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Album of the Year #24: Run The Jewels - RTJ4
Artist: Run The Jewels Album: RTJ4 Date Released: June 3rd, 2020 Listen YouTube Spotify Tidal Apple Music Artist Background The duo consisting of Atlanta rapper Killer Mike, and legendary underground produceMC El-P, known together as Run The Jewels, originally came together as a result of Adult Swim executive Jason DeMarco who introduced the two in 2011. After his 2011 album PL3DGE peaked at #115 on the US charts, Killer Mike told Jason that he wanted to make his own AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted. Jason informed Mike, “If you want AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted modernized, the only producer I know who comes close to the Bomb Squad-level of production is El-P”. The duo’s chemistry was immediate, as El-P went on to produce all of Killer Mike’s 2012 last solo album R.A.P. Music, and Mike featured on El-P’s final solo album Cancer 4 Cure. Mike and El’s respective albums released within a week of each other in May 2012, and the two embarked on a twenty-city US tour in the following months. After returning from tour, the pair had found a friendship growing between themselves, and made the decision to put other projects on hold and focus on the chemistry that had been sparked. Recording at an upstate NY studio beginning in April 2013, the duo re-appropriated the phrase “Run The Jewels” from the LL Cool J track “Cheesy Rat Blues", and released their self-titled collaborative album, for free via digital download, only a mere 2 months later in June 2013. 36” Chain vs. Pistol & Fist Run The Jewels discography currently exists in a distinct pairing. With Run The Jewels as their debut, this record set the group's tone as a light-hearted, braggadocious duo with as much confidence in their abilities as swag in their punchlines. Just over a year later, the sequel Run The Jewels 2 took the foundation set from their freshman effort and dialed the insanity up to 11. RTJ2 pushed the boundaries of their aggression and flows to new heights; with incredible energy in their verses, and absolutely impeccable beats, blending El-P’s signature industrial sound with sharp synth arpeggios, chopped Zach De La Rocha vocals, and absolutely bonkers Travis Barker drums. It was then nearly 3 years before Jamie and Mike followed up their breakout RTJ2, with Run The Jewels 3 being released again ahead of its scheduled release date via free digital download, this time on Christmas Eve 2016. Instead of these two attempting to outdo the pure insanity and in-your-face attitude found in their predecessor, Mike and El decide to evolve themselves as a group. The duo had noticeably pulled back on the swag and dick jokes which made such a splash on RTJ2, instead choosing a more subdued, electronic approach to their beats, as well as a clearly stronger political approach in their lyrics. This change in sound and style is demonstrated in the album cover’s artwork. The first two records featured the distinctive RTJ “Pistol and Fist”, with the fist tightly gripping a chain. The chain, in my opinion, represents the swag and braggadocio that drove the aggressive nature of their first two albums. In RTJ3 the chain is removed, leaving only hands that have transformed from bleeding and bandaged, to a pristine gold. This brings us to early 2020. It’s been nearly 4 years of living in a post-Trump America, and El-P announces that Run The Jewels fourth record has been completed. Mike and El live-stream the first single “yankee and the brave” on Instagram on March 22nd, 2020. Lyrically and sonically, RTJ4 exists as the successor to Run The Jewels 3, with Mike and El again taking the good from their previous effort and launching it into the creative stratosphere. El-P’s beats are again leaning towards the synthetic, electronic side, this time with the intensity dialed all the way up to 11. From a lyrical perspective, RTJ takes the politically-charged lyrics from their predecessor, and again, up the ante, laying down some of the hardest hitting and politically poignant bars either of these two have ever spit. Album Review 2020 was a year that none of us will soon forget. An unprecedented global health crisis kept the majority of us inside for months at a time. RTJ4 was announced on May 12th, 2020, with a release date slated for June 5th, 2020. However, with 2020 as the gift that won’t stop giving, the end of May was highlighted by the unjust killing of George Floyd. The phrase heard around the world, “I can’t breathe” instantly became a rally-cry for the oppressed to finally take to the streets to demand systemic police reform, as Floyd’s death was not the first time this phrase was uttered in an unjust police killing. In fact, a 2020 study by the New York Times showed that at least 70 people have died in police custody after using the same phrase over the past decade. As millions of American’s began organizing protests and demonstrations in the wake of Floyd’s death, Run The Jewels made the decision to release their latest chapter two days ahead of the scheduled release. El-P tweeted, just minutes ahead of the drop, “Fuck it, why wait. The world is infested with bullshit, so here’s something raw to listen to while you deal with it all. We hope it brings you some joy. Stay safe and hopeful out there and thank you for giving 2 friends the chance to be heard and do what they love”. In line with all past Run The Jewels releases, the album was made available for free digital download, two days ahead of its scheduled release date, on June 3rd, 2020. THE RETURN (we don’t mean no harm but we truly mean all the disrespect) RTJ4 opens with the first single, “yankee and the brave (ep. 4)”. Using the team names from their respective hometown baseball teams, Mike and El use the opening track to prove that they’re not just a hip-hop duo, they’re brothers, for better or worse. El-P kicks this installment off with rapid-fire, machine-gun esque snares, matching Killer Mike’s aggressive flow and tightly packed rhymes, before El jumps in to trade some dense rhymes as well. Mike and El depict themselves as outlaws, with Mike surrounded by cops with only one bullet remaining. He contemplates suicide instead of allowing the police to take him alive, until El-P jumps back in, offering Mike a way out, with a getaway car waiting outside. This tense situation is depicted lightheartedly in this song’s music video, which was released via Adult Swim and features the duo animated. The trade-off between Mike and El’s short verses are reminiscent of late-80’s EPMD flows, while the production sounds like boom-bap that’s been sent to us from the future. This distinctive blend of old-school rap roots and forward thinking production is what continues to separate Run The Jewels from absolutely all of their contemporaries. While so many artists are continually playing catch-up with the latest trends, RTJ are side-stepping the trendy and moving forward with the mind-bending. FLEXIN’ (ayo one for mayhem, two for mischief) The second single “ooh la la” samples a Gang Star track "DWYCK (feat. Nice & Smooth)" as the basis for the chorus. I say “samples” as that’s how it is credited in the album’s liner notes, however it’s truly an interpolation of Greg Nice’s bar, slowed down slightly, and sung by El-P and Greg Nice himself. El-P is a true old-head at heart, and it’s abundantly obvious in his work, even going as far as to recruit legendary producer DJ Premiere to handle the scratching on the back end of this banger. Out of key piano chords are looped to quickly create an unsettling aura surrounding the track, before El-P’s voice cuts through the infectious piano like a whip. Pounding, up-tempo drums are introduced after the chorus’ first iteration, creating what is possibly El-P’s first danceable beat. Lyrically, Mike and El-P initially seem scattered on this track, however the music video quickly makes their point very obvious.
”we imagined the world on the day that the age old struggle of class was finally over. a day that humanity, empathy and community were victorious over the forces that would separate us based on arbitrary systems created by man. this video is a fantasy of waking up on a day that there is no monetary system, no dividing line, no false construct to tell our fellow man that they are less or more than anyone else. not that people are without but that the whole meaning of money has vanished. that we have somehow solved our self created caste system and can now start fresh with love, hope and celebration. its a dream of humanity’s V-DAY… and the party we know would pop off.”
