A G-Sync or FreeSync monitoris a must for any gamer looking for the highest level of performance. If you thought that having a powerful PC capable of running your games at a high frame rate was good enough, think again. This article will explain all of the factors you will need to consider in order to improve your PC game playing experience.
Everything you need to know about V-Sync, G-Sync, and FreeSync
Whether you own a veritable war machine or a more modest PC, if you have ever experienced lagging or image tearing, the problem may lie with your display. Most PC monitors have a refresh rate of 60 Hz (meaning that the entirety of the displayed content is redrawn 60 times per second).
Historically, PC video games have been designed with a keyboard and mouse in mind; it is difficult to imagine playing a round of StarCraft or Battlefield 1942 without using either of these indispensable accessories. Nevertheless, things have changed with time and an increasing number of gamers have become seduced by the advantages of using a gamepad on their PC or have altogether transitioned towards playing on a gaming console. Football simulators, racing games, platform games… there are many types of games for which a gamepad has become the preferred control device. The convergence of gaming consoles and PCs which we have been witnessing over the last few years has motivated many gamers to use their console controllers (PS4 / Xbox) on their computers and vice versa.
In order to clarify things, we created the following table in which we list the controllers we found to be the most interesting for use on a PC. We established this ranking by comparing a long list of controllers which can be found in a table at the end of this article (along with our opinion about each one). In the following paragraphs, we will cover some of the key factors you should consider when selecting a gamepad for use on your PC.
How to choose a gamepad
The notion of using a gamepad for PC gaming has become well-established. However, as is often the case when dealing with PC hardware, there is a vast array of different gaming controllers available on the market (each one of which has its own specific characteristics). What’s more, there are just as many manufacturers of gaming controllers as there are different models (each one of which claims to be the best). To complicate matters even further, there are many other factors to consider… Should you choose a wired or a wireless gamepad? Can a PlayStation 4 controller be easily used on a PC? Are there any controllers that can be used as a replacement for a mouse? Is a good controller necessarily very expensive? We will attempt to provide answers to all of these questions in an effort to help you find the best gaming controller for use on your PC.
What type of controller should you choose?
Wired or wireless?
Not that long ago, wireless gaming controllers still suffered from a bad reputation due to their supposedly high latency (a delay between the pressing of a button and the signal’s arrival at a PC). While some hardcore gamers may still shun wireless gamepads for this reason, nowadays, latency is no longer an issue for commercially available gaming controllers. At the very least, you can rest assured that none of the controllers we have included in our selection suffer from latency problems.
As a result, the question of “wired or wireless” comes down to practical considerations as well as individual preferences. You should consider the fact that a wired controller will always be ready-to-use and will never quit on you at a critical moment during your gaming session. Wireless controllers rely on batteries or a power pack which can “run dry”; because of this, wireless gaming controllers are also usually heavier than their wired counterparts.
Very popular among people interested in surfing and downloading anonymously, VPNs are a good solution for securing computers, smartphones, and other connected devices. In the following paragraphs, you will find a basic overview of what VPNs are, as well as how to install and configure them.
What is a VPN?
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. A VPN is a utility that makes it possible to surf the internet worry-free and completely anonymously (we will come back to this point later). Since VPNs ensure the complete anonymity of their users, they are very popular among people who download files illegally. However, VPNs can be useful for many other things as well.
When should you use a VPN?
First of all, a VPN can be used to protect a server from outside threats (a DDoS attack, for instance). A VPN can also be used for downloading files on a P2P network, as previously mentioned. Last, but not least, VPNs are used in certain parts of the world for watching TV programs and accessing prohibited sites or services.
How does a VPN work?
A VPN creates a direct connection between two computers – “insulating” the traffic generated by a remote computer. This insulation will prevent your traffic from being intercepted and analyzed by unwanted parties and will provide you with a measure of protection against hackers (since there will be no direct interaction between your internet connection and other internet traffic). A VPN can be thought of as a tunnel whose walls will protect you from prying eyes and external threats as you travel from point A to B.
Security is one of the essential components of what is commonly referred to as the “Smart Home”. Surveillance is what these small IP cameras do best; they serve as tiny sentinels that watch over your home in your absence. If any movement is detected, you are immediately alerted via your smartphone which you can also use to access your cameras at any time – without the need for a computer.
