did anyone test this ? looks like a transmission port to win

What about you ?

Only the apps that you buy from the Store...I've read that with Windows 8.0 RT you could use a jailbreak to use the desk apps

Any way I would like to know if you have this tablet what do you think about it

Apple will be holding an event in less than a week, on the 30th of October, and it's widely believed that we will see a new set of iPad Pro models announced right then and there. These would refresh the iPad design and bring about more powerful hardware and some new features, as always.

So, what's going to be new? What does the rumor mill say about them? Let's dive in and see what to expect!

Design

Last time we saw a pair of iPad Pros be released, they came in two form factors — one had a manageable 10.5-inch display, while the other sported a gargantuan 12.9-inch screen. Needless to say, the smaller version is a customer favorite, since it strikes the balance between portability, hardware power, and price (in Apple product terms, at least).

Well, rumor has it that the 10.5-inch version's screen might grow a bit this year. According to leaksters, the smaller variant will have an 11-inch display this time around. However, this may not mean that the iPad will grow in size — we are, in fact, expecting to see a new design, with slimmer bezels, and possibly even Face ID. As far as the bigger iPad Pro — the rumor mill says it'll retain its 12.9-inch screen.

Now, there's a bit of a mistery here we haven't deciphered yet. A small design element in the form of an elliptical pad spotted both in alleged leaked schematics and a supposed iPad Pro case. It's located on the back of the device, just behind the Lightning connector. Some leaks and rumors suggest it could be a magnetic connector, meant for various mystery accessories. Could it be there as a new means of attaching and charging the Apple Pencil to the iPad Pro? We low-key hope so!

Last but not least, some speculate that the new iPads will do away with the headphone jack, following in the footsteps of the 2016 iPhone 7. Hopefully, this one turns to be a dud rumor, but hey... Apple did say this archaic connector is a thing of the past.

Features

For years now, we've wondered if 3D Touch will be coming to the iPad line at any point. Well, we are getting close to an answer. And not only is that answer "no", there are also rumors floating about that Apple will be removing 3D Touch from its future iPhones as well. Yup, apparently, the tech's usefulness does not outweigh its production costs.

That aside, we expect from the new iPad Pros what we've always gotten from the iPad Pro line — support for the Apple Pencil as well as a Smart keyboard accessory to give the tablets a laptop-like use.

The rumor mill insists that we will see Face ID on the new iPads, which would mean thinner frames around the display and no Touch ID. Apple doesn't like to complicate stuff by adding a lot of options to choose from, so it's either face-scanning or fingerprint scanning for the new devices. And recent rumors suggest the former.

New Pencil

We keep hearing whispers of a new Apple Pencil 2 with updated functionality. However, details on what that functionality might be are scarce. We can only speculate that the new Pencil would be designed around that mystery magnetic connector on the back. Hopefully, that would mean that it will charge in a manner that is much more practical and... pleasing to the eye.

The current way of charging the Apple Pencil is not very... elegant

Specs

Of course, we can expect Apple's latest and best mobile chip to be in the new iPad Pros. The new iPhones are powered by the A12 Bionic, built on a 7 nm process — it's not only more powerful but also more energy-efficient than last year's model. Supposedly, the processor in the new iPads would be called the A12X (chips in the iPads always have that X in them to denote they are slightly more powerful than the iPhone variant).

There has been no word on whether the RAM would be updated and we'd have to say chances are slim. Last time around, the iPad Pros had 4 GB of RAM. That's plenty enough for contemporary mobile devices, and especially for iOS, which loves to freeze anything and everything in the background, leaving a lot of free resources for whatever you are doing right now. However, since the current iPhone XS models have 4 GB of RAM themselves, it's possible that the iPad Pro gets bumped up to something like 6 GB. Still, that's just us guessing.

Now, if you're hoping for an AMOLED panel, we're going to have to stop you there. There is absolutely no evidence to support that Apple will be switching away from LCD screens on its tablets and we kind of find it hard to believe that the company would do so at this stage. Why? For one, the 120 Hz LCD panels Apple uses for the iPad Pros right now are pretty awesome as they are. Then, there's the fact that a ton of AMOLED resources are going towards the new iPhones.

But here's a biggie — USB Type-C ports! The rumor mill insists that the new iPad Pro models would have a USB Type-C connector, instead of Lightning, enabling it to transfer files and imagery faster, as well as opening it up to a vast array of 3rd party accessories and monitors. We are still not sure how we feel about this rumor. It does sound very much not like Apple to go with a generic connector, and it will certainly piss off a ton of the userbase that has invested in Lightning accessories for their pro needs — musical equipment and whatnot.

Price and release date

And what about price? The new iPads could fit in the very same price brackets as the tablets they are replacing, but since they are about to adopt Face ID, we might see a slight price bump. We also expect to see the baseline storage get upgraded from 64 GB to 128 GB, as we saw on the iPhone XS models. So, the iPad Pro 11" could start at around $700 for a 128 GB Wi-Fi model and the new 12.9" iPad Pro would start at about $850 for the 128 GB Wi-Fi version.

