The Hardware Unboxed Podcast

Episode 12: This week we discuss why the Epic Games Store keeps losing tons of money (and why Steam is king), we give our thoughts on AMD ending driver support for Vega GPUs, and share what we think about YouTube taking much more serious steps towards blocking adblockersCHAPTERS0:00 - Intro00:52 - The Epic Games Store Sucks and Loses Money30:05 - AMD Ends Driver Support for Vega GPUs38:36 - Our Thoughts on YouTube Blocking Adblock59:54 - Updates From Our Boring LivesSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTAudio: https://shows.acast.com/the-hardware-unboxed-podcastVideo: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqT8Vb3jweH6_tj2SarErfwSUPPORT US DIRECTLYPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/hardwareunboxedFloatplane: https://www.floatplane.com/channel/HardwareUnboxedLINKSYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Hardwareunboxed/Twitter: https://twitter.com/HardwareUnboxed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 11: After looking at Alan Wake 2 recently, we're doing a deep dive episode on whether 30 FPS gaming is "unplayable" or whether it's more just "unenjoyable" or even at times "playable"CHAPTERS0:00 - Intro02:29 - Is 30 FPS Gaming Unplayable?06:32 - All FPS Rates are Playable, Unplayable is Subjective16:03 - Type of Input Device Matters22:10 - Being Sold a 30 FPS Experience is Bad26:21 - 30 FPS Reduces Visual Quality38:34 - 30 FPS Might Be Okay When There's No Choice49:39 - Alan Wake 2 Has No Native TAA Mode57:47 - Updates From Our Boring LivesSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTAudio: https://shows.acast.com/the-hardware-unboxed-podcastVideo: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqT8Vb3jweH6_tj2SarErfwSUPPORT US DIRECTLYPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/hardwareunboxedFloatplane: https://www.floatplane.com/channel/HardwareUnboxedLINKSYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Hardwareunboxed/Twitter: https://twitter.com/HardwareUnboxed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 10: A quick chat about Cities Skylines 2 is followed with us reacting, laughing and just having fun with some of the worst comments we've received on our videos recently. Also, hear more about mowers from Steve, and Starfield from TimCHAPTERS0:00 - Intro02:31 - RTX 4090 Pricing and Cities Skylines 211:40 - Reacting to Really Bad Comments55:41 - Updates From Our Boring Lives1:00:00 - Tim's Thoughts on StarfieldSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTAudio: https://shows.acast.com/the-hardware-unboxed-podcastVideo: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqT8Vb3jweH6_tj2SarErfwSUPPORT US DIRECTLYPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/hardwareunboxedFloatplane: https://www.floatplane.com/channel/HardwareUnboxedLINKSYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Hardwareunboxed/Twitter: https://twitter.com/HardwareUnboxed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 9: Intel released some pointless refreshed CPUs, AMD made yet another Radeon blunder with Anti-Lag+ banning gamers, new GRE GPUs from AMD plus discussion of Threadripper 7000. It's a news episode full of our thoughts on the hottest topics across the past week.CHAPTERS0:00 - Intro00:47 - Intel Has "New" 14th-gen Desktop CPUs18:36 - Intel Has A Power Consumption Problem28:22 - Intel's Lack of Platform Support36:09 - AMD Hurts Reputation Again with Anti-Lag+ Debacle45:51 - New Radeon RX 6750 GRE GPU50:20 - Threadripper 7000 Launch and Our Experience Using Threadripper1:10:52 - Updates From Our Boring LivesSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTAudio: https://shows.acast.com/the-hardware-unboxed-podcastVideo: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqT8Vb3jweH6_tj2SarErfwSUPPORT US DIRECTLYPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/hardwareunboxedFloatplane: https://www.floatplane.com/channel/HardwareUnboxedLINKSYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Hardwareunboxed/Twitter: https://twitter.com/HardwareUnboxed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 8: With Intel rapidly improving their GPU division, and the new launch of the Arc A580, how close are Intel GPUs to getting our recommendation? We discuss that, as well as AMD's not very good Fluid Motion Frames technologyCHAPTERS0:00 - Intro04:55 - Intel Arc A580 Recap11:13 - Arc is