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To say thatGarminhas upset its users with its new subscription service would be putting it mildly. The company recently announcedGarmin Connect+, a new paid premium tier of its Connect appthat features some shiny new paywalled features, including AI-powered insights and a performance dashboard for all of thebest Garminwatches.
It hasn’t gone down well.Thousands of furious Garmin fans have taken to Reddit over the news, demanding customers take a stand.
The uproar has been so intense that you might have actually missed what the subscription entails, so if you’re at least a little bit curious or you’d happily give the free trial a go, here’s what you get from Garmin Connect Plus for $6.99 / £6.99 / AU$12 per month or $69.99 / £69.99 / AU$120 annually.
Garmin Connect+ gets you AI-powered training insights. Garmin says you’ll get personalized suggestions based on health and activity data. Previews showcase friendly summaries about your sleep, battery, and more. As you’d expect from AI, the insights will reportedly get better over time. Here’s an example:
You fell 1 hour and 23 minutes short of your sleep need, but you still managed to charge your battery 57 points. You’re ready for exercise today, but balance it with rest to avoid bottoming out.
2. Performance Dashboard
(Image credit: Garmin)
Connect+ features a comprehensive view of training data, available on the website, that lets you compare your fitness and health data over time. Showcased examples include your running duration comparison, time in power zones, average pace, and distance over time.
Your smartphone will now give you real-time heart rate, pace, reps and videos for your indoor workouts (such as strength and yoga) when paired with a compatible smartwatch.
4. Exclusive Coaching Guidance
(Image credit: Garmin)
As you use Garmin Run Coach or Garmin Cycling Coach, you’ll get expert guidance from coaches, including educational content and videos.
5. Enhanced Livetrack
(Image credit: Garmin)
Starting an activity on a compatible device will now notify your friends and family via text, and you can create a personalized LiveTrack profile page for people to follow.
This seems to have changed the existing text feature for Garmin users, and we’ve got some concerns that this might have pushed some of the existing LiveTrack features behind a paywall. We’ve reached out to Garmin to confirm.
6. Social features
(Image credit: Garmin)
Finally, social features include exclusive badges, some of them worth an increased amount of points, and badge challenges that you can use to personalize your profile.
Not a lot?
The Garmin Connect+ subscription isn’t enormously expensive, but it’s not cheap either. As you can see, you don’t get an enormous amount for your money, and Garmin hasn’t exactly been forthcoming on the details about these features – this is really all the information we have right now.
As such, it’s possible we’ll get more detailed insight about some of these features over the coming days and weeks.
On paper, Garmin Connect+ looks pretty thin, and while that’s not the main reason people are objecting to its rollout, I have to imagine that it’s a factor.
I carry the best camera phones with me every day, but sometimes, a special event provides an opportunity to compare. The New York Botanical Garden in New York City is hosting its annual orchid show, so I brought my favorite camera phones and my own dedicated camera to see how these phones perform.
I used theApple iPhone 16 Pro,Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, andOnePlus 13to take hundreds of photos – more than 300 samples each – of the thousands of blooms to see how they managed to capture these perfect spring memories, and the results shocked me!
Why? Because the OnePlus 13 held its own against both of the top contenders and my Fujifilm X-T5. I was surprised by how buggy the Apple iPhone 16 Pro camera has become and how inconsistent the color accuracy on the Galaxy S25 Ultra can be. While I wouldn’t call the OnePlus 13 my clear winner, you can see the results below, and the competition is tight.
This photo was taken with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
This photo was taken with the Fujifilm X-T5
To judge these images, I look for color accuracy and lighting foremost. I want to see the natural colors of the flowers. Then I want fine details. Finally, I expect a dreamy, blurred bokeh background that looks natural and isolates my subject without distraction.
What surprised me most on this trip was how much the camera software matters. As expected,Samsungoffers the most camera options, though some features require additional software and downloads. I was disappointed that the OnePlus 13 offered very little control – I couldn’t force the camera to shoot at its highest 50MP resolution using the native app.
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro, however, was the worst of all. Its Camera app crashed often, especially if I used the new Camera Control button to open it. It also had trouble focusing on the proper subject.
I also brought along my dedicated camera, aFujifilm X-T5, with a 23mm f/2 lens. That’s the exact same specs you’ll find on Fujifilm’s incredibly popularFujifilm X100VI, and I wanted to see how today’s best camera phones compared to today’s hottest point-and-shoot camera performance.
The Fujifilm has impeccable color accuracy and soft bokeh, so it offers a great comparison to see which smartphones produce images that look like a real camera.