Rumors say the new iPad Pros will be announced at the upcoming Apple event on the 30th of October. History shows us that the tablets launch within a week of being announced, so expect to be able to buy one in the first days of November.

There are deals to be had on Nvidia's previous generation of Pascal graphics cards, and for anyone who needs a little nudging, the GPU maker has teamed up with Capcom to give away Monster Hunter: World free with select purchases.

Cards that qualify include the GeForce GTX 1070 Ti, GeForce GTX 1070, and GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB version). The promotion starts today and runs through November 29, 2018.

Be careful when shopping for a potentially qualifying card, though. It has to purchased from a participating vendor. EVGA's landing page for the promotion links to several SKUs, some of which also include Destiny 2 (base game and expansion bundle pass).

It's not just EVGA cards that qualify, though. You can find a range of brands, like Gigabyte and MSI. Newegg seems to be one of the few that clearly marks the promotion, so that's probably your best bet if buying a custom cooled card. You can also snag a Founder Edition model direct from Nvidia. Where ever you buy the card from, just make sure it clearly states that Monster Hunter: World is part of the package.

Gigabyte GTX 1070 Ti Gaming | Overclocked | $389.99
Gigabyte's GeForce GTX 1070 Ti Gaming is factory overclocked and custom cooled with a three-fan cooler. It's on sale, plus there is a $30 mail-in-rebate available. $389.99 (after rebate), Newegg

MSI GeForce GTX 1070 Ti Duke | $389.99
Another GeForce GTX 1070 Ti with a triple fan cooling solution. It's priced the same as the Gigabyte model above after a $20 mail-in-rebate, and also comes with Monster Hunter: World. $389.99 (after rebate), Newegg

Zotac GeForce GTX 1070 Mini |SFF Card | $389.99
This card is shorter than full-size versions and is best suited for small form factor (SFF) builds. Zotac also offers an extended warranty when registering on its website. $389.99, Newegg

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 | Overclocked| $249.99
There is an OC mode on this card that kicks the base and boost clockspeeds up a notch over stock. It also has a 6+1 power phase design to keep things stable, and Gigabyte's Windforce 2X cooling solution keeps temps in check. $249.99, Newegg

There are a bunch of other models available that qualify for the free game. Browse the selection on Newegg, just be sure it specifically says Monster Hunter: World is included.

Intel specifies a recommended price for each of its processors, but retailers are still free to slap whatever price tag they want on an item. Also at play is Intel's shortage of 14nm processors, which affects both old and new 9th generation chips. The shortage of stock has contributed to driving up the prices for the Intel Core i9-9900K, Core i7-9700K and, at some retailers, the Core i5-9600K. 

According to Intel, the flagship Intel Core i9-9900K processor should retail for around $488 to $499. However, the processor hit the shelves with an overbloated price tag of $579.99, which is around 16 percent higher than the maximum price recommended. The Core i9-9900K isn't just the fastest gaming processor on the planet, but sold out fast too. Sadly, there is no word on when the octa-core processor will come back in stock.

Moving down the processor hierarchy, we find the Core i7-9700K processor with a $419.99 price tag, roughly nine percent more expensive than what Intel suggested. Suffering the same fate as the Core i9-9900K, the Core i7-9700K is also nowhere to be found.

Out of the three K-series processors, the Core i5-9600K is the only part that is widely available. Surprisingly, Walmart is selling the Core i5-9600K for $259. On the other hand, Newegg has the Core i5-9600K listed for $279.99, when the hexa-core processor's MSRP is between $262 and $263. On Amazon, $279.99 Core i5-9600K CPUs are out of stock; you'll have to pay over $279.99 if you want one in a timely fashion.

Two weeks later, the flagship GeForce RTX 2080 Ti ($1,199 / £1,099 for the Founders Edition model) arrived on store shelves for the first time. And as of October 18th, you could pick up a Turing card on a slightly lower budget with the GeForce RTX 2070 ($599 / £549 for the Founders Edition models, or a little less for some third-party variants). But the question remains: Should you buy one?

The prices of Nvidia’s latest GPUs have been a substantial sticking point with reviewers. In past generations, gamers could expect to pay upwards of $600 for an 80-class GPU, and somewhere shy of $1000 for a Ti variant. The GeForce RTX cards, however, sell for much higher prices, which makes them a harder purchase to justify. The new GeForce RTX 2070, while considerably cheaper than the other Turing-based GPUs, is no exception. Nvidia’s 70-class GPUs have always been a great bang-for-your-buck, but at $500 and up, the new RTX 2070 cards aren’t exactly cheap.

So, given the high prices, should you even be considering one of these new GPUs for your gaming rig? The answer depends on what you want to do with your graphics card, how long you plan to keep it, and how much of your hard-earned money you’re willing to part with to reach smooth gaming nirvana? To help you answer those questions, we'll have to dig a bit deeper.

