Today, Nvidia is launching DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction, an update to the original Ray Reconstruction model that arrived nearly three years ago. We first got wind of this at Computex 2026 and DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction is available now in certain games, though just like with DLSS Super Resolution, it does require use of the Override function within the Nvidia App. We went hands-on with early access to the technology, so join us as we take a first look at what it can do…

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
00:46 Video outline
01:47 Test setup
03:03 Image quality – overall detail improvements
04:07 Fine object handling – ghosting/shimmering
05:39 Reflection detail
06:10 Resident Evil Requiem motion examples
06:38 Light changes in Cyberpunk
07:27 Performance data
08:30 Closing thoughts

First things first, if you want to catch up on what exactly Ray Reconstruction is and how it works, do check out our original analysis from 2023 as it is still very relevant today. What we're focusing on here, however, is what difference the DLSS 4.5 update makes compared to the prior DLSS 4.0 Ray Reconstruction model. Nvidia claims that ‘DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction introduces a second-generation transformer model with 35% more compute capability and 20% more parameters while maintaining similar performance to the previous model', which certainly sounds good on paper – we're here to see exactly what that means for image quality in games.

Test System:

We test using a custom built system powered by MSI, based on AMD's Zen 5 platform. You can view the Powered by MSI store on AWD-IT's website HERE.

Driver Notes

• RTX 5090 was used for all gameplay footage capture using the latest 610.88 driver.

Image Quality Examples

For a full look at image quality, be sure to watch the video at the top of this page, both to see more examples but also to see how Ray Reconstruction handles motion. Note: The below are 4K screenshots. Please zoom in using your browser if you want to enlarge the image.

Performance

As shown in the video, we observed only a negligible performance cost when using DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction with both an RTX 5090 and RTX 4090 at 4K resolution. However, what is odd is that, despite Nvidia suggesting we should see more of a performance hit on 20 and 30-series hardware, we actually saw a small performance improvement on both the RTX 3090 and RTX 2080 Ti in their respective tests. I'm not sure if this is a quirk of my testing or if others will find the same thing, but it was repeatable so I have included it here.

Closing Thoughts

After this admittedly relatively brief look at DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction, I have to say I am pretty impressed by what I’ve seen. I wouldn't say that I've been blown away from the improvements made with the new model – certainly not in the same way as I was comparing RR off to RR on when the technology first launched, but I suppose that is to be expected.

Instead, what we’ve seen is more like going from DLSS 3 Super Resolution, to DLSS 4 – meaning the improvements may not be revolutionary, but they are still very welcome and do improve certain image quality characteristics that can be associated with DLSS technologies – including temporal instability, ghosting or shimmering, as well as general sharpness and detail.

With that in mind then, it’s really hard not to be impressed by the new DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction update. As shown in the video, there are still some issues present, but by and large we have seen a number of improvements across the board, all without any real performance cost, too. In my view, that is an absolute win for the end user, and shows us the best of Nvidia – supporting GPUs all the way back to the RTX 20-series with new updates, completely free, that have basically no downside. Let’s hope that doesn’t stop any time soon.

KitGuru says: Let us know if you will be trying the new update!

Here at KitGuru we have reviewed plenty of OLED monitors over the last few months, but the market has been moving at such a rapid rate it is easy to lose track of the best options. Today we're simplifying matters by publishing our top picks for OLED monitors in 2026 – so whether you're looking for an ultrawide, 4K, or budget option, here are our top recommendations…

Best Ultrawide OLED – MSI MPG 341CQR X36

Specification:

• Model: MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36
• Panel size: 34″ QD-OLED
• Aspect ratio: 21:9
• Panel resolution: 3440 x 1440 (UWQHD)
• Pixel pitch (H x V): 0.2315 (H) x 0.2315 (V)
• Refresh rate: 360Hz
• Response time: 0.03ms (GtG)
• Viewing angle: 178° (H) / 178° (V)
• Brightness: SDR: 300 nits; HDR: 1300 nits
• Contrast ratio: 1,500,000:1
• DisplayPort: 1x DisplayPort 2.1a (UHBR13.5) (UWQHD@360Hz)
• HDMI: 2x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) (UWQHD@360Hz)
• USB Type-C: 1x Type-C (DP Alt Mode) with 98W Power Delivery
• USB Type-A: 2x USB 5Gbps Type-A
• USB Type-B: 1x USB 5Gbps Type-B
• ETD: 12/B-12/M
• MSRP: £999/$1,099

MSI kicked the year off with a bang thanks to the launch of its MPG 341CQR X36. This monitor is built on a 5th Gen QD-OLED panel from Samsung, unlocking a wide array of benefits compared to previous QD-OLED ultrawides. There's a new RGB stripe sub-pixel layout for one, eliminating any fringing around text. Brightness has also increased, given we measured up to 321 nits in SDR usage, but over 1300 nits in HDR. On top of that (literally, in this case!), there's a new panel coating which helps to improve perceived black depth in brighter environments, while also removing that magenta tint that could be visible on older QD-OLEDs.

MSI also nailed the factory calibration with excellent colour balance and gamma tracking, while this is the fastest ultrawide OLED monitor we have tested, given it now clocks in with a 360Hz refresh rate – and of course that means motion clarity is a real step up compared to older, 240Hz models.

Full review: HERE.

Current Price: £899 from Scan.

Best Budget OLED – Philips Evnia 27M2N6501L

Specification:

• Panel size: 26.5″ / 67.3 cm
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Monitor panel type: QD OLED
• Pixel pitch: 0.2292 x 0.2292 mm
• Brightness: SDR: 200 nits (APL 100%), HDR: 400 nits (APL 10%)
• Display colours: 1.07B (10 bits)
• Colour gamut (typical): Adobe RGB 98%; DCI-P3 99%; sRGB 147.5%; NTSC 120%*
• Contrast ratio (typical): 1.5M:1
• Response time (typical): 0.03 ms (Grey to Grey)*
• Viewing angle: 178º (H) / 178º (V) @ C/R > 10000
• Picture enhancement: SmartImage game
• Maximum resolution: 2560 x 1440 @ 240 Hz (DP / HDMI)
• Effective viewing area: 590.42 (H) x 333.72 (V) mm
• Scanning frequency: 30k–390 kHz (H) / 48–240 Hz (V)
• sRGB: Yes
• Delta E: < 2 (sRGB)
• Flicker-free: Yes
• Pixel density: 111 PPI
• Display screen coating: Anti-reflection, 2H
• G-SYNC: Yes
• HDR: HDR10
• Pixel format: RGB Q-Stripe*

When we first reviewed the Philips Evnia 27M2N6501L, we thought it was a very intriguing monitor, promising a low price but most of what makes an OLED such an attractive proposition. It's only got better in recent months, however, as the price has continued to fall and it's now on sale for just £320. For that money you get a 1440p/240Hz QD-OLED panel, promising all the usual OLED benefits – infinite contrast, excellent motion clarity, zero ghosting – without paying through the teeth for a more expensive option.

It comes pretty well tuned from the factory, too, and gaming performance is as good as we'd expect considering the specs.

Of course, however, there are compromises and the main one is brightness. We measured a peak of just 201 nits in SDR, while HDR tops out at 412 nits – so you don't get quite the same eye-popping experience as you would from other models which can hit 1000+ nits. It's also limited in terms of connectivity, with just 1x DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0, rather than HDMI 2.1. But if you can look past those negative points, it's still the most affordable OLED monitor we've ever seen, making it worthy of a place on this shortlist.

Full review: HERE.

Current Price: £320 from OCUK.

