Tag:

RGB

Raspberry Pi 500+ Review: RGB clicky keys and NVMe storage, but with a $200 price tag

by admin September 25, 2025

Why you can trust Tom’s Hardware

Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Raspberry Pi has been a bit quiet after a packed 2024, which saw multiple products and SKUs released on a weekly basis. The Raspberry Pi 500 was one of those products, and it received an Editor’s Choice award despite the omission of a PCIe-based storage. Yes, there was space, and yes, the silkscreen had the layout for it, but it was never added to the 500. This led to other Pi community members and me theorizing that a future model would feature PCIe-based storage. It turns out that we were correct, and here we have the Raspberry Pi 500+.

Straight off the mark, the price is $200 (approximately £180). The price of a low-spec laptop, essentially. For the price, we get the same System on Chip (SoC) as the Raspberry Pi 500 and Pi 5, but we also get 16GB of RAM and a 256GB NVMe SSD, not to mention a mechanical keyboard. If you want the Raspberry Pi 500+ as part of a getting started kit, then for $220 (£200) you can pick up the Raspberry Pi 500+ Desktop Kit which comes with a branded mouse, USB-C power supply, official HDMI cable and the Raspberry Pi Beginner’s Guide. For the review, I have just the Raspberry Pi 500+.

Raspberry Pi 500+ Technical Specifications

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Raspberry Pi 500+

Raspberry Pi 500

SoC

BCM2712 SoC Arm Cortex-A76 64-bit CPU running at 2.4 GHz

Row 1 – Cell 0

800 MHz VideoCore VII GPU, supporting OpenGL ES 3.1, Vulkan 1.2

Display

2 x 4Kp60 micro HDMI display output with HDR support

RAM

16GB LPDDR4X-4267

8GB LPDDR4X SDRAM

Storage

256GB NVMe SSD pre-installed

Micro SD (SDR104 compatible)

GPIO

40 Pin Raspberry Pi HAT Compatible via breakout

USB

1 x USB 2

2 x USB 3

1 x USB 2

2 x USB 3

Networking

Gigabit Ethernet

Wi-Fi / Bluetooth

Dual-band 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5 / BLE

Power Button

Soft power button on keyboard

Keyboard

84, 85, 88-key RGB mechanical keyboard with Gateron Blue KS-33 low-profile switches.

Chiclet keyboard

Power

5V 5A via USB C

5V 4A via USB C

Dimensions

312 x 123 x 35.76mm

286 × 122 × 23 mm

Price

$200

$120 Desktop kit ($90 solo)

Design of the Raspberry Pi 500+

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The dominant aesthetic of the Raspberry Pi 500+ is the keyboard. It looks stunning, and the layout is similar to my daily driver, a Keychron K2. Under the keycaps, we have Gateron Blue KS-33 low-profile switches, and as a lover of clicky keys, they please me greatly. This is a keyboard that I could use as a daily driver. Perhaps Raspberry Pi will release the keyboard as a replacement for the official keyboard? Aside from the keyboard, the ports on the rear of the 500+ are identical to those on the 500.

The Pi 500+ and the 500 before it sport the same all-white color scheme, which is boring, but functional. It looks great on your desk, but I loved the Raspberry Pi 400’s “raspberry and white” aesthetic.

Image 1 of 6

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Raspberry Pi 500+ is larger than the Pi 500, both in length and height. The bottom part of the chassis is deeper, and the keyboard is longer. The height is most likely to accommodate space for the NVMe SSD, as the key switches are all located in the top section of the chassis. The length difference will be for the standard keycaps used. Yes, you can replace the keycaps if you wish. Using the included key puller, I pulled a few keys off to take a look underneath, then I threw some spare keys from my Keychron spares box on there to prove that they fit.