The video envisions a society celebrating the fact that the class system we currently exist within has finally imploded. Money is worthless, and we have rejected the desire to bind ourselves to the constraints of capitalism. All creeds and colors unite to burn the system that has so effectively controlled us for over a century. It’s a party, and if there was a song to celebrate the end of the world as it is currently known, “ooh la la” is that song. Mike’s last verse features a few metaphors and comparisons celebrating the destruction of capitalism, saving the most poignant for last:
I used to love Bruce, but livin' my vida loca Helped me understand I'm probably more of a Joker When we usher in chaos, just know that we did it smiling Cannibals on this island, inmates run the asylum
Premo’s expertly cut scratches lead us into the equally hard hitting sample flip of “Misdemeanor”, by Foster Stevens as the basis for the beat to “out of sight”. Lending yet another nod to the old-school greats that laid the foundation for RTJ, “out of sight” samples the same track as The D.O.C.’s “It’s Funky Enough”, only adding a bouncy, electronic synth atop the inverted chord hits, and uptempo, industrial drums, to create an absolutely infectious groove for Mike and El’s dynamic chemistry to shine, rapidly jumping between each other’s two line flows in the first verse. “out of sight” shows each MC providing insight into how each of them earned a living and achieved their current status. Mike and El’s opening verse each details themselves robbing people in order to eat. El alludes to the fact that he crossed his accomplices in crime for the whole bag, while Mike details the fact his assailant tells him it’s an “honor” to be robbed by his mother’s only son. While El-P’s production is the obvious stand out on first listen, Killer Mike comes through with one of the most sonically pleasing and technically proficient verses of 2020.
We the motivating, devastating, captivating Ghost and Rae relating product of the fuckin' '80s Coke dealin' babies, never regulating, bag accumulating It would not be overstating to say they are underrating The pride of Brooklyn and the Grady, baby We don't need no compliments or confidence Our attitude and latitude is "fuck you, pay me"
The dense, intricate rhyme schemes smack you in the face, almost distracting you from Mike’s delivery and blistering flow on the verse; flexing his legendary status while paying homage to his drug-dealing past. This absolutely stunning display of technical skill, story telling, and complex rhyming illustrates how RTJ seamlessly integrates the best of both old school and new school hip-hop. “out of sight” also features a guest verse from 2 Chainz, and he continues to lay the braggadocio on thick. Considering Tity Boi’s dedication to trap stylings, his verse feels right at home on the flex track, despite it’s late 80’s tribute sample, a considerable departure from his usual sound palette. Up until this point, I haven’t mentioned any of the El-P’s lyrics specifically. El-P is a great rapper, but Killer Mike… Well, Killer Mike is an incredible rapper. He’s the guy who draws you in. El-P is the one who lays the foundation for greatness and Mike is the show stopper, and that’s generally the case for most RTJ tracks. But on “holy calamafuck”, El-P seems determined to make people stop and ask, “Who the fuck is this?!”. A sharp, yet nearly minimalistic drum kit backing a heavily distorted synthesizer melody lays beneath rhymically knocking cow-bells. This aggressively set stage allows Mike and El to flex as the dynamic duo they are, until the beat suddenly takes a turn for the chaotic. A gnarled, ultra-menacing synth overtakes everything while Mike screams into the abyss, until a distorted snare, enormous 808s, and skeletal hi-hats cut through and launch the beat switch into another dimension. The minimal, yet incredibly dark soundscape allows El-P to snap in a way I have never heard from him previously. His rhymes schemes are reminiscent of an old MF DOOM lyric notebook, while his topics flawlessly combine flexing, psychedelic use, and his well-cemented legacy in the hip-hop community. Cutting and pasting a few of his bars into this review could not convey a fraction of how stunning El-P’s performance on “holy calamafuck” is. Slightly later in the track list, making liberal use of the Ether song “Gang of Four”, “the ground below” samples and loops the sharp guitar riff and adds aggressive, pounding drums as the basis for the beat; this is finally reminiscent of the forward-thinking, stridulous production El-P has built his reputation on. Capitalising on the classic RTJ moment, Mike and El both flex in their own unique ways. Mike compares himself to Godzilla taking on Tokyo, and El-P demands respect for his name as the legend he is, threatening to smack dying children for mispronouncing his name with his middle finger to the world; his complete disregard for human life and confidence in his abilities are summed up at the end of his verse.
You see a future where Run the Jewels ain’t the shit Cancel my Hitler-killing trip Turn the time machine back around a century
SO¢IAL JU$T-ICE (until my voice go from a shriek to whisper...) While the first few tracks aren’t without their social and political themes, the back-end of RTJ4 is where Mike and El start to bust out the heavy topics. “goonies vs. E.T.”. starts off light, with El-P pointing to the irony of how once he finally started to make it “big” in the industry, the world began to descend into chaos due to climate changes, increasingly obvious social injustice, and political madness. He culminates his frustration with our disregard for the Earth with a fantastic quotable.
Fuck y’all got, another planet on stash? Far from the fact of the flames and our trash That is not snow, it is ash, and you gotta know The past got a wrath, it’s a lover gone mad
Mike’s verse takes the light-hearted frustration expressed by El-P, and turns the aggression to the next level. Aiming his sights against the ruling class and their society that’s been designed to oppress people for profit, who have very meticulously painted themselves as celebrities and idols to the American public. Mike accepts that he will be villainized by these people for speaking against them, but he welcomes the nefarious role, knowing that the working class will eventually eat the rich, no matter how much they are stomped into the dirt. And this is just the warmup. If it’s possible for a song to represent a moment in time that captures the absolute shit storm that has been 2020, “walking in the snow” is that song. It’s release coincided perfectly with the protests for George Floyd which were sweeping the nation. Killer Mike’s verse directly references the phrase “I can’t breathe”, the last words of Eric Garner, which also happened to be the last words of Floyd as well. The fact that this verse was reportedly written in November 2019 perpetually underscores the importance of the content and perfectly represents how persistent this problem is. “walking in the snow” is a true encapsulation of both a defining moment in time and an ever-persisting issue. But he doesn’t just stop at the racial injustice. Mike goes on an absolute rant about the American education system; how it’s not designed to teach people, but to discriminate against poor populations, limiting their legitimate opportunities, and therefore disproportionately leading them into a criminal lifestyle. He calls out the media as fear-mongers, and the apathy of the American public in the face of indecency. Fortunately for Mike, by the time we finally had the chance to hear this masterpiece, we were already on our feet, using this album as a war cry to mobilize against a tyrannical government that militarized against its own citizens simply for asking that we recognize systemic racism and demanding change. Killer Mike has the best verse of the year, no doubt in my mind. The only drawback is that Mike’s verse is so fucking good that it completely overshadows El-P’s, which is also amazing. A menacing guitar riff and haunting synths kick the track off into a bouncy groove, where El-P unleashes a flurry of internal rhymes that does not relent for about half his verse. Even adding layers of social commentary within the densely packed bars, El refuses to quit and continues on his political tirade; criticizing ICE’s detainment center practices and the “pseudo-Christians” who support them, with a bar that now lives in my head:
Pseudo-Christians, y’all indifferent, kids in prison ain’t a sin? Shit if even one scrap of what Jesus taught connected you’d feel different what a disingenuous way to piss away existence, I don’t get it I’d say you lost your goddamn minds if y’all possessed one to begin with
