By Matt Espineli on Sep 29, 2017 08:30 pm
Taking Advantage Of Your Time At Fort Joy
Divinity Original Sin II is an RPG filled to the brim with clever dialogue and hidden secrets, so much so that you could spend well over 10 hours in the opening area, Fort Joy, alone. To help you make the most of your early adventures across Rivellon, we've highlighted nine cool things you might've missed in the fort. Be wary; there are potential spoilers ahead. Was there anything you can do at Fort Joy that we missed? Let us know in the comments below. For more about the acclaimed RPG, be sure to read our Divinity: Original Sin II review. The game is out now for PC, but it's been in Steam Early Access for almost a year. It's the sequel to our 2014 PC Game of the Year, Divinity: Original Sin, and it netted over $2 million from 40,000 fans on Kickstarter. It features over 1,200 characters, all of them fully voice-acted. For more on how to better play Divinity: Original Sin II, check out our in-depth guides below:
Grab The Bedroll and Shovel
From the moment you wash ashore on the beach, it's clear that you'll need to work your way up from the bottom. Luckily, some essential, yet easy-to-miss items are nearby. On a partially crumbled platform nearby, you can find a bedroll, which allows you to easily heal your party outside of battle, as well as a shovel, which you can use to uncover treasures whenever you come across a mound. It's possible to get a lizard character to dig for you, but where's the fun in that?
Save The Black Cat!
Before you actually reach Fort Joy, you'll come across a black cat that takes an immediate liking to you and starts to follow you. If you've got the Pet Pal talent, you can chat with the cat a little, but you'll want to do everything in your power to keep it alive. That means no walking through fire, stepping in poison, or getting too close to superstitious guards. If you manage to keep the cat alive, you'll be handsomely rewarded with a new companion. When you leave Fort Joy, the cat will become a familiar, meaning you can summon him in and outside of battle to use its teleport ability.
The Gloves Of Teleportation
If you're in the market for some flashy looking armor, try getting the Teleportation gloves. To acquire them, talk to Gawin inside Fort Joy and tell him you're interested in his plan. Head to the beach he marks on your map and kill the pack of crocodiles. Retrieve the Teleportation Gloves from the dead body and then return to Gawin. Follow him until he inevitably dies, thus completing the quest. With this handy pair of gloves, you can teleport in combat, warp your party members behind an enemy for a sneak attack, help circumvent environmental obstacles outside of combat, or even use it on any random NPC or inanimate object.
The Healing Ring
The Teleportation Gloves aren't the only cool piece of equipment you can find in Fort Joy. There's also a Healing Ring you can obtain from the quest, The Murderous Gheist. Magister Yarrow will ask you to confront and bring back Migo, a missing inmate who's now a grotesque-looking monster. Unless you've got a Yarrow Flower on you, you're gonna have to fight him for the Healing Ring. Once you retrieve it, you're required to give it back in order to complete the quest. Your options are as follows: - Give it back and lose that cool healing ring, you doofus.
- Keep it and have a cool healing ring.
- Give it back, kill Yarrow, and have a cool healing ring, you murderer.
Like all things in Divinity: Original Sin II, the choice is up to you.
Battling In The Arena
Fancy a fight? Then the arena is perfect for you. Find and talk to Noosey near the Fort Joy Ghetto to receive the quest, and enter the arena through the trapdoor on the ground. Speak to the leader of the arena and defeat the contenders. After you win, you have a chance to choose a reward and you'll be deemed as "the One." With your new title, you can visit a blacksmith to remove your Source Collar, which actually, if you do it too early, could pose a problem for your character. While this might be the easiest way to remove it, the magisters that you run into will promptly throw you into prison, making getting anything done in town a hassle. We highly recommend getting further into the game before taking on the Arena.
Find Your Companions
What's an adventure without some great party members to experience it with? While it's entirely possible to go at it alone, you'll want to recruit some hardy teammates to help you in your journey, and Fort Joy is the first and most convenient place to do it. The Red Prince, Ifan, Lohse, Sebille, Beast, and Fane are all situated in various spots around Fort Joy, waiting for you to pick them up. Here's where you can find each of them: While you're free to seek out each of these characters, keep in mind that you can only have four party members at a time. Luckily, you're free to swap between them all during this section of the game, but you'll inevitably have to give a few of them the boot once you complete Fort Joy. In addition, don't forget to complete their character quests. They'll give you plenty of backstory, as well as some sweet loot, but perhaps more importantly, doing the quests early will affect your companions' attitudes towards you.