Best 4K OLED – MSI MPG 322UR X24

Specification:

• Screen size: 31.5″ (80.01 cm)
• Active display area: 699.48 (H) x 394.73 (V) mm
• Curvature: Flat
• Panel type: QD-OLED
• Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (UHD)
• Pixel pitch: 0.1814 (H) x 0.1814 (V) mm
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Adaptive sync: NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible / AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
• VRR range: 48–240Hz
• HDR: VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500
• Brightness: SDR 300 nits; HDR peak 1000 nits
• Contrast ratio: 1,500,000:1
• Signal frequency: 560.6–562.6 kHz (H) / 48–240 Hz (V)
• Refresh rate: 240Hz
• Response time: 0.03ms (GtG)
• Viewing angles: 178° (H) / 178° (V)
• Surface treatment: Anti-Reflection
• Display colours: 1.07B (10-bit)
• USB Type-C (DP Alt): 1x
• Headphone out: 1x
• USB Type-A: 2x USB 3.2 Gen1
• USB Type-B: 1x USB 3.2 Gen1
• Lock type: Kensington Lock
• HDMI: 2x HDMI 2.1 (HDCP 2.3)
• DisplayPort: 1x DisplayPort 2.1a (UHBR20, HDCP 2.3)

MSI's MPG 322UR X24 is the newest model to make the list, launching only in the last couple of months. It's also based on Samsung Display's newest 4K QD-OLED panel, this time based on 4th Gen Penta Tandem technology, and that brings with it the same DarkArmor Film coating and improvements to brightness that we saw from the MPG 341CQR X36 earlier in the year.

It's otherwise a very feature-rich screen, with plenty of updated OLED Care options, a revamped OSD design and all the modern connectivity options you would expect to see. MSI has also done a superb job with the sRGB emulation mode, given we saw an average colour accuray deltaE 2000 of less than 1.

Factor in the price of £849 MSRP – though it's currently on sale for £799 – and things have come a long way since the MPG 321URX first hit the market at £1399 back in 2024. For 4K gaming experience, this is up there with the very best.

Full review: HERE.

Current Price: £799 from Scan.

Best High Refresh Rate OLED – MSI MAG 272QP X50

Specification:

• Panel size: 26.5″
• Active display area (mm): 590.42 (H) x 333.72 (V)
• Curvature: Flat
• Panel type: QD-OLED
• Panel resolution: 2560 x 1440 (WQHD)
• Pixel pitch (H x V): 0.2292 (H) x 0.2292 (V)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Brightness (nits): SDR: 300; HDR: 500 (Typ.) (True Black 500 with 10% APL); HDR: 1000 (Typ.) (Peak 1000 with 3% APL)
• Contrast ratio: 1,500,000:1 (Typ.)
• Signal frequency: 31.2~835 KHz (H) / 48~500 Hz (V)
• Activated range: 48~500 Hz
• Refresh rate: 500 Hz
• Response time: 0.03 ms (GtG)
• Dynamic refresh rate technology: AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
• HDR support: DisplayHDR True Black 500
• Video ports: 2x HDMI 2.1 (WQHD@500Hz), 1x DisplayPort 1.4a (HBR3), 1x Type-C (DP alt.) w/ 15W PD
• Audio ports: 1x Headphone-out
• Viewing angle: 178°(H) / 178°(V)
• Adobe RGB / DCI-P3 / sRGB: 98% / 99% / 138% (CIE1976 Standard)
• Surface treatment: Anti-Reflection
• Display colors: 1.07B, 10 bits

We reviewed MSI's MAG 272QP X50 towards the end of 2025 and it still maintains its key selling point today – that being its 500Hz refresh rate. It does have other selling points, such as enhanced brightness by 3rd Gen QD-OLED standards, while its factory calibration and sRGB emulation mode are also very solid.

However, this monitor is all about speed, as the 500Hz refresh rate unlocked a level of motion clarity we hadn't seen before on an OLED. Granted, it's not always easy to drive games at 500fps – but if you primarily play competitive titles like CS2 or Rocket League, then this would be well worth looking into.

Even mid-way through 2026, OLEDs haven't got much faster – there are some 540Hz models, and some that can do 720Hz but only if the resolution drops to 720p – whereas the 272QP X50 is 500Hz at 1440p.

Full review: HERE.

Current Price: £630 on Amazon.

Best LG Tandem OLED – ASUS ROG XG27AQWMG

Specification:

• Panel size: 26.5″
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Color space (DCI-P3): 99.5%
• Panel type: WOLED
• Resolution: 2560×1440
• Display viewing area (HxV): 590.42 x 331.88 mm
• Display surface: Glossy (TrueBlack Glossy)
• Pixel pitch: 0.229mm
• Brightness (HDR peak): 1,500 cd/㎡
• Contrast ratio (typ): 1,500,000:1
• Viewing angle (CR≧10): 178°/178°
• Response time: 0.03ms (GTG)
• Color accuracy: △E < 2
• Display colors: 1.07B (10-bit)
• Flicker-free: Yes
• HDR support: HDR10
• Refresh rate (max): 280Hz
• VRR technology: Yes (Adaptive-Sync)
• Extreme Low Motion Blur: Yes
• DisplayWidget: Yes (DisplayWidget Center)
• GameFast Input technology: Yes
• Shadow Boost: Yes
• Aspect control: Yes
• A.I. Assistant technology: AI Visual, Dynamic Crosshair, Dynamic Shadow Boost
• DisplayPort 1.4 DSC: 1x
• HDMI 2.1 (FRL): 2x
• Earphone jack: Yes
• USB hub: 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A

ASUS' ROG Xg27AQWMG may not sound super sexy on paper – with a 1440p/280Hz refresh rate being fairly middle-of-the-road, especially compared to the 272QP X50. However, it does a number of things extremely well, and is delivered at a reasonable price, making it well worth a place on this list.

For one, the design is excellent, while ASUS' factory calibration is also solid. On top of that, it features a TrueBlack Glossy coating, delivering the deepest perceived black levels – even in brightly lit rooms.

I was most impressed with its HDR capabilities though, considering it hits almost 1600 nits brightness, but maintains excellent EOTF tracking across the board when using the HDR Gaming mode. Factor in the superb sRGB mode as well, and for £479 it really is an excellent all-rounder.

Full review: HERE.

Current Price: £479 from Scan.

Best Professional OLED: ASUS ProArt PA32UCDM

• Panel size: 31.5″
• Pixels per inch: 140 PPI
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Display viewing area (H x V): 699.48 x 394.73 mm
• Display surface: Anti-Reflection
• Panel type: QD-OLED
• Viewing angle: 178° (H) / 178° (V)
• Pixel pitch: 0.182 mm
• Resolution: 3840 x 2160
• Colour space: 100% sRGB, 99% DCI-P3
• Brightness: 250 cd/m² typical, 1000 cd/m² HDR peak
• Contrast ratio: 1,500,000:1 typical / HDR max
• Display colours: 1.07B (10-bit)
• Response time: 0.1ms (GTG)
• Refresh rate: 240Hz
• HDR support: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision
• Flicker-free: Yes
• ASUS OLED Care: Yes
• I/O: 2x Thunderbolt 4 (Daisy Chain), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C, USB-C Power Delivery up to 96W

Our last monitor on this list is something a bit different – not one aimed at gamers, but the professional market. It still shares a lot of DNA with gaming screens given the underlying QD-OLED panel is the same, but the ASUS ProArt PA32UCDM brings with it a whole host of features designed to appeal to pros and content creators.

For one, it sports a lovely and refined design which helps set it apart from its gaming counterparts. Its Adobe RGB emulation mode is particularly good, too, while we can't ignore the pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports. The OSD is as feature-rich as they come, with a huge variety of modes and features all designed to make life easier for professional users.

The price has also dropped significantly since we first reviewed the PA32UCDM. It initially hit the market at £1600, but can now be found for £1099 – still very expensive, but much more palatable compared to the gaming competition.

Full review: HERE.

Current Price: £1099 on Scan HERE.

KitGuru says: Let us know what you'd like us to review next!

Today we are back with another review of a 4th Gen Penta Tandem QD-OLED monitor. This time we are checking out AOC's AG326UZD2, utilising the same 32in 4K/240Hz panel that we saw in our recent coverage of MSI's MPG 322UR X24. That means it's packing in all the same panel improvements – including higher brightness, True Black 500 certification for HDR, and the new QuantumBlack panel coating. It also comes in at a lower price* than the MSI, so is it worth buying?

