The best motherboards for gaming on your PC

So you’re putting together a list of components for your desktop gaming behemoth — you know which GPU you want, which processor, how much RAM, and even which case you’re going to buy.

But when it comes time to pick a motherboard, which one do you go with? Do you go with something cheap in order to spend extra on the big-ticket items or do you pick something every bit as colorful and powerful as your LED bedazzled graphics card?

Despite its importance, the motherboard doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. To help you decide and break down just how much you should spend, these are the best motherboards for gaming on your PC.

Our pick

X299 Aorus Gaming 9

The X299 Aorus Gaming motherboard from Gigabyte will run you about $500, and it’s worth every penny — especially if you’re already investing in a spendy Intel Core i9 processor. Built to support Intel’s latest Skylake-X or Kaby Lake-X processors with an LGA 2066 socket, it’s a standard-sized ATX motherboard optimized for gaming with a few important tweaks. First up, it features eight RAM sockets, offering support for up to 128GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory. They also support up to 512GB of Registered DDR4 quad-channel memory.

Additionally, it features support for both Nvidia’s and AMD’s multi-GPU setups. That means you can run up to four Nvidia GeForce GTX graphics cards in SLI, or up to four AMD Radeon graphics cards in CrossFire mode. It also sports three M.2 ports, four PCIe expansion slots, and eight SATA 3 connections. Plus, and this is the most important part for a gaming motherboard, it features a robust lighting setup with tons of customization options to match any color scheme.

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Best mid-range

X399 Aorus Gaming 7

All right, admittedly $390 for the X399 Aorus Gaming 7 isn’t a huge step down from the $500 monster at the top of our list here, but it’s notable for a few reasons. First off, the X399 features support for AMD’s Threadripper series of CPUs, so you’re not only spending less on a motherboard, you’re also spending less by going with a slightly cheaper processor. AMD’s Threadripper 1920x starts at about $750 to the Intel Core i9’s starting price of $970.

Secondly, you’re getting the same eight RAM sockets as the Aorus Gaming 9, with support for up to 128GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory, or 512GB of Registered DDR4 quad-channel memory. It also features three M.2 ports, eight SATA 3 connections, four PCIe expansion slots, and perhaps most importantly, the same support for four AMD or Nvidia graphics cards to be used in CrossFire or SLI configurations.

Also, it features the same dazzling array of lighting options as its more expensive Intel cousin.

Newegg

Best budget gaming motherboard

Asus ROG Strix B350-F Gaming

The Asus ROG Strix B350-F Gaming motherboard supports AMD’s latest Ryzen processors with an AM4 socket, and a standard ATX form factor, it starts at just $120. It’s not the cheapest motherboard you’ll find out there, and it’s not even the cheapest gaming motherboard but it strikes an excellent balance between price and performance.

It’s also worth mentioning that by picking up the Strix B350-F, you’ll not only be saving money because of its relatively low price, but you’ll also be saving money by going with a quick and capable AMD Ryzen processor. Ryzen chips are, in our experience, perfectly suited for gaming on a budget — you get all the performance you need, without having to spend extra.

All right, so what’s it have going on under the hood? It features four RAM slots, and with a Ryzen processor, supports up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM. It also features three-way multi-GPU support with AMD’s CrossFire. For storage, it features one M.2 slot, two SATA ports, and two PCIe expansion ports.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a gaming motherboard without its most important feature: LEDs. LEDs everywhere. It’s not as robust a lighting setup as you’ll see on more expensive motherboards, but there’s enough there to make sure everyone knows your budget rig is still a purpose-built gaming machine.

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Editors’ Recommendations

• Time to upgrade your gaming PC? These are the best processors to choose from
• AMD is more than the Threadripper. Here are the best AMD CPUs on any budget
• These are the best processors for building a PC on any budget
• Leaked photo shows upcoming Intel/AMD module on a compact motherboard
• How to build a computer from scratch: A beginner’s guide

Bezelless as a buzzword needs to die [#acpodcast]

In this episode, Daniel Bader and Andrew Martonik talk about how well the Pixel 2 is holding up after a month of use. It offers a fantastic overall experience and great battery life at a comparatively reasonable price. They also discuss Huawei’s Mate 10 Pro. Daniel says it comes close to greatness, but the software is its Achilles’ heel.

