Ray Tracing Benchmarks Vol. 2, Next-gen Radeon leak, Snapdragon 855 is 5G ready

[TechSpot Weekly Newsletter] Latest in tech December 6 GeForce RTX [Revisiting Battlefield V Ray Tracing Performance]( After a less than encouraging debut of real-time ray tracing in Battlefield V, Nvidia and DICE have been working together to [optimize the game's implementation of DXR](. The improvements come in the form of new graphics drivers and a game patch, which collectively Nvidia claims can improve performance as much as 50%. We put those claims to the test. After a less than encouraging debut of real-time ray tracing in Battlefield V, Nvidia and DICE have been working together to [optimize the game's implementation of DXR](. The improvements come in the form of new graphics drivers and a game patch, which collectively Nvidia claims can improve performance as much as 50%. We put those claims to the test. Enthusiast Zone [The most memorable overclocking-friendly CPUs]( #ThrowbackThursday Enthusiasts' early overclocking endeavors involved soldering and replacing crystal clock oscillators, but evolving standards brought more accessible means to change system bus speeds, while the most daring would gain boosts through hard modding. These are but a few of the [landmark processors revered for their overclocking prowess](. #ThrowbackThursday Enthusiasts' early overclocking endeavors involved soldering and replacing crystal clock oscillators, but evolving standards brought more accessible means to change system bus speeds, while the most daring would gain boosts through hard modding. These are but a few of the [landmark processors revered for their overclocking prowess](. Rumor Mill [Alleged Radeon RX 3000 details leak: a $250 RTX 2070 competitor?]( The news arrives via gaming technology channel AdoredTV, whose video covers both Navi and Ryzen 3000 details. According to the clip, AMD will announce the new cards at CES next month. These will be the Radeon RX 3060, RX 3070,… The news arrives via gaming technology channel AdoredTV, whose video covers both Navi and Ryzen 3000 details. According to the clip, AMD will announce the new cards at CES next month. These will be the Radeon RX 3060, RX 3070,… Next-Gen [Qualcomm announces 5G-ready Snapdragon 855]( We already knew that, much like Huawei’s Kirin 980 and Apple’s A12 Bionic, the Snapdragon 855 is built on the 7nm FinFET process. This marks the Snapdragon's first shrink in transistor size since 2016. We already knew that, much like Huawei’s Kirin 980 and Apple’s A12 Bionic, the Snapdragon 855 is built on the 7nm FinFET process. This marks the Snapdragon's first shrink in transistor size since 2016. Privacy [Australia just passed a bill that forces tech companies to give up encrypted data]( Debate over how law enforcement and government agencies should combat encryption on modern devices has been ongoing for years now. In a surprise move, Australia's parliament passed a bill that requires technology firms to provide access to encrypted data. Debate over how law enforcement and government agencies should combat encryption on modern devices has been ongoing for years now. In a surprise move, Australia's parliament passed a bill that requires technology firms to provide access to encrypted data. Featured Story [Confirmed: Microsoft is replacing Edge with a Chromium-powered browser]( First reported by Windows Central, Microsoft is reportedly preparing to move its default Windows 10 browser’s rendering engine from EdgeHTML to the open source Chromium base used by the likes of Google Chrome and Opera. First reported by Windows Central, Microsoft is reportedly preparing to move its default Windows 10 browser’s rendering engine from EdgeHTML to the open source Chromium base used by the likes of Google Chrome and Opera. Ultrabook [Razer revamps its 13-inch Blade Stealth ultrabook with a new look and upgraded hardware]( Razer has refreshed its ultra-portable 13-inch Razer Blade Stealth laptop with an updated new look and improved hardware. We'll get into the hardware in a minute, but first, we'll discuss the overall design improvements. Razer has refreshed its ultra-portable 13-inch Razer Blade Stealth laptop with an updated new look and improved hardware. We'll get into the hardware in a minute, but first, we'll discuss the overall design improvements. Review [MSI Optix MAG27CQ & MSI Optix MPG27CQ 1440p 144Hz Gaming Monitors Review]( MSI's Optix MAG27CQ and MPG27CQ monitors [check a lot of boxes]( on the feature list: 27" curved monitors with 1440p resolutions, FreeSync support, 144Hz refresh rates, and 1ms response times. Let's see how they perform and whether one of them may be a good choice for your next gaming display upgrade. MSI's Optix MAG27CQ and MPG27CQ monitors [check a lot of boxes]( on the feature list: 27" curved monitors with 1440p resolutions, FreeSync support, 144Hz refresh rates, and 1ms response times. Let's see how they perform and whether one of them may be a good choice for your next gaming display upgrade. China Demands Release [Huawei CFO arrested in Canada for allegedly violating Iran sanctions, China demands release]( It’s claimed that Meng, the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, violated sanctions against Iran. Techcrunch reports that she faces unspecified charges in the Eastern District of New York, where she had transferred flights on her way to Canada. She… It’s claimed that Meng, the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, violated sanctions against Iran. Techcrunch reports that she faces unspecified charges in the Eastern District of New