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GAMING FEATURE

PC GAMING continued

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PC GAMING ON THE GO If your idea of PC gaming is having the same freedom as that enjoyed by Nintendo Switch players, then great news – you can! Asus’s ROG Ally is a full-powered Windows 11 machine capable of taking all the latest in PC gaming anywhere that you go, including your Xbox Game Pass and Steam libraries. Words: Amy Flower

What do you mean “response time”?

At its heart, the ROG Ally rocks an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU (that’s a CPU and GPU hybrid). Memory-wise, there’s 16GB of DDR5 RAM alongside a 512GB SSD drive, and if that’s not enough storage, you can always insert a MicroSD card as expansion. Screen-wise, we’re talking a seven-inch, 1080p touchscreen, that can run at up to 120Mhz and delivers 500 nits of brightness, as well as Dolby Vision where supported, and boasts a perky 7ms response time. The controls, including two thumbsticks (with programmable RBG lighting) and a D-pad, are formatted in asynchronous Xbox style. As well as the classic A-B X-Y and four shoulder buttons, there are two programmable paddles on the Ally’s rear. Pairs of further buttons flank each side of the screen. If these impressive specs aren’t enough, the ROG Ally also weighs in at just 608 grams. As a

comparison, a Nintendo Switch with Joy-Cons attached weighs around 400 grams. The really impressive stuff starts when you get playing - this is one seriously powerful portable gaming unit. When pausing from the heat of battle, it’s also a good time to note the lack of heat from the unit, with ROG’s dual

One of the most crucial things to check as you’re faced with a wall of specs when eyeing off a shiny new monitor for your PC gaming rig is its response time. This is basically the amount of time that it takes for a pixel to change its colour, recorded in milliseconds. What this means with games is that you need the lowest response time possible, as higher ones will introduce lag – a slight delay between what you see, and your reaction being recorded – that can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Unlike the inbuilt speakers, which support Dolby Atmos and pump out impressively oomphy sound for a handheld. With PC specs more akin to a new-gen home console than other handhelds, customisation options aplenty, expandability, and the power of AMD’s latest chipset inside, the ROG Ally really is a game changer for those who wish to take their PC gaming on the road or into bed, or out in the backyard, or pretty much anywhere!

fan intelligent cooling keeping things chilled and whisper quiet.

ALL THE BETTER TO SEE YOU WITH! A crucial part of a desktop gaming setup is your monitor. You need to go for an option that’s speedy enough to keep up with your games, and then there are such considerations as size, screen ratio, flat or curved, and resolution (for example, you don’t need a 4K screen if your PC doesn’t output it). Even if you’re gaming on a laptop, you may find that connecting to a monitor really enhances your play experience.

“Refresh rate”, eh?

Unlike response times, when it comes to refresh rates, the higher the number, the better. This refers to how many times per second the monitor can update an image, measured in hertz. So, if your monitor is rated at 120Hz, for example, it can display 120 images per second. While monitors can go up to 240 and even 360Hz, it's dependent upon the signal that your PC rig pumps out, and can also vary between games.

Samsung Odyssey G51C 27" QHD 165Hz Gaming Monitor A perfect allrounder size at 27 inches (diagonally), you’re covered for resolutions less than 4K, with support for up to a nippy 165Hz refresh rate. Add a tiny 1ms response time, HDR10

LG 45" UltraGear OLED WQHD 240Hz Gaming Monitor Big and bold, LG deliver with this beautiful behemoth. At 45-inches, it delivers WQHD resolution of 3440x1440 pixels, supports refresh rates up to 240Hz, and a minuscule 0.03ms refresh rate. AMD FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA G-SYNC compatible, OLED is the ultimate screen tech out there, with pure blacks and incredible colour.

support, and AMD FreeSync Premium for a smoother gameplay experience and this one’s an affordable winner.

40 JULY 2023

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