Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 20 Series starts at $500 and features real-time ray tracing

Nvidia

As expected, Nvidia introduced its new GeForce RTX 20 Series of add-in desktop graphics cards for gamers during its pre-show Gamescom press event. The new family is based on Nvidia’s new “Turing” architecture focusing on real-time ray tracing for believable, photo-realistic gaming.

Available to pre-order today and available on the market August 20, the GeForce RTX 2070 will have a starting price of $500, capable of eight giga rays per second and packing 8GB of on-board GDDR6 memory. Moving up the line will be the RTX 2080 with a starting price of $700 packing the expected 8GB of GDDR6 memory and capable of eight giga rays per second. The third card is the RTX 2080 Ti with a starting price of $1,000 with 11GB of on-board memory and capable of pushing 10 giga rays per second.

That said, Nvidia’s prices for its Founders Edition models are a little higher. You can pre-order the 2080 Ti model for $1,200 while the RTX 2080 costs $800 and the RTX 2070 model costs $600. So far, there’s no sign of the rumored RTX 2060 version that’s slated to arrive later this year. Note that the RTX 2070 currently does not have a ship date while the other two cards are slated to arrive September 20.

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  GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
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  GeForce RTX 2080
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  GeForce RTX 2070

According to Nvidia, the underlying “Turing” architecture is the biggest leap forward in graphics technology since the company introduced CUDA. The big push with this design is accelerating ray tracing, a method of rendering area illumination, shadows and reflections realistically in real time. That’s where the “RT” aspect in the labeling comes into play.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said during the show that the company spent the last ten years developing its Turing design. The resulting chip is the “second-largest” ever made packing 18.9 trillion transistors. The chip includes three key components: RT Cores dedicated to real-time ray tracing, Tensor Cores to accelerate artificial intelligence, and the Turing SM processor cores.

Based on the presentation, hardware still isn’t at a level where a single card can “brute force” photo-realistic visuals at an extremely high frame rate and resolution. That’s still performed by multi-GPU servers. And while the new RT Cores can perform 10 giga rays per second versus the non-ray tracing cores in the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti performing at 1.21 giga rays per second, they need AI to correctly “fill in the gaps.”

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But Nvidia isn’t just revealing a new family of cards. Part of the presentation discussed how neural networks will pre-generate these lighting calculations. The data will then be provided through driver downloads and used by the Tensor Cores as the new RTX 20 Series renders the scene using ray tracing.

What was interesting about the demos showcased during the presentation was that the ray tracing could be switched on and off, revealing the environments before and after ray tracing illuminated the scene. The demos included Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Battlefield 5 and Metro Exodus.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Nvidia’s Turing chip reinvents computer graphics (but not for gaming)
• Here’s how to watch Nvidia’s GeForce event at Gamescom
• Nvidia teases new GeForce RTX 2080 launch at Gamescom next week
• Nvidia GeForce GTX 11 Series’ arrival is uncertain after Computex remark
• Nvidia vs. AMD

Nvidia GeForce RTX GPUs are coming to Alienware and Predator gaming desktops

Dell and Acer have both announced support for the new GeForce RTX GPUs across the companies’ lineup of gaming desktops. The pair of announcements was timed with Nvidia’s Gamescom keynote where CEO Jensen Huang introduced the world to the next generation of consumer graphics cards, dubbed the GeForce RTX 2000 series.

In particular, Nvidia announced three specific cards: The RTX 2070, 2080, and 2080 Ti. These GPUs all come with real-time ray tracing, a highly anticipated feature in graphics that dramatically increases the realism of lighting and shadowing in games.

On the Acer side of things, these new graphics cards will be coming to Predator Orion 9000, 5000, and 3000 gaming desktops. The cheaper Predator Orion 3000 will include the RTX 2070, the Orion 5000 will go up to the RTX 2080, and the Orion 9000 can be configured all the way up to the RTX 2080 Ti.

