Twitter has today begun rolling out a new feature that it hopes will prevent hostility on the social platform by warning users to reconsider when they are about to post a reply containing "potentially harmful or offensive" language.
The feature was trialled around a year ago, but a company blog post has revealed that the feature will be rolling out to iOS and Android app users from today, starting with accounts that have English-language settings.
If a Twitter user types out a reply with any of the language that the company has deemed harmful, they'll see a warning message asking "Want to review this before tweeting? We're asking people to review replies with potentially harmful or offensive language."
Below the message, users will be given the option to delete, edit or continue tweeting their reply.
Throughout the testing process, Twitter has refined its detection algorithm in order to "capture the nuance in many conversations and [...] differentiate between potentially offensive language, sarcasm, and friendly banter."
The system also takes into consideration the frequency of interaction between the user and replier in question, acknowledging that they may "have a better understanding of preferred tone of communication". It also should be able to detect when "language may be reclaimed by underrepresented communities and used in non-harmful ways".
This is far from the first time that the micro-blogging site has attempted to curb hostility on its platform, with efforts to ban racism and other forms of hate speech, and introduce protection methods (such as a 'safety mode') for users that are being targeted.
Like all successful social media platforms, there's often a debate over where the responsibility lies in censoring, controlling and moderating the millions of users that frequent it – after all, the site itself isn't responsible for the hostility, but rather the people that use it.
With that said, the general consensus among both governments is that the tech companies that run such platforms need to have some degree of accountability for moderating their users' interactions due to the sheer ubiquity of social media. Among the larger of the companies, Twitter has seemingly been one of the more conscious of this responsibility.
Uncropped Twitter images
no bird too tall, no crop too shortintroducing bigger and better images on iOS and Android, now available to everyone pic.twitter.com/2buHfhfRAxMay 5, 2021
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Another, unrelated, announcement from Twitter today sees the company starting to roll out support for larger, uncropped images on both iOS and Android.
While previously, images would be viewed as a 16:9 crop of the original file, now the mobile app will be able to view both 2:1 and 3:4 aspect ratios as previews, without having to expand them.
One of the best things about owning a Peloton Bike is the fact that your workouts are private but earlier this year a security researcher discovered that it was possible to make unauthenticated requests to the company's API to gain access to Peloton users' account data.
Security researcher Jan Masters at the UK-based security firm Pen Test Partners first began looking at the at-home fitness brand's security right around the time that President Biden was inaugurated and revealed that he planned to bring his Peloton Bike to the White House. However, at the time, cybersecurity experts warned that doing so could pose a risk to national security and now it appears that they may have been right.
During his investigation, Masters discovered that as a result of Peloton's exposed API, he could access the user IDs, instructor IDs, group membership, location, workout stats, gender and age of users of the company's online membership program from its servers even if they had their profile set to private.
In mid-January, Masters reported his findings to the company and gave them a 90-day disclosure deadline, as is the industry standard, to patch the bug that allowed unauthenticated users to access the account data of Peloton users.
Exposed API
When the 90-day deadline had come and gone with just an email from Peloton acknowledging that it had seen the bug report, Masters then decided to reach out to TechCrunch which first broke the story.
While the company didn't fix the initial bug, it did restrict access to its API to its members. However, this meant that anyone could have signed up for a monthly digital membership for just $12.99 and accessed the API as well as Peloton user account data.
In the time since though, Peloton has confirmed with TechCrunch that the vulnerability is now fixed. TechRadar Pro also reached out to the company and a Peloton spokesperson explained how it plans to work more closely with security researchers through its Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure program going forward, saying:
“It’s a priority for Peloton to keep our platform secure and we’re always looking to improve our approach and process for working with the external security community. Through our Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure program, a security researcher informed us that he was able to access our API and see information that’s available on a Peloton profile. We took action, and addressed the issues based on his initial submissions, but we were slow to update the researcher about our remediation efforts. Going forward, we will do better to work collaboratively with the security research community and respond more promptly when vulnerabilities are reported. We want to thank Ken Munro for submitting his reports through our CVD program and for being open to working with us to resolve these issues.”
Thanks to a recent online leak, the new Razer Blade 14 may possibly come equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU and an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU.