Pick Up All The Books
As a rule of thumb: always pick up and read as many books as possible. These crafting books have recipes for spells, food, and other helpful items. Fort Joy is filled with books, so make sure to acquire as many books as you can there, so you're not struggling to find a good recipe later on.
Make Sure To Talk To All The Animals
If you have the Pet Pal skill (if you don't, then why don't you? It literally lets you talks to animals), make sure to talk to every single animal you encounter. Not only do you receive funny dialogue, but you also unlock new quest opportunities. For example, if you talk to the dog named Buddy at the beach, he'll ask you to find his mate at a nearby castle. Animals offer plenty of fun experiences well worth seeking out.
Check Vendors Every 30 Minutes
In the beginning of your adventure, it's important to get your hands on as many good weapons, armor, and recipes as you can. You'll find a fair amount of these items for sale at the local vendor, but if nothing they have suits your tastes or budgetary constraints, fret not. Vendors stock new items every half hour, so make sure to check back often as you never know what useful items you can purchase that could help you in your early runnings.
By Oscar Dayus on Sep 29, 2017 03:33 pm
Everything You Need To Know About Destiny 2's Faction Rallies
Destiny 2's Faction Rallies are now live, bringing with them exclusive rewards packages including weapons, armor, and shaders. Three factions are currently available, each of which you can pledge your allegiance to and hence work towards those rewards. To join a faction, simply talk to its leader in the Traveler. Arach Jalaal (who represents the Dead Orbit faction) and Lakshmi-2 (Future War Cult) are situated in the Hangar, while Executor Hideo (New Monarchy) is currently in the Bazaar. You can see their locations and what gear they have to offer (that we've gotten our hands on so far) in this gallery, along with the exclusive "powerful" weapon that each one offers. You can obtain these items by trading them for Rewards Tokens, which you earn by "destroy supplies in Lost Sectors and doing Public Events, Crucible matches, strikes, and the Leviathan Raid." The Powerful weapon, meanwhile, will be sold to all players next week for 50,000 glimmer, though members of the winning team will only need to part with 1,000 glimmer. The winner will be named at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST on October 3 (3 AM AEST on October 4 in Australia). For more, check out the latest Destiny 2 update 1.0.3 patch notes or our Destiny 2 raid guide.
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Executor Hideo (New Monarchy)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Executor Hideo Location
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - New Monarchy Powerful Weapon
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - New Monarchy Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - New Monarchy Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - New Monarchy Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - New Monarchy Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - New Monarchy Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - New Monarchy Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - New Monarchy Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - New Monarchy Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - New Monarchy Weapons
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - New Monarchy Weapons
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - New Monarchy Weapons
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - New Monarchy Weapons
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Arach Jalaal (Dead Orbit)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Arach Jalaal Location
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Dead Orbit Powerful Weapon
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Dead Orbit Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Dead Orbit Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Dead Orbit Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Dead Orbit Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Dead Orbit Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Dead Orbit Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Dead Orbit Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Dead Orbit Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Dead Orbit Weapons
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Dead Orbit Weapons
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Dead Orbit Weapons
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Dead Orbit Weapons
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Laksmhi-2 (Future War Cult)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Laksmhi-2 Location
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Powerful Weapon
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Weapons
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Weapons
