HP Omen Obelisk

For something so simple, the HP Omen Obelisk is surprisingly attractive. With its glass side window and obelisk-inspired facade trimmed with the renegade Omen logo, it’s got a lot of style in its otherwise straightforward chassis. This is an appealing gaming PC that isn’t so over-the-top in its gaming aesthetic that it ends up looking gaudy.

But, how does it fare against its powerhouse brother, the HP Omen Desktop PC. The Obelisk looks good, for sure, and it fits perfectly on the desktop of a gamer who values elegant design, but a gaming PC can’t just get by on looks alone. Can it match the Omen Desktop’s brute strength when you're playing the best PC games?

Short answer is yes. The long answer… well, it’s more complicated once you look at pricing, specs and its available configurations. The Omen Obelisk plays games like butter, but only if you’ve splurged on its innards. If you only have enough budget for one of the cheaper configurations, it might not be powerful enough.

The good news is the HP Omen Obelisk is expected to get some decent discounts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you're not completely convinced, we recommend waiting until then to hit that buy button until Black Friday and Cyber Monday roll around at the end of November.

Spec Sheet

Here is the HP Omen Obelisk configuration sent to TechRadar for review: 

CPU: 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8700 (hexa-core, 12MB cache, up to 4.6GHz)
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 (8GB GDDR6 dedicated)
RAM: HyperX 32GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM (2 x 16 GB)
Motherboard: Edoras micro-ATX
Power Supply:  Shadow Black tower with 500W Bronze efficiency power supply and side window
Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD / 1TB 7200 rpm SATA
Ports (front): USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A with fast charge, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A, audio combo jack, mic jack
Ports (rear): USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C, 4 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A, RJ-45, 3 x audio outputs, 3 x Displayport, HDMI 2.08, DVI8
Connectivity: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2x2) Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 M.2 combo
Operating System: Windows 10 Home
Weight: 20.28 lb (9.20 kg)
Size: 6.5 x 14.06 x 17.05 in (16.51 x 35.71 x 43.31 cm)

Price and availability

Thundering specs help put our review model of the HP Omen Obelisk on the gaming PC map. It swaggers with an 8th generation Intel Core i7, 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD + 1TB HDD storage and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 – a GPU far superior than the 1080 and has advantages over the 1080 Ti that was in the Omen Desktop we reviewed a while back. This configuration is unsurprisingly expensive at $2284, which includes the glass side window so you can showcase those amazing specs every chance you get. Although, at the time of the review, HP did knock $200 off the price and will most likely do so again.

A similar configuration is on hand in the UK with a couple of differences: it has half the memory, at 16GB, and a storage combo of 256GB SSD + 2TB HDD. That configuration, which is the most expensive in the UK, sets you back £1,899, which makes it more or less $100 pricier than its US counterpart. 

Unfortunately, Australian buyers won’t find a similar configuration. The closest you can get is an HP Omen Obelisk at AU$2,999, with considerably lower specs: AMD Ryzen 7 2700, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD+2TB HDD storage. It’s the most expensive option as well as one of the only two configurations available in Australia, the other being featuring an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 CPU, 128GB SSD+1TB HDD storage, along with the same GPU and RAM for AU$2,799.

If you want to completely splurge on the specs in the US, you can kit the HP Omen Obelisk out with an Intel Core i9, 64GB of RAM, 512GB SSD + 3TB HDD + 3TB HDD, and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti for a whopping $3,723.

Going down to the entry-level in the US, and you’ll find a $700 configuration featuring an AMD Ryzen 5 2500X CPU, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, 8GB RAM and 1TB of HDD storage. It’s far from being a game-changer. If you want to save some money and still have a quality gaming experience, upgrading this to boast an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 CPU and 16GB RAM will only cost you $190 more and give you solid AAA gaming on medium to high settings.

On the other hand, the entry model in the UK has an Intel Core i5, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD+1TB HDD storage and the glass side window. It will set you back £899.

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Design

Those who are more partial to over-the-top gaming looks might find the HP Omen Obelisk’s aesthetic a tad underwhelming. Not that it doesn’t have gaming flair of its own – you can upgrade to a glass side panel so you can show off the innards, spotlighted by the RGB lighting on the chassis ceiling. The facade has its upper and lower sections tapered, reminiscent of the type of monument its named after, with the RGB-lit Omen logo etched on the upper section. Finally, the RGB lighting in both spots are customizable via the Omen Command Center software, which we will discuss in detail later.

Beyond that, however, the Omen Obelisk doesn’t have any design frills, which we honestly appreciate. We also like it better than the Omen Desktop’s aggressive Decepticon look. It reminds us of the old towers we use to have in the '90s, in that it’s a straight up rectangular tower – except it’s painted black, it’s classier and has the aforementioned trims for a modern aesthetic. Additionally, unlike the Omen Desktop, it’s slim rather than bulky.

Like the Omen Desktop, it boasts a tool-less design, even if it isn’t as extensive. The side panel pops open effortlessly; all you need to do is press the large, textured button on the back. This gives you easy access to the interior, especially if you’d like to upgrade or customize. The two hard drive bays located behind the front panel use tabs to lock the hard drives in place and pop them out quickly should you need to. In the spirit of upgradability, it’s made to micro-ATX standards so you can easily do so with many aftermarket parts.

The HP Omen Obelisk has a diverse number of available ports, also like the Omen Desktop, with some in the front and a few others in the back so you have several different ways of connecting your different peripherals and devices.

The only thing we don’t like about the Omen Obelisk’s design is the fact that it’s missing the top handle, perhaps to maintain the minimalist aesthetic. This exclusion is a little disappointing, as it makes the PC much harder to pick up and carry around. To do so, you’d have to pick the whole thing up from the bottom.

Our review unit does come with its own keyboard and mouse. They’re definitely not ideal for gaming, but since most, if not all, gamers invest in peripherals specifically designed for gaming, anyway, getting into details about these isn’t necessary.

Benchmarks

Here’s how the HP Omen Obelisk performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Sky Diver: 43,317; Fire Strike: 19,600; Time Spy: 9,443
Cinebench CPU: 1,319 points; Graphics: 144.75 fps
GeekBench: 4,728 (single-core); 26,017 (multi-core)
PCMark 8 (Home Test): 4,758 points
Total War: Warhammer II (1080p, Ultra): 64.5 fps; (1080p, Low): 159.6 fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, Ultra): 117 fps; (1080p, Low): 146 fps

Performance

Because the HP Omen Obelisk has three main configurations that are pretty distinct, it’s hard to generalize the performance of this gaming PC. For this review’s sake, therefore, we’ll focus on our review unit, which, while souped up, isn’t the most expensive option available in the US.

One awesome thing about this Omen Obelisk configuration is that it touts the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080. This, we want to mention again, is a GPU far superior than the 1080 and has certain advantages over the 1080 Ti that the Omen Desktop has. Not only does it run faster, but its Turing architecture also allows for real-time ray tracing and deep learning supersampling (DLSS), which is an improvement over traditional Temporal Anti-Aliasing.