My pre-release unit has a quirk with the ENTER key, and Raspberry Pi assures me that this issue is not present in mass-produced units. Did I mention that the keys are RGB? Oh yes, a rainbow at your fingertips. Just press the FN and the light key to change the sequence. There are static colors (white and red), animated rainbow effects, reactive keys that shine blue or red, and an off option. The power button, a dedicated soft key introduced on the Raspberry Pi 5 and Pi 500 (the secondary function of F10 for the Pi 400), shines green when the Pi is on and red when in standby. To control the RGB LEDs, Raspberry Pi has released a config tool in the form of a Debian package, which handles all installation tasks for demos and the all-important udev rules.

The package is both a command-line tool and a Python module, which means that we can write our own code to control the LEDs. So I did, and made my usual “Disco” demo.

After a few bouts of trial and error, I managed my goal and I had something like a 1970s disco on my keyboard.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The keen-eyed amongst you will note that, because the Pi 500+ uses the same keyboard wedge design as its predecessors, there is no access to the CSI (Camera) / DSI (Display) connector. Looking at the PCB, there are no connections on the board. If you really need a camera, grab a USB webcam. For displays, there are two micro HDMI ports that support 4K60, so you are well catered to.

Tearing Down the Raspberry Pi 500+

Image 1 of 9

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

All of the previous Raspberry Pi 00 series machines have been easy to tear down, and the Pi 500+ is no exception. It has to be because we need access to the NVMe SSD. You may never upgrade the drive, but the 500+ introduces Phillips screws that secure the bottom chassis to the keyboard. The final retail kit that I received came with a spudger to leverage the plastic chassis apart. Starting at the opening just below the space bar, I slid the spudger around the seam and the clips popped open.

Initially, I could see two sections of the chassis. The bottom part contained the mainboard, which is covered by a large aluminum heatsink, with only a cutout for the NVMe SSD (note that my pre-release model has a smaller 2230 SSD than what will be included in the retail units). The other part is the custom keyboard plate, which is powered by a Raspberry Pi Pico’s RP2 (RP2040) and not the newer RP2350. There is no need for the newer board, after all, the RP2040 is merely acting as a USB interface.

Also present on the mainboard is a battery connector for a real-time clock, which can be purchased separately.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

On the left side of the mainboard is a large unpopulated area, the same as on the Pi 500. This would’ve been for a PoE circuit to power the Pi 500+ over an Ethernet connection, but, just like the Pi 500, it was likely cut as a trade off for cost/capability.

Image 1 of 2

Raspberry Pi 500(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)Raspberry Pi 500+(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

At a glance, the Raspberry Pi 500+ and 500 look identical; in fact, the silkscreen version numbers are the same. The only key differences on the Pi 500+ are the NVMe and moving the keyboard connector from a larger flat flex cable (FFC) to a smaller one. The RP2 is not next to the keyboard connector; instead, it is located on the keyboard PCB, which leads me to believe that RP2 performs keyboard and RGB light control.

The change from a larger to smaller FFC between these versions means that while the mainboard has the same cut-outs and screw holes, you couldn’t transplant the Pi 500+ into a 500 chassis (and vice versa) without some FFC connector and RP2040 desoldering. Of course, the Internet will prove me wrong, and some enterprising maker will do this just for the heck of it. If so, hit me up!

Raspberry Pi 500+ Thermal and Power Performance

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Like its predecessors, the Pi 500+ has a huge aluminum heatsink to passively cool the ARM-powered SoC. This means we are almost guaranteed that the unit will run much cooler than the original Raspberry Pi 5. But we must still check. So I ran my usual test script, which records the resting temperature for one minute, then runs a stress test across all cores for five minutes before recording the resting temperature as the system calms down.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Pi 500+ runs a little warmer than the Pi 500, especially at idle, where it is almost 4C warmer. Under stress, the 500+ is only 1.7C warmer than the 500. The temperature difference can be attributed to the NVMe SSD, which will generate a little more heat inside the case.

