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- Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 review: 4K gaming is here, at a price
- Facebook told to speed up changes or face 'sanctions'
- Amazon event brings new Alexa hardware at 1:00 PM ET
| Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 review: 4K gaming is here, at a price Posted: 19 Sep 2018 06:00 AM PDT :format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61459993/setienne_180914_2954_0061.0.jpg) Nvidia's next generation of graphics cards is finally here, and it comes with big promises. The RTX 2080 is supposed to be up to 75 percent faster than the GTX 1080 in certain games, and it's designed to finally deliver the ultimate goal of 4K gaming at 60 fps. Aside from the usual architectural improvements, this time around Nvidia is also using some new tricks to make its bold claims a reality. The new RTX 2070 (starting at $499), RTX 2080 (starting at $699), and RTX 2080 Ti (starting at $999) are all powered by the company's Turing architecture, and designed to offer more power and prettier cinematic effects in games. That extra power comes at a cost. Nvidia's price premium for its Founders Edition cards, which have a three-year warranty and are overclocked by default, pushes the RTX 2080 Ti up to an eye-watering $1,199. Smartphones made the $1,000 jump last year thanks to new tech, and it's now your graphics card's turn to hit your wallet. So what do you get for your money? Nvidia's new cards include support for both real-time ray tracing and AI-powered anti-aliasing. Ray tracing is the big new capability with this generation, and it's used to generate real-time light reflections and cinematic effects in games. But before you even get a game installed on your PC, Nvidia's Deep Learning Super-Sampling (DLSS) leverages the company's supercomputer farms to scan games before they are released and work out the most efficient way to render graphics. That's all according to Nvidia, at least, because we haven't been able to fully test ray tracing or DLSS with the RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 Ti units we've been reviewing over the past week. Until Microsoft delivers its Windows 10 October 2018 Update, none of Nvidia's fancy new tech will be available for regular games. Nvidia assures us it won't be long before 25 games will support DLSS, and at least 11 will have ray tracing in the coming months. But along with discrete new features, these new graphics cards come with a lot of added horsepower, so we've been testing the RTX 2080 with 1440p and 4K G-Sync monitors to see if these new cards can deliver on Nvidia's performance promises. 8 Verge Score /cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13109951/setienne_180914_2954_0029.jpg) Good Stuff
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7.5 Verge Score /cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13109957/setienne_180914_2954_0085.jpg) Good Stuff
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HardwareBefore we look at performance, there are a few things about the actual hardware you need to know. Nvidia has redesigned these RTX cards in many ways, but perhaps the biggest is how they're cooled. Nvidia has ditched the metal shield and blower combination that has served it well in the past in favor of a new dual-fan setup for its Founders Edition cards that's closer to what most third-party card makers already utilize. There's also now a full-length vapor chamber that helps make the cards run quieter and cooler. I'm obsessed with having as quiet a PC as I can possibly get, and I use a case that has sound-damping panels so I don't hear any fans whirring away. For the past year, I've been using an EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 with dual fans, so I wasn't expecting a massive difference with Nvidia's new design. But I've been genuinely impressed: the gentle hum of the RTX 2080 is so subtle that when I eventually switched back to my regular GTX 1080, I thought someone had hidden a hair dryer in the case. All of this new power and more efficient cooling isn't free. Nvidia is recommending that your system has at least a 650W power supply if you want to run either the RTX 2080 or RTX 2080 Ti properly. If you're purchasing the Founders Edition cards, they'll draw up to 225 watts and 260 watts, respectively. That's a significant step up from the recommended 500W power supply (and 180W draw) of the GTX 1080, and it means you'll need a 6-pin and 8-pin connector for the RTX 2080 or two 8-pins for the RTX 2080 Ti. I was also alarmed to see the RTX 2080 Ti drawing 45 watts of power when idle during my testing, but Nvidia tells me a driver update will address this issue shortly and bring idle consumption down to between 10 watts and 15 watts. Other than the fan design, Nvidia has also included three DisplayPort 1.4a outputs that can handle up to 8K resolution on a single cable with DSC 1.2. There's also an HDMI 2.0b connector and a VirtualLink USB-C connector for the next generation of VR headsets. 