York, where she had transferred flights on her way to Canada. She… Opinion [The connected PC]( Sometimes it takes real world frustrations before you can really appreciate the advances that technology can bring. Such is the case with mobile broadband-equipped notebook PCs. Sometimes it takes real world frustrations before you can really appreciate the advances that technology can bring. Such is the case with mobile broadband-equipped notebook PCs. [Gaming monitor shipments doubled in 2018]( Shipments of gaming monitors are forecasted to reach 5.1 million units worldwide by the end of 2018 according to a new report from WitsView, a division of TrendForce. [Microsoft said to be working on stripped-down 'Windows Lite' OS to compete with Chrome OS]( Now, Petri reports that Microsoft is working on yet another lightweight iteration of Windows, similar to Windows 10 S and RT; both of which are stripped-down versions of the full-fat desktop Windows 10 experience. [Try 'Shadow of the Tomb Raider' for free before you buy]( Shadow of the Tomb Raider launched on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC back in September. If you missed the opportunity to check out Lara Crofts’ latest adventure – a forgivable offense given the steady diet of big-budget releases… [Steve Jobs' autograph is the most expensive in the world right now]( According to the 2018 Paul Fraser Collectibles Autograph Index, Jobs’ signature has increased in value by more than 27 percent since 2000, jumping 14.3 percent alone over the last year. [Ubisoft teases Mad Max-like post-apocalyptic Far Cry game ahead of The Game Awards]( This year's The Game Awards (TGA) event is officially kicking off on December 6, and we already have quite a bit to look forward to. Obviously, some of our favorite developers will get recognition for the hard work they've put… [Fortnite is adding a new Creative mode]( It’s a big week for Epic Games. The Fortnite creator on Tuesday announced a digital storefront and will launch Season 7 of the battle royale phenomenon on December 6. That’d be enough to keep most busy but not Epic; the… Trivia [A "platform upgrade" involves swapping which core PC components?]( [- Hard drive, GPU and RAM - CPU, RAM and motherboard - CPU, GPU and motherboard - It's actually a full rebuild]( [DoD-funded study will use 3D printing to help regrow damaged bones in military personnel]( John A. Szivek, Ph.D., a biomedical engineer and professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Arizona, received a five-year, $2 million grant from the DoD. "Imagine an impact that causes half of a long bone to shatter so that… [Chrome 71 now rolling out with improved ad blocker, user's billing protection]( Google Chrome 71 is now rolling out for Windows, Android, Mac and Linux. [DuckDuckGo examines Google's influence over search results]( DuckDuckGo, makers of the privacy-minded search engine by the same name, has conducted a follow-up study on the state of Google’s filter bubble. [New Microsoft ad laughs at Apple for calling the iPad a computer, again]( Sung to the tune of ‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,’ the little girl in the ad sings: “Grandma, don’t run out and buy an iPad. It was fine when I was six, but now I’m 10. My dreams… [UK schools warn parents of Fortnite's "aggressive" effect on kids]( The Telegraph reports that Widden Primary School in the UK county of Gloucester held sessions where it warned parents of Fortnite’s “all-consuming” and addictive nature. [Tom Cruise PSA: Your TV is ruining how you watch movies]( Tom Cruise is doing his part to make your movie-watching experience the best it can be (and promote his latest film). Tech News - [Google will shut down Allo next year]( - [SpaceX has a Falcon 9 landing failure during supply mission]( - [Yandex, the Russian Google has released its own smartphone]( - [Hulu and AT&T may implement 'pause ads' within their streaming services in 2019]( - [Rockstar working on making Red Dead Online economy less grindy]( - [Bethesda bug exposed customer support tickets, which included personal info]( - [Facebook denies UK allegations after Six4Three document dump]( - [Discord's 'Snowsgiving' event brings a $26,000 game tournament, hardware giveaways, and more]( - [New York City passes $17 minimum wage for Uber and Lyft drivers]( - [FCC Chairman: a 'half-million' net neutrality comments came from Russian email addresses]( - [Bose's audio-enabled sunglasses ship in January but without a key feature]( - [Facebook falls from first to No. 7 in Glassdoor's Best Places to Work list]( Software Downloads - [WhatsApp for Android Beta 2.18.373]( - [Facebook for Android 200.0]( - [Instagram for Android 74.0.0.4]( Drivers - [Nvidia GeForce Graphics Driver 417.22]( 2018-12-03 11:34:33 - [Intel Modern Graphics Drivers 25.20.100.6444 (UWD) for Windows 10]( 2018-11-29 16:29:09 Tech Pic of the Day [Confirmed: Microsoft is replacing Edge with a Chromium-powered browser]( Hot discussion [News and Comments]( [The world's first 8K TV channel has kicked off with masterpiece '2001: A Space Odyssey']( [News and Comments]( [Nvidia debuts the Titan RTX as the world's most powerful desktop GPU]( Follow TechSpot TechSpot: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [RSS]( [Google+]( [Instagram]( [Steam]( [Flipboard]( [YouTube]( Feeds: [News](, [Reviews & Features](, [Downloads](, [Drivers]( [View this email in your browser]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [We only send these emails with your permission after you've registered on TechSpot.com]( [Click here to unsubscribe]( © 2018 TechSpot, Inc.