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WELCOME<br />
Editor Jim Martin<br />
Group Managing Editor Marie Brewis<br />
Art Director Mandie Johnson<br />
Production Editor Rob Woodcock<br />
Multimedia Editor Dominik Tomaszewski<br />
Consumer Tech Editor Chris Martin<br />
Engagement Editor Ashleigh Macro<br />
Senior Staff Writer Lewis Painter<br />
Senior Staff Writer Henry Burrell<br />
Staff Writer Miriam Harris<br />
Staff Writer Dominic Preston<br />
Associate Online Editor David Price<br />
Associate Editor Karen Haslam<br />
Associate Editor Neil Bennett<br />
Forum Editor Peter Thomas<br />
Editorial Director Matt Egan<br />
jim_martin@idg.co.uk<br />
marie_brewis@idg.co.uk<br />
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Contributors<br />
Samuel Axon, Alex Campbell, Martyn Casserly, Mark Hachman, Blair Hanley<br />
Frank, Michael Kan, Gordon Mah Ung, Cam Mitchell, Paul Monckton, Ben<br />
Patterson, Mark Pickavance, Ian Paul, Peter Sayer, John Ribeiro, Agam Shah,<br />
Mike VanHelder, Andrew Williams<br />
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Intel vs AMD<br />
JIM<br />
MARTIN<br />
Our gaming <strong>PC</strong> group test pits Ryzen against Kaby Lake<br />
W<br />
elcome to the <strong>July</strong> issue of <strong>PC</strong> <strong>Advisor</strong>. It’s been another busy<br />
month with the release of the Creators Update for Windows 10,<br />
more Ryzen processors from AMD and plenty more besides.<br />
The Creators Update is free, but it’s still a little disappointing that it lacks<br />
much of the 3D capabilities Microsoft promised when it was announced last<br />
autumn. You can find out all about it in our review on page 20. It’s still worth<br />
downloading of course, as there are lots of tweaks and new features.<br />
This is also the first month we’ve been able to compare <strong>PC</strong>s with Ryzen<br />
CPUs against those with Intel’s Kaby Lake chips (page 60). Although we<br />
asked system builders to put together <strong>PC</strong>s aimed at gamers, these are<br />
powerful machines that will handle anything you need to do and the Ryzen<br />
processors excel whenever their vast number of cores can be put to use.<br />
Over the previous few weeks there has been much talk about Ryzen,<br />
some true and some not. We’ve sought to dispel the myths on page 77, so<br />
you’re in a better position when it comes to choosing between Intel and AMD.<br />
<strong>PC</strong>s are great for power and upgradability, but if you need performance<br />
in a portable package then check out Asus ROG Strix GL702VM on page<br />
31 and Dell’s Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming on page 36. They’re quite different<br />
beasts and will suit different people.<br />
If your current <strong>PC</strong> is lacking in the frames-per-second department, then<br />
Nvidia has a fantastic upgrade in the form of the GTX 1080 Ti (page 57). It<br />
isn’t cheap, but if you have a 4K monitor or a VR headset the 1080 Ti has<br />
the necessary firepower to give you smooth experience.<br />
There’s also a battle to be the best flagship phone and while LG’s G6 is a<br />
great contender (page 48) it can’t quite top the sheer brilliance of the Galaxy<br />
S8 (page 44). Even if you’re not thinking of upgrading your Android phone,<br />
you can do more with your current one. Google’s new Gboard is a particularly<br />
great keyboard – you’ll see why on page 113.<br />
We’re all taking more photos than ever before, especially on phones, and<br />
we’ve put together 25 tips on how to take your photography to the next level<br />
on page 80. While some are directed at DSLR owners, most apply to phones<br />
as well, so as the weather warms up, get snapping.<br />
Finally, we’ve got our usual selection of great Windows tips from need-toknow<br />
shortcuts (page 73) to ditching the limited Task Manager and getting to<br />
grips with the altogether more powerful Process Explorer (page 94).<br />
What do you think of this issue of <strong>PC</strong> <strong>Advisor</strong>? We welcome feedback<br />
– email Jim Martin at jim_martin@pcadvisor.co.uk and include the<br />
issue number in the subject heading<br />
<strong>PC</strong> <strong>Advisor</strong> is published by IDG UK<br />
IDG UK, 101 Euston Road, London NW1 2RA. Tel: 020 7756 2800<br />
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Distribution: Seymour Distribution Ltd 020 7429 4000<br />
No material may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission.<br />
While every care is taken, the publisher cannot be held legally responsible for any<br />
errors in articles, listings or advertisements. All material copyright IDG UK <strong>2017</strong><br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> www.pcadvisor.co.uk 3
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