The installation of this type of personalized and economical video surveillance system can be done without professional assistance: all of the cameras hand-picked and tested by Tom’s Guide can be installed by just about anyone. The manufacturers of these cameras claim that their systems only take a few minutes to install, but as you will read further on, this is not always the case.
Our VPN Expert Alex has Analysed more than 24 VPN Providers for you, Looking Thoroughly at Security Standards and Speed.
If you decide for NordVPN, you are guaranteed to end up in safe hands: The provider from Panama not only combines a really mature encryption technology with intuitive usage, but also offers a hundred percent anonymity for your personal data [or usage information]: At the registration already, NordVPN only needs your email address and a payment method, which can also be called "Bitcoin".
This way, NordVPN offers the maximum possible anonymity. Additionally, this platform [or bundle of features] excels through its advanced tools like the Smartplay service, which greatly simplifies your streaming with Netflix or Amazon Prime, for instance.
Windows 10 and Xbox One (S & X) support movies, [TV] series and games in Dolby Atmos. We help with setup and often-occurring first sound issues. Modern sound bars work with additional speakers, which direct Atmos sounds towards the ceiling. The room reflects the sound from above back to the viewer. Whoever wants to use …
The best product for beginners is unquestionably the FlashForge Finder 3D. While it is very affordable, it still provides good print quality. It is also highly compact – which could be an important consideration depending on your particular setup and type of usage.
The best semi-professional model is the Dremel Digilab 3D45. Belonging to a higher class of product, it offers very good print quality (even for highly detailed objects).
The best 3D printers retailing for under 500$
3D printers retailing for less than 500 euros are generally geared towards beginners. While these printers are not precise enough to produce industrial prototypes, they are perfect for taking your first steps into the world of 3D printing without spending much money.
You will, however, want to avoid very inexpensive 3D printers which are often of poor quality – making them, for all intents and purposes, unusable.
You should also be aware of the fact that models in this price range often have quite a limited print volume and limited print resolution.
XYW Da Vinci Mini: an inexpensive and efficient 3D printer
Pro
Low price
Good print quality
Easy to use
Fast printing
Con
Limited material types
Limited to using XYZ filament
The Da Vinci Mini is the first 3D printer that we recommend in this guide and while it retails for a very low price, the quality of its printed objects is very respectable.
This is how you free your hard disk from data junk as your computer might respond more and more slowly, turning it on takes even longer and when storage space becomes scarce. Our guide provides valuable tips on how to free your computer from useless ballast. If your PC or laptop isn’t as fast as …
The age of 4K gaming is already here with the launch of PS4 PRO and XBOX ONE X. People who were involved in the gaming niche didn’t quite think that gaming devices with 4k rendering capability would come into play anytime soon. But all of their thoughts were destroyed with the giants in the console …
While the paid versions of Avast and AVG use the same antivirus engine, they differ greatly in price: AVG retails for 99.99$ whereas Avast retails for 119$. Why is there such a difference in price between these two applications? We decided to find out…
On the one hand, Avast Ultimate charges 119.99$ for protecting a single computer. On the other hand, AVG Ultimate charges 99.99€ for protecting an unlimited number of devices. Since both of these programs are built around the same antivirus engine, what could possibly justify the difference in price between them? Which one should you choose?
Avast is a very popular brand in the USA, namely because of its free antivirus protection service: Avast Free Antivirus. Two years ago, this Czech software developer was bought out by its main rival in the world of free antivirus protection, AVG (which is also a Czech company). While both of these brands have preserved their respective visual identities (different user interfaces), technically, they both rely on Avast’s antivirus engine.
As a result, the question of “wired or wireless” comes down to practical considerations as well as individual preferences. You should consider the fact that a wired controller will always be ready-to-use and will never quit on you at a critical moment during your gaming session. Wireless controllers rely on batteries or a power pack which can “run dry”; because of this, wireless gaming controllers are also usually heavier than their wired counterparts.
Very popular among people interested in surfing and downloading anonymously, VPNs are a good solution for securing computers, smartphones, and other connected devices. In the following paragraphs, you will find a basic overview of what VPNs are, as well as how to install and configure them.