So yes, to clarify that point around pricing, technically the AOC Agon Pro AG326UZD2 is cheaper than MSI's MPG 322UR X24, given it ships with a £799 MSRP, compared to £849 for the MSI. However, the 322UR X24 is currently on sale for £799, so the two are going head-to-head at the same price-point. Let's find out how they compare…

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
01:25 Design first impressions
02:14 Connectivity + OSD
03:20 Coating, fringing and burn-in
04:52 Panel analysis
08:48 Response times, motion clarity
10:04 Real-world gaming experience
11:04 HDR testing
12:48 Closing thoughts

Specification:

• Bezel type (front): 3-sided frameless
• Light FX (RGB): Yes
• Removable stand: Yes
• Speakers: Yes
• Speaker power: 8 W x 2
• Kensington lock: Yes
• Quick release function: Yes
• Bezel colour (front): Black
• Bezel finishing (front): Matt
• Cabinet colour (backside): Black
• Cabinet finishing (backside): Matt
• VESA wallmount: 100 x 100
• USB-C connectivity: USB-C (PD 65W) x 1
• USB hub: Yes
• USB fast charge port: Yes
• HDMI: HDMI 2.1 x 2
• DisplayPort: DP 2.1 x 1 (UHBR20)
• USB generation: USB 3.2 Gen 1
• USB type downstream: 2 x USB-A
• Audio output: Headphone out (3.5mm)
• USB type upstream: 1 x USB-B
• Screen size: 31.5″ / 80.0 cm
• Flat / Curved: Flat
• Display hardness: 3H
• Panel treatment: Anti-reflective (glossy finish)
• Pixels per inch: 139.0
• Panel resolution: 3840 x 2160
• Resolution name: UHD
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Panel type: QD-OLED
• Max refresh rate: 240 Hz
• Response time (GtG): 0.03 ms
• Static contrast ratio: 1.5M:1
• Viewing angle (CR10): 178 / 178
• Display colours: 1.073B (10-bit)
• Brightness: SDR 300 nits (APL 100%); HDR 515 nits (APL 10%), 1000 nits (APL 3%)
• Tilt: -5° (+3/-0) ~ +23° (-3/+0)
• Height adjust: 150 mm
• Swivel: -16° ±2° ~ 16° ±2°
• Pivot: -91° ±1° ~ 91° ±1°
• EAN: 4038986113465
• Warranty period: 3 years

Firmware tested: V2.00

Today we are back with another QD-OLED review, as we check out MSI's new 322UR X24. This is brand-new for 2026, featuring Samsung Display's 4th Gen Penta Tandem panel technology, alongside a 4K resolution and 240Hz refresh rate. It doesn't get the new RGB stripe sub-pixel layout we saw with the MSI MPG 341CQR X36 earlier in the year, but compared to previous 4K panels, it promises higher brightness, an improved coating to improve perceived black levels, as well as the AI Care Sensor that MSI debuted last year. Let's see if it's worth buying…

If you've not been keeping up with the latest QD-OLED news, Penta Tandem is essentially Samsung Display's new branding for what most people called ‘4th Gen QD-OLED', or panels using EL 3.0 material. The 27in 4K/240Hz MSI 272URX was the first of such displays that we reviewed back in 2025, but now Penta Tandem technology is rolling out to other panel sizes – including this 32in model from MSI.

We will be particularly interested to see how things stack up against MSI's MPG 321URX, given that was among the first QD-OLED screens to offer the 4K/240Hz combo when it hit shelves in early 2024, utilising 3rd Gen QD-OLED tech.

In terms of pricing, the MSI MPG 322UR X24 has an £849 MSRP, though at the time of writing it's listed for £799 on both OCUK and Scan.

Specification:

• Screen size: 31.5″ (80.01 cm)
• Active display area: 699.48 (H) x 394.73 (V) mm
• Curvature: Flat
• Panel type: QD-OLED
• Resolution: 3480 x 2160 (UHD)
• Pixel pitch: 0.1814 (H) x 0.1814 (V) mm
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Adaptive sync: NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible / AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
• VRR range: 48–240Hz
• HDR: VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500
• Brightness: SDR 300 nits; HDR peak 1000 nits
• Contrast ratio: 1,500,000:1
• Signal frequency: 560.6–562.6 kHz (H) / 48–240 Hz (V)
• Refresh rate: 240Hz
• Response time: 0.03ms (GtG)
• Viewing angles: 178° (H) / 178° (V)
• Colour gamut: NTSC 121% (CIE1976), sRGB 138% (CIE1976), Adobe RGB 119% (CIE1976), DCI-P3 110% (CIE1976), Rec.709 138% (CIE1976), Rec.2020 80% (CIE1976)
• Surface treatment: Anti-Reflection
• Display colours: 1.07B (10-bit)
• USB Type-C (DP Alt): 1x
• Headphone out: 1x
• USB Type-A: 2x USB 3.2 Gen1
• USB Type-B: 1x USB 3.2 Gen1
• Lock type: Kensington Lock
• HDMI: 2x HDMI 2.1 (HDCP 2.3)
• DisplayPort: 1x DisplayPort 2.1a (UHBR20, HDCP 2.3)
• Warranty: 36 months
• Included cables: DisplayPort cable x1, HDMI cable x1, USB Type-A to Type-B cable x1, USB Type-C to Type-C cable x1, power cord x1
• Accessories: Quick guide x1
• Tilt: -5° ~ 15°
• Swivel: -30° ~ 30°
• Height adjustment: 0–110 mm
• Pivot: -10° ~ 10°
• VESA mounting: 100 x 100 mm
• Dimensions with stand (W x D x H): 717.3 x 241.9 x 477.1 mm
• Dimensions without stand (W x D x H): 717.3 x 71.8 x 434.8 mm
• Stand dimensions (W x D x H): 308.7 x 241.9 x 390.8 mm
• Weight with stand: 9.4 kg
• Weight without stand: 6.6 kg

Firmware tested: FW.009

Corsair's Warthog case was one of our highlights from Computex 2026, with the distinctive military-inspired design attracting plenty of attention. Our review sample arrived a few weeks later and Leo got to work on his review, with launch slated for early August. However, we later got the news that the Warthog has been delayed, and a new launch date has yet to be confirmed. Here's what Leo has to say…

Just last week, Corsair informed us that the Warthog's launch was being postponed, although we were initially light on any details. Earlier this week, however, Corsair gave more details via this post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that they had identified a ‘a packaging issue', apparently only ‘affecting a small number of early WARTHOG units,' leading to the delay.

Our own Warthog sample appears to have escaped the issue entirely. The case arrived in as-new condition and we would not have known anything was amiss were it not for Corsair's subsequent communications with us. Whether we just got lucky with our unit, or the problem is limited to a relatively small batch remains unclear, but Corsair clearly does not want to take any risks and hit the ‘pause' button on this launch, for now.

As a result, our full Warthog review is currently on hold. The work is complete and the case is sitting here ready to go, so as soon as Corsair confirms a new launch date and gives reviewers the green light, we will publish our full coverage.

KitGuru says: Hopefully we will be back with our full review sooner rather than later!

Today we are checking out the CyberPowerPC Infinity U7 Plus, a gaming prebuilt that comes with Intel’s 270K Plus CPU, an RTX 5070 Ti and 32GB of DDR5. What makes this interesting, though, is that it’s priced at £2099 – the exact same figure as the last CyberPower system we reviewed, but that only came with an RTX 5070… so how has CyberPower done it? We’re going to take a close look at this system and find out…

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
00:47 Recapping our last CyberPower review
01:41 New MA-01 chassis
02:18 CPU, AIO, memory
03:18 SSD + GPU
04:19 Mobo, PSU + build
05:16 CPU, GPU behaviour
06:27 Noise and thermal imaging camera
07:03 CPU + system benchmarks
07:27 Gaming benchmarks: 5070 Ti vs 5070
10:22 4K gaming performance
12:25 Closing thoughts

• Special offers: Norton 360 VPN & Security for Gamers (1-year licence), Treeapp tree planting contribution
• Case: CyberPowerPC MA-01 Mid-Tower Gaming Case (Steel Gray, includes 6x ARGB 120mm fans)
• Processor (CPU): Intel® Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (24 cores: 8P up to 5.50GHz, 16E up to 4.70GHz, 125W TDP, 40MB cache, Intel Graphics)
• CPU promotion: Intel 26Q2-05 Spring Game Bundle (digital)
• CPU cooling: CyberPowerPC Elite ARGB 360mm AIO liquid cooler (black)
• Cooling upgrades: Thermal Grizzly premium thermal paste
• Motherboard: MSI PRO Z890-S WiFi (ATX, PCIe 5.0, USB 3.2, 3x M.2)
• Freebies: Intel 26Q2-10 Motherboard Game Bundle
• Memory (RAM): 32GB DDR5 5600MT/s (2x16GB)
• Graphics card (GPU): NVIDIA® GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16GB
• Power supply: Cooler Master Elite 850W 80+ Gold fully modular
• Primary storage: 2TB NVMe Gen4 SSD
• Sound: High-definition onboard audio
• Bluetooth: USB Bluetooth dongle
• Operating system: Windows 11 Home (no recovery media)
• Fast track service: Ready to ship same business day if order confirmed by 2PM
• Warranty: 5 years labour, 2 years parts, 12 months collect & return, lifetime technical support

You can buy the Infinity U7 Plus from CyberPowerPC for £2099 HERE.