While ray tracing is not currently being utilized in many games, this functionality does make the RTX 2080 future-proof, as well as a powerhouse when handling demanding, AAA games on Ultra settings and high resolutions.

HP pairs this GPU with an 8th Generation Intel Core i7 and 32GB RAM, both designed to handle very demanding games and applications, to guarantee top-notch gaming performance.

We do see some minor frame drops in Total War: Warhammer II, but it also averages close to 65 frames per second (fps) on Ultra, which is good. There are also a couple of frame drops in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, but it also averages at 117 fps on Ultra.

In other AAA games, however, everything plays like butter. Whether we’re playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy XV, The Witcher 3, Sekiro, Far Cry 5, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Total War: Warhammer 2 or Hitman 2, we run into almost zero issues, even with all maxed out settings. That is, we don’t experience any latency or tearing, only smooth movements and rock-solid performance. Hitman 2 did crash on us just once, but only once. 

Honestly, our only regret is that we can’t test it with the HP Omen 27 Gaming Monitor, which can be overclocked to 165Hz and has G-Sync technology.

Upgradability and the Command Center

Not all of the HP Omen Obelisk’s configurations are future-proof, but our review configuration definitely is, as well as some higher end configurations that are not as pricey. It is, however, highly upgradeable, not only because it has a tool-less design, but also because of its micro–ATX compatibility. This allows you to configure and upgrade with aftermarket parts, or at least those that are micro-ATX compatible.

There’s also space for a liquid cooled radiator to help keep CPU thermals in check, making it better for overclocking. And, the HP Omen Obelisk supports up to a 1300W power supply in case you want to upgrade with parts that require more power.

Unfortunately, as far as customizations via the Omen Command Center, there’s not much you can do.The Omen Obelisk only has Lighting Control and Network Booster on hand, the former to let you set the animation and color for the RGB lighting in front and inside the chassis, the latter allowing you to set network priorities and boost bandwidth usage for running programs. 

It doesn’t, however, give access to overclocking, and only displays GPU, CPU and memory utilization for monitoring. It’s missing the Overclocking section that the Omen Desktop has access to.

Final verdict

The HP Omen Obelisk configuration reviewed here is an excellent, future-proofed gaming machine that looks good and feels good in-game. Simply put, it’s a powerhouse, capable of running any processor-hungry, graphics-heavy AAA game seamlessly, so that your gaming experience is completely immersive. That applies to similarly-demanding applications like video editing programs.

Yes, you’ll have to shell out more cash than you would if you were looking for a budget gaming PC, but if you’re looking to have a smooth and easy gaming experience on Ultra settings, you’re not really doing any gratuitous spending, especially since you’re essentially investing for the future as well as the present.

If you can’t spare more than $1,500, that’s OK as well. There are a few configurations that will set you back less than $1,000 and get you through medium settings beautifully. And since it is designed to be very upgradeable, you can just upgrade later on when you can afford to.

First reviewed May 2019

Image Credits: TechRadar

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TMDHosting

TMDHosting is a US-based web hosting provider which entered the market in 2007. At first they were focused on open source hosting but they have subsequently expanded their offer to include a full range of platforms, technologies and additional features. Therefore, no matter what hosting type and plan you might be looking for, they will undoubtedly have something to meet your needs.

TMDHosting’s main office is located in Orlando, Florida and they currently have offices all over the world together with seven data centers. These are located in Phoenix and Chicago (US), London (UK), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Tokyo (Japan), Sydney (Australia) and Singapore (Singapore). Placements of all data centers are marked on the map given on TMDHosting’s main website together with recommended locations for potential users. 

• Want to try TMDHosting? Check out the website here

Even though TMDHosting isn’t as famous as other web hosting providers such as Bluehost or DreamHost, they have built a strong customer base and have been getting some media attention in the last few years. It surely had something to do with the complete remodeling of their business structure. That led to an upgrade of their dedicated server network and the addition of more powerful VPS and cloud hosting plans (but at a lower than usual cost) to their standard offer. 

Their main website seems appealing and well organized enough, but the live chat window has been constantly popping out and startling us with an irritating sound. Even if it isn’t a major issue, by all means, users could perfectly get by without it. 

Although TMDHosting has an official blog, it appears to contain mostly self-promoting material and doesn’t seem to be updated since the July of 2018. Therefore, if they are still looking for things to improve about their business presentation, the blog might be a good place to start. 

TMD Hosting is currently offering big discounts on its plans to celebrate the company's 12th anniversary (Image credit: TMDHosting)

Plans and pricing

The promotional offer, together with its main traits and details about discounts, will be presented prominently on the landing page. If that doesn’t fit your needs, you can select a hosting type (shared, cloud, WordPress, VPS, reseller or dedicated hosting) that works for you and for each of them you’ll be offered a few plans. The most popular one will be highlighted together with the one that is considered to be of best value in relation to its price and features on offer.

The least expensive shared hosting plan, Starter,  will start at $4.95 (currently on sale for $2.95) per month and will get you a free domain, Let's Encrypt SSL, cPanel and unmetered bandwidth as well as unlimited SSD space. 

Even though TMDHosting doesn’t offer a free trial, there is a generous 60-days money-back guarantee for most plans, which will give you plenty of time to decide if this provider is the right choice for you. 

As for the payment methods, TMDHosting accepts credit cards, PayPal or direct bank transfer, which is more than we are accustomed to.

Yes	No
Shared hosting	Green hosting
Cloud hosting	Colocation hosting
Linux hosting	Free hosting
VPS hosting	Bare metal hosting
Email hosting	Video hosting
WordPress hosting
Dedicated hosting
Website builder
Windows hosting
Small business hosting
E-commerce hosting
Managed hosting
Reseller hosting
Managed WordPress Hosting

Ease of use

Once you select a desired hosting plan, you’ll be able to choose a new domain or use an existing one. There is a large variety of both country-specific and generic domain names, which is always a welcome sight.

After that, you can start creating your TMDHosting account. The process will require you to supply quite standard personal information, generate a password and select a paying method. Additionally, you can choose a hosting server location among the six listed ones, and the nearest one will be pointed out. You will be able to see the charge for monthly, annual, biennial or triennial plans and choose the one you desire. Not surprisingly, if you choose a triennial plan, as an example, it would cost you about three times less for every month, instead of choosing one monthly plan after another. If you need any extra services TMDHosting provides, such as those related to search engines or security, you’ll have to part with additional dollars for it.

TMDHosting allows you manage your site using the industry standard cPanel (Image credit: cPanel)

Finally, you can review the details of your order and purchase your plan. Considering that every plan comes with the cPanel i.e. the industry standard one, users that are already familiar with its layout won’t have any problems finding their way around this one. Even if you are a first-timer, the administration of your newly created website will be easy enough. WordPress is only one click away and in addition to that you can get Weebly website builder, a very user-friendly solution that comes free of charge. Magento, Softaculous, Joomla, Open Cart and more than 300 other apps can be yours after a one-click installation, and toll-free daily backups are the most welcome bonus. 