The combination of two of the best verses spit by any rapper(s) this year and production help from El-P and long time RTJ collaborator Little Shalimar, create a bouncy, aggressive, deeply truthful banger. “walking in the snow” not only encapsulates the crux of 2020 with lyrics that will become more powerful as they age, but will also forever be associated with the Black Lives Matter movement and the determination to expose continuing racial and societal injustices. The sonic palette of RTJ4 holds an extremely unique place in El-P’s discography. Jamie is the definition of a self-made 90’s hip-hop legend. This is the dude who put New York underground hip-hop on the map with Company Flow, and he did it with his unique flavor of dark, noisy, dense, boom-bap. Whether he was doing it with the help of Rawkus, or completely independently during his Definitive Jux run, El-P has never made music with the intention of becoming famous. Funcrusher Plus, Fantastic Damage,I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead, and Cancer 4 Cure are all highly revered as industrial, technical, abrasive, and completely unsuitable for the radio or a party. The fact that three songs on RTJ4 could easily be heard on the radio, at a party, or in a TV series credits scene is frankly, astounding. In a 2002 interview/documentary on El-P’s budding record label Def Jux, he stated that his friend bet him $500 that he could not make a beat that was “happy”. At the time of the interview, El-P said that he had not won that bet yet. While I might not qualify the beats on RTJ4 as “happy”, if you showed El-P the beat for “JU$T” in 2002, I believe he might have won that bet. Pharell opens “JU$T” with the pre-chorus, spitting varied examples of how we’re all slaves to our current system throughout the track, over echoing snares and bouncy 808s before bright synth chords and up-tempo hi-hats burst in while Killer Mike delivers the chorus, pointing to the fact that the majority of the people featured on American currency owned slaves at one point in their lives. Mike’s verse touches on the fact that he has committed crimes to get where they are today. Mike is publicly open about his past as a drug dealer. So why is he a criminal, but Benjamin Franklin isn’t? These are the people who built our country, and they built it on the backs of slaves. He illustrates this theme with a more recent examples:
You believe corporations runnin marijuana? Ooh (how that happen?) and your country gettin ran by a casino owner (ooh) pedophiles sponsor all these fuckin’ racist bastards (they do)
When corporations are able to sell cannabis legally, but the government continually incarcerates people who trap, our president is a notoriously fraudulent businessman, and the people who helped put him in power run a pedophile ring, yet none of them face consequences and are allowed to continue to profit and remain in power while people suffer; well, we might be closer to slaves than previously imagined. Rage Against The Machine frontman Zach de la Rocha also makes his mandatory feature appearance at the end of “JU$T”. As the only artist to feature on three Run The Jewels albums, Zach is essentially an unofficial member of the group at this point. His fiery verse is spit with the same “Rage” energy that set him apart in the mid-90’s, ending the track questioning his place in a capitalist society as a recipe for his inevitable demise, since his “breath”, or art, as his weapon to express himself is still being exploited for other’s profit. Continuing with RTJ4’s heavily synthetic sonic palette, “never look back” features wavering synth leads resting above the slow-jams snappy snares and thumping bass, while a haunting voice echoes in the background. This unsettling aura provides additional gravity for Jamie and Mike to continue self-reflecting on defining moments in their childhood, and as well as how far they’ve come from those moments. Mike and El are both self-made men, and while they have a certain fondness for those gritty moments that defined them, moving forward in life is undoubtedly more important. Skeletal drums reminiscent of a slowly pounding heart opens “pulling the pin”, before rhythmic hi-hats and textured, watery synths fluttering in the upper register resting above a bouncy synth lead, and punchy 808s, burst in. The track digs itself into a slower, marching groove and shows the duo figuratively doing exactly what the title implies. Painting a portrait of a society that has turned on itself, Mike and El are ready to pull the pin and start over. The duo both detail their despise for the ruling class, pointing out multiple examples of how the elite have designed our society to keep poor people in their class. Simultaneously recognizing their own hypocrisy for profiting in a system that inherently discriminates; Mike reflects on his own success, knowing that living the lifestyle he enjoys is one built on oppression, and expresses the guilt that has caused him. El-P opens with a brutal metaphor for police, implying that they’re the root cause of the “wretched state of danger” our society exists within, and that the only effective corrective action is to numb yourself with drugs. Despite his advice, Jamie knows this is not a permanent solution, but one that causes more self-inflicted wounds. The final piece of the puzzle that is RTJ4, “a few words for the firing squad” begins to close the album with ever crescending strings, and loud, thunderous drums which never seem to resolve, continuing throughout their verses. While the drums that lead to nowhere can be sonically unpleasant, the unresolved melodies are intentionally representative of their current mindsets. Their verses are reflective and grim, but simultaneously optimistic and envisions a world where tragedy is a less common occurrence. El is grateful for what he has now but recognizes his entire life has been skewed by traumas, so out of place feels normal for him. He reflects on his current success, noting that the worst people tend to end up with the most, which makes becoming “rich” something not as desirable as it once was. Mike opens up about the death of his mother who died while he was on an airplane, admitting his struggles to not cope with his trauma with opioids. However, his wife provides him the most important reason to stay clean “but my queen/say she need a king/not another junkie rapper fiend” while a heartbreaking saxophone solo highlights the gravity of his lyrics. The track ends with what sounds the like wrap-up voiceover to a TV show, a conceptually satisfying ending, as the opening track “yankee and brave (ep.4)” began with El-P stating:
”This week, on Yankee and The Brave”
This voiceover paints the duo as brothers on the run from the law and crooked cops, and while this does close this “episode” out as intended, the critic in me is bothered by the slightly kitschy outro to such a spectacular album. The voices singing over and over, “Brave, brave, braaaaaave, Yankee and the Brave” would be, simply put, better left on the cutting room floor. The ending of this track alone is what knocks my score of this album down a few points. Despite its stellar lyrical content, with drums that never seem to reach that “holy shit!” moment, and the easily skippable outro, it’s upsetting to me that an album this great ends on such a low note. Overview RTJ4 is by far my favorite album of the year. El-P’s cutting edge approach to their sound, blended with lyrical content that continues to be more relevant by the day, the duo have come together with what is objectively their most accessible album to date. RTJ4 is the natural evolution of sound and subject matter for the duo; taking the foundation set by Run The Jewels 3 and evolving it into a more concise, more accessible, and more conceptual album. While I still personally prefer the “fuck the world” intensity and experimental nature of Run The Jewels 2, RTJ4 opens themselves up to a whole new world of exposure, and when you’re as talented as these two, you know they’re going to capitalize on it. RTJ is currently at their apex, and they’ve created an album that will make many new life-long fans going forward. 9.2/10 Discussion Points
How does this compare to other RTJ releases? How about in comparison to the member’s solo works?
Does the overwhelmingly positive critical reception of this album surprise you?
Full list of upcoming games on the Nintendo Switch (US) (Updated 2/6/2021)
Console exclusives (games that are also on PC and/or mobile, but not on other consoles) in Italics. Nintendo exclusives (games that are only on Nintendo platforms) in bold. For those looking at this list and not sure what's likely to be noteworthy, I have compiled a page for noteworthy releases in February. Please give them a look if you want to see what games are likely to be some of February's highlights! As for the full list of upcoming games, here you go:
(Note: TBA Dates and Missed Release Dates in comments) I miss anything? Mis-marked exclusivity? Have an official source with updated info? Let me know!