A focus on focus with phalaenopsis and dancing lady orchids
This is my ideal shot, with the moth orchid in focus and the dancing lady orchids floating in and out of the focal plane
Taken with Fujifilm X-T5 w/ 23mm f/2 lens
The iPhone 16 Pro could only focus using its macro camera, which produced terrible color results
The Galaxy S25 Ultra produced nice results with dreamy looking dancing lady orchids, but the image is underexposed
The OnePlus 13 crafted the superior photo, with more of the moth orchid and dancing lady orchids in focus
The first photo is my reference shot, taken with my Fujifilm X-T5. The colors are perfect, with bright white on the moth orchid, crisp yellow on the dancing lady orchids, and a pleasant royal blue on the background wall.
The iPhone 16 Pro had immediate problems with this shot. When I used the main photo mode, the camera app was unable to focus on the moth orchid alone. I allowed the iPhone to turn on macro, which reduced the resolution, and I got this terrible shot with too-warm colors and a seemingly narrow aperture that brought most of the flowers into focus instead of just a few.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra was more accurate with its color, though the image looks underexposed, considering the wealth of natural light in the Botanical Garden. The focal plane is also a bit narrow for my taste, and it was hard to bring all of the moth orchids into focus.
The OnePlus 13 created the best photo among all the camera phones, with excellent color, bright details and lighting, and the right focus on the flowers I want. It’s the lowest resolution of the bunch, though, so printing later may be problematic.
The iPhone photo lacks some detail, but produces the most pleasant bokeh results and accurate colors
The Galaxy S25 Ultra captured plenty of detail, but the image is underexposed and looks a bit warm compared to the real thing
The OnePlus 13 forced this capture as a Macro image, which means the background blur is mostly absent
While the iPhone 16 Pro doesn’t capture the most detail in this shot, sometimes detail isn’t exactly the point. I wanted accurate colors, enough detail to see the fine strands in the filaments, and a little bit of blur on the background buds to make the clockvine stand out.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra and OnePlus 13 had trouble focusing on just the clockvine, so I let those phones default to macro mode. This was a big mistake, as you can see. The colors and details may be there, but there is no blur to the background, and everything seems flat.
The iPhone 16 Pro did the best job capturing the real color of this jade vine
The Galaxy S25 Ultra rendered this jade vine a bit flat, though it was easier to see the details in the petals.
This OnePlus 13 image has bad color reproduction, rendering the flowers more green than they were in reality
Taken with the OnePlus 13
This was purely a test of color to see which camera phone could properly render the remarkable hue of this jade vine in bloom. The flowers are shimmering and almost metallic in color, a blue-green that will test the limits of what you consider blue or green (and you canIs My Blue Your Blueif you want to see your blue-green boundary).
The iPhone 16 Pro may lack the detail of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but the iPhone produced colors that were true to life, while the Galaxy phone struggled to recreate the real thing. Usually, Galaxy phones oversaturate colors, but here, the jade vine looks a bit duller.
The OnePlus 13 simply flubbed this shot. It got the colors wrong. This is a problem with the OnePlus 13. When it works, it produces photos that look spectacular. When it goes wrong, it goes very wrong, and it makes you wonder if you accidentally switched to a different phone.
Best Photo:Apple iPhone 16 Pro
The big problem with macro on smartphones
This is a 50MP image from the Galaxy S25 Ultra main camera. The colors are inaccurate and too warm, though the background has a pleasant blur
This is a ‘macro’ image from the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The color is good, but the image is mostly in focus, with little pleasant background blur.
Taken with Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Macro photography is when you get very close to a subject, and smartphones today will all try to switch to a macro mode when you are trying to shoot close up. Whenever possible, you should turn off this macro mode because it will ruin your photo.
First of all, macro is usually handled by the ultra-wide camera, not the main camera. That means it uses a much smaller sensor, which ironically means it cannot capture the same high level of detail. On the iPhone and Galaxy phones, your macro photos will be around 12MP even if your camera is set to shoot at 48MP or 50MP, respectively.
Worst of all, it’s clear that these phone makers don’t take macro photos very seriously. When the camera shoots in macro mode, you can see an obvious shift in quality, both in terms of resolution and color accuracy. Here are some examples below.
This is from the main camera on the iPhone 16 Pro. The color is slightly warmer, but the background is nicely blurred to isolate the orchids in front.
This is a ‘macro’ image from the iPhone 16 Pro. The color is fine but the background is so jumbled and distracting that it’s impossible to appreciate my subject.
Taken with Apple iPhone 16 Pro
The OnePlus 13 does a better job with its macro mode. You can see here that the color remains consistent, and the only thing that shifts is the focal plane and the details in the image. Still, the photo from Macro mode is unpleasant, with a noisy and distracting background, while the main camera image is much nicer, with a pleasant background bokeh blur.