Still A Bit Inconsistent Across Games19:45 - Intel Arc GPUs are Well Priced23:11 - Arc Isn't Far Away from Being Recommended28:28 - This is Intel's First Attempt32:58 - Good Intel GPUs Are Great For Competition40:32 - AMD Fluid Motion Frames Sucks55:44 - Updates from Our Boring LivesSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTAudio: https://shows.acast.com/the-hardware-unboxed-podcastVideo: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqT8Vb3jweH6_tj2SarErfwSUPPORT US DIRECTLYPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/hardwareunboxedFloatplane: https://www.floatplane.com/channel/HardwareUnboxedLINKSYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Hardwareunboxed/Twitter: https://twitter.com/HardwareUnboxed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 7: We discuss AMD's FSR 3 Frame Generation technology, the strange launch of it, and how with this generation of GPUs both Nvidia and AMD have lost sight of what makes a graphics card goodCHAPTERS0:00 - Intro00:29 - We're Going to Talk About Frame Generation06:52 - AMD FSR 3 Recap10:45 - The FSR 3 Launch was Very Strange23:29 - FSR 3 is Not Beta Technology33:43 - Frame Generation is Marketed Incorrectly38:18 - Frame Generation Can Be Worse Than Not Using It40:17 - GPU Companies Have Lost Sight of What Makes a GPU Good59:23 - Broad Feature Support Isn't That Important1:12:52 - Updates From Our Boring LivesSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTAudio: https://shows.acast.com/the-hardware-unboxed-podcastVideo: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqT8Vb3jweH6_tj2SarErfwSUPPORT US DIRECTLYPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/hardwareunboxedFloatplane: https://www.floatplane.com/channel/HardwareUnboxedLINKSYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Hardwareunboxed/Twitter: https://twitter.com/HardwareUnboxed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 6: Steve responds to widespread hatred over his decision not to use DLSS for testing Cyberpunk 2077. Plus we rank every current generation AMD and Nvidia graphics card from worst to best, or more accurately, worst to least bad.CHAPTERS0:00 - Intro02:21 - Why No DLSS and FSR Testing for Cyberpunk?24:54 - Ranking All GPUs from Worst to Least Bad50:57 - Newegg GPU Trade In Program57:57 - Our Boring LivesNEWS LINKShttps://www.tomshardware.com/news/newegg-launches-gpu-trade-in-programSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTAudio: https://shows.acast.com/the-hardware-unboxed-podcastVideo: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqT8Vb3jweH6_tj2SarErfwSUPPORT US DIRECTLYPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/hardwareunboxedFloatplane: https://www.floatplane.com/channel/HardwareUnboxedLINKSYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Hardwareunboxed/Twitter: https://twitter.com/HardwareUnboxed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 5: It's a news episode! With the recent next-gen Xbox console leaks, we discuss future AMD CPU and GPU tech, how an Nvidia console would impact the market, and whether upscaling is being relied on too heavily for next-gen game experiences. We also chat about Ray Reconstruction, Asus' new $3200 GPU, Dough being dodgy and more.CHAPTERS0:00 - Intro1:38 - Xbox 2028 CPU Design Leaks9:43 - Xbox 2028 GPU Design Leaks12:54 - Xbox Wants Next-Gen Features, Can AMD Deliver?17:52 - What About an Nvidia Console?25:40 - New Consoles Might Rely Too Heavily on Upscaling34:14 - DLSS is Different at Different GPU Tiers40:35 - Steve Tested a $3200 GPU49:43 - Asus Schools Steve on How to Pronounce Asus52:53 - DLSS 3.5 Ray Reconstruction Thoughts1:07:29 - Dough Screws Their Monitor Customers1:13:42 - Updates From Our Boring LivesNEWS LINKShttps://www.theverge.com/2023/9/19/23880138/microsoft-xbox-2028-hybrid-cloud-games-platformhttps://www.theverge.com/23872874/dough-eve-spectrum-monitor-refunds-v-tablet-follow-upSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTAudio: https://shows.acast.com/the-hardware-unboxed-podcastVideo: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqT8Vb3jweH6_tj2SarErfwSUPPORT US DIRECTLYPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/hardwareunboxedFloatplane: https://www.floatplane.com/channel/HardwareUnboxedLINKSYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Hardwareunboxed/Twitter: https://twitter.com/HardwareUnboxed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 