Other topics include: Android 8.1 Developer Preview, the ‘Pixel Visual Core’ SoC, and Google Photo Books. Andrew and Daniel remind us that as good as smartphone cameras have become, their sharpness and resolution still does not truly equal a DSLR or mirrorless camera.

Show Notes and Links:

• Google Pixel 2 review: One month on

• With the Mate 10 Pro, Huawei comes close to greatness

• This year, I’m thankful there are no more bad phones

• When cheap phones can do everything, what happens to flagships?

• Android 8.1 Developer Preview released, enables Pixel Visual Core on Pixel 2

• The Pixel 2 camera’s secret weapon: A dedicated ‘Pixel Visual Core’ SoC

• How to enable the Pixel Visual Core for HDR+ in third-party apps on Android 8.1

• Google Photo Books

• Android Central Podcast April 28, 2017: Winning the Title II

Podcast MP3 URL: http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/androidcentral363.mp3

Apple’s macOS ‘root’ bug can be reopened by updating

After news broke of a devastating security flaw in its most recent version of macOS, Apple responded quickly by releasing a patch. Installing Security Update 2017-001 on either macOS 10.13 or 10.13.1 will resolve a problem that allowed anyone to login with admin access simply by typing the username “root” and leaving the password blank, but people have discovered there’s another wrinkle.

As Wired mentions, if someone is still on the initial release of High Sierra (10.13), and installs the patch, then later updates to 10.13.1, then the security flaw will return. It can be fixed by reinstalling the patch, but it’s important for users to know that the computers won’t restart itself, and it needs to be restarted before it will be secure. It’s hardly impossible, but it could leave people insecure even if they think they’ve installed patches the right way, and probably explains why (when they can) companies wait for more testing before rolling out a patch.

tl;dr: Mac owners, mash that update button — reboot, check again to make sure you have all the updates, and if they need to install then reboot your system again once they’re done. If you have any problems afterward with file sharing, then just take a look here for a fix.

Source: Wired

PSA: If You Upgrade to macOS High Sierra 10.13.1, You’ll Need to Reinstall Apple’s Root Security Fix

Mac owners who are still running macOS High Sierra 10.13 and who have already installed Apple’s root security fix on that version of the operating system will need to install it once again upon upgrading to macOS 10.13.1, reports Wired.

Security researchers running a patched version of the original macOS High Sierra update, 10.13.0, told Wired that the root bug was reintroduced upon installing the macOS 10.13.1 update. After updating, they needed to install Apple’s security patch again. Even that didn’t fix the issue until their machines were rebooted.

Those who had not yet upgraded their operating system from the original version of High Sierra, 10.13.0, to the most recent version, 10.13.1, but had downloaded the patch, say the “root” bug reappears when they install the most recent macOS system update.

And worse, two of those Mac users say they’ve also tried re-installing Apple’s security patch after that upgrade, only to find that the “root” problem still persists until they reboot their computer, with no warning that a reboot is necessary.

The root fix, released on Wednesday for macOS High Sierra 10.13.0 and 10.13.1, addresses a serious vulnerability that was first discovered a day earlier on Tuesday. The bug enabled the root superuser on a Mac with a blank password and no security check, letting anyone bypass the security of an admin account with the username “root” and no password.

While the security update successfully fixes the issue, it appears Apple may not have releases a modified and patched version of macOS 10.13.1, so customers who installed the update on 10.13 might think they’re protected upon updating to 10.13.1, but they’re not. Instead, the bug is fully re-introduced.

Apple may fix this problem now that the oversight has been pointed out, but in the meantime, customers upgrading from macOS High Sierra 10.13 to 10.13.1 should make sure to download the security update a second time and restart to be certain the root vulnerability is patched.