CPU Temperature Comparison in Celsius

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Idle

Stress

Raspberry Pi 500 +

35.1

52.7

Raspberry Pi 500

31.2

Power consumption in Watts

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Idle

Stress

Raspberry Pi 500 +

2.29

6.35

Raspberry Pi 500

2.6

6.36

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Raspberry Pi 500+ uses a fraction less power than the Pi 500, which is interesting considering that it has an NVMe SSD inside. The reason for the lower power consumption is that the chip uses the D0 stepping, which removes “all the non-Raspberry Pi specific logic from the chip,” according to Raspberry Pi co-founder Eben Upton, while leaving it functionally identical to the previous chip.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The removal of non-Pi logic sees a 33% reduction in die space and was achieved by removing Ethernet and USB logic; instead, these functions are handled by the RP1 “Southbridge” instead. This is identical to the Raspberry Pi 5 2GB and 16GB models.

Can the Raspberry Pi 500+ be overclocked?

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Yes, but I could only manage 2.95GHz. I say “only” because for the Pi 500, I managed 3GHz! This time, the overclock took a little more work, requiring me to tweak the voltage delta to give the CPU a little more juice. But I got there.

CPU Overclocked to 2.95GHz Temperature Comparison in Celsius

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Idle

Stress

Raspberry Pi 500+ OC to 2.95GHz

38.9

The overclock saw the Raspberry Pi 500+ idle at 38.9C, and then under stress, this went up to 67C. This was still way under the thermal throttle trigger point of 82C. Power consumption at idle was still 2.64 Watts, and under stress, this jumped to 9.65W.

In fact, my log showed 0x50000, which refers to under-voltage, and this was using the official Raspberry Pi 27W power supply. If you plan to overclock, grab the official 45W power supply or source a compatible GaN charger.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Overclocked to 2.95GHz Power consumption in Watts

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Idle

Stress

Raspberry Pi 500+ OC to 2.95GHz

2.6394

9.65

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

I tested using the included 256GB NVMe SSD, which, according to lshw, is a Samsung PM991a PCIe Gen 3 NVMe SSD. Performance was to be expected; we get extra performance when compared to the official Raspberry Pi M.2 HAT on a Raspberry Pi 5.

Raspberry Pi 500+ NVMe Performance at PCIe Gen 3 in MB/s

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Read

Write

Raspberry Pi 500+

893

778.11

Raspberry Pi 5 via M.2 HAT

837

723.16

An additional 56MB/s when reading the contents of the SSD to /dev/null means that, in general use, we should see a slight performance improvement, but don’t expect high-performance NVMe. The same is true for write speeds. We get an extra 54.95 MB/s of throughput when writing data to the drive, as per the Raspberry Pi diagnostics tool. Again, not super speedy, but for an SBC (Single Board Computer), we will take every extra we can get.

For all of you eager to know how fast the Raspberry Pi 500+ boots, well, the results are a little disappointing because booting from NVMe took 22.62 seconds, but a Raspberry Pi 500, booting from an A2/SDR104 compatible micro SD card, took just 16.36 seconds. Both Pis are running the latest firmware and bootloader. I also set the Pi 500+ to boot from NVMe first. But the Pi 500’s micro SD card boot won this race!

The Pi 500+ also has a micro SD card slot, compatible with SDR104 and all previous classes of micro SD cards. In fact, it is the same unit as on the Raspberry Pi 500, but the key selling point of the Pi 500+ is NVMe storage. You could feasibly remove the NVMe SSD and replace it with an AI processing unit, booting the OS from micro SD instead. Obviously, without a dedicated camera interface, you will need to get creative and use a USB camera or video source, but it can be done.

Raspberry Pi 500+ versus 500 boot times in seconds

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Time in Seconds

Raspberry Pi 500 + NVMe

22.62

Raspberry Pi 500 + Micro SD (SDR104 / A2)

26.55

Raspberry Pi 500 Micro SD (SDR104 / A2)

16.36

So, how well does the micro SD card perform on the Raspberry Pi 500+? Well, it came last in my tests at 26.55 seconds, and the culprit is the new bootloader splash screen, which, despite being set to boot from micro SD, hung around far too long. In the grand scheme of things, 26 seconds is no time at all, but we have to test!