“Acer is excited to be among the first to provide gamers the choice of the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs on our Orion series gaming desktops,” said Acer in a press release. “With our commitment to bringing the latest technology in time to the market, gamers will be able to enjoy the latest breakthroughs in graphics for an incredible gaming experience.”

Acer hasn’t announced exact pricing and availability specifics, though it says it will vary by region.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

As for Alienware products, Dell has announced next-generation GPU support for both its Alienware Aurora and Area-51 gaming desktops. Dell hasn’t provided specifics as to which systems will feature which GPUs, but we’d expect the Area-51 to be maxed out with up to the RTX 2080 Ti. The configuration options for the Alienware Aurora system currently start at a GTX 1050 Ti, maxing out at the GTX 1080, which might clue us in on what options will be available in the RTX series.

Dell also mentioned that the systems would include support next-generation AMD graphics cards, though those cards haven’t been announced just yet.

While we don’t have pricing or availability details yet for the Area-51, we do know the Aurora will be available for purchase in October and will start at $900. That’s the same starting price as the current Alienware Aurora, though we don’t know what exact GPUs will be included in the base model.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Acer’s new lineup includes white gaming laptop and Pixelbook-esque Chromebook
• Acer crams a Ryzen 7 CPU, discrete RX Vega 56 graphics into a 17-inch laptop
• Nvidia announces the GeForce RTX 20 Series GPUs, featuring real-time ray tracing
• Nvidia vs. AMD
• Nvidia’s GTX 11 Series may get people ready for the next generation of VR

Scarily realistic ‘deep video portraits’ could take fake news to the next level

If you think it’s been a problem up to this point, the fight against fake news is about to get a whole lot harder. That is thanks to artificial intelligence technology which is making the creation of so-called “deep fake” videos more convincing at a frankly terrifying rate. The latest development comes from an international team of researchers, lead by Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Informatics.

They have created a deep-learning A.I. system which is able to edit the facial expression of actors to accurately match dubbed voices. In addition, it can tweak gaze and head poses in videos, and even animate a person’s eyes and eyebrows to match up with their mouths — representing a step forward from previous work in this area.

“It works by using model-based 3-D face performance capture to record the detailed movements of the eyebrows, mouth, nose, and head position of the dubbing actor in a video,” Hyeongwoo Kim, one of the researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Informatics, said in a statement. “It then transposes these movements onto the ‘target’ actor in the film to accurately sync the lips and facial movements with the new audio.”

The researchers suggest that one possible real-world application for this technology could be in the movie industry, where it could carry out tasks like making it easy and affordable to manipulate footage to match a dubbed foreign vocal track. This would have the effect of making movies play more seamlessly around the world, compared with today where dubbing frequently results in a (sometimes comedic) mismatch between an actor’s lips and the dubbed voice.

Still, it’s difficult to look at this research and not see the potential for the technology being misused. Along with other A.I. technologies that make it possible to synthesize words spoken in, say, the voice of Barack Obama, the opportunity for this to make the current fake news epidemic look like paltry in comparison is unfortunately present. Let’s hope that proper precautions are somehow put in place for regulating the use of these tools.

The “Deep Video Portraits” research was recently presented at the SIGGRAPH 2018 conference in Vancouver, Canada.

Save $40 on a laptop backpack that has its own USB charging port

A backpack can be so many different things. It can be a place to house your books, a laptop carrier, a gym bag, and even a suitcase. No matter what you use it for, however, chances are pretty good that you’ll be carrying it on your back. That’s the beauty of the classic backpack — it’s convenient, comfortable, and compact. If you want something a bit more tech-savvy, you can take it one step further and charge your phone with it. This laptop backpack from Amazon comes with a USB charging port, and it’s only $30 right now.

