Oppo PM-3

Oppo has already impressed the high-end sector. Now, high-tech meets the high street as David Vivian tests its latest headphone

At the height of his boxing powers, Muhammad Ali would often quip: “How can I lose with the stuff I use?”. Oppo’s plan to sink its rivals is obviously built along similar lines, but in the fiercely fought £300-500 headphone market, that’s going to require more than a fast-foot shuffle.

Sym

You know you’re lost in a metahole when you wonder if the game is annoying you because it’s not that great or because there’s supposed to be a message to the annoyance. We quickly found ourselves deep down that hole with Sym, a game that purports to express issues of social anxiety disorder and does so with the kind of puzzle platformer that instantly makes you feel ill at ease with your surroundings. The mechanics are smart and offer pleasing challenges, but it’s a message and experience hampered by its execution.

Build a Linux PC

Assembling a PC is straightforward, but choosing the components is less so. Neil Bothwick looks at the options

There is a document that has been floating around the internet for at least fifteen years, called ‘What if operating systems were airlines’. The entry for Linux Airlines states: “When you board the plane, you are given a seat, four bolts, a wrench and a copy of the seat-HOWTO.html”. It’s an old joke but as Linux users we are still more accustomed to sometimes having to do things for ourselves than users of other operating systems.

Linux secrets

Linux has more secrets hiding in its delectable depths than in the collective belly of a colony of rotund and affable penguins. Ashton Mills couldn't catch any penguins to divulge their secrets, so here's some of his instead!

MIRROR MIRROR

Ubuntu and Ubuntu-based distributions have a neat little feature in the software updater that lets you not only choose a closer mirror for updates, but benchmark to find the fastest.thereby saving you precious time when it comes to updating. For Ubuntu head to 'System Settings > Software & Updates' and then in the 'Download from' box select Other. You can select Australia or click on 'Choose Best Server' to allow Ubuntu to ping the fastest. This will bring up a list where you can manually select a server in Australia, or optionally click 'Select Best Server' and Ubuntu will ping to find the best.

Windows secrets

Unravelling the secrets of Windows takes a sharp mind and a deft hand and... oh who are we kidding. Everyone has a handful of their own tips and tricks from experience

CHECK YOUR RELIABILITY

Windows 8 has an excellent tool to help you visualise the reliability of your PC and drill-down into the events which may be affecting stability, both of the OS and the programs you run. This one's under the Action Center from the Control Panel, after first clicking the Maintenance drop down. You'll see 'View reliability history', click to launch. You'll see a graph that you can view by days or weeks showcasing system warnings, failures and program crashes. Click on a day to view the events, and then click on an event to learn more about it. For some issues, you may also be able to search for solutions online.

Crypt Of The NecroDancer

It’s funny how just one gameplay mechanic can completely transform a genre, with past examples including the Arkham series’ combat system and the ability to rewind time in recent Prince Of Persia games. Crypt Of The NecroDancer does this with roguelike dungeon-crawling by adding a single element unique to the genre: rhythm-based gameplay.

BenQ XL2420G

BenQ's XL2420C has a few similarities to its 27in cousin, employing the same red and black design, but there are some important differences that come with this 24in 1080p model. It's the company's first С-Sync display, but the technology has been implemented in a slightly different way to the other hardware we've reviewed.

BenQ XL2730Z

BenQ has clearly been thinking outside of the box with the design of the XL2730Z. As with its smaller 24in G-Sync relative (opposite), this 27in FreeSync display includes a wired remote that can be used to access all the OSD functions, complementing the more traditional physical buttons on the side.

Even with the best labelling and menu systems, buttons can be a real pain to use, and with some screens, it's all too easy to accidentally power off the screen by accidentally pressing the wrong one. The small joysticks used by Asus and LG are a big improvement, but BenQ's circular remote is equally useful, with large numbered buttons that can be assigned functions from the OSD, so you don’t need to keep reaching forwards to flick through menus and adjust the setting you want. It connects to a mini-USB port at the rear and rests in a small holder built into the stand, so it won't become yet another small item left lying around your desk.

Asus ROG Swift PG278Q

Asus' 27in ROG Swift is the priciest G-Sync monitor in this Labs by a wide margin. But good image quality, a wide range of additional features and superb gaming performance go a long way to justifying this cost.

A five-way joystick at the back is used to control the OSD, providing an easy means of navigating through the menus, and there are four separate physical buttons for additional controls. One of these buttons is labelled Turbo and adjusts the refresh rate, switching between 60Hz, 120Hz and 144Hz without needing to manually adjust the setting in the OSD. Like other manufacturers, Asus has added a button that enables an on-screen crosshair too, giving you a potential advantage in FPS games.