Full list of upcoming games on the Nintendo Switch (US) (Updated 1/31/2021)
Console exclusives (games that are also on PC and/or mobile, but not on other consoles) in Italics. Nintendo exclusives (games that are only on Nintendo platforms) in bold. For those looking at this list and not sure what's likely to be noteworthy, I have compiled a page for noteworthy releases in February. Please give them a look if you want to see what games are likely to be some of February's highlights! As for the full list of upcoming games, here you go:
(Note: TBA Dates and Missed Release Dates in comments) I miss anything? Mis-marked exclusivity? Have an official source with updated info? Let me know!
UFC Fight Night Overeem v Volkov Fight Predictions
Hello! I hope you're all doing well! This is a chunky card and thus comes a chunky post, so i'm sorry if its a little too long, but it was a fun card to write about. There are a lot of finish predictions here, especially during the main card, but all of these fighters are finishers so can you really blame me for hoping for knockout after knockout? :) Lets get into it! (D) - Debut (c) - Champ FLS - Fight Lose Streak FWS - Fight Win Streak NS - No Streak (#x) - Rank in Division Lets go! Prelims Featherweight Ode Osbourne (8-3-0, NS) v Jerome Rivera (10-4-0, 2 FLS) - A sudden change in fight, as Bondar dropped out. Osbourne had a rough start in his UFC career, losing to the ever so tough Brian Kelleher via Sub in the first round, which doesn’t exactly leave me much footage to watch, but what I do know is what Osbiourne is typically great on the ground, and he has a one track mindset, and that’s to submit his opponents, that much is evident by how quickly he finishes his opponents, most of his finishes come in the first round which is fairly impressive. Rivera on the other hand is on a harsh losing streak at the moment, barely getting his foot in the door in the UFC, facing two very tough competitors in Francisco Figueiredo and Tyson Nam. It’s hard to say what he’s great at when his performances have been outmatched by his opponents, he seems relatively well rounded, decent striking but still remains somewhat of a mystery, perhaps yet to showcase his skillset. He is coming in as a late replacement, and coming off a hard loss against Figueiredo so I’m not too sure how he’s going to compete and look. I’m leaning on Osbourne on this one. Osbourne via Sub R2 Featherweight Youssef Zalal (10-3-0, NS) v Seung Woo Choi (8-3-0, NS) - A fight that was meant to happen in 2020, but fell through. Zalal was on fire during 2020, and not because he had a fever due to covid-19, no, he was insanely active and put on some exceptional performances. Zalal is a workhorse, he has beautiful wrestling and great cardio. His excellent usage of footwork and movement boosts his ability to land unpredictable shots, such as that gorgeous spinning back kick that nearly destroyed Peter Barrett seconds into the fight. Zalal doesn’t give in to pressure that easily thanks to his movement, and his one minor setback against Topuria was simply because Topuria is an excellent wrestler in his own right, so don’t go writing off Zalal, he could very well turn 2021 into his year of success. Everything Zalal does, I like, his pace, striking, movement and style are all beautiful to watch. I should note that Zalal is coming in as a late replacement and has not had a full camp for this fight, so that might impact his full performance and ability. Choi was meant to face Zalal but pulled out for unknown reasons, whether that was due to injury or something else, no one really knows other than his team, but for his take I hope it wasn’t an injury. Choi is currently 1-2 in the UFC with a very dominant win over Suman Mokhtarian, 6 minutes of control time, 250 strikes thrown, 158 landed, a gorgeous display of cardio and striking throughout all three rounds, he could be trouble for Zalal, which is why I feel like Zalal will come in with a wrestle heavy approach, if Zalal can maintain top pressure and control he can negate any offense and effective striking that Choi has, Choi’s striking was only great during that fight because he was in control against a fighter who didn’t really know what to do. So, in this particular fight, i’m going with Zalal Zalal via UD Women’s Flyweight Molly McCann (10-3-0, NS) v Lara Procopio (6-1-0, NS) - An interesting fight. McCann is certainly a ballsy fighter, she loves to brute out a win through vicious and wild strikes and even though she’s been at a reach disadvantage for some of her fights, she’s always found her way into range to land some significant shots. She has outstruck most of her opponents relatively easily and has consistently impressed us. I have watched many friends of mine who didn’t know her, become fans instantly after her fights, she’s so tough and durable. She has decent wrestling and mostly uses that as setups for more strikes. What makes this fight lowkey amazing is that Procopio is a very, very effective kickboxer in her own right. Her debut against Karol Rosa (who also is fighting on this card), she landed 160 significant strikes, attempted 294, and a large majority of those strikes were at distance. To say she’s excellent at managing distance is an understatement. The only issue I see with that though is Molly eats punches for breakfast and asks for seconds, I don’t know if Procopio can withstand the pressure that Molly gives off, and this is in the Apex so there’s quite a possibility that Procopio’s back will be against the cage for a large chunk of the fight duration. With that said though, this is going to be an exciting fight between two women who can absolutely throw down and keep up an excellent pace, and I for one can’t wait. I got McCann on this one, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Procopio’s excellent usage of her distance and jabs keeps McCann out of her own range. Interesting fight to say the least. McCann via UD Women’s Bantamweight Karol Rosa (13-3-0, 4 FWS) v Joselyne Edwards (10-2-0, 2 FWS) - Another fight that will absolutely blow us all away. Rosa went to war against Procopio, landing 170 significant strikes, attempted 360, and a large majority of those strikes were exchanges, so Rosa throwing down with the toughest of them is certainly one reason to watch her fight. Another reason is her ability to adapt to her opponents style and still dominate. She’s fairly good on the ground but excels on the feet, and at the age of 26, there’s still a lot of room for growth. Rosa is still a bit green in the UFC though but she’s made statement after statement in the octagon, her two performances have been enough to put her in the spotlight and she’s being fed an incredible prospect in Edwards, which isn’t a sign of disrespect, the opposite in fact. Edwards absolutely blew us all away with her performance against Yanan Wu, those leg kicks tore her legs up, and her methodical striking was beautiful. Edwards is a very tall fighter, which gives her an advantage in lower body attacks, kicks and knees are more effective and considering that Rosa is a forward moving fighter, I can see Edwards using her knees to attack the body or head to great effectiveness. But as with most fighters who are relatively green in the UFC, it’s hard to judge a fighter based on one performance in the promotion. So at the moment, i’m intrigued but not on any hype train, and lets not forget one incredibly important detail. She just fought 2-3 weeks ago, that’s 2 camps within a span of what… a couple of months? That might be detrimental to her performance… So, i’m going Rosa on this one. Rosa via UD Catchweight (160) Justin Jaynes (16-6-0, 2 FLS) v Devonte Smith (10-2-0, NS) - May Dariene Smith rest in peace. (Devonte’s younger sister). Jaynes is coming off a rough losing streak, losing twice, both by sub and KO in 2020. Jaynes did show excellent power and striking but succumbed to the patience and timing of Gavin Tucker, and ate a brutal knee from Gabriel Benitez. He is coming in at a significant disadvantage in reach, which is a huge problem because Smith is an excellent boxer and is more than likely happy enough to stay at range and use his jabs and straights to great effectiveness. Jaynes might have the defensive skills to get in range safely but I honestly feel like a lot is going against him. Smith