more drives.

The mobile market is getting big

A huge number of people are switching to mobile computers since they save so much space and are so convenient. Prices are dropping fast and new technologies are coming out every 6 months. With this in mind it might be better to save a few dollars on by buying a middle of the road laptop now and upgrade in the next 12 months selling off your old laptop. That way you keep up with the latest technology and never pay through the nose for bleeding edge technology.

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Top Laptops for College in 2016

August 28, 2016February 27, 2017Jeremy

What is the best Laptop for College – A buying guide

College is no longer all about books and handwritten papers. Nowadays you need a great laptop in order to make the most out of your learning experience. Investing in a decent computer is pretty much an investment in your future. Keep that in mind when analyzing the next few guidelines. Because there are so many options out there for you to choose from, and so little time, we’ve decided to spare you the effort of browsing through dozens of possibilities. Your buying guide is mostly based on the most popular questions our readers have sent our way.

What is the main purpose of a laptop throughout college?

Even though a laptop should do pretty much everything, consider some particularities before starting your search. This is a great way to limit the options and narrow things down to just a few products. From our experience and based on what we have read about the best laptops for college 2016, we recommend focusing on a great internet connection, excellent keyboard layout and portability. Those characteristics will help you make the most out of your investment. You will be able to always stay connected, keep up with teachers in class and also run around campus from class to class. Even though college is not your best time when it comes to money, try making an effort when it comes to buying a laptop. Some of the students might need some extra features depending on their major. Keep that in mind if you are an architect or a film major. We recommend the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13. For more details check out the reviews below.

How big should a college laptop be?

The best laptop for college 2016 should be between 13 and 15 inches in order not to bother you too much while running through campus. Even though displays can be as wide as 17 inches, we recommend focusing on portability rather than on size. A 14 inch laptop is just perfect for students who are always on the go. We recommend getting the ASUS Ultrabook Notebook. For more information check out the reviews below.

How much should a college laptop cost?

That depends on what you plan on doing with it. Usually you could spend around $300-$500 on a regular device which should do a great job at helping you get through all the classes. Some on the other hand might need high end performance in order to work with complex algorithms and programs. For those we recommend going above $500. One great thing you can do to save some money is to get a computer with integrated software. Don’t waste extra money on expensive licenses.

What should a college laptop look like?

We all know college is not all about studying. Why not attract some attention with your device. There are several manufacturers that make some amazing looking laptops. Also consider the fact that college might be rough for your laptop so get one which should last you forever. This way you will surely be able to enjoy it all throughout college.

What college students recommend

Not having a laptop is no longer an option for students. The vast volume of research and information needed to complete term papers and projects which count for your final grade cannot be accessed in a different way than with a computer. Choosing the best laptop for college 2016 will be difficult though as prices have dropped and the options are now endless. Our experts have tested many devices and have come up with a list of five top end products which can be affordable for most of the students out there. In order to make this list they’ve focused on a few important features which any user can find useful.

ASUS X401A-BCL0705Y Ultrabook Notebook

The Ultrabook by Asus is one of the most durable laptops on the market. It is not only fast but very sturdy and reliable which is a must for any college student. It comes with a fast 1.8GHz Intel Celeron processor and 4 GB DDR3 which is perfect for text editing and even basic photo and video manipulation. The 14 inch display which comes with UMA graphics is capable of producing a resolution of 1366×768 pixels. The wireless connection is very fast and it does not drain the battery as fast as other adaptors do. In terms of design this is just the right size and weight to carry around through campus without having back pain the next day.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga Touchscreen Ultrabook

Lenovo’s Yoga IdeaPad is one of the most cool-looking devices out there. It is incredibly slim and has the perfect features needed to satisfy even the most demanding of users. It comes with an impressive i5 processor by Intel which will handle almost everything you have to throw at it. It comes with a 128GB SSD which is a lot faster than your average HDD. This compact gadget has a 13.3 inch display which is beautifully showcased with the help of Intel’s HD graphic card. The Yoga IdeaPad has an impressive battery which will last for 8 hours straight. It also comes with a preinstalled version of Windows 8 which means you will be spared of spending extra money on a Microsoft license.

ASUS VivoBook S500CA-SI30401U Ultrabook

The VivoBook is created especially for those who have a lot of internet browsing to do and also a lot of text editing. It has great features without going over the top. It comes with a fast 24GB SSD to help you run important software a lot faster than you would with a normal HDD. For storage you get 500GB worth of space provided by a normal HDD. This Ultrabook comes with an i3 processor and 4 GB DDR3. It is the perfect gadget for those who don’t have to deal with complex software but still want to see programs like Photoshop run smoothly. It is very user friendly with its 15 inch touchscreen display which works perfectly with the preinstalled version of Windows 8.