This is an image from the OnePlus 13 main camera in Photo mode. The background is pleasantly blurred, and the colors are consistent.
This is an image from the OnePlus 13 in ‘macro’ mode. The color is good, but the background is noisy and distracting.
Taken with OnePlus 13
Best Macro Photo:OnePlus 13
Which phone is the best? All of them (but they all have issues)
Which of these camera phones is the best? The Apple iPhone 16 Pro produced images that looked closes to my Fujifilm X-T5 camera, with color that was true to life and a depth of field that made photos look like they were taken by a real camera.
However, the iPhone 16 Pro was buggy. The Camera app crashed often, especially when I tried opening the camera through the newCamera Controlbutton. Also, Apple offers far fewer camera control options and shooting modes than the other phone makers. It also had trouble focusing on a subject as close to the lens as the other camera phones without switching to the dreaded Macro mode.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra produced results that looked fantastic, most of the time. It did a much better job focusing and capturing details than the other two cameras, but it had a very hard time producing accurate colors. Shooting thousands of orchids, the Galaxy S25 Ultra often blew out the red portions of flowers so that all detail was lost. It tended to render images warmer than reality, and the difference between image quality when you switch modes can be vast.
The OnePlus 13 was pleasantly surprising. It shot images that had plenty of colorful pop, and photos were mostly accurate – until things went wrong. That’s the big problem with the OnePlus 13. I’d call it the best camera phone, but things go wrong too often and the results can be terrible, with colors that are simply inaccurate. I also wish there was a way to force the camera to produce high-resolution images, instead of only 12MP shots.
In the end, I’d have to recommend the iPhone for its more consistent photos and better color accuracy, even if the app has problems. If I could trust the OnePlus 13 with more consistent results or take advantage of the full resolution of the camera, it would be my favorite, but for now, the iPhone remains the camera phone to beat.
Apple Home now supports select Matter-enabled robot vacuums
Assuming your vacuum is supported, you could soon be saying, ‘Siri, vacuum the kitchen’
It’s been a long time coming, as support was originally promised by the end of 2024
If you’ve been dreaming about one day saying, ‘Hey Siri, have the vacuum clean the living room and the kitchen,’Apple’s answering your prayers. Well, at least if you have one of the eligiblerobot vacuum cleaners.
WithiOS 18.4– Apple’s latest software, which is rolling out right now alongside iPadOS 18.4, macOS Sequoia 15.4, tvOS 18.4, and HomePods software – Apple Home can now play nice and control eligible Matter-compatible robot vacuums fromRoborock, iRobot, andEcovacs.
It’s been a long time coming, to say the least.
Apple first promised that support for these smart home cleaners would arrive by the end of 2024, but it took a little bit longer – four months exactly. Still, the support is here with the latest release.
So what does this mean? Well, if you have a supported model from those three brands, you can add your robot vacuum to your Apple Home and control it right from there or even integrate it into an existing automation.
That latter means you could set up a routine to have your vacuum cleaner start up a session when you leave the house on Wednesdays to ensure that when you return, the floor is clean.
Additionally, withinApple Homeor via Siri from really any Apple device, you’ll be able to ask the robot vacuum to clean a specific room or ask for it’s status. Now, you may need to update your robot vacuum cleaner. Roborock announced many firmware updates today that will enable the models to work with Apple Home when they roll out in early April 2025. Those include the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, Saros Z70, Saros 10, Saros 10R, Qrevo Curv, Qrevo Edge, and Qrevo Master.
Models from Ecovacs andiRobotwill likely require software updates as well, and we’ll update you when we hear more about those. Regardless of whether an update is required, it’s excellent to see Apple make good on its promise of rolling out robot vacuum support to Apple Home, and it really will bolster the smart home offering.
Of course, we’re all stillwaiting on the AI-infused Siri as part of Apple Intelligence, which could make smart home control even better, but that’s set to arrive ‘in the coming year.’ That’ll likely need to arrive before thesmart home display– aka a HomePod with a screen – that I and many others dream of, if it ever arrives.
No more having to change your password just because you forgot it.
The new Microsoft screen to nudge you into using a passkey.(Image credit: Microsoft)
Microsoft wants its more than one billion users to stop using passwords to log into their Microsoft accounts.
This doesn’t mean that Microsoft will remove any kind of security when trying to log into an account. Instead, it’s looking for more of its users to use passkeys.