Is there anything more convenient than being able to charge your phone with your backpack? Plugging it into yourself maybe, but since that isn’t possible and potentially really gross, a USB backpack is as good as it gets. The bag itself does not come with a portable power bank, so if you don’t already have one, you’ll need to pick one up online. Just keep in mind that anything under 10,000 mAh will probably only charge your phone one time before it needs some charging itself.

The USB port is definitely the coolest feature of this travel backpack, but its actually a pretty great bag on its own. With lots of storage space, including a separate laptop compartment, you’ll have no problem finding a place for all your stuff. The laptop pocket can accommodate laptops as large as 15.6 inches with its cushy interior. It also has a waterproof design, so you won’t have to worry about books or electronics getting wet in the rain. And with ample back support, you’ll barely even notice you’re carrying it.

If you’re looking for a new backpack for school, work, travel, or all three, this USB laptop bag is an excellent option. With thousands of great reviews, this backpack has even been backed by Amazon as one of its best-selling backpacks, though that might have something to do with the price. With a $40 discount, this deal is hard to pass up.

$30 | Amazon

Looking for more great stuff? Find laptop deals and more on our curated deals page, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for regular updates.

We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and choose what we cover carefully and independently. If you find a better price for a product listed here, or want to suggest one of your own, email us at dealsteam@digitaltrends.com.Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.

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The best accessories for your Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet

You’ve got a sweet little tablet that didn’t break the bank. That leaves some money left over for accessories!

The Amazon Fire HD 10 is a remarkably good tablet for the price. Starting at $149, you get a 10-inch device that does everything Amazon has to offer — that’s movies, TV, books, games, the web — and it does it very well.

But getting the tablet itself is just the start. You’re going to want to snag a few accessories for the Fire HD 10.

• Best Case for Fire HD 10
• Best Case for Kids
• Best MicroSD
• Best Screen Protector
• Best Accessory Bundle

Best Case for Fire HD 10

Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet Case

Amazon’s first-party offering is a slim design case with a fabric-lined shell. The front cover is lined with microfiber material and folds up nicely as a hands-free stand in both portrait and landscape orientation. Available in different colors and priced at $39, it’s your best option.

See at Amazon

Amazon’s case offering might seem a bit more expensive, but you get what you pay for with this premium case that will keep your tablet safe and secure.

Best Case for Kids

Moko Shockproof Case

Made with shock-resistant polycarbonate with a reinforced inner shell, this case is designed to withstand drops of all sorts. The handle makes for easy carry — especially for smaller hands — and also converts into a hands-free stand. It’s available in seven different colors and it’s an affordable option for parents starting at $24.

See at Amazon

If you live in a house with kids, you know that everything that can be made kid-proofed should be made kid-proof. This heavy-duty case is designed with kids in mind, so you’ll be able to share (or give) your Fire HD 10 to your kids without worrying about them destroying the thing.

Best microSD card

Samsung Evo Select 128GB MicroSD

This is a highly-rated microSD card that offers read/write speeds designed to handle 4K video and comes with a 10-year warranty. Samsung’s microSD is a fantastic value, with the 128GB option available for just $35.

See at Amazon

The Amazon Fire HD tablets don’t have all that much storage in them out of the box, with 32GB and 64GB options available.

Sure, apps take up space, but your favorite media content takes up much more. If you’re planning to download a ton of movies and other videos for offline watching (that’s the sort of thing you do if you have kids, right?) then you’re definitely going to want some extra storage.

Best Screen Protector

NuPro Anti-Glare Screen Protector (2-pack)

To keep your tablet’s screen unscathed, you’ll want a screen protector. This two-pack of screen protectors from NuPro are highly rated on Amazon and is anti-glare, anti-fingerprint, and scratch-resistant. An essential accessory for $15.

See at Amazon

If you’re the type of person who is eternally bothered by a scratch on your screen, you’re definitely going to want to get some screen protectors. This is a great option that keeps it simple, includes all the installation tools you need, and comes with a spare if the first one ever needs replacing.

