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Artificial intelligence is the holy grail of the information age and the hot topic du jour. The hype was triggered by the revolutionary chatbot ChatGPT, which has turned our concept of non-human intelligence on its head. With a few key words, the AI creates seemingly authentic essays that stand up to critical scrutiny, produces code in various programming languages, and gives brilliant answers in dialog-based exchanges. ChatGPT is already writing adverts for Ryan Reynolds, and even the almighty Google could be put under pressure by the intelligent software, as suspected by Der Spiegel. However, with Gemini, the search engine king has long since launched its own high-performance AI. But even beyond top dogs like ChatGPT or Gemini, there are now many useful and functional AI applications that use intelligent algorithms to do a lot of work for us or make our free time more enjoyable. We present eight really powerful AI tools that help us in our everyday lives — including ChatGPT, of course. Further reading: 9 free AI tools that run locally on your PC Brain.fm: AI-generated music brain.fm brain.fm brain.fm Brain.fm offers customized music playlists created by an AI. The content and selection are based on modern neuroscientific findings and are designed to provide listeners with a favorable acoustic environment at work, in their free time, or when falling asleep. More focus, improved concentration, or easier switching off when meditating are promised. Such audio assistance is achieved with music and sounds that are tuned to the human brainwave pattern. The intelligent part of the offer also aims to personalize the content. As you use the website, you will receive content that is increasingly customized to your mood. Brain.fm’s “Brainwave” music is also available as an app for both Android and iOS. Genei: Intelligent summaries genei genei genei Genei is based on the English word for “djinns,” the magical creatures from Far Eastern fables. The AI tool can deal with stories and narratives, but also with scientific texts or reports — and summarize them to a fraction of their original number of characters. You don’t have time to read a 4-page newspaper article? Genei compresses the content into a few clear bullet points. A colleague writes pages of emails? Genei saves you having to trawl through redundant paragraphs and gets to the heart of the matter. Anyone who works professionally with texts can save an incredible amount of time with this tool. The AI also reduces leisure reading in the blink of an eye, without important content falling through the cracks. Genei can currently only work with English texts. The ingenious service is free for 14 days. After this trial period, you will have to pay around $10 per month. In return, the tool can also interpret graphics and analyze files up to 5GB in size. Students receive a 40 percent discount. Beautiful.ai: Presentations that seem effortless Beautiful.ai Beautiful.ai Beautiful.ai Beautiful.ai can create individual, modern, and quite appealing presentations without you having to spend hours on design, structure, or graphics. You can concentrate on your own message or the content of a business presentation and leave the visuals to the software. This not only saves a huge amount of time, but the results are also visually impressive. With the service, you no longer have to sit up late at night working on individual slides and adjusting font sizes or line spacing; the AI does it all in real time and depending on the graphics selected and the text fed in. There are huge libraries of templates and design elements available, and you can also upload your own files from Photoshop or Sketch. There is even an add-in for PowerPoint. Beautful.ai can be tested free of charge for a fortnight, after which various subscription models are available for individuals or companies. If you only need the service for a single project, you can also book ad hoc. ChatGPT: The AI that started it all ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT As an AI pioneer, ChatGPT should of course not be missing from our list. The smart bot from OpenAI was instrumental in getting the AI ball rolling and is now available in version 4. The AI can be used by anyone free of charge. The tool helps us in our private and professional lives, can develop and formulate ideas, shorten or lengthen texts, create diet plans, or show a couch potato the way to successfully conquer a marathon. It can also be used to create or reply to (professional) emails in no time at all based on a few key points. The bot is now even capable of sarcasm and can poke fun at users if you set your mind to it. The “Generative Pre-trained Transformer” draws on a huge wealth of data from human communication and delivers deceptively realistic results. It can also produce captivatingly beautiful AI-generated images in just a few seconds (for free users with daily limits). Further reading: ChatGPT vs. Bing vs. Bard: Which AI is best? LanguageTool: AI proofreading with free offer Language Tool Language Tool Language Tool LanguageTool is a free and powerful proofreading bot that mercilessly detects grammatical and spelling errors, even in longer texts. Texts can be typed directly into the browser screen or copied and pasted at lightning speed. The analysis is completed in just a few seconds. Color coding highlights individual error types, and even style problems are flagged — for example, if several sentences start with the same word. If you want to write an important email late at night that should not contain any errors or if you have become text-blind after working with a document for a long time, then the LanguageTool is your