The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is a cheaper, better-value version of the Ryzen 5600X - the CPU took the world by storm when Ryzen 5000 launched back in 2020. With six cores and 12 threads to access, you get good performance in modern game engines, while the higher single-core speeds introduced with this generation of AMD processors allows for better performance in single-core-limited (often older) games. It's a potent combination that makes the 5600X - and the 5600 - the best value AMD CPUs for gaming out there.
Normally the 5600 retails for £173, in comparison to £185 for the 5600X, but today it's down to £150 on Amazon, coming within £10 of the best price we've ever seen on this model.
During the first wave of RTX 3080 reviews, when we had no idea of the graphics card supply shortage to come, I remember being really impressed by the Asus Tuf Gaming model. It didn't look particularly special on the outside, but it consistently beat even more expensive models in terms of thermals and performance. I resolved to get one for myself, but things went mad and I only eventually managed to get one through my work. Now though, you can get the upgraded version of that high-performer at a more reasonable price: £650 for the Tuf Gaming OC V2, an overclocked model offering excellent performance for £400 below this model's UK RRP.
Playing settlement-building survival game Farthest Frontier has me planning a lot. I'm planning outposts to mine distant resources. I'm planning road and neighbourhood layouts to optimise movement and happiness. I'm planning defences to fend off bandits. But most of my thought is going on farming, planning my crop rotations to optimise fertility and yields. Finally, I have a use for everything school taught me about the three-field system and the nitrogen cycle.
As PC setups are carefully packed away and booths are dismantled, the curtain closes on another PAX West and it's time to say goodbye to Seattle (for now anyway). After four packed days of demos, panels, interviews, and lots of fruit smoothies, Liam and I are completely PAXed out, but we're not done quite yet.
Below you'll find something a little different from our usual daily round-ups. For our last day at PAX, we've done a super, uber, mega round-up on the entire event. We list off our favourite panel moments, the best game demos we played, and our general opinion on how the overall convention went. Click play below to see one of our last videos from the event:
The Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 is a kind of funny thing, a little plastic box with 15 plastic buttons. Each button has a tiny screen behind it, and when pressed can do any number of things - launching a program, changing to a new scene in a stream, adjusting your media volume, muting a microphone or sending out an alert. It's ideal for automation, giving you an easy way to trigger scripts or shortcuts that speed up the dreary parts of your job or your favourite game, and of course for game streamers it's invaluable. The MK.2 model normally costs £139, but today at Currys you can pick one up for £97 using the code GAMING30.
The Samsung 980 Pro is one of the fastest NVMe SSDs on the market, making excellent use of the PCIe 4.0 spec, and today a 2TB model has been reduced to £184 on Amazon UK. The usual price for this model is £252, making this a sweet 27% reduction.
A truly dynamic story is a goal game designers have strived toward for decades. Worldwalker Games' Wildermyth gets closer to that goal than most. In this spellbinding RPG, players guide bands of heroes through a lifetime of adventure, embarking on dozens of short, whimsical quests wherein they grow, age, and quite literally evolve, with the potential to transform into walking trees, celestial beings, and anthropomorphised crows.
Wildermyth is an inspired example of narrative design, with some nifty tactical combat to boot. But when Nate Austin, his wife Annie, and his brother Doug began developing the game around eight years ago, the weight of emphasis between storytelling and combat was very much the other way around.
Every weekend, indie devs show off current work on Twitter's #screenshotsaturday tag. And every Monday, I bring you a selection of these snaps and clips. This week, my eye has been caught by a shrimp breeding game, some lovely places to explore, some bleak places to explore, and a plasma rifle with a surprising number of functions.
The weekend is over and our third day of PAX West has come to a close. I feel like I say this every day, but it was another busy day today as we bounced around the PAX show floor. We played some of our favourite games from the whole event and also recorded two incredible interviews you won't wanna miss. Watch our daily round-up of everything we did for more info!
In an interview opportunity that Liam and I are still reeling from, we had the chance to chat to the cast of Team Fortress 2 about their experiences lending their voices to one of the most iconic FPSs of all time.
After watching yesterday's TF2 panel, we were incredibly excited to put our own questions to the TF2 squad. Ellen McLain (the TF2 announcer), Gary Schwartz (Heavy and Demoman), John Patrick Lowrie (Sniper) and Robin Atkin Downes (Medic) answered all our questions including how they each created the voices for the characters and if they would they return for a completely metaphorical release of Team Fortress 3 which - spoilers - was a resounding yes. Watch below for the entire interview.