ASUS VivoBook S400CA-RSI5T18 Ultrabook

This is an upgraded version of the device mentioned before. It is definitely one of the best college laptops 2016. It comes with an i5 processor by Intel and a 24 GB SSD for instant reactions. It is powered by 4GB DDR3 and it has 500GB of storage space on its 5400rpm HDD. It comes with a 14 inch screen and a battery which will easily last for 5 hours. It comes with a preinstalled version of Windows 8 and it is fitted with the latest technology in USB ports. It weighs in 4 pounds which makes it one of the most lightweight laptops on the market.

Acer S3-391-6046 Ultrabook

Acer’s Ultrabook is one of the most affordable gadgets on this list. It is also according to our experts, one of the best laptops for college 2016. It has a 13.3 inch display which is perfect if you are looking for portability. It has an i3 Intel Core processor which combined with 4GB DDR3 make it one of the fastest devices in its market range. It is perfect for communicating with your loved ones who are back home. It comes with a 1.3MP webcam and a very fast wireless connection. It is delivered with a preinstalled version of Windows 8. It weights in 3 pounds and it has one of the most durable exteriors on this list.

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Best Gaming Mouse – Comparison Chart

August 24, 2016February 27, 2017Jeremy

One of the most important peripherals for a PC gamer is their mouse. With an excellent gaming mouse you can dominate the opponent. Without one, you may be the one dominated.

If you’re interested in other gaming peripherals, check out our gaming headset section.

Column Breakdown

Image – picture of the mouse
Gaming Mouse – is the name of the specific mouse
Hand – indicates if only right hand, or both right and left hand versions are available
Buttons – number of button available, including programmable buttons
Max DPI – the highest DPI (dot per inch) you can adjust to
Connection – if the mouse uses a cable or is wireless
Weight – how heavy the mouse is. Some mice has additional weights that can be added to change the weight.
Rating – the Amazon.com rating users have rated it (5 stars is the highest)
Price – cost of the specific mouse in US$.

Gaming Mouse	Hand	Buttons	Max DPI	Connection	Weight	Rating	Price
Razer DeathAdder 2013	both	12	6400	wired	0.23 lbs.	4.2	52.99
Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse	right	20	8200	wired	0.29 lbs.	4.1	54.99
E-Blue Mazer Type-R	right	6	2500	wired	0.35 lbs.	4.3	16.50
Razer Naga 2014 MMO	right	`9	8200	wired	0.30 lbs.	4.0	69.99
Logitech G400s Optical Gaming Mouse	right	8	4000	wired	0.29 lbs.	4.4	46.82
Razer Naga Molten Special Edition	both	17	5600	wired	0.30 lbs.	4.0	67.98
Razer Abyssus Optical PC Gaming Mouse	both	3	3500	wired	0.16 lbs.	4.3	31.99
Razer Naga MMO PC Gaming Mouse	right	17	5600	wired	0.30 lbs.	4.0	60.75
Anker 8000 DPI Laser Gaming Mouse	right	9	8000	wired	0.31 lbs.	4.6	39.99
Logitech G700 Wireless Gaming Mouse	right	13	5700	wired / wireless	0.32 lbs.	4.2	63.50
Razer DeathAdder PC Gaming Mouse	both	5	3500	wired	0.33 lbs.	4.2	46.93
Razer Naga Epic Rechargable Wireless Mouse	right	17	5600	wired / wireless	0.30 lbs.	4.0	105.13
Razer Ouroboros Elite	both	11	8200	wired / wireless	0.29 lbs.	3.7	139.99
ROCCAT Kone XTD Max Customization	right	8	8200	wired	0.31 lbs.	4.5	79.50
Razer Taipan PC Gaming Mouse	both	9	8200	wired	0.29 lbs.	4.1	61.99
SteelSeries Sensei Raw Laser Gaming Mouse	both	7	5700 CPI	wired	0.20 lbs.	4.3	47.99
Razer Naga Hex MOBA	right	11	5600	wired	0.30 lbs.	4.0	66.62
E-Blue Cobra Junior	right	6	1600	wired	0.29 lbs.	4.3	10.34
Razer Orochi Mobile PC Gaming Mouse	both	7	6400	wired / wireless	0.16 lbs.	3.8	59.99
Logitech G300 Programmable Gaming Mouse	both	9	2500	wired	0.18 lbs.	4.1	26.99
Logitech G500 Programmable Gaming Mouse	right	10	5700	wired	0.34 lbs.	4.2	63.98
UtechSmart US-D8200-GM Laser Gaming Mouse	right	11	8200	wired	n/a	4.1	31.99
Corsair Vengeance M65	right	8	8200	wired	0.32 lbs.	4.2	59.99
Razer Mamba Rechargable Wireless	right	7	6400	wired / wireless	0.30 lbs.	3.4	101.98
E-Blue Mazer Wireless Optical	right	6	2500	wireless	0.19 lbs.	3.8	23.85
Razer Deathadder Infrared Gaming Mouse	right	5	3500	wired	n/a	4.2	59.60
Razer Naga Hex League of Legends	right	11	5600	wired	0.30 lbs.	4.0	72.98
Mad Catz R.A.T.5 Gaming Mouse	right	6	5600	wired	0.33 lbs.	4.2	60.55
Corsair Vengeance M95	right	15	8200	wired	0.32 lbs.	3.9	69.99
Anker 5000 DPI Precision Gaming Mouse	right	11	5000	wired	0.30 lbs.	4.7	39.99
ROCCAT Lua Tri-Button Gaming Mouse	both	3	2000	wired	0.15 lbs.	4.5	26.48
SteelSeries Call of Duty Black Ops II	both	7	5600	wired	0.20 lbs.	4.4	29.99
Perixx MX-2000IIB	right	8	5600	wired	n/a	4.6	39.54
CM Storm Spawn Gaming Mouse	claw	7	4000	wired	0.31 lbs.	4.3	33.05
CM Storm Xornet Gaming Mouse	claw	7	2000	wired	0.31 lbs.	4.3	26.34