savior. We use it to check text and make improvements in no time at all. A free version is available; however, while it’s also happy to highlight text passages for style reasons, the explanations then wait behind a paywall. The LanguageTool is available as an extension for many browsers, various Office programs, and also as an app ( iOS only so far). Jasper.ai: Creative texts in 30 languages Jasper.ai Jasper.ai Jasper.ai Texting can be hard — but it doesn’t have to be. At least if you use the help of the AI-supported Jasper. The tool creates texts with an SEO-friendly yet appealing structure in no time at all. From essays and LinkedIn posts to blog posts, the AI demonstrates a sure hand with creative writing. Jasper writes exciting product descriptions, creative stories, summaries of other people’s texts to save time, and can even spice up a CV. If you want to sell something on eBay, Jasper can create a reader-friendly description, and texts or headlines from the AI tool will satisfy any search engine on your own homepage. Jasper supports a total of 30 languages, including German. We can also make entries in one language and have texts output in another. The quality, but also the truthfulness of such texts depends heavily on user input. For example, if you have a text created but do not provide all the necessary information, Jasper will fill in any gaps in the data with invented values. A thorough text check should therefore always be carried out afterwards. Murf: Next-level text-to-speech generator Murf Murf Murf Murf is an intelligent text-to-speech service that will quickly make you prick up your ears. The speech generator goes far beyond the usual functions of classic tools: You can flexibly adjust the pitch, emphasis, punctuation, and other acoustic elements of the voice output. The smoothly balanced voices with a rich timbre and individual tone color are really impressive. You can emphasize individual words as you wish, videos or images can be accompanied by background music, and the playback speed is also up to the user. A great feature is that you can also use a voice changer to record our own texts, which are then repeated by one of Murf’s emotional voices. In addition to English, 23 other languages are available, and you can use more than 120 different voices in total. Fireflies: Never write notes in business meetings again Fireflies Fireflies Fireflies Fireflies is based on neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and has the potential to revolutionize telephone calls and business meetings — and not just for note-takers. The tool can meticulously transcribe (convert into text) meetings, telephone conversations, or voices from audio files. In conferences, use it to record video or audio files, which are then converted into text within minutes and can be further processed extensively. This eliminates the need for notes, and participants or employees can theoretically use Fireflies to track down selected content or topics from past meetings years later using a keyword search. Anyone who has ever tried to find a specific point in an hour-long audio recording will not need much explanation about the potential of Fireflies: Users save a lot of time and spare their nerves. They can also create soundbites, highlight important moments, or attach their own notes on what is being discussed at the appropriate point. Using AI, we can even analyze the mood of conversations, filter out speaking times, or identify monologues. Firefly is therefore also ideal for coaching new or inexperienced colleagues. A free version of the tool is available, but comes with limitations. Read...

At a glance Pros USB-C port with 96 watts of Power Delivery Good color performance and wide color gamut Easy-to-use menus with many options Up to 100Hz refresh rate with Adaptive Sync Cons Mediocre contrast, brightness HDR is available but disappoints Color accuracy is good but doesn’t beat peers Our Verdict The Asus ProArt PA278CFRV offers the color performance and connectivity required for professional productivity, content creation, and other work. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Asus ProArt PA278CFRV Retailer Price $379 View Deal Asus 379 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The Asus ProArt line includes a wide range of professional content creation and productivity monitors, but its entry-level models often receive the most attention — and for good reason. Past Asus ProArt displays, like the PA278QV and PA279CRV, offered excellent color performance at a very low price. The Asus ProArt PA278CFRV continues this trend, meeting the expectations set by those prior offerings. Asus ProArt PA278CFRV specs and features The Asus ProArt PA278CFRV is a 27-inch monitor with a resolution of 2560×1440 and an In-Plane Switching (IPS) display panel. This is typical for a productivity and content creation monitor. The refresh rate stands out, however, as the monitor can handle refresh rates up to 100Hz. That’s not uncommon among general-use and gaming monitors, but among productivity monitors, some competitors are still at 60Hz or 75Hz. Display size: 27-inch 16:9 widescreen Native resolution: 2560×1440 Panel type: IPS Refresh rate: Up to 100Hz Adaptive sync: VESA MediaSync HDR: Yes, VESA DisplayHDR 400 Certified Ports: 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x DisplayPort 1.4-out (for daisy-chain), 1x USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 96 watts Power Delivery, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 downstream, 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 downstream, 3.5mm audio-out VESA mount: 100x100mm Speakers: 2x 2-watt speakers Price: $379 MSRP Asus’ connectivity also stands