While any leak should be taken with a grain of salt, this one that was shared by @_rogame seems to line up with what we would anticipate from a new Razer Blade 14. To begin with, the smaller siblings of Razer’s laptop line usually come with somewhat lower-end specs compared to the larger ones.
For instance, the RTX 3060 and Ryzen 5900HX that’s rumored to power the new Razer Blade 14 can’t hold up to the RTX 3080 and 10th gen Intel Core i7 of the bigger and mightier powerful Razer Blade 17 that we tested near the beginning of this year.
While it won’t be as powerful, the Razer Blade 14 will probably be a hard laptop to buy. It won’t be cheap since Razer’s laptops never are. But, it might be slightly more affordable thanks to its specs. And, since it comes with a highly desired RTX 3000 series GPU, it’s possible that cryptominers and resellers will buy up supply as soon as the laptop is launched.
What do we want to see from a Razer Blade 14?
These specs would make the Razer Blade 14 a gaming laptop worth keeping an eye on, but we’d like to see a little more from the iconic manufacturer’s next device.
At the top of our list is portability, as this is a laptop after all. The Razer Blade 14’s smaller screen size gives it an immediate advantage over the Razer Blade 17, but trimming down the laptop’s size and weight, even more, would make it feel like a gaming device you can take on the go.
Another big area in need of improvement is battery life. Gaming laptops by their nature suck up battery thanks to their hardware, but if we could get a little more than the four hours we got out of the Razer Blade 17 in our tests, this would make it feel like you don’t always have to be next to a power source to enjoy your games.
We’ll have to wait and see how the Razer Blade laptop actually shapes up, and as we learn more we’ll be sure to keep you updated.
Leave that old-school router behind with the best mesh Wi-Fi routers. One of these is the most ideal way to ensure a robust, uninterrupted signal in a big area of coverage or in a crowded network.
Unlike typical routers, the best mesh Wi-Fi routers are made up of several units that can be placed around the area you want covered. This design allows them to deliver a strong, continuous connection no matter where you are in your office or home. So, it’s true that you could always add Wi-Fi extenders to give typical wireless routers a boost, one of these mesh Wi-Fi routers will do it better and more efficiently.
Whether you have a network that has a ton of devices all fighting for bandwidth or need to extend your range of coverage, one of the best mesh Wi-Fi routers is the way to go. No one should live or work with a poor network connection these days so take a look at our top picks.
The Google Nest Wifi kicks things up a notch.(Image credit: Google)
1. Google Nest Wifi
Google Wifi and Home together at long last
Speed: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4 GHz/5 GHz simultaneous dual-band | Connectivity: Dual Gigabit Ethernet ports | Features: Advanced security chip, Nest Wifi point with Google Assistant, privacy control
Excellent design
Smart speaker(s) included
Even simpler controls
No major performance gains
Not worth replacing existing mesh
What’s better than the best mesh router? Well, a mesh router with a smart speaker, that’s what. Especially if you’re a smart home fiend, you will appreciate the pure genius of this upgrade in Google’s Wifi line. The Google Nest Wifi kicks things up a notch, taking Google Wifi’s incredible yet simple design and performance then merges it with the convenience of a smart speaker so you’ve got a two-in-one device in an even sleeker and more attractive package. And, if you’re tired of the color white, this one also comes in Mist and Sand colors. As far as the best mesh Wi-Fi routers go, the original Google Wifi is still the one to beat. This one just gives it that extra oomph.
Speed: 802.11ax 4804Mbps down | Connectivity: 2.5 Gigabit Wan, 3 x Gigabit LAN, Gigabit Wan, USB 3.1 | Included mesh nodes: 2 | Features: MU-MIMO, Traffic Analyzer, Adaptive QoS, AiProtection Pro
Great Wi-Fi performance
Good security features
Expensive
Limited to two routers
With the Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8), Asus has managed to introduce Wi-Fi 6 to that other cutting-edge tech in connectivity; mesh routers. While it is among the more expensive options out there and limits you to two mesh routers, the Asus ZenWifi AX offers blazing fast speeds as well as plenty of flexibility in its setup – such as the option to set up one or two networks using the 2.4 and 5GHz bands. With excellent security features to boot, this is a fantastic choice if you’re looking at the best mesh Wi-Fi routers.
