A video showcase Tech Spotlight of the latest trends Watch the video at go.pcworld. com/V[Ʈ Super ≥ Creative’s Super X-Fi is the best virtual surround sound X-Fi Amp experience we’ve ever had, by far. They’re definitely worth vs. Air checking out if you care about audio quality. Our Adam Patrick Murray reviews both the Amp and the Bluetooth headphones to discuss which one is right for your situation. 132 PCWorld MAUOGNUTSHT 201179 PLUS: NVIDIA’S NEW RTX GPUs CHANGE THE GAME, AGAIN AUGUST 2019 RYZEN 3000 AMD’S 12-CORE CPU CONQUERS ITS PAST ,I\RXÚUHWKLQNLQJRI÷QLVKLQJ\RXUKLJKVFKRROGLSORPD\RXKDYH PRUHVXSSRUWWKDQ\RXUHDOL]H)LQGWHDFKHUVDQGIUHHDGXOW HGXFDWLRQFODVVHVQHDU\RXDWFinishYourDiploma.org. CONTENTS AUGUST 2019 » DEPARTMENTS » FEATURE ƺ News ƵƸ Reviews & Ratings ƴƴƶ Here’s How ƴƶƵ Tech Spotlight ƴƳƵ The best PC games of 2019 (so far) COVER IMAGE COURTESY OF AMD AUGUST 2019 PCWorld 3 MASTHEAD EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Matt Egan EDITOR IN CHIEF, CONSUMER BRANDS Jon Phillips DESIGN DIRECTOR Robert Schultz EDITORIAL EXECUTIVE EDITORS Melissa Riofrio, Gordon Mah Ung SENIOR EDITORS Michael Brown, Brad Chacos, Mark Hachman ASSOCIATE EDITOR Leif Johnson COPY EDITOR Sue Voelkel DESIGN DESIGNER Rob Woodcock ADVERTISING SALES INQUIRIES idg.com/contact-us/ FOUNDERS FOUNDER David Bunnell FOUNDING EDITOR Andrew Fluegelman INTERNATIONAL DATA GROUP, INC. CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Walter Boyd US PRESIDENT, IDG COMMUNICATIONS Charles Lee 4 PCWorld AUGUST 2019 REPRINTS AND PERMISSIONS You must have permission before reproducing any material from PCWorld. Send email requests to [email protected]; please include a phone number in your message. 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To have your name excluded from these mailings, send a request and your email address to PCWorld Subscriber Services at [email protected]. CONTACT PHONE 415/243-0500; FAX 415/442-1891 MAIL Editorial: 501 Second Street #600, San Francisco, CA 94107 STAFF ADDRESS To contact any PCWorld staff member, simply format the address as follows: fi[email protected] PUBLICATION INFORMATION Volume 37, number 8 PCWorld™ (ISSN 0737-8939) is published monthly at $24.95 for one year (12 issues) by IDG Communications, Inc. Copyright 2019, IDG Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. PC World and Consumer Watch are registered trademarks of International Data Group, Inc., and used under license by IDG Communications, Inc. Published in the United States. AUGUST 2019 PCWorld 5 EVERY AMERICAN WASTES 290 POUNDS OF FOOD A YEAR TECH NEWS AND TRENDS THAT WILL News AFFECT YOU TODAY AND BEYOND. Are Huawei laptops safe? Intel, Microsoft promise support, but the future remains uncertain If you already own a Matebook or Matebook Pro, or are eyeing one on Amazon, here’s what you need to know. BY GORDON MAH UNG s the U.S. Government’s ban on the Huawei machine they’ve already bought is Huawei grinds on, the biggest safe. After all, if Intel, AMD, Nvidia, Qualcomm questions consumers likely have and other U.S. tech companies can no longer are whether that Matebook sell chips to the Chinese tech company, isn’t Alaptop on Amazon is safe to buy, or whether the company basically dead to you? IMAGE: DAN MASAOKA AUGUST 2019 PCWorld 7 NEWS ARE HUAWEI LAPTOPS SAFE? MICROSOFT AND INTEL WILL SUPPORT HUAWEI LAPTOPS The best news for potential buyers of Huawei laptops (and those who have them already) is Microsoft’s promise that those all- important Windows Updates will still get to you. “We remain committed Huawei’s Matebook 14 has one of the most unique ways ever to to providing exceptional hide a camera in a laptop. customer experiences,” a Microsoft spokesperson said The answer likely depends on whether in a statement given to PCWorld. “Our initial you care about Huawei’s future as a PC maker, evaluation of the U.S. Department of or if you only care about your particular future Commerce’s decision on Huawei has with a Huawei laptop. indicated we may continue to offer Microsoft software updates to customers with Huawei WHAT THE U.S. BAN ON devices.” The company didn’t detail any more HUAWEI MEANS of its policy, but that should ease fears that The ban on Huawei, enacted in May (go. your Huawei laptop will develop unpatched pcworld.com/hwbn), essentially forbids U.S. security holes. companies from doing business with the tech Security risks can happen at the giant. Obviously, if Huawei is unable to buy CPUs motherboard level, too. With scary-sounding from Intel or AMD, or graphics chips from AMD exploits like Zombieload (go.pcworld.com/ or Nvidia, let alone memory and storage from zmld), you may be wondering whether other U.S.