Best Value Bundle

Fire HD 10 Essentials Bundle with Fire HD 10 Tablet (32 GB, Black)

If you want to buy a Fire HD 10 as a gift and want it to come with all the best accessories, you’ll want to check out this great bundle. It comes with the tablet, the Amazon case, and a screen protector for just $190.

See at Amazon

This bundle is an incredible offer that will save you $15 if you were to buy the tablet and accessories separately.

How are you loving your Amazon Fire 10 tablet?

The Fire HD 10 is a great option if you’ve bought into the Alexa smart home ecosystem. How do you use your Amazon Fire HD 10 around the house?

Update August 2018: Added a section for screen protectors and best case option for kids.

Amazon Fire tablets

• Amazon Fire 7
• Amazon Fire HD 8
• Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition
• Amazon Fire 8 Kids Edition
• Amazon Fire HD 10

See more at Amazon

Add some color to your home with these $40 Philips Hue bulbs

16 million color options.

Right now you can pick up a few different Philips Hue bulbs for just $39.98 each, like the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance smart bulbs, White and Color Ambiance Flood Light, and the decorative color candle bulb. This is a savings of $10 from the regular price on these bulbs, and outside of a brief Prime Day sale, the best price they’ve sold for in a year. Each bulb has more than 16 million color options that can be controlled by the app or even via Amazon’s Alexa, Google’s Assistant, or Siri.

In order for the lights to work, you will need the Philips Hue Smart Bridge, which is down to $52 from $60 today. For $15 more, you can get the 2-bulb starter kit, which comes with the Bridge and two white bulbs that you can use in your home as well.

Looking for other smart home gear at a discount? Amazon has select devices available for just $10, so be sure to check them out!

See at Amazon

How to choose the perfect Synology NAS

This is how to choose the perfect Synology NAS.

After shopping around for Network Attached Storage (NAS) units, you may have decided on Synology as a brand. That’s only the first step, as the company offers a wide collection of NAS boxes, depending on what you need.

I’m going to run you through a few things to make choosing the right model that little bit easier.

Read our Synology DS218+ review

Breaking down the numbers

Synology, like other vendors, uses model numbers to differentiate between the various options. The DS prefix is always present, which stands for DiskStation. After that, you have a number that usually indicates how many drive bays are present. The last two numbers are tied to each generation (representing the year of release). For example, the 2016 DS216 has two drive bays but is likely to be slower than the newer DS218 from 2018. It keeps it simple.

Some units from Synology may have a suffix at the end that shows a unique or more capable system. Here are a few examples of such suffixes:

• se – Budget-friendly option.
• j – Affordable option for home use.
• play – Usually has a more powerful processor for better transcoding.
• + – Sports an Intel processor.
• +II – The same model as the “+” but with a newer processor.

A DS218+II would be a DiskStation NAS with a newer generation of Intel processor. The DS218j, on the other hand, would contain less powerful internals but command a more affordable price.

Comparing models

Here’s a comparison table with a few of the latest models from Synology.

The more affordable options like the j models will not be very good at transcoding video and other intensive tasks but can be used to store music and other files and stream them to connected devices. The more expensive options will be better suited and cost a little extra. The base (DS218) and Intel-powered + models are an ideal middle ground. And the DS218+ won the Windows Central Choice Award.

Unless stated otherwise, NAS listings usually do not come with hard drives. So you’ll need to factor purchasing these into the final price. We’ve got a few guides available on choosing the best hard drives for a NAS.

More NAS resources

• Synology NAS and Android: All you need to know
• Best and Most Reliable Hard Drives for Synology NAS
• 4 tips for buying NAS drives
• Comparing Synology NAS and cloud storage
• Best NAS for the home

Updated on August 16, 2018: This guide was updated with further information on Synology NAS models.

Rechargeable batteries, laser printers, and more are discounted today

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on Amazon’s Fire TV with 4K, a Brother laser printer, Panasonic’s rechargeable AA eneloop batteries, and more!