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Weapons
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Weapons
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear (Titan)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear (Titan)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear (Titan)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear (Titan)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear (Titan)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear (Titan)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear (Warlock)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear (Warlock)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear (Warlock)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear (Warlock)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear (Warlock)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear (Warlock)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Future War Cult Gear (Warlock)
Destiny Faction Rallies - Dead Orbit Gear (Warlock)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies -- Dead Orbit Gear (Warlock)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies -- Dead Orbit Gear (Warlock)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies -- Dead Orbit Engram (Warlock)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Dead Orbit Gear (Warlock)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies - Dead Orbit Gear (Warlock)
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies Gear
Destiny 2 Faction Rallies Gear
By Mat Elfring on Sep 29, 2017 05:03 am
This October, 2K Games will release the next game in its WWE franchise: WWE 2K18. Seth Rollins was revealed as the cover star of this year's game, and more recently, John Cena's career will be highlighted in the deluxe edition of the game, which you can see the contents of above. The biggest news came from early July when it was announced the game will be available on Nintendo Switch. We also discussed some of the changes to this year's game with 2K devs. For WWE 2K18, the publisher has stated this year's roster will be the biggest one yet, topping last year's edition, which had 177 playable characters, including DLC. Here are the playable characters revealed so far, and we'll be updating this gallery as more are revealed up until its release in October. Click here to jump ahead to the first batch of roster reveals: 47 characters [August 16] Click here to jump to the second batch: 35 characters [August 23] Click here to jump to the third batch: 41 characters [August 30] Click here to jump for the fourth batch: 45 characters [September 6] Click here to jump to the DLC: 10 characters [September 28] Current number of playable characters: 186 New characters for this year (so far): 46
Seth Rollins (Raw)
Kurt Angle (Raw/Legend)
Preorder bonus
John Cena (Free Agent)
Batista (Legend)
Deluxe edition bonus
Rob Van Dam (Legend)
Deluxe edition bonus
Bray Wyatt (Raw)
The biggest surprise from the first batch of reveals came from all the members of NXT's Sanity appearing in this year's game.
Dolph Ziggler (Smackdown)
Sami Zayn (Smackdown)
Dean Ambrose (Raw)
Baron Corbin (Smackdown)
Kalisto (Raw)
Akira Tozawa (205 Live)
Sin Cara (Smackdown)
Hideo Itami (NXT)
Eric Young (NXT)
Jinder Mahal (Smackdown)
Bushwhacker Butch (Legend)
Bushwhacker Luke (Legend)
Konnor (Smackdown)
Viktor (Smackdown)
Cesaro (Raw)
Sheamus (Raw)
Karl Anderson (Raw)
Luke Anderson (Raw)
Nikki Cross (NXT)
Alundra Blayze (Legend)
Emma (Raw)
Lita (Legend)
Summer Rae (Raw)
Paige (Raw)
Brie Bella (Retired)
Nikki Bella (Smackdown)
British Bulldog (Legend)
Buddy Robert (Legend)
Diamond Dallas Page (Legend)
Big Boss Man (Legend)
Mark Henry (Raw)
Bam Bam Bigelow (Legend)
Bret Hart (Legend)
Dusty Rhodes (Legend)
Undertaker (Legend)
Big Show (Raw)
Andre The Giant (Legend)
Kane (Smackdown)
Diesel/Kevin Nash (Legend)
Luke Harper (Smackdown)
Erick Rowen (Smackdown)
Sawyer Fulton (NXT)
Alexander Wolfe (NXT)
Killian Dain (NXT)
Braun Strowman (Raw)
Goldust (Raw)
Goldberg (Legend)
The second batch of reveals didn't have any huge surprises aside from NXT's Ember Moon. There was quite a bit of last year's WWE 2K17 DLC included in this batch.
Earthquake (Legend)
Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart (Legend)
Larry Zbyszko (Legend)
Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake
Greg Valentine (Legend)
Edge (Legend)
Godfather (Legend)
Eddie Guerrero (Legend)
Daniel Bryan (Legend/Smackdown)
Maryse (Raw)
Naomi (Smackdown)
Sasha Banks (Raw)
Bayley (Raw)
Ivory (Legend)
Natalya (Smackdown)
Mickie James (Raw)
Becky Lynch (Smackdown)
Tamina (Smackdown)
Ember Moon (NXT)
Kerry Von Erich (Legend)
Kevin Von Erich (Legend)
Jey Uso (Smackdown)
Jimmy Uso (Smackdown)
Mojo Rawley (Smackdown)
Zack Ryder (Smackdown)
Shinsuke Nakamura (Smackdown)
AJ Styles (Smackdown)
Bobby Roode (Smackdown)
The Miz (Raw)
Roman Reigns (Raw)
The Rock (Legend)
Randy Orton (Smackdown)
Triple H (Legend)
Brock Lesnar (Raw)
Kevin Owens (Smackdown)
The third batch of stars for the game included a few new 205 Live and NXT stars.
