The Best Smartphones, Intel HEDT vs. AMD Ryzen, Guide to Black Friday Tech Deals

[TechSpot Weekly Newsletter] Latest in tech November 29 Hardware [Intel Cascade Lake-X HEDT vs. AMD Ryzen: Fight!]( As anticipated earlier this week when we tested AMD's HEDT Threadripper, Intel is also coming out with their own new high-end desktop series codenamed Cascade Lake-X. You already saw some preliminary data on the Core i9-10980XE, and now we're bringing you a full series review by [testing the 10980XE, 10940X, 10920X and 10900X CPUs](. As anticipated earlier this week when we tested AMD's HEDT Threadripper, Intel is also coming out with their own new high-end desktop series codenamed Cascade Lake-X. You already saw some preliminary data on the Core i9-10980XE, and now we're bringing you a full series review by [testing the 10980XE, 10940X, 10920X and 10900X CPUs](. Buying Guide [The Best Smartphones: What You Should Buy From $200 to Over $1,000]( TechSpot's guide to [the best smartphones]( is meant to highlight the stuff that matters, making it easier for you to buy the best device possible at your desired price point, from $200 to over $1,000. TechSpot's guide to [the best smartphones]( is meant to highlight the stuff that matters, making it easier for you to buy the best device possible at your desired price point, from $200 to over $1,000. Black Friday [The Full Guide to Black Friday Tech Deals: Over 200 deals and counting]( Black Friday kickstarts the opening of the holiday shopping season and there are tons of deals to be had on tech. We've cut out the fat and the fluff, and created an all-encompassing list with all the relevant tech deals… Black Friday kickstarts the opening of the holiday shopping season and there are tons of deals to be had on tech. We've cut out the fat and the fluff, and created an all-encompassing list with all the relevant tech deals… How Stuff Works [Aiming for Atoms: The Art of Making Chips Smaller]( In the world of computer chips, bigger numbers are often better. More cores, higher GHz, greater FLOPs, all desired by engineers and users alike. But there is one measure that's hot news right now and [the smaller it is, the better](. Let's take a journey into the world of process nodes, to find out more. In the world of computer chips, bigger numbers are often better. More cores, higher GHz, greater FLOPs, all desired by engineers and users alike. But there is one measure that's hot news right now and [the smaller it is, the better](. Let's take a journey into the world of process nodes, to find out more. Black Friday [PSA: Don't buy a Chromebook on Black Friday or Cyber Monday without checking its expiration date]( Chromebooks, as you may or may not know, essentially have an expiration date – or as Google calls it, the Auto Update Expiration (AUE) date. Chrome devices receive automatic updates that introduce new features and keep them secure but once… Chromebooks, as you may or may not know, essentially have an expiration date – or as Google calls it, the Auto Update Expiration (AUE) date. Chrome devices receive automatic updates that introduce new features and keep them secure but once… GPU Wars [GeForce RTX 2070 Super vs. Radeon RX 5700 XT: 37 Game Benchmark]( Today we're looking at how the $400 Radeon RX 5700 XT and $500 GeForce RTX 2070 Super compare head to head in a [massive 37 game benchmark](. This is not the first time we're looking at these two graphics cards so you have learned plenty about them already and even what to expect. Today we're looking at how the $400 Radeon RX 5700 XT and $500 GeForce RTX 2070 Super compare head to head in a [massive 37 game benchmark](. This is not the first time we're looking at these two graphics cards so you have learned plenty about them already and even what to expect. PC Gaming [Steam's Autumn Sale is underway, offering up steep discounts on 'thousands' of games]( One of the main benefits of being a PC gamer is the frequent sales you have access to throughout the year. Most major digital distribution platforms offer steep discounts on large portions of their game catalog during the holidays, at… One of the main benefits of being a PC gamer is the frequent sales you have access to throughout the year. Most major digital distribution platforms offer steep discounts on large portions of their game catalog during the holidays, at… Buying Guide [The Best Mouse: Power User, Gaming, Wireless, Ergonomic]( A good, reliable, and long-lasting mouse can go a long way toward making your work or play all the more comfortable and efficient. Here are TechSpot's top picks for [the best mouse you can buy](, whether you're a gamer, an office worker, or anything in between, you'll find the right device for your needs. A good, reliable, and long-lasting mouse can go a long way toward making your work or play all the more comfortable and efficient. Here are TechSpot's top picks for [the best mouse you can buy](, whether you're a gamer, an office worker, or anything in between, you'll find the right device for your needs. TechSpot Feature [What Ever Happened to ICQ?]