out. The monitor has a USB-C port with DisplayPort and up to 96 watts of Power Delivery, which is perfect for powering and charging most laptops. It also has DisplayPort-out, which is handy if you plan to use multiple monitors but your PC only has one video-out port. The Asus ProArt PA278CFRV is designed for professional use with a focus on productivity and content creation. It features a reserved and subtle design, with the panel clad in charcoal-colored plastics. The stand, meanwhile, has a sleek silver finish. Further reading: See our roundup of the best home office monitors to learn about competing products. While the monitor is reserved, Asus does offer a distinctive design language for its ProArt monitors, which includes a heatsink-like ribbing on the back of the panel. This new monitor will complement any recent ProArt gear already on your desk. Foundry Foundry Foundry Asus offers an ergonomic yet functional monitor stand that adjusts for height, tilt, and swivel, and can also rotate 90 degrees for portrait orientation. While these features are common in office and productivity monitors, it’s still a welcome inclusion, especially considering that this monitor is more affordable than similar models from Dell’s Ultrasharp and BenQ’s photography monitor lines. The stand is stable and has a small, flat base that doesn’t take up much desk space. Its flat design also allows you to place small items or notebooks on it without issue. If you prefer using a third-party monitor arm, though a 100x100mm VESA mount is available. Asus ProArt PA278CFRV connectivity and menus The Asus ProArt PA278CFRV offers a lot of connectivity, which is arguably one of the best reasons to buy the monitor. Its video inputs include one HDMI 2.0 port, one DisplayPort 1.4, and one USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode. All of these inputs can support the monitor’s maximum resolution of 1440p at its maximum refresh rate of 100Hz. While it would be nice to see a fourth video input, the monitor compensates with DisplayPort-out, which can be used for daisy-chaining to a second display. This is a useful feature if your computer has only one video output or if you want to reduce cable clutter on your desk. Asus doesn’t pull any punches with the USB-C port. In addition to supporting DisplayPort, it provides up to 96 watts of USB Power Delivery, so it can fully power most laptops that don’t have discrete mobile graphics. The USB-C port also connects to a built-in USB hub, which includes one downstream USB-C port and three downstream USB-A ports. This is a solid range of USB connectivity for a monitor priced under $400. A 3.5mm audio-out jack rounds out the connectivity options. Foundry Foundry Foundry The monitor has a long list of options that can be accessed through a joystick control on the front bezel of the display. They’re flanked by a series of buttons, which is odd for a modern monitor; most choose to tuck the joystick and buttons out of sight. However, this makes sense for a professional monitor, as I assume people who buy this display are more interested than the average user in changing the options to fit their particular needs. The monitor’s options can also be controlled through DisplayWidget, a software utility available on Windows and Mac. And there’s a lot of options. The monitor supports a broad range of image quality adjustments, including settings for gamma, color saturation, color temperature, and preset modes for sRGB, DCI-P3, and AdobeRGB, among others. The monitor also includes features specific to visual artists, like a built-in grid that can be used to verify the alignment of images on the screen. I’m not sure Asus has any advantage over BenQ in this area, and Asus notably lacks the helpful remote some BenQ monitors provide. However, the range of options is stronger than recent Dell Ultrasharp monitors we’ve reviewed. The Asus ProArt PA278CFRV offers a solid range of USB connectivity for a monitor priced under $400. As an added bonus, the monitor has a built-in ambient light sensor that will adjust the brightness of the display depending on your environment. I find this to be an extremely helpful feature, especially for home and remote workers who might experience a lot of variance in room lighting throughout the day. A light sensor can ensure that your display is never so bright that it causes unnecessary eye strain. The monitor also includes a pair of two-watt speakers. While it’s nice to have a source of audio if you don’t have external speakers or headphones available, the speakers are weak and only work for basic needs, like hearing Windows or Mac system sounds or listening to a podcast. With that said, the same is true for Asus’ direct competitors. Professional monitors tend to skimp on speaker quality. Asus ProArt PA278CFRV SDR image quality The Asus ProArt PA278CFRV is all about its SDR image quality. While it’s true that there are various reasons why professional artists might work with HDR, SDR is still predominant outside of the most demanding use cases — in which case, a monitor under $400 is probably not the right choice. This monitor is aimed at mainstream general-purpose productivity and content creation, where SDR remains the go-to. So, how does the monitor perform? Foundry Foundry Foundry We start off with brightness, where the Asus ProArt PA278CFRV delivers an acceptable maximum brightness of 360 nits. That is likely good enough for how the monitor will be used in most environments, as this level of brightness is sufficient even for rooms with some uncontrolled lighting and, for reasons I won’t get into here, it’s best to edit SDR at lower levels of brightness that match the standards of the color gamut you choose. However, if