Best and Worst PC Hardware of 2020

[TechSpot Weekly Newsletter] Latest in tech January 8 Recap [Best and Worst PC Hardware of 2020]( Let's do a brief recap of 2020's [best and worst PC hardware]( products. We have 5 categories to work through covering mostly PC hardware components like CPUs, GPUs and motherboards, as well as laptop hardware and monitors. Let's do a brief recap of 2020's [best and worst PC hardware]( products. We have 5 categories to work through covering mostly PC hardware components like CPUs, GPUs and motherboards, as well as laptop hardware and monitors. Tech Culture [The History of the Modern Graphics Processor]( 3D graphics turned a dull PC industry into a light and magic show after generations of innovative endeavour. Here's [our extensive look at the history of the GPU](, from the early days of 3D, to game-changing hardware and the industry's consolidation. 3D graphics turned a dull PC industry into a light and magic show after generations of innovative endeavour. Here's [our extensive look at the history of the GPU](, from the early days of 3D, to game-changing hardware and the industry's consolidation. FPS Boost [AMD Smart Access Memory Tested, Benchmarked]( Today we're taking a detailed look at how [AMD's Smart Access Memory (SAM)]( technology influences performance in a wide range of games. All in all, we plan to benchmark 36 games at 1080p, 1440p and 4K. Today we're taking a detailed look at how [AMD's Smart Access Memory (SAM)]( technology influences performance in a wide range of games. All in all, we plan to benchmark 36 games at 1080p, 1440p and 4K. The Web [WhatsApp is forcing users to share data with Facebook, unless you're living in the EU]( This week, Facebook-owned WhatsApp started giving users a pop-up alert that looks a lot like an ultimatum for people who want to continue using the app. Essentially,... This week, Facebook-owned WhatsApp started giving users a pop-up alert that looks a lot like an ultimatum for people who want to continue using the app. Essentially,... Input [Xbox controllers still use AA batteries because of a long-standing agreement with Duracell]( According to remarks made in a recent interview with a Duracell executive, Xbox controllers always come with replaceable batteries due to a long-term deal between Microsoft and... According to remarks made in a recent interview with a Duracell executive, Xbox controllers always come with replaceable batteries due to a long-term deal between Microsoft and... Record Rally [Bitcoin soars past $40,000 in record rally]( Less than one week ago, Bitcoin achieved another major milestone for the first time, pushing past $20,000 per for the very first time. That record was almost... Less than one week ago, Bitcoin achieved another major milestone for the first time, pushing past $20,000 per for the very first time. That record was almost... Hyperscreen [Mercedes-Benz showcases massive 56-inch 'Hyperscreen' dashboard replacement]( Case in point is the Mercedes-Benz MBUX Hyperscreen, a curved screen panel that’ll extend almost the entire width of the dashboard (more than 56 inches with 377... Case in point is the Mercedes-Benz MBUX Hyperscreen, a curved screen panel that’ll extend almost the entire width of the dashboard (more than 56 inches with 377... Software [Microsoft plans to get rid of desktop Outlook apps in favor of unified web app]( Microsoft will eschew dedicated desktop apps for Outlook in lieu of a single client powered by the web, according to Windows Central. This is part of Microsoft's... Microsoft will eschew dedicated desktop apps for Outlook in lieu of a single client powered by the web, according to Windows Central. This is part of Microsoft's... Industry [Asus plans price hikes for its GPUs and motherboards in early 2021]( In a new announcement published on the company's PC DIY Facebook page, Asus revealed that it will be raising prices across its GPU and motherboard product line-up. In a new announcement published on the company's PC DIY Facebook page, Asus revealed that it will be raising prices across its GPU and motherboard product line-up. Futurology [Opinion: A perspective on big IT trends for 2021]( While it may seem like a bit of a fool’s errand to try and make predictions after a year that absolutely no one expected, there seem to... While it may seem like a bit of a fool’s errand to try and make predictions after a year that absolutely no one expected, there seem to... [The Nintendo Switch Pro will arrive this year, says analyst]( In