1440p testingTo see how these new cards perform with a typical 2018 gaming setup, we've been testing both the Nvidia RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 Ti with a 27-inch Asus ROG Swift PG279Q monitor and a slew of demanding AAA titles. This monitor has 1440p resolution and up to 165Hz refresh rates with G-Sync, so it's a great match for these new cards. Our performance testing was done with PUBG, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Destiny 2: Forsaken, Far Cry 5, Nvidia's Star Wars DLSS demo, and Epic Games' Infiltrator DLSS demo. Shadow of the Tomb Raider is one of the latest DirectX 12 games, and it showed the biggest performance gains during our tests. While Tomb Raider was only able to average around 39 fps with all the settings maxed out on my GTX 1080, the RTX 2080 was able to hit an average of 54 fps (an increase of 38 percent). That's still not quite good enough for perfect 1440p gaming at max settings, but the beefier RTX 2080 Ti was able to push an average of 71 fps on the same settings. Far Cry 5 is less demanding than Tomb Raider, and it runs a lot better at max settings, averaging around 81 fps on my GTX 1080 and 96 fps on the RTX 2080. The RTX 2080 Ti pushes this to 113 fps, which is a nice sweet spot for the high-refresh capabilities of this monitor. PUBG also performs far better on the RTX 2080 Ti, averaging around 125 fps compared to the 80 fps I'm used to from the GTX 1080. Nvidia RTX 2080 benchmarks (1440p)
If you're planning to game at 1440p and don't intend to upgrade to 4K anytime soon, the RTX 2080 hits the right balance of price and performance. While the 2080 Ti certainly offers a lot more headroom for upcoming games like Battlefield V, the RTX 2080 is more than capable of running modern titles at this resolution. While we aren't yet able to test ray tracing (Shadow of the Tomb Raider is expected to be one of the first games updated with it), Epic Games has created an Infiltrator demo that tests the Unreal Engine 4's rendering engine with Nvidia's new DLSS capabilities. Although it's just a demo, the results looked promising. The RTX 2080 averaged 103 fps with DLSS enabled versus non-DLSS rendering at 65 fps average on the GTX 1080. That's more than a 50 percent performance improvement, and close to Nvidia's performance claims for the RTX 2080. If similar improvements can be applied to existing and upcoming games, then the RTX 2080 will be an even more comfortable option for 1440p. :format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13109967/setienne_180914_2954_0103.jpg) 4K, the futureGaming at 1440p may be the standard for today, but it won't be long before everyone will be looking to game at 4K resolutions. So to see what these new cards are capable of with the next generation of gaming, we also tested these same games using the Acer Predator X27 monitor, a $2,000 display that has 4K, HDR, G-Sync, and a 144Hz refresh rate. Your eyes aren't fooling you; the monitor does, in fact, cost more than the GPU and as much as a complete PC gaming rig. To answer the obvious question right away, neither RTX graphics card can play graphically intensive 4K games at a full 144 frames per second. None of the games we tested were able to hit an average or peak fps value near the native refresh rate of the Acer X27 monitor; the technology just isn't there yet. The RTX 2080 had a difficult time reaching 60 fps at 4K resolution while playing Destiny 2 (avg. 50 fps), Far Cry 5 (avg. 56 fps), Shadow of the Tomb Raider (avg. 28 fps), and even good old PUBG (avg. 54 fps). If you're looking to play games in 4K — which also requires investing heavily into a capable monitor like this one — then you'll also have to account for buying the RTX 2080 Ti, not the RTX 2080 because it just won't cut it. Nvidia RTX 2080 benchmarks (4K)
The RTX 2080 Ti is much better suited for 4K PC gaming. Playing the same titles, the 2080 Ti reached an average of 84 fps in Destiny 2's crucible mode, 71 fps in Far Cry 5, and 90 fps playing PUBG (or a stable 60 fps if locked). Meanwhile, Shadow of the Tomb Raider still proved to be a challenge, and the 2080 Ti didn't fare much better than the 2080, averaging only 35 fps at maxed settings. The forthcoming ray-tracing update for Tomb Raider could make a difference here, but until it's out, we can't say for sure. In the Infiltrator demo, which has DLSS turned on, the 2080 Ti peaked at 81 fps before hovering around 75 for most of the demo, whereas the 2080 peaked at 55 fps, dropping to 43 fps during busy scenes. Big promises, but we'll have to wait and seeBased on our testing, Nvidia's big promise of 4K gaming at 60 fps with the RTX 2080 is one that simply doesn't hold up right now. If you're willing to compromise on detail settings, then it can work, and some older titles will be able to manage to hit this milestone. But if you're buying the 2080, you should plan to stick to 1440p or lower resolutions. That's something you can already do with existing cards, but the 2080 gives you a lot more headroom for better settings today and more