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Best Gaming Headset – Comparison Chart

August 24, 2016February 27, 2017Jeremy

Audio is a big part of playing video games, whether it’s on your laptop, online or on a console. If you want to keep the sound to yourself and get the surround sound feeling without disturbing anyone else, a gaming headset is what you need. Plus you get to converse with your friends during the game.

Column Breakdown

Image – a visual picture of the product.
Gaming Headset – the product name.
Cord Length – is how long the cable is in feet. Those that are wireless are indicated as such.
Frequency Response – represents the how high (treble) and how low (bass) the frequencies the speakers on the headset are able to achieve. For gaming, specially if you want to emphasize the booms, want a low first number.
Connector – Headsets come mostly with USB or 3.5mm audio jacks to connect to your laptop or desktop.
Rating – based on Amazon.com’s 5 star score. 5 stars is the highest score a product can receive.
Price – is an estimate of how much the item costs in US$.

Gaming Headset	Cord Length	Frequency Response	Connector	Rating	Price
Logitech G930 Wireless Gaming Headset with 7.1 Surround Sound	wireless	20 Hz – 20 kHz	USB	3.9	104.99
Plantronics Audio 478 Stereo Headset	6.5 feet	20 Hz – 20 kHz	USB	4.3	28.99
Logitech ClearChat Comfort	8 feet	20 Hz – 20 kHz	USB	3.7	26.22
Sennheiser HD201 Lightweight Over-Ear Headphones	9.8 feet	21 Hz – 18 kHz	3.5 mm jack	4.1	23.96
Koss CS100 Speech Recognition Computer Headset	8 feet	30 Hz – 16 kHz	USB	3.9	13.66
Logitech H800 Wireless Headset	wireless	30 Hz – 15 kHz	USB	3.8	72.60
VXi BlueParrott B250-XT Bluetooth Headset	wireless	20 Hz – 15 kHz	n/a	4.2	78.95
Logitech G35 7.1-Channel Surround Sound Headset	10 feet	20 Hz – 20 kHz	USB	4.1	84.99
Razer Kraken Pro Over Ear PC and Music Headset	4.3 feet	20 Hz – 20 kHz	3.5 mm jack	4.0	64.99
Plantronics GameCom 780 Dota 2 Badged Headset	6.5 feet	20 Hz – 20 kHz	USB	4.0	59.99
Logitech G230 Stereo Gaming Headset	7.5 feet	20 Hz – 20 kHz	3.5 mm jack	4.1	49.99
Plantronics GameCom 780 Surround Sound Stereo PC Gaming Headset	6.5 feet	20 Hz – 20 kHz	USB	4.2	77.99
Creative Fatal1ty Gaming Headset	8 feet	20 Hz – 20 kHz	3.5 mm jack	3.9	27.74
PS3 Ear Force P11 Gaming Headset	16 feet	20 Hz – 20 kHz	3.5 mm jack	3.9	35.78
Turtle Beach Ear Force Z22 Amplified PC Gaming Headset	16 feet	50Hz – 15kHz	3.5 mm jack / USB	4.1	71.49
Turtle Beach Call of Duty: Black Ops II Limited Edition	16 feet	20 Hz – 20 kHz	3.5 mm jack	4.2	59.99
SteelSeries Siberia V2 Full-Size Gaming Headset	9.8 feet	18 Hz – 28 kHz	3.5 mm jack	4.3	61.73