Samoa Joe (Raw)
Big Cass (Raw)
Rusev (Smackdown)
Finn Balor (Raw)
Chris Jericho (Smackdown/Legend)
Rick "The Model" Martel (Legend)
Mick Foley (Legend)
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat (Legend)
Jacqueline (Legend)
Rikishi (Legend)
"Macho Man" Randy Savage (Legend)
Mr. Perfect (Legend)
Lex Luger (Legend)
Razor Ramon (Legend)
"Ravishing" Rick Rude (Legend)
Vader (Legend)
Ric Flair (Legend)
Chad Gable (Smackdown)
Alexa Bliss (Raw)
Carmella (Smackdown)
Nia Jax (Raw)
Tye Dillinger (Smackdown)
Apollo Crews (Raw)
Dana Brooke (Raw)
Neville (205 Live)
Shane Thorne (NXT)
Akam (NXT)
Rezar (NXT)
Michael Hayes (Legend)
Jimmy Garvin (Legend)
Tommaso Ciampa (NXT)
Cedric Alexander (205 Live)
Asuka (NXT)
TJP (205 Live)
Roderick Strong (NXT)
Johnny Gargano (NXT)
Jason Jordan (Raw)
Nick Miller (NXT)
Dash Wilder (NXT)
Scott Dawson (NXT)
JBL (Legend)
The fourth, and final, batch of reveals came from IGN, and 44 more stars were added to the roster. However, this does not include DLC, which has yet to be announced.
Tatanka (Legend)
Typhoon (Legend)
Yes, we're aware the picture above is Tugboat.
Tatsumi Fujinami (Legend)
Booker T (Legend)
Trish Stratus (Legend)
Sycho Sid (Legend)
Jake "The Snake" Roberts (Legend)
Christian (Legend)
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin (Legend)
Aiden English (Smackdown)
Goldust (Raw)
Big E (Smackdown)
Kofi Kingston (Smackdown)
Xavier Woods (Smackdown)
Sting (Legend)
Shawn Michaels (Legend)
Titus O'Neil (Raw)
Enzo Amore (205 Live)
The Brian Kendrick (205 Live)
Shane McMahon (Smackdown)
Alicia Fox (Raw)
Stephanie McMahon (Raw)
Ultimate Warrior (Legend)
Charlotte Flair (Smackdown)
Curtis Axel (Raw)
Bo Dallas (Raw)
Kassius Ohno (NXT)
Darren Young (Raw)
Rich Swann (205 Live)
Gran Metalik (205 Live)
Noam Dar (205 Live)
"Gentleman" Jack Gallagher (205 Live)
No Way Jose (NXT)
Primo Colon (Smackdown)
Epico Colon (Smackdown)
Tyson Kidd (Injured)
Billie Kay (NXT)
Peyton Royce (NXT)
Rhyno (Raw)
Curt Hawkins (Raw)
Heath Slater (Raw)
R-Truth (Raw)
Tyler Breeze (Smackdown)
Fandango (Smackdown)
Vince McMahon (Legend)
The head of WWE was announced for the game prior to his 9/12 appearance on Smackdown.
Albert (Legend)
Papa Shango (Legend)
Matt Hardy (Raw)
Here comes the DLC, and you can get full details of everything including and the price here.
Jeff Hardy (Raw)
Ricky Morton (Legend)
Robert Gibson (Legend)
Beth Phoenix (Legend)
Drew McIntyre (NXT)
Elias (Raw)
Aleister Black (NXT)
Lars Sullivan (NXT)
Ruby Riot (NXT)
By Matt Espineli on Sep 29, 2017 02:26 am
Red Dead Analysis
It's been almost one year since Red Dead Redemption 2's announcement and first teaser trailer, but Rockstar finally released a second look at the upcoming open-world western. Despite its short length, there were a multitude of narrative and mechanical details confirmed about the game. Here are 12 cool things we caught from the latest Red Dead Redemption 2 trailer. Rockstar still hasn't announced a release date for Red Dead Redemption 2, but we do know it's expected to launch Spring 2018. It's coming to both PS4 and Xbox One; there's no word on a PC version, a possibility that Rockstar parent company Take-Two has declined to address when asked.
