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Latest by Brad Bourque

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‘Destiny 2’ will hit PCs almost two months after it hits console

Activision quietly revealed today that PC gamers would have to wait almost a full two months from Destiny 2's console launch.
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Here’s everything Sony announced at its trailer-heavy E3 press conference

Sony kept the talking to an absolute minimum during its E3 press conference, instead choosing to show off an hour of uninterrupted trailers,
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Everything announced at Ubisoft’s surprising E3 2017 press conference

Ubisoft's 2017 E3 press conference was packed to the brim with exciting surprise announcements and new IPs.
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Ubisoft shows off ‘Far Cry 5’ gameplay at its E3 press conference

At the surprising E3 press conference, Ubisoft finally showed users gameplay video from Hope County, Montana, the home of Far Cry 5.
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Welcome to Bethesdaland! Here’s what’s new from Bethesda’s 2017 E3 press conference

Bethesda's E3 press conference was heavily influenced by existing projects, but that didn't stop the team from updating old favorites.
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Samsung's new 49-inch gaming monitor is wonderfully absurd

Monitor makers continue to impress us with big, beautiful, high-resolution panels, and Samsung's new CHG90 once again pushes the boundaries.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 46: How close is MacOS to Apple’s Core?

On this week's Close to the Metal, we're talking Apple's MacOS and iMac announcements from WWDC, and wonder whether the Mac has a future.
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HTC Vive Deluxe Audio Strap Review

HTC Vive owners have looked on with jealousy at the Oculus Rift’s built-in headphone, but no longer. HTC’s easy-to-use upgrade sets the bar high for comfort and usability.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 44: New 2-in-1s breach the surface, but are any winners?

New 2-in-1s are rolling out, including the long-awaited update to Microsoft's Surface Pro. Are any of these products ready for the spotlight?
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Google’s new Chrome for virtual reality is much more than just a port

It might not surprise many people to find out Google is rolling out a version of Chrome built for VR, but the rich feature set may.
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Google’s new Visual Positioning System takes learning, navigation to new levels

Leveraging a slew of Google projects, the Visual Positioning System can help you navigate a store, or show kids a new way to learn.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 43: If you build it, will they come?

On this week's Close to the Metal we take a look back at Build and decide whether anything coming out of it is worth holding your breath for.
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Dell Thunderbolt Dock TB16: Our first take

Computer docks have never been terribly exciting. Despite a wealth of inputs and outputs, Dell’s TB16 doesn’t do much to spice up the category, particularly for those who use something other than a Dell laptop.
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Hands on: ‘Absolver’

With guns dominating every stage at E3 this year, we took some time to play a melee fighting game that specifically leaves them out.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 42: Batten the hatches, your system is under siege

This week, we're talking recent turbulence in the cyber security landscape, and what you can do to protect yourself from bad actors.
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5 potent gaming rigs you can build for the price of a console

Consoles are inexpensive, but gaming PCs can deliver superior performance for just a few bucks more. Here are 5 budget PC gaming builds that can slay a PS4.
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How to conquer the world of Blizzard’s ‘Overwatch,’ even on a wimpy gaming PC

Overwatch is one of the most attractive games to come out of Blizzard for quite some time, but that means it's also one of the most challenging to run.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 41: Everything Microsoft, and our first reader poll

Microsoft continues to swell into new areas, with Windows 10 for Students and a new mid-range Surface Laptop. Is it a bold new direction?

Acer Predator 21 X Review

Acer's massive Predator 21 X laptop is massive, incredible, and completely impractical. It's a concept computer come to life.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 40: The Optane Difference

Intel's Optane Memory will start arriving in systems this week, so on Close to the Metal, we'll let you know who it's a good fit for.
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Acer’s focus grows with a new smartwatch, VR headset, and 360 camera

This year's Acer event was full of announcements spanning several major product categories, with a few that pair up interesting features.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 39: The RX 570 Live Review

Join us on this week's Close to the Metal as we breakdown performance and price on the new AMD Radeon RX 570.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 38: The Ryzen Roundup

The Ryzen 5 chips offer an interesting performance proposition that’s impossible to ignore. We’ll talk over the whole series thus far and let you know where the best chips lie.
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Windows 10 Insider Program: Latest Windows Builds, Updates, and News

Whether you're in the fast ring, or hanging back in the slow ring, there are lots of new features in Microsoft's new Windows 10 beta update.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 37: Does the Windows 10 Creators Update live up to its name?

Ready or not, the Windows 10 Creators Update is rolling out to systems. On this week's Close to the Metal, we'll dig in and assess the damage.
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Close to the Metal Ep. 36: Optane Memory has arrived, but who is it really for?

Intel Optane Memory is right around the corner, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions surrounding its release.

Here are the 5 best new features in the Windows 10 Creators Update

While some of the landmark upgrades in the Windows 10 Creators Update may not have made it in time, there are still great new features to get excited for, from privacy updates to new Edge improvements.
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Microsoft’s Paint 3D shows promise, but it’s more toy than tool

There’s a lot of promise in Microsoft’s redesigned Paint 3D, but taking the complexity out of 3D modeling may have rendered pipe-dreams of mixed reality fun and 3D printed toys unable to hold water.
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Intel’s Optane Memory hopes to give your aging hard disk a kick in the pants

Intel's Optane Memory is finally here, complementing older HDDs with lightning-fast performance. But is it trying to solve a problem that SSDs are already the answer to?
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Intel’s Optane DC 4800X blurs the line between RAM and solid state storage

We've heard a lot about Intel's new Optane drives based on XPoint technology, but they're finally here -- sort of.
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Close to the Metal ep 31: Steam is changing the game for indie developers

Steam is ditching Greenlight in favor of a more direct-to-consumer approach. How will that change affect developers?
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Close to the Metal Ep. 30: For Honor will kick your gaming PC's butt

This week on Close to the Metal, we'll ask why PC games are so much harder to run, and see if Microsoft has a potential solution.
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Technical slides reveal new truths about Ryzen's power management

As an alleged Ryzen launch inches ever closer, more technical details have come to light regarding AMD's upcoming processors.
Nintendo Switch: Hands On

PC Gaming and Nintendo are tighter than the Mario brothers

Nintendo has spent 40 years building an army of loyal players, and among them are PC gaming enthusiasts looking for something distinctly different - which they often find in the dungeons of Hyrule.