Speed: 802.11b/g/n/ax 2.4GHz 2,400Mbps, 802.11a/n/ac/ax 5GHz 2,400Mbps, 802.11a/n/ac/ax 5GHz 1,200Mbps | Connectivity: 1 x Gigabit or 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet WAN or LAN port, 2 x Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, Link Aggregation Mode4 optional; 2 x Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports | Included mesh nodes: up to 4 | Features: Insight App, 4 SSID wireless networks, up to 4X more devices than with WiFi 5
Easy to deploy
6Gbps backhaul
Expensive
Hardly inconspicuous
Sprawling mansions and big companies have demanding network coverage needs that the regular mesh Wi-Fi routers simply can meet, which is why such systems as the Netgear Orbi Pro WiFi 6 exist. This is a powerful piece of kit, even at its most basic configuration, delivering superb Wi-Fi connection over a remarkably large area. If you want the most powerful mesh Wi-Fi, you’ve found it. However, it also comes at a lofty price that most households shouldn’t spend. Invest, but only if it makes technical sense.
Speed: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4 GHz/5 GHz | Connectivity: 3 x Gigabit LAN, 1 x Gigabit WAN, 1 x USB 3.0 | Features: 4x4 MU-MIMO, Next-Gen OFDMA Technology, Tri-Band Dynamic Backhaul
Impressive Wi-Fi 6 performance
4x Ethernet and 1x USB ports
Defaults to single, merged network
The Linksys Velop WiFi 6 AX4200 is proof that Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems can be affordable and accessible, giving big households on a budget an excellent option that still delivers admirable performance and ease of use. If you want to improve your home network’s speed and connectivity, this state of the art mesh system is an ideal solution. That’s especially if you’re ready to future-proof your network with Wi-Fi 6 technology. Those who aren’t as computer savvy will also appreciate that easy-to-use Linksys app.
If you’re ready to jump on the Wi-Fi 6 bandwagon, the Orbi WiFi 6 is your best bet when it comes to getting the best mesh Wi-Fi routers. It’s not by any means a casual purchase, with its steep price tag, but if you’re looking to upgrade to a faster and more reliable router to cover a massive space – like your countryside mansion, perhaps, or your crowded smart home – then this one’s absolutely worth the money. Plus, it’s easy and straightforward to setup, making it great for people who don’t have too much experience with Wi-Fi networks.
Fast mesh networking with Wi-Fi 6 for gaming and video
Speed: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz | Connectivity: 1 x WAN 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet port, 1 x LAN 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet port | Features: WiFi 6 technology, remote management via Nighthawk app
State-of-the-art Wi-Fi 6
Strong Wi-Fi performance
Easy to set up and use
Expensive
Best suited to home over 2000 sq.ft in size
Larger homes need more robust solutions, and while the Netgear Nighthawk MK63 might be an overkill for smaller homes, it’s just the ticket if you have a space of up to 3500 sq.ft and need an extremely reliable network for gaming and 4K video. There are some neat features you’re getting here as well, including the ability to create a guest network and a network map for monitoring all devices connected to your network. There are no parental controls, however, and as long as you can live with that and the high price tag, this might be the best mesh Wi-Fi router for you.
The tri-band Orbi Whole Home AC1200 offers solid performance at a reasonable price.(Image credit: Netgear)
7. Netgear Orbi Whole Home Mesh WiFi System
Fast, affordable, tri-band mesh Wi-Fi
Speed: IEEE 802.11ac dual-band with 1x 2.4GHz (400Mbps), 1x 5GHz (866Mbps) | Connectivity: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet | Features: Beamforming implicit and explicit for 2.4GHz/5GHz bands
Affordable dual-band mesh Wi-Fi system
Good performance
Free parental controls are limited
Only one Ethernet port for wired connections
The tri-band Orbi Whole Home AC1200 offers solid performance at a reasonable price, and will be a good choice for most small and medium-size homes that need to improve their Wi-Fi coverage. It’s simple to set-up and use for newcomers, although Netgear’s decision to use Disney’s subscription-based Circle service for parental controls is discouraging, considering that rival routers and mesh systems have often provided better parental controls for free. The lack of Ethernet ports for wired connections as well as more advanced features in the Orbi app might turn off experienced users as well.
