TechAmok News Archive
RTX 50 Series Failed Me : I Bought A PowerColor RX 9070 XT Red Devil LE - [hardware]
03:27 AM EST - Mar,07 2025 - post a comment As most of our regulars will know, Leo does not review graphics cards for Kitguru - that's part of Dominics job. However Leo wanted to update his test platform to include one of the latest generation cards from Nvidia - his initial idea was the RTX5080. This video showcases Leo's thought processes and changes in direction over the last few weeks and the card he ended up buying himself, with his own money. For complete transparency this video is not sponsored or endorsed by either AMD or Powercolor - we thought you might like to hear from Leo on this subject as you might be contemplating what to do yourself right now.
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Incredibly Efficient: AMD RX 9070 GPU Review & Benchmarks vs. 9070 XT, RTX 5070 - [hardware]
10:20 AM EST - Mar,06 2025 - post a comment The AMD Radeon RX 9070 video card is shipping alongside the RX 9070 XT and surprised us with its efficiency. The power-to-performance ratio is strong on the RX 9070 non-XT, seemingly finding a "sweet spot" of balance between power consumption and the output. The 9070 and 9070 XT are known to have a weirdly small $50 gap between them, at an MSRP of $550 and $600, but in either case, the two have ganged-up on the NVIDIA RTX 5070 GPU to effectively invalidate its existence -- even more than NVIDIA already did. This review benchmarks the performance of the RX 9070 vs. the 9070 XT, RTX 5070, RX 6700 XT, 6600, and plenty more.
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NVIDIA Geforce 572.70 WHQL Drivers - [gaming]
06:16 PM EST - Mar,05 2025 - post a comment NVIDIA today released the latest GeForce Game Ready drivers. These come with support for the new GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card that goes on sale from today. It addresses even more black screen bugs seen with RTX 50-series GPUs, which surface with certain kinds of monitors are connected via DisplayPort. The drivers also come with optimization for the DLSS 4 update of "FragPunk," and the DLSS + ray tracing update of "Grand Theft Auto V."
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Apple refreshes iPad Air with the M3 chip and a new Magic Keyboard - [briefly]
12:43 PM EST - Mar,04 2025 - post a comment Apple just took the wraps off the new version of the iPad Air. The iPad Air, which was updated last year in May 2024, is getting refreshed with the super-fast M3 processor, nearly doubling the speed of the M1 version and even outperforming the A14 Bionic chipset by over three times. The new iPad Air is available in two sizes 11 inches and 13 inches.
One of the biggest improvements in the iPad Air is the graphics performance. Thanks to the M3 chip, the iPad Air gets new features such as hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Apple says that the iPad Air with M3 chip is four times better at rendering graphics than the M1 model. Additionally, the Neural Engine is also 60% faster, enhancing AI-powered tasks like image editing and smart searches.
Apple Intelligence is also at the core of handling all the AI features. The new iPad Air includes Writing Tools, Image Playground, Genmoji, Writing Tools, smarter Siri interactions, ChatGPT integration in Siri, etc.
A new Magic Keyboard has also been launched. The redesigned Magic Keyboard has a larger trackpad, a new function row for quick controls, and a magnetic attachment. The Magic Keyboard starts at $269 for the 11-inch model and $319 for the 13-inch version.
As far as the pricing of the iPad Air with M3, Apple has kept the same price as last year for both sizes: $599 for the 11-inch model and $799 for the 13-inch model. Pre-orders are open now, and the devices will be available starting March 12. The standard iPad is also getting an upgrade with an A16 chip and more storage for the same price. |
Windows 11 Right Click Context Menu is Junk - [guides]
09:22 AM EST - Mar,04 2025 - post a comment In this tutorial, Britec09 demonstrates how to customize the Windows 11 right click context menu, which many users find unhelpful. Using a tool called Easy Context Menu, viewers learn how to add, modify, and streamline options for improved accessibility and efficiency.