your office has a lot of bright, sunlit windows or is located in an all-glass corporate tower, you might find the ProArt’s brightness pushed to its limits. Foundry Foundry Foundry Next up is contrast, where again the ProArt PA278CFRV finds itself in the middle of the pack. It performs better than the older ProArt PA278QV, Asus’ previous affordable 1440p monitor for creative professionals, and also outperforms the BenQ SW272Q. However, a contrast ratio of 1040:1 is not remarkable. By comparison, the Dell U2724DE, which features an IPS Black display panel, can achieve a naturally superior contrast ratio of 2190:1. The Dell is more expensive, though. Unfortunately, the ProArt PA278CFRV’s contrast ratio is limited by the monitor’s inability to reach appropriately low brightness levels in dark scenes. Because of this, dark scenes can suffer from an unattractive gray-silver cast that detracts from the experience. This issue is most noticeable in entertainment like games and movies, but if you frequently edit dark photos or videos, it could be a problem. On the other hand, most similar monitors face the same issue. So, while I would prefer a better contrast ratio, it doesn’t put the ProArt PA278CFRV behind its closest competitors. Shoppers looking for class-leading contrast need to consider a more expensive Mini-LED or OLED display, like the MSI MPG 341CQPX. Foundry Foundry Foundry Asus’ new ProArt PA278CFRV provides a good color gamut, reaching up to 97 percent of DCI-P3 and 87 percent of AdobeRGB. While this isn’t a standout color gamut for a monitor in 2024, it’s still quite good and should be up to the task for professional work within the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts, at least. When compared to the competition, the Asus trades blows with the Dell U2724DE. It’s similar, with just a percentage difference in DCI-P3 or AdobeRGB. The BenQ SW272Q is superior in AdobeRGB, but slightly inferior in DCI-P3 (note that the results here are for the AdobeRGB mode on the SW272Q, however, in DCI-P3 mode the monitor still measured at 94 percent of that color gamut). Those who own older entry-level Asus ProArt monitors will find that the ProArt PA278CFRV offers a noticeable improvement over previous models. If you have an older ProArt monitor and are considering an upgrade, you will see a benefit in color performance with the new monitor. Foundry Foundry Foundry The Asus ProArt PA278CFRV’s color accuracy surprised me because it wasn’t as good as the competitors I used for comparison. It’s important to recognize that this slight color error is still fine for most professional use and is also lower than what Asus has promised (it advertises a color error below 2, which is achieved). However, it’s notable that some other monitors offered better out-of-the-box color accuracy. Thankfully, the Asus ProArt PA278CFRV performed very well in two other key areas important for accurate imaging: gamma and color temperature. It hit the preferred target gamma curve of 2.2 and offered the ideal color temperature of 6500K at the monitor’s default settings. As a result, the image doesn’t look too dark or too bright, and it avoids appearing too cool or too warm. And, as mentioned, the monitor has many settings to change the gamma and color temperature if you want or need to work with a different gamma or color temperature setting. Sharpness is adequate. The monitor’s resolution of 2560×1440, spread across the 27-inch panel, results in a pixel density of about 109 pixels per inch. This is sharp enough for most situations, but small fonts in documents and fine details in photographs can appear softer or more aliased compared to a 4K monitor. It’s worth knowing that, at the time of writing, the 4K Asus ProArt PA279CRV is only $30 more expensive than the new ProArt PA278CFRV. Shoppers should also know that while the ProArt PA278CFRV offers dynamic backlight dimming, it doesn’t have a Mini-LED backlight. Because of that, the dynamic backlight can cause huge, easily noticeable variances in display brightness across the screen. Strangely, the ProArt had this feature enabled by default. That’s odd because these variances in brightness are not good for image accuracy, which is what the ProArt is built to offer. All my testing was conducted with the dynamic backlight turned off, and I recommend that every owner turn it off when they receive the monitor. On the whole, the Asus ProArt PA278CFRV delivers good image quality comparable to its closest competition. It excels in color performance, offering a wide color gamut and decent, though not above-average, color accuracy. It also scores well in gamma and color temperature. It’s a solid choice for working with documents and editing photos or content in SDR. If you plan to play games or watch movies, though, the contrast ratio may give you pause. Asus ProArt PA278CFRV HDR image quality The Asus ProArt PA278CFRV is VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified, but like most mid-range monitors, it’s not great, or even passable, when it comes to HDR content. This limitation is partially due to the monitor’s contrast ratio. The lack of a Mini-LED backlight or an OLED display panel means that the monitor cannot increase the brightness of bright objects without also increasing the brightness of darker areas on the screen. This, in turn, causes a loss of detail in either the brighter objects or the darker areas when viewing HDR content. Brightness is low, too. I could only make it sustain a maximum HDR brightness of 329 nits, which is low for a monitor that carries VESA DisplayHDR certification. While I don’t doubt that the certification testing managed to produce the required 400 nits of brightness in