We used GTmetrix to measure the performance and uptime of our TMDHosting site (Image credit: GTmetrix)

Speed and experience

After putting TMDHosting’s main website to the GTmetrix test, we got a mixed bag of results when it comes to their speed. The time it took to fully load the page was 4.4 seconds, which is superb in comparison to the average result of 8.1. In addition, total page size is mere 1.93MB, which certainly helped the page to load faster. However, the number of requests it took was 108, which is well above the average of 89. 

TMDHosting promises 99.99% uptime guarantee and keeps that promise, at least according to our uptime test. During our month-long testing period of TMDHosting’s main website, the results showed no evidence of downtime and only a few variations in response time. Taking all of these into account, we can conclude that most users should be content at least with the performance of their website. 

Support

TMDHosting describes their customer support team as the most dedicated one, and rightly so, since they are in fact available 24/7/365, at least through tickets. They guarantee that all questions asked will be answered within 15 minutes, and based on our experience, they have delivered on that promise.

Additionally, you are able to reach out to their team via live chat or at toll-free UK and US telephone numbers, but only when sales are concerned. Their routine services include free application installation, upgrade and integration handled by the specialists, and the same can be said for installation of templates, plugins and more.

While TMDHosting does offer a knowledgebase, it looks much more like an online forum (Image credit: TMDHosting)

When it comes to self-help services, they provide a knowledgebase, which can be described as such only by its title, since it looks and functions as a forum in all aspects. However, this is not a key issue here, but rather the fact that the knowledgebase doesn’t seem to be used since 2018. There are several lists, one of them titled Hot Questions, but all the questions found there are at least two or three years old. Some of them were answered in a detailed manner resembling a tutorial with suitable pictures, yet others got rather brief and generic responses. Searching through different categories or the most used tags will get you answers (since not a single question was left without a reply), but this might take a while and all links to video tutorials seem to lead nowhere. For these reasons, you are probably better off contacting the customer support team directly. 

The competition

Both TMDHosting and HostDime are US-based web hosting providers with a great deal of experience, fairly good reputation and data centers all over the globe. However, HostDime is more geared towards larger businesses, while TMDHosting is able to provide simpler and less pricey hosting plans for beginners or those running less demanding business. 

TMDHosting has a serious competitor in a fellow US-based provider that goes by the name Hostgator. Both of them offer a wide variety of hosting options, add-ons and features for budget-friendly prices. Having said that, Hostgator offers various self-help options including a well-organized and useful knowledgebase, while with TMDHosting you’ll be forced to get in touch with the support team. 

Bluehost is another tough competitor based in the same country as TMDHosting. Both providers have a lot to offer to businesses of different sizes and affordable prices. Still, much like Hostgator, Bluehost has much more developed self-help options and one of the best knowledgebases we have encountered so far. 

TMDHosting and 123 Reg are pretty similar, although the latter one is UK-based and more oriented towards the UK market while TMDHosting has the international market in mind. Besides that, 123 Reg prices can add up and jump after a year, which is not the case with TMDHosting. While 123 Reg does offer a 14-day money-back guarantee, TMDHosting’s guarantee for most plans covers as much as 60 days, meaning that the users will have quite enough time to decide if the service fits their needs. 

Final verdict

After we have witnessed everything TMDHosting can offer and at what prices, we can say it is a diamond in the rough worth keeping in mind when searching for an ideal host. Yet, to stand out among well-known hosting giants such as Bluehost and Hostgator, TMDHosting will need to take their services to the next level.

• We've also highlighted the best web hosting

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Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro

Two-minute review 

The Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro is a fantastic looking smartwatch, machined from titanium, with a sapphire glass surface, and a ceramic back. Huawei’s made a few great-looking wearables in the past, but the GT 2 Pro could be one of the best looking smartwatches on the scene. 

Inside, it runs with Huawei’s custom interface, LiteOS, which is part of the problem and solution the GT 2-series presents. What LiteOS is, however, is battery efficient and fully-featured out of the box, so its limitations might not actually hold you back. 

The watch will relay notifications from your phone, and in a turn up for the books, plays nicely with iPhones now, unlike its predecessor, the original Watch GT 2. Data captured from it will feed into Apple Health, Google Fit, or MyFitnessPal, but you won’t be able to use its smarts for other third-party training apps like Strava.

In the box, the watch ships with a silicone strap sporting a traditional buckle rather than Apple Watch-style clasps. Despite being titanium, we didn’t find the watch weighed us down too much, and we slept with it on with no issues or discomfort. That said, it definitely isn’t dainty.

The Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro’s 1.39-inch OLED display is sharp, deep, inky and punchy too, and gets sufficiently bright. Auto brightness is a bit dim indoors, but pumps up when out and about to make the UI easily visible. 

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Our favorite feature to be added to the series is the Watch GT 2 Pro’s wireless charging support. This takes the headache of fumbling with a proprietary charger, and worked across four different Qi chargers we used, including the back of our Huawei P30 Pro.

When it comes to exercises and tracking features, Huawei’s stepped things up, with a route back tool - so even when mobile data is waning, you can still find your way home. There’s also an Outdoor Assistant onboard, which showcases sunrise and sunset times, tide, moon phase and bad weather information and alerts.

The Watch GT 2’s heart rate monitor has also seen a boost, with better light transmission promised, which in turn, equates to more accurate tracking. In our time with it, it matched our chest strap more closely than the two other wearables we tested alongside it, the Nubia Watch and the Xiaomi Mi Band 5.

Great battery life is never a given for a smartwatch, but the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro lasts roughly 5-6 days with the always-on display active, 10-14 without. While it isn’t Apple Watch smooth, swiping feels more instantaneous than on old Watch GTs, and performance was stable in our week wearing it.  

The result is a great looking fitness tracker with fantastic build quality and a comprehensive feature set. That said, it isn’t without limitations, so won’t suit fitness enthusiasts who rely on third-party app support.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro price and release date

• Priced at AED 999 with free strap 
• Pre-orders start from Nov 12th

Two minutes with the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro and it’s clear - this is a premium smartwatch, so we weren’t too shocked to see its price climb up to AED 999. It comes in a Night Black Sport Edition, and you get a free Nebula Grey Classic Edition strap gift (until stock lasts).

That’s compared to AED 849 for the Huawei Watch GT 2, and AED 599 for the Watch GT 2E. Still, it's much cheaper than the Apple Watch, which currently retails for AED 1,599 for the latest version.

The Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro also has a Moonphase feature, which is usually only found on high-end luxury watches. You'll be able to monitor tidal times, astronomy, and moon phases from your wrist. The Moonphase collection watch faces can display the time of sunrise and sunset for each day, and show 8 moon phases such as new moon, full moon and first quarter moon.

Design and display

• Titanium body 
• Sapphire glass fascia 
• 1.39-inch, 454x454 OLED display 

Smartwatches have come a long way - think back to the Pebble, and the Samsung Gear S - all rectangles heralding the now ubiquitous Apple Watch. Now, it’s gone full circle, with many of today’s finest wearables looking more like their old school, analogue counterparts of old. 

The Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro is one of the best looking round smartwatches we’ve used. Its sapphire glass fascia with its framed bevels bend into the sculpted titanium body. It has confident, classical styling, combining subtly contrasted finishes across and a rich, cohesive aesthetic.