You Play As A New Character
Despite early speculation that you'll be playing as a young John Marston--the previous game's protagonist--it looks like you'll be controlling a new character named Arthur Morgan. Not much is known about his backstory, but from the trailer, we know he's a debt collector for the Van der Linde gang, which fans of the first game will recognize as John Marston's old crew. Unlike Marston, Morgan is cynical and ruthless, issuing threats to many of the people we see him interacting with during the trailer.
Dutch Returns
Speaking of the Van der Linde gang, a younger version of Dutch appears. His presence supports the assumption that Red Dead Redemption 2 is a prequel to the first game. Many of the events during the trailer seem to document the Van der Linde gang's bloody reign across the frontier.
A Silhouette Of A Living Bill Williamson
Bill Williamson--one of your first targets in Red Dead Redemption 1--can be seen alongside two men robbing a train. You can tell by the distinct way he wears his hat. If we see both Dutch and Bill, is it possible a young John Marston might make an appearance?
Bonnie, Is That You?
However, there also exists the possibility that Red Dead Redemption 2 could take place before and after the first game. A character that bears a striking resemblance to Bonnie MacFarlane appears in the trailer. In fact, she actually looks like an older version of the character. But if the game is a prequel, it's possible that this character could be entirely new.
Varied Locations
Like its predecessor, you'll be visiting a variety of locations in Red Dead Redemption 2. The trailer showcased glimpses of forest wildernesses, snowy mountains, and murky swamplands.
Hunting With A Bow and Arrow
Hunting makes a return in Red Dead Redemption 2. Aside from the usual arsenal of firearms, you'll also be able to use a bow and arrow for silent ranged kills.
Lasso King
You can once again wield a lasso; Arthur Morgan uses it to wrangle a horse. But if this is anything like the first game, you'll likely be able to ensnare anything that moves with the lasso.
Swimming
Based on the shot of Arthur Morgan and two unnamed characters wading through water, it's possible that you might be able to swim. It's good to know that, unlike John Marston, Morgan took swimming lessons as a kid.
Dual-Wielding Pistols
One revolver was enough for John Marston, but that doesn't seem to be the case with Arthur Morgan. You might be able to dual wield revolvers now, which sounds about as cool as it looks.
Robbing Stuff
As John Marston, you often felt an initiative to avoid a life of crime in the first game, but as Arthur Morgan, it looks like you'll embrace it. Morgan is seen taking part in violent train and bank robberies throughout the trailer, which is likely a sign of the types of activities you'll encounter in the game.
A New Face
An unnamed character was seen walking alongside Arthur Morgan in an encampment. Aside from his Native American origins, not much was revealed about him, but given his request for an extra gun, it's clear that he'll be helping you take on some sort of armed threat.
Bears And Alligators! Oh My!
Like the first game, you'll be encountering an abundance of wildlife. From bears you'll find in the wilderness to alligators that'll come chomping as you traverse a swamp's murky waters, there are plenty of natural dangers awaiting you in your journey. Unlike the first game, it seems like wildlife can interact with each other, meaning you'll probably need to be more conscious of the animal food chain this time around.
By Jimmy Thang on Sep 29, 2017 01:44 am
Aero 15 X Review
Up until recently, to squeeze something like a GPU as powerful as the GeForce GTX 1070 into a gaming laptop meant the notebook had to be big and bulky. The mid-range GTX 1060 was the most powerful card you could get into a thin and light form factor. With Nvidia's new Max-Q line of GPUs, that's beginning to change. Gigabyte's Aero 15 X is a slim gaming laptop that manages to squeeze in Nvidia's venerable GTX 1070. While there are some performance compromises due to the compact form factor, it is still powerful enough to max out most modern graphically demanding games. Table of Contents Design The Aero 15 X uses the same chassis as Gigabyte's Aero 15 before it. The biggest difference is that it swaps out the GTX 1060 in favor of the aforementioned GTX 1070. This means it uses a premium all-machined aluminum body. It doesn't flex or creak undesirably like some cheaper laptops on the market. It also has very thin 5mm bezels around its display, which minimizes the notebook's size. Its overall dimensions measure 14x9.8x.78 inches (356x250x19.9 mm). Coupled with its reasonable 4.6-pound (2.1 kilogram) weight, it's a very portable gaming laptop. Its monitor is good, but not great. The Aero 15 X uses a 1080p TN display. TN panels typically don't offer the same color accuracy or wide viewing angles as more expensive IPS variants, but the viewing angles are surprisingly great here. Since the Aero 15 X is equipped with the GTX 1070, which is a great GPU for 1440p, we would have appreciated a higher resolution panel or at least one with a faster refresh rate than 60Hz. There's also no G-Sync support, so you don't get a variable refresh rate display. We also had a minor gripe with the keyboard. While we like the fact that it features all programmable keys and looks great with its 16.7 million per-key customizable colors, the keys require a little more actuation force for typing than we like. The Elan touchpad works well and supports multi-touch gestures such as two-finger scrolling, zooming, and more, but we do wish it had dedicated left and right click buttons to prevent accidental clicks. Despite the laptop's compact size, it offers a good assortment of ports. On the left, it features ports for Ethernet, USB 3.0, HDMI 2.0, combo audio jack, and Mini DisplayPort. To the right, it has two USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader, and a USB-C port, which supports Intel's speedy Thunderbolt 3 connection that allows transfer speeds up to 40Gbps.