Astro Gaming A40 Neon Color Series	10 feet	15 Hz – 28 kHz	3.5 mm jack	4.4	149.99
Corsair Vengeance 1500 with Dolby 7.1	9.8 feet	20 Hz – 20 kHz	USB	3.9	109.99
CM Storm Sirus with True 5.1 Surround Sound and Control Module	3.9 feet	10 Hz – 20 kHz	3.5 mm jack / USB	4.2	105.99
Sennheiser PC 350 Special Edition Gaming Headset	9.8 feet	10 Hz – 26 kHz	3.5 mm jack	4.4	181.71
Beyerdynamic 715565 PC Gaming Premium	8.2 feet	5 Hz – 30 kHz	3.5 mm jack	4.6	399.00
Turtle Beach Ear Force XP400	wireless	20 Hz – 20 kHz	USB	3.9	189.96
Turtle Beach Ear Force PX51 Wireless	wireless	20 Hz – 20 kHz	USB	4.1	250.14
Corsair Vengeance 1300	9.8 feet	20 Hz – 20 kHz	3.5 mm jack	3.9	64.98
Razer Battlefield 4	4.3 feet	20 Hz – 20 kHz	3.5 mm jack	4.2	119.99
Sennheiser PC 310 Gaming Headset	9.8 feet	80 Hz – 15 kHz	3.5 mm jack	4.2	68.34
Sennheiser PC 323D Gaming Headset	9.8 feet	15 Hz – 23 kHz	3.5 mm jack / USB	4.3	94.80
SteelSeries 3HV2 Gaming Headset	3.9 feet	10 Hz – 27 kHz	3.5 mm jack	3.8	29.99
Sennheiser PC 363D Surround Sound Gaming Headset	9.8 feet	15 Hz – 28 kHz	3.5 mm jack / USB	4.5	240.87
Turtle Beach Ear Force X12 Gaming Headset	16 feet	50 Hz – 15 kHz	3.5 mm jack	4.3	48.00
Turtle Beach Ear Force XP510	wireless	50 Hz – 15 kHz	3.5 mm jack	4.3	239.99
Sony Pulse Elite Edition Wireless Stereo Headset	wireless		3.5 mm jack	4.3	121.0
Turtle Beach Ear Force PX22 Universal Gaming Headset	16 feet	20 Hz – 20 kHz	USB	4.3	74.7

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Gaming Laptops under 800 Dollars

August 24, 2016February 27, 2017Jeremy

The top pick among gaming laptops under $800 is the Acer Aspire V3-771G-6485.

Equipped with a powerful NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M graphics card, it allows users to enjoy lag free gaming on demanding RPG and FPS games including Diablo III, Mass Effect 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

In a price level where most gaming laptops afford medium to high settings on PC games, the Acer Aspire is able to run majority of the games at high to ultra settings. Certain games however, like Crysis 3, Hitman:Absolution and Metro: Last Light will only go smoothly above 30 fps at medium settings.

To complement, the gaming experience, the Aspire V3-771G-6485 offers 1600 x 900 maximum pixel resolution on its large 17.3 inch screen. Powered by an Intel Core i5 processor running at 2.6 GHz and 6 GB of DDR3 RAM it is able to take advantage of games that utilize multi-threading technology.

The following round out our top 5 affordable gaming laptops at this price level.