challenging games in the future. Our brief tests of the DLSS demo showed potential for some of the performance gains it could bring, but you shouldn't spend cash on a card and hope it will get better in time. Ray tracing is the headline-grabbing feature, and it sounds great, but the practical benefits remain unknown outside of snazzy demos. Plenty of games will likely support it in the future, but the real test will be whether the next generation of consoles will offer support. Game developers are increasingly creating titles that are designed to scale across a variety of hardware. Console adoption would certainly spur PC adoption too. If there is any company that can push ray tracing, it's Nvidia, but it will still be a challenge. The Turing architecture has some genuinely impressive changes, and Nvidia still has very little competition from AMD in this range of high-end graphics cards. If you're considering a high-end graphics card right now, you'll probably be looking exclusively at something from Nvidia, so the company is just competing with itself until AMD catches up. The RTX 2080 general performance is impressive, and the jump from the GTX 1080 is noticeable and worth the investment, especially for demanding games. But the only viable option for 4K gaming is the RTX 2080 Ti, and Nvidia's Founders Edition will run you $1,199. That's a serious investment for 4K gaming, and that's before you even get to the $2,000 you currently need to spend to get a 4K monitor with 144Hz refresh rates. So yes, 4K / 60 fps gaming is here with the RTX line of graphics cards, but you're going to have to pay a high premium to obtain it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Facebook told to speed up changes or face 'sanctions' Posted: 20 Sep 2018 04:30 AM PDT  Facebook has been given a deadline to provide more information about what is done with users' data, or it will face sanctions from the European Commission. Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova said the firm had not acted quickly enough after being told to update its terms of service in February. She said her "patience" had run out and threatened to apply penalties. Facebook, which has to act by 31 December, said it had made some changes and would continue to co-operate. Consumer action"If we don't see progress, the sanctions will come," Ms Jourova told a news conference. "This is quite clear. We cannot negotiate for ever, we need to see the results." Both Facebook and Airbnb were initially called on in February by the Commission to ensure their terms of service complied with European regulations. It told them to improve communication with users, so they have full knowledge of what is done with information gathered about them. In addition, the Commission told Airbnb to let people know about the total prices of bookings and extra fees and ensure consumers get enough information about hosts. Since the call to improve was repeated in July, Airbnb had made the "necessary changes to ensure full transparency", said Ms Jourova. But this willingness to change had not been matched by Facebook. By contrast, she said, the social network had only made "very limited progress". Ms Jourova was irked by Facebook characterising its data and content gathering practices as a way to improve the overall user "experience", but the company did not highlight the fact that this information was traded to third parties. Ms Jourova said: "If the changes are not fully implemented by the end of the year, I call on consumer authorities to act swiftly and sanction the company," she said. In response, Facebook said it updated its terms of service in May to include the "vast majority" of changes proposed by the Commission at that point. "Our terms are now much clearer on what is and what isn't allowed on Facebook and on the options people have," it said in a statement. It said it was "grateful" for the continuing feedback from the Commission and added it would "continue our close co-operation to understand any further concerns and make appropriate updates". | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amazon event brings new Alexa hardware at 1:00 PM ET Posted: 20 Sep 2018 07:12 AM PDT  It's 6 a.m. here in Seattle, and we're a couple of hours away from a previously unannounced event at Amazon HQ. The agenda for the day? "We will debut some new features and products related to the Amazon devices business," reads the invitation in my inbox. I'll be liveblogging the event with my CNET News colleague Ben Fox Rubin and trusty photo/video ninja Tyler Lizenby. Surprise! Follow Amazon's event live as it happens with the CNET Live BlogWell, the predictable kind of surprise, at least. Last September, Amazon unveiled its second-gen Echo smart speaker along with a gaggle of other new Alexa gadgets, including the Echo Spot touchscreen alarm clock and the Echo Plus smart-home hub, as well as the Alexa-equipped Fire TV Cube. The September before that saw the arrival of the second-gen Echo Dot.  