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If you get the chance to see one in the flesh, we’d urge you to. Many smartwatches either feel clunky or insubstantial, but the Watch GT 2 Pro strikes the balance of being a well-weighted, traditional looking smartwatch with a big, bold display.

The 1.39-inch screen size means the watch isn’t small - and in turn, it won’t appeal to anyone with daintier wrists looking for a subtle watch. There should be a smaller 42mm version down the line, but we’re currently waiting on details of its release.

As with most smartwatches, the Watch GT 2 Pro’s screen is OLED, and gets bright enough for comfortable viewing. Having said that, its auto-brightness can be a touch over-zealous indoors, dimming things down until natural light floods your wrist - after which it brightens right up. Outdoors, however, we had no issues with brightness, and generally, viewability was great

With two buttons on the right which look like rotating crowns (they’re not), the top one takes you to your apps list, while the bottom button is customizable. 

The watch ships with a silicone strap with easy release clasps, and it takes standard fitting 46mm third-party straps as well, so you can get customizing with ease.

Comfortable day-to-day, we wore the Watch GT 2 Pro 24/7, waking and sleeping in our week with it, and naturally while working out. Despite effectively being a unibody chunk of machined metal, it didn’t feel bulky or uncomfortable, and the ceramic back didn’t leave our wrists sweaty, unlike some cheaper smartwatches do.

The design of the Watch GT 2 Pro gets near enough full marks if you’re looking for a large, classical looking digital timepiece, and really does illustrate just how far Huawei’s hardware design has come.

Performance and software 

• Runs Huawei’s proprietary Lite OS 
• 32MB RAM + 4GB storage 
• Smoothest Watch GT to date - but not Apple/OPPO Watch smooth 

It’s a wonder the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro is as smooth as it is, given the fact its specs are so pared back compared to those of the Apple Watch or Samsung’s latest Galaxy Watch 3.

With just 32MB of RAM, and an incredibly low-power, last-gen Kirin A1 CPU, if you want third-party apps and maximum smarts on your wrist, this isn’t the watch for you. Huawei knows what it’s doing though, as it’s optimized the software on the Watch GT 2 Pro incredibly well. Despite familiar hardware, therefore, the UI just feels smoother than before.

Why would you want a low power watch? No Apple, Samsung or Wear OS smartwatch has excellent battery life - that’s usually reserved for fitness trackers like the Xiaomi Mi Band 5. Huawei’s first Watch GT cracked this battery nut but packed poor UI smoothness. 

(Image credit: TechRadar)

The Watch GT 2 improved upon this, and the Watch GT 2 Pro feels smoother still. So no Apple Watch smoothness isn’t ideal, but the Apple Watch won’t make it past two days on a single charge.

There are compromises you make for this low power route Huawei’s taken. The Watch GT 2 Pro doesn’t yet support third-party apps. It has a comprehensive suite of the usual suspects on-board, but you’ll have to wait for OS updates to supplement the out of the box experience.

Additionally, it doesn’t support interactive notifications. Like a fitness tracker, therefore, it relays alerts from your phone, but you can’t respond to messages on your wrist.

On the subject of notifications, one huge update is the fact the Watch GT 2 Pro works almost identically with both Android and iOS from a usability point of view - a major criticism of past generation GTs. In turn, if you fancy a round watch and have an iPhone, for the first time ever, a Huawei timepiece should be on your shortlist. 

You can call contacts directly from your GT 2 Pro, using the watch as a Bluetooth receiver. The result is among the clearest watch calling we’ve experienced, and the range is exceptional.

As for the core UI, it’s a simple enough system; swipe left and right to cycle through menus - sleep, heart rate, stress levels, weather and activity. Celia, Huawei’s voice assistant will be making its way onto the GT 2 Pro, however, wasn’t working with our early review watch sample. There’s a quick toggle menu that can be swiped down from the top of the screen, and your notifications can be swiped up from the bottom.

Thankfully, the Huawei Health app is also a solid offering across iOS and Android, acting as a dashboard for your health stats, and also helping you manage your watch. Through it, you can choose from a variety of watch faces, which can also be done with the watch itself, set favorite contacts, manage stress tracking and more. 

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Fitness 

•  Accurate heart rate monitoring 
•  Comprehensive workout support 
•  Integration with Apple Health and Google Fit 

The Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro uploads health data to three key services - Google Fit and MyFitnessPal if you’re using it with an Android phone, and Apple Health if using it with an iPhone. Those services tap into the Watch’s heart rate, sleep, step and workout tracking, making for a more connected experience than the first generation Watch GT.

Press the upper physical button for an app list filled with fitness highlights - Workouts taking pride of place at the top. This list is also where you can review Workout records, track your Heart rate, SPO2, and Stress levels at will, or take a chill pill with some Breathing exercises. 

The Watch GT 2 Pro delivers all your usual clock tools - alarms, a timer and stopwatch, in addition to some handy hiking helpers - a barometer and a compass. 

We won’t go into all 100+ workouts tracked on it, but it is worth noting that thanks to 5ATM water and dust proofing, the Watch GT2 Pro supports swimming in both a pool and open water, and it also sports a triathlon mode. There’s even skiing tracking.

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Huawei’s latest Lite OS gives users the option to add and remove shortcuts to workouts at will, reducing list scrolling and making finding the workout you want easier. If your exercise of choice is outdoors, an excellent highlight is the handy offline navigation aide, which can help you find your way home if you get lost.

The GPS accuracy was reliably spot-on in our time with the watch, matching up with both a phone and a pricier wearable, as too was the heartrate monitor, reading just a few beats high when compared to a chest strap.

We do have one massive issue with the Watch GT 2 Pro - aside from the lack of support for third-party apps like Strava and Spotify. Every time you start a workout, an incredibly loud, incredibly annoying voice projects from the watch to tell anyone in listening distance you’re training. 

Then, at various milestones, it pipes up all over again. It’s been a couple of generations now, please, Huawei, swap out your voice coach’s voice, it’s like nails on a chalkboard. Thankfully, it’s easy enough to mute the voice coaching. 

Battery life

• Wireless charging support 
• 10-14-day battery life with light use
• 5-7-day battery life with moderate use 

The Watch GT 2 Pro lasts and lasts, just like the GTs before it. Huawei’s quoted 14 days is realistic if your brightness is capped and your workouts kept to a minimum. Use it regularly, however, and you’ll more likely get anywhere between 5-10 days. 

For us, 7-10 day battery life on a smartwatch that looks this good is exceptional. What makes the Watch GT 2 Pro even better is the fact it’s the first Watch from Huawei to offer wireless charging. Better still, unlike Samsung’s latest smartwatch, the GT 2 Pro worked with no less than four of our Qi chargers, powering up in under half an hour.

Should you buy the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro?

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Buy it if...

You want a great looking smartwatch that looks like a watch 

The Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro looks fantastic with its titanium, sapphire glass and ceramic design - there are no two ways about it.

You don’t want to charge your smartwatch as often as your phone 

Thanks to between 5-14-day battery life, the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro is one of the best battery performers around.