The TP-Link Deco M5 is an affordable way to spread Wi-Fi throughout your home. (Image credit: TP-Link)
8. TP-Link Deco M5
The affordable Wi-Fi Mesh option
Speed: 802.11ac 5GHz down: 76.69 Mbps | Connectivity: 2 x Gigabit ports per Deco M5 unit, 1 x USB Type-C port, Bluetooth 4.2 | Included mesh nodes: 1-3 | Features: Quad-core CPU, MU-MIMO ready, Router-based antivirus, Alexa compatibility
Incredible value
Easy to configure
Slower than compeition
If you’re looking for a way to spread Wi-Fi throughout your home without having to spend a lot of dough, then look into the TP-Link Deco M5. It’s not as speedy as some of the other best mesh Wi-Fi routers on this list, but if you’re not too concerned about getting the maximum theoretical throughput, which you probably won’t be able to take full advantage of anyway, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Setup, similar to the other devices here, is a breeze, even if you’re not tech-savvy. The TP-Link Deco M5 is among the best wireless mesh routers for those who don’t want to get too technical.
You’ll find a lot to love in the Ubiquiti Amplifi HD. (Image credit: Ubiquiti)
9. Ubiquiti Amplifi HD
Style backed by power
Speed: 802.11AC 5GHz down: 74.1Mbps | Connectivity: 1 x Gigabit WAN, 4 x Gigabit LAN | Mesh nodes: 1 x router, 2 x nodes | Features: Modular network coverage, modern design, LCD touchscreen
Modern aesthetic
Extremely powerful
Expensive
If you love Apple’s design philosophy, enjoy having attractive gadgets set up around your home and have more than enough extra money sitting around, then the Ubiquiti Amplifi HD is the perfect mesh router for you. You’ll find a lot to love with this device, especially if you live in a large house and can take advantage of the full power that this mesh Wi-Fi setup provides, as it’s capable of a very large amount of throughput. You might find that the value diminishes quite a bit when you live in a smaller space however, since there are more affordable alternatives on hand for small to medium homes. The Ubiquiti Amplifi HD may be pricey, but you’re paying for a piece of tech that both exudes style and a ton of substance. That’s more than enough to justify the price tag, making this a great addition to the best wireless mesh routers list.
There’s something to be said about the simplicity that the Linksys Velop delivers. (Image credit: Linksys)
10. Linksys Velop
Paying for simplicity
Speed: 802.11ac 5GHz down: 117.46Mbps | Connectivity: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet ports per unit (1 WAN and 1 LAN port each) | Included mesh nodes: 1-3 | Features: Guided setup, Modular, Easy parental controls, Auto-fix
Simple r
Simple setup
Expensive
While it’s expensive and not quite as powerful as the other Wi-Fi mesh routers on this list, there’s something to be said about the simplicity that the Linksys Velop offers. It might come with a heftier price than the competition, but the Velop will appeal to people who need to create a Wi-Fi network and want to avoid setting it up. More tech-savvy users will most likely look elsewhere – why spend money when you can do the work yourself for free? However, for most users, the Linksys Velop is among the best wireless mesh routers because of the convenience it offers from the start. It’s also completely modular, so you only have to pick up as many nodes as you actually need – one node will cover up to 2,000 square feet.
The best MMO games, also known as Massively Multiplayer Online games, set themselves apart from the crowd thanks to their nature. Playing one gives you a unique gameplay experience because not only are you offered an almost completely empty canvas to start with, but you’re also exploring and interacting with thousands of other players from all over the world in vast fictional worlds.
In essence, the best MMO games will let you lead an alternate life in an alternate version of yourself. You can create and customize your own avatar, which you can build through interactions, battling and leveling up. That’s while you’re doing things like meeting new people and going on new adventures, offering a sense of freedom and a taste of things you may never experience in your everyday life.
There’s a reason why the MMO games are well-loved. Even online giant Amazon is coming out with its own entry named New World, which takes place in the 17th century. Regardless of whether you’re looking for your first MMO, a new adventure to dive into, or in its popular variant, the MMORPG (RPG stands for Role Playing Game), we’ve collected the best MMO games for you to dig into.
Let's face it, this was an obvious one. Blizzard's World of Warcraft has been going since around 2004 and it's been the reigning champion of the MMO genre for a long time. But, in that time, it's changed quite a lot.