This won’t be an issue when the macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 update is released, as Apple patched the bug in the macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 beta that was released this morning.

Related Roundup: macOS High Sierra
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TouchArcade iOS Gaming Roundup: Reigns: Her Majesty, Cat Quest, Animal Crossing, and Mobile Esports

As we barrel towards the climax of the holiday season, the pace of things happening in the iOS gaming world becomes increasingly difficult to keep up with. Getting good positioning on the App Store over the holiday iTunes Connect freeze has resulted in unbelievable rewards for developers, so it seems like everyone and their brother targets these few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas to make as large of a splash as possible.

Fighting for top positioning in our most anticipated games list is the sequel to Reigns, Reigns: Her Majesty. It’s something I’ve mentioned here before, but we’ve finally got an early copy of the game and posted some first impressions. Basically, the game is exactly what we wanted: More Reigns with some fabulous quality of life improvements and additional variety added through a zodiac system, persistent items, and a bunch of other neat stuff.

Cat Quest is a cat-packed action RPG which we loved in our review. It’s a real-deal premium game that feels delightfully out of place in the current App Store which has largely been overrun by super simple free games. Cat Quest is getting way better with additional updates, the latest of which hit this week. It comes at a great time where a lot of people have beaten the game and provides way more replay value through New Game+ modes. Our favorite is the new “Mew Game” mode which features modifiers like not being able to equip armor, and a bunch of other wild variety.

Things are heating up in our two favorite digital CCG’s on the App Store: The Elder Scrolls: Legends and Hearthstone. Card games thrive on a constant cycle of new content, and these are no different. Elder Scrolls recently added a whole new card set titled Return to Clockwork City, which is based on the Clockwork City featured in The Elder Scrolls III Tribunal expansion. Meanwhile, in the world of Hearthstone, the dungeon crawling and treasure hunting expansion Kobolds & Catacombs is due out next week on December 7th. You have until then to buy the $49.99 pre-order pack to get 50 packs of cards and a fancy card back when the set launches.

While Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp has been available for a while now, Nintendo isn’t wasting any time when it comes to running events in the game. Currently, there’s a holiday event running where you can unlock all sorts of holiday-centric stuff for your camp and camper. Potentially more interesting than that is the impact Pocket Camp is having on Animal Crossing: New Leaf sales on the Nintendo 3DS. In Japan, New Leaf has seen a 214% boost in sales, perfectly illustrating that Nintendo’s strategy of bringing people into these core franchises on Nintendo hardware via giving them a taste on mobile is working quite well.

With the success of Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds on Steam, it’s not surprising to see the unbelievable amount of clones that have been hitting the App Store. What is surprising is the recent announcement that there’s an official PUBG coming to mobile, backed by Chinese megacorp Tencent. Things get stranger from there, as a few days later it was announced that Tencent is also releasing a second PUBG mobile game. Seems odd, but, it seems like everything Tencent touches turns to gold so, who knows.

Last, but not least, is two different mobile esports events happening this weekend. I’m actually writing this from London right now, as I’m in town to attend the Clash Royale World Championships this Sunday. Clash Royale is an absurdly massive game, and I’m really curious to see what it looks like to be played in a competitive setting. On the other side of the pond is Amazon’s Champions of Fire which is taking place this Saturday and Sunday in New York City (and tickets are free if you’re local). Champions of Fire is in its second year, and features a variety of different casual games being played by popular YouTubers and streamers. Both are being streamed on Twitch, so click the above links for all those details.

Those seem to be some of the biggest stories of the week, cherry picking from a massive amount of new games and other associated mobile gaming news. If these are the things you’re into, be sure to visit TouchArcade!