is no doubt the fighter in the spotlight here, he is very, very smooth on the feet, all 2 of his UFC finishes come in the first round, and even though he hasn’t kept too active in 2020, I have a feeling he’s hungry for another big win and with his boxing abilities and huge reach advantage, I feel like Smith is just going to use everything he has to pull off a dominant win, maybe trying to chase another performance bonus. His jab cross (one two) combo is absolutely beautiful, it seems he has grown comfortable enough to use it over and over to great effectiveness, and it’s what put away Dong Hyun Ma very quickly. Smith has everything going for him in this fight. Smith via KO R1 Featheweight Timur Valiev (16-2-0, 6 FWS) v Martin Day (8-5-0, 3 FLS) - This is a great match up. Valiev had an odd start to the UFC, losing his debut against Trevin Jones, which ultimately got overturned because Trevin Jones was found juicing with the devils lettuce, what scum. Joking aside, Valiev looked great in that fight up until the end, Valiev gives off a lot of different looks, the feints are unique and he’s just so wild but accurate, lead kicks, stance switches, feinting a level change, he’s highly technical and incredibly fast. Valiev is a danger to so many of his opponents, it’s just unlucky that he got knocked out by Jones, but if you watch the first round, you’ll see his style, it’s unique and he has so many tricks up his sleeve, do not sleep on Valiev. Day is on a horrible losing streak, he’s currently 0-3 in the UFC and is no doubt very close to being booted from the UFC, but he fights well, he’s always looking to deal damage and he puts his losses behind him. Day is an excellent striker, he doesn’t have any particular style, and he lands a whole lot of volume. He just seems to be outdone by other fighters which is unfortunate. He hasn’t won once in any promotion related to the UFC, he lost twice on DWCS and twice during UFC events. Maybe it’s just a curse, anyway, Valiev looks incredible regardless of that setback, he just needs to find himself into range because Day does have a significant reach advantage. It’s gonna be interesting to see how he approaches that. Valiev via UD Light Heavyweight Mike Rodriguez (11-5-0, NS) v Danilo Marques (10-2-0, 3 FWS) - An interesting fight. Rodrigeuz utilized gorgeous boxing when he fought against Ed Herman before he got caught in a kimura, but up until that point, it was pure domination from Rodriguez, and there was no sign of slowing down. Herman eats punches for breakfast and I don’t think anyone expected Rodriguez to get caught like that. Rodriguez is predominantly a boxer and with his huge reach, he uses it very effectively. And despite his loss against Herman, it just showcased his cardio and accuracy on the feet, absolutely powerful striker, and a danger for Marques. Marques put on a relatively boring performance against the ever losing Khadis Ibragimov. He had a huge chance to showcase his capabilities, but all we learnt was that he’s decent at taking people down but not doing anything with those takedowns, he just looked… bad, I don’t see him winning here at all, maybe if he grinded out a boring decision win, but at the moment i’m leaning on Rodriguez, he just looks awesome on the feet and he will no doubt be looking to defend any takedowns and keep the fight on the feet. Pressure is his key here, he needs to keep moving forward and dealing damage or the Ibragimov Slayer will lay on top of him for 3 rounds. Rodriguez via KO R2 Lightweight Michael Johnson (19-16-0, 3 FLS) v Clay Guida (35-20-0, 2 FLS) - Regardless of what you think about either of these fighters, we are seeing two of the most experienced veterans of the octagon face off, and it’s going to be awesome. Johnson is a wild striker, we all know that by now, but he’s slowing down and not really showing signs of recovery, I mean, 16 losses? His last significant win was over Poirier at Featherweight back in 2016. Since then he’s lost 6 times, and won twice, both wins there were by decision. He’s a veteran but no longer in the spotlight. With that said though, he is still a very good striker, he carries a lot of power in his hands and everything he throws is dangerous. In his last fight against Thiago Moises, he outstruck Moises 28-1 before getting caught in an ankle lock. Wrestling is going to be a problem for Johnson because Guida is a very good grappler, very strong and very brutal with his takedowns. Guida has had a looooong list of fights, with most of his wins being against older fighters who were clearly finishes with their career prior to the fight, it seems that Guida is just fighting for the sake of fighting, he loves the sport and the feeling of competition and perhaps that’s what keeps him going, but he’s going to get hurt pretty bad this time around. He’s old, he’s almost 40, and whilst his cardio still somewhat holds up, his chin isn’t there anymore and if he gets hit enough times, Johnson might miraculously get a win. I don’t know who is going to win this fight. I know that i typically have a good idea of whose going to win, but at the moment i’m leaning on Johnson, he’s younger, has very fast hands and if Guida has a one track mind and only focuses on the wrestling aspect of the fight, maybe Johnson might slip in a slick uppercut and put Guida to sleep. Who knows, this is a wild matchup and when it comes to older fighters, crazy shit happens. Johnson via KO R3 Main Card Lightweight Diego Ferreira (#10) (17-2-0, 6 FWS) v Beneil Dariush (#9) (19-4-1, 5 FWS) - This is a rematch that is well worth a watch. Ferreira is a very good submission artist, he’s a 3rd degree black belt in BJJ so naturally you would think he’s going to take the fight to the ground in order to win, but you’d be wrong, Ferreira has shown improvement in his striking, utilizing stance switches and pressure on the feet in order to give his opponents many things to look out for. Firstly, if he takes his opponents down, his opponents are in trouble, the amount of top pressure and control Ferreira has is insane, he’s a master on the ground, which leads to his opponents always thinking about the takedown, but he’s got sharp striking now, he’s very clean with his punches but it’s by far his best weapon. He’s a submission artist at heart and will be able to submit almost anyone. Dariush on the other hand is on a huge 4 Fight finish streak, with most of those finishes giving him a clean performance bonus.. His knockout against Scott Holtzman was absolutely beautiful and well timed. Dariush is a serious dark horse of the division, he’s excellent on the feet, gives off beautiful pressure and keeps up a very solid pace. He’s exceptionally well rounded, with a relatively heavy focus on wrestling and ground offense, and his recent advances in his striking has not been unnoticed. Dariush has consistently impressed me and I can’t hop off this hype train so soon. So, I got Dariush on this one, I feel like he might avoid the ground with Ferreira and might try to keep it on the feet. Dariush via KO R3 Featherweight Cody Stamann (19-3-1, NS) v Askar Askar (D) (11-1-0, NS) - War Stamann! Stamann has had one opponent after another drop out of the fight leading up to this matchup. Stamann is a very interesting fighter to watch, he has gorgeous striking, it's both brutal and well timed… It helps that his micro movements allow him to set up powerful hook combo’s and his stance switches allow him to slip in an out of range effectively, his performance against the ever so tough Brian Kelleher was beautiful, methodical and it just showcased how well he puts together his combos. Movement is key to Stamann’s victory, his evasive movements are as important as his forward movement and stance switches when he’s on the offensive. Now, he’s facing a relatively interesting debutant in Askar, Askar is a fairly big debuting fighter, losing only once in his career, he’s got very good kickboxing mixed with great pressure and takedown ability, he seems like a great addition to the UFC, regardless of being a late replacement, it seems that Askar was going to be in the UFC regardless. Askar however might have bitten off more than he can chew with this fight. Whilst watching what limited footage is available for Askar, i’ve noticed that whilst he’s on the offensive, his defence isn’t there, when