Raspberry Pi 500+ versus 500 micro SD performance

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Read MB/s

Write MB/s

Raspberry Pi 500 +

92.6

31.9

Raspberry Pi 500

94.4

32.1

I also tested micro SD read and write using my usual tests. Reading the contents of the micro SD card to /dev/null using dd, and using the built-in Raspberry Pi diagnostics test for sequential write speeds. The results are close enough to call it even. So the earlier boot speed difference is clearly down to the bootloader screen.

GPIO access on the Raspberry Pi 500+

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Pi 500+ has the same GPIO as has been standard on all models of Raspberry Pi since the B+ back in 2014. But for the 00 series units, the GPIO is horizontal, and that means to use a HAT, or for a clearer view of the GPIO, you will need a right-angled breakout board. There are boards such as Pimoroni’s Flat HAT Hacker, which are cheap and easy to use. If you want to use the GPIO in a project, you will need a breakout. However, in truth, the 00 series of Raspberry Pi is not really for hardware hackers. If you want to build a project around a Pi, go for the “typical” Raspberry Pi form factor found in the Pi 4 / 5.

I did a test with my own Flat HAT Hacker board, and I can confirm that you can use the GPIO quite easily for basic electronics. If you want to use a HAT, then it may or may not work, as with the introduction of the Raspberry Pi 5, there were changes to how the GPIO is accessed. Now it is accessed via the RP1 “Southbridge” chip instead of the older means of directly accessing it via the CPU and some hacky (but ultimately working) code modules.

I then broke out a Pimoroni Explorer HAT Pro, the same board that I used to teach robotics with at Picademy. This still doesn’t work with the Raspberry Pi 5 series of boards, well, unless you go through multiple hoops and spend an afternoon trying to install it. This aspect of the Raspberry Pi experience still makes me sad, and I long for the days when I could just buy a HAT, drop it on my Pi, and start hacking.

Use Cases for the Raspberry Pi 500+

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Raspberry Pi 500+ is basically the same as the Pi 500 but with more RAM and NVMe storage, which is great, but it comes at a cost. Who would use the Pi 500+? I can see it being a viable home PC for those that don’t need an ultra-powerful PC, or as a child’s first PC. In business, it could be a viable thin client. For educational purposes, it would make a suitable classroom PC.

I was eager to compare the price of a similar Raspberry Pi 5 16GB, the new M.2 compact HAT and the same 256GB NVMe SSD, so I went over to Adafruit and priced it all up.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Adafruit)(Image credit: Adafruit)

Before shipping and taxes, the cost came to $229, and we still have a keyboard to purchase. Interestingly, a 256GB NVMe SSD is $20 more expensive than the 512GB version, so save $20, get double the storage and use that $20 to buy a keyboard!
So what does this prove? Well, it shows that in both cases, going the official Raspberry Pi route will cost largely the same, but with the Pi 500+ we have it all contained in a gorgeous looking keyboard. What we lose in function (camera and display access, awkward GPIO) we gain in the form of a singular unit with a great keyboard. But, the Raspberry Pi 500+, like the 500 and 400 before it, is not a platform for electronics / robotics tinkerers. For those enthusiasts, you will need the original form factor Raspberry Pi.

For those of us that grew up during the home computer boom of the 1970s and 1980s, of which I am one, the form factor is nostalgic, and I can see some enthusiasts building their own home computer emulation systems using the Pi 500+, but, they could also do that with the $90 Raspberry Pi 500, or even the older Raspberry Pi 400. A few years ago, I managed to build a competent Commodore Amiga 1200 using my Raspberry Pi 400.

Bottom Line

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

At $200, the Raspberry Pi 500+ is a considered purchase, which may lead some to consider buying a cheap laptop instead. You could argue that you get a computer and an electronics education platform in one package, but a cheap laptop or an Intel N100 / N150 mini PC and a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W will offer the same experience for a very similar price.