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Google Making it Easier to Find Apps with Widgets - [mobile]
07:38 AM EST - Mar,04 2025 - post a comment Google is rolling out changes to its Play app store that will make it easier for users to find apps that include home-screen widgets. Users will now be able filter searches specifically for apps with widgets, and apps with widgets will get a special badge on their detail pages. Google's intention is promote both the development and use of widgets. If more users find and use apps with widgets, developers will have more incentive to create and update widgets. Google is also "actively educating users on the value of widgets through a new editorial page". |
Samsung Intros New Affordable Models - [mobile]
07:37 AM EST - Mar,04 2025 - post a comment Samsung has announced three new models in its A series of affordable phones for 2025: the Galaxy A56 5G, A36, and A26. These cover the price points of $500, $400, and $300, respectively, rounding out the lineup with the $200 A16 5G that came out in January. Compared to last year's models, the displays are slightly larger, with all three having a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh and FHD+ resolution. The processors have also been updated, with a Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chip in the A36 replacing the Samsung Exynos 1380 in last year's A35. The A56 is powered by a Samsung Exynos 1580. The A56 and A36 get upgraded to faster 45W charging, while the A26 gets an IP67 rating for dust and water. The camera specs change only slightly, with all three having a 50 megapixel main camera as before. Also unchanged are all three having a 5,000 mAh battery and 128 GB of storage. The A26 and A36 have 6 GB of RAM while the A56 has 8 GB. The A56 also gains new AI powers, including Best Face and Nightography modes for the camera. Samsung also promises "up to six generations of Android OS and One UI upgrades and six years of security updates". The A26 comes in black, and the A36 comes in black or lavender. The A56 comes in two shades of gray as well as olive or pink. The A26 and A36 come out at the end of March, while the A56 is coming "later this year". |
French Startup to Test mmWave 5G via Satellite - [internet]
07:37 AM EST - Mar,04 2025 - post a comment A company called Constellation Technologies & Operations is preparing to launch a test satellite for its own new 5G-from-space system. Constellation's will be the first such system to use high-frequency mmWave radio spectrum. This spectrum has the potential for very high-speed data transmission, but is under-utilized in most parts of the world. mmWave has relatively poor propagation characteristics, in that it typically doesn't reach very far, or penetrate solid objects well. Therefore, on land, it has typically been deployed only in the highest-density areas, such as arenas, stadiums, train stations, busy city plazas, and some city central business districts. This leaves mmWave spectrum completely unused in rural and remote areas where satellite connectivity is often most useful. Constellation has not announced plans for service directly to cell phones; the antennas necessary on the ground are much larger. But the system would potentially enable cell phone carriers to monetize their mmWave spectrum licenses that are currently unused or under-utilized. Constellation's first test satellite is currently scheduled to launch into Very Low Earth Orbit this June |
ASRock & 9800X3D Instability and Failures | Report & Summary So Far - [hardware]
06:50 AM EST - Mar,04 2025 - post a comment We've seen a number of user reports pop-up about ASRock motherboard and 9800X3D CPU instability or failures, including CPUs dying (or sometimes, seeming "dead" due to instability -- but then working again with a new BIOS). We put together this report as we research and monitor the issue to see if anything larger comes from it, including potential for new information from the audience. Thus far, it seems like it possibly boils down to two primary issues: ASRock BIOS stability and possibly a CPU batch issue; however, we don't think the CPU batch issue is likely, and we have CPUs from both named batches that are working fine. Still, it's worth considering all options, as ASRock is not the only affected motherboard vendor. We'll see if this develops further. This is a new style for us: We don't have the capacity right now to take on more lab testing due to how overloaded we are with the incoming RTX 5070 and RX 9070 (and 9070 XT) GPU reviews, but we still wanted to study the issue and put something together in case it develops!