-based companies, it likely means the firmware updates for the UEFI/BIOS will also future of Huawei PC laptops are in limbo. be available for a Huawei laptop. More important for consumers is what The news there also looks good, as Intel happens to the Huawei laptop in your hands, has confirmed with PCWorld that it will or the Huawei laptop sitting on the store shelf provide security updates and drivers to end in front of you. users running Intel chips. 8 PCWorld AUGUST 2019 ARE HUAWEI STILL NOT FOR LAPTOPS SAFE? NERVOUS NELLIES With OS and firmware security updates out The problem for Huawei is that it can’t prove a of the way, the only other concern is whether negative, and few will believe the company to Huawei laptops are “spying on you.” That be blameless at this point. It’s also impossible lingering question is probably what has to know whether the U.S. companies tarnished Huawei’s reputation even more currently trying to be flexible might be forced than the possibility of being cut off from to shift their stances. Combine all that fear, Windows updates. It didn’t help when uncertainty, and doubt, and it’s probably fair Microsoft found that Huawei’s Matebook X to say a Huawei laptop isn’t for those who like had a factory-installed “backdoor” (go. to play it safe. You just don’t have to worry pcworld.com/bkdr; a hidden way for about these issues with a Dell or HP anyone to get access to the computer’s computer. Tariffs, well, that’s another thing data). Huawei patched the exploit in January (go.pcworld.com/trif). and denied accusations that the backdoor But for those who don’t care about the was intentionally installed. The company also politics of it all, the situation for Huawei pointed out that it’s not the first tech firm laptops—at least those already on store that’s had to patch security holes or suffer shelves—doesn’t look quite as dire as it did a embarrassing security exploits, which is true. month ago. The Matebook X Pro was one of the sleeper laptop hits of the year. But should you still buy one? AUGUST 2019 PCWorld 9 NEWS Microsoft’s retro Windows teasers emerge as a Stranger Things SURPRWKH:LQGRZVƴƴƴDSS Between Windows 1.1, two retro theme packs, and a Stranger Things 3 game, Microsoft is really going all out on nostalgia. BY MARK HACHMAN inally, we know what Microsoft’s 1.0-like shell where users can dig through file teasing Twitter posts (go.pcworld. trees and open up clips and teaser stills from com/teas) have all been about: the show. The app warns of “glitches” that the release of Windows 1.11, an you’ll experience, which manifest almost Fapp that mimics the look and feel of an early immediately; clicking on a file opens a version of Windows in conjunction with the cascade of images that indicates something Netflix show, Stranger Things. is very wrong. Microsoft’s Windows 1.11 app (go. Microsoft touts the app as “1985 nostalgia pcworld.com/w111) opens a Windows with a special edition Windows 10 PC app 10 PCWorld AUGUST 2019 inspired by Windows 1.0, but one that’s been taken over by the Upside Down from Stranger Things.” Microsoft makes no attempt to hide that it’s cashing in on some sweet nostalgia: the Netflix tie-in is A file tree is just one of the entry points into the Upside Down inside Windows 1.11 apparent on the splash screen that opens the game. arms reaching toward the characters or their The trail leads through a number of classic local mall. Want more? How about the Windows apps, such as Paint, where the Windows Throwback theme (go.pcworld. “glitches” open up promotional materials com/thrw) pack instead? On the other hand, from the show. (Small warning: These if you can’t get enough of the Stranger Things promotional materials appear to include experience, clicking About in the Windows some spoilers and a bit of language, though 1.11 app will open up a link to the $19.99 nothing really beyond what you might expect Stranger Things 3 game (go.pcworld.com/ in a trailer.) srg3), a much deeper expedition into the All in all, it’s a well-done little experience Stranger Things world.