Specs
CPU | Intel Core i7-7700HQ | GPU | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB) | RAM | 16GB 2400MHz Dual Channel DDR4 Memory | Display | 15.6-inch 1920x1080 TN | Storage | 512GB M.2 NVMe | Ports | 1x Thunderbolt 3 (Type-C), 3xUSB 3.0, 1xHDMI, 1xMini DisplayPort, combo audio jack, Ethernet, SD card reader |
The Aero 15 X is equipped with Intel's 4-core/8-thread i7-7700HQ CPU clocked at 2.8GHz. It's paired with 16GB of RAM clocked at 2400MHz configured in a dual-channel setup. Those are great specs, but the real star of the show is the Max-Q GTX 1070. Nvidia borrowed the term Max-Q from NASA, and its used to refer to mobile GPUs that are tuned with a balance of performance and power consumption in mind. On the downside, this means it's slightly lower clocked than its non Max-Q counterparts, but the upside is that it's able to fit into svelte gaming laptop chassis. Nvidia asserts that Max-Q GPUs are still able to harness most of the performance of their traditional models for a smaller fraction of the power consumption. In terms of storage, our Aero 15 X is outfitted with Samsung's high-end 512GB SM961 NVMe solid-state drive. While the speedy SSD is appreciated, 512GB is really the minimum amount of space we'd recommend in a gaming system. Luckily, the laptop does support an additional M.2 slot, so you can outfit it with more storage.
Game Benchmarks
To give you some points of comparison for performance, we're going to benchmark the Aero 15 X against the bigger HP Omen, which features a non Max-Q GTX 1070 and the more portable Origin PC Evo15-S, which is equipped with a standard GTX 1060. For our game benchmarks, we ran all titles at their respective max settings at 1080p to really stress test the GPUs. As you can see from our gaming benchmarks above, the Aero 15 X performs in between the HP Omen and the Origin Evo 15-S. Luckily, it's definitively faster than the Evo 15-S with its GTX 1060 and often gets close with the HP Omen and its more power-hungry GTX 1070 variant. With the exception of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, which is arguably the most graphically demanding game in existence, the Aero 15 X produced silky smooth frame rates across the board. Our results do show that the Max-Q GPU makes some slight performance compromises against the Omen and its standard GTX 1070, however. If you're looking for uncompromising performance, you may be slightly disappointed here, but it's important to keep in mind that HP's laptop is much bigger and heavier than the Aero 15 X.
3DMark Time Spy Benchmark
3DMark Time Spy is a synthetic benchmark that measures DirectX 12 performance and provides a score. According to our test, the Aero 15 X performed 11 percent worse than the HP Omen, but was 24 percent better than Evo 15-S.
VR Benchmark
In Valve's SteamVR Performance Test, the Aero 15 X scored a "very high" mark and performed six percent better than the Evo 15-S. This makes it a great laptop for VR gaming, though it did score nine percent worse than the HP Omen.
SSD Benchmark
All three gaming laptops have fast solid-state drives, particularly the Aero 15 X and Evo 15-S, which both use speedy NVMe SSDs. According to CrystalDiskMark, Gigabyte's laptop scored respective sequential read and write speeds of 3,252 and 1,649 MB/s. Considering most traditional SATA-based SSDs top out with sequential read and write speeds of 550 and 490 MB/s, respectively, that's wicked fast.