Tag: TouchArcade gaming roundup
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Netflix picks up ‘Riverdale’ spin-off based on Sabrina Spellman

The CW show Riverdale has been a surprise hit, modernizing the soda pop Archie comics of yore with ’90s WB melodrama and a topical murder mystery. So it’s no surprise that CW was looking for other shows to spin off from the same comics universe. One, based on the character Sabrina Spellman (of The Teenage Witch fame), was in development at the network in September. Instead, the show is coming to Netflix, which signed a 20-episode two-season deal for the show.

Unlike the cheery ’90s ABC show starring Melissa Joan Hart, Netflix’s as-yet-unannounced series will likely be based on the darker current comic book, Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina. But as Deadline points out, moving to the streaming titan means the new show won’t be able to cross over with Riverdale, as the CW has done with its DC superhero series to create a connected universe. But at least the new Sabrina project will probably have the same magic: The Riverdale creative team is coming over, with the writer and director of that show’s pilot repeating it for Netflix’s new series.

Source: Deadline

Hundreds of drones will fly like birds above Miami Beach at Art Basel

Earlier in 2017, Lady Gaga’s drone-backed Super Bowl halftime show left audiences in awe, many of them marveling at the state of the technology and wondering where the future was headed. But while Gaga’s aerial performance was a first in the public’s eye, it was clear it wouldn’t be the last. Drones are entertaining, and they are here to stay.

Now, Dutch artists Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta, who head the Amsterdam-based Studio Drift, have teamed up with BMW to bring a drone-based performance piece to Miami Beach during Art Basel, one of the world’s premier art fairs. Called Franchise Freedom, the airborne sculpture will consist of hundreds of illuminated drones in what will be one of the largest demonstrations of its kind.

As good art tends to do, Franchise Freedom is meant to ask questions, rather than provide a mere spectacle for bougie beachgoers. Gordijn and Nauta wonder whether freedom and individuality can exist in our age of technology and hyper-connectivity. And they arrived at this question by observing the natural world.

“Our fascination started with the starlings and the beauty of their swarm behavior and then the questions that came up,” the artists told Digital Trends. “Why are these birds behaving like this, what is driving them? We see birds as a symbol for freedom, but while spending more time looking at these swarms of starlings, we started wondering if they are really free. Each bird will have to react to the movements of all their neighbors instantly, to function within the swarm. At the same time, every individual is trying to get to the middle of the group.”

The drone performance is designed to imitate these starlings in flight and, if all goes as planned, it’s sure to stand out from other pieces at the fair, not least because its staged in the sky.

But what will make Franchise Freedom stand out from other drone performances like Gaga’s, which featured drones flying in a programmed formation? It’s all in the algorithm.

“Our drones fly with autonomous behavior, like a swarm of starlings will do,” the artists said. “Every show is unique, as our murmuration algorithm creates a different flight path for our individual drones. It is the first time that a natural phenomenon will be imitated by machines working with decentralized algorithms at this scale.”

The performance is set to take place in the skies over Miami Beach on December 6 at 9 p.m.

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Between brain-controlled VR and karaoke, HTC has wild plans for the Vive

Given how many competing products and startups there are in the space, it’s easy to forget that we’re still in a relatively early stage with virtual reality technology. But companies are now starting to truly invest in the wealth of applications and industries that will be revolutionized by VR.

The latest example? HTC Vive, which this week announced that its Vive X accelerator program is investing in 26 new companies, all with different ideas and approaches to building and advancing the global VR ecosystem.

These companies include innovative startups like Neurable, which is developing brain-computer interfaces for VR control — with the goal of making “mind-controlled” virtual reality a, ahem, real reality, using the latest machine-learning technology to interpret electroencephalography (EEG) signals.

“Neurable is a brain-computer interface company with propriety machine learning technology that allows people to interact — click, type and manipulate — in the real and virtual world using brain activity in real-time with unparalleled speed and accuracy,” a spokesperson for the company told Digital Trends. “Our first product is an EEG brain recording strap for the HTC Vive that leverages our software developer kit, and allows developers to start creating next-generation brain-based applications.”

