Tag: review

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 Review: A Good Place to Start

Laurent

7.3

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3

Like


  • Room for more RAM, storage

  • Good battery life, fast display for the money

Don’t like


  • Small storage drive fills up fast

  • Dim display with dull color

The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is a prime example of what you can expect from an entry-level gaming laptop under $700. It’s just enough to get you going with its midrange AMD processor and a slightly better-than-basic Nvidia graphics chip. It also has a fair amount of ports so you can easily connect to an external display and a keyboard and mouse for desktop gaming. The IdeaPad Gaming 3 is a fine choice for the money, whether this is your first gaming laptop or you’re a casual gamer looking to play undemanding games in between doing office or school work. 

As with all laptops, however, the more you can invest in components up front, the better off you’ll be in the long run. Increasing your budget to $1,000 can get you a lot more gaming performance for your dollar, especially if you can hit the right deal. But not everyone has the extra money, in which case the IdeaPad Gaming 3 at least gives you a solid starting point with room for more storage and memory.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 laptop open, facing left and sitting on a green desk mat.

Josh Goldman/CNET

Configuration reviewed

Price as reviewed $660
Display size/resolution 15.6-inch, 1,920×1,080-pixel, 120Hz, 16:9 display
CPU 3.3GHz AMD Ryzen 5 6600H
Memory 8GB DDR4 4,800MHz RAM
Graphics 4GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050
Storage 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD
Networking Wi-Fi 6 MT7921 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5.2
Operating system Windows 11 Home 21H2

For a newer gaming laptop, $660 is not a lot to spend. Gaming requires a higher level of processing and graphics performance than average productivity tasks. Those components also require better cooling and more power to operate at their peak, too, and all of that adds up. The GeForce RTX 3050 is a notch above the usual low-end graphics chip found at this price, the GeForce GTX 1650. It’s paired with a midrange AMD processor that can outperform Intel’s equivalent Core i5 processor. The combo lands the IdeaPad Gaming 3

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XPG Alpha review: Affordable gaming mouse with a great PixArt sensor

Laurent

ADATA is all about storage solutions, but the company has utilized the XPG sub-brand to create more PC components and peripherals. Today, we’re looking at the XPG Alpha Gaming Mouse, available in both wired and wireless flavors. This new gaming mouse promises solid gaming performance with a PixArt PAW 3335 sensor.

It’s still difficult for some companies to produce more affordable gaming mice without sacrificing some function or feature. Perhaps the ergonomics isn’t as good as the competition or the customization is more basic. There’s usually something found in the best mouse that’s overlooked for the price to be brought down to earth.

We’re going to run you through everything that makes the XPG Alpha great to use and also why you should perhaps avoid it.

Price, specifications, and availability

XPG Alpha Mouse

(Image credit: Future)

The XPG Alpha is available as a wired or wireless gaming mouse, costing $39.99 and $59.99, respectively. The specifications of the two mice are almost identical, aside from the internal battery and wireless capabilities. The only other difference is the weight with the wireless Alpha weighing about 20g more.

XPG Alpha XPG Alpha Wireless
Wired USB-C USB-C
Wireless — 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 5.1
Battery life — 60 hours
Sensor PixArt PAW 3335 PixArt PAW 3335
IPS 400 400
Acceleration ~40G ~40G
Polling 250Hz, 500Hz, 1000Hz 250Hz, 500Hz, 1000Hz
Switches OMRON (60 million click rating) OMRON (60 million click rating)
RGB lighting ✅ ✅
Buttons 6 6
Dimensions 128mm x 78mm x 40mm 128mm x 78mm x 40mm
Weight 78 ±5g 98 ±5g
Warranty 2 years 2 years
Price $39.99 $59.99

XPG Alpha Gaming: What I like

XPG Alpha Mouse

(Image credit: Future)

As well as the specifications, both the wired and wireless versions of the XPG Alpha gaming mouse come with the same packaging and contents. You’ve got the same manuals and USB-C cable. But wait, the Alpha Wireless comes with 2.4GHz support, right? XPG managed to do something we still complain about to this day with other brands.

The PixArt PAW 3335 is a great mid-range sensor and is found in both XPG Alpha mice.

The wireless dongle is actually

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Sony InZone H9 Gaming Headset Review: Great for PC and PS5, for a Price

Laurent

It looks like a PS5 headset, but as part of the new InZone gaming accessories family — out of Sony’s entertainment and sound branch of the family tree, rather than the PlayStation clan — the InZone H9 is primarily a PC-intended gaming headset with close ties to the console.

It’s better and more flexible than Sony’s Pulse 3D, but at $300 (£269, AU$449) it’s also a lot more expensive than its kin — the wired $100 InZone H3 hits closer to home — but the H9 works hard for the money against less expensive PlayStation-compatible gaming headset competitors like the SteelSeries Arctis 7P Plus. It’s really, really comfortable and thoughtfully designed, has effective proprietary spatial sound (with Tempest 3D support), excellent audio quality, solid battery life and simultaneous Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connectivity.

Like

  • Great audio
  • Really comfortable, even with glasses and noise canceling
  • Very warm-sounding mic
  • Solid battery life
  • Simultaneous Bluetooth and PC connections

Don’t Like

  • No analog or wired connection
  • No mic noise cancellation
  • Randomly turned off on Bluetooth

There’s a slightly cheaper model, the $230 InZone H7. It’s the same headset as the H9, with nylon-covered ear cushions like the H3 and without the noise canceling, plus longer battery life. The nylon actually feels a bit cooler, if slipperier than the leatherette, and if you’re indifferent to digital noise canceling they’re probably a better buy. And based on the manufacturer price, I’d expect to see them hit below $200 once the holiday sales roll around.

Given its sound-division roots, it’s not surprising the H9 adapts some technology from Sony’s highly rated WH-1000XM5, including the DNC and 40mm drivers. The H9 uses “low pressure” DNC, which means it tries to not increase the pressure in your ears as much as typical cancellation does, in order to reduce fatigue and other related discomforts. And it does feel less head-squeezy. But I also find it less isolating; even at its best, I can still hear some ambient noise and voices.

Sony InZone H9 gaming headset

The on-ear controls (from left to right) consist of a game/chat balance control, Bluetooth pairing and connection toggle button

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