Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2025 i APC

Is this just another label for the same old AI hype? Well, yes and no. If you ask a passerby in the street what AI means to them, their answer might in fact be a definition of AGI – short for artificial general intelligence. The term refers to an AI that’s so broad and versatile that it can mimic the intelligence and functions of a human. To be clear, though, a genuine AGI wouldn’t be just a dumb copycat – it would be a free-thinking entity in its own right. How does this differ from the various types of AI we have today? The idea of emulating organic intelligences is a fundamental step beyond the workings of ChatGPT and Google Gemini. Natural systems learn by gaining and losing connections in…

This month we dissect... ABOUT IFIXIT iFixit is a global community of tinkerers dedicated to helping people fix things through free online repair manuals and teardowns. iFixit believes that everyone has the right to maintain and repair their own products. To learn more, visit www.ifixit.com SONY PS5 PRO Sony’s PS5 Pro has a new custom-made AMD processor on TSMC’s 5nm node, and Sony promises 45 percent faster graphics performance versus the original PS5. But what other changes are there inside, and is this new console any easier to pull apart and repair? MAJOR TECH SPECS • 8-core, 16-thread AMD Zen 2 CPU• 60 CU AMD RDNA 2 (with some RDNA 3 and 4 features) GPU, 16.7TFOPs• 16GB GDDR6 memory, 256-bit memory bus, plus 2GB DDR5• 2TB custom M.2 SSD, external…

NVIDIA APP Free, www.nvidia.com AMD SOFTWARE: ADRENALIN EDITION Free, www.amd.com This is a bit of a weird one for us. We’re actually going to do a two-parter ‘Head to Head’. Yes, you heard right. Initially, it was going to be a three-way battle between Nvidia, AMD, and Intel as to which had the greater graphics card program in the modern era, but because we didn’t want to give the Art team an aneurysm redesigning the layout for one issue, we figured it would be better to run one part of this issue, then pit the winner against the other in the next. What’s all the fuss, then? Nvidia recently decommissioned GeForce Experience and launched a new entirely rebuilt replacement of the thing in the form of the imaginatively named ‘Nvidia…

PRICE $799 WEB au.msi.com/ We’ve been blessed with some sensational, feature-packed, OLED gaming monitors recently but the problem has always been the exorbitant price tags. Now here’s the first, old-school, VA-based monitor we’ve seen in a while, but it’s armed with similar features. So, what are the compromises? Setting-up the MAG 321CUPDF is relatively simple thanks to the clip-in base. However, we had to screw the stem into the panel like a cave man. Still, we ended up with a monitor that, at a glance, looks like a premium model. There are no speakers and no USB hub, but there are two, HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4a and a DisplayPort-compatible USB-C port (plus a 3.5mm audio jack) – all the important stuff. We were intrigued by the panel (which…

PRICE 16GB/512MB, $1,299 WEB lenovo.com The Legion Go S is a more compact sibling to Lenovo’s original Legion Go handheld gaming PC – although with its 8in display it’s still larger than rival handhelds such as the Asus ROG Ally and Steam Deck OLED. It also features an updated chassis and introduces AMD’s new Ryzen Z2 Go processor. I’m a big fan of the new design. I found the original Legion Go too bulky to hold comfortably for more than ten minutes, but that’s not at all the case with the Legion Go S – it’s both smaller and more ergonomically styled, with rounded grippy corners. While it’s no longer possible to detach the controllers, as you could on the Legion Go, the comfortable shape and even weight distribution prevent…

PRICE $229 WEB rog.asus.com/au The Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini is the latest high-end Asus mouse, and is one of the smallest in the company’s catalog. A smaller variant of the Harpe Ace Extreme, weighing 49 grams against the Extreme’s 47 grams, the Harpe Ace Mini doesn’t lose out on performance – and its tinier body might be more appealing to you. The mouse comes with the top-end ROG AimPoint Pro sensor and ROG 100M Optical Micro Switch. Mixed with a maximum DPI of 42,000 and a report rate of 1,000Hz (or as high as 8,000Hz with the separately sold Polling Rate Booster dongle), and you’ve got an extremely capable pointer in your hand. The mouse makes a satisfying and audible click on all buttons, and it smoothly glides across…