World of Warcraft is one of the most successful and influential games in the genre, with new content frequently being added for a thriving, dedicated player base. If subscriber numbers look like they're wavering even slightly, you can be sure Blizzard will come out with another great expansion to corral everyone back into the fold and maybe bring some newbies with them.
Its latest expansion, World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, has to be among the best expansions in its history, offering stunning visuals on top of excellent dungeons and a linear questing system as well as a whole slew of exciting new content.
World of Warcraft is kind of essential for anyone interested in the high fantasy MMORPG and we can’t see it being knocked from prominence any time soon.
What’s the payment structure? Free trial up to level 20, then a monthly subscription fee
Planetside 2
(Image credit: Rogue Planet Games/Daybreak Game Company)
Planetside 2 is a first-person shooter on a massive scale. If you're not interested in the kind of granular play offered by games like Black Desert Online, then this game's focus on all out war against other players might appeal to you.
The game revolves around three factions in a constant state of war. Players choose their faction and then spend their time attacking and defending bases on a huge map to remain ahead of the competition. One day you could be on the attack, the next you could be desperately defending. Either way you're always fighting.
Planetside 2 is now seven years old and, though it doesn't have quite the same popularity or player base as it once did, it offers something a little different to the rest of the MMOs on this list.
Rather than a sprawling world with endless choice, Secret World Legends is an MMO which places a lot of focus on storytelling. If you're tired out by the usual high fantasy and space fare, this is a game which is set in a world very close to our own. Well, kind of. It's our world if cults, mythological creatures, crazy conspiracies and supernatural phenomenons were commonplace.
There's more than 100 hours of story to enjoy here and players are able to explore locations all over the world and take part in a range of missions to unlock the mysteries of the world.
While it's possible to play through the story on your own, you can also team up with others and adventure with players from across the world.
If you're looking for player-versus-player combat then you should definitely give Guild Wars 2 some of your time. Whether you like fighting other players in contained structured modes or you'd be interested in fighting against hundreds across sprawling maps in World-versus-World mode, Guild Wars has you covered.
For those that don't enjoy the grinding that's traditionally involved in MMOs then Guild Wars 2 will also appeal – this is an accessible game and it doesn't try to copy World of Warcraft. The game's world is dynamic and player decisions have real consequences which promises a story that feels individual.
You can download the base game for free on the official site.
What can I play it on? PC
What's the payment structure? You can download the base game for free and then each expansion is buy-to-play
Lord of the Rings Online
(Image credit: Standing Stone Games)
Few fictional worlds are as perfect for the MMO treatment as Tolkein's Middle-earth. Sure, Frodo's adventure was thrilling, but we all know we could have one equally as exciting if we had the chance.
You get to choose between being a Human, Elf, Dwarf or Hobbit before you drop into Middle-earth and explore the locations you know and love with an intimacy that no other Lord of the Rings game has allowed.
You can expect to find the usual World of Warcraft style of questing here, alongside crafting mechanics and the ability to purchase and set up a home. Overall, it's a pretty standard MMORPG in terms of mechanics, but its setting really helps it stand out.
Though the game is free-to-play, there are expansions available for purchase which add to the game's story and introduce new items and mechanics. Even better for Tolkien fans: the storylines follow in line with the books.
What's the payment model? Free-to-play, with purchasable DLC and optional subscription
The Elder Scrolls Online
(Image credit: Bethesda)
It's been a while since the last mainline Elder Scrolls release, and we're pretty sure it'll be a while until the next one, so if you're a fan looking to breathe fresh life into Tamriel, Elder Scrolls Online is an excellent option.
Like Final Fantasy XIV, this is a game that struggled initially. But since dropping its subscription fees for a buy-to-play model, perception has dramatically improved. Despite being one of the most modern and recent MMOs to hit the market, Elder Scrolls Online has really picked up traction, which is undoubtedly helped by being in a recognizable universe that many wish to return to.
After the success of Morrowind, Elder Scrolls Online has had several DLC updates including Summerset, Wolfhunter and Murkmire.
Here you'll find the traditional Elder Scrolls viewpoint and combat but it’s all neatly tied in with those traditional MMO features like looting, crafting systems and PvP and PvE missions.