Your phone charges wirelessly  

It couldn’t be more convenient to power up the Watch GT 2 Pro - place it on a wireless charging pad and less than half an hour later, it’s full. 

Don't buy it if...

You need apps

Third-party apps like Strava and Spotify are not yet supported on the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro. That'll be a major frustration for many who need those services, but we're hoping this will change in the future.

You want a rectangular watch face 

The Apple Watch and Oppo Watch should scratch your rectangular watch itch, but the Huawei Watch GT 2 represents among the finest round watches on the scene. 

You’re on a budget 

If you don’t have Watch GT 2 Pro money to spend, the Honor Magic Watch 2 and the Huawei Watch GT 2e are fine alternatives that cost a fair bit less and pack similar features. 

First reviewed: September 2020

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Dyson V8

One-minute review

Despite its name, the Dyson V8 didn’t come after the Dyson V7. Confusingly, it followed the now-discontinued Dyson V6 in 2016, with the V7 series arriving a year later as the ‘lite’ version of the V8. But don’t be fooled by the V8’s age – it’s still one of the most popular Dyson handsticks available today and could replace a corded vacuum cleaner for many people, even if you have a pet in a home with wall-to-wall carpeting.

Jump to

Price and availability
Design and handling
Performance
Should I buy it?

Like all the other Dyson handsticks, there are a few different versions of the V8 available. They all share the same motor and battery – the only real difference between them all is the number of extra tools they ship with.

The most basic Dyson V8 model is the V8 Origin (not available in the UK or US, but can be purchased in Australia), which only comes with the standard direct drive cleaner head and the combination tool. For its rather high AU$749 price tag, that’s not great value for money, even if it is a powerful tool. Instead, if you can spend a touch more, then the Absolute or Animal V8s (which are available in most countries) are far more versatile and offer better bang for your buck, thanks to the broader selection of tools included with them.

Design wise, the V8 is identical to its V6 predecessor, but it’s far from a simple upgrade. To put it all in a nutshell, the Dyson V8 has superior suction power than the V6, a much better battery life than even the V7, and is the first Dyson handstick to feature the current hygienic bin-emptying mechanism – and that's with a larger dustbin than the V6.

Moreover, thanks to better sealing throughout the vacuum cleaner, the V8 also traps most microscopic particles, venting cleaner air that should help people with allergies.

The Dyson V8 isn’t just for floors – it quickly converts into a handheld minivac that can be used to clean upholstery at home, in the car, on the boat, or anywhere else you can think of. You can even get to ceiling corners without hurting yourself. If you can afford its highish price tag, the Dyson V8 might just be the only vacuum cleaner you will ever need.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Price and availability

• Launched in 2016
• Priced between Dyson V7 and Dyson V10
• Expensive for a handstick

As we mentioned earlier, the V8 is actually the oldest handstick model in Dyson’s current range. It was launched in 2016, but that doesn’t mean it’s particularly cheap. On the contrary, the starting price of the Dyson V8 is $399 / £349 / AU$749.

In the US and UK, that base model is the V8 Animal (in fact, it’s the only V8 model listed on Dyson UK’s website), while in Australia, that’s the V8 Origin. The other handsticks in this series are V8 Animal Pro+ (US), V8 Animal Extra (Australia) and V8 Absolute (available in most markets). The only difference between them are the color schemes used on the product and the number of tools they ship with.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Design and handling

• Versatile 2-in-1 design
• Lightweight
• Easy maneuverability

Every single Dyson product has a design aesthetic that’s very appealing, and the same philosophy applies to the V8 as well. It looks similar to the older V6 (the newer model has a larger main unit) and identical to the current V7 models, with some minor differences in color schemes.

Like the V7, you get a transparent 0.54L dustbin which makes up the bulk of the handheld unit, with 15 small cyclone cones arranged in a two-tier flower shape in front of it. The handle is broad and comfortable, even for people with small hands, and the power button – which resembles a trigger – ergonomically placed just where your forefinger should be.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Above that there's a HEPA filter encased in blue/purple plastic, with air vents on the sides.

Below the filter and air vents is the toggle switch to change suction power – there’s just standard and max settings to choose from on the V8.

A large red tab on the handheld unit with a bin icon is what you’ll need to pull when the dustbin needs emptying. This was the design change that Dyson introduced with the V8 – pulling on the tab forces the cyclone part of the main unit to rise, while forcing the base flap to open simultaneously. Lo and behold, dust, debris and hair falls out, with only a very thin layer of fine particles sticking to the interior of the bin.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

As mentioned before, the V8 comes with a bunch of accessories, including a telescopic tube that’s perfect for general use. Every single tool clips on and off the main handheld unit easily, even single-handed. The standard direct drive head is great on pretty much any surface, but if you happen to buy the V8 Absolute, you’ll get a Soft Roller cleaning head that’s the best option for hard floors. 

Using soft fibres and carbon bristles on a rotating bar, the Soft Roller is designed to glide directly over floors, and this means that if you have larger debris (like kitchen spills) that need cleaning up, they’re not scattered willy nilly. And, depending on which V8 model you opt for, you also get a low-reach adaptor that you can fit onto the end of the telescopic tube to get under couches and low tables.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

No matter which cleaning tool you use, the V8 remains well balanced and, thanks to swivelling heads, moving the handstick along hard floors and carpets is a breeze.

Performance

• Powerful despite its age
• Up to 40 minutes battery life
• Louder than the Dyson V7

Dyson has been improving suction power on its handsticks with each generation, but the V8 was the benchmark to work from. Despite an older motor, the Dyson V8 generates as much suction power as a budget corded vacuum cleaner, particularly when on its max power setting. And compared to the cordless competition, it can give even some newer models a run for their money.

On carpets, the motorized direct drive head does a fantastic job. It’s pretty good on hard floors as well, but if you can get the Soft Roller (or Fluffy) tool, there’s nothing like it on wood and tiles. Alternatively, you can use the mini motorized tool on hard floors, but its footprint is small, and you’ll need to go over the floor several times to finish a room. And that eats into the V8’s limited battery life.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Unlike the 30 minutes of 'fade-free' power you get with the V7, there’s up to 40 minutes of runtime available here. That, however, depends on both the suction power and the type of tool you use. The full 40 minutes is only available when you use cleaning heads that aren’t motorized (i.e. only use suction), like the crevice or combination tool. With the motorized direct drive and soft roller heads, you'll get a top of 25 minutes on a full charge. On the max setting, though, the V8 doesn’t do as well as the V7 – you’ll get no more than seven minutes of fade-free power. This may not seem like much (and, to be honest, it isn’t enough to cover even an average two-bedroom apartment) it is a marked improvement over what the V6 offered.

If you live in a large home and 25 minutes isn’t enough to do a thorough deep clean, you’ll need to wait a full five hours before the battery is refilled at the mains.

(Image credit: TechRadar)

As with the other Dyson handsticks, the V8’s edge-cleaning prowess is pretty darn impressive. Where other budget vacuum cleaners don’t have the power or the right design to ensure dirt along skirting boards and corners get sucked up, the V8 can handle the 90º angle in room edges and most corners as well. This is also helped by how well most of the cleaning heads swivel on their own axes.