Passkeys are a more secure way of logging into accounts thatAppleandGooglehave already begun using since 2023. Microsoft plans to have an updated sign-in and sign-up page for these passkeys for its more than one billion users starting at the end of April, according to a new post on theMicrosoft Entra blog.
Microsoft laid out its plans to use passkeys back inMay 2024. The company eventually wants users to need only an email to sign up and sign on for a Microsoft account, with the passkey handling security.
A passkey is a secure way to log in to an account without using a password. Instead, the passkey uses two unique keys, known as a cryptographic key pair. One is stored on a device like a smartphone while the other is stored on the website you would login on. Both need to be used in order to access a site.
What’s important with the passkey is that the device user either uses biometrics or a PIN because when a user tries to sign onto the site, the device will need to use either for authentication. As the whole verification process is done electronically, all a person needs to do is enter the PIN, use a fingerprint, or just look at their phone for Face ID to verify who they are for the site.
The strength of passkeys is that they help diminish the effectiveness of phishing. If someone receives a phishing email that links to a website that looks just like a Microsoft login page, the user won’t have a password to enter. The bad actors also can’t replicate the key.
Passkeys are tied to a device, but they can be synced between multiple devices. This means changing a phone is no big deal as the passkeys just transfer to the new device.
BothAppleandGooglebegan the implementation of passkeys in their respective mobile operating systems back in 2023. While these three tech giants made the jump to passkeys, others have yet to make the jump.
In a recent email, users of Fitbit wearables were given a new deadline for transferring to a Google account. Users now have a little more time to make the switch via the app. The company states that users who do not make the move in time will no longer be able to access Fitbit services and could have their account and associated data deleted.
A recent Fitbit customer email reminds customers that they must switch to a Google account. (Image source: Fitbit)
Fitbit has pushed back the deadline by which its smartwatch and fitness tracker users must switch accounts to continue using the brand’s service. Many customers havereporteda recent email from Fitbit informing them that they now have until February 2, 2026, to switch their Fitbit account to a Google account. This is an extension on the original 2025 deadline.
Email says:
“If you want to keep using Fitbit, you must move to a Google Account by February 2, 2026.”
“If you do not move to a Google Account by the deadline, you will not be able to continue using the Fitbit service. Your historical data will not be retained beyond February 2, 2026 (except as needed to comply with laws), and your account and data will be deleted.“
As a reminder, Google acquired Fitbit in early 2021, and it has already made other moves to streamline its smartwatch portfolio. For example, all Fitbit wearables including the Charge 6 are now sold from the Google store, and it has closed down the Fitbit website. In the latest communication, Google made it clear that this account change affects all customers, even if they are currently using a Gmail account to log in to Fitbit. In addition to not being able to use the Fitbit platform, the email states that users who do not transition will also lose their historical data, with both the account and data deleted at some point after the February 2 deadline.
If you want to transfer your Fitbit account to a Google account, you can do so via the Fitbit app. In the settings a specific move Fitbit to your Google Account action is listed. The company notes that users might need to update the app before they can complete this action. Google also reminds users that they can download or delete their Fitbit data anytime before the deadline. While you can choose to merge your Fitbit account with an existing Google account, you could alternatively set up a new account if you do not want this data to be linked.
OnReddit, many customers have expressed their frustration and disappointment with the move, saying they feel forced to share this data with Google. Some also expressed concerns that this data could be used for targeted ads. In an older statement, Google indicates that Fitbit data is not linked to advertisements. It is unclear whether there could be any benefits from transferring your data ahead of the February 2026 deadline; there appear to be no immediate differences.
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday, March 28, shaking neighboring countries including Thailand, China and Vietnam — and came close to shaking up the technology industry.
Thailand and Vietnam are major production sites for companies like Intel,Seagate, andWestern Digital. So far, these companies have not reported on damages and supply disruptions in their chains (at least, there are no appropriate filings with the SEC), but Taiwanese companies with manufacturing capacities in Thailand are indeed checking whether their capacities were disrupted and halting plants if they were, according toChina Times.
Taiwanese tech companies — including manufacturers of servers, consumer electronics, PCBs, and even satellite components such asChicony,Delta Electronics,Zhen Ding Tech, andInventec— responded swiftly to the Myanmar earthquake. Most operate factories in Thailand and, despite strong tremors, reported no injuries or major damage.
Actions included temporary shutdowns, equipment checks, and staff evacuations, with operations resuming shortly after safety was confirmed. In fact, many of these companies are expanding production capacity in Thailand as part of their Southeast Asia shift from China. Many current facilities are located far from the quake’s epicenter and remained largely unaffected, at least according to the report.