Pros

• Cheaper than building it yourself.
• Clean chassis with knob-controlled RGB.
• Great for 1440p or 4K gaming.
• RTX 5070 Ti offers peace of mind with its 16GB framebuffer.
• Runs quiet and cool.
• Tidy cable management on front and back.

Cons

• Memory isn't the fastest at DDR5-5600 CL40.

KitGuru says: It's very hard to argue with the spec on offer from the Infinity U7 Plus, and the fact that it's cheaper to buy this than build an equivalent system yourself makes it a bit of a no-brainer.

Today we're taking a break from high-end OLED and mini LED monitors to focus on something more affordable. But despite retailing for just £179 here in the UK, AOC's Q27G4ZR has an impressive spec sheet, packing in a 27in IPS panel with a 1440p resolution and 260Hz refresh rate, alongside G-Sync Compatible certification and a claimed 1ms response time. Let's find out exactly how good this screen really is…

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
00:51 Key details
01:24 Design + ergonomics
02:10 Connectivity options (are very budget)
02:51 OSD navigation
03:53 Factory calibration analysis
05:59 sRGB mode + calibration
07:15 Response time testing
09:13 Motion clarity (BlurBusters UFO)
09:53 Real-world gaming experience
11:09 Closing thoughts

If the spec and price of the AOC Q27G4ZR sound familiar, it certainly has a number of similarities when compared to the Philips Evnia 27M2N3501PA that we reviewed at the end of last year, and it's an almost certainty that both screens are using the same panel.

Still, we know from experience that's no guarantee of similar performance, so let's take a closer look and find out if the Q27G4ZR is worth buying.

Specification:

• Screen size: 27.0″ / 68.58 cm
• Flat / Curved: Flat
• Panel treatment: Antiglare (AG)
• Pixel pitch: 0.2331 mm
• Pixels per inch: 108.8
• Panel resolution: 2560 x 1440
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Panel type: Fast IPS
• Backlight type: WLED
• Max refresh rate: 260Hz OC / 240Hz native
• Response time (GtG): 1 ms
• Response time (MPRT): 0.3 ms
• Static contrast ratio: 1000:1
• Dynamic contrast ratio: 80M:1
• Viewing angle (CR10): 178 / 178
• Display colours: 16.7 Million
• Brightness: 400 cd/m²
• Sync technology (VRR): Adaptive Sync
• NVIDIA G-SYNC: NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible
• HDMI: HDMI 2.0 x 2
• DisplayPort: DisplayPort 1.4 x 1
• Audio output: Headphone out (3.5mm)
• Digital signal frequency (vertical): HDMI 48–144Hz / DP 48–260Hz
• Digital signal frequency (horizontal): HDMI 30k–230kHz / DP 30k–400kHz
• HDR: VESA Certified DisplayHDR 400
• Blue light technology: Low Blue Mode
• Colour space (sRGB) CIE 1976: 123.6%
• Colour space (DCI-P3) CIE 1976: 95.2%
• Colour space (Adobe RGB) CIE 1976: 91.4%
• Flicker-free: Flicker Free
• Bezel colour (front): Black
• Cabinet colour (backside): Black, Red
• Cabinet finishing (backside): Matt
• Removable stand: Yes
• Speaker power: 2 W x 2
• Kensington lock: Yes
• VESA wallmount: 100 x 100
• Tilt: -3° ±2° ~ 21° ±2°
• Height adjust: 130 mm
• Swivel: -28° ±2° ~ 28° ±2°
• Pivot: -90° ±2° ~ 90° ±2°

What was meant to be a straightforward review of Geekom's A9 Max (2026) turned into something quite different. On paper it is very similar to the 2025 model we reviewed last September, the main difference being that CPU has been upgraded from the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, to the HX 470. It's a small spec bump, so we were expecting perhaps a 5% boost to performance. Instead, we found things were dramatically worse with the new model, so we had to dig a little deeper and find out what was going on…

While we do a greater analysis in the video, to cut to the chase, it all boils down to the memory configuration. It is not at all made clear on the product page, but despite both the 2025 and 2026 models shipping with 32GB DDR5 5600 SODIMM memory, the 2025 unit has a 2x16GB dual-channel configuration, whereas the 2026 model uses just a single 32GB stick. Be sure to check out the video as we assess what this means for the new A9 Max.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
00:51 2025 vs 2026 A9 Max models
01:12 The root cause…
02:18 Testing setup
02:59 Benchmarks!
05:12 Gaming performance is hit hard
06:14 CPU clock behaviour
06:50 Discussion around the memory situation
07:54 Geekom responded to us
08:21 One other change (SSD)
09:03 No other design changes
09:25 Closing thoughts

Specification:

• Form factor: 135 x 132 x 46.9 mm
• CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470
• CPU TDP: 54W
• Graphics: AMD Radeon 890M
• Memory: High-speed DDR5, expandable up to 128GB
• Audio: HDA codec
• Storage: 1x M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD slot, 1x M.2 2230 NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD slot
• I/O ports:
  • 1x rear USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
  • 1x rear USB 2.0 Type-A
  • 3x front USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
  • 1x front USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (Always On)
  • 1x rear USB4 Type-C with DisplayPort Alt Mode and Power Delivery input
  • 1x rear USB4 Type-C with DisplayPort Alt Mode
  • 1x front 3.5mm stereo headset jack
  • 2x rear RJ45
  • 2x rear HDMI 2.1 FRL
  • 1x rear DC input
  • 1x power button
  • 1x Kensington lock
  • 1x SD 4.0 card reader
• Ethernet: 2x 10/100/1000/2500Mbps RJ45
• Ethernet LED indicators: 10/100Mbps off, 1000Mbps orange, 2500Mbps green
• Wireless: M.2 Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
• Kensington lock: Yes
• Security: Supports dTPM 2.0
• Battery: RTC coin-cell battery
• Power adapter: 120W, 19V power adapter with region-specific IEC C5 AC cord
• PCBA dimensions: 127.6 x 127.2 x 1.6 mm
• Certifications: CE, FCC, CB, CCC, SRRC, RoHS
• Operating system: Microsoft Windows 11 24H2 64-bit
• Modern Standby: Supported
• Accessory: VESA mount, 121.8 x 116.5 x 1.0 mm

The A9 Max is listed for £1545 on Geekom's website, while it is also on Amazon HERE.

Pros

• Broadly unchanged since the 2025 model.
• Still a tiny and sleek chassis.
• Runs cool and quiet in Normal mode.

Cons

• Geekom has switched to single-channel memory, significantly hurting performance out of the box.
• We also noted a QLC-based SSD, rather than the SLC drive in our 2025 unit.
• Although out of Geekom's control, pricing has risen tremendously since we reviewed the 2025 model.
• Still lacks front USB-C or OcuLink.

KitGuru says: Geekom's unfortunate decision to opt for single-channel memory out of the box is a significant backwards step. The underlying hardware is still highly competent, but a lot of users would be better off with the dual-channel 2025 A9 Max.

Today, as part of its Computex 2026 programme, AMD has announced worldwide availability for the RX 9070 GRE. Technically, this GPU launched over a year ago as a Chinese exclusive, but it is now rolling out globally. Offering what is essentially a cut-down RX 9070 die, the 9070 GRE features fewer cores, 4GB less memory and a narrower memory interface. But what does that mean for performance, and is it still worth buying? We find out today.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
00:50 Key info, pricing
01:21 Core specs
02:15 Test setup
03:02 Game benchmarks
03:57 Performance summary, comparison vs RTX 5070
05:01 Cost per frame analysis
05:39 Ray tracing performance
07:07 FSR 4 upscaling
07:51 The Sapphire Pulse card
08:32 Thermals and noise
09:23 Power + efficiency
10:12 Closing thoughts

The RX 9070 GRE launched to little fanfare back in April 2025, given it was only on sale in China, but today AMD has announced global availability, with a $549 price tag. In the UK we're told to expect pricing in the £469-479 region, so it's a similar ballpark to the RTX 5070 that can be regularly found at £500.