he swings for a punch, his hands are low which allows him to be hit whilst throwing. Now, whilst this isn’t exactly rare amongst some fighters, it’s particularly dangerous if he’s going to fight Stamann who has shown us over and over again that in range he’s dangerous but still has his defenses up. At the moment, i’m leaning on Stamann purely because of who he has faced in the past, but Askar could really impress us with his grappling, which I feel is his only way to win. Stamann via KO R2 Flyweight Alexandre Pantoja (#6) (22-5-0, NS) v Manel Kape (D) (15-4-0, 3 FWS) - The long awaited debut of Kape is finally here. Pantoja has faced pretty much everyone that the current division has to offer, he survived 3 rounds against Deiveson, knocked out Schnell, outpaced the insane Moreno, Pantoja is someone you can’t sleep on. He has excellent cardio and decent striking, but most of his advantage is on the ground, he’s a very good grappler, and always looks for a quick submission, whether it's on the ground or defensively on the feet, if he spots an opening for a submission he goes for it. The main reason why i’m not highlighting his striking is because Schnell pieced him up before schnell got knocked out, it was clear to me that Pantoja is more comfortable on the ground than on the feet. Kape is a big debuting fighter, coming from a very dominant career in Rizin, knockout after knockout after knockout, Kape has disgusting power in such a small frame. His striking is gorgeous, he changes targets so effortlessly and he’s so freaking fast. Kape is a knockout artist and one that the UFC needs to revitalize the division a little more. This is a rough prediction from me, perhaps its a controversial one depending on your personal views, but i’m very hyped for Kape and his debut. This is an amazing fight. Kape via KO R2 Co-Main Event Bantamweight Cory Sandhagen (#2) (13-2-0, NS) v Frankie Edgar (#4) (23-8-1, NS) - This is going to be a fairly one sided prediction. Sandhagen is destined for greatness, I could easily copy and paste what I wrote for his fight against Moraes and it wouldn’t make a difference, Sandhagen has gorgeous striking, absolutely beautiful on the feet, with a wide variety of techniques that he can pull out of his ass and use effortlessly, The way he put Moraes away was amazing and incredibly slick, a highlight reel they will play for the ages. Sandhagen is a long fighter, he is great at range and with his excellent footwork and movement, he’s going to have very little problem keeping Edgar at range, and whilst there’s a fairly small reach advantage over Edgar, there is a significant height advantage so those kicks will be coming out strong throughout the fight. He might even throw up some defensive knees that might rattle the skull of Edgar. I love Sandhagen and despite his minor setback against Sterling, he’s got a very bright career ahead of him. Edgar has a lengthy career in the UFC and even though he won against Munhoz, it was a split decision win and a somewhat controversial one at that, since Munhoz absolutely pieced him up for more effective strikes, I feel like Edgar doesn’t have a lot going for him coming into this fight, he’s a wrestler at heart but in order to wrestle he’s going to have to get close, or catch a kick (Sandhagen will definitely be kicking, don’t worry about that, dudes part horse). Edgar is getting up there in age, but regardless of him being nearly 40, he still goes to war and has that championship mindset of outperforming his previous performance, but stylistically, I don’t see him winning this, that is no disrespect to Edgar and his fantastic career but Sandhagen is the new generation of fighters that has overthrown the generation of Edgars and Fabers, I got Sandhagen on this one. Sandhagen via KO R3 Main Event Heavyweight Alistair Overeem (#4) (47-18-0, 2 FWS) v Alexander volkov (#6) (32-8-0, NS) - Time for the annual Overeem main event. Overeem is a legend in every right, he’s one of the most experienced and still relevant fighters in the UFC, the fact that he is on a winning streak against the young guns of the division is pretty impressive, we just finished talking about the older generation of fighters but Overeem is an exception. Wrestling? Check. Striking? Dudes a world class kickboxer so you better check that box. Ground and pound/Grappling? Check that box too. Overeem is one of the most well rounded fighters in the division at the moment, and whilst many doubted the fact that Overeem will retire with the belt, it could very well happen as long as he maneuvers around Ngannou somehow because it took us a few months to find Overeems head in orbit. Overeem is such a mysterious figure in the UFC, no one knows how well he is going to perform, his age is a question and his chin is a question, but he still surprises us. Overeem has one main advantage over Volkov, and that’s his wrestling. Volkov struggles with wrestlers, his height advantage is a wrestling disadvantage, its easy to wrap round his legs for a takedown so I feel like Volkov would have worked on his defensive grappling a lot during his camp, otherwise well, it’ll just be Blaydes v Volkov all over again. Volkov has a beautiful jab//cross combo and he’s going to be looking to use that until Overeems chin breaks. Volkov has speed and volume and he could easily outstrike Overeem whilst keeping away and out of range, and that’s a strictly thing to overcome, there are questions that are going to be answered here, and one of mine is can Overeem withstand the punching power that Volkov has? Volume can’t break a man but it can break a nose or cause a hematoma, it could open a cut, whether its an old one (Overeem’s lip for instance), or a cut over the eye, it could be stopped by a doctor, so many factors are in play here… but i’m going to stick with my original prediction… Overeem is going to come in with a wrestle heavy approach. Perhaps win by ground and pound. Overeem via KO R4 And that's it! At this rate I feel like by 2022 i'll have a character count of 30k on average because these cards are getting juicy. If you wish to support me please message me and i can provide details on how you can do so. If you would like to follow me on twitter, you can find me @Slayer_Tip or if you want, add me on discord and we can have a super friendly chat about all things MMA: Slayertip#7013 Lets have a fun discussion down below, let me know if you agree/disagree with my picks :) But for now, have a beautiful week, take care of yourselves :)
Respawn, we need to talk about the LTM event takeovers
I haven't seen any discussion on how the LTMs have been replacing the main game lately, so I wanted to start one myself. It's a bit of a read but I thought it was important. TL;DR: LTMs replacing the main game mean that they have to be similar enough to the base game to not make it feel like you can't play "normal Apex Legends" for two weeks, which limits the creativity of how new LTMs can work. So, for the past two LTM events, the special limited time gamemode has replaced the main Duos and Trios pubs gamemode, rather than acting as a separate gamemode you can queue up for separately. This has some pretty clear advantages - it keeps queue times lower because all of the players don't have to decide between the normal gamemode and the LTM, and it also allows for the mode to be played in Duos or Trios. However, I think doing LTMs like this isn't the best idea, because it limits what can be done for the mode while also locking players out of a normal experience if they so choose. Thinking back to previous special modes, some of the LTMs we've had over the past two years have radically changed the core gameplay of Apex. To list just a few:
DUMMIE's Big Day: Made us think entirely differently about our legend abilities with wacky random powers.
Flashpoint: Changed how we had to regain our health back and made the game feel like it had several 'battle zones' with the dangerous no-healing areas in between.
Third Person: Changed one of the core aspects of the game, literally giving us a whole new perspective.
Gold Rush: Gave us a chance to goof around with the strongest weapons in the game
Deja Loot: Rewarded learning loot locations and map memorization, while also adding an entirely new shield mechanic that would eventually be incorporated into the base game.
