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ReSpec

ReSpec is a biweekly column focused on PC gaming, PC hardware, and gaming technologies. From deep dives on super resolution techniques to CPU packaging technology to PC gaming experiments, ReSpec helps you understand the games you play, the hardware you own, and how they intersect to create the gaming experiences we all love. New entries go live every other Sunday.

How Nvidia’s DLSS 3 works (and why AMD FSR can’t catch up for now)
By Jacob Roach
Microsoft Flight Simulator with the ReSpec logo.
DDR5 can improve PC gaming performance, but it’s still a useless upgrade
By Jacob Roach
DDR5 RAM installed in a PC with the ReSpec logo.
Think it’s time to upgrade your gaming CPU? Read this first
Intel and AMD are expected to launch new generations of processors in the coming weeks, but should gamers care? We break down everything you need to know.
By Jacob Roach
time to upgrade gaming cpu read this first respec
why playing marvel spider man on amd gpu disappoints respec featured

Why playing Marvel’s Spider-Man on an AMD GPU is such a disappointment

Computing
Nvidia DLSS isn’t magic, and this FSR hack proves it
A modder discovered how to hack FSR 2.0 into DLSS games, and it reveals just how similar the two are after all.
By Jacob Roach
nvidia dlss isnt magic and this fsr hack proves it respec
Microsoft explains why Xbox’s best feature still hasn’t come to PC
Since the launch of the Xbox Series X and Windows 11, one feature has been missing for PC gamers: Quick Resume. And unfortunately, it likely won't arrive soon.
By Jacob Roach
why xbox quick resume still hasnt come to pc quickresume respec featured image
Stop worrying so much about benchmarks when buying a new GPU
It all comes down to performance when picking your next graphics card, right? Not exactly. Here's how GPU benchmarks can mislead upgrades.
By Jacob Roach
A hand grabbing the RTX 3090 Ti graphics card with Respec series logo in front.
Developers are ignoring this revolutionary PC gaming tech, and it’s not DLSS
DLSS and FSR have sucked up the limelight in PC gaming performance, but another feature has been lurking in the background, largely ignored by developers.
By Jacob Roach
revolutionary pc gaming tech devs ignoring vrs respec featured image
The sad, misleading, and embarrassing state of HDR in PC gaming
HDR in PC games has been the source of problems for four years now, and we've made shockingly little progress. But there may finally be a way out.
By Jacob Roach
Elden Ring on an HDR gaming monitor.
The decade of ignoring your gaming PC’s power supply is over
For around a decade, there hasn't been a reason to go beyond a 750W power supply in a gaming PC. But that's changing, and it's important to upgrade soon.
By Jacob Roach
A power supply in front of the ReSpec logo.
Gaming laptops are lying to us, and no one seems to care
Most gaming PCs are defined by their specs, but not gaming laptops. Even with the same graphics card, some laptops just don't perform the way they should.
By Jacob Roach
A Lenovo Legion 5i Pro sitting on a shelf.
ReSpec: A column about the complex, glorious tech behind PC gaming
ReSpec is a new biweekly column on Digital Trends covering the latest PC gaming hardware and technologies so you can better navigate the games you play.
By Jacob Roach
ReSpec series intro featured image.
It’s time for PC gamers to reckon with cache, and AMD is leading the way
What does a little extra cache do for your gaming PC? Quite a bit, it turns out. We take a technical deep dive into AMD's 3D V-Cache technology.
By Jacob Roach
Someone holding the Ryzen 7 5800X3D in a red light.