Another startup receiving investment is the intriguing-sounding eLoupes, focused on providing a real-time surgical imaging system for the operating room. Combining light-field rendering and head-mounted displays, the hope is that hospitals can incorporate HTC Vive VR into their workflow in a way that both saves costs and improves patient outcomes.

We won’t list all of the startups in the accelerator here, but they seemingly cover everything from tools to allow fashion designers to create and test clothes in VR to (as a personal favorite of ours) a VR karaoke experience.

“We look for companies that would typically be considered to be too advanced for accelerators,” Marc Metis, vice president of HTC Vive, told us. “The reason we can attract such talent and technology is the value we add, as well as our open and agnostic approach. Vive X can leverage resources and expertise in many areas of the overall Vive business — including hardware, software, and services, and do this globally.”

Watch this space in 2018! It seems that some exciting innovations are coming down the track.

Editors’ Recommendations

• VR simulation lets you visit the Berlin Wall – before it fell
• In its Oregon skunkworks, Intel is plotting to turn your laptop into a VR rig
• Intel cancels Project Alloy wireless VR headset, but is still investing in AR/VR
• The best VR headset you can buy
• A Facebook news feed in VR could help make the technology mainstream

How long do appliances last? It depends on the type and the brand

Whether you’re buying a home or just thinking about replacing an appliance, it’s always smart to know how long that expensive piece of equipment will keep running before the chances of a break down skyrocket. How long do appliances last? Here’s some helpful information.

As a general rule, times are changing when it comes to today’s more complex appliances – meaning that they don’t last as long as they used to. Scott Garrett, an appliance technician in Connecticut, told The Hartford Courant that you can expect most to go strong for a decade.

“What I like to see is 10 years,” Garrett said. “But that isn’t every appliance, not every time. I’m seeing some last three to four years depending on what it is, what brand it is; some brands last longer than others. The life expectancy isn’t there anymore.”

Note: more expensive does not necessarily equal longer lasting. You may pay a lot more for bells and whistles that don’t change the durability of your appliance, and in some cases make it even more fragile. Read reviews thoroughly before getting dazzled by technology. And remember, nothing improves the life of your washing machine, fridge, or dishwasher like regular maintenance and cleaning.

Dishwashers: 9 to 13 years

The average dishwasher lasts for about nine years, but can make it 10 to 13 years with proper maintenance. In this case, “proper maintenance” means running the dishwasher regularly and cleaning out the filter whenever it gets dirty. When dishwashers break down, it’s frequently because of a worn-out seal or gasket, which causes further internal problems. Regular operation helps keeps these rubberized parts happier.

Dishwashers in particular have little relation between price and durability. Sometimes the more electronics and components you add, the more things can break down. For the most durable dishwasher, look for those with high-quality parts that resist rust and wear in the pump and piping components, where operation matters more than style.

It’s worth noting that companies like Sebring Services put appliances such as dishwashers a bit lower at around 9 years, based on their industry data.

Oven ranges: 13 to 15 years

The oven range is just the first appliance on our list where the fuel type matters a lot. Electric ranges use heating elements that are more likely to crack and break down over time. Gas ranges, meanwhile, have simple ignition systems and can typically weather the years more easily. American Home Shield , which collects insurance information, reports that electric ranges typically last around 13 years, and gas ranges around 15 years. Gas parts tend to be a little more durable.

Microwaves: 9 to 10 years

Microwaves will last between 9 and 10 years for most kitchens. While a microwave is a fairly complex gadget, there’s not much you can do to help it last other than keep it clean… and be gentle with the door. Yale Appliance reports that, in the company’s service and repair experience, microwaves are some of the most durable and least repair-prone appliances thanks to their technology. Oven hoods, often closely associated with over-range microwaves, also last a long time according to Yale.

Refrigerators and freezers: 11 to 19 years

With the refrigerator, it’s all about what kind you have. A fridge with the common side doors – one for cooling, one for freezing – actually has the worst life span at around 14 years. Those with a top-door freezer can last 17 years. A refrigerator with only one door, while a rare sight these days, has the best life expectancy of all with 19 years. As you can imagine, the harder the fridge has to work at cooling, the more quickly important components like the compressor will wear out.

