Monoprice 38035 Zero-G 35-inch Ultra-Wide Gaming Monitor Review: Solid Gaming Performance For a Low Price

Monoprice 38035 Zero-G 35-inch Ultra-Wide Gaming Monitor Review: Solid Gaming Performance For a Low Price

Monoprice has always been a prolific supplier and manufacturer of value-oriented products that perform above their price point. Its line of Zero-G and Dark Matter gaming monitors always tests well and provides a good play experience for less money than the competition.

I’ve reviewed a few of them in the past and this is the first time I’ve tested one that is an update to an existing model. In 2020, I reviewed the Zero-G 35-inch 38035 and found it to be a great value in the 21:9 ultra-wide class. For 2023, it has been updated to compete with today’s best ultrawide gaming monitors. It now has a faster refresh rate, 120 versus 100 Hz, and it now supports HDR10 content. It keeps Adaptive-Sync and wide gamut color. And the best part is the price is the same $400 that it was more than three years ago. Let’s take a look.

Monoprice Zero-G 38035 Specifications

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Panel Type / Backlight VA / W-LED, edge array
Screen Size / Aspect Ratio 35 inches / 21:9
Row 2 – Cell 0 Curve radius: 1800mm
Max Resolution & Refresh Rate 3440×1440 @ 120 Hz
Row 4 – Cell 0 FreeSync: 48-120 Hz
Row 5 – Cell 0 G-Sync Compatible
Native Color Depth & Gamut 8-bit / DCI-P3
Response Time (GTG) 4ms
Brightness (mfr) 300 nits
Contrast (mfr) 2,500:1
Speakers None
Video Inputs 2x DisplayPort 1.4
Row 12 – Cell 0 2x HDMI 2.0
Audio 3.5mm headphone output
USB 3.0 None
Power Consumption 36.2w, brightness @ 200 nits
Panel Dimensions WxHxD w/base 33 x 19 x 9.8 inches
Row 17 – Cell 0 (837 x 483 x 249mm)
Panel Thickness 4.8 inches (123mm)
Bezel Width Top/sides: 0.4 inch (9mm)
Row 20 – Cell 0 Bottom: 0.6 inch (16mm)
Weight 17.9 pounds (8.1kg)
Warranty 3 years

Monoprice refers to all its products with a five-digit number, so to differentiate the new Zero-G 35-inch from the old, I’ll call it the 38035-2. To reiterate – it is a 35-inch VA panel with an 1800R curve, 3440×1440 resolution, 120 Hz, Adaptive-Sync, HDR10 and wide gamut color. And at this writing, it costs $400 to buy directly from Monoprice.

A VA panel promises, and delivers, solid contrast; not quite as much as some others but at this price, the 38035-2’s honest 2,800:1 is significantly more impactful that what’s available from IPS panels. Only high-end full-array and Mini LED monitors can deliver more dynamic range. With that comes support for HDR10 signals and an automatic picture mode switch once you enable that feature in the OSD. You also get wide gamut color with measured coverage at 89% of DCI-P3. That’s slightly above average for the category, so extra value there. Brightness tops 350 nits so there’s plenty of light output for an impactful image.

The 38035-2 runs at a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz, up 20 Hz from before. Adaptive-Sync worked flawlessly in my tests

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Was alien know-how found? Scientists review meteor fragments’ origin

Was alien know-how found? Scientists review meteor fragments’ origin

In 2014, a meteor crashed into the Earth and fragments scattered across the Pacific’s ocean flooring. Afterward Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb and his group went to the web page, which is around Papua New Guinea to recover the fragments, in accordance to United states Nowadays.

They recovered 50 fragments, which “they say is unmatched to any present alloys in our photo voltaic system,” for every United states of america Today. The fragments were being introduced to the Harvard College Observatory where by they ended up examined.

A question continues to be for the researchers: Was the meteor a merchandise of character or was it designed by aliens? Further exploration could shed mild.

Although Loeb recovered tiny fragments, he thinks it is doable he can obtain a more substantial piece. “We hope to come across a major piece of this object that survived the affect simply because then we can notify if it’s a rock or technological gadget,” Loeb explained to CBS News.