Like the rest of the RDNA 4 family, there's no reference model, and instead we have tested the Sapphire Pulse edition. This card does come factory overclocked, but as regular readers will know, we manually test all GPUs at reference specifications for these day one reviews, so we can ensure that all testing is ‘apples to apples.'

First, let's take a quick look at the specs. The RX 9070 GRE is built on the same Navi 48 die as the RX 9070 and 9070 XT. It measures 357mm², and it's worth pointing out this is a monolithic chip, so AMD is not using a chiplet-based design as per RDNA 3. In total, Navi 48 silicon packs in 53.9 billion transistors.

While a full Navi 48 GPU packs in 64 Compute Units, the 9070 GRE is cut down to 48 CUs, and each CU houses 64 Stream Processors, for a total of 3072 shaders. There's also 48 Ray Accelerators – one per CU – and 96 ROPs.

As for clock speed, the RX 9070 GRE runs faster than the regular 9070, sporting a rated game clock of 2220MHz and a boost clock of up to 2790MHz.

The memory configuration is cut down however, with 12GB of GDDR6 memory clocked at 18Gbps, operating over a 192-bit memory interface, for total memory bandwidth of 432 GB/s. 48MB of Infinity Cache is also present.

Power draw for the RX 9070 GRE is rated at 220W Total Board Power (TBP), but we are using our updated GPU power testing methodology in this review, so read on for our most detailed power and efficiency testing yet.

Today we are back with another prebuilt system review as we check out the CyberPowerPC Infinity Ultra 7 RTX. This machine is packing in Intel's new Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, alongside an RTX 5070, 32GB DDR5 and a 2TB SSD. It's also completely free of RGB lighting, with a clean and understated aesthetic achieved thanks to the Lian Li Lancool 217 case and its wooden accents. Let's take a closer look and see if this PC is worth buying.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
00:45 Core spec + pricing
01:18 Design first impressions
01:43 CPU + memory + cooling setup
02:49 SSD / GPU / Mobo
04:16 PSU and cable management
05:13 CPU + GPU behaviour
06:17 Noise levels, thermal imaging camera
06:47 CPU performance quick check
07:12 Gaming setup
07:39 Cyberpunk 2077
08:24 Doom: The Dark Ages
09:07 COD: Black Ops 7
09:35 Horizon Forbidden West
09:57 Marvel Rivals
10:24 Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
10:45 Starfield
11:08 Closing thoughts + value discussion

Specification

• Operating system: Windows 11 Home (no recovery media)
• Special offers: Norton 360 VPN & Security for Gamers (1-year licence)
• Case: Lian Li Lancool 217 Gaming Case (Black, includes 2x 170mm fans)
• Processor (CPU): Intel® Core Ultra 7 270K (24 cores: 8P up to 5.50GHz, 16E up to 4.70GHz, 125W TDP, 40MB cache, Intel Graphics)
• CPU overclocking: None
• CPU cooling: ASRock Challenger Pure 360mm AIO liquid cooler (black)
• Cooling upgrades: Thermal Grizzly premium thermal paste
• Motherboard: NZXT N9 Z890 White WiFi (ATX, PCIe 5.0, USB 3.2, 5x M.2)
• Memory (RAM): 32GB Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5 6000MT/s (2x16GB, grey)
• Graphics card (GPU): MSI NVIDIA® GeForce RTX 5070 12GB
• Power supply: Cooler Master Elite 850W 80+ Gold fully modular
• Primary storage: 2TB Corsair MP700 Pro PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD (up to 12,400MB/s read, 11,800MB/s write)
• Networking: Onboard Gigabit LAN
• Audio: High-definition onboard audio
• Internet browser: Opera GX
• Estimated shipping date: Wednesday 27/05/2026
• Warranty: 5 years labour, 2 years parts, 12 months collect & return, lifetime technical support

You can buy the Infinity Ultra 7 RTX from CyberPowerPC for £2099 HERE.

Pros

• Very good value compared to DIY pricing.
• Clean and minimalistic vibes.
• Well balanced CPU+GPU combo.
• Solid 1440p gaming performance.
• Thermals are kept well in check.
• Stays nice and quiet, too.
• Tidy cable management on front and back.

Cons

• Gen 5 SSD adds cost and won't be a benefit if you're just gaming.
• RTX 5070 with just 12GB VRAM stings a little at the price point.

KitGuru says: If you're on the hunt for a prebuilt for 1440p gaming, the Infinity Ultra 7 RTX is well worth a closer look.

We don't often do many unboxings here at KitGuru, but when MSI got in touch about their upcoming limited edition graphics card, built to celebrate the release of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, you can bet we were keen to take a look! There's only 500 units being made, so strap in for something a little different as we go over the packaging, accessories and the card itself… and may the Force be with you!

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
01:08 First impressions / accessories
04:22 Getting to the card itself – Shroud
05:49 Backplate design

KitGuru says: We hope you enjoyed the unboxing – something a little different for sure, but it's a great looking card that we are sure will appeal to any Star Wars fans out there.

Today we're back in high refresh-rate territory, as we review the Gigabyte Aorus FO27Q5P. Utilising the same enhanced 3rd Gen QD-OLED panel from Samsung that we first saw in MSI's 272QP X50, this 1440p monitor is notable for its 500Hz refresh rate, alongside increased brightness for both SDR and some HDR use cases. We find out exactly how good it is…

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
00:47 Key panel spec and pricing
01:31 Design impressions
02:08 I/O + OSD
03:23 Coating, sub-pixel structure, burn-in
04:53 Default panel analysis
06:58 sRGB mode + calibration
07:31 Response times / motion clarity examples
09:06 Real-world gaming experience
10:20 HDR analysis
11:53 Closing thoughts

As a reminder, despite only launching last year, this 1440p 500Hz QD-OLED panel is actually a 3rd Gen panel from Samsung, but one that has been ‘souped up' somewhat compared to other 3rd Gen offerings. The 500Hz refresh rate is the obvious improvement, up from the previous 360Hz limit, but brightness in SDR is also increased to over 300 nits for a full screen white, while it also packs in True Black 500 certification for HDR, up from True Black 400.

Available for just £600 depending where you look, the Gigabyte Aorus FO27Q5P could well be a contender if you want a fast OLED monitor, so let's take a closer look.

Specification:

• Panel size: 27″ OLED
• Panel type: QD-OLED
• Display viewing area (H x V): 590.42 x 333.72 mm
• Color saturation: 99% DCI-P3
• Resolution: 2560 x 1440 (QHD)
• Display surface: Anti-Reflection
• Refresh rate (max): 500Hz
• Pixel pitch: 0.2292 (H) x 0.2292 (V) mm
• Brightness: 300 cd/m² (Typ, SDR APL 100%); 1000 cd/m² (Typ, HDR APL 3%)
• Contrast ratio (typ): 1.5M:1
• Viewing angle: 178° (H) / 178° (V)
• Display colors: 10-bit (1.07B)
• Response time: 0.03ms (GTG)
• HDR support: VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500
• ClearMR: ClearMR 21000
• Flicker-free: Yes
• Factory calibration: Yes, △E < 2
• Connectivity: 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 2.1 (UHBR20), 1x MiniDP 2.1 (UHBR20), 1x DisplayPort 1.4 (HBR3) out, 1x USB Type-C (Alt Mode, upstream, up to 18W PD), 2x USB 3.2 downstream, 1x USB 3.2 upstream, 1x earphone jack, 1x microphone jack
• Earphone jack: Yes
• Microphone jack: Yes
• Speakers: 5W x 2
• Power type: Power adapter
• Power consumption: 49W
• Power saving mode: <0.5W
• Power off mode: <0.3W
• Voltage: AC 100–240V ~ 50/60Hz
• Tilt: -5° ~ +20°
• Swivel: ±20°
• Pivot: 0° ~ +90° (clockwise)
• Height adjustment: 130 mm
• VESA wall mounting: 100 x 100 mm
• Kensington lock: Yes

Firmware tested: F01

Today we're back with another QD-OLED monitor review, as we check out the MSI MAG 272UP X24. This is the cheapest 4K OLED we have seen to-date, as it's currently retailing for under £500 here in the UK. That money gets you a 4th Gen QD-OLED panel, with a 27in screen size, UHD resolution and 240Hz refresh rate. It certainly sounds good on paper, but let's see exactly what this monitor can do in the real world…

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
00:46 Key specs and pricing
01:53 Design overview
02:41 Connectivity + OSD
03:37 QD-OLED coating/fringing
05:12 Panel analysis, factory calibration
07:31 sRGB mode + calibrated results
08:06 Response times and motion clarity
09:13 Real-world gaming experience
10:25 HDR analysis
11:52 Closing thoughts

If the spec for the MSI MAG 272UP X24 sounds familiar, that's because it's essentially the same thing as the MSI MPG 272URX that we reviewed last year. Both monitors use the same QD-OLED panel, so all the key panel specs are the same. The difference is the 272UP is from MSI's MAG series, which is generally more affordable, and as such it misses out on a handful of features compared to the 272URX – things like KVM functionality, a USB hub, and lower-power USB-C power delivery.