View the rest of the deals

If you want to know about the deals as soon as they are happening, you’ll want to follow Thrifter on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter, because missing out on a great deal stinks!

Amazon Prime’s 20% discount on video game pre-orders ends next week

It’s game over for this Prime discount.

Amazon is continuously updating Prime memberships with new features and bonus offers, and there have been a few nice ones which are great for gamers, like Twitch Prime which offers free PC games to members every month. One of the best discounts that Prime currently offers is 20% off physical game pre-orders; that takes a $60 game down to $47.99, but unfortunately, Amazon just announced that the discount is coming to an end on August 27.

With the demise of Best Buy’s Gamers Club Unlocked in May of this year, it was only a matter of time before Amazon ended its pre-order discount too, as it was seemingly started to compete with GCU’s 20% discount on video games. Luckily though, Amazon is once again following Best Buy’s lead and will begin offering a $10 promo credit with the purchase of select video games beginning August 28. There is a benefit to this new offer. Though you might not earn as much back as you do on a $60 game with the current discount, the upcoming offer will be available for digital game pre-orders too, whereas the current one is only for standard physical games. You’ll have 60 days to use the promo credit before it expires.

If you already have a game pre-ordered with the 20% discount, you’ll still receive that discount even if the game ships after August 28. This also means you have until August 28 to pre-order any game you want with that 20% discount. Might we suggest the following?

• Monster Hunter Generations for Nintendo Switch
• Forza Horizon 4 for Xbox One
• Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey for PlayStation 4 or Xbox One
• Super Mario Party for Nintendo Switch
• Fallout 76 for PlayStation 4 or Xbox One
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Nintendo Switch
• Kingdom Hearts 3 for PlayStation 4 or Xbox One
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider for PlayStation 4 or Xbox One
• Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu or Eevee for Nintendo Switch

With all the great video games coming out soon and later in 2018, it’s unfortunate to see this discount come to an end. Pre-ordering won’t charge your card until the game ships, so you might even want to pre-order some you’re still unsure about to ensure you get the lowest price. You can always cancel later if you decide to change your mind.

Twitch Prime is dropping ad-free viewing in September

Twitch Prime’s list of perks is getting a little thinner starting next month.

Twitch Prime is a great way to earn a load of extra goodies if you consume a lot of content on the streaming service. Since launch, the company has given out free monthly channel subscriptions, free games, and in-game loot as part of the program. But there’s one perk that’s about to get the ax: ad-free viewing.

In an update posted to its blog today, Twitch announced that it will cut ad-free viewing from its Twitch Prime benefits for new subscribers starting on September 14. The reason? A re-evaluation of existing benefits as the company “[continues] to add value to Twitch Prime.” From the post:

Advertising is an important source of support for the creators who make Twitch possible. This change will strengthen and expand that advertising opportunity for creators so they can get more support from their viewers for doing what they love. We want Twitch to remain a place where anyone can enjoy one-of-a-kind interactive entertainment, and ads allow us to continue making Twitch the best place for creators to build communities around the things they love and make money doing it.

Crucially, if you’re already a Twitch Prime member, you’ll still get to take advantage of ad-free viewing through October 15. And if you bought an annual subscription, you’ll continue to be able to watch without ads until your next renewal date.

Going forward, you’ll still be able to watch without ads in one of two ways. You can use your free monthly channel subscription to strike ads for that particular channel. For a full ad-free experience, Twitch says you can buy a subscription to Twitch Turbo.

While it’s a bit disappointing to see the perk taken away, Twitch seems to be using the freed up resources to focus on better freebies in the future. “We’re just getting started, and the community can continue to expect more and better free games with Prime and in-game loot every month, monthly channel subscriptions, exclusive badges, along with new benefits and surprises,” the company says.

What is Twitch Prime and how do I get it?