Are You an Early-Adopter?

Before you start worrying about the cost of these new GPUs, it’s important to ask yourself why you want one, and how much you’re willing to put up with to get it. Early adapters are a segment of the buying public that sees value in being one of the first people to own a new product. They generally have a higher tolerance for high prices, limited compatibility, and are often intrigued by the idea of playing with new technologies as they come to fruition.

If you’re going to be buying a GeForce RTX card anytime soon, you'd better land squarely in the early adopter category.

What Turing Brings to the Table

Nvidia’s new Turing architecture promises great things: It’s the first GPU architecture to feature RT cores designed for and dedicated to real-time ray tracing, which enables it’s new hybrid rendering technology. The company’s launch presentation focused primarily on ray tracing, with CEO Jensen Huang hyping its arrival as “the holy grail of our industry.” To be sure, the lighting effects and realistic reflections that ray tracing enables are striking.

The Turing architecture also brings Tensor cores to gamers for the first time, and Nvidia is using these AI-dedicated cores to leverage machine learning technology to improve image quality in games. Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) technology promises lower GPU load compared to other super sampling and anti-aliasing techniques, while simultaneously producing a crisper image. You'll find more in-depth coverage of Nvidia's new GPUs and their technology in our Turing deep dive.

Ray Tracing is Promising, But it Ain’t Here Yet

Once game developers adopt Nvidia’s new technologies (if they do), the Turing-based GPUs stand to gain a boost in visual realism and real-world performance that should put them well ahead of the aging Pascal-based cards. However, until Turing’s specialty technology is in play, Nvidia’s last-generation lineup is hard to ignore.

Currently, there are no games that support ray tracing and the list of announced titles is a short one, with release dates mostly unknown. Battlefield V is one of the only titles that is set to support ray tracing this year. But we’ve yet to see the performance impact of enabling the feature. Disappointingly, EA delayed Battlefield V's release until November.

Deep Learning Super Sampling is no Better

Nvidia’s AI-based DLSS technology could dramatically improve performance and image fidelity on high-resolution panels and in VR headsets in the future, but we don't expect huge benefits from it in the near term.

DLSS technology has a good chance for rapid adoption because, unlike with ray tracing, developers can retroactively enable DLSS in older games. However, as with ray tracing, no games exist today with DLSS enabled, and the list of coming DLSS-enabled games is also short.

We have no doubt that more than a few games will eventually support Turing’s new technologies. But the truth is, we really don’t have any idea if Nvidia’s promises will pan out, and we’ll likely be waiting for a long time before Turing’s flagship features are widely used by the game industry. By then, Nvidia may have a new generation of GPUs available that outpace the Turing lineup. So you probably shouldn’t let Turing’s fancy new tech severely sway your buying decision just yet.

That said, there are compelling reasons to consider Nvidia’s new GPU lineup for your next gaming card.

Undeniable Performance for High-Resolution Gaming

Apart from the RT and Tensors cores and the technologies that they enable, Turing-based GPUs also bring high levels of performance to the table. The top-of-the-line GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is unquestionably the fastest gaming GPU available. You won’t find a better option to drive your 4K display.

As we said in our review, "If you aspire to game at 4K and don’t want to choose between smooth frame rates and maxed-out graphics quality, GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is the card to own. There’s just no way around it."

The GeForce RTX 2080 isnt as powerful as the RTX 2080 Ti, but it provides roughly the performance of the previous-generation GTX 1080 Ti. And it delivers fantastic performance for 2560 x 1440-resolution displays, including high-refresh rate options.

Another Option for 1440p Gaming

Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2080 and its inflated $800 price are hard to justify for 1440p gaming, but Nvidia does offer another alternative that you may want to consider. You can get your hands on a GeForce RTX 2070 for as little as $500 (£421) . That's still a good chunk of change, but you would have been hard-pressed to find a GTX 1080 for that price in the months before the Turing launch.

Our RTX 2070 review sample walked all over our GTX 1080 in no less than 14 tests. So even though it costs more money, an RTX 2070 delivers better performance. Plus you get those RTX-specific features--even though we don't know exactly how well ray tracing and DLSS will work on this lower-end Turning silicon.

An RTX 2080 would squeeze out a few extra frames per second, but an RTX 2070 will get the 1440p job done for a lot less money.

Great Deals on 10-Series Cards

Nvidia’s three Turing GPUs each offer compelling reasons to consider picking one up. But at their current prices, the company’s outgoing Pascal GPUs offer equally compelling reasons to ignore the new generation of cards. Third-party card makers are slashing prices to help push the old stock out the door, and as a result there has never been a better time to pick up a great 10-series GPU for a really great price.

You can find GeForce GTX 1080 Ti cards, which until September represented the pinnacle of consumer gaming cards, for as little as $650. That’s a much better deal than a GeForce RTX 2080 for $700-$800 if all you want is raw graphics performance.