Watch this: Amazon may bring Alexa to high-end audio 2:01 Less predictable is what, exactly, we should expect to see today, because it sounds like we might see a lot. CNBC already reports that Amazon has as many as eight new Alexa gadgets planned for release this year -- everything from an Echo subwoofer to an Alexa microwave (that "Echo Sub" briefly popped up on the Amazon UK website, as well, along with an Alexa smart plug for good measure). On top of that, we've seen leaked images of a third-gen, fabric-bodied Echo Dot that Amazon is reportedly cooking up, too. Will all of these rumored devices make their debut? I'm guessing that at least a couple aren't past the prototype stage yet, but then again, Amazon has made a recent habit of throwing multiple ideas at the wall at once to see what sticks. Anything is possible when you're a trillion-dollar company, I suppose. One prediction: Today's event will try to shore up some of Alexa's potential vulnerabilities in what has quickly become one of tech's hottest categories. Amazon has to be at least slightly concerned with Google's growing presence in the rear-view mirror after the search giant overtook Amazon in smart speaker sales during the first quarter of the year. The momentum hasn't slowed since, with new Google Assistant-powered touchscreen devices such as the Lenovo Smart Display and the JBL Link View proving more compelling than Alexa's touchscreen-equipped Echo Show ever has. More of those are on the way, including the LG Smart Display and perhaps even a first-party Google smart display, each of which could challenge the Echo lineup on the sound quality front, just as the king-sized Google Home Max and sweet-spot-hitting Sonos One already have. Meanwhile, Apple has skin in the smart speaker game thanks to the HomePod, and Samsung's voice assistant Bixby wants to muscle its way into the market, too. With so much new competition coming for Alexa's crown, it certainly wouldn't be the worst time for Amazon to play some defense with a shiny new crop of Echo devices just in time for the holidays. Whatever Amazon has planned, we'll be there in the room to share it with you in just a few hours. For now, here's a quick rundown of what we might see outside of those other rumors. Recent leaks suggest that Amazon might be working on a new design for the Echo Dot. Numerama/FrAndroidEcho Dot 3.0?At $50, the second-gen Echo Dot is Amazon's bestselling Alexa gadget, and that makes it the most important piece of the Alexa lineup. But last year, the full-size, second-gen Echo ditched the black and white plastic in favor of a fabric-bodied build that's more in line with the Google Home and Home Mini smart speakers -- that left the Echo Dot feeling a bit dated by comparison. That's one reason why I think the recent leak suggesting that Amazon is working on a third-gen, fabric-bodied Dot is probably legit. Those leaks also suggest that the new Dot would offer improved sound quality, which would help it better compete with the likable Home Mini. My question: If a new Echo Dot really is coming soon, can Amazon get the cost down any lower than $50? Chance we see it today: 85 percent Without new hardware or significant tweaks to the operating system, the Echo Show (right) could struggle to keep up with shiny, new Google Assistant-powered touchscreen displays from names like Lenovo. Chris Monroe/CNETA new-and-improved Echo Show?Let's face facts: The touchscreen-equipped Echo Show wasn't the home run Amazon probably hoped it would be. The most expensive Alexa gadget Amazon's ever released, the Show was positioned as the Alexa lineup's showstopper, and interest in the device seemed high as preorders came piling in. But the visual interface felt underwhelming (and still does), and squabbles with Google over YouTube support limited a lot of its initial appeal, too. A little over a year later, you'll regularly find the Echo Show marked down by 50 percent or more, something we haven't seen with any of Amazon's other Alexa gadgets. Is Amazon cleaning house ahead of an update? I'd give it slightly better than average odds, especially given what we've seen from compelling new Google Assistant-powered competitors such as the Lenovo Smart Display. If those prove popular and the smart display category takes off, then Amazon will want something compelling of its own capable of coming along for the ride. The first-gen Echo Show just doesn't feel like that device anymore, and there aren't any third-party Alexa touchscreens that fit the bill, either. That means that the timing is right for Show 2.0 -- or at the very least, some significant updates to the existing model's user interface. It wouldn't be the first time Amazon revamped an Alexa gadget in short order. The original Echo Dot debuted in March of 2016 -- the second-gen model arrived at half the cost just six months later and helped Amazon blunt the debut of the Google Home. Time will tell if Amazon has something similar in mind for the Echo Show today, but with Alexa's touchscreen a step or two behind the curve at this point, I'd say the odds are decent. Chance we see it today: 60 percent It