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 are here, ushering in the RDNA 4 GPU architecture and RX 9000 series of graphics cards. RDNA 4 represents a throwback to AMD architectures of years past, as the company is once again targeting mainstream performance and maybe even budget performance further down the road. And while some might feel cards at up to $600 don’t qualify as “mainstream” in today’s market, we’d say the PC graphics card market has become much more expensive in the past decade. New Radeon architecture One of the interesting changes with RDNA 4 is that AMD is, at least for now, ditching the GPU chiplets approach. AMD is also upgrading from TSMC’s N5 process node used on RDNA 3 to the N4P node for RDNA…

NEEDS Windows 7, 8.1, 10 or 11 WEB tinyurl.com/APC544hasleo The backup options in Windows 10 and 11 are pretty basic. Windows Backup lets you back up certain folders to OneDrive, while File History backs up files from your ‘libraries’ to an external drive. Third-party backup software has more features and flexibility, but you often need to pay for its best tools. Hasleo Backup Suite is a completely free backup solution, with no options locked behind Upgrade buttons. You can use it to back up specific folders and drives or your entire system, and easily restore your data in a couple of clicks. The program also lets you clone partitions, drives and your version of Windows, and set up schedules to perform regular backups at convenient times. You can choose between…

It’s been said that the obstacles in our path aren’t what stop us achieving great things; rather, it’s the easier paths we choose to follow instead. Nowhere is this truer than when sitting at a computer. You could be getting on with writing your novel, but half an hour clicking around the web is easier and more beguiling. You could have finished filing your taxes – if you’d not been distracted by your email. You might even have got ahead on an academic assignment, if you hadn’t spent the time compiling the perfect playlist. Each of these paths is a distraction, and while we’re sympathetic to anyone who finds themselves continually distracted by an ever-connected PC, there really is no excuse for such behaviour today – not if you’re using…

The games we play PRICE $119.95 PLATFORM PC, Mac, Linux WEB civilization.2k.com/civ-vii Founded in the pre-SVGA age of gaming antiquity, Civilization’s randomised yet celebratory take on human history has stood the test of time. Over its first several entries, the series evolved to better encapsulate the vibrancy of human history in a turn-based strategy format. But in recent outings, it’s become more about rejigging rather than revolutionising that cavemen-to-cosmos saga. Civilization VII goes for something different again – more a series offshoot than a Civilization VI sequel. Its most radical ideas certainly offer an interesting way to play Civilization, though as things stand it doesn’t feel like the best way to play. It’s the most streamlined and pared-back the series has been in years, which certainly helps with accessibility and…

PRICE $58.50 PLATFORM PC, PS5, XBS/X WEB yellowbrickgames.ca I don’t have to waste my time trekking across boring expanses of open field to reach the things that have caught my eye, as this compact game is broken up into a series of carefully crafted areas attached to a homely hub. I have to use my small but versatile pool of fire and ice abilities well if I want to survive. Some of their uses are obvious – setting fire to fur will cause extra damage over time – but right from the start there’s always something more creative I can do instead. Huge chasms can be traversed with icy bridges, and wooden floors can be set alight. It feels natural and improvised, something that happened only because I made it…

Acer Nitro Blaze There is an inevitability, as has long been proven by the phone market, that when a device starts to hit its stride at a certain size, it will widen to the point that it’s not really quite the same thing any more. The Nitro Blaze 11 is that, expanding its handheld WXGA PC gaming screen to 10.95 inches, which places it (we think) right on the cusp of tipping over from practically amazing to impractically large. No matter: the Ryzen 7 powered game slab also features Nintendo-baiting detachable controllers, so if things start to feel a bit large you can unfurl the kickstand, set the screen portion down on your nearest flat surface, and game that way. No discrete graphics, naturally, but the AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS…

PRICE $1,349 and $1,799 (Ti) WEB asus.com In the labs today are two new GPUs from Nvidia, in the form of the Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5070 and 5070 Ti. While not exactly very affordable cards, the 5070 and 5070 Ti are designed to be a slightly more plausible option for most buyers compared to the RTX 5080 and 5090. The RTX 5070 Ti delivers significant upgrades over previous generations. It comes with faster GDDR7 memory and 16GB of VRAM – 4GB more than the RTX 4070 Ti – giving improved handling of high-resolution textures and better overall 4K performance. Its 256-bit memory interface is 33% wider than the RTX 4070 Ti’s and matches the RTX 4070 Ti Super. The standard 5070, by comparison, has 12GB of VRAM and…