I really like the Pi 500+, the keyboard is great and it is the pinnacle of the Raspberry Pi 5 series, but the price is hard to swallow as the Raspberry Pi moves from being a cheap single board computer, into an Arm-based desktop computer.

Source link

September 25, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

Tether Brings USDT to Bitcoin Via Layer-2 Network RGB

by admin August 31, 2025

In brief

Stablecoin giant Tether is bringing USDT to the Bitcoin network.
Users will be able to spend their stablecoins on Bitcoin’s network via the RGB protocol.
Tether says it wants Bitcoin to be “everyday money.”

Stablecoin giant Tether is pushing further into the Bitcoin ecosystem, announcing on Thursday that it would make its USDT token available on the largest crypto network via the RGB protocol.

RGB allows users to issue assets on the blockchain, opening “the door for stablecoins to exist natively on Bitcoin,” Tether said in a press release.

“For Tether, this means USDT can be transacted directly on the world’s most secure and decentralized network, bringing fast, private, and lightweight payments to billions of people globally,” the company said in the release.

The announcement comes nearly eight months after Tether said that it was making its main crypto product available on the Bitcoin blockchain via Lightning, a Layer 2 network that aims to speed up transactions. That integration marked a significant milestone for both Tether and Bitcoin, two dominant forces in crypto that had yet to combine forces.

It also follows positive developments for stablecoins, most notably the passage of the Genius Act that sets U.S. guidelines for the tokens. U.K. bank Standard Chartered has predicted that stablecoins’ market capitalization will triple by the end of 2026.

RGB (Real Good Bitcoin) uses smart contracts allowing functions to be executed on a blockchain and contain code that powers autonomous crypto applications, meme coins, and more. They have been available on other crypto networks, like Ethereum.

Tether said RGB was designed to make Bitcoin foundational for daily transactions. Users will be able to keep their stablecoins and BTC in the same wallet and make transactions offline.

“Bitcoin deserves a stablecoin that feels truly native, lightweight, private, and scalable,” said Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether. “With RGB, USD₮ gains a powerful new pathway on Bitcoin, reinforcing our belief in Bitcoin as the foundation of a freer financial future.”

El Salvador-based Tether mints USDT, the fourth-biggest cryptocurrency with a more than $167 billion market cap and generally the most-traded digital asset. Most stablecoins are pegged to the value of the U.S. dollar.

Tether keeps a vault of dollar reserves.

Crypto traders use stablecoins to execute transactions seamlessly without using a traditional bank.

But Tether says USDT is now also used by people in emerging markets with weak currencies who want exposure to U.S. dollars.

Daily Debrief Newsletter

Start every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.

Source link

August 31, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

Tether to Launch USDT on Bitcoin with RGB and Lightning

by admin August 28, 2025

Tether, the firm behind USDT, the biggest stablecoin, has announced plans to launch the token on Bitcoin using RGB, a smart-contract and asset-issuance protocol that works with the Lightning Network.

According to the press release, RGB allows issuers to create and move assets that are linked to Bitcoin transactions but verified off-chain, which means they do not take up much space on the blockchain itself.

Design for Faster, Cheaper, and Private Transactions

This new design is an upgrade compared to older systems like Omni, which stored more information directly on Bitcoin. Because Omni used the blockchain for storing token data, it became slow and expensive whenever fees on Bitcoin went up. RGB avoids that by keeping data off-chain and letting users confirm it privately.

Tether said its goal with RGB is to make USDT transfers on Bitcoin quick and affordable, while keeping it more private. The system uses client-side validation, where the users check the transactions themselves instead of putting all the details onto the blockchain.

Meanwhile, tether made the move after it decided to cut off some smaller or less popular networks. Earlier this year, the company said it would stop using Omni, EOS, and Algorand by September 2025. These networks were not growing much, and Tether wanted to focus on blockchains with more users and higher demand.