Loeb has spent a long time finding out the meteor. He and his group utilised details about the velocity of the meteor and comparisons to other meteors to postulate that it arrived from outdoors the solar procedure. A Division of Defense letter later verified this and Loeb started out to plan an expedition to get better it, for every NBC 10.

The U.S. federal government explained to Loeb the 6.2 mile radius wherever the meteor may well have landed, according to CBS News.

The expedition charge $1.5 million, The Guardian reported. Loeb and his crew had to figure out how to locate and extract an object found on the ocean floor, which was 1.7 kilometers (about one particular mile) below sea level. A ship with a magnetic sled was utilized to look for for and accumulate the fragments.

The fragments’ composition was noteworthy. “It has product strength that is more durable than all area rock that have been observed ahead of, and catalogued by NASA,” Loeb instructed CBS News. “… The point that it was created of products harder than even iron meteorites, and moving faster than 95% of all stars in the vicinity of the sun, suggested perhaps it could be a spacecraft from one more civilization or some technological gadget.”

The meteor in problem entered the Earth’s ambiance on Jan. 8, 2014 and was later learned in 2019, per Room.com. It’s regarded “the initial regarded visitor from interstellar area.” Scientists Loeb and Amir Siraj reportedly prompt the frequency of objects from interstellar area checking out Earth “could imply that the seeds of existence that had sprouted on our earth in the earlier 3.5 billion yrs may perhaps have arrive from a further star method.”

Loeb has previously stated he suspects there is extraterrestrial lifestyle.

“But if I experienced to guess, I would say not only that we are not by yourself, but that there ended up lots of technological civilisations before us that arrived at larger heights,” Loeb instructed UnHerd’s

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Asus ROG Swift PG27AQDM OLED Gaming Monitor Review: Can It Get Any Better?

Asus ROG Swift PG27AQDM OLED Gaming Monitor Review: Can It Get Any Better?

There are many good gaming monitors available in all sizes, shapes, and budgets. Only a handful can be called great. What does it take for a display to make this list? Speed is certainly a huge factor; you can’t throw a rock without hitting a monitor that runs at a minimum of 144 Hz. 165 Hz is becoming more common, and 240 Hz is well represented. The bleeding edge is occupied by 360 Hz and now 500 Hz screens.

If you’ve read monitor reviews here at Tom’s Hardware, you know that we consider image fidelity a nearly equal part of the equation, and at the top of that list is contrast. Nothing affects our perception of a 2D image more than the difference between black and white. Lately, Mini LED panels have made huge strides in this area, and I’ve even called them “nearly as good as OLED.” But the operative word is “nearly.” OLED is still king, and in this review, I’ll be testing a 27-inch 16:9 OLED display, Asus ROG Swift PG27AQDM. Spoiler alert: it’s incredible in pretty much every way, which makes it a prime candidate for our best gaming monitors list.

Asus ROG Swift PG27AQDM Specs

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Panel Type / Backlight OLED
Screen Size / Aspect Ratio 26.5 inches / 16:9
Max Resolution & Refresh Rate 2560×1440 @ 240 Hz
  FreeSync: 40-240 Hz
  G-Sync Compatible
Native Color Depth & Gamut 10-bit / DCI-P3
  HDR10
Response Time (GTG) 0.03ms
Brightness 300 nits SDR
  800 nits HDR
Contrast Infinite
Speakers None
Video Inputs 1x DisplayPort 1.4
  2x HDMI 2.0
Audio 3.5mm headphone output
USB 3.0 1x up, 2x down
Power Consumption 45.1w, brightness @ 200 nits
Panel Dimensions 23.8 x 17.2-21.5 x 10.8 inches
WxHxD w/base (605 x 438-548 × 274mm)
Panel Thickness 2 inches (50mm)
Bezel Width Top/sides: 0.35 inch (9mm)
  Bottom: 0.9 inch (11mm)
Weight 15.2 pounds (6.9kg)
Warranty 3 years

The PG27AQDM starts with an OLED panel made by AU Optronics. It’s my first time testing an OLED not made by LG Display. The viewable area is 26.5 inches, so with QHD (2560×1440) resolution, we get a pixel density of 111ppi. That’s important because nearly all OLEDs today are UHD (3840×2160). However, the larger screens don’t necessarily have sharper images. Consider that a 42-inch OLED panel like Asus’ own PG42UQ has a density of 105ppi.