feels early for a third-gen Amazon Echo, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility. Ian Knighton/CNETA new Echo, too?The second-gen Amazon Echo made its debut last September -- roughly three years after the introduction of the first Echo. If you think that makes for slim odds of seeing a third-gen Echo this morning, I'd say you're probably right. With the interchangeable fabric shells and all of Alexa's features on board, the Echo still feels current to what smart speaker shoppers are looking for -- and at $100, the price still feels more or less right, too. That said, I wouldn't rule it out altogether. If the third-gen Echo Dot leak mentioned earlier is accurate, then it looks like Amazon's made some tweaks to the overall Echo aesthetic. Releasing a new Echo with similar design tweaks could help keep things consistent (and keep the current Echo from feeling stale by comparison). I could also envision Amazon releasing an updated Echo with a new hardware trick or two to help stymie Google's momentum. The Echo Plus felt overpriced to me at $150, but its addition of a Zigbee radio for connecting with smart lights and smart locks without an extra hub is a nice feature. It would make plenty of sense in a third-gen Echo at that $100 price, particularly as Amazon shifts more of its focus to in-home delivery and smart home security. Other unique additions like a built-in motion sensor capable of turning the room's lights on automatically when you walk in could help keep the Echo ahead, too. Chance we see it today: 40 percent Amazon isn't making the battery-powered Tap Alexa speaker anymore -- could a new version be on the way? James Martin/CNETThe Tap strikes back?Announced along with the Echo Dot back in 2016, Amazon's portable, battery-powered Tap smart speaker never quite felt like a full-blooded member of Alexa's family of devices. (The fact that it's called the "Tap" and not "Echo Tap" certainly didn't help matters.) But even as something of an Alexa offshoot, it still held a fair deal of appeal for folks looking for flexibility from their smart speaker, and the ability to take it with them around the house, or outside even. The appeal of portability aside, Amazon is no longer making the Tap -- instead, it's selling off existing, refurbished stock. With lots of battery-powered competition from third-party Alexa gadgets not made by Amazon, as well as popular portability docks for the Echo Dot, Amazon might simply be sunsetting the speaker, but I also think there's a chance that a new version is on the way. Better battery life and sound quality, or even a waterproof design that can stand up to the weather or to your pool would be nice upgrades. And finally calling it the Echo Tap would give it the pedigree it deserves as one of Amazon's oldest Alexa gadgets. Chance we see it today: 10 percent Don't be surprised if Amazon, well, surprises us. Not that they were a huge hit or anything, but no one saw Echo Buttons coming. CNETOther potential surprisesAll projections aside, the odds are good that Amazon's event this morning will include at least a surprise or two (microwaves or otherwise). After all, remember Echo Buttons and the phone-replacing Echo Connect? Both debuted last September, and no one saw either one coming. I'm also curious to see whether Amazon has any new plans for the Ring Video Doorbell or the new Ring Alarm Security Kit, which still don't work with Alexa in spite of the fact that Amazon bought Ring this past February. I've also long wondered whether or not Amazon will ever release its own Amazon Basics-type line of low-cost smart bulbs and other smart-home gadgets designed specifically for Alexa, though such a move would certainly frustrate the third-party retailers Amazon's put so much effort into courting. With high-end, high-fidelity competition from the Apple HomePod and the Google Home Max challenging Alexa on the sound-quality front, could a better-sounding "Echo Max" be in the mix, too? Seems likely that that's precisely what the rumored Alexa subwoofer is all about. Beyond Alexa, there's also room for Amazon to introduce a new Fire TV streaming device, or perhaps an update to the Kindle or Fire tablet lineups. After all, Amazon's invitation to the event only promises "new features and products related to the Amazon devices business." Note that you don't see the words "Echo" or "Alexa" anywhere in there. Heck, we've even heard whispers that Amazon is interested in taking a second shot at the Fire phone -- though I'd peg the odds of seeing anything on that front today at less than 1 percent. Amazon doesn't comment on speculation about new products, but we won't have to wait much longer until they show us the goods. Stick with CNET for up-to-the-minute updates live from Amazon HQ, with our liveblog coverage beginning at 10:00 a.m. PT. Originally published Sept. 8. Amazon just accidentally revealed an Echo subwoofer and smart plug Amazon's new shopping experiment is Scout, and you can try it now CNET Smart Home |
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