( #ThrowBackThursday ICQ, short for the phrase "I Seek You," laid the groundwork for standalone instant messaging clients when it arrived in November 1996. Think about how long ago that was... Windows 95 was barely a year old, Nintendo had just introduced the N64, and those with a reason to have a cell phone actually used it to talk on. #ThrowBackThursday ICQ, short for the phrase "I Seek You," laid the groundwork for standalone instant messaging clients when it arrived in November 1996. Think about how long ago that was... Windows 95 was barely a year old, Nintendo had just introduced the N64, and those with a reason to have a cell phone actually used it to talk on. Science [Scientists discover tectonic fault zone through undersea fiber-optic cables]( The idea of using underwater fiber-optic cables to observe earthquakes has been explored in the past by researchers from the UK, Italy, and Malta. The idea of using underwater fiber-optic cables to observe earthquakes has been explored in the past by researchers from the UK, Italy, and Malta. [AMD is dominating Intel in Amazon's best-selling CPUs list]( In Amazon’s US chart of its most popular processors, AMD’s Ryzen 7 2700X takes the top position. The 8-core/16-thread processor is down to just $159 for Black Friday, which works out at just under $20 per core. It’s followed by… [HPE says its SSDs will fail at 32,768 hours unless patched]( Hewlett Packard Enterprise said that certain SAS solid state drives (full list here) would fail once they hit their 32,768th hour of operation—that's 3 years, 270 days, and 8 hours—unless their firmware is upgraded to version HPD8. [Samsung is reportedly making 14nm CPUs for Intel as supply issues persist]( Intel may have taken its title back from Samsung as the world's largest chip maker this year, but that doesn't make things any easier for the company, especially now that AMD is on steroids and has managed to deliver 7nm… [Valve bids farewell to the Steam Controller with a 90 percent discount]( Valve's intent with the Steam Controller was to do things differently by providing the accuracy of a keyboard/mouse configuration with the flexibility of a hand-held device like an Xbox/Dualshock controller. [Moscow farmers fit cows with VR headsets to improve their mood and boost milk production]( The virtual reality industry has grown considerably since the first full-sized headsets hit the market several years ago, but not just in the realm of gaming. VR is being used in the medical field, in the real estate industry, and… [Overwatch is free-to-play until December 4 as part of Blizzard's Black Friday sale]( Overwatch is the gift that keeps on giving. Like many live service games of its ilk, Blizzard's popular hero-based FPS receives continuous content updates over time, which usually add new maps, heroes, and cosmetic content -- all playable or obtainable… [Phil Spencer: VR won't be a focus of the next Xbox]( It appears that Spencer has never been virtual reality’s biggest advocate. Back in 2016 before the console’s release, he said that VR would come to the Xbox One X when it didn’t feel like “demos and experiments.” [California's DMV is making $50 million per year from selling private data]( The revelation comes via a report from Motherboard, which used a public records acts request to discover how much firms are paying the California DMV for data. During the financial year 2017/2018, it was $52,048,236, up from $41,562,735 in 2013/2014.… [Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey says he will live in Africa for 3-6 months next year]( Dorsey had earlier said he would be making a month-long tour of the continent this November, meeting with entrepreneurs in Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa. [John Boyega accidentally leaked the entire Rise of Skywalker script on eBay]( Somehow a full and authentic script for The Rise of Skywalker ended up for sale on eBay recently. The folks at Lucasfilm were shocked, but fortunately, a Disney staffer came to the rescue and bought the script before it could… [Go champion retires from professional play, cites undefeatable AI as the reason]( That last set of victories is closely tied to the topic of today's news. South Korean Go champion Lee Se-dol, who was first beaten by AlphaGo back in 2016, has announced his decision to retire from professional play entirely, putting… [Ford's Mustang Mach-E First Edition electric SUV sells out in the US]( The Mustang Mach-E has a lot riding on its shoulders. The new model not only marks Ford's official entry into electric vehicles, but it also carries the 'Mustang' brand name on an SUV, sharing it alongside the iconic pony car. [Master the essentials of CentOS and Red Hat Linux and get certified]( Linux powers most of the web and every full stack developer should be familiar with the operating system and its various tools. Even if you have zero Linux experience, you can count on this course to get you started with… [Quake II RTX update adds new textures, improved rendering and more]( Quake II RTX v1.2 adds more than 400 enhanced textures to the mix and there are now real-time ray-traced graphics that can be seen on security monitors and other displays. Select surfaces now exhibit recursive reflections (reflections reflected in other… [New York tells FedEx to get its robot off the city's streets]( FedEx unveiled the delivery bot, which is designed for short-distance deliveries, back in February. It’s battery-powered, tops out at 10 mph, can climb stairs, and uses the same camera and LIDAR tech found in autonomous vehicles. [Jony Ive officially leaves Apple]( Sir Jonathan Ive, better known as Jony Ive, announced back in June that he would be leaving the company to start LoveFrom, a design firm he started in collaboration with fellow Apple Watch designer Marc Newson. The Englishman joined Apple… [Codemasters acquires Project CARS developer Slightly Mad Studios for $30m]( Before getting into the official announcements from Codemasters and Slightly Mad Studios, let's take a brief drive through the latter's history. Software Downloads - [MEmu Android Emulator 7.0.5]( - [WhatsApp for Android 2.19.351]( - [LastPass 4.38.0]( Drivers - [Nvidia GeForce Graphics Driver 441.41]( 2019-11-26 12:01:54 - [Realtek UAD Driver 6.0.8848.1]( 2019-11-25 17:29:42 Tech Pic of the Day [RIP Cascade Lake X]( Credit: [Reddit]( Hot discussion [News and Comments]( [Tesla's futuristic Cybertruck revealed: up to 500 miles of range, can go 0-60 in 2.9 seconds]( [News and Comments]( [Thousands protest in Switzerland against countrywide roll-out of 5G over health fears]( Follow TechSpot TechSpot: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Steam]( [Flipboard]( [YouTube]( [RSS]( [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]( © 2019 TechSpot, Inc.