ODM manufacturer Inventec said its Thai operations in Samut Prakan and a nearby rented laptop factory were unaffected and running normally. Keyboard maker Chicony confirmed all staff were safe and production was ongoing.Quanta Computerconfirmed no immediate problems but would issue updates if anything changed.Zhen Ding (Zhishen)and surveillance tech firmVivotekalso reported no damage or disruption at their Thailand sites.
Delta Electronics carried out a full evacuation at its Thai plant after feeling tremors; the company confirmed structural safety within an hour, and resumed normal operations. Lite-On also reported no impact from the quake.
King Yuan Electronics, an outsourced semiconductor assembly and test company, and c Global Communication, satellite communications, reported no damage at their Thai facilities. Their plants in Rayong and Chonburi were inspected and declared safe, and operations continued without interruption.
Major PCB makers in Thailand also reported no disruption. Zhen Ding Tech said its Prachinburi facility was unaffected and running as usual.Compeqconfirmed brief evacuations but no operational issues.Unimicronwas not impacted due to its distance from the epicenter.Thai Linconfirmed full operational continuity and employee safety.
Asia Optical stated that its Yangon site in southern Myanmar and its northern Myanmar subcontracted plants, all single-story structures, were unaffected. Its subsidiary, Asia Tech Imaging, confirmed no issues. Contract manufacturer Kinpo said its Thai production lines were operating normally with no injuries or construction delays.
If you’ve just bought a new graphics card, you’ll probably be wondering exact whatAMDFSR is. It stands for FidelityFX Super Resolution and it’s a software-based upscaler that helps you to achieve higher framerates than would otherwise be possible through native performance.
You can think of AMD FSR as a rough equivilent forNvidia’s DLSS, but made with the company’sbest graphics cardsin mind instead. While launched as an upscaler, the tech now incorporates Frame Generation and some other new functionality to make it a viable option for PC gamers preferring Team Red over Team Green.
Originally launched in 2021 with the company’s RX 5000 and RX 6000 graphics cards in mind, the technology has been updated several times over the years, becoming more advanced, even later requiring specific hardware for its AI-powered iteration.
There’s a lot of ground to cover with what AMD FSR is, what it does, and whether you should use it, so let’s get straight into the details.
AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution is an upscaling tool for the company’s graphics cards that renders video games at a lower resolution and uses software to blow them up to a higher resolution.
By using FSR, weaker graphics cards are able to achieve playable framerates in 1440p and even 4K, but the technology also allows for higher-end GPUs to play even the most demanding games in high refresh rate 4K (and even 8K in recent years).
Upscaling has become a major component of PC gaming since 2020 with the adoption of real-time ray tracing, which is incredibly hardware-intensive and extremely difficult to do without some form of help.
By lowering the natively rendered resolution to a generated higher resolution, the goal is to give players the best of both worlds: playable framerates and pleasant visuals, meaning you won’t necessarily have to choose between quality and performance – at least in theory.
As touched upon above, AMD FSR was launched in 2021 but has undergone several revisions as new graphics card generations have hit the shelves. FSR 2 rolled out with the release of Deathloop (May 2022) before going open-source a month later.
By this point in time, over 100 games had support for the software; however, things would become more competitive with Nvidia’s DLSS when FSR 3 launched in September 2023. This update launched with RDNA 3 graphics cards (RX 7000) and required a baseline of 60fps natively before use for the best results.
That’s because it rolled in Frame Generation, which interpolated generated frames between native ones for up to four times higher frame rates when compared to pure native performance. It evolved from AFMF (AMD Fluid Motion Frames) and prioritized 4K for supported video cards at its top end.
It brings us to today, with the recent release of RDNA 4 graphics cards (such as the RX 9070 andRX 9070 XT) and FSR 4, which is exclusive to the two GPUs at the time of writing. Unlike the previous versions of FidelityFX Super Resolution, which was driver-based and open-source, FSR 4 is AI-powered and uses machine learning for vastly improved picture quality, smoothness, and performance options.
It’s fundamentally changed what FSR can do and what it is in pursuit of competing closer with Nvidia’s midrange models (such as theRTX 5070 TiandRTX 5070), which it largely does.>>>L22M4P71 Battery for Lenovo ThinkPad P16V G1 2023
How does AMD FSR work?
Before FSR 4, AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution worked by rendering frames at a lower resolution and then using open-source upscaling algorithms to produce a higher-resolution image when compared to native rendering.
That’s quite different from the hardware-driven Nvidia DLSS (which is exclusive to Nvidia’s RTX hardware). In contrast, just about any graphics card on the market can use FSR, even those made by Intel and Nvidia if you so choose, instead of utilizing XeSS and DLSS tech.