However, that does mean MSI can lower the price, and right now the 272UP is retailing for £499 here in the UK, though we're told that's an Easter deal that will run until April 22nd. Even then, PCPartPicker pricing history shows it was only £550 back in February and frequently goes on special offer. So if you want a pixel-dense QD-OLED without spending as much for a more premium model, is the 272UP worth buying?

Specification:

• Screen size: 26.5” (67.31 cm)
• Active display area: 589.97 (H) x 332.93 (V) mm
• Curvature: Flat
• Panel type: QD-OLED
• Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (UHD)
• Pixel pitch: 0.153 (H) x 0.153 (V) mm
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Adaptive sync: NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible / AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
• VRR range: 48–240 Hz
• HDR: True Black 400
• Brightness: SDR 250 nits; HDR peak 1000 nits
• Contrast ratio: 1,500,000:1
• Signal frequency: 31.2–565.42 kHz (H) / 48–240 Hz (V)
• Refresh rate: 240 Hz
• Response time: 0.03 ms (GtG)
• Viewing angles: 178° (H) / 178° (V)
• Color gamut: NTSC 120.5% (CIE1976), sRGB 138.2% (CIE1976), Adobe RGB 118.4% (CIE1976), DCI-P3 110.1% (CIE1976), Rec.709 138.2% (CIE1976), Rec.2020 80.2% (CIE1976)
• Surface treatment: Anti-Reflection
• Display colors: 1.07B (10-bit)
• USB Type-C (DP Alt): 1x
• Headphone out: 1x
• Lock type: Kensington Lock
• HDMI: 2x HDMI 2.1 (HDCP 2.3)
• DisplayPort: 1x DisplayPort 1.4a (HDCP 2.3)
• Warranty: 36 months
• Power type: Internal power board
• Power input: 100–240V, 50/60Hz
• Power consumption: 25 kWh / 1000h
• Annual energy consumption: 25 kWh
• Standby power: 0.5 W
• Off power: 0.3 W
• Energy rating: F
• Power cord type: C13
• Included cables: DisplayPort cable x1, HDMI cable x1, Power cord x1
• Accessories: Quick guide x1
• Tilt: -5° ~ 20°
• Swivel: -30° ~ 30°
• Height adjustment: 0–110 mm
• Pivot: -90° ~ 90°
• VESA mounting: 100 x 100 mm

Firmware tested: FW.012

We've all seen just how prevalent RGB lighting has come over the last decade, but today's prebuilt system is bucking that trend by eschewing any and all LED frills. This is the PCSpecialist Falcon Pro, a minimalist but powerful machine, packing in AMD's Ryzen 9 9900X3D, an RTX 5070 Ti, and 32GB of DDR5, all for £2599. We put this prebuilt through its paces today and find out if it's worth buying.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
00:42 Pricing and key spec
01:14 The stealthy aesthetic
01:39 CPU + cooling setup
02:22 Memory, GPU and SSD
03:55 PSU clicking discussion
04:57 Cable management
06:03 CPU + GPU behaviour
06:56 Noise levels w/ soundtest
07:45 Real-world gaming performance
08:13 Cyberpunk 2077
08:58 COD BO7
09:35 Doom: The Dark Ages
10:19 Forza Horizon 5
10:52 Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
11:22 System/professional benchmarks
12:19 Closing thoughts + value

Specification

• Case: Fractal North XL Momentum Edition
• Processor (CPU): AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D (12 cores, 4.4GHz–5.5GHz, 128MB cache with 3D V-Cache, AM5)
  • Promotion: Includes Crimson Desert with select AMD Ryzen processors
• Motherboard: Gigabyte B850 AORUS ELITE WiFi 7 (AM5, DDR5, M.2 PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7)
• Memory (RAM): 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR5 6000MHz CL30 (2 x 16GB)
• Graphics card: 16GB Gigabyte GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Windforce OC V2 (HDMI, 3x DisplayPort)
  • Promotion: Includes Resident Evil Requiem with select GeForce RTX 50 Series
• 1st M.2 SSD drive: 2TB Crucial P310 PCIe 4.0 NVMe (up to 7100MB/s read, 6000MB/s write)
• Power supply: Corsair 750W RMe Series ATX 3.1 (modular, Cybenetics Gold)
• Power cable: 1 x 1.5m UK kettle lead
• Processor cooling: Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 (black)
• Thermal paste: Standard thermal paste
• Extra case fans: 1 x 120mm PCS black fan
• Sound: Onboard 6-channel (5.1) HD audio
• Network: Onboard 2.5GbE LAN
• Wireless: None or onboard Wi-Fi (motherboard dependent)
• USB / Thunderbolt: Minimum 2x USB 3.0 and 2x USB 2.0 (rear), plus minimum 2 front ports
• Operating system: Windows 11 Home 64-bit (single licence)
• Operating system language: English (UK)
• Recovery media: Windows 10/11 multi-language recovery image (downloadable)
• Office software: Microsoft 365 30-day trial
• Anti-virus: Norton 360 with Game Optimizer (90-day licence)
• Browser: Microsoft Edge
• Warranty: 3-year standard (6-month collect & return, 1-year parts, 3-year labour)
• Delivery: Standard insured UK mainland delivery (Mon–Fri)

You can buy the Falcon Pro from PCSpecialist for £2599 HERE.

Pros

• Clean, understated aesthetic.
• Strong gaming performance, be it 1440p or 4K.
• 12-core CPU is capable of handling more demanding workloads, too.
• Impressive thermal results.
• Beautiful rear cable management.
• Decent value overall.
• Already assembled and ready to ship next day.

Cons

• SSD speeds drop off as it fills up due to DRAM-less and QLC NAND design.
• Louder than it needs to be, especially for CPU workloads.
• A couple of minor cable management areas could be improved.
• Our PSU had the RMe clicking issue, though this would be covered under PCSpecialist's warranty.

KitGuru says: The Falcon Pro is a solid PC for both work and play, and with a couple of minor adjustments, it would be even more impressive.

Apple products aren’t something we usually cover here at KitGuru, but when the MacBook Neo was announced as the cheapest MacBook ever, it certainly caught my eye. As a lifelong PC user and enthusiast, I was particularly curious to know exactly how a budget laptop running a mobile processor with just 8GB of RAM would perform – but if, like me, you’re expecting it to be underwhelming – I think you might be in for a bit of a surprise…

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
00:50 Pricing and key info
01:41 Design first impressions
02:30 Keyboard + trackpad
03:12 Webcam and speaker test
04:42 Screen analysis
06:03 Performance testing
07:23 8GB RAM discussion
08:15 Can it game?
08:58 WiFi + thermal camera
09:26 Battery life
10:10 Closing thoughts

Specification

• Processor: Apple A18 Pro (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency cores)
• Graphics: 5-core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing
• Neural engine: 16-core Neural Engine
• Memory: 8GB unified memory
• Storage: 256GB or 512GB SSD
• Display: 13-inch Liquid Retina display (2408 x 1506), 500 nits brightness, 1 billion colours
• Pixel density: 219 PPI
• Media engine: Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW; AV1 decode
• Camera: 1080p FaceTime HD
• Audio: Dual speakers with Spatial Audio support; dual microphone array
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth
• Ports: 2x USB-C (USB 3 / USB 2 mix), 3.5mm headphone jack
• Battery life: Up to 16 hours
• Keyboard: Magic Keyboard with multi-touch trackpad
• Security: Touch ID (on select configurations)
• Operating system: macOS
• Colours: Silver, Indigo, Blush, Citrus
• Dimensions: approx. 297.5 x 206.4 x 12.7 mm
• Weight: approx. 1.23 kg

You can buy the MacBook Neo directly from Apple HERE. The 256GB model is £599, while the 512GB model (with Touch ID) is £699. Education discount is also available for £100 off HERE.