PRICE $359 WEB rog.asus.com/au Magnetic switches on peripherals are all the rage right now. Enhanced durability from a lack of moving parts make magnetic accessories all the more attractive to power users, as there’s a lower chance of failure than analog or mechanical buttons. We’ve heard the most noise on this front in the gaming controller market, but the pull of ‘Hall effect’ buttons and keys has also made its way to keyboards. Say hello to the Asus ROG Falchion Ace HFX. The Falchion Ace HFX isn’t the first keyboard to offer magnetic switches (they’ve been popular among enthusiast keyboard makers for a while), but it is the first from a major manufacturer. Keeping in line with the Falchion line of products, it’s also a 65% board, shaving the numpad…

PRICE $159 WEB westerndigital.com Western Digital’s Black SN7100 SSD is a bit of an oddity, as far as product launches go. It arrived with very little fanfare, and with good reason. On the surface, this absolutely muddies the waters when it comes to WD’s PCIe 4.0 product stack. The problem child? The SN850X. You can buy 1TB variants of both the SN850X and the SN7100 for $155 right now. Identical capacity, extremely similar performance, and of course, the same brand, warranty, endurance ratings, security features, and more that you’d expect from a WD drive. It’s only when you dig under the surface that you start to get a feel of why the SN7100 was launched and what it represents. In short, this is a bit of a subtle update on…

PRICE $1,499 WEB sapphiretech.com If you’re after an AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT with a strong factory overclock, excellent cooling, and a stack of useful features, Sapphire’s Nitro+ RX 9070 XT should definitely be on your shortlist. At $1,499, it’s positioned as a premium option above AMD’s reference design, but the extra outlay gives you solid performance gains and an improved cooling solution that does justify the price. As with most high-end GPUs right now, stock is limited, so it may be hard to actually find one at a reasonable price. Straight out of the box, the Sapphire card is ready to game, with a factory game clock of 2520 MHz and a boost clock reaching up to 3060 MHz under peak loads. This is a solid 120 MHz increase…

PRICE Free (Plus version US$12.95) NEEDS macOS 12 or later WEB coconut-flavour.com What do you do if you want to check your MacBook’s battery status? You click the battery icon in the menu bar, of course. But really, that doesn’t tell you very much about your battery. Sure, you can find out how many charge cycles it’s undergone from the System Information window, but that’s still pretty basic information. One alternative is to use coconutBattery. This app provides a wealth of battery data in much more granular detail than Apple provides. All the information that is hidden by Apple comes to the surface, and it’s a handy way to see the true state of your battery. When you first open the app, you’ll see details on your MacBook, including its…

A I has arrived for all Microsoft 365 subscribers – whether you wanted it or not. Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint users can now call on AI assistance without paying an additional fee, although those fees are going up if you subscribe directly with Microsoft. Now even Personal and Family subscribers can call on Copilot to summarise long emails, write complex formulae for their spreadsheets, turn Word bullet points into tables, or add slides to a PowerPoint presentation. There’s lots more that Copilot can do to make your home and work life easier, and in this feature we’ll explore the full capabilities of the embedded Microsoft 365 AI – as well as setting your expectations by explaining what it can’t do. Yet. We’ll take each of the major apps…

YOU’LL NEED • uBlock Origin (optional) According to network security company SlashNext’s 2024 Phishing Intelligence Report, in the second half of 2024, there was a 202 percent overall rise in phishing messages. One of the most common attack vectors is email. Often, this takes the form of legitimate-looking messages. Recipients are encouraged to click a link or open an attachment. Sometimes, the aim is simply to steal personal information like credit card details. The best way to stay safe is never to believe anything you read in an email or open any links/files in your inbox. However, this isn’t very practical in 2025, as many legitimate organisations communicate with customers in this way. This guide focuses on how to analyse emails to find telltale signs of phishing activity. Apply Occam’s…

Inspirational stories from computing’s long-distant past There’s little doubt that shareware revolutionised the way software was distributed in the early days of computing. It steamed in with a blend of innovation and accessibility, offering users a “try before you buy” model that went a long way towards democratising software development. Suddenly, pioneering independent coders could reach a global audience without needing a big budget or corporate backing. They could create games and applications while breaking free from retail shelves, all the while shaping the digital landscape by offering consumers greater choice. Key to this movement were a small number of individuals who took a great gamble with their work by pleading to the good side of human nature. Chief among them was former attorney, writer and publisher Andrew Fluegelman, who…