And now that GeForce RTX 2070 cards are on the market, other 10-series cards are dropping in price too. These cards hit the market 2-years ago for $599 and up, but today you can pick one up for around $450.

If raw performance is what you’re after, and you’re not interested in gambling on the potential benefits of Ray Tracing and DLSS, you can’t go wrong with a discounted 10-series card. Even a GTX 1070 Ti, which you can pick up for under $400 these days, is a good buy. But realistically, if you're shopping for sub-$400 cards, you aren't seriously considering a $500-plus RTX 2070 anyway.

Don’t expect these deals to stick around, though. These GPUs will likely run out sooner rather than later. Nvidia’s partners are sitting on overstock of 10-series GPUs. But at these prices, the stockpile won’t last for long. Soon enough, a GeForce RTX card will be your only viable option for a new Nvidia graphics card.

Still a Difficult Choice

So, what do we ultimately recommend? Well, if you have deep pockets a 4K screen, and don’t mind spending money to have the best of the best, you can’t go wrong with an RTX 2080 Ti. Really, there’s no other option for uncompromising high-resolution gaming.

If you game on a 2560 x 1440 resolution display, the choice isn't as clear. If you can find a GTX 1080 Ti for under $650 (£500), that would be a good buy. Alternatively, a $500 (£385) RTX 2070 would be an even better deal, albeit a less powerful option.

A GTX 1080 for under $450 (£346) is also a compelling option, but we think the extra performance and potential of ray tracing and DLSS is worth the $50 (£38) premium if you're buying a graphics card today. If you're spending close to $500 (£385) anyway, you might as well buy in to current-gen tech--even if we are still waiting to find out exactly what that tech can actually do.

Intel's line-up matches AMD's Ryzen core-for-core, including a new Core i9 with eight Hyper-Threaded cores (8C/16T) and the highest frequencies we've seen in the mainstream space. There's also a bulked-up Core i7 armed with two extra cores, plus a revamped Core i5.

AMD's high core counts, aggressive prices, and nods to enthusiasts have earned it plenty of goodwill. Now it's Intel's turn to respond. The Core i9-9900K, for instance, ships in a a translucent plastic dodecahedron obviously meant to wow system builders, similar to the way AMD impressed with its Threadripper packaging. Intel also switched back to using Solder Thermal Interface Material (STIM) between the die and heat spreader, facilitating better thermal transfer to cope with more cores and higher overclocks. Ninth-gen Core CPUs are also Intel's first with hardware-based mitigations for the Meltdown and Foreshadow vulnerabilities. These should minimize the performance impact of circumventing recently discovered exploits.

Core i9-9900K is the fastest mainstream desktop processor we've ever tested. But it's also one of the most expensive. Knowing that Intel does not match AMD's value proposition, is the ultimate in desktop performance worth paying extra for? The new Core i9 was incredibly impressive through our benchmark suite. However, most users would be better served by cheaper alternatives, such as Core i7-9700K.

Then again, if money is no object and you have the need for speed, Core i9-9900K is the CPU to buy.

Intel Core i9-9900K

The Coffee Lake refresh begins with three new K-series processors. They all feature the same underlying Coffee Lake microarchitecture as previous-gen models. And as expected, the Core i5 and Core i7 brands are represented. This time around, though, an eight-core, 16-thread Core i9 commands the spotlight.

The new K-series chips are manufactured on Intel's 14nm++ node, include an integrated UHD 630 graphics engine, sport unlocked ratio multipliers that enable easy overclocking, and boast support for dual-channel DDR4-2666 memory. Intel also responds to increasing RAM density by doubling memory capacity support up to 128GB.

Core i9-9900K's Solder TIM improves the thermal transfer efficiency between the die and heat spreader, facilitating the headroom needed for two more physical cores on the Core i9 and i7 models without violating a 95W envelope at base clock rates. What's more, the -9900K's base frequency is 3.6 GHz, just 100 MHz lower than the previous-gen Core i7-8700K. And that's after adding those two extra cores.

The STIM, which is applied inside all three new models, also improves overclockability. Enthusiasts who previously lauded AMD for using Solder TIM in its Ryzen processors should be happy with Intel's decision here.

Improved heat dissipation also facilitates impressive clock rates across the ninth-gen models. Core i9-9900K stretches up to 5.0 GHz when two cores are active, outstripping the Core i7-8086K and its ability to hit 5.0 GHz on one core. As you can see in the chart above, Intel is pushing the voltage/frequency curve with its eight-core models. They both feature much higher boost multipliers than previous-gen CPUs. These should help extend Intel's advantage in lightly-threaded tasks like gaming. Meanwhile, the extra cores help Intel compete readily against Ryzen in more taxing workloads.

Core i7-7820X is perhaps the most comparable CPU from Intel's high-end desktop portfolio. But it employs a fundamentally different design. The $600 chip requires an expensive X299 motherboard, is best paired to a quad-channel memory kit, lacks integrated graphics, and utilizes a mesh architecture for connecting on-die logic instead of the familiar ring bus (check out our deep dive for more information). As we've shown, the mesh architecture has a negative impact on some desktop-class workloads, so it isn't the best solution for enthusiasts.