Depending on the game, AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution can be anything from a mild boost to achieve 60fps to a sweeping shot in the arm that can double (even triple) the frame rates under the right circumstances. This is done through the different FSR modes that are available for supported games: Performance, Balanced, Quality, and Ultra Quality.
Performance prioritizes more frames over visual fidelity, Balanced is an even mix of both, Quality puts more of a focus on visuals over frames, and Ultra Quality tries to be as close to native as possible.
The different FSR modes will also utilize varying levels of sharpening, which is applied to the upscaled image to fix blurry, fuzzy, or jagged images. As FSR has developed over the years from its first version to FSR 3.1, the quality of the upscaling has improved massively, but it’s not always perfect.
Being open source and (primarily) relying on software to blow the image up to size can have its imperfections. In the battle ofNvidia DLSS vs AMD FSR, we sided primarily with the former, however, a lot has changed in the upscaling world since mid-2023.
That’s because FSR 4 is now AI-powered, utilizing machine learning much in the same way as Nvidia’s DLSS, and also doubles down with improved Frame Generation for higher frame rates than before. While the frame rates may be slightly lower than what you’ll see from FSR 3.1, the quality is an out-and-out improvement in terms of clarity, sharpness, and smoothness when compared to its predecessor.
However, FSR 4 is only supported by two graphics cards right now, the RX 9070 and theRX 9070 XT; adopters will enjoy superior performance compared to previous versions of FSR, but you may be disappointed if you’re running an older RX 6000 or RX 7000 line card.
There are around 200 games that have supported for AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution in its various forms. While the bulk of these games are supported with FSR and FSR 2, the list of FSR 3 games is a little narrower.AMD has confirmedthat over 75 games feature FSR 3 support, such as Starfield, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Frostpunk 2, God of War Ragnarök, and Silent Hill 2.
While FSR 4 is still in its infancy with the recently launched RX 9000 graphics cards,AMD has statedthat 30+ games will have support for the AI-powered version of the upscaling technology, including Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Civilization 7, Marvel Rivals, FragPunk, and The Last of Us: Part 2 Remastered, among others. More games are said to be supported throughout 2025, so it seems as though more developers are adopting the tech as soon as it rolls out now after four years of market availability.
Is AMD FSR good?
While AMD FSR has a reputation for being worse than Nvidia’s DLSS, the technology has come a long way in the past four years and now offers a much better product than it did back in 2021. You are not going to have the best experience if you’re using it as a crutch for ageing or lower-end graphics cards, however, FSR paired with AFMF in 4K can be genuinely game-changing. It will ultimately depend on the supported games, the presets used, and the hardware you’re running, which will dictate your experience.
FSR 4 has just been released, but the adoption of machine learning (and exclusive hardware) has resulted in superior image quality and smoothness against previous iterations. Fundamentally, FSR is a free-to-use product for your AMD graphics card and you do not risk anything in switching it on and trying it out. Does it entirely live up to DLSS? It’s arguable on a case-by-case basis, but it can be the tech that doubles (or triples) your frame rates or makes 4K gaming a reality for you.
For this reason, we recommend using it and seeing how it compares to native performance; if you find that the trade-off image-wise isn’t for you, then you can disable it without worry, but it could improve your gaming experience threefold.b
Whether you’re buying a power supply unit for the first time or needing to upgrade to a higher-wattage brick, you’re going to want to pay close attention to the power supply ratings system.
Every PSU that you can buy right now will be 80 Plus certified, but not all are created equal, and the classifications are more of a spectrum than you may be aware of. It’s a voluntary certification program and not a legal requirement for the hardware, but it can give peace of mind as to the quality of a product, as it means it has been independently verified.
Some of the best PSUs on the market will have the highest 80 Plus certification, but there are many different qualifiers that a power brick has to meet before it can be awarded the right classification. We should stress that the most expensive options on the market will not necessarily be the best in terms of their rating, especially when factoring in different wattages available and which brands are making them in the first place.
I’m here to explain this power supply rating system in detail, including the full range of certifications, what they mean, and what to look out for. This includes the outline of non-modular, semi-modular, and fully-modular options, with considerations to the wattages as well. A good quality PSU can live upwards of 10 years (or more), so it’s important to make the right choice for the long haul.
Many (but not all) power supplies are rated on the 80 Plus certification system, and there are six different labels ascribed to a PSU.
These are 80 Plus, 80 Plus Bronze, 80 Plus Gold, 80 Plus Platinum, and 80 Plus Titanium. The scaling of precious metals into strength makes sense, and they are even color-coded accordingly at a glance, which can be helpful.