With QHD resolution comes higher frame rates, and the PG27AQDM offers a maximum refresh rate of 240 Hz with a claimed 0.03ms response time. I found it quicker than any other 240 Hz monitor during testing. In fact, it matches the total lag time I’ve measured for a typical 360 Hz screen and is only a few milliseconds behind the Alienware AW2524H 500 Hz display. It achieves this feat without an overdrive or blur reduction feature. It also includes both flavors of Adaptive-Sync operating over a range of 40 to 240

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Razer Blade 18 laptop review: Smaller than many 17-inch gaming laptops

Razer Blade 18 laptop review: Smaller than many 17-inch gaming laptops
KFA2 GeForce RTX 4080 SG
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 KFA2 GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SG
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Razer Blade 18 RTX 4070
Intel Core i9-13950HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU MSI Titan GT77 HX 13VI
Intel Core i9-13950HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU
  (227 – 231, n=2) Razer Blade 16 Early 2023
Intel Core i9-13950HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU MSI GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming X Trio
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 MSI Pulse GL76 12UGK
Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU Alienware x17 RTX 3080 P48E
Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU Gigabyte G7 KE
Intel Core i5-12500H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Razer Blade 17 Early 2022
Intel Core i9-12900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU KFA2 GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SG
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti KFA2 GeForce RTX 4080 SG
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 MSI Titan GT77 HX 13VI
Intel Core i9-13950HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU Razer Blade 16 Early 2023
Intel Core i9-13950HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU Razer Blade 18 RTX 4070
Intel Core i9-13950HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU
  (132.3 – 173.7, n=4) MSI GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming X Trio
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Razer Blade 17 Early 2022
Intel Core i9-12900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU Alienware x17 RTX 3080 P48E
Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU MSI Pulse GL76 12UGK
Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU Gigabyte G7 KE
Intel Core i5-12500H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU KFA2 GeForce RTX 4080 SG
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 KFA2 GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SG
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti MSI Titan GT77 HX 13VI
Intel Core i9-13950HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU Razer Blade 16 Early 2023
Intel Core i9-13950HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU
  (115.2 – 119.4, n=4) Razer Blade 18 RTX 4070
Intel Core i9-13950HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU MSI GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming X Trio
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Alienware m17 R5 (R9 6900HX, RX 6850M XT)
AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX, AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT Razer Blade 17 Early 2022
Intel Core i9-12900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU Alienware x17 RTX 3080 P48E
Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU MSI Pulse GL76 12UGK
Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU Gigabyte G7 KE
Intel Core i5-12500H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU KFA2 GeForce RTX 4080 SG
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 KFA2 GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SG
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti MSI Titan GT77 HX 13VI
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Mac mini M2 review: Apple’s cheaper, tiny but mighty computer | Apple

Mac mini M2 review: Apple’s cheaper, tiny but mighty computer | Apple

Apple’s cheapest desktop computer has had a price cut and a power upgrade – making it one of the smallest, cheapest and most adaptable Macs yet.

The Mac mini starts at £649 ($599/A$999) – £50 less than the 2020 model – and has Apple’s latest M2 or M2 Pro chips as used in the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro to great effect.

The tiny aluminium box is about the size of a hardback book, measuring just under 20cm each side and less than 4cm thick. It is easy to fit just about anywhere: on a desk, mounted under one, in a TV cabinet, on the back of the monitor, stuck to a wall – wherever you can reach with a power cable.

The back of the Mac mini M2 Pro showing various ports.
The power button is on the back. It has a small speaker for basic sounds, but no microphones or cameras. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Like a normal desktop PC you simply plug the Mac mini into a screen, keyboard and mouse, all of which can be bought with it at great expense – or you can use your existing gear. I connected an Asus 4K monitor and Logitech Bluetooth mouse and keyboard to the mini to set it up, using them during the length of the review without issue.

It runs macOS 13.2 Ventura like all recent Macs and has the same screen-sharing and proximity features as the MacBook laptops. That means you can use a recent iPad as a second screen, use the attached mouse and keyboard to control an iPad or other Mac and use an iPhone as a wireless webcam, which works really well.