As expected, the -9900K's extra cores are accompanied by two additional 2MB slices of L3 cache, adding up to 16MB across the processor. The Core i7-9700K comes with the same 12MB of L3 cache as its predecessor. Given a higher core count, though, this actually represents a lower cache-per-core ratio, meaning Intel purposely disabled some of the -9700K's cache for the purpose of segmentation.

Intel's Core i7 series traditionally features Hyper-Threading, allowing one physical core to execute two software threads simultaneously, thus boosting performance. Kaby Lake-based processors included up to four cores and eight threads, while Coffee Lake offered as many as six cores and 12 threads on the highest-end models. The 95W Core i7-9700K breaks this tradition with eight cores and no HT support. If you assume that HT yields a 15-20 percent performance uptick under ideal conditions, then Intel's clever removal of the feature on its $374 Core i7-9700K should make the 8C/8T CPU faster than the 12-threaded Core i7-8700K in most workloads, maintaining the carefully manicured product stack.

Ninth-gen Core i5s still come with six cores and no Hyper-Threading, just like the Coffee Lake generation before them. The 95W Core i5-9600K ($265) operates at a 3.7 GHz base clock rate that boosts as high as 4.6 GHz. Intel pairs each core with a 1.5MB of L3 cache, adding up to 9MB.

The new Core CPUs drop into existing 300-series motherboards after a BIOS update, though Intel's partners also have a slew of Z390 motherboards available, which you can see here. As we'll illustrate, the Core i9-9900K, specifically, draws enough power to make VRM selection an important factor in your motherboard purchase, especially if you plan on overclocking. Luckily, most high-end Z390 motherboards already employ beefier power circuitry than the Z370 models.

Plan on buying a beefy cooler for the Core i9-9900K, too. Its eight-core die hides beneath the same heat spreader used on previous-gen six-core models, meaning that even with Solder TIM, thermal density presents challenges. Intel's official spec sheet lists a 130W cooler as the entry-level solution. If you plan on tuning, open- or closed-loop liquid cooling is a must. Even then, thermal output could be what limits your overclock.

NOTE: if you want benchmarks, just PM me and I will give you the webpage, just too long to post atm..

Unfortunately, graphics cards are far from cheap and when shopping for a new GPU, prices can quickly top $800. But with the holidays fast approaching, it's possible to save a few bucks on your next GPU purchase and we're here to show you how.

From the GTX 1080 to AMD's RX series of graphics cards, we're hand-picking the best video card deals for every user and budget. Check back as we update our story with new deals as they're released.

Nvidia Cards

EVGA GTX 1070 SC Gaming Black Edition 8GB Card for $379.99 ($120 off)
MSI GTX 1080 Armor 8G OC Video Card for $468.99 ($151 off)
EVGA GTX 1070 Ti 8GB Gaming Video Card for $399.99 ($130 off) 
Zotac GTX 1080 8GB AMP Edition for $499.99 ($150 off) 
Zotac GTX 1070 Mini 8GB Compact Card for $389.99 ($100 off) 
Gigabyte GTX 1080 Mini ITX 8G for $434.99 ($95 off)

AMD Cards

MSI Radeon RX 570 Armor 8GB OC Card for $159.99 (via $30 rebate)
MSI Gaming Radeon RX 580 Armor OC Card for $224.99 ($95 off)
XFX Radeon RX 570 Black Edition 8GB Card for $209.99 (via $20 rebate)
ASRock Phantom Gaming X Radeon RX Vega 56 Card for $399.99 (via $20 rebate)

If you have your eye on a GeForce RTX series card, you'll likely see better deals closer to Black Friday. Deals on these cards are rare to find and the few that do exist are very minimal. Expect to see better prices closer to Thanksgiving.

A few days ago I signed up to NordVPN after looking around, they seemed to come out on top, price and service wise.
But I'm struggling to seed and I like seeding.
I have 2 pcs, one running just private trackers 24/7 (not VPN'd)
The other, runs Utorrent 3.2.3 about 18 hours a day, my work, rest and play PC, This is the one I want to protect as I use it to get TV shows etc from public trackers. Normally I have 10 or less torrents seeding on a 14:1 ratio. 
However, since installing Nord sometimes I have no activity and when I do, its only ever one torrent seeding @ 200kb/s at the absolute max - I have 10 times more than that to give.
I'v tried socks5 and the programme (hate the word "app"  ), switched servers tried various utorrent setting changes all produce similar disappointing upload speeds and behaviour on torrents.
If I turn all the VPN stuff off I'll be seeding 4/5 things at once and max my upload on utorrents.

I can't get it out of my head that I can't port forward with the VPN (nord doesn't support it) I'm wondering if that's the issue?