Not to mention the two heavy hitters for changing up the formula (in my opinion):
Winter Express: Literally made a battle royale into a chill, round based king of the hill mode.
Shadowfall/Shadow Royale: Could go with either 2019 or 2020 edition as they were both different, but changed the dying mechanic entirely by adding shadow form and letting you rush the remaining living players with terrifying speed and agility over and over.
There's even more modes that I left out (personally I've always loved Always Be Closing, and I know Armed and Dangerous is a favorite too), but my point is that nearly all of the LTMs of the past, whether you love them or hate them, give you a chance to play the game in a whole new way. Now let's look at the two latest LTMs:
Airdrop Escalation: Care packages now spawn each circle with pre-kitted guns.
Locked and Loaded: Spawn with armor and a Mozambique, and ground loot is better.
Notice how these latest two LTMs are a bit, well, tamer? They're more in line with how the standard game is played. You aren't going to be playing much differently than you would in the normal mode, except maybe you'll go for one of the care packages in Airdrop Escalation and you'll enjoy no level 1 loot in Locked and Loaded. These modes don't have the freedom to change how the player would play, because they need to stand in for the normal game for two weeks. If it's too different, then you wouldn't be able to play the standard game for the entirety of the event. Imagine if Armed and Dangerous took over the game for two weeks - nothing but shotguns and snipers for the whole time. Or, imagine if Third Person was the takeover event - wasn't this a first person game? Something like Solos? Sorry guys, guess we can play in a few weeks. Or even further, imagine if Winter Express was the only mode available... ...well, that one might be able to hold up on it's own (super hyped for the possible deathmatch mode coming this year btw), but at some point you'd still want to play the original battle royale - right? My point is that I worry that the expectation that the LTM for each event must be able to replace the main game will stifle the possibilities for the modes that we can get, as it would force them to be similar enough to the main game that it's presence wouldn't be missed. I'm not saying I don't like these latest modes (Airdrop Escalation was actually a lot of fun), but I do think they feel a bit more like slight flavoring of the base game rather than a whole new creative mode like the previous ones, and I do think this is the reason. Plus, I do miss being able to drop into a few games of standard play once I want to take a short break from the LTM. I understand if some LTMs might not be enough to hold up a whole separate mode selection on their own, but even just knowing the LTM takeover isn't the future standard for 100% of the time and that we'll still also get separate LTMs that don't replace the main game would be nice, because it'd be a shame to never get something that really shakes the game up again. If you got all the way through this, thanks for reading, and if you have anything to add please leave a comment. EDIT: I had meant to mention ranked, but forgot - but real quickly, playing ranked is a lot more of a serious commitment then playing a game of pubs. I can only speak for myself, but when I play ranked, I tend to stick to my main, and do my very best to make sure my team lasts as long as possible to maximize RP earned from placement. But in pubs, I don't mind playing someone else I don't play as too often for a bit, or making a pretty bold play to try and recover a banner - because screwing up and losing doesn't really matter. I don't think that people should need to risk their RP and play the more "serious/competitive" mode just so they can play the standard rules during an event.
Full list of upcoming games on the Nintendo Switch (US) (Updated 1/23/2021)
Console exclusives (games that are also on PC and/or mobile, but not on other consoles) in Italics. Nintendo exclusives (games that are only on Nintendo platforms) in bold. For those looking at this list and not sure what's likely to be noteworthy, I have compiled a page for noteworthy releases in January. Please give them a look if you want to see what games are likely to be some of January's highlights! As for the full list of upcoming games, here you go:
(Note: TBA Dates and Missed Release Dates in comments) I miss anything? Mis-marked exclusivity? Have an official source with updated info? Let me know!
Hey everyone - two updates for you today. First, GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition reviews (and all related technologies and games) will be on September 16th at 6 a.m. Pacific Time. Get ready for benchmarks! Second, we’re excited to announce that the GeForce RTX 3070 will be available on October 15th at 6 a.m. Pacific Time.
There is no Founders Edition Pre-Order
Image Link - GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition Powered by the Ampere architecture, GeForce RTX 30-Series is finally upon us. The goal of this megathread is to provide everyone with the best information possible and consolidate any questions, feedback, and discussion to make it easier for NVIDIA’s community team to review them and bring them to appropriate people at NVIDIA.
Up to 2x performance vs previous generation (RT Scenario)
New dual axial flow through thermal design, the GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition is up to 3x quieter and keeps the GPU up to 20 degrees Celsius cooler than the RTX 2080.
RTX 3090
Most powerful GPU in the world
New dual axial flow through thermal design, the GeForce RTX 3090 is up to 10 times quieter and keeps the GPU up to 30 degrees Celsius cooler than the TITAN RTX design.
PSU Requirements:
SKU
Power Supply Requirements
GeForce RTX 3090 Founders Edition
750W Required
GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition
750W Required
GeForce RTX 3070 Founders Edition
650W Required
A lower power rating PSU may work depending on system configuration. Please check with PSU vendor.
RTX 3090 and 3080 Founders Edition requires a new type of 12-pin connector (adapter included).
DO NOT attempt to use a single cable to plug in the PSU to the RTX 30-Series. Need to use two separate modular cables and the adapter shipped with Founders Edition cards.
For power connector adapters, NVIDIA recommends you use the 12-pin dongle that already comes with the RTX 30-Series Founders Edition GPU. However, there will also be excellent modular power cables that connect directly to the system power supply available from other vendors, including Corsair, EVGA, Seasonic, and CableMod. Please contact them for pricing and additional product details
NVIDIA Reflex is a new suite of technologies that optimize and measure system latency in competitive games.
It includes:
NVIDIA Reflex Low-Latency Mode, a new technology to reduce game and rendering latency by up to 50 percent. Reflex is being integrated in top competitive games including Apex Legends, Fortnite, Valorant, Call of Duty: Warzone, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Destiny 2, and more.
NVIDIA Reflex Latency Analyzer, which detects clicks coming from the mouse and then measures the time it takes for the resulting pixels (for example, a gun muzzle flash) to change on screen. Reflex Latency Analyzer is integrated in new 360Hz NVIDIA G-SYNC Esports displays and supported by top esports peripherals from ASUS, Logitech, and Razer, and SteelSeries.
Measuring system latency has previously been extremely difficult to do, requiring over $7,000 in specialized high-speed cameras and equipment.
NVIDIA Broadcast
New AI-powered Broadcast app
Three key features:
Noise Removal: remove background noise from your microphone feed – be it a dog barking or the doorbell ringing. The AI network can even be used on incoming audio feeds to mute that one keyboard-mashing friend who won’t turn on push-to-talk.
Virtual Background: remove the background of your webcam feed and replace it with game footage, a replacement image, or even a subtle blur.
Auto Frame: zooms in on you and uses AI to track your head movements, keeping you at the center of the action even as you shift from side to side. It’s like having your own cameraperson.
RTX I/O
A suite of technologies that enable rapid GPU-based loading and game asset decompression, accelerating I/O performance by up to 100x compared to hard drives and traditional storage APIs
When used with Microsoft’s new DirectStorage for Windows API, RTX IO offloads up to dozens of CPU cores’ worth of work to your RTX GPU, improving frame rates, enabling near-instantaneous game loading, and opening the door to a new era of large, incredibly detailed open world games.