Then there’s the two-tier radial cyclones that push air through 15 small conical chutes to generate a significant amount of centrifugal force that can suck up very small particles. Combine that with the V8 motor spinning at 110,000rpm and you’ve got a lean, mean, sucking machine that’s likely going to be the only vacuum cleaner you’ll ever need.

Should I buy the Dyson V8?

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Buy it if...

You’re after a powerful handstick vacuum cleaner

There’s absolutely no question that the Dyson V8 is a powerful appliance, capable of deep cleaning carpets with layers of pet and human hair entangled in the fibers. And that’s despite being the oldest model in the current crop of Dyson handsticks. If you can manage to finish vacuuming your home in about 25 minutes, it’s definitely worth every penny you spend on it.

You need a versatile cleaning appliance

Other than mopping, the Dyson V8 will look after your home for as long as it possibly can. And we’re not just talking about floors here. Whether it’s getting rid of cobwebs from the interior and exterior of the house, getting hair off your sofa and cushions, and even giving the car interior a once-over, the V8 can handle it all.

You have the money to spare

It might be getting on in age, but the Dyson V8 is not cheap. It’s significantly more expensive than the V7 series, although it is cheaper than the newer Dyson V10 and V11 handsticks. It’s possible to get the V8 for less during sales, but even discounted it is more expensive than some other brand's cordless vacuum cleaners on the market.

Don't buy it if...

You live in a large home

The V8 might offer a top running time of 40 minutes, but with the motorized tools that you’ll be using for general cleaning, battery life is only about 25 minutes. And then it takes five hours for a full charge. 25 minutes is roughly enough to get a small apartment cleaned up, but if you live in a larger home, you might want to consider a cordless with better battery life.

You’re on a budget

It’s remarkably easy for us to recommend the V8 to most people, but if you don’t have the spare change, we’d recommend getting one of the Dyson V7s when it’s discounted during a major sale. If you’d like something cheaper still, you may need to consider other brands like Electrolux, Bissell or Shark.

You need a larger capacity dustbin

Large homes, particularly ones with wall-to-wall carpeting and pets, might find that the V8’s 0.54L bin fills up very quickly, requiring frequent emptying. If you think the small bin may not be able to handle the load, you may need to spend the extra money on the newer Dyson handsticks, or a vacuum with a larger dustbin.

• We've rounded-up the best vacuum cleaners you can currently buy

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PayPal Business App

PayPal Business App is another aspect of this company that is evolving all the time and now has numerous products and services aimed at making life for business owners that little bit easier. If you’re frequently on the move, or just prefer to have your business activities at your fingertips rather than being stuck at a desk then the PayPal Business App is a real boon. It allows you to do all manner of business related tasks, such as creating and sending invoices and keeping tabs on your business account activity along with issuing refunds to customers where necessary. 

• Want to try PayPal Business App? Check out the website here

Being able to do all that and more, from your mobile phone, offers your business that additional edge when you're away from a desktop or laptop machine. And, because this is PayPal you’re getting the benefit of a truly global operation, which is available in just about every part of the world.

The PayPal Business App is both practical and powerful (Image credit: PayPal)

Pricing

If you’re already a PayPal Business user then you’ll doubtless be well aware of the numerous different tiers of charges that are involved when you have an account with the company. PayPal has lots of different products and services, so for an accurate breakdown that matches your needs then you’re best off heading to the pricing page on their website. The other thing to remember is that prices are different depending on the way you pay, the currency you’re using and also your business location.

Being able to stay productive on the move is a real strength of the app (Image credit: PayPal)

Features

The PayPal Business App comes with plenty of features to help make your workflow more efficient. You get a comprehensive overview of all your business activities for starters, and having a complete toolkit for issuing things like invoices on the go means that it’s easy to keep on top of finances even if you’re not at your desk. In fact, producing invoices is a doddle, even within the confines of a smaller mobile phone screen thanks to a dedicated invoice-making tool. 

Complimenting that is the way you can issue payment reminders to help ease cashflow. The app will also give you a detailed breakdown of sales and account activity, with a range of different views allowing you to get a snapshot of business turnover from monthly through to annual overviews. 

It’s possible to transfer money using the app as well as issue refunds when you need to. Rounding it all out is the ability to get detailed insights into all of your customer activity, which will reveal everything from invoicing histories through to processing ongoing payments.

Having a dedicated app is just one of many resources available to business users (Image credit: PayPal)

Performance

You can get the PayPal Business App for iOS or Android and it continues to be downloaded by many business account holders who want to have the added convenience of mobile productivity. As you’d expect from a large company, the app has been well put together, although there is a proportion of users who seem to have experienced operational difficulties with it. 

PayPal does have a lot of different products and services, which might also be the source of some customer woes as its portfolio can be a little bewildering. Bear in mind that, as the name suggests, this is a business-based app, so you’ll need to have the right setup with PayPal in order for it to work properly.

The great thing is that business users also get their own dedicated support arena (Image credit: PayPal)

Ease of use

Credit should go to PayPal for developing a business app that, while it does come packed to the hilt with features to aid productivity, is also easy to use. Considering the powerful feature set you can easily switch between tasks. Naturally, having most if not all of the tools you’d normally use on a desktop computer at your fingertips and on the move is hugely helpful. 

Just being able to ping a new invoice to a customer on the go is beneficial, but to also monitor payments as well as keep an eye on sales activity means there’s plenty here to help your business. It’s all easily mastered too. The interface is a nice balance of PayPal’s blue and easy-to-read white with black text overlaid, which makes the app all the more practical if you’re using it in less than ideal conditions.

PayPal's Business App offers convenience and access to productivity tools from anywhere (Image credit: PayPal)

Support

With so many products and services falling under the PayPal banner it’s quite easy to feel a little overwhelmed by your support options. PayPal does, of course, have the usual support hubs where you can find answers to lots of common queries, but the company has a raft of other options open to you if your enquiry is less straightforward. 

Similarly, because PayPal processes a lot of payments it’s only natural for the business to have a resolution center, in case of any issues with a transaction or a problem with your account. Lookout too for healthy community areas, which are often great places to find answers, as well as the Message Centre that will be the first place to check into if you’re expecting correspondence from PayPal.

Final verdict

PayPal Business App is extremely useful, especially if you’re frequently tackling business tasks while you're on the go. Even though many of us are doing less mobile business due to coronavirus, PayPal’s Business App is still a boon for its convenience factor. 

You’ll obviously get more from it if you’re signed up for other PayPal services, and you’ll need a PayPal Here account if you want to process credit and debit card payments on your mobile too. However, being able to process payments, transfer funds along with issuing invoices on-the-fly makes the PayPal Business App a worthy addition to your arsenal of business-focused phone software.

• This is the best billing and invoicing software on the market

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UKHost4U

As the company name states, UKHost4u is a UK-based web hosting provider. It takes great pride in years of experience they’ve spent in the business, which is justified given that they had their first hosting client back in 2000 and a year later they set up their first official website. 