CPU Benchmarks
For our CPU benchmark, we used Cinebench, which offers tests for both single-core and mult-core performance. This is the only test in which the Origin Evo 15-S is able to lead the pack. The Aero 15 X and the HP Omen performed roughly on par, which is slightly disappointing for the Gigabyte notebook considering it uses a newer Kaby Lake i7 SKU vs HP's older Skylake equivalent.
Battery Test
For our battery test, we looped the Unigine Valley benchmark until the laptop keeled over. Considering the graphics test is pretty strenuous, it should represent a worst-case gaming scenario. The Aero 15 X and its 94Whr battery lasted 90 minutes here. This is actually really impressive when you consider the fact that the Omen lasted 80 minutes and the Evo 15-S just 59. The extra battery life is most likely due to the power savings from Nvidia's Max-Q technology, which keeps power-hungry GPUs at bay.
Thermals
When we ran the Unigine Valley benchmark and monitored CPU temperatures on the Aero 15 X, it's idle temperature rose from the high 40 degrees C to the high 70 degrees C. Here, the GPU rose from the low 40 Cs to the high 60s. These are very reasonable temperatures for a gaming laptop, and the Aero 15 X does a great job pushing heat through the back and never felt uncomfortably warm, which is a noticeable feat for a laptop this svelte. Despite the more efficient Max-Q GPU, though, the laptop's fans still got loud when we gamed with it.
Conclusion
Gigabyte's $2,199 Aero 15 X is a fast gaming laptop, but it isn't the fastest. Its Max-Q GTX 1070 is slightly slower than standard variants, but performance shouldn't be the only aspect you should look for in a gaming notebook. With its more power-consciousness GPU, Gigabyte is able to deliver a thin and light gaming notebook that offers good battery life and still packs a performance punch.
By Dan Auty on Sep 29, 2017 01:12 am
While many movie remakes are simply a result of Hollywood looking to cash in on a big, recognizable property, there are those remakes that are more surprising. Flatliners is a prime example. The original 1990 movie was a hit in its day, and starred then-super-hot Julia Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland, but it's hardly a movie with a dedicated fanbase demanding (or dreading) a new version. But it does have a great premise, and the remake hits theaters this weekend, so clearly someone thought it was a good idea. But what are some other movies from that era that could do with a 2017 make-over? Let's take a look...
The Running Man
There are many Stephen King adaptations currently in production, but if there's one older King movie crying out for a remake, it's The Running Man. The original Schwarzenegger vehicle has a certain cheesy charm, but a more faithful adaptation would be something else. A dark, exciting, dystopian thriller about crime, punishment, and entertainment that feels more relevant now than ever. Also, King's novel is set in 2025. Hollywood, you've got eight years!
Police Academy
It's frankly amazing that no one has remade Police Academy yet. It fulfills all the criteria for a reboot--it's a simple formula that could be taken in a number of directions, a hugely popular series with a recognizable brand name, and one that even the most ardent fan of '80s comedies would agree could be improved upon. In the wake of female-led reboots of Ghostbusters and Ocean's Eleven, an all-women Police Academy seems ripe for production. Unlike Ghostbusters, no one is going to cry about this particular property getting a gender-switched reboot. Jettison the crude, dated humor of the original films, cast Scarlett Johansson and Melissa McCarthy as trainee cops, Helen Mirren as their beleaguered trainer, and watch the box office bucks roll in.
The Last Starfighter
1984's The Last Starfighter was one of the first movies to make heavy use of CGI, with its various spaceships and interstellar battles rendered digitally rather than through model work. With the increasing popularity of VR and Spielberg's adaptation of Ready Player One due early next year, the time is right for an updated version of this tale of an arcade game-loving teen who gets pulled into an intergalactic war. Tom Holland would be perfect for this mix of charming teenage drama and intergalactic action.
Krull
Krull was an attempt to weld a Star Wars-style sci-fi adventure onto a lavish Conan-esque fantasy movie, with distinctly mixed results. It had a long and difficult shoot, ran way over budget, and bombed on release. Nevertheless, Krull has picked up a cult status over the years, the nonsensical time-travelling plot compensated by the impressive visual style, striking set design, and cool weapons. So a remake makes perfect sense; it's essentially Game of Thrones with laser guns. Someone get HBO on the phone!