For over two decades, the 80 Plus rating system has been a measurement of a power supply’s energy efficiency. A power supply needs to run at 80% at an absolute minimum, hence the naming convention. They are tested under 10% (Platinum only), 20%, 50%, and 100% loads with their efficiency ratings ascribed numerically.
At first, there were only three ratings available, Bronze, Silver, and Gold, but these were expanded to Platinum in 2009 and Titanium in 2012 as PSUs became larger and more power-efficient with advancements in technology.
The ultimate goal is to come as close to 100% efficiency as possible, and we aren’t quite there yet. Traditionally speaking, 50% loads tend to be the primary focus in testing, which dictates a steady middle ground between the 20% minimum load and going all out at 100% (which are rarer by comparison).
Interestingly,80 Plus Ruby was freshly unveiled in March 2025as the latest certification for power supply units, exclusively for data center servers (and not consumer computers). It’s the first big development to the system in over 13 years, and it shows that we could see future power supplies come ever closer to reaching the coveted 100% efficiency rating. 80 Plus Ruby is said to achieve 96.5% efficiency, so we’re only within 3.6% of perfection.
Generally speaking, a more expensive PSU will feature a higher 80 Plus certification, but this isn’t always guaranteed. That’s because some higher wattage power bricks (or varying form factors) can carry extra features beyond their power effiencies. So it’s important to know the rough price ranges you should be expecting to pay, the average wattages commonly associated with the PSUs, and what is a top-tier model.
First off, we can touch upon the PSUs that are not 80 Plus certified. The certification system is a voluntary one showcasing efficiency and not a legal requirement, so many of the absolute cheapest PSUs on the market do not have this certification at all. I would only recommend power bricks that have been tested and certified.
The majority of entry-level power supplies from trusted manufacturers will be 80 Plus Bronze, and this is common with affordable options from Corsair, MSI, and GameMax. While not exclusive, we typically see wattages of 500 to 750 here, with prices between $50 and $80.
80 Plus Gold is the next step up and more common from upper midrange to higher-end power supply models from most trusted manufacturers. You’re paying more for the power efficiency by default, anywhere from $70 to upwards of $150, depending on the total wattage and form factor available.
The minimum that you’re realistically going to spend on an 80 Plus Platinum PSU will be around the $100 mark. However, it’s common to spend double (even triple) this amount depending on the manufacturer. Some budget offerings, such as the LC-POWER 850W Fully Modular, are 80 Plus Platinum for around $100, whereas more established models, such as the Corsair SF850 Fully Modular, are available closer to $200 depending on the year it was manufactured (whether it’s ATX 3.1 compliant, etc.)
Massive power supplies also tend to be 80 Plus Platinum-rated, which means they’re far more power-efficient under moderate loads. This is evident by the Corsair HX1500i Fully Modular and the NZXT C1500 Platinum, though you’ll be paying more than $300 for each of these models despite cheaper (similarly powerful) options being available. It ends up being a balancing act of price-to-performance, which you’ll (arguably) get more with an 80 Plus Gold PSU than its Platinum equivalent.
The pricing against the power efficiency increases once more with power supplies that are rated 80 Plus Titanium. Unsurprisingly, you’re paying a premium to get the highest possible rating of efficiency (and longevity), especially from a trusted manufacturer. For example, theBe Quiet Dark Power 13 850W is available for $279, with far larger bricks eclipsing this rate.
We can see this with theCorsair AX1600i for $610and theMSI MEG Ai1600T for $699.99; while not mutually exclusive, it’s far more common to see high-end, high-performance premium bricks carry this rating.
The 80 Plus rating system is entirely voluntary and not required for any company to release a power supply. Some of the best power supply brands will adhere to its independent testing to achieve verification on the easy-to-understand ranking system in good faith as it’s a good shorthand for a consumer to know it’s a quality product.
It’s common (if not always ensured) that just about any PSUs made by Be Quiet, Corsair, Cooler Master, Enermax, Fractal Design, Gigabyte, Lian-Li, MSI, NZXT, Seasonic, SilverStone, among others, will adhere to it.
This includes details on the measuring of the input voltage with C19 and C14 open connectors, as well as the frequencies at which the units are tested. This includes outlines for non-redundant tests at 50V and internal redundant tests at 60Hz with varying voltages accordingly, depending on whether it’s in the EU (230V) or North America (230V and 277/480V).
We also know the power source used for PSU testing, it’s an Amtek MX45-3PI-480-HV 3-phase 45 kVA solid stage voltage source used to test at 115V and 230V. A Chroma 61845 3-phase 45 kVA voltage source is used in testing 277V, 480V, and 380VDC. These are run through a power analyzer, the Yokogawa WT3000E, with varying settings and samples for input and output parameters.