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NVIDIA Releases GeForce 572.60 WHQL - [gaming]
12:15 PM EST - Feb,28 2025 - post a comment NVIDIA today released the GeForce 572.60 WHQL Game Ready drivers. These drivers come with optimization for "Monster Hunter Wilds," and the DLSS 4 update of "Naraka Bladepoint." The drivers also introduce G-SYNC support for dozens of monitor models listed below. This release is highly recommended to users of GeForce RTX 50-series "Blackwell" graphics cards, as they fix the various random black screen issues and BSOD system halts being encountered by these users. They also fix audio quality issues being encountered by all users when using high refresh-rate displays with DSC on DisplayPort 1.4, which are caused due to OS-level dynamic tick rate.
Also fixed are issues where applications encounter display/image corruption on pixellated 2D patterns. Unexpectedly low performance on RTX 50-series GPUs in VRay 6 has been fixed. The drivers also address application crashes and texture compression issues encountered by Adobe Substance 3D. A bug that caused some SteamVR apps stuttering with RTX 50-series GPUs has been fixed.
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AMD confirms Radeon RX 9070 XT is 42% faster than RX 7900 GRE at 4K - [hardware]
11:34 AM EST - Feb,28 2025 - post a comment Baseline price points-VAT included-of 4999 RMB (~$686 USD) and 4499 RMB (~$617 USD) were announced, for the incoming Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 models (respectively). We now know that North American MSRPs (excluding tax) are $599 and $549 (respectively). AMD's presentation slides included more shots of their reference designs (MBA), in triple or dual-fan configurations. Earlier in the week, industry watchdogs proposed that the Radeon RX 9070 Series would launch with an all-custom card lineup; with no AMD-built options. In related news, AMD confirms Radeon RX 9070 XT is 42% faster than RX 7900 GRE at 4K
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You can now buy Delidded AMD Ryzen 9800X3D with 2 Years Warranty - [hardware]
06:13 PM EST - Feb,26 2025 - post a comment Important! This video was shot early February. The CPU price fortunately dropped a bit so the price for the delidded 9800X3D is now 679 EUR (inside EU with VAT) or 570 EUR (outside EU without VAT). Please let me know what you think of offering delidded CPUs with this kind of warranty. If you'd like to see other CPUs or have other feedback in general.
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Windows 24H2 Update Broke My PC - 12 Hours Wasted Reinstalling Windows - [briefly]
03:06 AM EST - Feb,26 2025 - post a comment I just wasted 12 hours reinstalling Windows because the Windows 24H2 update completely broke my PC. In this 7-minute rant, I go over what happened, why the update was a disaster, and my frustration with Windows updates causing more harm than good. If you've ever had a Windows update mess up your system, you'll definitely relate to this one.
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The Worst Thing About Windows 11 - [software]
05:57 PM EST - Feb,24 2025 - post a comment Today we take a look at the worst thing about Windows 11. There are many things wrong with Windows 11, but the worst thing is bloat. Windows 11 is full of unnecessary bloat and people simply don't need or want it. Apps like recall, copilot, ads and much more!
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Have we been testing SSDs wrong this entire time? Chipset vs. CPU PCIe 4.0 storage benchmarks - [hardware]
04:01 AM EST - Feb,24 2025 - post a comment While all M.2 ports on a motherboard might look they same, they're not quite identical under the hood. Some are connected directly to the CPU, while others are attached to the chipset and connected to the CPU from there. Despite many claiming that chipset-connected ports hurt storage performance, we've been testing all our PCIe 4.0 drives via one of these M.2 ports... is our testing data completely faulty or is it perfectly fine? We tested it for ourselves.