What can I play it on? PS4, Xbox One, PC
What's the payment structure? Buy-to-play
Runescape
(Image credit: Jagex)
Like World of Warcraft, Runescape is one of those names that's renowned in the MMO world, partly because it's one of the oldest games in the genre still going. And yet, with its user base managing to double in 2018, it's still very much alive and kicking.
Originally a browser-only game, over the years Runescape has expanded into its own program with vastly improved visuals and mechanics. At its heart, though, it remains a game that's dedicated to giving players freedom in combat and questing. It's perhaps for this reason that it remains one of the most popular and updated games in the MMO genre.
What can I play it on? PC and Android Early Access with iOS coming in 2020
What's the payment structure? Free-to-play but can pay monthly membership for extra content - membership also includes mobile access
Black Desert Online
(Image credit: Pearl Abyss)
Black Desert Online certainly isn't one of the more accessible games on this list, but it's one that you may find it worth investing some time into. As a Korean MMO, it does place a heavy emphasis on grinding, but for anyone looking for in-depth profession and crafting systems, it's a contender.
More than many other MMOs, this is one that will try to draw you into a second life. It also has one of the most robust character creation systems in the genre. This is a game that has something to engage with on big and small scales. Want to fish and farm? You can do that. But you can also take part in guild wars and sieges past a certain level.
Don't expect a vast story here – this is very much a sandbox game where you craft your own story and adventure.
But there are various systems and mechanics to engage with and connecting them together can be rewarding, even if the process proves time-consuming and complicated.
Black Desert Online is a complex but stunning game. It has its problems, but its move from PC onto Playstation and Xbox One has only made it more relevant for a mainstream audience.
What can I play it on? PC, Xbox One, PS4
What's the payment structure? Buy-to-play with optional in-game purchases
Eve Online
(Image credit: CCP Games)
There's been a lot of high fantasy in this list so far – but if you're more of a space age type then you might want to take a look at Eve Online.
A word of warning, though: we said Black Desert Online is complicated but Eve Online edges to beat it. This is a game world that's been going for 17 years and it's become somewhat infamous for being one of uncaring betrayal. While you can do whatever you want in the game, just remember that others can do whatever they want. And sometimes that involves ruining you. Space colonization is a tough game and there's no room for lasting friendships.
Eve Online is kind of the ultimate in sandbox MMO gaming – it's a game world driven by its playerbase; a playerbase capable of dragging out wars and schemes over periods of months with plenty of fighting, smuggling and sabotage in between.
Just because it's not the easiest game to learn doesn't mean you can't do it, though. Unlike the creators of Black Desert Online, over the years developer CCP has attempted to make it slightly more accessible and the developer has put together a thorough and helpful tutorial for beginners.
Besides, sometimes there's no better lesson than getting something horrifically wrong. The introduction of a free-to-play option is also a great chance to dip your toes in and see if you're interested in delving deeper.
What's the payment structure? Free-to-play or subscription
Final Fantasy XIV
(Image credit: Square Enix)
It's not been an easy journey for this Final Fantasy MMO. First launched in 2010 to an overwhelmingly negative response (and for good reason), Square Enix then spent two years reworking and rebuilding it to create something much better.
In its latest and vastly improved form, Final Fantasy XIV is a game that will appeal to franchise fans and newcomers alike.
Boasting an accomplished class system and a story that builds steadily over the game's various expansions, this is an MMO which really captures the essence of the Final Fantasy franchise with plenty of fan service.
What can I play it on? PS4 and PC
What's the payment structure? Buy-to-play
Best PS4 games: the most essential PlayStation 4 releases
There’s probably not a more popular graphics card than the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti that has yet to see the light of day. But, thanks to all the rumors and leaks bubbling up, it’s possible that we could be seeing it, with 12GB of VRAM no less, in the wild very soon, possibly as soon as May 26th, according to a recent rumor. In fact, a picture of a third party model just surfaced seemingly confirming the imminent launch of the new RTX card.
Since it’s almost impossible to get hands on a newer graphics card and the RTX 3080 is already a spectacular card, why would Nvidia decide to launch the RTX 3080 Ti now? Well, there’s actually a good reason if you take a closer look at Nvidia’s entry-level Ampere card, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060. It’s probably not a good look that the 3060, which launched in February 2021, comes with more VRAM than the flagship RTX 3080. And, as game textures get more complicated, especially at higher resolutions, you’ll soon want 10GB of VRAM at the minimum.
