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C U S TO M P C / ISSUE 187

Highlights8 Raspberry ripple

You might have noticed something different about this issue. Ben Hardwidge explains what’s going on.

10 G-Sync (almost) all round Richard Swinburne analyses Nvidia’s decision to allow G-Sync to work on FreeSync monitors.

14 CES 2019 We take a look at some of the very latest PC hardware on show at the Las Vegas trade show.

20 Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Can Nvidia’s affordable RTX GPU bring real-time ray tracing to the masses? We take a look.

38 Pint-sized packages We put six top-end mini-ITX chassis through their paces.

46 240Hz gaming monitors If a monitor’s speed is more important to you than resolution, check out our Labs test of the most responsive gaming monitors money can buy.

90 Inside Bandersnatch We talk to Black Mirror creator, and former PC games journo, Charlie Brooker, about the making of the interactive Netflix drama that everyone’s talking about.

96 Hobby tech Gareth Halfacree tries out a calculator with mechanical keys, as well as a games console card game, while delivering his computer hobbyist verdict on Bandersnatch.

104 How to mix custom coolants Antony Leather shows you how to achieve various colours and effects with water-cooling coolant, from colour-matching your hardware to creating Aurora effects.

ContentsWelcome to Issue 187

82 Overclocking masterclass Whether you want to squeeze a few more megahertz out of a budget CPU, or push an 18-core monster CPU to its limit, this issue of Custom PC is for you. This month, we delve into the dark art of overclocking, showing you how delve into your PC’s brain and have a go at your own surgery. We’ll take you through all the theory about overclocking, so you know your multiplier from your loadline calibration, equipping you with all the knowledge you need to make your CPU faster. We’ll also take you through example settings for CPUs on all of Intel and AMD’s current CPU sockets, giving you a foundation on which to build and experiment. It’s time to get your hands dirty and make your PC punchier.

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COVER STORYP82

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Cover guideRegulars8 From the editor

10 Richard Swinburne

12 Tracy King

14 Incoming

17 Letters

32 Custom kit

34 How we test

60 Elite products

71 Inverse look

96 Hobby tech

102 Customised PC

104 How to guides

109 Top tools

110 Readers’ drives

114 James Gorbold

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Reviewed this monthReviewsMOUSE19 Logitech G Pro Wireless

GRAPHICS CARD20 Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Founders Edition

CASES24 Phanteks Enthoo Evolv X26 BitFenix Enso Mesh

KEYBOARDS30 Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 Low Profile Rapidfire31 Razer Huntsman Elite

Custom kit32 iCozzier Universal Charging Station32 Duracell Powerbank32 Azzker Bluetooth Headband33 Nuki 2.0 Smart Lock33 Hulker Power Strip33 TP-Link TL-WA860RE N300 Wi Fi Range Extender

Mini-ITX case Labs39 Kolink Rocket40 Lian Li PC-Q5041 NZXT H200i42 Phanteks Enthoo Evolv Shift44 Raijintek Ophion Evo45 Thermaltake Core P1

240Hz gaming monitor Labs47 Acer Predator XB252Q48 AOC AGON AG251FZ49 Asus ROG Swift PG258Q50 BenQ Zowie XL254652 ViewSonic XG2530

PC system reviews54 Wired2Fire Diablo Reactor II56 CyberPower Infinity X99 Hyper Liquid II 58 PC Specialist Magma RTX

Games72 DUSK74 Just Cause 475 Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden76 Insurgency Sandstorm

Hobby tech96 Lofree Digit Calculator98 Bandersnatch100 Games Consoles Collectible Cards

33 PRODUCTS REVIEWED

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