Pros

• Beautiful aluminium body.
• Bright and accurate screen.
• A18 Pro gets the job done with ease for light tasks.
• Solid battery life.
• MacOS is as good as ever.
• Keyboard and trackpad perform well.
• Speakers offer good clarity considering it's just a pair of side-firing drivers.
• Very good value, especially if you get the education discount.

Cons

• More memory would be welcome.
• Just two USB-C ports, one of which is USB 2.0, and neither have MagSafe.
• Webcam is passable but not super high quality.
• Keyboard isn't backlit.

KitGuru says: Apple's MacBook Neo is an impressively well-rounded laptop considering the asking price. It's not designed for the power user, but if you want something that just works for general use, this is a great option.

Today we're checking out a monitor from iiyama's new ProGraphic lineup. As the name suggests, it's a family of displays geared towards professionals and creatives, rather than the gaming audience that we'd associate with the company's G-Master range. Specifically, we are analysing the HB2701UHSNP, sporting a 27in diagonal and 4K resolution. It's also packing in one of LG's new IPS Black 2.0 panels, designed to increase contrast, while iiyama also claims 99% DCI-P3 coverage.

Right now, iiyama's ProGraphic lineup consists of two models – the HB2701UHSNP we are reviewing today, along with the HB3201UHSNP. Both are very similar overall, built on IPS Black 2.0 technology with a wide colour gamut, but the latter is slightly larger at 32in.

On top of the new IPS panel technology, iiyama highlights wide colour gamut, Pantone Validated colours, sharp visuals thanks to the UHD resolution, alongside an anti-glare screen coating and useful features like a KVM switch.

Here in the UK, the HB2701UHSNP is retailing for just under £500, so let's see what it can bring to the table.

Specification:

• Design: 4-side edge-to-edge
• Diagonal: 27″, 68.5 cm
• Panel: IPS Black 2.0, matte finish
• Native resolution: 3840 x 2160 @60Hz (8.3 megapixel 4K UHD)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Panel brightness: 450 cd/m²
• Static contrast: 3000:1
• Advanced contrast: 80M:1
• Response time (GTG): 4 ms
• Viewing zone: horizontal/vertical 178°/178°, right/left 89°/89°, up/down 89°/89°
• Colour support: 1.07B 8-bit (DCI-P3 99%, sRGB 100%, NTSC 72%)
• Horizontal sync: 30 – 140 kHz
• Viewable area (W x H): 596.7 x 335.7 mm (23.5 x 13.2″)
• Pixel pitch: 0.155 mm
• Colour: matte black
• Signal input: HDMI x1 (v2.0), DisplayPort x1 (v1.2), USB-C x1 (Power Delivery 96W)
• Signal output: DisplayPort x1 (Daisy Chain MST up to 3840 x 2160)
• USB hub: 4x (3x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A 5Gbps 4.5W, 1x USB Type-C 5Gbps 15W)
• USB-C dock: 1x (Power Delivery 96W, LAN, DP out, USB 3.2 Gen1 5Gbps; not supported on Mac)
• HDCP: Yes
• Headphone connector: Yes
• RJ45 (LAN): 1x
• KVM switch: Yes
• Blue light reducer: Yes
• Flicker free: Yes
• Extra features: Delta E <2.0, EyeComfort, Low Blue Light panel, Eyesafe® Certified, Pantone Validated, AGLR polarizer (anti-glare low reflective)
• HDR: HDR400
• Speakers: 2 x 2W
• Convenience: Kensington-lock prepared, DDC/CI, DDC2B
• Display position adjustments: height, swivel, tilt, pivot
• Height adjustment: 150 mm
• Rotation (pivot): 90°
• Swivel stand: 360° (180° left / 180° right)
• Tilt angle: 23° up / 5° down
• VESA mounting: 100 x 100 mm
• Cable management system: Yes

Firmware tested: V101

Today we’re checking out the ASUS ROG GR70 gaming mini PC. Not to be confused with the ROG NUC – although they look basically identical – the GR70 packs in a Ryzen 9 9955HX3D CPU instead of an Intel Core Ultra processor. Given NUC used to be an Intel product line, which ASUS then took on, I wonder if that’s why it’s not part of the NUC family. Either way, it’s a tiny machine that's focused solely on gaming, including discrete Nvidia graphics and that high-end Ryzen X3D CPU. Let’s find out just how good the GR70 is…

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
00:59 Spec and pricing
02:01 Design first impressions
02:45 Connectivity options
03:29 Accessing the internals
05:07 Testing modes and behaviour
06:57 Noise tests
08:18 Game benchmarks
12:02 Gaming perf vs a full-size desktop
14:02 Closing thoughts

Specification:

• Operating system: Windows 11 Home
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D Processor (cTDP 70W)
• Chipset: Integrated
• Graphics (integrated): AMD Radeon Graphics 610M
• Graphics (discrete): NVIDIA® GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU (100W + 15W Dynamic Boost, 8GB GDDR6)
• Memory: 32GB DDR5-5600 SO-DIMM included; maximum 96GB (48GB DDR5-5600 x2). *Dual-channel configuration required for optimal performance
• Storage: 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe® 4.0 SSD included; supports 512GB–2TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe® 4.0 x4 or 1TB–2TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe® 5.0 x4 SSD
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 7 (Gig+), Bluetooth® 5.4
• LAN: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps (2.5G LAN)
• Front (side) I/O ports:
  • 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (5V/3A, 10Gbps)
  • 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A (5V/0.9A, 10Gbps)
  • 1x Audio jack (Line out / Mic in / Headphone out)
  • 1x Power button
  • 1x LED light bar
  • 1x ROG ARGB LED panel (side)
• Back I/O ports:
  • 1x USB 4.0 Type-C (DP 1.4, 5V/3A, 40Gbps)
  • 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A (5V/0.9A, 10Gbps)
  • 2x HDMI 2.1 (up to 4K @60Hz)
  • 2x DisplayPort 2.1
  • 1x 2.5G RJ45 LAN
  • 1x Kensington lock slot
  • 1x DC-in
• Multi-display support: Up to 5 displays simultaneously
• Power supply: 330W adapter with power cord
• Dimensions (W x D x H): 282.4 x 187.7 x 56.6 mm
• Weight: 2.75 kg
• Color: Star Grey
• Accessories: AC adapter, power cord, user manual, warranty card

It's worth noting that we were sent a ‘reviewer's special' of the GR70, given our sample packs in the 9955HX3D CPU, but that sits alongside RTX 5060 Laptop graphics – which doesn't appear to be a configuration that ASUS is actually selling. The gaming performance shown in our video is therefore likely to be slightly below what an actual retail unit will deliver, though both 5060 and 5070 Laptop chips have 8GB VRAM.

Pricing and availability is also unconfirmed at the time of writing, but we have reached out to ASUS and will update this review when we have more information. No doubt the ROG GR70 will be expensive and it will certainly have a price premium over an equivalent desktop machine, you will just have to decide how much of a premium you are happy to pay considering the ultra small form-factor.

Pros

• Tiny and sleek machine.
• Impressive CPU and GPU grunt considering its size.
• 4K gaming is possible in certain titles, when using DLSS Performance.
• Very easy to access the internals.
• Strong I/O.

Cons

• CPU hit 100C in intensive all-core workloads.
• Gets very loud at the same time (though is much quieter for gaming).
• Pricing and availability is not yet confirmed, though it's likely to be very expensive.

KitGuru says: The ROG GR70 is a properly gaming-focused mini PC. It's not perfect, and using it for more than just gaming – like some intensive CPU workloads – may not be the best idea due to the thermal situation. However, if you just want a tiny PC that is capable of properly playing the latest AAA games, this is well worth a look.