Enemy Mine
Enemy Mine was another expensive, commercial flop with a troubled production that has since become a cult favorite. It's a quirky sci-fi two-hander in which Dennis Quaid and an alien played by Louis Gossett Jr overcome their differences to survive on a remote, hostile planet. Both are great roles for actors, and the concept of enemies forced to work together to survive could not be more topical. Brad Pitt as the human, a mo-cap Andy Serkis as the alien, Planet of the Apes' Matt Reeves directing... it's a hit!
The Secret of My Success
Michael J Fox's big '80s movie was, of course, Back to the Future, and let's hope that Hollywood never decides to remake that (they will, of course). But there are a couple of other films that Fox starred in that could do with a modern refresh. The Secret of My Success was a breezy 1987 comedy in which a young man scams his way to the top of the company ladder. Back then, being a rich and powerful New York tycoon was seen as the ultimate goal, but in the era of President Trump, a more scabrous, darkly funny look at corporate entitlement and the deceit required to get ahead in business could work even better.
Bright Lights Big City
The other Michael J. Fox movie that might success as a remake is this 1988 drama. It's the darker flipside to The Secret of My Success, and Fox's performance as a hard-partying, coked-up magazine fact-checker shows that Fox had some underused dramatic chops. But compared to more recent movies such as Shame, it now feels quite tame, and prime material for a up-and-coming young star like Jack O'Connell or Ezra Miller to sink their teeth into.
Nighthawks
Michael J. Fox's decision to star in something a little grittier was hardly unusual--over the years, many huge stars have wanted to prove that they are serious actors as well as showbiz celebrities. Nighthawks was Sylvester Stallone's first attempt. Made at the height of Rocky-mania, Stallone grew a beard (always a sign of an actor taking his craft seriously) and starred as a cop trying to stop terrorist Rutgers Hauer in a smart, gritty New York thriller. The themes of urban terrorism are sadly relevant today, but aside from that, it's a cracking movie that is sadly underseen. A new version could change that; even if the remake was bad, it might drive some interest in the original movie.
WarGames
WarGames is another nostalgic favorite that suddenly feels frighteningly topical. Made at the height of the Cold War, when nuclear tensions were running high, it gave Matthew Broderick his first lead role as a teen hacker who almost causes World War III, and delivered some seriously tense edge-of-your-seat thrills. It wouldn't take much tinkering to change the threat from the Soviet Union to North Korea, and give the movie a flashy, high-tech Social Network-style makeover.
House
From The Evil Dead and Friday to 13th to Nightmare on Elm Street, many of the key '80s horror movies have already been remade. But this 1986 horror comedy is one film that, in the right hands (we're thinking The Conjuring's James Wan), could work well. A mix of creepy house scares, offbeat comedy, heartfelt drama, and cool interdimensional monsters, the original hasn't aged as well as some, but everything is in place for a wildly entertaining hit horror movie of the sort that Get Out and Insidious producers Blumhouse Films churn out several times a year.
The Black Cauldron
It's hard to remember this, but there was a time in the 1980s when Disney was struggling to make successful animated movies. With interest dropping in classic animated fairy tales, the studio turned to more grown-up sources for its films, such as Lloyd Alexander's fantasy saga, The Chronicles of Prydain. The resulting movie, 1985's The Black Cauldron, was too weird and scary for many kids (and this was after Disney cut 12 minutes of even darker material), and is now little remembered. But in an era of Game of Thrones, Tolkien, and Potter, this is a prime candidate for a new movie--rich, vibrant material with appeal to both adults and older children. In 2012, Disney reacquired the film rights to Alexander's books, so who knows? It might yet happen.
The Lost Boys
Before he made Flatliners, director Joel Schumacher made this classic vampire comedy, and of all the titles on this list, a Lost Boys remake is the one that will almost certainly happen at some point. A TV version has reportedly been in the works at the CW for a while, but as many small-screen reboots never get beyond the pilot stage, there's no guarantee that we will ever see it. But in the wake of teen vampire hits True Blood and The Vampire Diaries, it's a title that's primed for a reboot.
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