The reason UKHost4u is lesser-known player among the competing UK-based companies is likely due to the fact they are an independently owned company while about 95% companies on the market are owned by three hosting companies, which they like to point out. 

Without doubt, UKHost4u came a long way from a small web design and hosting company to what they are today, a competent company offering a myriad of web hosting-related options.

• Want to try UKHost4u? Check out the website here

We can conclude that their intended audience are their fellow countrymen, since most of their data centers are located in the UK and their tier 2 center is located in Maidenhead, England.

On the UKHost4u’s main site, you can access their blog which is designed in a simple but pleasing enough manner. There, you are able to look for specific content using the search bar or by browsing the enlisted categories on the side, and if you scroll down a bit you’ll see what is currently offered at a discount. The blog itself seems to be alive and well, updated once or twice per month.

UKHost4u offers a wide variety of plans to fit your web hosting needs (Image credit: UKHost4U)

Plans and pricing

No matter how big or small your business is, UKHost4u will have something to offer. The least expensive plan that provides basic web hosting for a small website starts from £2.50 ($3.23) a month, and if you choose to take the plan for six months, the price will be halved. 

In addition to what is generally expected, the basic plan includes unmetered bandwidth, unlimited email accounts, a free Comodo SSL certificate, free Enterprise Spam Protection and Enterprise LiteSpeed Web Server, all of which is rather useful for a start. This plan, along with others, can be easily updated at any time.

When the servers are concerned, they offer a hosted desktop, VPS hosting as well as dedicated servers. As for the types of hosting, there is shared web hosting, managed WordPress hosting, enterprise managed hosting and reseller hosting, with at least three plans for each of them. 

As for the paying methods, available options include debit/credit card, PayPal and direct debit (GoCardless) payment. For those unsatisfied with the provider’s service, there is a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee with no questions asked, as they state.

Yes	No
Shared hosting	Green hosting
Small business hosting	Colocation hosting
Linux hosting	Managed WordPress Hosting
VPS hosting	Free hosting
Reseller hosting	Bare metal hosting
WordPress hosting	Video hosting
Dedicated hosting	E-commerce hosting
Website builder	Managed hosting
Windows hosting	Cloud hosting
	Email hosting

Ease of use

After deciding which plan you’ll want to go with, you’ll be given information about your plan in detail (yes, free SSL certificate is included even in the cheapest plans) and have to choose a billing cycle (monthly, annually or triennially), so there is a certain flexibility in terms of payment. 

How much money you’ll save by going for a year or three will be shown as a percentage, just below the full price. Scroll down, and you’ll be offered to pay an extra £2 ($2.59) for an automatic account backup or duplicated IP address.  

You’ll be also offered to register a new domain, transfer an existing one from another registrar or use and update your name servers. The domain register isn’t free and domain names vary between £5.85 ($7.57) and £11.40 ($14.74), which is a fair price.

To finish creating an account, you’ll have to provide a number of rather standard personal information and generate a password with at least five digits. At the bottom of the page, you can choose to receive occasional emails informing you of the latest news, information and special offers. If you want it, you can even leave notes to the UKHost4u team. 

Even if you choose the least expensive plan, you’ll get at least 50GB of SSD storage, meaning you’ll have good enough performance and your website won’t be too slow. If you want a website builder, it is also on offer, but as a separate paid subscription.

Manage your website using the industry standard cPanel (Image credit: UKHost4U)

UKHost4u provides a standardized cPanel packed with features and extras that will provide an intuitive and stress-free user experience even for less tech-savvy users. Applications and platforms are only a click away and all hosting plans support Node.js, so you can make the whole process even easier. 

We used GTmetrix to measure the performance of our UKHost4u site (Image credit: GTmetrix)

Speed and experience

When it comes to speed, UKHost4u gave us commendable performance, taking 3.0 seconds to fully load its page as monitored by GTmetrix test, in comparison with average loading speed of 8.2 seconds. The amount of requests it took was 63 which is still above the average of 89, so we can confirm that they’ve successfully completed the first testing phase.

When it comes to uptime, UKHost4u stresses out that the availability of their customers' websites is their key priority as they promise 99.9% uptime across all of their hosting solutions. The results of our two-week long tests shows no downtime at all and only a few oscillations in response speed, so it appears they are more than likely to keep their promise.

Unfortunately UKHost4u's knowledgebase could use some updates as some subjects turned up no articles at all (Image credit: UKHost4U)

Support

UKHost4u pride themselves in taking customer support seriously, as they offer 24/7 support via ticket, a phone number available during the working hours (Monday to Friday, 9AM to 5PM) and a dedicated knowledgebase.

The search for specific information in the UKHost4u’s knowledgebase has left us somewhat disenchanted. Although it doesn’t look amateurish, there are only nine categories that are further divided into subcategories and clicking on some of them will get you nowhere, since there are zero articles on the specific subject with just a short promise of “Articles coming soon”. 

Others lead to a written solution to specific problems, with adequate illustrations in the form of “How-to-do-something” and those do offer some beginner-friendly instructions and, despite being very brief, they should be helpful to most users. All of the articles appear to be created in 2020 and updated subsequently in the course of the year, hence we can conclude that UKHost4u is actively updating and optimizing their knowledgebase. They don’t have a support forum at present. 

The competition

UK2 and UKHost4u are rather similar, with both of them being UK-based providers with a wide variety of options and hosting plans for different types of businesses. However, while UK2 includes one domain name, backups and automatic malware removal, be prepared to pay extra to get more than bare bones from the UKHost4u.

Catalyst2 is another competent host from the UK, which, unlike UKHost4u, includes free or quite cheap domains and a three-day-trial. In addition to that, Catalyst2 offers more transparent and straightforward pricing, while the discounts that UKHost4u offers apply if you choose an annual or triennial plan.

Hostgator is a much larger company than UKHost4u and it is US-based, while UKHost4u is more focused on the UK market. While both provide a 30-day money-back guarantee, Hostgator adds a free domain name into the basket, and for the first year of use.

Bluehost is an alternative competitor from the US that offers remarkably low prices for the first three years before a price hike as well as a free domain for a year. The UKHost4u doesn’t offer this, so if you don’t mind having data centers in the US, Bluehost might be the right choice.

Final verdict

UKHost4u is a quality beginner-friendly all-inclusive hosting solution that can meet everyone’s needs, but to take full advantage of all its features, be ready to pay a higher price. If you are interested in all the above, but with more affordable prices and you don’t mind data centers located in the US, Hostgator or Bluehost might be better options for your needs.

• We've also highlighted the best web hosting

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BenQ EX2510

 

The world of gaming monitors is far from commoditized, to the point where most models offer something different to everything else on the market. In the case of BenQ’s Mobiuz EX2510, its feature set places it somewhere around the top-end of the budget market and the bottom end of the mid-range market. So how does it stack up against 2020's best gaming monitors and, who, if anyone, should buy it?

The BenQ EX2510 is available in the US, UK, Australia and other regions, at street prices of around $249 / £240 / AU$359 at the time of testing. That places it significantly higher than our favored and similarly specced ViewSonic XG2401 recommendation, but the latter doesn’t have HDR and is not available in all territories, such as Australia.