Specifications

  • Processor: Apple M2 or M2 Pro

  • RAM: 8GB, 16GB, 24GB or 32GB

  • Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB or 8TB SSD

  • Operating system: macOS 13.2 Ventura

  • Connectivity: wifi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, 2x USB-A, 2 or 4x USB 4/Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1, Ethernet, headphones

  • Dimensions: 197mm x 197mm x 35.8mm

  • Weight: 1.18kg to 1.28kg

M2 power and efficiency

The bottom of the Mac mini M2.
A plastic foot sticks out of the base to slightly lift the mini’s aluminium frame. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

The new M2 and M2 Pro chips offer decent performance gains on the previous M1 and M1 Pro chips, with a 10% to 20% improvement in CPU speed and up to 25% faster graphics. That puts them at the top of the pile alongside some of Intel and AMD’s latest top chips, but at much lower power consumption, and a giant leap over previous Intel-powered Macs.

With that level of performance, the Mac mini has become not just a small Apple computer but one of its more powerful and adaptable options. The M2 version will be more than enough for most general computing tasks, with the more expensive M2 Pro option and up to 32GB of RAM available for those who need more power. It sits below the Mac Studio, which is a beefed up version of the mini for those who need a lot more graphics or computing power.

The beauty

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Logitech G502 X Plus review: An icon revamped

Logitech G502 X Plus review: An icon revamped


(Pocket-lint) – The Logitech G502 Lightspeed is a bit of a legend in the gaming mouse arena. A tried-and-trusted classic with a great design, plenty of flexibility and a winning feature format that others have tried to emulate.  

Now Logitech has taken that icon and improved upon it with three mice – the wired G502 X, the wireless G502 X Lightspeed and the G502 X Plus. The latter of these three is the top of the range and one that the company claims to include a range of “breakthrough innovations” to give you the best gaming experience possible. 

How does the Logitech G502 X Plus hold up in a world of superlight and gamer-pleasing mice from the competition though? We’ve been playing with it to find out. 

POCKET-LINT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Pocket-lintLogitech G502 X Plus review photo 1

Our quick take

The G502 X Plus is a welcome upgrade to a tried-and-trusted legend. It’s the little things that really make this mouse great, including the addition of hybrid optical switches, eye-catching RGB, the swappable side button and more. It’s great looking, feels good in the hand and is, most importantly, a great gaming gadget. Once again, Logitech has nailed it with its gaming mouse design. 

Logitech G502 X Plus review: An icon revamped

Logitech G502 X Plus

4.5 stars – Pocket-lint recommended

For
  • Crisp clicks
  • Comfortable ergonomics
  • Superior hybrid switches
  • PowerPlay compatibile
Against
  • Feels a bit less premium than the original

squirrel_widget_12855099

A legend reinvented

  • Lightforce hybrid optical-mechanical switches
  • Hero 25K sensor, 40G2 max acceleration, 400IPS max speed
  • 13 programmable buttons 
  • 5 on-board memory profiles 

The Logitech G502 X Plus is available in either white or black and looks utterly stylish thanks to its Lightsync RGB lighting zones. But it’s immediately recognisable as being a G502.

That classic and iconic ergonomic shape is still there with the sloped side grip, the pointy and angry-looking frame and multiple side buttons. Some things are the same and some have changed. There are no swappable weights included with the G502 X Plus, so it’s not weight-adjustable like the original model. Instead, Logitech has cut the weight down to 106 grams and made some under-the-hood enhancements.

We immediately noticed this when we first picked the mouse up and started playing with it, as it feels quite a bit lighter and perhaps a bit cheaper in the hand because of it. That doesn’t mean it’s not a high-quality mouse though, as the G502 X Plus certainly has a lot going for it.

The free-spinning mouse wheel design is still there for a start. It’s been tweaked to make it lighter and more stable, with precise ratchet modes that provide quite a lot of audible and tactile feedback when you scroll. Then you can click the button behind the wheel to put it into the smooth hyper-fast scroll mode where it’ll just spin and spin. 

This can be used for clever in-game commands and macros or just insanely fast scrolls on long webpages

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