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AT&T Intros Bill-Splitting Option - [briefly]
09:59 AM EST - Feb,23 2025 - post a comment AT&T has introduced SplitPay, a new, industry-first option to let post-paid customers who share a multi-line account split the bill. When using SplitPay, there is still a single 'account owner' who is ultimately responsible for the whole amount. But the account owner can designate a different payor for each line. "Each month thereafter each of the designated lines is sent a text message with a secure link to pay their portion of the bill." SplitPay can also be used with AutoPay. Account owners will be notified - before the due date - if someone on the account hasn't paid their share. AT&T has patented the feature, but expects competitors to offer something similar soon. |
5 years of cold wallet knowledge in 21 minutes - [guides]
09:03 AM EST - Feb,23 2025 - post a comment The video presents essential information about cold wallets, addressing 22 common questions from beginners regarding crypto security. It explains the advantages of cold wallets over online exchanges, highlighting security features, the proper use of wallets, and tips for selecting a suitable cold wallet. In particular, it contrasts cold and hot wallets, emphasizes securing seed phrases, and advises against connecting cold wallets to risky platforms.
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Majorana 1 Explained: The Path to a Million Qubits - [technology]
04:39 AM EST - Feb,22 2025 - post a comment Hear from the Microsoft team behind the recent breakthrough in physics and quantum computing demonstrated by the new Majorana 1 chip, engineered from an entirely new material that has the potential to scale to millions of qubits on a single chip. Find out what is possible...
Finally, a computer capable of running Microsoft Teams at full speed ;-)
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Windows 11 Lite Official From Microsoft - [software]
04:16 AM EST - Feb,22 2025 - post a comment Today we are looking at Windows 11 LTSC. This is a lite version of Windows 11 that comes without bloat, without system requirements, and comes directly from Microsoft. This is NOT a debloated copy of Windows 11. This version comes directly from Microsoft as a retail product.
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Amazon Ditching Appstore for Android - [mobile]
06:45 PM EST - Feb,20 2025 - post a comment Amazon has announced that it is killing off its Appstore on Android as of August 20, 2025. After after that date, apps purchased from the Amazon Appstore on Android may no longer function. The Appstore could be side-loaded onto Android devices and offered an alternative to Google's Play app store. The Amazon Appstore was also the primary source of apps for Microsoft's Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), which enabled Windows 11 devices to run Android apps. Microsoft is ending support for WSA on March 5, 2025. |
The iPhone 16e Replaces Apple's iPhone SE - [mobile]
05:18 PM EST - Feb,20 2025 - post a comment Apple has announced the iPhone 16e, the company's new "affordable" iPhone starting at $599, replacing the iPhone SE. (The iPhone SE was last updated in 2022 and started at $429.) The iPhone 16e is powered by the same A18 processor as the standard iPhone 16, supporting Apple Intelligence AI features. The iPhone 16e is also the first iPhone to use an Apple-designed cellular modem instead of a Qualcomm modem. This Apple C1 chip supports 5G and is "the most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone". Apple claims the iPhone 16e's battery can last up to 12 hours longer than any iPhone SE. The iPhone 16e has a 6.1-inch OLED display with a notch for Face ID sensors and no home button, just like the iPhone 14. The display is protected by Ceramic Shield and the phone body is rated IP68 for water and dust resistance. The phone features Apple's satellite connectivity, including Messages, Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, and location sharing. The iPhone 16e has both wireless and USB-C charging. The single rear camera has 48 megapixel resolution, supporting 2x zoom, 4K video with Dolby Vision up to 60 fps, and Spatial Audio capture. The iPhone 16e will be available in black or white starting at $599 for 128 GB of storage. It will also be available with 256 GB storage for $699, or 512 GB for $899. Pre-orders start this Friday, with full availability beginning the following Friday, February 28.
