Huge screen, tiny computer: innovations in the gaming world

The difference between the standard NUC and the Ghost Canyon is the configuration and upgrade capabilities. This computer does not look like an enlarged matchbox, but rather like an enlarged video card, in which the CPU and memory are combined together with all the inputs and outputs you need. This unit can be integrated into one of several packages that support it, from various manufacturers. I received the NC100 from Cooler Master, which allows you to put a standard video card in addition to the computer unit. In this case, the case came with RTX2080.

In practice, equipped with an i9-9980 processor along with 32GB of memory, the Ghost Canyon (or in its full name NUC 9 Extreme Compute Element H) differs in performance from a modern gaming computer where all of these components are located separately. Intel simply packed them more efficiently at the cost of giving up standard connections.

The most noticeable difference between this case and the case of almost any other gaming computer is that this computer is more similar in size to a console. It’s no problem to put it on a large desktop, and specifically this case is well ventilated enough to keep the computer quiet most of the time. The noise comes mainly from the video card when you ask it for requests that are on the verge of irrationality.

The main disadvantage of the computer is that its modularity depends on the whims of Intel. These are not components that can be found in any computer store, and you can only upgrade the computer until Intel decides enough. But if you are tired of large gaming computers, and you are willing to pay more to get less (in terms of volume, at least), this is one of the most interesting solutions on the market today.

Price: starting at NIS 4,000

To know if this is the card for you, all you need to do is answer one question: Do you want to play 4K? If the answer is yes, the 3070 is not the right choice. It’s not powerful enough to run modern games in 4K at high settings with a reasonable refresh rate. Even if the game supports DLSS, which makes it easier for the card to output a 4K image at a high rate, you can still expect speeds below 60 frames.

On the other hand, in a 1440p screen this card will give your screen more frames per second than the screen can digest in almost any modern game. From Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War to Control, I got more than 100 frames per second with no problem. Even with ray tracking, you will have no problem reaching 60 frames. This is better performance than the flagship card of the previous generation, RTX 2080, at a significantly lower price. If one concludes the passing of the games about their future, it means that the 3070 will remain a relevant card for at least the next 4-6 years. It also means that if you have a GTX1080 or previous generation card, this is the time to upgrade – especially if you want a higher resolution screen.

The one problem that must be mentioned is that the demand for this video card is higher than its supply. Although several months have passed since its launch, and there are quite a few manufacturers in the market that manufacture it, the condition of the stores’ stores is still not alarming.

Price: $ 499, variable price in Israel

Samsung’s Odyssey G9 is one of the most expensive gaming screens on the market today. This is not very surprising, since it is an ultra-wide screen with a 49 (!) Inch QLED panel, with a resolution of 5,120×1,440. Yes, that means it’s not 4K, and it’s a good thing – even with this resolution you’ll need a powerful video card to run games at a reasonable pace.

The first week with this screen, I was mostly busy complaining. It’s convex, and I have a hard time with convex screens. Managing windows on such a wide screen is not very convenient. And I’m used to working with two screens, but when it comes to one ultra-wide screen it feels different. It envelops the field of view and takes over your attention.

which? First of all, its connections panel includes a really inconvenient access. It is usually generally hidden behind a plastic part that needs to be torn off and reassembled every time you want to disconnect or plug something in. Second, the screen takes up a lot of space on the table, thanks to its legs, which need to be long to stabilize it. Third, the screen I got made clicks.

When I say clicks, I mean sound. Occasionally, usually a few minutes after turning on the screen, I would start to hear a very plastic clicking sound. I’m not the only one – there are several reports on the net, with the reason probably being that in some units, the plastic back of the screen heats up (and as a result expands) at a different rate than the panel itself. I mention this because Samsung told me this is not a proper matter. If you are purchasing the Odyssey G9 and the screen is making noise, contact for service.

Price: about NIS 8,000

One of the questions that is always asked when it comes to gaming hardware is “what’s the next step?”. And in recent years, one of the popular answers is 4K 144hz VRR HDR: games running at 4K resolution, and a refreshing rate that can reach 144 Hz, with HDR (better color display). The resolution provides the sharpness, the refresh rate makes the movement smoother and more pleasing to the eye, and support for a variable refresh rate causes the screen to display only the images that the video card sends to it. why is it important? To avoid a situation called Screen Tearing in which the screen actually tries to display several frames at once and the image seems to be cropped.

I took from LG their 27 GN950 to see what this future looks like. This is one of the best 4K screens for gamers on the market today. It meets all the requirements – 4K with a refresh rate of 144 Hz and support for both NVIDIA’s G-sync standard and AMD’s Freesync for synchronization between the video card and the video itself. If we ignore the fact that it has unnecessary LED lighting on the back (well, a gaming screen or not a gaming screen), this is one of the best screens I have ever used. Not very surprising, given its price. And it’s also worth noting that it goes through a factory calibration, so you won’t have to play around much with settings to get a good color display. It is bright, has very effective regional lighting that reduces light leakage, and a very low response time.

But what interested us about this screen is its potential to show us the future of computer gaming. Let’s say right now – today it is a very expensive pleasure. Most consumer video cards still have difficulty with 4K even at a slower rate. But when we took the RTX3080 and connected it to this screen, you could see why it was a place the industry was aiming for – but not one that was within touching distance yet.

One of the cutest products to hit the shelves recently is the Game & Watch Super Mario Bros. From the outside, it looks like one of the original Game & Watch machines. These were created in the 80s, and most of them included a tiny screen with a few buttons around it, pre-loaded games and the ability to display a watch (the Watch in Game & Watch).

But we are not in the 80s, so the screen is not an antique LCD that turns on and off pre-designed components, but a modern color LCD. And the loaded games are just full versions of Super Mario Bros. and the game known as Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan (but distributed around the world as The Lost Levels, and is not a particularly good game), along with Ball – the first Game & Watch game to come out. And yes, of course there is also a watch.

So while the screen is new, and the machine is charged via USB-C, the gaming experience is not exactly modern. These are old games where you play on a 2.5-inch screen. In other words, it’s not exactly a replacement for a Nintendo switch or even for any modern smartphone.