Yesterday we published an article and accompanying video, detailing the Element Elite R prebuilt PC that we were sent by PCSpecialist. We demonstrated how the system had been built improperly, resulting in the PCIe riser cable completely blocking one of the two AIO cooler fans. We reached out to PCSpecialist with our findings and questions and have today received a full response.

If you haven't already, be sure to check out on the original article and video which explored everything in detail, and the issues raised by our findings. We had already reached out to PCSpecialist before publishing to let them know what we had found, inviting a response to our article. Dialogue opened yesterday and today we were sent a full statement from the company.

First and foremost, it was good to see the company took responsibility for the issue, with a statement from John Medley, PCSpecialist Head of Sales & Marketing, agreeing that the issue shown ‘should not have happened' and was clearly ‘short of the high standards we hold ourselves to and that our customers rightly expect from us.'

The statement also gave additional context to the build error. According to Medley, TR100 builds are a recent addition to PCSpecialist configurators and the number of systems using the case ‘to date is very small, they represent just 0.08% of orders since it was introduced'. Furthermore, most of those builds were configured with a low-profile air cooler – specifically the be quiet! Pure Rock LP – so even fewer use an AIO with this case. On top of that, the statement says PCSpecialist reviewed the database of customer orders and found ‘that there are no customer orders built into the TR100 at risk of potentially overheating'.

Images above provided by PCSpecialist.

To illustrate the point, we were also provided with the above images from PCSpecialist's build preview tool, showing proper routing of the PCIe riser cable for these systems built into the TR100 chassis.

As to how this managed to happen in the first place, Medley told us that PCSpecialist's standard process ‘includes both a visual inspection and functional stress tests. In this instance, the bracket/stuck fan was not caught at either stage. We are reviewing why that was the case and updating our processes to ensure case-specific requirements are explicitly signed off before any system is dispatched. This will apply to all new chassis going forward.'

On top of that, PCSpecialist emphasised that ‘retrospective training has already begun to further improve the quality of our builds', and while the company acknowledged that mistakes can happen as each system is hand-built, Medley said that PCSpecialist is using this as ‘an opportunity to strengthen our processes, improve our training, and to continue developing our skilled team.'

Lastly, PCSpecialist emphasised the importance of ‘independent scrutiny' and rightly pointed out that the vast majority of prebuilt PCs that we have reviewed from them in the past, have been positively received. In closing, Medley told us the following: ‘We have listened, we have taken the feedback onboard, and we can assure your readers that action has been taken to improve even more moving forwards.'

KitGuru says: Thanks to PCSpecialist for providing with us with such a detailed response. While we would have liked to avoid this situation in the first place, the company certainly seems to be taking the matter seriously and improving its processes as a result.

—

For transparency, the full statement provided to us by John Medley is copied below:

First and foremost, the build error identified in your review should not have happened. The bracket was not correctly utilised, and this clearly falls short of the high standards we hold ourselves to and that our customers rightly expect from us.

We also want to acknowledge the value of independent scrutiny of this kind. Honest reviews give your audience confidence that coverage is not influenced by the brands being reviewed.

Addressing your questions:

We cannot publicly share exact sales data, but we want to provide context. The TR100 has only recently been added to our configurators and units built to date is very small, they represent just 0.08% of orders since it was introduced. The majority of those have been configured with a low-profile air CPU cooler (be quiet! Pure Rock LP), meaning the pool of TR100 builds with a 240mm AIO is smaller still. Whilst not utilising the bracket correctly is the primary issue; our immediate focus has been on TR100 + 240mm AIO builds, specifically where the potential impact could be more severe.

The automated photography of each customer build has been referenced in the article, video, and comments. To clarify, this process is fully automated so the images are not taken or edited by a staff member, and they are captured without power, meaning fans don’t spin and lighting will not be illuminated.

In reviewing the database of customer order images potentially impacted by this issue, we are pleased to confirm that there are no customer orders built into the TR100 at risk of potentially overheating. Things to keep in mind:

• The TR100 is a niche product with low sales volume, so the pool of potentially impacted sales was very small.
• The majority of TR100 system orders have been ordered with a be quiet! Pure Rock LP cooler, which does not have a radiator or top mounted fans.
• We have dozens of system builders within our team, thankfully most have followed the correct process and are utilising the bracket correctly.

Our standard build and QC process includes both a visual inspection and functional stress tests. In this instance, the bracket/stuck fan was not caught at either stage. We are reviewing why that was the case and updating our processes to ensure case-specific requirements are explicitly signed off before any system is dispatched. This will apply to all new chassis going forward.

Each order is tracked throughout production, and every stage is logged by a staff member. This has allowed us to trace each order back through the production process and retrospective training has already begun to further improve the quality of our builds. All systems are assembled by hand, and unfortunately by nature humans can make mistakes. We are taking this as an opportunity to strengthen our processes, improve our training, and to continue developing our skilled team.

Between Jan 2020 – Jan 2026, PCSpecialist has submitted 28 systems to Kitguru’s editorial team for an unbiased and honest review, the average score of these systems is 8.19/10 and we’re confident if we went back to further the average score would remain high.

Over the past 10 to 15 years, our systems have received high acclaim from Kitguru, many have been accredited awards, and even EHA (European Hardware Association) recognition. PCSpecialist are incredibly proud of the quality standards we have achieved on a consistent basis over two decades of trading. We do not send golden samples to the press like many companies within our industry do. All sample units come directly from our production line with no additional intervention or checks, because like you, we want reviews to be a true reflection of what our customers receive.

The Element Elite R is the first system KitGuru have received to fall short of the high standards we expect of ourselves and we acknowledge this. We have listened, we have taken the feedback onboard, and we can assure your readers that action has been taken to improve even more moving forwards.

UPDATE: PCSpecialist has now issued a full response to our findings. You can read what they had to say – including a full statement from John Medley, Head of Sales & Marketing, in our follow up article HERE.

Today's article was originally meant to be an in-depth analysis of PCSpecialist's Element Elite R – a prebuilt PC packing a Ryzen 7 9700X and RTX 5070 into the mini-ITX TR100 chassis from Thermaltake. However, it quickly became obvious that something was not right with this system, so instead of a traditional review, we'll be highlighting what happened, how we fixed it, and the questions raised by this incident…

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
01:00 We found a fundamental issue
02:20 How we fixed it
02:51 Before/after thermals
04:37 Noise levels + fan RPMs
05:07 Two issues raised by the error
06:24 Closing thoughts

If you're not familiar with the Thermaltake TR100, it uses a split-chamber layout with the GPU in a separate compartment, connected to the motherboard via a PCIe riser. Unfortunately, that PCIe riser is the cause of the system's problems, as it has not been routed properly – or even routed at all – and has instead simply been jammed into one of the radiator fans, stopping it from spinning entirely.

I'd not used this case before but it was immediately obvious upon removing the side panel that something wasn't right. Re-visiting James' build in the TR100 from last year showed me that there's actually a dedicated crossbar, or bracket, for the PCIe riser, designed to prevent this exact thing – but here the riser has simply been looped over the top.

Fixing it took me about five minutes – I removed the radiator mount, reseated the riser properly, then secure the bracket on top, and that was job done. But clearly this is a huge oversight from PCSpecialist that raises significant questions.

We also ran thermal tests on the CPU to see the impact of this error. Here's a quick breakdown of what we found, but be sure to watch the embedded video for the full analysis:

• Cinebench, before fix: 66C steady-state, 73.6C peak
• Cinebench, after fix: 58C steady-state, 61.6C peak
• Cyberpunk 2077, before fix: 70C steady-state, 71.C peak
• Cyberpunk 2077, after fix: 65C steady-state, 69.6C peak

This raises two key issues that I expand on in the video – the first being how much training are PCSpecialist builders given, considering something like this occured. And secondly, how extensive are the company's testing and quality control procedures? PCSpecialist's website talks about ‘extensive' stress tests and says all systems go through ‘a quality control checklist to ensure all components are correct and follows our stringent guidelines'. But clearly, the guidelines can't be that stringent if something like this slipped through from start to finish completely unnoticed.

Indeed, you could consider PCSpecialist ‘fortunate' that the system we received has a relatively low-power 9700X pulling approx 88W. However, you can manually configure builds in the TR100 with up to a 9950X, a CPU that draws well over 200W, and losing half your radiator airflow with that CPU would have a far more detrimental effect.

KitGuru says: PCSpecialist needs to do significantly better.