	#2	#3	#4	#5
	Acer Aspire V3-571G-9686	Dell Inspiron i15Rse-4267ALU	Acer Aspire V3-571G-6622	Toshiba Satellite S855-S5170
Price	799.00	770.00	629.99	734.99
Customer Rating	4.3 out of 5.0	4.2 out of 5.0	3.8 out of 5.0	4.0 out of 5.0
Screen	15.6	15.6	15.6	15.6
Max Screen Resolution	1366 x 768 pixels	1920 x 1080 pixels	1366 x 768 pixels	1366 x 768 pixels
Processor	Intel Core i7-3615QM 2.2 GHz	Intel Core i7-3632QM 2.5 GHz	Intel Core i5-3230M 2.6 GHz	Intel Core i7-3630QM 2.4 GHz
Graphics Card	NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M	AMD Radeon HD 7730M	NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M	AMD Radeon HD 7670M
RAM	6 GB	8 GB	4 GB	8 GB
Hard Drive	500 GB 5400 RPM	750 GB 5400 RPM	500 GB 5400 RPM	1 TB 5400 RPM
Operating System	Windows 8	Windows 8	Windows 8	Windows 8
Battery Life	4.5 hours	4 hours	4.5 hours	4 hours
Dimensions	15 x 9.96 x 1.30 inches	14.9 x 9.9 x 1.34 inches	15 x 9.96 x 1.30 inches	14.96 x 9.53 x 1.31 inches
Weight	5.74 lbs.	6.1 lbs.	5.74 lbs.	5.5 lbs.

What to Expect from Gaming Laptops under $800

1. Graphics & Gaming Capability

Gaming laptops under 800 dollars will allow users to run computing intensive games at an affordable price. The graphics cards included in these laptops fall between Class 2 and Class 3 categories. When possible take advantage of the Class 2 video cards as these mid range graphics cards allow you to play the newest games at medium to high settings at high resolution smoothly.

For the gaming laptop computers in this price range, the following graphics cards are available. Based on their class ratings, here is how they look:

Class 2:

NVIDIA GeForce GT 730M
NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M
AMD Radeon HD 7730M

For the Class 2 graphic cards listed above, expect to be able to achieve these game setting details for these new and demanding PC games.

Settings are based on the ability of achieving 30 fps (frames per seconds) or higher. This provides smooth transitions between frames during the game.

Class 3:

AMD Radeon HD 7660M + HD 7670M Dual
AMD Radeon HD 7670M
NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M
AMD Radeon HD 7570M

The main difference between these two classes aside from price is Class 2 allows for both more detailed graphics quality during run time and higher video resolution. Very noticeable is that the Class 3 video cards perform at a notch lower compared to the Class 2 options. However, they are also more affordable which either translates into lower cost of the laptop or higher specifications in RAM, Hard Drive or other features.

2. Display Size & Screen Resolution

Most of the laptops found in this price range also have 15 inch screens except for a handful that offer the larger 17 inch screen. While the 17 inch screen provides better visual experience it also adds to the cost of the machine, which in the end can compromise how much is allocated for the graphics card.

As for screen resolution, all of them come in standard HD. Though, they are limited to the low end of this spectrum at 1366 x 768 pixels. There are a few exceptions like that Acer Aspire V3-771G-6485, which has a 1600 x 900 resolution that is seen more among gaming laptops under $1000. Rare is the full HD 1920 x 1080 pixel capability, seen in the Dell Inspiron i15Rse-4267ALU.

3. Processing Power

What’s under the hood are combinations of dual and quad core processors. Those running of Intel chips will often be of the Core i5 or Core i7 variety, while their AMD counterparts will be equipped with the A8 and A10 gaming optimized processors. When it comes to executing games fluently, the CPU takes a back seat to the GPU as graphics computations are what make the game engines run. Except for a few video games that are made to take advantage of the extra multi-threading capability of the processor, users aren’t going to see huge amounts of difference between the Core i5 and i7 CPUs during game play.

4. Hard Drives

In the ideal world, gamers will have SSDs or solid state drives, instead of the 5400 RPM hard drives. If not, the faster 7200 RPM at least. Having the faster disk drive removes the bottleneck caused by slow transfer of data to and from the hard disk to the memory. And because the graphics card, CPU and RAM move significantly faster than the hard disk, this is where the slowdown occurs.

However, as a compromise to its affordability, gaming laptops under $800 only come with 5400 RPM hard drives. For serious games, this can be upgraded or switched out in favor of any of the faster storage systems mentioned above.

Conclusions

While you aren’t going to be able to achieve the highest settings in all gaming titles as you would with $2000 notebooks from Sager or Razer, these affordable laptops offer an excellent means of getting a full video, audio and reactive gamine experience on good graphics quality and video resolution outputs.

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Best Free and Paid Antivirus for Windows 10 2016

July 12, 2016February 27, 2017Jeremy

The internet is filled with malware, adware, and other unwanted programs that you can easily download and install without even knowing it. That’s why it’s imperative to take measures to protect your system so that your files remain private and your computer keeps running great.