Today, most USDT runs on Tron and Ethereum, but the company says adding RGB creates a direct Bitcoin-native option. This means people will be able to send and receive USDT inside Lightning wallets, and trade it on exchanges directly through Bitcoin’s network.

Tether to Expand Bitcoin Footprint

According to data from CoinMarketCap, USDT has a total supply of more than $167 billion. This makes it the largest stablecoin in the world. With RGB, Tether hopes to bring that large supply into the Bitcoin ecosystem.

“Bitcoin deserves a stablecoin that feels truly native, lightweight, private, and scalable. With RGB, USD₮ gains a powerful new pathway on Bitcoin, reinforcing our belief in Bitcoin as the foundation of a freer financial future.” Tether’s CEO Paolo Ardoino said in the press release.

At the same time, Tether has been investing heavily in Bitcoin. As of the second quarter of 2025, the company owned over 100,000 BTC and spent more than $2 billion on 15 mining centers in Latin America.

Also Read: Bukele Reacts as El Salvador’s Bitcoin Holdings Could Hit $1B

Source link

August 28, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Borderlands 4 adds Razer Sensa HD haptics and Chroma RGB to its arsenal

by admin August 26, 2025

Razer always goes the extra mile, and vault hunters will appreciate their latest innovation. With successful integrations for games like Marvel Rivals and Final Fantasy XVI, Razer is pulling Borderlands 4 into the lineup. It’ll be supported on all of your enabled devices, like the Freyja gaming cushion and Wolverine V3 Pro controller! Borderlands 4 just feels like a perfect, vibrant fit. Check out the details below.

IRVINE, CALIF. – AUGUST 20, 2025 – Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, has partnered with Gearbox Software to bring Razer Sensa HD Haptics and Razer Chroma™ RGB to Borderlands 4, launching on September 12, 2025.

Set on the chaotic planet of Kairos, Borderlands 4 is a fast-paced, mayhem-fueled, looter shooter where players take on the role of one of the legendary Vault Hunters battling a tyrannical regime while hunting alien treasure across war-torn biomes. With Razer’s immersive technologies, gamers will experience the action in a whole new way through high-definition haptics and reactive lighting across supported Razer gear.

Feel every moment of madness

From the thunderous recoil of a Jakobs shotgun to the elemental fury of Maliwan tech, Borderlands 4 delivers multi-directional, low-latency haptic feedback through Razer Sensa HD Haptics-enabled devices, including the Razer Freyja gaming cushion, Razer Kraken V4 Pro headset, and Razer Wolverine V3 Pro for PC controller.

Razer Chroma RGB adds another layer of immersion with dynamic lighting effects that respond to in-game action. Explosions, abilities, and combat sequences illuminate supported setups with vibrant, real-time reactions. These effects are available across all Chroma-enabled devices, providing a seamless and immersive experience regardless of the setup. Each device features responsive lighting that reacts dynamically to gameplay, enhancing every moment of the action. With support for 16.8 million colors and a wide range of lighting effects, Chroma brings the chaotic energy of Borderlands 4 to life, amplifying the intensity of every firefight, ability, and explosion.

With support for character-specific profiles, Razer Sensa HD Haptics and Razer Chroma RGB work together to deliver a uniquely immersive experience tailored to each Vault Hunter. Players will feel every pulse of combat through synchronized haptic feedback and reactive lighting effects that reflect individual abilities and playstyles. Whether unleashing Vex’s Siren powers or deploying Harlowe’s tech arsenal, supported Razer gear responds in real time, bringing the mayhem of Kairos vividly to life.

Preview and experience the integration live at gamescom 2025 and PAX West 2025

Media and select members of the public can preview and experience the integration live at the VIP section of Borderlands 4 booth during gamescom 2025, taking place in Cologne, Germany on August 20-22. Razer gear will be available for hands-on demos, showcasing the immersive features of Borderlands 4 with the integration of Razer Sensa HD Haptics and Razer Chroma RGB integrations.