certain scenarios, I couldn’t replicate it. The bottom line is this: Although the monitor can display HDR, it’s not useful as an HDR monitor. I would not recommend it for viewing or editing HDR content. To be fair, this is also true for other productivity and content-creation monitors in this price range. If you’re looking for excellent color gamut, high color accuracy, and good HDR performance, you’re going to need to spend more on a monitor with a Mini-LED or OLED display. Asus ProArt PA278CFRV motion performance I’m happy to see the Asus ProArt PA278CFRV offer a maximum refresh rate of 100Hz. While there are some monitors focused on creativity and content creation that offer a higher refresh rate, like the Dell U2724DE with its 120Hz refresh rate, most monitors in this category stick to 60Hz. That can be disappointing since it results in less fluid motion clarity if you want to play PC games. The Asus also offers something I haven’t seen on any monitor I’ve reviewed before: VESA MediaSync certification. This is a lower level of adaptive sync certification for monitors that can support a variable refresh rate but don’t reach the 120Hz threshold. Because of this, the monitor unofficially supports both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync, and it worked seamlessly with my AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT. While the monitor’s 100Hz refresh rate is a nice upgrade, gamers shouldn’t get too excited about its gaming performance. Motion fluidity and clarity are certainly improved over 60Hz, but they’re still on the lower end of what’s available in 2024. Fast-moving objects remain visible but can appear blurred, and it can be difficult to make out fine details, like text, on objects that are moving across the screen. So, while I applaud Asus for offering a higher refresh rate and adaptive sync support — features I believe all modern monitors should include — gamers looking for top-tier motion clarity may want to look elsewhere. Should you buy the Asus ProArt PA278CFRV? The Asus ProArt PA278CFRV is a good choice for anyone looking to buy a productivity or content creation monitor that offers solid color performance and extensive connectivity at its price point. While it has some drawbacks, particularly with contrast, it performs well in terms of color gamut and offers a wide range of image quality options. The USB-C port is another perk, as it supports up to 96W of power delivery and connects to multiple downstream USB-A ports. Asus also provides an enhanced refresh rate and adaptive sync support, making the monitor more versatile for users who want a productivity display that can also handle occasional gaming. Shoppers considering the Asus ProArt PA278CFRV might also look at the Dell U2724DE, which is an upgrade in most respects. It’s about $100 to $150 more expensive, though, so the Asus remains the budget-friendly choice. Read...

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Your PC is capable of running not one, but two Windows apps designed to protect you and your system against online threats: Windows Security and Microsoft Defender. Telling them apart can be tricky, though. Thanks to a few name changes, what’s old sounds new and what’s new sounds old. If you haven’t kept up with the updates, it may not be clear which one you want — or if you actually prefer to run both.  To help you decide, I’ve broken down what each app does. Let’s dig in. What is Windows Security? PCWorld PCWorld PCWorld Previously known as Windows Defender, Windows Security is the most current name for the app that ties Microsoft’s basic antivirus and network protections together. Similar to third-party antivirus software, you get a unified interface to make changes to the app and access manual scans. Separate tabs break out various settings: Virus & threat protection: From this tab, you can run manual scans (Quick, Full, Custom, or Offline), change how your system screens for threats, and set up more stringent ransomware defenses. Account protection: Guard the Microsoft account tied to your PC, as well as strengthen Windows’ login process. Firewall & network protection: Refine your settings in order to tailor screening of incoming and outgoing traffic. App & browser control: Adjust how Windows screens apps for suspicious behavior, and if Edge runs in an isolated, sandboxed environment. Device security: Get information about your PC’s deeper security protections in Windows — core virtualization, security processor (TPM), and secure boot. Device performance & health: See a quick overview of the general “health” of your PC with regard to software issues or storage drive issues. Family options: Filter viewable content for users on the PC, as well as see breakdowns of device usage. You can manage your family group through the web portal. Click on the arrows (desktop) or swipe (mobile) to see each tab in the Windows Security app. What is Microsoft Defender? PCWorld PCWorld PCWorld Confusingly, the Microsoft Defender app shares its name with the antivirus engine powering Windows Security’s malware protection — but they’re not directly tied. Instead, the Defender app offers additional defenses against online threats for Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscribers. It works equally with either Windows Security (including the Microsoft Defender Antivirus engine) or third-party antivirus software. Privacy protection: You can funnel your online traffic through Microsoft’s encrypted VPN service whenever you’re on a network connection, like public Wi-Fi you don’t trust. You get up to 50GB of data per month. Microsoft Defender also can now detect unsecure Wi-Fi connections, and not just alert you to them, but automatically turn