Rock, Paper, Shotgun - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Katharine Castle)

AMD Ryzen 3 3300X review

AMD really outdid themselves when they launched their Ryzen 3000 CPUs last year, and the Ryzen 5 3600 was a particular highlight. It was excellent value in the face of Intel’s more expensive (and cooler-less) Core i5-9600K, and it’s been my processor of choice in both my [cms-block] rankings and my RPS Rig build ever since it came out. Somehow, though, they’ve managed to come up with something even better than the Ryzen 5 3600 for almost half the price. Enter the Ryzen 3 3300X, the new Ryzen 5 and Core i5 killer that costs just $120.

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Rock, Paper, Shotgun - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Katharine Castle)

AMD Ryzen 3 3100

AMD’s Ryzen 3000 CPUs made a huge impression when they launched last year, with many of them speeding straight in my [cms-block] rankings, while the Ryzen 5 3600 continues to be my CPU of choice in the RPS Rig. The only things missing from their initial line-up last year were their entry-level Ryzen 3 CPUs. At long last, AMD are finally filling out their budget CPU ranks with two new processors today – the $99 Ryzen 3 3100 on test here and the slightly more expensive Ryzen 3 3300X at $120.

With four cores and eight threads apiece, these CPUs aren’t intended for high-powered gaming rigs, but if you’re looking to keep costs down for your next PC build, then they offer a surprisingly good foundation for 1080p gaming. Which one should you buy, though? Here’s how the Ryzen 3 3100 stacks up to the rest of the competition.

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Grand Theft Auto V Legacy - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Alice O'Connor)

Inviting chaos into GTA Online, Rockstar today started giving away free green and purple alien bodysuits. Over the past few weeks, Los Santos has been invaded by violent aliens. First, gangs of players dressed as green aliens were jumping unsuspecting people with baseball bats and pool cues. Then, gangs of purple aliens started fighting the green aliens in sprawling street brawls. But the invasion was somewhat contained because suits are not cheap. Now anyone can be an alien at no cost – and pool cues are free too. Watch your back.

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Rock, Paper, Shotgun - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Dave Irwin)

Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle

Eco Lifestyle is the ninth expansion pack to be released for The Sims 4, and it introduces many ways for your Sims to live sustainably. A few of us here at RPS are excited for the opportunity to build the eco-houses of our dreams by covering our plots with solar panels and wind turbines.

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Rock, Paper, Shotgun - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Alan Martin)

Corsair HS70 - Best gaming headset 2020

If, like me, your gaming headset is currently held together with tape and glue, it might be time to invest in a new one. And right on cue, Best Buy have a decent sale on a number of gaming headsets right now, including a fancier version of Katharine’s favourite wireless gaming headset, the Corsair HS70.

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Rock, Paper, Shotgun - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Ollie Toms)

Valorant team comp guide

It might be a bit reductive to say that many Valorant matches are won or lost before the first round even begins, but it’s a nice, pithy way of saying “pay attention to your team composition, people”, so I’m gonna use it. If your thought process for picking your agent at the start of the match boils down to always picking your favourite or most familiar character, then you’re putting your team at a disadvantage. But fear not – our Valorant team comps guide will walk you through how to create an absolute powerhouse of a team for every single match.

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Rock, Paper, Shotgun - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Matt Cox)

Captain ForeheaderCaptain Forever

is a bit special to me, because there was a period where twelve-year-old me played it every lunchtime in one of my school’s computer rooms. It’s a roguelike where you roam about blowing up spaceships and snaffling their gear, building up your own DIY spaceships. I adored it.

My glasses are undeniably rose-tinted, but they don’t blind me. When Captain Forever Trilogy came out two years ago, a revamped version with new components to pour over, I fell in love again. A recent update added multiplayer for up to four people, and I’m now buzzing with excitement. Buzzing! Properly buzzing!

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Prince of Persia®: The Sands of Time - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Alice O'Connor)

A pitch video for Prince Of Persia Redemption has appeared, a hitherto unknown and apparently cancelled entry in Ubisoft’s fantasy stab-o-parkour series. It shows several minutes of mocked-up jumping around, swordfighting, magic, and an impressively vast beastie. What’s weird is that this video has been on YouTube since 2012, barely unnoticed until yesterday. It has been confirmed as real by Jonathan Cooper, who was the animation art director on Assassin’s Creed III at Ubisoft Montreal, so… huh!

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Rock, Paper, Shotgun - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Ollie Toms)

Valorant ranked mode - ranks and badges

Valorant’s colourful array of ranks and badges are the game’s way of rewarding you for your actions – or punishing you for being terrible. Our Valorant ranks and badges guide will walk you through each of the ranks in turn and how ranked play actually works in Valorant.

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Rock, Paper, Shotgun - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Nate Crowley)

I’m a big fan of elaborate castle/tower builds in Minecraft. People manage to tease some spectacularly baroque excess from just a meagre few varieties of textured cube, and ten years after I first came across the game, I’m still seeing entirely new ideas every time I have a poke around for inspiration. Reddit user and YouTuber Kyle Blane, whose work I encountered today, is a bit of a wizard with the grey stuff, but his latest build had a surprising standout feature.

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