(Image credit: Future)

In terms of top-line specs, the EX2510 is a 24.5-inch, Full HD, IPS, 144Hz gaming monitor with ‘HDR’ technology. The Mobiuz is also much smarter-looking than most budget monitors (especially that aforementioned ViewSonic), thanks to a solid, classy stand, sharp lines, a colorful design flourish and a very thin bezel. The stand itself can be manipulated to generous degrees, offering -5°/+20° tilt, 20°/20° swivel and a height adjustment of 130mm. However, it rotates only to only a negligible degree – one that helps slightly with cable insertion but little else.

Those connections consist of two DisplayPort 1.2 sockets, an HDMI 2.0 port and a 3.5mm audio jack. They’re hidden behind a removable panel at the back and cables can be tidily channeled through a gap in the stand. Unsurprisingly for a monitor with this price tag, there are no RGB lights adorning it.

(Image credit: Future)

It houses two 2.5-watt speakers, which get surprisingly loud. They offer well-rounded audio too, which is great for casual YouTube videos and casual gaming. BenQ goes into some detail on how everything has been tailored for audiophiles by utilizing its in-house treVolo technology. However, playing music at any serious volume exposes their near-total lack of bass. Changing the equalizer from Pop/Live mode to Cinema mode merely muddies the lower frequencies, while Game mode removes them altogether – highlighting top-end, scratchy sounds of frequencies favored by approaching footsteps and gun-cocking sounds, helping battlefield awareness. Still, they’re significantly superior to most other built-in monitor speakers that we’ve ever used.

In theory, a headline feature that elevates the Mobiuz above many similarly-priced rivals is the incorporation of HDR. Not surprisingly, it can’t nearly match the stunning imagery of more expensive and premium 1,000-nit rivals, but BenQ’s emulated ‘HDRi’ system offers a little more than the usual, low-end, ‘high-contrast’ excuse for HDR that’s occasionally seen around this level of the market. In practice, a small button in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen cycles between HDR, Game, Cinema and Off modes. They all make the screen noticeably brighter and improve color vibrancy – just with slight variances in color temperature.

The built-in ambient light sensor sits at the bottom of the screen. (Image credit: Future)

The Mobius EX2510 also has an ambient light sensor for dynamic image ‘improvement’ that it describes thus, “A discrete sensor detects ambient light levels and assesses then refines on-screen HDR images for ideal display… Dark corners show what they’re hiding while bright areas are not overexposed… color balance and saturation are adapted for a mind-blowing visual experience.” The discrete sensor is actually that large, front-and-center glossy box affixed to the base of the screen. When activated it will adjust brightness and color saturation depending on your environment. It effectively works as described, but some may find the small on-screen icon, which appears in the corner when the screen is being adjusted, a touch distracting. If you find it changing the screen’s brightness too often, you can adjust sensitivity in the OSD.

When gaming, the HDRi technology can combine with the IPS panel’s 1,000:1 contrast ratio and impressive 400-nit brightness to produce a pleasing picture. However, while we liked seeing sneaky blighters hiding in dark areas, it was rather easy for detail to get lost in bright skies and such like. It was still possible to produce impressive, near-black dark areas in cinematic situations, but IPS panels only get so dark and, consequently, true-black performance is off the table.

The screen is matte-finished rather than glossy. But while those unflattering ‘Black Mirror’ reflections are cut out, we felt it reflected more-than-usual ambient glare in a bright room.

The EX2510's matte finish can still reflect a fair amount of glare from bright light sources. (Image credit: Future)

The 144Hz refresh rate keeps everything buttery smooth and there was minimal ghosting. Pixels have a low 1ms MPRT response time (Motion Picture Response Time standard) and are capable of 2ms grey-to grey flexing – very fast for an IPS panel. It’s all supposedly enhanced by an overdrive technology called Advanced Motion Accelerator but, in this reviewer’s experience, it did nothing noticeable beyond changing the setting number from one to three. Your mileage may vary. The monitor also supports FreeSync but, if you’re using an Nvidia graphics card, we discovered that if the refresh rate was set differently in Windows to the game, when framerates fluctuated significantly, it would literally turn the screen off for a few seconds on each occasion. It took us a while to figure that nightmarish bug out. Ensuring everything is set to 144Hz fixes the problem.

The OSD isn’t the most intuitive at first glance, however, we were quickly cycling through all the settings using the responsive, mini joystick at the back on the right (a button above this quickly cycles between inputs while the one beneath it turns the monitor off). It offers the standard range of image adjustment functions with some more-advanced options. The latter include a Black Equalizer adjustment in the FPS settings which adjusts the gamma to further reveal dark objects lurking in the shadows. You can also adjust light filters including blue light to comfort your eyes plus, you can adjust what appears in the quick menu settings when you first click the OSD button before entering the main menu.

(Image credit: Future)

Some gaming monitors can be hopeless at displaying a Windows Desktop: butchering the contrast and detail in office documents to the point where extensive messing around with settings is required just to see text in a document. Mercifully, the Mobius’ picture quality is also very well suited to office work. It makes a decent fist at high-quality video thanks to good color performance and contrast. However, there is some light leakage noticeable in the corners when letterbox bars are present and the ability to display true black is noticeably absent.

At $249 / £240 / AU$359 the BenQ Mobiuz EX2510 represents decent value and is a worthy choice at its level in the market. While many of the advertised features are somewhat gimmicky, it’s good at displaying gaming content and more besides. While its ability to display detail in bright areas isn’t great, only those who play very bright games should steer clear.

Buy it if…

You want important gaming features without the fuss
If you’re playing fast-paced games the standard 60Hz monitors just aren’t going to cut it: you’ll be at a competitive disadvantage and frantic mouse movements can make you giddy. Once you try 144Hz for FPS games (especially) there’s no going back.

You want a stand that’s solid, adjustable and pretty
There are few more-dispiriting things than staring at an ugly hunk of plastic for hours on end: one that’s balanced on a bunch of boxes and books in a desperate attempt to stave off neck strain, to boot. The Mobiuz has classy lines, doesn’t look cheap and can be adjusted a great deal.

You’re fed up of enemies jumping out of shadows
The Mobius has many settings that allow you to stop shadowy objects jumping out of the dark. It might spoil a lifelike picture but that’s competitive gaming for you: many of your competitors will be doing similar and gaining an edge over you if you don’t reciprocate.

Don’t buy it if…

You want the best HDR image quality
When you play games on a super-premium gaming monitor with top-quality HDR technology, it appears as though lights are shining out of the screen: the picture can be jaw dropping. While the emulated HDRi technology of the mobius is better than normal, it’s ultimately a high contrast setting.

You want a screen that rotates
There are many ergonomic options afforded by the Mobius’ stand, but rotating isn’t one of them. If you ever like to work in portrait mode, make another choice: this monitor only rotates a few millimeters to facilitate the wrestling that goes on with signal cable insertion.

You play games with many bright scenes
The emulated HDR is good at displaying a wide dynamic range with enriched colors, but in bright areas, you’ll struggle to see details without serious manipulation of the image settings.

• Discover more of the best monitors of 2020

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