CLEAResult also explained that it starts its testing protocols with a 0% load and then begins recording each operating load for 15 minutes. The process is repeated at 10%, 20%, 50%, and 100%. Should a PSU fail for any reason, the test is terminated, and a second unit is benched from the original point of failure. If it passes then the data is used for the report, but if it fails, the PSU line will not receive certification.
Based on the thorough nature of the testing, combined with the transparency of the process from CLEAResult, it’s apparent that only PSUs of a certain quality will meet the standards to become 80 Plus certified. We recommend thoroughly reading through the 19-page document for full clarification.
Given everything, we’re confident in recommending a minimum of an 80 Plus Bronze PSU, however, an 80 Plus Gold or 80 Plus Platinum brick will offer the highest level of efficiency for the money. 99.9% of computer users will not need an 80 Plus Titanium power brick, but it couldn’t hurt if you’re eyeing up a high-performance model.
The problematic Xbox Elite Series 2 controller is forcing gamers to rely on the Amazon return policy. Despite its high cost, the esports controller suffers from malfunctioning buttons and stick drift.
Microsoft Xbox Elite Series 2 controller (Image source: Amazon)
Recently, Amazon attached the frequently returned item label to a Surface Laptop 7. The quality control issues for Microsoft’s hardware are continuing. Now, its Xbox Elite Series 2 controller has the same unfortunate distinction. There are numerous complaints about unresponsive buttons and stick drift with the Xbox controller.
Whether bought in its standard or core configuration, the Elite Series 2 is a pricey accessory. Used by the most dedicated gamers, the pro-grade controller should offer superior durability. While satisfying many buyers, it has proven less reliable than some cheaper competitors.
Microsoft Elite Series 2 Controller Amazon listing (Image source: screenshot, Amazon)
Some issues with the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller appear immediately after purchase. The bumper and face buttons may fail, while its wireless connectivity is spotty. Over a longer period, the Xbox controller can often experience dreaded stick drift. Physical mechanisms used in the analog sticks degrade, resulting in unpredictable inputs. The problem is frustrating since companies like GameSir manufacture affordable Hall effect alternatives.
When the Elite Series 2 works, customers generally rate it highly, as reflected in its respectable 4.3/5 rating. Still, many of the same concerns about the Xbox controller appear in Amazon reviews. The retailer adds the frequently returned item notice to products with high return rates. Once past the Amazon return policy 30-day window, gamers can file a warranty claim with Microsoft. In 2020, Microsoft addressed the frequent issues by extending the Elite Series 2 warranty from 90 days to one year.
Xbox gaming has begun to focus more on cross-platform publishing rather than consoles. Yet, its cheaper stock Xbox controller remains a best-selling peripheral, partly because of its PC and Bluetooth capabilities. With the Sebile waiting in the wings, Microsoft also has no plans to stop developing controllers. Hopefully, any future pro controller will prove more reliable than the Xbox Elite Series 2.
The Garmin Connect+ subscription has been announced, introducing a paywall for users of the brand’s smartwatches. The company has released a host of new features in the Garmin Connect app, which can only be accessed when you pay a monthly or annual fee. These tools include AI-driven health and activity insights, a performance dashboard and real-time workout data on your smartphone.
Garmin Connect+ has arrived with many new features which users must pay to access. (Image source: Garmin)
Garmin has announced the launch ofConnect+, a new premium subscription for its smartwatches. The plan will provide users with access to a range of new features and personalized insights in the Garmin Connect smartphone app, available for iOS and Android.
The new Garmin Connect+ features include Active Intelligence, which provides AI-generated insights linked to your health and activity, with accompanying suggestions. The company notes that this tool is currently in beta. Subscribers will gain access to a performance dashboard with customizable graphs showing recent workout statistics. For those who work out indoors, you will be able to link your smartwatch to a compatible smartphone, so you can view metrics like heart rate, pace and reps in real-time. You will also be able to watch workout videos on the larger screen.
Subscribers who use Garmin Run Coach or Garmin Cycling Coach will benefit from “expert training guidance”, content designed to help improve your performance. Users will also be able to share a personalized LiveTrack page with friends and family and trigger text notifications when they start an activity. Plus, there will be a range of exclusive Badge challenges for subscribers.
Garmin makes it clear that the Connect+ plan is only for these new features; all existing data and features in Garmin Connect are still free to use. The new Garmin Connect+ subscription is priced at $6.99/£6.99/€8.99 monthly or $69.99/£69.99/€89.99 annually. It is available for users of all smartwatch models, including the recently releasedTactix 8.
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