When I was at school, there was a brief but frenzied craze for clackers. As you may recall, this toy consisted of two heavy plastic balls connected by a string, which made a ‘clacking’ sound when swung around and banged together. The teachers regarded clackers as a dangerous menace, and banned them before they took someone’s eye out. For some reason, I thought of clackers when I read about the fuss surrounding DeepSeek. This new Chinese AI tool has raised widespread privacy concerns, been described as a ‘severe’ safety risk and is already banned in Italy and by US government agencies. When something apparently innocuous is flagged as hazardous, it increases my temptation to try it – just like clackers. So I wondered how I could test DeepSeek without compromising…

Everything you need to know from the month in tech Xbox thinks AI can make you a better gamer. Xbox has announced its new “Copilot for Gaming”, dropping the news on The Official Xbox Podcast. A new AI assistant for console, mobile, and perhaps PC, Copilot for Gaming promises to help with all parts of the gaming experience – from picking a new game, to picking up where you left off in an old save file, to getting good at skill-based games. Fatima Kardar, Xbox’s CVP of Gaming AI, and Jason Ronald, VP of Next Generation, joined Xbox’s in-house podcast to explain what an AI assistant for consoles looks like. Copilot for Gaming comes as a way to help address common pain points for gamers, like returning to an old…

We explore the trends and technologies that are set to shape the future As the hillsides surrounding LA burned, reports emerged of firefighters running out of water to douse the flames. In response, California lawmakers introduced bills designed to force data centres to publish how much water they use and work towards using less – but two weeks later, President Trump was promising to go big on data centres to power the AI boom, with US$500 billion pledged to make it happen. Can we build the next generation of data centres without dooming ourselves to water shortages, or even water wars? It’s possible – and may even be technically necessary. Data centres already use as much as 2% of global electricity, on a par with aviation, but it’s predicted to…

A dream shared by PC gamers everywhere has been to take our entire gaming PCs on the go. The latest generation of gaming handhelds deliver on that portable nirvana, enabling gaming from near enough anywhere. But which one should you go for? A key choice is between SteamOS and Window – after that, you generally have to play off size against power. Here are the ones that get our recommendation. 5 AYANEO FLIP DS This is compact, portable, and versatile. Its dual-screen setup allows for clever trackpad and keyboard solutions to handheld navigation woes. What’s more, it’s not only small, but safer in a backpack, given the screens and controls are somewhat protected when closed. However, you sacrifice a little performance for the design. If it’s value for specifications and…

APC is Australia’s oldest consumer technology magazine – having been consistently in print for over forty years, since our first issue way back in May 1980 – and we take that heritage and responsibility very seriously. While our focus is obviously on the personal computer the very definition of the PC has changed and shifted markedly since the early 1980s. As such, we touch on many other areas of tech, too, from smartphones and apps to peripherals, accessories, and beyond. We have two goals: to find the best modern tech and to help you make the most of it. Independent reviews Championing technology doesn’t mean we’re unrelenting yes-men and -women, however, and APC aims to be as objective as possible in all our coverage. That means identifying the best products…

PRICE $2,539 WEB asus.com Asus claims this is the world’s first Mini PC powered by the new Series 2 Intel Core Ultra processor, and squeezes the efficient hardware into a tiny VESA mountable 0.6-litre chassis. With options like a fingerprint scanner, it’s aimed at business use or anyone who needs a very compact, secure desktop. While the NUC is also sold with the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V and Ultra 7 258V (both with a 30W TDP), the model in our lab has the more powerful Ultra 9 288V. The CPU has a 30W TDP, boosts up to 5.1GHz and includes the Intel ARC 140V GPU, running at 2.05GHz. The NUC also includes 32GB of LPDDR5x-8533 RAM and a 1TB SSD. The RAM is soldered on, so it can’t be…

PRICE $2,337 (512GB) WEB samsung.com Samsung’s newest top-shelf smartphone has been accused of copying Apple – but it literally outshines the latest iPhone with a brighter display, plus smarter AI features and a lighter frame. It’s the best Android phone I’ve tested, and arguably the best phone you can buy right now. Of course, it’s not cheap. Pricing starts at $2,137 for 256GB of storage, with options of 512GB for $2,337 or 1TB for $2,737. Standard colour options are Titanium Black, Grey, Silverblue and Whitesilver; the Samsung website also offers online-exclusive Jadegreen and Pinkgold finishes, as well as the sombre Jetblack. I can see why some critics find the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s design too iPhone-like. Measuring 163 x 78mm it’s almost identically sized to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and…