4: It's a battle! Steve and Tim each spec out a $1000 gaming PC build that the other one hasn't seen and discuss whose is better. Also, a few brief news topics including the latest Nvidia driver for Starfield and RX 7600 XT rumors.CHAPTERS0:00 - Intro2:13 - RX 7800 XT Pricing in the US vs Other Regions4:27 - Nvidia's New Starfield Driver with ReBAR Enabled11:35 - Is the RX 7600 XT a Real Product?17:21 - Our $1000 Gaming PC Builds for 202352:05 - Other Stuff in Our Lives NEWS LINKShttps://videocardz.com/newz/amd-radeon-rx-7600-xt-to-feature-10gb-and-12gb-memory-configs-according-to-powercolor-eec-filingSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTAudio: https://shows.acast.com/the-hardware-unboxed-podcastVideo: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqT8Vb3jweH6_tj2SarErfwSUPPORT US DIRECTLYPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/hardwareunboxedFloatplane: https://www.floatplane.com/channel/HardwareUnboxedLINKSYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Hardwareunboxed/Twitter: https://twitter.com/HardwareUnboxed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 3: Today we're recapping the Radeon RX 7800 XT and RX 7700 XT reviews and discussing some missed opportunities in AMD's marketing. We also chat about Starfield: is the game badly optimized? Should you be thinking about more frequent CPU upgrades? What happened to DLSS? CHAPTERS0:00 - Intro4:04 - AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT and RX 7700 XT Recap16:01 - Is Performance Close to RDNA2 a Fail?19:20 - Heaps of Old Stock Still Affecting Releases22:44 - What About Manufacturing Costs25:43 - Missed Opportunity with Radeon Launches and Starfield35:23 - Is Starfield Badly Optimized?44:17 - Is it Time to Think About More Frequent CPU Upgrades?49:41 - Should Bethesda or Intel Have Optimized Starfield for Arc GPUs?53:54 - What Happened to AMD Blocking DLSS in Starfield?1:06:38 - Other Stuff in Our LivesSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTAudio: https://shows.acast.com/the-hardware-unboxed-podcastVideo: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqT8Vb3jweH6_tj2SarErfwSUPPORT US DIRECTLYPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/hardwareunboxedFloatplane: https://www.floatplane.com/channel/HardwareUnboxedLINKSYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Hardwareunboxed/Twitter: https://twitter.com/HardwareUnboxed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 2: It's a news episode! We talk about Nvidia's new DLSS 3.5 technology; our early thoughts and how this impacts AMD and benchmarking. We also revisit some difficulties with VRAM benchmarking, give our thoughts on new PresentMon features, Nvidia's BIOS signature check being bypassed and more.CHAPTERS0:00 - Intro2:56 - Nvidia DLSS 3.5 Ray Reconstruction25:25 - Benchmarking is Getting More Difficult, VRAM Discussion37:49 - DLSS 3 is Coming to Fortnite, Latency Testing42:30 - GPU Busy Metric in PresentMon48:28 - Nvidia BIOS Signature Lock Bypassed58:41 - Insights into Steve's Boring LifeNEWS LINKSNvidia DLSS 3.5: https://www.nvidia.com/en-au/geforce/news/nvidia-dlss-3-5-ray-reconstruction/TechPowerUp Nvidia BIOS Lock Bypass: https://www.techpowerup.com/312631/nvidia-bios-signature-lock-broken-vbios-modding-and-crossflash-enabled-by-groundbreaking-new-toolsSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTAudio: https://shows.acast.com/the-hardware-unboxed-podcastVideo: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqT8Vb3jweH6_tj2SarErfwSUPPORT US DIRECTLYPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/hardwareunboxedFloatplane: https://www.floatplane.com/channel/HardwareUnboxedLINKSYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Hardwareunboxed/Twitter: https://twitter.com/HardwareUnboxed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First ever episode? Let's make it a hot topic one by discussing the latest Gamers Nexus video on Linus Media Group, general thoughts on testing methodologies, whether Linus is a net benefit to the community and more.SUPPORT US DIRECTLYPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/hardwareunboxedFloatplane: https://www.floatplane.com/channel/HardwareUnboxedLINKSYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Hardwareunboxed/Twitter: https://twitter.com/HardwareUnboxed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.