Is Windows Defender Enough?

If you want added protection other than Windows Defender, there are a lot of free and paid options out there to pick from. Antivirus software comparison tests have shown Windows Defender to fall short of several other major providers. It received a 3.5 out of 6 from AV-TEST. That being said, Windows Defender does have some advantages. It’s free, built-in, and won’t annoy you with pop up requests to upgrade or anything like that. If you keep it up to date, it is functional, but not comprehensive.

What are Zero Day Attacks?

Zero day attacks are types of viral threats that are so new that anti-virus software isn’t yet familiar with them. They are new viruses basically. A very good anti-virus application will be able to block them from installing or accessing files on your computer anyway, but their unfamiliar nature makes some of them difficult to detect.

What’s the Difference Between Free and Paid Software?

Tests have shown that both free and paid antivirus programs function just the same. Think of free antivirus as a trial version. You can’t access 100% of the features, but it generally does the same thing. The paid software has extra features that are not necessarily needed to protect your machine, like parental controls and identity theft protection. Unless you’d really like to have the additional options, maybe to protect your computer from children or people who may not be as careful as they should when browsing the web, free antivirus will provide you with everything you need.

What is the Best Overall Antivirus Software?

According to AV-Test, BitDefender Internet Security is the best all around anti-virus you can get. It got full credit in all categories including 100% protection for zero day attacks, and 99.9% detection of widespread malware compared to the industry average of 99%.

There are several other anti-virus applications that are only marginally less comprehensive. The best runners up are Norton, Avira, Kapersky Lab, and Trend Micro. Here are the top ten listed in order:

BitDefender Internet Security

Norton Security 2016

Avira Antivirus Pro 2016

Kaspersky Lab Internet Security

Trend Micro Internet Security

F-Secure Safe 2016

AVG Internet Security 2016

BullGuard Internet Security

Avast Free Antivirus 2016

AhnLab V3 Internet Security

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10 Steps You Can Take to Secure a Laptop

July 10, 2016February 27, 2017Jeremy

Your laptop is your livelihood. It harnesses all of your most personal data. If the contents of your laptop get into the wrong hands, it could be big trouble, maybe even identity theft. That’s why it’s imperative to protect your machine in any way that you can. These 10 easy precautionary measures will help keep your laptop safe and secure.

Turn Off File Sharing

If you’re using unfamiliar networks, you don’t have the same guarantee of privacy for the files on your computer unless you turn file sharing off. With file sharing on, you may not even be aware that someone else on the network you’re connected to is snooping through your computer’s hard drive.

Avoid Accessing Sensitive Informative While Connected to an Unknown Network

When possible you should refrain from viewing or entering private data while using unfamiliar networks. The network administrator or others may have access to view your online activity. No matter who it is, you don’t want them to be able to view things such as your online banking log in, social media and email passwords, or any other personal data.

Use Password Protection

Make sure that your laptop is set up with a password so that every time you turn it on or wake it up, you need to enter a pin or password. Choose your password carefully, and come up with something that would be very difficult to guess.

Take Precautions Against Ways Around Your Password

Disabling the ability to boot windows from your CD drive or USB port will prevent anyone from bypassing your password and taking over your machine. You can do this through the BIOS (basic input/output system) menu, which can be accessed by tapping F10 during system boot up on Windows. You can also set a password on access to BIOS to prevent anyone else from being able to change your settings.

Use HTTPS and SSL Whenever You Can

Have you ever noticed the ‘S’ at the end of the http address on certain sites? That stands for “secure,” so try typing the ‘S’ manually and reloading the page if it’s not already present.

Switch Off Wi-Fi When You’re Not Using it

If you don’t need to be connected, it’s safer not to be. When you’re machine is offline, no one can access it remotely, so you’re files and information will be safe from prying eyes.

Use a Firewall

You should leave your firewall on at all times if possible. You should be sure the router you’re using has a good firewall as well.

Encrypt Your Hard Drive

Hard drive encryption is a very effective way to protect your files. Programs like TrueCrypt will do it automatically.

Use Anti-Virus Software

Get an up to date and reputable anti-virus software system on your computer to detect and eliminate any threats before they materialize into a major issue.

Use a Virtual Private Network

VPN’s are an excellent way of protecting sensitive data by encrypting it before sending it out. There are various programs you can download that will automatically encrypt everything you send out once they are activated on your machine.

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