on the VPN too. Privacy Protection is available on all supported platforms, including Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS. Identity theft monitoring: Through a partnership with Experian, Microsoft Defender will alert you to data breaches and any fraudulent activity on your credit reports. The service also provides up to $1 million in restoration costs and $100,000 in lost funds if you are a victim of identity theft. Device protection: You can watch to see if your devices (up to four) or those linked through your Microsoft Family Group have any suspicious activity occurring and be notified through this app. Notifications will be sent through Windows’ notification system, and you can also view them through the Defender app. Click on the arrows (desktop) or swipe (mobile) to see the different sections of the Microsoft Defender app. Windows Security vs. Microsoft Defender Windows Security and Microsoft Defender are complimentary apps, rather than competing.  Windows Security defends against online threats, including ransomware, and it’s included for free with a Windows license. (Heads-up: If you ever see a popup notification telling you to call a phone number or pay to renew, you’ve either visited a compromised website or your PC has been directly compromised — time to run an antivirus scan ASAP.) Microsoft Defender then rounds out those protections by letting you shield your online activity from other users on the same network, keeping you informed of data leaks and credit fraud, and monitoring your devices for vulnerabilities.  Should you use Microsoft Defender? Windows Security and Microsoft Defender paired together can rival basic third-party antivirus suite subscriptions. Windows Security and Microsoft Defender paired together can rival basic third-party antivirus suite subscriptions.Alaina Yee / Foundry Windows Security and Microsoft Defender paired together can rival basic third-party antivirus suite subscriptions.Alaina Yee / Foundry Alaina Yee / Foundry If you’re already a Microsoft 365 subscriber, having both Windows Security and Microsoft Defender set up and active is comparable to a very simple third-party antivirus suite subscription — and you don’t have to pay extra. However, if you’re not yet a paid Microsoft 365 user, want additional integrated features (like a password manager), or prefer a different interface, independent antivirus software will be a better fit for your needs. You can check out our top recommendations in our best antivirus software roundup, which covers all types of plans. Read...

Competitive gaming can feel like an Olympic-sized endeavor for many. It demands time, dedication, practice, grit, and mental fortitude. You have to cultivate success from many angles — and part of that involves making sure your network isn’t impeding your performance. The best online esports gamer in the world with a top-tier gaming rig is still at the mercy of one vital bottleneck: network latency. When playing competitively online, ping or lag or latency (whatever you want to call it) can turn a winning move into a disaster. You need every millisecond you can get for your reaction time and cat-like reflexes, otherwise your opponents will have an advantage over you. As a competitive PC gamer myself, I know this all too well. Here are my best tips for how to lower your latency in online games, whether you’re a casual gamer or have dreams of an esports future. Tip #1: Kill network-hogging apps One thing you need to be mindful of when playing online games is that the game isn’t the only thing sending and receiving data. Most of the other apps on your system — and the operating system itself — are likely dealing with their own network data. Of course, a lot of those apps aren’t hogging your network. They’re probably using a few megabytes here and there, so nothing to be concerned about. But there are a few heavy-hitting apps to be aware of, and you’ll want to exit them before you game. Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG For example, game launchers like Steam, Epic Games Store, and even Microsoft Store might end up downloading games and updates in the background. (Nothing will tank your in-game network performance faster than an active download!) Look in the settings for a way to disable downloads during gameplay. Streaming services like YouTube and Netflix are also common culprits. It takes a lot of data to serve streaming video, especially if you’re watching in 1080p or 4K. Yeah, you might prefer to have something playing in the background, but just know that it’s affecting your bandwidth. Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Torrenting is the third common major culprit as far as reasons why your ping might be laggy in online games. Always make sure you haven’t accidentally left your torrents on in the background. And, of course, you also want to make sure that no one else on the network is doing any of these things. Your partner who’s streaming 4K episodes and your sibling who’s torrenting are affecting the network all the same. (You can kind of mitigate this with a properly configured router. More on this below in Tip #3.) Tip #2: Benchmark your network speeds Ping and latency are recorded in milliseconds (ms). For best performance, you want to have less than 20 ms of latency in online games, but that may not be possible due to server distance or network equipment limits. You can have close-to-ideal performance under 50 ms, while 100 ms is about the limit of playability. Above 100 ms, lag and network artifacts are increasingly more likely to impact gameplay. Readily-available internet speed tests are a quick, easy, and free way to test your download and upload speeds while also seeing