A showcase will be featured at PAX West 2025, taking place in Seattle, United States of America, on August 29 to September 1. Both Razer and 2K will host booths offering deeper access to Borderlands 4.

Borderlands 4 launches on September 12. For more information, visit razer.com/campaigns/borderlands-4.

Stay tuned to GamingTrend for more Razer news and info!

Share this article

The link has been copied!

Affiliate Links

Source link

August 26, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Samsung’s new $29,999 Micro RGB TV looks ridiculously good

by admin August 22, 2025

Last week, Samsung announced the world’s first Micro RGB TV and while it sounded fantastic on paper, you can never really get a good sense of what a fresh display looks like until you see it in person. But after going to Samsung’s new headquarters in New Jersey, I can attest that it is truly a sight to behold.

Now, before we get to the TV itself, it’s probably a good idea to dive into what’s going on with Samsung’s latest panel tech. In many ways, Micro RGB is a step up from current Mini LED screens. On a technical level, the Micro LEDs and the self-emissive pixels of Samsung’s The Wall probably remain the more sophisticated end goal for next-gen TVs.

At its core, Micro RGB is still based on LCD tech, the difference is that instead of using blue or white backlighting like a lot of sets today, it features individually controlled red, green and blue Micro LEDs (hence the name Micro RGB) to produce an even wider range of colors. The result is that Samsung claims this is the first TV to cover 100 percent of the BT.2020 standard. For context, that covers more than 75 percent of the visible spectrum and has an even wider color range than what you get from DCI-P3, which is one of the most commonly used high-end standards for modern filmmaking.

1 / 7

Samsung Micro RGB TV

This sort of color richness is hard to appreciate unless you’re standing right in front of it.

In person, that means the TV can produce stunningly rich and vivid colors that put Samsung’s other top-tier TVs to shame, including the new Neo QLED QN90F which starts at a whopping $26,999. Like its sibling, Samsung’s Micro RGB TV is only available in one size (115 inches) and has a similar design, while its panel features a 144Hz refresh rate and a matte glare-free coating. But that’s kind of where the similarities end, because this new flagship model features four times the number of dimming zones. Furthermore, because the Micro RGB LEDs require more computing power to manage all those pixels, Samsung had to create a new RGB Engine AI processor to properly control everything.

In short, this is a lot of words to describe what might be the best-looking TV I’ve ever seen. While I only got to view some demo footage (which admittedly is designed to make the set look its best), I couldn’t help but appreciate the sheer intensity of the hues and shades on display. When the video loop shifted to primarily blue and green scenes, the TV’s color depth was almost overwhelming. That said, due to the immense size of the panel, when you get up close, it’s easy to see individual pixels. However, when you’re sitting in its sweet spot (about 11.5 feet from the display), everything looks ridiculously sharp and overflows with detail. And even for those off-center, there appeared to be no falloff in brightness or saturation.

While Samsung’s $26,999 Neo QLED QN90F boasts a price tag that’s nearly as expensive as the $29,999 Micro RGB TV, there’s still a very obvious difference in color.

(Sam Rutherford for Engadget)

Now, of course, the major downside of Samsung’s new Micro RGB TV is that at $29,999, it makes everything but The Wall (which starts at a cool $40,000) seem cheap. But the funny thing is that when compared to the Neo QLED QN90F, which Samsung also had on display in a nearby room, the difference in quality and color was immediately obvious. This sort of makes me wonder why anyone with super deep pockets would even consider the latter just to save a few thousand dollars, because when you see them in person, there’s no doubt which set is superior.

Unfortunately, the Micro RGB’s full glory doesn’t translate across the internet due to the much more limited specs of the web. It’s one of those things you need to see for yourself to fully grasp. But if you’re the kind of person with enough money that you don’t need to care about price tags, Samsung’s latest flagship should be an immediate contender as the centerpiece in your mansion.

Source link

August 22, 2025 0 comments