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Samsung Brings Digital Car Keys to Volvo / Polestar - [technology]
05:18 PM EST - Feb,20 2025 - post a comment Samsung is expanding its digital car key function to select Volvo and Polestar vehicles, starting with the Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3. The feature lets someone with a high-end Samsung Galaxy phone use their phone to unlock, lock, and start their car with only their phone, no physical key required. Samsung already offers this function for certain BMW, Mini, and Audi vehicles. The function also supports temporarily sharing a copy of the digital key with someone else. Digital car keys can be disabled remotely in the event your phone is misplaced or stolen. Many recent Apple and Google smartphones also support digital car keys. |
AMD CPU, Apple M4 Pro Performance - Ryzen AI MAX Review - [hardware]
04:20 PM EST - Feb,19 2025 - post a comment The video reviews AMD's Ryzen AI MAX processors, the 395 and 390, which are designed to compete with Apple's M4 chips in creative workloads and AI applications while offering impressive power in a compact form factor. The review highlights benchmarks comparing performance with various systems, discusses gaming capabilities, and evaluates battery life alongside integrated graphics performance.
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GeForce RTX 4080 vs GeForce RTX 5090 - Test in 12 Games - [gaming]
06:14 PM EST - Feb,18 2025 - post a comment 00:00 - Specifications
00:11 - 3DMark - Time Spy
00:20 - Alan Wake II - High, RT OFF, PT OFF, SSAO
00:42 - Alan Wake II - High, RT High, PT OFF
01:04 - Black Myth: Wukong - Very High, RT OFF, TSR 100
01:26 - Black Myth: Wukong - Very High, RT Very High, TSR 100
01:48 - Cyberpunk 2077 - Ultra, RT OFF, PT OFF
02:10 - Cyberpunk 2077 - Ultra, RT Ultra, PT OFF
02:31 - Cyberpunk 2077 - Ultra, RT Ultra, PT ON, FSR/DLSS Q, FG ON
02:52 - Cyberpunk 2077 - Ultra, RT Ultra, PT ON, FSR/DLSS Q, FG/MFG ON
03:14 - Dying Light 2 - High, RT OFF, LOD 140
03:36 - Dying Light 2 - High, RT Ultra, LOD 140
03:58 - Ghost of Tsushima - Very High, XeGTAO, SMAA T2X
04:21 - Hogwarts Legacy - Ultra, RT OFF, TAA
04:43 - Hogwarts Legacy - Ultra, RT Ultra, TAA
05:05 - Indiana Jones And The Great Circle - Ultra, PT OFF / Vulkan
05:28 - S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl - Epic, TAA
05:51 - Star Wars Outlaws - Ultra, RT OFF, TAA
06:13 - Star Wars Outlaws - Ultra, RT Ultra, TAA
06:35 - Starfield - Ultra, GTAO, VRS OFF
06:58 - The Last of Us - Ultra
07:21 - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Next Gen - Uber+, RT OFF, HBAO+, HW x8
07:43 - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Next Gen - Uber+, RT Ultra, HW x8
08:05 - Power Consumption
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Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max Drop Test! - [mobile]
05:40 PM EST - Feb,17 2025 - post a comment This video compares the durability of the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max through a series of drop tests. The phones are subjected to back, corner, and face drops, as well as a bonus round of impact and shock resistance tests. The results reveal which phone is more resistant to damage and which phone might be more reliable in the event of a fall.
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Windows 11 February 2025 update (KB5052093/KB5052094) - what's new? - [security]
07:34 AM EST - Feb,16 2025 - post a comment The second feature drop for Windows 11 in 2025 will be shipping soon, for the month of February for users on version 24H2 (KB5052093, OS build 26100.3321 - Release Preview may be 26100.3320) and version 23H2 and 22H2 (KB5052094, OS build 22631.4972 and 22621.4972, Release Preview has 22631.4969 and 22621.4969) - with several new features and changes.
The battery icon has received a visual overhaul and you can now turn on battery percentage on the taskbar!* Windows Spotlight on both the lock screen and desktop has been updated with new icons and interactions. Windows Share has several improvements, with new entry points in the Start menu's recommended section and jump lists as well as the ability to share to Notepad and Clipchamp, while File Explorer now lets you turn off or snooze backup reminders. Various inbox apps have several new features and improvements, from OCR text recognition in the Photos app to the option to omit unnecessary parts of games you install in the Store. And so much more.