your ping and latency to the test server. This is good for establishing a reference point before you make adjustments to your home network. Related: How to test your home internet speed A few terms worth knowing: Round Trip Time (RTT) is how fast a network data packet can be sent from your network to a server and then back. Jitter is how much variation there is in RTT, based on an averaging of results. This gives a more accurate picture of latency. Packet loss refers to how many network data packets never reach their destination, requiring them to be resent. This can drastically affect jitter if it’s frequent. You basically want the lowest numbers for latency, else you’ll run into lag and disruptions while gaming (and while doing anything else that’s network-intensive, like video chatting, streaming, etc.). Cloudflare network speed test results on a wireless office network. Cloudflare network speed test results on a wireless office network.Thiago Trevisan / IDG Cloudflare network speed test results on a wireless office network.Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG In-game tools are also commonly available to let you know what your ping is. You can test with a wireless connection and then switch to Ethernet to more scientifically calculate any differences. Every connection is different, so this can be a good way to see how your specific connection behaves in your environment. Tip #3: Tweak your router settings For the most part, network latency is mostly influenced by your ISP, your internet connection type, your network equipment, and your distance to game servers. It’s important to make sure your network equipment (e.g., router) isn’t causing a bottleneck somehow. If you’re gaming on a Wi-Fi connection, stick to 5GHz bands instead of 2.4GHz bands. 5GHz is generally faster and has less interference. (If you can get a router with 6GHz bands, that’ll be even better.) You may have to manually enable 5GHz for your router, so make sure it’s on (and make sure you’re connected to the 5GHz network.) Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Your router may also have a setting called Nagle’s Algorithm, which basically bundles together network data packets before sending them out (as opposed to sending them out individually as they’re ready). This has its benefits, but it can increase your latency. If it’s enabled in your router, try disabling it to see if it has a measurable impact on your gaming. Related: Why Nagle’s Algorithm is bad for PC gamers Quality of Service (QoS) is another router feature that can aid with connection quality. In a nutshell, QoS lets you prioritize the most important activities on your network (e.g., gaming) so that those data packets are always processed first. For example, if you’re playing a game and someone else is downloading a large file, your router’s QoS can prioritize your gaming traffic over their download traffic. Related: What is Quality of Service? Explained You can further push network priority to devices on wired connections over wireless connections to ensure best latency. (See below Tip #6 for more on why you should use a wired connection.) Some gaming routers have “gaming modes” that handle all of this for you automatically, making it easier to optimize network latency without being an expert yourself. Gaming modes can typically be found in the router’s admin panel or BIOS settings. Related: The best router settings for gaming And speaking of the BIOS, make sure your router firmware is updated to maximize stability and benefit from improvements. Tip #4: Optimize your network routing Network packets travel at the speed of light, which means your latency is limited by the laws of physics. The farther your data packets have to travel, the higher the latency — no way around that. Which means the physical distance between your machine and the game server is very important. If the game lets you choose between multiple servers, always choose the one that’s closest to you. My ping level in Quake Champions on a moderately distant server. My ping level in Quake Champions on a moderately distant server.Thiago Trevisan / IDG My ping level in Quake Champions on a moderately distant server.Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG The amount of servers available to you will depend on a lot of factors, though. Popular games may run a lot of servers all over the world while lesser-known indie games may only have a couple. If you’re in the US, you’ll have more options than someone in Australia. (Sad but true.) All of this is beyond your control. However, if you have high latency on a relatively close server or if you don’t have any server options near you, what can you do? There are some VPN services out there that promise to reduce gaming lag by providing a special networks with optimized routing. For example, WTFast uses machine learning to find optimized paths between your network and gaming servers, which might help in some cases to reduce latency, reduce packet loss, and improve stability. Your gaming rig won’t save you if your network isn’t robust! Your gaming rig won’t save you if your network isn’t robust!Thiago Trevisan / IDG Your gaming rig won’t save you if your network isn’t robust!Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG If you already have good network routing, these kinds of services probably won’t do much for you. They’re mainly for extreme situations, like if you live in a remote area with underdeveloped broadband. Your mileage may vary. Tip #5: Improve your Wi-Fi network Wi-Fi performance has improved tremendously over the last several years. With the newer Wi-Fi 7 standard hitting the market, you can get unprecedented speed and latency. Many routers also support multiple bands, helping to mitigate issues with interference in busy areas. Good wireless gaming performance is possible, but you’ll need a solid router. Good wireless gaming performance is possible, but you’ll need a solid router.Thiago Trevisan / IDG Good wireless gaming performance is possible, but you’ll need a solid router.Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG But if you can’t afford to get a fancy router, there are some other optimizations worth trying. Tweaking your wireless network channel can mitigate interference and congestion, while elevating your router and moving it to a central spot can reduce interference further. Proximity to your wireless router matters a lot, too, and you should be able to secure a stronger signal just by moving closer to it. If your main issue with Wi-Fi has to do with spotty connections and inconsistent performance, you might consider something like a Wi-Fi extender or even going with a wireless mesh system. However, there’s a trade-off: in exchange for a more stable connection, you might experience slightly higher latency. That might be worth it if your ping is constantly spiking due to shoddy signal. Tip #6: Use a wired Ethernet connection While I’m a huge fan of Wi-Fi for everyday use because it’s just so convenient, it has its flaws and quirks — and if you need every last bit of network performance in your competitive games, then you should reconsider using Wi-Fi while gaming online. Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Switching to a wired Ethernet connection is the best way to eliminate potential issues with Wi-Fi and get faster internet speeds. Plus, it’s cost effective and cheaper than a pricey gaming wireless router. With wired Ethernet, you don’t have to worry about wireless signal drops or interference from other wireless devices cluttering up the space. Sure, cable interference is also a thing, but it’s way less common and can be mitigated with high-quality Ethernet cables. Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG More importantly, Ethernet is faster than Wi-Fi in most cases. As of this writing, a CAT 8 Ethernet cable can theoretically deliver up to 40Gbps while Wi-Fi 6 can theoretically deliver up to 9.6Gbps. In real-world usage, Wi-Fi transmissions rarely operate anywhere close to max speed; meanwhile, Ethernet connections are more stable. There are even specialized fiber-optic cables on the market for the most serious of esports gamers, and these cables allow for faster data transmission compared to typical copper cables. But they’re more expensive and have diminishing benefits. For most gamers, a standard Ethernet cable is more than enough. Tip #7: Upgrade your ISP plan The latest and greatest Wi-Fi and Ethernet technologies mean nothing if the internet service to your house is poor OR if your network router is too weak to process that much data quickly enough. If you’re paying peanuts to your ISP for the budget-tier 150Mbps plan, then you don’t have much to work with. And same goes if you’re still on a cheap, years-old “Fast Ethernet” router that maxes out at 100Mbps. Your internet speed is limited by the slowest bottleneck in your network — and in this example, you’d be stuck with 100Mbps on either Wi-Fi or Ethernet. To be fair, 100Mbps could be enough for online gaming. But if you have a lot of devices connected to your router, they could be clogging up network traffic and causing slowdowns. That’s when it’s worth paying for a higher ISP plan and/or upgrading to a better router. Your internet service type can also affect latency. For example, satellite internet is terrible for gaming because of the way the technology works: your data has to bounce off satellites in space to reach its destination, then bounce back off those satellites to return to you. That’s why satellite connections have much higher latency. If possible, switch to an ISP with a dedicated fiber-optic line. Cable internet is the next best thing. DSL internet can be a last resort. Tip #8: Upgrade your router Now, if you have a high-speed multi-gig ISP plan, make sure you also have an advanced router that’s capable of delivering those speeds to all the devices on your network. (No point paying for 1Gbps internet if your network traffic is just going to be throttled by a dumpy router.) This Asus ROG wireless router has a dedicated gaming port. This Asus ROG wireless router has a dedicated gaming port.Asus This Asus ROG wireless router has a dedicated gaming port.Asus Asus Some high-end routers, such as the Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro, even have a dedicated 10Gbps LAN port with a “Game Boost” feature that prioritizes your gaming connection and helps ensure the fastest speeds and minimal latency, especially when network traffic is congested. Advanced wireless routers, such as the Asus ROG AX11000, also typically have more antennas. These extra antennas allow the router to more easily split Wi-Fi bands between 2.4GHz and 5GHz. They also tend to include more gaming-focused settings to tweak within their admin panels, too. A wireless gaming router with branded Call of Duty packaging. A wireless gaming router with branded Call of Duty packaging.Thiago Trevisan / IDG A wireless gaming router with branded Call of Duty packaging.Thiago Trevisan / IDG Thiago Trevisan / IDG The quality of your router matters a lot more for wireless connections than it does for Ethernet connections, so consider splurging on the best router your budget allows — one that at least has Wi-Fi 6, supports multiple bands, and can handle your ISP plan’s speeds. Further reading: Wi-Fi 5 vs. Wi-Fi 6 vs. Wi-Fi 6E, explained Read...

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