If any of you know about this and can help or if you know another VPN that better supports forwarding etc, I be very grateful.
I thought they'd be some speed issues but its going to take ages to seed back at my normal amount at this rate
BTW general surfing and internet speed tests under the VPN are great, almost as good as with it off.
Cheers

Apple is gearing up to obliterate the global tablet competition yet again in just a couple of weeks, but somewhat surprisingly, rumors are piling up about an uncharacteristic move to a universally embraced industry standard from a proprietary Cupertino technology for the iPad Pro family.

We’re talking a possible replacement of the Lightning port introduced back in September 2012 with a more flexible, faster USB-C connector. This is something Microsoft has also been resisting on the Surface Pro lineup, which uses its own special Surface Connect port.

It’s certainly unusual to see Apple open its hardware up to third-party accessory makers, but it’s precisely these companies that are widely expecting the change. Speaking to Japanese blog Macotakara at the ongoing Global Sources Mobile Electronics Trade Fair in Hong Kong, several sources have “confirmed” the addition of a USB Type-C port to the next iPad Pro generation, quoting their own industry insiders.

Among other meaningful upgrades, this would enable support for external 4K displays like high-quality monitors, bringing the new 10.5 and 12.9-inch iPad Pros closer to the raw power and technical capabilities of full-fledged computers.

Speaking of size, it seems the aforementioned accessories manufacturers are building cases and other products for the 2018 iPad Pro family based on sketches circulating on the interwebs for a little while now. 

Said blueprints are anticipating 280.66 x 215 mm dimensions for the larger new variant and 247.64 x 178.52 mm measurements as far as the smaller model is concerned. Naturally, all these numbers are lower than those of the 2017 iPad Pro generation, hinting at significantly slimmer bezels all around.

October may be peak smartphone season but it’s also an exciting time for tablets. So far this month we have seen the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 and the Google Pixel Slate, while on October 30 Apple will be announcing its new iPad Pro line. However, today it was Samsung’s turn to announce its own competitor.

Starting with the exterior design, the front of the tablet remains largely unchanged from the previous device, the only noticeable difference being a slightly more rectangular shape – despite the recent trend towards bezel-less designs, Samsung hasn’t made much of an effort in this department. Over on the rear, some major changes have been included, although the look isn’t exactly unique. In fact, the new Galaxy Book 2 looks suspiciously similar to the Surface Pro 6 thanks to the addition of a new built-in aluminum kickstand.

When it comes to the actual tech specs, the Galaxy Book 2 comes equipped with a large 12-inch Super AMOLED display which boasts a resolution of 2160 x 1440p and is paired with two AKG-tuned speakers. Internally, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 850 can be found, as can 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. Other details include two USB Type-C ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, Windows 10 with S Mode activated, and a weight of 1.75lbs. Interestingly, Samsung has not confirmed the exact battery capacity. Instead, it is following in the footsteps of Apple by simply stating an expected battery life of up to 20 hours on a single charge.

Pricing and availability-wise, Samsung has confirmed that this particular Windows 2-in-1, along with its include keyboard cover and S Pen, will retail for $999.99 in the US. Starting November 2, it will be available through the official Microsoft, Samsung, and AT&T websites, although later on in the month consumers will be able to pick it up at local AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon stores, all of which will be offering the Galaxy Book 2 with LTE plans.

Samsung Galaxy Book 2

The holiday shopping season is right around the corner, though you don't have to wait for Black Friday or Cyber Monday to score a deal. You just need to know where to look. Newegg, for example, is running a promotion in which you can score 15 percent back on almost everything it sells.

You have to spend at least $50, which is easy to do if you're upgrading your PC. If you do that, Newegg will kick back 15 percent (up to $50) in the form of an electronic gift card, sent via email on December 1 to use up until the end of the year. This doesn't apply to preorders and gift cards, but is fair game for everything else (more fine print here).

The promotion is made even more tantalizing if you pair it with a discounted item. We've rounded up a few:

Alienware AW2518HF Monitor | 240Hz | $289.99
This is a fast 1080p gaming monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and FreeSync support. Use promo code code EMCSEPEW2 to knock the price down to $289.99. By our math, Newegg's 15 percent cash back offer should result in a $43.49 gift card. It's a double score! $289.99, Newegg

EVGA SuperNova 1000 G1+ | Modular | $89.99
You might not need a 1,000W power supply, though at this price, it's a relatively affordable buy. It's fully modular model, is 80+ Gold certified, and comes with a power-on tester. Icing on the cake is the lengthy 10-year warranty, or 12 years if you register with EVGA. Plus you get $13.49 cash back. $89.99, Newegg

Samsung 860 Evo 500GB SSD | 2.5-inch SATA | $87.99
Solid state drives keep dropping in price, and there's really never been a better time to shop for one. This Samsung 860 Evo 500GB is fast for a SATA drive, and will give you some breathing room compared to a 256GB or even 128GB SSD. Cash back should be $13.19 on this one. $87.99, Newegg

EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 | Free 600W PSU | $239.99
Talk about piling it on—this deal combines an EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB graphics card with a free 600W power supply bundled in, and sweetens the offer with a $20 mail-in-rebate. After rebate, you're looking at $239.99. Assuming the cash back is pre-rebate, you should get $38.99 back. $259.99, Newegg

Several Galaxy Tab Active 2 models running Android Oreo have been recently spotted at Wi-Fi Alliance, which suggests the update can't be far now. The following variants are expected to receive the update: SM-T390, SM-T395, SM-T395N, and SM-T395C.

