In previous years, 3DMark established itself as de facto standard for benchmark tests of our VGA cards in the PC realm. As smartphones and tablets become more and more powerful, there were several benchmark programs around to test them, but all of them had some shortcomings. Some have results varying too much after several consecutive runs, some were made by hardware vendors (not independent) and some wasn’t simple and/or easy to use. Futuremark recognized its opportunity, and released 3DMark to test and compare our mobile devices.

Since the invention of analog logic circuits, transistors and today’s modern devices, there’s been a tendency to calculate the performances of both components and PCs as precisely as possible. Of course, the reason behind that lies in the need for comparing the raw power and general capabilities of one system with another or with another reference value, in order to reach certain conclusions. After calculations it’s possible to determine the performance of a PC more accurately, and after that determine its price range, variety of software and operations that can be performed on it, as well as suitability towards a specific purpose.

The Futuremark development team isn’t losing its momentum and continues the pace set a long time ago. Every two years, this company greets us with a new product in the 3DMark family. It used to be 3DMark 2000, 2001, Vantage and 11, but this time, it’s – nothing, just 3DMark. That’s right, the new version of the ultra-popular benchmark has entirely shunned any sort of suffix. Many have speculated about the potential name, including Next, 12, 13, 2013, but no, they’ve opted for 3DMark, shortly and simply. The reason for this is that Futuremark considers this new version of the program a game changer for the entire concept, trying to standardise the test battery for all platforms and operating systems. Ambitious and risky, by all means, but we believe it to be unnecessary in addition to these. 3DMark has always been the ultimate test for PC owners, and extending this simple equation just doesn’t seem like a logical move. Anyhow, let’s see in just how many ways this new piece of software is able to torture our graphics accelerators.

Android performance commands respect these days. The latest generation of mobile phones and tablets absolutely requires the presence of a quad-core CPU, a powerful graphics chip that “swallows” full HD material without a hitch, as well as a wad of RAM for a decent multitasking experience. The development of “pocket” hardware has accelerated so fast during the last year or two that we can freely say that upper-class Android models are more powerful than an average desktop PC of some 6-7 years ago. Where there’s performance, there’s also the question of measuring it, which led to significant expansion in benchmarking software at the turn of the century. The situation has become very similar in the mobile segment of nowadays, especially with the steep prices of high-end models with seemingly similar characteristics, so those that rely on more than looks when opting for a new smartphone have nowhere to turn to but synthetic benchmarks in order to determine which of the models they have in mind has the best price/performance ratio. We bring you a short insight into the three most popular and reliable free apps with this purpose in mind, with particular attention given to the nature of the actual tests they perform, as well as the question of how different models that count among the most popular and powerful of today cope with them.

As year comes to an end, it is perfect time to look back on what we've liked to play. Here is our list of top games of 2012, in no particular order. Happy New Year, may it brings us more joy, happiness and high quality games!

We’ve already got acquainted with all the novelties of Windows 8 in a recent article, but also the rejuvenated elements that Eight has inherited from previous versions of this OS. Many features are entirely new and bring along a significantly changed concept of use, most prominently the Metro (i.e. Modern UI) interface, optimised for tablets and other hybrid forms of portable computers that rely on the touchscreen. However, this is but the tip of the iceberg; the new Windows has loads of new features and optimisations under the hood, some of which are responsible for the noticeably better performance, and some which bring new functionality to the good old desktop environment.

When a company such as Microsoft prepares a new product, especially a new generation of the most popular operating system on Earth, it’s hard to remain indifferent and not fall under the influence of the huge pomp and dust risen about it in the media, which hasn’t given way in over a year now. Historically, this company is hugely responsible for many, many things that have come to define the desktop PC, in both business and private settings, from fundamental things such as the way we communicate with the PC, to many other software and hardware standards that we’ve got used to and accepted almost unconditionally. It’s been over twenty years since the first Windows was launched, with every subsequent version being a bold step ahead, bringing forth a load of new features.

One of the many novelties and improvements of the overall user experience brought forth by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is the increased use of GPU acceleration in rendering the basic UI elements of the system. We deliberately say “increased” because previous Android versions also used the graphics subsystem to render certain parts of the UI, contrary to popular belief, but to a much lesser extent than is currently the case.

Overclocking graphics cards is a “sport” we’re all more or less familiar with, and depending on our ambitions, the limit we’re striving for differs. Whether it’s the world record or just the desired framerate in a particular game that we’re after, we just have to reach for the increased frequencies and voltages on various graphics card elements. Depending on the model you have, its price range and intended usage scenario, but also external conditions, the success you can achieve will be more or less limited. Still, before setting off into the adventure of overclocking, the appropriate software tool needs to be chosen. Somewhere along the line, as this activity advanced and increased in popularity, certain manufacturers understood that the enthusiasm often expressed by users is easily hampered by badly assembled tools within the drivers themselves, so they turned to creating their own solutions, enabling an enthusiast to achieve high results without having to battle with bugs and ill-optimised software; this also promotes the company that created the solution in the first place and shows that they have interest in the overclocking community (although they won’t fail to mention that overclocking your card instantly voids warranty). Whatever the case, certain companies have done their best to create entirely new solutions from scratch, while others decided that modifying and improving existing solutions shortens the development cycle, while still providing a very good OC tool. If you belong to the old school, familiar with RivaTuner, you already know what we’re talking about, but for those who don’t, this tool was one of the best, if not the best piece of overclocking software, up to 2009 when its development was halted. Why? Well, its creator simply decided to offer his solution to other graphics card manufacturers, thereby losing interest in continuing the development himself, as clones of his program still exist, only in company colours such as ASUS, MSI and EVGA, while the functionality has essentially remained the same, only adjusted for modern graphics cards. Enough with the reminiscing, let’s have a look at the greatest and latest this segment has to offer these days. We’ve chosen four of the most interesting tools to present.

It’s become typical to prepare at least as much money for Windows and Office as for the actual new office PC when buying one. These costs have gone a bit out of hand, especially in our shaky economic environment, which has caused an expansion in applications and internet services offering (some of) the functionality of the benchmark Microsoft Office suite. We’ve already reviewed some of them, and one of the latest additions to the fold is Office Suite 2012, made by the Chinese Kingsoft. According to the latter company, Office Suite has been present on the market for more than 20 years already, but we can’t say we’ve noticed its rise in the overall market share (except maybe in China).