And, with its rumored price tag of $1,099 / £800 / AU$1,420, it sits nicely between the RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 as another high end option. To help keep you up to date with all the news regarding the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, we’ll update this page with any new rumors, leaks, and news regarding this GPU.
Cut to the chase
What is it? Nvidia's next high-end graphics card
When is it out? Anticipated to be May 26 2021
What will it cost? TBD but it's not going to be cheap
(Image credit: Future)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti release date
Rumors about the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti's release date have been all over the place. We've heard everything from October 2020 to May 2021. The former obviously wasn't true, but it was supposedly going to be launched to fight against the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT and RX 6900 XT. Turns out that wasn't needed.
Currently, the word on the street is that it's going to be launching on May 26 2021. We're finally in that time frame, though, and we still haven't heard anything concrete from Nvidia. Team Green did launch the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti with absolutely no fanfare in December 2020, so it's possible it'll do the same thing here.
Either way, it's likely that Nvidia won't be announcing the RTX 3080 Ti until it's absolutely ready to hit store shelves. With the ongoing GPU shortage, it's unlikely that the company is going to engage in a huge hype campaign for yet another high-end graphics card.
(Image credit: Future)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti price
For all the rumors that have been swirling around about the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, pretty much none of them have involved the price of the card at all. And that's probably for a good reason.
Right now, with how hard it is to buy a graphics card, and with aftermarket card manufacturers continually raising their prices, it's probably hard to nail down exactly where the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is going to sit. But, it's probably going to be pretty expensive.
As we'll dive into a little bit later, the leaks and rumors are pointing to the RTX 3080 Ti basically being an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 with half the VRAM. That card is $1,499 (£1,399, around AU$2,030) MSRP, with the actual selling prices being, well, a lot higher.
If we were to guess right now, based purely on speculation, we would say it'll probably land in about the same spot as the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, with the Founders Edition card selling for $1,199 (£1,099, AU$1,899).
(Image credit: Future)
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti specs and performance
Because Nvidia hasn't come out and revealed the RTX 3080 Ti specs, we really don't know what the card will be able to do. But that doesn't mean that there isn't a whole lot of discourse and rumors about what the supposed graphics card will look like.
The most controversial spec so far has been the amount of VRAM that'll be included. Initially we were expecting the RTX 3080 Ti to come with 20GB of GDDR6X memory, due to the 320-bit memory interface on the RTX 3080. However, recent rumors have pointed to the RTX 3080 Ti having 12GB instead – the same amount as the RTX 3060.
That would point to a 384-bit memory bus, but it does raise the question why Nvidia would limit it to 12GB instead of 24GB. Because when Nvidia launched the GeForce RTX 3060, we were told that the reason the company equipped that graphics card with the 12GB of VRAM instead of the 6GB that would perhaps be more appropriate for a 1080p GPU, Nvidia wanted to provide its users with the most RAM it could for the memory bus.
We're not saying that the rumors about the RTX 3080 Ti having just 12GB of VRAM are wrong – in fact, they're probably right – but it would seem counter to Nvidia's rationale behind the 3060 having so much VRAM.
Given the competing cards from Nvidia all have 16GB of VRAM, launching a flagship-level card with less than that doesn't seem too likely. Keep in mind we're the same folks that thought the RTX 3090 was fake, so we could totally be wrong on this.
Then again, the GPU that was supposedly slated to be behind the RTX 3080 Ti has since appeared in RTX 3090s, so limiting the VRAM to 12GB could be a way to just make the RTX 3080 Ti a more affordable version of the RTX 3090 – with most gamers not needing as much VRAM as Nvidia's monster GPU provides.
But another recent rumor even goes in the face of that, suggesting that the RTX 3080 Ti will have 10,240 CUDA cores, instead of the previous rumored spec of 10,496 cores – the latter of which being the same spec as the RTX 3090.
Even if the RTX 3080 Ti has been cut down to 10,240 CUDA cores, that would be a massive jump over the RTX 3080's 8,704 cores, which would make the RTX 3080 Ti an absolute beast at 1080p.