It's unclear if Samsung will further provide major OS updates to the Galaxy Tab Active 2, but it should since the tablet hasn't been on the market for a long time. The South Korean company hasn't even offered Android Pie updates for many of its flagships, so it's too early to assume anything at the moment.

Nvidia's embargo on performance numbers for the GeForce RTX 2070 is now in the rear view mirror, and there are plenty of reviews to help you decide if this is the right graphics card for you. If you decide it is—which also means betting on real-time ray tracing and DLSS performance being acceptable with supported games arrive—then the next step is figuring out which specific SKU to buy, and where you can find the best deal. Well, we're here to help.

You could always head to Nvidia's website and buy a Founders Edition for $599. As with the other GeForce RTX cards, the Founders Edition is a better proposition this round. Gone is the blower-style cooler, replaced by a more custom-oriented solution, and the boost clock is overclocked to boot (1,710MHz, up from 1,620MHz).

That's far from the only option, though. Nvidia's hardware partners have come out of the gate with custom variants of their own, including models both big and small. Some of them revert to the old blower-style cooler that Nvidia dumped for this round, if that's what you prefer. The vast majority use burlier coolers, some with as many as three fans.

Most cards are only available for pre-order right now—there are a bunch on Newegg, for example—but we'll update this post as more become available:

Another route is to buy a pre-built gaming PC with a GeForce RTX 2070 inside. AVADirect, CyberPowerPC, Origin PC, and Xidax PC all have GeForce RTX 2070 options.

If you have a high-end Nvidia graphics card, this is the gaming monitor for you—the Alienware AW3418DW curved ultrawide display is $859.99 from Newegg's eBay Store. That's $490 off the original MSRP, and $119 lower than the current Amazon price.

This is a 34-inch ultrawide (21:9) IPS display, with a resolution of 3440 x 1440, a contrast ratio of 1000:1, and a response time of 4ms. It can run at up to 120Hz with Nvidia G-Sync, so this is only worth the money if you have a GTX/RTX graphics card.

Dell Alienware AW3418DW | $859.99 ($119 off)
This high-end ultrawide monitor has a 21:9 aspect ratio, a resolution of 3440 x 1440, and 120Hz G-Sync. Buy at eBay.

Nvidia's hardware partners have started updating their product pages with custom GeForce RTX 2070 models, some of which sport big and burly cooling solutions. That includes Zotac, though it also revealed two 'Mini' variants that are shorter than Nvidia's reference and Founders Edition graphics cards.

Both of those measure 9 inches (228.6mm) long and 4.435 inches (112.6mm) high, whereas Zotac's GeForce RTX 2070 Mini cards are cut short at 8.3 inches (211 mm). They do stand slightly taller, however, at 5.08 inches (129 mm).

Zotac is offering two different Mini models, the GeForce RTX 2070 Mini (ZT-T20700E-10P) and GeForce RTX 2070 OC Mini (ZT-T20700F-10P). The latter bumps the boost clock to 1,650MHz, up from the former's 1,620MHz boost clock (reference), though it's still 60MHz shy of a Founders Edition card. You might be able to make up the difference through manual overclocking, but as always, your mileage may vary.

These cards are designed for cases where space is at a premium. Some small form factor (SFF) builds just don't have the room for a full-size graphics card, at least not comfortably. If you're considering one of these, be sure to check your case's dimensions, as the Mini models are still not as short as some previous generation single-fan models. For example, Zotac's GeForce GTX 1060 Mini measures 6.85 inches (174mm) long.

The extra length found on the 2070 variants allowed Zotac to squeeze a pair of cooling fans onto the heatsink: 100mm and 90mm. These are independently controlled, a feature Zotac calls Active Fan Control, to reduce overall fan noise. We're not sure how much that matters with just two fans sitting so closely to each other, as opposed to Zotac's longer cards with three cooling fans.

There's no word yet on price or availability. For reference, Zotac's other GeForce RTX 2070 models run $499.99 to $659.99 on Newegg, depending on the specific SKU.

Now is the time to start mentally preparing for upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, and we've put together a guide that explains what to expect and where to find the best bargains. Looking to get a head start on things, Monoprice is having a Black Friday 'mini sale' with discounts on 28-inch and 32-inch monitors, speakers, and a few other items.

We're not familiar with the quality of Monoprice's own brand monitors, so there's a leap of faith here. That said, Monoprice is well known for selling affordable, high quality cables, and has built a reputation for itself in A/V circles.