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Gen 4 Samsung QD-OLED 2025 Panels and Improvements - [hardware]
03:36 PM EST - Feb,14 2025 - post a comment A complete look at Samsung Display's latest QD-OLED updates and news for 2025 including new technologies, improvements and specs. We look at both the TV and monitor panel market, and include a deep dive of all the QD-OLED monitor panel generations and options over the years.
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WhatsApp is rolling out customizable themes and backgrounds for chat - [internet]
03:05 AM EST - Feb,14 2025 - post a comment WhatsApp is rolling out a significant visual update, bringing more personalization options to its messaging platform. Users will be able to customize their conversations with new pre-defined themes and backgrounds, moving away from the app's long-standing green theme.
The update introduces a range of new chat themes that alter the background as well as the chat bubbles themselves. This enables users to select a theme and instantly alter the look and feel of their conversations. While WhatsApp once allowed for custom wallpapers, this new feature provides greater personalization with 30 new background options along with the theme options.
Importantly, one can always upload an image from the phone gallery if one desires a personalized background. Such new themes can be used in all conversations as a group or separately to some conversations so that users can personalize their WhatsApp with ease.
It's also worth noting that such visual changes are personal and will only be observed by the user who sets them up, and not by the recipients of the chats. This feature is also applicable to WhatsApp Channels, where one can personalize their subscribed content as well.
The release of these colorful features has already begun on both Android and iOS. While availability at launch is limited, a wider global release will begin in the following weeks. |
Apple now allows users to migrate purchases from one Apple Account to another - [briefly]
04:39 AM EST - Feb,12 2025 - post a comment Apple Account purchases of apps, music, and other content have historically been non-transferable between accounts. Apple today published a new support document describing how users can migrate purchases between Apple Accounts. If an Apple Account is only used for making purchases, those purchases can be migrated to a different account, allowing users to consolidate their Apple Accounts. After completing the migration, users will be able to download the purchased apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books. Even subscriptions will be migrated along with the other purchased content. iCloud data will not be migrated since it is not tied to purchases. However, this feature is not available to users in the European Union, United Kingdom, or India. Apple will not allow users to migrate their purchases in the following scenarios:
- Neither Apple Account can be a child account created through
Family Sharing.
- Neither Apple Account can already be used for migrated
purchases. Learn how to undo a migration of purchases. If you undo a
migration of purchases from a secondary account, you won't be able to
migrate purchases again for 1 year.
- You can't migrate purchases if both the primary Apple Account
and the secondary Apple Account have music library data associated with
each of them.
- You can't migrate purchases if you've set your Apple One
subscription to provide iCloud storage to a third, different account.
Learn about Apple One and iCloud storage.
- If your primary account has never been used for purchases or
free downloads, you can't migrate purchases.
- You can't migrate purchases from an Apple Account that's been
deleted or deactivated.
- You can't migrate purchases if your Apple Account is locked or
disabled.
- Neither Apple Account can be receiving any special access to
apps or content. For example, an Apple Account enrolled in the VPP
program through an employer to receive special access to apps.
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Windows Defender vs Top 200 Ransomware - [security]
06:52 PM EST - Feb,10 2025 - post a comment In this video, the host conducts a test of Windows Defender's efficacy against ransomware by executing a collection of the latest ransomware variants on a fully updated Windows system. This annual tradition aims to assess whether Windows Defender can effectively prevent ransomware from encrypting files. The host downloads the top 200 ransomware variants and executes them while observing the system's behavior and monitoring for any signs of encryption. Throughout the test, the host encounters notifications from Windows Defender about various threats being blocked, as well as instances where ransomware manages to bypass the security measures, ultimately leading to some files being encrypted. The experience highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of Windows Defender in real-time ransomware attacks, especially in dealing with newly emerging threats. The host reflects on the results and encourages viewers to share their thoughts on the outcome.
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