NVIDIA Machinima
Easy to use cloud-based app provides tools to enable gamers’ creativity, for a new generation of high-quality machinima.
Users can take assets from supported games, and use their web camera and AI to create characters, add high-fidelity physics and face and voice animation, and publish film-quality cinematics using the rendering power of their RTX 30 Series GPU
G-Sync Monitors
Announcing G-Sync 360 Hz Monitors
RTX Games
Cyberpunk 2077
New 4K Ultra Trailer with RTX
Fortnite
Now adding Ray Tracing, DLSS, and Reflex
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Now adding Ray Tracing, DLSS, and Reflex
Minecraft RTX
New Ray Traced World and Beta Update
Watch Dogs: Legion
Now adding DLSS in addition to previously announced Ray Tracing
Links and References
Topic
Article Link
Video Link (If Applicable)
GeForce RTX 30 Series Graphics Cards: The Ultimate Play
When is Preorder There is no preorder. What are the power requirements for RTX 30 Series Cards? RTX 3090 = 750W Required RTX 3080 = 750W Required RTX 3070 = 650W Required Lower power rating might work depending on your system config. Please check with your PSU vendor. Will we get the 12-pin adapter in the box? Yes. Adapters will come with Founders Edition GPUs. Please consult the following chart for details. Image Link - GeForce RTX 3090 and 3080 Founders Edition Power and Case Requiremen Do the new RTX 30 Series require PCIE Gen 4? Do they support PCIE Gen 3? Will there be major performance impact for gaming? RTX 30 Series support PCIE Gen 4 and backwards compatible with PCIE Gen 3. System performance is impacted by many factors and the impact varies between applications. The impact is typically less than a few percent going from a x16 PCIE 4.0 to x16 PCIE 3.0. CPU selection often has a larger impact on performance. Does the RTX 30 Series support SLI? Only RTX 3090 support SLI configuration Will I need PCIE Gen 4 for RTX IO? Per Tony Tamasi from NVIDIA: There is no SSD speed requirement for RTX IO, but obviously, faster SSD’s such as the latest generation of Gen4 NVMe SSD’s will produce better results, meaning faster load times, and the ability for games to stream more data into the world dynamically. Some games may have minimum requirements for SSD performance in the future, but those would be determined by the game developers. RTX IO will accelerate SSD performance regardless of how fast it is, by reducing the CPU load required for I/O, and by enabling GPU-based decompression, allowing game assets to be stored in a compressed format and offloading potentially dozens of CPU cores from doing that work. Compression ratios are typically 2:1, so that would effectively amplify the read performance of any SSD by 2x. Will I get a bottleneck from xxx CPU? If you have any modern multi-core CPU from the last several years, chances are you won't be bottlenecked but it depends on the game and resolution. The higher resolution you play, the less bottleneck you'll experience. Compatibility - NVIDIA Reflex, RTX IO, NVIDIA Broadcast NVIDIA Reflex - GeForce GTX 900 Series and higher are supported RTX IO - Turing and Ampere GPUs NVIDIA Broadcast - Turing (20-Series) and Ampere GPUs Will there be 3090 Ti/Super, 3080 Ti/Super, 3070 Ti/Super Literally nobody knows. Where will I be able to purchase the card on release date? The same place where you usually buy your computer parts. Founders Edition will also be available at NVIDIA Online Store and Best Buy if you're in the US. When can I purchase the card? 6am PST on release day per NV_Tim How much are the cards? 3070 - $499 MSRP 3080 - $699 MSRP 3090 - $1499 MSRP No Founders Edition Premium When will the reviews come out? September 14th per Hardware Canucks
Blog Apex Legends Best Weapons Tier List Season 6 (October 2020) Hey guys, I've been getting a lot of question what is the best Apex Legends weapon in the game, and what is the best loadout, so today, I'm going to show you what I and my team agree on to be the best weapons in the game. Apex Legends Guns Guide 2020 | Best Gun to Use in Apex Legends Snipers: Snipers excel at long range, but falter when the action comes close to home. Kraber: The Kraber is the most powerful sniper rifle in the game. The R-301 has been the go-to assault rifle in Apex Legends since launch, and after every update the game has seen, it’s still the best option. Outside of a slight boost in Season 3, the weapon With the return of the Skullpiercer Hop-up, the Longbow DMR has taken its place as one of the best sniper in Apex Legends. While the Sentinel hits harder and the Triple Take is better for newbies, the Longbow benefits from a faster fire rate and the ability to increase its headshot damage. Apex Legends Best Guns – Top 15 Weapons Ranked. By Mike Jones The light machine guns in Apex Legends aren’t that popular, mainly because it’s such a fast-paced gamed and a machine gun is a little bit bulky. However, a fully kitted out Spitfire can be quite useful. Especially the stock and barrel stabiliser to compensate for the heavy Our Apex Legends' weapon tier list for December 2020 is to keep players up to date on the best guns to pick up in Season 7.. As the meta currently stands, there's a wide range of weapons to Jul 7, 2020 3:35 pm 2020-07-07T16:02:48-05:00. Apex Legends; The best weapon combos in Apex Legends. Here are some of the best one-two punches in the game. Gökhan Çakır. Image via Respawn The best guns in Apex Legends Gökhan Çakır 1/12/2021 US coronavirus: States are looking to help their vulnerable communities as vaccine distribution ramps up Apex Legends weapon tier list - best guns in Season 7. Below I've created a handy table of our rankings of every gun in Apex Legends within their weapon class for Season 7. I've tried to take into account the power levels of each weapon as well as their dependency upon attachments. Apex Legends’ Season 4 brought a ton of new changes to a variety of weapons. Along with the Sentinel sniper rifle, developer Respawn Entertainment made numerous changes to different guns. Along
APEX Legends - All Weapons [SEASON 5] [2020] - YouTube
Top 10 Best Weapons In Season 6 Apex Legends. The Gaming Merchant ranks every weapon in Apex Legends Season 6. I rank the Volt, compare the different weapons... APEX LEGENDS - All Weapons One Year After Release 00:02 === PISTOLS === 00:05 P2020 00:23 RE-45 00:43 WINGMAN 01:03 === SUBMACHINE GUNS === 01:06 R-99 01:24 ... Top 10 Best Weapons Season 5 - Apex Legends Alarmix here, in this apex legends video, I am going to be going over the top 10 best weapons in season 5. Using ... Best launch options for apex legends steam version 2020.Leave a comment if you have any questions. Launch Options: -high -fps_max-dev-fullscreen+twitch_prime... The 3 BEST Skins For Every Weapon (Apex Legends) Alarmix here, in this apex legends video I am going to go over the three best skins for ever weapon in apex ... Don't forget to leave a like and subscribe! Follow the editor: Lupin https://twitter.com/LupinR6S https://www.twitch.tv/LupinMP4 Outro Song - Ryscu - Collide... The BEST Weapon In Apex Legends Season 4. Yes the L-Star buff in the new season is absolutely incredible, let me explain why.New Merch: https://teespring.com... THE TOP 5 BEST WEAPONS IN APEX LEGENDS SEASON 4 In this video, we will be discussing the top 5 best weapons in Apex legends. Season 4, has come around and t...
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