GamesIndustry.biz's annual feature, analysts predict industry trends for the year ahead. Mat Piscatella from the NPD Group believes the Nintendo Switch will sell more units than... [Elon Musk passes Jeff Bezos as world's richest person]( One year ago to the day, Tesla closed at a value of $93.81. As of writing, share value in Musk’s electric vehicle company is up nearly seven... [David Jaffe strongly clarifies comments on a cross-gen God of War: Ragnarok]( In a livestream earlier this week, former Santa Monica Studios game director David Jaffe chatted with viewers on a range of topics while he played Cory Barlog's... [Amazon buys 11 Boeing 767-300 jets to expand air transportation network]( A spokesperson told Bloomberg that Amazon expects to have more than 85 planes in service by the end of next year. The purchase marks the first time... [OnePlus' wallet-friendly Nord smartphones arrive in the US on January 15]( For half the price of many other "budget" devices (even others from OnePlus itself), you can get the Nord N10 5G: a device equipped with fast charging,... [Dead or Alive publisher sues modder who sold DVD of nude game characters]( As reported by Japanese publication Famitsu and translated by Siliconera, the offending DVD, which was sold on an auction site, contained recordings from several titles, including Dead... [Dell announces UltraSharp 40 Curved WUHD monitor for content creators and data analysts]( Dell on Tuesday announced a new addition to its UltraSharp family of curved monitors. [None of Google's apps have been updated since before Apple's privacy rules took effect]( Fast Company points out that the last time Google updated any of its iOS apps was December 7. That date is only one day before Apple's privacy... [Roku now has north of 50 million active users, running neck and neck with Amazon's Fire TV]( In the fourth quarter alone, Roku users streamed an estimated 17 billion hours of content, pushing the total number of hours streamed for the full year to... [Scared iOS developers seek ways to subvert upcoming privacy update]( In June of last year, Apple announced that new privacy features were coming in iOS 14. The new protocols would give users the choice to allow or... [Elon Musk recommended Signal, and now the app is struggling to keep up with the influx of new users]( The influx of new users came shortly after Elon Musk suggested on Twitter that people use Signal, likely in response to WhatsApp’s updated terms of service. Under... [This PS2-themed PlayStation 5 goes on sale today]( SUP3R5 writes that orders for its custom PS5 will begin today (January 8) at 3pm EST / 12pm PT and are expected to ship in late spring... [Lenovo and NEC take aim at the Nintendo Switch with the LaVie Mini]( Should it materialize, it’ll be offered with up to an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 mobile processor, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 16GB of LPDDR4 memory and up... [Wacky post-apocalyptic kung-fu RPG Biomutant is finally set to launch this year]( This information came to light courtesy of a GamesIndustry.biz interview with THQ Nordic CEO Klemens Kreuzer. According to the outlet, Biomutant is "a release of great importance"... [Ryuk ransomware has squeezed more than $150 million from victims]( Threat intelligence company Advanced Intelligence and cybersecurity firm HYAS in a joint report wrote that they tracked 61 Bitcoin wallets attributed to Ryuk ransomware. They discovered that... [Hyundai confirms early talks with Apple to develop an electric car]( “We understand that Apple is in discussion with a variety of global automakers, including Hyundai Motor,” a Hyundai spokesperson recently told CNBC. The representative added that the... [Intel discontinues 300-series chipset motherboards]( Intel isn’t slow to pull the curtain down on its products when replacements are waiting in the wings. Last month, the company discontinued its entire 9th-gen Coffee... Software Downloads - [OverClock Checking Tool (OCCT) 7.2.4]( - [Telegram 7.3]( - [Prepros 7.3.30]( Drivers - [Nvidia GeForce Graphics Driver 461.09]( 2021-01-07 10:03:23 - [Intel HD Graphics Driver 27.20.100.9126 for Windows 10 64-bit]( 2021-01-05 12:52:42 Tech Pic of the Day [Kaboom]( [Credit: Reddit]( Hot discussion [News and Comments]( [Cyberpunk 2077 has lost 79% of its Steam players since launch]( [News and Comments]( [Graphics cards face further shortages as crypto prices rise]( 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]( © 2020 TechSpot, Inc.