PRICE $1,229 WEB amd.com The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D has something of a high bar to clear given the strength of AMD’s first Zen 5 3D V-Cache chip – the mighty Ryzen 7 9800X3D. But having gotten hands-on and run it through our array of benchmarks, we can unequivocally say that AMD has produced the best high-end processor ever made for the consumer market. Whether it’s gaming, creating, or general productivity work, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D doesn’t suffer from the same hang-ups that kept its predecessor, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, from completely dominating its competition among the previous generation of processors. This doesn’t come cheap, though, and at the time of writing the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is barely under $1,299. This makes it even more expensive than the Intel…

As much as we love a new CPU, what’s more exciting are the new motherboard chipsets to help get the most from all our favourite processors. While Intel recently disappointed us with the Arrow Lake launch, with the new B860 chipset, we finally have some mid-range motherboards for socket LGA 1851 builds. And while AMD hasn’t released a new socket, the just-launched AM5 B850 chipset brings some more advanced capabilities to the platform at more affordable prices. And if you are wondering about those names, yes, AMD and Intel have managed to make their new chipsets all too easy to confuse. So, to help remember, we made up a schoolyard rhyme. B860: Intel’s ritzy, B850: AMD’s thrifty. Easy, right? If you want to know more about the features of the…

DEVELOPER Manjaro WEB https://manjaro.org LICENCE Mainly GPL On the main site, Manjaro developer Philip Müller states that this OS “targets beginners and advanced users at the same time”. This reflects the fact that it is based on Arch Linux, which requires advanced time and knowledge to configure and set up. Manjaro, on the other hand, simplifies setup greatly. There are three official flavours, running the latest KDE Plasma, Xfce and Gnome desktops respectively. Community editions are also available with Cinnamon, i3 Window Manager and Sway WM. After downloading the robust 4.1GB ISO running Gnome, we fired up the OS in a VM to be presented with the choice of booting with either open source or proprietary drivers. After choosing the former, the desktop loaded and automatically launched Manjaro’s Hello, which groups…

WireGuard connection problem I made myself a WireGuard VPN server using wg-easy. It worked fine for months, but recently, I’ve noticed that I can no longer connect to the IP address of the server running WireGuard. I can still connect to other devices on the network, and use the VPN to browse safely over untrusted public Wi-Fi networks, but the server itself is off limits, which locks me out of various services I’ve kept offline. Why is this happening, and – more importantly – how do I fix it? Michelle D Burns APC Responds: This is almost certainly linked to Podman’s recent networking changes, exacerbated by the fact that you’re running wg-easy as a rootless container. APC is still searching for a fix that will enable you to run WireGuard…

IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes YOU WILL LEARN How to change seasons, alter expressions, and replace clothing YOU’LL NEED Adobe Photoshop 2025 (adobe.com/au) AI has forever changed the way image editing apps allow users to manipulate images, with AI functionality now built in to all the main offerings. The ‘hands-down’ best at the moment is Adobe Photoshop 2025 due to the power of its tools. Photoshop uses Adobe Firefly – a generative AI tool – to speed up a host of traditional photo-fixing tasks, such as removing unwanted objects, replacing skies, or isolating a subject from their background. As well as speeding up traditional fixes, Adobe’s generative AI can be used in more fun and creative ways, such as changing the time of day (or even the season) of a…

PRICE $89.95 PLATFORM PC, PS5, XBS/X WEB kingdomcomerpg.com Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 might be the most specific RPG I’ve ever played. Everything from its location, to its era, to its combat, to its clothing feels hyper-tuned, dialled in with precision to suit oddball tastes. Like its predecessor, this is a game whose story springs inevitably from the politics of its time and place: the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1403. KCD2 follows on directly from the first game. You’re still Henry of Skalitz: blacksmith’s son, noble bastard, orphaned when mercenaries attacked your town, and companion to Lord Hans Capon of Pirkstein. before long Henry and Hans are AWOL on a quest that sees them jumping through all the mad loopholes and imbrications of 15th-century central European politics, hopping from faction to…