Monoprice's discounted monitors offer some robust features for the money, including HDR and FreeSync support, and are offered in 4K and 1440p resolutions (depending on the model). The brightness levels are low for proper HDR, but even without it, these are good prices compared to what's on the market.

Monoprice 28-inch 4K Monitor | HDR, FreeSync | $219.99
This 28-inch monitor has a 4K resolution at 60Hz. It also supports AMD's FreeSync technology and HDR, albeit the brightness is only rated at 300 nits. Still, this is pretty affordable for a 28-inch 4K display. $219.99, Monoprice

Monoprice 32-inch 4K Monitor | HDR, FreeSync | $374.99
If you're looking for something bigger, this 32-inch model offers the same 4K resolution, HDR, and FreeSync support as the above model, but with a lower 250 nits brightness rating. However, it trades a TN pane for an IPS screen. $374, Monoprice

Monoprice 32-inch QHD Monitor | HDR, FreeSync | $249.99
This 32-inch monitor uses a VA panel with a 2560x1440 resolution. Like the others, it supports HDR (300 nits brightness) and FreeSync.

Cooler Master is collaborating with Mark's Fabrications to offer an "ultra-limited" run of the C700P Carbon, a carbon fiber version of the regular C700P—one of the best PC cases you can buy—and oh boy is it expensive—as in, $999 expensive.

It's a good thing Cooler Master didn't tack on an extra buck, because at $1,000, we'd have serious reservations about plunking down that kind of cash for a case. We kid, of course, but the reason of the premium price tag is two-fold.

For one, it's a specially designed version of the regular C700P by Mark's Fabrications. Mark's Fabrications originally modified the C700P for the 2018 Case Mod World Series, in which it ended up winning second place. Unlike the original version, this modded variant sports custom carbon fiber rails, along with two kinds of carbon fiber (twill weave and wasp) on the front panel, and a carbon fiber rear.

"The C700P Carbon expresses luxury and confidence by embracing the contours of the iconic design of Cosmos with the meticulous use of carbon fiber accent on the defining lines of the original C700P," Cooler Master explains.

That's some real fancy talk, though it's not the only reason this case cost more than a surgical tooth extraction, or in some instances a used car. The other reason is the limited edition factor. Cooler Master isn't messing around in that regard—there are only five of these in the world.

Outside of the carbon fiber elements and limited run, the C700P Carbon offers the same features as the regular C700P. Priced at $299.99, it almost seems like a bargain.

We don't know if there's a need to hurry, but if you're interested in being one of the five to own this case, head over to Cooler Master's web store and claim your case.

The 8GB version of the Radeon RX 580 graphics card currently goes for $230-250, with occasional price drops. The Gigabyte RX 580 was just $210 on Amazon last month, but if you missed out on that, here's another opportunity. The same model is now $239.99 on Newegg, but it drops to $219.99 when you use the $20 mail-in rebate. It also comes with three free games: Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Strange Brigade, and Star Control Origins.

This specific card has 8GB of GDDR5 memory, a core clock of 1355MHz (in OC mode), and Gigabyte's custom Windforce 2X cooling system. For display outputs, you get one dual-link DVI-D, one HDMI, and three DisplayPort.

This Gigabyte RX 580 is just $219.99 after you use the mail-in rebate. It also comes with free copies of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Strange Brigade, and Star Control Origins. Buy at Newegg (Posted: 10/17)

Ordinarily, this is where we’d segue into a discussion of review benchmarks and test hardware, but our test chips were delayed in a shipping mistake. Absent a direct review, let’s take a look at what Intel is delivering with these new cores, and talk about what we expect to see when we benchmark them in the near future.

Intel has announced a wider range of Core i9 parts, but it isn’t launching all of them today. Its 12-core CPU will follow in August, with 14, 16, and 18-core variants released in October of this year. The chart above shows the chips that Intel is taking pre-orders on today and will begin shipping on June 26.

The Kaby Lake-derived CPUs like the Core i5-7640X and Core i7-7740X are traditional Kaby Lake chips with the same cache hierarchy that we’ve seen in previous designs. The Skylake X chips, in contrast, will field a 1MB L2, up from 256KB on current-generation processors. We look forward to examining the impact on performance — presumably Intel saw significant gains from moving to this kind of structure, though we could see some performance shifts in workloads with large data sets that benefited from the large L3 cache previously Skylake-X chips fielded.

Intel’s Skylake-X platform is debuting at an interesting time for the industry, and we look forward to taking the new chips head-to-head against AMD’s Ryzen platform. AMD has done a very good job with Ryzen 7 when it comes to seizing an aggressive price/performance ratio, but Ryzen 7 is still beaten in raw performance by Intel’s highest core-count Broadwell-E microprocessors. Skylake-X is intended to widen that gap even more, but then AMD has its own Threadripper architecture coming in the next few months as well.

It’s going to be interesting to see how AMD and Intel’s new approaches to high core count CPUs scale differently, and how they both scale against the older (but still quite powerful) Broadwell-E.