A freezer, understandably, has to work a lot harder to cool than a refrigerator. That’s why the average lifespan of a freezer-only unit is about 11 years.

Garbage disposals: 12 years

Most garbage disposals will last around 12 years. However, maintenance is particularly important when it comes to disposal longevity. We know you can’t control how your disposal was used before you moved in, but always remember to only dispose of proper foods and never dump in anything like coffee grounds, rice, grease, or thick vegetable fibers. These can ruin your disposal and lead to its untimely death.

This may be why some companies like Sebring Services report that garbage disposals typically only last around 9 years. Meanwhile, companies like Yale Appliance study  sales generated vs. warranty service calls within the first year, and report that garbage disposals are actually one of the most dependable appliances they’ve come across. The secret is probably in the maintenance!

Since we’re moving on from kitchen appliances it’s worth nothing that Yale Appliance’s study also found that the most dependable brands on the market included Wolf, Thermador, KitchenAid, and Maytag.

Washing machines and dryers: 10 to 14 years

We grouped the washer and dryer together because their life expectancies are similar, and most people think about them as a package deal, anyway. A washing machine will typically last 10 to 14 years, while a dryer will last 10 to 13 years. (Those heating components tend to be a bit more fragile.)

Two things matter when it comes to your cleaning appliances. The first is how often they are used: If you have a family with half-a-dozen members and are doing lots of laundry every week, you’ll probably only make it to around 10 years. The other important factor is, surprisingly, front loaders vs. top loaders: While there is some disagreement about this, top loading washers appear to last longer than front loaders.

Water heaters: 10 to 25 years

The key question here is: What kind do you have? A tankless water heater designed to heat water only as it is needed can easily last over two decades. An electric gas heater will typically last around 10 years. A gas heater is a bit more durable, but life expectancy isn’t too much longer.

The type of water you have in your area is also important. Hard water has lots of minerals that can precipitate out in the heat and cause problems with scale clogs and buildup that may slowly ruin water heaters over time. If a heater is dealing with well water, the extra sediment could cause additional problems and lower the life span even more.

Furnaces: 15 to 18 years

Furnaces also have life spans based largely on type – in this case, fuel source. A gas furnace will generally last around three years longer than an electrical furnace (and it will use far less energy). As with oven ranges, this happens because gas is generally a more efficient heating fuel with fewer breakable parts involved.

This is also one occasion where newer appliances tend to outlast older models. This is because newer furnaces tend to be far more efficient and can do the same amount of heating in less time, with less wear and tear.

Heat pumps: 15 to 20 years

A good heat pump can easily last 15 to 20 years when properly maintained. Every heat pump should occasionally be checked to make sure the coils and fins are clean (a do-it-yourself job) and that refrigerant levels are good (a professional job). Changing air filters regularly is also important. Like furnaces, newer heat pumps tend to be more efficient and able to last longer than older, clunkier models.

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• Snapchat Spectacles: Everything you need to know

Google’s Santa hub has you taking ‘elfies’ around the world

Google has brought back Santa’s Village for another year, and this time it’s particularly trendy. Fire up the Santa Tracker app on your Android phone and you can play Santa Snap, a game that has you flying around Google Maps to take “elfies” at famous landmarks around the world. Basically, it’s Amélie with Santa’s helpers in place of gnomes. Other activities will pop up daily between now and December 24th, including a equally of-the-moment AI drawing game (a festive take on Quick, Draw), an elf dance coding game and a virtual snowball fight.

Naturally, Google is keeping up its tradition of launching a ‘live’ Santa tracker on the 24th (complete with a “where is Santa?” question in Google Assistant), and it’ll help schools get into the spirit by offering lessons focused on the educational games. Although there’s no guarantee that you’ll keep coming back, Google is clearly going out of its way to keep things fresh.

Source: Google, Google Play